Heavy

Heavy

In this week’s issue:
* Tuning In with Iron Oxide by Daiv Whaley
* Cool Cleveland Ingenuity Bash at the Galleria 9/2, get $12.50 tix by midnight Thu 8/11 here
* RoldoLINK The Pee Dee Missed the Boat by Roldo Bartimole
* Cool Cleveland Kids podcast click here, CC podcast click here, CC Blog click here

Tuning In
Iron Oxide, a different kind of metal music

Iron Oxide’s performance at Capsule was heavy, concussive, creepily-familiar with factories and industrial debris and collapsing Infrastructures of economic engines. Are you guys anti-Capitalist or anti-Industry or are you in some maverick, Ayn Ryn-way actually celebrating factories and industrial squalor?

Kat: Sort of both and neither. I grew up in a town full of arsenic pollution so bad that they had to replace all the soil in some neighborhoods. Naturally, we all knew it was horrible, and everyone had their own stories of acid rain eating the paint off cars, or people dying of weird diseases, but when that’s all you know, it’s what you become accustomed to, and you develop a sense of distance from it. So, I’ve got a weird attitude towards it. “Jaded” is probably too harsh of a word. I consider myself anti-capitalist, but I wouldn’t say I’m anti-Industry — I don’t want us to all go back to living in mud huts.

Jeff: I guess my take on it is that we sort of are using our music as a kind of mirror of our environment–as a reflection on the state of the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio ‘Rust Belt’ heritage, which isn’t just a cute nickname, but a living, breathing – or maybe dying – reality. I don’t know that we’re so much celebrating industrial squalor as reveling in it,…rubbing people’s noses in it. It’s inescapable here, as much as people try to or want to ignore it; it’s all over the place, and we’re making people aware of it…
Read the interview with Iron Oxide by Daiv Whaley here

An Ingenious Idea: Party After Work at the Galleria and Score Ingenuity Comp Tix! If you’ve always dreamed of attending a Cool Cleveland party, but you’ve put it off for one reason or another, this is the one you won’t want to miss! Why? Because your party ticket will automatically entitle you to a complimentary weekend-long Ingenuity Festival all-access pass (a $25 value!). Get your best deal on discount tix here. That means that Cool Cleveland is extending an exclusive offer to you – our faithful readers and partygoers – to check out the happenings all weekend long – Fri 9/2, Sat 9/3 and Sun 9/4, noon ’til midnight. Experience Cleveland’s most exciting summer weekend! Your weekend fest starts at The Galleria on Fri 9/2 at 5:30PM. Feast on Cafe Sausilito’s scrumptous appetizers and S’Barro’s mouth watering pizza while checking out the cool Ingenuity art-tech exhibits throughout the Galleria. To top it off, take advantage of the complimentary underground parking for the party and all weekend long! After the party ends, check out the Ingenuity District at E. 4th and Euclid with your pass to sample the entertainment with several cool acts to choose from: ”HyperMix” at the Cleveland Trust Rotunda, the Cavani String Quartet at the Hyatt Old Arcade, Verb Ballets at the McCrory storefront, The Cleveland Irish Roots at the House of Blues or Ohio Ballet and the red-hot Cherry Monroe on the Mainstage. See the entire weekend line-up at www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

Pure Genius! You get all this: Complimentary hors d’oeuvres from Cafe Sausalito and S’Barros, a full, cash bar that includes sangria, pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris and wine and beer, a weekend pass to the Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology ($25 value), and complimentary parking. Order before midnight 8/18 for only $12.50! How can you go wrong? http://www.CoolCleveland.com/tickets/nightouteight.

Ingenuity television Everybody loved watching it last week. Click here to see the cute TV spot running now on Channel 3: here. Then click here to see the complete schedule on the Ingenuity website with the slick animation that the TV spot was based on: http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

Ingenuity Fest Guidebook Everything you need to know about Cleveland’s Festival of Art and Technology is available for download as one slick PDF. No charge! here. Beat the pack and start planning your Labor Day Weekend now.

Ingenuity volunteers get tix and love If you want comp admission to Ingenuity, you can buy a ticket to the CC Party on Fri 9/2 or you can volunteer to help out. We need postcard-blitzers, and we could also use help answering phones and doing office work in the mornings at Ingenuity HQ right Downtown. Volunteers@IngenuityCleveland.org .

Thinking of crashing Downtown during Ingenuity? Not a bad idea with non-stop art, tech and music happening wall-to-wall on four outdoor stages and 21 venues over Labor Day weekend (get complete schedule here). If so, we should mention the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage Program. It’s more than just a comfortable bed. Guaranteed wake up calls, Quiet Zone floors, and the latest sleep amenities like lavender spray to enhance relaxation, ear plugs to ensure quiet and eye masks and drape clips to block out unwanted light, and sleep CD’s with relaxation tips in every room! And best of all, it’s within crawling distance of Ingenuity! www.ClevelandDowntownHotel.com.

Cool Cleveland Night Out Photos Check out the action from last week’s Cool Cleveland Night Out in Lakewood here, (were you there?), then get your tix to the next Cool Cleveland bash, which include an all-weekend, all-access pass to the Ingenuity Festival by clicking www.IngenuityCleveland.com before midnight Thu 8/18 for your best price.

