Tuesday news and reviews

Books

A quick look at recent releases

"The Red Garden" by Alice Hoffman, and "Bitter Melon" by Cara Chow

- Star Tribune

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Movies

Scenes shot in Twin Cities for movie starring Anthony Hopkins

Heavy snow at MSP was ideal for shooting scenes for film starring Anthony Hopkins.

- PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune

Oscar morning after: Local fashions, and the Corey Haim snub

- Max Sparber, MinnPost.com

Oscar aftermath, winners and losers

Co-hosts of the Oscars, Anne Hathaway and James Franco did a fabulous job and I for one really loved the fast paced flow and cutting edge flare of the event.

- Ted Engen, Examiner.com

Music

(FYI - Josh Groban is coming to Minneapolis Target Center on July 8 ...and The Monkees will perform July 1 and 2 at the Minnesota Zoo)

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: 2011-12 will mix old, new

Included are five world premieres along with a focus on composers Bach, Mendelssohn and Schubert.

- GRAYDON ROYCE, Star Tribune

Double the pleasure: Season shows off two sides of SPCO

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra leads a double life. To some, it's an ensemble expert at interpreting music of the 18th and early 19th centuries. To others, it's one of America's prime presenters of new works by contemporary composers.

- Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press

Tapes 'n Tapes at First Avenue, 2/25/2011

Any Tapes performance has its fair share of guitar-shredding screams, but with the bass line turned way up and the vocals turned way down, the show at First Ave was, in some ways, shockingly loud and a little dark.

- Natalie Gallagher, City Pages

Tapes 'n Tapes homecoming show lacked the right mix

Tapes 'n Tapes were great. It's just too bad that the sound was so off. There was too much reverb, not enough vocals. Not enough vocals, too much drums.

- Lindsay Lelivelt, Examiner.com

Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson at Mystic Lake Casino, 2/27/11

What can I say. This was really, really cool.

- Nikki Miller, City Pages

Jamey Johnson sets 'em up at Fine Line

Johnson's fans knew most his songs and sang along as if they were gospel texts -- which was pretty remarkable in his case, since he has only received a smattering of radio play.

- Chris Riemenschneider

David Gray talks about his favorite and least favorite songs

His latest release, 2009's Draw the Line, put him at the forefront of success again for the first time in quite a few years with songs like "Fugitive" and "Nemesis."

- Cindal Lee Heart, City Pages

The Gateway District talk about their new album

Although the members are often scattered across the country due to other obligations, they found the time to get together for Perfect's Gonna Fail, which will be released in March on It's Alive Records.

- Loren Green, City Pages

From the heart of treme

Singer/trombonist Glen David Andrews crowd-surfs from New Orleans to Minneapolis on a growing wave of acclaim.

- RICK MASON, Star Tribune

Akron/Family at the Cedar Cultural Center, 02/25/11

While their 'all is love/love is all' hippie-vibe isn't for everyone, for their hardcore fans it's a philosophy which they clearly identify with and adhere to.

- Erik Thompson, City Pages

Stage

'Song's' refrain: Simple story, complex emotions

A youngster and his biology teacher stand out in Latte Da's "Song of Extinction."

- GRAYDON ROYCE, Star Tribune

'Hair' is back. But this time, everybody is feelin' groovy.

Unlike in 1971, when St. Paul was a bit more uptight

- Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press

'Barrio Grrrl!' playwright relishes chance to write for children

Alegria-Hudes is thrilled to have more audiences see her musical about 9-year-old Ana, her invisible sidekick Amazing Voice, and her super hero alter ego, Barrio Grrrl.

- Ed Huyck, City Pages

Brave New Workshop moves closer to buying new building downtown

The Minneapolis City Council's 12-0 vote Friday to approve Brave New Workshop's purchase of the Hennepin Stages space moves the longstanding local comedy troupe one step closer to opening a new home in downtown Minneapolis.

- Ed Huyck, City Pages

Guthrie pays tribute to late artistic director

The late Michael Langham will be the focus of a tribute Sunday at the Guthrie Theater.

- Chris Hewitt, Pioneer Press

Chanhassen Dinner Theatres holds food drive

The "Feed My People" food drive is a partnership between Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, which is sponsoring Chanhassen's production of "Jesus Christ Superstar."

Associated Press