Where We Live

I found myself back at the beautiful George Eastman House this holiday season. For those of you unfamiliar with this house, you definitely aren’t from Rochester. George Eastman was a man who made his fortune from his achievements in developing the first personal camera, the Brownie Box and eventually Kodak. His philanthropic contributions to our small city, as well as his breathtaking mansion/museum have made Eastman a Rochester icon. On a recent clear and cold night in early December, I visited the house for roughly the 12^th time. The beauty of the house was brand new to me during the holiday season. Poinsettias and gingerbread houses lined the grand hallways. The Christmas tree and dining room table were decorated, just as they were for George, nearly a century ago.

Even more exciting than the Christmas spirit of the house, was the new photography exhibition, Where We Live. This exhibit features photos of Rochester’s past in celebration of our city’s 175^th anniversary. Thanks to Eastman’s invention of the personal camera, Rochester is well documented with some of the earliest photographs of any city. I found it fascinating to see the exact streets and buildings I’m so familiar with— but 100 years ago. Horse and buggy running where cars now drive. The Erie Canal where the expressway now lies. As a first generation Rochesterian, I felt a sense of pride and belonging, knowing I’m a part of a city rich with history and culture.

One part of the exhibit features photos of Rochester submitted by members of our community. To contribute your photo to Where We Live, visit www.eastmanhouse.org. On display now through January 24, 2010.

Paint Made Flesh

The Memorial Art Gallery is currently featuring the exhibit Paint Made Flesh, a collection of paintings in celebration of the human body. Each piece of artwork uniquely represents the human spirit through the canvas of skin and body.

I enjoyed The Hobo by John Currin (1999). There is something about this hobo girl that makes the viewer automatically like her. She appears endlessly joyful with a cherub-like face and rosy cheeks. Her small bag contains all of her worldly belongings, but she is by no means deprived of anything. Her voluptuous body shows that she is healthy and happy. Her face is youthful and glowing, yet her body isn’t as perfect. She makes no apologies for her sagging breasts and full mid-section. Confidence exudes from her and her optimism is contagious. I imagine her travels have given her experience in many cultures- but has not worn her out. I want to know this hobo, and hear about her travels. I’m sure we would become great friends. She would always be up for a grand adventure, or at least a good laugh.

There are dozens of paintings that will touch the audience, like The Hobo touched me. Many paintings contain anti-war themes. I never realized how the look of flesh can send such a powerful message. The human body represents age and experience. I recommend touring with a docent to learn the full story behind each painting, and the influences each artist incorporated in their work.

Paint Made Flesh is on display now through January 3rd 2010.

500 University Ave. Rochester, NY 14607 (585) 276-8900

http://mag.rochester.edu/exhibitions/index.html#PaintMadeFlesh

Chicago

Electricity buzzes throughout the crowded lobby of the Auditorium Theater as audience members wait to see the opening night of Chicago. This classic Broadway show about sex, jazz, and murder brings out die-hard musical fans as well as new faces of every age. Starring former Dukes of Hazzard actor, Tom Wopat as criminal defense lawyer, Billy Flynn, and the competing villainesses Bianca Marroquin as Roxie Hart and Terra C. MacLeod as Velma Kelly.

According to its opening lines, Chicago the musical is a show about “Murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, treachery and all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts.”

This production’s stage set and costumes are minimalistic, but still provide undeniable glamour and seduction. There are no mechanical tricks or complicated set designs; just the jazz band, and a few props tell the story of seven murderesses jailed for killing their husbands. Stylistically, this same production could be accomplished in a small vaudevillian café, which adds to the authentic feeling of sitting in a 1920’s speakeasy. Simple lighting changes or the drop of sequined confetti has dramatic effects, since so much of the show is without flashy staging. The dancers “barely-there” black lace bustiers and raunchy displays of flexibility are delightfully sexy in “it’s-good-to-be-bad” kind of way.

Bob Fosse’s original choreography, with his distinctive inward postures and subtle flick-of -the -wrist, roll -of -the –shoulder moves, plays an equally important role as the lead characters do. One moment the dancing is sensual and slow, the next it’s popping with show-stopping energy.

Marroquin as Roxie Hart, is able to portray incredible humor as her character is faced with un-funny things like murder, jail, and the American legal system. Her comedic timing steals the show while she remains innocent and lovable, not at all obnoxious. Class and poise exudes from MacLeod’s Velma Kelly, as she fights hard to maintain her starlet reputation behind bars. Wopats’ Billy Flynn personality was somewhat fatherly and gentle compared to the evil and greasy lawyer portrayals usually seen. There is a strong connection between Flynn and Hart where there is usually distance and lack of emotion. Each of the performers finds excellent ways to make their characters individual and unique.

