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ICON DECEMBER

Ring by Lynda Bahr. Heart of the Hom, New Hope.

The intersection of art, entertainment, culture, opinion and mad genius Filling the hunger since 1992

INTERVIEWS

20 | RUFUS WAINWRIGHT 22 | CHRISTOPHER BOUDEWYNS

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Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com Shoplifters.

MORE FILM

ART

ESSAY A River, It Is EXHIBITIONS I

26 |

27 |

Lynda Bahr Holiday Trunk Show

FOREIGN Border DOCUMENTARY The White Helmets

EDITORIAL Editor / Trina McKenna Raina Filipiak / Advertising filipiakr@comcast.net PRODUCTION Richard DeCosta

Heart of the Home

FOODIE FILE

Holiday Pop Up Shop

28 |

The Bourse

Megan Flanagan Rita Kaplan

The Baum School of Art

MUSIC Legacy: The Art of Ben Marcune The Snow Goose Gallery

The Favourite.

10 | 12 |

30 | SINGER / SONGWRITER Rosanne Cash Kenny Wayne Rachel Taylor Brown Michael Martin Murphey Blue Largo

THE PHOTOGRAPHER STAGE NIGHTLIFE

33 | JAZZ/ ROCK/CLASSICAL/ALT Judy Niemack Harriet Tubman Dusty Wright Woody Shaw Dexter Gordon

FILM 14 |

CINEMATTERS Shoplifters

Dexter Gordon. Photo: Francis Wolff.

18 |

FILM ROUNDUP

34 | POP And in the End...

At Eternity’s Gate Destroyer The Favourite

24 |

If Beale Street Could Talk

ETCETERA

REEL NEWS

36 |

HARPER’S FINDINGS

Searching

36 |

HARPER’S INDEX

38 |

L. A. TIMES CROSSWORD

39 |

AGENDA

Colette ON THE COVER: Our Hopes and Expectations, by photographer Cristy Lee Rogers. Page 8 4

37 | JAZZ LIBRARY Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis

Crazy Rich Asians Support the Girls

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS A. D. Amorosi Robert Beck Jack Byer Peter Croatto Geoff Gehman Mark Keresman George Miller Bob Perkins Keith Uhlich Tom Wilk

Subscription: $40 (12 issues) PO Box 120 • New Hope 18938 (800) 354-8776 Fax (215) 862-9845 ICON is published twelve times per year. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. ICON welcomes letters to the editor, editorial ideas and submissions, but assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. ICON is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. ©2018 Prime Time Publishing Co., Inc.

t P e p d m e e a t I i b b c m

t t n p p w i w r m

m f a m a b

d e s s n

m a u

ART ESSAY & PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK

A RIVER, IT IS

MY FRIENDS ARE ENTHUSIASTIC travelers, but I’m a stay-put person. Part of that has to do with being selfentertaining. Give me a paintbrush, a pen, or a book, and let me know when dinner is ready. I rarely look outside of myself for fulfillment. If I need a different world, I make one. My work has evolved into an examination of who we are as people, and “we” are pretty easy to find, so I don’t wander too far afield. I’m also not comfortable in an unfamiliar place or where I don’t know anybody. That might be a security issue, but I think of it more as needing an anchor. When I do go away, painting is my safe spot to hole-up. Most of my time is spent among three places; Manhattan, Bucks County, and a small fishing village on the northern coast of Maine named Jonesport. I first went there to do a series of paintings six years ago and now return whenever I can. Each of these places is its own unique culture, elements of which are universal. The differences reveal commonalities, and the commonalities teach me about myself. Manhattan is a torrent of singleminded inertia. A vast theater built on fragile assumptions, fervent desires, and enormous wallets, populated by a million-and-a-half individual agendas, and insulated from the natural world by concrete and glass. Jonesport, Maine, is a small, interdependent community rooted in the earth and sea. Life can be hard and sometimes brutal, and there are few secrets or pretentions. Ignoring the natural world might get you killed. Bucks County is somewhere in the middle, removed from those harsh realities and extremes. It’s where I grew up. It’s in my blood. But without the

other two, in fact everywhere I’ve been, I wouldn’t see this extraordinary place for what it is. Jonesport operates close to the human core. There is an appealing charm to the rustic existence, but not many tourists go there because it lacks amenities. No restaurants. No hotels. No bars. No mimosas on the beach. No beach. The large containers at the wharves filled with dead fish used to bait the lobster traps will make your eyes water if you find yourself down-wind. And you will. It’s not Key West. I go because there is a truth I don’t find elsewhere. Something about who I am, how I was brought up, and what I’ve learned. Theirs is a demanding, and prescribed existence. Everyone knows each other and needs each other, and in some ways that becomes self-regulating. They show up before the phone rings. They roll up their sleeves. The experience in Manhattan is wide; in Jonesport it’s deep. There are a lot of small cemeteries along the roads that edge the peninsula and the island, holding ancestors going back to the first settlers. They are located close-by, not tucked somewhere away from the villages. Many have a view of the sea. The names and dates in family plots are narratives of life in harder times. The size of the stones and their decoration— a phrase, a lamb, a skull—are testimony from the living.

I was standing in a graveyard on a bluff overlooking the water on a sunny day, watching a dragger head to the wharf where the mussels are processed, and I thought about how passing the grave of your loved ones once or twice a day contributes to your world view. Even more so if you dug the hole or built the box, as some of these people have. In all communication, the story is not what gets told, rather what is heard. It is easy for a painting’s message to get hijacked by the experiences of the person looking at it. My view from the graveyard, surrounded by tombstones, spoke in the vernacular of the dead, evoking black drapery and angels of death, but the view from the moving boat would be alive with now and the next moment. The weave of humanity depicted by one of its many threads, in the voice of the living. Foul weather is the soundtrack to this image. Gray skies and sleet keep us focused on the realities of life in any community with a single focus, where many sons and daughters have learned, worked, and lived beside their forbearers, following them into the fields, or the mines, or out to sea. It is just one version of the sometimes difficult, and often beautiful journeys that all of us take, without exception, to our very common destination. n

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EXHIBITIONS I

Holiday Pop Up Shop The Baum School of Art 510 Linden St., Allentown, PA 610-433-0032 Baumschool.org December 1-20

Lynda Bahr Holiday Trunk Show Heart of the Home 28 South Main St., New Hope, PA 215-862-1880 heartofthehome.com December 8-24 Lynda lives in the mountains of California and is noted for the unique jewelry which she creates. She was schooled in Fine Art at Syracuse University and in London, England. With a background in Architecture and Interior Design, she brings a singular aesthetic to her rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, she uses gold, silver and mokume gane to create an individual style that intrigues. Heart of the Home specializes in Handmade in America and encourages the discerning collector to investigate the possibilities.

The Holiday Pop Up Shop celebrates the region’s talented artisans. Our galleries are transformed into a marketplace with hundreds of unique, handcrafted gifts. Items include ceramics, glass, paintings, ornaments, knits, cards, soaps, jewelry and more! Shop all month long. Join us opening day from 1–3 for cookies and coffee or for our wine and cheese reception on Dec. 13 from 6–8. On Dec. 6 from 4–7 “I Wood Wear This Collective” will have a trunk show of fabulous neckpieces and handbags from Ilene Wood’s collection. Receptions are free and open to the public. Your purchase supports the artists and The Baum School of Art’s mission of enriching lives through arts education. Presenting Sponsors: Bob and Sandy Lovett. The David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries

Fall Stream, oil.

Legacy: The Art of Ben Marcune The Snow Goose Gallery 470 Main St., Bethlehem, PA 610- 974- 9099 thesnowgoosegallery.com Tuesday–Saturday: 10–5; Sunday 11–4 December 2–30 Collectors’ Preview Saturday, December 1, 1–5 Opening Reception Sunday, December 2, 1–5 If you’ve seen the Steelworkers’ Memorial, the Korea-Viet Nam Memorial, the many heroic-sized bronze sculptures on the campus of DeSales University, the many portraits of performers and public figures, the PA Shakespeare Festival’s paintings and posters, then you’re familiar with the work of Ben Fortunado Marcune. Ben enjoyed successful careers as a biomedical engineer, an industrial designer, a dancer, a sculptor and painter. He had been represented by The Snow Goose Gallery for more than 20 years, and we are very proud to present this collection of Ben’s paintings, some of which have never been seen before. Sadly, Ben died in March of this year, just shy of his 83rd birthday. We remember him fondly, and hope that viewers will enjoy seeing and having a chance to own a part of his legacy. You may also view the exhibit on our website.

Lock Tender’s House, oil. 6

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Our Hopes and Expectations.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER Photographer Christy Lee Rogers produces luminous scenes of swirling figures swathed in colorful fabrics. She creates a painterly quality in her large-scale images not by using wet pigments, but rather by completely submerging her subjects in illuminated water and photographing them at night. The works shown here are part of Rogers’ most recent series, titled ‘Muses’, which were in response to a year of personal loss. She shared in an interview that “these final images represent a soft and peaceful place that I imagine exists, where you can be free to let go and experience the beauty surrounding you.”

Love, Live. 8

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Rhapsody..

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STAGE VALLEY

CITY

Frankenstein. Danny Boyle’s notorious 2011 National Theatre production, which I watched on a movie screen at Lafayette College, was the right kind of Frankenstein monster: feral, intellectual, transcendental, exquisitely theatrical: There were explosive lighting effects, Zen-spare settings, inventive interactions, brutal battles of body and mind, Shakespearean eloquence, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s magnetic, magnificent Creature. He was mesmerizing as shocked animal, gleeful pupil, dangerous rival and profoundly wounded, wise orphan. In one unforgettable scene, he chewed on Victor’s journal with the radiant wonder of a kid in a communion wafer candy store. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Christopher, a 15-year-old math whiz and an emotional illiterate, bravely creates a new comfort zone while investigating the murder of a neighbor’s large black poodle. During his dizzying odyssey, he discovers that his mother isn’t dead after all and his father is a lying son of a bitch. His teacher reads his mystery novel to spectators in this 2012 National Theatre production that won a 2015 Tony for new play. (Video version, Buck Hall, Lafayette College, Third and North Snyder streets, Easton, Dec. 2) A Broadway Christmas Carol. Three singers and a pianist mash and spice up “A Christmas Carol” with parodies of tunes from such musicals as “Gypsy,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Avenue Q.” Imagine Scrooge celebrating his spiritual awakening by belting “Good Morning,” the “Singin’ in the Rain” toast. Imagine trifle soaked with Jack Daniels. (Pennsylvania Playhouse, 390 Illick’s Mill Rd., Bethlehem, Dec. 1, 7-9, 13-16) Scrooge: The Musical. Composer Leslie Bricusse spins the capital-M miser from “I Hate People” to “The Milk of Human Kindness.” The show has been a community classic in Utica, N.Y. for four decades. (Star of the Day Event Productions, McCoole’s Arts & Events Place, 10 S. Main St., Quakertown, Dec. 1-2, 7-8, 14-15) The Santaland Diaries. A new actor (Chris Olson) and a new concept join Civic Theatre of Allentown’s third straight production of David Sedaris’ exhilarating account of his exhausting time as a Macy’s Christmas martyr. Third-time director Will Morris has stripped the play closer to Sedaris’ original pieces for NPR, inspired by “Nanette,” Hannah Gadsby’s bold standup act on Netflix. Morris hopes holiday spectators will laugh harder at the absurdity of feeling “ashamed and guilty for feeling anything but cheery,” and remember longer that “we are not alone in our holiday plight.” (514 N. 19th St., Allentown, Dec. 7-9, 13-16)

