Victoria Theatre Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of its Renovation

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/12/2010 -- On Sunday, November 14, 2010 Victoria Theatre Association will host an open house/concert event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the grand re-opening of the Victoria Theatre in 1990 after renovation. The event is entitled Viva Victoria, echoing the gala re-opening celebration in 1990.

"The Arts Center Foundation acquired the Victory in 1998 and a stunning $17.5 million dollar renovation was completed in one and a half years," comments Ken Neufeld, President and CEO of Victoria Theatre Association and the Arts Center Foundation. "A significant citizens group of key players helped bring about the transformation of the Victory to the Victoria – many of whom we hope to acknowledge in person at a FREE special event celebrating the renovation at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 14."

"I am particularly pleased that we will be signing over our archives to Wright State University," Neufeld continues. "This is a significant step towards making the history of the Theatre available to scholars and others in perpetuity. And it is particularly fitting that the archives are going to Wright State, given that one of the key people involved in the renovation of the Theatre was former Wright State President, and Arts Center Foundation and Victoria Theatre Association Trustee, the late Dr. Robert Kegerreis."

Sponsored by the Kettering Health Network, B=Viva Victoria will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 14, 2010 and will take place in front of the building, in the lobby, and on stage of the Victoria Theatre at 138 N. Main Street.

- The Victoria Theatre building has been on the National Historic register for some time, but a plaque stating that fact will be mounted on the facade of the building and dedicated at 2 p.m. with words from Maribeth Graham, one of the community volunteers who was so instrumental in the fundraising to save the building from the wrecking ball back in 1975.
- Victoria Theatre Association is donating its archives to the Wright State University archive and a deed signing will take place on stage before an audience at 2:45 p.m. Speakers will include Susan Kettering, whose family was crucial to the restoration and renovation of this theatre showplace. Select items from those archives will be on display in the Reception Room on the mezzanine level of the theatre throughout the event.
- A concert on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ will begin at 3 p.m. in the theatre. The concert will feature acclaimed British organist Paul Roberts.
- Following the performance, there will be refreshments available in the lobby and historic talks on the theatre from the longest-standing employee of the building, David Hastings, Senior House Manager.

The community is invited to attend all aspects of Viva Victoria, which is free to the public. However, a ticket is required for admittance. Those interested should contact Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or order online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com.

Stay tuned for additional celebrations on the horizon: "2013 will mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of the state-of-the-art Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center," remarks Neufeld. "And 2016 will be the 150th anniversary of a theatre glowing on the corner of First and Main Streets in downtown Dayton!"

History of the Victoria Theatre
The Victoria Theatre, the last remaining theatrical facility built specifically for live entertainment in Dayton, stands today as one of America's premier show houses. On January 1, 1866 it opened as the Turner Opera House and enjoyed three years of success before fire consumed the hall. The job of rebuilding took two years, and the next forty years were prosperous ones for the theatre. Some of America's most prestigious stars, including Edwin Forrest, Lillie Langtry, Harry Houdini, Sarah Bernhardt and Mark Twain, were featured in productions during this period. The theatre was renamed the Victoria Opera House in 1899.

In 1913 raging floodwaters took their toll on the city and the theatre. However, both survived the disaster and were quickly rebuilt to host the nation's great symphonies and opera companies. Another fire ravaged the theatre in 1918, and again it was rebuilt and reopened in 1919 as the Victory Theatre and entered a period of successful ventures. Fred Bickel, who went on to national fame as Fredric March, was one of the many talented performers featured in Wright Players resident theatre company productions from 1927-1930. The Dayton Philharmonic was born at the Victory in the 1930s. In the 1940s the theatre enjoyed the film industry's boom period as a showcase for Warner Brothers Studios, with continued success in the 1950s as the Miami Valley headquarters for Disney films.

By 1967 economic conditions downtown threatened the theatre's very existence and in 1972 it was marked for demolition. Through widespread community support, it gained a listing in the National Register of Historic Places and narrowly escaped the wrecking ball in 1975. The Victory Theatre Association was incorporated in 1976, and volunteers began restoration work. In 1977 the Dayton Ballet Company found a home at the Victory, and a new annual season of professional theatre was initiated. The Victory Theatre Association purchased the building in 1978, and much of the ornate plaster work was restored, new carpeting was installed and the roof replaced. In 1988 the Arts Center Foundation acquired the Victory Theatre from the Victory Theatre Association and began a $17.5 million renovation project. A year and a half later, the project was completed and the theatre was renamed the Victoria.

Biographical Profile on Organist Paul Roberts
Paul Roberts was born in Warrington, Cheshire in England in 1960 and, in his formative years, studied the piano, classical organ and clarinet. While studying Economic History at Liverpool University, he successfully completed several music diplomas. His tutors have included Noel Rawsthorne (Cathedral and City Organist of Liverpool) and Arthur Hutchings (formerly Professor of Music at Durham University). Performing has never been a full-time occupation for Paul and he combines a hectic concert schedule with owning and running his thriving West Country Entertainments Agency, Wessex Entertainments. In 1994 he completed a decade as joint resident organist with Brian Sharp at Sandford Park in Dorset playing both pipe and electronic organs during their long summer season. For over twenty-five years Paul has been a consistently prominent name on the UK organ circuit, playing at virtually every organ society and pipe organ installation in the country. A regular broadcaster in the UK and in other parts of the world, Paul has also appeared on TV in the UK and the USA and has been a prolific writer for music journals. In more recent years, Paul's concert tours have taken him abroad to various parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, India, Thailand, Fiji, and South Africa. In February 2005, Paul was the first British organist to play a solo concert in Radio City Music Hall, the largest indoor theatre in the world. In January 2010 he returned to the USA for his twenty-sixth tour. Paul Roberts has many recordings and videos to his credit. His tuition videos continue to sell in their thousands through retail outlets in the UK, Europe, USA and the Antipodes.

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Victoria Theatre Association kicks off their PNC Family Series with Mad Science Presents: Star Trek Live!

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/18/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association proudly announces the PNC Family Series presentation of Mad Science Production's Star Trek Live, October 16 and 17 at 1pm and 3:30pm at the historic Victoria Theatre.

Formerly known as the Young at Heart Family Series, the newly renamed PNC Family Series is back for its 25th year of family entertainment with a space-age journey where audiences will "Go boldly where no one has gone before(tm)!" Mad Science Productions Star Trek Live, is an out of this world, interactive adventure based on the most popular science fiction franchise of all time. Eager to learn from Starfleet's best and brightest, Captain James T. Kirk and Vulcan science officer Spock, our cadets assemble - and are joined by members of the audience! Everyone is anxious to prepare for their first day at the Academy and an exploration of the legendary U.S.S. Enterprise, only to be unexpectedly whisked into an adventure when aliens attack!

For 25 years, Victoria Theatre Association has presented quality, entertaining programs complete with pre-performance craft activities and study guides (available online) for each production. Tailored to children ages 4-12 and their families, the PNC Family Series is the largest and oldest performing arts series for children in the Miami Valley.

Don't miss out on fun craft activities beginning one hour before each performance on both Saturday and Sunday. Kids and adults can create their own Mr. Spock ears and magically transform themselves into a Vulcan for the show! Dress as your favorite Star Trek character and join in the fun!

Tickets for Star Trek Live are priced at a family-friendly $20 for adults and $18 for children (ages 12 and under). Tickets are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage, and may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, noon - 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

The official candy of Victoria Theatre Association's PNC Family Series is Esther
Price Candies Corporation. Support for Victoria Theatre Association's Family
Advocacy Program is provided by SoBran Inc.

For more information about the 2010-2011 PNC Family Series and it's line-up of Star Trek Live, Mooseltoe: The Moosical, The Gizmo Guys, Creole for Kidz and the History of Zydeco, and Beauty and the Beast visit:
http://www.victoriatheatre.com/10-11-family-series.

(c) 2009 Paramount Pictures Corporation. (c) 2009 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Second City Presents: Fair & Unbalanced - a hilarious ride through present day America!

Dayton, OH-- (SBWIRE) -- 10/15/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association kicks off the 2010-2011 Universal 1 Variety Series with the Second City Touring Company's Fair and Unbalanced, Saturday October 23, 2010 at 7:30 PM in the historic Victoria Theatre.

