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.
BPO musicians shine in Halloween thriller
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd We were expecting surprises at the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra's Halloween concert Saturday (Oct. 31), billed as full of chills and thrills. But no one expected this: A vampire playing diabolical music on the Robert Morton Theater Organ as it rose out of the orchestra pit [...]
Talented TCO cast presents lively Rossini comedy
Reviewed by Sherri Strichman Tri-Cities Opera opened its season last night (Oct. 23) with a wonderful production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. It was beautiful to look at, thanks to scenic designer Robert Little, lighting designer John E. Vestal, costume designer Barbara Wolfe and coordinator Jana Kucera, and makeup [...]
New season, new time for TCO
A quick reminder for folks used to an 8 p.m. opening night start for Tri-Cities Opera performances: Curtain time is now a half hour earlier! Yes, folks, the performance of The Barber of Seville Friday (Oct. 23) at The Forum in Binghamton will start at 7:30 p.m. (Note: TCO's Sunday matinee [...]
BU students meet challenge of 'God of Carnage' dialogue
Reviewed by Patrick Hao The first thing you’ll notice going into Studio A to see Binghamton University’s mainstage production of God of Carnage is how the seats surround three sides of the stage. The seats are angled so that audience members look down onto the stage, much like Roman [...]
'Mockingbird' still relevant in solid Ti-Ahwaga production
Reviewed by George Basler The Ti-Ahwaga Community Players took a risk in staging To Kill a Mockingbird as the first production of their 2015-16 season. Not only is the original novel by Harper Lee one of the most familiar and beloved in American literature, but the subsequent movie, starring Gregory [...]
CRT presents compelling 'Other Desert Cities'
Reviewed by George Basler Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities asks some provocative questions: When does truth-telling carry a cost that is too painful to bear? When does artistic freedom mean betrayal? Should some secrets stayed buried? It offers no easy answers, but it does provide an absorbing evening [...]
Ethnic makeup: Artistically correct or culturally insensitive?
By Barb Van Atta For centuries, theater companies have used ethnic makeup to alter the race of Caucasian performers. This tradition, however, does not align with the racial and cultural sensitivities of the 21st century. Thus, in recent weeks, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players canceled a staging [...]
TCO recital previews season's mix of old and new
By George Basler Tri Cities Opera has begun its 2015-16 season with a few changes that mark a somewhat different direction for the venerable opera company. The company will continue to perform its core repertoire of classic operas, but it also wants to present newer works, including ones by American composers. [...]
Were the arts part of your week?
Did you catch a show (see reviews below of Proof and The 39 Steps), visit a gallery, listen to the bands at Colorscape? How were the arts part of your life this past week?
Cider Mill's 'The 39 Steps' is lightweight but laugh-filled
Reviewed by George Basler Silliness takes center stage in the Cider Mill Playhouse’s production of The 39 Steps, which opened this past weekend at the Endicott theater. An energetic cast of four actors, capably directed by Norm Johnson, cavorts across the stage in a comedy that sends up Alfred [...]
KNOW Theatre offers 'Proof' that Broadway-caliber performance is alive in Binghamton
Reviewed by Nancy Oliveri Yesterday (Sept. 11), on the opening night of KNOW Theatre’s 2015-2016 season, the former fire station in downtown Binghamton welcomed a packed house, and David Auburn's Proof, about a math professor and his daughters, brought the rapt, enthusiastic crowd to its feet. Auburn’s Tony Award- and Pulitzer [...]
Remembering artist and framer Joseph Lindsley
On Aug. 27, well-regarded artist and framer Joseph Lindsley fell at his home in rural Greene. Following hip replacement surgery, he was, at first, alert, talkative and participating in rehabilitation. However, he slipped into unconsciousness last Sunday (Sept. 6) and died Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 8). He was 95. A [...]
Oh, the places you'll go … in the arts
What direction did the arts take you this week? Were you yukking it up with the Yoopers in Greene, groovin' to the oldies at BU or savoring the blues in Norwich? Please share with your friends at BAMirror.
'Escanaba in da Moonlight' shines brightly at Chenango River Theatre
Reviewed by Nancy Oliveri How many cool things are there to say about Jeff Daniel’s hilarious comedy Escanaba in Da Moonlight? Plenty, but it will be way more fun for you to just go and see what I mean, eh? Albert Soady tells the tale of an unforgettable night [...]
Binghamton Philharmonic cancels season opener
UPDATE: Here's a link to the Press and Sun-Bulletin editorial on Aug. 28: http://tinyurl.com/ondvjjg Published here is an Aug. 18 letter from the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra about plans to cancel its season-opening concert because of a breakdown on contract negotiations with the musicians' union. It is followed by the union's [...]
