The Salt Princess by Anoosha Syed
The Salt Princess is a beautiful book in terms of its visuals, and, though it highlights Pakistani culinary dishes that readers will want to try, the story lacks the depth and emotional resonance of a truly engaging fairytale…
Suka’s Farm by Ginger and Frances Park
Suka's Farm is a quietly reflective children’s picture book that offers a glimpse into the life of a poor Korean family during the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1941…
Piggle the Pig by Dudolf: A Book Review
Whether it's spreading mud on the furniture, getting paint all over himself, or trailing trash from a holey garbage bag, Piggle provides lighthearted moments for children to laugh at, while subtly teaching them about persistence and the value of self-awareness…
Playmakers’ Little Shop of Horrors Justifies the Multigenerational Cult Classic
The current PlayMakers Repertory Company production of Little Shop of Horrors has all the makings of a Broadway production, especially the strong vocal talents required by characters Audrey, plant Audrey II, and the trio of female "street urchins" who narrate in harmonic doo-wop throughout the production…
Mengwe Wapimewah Gives a Broadway-Caliber Performance in Dominique Morisseau's Confederates at PlayMakers Rep
Set in two distinct periods -- during the American Civil War and in the modern day -- Confederates moves seamlessly between a one-room slave cabin on a Confederate plantation and a prestigious university professor's office in the current world. What could easily become preachy or overly sentimental instead feels strikingly personal and intimate…
Leanne Bernard's Masterful Lady Bracknell Is the Star of Stone Soup Theatre Company's Rendition of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest
… Stone Soup Theatre Company's Feb. 21-March 2 presentation of The Importance of Being Earnest is a production worth seeing. Oscar Wilde's sharp critique of Victorian society is as relevant and funny today as it was in 1895. If you've never experienced The Importance of Being Earnest, this is your opportunity to see it in a charming, unconventional setting. The production is sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a few of the play's iconic lines ringing in your ears.
A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at DPAC Is FABULOUS, with Flawless Music and Acoustics
On Tuesday, Jan. 7th, I attended the opening-night performance of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical at the Durham Performing Arts Center with my mother-in-law, who experienced Neil Diamond's music as it was released; but I had never been a Neil Diamond fan. Well, I am now…
Stone Soup Theatre Company's Guys on Ice Is a Fun and Quirky Musical About ... Ice-Fishing
Stone Soup Theatre Company's production of Guys on Ice: An Ice Fishing Musical is a fun and quirky performance that brings together humor, catchy tunes, and a sense of community. Directed by Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski, with music director Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis, the show presents a day in the life of a couple of guys from Wisconsin, combining ice fishing, friendship, and Green Bay Packers fandom in an intimate look at the upper Midwestern United States.
Don’t Worry, Be Bored
… Much of our anxiety ‘stems from our busy, overactive minds always needing entertainment, something to focus on, and always wondering ‘What’s next?’ …
Howard L. Craft and Mike Wiley's The Christmas Case of Hezekiah Jones Is a Live, Local, Family-Friendly Holiday-Themed Entertainment
The story focuses on Hezekiah Jones, a Chapel Hill toymaker who is losing his joy in Christmas and just about everything else after the recent death of his wife. Hezekiah's daughter Harriet, who is studying at UNC to be an astrophysicist, is worried that her father is going to sell the store, due to rising costs, technology, and declining customers. Dizzle Jollyworth, a North Pole elf who has lost his sense of purpose, has been assigned to revive Hezekiah Jones' Christmas spirit.
Scrap Paper Shakespeare's Dec. 6-15 Production of Claire F. Martin's 2023 Feminist Comedy, Arabella, Is Up Close and Personal at Yours, Durham
Belle Esprit premiered Arabella at Atlanta's Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse in 2023, making Scrap Paper Shakespeare's production only the second time the play has been performed publicly.
The Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens' American Railroad Really Is A Musical Journey of Reclamation
…At two hours long with an additional 20-minute intermission, an evening performance of Silkroad's American Railroad is not for the faint hearted. But you will only benefit from this passionately auditory reflection on those nameless souls who have contributed (and continue to do so) to the freedom and convenience enjoyed in America.
What the Constitution Means to Me by Heidi Schreck Champions Truly Equal, Inclusive, and Just Governance
…From the legal definition of "penumbra" to positive verses negative rights to the Town of Castle Rock versus Gonzalez and other frightening Supreme Court decisions, every American should experience the lessons contained in What the Constitution Means to Me.
We Are Free You and Me by Colin Kaepernick and Nessa Diab
Not only are Kaepernick’s children’s picture books thought provoking and fun to read aloud, they are an example of social entrepreneurship of the purest kind, as 100% of their proceeds go to Know Your Rights Camp, which provides over $1.75 million in partnerships and collaborative grants to Black and brown communities as well as all-inclusive camps that are conducted nationwide to educate and empower Black and brown youth to be the change they want to see.
PlayMakers Rep's Rendition of Lynn Nottage's Crumbs from the Table of Joy Is a Soul-Pinching, Conversation-Generating Production
… Sometimes evoking Denzel Washington in the 2016 movie Fences, at other times John Amos in the 1970's sitcom Good Times, John Mark's laugh is contagious; and the earnestness with which he portrays Godfrey's rage-suppressed angst and desire to do well by his family is commendable.
Paperhand Puppet Intervention's Earth and Sky Features a Plethora of New Giant Puppets
The Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s performance of Earth and Sky at the historic, outdoor Forest Theater in Chapel Hill is a night to remember—if only to see this year’s plethora of new giant puppets in action.
The Museum of Very Bad Smells: A Dare to Scratch 'n' Sniff Mystery by Monica Arnaldo
The Museum of Very Bad Smells will, no doubt, be interesting to children for the first read or two. It will also, no doubt, be disappointing to children who open the book to find that the smells “don’t work.” For this reason, you may want to purchase the book in a store where you can test it out, rather than online.
Mouse on the River by Alice Melvin: A Review
Mouse on the River is—in a word—delightful. This is not just a book that you’ll read once or twice. It is a book that children will want to read over and over again, with pictures they will scrutinize repeatedly on their own, and that will, no doubt, remain on many of their bookshelves until they are adults and have children of their own.
Little Turtle’s Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series) by Yuval Zommer
Despite what adults may find as its indistinctive style, the illustrations in Little Turtle’s Book of the Blue may make it a favorite book for young children who love the sea.