Art & Culture

The Virginia Women’s Monument is Dedicated on October 14 Seven bronze statues of women were unveiled at nation’s first monument  honoring the full scope of women’s contributions & achievements. Historic Virginia women in bronze assembled on Capitol Square in Richmond to share their stories and have their voices be heard across four centuries of Virginia history. Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women’s Monument was dedicated on Monday, October 14. Following the National Anthem by members of the Richmond Symphony Chorus led by Lisa Fusco of VCU and an invocation by Rev. Emily Edmondson of Christ Episcopal Church in Marion, Va., the dedication ceremony featured remarks from Governor Ralph S. Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam; The Honorable Mary Margaret Whip

Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia, will return to Chrysler Hall December 6 – 8 with the beloved holiday tradition, The Nutcracker.  This season marks renowned Richmond Ballet Artistic Director Stoner Winslett’s 40th time staging the show The New York Times calls one of the country’s “most perfect” Nutcracker productions. Each year, an elite cast of over 100 hand-selected Hampton Roads and North Carolina ballet students perform alongside the professional dancers of Richmond Ballet along with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The Nutcracker has four performances this year: December 6 at 7:00 p.m., December 7 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and December 8 at 2 p.m. There will be a special added “performer” during Friday’s opening show, WAVY-TV’s morning anchor Katie Coll

By Krissy Weinhardt Don’t you wish you could wave your magic wand and poof, your vacation is set?  Well, especially when planning a Disney vacation, we all know this is certainly not the case.  It is overwhelming at best, but Disney has certainly innovated its systems since the last time my family went, which was admittedly, over 15 years ago.  When helping with my plans, my dad was overcome by how many things he wished [upon a star] to have had when he was planning the trip for our family.  Having just come home from my Disney honeymoon, I have created my Disney “pro tips” to help you conquer those dreaded lines and make the most of your time in the parks.    Pro Tip #1: Download the Disney App One of the first things that is relatively new to Disne

An Independent Film, Harvey, is coming to Hampton Roads! Producer/Director team Eric Feldman and Peter J. Eaton, both Hampton Roads residents, began their collaboration in the late 90’s, writing several scripts together, one of which became the gritty, mob-thriller feature film “Gravity” – winner of Best Director award at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.  Not long after that award, Eaton was hired to direct a romantic comedy feature film shot almost entirely on the Eastern Shore and in Hampton Roads titled “Sweet Good Fortune”.  Feldman also acted in the film.   This was followed by the supernatural thriller, “Necessary Evil”, filmed in Los Angeles and starring actors Lance Henriksen and Danny Trejo which was picked up domestically by Lionsgate and distributed interna

Historic Women Leaders from Yesterday Martha “Pattie” Hicks Buford, (14 March 1836–17 January 1901) Photo cite: Episcopal Women’s History Project The Virginia Women’s Monument, named Voices from the Garden, is the nation’s first monument designed to celebrate the remarkable women who made significant, but often unrecognized contributions and accomplishments in a variety of fields and endeavors over the 400-year history of Virginia.  This new monument in Richmond, the first on capitol grounds in the U.S.A, includes bronze statues and 230 names of Virginia Women inscribed on the monument’s glass.  Each issue, Hampton Roads Weekly will feature the story of one of these amazing historical women and pair her with the story of one of our dynamic, contemporary women leaders in

Commonwealth Musical Stage was incorporated in 1991 as the State’s only professional theatre committed exclusively to the production of musical theatre. To more clearly reflect the company’s identity, the name was changed to Virginia Musical Theatre (VMT) in 1997. VMT is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts organization. A volunteer board of trustees oversees the fiduciary responsibilities of the company. Now entering its 29th season, VMT remains the only professional arts organization in Hampton Roads devoted exclusively to musical theatre. This focused commitment ensures its contributions enhance efforts of other institutions to complete the region’s cultural fabric. VMT provides: 1) affordable, professional, high quality productions; 2) added breadth to alternative popular fare offered b

The smallest, kindest, and quietest gestures are what make the greatest impact.  There are very few people who recognize the impact of the arts as much as Annie Sandler.  Alongside her husband Art, they recognized Virginia Beach’s need for a cultural center and supported the architectural masterpiece the Sandler Center of the Performing Arts.  It was dedicated in November of 2007.    Mrs. Sandler has been a pioneer in the greater Hampton Roads community by helping the arts come alive for all ages.  In the beginning, when asked to be President of the Sandler Center Board, she was hesitant at first but felt the responsibility to help lead the team since everyone was completely committed.  Together they raised $3 million more than what was expected o