Chicago's legendary comedy theatre travels to Dayton for one night of improv and hilarity. The Second City's Fair & Unbalanced takes unbridled comic pleasures in the foibles of our politicians, celebrities and even our significant others. No institution escapes the satiric eye of The Second City - from the blowhards of the Beltway to the Hollywood elite. Ripped from the stages of Second City's legendary theatres in Chicago and Toronto, The Second City's Fair & Unbalanced is a hilarious ride through present day America.

Having just celebrated its 50th anniversary, Second City has an alumni list that reads like a who's who of American comedy: Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, John Candy, Bonnie Hunt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Tina Fey and countless others.

Tickets start at $28! For tickets call Ticket Center Stage at 937/228-3630,
888/228-3630, online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com or visit the Box Office in person, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.

Victoria Theatre Association's presentation of The Second City's Fair and Unbalanced, receives generous support from Series Title Sponsor Universal 1 Credit Union, Media Partner Dayton Daily News and http://DaytonDailyNews.com and Entrepreneurship Sponsorship Circle Sponsor Deck the Walls.

A special thanks goes to Uno Chicago Grill- The Cast Party Host of the Universal 1 Variety Series. A cast party will be held immediately after the performance.

For tickets call Ticket Center Stage at 937/228-3630, 888/228-3630, online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com or visit the Box Office in person, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Victoria Theatre Association is extremely excited to be a part of The Blue Man Group's first theatrical tour.

Dayton, Ohio -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/24/2010 -- NETworks Presentations, LLC and Blue Man Productions are pleased to announce a new theatrical touring production will stop in Dayton from September 28 to October 3. Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticket Center Stage, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, by phone at 937/228-3630, toll free at 888/228-3630 or online at www.ticketcenterstage.com. Blue Man Group kicks off the Victoria Theatre Association's 2010-2011 Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series.

Although Blue Man Group has toured previously with its Megastar arena rock show, this marks the first theatrical production to tour North America. The theatrical tour features classic Blue Man moments as well as brand new content. Dayton is the second stop on this new tour.

Blue Man Group on tour also features a new physical design centering around a proscenium-sized LED curtain and high-resolution screen creating an entirely new visual experience for Broadway houses across the nation.

The critically acclaimed Blue Man Group creates experiences that defy categorization. Blue Man Group is best known for multi-media performances that feature three bald and blue characters who take the audience on a journey that is funny, intelligent and visually stunning. A live band, whose haunting tribal rhythms help drive the show to its climax, accompanies the Blue Men.

"Until now, we have never mounted a touring version of our theatrical production," says Blue Man Group co-founder Philip Stanton. "The main reason for this is we needed to find a way to transform theatres of all shapes and sizes into spaces in which the Blue Man can intimately connect with the audience, where the audience can become engaged with the spirit of the show and of the Blue Man himself.  We think we have finally figured it out, and an audience member in a theatre that seats 4,500 people or so will now be able to enjoy the same intimate experience that might be had in one of our smaller theatres. Our goal with this production, as with all of our productions, is to help audience members reconnect with their own sense of discovery, with their own sense of what is possible in their lives."

Tickets are on sale NOW at Ticket Center Stage, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, by phone at 937/228-3630, toll free at 888/228-3630 or online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com

About NETworks Presentations, LLC
NETworks Presentations, LLC was founded in 1995 by Kenneth Gentry, Seth Wenig and Scott Jackson, NETworks has produced and managed over 70 national and international touring productions. Previous productions include Oliver!, Little Women starring Maureen McGovern, Jekyll & Hyde, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Cinderella starring Eartha Kitt and Deborah Gibson, Fosse starring Ben Vereen and Ruthie Henshaw, The Light in the Piazza, My Fair Lady co-produced with Cameron Mackintosh, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma, Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, among many others. Joining returning hits Annie, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hairspray and The Wizard of Oz this season are Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Young Frankenstein, and the Lincoln Center's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. Future titles include Joyful Noise's production of Handel's Messiah Rocks, A Chorus Line, Spring Awakening, Les Miserables and the Blue Man Group national tour.

About Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is best known for its widely popular theatrical shows and concerts that combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The blissful party atmosphere created at the live events has become the trademark of a Blue Man Group experience.

Currently, Blue Man Group theatrical shows can be seen in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas,Orlando, Berlin, Stockholm, Vienna and Tokyo.

Audiences have multiple opportunities to discover Blue Man Group through the scope and variety of its creative projects, including:

Blue Man Group family-focused educational projects, including a touring Children's Museum exhibit, "Making Waves"

Blue Man Group's headlining performance on the new Norwegian Epic by Norwegian Cruise Line—the Official Cruise Line of Blue Man Group

An upcoming Blue Man Group IMAX film, "Blue Man Group: Mind Blast", which gives the Blue Man an entirely new environment to explore, slated to arrive in theatres in 2011

As the company grows, it remains true to its vision of providing exciting experiences in a variety of media, appealing to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. Learn more at http://www.blueman.com.

For more information about Victoria Theatre Association's 2010-2011 Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series and other presentations, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The immense 2009-2010 success of the Victoria Theatre Association has had a great economic benefit to the city of Dayton.

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/13/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association (VTA) (http//www.victoriatheatre.com) and the Arts Center Foundation (ACF) (http://www.schustercenter.org/) presented its 2009-2010 Community Report at today's annual meeting, held in the Mathile Theatre at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center. "The 2009-2010 season was phenomenal by all accounts with two Broadway blockbusters rounding out an awesome year of performances," says VTA/ACF Board of Trustees Chair, Pat McDonald. "Our new President and CEO, Ken Neufeld has energized the organization and the result is increased audiences, remarkable fundraising results, and a strong financial bottom line. I also want to thank my fellow Trustees, the 65 full and 66 part time employees and, of course, our 1000+ volunteers for their dedicated efforts. The Board of Trustees eagerly looks forward to the 2010-2011 season and it is our hope that our numerous programs impact as many people in the Miami Valley as possible."

Community Report Findings:

The Net Operating Income, before depreciation, for the combined operations of Victoria Theatre Association and Arts Center Foundation fiscal year ending June, 30 2010 is projected to be a surplus of 2.6% of total revenues as compared to prior year of 2.9%. Total Revenues increased 31% due to extended runs of two Broadway shows – WICKED and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA – http://www.victoriatheatre.com/10-11-broadway-series/. Based on a formula developed by the Americans for the Arts, the overall expenses for the 09/10 fiscal year of $15.6 million created an estimated $27,865,000 in ancillary revenues for Dayton and its surrounding communities.

The impressive $27,865,000 sum represents the total dollars spent by VTA/ACF and its audiences, including event-related spending by arts audiences including but not limited to ticket sales, restaurants, parking, merchandise sales and other expenses that revolve around attending and producing an arts event.

"I look back at the 2009-10 season with a sense of accomplishment and pride in the Miami Valley. Due to the hard work of our supporters, sponsors, Board of Trustees and exemplary staff, Victoria Theatre Association and the Arts Center Foundation have been able to succeed strongly in what continues to be challenging economic times," remarks Ken Neufeld, who has just completed his first year as VTA/ACF President and CEO. "I am continually encouraged by what is ahead for 2010-2011: we have an excellent program of productions and attractions this season, a work force that is focused on budget realities and possess the creativity to find better and more efficient ways to operate, and Board of Trustees that is committed to excellence in governance," remarks Neufeld. "I think it's a winning combination for the Miami Valley community."

Highlights from the 2009-2010 season included:

- Hosting over 53,000 people from all over the region (and country) during the premiere production of WICKED – with an economic impact of approximately $5,285,770.00
- Ticket Center Stage sold in excess of 305,000 tickets annually, totaling $9.5 million in sales.
- Reaching 34,911 young people and adults through Education and Outreach programs including Physicians for Kids Discovery Series, Young at Heart Family Series and Chase Broadway Education programs – Background on Broadway, Varsity Broadway, Backstage Broadway and Music of the Night Camp
- The "Fueling Education" program offered free RTA bussing to over 1,200 students and teachers, making it possible for students and teachers to attend Physician's for Kids Discovery Series programs.
- VTA/ACF collaborated with over 20 local non-profit charitable, education, social service and arts organizations in a variety of ways from sharing employees to highlighting groups at performances.
- VTA/ACF served 447,653 people in its facilities, including the Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, Metropolitan Arts Center/Loft Theatre and Citilites Restaurant & Bar at the Schuster Center.

Additional information about these and other season highlights can be found in the Community Report, available for download at http://www.victoriatheatre.com/communityreport or by calling 937/228-7591.

