Jenny Mayo

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘The Princess and the Frog’

Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" marks the revitalization of the studio's 2-D animation arm and the premiere of its first black princess. How much you appreciate the film will likely depend on the weight you place on each of these factors and how much you expect the film to accomplish as a result.

December 11, 2009

LISTENING STATION: Whitney Houston looks to you

Happily, it appears that "I Look to You," Whitney Houston's first album in seven years, marks the end of her "crack is whack" era.

August 31, 2009

IN CONCERT: Britney’s Back

For 90 minutes, Miss Spears strutted, writhed and bounced around the stage with the best of her pop music contemporaries.

March 25, 2009

‘Wizard’s‘ lesser magic

Cupcakes, costumes and contests, oh my! Such was the fanfare that greeted patrons at Tuesday's opening-night performance of "The Wizard of Oz" at the Warner Theatre.

December 4, 2008

Matisyahu seized by the Spirit

Hassidic reggae artist Matisyahu performed to a sold-out crowd Monday at a venue that could not have been more appropriate:

November 4, 2008

IN CONCERT: Jackson recovers

While the economy has been ailing, so, too, has Janet Jackson. Suffering from what was initially described as a "mystery illness," the 42-year-old R&B/pop queen has canceled or postponed nearly a dozen shows on her current Rock Witchu Tour, which kicked off Sept. 10 in Vancouver.

October 17, 2008

THEATER: Beaty’s ‘Resurrection’

Daniel Beaty's "Resurrection" is a work that looks more intently at the problematic present experienced by many black men while also delivering a formula for a more promising future.

September 11, 2008

BEYOND: ‘Frozen River’ fires up cast

It's late July. Humidity and Melissa Leo's cigarette smoke hang in the air outside Georgetown's Four Seasons Hotel. The actress is enjoying a rare break between the endless interviews and photo sessions that come with pre-release movie promotion - in this case for first-timer Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River," a chilling drama about a Mohawk woman and a Caucasian woman, both mothers, who form a tenuous business partnership smuggling illegal immigrants across the northern border in order to survive financially.

August 29, 2008

Sign a song

Unlike most members of music groups, Shirley Childress doesn't play an instrument or sing. In fact, when she performs with her ensemble - hometown favorites Sweet Honey in the Rock - she remains cloaked in silence.

August 8, 2008

Dissonance in the Keys of Alicia

Alicia Keys is experiencing trouble on the line. It's late May, several hours before the Grammy-winning R&B singer is due to perform at New Orleans Arena, and she's trying hard to make out the questions she's being asked in a teleconference with a few dozen reporters.

June 13, 2008

‘Panda’ not a knockout

Directors don't hire Jack Black because of his brilliant character acting; they hire him to be Jack Black, a rotund chatterbox who pings about with all the freneticism of a pinball. Casting him is a risky proposition, as the actor's personality can come across as overpowering and obnoxious (witness "Nacho Libre" and "The Holiday") or charming and quirky ("Be Kind Rewind," "School of Rock").

June 6, 2008