Ed Trager '86, who currently lives in Ann Arbor, is back to the area for the Thanksgiving Holiday. He contacted me wondering if anyone might be interested in checking out the Salsa dance scene on either Friday, November 27 at The View (618 Prospect) or on Saturday, November 28 at La Boca (5800 Detroit).
It looks like La Boca is also a restaurant, so a possibility for Saturday would be to go to La Boca for dinner and then just stay for dancing. It looks like both the View and La Boca have lessons starting at 9 PM, so previous Salsa experience would not be a prerequisite.
Please contact Ed at ed [dot] trager [at] gmail [dot] com
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Opera Cleveland, Don Giovanni and Alumni
Opera Cleveland's production of Don Giovanni had quite a successful run (if I do say so myself!). The final performance had a nearing capacity crowd - so perhaps opera isn't dead after all!

It was my first opera with Opera Cleveland, and I had a blast. It was also great getting to know other Obies involved in the production, including Alyson Cambridge '01, who gorgeously sang (and acted) the role of Donna Elvira; Charles Griffith '60, plying his trade in the pit on cello; Patrick Wickliffe '05, who helped the chorus get into note-perfect shape; and Christian Behrens '09 (not pictured), who also joined us in the pit as a harbinger of death on trombone. (Did you know that whenever trombones are heard, it usually signals impending death, at least in operas written before 1810?)
It was my first opera with Opera Cleveland, and I had a blast. It was also great getting to know other Obies involved in the production, including Alyson Cambridge '01, who gorgeously sang (and acted) the role of Donna Elvira; Charles Griffith '60, plying his trade in the pit on cello; Patrick Wickliffe '05, who helped the chorus get into note-perfect shape; and Christian Behrens '09 (not pictured), who also joined us in the pit as a harbinger of death on trombone. (Did you know that whenever trombones are heard, it usually signals impending death, at least in operas written before 1810?)
The Wooden Synagogue in Multiple Perspective
The Oberlin College Art Department, the Program in Jewish Studies, and the Friends of the Library will be presenting a panel entitled The Wooden Synagogue in Multiple Perspective, on Sunday, November 22 at 2pm in Mudd Center 050, Moffett Auditorium. This panel features Marc Epstein '85, Associate Professor of Religion and Jewish Studies, Vassar College; Thomas Hubka, Professor of Architecture, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee; and Shulamit Magnus, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Oberlin College.
This is the closing event for Wooden Synagogues: Recovering History Through Art and Architecture, an exhibition coordinated by Rick and Laura Brown of Handshouse Studio in Norwell, Massachusetts.
Visit the Oberlin Events Calendar for more information.
This is the closing event for Wooden Synagogues: Recovering History Through Art and Architecture, an exhibition coordinated by Rick and Laura Brown of Handshouse Studio in Norwell, Massachusetts.
Visit the Oberlin Events Calendar for more information.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
November Newsletter
For some reason, it appears that the November e-newsletter hasn't gone out as I thought it would. I will check on that Thursday morning, when the Alumni Association Office re-opens. For now, here are the parts of the newsletter that haven't already appeared on the blog!
As a quick reminder, don't forget about the Fall Potluck on Saturday, November 14th at 7pm. Click here for more information and to RSVP. Or scroll down the blog to the Fall Potluck posting!
Ultimate Brownies, mentioned before on this blog, was named Best of Cleveland by the Cleveland Magazine! Ultimate Brownies is run by Diana Dumitru '90. She is still campaigning to win on the Fox8 Hotlist as Best of Cleveland. Go here to vote. The contest ends November 13, 2009.
An event with the Cleveland Orchestra is in the works for Friday, December 18th. We are hoping to have a reception before the concert and be joined by some of the alumni who are members of the orchestra. Please stay tuned for more information!
As usual, much is happening on-campus. The following is just a very small selection of events - check out the Events Calendar for complete listings.
