I like to think that I am,
at the very least, somewhat thematic. I’ve been playing the video game “Kingdom
Hearts” the past few weeks (it features a slew of Disney characters and
settings), watched the original Disney animated version of “Alice in
Wonderland” earlier this week, and in that same line of thought, decided
that checking out “Alice in
Wonderland” at RAPA was a fitting way to kick off Fringe this weekend.
The show comes courtesy of
Nazareth College’s new BFA in Acting program. Twelve different students took on
all 27 roles in the play, which hits upon fairly familiar territory across the
Alice mythos. Nearly everyone in the ensemble needed to project just a little
more, especially Alice (played by Meghan Palmer), who carried the bulk of the
heavy line lifting here. Just a little more oomph goes a long way. But the play
was cute, quirky, and as enjoyable as one would expect from a trip through
Wonderland, even if the ending was quite abrupt
(It just kind of…ended). Still, it would make a good treat for the younger (or
young at heart) playgoers out there.
(“Alice in Wonderland” also takes place Saturday 9/28 7 p.m. at RAPA’s East End Theatre. Tickets cost $10.)
I’m a sucker for Irish
music, and up next was Roisin Dubh, a
student group from East Rochester’s school district playing at Eastman School
of Music’s Kilbourn Hall. Though you probably
wouldn’t have know this was a group of middle- and high-school-aged students playing
out traditional Irish reels, with dancing, accordions, fiddles, and whistles
all included. There’s a reason the group has gained high accolades, including
being featured on NPR. This is really a gem in our own backyard, and it was
cool to see the group pull in guests from the greater Rochester Irish music
community, as well as the fact that some of the musical parts were arranged and
written by students. There’s talent here, that’s for sure.
My school didn’t have anything
like this (insert back-in-my-day cry here), and it really was great not only
listening to the group, but seeing students involved musically in something
that is part of a larger tradition and isn’t required as part of a regular
curriculum. As a fellow band geek, trust me, you never know where music will
take you. Keep it up. I’ve also decided that I’m going to make my
imaginary daughter take River Dance lessons. Maybe violin,
too. Because I’m the dad, that’s why!
Last on the docket was the Silent Disco, which meant I finally got
to visit the much-hyped Spiegeltent that has become
the focal point for Fringe this year. It’s a beautiful venue, and it’s great to
see Fringe garner a much-needed center attraction for the duration of the
festival.
But, on to the
disco. The idea of a Silent Disco
is really neat, even if it feels somewhat silly at first. Instead of your
typical ear-splitting dance party, everyone in the tent had a pair of
headphones. You could control your own volume
(though I wish they went a little louder) and pick between two live DJ sets.
Take the headphones off and you can carry on a conservation
with the rest of your group. It solved a lot of problems about the traditional
club experience (saving my hearing being one of them), and it also gave you two
different sets from which you could switch back and forth.
The one problem it could
lead to is a somewhat more awkward dancing experience, since everybody isn’t on
the same page musically. I was a little nervous that would be what the event
might turn into, but fear not: as more and more people filled in the tent and
started dancing, the party took right off with it. Needless to say, I’ll be
back to check it out again next weekend when I’m off the clock and off the
wagon.
(Silent Disco repeats Friday 9/27 and Saturday 9/28 10
p.m.-midnight at the Spiegeltent. Tickets
cost $5-$7. )
This article appears in Sep 18-24, 2013.
