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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 15 November 2019
Despite female push, Garth Brooks bests Underwood at CMAs

By MESFIN FEKADU “The female creative spirit,
Associated Press the female energy is really
The Country Music Asso- needed right now, it’s re-
ciation Awards almost fully ally important and I feel like
honored and highlighted it’s something that Earth
the women of country mu- needs. So whether it’s me
sic — whose songs have that’s up here or any of the
been heavily dismissed other women in this cat-
on country radio over the egory, I just think that it’s a
years — until two words beautiful thing and I’m very
were uttered when they appreciative,” Musgraves
named its entertainer of said.
the year: Garth Brooks. Other women who won
Wednesday night’s show Wednesday included Ash-
kicked off with a perfor- ley McBryde, who won
mance featuring country new artist of the year, and
female acts across gen- fiddle player Jenee Flee-
erations, included three fe- nor, named musician of the
male hosts and had Maren year.
Morris as its top nominee. Musgraves, joined by Willie
But in the final moments, Nelson, gave a wonder-
Brooks won the top prize Garth Brooks accepts the award for entertainer of the year at the 53rd annual CMA Awards at ful performance of “Rain-
over Carrie Underwood, Bridgestone Arena, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. bow Connection” from
who many had hoped Associated Press “The Muppet Movie,” even
would be the first female to weaving in some of her
win entertainer of the year all-female tour, for an en- acts by taking home album is here tonight and she looks own song “Rainbow.” Pink
since 2011. tertainer of the year win. of the year for “GIRL.” The so beautiful. Thank you for also shined, with Chris Sta-
Brooks did highlight female The last woman to win the award also went to her pro- sharing your husband with pleton by her side, as she
acts during his acceptance prize was Taylor Swift, and ducer busbee, who died in us once a month, and my performed the song “Love
speech at the Bridgestone Underwood was this year’s September at age 43 from heart just goes out to you Me Anyway.” And Dan +
Arena in Nashville, Tennes- sole female nominee. brain cancer. and your beautiful daugh- Shay, who won vocal duo
see. Underwood hosted the “I would be really remiss if I ters. I hope when they listen of the year, gave a beau-
“If they gave this award for show alongside McEn- didn’t mention a huge fac- to this record or any of the tiful, heartwarming perfor-
this show tonight, I’d have tire and Dolly Parton, and et of why this album sounds songs that he made that mance of the hit “Speech-
to give it to Reba McEntire’s though she didn’t win any the way it does, and we made us all better, they less.”
performance,” Brooks said, awards, Underwood did miss him so dearly. He text- know how amazing their In a white dress and stand-
while also praising Kelsea win over the audience: She ed me the morning that father was.” ing on a stage donned with
Ballerini and Luke Combs, was a vocal beast, hitting we got the nomination for Kacey Musgraves, who white flowers, Morris — who
who won two honors. all the right notes and more album of the year this year, won four Grammys this is pregnant — performed
All eyes seemed to be on during a smoky perfor- and we were so excited, year, picked up female vo- her hit song “GIRL,” touch-
Underwood, who had a mance of “Drinking Alone.” and that’s our friend bus- calist of the year and music ing her belly as she hit a
successful year with her al- Morris also marked the big bee,” a teary-eyed Morris video of the year for “Rain- high note at the end of her
bum “Cry Pretty” and an night for female country said onstage. “His wife Jess bow.” performance.q

Historical society preserves 210-year-old theater curtain

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Worrall, the curtain mea- cently removed decades
The Rhode Island Historical sures 24 feet (7.3 meters) of dust, painted worn sec-
Society has preserved a wide and 15 feet (4.6 me- tions along the seams and
rare, 210-year-old theater ters) tall. The drop scene repaired small tears. The
curtain depicting a sweep- was used in the city’s only historical society and a
ing view of Providence. theater in the early 1800s private donor paid for the
The organization was cel- to entertain audiences be- work.
ebrating the completion of tween shows in the early The organization’s files
the conservation work on days of stage performanc- and research on the cur-
Wednesday for their 198th es in New England. tain date to the time it
annual meeting. The soci- The historical society took was painted and experts
ety said it knows of no other possession in 1833 when haven’t been able to find
older surviving piece of the theater closed. an older piece of surviving
American theater scenery. “It was seen as a spectacle American theater scenery,
Executive Director Morgan and something that need- said Richard Ring, the dep-
Grefe said it’s amazing that ed to be saved. We were uty executive director for In this Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 photo, Rhode Island Historical So-
ciety administrators Richard Ring and Morgan Grefe view a re-
a fabric curtain survived the folks in town that saved collections and interpreta- stored 210-year-old theater curtain depicting a sweeping view
more than two centuries to things,” Grefe said. tion. of the city in Providence, R.I.
tell the story of Providence. The panorama of the “Most folks who would’ve Associated Press
“Here we are in 2019, still city is displayed in the or- gotten theater curtains
talking about it and being ganization’s ballroom in would’ve said that they vival. It takes so much effort the public to view the cur-
surprised by what it has to Providence, serving as a can’t handle it and got- to keep it the way it is for so tain at its office on Benevo-
tell us,” she said. backdrop for many public ten rid of them,” he said. long.” lent Street from 1 p.m. to 5
Painted in 1809 by John programs. Conservators re- “That’s why it’s a rare sur- The historical society invites p.m. on Thursday.q