Reviewed by Lee Shepherd
Never underestimate the gullibility of the American concert-going public.
A sell-out crowd attended the travesty of Irish music by Celtic Woman Tuesday night (March 5). at The Forum in Binghamton.
The promoters should have billed the fare as Irish rock, as the show was far more about stage effects than music from the Emerald Isle. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Nancy McKenzie Oliveri
What was a girl to wear to a Broadway-caliber show, on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) no less, that promised to rock her and the rest of the audience right back to the wonderfully raunchy, tasteless decade of the ’80s?
For this girl, in her mid 50s, it meant faking it in black leggings, knee boots, a stretchy, black, not-too-mini skirt, red jacket with too many snaps, and an animal print scarf. Fetching, right?
But this review isn’t about me, although the highest praise I can give the touring company production of Rock of Ages is that it sure made me feel that the show was somehow about me, and everyone else in the house, and that I was right at home in that getup. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd
You can see why there’s been so much fun made of Il Trovatore – even the Marx Brothers took a crack at it. Its crazy plot, set in the mountains of Spain, includes a gypsy’s curse, a child tossed into a fire, switched identities, several vows of vengeance, duels, madness, mayhem, poisonings, burnings at the stake, brothers who hate each other (who don’t know they’re brothers — and that’s just on the personal level. On the larger scale, you’ve got battles and armies and bravado and nationalism and lots of bloodshed.
But if you succeed at suspending your disbelief, and discount the ridiculous plot twists, the 1853 Giuseppe Verdi opera affords you the most memorable few hours you’ll ever spend in a theater (in my case, The Forum in downtown Binghamton). Read the rest of this entry »
The BInghamton Theatre Organ Society’s benefit, postponed from last Saturday (Dec. 29), will be this Sunday (Jan. 6) at The Forum in downtown Binghamton. For details about the performance, see George Basler’s article below.
By George Basler
A charming story, a happy ending and a scene-stealing dog will be on display Dec. 29 at The Forum in downtown Binghamton when the Binghamton Theatre Organ Society presents its latest showing of a silent film. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Tony Villecco
I attended Wednesday’s final dress rehearsal (Oct. 24) of Giacomo Puccini’s operatic masterpiece La Bohème, and while there were a few kinks yet to iron out, it was beautiful and musically fulfilling. Tri-Cities Opera will present two performances this weekend with an overall strong cast. No dress rehearsal is without its challenges; at times, the orchestra overshadowed the principals, especially in ensemble. The excellent chorus was ahead of the maestro during the festive second act, and lighting cues were continuing to be adjusted. Still, all this should be worked out, and even if it isn’t, the production merits enough positives to please even the most hardcore opera lover. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Rebecca Sheriff
Last Saturday’s (May 12) Binghamton Philharmonic Pops concert with guest artist Suzanne Vega brought together orchestral and singer/songwriter music fans to experience the versatility of both genres. Vega’s understated intensity was punctuated by the orchestral arrangements of Karl Berger and Gerry Leonard. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Tony Villecco
How can you lose with Mozart? You can’t. I attended the final dress rehearsal Wednesday evening for Tri-Cities Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) and was not disappointed. All of the principals were strong with a few standouts. No surprise here that the orchestra also was excellent under the firm hand of Maestro John Mario Di Costanzo. The overture, a signature piece, was worth the price of admission. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Sarah Kuras
The Broadway Theater League presented another award-winning show this past Sunday(March 11) at The Forum in Binghamton: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. This was my first time seeing this iconic show, which sets a collection of T.S. Eliot poems set to music with flawless choreography and a rocking score. This musical is a great family experience, with fun dance numbers, whimsical cat costumes and memorable characters. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Nicholas Linnehan
On Valentines Day (Tuesday., Feb. 14), I, being single, took myself on a date — to see Broadway Theatre Leagues’ presentation of Stomp. I wanted something fun,and, more important, not romantic, and the touring company of Stomp delivered this well. Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Lee Shepherd
Mayhem …
Madness …
Melodrama …
Magic …
The Tri-Cities Opera production of Lucia Di Lammermoor is a masterpiece, from the first fate-laden notes of the overture to the last fate-fulfilled note of the finale. Read the rest of this entry »
By Barb Van Atta
Have you attended a concert or pageant to get into the holiday spirit? Or, like me, have you been too busy rehearsing to be in an audience? Either way, BAMirror welcomes your comments and reflections on seasonal music.
As I said, I’ve been in rehearsal, as has my son, for the Downtown Singers’ presentation of Handel’s Messiah on Friday and Saturday (Dec. 16 and 17) at The Forum in Binghamton. Here is a link to a Good Times story that features chorus members who have been around since Alan Crabb and the Rev. Hugh Miller of the former Centenary United Methodist Church in downtown Binghamton came up with the idea of the Downtown Singers: http://tinyurl.com/ccv3qfd. (One adjustment to the article: Bruce Reed thought he sang with the group in 1993; it actually was 1992.)
Reviewed by Rebecca Sheriff
I was looking forward to attending the Russian Nutcracker performance at The Forum in Binghamton this past Sunday (Dec. 4). The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition conveying the magic of the season, and it had been several years since I’d participated in this holiday event. Sunday’s audience included many ballet enthusiasts and little girls dressed in holiday attire and a few more casual theater-goers. (A side note: In my humble opinion, jeans are not suitable attire for the theater, even for a matinee.) Read the rest of this entry »
Reviewed by Sarah Kuras
In the Heights, a musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes, made its way to The Forum last Sunday (Nov. 6) for two performances in Binghamton after three award-winning years on Broadway. The musical, presented by the Broadway Theatre League, traces the trials and tribulations one summer of people living in Manhattan’s Washington Heights and reflects all the characters’ hope for a chance to start a better life. Read the rest of this entry »
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. Read the rest of this entry »
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Barb Van Atta
Sharon Ball
Broome Arts Mirror 