Oliver! The Quintessence Theatre Group and Artistic Director Alexander Burns channels Charles Dickens’ 19th century social plight through playwright and composer Lionel Bart’s British lens, Brexit and America’s anti-immigration woes to come up with a post-Broadway musical as poignant and relevant as it is swinging and singing. (The Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Avenue, through Dec. 23) Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol More of the great British moralist/satirist, only this time, Philly’s Lantern Theater Company has one of its favorites, Anthony Lawton (The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters) adapting the legendary Christmas Eve-based script and its spooky ghost tales with an moral edge. (URBN Center Black Box Theater, 3401 Filbert Street, December 13–January 6) The Color Purple. Writer Marsha Norman and musical playwrights Brenda Russel, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray’s take on Alice Walker’s slavery era novel about racism, unending love and family tragedy stays true to its Civil War sound of jazz, gospel, ragtime and blues, recounting the happiness and horror of the time. (Theatre Horizon, 401 DeKalb Street, Norristown, PA, through Dec. 23) Winter Wonderettes. A curious excursion into what could be a Mad Men-esque holiday spectacular: it’s the 1968 Harper’s Hardware Christmas Party featuring the women of The Winter Wonderettes (Cindy Lou, Missy, Suzy, Betty Jean, and their diverse, separate color schemes) going at the lounge/cool version of holiday songs. Bouffants and “Santa Baby” with a script by Rodger Beam? You go. (Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3, 825 Walnut Street, through December 30) Completeness. Still stuck in the wilds of Fishtown, and now Center City, while its home in South Philly gets rebuilt, Theatre Exile and its principle Director Matt Pfeiffer tell a lonely, sexy, comic tale of computer programs built to aid the lovelorn while losing sight of the real science of love. An Itamar Moses script makes this a hoot. (Louis Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks Street, through Dec. 23) This is the Week That Was. 1812 Productions’ annual Daily Show/This Week Tonight-like look at the news is an evolving comic and musical treat that doesn’t stop at satirizing the news. All that, and director/writer/1812 boss Jennifer Childs welcomes back her South Philly doyenne of the block, Patsy, for Italio-Irish accented, stoop-sitting commentary. (Plays & Players Theatre, 1714 Delancey Place, through January 5) Lend Me a Tenor. Resident Theatre Company’s take on mistaken identity, Marx Brothers-screwball classic never fails to get a belly laugh. Kristin McLaughlin Mitchell directs. (Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, 226 No. High St., Dec. 14–30)

Brigadoon. Muhlenberg College staged a satisfying, smiling version of the musical tracking two New York hunters who change and are changed by a Scottish village that rises every century. Julian Mone (Tommy) and K. Cheyanne Leid (Fiona) were solid, smart, star-crossed lovers, singing “The Heather on the Hill” and “Almost Like Being in Love” with robust intimacy. Jessie Kuehne was delightfully daffy and deft as Meg, the dairy mad who lusts after the other American. Tommy Gedrich played Harry Beaton, the jilted, jealous suitor, with brawny menace and impressively athletic balletics. Emily Forster’s Maggie memorialized Harry with a wrenching, splendidly witchy dance. Charles Richter directed with his usual keen attention to comedy, drama and dramedy. Choreographer Karen Dearborn served a brimming, brilliant smorgasbord of Highland fling, wedding duet and sword.

Children of Eden. In what promises to be the first origin story put to song, the local 11th Hour Theatre Company presents Stephen “Wicked” Schwartz’s inspirational musical based on the Genesis story and with a score equally holy, and happy. (Proscenium Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks Street, through December 9)

— GEOFF GEHMAN

— A.D. AMOROSI

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The Audience Disturbs Marcel’s Bath Time and He Is Very Upset with You All. Philly’s Tiny Dynamite company always concentrates on the absurd, and this world premiere comedy by Ryan Bultrowicz does no less in its Duchamp-ian telling of the soapy tale of one man’s quest (Charlie DelMarcelle) to simply take a bath in private. Is there no peace? Maybe. Maybe not. But they will serve pizza while you watch. (Headhouse Cafe Upstairs/Tiny Dynamite, 122-124 Lombard St., Dec. 5–16)

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NIGHTLIFE

DECEMBER

CURATED BY A.D. AMOROSI

3,4 BOB DYLAN & JOHN LEGEND

The Bard of Minnesota, the Folk Frank Sinatra and the Nobel Peace

6 SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASBURY JUKES

While Little Steven roams the land, touring behind the songs he wrote

songs, and started making hits of Toto tunes (this summer’s smash rendition of “Africa”). Rivers Cuomo & Co. are still snarky power-pop fun. The Met Phila., themetphilly.com

20 THE WAR ON DRUGS

11 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

21 TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS EVE

The throaty king of emotional jam rock never seems to go away, and yet

for Southside Johnny’s first two albums in the ’70s, the raspy singer behind the Asbury Jukes plays them like he sees them: soulful. Steelstacks, steelstacks.org 8 THE MAVERICKS CHRISTMAS SHOW

Prize victor opens North Broad Street’s opera house to the public. The next night, Philly’s own slinky soul man John Legend brings his Christmas album’s showcase to the big room. The Met Phila., themetphilly.com 4 J MASCIS

The pre-grunge trio leader and guitarist/singer of Dinosaur Jr cuts a mean Neil Young-ian path when he goes solo. World Café Live, worldcafelivephilly.com

“Hey! Merry Christmas!” finds country punk’s favorite Tex-Mex flavor ready, raw and rough for the holidays. Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, NJ, scottishriteauditorium.com

5 Q102 JINGLE BALL

Along with pure pop children such as Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Calvin Harris, 5 Seconds of Summer, Marshmello, Dua Lipa, G-Eazy and Bazzi, this J-Ball hosts the first time ever K-Pop boy band appearance from Monsta X. Wells Fargo Center, wellsfargocenterphilly.com

we’re glad to see him yet again. Wells Fargo Center, wellsfargocenterphilly.com 12 RONNIE SPECTOR & THE RONETTES

Philadelphia’s first fam of rap—North and South Philly friends, all, currently hale and healthy—reunite for their first shows in two decades. The Fillmore Phila., thefillmorephilly.com

The originator of the multi-ethnic girl group sound returns with her own

28 PNB ROCK

Philly’s big label signed R&B crooner has been showing up for all of pal Meek Mill’s shows since the latter’s return home from prison. Here’s hoping Milly from Philly will join the caramel-coated vocal wonder with his own torrid, tender set of soul songs. The Met Phila., themetphilly.com

Nine Inch Nails may have left industrial schlock rock behind for brooding yet elegant film score composition, but the other fire starter of the genre keeps the heated metal home fires burning. Franklin Music Hall, bowerypresents.com/greaterphilly/shows/franklin-music-hall

Philly’s flouncy, street-y MC hosts another holiday hip hop party for he

These guys have been sawing strings and rolling brass in Tchaikovsky like fashion for decades. Now, they’re throwing Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol into its wintry windy sonic mix. Wells Fargo Center, wellsfargocenterphilly.com 23 STATE PROPERTY (BEANIE SIGEL + FREEWAY + PEEDI PEEDI)

8 MINISTRY

8 LIL UZI VERT

Philly’s ethereal winner of the best rock album Grammy for 2018 returns for the holidays. Union Transfer, utphilly.com

29 KURT VILE

17 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Philly’s younger answer to the aforementioned J Mascis has his own squeaky, funny Neil Young to work out on his new Bottle of You. The Met Phila., themetphilly.com

The whole ‘Man of the Woods’ routine seemed a bit too rustic the first

30, 31 JOHN OLIVER

Wall of Sound holiday spectacular. Steelstacks, steelstacks.org

Four shows with outsider news humor from the Brit who hosts Last Week Tonight on HBO seems a right-

5 AEROSMITH’S JOE PERRY & BRAD WHITFORD WITH GARY CHERONE FROM EXTREME AND VAN HALEN

Mainstream hard boogie rock (this way) of the ’70s and ’80s comes together right now, over me, and you, and the issues of age, wear and tear. Franklin Music Hall, bowerypresents.com/greaterphilly/shows/franklin-music-hall 12

and his many friends. Wells Fargo Center, wellsfargocenterphilly.com 11 WEEZER

Maybe they ran out of their own

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time around, when JT hit Philly during the spring and the album’s release. Maybe he smartened up and put the funky tux back on. Wells Fargo Center, wellsfargocenterphilly.com

eous snarky way of closing out the year that was. The Met Phila., themetphilly.com

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CINEMATTERS BY PETE CROATTO

“GIVING BIRTH AUTOMATICALLY MAKES you a mother?” That simple question lies at the heart of the jarring, dazzling Shoplifters, winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s asked by Nobuyo (Ando Sakura), a working woman residing in a Japanese slum, who has concocted a family through lies, kidnapping, and a fair amount of denial. What she’s done is illegal, but is it immoral? The tension in Shoplifters doesn’t spring from felonious acts, but how long this collection of strangers can last on a mixture of delusion and togetherness. Their con is stealing from other people’s lives to create their own happiness. The group dynamic gets reevaluated when father, Osamu (Lily Franky), and son, Shota (Jyo Kairi), discover a little girl (Sasaki Miyu) alone on a balcony. It’s a cold and dark night, a lonely child’s living nightmare. They bring Yuri back to their home, where Nobuyo says to feed her and bring her back. She and Osamu do that and discover the girl’s parents in a ferocious argument. Neither is too concerned about their missing child’s welfare. Nobuyo quickly loves 14

Shoplifters Yuri as her own, kissing her scars and offering hugs instead of slaps. She figures Yuri won’t be missed—just like the rest of them. Yuri joins a halfway house of lost souls whose occupants grow more disparate the more we learn. There’s a grandmother (Kiki Kilin) and Nobuyo’s half-sister (Matsuoka Mayu), though the connection between the three remains murky. Not that the occupants care. They’re living as a family on the fly, and the bittersweet joy of Shoplifters is seeing how they try to craft something against all odds. When Osamu shows the kids how to shoplift, he’s passing along a survival tactic. Go undetected and you might savor a sliver of joy. He works as a day laborer; Nobuyo toils in a laundry. They live in a house that looks like a cluttered garage with some pieces that vaguely resemble furniture. Supermarkets aren’t the mark; joy is. When Osamu and Nobuyo make love, he wants to bask in the afterglow; she wants more before the kids stomp home. Luxuriating is enjoyed at your peril. Anytime there’s a happy scene in Shoplifters, director-writer-editor Kore-eda Hirokazu (Still Walking, Nobody Knows) dampens it

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by employing a bird’s-eye view or ending it with a bummer like a melted snowman. We feel the disconnect. The scene on the one-sheet—this ersatz family playing on the beach—becomes what Yuri draws when she’s lassoed by the authorities. A happy moment for a troubled child becomes evidence used by confused interrogators. Nobuyo discusses the supposedly liberating notion of choosing your own family. What use is a family if the parents shirk their responsibilities and hoard resentment? Yet the loophole created by Osamu and Nobuyo cannot hide a fatal flaw. A family, like anything else involving people, can’t adhere to your whims. In striving to create familial happiness, they inadvertently face the truths that define all families: you must let go, and you’re going to get hurt. The faux family in Shoplifters embrace the hard truths, the ones too many of us spend a lifetime denying under the guise of togetherness. The con men become conned and, in the process, become a family. The haunting aftermath of this nuanced, powerful film is we wonder about ourselves as much as the people we’ve just watched. n

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CHRISTKINDLMARKT HOT GLASS EXPERIENCE: NEW. ORNAMENT OR CANDYCANE. Thru Dec. 23. Christkindlmarkt Glass Tent, PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, 645 E. 1st St., Bethlehem, PA. Ages 6 and up. 610-332-1300. bananafactory.org

EAST HILLS MORAVIAN CHURCH CHRISTMAS PUTZ Dec. 1-30, Wed. & Fri. 6-8; Sat. & Sun. 3-8. Closed Dec. 24-25. 1830 Butztown Rd., Bethlehem, PA. 610-868-6481. easthillsmc.org THE BISHOP’S WIFE - CHRISTMAS CLASSIC MATINEES

CHRISTMAS CITY STROLL Thru Dec. 30. Visit website for available days and times. Tours leave from the Visitor Center, 505 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. Certified guides lead you through centuries of Bethlehem's rich history. 800-360-8687. historicbethlehem.org CHRISTMAS PUTZ AND STAR & CANDLE SHOPPE

