Our Movie, Music and TV Picks

Celtic Woman: St. Paddy's Day may have come and gone, but you can continue the Celtic celebration with a concert - or CD purchase - of this authentic sextet of Irish songstresses. They stayed at No. 1 on the world music charts for 68 weeks in 2005-2006 and their newest release, A New Journey, already hit No. 1 on the world charts this year. Catch these songbirds at your nearest music store or listen to them in person the 17th and 18th of April at the Orpheum Theatre at 7:30pm. 910 Hennepin Avenue, Mpls., 651-989-5151, www.hennepintheatredistrict.org

John Legend's 'Once Again': If you haven’t grabbed Legend’s sophomore CD, you should. It’s not as spunky and energetic as his platinum-selling debut album, ‘Get Lifted,’ but the R&B crooner continues to show his stuff and this time, impresses the masses with his slow, behind-the-piano ballads. Legend’s voice – and style - is even more captivating in concert, so catch him if you can. His current tour showcases soulful melodies that illustrate his background in gospel and classical piano.

The Pursuit of Happyness:  Major hype surrounded this movie — and a lot of questioning why happiness is spelled with a ‘y’— but thankfully, everyone comes through, including Will Smith’s real-life son Jaden, who steals the show in his first feature film. All in all, ‘Happyness’ is heavy, emotional and not the feel-good movie you might be expecting. In fact, it’s exhausting watching this struggling salesman (a mesmerizing Smith) take care of his son and attempt to begin a new career. But it’s worth it, especially during this holiday season. If anything will make you grateful for the roof over your head and a warm bed, this film will.


TV Shows on DVD: Miss the Lost bandwagon? Never home on Thursday nights to watch ER? It’s not too late. The latest craze is TV seasons on DVD. Rent them, borrow them, Netflix them, whatever—and when you're totally hooked, you can always buy them, too. The perks are numerous. Best of all, the DVDs skip commercials, have extra special features, and once you watch a few episodes, you can finally join in on that ‘pick your favorite Housewife’ office debate.

Project Runway: With two seasons behind them, Bravo’s hit show Project Runway has mastered the reality TV scene and has viewers flocking.  Host Heidi Klum leads the show, but keeps her exposure to a minimum. What reigns are the eclectic fashion designers and their struggle to accomplish each week’s creative task. What’s refreshing are the contestants’ necessary skills to ‘survive’ - they’re not just outlandish, outspoken personalities, but can actually sew and design. Plus, each episode is entertaining within itself, regardless if you’ve seen previous weeks or are just catching a re-run. Check out Project Runway on Bravo, Wednesday nights at 9pm.