There’s a lot of cinematic shorthand, both literal and figurative, in Zach Braff’s All New People, now on stage at Stray Cat Theatre. That’s to be expected from Braff, a TV star whose first indie film, Garden State, was a huge critical and commercial success. Braff employs quippy dialogue and…
Sure, there are at least a half-dozen other versions of The Nutcracker going on throughout the Valley right now. But only one features a corps of professional Russian dancers, hundreds of exquisite costumes, and nine different backdrops complete with 3D effects. So while little Susie’s holiday recital gets bonus point…
RZA/Bobby Digital/Prince Rakeem ain’t got nothing on Snoop Dogg, at least when it comes to the alter-ego shizzle. To his mama and papa, he’s either Calvin Cordozar Broadus or “Snoopy,” his childhood nickname. Meanwhile, he’s been the Doggfather to the hip-hop world for two decades, hood anchor Nemo Hoes on…
When choosing a Christmas-themed sweater, it’s pretty easy to decide on the right one: Make sure that it looks like a holiday parade barfed all over it. A cavalcade of delightfully hideous attire will be celebrated at the Ugly Sweater Christmas Party Friday, December 13.Practical Art is the home for…
It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a boat parade, right? Since 1999, Tempe Town Lake has hosted the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade, a procession of as many as 50 watercraft bedecked with Christmas lights and other holiday decor. But that’s just one aspect of this shiny event — thousands…
The holidays snuck up on us, too. Lines are long, patience short, and we’re still struggling to find perfect presents. Amid the hustle and bustle, Urban Restoration offers another chance to find that unique gift for both special and hard-to-shop-for someones. Following Black Friday’s Vintage Market at CityScape, the local…
We’re sure we aren’t the first wordplayers to realize that comedian Maria Bamford’s last name is made up of the complimentary acronym BAMF, which stands for, ahem, badass motherfucker. And we can’t be the only ones who’ve found the lettering coincidence fitting.Bamford is a BAMF for plenty of reasons, but…
This season the Phoenix Suns seem to play to the level of their competition. One night the Suns will be competitive with top teams, the next they’re playing like garbage against bottom-feeders like the Utah Jazz. This inconsistency isn’t terribly surprising — the Suns are a very young team –…
Downtown becomes a destination art haven for the second annual Phoenix Festival of the Arts, a weekend of creatives and culture sponsored by the Phoenix Center for the Arts and Arizona Humanities. The three-day festival includes the Mayor’s Arts Awards, presented by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton to the Valley’s prominent…
The Valley of the Sun is home to a number of Native American communities, and there is no better way to discover their culture than at the 37th Annual Indian Market. The market offers a rich array of sensory delights, from native foods to colorful music and dance. Expect a…
The assassination of JFK was one of the most devastating events in American history, but for Secret Service agent Clint Hill it was the most devastating event of his life. Fifty years on, the man sworn to protect the Kennedys and who famously hurled himself onto the President’s vehicle split-seconds…
As much as we try to pretend the holidays are about family and love and giving and stuff, we have to admit food ranks pretty high on our Christmas priorities list. It’s the centerpiece of family gatherings and a vehicle through which we carry on important traditions.In fact, we believe…
For filmmaker George Lucas, there’s one embarrassment bigger than box office turkey Howard the Duck and prequel abomination Jar Jar Binks. FilmBar and Nerd Nite team up to unearth and laugh at The Star Wars Holiday Special on Wednesday, December 18.The Star Wars Holiday Special, unaired since 1978, is a…
Every holiday season there is an abundance of shows from which to choose, and any number of the usual suspects. This year, opt for the unusual with Yuletide, a time-traveling adventure that, though music and words, unlocks a history of holiday traditions. Meet Saint Nick’s evil friend, German fairies, wounded…
Christmas is full of traditions that are borderline cliché: A Christmas Story marathons, feeble attempts to make eggnog bearable with rum, hating Christmas music by the fifth day of December, and the list goes on. Most folks get into the holiday spirit by going ice skating or watching a holiday…
Some of Great Arizona Puppet Theater’s oldest puppets, handmade by its founders in 1976, star in The Elves and the Shoemaker, continuing through Sunday, December 22. Perfect for kindergarteners on up and including original music, it’s one of our favorite fairy tales, too, because nothing too scary happens — just…
If you’re not feeling suicidal around the holidays (we’ve heard it’s common), there’s always homicidal. Though the family in Black Theatre Troupe’s new musical Tellin’ It on the Mountain isn’t quite trying to kill each other, the Deans are a tempestuous bunch — and trying to reunite the girl group…
Gold is, if nothing else, covetable. Folks rushed to California in the mid-1800s to find their own pieces of it. Modern-day moguls count it as the most popular precious metal to invest in. And gold belongings long have been seen as a symbol of wearable wealth – whether its a…
All right you primitive screwheads, listen up: Bruce Campbell is coming to Phoenix Comicon in 2014. Organizers of the four-day celebration of science-fiction, pop culture, authors, and comic books announced this morning that the popular cult film actor is the first special guest for next year’s event…
Raise your hand if you enjoy going to baby showers. How about hosting them? Being the guest of honor? We’re guessing based on the proliferation of online posts calling for showers to be banned and proclaiming all-out hatred for them, plus the opinion of every woman we know, that the…
Jenna Losé likes to dress up. On some days, that means wearing a lot of pink and metallics, and other days it means pairing leather or snakeskin with a pair of cute combat boots. Either way, there’s always some unexpected touch that keeps her look interesting. “I like making my…
Things both naughty and nice were in abundance this past weekend in Scottsdale, including mischievous Santas adorned in bondage gear, impish elves engaging in pranks, and numerous vixens dressed as vampy versions of Mrs. Claus. Such Christmastime characters were a part of the massive and festive menagerie that participated in…
