Art: Those of us who have lived in South Florida a long time know the power of the Everglades, a mysterious savanna that can instantly take you away from the life of the built urban environment and even today, provide some sense of raw origins in a state seemingly determined to destroy every last acre of its irreplaceable natural heritage. Photographers have been bewitched by … [Read more...]
All-sculpture show riveting at the Cultural Council
By Lucy Lazarony At the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, the walls of the main gallery have gone white. Not a single piece of two-dimensional art is on display. Instead, the focus is on the three-dimensional art of acclaimed sculptors and Palm Beach county residents Alexander Krivosheiw, G.E. Olsen and Jeff Whyman. Krivosheiw expresses himself through hand-forged … [Read more...]
Oscar nominations have more than fair share of snubs
What do Jake Gyllenhall, David Oyelowo, Amy Adams and Jennifer Aniston have in common? They all turned in first-rate performances last year -- in Nightcrawler, Selma, Big Eyes and Cake, respectively -- but failed to earn Oscar nominations for their efforts when the career-boosting list of potential Academy Award winners was released this morning. 2014 saw a crowded field of … [Read more...]
‘It’s just so human’: ‘La Bohème’ to open PB Opera season
If your task is to direct the most popular opera ever written, you might not have to stretch your conceptual-overhaul muscles all that much. “It’s a traditional opera that’s OK to keep traditional. You don’t get bored with it,” said Fenlon Lamb, who is directing Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, Palm Beach Opera’s season opener. “Coming to this and knowing it was going to be … [Read more...]
Escher Quartet plays Haydn, Beethoven with warmth, dazzle
Of the many string quartets that have visited Palm Beach in the past 10 years, the Escher String Quartet has accolades a-plenty: the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, artists-in-residence at the BBC and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Close on 10 years old as a group, they take their name from the celebrated Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher. This very … [Read more...]
‘Swing!’ heats up Wick’s stage for second-season opener
By Dale King The Wick Theatre has jumped into its second season in grand fashion with a pumped-up production of Swing!, a musical tribute to the era of big-name jazz and high-stepping dance. The show, featuring an on-stage, eight-piece live band, runs through mid-November at the venue on North Federal Highway in Boca Raton. Swing! celebrates the music of various artists who … [Read more...]
At the Four Arts, pages of faith, pages of light
If Hollywood can bring us a Noah with special effects, monks should be able to bring us a radiantly abstract Bible. And that’s exactly what they have done. After 15 years, elegantly crafted pages of gigantic size and glowing imagery are spreading the light. As far as the message goes, time will tell. The Saint John’s Bible is the first illuminated handwritten Bible to be … [Read more...]
Sundays: Have yourself a merry
By Myles Ludwig ’Tis the season of anxiety. Freakouts are in full bloom. The Christmas craze has descended upon the land and the shadow of New Year’s Eve neurosis is coming back again along with feigned resolutions and February’s bills. The other night, the Costco parking lot in Lantana was ablaze with the blinding colors of taillights and I couldn’t find my car for about … [Read more...]
Sundays: Past lives, luminous memories
By Myles Ludwig There are times in every writer’s life when he can only write about himself. Philosophy becomes personal. The strictures of fiction, the narrative structure, the plot all seem improbable, and one can no longer feel comfortable creating a landscape into which armies of characters are moved around like tin soldiers on the counterpane of youth. Disguise fails. … [Read more...]
Pianist Feltsman provides poetry at Four Arts
The piano is easy to play badly, and hard to play well, and when it comes to playing well, there are a wide variety of approaches that could fit comfortably under that description. But true master pianists have one great attribute that others lack, and that’s control. When a player can control every element of his or her performance so that the interpretation comes vividly to … [Read more...]