At this point, what more can a review of any production of “Hamilton” say that hasn’t already been said about the beloved hit musical? Since its debut 10 years ago, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking hip-hop-driven homage to America’s previously undersung founding father, Alexander Hamilton, has burst into Broadway’s billion-dollar-club and been showered with the kind of […]
Arts & Entertainment
Posted inTheater
Performers of all abilities find a home onstage with Artists Unlimited
When Anthony Vignare saw the Artists Unlimited production of “Peter Pan” as a young teen, he was in awe of the people literally soaring — in harnesses — across the stage. “It was really cool, all the flying,” he said. Not long after, those actors who caused his imagination to take flight would become his […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Rochester Community Players celebrates 100 years of local theater
Eight hundred words couldn’t possibly do justice to 100 years of history. That’s why the full tale of the Rochester Community Players — the oldest community theater group in the city (and the second-oldest in New York State) — rests partly in the hands of Karen Olson. Olson, a past RCP board president who now […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Memorial Art Gallery receives gift of $3 million to support forever free admission
The Memorial Art Gallery announced it’s halfway to the goal of offering forever free admission, thanks to a gift of $3 million from Doug and Abby Bennett and the Sands Family Foundation. The funds establish the Abby and Doug Bennett and Sands Family Foundation Free for All Endowment as part of the $1.75 billion For […]
Posted inNightlife
A barricaded ‘entertainment district’ in the East and Alexander neighborhood is driving popular businesses to close
It’s a clear early autumn night as crowds of revelers make their way down East Avenue to the slew of watering holes and eateries that dot the strip. Before the weekend party begins, each must make a pitstop at a gated barricade, empty their pockets and get frisked by a security officer. People under 21 […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)’ at Blackfriars Theatre
For a lot of theatregoers, the name of Sarah Ruhl’s 2009 play gives pause — and then they’re likely either intrigued or offended. For those who choose the former, Blackfriars Theatre is staging “In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)” through November 9. The plot follows Dr. and Mrs. Givings, a couple with a […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘Witch,’ presented by the Penfield Players
A woman — not a witch, just a woman whose town has decided they don’t like her — addresses the audience. She wonders if it would be better to burn the world down. (Who hasn’t?) She then addresses anyone who feels like they’ve lost hope, inviting them to hear a story. Such begins the clever, […]
Posted inLiterature
Rochester native taps upstate New York’s mystery and magic in debut novel
Sparrow Hall is a diehard New Yorker — and, unlike many who adopt that moniker, he has made a life out of embracing the state in its entirety. He’s run a microblog touting hidden gems such as the stretch of Route 5 between Amsterdam and Little Falls, soft launched his debut novel by personally transporting […]
Posted inMovies
Tinseltown to become one of 33 theaters worldwide equipped to show IMAX 70mm film
IMAX and Cinemark announced on Monday an agreement to add and upgrade systems across 17 locations, with Rochester’s Tinseltown location on Buffalo Road becoming one of three — along with Colorado Springs and Chicago — to receive IMAX 70mm for the first time. Currently, there are only 30 theaters in the world equipped to project […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review | ‘Sancocho’ at Geva Theatre
Like the Puerto Rican dish itself, Christin Eve Cato’s savory family tale is tempered by love and survival.
Posted inMusic
fivebyfive’s latest project combines music and movement to mark 100 years of quantum mechanics
This year marks the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics — a milestone that might seem far removed from music and dance. But chamber ensemble fivebyfive and University of Rochester dance faculty members see a natural link between science and art. Their upcoming collaboration, “Subatomic Mysteries,” which premieres at Sloan Performing Arts Center on October 18 […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Boa Editions unveils new logo to mark 50 years
For half a century, local press Boa Editions has published about a dozen poetry books per year, using a logo design pulled from Greek mythology. The bard Orpheus, best known as a storyteller and musician, became a fitting symbol for Boa, depicted in the publisher’s logo with his trademark lyre. Rochester-based Ukrainian artist Mirko Pylyshenko […]
