Long before the Super Bowl appended that long string of Roman numerals, before televised football was an industry all its own, the local newspaper with its team of dedicated sports writers was the go-to for the breakdown of the most recent games. Larry Herold’s The Sports Page takes a look…
How far has the gentleman’s sport of pugilism fallen? Sure, there’s ultimate fighting on cable and there might be humble backyard brawls out there, complete with lawn chairs to the spine, but whatever happened to punching dudes in the head with class and dignity? Well, ESPN’s Friday Night Fight offers…
The most famous homage to the Mississippi River in musical theater might be Showboat’s “Ol’ Man River,” but it isn’t the only work to use the river as a means to discuss the unsavory aspects of our nation’s heritage. Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the 1984 musical…
Musical theater tries to bring something extra to pop culture adaptations. Rather than rehashing the same old content fans already know, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark upped the ante with amazing (and dangerous) effects. Wicked further promoted a popular sympathetic version of the The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of…
Some people need a little more than the traditional performance with their classical music. It isn’t enough to have an opera with its extravagant costumes and lavish sets, or to have a ballet with its subtle and precise choreography. Sure, that’s nice, but where is the contortionist stuffing herself in…
In a few years, Tyler Perry has become a powerful presence in popular culture with a barrage of movies and television shows, such as Diary of a Mad Black Woman and House of Payne. But before his successes in the film industry, Perry crafted for the stage plays and musicals…
The war on drugs has been going on since the 1970s, and in that time it has seen a great deal of change, but what effect have those changes had, and are they enough? Mothers Against Teen Violence presents The Texas Conference on Drug Policy, a three-day event exploring what’s…
Many Westerners are familiar with the Kama Sutra, at least insofar that it’s one of the classier sexy guidebooks. But it’s more than the world’s oldest sexual how-to, dating from the days before Google and the Internet. It’s also a guide to spirituality, love and family life in Hindu culture…
Circuses have changed a lot over the years. Freak shows are illegal in many states, and animal trainers are far more rare nowadays. Even as these circus icons wane, however, clowns and acrobats are in their prime. The Lone Star Circus Arts Center presents Cirque Banquisté, an international showcase of…
We’re spoiled and we know it. One of our most recent generations is dubbed the Entitled Generation. We note when our grievances are so-called First World problems. Maybe, then, we can learn a lesson from Pollyanna. The Garland Civic Theatre’s Children On Stage production of Pollyanna tells the story of…
It’s Chanukah season once again, and midway through the holiday festivities you encounter the same problem that people of all religions suffer this time of year: the nagging parent. Why haven’t you found a nice girl to settle down with? Why are you doing this to them? They’re only getting…
Those kids in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe have all the luck. Not only do they get to go on an epic adventure full of talking animals and magic, but they also get the best Christmas presents ever. A sword and shield, a bow and arrow that never…
You’ve got highbrow in my lowbrow. You’ve got lowbrow in my highbrow. Let’s face it, culture clash makes for two great tastes that taste great together, whether it be a Hot Pocket filled with foie gras or a black velvet painting of the Mona Lisa. That’s the appeal of The…
Christmas is a celebration for many people out there, but for the brides of Christ, there’s undoubtedly a bit of work involved too. You have to put on a quality celebration for the hubby, after all. The Greater Lewisville Community Theatre presents Nuncrackers, a festive musical comedy that follows Sister…
We typically use photography to mark events in our lives, to take photos of our families at holiday get-togethers and birthday parties, but the Sun to Moon Gallery is using photography to mark an event in an entirely different way. The gallery is holding its 10th anniversary celebration with a…
God forbid you should talk during a performance at your local theater, let alone boo, shout or cheer. Heck, at the movies, even clapping will get you a few cocked eyebrows. Thankfully, for those of us who prefer to react to a performance, there is an alternative. Theatre Britain presents…
Anyone who has ever sat through a surreal or confusing movie, but was polite enough to avoid nudging his neighbors and asking them exactly what’s going on, will finally get resolution. Well, with any of the whacked out flicks by Alex Cox, anyway. Cox, director of the cult classics Repo…
Soledad O’Brien is a seasoned journalist who has time and again probed complex issues regarding race and identity in America. In her Black in America series on CNN, O’Brien brought topics seldom discussed in the public forum to a broader audience. So who better to speak to budding journalists of…
A Christmas Carol — yeah, that again — was penned in the 19th century, but its themes are still pretty relatable. Grim economic times and, if you’re lucky, an overbearing boss and a crummy dead-end job. If only the jerks in our own lives could experience life-changing paranormal intervention and…
With the signs of Christmas showing up earlier every year, it was probably inevitable that it would rub shoulders with some of its neighbors, but this is a different story altogether. The Moxley Manor Haunted House summons the spirit of Halloween from the grave for the house’s second annual A…
Today, thanks to the ubiquitous nature of the cell phone, just about everyone has a video camera on hand. We document everything with it, from popular revolutions to playful kittens, but it was not that long ago that capturing live events took a lot more forethought and a great deal…
In ancient times people turned to oracles and soothsayers for guidance, but today we treat prophecy with a bit more skepticism, if not disdain. In the movie Take Shelter, Michael Shannon plays the role of Curtis LaForche, a blue-collar family man whose life seems content and stable until LaForche begins…
