An American in Paris Ball: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Happy New Year! We're back!

Ahhhh. Dan and I needed a long holiday. Plus, throughout most of December, we weren't doing much of anything worth blogging about, so what better time to take a breather?

On New Year's Eve, we attended the American in Paris Ball at Music Hall.

We wanted to do something just for ourselves, as we'd spent the better part of December with family and friends. (Absolutely a blessing, but an exhausting one!) We thought it'd be lovely to walk through our backyard (er, Washington Park) to Music Hall to ring in the new year.

The night began with a fantastic concert of Gershwin pieces, including "Rhapsody in Blue" with Michael Chertock as pianist. Fantastic! There were also some vocal cameos by two CCM students-- an awesome addition to the Broadway pieces.

Afterwards we shuffled into the ballroom for a seated dinner, open bar, dancing and champagne toast. We made great new friends at our table, including Cincinnati's own Marilyn Harris. How great to meet her and chat all evening! Our entire table was full of gregarious, fun people.

I can only hope that all of 2011 looks this beautiful.

I do have to throw one small wrench in the gear: Dan and I were the youngest people there by ~40 years. ...Okay, there were a few other people our age, but we were definitely in the minority. :) Didn't bother me at all, but something to note for the future!

We closed Music Hall down. An incredible event at a gorgeous venue. Happy New Year, everyone!

An American in Paris Ball: http://cincinnatisymphony.org/Content.php?id=55

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra: http://cincinnatisymphony.org/Home.php

Cincinnati Pops season opener with Idina Menzel

Art is my number one connection with this city, and a huge part of my "re-adventure." While I love the new(-to-us) restaurants, shops and events that Dan and I take in, the easiest way for me to fall in love with Cincinnati over and over again is through art, art, art.


Through my much-beloved Enjoy the Arts* subscription, I managed to snag three tickets to the Cincinnati Pops season opener... on opening night... third row center... for half price. (Guh.) My mom, my guy and I were itching to get back to the symphony, especially as Idina Menzel was their guest performer.

The first act was Idina-free and super-short... which I lamented, a bit. The Pops began with a tribute to a symphony member they'd recently lost, which reduced my mom and me to tears within the first few notes. After a moment of silence, they transitioned into a selection of Broadway tunes, such as the overture from West Side Story, but it was over far too quickly. Yes, I was anxious to see Ms. Menzel, but this symphony is incredibly talented and I could have listened to them all night.

(I suppose there are plenty of opportunities for that, yes?)


And then there was Idina Menzel. Menzel's act was much longer, but it was over in the blink of an eye. Menzel is the kind of woman who owns a stage-- you can tell she grew up as an actress, not solely as a chanteuse. She was ribald and goofy at times, though she also displayed perfectly controlled moments of grace and charm. You could get whiplash watching her change character between pensive lounge singer and goofy new mother. (Idina Menzel has a one-year-old boy, Walker, and anecdotes and toddler-songs dominated my least favorite part of her set.)


The best moment in the night-- I'll say "for me" but I think it'd be hard for anyone to argue-- was toward the end, when Menzel set down her microphone and powered through "For Good" from Wicked, a capella and peering into the audience to make sure she was connecting with the people in the nosebleeds. It's moments like that which take a performance to a higher level, and I think it was more than just the Wicked fans who were touched by this moment of engagement.

My seats were so close to the stage that I could read the pianist's song book to see what she was going to sing next. I think I've been spoiled.

Cincinnati Pops website: http://cincinnatipops.org/Home.php
Idina Menzel's website: http://www.idinamenzel.com/
Enjoy the Arts website: http://www.enjoythearts.org/

*Enjoy the Arts, which I've mentioned over and over again, makes me feel like I am robbing the artists sometimes, because I get such insane deals (and frequent free tickets) to local venues. As I was explaining to my mom, I can't wait to grow into the artistic benefactor I hope to be some day, and be able to support programs like this so that people like me can get hooked on the arts at a young age.

Cincinnati Opera: Otello

Some days, I'm the luckiest girl alive.


I scored these tickets through my Enjoy the Arts subscription. I've had nothing but praise for this program; I earned my subscription price back with my first purchase, so tickets to Otello were essentially free.

"Would you like to see Toy Story 3 tonight? Or maybe go to the mother-flippin' opera?"


And the breathtaking Music Hall is now-- literally?-- in my backyard. We walked; it took maybe three minutes. Goodbye, anxiety over parking! Farewell, leaving an hour ahead of the event! Hello, an almost-too-short walk from my new home! (Also ran into our neighbor there. Hi John!)


I'd been to a few touring productions of operas in college-- tons of great acts come through Miami and students can get a great discount-- but I don't believe I'd ever been to the Cincinnati Opera. I grew up listening to my mom talk about the great arts in Cincinnati, including our much-lauded ballet and opera, but this was my first chance to partake.

I wasn't aware that the opera offers an educational preamble an hour before the show; I devoured that, and I'm so glad they open that to ticket-holders!

The show itself, I really liked. I learned in the preamble that our Otello was sick-- he's used to singing in Italy, and had an allergic reaction to our... wait for it... extreme air conditioning. That was a bit distracting, what with the coughing and snot-wiping he tried to hide during his performance. (Maybe not everyone could tell? Hello, fifth row!) However, I'd be an idiot not to tell you that his voice was astounding, and that's what we were really all there for, wasn't it?

Our Otello wasn't what I would have expected. Otello is a dashing war general with a passionate love life, yes? But Dan and I agreed that the Otello standing before us was more of the stereotypical "Italian opera singer" type... a rotund, red-faced Pavarotti, where I expected... hm, not sure. Not a white guy, that's for sure. (Moor of Venice?) I tried, but I also couldn't really pick up on the love connection between Otello and Dezzi. There was no spark there, especially not one worth stabbin' over.

But at the end of the day we're there to hear some world-famous arias, right? Isn't that why we see Verdi's version over the local high school's rendition? The singing did not disappoint, allergies and all. I'm not sure I could have asked for a better Cincinnati Opera initiation-- and if I weren't going to be out of town, I'd absolutely hit up La Boheme.


Cincinnati Opera: http://www.cincinnatiopera.com/

Dear Vanity Fair

There's been some recent backlash about a Vanity Fair article, wherein they mention that Cincinnatians have "meager pickings" to boast about. I first heard about this through Kate the Great's snappy retort, and shortly thereafter, WineMeDineMe suggested that other Cincinnati bloggers take up the charge.

Kate touched on food and art. A few points of my Cincinnati pride, from a historical perspective:


The Cincinnati Zoo is the second-oldest in the country, with the oldest existing zoo building (the Reptile House). It mates Sumatran rhinos. It's home to white tigers and record-breaking cheetahs. It is one of the best zoos in the country, and I can walk there from our current home in Clifton.


The Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team. Our mayor may not be able to throw a ball, but you must respect the heritage of our original Red Stockings.


The Cincinnati Opera is the second-oldest in the country, trailing only behind the New York Met. Music Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings in Cincinnati and boasts a rich history of its own, including playing host to the 1880 Democratic National Convention.


And Union Terminal (Cincinnati Museum Center) is my personal favorite landmark and stunning example of Art Deco style (not to mention the inspiration for the Halls of Justice).

Cincinnati is much more than the living museum I'm making it out to be, but as I delve deeper and deeper into the history of this city, I become more and more proud of its heritage and its roots. There is art, there is architecture, there is history, and I am proud to boast about the Queen City.