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Arts Orbit Radar 11/25/10 What's happening this week On the radar: When my brother was a teenager, he and his friends drove around the upper Midwest in my parents' giant conversion van (mood lights? yes. curtains? yes. built-in CB radio? OBVIOUSLY), attending regional jam-rock shows. The van was adorned with a bumper sticker: where the heck is the big wu? If I were a better brother, I'd suggest that Joe and I go to see the Big Wu tonight at the Cabooze. But I'm not, because... Under the radar: ...invitations to Thanksgiving Day parties have been flying in like Angry Birds. I don't know why, but the Twin Cities seem to have collectively decided that this year, the thing to do on Thanksgiving is to throw and/or go to a house party. So go to one if you've been invited, or just wander around until you find one to crash. It won't take long. On the radar: The Goliath of local holiday theater, the Guthrie Theater's Christmas Carol, officially opens today with a new script (by Crispin Whittell) and a new director (Joe Dowling). Over at First Ave, the annual Replacements tribute party celebrates the 25th anniversary of Tim, the band's major-label debut, with an all-star cast of local musicians. (Tip: The Depot has been distributing $1 admission coupons to this show with the purchase of tickets for First Avenue events. No promises that will continue, but if you were going to swing by the venue to pick up a ticket to that Girl Talk show, now might be the time.) Under the radar: At the Fitzgerald Theater, Kevin Kling presents Scarecrow on Fire, a comtemplative and humorous take on The Wizard of Oz. At Cause Spirits & Soundbar—still, in the wake of its summertime name change, known to many as "(S)cause"—the Arms Akimbo celebrate the release of their thrashing, melodic, and very enjoyable eponymous CD. On the radar: It's one of the biggest nights of the year for the local dance scene: Choreographers' Evening at the Walker, spotlighting several of the best and brightest local dancemakers. Potential audience members are being informed that this year's show, culled by Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theater's Susana di Palma from 56 submissions, contains "joyous nudity." Is that a euphemism? Under the radar: St. Paul's RiverCentre is hosting a big three-day bash celebrating the Hmong New Year.
On the radar: We just can't get enough of that "Sunshine": Atmosphere wrap up a two-night stand at First Ave with the second of two sold-out shows. Under the radar: The Harty Boys, a satirical duo created and portrayed by Joshua Scrimshaw and Levi Weinhagen, were so successful solving The Case of the Limping Platypus at the 2009 Fringe Festival that the family-friendly show was revived for a run at the Bryant-Lake Bowl. As of tonight, the Boys are back in town—and "this time, it's seasonal." On the radar: Many Twin Cities music fans find themselves wondering why world-class string wizard Leo Kottke, who got his start in the 1960s in Cedar-Riverside coffeehouses, isn't routinely mentioned among the state's greats. The guitarist will return tonight, trailing clouds of glory, for a gig at the Guthrie. Under the radar: The first Southern Songbook concert was my introduction to the remarkable vocalist Bethany Larson, and it left me wanting more. More is available—for free!—tonight at the Kitty Cat Klub. On the radar: Is Paul Taylor "the greatest living American choreographer"? (San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle) The "greatest living force in modern dance"? (Northrop Auditorium publicity blurb) "A genius, a legend, and a cultural icon"? (San Francisco Ballet) Decide for yourself tonight at Northrop Auditorium. Under the radar: In Minnesota, we like to think there's something special and precious about our arts scene—but are we just fooling ourselves? Are we just another midsize Midwestern state, or do we have a unique identity that's somehow tied to the art we make and consume? It's a much-discussed question, and tonight a panel of arts-scene people at Intermedia Arts are going to have a go at it. With Andy Sturdevant moderating and guests including Wing Young Huie, Ananya Chatterjea, Adam Levy, and Chuck Olsen, the evening certainly won't be boring. On the radar: After 21 years, most bands are doing well if they just keep their core fan base happy—but indie rock vets Superchunk are doing a lot better than that. Not only has Majesty Shredding, the album they've just released after a nine-year hiatus, thrilled longtime fans, it's won the group new fans—some of whom weren't even alive when the band came together in 1989. They're at First Ave tonight. Under the radar: Pillsbury House Theatre's Naked Stages series has featured a significant number of cutting-edge theater artists who have kept right on cutting, hewing a wide aesthetic swath through...okay, this metaphor is getting out of control. The point is, the new Naked Stages showcase begins today.
