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Arts

A new Nutcracker

Clara, danced by Dubraskha Arrivilaga, who will be in the Anchorage production, receives the Nutcracker from Herr Drosselmeyer during the party scene of The Nutcracker ballet.

The Eugene, Ore., Ballet Company's version of "Nutcracker," up for six performances in Anchorage starting Friday, has some unexpected twists.

ART BEAT

Record-setting applause (sort of) at recital

Submitted for the consideration of the folks at Guinness -- the book, not the beer: The Alaska audience on hand for pianist Natsuki Fukasawa's recital at the UAA Fine Arts Building Recital Hall on Nov. 13 surely set some kind of record for the shortest burst of applause ever.

REVIEW

Cello adds panache to folk group; harmonies are missed

Crooked Still brings a distinct sound to traditional string band folk music by limiting the use of guitar and by avoiding vocal harmonies -- but mainly by putting a cello into the mix and spotlighting it.

Before fame came

I grew up in the suburbs on the north side of Detroit. It was a big city even in the 1950s. The night sky was obscured by streetlights and buildings, so I grew up very unaware of nature, the moon, and of the life cycles of plants and animals.

ART BEAT

Director wigs out when actress falls ill

"Almost, Alaska," a romantic comedy, flirted with tragedy early this month. Just before the play, now running at Cyrano's, was to begin, one of the actresses came down with H1N1 flu -- and there was no understudy.

REVIEW

Wacky opera 'Audition' spotlights local voices

Evidence of Anchorage Opera's efforts to get more local singers on stage can be seen in the current production of "Sister Angelica" with an all-Alaskan cast and Tuesday evening's "Dark Night" presentation of Martin Kalmanoff's "The Audition."

REVIEW

Momentum Dance Collective puts on an intriguing show

Exploration is the name of the game for contemporary dance companies like Momentum Dance Collective. Choreographers and performers launch themselves into little-charted territory to see what they can discover and use in crafting a dance.

Film studio will pay for faking Alaska news stories

Universal Pictures has agreed to pay $20,000 to the Alaska Press Club to settle complaints about fake news archives used to promote the movie "The Fourth Kind."

Filmmaker seeks Inuit actors

The producers of a full-length movie version of Alaska director Andrew Maclean's award-winning film "On the Ice" ("Sikumi") will hold a final round of auditions in Anchorage.

Final Auditions for Barrow film Wednesday

The producers of a full-length movie version of Alaska director Andrew Maclean's award-winning film "On the Ice" ("Sikumi") will hold a final round of auditions in Anchorage.

Alaska showcase in NYC seeks funding

State legislators are considering spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in public money to support an arts and cultural center in New York City that its founder describes as an embassy devoted to increasing awareness of Alaska.

REVIEW

Mimes upstage music in operas

The most entertaining moment in Anchorage Opera's double-bill of "Sister Angelica" and "I Pagliacci" comes right at the opening of the latter and doesn't involve singing. Jane Park Drebert does a cartwheel on the edge of the stage and, with comic intent, flubs it, falling on her patoot.

Alaskan returns from New York to direct opera double-header

The director of Anchorage Opera's twin bill of "I Pagliacci" and "Sister Angelica" is also the director of a hit musical that's been filling houses in New York for the past two years. When's the last time that kind of heavy-hitter did a show in this town?

Comic lights brighten Dark Nights

Comic lights brighten Dark Nights

A baritone who yearns to be a soprano. A wannabe prima donna who can't get past being a mere drama queen. A riding crop-snapping dominatrix who claims to have discovered Richard Strauss's setting of "I Love Little Pussy."

ART BEAT

Jazz giants stand up for bullied kids

Concerts for good causes are not news, but the upcoming jazz program headlined by Jeff Golub and Rick Braun caught our attention for several reasons.

REVIEW

Choreography pushes boundaries in UAA dance show

Two complex and contrasting pieces bookend the showcase of new work presented by the University of Alaska Anchorage Dance Ensemble this month.

