Up For Grabs

2.27-3.5.08
Up For Grabs

In this week’s issue:
* Party Who’s scared of Hitchcock films at our Cool Cleveland party on 3/8?
* Endorsements for the upcoming 3/4 primary election
* Debate ’08 coverage from the floor of the debate by Peter Chakerian
* Kids hot events for a cool town
* Ingenious Interview with Terry Schwartz of Pop-Up City
* Eats Restaurant synergy during Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week
* Interview Twyla Garrett & Eddie Hart of the new 2020 Martini Lounge, Mocha Fusion Coffee Lounge & Market On The Square
* BizTech Profile 10,000 Little (micro) Ideas
* Straight Outta Mansfield No Guts, No Glory
* BFD Do US students squander their high school minutes?
* Emissions from the Blogsphere Cleveland has too many suits & Nader needs to go back to sleep
* Sounds Workin’ Man by Cats On Holiday
* Ingenious Gray’s Auctioneers: Not Your Father’s Auction House
* Roldo Cimperman Is Doing Corporate Work
* Cool Cleveland Kids podcast click here, CC podcast click here, Brewed Fresh Daily here

There’s so much up for grabs these days in Northeast Ohio. We cover the historic Democratic debate from the floor of the Convo, and we offer our endorsements for the major candidates and issues for the primary election next Tue 3/4. We’ve teed up videos on Pop-Up City’s Leap Night celebration, and the new entertainment complex attached to Stonebridge. Mansfield tells us from experience that Obama’s safety is not up for grabs, and Roldo comments on the 10th District Congressional seat that’s in play. We focus on Gray’s Auctioneers, preview Urban Bush Women, and link you to blog posts from BrewedFreshDaily.com on high school education, and from around the Blogsphere on why Cleveland has too many suits. Also up for grabs is the chance to win an iPhone or iPod, and the opportunity to partake in one of our patented Cool Cleveland parties, this one featuring scary movie music clips. Symbolic of how much is up for grabs around here can be found in our Travelogue on A Day and a Half in the Life of University Circle. The world is at your fingertips. Click away and grab it before it’s gone. —Thomas Mulready

Don’t be scared!
Hitchcock movie clips at our cool party 3/8
Order here for your lowest discount

Run as fast as you can and join us to hear the scariest movie music ever written. Bernard Herrmann was Alfred Hitchcock’s favorite composer, and his music was heard on Psycho, Vertigo, and North By Northwest (shown here). Come check out the film clips, plus excerpts from Herrmann’s unproduced opera, Wuthering Heights, considered the greatest unknown American opera. View photos of our past fabulous parties here, and order your tix online here.

Don’t pass this up:

Think fast Enjoy yourself with the best possible price on a ticket by ordering online here: https://www.coolcleveland.net/tickets/030808/index.php

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Vote FOR Sen. Barack Obama for President (D) Being the right person in the right place at the right time is a skill as much as it is luck. Obama has struck the right tones to offer himself as the anti-Bush, and even the well-qualified Sen. Hillary Clinton, with her poll-proved platform and political machine, has not been able to stop his momentum… more

Vote FOR Sen. John McCain for President (R) The risen-from-the-dead candidacy of patriot and all around good guy John McCain portends trouble in November regardless of whom he faces, due to issues with his age, his flip-flopping on issues, and his inability to inspire… more

Vote FOR Dennis Kucinich for 10th District Congress (D) Challenger Joe Cimperman, a passionate advocate for all that is cool in Cleveland, a Cleveland City Councilman with a well-qualified record, exemplary background and a respected family history, deserves a better shot at higher office than this race. Rep. Dennis Kucinich stands firmly on his legacy of service to his district, strong and swift staff response to local issues… more
Vote FOR Jim Trakas for 10th District Congress (R) Another fabulous office-seeker wasted in this race against Kucinich, but at least the Republicans are running a credible candidate… more
Vote FOR Issue 2: Cleveland Public Library For Cleveland residents, there is no better investment. The NEO community has, by far, the best libraries in the country, with award-winners in virtually all size categories. The Cleveland Public Library consistently distinguishes itself as a leading research library whose tentacles reach deep into the community… more
Vote FOR Issue 15: Cuyahoga County Health & Human Services Two-thirds of the County Commissioners, with Peter Lawson Jones the lone opposition, have hurt their reputation with a questionable deals. . Still, we hope that won’t affect the voters support of this much-needed levy to renew funding for essential services that serve as a safety net for 200K needy County seniors, children… more
Vote FOR Jim Rokakis for County Treasurer
Vote FOR Gerald McFaul for County Sheriff
Vote FOR Stuart A. Friedman for Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals Feb 10
Vote FOR Ann T. Mannen for Common Pleas Court General Division Jan 5
Vote FOR James W. Satola for Common Pleas Court General Division Feb 9
Vote FOR Lillian J. Greene for Common Pleas Court Probate Division Jan 1
Vote FOR Kathleen Ann Keough for Common Pleas Court General Division Feb 9
Read all the Cool Cleveland endorsements here.
Comments? Letters@CoolCleveland.com

SPONSORED: Thomas E. Ricks, Pentagon Correspondent for The Washington Post and author of the New York Times best-selling book “Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq,” will speak at Cleveland Public Library’s Writers and Readers Series, Sun 3/2, 2PM. This no cost event is open to the public and will take place at the Main Library, Louis Stokes Wing Auditorium, E. 6th Street and Superior Avenue. As a reporter for the Wall Street Journal for seventeen years, Ricks covered military conflicts, defense, and national security issues. He has spent a great deal of his professional life in war zones and was part of a Wall Street Journal team that won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles on the challenges the U.S. military will face in the 21st century. For more information, call (216) 623-2831 or go to www.cpl.org.

The last time that Hillary Clinton took to the stage at the Cleveland State University Convocation (now Wolstein) Center, it was Monday, November 4, 1996. On the eve of that year’s Presidential Election, President Bill Clinton asked Cleveland to think about the future; the stump speech rhetoric from the stage was rife with visions of “going to the 21st century.” There would be no taking the Clintons “on faith” as was done in 1992; Cleveland stood as critical to delivering “America back to the people.” Arm-in-arm with her husband and the Gore family and with the reunited James Gang jamming out on stage beforehand, Hillary Clinton asked the audience to help the foursome return to the White House.

Who could have predicted that Clinton would return to the same CSU stage over 11 years later — in an iconic Democratic Primary race that can only be described as history in the making — entrenched in the fight of her political life? As an attendee of that aforementioned rally in ’96, I was sure we’d see her again, perhaps even as heir apparent to the Oval Office. And who could have imagined that CSU would again be the site deciding the course of political history? Or hosting Clinton as the first legitimate female presidential candidate and having her facing off against the charismatic Barack Obama, the first legitimate African American presidential candidate? It’s beyond the political junkie’s comprehension… and, without question, the stuff of dreams and legend. The kind of moment in time you’ll share with your children and their children as testimony to history.

Last night’s final Democratic Primary debate began with momentum decidedly in Obama’s favor and with Clinton against the ropes — implementing a puzzling (and intermittently splenetic) approach to both pleading her case and battling her opponent. With the wintery North Coast as their backdrop, and with the country united in participating in something truly historic, both candidates took to the Wolstein Center (pictured here Monday night, in the calm before the storm) to make their case for next week’s primary. And as with all the events that happened before it, no one could have predicted what happened next…
Read (and see) more of Peter Chakerian’s debate coverage by clicking here

Putting together your 08/09 marketing plans? Don’t forget to include Cool Cleveland InfoATCoolCleveland.com

Would you like an Apple iPhone or iPod?

Win the new iPhone Or video iPod, when you forward the Cool Cleveland e-blast to your friends, and you could both win a new iPhone or iPod by clicking here. Plus, they’ll love you for turning them on to the refreshing weekly blast of Cool Cleveland. Winners to be announced in a future issue. Thomas Mulready of Cool Cleveland reviews the new iPhone here.

Win a free iPhone or iPod: http://www.coolcleveland.com/ipodgiveaway/index.php

SPONSORED: A Health Fair for Humans? The journey to good health starts with good information. Come to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History on Sat 3/1, 10AM-4PM, for the Health Fair for Humans for health screenings, demonstrations (exercise and nutrition), and make-and-take activities for the whole family. Participating Institutions include The Children’s Museum (hands-on activities), The Cleveland Clinic (Blood Pressure/Sugar/Cholesterol checks), Cleveland MOTTEP (minority organ/tissue transplant education program), Cleveland Sight Center – “Blindness Prevention Van” on site to test for distance vision/glaucoma, Environmental Health Watch, the Free Clinic, Home Instead Senior Care, Maximum Accessible Housing of Ohio, Nikken, Ohio Citizen Action, Ronald McDonald House, Spirit of Leadership and Relationship, Vemma/Verve (healthy energy drink samples), 121 Fitness (Massage Therapist with chair). Tickets: www.cmnh.org or call 216-231-1177.

They Might Be Giants They’ve been “Installing & Servicing Melody since 1982.” You can count on the two Johns for completely folky quirkiness in this Beachland Ballroom show Wed 2/27 at 8PM. These days, the duo are making some pretty cool kids music; this particular show is for an audience ages 14+ years and supports their latest effort, The Else. http://theymightbegiants.com. http://www.beachlandballroom.com.

Peking Acrobats Combine the color and spectacle of the circus with the skill and discipline of Olympic gymnastics and the result is a jaw-dropping evening with one of the wonders of the entertainment world! Don’t miss a rare performance by The Peking Acrobats Thu 2/27 at 7:30PM. Palace Theater, Playhouse Square. http://www.playhousesquare.org.

HOT The Snowman Dancing Wheels marks the 30th anniversary of the creation of the storybook fable by Raymond Briggs with its 9th annual production of the work Sat 3/1 and Sun 3/2 with a student matinee on Mon 3/3. Get swept away by the tale of a little boy who, in his wheelchair, builds a snowman that magically comes to life. Be moved by the power of belief! Details, showtimes and tix at http://www.dancingwheels.org.

19th International Folk Festival Family entertainment reigns in this spectacular show with Cleveland area folk ensembles, performers and musicians at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square on Sun 3/2 at 3PM. See the full listing in Sunday’s CC event listings. http://www.playhousesquare.org. http://www.internationalservicescenter.org.

Cool Cleveland Kids Podcast Weekly roundup of cool events for kids & families from 11-year-old Cool Cleveland Kids correspondent Max.

Click here to subscribe to the Cool Cleveland Kids Podcast in iTunes.

SPONSORED: Tired of the Usual Summer Camp Routine? Then get into something different! Beck Center’s unique camps and weekly arts experiences offer something for everyone. New this year for the wee little ones . . . fun hands-on learning with Kids-n-Theater (ages 3-5) for the young aspiring actor (and parent/caregiver), joins Beck’s well established Kids-n-Tunes and Kids-n-Art classes. Voice, dance, theater and visual arts camps and classes are available for ages 4 – 15. Do you have a teenager you don’t know what to do with this summer?! Summer Performance Workshops will give them a thrill! Professional theater experts provide multi-faceted experiences, used to create a theatrical production. All camps have limited capacity and culminate in a performance held for family, friends and the general public. For information call Beck Center at (216) 521-2540, ext 28 or online at www.beckcenter.com.

Terry Schwartz
Pop-Up City Leap Night

Terry Schwartz is leading an urban revolution. Rather than bemoan our post-industrial landscape, she is taking a cue from Europeans and creating Pop-Up City to enliven unused and overlooked urban sites for one-day events. They did a Pop-Up retail shop called Bazaar Bizarre on E. 4th last December; now they’re throwing down in the East Bank of the Flats on land that the Wolstein Group is preparing for their massive mixed-use project, and this Fri 2/29 they are presenting Leap Night, featuring snow and ice installation, sk8ing rinks, a snowboard ramp & rail jam competition (get your release forms online here), plus a snowsuit fashion show, food & drink vendors, and an outdoor Rock Band video competition. Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready, who met Terry through the Civic Innovation Lab, which funded her project, caught up with her and her crew at the site with dozens of recycled X-mas trees, and they discussed the aesthetics of re-visioning our post-industrial landscape, their workshop on the temporary use phenomenon in Europe, and how to draw attention (and fun) to transitional sites in our region, even if just for 24 hours. BTW, all visitors receive a pair of glow-in-the-dark gloves. http://www.PopUpCleveland.com

SPONSORED: Attention Young Professionals: Buy One, Get One – Monsters Tix! The Lake Erie Monsters have invaded Quicken Loans Arena. Be part of the hard-hitting, fast-paced action with this deal offered through Cleveland Plus and the Monsters for young professionals (you can be a YP from any organization). Buy one ticket, and get one at no charge (with good seats!) for the following games: Fri 3/7 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins; Sat 3/8 vs. Grand Rapids Griffins; Fri 3/28 vs. Toronto Marlies; Fri 4/4 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs; Sat 4/12 vs. Hamilton Bulldogs. All games 7:30PM. Call (216) 420-0000 or go to www.theqarena.com/store/bogo and enter offer code “CLE” for this exclusive offer.

