Kansas City Star: Entertainment

New on DVD | 'Breaking Dawn,' 'Harold & Kumar'

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

Recent high school graduate Bella Swan grows up a lot, becoming a bride, a potential mother and perhaps something stranger. Yet the "Twilight Saga" hasn't matured along with its heroine.

The Civil Wars blur Grammy lines

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

Even Grammy voters don't know what to do with the Civil Wars. The duo has been nominated for best folk album and best country duo/group performance, two categories that bear little resemblance to each other.

Clooney, Pitt, other pals gather for Oscar lunch

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:47 CST

George Clooney says the best thing about Academy Awards nominations is not necessarily the prizes. It's hanging with old and new friends.

Corn in a cup is a taste treat at Paleteria Tropicana

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00 CST

Tucked in the middle of the Southwest Boulevard block bookended by Taqueria Mexico and La Fonda, Paleteria Tropicana is an exotic paradise for fruit fans in winter. But elote -- corn in a cup -- is sort of the opposite of a health-food drink. It's a beautiful, full expression of carbs and fat with a little citric tang to cut the creaminess.

Jazz sax prodigy Grace Kelly still has much to learn

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

Grace Kelly -- the 19-year-old saxophonist who is taking the jazz world by storm -- performed Saturday night with her quintet and special guest Phil Woods for the Folly Jazz Spotlight Concert. Given time, she could be a legitimate legend in her own right. She's just not there yet.

Vivica Genaux, Europa Galante bring drama, refinement to Vivaldi

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

What's "florid" on the Italian baroque like? Like white on rice as Vivica Genaux demonstrated in "Vivaldi Pyrotechnics" in the Harriman-Jewell Series at the Folly Theater Friday night. Friday night was a nice blend of baroque string group Europa Galante's refinement and Genaux's strong theatrical sense, both essential to the music.

Practice, direction pay off in KC Symphony's performance of Mahler

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00 CST

You may have needed a shoehorn to fit another instrumentalist on the stage of Helzberg Hall Friday night. Performing ensembles are thinking big in this inaugural season of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and the Kansas City Symphony rose to the challenge by providing a compelling reading of Gustav Mahler's massive Symphony No. 2 in C Minor.

Tim Blake Nelson breaks character for 'Big Miracle'

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:00 CST

An Oklahoma native, character actor Tim Blake Nelson has played more than his share of slow-speaking, sometimes slow-witted drawlers on the big screen. But in his latest film, "Big Miracle," he plays the smartest guy in the room.

'Chronicle' edges Radcliffe's 'Woman' with $22 million opening weekend

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:47 CST

Some unknown kids with superpowers have nudged out the actor who plays the world's most famous teen wizard at the weekend box office. The 20th Century Fox release "Chronicle," featuring a relatively unknown cast as youths who gain telekinetic abilities, debuted as the No. 1 movie with $22 million.

On television, 2011 was a year of overexposure and oversharing

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 01:19 CST

As recipients of millions of new smartphones and tablets, our pockets and purses in 2011 bulged with media, if not money. As a result, the mediasphere grew ever denser and noisier this year -- a din that only increased as people strove to break through it with deeds that were outrageous, audacious or just plain dumb.

Short month of February is long on live music shows

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:00 CST

February is typically a busy month in the live-music world, a time when arenas, theaters and clubs climb out of the post-holiday doldrums. This year, February has an extra day, which means a month that already was brimming with live-music opportunities is 24 hours fatter with choices and opportunities.

'Pump Boys' delivers sharp music, good performances, modest laughs

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:00 CST

"Pump Boys and Dinettes" was a unique show when it opened on Broadway just over 30 years ago and it still is - an amiable, slap-happy revue that pokes fun at our rural roots and country cousins without ever seeming mean-spirited. The lively production now running at the New Theatre does it up right.

Entertainment Feb. 2 | Nicole'Snooki' Polizzi, Alexis Dziena, Traci Lords, Jenni 'JWoww' Farley

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:19 CST

'Chronicle': A different sort of superhero | 3 stars

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00 CST

Teenagers acquire superpowers and, being teenagers, videotape themselves as they learn what they can do in "Chronicle," an entertaining comic-book movie without the comic book.

