As the age of Covid-19 wanes (or waxes?), Arts Fuse critics supply a guide to film, dance, visual art, theater, and music. Please check with venues about whether the event is available by streaming or is in person. More offerings will be added as they come in.
Main Content
Latest in Visual Arts
Visual Arts Commentary: NFT Art — Disinterested Creativity or an Investment Strategy?
Clearer heads conclude that there will be plenty of cultural space for both physical art and this highly monetized new digital art.
Latest in Music
Rock CD Review: John Powhida International Airport — “This Phasor Sounds Divine”
Like his idol, Todd Rundgren, John Powhida is a bit of a musical shape-shifter, evoking a broad range of styles but always with his unique and easily recognizable stamp.
Latest in Dance
Author Interview: Vermont’s John Killacky — At the Service of Art, Critique, and Civic Conversation
“I believe artists create a safe space for unsafe ideas in our world.”
Latest in Television
Television Review: “Single All the Way” — The Usual Holiday Ooey Gooey
Single All the Way is a Hallmark Christmas movie with two gay men inserted in, which means they have just as little chemistry as the straight couples in these films do.
Latest Short Fuses
December Short Fuses – Materia Critica
Each month, our arts critics — music, book, theater, dance, and visual arts — fire off a few brief reviews.
Latest Podcast
Short Fuse Podcast #47: “Our Town” — The Greatest American Play?
In this episode, Bryan Halperin and Howard Sherman talk about the enduring power of Our Town with host Elizabeth Howard.
Latest in Books
Book Review: “Milk Fed” — The Glory of the Zaftig
For all the sensual lushness of Melissa Broder’s writing, that hard center remains, one where appetite invites awareness, bringing with it pain as well as satiety.
Latest in Theater
Arts Remembrance: Stephen Sondheim – Musical Theater Mourns the Passing of a Giant
Stephen Sondheim was the most influential musical-theater artist of the modern era. His death leaves a permanent hole in the art form and in the hearts of his fans.
Latest in Film
Film Review: “Boiling Point” — Heat in the Kitchen
Boiling Point is as suspenseful a film as anything else I’ve seen this year.
Latest in Food
Theater Review: “Seared” — A Recipe for Comedy
Theresa Rebeck’s foodie comedy Seared is more of an amiable appetizer than a substantial entree.
Read the Latest
Classical Concert Review: Pianist Conrad Tao in Recital
During the pandemic months, Conrad Tao – who, in addition to being an exceptional pianist, is also an accomplished composer – has evidently been honing his skills as an improviser.
Film Review: “The Feast” — Eating the Rich
The Feast isn’t coherent enough to go toe to toe with modern folk horror heavyweights, but it’s an admirable entry in the canon.
Jazz Albums Review: Innovation Through Singular Combinations
Two new Chicago-connected releases explore combinations of flute, cello, percussion and more to good effect.
Television Review: “The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For” — Past Its Expiration Date
As it chronicles the rise and fall of the titular Von Dutch brand, the series tries to exploit nostalgia and true crime at the same time.
Concert/Stream Review: A Far Cry’s “Emergence” — Typically Eclectic
The Crier’s program pairs three composers one doesn’t always find together. As is likewise the norm with this group and their selections, everything somehow connects – and on multiple levels.