One of my favorite beer pairing events was Great Lakes Brewing Company’s comic books and beer night

When I hear the phrase “beer pairings,” my thoughts – as yours probably do – immediately go to beer and food. From cheese and chocolate to bacon, seafood, and sushi.

However, this post is not about that kind of pairing. (If you’re here looking for that, save the date for Cleveland Beer Week 2014 October 10-18, which promises to be full of great food and beer events.)

Instead, I’m talking today about beer paired with some unexpected activities. From comedy to science to art, here are 3 upcoming events if you’d like to do something different while drinking your favorite pint.

Did you miss Great Lakes Science Center’s Yuri’s Night? I have good news for you:

This Thursday, June 26, GLSC is continuing their series of 21-and-over ‘Science After Dark’ events with HOME BREW from 6:30-9:30 pm.

• Do you know what happens to beer when you take away air pressure? Witness it firsthand when the Science Center staff tests it out with different kinds of brews. 
• Want to learn about home brewing? Meet Paul and Reed from Cleveland Brew Shop at their “Yeast: The Workhorse of Beer” demonstration.
• Ever wondered, as I have, why your speech sounds funny after you start drinking? Dr. Amee Shah of CSU’s Speech Acoustics & Perception Lab will discuss your brain on booze.

There will also be hands-on activities including LEGO-building and science board and card games created by Cleveland Institute of Art students. Or you can try creating a putt-putt golf hole using everyday materials.

And, of course, beer and coffee samples from Fat Head’s Brewery, Crafted Artisan Meadery, Jackie O’ Brewery, Great Lakes Brewing Company, and Phoenix Coffee will be available.·

Tickets are $18 in advance/$21 at the door (only $12 for members). Buy tickets online here or call 216-621-2400.

“Avengers Artists, Assemble!”

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional, amateur, or completely-out-of-practice artist like me. Join the Cleveland Drink & Draw Social Club at one of their twice-monthly meetups. They’re at Great Lakes Brewing Company the first Wednesday and Lava Lounge the third Thursday of every month.

That means the next one is July 2nd in GLBC’s Rockefeller Room (7-11pm).

Started in 2012 by the Rust Belt Monster Collective, the Drink & Draw Social Club is “a place to exchange techniques, build contacts, and most importantly; bond over what is far too often a solitary passion.”

All you have to do is bring your art supplies. Every event also includes group “jam pieces” and prizes from long-time supporters Carol And John’s Comic shop. 

Not into science or art? Well, everyone likes to laugh.

On July 10, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s YP Pantry group will be hosting the inaugural BrewHaha – Lager and Laughs for Hunger Relief.

From 6-9pm at the Food Bank’s distribution center, enjoy the talents of Last Call Cleveland and local comedians Josh Womack, Mary Santora, and Jake Solomon while sampling beer from Chardon BrewWorks, Great Lakes, Market Garden, Willoughby Brewing Company, Platform Beer Company, Deschutes Brewery and others.

The comedy show will be hosted by the always-hilarious Bill Squire, co-host of the Alan Cox Show and live music will be provided by Newshoes.  

Individual tickets are $25, which includes 20 samples of beer in a souvenir beer tasting glass and the evening’s entertainment. Tickets for two are discounted at $45 and designated drivers can enjoy water, non-alcoholic beverages and all of the performances for only $10. Get them here.

All proceeds from the evening go to benefit the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s mission to provide food to those in need.

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I hope you check out at least one of, if not all of these events. The Cleveland beer scene is incredible, and it’s exciting to see the city not just embrace it, but do so in such eclectic ways.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend the Great Lakes Science Center’s HOME BREW with a guest. I also used to be on the YP Pantry board. However, I chose to blog about these events independently of those decisions and the opinions are 100% mine.

Team Sawyer is turning to the eastside and taking over the space that used to house Sergio’s in University Circle. Inspired by dishes from northern Italy’s Trentino region, the plan is to open by May of this year.

What sets Trentina apart from the team’s other restaurants is that this is the first one they are opening on their own. As they wrote on their Kickstarter project: No outside influences, just us.

Unsurprisingly, Trentina’s Kickstarter  funded at nearly double their original goal, netting $39,583 from 206 backers.

Disclosure: I contributed to the Kickstarter because I think it’s a great idea for a restaurant and, as someone in the process of launching a comics label with my husband, appreciate the desire to have something that’s yours.

In addition to helping raise funds for Trentina, the Kickstarter was an excellent way to include the community in the restaurant’s creation.

Although the Kickstarter may be over, you have another way to contribute to Trentina thanks to their partnership with MOCA Cleveland.

A visit to one of MOCA’s Family Nights sparked an idea for the design of Trentina. As Amelia writes on Chef’s Widow, “What if our community built an art installation that could be viewed year round at the restaurant?”