Why did the school levy fail? Everyone has their own theory. And a big failure like the one earlier this month can be used to justify almost any position. This Cleveland State study has narrowed it down: whites did not vote for the levy, nor did homeowners, nor did folks who put their kids in private schools. Read the story here.

Do the math The always-logical PD columnist Regina Brett lays it out: if just the parents of the children attending Cleveland Public Schools had voted in the recent special levy election (which failed decisively), the levy would have passed by a landslide. The implications are sobering. See column here. Do you have a theory as to why the Cleveland school levy failed? Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Funding scholarships Are you looking for a way to access additional resources for your small community-based arts and culture organization with a budget of less than $500K? The Foundation Center’s full-day training seminar scheduled for the Fall is designed to build your agency’s internal capacity in preparation for seeking financial support from foundation corps and other grant makers. Full scholarships available for this outstanding program. Click here for the application packet – the deadline is Mon 8/29. Email questions to training@fdncenter.org.

Cool Cleveland Kids Tired of all the noise and inappropriate crap? Looking for fun and cool things to do with your kids? Take a hint from 9-year-old Cool Cleveland correspondent Max Mulready who has scoured the Internet looking for a few good events to recommend. Hear his short podcast here even if you don’t have special software. If you’re a whiz kid, you can download it to your iPod or your computer and listen with your own kid. Check below to see the events tagged CC KIDS under Cool Cleveland This Week for our recommendations for a fantastic family week. http://www.coolcleveland.com/files/audio/CoolClevelandKids08.19.05.mp3

Join the CPAC community A strong community is essential as our region works together to support arts and culture. Would you like to stay informed about our regional arts and cultural community? Visit http://www.CPACBiz.org; click on the heading “Community”; scroll down to “Join the CPAC Community Now!”; follow the instructions and pick your interests. Click save. You are now officially “connected.”

Focus on Tremont Nice series on one of Cleveland’s most vivacious neighborhoods. See stories here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Your favorite Tremont hang-out? Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Your voice, your choice The Fund for Our Economic Future will launch an initiative to engage literally tens of thousands of Northeast Ohioans in the creation of a regional economic agenda by kicking off a series of one-on-one citizen interviews that will pair members of groups that do not usually connect. The cascading interview process will continue through the Fall and eventually reach thousands throughout NEO’s 15 counties, reaching every demographic in the region. The idea is to identify strengths upon which an action agenda may be built and build a positive public outlook about the future of our region. The first event happens on Wed 8/17. Visit http://www.VoicesChoices.org for more info.

OfficeMax is history and so are its 600 Shaker Heights jobs, the $1.5 million the city receives each year in taxes, of which $800K goes to Shaker schools. Why? They really couldn’t tell you. But I’ll tell you this: we need to learn how to sell our region more effectively to corporations, their boards, their executives, and analysts. And it all starts with learning how to sell ourselves. See story here. Silver lining: kudos to Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell and Shaker Hts Mayor Judy Rawson worked together to share taxes if they had been able to retain the office products giant in either city. See story here. Your thoughts on regionalism? Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Malone bought by J. Walter Thompson The region’s largest advertising agency, led by CEO Fred Bidwell and on a torrid growth streak, is now part of the nation’s largest ad agency. Bidwell is confident that JWT “has a philosophy of acquiring entrepreneurial companies and leaving them alone.” For the 190 employees that work in Downwotn Akron, let’s hope so. See story here.

What’s yr pleasure? Whether you’re into Music, or Film & Video, or the Visual Arts, or you just want The Overview, you can get your fill at the Ingenuity Festival this Labor Day weekend in Downtown Cleveland. Or get the map and guide here. When you’re ready, get your tix here. And don’t forget to register for the Cool Cleveland Ingenuity Party here with complimentary parking.

Hi-tech and highways Two years ago, Governor Bob Taft’s Third Frontier program to support high-tech research in Ohio failed at the polls. Now it’s being placed on the ballot bundled with a popular, roads, bridges and sewers proposal that will (hopefully) pass easily. See story here. Your thoughts on hi-tech research in our state? Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

MidTown Tech Center The vision is alive for a technology hub to be centered at the vast Ohio Knitting Mills project at E. 57th to E. 61st between Euclid and Chester, developed by MidTown Cleveland and the Ferchill Group. “I think we have the right plan and the right vision, we just need to be patient,” says executive director Jim Haviland. See story here.

IdeaCenter Countdown The Sat 9/10 grand opening of the ground-breaking new home of ideastream (WVIZ PBS/90.3 FM WCPN) and Playhouse Square Foundation’s Arts Education initiatives is now less than one month away and Cool Cleveland has managed to snag a couple of tickets to this exclusive event. One Cool Cleveland reader will be lucky enough to win two complimentary tickets (valued at $600) to this exclusive black-tie event. Our lucky reader and a guest will dine like royalty, enjoy an awesome performance by TV & stage star Bebe Neuwirth and dance the night away. Visit http://www.playhousesquare.com/coolcleveland to learn how you can win two of the hottest tickets in town or visit http://ideacenter.wviz.org for information on the IdeaCenter.