The 2009-2010 Board of Trustees included: Chair, Pat McDonald; Vice Chair, Stephen Miller; Treasurer, Steven Beinlich; and, Secretary, Frank Perez. Other members are: Brian Anderson, Marsha Bonhart, Karen T. Dunlevy, Neil Freund, Jeanette Harris, Ron Katsuyama, Robert Kegerreis, Ph.D., Albert Leland, William T. Lincoln, Lou Mason, Dale Medford, Shirley Nixon, Richard Perales, Ed Purvis, Benjamin Schuster M.D., Martha Shaker, Ginny Strausburg and Chris Wyse. Ad-hoc member is Richard Schwartz.

Victoria Theatre Association is one of Dayton's premier arts organizations, presenting the Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series, the PNC Family Series, the Michelob Ultra Cool Films series, Star Attractions, the Universal 1 Variety Series, and the Physicians for Kids Discovery Series, which features curriculum-enhanced live theatre productions for school children. Victoria Theatre Association is proud of its alliance with the Dayton Opera. In addition to the performances it presents, Victoria Theatre Association also manages the historic Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Arts Center, which houses The Loft Theatre. Victoria Theatre Association receives funding from a variety of diverse public, corporate, individual and private sources, including the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program or organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The 2010 Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series, brought to you by the Victoria Theatre Association, presents: Psycho

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/14/2010 -- It's time for great movies on the big screen, free popcorn and soda! Come join Victoria Theatre Association for the second film of the 2010 Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series: Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful Psycho, July 9-11, at the historic Victoria Theatre.

Psycho (1960) tops the American Film Institute's list of 100 most thrilling American films. Psycho was a progressive movie for its time and broke many of Hollywood's movie rules - like killing off the beautiful heroine early in the movie. Starring a young Anthony Perkins, as Norman Bates and Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, Psycho's notorious shower scene still has audiences thinking twice about hotel showers.

Often called an iconic horror film, Psycho celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in 2010. Psycho was Alfred Hitchcock's last black and white movie and was nominated for four Oscars. With its memorable and spooky score plus amazing cinematography, Psycho was voted the seventh scariest film of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Films are shown at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays in the Victoria Theatre. Recreating the feel of the old-time Victory movie palace, guests may enjoy free popcorn and soda in the lobby beginning one hour prior to show time, the Mighty Wurlitzer organ concert beginning 30 minutes prior to show time, and a classic cartoon just before the movie. Tickets are just $5 each, or $26 for a 10-ticket passbook.

Individual tickets are available day-of-show at the Victoria Theatre box office, beginning one hour prior to show time. Passbooks are a great way to experience all eleven films or bring friends and family to one film and save almost half the amount you would spend on individual tickets!  Passbooks are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage.

Tickets may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton, by phone at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630, or online at www.ticketcenterstage.com – click on Victoria Theatre Association, then Michelob Ultra Cool Films.

For the full scoop on this summer's series, including video clips and much more, go to www.victoriatheatre.com and click on "Michelob Ultra Cool Films." Be sure to also visit our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for exclusive Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series updates and offers.

2009-2010 Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series line-up

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969) – July 16-18
Color 110 mins
Directed by George Roy Hill
Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin

Butch Cassidy (Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Redford) rob trains and outrun the law, but how long will their luck hold-out? Winner of four Academy Awards® and one of the American Film Institute's 100 greatest movies. A new 35mm print!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) - July 23-25
Color 108 mins
Directed by Richard Brooks
Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Jack Carson

Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor star as the married Brick and Maggie, a less than perfect couple vying with Brick's perfect brother for their dying father's fortune. Adultery, alcoholism, infertility and sexual identity, taboo subjects in the 1950s, are explored in this Oscar-nominated® adaptation of Tennessee William's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

My Fair Lady (1964) - July 30 – Aug. 1
Color 170 mins
Directed by George Cukor
Starring Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Gladys Cooper
Rex Harrison reprises his stage role as Henry Higgins, the linguistic expert who wagers he can turn cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) into a proper lady. Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and five other Oscars®.

Animal House (1978) - Aug. 6-8
Color 109 mins
Directed by John Landis
Starring Kevin Bacon, John Belushi, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst

It's true. National Lampoon's Animal House's depiction of college life has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and is preserved in the National Film Registry. Consider it part of your Gen Eds. Toga! Toga! Toga!

Indiana Jones Weekend-Aug. 13, 14, and 15
It wouldn't be summer without a blockbuster or two. How about three? This summer, the Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series pays tribute to Indiana Jones, with three classics from the adventure collection: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Aug. 13; Temple of Doom (1984), Aug. 14; and The Last Crusade (1989), Aug. 15. Join Indy as he escapes Nazis, ritual sacrifice, and, of course, snakes.

Casablanca (1942) - Aug. 20-22
Black & White 102 mins
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Ilsa may never actually say "play it again, Sam," but Casablanca is still one of America's most beloved and romantic films. The timeless story of Rick and Ilsa and the war that kept them apart (and brought them together) stars Humphrey Bogart in his first romantic lead and Ingrid Bergman in her most famous role. Nominated for eight Academy Awards®, Casablanca won Best Director and Best Picture in 1943.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - Aug. 27-29
Color 181mins
Directed by Norman Jewison
Starring Chaim Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon

In this musical based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, Tevye the milkman tries to balance tradition, religion and marrying off his daughters in pre-revolutionary Russia. Fiddler on the Roof was nominated for 1971's Academy Award® for Best Picture.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The 2010 Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series, brought to you by The Victoria Theatre Association, presents: Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid

Dayton, Ohio -- (SBWIRE) -- 07/09/2010 -- It's time for great movies on the big screen, free popcorn and soda! Come join Victoria Theatre Association for the third film of the 2010 Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series: George Roy Hill's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, July 16-18, in a new 35 mm print at the historic Victoria Theatre.

One of the best classic Western films of its time and the top grossing film of 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid will have you saddled up and ready for an adventure! The film won four Oscars, including one for the hit song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head." Join Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the "Hole-in-the-Wall Gang" for a night full of excitement!

Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) are hunky fugitives known for robbing banks, trains, and anything else they can get their hands on. As leaders of the "Hole-in- the-Wall-Gang," Butch and Sundance devise a plan to rob the Union Pacific Flyer train – twice! As in most good Westerns, a love triangle develops as Etta Place (Katherine Ross) comes between the two friends. The daring duo, along with Miss Etta, flees to Bolivia and tries to start anew but little do they know a posse is on the way to seek proper justice.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and all movies in the Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series are shown at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays in the Victoria Theatre. Recreating the feel of the old-time Victory movie palace, guests may enjoy free popcorn and soda in the lobby beginning one hour prior to show time, an organ concert on the Mighty Wurlitzer organ beginning 30 minutes prior to show time, and a classic cartoon just before the movie. Tickets are just $5 each, or $26 for a 10-ticket passbook.

Individual tickets are available day-of-show at the Victoria Theatre box office, beginning one hour prior to show time. Passbooks are a great way to experience all eleven films or bring friends and family to one film and save almost half the amount you would spend on individual tickets! Passbooks are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage.

Tickets may be purchased at the Ticket Center Stage Box Office, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marion Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton, by phone at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630, or online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com – click on Victoria Theatre Association, then Michelob Ultra Cool Films.

For the full scoop on this summer's series, including video clips and much more, go to http://www.victoriatheatre.com and click on "Michelob Ultra Cool Films." Be sure to also visit our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for exclusive Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series updates, trivia and special offers.

2009-2010 Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series line-up

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) - July 23-25
Color 108 mins
Directed by Richard Brooks
Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Jack Carson

Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor star as the married Brick and Maggie, a less than perfect couple vying with Brick's perfect brother for their dying father's fortune. Adultery, alcoholism, infertility and sexual identity, taboo subjects in the 1950s, are explored in this Oscar-nominated® adaptation of Tennessee William's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

My Fair Lady (1964) - July 30 – Aug. 1
Color 170 mins
Directed by George Cukor
Starring Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Gladys Cooper
Rex Harrison reprises his stage role as Henry Higgins, the linguistic expert who wagers he can turn cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) into a proper lady. Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and five other Oscars®.

Animal House (1978) - Aug. 6-8
Color 109 mins
Directed by John Landis
Starring Kevin Bacon, John Belushi, Tom Hulce, Stephen Furst

It's true. National Lampoon's Animal House's depiction of college life has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and is preserved in the National Film Registry. Consider it part of your Gen Eds. Toga! Toga! Toga! THIS FILM IS RATED R for crude sexual content, nudity, language, and some drug use. Animal House is not suitable for those under 17 unless they are accompanied by an adult.

