Darius McCrary who portrayed Eddie Winslow on the ‘90s sitcom brings his one man show to the Blvd.
Actor, rapper, singer and producer Darius McCrary – best known for his role as Eddie Winslow on the long-running television series “Family Matters” – is bringing his one man show to The Rialto Theatre on Friday, June 17.
During his appearance, Darius will read excerpts from his one man show called “I’m Not Laughing” and visit with fans. Darius is encouraging all artists who can draw, animate, clay-mate, or have any type of creative vision to come to the show and hang out!
Darius began his career in Hollywood at the age of nine and in addition to “Family Matters” his acting credits include Bowie James on NBC’s “Committed,” Jamal in UPN’s “Eve,” Malcolm Winters on “The Young and the Restless.”
He has appeared on the NBC/Paramount miniseries “Kingpin,” HBO’s multi-award-winning “Don King: Only in America,” starring Ving Rhames and as Royce Slocumb in the classic comedy, “Kingdom Come” Other roles also include playing opposite to Robert De Niro in “15 Minutes” as detective Tommy Cullen, in the Oscar winning “Mississippi Burning” as Aaron Williams. and “Something to Sing About.”
Darius is a humanitarian at heart and is currently in production for his show and podcast Beyond Black, which is dedicated to highlighting that people are more than just the color of their skin and excellence doesn’t start or end at the category that others may place you. Alongside celebrities and up-and-coming actors & artists, he brings together incredible talents in the form of interviews, skits, reels, and short-films. The show will address important issues such as social justice & racial inequality, but also share an authentic look at the Real Darius McCrary.
Za’Nyiah Miller was gracing the halls of Kenmore-Garfield High School before she was born.
Her mother, Sierra Senter, was pregnant with Za’Nyiah when she was a student there, graduating in 2005 from what was then Kenmore High School.
On a late May morning, Senter sat in the same red upholstered auditorium seats where she sat as a student and watched as her daughter earned one medal after another on Senior Awards Day. Za’Nyiah’s grandmothers sat behind her mother, gushing they always knew their granddaughter was smart but they didn’t know just how smart.
Za’Nyiah is part of the last class of seniors to graduate from the building after more than 100 years. Kenmore-Garfield will close this summer, bringing an end to a historic pillar of the Kenmore community, at least in its current form.
The GAR Foundation announced a $70,000 grant to Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance (KNA) to support the ongoing cultural, recreational and business revitalization of Kenmore Boulevard. The funding will expand the Kenmore First Friday events, grow KNA’s efforts to attract business and investment to the Kenmore Boulevard Historic District, and support the continuation of KNA’s acquisition and rehabilitation of commercial and mixed-use properties on Kenmore Boulevard. Tina Boyes, KNA’s executive director, said she is thrilled with the foundation’s commitment to Kenmore and sees the grant as a testament to the community’s potential and KNA’s work over the past five years. “For Akron to grow, it needs strong neighborhoods,” she said. “Kenmore is home to some of the most creative, hard working people. This, combined with our unique and historic business district, makes us a linchpin in the success of our city. We are thrilled that The GAR Foundation believes this, too, and is willing to invest in our future.” Other neighborhood community development groups funded by foundation grants include Progressive Alliance CDC in West Akron, South Street Ministries and The Well CDC.
“We believe that neighborhood-serving organizations provide an important ‘way in’ to economic and community development,” said GAR Foundation Program Officer Bronlynn Thurman. “Our holistic support of economic development must include CDCs supporting neighborhoods, downtown development and systems work at the regional level.”
SAY IT LOUD is an original play written by local theater artists Francine Parr and Maya Nicholson in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the protests that happened across the country during the summer of 2020. The production has garnered acclaim for its authentic representation of the lived experiences of members of our community – many of whom told their stories to the playwrights during the play’s development.
