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.
'In the Heights' heats up The Forum
Reviewed by Sarah Kuras In the Heights, a musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes, made its way to The Forum last Sunday (Nov. 6) for two performances in Binghamton after three award-winning years on Broadway. The musical, presented by the Broadway Theatre League, traces the trials and tribulations one [...]
Porcel burns bright in 'Gypsy Fire'
By Sarah Kuras Last Wednesday’s performance (Oct. 26) at Binghamton University’s Anderson Center was certainly one to remember. The Compania Flamenca Jose Porcel dazzled the audience with a program of traditional and improvisational Spanish dances. […]
Reservation deadline approaches for evening with Stamberg
As you probably know, the Broome County Arts Council is presenting NPR Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg in an appearance here on Nov. 3. “An Artful Evening … with NPR’s Susan Stamberg” at the Riverwalk Hotel & Conference Center, 225 Water St., Binghamton, will begin with cocktails at 5 p.m. [...]
Rigby wows as 'Peter Pan' in Broadway Theatre League season opener
Reviewed by Barb Van Atta Poor Peter Pan, his name much maligned now by women describing immature partners and mates. There’s really something gentle and bittersweet about the original Peter. Disappointed early in life by the callousness of adults, he clings to the black-and-white, all right-or-all wrong simplicity of [...]
Services today for BPO co-founder Marianne Wallenberg
Funeral services are this morning (Tuesday, Oct. 25) at Temple Concord, 9 Riverside Drive, Binghamton, for Marianne Wallenberg, who, with her husband, Fritz, founded the orchestra now known as the Binghamton Philharmonic. She died last Friday (Oct. 21) at the age of 98. Here’s a link to the Press & [...]
'Madame Butterfly' soars at Tri-Cities Opera
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd I was delighted to be in the audience Friday night (Oct. 21) for a stunning moment in Binghamton’s cultural history. I knew the Tri-Cities Opera production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly would be good, just not how good. And that was mostly due to Jake and [...]
Gardners’ return forms bridge between past and future at TCO
By Barb Van Atta In 1999, rising Tri-Cities Opera soprano Jill Bowen was slated to sing her first Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Her future husband, longtime TCO favorite Jake Gardner, hoped to reprise the role of Sharpless while making his directorial debut. Suffice it to say, life does [...]
Maureen McGovern dazzles EPAC audience
Reviewed by Tony Villecco Pop singer, jazz artist, Grammy nominee and Broadway star Maureen McGovern gave a thrilling and emotion-packed concert last Saturday (Oct. 17) at the Endicott Performing Arts Center. What was even more amazing is that, when she heard about the flood here she decided to donate [...]
Student ensembles and soloists featured this weekend at BU
By Sarah Kuras This upcoming weekend, there will be two exciting concerts by Binghamton University students. At 3 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 22), the University Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Timothy Perry; the Harpur Chorale, conducted by Peter Browne, and the Women’s Chorus will perform in the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Concert Theater. […]
'Reckless' well-executed at BU's Anderson Center
Reviewed by Sarah Roche “Reckless” by Craig Lucas begins on Christmas Eve with an intoxicatingly optimistic Rachel (Alison Maria Fasolino) reminiscing about Christmases of the recent past and her and her young children’s excitement over the holiday. Fasolino is a wonderful fit for this part; she portrays the effervescent [...]
Take five with Bruce Borton and the Madrigal Choir
EDITOR’S NOTE: After a months-long search for the perfect replacement for retiring founder and longtime director Anne Boyer Cotton, The Madrigal Choir of Binghamton — and its audience – last spring chose Bruce Borton, who is also the director of choral activities at Binghamton University. As the choir readies [...]
Masterful Mignarda explores all 'Expressions' of love
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd Think hard rock. Think heavy metal. Think of the most intrusive, aggressive music that you can imagine. Then go to the complete opposite of the spectrum, and you have Mignarda – a lute and voice duo that will be featured on WSKG’s Expressions program at [...]
Met hits fund-raising high note
Here's a link to The New York Times' article about Metropolitan Opera finances and fund-raising: http://tinyurl.com/3tdj55d.
Brian Wolff Band rocks Binghamton
Reviewed by Rebecca Sheriff I attended the Brian Wolff Band’s (BWB) show last Saturday night (Oct. 1) at Barnaby’s Pub in Endwell. BWB has quickly gained a presence in the local music scene playing many shows in the area and developing a following or “Wolff Pack” as the band [...]
Competition concert shows wide array of BU talent
By Sarah Kuras I went to the Binghamton University Concerto and Aria Competition a few weekends ago in the Casadesus Recital Hall of the Fine Arts building on campus. I was blown away by the extraordinary amount of talent displayed at this competition. There was a wide variety of styles, pieces [...]
