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Arts and Entertainment

A&E 1/24/23 10:26pm

Black Art at Rice: Akaya Chambers designs her future in theatre

By Morgan Gage

When Akaya Chambers was twelve years old, she made her own Halloween costume — a steampunk TARDIS dress. It was the first time she had ever sewn, but she hasn’t put down her needle and thread since. In the years following, she discovered a passion for costume design and theatre on and off of the stage as a costume designer and actor, and on the page as a playwright. 

A&E 1/24/23 10:25pm

Review: ‘Five Easy Hot Dogs’ is a mellow road trip of soothing instrumentals

By Jay Collura

It’s impossible to understate Mac DeMarco’s influence in the world of indie music. Since his breakout 2012 album ‘2,’ DeMarco’s twangy jangle pop songs have inspired new musicians and subgenres, notably bedroom pop. Tracks like “Chamber of Reflection” helped define alternative music in the mid-2010s, and recently, cuts like “Heart to Heart” have been wildly popular on TikTok. At the core of these successes were not only strong instrumentation but a slacker attitude and a sense of understated romance within DeMarco’s lyrics. However, for “Five Easy Hot Dogs,” DeMarco has ditched this core component in favor of focusing on instrumentals. Regardless of this switch-up, DeMarco has constructed a solid project full of unique albeit forgettable songs that inspire a sense of tranquility unmatched by his other work.

A&E 1/24/23 10:18pm

Food spots to fill your late night cravings

By Hamza Saeed

Have you or someone you love suffered from the recent closing of YoYo’s and Oh My Gogi? If so, you might be looking for new food spots to scratch those late-night cravings that the serveries simply can’t fill. Read on for the Thresher’s list of a few food spots close to campus that can fill the holes in our stomachs (and our hearts). 

A&E 1/24/23 10:17pm

Review: ‘Jesus Christ!’ that was an experience

By Sara Davidson

When I sat down in the Hobby Center to watch “Jesus Christ Superstar” on its opening night in Houston, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been warned by cast member Colin Robertson to expect glitter, loud volume and the unexpected. What I wasn’t anticipating was for a majority of the cast to run in through the back of the auditorium halfway through the first number to kick the show off with a bang. It certainly brought the show to life rather instantaneously, and my plus-one who went to the bathroom and accidentally got locked out until after the opening number said watching them warm up in the lobby was even cooler. They were dancing, stretching, vocalizing and hyping each other up while we were all sitting unbeknownst inside. 

A&E 1/24/23 10:17pm

Hot off the press: Authors share new works

By Hadley Medlock

Literary enthusiasts filed into Congregation Emanu El on Monday to hear from acclaimed authors Yiyun Li and Matthew Salesses. As part of the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading series, the authors came to Houston to share excerpts of their newly released novels and take part in an on-stage conversation with the University of Houston creative writing program faculty member Brenda Peynado. Both Li and Salesses shared insight on politics in their novels and finding joy in their writing.

A&E 1/18/23 12:17am

​​Review: New Netflix flick falls flat

By Jay Collura

The strongest part of “The Pale Blue Eye,” a collaboration between Netflix and director Scott Cooper, is its premise. Christian Bale plays a detective tasked with solving a murder at West Point in the 1830s. To solve the crime, he teams up with a young Edgar Allen Poe and discovers a web of occult, gothic horrors that underlie the seemingly simple academy. This concept is incredibly sharp — the film creates a backstory that informs Poe’s invention of the mystery genre and casts Bale, a proven actor, in the leading role. However, the film itself is unconfident in this premise and often feels hollow. The end result is a movie that is watchable (if a bit boring), but not nearly as special as it could be.

A&E 1/18/23 12:17am

Review: Home Slice Pizza fires up new Houston location

By Hamza Saeed

One of the most amazing parts about coming to Rice and getting to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures is that you are exposed to a variety of opinions and ideas that help mold you into a more well-rounded individual. One of the most fascinating opinions that I feel people bring with them is their taste in pizza. Whether a debate between Pizza Hut and Papa John’s or New York versus Chicago, we all have opinions on how we like our pies.

A&E 1/18/23 12:13am

Senior Spotlight: Hannah Usadi colors outside the lines

By Hannah Son

Rice owes much of its visual landscape to Hannah Usadi, whose art reaches from the end pages of the 2021-2022 Campanile to President Desroches’ holiday card and Pub merchandise. Although Usadi started drawing and painting as a child, her distinct artistic voice has emerged more recently. 

A&E 1/18/23 12:10am

Weston Twardowski uses theatre to spotlight environmental issues

By Hadley Medlock

Both on and off the stage, theatre has long been a part of Weston Twardowski’s life. From professionally acting to directing shows to co-founding his own theatre company in Los Angeles, Twardowski has made his love for the stage into a living. Now the program manager of the Diluvial Houston Initiative and lecturer in theatre and environmental studies at Rice, Twardowski finds his passion for theatre and academic research intertwining with a pertinent issue — environmental justice. 