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Zaremba tops off Avenue District Catch the cool 10-stories-in-10-seconds video here
What’s your neighborhood’s walkability score? Enter your zip code here.

Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park is going strong in its 4th year in a huge factory building on Cle’s west side, bringing in mountain bike and BMK enthusiasts from surrounding states. Last year, the Airport Holiday Inn sold over 500 room nights to Ray’s visitors alone, and they’re on track to double that this year. Check the out-of-state license plates in his parking lot and see the economic development he’s created. The former carpenter has hand-built the 97,000 sf of tracks, ramps, jumps and tricks to relieve your cabin fever and turned Cleveland into a must-visit destination for bikers nationwide. Check the new Beginner’s Room and get ready for an asphalt road track in ’09. If you haven’t visited, it will blow your mind and rock your body. Weekend warriors welcome. Awesome videos: http://www.RaysMTB.com

Dancing Wheels Snowman Hot upon her recent Emmy award for work on WNEO/WEAO’s Shortcuts to Happiness program, Mary Verdi-Fletcher and her Dancing Wheels troupe, the first in the country to employ both stand-up and wheelchair dancers, will present family favorite The Snowman at the Cleveland Play House with a benefit performance on Sat 3/1, a special 3PM event on Sun 3/2 with a “make your own ice cream sundae station” and games and prizes. A Monday morning 3/3 performance for schools also requires reservations. Catch the vids on their site: http://www.gggreg.com/dancingwheels.htm

Are You a Transplant? If you’ve recently moved to Northeast Ohio for work and love it here, and are available to talk about it in a video interview for ClevelandPlus, send email with your name, contact info, where you work and when you moved here. Send your info to Rebecca Smith at rsmithATlandaupr.com or call (216) 912-2849 and they’ll contact you to get your unique take on all that’s cool about the region.

Moving your marketing online? Talk to Cool Cleveland about Sponsored Links, Sponsored Videos and blog advertising. InfoATCoolCleveland.com

Cool Cleveland Podcast Weekly roundup of cool events.

Click here to subscribe to the Cool Cleveland Podcast in iTunes.

SPONSORED: United Way Annual Meeting & Luncheon Mark your calendar and don’t miss the United Way of Greater Cleveland Annual Meeting on Fri 3/7 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, from 11:45AM to 1:30PM. To reserve a table, individual tickets or secure a sponsorship opportunity, please contact Jessica D. Snyder at 216-436-2123 or jdsnyder@uws.org. For complete sponsorship information, visit our Web site at www.uws.org/annualmeeting.

Restaurant Synergy in Cleveland

Creative chefs abound in Cleveland. Yet, for the restaurants and chefs to be successful, people have to experience them. During Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week this week, we have the chance to sample the creations of our local chefs.

Talented Iron Chef Michael Symon is a testimony to how the synergy between a chef and food can be ignited. Michael has again been nominated for the James Beard and Rising Star awards, and his Lola (pictured), sister restaurant to Lolita in Tremont, is one of the downtown restaurant destinations featured during Restaurant Week. At Lola and other local restaurants this week, dinner becomes a heightened event amidst good service in intimate spaces. Michael Symon’s restaurant Lola is just one of many restaurants participating in Restaurant Week…

Read more from Claudia J. Taller here

Classic Cleveland independent restaurants such as 1890 at the Arcade, Blue Pointe Grille, Crop Bistro, Metropolitan Cafe (pictured) and Sans Souci and after-work spots like Fat Fish Blue, Flannery’s Pub, Pickwick & Frolic, D’vine Wine Bar, and Sushi Rock are featured. Even the chains have gotten involved—the Hard Rock Café and House of Blues are participating. A complete list of highlighted restaurants can be found by clicking here.

The “restaurant week” concept is not unique to Cleveland. Other cities choose a week each year to highlight and invigorate their restaurant jewels. On a recent trip to New York City, I partook of a wonderfully-long lunch at a Grand Central Station restaurant during their Restaurant Week. For $22 I enjoyed a brothy bean soup, Italian white fish with vegetables, and chocolate mousse cake, each course beautifully and artistically presented with varied and fresh ingredients. I chose from a menu of options, as is typical in most European cities where sidewalk placards announce the chef’s daily selections. Apparently, Chicago and Los Angeles also have a restaurant week where chefs present menus of courses at a set price.

After 5:00 every night from Sunday, February 24, through Saturday, March 1, the downtown restaurants participating in the project offer three-course menus priced at either $20 or $40. The limited menus selected by the chefs are, in themselves, uniquely creative. Unfortunately, only a few restaurants divulge their Restaurant Week menus on their websites. Muse at the Ritz Carlton offers a choice of seared sea scallops, mixed green salad, or Caesar salad, followed by a choice of cobia, hanger steak, or organic chicken breast, and finished with a pave of chocolate and lemon, warm almond cake, or Muscavado cheese cake (for $20).

Dinner reservations are strongly suggested. After eating a fantastic meal, Restaurant Week diners are entered into a sweepstakes with a chance to win gift restaurant certificates, an overnight stay at a downtown hotel, or a personal culinary experience. There is $2 parking available at participating parking lots downtown, and Ace Taxi is offering a 10% discount on cab service to the downtown dining spots. And the rumors you hear are true — the sweepstakes offers a winner the opportunity to experience 24 meals at the participating restaurants.

Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which is “committed to making downtown Cleveland the most compelling place to live, work, play and visit in the region,” has worked with the restaurants, Positively Cleveland, and sponsors to pull off this event. Josh Taylor, Public Relations Manager of Downtown Cleveland Alliance, says, “Cleveland’s Culinary community is getting national reviews” and “downtown has the corner market on dining where the experience of sitting in old building with exposed brick walls and watching what’s going on in the city is larger than just dining in a restaurant, it becomes an experience.”

While Downtown Cleveland Alliance is aware of New York’s Restaurant Week, they looked at what smaller cities like Philadelphia, San Diego, and Baltimore were doing with their Restaurant Weeks. It is hoped that people who come downtown will discover the positive changes that have taken place in the city and feel safe and comfortable being in the city at night.

Positively Cleveland has fashioned itineraries to showcase other downtown venues during an entire day spent in the city or during an evening out on the town. For example, a day could start by embarkation on Lolly the Trolley for sightseeing, followed by a visit to the West Side Market and lunch at Sokolowski’s University Inn in Tremont, and end with a trip to the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum before dinner at a Restaurant Week venues (see link here). If you don’t have an entire day, choose to have dinner before heading over to the Playhouse for Wicked or another show at Playhouse Square Center.

A night out on town can be special, and Cleveland’s downtown restaurants are giving us the perfect opportunity to partake of the culinary masterpieces of our fine chefs this week. The problem will be choosing amongst the 42 options. Restaurant Week is sure to create synergy in a City that too often drowses at night.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Claudia J. Taller ctallerwritesATwowway.com
Comments? Letters@CoolCleveland.com

SPONSORED: Does It Get any Better than This? Chocolate: The Exhibition at Great Lakes Science Center now through Sun 5/4 features chocolate science at our Chocolate Bar, a Chocolate Store, where you can purchase luxury chocolates from around the world, and score comp chocolate covered strawberries. Plan a Sundae on a Saturday and enter a drawing to win two tickets to Paris, France. The chocolate capital of the world! GLSC members get extra special chocolate treats. Details: www.GreatScience.com.

Twyla Garrett & Eddie Hart
Garrett Entertainment Corp.

Twyla Garrett and Eddie Hart are either miracle workers, or they just work really hard. They’ve spent the last 3 years converting the Carnavale restaurant location at the foot of Stonebridge Square into Cleveland’s latest fab destination for food, drink and cool vibes. With over 1000 people already lining in Stonebridge (including their own double-sized penthouse, a built-in market already exists just steps away from their multi-concept entertainment facility: Gourmet burgers and catch of the day and Neapolitan pizzas baked in just 90 seconds in a real Italian oven in the shape of a 10-foot tall mask designed by a Cleveland artist, all at a reasonable price point. Plus the bar sports 30 signature Martinis in their 2020 Martini Lounge while you catch entertainers in a wide variety of styles on their main stage & 16-foot screen: Jazz, Old Skool, funk, Neo-Soul, Blues, Alternative, Rock’n’Roll and even Country. Then, the Mocha Fusion Coffee Lounge offers homemade cupcakes, sweet potato pie and other treats with your artisan coffee and teas, supplemented with a an Open Mic weekly on the coffeehouse stage doing comedy and spoken word. To top it off, Market On The Square is a gourmet deli featuring carry out, dry cleaning, and concierge service. Garrett was raised in Cleveland’s East Side, attended John Marshall High and Ursuline, and she returns with her partner Hart after successful careers in D.C., utilizing Cleveland’s Workforce Development program to hire area workers who deserve a second chance. Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready caught them hours before opening last weekend and their enthusiasm is palpable. http://www.2020Martini.com , http://www.MochaFusion.com

Should your business be featured in a Cool Cleveland video? Info@CoolCleveland.com

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

HOT Temporary Use Workshop The Urban Design Center of Northeast Ohio will be conducting a day-long workshop on temporary uses for vacant buildings and sites Wed 2/27. Local design practitioners, planners, community development corporation staff, artists, neighborhood activists and others are invited to this exploration of temporary use projects as a way to stabilize transitional areas, promote economic development, and enhance the quality of life in urban neighborhoods. Pop Up City, Urban Design Center, 820 Prospect Ave. Call 357-3430 for info.

Noche Flamenca CMA’s VIVA! & Gala Around Town presents an evening of authentic flamenco with Spain’s “soul-stirring tour-de-force” (New York Times) this Wed 2/27 at 7:30PM at the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square. The Madrid-based group was founded in 1993 by artistic director Martín Santangelo and his wife with the goal of bringing the essence of flamenco’s Andalusian gypsy roots in a raw, earthy and hot performance. http://www.nocheflamenca.com. http://www.clevelandart.org.

Rock & Roll Night School The monthly program of educational, discussion-based classes features the legendary Stax Records as a subject Wed 2/27 at 7PM at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum’s 4th Floor Theater. The no-cost event features Jason Hanley, musicologist and Education Department Manager at the Rock Hall. Expand your rock and roll-related knowledge and learn about legendary recordings on Stax and examine inductees Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Booker T. & the MGs, and Isaac Hayes. http://www.rockhall.com.

The King & I First produced on Broadway in 1951 receiving 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical, the heartfelt tale of forbidden romance, exotic lands and extravagant royalty as two cultures collide starts a run at Carousel Dinner Theater this Wed 2/27 at 8PM. Features Rodgers and Hammerstein’s songs “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” “Getting To Know You” and “Shall We Dance,” this production is full of elaborate costumes and gorgeous sets. Call 330-724-9855 or visit http://www.carouseldinnertheatre.com for a complete schedule, tix and directions.

SPONSORED: Have You Heard about the Magic Flute? Something is brewing at the Cleveland Institute of Music … it’s a magical and magnificent production of “The Magic Flute” running Wed 2/27 through Sat 3/1 at 8PM. Directed by David Bamberger and performed with the CIM Orchestra, this spellbinding production is sure to capture the hearts of young and old alike. Be there as the Queen of the Night and her nefarious cohorts battle the Forces of Light in Mozart’s masterpiece of music and myth. This well-loved opera is sure to be a sell-out; purchase your tickets in advance. Tickets are available at the CIM box office. For more information, call 216.791.5000 x 411 or visit www.cim.edu.

HOT Pandora Meet-Up This Thu 2/28 at 7PM get-together is a no-cost event that brings the fine people of Pandora and the Music Genome Project to share their stories. Living through the dot-com collapse, the last whirlwind year online and thoughts on the service and where you think the future of music is headed round out the event. Stick around for some cool Pandora gear! RSVP by email: tour@pandora.com. Tower City Cinemas, 230 Huron Rd. http://www.pandora.com.

Jules Witcover The syndicated political columnist for the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Washington Post and New York Times, will discuss his “50 Years of Covering Presidential Elections” on Thu 2/28 at 4:30PM sharp and including a Q&A with news media and bloggers. No cost, open to the public. Leigh Hall 207 at The University of Akron. For info, call 330-972-5155 or e-mail haverkamp@uakron.edu. http://www.uakron.edu/bliss.