Indiana Jones Weekend-Aug. 13, 14, and 15
It wouldn't be summer without a blockbuster or two. How about three? This summer, the Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series pays tribute to Indiana Jones, with three classics from the adventure collection: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Aug. 13; Temple of Doom (1984), Aug. 14; and The Last Crusade (1989), Aug. 15. Join Indy as he escapes Nazis, ritual sacrifice, and, of course, snakes.

Casablanca (1942) - Aug. 20-22
Black & White 102 mins
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Ilsa may never actually say "play it again, Sam," but Casablanca is still one of America's most beloved and romantic films. The timeless story of Rick and Ilsa and the war that kept them apart (and brought them together) stars Humphrey Bogart in his first romantic lead and Ingrid Bergman in her most famous role. Nominated for eight Academy Awards®, Casablanca won Best Director and Best Picture in 1943.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - Aug. 27-29
Color 181mins
Directed by Norman Jewison
Starring Chaim Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon

In this musical based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, Tevye the milkman tries to balance tradition, religion and marrying off his daughters in pre-revolutionary Russia. Fiddler on the Roof was nominated for 1971's Academy Award® for Best Picture.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Andrew Lloyd Webber's international award-winning musical is coming to Dayton!

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/10/2010 -- The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Harold Prince, begins performances Wednesday, June 9 at 8:00 PM at the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center and runs through Sunday, June 27, 2010. The Phantom of the Opera plays its farewell Dayton engagement Tuesday through Sunday with evening and matinee performances. Seats are still available for most performances at the Ticket Center Stage box office, located in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com or by calling 937.228-3630 or toll free, 888.228-3630. Group orders of 15 or more may be placed by calling 937.228-7591, ext. 3074.

Tim Martin Gleason heads the 36-member company as The Phantom, with Trista Moldovan as the young soprano, Christine, and Sean MacLaughlin as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. Also featured will be Kim Stengel, D.C. Anderson, Michael McCoy, Nancy Hess, Luke Grooms and Paloma Garcia-Lee. At certain performances, Kelly Jeanne Grant plays the role of Christine.

With total worldwide grosses estimated at over $5 billion, The Phantom of the Opera is the most successful entertainment venture of the twentieth century, surpassing such blockbuster films as Avatar, Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park and Star Wars. The show had its world premiere on October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, winning every major British theatre award including the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards. The New York production opened on January 26, 1988 where it won seven 1988 Tony® Awards, including Best Musical.

Based on the classic novel Le Fantome de l'Opera by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.

The Dayton, OH engagement of The Phantom of the Opera is presented by arrangement with Victoria Theatre Association. Visit the official The Phantom of the Opera website at http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com.

The Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadways Series presentation of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA receives support from Leadership Sponsors Brady Ware and Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. and from Performance Sponsors The Dayton Power and Light Company Foundation, Time Warner Cable and Key–Ads, Inc.

There will also be a Cast Party, immediately following Friday, June 11 performance, at The Dayton Racquet Club, located on the top floor of the Kettering Tower in downtown Dayton. The party is free and open to all ticket holders and includes free hors d'oeuvres and cash bar – plus the possibility of meeting members of the cast! The Dayton Racquet Club is the Official Cast Party Host of the Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series. Space is limited.

Audiences are invited to learn more about the show at free Chase Background on Broadway pre-show talks: Saturday, June 12 at 1 PM, Thursday, June 17 at 7 PM and Saturday, June 26 at 1 PM on the DP&L Stage in the Schuster Center. Chase Background on Broadway provides informative and entertaining talks by theatre professionals, focusing on production history, musical highlights, and insider anecdotes. These talks are free and open to Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series ticket holders, but seating is limited.

For more information about Victoria Theatre Association's upcoming 2010-2011 season, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus presents a patriotic season finale!

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/02/2010 -- This week the Dayton Gay Men's Chorus announced their final concert of the season, "Yankee Doodle Dandies", June 5th. The concert will be held June 5th, 2010 at 8 PM in the historic Victoria Theatre, downtown Dayton.

Dayton Gay Men's Chorus will cap-off Dayton's Pride Day activities with their final concert of the season, "Yankee Doodle Dandies", at the landmark Victoria Theatre. The concert features time-honored American Anthems/Ballads, which celebrate our country's diverse cultural heritage. The music selections range from traditional patriotic and spiritual anthems, wild-west ballads, to contemporary country rock classics and have been selected to appeal to a broad audience of all ages.

Artistic Director, Jason Schuler, has crafted an inspiring choral program, which gives voice to the idea that "America is in all of us". Schuler states that "Yankee Doodle Dandies truly promises to be a revolutionary performance of American song, exemplifying a celebration of where we have come from, rights we have fought for and a testimony to the continued struggle for equality." Come join the DGMC for an entertaining evening of tradition, inspiration, and participation in "America, the home of the free and the brave."

For tickets to YANKEE DOODLE DANDIES, call Ticket Center Stage at 937/228-3630 or 888/228-3630, order online at www.ticketcenterstage.com or in person at the Ticket Center Stage box office, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marion Schuster Performing Arts Center. Or find any member of Dayton Gay Men's Chorus. Tickets purchased in advance are $15.00, and at the door for $20.00. Children 7 and under are admitted free of charge.

Grant funding for this project came through the Ohio Arts Council and the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.

Victoria Theatre Association is one of Dayton's premier arts organizations, presenting the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series, the Young at Heart Family Series, the Michelob Ultra Cool Films series, Star Attractions, the Universal 1 Variety Series, KeyBank African-American Festival, and the Physicians for Kids Discovery Series, which features curriculum-enhanced live theatre productions for school children. Victoria Theatre Association is proud of its alliance with the Dayton Opera. In addition to the performances it presents, Victoria Theatre Association also manages the historic Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Arts Center, which houses The Loft Theatre. Victoria Theatre Association receives funding from a variety of diverse public, corporate, individual and private sources, including the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program or organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

“Frankly, my dear, this is one funny play…”

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/10/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association's Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series present MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS, May 11 – 23 at the historic Victoria Theatre. A comedy by Ron Hutchinson and produced by The Human Race Theatre Company, MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS gives an "inside" look at how the script for the movie Gone with the Wind was created—in five days!

"Frankly, my dear, this is one funny play…a rip-roaring farce…[with] witty, pointed dialogue and hilarious situations…" NY Daily News

Hollywood. 1939. David O. Selznick has just five days to salvage Gone with the Wind, or he's ruined for life! Filming has barely begun on his latest magnum opus, Gone with the Wind, and "Selznick's folly" is already a massive train wreck. He's fired the director, the script is a disaster, and he now has only five days to save the movie and his reputation. This true-life piece of Hollywood lore sets the stage for MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS, playwright Ron Hutchinson's hilarious take on just what might have transpired during those desperate five days that produced the final script for Gone with the Wind.

MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS takes audiences behind the closed doors of Selznick's office, where he has corralled director Victor Fleming and screenwriter Ben Hecht, and charged them with the task of getting the train back on the tracks. Selznick locks all three of them in the office and refuses to let anyone out until they have completely overhauled the movie's script. Armed with a typewriter and fueled by nothing more than bananas, peanuts and coffee, the three men set about the daunting task of turning a 1,000-plus-page novel into a coherent 130-page movie script!

Playwright Ron Hutchinson skillfully combines the memoirs and recollections of those involved, along with his own personal experiences as a movie re-write man, to create an utterly hilarious portrait of the long-gone days of the Hollywood studio system. MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS premiered at Chicago's Goodman Theatre in 2004 and made its Off-Broadway debut at New York's Manhattan Theatre Club in 2005.

The production of MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS is co -directed by The Human Race Theatre Company's Artistic Director, Marsha Hanna and local actor Jake Lockwood and features Richard Marlatt as David O. Selznick, Erik Gratton as Victor Fleming, Tim Lile as Ben Hecht, and Caitlin Larson as Ms. Poppenghul. Behind the scenes, Dan Gray is Scenic Designer, David Covach is Costume Designer, Charlie Parker is Sound Designer and, John Rensel is Lighting Designer. Also lending support backstage are: Technical Director, Scott J. Kimmins; Head Carpenter, D. Tristan Cupp; Production Stage Manager, Heather Jackson; Properties, Heather Powell; and Production Assistant, Hols Fischer.

