One of the things that all for One does very well is bringing classic literature to the Fort Wayne stage.
Faithful and often faith-based adaptations of beloved novels has been one of the reliable aspects of the productions the company has offered over the years, from Jane Austen to Charlotte Bronte, Madeleine L'Engle to Frances Hodgson Burnett. Having staged Burnett's A Little Princess a few years back, all for One's artistic director, Lauren Nichols, was happy to include The Secret Garden this season, anxious to share one of her favorite stories with her audience.
"The Secret Garden, like... Read more

When I was a kid, Romeo and Juliet was every student’s introduction to Shakespeare.
The play seemed to be a standard part of the middle school curriculum.
From there, a child either moved onward with an interest in encountering more Shakespeare or moved onward with an interest in avoiding as much Shakespeare as possible.
Beverly Redman, chair of the Department of Theatre at IPFW, previously taught at pre-collegiate levels.
She said the prominence of Romeo and Juliet as a Shakespearean icebreaker may be in jeopardy.
Her eighth grade daughter was told this year that Romeo and Juliet... Read more

What draws you to a story? What compels you to go to certain movies in the theater but wait for others to come out on DVD? What urges you to pick up that particular book and keeps you turning its pages?
For me, it's character. Whether it's a comedy, drama, action/adventure or other genre, I will stay interested in a story if the characters are compelling, their growth is believable and their relationships are irresistible.
That's what encouraged me to direct The Secret Garden, what has kept me interested in it throughout the whole process. I'm hoping it's what will captivate you in all for ... Read more

Three historical figures enter a small sterile room. The last thing each of them remembers is their death. They realize that each of them, at one point in their life, took the first four books for the New Testament, (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and edited those four Gospels into a single Gospel that expressed their own set of beliefs. The room then makes a book materialize. This is a book the world has interpreted millions of times over. They all have questions such as: Why are they here? What does it have to do with that book? How do they get out of this room? They have all of eternity t... Read more

By Rachel Stephens
Run a 5K. Drink some wine. Visit a food cart. Drink more wine. Listen to live local music. Drink even more wine. Learn how to make wine at home. Drink still more wine. Take a salsa and bachada lesson. Then, well, you know.
If that sound like your kind of to-do list, you’ll want to mark your calendars for the second annual Michiana Wine Festival, taking over Headwaters Park Saturday, April 28 from noon to 6 p.m.
Even prior to the festival, which will feature wines from 18 different local wineries, cuisines courtesy of 10 food trucks, 50 different craft vendors and perfo... Read more

Toronzo Cannon will hold a seminar in Fort Wayne on Saturday, April 28 at C2G Music Hall. But don't start nodding off yet. It's not that kind of seminar. There may be questions at the end of it, however.
Cannon is the left-handed guitar player from Chicago who has taken the blues world by storm since the release of his 2016 Alligator Records debut The Chicago Way.
He's returning to Fort Wayne for the 9th Annual Blues Bash, a benefit concert hosted by The League. Local singer and guitar player Rainee Perdue will open the show.
"This event is always a sell-out," Judi Loomis, director of fund... Read more

For many years, Seoul Garden on Coliseum Boulevard was this city's only Korean cuisine option. It provided me with my first taste of bulgogi, bibimbap, and kimchi, and I fell in love. I was delighted when a new Korean restaurant opened its doors a few months ago. Now another area of our city can enjoy some of my favorite dishes - and one of my favorite zip codes (the 05) can add Korean food to its growing list of diverse culinary offerings.
Ryu's Kitchen, located on Hobson Road near State Boulevard, is a bright, open (albeit small) space, with cheerful d... Read more

When Tom Henry won his first mayoral election in 2007, changes were already underway for downtown Fort Wayne. But he inherited a few problems that would take time to unravel, including some reluctance - even bitterness - over the construction of what was to become Parkview Field. Not everyone thought there was a need for a new ballpark, and many of those opposed were not shy about sharing their opinions. But a year after he took office, he joined the city in celebrating opening day at the new home for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, and that was when the tide of public perception began to change.
"W... Read more