A&E 1/10/23 9:53pm

Winter break releases to not leave out in the cold

By Jacob Pellegrino

Even as we took some time off during winter break, artists were still hard at work releasing notable new albums. In the tradition of past summer break music recaps published by the Thresher, below are three albums from the recess that shouldn’t be missed.

A&E 1/10/23 9:53pm

Review: ‘M3GAN’ misfires but plays on emotion

By Hamza Saeed

My expectations for “M3GAN” were cautiously optimistic despite its overdone premise. I thought “M3GAN” was going to be a campy horror movie with cheap jumpscares and even cheesier lines, ultimately performing within a typical January box office. Prior to booking my tickets, however, I did note that the critical reviews for the film were, shockingly, quite good. 

A&E 1/10/23 9:51pm

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ cast member Colin Robertson talks national tour

By Sara Davidson

One classic musical has captured the hearts of audiences for ages: “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The show covers the last few weeks of Jesus Christ’s life as shown through the eyes of Judas and merges musical theater with rock classics. Recently, the Thresher got to meet with cast member Colin Roberston to talk about the show’s upcoming run. Robertson plays Peter, one of Jesus’s twelve disciples, and is also part of the general ensemble. The touring production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” will be coming to the Hobby Center Jan. 17-22, and tickets start at $35.

A&E 1/10/23 9:50pm

The Moody’s newest exhibit weaves artists into the narrative

By Julia Li

The Moody Center for the Arts is kicking off the semester with a new installment to celebrate the next generation of international artists at the forefront of fiber arts. With works from a selection of 21 artists, the art in this exhibition conveys a multitude of contemporary issues through innovative fiber-based media. Although some artists don’t have a background in fiber-based media, they’ve come together through their own artistic journeys and processes to shape and mold the impact of their contribution to “Narrative Threads.” Ultimately, the exhibition offers new perspectives on this medium, as the works span from small-scale, intimate thread drawings to sculptural installations. 

A&E 11/30/22 5:39pm

Review: MAX elevates House of Blues energy through the roof

By Michelle Gachelin

Pop powerhouse MAX’s performance at Houston’s House of Blues on Nov. 10 was nothing short of electric. Although I was a relative newcomer to MAX’s music, I already knew and liked his songs “Still New York” and “Love Me Less (feat. Quinn XCII),” the latter of which was included on the setlist.  

A&E 11/29/22 11:41pm

Review: ‘The Nutcracker’ loses its footing this season

By Gina Matos

Upon entering the Wortham Center for the annual holiday show, there is an unmistakable anticipatory energy in the air, accompanying their signature Christmas tree and bubbly mingling between well-dressed patrons. “The Nutcracker” is undeniably a holiday favorite for audience members, but their excitement for the show may be misguided. Despite the show’s remarkable popularity, the Houston Ballet’s production falls short of the original’s charm.

A&E 11/29/22 11:41pm

Review: ‘Glass Onion’ sharpens and heightens the original’s subversive whodunnit formula

By Jay Collura

The original “Knives Out” is one of the few mid-budget movies in recent years to become a household name, and for good reason. It’s an engaging whodunnit with a cast of intriguing characters, smart subversions of the mystery formula, and sharp political commentary. “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” does all of this again, opting to use the success of the original to go big. The quaint house from the first film has been exchanged for an island, the mystery on display is much more audacious and striking and writer/director Rian Johnson’s commentary on wealth’s role in our society has been amplified and brought to center stage. However, the decision to heighten and expand the scope of the film in no way lessened my experience — “Glass Onion” is consistently hilarious and captivating, trading out some of the quaint mannerisms of the first film in favor of more bombastic moments.

A&E 11/29/22 11:37pm

Review: ‘The Family’ is an exciting and messy exploration of the dissolution of BROCKHAMPTON

By Jacob Pellegrino

Most bands do their farewells together, with all of the members contributing to a final goodbye. BROCKHAMPTON is not like most bands. Instead, they opted for a Kevin Abstract solo project that reflects on the band’s history and how they broke up. Dirty laundry is aired and personal encounters are recounted for listeners from the perspective of Kevin Abstract, the member who started the group. While this singular topic can seem cumbersome at times, the album succeeds in creating intriguing sounds and styles to shove the listener into Abstract’s mindset at the end of his journey with BROCKHAMPTON.

A&E 11/29/22 11:35pm

Review: ‘TM’ fails to hold interest despite some good tracks

By Jacob Pellegrino

BROCKHAMPTON’s final album, “The Family,” came out the morning of Nov. 17. While this was technically their last recorded album, in a move reminiscent of the flip-flopping of The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” and “Let It Be,” a surprise album, “TM,” came out later that night. Unlike “The Family,” which is essentially a Kevin Abstract solo album, “TM” features the full group and was recorded in early 2021 before being completed by band member Matt Champion as executive producer.

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