The road to the Tony Awards is still bright for Wright State University alumna Nicole Scherzinger.
The Tony nominee won the Drama League’s Distinguished Performance Award May 16 for her acclaimed portrayal of Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard,” which took the prize for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Scherzinger also received nominations from the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards and is among this year’s recipients of the Theatre World Award, which recognizes the most outstanding debuts on and off-Broadway.
The Tony Awards will air live from New York’s Radio City Music Hall at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 8 on CBS.
Judith Browne Dianis, Alexei Navalny win Kettering Democracy Prize
Judith Browne Dianis and the late Alexei Navalny are the two inaugural winners of the Kettering Democracy Prize bestowed by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation focuses on the needs of democracy worldwide and works to advance inclusive democracies around the globe. The Kettering Democracy Prize is awarded to honor and elevate the work of an individual or group that has gone beyond the ordinary to champion and defend inclusive democracy.
Dianis is a lawyer, civil rights advocate and executive director of the nonprofit Advancement Project, which works with individuals, communities and organizations to strive for racial justice, fight voter ID laws, restore voting rights to those convicted of felonies and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.
Navalny was the Russian opposition leader, anti-corruption activist and international symbol of courage who ceaselessly championed democracy and challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian rule. His imprisonment in an Arctic penal colony sparked international outrage and widespread Russian protests. Navalny’s death was announced Feb. 16, 2024, and the Kremlin’s refusal to permit an independent autopsy deepened the belief that he was murdered.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“The Kettering Foundation is pleased to launch this new prize to honor individuals who embody an uncommon commitment to democracy work despite real threats,” said Sharon L. Davies, president and CEO of the Kettering Foundation, in a press release. “Alexei Navalny and Judith Browne Dianis are shining examples of the type of courageous dedication to democracy the foundation seeks to celebrate in bestowing the Kettering Democracy Prize. Their lives of activism and bravery are an inspiration to all who fight for democracy worldwide.”
The winners of the Kettering Democracy Prize will each receive $100,000 and a commemorative medal at an event in November in Washington, D.C. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, will accept this posthumous award on behalf of her husband.
The Neon’s Family Summer Film Festival
The Neon, in partnership with ThinkTV PBS and Dayton Metro Library, will kick off a six-week series of free family screenings on Saturday mornings beginning at 11 a.m. June 14.
Each week doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and tickets will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Events will start with Read-Along videos and continue with programming from the PBS Kids library. Children will leave each screening with a free book and other materials, courtesy of ThinkTV and Dayton Metro Library, to promote continued learning over the summer. Parents and caregivers will also be provided with resources to keep learning happening at home and prevent the “summer slide.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Featuring episodic shorts from popular characters in the PBS Kids library, screenings each Saturday will focus on a different program:
June 14: “Be My Neighbor Day,” “Daniel Tiger” episodes followed by hands-on activities on The Neon patio.
June 21: “Carl the Collector,” this warmhearted screening about an autistic raccoon named Carl who loves collecting things will be followed by creating your own “collection jar” on The Neon patio.
June 28: “Puppy Love: Tales of Tails,” featuring “Clifford” episodes. After the screening visit puppies from Adopt A Pit on The Neon patio.
July 5: “Dinosaur Adventures,” roar into prehistoric fun on the “Dinosaur Train” then dig for fossils and make dinosaur footprints on The Neon patio.
July 12: “Solving Problems Together,” episodes of “Work It Out Wombats” will be followed by making your own whirligig on The Neon patio.
July 19: “Wild Kratts Day.” After the screening Five Rivers MetroParks will visit with some of their special friends.
The Neon is located at 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton. For more information, visit neonmovies.com.
Shakespeare in the Heights presents ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
Shakespeare in the Heights returns May 30-June 8 with its second annual production as part of the Huber Heights Parks Summer Arts Series.
The troupe is transporting Shakespeare’s classic comedy “Much Ado About Nothing,” a tale of love, betrayal, villainy and mistaken identity, to 1920s Chicago.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Under the direction of Zoey Knapp, the cast is led by Keslina Luoma (Beatrice) and Caleb Floyd (Benedick) along with Andy Crawford, Molly Kelly, Tamar Fishbein, Christy Barker, John Wysong, David Meadows, Wayne Wolfe, Leif Walters, Melanie Brown, Don Smith, Chris Petree and Xander Magill.
Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays at the Eichelberger Amphitheater at the Heights, 8625 Brandt Pike, Huber Heights. Admission is free but donations are encouraged. Stone benches are built into the amphitheater and ground level seating is available on the stage. Audience members are invited to bring blankets, cushions or stadium chairs for comfort.
For more information visit Shakespeareith.org.
New immigrant storytelling project launches in Springfield
“Journeys: Immigrant Storytelling Through the Arts” will launch with a free event slated from 5-7 p.m. Friday, June 6 on the third floor of the Metropolis, 102 W. High St., Springfield.
This family-friendly project celebrates the stories of immigrants who have come to Springfield. The goal of the program is to create understanding, empathy and acceptance.
“Whether your family has lived in the city for generations or you are a recent arrival, we aim to celebrate everyone’s immigrant story through creative expression,” said organizers in a news release. “There are many ways to tell a story. Although storytelling is the heart of the project, we encourage other art forms like painting, photography, music and poetry.”
Featured storytellers/poets include:
- Jacques Adler Jean Pierre, a Haitian American poet, journalist, playwright, short story writer. He has published three collections of poems and a story collection titled "Tigri."
- Mia Perez, a Cuban American immigration attorney and interpreter, director of immigrant voices.
- Kelton Moore, an Ohio native and a community chaplain who works closely with Springfield’s immigrant population.
The event will also incorporate storytelling tables, in which attendees will have the opportunity to share their own immigrant story, and a hands-on arts project concerning home and ancestral homes.
“These ideas resonate with artists, architects and people in our community who were born here or are arriving here,” organizers said.
Snacks will be provided. For more information, visit nehemiahfoundation.org.
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