Political printmaking’s been a patriotic pastime ever since the days when Ben Franklin’s cartoons spurred revolution. And don’t forget Che, as much a T-shirt icon as a symbol of Latin American independence. For some more modern etched dissent, eyeball this touring exhibit showcasing satire and social criticism – two things we could all use more … Read more
Well, it’s been a long time since the Minnesota Fringe Festival was truly fringe-y. These days, our local take on the international non-juried theater celebration is more like a flokati rug: an explosion of fuzzy theatrical productions sprawling hither and yon in a delightful tangle. And just as Austin’s homegrown SXSW music festival expanded in … Read more
Shapiro & Smith Dance aren’t afraid to stand out from the minimalist or pretzel-ish acrobatics that garner so much attention these days. Indeed, it’s heartening that this troupe, going on its twentieth year, has earned its share of praise. While earlier pieces were inspired by early-twentieth-century spiritual charlatanism and Borscht Belt comedy from mid-century, their … Read more
Barbara Walters has put forth the command with regard to this traveling Broadway musical: “See it!” And who are we to contradict such an esteemed fellow journalist? But we can’t concur without offering a tiny caveat. Babs also called this production – which relates the adventures of an archetypal small-town Kansas girl in New York … Read more
When you think of Arthur Miller, you think of Marilyn Monroe and Death of a Salesman – two beautiful, tragic, quintessentially American stories. Both persist as a defining part of our national consciousness. Need we point out the irony that Salesman is about a poor schlub who dies forgotten and unappreciated by almost everyone in … Read more
You might know A.C. Newman better as Carl Newman, the name he uses as lead songwriter for Canada’s premiere indie-rock power-pop supergroup the New Pornographers. (We’re not sure why the initials, which only served to make us momentarily wonder whether he was one of the many other singing Newmans, perhaps Randy, Colin, or Thunderclap.) His … Read more
Local guitar wizard Eason’s been a reliable source of six-string zing for two decades now, both fronting his own projects and backing guys like Chan Poling and Dylan Hicks. Bees Will Bumble, his second disc in less than a year, forms a loose zoological trilogy with last year’s Elephant Garden and the forthcoming The Aching … Read more
Ms. Gilberto isn’t the only musician bringing South American sizzle to the Twin Cities stage this month. This funky bossa nova combo – comprised of local jazz guitarist Pavel Jany and an international cadre, including a French violinist, a bassist from the Ivory Coast, and a vocalist and percussionist both from Brazil – has put … Read more
Young, beautiful, and with a silky-smooth delivery, Bebel Gilberto is Brazil’s answer to Diana Krall and Norah Jones. We’re glad somebody asked Brazil the question. Like Jones, she’s the daughter of musical royalty (Joao Gilberto, perhaps the premier bossa nova player in the world), and offers living proof that talent doesn’t always skip a generation. … Read more
Let’s give it up for old-school divas like Janis Hardy, Maria Jette, and Molly Sue McDonald – the ladies who revere Puccini arias rather than pablum pop. But for Sopranorama, they’ll mix the classical with the contemporary – or at least, the comparatively (and tastefully) contemporary: We’re talking Burt Bacharach and Willie Nelson here. Hardy, … Read more