Inside an old church-turned-blackbox theater on Atlantic Avenue, there’s an intimate yet polished atmosphere that suits movement-based work particularly well. That’s part of the reason MuCCC (short for Multi-use Community Cultural Center) has become a go-to venue for local dancers. From June 3-7, “dance theater x3” brings three distinct productions to the space: Rochester dance […]
Arts & Entertainment
Posted inMovie Previews
Mara Ahmed’s cinema of the unseen wound
Best known for her non-linear multimedia work, filmmaker Mara Ahmed creates documentaries, soundscapes and visual art projects that challenge colonial narratives and cross political and cultural borders. Born in Lahore but educated in Belgium, Pakistan and the United States, Ahmed’s work reflects those layered histories and displacements. She has directed five films, including “The Muslims I Know,” “Pakistan One […]
Posted inDance
Garth Fagan Dance looks back — and forward — during a milestone 55 years
Audiences around the world have long been enamored with Garth Fagan’s choreography. While families and theatergoers may be most familiar with his Tony Award-winning work on “The Lion King,” others have been singing Fagan’s praises since long before his Broadway debut. But without the company and overall artistry of Garth Fagan Dance, it’s unlikely his […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Following a two-year artist residency, Baron Vaughn’s newest show premieres at Geva Theatre
Growing up in Las Vegas, Baron Vaughn loved comedy. His mother and grandmother raised him through a tumultuous childhood, and his father was out of the picture. Comedians on TV like Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor became Vaughn’s father figures. He wanted to be like them, so he pursued the first opportunity he found to […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘A Beautiful Noise’ at RBTL
There is a cruel irony in that Neil Diamond, whose songs have made millions of people feel “so good, so good, so good,” felt so bad about himself for much of his life. Diamond has spoken openly about his persistent depression and loneliness, but even his most ardent fans could be forgiven for being surprised […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Muck Duck Studio spreads its wings with a new event space in NOTA
Take a walk with Casey Arthur. Descend the stairs at 100 College Ave. and meet the artist and founder of Muck Duck Studio, who is standing in a feathered hat. Then step into a 7,000 square-foot space where soon, Arthur said, couches will host first dates in which paintbrushes and chamomile tea break the ice. […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘Furlough’s Paradise’ at Geva Theatre
How would it feel to just be? To fully belong to your body, to be free from the way the world sees and punishes you, to return to a childlike innocence before you knew death, to sit on a couch with someone you’ve loved your entire life and — just be? This is the dream […]
Posted inSports
Don Stevens to retire after 40 years as voice of the Amerks
When Don Stevens was hired as the Rochester Americans’ radio broadcaster in the summer of 1986, his wife asked how long they would be there. “Two years, max,” Don said. Stevens had his eyes on a career in the National Hockey League and thought Rochester would be the final minor-league stop on that journey. “The […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘Wife to James Whelan’ at MuCCC
It would not be surprising if you haven’t heard of Teresa Deevy, a Deaf Irish playwright whose robust career in the 1930s has given way to obscurity. In 2010, the Mint Theater Company in New York City kicked off an initiative to reintroduce Deevy to the public, but her work is still rarely produced. Through […]
Posted inDance
A sweet sendoff for Thomas Warfield
College can feel like an alternate universe. Surrounded by strangers and pushed out of their comfort zones, students encounter experiences they may have never imagined. In the Performing Arts Department at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Institute for the Deaf, students with varying backgrounds in the arts come together to create and experiment. Professor Thomas […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
RIT unveils new performing arts center
It includes a 747-seat theater with two balconies, an outdoor amphitheater, a large rehearsal hall, costume and scene shops, as well as a box office, an operations office and an area for food service.
Posted inNightlife
Queer nightclub Flora takes root as a gathering place
On a gray afternoon in Rochester, light filters through the tall windows of Flora on Monroe Avenue, catching blue-tinted glass and clay-toned walls. The room feels warm, almost unexpectedly so. In one corner, someone reads quietly with a drink. At the bar, a small group chats with the bartender. Later, the music will get louder […]
