It’s the title’s parenthetical “and then some” added to Every Christmas Story Ever Told that makes the Blue Barn’s holiday play such a delight. Like sending Clarence the angel from It’s a Wonderful Life to redeem Scrooge. But mostly it’s the performances by Ben Beck, Bill Grennan and Theresa Sindelar with Ben often the much-put-upon […]
Posted inSpecials
Cosmic Forecast, Nov. 24-Nov. 30
Thanksgiving is a counting of heads past the sign of the great death, Scorpio. More beings leave their bodies during Scorpio than any other sign. Since the beauty of astrology implies reincarnation, let’s wish pleasant journeys to the departed souls and say congratulations to those still embodied, who can still accomplish anything they (can) dream. […]
Posted inMusic
Thankful for Music
If you’re heading out on Thanksgiving Eve, be sure to stop in at the Barley Street Tavern after 9 p.m. for Matt Cox’s second annual Canned in Benson event to benefit the Omaha Food Bank. A cornucopia of local songwriters perform including Cass Brostad, Brad Hoshaw, Kyle Harvey, Rebecca Lowry, Justin Lamoureux, Sarah Benck, Andrew […]
Posted inMovies
Cutting Room for November 23
As someone who still giggles at the arc of Ice Cube’s career, you’ll find me chortling in the corner over this news: he’s gonna write and star in another Friday movie, possibly with Chris Tucker coming back. Tucker hasn’t made a non-Rush Hour movie since the Clinton administration, while Cube has been busy switching from […]
Posted inMusic
Botti – Inspired by Miles His Art Continues to Grow
The first thing that strikes the listener about Chris Botti’s music is the tone he gets out of that trumpet. Where have I heard that distinctive sound before? Then it dawns on you that it hasn’t been around, at least live, for 20 years now. It becomes even clearer when you ask Botti for the […]
Posted inCulture
Holiday Happenings
Christmas at Union Station The Durham Museum offers a full spectrum of holiday activities for people this season. The Ethnic Holiday Festival is an educational event for children. Marketing Director Shawna Forsberg said the festival offers a look at how different cultures celebrate the holidays. The festival takes place Friday, December 2nd from 5:00 to […]
Posted inSpecials
Bugs in Your Body
You’re only one-tenth the person you think you are. The vast majority of the cells that make up your body are not human. You thought your body was your own, eh? You think you’re one hundred percent human, right? Oh, sure, every once in a while a minor bacterial or viral species may cause a […]
Posted inCulture
Sex Please, We’re Sixty
Friday, Nov. 25th-Sunday, November 27th Sex Please, We’re Sixty Chanticleer Theatre, 830 Franklin Ave., Council Bluffs, IA Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. $17 adults; $14 seniors, $9 students. 712-323-9955; chanticleertheater.com Sex Please, We’re Sixty If you are looking for a non-holiday themed show to check out this weekend, you […]
Posted inMovies
Netflix Random Five: Thanksgiving
What’s a thanksgiving movie? I’ve been wondering that myself. Though I was raised in one of those few Nebraska families that didn’t watch football all day, I’m struggling to remember the sort of things we did watch after refrigerating the sacrificial bird’s remains. The simplest answer to the question, for my purposes here, would be […]
Posted inCulture
Idris Goodwin
In an era where manufactured pop stars such as Lady Gaga and Katy Perry rule the airwaves, it’s rare to get the real deal. Idris Goodwin is the real deal. The HBO Def Jam Poet, award-winning playwright, author, teacher, hip-hop artist and all-around creative wrecking ball has made hip-hop the center of his universe. House […]