Events
PUMPKIN TRAIN
Oct. 25
The pumpkin train will run this weekend at the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation’s new location. The new location will feature a larger loop of track that will be 1,900 feet. The new site is under construction but will have a large parking lot and several buildings will be added to the site. The engine house is framed and will receive a roof and siding in the next couple of weeks. Pumpkins will be $5 each. Their new 40-acre site is across from Ball Metal and behind Vorst Cabinet Shop. They have been working to remove the track at the old site and get new track laid. Admission: $2 adults and $1 children 12 and under. Time: 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Location: Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation, 12505 Hancock 99, Findlay. Information: www.nworrp.org.
AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE
Oct. 24 and 25
Baltimore-based actor David Keltz will return to Ohio to present Poe in Person: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe at James A. Garfield National Historic Site on Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25. Keltz is the nation’s foremost Edgar Allan Poe reenactor. He will appear as Poe in each performance, reciting Poe stories and poems completely from memory. The 6 p.m. shows both nights feature performances of the famous poem The Raven and the story Hop-Frog. The 7:30 p.m. shows both nights will feature The Raven, as well as the story The Tell-Tale Heart. This event is for individuals age 16 and over. Due to the ongoing closure of the Garfield home for construction and improvements, the home will not be open for tours prior to the performances. Admission: $15. Time: 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Location: James A. Garfield National Historic Site, 8095 Mentor Ave. (U.S. 20), Mentor. Information: 440-255-8722 or www.nps.gov/jaga.
RIECK CENTER FALL OPEN HOUSE
Oct. 26
The Rieck Center Fall Open House is Sunday, Oct. 26, with building and grounds open to visitors at 1 p.m. At 1:30 p.m., new exhibits will be introduced, a continuous program of pictures showing Fishing Derby participants will begin and coffee, cider and doughnuts will be available. The program, “Wetland Rehabilitation at the Rieck Center,” by Ben Dolan, University of Findlay ecologist, will begin at 2 p.m. and include a short walk to the wetland. Admission: Free. Time: 1 p.m. Location: The Rieck Center, Township 166, 1.3 miles east of Ohio 37 S. Information: www.rieckcenter.org.
HARVEST MOON GALA
Oct. 26
The Grand Rapids Arts Council will host a Harvest Moon Gala on Sunday, Oct. 26 at Nazareth Hall. This annual fundraising event includes a fall dinner prepared by the Nazareth Hall chef and served by staff, a silent auction, door prizes and entertainment by Lynn Trefzger, comedy ventriloquist. The silent auction will feature original art by local artists, and items and services donated by businesses and supporters of the arts. Presentation of the Grand Rapids Volunteer of the Year will also be held during this event. For over 30 years, Trefzger has given life to a trunk full of comical characters: a drunken and lovable camel, a grumpy old man, a feisty little girl and maybe even some audience members who are brought up for the action. She has performed for audiences worldwide in corporations, colleges, theaters and is a premier entertainer for Disney, Crystal and Norwegian Cruise Lines. In 2010, Trefzger received the “People’s Choice Award” by the Ohio Arts Presenters Association. Admission: $25 per person or $175 for a table of eight. Time: 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Location: Nazareth Hall, 21211 W. River Road, Grand Rapids. Information: 419-832-ARTS.
OLDE STARK ANTIQUE FAIRE
Nov. 8 and 9
The Olde Stark Antique Faire will be held Saturday and Sunday Nov. 8 and 9. It offers free appraisals as well as over 100 dealers and collectors. Nostalgic collectibles of every description from fine heirlooms to folk art await your perusal. Included are antique furniture, pottery, porcelain, crystal, clocks, quilts, linens, lamps, home decor, postcards, old toys and dolls, rustic primitives, tools, period and Victorian, art deco, militaria, sports memorabilia, coins, vintage clothing and jewelry, books, prints, vintage Halloween and more. Auctioneer/appraiser Dave Morris will do free appraisals at his booth during the show and Jean Piero will demonstrate the art of chair caning. Admission: $5 adults and free for children ages 12 and under. Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Location: Stark County Fairgrounds, 305 Wertz Ave., Canton. Information: Barbara Garduno 330-794-9100.
