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, [...]
Playing Her Cards
Valerie Combs and her daughter Giavanna. University of Louisville Director of Development Valerie Combs channels a lifetime of success on and off the court into her important role at UofL and her even more important role as mom. Written by Tabnie Dozier | Photographed by Kylene White Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar.” It’s a quote Michelle Obama famously said in a discussion with Howard University students in 2016, but those words also describe the journey of Valerie Combs. Combs’ story begins in the mid-1970s [...]
Princesses with a Purpose
The Derby Festival Princesses have been a part of the Louisville Derby season for more than 65 years, but as the newest coterie tells our Tabnie Dozier, they are more than pretty faces. These are accomplished women seeking to engage the community and elevate future generations of girls. Written by Tabnie Dozier | Photographed on location at Angel’s Envy Distillery by Kylene White “You define the crown; you don’t let the crown define you,” Mahshad Taheri explains. “And as a first-generation, Iranian-immigrant college student, this program gives me the opportunity to be a role model [...]
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 [...]
From Meet Cute to Forever
In Hollywood, love stories are crafted around the “meet cute.” It’s the special moment when two people’s paths cross and there’s a glimmer that something special might be occurring between them. These couples share the meet cute moment that led them to love and forever. Written by Diane R. Paylor | Photographed by Kylene White ANTECIA WHITEHEAD + LUKE WHITEHEAD When the first meeting with your husband took place when you were either a freshman or a sophomore in college and you’ve been together for just about 20 years, it’s understandable that some details of [...]
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 [...]