When Lara St. John graduated from the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia at age 16, she hit the road, in search of travel and new musical experiences. That quest led the young Canadian violinist to, of all places, what was then the Soviet Union, where she took up post-graduate study at the Moscow Conservatory. “And I learned so much there, about songs, about Gypsy culture … it … [Read more...]
Archives for November 2012
Appreciation: Don McArt, comic actor
Big of heart and big of ears, Don McArt ― “Bunny” to all who knew him ― passed away on Tuesday at the age of 90. A self-described “second-banana comic relief sidekick,” McArt forged a career in the movies (The Absent-Minded Professor, Too Much), on television (The Addams Family), on stage tours (Kiss and Tell, Pajama Tops, Say Goodnight, Gracie) and, of course, in productions … [Read more...]
‘Catch Me’ too weak to deserve good cast, sharp staging
The concept musical was an invention of the 1970s, typified by Chicago, which couched a tale of murders in Cook County as a series of vaudeville turns. When it works, the results are dazzling. When it doesn’t, you have a dull misfire like Catch Me If You Can, currently on view at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. Based on the 2002 Steven Spielberg flick starring Leonardo … [Read more...]
Cuban orchestra’s States debut impressive, populist
From the protests outside the Kravis Center to the activists handing out literature on the way to the parking garage, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba drew plenty of outside attention Sunday afternoon as it wrapped up its first-ever American tour in West Palm Beach. Our nation’s policy wrangles with the island nearby may be on the verge of a new easing, if some of the … [Read more...]
West Palm library exhibit explores censorship and the Holocaust
By Tara Farquhar James Bachner can attest to the destructive and redemptive power of books. Born and raised in Berlin, Bachner remembers the book burnings in the German capital in May 1933 vividly. “I was only 11 years old at the time, but I was very aware of what was going on,” he said. “Even though I didn’t go down there to see the book burning at the time, we were only … [Read more...]
Theater roundup: Two Pulitzers, a great play and a dud
Palm Beach Dramaworks prides itself on serving up “theater to think about.” True, there are plenty of heady plays on its schedule this season, but it begins instead with Lanford Wilson’s Talley’s Folly, a charming two-character romance from 1979, more like “theater to sigh over with a constant smile on your face.” It is a mating dance for an unlikely couple ― Matt Friedman, a … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Nov. 10-11
Film: Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner first collaborated in 2005 on Munich, and now they work together again on an even more successful look back, this time on Lincoln, a chronicle of the final months of our 16th president. It is a word-heavy history lesson, but a fascinating one, as Honest Abe juggles the endgame of the Civil War with pushing through a constitutional … [Read more...]
Exhibit makes persuasive case for video games as art
Something has happened to the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Its latest exhibit is making it look, in one word, cool. Old and new game systems, vivid graphics, game tactics, music scores and creative storylines are all showcased in the dynamic and highly interactive show The Art of Video Games. The Boca Raton museum is the first in the nation to host the exhibit, which will tour … [Read more...]
Weekend arts picks: Nov. 3-4
Film: Melanie Lynskey: You may have seen her in supporting roles in such movies as Up in the Air, Win Win or Perks of Being a Wallflower, but she finally gets a leading role in an independent film worth your attention called Hello, I Must Be Going, a Sundance Festival favorite that plays the Mos’Art Theatre in Lake Park this week. Lynskey is the reason to see the flick, which … [Read more...]
Art features: Olympics pictures, ‘New Art’ at FAU
By Lucy Lazarony Sports photographer Adam Stoltman has been covering the dazzling highs and lows of Olympic competitions since 1980. “The Olympics are just this explosion of energy and passion and athletic power and grace in all directions at once,” Stoltman says. Olympix 2012, an exhibition of Stoltman’s photos from the London Olympics, is on display at the Palm Beach … [Read more...]