Arts & Entertainment

A&E

“Legally Blonde” Looks Pretty in Pink

By Candace Carter | November 20, 2013

As first-year College student Victoria Tovig prepares to step into the role of Elle Woods this weekend, she has one solemn warning for her audience: “expect lots of pink.” Still, not everything has been rosy ahead of First Year Players’ anticipated production of “Legally Blonde: the Musical.” Director Richard Farella, a fourth-year Engineering student, chose to put on this musical despite the formidable obstacles, ranging from complicated set requirements to a need for impressive vocal talent.

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A&E

Know thine “enemy”

By Julia Skorcz | November 20, 2013

Sometimes, it’s not just about what you see, but also what you hear. Frenzied voices in heated argument, chaotic chants, screeching rockets, The Beach Boys and the bone-chilling echo of a single gunshot took the stage during the University production of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People.” This alluring but unconventional soundtrack took the place of the Gershwin melodies of Drama Department shows past, consistently keeping audience members on the edge of their seats. Beyond its auditory experience “Enemy” is an impressive culmination of both dramatic and comedic features, which together help craft a powerful storyline that won’t easily be forgotten. The play, adapted for the University’s Ruth Caplin Theater by Assoc.

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A&E

"Our Nixon” captivates modern audience

By Madison DeLuca | November 14, 2013

Award-winning documentary “Our Nixon,” part of the Virginia Film Festival, drew a mixed crowd of students and Charlottesville locals to Newcomb Theater on Sunday afternoon.

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A&E

Cable-crossed lovers:

By James Cassar | November 14, 2013

Distance sucks. There’s really no other way to put it. Sure, with the Internet expediting communication and shows like “Catfish” glamorizing transcontinental romance, you’d think it’d be easy to surmount hundreds of miles in pursuit of love.

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A&E

'Philomena' not just filler

By Andrew Shachat | November 14, 2013

The Virginia Film Festival has a rich tradition of bringing the silver screen’s best to Charlottesville, and this year was no exception with “Philomena” as a shining beacon.

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A&E

A Princess on Fire

By Katie Cole | October 2, 2013

At the tender age of 5 years old, my grandfather took me to see Disney on Ice: Beauty and the Beast.

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A&E

One artist, one stage, one guitar: Taylor Swift rocks JPJ

By Katie Cole | September 15, 2013

Sprinkled throughout the crowd of 14,000 screaming Taylor Swift fans were illuminated signs covered in various combinations of glitter, Christmas lights and beloved lyrics.

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A&E

Sinister shadows

By Rebecca Stein | September 10, 2013

The old photograph hanging in the Fralin Museum wouldn’t seem special on its own. It’s just a 1930s group shot: a bunch of people on a ship deck, gathered around a lifebuoy that reads “SS Europa.” They are actually the African-American cast of a 1932 film, “Black and White,” en route to Moscow for filming.

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A&E

Ansel Adams’ ‘legacy’

By Kristen Clevenson | September 10, 2013

Thirty-four original Ansel Adams photographs on display at the Fralin Museum bring visitors through his professional career, from his early work in the 1920s up through his ’50s masterpieces.

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A&E

The end of an enticing duo

By Riley Panko | September 9, 2013

Fans of folk and country duo The Civil Wars will likely never hear their eponymous second album live.

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A&E

Please, "Getaway"

By Jamie Shalvey | September 4, 2013

What makes a car chase movie special? Certainly not what Courtney Solomon’s latest flick “Getaway” presented.

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A&E

Woody Allen knocks us over, again

By Jamie Shalvey | September 4, 2013

Legendary director Woody Allen is back again with another film exemplifying his storytelling prowess, “Blue Jasmine.” Taking place in modern-day San Francisco, the film focuses on the perils of financial downfall.

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A&E

Charlottesville band becomes 'overnight' sensation

By James Cassar | September 2, 2013

The University is home to a variety of notable alumni, but it’s not every day that current Wahoos can enjoy former students’ career choices on the radio.

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A&E

(No) Singing in the Rain

By Conor Sheehey | September 2, 2013

The Lawn will come alive Wednesday as students congregate to take part in one of the University’s most treasured traditions: Rotunda Sing.

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A&E

Mayer's newest album provides a little bit of 'Paradise'

By Colleen Garrott | August 29, 2013

Let’s forget for a minute that John Mayer spent his early career as a brooding ladies’ man, that he has dated every vapid starlet in Hollywood from Jessica Simpson to Taylor Swift and that his early singing style was so breathy he might have in fact swallowed several microphones.

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A&E

A new kind of jailhouse rock

By Catherine Jessee | August 28, 2013

Everyone is talking about “Orange is the New Black,” the Netflix original series released mid-July based on a memoir of the same name.

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A&E

'Spectacular' coming-of-age story soars

By Jamie Shalvey | August 28, 2013

Few movies have the ability to be both charming and grittily realistic at the same time, but August’s limited release indie ‘The Spectacular Now’ masterfully pulls off this feat.

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A&E

Maddening 'Vineyard' withers on the vine

By Robin Yeh | August 27, 2013

Some people say that television rots the brain. I never believed this to be true until I flipped through channels and came across ABC Family’s ‘The Vineyard.’ After watching one episode of the hour-long program, I felt my intelligence insulted by the contrived and shallow premise.

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A&E

'Newsroom' still snoozefest

By Conor Sheehey | August 27, 2013

The words “pompous” and “pretentious” are bound to come up in any discussion of Aaron Sorkin, given the award-winning writer’s propensity for stuffing his characters’ mouths with the sort of pseudo-intellectual babble you might expect to hear in a high school politics classroom.

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A&E

Uh-oh, those summer nights

By Katie Cole | April 25, 2013

With looming finals dampening everyone’s spirits, it seems to be the perfect time to look ahead to a sunnier, more melodic season.