February 2, 2010

St. Louis Park Represents at the Oscars

So Ethan and Joel Coen will be back at the Oscars, fingers crossed that "A Serious Man," which filmed around the Twin Cities in 2008, wins Best Picture. But arguably, it doesn't count as much as it did when they won the award for "No Country for Old Men," since this year—for the first time since the 1940s—there are 10 nominations for Best Picture instead of the usual five.

The merits—and we'll get to that later—of "A Serious Man" and the other nine nominees notwithstanding, it's hard to interpret this cinematic... Read more »

Posted on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 in Front & Center What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 29, 2010

What To Do This Weekend: Plays, Art Openings, Etc.

The coolest theater event this weekend will undoubtedly be Off-Leash Area's "The Jury" at the Red Eye Theater. (Don't worry if it's hard to spot on Red Eye's site, the details are on Off-Leash Area's.) Dancers and actors blend in Off-Leash's award-winning mix, telling the story of a jury asked to weigh in on a woman's violent past in judging her trial for murder. The show opens this weekend.

In visual art, the show "Instant Film Forever" opens tonight with a reception at Gallery 122, a look at the latest things that hip artists are doing with Polaroid technology, which keeps managing to hang on against all odds.

Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 28, 2010

A giant pierogi as public art?

If artist Jeff Lohaus has his way, northeast Minneapolis will receive its defining symbol, courtesy of Lohaus's artistry, towering over the corner of Central and Lowry avenues: a giant pierogi on a fork. The neighborhood's Eastern European heritage, of course, is increasingly historical; newer residents hailing from Asia and Latin America may be hard-pressed to recognize the dumpling's significance. What do you think? Put it up, or stick a fork in it?

Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 in Front & Center What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 27, 2010

Want to be a Munchkin? Now's your chance.

The national tour of "The Wizard of Oz" will be blowing into town, no pun intended, on March 26 for five performances only at the Orpheum Theatre. But first, they need 12 local children to play Munchkins. If your kid fits the bill (short stature, squeaky voice, a dislike of witches), auditions will be held on Saturday, Feb. 20, at Hennepin Stages with check-in at 9:30 a.m. For more info, see www.wizardofozontour.com.

Posted on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 19, 2010

"Crazy Heart" Director Scott Cooper Stops in for a Chat

You may have heard of Jeff Bridges, aka The Dude. You may even have heard of Crazy Heart, his new movie that opened this last weekend just as he was winning a Golden Globe for his performance in it as washed-up country star Bad Blake. But you may not have heard of the movie's first-time writer-director-producer, Scott Cooper. You will.

Cooper came through Minneapolis recently to talk up his film, and sat down with Minnesota Monthly's Alex Davy to talk about... Read more »

Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 in Front & Center What's New Blogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 12, 2010

Art on Ice: It's Art Shanty Time Again

This weekend, with no doubt whatsoever that the ice is solid, the Art Shanty Projects will rise again on Medicine Lake in Plymouth. The gist, of course, is that local artists, scientists, actors, and musicians have assembled a dozen or so ice shelters to a variety of ends: Some, created by architects, showcase sustainable forms and materials, some contain exhibits on various scientific experiments one can do with ice or water, and others contain various art installations. One memorable shanty last year featured various maps, including one of the Twin Cities on which visitors could mark the places they either met on dates or were dumped. With a few exceptions of socially awkward or... Read more »

Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 11, 2010

Review: "Dancing at Lughnasa" Burns Brightly at Torch

As the actors of Torch Theater assume their roles in the splendid Dancing at Lughnasa, staged through January 30 at Theatre Garage—the self-righteous one, the slow one, the bawdy one—you settle in for what you expect to be a warm winter's nap of a night at the theater. This is the play, after all, that became the feel-good, Oprah-endorsed movie of 1998 starring Meryl Streep. But you'd be wrong to assume that what Brian Friel, Ireland's greatest living playwright, sets in motion in this ensemble piece about five sisters growing up in rural Ireland is what you'll be left with in the end.

The play, in its effortless exploration of family, faith, and community, is true... Read more »

Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 8, 2010

Where to Warm Up With Theater Tonight

You don't need me to tell you it's going to be bitterly cold tonight. But I can tell you where to go to warm up your spirit, if not your hands (though at last check, all of these theaters had more than adequate heating...). Opening tonight is the Guthrie Theater's Romeo and Juliet, a nationally touring show produced with The Acting Company and a fairly traditional take on the tale that puts the Bard's terrific language front and center.

Opening at Theatre in the Round is Panache, a romantic comedy about a dissolute Brooklyn artist/fry cook who meets cute with a country-club girl when he winds up with her vanity license plate that says Panache. It's right out of... Read more »

Posted on Friday, January 8, 2010 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 7, 2010

Two Days Left of the Best Post-Holiday Art Sale

You could scour the department stores for marked-down stuff that didn't sell over the holidays—or you could buy yourself something artfully made, at a similar reduction, at the Grand Hand Gallery in St. Paul. The worst-named gallery with the best-sourced art, the Grand Hand specializes in hand-crafted, well-made pottery, wood carvings, photography, paintings, clothing, and jewelry, most of it local. And now through January 10, you'll find holiday ornaments, stockings, and more at 50 to 75 percent off, and most jewelry 75 percent off. With expanded hours (now open until 7 p.m.,  Tuesday through Friday), it's now an easy after-work stop to fulfill your New Year's resolution of replacing your old junk with something distinctive.

Posted on Thursday, January 7, 2010 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 6, 2010

What does Mariah Carey have against the Twin Cities?

In discussing the fact that Mariah Carey's scheduled performance at Northrup Auditorium this February may not happen because she doesn't have a promoter yet for the show, the Strib highlighted a curious point: Mariah Carey, despite being a certified Big Deal since the early 1990s, has never brought her five-octave freak show to the Twin Cities. What gives, girl?

Posted on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 in Front & Center | Permalink | Comments (0)