Articles

Hamlisch and show music matters

Appreciative applause met Marvin Hamlisch when, just a few hours ago, he announced from the podium at the Hilbert Circle Theatre that he’d be conducting a medley of songs from “My Fair Lady” as part of his pops program with…

Read More

Naked in Carmel

Few would object, on the one end, to a Norman Rockwell painting being hung in an art gallery window.

Few, at the other end, would approve of a city park screening of a Jenna Jameson skin flick.

But where is the line…

Read More

Super hero museum closes

Superman leaps tall buildings in a single bound (note: If he can fly, why does he bother leaping? Just asking).

Dane Nash took his own enormous leap—of faith—when he decided to put his Superman and Batman memorabilia collection—including a full-sized Batmobile…

Read More

You-review-it Monday

This weekend, I caught Dance Kaleidoscope’s “Funny Feet,” The Phoenix Theatre’s “End Days,” Beef & Board’s “Run for Your Wife” and stopped in, briefly, at the Midwest Museum of Contemporary Art’s “Backyard” at the Harrison Center.

In short, I spent a…

Read More

Convention Center President Bob Bedell to retire

Bob Bedell worked behind the scenes for months–if not years–to make the case for expanding the Indiana Convention Center
and building a 1,000-room hotel nearby. But someone else will have to fill both venues with visitors. The 60-year-old Indianapolis
Convention & Visitors Association president has said he’ll retire at the end of June.

Read More

Lining up for Romans

A three-hour wait to see a show at the Indianapolis Museum of Art?That’s what patrons report occurred in late December as Hoosiers took advantage of some free time to see “Roman Art from the Louvre” during its final…

Read More

IBJ Night at the Movies

Want to join us at an advance screening of one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year?

I’ll get to how in a second.

First, I wanted to ask if critics—of books, art, concerts, whatever—have influenced where you’ve decided to…

Read More

Indy arts: The Ballard years

“…  Frankly, if it comes down to another piece of art or another cop on the street, that’s not a close call.”
So said Greg Ballard in a post-election interview with IBJ.

With Ballard now officially on the job as mayor of…

Read More

Holiday Movies

The holiday movie season started for me with a sneak of “The Kite Runner,” continued with the flawed-but-fascinating “No Country for Old Men,” took me through the nail-biting “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” sidetripped into the domestic drama “The…

Read More

Actor embraces ho-ho-holiday gig

Ty Stover is not your average mall Santa. From his real beard to his jolly laugh and rosy pink cheeks, he is a living, breathing
version of St. Nick.

Read More

A&E dining: before and after

Last Friday, after catching the musical “Assassins” at Hedback Theatre, I barely made it to the new Meridian Bar and Restaurant in time for a late dinner.

What I want to talk about now, though, isn’t the show (that review will…

Read More

Live … from the big screen

A few weeks back in my IBJ Daily A&E e-mail blast (you can subscribe for free here: http://www.ibj.com/2k6_2/forms/regform_nh.asp),  I wrote about a recent presentation of a LaScala opera on screen at the Rave movie theater at Metropolis.

Last night, at…

Read More

A new ISO marketing move

Just yesterday, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra announced a new addition to its schedule–a Tuesday night preview concert of music excerpts from upcoming shows. The Jan. 8 coming-attractions evening ticket price is $5, which also includes a 2-for-1 offer for a future show.

Getting…

Read More

IBJ movie night: “The Savages”

If you picked up your tickets to see the preview of “The Savages,” the first IBJ Night at the Movies, please share your thoughts on the film after Monday night’s screening.

And look to “Lou Harry’s A&E” for information on future…

Read More

Price points

One of the productions I’ll be reviewing in the next IBJ is “Assassins,” the Stephen Sondheim musical staged by the new Indy-based company Lowbrow Productions (information at www.lowbrowproductions.org).

Something I probably won’t be mentioning in the article: The fact that…

Read More

End Times/Good Times

Today, “I am Legend” opens in theaters and “The Mist” is still lingering. I’m hoping to see both this weekend.
Next month, “End Days” opens at the Phoenix Theatre, and Spotlight Theatre will stage the apocalyptic “Early One Evening at the…

Read More

Mellencamp in the Hall of Fame

Just moments ago, it was announced that John Mellencamp will be inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A celebration of the honorees will occur March 10 at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC.

 Is it too early for Mellencamp? Too…

Read More

The Broadway series: What’s next?

A decent enough production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” is being presented this week at Clowes Memorial  Hall as part of the Broadway in Indianapolis series (my review will appear in the upcoming IBJ) and lobby speculation at Tuesday’s opening had…

Read More

Ballet in Indy: Another nut to crack.

For a town where dance lovers are still mourning the 2005 loss of Ballet Internationale, Indy seems to have an overabundance of sugar plum fairies this season, with Butler U.’s, Gregory Hancock’s, and the Indiana Ballet Co.’s   all going toe…

Read More

$24M makeover readies Historical Society for new era

Indianapolis Historical Society leaders are taking the next step in the evolution of the archival-research-based group. The
group’s 8-year-old facility, the Indiana History Center, is getting a Disneyesque makeover, as is its programs.

Read More