Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion at WhiteBird Dance
Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion shared an exquisite evening at the Newmark Theatre in Portland Saturday night, as part of Whitebird’s Uncaged series. Continue reading
Performing Arts: Page 49
Mad-Hot MEDGE
The Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene celebrates 25 years with a show at the Wildish
“Twenty-five years seems like a significant milestone,” Denise Gilbertson says. That’s perhaps the understatement of the new year for the silver anniversary of the Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene (MEDGE), of which Gilberston is a member. For any nonprofit arts group to reach the decade milepost, let alone the quarter-century mark, is cause for celebration. Continue reading
Murder on the Menu
Mystery Mayhem Theater Company’s dinner show Murder on the Campaign Trail
With perfect political timing, a new dinner theater company brings Murder on the Campaign Trail to town The newly minted Mystery Mayhem Theater Company’s dinner show, Murder on the Campaign Trail, opens in Springfield this weekend, with a sendup of the political process and whodunit rolled into one. The show’s co-producer, Tony Stirpe, cut his teeth on shows like this. Continue reading
Tragedies and Statistics
University Theatre's Scorched looks unflinchingly at the side of war we don’t often see, or want to
Clocking in at nearly four hours, University Theatre’s production of Scorched is something of an endurance test, and the stamina it requires is more than just physical. Bloody and unrelenting, the play transports the audience front and center to hell on earth, and its emotional impact is undeniable, like a seizure of post-traumatic stress that won’t let you go. Continue reading
New Cherry Poppin’ Daddies music video features Eugene swing dancers
[Above: A still from the Cherry Poppin' Daddies' new music video for "That Lindy Hop" — see the full video at the bottom of this post.] It’s not everyday you get an email from a musician you love, but last fall local swing dancer and instructor Nick Davis checked his inbox to find an email from Cherry Poppin’ Daddies singer-songwriter Steve Perry. Continue reading
Spring is in the air, and dance offerings are starting to bloom
Spring is in the air, and dance offerings are starting to bloom, beginning with “In the Studio” with DanceAbility, an inspiring demonstration from their Everybody Can Dance teen program. Celebrate with local teens across a full spectrum of abilities and disabilities as they enjoy the art of dancing together. Guest professional dance artists led by DanceAbility teacher Jana Meszaros will also show an inspiring choreographed mixed-abilities piece with dancer Kelcie Laube. Continue reading
Ghosts of the Dead
University Theatre's Scorched examines the plight of war refugees
Written in 2003, Scorched is by Lebanese-Canadian writer Wajdi Mouawad. Opening Thursday, March 3, University of Oregon theater arts instructor Michael Najjar directs the play at University Theatre. “Scorched is about a pair of twins who attend the reading of their mother’s will,” Najjar explains. “They are charged by their mother to find their father and brother they never knew they had.” If the siblings don’t follow this request, they are not allowed to bury their mother properly. Continue reading
Slice of Heaven
OCT'S Silent Sky tells the story of hearts and stars
Lauren Gunderson’s 2011 play Silent Sky is about succeeding and failing, seeking and discovering, journeying and arriving. That is to say, it’s the story of a life — the life of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. Silent Sky, directed by Elizabeth Helman, is playing now at Oregon Contemporary Theatre. Working at Harvard at the turn of the 20th century, Leavitt made significant discoveries leading to the development of the Hubble Telescope. Continue reading
Jersey Boys at the Hult, March 1-6, 2016
Jersey has taken over the Hult, and audiences are happy. Long-running Broadway hit “Jersey Boys” opened last night, and with its familiar tunes and Cinderella story – of four charming guys who make their way from singing under a streetlamp, to selling out shows across the country – how could it not appeal? People love this stuff. Continue reading
Jersey Boys at the Hult, March 1-6, 2016
Jersey has taken over the Hult, and audiences are happy. Long-running Broadway hit “Jersey Boys” opened last night, and with its familiar tunes and Cinderella story – of four charming guys who make their way from singing under a streetlamp, to selling out shows across the country – how could it not appeal? People love this stuff. Continue reading