AOSTA, ITALY – The Aosta Valley is sparsely populated, home to only about 200,000 residents within its beautiful villages and countryside. But the picturesque region tucked into Italy’s northwest corner isn’t lacking in welcoming spots where people can go to sit back and relax over a glass of beer or wine. According to a recent […]
LUCCA, ITALY – The region has given birth to many of the greatest voices in opera, but every spring and summer, Tuscany’s historic piazzas resonate with the impassioned sound of another kind of music, as they play host to world famous blues festivals. In 2015, Lucca joined the list of Tuscan cities celebrating the gritty […]
DERRY, NH – How far have livestream studios come since the start of the pandemic? For Tim Messina and his team at Events United, the answer is all the way to the top elected official in their state. This January, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu passed up a long list of other possible sites, and […]
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Roger Sharp is proud of his region’s music tradition. It’s easy to understand why. His upstate New York stomping grounds have nurtured a wealth of talent in virtually every genre, from Lana Del Ray, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Ani Di Franco to Moe, Rick James, Lou Gramm, 10,000 Maniacs and […]
PITTSBURGH – Expectations were high when Code Orange announced plans for their Underneath album release party. It wasn’t only fans of the award-winning metal band who were licking their chops; the excitement level for Sam Jimenez, their new 20-year old lighting designer and production designer was through the roof too. Describing himself as an “extreme […]
MARION, IL – Just about everyone who saw the Adam Sandler movie Happy Gilmore, left the theatre with the soft sensuous lyric line of “Kiss You All Over” running through their heads. Familiar as they became with the soundtrack hit, however, few connected it to Exile Band, the Kentucky quintet that recorded the song more […]
PARMA, ITALY – The sellout crowds that are filling Italian and Swiss concert halls to see the Legend of Morricone can be forgiven if every now and then they forget where they are, and are transported back to a time when they sat in their favorite cinemas. Such is the redolent power of the musical […]
VILLEFONTAINE, FRANCE – Stylish fashion should always be showcased in an elegant setting, even when it is offered at an attractively discounted price. Such was the guiding philosophy of The Village Outlet when it opened in this area of green rolling hills about 40 minutes outside Lyon. Bargains certainly abound at this contemporary outdoor shopping […]
DURHAM – With its crisp, glimmering lines broken up by the occasional geometric pattern, the new Capital Hills main campus of Summit Church looks right at home in North Carolina’s famed “Research Triangle,” which is routinely ranked as one of the most tech-savvy areas in the United States. The high-tech impression conveyed by the building’s […]
MARION, IL – Applauses have long echoed on the southwest corner of this picturesque county seat’s town square. It was here on January 2, 1922 that the Orpheum Theatre opened its doors for the first time. The flagship location of a vaudeville chain, the theatre offered locals a wide array of entertainment options, even hosting […]
ASCHAFFENBURG, GERMANY — The German theatrical tradition, with its powerful playwrights like Bertoldi Brecht and Heiner Müller, has always relied on colorful and vivid productions to convey the intricacies of the nation’s intricate language and rich culture. For more than two centuries, this tradition has flourished beautifully at the Stadttheater Aschaffenburg, which has played host […]
PARMA, ITALY – The Parma Città Della Musica festival is brand new, but its breathtaking Romanesque setting was decidedly historic. Set in the Parco della Citadella of this ancient northern Italian city, the festival’s inaugural edition had the walls of a 16th Century citadel serve as the backdrop for its stage. Accenting this stunning setting […]