Since it exploded into theaters in 1977, Star Wars has left a crater-like impact on pop culture. And since 2011, May 4 has been the unofficial day that superfans dust off their lightsabers, pull on their stormtrooper helmets and celebrate the popular franchise. At May the Fourth Be With You: A Celebration of the Music […]
Taking on the topic of sexual oppression at the turn of the 19th century, Frank Wedekind’s Spring Awakening drives straight through the soul of puberty. Gorilla Theater Productions’ contemporary approach to the coming-of-age story confronts themes of reproduction, rape and suicide so incisively it’s subtitled A Children’s Tragedy. Through May 14. $10-15, times vary. Gorilla […]
Keeping score at Foxfield The 40th annual running of the horses and the donning of sundresses and hats by UVA students for heavy day-drinking took place April 29 and drew more than 12,000 race fans. With the temperature soaring to 90 degrees, it’s no surprise there were more medical emergencies than usual. Thirty-eight people sought […]
FAMILY Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild Live Saturday, May 6 Jungle Jack takes you into the wild with an array of incredible animals, including a baby cheetah, kangaroo, penguin, baby tiger and two-toed sloth. He’ll also share stories and footage from his adventures in Africa, the Amazon, Antarctica and beyond. $24.50-54.50, 4pm. The Paramount Theater, […]
Each spring in central Virginia a unique handoff takes place at the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase. After nine months of learning from the best in their respective fields, students graduate with skills and a deep appreciation for traditional music, food and crafts such as Hindustani vocals, square dance calling, paper sculpture and Cambodian costume-making. The […]
In April, six food places in Charlottesville opened their doors: Found. Market Co., Vu Noodles and Pearl Island Catering in the Jefferson School Café, Iron Paffles and Coffee, Snowing in Space Coffee Co., Mama Meals at Charlottesville Cooking School and Oliva.
Singer-songwriter Sean Rowe is growing his career with a grassroots approach. In addition to offering wilderness and foraging classes on his website, he splits his time between the road and raising a family. About a recent tour, Rowe says, “At every house, barn, chicken coop, apartment, loft and church, we made a real connection…” and […]
Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, August Wilson’s award-winning Fences offers an inside look at an African-American community in mid-20th century America. The play follows 53-year-old Troy—a former baseball star and thief—who struggles to provide for his small family. Troy’s wife, Rose, asks him to build a fence around their home, which comes to symbolize the protections […]
Take some kite flying, throw in a little bird feeding, add an uber-nanny, a chimney sweep and two precocious kids, and you’ve got the makings for a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious evening when the Albemarle High School Players present Mary Poppins. Based on the popular Disney movie, the musical, directed by Fay E. Cunningham, follows the story of […]
Unconventional is a word often found in descriptions of Eugene Chadbourne’s work, but it doesn’t begin to capture the far-out 63-year-old musician’s career. Wikipedia notes that his mastery of guitar, banjo, rake and plunger, and his immersion in free jazz, folk and experimental music led to collaborations with John Zorn, Fred Frith, Jello Biafra, Violent […]