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Hedwig returned from a five-month hiatus to rock the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards. Playing along are Bill Alletzhauser and a. Beth Harris. PHOTO: Danny Nader

2001 Show

Hedwig and the Happy Mob

On a warm, drizzly evening in Corryville, the 2001 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards lit up Old St. George -- literally and figuratively. The venerable old church was packed Nov. 26 with 500 to 600 musicians, actors, families and friends who were treated to spectacular lights, wild graphics, fun performances, more than two dozen awards and the triumphant return of Hedwig.

CCM scenic designer Paul Shortt and the late Jazz great Cal Collins were inducted into the CEA Hall of Fame -- highlights of an evening filled with highlights. Among the major awards, The Ass Ponys won Artist of the Year, The Bears won Album of the Year and Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati won Best Production for Three Days of Rain.
ETC also took the top four acting awards.

Punk band Saturday Supercade got the night off to a rousing start, filling Old St. George's cavernous hall with loud guitars. Veterans Chuck Cleaver and Rob Fetters closed the show with heartfelt acoustic performances.

The evening's performance highlight, however, had to be the return of Hedwig, the lead character from ETC's production of Hedwig & the Angry Inch. Todd Almond, who starred in the show in June, flew in from New York City the morning of the CEAs to reunite the show's band and perform a song from the production. Almond won Best Visiting Actor for the role, and Hedwig & the Angry Inch won Best Local Premiere.

Sheila Gray and Rob Williams from Fox19 Morning News hosted the CEAs for the third consecutive year, providing good spirits and direction. The show's technical side -- from the lighting and sound to the graphics and film clips introducing each award category -- was the best in the CEAs' five-year history.

LINKS (Lonely Instruments for Needy Kids) again was the event's beneficiary and, based on ticket and bar sales, looked to make a nice financial gain from the proceedings.