As August turns into September, the entertainment offerings increase as new music and theater seasons get a fresh start. As the days grow shorter, the event list grows longer, taking us into fall.
It’s a crowded couple of weeks in August during which “The Girl Who Lived Twice” unfolds. The thriller is the sixth Lisbeth Salander novel in what has come to be known as The Millennium Series, begun by Swedish author Steig Larsson a decade-and-a-half ago.
The opening strains of “Lit Up” by Buckcherry blistered many radio speakers and CD players in 1997. Many considered that song, with its tip of the hat to early Stones sleaze rock, a thunderbolt from the rock gods.
There’s a voice to be heard in quality art exhibits, ballet performances and concerts. In art shows, each work speaks through expression. In ballet, there’s a story to be told. In concerts, the composer’s voice has a definite effect on mind and mood. I’m told that some people do their best t…
Javier Marías is the author of 15 novels and three collections of short stories. His work has been translated into 46 languages. “Berta Isla” was first published in Spain in 2017 and in Britain last year in Margaret Jull Costa’s provocative translation.
Art evolves, as it must, in a self-perpetuating cycle that winds and twists within the mind of the artist and current culture. Purists may decry the blurring of genres and strict guidelines that once defined radio playlists and the confines of physical media.
The summer is winding down but there’s still time for vacations. If you’re on a “stay-cation” instead, why not take time to read a book? Here are two I recommend, one for all ages and another for young readers. Settle down into a rocking chair on a shady front porch and enjoy the read before…
It’s Monday afternoon, a little more than a week before the show opens. On a rehearsal stage at Jacksonville State University, two actors are moving slowly and methodically through a fight scene.
“Chances Are …” is Richard Russo’s first stand-alone novel in a decade. It also makes use of a literary form that is rarely found among the author’s works. However, it still spills over with the humanity that is the cornerstone of Russo’s work, even as it reminds us, as he most frequently do…
Once again, retired Virginia circuit court judge Martin Clark proves how adept he is at writing the contemporary legal thriller. “The Substitution Order” is his newest since “The Jezebel Remedy” in 2015, and he continues to give more widely read authors like John Grisham a run for their money.
Foothills Stage Company at the Oxford Performing Arts Center is postponing its production of “Hairspray” due to scheduling conflicts among some of the cast, according to artistic director Molly Page. The show was originally scheduled for Aug. 1-4.
The harvest in the arts is large this summer. Thankfully, the number of laborers is also large. Due to spring planning and planting of new ideas, there’s a lot happening in entertainment, especially in theater — and soon to come in church music outreach. The events are plentiful. Enjoy the feast!
Sequels are often notoriously disappointing. How lucky, then, that “Hope Rides Again: An Obama Biden Mystery” isn’t.
The first time I heard of Riley Green was when my dear friend Sam Stewart mentioned that a guy from Jacksonville had his own show and that we should have him open for the Marshall Tucker show we had planned at Zinn Park.
“Knife,” the 12th Harry Hole (pronounced “Hooley”) thriller from Jo Nesbø, pretty much begins where “The Thirst,” the most recent Hole case, leaves off.
Country singer Riley Green, who grew up in Jacksonville, now has a major record deal in Nashville, and is touring the world with Brad Paisley. Here's a look back at some of Riley's performances before he made it big.
Once a new project attracts the interest of creative women, it’s amazing to see how many directions the plans can take. Last week’s meeting for exchanging ideas for the upcoming Alabama Bicentennial Tablescapes/Tasting Tea brought multiple ideas on different levels. The event, scheduled for …
“Sudden Opera,” the new album by Pony Bradshaw, is truly a work of art. Every composition stands on its own; each is also a vital piece of quilt work, with not a sign of musical makeweight in the track listing.
It may be time to head to the beach or the mountains, but if you stay in town there’s plenty to do. The arts never take a vacation! A painting collection in a log cabin in Saks is one attraction this month, as well as a book signing at Oxford Performing Arts Center on Saturday and a musical …
The Oxford Performing Arts Center has announced the first 50 events in its upcoming 2019-20 season, which starts Aug. 1-4 with a performance of “Hairspray! The Musical” presented by Foothills Stage Company, OPAC’s new regional theater. The first concert of the new season is country singer Ma…
The cover of “Giraffes on Horseback Salad” calls it “The Strangest Movie Never Made!”
The theme of the 2019 Revelers Krewe Ball was “Kick Up Your Boots: Revelers Goes Country.” The Hotel Finial was decorated with western and Mardi Gras decor for the Queen’s Dinner prior to the ball. The 2019 Revelers Queen was Laura Knighton.
With the support of key community and individual partners, the Oxford Performing Arts Center announces plans for the Alabama Children’s Museum in historic downtown Oxford. The announcement was made at the “Reveal” celebration for OPAC’s 2019-20 season.
Supergroups are usually reserved for the most rich, famous and self-destructive rock stars.
It’s going to be difficult to find a novel more timely than Oscar Cásares’ “Where We Come From.” This latest book from the author of “Brownsville” and “Amigoland” is an affecting study of family, and at the same time, is a book whose premise seems straight from the headlines.
