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.
When Worlds Collide: Traditional vs. Modern Operatic Staging
EDITOR's NOTE: BAMmirror contributor Tony Villecco has a new piece in the October issue of CLASSICAL SINGER Magazine: "When Worlds Collide: Traditional vs Modern Operatic Staging" (reprinted below). He interviewed three principal singers -- tenor Michael Fabiano and sopranos Aprile Mille and Lucine Amara, all Metropolitan Opera regulars -- as [...]
Did you go ‘Psycho’ on Saturday?
In case you haven't noticed, the fall performance season is in full swing, with many MANY opportunities to find entertainment in Broome County. Our BAMirror team has been busy reviewing shows all over town, but none of us were able to attend the Binghamton Philharmonic's performance of the score [...]
‘Last Five Years’ is as sad and sweet as ever
Reviewed by Nancy Oliveri I think it has been about five years since the first time I reviewed a production of The Last Five Years, a two-person musical (contemporary opera?) about love and expectations, written and composed by Jason Robert Brown. When I reread my 2013 review, I realized [...]
SRO/Vortex explores Alzheimer’s with affecting dance and music
Reviewed by George Basler Art can sometimes be a vehicle to confront painful and deeply emotional topics. Such is the case with Forget Me Not, which is being performed this weekend by Vortex, SRO Production III’s theatrical dance company. The production, which opened last night (Oct. 19, at the [...]
TCO presents lush, lovely ‘Butterfly’
Reviewed by Sherri Strichman Once again, Tri-Cities Opera has pulled out all the stops in a glorious presentation of a classic opera, Madama Butterfly. Giacomo Puccini’s opera about a 15-year-old geisha in Japan who marries an American sailor was performed Sunday (Oct. 14) at The Forum in Binghamton. In the production, stage [...]
‘Laramie Project’ recalls fatal attack on gay man
By George Basler In 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, was beaten, tied to a fence and left to die outside Laramie, Wyoming. The murder put a spotlight on homophobia and helped galvanize the gay rights movement. Thirty-eight days after Shepard’s death, playwright Moises Kaufman and [...]
Ti-Ahwaga’s ‘Full Monty’ is sheer fun
Reviewed by Nancy Oliveri There are several reasons in this life to bare all, be it your soul or your body, but few as equally moving and fun to watch as the musical version of The Full Monty, running weekends through Oct. 21 at the Ti-Ahwaga Performing Arts Center [...]
BU’s ‘Revolutionists’ is inventive, touching and just plain fun
Reviewed by George Basler The first thing audience members see when they arrive for The Revolutionists at Binghamton University is a striking set with a huge guillotine prominently on display. Obviously, things are not going to end well for the play’s four characters as they confront the Reign of Terror, [...]
Chenango River Theatre’s ‘Papermaker’ is an emotional shredder
James Wetzel, Brigitt Markusfeld and Paul Romero in Papermaker. (Facebook photo) Reviewed by Nancy Oliveri What happens when labor and management unexpectedly collide? Can the two sides learn from each other? Papermaker, a two-act play by Monica Wood, made its regional debut this past weekend (Sept. 28-30) [...]
BPO season opener is enchanting
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd It took Scheherazade 1001 nights to enchant her listeners, while the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra accomplished the same feat in one evening at the opening concert of the 2018-19 season. Saturday (Sept. 29) at The Forum in Binghamton, Maestro Daniel Hege showcased the virtuosity of the [...]
Cider Mill Stage shows off fine acting in challenging plays
Reviewed by George Basler Jake Wentlent and Chris Nickerson must be two of the most adventurous actors in Broome County. In the dog days of August, when the thoughts of many don’t extend beyond the beach and a cold drink, the two have taken on the daunting challenge of [...]
TCO’s Ashbaker accepts new Westminster position
Tri-Cities Opera soon will be seeing a leadership change. The company’s general and artistic director, Susan S. Ashbaker, is assuming expanded duties at Westminster Choir College at Ryder University in Princeton, N.J., and therefore is resigning from part of her TCO position. Ashbaker, who has been an adjunct professor [...]
Talented SPARE cast boosts 'Big Fish'
Reviewed by George Basler NOTE: The review, because of scheduling conflicts, is based on a final dress rehearsal Thursday night (July 12). SPARE Productions deserves thanks for agreeing to the arrangement. While some Broadway hits -- Oklahoma, for example -- are recognizable to almost everyone, other musicals are what [...]
You can bet on fun at EPAC's 'Guys and Dolls'
Reviewed by Nancy Oliveri Some musicals survive because they are timely; others because they are dated and, thus, nostalgic. Guys and Dolls is kind of both. Set in New York City, the 1950 Broadway hit features gamblers, dancing girls, and a Salvation Army band meeting at the intersection of [...]
Top-notch cast entertains at CRT
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd Bengt Ahlfors' The Last Cigar, playing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through July 29 at the Chenango River Theatre near Greene, is the perfect light summer theater fare -- funny, farcical and entertaining. Translated from the Swedish by Alan Goodson and making its North American premiere, [...]
