April 16–23, 1998 city beat   Baker’s Two Dozen After 24 years in jail for a crime he says he did not commit, Eddie Baker is still awaiting his court-ordered retrial. by John McNally “It takes time for a miracle…

April 16–23, 1998 mailbag Letters to the Editor by the Readers   McSlam Corporate giant McDonald’s is implicated in large-scale environmental degradation, promoting unhealthful eating habits and exploiting untold numbers of food animals. And now their insatiable appetite for financial…

April 9–16, 1998 review|theater A Question of Mercy Philadelphia Theatre Co. at Plays & Players, 1714 Delancey St., through April 26, 735-0631 Dr. Robert Chapman, the character whose consciousness controls A Question of Mercy, tells us how he discovered, in…

April 2–9, 1998 critical mass|preview Oh, Cabaret It’s a word with multiple meanings. There’s the big show with the capital letter “C.” There’s the intimate boîte where women in slinky gowns lean against the piano while crooning torch songs. And…

March 19–26, 1998 book quarterly|bookquicks: kids’ books Kids’ Books A Midsummer Night’s Dream By William Shakespeare, retold by Bruce Coville, illustrations by Dennis Nolan Dial, $16.99, ages 10 and under Shakespeare’s crazy play is his best comedy, but it’s not…

February 26–March 5, 1998 movies Sidebar: Talking with the architects of Dark City The city mutates: buildings expand, the streets undulate, the people are set to sleep so that their memories can be erased and replaced. Dark City Satisfying confusion…

February 26–March 5, 1998 disc quicks|classical Dinu Lipatti, piano. Chopin: 14 Waltzes; Barcarolle; Nocturne Op. 27, No 2; Mazurka Op. 50, No 3. (EMI) This recording of the Chopin Waltzes has not left the catalog in the nearly half century…

February 5–12, 1998 20 questions Don Knotts Interview by Ed Condran The front desk clerk at the Scranton, PA, hotel where Don Knotts is staying is so charming and inept he could have been schooled by Barney Fife. The well-meaning…

January 29–February 5, 1998 theater The Campers and Other Adventures Second Stage at the Adrienne, 2030 Sansom St., through Feb. 8, 563-4330 Robert Christophe is clearly one of Philadelphia’s theatrical treasures. We always knew he could really act, and his…