Tiffany Town

10.24-10.31.07
Tiffany Town

In this week’s issue:
* Party Serious as an Art Attack: Lake County Bash 11/14
* BizTech Profile Ray Leach, CEO of Jumpstart, Inc.
* Interview Jim Kukral, Blog Marketing Expert
* Straight Outta Mansfield Is It Time For The Tribe To Make A Trade?
* BFD More Starbucks make for a better quality of life?
* Interview Michael Sachs, Principal Trumpet, Cleveland Orchestra
* CityScape Tiffany glass everywhere in Cleveland
* Sounds Get Happy from Ezra Weiss
* Cool Cleveland Kids podcast click here, CC podcast click here, Brewed Fresh Daily here

They used to call CBS the Tiffany Network because it was elite; it was a notch above the rest. And there’s good reason to call the Cleveland area “Tiffany Town,” and not just because our baseball and basketball teams are in the top 2 or 3 in the country. Catch some of the videos I’ve shot while traveling to New York City’s Carnegie Hall, embedded with the world’s best Cleveland Orchestra on their current East Coast and European tour. Join us for our Art Attack party in Lake County on 11/14, with discount tix here, at Lake Erie College, one of the jewels of our region. Besides housing the world’s largest Tiffany window, our town is home to one of the largest collections of Tiffany windows anywhere. We’ve got reviews of some of the best: the top circus, the Orchestra’s Carnegie Hall triumph, and Ezra Weiss’ new CD Get Happy, theatre, dance, opera, art and business conferences. Emissions from the Blogsphere links you to the best online chatter, and BFD Weekly blogs on local coffeeshops Phoenix and Stone Oven putting the Cedar-Lee Starbucks out of business. Mansfield suggests a possible winning strategy for our baseball team, we interview blog expert Jim Kukral prior to our trip to Vegas for BlogWorld, and Ray Leach of Jumpstart, one of the Top 10 early stage VC firms in the US. That’s no surprise here in Tiffany Town. —Thomas Mulready

Serious as an Art Attack: Lake County Bash 11/14
Super low $10.99 price until Thu 10/25 midnight here!

Artists Unite at the next CC gig at Lake Erie College on Wed 11/14 5:30PM with an assortment of food from local restaurants and open bar, surrounded by samplings of the College’s fine arts programs including performances from their dance company and theatrical productions.

Stay for the John Bassett Memorial concert at 8PM featuring “Skinny Little Boy” Alex Bevan (chase/drink your women and drink/chase your beer) and Tiny Alice, who will rock the rafters thumpin’ good vibes in P’ville. More info & map here. See photos and video of past parties here.

Take advantage of the low ticket price if you order by Midnight Thu 10/25 here.

You Get All This for $10.99:

• Hip CC party highlighting Lake Erie College’s arts programs from 5:30-7:30PM in the B.K. Smith Gallery of the Fine Arts Building.
• Open bar wine and beer. All beer provided by homegrown Willoughby Brewing Company. Delish!
• Delicious hors d’oeuvres including Bruschetta from Gavi’s, Cream of Portabella Mushroom Shooters from Bistro 70, Herbed Pinwheels from Metz’s and much more.
• Live performance samples from Lake Erie College’s Fine Arts programs including: 5:45 – Excerpts from the “Three Musketeers” performance; 6:15 – Dance performance from undergraduate dance majors; 6:45 – Acoustic guitar duet by professor and student; 7:15 – excerpt from LEC production of “The Good Woman of Szechuan.”
• Live concert at 8:00 featuring Alex Bevan and Tiny Alice at the “John Bassette & Spirit of Individuality” concert at Morley Music Hall on campus.

Snag Your Discount Tix here by Midnight Thu 10/25: https://CoolCleveland.net/tickets/111407/index.php

A hot selection of tech and business news & events from around the region. Got business news? Send it to: EVENTS@CoolCleveland.com

Organizations recognized as NorthCoast 99 winners are offering a wide variety of work/life balance initiatives at their workplaces, and specifically more flexible scheduling options to their employees. Eighty-three percent of NorthCoast 99 winners offer telecommuting and work at home options versus only 11% of national employers. Additionally nearly 90% of NorthCoast 99 winners offer flexible work hours, compared to only a quarter of organizations nationally. Read

Cookinham leaves behind a legacy The region’s “technlogy evangelist” bids adieu. A great read. Click

Cleveland goes to Vegas Four Cleveland-based bloggers and social networking gurus have been invited to present featured sessions at the world’s largest blog convention, BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas on 11/8-9/07. Eric Olsen of Blog Critics (pop culture), George Nemeth of Brewed Fresh Daily (economic development & coffee), Jim Kukral of Ask The Blogger (internet marketing) and Thomas Mulready of Cool Cleveland (arts, tech, videos, economic development). To celebrate Northeast Ohio’s online leadership, Cleveland State University’s Nance College of Business is hosting a Meet The Bloggers forum in their auditorium, 1860 E. 18th St., Rm. 118, starting at 5:30PM on Thu 11/1. The public is invited, along with the area blog community and the media, to preview the Clevelanders’ Vegas presentations, and to engage in a community dialogue about our region’s leadership in the world of the Internet, blogging and social networking. Register for this no-charge event here: http://www.coolcleveland.net/forums/110107/index.php Catch our video interview with Jim Kukral in this issue of Cool Cleveland.

Crain’s CFO of the Year Awards hit the Hyatt at the Arcade d’town Thu 10/25. Register
CAAO Entrepreneurial Empowerment Circle Meeting: Local Univs and Colleges. Learn necessary steps a sm biz needs to gain access to vendor opportunities Fri 10/26 at 9:30AM. 4415 Euclid Ave., Suite 201. Call 432-9481
Green Hearts, Green Pockets at B-W focuses on balance between economic growth and environmental responsibility Mon 10/29 at 8PM. Details
Intro to Holacracy is a promising new idea for organizational agility. Learn about it Tue 10/30 at 4PM at Dively Ed Bldg, Weatherhead School of Mgmt. Register
2007 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, Marriott Downtown at Key Center Fri 11/2 at 6PM Details
N. Ohio Minority Business Council 2007 Awards Gala drops Fri 11/9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Cle Hotel Register
Sales for Entrepreneurs Conference feat. Keynote Speakers Bill Caskey, Hal Becker, and Marvin Montgomery Fri 11/9 Register
Crain’s 2007 40 Under 40 Reception hits Mon 11/19 at 6PM at Landerhaven in Mayfield Hts. Register

SPONSORED: Calling all Fagowees! And any other Cleveland ski bums out there! Take advantage of Frontier Airlines’ everyday low fares and book your ski trip to Denver today. In the short run, you’ll save money while enjoying the ease of flying (even with your skis and ski boots in tow) out of the Akron-Canton Airport. And in the long run — ah, yes, that beautiful, scenic, invigorating, gloriously long, looong, looooooong run, winding down that freshly powdered, sparkling jewel of a mountain — you’ll be glad you had a big comfy Frontier Airbus jet to stretch your legs out during your relaxing trip. Visit www.frontier.com right now.

Ray Leach, CEO of Jumpstart, Inc.

Ray Leach, CEO of Jumpstart, Inc. is a Summit County native and has 20 years experience leading high-growth entrepreneurial organizations. He originated his career at IBM and worked primarily in Information Technology before forming Jumpstart in 2004. He’s a Sloan Fellow and earned his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He serves on numerous local and regional boards. Conversing with him, you sense his articulate, affable presence and commitment to helping Northeast Ohio thrive in the 21st century. Recently, he, his wife, and two daughters, made a “regional” move from Summit to Cuyahoga County and now reside in Solon. Cool Cleveland caught up with him recently for an interview, which you’ll find below:

Cool Cleveland: What will it take for businesses (both products and services), to survive and thrive in the 21st Century?

Ray Leach: I hate to use a buzzword, but it’s innovation, either in product development or how they go to market. The biggest challenge now is that our competition is global. Your speed to change, how you think about, innovate, and grow your business, faces significantly increased demands. Never in our country’s history, has there been such a time of change, relating to how we keep our companies competitive. There’s a whole new set of tools and perspectives that Northeast Ohio companies are gaining, and need to gain, in order to remain competitive. We’re learning as we go, so it’s a dangerous tightrope walk. If there’s any solace, it’s that everyone is in the same position. One of our country’s greatest assets, as well as here in Northeast Ohio, is our human capital. We’re continually looking for ways to leverage that on a global scale…

Read the interview by Tim Zaun here

R.I.P. Chas Smith The local musician, author, educator and friend to many passed away last week after a battle with cancer, pneumonia and a stroke. He played in many bands over the years including Einsteins Secret Orchestra, The Clocks, Venus Envy, Cobra Verde and The Pagans. He taught one of the most popular courses at Cleveland State University (my alma mater) on the Roots of Rock and Roll, and was the author of the books From Woodstock to the Moon: The Cultural Evolution of Rock Music and The Soul of Sunrise: Grassroots Music in America. He was actively involved in The Church of the Subgenius, at the CSU radio station WCSB 89.3FM and in the community at large as it related to music and arts education. And to anyone who knew him, or was touched by his personality, you know he was one cool cat. So long, Chas. You’ll be missed. From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com

Ingenuity 08 is gearing up and they’re looking for proposals from artists. Visit http://www.ingenuitycleveland.org and click “Call for 2008 Proposals” on the left sidebar
World famous Cle Orch on tour Get a look at their schedule. Read. They’re also working with the Greater Cleveland Partnership and the City of Cleveland, seek nominations for the fourth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award. http://www.clevelandorchestra.com
Seminal Cle pop-rock act Raspberries will appear Fri 12/14 at 8PM in the State Theatre at Playhouse Square. Click
Food & Wine Magazine’s Nov 07 ish features a brief article and sidebar on Cle restaurants — particularly Ohio City and Tremont. Click
The Gathering Place announces plans for a second NEO location. The well-respected, Beachwood-based cancer support center will open a second center in Westlake, providing free programs and services from the new location as early as fall 2008. http://www.touchedbycancer.org
Going after payday lenders and their outrageous fees. Read
Medina County weighs NOACA pullout after western suburban interchange details emerge. Read
Inspired by a local woman’s imaginary childhood friend this website is sure to inspire. Check out Susie (Lanza) Vitale’s new digs online. http://www.feef.com
Great Lakes Brewing Company scores a Silver Medal with its Edmund Fitzgerald Porter at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Click
Cool Cleveland Podcast You know how to do it. Click here to listen: Link. iTunes or other.
To ensure you receive Cool Cleveland every week, take a moment now and add CoolCleveland@CoolCleveland.com to your address book, trusted sender list, or corporate white list.

