Historians capture voices of Woodstock
Woodstock didn’t even happen in Woodstock. The fabled music festival — seen as one of the seminal cultural events of the 1960s — took place 60 miles away in Bethel, New York, an even smaller village than Woodstock. It’s a fitting misnomer for an event that has become as much legend as reality. An estimated 450,000 people converged on a swath of land owned by dairy farmer Max... READ MORE
Author crafts novel from life experiences
Maryland author Jean Burgess sang and danced with a swing band in the 1970s, performed in and directed plays in local theaters, taught drama and acting to high schoolers, and earned a Ph.D. in educational theater from New York University in 2002. Now, at age 68, she’s had her first novel published. The book, That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel, follows the life and hard... READ MORE
When a rational decision really hurts
As the old song says: regrets, I’ve had a few. Home runs I never hit. Millions I never earned. Not doing enough to make the world a better place. But at 3 a.m. (when I often do my best thinking), my mind regularly returns to The Radio That Almost Was. Way back when, before it was overwhelmed by partisan politics, I worked as a radio talk show host. One of my best gigs was on... READ MORE
Get paid to visit and befriend your peers
When Simy Buckwold, a retiree in New Market, Maryland, visits her Senior Companion clients each week, they both light up. “You arrive and [you can tell] you’re a hero, just by their look and by their smile,” Buckwold said. “It’s such a joy. The experience is mutual because we have built this trust and connection. It’s reciprocal, that’s what I’m finding out.” And... READ MORE
Toby’s enchanting ‘Beauty and the Beast’
The current production at Toby’s Dinner Theatre is the family-friendly Beauty and the Beast, based on Disney’s 1991 animated film (which itself was based on an 18th century fairy tale of the same name). Featuring the voices of Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach, the Disney movie made $331 million at the box office and was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for ... READ MORE
How to make yourself a happier person
“Don’t believe everything you think.” According to Baltimorean Betty Cherniak, who sports that advice on a bumper sticker, our thoughts get in the way of our happiness. “Thoughts run our lives 24/7,” Cherniak explained in an interview with the Beacon. “They create our reality, but they are not real. We must learn to use our minds instead of letting our minds use... READ MORE
What’s the matter with these kids? Nada!
We oldies certainly do love our childhood heroes — even when those heroes weren’t always so heroic. Frank Sinatra? Hung out with mobsters. Dwight Eisenhower? Might have been an unfaithful husband. Babe Ruth? Never met a bottle of bourbon he didn’t crack open and adore. But I’m still stuck on one idol who never fell (or could fall) off his perch: Walter Johnson. He was... READ MORE
Three books by local authors reveal secrets
In Memoriam We are saddened to report that our longtime book reviewer and columnist, Dinah Rokach, passed away in March. Dinah began publishing her monthly column in the Beacon in 2017. This was her final column. We know our readers who enjoyed her careful selection of good reads will miss her as much as we will. —The Beacon The Bibliophile This spring, learn more about... READ MORE
‘Little Shop of Horrors’ blossoms at Ford’s
Little Shop of Horrors, at Ford’s Theatre through May 18, is a noir musical full of dark ambitions, cruel acts, flawed characters and some of the most wonderful voices in the D.C. theater scene. Directed by Kevin S. McAllister, the musical leans into its pulp science-fiction and 1950s roots with music, costumes and set. With music by Alan Menken, the 1982 musical was based on a 1960... READ MORE
Turning scrap wood to wildlife paintings
If you’ve ever seen the Mona Lisa in person, you may have noticed that the painting was made on wood, not canvas. Leonardo da Vinci painted La Joconde’s mysterious smile on a panel of wood from a white poplar tree. In fact, most artists, from Raphael to Peter Bruegel, painted on wood until canvas became popular in the 18th century. Wood is also the canvas of Ellicott City artist... READ MORE