Produced by The Human Race Theatre Company, MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS was placed on the VTA's Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series as a replacement for TALLY'S FOLLY, when the title became unavailable due to a Broadway revival.

For tickets call Ticket Center Stage at 937-228-3630, 888-228-3630, online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com or visit the Box Office in person, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.

The Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series presentation of Moonlight & Magnolias receives support from Leadership Sponsor AT&T Real Yellow Pages and additional support from Performance Sponsor For the Good of Seniors. This is a collaborative sponsorship consisting of these senior-service related companies: David's Cemetery & Mausoleums; Grand Court Dayton; Home Instead Senior Care; Roberson Law; Routsong Funeral Home, Inc.; Senior Pathway Consultants; Sterling House Washington Township; and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care. Entrepreneur Sponsorship Circle Sponsors for Moonlight & Magnolias are Times Community Papers, Command Roofing Company, WYSO, CompuNet Clinical Laboratories, Harlow-HRK Sales & Marketing Inc., Invotec Engineering, Inc. and Uptime Solutions/Liebert.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/16/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association announces the additional shows for 2010-2011 featuring legendary singers and songwriters, fast-paced drum lines, acrobatics and dance and so much more!

"We are thrilled to have the very talented Liza Minnelli join us," said Ken Neufeld, President and CEO of the Victoria Theatre Association and Arts Center Foundation, "as well as Mannheim Steamroller and some of the greatest songwriters in American music culture in The Soundtrack of Our Lives. Be prepared for jaw-dropping acrobatics and aerial delights in Cirque Dreams - Holidaze and to jam in your seats to Drum Line Live! These presentations are not part of a series but our all of our series subscribers get the first opportunity to buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public on July 31, 2010."

LIZA MINNELLI
September 11, 2010 – Schuster Center

Daughter of the great Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli has been entertaining audiences for decades. Liza won her first Tony award at the age of 19, and since has won two more. Minnelli is perhaps best known for her Oscar and Golden Globe winning performance as Sally Bowles in the hit musical movie Cabaret. Having been nominated for several Grammy awards, Liza was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. Her latest CD "The Basement Tapes" hits stores May 2010. Seize your chance to experience this iconic star as she performs some of the greatest songs of all time as only she can!

DRUM LINE LIVE!
November 10, 2010 – Schuster Center
A spin off of the hit 2002 movie Drum Line, Drum Line Live! is one show that can out stomp Stomp and out blast Blast. Based on the Historically Black College and University marching band tradition, this show features riveting rhythms, bold beats and ear-grabbing energy. The show is composed of 40 college age performers, selected from numerous highly distinguished band programs. Drum Line Live features original compositions and soul-infused interpretations of hit songs ranging from Duke Ellington to Kanye West and Andre 3000. Sound and energy like this has never been experienced in a theatre before.

CIRQUE DREAMS – HOLIDAZE
November 26-28, 2010 – Schuster Center
Created and directed by Neil Goldberg, Cirque Dreams - Holidaze is an original new musical extravaganza filled with spectacle, imagination and whimsy. Ornaments come to life as costumed characters performing astonishing feats that celebrate the holiday season. An international cast of acrobats, aerialists, singers, dancers and musicians fill the stage, the air and dangle from a gigantic and magical tree. Gingerbread men flip through the air, toy soldiers march along thin wires, snowmen balance, penguins spin, and reindeer soar high above a landscape of holiday wonderment. You will see why Cirque Dreams - Holidaze makes the perfect gift of entertainment for the whole family.

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER
December 21, 2010 – Schuster Center
With over 25 years of producing some of the most memorable Christmas music ever, Mannheim Steamroller returns to Dayton with another celebration of the season like none other. Founder Chip Davis has sold over 40 million records with 27 million of them in the Christmas genre, making the group one of the top 50 biggest selling musical artists of all time and the biggest selling Christmas music artists of all time. Join the hundreds of thousands of individuals who have experienced sold-out Mannheim Steamroller concerts around the world!

THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES:
Jimmy Webb, Lamont Dozier & Barry Mann
April 23, 2011 - Schuster Center
Enjoy a historic evening with three legendary songwriters as they perform their hits and tell the stories behind the songs that changed our lives. Each songwriter¹s list is enormous and chock full of great big hits, iconic songs that exemplify the era. They truly create the "soundtrack of our lives. Jimmy Webb¹s compositions include "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston" and "MacArthur Park". With his songwriting partner Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann penned "You¹ve Lost that Loving Feeling," "On Broadway," "Just Once," "Somewhere Out There," and "Don¹t Know Much." As part of Holland-Dozier-Holland and on his own, Lamont Dozier wrote such hits as "How Sweet it is to be Loved by You," "Baby Love," "Bernadette," "Come See About Me," and "Nowhere to Run." Hear these American classics that continue to touch the hearts of people all over the world sung by the master musicians that crafted them.

HOW TO GO
Tickets for these performances go on sale JULY 31, online, by phone and in person at the Ticket Center Stage Box Office, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center. To order by phone, call 937/228-3630 or toll-free 888/228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com to order online. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, noon - 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance.  Prices for each Star Attraction performance vary. For groups of 15 or more, call Barrie Denmark at 937/228-7591 to receive a special discount.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Victoria Theatre Association has announced the lineup for the fourth season of the Universal 1 Variety Series at the historic Victoria Theatre.

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/02/2010 -- The 2010-2011 brings: the popular comedic theatre troupe, The Second City; the hilarious Forbidden Broadway: Dances with the Stars; and one of Hollywood's most recognizable comedians, Larry Miller.

"The Universal 1 Variety Series is one of the most affordable and entertaining series in Dayton," says Ken Neufeld, President & CEO of Victoria Theatre Association and the Arts Center Foundation. "You can subscribe to the three-show series for as little as $73 a person. That, combined with truly unique and hilarious shows, makes the Universal 1 Variety Series a tremendous value. We're excited about how the audience for this series is really growing."

The Universal 1 Variety Series is made possible in part through the continued support of series sponsor Universal 1 Credit Union.

THE SECOND CITY
October 23, 2010
Chicago's legendary comedy theatre just celebrated its 50th anniversary and their alumni list reads like a who's who of American comedy: Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, John Candy, Bonnie Hunt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris Farley, Mike Myers, Steve Carell, Tina Fey and countless others. Here's your chance to see comedy stars in the making and witness absolutely hilarious satire and cutting-edge improvisation. No topic or subject matter is off limits. If your parents asked you not to speak about it at the dinner table, chances are it will be made fun of in an evening with The Second City.

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY DANCES WITH THE STARS
February 19, 2011
From Annie to Phantom to Wicked, this fall-down funny satirical roast of over 30 Broadway hits features outrageous costumes, silly spoofs of the songs you know by heart and madcap impressions by a stellar cast! New spoofs include South Pacific, Patti LuPone in Gypsy, and Grease - "You're the one that I hate!" A New York sensation for 27 years, this talented quartet of comic chameleons throws out pointed parodies at a dizzying pace. It's a hip and fresh view of theatre's tried and true that will leave you begging for more.  Forbidden Broadway is the winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the 2006 Special Tony Award.

Cocktails With Larry Miller: Little League, Adultery and Other Bad Ideas
May 7, 2010
As one of Hollywood's most recognizable faces, comedian Larry Miller has appeared in over 50 films including Pretty Woman, The Nutty Professor, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, Bee Movie and The Princess Diaries. He can be seen on television starring in 10 Things I Hate About You, and as a regular on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman and Real Time with Bill Maher. Other television credits include Desperate Housewives, Seinfeld, Law & Order and Boston Legal. Mr. Miller takes to the stage at the intimate Victoria Theatre to share his comic perspective about Marriage, Children & Drinking... and how each one leads to the other two.

HOW TO GO
"Series subscribers who also subscribe to the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series will receive their renewal packets by the end of this week," Neufeld continues.  "Subscribers to just the Universal 1 Variety Series will receive their packets in the mail in early March and their seats are being held for them." Season subscriptions for the 2010-2011 Universal 1 Variety Series are on sale now via Ticket Center Stage, and may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, noon - 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Individual tickets for all Victoria Theatre Association presentations may be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

WHY SUBSCRIBE?
Series subscribers receive many perks, including VIP service and the chance to purchase single tickets to shows before tickets go on sale to the general public.