“The Rialto is a staple in Kenmore,” said co-playwright and MTP Artistic Director Francine Parr, “so it is the perfect space to present a production giving voice to the thoughts, fear and anger of the people who make up the community in which it is located.”
In addition to the Rialto performance, SAY IT LOUD will be presented at the Knight Stage in
downtown Akron on May 25th, MOCA Cleveland (in partnership with the Museum of Creative Human Art) on May 28, and the Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls on June 3.
Some of northeast Ohio’s best and brightest poets and spoken word artists will soon be taking the stage at The Rialto Theatre’s new space, The Living Room, at 7:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month. Each event will include a featured poet/spoken word artist as well as an open mic for those wanting to share their own poetry.
Angry Cow Poetry in The Rialto Living Room will kick off with its very first event on June 1st with featured poet, Danielle Nicole Nikki Dixon.
Tina Boyes is the executive director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance, the community development corporation working to revitalize the area around The Rialto Theatre, which is becoming known as ‘Akron’s Music Row.’ She called Kenmore Boulevard a place “where creative people of all genres can find a stage.”
“Spoken word and poetry go hand in hand with live music, and we’re excited to welcome such talented artists and their fans to Kenmore Boulevard,” Boyes said.
In addition to bringing visitors to Kenmore, Angry Cow Poetry founder Keith Allison hopes to engage local businesses. “We believe in elevating voices and highlighting those who support local artists,” Allison said. “For an investment of only $100 a patron or business can be our sponsor of the month, promoting their work in the community while supporting local artists and events.”
Here’s a look at the first two events:
June 1, 2022 | 7:00 p.m.
June feature, Danielle Nicole Nikki Dixon, initially turned to writing as therapy and now uses her poetry to document culture and, as the last of her family branch, to pay homage to her lineage. She is the author of Sagittariusly Blunt, has won the Music 2 Poetry Slam and The Activist Vince Robinson’s Slam, and took third place at the Cincinnati Poetry Slam in 2019. Danielle was a 2020 Baldwin House resident with Twelve Literary Arts and was recently Akron Soul Train’s artist resident.
July 6, 2022 | 7:00 p.m.
July will host two features, Steve Brightman and Theresa Göttl Brightman.
Steve lives in Akron with his wife and their parrot. During the vast wilderness that is the Covid era, he published a full length collection of poems titled, “The Circus of His Bones.” His first full length collection, “The Wild Gospel of Careening And Other Sermons From The Rumble Strip” was released in the before days of 2015. His most recent chapbooks are “Leaving the Flatlands to the Amateurs,” “History, Too, Is A Simple Machine,” and “13 Ways of Looking At Lou Reed.”
Theresa Göttl Brightman’s poems have appeared in many online and print publications, two chapbooks, and one full-length collection. She has received awards from the University of Akron, the City of Ventura, among others, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Rhysling Award, and Best of the Net awards. She lives in Akron, with her husband and the green bird who owns them both.
Sarah White is an Akron resident who has been active in the Kenmore Community for 15 years. A member of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance’s Promotions Committee and dedicated volunteer at events like Kenmore Blvd. Cleanups and Kenmore First Fridays, Sarah is the mother of three daughters and a host for AkronBuzz, 330toGO, and a special events host for the Cleveland Guardians.
Sarah has been passionate about singing her whole life and will be co-hosting Voices In The 330 Vol. 3 – a singing competition designed to highlight undiscovered talent in the area – at The Rialto Theatre this Saturday.
1. How did you first get involved in the Kenmore Community?
My husband Ben worked at First Glance youth center on Kenmore Blvd. back in 2007. I would volunteer with him at Rec night and that was my first introduction to Kenmore. Then in 2015-16 we came back to be a part of a church plant with The Chapel Kenmore. My husband first worked there part time doing music and is now the pastor. He also runs Hip Hop night for students who want to learn to perform or write music at First Glance each week.
2. What is your involvement with Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance?
I am a part of the promotions committee, that helps to plan for Kenmore First Fridays! This year I had a chance to help with food trucks and with kids activities!
