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.
Holiday season provides a rich menu of local performances
By George Basler The holiday season is filled with annual performances from local arts organizations. From pop and classical music to holiday-themed plays, the schedule is a full one designed to heighten your holiday spirit whatever your tastes. Broome Arts Mirror will be highlighting some of those events, [...]
TCO postpones December production; remainder of season intact
By Barb Van Atta Tri-Cities Opera has postponed its upcoming production of All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, which had been scheduled for Dec. 17 at the Opera Center, 315 Clinton St., Binghamton. Last Friday (Nov. 17), Syracuse.com reported that TCO’s sister company, Syracuse Opera, has canceled [...]
BLAST’s ‘Thanksgiving Play’ skillfully pokes fun at cultural pretentiousness
By George Basler The great American playwright George F. Kaufman once said, "Satire is what closes on Saturday night." He was making the point that satire is difficult to perform, could be upsetting to an audience and is hard to market commercially. So, it takes some gumption for [...]
KNOW Theatre to mark Playwrights Festival’s 20th anniversary
By George Basler The idea for KNOW Theatre's Playwrights & Artists Festival originated two decades ago during a conversation in a downtown Binghamton coffee shop. Jan Quackenbush, who taught playwriting at Broome Community College (now SUNY Broome), and Jim Gormley, who taught English, wanted a festival to honor [...]
BU first to present Sri Lankan folk drama in U.S.
By George Basler Sri Lanka has been called "the pearl of the Indian Ocean" for its climate, scenery and a rich cultural tradition that encompasses music, dance and the visual arts. Southern Tier residents will have the opportunity to sample this culture when the Sri Lankan play Bera [...]
Bu hosts Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha
On Monday, Nov. 20, Binghamton University's Anderson Center for the Performing Arts welcomes experimental Ukrainian world music quartet DakhaBrakha. Born out of Kyiv’s avant-garde theater community, DakhaBrakha (which translates roughly to “give and take” in old Ukrainian) has been performing a mashup of traditional Ukrainian folk songs and [...]
Philharmonic to make a joyful sound
On Saturday, Nov. 18, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will present “Faces of Joy,” the second performance in its 2023-2024 Symphonic Series. The concert’s theme is “music of abounding enchantment.” Featured will be Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major (“Classical”), Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Major (“Emperor”) with [...]
BLAST brings satirical ‘Thanksgiving Play’ to Cider Mill
On Friday (Nov. 10), BLAST (Bold Local Artists of the Southern Tier) will open a two-weekend run of the modern comedic satire The Thanksgiving Play at the Cider Mill Stage in Endicott. Playwright Larissa FastHorse is the first Native American woman to bring a show to Broadway. Her satirical [...]
‘Addams Family’ to take up residence at EPAC
By George Basler Growing up, Pat Foti was a big fan of The Addams Family television show of the early 1960s. "They were people who were not normal but thought they were. I related to that," said the artistic director at the Endicott Performing Arts Center (EPAC). [...]
Robert Manners named interim DTS director
By Barb Van Atta The Binghamton Downtown Singers and Orchestra are excited to announce that Robert J. Manners has been named their Interim Artistic Director following an extensive, months’ long search. Marisa Crabb, widow of DTS co-founder Alan Crabb, stepped away from the Artistic Director post following the [...]
Presentarts and Phelps host Vietnam vet tribute play
I Was There in 67, written by Judith Present and directed by Bonnie Deforest, will be performed Veterans Day (Nov. 11) at the Phelps Mansion Museum, 191 Court St., Binghamton, to commemorate those who served in the Vietnam War. This performance piece brings alive the stories many vets have [...]
Nostalgic SRO ‘Grease’ is tuneful and energetic
By George Basler The SRO Productions III's staging of Grease, which opened this past weekend (Oct. 27-29), sets up a nostalgic theme even before the musical begins. Audience members entering the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City are greeted by cast members in full costumes welcoming them to [...]
Binghamton Community Orchestra to feature work by ‘genius grant’ recipient
By George Basler Composer and pianist Courtney Bryan has been called "one of the most exciting composers in America today" for producing works that embody the jazz and gospel traditions of her native New Orleans. Earlier this month, the Tulane University assistant professor was awarded a 2023 "genius grant" [...]
BU to get ‘funky’ with Ranky Tanky
Binghamton University's Anderson Center will continue its 2023-24 season with a Nov. 2 concert featuring Ranky Tanky and special guest Lisa Fischer. Ranky Tanky, which takes its name from the Gullah phrase for "get funky," is an American musical ensemble based in Charleston, S.C., that specializes in jazz-influenced [...]
Jazz musician, educator and HOTA honoree Hamme remembered
By Barb Van Atta A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday (Oct.28) for Broome County Arts Council Heart of the Arts (HOTA) Lifetime Achievement Award winner Albert Pearce “Al” Hamme. The jazz musician, 84, died peacefully at his Endwell home on Sept. 10. Hamme founded the jazz program [...]
