Dante Powell is on a roll. The Louisiana-born comic has clocked thousands of miles as both a truck driver and a comedian. Powell has called Des Moines his home for over a decade, headlining shows in the capital while hitting the road in major cities with Gary Gulman, Janelle James, Rory Scovel and other gods […]
Central Iowa
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: From passionate to jazzy to epic, the Des Moines Symphony shined with ‘Love–Romeo & Juliet’
The Des Moines Symphony offered classical music enthusiasts an ideal date night on Valentine’s weekend with Love–Romeo & Juliet, the aptly titled fourth installment of their Masterworks Series. The baton was wielded by guest conductor, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, who led a nuanced program of European masterpieces. Harth-Bedoya’s rapport with the ensemble was remarkable considering this is […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Remember what Iowa is really about’: Advocates stress solidarity, condemn anti-immigrant attacks from lawmakers at State Capitol rally
About 100 people were chanting “Immigrants are welcome here,” as a rally by the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ) began in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol on Wednesday afternoon. The rally was the culmination of Iowa MMJ’s annual advocacy day at the Capitol. The Des Moines-based nonprofit advocates on behalf of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Ames City Council votes to protect rights of trans residents — one day after legislators advance bill to ban such ordinances
This week, after Republicans on an Iowa House subcommittee advanced a bill to eliminate the power of local governments to offer broader civil rights protections than the state does, Ames became the latest city in the state to amend its municipal code to protect the rights of transgender and nonbinary residents. HSB 664 was drafted […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Review: Walleye, poutine and decadent s’mores help make Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster in WDM a superb supper club experience
Food, like all cultural exchange, is relative. One person’s adventurous meal out of their comfort zone is another person’s daily staple. An example: even though I’m born-and-raised Iowan, I had never heard of a supper club before dining at West Des Moines’ Guesthouse Tavern + Oyster. “Oh, is it like a book club for foodies?” […]
Posted inCommunity/News
President Trump to speak in Clive on Tuesday
On Wednesday, White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles told reporters President Donald Trump will travel to Iowa on Tuesday, Jan. 27, to deliver a speech on the economy and energy. According to details released on Thursday night, the speech will take place at the Horizon Events Center in Clive (2100 NW 100th St). Doors […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
“Awe Stuck” by Dianne Alita Rosales Siasoco: Winner of the DMPL + Little Village short story contest
This fall, the Des Moines Public Library and Little Village partnered on a short story competition titled “This Time Next Year.” Writers were invited to submit a story under 2,000 words encompassing predictions about the year ahead. The contest’s judges included LV Art Director Chuy Renteria and fellow authors and editors Sophia Hanson, Carol Hunter and Carol […]
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The First Lady born in Boone, Iowa
A quaint yellow house in Boone, Iowa — a community of just over 12,000 — appears relatively unassuming from the outside. But on Nov. 14, 1896, one of the most influential women of the 1950s was born inside. Mary Geneva Doud would go on to become Mamie Eisenhower, the wife of the 34th U.S. President […]
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Pulitzer-winning novelist Edna Ferber’s painful time in Ottumwa shaped her as an artist and ‘a human being’
“Life can’t ever really defeat a writer who is in love with writing, for life itself is a writer’s lover until death — fascinating, cruel, lavish, warm, cold, treacherous, constant; the more varied the moods, the richer the experience. I’ve learned to value every stab of pain and disappointment.” —Edna Ferber Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was […]
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Your Village: Why is there a truck driving around with a big image of Rep. Miller-Meeks as the Grinch?
Last night I saw a truck with a light-up display of Mariannette Miller-Meeks as a green-faced Grinch. Who did that? –RB, Iowa City The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) did that. The DCCC — pronounced “D triple-C” by political types — announced in an email on Wednesday that it was “launching a new billboard campaign […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Ballet Des Moines passes the ‘Nutcracker’ litmus test with flying colors
Ballet Des Moines was blessed with a snowy opening night for The Nutcracker last Thursday at Hoyt Sherman Place. For ballet companies across the world, the production of The Nutcracker is both the close to the fall season and a company’s most attended performance, thanks to its ties to holiday tradition and nostalgia. With the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Iowa Stage Theatre Company, no stranger to ‘A Christmas Carol,’ incorporates songs, humor and a message from the Present
A Christmas Carol is a familiar tale. Familiar not just to the average English speaker, it is a tale that should be especially familiar to audiences of the Iowa Stage Theater Company (ISTC). Over the years, ISTC has made an annual production of A Christmas Carol a tradition, often repeating actors and crew year to […]
