Latest news with #Wadsworth
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spoleto Festival USA's founding director of chamber music dies at 96
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The founding artistic director of chamber music for Spoleto Festival USA has died at 96, according to festival organizers. Charles Wadsworth, born in rural Georgia in 1929, was a preeminent leader in the field of chamber music and helped expand the genre's populist appeal both at Spoleto and around the world. 'Presenting innovative programming and a stable of consummate soloists, he charmed audiences, encouraged generations of virtuoso musicians, and developed a concert format that propelled chamber music concerts and festivals worldwide,' the festival said in a news release Friday afternoon. Wadsworth served Spoleto Festival USA for 50 years until his retirement in 2009. He died Thursday in New York City. You can read more about his life and contributions to chamber music and the festival by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Charles Wadsworth, Pianist and Champion of Chamber Music, Dies at 96
Charles Wadsworth, a pianist who parlayed his Southern charm and his passion for chamber music into a career as the founder, director and host of important chamber series — including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York — and whose work helped propel the chamber music boom that began in the 1970s, died on Thursday at a rehabilitation center on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He was 96. His death was confirmed by his wife, Susan. During his two decades as director of the Chamber Music Society, Mr. Wadsworth was the face of the organization, likely at any time to stride onto the stage of Alice Tully Hall with a broad grin, tousled blond hair and a boyish gait and offer folksy introductions to the music at hand. 'I discovered very early that when people laugh, they relax,' Mr. Wadsworth told an interviewer in 2014. 'They may be at a chamber music concert for the first time, or they may be unfamiliar with the repertory, but my feeling was that if I could get them relaxed, they would be open to listening, and to letting the music happen to them, rather than worrying about whether they understand it. And that seemed to work very well.' He also performed with the society, playing the piano, harpsichord or even the organ in staples of its repertory as well as some of the oddities he found while assembling the society's programs — works like Anton Arensky's Suite No. 1 for Two Pianos, François Couperin's 'Le Parnasse, ou L'Apothéose de Corelli' or Jan Zelenka's Trio Sonata for Two Oboes, Bassoon and Continuo. But since the society's roster included pianists who by Mr. Wadsworth's own admission were more accomplished, he often deferred to them. His real accomplishments took place behind the scenes. Not least was the creation of the society itself, an organization meant to explore the breadth of the chamber music repertory, regardless of the instrumental (or vocal) combinations required. Mr. Wadsworth assembled a core group of 'artist members' — string, wind and keyboard players with active careers, who would commit to performing with the society throughout the season — alongside guest musicians, who would expand the instrumental possibilities and bring an extra measure of star power. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dixon's Wadsworth named Scripps National Spelling Bee's national volunteer of the year
May 28—Dixon's Tom Wadsworth has been selected this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee National Volunteer of the Year in recognition of his 43 years as the pronouncer for the Sauk Valley area's spelling bee. The award was announced Monday, May 26, during opening ceremonies in Washington. Wadsworth, 72, first became the pronouncer for the Lee County Spelling Bee in 1983 when he was the morning personality at WSDR radio in Sterling. Over the years, he has declared 43 local champions and sent them to Washington to represent the local bee, which is now the Lee Ogle Whiteside Spelling Bee. "The impact of a good pronouncer is truly invaluable," said Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the Scripps National Bee. "For decades, Tom has given spellers in his region the best chance to shine onstage, thanks to his rare combination of passion and skill." The local bee, organized by Chris Tennyson and Michele Hopp of the Regional Office of Education 47, is held annually at the Dixon High School auditorium. Scripps presented two other national awards Monday. Nikki Montana of the Edwin Forrest Elementary School in Philadelphia received the Educator of the Year award, and the Akron Beacon Journal of Akron, Ohio, received the Regional Partner of the Year award. The National Bee is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The awards were presented at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington as 243 champion spellers from around the nation gathered to compete for the national champion trophy to be presented Thursday night, May 29. Parker Zimmerly, 14, of Amboy Junior High, the 2025 champion of the Lee Ogle Whiteside regional bee, was eliminated in National Bee competition on Tuesday. After three rounds of competition, 99 spellers have advanced to the quarterfinals. Given the word gelilah, Zimmerly spelled it galeila. In Judaism, gelilah refers to the rolling up of the scroll of the law after reading from it in the synagogue. Zimmerly has been a school champion three times. His mother, Joanie Zimmerly, a second-grade teacher at Amboy Central, is accompanying Parker this week in Washington, Wadsworth said.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Qualiform Highlights Advancements in Custom Rubber Molding Capabilities
