Born and raised in Washington, D.C., I couldn't help but develop a keen interest in politics, but music, theater and visual art also proved great attractions. Music became my main focus after high school. I thought about being a cocktail pianist, but I hated taking requests, so I studied music history instead, earning a B.A. in that field from Eisenhower College (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) and an M.A. from Occidental College (Los Angeles). I then landed in journalism. After freelancing for the Washington Post and others, I was classical music critic for the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida, where I also contributed to NPR. I've written for the New York Times, BBC Music Magazine and other publications, and I'm a longtime contributor to Opera News. My book, The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (Perigee, 2002), can be found on the most discerning remainder racks.
I joined the Baltimore Sun as classical music critic in 2000 and, in 2009, also became theater critic, giving me the opportunity to annoy a whole new audience. In 2010, my original Clef Notes blog expanded to encompass a theatrical component -- how could I resist calling it Drama Queens? I hope you'll find both sides of this blog coin worth exploring and reacting to; your own comments are always welcome and valued (well, most of them, at least).
Think of this as your open-all-hours, cyber green room, where there's always a performer or performance to discuss, some news to digest, or maybe just a little good gossip to share.
Note: Tim Smith now writes about the fine arts at
baltimoresun.com/artsmash. This blog will be kept in place as an archive for an indefinite period. Please visit the new location to get the latest Mid-Atlantic arts coverage.
View the Artsmash blog
Comments
Thank you for the decadent diversion, and it's a great way to get into the weekend. The clip is also included as an extra on the box set DVD of seasons 1 thru 3.
Hey, thanks for mentioning the DVDs, which I've had for ages. I must have forgotten (the old memory fails all the time) that fab video. TIM
Posted by: Laura | August 13, 2010 4:45 PM
That is another DVD set on my list. Have you seen the 1995 British comedy movie, "Cold Comfort Farm"? Joanna Lumley of Ab-Fab has a quite interesting role in it. Plus it has Stephen Fry and pre-Gandalf Ian McKellen. (Thanks for letting me mention the movie here.)
Oh yeah, we like 'Cold Comfort Farm,' too, especially because of Patsy, I mean Joanna. She's worth seeing in anything (including, of course, her youthful appearance on 'Are You Being Served?'). TIM
Posted by: Clayton | August 13, 2010 6:25 PM
Remember, she was on TWO episodes of "AYBS." "German Week" and whatever the official name is of the Bliss Girl episode. She was married to Jeremy Lloyd, who along with David Croft created "AYBS." I'm just full of... trivia, as Tim well knows.
Posted by: Robert | August 13, 2010 7:37 PM
great video! I just LOVE Ab Fab.
http://sociosound.wordpress.com
Posted by: Danielle | August 17, 2010 2:37 AM