Through April 12, visit Cleveland’s Museum of Contemporary Art for INTERMISSION: Community Chandelier Project where you can help build the chandelier that will hang in Trentina.

Scott and I recently dropped by MOCA’s free first floor to add beads to the wire strings that will construct the chandelier.

When the chandelier is complete, color beads will represent the entire community who came out to show their support. A plaque will hang in the restaurant detailing the community’s effort and the history behind the project.

The Trentina chandelier project will continue through April 12 during the museum’s hours:Tuesday-Sunday, 11–5 pm; open until 9 pm Thursdays; and closed Mondays. MOCA staff confirmed late last week that the only date the project won’t be available is March 28.

While you’re at MOCA, take some time to also explore the museum’s current exhibits and upcoming events.

The 2 exhibits at MOCA through June 8 are DIRGE: Reflections on [Life and] Death and Sara VanDerBeek’s solo show looking at Cleveland’s landscape and the changes it’s undergoing. A list of the museum’s other programming, including lectures, performances, and hands-on activities, can be found here.

Admission to the museum is free for MOCA Cleveland members and children 5 and under. General Admission is $8 ($6 Ages 65+, $5  Students with valid ID).

The first Saturday of the month is free for everyone and features special programming. The next one on April 5 includes a 15 minute Target Talk, led by museum staff who share their personal reflections on the exhibits, ArtSquad activities for families with kids 10 and under, and a free bookbinding workshop offered by the Cleveland Institute of Art. And, of course, Trentina’s community chandelier and other projects on the first floor are always free.

Since cutting down my blog posts to twice a week, there’s been a lot I’ve wanted to write about but haven’t had time to. So, in lieu of cloning myself for the purpose of blogging (I don’t know what Scott would say about that!), I put together this list of upcoming events in Cleveland and other news that caught my eye.

MIX Americana at Cleveland Museum of Art – July 5

An All-American MIX: The next MIX event at the Cleveland Museum of Art is this Friday, July 5. To celebrate Independence Day, the museum is taking MIX outdoors onto their beautiful south steps. If you’ve ever been to Solstice, you’ll know what an incredible place it is for a party. MIX: Americana will feature local Ohio brews, music from Akron’s indie folk band Bethesda, and art programming celebrating the American art collection. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door, FREE for members.

Finding Time for the 4th: This Fourth of July is going to be a quiet one in the Hicken household. I’m looking forward to redecorating my home office now that I have a desk moved in (no more typing on my coffee table!), and then maybe heading down to Cedar Point to watch some fireworks. Not sure where to go in your area for fireworks and Fourth of July festivities? Find Time for Fun has this comprehensive list of Northeast Ohio celebrations. And don’t forget the Port of Cleveland Tall Ships Festival July 3-7.

Whole Foods’ Pie in July:  When I’m at a summer BBQ, the perfect ending is a slice of fresh fruit pie. And I’m glad Whole Foods agrees because from July 1 through 14, stop by the Cedar Center Whole Foods in University Heights and pick up any of their 9” pies for only $9.99. Available pies include Blueberry, Cherry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Apple, Peach, Coconut Cream Pie, Chocolate Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Banana Cream Pie and Pecan. I’ll take one of each!  Update: You can also attend a free pie-tasting at the Woodmere Whole Foods on July 6 from 11am-3pm.

Free pre-FringeNYC performance of Double Heart – July 7

See Cleveland’s Double Heart before FringeNYC: This Spring, Cleveland playwright David Hansen premiered his new play Double Heart (The Courtship of Beatrice and Benedick) as part of Great Lakes Theater’s touring educational program.  A prequel to Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”, it was enjoyed by over 2,400 audience members at 22 school and community sites across northern Ohio. And now it’s going to New York City – having been accepted into the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC)!

Before it heads to the bright lights of the Big Apple, you can catch a one-night-only, FREE performance on July 7 at Talespinner Children’s Theatre. The performance starts at 7pm. It’s always awesome to see something created, staged and produced by Cleveland artists recognized on a national scale like this.

Jingle in July: Although the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell 5K isn’t until December, the Northeast Ohio chapter is kicking things off on July 24th with a fun Jingle in July party at Legacy Village’s Lilly Pulitzer. From 5-8pm, enjoy a presentation from the Lilly Pulitzer team about Fall fashion trends, learn more about the Jingle Bell Run/Walk on December 8, and nibble on some holiday-themed cocktails and cookies. 10% of that night’s sales goes towards the Arthritis Foundation. Follow @JingleBellCLE for more details.

