Garrison Keillor brings his offbeat tales to Toledo
"It's just one man, one microphone, and black wooden stool. Or if they don't have a black one, a white one will do."
Category: Arts
Irrevery Presents the Living Mixtape: a Bizarre Bazaar Book Release in Concert
The country-punk-noise performance collective Irrevery presents "The Living Mixtape: A Bizarre Bazaar," Sunday, March 26th, 7 PM, at The Silent Barn, Brooklyn. "The Living Mixtape" is a collaborative performance in multiple media: a book release, a flash-poetry workshop and readings, an art bazaar, plus a concert featuring improvised dance and music by Marilu Donovan, Relatives, NoPop, and Irrevery These media converge to promote the release of the book, Irrevery Volume I, the collective effort of twelve artists, each of whom illustrated the lyrics of songs from the upcoming debut album of the same title by Irrevery.
Photo Flash: Barrel of Monkeys Presents that’s Weird, Grandma: Rise of the Rock Spectacular
Imagine an incredible rock concert, completely penned by young authors and composed by Chicago actors and musicians! Barrels of Monkeys is pleased to present its all-musical revue, THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Rise of the Rock Spectacular, playing March 5 - 27, 2017 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Directed by Artistic Director Joseph Schupbach , Barrel of Monkeys talented Company Members have transformed stories conceived and written by Chicago Public School students into a full hour of original songs, complete with a new opening band each week! For tickets, reservations and information visit www.barrelofmonkeys.org or call 506-7140.
Strange the Dreamer
The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers' literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large.
Strange the Dreamer
The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers' literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large.
New Tampa Players bring in renown actor for master class
In a collaboration between the New Tampa Players and the University Area Community Development Center, Broadway star Danny Zolli will conduct a Master Class from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the University Area Community Development Center, 14013 N. 22nd St. Zolli is a world-renowned rock tenor who has shared the stage with the Three Tenors' opera legend Jose' Carreras, The Gypsy Kings, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legends Peter Frampton, Phoebe Snow, Felix Cavaliere , Leslie West , Zak Starkey and pop and rock singer Sir Cliff Richard. Zolli has also starred in 27 national and international productions of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar.
BWW Review: Passing Strange at Theatre Three
The hip score might be funky, fresh and new, but the themes of PASSING STRANGE sure feel familiar: an aspiring artist strays from his home in search of his creative niche in the world, sacrificing his values and forgetting his roots along the way. But when success finds him, has he lost what's really important in life? The show is infused with a variety of musical styles , telling the story through a combination of short scenes, as well as candid commentary shared directly with the audience.
You think Clive Palmer’s Tim Tam tweets are strange? He says it’s poetry
Clive Palmer, once a larger figure on the Australian landscape, has been on a crash diet in his post-politics period, dropping 30 kilograms or so, which sent him dreaming and, yes, writing some pretty out-there poetry about food. It's earning him viral status on social media, and now it's launched him into the world of electronic pop.
Pavel Lion is kind of a cross between Fyodor Dostoyevsky and ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
... he never met. And he collaborates with poets and translators, crafting a playful vision that lands somewhere between "Weird Al" Yankovic and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In one example, he takes " Oyfn Pripetchik " - a classic sentimental Yiddish song about ...
In a Bizarre Ghost Story, Kristen Stewart Haunts Herself
In 1976's The Devil Finds Work , James Baldwin makes a crucial verb distinction when discussing the screen legends, like Bette Davis, with whom he was transfixed in his youth: "One does not go to see them act: one goes to watch them be . " When one goes to see Kristen Stewart - among the most quicksilver of her generation's performers - in Olivier Assayas' Personal Shopper , a shape-shifting, resolutely of-this-moment ghost story that features her in nearly every frame, one goes not to watch her act but refract .
‘La La Land,’ in live concert form, coming to Hollywood Bowl
This image released by Lionsgate shows Ryan Gosling, right, and Emma Stone in a scene from, "La La Land." Lionsgate announced Monday, March 6, 2017, that "La La Land In Concert: A Live-to-Film Celebration" will come to the Hollywood Bowl on May 26-27.
Puppet Opera a Very Strange Inheritance
Brothers inherit their boss's 60-year-old puppet opera, a Chicago institution. They agree to destroy it if the opera goes out of business.
All strange things must end: The ‘Alaskan Bush People’ season finale has arrived
Yet another season finale of "Alaskan Bush People" aired last week. Which means this column won't have the benefit of the strangest family on television gracing us with their weekly weirdness.
