What a weekend.
For me, it included the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s once-in-a-lifetime production of “Guys and Dolls” (Okay, so I saw it twice), Butler University Theatre’s “Phedre,” Theatre on the Square’s “Evil Dead: The Musical” and reading through most of Walter…
Conner Prairie wants to pay homage to early aviator John Wise with a balloon ride that recalls his August
1859 trip from Lafayette at the helm of a gas-filled balloon bound for New York City with the nation’s first
air-mail delivery. An ill wind blew him Wisecourse, ending his flight in Crawfordsville, but he still earned
a place in history–and a U.S. Postal Service-issued stamp honoring his pioneering effort.
An open letter to Des McAnuff, director of the upcoming Broadway revival of “Guys and Dolls.”
Mr McAnuff,
You don’t know me, but having seen your productions of “The Who’s Tommy,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” and “Jersey Boys,”…
The well-sung but nondescript production of “The Sound of Music” currently running at Beef & Boards got me thinking about the musicals of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Some random thoughts:
–The R&H reputation pretty much rests on “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” “South Pacific,” “The King…
“Show, don’t tell” is a mantra of dramatic writing. And it’s a mantra pretty much ignored by Gueseppi Verdi in his opera “Il Trovatore.”
In its early scenes, exposition nearly overwhelms, and even when it looks like there’s going to be…
One of the biggest sociological buzz books in recent years was Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point,” in which the journalist looked at the root causes of popularity–what are the circumstances that lead to a sudden skyrocketing of awareness
His next book,…
For me, the weekend (I’m counting Thursday evening in this) included a stop at “Chocolate: The Exhibition” at the Indiana State Museum, a visit to Indianapolis Opera’s “Il Trovatore” at Clowes Hall and, in between, a run to Dearborn, Michigan,…
The fall TV series is off and running. Well, not running. Stumbling is a better word.
What used to be an exciting time in TV land is now, well, just ask yourself when the last time was that people in your…
As I mentioned Monday, I finally got to Art vs. Art (Sept. 26), the crazed art auction/game show/demolition derby that uptowned from Fountain Square to the Vogue this year.
I’ll confess to getting caught up in the same blood lust…
Zondervan, one of the world’s leading publishers of Bibles, announced that it will be printing a hand-written version, with more than 31,000 Americans performing the penmanship. It’s being called Bible Across America and, yes, there’s an RV involved. You can find the…
Classical music fans, musicians, critics and administrators around the country are taking sides in a battle that’s been raging in Cleveland.
The situtation: After years of blasting Cleveland Orchestra music director Franz Welser-Most, Cleveland Plain Dealer music critic Donald Rosenberg has…
So how was your weekend?
For me, it included a run to Ball State to visit its art museum and check out the student production of the music “Violet” (a show I’ve wanted to see for years that I, unfortunately, missed…
Check out this smart Los Angeles Times piece about the “well, duh” observation that culture won’t be a subject for any question during the Presidential debates.
“If I were moderating tonight’s TV debate,” writes Times art critic Christopher Knight, “…
A few months back, when blogging about an arts-centric Washington, D.C. visit, I mentioned that one of my most memorable college moments was a spontanious road trip to the city, including a silent midde-of-the-night walk through a tourist-free Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
As…
Singers of a certain age often coast on nostalgia. The primary pleasure of attending one of their concerts isn’t so much the sound of their voice or the wit of their banter. It’s being able to say you saw them….
Neither engagingly mysterious or particularly thrilling, “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure,” the season opener for the Indiana Repertory Theatre (running through Oct. 11) offers a handsome but passionless production that lacks either a convincing threat or a committed style.
Despite…
For me, the very busy weekend included visits to two art shows in Bloomington prior to quality time with Bill Cosby at IU Auditorium–and the drive-time opportunity to listen to Ricky Ian Gordon’s new American opera “The Grapes of…
Columbus philanthropist J. Irwin Miller’s family is poised to donate his majestic home to the Indianapolis Museum of Art,
provided it can raise millions of dollars to maintain the sprawling Bartholomew County property. IMA board members have given
CEO Maxwell Anderson the go-ahead to seek funding for an endowment to care for the home.
A few weeks back, in my A&E Season Preview in the print IBJ, I picked as one of the highlighted events David Foster Wallace’s scheduled talk at Butler University.
That won’t be happening. The acclaimed writer, best known for his essays and…
Space is limited in this week’s print IBJ, so instead of cutting down the week’s reviews, I thought I’d share my thoughts here on three recent theater production openings. (FYI: You can find A&E reviews every week in IBJ’s Not Strictly Business…
