Cover Story
Opera like no other
Collaboration between Eastman School, PUSH Physical Theatre, and Mexican arts organizations gives birth to weird, impressive new work It has been more than 60 years since an opera by an Eastman School of Music faculty member premiered in the illustrious Kodak Hall. Now, two Eastman professors of composition — the Mexican-born musicians Carlos Sánchez-Gutiérrez and…
Working together to survive Trump
Many opportunities exist locally for people to keep the work going to advance progressive causes.
GALLERY: ‘Not My President’ rally in New York City
Anti-Trump protests in New York City haven’t stopped since the election results aired last week. Protesters met on 17th Street on Saturday, creating a block of people that stretched past 14th Street and Union Square, as it prepared to march two miles to the Trump Tower on 56th Street. Side streets were blocked and the…
WEEK AHEAD: Events for the week of Monday, November 14
Later today, there will be blood drive that is doubling as a tribute to the late Gary Stern, owner of Village Gate in the Neighborhood of the Arts. The drive is from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. today (Monday, November 14) at Village Gate plaza on North Goodman Street. Stern was a key figure in…
Theater review: ‘Mother (and me)’ at Geva
A darkened, hushed theater has therapeutic qualities. If the show is compelling, it’s a place where troubles of the week can be left behind as the drama unfolding onstage transports the audience to a different reality. This was a good week for theater, and an even better week to see “Mother (and me),” which runs…
Film review: “Certain Women”
The films of Kelly Reichardt tend to sneak up on you. Since her 1994 debut, “River of Grass,” the American director’s films have been distinct in their quiet, sparsely plotted nature. With her hyper-realist style, Reichardt tends to forgo big, emotional moments in favor of clear-eyed character portraits filled with the kind of tiny, perfectly…
GALLERY: ‘Not My America’ rally at the University of Rochester
A “Not My America” rally was held in the University of Rochester’s Eastman Quadrangle on Friday, bringing several hundred people out to protest against the election of Donald Trump and his history of racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic remarks and practices. Following opening remarks commemorating veterans (the rally was held on Veterans Day), a moment…
Waking up to another country: CITY’s post-election commentary
Updated throughout the day on Wednesday.
Feedback 11/9
We welcome your comments. Send them to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. Comments of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Midtown madness…
Urban Action 11/9
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Public meeting set on climate plan The City of Rochester with the Rochester People’s Climate Coalition will hold a public open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9, to…
Getting to zero energy costs
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts colder temperatures and more snow in Western New York than average this winter. But Honeoye Falls resident Matthew Bowers says he isn’t concerned, even though he doesn’t have a furnace. Bowers, a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology and certified passive home designer, says he’s confident the home he designed…
New wind, old fights
New York leads in wind development in the Northeast, but still trails 12 other states in the country, including California, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington. Texas is eating everybody’s lunch. A burst of new wind projects could push New York higher in the rankings; emphasis on “could.” Plenty of state wind-farm proposals have died due to…
What’s coming in local beers this winter
Last winter, Genesee Brewing’s Salted Caramel Chocolate Porter was everywhere. The porter became one of the bestselling beers at Wegmans locations across seven states, boosted by a feature in Wegmans’ Menu Magazine. Beer drinkers around Rochester were eagerly talking about the porter because of its distinctive, successful combination of flavors. It is not hard to…
Album Review: ‘In Paris: The ORTF Recordings’
Larry Young “In Paris: The ORTF Recordings” Resonance Records resonancerecords.org If you have not heard of the great jazz organist Larry Young, it may be because he died at the age of 38 in 1978, and he has been overshadowed by other keyboard artists of his generation. But Young was a force, playing with Miles…
Album Review: ‘Plays Ballads & Love Songs’
Richie Cole “Plays Ballads & Love Songs” RCP richiecole.com There’s a tradition among jazz saxophonists: in the midst of a career of furious soloing, slow down and release an album of ballads. John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and many others have set the pace; now Richie Cole has joined them with “Plays Ballads & Love Songs.”…
THEATER | “The Boys Next Door”
Intellectual and developmental disabilities are no laughing matter, but in Tom Griffin’s 1986 play, “The Boys Next Door,” the subject is explored in a humorous, touching take onstage. The story follows four young men with disabilities who live in a communal home supervised by a burnt out young social worker. Throughout the course of the…
CLASSICAL | “Of Earth and Heaven”
Matthias Weckmann may not be well-known today, but as a student of the great Heinrich Schütz and a predecessor of J.S. Bach, he is one of the most interesting composers of 17th century Germany. For its first concert of the season, “Of Earth and Heaven,” Publick Musick explores the instrumental and vocal output of Weckmann…
