Articles
6207 results
Page 409
Why Stokowski left the Orchestra
Not so happy ending (c. 1940): Why Stokowski left the Orchestra
The great conductor Leopold Stokowski arrived in Philadelphia 100 years ago. But when exactly did he leave, and why? The facts are complicated, but they tell us something about the eternal dance between temperamental artists and nervous orchestra boards.
Articles
3 minute read
"Alexis': Political theater in New York
Where theater and politics meet
How can political theater bring audiences to their feet and change the course of history? Why does it happen in Europe and not here? Motus, a daring new Italian theater company, has provided a vivid model for Americans.
Articles
4 minute read
Ticciati conducts Beethoven and Sibelius (2nd review)
Youth will be served
In his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra, conductor Robin Ticciati made a strong impression with the Sibelius Second Symphony. The Orchestra can play this work in its sleep, but it was wide-awake for this occasion.
Articles
5 minute read
"The Romantic Impulse' at Gross McCleaf
Hold the hearts and flowers
What does it mean to be a Romantic in 2012? Forget nymphs and poets. It's more a matter of taking a Romantic approach to everyday subjects.
Articles
3 minute read
Annie Baker's "Body Awareness' at the Wilma (3rd review)
Quest for empathy, or: Who are the people in your neighborhood?
Body Awareness plunks us into a snowbound Vermont household whose inhabitants seem as trapped by their dysfunctional relationships as they are by the frost and darkness outside. Yet by disrupting each other's cherished assumptions, each acts as a positive catalyst on the others. The potential implications for the planet are huge.
Articles
5 minute read
Ticciati conducts Beethoven and Sibelius (1st review)
Sibelius meets Generation Z
It's refreshing to see a conductor breaking with tradition. But did Robin Ticciati's renderings make Beethoven and Sibelius sound better? Not this time.
Articles
2 minute read
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Annie Baker's "Body Awareness' at the Wilma (2nd review)
Cabin fever in politically correct Vermont
Mimi Lien's set for Body Awareness permits us to observe the public, domestic and private lives of a family. The snow falling in the background through the windows suggests a cocoon insulated from all foreign forces. It's an effective allusion for Annie Baker's tenderhearted and enjoyable comedy.
Articles
3 minute read
Annie Baker's "Body Awareness' at the Wilma (1st review)
Nobody's perfect
Annie Baker's comedy, Body Awareness, pounces eagerly on its too-predictable targets, and the laughs come a bit cheaply despite good ensemble work by its cast. Theater should ask, and deliver, more.
Body Awareness. By Annie Baker; Anne Kauffman directed. Through February 5, 2012 at the Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad Street. (215) 546-7824 or www.wilmatheater.org.
Articles
3 minute read
"Charlotte's Web' at the Arden (1st review)
A spider your grandchildren can love
My seven-year-old grandson had plenty of opportunities to interact with the Arden's marvelous cast of actors as animals. The grownups had a good time too.
Charlotte's Web. By Joseph Robinette, from the book by E.B. White; Whit MacLaughlin directed. Through February 12, 2012 at Arden Theatre, Haas Stage, 40 N. Second St. (215) 922-1122 or www.ardentheatre.org.
Articles
1 minute read
In defense of Janet Malcolm (Part i)
Truth as Silly Putty, or: Why Janet Malcolm makes me say ‘Wow'
Janet Malcolm refuses to buy into journalists' illusions of objectivity. That posture has earned her many critics. Count me among her admirers.
