John Kerry: Everybody Sees The Fix Is In
John Kerry, commenting on the Brett Kavanaugh nomination battle, pulled no punches during his appearance in Austin on Sept. 27. Of the Republican senators who want him on the Supreme…
The Magic of Neil Patrick Harris
The Magic Misfits is the title of a 4-book series by the entertainer Neil Patrick Harris. To celebrate the publication of the second book in the series, he appeared at…
Goodwin: Nobody Can Be a Spectator Anymore
Presidential historians conduct a poll amongst themselves every so often to rank the Presidents. Until now President Buchanan (who preceded Lincoln) has consistently been ranked the worst president in American…
Once: A Universal Conundrum
The musical Once, now playing at the Zach Theatre in Austin, has a hidden meaning in plain sight: the two lead characters have no name. They are just Guy and…
Rachmaninoff Without Drama
When one thinks of Rachmaninoff, ‘drama’ is a typical word association. In his very first symphony, however, we see a mellower side of the great Russian composer. Interpreting Piano Concerto…
Tommy the Musical, in Austin
The Who’s Tommy has been with us since 1969. First as an album, then a movie (1975) starring Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, and finally the stage musical (1993).…
Immigration Spotlight: A New Play in Austin + Star Trek
A world premiere play on immigration is currently showing in Austin at the Ground Floor Theatre. I interviewed playwright Raul Garza, whom told me he was motivated to write it…
The Threat of Radicalism
This book, which has a message for society today, focuses on the political culture of England in the 1790s, particularly as it pertains to popular radicalism. Born to a great…
National Geographic Symphony: Giving Creatures the Respect They Deserve
Gustav Holst is most famous for his symphony The Planets, composed just over a century ago. Notably absent from that symphony was the Earth! Holst wrote extraordinary music for seven…
Acting for the Silent Screen
“Stars cannot act. It has never been required of them.” That blunt and pithy statement was made by the great movie expert Iris Barry in a book she wrote in…