Toba SingerDanceBerkeley,
Whether it’s the Teutonic Giselle peasant girl or the Indian sub-continent’s Nikia temple dancer, the plight of the village virgin has held audiences in its thrall for nearly three centuries. That’s impressive when one takes into account the number of disputed borders that sparked two world wars, multiple revolutions ...
Asher LubertoFilm
"When I grew up in Brooklyn no one committed suicide. Everyone was too unhappy" Woody Allen would famously joke. It's a joke that applies to the dreary "Motherless Brooklyn," though Woody forgot about one thing: murder. That's the way most people go out in Edward Nortons' latest. ...
Emily S. MendelArt & ArchitectureSan Francisco,
In a departure from its typical retrospective or mid-career show of a sole contemporary or renowned artist, (typically in the past, a white male), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is presenting new and recent works by 20 international artists who are still in their 30s and ...
Paula FarmerFilm
For fans and followers of director Bong Joon-ho (“The Host,” “Mother,” “Snowpiercer”), you are truly in for a treat with his latest feature, and for those new to this creative genius, welcome to the wonderful creative world of this critically acclaimed filmmaker. “Parasite,” which just completed its festival run ...
Nella VeraFeaturesNew York,
NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts underwent a leadership change in 2016 when Jay Wegman, a highly regarded veteran of the NYC downtown arts scene, took over the top position from Michael Harrington, the center’s former director. Mr. Wegman has always been a champion of innovative and international ...
Lewis WhittingtonDancePhiladelphia,
Stars of American Ballet touched down in Philadelphia October 18-19, a co-presentation of the Annenberg Center/NextMove. The ‘Stars’ tour conceived by New York City Ballet dancer Daniel Ulbricht and with fellow ballet dancers from the company and special guests. Ulbricht programs a wide range of vintage and contemporary ballet ...
Lynne FriedmannTheaterSan Diego,
The Old Globe has a certified hit on its hands with the world premiere of the musical “Almost Famous,” based on the Oscar-winning film of the same name. On stage, the production masterfully stays faithful to the original storyline while also breaking exciting new musical ground. ...
David E. MorenoDanceBerkeley,
The shock of the unexpected. This is what viewers have come to expect from Sankai Juku - formidable tensions and dynamics juxtaposed to minimal and primordial movement. Untamed and uncontrollable contrasts, like a peacock roaming freely across the stage ("Kinkan Shonen" (The Kumquat Seed) - 1978) or sand pouring ...
Emily S. MendelTheaterBerkeley,
Happily, Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks (“Topdog/Underdog,” “Father Comes Home from the Wars”) has a sense of humor that ameliorates a bit of the stark, sobering cultural and racial themes of “White Noise.” For example, the four old friends from college, two white and two black, who comprise the cast, have the same names as the Teenage ...
Asher LubertoFilm
"Lucy in the Sky" is a manifestation of Newton's Law of Gravity. It starts with Natalie Portman's Lucy up in space. "Just a few more minutes" she says like a kid on the playground. She's floating through the stratosphere, a little white dot blending in with ...
