Visit Museum of Art for ‘China’s Ming Dynasty Exhibit,’ and the Phoenix Theatre for political one acts
This week, low-key dynasty dynamics at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and a mismatched couple at the Phoenix Theatre.
Arts & Entertainment
Articles
Downtown development great for citizens, visitors
The development of shopping, restaurants, museums, public arts and hotels downtown in the past 25 years has made Indianapolis
a vibrant, more interesting place to live—and to visit.
IndyFringe leads effort to build artists’ apartments
Indy Fringe executive director Pauline Moffat and Gary Reiter, a board member of the Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival
Inc., want to build an affordable live-work complex near Massachusetts Avenue.
Pacers reforms, new Lucas Oil Stadium, NCAA 2010 tournament boost Indy’s sports reputation
The Pacers opening victory, new game innovations at Conseco Fieldhouse and retaining Danny Granger are bright spots in the
city’s vast sports scene.
Cultural Development Commission may lose millions used to promote Indianapolis art
A commission that has drawn $12.5 million in grants and public money to promote Indianapolis’ artistic side is awaiting word
on its future.
You-review-it Monday
So, did you go Spirit-and-Place-ing this weekend? (I got to the “Madness and Creativity” conversation at Butler University and the remarkable “Whirl of the Divine” performance at the Central Library.)
Do some First Friday gallery hopping? (Maybe we crossed paths at IMOCA or the…
Review: B.J. Novak at Clowes
At his strongest when addressing the largely student audience on generationally-specific subjects, stand-up B.J. Novak–best known from his role as Ryan on NBC’s “The Office”–riffed smartly on OnStar, iTunes, Bill Nye, Wikipedia and GoogleMaps during his Thursday night set at…
IBJ movie nights: Bond, etc.
In the past, I’ve hosted a wide range of IBJ Night at the Movies screenings.
The next two, however, are a little different. The tickets I’m giving away are, to be accurate, for IBJ LATE Nights at the Movies. Midnight, to be specific.
First…
Cultural two-fers
One of the more convenient excuses given for not going to cultural events is the cost.
Well, with the 25th anniversary Zoobook now in release, that excuse has once again been mitigated.
Yes, I know that there are those of you…
Fictional Presidential match-ups
Here, for your entertainment, some fictional election match-ups (ignoring party affiliations). Who gets your vote?
Peter Sellers in “Dr. Strangelove” vs. Michael Douglas in “The American President” vs. Morgan Freeman in “Deep Impact”?
Next round:
Martin Sheen on “The West Wing” vs. Donald…
IU, Sapphire Co. theater productions falter
This week, two attempts at stage bawdiness — “Lysistrata,” and “The Wild Party,” come up short.
Fitbrains.com offers games to keep your memory sharp
Vivity Labs has developed a Web
site called
Fit Brains (www.fitbrains.com), which features engaging games and activities that exercise the five key cognitive
areas of the brain: memory, language, concentration, executive functions, and visual and spatial skills.
You-review-it Monday
For me, the weekend included catching up with shows at the Phoenix and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It also involved stealing moments to read, flipping between David Wild’s goofy new “He Is…I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying…
Random tricks/random treats
Some random thoughts on cultural horrors.
–Boris Karloff may be Hollywood’s most underrated golden-era star. Watch him in “Son of Frankenstein” if you get a chance (although the film itself isn’t as good as the perversely fun “Bride of Frankenstein”).
–When we…
Bookstore booze to be tested
According to the Western Michigan Business Review, Schuler Books and Music in Grand Rapids (an outstanding locally owned chain) is looking to go beyond the cafe-and-sweet-treats ammenities that have become stapes in bookshops.
The downtown store has applied for a…
Film: Can ‘best’ = ‘most popular’?
Interesting stat in today’s New York Times: The last four winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture (“No Country for Old Men,” “The Departed,” “Crash,” and “Million Dollar Baby”) combined didn’t bring in the box office money of 2003’s…
On celebrity interviews
Peter Bart, one of the smarter guys in Hollywood, has an interesting blog over at Variety. His topic: Celebrity interviews. (Find it here.)
In the piece, Bart elequently points out something I’ve felt for a long time now: That most…
City prepares to compete for mega-conventions, risks losing small events
Over the years, the city has made a name for itself by hosting a handful of large conventions and a bevy of small and midsize
gatherings. But as companies and other organizations tighten their belts, the number of conventions
held nationwide is expected to shrink in the months ahead.
You-review-it Monday
There was a lot to choose from this weekend.
Did you pick Hubbard Street Dance or David Byrne at Clowes? Or Gregory Hancock’s “Oh My Goth”? Stop in at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, or the…
Emptying the arts notebook
Today, some random notes from around the arts world:
–Chris Jones at the Chicago Tribune has an interesting item today about customer service in theaters. See it here. Have you had any overwhelming negative or positive experiences from the front-of-the-house…