June 9-15 2008 was the annual 7 DAYS FOR SIDS fundraiser for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I had the honor of serving on the Planning Committee for my second year.

7 Days for SIDS raises money for awareness and research towards the eradication of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), the number one cause of death of children from birth to one year, through the Sudden Infant Death Network of Ohio. And to sustain the Tatiana de Cavel Scholarship Fund at the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.

While we’re still sorting through everything, it looks as though Sunday’s Father’s Day Brunch (we’re still adding up the rest of the week’s donations)may put this year in line to be a record-setting year for this event!

I worked the Brunch on Sunday. My responsibilities included assisting chefs with load-in of their food (I worked at the dock to get the chef’s equipment and supplies onto rolling carts, which were delivered to the chef’s table by Erin and Melissa, two students), directing chefs on where to go, solving problems (like getting Jean-Francois’ (Taste from Belgium) power back on when the circuits kept blowing!), general cleanup, mingling with the guests, and announcing various things (for some reason, no one knew how to access the Public Address system in the building, so we resorted to, well, shouting).

Jean-Robert & Annette de Cavel (of Jean-Robert at Pigall’s) were busy most of the day greeting guests as they arrived to the event. While I’m sure being busy didn’t completely quiet their minds, I hope the positive nature of the busy-ness was a relief from the sadness associated with the timing of this event – it falls near the anniversary of the loss of their baby daughter, Tatiana.

During this year’s event, I learned a bit about the history of 7 DAYS FOR SIDS… After Tatiana’s death in 2002, Jean-Robert (“JR”) and Annette wanted to host a one-night memorial/fundraiser event in March of 2003. As word of the event spread throughout the Cincinnati restaurant community, offers of support and participation flooded in from chefs, restaurants, and other businesses to help out in any way they could. With such an outpouring of love and support, the event envisioned by JR & Annette, which was intend to be one-night-only, quickly expanded into a week’s worth of activities

Now, the week includes golf outings, special donations from restaurants (for example, proceeds from the sale of certain menu items during the week), cooking demonstrations (including live cooking demos from 10 chefs at the wonderful kitchens of Homearama), art shows, brunches, bowling, a silent auction, and new this year, a live auction event. Also new this year is a commemorative CD with recipes, chef bios, a video, and SIDS information.

Now in it’s 5th year, 7 DAYS FOR SIDS…

* has raised nearly $400,000 for SIDS research

* is the largest supporter of the Sudden Infant Death Network of Ohio

* is the second largest SIDS fundraiser in the country

It is our hope to eradicate SIDS so no family has to experience the heartache of losing a child to SIDS.

Because when we put an end to SIDS, we all sleep better at night.

This Saturday, September 22, Newport Citizen’s Advisory Council (NCAC) will be hosting a wine tasting on the Purple People Bridge. This event will feature wine, hors d’oeuvres and live music in a unique venue with excellent views of the Cincinnati skyline.

With this event, we hope to engage a diverse audience of residents from all the river cities and build a sense of community that surpasses our cities’ physical boundaries.

Tickets for this event at $20 and must be pre-purchased at the website, below.

Any proceeds gained from this event will benefit the NCAC to be used for civic and beautification efforts within the city of Newport. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.go2newport.com/wow.

Book & lyrics by Howard Ashman, music by Alan Menken
Directed by Dave Radtke

Click here to make a reservation.

Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of a downtrodden nerd named Seymour Krelborn who lives in the basement of his workplace, Mushnik’s Flower Shop in Skid Row. Mr. Mushnik treats Seymour like dirt, causing Seymour to bemoan his fate: “I keep askin’ God what I’m for, And He tells me ‘Gee, I’m not sure.’”

The other employee at the “God and customer forsaken store” is the blonde bimbo Audrey, with whom Seymour is hopelessly in love. Audrey secretly fantasizes about living a life with Seymour as her husband, but doesn’t reveal her dreams because her boyfriend, a sadistic dentist named Orin Scrivello, D.D.S, wouldn’t like it. For Seymour, everything is about to change. A strange and exotic plant he recently bought is beginning to blossom into something the likes of which no one has ever before seen…

This affectionate spoof of 1950’s sci-fi movies is a hilarious and side-splitting musical. This production features Dan Berger, Wendy Vogel, Ray Lebowski, Jay D. Benson, Tony Wright, Anna Futoran, Cicely Tutson, TeQuanna Colvin and Aretta Baumgartner.

