In order to see some of the best art of Western civilization, you have to look up. On the ceilings of palaces and churches are sweeping scenes of the heavens, of allegories and saints and divine beings in all their magnificence—feats of technical and technological innovation, a mastery of skill coupled with a flourishing of…
In Praise of Community Theater
I live in the greater Nashville, Tennessee, area with a population of around 1.3 million, and home to over 50 community theaters. I do not mean movie theaters or music venues or school shows, but independent theaters with a stage where live actors put on musicals and plays ranging from Shakespeare to Rodgers and Hammerstein….
The Show the CCP Doesn’t Want You to See
There’s little that scares the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) more than the growing popularity of traditional culture—embodied in the brilliant sights and sounds of Shen Yun Performing Arts. It makes sense. New York-based Shen Yun’s mission is to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, an ancient culture centered around harmony between heaven, earth, and humankind—a…
The West Versus Prejudice: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘South Pacific’
“You’ve got to be taught to be afraid/ Of people whose eyes are oddly made/ And people whose skin is a different shade/ You’ve got to be carefully taught,” sings Lt. Cable in “South Pacific,” objecting bitterly to the prejudice that has kept him from committing to the Tonkinese woman he loves. In 1950, a…
Dayna Shereck’s Music Is Rising Faster Than a Dream
Dayna Shereck arrived on Nashville’s music scene a decade ago, hopeful like any other musician that she’d carve a niche for herself, and break through an already tough industry. Those dreams became a reality: She has gained success with a collection of songs that have earned major radio rotation, while garnering a film scoring credit,…
American Treasures: The Songs of Richard Rodgers
Today many think of Broadway musicals as esoteric or effete, but from the 1920s through the 1960s, they were mainstream popular entertainment, spinning off hit songs recorded by stars like Bing Crosby and Judy Garland. My Uncle Keith, for example, was a tough Army vet, a man’s man, yet he loved musical theater. When we…
Truth Tellers: Johannes Brahms: Finding Answers Deeper Than Beauty
Johannes Brahms might have been a genius, but he was still a man. He, like the rest of us, had to have his breakfast, make his living, and deal with adversity. His close friend George Henschel, the English baritone, described Brahms, the man of 41 years as “broad-chested, of somewhat short stature, with a tendency…
Acting Appreciation 101: The Four Temperaments and the Michael Chekov Technique
Welcome to the second episode of Acting Appreciation 101. Today I’ll be addressing the use of the four human temperaments of melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, and sanguine as tools in the art of character development; a technique favored predominantly by British actors. Additionally, we’ll take a look at how the great Russian director Michael Chekov (nephew…
Acting Appreciation 101: The Four Human Temperaments and the Michael Chekov Technique
Welcome to the second episode of Acting Appreciation 101. Today I’ll be addressing the use of the four human temperaments of melancholic, choleric, phlegmatic, and sanguine as tools in the art of character development; a technique favored predominantly by British actors. Additionally, we’ll take a look at how the great Russian director Michael Chekov (nephew…
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‘We’ve Been Deprived of the Arts’ Too Long: Shen Yun Is a Balm for the Soul
STAMFORD, Conn.—John Connor Blow walked out of the theater with his arms raised, moved with profound emotion and gratitude. “Thank you so much. I loved that show so much, I was crying,” Blow said, after seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Palace Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut, on June 26, 2021. “I was moved to…