At the age of 37, composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda is already a recipient of a Pulitzer Prize, three Tony Awards, two Grammys, an Emmy, and a MacArthur Fellowship. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award and was named in Time’s 2016 “Most Influential People in the World” list. But it was three […]
Leah Stacy
Leah Stacy is CITY's editor-in-chief.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Theater review: ‘Twelfth Night’ at Blackfriars Theatre
When a theater company opens the season with an experimental take on a Shakespearean work, it’s a calculated gamble. In a digitally saturated world that provides a three-minute video version, SparkNotes study guide, and Wikipedia synopsis for every play in The Bard’s canon, there’s no guarantee audiences will care enough to see a three-hour run […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Theater review: WallByrd’s ‘Macbeth’
It takes all of five minutes for a fight to break out. As the lights dim in the grand Lyric Theatre, a bass-driven rock song blares and cast members in dystopian military garb rush the stage. A battle ensues, and only the strong survive. Such a violent beginning for WallByrd’s latest show, “Macbeth,” establishes two […]
Posted inCulture
Girl Develop It promotes women in tech through meet-ups
A meeting of Rochester’s Girl Develop It chapter looks a lot like a group of freelancers working in a coffee shop. Heads bent over laptops, brows furrowed in concentration, the click-clacking of computer keys creating a sort of musical orchestration. According to the National Center for Women in Technology, women represent just 26 percent of […]
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Theater review: Screen Plays’ ‘The Entertainer’
Three and a half hours is a long time, depending on the context. It’s longer than any of “The Lord of the Rings” films, a baseball game, and most middle school relationships. It’s especially long for a play. Screen Plays, a local community theater group that produces “Hollywood’s Golden Age on Stage,” is currently performing […]
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Theater review: ‘The Belle of Amherst’ at Cobblestone
A reunion for the cast and creative team, Emily Dickinson is brought to life in “The Belle of Amherst”
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Theater review: Blackfriars’ ‘Death of a Salesman’
In an increasingly digital world of likes, shares, and clicks, it might be hard to see how a mid-century play about a traveling salesman could possibly be relevant. Blackfriars Theatre is currently staging Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” and the final production of its 2016-17 season shows why this poignant tale remains pertinent for […]
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Theater review: ‘Titanic the Musical’ at CenterStage
The RMS Titanic, at the time the greatest ship that had ever set out across the Atlantic, collided with an iceberg on April 15, 1912. Within two hours and 40 minutes, the ocean liner sank and more than 1,500 people lost their lives in icy waters. If this feels like a spoiler, it is — […]
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Theater review: ‘Other Than Honorable’ at Geva
Every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted. In addition to that statistic, the Department of Justice estimates that there are more than 320,000 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States. In 2015, only 32 percent of sexual assault cases were reported, which means the already staggering numbers are actually […]
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Theater review: WallByrd’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’
A societal farce written in 1895 might seem like a dusty, dull choice for a younger theater company’s season. But it aligns perfectly for Wallbyrd Theatre Co., whose mission is “Based in classics. Infused with art.” The company’s seasons often draw from Artistic Director Virginia Monte’s love of classics and extensive design experience, spicing up […]
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Theater review: Geva’s ‘Private Lives’
Noël Coward penned his hit play “Private Lives” in less than a week, yet more than 80 years later the show remains a crowd-pleaser in theatrical seasons around the world. Through April 16, Geva Theatre Center is staging “Private Lives” on its Wilson Stage. Coward — who also wrote “Hay Fever” and “Blithe Spirit” — […]
