Only about 3 percent of students at the University of Arizona are arts majors, a designation which includes music majors; dance majors; theatre, film and television majors; and art majors. Lucky for us, Tucson is still a city that’s brimming with art. The College of Fine Arts’ new dean as of…
After the abrupt December departure of actor-comedian Kevin Hart as scheduled Oscar host, this year’s Academy Awards show on ABC will look and sound much different. Expect even more Hollywood social lectures than ever and probably the lowest Oscar viewership on record.
Springtime brings renewal—and nothing renews the mind like the arts. Here in Southern Arizona, we are blessed with a vibrant arts community that celebrates everything from classical masters in contemporary, cutting-edge works that will excite your imagination and inspire your passions.
Sometimes you need a good, deep breath and a dose of classical music in the springtime more than any other time of year.
Alongside the talented locals, touring companies are coming through town to entertain fans of dance, including an exploration of racial tension and a tribute to David Bowie.
So here we are, plopped into another year. Resolutions might have been made, only to be now stretched thin, lingering only as ghosts of their former selves. Oh well.
Once upon a time, 10 million years ago, there was no Baja California.
Fans of Liam Neeson in his “Taken” collection or 2014’s “A Walk Among the Tombstones” will enjoy this latest revenge-filled drama by the no-nonsense actor. Using razor-thin character development, “Cold Pursuit” frees up valuable screen time to focus solely on Neeson’s vigilante warpath. An e…
You might cry at “Love Letters,” the Oro Valley Theatre Company performance staged one night only, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13, at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley.
If the plethora of bite-sized meals, refreshing libations and live performances are any indication, our region’s culture is in good hands after another sold-out SAVOR Southern Arizona Food & Wine Festival at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
Film enthusiasts looking to warm up during the winter months or watch the perfect movie for a romantic Valentine’s Day at home will find love, hope and patriotism in these five great stories:
When Astor Piazzolla was a small immigrant boy living in Greenwich Village in the 1920s, he learned to love the tango music of his native Argentina by listening to records.
Coming late to the game to catch this mystery drama, I’d already heard “Serenity” had pulled in plenty of negativity and head scratching from fellow film critics. Written, produced and directed by “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” television game show creator Steven Knight, “Serenity” earned …
One of Netflix’s latest original films is sure to draw Colt revolver return fire from some fans due to its unique format and quirky cowboy storytelling. True Western aficionados, however, will saddle up and ride along on this fresh take on the Old West from the Coen brothers. Either way, “Th…
Truman Capote was a beautiful young man in 1955.
There’s a line in August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running,” in which Holloway, a character described in the script’s stage directions as “a man who all his life has voiced his outrage at injustice with little effect,” does just that.
When artist Annie Gordon visited the Asarco pit mine in Sahuarita, she was overwhelmed by its massive size.
Moviegoers who enjoyed last year’s enduring, award-winning story “Green Book” will find the same satisfying feeling in “The Upside,” starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart.
Perhaps it’s because he picked up the trombone when it was twice his size, but Troy Andrews never really cared much that some music gets called jazz and other music gets called funk or rock or soul.
Tosca Zoppé has performed in the circus since she was two years old, and while some may find that shocking, it’s nothing new for her lineage.
Yee-haw! Ándale, amigos!
Quickly approaching two decades of continuous U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, the burden placed upon the broad shoulders of our soldiers, sailors, members of the Air Force , Marines and Coast Guard remains heavy. On any given night in America, tens of thousands of veterans…
Howard Stewart remembers attending the annual Heart and Stroke Ball 10 years ago because it was just a fun event to go to. The American Heart Association’s Tucson Division puts together a lavish theme party complete with dancing, drinks, food, live music, performances and an auction all bene…
The Tucson Jazz Festival returns for its fifth year, but with a sad note after the death of its artistic director.
One of the world’s most beloved (and tragic) love stories is coming to Tucson when Arizona Opera performs “La traviata” next month at the Tucson Music Hall, and a group of opera lovers have arranged a special preview event in Oro Valley.
Continuing from last week’s top 10 films and best picture (“Green Book”) of 2018, here’s my take for the best individual performances of the year that was:
You only have to see the turnout at the Tucson Festivals of Books to know that Tucson is a book town—and as usual, there are plenty of books coming out of Southern Arizona this year, whether written by local authors or published by local presses. Here’s a roundup of some of the best.
