New Era of Art & Community at Virginia MOCA

New Era of Art & Community at Virginia MOCA

By Betsy DiJulio Virginia MOCA didn’t build a new museum.  They built a new structure to house the museum they have been building all along. This month, after some two-and-a-half years of planning, MOCA opens its doors to a sleek, 35,000 square foot, purpose-built...

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ESSAY: Burnout

ESSAY: Burnout

By Tom Robotham We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake… by an infinite expectation of the dawn. – Henry David Thoreau As I approach the age of 70, I’m growing more acutely aware of my diminished capacities.  The physical limitations are especially...

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ESSAY: Burnout

ESSAY: Winning Isn’t Everything

By Tom Robotham On March 25, the Yankees and the Giants will kick off the 2026 baseball season. The next day, the other 28 major league teams will join the action.  Normally, I’d be excited about this. As I’ve noted in this space before, baseball is my favorite sport,...

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The Dome By Rutter Mills Announced

The Dome By Rutter Mills Announced

(Brother Rutter announces his law firm’s new naming sponsorship with The Dome. Photo by Melissa Dawn.) By Jeff Maisey The Dome in Virginia Beach has a new name — The Dome by Rutter Mills — and an expanded mission.  The original Dome, officially named the Alan B....

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ESSAY: Burnout

ESSAY: Furry Friends

By Tom Robotham  When I was a child, I longed for an animal companion: a horse, a dog, or at least a cat.  A horse was unrealistic because our suburban yard was too small, and—let’s face it—they’re expensive to care for. Plenty of our neighbors had dogs, on the other...

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Naro Minded: The Duo Who Defined a Neighborhood

Naro Minded: The Duo Who Defined a Neighborhood

(Tench Phillips and Thom Vourlas share a laugh and popcorn outside the Naro Expanded Cinema. Photo by Jeff Maisey.) By Jim Roberts Tench Phillips III and Thom Vourlas were featured on WTAR News in August of 1977—about two weeks before they opened the Naro Expanded...

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RESULTS: 2026 VEER Music Awards

RESULTS: 2026 VEER Music Awards

(The Last Bison and members from Tidewater Pipes & Drums perform "Switzerland") By Jeff Maisey BJ Griffin took home three awards during the 2026 Veer Music Awards at The NorVa in Norfolk.  The America’s Got Talent contestant scored Album of the Year for...

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ESSAY: Mind the Gap

ESSAY: Mind the Gap

Essayist Tom Robotham connects with Paris in an antique bookstore.  By Tom Robotham This year, I’ll turn 70. What the fuck?! It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was sitting in my pajamas on the floor of my family’s living room in Staten Island, watching The Donna...

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2026 VEER Music Awards Nominees Announced

2026 VEER Music Awards Nominees Announced

By Jeff Maisey We are pleased to announce the complete list of nominees for the 2026 Veer Music Awards. The 757 region had an immensely diverse range of musical releases last year.  In determining nominees, we looked primarily for bands and...

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World Premiere Destined for Greatness

World Premiere Destined for Greatness

(Jordan Williams and Edwin Green bring Redd Foxx and Malcolm X to life. Photo by Beth Dedman.) By Jerome Langston “This one feels really special because I have a new Foxy this time. I have a new co-star. And this guy just happens to be one of my best friends,” says...

John Lennon’s Lost Weekend Captured in Photos

John Lennon’s Lost Weekend Captured in Photos

(May Pang surrounded by her photographs of John Lennon. Photo by Scott Segelbaum.) By Jeff Maisey Funny thing happened on the long and winding road just past Penny Lane en route to a Madison Square Garden concert appearance with Elton John— former Beatle John Lennon...

The Unequalled All Things Equal Returns

The Unequalled All Things Equal Returns

(Michelle Azar portrays Ruth Bader Ginsburg.) By Montague Gammon III The Virginia Arts Festival brings back to Hampton Roads, March 29, the most important play that anyone in local audiences will see this year, and perhaps for many years to come.  “All Things Equal –...

Dance Theatre of Harlem Reignites Firebird

Dance Theatre of Harlem Reignites Firebird

(Ariana Dickerson and Micah Bullard. Photo by Nir Areli) By Jerome Langston "We are preparing for our tour to France, which is about to happen right now. And then we follow that up by coming to Lorraine Graves’ hometown,” said Robert Garland, the artistic director of...

Dreams Come True with Joseph

Dreams Come True with Joseph

(The cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.) By Jerome Langston  “It’s really been a dream come true honestly. Getting to work on this show has been a long-time goal. And getting to dive into it these past couple of weeks has been a real joy,” says...

ODU Students Moving Forward with Art

ODU Students Moving Forward with Art

Students take a quick break during a Professor Emily Culver's metal-casting class. Photo courtesy of John Roth By Betsy DiJulio “Students had to unlearn going to school in pajamas without leaving their bedroom,” recalls Peter Eudenbach, a professor of art at ODU who...

ART: Focusing on the Future

ART: Focusing on the Future

(Do Ho Suh, Specimen Series: Refrigerator, Apartment A, 348 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011, USA, 2013. Polyester fabric, stainless steel wire, glass display case with LED lighting; Edition of 3. Courtesy Gazelli Art House, LTD.) By Betsy DiJulio Recently, Lucas...

Beer Has A Seat At The Table

Beer Has A Seat At The Table

(Panelists at the Seat At The Table event at Sojourn Fermentory in Suffolk. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones One of the many things we love about the craft beer community is the camaraderie among those who work in the industry, bringing...

“Come On In My Kitchen” with The Virginia Beer Company

“Come On In My Kitchen” with The Virginia Beer Company

(Robby Willey and Chris Smith. Photo by Diane Catanzaro.) By Diane Catanzaro and Christopher Jones Robert Johnson’s blues masterpiece “Come On In My Kitchen” is a metaphor for sanctuary. The wind is howling and it’s raining outdoors. The kitchen in the song represents...

Cool Flames Café is a Winner

Cool Flames Café is a Winner

(Tikka Masala pizza is one of the signature Indian-inspired pies distinguishing Cool Flames Café) By Marisa Marsey Give me a Cool! Give me a Flames! Give me a Café! What have you got? A friendly, family-owned spot, opened last spring in Norfolk’s Best Square, sporting...

Samichlaus Tapping at The Bier Garden

Samichlaus Tapping at The Bier Garden

Words by Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones So, St. Nicholas’ Day is coming up on Saturday, December 6. How are you going to ring in that holiday?  Traditionalists will have the kinder place their shoes or a special boot by the fireplace, to hopefully be filled with...

Beer Buzz in the 757

Beer Buzz in the 757

Razova Beer. Photo credit Kylie Posten. By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones Here is a smattering of suds-based snippets and stories in the 757 to keep you in-the-know.  The Garage Brewery in Chesapeake recently sponsored a collaboration beer in support of the 757...

Oktoberfest 2025

Oktoberfest 2025

By Jeff Maisey If beer has a national — make that multi-national — holiday then surely it is Oktoberfest. Celebrations abound, including right here in Hampton Roads.  So how did it all begin? Way back on October 12, 1810, King Ludwig I married Princess Terese of...

Nourish Your Soul

Nourish Your Soul

By Betsy DiJulio As a longtime foodie, I have a somewhat vast collection of cookbooks.  But there are only two that are housed in my kitchen, along with my quintet of recipe file binders: mine and Angela Phillips’. Admittedly, Angela is a close friend and favorite...

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