Archive: Arts & Entertainment

Fancy footwork, great songs – the musical 'Footloose' is just as much fun as the movie. Running to Places' (R2P) production is the perfect summer romp, a dancing spectacular for all ages, Aug. 11-13 at Ithaca High School's air-conditioned Kulp Auditorium.

When urban teen Ren McCormack (Christian Henry) moves to small-town Bomont, he's shocked to discover his beloved dancing has been declared illegal by the town's uptight pastor, Rev. Shaw Moore (Elijah Speight). Ren's new friend Willard (Jasper Fearon) cautions him against any fancy moves, but Ren's just gotta dance. Love as well as teen rebellion is in the air, with romance blossoming between Ren and Moore's daughter Ariel (Erin Hilgartner) and Willard and the gregarious Rusty (Addy Whitener). Ren's mom Ethel (Cameron Park-Miller), and Ariel's mom Vi (Niaa Dowell) stand by their kids, even when Ren's passion for dance quickly leads to trouble.

The state Department of Labor is falling short in enforcing New York’s laws to protect child performers, according to an auditreleased today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. State auditors found shortfalls with how work permits were given to children and employers, inadequate monitoring of work conditions, and insufficient enforcement of requirements to set aside some of the children’s earnings in a trust.

“New York needs to do more to protect child actors, dancers, musicians and models,” DiNapoli said. “We have laws on the books to make certain that children are working with permits, and employers and parents are following the rules to protect the safety, health and financial rights of child performers. The state Department of Labor should hold the entertainment and modeling industries accountable to protect these children.”

Chivalry, passion, and betrayal! The timeless tale of King Arthur, Queen Guenevere, Sir Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table is set against a backdrop of lush green fields and sweeping views of Cayuga Lake at sunset, and features the classic Broadway songs, 'If ever I would leave you,' 'The lusty month of May,' 'The Seven Deadly Virtues,' and - of course - 'Camelot!'

This lively, beautifully costumed production stars nationally-known artists Steven Stull as Arthur, Ivy Walz as Guenevere, and Erik Angerhofer as Lancelot, with Andrew Hudson-Sabens as the evil conniver, Mordred and a chorus of thirty knights and ladies of the court. WCNY Radio host Bruce Paulsen plays King Pellinore. Camelot is directed by Steven Stull, in collaboration with music director Richard Montgomery, keyboardist William Cowdery, and choreographer Jeanne Goddard.

The Hangar Theatre will present the world premiere of Mimi Quillin's play Dégagé (disengage) from July 20 until July 29, 2017. Blending jazz, ballet, and musical theatre dance styles with popular music, Dégagé (disengage) follows the story of The Dancer as she becomes the artist-in-residence in a hospice. Inspired by the patients and their unique stories, The Dancer comes to terms with her own artistry and humanity. Dégagé (disengage) will be directed by the Hangar's Artistic Director Michael Barakiva and choreographed by the playwright, Mimi Quillin.

Dégagé (disengage) is the first world premiere on the Hangar stage since 2011. Hangar's artistic director, Michael Barakiva, says he is "thrilled to present this never-before-seen work, fresh off the vine." Barakiva will be directing this piece alongside playwright and choreographer, Mimi Quillin (you might have seen the work of this dynamic duo in Hangar's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Form earlier this season). Quillin has been dancing since age five and has worked alongside some of Broadway's greatest choreographers including Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. As a dancer and an actress, she has been seen on Broadway in the revival of Sweet Charity, Ragtime and Ain't Broadway Grand.

Kitchen Theatre Company announced its 2017-2018 season Thursday. This is the first season for incoming Producing Artistic Director, M. Bevin O'Gara, who will be joining longtime Managing Director, Stephen Nunley. Kitchen Theatre Company is known for its intimate 99-seat space, now owned by the theatre, and for the bold, intimate, engaging work it has produced for over 25 years. The 27th season will include seven plays aimed at starting "important conversations," presented from September to June.

"The Kitchen's 2017-2018 season will consist of thought provoking, humorous and heart-warming work that pulls into focus the connections we all share as human beings," says Kitchen Theatre Company's new Producing Artistic Director M. Bevin O'Gara. "The artists we are assembling include some Kitchen Theatre Company favorites while also bringing new talent from New York, Boston and beyond to the table as we look toward a new and exciting future. But as always, the Kitchen will leave audiences with something to talk about on the way home."

The Tony Award-winning musical comedy "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" catapults you into an adolescent angst leavened with laughter and heart. Moving stories, compelling characters, and brilliant music fill Running to Places' (R2P) production, running July 5-16 at the Kitchen Theatre, 417 State Street, Ithaca.