'Woman in Black': A black mark for Radcliffe | 1½ stars

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00 CST

Toys made during the turn of the last century sure were creepy. Good thing, too. Because without cutaway shots to such tin and porcelain playthings, this dreary horror movie would provide even fewer scares.

'Big Miracle': A whale of a tale | 3 stars

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00 CST

The title isn't an exaggeration. It's no small miracle that the story of that nearly forgotten moment, the plight of a family of gray whales, makes for a delightful family movie.

Jay-Z enters new musical heights at Carnegie Hall

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:07 CST

As Jay-Z transitioned from hit song to hit song at a Carnegie Hall concert Monday night, so did the lighting, changing from red to white to blue.

APNewsBreak: Chris Brown to perform at the Grammys

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:22 CST

Chris Brown will perform at this year's Grammy Awards, the event where his career almost ended three years ago.

Music Review: Van Halen ageless on new album

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:42 CST

Van Halen, "A Different Kind Of Truth" (Interscope)

'The River,' premiering Tuesday on ABC

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

"The River," which premieres Tuesday on ABC, is a nifty supernatural adventure tale set in mysterious river-riven regions of the uncharted Amazon. Topographically speaking, it is "Lost" inside-out.

Netflix's first original series stars Steven Van Zandt as a New York mobster

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

In "Lilyhammer," whose eight parts debut Monday as an exclusive Netflix stream, Steven Van Zandt retrieves his Silvio wig from the "Sopranos" costume box to play Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano, a New York mobster who retreats into witness protection in Lillehammer, Norway. He remembers the town from broadcasts of the 1994 Winter Olympics as a place of "clean air, fresh white snow, gorgeous broads" and figures it will be the last place anyone would think to look for him. You know how that will go.

Iowa woman accused of blackmailing TLC show

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:32 CST

An Iowa woman is charged with extortion in an alleged plot to get Discovery Communications Inc. to cancel the TLC show "19 Kids and Counting" or pay her $10,000 in exchange for not revealing compromising photos of a cast member, according to federal court documents.

Tony Danza to hit Broadway in 'Honeymoon in Vegas'

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:22 CST

Tony Danza is Broadway-bound, starring in a musical based on the movie "Honeymoon in Vegas."

Andrew Lloyd Webber bets again on 'Phantom' sequel

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:32 CST

Andrew Lloyd Webber's much-awaited sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera" is called "Love Never Dies," but the musical defied its title: after a short life in London, it died. Now he hopes it can be resurrected.

Characters grapple with reality, identity in Nathan Englander collection

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00 CST

The title story of Nathan Englander's new collection, "What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank," recasts a Raymond Carver classic ("What We Talk About When We Talk About Love") with two Jewish couples and a bottle of vodka in place of gin.

'A Good American' shows Missouri through outsider's eyes

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00 CST

"A Good American" is a sprawling, multi-generational saga set mostly in the fictional small town of Beatrice, Mo. Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia figure into the plot a bit. This is more a small-town than urban novel, however, and probably the better for it.

Lemony Snicket's poignant, illustrated tale explains 'Why We Broke Up'

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00 CST

Most of us have been there, experiencing the unprecedented high of a first love, followed by the debilitating low when it crumbles. But few of these tragic trajectories have been written about as poignantly as in "Why We Broke Up," the young-adult debut from Daniel Handler, better known as Lemony Snicket.

Violinist Braunstein, with Hamburg orchestra, displays world-class skills

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00 CST

As annoying as the expression "world-class" has become, violinist Guy Braunstein's technical polish could only be that of a truly world-class musician. Performing Wednesday night at Helzberg Hall with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Braunstein was as close to perfect as can be.

Yo-Yo Ma, Symphony combine for unforgettable night

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00 CST

When Yo-Yo Ma comes to town, it's not just a concert -- it's an event. Palpable excitement permeated the Kauffman Center on Friday night as the world-renowned cellist appeared at Helzberg Hall with the Kansas City Symphony under the baton of his longtime friend and colleague Michael Stern.

Symphony's second Kauffman season announced

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00 CST

The Kansas City Symphony has announced its second-season programs in the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, aiming to build on the momentum and artistic achievements that led to the current season's record subscription sales and generally sold-out concerts.

