Grinchy grins: Out of Body Burlesque hypes its audience with this fair warning: Prepare yourselves for something different because different is what we know best. This time around the collective brings extra heat to the holiday with its Nice & Naughty Holiday Burlesque show. Bebe Demure, alt-model Tabbie Athame (above), Honey Yvonne, Leia Lovecraft, and […]
Flippin’ good: Twist, tumble, and soar with seasonal joy as Cirque Dreams Holidaze acrobats take flight accompanied by Broadway singers performing original music and fresh takes on favorites such as “Deck the Halls,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” Dozens of production numbers and 300 spectacular costumes construct a dazzling live circus experience described by […]
Get in the spirits: Bring your list of country Christmas favorites for a chance to take over the mic at Charlie & the 45’s Honky Tonk Holiday Party. (The band asks that you know the songs in advance and be able to convey the chord changes.) Sign up for a two-step dance lesson early in […]
Farther Christmas: The English countryside serves as inspiration when The Oratorio Society of Virginia returns for its annual holiday concert. Christmas at the Paramount’s (below right) featured works, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Gerald Finzi’s In Terra Pax, complement each other as the two British composers were colleagues and shared an affection […]
Tree huggers On an unseasonably warm December Sunday, Yoseph Asmellash, owner of Little River Christmas Trees, had dozens of Fraser and Douglas fir trees for sale in the parking lot of the Fashion Square Mall—one of many local spots for buying Christmas trees that pop up around the holidays. Asmellash, a native of Ethiopia who’s […]
Glow up: The longest night of the year is celebrated with beauty and promise at the annual Let There Be Light festival. To honor the approaching solstice, curator and artist James Yates features illuminated outdoor works by Circe Strauss, Patty Swygert, Chris Haske, Andrew Sherogan, Dom Morse, and a group of Murray High School students, […]
Well played: Growing up, Lindsey Stirling could not decide between dancing and playing the violin, so she chose both and developed a unique act mixing hip-hop, pop, and classical music. At 23, she landed a slot on the fifth season of “America’s Got Talent,” competing as a hip-hop violinist. The competition was tough—Jackie Evancho and […]
Colorful spins: Nut cho ordinary take on the classical holiday tradition, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is a fantastic visual extravaganza that uses puppetry from around the globe, including Russia, the Czech Republic, and South America. Dubbed the Gift of Christmas tour, the show uses over 200 costumes, and Wes Anderson’s concept designer Carl Sprague […]
Favorite things: In September, Brian Clowdus, known for producing outdoor, site-specific theatrical feats, had his most successful musical event to date with a staging of The Sound of Music on the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains that drew almost 10,000 attendees. Julie Trammel Key (Maria), Jayme Alilaw (Mother Abbess), and Blake Burgess (Captain von […]
Green light: Climate protesters seek ‘radical action’ The protesters chanted a straightforward call and response as they marched on the Downtown Mall: “What do we want?” “Climate justice!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” Drums, tambourines, and mandolins accompanied the chants. The group held handmade signs with slogans ranging from “No Pipeline” to “That awkward […]