Ingenuity film auditions Are you a thespian at heart? Itsy Bitsy Productions is holding ongoing auditions for its short film Gray Goo, one of four short films that will produced as a part of Ingenuity’s Architects of the Apocalypse event during the Inaugural Ingenuity Festival. Filming will take place on Fri 9/2 in Downtown Cleveland. Call 269-9268 or email rachael_is@hotmail.com if you would like to audition for this groundbreaking event.

Musart in transition Changes in staffing and programming coupled with the major renovations at the Cleveland Museum of Art has left the Musart Society feeling a bit left out in the cold. Over the years the society has purchased an organ and instruments as gifts to the museum. With no current organist, no curator of musical arts, no music department, and an expansion and renovation project that will leave the museum without a concert hall for the 2005-2006 season the group is unsure about how they will fit in. Learn more in the PD article here.

Hip-Hop Summer Camp Santina Protopapa and her Progressive Arts Alliance are at it again, with their arts-in-education program teaching Hip-Hop’s positive vibes to students at Hathaway Brown School. See story here. Catch PAA over Labor Day weekend at the upcoming Ingenuity Festival of Art and Technology when they close off East 4th Street, line it with turntables, and let kids spin and play, learning to breakdance, DJ, MC and create aerosol art, otherwise known as grafitti. http://www.IngenuityCleveland.com.

CSU’s Gavel is tops Cleveland-Marshall College of Law student newspaper, The Gavel, just took top honors in the American Bar Association’s Student Division for the best law school newspaper in the country during the ABA’s annual meeting in Chicago earlier this month. Congratulations go out to the 2004-2005 editors, Amanda Parr, Jason Smith and Eric Doeh on a job well done. Read more here. http://www.law.CSUOhio.edu/.

Cleveland goes green Andrew Watterson, the City of Cleveland’s first Sustainability Programs Manager, has lots of plans on his agenda. Over the next two years the environmental benefits and cost savings from the programs he will initiate should prove that a sustainability expert isn’t a luxury, but a necessity. He plans to start with easy fixes like putting LED lights in all the traffic bulbs. Though more expensive they last up to eight years and will save about $2 mil annually over incandescent bulbs which must be changed every six months. Learn more about his simple energy and cost savings plans in the PD story here. What do you think about the city’s move to hire a sustainability expert? Send your thoughts to Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Emissions from the blogsphere From NEO Babble, Chas Rich points out that on Mayor Campbell’s re-election site, the page on education returns an error. Is that a metaphor? From Callahan’s Cleveland Diary, an email from George Zellers, who was fired from his position of research director for the embattled Council of Economic Opportunities of Greater Cleveland. From Jack/Zen, David Orr’s comment that “We don’t have an environmental problem as much as a political problem.” On the Cool Cleveland blog, Peter Chakerian writes about The 150th Tremont Art Walk, Neil Diamond at the “Q”, Cindy Sheehan’s plight… and, it looks like he blew a First Energy fuse. Lots of people are posting replies. Shouldn’t you? Check the Cool Cleveland weblog here, then add your own comments, questions and attitude. Letters@CoolCleveland.com.

Cool Cleveland This Week
8.17-8.24

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

CC KIDS Wade Oval Wednesdays Move and groove to the sounds of Sammy DeLeon Y Su Orquesta as they perform an open concert on Wed 8/17 at 5:30PM. Bring your blanket or chair to the outdoor performance. Call 707-5033 for more info. Wade Oval, University Circle http://www.UniversityCircle.org.

Progress Cleveland: A Look Into Cleveland’s Future is the title of the public panel discussion to be held this evening Wed 8/17 at 6:30PM. The panel features both civic and private leaders; developer Scott Wolstein, Chris Ronayne, Chief of Staff for the City of Cleveland, Grace Gallucci, executive director of RTA will share their visions for the city, poised to undergo a series of transformations in efforts to draw new residents, businesses and tourists. Visit www.Cleveland2030.com to register for the ticketed event. Sammy’s Metropolitan Ballroom, Huntington Bank Building, Suite 2100, 925 Euclid Avenue.

CC KIDS Summer in the City Are you the last person in Cleveland to take advantage of this no cost summer party? Then hook up with a few friends and check out the Waco Brothers and Rambler 454 TODAY, Wed 8/17 at 6PM. Food and beverages will be available from onsite vendors so sync calendars with your pals and meet at the Key Plaza, in front of the Rock Hall. www.RockHall.com.

Annie’s Way at Talkies If you missed the screening of Brigid Krane’s film about the life of a young girl growing up in Slavic Village at CSU last week plan on visiting Talkie’s Film & Coffee Bar for one of two screenings on Thu 8/18 at 7 & 8:30PM. Call 221-7528 for more info or to reserve your spot for an evening of Cleveland film, delicious treats and aromatic coffee. http://www.TalkiesCoffee.com.

