CAA Annual Report 2019
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2019 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY In the Rooms Where it Happens 1 of local artists at the Weston Community, which celebrates the Art Gallery, from a wedding many spaces in which the magic at the Music Hall Ballroom and wonder of art happen in our to a corporate meeting in the venues and in the community. As The Aronoff Center’s Green Room, you read through this report, we the theaters and gathering hope that you will be reminded theatrical spaces at our venues are not of the times and places that the event of Cincinnati’s only where the arts happen, arts made a difference in your life. 2018–19 Season, and arguably the but also where a variety of Thank you for your support of theatrical event of the decade, memorable life experiences the Cincinnati Arts Association was the mega-hit Broadway engage the community. and the work that we do each musical Hamilton, which made In addition, we are proud year. It is a privilege to be a part its long-awaited Aronoff Center to reach thousands of students of Cincinnati’s extraordinary premiere on February 19, 2019 and adults each season through arts community and to provide experiences that have the power to not only entertain, but also to educate, heal, and expand hearts, minds, and souls — experiences that allow Dear us to take a collective breath. To paraphrase Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton, “We’re not throwin’ away our shot!” In Friends other words, we pledge to help keep the arts alive and thriving in Cincinnati USA for years of the Arts to come, which makes this region one of the finest cultural destinations in the nation. We as a presentation of Fifth Third our arts education and Arts in hope that you will join us Bank Broadway in Cincinnati, Healing programs, which are often in “the rooms where it presented by TriHealth. In presented at our venues and also happens” to experience the wide the show, Aaron Burr sings “I throughout the region at a variety diversity of exceptional visual wanna be in the room where of locations in schools, hospitals, and performing arts that can be it happens.” During Hamilton’s community centers, hospice discovered across the Tri-state. three-week, sold-out run, more facilities, and more. See you at the theater! than 60,000 audience members The 2018–19 Season marked were excited to be where it our twenty-fourth year of the happened (in the Procter & combined operations of the Gamble Hall) to experience Aronoff Center and Music Hall. this brilliant work of art. We are grateful to the many For more than two decades, individuals and organizations the Cincinnati Arts Association that were a part of another has been dedicated to the extremely successful season: management of the many “rooms our board of trustees, resident where it happens” at two of companies, artists, designers, Stephen A. Loftin Dudley S. Taft the Tri-state’s most popular arts technicians, sponsors, donors, President Chairman, destinations — the Aronoff members, administrative staff, Cincinnati Arts Board of Trustees Center and historic Music Hall. volunteers, subscribers, and Association Cincinnati Arts From a Cincinnati Symphony audience members. Association Orchestra concert in Springer We are pleased to present Auditorium to an exhibition to you our 2019 Report to the 2019 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY • CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION 2 2018–19 Season Presenting The Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2018–19 Presenting Season offered diverse audiences a variety of entertainment options, including music, magic, drag queens, and more. These intriguing national tours continued CAA’s long-standing mission of presenting an eclectic mix of alternative entertainment choices to complement another exciting arts season in the Tri-state. The Music Hall Ballroom — a non-traditional performance space — became the room where it happened for five of CAA’s season presentations. 3 ROCK OF AGES: Tenth Anniversary Tour NOVEMBER 15 • ARONOFF CENTER – PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL The Aronoff Center rocked with this mind-blowing, face-melting, nothin’-but-a-good time, Tony Award- nominated Broadway musical which celebrated popular hits by ’80s hair bands, including Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, and Journey. Henry Rollins — Travel Slideshow Tour 2018 SEPTEMBER 20 • MUSIC HALL BALLROOM The punk rock icon, Renaissance man, and keen observer shared pictures and compelling commen- tary from his extensive journeys all over the world, including the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, South America, and Antarctica. RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World Tour 2018 OCTOBER 18 • ARONOFF CENTER – PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL The infamous queens of the hit TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race — including Season 10 winner Aquaria — werqued the Procter & Gamble Hall with fierce looks, never-before-seen-theatrics, and over-the-top production numbers. The FUN Show with Cat & Nat OCTOBER 25 • MUSIC HALL BALLROOM The popular viral mom duo from Toronto truly put on a FUN show for more than 1,000 local moms (and some of their husbands), including chit chat with Cat and Nat, games, impromptu dancing, and lots of cocktails! 