Connie Shakalis

"Our fans have no idea who Ozzie and Harriet, or even Ricky Nelson, are," Matthew said on the phone. Musician and TV star Ricky Nelson was the twins'father and died in a plane crash in 1985 when he was 45.

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Country line dancing brings in younger crowd at Mike's Music & Dance Barn in Brown County but there's plenty for all ages ... music, food, darts.

Glenn Miller was one of the most triumphant dance bandleaders of the 1930s and'40s swing era. Hit records and seemingly constant radio coverage led to the band's ability to attract crowds at hotels, theaters and dances. In 1938 Miller organized The Glenn Miller Orchestra, his second attempt at band-making, and it worked.

Stone's not just stocked with vocals and vibes; she's compassionate and generous. She was on a world tour (she had told her band they were "going to play in every country of the world" after she heard the term "world tour" and didn't know what it meant) when she noticed small local groups of people doing volunteer work.

Off Night's upcoming "Steel Magnolias" by Robert Harling fits the women-led purpose by telling the story of women bickering and bonding, supporting and struggling.

Bloomington's Eclipse Productions performs its first comedy, "Five Women in the Same Dress" at Waldron Arts Center.

One way to King Bee & the Stingers are getting their name out in the blues world is by competing at the International Blues Challenge. The band was a semi-finalist in 2018, 2019 and 2023, performing alongside between 200 and 300 acts from around the world.

Some prefer Batman silly, others sinister. Comic book fans and filmgoers have seen him depicted both ways. Batman executive producer and rights holder Michael Uslan doesn't like the silly part. On Aug. 30, Uslan comes to Indiana University Cinema to celebrate three and a half decades of 1989's "Batman," the movie that led to one of the world's most victorious franchises. Uslan is eager to meet his cohort — "my tribe" — of comic book fans when he leads a Q&A after the Aug. 30 showing.

Bloomington's Tony Brewer, poet, was named literary champion by the 2024 Indiana Authors Awards, which had other area authors recognized as well.