Calor Urbano Experience the sizzling urban heat of designer druewho?’s latest collection while absorbing the hot sounds of Bennie Velez, ‘The Latin Assassin’ during the show and pre-show reception on Thu 8/18 at 8PM. Call 330-958-2068 for tickets or info. Club Koozma, 1220 Old River Road, East Bank of the Flats. Get directions at http://www.koozma.com.

Waiting for Lefty Charenton Theatre Co. will present Waiting for Lefty, Clifford Odets’ 20th century socio-political indictment of unions and the blue collar working person. No admission will be charged, but donations are gladly accepted. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets to the next performance at 8PM on Thu 8/18, Fri 8/19 and Sat 8/20. Call 990-2665. Case Western Reserve Campus, Bellflower Road (behind The Thwing Center) http://www.charenton.org.

Amy Steinberg Don’t miss the irreverent humor and crafty intellect of this exciting folk artist during a rare Cleveland engagement on Thu 8/18 at 8PM. The talented and innovative songwriter crafts songs and poetry that promote tolerance, openness and diversity. Call 795-9800 for info or tickets. Loganberry Books, 13015 Larchmere Boulevard, Shaker Heights http://www.TheAmySteinbergBand.com/ http://www.Logan.com/Loganberry/.

Golf Outing The Berea Animal Rescue Charity Golf Outing offers players an opportunity to support this non-profit, volunteer organization that houses animals in a ‘no time limit’ facility until adopted. The cost of participation includes practice driving range, 18 holes and cart, lunch at the turn, on-course beverages, steak dinner and prizes at player’s reception. The 4 man and ladies scramble event happens on Fri 8/19 kicking off at 10AM with a shotgun start. Call 440-243-2667 for info. Roses Run Country Club, Stow. www.BereaAnimalRescue.com.

Frankie Beverly & Maze This beloved and enduring group makes its annual trek to Cleveland, hotter than ever, on Fri 8/19 at 8PM. Trust us on this one; the crooner and his band in concert is an unforgettable experience. Prepare to be thoroughly entertained, dance on your feet all night and sing your vocal cords raw. You will be amazed at how great they sound in concert, how fabulous Beverly looks and the group’s stamina after all these years. Call 241-5555 for tickets. Scene Pavilion, 2014 Sycamore Avenue. www.ticketmaster.com.

Mark Mothersbaugh’s Beautiful Mutants This founding member of DEVO has toured the world for two years with his exhibit; a collection of antique photographs that have been manipulated to give an effect similar to the symmetry of a Rorschach Test. Attend the opening reception on Fri 8/19 at 8PM for the exhibit in conjunction with the Lime Spider’s annual DEVOTIONAL event on Sat 8/20. If you can’t catch the opening reception, take a sneak peek here then visit the exhibit through Sat 9/17. Call 330-673-4970. North Water Street Gallery, 257 North Water Street, Kent. http://www.StandingRock.net.

WCLVnotes Soothing and relaxing is what many listeners say they like best about WCLV 104.9 FM. If you haven’t tried WCLV and its classical music, you might just find it “soothing and relaxing.” Don’t be afraid. You don’t have to have a PhD in musicology to listen to WCLV. If you can’t tell a Beethoven from the hemi-semi-demiquaver, don’t worry about it. It’s simply music and great entertainment. Yes, you may find some selections that are dull at first. But there will be many that are exhilarating right off the bat, and yes, soothing and relaxing. Come on, take a nibble. You’ll want more. Details on all of the soothing, relaxing music broadcast by WCLV can be found on our web site at www.WCLV.com. WCLV is a Cool Cleveland partner.

CC KIDS Cedar Fairmount Festival Arts, crafts, music, and family entertainment are on the agenda of the Discover Cedar Fairmount Festival & Art Show on Sat 8/20 from 12-7PM. There will be a variety of no cost events for the entire family. Enjoy musical performances, Jocco the Clown, pony rides, Rocket Car rides, puppet shows, face painting and chair massages. Browse the work by local artists including jewelry, pastels, oils, stained glass, photography and more. Adopt a pet from the APL onsite and take advantage of the Kid-Care Identification program available at Starbucks from 12-5PM. Cedar Fairmount Business District, Cedar Road and Fairmount Boulevard.

CC KIDS Arts on the’Loo Check out this two day arts celebration on Sat 8/20 from 11AM-7PM and Sun 11AM-5PM. Hear acts like the Prayer Warriors, Hayshaker Jones, Six Parts Seven and DJ Lawrence Daniel Caswell and enjoy three very different art exhibits and seven public art installations. The Beachland Ballroom will host a Rock-n-Roll flea market on Sat from 11AM-4PM and an independent film fest on Sun from 12:30-3:30PM. Purchase items from area artists and let the kids get their faces painted or strut their stuff in Parade the ‘Loo on Sun at 3:30PM. Waterloo Road between East 156th Street and East 160th Street. http://www.ArtsCollinwood.org.

CC KIDS Kent Ice Cream Social Spend an afternoon with family and neighbors at this 2nd annual event on Sat 8/20 from 1-4PM in Downtown Kent. This old fashioned ice cream social will feature music, free tours by The Kent Historical Society, Portage County soap box cars, complimentary painting class for kids by KidzArt, raffle prizes, special sales by downtown businesses and tasty ice cream for just a quarter per scoop. Call 330-673-4970. Home Savings Plaza, Intersection of Main and Water Streets, Kent http://www.StandingRock.net.