Guaranteed Seats and the Best Seats. The best seats for each show are snatched up by series subscriber before single tickets go on sale to the general public! By purchasing a series subscription, you are guaranteed the best seats for every show.

SAVINGS. Subscribing to the Universal 1 Variety Series saves 13% over purchasing single tickets.

ADVANCE SALE OPPORTUNITIES. All series subscribers or season ticket holders can buy extra tickets to series shows before they go on sale to the general public.

TICKET INSURANCE. If tickets are misplaced, just call Ticket Center Stage and the ticket agents will reprint them.

DISCOUNTED PARKING. Only series subscribers can purchase prepaid parking the Arts Garage at Second & Ludlow Streets (to the west of the Schuster Center) at a discount. Subscribers pay only $5 a park – instead of $7 event parking.

Please note: New subscribers will be seated per their requests once renewing subscriber's requests have been handled.

For more information about the 2010-2011 Universal 1 Variety Series, as well as Victoria Theatre Association's many other presentations, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com.

Victoria Theatre Association is one of Dayton's premier arts organizations, presenting the Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series, the Family Series, the Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series, the Universal 1 Variety Series, KeyBank African-American Arts Festival, and the Physicians for Kids Discovery Series, which features curriculum-enhanced live theatre productions for school children. Victoria Theatre Association is proud of its alliance with the Dayton Opera. In addition to the performances it presents, Victoria Theatre Association also manages the historic Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Arts Center, which houses The Loft Theatre. Victoria Theatre Association receives funding from a variety of diverse public, corporate, individual and private sources, including the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program or organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Series Includes Much-Anticipated Disney’s THE LION KING, First National Tour of 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL, BLUE MAN GROUP and Much More!

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/01/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association announces its 2010-2011 Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series with first run national tours, a rock'n'roll musical, comedy and the arrival of a highly-anticipated Disney production.

"2010-2011 promises to be a season to remember!" says Victoria Theatre Association and Arts Center Foundation CEO & President, Ken Neufeld. "We have anxiously awaited the Dayton premiere of Disney's The Lion King and are thrilled to be included in the very first national tour of the recent Broadway hit 9 to 5: The Musical! Plus, the wildly popular Blue Man Group will come to Dayton in its first U.S. theatrical tour."

Subscribers to the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series first received the season line-up via email with renewal packets set to arrive early next week, via regular mail. Renewing subscribers have until March 1 to request changes in seating and until March 19 to keep their same seats.

2010-2011 Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series

BLUE MAN GROUP
September 28 – October 3, 2010 Schuster Center
Blue Man Group is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine comedy, music, and technology to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. Although it is impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that Blue Man Group is an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous show that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state. This Fall, Blue Man Group takes to the road on its first U.S. theatrical tour – and Dayton's Schuster Center is on the list!

THE WONDER BREAD YEARS
December 7 – 19, 2010 Victoria Theatre
A comic salute to the Baby Boomer Generation, Pat Hazell's The Wonder Bread Years is a fast-paced, hilarious production that gracefully walks the line between stand-up and theater. If you grew up in the '60s or '70s (or raised kids in those decades!), you'll remember the joys of Clackers, Lawn Darts and riding in the back of the Country Squire wagon. All the fun of Halloween night, Christmas morning and other high watermarks of our collective American youth are played out in this pitch-perfect comedy. Seen on PBS, this laugh-out-loud walk down memory lane stars "one of the five funniest people in America" (Showtime) and "America's foremost pop culture anthropologist" (PBS): Pat Hazell. Pat is one of the original writers for NBC's "Seinfeld," a "Tonight Show" veteran, a critically acclaimed playwright and a contributing commentator to National Public Radio. Pat Hazell triumphantly returns to Dayton where he starred in Bunk Bed Brothers and The Good Humor Men.

9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL
February 1 – February 6, 2011 Schuster Center
9 to 5: The Musical tells the story of three unlikely friends who conspire to take control of their company and learn there's nothing they can't do – even in a man's world. Outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic, 9 to 5: The Musical is about teaming up and taking care of business... it's about getting credit and getting even... and it's about to open in Dayton! This new musical comedy, direct from Broadway, is based on the hit movie and features Dolly Parton's original hit title song along with her new Tony® Award- and Grammy®-nominated score.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
March 8 – 20, 2011 Victoria Theatre
Produced for Victoria Theatre Association by The Human Race Theatre Company
What started as a spoof of old musicals among friends became a tribute to the great American musical, winning the 2006 Tony® Awards for Best Book and Best Score – and leaving audiences laughing hysterically along the way! Jump into this glamorous, hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day, complete with great music and fabulous dancing. Classic Broadway/Hollywood plotlines and characters are spoofed outrageously – and the "Drowsy" (read: "Tipsy") Chaperone watches over it all!

ALL SHOOK UP
April 5 – 17, 2011 Victoria Theatre
It's a square little town until a motorcycle-ridin', guitar-playin' and hip-swivelin' hunk rides in and has everyone jumpin' out of those blue suede shoes in All Shook Up. It's like Footloose, Grease and Happy Days all rolled into one zany story. With more than 24 Elvis hits, All Shook Up kick starts a chain reaction of romances and rebellion through the power of rock 'n roll music! Rock out with "Jailhouse Rock," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," "Can't Help Falling in Love With You," "A Little Less Conversation," "Burning Love" and so many more.
*Not an Elvis biography or an Elvis impersonation show.

DISNEY'S THE LION KING
June 14 – July 10, 2011 Schuster Center
Experience the phenomenon of Disney's The Lion King. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning director Julie Taymor, whose visual images for this show you'll remember forever. Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice's Oscar-winning song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and "Circle of Life." Let your imagination run wild at the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation Newsweek calls "a landmark event in entertainment." Dayton's most eagerly awaited stage production ever will leap onto the Mead Theatre stage at the Schuster Center next season.

HOW TO GO
Season subscriptions for the 2010-2011 Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series are on sale now via Ticket Center stage and may be purchased at the Box Office, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton. Or tickets may be purchased by phone at 937/228-3630 or toll free at 888/228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday noon – 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance.

WHY SUBSCRIBE?
Series subscribers receive many perks, including VIP service and the chance to purchase single tickets to shows before tickets go on sale to the general public.

GUARANTEED SEATS AND THE BEST SEATS. The best seats for each show are snatched up by series subscriber before single tickets go on sale to the general public! By purchasing a series subscription, you are guaranteed the best seats for every show.

SAVINGS. Subscribing to the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series saves 18% over buying single tickets. Ask about our installment plan for easy payments.

ADVANCE SALE OPPORTUNITIES. All series subscribers or season ticket holders can buy extra tickets to series shows – including Disney's The Lion King – before they go on sale to the general public.

FLEXIBILITY. With Subscriber Exchange privileges, patrons can change plans and change seats for another performance time! A small up-charge fee will be applied if seats are switched into a more expensive performance.

TICKET INSURANCE. If tickets are misplaced, just call Ticket Center Stage and the ticket agents will reprint them.

DISCOUNTED PARKING. Only series subscribers can purchase prepaid parking the Arts Garage at Second & Ludlow Streets (to the west of the Schuster Center) at a discount. Subscribers pay only $5 a park – instead of $7 event parking.

Not a subscriber? Call 937/228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com and purchase your subscription today!

Please note: New subscribers will be seated per their requests once renewing subscriber's requests have been handled.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

KeyBank African-American Arts Festival honors Dayton visual artists.

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/02/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association and EbonNia Gallery present the sixth annual Visual Voices art exhibit returning to the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, February 1 – 28, as part of the KeyBank African American Arts Festival.
 
Victoria Theatre Association is once again collaborating with Willis "Bing" Davis of EbonNia Gallery , curator and a contributing artist for Visual Voices. Willis "Bing" Davis has served as an enriching influence both artistically and educationally in the city of Dayton. Additionally he serves as a mentor to artists from his own EbonNia Gallery. Davis supports Visual Voices with his continued vision of assembling exhibitions that enhance public awareness and appreciation for the artistic contributions of Dayton's African-American citizens.
 
All artwork in the exhibit is created by African-American artists from the Dayton-area.  These artists strive to make the Miami Valley region one that flourishes with creativity and a great appreciation for the arts.
 
On display from February 1 - 28, Visual Voices is free and open to the public and viewable when the Schuster Center is open. The exhibit is located in the Mead Theatre lobby at the Schuster Center, adjacent to the Wintergarden.
 