State of the City Cle Mayor Frank G. Jackson offers his annual State of the City address on Thu 2/28 at 11:30AM at The City Club of Cleveland. The Special Forum will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 777 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland. http://www.cityclub.org.

HOT Film {Red} Film Noire enthusiasts should be intrigued by the pairing of Red {an orchestra} and Alfred Hitchcock on the Shaker Square Cinemas’ marquis Thu 2/28 at 7PM. A prelude to the exciting conclusion of Red {an orchestra}’s sixth season, the multimedia event features the music of film composer Bernard Herrmann (known for the scores in Hitchcock’s Vertigo, North By Northwest and Psycho). A showing of Vertigo will be followed by a performance of Herrmann’s music by members of Red {an orchestra} and a talk-back featuring Conductor and Artistic Director Jonathan Sheffer. Info and tix at http://www.redanorchestra.org.

HOT The Vagina Monologues This venerable stage production hits Cleveland Public Theatre on Thu 2/28 at 8PM. With a striking cast that includes Taba Aleem, Regina Brett, Lynette Brown, Anne E. DeChant and many more, you don’t want to miss out on the Obie Award-winning episodic play written by Eve Ensler. The dozens of heartbreaking testimonials from women tackling forbidden/taboo topics only begin to scratch the surface on the emotion behind them. Tickets and Info here.

John Henrys hail from Ottawa, Ontario, but the band’s stories drift out of nooks and crannies from all across the Great White North. From love on the Prairies to loss in the Yukon, they translate the Canadian conscience with melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre. They straddle the divide between sweet country and 60’s R&B, and they do it in their own distinct way. Enjoy their blend Thu 2/28 at 8PM at Wilbert’s. “If Gram Parsons, Neil Young, The Band and Booker T & The MG’s all had an orgy… you might get something like this.” – Chart Magazine. And the supercool Smokin’ Fez Monkeys open. 812 Huron, behind The Jake. http://www.wilbertsmusic.com. http://www.sonicbids.com/thejohnhenrys.

Twelfth Night The University of Akron School of Dance, Theatre, and Arts Administration presents Shakespeare’s tale of separated twins, mistaken identities, an elaborate hoax, and finally the victory of true love beginning Thu 2/28 at 8PM. Runs through early March. Sandefur Theatre in Guzzetta Hall, across from E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. Call 330-972-7895 or visit http://www.uakron.edu/dtaa.

HOT Pop-Up Leap Night Leap Night will never be the same after 2008. Pop-Up City, a Civic Innovation Lab funded project of Terry Schwartz of the Kent State Urban Design Collective, is transforming the East Bank of the Flats in a winter wonderland, with a no-charge event on Leap Night, Fri 2/29 from 6 – 11PM, starting at 1100 Old River Road, between Main Ave. and Front St. A multi-media performance by SAFMOD and Mal Adjusted, a constructed ice rink (you can rent sk8s), a snowboard ramp featuring a rail jam competition, and an outdoor Rock Band video game competition comprise the event. Stick around a snowsuit fashion show, food & drink and ample comp parking, not to mention it’s a short walk from the East Bank stop on the RTA’s Waterfront Line (the nation’s best public transit system). After-party at Anatomy in the Warehouse District. http://www.popupcleveland.com.

Missed the Tri-C High School Rock-Off? See this year’s winners thee tv oh dees (http://www.myspace.com/tvods), along with the Frustrations from Detroit and Cle’s divine Home and Garden (feat. ex-members of Pere Ubu!) Fri 2/28 at 9PM at Now That’s Class! thee tv oh dees beat out 72 other semi-finalists, and 19 finalists to take the top spot. 11213 Detroit Ave. http://www.myspace.com/nowthatsclass.

HOT ArtHouse Leap Year Luau at the Lava Lounge promises to be one hot party. It kicks off Fri 2/29 at 7PM with tropical style, attire, nosh, beverages and a wicked-cool Hula Hoop Contest — all to benefit the nonprofit art center located on the near west side of Cle and its programming. Party until midnight with an island flair! Lava Lounge, 1307 Auburn Ave. http://www.arthouseinc.org.

A Coffeehouse Benefit Homemade treats, coffee and an evening of storytelling through music and spoken word highlights this benefit for St. Paul’s Community Outreach Fri 2/29 at 7PM. Features the talents of Charlie Mosbrook, Tom Wolf, Michael Salinger, Sue Hagan, Ian Heisey, Graciela Emerson, Sarah Dallas, Peggi Cella and many more! Call 574-9642 for details. St. Paul’s Community Church, Franklin Blvd. & W. 45th St. in Ohio City. Donations taken at the door.

Doubt: A Parable One of the most celebrated American plays in years makes its NEO debut in the Drury Theatre at The Cleveland Play House at E. 85th and Euclid beginning Fri 2/29 at 8PM. A creation of John Patrick Shanley, the same writer of the Academy Award-winning motion picture Moonstruck, Doubt received its world premiere in 2004 at the Manhattan Theatre Club and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award for Best Play. Presented in one act, director Seth Gordon says, “The first act takes place on the stage and the second act happens in the car on the drive home.” CPH, 8500 Euclid Ave. http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

HOT 2nd Annual Autism Benefit feat. Todd Snider The National Autism Association’s 2nd annual benefit concert features singer-songwriter and occasional alt-country satirist Todd Snider w/ special guest Tim Easton Fri 2/29 at 8PM. The gig supports Northeast Ohio families and the group’s Helping Hand grant program. There will be a raffle, DJ Charlie Saber of the “Alt.Country Show” on 91.1 WRUW-FM, and hors d’oeuvres provided. Don’t miss this fun gig and help combat one of the most mysterious afflictions for children in the process. Details Here. http://www.autismnortheastohio.org.

Letters in the Margins will be presented at the Kleist Center for Art and Drama at Baldwin-Wallace College; 95 E. Bagley Rd. in Berea on Fri 2/29. This Reader’s Theatre program tells the story of a young Jewish couple and their escape from Nazi occupied Europe during WWII. The performance is no cost, open to the public and will precede a performance of Baldwin-Wallace professor Jack Winget’s new show, A Nightmare of Crime, a docudrama about the Sunderkommandos of Auschwitz. Call 440-286-2240 or visit http://www.bw.edu/academics/theatre/season.

Ta-Daa Artist BASK takes a bite out of the corporate apple with provocative mixed media pieces in this exhibition debuting Fri 2/29 at 7PM with an Opening Reception. Pulled from tree lawns and alleyways, discarded panels and walls are given new life by way of this Czech-born, American vandal’s barrage of “anti-iconic” characters and themes. Political in motivation, BASK deconstructs the pop and exposes the real messages in mass media. Artchitecture Gallery, 1667 East 40th St., Unit 1A. http://www.artchitecturegallery.com.

Les écailles de la mémoire Urban Bush Women and Compagnie Jant-Bi will present the Cleveland premier of a new and innovative collaborative work, Les écailles de la mémoire (The scales of memory), on Sat 3/1 at 8PM at the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square, co-presented by DANCECleveland and Cuyahoga Community College Performing Arts. Drawing on West African movements, rhythms and styles, the evening-length work features 7 dancers from each company in a high-energy piece that explores the importance of place and the role of identity within a community. http://www.playhousesquare.com. http://urbanbushwomen.org.

The Chieftains Get your Irish up this Sat 3/1 at 7:30PM with the venerable benchmark for Irish traditional music over the past four decades. The group returns to Playhouse Square, celebrating 34 years of touring in North America. Palace Theatre. http://www.playhousesquare.org.

Who’s your DADA? Redefining the Doll is the aim of this mixed media workshop conducted by internationally celebrated artists Opie and Linda O’Brien. The two-day workshop hits Sat 3/1 and Sun 3/2 and will focus on the doll as a book, using organic, found and recycled materials. To view more details about the workshop, visit the artists’ website at http://www.burntofferings.com. Valley Art Center, 155 Bell St., Chagrin Falls. Register: 440-247-7507, or visit http://www.valleyartcenter.org.

3rd Annual Mardi Gras FUNraiser This year’s Mardi Gras FUNraiser at Gray’s Armory features the Zydeco Kings (Zydeco) and Jah Messengers (Reggae), includes food, drinks, stilt-walkers, jugglers, fire eaters, massage therapists, jewelry makers, sketch artists, dancers, a silent auction, a palm reader, and much more! It hits Sat 3/1 at 7PM, with all proceeds to benefit the Waiting Child Fund and the work of facilitating the adoption of children with special needs. Call 692-1161 or visit http://www.waitingchildfund.org for more info. Gray’s Armory, 1234 Bolivar.

SPONSORED: The recorded music business is almost in the dumpster, perhaps because the neighborhood music stores have all but disappeared, replaced by mindless big boxes. But classical music lovers who still relish the opportunity to browse among recorded treasurers can do it in cyberspace through ArkivMusic, which has some 75,000 titles available. You can reach ArkivMusic through the WCLV 104.9 website at http://www.wclv.com. Look for the ArkivMusic logo on every page of the site. And each purchase you make at ArkivMusic will benefit WCLV and help sustain classical music on the radio in northeast Ohio.

HOT Dick Gregory Legendary comedian and social commentator Dick Gregory offers his insights (and much-needed levity) before the Ohio Primary for two shows at Nighttown Sun 3/2 and Mon 3/3. The social activist, writer and entrepreneur — who bridged the gap between black and white audiences with his political message on civil rights — is sure to have some opinions. And goodness knows, we’ll all need some levity by then. Gregory offers two shows each night at 7 and 9PM. This is a can’t-miss, must-see and kick-youself-if-missed event. http://www.nighttowncleveland.com.

19th International Folk Festival Family entertainment reigns in this spectacular show with Cleveland area folk ensembles, performers and musicians at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square on Sun 3/2 at 3PM. Celebrate the rich cultural diversity of Cle with African Soul International, Donauschwaehische Jugen Gruppe, Hungarian Scout Folk Ensemble, Kashtan Ukrainian Dancers, Lebanese Folk Lore Group, PIAST Polish Ensemble, Ritmo y Raza Puerto Rican Dance Company, Sho-jo-ji Japanese Dancers, Sokol Greater Cleveland Czech Folk Dancers, St. Haralambos Hellenic Dancers, and the 87th Cleveland Pipe Band. WHEW! Bring the whole family for a heart-warming, toe-tapping afternoon! Proceeds benefit the International Services Center, a refugee resettlement agency and a member of United Way Services. http://www.playhousesquare.org. http://www.internationalservicescenter.org.

Stand Off for Hands Off is a roller derby bout for charity that benefits Until the Violence Stops, a Women’s Network organization that addresses the issue of safety and violence in women’s lives. Hosted by the NEO Rock N’ Roller Girls, the stand-off begins Sun 3/2 at 5PM. All Ages, adv tix on sale now. North Canton Skate Center, 5475 Whipple Ave NW, Canton. http://www.nrrgirls.com or call 330-352-9024.

Dona Nobis Pacem Fairmount Presbyterian, First Baptist, and Plymouth Church, UCC are partnering to offer Ralph Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) Sun 3/2 at 3PM at First Baptist’s location at 3630 Fairmount Blvd., Shaker Hts. March marks the fifth anniversary of the US entering Iraq and the 50th anniversary of the death of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The 120 voice choir will be joined by a 50 member orchestra with Robert Porco, Guest Conductor from the Cleveland Orchestra Director of Choruses. Tix and info at 932-7480.

Jack Schantz The jazz trumpeter, who has soloed with the orchestras of Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw and helmed the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra as Artistic Director, performs Sun 3/2 at 3PM in Guzzetta Recital Hall at The University of Akron. Guitarist Bob Fraser, drummer Mark Gonder, bassist Dave Morgan and vibraphonist Ron Busch will join him. One of the regions most soulful players, he’s sure to warm you up on what’s sure to be a chilly March afternoon. Info at 330-972-8301 or visit http://www.uakron.edu/music.

Halim El-Dabh’s 4,087th Birthday The ethnomusicologist, percussionist and professor emiritus at Kent State University is honored with a shindig at the North Water Street Gallery in Kent this Tues 3/4 at 7:30PM. A performance by Brian Klemmp and The Kent African Drum Community as well as Brian Thomas’ Ahpep and Ra round out the evening. Come and feel the beat, birthday style! 257 N. Water St., Kent. More info at 330-673-4970 or http://www.standingrock.net. http://www.halimeldabh.com.

