November 7, 2023
J’lan Stewart brought the house down at The Palladium last July when he performed “The Impossible Dream” in the final concert concluding the Songbook Academy® in late July. Sitting in the house was Carmel Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Anne Marie Chastain. She was so impressed... read more
July 15, 2023
Next week, I am covering public events of the Songbook Academy, a weeklong, national summer intensive for talented vocalists, sponsored by the Great American Songbook Foundation, co-founded by five-time Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein. The events include a masterclass on July 18, a showcase on the... read more
June 20, 2023
There was indeed a “A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” Friday night when “Million Dollar Quartet,” was presented by Actors Theatre of Indiana at The Palladium for the Center of The Performing Arts in Carmel. Presented previously in 2016 and 2018, this latest production was... read more
October 27, 2022
Whenever I have the opportunity to mention how I became a reviewer, I always credit Richard J. Roberts, who is the dramaturg at Indiana Repertory Theatre. When I first met Roberts in 1991, we were both members of the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus. At the time,... read more
October 14, 2022
Carmel Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Janna Hymes, is on an upward trajectory as a jewel in the crown of the Carmel arts scene. That assessment is based on the fact that each time I witness them perform, their improvement is unmistakably noticeable. Such was... read more
June 15, 2022
Growing up in the fifties, I fondly recall listening to music from the World War II- era, which was still playing on radio and television. It was the soundtrack of the lives of my parents and their generation, who not only experienced the war, but... read more
April 3, 2022
Singer-actor Vanessa Williams lit up the Palladium stage with the talent and charisma that earned her the Miss America title in 1984, and the distinction of being the first Black woman to wear the crown. Wowing the audience with her infectious showmanship, Williams held court... read more
November 1, 2021
There is no artist in Indiana who can capture the essence of another country’s culture as effectively or wondrously as Gregory Glade Hancock, artistic director of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. Just as he did in 2019’s “La Casa Azul,” an original musical about artist Frida... read more