The lineup for the Tucson Jazz Festival this year offers a typically awesome and eclectic range of artists and groups, running the gamut of the jazz universe. Trad, avant garde, jazz-rock—all are represented in some form or another. But there aren’t many other bands on the bill like West Vir…
What a year it’s been! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed (more than) my fair share of great movies, so, as 2018 comes to an end, here are my selection for the best films in terms of storytelling and performances:
In one of the most unheralded movies coming out this month, “Pretty Woman” Oscar-winner Julia Roberts teams up with rising 22-year-old acting phenom Lucas Hedges to deliver one of her best screen performances in years.
The albums Tucsonans released this year are as diverse and wild as the Sonoran desert itself. We heard some fantastic debuts, but also some long-awaited additions to already storied careers. Yes, the classic borderlands folk rock trumpeted out from many directions, but quite a few surprise g…
There were a lot of losses in 2018—from deaths (including pop culture icons like Stan Lee, politicians like John McCain, groundbreakers like Stephen Hawking and journalists like Jamal Khashoggi) to acres (a record-breaking nearly 1.9 million burned in California this year) to political contr…
Nollaig Shona, everybody! That’s Irish for Merry Christmas!
This year’s movie awards season is off to a lukewarm start. The year’s sure-fire motion picture hits include “A Star Is Born,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Green Book.” A trio of cinematic misses is still garnering Golden Globe nominations ahead of next month’s Oscar announcements. These strike…
No matter the country, audiences understand Estas Tonne. His guitar playing is both ethereal and grounded, spiritual and human. Relentlessly playing his hypnotic acoustic style, Tonne grew from a street performer to a world traveler, now in the midst of his first U.S. tour.
Brace yourselves for one of the most gritty and praise-worthy films of 2018. Thirty-nine-year-old director Barry Jenkins returns to his Oscar-winning form as he presents us with a period drama focused on the wrongful imprisonment of a young African-American from Harlem.
Danny Lyon first photo-graphed Ferny Jaramillo way back in the early 1970s, when Ferny was a beautiful young boy.
Maybe a story about a con man rolling into a small town to take advantage of a group of good-natured people doesn’t sound like what you need this holiday season. But a story about a con man who, through the power of love, finds it in him to step up and become a better person? That sounds lik…
A sensational cast transforms this true story about two men dealing with racial tensions back in 1962 into one of 2018’s funniest and best films. Using well-timed comedy relief throughout to offset deeply rooted racial tensions that flare up, “Green Book” emotionally navigates the heartfelt …
The Christmas season has come to Dickensville, and all of the town’s residents are excitedly preparing for their favorite time of year—with one exception.
Entering the final five weeks of awards season for 2018, movie enthusiasts can bank on seeing top-notch casts and productions with regularity. These Golden Globe and Academy Awards wannabes will flood theaters this holiday season to give moviegoers difficult choices to muster at the box offi…
The acclaimed painter Bailey Doogan endured a debilitating bout of depression for more than a year a decade ago.
This latest original feature film from Netflix takes viewers back to the bloody 14th century battlefields of Scotland, where a fight for independence from England continues under the leadership of one Robert Bruce.
Guests will be laughing from beginning to end at “The Odd Couple,” female version, staged by The Oro Valley Theatre Company on Nov. 14, 15 and 18, artistic director Judi Rodman believes.
Martha Graham is sometimes known as the Picasso of dance.
Stomp your feet and clap your hands: “Bohemian Rhapsody” will rock you. This spectacular biographical film on the legendary British rock band Queen and its lead singer Freddie Mercury quickly escalates from a historic, powerful music story to an enduring human narrative that touches your sou…
A young girl with piercing green eyes and a rust-colored veil caught the world’s attention back in 1985.
One of this year’s most awe-inspiring and uplifting movies is a National Geographic Documentary Films presentation following nine high school students from around the world, all competing for the top prize at the international science fair. This competitive journey among some of the best and…
Unfortunately, diehard fans of the western film genre will find the catchy-titled “The Sisters Brothers” movie bland and underwhelming.
It’s Halloween, and that means the orange leaves are falling as fast as the temperature itself. At least, that’s what we’ve heard happens, here in Tucson it’s business as usual.
A trio of Ironwood Ridge High School students rip through a myriad of ’90s rock favorites inside a high-ceiling living room. The three fresh-faced musicians are cutting loose in the early evening hours, playing the music their parents introduced them to as children.