T3 at Abbasso Join resident DJs Jamie Tyler and Damon Havill as they host Plate Tectonics, the monthly techno showcase, on Sat 8/20 at 10PM. Experience improvised vinyl, live looping and digital f/x as T3 performs. Abbasso Underground Lounge, 1222 Prospect Avenue. http://www.platetectonics.org http://www.alwayst3.com.

Sound & Music for Film The Cleveland IndieClub presents Richard B. Ingraham and Aryavarta Kumar in a discussion of audio design, issues with audio production, and composition of music for film on Sun 8/21 from 1-4PM. They will use demonstration clips from their award winning collaboration on the short film A Joker’s Card to discuss issues surrounding post-production work with audio and music. A screening and discussion of various short films, scenes and trailers will follow. Learn more at http://www.ClevelandIndieClub.com/. The Hyacinth Lofts, 3030 East 63rd Street.

Warehouse District Street Festival After last year’s successful inaugural let’s-clear-West-6th-Street-and-have-a-big-party event in Cleveland’s hot Warehouse District, they’re doin’ it again! Check it out on Sun 8/21 from noon to 8PM. Two entertainment stages – get there early to catch Cool Cleveland faves Cats On Holiday at noon- there’s lots of variety to keep you hopping. And with some of Cleveland’s best Warehouse District restaurants supplying the food, you’d better show up hungry… there’s even an Arts and Cultural Show and street games like bocce and volleyball. www.WarehouseDistrict.org.

Jason Peterson The classical pianist will play Sextet Opus 6 for five wind instruments and piano, by composer Ludwig Thuille, featuring a Woodwind Ensemble and Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor, Opus 34 and a string snsemble on Sun 8/21 at 3PM. Both ensembles consist of members of the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra. Mingle with the musicians during an ice cream social following the performance, purchase Peterson’s CDs and view an exhibit of paintings by area artists. Call 861-2371 for info. Zion United Church of Christ, 2716 West 14th Street, Tremont http://www.ZionChurch.org.

Network Weaving for Community Effectiveness Join internationally renown experts Valdis Krebs and June Holley for their FREE seminar that will introduce you to the basic concepts of open economic networks, and how and why they work to build economic prosperity. Participants will learn how to define and strengthen their own networks. Valdis is a leading authority on social network analysis, while June is a leading practitioner of open economic systems as the president and founder of Appalachian Economic Networks. On Mon 8/22 from 1-6PM at the Maple Heights Regional Public Library, 5225 Library Lane, Maple Heights. http://www.i-open.org.

Celebration of the Arts Join actor/director/film producer/painter/winemaker, Gary Conway, and former Miss America, Marian McKnight Conway, in Downtown Euclid on Mon 8/22 at 5:30PM for the screening of their independent film Woman’s Story. Then, head to Beach Club Bistro for an open discussion with the filmmakers and a “journey” into luscious green vineyards as you sample seductively sumptuous vino from the Carmody McKnight Estate Winery while submersed in Conway’s vineyard landscapes, which will be auctioned off later in the evening, and nosh on tasty appetizers. Call 731-7499. Lakeshore Theater, 22624 Lakeshore Boulevard. http://www.CarmodyMcKnight.com http://www.BCBistro.com/.

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

RoldoLINK

A couple of weeks ago I ran into someone who worked for The Plain Dealer years ago. We had a good laugh over a journalistic episode that proved terribly embarrassing for the PD.

He chuckled about a PD promotional employee, hanging out of a helicopter yelling to Bob Manry, then a PD copy editor who was making his way across the Atlantic in a pint-sized boat. Russ Kane, he said, was yelling at Manry to please wear a sweatshirt with “Plain Dealer” emblazoned across the front when he sailed into harbor. Manry was enjoying worldwide publicity for his heroic one-man feat and 50,000 people and the world’s press awaited his final arrival. The PD management, which had thought of Manry’s intended voyage as nonsense, had rebuffed his plea for support in exchange for the story before he left Falmouth, MA for Falmouth, England. Now, as he neared his destination, 3,200 miles over ocean, they wanted a piece of the publicity action.

As we talked, we realized that this month marks the 40th anniversary of that historic feat.

Below is a piece I wrote in the Cleveland Edition, August 30, 1990 – 25 years after Manry’s exploit. It combines his story with the state of the “Pee Dee” in the turmoil of the 1960s culture and its effect on a newspaper, its reporters and editors.

Here is the 1990 article…
Read RoldoLINK here

Cool Cleveland Preview
Ohio Ballet @ Lincoln Park

Free professional ballet concerts outdoors in the summer time; Ohio Ballet is the only company in the nation that does it. No lines, no need for reservations. Family friendly. Just bring your blanket or lawn chair to Tremont’s Lincoln Park on Fri 8/19 or Sat 8/20 and see the best ballet company around.

