There were many fine moments this year for the Utah Enlightenment. In compiling the list of what I believe were the 10 best defining moments of Utah’s cultural awakening for 2016, the pool of choices was more than satisfying in breadth and depth. There has been a great deal of recent press, for example, about … Read more
The closing scene of Bamboozled, Spike Lee’s 2000 provocative film, is a montage of historical images that critic Ashley Clark says encompasses “blacked-up Hollywood stars like Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney; black stars in demeaning ‘coon’ and ‘mammy’ roles; racist cartoons; and disturbing scenes from films like The Birth of a Nation and Gone with … Read more
In the century since Joe Hill, the Swedish immigrant miner, musician and union activist who was executed in Salt Lake City after being wrongfully convicted of murder, there have been only a very few plays about this figure who recently has emerged from the footnotes of history in relevant ways. Last year, John McCutcheon, an … Read more
For Karlheinz Stockhausen (1928-2007), undoubtedly among the most important composers of the 20th century, the element of text humanized the imagery of his music in the most emotionally intense and spiritually gratifying ways. Stockhausen was an exceptional and extraordinary creative force. He broke new artistic ground in electronic music, spatial musical performance and the use … Read more
The 2016-2017 JazzSLC concert season launches on September 9 at Capitol Theatre. Some of the best in the business are on the docket this season. JazzSLC is a non-profit concert series that is produced and funded by the GAM Foundation. Gordon Hanks and Michael MacKay founded the GAM Foundation in 1994 in an effort to … Read more
As part of the Deer Valley Musical Festival, the Utah Symphony, along with conductor Rei Hotoda and the Utah Symphony Orchestra, will be presenting the music of composer John Williams on August 6. Concert goers that evening will be entertained by the wonderful sights and sounds that only the Utah Symphony and the picturesque mountain backdrop of the … Read more
Closing night headliners at The Utah Arts Festival run the gamut, as they have on each of the three previous evenings. Among them is Cimarrón (see earlier feature), a Grammy-nominated ensemble from Colombia, will perform Joropo and Llanera music (June 26, 8:15 p.m., Festival Stage). The winner of the Intermountain Acoustic Music Association (IAMA)’s Susanne … Read more
Sometimes art’s most appreciated beauty arises randomly to the observer’s delight. The cathedral-like atrium in the City Library’s Urban Room, just one of the many high-traffic areas of the Utah Arts Festival, is a musician’s dream for acoustics, especially for opera singers. Perched in the middle of the overhang on the second floor, a singer … Read more
Saturday evenings at the Utah Arts Festival, often bringing the largest crowds of the event, are packed with outstanding musical headliners. Among them will be veteran blues musician Dennis Gruenling featuring Doug Deming and The Jewel Tones (June 25, 8:30 p.m., Amphitheater Stage). Then, Clarice Assad, Elvin Bishop, Incendio and Jet Black Pearl bring a … Read more
Three local music headliners will give the Utah Arts Festival’s Saturday night party edge that much more oomph in a variety of musical styles and influences. Bassmint Pros (The Round, 9:45 p.m.) In the midst of the Utah Enlightenment, many local creative producers in every artistic medium, conventional or hybrid, are making their mark. Cast … Read more