Delightful Pygmalion much more than fair
Well, you certainly have your choice here, as Eliza Doolittle has come to town in two strikingly different vehicles. Arena Stage has the Lerner and Loewe musical classic My Fair Lady, based on the George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion. Meanwhile, Washington Stage Guild is presenting the source material itself, Shaw’s original 1913 play.Many theater lovers will see both, of course, as My... READ MORE
Making and living modern women’s history
For a young college graduate in the 1960s with admittedly no clear vision for her future, writer and editor Suzanne Braun Levine ended up on a career trajectory that has made her one of the most accomplished authorities on women and family issues.Her long list of professional achievements includes having been the first editor of Ms., the groundbreaking magazine that launched 40 years ago... READ MORE
Savage Gallery has a benevolent bent
After several years on the local art fair circuit and a couple in partnership with a gallery on Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, artist Shawn Savage has made a place for himself with his own gallery and event space near the airport.The 2,000-square-foot Savage Gallery & Boutique, which opened about 15 months ago, allows him to pursue all his varied creative and community interests... READ MORE
Color Purple musical is masterful, moving
I’m not quite sure where it came from, but as the applause began to die down at the conclusion of a recent performance of the musical The Color Purple at Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Md., I wrote one final word in my notebook: redemption. That was unusual.My eyes were moist. That’s not entirely unusual. I am a sentimental person and susceptible to the evocations of... READ MORE
Contemporary print fair returns to the BMA
You can take a closer look at prints by leading contemporary artists and innovators in printmaking when the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) brings together 20 presses, printers and galleries from around the country for the Baltimore Contemporary Print Fair on April 28 and 29.This biennial event provides new and established collectors the opportunity to peruse and purchase limited... READ MORE
Maryland’s new Senior Idol from Elkridge
MaryAnn Evangelista, who teaches voice and piano in Elkridge, won kudos for her own vocal expression when she was named this year’s Maryland Senior Idol.The attractive 63-year-old lyric soprano, a Howard County resident for the past 23 years, was judged best of 16 contestants who had been selected from auditions conducted throughout the state. The finals were held at the Bowie... READ MORE
Film noir festival celebrates dark cinema
“You can tell you’re watching film noir when in the first 10 minutes the main protagonist gets screwed over and it goes downhill from there,” said Alan K. Rode, director of the 12th Annual Arthur Lyons Film Festival that will celebrate the moody, melodramatic genre May 10 to 13 in Palm Springs.Movies from this classic cinematic era were mainly produced between the... READ MORE
World premier of an offbeat new comedy
Are we all really romantics at heart? Playwright Rand Higbee tries to pose that question in his eccentric new comedy A Girl Named Destiny, now in its world premiere at Venus Theatre in Laurel, Md.Higbee’s play delves into this theme by introducing us to two seemingly unremarkable people. They’re unremarkable even if the female — er, girl — of the title sees herself... READ MORE
Peabody Dance Institute plans centennial
If you ever attended dance classes at the Peabody Dance Institute, Artistic Director Carol Bartlett wants to hear from you. In 2014, the institute will mark its centennial anniversary, making it one of the oldest ongoing dance programs in the United States, and Bartlett is hoping to locate as many past Peabody dance students as possible to mark the historic celebration.In preparation... READ MORE
Pro Cantare chorus celebrates 35 years
From NASA scientists to high flying corporate executives, and from people in their 70s to teenagers, more than 100 Howard County residents of all ages and backgrounds meet weekly to raise their voices together in song.The highly acclaimed Columbia singing group called Pro Cantare was founded 35 years ago by Howard County resident Frances Motyca Dawson, who has directed it ever since.... READ MORE
