The most recent OBA Meetup took Cleveland bloggers to one of my personal favorite spots in the city, PlayhouseSquare

Sometimes when I’ve been go-go-go on a project, it’s really easy for me to lose sight of why I’m doing it.  In those cases, I have to take a step back and try to look at things as if I’m brand new to it.

I had the chance to do that last week when the Ohio Blogging Association’s latest meetup traveled to PlayhouseSquare for a behind-the-scenes tour with Partners, the theatre’s young professionals group.

Old show posters hang on the backstage wall of the Palace Theatre stage

The last backstage tour I attended was right after joining Partners a few years ago. And now that we’re about to launch a new season of Partners events I figured it was about time I brushed up on my PlayhouseSquare history — the OBA meetup was the perfect excuse.

Our tour last Wednesday wrapped through the Palace, State, Ohio and Allen Theatres on Euclid Avenue.

We heard tales about ghosts haunting the theatre, how some of the murals and artwork came to be (and in many cases came-to-be returned) and why the State Theatre lobby was the longest in the world. (Fun Fact: because the State Theatre’s auditorium is actually behind the Ohio, a lobby the size of three was needed to accommodate a marquee on Euclid next to the other theatres).

And just like when you re-read your favorite novel, I even learned a few new things while seeing the backstage dressing rooms for the first time and catching a glimpse of the Ohio Theatre as it undergoes the installation of new seating.

A bunch of us never realized the column heads in the theatre had a longhorn skull design (thanks, Scott, for pointing it out!)

The evening was the perfect way to reaffirm why I love being a part of PlayhouseSquare Partners. Sure, I love the fact that through Partners I’ve met friends, had fun at theatre and non-theatre events, and gotten discounts to Jump Back Ball.

However, going on the blogger tour and seeing fellow Clevelanders get so excited about PlayhouseSquare reinforced my #1 reason for being a member.

Being a member gives me the ability to support an organization that makes a huge impact on the city.  An organization that is a great example of how you can rebuild yourself in Cleveland, even after almost-being razed to the ground in the 1970s.

From contributing to PlayhouseSquare’s education mission to fundraising through Jump Back Ball, Partners helps the country’s 2nd largest theatre district provide entertainment and vital economic development to Northeast Ohio. Oh, and we have a lot of fun while doing it!

8/2: Partners’ free YP Night at Cinema at the Square

If you’re interested in learning more about PlayhouseSquare Partners while enjoying a free movie, you can join us on August 2 at YP Night at the Cinema.

Starting at 6pm,  PlayhouseSquare Partners is hosting a free pre-movie party for young professionals in the Ohio Theatre. There will be drinks, movie theater snacks, and networking. Plus, all of the Partners committees will have info about this year’s upcoming events — including the announcement of this year’s Jump Back Ball theme.

If you like what you see and want to join Partners, we’re also offering 20% off your membership that evening. So a $100 Mezzanine membership will cost only $80 (you’ll save twice if you plan on attending Jump Back Ball, because one of the membership benefits is a discount to JBB).

A ticket to the YP pre-party also gets you a free ticket to the West Side Story sing-a-long

And after the party, you’ll have a free ticket to the West Side Story Sing-a-Long which starts at 7:30pm.

I may not be that great at math but even I can see that adds up to a good deal.

Admission for YP Night at the Cinema is free, but tickets are required. You can get a free ticket by calling 216-640-8408.

A glimpse from the Palace Theatre stage, where all of the films in the Cinema at the Square are playing

After last week’s blogger tour, we grabbed drinks and a small bite to eat at the newly opened Alex Bistro where I got to mingle a bit.

Unfortunately, after having a particularly hectic day at work, I was a bit too flustered to have a chance to talk as much as I’d like with everyone — especially a few bloggers like Katie O, Karen and Lillia that I saw in real life for the first time after following them online.

However, it looks like I’ll have a chance to do that at our next event when the OBA goes to the Happy Dog for a blogger roundtable in the Underdog. In the meantime, I’ll have to suffice with keeping up on their blogs!