The Month in Weird: March’s Best Avant-Garde Concerts
The month of March is a mind-blowing treasure trove of concerts running the schizophrenic gamut from drone metal, to big-band jazz, to techno dub, to noise-rock to goth-folk. But there's even more intrepid sounds to feast upon.
Beijing gets tough on dancing grannies
The women, usually retirees, meet at dusk and dawn in public squares, plazas or parks and perform synchronized dance routines to deafeningly-loud music -- often with costumes or props. Public dancing has exploded in popularity in China as these women -- and a few men -- look for low-cost ways to stay fit and socialize.
The most wonderful and weird moments. Courtesy Sony World Photography
In the pitch dark of the African night, a herd of cape buffaloes gather at the watering hole for a drink, taking care to stay by the edge to avoid the crocodiles lurking in the depths. In Gangiova, a village in Romania, a doctor places her stethoscope to the chest of a newborn baby, listening intently for the beating of his tiny heart.
The most wonderful and weird moments. Courtesy Sony World Photography
In the pitch dark of the African night, a herd of cape buffaloes gather at the watering hole for a drink, taking care to stay by the edge to avoid the crocodiles lurking in the depths. In Gangiova, a village in Romania, a doctor places her stethoscope to the chest of a newborn baby, listening intently for the beating of his tiny heart.
VOD Squad: Benedict Cumberbatch’s ‘Doctor Strange’ available for couch potatoes
Tirdad Derakhshani was born in Tehran, Iran, and raised in London and rural North Jersey, where he closely studied a theoretical, radical post-Hegelian approach to cow-tipping. He moved to Philadelphia in the mid-'80s to seek enlightenment, and instead received a B.A. in literature at Penn.
Blu-ray review: a Doctor Strangea
Marvel Comics' cinematic blockbuster debut of its famed Sorcerer Supreme moves to the high-definition format to magically entertain home theater viewers in Doctor Strange . Adapted from the work of sequential art masters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, director Scott Derrickson's origin story explores the life of arrogant and brilliant neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange and his downfall caused by the loss of surgical skills due to a horrendous car crash that crushed his hands.
Third & Final Extension Announced for the Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart
The McKittrick Hotel and The National Theatre of Scotland announced today that their critically acclaimed production of The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, a transporting, music-filled folk theater fable, created by writer David Greig and director Wils Wilson , has been extended for a third and final time by popular demand. Originally scheduled to close January 29, 2017, the production will now run through Sunday, April 23rd at The McKittrick Hotel .
BWW Review: Passing Strange Rocks Out at Standing Room Only Productions
PASSING STRANGE cements Standing Room Only Productions and Obsidian Theater as the most likely place to see a passionate rock musical with an astounding cast in an intimate space. TUTS, Stages, the Alley? They aren't going to be able to execute the kinds of things this group is doing with reinventing the theatrical experience for Houston audiences who demand a little more fire and adventure.
Oscars 2017: Five reasons the strange backlash against La La Land is just plain wrong
'La La Land' choreographer Mandy Moore dishes on Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's moves and the Academy Award favourite's massive dance numbers. I was walking the dog in the park when the favourite to win best picture at the Oscars next week came up for discussion.
Photo Flash: Lyricist Stew Visits Sro’s Passing Strange at the Obsidian Theater
Stew, who wrote the book and lyrics for PASSING STRANGE, recently attended Standing Room Only Productions' presentation of PASSING STRANGE at the Obsidian Theater. BroadwayWorld has a peek at photos from his visit below! Stew also co-wrote the music and orchestrations for PASSING STRANGE with musician Heidi Rodewald , a frequent collaborator.
A Mysterious and Strange Cure for Wellness
WE'RE LIVING in a golden age of horror movies that we're not allowed to call horror movies. Crimson Peak was a "gothic romance."
2nd Battle of Atlanta? Giant Civil War painting on the move
The crane that will lift a panoramic painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta from the Civil War is seen at Grant Park in Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. Moving the 6-ton Cyclorama - one of the world's largest paintings - from the park to the Atlanta History Center across town marks a major milestone in its restoration, historians said.
Passing Strange
Penned by Stew and coming to Houston audiences courtesy of Obsidian Theater in association with SRO Productions, the story follows a young black man, Youth, as he leaves the City of Angels for Europe to follow in the footsteps of his heroes, Josephine Baker and James Baldwin.