On Friday, November 6 at 8pm in Finney Chapel, concerto competition winner and Oberlin senior pianist Siyuan Li will perform Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Oberlin Orchestra, conducted by Bridget-Michaele Reischl, Music Director of the Oberlin Orchestras. The program also includes three ballet works: Beethoven's Overture to Prometheus, a suite from Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, and Georges Auric's Phèdre.
On Saturday, November 7 at 3pm in Hallock Auditorium at the Adam Joseph Lewis Center, Josh Neufeld OC '89 will be discussing his just published book "AD: New Orleans after the Deluge," a graphic memoir that grew from his experiences as a Red Cross volunteer in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Josh will introduce the book in relation to his other work, touching on his background as an alternative cartoonist, including his work with Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor. Then he'll talk about how the A.D. project evolved from his volunteer experience, his conception of A.D., its use of multimedia elements, and particularly the artistic/visual decisions he made when creating it. After this presentation, Josh will be joined by Kwame Webster, a current Oberlin student who is in the book, and Caroline Jackson Smith, Associate Professor of Theater and African American Studies, who will moderate a discussion between Josh and Kwame about their perspectives on the issues raised by the the book. The presentation will also give the audience a chance to ask questions, and will end with a book-signing.
The fall Oberlin Opera Theater production of Così fan tutte by W. A. Mozart opens on November 18 at 8pm in Hall Auditorium, with additional performances on November 20, 21 and 22. The opera is conducted by Meastra Reischl and directed by Jonathon Field. The Oberlin Chamber Orchestra will be playing in the pit. Hall Auditorium is located at 67 North Main Street. Tickets range from $5 to $12 and are available from the Central Ticket Service, at 800.371.0178 or at the box office in the auditorium lobby.
On Thursday, December 3 at 5pm, Erik Inglis, Professor of Art, will present a lecture entitled “The Stars above Paris: Monuments to François Arago, the greatest astronomer in 19th-century France.” In conjunction with the “Starry Dome” exhibition, Professor Inglis will lecture on monuments to Francois Arago, a renowned astronomer in France in the 19th century and the subject of a major 1994 Parisian monument by the Dutch conceptual artist Jan Dibbets.
This lecture will take place in Classroom 1 of the Allen Memorial Art Building, which is located at 87 North Main Street, Oberlin, OH.
The Oberlin Orchestra returns to the Finney Chapel stage on Sunday, December 6 at 8pm to present Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection") in partnership with the Musical Union Chorus, directed by Associate Professor of Choral Conducting Hugh Floyd. The 80- to 90-minute work, with its inspiring choral finale, is the only piece on the program.
The fall season concludes with a concert on Tuesday, December 8 at 8pm, in Finney Chapel, by the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra. The program includes a performance by concerto competition winner and Oberlin violinist Chingis Khannanov. Khannanov, an artist diploma student, will perform Paganini's virtuosic Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 6. The concert also features Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and Schumann's Symphony No. 2.
As a quick reminder, don't forget about the Fall Potluck on Saturday, November 14th at 7pm. Click here for more information and to RSVP. Or scroll down the blog to the Fall Potluck posting!
Ultimate Brownies, mentioned before on this blog, was named Best of Cleveland by the Cleveland Magazine! Ultimate Brownies is run by Diana Dumitru '90. She is still campaigning to win on the Fox8 Hotlist as Best of Cleveland. Go here to vote. The contest ends November 13, 2009.
An event with the Cleveland Orchestra is in the works for Friday, December 18th. We are hoping to have a reception before the concert and be joined by some of the alumni who are members of the orchestra. Please stay tuned for more information!
As usual, much is happening on-campus. The following is just a very small selection of events - check out the Events Calendar for complete listings.
On Friday, November 6 at 8pm in Finney Chapel, concerto competition winner and Oberlin senior pianist Siyuan Li will perform Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Oberlin Orchestra, conducted by Bridget-Michaele Reischl, Music Director of the Oberlin Orchestras. The program also includes three ballet works: Beethoven's Overture to Prometheus, a suite from Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, and Georges Auric's Phèdre.
