Angel Reda

Main Event: Angel in the Wings
Cincinnati isn't Angel Reda's hometown (she's from Kansas), but the musical theater grad from UC's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) says it feels good to be back in town. Of course, she's back by way of CHICAGO -- the Tony and Academy Award winning musical, that is.

Local audiences remember Reda from her time at CCM, where the lithe blonde performed in several Hot Summer Nights musicals and -- most notably -- as Queenie in The Wild Party, earning her a 2003 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for outstanding performance in a musical, "the biggest honor I've ever gotten," she recalls.

After graduating in 2003, she spent a summer with Pittsburgh's Civic Light Opera, then headed to New York City. She auditioned everywhere: "You name it," she laughs, "I went in for it." Last November she got a call-back for the touring company of Chicago, then heard nothing for a month. In January a quick call spirited her off to several weeks of rehearsal in Los Angeles, then an opening in Seattle (briefly delayed by a sprained ankle) as the knife girl, a cell-block inmate who describes how her boyfriend ran into her knife ... 10 times.

The tour went on hiatus over the summer (she got a juicy role in a production of Ragtime in Pennsylvania), with no one knowing if they'd be invited back. But come September, Reda not only returned but was elevated to the role of Go-to-Hell Kitty, the show's opening narrator.

Clogs

"I get to interact with the leads," she says. "I'm blessed to have this opportunity."

She loves working in Chicago. "Every person on that stage has a character," she explains. "It's not like being in the chorus of a big show." She has a contract with the tour through May, but returning to Cincinnati is special, because it's where she trained. "They make you do so much, you never get nervous," she recalls. "You can throw your fear away." Look for her onstage -- without fear -- at the Aronoff Center through Oct. 3. 513-241-7469. (See Onstage.) -- RICK PENDER

FRIDAY 24
Mostly-instrumental quartet CLOGS are a part of an intriguing breed of musical artists that includes Rachel's, Tin Hat Trio and Dirty Three -- groups that draw in fans of "Post Rock" with a slanted brand of avant-garde Chamber music that uses Classical elements to create expansive, inventive soundscapes to challenge and incite listeners. The ensemble's show at the Contemporary Arts Center on Friday will be a homecoming of sorts for one of the members -- Cincinnati native Bryce Dessner, who also plays with the stellar Indie group, The National, is one of Clogs' main conceptualists. Described as "one part Phillip Glass, one part Igor Stravinsky," Clogs' moody, cerebral music (which uses violin, viola, guitar, bassoon and minimalist percussion) is brilliantly displayed on their new CD, Stick Music. Mysterious, spontaneous and hauntingly ambient, Clogs' music is what Radiohead might have sounded like if they had started out trying to emulate the Kronos Quartet instead of the Pixies. 513-345-8400. (See Music.) -- MIKE BREEN

Code 46

FRIDAY 24
Director Michael Winterbottom's beautiful, beguiling follow-up to his intimate Afghan drama In This World is CODE 46, a methodical drama set in an Asian metropolis in the near future. Tim Robbins is perfectly subtle as a corporate detective named William with the ability to read peoples' minds. He's in search of a company employee who's smuggling identity cards necessary for travel, and his search leads him to Maria (Samantha Morton), whom he believes to be guilty. Robbins gives a low-key performance, a side we seldom see from him, and it's a wonderful change of pace. Morton makes full use of her round, sad face and expressive eyes to play the mysterious woman at the heart of the investigation. Code 46 takes place in a distressed world filled with refugees banished to desert wastelands, but Morton and Robbins give the film a romantic boost that accents its political backdrop. (See Film.) -- STEVE RAMOS

FRIDAY 24
The best thing about having a dramatic exhibition space is the art the space itself can inspire. The larger-than-life barrel vaults that make up THE MOCKBEE in Brighton have long provided the backdrop for some of the most innovative site-specific work in the city. Saturday, 4CHAMBERS continues this tradition. Five artists transform the Mockbee's four barrels with works designed to fill the cavernous spaces with overwhelming imagery. Featuring Emily Sullivan, Krista Gregory, Kyle Penunuri, Brad Schwass and Jarrett Hawkins, 4CHAMBERS celebrates a gallery of extraordinary magnitude. Greg Schmidt presents a 50-foot see-saw on the McMicken Level, also known as the third floor. 513-929-9463. (See Art.) -- STACEY RECHT

SATURDAY 25
If the Reds' recent woes have got you down, get your deprived self over to the CINCINNATI REDS HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM's grand opening this weekend. Rolling out a plethora of artifacts over 15,000 square feet on two floors, the place is sure to take visitors back to a time when payroll figures were an afterthought, uniforms had stirrups, chewing tobacco trumped bubblegum and Pete Rose was respected. A surefire highlight is a section dedicated to the illustrious Big Red Machine of the '70s, which includes life-size bronze statues of the Reds' starting eight as well as other memorabilia, photos and video from baseball's greatest team (step off, Yankee fans). Other sections include exhibits on the 1869 Red Stockings (the first professional team), Crosley Field (Reds' home from 1912-1970) and a "Hall of Records," which centers on Rose's all-time hit record. And -- fitting of baseball's oldest franchise -- there's so much more. Grand opening: 10 a.m. Saturday. $5-$10. 513-765-7000. (See Attractions.) -- JASON GARGANO

Mohenjo Daro

SATURDAY 25
Yeah, yeah, throughout this issue you've read all about a great music downtown festival. But if you prefer more traditional music, you have another choice -- THE CINCINNATI CELTIC WORLD FESTIVAL -- which began life 13 years ago as the Cincinnati Celtic Music and Cultural Festival. As always, there's music from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but this year you'll hear Ukrainian, Quebecois, Gypsy, Klezmer, Asturian and Middle Eastern music, too. Ireland's Solas and Quebec's Le Vent du Nord are among the headliners, as is legendary American Folk singer Jean Ritchie. In all, there are 700 musicians (including Mohenjo Daro, pictured right), dancers, actors, storytellers and speakers on eight stages at Coney Island. Admission: $8 (parking: $4 per car). More details: www.cincinnnaticelticfestival.com. 513-533-4822. (See Events or Music.) -- RICK PENDER

SUNDAY 26
Harmony is what we're striving for, right? Well, here's a chance to take that concept literally and for a worthy cause: On Sunday afternoon the arts community presents SERENADE FOR HARMONY AND INCLUSION at downtown's historic Plum Street Temple. At 4:30 p.m. you can join area arts leaders like the Cincinnati Ballet's Victoria Morgan and Cincinnati Opera's Nicholas Muni, plus members of the Cincinnati Symphony for a concert supporting Citizens to Restore Fairness, the campaign to repeal Article 12. Post-concert there's a reception for everyone, followed by intimate dinner parties at private homes for those who contribute $100 or more. 513-675-2143. (See Events.) -- RICK PENDER

MONDAY 27
It's a less than optimistic title, but NO SEX IN THE CITY, Jocardo Edward Ralston's one-man show, will no doubt induce a laugh or two. Chronicling his search for self-acceptance, Ralston -- currently working in retail at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and as InkTank spokesperson -- tells his comedic, autobiographical account of "an extra large gay man with a black daddy and a white mama." He admitted back in May while talking about the production that he didn't have a traumatic childhood -- no broken home or any of the other assumptions about growing up a gay, biracial Midwestern man. "Being gay has never been a horrible experience. Life doesn't have to be morose," he said, adding the need for self-acceptance. "This is me and you're going to love me, damn it." 7:30 p.m. at the Freedom Center. $7. Part of Enjoy the Arts' 20/20 Festival. 513-621-4700. (See Onstage.) -- JESSICA TURNER