Reviewed by Ralph Hall
The question is: How many characters can one actor successfully create and portray in one 90-minute monologue? In Slut, produced this week (Feb. 28 and 29) at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City, Heidi Weeks established a persona for numerous characters in such depth that she revealed much of the heart and soul of each. In this one-woman show, her creations were so complete that the audience was always able to understand their history, emotions and desires. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd
It’s not a tune you’d go home humming. World-class cellist Amit Peled declared his adversarial relationship with his cello in the grim five-note motif within the first bar of the work, creating a tension that soon rose to a shriek. Hysterics, grimness, angst — these are all adjectives that came to mind when listening to him perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Cello Concerto No. 1” with the Binghamton Philharmonic Sunday (Jan. 29) at Binghamton University’s Anderson Center. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Sarah Roche
I attended S.R.O. Productions III’s April 9 opening night performance of “Assassins.” It was my first time at the Firehouse Stage of the Goodwill Theatre in Johnson City. The venue goes above and beyond to make patrons comfortable with a police officer assisting in parking and well-cushioned chairs. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Leo Cotnoir
Last night (Oct.23), the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City launched its Two by Two Series by magically transporting itself to Manhattan — except for the prices! NYC-based artists Rick Jensen and Susan Winter treated the near-capacity audience to some of the best of Big Apple cabaret. While “cabaret” can refer to any small-group club performance, its classic incarnation — for me, anyway — is in solo performances from The Great American Songbook as the repertoire of 20th century Broadway and Hollywood musicals has come to be known. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Leo Cotnoir
There is no question that John Covelli is a talented pianist, and it is clear that mid-19th Century Romanticism is his métier. After a somewhat overlong but informative introduction Sunday (Oct. 3) at The Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City, Covelli launched into Robert Schumann’s “Fantasia in C Major, Opus 17” with the energy and gusto of a much younger man performing for a jury who would decide his fate. One could not help but hear the connection Covelli feels with the composer through his teacher, who studied with Schumann’s wife, piano virtuosa Clara Schumann. When he ventured into other periods, however, although still technically impressive, Covelli seemed on shakier musical grounds. For my taste his performance of a transcription of Bach’s “Prelude in B minor” had far too much tempo variation as did his reading of Mozart’s “Fantasy in D minor” that at times sounded more like Brahms than Mozart. His performance of Debussy’s “La Cathédrale Engloutie” (“The Sunken Cathedral”) began with the ethereal quality we associate with French Impressionist composers but soon seemed to be grow a bit bombastic. A second piece by Debussy, “Ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest” (“What the West Wind Saw”), since it calls for a heavy hand to depict the storm wind, was more successful. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by David L. Schriber
Friday, Feb. 26, at the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City, entertainer Kurt H. Sutton portrayed Samuel L. Clemens in the family parlor, sharing the wit and wisdom of Mark Twain. Audience members at the Goodwill Theatre received free copies of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, courtesy of “The Big Read” program, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd
Henry David Thoreau once said, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears. …”
Everyone at the Goodwill Theatre’s Schorr Family Firehouse Stage on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) stepped to the beat of a different drummer. In fact, they didn’t march to a drum at all, but two related percussion instruments.
The gifted performers were John Covelli, who should be dubbed the piano laureate of Binghamton, and three very flashy and accomplished marimba players: Cayenna Ponchione, Gordon Stout and Joel Smales. Read the rest of this entry »
broomecountyarts
Barb Van Atta
Sharon Ball
Broome Arts Mirror 