Performance dates: May 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 20 at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets are $15.00 for Adults and $12.00 for Students and Seniors.

Monmouth Theatre
636 Monmouth Street
Newport, Kentucky

Completely funny video, exactly what you’d expect it to be from the title. Safe for work, with sound.

Check it out here.

An instant classic.

Eye Blaster: Get One Now

Are your eyes dry and itchy? It’s possible you may have dry, itchy eyes. Don’t take a chance. Call now for the Eye Blaster, a special, self-powered unit that blasts hot, refreshing steam directly into the eyes to relieve symptoms fast. Just plug in the Eye Blaster and wait forty-five minutes for full heat and steam pressure to build up. Then blast the scalding hot steam directly into your eyes for thirty to forty minutes. Submerge your head immediately in ice water for fifteen minutes, then repeat the steam treatment. Repeat these steps seven times and then take a breather. Do not use more than fifteen times in one twenty-four-hour period. Children under five should not use Eye Blaster unsupervised. When using on pets, tie pet to a chair before blasting. Safe for old people. Doctor approved, but not eye doctors.

Call now.

Beware the ides of March!

Dinner With Friends
by Donald Margulies | Directed by Andrew Vogel

Falcon Theater proudly presents the second in it’s “Fourth Wall” series, DINNER WITH FRIENDS by Donald Margulies.

Falcon Theater’s Fourth Wall series is a venue for the unique. The Fourth Wall series was conceived to be an opportunity for Falcon Theater to produce shows that don’t fit into our regular seasons … because of size, audience demographics, or artistic challenges. It can be a venue for new plays, new directors, intimate theatrical experiences and even staged readings.

DINNER WITH FRIENDS, the 2000 Pulitzer Prize winning play, revolves around the close relationships of two married couples who arrive at crossroads in their marriages.

This insightful, bittersweet drama features Tracy M. Schoster, Angel Zachel, Ted J. Weil, and Mike Fielder. Director Andrew Vogel, an amateur chef with a degrees in theater and culinary arts, is excited about this production because it combines two things about which he is passionate. According to Vogel, “important life-events are often centered around meals, especially around the dinner table”.

click for a larger view in a new window.

“When we are children, one of our first social interactions is with our parents at the dinner table,” Vogel says, “We learn the importance of communicating our everyday experiences with friends and family around the table and that continues when we become adults.”

Vogel believes that many couples will see something familiar in this production. At times funny and tragic, the play deftly “pulls back the curtain” on how our relationships change, grow, and sometimes end.

DINNER WITH FRIENDS contains subject matter and language intended for mature audiences only.

Performance dates: March 31, April 1, 7, and 8 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $15.00 for Adults and $12.00 for Students and Seniors.

Monmouth Theatre
636 Monmouth Street
Newport, Kentucky

For reservations and information, please call 513-479-6783 or visit the website at http://www.falcontheater.net

Stewie: How you uh, how you comin’ on that novel you’re working on? Huh? Gotta a big, uh, big stack of papers there? Gotta, gotta nice litte story you’re working on there? Your big novel you’ve been working on for 3 years? Huh? Gotta, gotta compelling protaganist? Yeah? Gotta obstacle for him to overcome? Huh? Gotta story brewing there? Working on, working on that for quite some time? Huh? (voice getting higher pitched) Yea, talking about that 3 years ago. Been working on that the whole time? Nice little narrative? Beginning, middle, and end? Some friends become enemies, some enemies become friends? At the end your main character is richer from the experience? Yeah? Yeah? (voice returns to normal) No, no, you deserve some time off.

Check out this hysterical clip here!

THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, the hilarious two-man show by Charles Ludlum, opens at Falcon Theater on Friday, February 10, 2006. It runs Friday & Saturday nights through February 25, 2006.

From the website: “This fast-paced and funny play is a spoof of Victorian melodrama, classic horror films, and Gothic romance — complete with a howling wind, an Egyptian mummy, and true love everlasting — all performed by only two actors!” This hilarious romp features the comedic talents of Jay Dallas Benson and Brian Benz, and is directed by Charles Russell.

Please visit the website for tickets and additional information.