Broome Arts Mirror – Local Theatre Reviews
The Broome Arts Mirror is a group of volunteers affiliated with the Broome County Arts Council who write previews and reviews about local performances and arts shows. For inquiries, including having someone review your local production, please contact us at bamirror@broomearts.org.
KNOW ending season with Pulitzer-winning ‘How I Learned to Drive’
By George Basler How I Learned to Drive deals with a disturbing topic: How an adolescent girl is groomed for a sexually abusive relationship by an older adult. “Absolutely it’s hard to watch,” said Samantha Rose, who is directing a production that opens Friday (June 10) and runs for [...]
SRO’s ‘Little Women’ brings classic novel to new level
Reviewed by Katherine Karlson For those who think they know the American classic Little Women, it’s time to revise that opinion, thanks to the SRO Production III’s entertaining production that opened Friday (June 3) at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City. SRO first presented this musical version [...]
SRO returns to Alcott’s timeless ‘Little Women’
By George Basler A decade ago, SRO Productions III staged a musical version of Little Women, and it was a solid smash. The performances sold out, and the company added a third week of shows to meet the demand. Now, 10 years later, the company is reviving the show [...]
Chenango River Theatre plans adventurous season
By George Basler The Chenango River Theatre is starting its 2022 season with a new producing artistic director who wants to bring a sense of adventure to the theater while building on its strong history. “There is a temptation to play it safe (in a new job), but I [...]
Downtown Singers to present ‘Remember and Rejoice’ concert
By George Basler Back in 2020, the Binghamton Downtown Singers were mere months away from performing Gabriel Fauré's Requiem for their spring concert. But COVID-19 forced a cancellation. Now, two years later, the community choir is preparing to finally perform Fauré’s masterwork as the centerpiece of its “Remember and Rejoice” [...]
Ti-Ahwaga Community Players hope to rock the house with ‘Sister Act’
By George Basler Mix some singing and dancing nuns with some gangsters on the prowl and disco music from the late 1970s, and you get an idea of what’s in store for audiences when Sister Act opens June 3 at the Ti-Ahwaga Performing Arts Center in Owego. “It’s one [...]
BU’s ‘She Kills Monsters’ is imaginative success
Reviewed by George Basler She Kills Monsters is a play that deals with the serious topics of school bullying, adolescent anxiety and premature death in a way that’s goofy, irreverent and just plain fun. That’s a difficult combination to pull off, but a production that opened Thursday (May 5) [...]
BU’s ‘She Kills Monsters’ will confront issues faced by young people
By George Basler Brian Gillespie is a New York City-based director with a long list of credits and a website that says, “His work encourages audiences to transcend the realms of realism and actively engage their imaginations to co-create the theatrical event.” That’s the approach the 53-year-old director has [...]
Gregori owns the stage in BLAST’s ‘Master Class’
UPDATE: Director Kate Murray has posted the following on Facebook: "The remaining performances of Master Class have been canceled due to an unforeseen circumstance. If you have tickets for the performances on 4/30 or 5/1 and need assistance in exchanging your tickets or a refund, please contact the box [...]
Gregori’s ‘Master Class’ getting new production at Cider Mill Stage
By George Basler Andrea Gregori has made Maria Callas a signature role. She’s played the renowned and influential opera singer four times in theaters across the Southern Tier but never gets tired of the part in Terrence McNally's play Master Class. “I find her fascinating. The role is difficult [...]
Percussion in the Park comes to Rec Park for two Saturday mornings
Binghamton’s Recreation Park is the inspiration for, as well as the site of, two free concerts that will introduce youngsters to music and show how they can make it themselves. “Percussion in the Park” in Rec Park's OurSpace playground will feature a piece written by student composers from Binghamton [...]
BPO season finale to take audience on a musical meander
By Katherine Karlson The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra completes this season’s musical journey back to live performance with two symphonic blockbusters and a modern composition that Maestro Daniel Hege compares to a breath of fresh spring air. “Wander: Symphonic Music of Dvořák, Rachmaninoff, Garrop” focuses its first half on the [...]
Organist’s concert will be tribute to César Franck
By George Basler This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of César Franck, the renowned composer, pianist, organist and music teacher. The Binghamton Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is celebrating with a special concert at 7 p.m. Friday (April 22) at United Presbyterian Church, 42 [...]
‘Meteor Shower’ provides brightest of black comedy at KNOW Theatre
Reviewed by Katherine Karlson A sparkling gem of black comedy has been hiding in plain sight at the KNOW Theatre since April 8, and anyone in dire need of an unfettered belly laugh should run, not walk, to catch it before it careens off stage on April 24. Steve [...]
EPAC delivers strong take on ‘JC Superstar’
Reviewed by Katherine Karlson The current Endicott Performing Arts Center production of Jesus Christ Superstar rocks. That is, it’s a half-century throwback to the heady time when popular music was used to tell dramatic stories from past historical eras. Think Pippin and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the [...]
