ARTS & CULTURE

YEAR IN REVIEW

ARTS &

CULTURE

The Cincinnati Opera’s staging of Carmen at Summit Park

PHOTO: PHILIP GROSHONG

15 Top Arts & Culture Stories from 2021

BY CITYBEAT STAFF

This past year, Cincinnati saw new trends, welcomed back old favorites and planned for the future. ese Arts & Culture highlights from 2021 touch on everything from celebrities and celebrations to big changes.

Vincent van Gogh Is Everywhere

is year, immersive Vincent van Gogh exhibits from multiple international presenters have been traveling to cities across the U.S. e exhibitions create all-encompassing, multi-sensory indoor environments by pairing the latest in digital technology with images recreated from van Gogh’s paintings. New elds, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, converted its entire fourth oor into e Lume for its van Gogh show, on view through May 2022. And now, Van Gogh: e Immersive Experience (from a separate producer than the Lume show) is coming to Cincinnati. is digital “light and sound spectacular” will encompass 20,000 square feet, display van Gogh’s most popular masterpieces and include a virtual reality experience. As of press time, the location for the show — which opens in June 2022 — is still secret. vangoghexpo.com/cincinnati.

Live Theater Returned to Cincinnati Stages

Cincinnati theaters welcomed audiences back indoors this fall with the return of fan favorites and world premieres to local stages. Ensemble eatre Cincinnati opened and closed Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline on March 11, 2020; the show had a onenight run due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the set remained on ETC’s stage until Pipeline opened the 2021 season on Sept. 22. e Playhouse kicked o its 2021 season with two world premieres: playwright Keith Josef Adkins’ historical play, e West End, set in Cincinnati in 1941; and Need Your Love, a musical about the life of underrated King Records star Little Willie John. e Playhouse also brought back the full staging of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol for the holidays (after it presented a one-man radio play version last year). Speaking of the holidays, Drunk Santa returned to the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s zany annual production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and en Some!). To ensure live music, theater and other events can continue to happen during the pandemic, area venues — from major destinations like the Arono Center, Memorial Hall and Music Hall to smaller clubs like MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine — came together this year to require either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test and, frequently, masks for entry.

e state-of-the-art Andrew J. Brady Music Center (25 Race St., Downtown, bradymusiccenter.com) at e Banks opened in summer 2021 with a sold-out concert by the Foo Fighters. ey played the 8,000-person-capacity outdoor stage, but there’s also space for 4,500 fans indoors. And while many entertainment arenas sell naming rights to companies or arts organizations to feature the name of a big donor, this spot is named for a longtime Cincinnati music educator and musician. In fact, the venue recently dropped the “ICON” from its original name to further elevate the tribute to Andrew J. Brady. Across the river, the new PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION (101 W. Fourth St., Newport, promowestlive.com) features three individual concert spaces — an outdoor amphitheater, an indoor music hall and an indoor club — and boasts “state-ofthe-art” lighting and acoustic systems as well as a moveable stage. It can accommodate up to 2,700 fans inside and 7,000 outside. e additions are a huge win for local music audiences as both venues were stacked this year with big-name touring acts from across multiple genres. And 2022 is shaping up to continue that trend.

The Cincinnati Opera Was Finally Able to Celebrate Its Centennial

e Cincinnati Opera’s entire summer season was held outdoors this year for the rst time since 1971, when the company decamped from the Cincinnati Zoo to Music Hall. e decision to move performances to Blue Ash’s Summit Park came in the wake of COVID spikes at the end of 2020, said opera Artistic Director Evans Mirageas. In fact, the company had to cancel its entire 2020 centennial season and instead marked its 100th anniversary in 2021, a year late. e opera performed three classics on the Summit stage in July: Carmen, Tosca and e Barber of Seville. e company announced it return to Music Hall (and SCPA) for 2022, with more fan favorites and two world premieres, Fierce and Castor & Patience. cincinnatiopera.org.