Barrel of Monkeys Presents that’s Weird, Grandma: Rise of the Rock Spectacular
Imagine an incredible rock concert, completely penned by young authors and composed by Chicago actors and musicians! Barrels of Monkeys is pleased to present its all-musical revue, THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Rise of the Rock Spectacular, playing March 5 - 27, 2017 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Directed by Artistic Director Joseph Schupbach , Barrel of Monkeys talented Company Members have transformed stories conceived and written by Chicago Public School students into a full hour of original songs, complete with a new opening band each week! For tickets, reservations and information visit www.barrelofmonkeys.org or call 506-7140 .
Texas Premiere of Rock Musical Passing Strange Defends The Artist’s Struggle
Sex, drugs and politics are all part of the journey of self-discovery in Passing Strange , the Tony and Drama Desk award-winning musical that rocked Broadway's world.
Philharmonic presents the oove, a strange, one-of-a-kind instrument
Get into the OOVE.That's exactly what the Las Vegas Philharmonic will do for the world premiere of composer Nathaniel Stookey's "Yield to Total Elation" Saturday at The Smith Center.During the premiere, the composer himself will play the OOVE, a one-of-a-kind electro-acoustic stringed instrument created by kinetic sculptor Oliver DiCicco.The OOVE's name was inspired, DiCicco says, by its resemblance to an upright Hoover vacuum cleaner.He likens its sound, "in pure drone form" to an Indian tambura.But "with the handheld pickup" Stookey will employ during Saturday's concert, DiCicco describes the OOVE's sound as "more like Jimi Hendrix."
Theater Review: Hamlet & Saint Joan Make Strange But Fascinating Bed(lam) Fellows
Is there a unifying theme that brings together Shakespeare's Hamlet and Shaw's Saint Joan ? I didn't find a rationale in the press materials for Bedlam's idiosyncratic, energetic, and often illuminating repertory pairing, now on stage at McCarter Theatre. Not that there needs to be-these are two of the greatest plays in the English language, justification enough for doing them.
Photo Flash: Barrel of Monkeys Presents that’s Weird, Grandma: I …
Barrel of Monkeys invites you to celebrate spring with a weekly dose of theater by children! Get out of the house and enjoy the outside world again after a long Chicago winter at THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: I Still Know What You Did Last Spring, playing Mondays at 8 pm from April 24 - May 22, 2017 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Directed by Joseph Schupbach , Barrel of Monkeys' newest revue features stories written by Chicago Public School students and adapted for the stage and performed by Barrel of Monkeys Company Members.
Sundance 2017: Grateful Dead Doc ‘Long Strange Trip’ Is Heartbreaking Tribute
Inside the Sundance premiere of Grateful Dead doc 'Long Strange Trip' - and an intimate performance by Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. You could argue that most folks – or at least those who'd care enough to nab tickets to a documentary about the Grateful Dead – already know the band's story backwards and forwards.
Getting weird with Camden Noir
... push it. Once I had that, I was like, ah. Even in my paintings I was like, let's see where I can push this. Let's get weird." That's just what Noir does in "Queen of the Rats," a skull adorned with a white and pink headdress. At first, they look ...
Bieito’s manager: Met decision ‘cruel and disappointing’
In this Jan. 25 2013 file photo, Peter Gelb, the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera speaks to the audience at the start of the final dress rehearsal of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Metropolitan Opera canceled next year's production of Verdi's "La Forza del Destino," Gelb said the decision was made several months ago and will save about $1 million.
The Cupid Players Explore the Complicated, Sweet and Offbeat Sides of …
Following sold-out shows at the 16th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, the shamelessly provocative group, The Cupid Players of Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont, will present three performances of Cupid Has a Heart On: V-Day Edition on Saturday, February 11 and 14, 2017. Inspired by Valentine's Day, Chicago's longest running musical sketch comedy show is participating in Chicago Theater Week for the first time.
The Cupid Players Explore the Complicated, Sweet and Offbeat Sides of …
Following sold-out shows at the 16th Annual Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival, the shamelessly provocative group, The Cupid Players of Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont, will present three performances of Cupid Has a Heart On: V-Day Edition on Saturday, February 11 and 14, 2017. Inspired by Valentine's Day, Chicago's longest running musical sketch comedy show is participating in Chicago Theater Week for the first time.
Chilling mystery white figure seen standing in same Victorian theatre …
A picture appears to show an unexplained white figure inside a Victorian theatre rumoured to be haunted by an actress who died backstage. It was taken by a group of keen ghost hunters, who wanted to catch the legend on film for the very first time.
