Everyone is looking for something different in their Christmas and the holiday season in general. For some, it’s a way to get some time off of school or work, and for others it’s a time to reflect on what they’re grateful for while surrounded by friends and family. The holidays can also be a rough […]
Bend Oregon Theatre
Posted inCulture
It’s Pronounced ‘Fronk-en-steen’
2nd St. Theater rolls out its “Young Frankenstein” musical
I hate to add to the already-divisive atmosphere our country is facing this year, but I have to say it: “Young Frankenstein” is the funniest movie of all time. I know, I know—you’re going to say that “Anchorman” is funnier, or perhaps “Ghostbusters” or the latest Kevin Hart cash-in. Nope. They’re not. I’ve thought about […]
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Good Vibrations
“In the Next Room” is a beautiful night of theater
There are some plays where it’s very easy to know exactly what you’re going to get going into them. If it’s a farce you know you’re going to get some broad belly laughs and a goofy, convoluted story. But with Sara Ruhl’s “In the Next Room”—known less formally as The Vibrator Play, everything I knew […]
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Don’t Dream It, Be It
“Rocky Horror” returns for the month of October
This has come up before, but I just wanted to reiterate that most days I feel like an old-ass man. Not just in body, but also in mind. People annoy me and I sometimes think the sun is overrated. If I had a lawn, I guarantee that I would yell at people to remove themselves […]
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Jenny From the Glock
“I Shot Jennifer Lopez” has its world premiere
When I heard the name of local playwright Cricket Daniel’s new play, a lot of things popped into my head. The title, “I Shot Jennifer Lopez,” reminded me of the 1996 film, “I Shot Andy Warhol,” by Mary Harron about Valerie Solanas, the ’60s radical who wrote a screenplay she wanted Warhol to produce. He […]
Posted inMusic
An Acoustic Life
Brett Dennen gets some pop on his folk
I know that this is a gross oversimplification, but I’m going with it anyway: Brett Dennen is a hit with the ladies. That’s not to say that his music is aimed at women specifically, but over the last few years, I have had at least two dozen women try to introduce me to Brett Dennen’s […]
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Broadway Revisited
Shore Thing Productions presents “A Chorus Line”
Though it debuted more than 40 years ago, “A Chorus Line” remains both entertaining and relevant to today’s theater-goers. Given the increasingly competitive job market—with application processes that often feel like Broadway tryouts—Shore Thing Productions’ take on the award-winning musical aims to resonate with modern-day audiences. Broadway veteran Michael Heaton, who was just getting his […]
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General Excitement
Silent 1926 classic, “The General,” screens with a new, live score
In case you haven’t seen it, Buster Keaton’s “The General” is one of the greatest movies ever made. No hyperbole needed or used: the movie is the pinnacle of the silent film era, combining some of the most jaw-dropping stunts and hilarious physical comedy ever captured on celluloid. To see a screening of “The General” […]
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Part of Our World
“The Little Mermaid” swims to shore
Disney is good at a lot of things: fostering childhoods, making billions, building theme parks, handling lawsuits and turning an existing intellectual property into spun gold again and again. Whether they are turning one of their classic films into a new theme park attraction, making direct-to-video sequels to 50-year-old cartoons or molding beloved animated movies […]
Posted inMusic
Spiritual Landscapes
Rusted Root is on its way
Rusted Root came together in Pittsburgh, Pa., in the early 1990s when front man Michael Glabicki dropped out of college to start a band. Their 1992 indie release “Cruel Sun” became their opening salvo into the music scene, combining an acoustic jam band style with socially conscious world music. From 1994 to 2009 the band […]