Art of war: Austrian composer Alban Berg drew inspiration for his apocalyptic opera Wozzeck (Met Live in HD broadcast), when he attended a production of the drama Woyzeck, a German play left incomplete by Georg Büchner at his death. Berg constructed his libretto for the production while on leave from his regiment in World War […]
Kingdom of frenemies: Sir Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench star in The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s tragicomedy in which King Leontes appears to have everything, but his jealousy sets in motion a series of tragic consequences. Originally broadcast in November 2015, the play is co-directed by Rob Ashford and Branagh, and is being re-screened thanks […]
Farther Christmas: The English countryside serves as inspiration when The Oratorio Society of Virginia returns for its annual holiday concert. Christmas at the Paramount’s (below right) featured works, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Gerald Finzi’s In Terra Pax, complement each other as the two British composers were colleagues and shared an affection […]
Colorful spins: Nut cho ordinary take on the classical holiday tradition, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is a fantastic visual extravaganza that uses puppetry from around the globe, including Russia, the Czech Republic, and South America. Dubbed the Gift of Christmas tour, the show [...]
Ancient outlier: Phillip Glass’ mystical, trance-like opera Akhnaten transcends time to explore the life and psyche of the 13th-century B.C. pharaoh of ancient Egypt. The Met Live in HD’s premiere illuminates the fundamental ways that Akhnaten tried to change the way his people thought about [...]
Mudslinging fun: Back in July, animated anthropomorphic British icon Peppa Pig got into a friendly Twitter takedown with rapper/model Iggy Azalea. When Peppa announced that she’d be dropping My First Album on the same release date as Azalea’s latest, the Aussie singer at-replied, “It’s over for [...]
Humor mill: Stand-up comedian Tom Segura dishes out deadpan takes on everything from family matters—the key to marriage is “intimidation and fear;” his “stupid cousin” wants to invent a way to drive his car with a cell phone—to getting older and “confusing words like conscious and conscience.” [...]
Full force: Over three days, the original Star Wars trilogy—A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi—can be seen in its wide-screen glory. George Lucas launched a cultural phenomenon through the journeys of Luke Skywalker, from peasant to rebel leader; Princess Leia, from [...]
Great Knight: Seven-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gladys Knight is a legend who has been scoring R&B hits since the ‘60s with the Pips. Often referred to as “The Empress of Soul,” she’s touring her ubiquitous songs like “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “I Heard [...]
Crossing the pond: Small Island, Andrea Levy’s prize-winning novel, brought to the stage at London’s National Theatre, traces the stories of three people in post-war Britain, all trying to reinvent themselves. Hortense and Gilbert are Jamaicans moving to the U.K. with hopes of a new life, and [...]
“Something happened here that wasn’t happening any place else,” says Bruce Springsteen in the film Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock ‘N Roll. “And that mattered.” The newly released rock doc looks at the origins of the significant music scene, dubbed the Songs of Asbury Park, in the New [...]
London’s National Theatre Live broadcasts I’m Not Running, a new play from critically acclaimed playwright David Hare. The drama centers around Pauline Gibson (Siân Brooke, right), a doctor turned politician who has her life turned upside down after a run-in with a stalwart loyalist of the [...]
Shakespeare’s tragedies are mercilessly disastrous, but Antony and Cleopatra elevates callousness with political intrigue and brutal battles for power. Caught between two war-torn empires, a Roman general (Ralph Fiennes), and the Queen of Egypt (Sophie Okonedo) find love against the odds—then [...]
As Charlottesville’s character has broadened, so has its classical music scene, which is now largely driven by community efforts to build the culture. When Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach began transforming the sounds we were used to hearing, 250 years ago, people said it was the death of classical [...]
When Rufus Wainwright’s second album, Poses, came out in 2001, the singer-songwriter extraordinaire was in the throes of critical adoration, collecting awards and accolades, but lacking commercial success and struggling with addiction. Good pal Elton John helped him into rehab, and Wainwright [...]
When it comes to magic, card tricks, rabbits tucked away in top hats, and halved assistants are all icons of the trade—but how about a reveal of winning lottery numbers? Mike Super’s unconventional approach to the art form reaches new heights with his latest crowd stunners. The only magician in [...]
When New York-based comedian and actress Ashley Gavin met Jerry Seinfeld, she asked him when he last bombed a show. Seinfeld’s answer? “At a party last New Year’s Eve.” “I bombed a show last week. Everybody bombs,” Gavin says. “People think it stops happening.” She feels less likely to fall [...]
On Sometimes Just the Sky, Mary Chapin Carpenter takes measure of her 30-year career through fresh renditions of songs from her original studio albums. Carpenter curated gems from her catalog that reflect her soul and trace the evolution of her songwriting, from award-winning country music to [...]
“Half of the people are stoned / and the other half are waiting for the next election. / Half the people are drowned / and the other half are swimming in the wrong direction.” This quatrain may bring a contemporary alternative-rock song or spoken-word critique on the political climate to mind, [...]
Through his unique gift of gab, Eddie Izzard can deliver off-color punchlines and move on to European politics without skipping a beat. In celebration of his 2017 memoir, Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens, Izzard takes the stage to reflect on childhood, alternative [...]
Over the course of the past year, Light House Studio has engaged more than 1,700 students to produce 400 films ranging from animation and visual effects to documentary, narrative storytelling, and music video. The 17th Annual Youth Film Festival gives viewers a peek at the latest productions [...]
Red Hen refusal ignites firestorm When two former C-VILLE Weekly writers opened the Red Hen in Lexington in 2009, they loved everything about the Rockbridge County college town—except its lack of a farm-to-table eatery. Since then, the restaurant has become a renowned fine dining option, and [...]
While strolling the Downtown Mall this summer, you may encounter an enormous bass drum with “FREE CONCERT TONIGHT” emblazoned across the head. This refers to the Charlottesville Municipal Band, a group whose performances are as impressive and larger-than-life as its advertisement. Now in its [...]