Around Cincinnati

Robyn Carey-Allgeyer welcomes to the studio Jennifer Jensen, director of The Skirball Museum at Hebrew Union College; and children’s author Linda Leopold Strauss, whose book about Passover, The Elijah Door, will be the focus of a six-week exhibition of the book’s illustrations at The Skirball. The exhibit runs through March 31, and that day will feature a family-friendly talk by the author at the museum.

Kate Faddick recites her poem, Lands.

As part of CCM’s year-long celebration of Kurt Weill, they will present The Threepenny Opera beginning February 28, along with concert performances of Weill’s Kiddush (Prayer of Sanctification) and the a capella madrigal Ho, Billy, O! from the Weill musical Love Life. Anne Arenstein learns more about the Weill festival and these upcoming performances from Robin Guarino, CCM’s J. Ralph Corbett Chair of Opera and director of The Threepenny Opera, and dramaturge Bruce McClung.

Jeff Seibert from Cincinnati’s The Mayerson Foundation, one of the primary funders of the new School for Creative and Performing Arts, joins Frank Johnson to discuss the impressive Mayerson Foundation Artistic Excellence Program, which brings talented musicians and performers to the SCPA to present master classes to the students. In the coming months, internationally known artists such as Branford Marsalis, Bebe Neuwirth, Chick Corea and composer Jennifer Higdon will conduct these master classes.

The Cincinnati Ballet celebrates Valentine’s Day with Shakespeare’s most romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by Artistic Director Victoria Morgan. Robyn Carey-Allgyer welcomes in Carmon DeLeone to talk about one of the truly special experiences of a Cincinnati Ballet – live, orchestral musical accompaniment, which is quickly disappearing from most other ballet company productions. Maestro DeLeone will again conduct the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the Ballet’s production.