Around Cincinnati

For his final segment on Around Cincinnati, John Kiesewetter pays a visit to the Rosemary Clooney House in Augusta, Kentucky. After touring the house for the first time since it opened, he speaks with one of the owners, former Miss America Heather French Henry , who opened the museum with her husband, about some of the classic pieces that are on display and how she wound up opening the museum. Lee Hay produced one of her most popular specials about the Kentucky native called Rosemary Clooney:

One of Cincinnati Public Radio’s most ardent fans and biggest supporters is also one of the city’s most talented musicians. Michael Chertock is the pianist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra , conductor of the Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra , and chair of the music department at the UC College-Conservatory of Music . For her final profile for Around Cincinnati, Anne Arenstein has a wide-ranging conversation with Maestro Chertock about his career and how he found his way to Cincinnati.

Around Cincinnati’s longtime theatre contributor, Rick Pender, chose one of the region’s most talented and in-demand actors for his final segment. Bruce Cromer is perhaps best-known to local audiences as either Bob Cratchit or Ebenezer Scrooge in the Playhouse in the Park ’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” but he has performed on most of the other stages in town, plus had a key role in the locally-filmed movie “Dark Waters”; and is an esteemed professor at Wright State University .

For the final segment of Around Cincinnati’s 15-year run, Brian O’Donnell is joined by musicians Karin Berquist and Linford Detweiler , also known as Over the Rhine . They talk about how they are dealing the pandemic and the shuttering of live music venues, cancelling their shows and tours; their Nowhere Else Festival that will, hopefully, happen again in 2021; and the time they’ve spent on their victory garden and renovating a barn.

As Around Cincinnati winds down its 15-year run, we want to share one of our shining moments. In 2007, local theatre writer and longtime contributor Rick Pender arranged an interview with Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim . Rick has written extensively about the composer for years, including an upcoming, in-depth biography.

For her final contribution to Around Cincinnati, our literary contributor Kelly Blewett has a conversation with her friend, former co-worker, and bestselling author, Liz Johnson. She just released A Dazzler of Diamonds , the final novel in her Georgia Coast Romance series.

Local Latin musician and organizer Nicholas Radina is with Brian O’Donnell to talk about the pause needed for his Salsa on the Square summer concerts on Fountain Square, his current project featuring Puerto Rican Cuarto instrument, and a book about the history of Cincinnati Latin music.

Barbara Gray concludes her Around Cincinnati book segments by interviewing bestselling author, Louise Penny . She provides a preview of her latest novel in the Inspector Gamache series, this one called All The Devils Are Here , scheduled for release on September 1.

Lee Hay's favorite Around Cincinnati interview over the years is the acclaimed designer Todd Oldham ' s 2006 interview of his mentor and friend, celebrated artist Charley Harper , in our studio.

A song from one of Around Cincinnati’s favorites, the late Katie Reider . Trusted Eyes is from her CD, Wonder .