Cincinnati Got a Hard Rock Casino

Cincinnati’s freshly rebranded Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati (formerly JACK Casino) opened in July. And, yes, that means you can get your o cial Hard Rock Cafe Cincinnati shirt from the in-house eatery. Bonus: Hard Rock in fact “rocks” with plenty of live concerts. As with other locations of the chain, the Cincinnati casino is full of celebrity memorabilia. Inside you’ll see iconic keepsakes worn or owned by a wide genre of artists, including out ts from Stevie Nicks, KISS and Lady Gaga, plus you can get a look at Eddie Van Halen’s 1996 933 Porsche. Local artist Jenny Ustick also created a vibrant mural for the space, representing famous Ohio musicians. 1000 Broadway St., Pendleton, hardrockcasinocincinnati.com.

The set for The West End at the Playhouse in the Park

PHOTO: MIKKI SCHAFFNER PHOTOGRAPHY

The Truth Is Here: MUFON Set Up Headquarters In Cincinnati

Cincinnati is once again home to nonpro t UFO investigation organization Mutual UFO Network, or MUFON (MUFON left Cincinnati in 2012 to relocate to Irvine, California but has now set up headquarters near Lunken Airport). Launched in 1969, MUFON has more than 600 trained investigators and 4,200 members across the world to help investigate UFO sightings and collect the data, promote UFO research and educate the public about UFO phenomenon. Executive Director David MacDonald says making the move to Cincinnati permanent is valuable because of the city’s proximity to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and because it was once home to famous UFO pioneer

Hard Rock Casino

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

The new Andrew J. Brady Music Center downtown (formerly known as the Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center)

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Len String eld. mufon.com.

Court Street Plaza Unveiled Its New Look

3CDC unveiled its $5.5 million Court Street Plaza revitalization project in June. e plaza — located on Court Street between Vine and Walnut streets — is a pedestrian-friendly urban promenade with enough space to accommodate outdoor dining, events and popups and boasts public art. With wide sidewalks and a “festival-style street,” the area can easily be closed to cars and vehicle tra c as needed. New bars and restaurants have popped up along the development including the Ernest Hemingway/Key West-inspired cocktail lounge Pilar (pilarcincinnati.com), and Mid-City (midcitycinti.com), from the team behind popular Over-the-Rhine bar Longfellow. courtstreetcincy.com.

Nick Lachey Won The Masked Singer

When e Masked Singer TV show welcomed a celebrity disguised as a pig to its slew of singers, citizens of Porkopolis took notice — especially since we’re the hometown of one of America’s topselling boy bands, 98 Degrees. “Piglet” ended up winning season 5 of the show and was revealed to be none other than Cincinnati native Nick Lachey (who also runs a production company called Flying Pig Productions). Lachey later told People magazine that he went on the show at his kids’ behest and that his daughter recognized his voice immediately. Our big question now is: Will Lachey grace the Taft eatre stage when e Masked Singer tour comes to Cincinnati in June?

The Cincinnati Zoo Welcomed a Surprise Baby Panda

While Fiona typically takes the crown as the Cincinnati Zoo’s miracle baby, everyone — including zoo sta — was surprised when Lin the red panda gave birth to a new and entirely unexpected cub in July. Lin had a miscarriage in May and the zoo said, to their knowledge, this was the “ rst documented case of a red panda losing her pregnancy and then having another embryo come along and implant in the same year.” And speaking of Fiona, her mom Bibi got a new boyfriend this year. “Huge, dark and handsome” 18-year-old Nile hippo Tucker was transported from the San Francisco Zoo in September as a potential mate. 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.

Cincinnati Was Named One of the Best Cities to Make a Movie

Cincinnati was named America’s No. 13 Best Place to Live & Work as a Filmmaker by MovieMaker Magazine this year, making it the fourth straight year the Queen City has earned the honor. e city moved up one spot from its No. 14 showing in 2020. e magazine highlights Cincinnati’s downtown skyline, low cost of living and Ohio’s 30% motion picture tax credit as chief among the reasons for the city’s emergence as a stalwart that has lured lms such as 2015’s Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara; 2017’s Killing of a Sacred Deer, starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell; and 2019’s Dark Waters, starring Mark Ru alo and Anne Hathaway. And we saw plenty of celebrity action in 2021, including Academy Award-nominated dream team Luca Guadagnino and Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) lming Bones & All and Oscar winner Regina King lming Shirley, the story of America’s rst Black congresswoman.