ART | “M.C. Escher: Reality and Illusion”
Dutch artist M.C. Escher combined his supreme grasp of mathematics and a wide-open imagination to create iconic, mind-bending work, which has had a lasting impact. You can catch his influence on album art and movie sets, including the final face-off scene in Jim Henson’s 1986 film, “Labyrinth.” (Yes, I can connect anything to David Bowie.)…
CLASSICAL | Renée Fleming with Eastman Philharmonia
Sure, any concert featuring the preeminent American soprano Renée Fleming is going to make waves. But on Saturday, the Eastman Philharmonia — led by Neil Varon — will present a program that is bound to be a tremendous source of pride for Rochester and a cause for excitement among contemporary classical music fans. Raised in…
LECTURE | “An Evening of Empowerment with Angela Davis”
Political activist, scholar, and author Angela Davis attended a segregated elementary school in Birmingham, Alabama, before embarking on an academic career that would inform her involvement in important social justice movements around the world. She has the distinction of having been called a terrorist by the likes of Nixon, being placed on the Most Wanted…
SPECIAL EVENT | “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses”
The last few Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concert seasons has seen the organization dip into the under-appreciated world of video game music — the RPO hosted “Video Games Live” in 2014, and tackled the grand, sweeping “Final Fantasy” series in 2015. On Friday, the RPO will take on the music of “The Legend of Zelda,” one…
FILM | “Here, There & Everywhere”
Warren Miller is almost synonymous with “action-sports film,” and the most recent flick from the Warren Miller Entertainment group is playing in Rochester as a stop on the film’s tour. “Here, There & Everywhere” captures industry veterans on various voyages: freeskiing in Crested Butte, traveling Greenland via dogsled, a trip around Switzerland, and a ski…
ELECTRONICA | Apashe
There are really two sides to the tracks created by Brussels-born, Montreal-based producer Apashe: on the surface, it’s drum and bass purely meant to get bodies moving in a tight, dark crowd, but digging in, there’s depth, eclectic influences, and rare sophistication. Apashe taps hip-hop, funk, and a little jazz and swing to craft songs…
THEATER | “There’s Always Time for a Cocktail”
Celebrity housewife Mrs. Kasha Davis has been on the road virtually non-stop since her appearance on season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race. But she’s back in Rochester for another performance of “There’s Always Time for a Cocktail,” which was developed at the Rochester Fringe Festival and JCC CenterStage. With humor, music, heart, and party games,…
ROCK | Periodic Table of Elephants
I’m not completely sold on power duos, but local act Periodic Table of Elephants has me hooked. Jason Pariseau (vocals, guitar) and Sean McGinnis Scanlon (drums) sound fuller than most, and they fire up both cylinders with a punk and pop bite reminiscent of bands like The Offspring. Tunes about poor manners (“Kung Pao Chicken”),…
DANCE | New Dancers Showcase
Twenty-five College at Brockport dance students will perform original choreographed works — ranging in styles from traditional African to pop and jazz — in this year’s New Dancers Showcase. The annual event, now in its 13th year, is a good opportunity to see the best of up-and-coming dancers performing works by members of the Brockport…
CLASSICAL | Early Music Festival
Rochester has a thriving early music scene, and every November brings a large celebration of the best of it during the Rochester Early Music Festival. It all started with a single Gala Concert 16 years ago, and the concert remains a festival highlight, to be held this year on Friday, November 18, 7:30 p.m., at…
KIDS/THEATER | “Skippyjon Jones: Snow What”
A Siamese cat who believes he is a Mexican Chihuahua is the star of the children’s musical, “Skippyjon Jones: Snow What,” based on the New York Times bestselling book by Judy Schachner. When Skippyjon gets tired of listening to storybook fairy tales, he sets off to make his own adventures with his friends, the Chimichangos.…
Flower City Ballet sees a shift in leadership
Flower City Ballet, a 34-year-old Rochester institution, is in the middle of a leadership change. The school’s founder, Wayne Blatt — who is 75 and affectionately called Mr. B by his students and friends — is currently receiving end-of-life care at Strong Hospital’s Palliative Care Unit and has willed his school to dancer and choreographer…
Looking for leadership for our next four years
Political leaders will have to be involved in our healing, and what I’ve seen from some of them recently isn’t encouraging.
Preview: High Falls Film Festival 2016
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of its founding, the Rochester High Falls Film Festival returns this week and continues its mission of spotlighting the achievements of women in all aspects of filmmaking, both in front of and behind the camera. Beginning on Thursday, November 10, the festival will screen 15 narrative and documentary features as well…
Honest Folk shakes the concert up
A simple group of folk music lovers, Honest Folk, has started bringing touring acts to Rochester for intimate pop-up shows, like Tow’rs (pictured) playing The Metropolitan next Monday.