The scene: a middle school spelling bee. The contestants: superstars at spelling but misfits in life. Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre (Riley Kwortnik) is burdened with two overbearing fathers. William Barfée (Nick Mras) lacks interpersonal skills and Leaf Coneybear's (Josie Clougherty) family calls her dumb. Chip Tolentino (Sebastian Fullerton) is overwhelmed by hormones and overachiever Marcy Park (Alyssa Salerno) feels her life careening out of control. Olive Ostrovsky (Sierra Stallmann) comes alone to the spelling bee because her parents can't be bothered. Her song, "I Love You," is a gut-wrenching paen to wanting what you cannot have.

The Hangar Theatre will present A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as this season's musical from June 29 until July 15, 2017. The musical combines the classical Broadway fare, the comedy of ancient Rome, and a healthy shake of vaudeville. A witty and hilarious book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart is accompanied by upbeat and beautiful music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. With classic numbers like 'Comedy Tonight' and 'Everybody Ought to Have a Maid' Forum turns the ancient Roman farces into a big, spectacular, Broadway musical you won't want to miss.

A Funny Things Happened on the Way to the Forumwill be directed by the Hangar's Artistic Director Michael Barakiva and choreographed by Mimi Quillin.

Kitchen Theatre Company's Board of Directors honored retiring Artistic Director Rachel Lampert with an appropriately theatrical ceremony in which the building's mortgage was 'burned.' In attendance were community members and representatives of organizations who donated to the over $190,000 Burn the Mortgage campaign.

Three people who had given leadership gifts spoke at the event: Percy Browning, Elizabeth McClafferty (on behalf of her husband Fred and herself), and Stephen Pope (on behalf of wife Linda and himself). Greg Hartz, President of Tompkins Trust Company and the co-chair of the original capital campaign to purchase the theater in 2008, spoke on behalf of the Trust Company. Bevin O'Gara, the incoming Producing Artistic Director, sent her congratulations via video.

The Next Jennaration dancers competed in Lancaster, Pennsylvania over this past Memorial Day weekend and came away with multiple victories.

"I feel very strong about having my students compete against the best so they have the understanding to see how far they can go and what they are capable of. It's not about the win but about the lessons," said The Next Jennaration owner and director Jenna Rae Stickel. "Every year we attend Lancaster PA for the hardest regional of our season! This past weekend we attended again and my dancers competed amongst some of the best studios in this country!"

The Hangar Theatre announced this week the shows for its upcoming cutting edge Wedge Series. These four productions will be under the direction of the Hangar Drama League Directing Fellows, and will feature members of the Hangar Theatre Lab Company. Each year the Hangar offers its patrons and all community members free admission to the Wedge Series. These shows will take place at The Cherry Artspace, 102 Cherry St, Ithaca, NY 14850. Performances are at 6PM and 8PM on June 22 and 23, and July 6, 7, 13, 14, 27, and 28. Wedge performances are open to all ages; however, they may contain mature language and situations not suitable for children.

The Wedge Series will open with The Room, by Harold Pinter, directed by Michael Alvarez. This is the Nobel Prize-winning British playwright's first play and sets the foundation for his future work. Running from a mysterious past, Rose sequesters herself from the world attempting to find solace within her constructed reality; yet, she discovers she cannot hide herself from the demons that lurk within the shadows of her mind. The Room will be performed June 22 and 23 at 6PMand 8PM.

Kitchen Theatre Company concludes its 2016-17 season with an encore production of Brian Dykstra's Clean Alternatives, a play about corporate bullying, environmental politics, and standing up for one's beliefs-with a little slam poetry and Zen Buddhism thrown into the mix. Clean Alternatives begins previews on June 4, opens on June 8, and closes on June 18, 2017.

Kitchen Theatre Company first produced Clean Alternatives on the 2006-2007 Season. Ithaca Times called the 2006 production "a powerful meditation on social responsibility and personal redemption, mixing razor-edged dialogue with a poetry-slam directness." It was also the beginning of a rich relationship with playwright Brian Dykstra and director Margarett Perry: since then, Kitchen Theatre Company has produced five more plays by Dykstra (four of which had their first productions at the Kitchen) and featured him as an actor in four additional plays. Margarett Perry has directed a whopping twenty-two productions here!

Toronto's Broken Social Scene recently detailed their first album in seven years, Hug Of Thunder, out July 7th, 2017 on their label Arts & Crafts. Produced by Joe Chiccarelli and mixed by Shawn Everett, Hug Of Thunder includes contributions from all fifteen original members of Broken Social Scene, as well as new guest vocalist Ariel Engle.  Broken Social Scene with Belle Game will perform at the State Theatre of Ithaca on Saturday, September 16th.

The title track of the album was revealed Monday via Zane Lowe's show on Beats 1; click HERE to listen to it. Hug Of Thunder follows the release of the song Halfway Home, which the band performed to rapturous response on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at the end of March.