Don't be bummed if you can't attend this year's SXSW in Austin, Texas. Sure, it's become a massive event full of cool films and rockin' bands, but it isn't the only festival to honor both mediums. There are lesser-known music-movie alternatives where you can get your fill.
Check out our three picks for music and film fests after the jump.]]>
Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark may be getting all of the attention for its dangerous stunts after another cast member was severely injured last week, but it's not the first show to feature a few risky moves. Here's a look at three of the (other) most dangerous shows on Broadway.
Spider-Man isn't the first show to launch one of its actors into the air and "fly" them over the audience, Mary Poppins been doing that for years. And Mary doesn't just fly over the audience with her famous umbrella; she also dances on rooftop sets and spends most of the show jumping and spinning in high energy dance numbers that feature dozens of dancers, a recipe for disaster if just one of them steps out of place. You can purchase tickets to see all of the high-flying action at Disney.go.com. ]]>
Memorial Day is about three weeks away, which means one thing: vacation time. While lazing on the beach is always tempting, you should probably go some place where you can learn something. We'll help you culture vultures can make the most of your extended weekend.
See our picks for Memorial Day culture getaways after the jump.]]>
Austin gets all the credit for being the arty city in Texas, and Houston residents probably like it that way: When no one's depending on you to bolster your state's reputation, you get a lot more work done! But the city where "Reality Bites" and "Rushmore" were filmed is stepping into the limelight with next month's Cinema Arts Festival Houston.
Held November 11 to 15, the fest says it focuses on "films by and about artists," offering events like a conversation with screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga ("Babel") Nov. 13 and a screening of the new documentary "Yes Men Fix The World" with one of the Yes Men, who have been wreaking havoc in Washington D.C. this week with fake press conferences and silly costumes—that's on November 14 and 15. ]]>
Gleeks and other theater nerds will be thrilled to know that they can catch complimentary shows in more than 120 cities across the country on October 15, the designated Free Night of Theater. But theater newbies benefit, too. They get a chance to dip their feet in the theater pool instead of having to dive right in and become full-fledged patrons of the arts.
The fifth annual Free Night aims to expose theater to the masses, especially those demographics that are typically underrepresented in theater audiences. It's the perfect time to try out a new company that you've been meaning to see or one that you've never even heard of. Offerings include everything from experimental companies to musical-theater troupes, and ballet companies to classical music concerts.]]>
Having trouble distinguishing between movies and plays? In a movie, the characters don't berate you if your cell phone goes off, as one Broadway audience member found out this week while watching Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig tread the boards together.
Jackman and Craig are currently starring in "A Steady Rain," a Chicago-imported drama about two cops who get into some off-duty trouble. Last Wednesday, they didn't even break accent (Jackman's is better, for the record) to call out an etiquette-challenged patron who didn't turn off a ringing cell phone (which proceeded to go off again). Thanks to TMZ, you can watch the video here, and we beg you, do not be that guy. Or, for that matter, the guy videotaping an entire show from his seat—this isn't U2 at Giants Stadium! ]]>
If you are looking to wind down the season with one more alfresco outing, head to San Diego's Old Globe Theatre for the Summer Shakespeare Festival. The 74th annual fest offers Bard classics Twelfth Night and Coriolanus and in a break with tradition, Cyrano de Bergerac, the first non-Shakespeare play the theater has featured since it revived the festival five years ago.
The three productions rotate nightly in the Globe’s outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre through September 27. This way, if you're in town for a couple of days, you can catch all three. But if you can only make a day or two, here's a rundown of the shows to help you decide which play to see: ]]>