3. What are you most looking forward to at Kenmore First Fridays?
Of course the music is amazing, I love the food trucks, and I am obsessed with all the amazing local businesses! I can’t help but want to buy something from them all in support! I also love how much my kids enjoy the events too!
4. You and your kids participate in our Kenmore Blvd. Cleanups – the next of which is this Saturday, May 21 (sign up to volunteer here). Why is it important to you and your family to participate in the cleanups?
I like to participate in the cleanups so that we can help to make our space more beautiful for current residents and for when people come to visit the Blvd, like for First Friday! I love to include my kids so that they learn to take care of the environment and learn to help out in situations that help the community become a better place!
5. Tell us about Voices in the 330?
It’s the third one we have had at the Rialto Theatre, it’s a local singing competition put on by 330toGO for the best singers in the area! It’s lots of fun and always has amazing talent. It is this Friday evening!
6. How are you involved?
I will be co-hosting the event, and doing contestant interviews. I even get to sing a duet from my childhood “somewhere out there” from American Tail with last years winner DeAngelo!
7. Why does 330ToGO choose to host it at the Rialto Theatre?
Because it’s such a great music venue for the size of show we are looking to have. The Rialto has been so great to work with on this, the winner gets to record a single there!
8. Where is your favorite place to shop on the Boulevard?
9. What’s your Favorite Kenmore restaurant and why?
Pierre’s Brooklyn Pizza and Deli is my absolute favorite. There is nothing like the loaded pie. It’s the only pizza that has toppings I don’t even usually like, and however they mix it all together makes it taste so amazing, I even like things I don’t usually eat! 😀
10. What do you hope the Boulevard looks like in 10 years?
Flourishing. Bright, fun, filled with energy from all of the people hanging out, listening to music and enjoying the restaurants, shops, coffee, tea and so much more. Lots of culture, music, and art all with an urban flavor.
To volunteer or learn more about our Kenmore Blvd. Cleanup happening this Saturday, May 21, from 9am – noon, visit the Facebook event page.
For more information on Voices In The 330 Vol. 3 also happening at The Rialto Theatre this Saturday, May 21 beginning at 6pm, check out the Facebook event page or therialtotheatre.com.
Comic book industry has up and down years, so Kenmore Komics is in a superhero class after surviving 20 years
**The following article was originally published in 2007 to honor the 20th Anniversary of Kenmore Komics & Games.**
Published May 5, 2007 By Paula Schleis Akron Beacon Journal
He can’t shoot webs from his wrist, outrun a speeding bullet or soar through space on a surfboard. But John Buntin Jr. has proven himself stronger, faster and more able than the competition. His store — Kenmore Komics & Games — turns 20 this month, a rare milestone in an industry that has experienced more twists and turns than a graphic novel. After the Batman films rekindled interest in the genre back in 1989, Buntin counted 16 comic book shops in the Akron area, many launched by young entrepreneurs who smelled money. Five years later, most of them were out of business. Today, the phone book lists just four in all of Summit County. Growing up in Jackson, Mich., young John was a collector of stamps, coins and, not surprisingly, comic books. He became a certified nerd when he received a bachelor’s degree in electronics engineering from the Ohio Institute of Technology. The new graduate found work using computers to look for oil out west, but when the field started downsizing in the mid-1980s, “it wasn’t fun anymore,” he said.
Buntin returned to Michigan and injected a little “fun” into his life by working in a local comic book shop while mulling over the next step in his career. He didn’t realize he’d just taken it. He was managing the shop for the owner when he met a man from Akron who talked him into moving to Kenmore to help set up a comic book shop. The doors of that shop opened on Kenmore Boulevard May 9, 1987. It was always the plan that after the store was running smoothly, Buntin would be free to go off and find his next electronics job. But as fate would have it, Buntin ended up buying out his partner within the year, moving the shop down the street to its current location, and permanently settling into a neighborhood he would grow to love. His business strategy was pragmatic and methodical. “I knew right away if I wanted to be successful, I needed to diversify,” he said. Comic books alone wouldn’t pay the bills, so he quickly added cards, games and accessories to his inventory. He went to every comic book convention he could squeeze into his schedule — once fitting 50 shows into his 52-week year. The conventions allowed him to promote his business while making purchases necessary for building his stock.
