JCC CenterStage production showcases struggles and hopes of America past and present.
community theater
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THEATER: A theater town
Anyone who believes that theater is a dying art has not spent much time in Rochester; we have always offered a remarkably full range of theater, for consumption and for participation. To use a word theater people enjoy, the Rochester theater scene is very textured; there’s a little of everything offered, and something for everybody […]
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Off Monroe Players
Mention the name of Sir William S. Gilbert to most musical-theater fans, and their response is apt to be “…and Sullivan.” Gilbert and his composing partner Sir Arthur Sullivan are indeed best remembered as collaborators on more than a dozen operettas, including “HMS Pinafore,” “The Mikado,” and “The Gondoliers.” Considered the cream of Victorian musical […]
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Theater Review: Pittsford Musicals’ “Les Miserables”
After sitting through a disappointing 2012 film adaptation and the lackluster 25th anniversary touring production that made a stop at the Auditorium Center back in May, I admit that, despite my fondness for the show, I wasn’t quite sure I was ready to subject myself to yet another staging of “Les Misérables.” Thankfully, I decided […]
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THEATER: The trials of trying out
When depicted in the movies, theater auditions are usually fraught and drama-ridden. They can be that way in real life too, but most theater companies try to save the drama for the production, and to be as fair as possible. Different local community-theater groups do have different approaches to the all-important subject of auditioning, depending […]
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THEATER: The next act
I’ve always heard Rochester described as a “theater town,” a distinction that seems like a rare one in the days of TV on demand, web series, and all the other performance media that keep a distance between you and the performers. Judging from a look at the Greater Rochester area’s 2013-2014 theater calendar, we’re still […]
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“Twelfth Night”
The combination of Shakespeare, a warm summer night, a lovely green space, fireflies, and a bottle of wine (well, not if you’re reviewing, of course) has been a popular one in Rochester for 17 years, thanks to the Rochester Community Players. The group’s Shakespeare Players shingle presents the Bard’s works throughout the year, but it’s […]
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THEATER REVIEW: “The Lesson” & “The Bald Soprano”
Thank goodness for MuCCC. The Neighborhood of the Arts-based theater has been around almost five years and continues to stage the kinds of works that most local theater groups wouldn’t dream of touching. Take, for instance, “The Bald Soprano” and “The Lesson,” the Eugene Ionesco double-bill currently being staged at MuCCC by John W. Borek […]
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THEATER REVIEW: “A Chorus Line”
If you were around for the original incarnation of “A Chorus Line” in the 1970’s, you may remember the ads touting it as “The Best Musical. Ever.” Its award-laden 15-year run on Broadway seemed to bear that out; the show even survived a terrible movie adaptation. Whether or not “A Chorus Line” is the best […]
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THEATER REVIEW: “Funny Girl”
UPDATE 5/10/13: The JCC has announced that, due to popular demand, an additional performance has been added to the run on Sunday, May 19, at 7 p.m. You can understand why a community theater would want to revive a fondly remembered musical like “Funny Girl.” It ran for more than 1300 performances when it first […]