Jim Kukral
Blog Marketing Expert

Jim Kukral is one of four Cleveland-area online social networking experts invited to speak at the upcoming BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas on 11/8-9/07, the others being Cool Cleveland’s George Nemeth, who started BrewedFreshDaily.com, Eric Olsen, who runs BlogCritics.org, and Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready, making Northeast Ohio one of the most heavily represented regions at this largest blog conference in the world, and a center for blog culture. In this age of over 70 million blogs, with over 120K new blogs being created each day, a full 22% of the Top 100 web destinations are blogs. Kukral’s session at BlogWorld Good to Great: Blogging and Profit Potential, offers suggestions on how to turn the garden variety blog into a money maker. And making money from your blog, directly through cash sales or advertising, or indirectly through the marketing of your existing business, is a specialty of Kukral, who consults locally and whose two blogs, AskTheBlogger and JimKukral.com are read internationally. Kukral answers a lot of questions in this video interview on the Superior Viaduct with Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready, such as, What is a blog? How can I make money with my blog? and How can I use my blog to better market my business? http://www.AskTheBlogger.com and http://www.JimKukral.com

SPONSORED: What’s Better than Shopping? How about a sneak preview peek at what’s artsy cool from all the local museum stores in one convenient location with munchies, entertainment and free gift wrapping? Score! Bring your girlfriends and get a major jump on your holiday shopping at The Lark, at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History Fri 11/2 from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. There will be a Holiday Shopping Preview with a medley of Museum Stores On-The-Go and a nominal charge of $10 members / $15 non-members for hot and cold appetizers, finger pastries, beverages and lively entertainment. Cash bar for liquor, beer and wine. Free gift-wrapping. Gift package ideas available for bulk orders, wrapped and packaged for December pick-ups. For tickets call (216) 231-1177 or (800) 317-9155, ext. 3279. For museum info contact www.cmnh.org.

Is it time for the Tribe to make a trade?

The day after the Indians lost in Game 5 and sent the American League Championship Series back to Boston, I happened to be in a gift shop in Las Vegas that sold Native American jewelry, accompanied by my brother, Thomas, who has resided in Jamaica for the last couple of decades and was in town for a visit. Although an expatriate, he nonetheless remains a loyal Indians fan from afar.

When I couldn’t come up with tickets to games three or four, all of my years of bragging about being this hotshot journalist rang kind of hollow to him. “I thought you said you had some pull in this town?” he’d teased. I told him Vegas would be more fun instead, but I don’t think he bought it.

As we approached the cash register with our selections, he was lamenting about the team having to return to Boston to clinch the series there; like all Cleveland fans he was pulling for them to win it at home. Sitting off to the side near the register was an elderly Native American craftsman working on a piece of turquoise jewelry. Without looking up from his task he said in an almost inaudible voice, “The Indians will never win a World Series, as long as they continue to disrespect my people, we put a curse on the team.” “Excuse me?” my brother said, obviously agitated…

Read more from Mansfield Frazier here

As John Lennon Said, “All You Need is Love” (and Internet access) to get the good stuff we deliver each week. Spread the feelin’ and share it with a friend, colleague or marital counselor by encouraging them to sign up and you’ll both be eligible to win an iPhone or video iPod! Add your personal message in the subject line and sign up here. Winners announced in future issue.

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

National Sustainability Day Cuyahoga Community College’s Metro Campus will participate in it from 9AM – 2:30PM on Wed 10/24. Explore the Sustainability Day Table Fair in the gymnasium, exchange ideas and knowledge about issues specific to environmentalism such as human-driven climate change. Check out the Earth Trek — a walk through a 22-foot detailed model of the planet in the gymnasium (one of only 19 in the world!) and participate in a live national webcast covering what higher education institutions are doing regarding local food, energy, and culture in their communities. For further information related to the Tri-C exhibits contact Ashlee Brand at 987-4512. http://www.scup.org/csd.

Hoppy Hour Sample award-winning seasonal beers from the hugely popular, local microbrewery Great Lakes Brewing Company Wed 10/24 at 5:30PM. Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. http://www.cbgarden.org.

This American Life Ira Glass, producer and host of NPR’s weekend program This American Life and David Rakoff, humorist and essayist, will recreate the popular radio show and share insights about the program Wed 10/24 at 7:30PM in the Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square. Tickets available through the Cuyahoga County Library by calling 749-9486. http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org.

Nestor Torres The University of Akron Cabaret Concert performs with Latin jazz flutist Nestor Torres and the UA Faculty Jazz Ensemble Thu 10/25 at 7:30PM. The Latin Grammy award-winner Torres returns to Akron (he was last here for UA JazzFest in 2003) with his sensual mix of Latin, jazz and pop. Cabaret seating in the Robertson Lobby. Delectable desserts and special drinks at the cash bar. Presented with the support from the Northeastern Ohio Flute Association. Details.

A City Seen Panel The Cleveland Clinic Art Program welcomes NEO artists David Bergholz, Michelangelo Lovelace and Laurence Channing for a panel discussion moderated by Greg Peckham, Executive Director of Cleveland Public Art. The conversation takes place Thu 10/25 at noon in the Bunts Auditorium on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus (245 E. 90th St.). The Lunchtime Artists Talk coincides with City Seen, an exhibit on view in the H Lobby of Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus. Also included are photographs by the late artist Masumi Hayashi. Parking is available at P1 (93rd off Euclid Ave.) or P3 and P4 (90th St. off of Carnegie Avenue). Please call 297-8941 or visit http://www.clevelandclinic.org/art.

The Best of Cleveland Party Enjoy this soiree at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum Thu 10/25 at 7PM. Nibble on sushi, popcorn, and French toast. Dance to a live 80’s band. Watch a master carver handcarving a carousel horse. The event includes a silent auction and a raffle to win a trip to Germany, courtesy of Mercedes Benz of North Olmsted. Proceeds will benefit Rock Hall Education Programs. Details. http://www.rockhall.com.

A Christmas Story Halloween There’s no need to wait until Christmas to dress in your pink bunny suit. “A Christmas Story” House in Tremont invites fans to dress up as “something” from the movie and visit over Halloween weekend, from Thu 10/25 through Sun 10/28. Anyone in a “Christmas Story” costume will receive a discount off their admission. Photos of the costumes will be displayed in the Gift Shop the following weekend when guests will cast their votes for the best and most creative outfits. Top vote getters will receive leg lamp nightlights and strings of leg lamp lights, and one person will be awarded a 45” leg lamp grand prize. Details at http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com.

SPONSORED: Sweet! Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Annual Gingerbread House Competition is having a call for entries. Compete for prizes and have your creation on display as part of the Garden’s annual WinterShow Fri 11/23 – Mon 12/31. (Entry forms need to be received by 5PM 11/2.) The Gingerbread Competition is a tradition that was revived four years ago. With overwhelming enthusiasm and participation from the entire community, this annual contest has grown into a real phenomenon! Amateur and professional bakers of all ages take pride in having their creations on display as part of the WinterShow. For entrants, there is competition for top honors, as well as the pleasure of helping to warm the hearts of the Garden’s visitors throughout the holiday season. For more info go to www.cbgarden.org

Objects of Desire Check out the work of Jody Hawk in Objects of Desire: Storyboxes starting with an opening reception Fri 10/26 from 6 – 9PM at Arts Collinwood Gallery, 15605 Waterloo Rd. Call 692-9500 for directions and gallery hours. Exhibit runs through end of Nov. http://www.artscollinwood.org.

Sicko & Fido Michael Moore’s unsettling look at the U.S. healthcare system, Sicko, and one of the most galvanizing movies of the year, the Canadian zombie flick Fido, play as a double feature at the Cleveland Cinematheque Fri 10/26 starting at 7:15PM. The latter has been dubbed by Cinematheque director John Ewing as “a classic.” It plays at 9:40PM. Check them out separately or together. 11141 East Blvd. in University Circle. 421-7450, http://www.cia.edu/cinematheque.

HOT The Nut Man Local artist Corlette Thomas Baylock suffered the largest tragedy an artist can endure. A vital part of the Cle art scene for years, the man known for using pistachio nuts as faces in his artwork (http://www.artonthehalfshell.com lost everything in a van fire on the way to an art show last month in Indianapolis. Local artists Lisa Nemeth and Deby Cowdin host An Evening with Corlette Thomas Baylock this Fri 10/26 at 5:30PM at The Galleria, East 9th and St. Clair. A Wine and Cheese reception at the North Coast Promotions office (second level) will be followed with dinner at Café Sausalito (w/cash bar). All proceeds will benefit Baylock. For ticket info, contact Nemeth at northcoastpromo@yahoo.com. Anyone wishing to donate items for the raffle contact Cowdin at debycowdin@hotmail.com.

Hangin’ Out With My Friends In The Backyard launches with an opening reception Fri 10/26 from 8 – 11PM. Drawing since he was a youngster, Jay Croft’s self-taught style depicts his profound love of skateboarding, the midwest and cereal. Choosing to go with his own flow, albeit passionately involved in his art, Jay passed on an art school education to follow his dreams of smooth pavement, riding walls and empty pools. His dedication to the skateboarding industry has brought his eccentric figures to the masses via deck graphics, magazine illustrations, t-shirts and stickers. Artchitecture Gallery, 1667 East 40th St., Unit 1A. http://www.artchitecturegallery.com.

Happy Trails The Blue Heron celebrates the release of the Trail Guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 3rd Edition this Fri 10/26 at 7PM with author Peg Bobel. Completely updated, this release is the largest and most comprehensive trail guide for Ohio’s popular national park. Learn about all the trails and soak up the inspiration that will benefit all hikers, cyclists, skiers, and horseback riders in the area and beyond. 1593 Main Street in Peninsula, on State Route 303 between Riverview and Akron-Peninsula Roads. http://www.blueheronbookstore.com.

