In brief: Rotunda breakage, budget burdens, alleged perv and more

Breaking news On the first of the month, UVA students rallied outside of the Rotunda, where the Board of Visitors was set to discuss living wage for university employees. While it’s currently $13.79, students would like to see it set at $16, and demanded so by slapping their hands against Rotunda windows until one broke. […]

ARTS Pick: Cinderella

Charlottesville Ballet’s Cinderella finds the fairy tale’s cast of characters lacing up their slippers for a production accompanied by Prokofiev’s famous score. Thirty professional artists from Charlottesville and around the world come together to dance through the classic romance filled with humor, hope, and love. Saturday, March 9. $20-75, 2 and 7pm. The Paramount Theater, […]

Rule of three: How many trios are in a Neave Trio concert? If you count the musical works—Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio; Amy Beach’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 150; and Louise Farrenc’s Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 33—you can count up to four for this one. Since forming in 2010, the chamber ensemble, […]

ARTS Pick: Tracy Howe, Rev. Sekou, and The Nashville Freedom Fighters

New trails: Tracy Howe’s social gospel soul album Things That Grow honors marginalized communities while celebrating beauty and resilience. Tracks like “Frack Me” and “Our Strength” are rallying cries against misogyny and predatory capitalism, and “Bury Me,” a protest song about white supremacy, has gained traction around the country. Howe is co-headlining with Rev. Sekou […]

ARTS Pick: Mojo Parker

Amped up: With his acoustic duo Parker & Gray, Staunton-based vocalist and guitarist Daniel Parker took home a first-place award for Best Solo/Duo in the River City Blues Society of Richmond’s Blues Challenge in 2017, and made the semifinals at the 2016 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. When Parker wants to plug in, he uses […]

ARTS Pick: Stick Fly

Cross examination: In Lydia R. Diamond’s Stick Fly, tension builds over the course of a weekend family getaway to Martha’s Vineyard, where debates about race and privilege cause destructive secrets to be revealed. Director Jennifer L. Nelson says she appreciates the play’s focus on a segment of African American society not frequently seen onstage. “You […]

In brief: Adjournment day, Short stay, Fashion Square buzz and more

Scandal marred It was the most eventful—and scandal-plagued— session of the General Assembly in recent memory. Over in the executive branch, Governor Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring’s past blackface antics were revealed and drew calls for Northam to resign. Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax faced accusations of sexual assault, which he denied and called […]

ARTS Pick: Dori Freeman

Raised in the fertile musical region of Galax, Virginia, Dori Freeman was never far from the sound of a bluegrass tune. She began to sing and play at a young age, and despite entering college and becoming a single mom, she gravitated to the role of musician. After a bold move—Freeman reached out to singer-songwriter […]

ARTS Pick: The Suffers

Big things happen when The Suffers go to work on their fusion of jazz, R&B, reggae, and funk. The eight-piece act plays Gulf Coast soul defined by the sultry vocals of Kam Franklin, whose warmth is so energetic she was asked to be a spokeswoman for tourism in the group’s hometown of Houston. The good […]

ARTS Pick: Hedda Gabler

In Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen crafted a painfully real representation of the 19th-century angel in the house. Stripped of her individuality, Hedda is repressed by her roles as daughter and wife. The production channels themes of subtle misogyny through love, rage, and a gripping sense of cruelty that leaves Hedda and those around her to […]