20 Years of Making Great Strides The Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland holds their Kick-Off Celebration on Wed 3/5 at 6PM at the Hard Rock Café in Cleveland, 230 West Huron Rd. in Tower City Center. With this being the 20th anniversary of the Walk, the organization is celebrating and offering the opportunity to meet other Hunger Network supporters. Learn how to lead a walk team and enjoy no-cost appetizers, soft drinks and prizes will all be part of the kick-off party. RSVP at http://www.hungernetwork.org.

SPONSORED: Red Scores with Hollywood Hits! Experience Red {an orchestra}’s concert featuring the music of film composer Bernard Herrmann, whose scores for classic films of Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo, North By Northwest and Psycho – are unmatched in their distinctive style. Experience film clips on Sat 3/8 at 8PM while Herrmann’s Hollywood suite is performed, with excerpts from his rarely produced opera, Wuthering Heights, perhaps the greatest unknown opera in the history of American music. The performance will feature the vocal talents of baritone Michael Todd Simpson and mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey. The opera is narrated by one of Cleveland’s most significant stage actors, Dorothy Silver. Join us in the Masonic Auditorium in Cleveland’s Midtown neighborhood. Tickets are available starting at $15. Contact 216.361.1733 or www.redanorchestra.org.

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

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

Cle Leadership Ctr’s Emerging Leaders Open House feat. Cle Bridge Builders, Cle Exec Fellowship and more Wed 2/27 at 5:30PM. Park Lane Villas. RSVP
Demystifying Content 2.0: The Next Gen of Content Management hits Wed 2/27 at 5:30PM. BlueBridge Networks 1255 Euclid Ave. 1st Floor. Reserve your slot
2008 Evolution in Manufacturing event feat. Tim Timken Thu 2/28 at 5:30PM. MAGNET Innovation Ctr., 1768 East 25th St. Register
B2B and the Digital Transformation tells how to reach customers through digital efforts. Panel on Thu 2/28 at 11:30AM will be moderated by Megan Hauer, Director of Digital Media & Content with Optiem. Register
Who’s giving to Whom? feat. esteemed panel discussing venture capital difs between for- and non-profits Thu 2/28 at 6:30PM at Trinity Commons, 2230 Euclid Ave. RSVP
Best Practices feat. Lessons Learned from Cleveland’s Best Business Leaders at CSU Wolstein Ctr Thu 2/28 at 8:30PM. Register
eVolution of Manufacturing Conference hits on Thu 2/28 at the MAGNET Innovation Ctr., 1768 E. 25th St. To register, email: dbaughman@sbnonline.com or call 440-250-7048.
Univ. of Akron’s Ctr for Research and Training in Info Security and Assurance hosts 6th ann. Symposium on IS Risk, Security and Assurance on Thu 2/28 & Fri 2/29. Register
Fight for the Lucite 2008 Addy show hits Fri 2/29 at Gray’s Armory. RSVP to 440-673-0020.
NEO Success Awards Luncheon hits Exec Caterers @ Landerhaven Tue 3/11 at 11:30AM. Register
Ohio-Israel IT Financial Trade Mission Mon 3/10 and Tue 3/11 starting at 7AM, Cle Marriott D’town at KeyCenter. Call 292-3399 for details.
Cleveland AMA Marketing Mixer and Bowling Night hits Winking Lizard Lakewood Wed 3/12 at 5PM. Call 440-646-9932.
Planning and Executing a High-Impact “Done-in-a-Day” Fri 3/14 at 8:30AM Key Center 127 Public Sq., 27th Floor. Register
Preparing/Enhancing the Cle Workforce is the subject of this Fri 3/28 day-long seminar at the Cle Conv Ctr. Details
Research ShowCASE 08 Scientists, scholars together for 2-day collaboration highlighting research done @ CWRU, OH Wed 4/16 and Thu 4/17. More
Networked Approach to Building Prosperity in Communities and Regions is a 2-Day Workshop at Punderson Manor Resort & Conf Ctr beg Wed 4/23. Details
Cleveland Opportunity + Expo 2008 is designed to provide small and mid-size businesses in Cle an opportunity to promote and introduce products or services and establish new relationships. It hits Fri 5/23 at 10AM at the Galleria. Click

SPONSORED: We Got $318 Million in 2007! That’s right – Northeast Ohio companies raised $318 million in new venture capital investment in 2007 — double the $157 million of capital raised in 2006. The region also saw a 40% increase from 2006 in the total number of investments made. This week, www.JumpStartinc.org released the 2007 Venture Capital Report of the Cleveland Plus™ region, which showcases the year’s progress and success. To download a copy of the report for more detail, click here.

Start Your Engines, Shift Into Gear…
Feel the Horsepower of 10,000 Little (micro) Ideas

10,000 Little (micro) Ideas to Keep You Believing in Cleveland is the name of a new non-profit organization shaking Cleveland up. To keep the momentum going forward from their February 5 brainstorming event, 10,000 has now scheduled a series of smaller decision-making meetings for people to take action on the distilled ideas of specific initiatives. All meetings will be held at the Bratenahl Community Center, in the Landis Room, 10300 Brighton Rd., Bratenahl, Ohio, 44108, from 6 – 8PM. Everyone is invited to attend – these programs need the help and support of the community to succeed.

“Every success story begins with a simple idea” – that’s the tagline for 10,000 Little (micro) Ideas to Keep You Believing in Cleveland and how the group got started. This new non-profit organization is creating a BUZZ in greater Cleveland. Here’s the story. Two sisters, Kiley (34) and Erin Smith (29) started the organization after college graduation and coming back here to live. Talking to their peers, they heard how friends were moving to Chicago, New York, and the West Coast. But what about Cleveland they asked. Rumors and stories circulated about the city, all adding up to Cleveland having serious problems. So Kiley visited Cleveland business development meetings and heard distant speakers from large organizations present the samo-samo…
Read more from Susan Schaul here

These sisters had a different idea. Kiley works for Huntington Bank as a sales executive, a mid-market lender, and Erin has her MBA and works in process engineering for Avery Dennison. They wanted to create a new group where appreciative inquiry principles, a philosophy originated at Case, would be included, and where the voices of the community would be heard. And they knew it was important to partner with already existing organizations in town. Now these emerging leaders have built up 10,000 Little (micro) Ideas to include a 12-member board along with countless corporate partnerships and volunteers.

The 10,000 Lights Team will meet today, Wed 2/27. This team will work on steps for making Cleveland the lighting capital of the world and build on the heritage of lighting in this city. They want to create an appealing spin to lighting and to get people involved. Energy efficient light bulbs will be part of this strategy.

The 10,000 Technology Entrepreneurs Team will meet on Wed 3/5. They will work on steps to create an Internet site that will be a “one stop shop” for technology professionals in our region. The site will focus on providing resources to assist entrepreneurs seeking to start or grow IT related businesses, as well as a resource for consultants and those seeking to be employed/hire individuals in the field. All public and private resources will be utilized to create awareness and drive traffic to the site.

The 10,000 Wind Team will meet on Wed 3/12. They will work on steps to turn Cleveland into the Wind Turbine Capital of the United States. They will make arrangements for a wind study and assess our region’s manufacturing capabilities to produce wind turbine components. They will work on seeking a means to bring wind friendly businesses to Ohio by offering tax credits and preferred financing.

The 10,000 Future Emerging Leaders Team will meet on Wed 3/19. They will work on steps to retain high school talent, to have them consider returning here after college by introducing them to the positive activities happening in this region. High school students will be engaged in designing an apprentice program at area companies to introduce them to what this area has to offer. The high school students will be reached through Facebook/Myspace and other fun activities.

The 10,000 Non-Profit Team‘ will meet on Wed 3/26. They will work on steps to match all individuals in the community with a non-profit organization whose mission is compatible with their own interests and passions. They will use social networking sites to keep existing members informed. They will work to engage high school and college students to join in and become active in making positive contributions.

“People here are ready to do this,” said Kiley, “they want to improve things in Cleveland. With everyone’s help, we raised over $21,000 with 130 sponsoring companies and speakers for special events like this. Over 600 people attended the February 5th event to show their support for Cleveland, there’s tremendous energy for these projects,” she added.

These scheduled idea-initiative meetings are the preliminary steps to drawing up the final draft of the action plan. Input is welcomed. There is a strategic planning session scheduled for Monday 4/21, at the Crop Bistro & Bar, 1400 West 6th Street, from 6-8PM. Become part of 10,000 Little (micro) Ideas and become part of the solution. For more information and event registration, visit http://www.10000littleideas.com/index.html.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Schaul susn1ATatt.net

SPONSORED: Make a Great Impression . . . actually, thousands of them. Donate your product or service to the WVIZ/PBS Televised Auction and get in front of thousands of people ready to buy. Receive valuable on-air promotion. Your donations support your public television station. Call 216.916.6100 or visit www.wviz.org for information.

No Guts, No Glory

The closer Barack Obama comes to locking up the Democratic nomination the higher the fear among Blacks that his safety is in dire jeopardy. At this point — due to the history of assassination in America, coupled with the history of systemic violence (legal and vigilante) that has been perpetrated against people of color around the world — that fear is becoming almost palpable.

One Black voter recently said that while he’d love for Barack Obama to be president, he isn’t voting for him, because of that fear for Obama’s safety. “I’m afraid some racist is going to kill him,” the man said, echoing a sentiment I’ve heard from a goodly number of other Blacks, both in and outside of the US.

Some people obviously have been afflicted with a virulent form of “Fatalism/Nihilism Syndrome,” a malaise I just invented the name for. The primary symptom of the disease is an overall, persistent feeling that something (or in this case, someone, Barack) is too good for us, that we are really not deserving of the good he can be an impetus for being created, and therefore something dreadful will happen to rob us of our joy and ecstasy. For these folks it’s better not to get hopes up, that way they won’t be disappointed… once again. Oh, ye of little faith..!

Read more from Mansfield Frazier here

Remember, Jonathan Swift wrote: “When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign — that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.” The only way to counter the dunces lined up against Barack …is for us to dare to line up solidly for him. He has already brought us hope, shown us what is possible — now we have to show him that we deserve and believe in it. We have to will it to be ours.

I’m too battle scarred to be a Pollyanna; it would be extremely naive of me to dismiss the fears of these concerned Blacks (and many Whites as well) as juvenile, especially from the vantage point of my relatively safe anonymity. But I nonetheless submit that the chance of Barack being assassinated while in office is no greater than that of any other person who might occupy the White House — and perhaps somewhat less.

This is not to say that all of the rabid racists who would try to commit such a heinous act have died off (there are some knuckle draggers out there somewhere right now, sitting around a cracker barrel, fanaticizing about what harm they’d like to do to the first Black president) it’s just that they’re not going to be afforded the opportunity to carry out their demented dream.

A recent story out of Dallas containing allegations that the Secret Service told local police officers to “put down the metal detectors and stop checking purses and laptop bags” of the people who were entering Reunion Arena for an Obama rally in mid-February. The order was supposedly given to speed up the line of people who were waiting to get into the venue, and local officers supposedly didn’t agree with the decision. A Secret Service spokesperson later said that the security plan was executed as planned and Obama’s safety was never compromised in any way.

While I’m glad the issue was raised, I would have to believe that the Secret Service spokesperson was being forthright, and here’s why: If they were to slip up and allow someone into the facility carrying a gun, bent on shooting Barack, who would be the persons throwing their bodies into the line of fire? Secret Service agents.

Oliver Stone movies aside, anyone who believes that a bunch of Secret Service agents would conspire to allow someone to do harm to Barack (or anyone else they are detailed to protect) has been smoking their underwear … it just ain’t happening. You can’t get that many professionally trained people to drink the Kool-Aid.

And I’m not just spouting off an unlearned opinion, I’m speaking from experience. For years I dealt with guys from this agency up close and personal.

The only other assignment the Secret Service has, besides protecting current and former high-ranking government officials (former presidents receive protection for life), is safeguarding U.S. currency; they track down counterfeiters. As some of you readers know, for years — it seems like another life now — I counterfeited credit cards. For over two decades I played hide and seek with these agents all over the country, and without hesitation I can say Secret Service guys are among the best trained, most dedicated, and most professional law enforcement officers in America — bar none.

After John Hinckley shot President Reagan in March of 1981, the top brass of the Secret Service solemnly vowed that no one would ever again harm one of their charges … and they all take this vow very seriously. Are there nuts out there that would harm a president … any president? Of course, in deranged minds it’s a sure ticket to historical infamy; the whole world would know who they are forever. But their chances of getting that move off are slim to none.