The CSO Appointed a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

e Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra appointed Harold Brown as Chief Diversity and Inclusion O cer in March. is position marked a rst, not only for the CSO, but also for a major American orchestra. Brown’s position will review all of the CSO’s policies to ensure equity; expand internship opportunities to encourage, mentor and retain Black, Indiginous and people of polor; develop and strengthen relationships with underserved communities; and implement cultural competency/ implicit bias training for musicians, sta and board members. e CSO’s new Andrew J. Brady Internship Program was launched this year to give “students from backgrounds not signi cantly represented in the orchestra industry” experience in orchestra management. cincinnatisymphony.org.

Major Arts Stars Stepped Down

ree of the city’s major arts institutions are seeing big changes. Longtime Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director Victoria Morgan has announced she’ll be stepping down at

Court Street Plaza

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

the end of the 2021-22 season — her 25th year with the organization. e CSO announced that Music Director Louis Langrée is not renewing his contract and would depart at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. (Langrée has taken a gig as director of the Opéra Comique in Paris.) And Raphaela Platow, the Contemporary Arts Center’s Alice & Harris Weston Director, left her role in July to take a new position as the director of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville.

But Cincinnati Arts Organizations Have Big Plans

After almost two years of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, local arts, cultural and educational organizations are cautiously hoping they can nally emerge from nightmare times with new ideas. A number are at least considering — and, in some cases, already constructing — new buildings or redesigning existing ones. at list includes the Cincinnati Art Museum, which has launched a $65 million fundraising campaign to create a sweeping “New View” of the institution’s main entrance, as well as the main branch of the Cincinnati Public Library, the Playhouse in the Park, the Taft Museum of Art, the Vent Haven Museum, the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, Lloyd Library & Museum, Cincinnati Type & Print Museum and others.

We Talked a Lot About Dave Chappelle

Comedian Dave Chappelle made headlines during the pandemic for hosting a series of celebrity-packed, socially distant outdoor music and stand-up shows in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio. It was the hottest ticket in town (if not the country) in 2020, and he brought the shows back in May of this year. He also screened his Untitled documentary about the stand-up series, made with Oscar and Emmy-winning lmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, at the Heritage Bank Center in 2021. And he’s reportedly opening a comedy club in Yellow Springs. But it wasn’t all rosy for the storytelling comedian after he intentionally misgendered a transgender friend who had died in his Net ix special e Closer. In an anythingbut-funny moment, Net ix employees staged a walk-out to protest Chappelle’s anti-trans jokes as well as his ongoing anti-cancel-culture comedy sets.

The Queen City Is One Step Closer to Its CROWN

It was a good year for biking in Cincinnati. Afar magazine named the Little Miami Scenic Trail as one of the ve best urban trails in America and the bike trail was also a factor in Forbes naming Cincinnati as a top 2021 destination for travelers. e Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network (CROWN) also surpassed a major milestone in June when it secured $6 million of an $8 million goal to complete segments of a 34-mile mixed-use walking/biking path. Led by Tri-State Trails, Wasson Way, Ohio River Way and a publicprivate partnership, CROWN aims to connect over 100 miles of pre-existing and to-be-constructed trail systems while boosting economic development, improving transportation options, stimulating businesses and promoting healthy activities. CROWN will serve as a “hub” to access the aforementioned Little Miami Scenic Trail, Wasson Way (which recently opened Phase 5) and more. crowncincinnati.org.

YEAR IN REVIEW SPORTS

BY ALLISON BABKA AND MAIJA ZUMMO

Cincinnati Reds fans might not be in the MLB rivalries they assume.

PHOTO: LITTLESISTER, FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS

Even with COVID-19 restrictions (at least until late spring), economy woes and snack shortages, 2021 was a great year for sports in Cincinnati. Against a backdrop of excitement that the athletic gods were nally back, fans could enjoy the highs and lows of watching their favorite teams do their favorite things — win.

The Reds’ Jonathan India Is the Rookie of the Year and Every Other Superlative

e Cincinnati Reds’ second baseman Jonathan India secured a cabinet full of hardware recognizing his outstanding 2021 season. e Sporting News named India as its National League Rookie of the Year for 2021; he was named the National League’s Outstanding Rookie in the MLB Players Choice Awards; and Baseball America named India as its Rookie of the Year. But he also snagged the big, big award: India was named the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s 2021 Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year for Major League Baseball’s National League. reds.com.