Fosse’s choreography, combined with music by John Kander and Fred Ebb is a perfect match made in Broadway heaven. Songs like “All That Jazz” and “Razzle Dazzle” are widely considered classic Broadway tunes.

It’s easy to see how this shows 1996 revival has earned 6 Tony Awards, and a Grammy. Chicago’s 2003 motion picture adaptation starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere earned 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture. More importantly, the movie brought musicals back into the homes of Americans and rekindled their popularity to the masses, as seen in sold out performances like this one.

Bottom Line: Stop for cocktails before the show, the bar and lounge in the Auditorium is congested. Come on down… Chicago is a Razzle-Dassling must see!

Special thanks to the Rochester Broadway Theater League for such a jazzy night.

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

1) Van Cliburn Victory!\

Th The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is arranged specifically for the design of the beautiful architecture of The Eastman Theater for perfect acoustic quality. The Van Cliburn Victory performance featured featured piano soloist Haochen Zhang. At 19, he is the youngest winner of the Van Ciburn Award.

2) The show began with Shafer Mahoney’s Sparkle with a similar composition to Ravel’s Bolero. Each of these pieces started with a single, simple melody then continued to build upon it until it was a faster, more powerful orchestral piece. The backbone melody could still be heard throughout the song. Both of the songs had a happy and playful feel, major in key. Sparkle reminds me of the excitement and pace of New York City. Some may associate a big city with danger or stress, but I feel excited and liberated being there. This song represents my emotion for New York. Only in New York is heavy traffic and blaring taxi horns considered an enduring characteristic. The hustle and bustle is what people love about it. The brass section created the most dramatic and climactic portion of the music. According to the program, it was the most “majestic” part of the performance.

I was most impressed by the speed of Haochen Zhangs hands! He made playing this difficult song appear effortless. I enjoyed how he seemed to play the piano with his entire body. I was amazed how he didn’t have to read any music- he played entirely from memory. This song begins with a feeling of romance followed by a melancholy tone, and then it suddenly becomes very playful. This is a metaphor for the changing of the seasons. You can sense moments of the song that are “rainy” and “sunny.” It captures the popular French song, “It faut s'amuser et rire” (We must enjoy ourselves and laugh) by returning to a major key after minor ones. Bouncing back from darkness to light is a theme throughout the piece.

Prokifiev's Symphony No 5 in B flat Major Op reflected the composer’s experience of a new life without war. He considers this work as “glorifying the human spirit.” Themes of resilience and strength are felt throughout the music- a direct result of a surviving war and treachery, and appreciation for life afterwards. Classical music dates back to a time before television and radio and other readily available forms of entertainment. Audiences used to turn to orchestral music as entertainment and this symphony provides the hope and encouragement war-survivors would have wanted.

PUSH Physical Theater

Dracula

When I sat down to watch Dracula, I was prepared for a frightful night of entertainment. The combination of two of my favorite things, dance and Halloween, seemed like the perfect evening. Anticipation turned into confusion when the opening scene showed the dancers moving to what sounded like track and field commentary. The performers were dressed in running suits. My immediate thought was, “This is a modern-day version of Dracula.” Much like the re-creations of Shakespeare. Soon, I realized they were performing short skits of physical theater. I enjoyed these small performances; I was just confused as to what was happening at first. I kept waiting for Dracula.

I thought I knew every kind of dance genre there was… Until I watched PUSH perform. I was expecting modern dancing, but I had never seen what they call “physical theater.” It’s a physically challenging style, but without any basic ballet fundamentals that most forms of dance are centered around. I could tell through the positioning of feet and postures, that most of the dancers didn’t have ballet training. It appeared that the main objective of physical theater is to tell a story through body movement. This goal is not achieved through the feminine and traditional dance steps of ballet, modern or jazz. There was not always music, and choreography didn’t follow the typical 4/4 timing. The stories can be told through literal physical representation, like in The Visit, or through abstract performances, like Galileo. The miming elements to the performances I found fascinating. I had never realized what an art form mime is, until I watched the stories being told. Mime forms a special connection with the audience because it’s asking us to use more imagination than we typically do during performances.

