Two southern cities show how the arts can be a powerful lens to view both the past and its relevance to the present. This Land Calls Us Home, a special exhibition at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport, honors the legacy of the indigenous tribes that once dominated America’s Southeast. The relationship Native Americans have with their …
During the first few days on the Hawaiian Islands, you don’t notice it’s prevalence. After that, you feel as if you’ve encountered it at least once before the clock strikes midnight. Over the Rainbow might as well be Hawaii’s state song. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, better known as Iz, came up with his own very lovely version …
New Zealand, one of the most closed countries on earth during the height of the pandemic, has once again laid out its welcome mat. Europe, unsteady during much of the crisis and at last on firmer footing, has been seeing a steady uptick of foreign visitors. And cruise lines, the most feared travel alternative for …
Sometimes, what’s in your wallet has a way of defining your entertainment options. When a pandemic further constrains where you can go for a little relaxing stimulation, opportunities nowadays often take on a virtual dimension. Based on a recent foray into Mubi, a movie streaming service that’s built a large and loyal following in the …
Dour seems a fitting description of Chicago’s cultural scene these days. More and more theatrical productions are postponing performances. Museums are open but there a few new exhibitions. With Gregory Porter cancelling his big show at the Chicago Theater earlier this month, musical options lean toward smaller venues where the city’s army of excellent musicians …
Some things appeal to all of us in a primal basic way. Water, fire, and light all have the power to draw us to them and keep us spellbound. That fascination explains the outsized success of the Chicago Botanical Garden’s night time illuminated trail, Lightscape. With so many attributes to recommend it, the attraction has …
A woman who launched a million whys, Vivian Maier is the kind of person we all wish we could be but would dread becoming. Like a great painter whose genius isn’t recognized until after they’ve gone, her talent wasn’t discovered until after she had died obscurely and in poverty at the age of 83, without …
Blues, a music form that defines honesty in unforgettable ways, took center stage in Chicago last week. Festivities and concerts were held in scores of venues north, south and west that celebrated all manifestations of the blues while commemorating the 50th anniversary of Alligator Records. Founded and still run by blues fan extraordinaire Bruce Iglauer, …
Sometimes what’s obvious to one person turns out to be an “Oh, yeah!” moment for the rest of us. Playwright Vivian J. O. Barnes happened to be watching television when the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, was leaving the hospital 7 hours after delivering the youngest of her three children. Barnes saw more than just …
Duchess! Duchess! Duchess! : Nightmare Inside the Fairytale Read More »
The virtual universe keeps expanding as more and more entertainment forms continue to find refuge in the cloud. Fully appreciating dance and theater in such a flat dimension still takes some adapting. Virtual live performance can help because it reinforces the sense of immediacy and intimacy, making an event just a little more personal. But …
Omnium Circus: The World of Wonder that Welcomes All Read More »