Cleveland Botanical Garden’s Glasshouse celebrates 10 years – July 14

Botanical Garden’s Glasshouse Turns 10: When the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse opened its doors on July 15, 2003, the Cleveland Botanical Garden was transformed into a destination experience that could be enjoyed year-round. On July 14, the Botanical Garden celebrates the Glasshouse’s 10th anniversary with free admission to the Garden and Glasshouse from noon – 5pm, meet-and-greet opportunities with Glasshouse horticulturists and animal-care staff all day, Creature Features at 1 and 3 pm, and Butterfly Releases at 2 and 4 pm.

Let’s “Shakes” on It: Now in its 16th season of free summer Shakespeare, The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival brings the Bard to outdoor venues all around Cleveland through August 4. This season’s 2 productions playing in repertory are Measure for Measure and Two Gentlemen of Verona. Shakespeare’s words are infused with hints of New Orleans jazz and gospel, fairytales and Commedia dell’ Arte in these performances which are entirely free. And keep an eye out on their website – www.cleveshakes.com – to see when their next Shakespeare Open Mic takes place.

Attention, CLE Bloggers: Picnic in the Park: On July 23, join the Ohio Blogging Association members for a summer picnic at Tremont’s Lincoln Park. Bring dinner from home or pick something up at the Tremont Farmers Market. Over dinner in the park, we’ll meet for an open discussion on blogging. Bring your thoughts, comments, and concerns to share with one another.

Chucklefck’s Freekshows on July 5 and July 12 are just 2 of their 6 comedy shows this July

Your Funny Bone Fix: With six Chucklefck shows this July, there’s no excuse to not have a smile on your face. Tonight, stop by Reddstone for The Dating Game hosted by Mike Polk Jr.: Romance. Slow dance. Laughs. $2 canned beer. 25 cent wings. Even if you don’t find love, you’re sure to have a laugh and a good time.

Other comedy performances include:

• The free comedy Supershow on July 3 at Underdog
• Freekshow’s Free Show for ‘Merica at the Centrum Theatre on July 5
• Freekshow with Bill Squire on July 12
• Ramon Rivas II’s monthly World’s Best Basement show at the Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s pub on July 17
• Chucklefck Comedy Stage at the Rock City Festival on July 26

Summer Drinks and Eats with PlayhouseSquare Partners:  Partners ventures into Cleveland’s neighborhoods to enjoy some delicious eats this summer. The next PlayhouseSquare Dine Around takes place on July 16 with a trip to the Gordon Square Arts District. Choose from Luxe, Spice, The Harp, or Reddstone. After dinner, the entire group will meet up at Stone Mad to enjoy drinks on the patio.

Partners will then head over to Lago’s new spot on August 8 for a summer wines tasting. From 5:30-6:30pm a wine representative and Lago’s Sommelier will be present to guide attendees through 4 wine and small-bite pairings. You do not need to be a PlayhouseSquare Partner to attend either event.  The wine tasting is $30 advance, $40 night-of. You pay for what you order at the Dine Around.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend MIX and the Jingle in July events. I am also a member of PlayhouseSquare Partners and the Ohio Blogging Association. My choice to blog about these events and my opinions about them are 100% my own.

The Bowser-like entrance of Exxopolis at PlayhouseSquare’s International Children’s Festival

Last night, Scott and I stepped off the streets of Cleveland into an alien world. I can’t do it justice, but what looked a little like Bowser’s Super Mario World Castle from the outside, on the inside was like walking through a series of gigantic balloons.

If you were down in PlayhouseSquare yesterday, you may have seen them setting it up in the parking lot across the street and wondered what it is.

A crew member from Architects of Air, which designed and tours Exxopolis around the world

It’s Exxopolis, a special interactive exhibit designed by Great Britain’s Architects of Air. And it’s open today through Saturday (May 9, 10 and 11) as part of PlayhouseSquare’s International Children’s Festival.

Since 1992, the Architects of Air have been constructing luminaria like Exxopolis in 28 countries across the world.  Over 2 million visitors have been immersed in these mazes of light and color that the Architects create from pieces of thin plastic cut-and-glued together by hand. While only 4 colors of plastic are used, it’s the light from the sun that creates the wide prism of colors experienced at Exxopolis.

Exxopolis’ colors change slightly throughout the day depending on how much sun is shining.

When Scott and I first entered, it took a few moments for our eyes to adjust to our vibrant surroundings.

If you’ve ever imagined what Oz’s Emerald City might look like, double it. It was beautiful.

You’re soaked in green as soon as you enter Exxopolis

Because the plastic material runs all around, above, and beneath you, you do need to take off your shoes when you walk through (tip: bring socks or stockings). However, I found it helps immerse you in the moment – the plastic is so soft. It’s like walking on a cloud.

There are tunnels, caverns and domes throughout — all different colors, each eliciting a different emotion from me. We walked the maze, taking a few moments to marvel at the architecture and the artistry, and to just lie back in one of the pods and relax a bit.

