Currently Browsing: Arts: Performing Arts

Jazz Violinist Regina Carter: “I Wanted to Have My Own Voice.”

Regina Carter is a musician I have admired for years. She’s a jazz violinist and composer whose performances are electrifying. When I found out that a friend could connect me with her, I jumped at the chance. Interviewing her was like speaking with an old friend. She was warm, friendly, and open.

When Regina plays, she radiates exuberance.… read more.

CONTINUE READING

Camelot Music Director Kimberly Grigsby is at the Heart of the Musical

This past weekend, several FF2 team members gathered at Lincoln Center to see the new revival of Camelot. The whole production was beautifully done, with a pared-down yet visually striking set, intricately crafted costumes, and excellent performances by all of the stars. 

Yet, at the end of the show, there was one element that stood out to all of us: the music.read more.

CONTINUE READING

Rain & Sunshine in Mira Nair’s ‘Monsoon Wedding: The Musical’

Monsoon Wedding comes to a close exactly as its name suggests. Rain, falling in steady streams around the celebration, encloses the wonderful ensemble of characters in rectangular reverie. Carnations swing from the balcony, and rows of unfurled drapery hang in vibrant orange and reds. The show’s fused families, not assured that this wedding would take place at all, twist their hands in careful flourishes that rival even the most classic of Bollywood movies.read more.

CONTINUE READING

Feisty Country Chicks: Celebrating ‘Taking the Long Way’

Today, as I was driving in the car with my best friend, we listened to The Chicks. We drive together to a lake in north east Alabama multiple times each year, and every time we go we listen to “Goodbye Earl,” “Wide Open Spaces,” “Cowboy Take Me Away,” and “Travelin’ Soldier.” Together, we sang along to the music while winding our way through cow pastures and up into the mountains of lower Appalachia.read more.

CONTINUE READING

Constructing a ‘Record’: On Ma délire: Songs of love, lost and found

One of the most distinctly human tendencies might be the cataloging of things: making lists, records, organizing them by shape, color, alphabetical order. For as long as I can personally remember, I have been obsessed with collecting and keeping artifacts from places I’ve been: movie tickets, plane tickets, museum tickets.… read more.

CONTINUE READING

FF2 Media Declares Mother’s Day 2023 “Loretta Lynn Day”

Happy Mother’s Day Mommy. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Mamas out there too!

Guest Post by Lisa Siegrist

It seems only fitting on this Mother’s Day to pay tribute to Loretta Lynn—country music icon and mother of six—who died last year on October 4, 2022. Since this is the first year in decades that her own voice will be silent on this day, we will sing about her on behalf of women in audiences everywhere.… read more.

CONTINUE READING