Thru Dec. 31, Thurs. & Fri. 1-7; Sat. 10-8 & Sun. 1-5. Dec. 26-31, Daily 1-5. Closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. Christian Education Building, 40 W. Church St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-866-5661. centralmoravianchurch.org HOLIDAY PUTZ TRAIL Thru Jan. 13. Kemerer Museum, 427 North New St.; Moravian Museum, 66 W.Church St.; Single Sisters House, 50 W. Church St. & 1810 Goundie House, 501 Main St. 610-691-6055. historicbethlehem.org TREES OF HISTORIC BETHLEHEM Thru Jan. 13, During Museum open hours. Spans the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, 1810 Goundie House and Single Sisters’ House. 800-360-8687. HistoricBethlehem.org BREAKFAST WITH ST. NICHOLAS Dec. 1, 8 & 15, 9 AM. Enjoy a delicious hot breakfast, a photo with St. Nick and admission to Christkindlmarkt. PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, 645 East First St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-332-3378. christmascity.org EDGEBORO MORAVIAN CHURCH CHRISTMAS PUTZ & CHRISTMAS ROOM Dec. 1-22, Mon.-Fri. Group tours: 9-2; Thurs.-Sat. 6-8; Sun. 3-6. 645 Hamilton Ave., Bethlehem, PA. 610-866-8793. edgeboromoravian.org HISTORIC BETHLEHEM LIVE ADVENT CALENDAR Dec. 1-23, 5:15-5:45. 1810 Goundie House, 505 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. The only one of its kind in the country is kicking off its 10th year. 610-691-6055. historicbethlehem.org

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Dec. 6-8, 12:30. Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. 610-332-3378. Steelstacks.org CHRISTKINDLMARKT AT STEELSTACKS Dec. 6-9, 13-16 & 20-23. Thurs. & Sun. 11-6 ; Fri. & Sat., 11-8. Event closes at 6:00 on 12/23. Recognized as one of the best holiday markets by Travel + Leisure. PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, 645 East First St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-3323378. christmascity.org CHRISTMAS CITY FOLLIES XVLLL Dec. 6-23, Thurs.-Sat., 8; Sun., 2:00. Touchstone Theatre, 321 East 4th St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-867-1689. Touchstone.org 40TH ANNUAL LIVE BETHLEHEM CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

Dec. 8 & 9, 1:45. Bethlehem Rose Garden Band Shell, 8th Ave. Bethlehem, PA. Singers and a narrator tell the beautiful story as the pageant unfolds. 610-8650274. facebook.com/BethlehemNativityPageant MOSCOW BALLET’S GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER Dec. 9, 2:00 & 6:00. Celebrating 25th Anniversary. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org THE BACH CHOIR OF BETHLEHEM - CHRISTMAS CONCERTS

Dec. 8, 8:00 & Dec. 9, 4:00. Advent & the Nativity through the music of J.S. Bach & Ottorino Respighi. Orchestration inc. two flutes, oboe, English horn, two bassoons, triangle and piano four-hands. First Presbyterian Church, Allentown, PA. 610-866-4382. Bach.org/event/Christmas-concert-bethlehem CONTEMPLATIVE WORSHIP SERVICE Dec. 10, 7-8. Central Moravian Church, 412 Heckewelder Place, Bethlehem, PA. Enjoy the beauty of the chapel at Christmas time and take this opportunity to rest and recharge. 610-866-5661. centralmoravianchurch.org DAVID LEONHARDT, A WINTER HOLIDAY JAZZ CONCERT

Dec. 14, 7:30. Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North 6th St., Allentown, PA. 610-432-6715. MillerSymphonyHall.org

TWELVE TWENTY-FOUR Dec. 14, 7:30. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. High energy, full-scale, holiday rock orchestra concert suitable for fans of all ages.Tickets: $25-$33. 610-332-3378. Steelstacks.org LUMINARIA NIGHT Dec. 15, begins at sundown. Citywide, Bethlehem, PA. Neighborhoods line their streets with luminaria, a symbol of unity and caring for those less fortunate. Free to attend. $10 Luminaria kit includes 10 candles, sand & bags. 610-691-5602. newbethanyministries.org THE NUTCRACKER, PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH BALLET, BALLET GUILD OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY Dec. 15 & 16, Celebrating 50th Anniversary. Live music by the South Side Sinfonietta. Free event parking. Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, 420 E Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA. 610-758-2787. Zoellnerartscenter.org 17TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONCERT, PRESENTED BY BETHLEHEM MUNICIPAL BAND Dec. 19, 7:30. Traditional & modern music performed by 50+ members. Moravian College, Foy Concert Hall, 324 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-984-2131. Cityband.org “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” CHRISTMAS CLASSIC MATINEES Dec. 20-22, 12:30. Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. 610-332-3378. Steelstacks.org JIM BRICKMAN: A JOYFUL CHRISTMAS Dec. 21, 7:30. Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North 6th St., Allentown, PA. 610-4326715. MillerSymphonyHall.org JIMMY & THE PARROTS: HOLIDAY PARROT PARTY Dec. 21, 7:30. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. 610-332-3378. Steelstacks.org LIGHTWIRE THEATER: A VERY ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS Dec. 22, 1:00 & 4:00. Free event parking. Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, 420 E Packer Ave., Bethlehem, PA. 610-758-2787. Zoellnerartscenter.org

SWINGIN' THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE ROB STONEBACK BIG BAND Dec. 22, 7:30. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. Members have performed with the Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, and Buddy Rich Orchestras. Tickets: $15-$20 in advance, $20-$25 day of show. 610-332-3378. Steelstacks.org PEEPSFEST® Dec. 30, 10-5:30 & Dec. 31, 10-5:30. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. Family fun at the annual New Year’s Eve festival celebrating the fun and excitement of the PEEPS® brand at the iconic SteelStacks in Bethlehem. The event features a PEEPS® Rising Ceremony, culminating with a spectacular fireworks show. FREE. 610-332-3378. steelstacks.org PEEPSFEST® 5K Dec. 31, 1:00. (Registration/Packet pick up begins at 11:00.) ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. The 9th annual run travels through the north and south sides of Bethlehem, PA. Race starts and ends at the SteelStacks Campus. Each participant receives samples of PEEPS® products and the first 500 registrants will receive a PEEPSFEST® 5K t-shirt. Entry Fee: $35-$45. 610-332-3378. peepsfest5k.itsyourrace.com PEEPS® CHICK DROP December 31, 5:15. Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. Marvel at the Chick Drop: a 4’ 9” tall, 400-lb lit PEEPS® Chick that descends to commemorate the new year. The drop will be preceded by a program modeled after the “Times Square” experience, which mixes music with crowd interaction. The drop will be followed by fireworks. FREE. 610-332-3378. Steelstacks.org THE SOFA KINGS’ NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY Dec. 31, 9:30. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. Tickets: $15-$80 in advance; $20-$90 day of show. 610-332-3378. Steelstacks.org A TRIBUTE TO ELLA FITZGERALD, THE FIRST LADY OF SONG Jan. 19, 2019, 7:30. Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North 6th St., Allentown, PA. 610-432-6715. MillerSymphonyHall.org

ICON | DECEMBER 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

FILM ROUNDUP

If Beale Street Could Talk.

REVIEWED BY KEITH UHLICH

At Eternity’s Gate (Dir. Julian Schnabel). Starring: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac. The prolific and tempestuous final months in the life of Vincent Van Gogh get the male weepie treatment courtesy cowriterdirector Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly). Willem Dafoe plays the artist like a wayward Christ figure, wandering the fields of Arles in the French countryside, not an apostle in sight, and a restless handheld camera following his every move. Van Gogh’s primary companion during this period is fellow painter Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac), with whom he pontificates at length about their profession, and to whom he eventually offers a sliced-off chunk of his own ear. Committed as Dafoe is to the role, there’s a smug self-awareness to this Van Gogh that appears to stem from Schnabel. It’s as if he’s settling scores with detractors, and not just those who failed to recognize the talent of his film’s subject. [PG-13]

Destroyer (Dir. Karyn Kusama). Starring: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan. Nicole Kidman goes the 18

Charlize-Theron-in-Monster route, deglamorizing skin, voice and follicles to play Erin Bell, an officer of the law living a down and dirty life in Los Angeles. A case-gone-wrong from her past rouses her, somewhat, from a depressive, alcohol-infused stupor. It involves a bank robber named Silas (Toby Kebbell) whose criminal enterprise Erin once infiltrated with her then partner and lover Chris (Sebastian Stan). Director Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body) tries hard to make this into a female-centered Heat, complete with colorful side characters (Bradley Whitford leans especially hard into the sleaze as one of Erin’s informants) and a guns-blazing heist scene. Yet there’s never a moment when Kidman’s performance feels like anything less than a stunt, specifically designed to steal its own kind of riches (a gold statuette, let’s say). [R]

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The Favourite (Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos). Starring: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz. The latest feature from Greek provocateur Yorgos Lanthimos (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) is palace intrigue by way of psy-

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cho-lesbian psychodrama. It’s based on real history: Sickly British monarch Queen Anne (Olivia Colman, in a rare awful performance) is the object of “affection”—quotes very much intended—for both Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and her cousin, the disgraced aristocrat-turned-servant girl Abigail (Emma Stone). Little of their love for the queen is genuine; mainly they’re just looking to solidify their position in court, even if it means stepping on or squashing others to do so. The script by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara is catty and superficial, belaboring the point that most royals are myopic cretins. And Lanthimos’s dryice direction, which served him well in films like Alps and The Lobster, here only serves to play up the overall aura of odiousness, of which the characters’s latent and actual lesbianism comes off as a root cause. Homophobia is one problem. The fact that the film is never once funny is another. Armando Iannucci (rent The Death of Stalin right this instant!) does in his sleep what Lanthimos can only dream of doing awake. [R] H If Beale Street Could Talk (Dir. Barry

Jenkins). Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King. It’s clear that writer-director Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) connects with James Baldwin’s superb 1974 novel to the depths of his soul. KiKi Layne plays Tish, a young African-American woman whose beloved, Fonny (Stephan James), is in jail for an assault he insists he didn’t commit. She’s also pregnant with his child, and hopes to prove his innocence before the baby is born. Jenkins changes certain narrative particulars of Baldwin’s book, though never detrimentally, and always to profound and pointed ends. (Beale Street is very convincingly set in ‘70s Harlem, but resonates powerfully with current struggles.) And his cast is above reproach, with Regina King, as Tish’s strong-willed mother Sharon, an especial standout. The world of the film is one in which society and its systems are oppressively rigged, yet joy and love continually bubble up to counter the cruelty. The ultimate tragedy is that a tenuous balance between those hopeful and despairing extremes is the best any of the characters can hope for. [R]

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INTERVIEW BY A.D. AMOROSI

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT returns to his first “Poses”

THE LAST TIME I spoke to oblong composer and liquid vocalist Rufus Wainwright was at the beginning of this year, before his stop with the Philly Pops, to perform an orchestral set of his favorite selections at the Kimmel Center. At that time, Wainwright discussed three new projects coming in the next 12–16 months of his life: a follow-up to his Prima Donna opera debut with Hadrian and Toronto’s Canadian Opera Company, a new studio album (featuring his own version of the “Unfollow the Rules” tune he penned for Sarah Jessica Parker and her new film, Here and Now), and the anniversary revival of 1998’s Rufus Wainwright, together with 2001’s Poses, for a special year-end

“

I PURPOSELY LEFT MUSIC SCHOOL…IN ORDER

TO FORGE MY OWN PATH MUSICALLY. I REALIZED VERY EARLY ON THAT THE SYSTEM WAS LIKE THE PUPPY MILL OF MUSIC. I DIDN’T WANT TO BE A PART OF ALL THAT. I WANTED MY OWN INFLUENCE.

“

tour entitled All These Poses; the latter being a series of shows that will reconnect him with his earliest music for what, we find out, is a very good reason beyond reminiscing. That all three have happened/are happening means that Wainwright is as meticulous in his planning and execution skills as he is his exacting brand of sophisticated chamber/cabaret pop. For that, ICON has done something special: made Wainwright our year-beginning and year-ending cover story in anticipation of his December 7 show at the Keswick Theatre. I caught up with him at his new cottage in Los Angeles.