Kicking back and relaxing at Exxopolis

In all honesty, I didn’t want to leave. Fortunately, it’s only $5 to enter and is open throughout the next couple of days.

(Side note: Even though it’s here as part of the Children’s Festival, Exxopolis is designed for people of all ages. If you work or can get downtown this week/weekend, I encourage everyone to check it out.)

You’ll marvel not just at the colors, but also the beautiful architecture inside Exxopolis.

I’m glad I was able to get a look at Exxopolis last night because I can’t make it to the other days of PlayhouseSquare’s International Children’s Festival this year.

I’ve had the joy of volunteering at prior years’ festivals through Partners and love seeing families from around the region come downtown and experience such unique and enriching live theatre – many for the first time.

The International Children’s Festival takes over PlayhouseSquare the next few days. Here’s a window painting of Grug, one of the shows featured at the Festival.

Although the Festival kicks into high gear on Saturday, there are a few things you can check out today and Friday. In addition to Exxopolis, there’s a local Art Walk, and performances of three of the Festival’s shows: Grug (from Australia’s Windmill Theatre); The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (Ireland’s Theatre Lovett); and ZooZoo (Imago Theatre).

ZooZoo sounds particularly incredible. From PlayhouseSquare’s website, think “Cirque Du Soleil-evoking acrobatics mixed with Mummenschanz-like mime, set in a unique, yet accessible, French-influenced, avant-garde playground. ZooZoo is penguins playing musical chairs, a cat trapped in a giant paper bag, hippos with insomnia, anteaters as waiters, and a madcap revue of illusion, comedy and fun that has inspired audiences nationwide.”

On Saturday, you can catch more performances of those shows PLUS The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer; free activities and workshops for children; and short children’s films from around the globe playing in the Idea Center 11am-4:30pm.

Had to get one last photo in our favortie room of Exxopolis

Tickets for the four shows are $15 each and admission into Exxopolis is only $5 – the Festival’s other activities are free.

Find the full schedule along with links to buy tickets at playhousesquare.org/childrensfestival/schedule.html.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend with a guest the media preview of Exxopolis in exchange for sharing my experience. I am also a member of PlayhouseSquare’s young professionals board. However, my opinions and the events I choose to blog about are my own.

Theater Ninjas’ The Excavation at Cleveland Museum of Art

From Good People and Much Ado… to next week’s War Horse, Scott and I have been spending a lot of time in theatre seats lately.

And as impressive and enjoyable as all of these shows have been, sometimes you need a palate cleanser. Something that’s a bit off-the-wall, that you’re not really sure what to expect from at any moment.

Enter Theater Ninjas’ The Excavation, currently “on loan” to the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of The Last Days of Pompeii exhibit.

The cast of Theater Ninjas’ The Excavation

You don’t really see a Theater Ninjas show, you experience it.

According to their website, the Theater Ninjas are “architects of out-of-the-ordinary experiences” creating “innovative, exciting theater events that use the power of the human body to tell stories.”

And I learned just what that means when I attended their performance of The Excavation at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Scott and I got to the museum a little early that Friday night. Fortunately, it’s the Cleveland Museum of Art, so there’s always something to do. After enjoying Gallery One, we made our way into the Atrium where the performance takes place.

Part of its interactive charm, characters from The Excavation mingle with the audience

While a few of us were meandering around, we ran into the Artist who led us on his tour of the contemporary galleries. Two parts irreverence, one part art history, our Ninja tour guide shared his offbeat insights not only about the art on the walls, but also the trashcan by the elevator.

As our guide took us back to the Atrium, we could see it was about time for the performance to begin. Once there, we noticed a few characters filtering into the waiting crowd – we met Luigi an archaeologist and a young lab assistant named Edith.

Gradually, all of the characters made their way to a platform in the center of the Atrium where they gave us a taste for what we were in for that night.

Like The Last Days of Pompeii exhibit, The Excavation explores how the ancient city of Pompeii lives on in our modern imagination. Why are we still so fascinated with the lives we never knew, trying in vain to piece together stories from the buried rubble?

We never did find out where she was going – just one of many reasons to catch a repeat performance of The Excavation

Unlike a traditional play, The Excavation has no seats and no single stage. Instead, short, interactive vignettes take place throughout the evening in all corners of the Atrium.

A hallway becomes a lecture hall, an escalator a lovers’ quarrel – with the actors fully responsible for setting the scene, not able to rely on stage dressing.

I loved the intimacy of it all – during each scene, you’re fully engrossed in what’s going on as the actors are performing just for you and a small handful of other people.

It’s important to note, though, that you will not be able to experience all of it in a single visit.  As with a Choose Your Own Adventure book, you can choose where you go and which performances you see, but at the expense of missing others.

