With words, humor and extreme hip-hop energy, the Mayhem Poets take poetry to playful and compelling new heights. These beat-boxing bards lead off the second season of the Universal 1 Variety Series tomorrow, October 30, at the Victoria Theatre.

Don’t forget about “Miss Vicki’s” Trick or Treat Special – all remaining tickets are Half Price. You can see this show for as little as $14!

Infectious, charged with adrenaline, and utterly entertaining, Mayhem Poets’ riffs are as much Mad Magazine and “The Simpsons” as Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou. Taking on everything from Dr. Seuss, to school, to fast food, they keep the rapid-fire rhythms flying in this clever concert of words. Get ready for a verbal adventure as these vibrant poets take the stage and present poetry like you’ve never heard it before.

Kyle Sutton, Scott Tarazevits and Mason Granger all have a variety of poetic performing experience, having worked in conjunction with HBO Def Poetry, Arts Power National Touring Theater, and Young Audiences of New Jersey.  They bring a sense of creativity and expression that’s tough to match. Get ready for a verbal adventure as these vibrant poets take the stage and present poetry like you’ve never heard it before. Spoken-word poetry merges with theatre, hip-hop, music, and even stand-up comedy as the poets work to impress the crowd. 

The Mayhem Poets have brought their unique, spoken-word experience to venues as diverse as theatres throughout the United States and Canada, The Kilkenny Arts Festival in Kilkenny, Ireland, and countless school districts, universities, detention centers, hospitals, poetry-slams and open mics.

For more, including pictures, videos and audio, go to www.mayhempoets.com. Stop by our YouTube page to check out more videos of the Poets in action.

The 2008-2009 Universal 1 Variety Series also includes Craig Karges: Experience the Extraordinary on January 23 and the Off-Broadway hit Altar Boyz on March 14. Season tickets for the entire series are available by calling Ticket Center Stage, at 937-228-3630 (toll free 888-228-3630) or online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

Every old theatre has its ghost stories, and rumor has it the Victoria Theatre has a resident ghost or two.

Cleverly nicknamed “Miss Vicki”, one particular ghost supposedly was a member of a touring company that came through Dayton in the 19th Century. During a performance, she went to her dressing room and was never seen again. All of her personal clothes were left in the dressing room; the only thing missing was a costume black taffeta dress.  She haunts the Victoria by opening and closing doors, moving props, and giggling throughout the theatre. She has been known to have signature perfume that smells like lilac and roses that can often be smelled in the elevators. Visitors to the theatre have also described hearing the “rustling of a taffeta dress”.

Miss Vicki was featured in the Dayton Daily News last week – click here to read more.

Another frightening tale involves a Victoria Theatre patron who may have committed suicide in the theatre. The story claims this man put a butcher knife on the seat in front of him and threw himself into the knife. Some people claim that his face can be seen stage left, the side of the theatre where he was allegedly sitting at the time.

A female ghost has been known to haunt one of the boxes. This particular woman was assaulted while in a box, and while though she did not die from the incident, she may have come back to haunt it after her death. When male visitors sit in the particular box, the temperature has been known to drop suddenly. Two separate incidents occurred where men left the box with scratches on their back and finger makes on their face from being slapped!

Although we can’t confirm the existence of these friendly and unfriendly ghosts, it’s exciting to think of the possibilities. This Halloween season, come to the Victoria Theatre and investigate these ghosts for yourself!

In fact, Miss Vicki has a special Trick or Treat Offer for you: All remaining tickets for Mayhem Poets, this Thursday, October 30, at the Victoria Theatre, are now HALF OFF – $23.50, $19.50 and $14 (plus any service fees). So stop by and say hello!