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'Manahatta' review: Tracing the blood-soaked roots of American capitalism
NEW YORK, NY.- Acknowledgments that New York was once home to the Lenape people have become a familiar refrain at arts venues. In Manahatta, playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle undertakes a vital investigation of that willfully forgotten history so often rendered in shorthand. Now open at the Public Theater, just a few subway stops away from Wall Street, Nagles play traces the origins of American finance and the follies of its bottomless appetite for capital to the exploitation of the Lenape by the citys Dutch settlers. The Lenape people have been so forcefully expelled from their Northeastern homelands that the descendants Nagle depicts, beginning in 2002, live in what is now Oklahoma. Jane (Elizabeth Frances), an MIT and Stanford graduate, is interviewing for an entry-level Wall Street job when her father dies on an operating table. ... More

Best classical music performances of 2023
NEW YORK, NY.- Last year ended with something approaching normalcy for the performing arts after a long crisis. It turns out, though, it was normalcy with an asterisk: The pandemic may be over, but orchestras and opera companies have emerged struggling with ticket sales, and the cost of goods and labor has spiraled; putting on shows is now more expensive, with less revenue coming in to square the books. These financial challenges notwithstanding, there were abundant musical riches in 2023 as these favorites, in chronological order, make clear. ZACHARY WOOLFE LElisir dAmore: Revivals of Donizetti chestnuts dont usually make it onto this kind of list, but the tenderly funny Elisir is one of my favorite pieces, and in January, it showed off the best of the Metropolitan Opera. Tenor Javier Camarena, glowing with sincerity, ... More

Winona Ryder's friends and fans celebrate the 'Eternal Cool Girl'
NEW YORK, NY.- Fans of Winona Ryder lined up outside Dover Street Market in Manhattan on a recent chilly evening to attend a launch party for Winona, a book of Polaroids and cellphone shots of the Gen X cultural idol. Shes so famously private that any peek into her interior life is delicious, Daniela Tijerina, a writer and editorial assistant for Vanity Fair, said. Ive molded so much about my own style after a woman I know so little about, and that makes her as cool as a person can possibly be. The shots in the book were taken by Robert Rich, who started photographing Ryder soon after becoming friends with her more than 20 years ago. His images capture her in unguarded moments: eating pizza during a sleepover at his Hells Kitchen apartment; and smoking a cigarette in a bathroom, while model Daria Werbowy quoted lines from ... More

Laguna Art Museum's 11th Annual Art + Nature reveals new exhibitions and events
LAGUNA BEACH, CA.- Laguna Art Museum has commenced its highly anticipated 11th annual Art + Nature, which began on November 2. This multidisciplinary celebration of art's interaction with the natural world is the highlight of LAM's yearly calendar. Art + Nature brings together a diverse community of thousands of people, fostering a deeper connection with the environment and bridging the realms of nature and art. "The 11th annual Art + Nature celebrates the enduring connection between art and nature, reinforcing our commitment to preserving California's rich artistic heritage and making the world a better place," said Julie Perlin Lee, Executive Director of Laguna Art Museum. This year's event boasts cutting-edge exhibitions, including: ... More

Nguyen Qui Duc, whose salon became a Hanoi hub, dies at 65
NEW YORK, NY.- Nguyen Qui Duc, the proprietor of a salon and exhibition space that became a Hanoi landmark, where both Vietnamese and foreigners gathered for music, poetry and long nights of drinks and sushi, died Nov. 22 in a hospital in Hanoi. He was 65. The cause was lung cancer, said his sister and sole survivor, Dieu-Ha Nguyen. A war refugee as a teenager, Duc found success as a radio commentator in the United States before returning to Vietnam in 2006 to make a new life there. His magnetic personality drew a diverse clientele to the salon, from underground artists to ambassadors. The salon provided shelter and camaraderie for new creative voices in Vietnam that blossomed after the trauma of war, Tom Miller, an American lawyer and longtime friend, wrote in an email. The experimental art installations ... More

How to design a girl group
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Last year, it became Humberto Leons job to shape the appearances of 20 young women, whose ages ranged from 14 to 21. He decided what kind of clothing, shoes and jewelry they would wear. He told them how their hair should be cut and their makeup applied. You have to imagine, with 20 girls, I want each and every one of them to stand out, Leon said. Still, young women do not always take kindly to being told how to dress. There were tears. Thats not how I like to do my hair, some of them told Leon. I said, I know, but trust me. Im helping you own your personality, Leon recalled. They think they know whats best for them. And I have to give them an objective opinion of what I think would look great on them. Professionally, it was in their best interest to listen to Leon. ... More

Waltham Forest Council embarks on revitalisation of Vestry House Museum
LONDON.- Waltham Forest Council has appointed architecture firm Studio Weave to lead on the
Â£4.5 million revitalisation of Vestry House Museum. Working in consultation with local residents, the project will transform the local history museum into a welcoming heritage destination where visitors can find a place to work, rest and discover the diverse stories of Waltham Forest and its people. The revitalisation will include an enhanced heritage and community offer, improved access, new creative workspaces and a cafÃ©. A key part of the Councils Levelling Up Fund programme to deliver Walthamstows Culture for All projects and unlock the town centres potential as an inclusive, safe and welcoming cultural destination, the work will begin in early 2024 with a planned reopening date for the Museum at the start of 2026. ... More

Best theater of 2023
NEW YORK, NY.- If 2023 was a tragedy in the world, on New York stages it was a dramedy year, highlighted not only by serious plays with great jokes, but also by flat-out comedies with dark underpinnings. And although not all 10 shows (and various bonuses) on my mostly chronological list below fit that mongrel category, even the gravest of them seem to have gotten the memo that theater should not be a bore or a drag. It should thrill you into thought or, as the case may be, solace. On the cold February night I saw Love, New York City was teeming with people in need of warm places to be. That was also the case inside the Park Avenue Armory, which had been reconfigured to represent a temporary facility for people without homes. Its residents included an unemployed man in his 50s, his barely-holding-on mother, a pregnant ... More

Springfield Art Museum opens ancient artifacts exhibition with Missouri State University
SPRINGFIELD, MO.- The The Springfield Art Museum will be opening Ancient Artifacts Abroad, on Saturday, December 9 in the Hartman Gallery. This is the third and final of three guest-curated exhibitions mounted in this space during 2023. These special exhibitions are the result of collaborations between Museum staff, and staff and students at Missouri State University. These collaborations range from providing space and resources to mount exhibitions, to the study of permanent collection objects, to hands-on learning opportunities in museum work, including art curation, interpretive activities, and public programs. The objects in this special exhibition are travelers across both time and space. These artifacts, drawn from the Museums permanent collection, either come from or were inspired by items from the ancient Mediterranean ... More