The good news is that all performances of The Excavation are free, so multiple visits are highly encouraged and easy on the wallet.

Theater Ninjas’ The Excavation at Cleveland Museum of Art

While the performances had us laughing all night (The Vettii Brothers puppet show is a don’t-miss if you’re into pun-y groaners), don’t be mistaken that Theater Ninjas is doing this just for chuckles.

There’s an underlying layer of sobering and at times scary reflection about our obsession with Pompeii thousands of years later – and what it says about the modern human condition.

Jeremy Paul, Artistic Director of the Theater Ninjas, wrote in the program notes “It is a performance rooted in the idea that human beings are frequently, blindly and joyously wrong about mostly everything…The thesis of The Excavation is that we can never truly know Pompeii, but through attempting to do so, we might inadvertently learn something about ourselves.”

Credit is due to the Cleveland Museum of Art for partnering up with Theater Ninjas to provide this unique programming. It’s a smart complement to the Last Days of Pompeii and I would love to see similar programming based around future exhibits.

The next performance of The Excavation is this Friday, April 12 in the Ames Family Atrium. 

This is followed by performances on April 28 and June 12.  The shows this Friday and June 12 start at 7pm; April 28 starts at 2pm.

Additionally, stop by the museum for Ninja Days April 14, 19, 21, and 25 and May 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, and 19 (3-7pm on Fridays, 12-4pm on Sundays).  During Ninja Days, characters from The Excavation will be around the museum, performing scenes and bringing the art on the walls to life.

No two Ninja Days will be alike, so visit often. Just like performances of The Excavation, Ninja Days are free.

Learn more at theaterninjas.com and clevelandart.org.

Even our gnome is ready for Spring!

As we March into Spring, eager to trade in those winter coats for short sleeves, Cleveland is full of upcoming events to help shake the winter blahs.

Here are a few I’m looking forward to. Be sure to leave a comment with your picks!

Burning River Roller Derby – First Bout March 16

Burning River Roller Derby (March 16)

The Burning River Roller Girls return this Saturday, March 16 with their Season 7 opener of intraleague play. Cleveland’s premier flat track roller derby league is seeing a couple changes this season – namely, a new venue at the Ohio Nets Sports Complex in Parma and a few game rule changes.

Doors open for Saturday’s doubleheader at 6pm with the first game starting at 7pm. The league’s 5-time Hazard Cup Champion Hellbombers will take on the Cleveland Steamers first; followed by the 2010 Hazard Cup Champion Rolling Pin-ups battling the Hard Knockers.

How much do I love the Burning River Roller Girls? This much.

Get your tickets at brownpapertickets.com/event/340509. Pre-sale tickets are $13.41 with service fee.

Global Cleveland (March 21)

Are you new to Cleveland or a boomerang that recently returned to the area? If so, join Global Cleveland and St. Clair-Superior Development Corporation on March 21, 6-8pm for an evening of food, drink and getting to know the neighborhood at their Negative Space happy hour.

Negative Space in the Asian Town Center isn’t just an art gallery focused on global social issues; it’s evolved into a welcoming space for the community – hosting discussion groups, movie screenings, animal welfare fundraisers and other events like the Global Cleveland happy hour.

The happy hour is free to attend. Complimentary appetizers and cash bar will be provided.Thursday, March 21, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. RSVP at eventbrite.com/event/5603139140/estw

YP Pantry Happy Hour at Noodlecat – March 21

YP Pantry Happy Hour at Noodlecat (March 21)

It’s a happy-hour doubleheader on March 21 with the Cleveland Foodbank’s YP Pantry also hosting a get-together at Noodlecat.

Get your slurp on from 5:30-8:30 (which means you can happy hour hop from this to Asia Town or vice versa) and learn more about how you can get involved with the YP Pantry.

Your first drink is on the house if you bring 3 canned goods or a $5 donation for the Foodbank. The drink ticket is good for draft house sakes, draft Sapporo, house red and white wines, and cans of Black Label beer.

And even better: Anyone who becomes a member of YP Pantry between now and April 1, can purchase a ticket to Market at the Foodbank (regularly $100) for only $55!  Sign up at the happy hour or online at http://bit.ly/Z12xHR.  RSVP for the happy hour at eventbrite.com/event/5836562315.

Dinner in the Valley (March 22)

Each month in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Conservancy for CVNP hosts a unique Dinner in the Valley. For only $34, enjoy a themed dinner plus lecture in one of CVNP’s beautiful meeting spaces.

This month’s dinner is next Friday, March 22 at the Happy Days Lodge in Peninsula, Ohio.

Chef Larkin Rogers will present a “Food of the Early 20th Century” dinner starting at 6pm, followed by the Lyceum Lecture series. The Flood of 1913 is the topic of this month’s lecture which starts at 8pm.

