Arts - The Tufts Daily

Arts

Minaj makes confident solo debut in 'Pink'

November 28

Nicki Minaj is not your everyday rapper. To begin with, she is female, which is not only unusual in the male−dominated rap world but also what makes this album so exciting. The prospect of a female rapper with chops and lasting ability has been offered many times before, but except for a few (Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill), they have all faded into obscurity. Though "Pink Friday" is by no means a classic rap album, it is a solid debut effort by Minaj and, more importantly, it gives us hope that she will be here to stay.

Arts

Fever Chart' addresses Middle East tensions with poignant execution

November 28

Do you know what your hands do while you sleep? In her new three−part play, "The Fever Chart: Three Visions of the Middle East," Naomi Wallace asks us to consider the consequences of our actions regardless of whether we are aware of them or not.

Arts

Vengeance' explores the murky realm of morality

November 22

As the Horvath family celebrates the holidays, its members' conversations and thoughts are stuck on a tragic event from a decade before — the gruesome murder of the family's then−20−year−old daughter. While it is clear that the topic is ever−present, this holiday season, a new concern reawakens past grievances.

Arts

Say Anything headlines at the House of Blues

November 22

"This show feels really intimate … like I'm touching you in a weird place," frontman of the emo band Say Anything, Max Bemis, said of the group's Nov. 8 concert. Though he was on stage in front of hundreds of fans at the House of Blues, the performance indeed felt personal, like the singer was serenading each one of us.

Arts

Law and Order: SVU' looks at date rape, drinking

November 21

Wednesday night's episode of "Law & Order: SVU" focused on the prominence of date rape and underage drinking on college campuses, an issue that is finding its way to the forefront of the non−collegiate public consciousness. TV and film actor Christopher Meloni, who portrays the charismatic Detective Elliot Stabler, and Executive Producer Neal Baer took part in a roundtable phone interview to discuss the significance of the episode and its subject matter.

Arts

Cee Lo Green thinks that you should know his name

November 18

Everyone knows Gnarls Barkley, and if they don't, they've at least heard a version of the musical collaborators' hit song "Crazy." And yet, until the song "F**k You" went viral on YouTube this past August, no one seemed to know Cee Lo Green.

Arts

Weekender Interview | Brian Rosenworcel

November 17

Reemerging from a short recording hibernation, Guster's latest album, "Easy Wonderful," dropped in the beginning of October. Tufts alumni Ryan Miller, Adam Gardner and Brian Rosenworcel (all LA '95) have remained the three core members of the group since its inception here on the Hill.

Arts

Perry's 'For Colored Girls' delivers

November 17

The fundamental first step toward understanding director, producer and writer Tyler Perry's film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's 1975 choreopoem stage play, "For Colored Girls," is to dispel a major misconception about the film: It is not directed solely at black females.

Arts

Week in Review | TV

November 17

The biggest TV news this week came in the form of NBC's midseason schedule announcement. The struggling network, in the midst of a takeover by cable giant Comcast, will try to improve its standing in January by adding several new series to its lineup, bringing back some old favorites and shuffling some current underperformers.

Arts

Top Ten | Things that have come to America

November 17

With Thanksgiving coming up, we are reminded that our ancestors were once immigrants to this country. Here is a list of other things that have since washed up on our shores.

Arts

Costello's latest is a 'Ransom' worth paying

November 16

In the late ‘70s, Elvis Costello made his mark by being one of the few members of the back−to−basics pub rock scene to both avoid the overwhelming force of punk rock and to reach stardom in the New Wave genre. He is renowned for his vast knowledge of pop culture, colorful lyricism and determination to dabble in almost all forms of popular music.

Arts

Sarabande's fall dance recital promises fresh choreography and fun

November 16

"I want you to make a circle with your legs like this — so it's like ab−mania," senior Brittany Sloan of the Tufts' dance ensemble Sarabande said. She demonstrated the move to her five proteges lying flat on their backs on the Cohen Auditorium stage. To an audience member of average fitness, the slow and, well, ab−manic move looked excruciating.

Arts

Boston Ballet brings Christmas cheer to Floating Hospital for Children

November 16

Students from the Boston Ballet yesterday performed excerpts from the company's upcoming production, "The Nutcracker," for patients, visitors and employees at Tufts Medical Center's Floating Hospital for Children. After the performance, the dancers visited with patients in their rooms. See blogs.tuftsdaily.com for more photos from the event.

Arts

Enter the Void' is a visually arresting experiment

November 16

We always use our imaginations when we watch movies. We're accustomed to the time gaps between scenes that spare us the fall of an axe, the consummation of a hot, sweaty kiss or the boring car ride from point A to point B. But Gaspar Noé's "Enter the Void" (2009), now playing at the Kendall Square Cinema, has no mercy on an audience that has been pampered with traditional cinematic cutaways.

Arts

Ashley Wood | Fashion Contraceptive

November 16

Although it's not entirely historically accurate, it is safe to say that Americans envision Thanksgiving as the celebration of the pilgrims' survival after their separation from the motherland. This separation would eventually evolve into the 13 colonies, which would later form the United States. In short, it was the beginning of our independence.

Arts

Kid Cudi dives deeper into the darkness

November 15

Lots of rappers discuss partying, doing drugs and scoring women, but Kid Cudi never makes it seem like much fun.

Arts

Blitzen Trapper brings West Coast sound to eastern fans

November 15

Reaching the end of their North American tour, Blitzen Trapper returned to Boston this month to promote their latest album "Destroyer of the Void" at the newly renovated Paradise Rock Club.

Arts

Morning Glory' has its moments, but is still a rather forgettable romantic comedy

November 15

"Morning Glory" is a movie viewers have seen before. Those who are even mildly perceptive will notice that Aline Brosh McKenna, the film's screenwriter, simply alters the character names of her successful 2006 movie "The Devil Wears Prada," praying no one will notice.

Arts

Tufts' Bare Bodkin to perform medley of students' work

November 15

Are you chummy with the written word? Do you crave recognition for your work? Have you just snatched up this copy of the Daily while on the fly to your first class of the day, slinking into your seat a solid six minutes late?

Arts

Conan returns with successful formula

November 14

Conan O'Brien is back on the air with his new TBS talk show, "Conan." Conan's new program is just like his old one, an approach that guarantees laughs but keeps things from feeling fresh. Conan is a very funny, quick guy though, and his goofy and nicely timed deliveries will keep most viewers smiling for the entire hour.