Cincinnati Opera - La Traviata Cincinnati Opera's Artistic Director, Evans Mirageas, shares his Opera Insights on a new production of La Traviata. From the creators of Cincinnati Opera's spectacular 2007 Aida, comes a sumptuous and romantic new production of Verdi's La Traviata. This opulent new production by director Bliss Hebert and designer Allen Charles Klein and will make its world premiere in Cincinnati. La Traviata is based on Alexandre Dumas's play, La Dame aux Camélias. The opera tells the story of a Parisian courtesan, Violetta, who falls in love with Alfredo, a young man from a prominent family. They make a new life, sacrificing all to be together, until his family's disapproval of their union forces them apart. In the end, the couple reunites only to be separated again—this time by Violetta's untimely death from consumption. La Traviata was last performed in Cincinnati in 2003. Cast includes Eglise Gutierrez, Richard Leech, Philippe Rouillon, Brendan Tuohy, Bill McGraw, Jeremy Kelly, David Michael, and Audrey Babcock. For more information go to Cincinnati Opera's website. Runtime: Barefoot in the Park Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's Summer Fling returns as they present the beloved Neil Simon romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park. Sherman Fracher and Lauren Shiveley from the production talk with Gregory Wool about the show. As one of Simon's earliest and most popular comedies, this light-hearted romance between a straight-laced lawyer and an impetuous free spirit begins where most romantic comedies end, bringing reality and humor to the life that happens after two people fall in love and get married. The production is directed by the company's Associate Artistic Director Matt Johnson. For more information about the production go to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's website. Runtime: 7 minutes 2007 World Piano Competition Young Artists Level Eight Watch excerpts from last year's 2007 World Piano Competition's Young Artist Division. Participants from Level Eight are highlighted in this video provided by the World Piano Competition and produced by ICRC. The 2008 52nd World Piano Competition Young Artist division begins on June 30 and runs through July 5. The Artist division competition begins on July 6 and runs through July 13. All performances will be held at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. For more information visit the World Piano Competition website. Runtime: 19 minutes 2007 World Piano Competition Young Artists Level Six Watch excerpts from last year's 2007 World Piano Competition's Young Artist Division. Participants from Level Six are highlighted in this video provided by the World Piano Competition and produced by ICRC. The 2008 52nd World Piano Competition Young Artist division begins on June 30 and runs through July 5. The Artist division competition begins on July 6 and runs through July 13. All performances will be held at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. For more information contact the World Piano Competition. Runtime: 14 minutes Cincinnati Opera's Florencia en el Amazonas Cincinnati Opera's Artistic Director, Evans Mirageas, shares his Opera Insights on the regional premiere of Daniel Catan's Florencia en el Amazonas. After receiving much acclaim in Houston, Seattle, and Los Angeles, Mexican composer Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas with its lush, romantic music and stunning sets will make its first voyage east to Cincinnati's stage. Inspired by the ''magic realism'' work of Gabriel García Márquez, the opera tells the story of Florencia Grimaldi, a famous European diva, who takes a steamboat journey down the Amazon River, returning home to give a concert and search for the man whose love gave her a voice. During her journey, Florencia encounters a number of interesting characters on the boat: a young couple in love, an older couple attempting to reignite love, the young reporter Rosalba, and the mythological Riolobo. Although the voyage is ultimately thwarted due to a cholera epidemic, the events of the journey provide valuable self-discovery for the passengers. Cast includes Alexandra Coku, Nmon Ford, Emily Golden, Shana Blake Hill, Arturo Chacon-Cruz, Carlos Archuleta, and Burak Bilgili. For more information visit Cincinnati Opera's website. Runtime: 10 minutes 2007 World Piano Competition Young Artists Level Four Watch excerpts from last year's 2007 World Piano Competition's Young Artist Division. Participants from Level Four are highlighted in this video provided by the World Piano Competition and produced by ICRC. The 2008 52nd World Piano Competition Young Artist division begins on June 30 and runs through July 5. The Artist division competition begins on July 6 and runs through July 13. All performances will be held at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. For more information visit the World Piano Competition website. Runtime: 12 minutes Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra's 2008-09 Season Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra's Music Director, Mischa Santora, talks with Mark Perzel about the upcoming 2008-09 season. Celebrating its 35th Anniversary Season, the Chamber Orchestra will lead off the season in the fall with Classic Relationships. Music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven will be played and excerpts from their letters will be read that will serve as a window into the hearts and minds of these great composers. Pianist Awadagin Pratt will kick off the season in September with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. 