On his recent release, The Album About Nothing, Washington D.C., hip-hop musician Wale has a lot of relatable things to say. The deeply personal album lightens up through its connection to the popular ’90s TV show “Seinfeld,” even featuring a guest appearance by the comedian as its narrator (Wale refers to Jerry Seinfeld as his “conscience”), and […]
On his recent release, The Album About Nothing, Washington D.C., hip-hop musician Wale has a lot of relatable things to say. The deeply personal album lightens up through its connection to the popular ’90s TV show “Seinfeld,” even featuring a guest appearance by the comedian as its narrator (Wale refers to Jerry Seinfeld as his “conscience”), and […]
Seven years after William Shakespeare died in 1616, a collection of his plays was assembled into a single volume for the first time. Only 900 copies were printed—235 survive today. For the first time, one of those First Folios is at the University of Virginia, on loan from the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., […]
In May, Ruckersville-based comic Chris Alan found himself backstage at Amy Schumer’s stand-up comedy show at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. Alan, a Rochester native, was there supporting his pal Mark Normand, Schumer’s opening act that night. The three comics chatted a bit in the green room, but Alan says he was […]
On the surface, Disney’s Queen of Katwe is a feel-good, fact-based movie whose familiarity is part of its charm. Based on the life of Ugandan chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi, the film, directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, Mississippi Masala), confidently navigates the Disney underdog formula, yet finds personal and occasionally political depth in its subject’s […]
Sorcery, magic and family feuds combine in The Comedy of Errors, one of 18 plays that entered the theatrical world when friends of William Shakespeare released First Folio in 1623, seven years after the Bard’s death. The tribute production coincides with the First Folio exhibit at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library on […]
Dutch-born, Charlottesville-based singer Paulien brings an array of languages and talent to the stage through her French jazz interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Dubbed as a musical story, she captures everyone from Edith Piaf to Cole Porter in an afternoon performance to benefit the WTJU Jazz Marathon. Sunday, October 2. $15-17, 4pm. The Southern […]
Amber Arcades Fading Lines (Heavenly) A stereotypical indie-rocker might work as a barista or telemarketer; Utrecht songwriter Annelotte de Graaf is a legal aide for the international war crimes tribunal and the Dutch immigration office. As such, you could expect Fading Lines, her debut as Amber Arcades, to be full of ponderous downers, but it’s […]
Ron Campbell is best-known by legions of Beatles fans for his work directing the cartoon series “The Beatles” and animating parts of Yellow Submarine, but his résumé is deeper than that. After working on various Beatles projects, he went on to animate, produce and storyboard “Scooby-Doo,” “The Flintstones” and “Rugrats.” Campbell’s creative fingerprints are all […]
Washington, D.C., is not the first place that comes to mind as the center of folk and bluegrass music, but there’s a long history of accomplished players from the capital city, including Eric Brace and Peter Cooper, who honor their peers on the recent album, C&O Canal. The Grammy-nominated collaborators’ engaging songwriting, quick wit and […]
In the epilogue of her book, Scattering Ashes: A Memoir of Letting Go, Charlottesville-based author Joan Z. Rough describes the process of writing about her aging alcoholic and emotionally abusive mother as “the day-by-day knitting together of a broken bone.” In this way, she says, “The writing of the book was probably the most healing […]