Broome Arts Mirror
Get your ears out: KNOW Theatre goes on the air with audio plays
By George BaslerThe fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down the local community theater scene is one more reason to bemoan 2020 which has been, to paraphrase a T-shirt I bought, a truly “sucky” year.That’s why a project being launched by the Binghamton-based KNOW Theatre is welcome news [...]
Ti-Ahwaga’s ‘Spamalot’ provides laughs galore
Reviewed by George Basler Spamalot begins with a quick summary of the good old days of the Middle Ages when plague, pestilence, wars and more plague were the order of the day. Not exactly a laugh riot, but don’t tell that to the inspired cast of zanies now on [...]
Summer Savoyard actors delight in dark Irish comedy at the Bundy
EDITOR's NOTE: Due to concerns about the coronavirus, this weekend's performances (March 13-15) have been canceled. Patrons who have prepaid for tickets will be contacted. By Katherine Karlson Nothing will get you into the spirit of the Emerald Isle and all things Irish ahead of St. Patrick’s Day better [...]
Strong EPAC cast tackled non-traditional musical
EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to a computer glitch, this review, originally published on Feb. 16, was erased from Broome Arts Mirror. It is being reprinted (in updated form) for archival purposes. By George Basler Songs for a New World is not a show in which audiences see spectacular dancing or [...]
One chance remains to catch EPAC’s out-of-the-world twist on Shakespeare
Reviewed by George Basler “Oh, what brave new world that has such people in it” is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous, and quoted, lines. Little did the Bard know that, one day, that passage from The Tempest could refer to a hologram, a monstrous cybernetic-controlled creature and a [...]
KNOW cast shines when telling sordid tale of ‘Killer Joe’
Reviewed by Katherine Karlson Imagine the cursed fate of the House of Atreus unfolds in a dismal Texas trailer park, and you have some inkling of the murder, mayhem and vicious stupidity on offer in the riveting production of Killer Joe that opened Feb. 14 at Binghamton's KNOW Theatre. [...]
Phelps Mansion’s ‘Hamlet’ cooks up potent stew of murder and revenge
EDITOR's NOTE: All of this weekend's performances of William Shakespeare's Hamlet were sold out when this review was filed following the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday (Jan. 29), but late cancellations could make some tickets available. Contact information is listed at the bottom. By George Basler Revenge, murder, madness [...]
S.R.O’s ‘Matilda: The Musical’ brightens up winter at Schorr Family Firehouse Stage
Reviewed by Katherine Karlson The proliferation of Disney-themed musical plays that have become Broadway staples over the past decades may lull parents into thinking Matilda: The Musical is yet another in that diabetes-inducing parade. Instead, be prepared for a darkly funny and well-performed fable that will appeal to adults [...]
New club brings laughs to Binghamton
By George Basler The Boho Comedy Club opened four months ago at the DoubleTree Hotel in Binghamton with the laudable goal of bringing community residents some laughs. Since then, it’s established a niche in the community, hosting four stand-up comedy shows a month, often to sold-out audiences, and endeavoring [...]
Celebration of Life to be held Jan. 4 for HOTA recipient Bill Nurse
The Broome County Arts Council and Broome Arts Mirror extend sincere condolences to the family and friends of William T. Nurse Jr., who died Dec. 29, 2019. The 2007 Heart of the Arts Lifetime Achievement honoree was 75. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held from 2 to [...]
BPO finds its jazzy groove
Reviewed by Barb Van Atta Saturday night (Nov. 9), the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra turned The Forum in Binghamton into the world’s largest supper club as, with its “Simone, Ellington & Parks” concert, it seamlessly moved between the worlds of jazz and traditional classical music. And, as Maestro Daniel Hege [...]
SRO’s ‘Falsettos’ is fine production of compelling musical
Reviewed by George Basler Here is a piece of advice: If you go to see S.R.O. Productions III’s presentation of Falsettos, be sure to bring some Kleenex tissues. The musical, which opened a two-weekend run Nov. 1 at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City, begins as a [...]
Strong cast highlights STAP fundraiser of ‘The Normal Heart’
Reviewed by Katherine Karlson Larry Kramer’s drama, The Normal Heart, tracks both the personal and political dramas of the emerging AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s. Based on Kramer’s own experiences as a founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center, the play is an [...]
Vienna Boys Choir delights Forum audience
Reviewed by Tony Villecco When I was 11 years old and a boy soprano, my teacher, Harold Mason, a tenor with Tri-Cities Opera, wanted me to join the Vienna Boys Choir. My mom did not want her little boy going away that far, and this dream was never realized. [...]
TCO’s ‘Tosca’ is full palette of operatic color
Reviewed by Sherri Strichman A large and appreciative audience was at The Forum Sunday afternoon (Oct. 20) when Tri-Cities Opera opened its 2019-2020 season with a single performance of Puccini’s Tosca. When the lights dimmed, the well-known Scarpia motif rang out, the curtain went up, and off we went. [...]