Award-winning poet Kane will read from work today

Back from picking up a $50,000 Whiting Writers' Award and launching her first book at an event in New York, poet Joan Kane will read from her work starting at 5:30 p.m. today at the Alaska Native Arts Foundation gallery.

Fairbanks woman competes on 'Survivor Philippines'

Amanda Coolley spent a good part of her summer on an island in the South Pacific, but it was no vacation for the 25-year-old Fairbanksan.

SIOUX SHOWCASE

Top Plains Indian dancers 'Come to the Center'

In an ironic bi-lingual pun, the title of the evening-length performance that the Lakota Sioux Indian Dance Theatre will present in Anchorage is the same as the instructions for what you need to do in order to see the show.

ART BEAT

Michelangelo drawings on display in Seattle

While in Washington state on family business last week, I swung into the Seattle Art Museum to see something exceedingly rare: real drawings by Michelangelo.

Two Freds, one show

Two Freds, one show

Closer to home, at the "Virtual Subsistence" show at MTS Gallery, I did a double-take on finding the name of Fred Anderson on two very different displays.

READER PHOTOS

Bazaar crafts

Check out local artists' photos of the artwork they'll be displaying in this year's holiday craft fairs.

PHOTOS

Frankenstein play

Images of the dress rehearsal of the Alaska Theatre of Youth's production of Frankenstein.

PLAY

Wayne & Wanda

Offering clarity on the mixed-up world of relationships.

BLOG

ArtSnob

Check out our art blog for fast postings of Daily News reviews, local art happenings and reader feedback.

VIDEO

Mural painting

Watch time lapse video of Ziggy Zeigler and Vance Cook create a sea mammal mural on a downtown building.

READER PHOTOS

Pet costume contest

It's time for our annual Howwwwl-oween costume contest, your chance to make your Scary Scottie, Ghoulish Greyhound or Princess Pug famous.

SLIDE SHOW

Performance art

An Alaskan artist with Yu'pik heritage is now garnering attention from the Lower 48.

SECTION

2009 Alaska State Fair

Photos, schedules and an up-close look at the giant food entries for the state fair.

SLIDE SHOW

Beach Boys concert

The Beach Boys put on a free outdoor concert for hundreds of people in Mountain View.

Peninsula artist carves 319-pound pumpkin

Inupiaq poet wins prestigious national writing award

Author Stabenow's Kate Shugak may be headed for television

Percussion piece highlights Symphony's season opener

Authentic 'Frankenstein' leads list of Halloween events

More dark arts this Halloween

Want to see lots of wolves? Just head to Palmer

Producer looking for Inuit actors

Tweet the Dane Cook show

Vocals at the heart of Refugees' Americana sound

Tlingit civil rights pioneer celebrated in film

Willy Topkok aims for the 'spectacular’ with his sewing

Skagway's 'Soapy Smith' calls it quits

History hobbles romance in Alaska statehood play

Alaska State Troopers are stars of new cable TV series

New play celebrates pioneers' love for each other and Alaska

Controversial flag installation to close early

'Thank-You Bar' show points to life's inexplicability

Of bars and blackfish

Big sculpture is delayed until next spring

Alaska documentary featured in food film fest

Spalding's gritty modern jazz wows Anchorage audience

Back alley artist

Crowd packs MTS Gallery for show opening

Early Anchorage theater figure dies

Teng's voice pleasant, but lyrics lost in local concert

Visiting cellist signs on as guest artist at women's prison

Looking into the (near) future

Aging well: Mike McCormick looks back on his 15 years with Whistling Swan

A guide to arts events in the coming months

The saddest sound

Valley artist Eric Deeter dies on way to paint with friend

Flames along Kachemak Bay

Wii sax, dueling foghorns take center stage

Oil-spill play puts human face on history's participants

Country star Atkins shares his love songs with Alaskans

What's behind those wild 'Lion King' masks?

You can own a 'Wild Salmon on Parade' piece

'Peanuts' gang encounters tumultuous teendom in play

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