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Fuse Theater Review: Not-so-Hot “Heir”

October 10, 2012
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The first episode of the “Blood Rose Rising” series possessed creepy comic potential and an intriguing mix of multimedia, magic, and thrills that hinted at even better things to come. Alas, these hopes were dashed.

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Jazz Appreciation: Mark Harvey 44, Aardvark Jazz Orchestra 40

October 8, 2012
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Mark Harvey and the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra: It’s hard to remember what the Boston jazz community was like before Harvey came along. In fact, the term “jazz community” would have seemed far-fetched at best if anyone had used it.

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Film Commentary: Submitting to “The Master”

October 8, 2012
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Director Paul Thomas Anderson doesn’t provide answers nor does he pose questions: the ambiguity of his characters and his confounding storytelling style are what drive “The Master.”

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Jazz Review: Eliane Elias/ Marc Johnson – “Swept Away” at Sculler’s

October 7, 2012
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Intimacy has been the key note of bossa nova performance ever since the initial murmurings of Joao and Astrud Gilberto, and singer Eliane Elias can whisper with the best of them.

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Concert Review: Joshua Bell and the Boston Symphony Orchestra/Marcelo Lehninger

October 5, 2012
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This weekend’s soloist, Joshua Bell, is a performer who perhaps best approximates Leonard Bernstein’s charismatic personality in performance: a fully engaged interpreter, he does not shy away from physically expressing the emotional content of what he’s playing.

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Coming Attractions in Jazz: October 2012

October 4, 2012
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[Update: Tonight’s performance at Scullers by Mozik and special guest Rebecca Parris is still on. Rumor has it that the set will include Herbie Hancock’s “The Eye of the Hurricane”.] All treats, no tricks—it’s a great month for jazz in New England. The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra turns forty, and so does NEC’s Contemporary Improvisation department. Meanwhile, a raft of musicians make deep dives into electronica.

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Concert Review: Pianist Jorge Luis Prats — In the Grand Tradition

October 3, 2012
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Jorge Luis Prats’ performance was absolutely breathtaking, and one had the sense of being at a historic recital, of discovering a hugely gifted, yet virtually unknown, artist.

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Book Review: The Overthrow of Pessimism — Sherman Alexie’s Song of Redemption

October 3, 2012
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Grappling with one’s identity — complicated by the relationships between tradition and modernism, cultural history and the process of assimilation — is central to most of Sherman Alexie’s stories, and his exploration of these complexities is compelling and illuminating.

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Classical Music Sampler: October 2012

October 2, 2012
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The highlights of the month include appearances by star performers Joshua Bell, Stefan Jackiw, Jorge Luis Prats, and Arabella Steinbacher.

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Coming Attractions in Film: October 2012

October 2, 2012
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The month features a number of ambitious film festivals and the predictable cinematic excursions, classy and crass, into the spooky.

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