Nico Muhly Speaks Volumes by Ronald Sklar What type of person do you imagine when you conjure up someone writing and arranging compositions for the likes of The Boston Pops, the American Symphony Orchestra, The Julliard Orchestra and The American Ballet Theater (if you think about this at all)? Perhaps some crusty old geezer who farts dust? … Continue reading
Dale Watson Lone Star State of Mind by Ronald Sklar How’s this for irony: Dale Watson – who embodies both the past and the promise (but possibly not the future) of country music – is talking to me on his cell phone. Forget about me – I’m about as far away from country as you … Continue reading
Shadoe Stevens Voice on the Air by Ronald Sklar When asked if he was indeed the world’s youngest DJ, at age 11, in Jamestown, North Dakota, Shadoe Stevens answers like a true native. “Yah,” he says, in that clipped Midwestern drawl, like a character out of the flick Fargo. The answer is true, but the “yah” … Continue reading
Claire Danes, Hugh Dancy and Mamie Gummer – Some Enchanted Evening by Jay S. Jacobs Originally posted on June 29, 2007. Susan Minot’s novel Evening was embraced by a huge readership upon being released. The novel is about the choices people make and how they are formed by them. A woman at the end of … Continue reading
Natasha Richardson Late in the Evening by Jay S. Jacobs In Evening, Natasha Richardson plays a difficult role, that of an adult daughter watching her mother slowly losing the fight for life. The part is probably doubly heart-wrenching for the actress because her own mother – screen legend Vanessa Redgrave – plays the elderly woman coming … Continue reading
Peter Stickles Something in the Lair by Ronald Sklar Photography by Eugene Gallegos When New-York-based actor Peter Stickles yearned for a role he could sink his teeth into, he wasn’t just whistling “Dixie.” As the lead vampire in the new Here TV drama The Lair, Stickles plays a vampire so evil that his name is Damian. … Continue reading
Lumidee Expect the Unexpected by Abraham Kuranga After literally exploding on the music scene with the Reggaeton-flavored “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh),” Lumidee has returned with the aptly titled Unexpected. The Spanish Harlem native, born Lumidee Cedeño, has experienced the highs and lows of a successful single. Now she is prepared to establish a successful career. “All the success from the … Continue reading
Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless She’s Lacey and She’s Cagney by Jay S. Jacobs It was a series that broke all the rules. A cop drama in which the two leads were both women – looking at the personal and professional lives of two women making their way in a man’s world and not only keeping up, but … Continue reading
Once Around Dublin’s Streets with Glen Hansard & John Carney by Brad Balfour Fashioning a hybrid from two cinematic genres can either pay off or be a profound failure. In the case of John Carney’s debut feature, Once, he succeeds handily. Maybe that’s because he enlisted his longtime pal and former band member, Glen Hansard, lead … Continue reading
JOSHUA FERRIS IS NOT CLOSE TO THE END BY RONALD SKLAR The problem with anything set in an office is just that – is it truly set in an office? The correct tone is more often than not never struck, and the corporate atmosphere almost always feels exaggerated and artificial, as if written by a … Continue reading
PopEntertainmentblog.com 