Month: May 2014

Theater Review: “Carrie” — Stephen King Horror Story Morphed into a Ho-Hum Musical

May 27, 2014
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The trio of writers has flattened Stephen King’s gaggle of high school teens into two-dimensional clichés, devoid of any adolescent intensity.

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Visual Arts Review: At MIT — Discovering Hans Scharoun, Architect and Visionary

May 27, 2014
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German architect Hans Scharoun’s compelling story, as both a man and an artist navigating perilous times, has been neglected (aside from architectural historians and seriously informed students) until relatively recently.

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Theater Review: “The Other Place” — A Memorable Psychological Mystery

May 27, 2014
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“The Other Place” examines the devastating effects of an illness that is becoming far too relevant to our lives.

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Concert Review: Pianist Sean Chen — A Musician of Impressive Maturity and Artistry

May 27, 2014
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A critic can only wish pianist Sean Chen well in what bodes to be a spectacular career.

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TV Review: “Mad Men” Mid-Season Finale — Enjoyable, But Part of an Annoying Waiting Game

May 27, 2014
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It’s sort of like someone snatching the epic novel you’re a few chapters from the end of out of your hands and subsequently run off cackling into the sunset, only to allow you to finish it in a year.

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Theater Review: An Enigmatic “Abyss” — A Crime Drama About Serbs in Germany

May 26, 2014
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Does the distrust of (even a little) narrative ambiguity by North American dramaturgs and audiences mean that international plays must be made more ‘cinematic’ when they are produced here?

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TV Review: “The Normal Heart” — A Decent Update of an Aged Polemic about AIDS

May 25, 2014
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Most of HBO’s “The Normal Heart” is a pretty decent adaptation of the 1985 stage script, with some good things added, including an effective pre-credit section set on Fire Island in 1982.

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Fuse Coming Attractions: What Will Light Your Fire This Week

May 25, 2014
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Arts Fuse critics select the best in music, film, theater, visual arts, author readings, and dance that’s coming up in the next week.

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Album Review: Coldplay’s “Ghost Stories” — Going Through a Rough Patch

May 25, 2014
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Coldplay’s “Ghost Stories” is not a fun or a happy listen, but it is a worthwhile one.

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Concert Review: “The Monkees” — Pop Heavyweights Still Guaranteed to Raise a Smile

May 24, 2014
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Michael Nesmith’s proto-Americana songs had aged the least—listen to the jangly guitar and stream-of-conscious lyric on “Tapioca Tundra” and you’d swear that was where R.E.M. got the idea.

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