by Amanda Drane | Dec 18, 2014 | Articles, Featured, News
As Miranda LaPolice talks, she grips one of her creations — a tufty, ewok-like creature with an oversized green heart stitched to its front, glowing eyes, and a downturned mouth. Both her arms wrap around the critter and her hands make its little legs dance to the...
by Kristin Palpini • Photos by Jerrey Roberts | Dec 18, 2014 | Articles, Featured, News
In the egg nog battle, which creamy, spiced, egg concoction reigns supreme? The Valley Advocate staff held a blind tasting last week of some of the area’s finest nogs and the results were shocking. Local and store-bought brands were sampled by Advocate editors Kristin...
by Chris Rohmann | Dec 18, 2014 | Articles, Featured, News
’Tis the season when theaters go into hibernation or pull out the Christmas shows. Two Western Mass. companies — Old Deerfield Productions and Berkshire Theatre Group — are staging A Christmas Carol this month, along with Hartford Stage’s annual edition. In Putney,...
by Jack Brown | Dec 18, 2014 | Articles, Featured, News
As we close out another year on this great blue marble, I’m reminded of an annual event in the film world: the December doldrums. This is that week, which creeps in every year just before Christmas, when theaters seem to be holding their collective breath. People are...
by Amanda Drane | Dec 10, 2014 | Articles, Featured
Early in her career in the restaurant and bar industry, Felicia Lundquist’s boss said something to her that — unlike his earlier rude comments — she just couldn’t brush off. On that night, Lundquist and a few co-workers were wrapping up their shift. She went into the...
by Hunter Styles | Dec 10, 2014 | Articles, Featured, News
Aubretia “Windy” Edick wears her Walmart story. She often sports the distinctive blue vest worn by all store employees, and a large badge announces her name in capital letters. But layered on top of her standard ensemble are buttons and pins. One reads, “Stop...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 10, 2014 | Articles, Featured
Record labels’ raison d’etre used to be pretty clear: fund and promote records, and send bands on tour. In the MP3 era, the very concept of an album has gotten slippery, and some labels fill much different roles than the old model. Where many a newer effort has...
by Jack Brown | Dec 10, 2014 | Articles, Blogs, Cinemadope, Featured, Film
There are so many wonderful mysteries left in the world. In an era when so much can be laid bare with just a few keystrokes, it’s comforting, somehow, to know that there is much we don’t fully understand. Not just the odd bits here and there, but some fairly big...
by Advocate Staff | Dec 10, 2014 | Articles, Featured
H ome for the Holidays is more than the Theater Project’s annual holiday-season variety show. It represents a homecoming for area performers who have become a kind of family on the Majestic Theater stage over the years. An updated evocation of those sweater-clad...
