Most of us know the rhyme about the unfortunate fates of Henry VIII’s six wives: “Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.” After seeing the all-city teen production of the musical SIX, codirected by Morgan Kaplan and Andrew Maynerich, you can add “revived” to the end of that poem. SIX reimagines Henry’s wives as a glam-pop, […]
Courtney Wick
Courtney Wick is active in the area theater scene. Most recently, she wrote and directed the murder-mystery comedy “Nightmare at the Hot Mess Hair Salon,” a follow-up to her previous production, “Nightmare at the Sweet Dreams Inn.”
Posted inArts & Culture
Three Springfield artists win 2024 City Arts Grants
The Springfield Area Arts Council has announced its three recipients of the 2024 City Arts Grants: Reggie Guyton for performing arts, Devin Larson for visual arts and Jaliyah Ross for literary arts. Each of these artists will receive $3,000 to develop their craft and enhance the vibrancy of Springfield’s art community and culture. The selection […]
Posted inArts & Culture
World champions from Springfield
The Sharp Shooters, a six-man Springfield team, took home the coveted first place Charlie the Cougar trophy and $11,000 prize money at the 44th annual VNEA World Pool Championships in Las Vegas earlier this month. The 2024 VNEA open division is a tournament for non-professional players, and it hosted 383 teams from 20 different countries. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Real-life chemistry of leads brightens Muni’s The Music Man
Meredith Willson’s well-known 1957 musical, The Music Man, follows the story of Harold Hill, a con man who poses as a band director, promising to teach the children of River City, Iowa, to play musical instruments. He charms the unsuspecting townsfolk with chicanery and musical nonsense. The town librarian, Marion, is the only one who […]
Posted inNews
AI’s impact on art
An upheaval is emerging in the art world. Artificial intelligence, once confined to the pages of a sci-fi paperback, is now part of our daily lives and challenging our view of creativity. As AI-generated art begins to grace galleries, newspapers and music studios, both artists and techies find themselves at a crossroads. AI confronts our […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Oh, what a night!
The Muni’s Jersey Boys is an impressive, energy-packed romp documenting the many decades of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. It is brilliantly structured, with each of the original Four Seasons narrating a different “season” of their lives. The story begins on the seedy streets of their youth and transitions to their 1960s Top-40 glory […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
The sound of community
The number 50 holds special significance for The Capital Area Concert Band. Not only has it been a fully formed orchestral ensemble for half a century, it also has performed at 50 venues in Springfield. With 50 dedicated volunteer musicians spanning 75 years from ages 17 to 92, the CACB continues to resonate with the […]
Posted inNews
From Pride to produce: Downtown Springfield’s weekend of festivities
If you’re looking to find the end of the rainbow this weekend, head to downtown Springfield where four vibrant community events converge into a kaleidoscope of family-friendly fun. There’s a little something for everyone with live music, shows, art, books, vendors, and of course, delicious food. So, pack a bag (an empty one so you […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The 39 Steps, hilarity with a side of espionage
The 39 Steps is a fast-paced, funny stage parody of the classic novel by John Buchan and the subsequent Alfred Hitchcock film. The spy-thriller plot points are all there but the vibe has been replaced with a frantic commedia dell’arte, a theatrical form characterized by improvised dialogue and a cast of colorful characters. Set in […]
