A holiday tradition of ballet and Tchaikovsky
Notable performances include those of Angie DeWolf and Spencer Doru Keith, who danced the powerful, sensual Arabian Variation, and Janelle Gilchrist and Junichi Fukuda, who leapt across the stage in the Russian Variation. Concluding the night was the Grand Pas de Deux with the Sugar Plum Fairy (Madeleine Bonn) and the Cavalier (Stephen James), both of whom danced with beautiful poise and strength through its multiple variations and coda.
Moana is a delightful new breed of empowering Disney princess movie
Like any good Disney movie worth its salt, Moana tethers its lighthearted comedy and rousing action to a central, uplifting theme.
Dutilleux’s 'Tout un monde lointain…' transports its audience to a new world
Thursday’s concert opened to the quaint charms of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune. The prelude conjured the image of a forest in the natural, rural world and the flutes carried this atmosphere well. The main themes of the clarinet and flute parts were dreamlike and serene, a strange juxtaposition with Zander’s animated conducting during the more invigorating passages.
A painting sets into motion a disturbing tale of eternal youth
Quite a bit of thought was put into the libretto and the performance itself — for such a philosophical novel, this adaptation is palatable for audience members who have not read the source material. In the lecture prior to the performance, Liebermann commented that he was particularly cautious while writing because he wanted the opera to be self-sufficient, not even requiring the program notes to understand the story.
“Urine” for a good show
In the world of Urinetown, urination isn’t a right, but a privilege. It’s a place without privacy, where you simply cannot ever hope to “pee in peace.”
A passionate and dedicated performance
The MIT Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Adam K. Boyles, presented classical music in a beautiful way and with great passion.
Wiesner Student Art Gallery revitalizes MIT’s art scene
The Wiesner Gallery reopened this past Wednesday to the public, featuring over 70 pieces from 18 of the Arts Scholars. The gallery’s organization was spearheaded by curator and manager of MIT Student Arts Programs Sam Magee and student curator and Arts Scholar Carmen Castaños G.
Arrival offers an original and mesmerizing take on extraterrestrial interactions
Contingent on a successful suspension of disbelief, Arrival delivers a thought provoking and understated drama with an astonishing denouement.
Sharply funny comedy, terminal illness, and 17th century poetry take center stage
Wit is a tour de force of human experience that dares to pose difficult questions about life, death, and the uncertainty of human mortality
A convoluted installation that explores history, culture, and society
The MIT List Visual Arts Center’s newest exhibition, Written in Smoke and Fire, feels as diverse and free-formed as the many sources of inspiration that artist Edgar Arceneaux is known to traditionally draw upon. A contemporary artist hailing from Los Angeles, Arceneaux often finds inspiration in history, science fiction, social movements, philosophy, and architecture, for the creation of his immersive installations that artfully synthesize diverse media like video, sculpture, and painting together.
Tiger Style follows two siblings as they explore their identites
The myth of the “tiger mom” took flight in the American imagination with the publication of Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, which sparked a nationwide controversy about the merits of Asian vs. Western parenting styles. Playwright Mike Lew “felt that it wasn’t being represented [fairly] in the media,” so he decided to write a play about it. He explores not only the myth of tiger parents and the question of what happens after the alleged Carnegie Hall recitals and Ivy League college graduations, but also the identity conundrum that faces Asian-Americans in the 21st century.
Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?
As the lights dim in La Sala on the second floor of the Stud, the spotlight focuses on a quiet scene in fair Verona (crafted by set designer Jakob Weisblat ‘18), where the age-old tragedy of star-crossed lovers is about to unfold. With their rendition of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble brings forth the time-worn themes of fate and free will, love and lust, that Shakespeare introduced in theaters centuries ago. The famed tragedy, directed by long-time theater veteran Francine Davis, brings the audience many laughs, tears, and the entire spectrum between the two.
Thuggery takes the stage and refuses to give it up
In this telling of political thuggery, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is injected with humor in a way that makes it easy to forget the seriousness and wrongness of what is unfolding in the play.
Mel Gibson’s graphic yet moving tribute to the sacrifices of war
Blood, death, dirt, flames, and shattered bodies arc across the screen in a depraved, slow-motion waltz of wartime gore that is sickeningly captivating.
Humorous yet poignant, Imogen Cooper delivers a charming performance
An evening listening to a solo piano recital by internationally renowned pianist Imogen Cooper is therapeutic for the soul. Cooper stepped out onto the stage, greeted warmly by applause. Her first piece, “The Virgin of Frydek” by Leoš Janáček, was performed with sublime tenderness, a sensitivity that is carried through her performance.
The American impressionist you’ve never heard of
William Merritt Chase — does the name sound familiar? A late 19th century American impressionist, Chase painted everything from portraits to still life to landscapes. Right now, a collection of his work is on display at the Museum of Fine Art (MFA), and it has been over three decades since a collection of his work of this size has been presented.
Our cool history professors
Both Minhaj and Wood agree that since we have a “comedian” running (in reference to Donald Trump), their comedy has been affected. Minhaj commented that political culture has become popular culture, saying that the “GOP ran the election like a high school election.” Wood said that as a comedian, you have to “cook with the ingredients you have,” and that the personal attacks that Clinton and Trump sling at each other provides them “ammunition.”
Vertigo Dance Company bestows Boston with its brilliance for the first time
The dancers were often full of life, bounding around the stage, rolling and leaping in synchrony. Other times, some dancers became inanimate. When they did, they became mere puppets — puppets "of the universe, of life and the audience," as Noa said.
An American in Paris dazzles Boston
An American in Paris nearly had me in tears. Not just once, or twice, or three times — I was continually overwhelmed with a range of ineffably blissful emotions. I'd be taking in the iconic music, the flawless dancing, the set, the acting, the story… and I'd be overcome with such an appreciation for being alive, in that theatre, sitting in that seat, experiencing such a beautiful performance.