New York Times To Host Event At Cincinnati Shakespeare

In January, Cincinnati was selected by the New York Times for its prestigious 52 Places To Go annual feature, a list of must-see locations around the world that inspire its readers' wanderlust. For the first time ever, the nation's largest daily newspaper has also selected a 52 Places Traveler who will report from the road as she visits each and every location on the list throughout 2018. The Cincinnati stop is planned for May when the 52 Places Traveler Jada Yuan will join New York Times veteran reporter John Eligon for a one-night-only special event, Wednesday, May 9 titled Destination Cincinnati- And Beyond. Cincinnati is the first city to host an exclusive event in conjunction with the 52 Places designation honor.

Titled Destination Cincinnati And Beyond, the event will be held at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company where Yuan and Eligon will take the stage for an interview-style dialogue. Logging almost four months of travel on her mission to visit each location on The Times's 52 Places to Go in 2018 list, Ms. Yuan will first share practical travel tips and observations from the first 14 stops on her trip. She will be joined by Kansas City Bureau Chief and National Correspondent John Eligon, who has relocated to the Midwest from New York City, and traveled to Australia last year to report on its indigenous communities. The two Times journalists will discuss their journeys, the ever-evolving city of Cincinnati, and more at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's brand new theater, a cultural landmark mentioned in the 52 Place To Go article where it was reported that the seats, none more than 20 feet from the stage, guarantee theatrical immersion at this event!

"Over the last year, our region has earned not one, but six major stories in the New York Times showcasing our people and places. The first was a major travel feature in their popular 36 Hours In series and it culminated with earning a Top 10 spot on their coveted 2018 list of 52 Places to Go," said Julie Calvert, executive director of Source Cincinnati, an organization that pursues positive national media coverage for the region. This recognition is a definitive statement to the world that it's time to experience all that the Cincinnati region offers.

Yuan was chosen for the yearlong trek around the world from among 13,000 applicants. She has spent the last decade at New York Magazine, covering celebrities, film festivals and presidential conventions. She grew up in northern New Mexico, has a degree in history from Yale University and currently lives in Brooklyn. In his 11 years at The Times, Eligon has covered a variety of topics ranging from sports to courts to politics. His work has taken him to South Africa to cover the death of Nelson Mandela and Turin to cover the Winter Olympics. As a national correspondent, John was in Cincinnati last June to cover the National Underground Railroad Freedom's Center new Implicit Bias Lab for a Facebook Live event for more than 100,000 viewers.

The event will begin with networking and refreshments in the theater lobby at 6:00pm, followed by the conversation at 7pm on the main stage with a reception following. Seating is limited and is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased for $25 at https://cincyshakes.com/on-stage/new-york-times-event or by calling 513-381-2273. The New York Times selected the new CSC theater for this exclusive event because of its intimate environment, with no seat more than 20 feet from the stage. The Otto M. Budig Theater is located at 1195 Elm Street in downtown Cincinnati. Valet parking is available for purchase.

"We were honored to be one of the featured venues that helped Cincinnati earn its place on the New York Times 2018 list," said Jay Woffington, Executive Director of Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. "It's icing on the cake to be asked to host this special event on May 9, and we can't wait to welcome Jada and John. Cincinnatians have always said we'd gladly put our arts and culture scene up against any in the world. It's gratifying to see The Times give so many people around the globe a glimpse of Cincinnati and invite them to experience our region for themselves."

To follow Jada Yuan's trip, follow her at nytimes.com/column/the-52-places-traveler and on Instagram @alphajada; on Twitter @JadaBird; and on Facebook, facebook.com/JadaYuan.