A&E

Program brings artists, community together

The School of Fine Arts is snacking on something new this semester. The SoFA Gallery has initiated a new program called "ArtBites," which looks to introduce the Bloomington community to IU art students at Friday luncheons.

Jazz legend to play in Bloomington

Jazz legend Bob Dorough, who has been playing since the 1950s and is well-known for his work in the early 1970s with ABC's "Schoolhouse Rock," will bring his talents to Bloomington in a performance with artist Janet Lawes at 7:30 p.m. today at the Bloomington High School North auditorium, 3901 N. Kinser Pike.

Around The Arts

Civic Theater adapts 1499 'La Celestina'

The Monroe County Civic Theater will perform "La Celestina," a play by Fernando de Rojas and translated from Spanish by James Mabbe and Eric Bentley.

International film series to hit campus

As it does every semester, the East Asian Studies Center is sponsoring the East Asian film series. To promote culture throughout campus, the center has put together a series of seven films from various East Asian countries.

Orchestra brings a world of music to Bloomington

Stimulating is how School of Music professor Yuval Yaron describes his involvement in the Camerata Orchestra, a professional independent ensemble of faculty, students, faculty emeriti and Bloomington residents.

A birth of a magazine

Evan Tobias and Adam Pieroni might have begun a literary movement in Bloomington, but they seem to be lost for words on their newest endeavor. What started as a simple poetry reading in honor of the latest edition of the literary magazine, Cocked and Ready, has developed into a release party so complicated it can't be named, said senior Tobias, co-editor and founder of the magazine.

'Comedy Caravan' celebrates 18 years

To Tom Sobel, Monday nights are a laughing matter. Every Monday night since 1983, people pack into local bar and club Bear's Place, 1316 E. Third St., to watch Sobel's master plan, Comedy Caravan, unfold. "Within the comedy community, Bear's Place is a legendary Monday night," said Sobel, president of TSM Entertainment, which manages comedy shows across the country. "Not only is it the longest running Monday night in standup comedy, but the only place in the world of comedy where two shows are done every Monday night, every week."

Local group Danagas goes digital with second album

It seems everyone is into digital music lately. But local funk band Danagas took digital music to the next level -- the members digitally recorded and mixed their second album, Nagaphonics, themselves.

A cappella group seeks members

Local a cappella group Straight No Chaser is looking for some new faces.

'Full Frontal' offers more than just stand-up

Don't let the name scare you. The members of Full Frontal Comedy, an IU improvisation troupe founded in 1994, do not perform sans clothes. The name, as it turns out, is more indicative of their brand of comedy.

Opie Taylor's should fix flaws

Opie Taylor's, 212 N. Walnut St., calls itself a Bloomington tradition, and indeed it is. The atmosphere is perfect for grabbing a burger and a beer while you watch ESPN. But it won't be the best burger in town, by any means. We were seated on stools at a high table, which was somewhat wobbly. We found that to eat, we had to do a balancing act, of sorts.

Concert honors Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr., a leader in the civil rights movement, sparked celebration at the School of Music Friday. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the celebration displayed a history of music through spirituals and protest songs of the civil rights movement. The emotionally charged performance was presented by the IU School of Music in conjunction with the African American Arts Institute. The program consisted of a diverse collection of songs that exemplified the broad range of music encompassed by the African-American tradition. James Mumford, director of the African-American Choral Ensemble, said he was proud to be part of an honorable cause. "There is no better way to pay tribute to Dr. King," Mumford said. "Music is a universal language and transcends all boundaries."

Around the arts

The IMAX theater at White River State Park will be closed Jan. 16 to July 15 during construction of the new Indiana State Museum building. The following IMAX films will be shown until Jan. 15: "Fantasia 2000," "Across the Sea of Time" and "TREX:Back to the Cretaceous."

Around the arts

Shows canceled at Auer Concert Hall The "Sundays at Auer Hall" chamber music recital, scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, has been canceled. Other cancellations at Auer Concert Hall are "Bassonfest," originally scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, and a faculty recital featuring assistant professor Alan Bennett and professor Leonard Hokanson, scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday. Comedy Caravan brings comics to Bloomington This week's Comedy Caravan at Bear's Place, 1316 E. Third St., features Tim Slagle from Acme Comedy Company in Minneapolis and Doug Daum from Comedy House in Little Rock, Ark. Performances are 7:30 and 10:15 p.m. Cost is $7. For more information, call 339-3460.

Cassoulet a comfort food for coldest winter nights

"Remind me where it is you attend school?" my California acquaintances inquire during my bi-annual sojourns home to the West coast. After five years of replying "Indiana," the abbreviated responses have remained static: in summer, "Hot!" and in winter, "Cold!" The utterances are typically delivered with the force of profound revelation accompanied by the smirking condescension of an older sibling informing a younger sibling there is no Santa Claus."

Hoosiers nominated for Grammys

Two of the 500 nominees seated in the crowd at the Grammys Feb. 21 can call themselves Hoosiers. Joshua Bell and Ronald Cohen, alumnus and professor, respectively, have been recognized as the movers of today's music scene, worthy of a chance of receiving one of modern music's highest honors. Bell is nominated for one award, Cohen for two.

Local Exhibits

Bloomington Playwrights presents holiday production

The Bloomington Playwrights Project will kick off the holiday season with a production of "Merry Elementary," a play that touches on the true meaning of the holiday season, among a number of other themes.

University Players offer 'verbal boxing match'

Competition. The word has been used for centuries to describe manliness, with the victor claiming power and the loser reduced to a pitiful wretch. The throes of competition is the topic the University Players will battle this weekend. With a cast of three, "Never Swim Alone," by Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor, tells the story of two men who have been friends since childhood and competitors for just as long.