Some of the blogger tour enjoying dinner and drinks at Alex Bistro (photo courtesy of WhyCLE)

You can too – check out these bloggers and some of the recaps from the PlayhouseSquare tour:

• Alicia from Poise in Parma and PIP Aunt Kathy (her recap)
• Amie from My Retro Kitchen
• “Cleveland Chick” from Happiness is a Hot Pierogi
• Crystal from Eat Drink Cleveland
• Dave from Health Insurance Issues with Dave and Again? Really?
• De-de from @DedeMulligan
• Holly from Rust Belt Runner  (her recap)
• Jen from Why CLE?  (her recap)
• Julie from Am I There Yet  (her recap)
• Julie from ROJ Running  (her recap)
• Julie from Wearing Mascara  (her recap)
• Katie from Beer and Clothing in Cleveland  (her recap)
• Karen from The NotMom.com
• Kasey at A Case Of…
• Kimberly from SMITTEN…in cleveland
• Lilia from Lilia Write Now
• Lyn from Life Lyn Style and husband Stephen from Skywired.net
• Nidhi from NIDHIZZLE
• Reanna from Big Shot Dot The I
• Sarah from Cooker Girl
• Stuart from sosAssociates and wife Julie (their recap)
• Tammy from Miss WineOH

Disclosure: As mentioned in previous posts, I serve on the board of PlayhouseSquare Partners. From time-to-time, I will share upcoming Partners events because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as a member and feel it’s an organization other Young Professionals who want to support the arts will enjoy as well.

JAWS on the big screen at PlayhouseSquare's Young Professionals Night - Aug. 18.

One of my favorite summer series – PlayhouseSquare’s Cinema at the Square – starts up tonight with King Kong.  As much I enjoy spending the warm-weather months outdoors, sometimes I like escaping into the air conditioning, curling up in a theatre seat and getting engrossed in a movie. And when it’s a classic film — even better!

This year’s lineup, which runs until August 21, has a nice mix of older films like King Kong, Grand Hotel and Charade, as well as “new classics” like a special double feature of Batman and Batman Returns, Superman and Muppet Treasure Island.

The one I’m most looking forward to, though, is Jaws on August 18. In addition to seeing a movie that always has me on the edge of my seat, I’m also excited because it’s Young Professionals Night at the Cinema.

Starting at 6pm,  PlayhouseSquare Partners is hosting a free pre-movie party for young professionals in the Ohio Theatre. There will be drinks, movie theater snacks, and networking. Plus, all of the Partners committees will have info about this year’s Calendar of Events.

One of the evening’s announcements is going to be …  (wait for it!)

… the theme of the 21st annual Jump Back Ball!

I had such a fantastic time at last year’s Jump Back Ball that I can’t wait to share this year’s theme with everyone.

You don’t have to be a Partner to attend. And, if you join PlayhouseSquare Partners the night of the event, you can get 20% off your membership. So a $100 Mezzanine membership for two will cost only $80.

In fact, you’ll save twice if you plan on attending Jump Back Ball, because one of the (many) benefits of a Partners membership is a discount to JBB. I was never a fan of math – except when it helps me save money like this.

Admission for YP Night at the Cinema is free, but tickets are required. You can get a free ticket to YP Night at the Cinema by calling 216-771-4444 x3247 or clicking here to register online.

When you’re at the party, be sure to stop by the Jump Back Ball table, say hi to me and learn more about what our committee is going to be up to this year. Then, at 7:30 p.m., you can wander over to the Palace and hear me yelp in fright when I watch Jaws on the big screen for the first time.

YP Night at the Cinema 411:

• How to Reserve Free Tickets for YP Night
• PlayhouseSquare’s Cinema at the Square Series
• PlayhouseSquare Partners

From shopping for vintage clothing and housewares to scooping up a well-priced antique typewriter or gramophone at a yard sale, I get giddy at finding things that hearken a lost generation.

It’s why I’m looking forward to the next couple of months, as a handful of Cleveland events hope to transport guests back in time for an evening:

Ingenuity Cleveland’s SpeakEasy 2.0 

Ingenuity Cleveland’s SpeakEasy 2.0 returns to the Detroit Superior Bridge’s subway tunnels on July 15.

20s and 30s nostalgia get thrown in a blender with the cutting edge innovation that has become a trademark of previous Ingenuity events.

Entertainment will include Vance Music Studio’s Syncopated Sin Swing Jazz Band, neo-vaudeville duo Pinch and Squeal and the Hilar-A-Tease Dancers, while screenings of Louise Brooks’ Pandora’s Box with live jazz, DJs Graydar and Lo_Tek Jackers, and appearances by Uno Lady and Dr. Sketchy add a modern twist to the evening.

