January 20-26, 2005

cover story

Spring Forward

Photo By: Michael T. Regan

2nd Season Arts Preview

What's that you say?

It's still winter?

Three below with the wind chill?

Yeah, we know.

So why are we boasting spring on our cover?

Simple. Because behind the bite of the gale-force wind that stings the necks of bike couriers and whips the hats off our heads at bus stops, there's a rush of heat and energy.

Creative minds are emerging from hibernation.

Can you feel it?

It comes in the form of the hundreds of art exhibitions, theater productions, dance performances, opera presentations, and rock, jazz, hip-hop, folk and classical music shows in bloom between now and summer.

As they do every year, our intrepid critics have called out the best of the best for you in rundowns that help you plan your cultural calendar for the next few months.

They also take a closer look at the people behind the scenes. Janet Anderson spends some time with the masterminds of Dance Celebration, the series that has lured stellar companies to the Annenberg Center for more than 20 years (p. 57). Mary Armstrong gets to the root of Atzilut, the Arab-Israeli music ensemble making strides toward world harmony (p. 60). Finally, David Shengold considers the careers of two savvy sopranos making names for themselves in the opera world and endorses their must-see stops at the Academy of Music (p. 64).

See, you're thawing out already.

—Lori Hill