With Deadpool 2, the deconstruction becomes the norm. That’s not necessarily a bad thing given how bloated and redundant the X-Men franchise has become, and how terrifically its predecessor broke every taboo while delivering a solid film with a real story of its own. But how do you skewer yourself when you’ve become the new […]
In the 50 years since The Oratorio Society of Virginia made its debut with a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the auditorium of Albemarle High School, the group has infused choral excellence into the community through its vast repertoire, high-caliber singers and annual holiday performances. In looking to commemorate the group’s half-century mark, Music Director […]
The actors will appear to have left the screen when Charming Underclothes performance group takes on the movie Clue in a shadowcast. Dinner and drinks lead to a murder spree in the cinematic version of the popular board game, and the Reel to Real production company adds another dimension with actors in full costume, props, […]
It’s more than a push of a button when Restroy’s Chris Damman sends a wave of electricity through his carefully composed cello numbers. Despite using electronic drones and noise, the acoustic instrument is the foundation of sound for Damman, who is so physically in tune with his cello that it’s actually changed his posture. On […]
Formed in the early ’90s, The Sea and Cake derived its name from the song “The C in Cake,” and, based on misheard lyrics, set the tone for its enigmatic jazz rock. Eleven albums later, and five years since the last, the Chicago-based synthy (now a) trio steps away from heavy production on Any Day […]
Credit is due to Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy for their efforts to inject meaningful emotions into broad comedies without punching down or relying on unwarranted meanness for their punchlines. But it would help if those punchlines were funny. Back in 2013, their collaboration on Tammy used McCarthy’s star power to tell a sweet story […]
Around the same time Aja Gabel began learning the alphabet, she began playing the violin. As she became more adept at writing, filling “notebooks with stories as kind of a way to play,” she became more skilled at reading and playing music. When she was 10 years old she traded the violin for the cello […]
After a Lord Nelson show at a venue in the southeast, an audience member approached lead singer and guitarist Kai Crowe-Getty. “You guys aren’t for erasing history, right?” the attendee asked. “Every now and then,” Crowe-Getty says, “we have to diffuse a situation like that and stand by what we believe.” Listen to Lord Nelson’s […]
Piecing together a Jenga-style puzzle of arranged marriages, mistaken identities and wicked ways, David Ives’ adaptation of The Liar is a cleverly constructed ride through a plot riddled with cutting banter, silliness, jealousy and lies, lies and more lies. The villainous, witty Dorante (Mark McLane) charms his way into impossibly funny situations that teeter on […]
By Dan Goff arts@c-ville.com It’s a Friday afternoon at Grit Coffee on Elliewood Avenue. Jenny Wales sits at an outdoor table, one of the few open seats. Finals are fast approaching and the shop is swarming with students. Wales doesn’t seem to mind, and, in fact, seems perfectly at ease—she’s home. “This is my 20-year […]