Your Backstage Pass to Charlotte’s Arts & Entertainment Scene
Revue |
02/06/12My Ten Favorite Movies of 2011
My top ten movies don't have much to do with Charlotte. So why have I compiled a list and then posted it on Charlotte magazine's Revue blog? Well, because I can, for one. And because it's Oscar season, and there are a few snubs I just can't get let go unnoticed. But also because there's one movie in my top ten list that I would never have heard about, much less have seen, were it not for the Back Alley Film Series. All hail UNCC professor and 35mm fanatic Jay Morong for starting this group -- that regularly sells out its showings -- and for challenging... Read more » Posted at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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02/02/12An Old Art Form Gets New Attention
Celebrate handmade. And celebrate history at the same time. Way back in the mid-15th century, Johannes Gutenberg's invention changed the world. His printing press was the accepted form of printing text all the way up until the 19th century. The once-revolutionary technique involves applying ink to wood or metal letters (or designs) while simultaneously debossing the image onto paper. These days, printing has gone digital. Some folks still use the old-fashioned press for special invitations, posters, and art. But for the most part, type is set on computers. Letterpress printing is being rediscovered, though. AIGA Charlotte, the local chapter of the professional association for design, will... Read more » Posted at 09:05 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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02/01/12John Linnell Predicts They Might Be Giants' Charlotte Show Will Be "Best Show Ever"
The alt-rock pioneers from Brooklyn, They Might Be Giants, have been making great music for 30 years. The guys have lost none of their energy over the years and even have some new material from their new 18-song album Join Us to accompany their hits from back in the day. John Linnell, one of the founding members of the band, spoke to us about their Feb 14 Charlotte show at McGlohon Theatre. Details Revue: “Birdhouse in Your Soul” may be in my Top 10 favorite pop songs ever written. Thank you for writing it. Is it like your “Born to ... Read more » Posted at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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01/31/12Weekend Top Picks for Feb 3-5: Jazz for Lovers, and more
Ahhh, February is the month for luvahs, and there are plenty of celebrations of love going on this month. Starting this weekend.
Jazz at The Bechtler. "Jazz for Lovers" is, appropriately, the theme for this month's concert. Vocalist Toni Tupponce returns to sing songs for sweethearts. "My Funny Valentine," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "You Don’t Know What Love Is" and "The Nearness of You" will be among songs on her set list. Friday evening. Posted at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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01/30/12BFD of the Month: Charlotte Jewish Film Festival
Everyone's short on time and cash these days. If you have just one cultural outing this month, let it be our BFD. This month's BFD isn't a one-time event. There are eleven feature screenings scheduled for the 8th Annual Charlotte Jewish Film Festival. Dramas, documentaries, and comedies are part of the mix; Jewish life is the common thread through all the films. The mission of the festival is both simple and profound: "To illuminate the Jewish experience through film -- including history, language, people, and the land of Israel and welcome all who strive for a better understanding of themselves and others." That's a lot to ask of a film festival, but the Charlotte Jewish Film... Read more » Posted at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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01/27/12Say, Have You Heard About "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told"?
Queen City Theatre Company co-founders Glenn T. Griffin and Kristian Wedolowski took time out of rehearsals -- and dealing with protests, thousands of angry emails, and an ensuing media storm -- to answer a few questions about The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. I submitted my questions to them before any of the controversy erupted.
Revue: This play sounds like the gayest thing to hit the Charlotte stage QCTC performed "Altar Boyz," and I mean that in a good way. Is this the gayest play you've ever performed?
Glenn T. Griffin: Is this the gayest... Read more »
Posted at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1 |
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01/27/12All That Jazz at The Bechtler
Before I went to my first "Jazz at The Bechtler" event, I sort of assumed that jazz was the background music for what was really a cocktail party for art aficionados. Well, shut my mouth. Literally. People don't come to make small talk. They come for the music. People come not so much to see and be seen (although there is always an interesting, eclectic crowd), but to hear. The crowd is hushed and respectful. Jazz isn't in the background here; it's front and center. Concerts are performed by the Ziad Jazz Quartet on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. in the museum lobby. Concerts are free with museum admission, and there's a cash bar. "Jazz for... Read more » Posted at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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01/24/12Weekend Top Picks for Jan 27-29: Love, Loss & More
The good stuff just keeps coming at us. I can't recall a January that was this full of shows I wanted to see.
There's Love, Loss and What I Wore, which is more cultural phenomenon than play. It's not about high fashion. It's about women's clothes and what they tell the world about us. If you recall what you were wearing the night you met the man of your dreams or what spiffy "interview suit" you put together to try to land the job you'd always wanted, do not miss the remembrances about women's lives, as told through our outfits. Posted at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments: 0 |
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01/23/12For Charlton Alicea, Life Is A Cabaret
Charlton Alicea is a busy man. He dances professionally and teaches ballroom dancing. He's a hairstylist. He works part-time at Jeffre Scott Apothecary. And last year, he added "actor" to his resume when he starred in Theatre Charlotte's production of RENT. He's now taken on another role that involves acting, singing, and dancing. Some people have all the talent. You can catch him next in CPCC's Cabaret. Feb 17-26. Details here. Revue: Although you're a... Read more » Posted at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments: 3 |
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01/22/12QCTC Responds to the Doubters
Yesterday's blog post (Note to boss: I am working Saturdays AND Sundays!) drew more comment than anything else I've written for Charlotte magazine. Which is to say two people commented on it. Thanks, guys! So excited was I to have written anything that sparked a comment, I became hungry for more. So, I asked Queen City Theatre Company's Glenn T. Griffin to comment on the comments. His response is below. "On Thursday, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, renter of the venue, called QCTC to inform [us] there was an obvious organized protest going on regarding The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. I was getting ready for rehearsal and was... Read more » Posted at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments: 2 |
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Since the late 1980s, Page Leggett has been dragging her friends all over the county to hear this little-known folk singer or see that experimental theater troupe. She appreciates mainstream culture, too, but she thrives on discovering artists most people haven't heard of yet. The Charlotte native and Wake Forest alum is excited to share her discoveries with Charlotte magazine readers. The movie blogger is also an art collector who's as likely to procure a painting at a flea market as she is at a fine art gallery. She believes Madonna got it right when she sang, "Beauty's where you find it." So are art and culture.