“Coming to Tremont is really important to Ohio Ballet,” says Artistic Director Jeffrey Graham Hughes. “We’re a Cleveland company, the resident ballet company of Playhouse Square since the early 80’s, and it’s our chance to give back to the community.” Ohio Ballet’s tradition of free outdoor performances goes back to the 60’s, when founding artistic director Heinz Poll took his fledgling chamber ensemble outdoors. Poll was perhaps inspired by his tenure with Ballet Nacional Chileno, which gave free concerts in the plaza for miners and their families. Wherever the idea came from, it’s enormously popular in Northeast Ohio; typically, 2500 people come out for the Tremont performances.

For those unfamiliar with Ohio Ballet, their Summer Festival features potluck from their previous 9 months of performances. This summer that may include their small cast version of Raymonda in tutus and pointe shoes, or the aptly-named Hi-Jinx in fright wigs and Elvis regalia. Another possibility is Mazurkas, modern dance founding father Jose Limon’s seldom performed tribute to the nobility of the Polish people. It’s all part of what Hughes calls “the broad spectrum of dance.”

Like most artistic directors, Hughes contributes his own choreography to the mix; this summer that may include excerpts from his ensemble piece to the music of Ravi Shankar, Upon Rays of Light, or from his Valentines Day Dance, a string of duets to music of Puccini titled Rapturous Heart. Hughes would probably be the last to compare himself to Limon or the choreographer of the original Raymonda, Marius Petipa, but in performance the resident choreographer sometimes outshines the acknowledged greats, for Hughes knows his dancers and can play to their strengths and special abilities.

FREE at Tremont’s Lincoln Park, Cleveland, Fri 8/19 and Sat 8/20. Performances start at dark, 8:45 PM. Preceded at 7:45 by interactive children’s program, Turned Out Tykes.
From Cool Cleveland contributors Elsa Johnson and Victor Lucas vicnelsaATearthlink.net

Instant Karma
Quick reviews of recent events
Going out this weekend? Take along your PDA and your digital camera. Scratch out a few notes to send us with a picture of it for our Instant Karma real-world reviews of what’s really happening. We’d love to hear from you. Send your stuff to Events@CoolCleveland.com

Body Worlds 2 @ Great Lakes Science Center thru 9/18
Whoa. Have you been yet? If you have, it’s not hyperbole to say that it may have changed your life. Friends who’ve seen this hard-to-believe exhibit of real bodies preserved by plastination have gone on diets, quit drinking, and altered their behavior after seeing the actual organs, muscle, tissues, nerves, blood vessels and skeletal structure of supremely healthy dancers and soccer players, as well as the ravaged livers of drinkers and lungs of smokers, revealed without skin. Whether you want to or not, you will learn about your own body, you will question how you treat it, and you will walk away moved and changed. The massive exhibition is intelligently and responsibly organized to both entertain and educate, to challenge and comfort, to raise questions and to give real answers. Take your kids. Take your parents. Like the Spencer Tunick event of 2004, this is the must-do event for real Clevelanders. And it’s only in Cleveland through 9/18. Don’t miss it. http://bodyworlds2.glsc.org

Burning River Fest @ Voinovich Park 8/13
After two years of producing smaller festivals at his Great Lakes Brewing Company, owner and environmental aficonado Pat Conway raised the ante and invited the community down to a day-long celebration at Voinovich Park at the end of Ninth Street Pier. Populated with dozens of interesting booths from environmental groups and food from primo Cleveland eateries, most atendees were clustered inside the traditional Cleveland “beer corral” far from the stage, enjoying the Burning River Pale Ale and each others’ company. No matter. The event spun off cash for EcoCity Cleveland, the weather was cooperative, Roberto Ocasio’s Latin Jazz Project rocked, and if you listened closely, you even learned something about how to make a difference in our world. Taking a lesson, the upcoming Ingenuity Festival has gained the city’s preliminary OK to allow beer drinking throughout the event, rather than behind cattle fencing. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that sanity prevails and we are once again allowed to sip a beverage and actually sit within shouting distance of the stage. http://stage.creationsite.com/GLBC/BR

The Pelican @ Tyst, Hiram College 8/12
What: August Stringberg’s 75-minute drama about a monstrously narcissistic mother and her effect on her two adult children.
Reasons to go: Though it’s extreme, Stringberg’s metaphoric drama is a psychologically well-observed study of the fate of emotionally starved and frozen children. Justin Tatum is strong as the drunken, neglected son. Director Adrienne Moon and designer David Vosburgh create some nice stage effects to show a home haunted by guilt and neglect, and Moon’s staging of the final tragic scene between brother and sister is effective.
Caveats: This would be one of the stronger Tyst casts, except that too much of Stringberg’s text gets swallowed up in the large auditorium space due to their lack of projection. The worst culprit is the otherwise intriguing Kristie Erin Barnes, who was barely audible even from a 3rd row seat. Add several noticeable black holes in Steve Brumlow’s lighting design, and you have a show you too often can neither clearly see nor hear.
Backstory: Many of the players are involved with other nascent companies: Moon is the Artistic Director of Dobama’s Night Kitchen, Tom Kondilas is a founding member of LESS Productions, and Tatus with fourthwallproductions.
Target audience: Audiences interested in rarely staged classics of world drama.
Details: Tyst, Bates Hall, Hiram College, Hiram. Thru 8/28. 216-771-9118, http://www.tyst.org
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein linda@coolcleveland.com

