Reviews

Last Friday, after a long, stressful work week, my fiancé Jamie and I decided to head to Urban Roots, one of our favorite places to chill, to listen to our favorite artists, Adam & Kizzie. Any live show featuring Adam & Kizzie is sure to be enjoyable. Their intimate renditions of songs from their album, [...]

  Phyllis Hyman’s sultry voice and her ability to convey true emotion with such vigor coupled with her unwavering belief in herself and her talent despite her challenges in finding love, battling mental illness, and drug and alcohol abuse not only sets her apart as a singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian but also demonstrates that [...]

  The landscape of theatre in Oklahoma City is gradually becoming more ethnically inclusive, but diversity has been at the forefront of one area theatre’s priority list for quite a while now. The 2013 Poteet Theatre Awards distinguished the local theatre as a pioneer in bridging the vast cultural divide that many minorities in Oklahoma City perceive in terms of both opportunity and recognition. This year, all of the [...]

2013 Poteet Theatre Award Winners [Related article: 2013 Poteet Theatre Awards Shine Spotlight on Diversity] 2013 Best Female Ensemble 9 to 5 Abby Fitzjarrell   2013 Best Male Ensemble 9 to 5 Dalton Harrod   Director’s Award The Sound of Music Allison Swift   2013 Jason Johnston Volunteer of the Year Chad Hester   2013 Best [...]

  This afternoon I got a chance to take a sneak peek at the newly renovated Urban Roots, which has undergone a beautiful makeover. What has not changed at all, however, is the heart and soul that defines Urban Roots. My original plan was to meet artists Adam & Kizzie there for lunch, but we were not aware that Urban Roots [...]

  2014 is off to an amazing start in the OKC arts community. In addition to all of the events happening locally, one beloved artist from the metro is also making noise out of town. Candace Liger, winner of The Vine Open Mic Poetry Night’s post-Thanksgiving slam event, went to Dallas last weekend and conquered the Women of the [...]

The movie “Her” asks for the ultimate in suspension of disbelief, as the audience is expected to buy into the reality of a romantic relationship between a man and an operating system. Surprisingly, it works. The believably futuristic tale crafted by Spike Jonze takes us into the lonely, love-starved world of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix). Twombly is a letter writer [...]

Max D. Townsend is a young man with a big vision. On the heels of his self-produced music video “Love Right”, Townsend’s newly released short film “New Resolution” once again puts his larger-than-life vision on display for all to see. Known for producing videos of song covers and for his recent work on stage in [...]

New Growth was in the house at Urban Roots on the night before New Year’s Eve, and the vibe was electric. The jazz quartet features Adam Ledbetter on keys, Aaron Tomasko on bass, Grant Goldstein on guitar and Jemar Poteat on drums. Everyone – and by everyone I mean me – only knew Adam as one half [...]

Not even an ice storm could keep Oklahomans from A Christmas in Harlem. The Mistletoe Jam-sponsored event was the reason that Urban Roots, nestled in the heart of the Deep Deuce district, was transformed into Harlem Renaissance era New York, if only for one night. Inclement weather almost threatened to put the event on ice, but determined [...]