Hello, readers! A diverse crop of shows on Dayton-area stages throughout February from community theater to national tours leads this week’s Gem City Living newsletter.
I saw Dayton Playhouse’s delightful production of the R-rated, puppet-driven musical “Avenue Q” last weekend and highly recommend it if you’re in the mood for profane silliness. I also expect Dayton Theatre Guild to deliver the goods as they enter February with their local premiere of “The Minutes,” a timely comedy about a contentious city council meeting.
Fans of the sexy Broadway musical “Chicago” will likely flock to see it again at the Schuster Center next week, and a revised look at the classic musical “Peter Pan” should be a great draw for families (there’s even a 10 a.m. Saturday morning performance!). Check out our list of February shows.
This week’s edition also spotlights the Dayton Record Fair, the Visual Voices storytelling of Black poets, the art of sign painting and a powerful Oscar-nominated epic.
Let us know what you think. If you have thoughts, feedback or news tips, please email me at Russell.Florence@coxinc.com.
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😊Around Town: 10 things to do in Dayton this weekend
Attention music fans! The Dayton Record Fair will take place Feb. 9 at Eudora Brewing Company in Kettering. You’ll have a chance to peruse or purchase thousands of new and used records, CDs, tapes and memorabilia including rare collectibles. A full food menu, sodas and craft beers will also be available. Here’s a preview of the event.
🎤Poetry: Visual Voices: Storytelling through Poetry
Celebrate the first weekend of Black History Month in the Wright-Dunbar district. On Sunday, Feb. 2, Ohio poets Leroy D. Bean, Krista Franklin, Amanda M. Hayden, Furaha Henry-Jones, Sierra Leone and Scott Woods will perform ekphrastic poetry, which describes a work of art and the poet’s response to it.
Curated by Leone, team member of the “Seed of Life” 8/4 Memorial, the event includes poetry and performing art integrating spoken word, music and movement. Coinciding with Willis “Bing” Davis' “Visual Voices: An Exhibition by African American Artists Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s 1964 Dayton, Ohio, Speech,” the event will take place from 2-4 p.m. at Black Palette Gallery, 1139 W. Third St.
💖Around Town: Valentine’s Day options around Dayton
Adrien Brody is one of the best and most expressive actors of his generation. I still get chills thinking of his extraordinary, Oscar-winning work in 2002’s “The Pianist,” and I was blown away again watching his equally emotional portrayal of architect László Tóth in this epic drama, spanning 50 years and nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture. Brody is the Best Actor frontrunner as the brilliant yet flawed Holocaust survivor with a drug addiction that rattles his pursuit of the American dream.
Guy Pearce, charming yet menacing as a wealthy industrialist, and Felicity Jones, a knockout as László‘s wife especially in a dinner scene you’ll never forget, heighten the action, which clocks in at a hefty yet impactful 3 hours and 35 minutes including intermission. For more information, visit neonmovies.com.
🖼️Fine arts: Museum of Art to host first national stop of new exhibition
The Springfield Museum of Art is saluting the seven-decade career of renowned Ohio-born artist Aminah Robinson in the traveling exhibition “Aminah Robinson: Journeys Home, a Visual Memoir.” The exhibit features more than 60 pieces reflecting her mission (the everyday lives of Black people and social injustice) and aesthetic (such as buttons, music boxes, fabrics and found objects). Read more about the exhibit.
🎵Music: Country singer who was on Team Blake on “The Voice” joins fiddle player for Hamilton performance
Country singer Chris Kroeze, runner-up on Season 15 of “The Voice” as a member of Team Blake, will join fiddle player, singer and songwriter Natalie Murphy on Feb. 1 at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton. Set list includes songs by Garth Brooks, Patsy Cline and Charlie Daniels. Read more about the concert and their collaboration.
🚴♀️Get Active: New Centerville wellness center has rowing fitness at the forefront
🎬 ICYMI: “The Six Triple Eight” among 2025 Oscar nominees
Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight,” chronicling the trailblazing story of World War II’s first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color led by Daytonian Charity Adams Earley, is in the history books as an Oscar nominee. The film was recognized in the Original Song category for Diane Warren’s ballad “The Journey.” Read reactions to the Oscar nomination and more about the film, which is streaming on Netflix.
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