Michelle Obama has come to terms with the possibility that something could happen to her husband, it’s time all of us come to those same terms. Barack Obama is willingly attempting to wear the crown of the presidency … and he knows that the possibility of an assassin ending his life is just the cross he has to bear; it goes with the territory. But this is a choice he is consciously making — and I can only wish that I had such an opportunity to serve my country and humanity. Being safe and secure has always been greatly overrated anyway. No guts, no glory. It might be hard for some to believe, but this dude just ain’t scared … not even a little bit.

And it’s due in part to those big, burley guys with the earpieces you see standing very close to him and every other candidate. They know what they are doing, and they’re as serious as a heart attack. Obama and every other candidate know they have the best protection in the world — again, bar none.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com

A Day (and a Half) in the Life of University Circle

Where else in the world can you do the following all in one stop, without even moving your parked car: catch a rare film The Other Side of the Mirror on Bob Dylan’s early performances at The Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the major art museums in the world; then walk across a beautiful sylvan glade like Wade Oval to be enveloped by the fragrances at the stunning Orchid Mania show at a world-class venue such as the Cleveland Botanical Garden; then walk back to CMA take a complimentary audio tour of the rare Arms and Armor from Imperial Austria exhibit, featuring 300 examples of “killer outfits & power suits” from 1600’s Austria; then across the street to the Cleveland Institute of Art, one of the Top 10 colleges of art & design, to screen another Dylan film, I’m Not There, a recent and underrated flick that spent too few nights in Cleveland on it’s initial release.

Nowhere but University Circle, that incomparable one square mile of art, culture, education, commerce and soon, housing & retail offering experiences so rare that one could traverse the world and still not find comparable quality, convenience and accessibility. Even better, being members of Circle institutions meant our family was comped to Orchid Mania and Arms & Armor, we used a member movie pass and received a member’s parking discount. We had to ask ourselves if we were dreaming…

But dreaming we were not, as we slid into the underground garage beneath the Botanical Garden to give ourselves a central starting point. First stop was the Cleveland Museum of Art’s newly remodeled lecture and film halls on the lower level for The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival, a 2007 release by documentarian Murray Lerner of Dylan’s workshops and performance at the ’63, ’64, and the notorious ’65 festivals, where some in the audience booed his recent and controversial move from acoustic to electric backup. The lead-up to this historic, but in retrospect, logical progression is well-developed with shots of Dylan standing in front of dozens, then later hundreds of acolytes in informal settings, presenting his “finger-pointing” songs that have since become anthems: Blowin’ In The Wind, With God On Our Side, Only a Pawn In Their Game. 1964 sees Johnny Cash in an unfortunately edited rendition of Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right, and Joan Baez joining on It Ain’t Me, Babe. By the time guitarist Mike Bloomfield backed by Al Kooper on organ and drums and bass kick into Maggie’s Farm at the 1965 festival, today’s audiences can marvel at the brilliant and scintillating guitar work and angry electric vocals that not only raised Dylan’s songs to a new intensity level, but also to a new and wider audience. One wonders at the negative reaction to Like A Rolling Stone, now considered by some the quintessential song of the past 50 years, when the record was being played on the radio at the time of the ’65 festival, especially considering the performance was note perfect. Many of his early fans felt abandoned and called him a sell-out, but Dylan never looked back, and this film captures his growth and progression with a straightforward simplicity that never comments.

If you and the family are looking for a warm place to be during the waning weeks of this winter, you can’t do better than the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Members are always free, and parking is discounted. So we strolled right into a mind-splattering display of orchids splayed throughout the Garden, both in the Glasshouse and the Guren Gallery, with their delectable fragrances beckoning. Plenty of guides are on hand to answer questions, and special programs are planned for the upcoming weeks: Orchid & Butterfly Symmetry Paintings on 3/1, 3/2 & 3/9; and Ask The Orchid Doctor on 3/1. You can even take classes in T’ai Chi in the Garden from 3/8 – 4/12. Orchid Mania: The Seductive Orchid is on display through 3/9, and regardless of how much you know about flowers, you will walk away a fan of the orchid. http://www.CBGarden.org

Then it was back to the Cleveland Museum of Art for the opening day of their Arms and Armor from Imperial Austria exhibit in their renovated upstairs gallery. This one is highly rated for the kids and the family, even though the theme is “Homeland Security c. 1600” and the contemplation of personal armor, knives, swords, lances and crossbows certainly must fire the imagination of children. What’s most surprising is the high quality of these pieces, many of which were designed for royalty to parade around it, as uncomfortable as that must have been, rather than using these beautifully etched and embossed helmets and body armor in any actual fighting. The included Acoustiguide is a must, allowing each member of your party to design their own tour, stopping at exhibits, paintings, shields and weapons that strike their fancy and punch in the appropriate code to hear creative interpretations, often with humorous voices. A highlight is the powerful crossbow, and some of the paintings and exhibits showing how this devastating weapon was used effectively to both neutralize enemies, and for hunting. The climax comes in the final room, where more than a dozen soldiers are arrayed with their lances, protecting the artillery, who would otherwise be slaughtered as they reloaded their rudimentary rifles between volleys.

The final stop on our magnificent tour actually took place the next day at the Cleveland Cinematheque located in the Cleveland Institute of Art, directly across the street from the CMA & the Botanical Garden. If timing had allowed, we would have left the car in the Botanical garage and walked across, but if you show up in the evenings for films, the CIA parking lot is open and free. Cinematheque director John Ewing, who also runs the film program at CMA, is a true asset to the region, with his thoughtful programming of classics, cult favorites, and overlooked recent films. His knowledge of film history is comprehensive, yet he retains the curiosity of a fan, always searching out the next stellar film experience. One such experience was the screening of the brilliant Todd Haynes film, I’m Not There, the audacious, kaleidoscopic view of the life of Bob Dylan as portrayed by no less than 7 vastly different actors, each representing not so much a phase of Dylan’s life, as a particular facet of his personality. The film opens with 11-year old Marcus Carl Franklin, and 11-year-old black troubadour, hopping trains, speaking in Dylan’s crookedly wise 20-something voice, calling himself “Woody” (as in Guthrie) and hauling his guitar across the Midwest. And the roller coaster ride is off and running. Richard Gere as Billy The Kid, representing Dylan’s time with The Band as the prototypical Americana outfit, and Heath Ledger as the domestic Dylan with estranged wife and kids, are bizarre yet meaningful refractions of key elements of the Dylan persona. When Cate Blanchett hits the screen, she stuns the other actors and the audience in a way that is strangely similar to Dylan’s mid-60’s impact, remarkable considering the cultural chasm between that era and today. No matter how much knowledge of Dylan you bring to the film, you’ll be as confused as you might have been watching Haynes’ earlier film Velvet Goldmine, his inscrutable gay fantasy revolving around the lives of a re-imagined David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

The lucky ones, of course, are the residents of Northeast Ohio, who have film resources at CIA & The Museum of Art that only exist in major cultural centers. Pair that with similarly high quality institutions just steps away across the Oval, and you have the finest resources in the world just waiting for your visit.
http://www.cia.edu
Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
http://www.UCI.org
From Thomas Mulready LettersAT CoolCleveland.com

This week’s most active post on BrewedFreshDaily.com

Back in January Ed Morrison posted a link to 2Mminutes.com with the question “Do U.S. students squander their high school minutes?” with the explanations:

Only one comment from Susan Miller, “Yep, some of us have been concerned for some time about the lackadaisical attitude toward education in the US. Click through and read the WSJ article Worse than you think. If you think that middle and upper class kids are exempt from this, think again. My son visited Costa Rica with Spanish language students while in school at Cleveland Heights High. He was astonished to find that the kids in Costa Rica already had plans for med school or business plans for their entrepreneurial businesses in their teen years and though they also had fun when they visited Cleveland, they were even more rapt when we visited the Clinic and watched surgery via inside the body cameras that was being performed at the Clinic, but was being watched by med students and surgeons in other countries…”

More then a month later, there’s a huge uptick in the search traffic coming from Google. CommercialAppeal.com profiles Memphis multimillionaire venture capitalist Bob Compton who produced the film. In an update on BFD, Ed Morrison asks “As a follow-up to Voices and Choices, could the FFEF promote meet-ups to view the film and discuss it? Why not contract with Meet the Bloggers to do it?”
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Hot Dance Ticket: Urban Bush Women

Your hot ticket for concert dance this weekend is at Playhouse Square where Dance Cleveland and Cuyahoga Community College jointly present Urban Bush Women and Compagnie Jant-Bi in their new, evening-length work, “Scales of Memory” (“Les Ecailles de la Memoire”). The result of a 4-year collaborative process, “Scales” has been booked solid for its American tour since its premiere in January 2008, including sold out performances at the Kennedy Center and a prestigious spot in the BAM Next Wave Festival next November.

No one familiar with either company should be surprised by the success or the scope of “Scales.” Cleveland dance audiences may remember UBW’s last concert in Cleveland in 2003, “Shadow’s Child,” a critically acclaimed collaboration with National Song and Dance Company of Mozambique. Jant-Bi’s 2004 concert in Cleveland presented “Fagalla,” a reflection on the Rwandan genocide. Both UBW and Jant-Bi have excellent track records with big subjects and international collaborations…

Read the Preview by Vic and Elsa here

We’ve been following the development of “Scales” ever since a Dance Cleveland reception one Thursday afternoon back in January of 2006 that shined a light on “Scales” in more ways than one. First, Dance Cleveland was justifiably proud to have won what was then only the 2nd Joyce Award ever given to a Cleveland arts organization; then too, they deserve credit for recognizing the auspiciousness of the collaboration already in progress between UBW’s artistic director, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and Jant-Bi’s artistic director, Germaine Acogny. (Later in the process, Dance Cleveland helped UBW leverage the Joyce Award into other awards and grants that fully funded “Scales.”) Our New Year’s resolution to learn more about arts funding might not have lured us out on a Thursday afternoon but the reception also offered us the opportunity to network with other dance people; including UBW’s associate artistic director, Nora Chipaumire.

Chipaumire proved to be an excellent presenter. Standing behind the lectern she described UBW’s trip to Senegal and the work with the dancers of Jant-Bi at their school, Ecoles des Sables. Then she stepped from behind the lectern to demonstrating a dance currently very fashionable in Senegal, the Sabar. Like those short popular dance routines we’ve all seen, the Sabar establishes a rhythm in the first few bars, there’s a kick and a turn embellished by rhythmic claps and stamps, a movement that traveled to the side keeping the rhythm with the hips and adding an embellishment with one hand. What struck us was how American this African artifact looked.

Duh! Cleveland’s emissaries and ambassadors in the ongoing cultural commerce between Africa and America were sitting on either side of us at that reception. Choreographer Diane McIntyre, honored at the reception as a mentor to Zollar, had, if memory serves, traveled to Ghana to teach modern dance in the 70’s. Edna Duffy, who we usually think of as a modern dance teacher and choreographer, had played an important role in bringing notable teachers of West African dance to Cleveland; it was through Duffy that we took master classes from Chuck Davis. Slowly the light shined brighter in our brains; there’s a transatlantic synthesis going on between 2 art forms that were possibly not so distinct in the first place.

Former Cleveland dancer Paloma McGregor has been a member of UBW throughout the development of “Scales.” When we contacted her by phone she spoke first of the making of “Scales.” “First the seven men of Jant-Bi came to the US and we spent two weeks in and around Tallahassee, Florida visiting locations significant in African-American history. We visited a place called The Hanging Tree (where African-Americans were lynched); we visited plantations in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, and the Black Archives of Florida A&M, a historically black college where, incidentally, I went to undergraduate school.”

“When we (the seven women of UBW) went to Senegal we visited, among other places, Goree Island, the point of no return for Africans being taken to slavery in the New World. Our common experience going to these places provided jumping off places, starting points for improvisations, some of which eventually became recognizable sections in the piece.”

This is the Paloma we know from her choreography, very passionate in her exploration of African-American identity. When she spoke of the thematic organization of the piece, we saw how meaningful “Scales” was to her. “Early in the process we identified 3 resonant themes, resistance, memory, and love. What’s really beautiful is how the unity about the piece comes from the unity we’ve found as an ensemble – by staring in the face of history we can move forward together. This is the most amazing work I’ve ever been in and performing it in Cleveland where my dance life began again really means a lot to me.”

McGregor’s not the only one enthusiastic about “Scales.” Here’s a quote from a review recently published in the Times Argus, a Vermont daily.

‘My guest for the evening talked about her fascination with “the idea of embodied memory … not just the memories that a person carries in her body from her own life, but (those) from her ancestral past. The piece was just that — the physical memories of lifetimes on (and between) two different continents. Each dancer invoked his or her ancestors at the beginning…and then evoked the many experiences of those people throughout. I felt the body-history of thousands pouring forth from the stage. Absolutely incredible.”’