Soccer Star Rose Lavelle Uses Cincinnati Moxie to Kick Some Ass

Oh, Rose Lavelle, look at you now. 2021 was extremely kind to the Mount Notre Dame High School alumna, who continues to prove that Cincinnati breeds winners. In November, Lavelle and the U.S. Women’s National Team demolished Paraguay in the rst-ever U.S. Soccer match at TQL Stadium in the West End, with Lavelle scoring in just the fourth minute of the match. e mid elder also helped the USWNT to a bronze medal in the 2020 Olympics this summer, scoring the team’s rst goal of its annihilation of New Zealand (though the Tokyo Olympics happened in 2021, they still were considered to be the 2020 Olympic Games due to the coronavirus pandemic delay). And earlier this year, Lavelle was named MVP during the winning match of the 2021 SheBelieves Cup. ere’s a reason Lavelle’s mural at e Banks remains a must-see for soccer fans. ussoccer.com.

FC Cincinnati Sees Lots of Changes

nished the year with a 4-22-8 record, tying it with the 2019 season for losses. But there’s hope for change in 2022 with the recent announcement of a new head coach. FC Cincinnati has tapped Pat Noonan, a former player and assistant coach for various MLS teams, to step into the role. Other changes

Cincinnati Cyclones President Ray Harris is going into the ECHL Hall of Fame.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY CINCINNATI CYCLONES

Rose Lavelle lit up TQL Stadium.

PHOTO: TWITTER.COM/USWNT University of Cincinnati fans were ready for ESPN.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK.COM/UOFCINCINNATI

The Bengals’ secret weapon? New uniforms.

PHOTO: TWITTER.COM/BENGALS

happened in 2021: Former general manager Gerard Nijkamp departed in August, and the club released former head coach Jaap Stam and two assistant coaches in September. However, the team also broke in its brand-new $250 million TQL Stadium in the West End this year. e venue played host to the United States Men’s National Soccer Team’s 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Mexico, and the United States Women’s National Soccer Team (featuring Cincinnati’s own Rose Lavelle) pounded Paraguay during an international friendly there. On the horizon: the city is bidding to host a 2026 World Cup match. 1501 Central Parkway, West End, fccincinnati.com.

The Bengals Get New Uniforms and Win a Surprising Amount of Games

We don’t live in a comic book universe, but it sure seems like the Cincinnati Bengals have superpowers thanks to some new duds. After a monthslong tease, the Bengals revealed “New Stripes” uniforms in April — the team’s rst signi cant change in 17 years. e only thing untouched? e Bengals’ iconic tiger-striped helmet. e uniform change seems to have given the team some spark, as the Bengals have already crushed the Pittsburgh Steelers (twice!) and won more games so far than anyone outside the franchise had predicted. Can the magic push the team to the Super Bowl? We wouldn’t bet against them these days. bengals.com.

Nick Castellanos + Cincinnati Reds = Ross & Rachel?

Are they done for good, or will they get back together? is winter, Castellanos and the Reds have embodied the “Will they or won’t they” energy of the famous couple on Friends. After Castellanos had a fantastic season that earned him an MLB Silver Slugger Award, the out elder opted out of the nal two years of his contract, forfeiting $16 million per year. e Reds then made a qualifying o er (set across the league at $18.4 million), which Castellanos rejected, later saying that he’d consider another o er from the team — something Reds fans are clamoring for. As of press time, the relationship still is stalled, but we’re hoping for a holiday (armadillo) miracle — and, yeah, we know it’s a longshot. Castellanos is considered to be one of the best free agents available and has drawn interest from multiple teams. reds.com.

Puckchop and Twister welcome Cincinnati Cyclones hockey fans back to Heritage Bank Center.

PHOTO: ALLISON BABKA

University of Cincinnati Gets Major ESPN Screentime

For the rst time ever, ESPN’s mega-popular pre-game show College Gameday visited Cincinnati for UC’s homecoming game. Bearcats fans were ecstatic to have the sports network broadcasting live from on campus in the lead-up to the game against Tulsa at Nippert Stadium. Fans also lined up in the wee hours of the morning to be part of the Gameday team’s live shots for Good Morning America on ABC. Homecoming already is pretty special, but having the Bearcats’ game-winning, last-minute eld goal beamed live to the nation and around the globe? Absolutely priceless. gobearcats.com.