15. A Folk Music Festival will begin in March with a collaboration with the Vocal Arts Ensemble. The March concert will focus on comtemporary pieces inspired by fold music. The theme continues in April when lyric soprano Sarah Wolfson joins the CCO to sing traditional folk songs from Hungary and Italy. The season will close by honoring two famous Spanish Heros - Don Quixote and Don Juan. Madcap Puppet Theatre will join the CCO for a performance of De Falla's Master Peter's Puppet Show. Visit the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra website for all the details about next season. Runtime: 19 minutes Cincinnati Opera presents Famous Violettas Cincinnati Opera and the Cincinnati Opera Guild presented "Famous Violettas" an Opera Rap with music historian Hilary Poriss on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at the Taft Museum of Art. The role of Violetta has been performed by opera's greatest sopranos. Music historian Hilary Poriss explores divas who are famous and infamous for portraying the fallen woman from Verdi's La Traviata. Hilary Poriss, professor of music at Northeastern University, teaches survey classes in music history, courses on opera history, film music, and a variety of other topics. Her primary research interests are in the areas of Italian opera, performance practice, diva culture, and the aesthetics of 19th-century music and culture. She is currently writing a book titled Arias, Authorship, and the Prima Donna, which explores the practice of aria substitution in performance of bel canto opera by Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, and their contemporaries. "Famous Violettas" is part of a series of lectures featuring guest speakers leading conversations on topics related to Cincinnati Opera's 2008 Summer Festival. Video provided by Cincinnati Opera. Videographer was Luke Brockmeier. Runtime: 43 minutes Cincinnati Opera's Lucie de Lammermoor Cincinnati Opera's Artistic Director, Evans Mirageas, shares his Opera Insights on Lucie de Lammermoor. This French adaptation of the 1835 classic Lucia di Lammermoor was created in 1839 for the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. In Donizetti's best-known tragic opera, Lucie's hopes to marry her secret love, Edgard, are dashed when her greedy brother, Henri, forces her into a financially strategic marriage for his convenience with Arthur. Even her chaplain and tutor Raymond encourages her to renounce her vow to Edgard. This French version of the classic Italian opera expands the role of the huntsman, Normanno, into Gilbert, a scheming character who forces Lucie's brother Henri to play a more villainous role, and the earlier history of the romance between Lucie and Edgard is clarified. Cast includes Sarah Coburn, Mark Panuccio, Gaetan Laperriere, Alian Coulombe, John McVeigh and Jeremy Cady. For more information visit Cincinnati Opera's website. Runtime: 12 minutes New Stage Collective presents Jerry Springer: The Opera New Stage Collective concludes its acclaimed 2007-2008 season with the regional premiere of the sensational, award-winning musical Jerry Springer: The Opera, running June 26-August 3. Producing Artistic Director Alan Patrick Kenny and actor Nick Rose talk with Kendall Karg about the production. Jerry Springer: The Opera is the only work in British history to win Best Musical in all of their major awards: Olivier Awards, Critic's Choice, Evening Standard, and What's On Stage, along with many other awards. Jerry Springer: The Opera is a fascinating mix of what we think of as the highest form of art and the lowest form of culture: opera and daytime television. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Jerry Springer: The Opera presents a series of unusual characters that each are desperate for their "Jerry Springer moment." For more information about the production visit New Stage Collective's website. Runtime: 8 minutes Cincinnati Opera's Madame Butterfly Cincinnati Opera's Artistic Director, Evans Mirageas, shares his Opera Insights on Madame Butterfly. Cincinnati Opera opens its 88th season with Puccini's Madame Butterfly, one of the most popular Italian operas. Based on the play Madame Butterfly by David Belasco, dramatizing a true incident, the gorgeous score and tragic story of love and betrayal have captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Madame Butterfly remains one of the most frequently performed operas; it was last presented by Cincinnati Opera in 2001. The cast includes Shu-Ying Li, Frank Lopardo, John Hancock, Mika Shigematsu, Steven Cole, Alain Coulombe, Kelvin Chan, Miroslaw Witkowski, and Audrey Walstrom. For more information visit Cincinnati Opera's website. Runtime: 13 minutes Cincinnati Opera Rap: Florencia Magic Cincinnati Opera welcomes Mexican composer Daniel Catán to share his thoughts on his critically acclaimed 1996 opera, Florencia en el Amazonas. The opera follows the life of the heroine, Florencia, an opera singer who embarks on a mystical journey down the Amazon River. Cincinnati Opera is proud to present the regional premiere of Florencia in July. Runtime: 58 minutes May Festival 2008 Season James Conlon, Music Director of the Cincinnati May Festival, talks with Mark Perzel about the 2008 Festival, which opens May 16 with a full-length concert presentation of Verdi's La forza del destino with soprano Angela Brown and tenor Salvatore Licitra in the starring roles. On May 17, Beethoven's profound message of universal brotherhood, the Symphony No. 9, is paired with the Festival premiere of Requiem Ebraico, a moving work composed by Eric Zeisl in memory of his father, a victim of the Holocaust. The final night of the Festival features a multimedia presentation of Hector Berlioz's Romeo et Juliette. Other highlights include choral works of Bach, Vivaldi, Fauré and Rachmaninoff, and performances by some of today's established and rising stars, such as Angela Brown, Marco Caria, Ellie Dehn, Rodrick Dixon, Catherine Keen, Isabel Leonard, Salvatore Licitra, Morris Robinson, and others. Romeo and Juliet, 1884 (oil on canvas) by Sir Frank Dicksee (1853-1928)(c) Southampton City Art Gallery, Hampshire, UK/ The Bridgeman Art Library Nationality / copyright status: English / out of copyright Runtime: 25 minutes Speak Up! For the Arts Speak Up! For the Arts demonstrates why the arts are important for every child's education. Teachers, parents, administrators and artists share their thoughts on the impact of arts education and how to become an arts advocate.Visit the Speak Up! For the Arts website to find out how you can become an arts advocate. Runtime: 15 minutes Cincinnati Art Museum presents Rembrandt The Cincinnati Art Museum, building off of the success of its 2005 Rembrandt: Master Printmaker exhibition, has brought together for the first time from around the world three extraordinary Rembrandt van Rijn self-portraits, one of which had never traveled to America before coming to this exhibition. These masterpieces are dazzling examples of Rembrandt's remarkable skill and are highlighted in the Rembrandt: Three Faces of the Master exhibition now showing at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Dr. Benedict Leca, CAM's Curator of European Painting and Sculpture, talks with Kendall Karg about the exhibit. Rembrandt: Three Faces of the Master on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum March 8 to May 21, 2008 - organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum. Images seen on CETconnect: Self-Portrait with Gorget and Beret, 1629 Rembrandt van Rijn The Clowes Fund Collection Indianapolis Museum of Art Self-Portrait with Beret and Two Gold Chains, 1642-1643 Rembrandt van Rijn Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid Runtime: 12 minutes Rikki Tikki Tavi Ballet tech cincinnati presents Rikki Tikki Tavi as their 2008 Leaping for Literacy project. Producing Artistic Director Marvel Gentry Davis discusses the production with Kendall Karg, along with two performers Aanchal Srivastava and Courtney Hairston. Rikki Tikki Tavi is produced in collaboration with the Cultural Centre of India and features original choreography by Padma Chebrolu. Performances will be held at the Aronoff Center on May 2 & 3 and at the Carnegie Performing Arts Center in Covington on June 20 & 21. For more information go to ballet tech's website. Runtime: 7 minutes Playwright Steven Dietz at the Mercantile Library Playwright Steven Dietz will talk about his career writing and directing plays. Locally his works were recently performed at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure) and Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati (More Fun Than Bowling). Steven Dietz is one of America's most widely-produced and published contemporary playwrights. Since 1983, his twenty-plus plays have been seen at over one hundred regional theatres in the United States. His talk is part of the Mercantile Library's 2008 Winter Author Series. Runtime: 25 minutes Viewfinder - Sacred Spaces Melissa Godoy talks with producer Meg Hanrahan, cinematographer Beth Fowler, and editor Kim Mlinek about their film, Sacred Spaces which explores places of worship here in Cincinnati. It’s about more than just space and architecture, which is fascinating, but it’s also