We Gotta Bingo Get ready for the wildest, interactive “funraiser” there is — a Bingo Brew-Ha-Ha to end them all! Spend the evening at a church Bingo fundraiser held in a rowdy German beer hall. In no time you will become a polka dancing, prize winning, bingo fanatic at this riotous, interactive, comedy hit! See what the Minneapolis Star Tribune calls “A hilarious night of bingo and beer!” Plus you’ll enjoy a delicious Italian dinner, full bar and live music. If you liked Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding you will love We Gotta Bingo. Launches Fri 10/26, running through mid-December. http://www.wegottabingo.com.

Unspeakable Check out this no-cost advance movie screening Fri 10/26 at 6PM at the Department of Communications Auditorium, Room MU 107 Cleveland State University. Reception immediately afterwards at Sunset Lounge, 1382 West 9th St. Film is rated R by MPAA, no children permitted. http://www.cinema216.com.

The Horror Convention Massacre 2 Check out the big premiere to the sequel of the Cle-made cult hit, The Horror Convention Massacre this Fri 10/26 at 9PM at the Beahland Tavern. Live performances from The Cult of the Psychic Fetus, Lords of the Highway and Horror of 59 follow. This event is also a Halloween bash with cash prizes for best makeup and best costume. A THCM2 drinking game will be played live with the movie as well. Their last screening/show at the Beachland SOLD OUT 20 minutes before the film started, turning away over 60 people at the door. http://www.ossfilms.com.

SPONSORED: WCLVnotes Next Monday is the deadline for entries in WCLV’s 45th Anniversary Competition. Winners will attend the Sat 11/3 matinee performance of “Sherlock Holmes – the Final Solution” at the Cleveland Play House, followed by a champagne and birthday cake reception at Stages at the Play House. Contest details at www.wclv.com. Interesting fact: The Cleveland Orchestra has five commercial recordings of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral,” more than any of the other Big Five Orchestras – New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. And WCLV is playing off the hometown band’s recordings of the Ninth on Mondays nights at 8PM through Mon 11/19.

Funk n Junk Flea Market On Sat 10/27 from 11AM – 4PM, the Grog Shop will host another Funk n Junk Flea Market. If you havent been to one make sure to come and bring your family and friends. There will be vendors selling vintage clothing, records, books and whole lot more! Also, if you haven’t figured out what you’re doing for Halloween, this little shindig is a great place to figure out that costume! Grab a beer and start shopping! Grog Shop, 2785 Euclid Hts Blvd., Cle Hts on the corner of Coventry and Euclid Hts Blvd. Call 321-5588 for more info. http://www.grogshop.gs.

HOT Raise the Roof For the past 125 years, The Cleveland Institute of Art has been raising generations of exceptionally talented artists and designers. Now they’re marking this historic milestone anniversary with Raise the Roof, a gala to toast the past and raise a glass to their future Sat 10/27 starting at 5:30PM. Cocktails, dinner, dessert and dancing are just part of the festivities — think of it as “a dress-up, dine and dance experience” but that signature CIA creative twist. http://www.cia.edu.

HOT Nin Andrews is arguably the leading female voice in American prose poetry. Her new book is Sleeping with Houdini, published by Boa Editions; she is perhaps best known for Spontaneous Breasts, winner of the Pearl Chapbook Contest; Any Kind of Excuse, winner of the Kent State University chapbook contest. Andrews’ poems and stories have appeared in many literary journals and anthologies. She joins Philip Brady, poet/writer and professor at Youngstown State University, director of the YSU Poetry Center and Etruscan Press at Mac’s Backs on Coventry Sat 10/27 at 5PM. 1820 Coventry Rd., Cle Hts. http://www.macsbacks.com.

HOT Harvest Moon Barn Dance After a 7-year absence, Mike’s Barn brings back the tradition of their legendary Harvest Moon Barn Dance show. Not since October of 1999 has the barn hosted this event. It’s like nothing you’ve been to before. As the tradition goes, the Sat 10/27 event before the main show will be an evening of pumpkin carving among volunteers helping put the final touches on the barn dance decorations and show off their skills. The full-blown gig is the following night, Sun 10/28. Learn more about the show at http://www.mikesbarn.com.

Masquerade Gala Friends of Solon Center for the Arts hosts a celebration of Center’s 5th Anniversary on Sat 10/27 at 6:30PM. The Gala is the third annual fundraiser for FSCA and includes hors d’oeuvres, dinner, complimentary wine and beer, cash bar, silent and live auctions, and the drawing to win a $5,000+ room makeover sponsored by Calvetta Bros. Floor Show, Bellastanza Furniture and Elegant Interiors and Design. The festivities continue with dancing to the Tony Koussa Jr. Band. Call Joan Long at 440-337-1420 or visit http://www.solonohio.org for more info.

HOT Masumi Hayashi, Meditations Four of NEO’s premier art venues – The Akron Art Museum, CSU Art Gallery, MOCA Cleveland and SPACES – will celebrate and pay tribute to the rare gifts and artistic accomplishments of Cleveland photographer Masumi Hayashi, who was killed on August 17, 2006. Under the title Masumi Hayashi, Meditations, each of the four will mount an exhibition that will be on view at approximately the same time over three months, starting Sat 10/27. Each exhibition will present an overview of Hayashi’s oeuvre and development as an artist: her rare early works as well as some of her last images; her depictions of the American internment camps for Japanese Americans; her stark reconstructions of post-industrial Cleveland and EPA Superfund sites; and her journey as a Fulbright Scholar to document temples and ancestor worship sites in Asia. Startling, comprehensive, moving. Details on all four exhibitions are available at http://www.spacesgallery.org, http://www.mocacleveland.com, http://www.csuohio.edu/art/gallery and http://www.akronartmuseum.org.

Stagefright This Halloween season, The Cleveland Play House and Stages restaurant host their annual CPH Halloween party, on Sat 10/27 at 8PM. Partygoers will start the evening in the Bolton Theatre with a production of Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. After the show, the party will move to Stages, the new public restaurant at The Cleveland Play House where Justo Saborit Latin Soul will entertain. Costumes are encouraged, but are not required. Heavy appetizers and a complimentary drink ticket will be provided and best dress prizes awarded! For more information, call 795-7000 x233. or visit http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

Bones, Bugs & Dead Animals The Nature League of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History presents the 11th annual “Bones, Bugs and Dead Animals” Halloween Party Sat 10/27 at 8PM. Check out live music by Abby Normal, plus DJ Ay and tango dancers, Morticia and Gomez! There’s a costume contest, scavenger hunt and catered fare by Devrings and dessert buffet! Full Bar including Great Lakes Brewing Co. beer. For more information call 231-1177 or click here.

Life is a Mystery Remember the old saying: “I know that 50% of my advertising dollars are wasted, I just wish I knew which 50% it was.” Clear out the cobwebs and consider an online approach that will give you an integrated mix, drive traffic to your site and deliver the audience you’re looking for. For more info about advertising contact us at Info@CoolCleveland.com.

Sabzi Opus Gallery will be hosting a reception for renowned Persian Abstract Expressionist artist Sat 10/27 at 5PM. This reception opens the one-man show, titled The Art of Sabzi, running through Sat 11/17. During the reception, Sabzi will be signing copies of his highly anticipated new book Memories: Collected Works By Sabzi. His first book in a decade, “Memories” gives collectors a glimpse into the mind and inspiration of one of the worlds most collected Abstract painters. Opus Gallery, 27629 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere.

5th Annual Dia de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead” art exhibition features Vince Packard, Jennifer Hill, Gina Carron, Jessica Fleming, and more. Celebrate the Mexican holiday as you explore paintings, sculptural installations, large scale puppets Sat 10/27 at 8PM with an Opening Reception. The event coincides with the annual downtown Kent Halloween Parade; the exhibit runs through Sat 11/17. N. Water St. Gallery, 257 N. Water St., Kent. Call 330-673-4970 or visit http://www.standingrock.net for updates.

Boo for the Adults Check out this Adult Halloween Party Sat 10/27 at 7PM. Price includes beer-wine-pop, as well as live music by the band Wired. Grab your friends and your costume. 22770 Lake Shore Blvd., Euclid. Visit http://www.irishamericanclubeastside.com.

HOT Clave! World Rhythms Developed in Cuba with roots in West Africa, clave (pronounced “clah-vay”) is Latin music’s heartbeat. The concert will sizzle with Bernard Woma of Ghana, Latin drummer Michael Spiro, 7 Mile Isle steel band, and The University of Akron’s African Drumming Ensemble, Brazilian Ensemble, and Jack Schantz and The Hard Bop Jazz Combo. Check them out Sun 10/28 at 3PM. Guzzetta Recital Hall, 157 University Ave., Akron. http://www.uakron.edu/faa.

Breastfest The 7th annual Breastfest concert will be held on Sun 10/28 from 4PM – 12AM at TWO different Cleveland venues: The Happy Dog (5801 Detroit Ave.) and The Parkview (1261 West 58th St). A donation will gain full event access at both venues, with proceeds benefiting breast cancer patients and families and promoting awareness and early detection. Live music at the Happy Dog by Brittany Davidson, Beth Gatchell, Lost State of Franklin, Claudia Schieve and Cherylann Hawk. At Parkview, the bands include Bad Boys of Blues, Becky Boyd, Mary Bridget Davies, Ki Allen, Jackie Warren, Kristine Jackson, Tracy Marie and Heidi Longhauer. http://www.breastfest.net.

West Shore Chorale Turns 40 Come celebrate the West Shore Chorale’s 40th Season at a special concert Sun 10/28 at 7:30PM at Don Ummerly Hall in Rocky River. Experience the Chorale as never before in the intimacy of their 300 seat rehearsal space. In honor of the occasion, the program will include traditional favorites chosen exclusively by the singers, including Flummerfelt’s Danny Boy, Erb’s Shenandoah, and Parker’s Goin’ to Boston. The group will also perform Schubert’s Mass in C, a piece from the Chorale’s first concert. Seating is limited. Tickets are available; students are admitted at no charge. Don Ummerly Hall, Rocky River Municipal Ctr., 21016 Hilliard Blvd., Rocky River. Call 221-1639, 556-4368 or visit http://www.westshorechorale.org for details.

SPONSORED: ‘Material About Materials’ Workshop for Designers will be held Thu 11/29 – Fri 11/30 at Studio ASM @ Idea Center. Turn your ideas into reality with an understanding of materials! Key ingredients to a successful design include choosing the right materials and processing them to produce products your customers desire. This workshop, developed by ASM’s initiative for the design community, will provide knowledge and tools to combine the art and science of materials selection for your designs. Be a source of knowledge for your clients, engineering staff and production houses by understanding and designing sharply with metals and polymers. For details got to www.asminternational.org/mtrl.

Daniel Tammet Lorain County Community College hosts the high-functioning autistic savant Mon 10/29 at 6:30PM for a reception and lecture. Tammet first came to worldwide attention in March 2004 on International Pi Day when he recited, from memory, Pi to 22,514 decimal places. He used that event to raise funds for the National Society for Epilepsy because it was after a series of childhood seizures that his extraordinary number and memory abilities began — making him a rare “acquired savant.” Stocker Arts Center Main Theater, with a reception preceding his talk at 6:30 pm. RSVP for this no-cost event at http://www.lorainccc.edu/mgm. Part of LCCC’s Meeting Great Minds series.

12 Girls Band Graceful, charming and high-spirited international sensation 12 Girls Band brings their innovative blend of East and West, traditional and pop to the Allen Theatre Mon 10/29 at 7:30PM as part of their first major US tour. Straight from their successful Live from Shanghai special on PBS, the group will entertain with selections that fuse the ancient traditions of Chinese classical and folk music with the sounds of western, pop, classical and jazz. For tickets and information call 241-6000, toll-free at 800-766-6048 or visit http://www.playhousesquare.com.

Vicki Blum-Vigil The author signs Cemeteries of Northeast Ohio: A Guide to the Places and the History They Hold on Mon 10/29 at 7PM at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lyndhurst. This new book is based on the popular Cleveland Cemeteries has greatly expanded to include 120 cemeteries in 15 counties throughout NEO. History buffs will discover fascinating stories of Cle’s most notable permanent residents; including celebrities, villains, patriarchs and just plain folks. 24519 Cedar Rd., Lyndhurst. http://www.josephbeth.com.

Diane Rehm The host of NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show will speak at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave on Tue 10/30 at 7:30PM. The event, sponsored by Trinity Cathedral and Cleveland State University, with support from 90.3 WCPN, is free and open to all. During her visit to Cleveland, Diane Rehm will also give the President’s Lecture at Cleveland State University on Wed 10/31 at 1PM in Drinko Hall. Call 771-3630 or visit http://www.trinitycleveland.org for details.

Out of Cleveland Lolette Kuby will be at Mac’s to read from Out of Cleveland, a new collection of short fiction, on Tue 10/30 at 7PM. Kuby is the author of Faith and the Placebo Effect: An Argument for Self-Healing and two collections of poetry, Inwit and Set Down Here. She lives in Toronto, Ontario. 1820 Coventry Rd., Cle Hts. http://www.macsbacks.com.

SPONSORED: Hear What the World is Talking About This week The Cleveland Orchestra embarked on their sixth European Tour with Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, which will culminate with the Orchestra’s third biennial residency at the Musikverein in Vienna. In all, Franz Welser-Möst and the Orchestra will perform works by Adams, Beethoven, Bruckner, Debussy, Ligeti, Mahler, Mozart, Pintscher, and Tchaikovsky in 15 concerts covering nine cities. Follow the Orchestra on tour by signing-up to receive tour news updates in your inbox. Visit http://www.clevelandorchestra.com for more details.

Topilow & CIM On Wed 10/31 at 8PM, the CIM Orchestra will perform in Kulas Hall, directed by Carl Topilow. Violinist Chloé Trevor will serve as soloist in the concert that features works by Wagner, Prokofiev, Brouwer and Strauss. The concert is presented in honor of The Lubrizol Foundation. No-cost, open to the public. Due to anticipated capacity attendance, seating passes will be distributed 30 minutes prior to the performance. Passes are now available two days in advance by calling the CIM Box Office at 791-5000, ext. 411. http://www.cim.edu.

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

Phoenix Pumpkin Carving Parties are a costumed, family-friendly annual event at Phoenix Coffee to benefit Heights Arts. With a Prez Hamilton donation, you get a Heights Garden Center pumpkin, tools, candles and carving advice. There’s no-cost hot cider and cookies! Reservations necessary. Enjoy carvings Thu 10/25 from 4-8PM at the 2287 Lee Rd. location in Cle Hts.; Sat 10/27 4 – 6PM at the 4441 Mayfield Rd. location South Euclid; Tue 10/30 from 4 – 6PM at the 1854A Coventry Rd location in Cle Hts. http://www.phoenixcoffee.com. http://www.heightsarts.org.

Healthy Halloween & Cheese Tasting The trick to planning a ‘Healthy Halloween’ is to look to the fall harvest for wholesome treats. Cleveland Food Co-op has local apples, cider, home baked goodies, and even Endangered Species Chocolate Bites. A representative from Middlefield Original Cheese Cooperative will be in the store offering samples of innovative cheeses made from goat’s milk, including Monterey Jack, Colby, and Cheddar. No-cost, open to the public this Wed 10/24 at noon. Call 791-3890 or visit http://www.clevelandfood.coop for details.

Halloween Family Hayride Night Trick-or-treaters will parade in costume through the Wildlife Gardens of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Fri 10/26 starting at 5:30PM. Take home a Halloween-y craft and enjoy a hot chocolate after your pizza dinner. Catch a hayride and take in the night skies in the Schuele Planetarium. Then relax with your family by a crackling fireplace. Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, 28728 Wolf Rd., Bay Village. Call 440-871-2900 or visit http://www.lensc.org for details.

Too Many Pumpkins This event for families of all ages hits Fri 10/26 at 6:30PM. Join instructor Sharon Graper as she asks the question, “Can you have too many pumpkins?” In the work Too Many Pumpkins, an old woman learns to love the pumpkins she hated as a child. Join a group at the Holden Arborateum and learn about and carve pumpkins just in time for Halloween; then make and eat some yummy pumpkin treats. 9500 Sperry Road, Willoughby. http://www.holdenarb.org.

SPONSORED: Learn from the Masters! Whether you are 5 or 105, enjoy learning about art in the museum while making your own art. After viewing masterworks in the exhibit “Modern Masters,” families will create their own using different art materials each week. This is a two Sunday session, November 4 & 11, 2:00-3:30PM at the Cleveland Museum of Art, $15 per person. Advance registration required. All children must be accompanied by an adult. To register call 216-421-7350. For more info contact www.clevelandart.org.

Max & Ruby No, not our CC Kids Correspondent, Max. Come join beloved bunny siblings Max and his older sister Ruby as they kick-off another exciting family-friendly season of theater in this new musical adventure at Playhouse Square Sat 10/27 at 11AM and 2PM. The delightful show for children and families is based on the popular stories by Rosemary Wells and the hit Nickelodeon television show. Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square. http://www.playhousesquare.org.

Halloween Spooktacular V hits the Cleveland Children’s Museum this Sat 10/27 and Mon 10/29 from 11AM – 4PM both days. Enjoy two days of fun-filled Halloween activities! Everyone, including children and adults, are invited to dress in costume and participate in a variety of special seasonal games, activities, crafts and of course, trick-or-treating. Regular paid admission is required. 10730 Euclid Ave. http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org.

BOO-Tanical Bash Don’t miss this special evening of ghosts and goblins in the Hershey Children’s Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden this Sat 10/27 from 5:30 – 8:30PM. Celebrate the season at our much-loved, annual Halloween party. Dress in your best costume, play games, create crafts, and trick-or-treat away the evening hours. Register in advance by calling 721-1600 ext. 168. http://www.cbgarden.org.

You don’t want to miss what 11-year-old Max has for you and your family this week. Listen here: http://www.coolcleveland.com/files/audio/CoolClevelandKids10.26.07.mp3. Click here to subscribe: iTunes or other.

This week’s most active post on BrewedFreshDaily.com, run by Cool Cleveland’s George Nemeth,

Recently CEOs for Cities posted a link to an article in the Chicago Sun Times where columnist Mark Konkol writes about the Gold Coast’s SBQ — Starbucks Quotient — a way to measure how hot your neighborhood is. George Nemeth asks if that’s truly an indicator of a better quality of life. Comments:

* I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood where the Starbucks (or the deathstar, as my 25 year old nephew calls it) went out of business. What??? Yep, the Starbucks near the Cedar Lee Theater died quietly a year or so ago. And why not when there are two other great places to get a cup-o-joe on the street? Cedar Lee folks know where to get coffee and pastry and much more — you have to walk a couple of blocks to Stone Oven or Phoenix, but there the pastry is freshly baked and not freshly thawed… comment from Susan Miller

* One person’s homogeneity is another person’s consistency. I know that wherever I go, around the world, I can get the same morning latte from one Starbucks to another. comment from J. Murray

* Specificaly S’bucks locations denote discretionary income demographics. Return on corporate investment is the goal, not trophy caffiene temples to reward the cachet of the trendiest zip codes. Convience for the auto-bound, that’s the story here. So few of us walk the neighborhood, any neighborhood. That’s impetus of valet parking or a drive thru for that quick cup of $3 coffee. When we do finaly venture out of our cars; that’s when they pounce… comment from Steve Whiting

* I like consistency when I’m a commuter – the Key Center Starbucks gives we what I want even before I can order it. But when I travel, I want real local. In Miami, it’s the little Cuban coffee shop (really, a literal hole in the wall) on Calle Ocho next to the Gloria Cubana cigar shop. In Key West, it’s the coffee place across from the Marriott…comment from Tom Zych

Add your opinion here

Michael Sachs
Principal Trumpet, Cleveland Orchestra

Michael Sachs has seen it all. When Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready spoke with him on the street outside Carnegie Hall in NYC, he shrugged off the glamour and, after 20 years as the Cleveland Orchestra’s principal trumpet, insisted he was just on a “business trip.” And the Orchestra is certainly taking care of business. With stellar reviews from the opening night of their recent East Coast and European tour (“The band is still one of the world’s greatest…” Washington Post 10/17/07), and three triumphant nights at Carnegie Hall, the consistency of the Cleveland Orchestra begs the question: Can perfection be considered business as usual? Watch the video as one of the Orchestra’s veterans talks about life on the road, returning to the city where he studied at Julliard, and adjusting to, and appreciating, some of the world’s greatest halls. Watch all the Cleveland Orchestra world tour vids here. Stay tuned for more imbedded coverage from the Orchestra’s world tour. http://www.ClevelandOrchestra.com

Tiffany Town
Getting to Know the World’s Largest Tiffany Window

Cleveland has been called many names over the years, however I doubt anyone has ever heard Cleveland called the above name. Believe it or not, Cleveland has the right to this name, given the number and uniqueness of Louis Comfort Tiffany windows and designs in the city. Cleveland’s home to the one of the most complete buildings ever designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and literally scores of windows from the Tiffany Studios. Few other cities have such rich treasures.

Louis Comfort Tiffany is seen as one of America’s greatest artist and has been called the Monet of the glass world. His use of new techniques for making glass made him famous during his lifetime. He and his studios were well known for his stained glass windows and lamps, jewelry, paintings, enamels, and metal work. Annually Tiffany Studios annually produced over 30,000 pieces, however there were only approximately 7,000 windows produced. In recent years his lamps and windows have sold for ever inflating prices as more and more individuals begin to appreciate the quality and uniqueness of his work. Unfortunately Tiffany windows were not always prized and during the last century Cleveland lost many of these treasures. The good news is Cleveland still benefits from having as many of these treasures as we do…

Read more from Chris Whipple here

If You’re Interested in writing for Cool Cleveland, drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you. Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Links to interesting NEO blogs

On Blog Action Day one blog challenges businesses to be more sustainable by replacing incandescent bulbs with CF ones.
Foreclosing Cleveland is a new blog aggregating info on the crisis like this NYT piece titled Housing Downturn Takes Toll on Cities’ Revenue.
The more we all remember, the less likely it becomes that we keep getting fooled.
What if we all “adopted” a child in the city of Cleveland to look out for… sort of like the artificial extended families that Kurt Vonnegut proposed in Slapstick…?
Even without a new convention center the City of Cleveland will host the State Science and Technology Institute’s annual conference.
The county wants to unload the Ameritrust complex. No surprise there.
Poet Sara Holbrook doesn’t have much love for the Beats, but enjoys her fellow poets’ tribute to Jack Kerouac.

SPONSORED: Sachs (and Smith) in the City Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready caught up with Cleveland Orchestra Principal Trumpet Michael Sachs and Principal Flute Joshua Smith outside Carnegie Hall in New York last week prior to one of the Orchestra’s three performances there. Click here to listen as they discuss tour repertoire, performing in Carnegie Hall, and their upcoming performances in Europe. And while you’re there, check out video interviews with Principal Oboe Frank Rosenwein and Stage Manager Joe Short. For more information on the Orchestra’s tour, and to read the reviews, visit http:://www.clevelandorchestra.com.

Get Happy
Ezra Weiss
Roark Records

Ezra Weiss’s latest jazz CD Get Happy just kinda grows on you after a couple of listens. It’s a mix of original work and material from the Great American Songbook (that means classics from Rogers & Hart and others) that together construct a riff on happiness–just the thing for Clevelanders facing another winter. It’s easy and melodious without being predictable. It’s got a mix of instrumentals and vocals, many arranged by Weiss and all featuring Weiss on piano. This is Weiss’s third CD in four years (after The Fire A.M. Strut and Persephone).

And just who is Ezra Weiss? Although he now lives in New York City, the Cleveland area can claim him since he spent his undergrad years at Oberlin Conservatory of Music (class of 2001). At Oberlin he studied jazz with Wendell Logan and piano with Neal Creque.

After graduation he spent a couple of years in Portland (and formed a jazz sextet) and then shifted to New York City where he now hangs out with other Oberlin alums plus NYC jazz players (especially friends from Queens College where he completed a graduate degree in Jazz Studies). Winner of the 2002 and 2005/2006 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award, Weiss currently leads the Courtney Bryan/Ezra Weiss Jazz Orchestra in New York.

Take a listen in person when the Ezra Weiss Quartet featuring Billy Hart, plus Corcoran Holt and Kelly Roberge stop by Nighttown (12387 Cedar Rd., Cle Hts) at 7PM and 8:30PM on Tuesday, October 30. Watch out for the speed trap that is Cedar Road in that little strip mall, or it will cost you more than the frugal ticket price. Check out the CD and Weiss at http://www.ezraweiss.com.

Listen to a clip from Get Happy here

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com

Wanna get reviewed? Send your band’s CD (less than 1 year old) to: Cool Cleveland, 14837 Detroit Avenue, #105, Lakewood, OH 44107

Quick reviews of recent events
Submit your own review or commentary to Events@CoolCleveland.com

Cleveland Orchestra @ Carnegie Hall 10.17

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Follow the Cleveland Orchestra. They’ve played there over 200 times. Their New York fan club packed the venerable venue last week and offered four standing O’s after a wildly eclectic program of Debussy’s not-so-familiar Iberia, a 10-year-old work, Five Orchestral Pieces, by a now 36-year old Mattihias Pintscher, who proudly bound up onto the stage to accept accolades, and the chestnut, Beethoven’s 7th, guaranteed to fill the house, then, when performed by the Cleveland Orchestra, promptly bring it down. Many of he Orchestra’s hall marks were on full display during the 7th: they play as a unit, like a tight chamber group, rather than a large orchestra. It’s an ego-less orchestra, all ensemble, no solo stars. Muscular. Powerful. Lithe. The first movement was taken at a rollicking pace by conductor Franz Welser-Most, keeping a tight rein. With a perfect segue and no pause between the first and second movements, the entire hall was literally holding their breath and finally exhaled at the conclusion of the second movement.

After a very short pause, the 3rd and 4th movements were played virtually back to back without stop. Accentuating the dynamic range between pianissimo and fortissimo, Welser-Most goosed the accelerator and they still handled like a fine sports car, flawlessly executing the tight maneuvers. And just when you thought they were going too fast and playing too loudly, Franz shifted into a higher gear. Did the CO fan club enjoy themselves? They offered four ovations and spilled onto West 57th Street chattering about the intensity of their experience. But the real surprise on the program was the New York Premiere of Matthias Pintscher’s Five Orchestral Pieces from 1997, which was almost a mirror opposite of the concert opener, Debussy’s soporific Iberia. While it was cool to see the Orchestra strings strumming away on their violins like they were guitars, the brilliant 20-minute work from Debussy’s Three Images for Orchestra brought out the Impressionistic colors, fragrances and sounds of Spain, as noted by poet Baudelaire. But the Pintscher pulled the musicians, the audience, and Carnegie Hall itself into another dimension. With erratic tempi, jarring episodes, spastic outbursts, ambient interludes, percussive cacophony, atonal passages, it was a delight to hear how such a vaunted ensemble would sound playing such a challenging work.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey @ The Q 10.19

Bellobration is the new generation of The Greatest Show on Earth, avidly trying to live up to its own name in this age of Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, WrestleMania, and whatever’s on the widescreen tonight. Shuttling the kiddies past the animal rights activists on the sidewalk, the best idea is to arrive an hour early for the interactive pre-show on the floor, where clowns, jugglers and magicians entertain busker-style and break the 4th wall before it even has a chance to be erected. The circus itself, of course, takes Teamsters and crew 48 hours to rig the trapeze wires, the stunt bike ramps, and over 3 miles of electrical cable, and half the fun is watching the three rings morph from one dazzling act to the next: Chinese contortionists segue into Mexican tight rope walkers Alberto and Mauricio Aguilar, and Taba the Chilean tiger tamer. Bello (pictured), the spike-haired everyman, looking suspiciously like Johnny Rotten on a very good day, finds his way into seemingly half the stunts, drawing chuckles while downplaying the outrageousness of his prodigious talents. All the childrens’ favorites are here, but amped up double: Brian & Tina Miser, the pair of human cannonballs, dual sky-high sway bars, the double Wheel of Steel. Stressing elephant conservation, animal programs and strong community involvement, today’s circus is battling on all fronts to deliver a balance of traditional 3-ring fare with a modern complexion and attitude. A good brand is a promise kept, and in this case, a promise delivered on for one more year. Hear Max’s Cool Cleveland Kids podcast with Boss Clown Kelly Ballagh here, and get more info http://www.Ringling.com

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure @ Cleveland Play House 10/17 The spookiest parts of this amalgam of memorable bits from the career of the great (and fictional) Sherlock Holmes turned out to be just before the curtain rose: the lights were cut, throwing us into blackness, a grinding and puffing noise filled the theatre and one felt surrounded by 19th-century soot, grime and desperation. The play by Steven Dietz, based on the1899 original by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Gillette, depended too much, however, on the audience being as familiar with the stories about Holmes as, say, the audience at a Harry Potter film is with Rowling’s novels. Although the action picked up in the second act, the necessary exposition (not enough) in the first act grew sleep-inducing. Christian Kohn’s Holmes made it clear that Holmes was not an especially pleasant person to be around. One wished that Moriarty (winningly played by Timothy Crowe) would dispatch Holmes and get it over with. Krista Hoeppner as Irene Adler and Catherine Lynn Davis as Madge Larrabee were a welcome foil to Holmes and a spark of light and life onstage.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure @ Cleveland Play House 10/17 Famed Scottish author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, started writing Sherlock Holmes’s stories in the late 19th century. Conan Doyle’s first novel, A Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887. He wrote a total of 60 original stories and four novels featuring the master sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Watson was portrayed as Holmes’s friend and compatriot in these adventures, and we are drawn into these stories through Watson’s intimate narration.

The Final Adventure, written by Steven Dietz and directed by Tim Ocel, is an adaptation of the original 1899 play by William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle.

The story starts at 221b Baker Street with Holmes talking to Watson about finally having enough evidence to convict the evil Professor Moriarty of his menacing crimes. The King of Bohemia arrives, interrupts them to ask for Sherlock Holmes’s help on the eve of his impending marriage. The King wants to keep secret a scandalous liaison between him and the beautiful opera singer, Irene Adler. Holmes and Watson agree to take on the assignment, to find a revealing picture and return it to the King. The picture represents tangible proof of hanky panky and compromises the King’s position. In the search, Holmes’s arch enemy Professor Moriarty returns to beg the question, who will capture whom or will they die together? The tension builds.

As the story unfolds, the clever, witty dialogue exchanged between characters is outstanding. Sherlock Holmes, at times, was haltingly played by Christian Kohn to possibly reflect his personality and known cocaine habit. He deducted that Watson, played by Nick Berg Barnes, had rearranged his furniture and moved his dressing mirror across the room by the poorly shaved right side (instead of the normally poorly shaved left side) of his face. Irene Adler played by Krista Hoeppner counseled Holmes that men can flirt with women, wine and dine them, but they can’t “solve” women.

This detective’s crime solving escapades along with his deductive reasoning have grown to super-hero proportions in the 21st century. Sherlock Holmes has become so well-known that he has spawned an industry – Sherlock Holmes societies, famous quotes, deductive reasoning research, biographical books, and travel clubs where fans love to focus on his exploits. People are often surprised t find out he continues to be just a fictional character. Enjoy the performance!!

From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Schaul susn1ATatt.net

A Shayna Maidel — JCC @ Tri-C East 10/18
Reasons to go: Lara Mielcarek is strongly affecting as the young Polish wife who goes to New York to live with her father (Mitchell B. Fields) and Americanized sister (Bernadette Clemens), near-strangers since childhood, after surviving the Holocaust. Although the play has clunky moments, her layered portrayal is an empathy generator: alternating between present struggles and memories both painful and sweet, she makes you ache for any traumatized immigrant who has ever fled a horror-torn place. Natalie Green also turns in lovely work as a childhood friend.
Caveats: During the Thursday preview, the pace of Fred Sternfeld’s production was still settling in, and between the cavernous Tri-C space and the thick accents, many audience members around me had trouble understanding sections of dialogue.
Details: Thru 11/4 @ Tri-C East, http://www.clevejcc.org/ASM.asp
From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaATcoolcleveland.com

COSE Small Business Conference @ I-X Center 10/18 Whether you own a pizza shop that cooks specialty pizza, work as a veterinarian building your own practice, partner with your husband producing and selling large garage doors for commercial buildings, or have dreams of taking your home business out of your basement someday, there was something for every business person at the COSE (The Council of Smaller Enterprises) second annual Small Business Conference at the I-X Center last Thursday and Friday.

In support and recognition of small business owners throughout northeast Ohio, the Conference offered 4 keynote speakers, 55 educational breakout seminars, 75 small business solutions exhibits and vendors, and networking opportunities galore. An estimated 1,200 participants attended – including entrepreneurs, small business owners and wannabes, COSE members and non-members, consultants and presenters.

Even the Cleveland Indians mascot, “Slider,” attended the event.

First thing Thursday morning, Julie Aigner-Clark, Founder, The Einstein Company, told her inspiring story about beginning her career as a high school English teacher. When she became a stay-at-home mom, she thought it would be a good idea to expose her young daughter to classical music and the visual arts. Not finding these products in stores because they had not been invented yet, she listened to her instincts and “launched a billion-dollar media industry centered on stimulating the minds of infants and toddlers.”

Based on common sense and her own need, Aigner-Clark used borrowed video equipment and made two multimedia videos in her basement created for infants and young children. She didn’t have a business plan and had never produced a video film. “But it was what my heart told me to do,” she said, “to use the arts to teach my children.” In 1997 with $18,000 of personal savings, she and her husband launched Baby Einstein. The end of their first year showed $100,000 in sales. By the end of their fifth year, they had 8 employees and $22 million in sales. Walt Disney now owns this company, but Aigner-Clark was quick to say she did not sell out her beliefs or her integrity. “Be stubborn, be brave, and see every wall as a door,” she encouraged her audience.

Former Cleveland Mayor Michael White, co-owner of Seven Pines Alpacas and operates a horse rescue foundation, was the second keynote speaker on Thursday. His business idea came after reading an airplane magazine article 30,000 feet up in the air. The former politician-turned-small-business owner spoke with pride about winning their first ribbon for alpacas after starting their business five years ago. He owns a farm in Tuscarawas County along with his wife, Joanne. “Most small business owners are like sponges,” White said, “they have to be nimble by necessity and work an exorbitant amount of hours. But I relish the true feeling of satisfaction and the ingenuity it takes to overcome the challenges.” White concluded his presentation encouraging the audience to believe in Cleveland and to act on these beliefs. “Only a strong Cleveland can impact positively on your business,” he added.

This two-day conference was another great way for COSE to educate and strengthen the small business owners in Northeast Ohio in their commercial ventures. Large companies may make the headlines but the small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Visit http://www.cose.org for more information.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Schaul susn1ATatt.net

Tosca @ Opera Cleveland 10/19 Maria Callas may have been the only woman who could make Puccini’s fiery Italian partisan Tosca into a believable woman. Tosca, who even her lover Cavaradossi knew could not be trusted with a secret, is a passionate woman given to impulsive actions. When she strikes a bargain with the wicked chief of police Scarpia (who is torturing Cavaradossi) to save her lover she can’t restrain herself from stabbing the chief with his dinner knife. Of course, the opera ends with just about everyone dead, but in the Opera Cleveland production (and despite some fine voices) it’s hard to believe that these characters really cared that much.

Dramatic pace aside, however, Brenda Harris (as Tosca) shows a lyric soprano that soars sweetly in one of the opera’s most famous arias “Vissi d’arte” (“I lived for art”) and Alfredo Portilla (as Cavaradossi) takes advantage of his opportunity to shine vocally in his farewell to life (“E lucevan le stelle”–all about the stars and beautiful life). Gordon Hawkins as Scarpia seems properly gluttonous as the man who wants his dinner and then Tosca, in that order. Peter Strummer works the comic part of the Sacristan as well as anyone could (and it’s more a fault of the opera’s structure that his opera buffo role doesn’t serve as a foil to the tragedy that is about to take place–you can’t have a relief of tension before tension has built up).

The chorus (including a parade of choristers) and the orchestra handled their parts with aplomb. At times all the gestures toward Roman Catholic ritual (primarily in Act I) seemed heavy-handed (and inaccurate), but other than that, this last production of the first season of Opera Cleveland provides a good reason to visit Playhouse Square. The remaining performance is at 8PM Saturday, Oct. 27 at the State Theatre.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com

Tosca @ Opera Cleveland 10/19 The final production of the first year of Opera Cleveland began on Friday evening. Anyone seeing the opera for the first time, might have thought the title was Scarpia. But no, this really was Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini. Although it didn’t seem as though he was really trying for that effect, baritone Gordon Hawkins owned the stage whenever he was on it. He inhabited the role of Baron Scarpia so strongly, his powerful form and voice simply radiated malevolence.

Of course, Tosca is primarily concerned with two other characters: the singer Floria Tosca, and the painter who loves her, Mario Cavaradossi. Brenda Harris as Tosca seemed rather ill-at-ease and not entirely comfortable in the role on opening night. Her voice certainly has the power and the range to match the vocal requirements, but at times it seemed as though she was not too sure of where she was. She did excel, however, at her big aria—the second act’s Vissi d’arte. It is difficult for any singer to do the big number while on their knees, but from that position, Ms. Harris nonetheless gave us a ravishing, poignant rendering. ‘She has given her all for art, and tried to be good, so why is this now happening to her?’ Indeed, tyrants never wonder about such things.

In the first act, tenor Alfredo Portilla as Cavaradossi exhibited a very slight hesitation before reaching for his higher notes. I found this to be very effective, especially so as he didn’t slide into those notes, but hit them exactly, with no doubt or timidity. His tenor rang with a lovely silvery quality, and his acting equalled his singing.

As the Sacristan, bass-baritone Peter Strummer was a comic marvel, even while maintaining his bumptious persona laced with solid singing. Fellow bass-baritone Kristopher Irmiter exhibited the proper nervousness as Cesare Angelotti (Cavaradossi’s friend) the imprisoned aristocrat whose escape triggers the action of the opera. Local tenor Timothy M. R. Culver fared well as Spoletta, Scarpia’s main henchman—the one assigned to do all the dirty deeds.

The large orchestra did well under the solid conducting of Richard Buckley. Of course, the amplification required from the pit emphasized some players more than others, but still, the orchestra was responsive while sounding rich and vibrant. Director Garnett Bruce brought out much of the human side of the characters, while taking advantage of the huge space of the State Theater stage. When there are grand scenes—such as the Te Deum at the end of act I, with the choir and soldiers and other requisite citizens, everyone seems crystal clear as to where they belong and who they are. Not an easy thing to pull off, but he does it in a very believable way.

Each of the three acts requires a different set, and all three of these were impressive. Designed by David Gano, they were provided by New Orleans Opera Association. As spacious or ornate as they were, the lighting of James D. Sale enhanced or hid movements as required. The final act’s sunrise was most evocative of the real thing. Costumes, coordinated by Kim Brown, and which came from Malabar Limited in Toronto, were appropriate and colorful, especially in the final minutes of Act I.

Overall, it was more than acceptable—three-and-a-half to four stars out of five, maybe—as a G rated production, downplaying the lust and jealousy as it did. It will be interesting to see how next season stacks up to this one. Of the four productions that I saw, (I was out of the country for Turn of the Screw) two of them were outstanding (Salome and A Little Night Music) while one missed my boat (La Traviata). Tosca is in the middle there, somewhere.

For information about next seasons productions, visit the website at: http://www.operacleveland.org.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net

Modern Masters @ Cleveland Museum of Art 10/19
Welcome home: After 18 months on the road, traveling from Beijing to Vancouver, these masterpieces from CMA’s permanent collection make one hell of an impression. It’s a wake-up call: the art we’ve come to take for granted and stride past on the way to a special exhibition is the rave blockbuster that other people around the world line the block to see. How lucky we are! Favorite old friends, new faces: Mary Cassatt’s imperious baby in her gorgeous pastel After The Bath; Picasso’s magnificent La Vie; the Van Gogh plane trees, Cezanne’s Mount Sainte-Victoire, Tissot’s lady in white ruffles and yellow bows. Several surprises: seeing Rodin’s bomb-twisted Thinker up close indoors changes the perspective, and I don’t remember his magnificent head study from Burghers of Calais. It’s also a treat to see the many prints interspersed with the more familiar paintings.
News flash: The inaugural member meeting included a genial half-hour update by director Timothy Rub. Tidbits: another old favorite, the Armor Court, will be one of the first spaces reinaugurated when the refurbished 1916 building reopens next June. Upcoming blockbusters: an arms and armor show from an Austrian collection (“for the guys”), and a show of fin de siecle luxuries: Faberge, Tiffany, and Lalique. Yum.
Details: Thru 1/13 @ CMA, http://www.clevelandmuseumofart.org
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaATcoolcleveland.com

Forbidden Broadway SVU @ Hanna 10/20
A total hoot: This cabaret spoofing Broadway shows is sheer entertainment, buoyed up by clever lyrics and 4 terrific performers. Local treasure Greg Violand creates one miniature comic masterpiece after another, from a shaky Richard Kiley as Don Quixote (“To Sing the Impossible Song”) to a half-in-the-bag Robert Goulet forgetting his lyrics and a twisted-face Phantom saved by his head mike. He’s superbly matched by NY diva Carmen Keels, whose sassy Ethel Merman impersonation is only topped by her lunatic Sarah Brightman with vibrato-from-hell. Tricia Bestic and Brian Marshall also have many delightful moments — especially their Lion King love duet (“Can You Feel the Pain Tonight?”). Not every sketch succeeds, but most are great fun.
Costumes to die (laughing) for: Beside the spot-on cast, what puts Gerald Alessandrini’s clever satire over the top are the consistently funny creations of Broadway costumer Alvin Colt — so rich, they’re like a fifth character. The faux Julie Taymor puppets will have you rolling in the aisles.
Details: Thru 12/2, Hanna Theatre. http://www.playhousesquare.com
From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaATcoolcleveland.com

Osama the Hero @ CPT 10/20
Darkly intense: Director Raymond Bobgan brings a powerful cast and a focused clarity to Dennis Kelly’s poetic problem play about violence and paranoia in the tragic encounter between a misfit teenager and neighborhood vigilantes. Newcomer Jeffrey A. Wisniewski as the unemployed Francis is like pent-up nitroglycerine, an explosion waiting to happen, and Chris Seibert’s portrayal of his increasingly unhinged sister is devastating. Benjamin Gates and Katelyn Rae Cornelius are affecting as the hapless teens caught up in adult hysteria, and Mark Cipra brings a creepy comic tinge to his horny middle-aged suburban guy.
Caveats: Though it’s timely and well-written, the intermission-less play’s long sections of intercut, looping monologues can be confusing. It’s both intense and violent, though not gratuitously so, and well worth the discussion it’s likely to prompt in the car on the way home.
Details: Thru 11/3, Cleveland Public Theatre, http://www.cptonline.org.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaATcoolcleveland.com.

Paloma McGregor @ MOCA Cleveland 10/20 We try to stay abreast of upcoming dance events and preview everything our editors will print or everything we have time to write. Sometimes, though, interesting events slip under our radar and we learn about them too late for a preview. Such was the case at MOCA Cleveland’s “moca mix :: dance” last Saturday for a concert of dance works by Paloma McGregor, a onetime local who we’ve been watching for 10 years now.

We first saw her dance as an early member of Michael Medcalf’s Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater, then as a graduate student in CWRU’s dance program. Her career took an exciting turn when she studied with and then became a member of Urban Bush Women, an all female African-American modern dance company that tours nationally and internationally; [Clevelanders will remember Urban Bush Women for their 2003 production of Shadow’s Child in collaboration with the National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique.]

‘Local girl makes good’ is an interesting enough hook for dance journalists, but we also hoped for an update on the Cleveland connection to another collaboration between UBW and an African dance company, Compagnie Jant-Bi. Back in January of 2006 Dance Cleveland announced that they’d been awarded a $50,000 grant from Chicago’s Joyce Foundation to commission a new dance by artists of color; DC in turn awarded the commission to UBW, who were collaborating on a project with Jant-Bi. Toward the end of the project’s 2-year life cycle, UBW will spend 2 weeks in Northeast Ohio running a dance residency in area middle and high schools, a master class and so forth culminating in an unofficial premiere of the new piece, “The Beauty of Little Things,” in Cleveland, Saturday, March 1, 2008 at the Ohio Theater.

Paloma’s concert at MOCA demonstrated that, however busy she was working on UBW’s newest piece, she had found time and energy to present a tight if lightly produced concert of old and new work, with most of her current collaborators closely associated with UBW.

The first piece on the concert, the solo By Definition (2004), nicely introduces the dancer / choreographer and her concern with her African-American identity. By Definition begins with her standing upstage right, facing diagonally upstage right. The costume of her own design manages to suggest something exotic and tribal even though it’s clearly assembled from layers of prosaic American pantyhose and the like in varying shades ranging from light beige to black; there’s a black veil covering the lower half of her face, cropped leggings which emphasize the athleticism of her legs, and a substantial expanse of her bare back, allowing her café au lait skin to make its own statement.

Her movements begin with a series of half turns to face her audience, variously emphasizing and de-emphasizing the line through her hips and her low back. The sound during this beginning is an arranged reading of a dictionary definition of ‘race,’ so we were strongly led to consider this beginning in terms of African dance and its emphasis on movements of the hips. It’s difficult to describe the movement developed in this substantial solo; easier by far to note that she manipulates her costume in inventive ways, most strikingly near the end of the dance when she suddenly removes netting from her head and causes her hair to spring out. We’ve seen this piece before and we could watch it many times more; in it the dancer / choreographer reveals / defines herself.

The second dance on the concert, the trio Husky of Voice, Stout of Step / With Fists as well as Hands (2004) is built around a reading of the Alice Walker poem Women, which describes what our mothers did and ends with an explanation of why they did it, “to discover books desks a place for us how they knew that we must know without knowing a page of it themselves.” To their credit, the choreographer and dancers seem to find movements and emotions that live up to this lyric evocation of the significance of one’s place in the succession of generations and one’s responsibility to one’s forbearers and descendants. The dance movements are strong, yes, but they’re strung together with something like the inspired and inspiring feeling that runs through Walker’s poem. About 5 minutes into the dance, the reading ends and, after very stylized bows the 3 women take off a layer of costume and dance a kind of coda to quick, lush violin music credited to Kevin Volans. Again, we’ve seen this 11 minute piece before and we could watch it many times more.

The premiere of the evening, Making Time, is a solo set on Desmond Davis, whose presence harks back to the early days of CCDT but also to CCDT’s present state, where Desmond wears nearly all the hats involved in keeping CCDT’s various residencies and teaching commitments going. Making Time begins when Desmond walks on downstage right and looks down at a stack of green playing cards. Video projection looks closely at someone else shuffling the cards and a voice over (“Let’s face it, the past is just a catalogue of our errors.”) sets a decidedly down mood. With matter of fact, pedestrian movements, Desmond lays the cards out on the floor and, like the video, begins making houses of cards. A close up of one of the cards shows the sentence, “You give in to your fears every time.” More pessimism.

As the voice over ends, replaced by xylophone (?) music, Desmond begins to dance a simple core phrase – a backwards roll over, a knee spin. As the 8 minute dance comes near its end, he begins frantically gathering up the cards, turning them face up, apparently looking for a particular one. At length he finds the card, starts off, intentionally drops it, and exits. Making Time doesn’t resonate for us – yet — but with so many layers we’re waiting for a chance to see it again before venturing interpretation. This dance does seem to show the choreographer working in a pessimistic mood 180 degrees removed from the inspired lyricism of Husky.

The final piece of the evening, 34 Prayers Before Passing (2006), includes in its program note a quote from the Washington Post describing Katrina as ‘an era’ rather than ‘a week-long catastrophe.’ The 5 women performing the dance enter the performing space by walking down the spiral staircase reciting numbers, apparently part of a poem by Patricia Smith, and begin the dance by bowing toward upstage left to the sound of rushing water.

It’s easy to refer to a loaded subject like Katrina in a program note; in 34 Prayers, Paloma and her collaborators create a work worthy of their subject. Part of the evocative power of the dance comes from the extreme contrasts in its dynamics. Slow, soft, pedestrian movements like walking, bowing, embracing, and sighing contrast with movement phrases that gather energy and release it with explosive impact. One phrase that the dancers repeat several times involves violent pushes and kicks that stop just short of hitting the upstage wall; watching this phrase we thought it could refer to the violence of the hurricane battering the levies or the violent frustration of people waiting for help that didn’t come. With a reprise of the water sounds, paradoxically calming, one of the women exits and the dance ends after about 11 minutes.

The 5 dancers in 34 Prayers are members of INSPIRIT Dance Company. Talking with Paloma after the concert we learned how INSPIRIT’s artistic director, Christal N. Brown, has been very open to ongoing collaboration with Paloma’s various projects. Looking at the INSPIRIT websight later, we noticed that Brown described herself as more of a facilitator and a collaborator than a conventional artistic director. The Urban Bush Women website lists Brown under “Special Projects.” This strikes us as an unusually fortuitous situation for a developing choreographer, one that’s working well for Paloma. Another collaborator Paloma mentioned during our conversation was her sister Patricia McGregor, currently at Yale. Together they’re watching for texts with dramatic potential with an eye toward future choreographic projects, perhaps a modest tour.

We’d heard that Nora Chipaumire, Associate Artistic Director of Urban Bush Women, was recently in town to teach a master class. Did that have anything to do with the timing of Paloma’s concert? “I came with Nora to teach; I couldn’t have done the concert otherwise,” Paloma explained, referring apparently to financial and scheduling considerations.

We asked how the collaboration with Jant-Bi was going. “I think it’s going well,” Paloma replied. “Of course, when we go back to Senegal in December there will be a lot of work putting the small parts we’ve been working on into a larger whole.”