DIAMONDS AND DENIM
Nov. 18
The Toledo Opera Guild will host Diamonds and Denim, a fundraiser for the Toledo Opera at the Toledo Club in downtown Toledo. Guests are encouraged to wear their best denim, most brilliant glitz, or both. The first 100 guests to arrive at the party will receive a complimentary glass of champagne. Each glass will hold a gem, with one being a loose diamond. A buffet will be available and a cash bar will be open. Music will be provided by jazz musician Calvin Hughes and rock and roll cover band Second Wind. There will be silent and live auctions. All event proceeds and auction and wine sales will benefit the Toledo Opera. Admission: Tickets are $50 per person or $100 for the 1 Carat Level, which includes a ticket to the Toledo Opera’s Feb. 11 performance of the American opera “Susannah”; and $200 2 Carat Level, which includes the Feb. 11 opera and a Nov. 13 Shape My Jeans After Party. Tickets may be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/864375 and will be available until Oct. 29. Time: 7 p.m. Location: Toledo Club, 235 14th St., Toledo. Information: Rebecca Conklin Kleiboemer at 419-429-9152 or rckleiboemer@gmail.com.
Music
PALACE THEATRE BIG BAND TO PERFORM
Oct. 23
The next performance in the 2014-15 Bluffton University Artist Series is by the Palace Theatre Big Band on Thursday, Oct. 23, in Yoder Recital Hall. The Marion-based band is dedicated to helping listeners relive the swing-era sounds of such musicians as Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Originally called The All Americans, the band has been performing in central Ohio for more than 50 years, and acquired its current name when it was the warm-up act for Bob Newhart at Marion’s Palace Theatre in February 2000. The group has also taken the Palace stage as the back-up band for many variety-show singers and dancers. Including seven current or retired music teachers–plus three engineers, a funeral director, a contractor and a golf course superintendent–the band is directed by George Schram and features vocalists Johnny Steiner and Ann Schertzer. Admission: $25 adults, $20 senior citizens and non-Bluffton students, $10 children ages 6-13 and free for children 5 and under. Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Bluffton University, Yoder Recital Hall, 1 University Dr., Bluffton. Information: http://tickets.bluffton.edu
GRUBS PERFORM AT COFFEE AMICI
Oct. 25
The ukulele might be a little stringed instrument, but the GRÜBS are making a big impact on the folk music scene. The Grande Royale Ükulelists of the Black Swamp consists of four Bowling Green musicians who have as much fun playing together as their band name might suggest. Anne Kidder, Jason Wells-Jensen, Sheri Wells-Jensen and Geoff Howes play a variety of ukuleles and sing everything from folk standards and hymns to rock band covers and original tunes. They also hold workshops and jam sessions for all levels of ukulele interest and ability. The band often can be found at local coffee houses and festivals, and this year it was a featured performer at the annual Mighty Uke Day event in Lansing, Michigan, the “Friday Night by the Tracks” preview party for National Train Day in Toledo, and the Black Swamp Arts Festival in Bowling Green. Admission: Free. Time: 8 p.m. Location: Coffee Amici, 328 S. Main St., Findlay. Information: www.coffeeamici.com or www.facebook.com/Ukulelists.
Theater
‘COMPANY’
Oct. 23-26
Ohio Northern University’s Freed Center for the Performing Arts will present “Company.” The clashing sounds and pulsing rhythms of New York City underscore this landmark “concept” show, considered by many to have inaugurated the modern era of musical theatre. “Company” follows anti-hero bachelor Robert as he makes his way through a series of encounters with April (the stewardess), Kathy (the girl who’s going to marry someone else), Marta (the peculiar one), as well as his married friends. On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state. In vignette after hilarious vignette, the audience is introduced to “those good and crazy people,” his married friends, as Robert weighs the pros and cons of married life. In the end, he realizes being alone is “alone, not alive.” Brian P. Sage, ONU assistant professor of theatre, is the director for the production, Michael Jordan, ONU staff accompanist, is serving as the musical director, and Brenda Hoyt-Brackman, adjunct faculty member at ONU for the Department of Theatre Arts, is the choreographer. Admission: $15 adults, $12 seniors, $10 ONU faculty and staff and $5 children and ONU students. Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Location: Freed Center, Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main St., Ada. Information: www.freedcenter.com or 419-772-1900.
‘THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH’
Oct. 30-Nov. 2
“The Skin of Our Teeth,” by Thornton Wilder is set in 1942–or maybe the dawn of human history, or maybe the present. Mr. Antrobus comes home from a busy day inventing the wheel and the alphabet to be greeted by his wife of 5,000 years, slingshot-obsessed son, precocious daughter and ever-present maid (not to mention the dinosaur and mammoth). The family faces repeated catastrophes, both natural and human-made, in this genre-bending, comic allegory of the human condition, struggling to survive war, floods, ice and themselves–by the skin of their teeth. Melissa Friesen, a professor and chair of communication and theatre at Bluffton, will direct the show. Mervin Schrock and Joan Bauer, both of Findlay, are the technical director and costume designer, respectively. Admission: $8 adults, $6 senior citizens and non-Bluffton students. Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Location: Ramseyer Auditorium, College Hall, Bluffton University, 1 University Dr. Information: http://tickets.bluffton.edu or 419-358-3239.
