What did you do in the arts this past weekend?

Did you participate in the First Friday Art Walk? Were you in the audience — or on stage — for a high school musical? Did you catch a play, concert or reading? Please share your opinions and experiences here.

Did you have an art-full week?

Gallery hopping, catching a concert or play, hearing a bar band, rehearsing for your own show? What have you been doing to fill your week with the arts?

Phelps Mansion, the holidays and Robert Rogers Puppets: A great team

EDITOR’S NOTE: A big BAMirror welcome to our newest reviewer, Ralph E. Hall. Hall has been involved with local arts for many years. In the 1970s, he co-founded Golden-Hall Productions, which produced many shows at the former Ramada Inn on Front Street, Binghamton. He served on the board of directors of a Chicago-based theater in the 1980s; then, in the 90s, he served on the Working Theatre Board of Directors in New York City and produced “Songs in the Key of Stevie” at the Village Gate. In 2001 he was the interim executive director of the Broome County Arts Council. From 2006 to 2010, he served as the executive director of the KNOW Theatre in Binghamton. He now is an adjunct faculty member at Broome Community College.

“. . . not a creature was stirring” last month (December 2011) when the Phelps Mansion ballroom in Binghamton was filled with more than 100 children and adults being entertained by puppeteer Robert Rogers and his production of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Rogers did a marvelous job of entrancing and educating this young audience. He was wise in holding the performance to approximately 50 minutes. When using prerecorded voices and music, a production must be carefully thought out and timed. Rogers accomplished both. His sets and lighting supported the show very well.

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.

What did you do in the arts this past week?

I headed to Roberson for the inaugural Two Rivers arts festival, but there were so many things on my “to do” list that didn’t get done. Maybe you could tell me ( and the rest of BAMirror’s readers) what I missed. Please share what you did in the arts this past week.

Young pianist dazzles at Phelps Mansion

Reviewed by Tony Villecco

Anastasia Rizikov, a 10-year-old Canadian-born pianist, raised more than one pair of eyebrows last weekend at her second appearance in Binghamton. Presented by the organization “Classical Pianists of the Future,” this phenomenon of nature left her audience dazzled. Child prodigies are always exciting to hear, and Rizikov delivered the goods.