Culture


Her latest release, "Shawn Colvin Live,"  was nominated for a Grammy for best Contemporary Folk Album. Shawn Colvin appears live at Telluride's historic Sheridan Opera House on Sunday, December 27, 8 p.m.

Colvin was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, a small college town just south of Sioux Falls. At age 10, she picked up her brother's Harmony four-string guitar and bought the plain vanilla Mel Bay chord books. At 13, she confiscated a classical gut instrument her father meant to give her mother. Colvin's first recording session occurred in high school, when she was also singing the role of Anna in "The King and I." She made her first public appearance on campus at the University of Illinois at age 15.

425.princess.frog.010709 Theblindside_smallposter-1 Telluride's Nugget Theatre is showing two films for the week of December 25-31.

"Blind Side" tells the story of Michael Oher, who is rescued from homelessness by a wealthy Memphis couple, and goes on to be a football star. This feel-good movie is rated PG-13.

Hard-working Tania, in Disney's old-fashioned animation, "The Princess and the Frog" is a fitting role model in our self-absorbed age. The old classic is set in New Orleans, and takes a few liberties with the original. The movie is a Golden Globe nominee for Best Animated Feature.

See below for showtimes, and see the Nugget website for trailers and reviews.

by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer(editor's note: Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer will be reading her poetry Saturday, December 19 from 5:00-7:00 pm, at Between the Covers in Telluride. Rob Story will also be reading. By the way, take the time to check out Rosemerry's website. Don't miss "Finn...

[click "Play" to hear Susan speak with Suzanne Cheavens]

525_v1 Used to be women who sought membership in this men's club had better be butch. No more. Thanks to Mark Galbo of the Telluride Rock and Roll Academy, the girls in the band are preening, strutting rock stars.


 On Saturday night, December 19, 8 p.m., The 525s – Suzanne Cheavens, Suz Remec, Barbel Hacke, Cindy Carver, and Molly Papier – plan to rock out - wait a minute, in the Program Room at The Wilkinson Public Library. Yep, the Library, the perfect place to make noise.
[click "Play" to hear Jeb Berrier speak about playing Shakespeare]

Jeb_shakes Friday, December 18 – Tuesday, December 22, 8 p.m., Telluride Second Stage presents "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged." at the Sheridan Opera House. The production is directed by Jeb Berrier and stars the unholy trinity of the Telluride stage: Berrier, Ashley Boling and Buff Hooper. Fair warning: Hooper will be wearing tights.

Why do we keep returning to Shakespeare? Short answer: no other writer holds up a truer mirror to human nature. The Bard manages to slice and dice, distill and dramatize emotions that don't date, and without an agenda: rather than trying to save mankind with his pen, Shakespeare cuts to the quick with his poetry, which acts like dime store magnifiers that allow us to see what is actually described in the small print.

Newmoon_smallfinal Fantasticmrfox_smallposter2 For the week of Friday, December 18 to Thursday, December 24, Telluride's Nugget Theatre is showing "Fantastic Mr. Fox" and "New Moon" with a FREE screening of "That's It, That's All" on December 18.

"That's It, That's All" is high octane snowboard porn, shot over two winter seasons in New Zealand, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska. It shows Friday, December 18 at 8:30 pm.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" is an animated feature by Wes Anderson based on the book by Roald Dahl. Rather than computer animation this film accomplishes its magic using stop-action. Voices are by George Clooney, Meryl Streep and other recognizable stars. (Rated PG)

Missing out on the supernatural lately? Been a while since you spent an exciting weekend in Forks, Washington? Catch "New Moon" this week. This sequel to "Twilight" is rated PG-13.

For showtimes, see below. For reviews and trailers, see the Nugget website.

[click "Play" to listen to Susan Sales speak about her work]

Susan A show of new work by painter Susan Sales goes on display at the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art on Thursday, December 17. The opening artist's reception is 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.


Susan Sales built her considerable reputation on color field paintings. Eliminating figure and ground in favor of color and form, she forced a focus on paint, color, surface, texture, and gesture, creating near landscapes that "feature" the viewer in the mirror created by glossy, lacquer-like veneers that both contain and protect the raw emotions she paints on to her canvasses. That was then. This is now.