By Robert Croan When I was a graduate student in musicology at Columbia University in the 1950s, the only woman composer we ever studied — and only briefly — was Amy Beach (1867-1944). At that … Continue reading...
LATEST ARTICLES
MUSIC
Boca’s Funky Biscuit celebrates 15 years of music
When the Funky Biscuit opened in Boca Raton in mid-July of 2011, there were certainly no guarantees that the live music establishment and restaurant would still exist 15 years later. Creative … Continue reading...
ART
What we discard: Cornell exhibit showcases urgent art from throwaways
What happens to the objects we throw away? In a new exhibit at Delray’s Old School Square, artists examine that question while creating works that reclaim the forgotten, resurrect the discarded … Continue reading...
Norton Museum celebrates the art of women creators in two major shows
Depicting female figures in repose and solitude with a quiet confidence, New Jersey-based artist Danielle Mckinney’s quietly evocative paintings are on display now at the Norton Museum of Art through … Continue reading...
DANCE
Ballets Jazz Montréal mesmerizes in terrific tribute to Cohen
As soon as I entered the Kravis Center on April 14 for the one-night only performance of Ballets Jazz Montréal’s full-length production of Dance Me, I sensed a different energy in the theater. As … Continue reading...
MCB’s ‘Carmen’ striking, but loses sight of the story
What does a beautiful, blond female protagonist with a stylish wardrobe and a lust for money and power in the casino bring to mind? A tale of intrigue, for sure. Add to the mix a famous score by … Continue reading...
THEATER
Standout performances enliven ‘Little Women’ at FAU Festival Rep
By Ilana Jael Though it’s been a long time since I’ve revisited Louisa May Alcott’s best-selling novel Little Women, I have fond enough memories of the book and its various adaptations to be one of … Continue reading...
Shakespeare Festival’s ‘Falstaff’ an engaging look at the Bard’s roguish knight
By Ilana Jael As a 21st-century theater critic working without a time machine, it certainly isn’t every day that I get to cover the world premiere of a William Shakespeare play. No, the Bard isn’t … Continue reading...
FILM
Wilde shines as director, actor in ‘The Invite’
Any couple considering attending a screening of Olivia Wilde’s racy new dramedy The Invite should be forewarned. For all of its effective humor and risqué dialogue, the film is a certifiable anti-date … Continue reading...
The View From Home: The lost debut from a formative figure in the French New Wave
It gives me a small pleasure to recall that the French New Wave, one of the most important artistic movements in world cinema, began in a critical journal years before any of its alums would film … Continue reading...
BOOKS
Folkie MacDonald’s novel mixes romance with our fraught politics
Best-known as a prominent 1970s-1990s figure in the Greenwich Village folk music scene, with 14 album releases under his name, Delray Beach-based singer/songwriter Rod MacDonald also has many other … Continue reading...
Easy Rawlins creator Mosley to speak at Festival of the Arts Boca
“On hot, sticky days in South Louisiana, the fire ants swarm.” That was the sentence Walter Mosley wrote in his mid 30s — a line he never used, but one that convinced him he might become a … Continue reading...
INTERVIEWS
Nora Maité Nieves: A sense of play, a sense of home come out in artist’s solo Norton show
It’s been a big year for Nora Maité Nieves. Her first solo museum exhibition, Clouds in the Expanded Field (Nubes en el Paisaje Expandido), is currently showing at the Norton Museum of Art through … Continue reading...
Designer-entertainer Mizrahi to bring cabaret show to Boca fest
Bringing his Café Carlyle cabaret show to Boca Raton will be even more fun and fabulous on the big stage at Mizner Park, says the multi-talented fashion designer, actor, singer and Project Runway … Continue reading...
NEWS & COMMENTARY
South Florida theater titan Lou Tyrrell dies at 75
The South Florida theater community is in mourning after the passing of Louis Tyrrell, founding director of the Theatre Lab at Florida Atlantic University. Tyrrell died Friday, April 10, after a … Continue reading...
Kips Bay Decorator Show House event returns for ninth year, this time with two houses
This year’s Ninth Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House brings a first to Palm Beach County — not just one show house, but two. The result is a double dose of Palm Beach design and talent — twice … Continue reading...