LIBERAL FIRST
Liberal's leading source for news and views
The movie industry saw multiple ups and downs throughout 2024, and as Mitchell Theatres owner Brian Mitchell tells it, Liberal’s Southgate Cinema 6 was not completely immune from those.
For almost a decade, Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín has been focusing films on important women of the 20th century, with subjects including former U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
His most recent subject is one for the musical world with the late opera diva Maria Callas with his film “Maria,” which focuses on Callas’ last week of life while living in Paris.
The holiday season is in full swing and throughout the month so far, there’s been a lot of Christmas-themed media I’ve been viewing, all of which has been delightful, whether it’s a classic that’s on my must-watch list every year or a new discovery.
One of my more recent discoveries came from Disney+ with “An Almost Christmas Story,” which follows a young owl named Moon (voiced by Cary Christopher) as he unexpectedly finds himself in a Christmas tree destined for New York’s Rockefeller Center. In his attempts to get home, he forms a bond with a lost girl named Luna (voiced by Estella Madrigal). The pair’s adventure throughout NYC is narrated by a folk singer (voiced by John C. Reilly)
Those looking for some extra razzle-dazzle will soon have just that chance if they make their way to Wichita.
The American Theatre Guild will be presenting the Tony Award-winning musical "Chicago" at Century II Performing Arts Center in Wichita. Performances will be Friday, Dec. 20 (7:30 p.m.), Saturday, Dec. 21 (2 and 7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 22 (1 p.m). The show follows the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer, Billy Flynn, to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines.
Way back when I was in middle school, there was a concert when my school’s 7th/8th grade band played a medley of songs from the still-recent “Wicked” Broadway musical and fast-forward to October 2013, I finally got the chance to see the show onstage in Kansas City.
Fast-forwarding even more to Thanksgiving weekend 2024, I finally got the chance to see the first part of the show become adapted for the big screen, and the end result was everything I wanted and more. For those who are unaware, “Wicked” explores the friendship between Elphaba (who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”) and Galinda (who becomes Glinda the Good). Their friendship is tested by contrasting personalities and conflicting viewpoints (to somewhat comedic effect), reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wizard of Oz, and ultimately, Elphaba's tragic fall.
 |
72°F | 70°F min | 75°F max |
 |
5:58 |  |
20:33 |