Qualiform, an ISO-certified rubber molding company, is reinforcing its role as a premier custom rubber manufacturer in the United States. 'We're committed to delivering reliable components that support critical applications. By focusing on consistency, responsiveness, and American-made quality, we aim to remain a trusted partner.'— Chris Kerr WADSWORTH, OH, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2025 / / -- Qualiform, an ISO-certified rubber molding company based in Ohio, is reinforcing its role in the domestic manufacturing sector by expanding its support for custom rubber components used across industrial, medical, and transportation markets. The company continues to focus on in-house production and material versatility to help OEMs meet evolving performance and supply chain demands. Supporting Complex Rubber Molding Requirements With over five decades of experience, Qualiform provides compression, transfer, and injection molding services, all performed at its Wadsworth, Ohio facility. The company has developed a reputation for addressing complex molding challenges and supporting engineers in achieving precise part geometry and performance under varied conditions. 'We're committed to delivering reliable components that support critical applications,' said Chris Kerr, President of Qualiform. 'By focusing on consistency, responsiveness, and American-made quality, we aim to remain a trusted partner for customers in diverse industries.' Expanded Capabilities for a Range of Applications Qualiform works with a broad spectrum of elastomer materials—including EPDM, FKM, nitrile, neoprene, and natural rubber—chosen for application-specific requirements such as chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance, or mechanical flexibility. These materials support the production of seals, gaskets, vibration-dampening components, and other molded parts for industries such as aerospace, plumbing, medical manufacturing, and industrial equipment. The company's all-in-one manufacturing model allows for tailored rubber solutions while maintaining short lead times and quality control through every stage of production. About Qualiform Qualiform is a leading custom rubber manufacturer based in Wadsworth, Ohio, with over 50 years of experience in precision rubber molding. As an ISO-certified rubber molding company, Qualiform partners with OEMs across a wide range of industries to produce high-performance, made-to-spec components. All products are manufactured in the USA with a focus on quality, reliability, and long-term customer partnerships. Chris Kerr Qualiform +1 330-336-6777 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Facebook Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Can you turn a board game into a play? ‘Clue' at Mirvish tries, but doesn't successfully roll the dice
Clue 2.5 stars (out of 4) By Sandy Rustin, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, directed by Casey Hushion. Until June 8 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W. or 1-800-461-3333 'Clue,' the whodunit murder mystery now running at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, is itself a bit of a mystery. But the clue to cracking open this 'Clue' is right in its subtitle. Sandy Rustin's 80-minute comedy is billed as being 'Live On Stage!,' a tag line suggesting it hews closely to its source materials: the popular board game of the same name and Jonathan Lynn's 1985 movie spinoff, which featured the likes of Christopher Lloyd and Madeline Kahn. Indeed, for better or for worse, this stage product is a faithful translation of the board game and the movie, as if both were plucked out of their original mediums and dropped onto the stage. Fans of either will almost certainly delight in this latest adaptation, filled with rewarding Easter eggs and directed with exasperating physicality by Casey Hushion. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW But judged as a piece of theatre alone, 'Clue' plays it far too safe and, as a result, never completely satisfies. It's not just that Rustin's comedy rarely finds success in rolling the dice; often, it doesn't even dare to touch the dice. The play's setup is simple enough: six individuals, each concealing their true identities with aliases, receive a curious invitation to a dinner party at Boddy Manor. There's Colonel Mustard (David Hess), a blockheaded Pentagon official; Mr. Green (John Shartzer), a skittish government worker; Miss Scarlet (Sarah Hollis), a seductive brothel manager; Mrs. Peacock (Jennifer Allen), the wife of a prominent U.S. senator; Professor Plum (Evan Zes), who's employed by the United Nations; and Mrs. White (understudy Mary McNulty, on for Donna English on opening night), a serial wife whose husbands have been mysteriously murdered or disappeared. The cast of the North American touring company of 'Clue.' Evan Zimmerman/Mirvish The guests all share one thing in common: they're Washington, D.C., insiders each being blackmailed by Mr. Boddy (Mark Jude Sullivan), who's arranged this meeting in an attempt to settle some scores. The evening, however, stewarded by the buttoned-up butler Wadsworth (Jeff Skowron), soon goes south when the lights turn off and Mr. Boddy is turned into a lifeless body. And when the lights turn back on, it's up to the sextet — joined by Wadsworth — to deduce who among them is the killer, before the cops arrive and arrest them all. Much of the fun of this production is seeing a top-notch cast embody these larger-than-life characters. Allen, especially, is a hoot as the haughty Mrs. Peacock. So too are Skowron as Wadsworth and an incredibly acrobatic Shartzer as Mr. Green. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Lee Savage's scenic designs also do a lot of the heavy lifting. Boddy Manor is rendered here with brilliant detail — complete with side rooms, trap doors and mysterious passageways. But none of these elements can quite help this production overcome the faults in Rustin's stilted script. Aside from the physical comedy, many of the jokes fall flat. And Rustin's dialogue seems more concerned about shuffling the characters from one part of the stage (or board) to another, than developing the play's narrative. When we're through, there are so many plot holes that the final twist ending feels like an easy cop-out. Throughout, I wished the material took more risks and embraced its theatrical setting, instead of borrowing so much from Lynn's dated screenplay. (A running gag about Mr. Green being a homosexual Republican should have been excised long before this production ever made it to the stage.) The cast of the North American touring company of 'Clue.' Evan Zimmerman/Mirvish Another missed opportunity: the play could have further explored the political subtext that's tantalizingly teased at the top of the show, then later all but forgotten. In the end, if 'Clue' too neatly resolves its mystery, there remains one unanswered question hanging over this production: why did a hugely successful board game IP need to receive such a thoroughly mediocre theatrical brand extension?