We’re looking forward to seeing this piece in its entirety on Saturday evening but Showtime at High Noon, Friday, 2/29/08 features excerpts of “Scales” and the 12-minute “Chicken Soup,” African-American postmodernist Blondell Cummings’ 1981 portrait of female domesticity set to music by Brian Eno, Meredith Monk and Colin Walcott. No cost.

Urban Bush Women and Compagnie Jant-Bi present The Scales of Memory at Ohio Theatre Saturday, March 1 at 8PM. Tickets: 241-6000.

From ”Cool Cleveland contributors Elsa Johnson and Victor Lucas vicnelsaATearthlink.net

Links to interesting NEO blogs

Fixing Education isn’t the most important issue in Cleveland.
E4S is our hope for health, wealth and community.
Downtown Cleveland has too many suits.
Meet The Bloggers discusses levies for the Cleveland Public Library and Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services.
The upcoming election is a historic moment in the history of America.
Ralph Nader needs to go back to sleep.

Workin’ Man
Cats on Holiday
COH Recordings

Cleveland roots-rock band Cats on Holiday wisely resisted an urge to which many local bands (local, that is, in any city) succumb: that of adding lots of extra stuff to their recordings because… well, because they can. In the studio, you can do anything. But Cats on Holiday kept it real on its new CD, which makes a lot of sense, as most of the songs on Workin’ Man are about real people in real-life situations.

It’s usually useless to compare artists to other artists because every artist has been influenced by a combination of other artists, so it doesn’t really matter – except in rare cases where an artist tries to sound exactly like someone else, which is not the case here. So let’s say that COH doesn’t sound like any one artist. The group’s publicity material does say that it plays “Roots, Cajun, Country and Americana music,” a combination it describes as swamp pop…

Read more from David Budin here

And those influences do come through on Workin’ Man, the band’s third full-length CD. Seven of the CD’s 11 songs are COH originals, written by acoustic guitarist and lead singer Denis DeVito. The other four are covers, though one of those, “Warm Me Up,” is by local singer-songwriter Vicki Chew. The other three are Doug Kershaw’s “Louisiana Man,” Hank Williams’ “Hey, Good Lookin’,” and the Squeeze’s “Goodbye Girl.”

DeVito’s own songs come off better than the covers. “Louisiana Man,” for instance, is done with a straight rock beat, rather than its original Cajun swing (and without a lot of fiddle, which was a huge part of the original, even though COH does have a violin player); “Hey, Good Lookin’” is also done as a rock song, rather than a country two-step. The band does get points for trying to make these songs their own, but, on the other hand, the best reason to do those kinds of songs is to pay homage to their historical value, since they’re not great songs, as songs go. So just doing them as regular songs doesn’t do anything for them, or for the group, for that matter; the group’s own songs are better.

The best of COH’s originals here is the CD’s opening track, “Donde Vas,” a medium-speed, low-key, but hard-hitting, rock song about hardships facing Mexican immigrants in the U.S. All the songs are helped by the album’s clean production (by the group’s lead guitarist Rick Christyson and engineer Chris Keffer) and their tight and thoughtful arrangements as well as the group’s solid performance.

Visit Cats on Holiday online at http://www.catsonholiday.com.

From Cool Cleveland contributor David Budin popcyclesATsbcglobal.net

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

Gray’s Auctioneers: Not Your Father’s Auction House

If you think auction houses are only for snooty art collectors with deep pockets, you need to pay a visit to Gray’s Auctioneers. Owners Deba Gray and Serena Harragin and their team (pictured here) have injected the traditional auction house with a green, conscientious ethos that is focused on helping sellers get the best price for their goods and giving buyers great deals while providing an alternative to the “buy new” mantra of the contemporary marketplace.

A native Clevelander, Gray grew up in Lakewood and Rocky River and started her career answering phones at Wolf’s Gallery in Cleveland. She worked her way up through the ranks, all the while increasing her broad knowledge of fine arts, antiques, and collectibles. Gray is modest about her knowledge and accomplishments, but Harragin will proudly tell you that when Gray earned her auctioneer’s license, she was the youngest female auctioneer in Ohio. The two met in Key West, Florida, where Gray owned an antique store. The two moved to Chicago, where Gray worked with Leslie Hindman Auctioneers as an auctioneer and Director of Marketplace Sales. When Hindman was purchased by Sotheby’s, Gray was promoted to Assistant Vice President of Property.

After leaving Sotheby’s, Gray worked in the New York film industry, as did Harragin. They lived in Manhattan and bought a weekend house in the country in upstate New York, which Gray liked because it “reminded me of Ohio.” The two soon grew tired of feeling cramped and of dealing with the high cost of living in New York…
Read the interview by Susan Petrone here

Gray still had her auctioneer’s license, and the two decided to open their own auction house. They left Manhattan and bought a property in Fort Lauderdale. A month later, it was hit by a hurricane, which sent a tree through the roof. After thinking further about an area that was affordable, meteorologically stable, and had a high quality of life, they chose Cleveland.

The comparatively lower cost of doing business in Cleveland gives Gray’s a competitive advantage, allowing the company to handle a much broader range of items while offering the same level of professionalism and service as big-name auction houses. The largest auction houses won’t even look at items that will fetch less than $1,000. Gray says, “We can afford to sell something for $20. They can’t do that in Chicago or New York. People are learning this.”

Indeed, clients in Sotheby’s backyard have learned the advantages of working with Gray’s. The firm recently signed a consignment agreement for the contents of an Upper West Side Manhattan apartment. A New York auction house first appraised the estate and, out of 350 items, offered to sell 15—all of which would be priced above $1,000. “What’s the family going to do with the other 300 plus items?” Harragin asks. “That doesn’t help people. We can take the entire estate, and we’ll sell it.”

Gray’s offers free verbal appraisals and free pickup. But Gray clarifies their business by saying: “We don’t buy estates; we help you sell your estate.” There are generally three ways through which items come to auction: death, debt, or divorce. Estate liquidators or dealers will often offer to buy the entire contents of a house or apartment, however, such deals almost always benefit the buyer, not the seller. It’s in the interest of an auction house to appraise each item and sell it at the best price possible, while it’s in the interest of a liquidator or dealer to purchase items as cheaply as possible in order to sell them later for a larger profit.

Gray and Harragin recall a dealer who went to an auction and bought two end tables for $50 each and sold them at an antique shop for $550. In another instance, Gray tells the story of a recent client who had among her possessions what she called two “crappy” paintings. Those crappy paintings turned out to be by California artists Orrin Augustine White and Arthur Grover Rider and are worth approximately $3,000-4,000 and $10,000-15,000, respectively. A dealer or liquidiator might have bought the contents of the house for a lump sum.

Working with an auction house such as Gray’s gives the client the best chance at earning what the paintings are actually worth on the open market.

If the big auction houses bank on intimidation as a way of adding to their mystique, Gray’s banks on service, honesty, and an open accessibility that benefits both sellers and buyers. Harragin adds that Gray’s reputation as an auctioneer and as the consummate generalist has followed her here, as the firm already has clients from around the country and several countries.

Remote buyers can participate in the monthly auctions online, allowing Gray’s to be an equal competitor with the larger auction houses. The firm already has 18,000 visits a month from people browsing online. Gray and Harragin note that buyers are slowly moving from eBay to reputable auction houses because of the service and protection afforded by doing business with an established firm, rather than an individual.

Gray and Harragin term their approach to the auction business as “conscientious capitalism.” “Auctions are like buying wholesale,” Gray says. “You get fair market prices and great deals.” Harragin adds, “If you go to Crate & Barrel or Pier I, you’re told how much you have to pay. If you come to us, you tell us how much you want to pay.”

Buying at auction is also an easy, inexpensive way to buy green. Harragin states, “In the age of global warming, we have to be cognizant of our individual footprint. If I can buy something that is used, I will. I don’t want to use up more energy buying something new that is instantly replaceable. Further, it’s about preserving our heritage as Americans, about valuing the craftsmanship of yesteryear, because so much now is made by machines.” She adds with a mischievous grin, “Plus, it’s an awful lot of fun to set your own price.”

Gray’s next auction is the spring art and antiques sale on Saturday, March 1 at 1PM at their showroom at 10717 Detroit Avenue. There are a full three days of preview for the auction, February 27-29 from noon – 7PM. While you’re there, you can view oil paintings by Scott Miller, which are on display in the showroom’s lobby cum gallery. Auctions are fun (and not just because you get to hold one of those little paddles), but Gray does note that buyers should definitely examine items before bidding. Caveat emptor does apply, and browsing and examining is encouraged. “Visitors are welcome to touch everything but the staff,” she quips.

For more information, visit: http://www.graysauctioneers.com.

Interview and Photo by Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Petrone theinkcasinoATadelphia.net

Cimperman Is Doing Corporate Work

Boy, they really want to kill him off this time. It’s like “stick the silver dagger” in the little guy’s heart. Let’s get him once and for all, cry the corporate thugs, the Pee Dee and Brent Larkin.

Some big bucks are out on the street to finally ice the little bugger.

How can one tell? Just take a gander at the money flowing from downtown developers and Cleveland’s elite to Joe Cimperman, the main opponent to incumbent Congressman Dennis Kucinich. They can’t stuff his pockets with enough, as this look at his end of 2007 financial report shows.

There’s really only one reason they want to get Dennis. He doesn’t do their bidding. Never did. Never will.

Isn’t there room for one alternative voice in politics here? Do all Congress members have to be sell-outs like Stephanie Tubbs Jones..?
Read more from Roldo here

Downtown Councilman Joe Cimperman, imbued with raw ambition, has made himself the tool developers and corporate biggies. For them, he’s a chance to retire Kucinich permanently.

It’s too bad because Cimperman is one of the brightest Council members in years, and has some progressive political instincts. If he doesn’t win, he may have hurt his future with this election try.

Cimperman might have been saved from this fate if he had been elected from a non-downtown Council ward. The vibes he gave off as a new member in 1997 suggested he was a man of the people.

He started as a former social worker but by 1999 he was representing downtown interests in a crackdown on panhandlers, never getting around to the real downtown panhandlers – the developers, abatement and property tax reduction seekers.

As the downtown Councilman, he faced the invariable task of satisfying development needs and desires. He thus became an agent of Power, a puppet of the downtown string-pullers.

I wrote back as early 2000, “Joe Cimperman is a political charmer. Popular and ubiquitous, the young politician also can claim to be City Council’s foremost money-grubber.”

Cimperman got one of his first tastes of the downtown crowd after taking office. At a holiday party, someone poked him in the back. It was the legendary Forest City’s Sam Miller. As I wrote in January 1998, “Cimperman, young, idealistic and exuberant, introduced himself and said that he hoped the two could work together. The kind of chatter one might expect at a first meeting. The gruff Miller wasn’t having much of the ‘can’t we get along’ line and wanted to know why Cimperman had voted against his (and Mayor Michael White’s) candidate for City Council President.”

I guess Cimperman was beginning to understand how the game was played. He became a favorite benefactor of Sam and the Forest City gang.

His zestful pursuit of campaign funds made him the all-time City Council money raiser. In 2002, he raised $62,210 to bring his bank account to $150,004, a very sizeable sum for a mere councilman. He held one fund-raiser at fashionable and expensive Johnny’s, thep favorite restaurant of downtown developer Dick Jacobs (who, by the way, gave two $1,000 checks at the time) and many other elites. The restaurant location was via an in-kind contribution. They love Joe.

Once on the “take list,” it’s hard to get off. Now Cimperman lives on the pay-as-you-play dole.

Let’s lead off with the 10 donors for this Congressional run from Forest City Enterprises, the chief buyers of politicians: The Ratners: Al, $2,000, Brian, $1,000, Mark, $1,000, Ronald, $1,000, James, $1,000, Kevin, $1,000, Audrey, $2,000, Charles, $1,000, Deborah Ratner Salberg, $1,000 and Alan Krulak, $1,500. That’s $10,500 from Forest City people in the first financial report to the Federal Election Commission. (On a single day in the early 2000, Cimperman got $4,000 from some of the same Ratners, always seeking favors at City Hall)

When Tower City’s Al Ratner made his pitch to the Convention Facilities Commission, guess the only Councilman on hand to speak out strongly for Forest City’s location grab for the new convention center.

Did you guess Joe Cimperman? Go to the head of the class.

He was from the beginning an exuberant supporter of a publicly subsidized convention center on Ratner property, attached to its heavily subsidized downtown shopping area, Tower City. Whatever, you guys want, says Joe.

There are plenty of ways a public official can be helpful to the money people.

