This week in history: Hattie McDaniel, first African American Oscar winner
On February 29, 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award.
“Race” and “Risen”: Two films, two very different kinds of hero
What does it mean to be a hero? What can we learn from our heroes? How shall we treat them?
Bringing Eleanor Roosevelt’s lover Lorena Hickok out of the shadows
The play's frank assertion that Hick and Eleanor were lovers represents a departure from earlier dramatizations of their relationship.
“Detroit Jazz City”: New CD celebrates the Motor City
Music enthusiasts may rarely think of Detroit when it comes to jazz ... but a new CD might change that.
“I kill a man…/I love a man…”: The Emile Griffith jazz opera
Of the hundreds of opera performances I have attended over a lifetime, rarely have I been so emotionally stirred as I was by this one.
A new opera focuses on Frau Schindler of “List” fame
In three acts, the opera features more than 20 roles, plus chorus, in scenes that alternate between the Schindler home and the factory.
New L.A. play says: Beware the catch in every dream
The new play "Dream Catcher" provides an uninterrupted 80 minutes of high drama between two passionate characters.