Visual Voices is sponsored by The Dayton Power and Light Company Foundation. Visual Voices is part of Victoria Theatre Association's third African-American Arts Festival, which is sponsored by KeyBank.
 
For more information about Visual Voices and the African-American Arts Festival, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com and click on "African-American Arts Festival."

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

A show featuring science for the kid in all of us!

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/21/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association's Young at Heart Family Series presents a side-splitting, yet educational and interactive, Doktor Kaboom!, January 23 and 24, 2010 at the historic Victoria Theatre. Performance times are 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. each day. Come out early and enjoy special pre-show lobby activities, beginning one hour prior to each performance.

Doktor Kaboom! takes audiences on an amazing educational tour of the modern scientific method by using humor and comedy, all the while demonstrating spectacular applications of the physical sciences. Doktor Kaboom! leaves his audiences thoroughly fulfilled and cheering for more.

A creation of Yellow Springs, OH native David Epley, Doktor Kaboom! is an interactive one-man science variety show that creatively blends theatre arts with the wonders of scientific exploration. His program keeps crowds of all ages riveted and looking forward to the next experiment—because they might be in it! Doktor Kaboom is known for including Mom, Dad, the kids or even Grandma in his experiments.

Tickets are priced at a family friendly $19 for adults and $17 for children (ages 12 and under). Tickets are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage, and may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, noon - 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com.

The official candy of Victoria Theatre Association's Young at Heart Family Series is Esther Price Candies Corporation. Support for Victoria Theatre Association's Family Advocacy program is provided by the P & G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

For more information about the Young at Heart Family Series and Victoria Theatre Association's entire 2009-2010 season, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Buckets and Tap Shoes brings their infectious rhythm to the Victoria Theatre

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/20/2010 -- Victoria Theatre Association begins 2010 presenting another fabulous Universal 1 Variety Series production--Buckets and Tap Shoes, Friday January 29, 2010 at 7:30 PM in the historic Victoria Theatre.

Buckets and Taps Shoes is made up of a unique and utterly brilliant company of musicians, percussionists and rhythm tap dancers who will astound audiences by creating intense driving rhythms with five-gallon buckets, metal cans, barrels, and other found objects – not to mention tap shoes. Buckets and Taps Shoes brings the creativity and spontaneity of street performing to the stage with amazing and exhilarating results. If you like STOMP, you're going to love Buckets and Tap Shoes.

Called, "Utterly brilliant… [Buckets and Tap Shoes] are virtuoso percussive players on, yes, buckets, and extraordinary tap dancers, as capable of channeling hip-hop as Astaire-like suavity," (New York Times). Buckets and Tap Shoes showcases "American-style street sounds" (New York Post) that brings the audience to their feet—and onto the stage. These multi-talented dancers and musicians create a high-energy performance that has astounded world-wide audiences.

Bucket and Tap Shoes is how tap is meant to be- energetic, honest, happy, amazing. Buckets and Tap Shoes is the brainchild of Rick and Andy Ausland, who have a passion for rhythm and lots of it, including maniacal tap and hard-hitting buckets, funky guitars, thumpin' bass and a solid back beat. Its premiere at the 2004 Minnesota Fringe Festival was a huge success earning them "Best of Fringe 2004" and "Best Dance Performance of 2005" by the City Pages.

Don't miss this opportunity to understand "the rhythm thing!" Tickets start at $27! For tickets call Ticket Center Stage at 937/228-3630, 888/228-3630, online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com or visit the Box Office in person, located in the Wintergarden of the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.

Victoria Theatre Association's presentation of Buckets and Tap Shoes, receives generous support from Series Sponsor Universal 1 Credit Union and Media Partner Dayton Daily News and http://www.DaytonDailyNews.com. A special thanks goes to Uno Chicago Grill- The Cast Party Host of the Universal 1 Variety Series, where the cast party will be held immediately after the performance.

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Visit Wintergarden Wonderland at the Schuster Center!

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/05/2009 -- Victoria Theatre Association presents The Kettering Health Network's Wintergarden Wonderland located inside the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, with FREE activities offered throughout the Holiday Season, November 25, 2009 – January 5, 2010, including beloved Dayton-area traditions, music, crafts and more!

The popular Rike's Christmas Windows are once again on display in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center with new sound systems for each window, plus a few extra adjustments enhancing colors and the characters in the windows. The Christmas window displays are a re-creation from Rike's department store which began over 70 years ago and attract annual visits from countless families.

Santa's Secret

Hermie the Elf is new this year and his job is helping the little ones with the Santa's Secret contest. Santa has once again hidden something special in each of the Wintergarden Wonderland windows. Each window has this secret in common. Look carefully at each window and identify Santa's Secret, Fill out a form and drop it in the box. The winner will be drawn from the box on January 5, 2010 and will receive a Family Four-Pack of tickets to the Young at Heart Series for the rest of the season.

Additional Activities

Additional festival activities include The Tike's Shop where children can shop for inexpensive presents for their families, crafts by K12 Gallery and live holiday music on the DP&L Stage, featuring the Schuster Center Broadway Children's Choir and Celebration Choirs, instrumental ensembles and other Miami Valley arts organizations and artists.

2009 Wintergarden Wonderland Events

Rike's Christmas Windows
November 25, 2009 to January 4, 2010 – Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Tike's Shop
This gift shop for children is located in the Berry Room near the Ludlow Street entrance to the Schuster Center. Face painting every Saturday and Sunday!

Friday, November 27, 2009- 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 28, 2009 - 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 29, 2009-12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 5, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 6, 2009-12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 12, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 13, 2009-12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 17, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Friday, December 18, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 19, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 20, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Monday, December 21, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009-10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Holiday Spirit
Stop in the Schuster Center for some Holiday entertainment on the DP&L Stage!

Miami Valley Chorale December 5, 2009 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Miami Valley Music Men December 5, 2009 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Centerville Community Chorus December 5, 2009 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Chinese Youth Orchestra December 5, 2009 3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Cantare Con Amore December 6, 2009 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Rayette's Dance Company December 6, 2009 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Schuster Center Celebration Choir December 6, 2009 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Bellbrook High School Jazz Band December 6, 2009 3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Lauren Brenner December 13, 2009 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Classy Ladies December 13, 2009 1:15 p.m. – 2:00p.m.

Schuster Center Broadway
Children's Choir December 13, 2009 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Opus 4 December 13, 2009 3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Michael and Sandy Bashaw December 20, 2009 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Oakwood Accordion Band December 20, 2009 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Miami River Flutes December 20, 2009 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Community of Song December 20, 2009 3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Holiday Face Painting
Saturdays and Sundays during The Tike's Shop Hours

Santa's Hours
Visit Santa in the Berry Room near the Ludlow Street entrance to the Schuster Center!

November 28-December 20, Saturdays & Sundays – 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
December 21-23 – 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Uno's Pizza with Santa
Tell Santa your Christmas wishes and enjoy some pizza at Uno Chicago Grill!

Saturdays, December 5, 12, 19 – 10:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. visit with Santa, 11:00 a.m. lunch

Some Fun at the Schuster Center (crafts with K12 Gallery)
Artists from K12 Gallery for Young People will be assisting children in making holiday ornaments in the Wintergarden. This decorating opportunity is FREE and open to the public.

Saturday, December 5 – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sundays, November 29, December 6, 13, 20 – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.


For additional information on these events and others, visit www.victoriatheatre.com/wintergarden-wonderland

Kettering Health Network's Wintergarden Wonderland is an annual Holiday gift to the community from Victoria Theatre Association and the Arts Center Foundation. It is provided FREE OF CHARGE to the Dayton community. Kettering Health Network's Wintergarden Wonderland receives support from Kettering Health Network, The Kettering Fund, LINC Mechanical, the Ohio Arts Council and Montgomery County.

There are many other wonderful holiday activities taking place throughout downtown Dayton, as part of the Downtown Dayton Partnership's Holiday Festival. Additional information is available online on the Downtown Dayton Partnership's Holiday in the City page.


For more information about Victoria Theatre Association's entire 2009-2010 season, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com.