about the people who worship in these spaces, past and present. Runtime: 28 minutes MUSE presents Hope Come True MUSE, Cincinnati's Women's Choir, will present the 12th New Spirituals concert series and the premiere of Hope Come True by Dr. Rosephanye Powell. Music Director Catherine Roma talks with Kenall Karg about the premiere. MUSE will be joined by the Central State University Chorus - William Caldwell, conductor and Linda Tillery, Grammy award winning vocalist. The interview opens with rehearsals of Keep Yo' Lamps and concludes with Down By the Riverside. The combined voices of MUSE and the CSU Chorus will perform Hope Come True consisting of bold and expressive arrangements of traditional spirituals: "Keep Yo Lamps," In Dat Great Gittin' Up Mo'nin,'" and "Study War No More." Two original works by Powell complement the set. The composer draws from the stunning poetry of Langston Hughes for "To Sit and Dream," and creates her own text for the movement "Hope Come True." MUSE, Linda Tillery and the Central State University Chorus will also perform concert sets and congregational singing will round out the program. MUSE creates a new sound world in Hope Come True – combining the resonant messages of the traditional spiritual embodied in transcendent new arrangements, coupled with the original voice of Rosephanye Powell’s spirit-filled choral compositions. Concerts will be held in Cincinnati on April 5 and 6. For more information go to www.musechoir.org Runtime: 21 minutes A Tribute to Patricia Corbett Patricia and J. Ralph Corbett are among our community's most visible and generous benefactors. Their gifts range from the extensive renovation of Music Hall to many new performing arts facilities at area universities. What made Patricia Corbett so special was her genuine interest and enthusiasm for those who were creating the art she was supporting. FOCUS Special Report: Arts & Culture in Greater Cincinnati CET partnered with the Cincinnatus Association Arts and Culture committee to host a live, on-air forum regarding the impact of arts and cultural resources in Cincinnati. Robert Lynch, president & CEO of Americans for the Arts, was the keynote speaker for the forum. Now in his 30th year of work for the arts industry, Mr. Lynch has been motivated by his personal mission to empower communities and leaders to advance the arts and to advance appreciation for the arts in society. After the keynote speech, Focus host Kathy Lehr moderated a discussion among panelists, which included: James Schwab, Cincinnati Market President of US Bank Roxanne Qualls, member of Cincinnati City Council Ellen van der Horst, President & CEO of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Nancy Zimpher, president, University of Cincinnati Nique Swan, co-chair, Agenda 360 "Livable Communities". Panelists explored the impact a vibrant arts community has on the well-being of the entire community and discussed ideas such as attracting and retaining an engaged workforce, the importance of arts education in developing 21st century skills, and the economic impact of arts in our community. Questions from the studio audience, which has been specially invited by local arts organizations, were then answered by the panelists. If you have questions about the topics discussed in this program, you may call the Arts and Culture Partnership of the Fine Arts Fund at 513-871-2787 and visit their website. If you have questions or comments for the Cincinnatus Association, send an email to that organization or visit their website. Runtime: 60 minutes On the Same Page author Robert Olmstead 2008 On the Same Page author Robert Olmstead discusses Coal Black Horse with panelists from The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and the Mercantile Library. Mr. Olmstead gives insight into his research and writing process as well as describing his plans for making Coal Black Horse the first book of a trilogy. Runtime: 28 minutes Viewfinder - Southern Ohio Film Association Zo Wesson talks with Jerry Stone, the founder and education director of SOFA, the Southern Ohio Filmmakers Association. SOFA is a group of artists and a crew with the common goal of promoting filmmaking in the Greater Cincinnati area, and to raise the quality of filmmaking throughout the tri state. Runtime: 28 minutes Interview with the Performers from BOWFIRE Right now in Arts & Culture on CETconnect: Jack Dominic interviews three of the performers from the critically-acclaimed group BOWFIRE about their must-see concert coming to the Taft Theater on Friday, May 2nd. The performers interviewed are Lenny Soloman, Creator And Musical Director; Shane Cook, Fiddler; and Kelli Trottier, Fiddle, Stepdancer and Singer. Runtime: 6 minutes Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra Music Director, Mischa Santora, talks with Mark Perzel, from WGUC, about the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra's upcoming Baroque Series. On March 9th the concert will feature