Molly Parker is making the most of each moment

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

It's one thing to make things happen on camera, says actress Molly Parker. Life is another matter.

Soul Train fans bop on Broadway in Cornelius fete

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:32 CST

Fans of "Soul Train" boogied down Broadway wearing afro wigs and bell bottoms on Saturday while others recounted their favorite episodes at a Harlem meeting hall in tribute to the show's late creator, Don Cornelius.

Anna's Oven offers comfort food with a cause

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:00 CST

It's not every day you wander into a café that has a charitable social mission attached. A mod yet homespun café down the street from the University of Kansas Hospital, Anna's Oven serves up affordable comfort food.

Overland Park's Mai Thai serves affordable adventures

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:00 CDT

Unlike Thai Spice, which draws on a steady lunch business from the nearby hospital, Mai Thai at 12250 W. 135th St. in Overland Park is still finding its Johnson County audience. But with solid, attractively presented entrees ranging mostly from $10.95 to $13.95, the restaurant is a shoo-in with families and value-conscious diners.

Food trucks take trendy eats to the streets of KC

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:54 CDT

In the past few months, a handful of mobile food vendors have begun the process of taking it to the streets, fueled in part by social marketing tools that make it easier to drive business their way.

It's close, but Super Bowl scores a high

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

Another ratings record, another halftime controversy. What else could it have been but the Super Bowl?

David Mamet's 'Oleanna' is a fight to the finish

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00 CST

In cage fighting we happen to find the perfect metaphor for David Mamet's "Oleanna," a two-character duel in a book-lined office that remains within the emotional-psychological realm until the last moments, when it gets physical with a vengeance.

From breakups to financial stress, Charles Dickens has film, TV significance 200 years later

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

Two hundred years after the birth of Charles Dickens on Feb. 7, 1812, his cultural relevance lives on.

Parsons Dance is eclectic yet accessible in Harriman performance

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00 CST

Visually arresting by way of incredible physicality, dynamic lighting and eclectic movement vocabulary, Parsons Dance is a proudly accessible modern dance company. Its debut performance Saturday night in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts marked the company's 11th appearance as part of the Harriman-Jewell Series.

Party Pics | Friday at Gusto Lounge

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:49 CST

With a DJ playing more of a house/techno blend, the dance floor at Gusto Lounge in Westport was the popular place to be.

At Home With Betsy Blodgett and Jonathan Goetz

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:29 CST

Betsy Blodgett, who co-owns a crafty gift store in Westport called Bon Bon Atelier, has a style that could be described as whimsical, colorful and feminine. Her husband Jonathan Goetz, a graphic designer, is more of a minimalist. Also in Ink: Blodgett shows how to make three easy Valentine's Day crafts.

Romance on the silver screen

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

Valentine's Day is almost here, and a young man's fancy turns to ... trivia quizzes. If you are a fan of great romantic films, try this test. If you wouldn't be caught dead in a chick flick, maybe we'll do a "Rambo" quiz some day. For now, pucker up.

This year's Sundance Film Festival was a family affair

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

Winnowing thousands of entries to showcase the most significant, film festivals serve as a time capsule, focusing attention on the values and concerns of the moment. Many of the most notable entries at this year's Sundance Film Festival, which ran Jan. 19-29, stress the primal importance of home and family. Opening-night films included "Hello I Must Be Going," starring Melanie Lynskey as a demoralized, divorcee who moves back in with her parents and "Wish You Were Here," an Australian suspense thriller starring Joel Edgerton as a man clinging to a shattered marriage.

Johansson, Washington get German acting awards

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:42 CST

U.S. actors Scarlett Johansson and Denzel Washington have received Germany's most prestigious film award as best international actors.

Skeptics making some noise over 'The Artist'

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

If there's one thing I had failed to consider this Academy Awards season, it's that "The Artist" exists not to show people a good time (take it or leave it), but to make them feel like "idiots."