When we last chatted in December, you were work-shopping your second opera, Hadrian, in Cincinnati for its Toronto’s debut his autumn, That happened. How did it go, or move you, as objectively as you could look at it? I couldn’t be happier with the whole process, both from the standpoint of working with the Canadian Opera Company, the incredible cast, to say nothing of the reaction from the orchestra and the audience. There are actually other companies interested, so we’re moving onto the next stage for this opera. I was reminded, again, that what I like to in opera is totally divorced from what the classical world thinks of as opera at present. I’m 20

definitely a traditionalist, and I feel as if I’m very driven by a romantic sensibility, which puzzles the establishment. Most people seem to have reacted strongly to the piece, and certainly the homosexual relationship as illustrated in Hadrian is very powerful and very timely. Is it fair to say that you’re no fan, then, of the new minimalism in opera—maybe don’t care, or at least not where your work is concerned? No, I do like all forms of opera. It’s not what I necessarily listen to all the time; I’m always drawn back to the classics, as is most of the opera-going public because that’s what sells the most tickets. I don’t discard what’s new, but I purposely left music school—when I was in the conservatory for nearly two years—in order to forge my own path musically. I realized very early on that the system was like the puppy mill of music. I didn’t want to be a part of all that. I wanted my own influence. Going back to those early days, the first albums and this tour, is there a mindset that you have to slip yourself into to get to the old days? I’m almost done with that new album you mentioned before, definitely by end of the year. I’m doing it in Los Angeles with Mitchell Froom, and as I live there, and many of the same players from the first album like Jim Keltner are on the new record, I wanted to revisit much of the same feeling of my debut—a warm sound, a great studio. So, in a way I’m looking at this new album as a bookend to the first one of this unusual pop career I’ve managed to create. Slipping into that first album is reminding me, too, how the second album was a whole other voyage. Those two sensibilities together will make for one great live evening. Poses was your New York City album as opposed to your debut’s Los Angeles vibe. I would say so. Album one is my Montreal record framed by LA. It also sounds as if it’s from the south with all those Randy Newman touches, which is no more southern than Santa Monica. That’s the influence of your then-label benefactor Lenny Waronker, orchestrator Van Dyke Parks, and your producer Jon Brion.

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I was initially pretty lost when I was first in New York before going to Hollywood, and the first album I didn’t relate to at all—to what was going on downtown in terms of the whole Jeff Buckley scene, who I appreciated. I wasn’t into heroin. Or girls. It just didn’t fit. When I went to LA, I immediately fell into that slot of more romantic, more psychedelic singer-songwriter characters such as Harry Nilsson, or Randy, or even Van Dyke. I was considered the heir apparent. A lot of my first record is Lenny driving the ship. Who fits into the first records more—your mom (Kate McGarrigle) or your dad (Loudon Wainwright III)? I know you lived with your mom before that in Montreal. He appears in the second, in the guise of “One Man Guy.” My father was influential in the sense that he saw me struggling in New York City and was worried about it—probably with good reason as AIDS was still so dangerous. I think he was just scared for me and wanted me to have the best opportunity to work on my material, so he gave my tapes to Van Dyke, which began the process. But I think that once I got to California I was translating what my mother taught me mostly, as many of those initial songs were written under her supervision. It was, however, when I did the second record and went back to NYC that I inhabited dad’s world…the return of the native. Did you know by the end of that album process that you would never become a traditional pop artist? I knew that. I don’t know though if I k-n-e-w that, or if I was just fundamentally aware. And also being completely ignorant of it all; at the same time I remember being in a car with my friend Bijou Phillips after I had finished Poses and we were both out of our heads driving and playing the record, and telling her how this was going to be my big chart-topping success. And she just began laughing her head off. “Rufus, you’re not a pop artist. This is the farthest thing ever from pop. You’ll never hear this on the radio.” Now, me, I had this childlike belief, this Judy Garland attitude, of we’re going to make it no matter what. I just wasn’t going to make it in the conventional pop world. And that was pretty good, too. n

Photo: Sansho Scott/BFA/REX Shutterstock ICON | DECEMBER 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

INTERVIEW BY A.D. AMOROSI

CHRISTOPHER BOUDEWYNS ew York City photographer and photojournalist Christopher Boudewyns would be a worthy vessel for a feature even if it was solely his celebrity portraits we were peering at. (See his selection of familiar faces here: christopherboudewyns.com/portfolios/portraits.) He seems to pull previously undisclosed lives from faces whose jobs is to create anew. Yet, Boudewyns is so much more than just a capturer of pretty faces—a skill he offers to burgeoning thespians, artists and musicians at very decent prices—an artist who likes offbeat, quirky topics for exhibition work such as his “Discarded Umbrellas of NYC” and “Guys in Ties” series; a news capturer with the grit of a war correspondent. We caught up with him in his Manhattan studio to discuss the ins-and-outs of being Boudewyns.

I get that you do headshots for the littleknown thespian and major celebrity stage actors such as Alan Cumming, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Shoshana Bean. Is there a great egotistical difference between the little-known and the already famous? Egotistically speaking, I’ve found that there’s really no difference in photographing people who have name recognition versus those who are not yet famous. Ultimately, everyone who comes to me just wants great photos of themselves. The

“

SITTING IN FRONT OF A CAMERA CAN BE

A SCARY THING TO DO. BUT REMEMBER, ALLOWING YOURSELF TO TAKE RISKS GENERALLY PAYS OFF PHOTOGRAPHICALLY. AND SOMETIMES A SHOT TAKEN IN AN OFF MOMENT IS WHERE THE MAGIC IS FOUND.

“

camera tends to be a great equalizer of egos. Whether someone is just starting out or is an established artist, sitting in front of a camera for a portrait requires you to let your guard down and to allow yourself to be vulnerable. As a photographer, part of my job is to get people to trust me in a moment when they may feel that they're outside of their comfort zone. The bigger difference I find is mainly between photographing people who have a lot of experience in front of a camera, and those who haven’t had a lot of photos taken of themselves. It takes a little while to warm up to being in front of a camera, but most people are pleased as they see the images we’re shooting, and it doesn’t take long before most people are fairly comfortable in front of my lens. I view a photo shoot as a collaboration, and I always tell people that if something isn’t working we’ll simply change what we’re doing until we feel good about the images we’re creating together. 22

With whom have you had the most dramatic fun? I’ve had many interviews with Cumming and Odom and know they’re both pretty cool. Alan and Leslie are both fascinating subjects, I found both of them to be 110 percent present during our shoots and willing to take risks. They both allowed themselves to look into my lens and genuinely be in the moment with me, which is when the magic happens. The last time I photographed Alan, I asked him if he was willing to do some jumping, and he agreed. I photographed some incredible images of him leaping in different directions, which I wouldn’t have been able to do if he hadn’t been willing to take a risk and do something unexpected. Stephanie J. Block, Jessica Vosk, and Shoshana Bean are other examples of people I’ve photographed who were exceptionally present during our shoots. Their willingness to take risks, to trust me, and to authentically connect with me through my lens has resulted in some really special images. Performance artist Lindsay Katt is both a good friend and a favorite subject of mine, and we’ve had a lot of dramatic fun during our many shoots. Lindsay is another subject who’s able to access a very vulnerable space and has allowed me to document her humanity with my camera, resulting in a massive body of work of extraordinary images. What motivated your Guys in Ties theme? I was taking a Photographing People class at the International Center of Photography in NYC. We were supposed to pick a subject for the duration of the 10-week course, really explore the subject and bring examples of our work to class for peer critiques, etc. I had thought it was going to be a class that focused on studio photography and portraiture, but it ended up being a class more about street photography. I had a hard time choosing a subject to focus on. I settled on a project that I quickly learned I was lacking passion

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for—the hotdog vendors of NYC, and the photographs were simply not very compelling. After a couple of weeks of trying to settle on a new subject that I felt passionate about, I found myself taking photographs of sharply dressed men in NYC’s financial district where I was living at the time. As I studied the images I realized that the unifying element in the photos were the neckties. I was motivated by this subject and found myself wanting to get out to photograph more guys in ties, and the consistent feedback I heard was that the images were intriguing, and that was the beginning of Guys In Ties. What is the most crucial aspect for you and for anyone wanting a headshot to know about sitting and preparing for the big moment? The simplest moments are often the most powerful. An extraordinary image is one that captures a moment of connection. Sitting in front of a camera can be a scary thing to do. But remember, allowing yourself to take risks generally pays off photographically. And sometimes a shot taken in an off moment is where the magic is found. Be open to possibility, and stay mentally, physically and emotionally present during your shoot. Put your phone away. Some people love having their photos taken, some are much less excited about seeing photos of themselves. But you’ll surprise yourself with gorgeous images if you take a chance, trust your instincts, and allow yourself to authentically look into the lens and be photographed. In preparing for a shoot, the most crucial aspect for me is to understand the purpose of the photos. Are these headshots for casting directors? Are these press/publicity photos? Are we shooting an album cover, images for social media or for a book project? These factors determine how I pre-

Alan Cumming.

Lindsay Katt, performance/recording artist.

Antino Crowley-Kamenwati, model. ICON | DECEMBER 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

REEL NEWS

Keira Knightley in Colette.

DVDS REVIEWED BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER

Searching (Dir. Aneesh Chaganty). Starring: John Cho, Debra Messing, Michelle La. In this standard formula thriller, a widowed dad, David (Cho), desperately searches for his kidnapped 16-year-old daughter, Margot (La). Unlike the Taken movies, this story relies not on outraged violence, but on a gimmick available to us all. It unfolds entirely in the virtual world of the small screens that often dictate our daily lives. Every scene is from the viewpoint of on Facebook, FaceTime, Instagram, Tumblr, and UTube. This thriller asks several demonstrative, as well as nuanced questions. “Where is Margot?” evolves into “Who is Margot?” backlit with the shadowy question, “How different are we really from our screen personas?” And “Which is the closest to our true selves?” The story opens with a Facebook montage of the family’s happy years turned tragic when the mother dies. It captures David’s grief and Margot’s off-the-rails crash and covert online lifestyle. As David digs into her postings, he discovers that the relationship he has with her is as much a charade as her social media happypopular-girl persona. Plot twists and red herrings keep the action rollicking along, while tight editing and heart-felt acting keep viewers emotionally and intellectually gripped. [PG-13] HHHH 24

Colette (Dir. Wash Westmoreland). Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West. Born in 1873, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette became one of France’s most prolific, and notorious, authors. She wrote some 80 novels and plays including Gigi. This biopic traces Colette’s (Knightly) early years from her marriage at age 19 to charismatic but scandalous author Henry Gauthier-Villars, or Willy (West) in Paris. Willy hires ghost writers and publishes under his own name. When this flounders, he solicits Colette to write for him. She pens a sensual coming-of-age novel about a school girl named Claudine. Willy publishes it as the author, but it becomes Colette’s right of passage. Under her name, she writes three more books about the exploits of Claudine. She goes from being locked in a room and forced to write for Willy to being a celebrated author who flaunts society’s gender norms. The storyline, centered on a stormy marriage, betrayal, lascivious lovers, forced labor, revenge, and finally female liberation, celebrates individuality, perseverance, and self-determination. The opulent period setting captures the creative but turbulent changes of early 1900s society, which loudly resonates with this century’s continuing social challenges. [R]

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Crazy Rich Asians (Jon Chu). Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yoeh. This classic rom-com follows the formula of a happy couple confronted with a series of conflicts that only true love can surmount. Rachael (Wu), a Chinese-American professor, is engaged to Nick (Golding), but has no idea he’s a multi-billionaire from one of the richest families in Singapore. The fun begins when they fly to Singapore to attend Nick’s cousin’s wedding—and to meet the parents. Nick’s father is away on business, but not to worry, his mother Eleanor (Yeoh) rules the empire with a fist that would make Genghis Kahn flinch. In the no-holds-barred power struggle, Rachael and her new-found allies battle Asian vs. Asian-American traditions, uber-rich lifestyles vs. middle class, cultural discrimination, snobbish bullying, and even the rivalry between China and America. Wit, satire, one-liners, and put-downs fly like missiles, and strike multiple layers of gender, economic, and social issues. The setting of the battle is as impressive as the combatants. With oldwealth opulence and newly-rich gaudiness, we get over-the-top eye-candy in every scene, which only makes the battle royale more delicious. [PG-13]

