Peter Jackson takes an unexpectedly cute approach in the first Hobbit movie

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film in writer-director Peter Jackson’s three-part Hobbit series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book. That means each film—and this one is just shy of three hours—tells about 100 pages of story, provided each film sticks to the events contained within those pages. Before we get any more meta, […]

The (All New) Acorn Sisters aim to charm you through the holiday doldrums

One of Charlottesville’s finest traditions is Country Christmas, an annual concert thrown by two of the city’s finest country music acts, Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees and The(All New) Acorn Sisters, with a rotating cast of guest stars and openers. Their upcoming ninth annual event is back at the Southern Café and Music Hall, […]

ARTS Pick: Mannheim Steamroller

Incorporating live music with stunning multimedia effects, Chip Davis’ Mannheim Steamroller Christmas has remained among the top holiday celebrations in America for over 25 years.

ARTS Pick: Christmas at the Paramount

The Oratorio Society of Virginia is nearly 50 years into its mission to enrich, inspire, and educate through the performance of choral masterworks, and it’s not slowing down in December.

ARTS Pick: The Homecoming

The Homecoming, a play by Christopher Sergel based on the book by Earl Hamner (creator of T.V.’s “The Waltons”), takes place in a familiar location—a Virginia town lodged in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong make Charlottesville a second home

Odds are, if you keep an eye on music in this town, you’re familiar with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. Whether you’re one of the devoted and exponentially growing “Flock,” or simply a fan of the work of behavioral scientist B.F. Skinner, the name just sticks. To clarify to the latter group, it’s a band: a […]