Commentary: Schools tied
If there were ever a school dedicated to achieving Horace Mann’s dream of making education “the great equalizer,” Harding Charter Preparatory High School would be it. Harding’s mission statement reads, “Provide every student with an academically challenging educational experience through an advanced placement (AP) curriculum, which will prepare students for success at a four-year university.”…
Order up
Waitress Tuesday-March 24 Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. okcbroadway.com 405-594-8300 $27.16-$102.33 Dough is a malleable culmination of a few different things and a lot of elbow grease, just like life. It is also, of course, another word for money. For Jenna, the protagonist of the musical Waitress, dough is both livelihood and…
Praising Molly
From 1980s teen star to on-screen parent of another iconic teen, Molly Ringwald has had an intriguing career as an actress, singer and writer. Now, she’s coming to Oklahoma City as part of an entire 1980s-themed weekend to be Junior League of Oklahoma City’s Speaker in the City for 2019. The Speaker in the City…
Individually artistic
Daring ideas don’t generally have a long shelf life in the arts, so maintaining a gallery and organization based around avant garde poetry, visual art and performance seems unlikely to last beyond the gestation phase. Yet Individual Artists Of Oklahoma (IAO) has endured for 40 years by pulling in new and innovative talents from a…
Reform justice
Criminal justice reform is a major agenda topic in this year’s legislative session. A myriad of bills that would implement deep changes to the system have been introduced, and though many were left for dead, several still in the process seem likely to pass. Former Republican state Speaker of the House Kris Steele is now…
Hello, Death
Greet Death8 p.m. Monday Resonator Institute 325 E. Main St., Norman resonator.space $5 About 20 years ago in a first-grade classroom, Greet Death began to form. Bassist Sam Boyhtari, guitarist Logan Gaval and former drummer Anthony Spak became childhood friends in Davisburg, Michigan, before they learned long division, but they wouldn’t pick up their instruments…
ALCOHOLMANAC To the streets
If Oklahoma’s liquor laws have seemed like something out of the Prohibition era, they were for years. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Oklahoma kept it around for another 26 years. Since, Oklahoma has been slower than most states in loosening its liquor laws. However, in November 2016, Oklahomans voted themselves firmly into the 21st…
Commentary: Ill communication
Last week, University of Oklahoma (OU) officials proved they were ill-prepared to address diversity issues when one crisis management attempt backfired and a seemingly good-intentioned message to women came off as retrograde and condescending. The statements were emblematic of the university’s current leadership vacuum, which is sucking the soul out of my alma mater. On…
ALCOHOLMANAC Popping bottles
The first champagne-centered bar in the Oklahoma City metro area is out to dispel preconceived notions about the drink’s history and what it means to drink champagne. Located in Nichols Hills Plaza, The Merret, 6464 Avondale Drive, opened in November 2018 to a positive reception as fast as a cork flying off a champagne bottle. …
ALCOHOLMANAC Lyrical libations
Oklahoma City has a rich and thriving live music scene, and a wide variety of venues have found success supporting the diversity of the city’s music fans. Some of OKC’s coolest venues have bars that reflect this uniqueness, too. Want someplace smoke-filled, small or sort of divey? Or how about an arena setting where the…
Split vote
United Methodist Church (UMC) could split following a recent vote to double down on its stance against homosexuality. Since 1972, UMC’s Book of Discipline, a set of global laws and doctrines, has stated that practicing homosexuality is immoral; however, it is not widely enforced. “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” the book…
ALCOHOLMANAC Gazedibles: All seasons
We are in a weird season in Oklahoma right now when it can be both warm and cold in the same week. We have you covered with seasonal drinks that can hit the spot, depending on the temperature outside. By Jacob Threadgill with photos by Alexa Ace and provided Barkeep Supply 1121 N. Walker Ave.…
Chicken-Fried News: CEO badge
Gov. Kevin Stitt wants Oklahoma to be run like a business — just like his successful Gateway Mortgage — as he promotes his initiative for Oklahoma to be a “top 10” state. What’s a successful business without picking up a few lawsuits along the way? Gateway Mortgage has gone to court numerous times over the…
ALCOHOLMANAC Bricktown boost
Bricktown Brewery1150 E. Second St., Edmond bricktownbrewery.com 405-726-8300 What works:The green pork chili and tri-tip steak sandwiches deliver. What needs work:Its house-made tater tots aren’t quite as good as the frozen variety. Tip:Its classic core beers have more body after the alcohol law change. Bricktown Brewery is Oklahoma City’s oldest brewery, having been in business…
ALCOHOLMANAC Palate and palette
As old adages go, “Everyone has an artist in them” is a harmless gem wielded liberally by every art teacher in the world trying to inspire students. Even if the adage is true and there is a tiny artist dwelling within us all, they don’t all have easy access to the control panels. Maybe Malcolm…
Native sound
Them Damn NDNs are at it again, pumping the airwaves full of relevant news, friendly conversation and a heterogeneous compilation of music broadcasted to audiences across the globe. Hosted by Kellie J. Lewis and Thomas Ware III, the three-hour program is only a snapshot of the duo’s effort to put TalkJive Radio on the map. …
ALCOHOLMANAC Bottles rocked
State Question 792 passed in 2016 and changed laws regarding alcohol sales and distribution in the state. When it went into effect last October, the law allowed grocery stores and convenience stores to sell full-strength beer and wine. Now, liquor stores are struggling to compete against grocery and convenience stores. Bryan Kerr, president of Retail…
Chicken-Fried News: Needs improvement
Melania Trump managed a surprisingly not-horrible public relations move last week when she visited Dove School of Discovery in Tulsa. Sans her “I really don’t care, do u?” jacket, colonizer pith helmet and Santa-mocking husband, the first lady visited with students about kindness as part of a three-state tour promoting her “Be Best” anti-bullying initiative. …
Chicken-Fried News: Up top
Looks like Gov. Kevin Stitt’s goal to make Oklahoma a top 10 state is already working. It is just … maybe not what he had in mind. Three separate reports published since February found that Oklahoma tops the worst lists for online dating, being a woman and mental health for teenagers and children. First, a…
Face value
From the Golden Age to the Moving Image: The Changing Face of the Permanent Collection through Dec. 31, 2020 Oklahoma City Museum of Art 415 Couch Drive okcmoa.com 405-236-3100 Free-$12 Known for painting Barack Obama’s official presidential portrait, artist Kehinde Wiley’s neoclassical work typically features people of color — subjects not fully represented in art…
Runaway fire
The Doolittles have been running family businesses in Oklahoma for more than half a century and have quickly made a name for themselves in the state’s newest enterprise. Tyler Doolittle is the majority partner in Fire Leaf, a chain of medical marijuana dispensaries. He is joined in the venture by father Jimmy and sister Cassi…
ALCOHOLMANAC Party up
The cult classic Starz television show Party Down, which starred a pre-Parks and Recreation Adam Scott among its talented cast, went behind the scenes of all that could go wrong in event catering from the vantage point of its bow-tie wearing, want-to-be-actor crew. Everything that could comically go wrong did go wrong during the show. …
