EPAC ‘Fiddler’ hits all the right notes

Reviewed by George Basler

Fiddler on the Roof, being performed this weekend and next by the Endicott Performing Arts Center (EPAC) Repertory Company,  is a superb production of one of Broadway’s greatest musicals.

What makes the musical great, besides the obvious elements of  top-notch songs and writing, is its underlying theme.

EPAC successfully tackles controversial musical

Reviewed by George Basler

Director Patrick Foti calls Spring Awakening, which opened Thursday (July 19) at the Endicott Performing Arts Center, a descendant of West Side Story, the ground-breaking musical of a half century ago.

While the comparison might not be readily apparent, both shows deal with the raw emotions of young characters caught up in a world that can crush their dreams. And just as West Side Story pushed the envelope in terms of staging and themes seen on Broadway in the late 1950s, Spring Awakening does the same thing for contemporary audiences.

Profile: 2010 Heart of the Arts Award nominee René Neville

Solo or part of a troupe, onstage or behind the scenes, paid or volunteer, each of the five 2010 Heart of the Arts Award nominees gives 100 percent to the bright and varied world of arts and entertainment in Broome County. All this week BAMirror will be providing biographical background about the nominees. We’re also offering you an opportunity to congratulate the nominees and to share a story or two. Today we feature René Neville, artistic director of Dance Stories.