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Support the Girls (Dir. Andrew Bujalski). Starring: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Shayna McHayle. A comedy set in a Texas roadhouse sports bar named Double Wammies that specializes in “boobs, brews, and big screens” might suggest a sudsy Cheers sit-com. Instead, this compelling story with outstanding acting and lovable characters tackles the insidious issues of institutionalized sexism, racism, and underpaid working women in dead-end jobs. And it still comes off as one of the top comedies of the year. Lisa (Hall), the empathetic general manager, holds the leaky ship together as storm clouds assault every shift with a gale-force winds. With the help of Maci’s (Richardson) bubbling personality and Danyelle’s (McHayle) cutting cynicism, Lisa keeps the customer’s enthusiasm contained and the boss’s racism in check. In a restaurant designed to equate a woman’s breast with her worth as a worker, much less as a person, Lisa creates a sanctuary of female solidarity for times when their emotional and financial problems become overbearing. The movie brilliantly uses comic relief to portray the waitresses as fully-developed, empathetic characters worthy of respect, even in a low-paying, boob-themed sports bar. [R] HHHH n

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FOREIGN

Border (Gräns) THERE’S A SUB-GENRE OF fiction and this writer is not sure it has a name, though there are plenty of examples. Creatures live among us, and while they appear human they are, in literal and conventional senses, not. They blend in, or try to, achieving a semblance of a normal life (regular job, family, relationships) or they exist on a fringe, among or merely near us yet not of us, interacting and preying upon humanity when it suits them. A similar plotline abounds in The X-Files, in which humanoid creatures of varied species infiltrate amiably and non-amiably among us regular folk. Another such tale is Border (2018), a Swedish import in which Tina, a homely young woman works for Swedish custom inspectors. She’s chubby, has a slightly protruding forehead, but what makes her special in her job is that she can smell some human emotions, specifically shame, guilt, and anxiety. When people try to smuggle in nasty stuff, Tina is on it. She seems respected and valued at her job—in fact, one of her discoveries, namely a man bringing in child pornography, impels some law enforcement types to look to her talent to track down a kiddie porn organization. She’s introverted, has a chilly re26

lationship with a live-in boyfriend, and goes for forest walks during which she can literally relate to some wildlife. One day, a fellow named Vore (Eero Milonoff) comes through and he has the same physical deformities. He seems suspicious, so he’s taken aside by her customs unit and one of her co-workers notes that Vore has what appears to be a vagina. Tina is curious and captivated, and resolves to get to know this enigmatic stranger. She tells him she’s deformed, but he maintains she’s superior to humans. She learns from Vore that there’s a race of beings living among people in her region. At first, Tina is exhilarated to meet another one of her kind. But then her bliss is shattered—it seems that Vore has some connection to the investigation of the locally-based kiddie porn ring. Vore is of the mind that he is not only apart from humankind but beyond their concept of morality. Despite his insisting that they’re superior to humans, Tina has been imprinted by human morality, and while she embraces the discovery of what she truly is, she does not want to see people be hurt. Vore simply looks upon humanity as something to be coldly exploited in any way he can; Tina must choose between two worlds.

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Border is a combination of film genres/concepts: fish-out-of-water tale, horror, ill-fated romance, a clash of species, modern-day fairy tale, the convergence of what’s thought to be a myth and what is all too real. Filmed in overcast tones, Border recalls the eerie plainness of Lars Von Trier’s opuses. The style of writer/director Ali Abassi evokes Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch, not so much stylistically but in the manner in which we are slowly introduced to an evolving mystery that gradually draws the characters into a scenario, a world, an alternate reality in which they may not be able to extricate themselves. What’s refreshing about Border is the way Tina is presented: she is a misfit yet, seems mostly okay with it. She is not overtly angry at the world (whereas Vore clearly is), she seems accepted by her co-workers, she is not consumed by angst though it seems as if she’d be justified in that. The acting is excellent; nearly everyone feels like a character in a story as opposed to a character in a movie. There is not a lot of violence or gore but there are queasy moments. Border is recommended, but with reservations. n — MARK KERESMAN

DOCUMENTARY

The White Helmets

OU MAY HAVE NOTICED that there is a civil war raging in Syria—and where there is war, there are civilian victims. The White Helmets is a civil defense group of volunteers who rescue those caught in the conflict. The White Helmets (2016) is an Oscar-winning film chronicling a few members as they go about saving lives in mostly urban environs devasted by bombing. It’s shot in a simple, matter-of-fact, hand-held (though not entirely, thankfully) documentary style, presenting members as they train and rescue people from mounds of rubble. What gives it grounding is when the WH members are interviewed they mention virtually nothing about Syrian social and political conflicts except that the Russians are supplying the regime in power with bombs and ammunition (not exactly Top Secret info). The guys interviewed are motivated not by political or sectarian concerns but to simply Do The Right Thing—people are in trouble, somebody has to help them, or at least try to help them survive. Except for a brief and harrowing scene of a plane dropping bombs, there is not much footage of battles themselves. This short (under an hour) film’s focus is on the White Helmets’ training (mostly in nearby Turkey), efforts to aid (chiefly sifting through debris) and the personal toll it can exact (homesickness, for one thing), their wins and their losses. Without a lot of narrative, White Helmets simply shows the horror and carnage of war, leaving out the reasons for the conflict—perhaps that’s just as well, as one person’s reason can be another’s excuse; one’s let’s-save-ourselves/others

motivation is another’s justification for let’s-destroy-them all. It shows the stubborn resilience of the human mind and spirit, that mysterious motivator that makes one think—or desperately hold on to—that what comes is better than what came before. At times Helmets feels a little sanitized—where’s the truly chaotic, terrifying, distressing scenes of a battle’s aftermath? (Remember when you saw Saving Private Ryan? This writer is not ashamed to say that I was in tears at the way the opening bloodbath was laid out for the viewer to see.) Overall, recommended, and a topic worth researching…but as always, whenever someone is trying to convince you of something, consider the source. Too often, as you know, those who cry “Let the USA go forth and kick ass!”—Ted Nugent, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, POTUS, human navigational buoy Chris Christie, and Pat Buchanan come to mind—have not served one day in the military.) Peace. n (Infowars, Alex Jones’ infamous deep state conspiracy website, cites former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters as saying that the White Helmets is a “fake organization that exists only to create propaganda for the jihadists and terrorists.”The Guardian and The Washington Post have debunked these claims as right-wing conspiracy theories.) —MARK KERESMAN ICON | DECEMBER 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

FOODIE FILE BY A.D. AMOROSI

THE BOURSE “WHEN IN THE HISTORY of Philadelphia was a developer able to go in, buy a 120-year-old building, re-lease and renovate it and have it stabilized in two years.” That’s Charley McGrath, managing director at MRP Realty talking, the estate agency and developers out of Washington, DC, who took the bull by the horns and wrestled control of The Bourse in Old City in 2016, for a new, wholly curated sensoria of 30+ local culinary vendors and chefs all built upon a template that started in 1891. That’s the year the steel-framed and red buff brick commodities exchange, modeled after Beaux Arts-style spaces in Hamburg, opened on 111 So. Independence Mall. That same space was purchased and remodeled by the Kaiserman Co. in 1980 for tony shops, eateries and club spaces to display their wares in a contemporary setting. By the mid-’90s, however, this same Bourse was mostly selling tchotchkes and buffet meals, while renting office space. “That’s how we found it— a fair amount of old vendors selling bobble-heads and inexpensive t-shirts,” said McGrath. Now the new Bourse is ready for consumption; without the bobbleheads and goofy shirts. The idea of curating The Bourse Food Hall’s new vendors with top Philly chef names such as Sylva Senat and Sam Jacobson came down to a level of taste—literal and figurative—as well as an image of culinary and architectural panache that MRP wanted to put forth. They wanted to fill the grand old room with not just contemporary chefs and au courant menu items, but florists, guys selling craft beers, wine by the tap, and craft cocktail vendors. And they did it one restaurateur at a time. “The reason we took that grassroots approach was that it’s important to curate both a menu and an experience that the public will have,” stated McGrath. “You don’t need two pasta guys next to each other serving similar dishes. We want people to, when they park their car, have their fingertips on every frigging potential dining option.” One of The Bourse’s new vendors, Jared Adkins—master distiller and founder of Philly’s Bluebird Distilling—is doing a raw wood-and-galvanized-steel steampunk-looking bar directly in the center of the a la carte food options. “We’re doing local spirits from scratch that you can sample and buy, while also creating craft cocktails on the spot,” said Adkins. Stargazy’s Sam Jacobson is premiering grilled cheese specialties such as the Mighty Melt, Maison 208’s Sylva Senat is serving up sliders and fries dubbed Baby Buns, and 3rd & Ferry is bringing the lobster rolls plus tacos, poke, and so much more. Neal Santos’ LALO is a fast-casual concept focusing on Filipino comfort foods based on recipes passed down from grandparents. “The name LALO comes from the Tagalog words for grandparents, “lolo” for grandfather and “lola” for grandmother,” stated Santos. “In this spirit, we've highlighted tropical plants alongside traditional patterns and textures that typically adorn a Filipino household in our stall. Santos claims LALO is perfect for The Bourse the same way it's perfect for the greater Philadelphia area. “We are a unique concept serving traditional, fresh and made-to-order Filipino food. There's nothing else like LALO anywhere.” And as for the social utility for a tony food hall such as the new and improved Bourse, Santos said that this location speaks to the greater sense of community that is a hallmark of Philadelphia. “You can enjoy our food next to a slate of other cuisines that represent the larger tapestry of the city of Philadelphia.” n 28

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SINGER | SONGWRITER REVIEWED BY TOM WILK

Rosanne Cash HHHH She Remembers Everything Blue Note Records Forty years after launching her solo career, Rosanne Cash continues to produce first-rate albums. On She Remem-

Photo: Clay Patrick McBride.

bers Everything, Cash draws inspiration from the personal and the political to create sharp-edged songs that are both timely and timeless. From the #MeToo-inspired title track, co-written with Sam Phillips, to the analytical tone of “The Undiscovered Country,” Cash examines the divisions between men and women and the abuse of power. “8 Gods of Harlem” is a piercing look at gun violence and its emotional toll that features Cash and her co-writers Elvis Costello and Kristofferson each singing lead on a verse. Other songs take a more personal approach. The countrytinged, “Crossing to Jerusalem” and “Not Many Miles to Go” are reflections on mortality and marriage. On the latter, she observes: “Time keeps slipping through the curtain/From this point on there’s one thing certain/There’s not many miles to go.” “The Only Thing Worth Fighting For” and “My Least Favorite Life,” both co-written with T Bone Burnett and Lera Lynn for the HBO series True Detective, have a cinematic feel in their explorations of matters of the heart. At 63, Cash shows her voice has lost none of its expressiveness. (10 songs, 38 minutes) Kenny Wayne HHH1/2 Inspired by the Blues Stony Plain Records With a nickname of Blues Boss, Kenny Wayne is upfront about the source of his musical vision. Inspired by the Blues finds the veteran keyboardist serving up a diverse mix of original songs while paying tribute to some of his earliest influences. The 30

heartfelt “Mr. Blueberry Hill” honors Fats Domino, who died in 2017, with a title reference to one of his biggest hits. “Mr. Blueberry Hill, your song will never go away,” Wayne warmly sings as he interjects piano triplets that emulate Domino’s style. A live version of “Georgia on My Mind” is an homage to Ray Charles as Wayne puts his own stamp on the Hoagy Carmichael standard. Wayne’s own songs show his musical diversity. His New Orleans-style playing creates a feeling of exuberance on “Start Rockin,’” while he delivers a jazz/blues hybrid on “I Like That Woman.” “Lake Country Boogie” is a lively instrumental that functions as a showcase for his band, most notably

the horn section of Dave Babcock (saxophone) and Bob Tildesley (trumpet). On “Jimmy and Johnny,” Wayne spins a tale of a romantic triangle anchored by the nimble bass work of Russell Jackson. “That Raggedy Shack” is an effective, mid-tempo change of pace featuring harmonica master Billy Branch. Inspired by the Blues shows Wayne’s strengths as a performer and bandleader. (12 songs, 48 minutes) Rachel Taylor Brown HHH Run Tiny Human Penury Pop Records Rachel Taylor Brown is not a person to confine herself artistically. Run Tiny Human, the 10th record from the Oregon-based artist, runs the gamut in its musical and lyrical approach. “Yourself (you)” opens the album with a brief melodic snippet featuring Taylor on piano before transforming