In many cases, the positioning of the dancers was just as important as their movements. The lines, circles, and scattered positions were beautifully incorporated as an important element of the choreography. The physical strength and ability to balance appeared effortless, and left the audience gasping at their incredible maneuvers.

During a small intermission, the owner and principal performer, Darren Stevenson, came center stage and spoke to the audience. He gave a brief introduction of himself, told a humorous story about a recent bout in the emergency room, and even joked about the audience wondering where Dracula was. This quick stand-up comedy routine was most likely a moment of stalling to provide time for costume changes. Sadly, this action was detrimental to the performance to come. When the “evil” Dracula took stage with his snarling fangs, I wasn’t scared. I couldn’t think of him as Dracula- just as Darren, the funny British guy who’s married with a son. He even talked about how his fangs were ready to be worn backstage. That just left me thinking about how he gets the fangs to stay on! The scary mystery of the story was lost for me, once we got to know the actor performing. Humanizing himself left me with no room for imagination with the character, and unfortunately affected the quality of the show.

I enjoyed my first experience of physical theater. The ability to send messages with the raw body movement and strength, without the help of rhythmic music and traditional dance moves was impressive. I would have preferred either a collection of short skits, or only Dracula. Not both, and certainly no personal introduction from Darren.

Bush Mango

By Katie Cummins

There was nothing unusual about dancing barefoot at St. John Fisher's Encounter with the Arts class. Every Thursday night, in any given semester, students are exposed to different artistic experiences throughout the Rochester community. A highlight of the semester was visiting Bush Mango, a West-African-style dance and drum studio. There, we participated in a dance class, accompanied by a trio of polyrhythmic drummers. One can imagine the hilarity of thirty Fisher students (most with no dance experience) jumping and thrusting barefoot across the dance floor. Any initial awkwardness melted away within the first few minutes, thanks to our colorful dance instructor, Colleen Hendricks. The inviting and liberating style of West-African dance gave comfort to anyone nervous about dancing “wrong." The only rules were to let go of your inhibitions and dance from the soul. Each dance had a story behind it, representing West-African coastal culture and celebration. This high-energy class was a great cardio workout, and much more exciting than the treadmill. Bush Mango offers dance and drum classes for all levels. Walk-in classes only $15. Visit www.bushmango.org for more information.

34 Elton St

Rochester, NY 14607-1219

(585) 235-3960

Artisan Works

Artisan Works

By Katie Cummins

Recently, I’ve befriended a 90-year-old man named “Wild Bill.” During our Sunday afternoon chats, he always tells me about his family’s art gallery, Artisan Works. He says, “There’s nothing like it on planet Earth!” Plant Earth, eh? That is a pretty bold statement, so I thought I’d better check it out. Sure enough, Artisan Works is a jaw-dropping, head-spinning journey through 60,000 sq ft of art. The exhibit space is an old warehouse filled with every imaginable type of artwork, ranging from Wild Bill’s to Andy Warhol’s. The display is antiquarian in style, and quite exciting. However, some consider it busy and disrespectful in its representation. I thought it was a nice change from the traditional art galleries. With serving bars and pianos in every room (even rooftop space!) they offer the Rochester community opportunities to hold exclusive events in a unique space. Throw on your walking shoes, grab a friend and come see the most one-of-a-kind art exhibit on planet Earth.

565 Blossom Rd. Suite L

Rochester, NY 14610

www.artisanworks.net

585-482-7890

The Dryden Theatre

The Dryden Theatre

The Dryden Theatre represents everything I love about Rochester. Located in the George Eastman House, it’s small, historic, beautiful and full of character. The Dryden Theatre is exhibit space for showing the museum’s vast motion picture collection. It provides all the typical movie theater amenities, including concessions (great popcorn!) and two levels of seating. Just $5 with student ID. Check out the theater schedule at: http://dryden.eastmanhouse.org/calendar/

900 East Ave

Rochester, NY

14609

(585) 271-4090

Glee

Glee

This comedy-drama-musical (a Co-dram-ical perhaps?) - introducing Rachel Berry, Jayma Mays and Matthew Morrison - is one of the most delightful surprises in recent prime-time television. It’s breath of fresh air in a reality show saturated world. Glee takes a hilarious look at high school through the struggles of the forgotten Glee Club members- all of whome are typically invisible- are suddenly visible and center stage. Although the storyline often results in spontaneous song and dance routines, this is no G-rated, Disney show. Glee has the dry-humor of The Office, captivating characters and Broadway-worthy performances. This is entertainment at its best.

Wednesday 9:00pm Fox