Arts & Culture

Since about a half century ago, Japan has exported a range of delights to the world, among them: sushi, haikus, bonsai trees, Toyotas, gadgetry, servant robots, anime, Hello Kitty, Power Rangers, Zen-ness. But one thing that’s never fully caught on (and I’m not talking about militarism, whale meat, or Sumo…

Improvisational guru Greg Proops is a strange cat, really; strange enough to refer to himself on his website in almost a dozen totally odd ways: Proopkitty, Dr. P, Darth Proops, Mr. Proopwell, Prooples, and, of course, Proopdog. While this could be a sign that schizophrenia has finally set in, it’s…

Sure, you don’t ordinarily get all hot ´n’ bothered scheduling tasks for the upcoming year. With penciled reminders for a routine New Year hi-colonic, a February tattoo removal, and one obligatory scrap-booking class with stepmother in March — who can blame you? But something tells us that, if you plunk…

At Barry University on a recent evening, Antonio Amadeo was showing signs of strain. “All my writers are leaving,” he said as he watched another top-tier SoFla playwright disappear into the night. He looked like a kid whose best friends had bailed at a slumber party. “My prediction is, in…

An exhibit of memorabilia and merchandise inspired by the Frank Baum classic “Wonderful World of Oz” aims at creating a miniature magical kingdom. In a community theateresque experience, you will literally follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City exhibit. Here, the man behind the curtain is executive director…

There’s no surer sign that a franchise is in trouble than when it blasts into outer space. So you were right to be nervous when Nintendo announced its plans to follow up the subpar game Super Mario Sunshine with something called Super Mario Galaxy, which promised to launch the mustached…

Are you pale, malnourished, and gap-toothed? Can you mimic a generic English accent, or hike your ham-sized mammies up in a corset? Do you strum a mean lute? Do you carry plague? If you answered “aye” to any of these questions, you may be just the sort the Florida Renaissance…

OK, so an all-Jewish film festival might seem a tad daunting for your gentile sensibilities. This, and the inevitable questions that follow, are expected. Queries like: “Does every Jewish flick have an obligatory ‘priest and rabbi’ one-liner and a meshugana overprotective mother?” Short answer: negative. Take the Palm Beach Jewish…

Being a Miami football fan this year is akin to being a prisoner of war: The experience just keeps getting worse, with no end in sight. As anxiety slowly morphs into desperation, you want to do something, anything, to change matters — but you’re trapped and your captors are out…

What was Christ if not radically egalitarian? He ate with lepers and fallen women and routinely thumbed his nose at The Man. The holiday bearing his name should have multicultural celebrations, no? The Chocolate Nutcracker is just that. This modern twist on the old classic goes up tempo, as the…

Musicians and music buffs certainly remember Jaco Pastorius, the bassist who single-handedly changed the instrument forever. But if you haven’t heard of him, he warrants some time on Youtube. His 1976 solo performance of “A Portrait of Tracy” – available on the site – is patently a work of genius…

There’s been a lot of emphasis on consuming locally lately. We do it for everything from produce to the news, so if ya’ think about it, there’s no reason we shouldn’t also include local art. Who better to give us perspective on a South Florida encounter than the artiste who…

Imagining an audience naked is touted as a cure for stage fright. In Naked Boys Singing, however, the scenario is reversed: the actors are naked and the audience watches, perhaps in fright. A movie based on a Broadway play, Naked Boys Singing starts with 10 denuded dudes on-stage, belting out…

It was fun there for about 15 years, wondering when the Celtics were going to come out of their tailspin. They tried everything, from grossly overpaying Rick Pitino to grossly overfeeding Vin Baker, and yet they still couldn’t put together a team with more than a few players – OK,…

Reverend Bob Levy wouldn’t be the best counsel to seek out for confession – unless you consider being called a pussy-ass fag boy as absolution. Known as much for his participation on the Howard Stern Show as for his stand up career, the Rev’ has pummeled out a name for…

There’s something pleasantly ironic about well-mannered, artsy types saddling up to the “Starchild” himself, Paul Stanley, and having a civil conversation about modern art while purchasing one of his paintings. Would it surprise you if, at any moment, he pulled out a flying V guitar, knocked some old broad over…

This may shock some culturally deprived folks, but China has brought about more than just MSG-infused fried foods and kung fu films. Just ask the 27 contemporary furniture designers showing their creations at Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale (1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale) as part of an exhibit…