Up in the Air, Nine, Sherlock Holmes, The Road, etc.
UP IN THE AIR **** In the cinema of 2009, Ryan Bingham should by all accounts emerge as the Protagonist Least Likely To Be Embraced By The Nation’s Moviegoers. That’s because Ryan works as a downsizing expert, hired to come in and dismiss employees that their own bosses are too gutless to fire face to…
The forest waited to wrap her arms
I went to a small school that offered theory but not much practice for a big city hospital where I interned. My first patient at Bellevue was Jose, a 13-year-old boy with diabetes and a high blood sugar. Because I was disorganized in writing orders for him, Nancy Maldonado, the nurse, was impatient with me.…
The perfect Christmas canvas
When you’re in the business of publishing reports and opinions that are sometimes critical, you also have a responsibility to give credit where it’s due. A few weeks ago I wrote a column exhorting city leaders to take a more professional and engaged stance toward downtown Christmas decorations — as a matter of civic pride…
The view from wow
Just when I thought I had experienced Savannah from every angle, along comes tour guide Ava Kreutzer to show me just how much delight and adventure are in plain sight all over the city. Professionally led tours in The Hostess City range from the Foodie Tour to the Ghost Tour to the Fun Tour. Ava,…
Noteworthy: Mystery Three, Savannah Songwriters
THE MYSTERY THREE HOLIDAY JAM “I have a lot of pedals that’ll make the guitar sound like anything but a guitar,” says P-Groove stringbender Brock Butler, “and try to combine them in a unique way that doesn’t sound cluttered.” The decidedly uncluttered Mystery Three consists of Butler, his Perpetual Groove drummer Albert Suttle, and keyboard…
A vocal Christmas
Conductor Peter Shannon shoulders the responsibility for this weekend’s Savannah Philharmonic Chorus holiday concert, Carols in the Cathedral. The musical portion of the recent Nutcracker in Savannah also rested on his shoulders. The thing is, Shannon’s only got one shoulder to work with. During a group bicycling outing in early November, Shannon found himself on…
Moving Violation? Or, the City of Motherly Love
A property manager called police about a disruptive teenager. The young man lived with his mother at the apartment complex, but his mother had apparently decided to move out of the apartment without him because of his behavior. She left him a note on the front door telling him about her decision and also informing…
A home to fight hunger
In spite of poor weather, close to 100 people gathered at the Second Harvest building on East President Street last week to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new 5,700 square foot building, which will allow Second Harvest to more than double the serving capacity for its Kids Cafe program, and improve its culinary certification courses.…
The artists within
An enthusiastic crowd filled the halls of the Telfair’s Jepson Center for the Arts on Sunday, Dec. 6. The crowd was there for the opening of the 15th annual “I Have Marks to Make” exhibit, which continues until Jan. 4. “I Have Marks to Make” is geared towards demonstrating the therapeutic and rehabilitative powers of art.…
Cruisin’ to prosperity
After a decade adrift, the plan to secure a cruise ship terminal in Savannah has floated back up the river, steered by Alderman Tony Thomas and a task force consisting of state and local business and political leaders. “Ten years ago, there was a group that looked at it, and my question was why didn’t…
Bruce Goldman means business
They say that while an actor may leave the stage, the stage never really leaves the actor. Bruce Goldman, who has the lead role of Tevye the Milkman in this week’s visiting production of Fiddler on the Roof, can tell you all about it. As a youngster, he sang and danced on Broadway, and toured…
Documentarian, artist, or both?
Photographer P.H. Polk spent nearly forty years as the official photographer for the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, after becoming the school’s first photography student in 1917. Over the course of his career, Polk captured images that explored the diversity of the African American experience in the South during one of its most significant and turbulent…
Blurring the lines
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell probably didn't have bluegrass music in mind when they famously crooned "ain't nothing like the real thing, baby," but if they did, they weren't alone. The thing is, bluegrass is evolving so broadly, and so quickly, that the notion of what's "real" now rests firmly in the ears and eyes…
The year in beer
The beer drinkers among us live for the holidays — that’s when the great seasonal packs come to market. These brews make great gift ideas (hint, hint) and represent some of the most interesting flavors of the season. Consider Magic Hat Brewery’s “Feast of Fools” 12-pack. It contains three bottles of four different labels, including…
Random bites: Billy’s Place, The Distillery
Billy’s Place This cozy, intimate dining room above bustling McDonough’s is the perfect destination for date night. I, on the other hand, was alone on this visit, and chose to sit at a high-top table near the bar. Crooner Lafayette Chester belted out mellow pop standards and an occasional verse of “Happy Birthday,” to nearby…
Princess and the Frog, Invictus
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG *** Given the Disney studio’s recent disdain toward traditional hand-drawn animation, it’s sometimes hard to believe this was the company that over seven decades ago proved that toon flicks deserved to be on the big screen as much as their live-action counterparts. After all, the outfit with countless classics…
What’s Next: The Royal Comedy Tour
Comedy fans, take note. A king and a queen will soon be passing our way. A show booked for March 12 in the Johnny Mercer Theatre features a quartet of seriously funny people. Chief among these are D.L. Hughley, from the hugely successful Original Kings of Comedy Tour, and Sommore, a founder of the Queens…
‘Livid’ over theatre coverage
Editor, Regarding your recent coverage of the health of the local theatre scene: Just wanted to make sure you were aware that theatre is indeed alive and well in the city of Savannah, at least on Tybee Island, and has been, consistently, especially this past year. I have been so busy with one production after…