On Saturday, November 7 at 3pm in Hallock Auditorium at the Adam Joseph Lewis Center, Josh Neufeld OC '89 will be discussing his just published book "AD: New Orleans after the Deluge," a graphic memoir that grew from his experiences as a Red Cross volunteer in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Josh will introduce the book in relation to his other work, touching on his background as an alternative cartoonist, including his work with Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor. Then he'll talk about how the A.D. project evolved from his volunteer experience, his conception of A.D., its use of multimedia elements, and particularly the artistic/visual decisions he made when creating it. After this presentation, Josh will be joined by Kwame Webster, a current Oberlin student who is in the book, and Caroline Jackson Smith, Associate Professor of Theater and African American Studies, who will moderate a discussion between Josh and Kwame about their perspectives on the issues raised by the the book. The presentation will also give the audience a chance to ask questions, and will end with a book-signing.
The fall Oberlin Opera Theater production of Così fan tutte by W. A. Mozart opens on November 18 at 8pm in Hall Auditorium, with additional performances on November 20, 21 and 22. The opera is conducted by Meastra Reischl and directed by Jonathon Field. The Oberlin Chamber Orchestra will be playing in the pit. Hall Auditorium is located at 67 North Main Street. Tickets range from $5 to $12 and are available from the Central Ticket Service, at 800.371.0178 or at the box office in the auditorium lobby.
On Thursday, December 3 at 5pm, Erik Inglis, Professor of Art, will present a lecture entitled “The Stars above Paris: Monuments to François Arago, the greatest astronomer in 19th-century France.” In conjunction with the “Starry Dome” exhibition, Professor Inglis will lecture on monuments to Francois Arago, a renowned astronomer in France in the 19th century and the subject of a major 1994 Parisian monument by the Dutch conceptual artist Jan Dibbets.
This lecture will take place in Classroom 1 of the Allen Memorial Art Building, which is located at 87 North Main Street, Oberlin, OH.
The Oberlin Orchestra returns to the Finney Chapel stage on Sunday, December 6 at 8pm to present Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection") in partnership with the Musical Union Chorus, directed by Associate Professor of Choral Conducting Hugh Floyd. The 80- to 90-minute work, with its inspiring choral finale, is the only piece on the program.
The fall season concludes with a concert on Tuesday, December 8 at 8pm, in Finney Chapel, by the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra. The program includes a performance by concerto competition winner and Oberlin violinist Chingis Khannanov. Khannanov, an artist diploma student, will perform Paganini's virtuosic Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 6. The concert also features Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and Schumann's Symphony No. 2.
Labels:
alumni author,
art lecture,
classical music,
Cleveland,
November events,
Oberlin,
opera,
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Monday, November 2, 2009
Opera Cleveland presents Don Giovanni
Oooh, it's been a bit since I last updated, hasn't it? My apologies! The very thing that I'm posting about is the very thing that has been preventing me from posting!
Opera Cleveland's fall production of Don Giovanni stars Alyson Cambridge '01 in the role of Donna Elvira. Alyson is a frequent guest of the Metropolitan Opera, having made her debut in 2004 under the baton of James Levine as Frasquita in Carmen. She has also sung with Washington National Opera, Atlanta Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Wolf Trap Opera, to name but a few.

Under the stage direction of John Hoomes and the set design of Kris Stone, modernity and tradition come together in a visually arresting production, with characters in period costume juxtaposed with strikingly abstract modern sets. Experience Moxart's masterpiece as you never have before!
The final performance is Saturday, November 7th at 8pm. For more information about the opera and tickets, please visit Opera Cleveland or contact the Playhouse Square ticket office at 866-546-1353.
Photographs taken by Eric Mull.
Click here to see Donald Rosenberg's review for The Plain Dealer
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