Silent Night, the Opera
Violence is nothing new to the world of opera, but never before has it been portrayed on the grand stage of World War I. Last year the world marked the…
Churchill Had Sense of Destiny
At latest count there are 1009 biographies of Winston Churchill. Why, asked Republican strategist Karl Rove, do we need another one? He asked this question of historian Andrew Roberts in…
Twin Plays on Rural Texas
Two interlocking plays with a rural Texas theme are currently on tap at the Sam Bass Theatre in Round Rock. Based on a work written by James McLure in 1981,…
Fire & Brimstone in Paradise
Paradise is not all it’s cracked up to be. A Los Angeles Times story recently began with this sentence: “The fate of Paradise was cast long before a windstorm last…
Art from India in Seattle
With the alluring name of Peacock in the Desert, an exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is showcasing the royal arts of Jodhpur, in the northwest of India. It…
Peter Noone
For a rollicking good time, there is nothing better than a Herman’s Hermits concert. The carefree persona of lead singer Peter Noone, an original member of the band from 1964,…
Gaslight
Is Trump gaslighting America? Many people think so. Using language to imply things that are not exactly stated seems to be hallmark of the current presidency. And what has been…
Fleisher plays Mozart
Sharing the stage with a titan of music, the Austin Symphony this weekend welcomed pianist Leon Fleisher into its midst to play Mozart’s piano concerto no. 12. Now 90 years…
Brutal and Disturbing
Visceral emotions are the order of the day when viewing an exhibit at the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle. Entitled Castoffs, it is by Martha Friedman, director of the Program…
Tuna Christmas
The annual Texas classic Tuna Christmas is back in Austin, courtesy of City Theatre Austin. Since its debut in 1989, this play lays bare the town of Tuna at Christmas…