ESSAY: Mourning in America
By Tom Robotham When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, I disagreed with many friends who thought there was no way he could win. The book I mentioned in my last essay—Amusing Ourselves to Death—kept coming to mind, and Trump personified author Neil Postman’s dark...
Degrading Our Public Discourse
By Tom Robotham Kamala Harris has been subjected to a lot attacks since she became the Democratic nominee for president: She’s a communist; she’s not really Black; she’s morally suspect because she never gave birth; she laughs too much. They’re all so idiotic that...
37 Things To Do This Halloween
Compiled by Staff Fright Nights at the Naro Expanded Cinema The Naro is presented a series of horror flicks for the month of October, including “The Shining” (Oct. 18), “Killer Klowns From Outer Space (Oct. 19), “Elvira” (Oct. 25), “Halloween III” (Oct. 26)....
Deborah Thorpe reflects on 37 years at the Governor’s School for the Arts
(Deborah Thorpe used this selfie for her social media post announcing her retirement.) By Jim Roberts Shelly Cihak, executive director of the Governor’s School for the Arts, addressed hundreds of students and supporters at the Wells Theatre on the first day of the...
Bodies in Motion
By Tom Robotham Over the years, I’ve written a lot about my love of music and the cultivation of that love, from the first piano lessons that my mother gave me at the age of 5 to my foray into the New York City jazz scene after college. Something few people know about...
How Virginia is Addressing the Dark Side of Gambling
Legislators make bipartisan push for more state funding to counter the effects of problem gambling until the Virginia Gaming Commission is up and running By Markus Schmidt The expansion of casinos and the rise of online gambling platforms in Virginia have sparked...
The Scene: Opening Night of Jackie Merritt Exhibition
Do You See Me Now: A Solo Exhibition by Jackie Merritt Through September 13 Norfolk Arts’ Offsite Gallery @ MacArthur Center norfolkarts.net
ESSAY: Born Identities
By Tom Robotham When I was growing up in Staten Island in the 1960s, kids used to ask each other, “What are you?” No further explanation was needed. Everyone knew it meant, what’s your nationality? In my neighborhood, most answered, “Italian” or “Irish”—never mind...
Look Out Norfolk: NBA Ref Tony Brothers Wants to be Your Mayor in 2028
(Tony Brothers is a city of Norfolk all-around MVP. Photo by Joel Rubin.) By Joel Rubin “I have spent over thirty years in conflict resolution,” says Tony Brothers, arguably the most respected professional referee in the country. “When you are trying to keep peace on...
The Annex Set to Open
(The Annex is housed within the former Five Points Farmers Market spot in Norfolk) By Jeff Maisey The Annex, a highly anticipated state-of-the-art music venue, craft beer bar and kitchen, plans to debut August 29 when psychedelic jam band Papadosio is scheduled to...
Days Gone Bayou
(Fighting Gravity was a crowd pleaser at The Bayou. They'll perform December 7 at The NorVa.) By Rick Mersel Unfortunately, what initially appeared like promising waves, with perfectly smooth double sets rolling off the sun-spangled ocean, had flattened almost...
Transformative Gospel Music
By Jerome Langston Speaking with award-winning choir conductor and workshop leader, Karen Gibson, MBE, the founder of the Kingdom Choir, the highly successful London based gospel choir, via Zoom a few days ago, felt akin to chatting with a genuine friend. Karen exudes...
A Carol or Two from Virginia Stage Company
The Cast and Production Stage Management Team of Virginia Stage Company's A Sherlock Carol : (L-R)Patrick Halley, Scott Wichmann, Seth Patterson, Steve Pacek, Sarah Manton, Beatty Barnes, Tia Collier, Emma D. Emde, Rachel Fobbs, and Abbigail LaRocque. Photo by TOC...
Local Musicians Pay Homage to The Last Waltz
By Jim Morrison In Patrick Higgins' memory, he saw the iconic film, "The Last Waltz," in downtown Washington, D.C.'s Warner Theatre on a big screen with an impressive sound system. "We were teenagers," he says, "so likely we were somewhat stoned." At the time, he was...
ART: The Substance Beneath the Surface of Reflections
Installation view of Reflections: Surface and Substance. Courtesy of the Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center. By Betsy DiJulio Immediately on the heels of the opening of the Torggler Fine Arts Center’s current exhibition, I was fortunate to catch up with curator...
