Hollywood On The Cuyahoga

Storytellers: Dennis Barrie and Bill Garvey

 
 
 
 
 

Doors open at 5:00pm, with the storytelling beginning promptly at 7:00pm

• Weekly series combining great food with great stories about Cleveland’s past
• FREE ADMISSION – NO COVER CHARGE
• In addition to our regular menu, we will be offering affordable specials on these nights

Story topic this week…

Hollywood On The Cuyahoga
The Western Reserve Historical Society’s Cleveland History Center is deep in the planning stages of a major exhibit celebrating Northeast Ohio’s contributions to filmmaking called Hollywood on the Cuyahoga: Cleveland in the Movies. Director of experience design at the Cleveland History Center, Dennis Barrie, is directing the project and is well known for developing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. The 5,000-square-foot multimedia experience will introduce visitors to influential artists in front of and behind the camera – producers, directors, composers, writers and actors. The immersive visual content will include film clips, costumes, props, automobiles and vintage movie posters.

Tonight’s storyteller night will highlight the full details on what people can expect to see and experience at the new exhibit!
 

Dennis Barrie Bio

Dennis Barrie has had an extensive career in planning, developing and managing both major and less traditional cultural destinations-museums, exhibits, visitor centers and public spaces. He began his career working for the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art where he documented the lives of American visual artists. In 1983, he became director of the Contemporary Art Center in Cincinnati, a job he held for 8 years. In 1993, he was chosen to be the first professional Director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and was given the task of creating the exhibits, building the staff and getting the long-developing project open. Barrie left Rock to work on a number of new museums around the country, including the International Spy Museum and the Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Currently, he is Director of Experience Design for the Western Reserve Historical Society.
 

Bill Garvey Bio

After working as a motion picture location scout & manager for almost three decades, Bill Garvey assumed the role of Greater Cleveland Film Commission president in September of 2021. Bill leverages relationships he built over his career with producers & studios to proactively pitch NE Ohio as a filming destination. His credits include Fast & Furious 8: Fate of the Furious, Captain America: Winter Soldier, The Avengers, Shutter Island, Spiderman 2, National Treasure, The Manchurian Candidate, & over 30 other feature films, as well as The Sopranos, Law & Order and dozens of other TV Shows and commercials. Bill was born and raised in New York City and has a BBA in Marketing with a minor in Film from the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Rocky River with his wife Carol and daughter Sara.

Cleveland History Days

Cleveland’s history is America’s history. Predicted for greatness by George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. A city founded on the shores of Lake Erie. Shaped by a crooked Cuyahoga River that defined its identity and grew its wealth. A wealth fueled by the many immigrant groups who settled here. It is a city that emerged from the Gilded Age as a leader in policy and programs, building not only a great city but a greater civilization. This same river would catch fire on a hot summer day in June of 1969. It became a poster child of a national movement to save the environment. Today, industrial freighters share a clean Cuyahoga River with wildlife and recreational watercraft. Cleveland is writing a new chapter in its comeback story.
 
The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past – from sports, to rock ‘n roll, to Millionaire’s Row, — the series will focus on tidbits from Cleveland’s past that will really thrill the audience. The Music Box is presenting this series in partnership with the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. We think the Cleveland History Center is one of the most important museums in Cleveland. An unknown gem that Clevelanders should know more about, and support. It is the only museum in Cleveland dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Cleveland. The Cleveland History Center includes two mansions, the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, Chisholm Halle Costume Wing, Research Library, Kidzibits Hands-On Gallery, rotating exhibitions, and the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.
 

See all Cleveland Stories dates here.