Stage
To be honest, I wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing "Shrek the Musical." I saw the original "Shrek," the animated film and basis for the musical, when it came out in 2001, and liked it fine. But subsequent viewings with nieces and nephews left me with the feeling that
Stage
Geva continues the love and marriage theme of its 2011-2012 season with "Perfect Wedding," a light, frothy farce that's a welcome respite from the gloomy weather outside. Farce is a very specific genre, and it's not everybody's cup of tea. Geva last attempted a full-on farce with the period
Stage
You would hope that by the year 2012, the American public would be fairly well educated about the Holocaust. In addition to the historical records and stories from survivors, there have been countless works of art that have illuminated that dark chapter in human history. And yet, according to
Stage
Toward the beginning of "Tom Foolery" - a musical revue based around the songs of satirist Tom Lehrer - a cast member explains that if the evening inspires even one audience member to insult a good friend or slap a loved one, it will all have been worth it.
News Articles
It's official: on Monday, December 19, local public broadcaster WXXI and independent cinema The Little announced that the two organizations would enter into a long-term affiliation that WXXI President Norm Silverstein called "a merger in all but name." Beginning in January 2012, the Little will operate
![ARTS: [UPDATED] The Little and WXXI in ‘talks'](uploads/articles/12827-thumb_wi100_he100_cr1:1.1323713402.jpg)
News Articles
UPDATE 12/16/11, 1:25 p.m.: WXXI and The Litte have announced a press conference will take place Monday, December 19, for a "special announcement." Recently the cultural rumor mill has been spinning with a curious notion: is there some sort of affiliation in the works between independent movie theater The
Stage
"Billy Elliot the Musical" is another example of a big-screen film finding new life on the stage. Disney has scored with musical-theater adaptations of "Beauty and the Beast," "The Lion King," and other family-friendly fare. (DreamWorks' "Shrek" has also made the leap to the stage, and Rochester Broadway Theatre
Stage
Fairy tales are currently a hot pop-culture commodity. Between new TV shows like "Once Upon a Time" and "Grimm," and not one but two adult-oriented Snow White films coming out next year, there's apparently some kind of subconscious interest in mining these classic stories for new, modern meanings. Perhaps
Choice Concerts
My 5-year-old niece is beyond excited that her favorite band, Big Time Rush, is headlining this year's Jingle Jam. For the uninitiated, BTR is basically the 21st century answer to The Monkees. It's a made-for-TV group featuring four pretty boys who get into adventures and sing in pretty much
Stage
It has been a big year for Rochester Community Players' Shakespeare Players shingle. Large crowds turned out this summer for the annual Shakespeare in the Park production in Highland Bowl (this year it was a very solid production of "Othello"). The Players launched the Rochester Shakespeare Literary Society, a
Stage
The glory days of Zeus, Ra, Odin, and their respective pantheons may be long gone, but myths stay with us. These iconic tales connect with humans on a primal level. Some offer explanations for the way the world works - the changing of the seasons, for instance - while
Choice Concerts
Lil' Kim is a hip-hop legend, with hits like "Magic Stick," "The Jump Off," and the 2001 remake of "Lady Marmalade" in her catalogue. One of only a handful of female rappers to breakthrough to mainstream success, Kim got her start in the mid-90's as a part of Notorious
Stage
**UPDATED 10/27/11 to reflect that the play's run has been extended.** If the vaunted Internets are to be believed, at one point in the early 1990's Charles Ludlam's "The Mystery of Irma Vep" was the most-produced play in the United States. I find that astonishing. Not that
Stage
Vampires have experienced an amazing narrative makeover in the last century or so. When Bram Stoker's "Dracula" was first published in 1897, the count and his fellow undead were considered the ultimate bogeymen. They transformed into wolves, mist, or bats. They sucked the blood from their victims. And if
Choice Events
Signmark is the stage name of Marko Vuoriheimo, a deaf Finnish recording artist with the mission of bringing together hearing and deaf communities around the world through hip-hop. Signmark performs in ASL while his partner, Brandon, speaks for hearing audiences, making his performances bilingual. Signmark was the first deaf
Choice Events
Oren Lyons is Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, a member of the Council of North American Aboriginal Nations, and a sought-after speaker on climate change and other topics (he has addressed the United National General Assembly). On Wednesday, October 19, Lyons will come to Rochester
Stage
The simplest things can sometimes be the most revelatory. That's what I kept thinking while watching "Circle Mirror Transformation," the current production by fairly new local troupe Out of Pocket Productions. The show is about as stripped down as possible - five very good local actors portraying would-be thespians
Choice Events
Louie Anderson has been a mainstay on the national stand-up comedy scene since he first debuted on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson back in 1984. Since then he has appeared on basically all the big late-night variety shows, participated in the "Comic Relief" series, hosted the game show
Choice Events
You could argue that Rochester wouldn't even exist without the Mighty Genesee. Every autumn our city takes the time to pay tribute to the river running through it with River Romance, a weekend full of activities honoring the natural beauty of Rochester that will take place this year Friday,
Pop Culture
Voting for the 2011 Best of Rochester Final Ballot has closed. Thanks to the THOUSANDS of people who took this year's survey. Check back on Wednesday, November 2, when City Newspaper publishes its annual Best of Rochester issue to discover who readers picked as this year's Best of Rochester! Did you
