Were you art-full as well as ‘turkey full’ this past week?

How did the arts fit into your holiday weekend? Did you catch up with Harry Potter (as I did) or welcome Advent with the Madrigal Choir? Were you at a concert or show or exhibit? Please share your thoughts.

Were the arts part of your week?

If you were active in the arts this past week, please tell us what you saw or did, and whether you liked it or not.

EPAC’s production of ‘Oliver’ is terrific

Reviewed by Nicholas Linnehan

Normally, I don’t like musicals. It just seems pretentious to have people break into song and dance out of nowhere. I do not expect much when I attend a musical, but, to my surprise, I was immediately drawn into “Oliver” at the Endicott Performing Arts Center. From the moment the curtain opened to the last note sung, I was enthralled by EPAC’s outstanding production of this timeless tale.

Public art with a timely message

A statue to The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. now stands on Binghamton’s River Walk at the Court Street Bridge at the head of the Peacemakers Trail. Unveiled Wednesday (Nov. 17), the life-sized sculpture captures the civil rights martyr in dynamic action. Sculptor Stan Watts of Atlas Bronze Casting of Kearns, Utah, said he wanted to portray the civil rights martyr in full exhortation, arm raised in a call to action, mouth open to utter the words “I have a dream today …”   Watts said he wanted the art work to speak for itself.  He was commissioned to create the bronze statue  by the Broome County Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission headed by Reverend Arthur Jones and his wife, Camille Jones, who raised some  $30,000 for the project. 

Were you art-full this past week?

If the arts were part of your week and/or weekend, please tell us what you did and whether you liked it.

UCF Grant seeds community art project

Artist Mik Tulumello and her UCF-funded Clinton Street Mural Project

The Clinton Street Mural Project, funded by a 2009 United Cultural Fund Project Grant to artist Mik Tulumello, was dedicated Monday, Nov. 8, during a chilly outdoor news conference.  The Broome County Arts Council awarded $2,000 to Tulumello to get the project started. She expected to complete it by June this year, with the help of another grant from the City of Binghamton, as well as the support and sweat equity of the Northside Neighborhood Assembly and a team of young helpers from BOCES. However, the project was delayed for awhile by the birth of Tulumello’s daughter Robin, who watched Monday’s dedication from a stroller.  Also in attendance were Robin’s dad and big sister, Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan, BC Arts Council Director Sharon Ball, Neighborhood Assembly representives, people from the community, the media, and a freight train that rumble-bumped across the railroad trestle as the dedication began. 

Imagine hearing Lennon in concert

Reviewed by Barb Van Atta

“Imagine … It’s easy if you try.”

Imagine there was no Mark David Chapman, and John Lennon was still alive and well and getting ready for his 70^th birthday. He would round up a few of his mates (and Yoko, of course) and, disdainful of impersonal arena touring, opt for concerts in small theaters and clubs. He would pair up songs and pare down arrangements while bringing his lyrics – no, make that his poetry – to the forefront. Through wide, round, wire-rimmed glasses he would make eye contact with his audiences, establishing intimacy through anecdotes and interpretations.

Song of Silk showcases Chinese performing arts

Reviewed by David L. Schriber

About 800 persons were treated to a variety of Chinese performing arts Saturday (Nov. 6) at Binghamton University’s Anderson Center. Faculty from BU and from the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, plus the Melody of Dragon Chinese instrumental ensemble from New York City and the Amber Dance Troupe from Cornell University, presented a variety of Chinese music, dance and folk opera.

I loved it, it was perfect, now laugh!

Reviewed by David L. Schriber

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history, is Joe DiPietro’s hilarious commentary on love between the sexes, tracing relationships through the years of one’s life. The Cider Mill Playhouse’s staging is first rate. Cast members Michael Andrako, Rebecca Orly Cohen, Shannon Roma DeAngelo and Jared Eberlein give stellar performances, with expressive faces, well-balanced voices and great chemistry. On the night we attended, there was hardly a bump in the fast-paced lyrics. Lighting and stage changes went flawlessly. Jan DeAngelo directed and provides musical incidental and accompaniment music.

Did the arts keep you warm this week?

Temperatures have been dropping and clocks have fallen back, but the arts season in Greater Binghamton remains in full flower. Did you have a chance to art walk or gallery gaze? Did you attend a play or a concert? How about that great bar band?
Please share your reflections of the week (and check back later to BAMirror for some soon-to-be-posted reviews).

BPO program not inspired by Halloween but certainly full of tricky treats

Reviewed by Lee Shepherd

Tricky? Undoubtedly, but the difficult music played by the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra on Halloween Eve was a real treat for the mind and heart. The second concert in the BPO’s 2010-11 Classical Series featured Italian concert pianist Fabio Bidini performing Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Debussy’s Petite Suite and Elgar’s complete Enigma Variations, 14 musical caricatures of Elgar’s friends and family and their quirky mannerisms.

What did you do in the arts this past week?

Did you catch a movie or a concert? Were you visiting a gallery or museum? Was there a smokin’ hot band playing at the Halloween party you attended?

Please share what you did in the arts this past week and whether or not you were pleased.