PICK: Fast forward

Bah humbug? We think not. This year, Dickens is going digital! Join Jacob Marley, the three ghosts, and Tiny Tim as Scrooge navigates his cranky journey and discovers the joy of Christmas—even in 2020. John Harrell stars in American Shakespeare Center’s annual adaptation of A Christmas Carol, viewable on-demand and at the Visulite Cinemas. And […]

PICK: Unforgettable talent

Cullen “Fellowman” Wade (right) didn’t set out to create an album about loss during such a dark time in history. And despite its title, Death of an Author, which has been two years in the making, is rooted in creativity, catharsis, and enlightenment rather than morbidity. With a slew of covers and originals dedicated to […]

Listening from home

COVID-19 has taken an unfathomable amount of lives, and its reverberations have disrupted our most cherished industries—the music business included. The onset of the pandemic brought studio sessions, live performances, and large-scale concerts to a screeching halt, rendering musicians, promoters, and venue and tour crews without reliable income. But time off the road also afforded […]

Rear viewings

Saying that this year has been an anomaly is a comical understatement. So much of our daily life has been uprooted and, to mirror our own bodies, movies were not immune from these changes either. Before we start writing eulogies for Cinema with a capital “C” and discussing the fall of the multiplex, it is […]

PICK: Cheers all around

Staying home for the holidays doesn’t have to be boring, and a long list of local talent is out to prove it. Home for the Holidays: A Four County Players Musical Revue harkens back to a time of vintage television broadcasts that brought performers together in a variety show style. Directed by Edward Warwick White […]

Digging for love: Ammonite is a stratum above a bodice-ripper

Ammonites are fossils that are used to mark geologic time. Resembling the spirals that contain the golden ratio, they are ripe for parable and illustration. The film Ammonite, from writer/director Francis Lee, tries to capture that depth of meaning, but much like its namesake fossil, it is common and unexceptional. The film holds fossils at […]

PICK: Duck Demystified

Make way: Seems that if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, many of us are afraid to cook it. In Duck Demystified, chef Ian Rynecki addresses the uncertainties around preparing this often overlooked entrée. The hands-on demo ends with participants dining together on a whole, roasted duck […]

PICK: The Nutcracker

Sippin’ in slippers: Don’t let the coronavirus knock you off your feet this holiday season. But do feel free to stay home in your slippers to enjoy the beloved story of Clara’s Christmas journey in Charlottesville Ballet’s The Nutcracker: A Virtual Gala. The evening will be filled with special guests and local musicians, and the […]