Buntin couldn’t have picked a better time to hawk comics. The Michael Keaton Batman film sent droves of new fans into his store. He hired five employees. “It really kicked off the industry again,” Buntin said. Today, he’s down to two employees and makes half the profit he did then. The boom, as it turned out, had been fueled by inexperienced buyers who thought stacks of comic books would send them into early retirement. But what Batman ushered in, Superman took out. His well-publicized demise in 1993 marked the pinnacle in an escalation among comic book publishers to cater to speculators by outdoing each other with dramatic plots and gimmicks. Superman’s fatal battle with Doomsday sold an unheard-of 3 million copies worldwide. (By contrast, top titles today sell about 100,000 copies a month.)
But a few months later, a redesigned Superman was back, as comic book veterans who had seen too many resurrections knew he would be. Buntin, who had sold his 400-count supply of Superman’s “last” book in just two hours, couldn’t sell half of the 150 books he ordered of Superman’s return. The folks who invested in the earlier book came back trying to unload them, only to find the flooded market had collapsed their dreams of making a quick buck. “Ten percent of the comic book stores in the country went out of business that month,” Buntin said, recalling reports the industry put out after the boom went bust. Buntin was hurting, too. “I need to sell 85 to 90 percent of what comes in to pay the bills and make a profit,” he said. “My sell-through for that month was 64 percent.” Yet he survived, thanks to his careful attention to cycles, shrewd purchases, and diversification into noncomic products that account for nearly half of store sales. This week’s release of Spider-Man 3 will bring a few new fans to the store. But after a spate of superhero movies in recent years, Buntin knows the routine. In six months, the little flurry will vanish. And it won’t hurt him a bit, with the foundation of his business built to withstand cultural fluctuations. Meanwhile, he continues to watch the industry evolve. More fans are moving away from traditional comic books that cost an average of $3 a piece, take 10 minutes to read, and ask you to return next month for a new installment. Growing in popularity are trade publications (graphic novels) where $10 will get you a complete story and at least an hour’s worth of entertainment. But if you think business acumen is all it takes to be successful, Buntin will set you straight. Crediting community He gives a lot of credit to mutual loyalty between him and his adopted community, where Buntin is a well-known civic leader. He’s currently president of Kenmore Kiwanis and will talk in detail about the group’s fundraising efforts to collect money for RIF (the national “Reading Is Fundamental” movement.)
He’s also a past president and active member of the Kenmore Board of Trade, a group that does everything from arrange Easter Egg hunts and Halloween parades to summer concerts at the local gazebo. “I love Kenmore,” he said. “I saw a community I wanted to be involved in. . . . I’ve had many people wonder why I don’t move on. I’ve had chances to go elsewhere. I don’t want to.” It’s easy to see why. Kenmore Komics has become a gathering spot, a clubhouse where people hang out and socialize. And despite the ups and downs of his industry, he respects what comics and games mean to his customers. “People come in here and find something that brings them joy,” Buntin said. “I can’t ask for more than that.”
Kenmore Komics & Games is located at 1020 Kenmore Blvd. Akron, OH 44314. Please visit kenmore-komics.com for hours of operation and more information.
The Beekeeper Caper is a new comedy about phones, woods, bees, bears, and some of the people that love them—or don’t.
Looking to get out of the house and laugh? Then The Beekeeper Caper – happening at The Rialto Theatre May 12, 13, and 14 – may just be exactly what you’re looking for. The new play was written by local author and playwright Paula Apynys – who created and directed her first play in grade school, performed in high school productions, earned a BA in English from The University of Akron, and has completed a variety of fiction and non-fiction writing projects.