For dinner+lecture reservations, call 330-657-2796 ext. 121. Pricing is $34 for adults and $7 for children ages 5-12. Reservations for the dinner package will be taken through March 18.

Tickets are also available for the Lyceum lecture only by calling 330-657-2909 ext. 100.

WMC Fest Benefit Concert – March 22

Weapons of Mass Creation Benefit Concert (March 22)

The 4th annual Weapons of Mass Creation Fest – a celebration for those who love to create – doesn’t return til August 16; however, that doesn’t mean the WMC team isn’t busy.

Fresh off a music showcase at SXSW, WMC will be hosting a concert on Friday, March 22 at the Beachland Ballroom to raise money for this year’s festival.

Get a taste for what’s to come at Weapons of Mass Creation 4 with performances, special presentations, door prizes, and WMC pre-sale tickets.

Hosted by Pat The Producer from 87.7’s Inner Sanctum Show, the concert will feature music from OHIO SKY, LEAU LOU & 2 LEFT SHOES, MOON HIGH, FREEZE TAG and SHISHO.

Tickets for this fundraiser are only $10 and can be purchased at ticketweb.com/fb/3408484/beachland.

Onstage around Cleveland (various)

With PlayhouseSquare’s Broadway announcement coming next week, I’ve been talking a lot about shows coming to Cleveland next year. However, patience has never been a virtue for me so here’s a list of a few shows premiering in Cleveland right now:

• Beck Center for the Arts:  Tony and Pulitizer-winning powerhouse Next to Normal (now through April 21) and The House of Blue Leaves (March 22-April 21)
• Cleveland Playhouse‘s fierce and funny new play Good People (March 22-April 14)
• Great Lakes Theater brings Much Ado About Nothing – Shakespeare’s “sublime battle of wits and will” (and one of my favorites) – to the Hanna Theatre (March 29-April 14)
• Cleveland Public Theatre has not 1, not 2, BUT 3(!) shows opening in the course of 1 week: DanceWorks ’13 (begins March 21), STRUCK (opens March 22) and NICK&JEREMY co-produced with Theatre Ninjas (opens March 28).

Cleveland International Film Festival – April 3-14

Cleveland International Film Festival (April 3-14)

Program Guides arrived earlier this week and tickets for members go on sale today — CIFF is almost here!

In only a few short weeks, the Cleveland International Film Festival returns April 3 through 14 with over 178 features and 164 shorts films from over 65 counties. There’s so much going on with this year’s festival, they had to throw in a 12th day to the festival!

Tickets are available to CIFF Members today (March 15) at 11 am and to the general public on March 22 at 11 am.

Become a CIFF member and you not just get early tickets, but discounts, enhanced online features, exclusive invitations and more. And once they go on sale, you’ll be able to purchase tickets at clevelandfilm.org/tickets.

Haven’t been before? Read about my experience at last year’s CIFF.

PlayhouseSquare Partners’ Bowl-a-Rama (April 11)

I may be a little biased since I’m planning this event but I hope you’ll lace up your bowling shoes and join me at PlayhouseSquare Partners’ Bowl-a-Rama on April 11. This year, we’re finding our inner “Dude” at Mahall’s 20 Lanes – hands down my favorite bowling alley this side of the Ohio state line.

$25 gets you 3 hours of bowling, 1 drink ticket and food. Best retro bowling shirt and first to bowl a strike win a prize! The party starts at 6pm, with bowling from 7-10pm. Reserve your ticket today by calling 216-640-8408 or visit playhousesquare.org/default.asp?playhousesquare=58&objId=3812

Yuri’s Night Space Party at Great Lakes Science Center – April 13

Yuri’s Night (April 13, early bird tickets through March 18)

I’m realistic and know I can’t make it to everything that happens in Cleveland. But the one event I regretted missing last year was Yuri’s Night. After reading Poise in Parma’s recap, the space nerd in me really wished I had been there.

Fortunately, this year’s Yuri’s Night Space Party is right around the corner and marked on my calendar.

Home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, the Great Lakes Science Center is the perfect spot to celebrate the anniversary of the first manned space flight by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

On Saturday, April 13, from 8 pm to 1 am, party with The Floorwalkers and Chicago DJ OZMTZ.  And when you take a break from the all-night dance party, drink and eat up and check out the newly redesigned NASA Glenn Visitor Center.

If you want to dress up in your best space-themed attire, you’ll be in good company because costumed members of The Great Lakes Base of the Rebel Legion and the Ohio Garrison/501^st Legion will be there too!

Early bird tickets are on sale now for $35 and available for purchase through this Monday, March 18. General admission tickets are $50 and go on sale Tuesday, March 19. Tickets will also be available at the door the evening of the event for $50. This event is for ages 21 and over only.

