2013 Articles Archive Stories

Playwright Tennessee Williams wasn’t afraid to push some buttons. In 1947, the Broadway debut of his Pulitzer Prize-winning play “A Streetcar Named Desire” shocked with sexual and violent scenes and harsh dialogue, but it also received 30 minutes of applause, according to multiple sources. The Star Bar Players&r

The idea of the Springs Ensemble Theatre producing a Neil Simon play started as a joke between Steve Emily and Chad Siebert, president and vice president ofthe company. Normally, SET wouldn’t do a show like “The Odd Couple.” Their seasons are typically filled with newer, edgier works, such as “The Land Southward,&

The MeadowGrass Music Festival, now a staple of the Memorial Day weekend at La Foret Conference and Retreat Center in Black Forest, is back for round five. The three-day traditional and contemporary roots music congregation features national, regional and local acts. This year promises to be the biggest shindig yet, with more bands, new

It’s the Buddha’s 2,556th birthday, and the party is on. The Buddhist communities of Colorado Springs will celebrate by bringing together representatives from local sanghas (groups). Guest speakers include David Gardiner, Pat Komarow, Sarah Bender and Gail Gustafson. There’ll be a guided, loving-kindness meditation, time to pon

In the 1970s, during the prime of my TV viewing years, if I wanted to watch a television show, I had only three channels to choose from (I’m certain no kid in the 70s watched PBS so I’m not counting it). Viewers were at the mercy of ABC, NBC and CBS and whatever they decided to air. Not sitting in front of your TV set during the late

The basement of Steve Gurnett, the president of the Pikes Peak Whittlers, is a fanciful den of wood gone wild. In a small corner studio, finished and half-finished wood projects lurk. There are the Christmas ornaments waiting to be painted by his daughter — he gives her $10 for finishing each one. A mini bookcase is filled with woo

It’s an understatement to say Josh Fox is anti-fracking. His 2010 Oscar-nominated movie “Gasland” first introduced the powerful, shocking image of people who lived near hydraulic fracturing — also called fracking — lighting their tap water on fire. He traveled the country, interviewing scores of folks who ta

Burn the Maps is a listen band. So says Mike Kimlicko, one of the musicians in the local four-piece acoustic folk-pop band.“We have a lot of quieter, intricate harmonies with soft guitar parts,” he said. “So, in a loud bar with a lot of people talking, playing feels pointless. But in a quiet venue, where people ca

Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” had the second-highest-grossing opening of all time, $174.1 million, according to Box Office Mojo.That’s second only to 2012’s Marvel’s “The Avengers” at $207.4 million.Typically, the third in a series doesn’t fare as well, but “Iron Man 3” breaks

On Friday and Saturday, Colorado Springs Philharmonic music director Josep Caballé-Domenech will lead his orchestra in “An Evening with John Williams,” some of the most popular orchestral music composed in the past four decades. Music includes themes from “Raiders of the Lost

Coquette’s Bistro and Bakery is absolute proof that a gluten-free restaurant can offer delicious food that appeals to everyone. The entire menu, from soup to nuts, appetizers to deserts, can be ordered with the security of knowing you aren’t getting any gluten, but you are getting darn good food. I didn’t have to be glu

The first rule of Lunch Beat? If it’s your first lunch at Lunch Beat, you have to dance. That’s according to the Lunch Beat Manifesto. The Gallery of Contemporary Art at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs launched the lunch time dance series in December. The third one is Thursday in the Music Room at the Fine Arts Center. It&

Summer nights and live music seem to go together like ice cream and waffle cone. You can immerse yourself in some free tunes almost every night from May to September in parks all over the city. Pull out this list and keep it handy. HILLSIDE GARDENS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES6:30-8:30 p.m. WednesdaysHillside Gardens, 1006 S.

Comedian Ron White is synonymous with Scotch and cigars. He won’t go on stage without either. For nearly three decades, he has told tales at the mic, pausing at just the right moment before throwing out the punchline and taking a healthy sip of his beverage. It was the Blue Collar Comedy Tour that really sent his star heave

A postal clerk and a librarian — Herbert and Dorothy Vogel — made quite a name for themselves in the art world. Shortly after their wedding in 1962, they began to amass one of the country’s largest art collections, more than 4,000 pieces. A portion of that collection, which has been called a work of art in itself, was g

At 50, jazz man Chris Duarte looks back on himself at 21 — the start of his professional music career — and laughs. “I thought I was it,” Duarte said during a phone interview. “I had music figured out.” Duarte, who plays Saturday at the Crystola Roadhouse, was living in Austin, Texas, the heart

The number 40 evokes a myriad of biblical allusions. That’s fine with the Soli Deo Gloria Choir, which is celebrating four decades of making music Saturday afternoon. Even though the 81-voice ensemble is unaffiliated with any church or religion, they have a distinct spiritual mission. “The music we sing is an art pie

Prolific composer and pianist Cole Porter was at first a wealthy playboy who performed only at parties. But, then, composer Irving Berlin came along and wasted no time telling Porter he was wasting his talent. That was the kick in the pants Porter needed to go on and write successful Broadway shows such as “Kiss Me, Kate” and “

The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony will pull off feats of musical genius this weekend. Bryant So, a 14-year old eighth-grader from Mountain Ridge Middle School, will be announced as the winner of the Youth Symphony Young Artist Competition. He’ll perform Pablo de Sarasate’s “Zigeunerweisen,” the audition piece th

This is the story of how a Canadian stag party gift turned into a sleeper hit on Broadway. In 1997, real-life couple Bob Martin and Janet Van De Graaff were about to get married. As a gift, some of their friends decided to create a spoof of old Broadway musicals for the couple’s stag party. It was a hit. Martin and Don McKellar, on

This is for fans of things that go bump in the night. Like me. I’ve always wanted to stay at The Stanley Hotel, which was famously the inspiration for Stephen King’s horror novel, “The Shining.” The Stanley Film Festival will showcase short and feature-length classic and contemporary independent horror cinema, all set at

It’s never too early to introduce kids to the arts. Ten local arts organizations, including Classical 88.7 KCME-FM, will host The Classics for Kids Festival on Saturday at The Citadel mall. The event will provide a day of free music, dance, art and performance in the Imagination Celebration space and other spots around the mall.

A night of fashion will all go back to the earth. Literally. April is Earth Month, and Veda Salon and Spa will celebrate with its annual recycled fashion show and Greenie Awards. The proceeds will go to the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, which is rehabilitating the burn area caused by the Waldo Canyon fire. One of the best parts

What can I say? I am a product of the ‘80s and ‘90s, and Andrew McCarthy was dreamy in “Pretty in Pink” and “St. Elmo’s Fire.” I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only is he an actor, but he’s a writer, too. He’s written a bunch of travel articles, and his new book, “The Longest

Of all the Brat Packers, Andrew McCarthy’s career has gone the furthest – in both breadth and mileage. The actor who appeared in “Pretty in Pink,” “St. Elmo’s Fire” and “Weekend at Bernie’s” went on to fill his Internet Movie Database page with dozens of acting, writing and dire