WTJU shuffles the schedule and relaunches public affairs programming
In 2010, WTJU was uncertain of its future. The unpopular general manager, Burr Beard, had just resigned after proposing a number of drastic programming changes.
Interview: Comedienne Cocoa Brown discusses the ride of fame
Tyler Perry’s “For Better or Worse” star, Cocoa Brown, brings down the house on Saturday at Play On! Theatre. (Publicity photo) Farah “Cocoa” Brown, a Newport News native and VCU graduate, has serious entertainment chops. She has appeared on a slew of TV shows, including “2 Broke Girls,” “ER,” and “Breaking Bad,” and acted in […]
To Rome With Love at Vinegar Hill Theatre
The eternal city hosts an aspiring cast that includes Alessandro Tiberi, Roberto Della Casa, and Penélope Cruz in Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love. (Sony Pictures Classics) For some of us, Woody Allen could film the phone book and we’d find pleasure in it: How nice all those listings might look in his signature white-on-black […]
Independence Day, “Insane Coaster Wars,” “Perception”
Independence Day Wednesday 8pm, AMC Celebrate our nation’s birthday by watching Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and President Bill Pullman save the world by taking out a bunch of squid-looking aliens. Believe it or not, the blockbuster popcorn flick is 16 years old. If it was a person it could be getting a driver’s license. This […]
Arts Extra: Heritage Theatre Fest’s 1776 makes the history current
Heritage Theatre Festival’s 1776 is like a long version "School House Rock" episode on the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The Arts: Creativity’s top players
The Arts The Charlottesville arts community, with support from the Charlottesville and Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently took part in Arts & Economic Prosperity IV, the largest-ever national study of “the economic impact of nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences.” The study, which included participation from 112 arts organizations and thousands of […]
Navigating the labyrinth of local arts influence
Sneak Reviews has been a treasure trove for local film fans for almost 20 years. (Photo by John Robinson) Merriam-Webster defines power as “possession of control, authority, or influence over others.” Some kinds, like political or economic, are easy to measure, even if that power is elusive and can shift unpredictably. The recent and ongoing […]
Barboursville’s Four County Players reflect on 40 years of performances
“My first show at Four County Players was Man of La Mancha in 2002. I was 16,” said Gary White of the Barboursville-based theater company, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary season. White, by day a paralegal at an area law firm, serves on the group’s programming committee and is also one of its most vocal advocates.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World; R, 94 minutes; Regal Downtown Mall 6
Keira Knightley and Steve Carell have no future in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. (Focus Features) What do we know from movies about the apocalypse? Obviously not very much, or else they wouldn’t keep repeating it. This might suggest some existential panic, but a case could be made that variation on […]
“Hollywood Wives,” “Anger Management,” “Weeds”
“Hollywood Exes” Wednesday 9pm, VH1 VH1 has found its latest niche in super-trashy versions of Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchises. There’s “Basketball Wives” and its Los Angeles-based spin-off; “Mob Wives” and its Chicago spin-off (and another spin-off in the wings for fan favorite Big Ang); and now this series that follows the lives of a bunch […]