Your ticket-sale alert

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:20 CST

Here's what is hitting the market this weekend: some jazz, some rap, some Buckethead. on sale friday Tech N9ne with Machine Gun Kelly, Krizz Kaliko, Mayday, Prozak and Stevie Stone, March 24, Midland

Your new-music alert

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:53 CST

On his first album in eight years, Leonard Cohen, 77, writes from the perspective of a poet preaching and confessing a lifetime of lessons on life, love and death. His voice on "Old Ideas" is a resonant subterranean growl that dissipates into a craggy whisper at times

Leap into February's busy music schedule

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:25 CST

The Pine Leaf Boys will be at Johnson County Community College at the end of the month. Before the show, there will be a jambalaya feast

'Halftime in America' ad creates political debate

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:52 CST

People rarely pick a fight with Dirty Harry. But Chrysler's "Halftime in America" ad featuring quintessential tough guy Clint Eastwood has generated fierce debate about whether it accurately portrays the country's most economically distressed city or amounts to a campaign ad for President Barack Obama and the auto bailouts.

Univision, Disney look at English news channel

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:32 CST

Univision and Disney are in talks to create a 24-hour news channel for Latinos in English, two sources close to the negotiations said Monday.

Eastwood's Super Bowl ad sparks the discord it decries

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

Perhaps the most attention-getting Super Bowl ad - other than that dog blackmailing his owner with tortilla chips to keep quiet over a felinicide, of course - was Clint Eastwood's paean to a resurgent auto industry in Detroit.

Your Oscar pool: Can 'The Artist' paint the town red?

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00 CST

Now that the major Hollywood guilds have doled out their awards, it's time to get serious with your Oscar pools. Here are some betting tips:

Today's popcorn box: AMC Best Picture Showcase; Lucas uses The Force

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:00 CST

For the sixth year in a row, AMC Theatres will let you cram in all the big Academy Award nominees in a big Best Picture Showcase. You have two wonderfully butt-numbing options:

Mute appeal: Hollywood's rewarding movies for their silence

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

When the Oscar nominations were released last week, the silence was deafening.

Let's go to the movies: Look behind the scenes and discover a bit of movie magic

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

Every year at the Hollywood awards shows, the movie industry pats itself on the back in spectacular fashion. There's glitz, there's glamour, there are beautiful stars and brilliant directors. There's lots of talk about stirring performances and sweeping cinematography, lots of emotional speech-making and congratulatory air-kissing. But there's rarely a gaffer in sight.

Kodak wants name off LA home of Oscars broadcast

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:32 CST

Eastman Kodak Co. wants to end its contract for naming rights to the glamorous Los Angeles theater that hosts the Academy Awards as it tries to improve its financial position enough to move out of bankruptcy.

Oscar nominees take a look back with 'New Nostalgia'

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:00 CST

CHICAGO - A couple of years ago, Bruce Sheridan, chair of the film program at Columbia College, noticed a curious thing happening. A few of the film majors who interned on the Chicago production of "The Dark Knight" had started making their student films and, as expected, Christopher Nolan's brooding, zeitgeisty, state-of-the-union-address of a superhero epic was a big influence. Less expected was the sort of movies it inspired. Film students have always gravitated to the shadows and stark lighting of classic noir; and Batman is the most noir-y of superheroes. Sheridan planned to see lots of noir. What he got were wide open urban spaces.

Madonna enters virgin territory with film and Super Bowl

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

Madonna is returning to the public eye: "W.E.," which she directed, arrives in New York and L.A. on Friday. She'll perform at the Super Bowl on Sunday. And her album "MDNA" is due in March.

Konstantin Lifschitz performs Bach in KC festivals

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:00 CST

For many, Johann Sebastian Bach is at the summit of classical music. His huge output is highly cerebral and deeply emotional, and his influence is vast. The Bach Festival, presented by the Friends of Chamber Music, will celebrate the titan with some of his greatest keyboard works performed by Konstantin Lifschitz on Friday and Saturday at the Folly Theater.

Prison photographs document moments of grace

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00 CST

By its nature, black-and-white photography abstracts the world and heightens our sensory experience. We are put on alert and prepped to receive its messages in a way that often seems far different than what we perceive in photos made with lifelike color.

Simplicity defines Wilbur Niewald's portraits, on display at Kemper museum

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00 CST

It takes a brave person to sit for a portrait by Wilbur Niewald. Not just because it takes him 70-plus hours to complete a typical vertical painting. Nor because Niewald's working method is akin to a Zen-like exercise performed mostly in silence.

