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From: History of Springfield & Clark Co., OH, Wm. Rockel, 1908 | Clifton Opera House in 2000 |
Clifton Opera House
The Opera House was built in the late 1800s. Originally known as the Town Hall, it has been the scene of minstrel shows, medicine shows, school plays, church activities, style shows, dinners, dances, weddings, meetings and basketball games. Sources indicate the tower was taken down in the 1920s because of a problem with bats. The building was not used for many years, then, in 1978, part of the north wall fell in. Howard Printz, then President of the Clifton Historical Society, began raising funds to save the historic building. Thanks to his dedicated work, the Opera House is restored and continues to be a valuable part of the Clifton community. Owned by the Village of Clifton, the Clifton Historical Society currently holds its meetings there as does Village Council. The Historical Society hosts musical performances at the Opera House on Saturday nights April through mid-November. The shows start at 7:30 pm, doors open at 6. A donation of $7 helps maintain the Opera House. The annual Banjo-Rama is held on a Saturday afternoon in March and is a huge success! More than 40 artists come here from all over the USA to play to a full house.
Schedule of Performances for 2008
MARCH 1 pm (Doors open at Noon) | APRIL | MAY |
| JUNE 7: Lower London St. Dixieland Band 14: Springfield Banjos & Brass 21: Kettering Banjo Society 28: Jim Greer & Mac-O-Chee Valley Folks | JULY 5: Hal Harris Orchestra 12: Glen Parks Banjo Entertainment 19: Sauerkraut German Band 26: Swing Shift Band | AUGUST 2: Impossibles 9: Shakertown Stompers 16: Sterling Bluegrass Boys 23: Connect III 30: Bob Milne on Piano |
| SEPTEMBER 6: Dulcimer Tune Weavers 13: Ragtime Riverboat Rats 20: CLOSED - Old Clifton Days 27: Country Grass | OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 1: Jim Greer & Mac-O-Chee Valley Folks 8: Scott Oglesbee & Jerry Steinke 15: Razzamatazz & Jazz CLOSED for the season. |
Opera House to Host Storytellers
The old Clifton Opera House will host two storytelling events 2008, "Tall Tales" in April and "Scary Stories" in October. Ohio residents and nationally known storytellers Harold and Jonatha Wright, Eric James Wolf and Shane Dicky will be performing. This will be an exciting night of entertainment so bring your friends and family along.
The Clifton Opera House is over a century old and the building has natural acoustics that are not found in modern buildings. The structure is Victorian and lends itself to great story telling. The stories performed in October will be scary Halloween stories with frightening elements appropriate for all ages. As the night goes on the stories will get scarier, you can leave when you have had your fill.
"Tall Tales" will start at 7:30 pm on Friday, April 4, 2008
"Scary Stories" will start at 7:30 pm on Friday, October 10, 2008
Ticket prices are $2 for children under 12 and $7 for adults. A guardian must accompany children.
The Clifton Opera House is located at the corner of RT 343 and Clay Street in Clifton in Greene County, Ohio.
For more information:
Eric James Wolf: www.ericwolf.org
Jonatha and Harold Wright: www.jonathaandharold.com