Get a taste of shows headed our way in fall
Season has something for everyone: 10 shows to keep in mind.
“Hamilton” and “Hairspray” highlight the performances that are set to take over local stages in the Miami Valley.
At long last, live performance takes center stage as the Miami Valley’s 2021-2022 arts season gets underway.
Each Sunday in September, I will provide a preview of what you can expect this season, beginning with today’s multiple-genre overview. Granted, we are still in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and many organizations have established mandates, particularly regarding masks. In turn, it’s important to check each organization’s website for guidelines, especially if there is a need to cancel shows as the months go by due to the surge of the delta variant or future variants.
Nonetheless, as numerous troupes excitedly prepare their first post-quarantine lineups, here are 10 diverse choices to keep in mind as the calendar progresses.
‘Cabaret’
Oct. 13-16, Dare to Defy Productions at PNC Arts Annex
Leave your troubles outside. Get ready for one of the most intriguing productions of the season as Dare to Defy partners with Square One Salon and The RubiGirls for this classic musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb. Charity Farrell, who grew up starring in roles at Dayton Playhouse and was most recently seen on the Fox reality TV show “I Can See Your Voice,” will portray Kit Kat Club singer Sally Bowles opposite Alex Everett as the seedy Emcee and Joshua Stucky as Fraulein Schnieder. Something tells me this will be a “Cabaret” like none other.
Norman Rockwell: Stories of Emotion
Oct. 23, 2021-Feb. 13, 2022, Dayton Art Institute
The quintessential Americana of Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) will be on poignant exhibition in this DAI exclusive. The works seen here, on loan from a private collection, will highlight Rockwell’s gifts for expressing emotions within the vein of conveying universal human themes. Additional works by other artists will expand Rockwell’s work in a larger, art-historical context.
‘Hairspray’
Dec. 14, Kuss Auditorium of Springfield’s Clark State Performing Arts Center
Columbus-based drag performer and Denison University theater graduate Andrew Levitt, a.k.a. Nina West, will lead the new national tour of this joyful musical comedy. Levitt, a Greentown, Ohio, native who won the title of Miss Congeniality on Season 11 (2019) of the Emmy Award-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will portray Edna Turnblad. He’ll be joined by newcomers Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad and Toneisha
Harris (NBC’s “The Voice”) as Motormouth Maybelle. It’s safe to say Levitt will display his charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to the hilt.
‘Hamilton: An American Musical’
Jan. 26-Feb. 6, 2022, Dayton Live at Schuster Center Trust me, you’ll want to be in the room where it happens. The must-see local premiere of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning mega-hit is undoubtedly the hottest ticket of the season, and rightfully so. A triumph for diversity in the arts, this hip-hop/pop/R&B history lesson details the brilliance and flaws of founding father Alexander Hamilton with dazzle and depth.
‘Everything That’s Beautiful’
Feb. 17-March 6, 2022, Human Race Theatre Company at Loft Theatre
The Human Race Theatre has always championed new plays, and this progressive family drama by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder is a reminder of its penchant for challenging, thought-provoking material. Described as “a moving exploration of a family in transition,” the play concerns Luke and Jess, who has allowed their 8-year-old Morgan, who was assigned male at birth, to identify as female. When the family relocates in order to start anew, situations turn and stakes are raised.
‘Finding Wright’
Feb. 25 and 27, 2022, Dayton Opera at Schuster Center
Step aside Orville and Wilbur. Katharine Wright’s moment in the spotlight is on the horizon as Dayton Opera presents the world premiere of librettist Laura Kaminsky and composer Andrea Fellows Fineberg’s work centered on the sister of the iconic aviation pioneers. In addition to being the first ever full-length opera commissioned for and presented by Dayton Opera, the production has an all-female artistic team including stage director Kathleen Clawson and music director Susanne Sheston, who will conduct the Dayton Philharmonic.
‘Inside Out’
Feb. 26-27, 2022, DCDC at Victoria Theatre
Looking back on 2020 and lessons learned in the pursuit to evolve, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company seeks to “embark upon new collaborations to explore life in a new world.” In addition to a series of interdisciplinary and collaborative pieces imagined by Debbie Blunden-Diggs, DCDC’s chief producing and artistic director, company member Countess Winfrey’s new work, a collaboration with jazz composer Wesley Winfrey, serves as the centerpiece.
‘Sweet Charity’
March 24-April 3, 2022, Wright State University
Hey, big spender, spend a little time with Charity Hope Valentine, the 1960s dance hall hostess with a heart of gold and a bad track record with men. An entire generation or two (or three?) have yet to witness this classic, rarely produced Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields and Neil Simon musical in the Dayton area. With direction by Marya Spring Cordes, who has showcased a knack for female-driven stories in recent seasons such as “The Wolves” (WSU) and “Gloria: A Life” (Human Race Theatre), this production has the potential to be a winner.
‘The Great Gatsby’
April 8-10, 2022, Dayton Ballet at Victoria Theatre
Dayton Ballet fans rejoice! The troupe is finally bringing back its marvelous production of “The Great Gatsby,” memorably presented in the fall of 2017. Choreographed by Ron Cunningham, artistic director of Sacramento Ballet, and featuring vocals by Felita LaRock, the romance and drama within F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary tale will surely captivate and astound once more.
Paul Laurence Dunbar: A Juneteenth Celebration
June 17-18, 2022, Dayton Philharmonic at Schuster Center
This DPO SuperPops concert celebrates the sesquicentennial anniversary (150 years) of the birth of one of Dayton’s literary giants. DPO artistic director and conductor Neal Gittleman will craft an evening in which classical meets gospel to tell a story of “America’s long march toward a more perfect union.”
Contact this contributing writer at rflorence2@ gmail.com.