Man At Work
By Jim Morrison Colin Hay is touring as Men at Work, but he hasn't brought back the band that made those early ‘80s, ear-worm hits like "Down Under," "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Overkill." "It's not really putting Men at Work back together," he said in a call from Los...
Heartfelt Themes and a Dream Fulfilled with the Virginia Symphony
(Michelle Cann, piano) By Montague Gammon III When Michelle Cann sits down at a Steinway in very early November to play Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, she’s reuniting with a difficult but thrilling college friend who...
Five Prime Players, Two Classics and a Mysterious Composer
By Montague Gammon III Feldman Chamber Music Society’s October 28 concert brings Ensemble 4.1, self-described as the world’s only piano windtet, to the Chrysler Museum’s Kaufman Theatre in a program of music by Mozart, Gershwin and a composer called N.H. Rice, whose...
Women Drive Stake Through Heart of Patriarchal Dracula
(Cast of Dracula during rehearsals. Photo by Sam Flint.) By Jerome Langston Walking into the large, nondescript MacArthur Center space, which formerly housed some glitzy retailer during the Norfolk mall’s glory years — but now serves as adequate rehearsal space for...
Heroes and Prodigies and the Marquis de Lafayette
(Brendon Elliott, violin) By Montague Gammon III Heroes and prodigies fill the Francophile Virginia Symphony October 18-20 concerts. The hero in whose honor the concert was programmed with French composers is Lafayette, the young Marquis who took part in the American...
A Wine Education at Crystal Palate
(Crystal Cameron-Schaad enjoys sharing an education in wine culture with patrons.) By Jeff Maisey For the more sophisticated traveler, experiencing a destination through its culinary and winemaking culture is an essential ingredient in understanding the uniqueness...
Craft on Colley: Semi-Fine Dining at its Finest
By Marisa Marsey A cynic might sneer, “What are those guys trying to do, corner NoCo?” The thought’s not ungrounded. Dave Filipowski and Rich Katz own neighboring hangouts Cogans North and Hank’s Filling Station on the north side of Colley Avenue. So it’s reasonable...
Top Shelf Service
(Annie Rostov) By Jeff Maisey Few industries seem to be as impacted coming out of the pandemic as the restaurant business. While customers have returned to near pre-Covid numbers, restauranteurs in Hampton Roads and across the nation have seen their food costs and...
Neptune Festival preparing for back-to-back beer and wine festivals
By Jim Roberts The small staff at the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival is gearing up for a number of large events the last weekend in September: the Neptune Festival Art & Craft Show, the 49th Annual Boardwalk Weekend, and the Neptune Festival Grand Parade, among...
Filibuster bourbon
By Marisa Marsey Heading to Derby Day, my fancy races to mint juleps and the bourbon that braces them. (Of course, my fancy races to bourbon many a day, anyway). A good bet for those juleps – if you want to stay true to Virginia while toasting Kentucky – is...
Return of The Belvedere
By Marisa Marsey Were you as ecstatic as I when you heard that the beloved Belvedere Coffee Shop & Diner was being resurrected in the spanking new Moxy Hotel at the Oceanfront? If you possess any VaBeachVa history, I’m guessing that’s a resounding, fist-pumping...
Afterglow Brewing Shines in Norfolk’s Railyard District
(Josh Evans and Jeff Hartline. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Here’s some exciting news for beer lovers! Norfolk’s newest brewery held their Grand Opening the weekend of July 8. Afterglow Brewing is now open for business at The Railyard...
Winning Big with Aloha State of Mind
(Matt Topping enjoys the taste of success — and Hawaii — at COVA Brewing Company.) By Jeff Maisey It’s a big deal to win an award — gold, silver or bronze — at the World Beer Cup competition. For a brewery to garner consecutive golds for the same entry is nothing...
Dogs Come First at Pups and Pints
(Wasserhund craft beers are to bark for at Pups & Pints in Virginia Beach.) By Marisa Marsey Woof, woof! Arf! Bark! Bark! That’s Sheepish Onyx, my seven-month-old Mini Sheepadoodle, tail wagging in prestissimo tempo because she’s at Pups and Pints. I’d better turn...
New Realm Expands Virginia Beach Capacity
By Jeff Maisey In 2018, New Realm Brewing Company acquired the gigantic, short-lived brewing facility of San Diego-based Green Flash Brewing Co. in Virginia Beach. The brewing capacity at that time was 40,000 barrels/year. New Realm had only recently opened its...
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