After Mayor Tom Henry and City Councilmen Glynn Hines and Tom Freistroffer proposed the creation of a Public Art Program and Public Art Commission earlier this month, the Fort Wayne City Council voted last week to pass a proposed ordinance out of committee.
A final vote was scheduled to take place this Tueday, after whatzup's presstime, although passage the proposal was expected.
Pam Holocher, Fort Wayne's planning & policy director, said the city has been involved in public art projects for quite some time: The Jerrod Tobias mural along Clay Street and the lighting on the Martin Luther K... Read more

There I was, trying to find someone on Craigslist willing to lower their standards enough to play music with me, when I clicked on a link to a local music video. I know it was local because I had to double check it a couple of times.
This great music (and the equally impressive video) came out of the wee little burg of Fort Wayne?
Girl Colors are three gents who focus heavily on the song, with melodies and catchy, hummable parts that are equally nostalgic and modern. "Saint Anthony's Fire," the first song that I heard, is sparse, with clean guitars playing a 50s guitar-style accompaniment t... Read more

Every month, Sweetwater invites members of the community to come together to relieve stress and make new friends through the therapeutic power of percussion.
From 7 to 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month, individuals from all backgrounds gather to create raw and inspired rhythm.
"It's a very social event," Executive Director of Sweetwater Academy of Music & Technology Bob Bailey explained. "The whole concept of a drum circle is you get a whole group of people together. You start with a basic beat and that grows and evolves and changes overtime based on who is bringing what."
At thi... Read more

When NBC's The Voice first aired in 2011, it seemed an obvious attempt to capitalize on the enormous popularity of American Idol for almost a decade before it. But while that was no doubt the inspiration, The Voice perhaps tapped into something altogether different and likely changed the course of such talent searches into the future. Because while American Idol first gained attention from the often caustic critique of Simon Cowell, The Voice brought a kinder, gentler approach to the concept.
Gone was the notion of "judges," replaced instead with "mentors." For the four who fill those seats... Read more

Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Brian Wagner was introduced to theater by his teachers at Paul Harding High School, and he continued his education at IPFW with Larry Life, among others. But his move from high school and college drama classes to executive director of the Arena Dinner Theatre has taken some twists and turns along the way, and those experiences made him uniquely qualified for the diverse job requirements at Arena.
Wagner credits not only his teachers but also his early theater days with giving him a pretty wide range of experience both on stage and behind the scenes. As many hav... Read more

Some bands are born from a group of friends who are looking to play together in some configuration. Others are formed when someone has an idea, a concept, so compelling that they can’t wait to take it to a stage. The latter is decidedly how Gypsy Bandit came to be just about a year ago. Kirk Johnson, a longtime music veteran, started putting together his idea for a new band last April, a fairly ambitious approach he felt he could put into action.
“I put a concept together in April, and it was the original concept for the band,” says Johnson. “I grew up going to concerts at the Coliseu... Read more

Just a short 15-minute drive from Dupont in the heart of downtown Garrett lies one of the best-kept dining secrets of northeast Indiana.
Shorty's Steakhouse boasts a menu featuring mouthwatering wet aged steaks, fresh seafood, prime rib (available on Fridays and Saturdays) and a handful of unique main dishes. For northsiders, Shorty's should be added to your regular dining out rotation, especially when you realize you live closer to downtown Garrett than downtown Fort Wayne!
The ambiance is cozy and reminds me of Henry's or Calhoun Street Soups Salads & Spirts in Fort Wayne. Shorty's small... Read more

