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Oscar Treadwell accepts his plaque at the 2000 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, where he was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame. PHOTO: Danny Nader

2000 Show

The Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, the annual celebration of local music and theater, happened Monday, Nov. 27, at the Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater. On a chilly evening in the heart of the downtown entertainment district, Cincinnati's bands and musicians, theaters and actors came together to recognize their work during 1999-2000. The fourth annual CEAs were handed out in 26 music and theater categories. Voting this year was the heaviest in CEA history, approaching 3,000, including almost 2,000 online ballots.


An eclectic group of several hundred local musicians, radio personalities, actors, actresses and theater leaders shoehorned into the Jarson-Kaplan, a tight squeeze for the CEA, necessary since last year's venue, The Emery Theater, closed for renovation. Actors, directors, band members and singers reminded the audience of a common thread, stated succinctly by pianist Ricky Nye: "This city is rich with talent." The happy crowd celebrated at a post-awards party at Rock Bottom Brewery on Fountain Square.

"Fox19 in the Morning" co-hosts Rob Williams and Sheila Gray emceed, directing traffic with presenters and eight performances by local bands, singers and theater talent. The evening's beneficiary was LINKS (Lonely Instruments for Needy Kids), organized by UC's CCM Alumni Board and Buddy Roger's Music, to gather and repair unused musical instruments for deserving children. A charming moment came when a young musician, there to demonstrate her prowess on the violin, had to remind her assistant - a boy brought along to serve as her music stand - to bow with her.

As radio announcer and Jazz historian Oscar Treadwell, 74, was inducted into the CEA Hall of Fame, he recalled an evening in 1947 when he had the privilege of introducing Louis Armstrong. He told the audience that "longevity has its place," noting how much he enjoyed hearing one of the evening's performers, another great Jazz trumpeter, Mike Wade.

Introduced by WNOP General Manager Mark Stevens as "one of the cats," Treadwell's Cincinnati career included eight years at the soon-to-be-silenced Jazz station, in addition to 22 years of late nights on WGUC-FM. Pianist Steve Schmidt led a quintet of local Jazz stars in a tribute that included two tunes written with OT in mind: Thelonious Monk's "Oska T" and Charlie Parker's "An Oscar for Treadwell."