For more event information and to purchase tickets, visit greatscience.com/yurisnight.php.

Cleveland Flute Society Concert (April 21)

I understand all of these events can put a huge strain on the wallet.  So, I figured this last event will be a welcome relief because it’s free and fun for any music-lovers out there.

Each Spring, the Greater Cleveland Flute Society ends their season of performances, classes and events with the Cleveland Composers Connection Concert. This year’s concert takes place on Sunday, April 21 at 7 pm at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland.

I love this concert because it demonstrates the wide range of talent we have in Cleveland by introducing attendees to local composers and musicians. Best of all, it’s free and open to the public.

If you’d like to learn more about the concert, you can read my recap of the Greater Cleveland Flute Society’s previous concerts here.

Greater Cleveland Flute Society Concert – April 21

Cleveland is full-steam ahead for Spring and I didn’t even scratch the surface!  I’ll be featuring a few more upcoming events in the coming weeks – including a giveaway to Cleveland Foodbank’s Market at the Foodbank next week. You can also read up on more upcoming events at WhyCLE.

What upcoming events in Cleveland are you looking forward to?

Disclosures: I am a board member of both the Cleveland Foodbank’s YP Pantry and PlayhouseSquare Partners. Additionally, the Great Lakes Science Center invited me and a guest to attend Yuri’s Night in exchange for blogging about the event. The choice to write about these events and my opinions of them are my own.

Is it ever going to stop snowing? Who cares! Because Brite Winter is back.

You can read my review of the 2011 Brite Winter Fest here, but in short this annual community-organized music and arts festival is one of the best reasons to brave snow, sleet and 10 degree weather in Cleveland.

After the unprecedented success of last year’s 10,000+ attendees, Brite Winter returns to Ohio City next Saturday, February 16.

As always, Brite Winter is free, thanks to sponsors and a Kickstarter fundraiser going on now.

Starting around 5pm, 48 bands from Ohio and across the Midwest are scheduled to play on 7 stages. This includes the outside stage at West 26th and Bridge Ave., the Loren Naji Studio Galleries, Campbell’s Sweets Factory, and the Cleveland Hostel.

Cleveland’s Bad Racket Recording Studio has curated a selection of indie, rock, punk, folk, soul, electronic and acoustic acts for attendees’ listening pleasure.

Brite Winter Festival’s Giant Skeeball

Besides being a huge music showcase, Brite Winter’s flip side features art installations and games.

If you’ve been to Brite Winter before, you’ll remember their 24-foot long Giant Skeeball ramp. Well, it’s back, along with new games and activities put together by RGI international and the Cleveland Disc Alliance.

This year there will be between 15 and 20 individual art installations created through a partnership with The Cleveland Institute of Art and The Cleveland Museum of Art’s Department of Community Affairs. And, for the second year in a row, GE Lighting will provide high energy efficiency lights for the installations.

Snow, rain, freezing temps or sunshine. It doesn’t matter. The Brite Winter show will go on, proving to Clevelanders you don’t have to wait til summer to play outside.

So head down to Ohio City on February 16 for an all-night party (here’s RTA and parking details).

If you’d like to help out, Brite Winter is always in need of day-of volunteers or you can donate to their Kickstarter campaign (a Pint Glass from Glass Bubble Project is just one of the perks you can get for donating).

And keep up-to-date on music, games, and artist announcements by following them @BriteWinter and Facebook.com/BriteWinter.

At MIX Illumination, take a lantern tour of the Art Museum’s collection while learning more about Colum & Stripe, their new YP group

Over the last couple of months, the Cleveland Museum of Art has been — well, literally — mixing things up when it comes to drawing in new audiences to the museum.

The Art Museum’s First Friday MIX events take attendees on a unique trip of the museum every month. Whether it’s your first or nth time at the museum, these monthly happy hours each focus on a different aspect of the museum’s collection.

For instance, at last month’s MIX, guests could go on a scavenger hunt of the museum’s collection and solve a “mystery.” It also showcased the beautiful, brand-new atrium. After exploring the Martin Creed Half the Air exhibit, I was happy to escape the purple sea of balloons into the spacious atrium. Just hand me a gin and tonic to relax.

Bad hair day at the Cleveland Museum of Art! What a room full of balloons does to my hair.

At the Museum’s MIX: Illumination on Dec. 7, 5-9pm, dust off your holiday cardigan (mine’s getting a lot of work this year) and celebrate the season with warming winter drinks, live music and festive art activities.

After going on a lantern-led tour of the collection, relax in the MIX holiday lodge and take part in the museum’s White Elephant gift exchange (gift exchange for first 100 guests).

Advance tickets for MIX: Illumination are only $8; $10 day of event. And it’s free if you’re a member. Call (216) 421-7350 or visit clevelandart.org/MIX.

