Backstage Pass - Todays Woman

Backstage Pass: Crash Courses in Culture

Photo By Sam English Our city’s vast culture and arts scene provides an incredible array of immersive classes for both kids and adults. Here are just a few ways you can tap your creativity this fall. Written by Gioia Patton/Arts Insider Plein Air Painting with Pastels Connect with Mother Nature and capture her beauty through the use of soft pastels, an immediate medium that allows you to translate onto paper what surrounds you in the Gardens. In this three-day series, students will work the first day in Studio learning fundamentals before rendering the [...]

By Sara Jessick|2023-08-17T15:49:53-04:00August 11, 2023|Backstage Pass, Life & Style|

Backstage Pass: 2023 Summer Arts & Entertainment Guide

Lady M, a new production of Shakespeare in Dance at Kentucky Shakespeare in the Park. Photo By Bill Brymer Our city’s cultural offerings heat up this season. Here, our Arts Insider’s short list of can’t-miss experiences – most are free! Written by Gioia Patton/Arts Insider Kentucky Shakespeare in the Park “I’m honored to kick off my 10th season as Producing Artistic Director!” says Matt Wallace about the 63rd season, which began with A Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring a flying Puck. “It is followed by witches returning to Central Park in the classic spooky [...]

By Sara Jessick|2023-07-27T15:25:09-04:00July 27, 2023|Backstage Pass, Life & Style|

Backstage Pass: Putting Pride in the Spotlight

Pandora Productions Producing Artistic Director Michael J. Drury, top, and Laura Ellis, audio producer and sound designer for Pandora, Louisville Public Media and Kentucky Shakespeare. Provided photos. For more than 25 years, the Louisville-based theater company Pandora Productions has been telling the stories of the LGBTQ+ community. Here, a look back – and forward – with Producing Artistic Director Michael J. Drury. Written by Gioia Patton/Arts Insider With decades of cutting-edge, award-winning musicals, dramas and comedies created by local, regional and national playwrights writing on LGBTQ+ themes, Pandora Productions has enjoyed fast growth, [...]

By Sara Jessick|2023-06-22T15:55:37-04:00June 21, 2023|Backstage Pass, Life & Style|

Backstage Pass: Leader of the Pack

“What all my female protagonists share in common is that they can pretty much take care of themselves. And pretty much save themselves if necessary.” — New York Times best-selling author, Karen Robards Author Karen Robards was writing historical romance before it became cool. Written by Gioia Patton/Arts Insider While the popularity of historical romance fiction novels has grown significantly due to a certain streaming platform’s adaptation of a series of books, true aficionados of the genre know that one of the best to ever do it is Louisville’s-own, Karen Robards. After gaining [...]

By Sara Jessick|2023-02-15T19:55:06-05:00February 8, 2023|Backstage Pass, Life & Style|

Backstage Pass: 2023 Winter Arts Guide

Dancing With The Stars: Live! Photo by Gioia Patton Here are some noteworthy events to add to your social calendar this season. Written by Gioia Patton/Arts Insider Dancing With the Stars: Live! The all-new stage show features your favorite professional dancers from the hit TV series (and a celebrity competitor guest star), performing brand new numbers and some of the showstoppers featured in season 31. The tour delivers a spectacular night of captivating dance performances from world-renowned dancers including (*past Mirror Ball winners) *Emma Slater, and *Alan Bersten, Sasha Farber, Gleb Savchenko, Britt [...]

By Sara Jessick|2023-01-11T12:34:04-05:00January 6, 2023|Backstage Pass, Life & Style|

Backstage Pass: Unbreakable Kim Vaughn

‘The number one thing I can tell you is tell the truth…even if it hurts.’ - Best advice comedian Kim Vaughn ever received, and told to her by comic legend Whoopi Goldberg at a 1989 Derby season event. Despite multiple traumas and her struggles with mental health, comedian Kim Vaughn finds healing in the power of the joke. Written by Gioia Patton/Arts Insider | Photo by Gioia Patton It is said that comedy is born out of pain and for a standup comedian, traumatic life experiences are the jetpack that fuels their craft. There [...]

By Sara Jessick|2022-12-28T15:13:26-05:00December 26, 2022|Backstage Pass, Life & Style|