Big laughs come out in small spaces when improv is the stage—at least that’s what Smallprov sets out to accomplish. The Big Blue Door comedy gathering focuses on powerful bursts of wit rather than long-winded monologues. The brief skits are unrehearsed and based entirely on audience suggestions, adding an edge of anticipation to every gut-busting […]
Big laughs come out in small spaces when improv is the stage—at least that’s what Smallprov sets out to accomplish. The Big Blue Door comedy gathering focuses on powerful bursts of wit rather than long-winded monologues. The brief skits are unrehearsed and based entirely on audience suggestions, adding an edge of anticipation to every gut-busting […]
Even though Adrian Duke is based in central Virginia, his bluesy roots music lives in the heart of New Orleans. His funk and jazz prowess on the piano is matched by raw, expressive vocals, and elevated by a tight backing band that shares the work in bringing down the house. Duke has received critical acclaim […]
If a high seas adventure delivered in iambic pentameter isn’t enough to get you off the couch, then maybe the added splendor of seeing it performed on an authentic Shakespearean stage—in the same manner that the bard himself would’ve produced—will get you searching for your shoes. Staunton’s famous replica theater is staging Pericles, Prince of […]
The Head and the Heart have the holy grail of indie rock band success: One good male singer, one good female singer. It’s a combination, along with a well-timed whistle or catchy chant, that has made Peter Bjorn and John, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Gotye, and a handful of others huge overnight sensations […]
Having spent most of the last decade punching wolves and shooting whomever in pursuit of something or other, Liam Neeson’s career resurgence has been a mixed bag. On the one hand, he’s remained relevant in a genre that usually condemns talented performers to straight-to-DVD purgatory. On the other hand, there is now a very strong […]
Celebrate 40 years with the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia at its inaugural season performances. Kate Tamarkin directs the masters of classical music through a specially commissioned piece entitled “Fanfare for a Ruby Celebration,” composed by Randol Alan Bass, and Emmanuel Sejourne’s “Concerto for Marimba and String Orchestra,” featuring intrepid percussionist I-Jen Fang. […]
Visual artist Philip de Jong won’t content himself with creating beautiful work. In fact, he avoids contentment altogether. “At some point as a trained photographer your job is to make anything look good,” he said. “If people describe my work as pretty, I feel insulted on some level because all it means is that I […]
“What inspires you?” For those with an interest in visual art, the question could elicit a response of Diane Arbus, Stan Brakhage, or Jean-Michel Basquiat. However, for many UVA alumni, the answer might very well be the University’s legendary art professor, Lydia Gasman. This month, an exhibit at Les Yeux du Monde gallery entitled “Picasso, […]
Eight master artisans flex their talents at the 11th annual Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase. Chow down on comfort food classics like Brunswick stew and fried apple pies as you groove to the sounds of Flory Jagoda’s Sephardic Jewish ballads, Buddy Pendleton’s bluegrass fiddle, or Cheryl Maroney’s traditional gospel music. Quilters, beekeepers, chair makers, and more […]
With little more than an acoustic guitar and a junkyard drum kit, husband and wife team Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent beat out skillfully harmonized country-punk anthems as Shovels & Rope. With roots in Charleston and all eyes on the road, the two take a minimalist approach to romantic, vintage melodies. Their new release […]