Hip-hoppers give Peace a chance
Lauren Carter
It was probably the only place you’d find hip-hop artists noticeably avoiding curse words and praising a local government official while on stage.
At least, since the last festival.
Held last Saturday at City Hall, the Peace Boston 2007 Hip-Hop Festival, produced by Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events, attracted thousands of attendees, lasted over four hours and celebrated the hip-hop art form while promoting a message of peace and unity through music. Full story
|
Director Sharp stays true to her indie film roots
Bridgit Brown
Jennifer Sharp, director of “I’m Through with White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks),” knew she wanted to be an actress at a very early age, so after graduating from high school, she studied acting at New York University.
But once out of college, the dreadful reality hit her — she was neither “Halle Berry beautiful” nor the “ghetto girlfriend” type that most producers were looking for.
Though daunting, this realization about Hollywood helped Sharp transition her career into what turned out to be the right direction. Full story
|
|
Rachael Hunt finds grown-up success in a child’s world
Jin-ah Kim
These days, Rachael Hunt is joyful.
For the past month, the 22-year-old Boston native has commanded the BCA Plaza Theatre’s stage as the lead in Company One’s critically acclaimed production of “Mr. Marmalade,” running through Saturday. The play centers on the interaction between Lucy, Hunt’s four-year-old alter ego, and her imaginary friend Mr. Marmalade, a tuxedoed flunky addicted to violence, pornography and cocaine. But while all the other characters, including Mr. Marmalade, periodically come and go over the course of the play, Lucy stays on stage for the entire production, which runs about 90 minutes. Full story
|
Louisiana celebrates life, legacy of Louis Armstrong
Stacey Plaisance
NEW ORLEANS — Musicians came all the way from Japan to perform at last weekend’s celebration of the birth of one of the founding fathers of jazz — Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong.
Among them was 63-year-old trumpet player Yoshio Toyama, who was 20 when he met and performed with Armstrong in Tokyo in 1964.
“I love Louis Armstrong,” said Toyama, a small man who belted out some of Armstrong’s biggest hits — including “What a Wonderful World” — at an outdoor birthday party last Friday in Armstrong Park.
“I’m very proud to be here to play for him,” said Toyama, standing next to a large bronze statue of the jazz king born in New Orleans more than a century ago. Full story
|
