My Tour of the Aronoff Center

Every spring in Cincinnati, there is a big campaign for the arts called the “Fine Arts Fund.” Companies and their employees are asked to donate to support the arts. My company used to have big events / team building activities for the Fine Arts Fund. One year,  we were broken into groups and each group had to go all “design on a dime” on a lampshade. Best lampshade won a prize. Then another year we had a “march madness” themed campaign and we had a pop-a-shot b-ball tournament where my team actually won (surprisingly with MY help) a silver medal and free lunch. Then the following year we had a rip-off of the pop-a-shot tournament, which was a bowling themed tournament. It was not as awesome because my team did not win anything.

Instead of a big campaign this year, the company opted for a special, behind-the-scenes tour of the Aronoff Center.  I actually preferred this to some big sports-themed campaign because 1.) I’m terrible at all sports and 2.) I love Broadway shows. The Goog and I had season tickets to the “Broadway Across America” tour for a couple years, so I thought it would be fun to go behind the scenes, since we’ve been to the Aronoff Center so many times. So on Monday, a group of about 10 of our employees went on an exclusive tour. 

Highlights and fun facts from the tour:

• -The Aronoff Center is not haunted…at least that was what our tour guide told us. 

• -It isn’t as glamorous or as exciting as you might think behind the scenes. It very much looks like my elementary school hallways. Very sterile; very white. 

• -The truck drivers that bring all the set up stuff for tours hate the loading docks of the Aronoff because the loading docks are in this tiny little alley.

• -Cincinnati has the second largest number of members for “Broadway Across America”. The first largest is Tampa. So Cincinnati gets some of the best selections of touring Broadway shows.

• -When the Lion King was in a couple years ago, they had one of the rooms in the basement set up as an “animal hospital” where they would repair the animal costumes daily.

<----This is what I imagine a Lion King animal hospital would look like.

• -When the Aronoff Center was built, there was one important thing missing: a giant mirror in the Rehearsal Hall. It would only cost a $1,000 to get one of those mirrors, but it has become a trademark of the Aronoff, so they have never gotten a mirror.
   

• -We got to stand on stage in the Procter and Gamble Hall: the same stage as all the Broadway shows we’ve seen! 

• -The P&G stage feels springy…perfect for DANCING. 

• -Mary Poppins is the next touring show at the Aronoff, and we got to see where Mary Poppins herself will be getting ready! We also saw some ensemble dressing rooms.

• ---> That picture is of the smaller theater. I couldn't get a good picture of P&G Hall  because of the Mary Poppins crew setting up the stage. Did you know it takes a full week to set up Mary Poppins? You do now.

• -I really, really, really want need to see Mary Poppins. 

• -The art gallery that is located in the Aronoff Center is hosting a discotheque/rave in the basement of the building on June 5^th of this year. I think I know where the Goog and I are going for our 1^st anniversary!

True or false? These people would enjoy a discotheque / rave. 

 So this spring, support your local arts! Go to a play or a museum or something else artsy fartsy!