ARTS Pick: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Six tweens compete for the title of champion speller in the beloved musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. This eclectic group of kids spells through the show while disclosing a variety of humorous, honest and heartfelt stories from their home lives. Audience members can also get in on the academic action in […]

The last VHS tape: A eulogy for the Sneak Reviews experience

“I’m proud of what we’ve done for more than 21 years. It’s the little guys, the small business that really get to make an impact on the community,” says Mark Tramontin, owner of Sneak Reviews. This month, the local video store closes its doors, marking the end of one of Charlottesville’s most beloved experiences. Because […]

ARTS Pick: Jackie Daly and Matt Cranitch

Though difficult to read and even harder to pronounce, Sliabh Luachra, a region in southern Ireland on the border of Cork and Kerry, has birthed a rich style of music that is easy on the ears. Jackie Daly is renowned for his talented instrumentals, heralded by the New York Times as “probably the best accordionist […]

ARTS Pick: Stewart Huff

Since dropping out of college 15 years ago to become a writer and comedian, Tennessee native Stewart Huff’s star has been rising on the national and international horizons. Get to know his original and refreshing humor at the latest installment of the Laugh Your Ass Off Comedy Showcase, where he embraces his own life experiences […]

Sand pail list: Five movies to watch every summer

You have two options this summer: You can take Hollywood’s nostalgia bait and buy a ticket to one of its myriad sequels, prequels, reboots and spiritual successors to your favorite movies. Or you can call their bluff and just enjoy classic films on your own time, free from all the retconning and desperate self-parody. Here […]

ARTS Pick: I Love a Piano

A celebration of the music and lyrics of Irving Berlin, The Heritage Theatre Festival’s production of I Love a Piano follows a piano as it moves in and out of American lives from the turn of the century to modern day. The story’s brought to life by Berlin classics such as “There’s No Business Like […]

ARTS Pick: Ike Reilly

With the unlikely style of Billy Joel meets Johnny Cash, Ike Reilly, a former grave digger from Illinois, tells timeless tales of love, lust, drugs and drinking through reckless tunes and poetic lyrics. Reilly may have an unconventional past but it’s birthed a unique perspective on life and lends a finesse to his daring music. […]

Film lampoon: Live Arts aims to ‘a muse’ with Xanadu

Most of us are born with a seedling of art in our hearts—the desire to create our dreams on paper, in space or on the stage. But we’re taught early on that the path of an artist is hard, one that requires dogged determination and gumption, the kind of commitment to take-no-prisoners passion that stalls […]