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into the strident beat of “Gitcher,” a caustic commentary on commercialism. Brown shows off the upper range of her vocal register on “Little Gyre,” a song inspired by spacecraft orbiting the Earth and falling debris. The sweetly sung “Wedding Song (Bag of Bones)” features a minimalist lyric on marriage—”I hereby do give you my bag of bones”—before segueing into the instrumental “Marry Me.” The imaginative “God” can be taken two ways, either as a song directed at a higher power or as a confession of loneliness. The quirky pop of “Up You” examines the dichotomy between an eternal optimist and a down-to-earth realist, while “17 Year Cicada” envisions life from the perspective of an insect. Brown’s songs aren’t always accessible on first listen, but reward the patient listener. (16 songs, 43 minutes) Michael Martin Murphey HHH1/2 Austinology – Alleys of Austin Soundly Music Austin bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World, thanks to such events as South by Southwest and the Austin City Limits Music Festival. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Michael Martin Murphey was on the ground floor in helping the capital of Texas achieve that designation. Austionology – Alleys of Austin finds him paying tribute to that era with the help of fellow Lone Star State musicians, including Lyle Lovett and Kelly Willis. Murphey reinterprets two of his biggest hits, “Wildfire” and “Geronimo’s Cadillac,” with vocal help from Amy Grant and Steve Earle, respectively. Grant’s voice on “Wildfire” gives the songs a new dimension by providing a feminine perspective. In addition, Murphey features the works of contemporaries who have died. With backing vocals from The Lost Bandoleros, “L.A. Freeway” is taken at a faster clip than writer Guy Clark’s version. One of the album’s highlights is Murphey’s empathetic rendition of Steven Fromholz’s “Texas Trilogy” that consists of “Daybreak,” “Trainride,” and “Bosque County Romance.” Murphey seems to inhabit the characters of these working-class Texans and brings their stories to life. “Cosmic Cowboy” finds Murphey putting a modern spin on the legendary

Western figure. “I’m headed out West and I’m doin’ my best to keep my Bronco in four-wheel drive,” Willie Nelson puckishly sings. With help from Jerry Jeff Walker, Murphey ends the album with the spirited “Outlaw Medley,” which features selections from five songs, including three by Waylon Jennings. The medley effectively serves as an artistic bridge between past and present. (16 songs, 74 minutes) Blue Largo HHH Before The Devil Steals Your Soul Coffee Grinds Records Performing as the duo Blue Largo, Eric Lieberman (guitar) and Alicia Aragon (vocals), along with their band, play the blues in its various incarnations. On Before The Devil Steals Your

Soul, their fourth studio album and first national release, they broaden their sound with a mix of original songs and cover versions. The title track, a metaphor for death and living life to the fullest, starts off with a cappella vocals before launching into a gospel-styled blues song. The lyrics name check musicians who died early, including guitarists Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The band shows its versatility with “Bodas De Oro,” a traditional Spanish song performed as a Cuban instrumental with overtones of the Buena Vista Social Club. “If I Can Make it to Augusta” is an on-the-road song with bluesy pop overtones, while Aragon gets to stretch out vocally on the tropical-flavored “Monrovia,” which creates the atmosphere of a film soundtrack number. The duo’s rendition of the Jimmy Ruffin hit “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” gets a bluesy edge not present on the original version. “Lose Your Money,” an acoustic instrumental, ends the album on an intimate note with Lieberman and Nathan James trading guitar licks. (15 songs, 70 minutes) n

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22 | CHRISTOPHER BOUDEWYNS

pare for a shoot, what kind of background is needed, how I think about lighting, etc. Practical advice in preparing for a shoot: Think critically about wardrobe/style choices; bring more options than you think you’ll need. Often if you feel good wearing it, you’ll look good in it, which will translate to nice photos. Preparing for a shoot should include a good night’s sleep, being hydrated, and both men and women should pay attention to hair and makeup. Yes, men, you should contract a makeup artist for photo shoots. Some people are completely able to manage their own hair and make up for a

inspired by? There are a gazillion amazing photographers I’m inspired by, but a few stand out: Annie Leibovitz for her environmental portraits; Mark Seliger for the intimate vulnerability he gets from his subjects; Inez and Vinoodh for their intense creativity and captivating black and white images; Avedon’s classic, straightforward gorgeous portraits on simple, white backgrounds; Philippe Halsman’s jumping photos—inspired!; and Philip-Lorca DiCorcia’s street photography transformed how I view light and see urban spaces.

I’ve had the opportunity to check out your “urban street photography,” the ins and outs of architecture, and those within it. How do you make buildings come alive? Photography is all about capturing and harnessing the light. I’m fascinated by the way light and shadow play on buildings in the city. I love seeing how the same building can look completely different at different times of the day depending on how sunlight or shadow lays across it. I also love seeing how light changes the shape of shadows as different seasons of the year pass. A building will cast a much more concise, intense shadow in mid-summer, but at the same time of day in the winter, that same building will cast a much softer, much longer shadow. I find architecture to be a constantly shifting and evolving photographic subject, even though the physical buildings remain constant.

Lindsay Katt, performance/recording artist.

photo shoot, but many people don’t have the skills to do camera-ready makeup or hair and should hire a professional. Why did you choose photography as your creative medium in the first place? Photography has always just made sense to me. It felt accessible and meaningful from an early age, it captured moments in time, which translated to tangible connections to important events and people. I have strong memories of being fascinated by my grandmother’s photo albums filled with pictures of my distant relatives whom I would never have the opportunity to meet. One day I found a photo of me that I didn’t remember ever being taken, and when I asked my grandmother about it, she explained that it was a photo of my uncle Tim, my dad’s brother when he was my age. Also, my mother was an avid amateur photographer, and I remember that she was constantly taking family photos, to the point of annoyance. But even so, it was always thrilling to get the photos back from developing to see what truths her snapshots revealed, how they were exposed, and to compare the photos where the flash cube fired with the ones where it didn’t. Probably because of my mother, I’ve always taken photos, even when it wasn’t what I did professionally. I suppose it’s an organic extension of childhood influences that I use a camera as a means of creative expression to create meaningful connections. Who are the photographers you admire and are 32

which is certainly a blessing, but it changes the process such that dodging and burning are becoming lost skills, and fewer people understand the chemical process involved in developing film. I appreciate a lot about digital photography—it certainly accelerated the learning curve for me, in that I could get immediate feedback to see what happened when I changed f-stops or played around with different shutter speeds, etc. I now import images directly to my computer during photo shoots so that we can see exactly what we’re getting as we shoot, which is something that simply couldn’t happen when shooting on film.

From Guys In Ties portfolio.

These photographers all get incredible portraits for different reasons, but there’s an undeniable presence in their subjects. They’ve captured a genuine moment and an authenticity in their subjects that I admire and aspire to. How has digital changed the game? Do you go back as far as film? I used to photograph using film when I started street photography, but I would take it to a shop near Union Square for processing. I spent some time in a darkroom when I was first learning photography, but then digital came along and took over the industry. I liked the process of developing images in the darkroom when I did it. There’s something very satisfying about having to make calculations to properly expose a film image that’s lost with digital because there are ways to digitally compensate if you miscalculate,

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You said that you have a “unique perspective on what makes the city a beautiful place, and use my camera to document it.” Can you define that? It’s all about how light and shadow shape the landscape. It’s easy to walk through the city with your eyes on your phone and miss making connections without ever looking up. If you don’t look up, you’re missing some of the most fantastic elements of the city. I’m fascinated by the tension between light and shadow throughout the city, especially on overcast days when skies are gray and drab. On those days, especially, the available light is a universal gift for creating gorgeous photographs of the city. What’s next? I try my hardest to remain open to opportunity. My mantra for a few years has been, “Just say YES.” If someone asks me if I can photograph something, I make every effort to do it. Opportunity is key; you cannot photograph something if you don’t have the opportunity. Besides a few up-coming portrait shoots, next for me is locating a spot for a studio. I shoot mainly out of my home in Maplewood, NJ, which actually works great. I’ve got my eye open for a studio, but haven’t found a place that feels like the right fit yet. So for now, I'll keep shooting portraits at home and occasionally go to the city with my camera for photo shoots. n

JAZZ, ROCK, CLASSICAL, ALT REVIEWED BY MARK KERESMAN

Judy Niemack HHH1/2 New York Stories Sunnyside Judy Niemack may be that jazz lady from Pasadena, but the world is her oyster…or playground, whichever you prefer. She’s plied her trade with the Widespread Depression Jazz Orchestra, Lee Konitz, James Moody, and Clark Terry. Here on New York Stories, she’s got the Danish Radio Big Band under the direction of Jim McNeely, he of Vanguard Jazz Orchestra/Thad JonesMel Lewis Orchestra fame. Niemack has a clear, somewhat lilting voice in the manner of Joni Mitchell (though not as dusky) and the Manhattan Transfer ladies, and she often applies her voice in an instrumentalist does. NYS overflows with sumptuous and quirky (though not precious) arrangements wherein Niemack adds her words to some jazz classics (“In Walked Bud,” “Mysterioso”) as well as by Pat Metheny (“Talk Awhile”). While she’s singing (mostly) words her voice is virtually a member of the orchestra—this is definitely vocal jazz, as opposed to a jazz singer interpreting standards. It’s based in bebop and the modern big band tradition (think Jones-Lewis, Gil Evans, Maria Schneider) yet there is nothing retro-ish about it—her take on “’Round Midnight” is truly epic: She explores it while maintaining the kernel of the tune, and the band fascinatingly contrasts quietude and loudness. If you’ve not experienced the acumen of Niemack and/or want to experience a jazz singer pushing the envelope a bit in a most musicianly manner, dig in. (9 tracks, 75 min.) sunnysiderecords.com Dusty Wright HHHH1/2 Gliding Towards Oblivion Self-released Despite the Western-tinged moniker, NYC’s Dusty Wright is not a purveyor of country and/or western sounds, while there are indeed roots-music elements in play here. Stylistically Wright is closer to the slightly gothic pop symphonics of Lee Hazlewood and the moody pop melodramas of early 1970s Neil Diamond (long before the latter stopped/started bringing flowers to Barbra Streisand). Wright has a deep, comforting voice somewhere between uptown croon and folky matter-of-factness, occasionally a ringer for Diamond circa ’68-71, with a touch of Nick Cave’s I’ve-looked-into-the-abyss eloquence. His songs have the ornate arrangements of Hazlewood, Roy Orbison, Scott Walker, and—especially—the Richard Harris/Jim Webb collaboration that gave to Pop Nirvana, “MacArthur Park.” This is a personal soundtrack when you’re feeling saturnine, contemplative over the things you did and wish you’d done, when you reach your inner Michael Caine and wonder what it’s ALL about, Alfie: “The man in the mirror knew how it would end/Never surrender and always pretend.” A classy, tuneful symphony of melancholy,

just in time for the Holidays. (10 tracks, 41 min.) dustywright.com Woody Shaw HHHH1/2 Live in Bremen 1983 Dexter Gordon HHH1/2 Espace Cardin 1977 Elemental Music The nice folks at Elemental continue to unearth lost treasures from jazz history—now there’s more from departed masters Woody Shaw and Dexter Gordon. Shaw was a trumpet master that extended the range of the horn and long ago proved himself a peer/successor to great brass fellows Clifford Brown, Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, and Miles Davis. Recorded in Germany, Bremen 1983 presents a rare variant in Shaw’s discography—for an unknown reason, quintet regular trombonist Steve Turre is not present here, so it’s a night of Shaw, pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Stafford James, and drummer Tony Reedus. Shaw is, as per usual, magnificent—while he never achieved the crossover stardom of Davis, he clearly deserves to be better known beyond the jazz sphere. He is lyrical and fiery, harmonious and pushed the envelope. Stylistically in the hard bop/post-bop mode, the performances here are lengthy (everyone gets a chance to stretch out) yet noodle-doodle meandering is avoided. There’s a high level of inspiration at work here (especially Miller, who crackles like quicksilver lightning) throughout both discs. Sonic quality is mostly excellent, but at times the piano sounds a little distant—not a dealbreaker, pilgrims. (9 tracks, 113 min.) Dexter Gordon was one of the tenor saxophonists that in on the inception of bebop. He had a big, gorgeous bear-hug of a sax sound that impacted Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, among others (truthfully, they all influenced each other at various times), one of the finest and most durable on the mainstream jazz demigods. In 1977 Gordon was on a career upswing, relocating to the USA after years of European living (and even got to do a bit of acting in the films ‘Round Midnight and Awakenings.) Espace is Gordon live in Paris ’77, and it’s the only recorded meeting of him with pianist Al Haig, one of Charlie Parker’s main keyboard compatriots from the ‘40s. Gordon is his usual fine self—rollicking, inventive (lots of song quotations in his solos), but the sound leaves a bit to be desired. The drums of the great Kenny Clarke are SO up-front in the recording that’s it’s a major distraction. The Espace set, alas, in recommended chiefly to Dexter’s devotees but if you treasure acoustic bop-based jazz sounds of/from then or now, invest in Live in Bremen. (For those seeking baptism in the holy waters of Dexter, almost any of his Blue Note or Columbia recordings will serve nicely.) (6 tracks, 68 min.) elementalmusic.com n ICON | DECEMBER 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

POP BY A.D. AMOROSI

AND IN THE END……… Now, when a new Paul McCartney record topped recent charts, and the probability that the newly reissued Super Deluxe, 50th anniversary of The White Album will do likewise, you’d be hard-pressed to deny The Beatles’ continued charting power. Add to this the release of John Lennon’s Imagine: The Ultimate Collection, and this December is yet another Beatles free-for-all.

