Imagine if a job interview turned into a therapy session: “OK, your resume looks great, now tell us your childhood traumas.” What would be a cruel hiring process makes excellent theater. Every character desperately wants the job, and they’re willing to sing, dance and get vulnerable. That’s the premise of “A Chorus Line,” playing now […]
Theater
Posted inRochester Fringe Festival
Five drag nuns walk into a gay bar in standout Fringe premiere ‘Mass Drag’
The photo of James Lopata’s parents meeting Pope John Paul II hangs near his front door but somehow doesn’t command attention. Lopata’s paternal grandmother grew up with John Paul in Wadowice, Poland, so he had a family connection. When he mentions the pin his mother wore to greet the pontiff, the scene becomes downright revolutionary. […]
Posted inTheater
Nostalgia and feel-good picks permeate this season’s theatrical lineup
We live in uncertain times. The AI technological revolution has many wondering (and worrying) about the future. One of the more optimistic speculations is that if AI becomes more widespread, theater will have a resurgence: people will long for a space away from screens in the company of other humans more than ever. But a […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ at Highland Bowl
In the era of AI slop and bot accounts, it’s easy to be nostalgic for the Internet of yore — somewhere around 2015, before courts were weighing the damage social media companies have done to youth and when influencers were still somewhat novel. That long-ago year is the setting for a phone-obsessed “The Taming of […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘Suffs’ at West Herr Auditorium Theatre
Rochester prides itself on being the home of Susan B. Anthony — but before you get your hopes up, you should know that the city’s favorite local suffragist is not a character in “Suffs.” While she is alluded to, the events of this touring Tony-award winning musical take place years after Anthony’s 1906 death, starting […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘Anastasia: The Musical’ at Geva Theatre
Geva Theatre’s final production of the 2025-26 season is a journey worth taking.
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 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 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 inTheater
REVIEW | ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ at RBTL
A teenage girl lounges in bed, writing a letter to Make a Wish Foundation punctuated with smiley and frowny faces. She refers to documentation of her short life expectancy, then trails off into a musical “do do do do.” It’s a little moment that catches you off guard – this girl knows she’s going to […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘Barefoot in the Park’ at Geva Theatre
Nostalgia has a strong pull in times of uncertainty. Perhaps that’s why Neil Simon has been especially popular this theatrical season. His comedies seem familiar and fun, especially for theatergoers who witnessed his prolific stage and screenwriting career, which started in the 1960s. A longtime favorite of regional theater, Simon’s works have also recently been […]
