ARTS Pick: UnDependence

The Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers are at it again, taking a seat at the table for UnDependence, and proving anything man can do, CLAW can do better. Teachers, moms, CEOs and clerks transform into the tough, gritty characters that the audience knows and loves. With wrestling aliases like General Discontent, Carrie-Oke and Sailor Doom, the […]

ARTS Pick: The Eagles

The classic jams keep rolling when the Eagles glide in with a retrospective of their easy listening hits. Following up on a documentary of the same name, The History of the Eagles tour covers Don Henley and his mate’s highest highs, including “Hotel California,” “Lyin’ Eyes” and “Take It Easy.” Indulge that “Peaceful Easy Feeling” […]

ARTS Pick: OmegaCon Cosplay Ball

A fusion of gamers, movie critics, television enthusiasts and pop fiction fans gather for the OmegaCon Cosplay Ball, an evening of fantasy filled with extravagant costumes, DJ spins, performance art and complimentary ballroom dance instruction. Character appearances by pop culture icons get thrown into the mix, while local goth band Bella Morte darkens the stage […]

Film review: Magic Mike delivers in an encore performance

Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2012, with a muscle-centric marketing campaign that no doubt sold tickets but failed to notify audiences that this film was actually the work of a master director at the top of his game. Stylistically impressive, tonally sophisticated beyond its straightforward narrative with a […]

ARTS Pick: Spamalot

Camelot may be a silly place, but the trademark tongue-in-cheek humor of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gillam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin has kept audiences coming back for over 40 years. Lovingly ripped off from the cult classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python’s Spamalot puts the British troupe’s iconic […]

In the wings: Ash Lawn Opera’s Madama Butterfly alights the Paramount stage

Every summer, Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall floods with a subtle siege: opera singers, orchestra members and technical crew members from all over the country. Unlike participants in traveling productions, they arrive to co-create a few gem-like original performances, shows that debut at The Paramount Theater under the direction (and extended logistical planning) of Ash Lawn Opera. […]