Friday news and reviews
Art
There's an element of surprise in the gorgeous work of painter Margaret Wall-Romana.
- Mary Abbe, Star Tribune
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'Art of Gastro Non Grata' at Pink Hobo gallery
It is not often that all of one's favorite things (art, music and chow) come together with such nifty-cool force.
- Shelby Meyers, City Pages
Books/Writing
Immigration history told through letters in the 'Heart Connects Us Project'
A heartbreaking collection of letters between American immigrants and their families back home is now on view at the Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota.
- Sheila Regan, City Pages
Read "The Kitchen Ghost" by Colleen Coyne, a 2010 finalist in mnartists.org's mnLIT/What Light Poetry Project competition; her poem was selected for this year's cycle by writer Sandi Wisenberg.
- mnartists.org
When you feel like you need a hand, when you feel like you are the only writer in the world wrestling with a certain demon, or when you are just plain out of ideas, pick up this book.
- Linda White, Examiner.com
Bookcase of Wayzata looking to move
"We have made no secret over the past few months about the struggles we are facing in our uphill battle to simply break even," he wrote. "To that end, we have come to recognize that our No. 1 problem right now is the cost of renting our building."
- Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune
Dance
A Hymn for Art, Beauty and Faith
Camille LeFevre parses the recent performance, "Devotion," a provocative new dance work with powerful religious and spiritual overtones by Sarah Michelson and Richard Maxwell, recently on stage at the Walker Art Center.
- mnartists.org
General
Immigrant song: 'Agnes Under the Big Top' at Mixed Blood; letters from immigrants at the U of M
- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com
Weekend happenings: happy hour at Sea Change, German baroque, 'Repo Man,' and heavy 'Gravity'
- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com
Movies
A Farrelly brothers comedy sets hubbies and wives free for a week of philandering. Some hilarity ensues.
- Colin Covert, Star Tribune
It's time faith-based movies begat something decent
The latest in the market-a-movie-to-churches trend, "The Grace Card" has the ring of a sermon about it.
- Chris Hewitt, Pioneer Press
Farrelly Brothers' "Hall Pass": Perfect for a low-expectations date night
Are the major movie studios correct that the preferred date-night entertainment of 40-something married couples is slapstick comedies about contrived moral dilemmas among 40-something married couples?
- Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet
Spanish filmmakers in South America seek to right a historical wrong even as they repeat it.
- Colin Covert, Star Tribune
Mostly cloudy, chance of thunder, predictable storm
It takes about two seconds to guess the point of "Even the Rain," but it takes about two hours for the movie to work its way to that point.
- Chris Hewitt, Pioneer Press
Documentary maker Doug Block was somewhat obsessive about recording his beloved daughter's life.
- Colin Covert, Star Tribune
Review: Being a chip off the old Block is no easy matter
Doug Block is a very thoughtful filmmaker. And I'm so glad I'm not in his family.
- Chris Hewitt, Pioneer Press
Cuban films, from politics to dance
The second annual Cuban Film Festival has arrived.
- Colin Covert, Star Tribune
Music
Hip-hop stirs up the heartland
The "urban" music of indie-rap's Atmosphere is finding fertile ground in sold-out outstate concerts.
- Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
Shorai bids 'Idol' adieu from Dakota
The Minneapolis singer had a well-timed gig booked opposite her cut from the Fox TV show.
- Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
Play Carnegie? Try Finnishing school
The Minnesota Orchestra under Vänskä and violinist Batiashvili gave stunning accounts of Beethoven, Sibelius.
- Larry Fuchsberg, Special to the Star Tribune
Trampled under foot (4 at a time)
Stomp-rockers the 4onthefloor are kicking into high gear and all over the map.
- Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
Alexi Murdoch at the Cedar, 2/23/11
The heavily anticipated Alexi Murdoch show at the Cedar Cultural Center was everything that everyone had hoped for, and then some.
- Cindal Lee Heart, City Pages
Painter Greg Rose talks about his new musical endeavor, G-hop
Not really resembling your typical Twin Cities backpack-and-tattoos hip-hop artist, Greg's sound has a softer and less self conscious edge, more like the sunshiny vibe of your average '90s art school college DJ set.
- Danny Sigelman, City Pages
For his fifth essay on jazz for mnartists.org and the Walker, composer/pianist Jeremy Walker ruminates on recent turmoil in the Cities' jazz scene - the closing of the Clown Lounge, no more music at Cafe Maude - and asks, "Is anybody really listening?"
- mnartists.org
Making it through the night together
Merle Haggard hits the road with Kris Kristofferson.
- Jon Bream, Star Tribune
Merle and Kris be darned: The weekend in country
Opportunities to get your country fix abound this week.
- Nikki Miller, City Pages
Josh Ritter at First Avenue: So happy
The questions I couldn't get out of my head throughout Ritter's two-hour set were: Why didn't I start listening to this guy years ago instead of months ago? Why isn't everyone I know listening to Josh Ritter? And how can he be so happy?
Kate Gallagher, TC Daily Planet
Stage
Amid kings and lords, these three women rivet our attention in the Guthrie's production of the late Shakespeare play.
- Rohan Preston, Star Tribune
'Journey' brings classic Islamic text to the stage
The University of Minnesota presents a world premiere adaptation of a classic work of 12th-century Islamic writing this weekend, which will be followed by a second run at the Children's Theatre Company.
- Ed Huyck, City Pages
'FELA!' tops 2011-2012 Ordway season
Two of the hottest shows from the 2010 Broadway season are on their way to the Ordway, but you are going to have to wait a year (or more) to see them.
- Ed Huyck, City Pages
Steve-O shares entirely too much information with City Pages
This Thursday through Saturday, Steve-O hits Rick Bronson's House of Comedy inside the Mall of America as part of his "Entirely Too Much Information" standup comedy tour, where he'll be taking the stage with one mission in mind: to prove sobriety hasn't changed or softened him up.
- Patrick Strait, City Pages
This play was not mere entertainment: it was the painful revisiting of our country's history of slavery.
- Jeanette Fordyce, TC Daily Planet
"Jesus Christ Superstar" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres: Crucifixion blues
I was raised Catholic, and I can only imagine that when this show premiered on Broadway in 1971, there were a lot of people who thought, "You see? This is why Vatican II was a bad idea."
- Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet