My colleagues in CityBeat's news section pay attention to him, but you don't read much about former newscaster and aspiring politician Jerry Springer in these pages. However, it's worth noting that one of the hottest tickets in London recently has been JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA, a work composed by Richard Thomas and written by Stewart Lee. The production was a hit at Edinburgh's Fringe Festival in 2002. After a successful run at London's National Theatre a year ago, it transferred to a commercial theater, the Cambridge in the West End. The opera was named "best musical" in the 2003 Evening Standard's Theatre Awards, besting several more traditional shows. How long can it be before the work comes to a stage here in Cincinnati? ...
Although Cincinnati is a hotbed of Classical music performance, with the departure of the AMERNET QUARTET from Northern Kentucky University, we'll be left with no resident string quartet at an area university. The Amernet is moving to Miami (who can blame them?) to Florida International University, after four years at NKU. Prior to that the foursome played at UC's College-Conservatory of Music. Their arrival at NKU signaled a serious commitment to training young musicians, one that's likely to continue, although there's been no word about a new quartet-in-residence. ...
For an unusual way to mark Holy Week, you might stop by the CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER IN CHAINS (325 W. Eighth St., Downtown) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. for the ancient office of "Tenebrae," a Latin word meaning "shadows" or "darkness." The somber program features the Cathedral Choir in works ranging from Gregorian chants to Renaissance and 20th-century choral masterpieces. Info: 513-421-2222. ...
Another thought-provoking concert: the KENTUCKY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA presents "War & Remembrance" at Covington's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption on April 16-17. Works performed will be Arnold Schoenberg's Survivor from Warsaw and the Tristate premiere of Henryk Gorecki's Third Symphony, "Sad & Sorrowful Songs," a recording of which has sold more than 1 million copies, a record in the Classical music industry. Info: 859-431-6216.