Jane Eyre The Musical @ Mercury Summer Stock 6/18
What: A by-the-numbers musicalization of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel about an English governess and her romance with her mysterious employer.
Reasons to go: The most entertaining parts of this show are the few specialty numbers that break up the otherwise forgettable minor key score. As the deaf housekeeper, Joanne Uniatowski made her offbeat patter numbers a delight. Though too young for the part, Joe Monaghan made a dashing Rochester, and his 2nd act “gypsy” number was a highlight. In smaller roles, tiny, fierce Talia Cosentino shone in her few scenes as the bitter Young Jane with Hester Lewellen a properly evil aunt.
Caveats: With morose madrigal tunes that run together nonstop and clunky narration, this is a pretty dreary musical property, and the quietly tinkly backstage piano and barely audible synthesizer didn’t help elevate it. The MSS cast had decent voices, but the acting was mostly wooden — and director Brian Marshall’s staging left a lot to be desired.
Backstory: This was the final show of Mercury Summer Stock’s four show season, and its last ever in the awkward Bedford Heights Heskett Auditorium space. MSS is looking to find a new performance space for themselves next year.
Target audience: Adults and teens, especially those who like the new Brit/Euro-style sung-through musical dramas.
Details: Mercury Summer Stock, Heskett Auditorium. Thru 8/13. http://www.mercurysummerstock.com
from Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein linda@coolcleveland.com

You Can’t Take It With You @ Ohio Theatre 8/13 Who knew? Although we’ve seen Andrew May on local stages in a wide variety of roles, who could have known that he could be the perfect crazy Russian of the mid-1930s in this rollicking romp? Thanks to Charlie Fee and Drew Barr of Great Lakes Theater Festival, we can all now have the opportunity to watch Andrew pose and posture, swash and buckle, jump on and over furniture and spit out the harsh consonants of the faux-Russian language utilized by Boris Kolenkhov, dancing master to Essie, one of the Sycamore family daughters. But you do have to move rather quickly—this second half of the summer rep at Great Lakes comes to a close on September 3.

If this organized mayhem needed a sub-title, an appropriate one might be ‘Live and Let Live’ which is the philosophy of the patriarch of the Sycamore family, Martin Vanderhof, more familiarly known as ‘Grandpa’. Wayne S. Turney is a Grandpa who has added years to his life—and expects to add a good many more—simply by doing exactly what he wants, and encouraging those around him to do the same…
Read the review by Kelly Ferjutz here

Yr Turn
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An open letter from Thomas Jefferson Hail well fellow Patriotic Citizens of Northeast Ohio. Do not fear King George, nor his onerous Patriot Act, nor the oppressively rising cost of fossil fuel, nor the misguided foreign conflagration. I will be a shining beacon of fortitude and common sense for you.

I must first address a number of personal reckonings…

I was not against the abolition of the slave trade…
Read the letter from Thomas Jefferson to the citizens of Cleveland, as channelled through Clyde Miles clyde.milesATgmail.com here

On the Cleveland Schools (See School levy fails, BBB resigns here) First, thank you for this newsletter forum. If your business was run as poorly as the Cleveland schools would you receive financing to continue operations or would you be out of business? When will everyone understand that a school district, in order to be truly successful needs to be run like a business and not philanthropy? I agree that BBB did some, I stress some, good things but overall Cleveland schools are in horrible shape and throwing hard earned tax payer money at the situation will only make things worse. What the schools need is a strategic plan developed by a business minded executive, a true CEO, that rewards for successes and disciplines for not meeting goals. President Bush laid out an eloquent plan detailing that in order for schools and students to be successful we need to hold the teachers, administrators and especially the teacher’s union accountable. Let’s just hope the next CEO is truly a CEO and not an educator looking to make $250K plus per year to bring home below average results for our city’s children.
from Cool Cleveland reader Tony Pietrocola tonypAT10floor.com

I’ll Vote No Again & Again. As I have said before, my only regret is that I could not vote “No” more than once. 1. As far as I am concerned, the school board and the entire school system continues to fail on a regular basis. 2. I am tired of hearing about how it is “all about the kids.” The money never gets there. The fact is that about 85% of every dollar goes to teachers, administrators and the benefits they have provided for themselves. I wonder how many people realize that school teachers are able to retire after 30 years and receive 65% to 70% of their salary for life. I know retired school teachers who are retired at the ripe old age of 53. Guess who will end paying those benefits when they “finally” do get old. Most of us (in the real world) are just hoping that we can stay employed (without getting downsized) and work to 65. And don’t get me started on shrinking company retirement benefits or the social security promise (our own money). 3. Having said all of that, I still would like to support the “kids” but I am tapped out. Between real estate taxes that are already absurd and rising fuel costs, my disposable income shrinks every month. Our “braintrust” needs to figure out another answer. Maybe it’s time to roll the dice on gambling. Either that or hire someone with some new and creative ideas. For the kind of money Ms. Bennett was making, I would expect as much.
from Cool Cleveland reader Tim A. Schultz TasBoomATaol.com