Daily Planet arts roundup • Local lit: Dogs and the authors who love them (blog entry by Meredeth Barzen) • Journey to the Fallen Skies (feature by Tom Laventure) • Free Energy's Paul Sprangers: "We see ourselves as being a Minnesota band" (interview by Leslie Kruempel) • Student drama confronts hard realities in North Minneapolis (feature by Margo Ashmore) • Sisters' Camelot: Feeding Minneapolis, one bus at a time (feature by Jeanette Fordyce) • Induction of labor...naturally (blog entry by Amy Doeun) Not a subscriber? Click here to get Arts Orbit Radar in your inbox every Wednesday—and follow ArtsOrbit on Twitter or Tumblr for 24/7 updates on the local arts scene. For a new video on the local arts scene every weekday, bookmark the Daily Planet's 3-Minute Egg page.
A Thanksgiving bounty of new releases, and vintage films from 1921 to 2001 Just like Christmas Day, the day before Thanksgiving offers plenty of helpings of commercial and limited-release films. Love & Other Drugs (starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal, reteaming after their terrific performances in Brokeback Mountain) is based on the book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman. That should tell you everything you need to know about this love dramedy. Walt Disney Studios has a new animated feature based on the Grimm Brothers' Rapunzel in Tangled. Giving up on family comedies this time around, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton star in the action adventure Faster. Cher, Christina Aguilera, and Kirsten Bell will be wearing dancing boots in the musical Burlesque. They all open today at major chain theaters, with the exception of the restaurant comedy Today's Special, starring Daily Show reporter Aasif Mandvi, which opens at the Uptown Theatre. Two more movies open on Friday at the Lagoon Cinema: the political documentary Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer and the Palestinian documentary Budrus. The only one I've seen is Client 9. It has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but director Alex Gibney's doc is tremendous, and anyone who appreciated the recent doc Inside Job, on the 2008 financial crash, will surely take interest. Client 9 is a great companion piece to Inside Job, especially zeroing in on Spitzer's involvement with trying to solve to the crisis—he was known as "the Sheriff of Wall Street"—his brief stint as governor of New York, and most notably, his sex scandal with the VIP Empire Club escort service. Spitzer comes across as an intelligent, insightful and hard-working man, who slipped up and paid dearly for his mistake. If none of these films scream for your attention, there are a few other leftover alternatives worth seeking out. Minnesota Film Arts will be showing Wes Anderson's 2001 dysfunctional-family comedy The Royal Tenenbaums today and tomorrow at St. Anthony Main. And starting on Friday at St. Anthony Main, for those who missed Olivier Assayas's dynamic 5½-hour-long Carlos at the Walker last month, MN Film Arts will be screening the long version over the weekend. Starting on Monday, they'll be screening the abridged 2½ hour version. I recommend taking a break from the Black Friday shopping blitz (or your family, if they're starting to get on your nerves) to check out the 330-minute epic over the weekend. But if you're looking for something older than 2001, the Trylon Microcinema will be screening the last two Charlie Chaplin films in the "Here Comes the Tramp" series: The Kid (1921) and The Great Dictator (1940). Finally, if you're looking for just a good Thanksgiving themed movie to enjoy at home (I'm sure it'll be on TBS, TNT, FOX, or WGN), why not re-watch the 1987 comedy classic—and my favorite movie from 80s staple writer/director John Hughes—Planes, Trains and Automobiles (above), starring Steve Martin as uptight business man Neil Page and John Candy as obnoxious travelling sales men Del Griffith. It's my favorite role of Candy's all-too-short career. Just make sure to cover your children's ears when Martin's Neil goes off on an airport employee, only to get his comeuppance when he can't find his car rental agreement. Q: Who IS that? A: Brian Balcom, theater director extraordinaire Name: Brian Balcom What's your job? Other than your job, what are your claims to fame? What's your relationship status? Where are you most likely to be seen? Where are you most likely not to be seen? With what person or people are you most likely to be seen? Where were you born? What neighborhood do you live in now? What's your ride? What's the best way for someone to start a conversation with you? |  |
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24 Kasım 2010 Çarşamba
Arts Orbit Radar 11/25/10
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