Exhibits
PROFESSORIATE: THE
UNIVERSITY DOES ART
Nov. 7-Dec. 20
“Professoriate: The University Does Art” is a group exhibit featuring recent work by university faculty in northwest Ohio, will open at ArtSpace/Lima with a reception for the artists on Friday, Nov. 7 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit will bring together works by 17 university faculty members in the departments of art at Bluffton University, University of Findlay, Ohio Northern University, The Ohio State University at Lima and Bowling Green State University. Participants in Professoriate have national and international reputations that extend well beyond the borders of northwest Ohio. Artist/faculty who will be participating in Professoriate include: from Bowling Green State University: Dennis Wojtkiewicz, Janet Ballweg, and Chelsea Younkman; from Bluffton University: Phil Sugden, Andreas Baumgartner, Jim Fultz and Gregg Luginbuhl; from the University of Findlay: Ed Corle, Laura Barnhardt Corle, Valerie Escobedo and Spencer Cunningham; from The Ohio State University at Lima: Ed Valentine; and from Ohio Northern University: Melissa Eddings, William Mancuso, Luke Sheets, Brit Rowe and Emily Jay. Admission: Free. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Location: Ellen Nelson Gallery, ArtSpace/Lima, 65-67 Public Square, Lima. Information: Bill Sullivan, operations manager, at 419-222-1721.
SPEAKING VISUAL:
LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF ART
Oct. 31-Jan. 25
Artists are visual storytellers, creating works that are rich sources of layered meaning. Art museums are repositories of great examples of visual communication from across time and place and provide excellent opportunities to explore visual language. “Speaking Visual: Learning the Language of Art” uses works from the Toledo Museum of Art collection to teach visitors methods and approaches for interpreting works of art. Admission: Free. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Location: Toledo Museum of Art, Gallery 18, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo. Information: www.toledomuseum.org or 419-255-8000.
LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER: MASTERWORKS AND FAVORITES
Through Jan. 11
Featuring the best of the TMA Works on Paper collection, “Looks Good on Paper” contains approximately 100 prints, drawings, watercolors, pastels, books and photographs selected for their major significance and universal appeal. Included are works by Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Francisco Goya, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse and Roy Lichtenstein, a first-edition King James Bible and pages from the Gutenberg Bible, photographs by Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen and Diane Arbus and more. Admission: Free. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Location: Toledo Museum of Art, Works on Paper Gallery, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo. Information: www.toledomuseum.org or 419-255-8000.
Ticket Watch
Tickets are now on sale for the following events:
Bastille — Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., EJ Thomas Hall, University of Akron, Akron. $36.35-$52.65; 330-972-7570, www.ticketmaster.com.
Montgomery Gentry — Oct. 24, 8 p.m., Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, Northfield. $58.85-$83.20; 330-920-8040, www.ticketmaster.com.
Alice Cooper — Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m., Lima Civic Center, Lima. $41-$101; 419-224-1552, www.limaciviccenter.com/.
Usher — Nov. 5, 8 p.m., Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. $35-$150; 888-894-9424, www.theqarena.com/events/.
Carrot Top — Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, Northfield. $47.35-$67.50; 330-920-8040, www.ticketmaster.com.
Bob Dylan and His Band — Nov. 12, 8 p.m., State Theatre at Playhouse Square, Cleveland. $45.50-$87.50; 216-771-8403, http://www.playhousesquare.org/events/.
Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders — Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m., Akron Civic Theatre, Akron. $45.85-$86.65; 330-253-2488, www.akroncivic.com.
Foreigner — Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, Northfield. $61.50-$90.90; 330-920-8040, www.ticketmaster.com.
Martina McBride — Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, Northfield. $58.85-$90.90; 330-920-8040, www.ticketmaster.com.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra — Dec. 26, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. $32.50-$72.50; 888-894-9424, www.theqarena.com/events/.
Ariana Grande — March 5, 7:30 p.m., Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland. $29.50-$69.50; 888-894-9424, www.theqarena.com/events/.
Mike + The Mechanics — March 15, 7:30 p.m., Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park, Northfield. $51-$90.90; 330-920-8040, www.ticketmaster.com.