Culture Vulture

Book Review: Lucinda Franks’s Memoir – A Deeply Romantic Story of a May-December NYC Power Couple

September 1, 2014
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Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Lucinda Franks’s writing can be brilliant, deeply honest, and startling; other times superficial, sentimental, New Agey, or simply not credible.

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Music Review: An Exhilarating Performance of “Candide” at Tanglewood

August 17, 2014
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It occurred to me that, given the variety of the Metropolitan Opera’s current problems, maybe General Manager Peter Gelb should consider putting this best of all possible Candides on his menu.

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Theater Review: A Remarkable “Dancing Lessons” at Barrington Stage

August 14, 2014
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Mark St. Germain’s romantic comedy is never less than provocative, fresh, and unexpectedly moving.

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Arts Fuse Tip: “Boyhood” — An Extraordinary Look at the Contemporary American Family

August 5, 2014
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The title of Richard Linklater’s extraordinary film did not lure me to the theater. A friend’s recommendation did.

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Theater Review: “Annapurna” — A Lyrical Look at Living With Terrible Choices

July 12, 2014
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Chester Theatre Company productions often remind me of concerts in a chamber music series that feature musicians who have worked together for long periods of time.

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Fuse Theater Review: A Glitzy, But Empty, “June Moon”

July 7, 2014
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June Moon is a piece of satirical fluff with 27 characters, lots of piano playing, and a half-dozen memorable lines.

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Book Review: The “Jewish Lives” Series — Biography Simplified But Illuminating

June 27, 2014
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YUP’s uneven Jewish Lives offers a series of short, accessible biographies that could become a significant literary mural, showcasing the scope of Jewish culture.

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Theater Review: “Working on a Special Day” — A Very Unusual Show

June 23, 2014
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Working on a Special Day is an unusual show in every way, and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to see it.

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Film Review: An Obscure But Fascinating Documentary on the Life of Edith Wharton

June 3, 2014
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Artist/scholar Elizabeth Lennard has managed to evoke the breadth of Edith Wharton’s life and work in a relatively short and vivid film.

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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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