Krys Lee's 'Drifting House' marries darkness with vitality

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00 CST

Krys Lee's breathtaking story collection, "Drifting House," has shades of Jhumpa Lahiri's "Unaccustomed Earth" in its rendering of split cultural identities. But even more, it recalls Alice Munro's "Too Much Happiness," holding beauty and brutality in an elegant equipoise.

KC Symphony tackles Mahler's 'The Resurrection'

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:46 CST

According to Gustav Mahler, "the symphony is a world; it must contain everything." Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "The Resurrection," which the Kansas City Symphony will perform Friday and Saturday, is almost 90 minutes long, and it certainly contains a world of emotion.

KC Ballet's 2012-13 season balances the old and the new

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00 CST

Following a season of perennial favorites and premieres in a brand new performance hall is not an easy feat. Yet the Kansas City Ballet's artistic director, William Whitener, has programmed a season of performances for 2012-13 that aims to meet the high standards Kansas City dance fans have come to expect as the company settled into its new performance home, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, and its new headquarters, the Bolender Center.

Symphony, with George Takei, re-creates sci-fi magic

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00 CST

As the orchestra began the main title theme from "Star Wars," it was obvious that this concert, the first of two weekend concerts, was unlike any yet in Helzberg Hall. The Kansas City Symphony, singers from UMKC and three high schools and George Takei, best known as Sulu from TV's "Star Trek," combined to present a program of sci-fi themed music at the Kauffman Center.

Stargazing | Tom Brady's wife spouts off; Randy Travis parties a bit too much

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

And who did Gisele Bündchen blame for hubby Tom Brady's Super Bowl loss?

Madonna's Super Bowl halftime show: Like a dream? (Poll)

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:32 CST

She wanted to drop dancers from the ceiling of Lucas Oil Stadium, but the NFL nixed that idea. So Madonna did the next best thing during the Super Bowl halftime Sunday: She used every trick in the live concert playbook.

Randy Travis arrested for public intoxication

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:32 CST

Country singer Randy Travis has apologized after being arrested on a charge of public intoxication outside a North Texas church.

Five dining options at Hollywood Casino

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00 CST

The best NASCAR seat in Kansas City, Kan., may not necessarily be in the speedway anymore.

Gram & Dun offers savory fare with a Southern slant

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00 CST

Gram & Dun, which opened in November in the former Baja 600 space on the Country Club Plaza, is a welcome addition to the dining scene. You'll enjoy an evening of fun food with casual but courteous service in a stylish yet comfortable space. And it's a great value, with average entrée prices ringing in at less than $20.

Spring for two-for-$5 spring rolls at Lulu's noodle shop

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:00 CST

There's nothing that will fill you up while helping you slim down like Vietnamese spring rolls, and the vegetarian version at Lulu's Thai Noodle Shop are as good as any in town. A fiver gets you two lovely cylinders of fresh rice paper stuffed with lettuce, carrots, scallions, cilantro, rice vermicelli noodles, crushed peanuts and sauteed tofu.

Seasons 52 wraps its health-conscious idea in comfort

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:00 CST

On a Sunday-night visit to Seasons 52, which opened two months ago on the Country Club Plaza, the place was abuzz.

A year of comfort and culinary joy

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:00 CST

When you dine out somewhere north of 300 times a year, you begin to get a perspective on what our area's chefs and kitchens have to offer.

Five years later, Justus Drugstore still delights diners

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:23 CST

For the last five years, while most chefs working in fine dining restaurants have been concentrating their creative energies on the complicated foams, gels and orbs of molecular gastronomy, Jonathan Justus has been tramping through Smithville's nearby woods, fields and streams looking for good things to eat.

Elsa's Ethiopian Restaurant offers exotic fare at fair prices

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:00 CST

"When you get right down to it, there would be no Ethiopian cuisine without the slightly tangy injera," reviewer Jill Wendholt Silva writes of the pancakelike bread. "I've eaten in restaurants where the injera is so big it drapes like an edible tablecloth. At Elsa's Ethiopian in downtown Overland Park, more modest silver platters are covered with injera, and additional bread is served on the side."