As the downtown Councilman, one is in a position to be of use quite often. The unwritten law among legislative members is that legislation favored by a councilman in his or her ward takes precedent over the reasoning of the other 20 members. Rare are the exceptions.

So it’s no surprise to see two $2,300 contributions from developer Scott Wolstein. Wolstein took the public for a vast sum of subsidies for his Flats development. Or $1,000 from the Steve Strnisha and his wife, consultants for Wolstein’s project.

After all, the city and other public agencies have committed some $50 million in subsidies and loans to the Flats project. Government provided the power of eminent domain and all kinds of other promised goodies (See Read Roldo May 3, 2006).

Cimperman also worked a deal for Wolstein to pay off a city loan to Wolstein for about 40 percent of the $7.7 million at a zero interest rate. However, in working the deal he angered some council members by uneven division of the revenue. I wrote at the time, late 1989, “Cimperman took much too personally opposition to his plan.” He became “overly huffy” and made several colleagues unhappy.

The payoff for some measly $1,000 or $2,000 contributions could represent tens thousands of dollars to a developer. Having this quality of help can aid their bottom lines.

Cimperman has been a go-to guy for the downtown developers.

That’s why it isn’t unusual to see the Goldbergs of Ohio Savings Bank give donations as follows: Gerald, $1,250, Robert, $2,300, David, $2,300, Brenda, $2,300, Nancy, $1,150. And the Marons, Jori and Ari, MRN Ltd., giving $2,300 each.

After all, Cimperman has been going to bat for them.

Ohio Savings (now AmTrust bank) and the Maron family have made investments in the lower Euclid Avenue area around E. 4th and E. 6th Streets. It’s become a hot area of development and a sponge for public subsidies.

Back a while, they engineered with the help of THEIR councilman quite a deal. To upgrade E. 4th, the city gave a $9.2 million bond, financed by a TIF, meaning the property taxes from the development didn’t go to the city, county and city libraries or especially to the declining Cleveland schools, but got diverted to pay off the $9.2 million, plus interest of several million dollars.

Because of the financial needs of paying off the bondholders, another maneuver was required to aid the deal by lowering the value of the improved properties in that area. Here’s what I wrote at the time:

“The developer, MRN, Inc., petitioned the Board of Revision to revise down the property value retroactive to 2000. MRN asked for a $5.5 million value on property now assessed for $22.3 million, according to the County.

“By lowering the property value, the developer also pays less tax and the schools, in particular, lose that revenue.”

Legislation for the $9.2 million bond issue was brought before the Council at the last minute at the final meeting before summer recess. Only Cimperman could have objected successfully to the quick action. It was his call to bring the legislation forward. One Councilman summed up the problem and Cimperman’s effective role in passage, “After 14 hours here, I can’t comprehend this information,” he said. He wasn’t supposed to understand. That was the point of the last minute strategy. A councilman can do this. Joe did.

So the property owners in the area should and have rewarded Cimperman for his efforts.

Later, the Marons got another $1.5 million subsidy. With all the city’s needs, the purpose for this subsidy was shameful – a downtown bowling alley. The $1.5 million was taken from Core City Fund, which many wanted to be used for neighborhood projects.

Cimperman, in the recent debate, claimed to have added numerous jobs as a result such developments and his work. He cited as one example the renovation of The Arcade, a historic structure between Euclid and Superior Avenues.

The Arcade project was larded with public subsidies, including a $1 million, 30-year loan at zero interest for the first 20 years and 2 percent interest thereafter; a $2 million, 20-year loan at 2.5 percent interest from Cuyahoga County; a $6.45 million tax incremental financing gift from the city, a $8.26 million federal historic tax credit and $9.6 million in tax benefits via a conservation entitlement.

How many jobs did it produce? Not likely any since the owners of the Arcade and the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the prime tenant, soon after the subsidies, asked for a decrease in the value of the property from $25 million to $l6.2 million for 2001 and then down to $12.1 million in 2002. Reason: Lack of business. Indeed, the original deal only promised 150 low pay jobs at some $7.50 an hour despite the heavy public investment.

Cleveland has lost some 48,000 jobs in this decade. How anyone can distinguish job creation in the mess we are in, I don’t know.

There are more questionable donors.

Here’s a smattering of potential conflicts in these donations:

Mitch and Karen Schneider, Steelyard Commons,$2,300 each; Joel Cole, $2,000, downtown parking business; Richard Pogue, wheeler and dealer on many levels, $2,000;Terry Stewart, director Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, $500; Paul Volpe, architect with his hands in nearly everything, $1,150; John Zayac, Council consultant, $1,000; Jeff Jacobs, who wants gambling downtown, $2,300; Dominic Visconsi, $2,000, and Anthony Visconsi, $1,500, developers; Michael Wager, Port Authority member, $1,000; Dennis (Jones-Day law firm) & Laura Lafferty, $250, convention center; Nancy Lesic, $750, public relations (for convention center principals and others); and Victor and Cheryl Shaia, $500 each, downtown parking; Adam & Pamela Fishman, $500 each, Shaker Square renovators.

Cimperman also fought to keep tax abatements at the highest level, rewarding downtown interests and luxury condo buyers. A gift that keeps giving.

The ambitious Cimperman felt he couldn’t pass up this chance of a wounded Kucinich in his gun sights. He has been getting fat checks from all those who know that he would be a much more pliable legislator that Dennis. It also would solve a Republican problem because Cimperman doesn’t have the intestinal qualities of a Kucinich when it comes fighting for the underdog or confronting thorny issues.

Cimperman has shown his inexperience with juvenile moves – delivering a food basket to Kucinich’s home and showing up with cameras with a “Where’s Dennis?” request at the Congressman’s office to signify Kucinich’s absence on the Presidential campaign.

Dennis shot himself in the foot by calling for a federal investigation of the intrusion. That’s the Dennis many don’t appreciate.

Kucinich, of course, gave his opponent the opportunity with his foolhardy second run for President. Cleveland needs a full-time Congressman of his stature, particularly as the Democrats now control the Congress.

He should have taken the advice I once before offered him with this tidbit:

Back in 1895, Lincoln Steffens asked Teddy Roosevelt about running for President, six years before he did ascend to Presidency following McKinley’s assassination. Roosevelt scolded Steffens:

“Never, never, you must never remind a man at work on a political job that he may be president. It almost always kills him politically. He loses his nerve, he can’t do his work, he gives up the very traits that are making him a possibility. Go on away now and don’t you ever mention – don’t you ever mention that to me again,” Roosevelt scolded Steffens.

Hopefully, Dennis can escape the fate envisioned by Roosevelt. If he does, Dennis should concentrate on being a working class Congressman from Cleveland and avoid the lure of the White House and Hollywood.

NOTE: The above article was written before the latest filings by candidates in the 10th District. Kucinich outdrew his competitors by raising $738,801 in the first six weeks of 2007, though his donations don’t come primarily from corporate sources, as do Cimperman’s; he has raised $485,869 in total.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Roldo Bartimole roldoATroadrunner.com

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

Oberlin Artists @ United Methodist Church of Chagrin Falls 2/19 Nothing like an intimate chamber music concert to warm up a cold winter evening. The Chagrin Foundation for Arts and Culture sponsored the Artists from Oberlin concert. We were lucky to have these faculty musicians from the Oberlin Conservator of Music led by cellist Darrett Adkins and his friends share their talents with us. Adkins charmed the audience with introductory remarks about the program selections. The church sanctuary was filled with over 160 intent listeners waiting in anticipation…
Read more from Susan Schaul here

Charged with the responsibility of choosing the program selections, Adkins selected two favorites, Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in C Major, Op. 102 for Cello and Piano, and Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, D956. He explained that since both the composers lived in Vienna during overlapping times, he wanted to use a contrasting musical style to set the pieces apart – so he also played Six Pieces for Solo Cello by the contemporary tonal composer, Roger Sessions, in between the traditional Beethoven and Schubert pieces.

An internationally recognized musician, Adkins was masterful and in control while playing his cello and coordinating the timing with his accompanists. Pianist Peter Takacs joining with Adkins played Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 for Cello and Piano with intensity and feeling. Adkins gave us some new musical sounds to listen to and think about while he performed the Six Pieces for Solo Cello by Roger Sessions. Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, performed by Amir Eldan, David Bowlin, Marilyn McDonald, Karen Ritscher, along with Adkins, sounded mellow and divine resonating through the church rafters.

Having thawed out by the end of the concert, patrons were easily talking to each other and renewing old friendships. We look forward to the next performance in the Winter 2008 Chagrin Arts Series, Groundworks Dance Theatre, on Tuesday April 15 at the Chagrin Falls High School Performing Arts Center. Visit http://www.chagrinfoundation.org for more information.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Schaul susn1ATatt.net

New York Dolls @ Beachland Ballroom 2/20 It was a night of great straight ahead guitar and drums rock and roll filled with a whole lot of attitude, last Wednesday night as the New York Dolls made an appearance at the Beachland Ballroom. This is the third year of this second life of this mid 70’s punk band, fronted by surviving members David Johansson and Sylvain Sylvain, and they gave a very receptive audience all they wanted on a cold winter’s night…
Read more from Greg Cielec here

The evening belong to Johansson, as the ageless front man lead the tight five piece band through a set list filled with punk anthems from their glory days; songs off their latest album (2006’s One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This); and covers of classics originally done by a woman or a girl group (including the Dovells’ “Bristol Stomp” and Janis Joplin’s “A Piece of My Heart”). Some of these reunion tours of 70’s bands have been hit or miss propositions, but Johansson and this new version of the Dolls delivered an outstanding set of catchy songs, slick guitar licks, and big beats that had the capacity audience enjoying every moment.

It was one of those nights at the Beachland that made you feel optimistic about the music scene here in Cleveland. The room was filled with fans from their late teens all the way up into their 50’s and beyond, and even if most of them had never seen the Dolls before, they knew their music and sang and danced along throughout the night. There were a lot of smiles on a lot of faces as music fans got what they came for. There are some great acts coming up in the near future at the Beachland including country songstress Shelby Lynn on March 30 (touring in support of her Dusty Springfield tribute album) and surf rock legends The Trashmen. I’m not going to miss boxer turned bluesman Paul Thorn and his band March 1 in the Tavern at 7PM. Check him out if you can, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Greg Cielec cielecAThotmail.com

Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 2/21 Although it certainly looks strange to enter Severance Hall and find only perhaps a quarter of the usual number of chairs on the stage, one is well advised to wait and judge by ears rather than eyes. In this instance, the ears certainly won out! The Dutch conductor and early music specialist, Ton Koopman, made his debut with our Cleveland Orchestra in a delightful program of music that more-or-less spanned the eighteenth century…
Read more from Kelly Ferjutz here

Two of the three also made their own debuts on the orchestra’s menu. Georg Philipp Telemann’s enchanting suite in B-flat major from Tafelmusik III began the evening in rousing fashion. A multitude of shortish and very danceable individual movements comprised the whole.

The sound was very resonant, seemingly more so than usual, as the pieces moved from stately to jaunty, with accents in interesting and unexpected places. Mr. Koopman seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. And why not? What better place to be than on the podium at Severance Hall? The miniature orchestra (2 flutes, 2 oboes, strings and harpsichord) sounded elegant, and the very last measures emphasized the lively wind playing.

Principal flutist Joshua Smith brings beauty to every note he plays, and the Flute Concerto in A major by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach provided a great demonstration of his art. The second oldest of J. S. Bach’s surviving sons, (and the most famous next to Papa) was also the godson of Telemann, and in fact, succeeded that gentleman in his post as music director of Hamburg after Telemann’s death. The influence is clear in the lovely, lyrical qualities so abundant in this work.

Actually, the first movement more than lived up to its marking of allegro, being very fast indeed. This did not daunt Mr. Smith in the least, whereas the second movement largo con sordini allowed him to show off the beautiful lyricism of the music by his performance of it. I kept thinking ‘this is absolutely bel canto’ although this term is usually applied to vocal soloists. For this occasion, Mr. Smith played a modern wooden flute of possibly softer–or at least more mellow–sonority than his usual golden one.

The only work on the program that the orchestra had performed previously was the famous ’Surprise’ Symphony No. 94 in G major by Franz-Joseph Haydn. To the same contingent of strings as used earlier, more winds (two of each category, plus horns and trumpets) and tympani were added. One might have thought the surprise to be the placement of the tympani and principal Paul Yancich right up front at the edge of the stage. He certainly was a major contributor to Haydn’s surprise.

