Arts + Benefits :: What to do this week!

Joyfully spontaneous? Socially conscientious? Artistically curious?
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Readers are welcome to add their own picks for THIS week (scroll down.) For more events see the Fundraisers Datebook or the E•X•P/arts Calendar.

Tuesday – July 20

[Concert] An Evening with Sting
One of the most innovative and sophisticated of all pop musicians, Sting brings his Symphonicities tour to Riverbend, performing orchestrated re-interpretations of his most beloved songs backed by members of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This performance will come just a week after the release of his new recording by the same name. Be the first kid on your block to hear it live!

Where: Riverbend Music Center
When: 8 p.m.
More information: www.riverbend.org

Wednesday – July 21

[Family] Kids, Cultures, Critters and Crafts Festival
A fabulous opportunity for kids of all ages… Zoo admission is just $1 for the day (from 9-6). Entertainment features a broad range of world music and artists, as well as face and henna painting, celebrity storytelling, and a Mardi Gras parade. The first 2,000 groups will receive a free Kroger Snap Cam. If you live within reach of the Route 1 Art Bus (Museum Center-Mt. Adams-Zoo), Metro will offer $1 round-trip bus fare from anywhere on the route and riders on the bus can enjoy in-transport music and mime.

Who: Learning Through Art
Where: Cincinnati Zoo
When: 9-6
More information: 513-242-6028 or www.learningthroughart.com

[Opera] La Boheme
If you have ever wanted to see an opera, but have hesitated not knowing which one, your time has come. Considered by some as the perfect opera, Boheme has everything you could want: comedy, pathos, drama, idealistic love, and some of the most beautiful and poignant music ever written. Written in 1896, this dramatic inspiration for Broadway’s Rent has become the world’s most popular opera. If you haven’t yet experienced Puccini’s beloved Bohemians, this is the perfect opportunity, and the culmination of Cincinnati Opera’s 90th season.

What: Cincinnati Opera
Where: Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., downtown
When: 7:30 p.m. (also Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.)
More information: 513-241-2742, www.cincinnatiopera.org or www.expresscincinnati.com, Digital Edition, page A3

Friday – July 23

[Theater] Shakespeare in the Park
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is producing A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of their 4th annual Shakespeare in the Park series. Inspired by New York’s Central Park Shakespeare series, Cincy Shakes takes The Bard beyond the stage and into nether climes. Dream is the perfect vehicle for this, with its lovers and gods and fairies and magic… The best part, as always, is just letting Shakespeare’s words cascade over you, but this time you’ll witness his shadows and visions under the stars!

Where: Burnett Woods, Clifton
When: 7 p.m.(also Saturday: Harry Whiting Brown Lawn, Glendale)
More information: 513-381-BARD or www.cincyshakes.com

[Theater] A Little Night Murder
Do you love mysteries? Are you a sucker for a Law and Order marathon? Then here is your chance to play Det. Lennie Briscoe, review all the clues, interrogate the suspects, and decide who committed the crime in this interactive Murder Mystery based in the “colorful” atmosphere of 1930’s Newport. Come test your skills!

Where: Monmouth Theatre, 636 Monmouth St., Newport
When: Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. (also July 24, 25, 30 and 31)
More information: 859-655-9140 or www.monmouththeatre.com

Saturday – July 24

[Benefit] Zonta Garage Sale
Looking for a way to maximize your garage sale efficiency? Then focus all your efforts in one location, enjoy mega-shopping at its best, and help a great cause in the process. With sponsors such as Libby’s Closet and 1-800-GOT JUNK, you know there will be cool stuff to peruse. Zonta provides scholarships for women ages 25 and above attend or return to college.

What: Zonta Club of Cincinnati Annual Garage Sale
Where: Snyder House at Cottell Park, 5847 Irwin-Simpson Road, Deerfield Township
When: 8-2
More information: 513-842-0709 or zonta-cinti.org

[Jazz] Dan Karlsberg CD release party
Do you or your friends like jazz? Composer/arranger/pianist Dan Karlsberg is one of the most interesting and creative new jazz artists on the local scene, generating original tunes and reflecting classical, world and funk influences in a fresh sophisticated way. Check out live performances of tracks from his latest (second) CD, Mission to Mars & Other Short Stories at Cincinnati’s premiere jazz showcase.

Where: The Blue Wisp, 318 E. Eighth St., downtown
When: 8:30 p.m.
More information: 513-241-9477, www.thebluewisp.com or www.dankarlsberg.com

Sunday – July 25

[Visual Art] TruthBeauty: Pictorialism and the Photograph as Art
Looking for an enriching new way to stay cool on a hot July Sunday afternoon? Love photography? This is the place to be, and it’s free! Even in the earliest years of photography, certain visionary practitioners saw the potential for artistic expression and attempted to emulate the finest attributes of painting. This exhibition includes 118 vintage masterpieces from well-known photographers between 1895 and 1925. Runs through Aug. 8

Where: Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., downtown
When: 11-5
More information: 513-241-0343, www.taftmuseum.org or www.expresscincinnati.com, Digital Edition, page A2