It isn’t hard to get into the spirit of the season.
Well, the snow helps. Isn’t it about this time that you start to celebrate how we get four full seasons every year?
The least you can do is use some of the links below to shop local for your holiday gifts. Like the new book of Ohio humor just published by Marjorie Preston, or maybe some tickets to the nationally recognized (and eye-popping!) Spring Awakening livestream that BW just brought back by demand. Or pick up an epic photo of a music legend by Anastasia Pantsios or Joe Kleon from their Sonic & Iconic series.
Maybe you’ll find something from the holiday show at Hedge Gallery, or pick up some gently used (and cheap!) books, CDs or DVDs (really!) as the Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture and New World Performance Lab launch their holiday gift sale this weekend at the Balch Street Theatre in Akron.
The perfect holiday gift may be tickets to our livestream in January of A Lad Insane: The Beautiful Mind of David Bowie, featuring music by Vanity Crash and a closer look at the family mental health issues that haunted the artist’s life and inspired much of his work.
Celebrate the birth & death anniversaries of this artist haunted by his family’s history with mental illness, featuring music by Vanity Crash, presentation by CoolCleveland’s Thomas Mulready, plus special guest interviews. Read More
The Contemporary Youth Orchestra joined Cleveland rocker Michael Stanley to record a new version of his song “Another New Year’s Eve,” with the video debuting on YouTube this Friday. Read More
Canary in a Coalmine?
Valley Art Center has announced major changes to its signature summer event Art by the Falls, for 2021: no big weekend art festival in June with elbow-to-elbow crowds but rather two gallery shows spread out over 10 weeks. Read More
Postcard Art
The Akron Art Museum is closed again, but you can go online & download a postcard to decorate and be part of their mail art exhibit. Read More
Theater News by Roy Berko
BW’s Spring Awakening gets national attention and a second run; Rubber City Theatre announces 2020-21 season; Near West Theatre mounts unconventional new virtual production; more. Read More
When ideastream producer Justin Glanvlle heard CMHA was planning a major renovation of Woodhill Homes public housing, he decided to stop in and see how the residents felt. He’s turned their thoughts into a podcast series, co-hosted by Woodhill resident Jeanette Marbley, which concludes with an interactive episode this week, with residents sharing their ideas & views of their own lives. Read More
Thirty-nine artists have 47 works in New Masters 2: Women Artists of Northeast Ohio. “Patron Saint of Stone,” by MANDEM, won Best in Show. See the rest at https://bit.ly/3npfxsv.
NE Ohio humorist/improv performer Marjorie Preston originally collected the Ohio jokes in her new book OH! That’s Funny eight years ago, drawing on contributions from family, friends and colleagues. But the pandemic inspired her to finally publish it, hoping to bring some levity to these troubled times. Read More
NE Ohio music photographers Joe Kleon & Anastasia Pantsios have created a huge online photo gallery called Sonic & Iconic, where you can see and purchase more than 1,100 photos, most taken in and around Cleveland. Go to Sonic & Iconic to browse through nearly 50 years of concerts.
If you were alarmed by Mansfield Frazier’s recent column, Hello Friends and Fans, where he revealed that he planned to write less commentary (we’ll see!) and focus on developing his skill at historical fiction, rejoice. He’s almost immediately sharing the first fruits of his new labor with us, a short story called “Going Postal.” You can read more here and share your feedback with him as he’s requested.
You’ve seen this guy before. He’s called the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon Melt, and he’s one of the most popular of all the grilled cheeses at Melt Bar and Grilled. And he’s back now until the end of December.
Or maybe you’d prefer the Parmageddon or the Parmageddonator. Then pair your sandwich up with a classic comfort side like Kung Pow Broccoli or Cheesy Loaded Potatoes. Top it off with the Cookies and Cream Bread Pudding, and you’re in heaven. Plus, pick up a Melt Holiday Gift Card for $100 and get a $25 gift card free. Take a bite of that! Read More
TUE 12/15 All about FEAST Mystified by the multi-media ballet FEAST about the evils of capitalism? Check in online with the dancers/choreographers to learn what it all means; you can watch the film at Akron Soul Train through December 23.
WED 12/16 Ghosts of Xmas Past The Cleveland History Center takes visitors back in time to learn about the legends, traditions and superstitions that were a part of Victorian-era Cleveland holidays.
MANSFIELD
The Presidential Pardon
Much of our judicial canon was set in place back when racism was not only tolerated, but in many cases was the law of the land. Indeed, if America was more homogeneous, rather than as multicultural as we happen to be, we would not have such draconian punishments on the books… Read MoreSomething Is Going to Give, One Way or Another
Literally millions upon millions of our fellow citizens have gone so far around the bend they’re willing to put their lives on the line for what they believe, and they only believe what they are being told by madmen and women. They’re in a deadly echo chamber, being fed a continuous diet of misinformation… Read MoreGoing Upstream
As a society, in the Coming Age of Biden, we have to be willing to go upstream if we want to begin to solve the dilemma — actually the plague — of youth gang and gun violence that’s infecting cities around the country. The mayhem and mindless loss of life has to move this issue to the top… Read More
