The story of Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim—“the Munshi”—is one worth telling. Karim, a humble clerk in Agra, was invited to participate in a ceremony for the queen, which resulted in the initiation of a peculiar friendship that defied convention and stirred controversy among the Royal Court. All of the ingredients are there: class antagonism, […]
For most of her life, Sharon Harrigan has been haunted by questions surrounding her father’s death: He died in Michigan when she was 7, and the exact cause was shrouded in a fog. Her debut memoir, Playing with Dynamite, is about finding the courage to ask questions, to question her own memory and ultimately to […]
Michael McGee stars in Conor McPherson’s St. Nicholas, a one-man show about a jaded theater critic who’s obsession with an actress leads him into the cold, soulless world of vampires who challenge his selfish ways. The Los Angeles Times says McGee, who initally performed the play on the West Coast, uses “perfectly inflected cadences [to] […]
Known for a smile as disarming as his talent, Italian flatpicker Beppe Gambetta plays acoustic arrangements in four languages—English, German, Italian and the provincial dialect of Genovese—on his 13th release, Short Stories. In his original compositions, the guitarist makes his affection for traditional folk music clear, and holds “America in his heart, and his roots in the […]
When Georgia Webb draws, she tends to draw things that are close to her—her mother, Ali, her grandpa Jim or her friend Sidney. She draws her favorite cartoon characters, iconic items like Spam cans, and often reinterprets famous paintings, such as Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” in her own distinct black line-and-marker style. A […]
From her beginnings in the church choir, Patti LaBelle’s soulful vocals have showcased blues, gospel, jazz and funk that have catapulted her to a singing career of more than 50 years. The Detroit native has expanded her talents to include baking and barbecue sauce, but the energy she brings to the stage remains, and her […]
Two heads are better than one…but how about eight? The award-winning, record-smashing Zac Brown Band proves that strength does come in numbers. Blending rock energy with country style, the group is tearing through the U.S. on the Welcome Home tour, following the release of its latest album of the same name. The new tracks are […]
Inspired, versatile and entirely unique: These are among the words that have been used to describe the Boston-based act Della Mae. Steeped with timeless lyrics and rootsy influences, the multi-instrumental group creates original music that draws on both traditional and avant-garde styles. With a desire to focus on their personal lives and solo work, the […]
On a fall day in 1817, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and James Madison met in a field to place a cornerstone on land that is now University of Virginia’s Lawn. Two hundred years later to the day, Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr. and R&B singer Andra Day will perform, along with more than 900 students and […]
Singer-songwriter Joan Shelley describes her latest self-titled album as being like an oil painting with minimal brush strokes. “I think of it as doing the most with the least,” says Shelley. “It’s trying to do something subtly, but by being able to see the gestures. I don’t like to overwork it.” The album, released in […]