John Lennon, 1974. Photo: Bob Gruen.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Sir Paul McCartney performs at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on July 26, 2017 in Tinley Park, Ill. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images. 34

IN A PLACE BETWEEN the meditative calm of a prayerful stay with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India, to a personal division and derision within the quartet that found over 50 session musicians involved in its recording, The Beatles’ eponymously titled 1968 epic (nicknamed The White Album) is the schizophrenic sound of longtime friendships and musical camaraderie splintering, yet persevering for the common good. It is the true Quadrophenia: four angry, separate, already uneven characters acting and recording for their own devices, ultimately coming together (somewhat) despite their interpersonal messiness. The White Album is like three-and-a-half debut solo albums by the Fab Four. Its tension was so thick, Ringo quit the band. And yet, if not for that fissure among its ranks—let alone that which was going on good, bad and troubling with each man—the lustrous brilliance and weird experimentalism, harmony turned to disharmony, ringing Brit pop turned to squelchy sound collage, would not shine quite as brightly fifty years later. Splayed out across seven discs (the 2018 mixes are bold, stinging and happily more bass-heavy and dense than the original), with a kit of rare photographs and handwritten lyrics, the look of the new White Album (Super Deluxe release)—in color or black and white—is stellar. The innocence has gone out of the faces of Lennon, McCartney Harrison, and Starr in these photos, only to be replaced by world-weariness. There’s also a psychedelic spiritual ebullience in their eyes (unless that was the mescaline) based on their time spent with the Maharishi. That was the goal of that trip—to bring each member back to the other, and to a higher plane beyond them. That auspicious holy meeting (with bad vegetarian dining options quipped Lennon), its purposeful limitations (no access to electric gear) and its unified meditations are what fuels the finest aspects of this weighty, super deluxe package: the acoustic Esher demos. Long considered the missing piece of Beatles demo lore, the Esher disc was the White Album stripped to its core—before it ever began—with its songs written during the India trip and casually recorded at George Harrison’s Esher estate with the boys in the band jocular and jovial on each tune. Even the slower moments—Lennon’s “Dear Prudence,” McCartney’s “Blackbird,” Harrison’s stately “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”—are buoyant and filled with the cheer of old buddies chumming up to each other’s ideas and experimentation; some of which wound up on White, some of which wound up on their next studio album, Abbey Road (“Mean Mr. Mustard”); some of which became solo classics such as McCartney’s “Junk,” Harrison’s “Not Guilty,” and Lennon’s “Child of Nature,” whose Indian travelogue and its melodic elements later became “Jealous Guy.” And for an acoustic workout, “the Esher demos” breathe, pulsate and rock in a raw fashion that few other Beatles records do, as cuts such as “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” and “Honey Pie” groove deeply and elegantly but in a loose, unconfined manner. The Super Deluxe package’s three discs of studio sessions are at the opposite end of that positivist pole, fascinating in the manner to which each Beatle stretched himself take after take (e.g. several differently paced versions of “Helter Skelter” and “Blackbird” take 28, found here), but slowly revelatory in detailing how a band of brothers falls apart. With that, this Technicolor version of The White Album is more of a diary than the classic we remembered, a day in the life from sweet to sour. As for the newly re-imagined and extended (to six discs) Imagine of 1971, this was the first of Lennon’s solo albums to sound Lennon-like, were recorded while The Beatles were active, and existed as experimental noise collages in collaboration with Yoko Ono. Rather than delve into amazing Esher-esque rarities, this Imagine box looks into 1970-71 period singles (the raging “Power to the People,” the cheery “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”, skeletal demos, vocal-less piano track, effortless emotional reverie and a nine-month pregnancy which delivered peace paeans (the title track), love songs (“Oh Yoko!), protest cuts (“Gimme Some Truth”) and moments of self-searching (“Jealous Guy”) that were actually begun in Esher-demo form on The White Album. Circle of life stuff, right? n

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harper’s FINDINGS

INDEX

A survey of prisoners found that criminals who as children beat, burned, choked, drowned, kicked, shot, starved, stoned, or had sex with animals were not at greater risk of committing future violence against humans, but those who stabbed animals were. A rosebush suspected of killing a woman was cleared when forensic scientists determined that the victim had been stabbed by a human. A study found that adults shot by law enforcement were twenty-two times more likely than those injured in car crashes in the two preceding years to have impulsivity disorders. Innocent black people are likelier to enter the criminal-justice system as a result of mistaken identification, whereas innocent white people are likelier to enter as a result of deliberate misidentification. Sexually coercive men are highly perceptive in noticing women’s disgust. Companies with female CEOs perform worse in stock markets than other equally profitable companies. For the first time since the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index was created, in 2006, the estimated amount of time it will take to close the workplace gender gap rose, from 170 to 217 years. In countries with high gender equality, men are only slightly better at spatial navigation, whereas personality differences deemed to be sex-specific are highly pronounced. Men do not suffer from the “changing room” shock that women experience on realizing that they are too old for certain articles of clothing, but are distressed by the prospect of wearing elasticized trousers. Two million acres in the western United States were on fire.

Percentage increase from 2016 to 2017 in incidents of piracy in the Caribbean: 163 Chance that a migrant crossing the Mediterranean this year would be killed in transit: 1 in 18 That a migrant crossing it last year would be: 1 in 42 Number of cases filed by the Justice Department last year to denaturalize US citizens: 30 Number of new agents ICE plans to hire next year to investigate possible citizenship fraud: 300 Estimated number of voters purged from Georgia’s voter rolls from 2008 to 2012: 750,000 From 2012 to 2016: 1,500,000 Percentage of white US Congress members that Amazon’s facial recognition software matched incorrectly with mug shots: 4 Of non-white Congress members: 10 Percentage of Americans who say it’s appropriate to use gene editing to make babies more intelligent: 19 Portion of US adults who think they are more intelligent than their partners: 1/4 Who think they are less intelligent: 1/10 Percentage of California wildfires that are started by people: 95 That are deliberately started by people: 7 Percentage of California homeowners who have earthquake insurance: 13 Percentage chance that an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or higher will hit California in the next thirty years: 99.5 Height of Bolivia’s new presidential residence, in stories: 29 Rank of the building among the tallest in Bolivia: 3 Factor by which the average length of an economics paper published in an academic journal has increased since 1970: 3.7 Percentage change from 2000 to 2017 in US consumer spending on music: +25 Percentage of US music-industry revenue that is received by musicians: 12 Portion of NBA revenue that goes to players: 1/2 Of WNBA revenue: 1/5 Age at which a woman’s “desirability” peaks on online dating sites: 18 At which a man’s “desirability” peaks: 50 Percentage of homosexual relationships that begin online: 65 Of heterosexual relationships that do: 38 Chance a cohabitating US adult says their sex life has been impacted by their partner’s bedtime phone use: 1 in 3 Percentage of teenagers who “often” find their parents distracted by their phones during conversations: 14 Who “sometimes” do: 37 Percentage of US teenagers who say they are taking steps to cut back on social media use: 57 Percentage of UK teenagers who say they wouldn’t care if social media had never been invented: 62 Number of US counties in which no local newspaper is available: 176 In which only one is available: 1,449 Estimated number of US newspaper jobs lost since the year 2000: 241,000 Percentage of Americans with incomes over $1 million whose tax returns were audited in 2012: 12.1 Whose returns were audited last year: 4.4 Monthly revenue generated by a down-vest-and-jacket vending machine at San Francisco International Airport: $10,000 Percentage of the US population with incomes under $150,000 who have “no interest” in joining the upper class: 57

A wild male infant chimpanzee named Peace was observed thrusting his penis into a wadge of ficus. The most efficient and effective rat-tickling dosage lasts fifteen seconds per session over three days. Goats prefer interacting with happy-looking humans. Psychiatrists observed a therapy wheaten terrier who responded to his owner’s suicidal depression by falling into a vegetative state, and suggested that humane treatment of therapy dogs should consider the personal difficulties dogs face as a result of their owners’ mental illnesses. Teenage friendships are more durable if both teens are equally depressed. Ten percent of straight US male college students kiss one another on the lips. Barely half of people who do not believe in God identify as atheists. Psychologists detected a common thread of teleological thinking in creationism and conspiracy theories. Russian bots have been posting equal quantities of pro- and anti-vaccine tweets. In the United States, blue lakes are now outnumbered by murky lakes.

The cleaner wrasse fish passes the mirror self-recognition test. Shrimp whose colonies are visited by injured fish seeking the removal of parasites do not, as previously feared, take advantage of the injured fish by eating them or their mucus. A dolphin named Kylie may have changed the frequency of his clicks in order to communicate with a pod of porpoises. With the addition of beluga whales and narwhals, the number of nonhuman mammals whose females undergo menopause expanded to four. An orca mother who carried her dead calf for seventeen days over one thousand miles finally let go of the body and began chasing salmon. Scientists identified the two brain regions most closely linked to voluntary forgetting, and discovered the mechanism that allows mice to ignore the sound of their own footsteps. n 36

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SOURCES:

1 One Earth Future (Broomfield, Colo.); 2,3 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Washington); 4 US Department of Justice; 5 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement; 6,7 Brennan Center for Justice (NYC); 8,9 ACLU of Northern California (Sacramento); 10 Pew Research Center (Washington); 11,12 YouGov (NYC); 13,14 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Sacramento); 15 California Department of Insurance (Sacramento); 16 US Geological Survey (Golden, Colo.); 17 US Embassy in Bolivia (La Paz); 18 Emporis (Hamburg, Germany); 19 David Card, University of California, Berkeley; 20,21 Citigroup (NYC); 22,23 David Berri, Southern Utah University (Cedar City); 24,25 Elizabeth Bruch, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor); 26,27 Michael J. Rosenfeld, Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.); 28 Asurion (Nashville, Tenn.); 29–31 Pew Research Center; 32 Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (Market Harborough, England); 33,34 Penny Abernathy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 35 US Bureau of Labor Statistics; 36,37 Internal Revenue Service; 38 San Francisco International Airport; 39 YouGov.

