Today’s shiftless youngsters don’t get it

By Bob Levey
Posted on November 14, 2019

There are many ways for a 20th-century baby to feel his or her age: —When some youngster says he has just discovered this cool rock group called The Beatles. —When you realize that Watergate happened almost 50 years ago. —When your knees crack and clatter every time you stand up. —When you mention the unforgettable date of November 22, 1963 to an all-younger crowd and... READ MORE

At harvest season, books by and for cooks

By Dinah Rokach
Posted on November 13, 2019

The Bibliophile For many of us, a printed recipe is handier than a mobile device in the kitchen, where food stains and splatters are ubiquitous. These cookbooks will help you prepare dishes to wow your guests this holiday season. Read the stories that accompany the recipes with relish. The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2019: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show... READ MORE

Celebration of the Arts contest to return

By Beacon Editors
Posted on November 08, 2019

The Beacon Newspapers has announced that its popular amateur art competition for adults over 50, the Celebration of the Arts, will return in 2020. First launched in 2018, the Celebration of the Arts was inspired by moving stories from Beacon readers who have either turned to the arts for the first time in retirement, or have returned to an earlier passion for art later in life. The... READ MORE

Exhibit highlights Marian Anderson’s life

By Barbara Trainin Blank
Posted on November 07, 2019

Singer Marian Anderson is perhaps best remembered for her most famous performances. On April 9, 1939, because segregationist policies denied her access to the DAR’s Constitution Hall, Anderson sang at the Lincoln Memorial. She performed from the steps of the monument before an integrated audience of 75,000. In 1942, the DAR changed its policy and invited Anderson to sing at... READ MORE

Sophia Loren comes to town

By Margaret Foster
Posted on November 04, 2019

Take one look at Sophia Loren, who was born in 1934, and it’s clear she knows the secret of aging well. “There is a fountain of youth,” Loren once said. “It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” Loren, 85, is still bringing her passionate... READ MORE

Illuminating life by making light of death

By Anne Paglia
Posted on November 04, 2019

Death is in the air this fall at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Everybody. In fact, Death is even in the theater. But Death, played by Nancy Robinette, is a far cry from the creepy, cloaked Grim Reaper who usually comes to mind. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Death is amicable, even funny. Like a stand-up comedian, Death heckles the cast’s five other members ... READ MORE

Howard County arts venues present a wide variety

By Margaret Foster
Posted on October 24, 2019

If you live in Howard County, there’s no need to drive to Baltimore or Washington, D.C. to hear top-quality classical music or see a play that ran on Broadway. For more than four decades, Howard County has been building a robust arts scene that rivals big-city venues. One mark of its progress will be the county’s new cultural arts center, whose construction is set to begin in the... READ MORE

Dracula offers dark humor with its gore

By Dan Collins
Posted on October 23, 2019

Theatrical productions of Dracula are a sure sign that autumn and Halloween are upon us. The famed vampire tale is playing now through Nov. 2 at the downtown Baltimore location of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC). The production, adapted by Steven Dietz, mingles the bloody Bram Stoker novel of 1897 with its 1927 adaptation for Broadway, which starred Bela Lugosi. It has its... READ MORE

Jazz promoter opens new club

By Timothy Cox
Posted on October 21, 2019

Baltimore’s new jazz club, tucked between Fell’s Point and Harborplace, has been hopping since it opened last April. In its first week, Keystone Korner Baltimore featured legendary bassist Ron Carter. During the summer, lines snaked around the block as people waited to hear smooth-jazz-neosoul Godfather and vibraphonist Roy Ayers. The iconic Blood, Sweat and Tears keyboardist Larry... READ MORE

All about homegrown pumpkins

By Lela Martin
Posted on October 18, 2019

Nothing says October better than pumpkins, gourds and jack-o’-lanterns. Add a few to your doorstep, front porch or even a planter. Shocks of corn stalks and baskets of mums or asters can complete an attractive autumnal display. If you’re shopping for a pumpkin, select one that is blemish-free and firm all over. If you’re going to carve a jack-o’-lantern, look for a pumpkin that... READ MORE