Colin Fleming-Stumpf - Page 7

Happy New Year Rochester theatre-goers! It is now officially 2019, and with it a new year full of wonderful theatrical productions of all varieties on stages large-and-small across the 585. We're fortunate to live in a city with some of the most diverse and eclectic arts organizations in New York State, so I thought I'd take a minute to highlight some of the productions I'm most excited about in 2019. A couple caveats: #1, the typical theatre season runs September(ish)-June(ish), and most theatre companies haven't announced their 2019-2020 seasons yet, so this article really only encompasses the first half of 2019; and #2, my theatrical tastes and interests aren't necessarily representative of the wider theatre-going community, so this list may not reflect Rochester's most anticipated or talked-about shows on the horizon (notice RBTL's upcoming run of Hamilton didn't make the cut, not for lack of worthiness). That being said, enjoy, and as always your thoughts and feedback are welcome!

Fiddler on the Roof is one of the most iconic and memorable shows in the musical theatre cannon, having originated on Broadway over 50 years ago and seen scores of revivals, and a feature length film, in the intervening years. The production currently playing at Rochester's Auditorium Theatre until December 16th is a rich and powerful experience, unlike any production of Fiddler you've ever seen before.

It's that time of year again. Time for cookies and eggnog, wrapping presents and hanging mistletoe, the relentless barrage of 'Dominic the Donkey' and 'Santa, Baby'. Love them or hate them, the Christmas season is a time for traditions, and one tradition that helps nullify the dredge of office holiday parties and Eastview Mall pandemonium is one that all of us Rochesterians treasure: A Christmas Carol at Geva Theatre, which first premiered on the theatre's Wilson Mainstage in 2010.

JCC Centerstage continues its 2018-2019 season with a play as unique and ambitious as its season opener (Becoming Dr. Ruth). The Legend of Georgie McBride, a Rochester-area premiere written in 2015 by Matthew Lopez, highlights the JCC's commitment to staging unique and diverse stories, as well as featuring both well-known and lesser-known works of theatre.

Les Miserables has been an audience favorite for nearly 40 years for all the reasons you would imagine: its memorable, emotionally impactful characters; the songs that stick in your head; the epic battle sequences; and its timeless themes of forgiveness, morality, and love. The touring production currently playing at Rochester's Auditorium Theatre checks all of these boxes, providing a unique and emotional theatrical experience for audiences of all ages (as evidenced by the many school groups in attendance on opening night).

Just in time for Halloween, Blackfriars Theatre is bringing Rochester the pinnacle leather-clad cult classic, possibly the only musical/science fiction/ horror/comedy in the theatre annals. Prepare to do the Time Warp, because The Rocky Horror Show has landed!

This weekend the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra joins forces with three titans of the stage to bring you the sounds of Broadway with two performances of 'Broadway Today', in which Rochester's premiere symphony orchestra, led by charismatic maestro Jeff Tyzik and joined by Rick Faugno (Jersey Boys, Godspeed), Leah Horowitz (Fiddler on the Roof, Thoroughly Modern Millie) and Mamie Parris (School of Rock, Cats) bring you show tunes old and new, from My Fair Lady and Sound Pacific to Les Miserables and Wicked.

Rochester's Geva Theatre has followed its Wilson Stage season opener Hair with another production of weighty political significance. While Hair deals with the cultural and social impact of the hippy movement in the 19060's, Thurgood explores the life and legal/historical contributions of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American to sit on the United States Supreme Court. These top-quality productions highlight Geva's commitment to not only entertain its audience, but to educate, inform, and enrich as well.

If you've ever seen the movie or one-man-show version of A Bronx Tale you already know that it's a captivating, emotional story about a young working class man growing up during the doo-wop era of the 1960's who's torn between the opposing worlds of criminal life on the streets and the proverbial 'straight and narrow.' The musical adaptation of the story, featuring music by Alan Menken and a book by Chazz Palminteri (who wrote the one-man-show and starred in the both the play and feature film) pairs the emotional complexity of the film with spirited, high-energy song and dance numbers that make for a truly entertaining night at the theatre.

Screen Plays, a unique gem within the Rochester theatre community, has brought to life one of the most iconic and ambitious works of the American theatre repertoire. Its famously heavy themes make it tough for any local theatre troupe to tackle, but the production currently playing at Rochester's Multi-Use Community Cultural Center (MuCCC) is dynamic, well-staged, and impressively acted.

Returning to Geva Theatre where her play Informed Consent premiered in 2014, Deborah Zoe Laufer brings us Fortune, a quirky love story that teaches us to leave our comfort zone and open ourselves up to others.

It wouldn't be odd to presume that a one-woman show about America's most famous sex therapist would be mostly about...well, sex. While sex and the role it plays in our lives is certainly a part of the story, Becoming Dr. Ruth, currently playing at JCC's CenterStage, is much deeper than that. It examines history, religion, family, love, loss, intimacy, and the many forces that shaped the life and career of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the German-born, Jewish immigrant who survived the Holocaust and went on to become a pop culture icon, media personality, and author.

The Rochester Fringe Festival is one of Upstate New York's cultural beacons (along with its Jazz Festival, Park Ave Festival, and Gay Film Festival, among many others). Each year it features performers known and unknown, showcasing everything from improv theatre to modern dance, macabre storytelling to interactive variety shows. That diversity and embracing of the bizarre makes the Fringe Festival the perfect venue to showcase OFC Creation's production of 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch', the 1998 cult classic by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask.

'An all-engrossing, captivating theatrical experience that you surely won't forget.'

An exotic, transporting production.

It's not always easy to find a night (or in this case, afternoon) at the theatre that's fun, entertaining, and appropriate for the whole family. Fortunately for you the Rochester Association of Performing Arts (RAPA) is presenting its production of the iconic story 'Charlotte's Web', based on the classic children's story by E.B White, until August 19th.