Imagine living in a future society where the government could watch your every move. Phone conversations. E-mails. Computer hard drives. Nothing safe. Nothing secret. Scared yet? Well I’ve got news for you: The future is now. In 1948, George Orwell wrote his masterpiece of dystopian fiction, 1984. In it he…
All right, fellas, we all know Valentine’s Day is about making the woman you love happy so you can enjoy some great sex that night. So here’s your gameplan: Celtic Woman. Nokia Theatre. Valentine’s Day. Enough said. Get those tickets, and everyone will have a wonderful evening. Problem is, somebody…
Things will get a little steamy at the Dallas Opera when Richard Strauss’ Salome opens on Friday. Salome is the name of a sexy bad girl in the Bible. According to the biblical account, John the Baptist is in prison for protesting the unholy union of King Herod with Herodias,…
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Dallas Jewish LearningFest. His topic? The Difference Between Nothing and Zip: The Mystical G-D of the Jews. In it he’ll take a look at the influence of the Kabbalists and early Hasidism on Jewish spirituality. He will also discuss…
Can you ever really get too much of a good thing? Fans of Home & Garden Television will soon have a chance to find out at the Arlington House and Garden Show. By the end of the day, those in attendance will have home décor coming out of their ears…
While touring the Holy Land several years ago I visited a church which had some rather unique art on display. Lining the walls were dozens of depictions of the Madonna and Christ-child. Jesus was pictured as Asian, Caucasian, black and Hispanic. Every culture had made him their own. And that…
This Christmas Scrooge’s Puppet Theater celebrates its 31st year at NorthPark Center. Ah, it seems like yesterday that Scrooge was only a twinkle in his puppet-maker’s eye. Scrooge is known for his “acerbic wit” during these interactive puppet shows. Personally, when it comes to puppets with acerbic wit I prefer…
One of the worst parts of Christmas is the music. There’s only so many times a person can listen to Elvis sing “Blue Christmas.” Even the traditional Christmas carols turn into an occasion for misery after they’ve been piped through every elevator, shopping mall and radio airwave in America for…
I’ve seen a lot of interesting religious bumper stickers while driving around. Of course you have your run-of-the-mill “God is my co-pilot” ones or “God bless America.” Then you have the inevitable battles between the Jesus fish and the Darwin fish. Sometimes, however, you get some rather entertaining fare such…
Beauty and the Beast is a tale as old as time. I know because I remember the lyrics from the Disney song. Here’s a brief refresher course: A prince lives in a beautiful castle surrounded by everything he could want. But the prince is a jerk. One winter’s night an…
Imagine if Spinal Tap evolved from a fictional band into a real band. That’s not too far from what happened to The Porcupine Tree. The band started as a joke between Steven Wilson and his friend Malcolm Stocks. They made up an elaborate history, complete with discography, for a legendary…
Last year Dallas Children’s Theater did several performances of The Secret Life of Girls, a play about bullying among teenage girls. The play revealed that along with depression and cutting, eating disorders is one way victims of bullying manifest their pain. Rebecca, a character in the play, gives hints throughout…
Dallas Children’s Theater has decided to put on another “live” performance of Night of the Living Dead. The teenagers loved it last year. And hey, why wouldn’t they? There’s something very life-affirming about the dead returning to devour the living. I mean we certainly can’t judge the zombies for their…
The Dallas Mavericks have the uncanny knack of making us dream big and then breaking our hearts. Not this season though. No way. This is the year we shake off our Heat/Warriors hangover and watch Dirk Nowitzki begin to play like the big man he really is. Hey—a man can…
It’s autumn at the Arboretum and that means it’s time for the Great Pumpkin Festival. I’m glad the Arboretum let us know that fall has come, because since moving to Texas I honestly don’t know what time of the year it is anymore. Apparently there are nine months of summer…
With a name like Right Ho, Jeeves, you might be expecting a play about pimps and hookers. Sorry, guys. Banish the visions of high heels, fish-net stockings and short skirts that are dancing through your troubled little minds. Likewise, none of the cast will be sporting circa-1970 pimp suits. Right…
Junot Diaz created a lot of literary buzz with his award-winning collection of short stories, Drown. This kind of early critical acclaim could mean a couple of things. Either he’s going to have a long and successful literary career or his book was a flash in the pan. What we…
Man From Nebraska isn’t the catchiest title in the world, but that didn’t stop the play from garnering lots of critical acclaim. Tracy Lett’s play was a 2004 Pulitzer Prize finalist and made Time Magazine’s “Best Theater 2003” list. Revenge of the Cornhusker, uh, I mean, Man From Nebraska, is…
Truth in Translation is a play born out of the struggle for forgiveness and reconciliation that went on following the end of apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid is that thing where blacks were forced to attend separate schools, get crappy jobs and recognize that they could never be a part…
What’s more obnoxious: rednecks or opera music? If you’re waiting for a punch line don’t hold your breath. There isn’t one. I’m seriously conflicted over this question. I mean, what could be worse? Wait, what if you combined the two? Get three rednecks to sing opera. Holy crap! That’s exactly…
Internationally renowned artist Peter Max is coming to Dallas. Ever heard of him? Apparently he’s done everything. Max’s work has appeared on stamps, U.S. Border murals, phone books and even a jumbo jet. He has been designated the official artist for five Super Bowls, the World Series, the 2006 U.S…
You could wile away the hours conversing with the flowers but if you only had a brain you’d oil your rusty tin can, slip on your ruby red slippers and follow the yellow brick road to the Bass Performance Hall, Fourth and Calhoun streets in Fort Worth, where Casa Mañana’s…