2019 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY • CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION 4 An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas, starring Evan Tyrone Martin DECEMBER 5–7 • ARONOFF CENTER – JARSON-KAPLAN THEATER Chicago-sensation Evan Tyrone Martin brought music legend Nat King Cole to life on stage in a warm and intimate holiday concert with many of Cole’s hit songs, including “L-O-V-E,” “Mona Lisa,” and “The Christmas Song.” Justin Willman — Magic in Real Life Tour FEBRUARY 23 • MUSIC HALL BALLROOM This magician/comedian, Netflix star, and social media sensation wowed an audience of all ages and proved why the L.A. Times called him “a new breed of magician who’s making magic cool again for grown-ups.” 5 Jeff Tweedy — WARM Tour APRIL 17 • MUSIC HALL BALLROOM The front-man of the popular rock group Wilco went solo in an intimate evening of songs, including selections from his latest release, WARM, and some of his fan favorites — a rare experience with Tweedy that was personal and unfiltered. An Adam Experiment: A one-man play on the life of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Rob Lowe: Stories I Only Tell MARCH 1 • ARONOFF CENTER – JARSON-KAPLAN THEATER My Friends LIVE! Written and directed by New York based actor JUNE 1 • ARONOFF CENTER – Michael Chenevert, this powerful one-man play PROCTER & GAMBLE HALL explored a day-in-the life of Adam Clayton Powell, a The charismatic film/ pioneering crusader for justice and equality during TV star and Brat Pack the Civil Rights movement. member charmed his fans with his funny One Funny Mother and insightful one-man show — a peek behind MARCH 21 • MUSIC HALL BALLROOM the curtain at Hollywood, Dena Blizzard, the viral fame, fatherhood, marriage, video star and off-Broadway and a life lived at the forefront comedy sensation, enter- of culture for four decades. tained hundreds of moms with her hit one-woman show — a hilariously relatable collection of stories that made moms realize they’re not crazy, but motherhood sure is! Black Violin APRIL 16 • MUSIC HALL – SPRINGER AUDITORIUM Black Violin, led by classically trained string players Will B. (viola) and Kev Marcus (violin), wowed a sold- out crowd with a musical style they call “classical boom” — a unique blend of classical and hip hop that overcomes stereotypes. 2019 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY • CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION 6 Alice F. and Harris K. Artists never stop wondering and creating works that express curiosity about Weston our world. The Weston Art Gallery strives to organize and distill their output in Art Gallery the most fascinating shows imaginable. Nearly 24,000 visitors experienced Weston 2018–19 Exhibition Season Art Gallery programming last year with all its diverse, stimulating, and challenging exhibition an illusionistic manipulation identity, and public access to content. The 2018–19 season of space, while Wide Angle, an information and government celebrated artistic ambition with evocative exhibition featured in control. To conclude the massive installations, immersive the lower galleries showcased season, Andrew Leicester’s environments, and sophisticated local, national, and international Cincinnati Gateway Revisited presentations of new works and artists employing innovative was a historical flashback to the recent projects. To deepen the collage techniques. Alex Hibbitt’s origin of Cincinnati’s flying pig understanding and appreciation suspended porcelain sculpture phenomena and documented the of art, workshops, public lectures, investigated the intersection of perils of public sculpture. and collaborative performances biology and technology and was The Weston’s concert were offered to further engage complemented by the concurrent series — a Cincinnati best-kept the community and offer time Synthetica exhibition featuring secret — continued to grow and and space for dialogue. The artists experimenting with draw enthusiastic audiences to Weston is also committed to synthetic materials to create a intimate live performances of the sharing exhibitions via public unique visual language. Curator C. talented musicians who associate tours, Families Create! sessions, M. Turner’s immersive exhibition with Salon 21 and Southbank online media, and the Docentitos design for the group exhibition Quartet. On the outrageous side, youth outreach program. Thoughts Made Visceral explored Rebel/Revel was a live standing- The 24th season was text and ideas that operate on room-only performance evening launched with two outstanding the periphery of perception. celebrating Cincinnati’s LGBTQ FotoFocus (FF) exhibitions Dominic Guarnaschelli, Migiwa community at the close of Rachel curated by FF Deputy Director Orimo, and Rachel Rampleman Rampleman’s exhibition Oh! You Carissa Barnard: Chris Engman’s presented provocative, socially Pretty Things. Exhibitionism: stunning photographic conscious exhibitions examining Carnivale, the Gallery’s annual installation inhabited the conflicts between religion and fundraiser capped the season in street-level atrium combining science, masculine/feminine festive style.