Two years ago, while the seacoast community was reeling from another heroin-induced death, we at The Music Hall felt strongly that we needed to start talking about this epidemic and the very real impact it was having. Part of our mission is to be a place that inspires conversations and from that, our Let’s Talk About series came to life. We called together experts in education, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement to have a moderated discussion. Community members were invited to join us to talk about what we could do to help end this epidemic. Participants ranged from recovering addicts, parents looking for ways to talk to their children about drugs, seacoast residents, and legislators. That night, we were also joined by a couple of filmmakers, who were creating a documentary on effects heroin has on a community.Read More
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I have a confession, I have absolutely no interest in cooking. Boiling water is just outside of my skill set. Other than my once a year foray into baking for my gingerbread house, I steer pretty clear of the kitchen. Thankfully, I live in a town where there are so many great restaurants, and here at The Music Hall, we are lucky to partner with so many of them. People often ask me what my favorite restaurant in town is, for me that’s like picking my favorite pair of shoes (and if you know me, you know how difficult that is). The options are seemingly endless and all are fantastic.Read More
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One way to tell whether an upcoming event really has deep roots in the popular imagination is to look at how far in advance of its date its publicity wave pushes. If it’s a genuinely big deal, you ought to see newspaper and magazine articles, TV interviews and reports, and internet buzz appearing at least a couple of weeks ahead of air time.
And on that basis, the Oscars are a very big deal indeed. Like the top tier of cultural events—a Presidential election is probably at the top of the list, with the Super Bowl a respectable second—Oscar buzz can rope in people who don’t ordinarily care much about movies. And it can also have economic consequences, giving a multi-million-dollar bonus to winners and a permanent credit even to losers.Read More
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Oscar nominations and the ceremony are a great help in getting through February, especially for entertainment writers/bloggers and talking heads. Lots of these folks favor the Who Will Win vs. Who Should Win format. This give a writer a chance to show off his/her insider chops, demonstrating a deep familiarity with Hollywood, the Academy and pop culture trends while also playing the higher role of arts critic.Read More
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I’ll never forget reading the story of the Stanford Sexual Assault Survivor. I can’t imagine the strength that it took for her to stand up, face her attacker, and tell the world her story. To then watch it downplayed by the justice system because her attacker was a star athlete really stuck with me. I wondered what kind of message we were sending, not just to the children watching this play out in the news, but to the other people who had suffered the same way this woman had, or worse what does this say to the people who have committed this crime.Read More
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Snow. Yes, we had a lot of snow. It’s February, and we often get a lot of snow in February. But while it’s customary to mention the weather in conversation, it’s my belief that we badly need something else to talk about, as the intellectual content of snow is negligible. (Note: you get a pass if you’ve had a slip-and-fall, fender bender, been stuck in a drift or had a horrible/wonderful shoveling experience.)Read More
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I’ll be honest, as I sat down to write this week’s blog, I kept coming back to how great the Super Bowl was. The crazy come back, Lady Gaga, I don’t even know where to begin. So instead of going on and on about the game, I figured I’d give you one last sneak peek at this year’s Gala, “An Affair to Remember” or as I now like to think of it, our Super Bowl. Read More
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In the past couple of months, we’ve had a few lovely, very quiet films (Cameraperson, Certain Women, Moonlight) that remind us that plot isn’t everything and that if you slow down the pace and keep the heat on low, you can see things that would otherwise elude you. I love films like that.
That said, I have to admit that I also love a film that empties both barrels directly into my brain, filling me up so full with action that I feel like I’ve been eating hot peppers.Read More
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