Topic: arts and leisure

The Met Live in HD continues with Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly”

By Christine Anne Piesyk | March 6, 2009 |

Patricia Racette as Madame Butterfly. (Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

The Met Live in HD continues to captivate a worldwide audience, bringing live, high definition productions of the world’s greatest opera to millions of worldwide viewers. The series continues  with Puccini’s hauntingly beautiful love story, Madama Butterfly, which will be screened at several Nashville venues on Saturday, March 7 at 12 noon (CST).

Opry Mills Stadium 20 Plus IMAX, 570 Opry Mills Drive and  Green Hills Stadium 16, 3815 Greenhills Village Drive, both in Nashville, will screen the live broadcast. In addition, for those who will miss the Saturday showing, Green Hills will screen encore showings on March 18 at 7 p.m. and March 18 at 1 p.m. Running time is three hours and 21 minutes, with two intermissions. «Read the rest of this article»

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One writer’s “best reads” of the year

By Blayne Clements | December 27, 2008 |

This year I read a lot of books, or least a lot of books for me.  A couple  stand out in my mind, and so I thought I would share them with you.

“The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11″ (2006), by Lawrence Wright

This book is tireless in its details; but do not let that discourage you from giving it a read.  The book  is rather short at 373 pages; however, it is heavily noted and very user friendly. It contains a 10 page glossary of principal characters with brief descriptions of their importance; which is a invaluable resource in helping the reader keep track of the multitude of players with similar names.

Like most other histories of Muslim fundamentalism (such as the BBC video series “Power of Nightmares”), Wright starts with the story of Sayyid Qutb.  Qutb was an Egyptian writer and Muslim that traveled through America in the late 1940’s.  His experiences and perceptions, started the generational snowball that  led to 9/11. «Read the rest of this article»

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Celebrate Christmas than with Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”

By Christine Anne Piesyk | December 25, 2008 |

Happy Holidays!

For many of us, The Nutcracker Ballet is a family holiday tradition.

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same: the story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

This charming ballet begins with the arrival of guests at the Stahlbaum house, home of young Clara. The guests  include the mysterious, magical Drosselmeyer, who presents young Clara with the famous “nutcracker.” later that night, Clara creeps downstairs and falls asleep with  gift wrapped in her arms. «Read the rest of this article»

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The tale of Mugly the cat: Mother to all

By Beth Britton | December 24, 2008 |

Mugly was a farm cat to an elderly woman in Muhlenberg, Kentucky. She was quite nondescript as far as coloring, a bit of a mix of several dark colors all rolled into one. She was not fancy by any means, and was content living the outside life, catching mice, and sleeping on a patch of warm hay in the tool shed out by the barn. However, Mugly had a desire for something that went beyond farm life. She yearned for something that other female cats never gave much thought to. She wanted to be a mother to kittens. «Read the rest of this article»

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Cranberries: What would the winter holidays be without them?

By Christine Anne Piesyk | December 16, 2008 |

Cranberry fruit on the vine

Cranberries. Once upon a time in American history they were called “Craneberries.”  So many people walk past the basket of this hard red fruit, not quite sure of what to do with the berries, culled from watery bogs in places like Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the Canadian Maritimes, or in land-locked Wisconsin.

Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines found in acidic bogs throughout the cooler parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs or vines with wiry stems and small evergreen leaves. The flowers are dark pink.

Cranberries, a major commercial crop in certain American states and Canadian provinces, are processed into products such as juice, sauce, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers. «Read the rest of this article»

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A treasury of Christmas cookies: Kolacky

By Christine Anne Piesyk | December 12, 2008 |

Kolacky. This traditional cookie has origins in the Slavic countries of Europe; I first sampled them when a friend’s grandmother sent him a box for Christmas. Years later, his mom sent not just the cookies but the recipes from her family collection.

Koloacky: Start with a traditional recipe and let your imagination do the rest!

These light, delicate fruity cookies have innumerable permutations: any filling you choose, from a simple sprinkle of cinnamon, sugar and ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds, to  hearty berry, fig or currant filling is bound to please. The basic recipes are here; your imagination does the rest. «Read the rest of this article»

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“Small packages” make perfect gifts

By Christine Anne Piesyk | December 9, 2008 |

“Small Packages” — a showcase of affordable art perfect for holiday gift giving — is on display at Silke’s Old World Breads, Bakery, and Cafe 1214A College Street in downtown Clarksville. These “small packages” will be highlighted during a holiday reception and “Evening with the Artists” to be held on Saturday, December 13, from 7-8:30 p.m. when the public is invited to enter Silke’s cafe and gallery, enjoy the holiday reception, sample the many delectable treats from the kitchens and peruse the gallery for the perfect gift for that someone special in your life.

A sneak preview included a sampling of small paintings, unique pottery, and other craft items retailing for $100 or less. Many lovely items were priced at significantly less.

The charm of Silke’s is the mix of great sandwiches, unique pizzas, amazing desserts with a sampling of art and photography by multiple talents in the greater Clarksville Area. Approximately six times a year, Silke hosts an art open house showcasing local artisans and artists. The Christmas event comes with a twist: the “small packages” designed to be given as gifts.

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Local artist unveils “Rugby Gates”

December 9, 2008 |

Two large columns serve as the gateway into Rugby Gates, a public art project in Memphis designed by Gregg Schlanger. Photo provided by Gregg Schlanger.

In the last two years, Gregg Schlanger, professor of art at Austin Peay State University, has processed 75,000 pounds of Memphis mud to make 7,000 bricks for a community-based public art project he was commissioned to build.

And after countless trips to Memphis for research, meetings and hard labor, the effort – which proved to be a true example of community involvement – is complete.

At 3 p.m., Dec. 13 in Memphis, a dedication ceremony will unveil Rugby Gates, a series of brick gateways along a main road in the Rugby neighborhood of Memphis. Schlanger will be among Memphis dignitaries and local residents to attend the event.

Rugby Gates marks a neighborhood where the original brickyards of Memphis were located. The project was commissioned by The Urban Art Commission, which administers the public art program for the city of Memphis. The concept for the project developed following several meetings with city officials, neighborhood organizers, local schools and extensive research on the history of the area.   «Read the rest of this article»

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No more lying to your kids: Santa does exist!

By Beth Britton | December 4, 2008 |

Vintage Coca-Cola ad circa 1930

Take a moment, close your eyes and picture Santa Claus.

You have probably just pictured an older plump man with a bright, fire engine red, fur trimmed coat with matching hat, a broad black belt and gold buckle. He would be wearing shiny black boots, with a full mane of long white hair curled perfectly at the ends. You have just pictured Mr. Haddon Sundblom’s 1931 depiction of St. Nicholas for the Coca Cola company! That famous print not only boosted Coca Cola sales that winter, it set the standard for what we know today as Santa Claus.

So if that is not Santa Claus, who is? «Read the rest of this article»

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APSU: Christmas concert with Paul Brinkley

December 4, 2008 |

Don’t miss a special Christmas concert on Monday, December 8, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the MMC Concert Hall at Austin Peay State University.

The program features Paul Binkley on guitar playing music from his Christmas CD “Do You Hear What I Hear”. Paul is a former Austin Peay music student, spent five years performing with the Grammy Award winning band Alabama, and is currently president of Grand Vista Music, a Nashville-based recording company. The concert will also showcase members of the APSU Music Department faculty.

Tickets are $5.00 General Admission (APSU students get in free with I.D.) and will be available Monday, December 1, 2008 in the Music Office (MMC 139). For information, contact Norma Jean Smith at 221-7818.

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