Archive: Arts & Entertainment

In an unconventional artistic collaboration, Running to Places (R2P) has partnered with Spirit and Kitsch artist Alice Muhlback to create a story-book 'Wizard of Oz' that transforms the classic show into a true 'over the rainbow' experience. The show runs May 15-17 at the State Theatre of Ithaca.

"Alice's visual aesthetic informs everything in the show, from costumes to set and everything in between,"says Joey Steinhagen, R2P artistic director, "She's also been an amazing mentor to the cast, which is an important aspect of the R2P model. She's even got the Flying Monkeys painting their own wings."

Watkins Glen, NY – Watkins Glen International announced the return of the Finger Lakes Beer Festival presented by The Finger Lakes Beer Trail, scheduled for Saturday, October 24.

WGI's annual craft brew event will feature five hours of sampling the region's finest beer, live music (Iron Horse Bluegrass, The Zydeco Trail Riders), delicious regional cuisine, a 32-team cornhole tournament, on-site camping and pace car rides. Advance tickets are on sale now at discounted prices until September 27th.

Melissa HendricksonAurora, NY — The Wells College Visual Arts Department announced its annual Senior Thesis Exhibition. The exhibition features the final work produced by the department’s seven studio arts seniors and serves as the culmination of their course of study. The public is cordially invited to attend a free opening reception on Monday, May 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the String Room Gallery. The show will also be open by appointment until May 17.

Regina Agoruah (Atlanta, Ga.) developed her love for photography after taking a film photography class at Wells. Her photographic work focuses on unique communities that deal with social, cultural and political issues. She uses photography and video in her thesis work to document a historical tattoo shop from her hometown. Upon graduating she intends to travel to Shanghai and Tokyo to continue her arts education.

What do you get when you combine a lesbian couple with trust issues, a straight couple with accumulation issues, a single guy with commitment issues, and an aquarium shark with glass issues? It could only be Swimming in the Shallows by Adam Bock, a comedy with a bite. Kitchen Theatre Company is trying to stop laughing long enough to say that the production is opening for previews on April 29, with the press opening on May 2 and performances through May 17.

This is an encore production; Swimming in the Shallows was produced in the Kitchen's 2002-2003 Season, and it featured Karl Gregory as the commitment-phobic Nick and Dean Robinson as Bob, the husband who can't understand why his wife wants to get rid of all of their belongings. Those two are back for this production, and they are joined by a stellar, all-Equity cast: Karina Arroyave, Lesley Gurule, Lena Kaminsky, and Peterson Townsend.

The Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG), an affiliate of IPEI, will host the 'ICSD Coda Conduct' Variety Show on Sunday, April 26, 2015 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. at the Ithaca High School Performing Arts Center’s Kulp Auditorium.  The show will feature solos, bands, and musical groups of Ithaca City School District (ICSD) faculty and staff from different schools. The fundraiser will support scholarships for music education.   A reception will follow the variety show.

“Ever noticed your math teacher’s toes tapping while grading quizzes? Heard your history teacher humming under her breath?” asks booster Linda Glaser.  “Our teachers are talented performers, too”.  

Civic Ensemble's ReEntry Theatre Program Presents, 'A Setback Ain't Nothing but a Setup for a Comeback,' written and performed by participants who have been incarcerated at one time in their lives. The ReEntry Theatre Program is an 8-week course during which participants create individual short plays about their experiences to be performed at a culminating event for family, friends, community members, and employers. The event is free and everyone is encouraged to reserve seats. Those concerned about transportation to and from the event should contact the box office number for help with rides.

According to the Department of Justice, re-entry refers to the transition of our community members from prisons or jails back into the community. Nationally, more than 650,000 people are released from state and federal prisons every year. An even greater number is released from local jails. Two-thirds of these community members will be rearrested and many will be reincarcerated within three years of their release.

The Hangar Theatre celebrated their accomplishments of 2014 at their annual meeting on Monday, April 16th where four community members were recognized as substantially impacting the artistic integrity and financial health of the Center for Performing Arts at Ithaca. Board members, staff, volunteers, and community members all gathered to celebrate the continual success of the Hangar, celebrate the positive impact of those who so generously contribute their time and resources to the organization, and a brief look forward the 2015 Mainstage summer season.

Josh Friedman, Managing Director of the Hangar Theatre discussed the ever changing landscape of the performing arts, with a glimpse of what that means for theatre on a national and local level. Presenting both the challenges it brings and exciting opportunities that the Hangar might take advantage of.  Rebalancing the organization has been something that Mr. Friedman has been passionate about since starting at the Hangar in 2012. With the hard work of the staff and Board of Trustees, the organization has seen great strides in their efforts to rebalance and has begun to really take advantage of the space as a year round facility. Aside from the Hangar's summer season, the Center for the Arts at Ithaca hosted 27 ticketed events, to entertain and engage the community with performances of all types.