Of course there will be food and enough drink to make Zelda Fitzgerald happy.  And it’s all in the subway tunnels. Last year’s IngenuityFest was my first time on that part of the bridge, and I just remember being blown away by how much character that location has as the light and shadows play along the catacombs.

The flexibility of the three ticket levels is a huge win for me:

• $100 (4 pack available for $350): Doors open at 6pm, include dinner and open bar with live music, entertainment, and dancing until 1 AM
• $30 ($40 at the door): Party starts at 8 PM with gourmet snacks, more live entertainment, two drink tickets
• $15 ($20 at the door): At 10 PM the Speakeasy 2.0 goes 21st century by mixing vaudeville entertainment with DJs and dancing. Admission include 2 beer tickets.

All proceeds benefit IngenuityFest 2011 which returns to the bridge Sept. 15-17.  I was disappointed when I couldn’t attend last year’s SpeakEasy, but after Cocktail Party Redux and Temple of Tesla, I’ve been saving July 15 in my calendar for a while.

Buy SpeakEasy 2.0 Tickets Here

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Emerging Chefs’ Summer White Party

 UPDATE: Summer White Party has been cancelled. More info here.

After June’s very modern evening of sushi, the next Emerging Chefs will put their tasty spin on classic lakeside soirees with the Summer White Party. Joined by Executive Chef Regan Reik of Pier W, they’ll head down to the historic East Ninth Street Pier to create a spectacular luxury pop-up restaurant for one night only – July 16 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

Chef Reik will be designing a menu of summer seafood fare to enjoy on the lake as Emerging Chefs invites guests to sport their special summer whites or yacht clothes (I feel a trip to a vintage store is in order!). The evening will be fitting for the Rockefellers and Hannas of Cleveland’s past as everyone enjoys a luxurious lakeside evening.

Scott and I have been fans of the unique dishes created by previous Emerging Chefs – so much so that we took two of our friends from Philly to Sushi at Sunset. With a swift but efficient change of venue to the Asian Town Center to avoid the rain (huge kudos to Emerging Chefs for getting that up and running in only a few hours), Scott, Ali, Gary and I enjoyed an intimate evening of Chef Daniel Cassano’s creations.

One of Chef Cassano's Sushi at Sunset creations - Japanese style beef tartar over pickled and fried lotus root. The surprising crunchiness of the lotus root was my favorite part of this dish.

Beef Sushi Brochette in a Sake soy beurre blanc reduction and the poached shrimp gazpacho were definite highlights – one for its tender, buttery richness and the other for a bright freshness with pops of scallion. The beurre blanc reduction was so good, we all remarked we could have eaten it on its own with a spoon.

If Chef Reik can play the same magic with seafood that Chef Cassano did with sushi (which I know he can if Pier W’s menu is any indication!), then the Summer White Party will be another dazzling Emerging Chefs event.

Buy Summer White Party Tickets Here

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source: Playhousesquare.org

PlayhouseSquare’s Cinema at the Square

Cinema at the Square is back for its 14th year August 4-21.This PlayhouseSquare series holds a special place in my heart because it was at last year’s Back to the Future night that I was introduced to PlayhouseSquare Partners. Having been recently voted onto the Partners Board (more about that excitement later!), I can’t wait to check the classic film series out again because the lineup looks great and the event holds fond memories.

As in previous years, Cinema at the Square will feature 16 film favorites projected on the Palace Theatre’s famous screen (a 20 foot-high by 47 foot-wide super Hurly-Glo projection screen).

The lineup consists of a well-balanced mix of classics like the original King Kong, Grand Hotel and Charade, as well as more modern fare including a double feature of Batman and Batman Returns, Jaws, the 1978 Superman and Muppet Treasure Island.  Check the full list of films here.

Moviegoers will also be treated to pre-show organ recitals on the theatre’s restored 1927 Kimball organ that contains 16 sets of pipes, a xylophone, Glockenspiel, a complete set of drums and cymbals.

Besides the rare opportunity to enjoy classic movies projected on the big screen, the organ concert was definitely one of my favorite parts of last year’s Cinema at the Square.

Buy Cinema at the Square Tickets Here

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For a nostalgia junkie like me, these are just a few ways to catch a glimmer of a bygone era without constructing a time travel machine. If you have any suggestions of similar places or events to check out, share them in the comments!