With The Beekeeper Caper, Apynys wanted to write something light and fun that would make people laugh.
“Comedy deserves more respect than it gets,” Apynys said. “Getting people to cry is easy – inspiring laughter is hard work! The Beekeeper cast members have thrown themselves into their roles with abandon and it’s been thrilling to see actors take her words and turn them into funny performances.”
The play is a romp about a rebellion against the potential addiction people are experiencing in the digital age to electronic media, computer intelligence, and cellular telephone communication. The setting provides a contrast between city and country life as lived by two brothers—the younger of whom is ordered by his wife to visit the woods to simplify his life and lower his blood pressure. Intruding on this experiment, are two men running from a court appearance concerning the fate of a Russian gangster.
Casting the play was a full-circle journey for Apynys as one of the leads, Bill Vaill, was Apynys’ English teacher, debate coach and humorous interpretation coach in high school. Now she gets to watch Norton High School’s Mr. Vaill interpret her play.
The play also features actor Charlie Shook, who has appeared in four other plays with Vaill at The Rialto.
“Bill and Charlie are a great team in acting terms,” Apynys said, “They know each other’s quirks and styles and complement each other.”
Rounding out the cast are John Hopswood, Paula Maggio, Tony Paparella, and Lisa Valley.
The Beekeeper Caper is produced as part of a series of annual spring productions that raise money for the ongoing renovation of the historic Rialto Theatre building on Kenmore Boulevard and provide continued support for the performing arts in the Kenmore and Akron area. This is the first time The Rialto has been able to host the series since it ran a production was Arsenic and Old Lace in 2019.
“Due to the size of the performances we had to suspend the annual plays during the pandemic,” Rialto Theatre co-owner Seth Vaill explained, “it’s really exciting to welcome this type of programming back to our stage.”
Tickets are $25 and include appetizers and one complimentary drink. For more information or to purchase tickets online visit therialtotheater.com. Tickets are also available at the Houston Pub in Norton.
Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance in partnership with Akron Civic Commons and Rotary Club of Akron are excited to announce the return of Kenmore First Fridays to the historic Kenmore Boulevard business district. The events will kick off June 3 with live music from the energetic honky-tonk group The Shootouts, whose third album, “Stampede,” is being produced by 10-time Grammy Award winner Ray Benson. The album will also feature special guest appearances from country legend Marty Stuart, Buddy Miller and their touring partners, Asleep at The Wheel.
Joining The Shootouts on the main stage will be local favorites and self-proclaimed “fun band”Akronauts, and additional live music will be programmed by Akron Recording Company and the youth-based nonprofit First Glance’s hip-hop program and will be sponsored by Cargill and Kenmore Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Oddmall’s “The Great Grassman Gathering” will feature over 40 purveyors of art, games, toys, comics, collectables, and all things odd, geeky, bizarre, imaginative, and wonderful. Oddmall’s presence in June marks the first in a series of market partners scheduled to appear each month.
Kenmore First Fridays will take place every first Friday of the month beginning June 3 and will continue through Sept. 2. The free events will run from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature live music, vendors, family activities, food trucks and an outdoor beer garden with a rotating cast of breweries that include HiHo Brewing Company, Lock 15 Brewing Company and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. See the full schedule below:
“This year, we’re celebrating the fifth anniversary of our Kenmore Better Block event, which really kick-started our community’s revitalization efforts,” said Tina Boyes, executive director of Kenmore Neighborhood Alliance. “Since then, we’ve added more than $1.5 million in new investment, an historic district and 12 new businesses along Kenmore Boulevard, many of which support our budding music economy. And the growth can be attributable in part to events like Kenmore First Friday. So, this year we’re bringing in bigger bands, adding a new street stage, and partnering with well-known market partners to celebrate that and encourage people to come back.”
