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. Dinner is at 6 p.m. followed at 7:30 p.m. by Stamberg’s speech, “Why The Arts Are Important.”

WSKG, the local NPR affiliate, is BCAC’s media partner in this event. Recently, WSKG’s Gregory Keeler interviewed Stamberg about her career and her upcoming visit to Binghamton. Here’s a link to that conversation.

The reservation deadline is Monday, Oct. 31. Ticket information is available at www.BCArtsCouncil.com or by calling (607) 723-4620. Proceeds benefit the Broome County Arts Council’s 2012 United Cultural Fund Campaign.

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 childhood. And, don’t we all sometimes wish our lives were as simple as they seemed to be when we were young? It’s that timelessness of theme that makes the musical Peter Pan appeal to generation after generation, and it’s the timeless talent of Cathy Rigby that makes performances such as those being presented this week by Broadway Theatre League so wonderful.

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 & Sun-Bulletin obituary notice.

‘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 Jill Gardner, who sang the leading roles of Cio-Cio-San and Sharpless. Sorry if this seems like a list of superlatives, but here we go:

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 not always go according to plan. Although Jill sang all five performances, Jake wasn’t involved in the production.

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 her concert fee to the community. Pretty classy lady, huh?

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 yet grating over-exuberance of a mother bubbling over with words but unable to stop for a moment to see that nothing is as it seems. Rachel gets a rude awakening when her husband, Tom (Andrew Bryce), confesses that he has hired a contract killer to end the one-sided conversation for good.

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 for the debut of the Borton era this weekend, we offer this quick “take five” interview, which author and choir member Therese Walsh had with Borton, focusing on the choir’s immediate and long-term future.

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 8 p.m.  Thursday, Oct. 20. I attended a taping and was treated to a front row seat, about 15 feet from the performers.

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 calls it. I imagine this is because the BWB is one the few original rock bands around. It was certainly refreshing to hear some original rock music at the show in addition to some classic and modern rock covers.

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 and instruments.

Philharmonic season off to an exhilarating start

Reviewed by Lee Shepherd

How lucky we are to have such a sonorous and competent orchestra. The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of José-Luis Novo, did itself proud Saturday evening (Oct. 1) with a performance of Niels Gade’s “In the Highlands,” Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 23 (K. 488)” aand César Franck’s “Symphony in D Minor.”