Review

There will be another revival of this ground breaking musical as a celebration of its 50th birthday.  Previews will begin at the National Theatre in Washington DC on 12/16/08, the same theater where it first opened in 1957. It will then move on to Broadway in March 2009.
I love “West Side Story” and I love [...]

Each day countless stories unfold. Take a real life experience of your own and tell it in a way that only you can. Craft your story with words, photos or video. Make the ordinary magical, or the exotic familiar. Shock us, amaze us or make us pause to reflect. The only rule is that it’s real.

In this age of email and text messages, every once in awhile you need a stamp! Why not choose one that is pretty, historical and a celebration of black movies?
Ms Josephine Baker’s 1935 movie, “Princess Tam-Tam”, is one of only 4 films she made. It is included in 5 presented on a sheet of 42 [...]

“Chihuly at the de Young” * Thru 9/28/08

The de Young Museum in San Francisco, CA presents Dale Chihuly – American glass artist. You will see beautiful shapes, daring configurations, all in glorious color. Very dramatic.
His explanation of why people like his work, “People like to look at glass; it’s like looking at light”.
Born in Tacoma, [...]

Turks & Caicos International Film Festival (TCIFF)
October 15 – October 18, 2008
Film watching in the Caribbean - a perfect mix. (I know, its probably hot where you are now, but come October, a bit of sun, a few tropical drinks will look pretty good!)
By using international, independent cinema, the festival’s mission is [...]

“Double Exposure: African
Americans Before & Behind the Camera”
Photographic works from the 19th and 20th century will be shown at MOAD in San Francisco starting June 18. “The exhibition will present two predominant subject threads—popular culture and historical images of African Americans and the reality of black life as depicted by African Americans themselves.”
MOAD [...]

Summer seems to be a time for books – it’s a good thing!

*Los Angeles Black Book Expo – Sat., June 14, 2008

The Los Angeles Black Book Expo (LABBX) 2008 will feature authors, storytellers, spoken word and poetry performances, musicians, exhibitors, children’s book authors, emerging writers, publishers, booksellers, [...]

Reginald Marsh (1898-1954) * American artist who painted New York City life.

I love the “movement” of his paintings. You can feel the wind, hear the music…terrific.
Some of Marsh’s paintings are not quite so colorful as you see here, he gravitated toward regular people in the streets, at the burlesque, on [...]

“Those that stop their questioning at 75, 60, even 30, cut short their explorations and end up with permanently unfinished lives.” (From “Life Beyond Measure: Letter to My Great-Granddaughter”)

Wise octogenarian Sydney Poitier has been a national treasure for quite awhile. He’s won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a [...]

I really liked “In the Bedroom” the first time I saw it. It’s a movie with a monster who does not look like a monster. I recently watched the ending and appreciated the craft of the entire crew, especially the director in the choices he made. For me the movie is not about the crimes [...]