ARTS Pick: Hansel and Gretel

The well-known Brothers Grimm fairy tale Hansel and Gretel becomes an absurd opera in the hands of producer Richard Jones. In a special English-language Met Live In HD presentation, the doomed siblings wander from their home into the dark forest and end up at the Witch’s gingerbread house. With food at its dramatic center, each […]

ARTS Pick: The Steel Wheels

Are you ready for it? The addition of percussion and keyboards to The Steel Wheels’ signature acoustic sound? The Harrisonburg-formed group steers into new territory by beefing up its traditional folk style on the new album, Wild As We Came Here. “I’m excited to see what happens,” says Trent Wagler (guitar, banjo and songwriter). “There […]

Photo project shows people through another lens

As the events of August 11 and 12 unfolded across Charlottesville, photojournalist Sarah Cramer Shields watched it happen on the news. “I was putting two small children down for naps when it happened,” Shields says in an interview with C-VILLE. “I wanted to be on the front lines telling the stories of what was happening, […]

ARTS Pick: Phil Vassar and Kellie Pickler

On their first tour together, Phil Vassar and Kellie Pickler are showcasing their holiday collaboration “The Naughty List,” a single that pairs infectious melodies and soulful lyrics in a swinging new favorite. Each of the country stars has become known for covers of Christmas favorites, and by teaming up in concert, they’re sure to melt […]

ARTS Pick: A Christmas Carol

The publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in 1853 served to revive interest in some long-expired holiday traditions, including caroling and feasts, and generated the iconic tale of personal transformation that’s been replayed in December for more than 150 years. Responsible for imprinting “Merry Christmas,” “Bah, humbug!” and Scrooge on the seasonal lexicon, Dickens […]

Movie review: The Last Jedi is a force to be reckoned with

Not only is Star Wars: The Last Jedi the best entry in the series since 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, it may well be the first to truly break new cinematic ground since the 1977 original. Writer-director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, the best episodes of “Breaking Bad”) employs the full arsenal of what a science […]

ARTS Pick: Country Christmas Show

Sarah White and her friends are back to deck the Southern Café and Music Hall with boughs of holly, twinkly lights, giant plastic peppermint sticks, Christmas cookies, Santas galore and so much more at the annual Country Christmas Show. The (All New) Acorn Sisters, Ian Gilliam, Charlie Bell, Ned Oldham and others strike the harp—er, […]

ARTS Pick: Ugly Sweater Party: Parts 1 and 2

Let the holidays unravel with Ugly Sweater Party: Parts 1 and 2, a musical experience exploring two different genres over consecutive nights. The Ugly Sweater fun begins with indie electronic tunes featuring Ethan Lipscomb, a classically trained pianist who combines samples with aggressive lyrics to create his own style of dance-rock. Duo Playdate also brings […]