A&E

The sound of victory

Composed and collected, Maria Luisa Rayan climbed the stairs at the Musical Arts Center Sunday evening before a crowd of hundreds. Swathed in burgundy velvet, the striking Argentinian smiled graciously at the audience, shook the judges' hands and accepted her second-place award in the fifth triannual USA International Harp Competition. It was her third time entering the contest -- and her second emergence as runner-up. Two tries, and two second-place finishes. For some, such outcomes may signal defeat. Others may retreat from the instrument. But for Rayan, the harp is practically an appendage. It's evident in her caress of the strings, in her soft, transported expression as her hands graze the instrument.

Big-city cabaret comes to town

Tonight the Bloomington Playwrights Project invites the audience to take part in one-of-a-kind experience that will explore the detours of life through song. Washington D.C. performer Colin James' original one man cabaret "Detour Ahead" will be held tonight and tomorrow at the BPP at 8 p.m.

This Weekend's Calendar Events

Meeting the stars of Ragtime

My dream finally came true. My whole life, I've dreamt of standing at the stage door after a show and seeing the actors fresh off the stage from a performance. Tuesday night at "Ragtime," that dream was made possible.

Arts center presents famous musical

"Please God, I need this show!" sings the company of "A Chorus Line," the show opening this week at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St., by the B-town Players. The hit 1970s musical by Musical Theater guru Marvin Hamlisch has at its core the drive of all artists trying to make a name for themselves in a difficult business.

'Children' combines ASL, theater

The upcoming play "Children of a Lesser God" combines the love of theater and practice of American Sign Language held by much of its cast. Directed by senior Ingrid Torres, the show is being produced as an independent project. "It blends the two things I studied in college -- sign language and theater," Torres said. "Children of a Lesser God" follows the story of a speech therapist, played by senior Stuart Ritter, who falls in love with Sarah, a deaf student. They marry and seem happy, but through the course of the play, their relationship begins to crumble over a litigation suit against the School for the Deaf. Sarah decides she wants to make her own statement in court and not let others continue to speak for her, and the marriage between the two begins to fall apart.

Auditions: the fine art of getting the part

Auditions. The cause of bitten nails, stomach aches and superstitions, the making or breaking of a career. Is it possible to ace an audition? If the outcome of an audition never ends in happiness, maybe your audition skills need some tweaking at the roots. "All auditions are different," said Iris Rosa, director of the African American Dance Company.

Keys, 'O Brother' big winners

LOS ANGELES -- The Grammys came down with a case of the blues, giving five awards each to the melancholy piano songstress Alicia Keys and the old-school bluegrass and soul of the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack. Irish rockers U2 won four Grammys Wednesday, including record of the year for "Walk On," a soaring rock anthem the group said found new meaning after Sept. 11. "When this country takes you to its heart it's an extraordinary feeling. And these are very testy times for America, so we know you're not just taking anybody to heart," U2's lead singer Bono said backstage.

Going bananas over simple comfort food

We live in an age of high fashion food; hence, the commonplace banana has no more glamour than a nylon nightgown. But glamour can be exhausting, and slowing down to savor the familiar goodness of a banana is one of life's pleasures.

Terrorist attacks alter lineup of Lotus Festival

Bloomington's Lotus World Music and Arts Festival, an annual five-day event scheduled to begin Wednesday, will be adversely affected by the transportation problems stemming from the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington Tuesday. The disruption of air travel and general international tension have already led to one band cancellation -- Celtic pop group Kila have announced they will not make the festival. But Executive Director Lee Williams said the show would go on.

DiFranco fans ready for IU show

For folk rocker Ani DiFranco, music is a way of making sense of the universe. "My little songs are sort of letters to myself," DiFranco told Music Connection. I'm trying to clue myself in on some things. It's all a very self-conscious process on some level. My music, I guess, is what I live through." DiFranco will perform at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the IU Auditorium. Union Board is sponsoring the event.

Parks departments showcase the "Art of Nature"

The sounds of children running, banjos playing and people laughing could be heard at Karst Farm Park, Saturday during. The Bloomington and Monroe County Parks and Recreation department sponsored the annual event in order to raise awareness about local environmental issues and provide fun nature-based activities.

Bloomington native a classical prodigy

It is always exciting to see a talented young musician grow into a major player on the tough classical music scene. Even more of a thrill is to know that you were there in the beginning and helped his or her career move from the practice rooms of a university into the world's most famous concert halls.

This Weekend's Calendar events

Calendar events for this week.

Holiday shows return to TV

LOS ANGELES -- The Grinch who stole Christmas is back, and so is Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Claus. How much more do we need for a warm and fuzzy holiday TV season?

HBO and Showtime to air independent films

PARK CITY, Utah -- HBO and Showtime are going indie. The premium-cable channels have emerged as important nurturers of independent film, securing a major presence at the Sundance Film Festival.

Trio to perform

If you have ever studied jazz music, it's likely you have come across the name: The Lynne Arriale trio. The trio will be performing Feb. 1, 8 p.m., at the John Waldron Arts Center. With a master in classic piano performance from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Lynne Arriale has been studying piano for 30 years and studying jazz for 15. Arriale was playing by ear and making up melodies at age three. In 1993 she won the International Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Florida. She has also performed in concert and on National Public Radio's "Piano Jazz" with legend Marian Mc Partland.

Grilling a perennial favorite

We live in an age of ever-increasing efficiency, when a five-minute wait at the nearest drive-through is considered four minutes too long.

Blue cheese: Moldy oldy but goody

"Mold" and "delicious" are rarely used in the same sentence. In an age of anti-bacterial obsession, blue cheese is the delightful exception. Hardcore blue cheese afficionados think that Swiss, Cheddar and Jack cheeses are for wimps -- if the cheese cannot be smelled from ten feet away, forget it.

'A Beautiful Mind' wins four Globes

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- "A Beautiful Mind" was named best drama, and its star, Russell Crowe, won the top dramatic actor trophy as the Golden Globes rewarded stories of love under the duress of madness, despair and illness. "A Beautiful Mind" collected a leading four Globes Sunday night and was followed by triple-winner "Moulin Rouge," which was awarded the Globe for best musical or comedy and earned a best actress honor for Nicole Kidman.