Cincinnati Cyclones Return to the Ice after Nearly Two Years of Pandemic Delays

puck-shaped hole. e Cincinnati Cyclones hadn’t played an o cial, regular-season game since March 11, 2020 — that is, until Oct. 23 of this year, when the Cyclones visited the Indy Fuel. e return of our favorite ice sport gave fans a new head coach in Jason Payne (the only currently active head coach of color in professional hockey), a 2022 ECHL Hall of Famer in Cyclones president Ray Harris and all the dollar beer nights anyone could want. Hockey is back, baby. cycloneshockey.com.

A New York Mets Announcer Hates Cincinnati Chili. Like, Haaaaaaates it

We’ll admit that Cincinnati-style chili isn’t for everyone, but show a little respect, huh? New York Mets announcer Gary Cohen went o on the dish during the broadcast of a Reds vs. Mets game, calling Skyline’s 5-Way “disgusting chili gravy.” Showing a video of someone expertly preparing the aforementioned dish, Cohen narrated its construction: “ e 5-Way, with the spaghetti and the beans and the cheese — rst the disgusting chili gravy. After the onions comes the cheese, and

The U.S. Women’s and Men’s Teams crushed their opponents in special games at TQL Stadium, but FC CIncinnati didn’t fare quite as well.

PHOTO: FRANCISCO HUERTA

that’s what makes it the 5-Way. ere’s the cheese. ey put like 10 tons of shredded cheese on there. And this is supposed to be food that you actually eat.”Cohen then told co-broadcaster Ron Darling, “Try it once, and then you’ll never eat it again.” e Cincinnati Twitterverse immediately jumped into action defending the local delicacy, including the home team. “Two facts: Jonathan India is good. Skyline Chili is good,” the Reds said. We can’t argue with that logic

A Delhi Township Bar and LeBron James Get into a Weird Social Media Fight

Yes, this was a thing. Jay Linneman, who owns Linnie’s Pub in Delhi Township, reacted strongly on Facebook after former Cleveland Cavaliers/ current Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James shared a now-deleted tweet targeted at the white Columbus police o cer who allegedly shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, who is Black, in April. “If anyone wants to watch an NBA game, don’t come to Linnie’s Pub. We will not air them until Lebron [sic] James has been expelled from the NBA,” Linneman posted to his personal Facebook account, which was linked from his bar’s website and which had shared controversial ideas. Linneman later either deleted the post or set it to private, but James posted his reaction to it on Twitter. “Aww, damn! I was headed there to watch our game tonight and have a drink! Welp.” James also had tweeted and then deleted tweets directed at the o cer and lamented the number of Black people who are killed by police. But the story doesn’t end there! A few days later, the contact form on the Linnie’s Pub website was amended to require the user to con rm that they supported law enforcement. A link for those who “feel the need to use vile or threatening language” directed users to hell.com, a very basic, rainbow-adorned site that poses questions to visitors such as “What happens to me in Hell?” and “Am I a sinner?” James probably didn’t care. After all, the four-time NBA champion, successful businessman and developer of a STEM-based school for disadvantaged children in Akron, where he’d grown up, recently saw his 2003-2004 Upper Deck rookie card sell for $5.2 million.

Cincinnati Reds Fans Get a Shock about MLB Rivalries

Over the last seven years, Joe Cobbs, Ph.D., a professor of sports business and event management at Northern Kentucky University, has led students in surveying more than 30,000 baseball fans across the country about teams they perceive as their biggest rivals in Major League Baseball. According to Cobbs’ research, Cincinnati Reds fans claim prestige rivalry with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Fans of neither team care much about the Reds, though, preferring instead to keep their own century-plus rivalry going. “Sometimes fans don’t feel the same towards one another. It’s like a little brother versus big brother situation,” Cobbs said. at’s disappointing news, but Reds fans can lessen the sting by knowing they’re No. 3 in the country for boozing it up during games, according to research from a gaming media group.