The spirit of Woody Guthrie was alive on Sept. 25, 2024, when the Oklahoma native, folk-songwriter, and activist was honored at Tulsa’s celebrated Cain’s Ballroom by an award and ceremony in his name. The Woody Guthrie Prize represents someone who shares similar values to Guthrie that he held during his lifetime. This year’s Woody Guthrie […]
Preview: The Legend is Coming to Tulsa: ‘MJ: The Musical’
A musical about the legendary Michael Jackson will have you ready to dance and enjoy his timeless hits. The highly anticipated multiple Tony Award-winning “MJ: The Musical” is on its way to Tulsa. From Oct. 15-20, the Broadway-produced smash hit will appear at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, 110 E. 2nd St. This exciting journey […]
Review: The Juneteenth Festival Celebrates Culture with Fashion, Businesses, and Music
Juneteenth, sponsored by Tulsa Juneteenth and the Tulsa community, was celebrated June 13-15. The annual event features music, arts and crafts, and food. Held in the Greenwood district, the regional event attracts tens of thousands of individuals from in, around, and outside of the city. The event’s significance this year was to recognize the day […]
International Jazz Fest Celebrates One of Music’s Most Popular Genres
Tony Exum Jr. is a talented musician with strong knowledge of contemporary jazz, R&B, and Funk, with smooth but rocking instrumentals. He gained international recognition in 2019 for his single, “My Name’s Tony,” hitting Smooth Jazz Network for 12 weeks. Exum, who recently performed at the International Jazz Fest, responded to questions during his visit […]
Review: Purple Rain
Prince’s Magnum Opus Celebrates 40th Anniversary at Circle Cinema I have seen “Purple Rain” many times over the years, starting with its premiere in 1984. There was a fever going on for the Purple One back then that really took off with his breakout album “1999.” Loaded with bangers like “1999”, “Little Red Corvette,” and […]
Review: Starlight Jazz Orchestra Kicks Off Summer Series with ‘A Certain Kind of Swing
Imagine this: A group of individuals from different ages and walks of life come together to play some of the most beautiful pieces in jazz music for an audience as unique as the performers themselves. The Starlight Jazz Orchestra celebrated its 78th session of free concerts, kicking off the first of their eight summer […]
‘I Can’t Play Harmonica’ features a seasoned musician engaging beginning performers
On June 22, the McKeon Center for Creativity featured harmonica player Dave Bernston, a member of the Route 66 Harmonica Club and who has played and taught blues harmonica for over 30 years. As a part of C4C’s “I Can’t” workshop series, Bernston was the headliner for “I Can’t Play Harmonica.” He shared the basic […]
Review: Tulsa Sings! 2024 brings the ‘Best of Broadway’ to TCC
On April 6, the Signature Symphony held its final concert of the year, titled Tulsa Sings!: Best of Broadway. The concert began with Katie Sawicki, director of development and operations at Signature Symphony, coming onstage to welcome everyone and mention this season’s sponsor, TTCU Federal Credit Union. The symphony warmed up, then launched into the […]
Review: Slow Cozy Keeps Mayfest Dancing and Moving
Mayfest in downtown Tulsa was in full swing and so were the seasonal festivities on the celebration’s 52nd anniversary. From end to end of the festival and decorating the Tulsa Arts District were murals and paintings. If you were looking for a chance to get out of the house and support local artists, Mayfest provided […]
Review: Beautiful performance of Tulsa Opera singers touches the hearts of viewers at the Center for Creativity
The recent performance of Tulsa Opera singers at the “I Can’t Enjoy Opera” workshop changed someone’s opinion that opera is a boring art. Two opera singers and a pianist presented four arias at the Tulsa Community College (TCC) Center for Creativity on Feb. 24. Maddie Breedlove, a singer and a Filstrup Resident Artist in the […]