While the longtime University Circle mainstay has always been popular with younger audiences (best free date night in Cleveland, in my opinion), MIX is one part of a larger campaign to engage Cleveland’s recent college graduates and young professional crowd to the museum.

Complementing MIX is the Art Museum’s new YP group Column & Stripe. The new philanthropy group is a great way for the next generation of Cleveland’s artists, arts consumers and philanthropists to enjoy behind-the-scenes content about what’s going on at the Museum.

Members who want to get more involved with the museum also have the opportunity to sit on a committee and the Museum’s Emerging Leaders Board.

After launching at this year’s Solstice Party, they’ve been busy planning programming for 20/30-something Clevelanders. Check them out at this month’s MIX, where they’ll be sponsoring the holiday lodge with games and spiked hot chocolate.

And if you can’t make it Friday, Column & Stripes’ Holiday Party takes place on Thursday, December 13, from 6-10 p.m. If you’re a member or interested in learning more, join them for a trip to Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s tasting room for drinks and food. While tickets are free, limited space remains and reservations are required.

Membership for C&S starts at $50 per person with existing museum membership. Visit ColumnandStripe.org for more details.

Select pages from the Cleveland Architecture Coloring Book

I know I said I had been planning to take the week off to work on transferring my blog. But when I got an email about today’s post I couldn’t hold off.

While most of the local projects and events I blog about are geared towards adults, I’m a huge fan of those that encourage the next generation of Clevelanders to take an interest in their city.

And Rustbelt architectural designer Jeremy Smith has taken a very creative and fun approach to helping kids (and the young at heart) learn more about Cleveland’s history and many of its landmarks.

The Cleveland Architecture Coloring Book puts an interactive twist on the format of old architectural companions. Each page of the coloring book features a rendering of a local landmark accompanied by information about the architect and year completed.

Some of the featured buildings include the Greyhound Bus Terminal by William Strudwick Arrasmith, the ASM International World Headquarters by John Terence Kelly and R. Buckminster Fuller, Hillcrest Hospital by Westlake Reed Leskosky, and of course the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by I.M. Pei.

One of the features I like most is that the location of each piece is also included so readers can plan a field trip to see their favorite works.

The initial publication of the Cleveland Architecture Coloring Book sold out in less than a month. Now Smith’s designbelt start-up is working on a second printing featuring 1500 copies of an expanded edition.

Which is where you and I come in.

Now until Nov. 24, we can donate to Smith’s Cleveland Architectural Coloring Book Kickstarter, which is raising money for the book’s second printing in time for the holidays.

There are a handful of perks for donations starting at $10. Donate $20 or more and you can get your own copy of the book.

The ultimate goal of Smith’s book is to get it into public schools and children’s hospitals to promote design education and a better understanding of our region.

This reprinting is the next step, so help spread the word about a local project that colors outside the lines.

Images courtesy of designbelt.

Earlier in October Cleveland young professionals got a new monthly event to add to their calendars: Cleveland Museum of Art’s MIX First Fridays.

And after their first party showcased the Half the air balloon exhibit, November’s MIX turns its attention to the opening of the Museum’s stunning new atrium.

The Ames Family Atrium, along with the new Museum Store and Chef Doug Katz’s Provenance Restaurant and Café, are the latest additions to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s building expansion.

Museum guests have gotten a sneak peek at the space since it partially opened to the public in August. And this Sunday, Oct. 28 the whopping 39,000-square-foot piazza officially opens!

It’ll be the largest free public space in Northeast Ohio, bridging the original 1916 and 1971 buildings and new east and west wings with a beautiful curved glass roof.

Over 40 groups will come together on Sunday from 11am to 4pm to showcase Cleveland’s different cultures and celebrate with a day of music, dancing, art-making and other family-friendly activities.

And on Friday, Nov. 2 the Atrium will host its first public evening event at
MIX: Masquerade.

Now, in my opinion, that photo of the Atrium is reason enough to get tickets, but MIX: Masquerade has a few more tricks up its sleeve in case you need convincing.

For those who don’t get their fill of Halloween festivities earlier in the week, the Nov. 2 party will feature mysteries and ghost stories throughout the galleries from 5-7pm.

Then at 7pm, slip on a mask if you’re so inclined to get into the Masquerade spirit, as 2 DJs and an orchestra take over the Atrium.

There’s so much going on, the Museum is extending its hours until 11pm that night.

Tickets are $7 for members, $14 for non-members (yet another reason to join). Call 216.421.7350 or visit clevelandart.org/mix for tickets. Reservations are strongly suggested.

Sip a cocktail, explore the collection, dance the night away and enjoy the view!

Disclosure: I was invited to blog about MIX in exchange for attending. As always though, the choice of which events I share is my own.