As I imagine everybody knows by now, in the early 1990’s the composer-lyricist Jonathan Larson had the inspiration of reimagining Puccini’s “La Bohème” among the boho set in New York’s Alphabet City. The show, titled “Rent,” was a smash hit on Broadway, won every award imaginable (including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama), made a ton […]
David Raymond
Posted inArts & Entertainment
“Twelfth Night”
The combination of Shakespeare, a warm summer night, a lovely green space, fireflies, and a bottle of wine (well, not if you’re reviewing, of course) has been a popular one in Rochester for 17 years, thanks to the Rochester Community Players. The group’s Shakespeare Players shingle presents the Bard’s works throughout the year, but it’s […]
Posted inMusic
CLASSICAL | Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Baritone Aaron Bigeleisen has won several local and national competitions for young singers, appeared on NPR’s “From the Top,” sang the national anthem at the White House as a presidential scholar in the arts — and he just graduated from high school. Bigeleisen also won the Rochester Philharmonic League’s Young Artist Auditions Special Award and […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
THEATER REVIEW: “A Chorus Line”
If you were around for the original incarnation of “A Chorus Line” in the 1970’s, you may remember the ads touting it as “The Best Musical. Ever.” Its award-laden 15-year run on Broadway seemed to bear that out; the show even survived a terrible movie adaptation. Whether or not “A Chorus Line” is the best […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Dream on
Downstairs Cabaret’s new offering, “Dream Lover,” really is nothing more than a nightclub act, but it’s a very good nightclub act. Singer Robert Shaw (definitely not to be confused with the actor or the choral conductor) simply salutes singer-actor-songwriter Bobby Darin, a huge star in the late 1950’s and early 60’s, known for songs like […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
THEATER: Summer’s servings on the stage
For some institutions, summer may be the slow season. But Rochester’s theater scene is coming off extremely lively fall, winter, and spring seasons, continuing the momentum right through the summer months. If you’re a fan of musicals, mysteries, comedies, and the occasional serious drama, summer offers plenty of theatrical diversions, in town and nearby. If […]
Posted inMusic
CLASSICAL PREVIEW: Chamber Opera Festival 2013
If you inevitably associate the word “opera” with the word “grand,” prepare for an eye- and ear-opening couple of weeks from Rochester Lyric Opera. Its Chamber Opera Festival, opening this week and running until May 5, is a kind of operatic tapas bar — bite-sized but tasty offerings that offer something for all tastes. The […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
All creatures great and small
Rochester is probably no more pet-conscious than any other city, but we definitely have plenty of resources for any kind of furry friend you may have, or want to have. Once you’ve welcomed him or her to your home, Fido or Puff can live the life of Riley in the Flower City: healthy, well-fed, spiffed-up, […]
