Arts Archives - Page 32 of 39

MoCo Connection in Hocus Pocus; Sequel Set to Release on September 30

Published September 29, 2022 at 9:40AM

With Hocus Pocus 2 being released on Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, we wanted to revisit the [not so strong] MoCo connection from the popular original 1993 film– Bethesda native Sean Murray in his role as Thackery Binx.

Hocus Pocus follows teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz), who after moving to Salem, Massachusetts, explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and their new friend, Allison (Vinessa Shaw). After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat (Binx) the kids must steal the witches’ book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.

Multimedia, Interactive Spy Adventure to Debut at Imagination Stage

By Patrick Herron

Published September 29, 2022 at 9:27AM

S.P.I.E.S. 2: Flight of the Hawk is the follow-up to S.P.I.E.S. & The Lost Treasure of Atlantis, which was an online hit for Imagination Stage in the winter of 2021. DC Theatre Arts praised it as “a fantastically entertaining conglomerate of action, adventure, suspense, and pure silliness.”

The new adventure (which doesn’t require any knowledge of the first one) is now in-person, with the live audience of children ages 5+ taking on the role of spy cadets being taught by the hilariously bungling live facilitator, Pat. During the cadet training, Pat is contacted and told that an award ceremony for Spy Team 7 has gone awry with the villainous Winnifred Veil putting in motion her plan to dominate the world. It’s Pat and the cadets to the rescue, providing key information and making crucial decisions to assist the spies, who are beaming in on the big screen.

Local Middle School Teacher Has Spread Message of Love and Healing Through Thousands of ‘Meeps’ She Has Made Over the Last Four Years

By MCS Staff

Published September 26, 2022 at 3:09PM

Every week, Takoma Park Middle School teacher, Maura Moore, highlights one student in each of her classes that has done something noteworthy (kind to a classmate, shown perseverance with an academic struggle, exemplary work, etc.) by giving them a raffle ticket that could win the a students a “meep” to keep. A meep (photos below) is a crocheted emotional support orb. Moore started making the meeps in March of 2018 when she was going through a difficult time in her life and wanted to show that you could turn a tough time into something beautiful.

She made over 1,000 maps in a little over 6 months (approximately 250 of them were for staff and students). In the last 4 years she had made several thousand meeps, spending her own time and money, so that she can brighten other’s day. When she made her first meep, before it had a name, it was just a gesture to say to someone “I see you struggling, and I want you know I am here and I care.” Just this summer she made 600 of them and recently she has made meeps available for purchase through her website, AllYouMeepIsLove.com

Sixth Annual Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival Returns on Sunday, Sept. 25, with Events on Marian Fryer Town Plaza

By Patrick Herron

Published September 14, 2022 at 4:13PM

The Arts Parade starts at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Grandview and Ennalls avenues. It will move down Georgia Avenue, around the Wheaton Triangle Business District and will end at the festival site adjacent to the entrance of the Wheaton Metrorail Station.

Marian Fryer Town Plaza is located at 2424 Reedie Dr. in Wheaton.

Blair High School Alumna Cynthia Addai-Robinson Stars in New Lord of the Rings Television Series

By MCS Staff

Published September 6, 2022 at 9:49AM

Cynthia Addai-Robinson stars as Queen Regent Tar-Míriel in Amazon Prime’s highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. She was born on January 12, 1980, in London; her mother is from Ghana and her father was a U.S. citizen. She moved to the U.S. when she was 4 and was raised by her mother in Silver Spring, where she graduated from Blair High School in 1998.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered last week with its first two episodes. The rest of the eight-episode first season is running until October 14. The show’s time period is before the events of The Hobbit and the original The Lord of the Rings.