Sometimes being in the right place at the right time can lead to destruction. A stray bullet finds its way through your body or your car gets caught in a fender bender. Other times, it's a blessing and stars align to create something special.
For Michael Collins, helping to manage Bravas Burgers on Fairfield Ave. helped his art to flourish in both creative and utilitarian ways.
"I'm extremely proud to be involved with the [Bravas] team, and it's truly refreshing to be surrounded by so many caring people," Collins told whatzup via email.
"I didn't start freelancing until two years ago arou... Read more

If you've ever met Brock Ireland or seen him perform onstage, it's hard not to be won over by his openness and his warmth.
Ireland grew up in Wabash, a town of fewer than 10,000 people. Although he says he was a born performer, he also says he "was not one of those stereotypical theater kids who put on productions for their family and was always singing some sort of show tune."
Nevertheless, he was drawn to performing, which he says came naturally to him.
"Performing helped me grow into the sociable and outgoing person that most people know today," he says.
Even as a child, he was drawn ... Read more

With the outdoor temperature regularly degrading to negative numbers, it may be hard to imagine the fun you're going to have next summer.
It's easy to crave that fun, but it's hard to imagine it.
But Rick Kinney is very good at imagining the fun you're going to have next summer.
He has to be.
Kinney is in the thick of signing acts for his Clyde Theatre - currently being renovated and scheduled to reopen sometime in the middle of the summer.
"Right now I am making offers and approving offers for artists for the Clyde in 2018," he said.
Kinney said the acts will be made widely kno... Read more

When you see an entire building tiptoeing down the street, it is hard to deny that big things are happening downtown.
In January, the 122-year-old Cambray building was lifted off its foundation and moved, temporarily, to a nearby lot as part of the Promenade Park phase of Fort Wayne's ongoing riverfront development efforts.
The building will ultimately be renovated into a new Hall's restaurant.
Promenade Park will rise on both banks of the St. Marys River between the Wells Street Bridge and Harrison Street.
Among the more prominent features of the new park: a pavilion, an amphitheater, ... Read more

On Nothing


It’s my favorite word and the most frightening.
A self-negating word, not even a ghostly
Idea, or an empty round, a noose tightening
Around itself, and a stern critic of “mostly.”
We use it mostly in a soft, relative sense,
As if it were a verb in more than the past tense,
Existing by not, to describe what isn’t there.
I had a cupboard, but the cupboard was bare.
We think we know variable interstices —
Between Andromeda and the Milky Way,
And between different but similar species —
Such nothings are nothing but what’s lost in decay.
Real nothing, if it exis... Read more

Tornado Weather by Deborah E. Kennedy,
Flatiron Books, 2017

Colliersville, Indiana is desperately in need of a renaissance. The small town at the heart of Deborah Kennedy's debut novel has seen better - albeit not much better - days, and its residents would appreciate some improvements in their lives. Unfortunately, none of them is really sure of the true cause of the town's decline, making their stabs at fixing things generally ineffective; if rebirth comes, it's going to come by chance and at a substantial cost.
Kennedy explores the town resident by resident, devoting a chapter t... Read more

I don't know the cumulative years of studio experience among the lineup of the Sweetwater All Stars, but I'm guessing it's in the centuries. These musicians know their craft, but it's not the technical prowess gleaned from decades of playing that shines the brightest on the collection of covers. Rather, it's the sonic warmth that comes from professionals who know how to make a polished record without pushing the production too far.
For the most part, the album's track listing lives comfortably in that place where soul, gospel and R&B met rock in the 60s. Many of the tracks depend on the powe... Read more

Tear a page out of a 1985 yearbook, polish up your vocoder and get pumped with the electro-funk of Love Hustler's new EP, Take the Stares. The four-song album is the perfect escape from the more modern sounds that electronic music had grown to include. Sure, the synthesizers and Daft Punk-inspired vocals are running rampant, but the tempos are moderate and the grooves are plenty.
Take the Stares could be the perfect thing to listen to before going out for the night. It's low-key enough to multi-task during, but funky enough to get your hips shaking while getting ready. Think a less indie Chr... Read more