Leonardo Da Vinci predated William Shakespeare by half a century; their paths never crossed. Both were artists who changed the world with their vision; each had flinty intellects interested in a wide variety subjects that the Renaissance opened up to them. And while the Bard had a superior command of words — it was his […]
Category Archives: Review
Stage: Back to the ’50s in ‘Maple and Vine’
Even as patrons file in Spooky Action’s basement theater space at the Universalist National Memorial Church, the central couple of the new production “Maple and Vine” are already on stage in bed. But Em Whitworth’s Katha can’t quite sleep. She’s sitting up, staring into space, continually looking at her phone. She’s caught up in the […]
Also posted in Theatre
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Documentary Review: ‘Everybody Dance’
“Everybody Dance” is the motto of Bonnie Schlachte’s Center of Ballet for All Kids in Agoura Hills, Calif. where special-needs kids of a wide age and abilities can learn and enjoy the elements of classical dance. “Everybody Dance” is also the name of Dan Watt’s sensitive documentary about the enterprise, its enthusiastic participants and their […]
Also posted in Film
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Tav Falco’s Panther Burns On the Prowl
Rock ’n’ roll is a sound and it is a style and Tav Falco’s been straddling both since the late 1970s. The latest version of Tav Falco’s Panther Burns, on a cross country tour, stopped at The Runaway in D.C. for a midweek show that was strangely mesmerizing and altogether rocking thanks largely to his […]
Also posted in Music
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Music: The Decemberists at Wolf Trap
The Decemberists, the charming chamber folk-rock band from out of Portlandia, became famous for live performances as elaborate and detailed as their ornate songs, staging obscure battles or sea scenes with sudden appearances by man-eating whales into their shows. There was none of that Wednesday as the band took the stage at Wolf Trap in […]
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Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe at Wolf Trap
It’s gratifying to have any Elvis Costello concert come around, after two years of pandemic postponements. But the one that finally took the stage at Wolf Trap in Virginia last week had the added advantage of being opened by Nick Lowe, his longtime colleague, producer and influencer. It was a version of “Surrender to the […]
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Movie Review: New Englanders Get Frisky
For people in Flint and many other communities, water impurities are no laughing matter. Millions are estimated to have to consume contaminated tap water. But for “Love in Kilnerry,” a slight new film from a first-time filmmaker, it’s kind of cute. In the case of the tiny town of Kilnerry (once meant to be in […]
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Movie Review: Surprise Party Gone Wrong
Here’s a terrible idea: To guarantee that a reluctant brother appear at a surprise party, have him kidnapped and taken there. It could be the plot to some rambunctious comedy caper. But in Seth McTigue’s debut feature “Take the Night” it’s the basis of a dark thriller. The brothers in question are heirs to a […]
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Sarah Borges Rocks the Pearl Street
Listeners literally place performers on pedestals, onto elevated stages and spotlights. So it was a little shocking to hear Sarah Borges say during her free-wheeling show at the Pearl Street Warehouse last week that she had spent some of the pandemic as a truck driver. She couldn’t tour, and the clubs were all closed and […]
Also posted in Music
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Movie Review: Tyler Savage’s ‘Stalker’
The pandemic was bad enough for ride share companies and their independent gig workers who saw work dry up. Even as things get back to normal, business might be affected by a movie like “Stalker” (Hulu, streaming). If you’ve ever felt a little weird about the drivers for Lyft and Uber who are a little […]
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