several examples of the musical form of Concerto Grosso. On March 30th the Chamber Orchestra joins forces with the Vocal Arts Ensemble in a performance of Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas. Soloists will be Soon Cho and Mark Panuccio. Runtime: 17 minutes John Doyle's production of the musical Company airs on CET The PBS series Great Performances teamed with Ellen M. Krass Productions and filmed the final performances of the Broadway musical Company, which won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. John Doyle debuted his reinvention of Company at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in March 2006 and it transfered to Broadway in November 2006. The show closed after 34 previews and 247 performances. Doyle's unique approach to find another way to tell the story is that the actor and musician are one and the same. All of the music comes from the characters and not an orchestra. In this video, director John Doyle discusses his revolutionary reinvention of classic musical theater pieces with CCM students. Runtime: 90 minutes Vocal Arts Ensemble presents The Unicorn The Vocal Arts Ensemble, under the direction of Earl Rivers will be joined by the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's Dance Department and Chamber Players to perform Gian Carlo Menotti's The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore. Nathan Bick, Operations Manager of the Vocal Arts Ensemble and Amanda Browning and Matt Stern from CCM's Dance department talk with Gregory Wool about the upcoming concert. Performances are March 1st and 2nd at CCM's Corbett Auditorium and Loveland's St. Margaret of York Catholic Church, respectively. Each program also features an outstanding area children's choir – Cincinnati Children's Choir - Bel Canto Choir on March 1st and York Youth Singers on March 2nd. Visit the Vocal Arts Ensemble's website for more information. Runtime: 11 minutes Opera Rap - I Love Lucy Cincinnati Opera and the Cincinnati Opera Guild present I Love Lucy! an Opera Rap with New York City Opera Dramaturg Cori Ellison. She will take a journey through historic productions, favorite recordings, and an introduction to the wonderfully romantic French version of Lucia di Lammermoor, first performed in Paris in 1839. Runtime: 1 hour and 14 minutes Cincinnati Opera - This Little Light of Mine Cincinnati Opera presents This Little Light of Mine: The Stories of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price, a musical tribute honoring the groundbreaking careers of these opera legends. The production with soprano Adrienne Danrich celebrates two African-American opera legends with well-known opera excerpts, moving dialogue, and poignant multi-media images. Both Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price overcame many racial barriers from the Jim Crow era through the Civil Rights Movement to become international opera stars. Ms. Anderson became the first African-American singer to perform at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York and Ms. Price would take that torch and carry it to The Metropolitan Opera and the most prestigious opera houses around the world. After a successful debut tour in 2007, Cincinnati Opera is presenting the piece again this year for a sold-out school tour February 9–22, with a public performance on Monday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the Freedom Center's Harriet Tubman Theater. This program is recommended for students in grades 6–12, families, and adults. Runtime: 15 minutes CCM's Miss Lonelyhearts In CETconnect Arts & Culture, this week's video on demand features the Opera department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music's Midwest premiere of Miss Lonelyhearts. The production is a collaboration between CCM, The Juilliard School, the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. Composer Lowell Liebermann and libretist J.D. McClatchy have created a dark, yet comic work based on the 1933 novella by Nathanael West. Director Ken Cazan discusses the production with Jonathan Silver. Runtime: 10 minutes Creating Community and Engaging with Art at the Contemporary Arts Center Contemporary Arts Center director Raphaela Platow talks about her first six months on the job and her plans for the future -- from upcoming exhibits to creating an artistic communal public space within CAC. Runtime: 20 minutes Viewfinder: The Cats of Mirikitani Host Zo Wesson talks with filmmaker Linda Hattendorf about her documentary The Cats of Mirikitani. Linda was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and holds degrees in Literature, Art History, and Media Studies. This is her directorial debut. Eighty-year-old Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima, and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of friendship and art, this documentary won the Audience Award at its premiere in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. Runtime: 29 minutes