This symphony is basically ebullient and exuberant Haydn throughout, but he exceeds even himself in the second movement andante. Our orchestra does quiet better than any I’ve ever heard, and Mr. Koopman produced such stillness here that were it not for seeing the moving bows, one might not have realized there were sounds actually being produced. Until . . . The story goes that Haydn changed the dynamics because he was irritated at noticing someone sleeping in the first row of his concert.

I can guarantee you no one would have slept through this performance! From super-hushed to extra-loud with no warning! Wow! It was fun. An added happy surprise was the tympani solo at the end of the movement.

This week, a legend of our time, Alfred Brendel returns for his last expected concerts here prior to his retirement later this year. Also returning is Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, in a program of Beethoven, Brahms and Staud. The composer of that last work Johannes Maria Staud will also be present. For tickets or more information, call the ticket office at 231-1111 or visit the website at: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com

The Breakup Notebook @ Beck Center 2/22 For a show that has only been staged at three venues (Los Angeles, New York and San Diego), the The Breakup Notebook: The Lesbian Musical, which is now on stage at Beck Center, has engendered a lot of national press and attention. The show, whose sold-out opening night audience included the author, Patricia Cotter, musical originator and lyricist, Lori Scarlett, and the creator of the show’s additional music, David Manning, received an enthusiastic welcome…
Read more from Roy Berko here

It’s the kind of show that should have strong cult appeal to a target audience… lesbian women. That’s not to say others wouldn’t appreciate the often fine music and some clever lines, but there is a definite identification with the lesbian dating scene and life style that will allow for a kinship to grow with the material that might not be bridged with those not in on the many “in-jokes” that populate the script.

The story centers on Helen Hill, a 33-year-old who has been dumped by her long time girl friend. Helen is heart-broken, bitter and obsessed. Moving on is difficult. With the help of her friends (a bevy of stereotype lesbians and her gay fey confidant Bob), she attempts to get back into the dating scene, with disastrous, oft-hysterical results. In her path toward happiness, she faces alcoholic line dancers, an S&M leather dyke, a commitment phobic biker, and a kooky lawyer. Even a “Ms. Perfect,” who turns out to be less then perfect.

The music is more endearing than the book. The mainly pop songs poke fun at lesbian life, the meaning of love, how dyads choose songs to represent their couplehood, and the difference between lesbians and gay men. Beck’s production, under the direction of Vickie Bussert, is somewhat on target.

One has to question the dichotomy between Russ Borski’s comic book set and the production. With walls covered with comic strip cells, many with clever bubbled speeches, the tone is bigger than life, thus putting the audience into a farcical mind set. The production starts the same way… over the top with the song, “Ghost of My Ex-Girlfriend.” Then, someplace during the first act, the show settles into a light comic tone, losing its outrageousness. By the second act, it’s more comic drama, then comic farce.

The cast is generally good. Though Jodi Dominick effectively develops the role of Helen, her voice is thin on the high notes and, even though she is miked, doesn’t have the necessary power. This is especially true when drummer Joey Scale lets loose like this is a rock concert, drowning out much of the vocals. Let’s hope, that as the play settles in, the band will tone down and allow the lyrics to shine through.

Tracee Patterson gives Frances, the “almost perfect girl-friend, but…,” the right look and edge. Her “What Do You Want From Me?/Your Way of Loving,” co-sung with Dominick, is one of the show’s musical highpoints. Kayce Cummings, who, along with much of the ensemble, is dual-cast, is totally hot in “I’m on Fire.” Eric Van Baars has such a good time, and is so natural in playing Bob, that he appears to be ad-libbing rather than speaking memorized lines.

When Helen, after avoiding the issue for a long time, finally picks up a call from her mother, a side-splitting scene results. Alison Garrigan accurately portrays every lesbian’s worst nightmare, a mother who attempts to be “understanding” while being clueless to the reality of sexual orientation.

The rest of the cast does a nice job of developing their characterizations.

The show’s over all highlight is Martin Cespedes’s choreography. His creativity adds to the visual illusions of the script, and stresses the exaggerations with overstated poses and facial expressions that mirror the moods of the music being interpreted.

Capsule judgment: Beck’s is the kind of production that many will love, while others will like. Don’t be surprised if, in the future, the script gets an extended off-Broadway production. And for a side comment, Congrats to Scott Spence and the staff at Beck for embracing scripts like this one. They throw caution to the wind when they pick a script which may be outside their traditional audience and reach out to a broader community. Keep it up!

The Breakup Notebook: the Lesbian Musical runs through March 22 at The Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood. For ticket information call 521-2540 or visit http://www.beckcenter.org.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko royberkoATyahoo.com

Apollo’s Fire @ St. Paul’s Church 2/22 When you have program notes spoken from the stage, complete with sound effects, some of which might have been a surprise to the speaker, you know you’re in for a treat. Indeed, this is how it all worked out at Friday evening’s concert by Apollo’s Fire, with founder and music director Jeannette Sorrell in charge of nearly everything Vivaldi…!
Read more from Kelly Ferjutz here

The major portion of the program was the four-concerto series The Seasons in slightly different format than the usual meteorological versions: Spring, Autumn (hiatus, followed by intermission) Summer and Winter. The hiatus referred to was a delightful, not quite dueling cello concerto. (Dueling, no; dualing, yes.) To end the evening, there was the wild concerto grosso La Folia arranged by Ms. Sorrell, to showcase her entire orchestra.

It was a slightly smaller than usual string orchestra, with harp, guitar and harpsichord that graced the stage at St. Paul’s Church. Most of the soloists were regular members of Apollo’s Fire. In perhaps a bit of wishful thinking, Spring led off the program, beautifully performed by Julie Andrijeski, whose skill as a dancer also informs her performance as violinist. She gracefully swayed to the music of her musical cohorts and the bird songs, rushing brooks and bagpipes they emulated so well. There were a few languid gestures here and there, but the music never lagged! No, it was just that spring fever, for which—these days—we’re all longing.

In this musical calendar, Autumn followed Spring (it’s been known to do that in Cleveland, or seemingly so at times, if not in reality.) Miho Hashizume was the expert interpreter of this episode, complete with drunken peasants and a hunt, complete with hunting horns and dogs.

Rene Schiffer and Mime Yamahiro Brinkmann (making her debut here) were the brilliant cellists in the composer’s vivid Concerto for Two Cellos. Certainly they challenged each other, but I’m not sure that dueling was quite accurate. At least not all the time. This may have been the first ever such concerto—for two celli—written, and certainly deserves to be heard more often. Especially when it’s as well-performed as it was in this concert.

What to do when your favorite concerto is for an instrument on which you are not quite as expert a performer as the one on which you usually perform? Simple. If you’re Jeannette Sorrell, that is. You simply transcribe it for your own instrument of choice, then you can be the soloist, after all! Summer was thus enhanced by moving it from the violin section to the harpsichord area, and the fleet fingers of Ms. Sorrell. The buzzing insects amid the hot, sleepy days of summer were only too real (ask Mr. Schiffer!) as was the thunderstorm.

Just like Cleveland weather has been known to do, we went from Summer to Winter with no delay. Concertmaster Cynthia Roberts was the dazzling soloist, in spite of the frigid aura she produced, although her warm and sunny smiles as she played disguised that fact quite well. The second movement Largo also featured (especially) the harp of Christa Patton and baroque guitar of William Simms, as in our imagination we relaxed in front of the fire listening to the rain outdoors. But then it froze again, and we were back to the slipping and sliding on the treacherous ice.

In other Apollo’s Fire concerts, we’ve been treated to La Folias of other composers of the era, some of which utilized percussion (castanets, especially) dancers and even singers. (Hint: could we please have a recording of several of these wonderful works?) There were no actual castanets in this version, but if you closed your eyes and listened carefully, you would swear that Mr. Schiffer and his cello were somehow magically changed into this percussion instrument, and then promptly changed back again. As the tempo heated up, Ms. Roberts and Ms. Andrijeski set the brisk pace, ably abetted by Ms. Sorrell.

Unfortunately, it was still the REAL winter out of doors, but the memories were warm and lasting.

The next series of Cleveland area concerts by Apollo’s Fire will be April 10 through 13. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 320-0012 or visit the website: http://www.apollosfire.org.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com

Big [Box]: Ictus @ CPT 2/24
A Wake-up Call: If you want to know what it’s like to fight back after a seriously debilitating stroke, Barbara Becker’s medical memoir Ictus will give you the down-and-dirty. Becker’s script emphasizes the agonizing frustration of impossibly slow recovery: “There’s a reason the hit television show is called ER and not Rehab.” In the torrent of words, it’s ironically the silent moments that are most effective: watching actor Laurel Johnson struggle for nearly 5 minutes to put on a pair of pants, or take her first dragging steps in a foot brace, is moving.
Caveats: Although there are 6 actors, the piece is virtually all monologue, with supporting characters most miming and occasionally chiming in. More dialogue would strength the script.
Details: Cleveland Public Theatre, http://www.cptonline.org.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein LindaATcoolcleveland.com

CityMusic Cleveland @ Fairmount Presbyterian 2/24 Who knew? If someone told you that Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night is a romance novel written in music, would you believe it? You should, because that’s exactly what it is. The basic plot of a romance novel (trust me on this one) is: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl. And they live happily ever after. There has to be a conflict, and one of the two persons involved has to get past the problem and decide he (or she) can’t live without the beloved. Read the poem that Schoenberg uses for this music, and it’s just a condensed version of a novel. Really..!
Read more from Kelly Ferjutz here

Had the audience not realized that fact, Music Director James Gaffigan made it very clear during his spoken program notes before the concerts this week by CityMusic Cleveland. The program was titled “Strings Attached” and featured four works for only the strings of this wonderful professional chamber orchestra. He not only told us the story of the poem, he had his musicians demonstrate it with illustrative bits of music. This is a great idea, because one knows what to listen for, most especially, and can therefore understand how the piece fits together. In this case, we knew that when the music made a dramatic switch from minor to major key, victory was at hand! It was a rich, lush performance, musically speaking.

To begin the program, there was a mostly-unfamiliar work by Edvard Grieg—Erotik—which belied its name entirely, being more romantic than erotic. It was, in fact, purely gorgeous. Mr. Gaffigan sat this one out; after a brief welcome and introduction, he announced that the musicians would conduct themselves appropriately. They did. All five string voices were clearly distinct in the resonant acoustics of Fairmount Presbyterian Church in Cleveland Heights. (He also commented on the sun pouring through the stained glass windows—a most uncommon sight as CityMusic Cleveland usually plays this venue in the evening, rather than afternoon.)

After a brief intermission, during which the audience was encouraged to enjoy refreshments and the exhibition of photographs by Ryn G. Clarke, it was another mostly unknown work—Intermezzo Op. 3 by Franz Schreker. The short work was treated seriously, and given a lovely performance.

Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik brought a question from Mr. Gaffigan to the audience “What’s the Koechel number?” Of course, several people knew the answer (K. 525) without even looking, to which the conductor responded, “and it goes on after the first movement!” Indeed, there are four delightful movements to this Serenade in G Major. After the most familiar first Allegro, the second afforded us even more Romanze. The Menuetto (third movement) was indeed gracefully performed, with a lovely duet back-and-forth between Michi Wiancko, concertmaster, and Nathan Olson, principal of the second violins. The Rondo finale was as though a bunch of sprites were dancing merrily through whatever space they might inhabit.

If you were unable to attend any of the several concerts throughout the area last week, tune in to WCLV-FM (104.9) or wclv.com on Sunday March 2 at 1 pm to hear a broadcast of this concert.

The next set of concerts by CityMusic Cleveland will be May 6-11, 2008, with Jennifer Koh as violin soloist. Mr. Gaffigan will conduct. For more specifics, visit the website: http://www.citymusiccleveland.org or call 321-8273.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.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) RoldoLINK Cuyahoga County Disaster Number One.
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2) iPod & iPhone courtesy Cool Cleveland.
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3) 43 Things to Do in Cleveland+ from the blog: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Your Boyfriend.
http://lifelibertypursuit.blogs.com

4) Pop-Up City Leap Night See the video & form for snowboarding.
www.PopUpCleveland.com

5) Local Musicians for the Kids by Jennifer Keirn.
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Simply Undebatable Once you click an issue pulled together by your friendly, neighborhood Hard Corps, your plans are bound to rev up. We like to call it our secret sauce effect. Thanks to Peter Chakerian, T.L. Champion, George Nemeth, Steve Copley, Mansfield B. Frazier, Kelly Ferjutz, Victor Lucas and Elsa Johnson, Claudia J. Taller, Susan Petrone, Susan Schaul, Roy Berko, Roldo Bartimole, David Budin, Linda Eisenstein and Greg Cielec. Special thanks to our friends at Cleveland State University and MSNBC. 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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