Variety
February 17, 2017
All of the middle seats were empty and Judy Blazek, foreground left, and Caley Gregg, right, were among only 51 passengers who boarded Southwest Airli

Hate being stuck in the middle seat on an airplane? Here's how to cope

The more I fly, the more I realize that I may never again have the window or aisle seat.
TV & Media
February 17, 2017
LP Gear The Vessel A3SE Phono Cartridge

Replace the turntable stylus before changing the entire cartridge

Stage & Arts
February 17, 2017
Laurent Philippe credit
Ballet de Lorraine, "Sounddance."

Ballet de Lorraine offers fresh takes on 2 iconic works by Merce Cunningham

REVIEW: The French company solidly performed two works by the modern master Thursday night at Northrop.
Books
February 17, 2017
Decorators have ways to make books "pop" on the shelves.

The dubious art of 'decorating' with books

The beauty of books comes from the fact that the writers come in different shapes, sizes and colors — as well as mind-sets, points of view, background and attitude.
Eat & Drink
February 17, 2017
Joan Ferris and Jay Sparks in the dining room of their Lovechild. The couple's La Crosse, Wis., restaurant opened in December.

Twin Cities restaurateurs create Lovechild in La Crosse, Wis.

What happens when two Twin Cities restaurant titans relocate to Wisconsin? Magic.
Music
February 17, 2017
Maria Schneider Photo by Briene Lermitte

Jazz composer Maria Schneider performed (and celebrated) a Minnesota-inspired masterpiece

Review: Maria Schneider's Grammy-winning "The Thompson Fields" album was the centerpiece of this homecoming concert.
TV & Media
February 17, 2017
FILE - In this July 5, 2015, file photo, the United States Women's National Team celebrates with the trophy after they beat Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Wome

Lifetime to air women's soccer in push to broaden TV 'fempire'

Cable network will air women's soccer games on Saturday afternoons.
TV & Media
February 17, 2017
Pete Holmes in “Crashing.”

Pete Holmes' new comedy 'crashes' the cutthroat world of open-mic comedy

Laughs come easy in a new sitcom about the world of open-mic comedy.
TV & Media
February 17, 2017
Reese Witherspoon, who plays “a bossy know-it-all, a busybody” in the new HBO dramatic series “Big Little Lies,” aims to c

Actress/producer Reese Witherspoon gets 'real' with HBO's new 'Big Little Lies'

A more promising future for Hollywood actresses may rest in the hands of Reese Witherspoon, whose behind-the-scenes muscle resulted in a new HBO series.
Variety
February 17, 2017
Somali-American who wore hijab at Minn. pageant now a hit at NY Fashion Week

Somali-American who wore hijab at Minn. pageant now a hit at NY Fashion Week

Model Halima Aden went from St. Cloud to walking the runway for Kanye West, plus getting gushing write-ups from Cosmopolitan and Us Weekly.
Books
February 17, 2017

REVIEW: 'Encircling,' by Carl Frode Tiller, translated from the Norwegian by Barbara J. Haveland

FICTION: Three people try to help recapture lost memories in this impressive and ingenious novel.
Books
February 17, 2017
Viet Thanh Nguyen

REVIEW: 'The Refugees,' by Viet Thanh Nguyen

FICTION: Pulitzer-winning novelist tells intimate stories about Vietnamese-Americans.
Books
February 17, 2017
Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in the 1952 film "High Noon." United Artists

Review: 'High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic,' by Glenn Frankel

NONFICTION: An absorbing account of how a routine 1952 western starring a has-been and an unknown became an unexpected classic.
Books
February 17, 2017
"Christina's World" by Andrew Wyeth

REVIEW: 'A Piece of the World,' by Christina Baker Kline

FICTION: A prose portrait of the woman in Andrew Wyeth's painting "Christina's World," by the author of "Orphan Train."
Variety
February 17, 2017
The chairlift at Afton Alps.

Finding love the Minnesotan way: Afton Alps hosting chairlift speed dating event

It's all downhill from here as singles look for a match on Afton's ski lifts.
Celebrities
February 17, 2017
Hillary Clinton, left, is impersonated by "Saturday Night Live" star Kate McKinnon, right.

Hillary Clinton spotted with 'SNL' impersonator Kate McKinnon at NY restaurant

Hillary Clinton is out of the woods and in New York City to catch a Broadway show. So, why not invite her "Saturday Night Live" likeness to dinner?
Eat & Drink
February 17, 2017
Participants in the "Day Without Immigrants" including members of Mexica Yolotl, a traditional Aztec group of Mexico-American dancers and drummers fro

100-plus businesses shut down in solidarity with immigrants

The Twin Cities response, part of a one-day national boycott, attempted to show how vital newcomers are to the U.S. economy.
Music
February 17, 2017
Nick Jordan's energetic and heartfelt R&B/hip-hop songs brought down the house during the finals of the Are You Local? contest. He will perform at Fir

Meet the Delano-raised R&B/pop singer who won our Are You Local? contest

Never mind the jet lag. R&B/pop singer Nick Jordan won our Are You Local? contest with a high-energy set.
Variety
February 17, 2017
This is Haiku a rat owned by Amy Pass of Minneapolis. Pass bought Sonnet and Haiku, both females, from a breeder in Minnesota where no infected rats w

Pet rat owners nervous about rat-to-human virus probed in Minnesota, elsewhere

No human infections have been reported in Minnesota, but rumors of seizing animals have raised fears among owners and breeders in the Twin Cities.

Variety

Entertainment, arts and lifestyle news, commentary and features, including things to do and reviews from Minneapolis, St. Paul and Twin Cities venues.