Performing Arts : Buzz

Baltimore native Mo'Nique took the top prize last as Best Supporting Actress for her gut-wrenching role as the despicable Mary Jones in Precious.

Watch her acceptance speech and learn the history behind her blue dress and the gardenia in her hair.

The Peabody Court Hotel is celebrating its role in the upcoming Renee Zellweger film "My One and Only" with a special travel package. Set in the 1950s, the film is based on actor George Hamilton's upbringing by his mother along the Eastern Seaboard.

An excerpt from the article read:

This upscale boutique hotel is in the heart of the arts district. Mount Vernon is a cultural urban village with museums, boutiques, theater, fine restaurants and a great nightlife. The neighborhood's historic centerpiece, built in 1815, is the Washington Monument. This area of Baltimore is generally regarded as one of the most beautiful urban sites in the world.

The Romance package at the Peabody Court includes overnight accommodations for two in a Deluxe room, valet parking, a bottle of champagne with chocolate-covered strawberries, breakfast for two in George's on Mount Vernon Square or with room service for two, and a guaranteed late check out of 2 p.m.

The double room rate of $189 includes room taxes. This rate is valid on stays through Dec. 22, but could be extended if the film receives any Oscar nominations.

Read the entire article here.

Eighteen-year-old rapper Rye Rye, who's rising to fame with the help of artist M.I.A (of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame), is about to join other well-known Baltimore musicians, singers and rappers, taking her flow onto the national -- dare we say global -- stage. But she's staying true to her East Baltimore identity.

An excerpt from the article reads:

On a hot summer afternoon, Ryeisha "Rye Rye" Berrain � wearing turquoise-and-black leggings, gold hoop earrings, fake lashes � walks along her East Baltimore neighborhood, holding a bag of Cheetos and a blue drink.

She passes the store where kids buy candy and sodas; the public housing units where her sister Elisa, 12, hangs out; the steps where the guys used to chill at night � until they got shot up.

"Before I started touring, I really used to hang on the corner all night until 3 in the morning," Rye Rye, now 18, says.
That was before the shy dancer became an underground dance darling and the prot�g� of Grammy-winning indie-rap artist M.I.A. Now Rye Rye is on a path to become Baltimore's ambassador of club music � a frantic blend of hip-hop and house.

Read the entire article here.

New York-based Ellen Datlow, winner of nine World Fantasy Awards, announces that she will be a eulogist when "Baltimore gives Edgar Allen Poe the funeral he should have had" on Oct. 11th. Her post gives links to information on the event (http://www.poebicentennial.com/events.html).

An excerpt from the post reads:

The following people are confirmed as speakers at Poe's Funeral:

The Reverend Rufus Griswold (literary acquaintance)
Sarah Helen Whitman (former fianc�e)
George Lippard (devoted friend from Philadelphia)
George Rex Graham (editor, Burton's Gentlemen's Magazine)
Nathanial Parker Willis (loyal friend)
Dr. John Moran (Poe physician at the time of his death)
J.T.L. Preston (childhood friend, Virginia Military College)
Charles Bauldelaire (French writer and Poe admirer)
Narrator from The Tell Tale Heart

Read the entire blog post here:

For the first year, Baltimore's summer concert season has placed it on the list of the 20 Most Rockin' Cities, compiled annually by StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace. StubHub compiled its list of the markets where fans have been "the most active this summer grabbing tickets to their favorite shows" based on total market sales via StubHub for concert events only, occurring between May 15th and Sept. 15th.

An excerpt from the article reads:

Washington D.C. took the biggest leap on this year's chart, landing in the top 10 at #6, up from #18 in 2008. The live concert ticket market in the area was bolstered by performances by Bruce Springsteen in late May, Billy Joel/Elton John at Nationals Park and Paul McCartney at FedEx Field in the last month. In addition, sales from the Nissan Pavilion in nearby Bristow, Va. were more appropriately attributed to the Washington D.C. metro area after formerly being included with Richmond, Va. returns.

Newcomers to this year's chart include Milwaukee, Toronto (Canada), Baltimore and Pittsburgh. With the exception of Toronto, each newcomer to the top 20 hosted the popular jam band Phish for at least one night, one of the biggest sellers of the summer nationwide.

Read the entire article here:

Cities that mix together, stick together: a new original compilation features Baltimore artists covering music by Baltimore artists.

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Baltimore hip hop artist Mickey Free has remixed "That I Do" from Wye Oak's new album, The Knot, out now on Merge Records. Wye Oak and Merge were good enough to let us premier this remix, which makes this as good a time as any to introduce Splice's second original compilation, Baltimore Does Baltimore, featuring more than twenty Baltimore bands covering their favorite songs by other Baltimore bands -- so basically one big Mobtown lovefest. Look for it in late September.

Read the entire post -- and hear the music -- here.

The Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts has confirmed that the city's beloved arts festival will take place this October. Event listings will be posted at freefallbaltimore.com this week.

An excerpt from the article reads:

More than 70 arts groups, including some of Baltimore's largest arts organizations, will put on events that are open to the public and free of charge.

As it has in the past, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will allow visitors to attend an open rehearsal for an upcoming concert. Center Stage will provide a gratis performance of "The Importance of Being Earnest," while Everyman Theatre will invite an audience to view its "Rabbit Hole."

New groups exhibiting for the first time include Mexico's famed Ballet Folklorico, and the New York-based Dance Rink, a unique collaboration in which choreographed movement is part of a larger theatrical whole.

Read the entire article here.