Utkarsh Ambudkar Returns to MoCo For an Episode of ‘Secret Celebrity Renovation’ to Upgrade His Parents’ Home in Gaithersburg

By MCS Staff

Published August 27, 2022 at 9:56AM | Updated August 27, 2022 at 7:29PM

Utkarsh Ambudkar was born in nearby Baltimore, but was raised in Rockville while his parents worked at NIH in Bethesda. The 38 year old actor graduated from Wootton High School and is well known for his roles in Hulu’s The Dropout, the male lead in hit CBS sitcom Ghosts (which he stars in with fellow Wootton alumnus Richie Moriarty), Donald in Pitch Perfect, Rishi in the Mindy Project, Skatch in Mulan, and a lot more. In season 2, episode 5 of the CBS series Secret Celebrity Renovation, Ambudkar comes home to MoCo to renovate his parents’ home.

The episode starts off with views of Gaithersburg, where his parents currently live, leading into Ambudkar and the show’s host, Nischelle Turner, driving through MoCo on their way to his parents’ home. While home he visits friends who are still in the area and heads over to Wootton High School where one of his childhood friends, Nick Hitchens, is currently the assistant principal at the school. He stops by the theater where it all started and credits one his former directors, Harriet Mittelberger, for changing the course of his life by convincing Utkarsh’s mom to let him pursue acting.

Damascus Native Brian Stelter Signs Off of CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ for Final Time

By MCS Staff

Published August 22, 2022 at 5:58AM

CNN’s “Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter” came to an end on Sunday night after the company announced Thursday that it is ending the media analysis show that has aired in various iterations for 30 years (Stelter has hosted for nine years). Stelter is a native of Damascus, MD, where he was born and raised, graduating from Damascus High School in 2003.

After graduating from college in May 2007, Stelter joined The New York Times as a media reporter at the age of 22, making him one of the youngest staff members at the time. In November 2013, he became the new host of CNN’s Reliable Sources and also chief media correspondent.

Arts and Social Justice Fellows Present Culminating Projects This Sunday at AMP by Strathmore

By Patrick Herron

Published July 27, 2022 at 11:14PM

Created in conjunction with Strathmore and Woolly Mammoth’s co-presentation of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon, the fellowship engaged eight high school fellows in six months of study, discussions, and creation at the intersection of arts and social change.

Their research and reflection covered Butler’s Parable novels, as well as many other works and creators including Audre Lorde, Sonic Youth, Terence Trent D’Arby, Danez Smith, Robin DiAngelo, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, the film “Sorry to Bother You,” the TV show “American Gods,” and more.

MoCo Rapper ‘Joony’ Makes His First Appearance on Billboard’s Hot 100

By MCS Staff

Published July 20, 2022 at 4:12PM

Billboard congratulated Montgomery County native ‘Joony’ via social media for the rapper’s first appearance on the Hot 100 this week. Joony, who is from Silver Spring and attended Springbrook High School, entered the list after being featured on Brent Faiyaz’s “FYTB.” The Billboard Hot 100 features the week’s most popular artists across all genres.

Faiyaz is from Columbia in neighboring Howard County, and rose to prominence after he was featured on the GoldLink single “Crew” alongside another local rapper, Shy Glizzy, in 2016. The song was certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA, and earned him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Call to Artists for Arts Barn City Shop In Gaithersburg

By MCS Staff

Published July 16, 2022 at 4:32AM

Selected artists will have the opportunity to display their artwork from October through March.

A panel of jurors will review the applications received during the call & select the artists for the upcoming year. The criteria for review includes the originality & technical achievement in the medium and the type & price of work appropriate for the Arts Barn’s typical patron.

Olney Theatre’s Deaf/Hearing Hybrid Staging of ‘The Music Man’ Highlighted by PBS, Shouted Out by Hugh Jackman

By MCS Staff

Published July 15, 2022 at 1:19AM

Olney Theatre is currently presenting a 2.5 hour (with 15 minute intermission) staging of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, which runs until July 24th. It features a cast of Deaf, hearing, and hard-of-hearing artists, and all shows are performed in ASL and spoken English and open-captioned.

PBS NewsHour recently profiled the production (video available below), which officially opened June 29 and continues through July 24. Actor Hugh Jackman also recently shouted out Olney Theatre’s production and the PBS profile on Instagram, referring to it as “incredibly heartwarming.”