Ford’s musical ‘Grace’ is food for thought
What are the most important foods in your family? Are they the ones your grandmother made, the link to past generations or a world they left behind? In my family, Yorkshire Pudding, a savory popover, declares, “This is a holiday; here is our family,” connecting us with our mostly forgotten English forebears. In some communities, however, food, like other parts of culture, carries... READ MORE
‘Rocky the Musical’ packs a punch at Toby’s
Earlier this year, Toby Orenstein, owner of Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, was walking to the corner bakery when she happened to notice a new gym, Title Boxing Club. The gym reminded her of Rocky, the famous 1976 boxing film and subsequent 2014 musical, which coincidentally had just been licensed globally. Excitedly, Orenstein called her colleague, executive producer Mark Minnick.... READ MORE
TV series on Baltimore’s crooked cops
The Baltimore police are on the move, invading the home of a known drug dealer, pushing the woman of the house aside, laying out the dealer, finding his mountains of cash and tossing the packs of money to each other — for their own keeping. That’s in the opening TV chapter of “We Own This City,” the new HBO series about crooked cops in Baltimore in and around the year 2015. The... READ MORE
The truth behind gardening proverbs
Many gardeners rely on a proverb, an almanac or their grandmothers for gardening advice, while Master Gardeners are trained to convey information that is research-based. Here are a few adages with a little bit of scientific discussion to clarify the level of their validity: April showers bring May flowers This saying can be traced back to English poet Thomas Tusser, who wrote in the... READ MORE
In praise of politically active older voters
Political season is heating up, both locally and nationally. As usual, older Americans are front and center. The reasons are tried and true. We vote, and we give money. Younger people might do the first, and sometimes do the second. But so often, they are too busy and too cash-strapped to lean into campaigns the way their elders do. So, we oldies-but-goodies will soon see and hear... READ MORE
Works illuminate ‘the war to end all wars’
The Bibliophile April 6 marks the 105th anniversary of the U.S. entry into the First World War. These books help us remember and appreciate those who served. Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion, by Edward G. Lengel, 368 pages, Hachette Books paperback, 2021 Chief historian of the White House Historical Association, D.C. native Edward Lengel, has... READ MORE
Exquisitely crafted furniture as sculpture
Housed in a Tudor Revival mansion on Monument Avenue, the Branch Museum of Architecture and Design is posthumously exhibiting the work of local artist Sam Forrest, who created unique works of furniture as graceful as they are functional. Forrest, who passed away last May, learned his craft in the late 1960s at Richmond Professional Institute (RPI, which later became Virginia Commonwealth ... READ MORE
Fostering inner strength through the arts
Though it was founded 35 years ago by a Holocaust survivor, the CREATE Arts Center in downtown Silver Spring has a mission that seems tailored for today: offering art classes and art therapy to foster creativity, connect community and boost mental health. “My feeling was that the arts really belonged out there in the world for all people,” said its founder, Tamar Hendel, now 86. That ... READ MORE
On top of the world with a Baltimore artist
Baltimore native and visionary artist Ernest Shaw Jr. is a unique storyteller. In his decades-long career, Shaw, 53, has won numerous awards and accolades for his dignified and spirited images of the people of the African diaspora and their impact on American culture. This month, Shaw’s paintings of this complex story are exhibited in his solo show, “Continuous Line,” displayed at... READ MORE
Going for the green (lawn) this spring
When you think of March, you probably think of shamrocks and the color green. And you may have visions of a lush green lawn. To attain a verdant lawn, you may be tempted to sow grass seed and spread fertilizer this spring. Although you can find seed and fertilizer in garden centers, please do not apply them now. The nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus in lawn fertilizer are major... READ MORE
