Arts picks: 'Masked Singer' at Civic, Kenmore First Friday, 'My Fair Lady' in Cleveland

Kerry Clawson, Akron Beacon Journal
·4 min read
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'Masked Singer' at Akron Civic Theatre

"The Masked Singer" national tour will perform live in Akron June 9, making a one-night stop for a 7:30 p.m. show at E.J. Thomas Hall, 109 Hill St. Audience members will see their favorite characters from the Fox hit reality series in a show that stars British singer and songwriter Natasha Bedingfield, a former contestant.

The show will feature celebrity guest hosts from the TV show as well an Akron-area celebrity in a top-secret disguise. The audience will attempt to decipher his or her identity until the local celebrity is unmasked at the end of the night.

For tickets, see https://www.uakron.edu/ej or TheMaskedSingerTour.com. Standard tickets cost $39.75-$89.75 and VIP packages run from $249-$310.

"The Masked Singer" will play at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron June 9.
"The Masked Singer" will play at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron June 9.

Kenmore First Fridays return to Kenmore Boulevard

Kenmore First Fridays will return to the historic Kenmore Boulevard business district with live music from the honky-tonk group The Shootouts, joined on the main stage by the Akronauts from 6 to 9 p.m.  Friday. The series is sponsored by the Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance in partnership with Akron Civic Commons and the Rotary Club of Akron.

The kickoff also will offer Oddmall’s “Great Grassman Gathering,” featuring more than 40 purveyors of art, games, toys, comics, collectibles and more.

The free monthly events will include food trucks and an outdoor beer garden. The July 1 concert will feature Big Pop with The Buffalo Ryders, plus SIT Strings presents Virgil Lay Day. Torchbearers will offer its inaugural community volunteer fair. The final Sept. 2 event will feature Marc Lee Shannon with Indré, plus Crafty Mart.

'Share the Past' at Akron Art Museum

The  Akron Art Museum is celebrating its centennial with a reinstallation of its collection galleries titled "Share the Past, Create the Future: Selections from the Akron Art Museum Collection," which will run through April 9, 2023. The revamped galleries now organize art around the themes of The Otherworldly and the Fantastic, The Political Landscape, Realism, Images of Blackness, Abstraction and The Natural World.

The reinstallation nearly doubles the number of artists represented in the collection galleries, including 19 women and 18 artists of color, as well as 25 works never shown before. The museum at 1 S. High St. is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday. See akronartmuseum.org.

Nick Cave's "Soundsuit," which joined the Akron Art Museum’s collection in 2019 but has been off-view since, can now be seen in "Share the Past, Create the Future: Selections from the Akron Art Museum Collection."
Nick Cave's "Soundsuit," which joined the Akron Art Museum’s collection in 2019 but has been off-view since, can now be seen in "Share the Past, Create the Future: Selections from the Akron Art Museum Collection."

Wouldn't it Be Loverly? 'My Fair Lady' tour at Playhouse Square

The Lincoln Center Theater production of "My Fair Lady" will open in Cleveland at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The tour of the celebrated revival, directed by Barlett Sher, will run through June 26 at Playhouse Square's State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave.

The Lerner and Loewe musical tells the story of Cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins, the linguistics professor determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” Cost is $10-$110. See playhousesquare.org or call 216-241-6000.

Live in Akron: Broadway in Akron brings 'Blue Man Group,' 'Tootsie,' classics 'My Fair Lady,' 'Superstar'

Shereen Ahmed as Eliza Doolittle in the Lincoln Center Theater production of Lerner & Loewe’s "My Fair Lady," which will run Tuesday through June 26 at Playhouse Square.
Shereen Ahmed as Eliza Doolittle in the Lincoln Center Theater production of Lerner & Loewe’s "My Fair Lady," which will run Tuesday through June 26 at Playhouse Square.

Free dance class with National Center for Choreography - Akron

Kate Wallich, founder of Dance Church, will lead a free outdoor dance class 10-11 a.m. Saturday at Cascade Plaza, 1 W. Mill St, Akron. Rain location will be at Greystone Hall, 103 S. High Street, fourth floor, Akron.

No dance experience is required for the class that has attracted students from across the globe over the last decade. Participants must register in advance at https://www.nccakron.org/summit. COVID-19 vaccination is required. Sunscreen, comfortable shoes and clothing, a towel and water are recommended.

Seattle-based choreographer, dancer and educator Wallich was named one of Dance Magazine’s "25 to Watch." Her class, co-hosted by Downtown Akron Partnership, is part of the National Center for Choreography - Akron's National Summit Convening this week for its Creative Administration Research program artists and partners from across the country.

Kate Wallich
Kate Wallich

'Say It Loud' mini-tour final shows

The Millennial Theatre Project will give two more free performances of "Say It Loud," an original theatrical piece by Akron-based Black theater artists Francine Parr and Maya Nicholson, at 7 p.m. Friday at the Jenks Building, 1884 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, and 4 p.m. Saturday at the Rialto Theatre, 1000 Kenmore Blvd., Akron.

The show consists of monologues scripted directly from narratives by community members from all walks of life about their feelings, frustrations, fears and suffering. Six Black actors speak in the voices of community members. Town hall-style discussions will follow.

Giving voice to equity: Theater artists respond to racism in Akron with ‘Say It Loud’

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Arts picks: 'Masked Singer' at Civic, Kenmore First Friday returns