On March 25, 2014 much of the music world was shocked when One Direction's Zayn Malik released a statement via the band's Facebook page that he was officially leaving the group. While this sent waves across the web, it has created a fantastic opportunity for Z95.5.

Brand Manager Gabe Carrillo, "Like many of our listeners here in Central New York, I am totally bummed about the One Direction news, but I see a chance for growth for both Zayn and Z95.5. That is why I am taking this time to offer him the opportunity to join 'The Morning Buzz.'  Why not?  Who better to help us get Ithaca up and moving every morning than a talented guy like Zayn Malik?  For him, it's not really about the money, it's a chance to be in a beautiful area of the Finger Lakes, chilling with a great team, and being around a community of great people."

Kitchen Theatre Company's 5th Annual Dance the Night Away fundraising event on Saturday, March 21, 2015 was a huge success, raising over $46,000 to support the work of the theater. The event matches local celebrities with Kitchen Theatre Company professional dancers and choreographers who prepare exhibition dances and raise money through sponsorship of friends and supporters. Months of rehearsal culminate in an evening of performances, food, drink and dancing for all to the music of Little Joe and the Big Shots. Individual sponsorships of the dancers, tickets sales, and business sponsorships add to the total revenue raised. This year nearly 400 people supported the dancers with donations, and the theater was filled to capacity for the event.

"There were so many people who helped us. CFCU Community Credit Union was our lead corporate sponsor for the third year, in addition to sponsors CSP Management, Cayuga Medical Center, Dianne & Jim Orcutt, King Ferry Winery, Cornell University Hospital for Animals, Linz Real Estate, Bacchus Brewery Inc., Ithaca Veterinary Housecalls, NYSEG, and Will Musham singer/songwriter. Without this kind of community support, we wouldn't be able to do the work we do," says Managing Director Stephen Nunley.  

Every young person deserves the chance to give voice to their dreams. On Saturday, March 21st at 1 pm, a talented group of young teens will lift their voices to raise money for a scholarship, so that talented young teens can have the opportunity to train their own singing voices. The event, 'Giving Voice to Dreams,' will be held at the Acting Out studio at Center Ithaca on the Commons. The performance will feature numbers from popular musicals and homemade baked goods.

The theme of dreams -- the yearning to achieve them, the joy of success, and the heartbreak of failure -- will be reflected in the cabaret songs, like 'Kindergarten Boyfriend,' from Heathers: The Musical, and 'The View from Here' from Darling: The Musical. The performers' youth gives the songs a special poignancy and relevance.

Coming next to the Kitchen Theatre Company main stage: four solo performances in three weeks! NYC actor/writer/producer Lorraine Rodriguez-Reyes kicks off the Solo Play Festival with Mami Confessions, followed by Darian Dauchan's new play Black Sheep. The final week features two pieces: Michelle Courtney Berry's Mother Land and Ryan Hope Travis's June 16. The festival runs from March 25 to April 12.

Kitchen Theatre Company has championed the work of solo writer/performers for more than a decade. These uncensored, outside-the-box performers, ranging from Tim Miller (one of the "NEA Four," famous for performing in the nude) to Haitian-American feminist poet provocateur Lenelle Moise, to the politically charged one-man-rant specialist Brian Dykstra, have brought the houses down with one-of-a-kind unforgettable evenings.

Photo by Durst BreneiserOn February 23, 2015, Civic Ensemble premiered Home: A Living Newspaper, an updated treatment of the federally funded Living Newspapers of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) in the late 1930's. Home, addresses the issue of housing in Ithaca through the experience of a newcomer from South America as she and her family look for a place to call home. Her story is interspersed with an investigation of related news stories and questions about where we stand as citizens in our city, our country and our world.

The performance of Home played to a sold out audience at the Kitchen Theatre and was followed by a discussion during which participants were asked to break into small groups and answer one of two questions posed by Civic artists. Those questions were: What are some creative solutions to the problem of Affordable Housing in Ithaca?, and What challenges do we face as individuals who want to get involved with improving the housing situation in Ithaca? About 50 people stayed for the discussion. Discussion groups came up with several solutions including: regulation to diversify ownership and competition for renters, public transit improvements and more buses to outlying areas, encourage more communal housing, and making sure potential renters know their rights. Part of the play dealt with the Fair Housing Act and common instances in which landlords and agents may violate the law.