Bizarre conducting took a toll on the Fort Worth Symphony’s first post-strike classical concert
Not until Friday night, four months late, did the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra open its 2016-2017 Symphonic Series. But after threatened salary cuts prompted a strike from early September to late December, a new contract preserves last season's pay scales for now, with modest increases to come.
Watch LL Cool J Recall Bizarre 1980s Meeting With Paul Simon
"You think Paul Simon is known in the hood?" rapper joked on 'Jimmy Kimmel,' recalling duo's Queens talent show appearance In 1987, when LL Cool J was merely "first album famous," the emerging rapper spent a charming afternoon bonding with folk-rock legend/fellow Queens native Paul Simon for a New York Times profile. Reminiscing Thursday on Jimmy Kimmel Live! , the Lip Sync Battle host recalled hanging out with the singer-songwriter in his grandmother's basement.
Weird War Over Congress Pig-Cop PaintingBy Matt Laslo
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are supposed to be the grownups in the room, but a spat over a high school student's painting is revealing their childish tendencies-and the episode could have broad implications for race relations under President Donald J. Trump . Every year high school students across the U.S. compete to get their art hung in the Capitol where it's on display for the millions of visitors who walk through the complex annually, but this year one young artist's work has inflamed racial tensions among lawmakers and revived a debate over police tactics.
Weird War Over Congress Pig-Cop PaintingBy Matt Laslo
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are supposed to be the grownups in the room, but a spat over a high school student's painting is revealing their childish tendencies-and the episode could have broad implications for race relations under President Donald J. Trump . Every year high school students across the U.S. compete to get their art hung in the Capitol where it's on display for the millions of visitors who walk through the complex annually, but this year one young artist's work has inflamed racial tensions among lawmakers and revived a debate over police tactics.
Updated: Strange Brew Locked Out South Austin venue shut down for nonpayment of rent
Thursday afternoon, a steady stream of coffee-seeking customers pulled into the parking lot at the Crockett Shopping Center on Manchaca Road only to find the front door of Strange Brew padlocked.
No wiggle room: Many companies don’t keep enough cash
In this Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, photo, Weberous Web Design CEO Rafael Romis poses for photos in his home, in Los Angeles. When Romis started his website design company five years ago, he kept enough cash on hand to last about two weeks.
Lad comes up with theory about death and the afterlife – and people absolutely love it
Death . For something so widely represented in art, film, music and popular culture in general, it's done a good job of remaining a mystery.
Photo Flash: Barrel of Monkeys’ that’s Weird, Grandma: Revenge of the Winter Matinees
Barrel of Monkeys is pleased to bring back its popular weekend matinees with THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA: Revenge of the Winter Matinees, directed by Brandon Cloyd , playing Sundays at 2 pm from January 8 - 29, 2017 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Bring the entire family to escape the winter doldrums at this line-up of safe, funny, heart-warming and perfectly weird stories written by Chicago Public School students and adapted for the stage and performed by Barrel of Monkeys Company Members.
Rome theater fires orchestral director for denying Santa
An orchestral director lost his job at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome after telling an audience filled with children that the man in the red suit who delivers gifts to good girls and boys does not, in fact, exist. The news agency ANSA said Saturday that Giacomo Loprieno lashed out at the young audience for failing to applaud following a performance of "Frozen" on Thursday.
Watercooler
QUESTION: I work for a small nonprofit and handle all of our in-house graphic design. Graphic design was not a duty laid forth in my hiring; it was a skill set I brought to the table when it was clear that vendors were not delivering the quality the organization was looking for.
The 35 most bizarre photos of 2016
While there have been plenty of newsworthy, powerful, and deeply moving photographs created this year - there's also been a handful of playful, humorous moments that the Reuters award-winning team of photographers have captured. Three-year-old Oliver Quiros competes dressed as an astronaut riding a space shuttle in the Haunted Heats Halloween Surf Contest in Santa Monica, California.
Miramax CEO Steven Schoch Exits
Miramax CEO Steven Schoch will leave the company this month. Schoch held that post since 2012, rising from CFO, a post he held since 2010.
Rainbow people’ get naked to be at one with nature in weird craze sweeping globe
The Rainbow Gatherings take place across the globe and are dubbed as a chance for people to get away from busy lifestyles. Baffling images show men and women harmoniously holding hands in a human circle on a beach, and others show nudists relaxing in rivers and on banks.
6 strange and confusing ‘Thriller’ remakes to make your Halloween weird
... one could perform the "Thriller" dance. But there is another category of "Thriller" interpretation, in the straight-up weird, nutty portrayals that litter the deep page numbers of YouTube. The title of the video is "una ragazza di brasille fa il ...