About Victoria Theatre Association
Victoria Theatre Association is one of Dayton's premier arts organizations, presenting the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series, the Young at Heart Family Series, the Michelob Ultra Cool Films series, Star Attractions, the Universal 1 Variety Series, KeyBank African-American Arts Festival, and the Physicians for Kids Discovery Series, which features curriculum-enhanced live theatre productions for school children. Victoria Theatre Association is proud of its alliance with the Dayton Opera. In addition to the performances it presents, Victoria Theatre Association also manages the historic Victoria Theatre, the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, and the Metropolitan Arts Center, which houses The Loft Theatre. Victoria Theatre Association receives funding from a variety of diverse public, corporate, individual and private sources, including the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program or organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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Victoria Theatre Association and Dayton Children’s partner with Magician to present: Hocus Focus: The Healing of Magic

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/04/2009 -- Award-winning illusionist Kevin Spencer, The Children's Medical Center of Dayton and Victoria Theatre Association have come together to present HOCUS FOCUS: THE HEALING OF MAGIC in a gesture of appreciation to Physician's for Kids, a conglomerate of pediatricians who support Victoria Theatre Association's Discovery Series. THE HEALING OF MAGIC is a medical technique used to assist children who have suffered loss of motor skills due to trauma or birth defects targeted to hospitals and rehabilitation facilities.

THE HEALING OF MAGIC is a systemic treatment incorporating the therapeutic use of simple magic tricks in physical and psychosocial rehabilitation and has been successfully utilized in many areas, including physical diagnoses, brain injuries and mental health. The applications of THE HEALING OF MAGIC address the entire spectrum to include developmental disabilities, mental health, physical disabilities, gerontology, and specific disease related deficits.

On Friday, December 4, at 1:30 pm, families are invited to join Kevin Spencer at a free workshop at Dayton Children's to engage and teach children and parents the healing power of magic. To reserve your seat, call Jessica Saunders at 937-641-3385 or e-mail saundersj@childrensdayton.org. Seating is limited.

Therapists around the world as well as educators in the occupational and physiotherapy departments of leading universities are using THE HEALING OF MAGIC program to help patients reach their therapeutic goals. It is effective in increasing the client's ability to manipulate objects (dexterity, grasp, and release) as well as gross motor skills.

On Saturday, December 5, at 10:00 am, occupational, physical and speech therapists as well as physicians and special education teachers are invited to participate in a workshop with Kevin Spencer at Dayton Children's. This event is free and two hours of professional education credit (CEU's) are available. For more information or to register, call Moira Alter at 937-641-3618 or e-mail alterm@childrensdayton.org.

"I'm committed to empowering therapists with exciting new tools to aid them in helping their clients achieve functional, measurable goals. Magic wands don't always belong with black hats and rabbits -- sometimes they belong in hospitals where frail hands learn tricks and the magic is in the healing," says magician and HOCUS FOCUS creator Kevin Spencer. Spencer has been featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Australian occupational Therapy Journal, HEALTH magazine, the Washington Post, NPR's All Things Considered and on dozens of television news programs including the CBS Early Morning Show, the Fox News Channel's FOX AND FRIENDS and Good Morning Singapore.

Kevin Spencer is the co-creator of The Spencers' Theatre of Illusion, part of the Victoria Theatre Association's Young at Heart series. The Spencers' Theatre of Illusion will be on stage at Victoria Theatre, Saturday, December 5 at 1PM and 3:30PM and Sunday, December 6 at 3;30 PM.

Tickets are priced at a family friendly $19 for adults and $17 for children (ages 12 and under). Tickets are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage, and may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, noon - 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com.

For more information on Kevin Spencer, visit http://www.SpencersMagic.com.

For more information about the Young at Heart Family Series and Victoria Theatre Association's entire 2009-2010 season, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com

For more information on Dayton Children's, visit http://www.childrensdayton.org.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Win a ”Walk-On” Role

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/11/2009 -- Victoria Theatre Association is holding an ANNIE Coloring Contest for a chance to win a "walk-on" role at the November 28, 2009 at 8 p.m. performance in the Schuster Center. The "walk-on" role is a great opportunity for aspiring "stars". "Walk-On" role candidates should be young girls between the ages 7-14 and must be available for the Saturday, November 28, 2009 8:00 p.m. performance.

To enter, download the ANNIE coloring sheet at: http://www.victoriatheatre.com/annie-coloring-contest and return to: ANNIE Coloring Contest, c/o Diane Schoeffler- Warren, PR Manager, 138 N. Main St, Dayton, OH 45402 or email to: info@victoriatheatre.com. Deadline for all entries is Sunday, November 15 at 5 PM. The winner of the "walk-on" role will be drawn AT RANDOM from all approved entries and announce Monday, November 16, 2009.

"Sandy" Look-a-like Contest
Does your dog looks like Annie's lovable mutt Sandy? If he or she does – or even if he/she doesn't, join Victoria Theatre Association at The Greene, November 20, 2009 for a "Sandy Look-a-like Contest." Entrants should meet in the breezeway between Birch Alley and Chestnut Street (next to Carters and the Parking Garage) at 5:00 p.m. Entrants and their human companions will gather as a group and walk in The Greene's Holiday Lighting Celebration and Parade. The winning dog will be chosen after the Parade and will receive a Family 4-Pack to the November 28 -29, 2009 presentation of ANNIE at the Schuster Center, plus a gift basket from Moochie & Co. For more details go to http://www.victoriatheatre.com.

Boasting one of Broadway's most memorable scores, including "It's the Hard-Knock Life," "Easy Street," "N.Y.C." and the ever optimistic "Tomorrow," you can bet your bottom dollar that ANNIE will bring a smile to your face. To purchase tickets to ANNIE, call Ticket Center Stage at 937/228-3630 or 888/228-3630 or order online at http://www.ticketcenterstage.com.

The presentation of ANNIE receives support from Leadership Sponsor Emerson Climate Technologies, with additional support from Performance Sponsors: WinWholesale and The Win Group of Companies, Kettering Health Network, Vectren Corporation and an Anonymous contributor.

For more information about Victoria Theatre Association's entire 2009-2010 season, visit http://www.victoriatheatre.com.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Victoria Theatre Association announces auditions for walk-on performance role in production of Broadway Holiday.

Dayton, OH -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/15/2009 -- Victoria Theatre Association and Leftfield Productions announce the opportunity to sing with Broadway Stars in the first show of the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series, Broadway Holiday, December 8-20, 2009 at the historic Victoria Theatre. Auditions must be submitted online via YouTube, MySpace or Facebook. Deadline is Friday, November 6, 2009 at 5:00 PM (EST). Entrants must be age 13 or older.

Broadway Holiday, created specifically for Dayton audiences, is a co-production and collaboration with composer and lyricist Neil Berg. This jam-packed Holiday show is sure to entertain featuring a myriad of show tunes from classic shows like South Pacific and Guys and Dolls to more contemporary hits like Chicago and Jersey Boys, not to mention some of our most beloved holiday songs from Broadway shows—"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "White Christmas," and many more!

Audition winners will have the unique opportunity to sing side by side with Broadway stars such as Norm Lewis (The Little Mermaid), Marc Kudisch (9 to 5) and Carter Calvert (Ain't Nuthin But The Blues). Winners of the Broadway Holiday auditions will be selected by composer and lyricist Neil Berg and other theatre professionals. Two overall winners will be selected with up to 10 runner(s)-up and will be announced Monday, November 9, 2009 on the FOX45 in the Morning show.

Interested in Auditioning?
All interested participants will need to post an audition video in order to be considered for this opportunity. Anyone interested in submitting an online audition must be age 13 or older and available to sing for the entire 16-performance run of Broadway Holiday, December 8-20, 2009. Casting and song choice for Broadway Holiday is at the sole discretion of the judges and producer; all decisions are final.

Here's How to Audition!
To audition, upload a 90-to-120-second video clip of yourself singing a Broadway favorite to YouTube, MySpace, or Facebook. Then submit your audition using the online form found at http://www.VictoriaTheatre.com/BroadwayHolidayAuditions no later than Friday, November 6, 2009, at 5:00 p.m. (EST). Victoria Theatre Association will narrow down the entries and then post the finalists on our YouTube page: www.youtube.com/user/vtadayton.

Winners will be announced on Monday, November 9, 2009 on Fox45 in the Morning and online at http://www.VictoriaTheatre.com/BroadwayHolidayAuditions.

For audition submission guidelines and rules, along with complete details about the audition process and restrictions, please visit http://www.VictoriaTheatre.com/BroadwayHolidayAuditions and download the Broadway Holiday Audition Form.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm