Arts

Arts

Don't Turn Your Face To The Wall

By Nichole Dupont We've all had at least one some time in our lives. Perhaps it was that dour portrait of great grandmother Agnes in her mourning attire, sitting over the mantle. Or worse, an entire stairwell laden with stern faces and eyes that seemed to be judging

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Arts

The Rhinebeck Writers Retreat: A Modern Medici's Gift to the Fabulous Invalid

By Robert Burke Warren Photo courtesy of Second Stage Theatre When it comes to creating art, inspiration is only a fraction of the process. Artists also contend with time constraints, isolation, and financial woes, especially in aggressively capitalist, crowded, notoriously noisy New York City. Musical theater folks have it particularly

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Arts

Theater: "Heroes" (and the Heroes of "On The Town")

By Scott Baldinger As a funny sage once remarked, eighty percent of success is just showing up. In the case of the theater, this comment could be amended to say that, while showing up certainly helps, half of success is picking the right material for the moment. In the last

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Arts

MASS MoCA Welcomes Wilco: Fans Frolic at the Solid Sound Festival 2013

By Robert Burke Warren and Holly George-Warren The hills are alive. The hills of North Adams, Massachusetts, to be precise, where on the weekend of June 21–23, MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary art in the U.S., hosts the third Solid Sound Festival, curated by the

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Arts

The Aston Magna Festival: As the Masters Intended

By Robert Burke Warren Time travel is possible after all. But instead of spaceships or portals, the musicians of the Aston Magna music festival, at Bard for three Fridays in June and two in July, use period instruments to perform Baroque and Classical works as they were played in the

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Arts

Back In The Saddle: Laura Chester Rides Out the Storm of Transition

All photos courtesy of Trafalgar Square BooksBy Nichole DupontLaura Chester does not like to dwell in the past, especially her own. That's why the veteran author and horsewoman decided to write a book about it; to get some of that stuff out. But make no mistake, Riding Barranca,

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Arts

Go Gershwin! "The Way You Wear Your Hat" at TriArts Sharon Playhouse

By Robert Burke Warren Not many musicians can unseat a diva, much less an entire evening of divas, but TriArts Sharon Playhouse artistic director John Simpkins says composer George Gershwin is the man for the job. The venerable Sharon, Connecticut theater usually opens its summer season with an all-female

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Arts

Berkshire International Film Festival: An Orgy of Film and Style (and Food)

By Jeremy D. Goodwin The most concentrated dose of entertainment and in-season chic to hit south Berkshire every year just may be the Berkshire International Film Festival. The entertainment comes courtesy of some 70-plus films crowding four venues; the in-season chic is served in large helpings at

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Arts

Old Crow, New Song: Old Crow Medicine Show at MASS MoCA

by Robert Burke WarrenLike a longtime married couple who’ve survived everything from overfamiliarity to substance abuse to trial separation, Nashville-based Old Crow Medicine Show deserves a standing ovation just for showing up at MASS MoCA on Tuesday, May 28. Attendees will keep the applause coming, however, from opening

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Arts

Dancing the Myth: From Isis to Isadora

By Robert Burke WarrenThis Mother’s Day weekend, two deeply devoted dance organizations combine their resources, offering audiences a chance to celebrate life, love, beauty, and the feminine energy that brought us all here. Kaatsbaan International Dance Center in Tivoli hosts the Isadora Duncan International Institute Dancers’ From Isis to

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Arts

The Incredible, Flexible Tom Chapin

“It’s hard for people to know what to make of me," singer-songwriter and stalwart folkie Tom Chapin says with a laugh, alluding to his remarkably varied five-decade career as a troubadour for adults, a multi-Grammy-winning children’s entertainer, Emmy and Peabody-winning television personality,

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Arts

Old-Timey Future Rock: The Lisps Present "Futurity" at MASS MoCA

Indie rockers do not often traffic in hope, but the Lisps are not your run-of-the-mill, irony-wielding indie combo. With their acclaimed Civil War-era steampunk rock musical Futurity, at MASS MoCA on Saturday, April 27th at 8 p.m., the Brooklyn-based band brings heartfelt storytelling

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