JAZZ LIBRARY BY BOB PERKINS

EDDIE

“LOCKJAW” DAVIS

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was an entertainment complex in Philadelphia known as the Philadelphia Arena; it played host to a number of sporting events, and infrequently, musical events. I attended one of these shows many years ago and caught a touring jazz troupe, in which a saxophonist named Eddie Davis was a part. He had not yet become the famed Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, but he was on his way, due to the wagging of his lower jaw when playing his sax. As I watched and listened to him play, I wondered if he might be trying to attract attention and establish some kind of nickname for himself. Well, I reckon I guessed right because a few years later, I either heard or read that a saxophonist named Eddie (Lockjaw) Davis had joined Count Basie’s band. Sure enough, when I finally saw a photo of Lockjaw, it was the same “Mr. Wags” I’d seen on stage at the Arena. It’s mildly ironic that after seeing and hearing Davis perform years ago, and viewing his eye-catching mannerism on stage, I had formed a question in my noggin about him…and many decades later I’m playing his music on the air and writing about him. After discovering who he was, I began to follow his career, and noticed he’d stopped wagging his lower-jaw while playing, having firmly established, the title of “Lockjaw.” Eddie Davis was born and grew up in New York City, and was mostly a selftaught musician, but developed quickly enough to project himself into a professional, and seemingly overnight was playing in the bands of Cootie Williams, Lucky Millinder, Louis Armstrong and Andy Kirk and, ultimately, Count Basie—and that’s when his name and fame began to spread. In the history of the Basie band, the names of Basie and Lockjaw Davis blended like cream and coffee. Davis left the band several times to pursue other opportunities, and his departures were noticeable. His returns were also noticeable and welcomed, because his muscular and full-throated solos drove the already driving band, and meshed seamlessly with the band’s other outstanding musicians, including Freddy Green and the patented thump, thump, thump of his rhythm guitar; add the great Basie band arrangements, and there were the makings of the swingingest orchestra in jazz. Although Davis’ musical home was in the swing-jazz and blues traditions, he was still comfortable making music with the modern music pioneers, like Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Kenny Clarke, and other modernists, who met and played in jam sessions at NYC nightspots like Minton’s Playhouse and Clark Monroe’s Uptown House. During his vacations from the Basie band, Davis formed his own small bands, and on one occasion formed and recorded a large ensemble filled with jazz allstars. He also formed a musical relationship with Philadelphia pianist/organist Shirley Scott. Ms. Scott related to me during an interview, that she was playing the

Bob Perkins is a writer and host of an all-jazz radio program that airs on WRTI-FM 90.1 Mon. through Thurs. night from 6–9 and Sunday 9–1.

From the cover of The Fox and the Hounds album.

organ at a local club known as Spider Kelly, when Davis walked in, heard her, and asked if she’d like to be part of a group he was forming to open at a new jazz club in NYC owned by Count Basie. She agreed. They opened the club and stayed on a couple of years as the house band. Davis and Scott also recorded albums with cooking titles. In jazz musician parlance, when you’re “cooking,” you’re playing some heavy stuff. Eddie Davis’ list of recordings with Basie is long, as is his recordings under his own name— and reads like a food shopping list for Goliath. Davis was a busy musician and was in motion, musically, days prior to his passing in 1986, at age 67. During his time on Earth, he shared many stages and recording studios with scores of jazz greats and near-greats. He left behind both legacy and legend. When I play music on the air by Eddie Lockjaw Davis, I can’t help but recall that night (somewhere in the neighborhood of 1951) at the old Philadelphia Arena, when as a teenager, I saw and heard the saxophonist I dubbed Mr. Wags. n ICON | DECEMBER 2018 | ICONDV.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/ICONDV

The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

IN OTHER WORDS By Joe Kidd ACROSS

1 5 11 15 19 20 21 22 23 25 27 28 30 32 34 38 42 47 48 49 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 70 71 73 74 75 76 78 79 80 81 82 83 87 88 38

Pole, e.g. Old toon feline with an alley gang Pro Football Hall of Fame state Moonwalker Shepard Pad starter Stir up Early sci-fi captain Travels randomly EARTH AIDE Muss up, as hair Soup kitchen service Leave slack-jawed Shrub with a purple fruit Lab dish eponym Workout aftermath, often Grizzled seafarers Harmless cyst Eastern path CRANED You take them at your own risk Kwik-E-Mart owner Belief system Bar assn. member “Strange __ may seem ... “ Impediment Sugar portions Bookstore adjuncts Inscription on a spine Tickled pink Tijuana toast Nursery rhyme girl “Snowy” sight in Florida Edible pockets Carried on Starts over Fixed looks Vague discomfort They aren’t pros More fetching Some court pleas, for short Forbes rival Hindu titles of respect Party or movie ending City on the Ruhr Weekly talk with a msg. “Mad Men” actor Jon MISO La-la lead-in Clothing dept. size

89 90 92 94 96 97 102 106 109 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121

Like many an injured arm Fail big-time Simple type of question La., once Less than hardly Like much FM radio Keats and Shelley AMOUNT FIENDISH Aviation-related prefix Troll’s cousin No longer fastened Region Like positive outlooks Heckles Tennis wear Oz. and lb.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 24 26 29 30 31 33

Hospital reminder, perhaps Protected side In the way of Patience, they say House of Dana fragrance Rink star and a “Catch-22” pilot Backyard party centerpiece Pickled veggies Enzyme suffix Like an increase from six to sixty At some former time “__ we go” Mosque leader Move like molasses Deft Bloke Soothing suffix for a hot day Code-breaking org. Metric weight Sounds at pounds Hawthorne cover image Get all sudsy SMITE El Pollo __: southwestern restaurant chain RESIST Stack again Boot part Take the main part They may be lame Between-courses serving Silver, for one

DOWN

35 36 37 38 39 40 41

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43 44 45 46 50 51 57 58 59 60 62 63 64 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 74 75 77 79 80 84 85 86 89 91 93 95

Goof-ups Made a scene? “Why don’t we?” Crack Some entrance requirements Asian island capital Gives a hoot Do wedding work Word said with a sigh Senate wear Conceit Concern for a tailor “Horsefeathers!” Security guard’s duty Solidarity leader Lech Without thinking Cause to turn red, maybe Stab Iraqi city on the Tigris “E” in a classic equation Extended time out? Abbr. on a bounced check Rocky outcropping Collins ingredient Software pro, in want ads Name in a footnote A trusted friend “Inferno” poet New Rochelle college Tech-heavy exchange “In Search of...” host Lively movement

98 99 100 101 103 104 105 106 107 108 110 111 112 113

Pretentious sort Like drive-thru orders Mark’s replacement Fwys., e.g. Couture giant “It __ my fault” Hens and heifers Galley need __ volente Hosp. personnel Press agent’s goal Scrap for Rover “30 Rock” creator B-flats in an F major scale

Answer to November’s puzzle, HUNGER GAMES

AGENDA ART

THRU 1/6/2019 30 Years: Art at the Michener, 1988-2018. The James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, PA. 215-3409800. Michenerartmuseum.org THRU 1/6/2019 Lace, not Lace: Contemporary Fiber Art from Lacemaking Techniques. Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center St., Clinton, NJ. 908-735-8415. Hunterdonartmuseum.org THRU 1/12/2019 2018 Holiday Show, Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery. Closing reception 1/12/2019, 6-9. 459 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-419-6262. Bethlehemhousegallery.com 11/29-2/2/2019 Filters and Dolphin Sounds, by Claudia Bitran. Baker Center for the Arts, Martin Art Gallery, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA. Muhlenberg.edu/gallery 12/2-12/30 Legacy, The Art of Ben Marcune. Collector’s preview 12/1, 1-5pm. Opening reception 12/2, 1-5. The Snow Goose Gallery, 470 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-974-9099. Thesnowgoosegallery.com THRU 12/16 Holiday Open House, 12-5. Glenn Harrington, featured artist Evan Harrington. Silverman Gallery of Bucks County Impressionist Art, 4920 York Rd., Holicong, PA (Buckingham Green, Rte. 202.) 215-7944300. Silvermangallery.com

Margot Melcon. DeSales University, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. 610282-3192. DeSales.edu/act1 1/30/2019 Chicago, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132, Statetheatre.org FAMILY

12/22 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1-2. Holiday puppet show for the family: improvisational theater with live music. Book & Puppet, 466 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 484-541-5379. Facebook/bookandpuppet 12/28 Mary Poppins the Musical, 6-7. Holiday puppet show for the family: engaging improvisational theater with live music. Book & Puppet Co., 466 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 484-541-5379. Facebook/bookandpuppet CONCERTS

12/2 An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols, 5:00. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org 12/6 Kenny G, The Miracles Holiday & Hits Tour 2018. 7:30, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. Statetheatre.org

DANCE

12/7 Trenton Children's Chorus, Winter Concert, 5:30. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ. 609-392-6409. 1867sanctuary.org

THEATER

12/8 The Bach Choir of Bethlehem Christmas Concerts, Advent & the Nativity through the music of J.S. Bach & Ottorino Respighi. First Presbyterian Church, 3231 W. Tilghman St., Allentown, PA. 610-866-4382. Bach.org

12/9 Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, 25th Anniversary. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-2523132. Statetheatre.org THRU 12/9 Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, by Lauren Gunderson &

12/9 The Bach Choir of Bethlehem Christmas Concerts, Advent & the Nativity through the music of J.S. Bach & Ottorino Respighi. First Presbyterian Church, 2344 Center St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-866-4382. Bach.org 12/15 Handel’s Messiah. Soloists and Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. Camerata Singers, First Presbyterian Church, 3231 W. Tilghman St., Allentown, PA. 610-434-7811. PACamerataSingers.org 12/22 Richie Cole and His Alto Madness Orchestra, “Richie Cole Christmas.” Jazz interpretations of holiday music, 8:00. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing, NJ. 609-3926409. 1867sanctuary.org 12/23 Eric Mintel Quartet, “Charlie Brown Christmas.” Jazz music of Vince Guaraldi and original compositions and arrangements, 3:00. 1867 Sanctuary Arts and Culture Center, 101 Scotch Rd, Ewing, NJ. 609-3926409. 1867sanctuary.org 12/25 Organ Noëls with Stephen Williams. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org 12/25 Organ Noëls,. The annual concert presents organist Stephen Williams playing music of the season in a relaxed atmosphere. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org 12/30 A Christmas Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org

1/20/2019 Organ Birthday Recital #1 with Robert McCormick. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org 1/20/2019 The Organ Birthday Concerts, celebrating the twentieth birthday of its pipe organ, Austin Op. 2776 (1998) with a series of recitals with Robert McCormick. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org MUSIKFEST CAFÉ 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem 610-332-1300 Artsquest.org

DECEMBER 6 Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes 12 Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes 14 Twelve Twenty-Four 22 Swingin’ the Holidays with the Rob Stoneback Big Band 29 Craig Thatcher Band Presents an Evening of Jimi Hendrix 31 The Sofa Kings’ New Year’s Eve Party 1/19 Aaron Neville Duo

DINO’S BACKSTAGE 287 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside. 215-884-2000 Dinosbackstage.com

DECEMBER 1–29 The Snow Show with Paula Johns & Michael Richard Kelly 2 Sunday Supper with Aunt Mary Pat 31 New Year’s Eve Red Carpet Cabaret with Marilyn Mae

KESWICK THEATRE 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside. 215-572-7650 keswicktheatre.com

DECEMBER 7 Rufus Wainwright 8 Wow in the World Pop Up Party 8 Up Close & Personal.

Featuring Carl Payne, Capone, Cocoa Brown, Talent, Teddy Carpenter. 14 Ingrid Michaelson Trio: Songs for the Season 15 Vienna Boys Choir 16 Sister’s Christmas Catechism 27 Chrisette Michele 28 David Uosikkinen’s in the Pocket. 29 The Genesis Show 31 Stand Up Global Presents: THE FIRST NIGHT OF FUNNY DINNER & MUSIC

Every Thurs.-Sat., Dinner and a Show at SteelStacks, Bethlehem, PA. 5-10, table service and valet parking. For more information, menus and upcoming events visit SteelStacks.org EVENTS

THRU 12/23 Santa in the Village. Photos with Santa every Sat. & Sun. in Giggleberry Fair, a Holiday Wonderland. Peddler’s Village. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA. 215-794-4000. Peddlersvillage.com THRU 1/5/2019 Gingerbread House Competition & Display. Peddler’s Village. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA. 215-794-4000. Peddlersvillage.com 12/1 & 12/2 Christmas Festival. Peddler’s Village. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, PA. 215-794-4000. Peddlersvillage.com 12/1-12/20 Holiday Pop Up Shop, The Baum School of Art. Hundreds of unique gift, handmade gifts by local and regional artists and artisans. 510 Linden St., Allentown. 610-433-0032. Baumschool.org 12/8-12/24 Lynda Bahr Trunk Show. Heart of the Home, 28 S. Main St., New Hope, PA. 215-862-1880. Heartofthehome.com n

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