On a convention center (See Convention center wake-up call here) There seems to be a problem on how to pay for a new convention center and Cleveland needs to put the vote to the county and it should be a county run convention center.
from Cool Cleveland reader Eric Julian erjulianATyahoo.com

The County Commissioners and the Convention Facilities Authority are pushing as hard as they can for a new center…but if a vote of the people is required for any portion of the financing, they’re going to find out what most people in the County know: there’s no local demand for it. And while I disagree with its backing of a new convention center, the PD is at least correct that the I-X Center should be promoted, not torn down. But of course the editorial has one incredibly laughable line: “The convention authority needs to sit down with the best minds in government and academia to calculate a reasonable estimate of how much more money needs to be raised from taxes on hotel rooms, rental cars, restaurant meals and alcohol sales — purchases largely made by visitors or more affluent residents.” Restaurant meals and alcohol are purchased largely by “more affluent residents”? What, the tax will only apply to expensive dinners and fine wine? Rrrrright.
from Cool Cleveland reader James Hammer jhammer1ATcore.com

I keep remembering the CoolCleveland reader who said” let’s make this the best SMALL convention center in the country” .. we have a way to go to make this a visitor friendly city: before we get bigger, get better. For instance, the RTA map is great.. it has some good restaurants and destinations on it. BUT I live here, and even I don’t know where to pick one up besides the RTA offices on Euclid. What do we offer people at the airport in terms of maps and bus pass information? And glamourous Happenings, local music, theater, books by Cleveland authors, recordings, postcards, momentos? And thinking of the airport: the rental car return experience is hell for visitors. The signage shifts color, size and placement. And airport pickups aren’t great either. Could we have one of those tv screens that tell you about arrivals on the outside, by luggage doors? (I know cell phones are making pick-up less of an issue than it used to be. However…) Thanks for “listening”…
from Cool Cleveland reader Clurie Bennis cluriebennisATyahoo.com

On Wi-Fi in Lakewood (See Lakewood goes Wi-Fi? here) I live in Lakewood with my family. I love it. Just another reason to not move to Rocky River (says my wife) or Ohio City (says me). Lakewood should be a mecca for the cultural creatives and is to some extent, and the Wi Fi should help both as a practical consideration and for “image” purposes. I think it’s a TERRIFIC idea.
from Cool Cleveland reader Chris Camp chris.campATgmail.com

I am a small business owner and 20+ year resident of Lakewood. I run my speaking and training business out of our 1908 restored home, and have found it the perfect fit. I think going wi-fi is a brilliant way to respect our changing demographics, and attract the entrepreneurial younger set, who, the statistics show, are much more open to self -employment and virtual work than we 50 somethings. Lakewood homes are ideal for home office spaces paired with gracious living, and folks who invest in their homes in this way are likely to stay in the community that supports their business. When the “50 something” home/business owners (us) chime in agreement with their teen offspring that the wi-fi idea is “Cool!” that has the markings of an actionable idea!
from Cool Cleveland reader Kim Langley, M.Ed. http://www.kimlangley.net kimlangleyATcore.com

On the Iraq war (See The war comes home here) Thanks a lot for including a link to Phillip Morris’ article on Iraq. The number of deaths of local soldiers over there has really hit a lot of people. We should be pressuring all of our elected representatives to do everything in their power to bring all of our troops home right away. In my opinion, this war was sold to the people of this country by a calculated policy of lies, deception and fear-mongering. Many people bought into it. The US had been attacked on 9-11-01. People wanted to believe what their leadership was saying. But it was manipulation of public opinion pure and simple. In addition to the deaths and casualties suffered by US troops and mercenaries, many tens of thousands (if not more) Iraqis, men, women and children have died. Nine billion US dollars destined for Iraq somehow have disappeared with no one able to answer where or why. The press is well aware of memos that clearly show that the US was looking for reasons for a war in Iraq long before 9-11-01. We have not found any weapons of mass destruction, but we continue to develop them ourselves. We have not reduced violence in the region, but fueled its spread throughout the world. The only ones who don’t seem to be suffering are many of the corporate friends of Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld, whose profits and earnings seem to be rising along with the death toll. If you are tired of the increasing militarization and corporatization of the US and of the planet – if you are tired of all the death and destruction – please speak up every opportunity you have.
from Cool Cleveland reader Cliff Berns kacbATearthlink.net Send your letters to: Letters@CoolCleveland.com

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

1) RoldoLINK Roldo’s indictment of BBB’s lack of leadership on the failed Cleveland schools levy. www.CoolCleveland.com

2) Ingenuity on TV Check out the ad running on WKYC. www.CoolCleveland.com

3) Bikinis and Martinis The event @ 1300 is long over, but readers still want to check out Myley’s hot fashions – or maybe the models. http://www.myley.com

4) Cultural Mecca is what appeals to discriminating readers when it comes to real estate. http://www.progressiveurban.com

5) School levy fails, BBB resigns and Sam Fulwood III is worried. www.Cleveland.com

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Letters@CoolCleveland.com

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