Category: Culture Crawl

Culture Crawl 311 “No Sets, No Props, No Problem!”

“Lungs” is a two person play that tackles a subject every couple faces: whether to have a baby. Sean Lewis directs the show at Riverside Theatre, and says he and his cast were forced to think creatively because the play restricts the use of sets, props, and miming. But having to use different tools makes …

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Culture Crawl 310 “The One Time of Year Everyone Agrees”

Pianist Jim McDonough says that Christmas time is the one time of year that everyone, young and old, enjoys the same kind of music. He should know, as he’s in his 15th year of bringing a festive holiday show to venues all around Iowa. Holiday Grande 2017 features a 14-piece orchestra, four singers, and a …

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Culture Crawl 309 “Overtones”

Chorale Midwest presents their annual holiday concert, “Sounds of the Season” December 3 & 4 at St. Patrick’s Church in Cedar Rapids. Director Dr. Brad Barrett says in programming concerts like this, he works to create a balance for the repertoire that will give the audience the familiar holiday tunes they enjoy, but also provide …

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Culture Crawl 308 “But What is Jake Doing?”

Iowa City Community Theatre presents “It’s A Wonderful Life” Dec. 1 – 10. But this version presents the holiday classic as a radio play, with each character portraying not only their role in Wonderful Life, but also the “actor” portraying that character in the radio show. Plus, everyone also plays multiple parts in the radio …

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Culture Crawl 307 “New and Improved”

CulturalCorridor.org has been re-designed. It now has a fresh look and is more mobile-friendly. Rebecca Larkin from the Iowa CulturalCorridor Alliance (ICCA) talks about the fresh look, and also offers her picks for weekend activities. www.culturalcorridor.org. Subscribe to the Culture Crawl podcast at www.kcck.org/culture or search KCCK Culture Crawl to subscribe on your favorite podcast …

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Culture Crawl 306 “You’ll Want to Re-decorate the House”

Theatre Cedar Rapids presents the holiday classic “Annie,” opening November 17. Jim Kern, who played Daddy Warbucks in one of the three previous outings for the musical at TCR, directs the show this year. He says the show doesn’t get stale because there is always a fresh crop of kids, many experiencing the show for …

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Culture Crawl 305 “The Doorbell Rings When You Pull Marquetta’s Hair

David Combs plays Scrooge in the Old Creamery Theatre’s production of “A Christmas Carol.” But the production has a unique twist: Five actors not only play all the roles, but also many of the props and set pieces, like a door or roaring fire. David talks about the challenge of keeping a straight face when …

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Culture Crawl 304 “Conductor Killer”

Orchestra Iowa performs what is arguably the most famous piece of music ever composed, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Tim Hankewich gives us the inside tip on what to listen for (Spoiler: It’s not the first movement!). Also on the program, the Orchestra features its own principal pianist, Miko Kominami, performing a Mozart Piano Concerto that may …

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