From Cool Cleveland Elsa Johnson & Victor Lucas vicnelsaATearthlink.net

Red {an orchestra} @ First Baptist Church 10/20 Red Light: Stop And Listen! is a great concept – bringing principal orchestral players out front to share their abilities with the audience as well as their orchestral mates. I’m all in favor of this idea, and wish more orchestras would do it, more often. Bravo to Jonathan Sheffer, founder of Red for making it happen. Leaving their home of the last two years for new territory, Red found itself at the First Baptist Church for Saturday’s program, and to be very honest, I’d prefer their previous home: the Masonic Temple in Midtown. Acoustics and sight-lines were much better there than in the church’s beautiful sanctuary.

However, a nimble and well-articulated performance of the Brandenburg Concerto No 2, BWV 1047 by Johann Sebastian Bach demonstrated that all the acknowledged musicality of Red travels very well, indeed. Soloists were Heidi Ruby-Kushious, flute; Thom Moore, oboe; Michael Chunn, trumpet and Ilya Goldberg, violin. It was good to see them out front, for a change, and also to see the piccolo trumpet played so briskly by Mr. Chunn. This instrument is frequently heard but seldom seen.

A concerto for percussion can be lots of fun for the audience as well as the performers, and certainly Andrzej Panufnik’s Concertino for Timpani, Percussion, and Strings did not disappoint. There was a wide variety of pitched and non-pitched instruments mostly played by busy Janet Pemberton, while George Kitely stayed somewhat stationary at the timpani. One doesn’t usually expect to hear melodies from the various percussion instruments, but melodies there definitely were. It would have been really neat had there been a huge screen overhead for closeup visuals of the very mobile Ms. Pemberton at work. Musically, however, all was suberb.

After intermission, the Concerto Grosso No 1 for Two Violins, Prepared Piano, and Strings by Alfred Schnittke received a passionate performance by the violin soloists, Hanne-Berit Hahnemann and Diana Cohen with Eric Charnofsky at the prepared piano and harpsichord. In a brief humorous chat prior to the music, Mr. Sheffer informed us that the music was both “surprisingly funny and pretty”. He also remarked that “the score looks like someone spilled water on the pages and the notes ran all over and swirled together. But,” he continued, “there are also bits of Baroque melody.” He was exactly right.

He didn’t mention the one section which sounded like a bunch of angry bees, nor the marvelous dueling violins in an astonishing double cadenza near the ending. This was a definite highlight in which the two soloists (who looked like sisters) were totally in synch with each other and the music. The next bit featured the harpsichord in a tango rhythm with the two violins. Now, that’s definitely not something you hear every day. Leave it to Red {an orchestra}to surprise our ears!

Next up is A Red Solstice on December 8 and 9. For tickets or more information, call 361-1733 or visit the website: http://www.redanorchestra.org.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure @ Cleveland Play House 10/21 Sherlock Holmes took great delight in being enigmatic, and this new version of his possibly final adventure provides plenty of room for him to be just that. Overall, he’s still the same old know-it-all prig we’ve come to know and love from the myriad printed stories, movies and TV, but here he’s an amusing one, as well. Also, this time around, there’s a wee bit of uncertainty that pops up every now and then, greatly adding to his natural charm. Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure which has just opened in the Bolton Theatre of the Cleveland Play House is not only wonderful entertainment, but also pure delight. I loved it!

The King of Bohemia (marvelously portrayed by Remi Sandri, who looks for all the world like the character he’s playing here) has been somewhat indiscreet in his playboy past. During an interlude with the famous opera singer Irene Adler (Krista Hoeppner) a somewhat incriminating photograph was taken. Said photo is now in Ms. Adler’s possession, and she may be planning to use it to blackmail the young king, who is soon to be married. His bride’s father would not be amused!

Naturally, he turns to Sherlock (the greatest sleuth of his—or any other time!) to reclaim the photograph and neutralize the threat to his upcoming marriage. Sherlock (Christian Kohn) patiently explains all this to Dr. Watson (Nick Berg Barnes) as well as just why this task is so appealing. Regardless of all other matters and evidence, Holmes is convinced that Professor Moriarty (Timothy Crowe) is behind all the shenanigans.

And so begins the chase, for Holmes is determined to bring Moriarty before the court of justice, but Moriarty is equally resolute in the opposite direction. Catherine Lynn Davis, Matthew Schneck and Jim Wisniewski play smaller but important roles in the ‘now-you-see-him, now-you-don’t’ scenario that set the mood for Mission: Impossible, etc., all those years later.

Using various Sherlock materials, playwright Stephen Dietz has fashioned a fast-paced, thoroughly believable and mysterious romp through smoky London and the Continent at the turn of the previous century. Tim Ocel directs with a steady hand and a great eye for details. The set by Rob Koharchik is marvelous and very adaptable, whether Sherlock’s home, the underground, or a wild location in the Bohemian countryside that just happens to have a waterfall at the end of a narrow path. Costumes by Pamela Scofield are perfection: versatile, colorful and appropriate. Lighting by Peter West, sound by Scotty Iseri and music by Andrew Hopson fit the scenario and the action like a glove.

This is a co-production with the Geva Theatre Center, and it’s a dandy! It runs through November 4. Don’t miss it! Next up is The Chosen adapted from the novel of the same name by Chaim Potok. For tickets or other information, call 795-7000, or visit the website http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net

Fourth Annual Wearable Art Fashion Show and Boutique @ LaCentre 10/21 A sea of colors, textures and fabrics transformed into unusual, one of a kind clothing, jewelry, hats, scarves, jeans, evening gowns and handbags provided a feast for the eyes at the Fourth Annual Wearable Art Fashion Show and Boutique. Providing the opportunity for local artists to show their designs, art lovers to admire and purchase the textiles, and raise funds for the Cleveland Museum of Art, the show made for a wonderful afternoon for the nearly 500 people in attendance.

Sponsored by the Textile Art Alliance, the event consisted of a pre-show shopping boutique, a delicious lunch, and a fashion show that featured volunteer models wearing the wearable art while walking down a four sided runway. The layout of the room at LaCentre in Westlake allowed for a good view of all the designs from every table. Models ranging in age from 20-something to 70-something did a superb job walking the runway allowing attendees to see the designs on and in motion. A professional announcer described the pieces as they came down the runway as live piano music played in the background.

The event sold out in the days leading up, with fashion show only tickets being sold at the door right up to the start of the show. After the show, the doors opened to the public for $5.00 for shopping. Nearly 50 artists displayed and sold their creations at the event including Horst Couture, Krisztina Lazar, Lana LowenKamp, Judith Vandewater, Jan Gibson, and Marijke Benedict.

Welcoming everyone was Louise Mackie, Curator of Textile and Islamic Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art. To resounding applause, Ms. Mackie announced that the new portion of the museum currently under construction will feature a Textile Gallery, something the former museum did not have room for.

It was incredible to be in a room with 500 other people, of all ages, who love textile art. Many people in attendance create their own art for fun or relaxation. And for many this was their first time at the event. I would highly recommend it and am already looking forward to next year!

The Textile Art Alliance offers free programs, workshops and exhibitions throughout the year. Information about the Textile Art Alliance can be found at www.clevelandart.org/taa

From Cool Cleveland reader Susan M. Adams

Aspiring Filmmaker’s Boot Camp @ Cleveland Convention Center 10/19-10/21 Hollywood secrets were revealed in the 3-day “Aspiring Filmmakers Boot Camp” led by Larry Meistrich, Chairman and Founder of NEHST Studios. As a producer, Meistrich has roughly 100 films, commercials and music videos to his credit. He was an integral part of the production of the Academy Award-winning “Sling Blade” and the Academy Award nominated “You Can Count on Me.” Meistrich made industry history when Billy Bob Thornton’s “Sling Blade” was purchased by Miramax for a price that broke all previous sale records in independent film. Meistrich’s other well-known films include Cannes winner “Henry Fool,” Clive Owen’s breakout film “Croupier,” and “Belly.” His pictures have won the gamut of international awards including the Academy’s Oscar and include Golden Globes, SAG Award, DGA Award, Top Five category awards at Cannes, Sundance, Berlin. The actors and directors Meistrich has produced include Al Pacino, Laurence Fishburne, Spike Lee and Billy Bob Thornton. Last week’s boot camp covered all aspects of those who work in film, including the roles of writer, producer, editor, sound, special effects and more. If you’ve ever wondered about the behind-the-scenes goings-on in putting a Hollywood movie together, this was the place to be. Sunday was saved as the “pitch” session for those wanting the ear of a major Hollywood producer. Twenty-one Clevelanders, most at amateur standing, pitched their concepts. The group was comprised of students, professionals in other industries and some in similar industries. Pitches included concepts for movies, TV pilots and animated features. Clev was part of a three-city stop, starting in Philly earlier this month. Next stop: Sacramento. From Cool Cleveland contributor T. L. Champion tlATchampionstudios.com

Most clicked

Here are the Top 5 most clicked links from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) Show Cleveland Some Love this arts-and-crafts-minded group recently launched a team contest where the prize is a gift certificate to spend among the participating shops.
www.ClevelandHandmade.com

2) Emissions Trader Joe’s in Crocker Park isn’t really the sort of place you’d expect to meet Henry Rollins.
Joyrides4Shutins

3) Straight Outta Mansfield Defending Against Monsters
www.CoolCleveland.com

4) Emissions II Two biggest foreclosers now own almost 1,000 Cleveland houses.
www.CallahansClevelandDiary.com

5) Nighttown was recently featured on “Live from the Circle” on PBS 45/49, the new television show produced by Northern Ohio Live.
Video

Tiffany Twisted We write to remember, not to forget. Thanks to Peter Chakerian, T.L. Champion, George Nemeth, Tim Zaun, Mansfield B. Frazier, Kelly Ferjutz, Susan Schaul, Linda Eisenstein, Victor Lucas and Elsa Johnson, Chris Whipple, Laura Kennelly and introducing Susan M. Adams. This episode was brought to you by DayQuil and the Mozart Magic Cube. And lastly, though certainly not least, thanks to our readers and everyone who partners with us. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@CoolCleveland.com.

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