My Night Out: Girl Crushing on Idina Menzel at 'If/Then'
What a show. I officially have a girl crush. Her name is Idina Menzel although some may know her as Adele Dazeem (if you don't know what I'm talking about google "john travolta at oscars"). Idina's...
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St. Valentine and the Meaning of Life
Washington Irving (1783-1859) was the wonderful American author and U.S. Ambassador to Spain, who rediscovered the Alhambra in Granada, with which my wife, Virginia, and I fell in love during our visit...
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CD Review: Good Boy by Nate Paladino
Album: Good Boy Artist: Nate Paladino Style: Nick Cave, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Leonard Cohen Released: November 7, 2014 Reviewed by: Christopher Zoukis and Randy Radic Nate Paladino is a relic of a...
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Pop Music Marries Ballet in the Alberta Ballet Company's Fumbling Towards...
Photo credit: Phil Crozier I admit I've never been a big fan of ballet. I really didn't understand how dance could tell a story so, although I admired the dancers' talent and flexibility, I just...
View ArticleIn My Backyard With Joyce DiDonato and Matthew Polenzani
As a long-time West Sider, I've happily traipsed through the bowels of Brooklyn for my last few posts in pursuit of the most happening events in classical music, theater and opera. But sometimes, as L....
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A Guide to Brooklyn With Ra Ra Riot
By Era Bushati Originally formed on the campus of Syracuse University in early 2006, indie band Ra Ra Riot has gone on to produce three studio albums as well as tour with bands Death Cab for Cutie and...
View ArticleFirst Nighter: "The Events" Proves Less Than Riveting
In the program for The Events, now at the New York Theatre Workshop, is a note about the production's provenance that goes in part: "In the fall of 2011 playwright David Greig and Actors Touring...
View ArticleSecond That Emotion
Against all odds filmmakers continue to make fine works, adapting or creating stories not from comics or videogames but exploring the human experience on our own planet. Even when all the elements...
View ArticleFirst Nighter: Nathan Lane, Brian Dennehy in O'Neill's 'Iceman Cometh'
Can a great play also be not entirely good? And before you answer that, please put aside any objections about the adjective "great" being overused as well as far too unspecific. I ask this because the...
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What's Behind Those Valentines: The Unblemished Story
The history of Valentine's Day. How did it originate? Who was the mysterious St. Valentine? Why February 14? Why do people send us all those dopey cards? The answers to these and many other questions...
View ArticleThe Lost Letters Of The Alphabet
It's easy to think of the alphabet we recite and use as something fixed but, like almost everything in language, it changes. We call it Roman, but the Romans wouldn't have recognized our 'J,' 'U' or...
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New Film on a Once Lost Polish Synagogue That Rises Again
In an award-winning career as a National Geographic photographer, Cary Wolinsky traveled the world. His wife Barbara, a designer, and their son Yari, even from a young age, often tagged along and were...
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Living From the Heart
Steve Jobs: Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others'...
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Rhiannon Solo (and Then Some)
Five years ago, I was flat out flattened by my discovery of a band called The Carolina Chocolate Drops and their album, Genuine Negro Jig. I was not alone; the album wound up winning a Grammy. Still,...
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Detroit-Born Singer/Songwriter JMSN Embraces His True Soul Music Spirit on...
The music of JMSN (pronounced Jameson) is that of embracing a sensual vulnerability as a mechanism to evolve into who you truly are, even if you're still on that journey. The singer/songwriter and...
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Confession of a Serial Songwriter: Why a Passion on the Side Is a Must
Whether you're an aspiring songwriter trying to get in the game, or a seasoned pro trying to stay in the game, or for that matter, any hopeful fill-in-the-blank with an eye on a prize, it helps to have...
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PhiladelphiaTheatreCo. Celebrates 40 With Stars Aligned
The Philadelphia Theatre Company is marking its 40th anniversary season and weathering a rough season of solving ongoing fiscal problems. Meanwhile, the shows must go on, Sara Garonzik, PTC's artistic...
View ArticleDoes Art Matter?
One way to measure the value of an arts organization is to measure its economic impact. How many people attended a performance? How are businesses doing in the area? How much money does an exhibition...
View ArticleNotes on "Artistry" and Award Shows
Recently Pop Star A and Pop Star B were both nominated for a prestigious music award. Pop Star A uses songwriting teams and producers. Her music is heavily processed and is designed for mass...
View ArticleA Valentine Homage To O'Keeffe And Stieglitz
Georgia O'Keeffe was a 28 year old Wisconsin farm girl; Alfred Stieglitz was a 52 year old New York bon vivant. Stieglitz intimately photographed his muse throughout their tumultuous, erotically...
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