arts

Jason Ostrowski is definitely excited about his upcoming concert at Batavia Downs.

Why? He loves playing rock and roll. He loves Elton John and Billy Joel. With a background in musical theater, he loves performing. He loves meeting people. And, he won't be far from his hometown, Rochester.

More than once during an interview with The Batavian about his Feb. 27 show (doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.), Ostrowski said about performing, "I love it. I absolutely love it.

Ostrowski isn't sure where this love for music and performance came from but it started young.

"Nobody in my family is in entertainment at all," Ostrowski said. "(Starting in) kindergarten, I was bothering my parents for lessons, and then I took classical for about six years. I hated taking it. I loved my teacher, but I hated classical piano. And then I learned rock and roll."

In high school, at Greece Athena, he discovered musical theater.  He was inspired to get his degree from SUNY Fredonia in musical theater and he chased a career as an actor.

His resume includes roles on Broadway, cast on national tours for major Broadway productions, and regional musical theater.  His TV roles include co-starring roles on FBI: Most Wanted, Bull, The Detour, WeCrashed, and A Crime to Remember.

"I've been very lucky working for as long as I have in the entertainment industry and being able to support myself," Ostrowski said. "And the piano playing has always been there for me."

Ostrowski's path toward doing concerts featuring the music of the likes of Elton John and Billy Joel began when he was on Broadway in a show where cast members played their own instruments; then, on his own, he started playing more rock and roll on piano.

"I always thought, 'Oh, that would be fun to do for people. But I guess I was a little too shy or something," Ostrowski said. "In 2014, I learned how to do dueling pianos in Orlando, Florida. From there, I was just hooked on performing behind the piano."

Ostrowski was more of a Billy Joel fan (he's even met him a couple of times) but people always told him he looked like Elton John, so he explored his music and found it compelling, so he developed a live act around John's music. He said it's not exactly a tribute show.

"I started putting on my Nana's costume jewelry and some sparkly clothes and doing an Elton John show," Ostrowski said. "It's not an impersonator show because you already know it's not him. I look enough like the guy. I'm not going to try to pretend to be him but to capture the essence of his music and performance. What I do live hopefully translates, and that gives people an experience that, if they haven't seen him, can come close to what it would be like to hear that music live by him. And I love doing it. I love it."

The Feb. 27 show will feature both the music of John and his idol, Joel.

He said Joel is his biggest influence as a singer, piano player, and writer.  Ostrowski has singles and EPs of his original music on streaming platforms and is anticipating releasing an album later in 2025.

"I've always written. I've always been, I guess, I've always been a little timid about it, like, uh, nobody's gonna like this or whatever," Ostrowski said. "But now, as I reach 50, I'm like, 'Well, who cares?' So I actually started work on an album in December, and in March, I'm going back to recording in New York City with this producer who was Bruce Hornsby's guitar player for 16 years, and he's worked with Dave Matthews and Ben Folds. He really likes my writing, so we started work on just a little album, four or five songs, but it's exciting, and it's gotten me excited about my own music again."

Ostrowski isn't surprised the music of legendary rockers like John and Joel remains popular, not just with the generation that grew up with John's songs on AM radio.

"I'm on ships quite a bit, and generally, the crowds are people who grew up with Elton John, but every now and then, I get young people and young teenagers out in the audience, and they're singing along to every single song," Ostrowski said. "There's some kind of magic in performing some of this music that's 56 years old now, much older than some of these people listening to it, and they know every single lyric. It really is a rush to just play this rock and roll music."

John, he said, is particularly thrilling.

"He's such a theatrical performer in how he dresses and presents himself," Ostrowski said. "So to be able to do that and sit behind the piano and play this amazing music with incredible bands is all I need. I love it. Absolutely love it."

Tickets are available through Eventbrite, starting at $13.37.

Opening Friday at the Main St. 56 Theater in Batavia is the Batavia Players' production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap."

A murder mystery, it is Christie's most popular play and is directed by Sophie Houseman.

Set in a cozy guesthouse nestled in the snowy English countryside, run by a husband and wife new to the hospitality business, a group of strangers become trapped by a snowstorm. When a police detective arrives with chilling news—a killer is among them—secrets begin to unravel, and tensions rise.
Everyone is a suspect in this classic whodunit, filled with Christie’s signature twists and turns. 

Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $24 for adults at the door and $22 for students and seniors. Tickets are $2 cheaper if purchased online.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The "Musical Fireworks" will be flying Sunday at Genesee Community College when the Genesee Symphony Orchestra plays its February concert at 4 p.m.

Featured works conducted by Music Director S. Shade Zajac:

• Symphony no. 9, Shostakovich
• Overture to William Tell, Rossini
• Three-Cornered Hat, Suite no. 2, Manuel de Falla
• Russian Sailors Dance, Gliere

Tickets are $17 for adults, $12 for seniors, and students with an ID can attend for free.

Audience members who arrive at 3 p.m. can meet the orchestra.

Photos by Howard Owens.

A new Paul McCartney tribute band, Band on the Run, from Rochester, played its debut concert on Thursday at Batavia Downs.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

Batavia Downs President and CEO Byron Brown has announced the eighth Rockin’ the Downs concert series lineup. The shows, eight in all, will be held on Friday nights outside in the middle of the Batavia Downs horse racing track.  Concerts will start in June and run into August of 2025.  

Kicking off the series on Friday, June 20, will be Queensrÿche. With over 30 million albums sold worldwide, Queensrÿche continues to tour the globe to sold-out audiences. The band has earned multiple Grammy Award nominations and consistently delivers high-octane live shows, combining the hungry fire of a new band with the tempered experience of master showmen.  Hear songs like the #1 chart-topping hit Silent Lucidity, Queen of the Reich and Eyes of a Stranger.

Making their Summer Concert Series debut on Friday, June 27, is the Allman Betts Band.  Devon Allman and Duane Betts, the sons of Allman Brothers co-founders keyboardist Gregg Allman and guitarist Dickey Betts, have formed a supergroup anchored by sharp songwriting, fiery fretwork, and a historical legacy.  Having toured all over the United States, they’ve created a new soundtrack for the American South, blurring the lines between genres.  Come hear great original songs, along with some made famous by their fathers.

After a one-week break for Independence Day, the concert series continues when Almost Queen, a tribute to Queen, takes the stage on Friday, July 11th. Experience Queen's magic comes alive with stunning four-part harmonies and electrifying precision. Donning authentic costumes, they'll transport you back to Queen's glory days with every legendary hit. Don't miss this spectacular return to our concert series.

On Friday, July 18, Batavia Downs welcomes back America’s top Pink Floyd Show, The Machine.   Over 30 years, they have extended the legacy of Pink Floyd while creating another legacy all their own. Over the years, The Machine has touched the hearts and souls of many with its stellar musicianship, dramatic lighting, lasers and video performances.

On Friday, July 25, Batavia Downs welcomes Little River Band.  Formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1975, this blend of musicians achieved success with good songwriting, powerful vocals, and guitar harmonies. They immediately claimed their place as one of the great vocal bands of the ‘70s and ‘80s.  Hear their hits like Take It Easy On Me, It’s a Long Way There, Help Is on Its Way, Happy Anniversary, Lonesome Loser, and more.  The opening will be the American Rock Band Ambrosia, playing hits like How Much I Feel and Biggest Part of Me.

On August 1st, Batavia Downs proudly welcomes Rochester Native and 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Lou Gramm.  The Grammy-nominated original voice of Foreigner has brought his amazing voice to the rock scene for more than 40 years.  With Gramm at the helm, Foreigner's first eight singles cracked the Billboard Top 20, making them the first band since The Beatles to achieve this.  Come hear the hits he made famous, like Hot Blooded, Feels Like the First Time, Cold as Ice, Double Vision, Head Games, Juke Box Hero and more.

Legendary Motown artists, The Commodores, roll into Batavia Downs on Friday, August 8th.  With over 70 Million Albums sold, including 7 #1 hits, these Pop and Motown Icons will surely delight.  One of the most successful vocal groups of all time, The Commodores continue to thrill audiences with their Greatest Hits Tour.  Be sure to hear hits like Easy, Three Times a Lady, Sail On and Brick House among many others. 

The legendary rock band Kansas will be closing out the concert series on Friday, Aug. 15.   With a legendary career spanning five decades, KANSAS has firmly established itself as one of America’s iconic classic rock bands. This "garage band" from Topeka released their debut album in 1974 and have gone on to sell more than 30 million albums worldwide.  Kansas has played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan.  Their iconic hits include Carry on Wayward Son, Point of Know Return, Dust in the Wind, and many more.

“I’m excited about the 2025 Summer Concert Series at Batavia Downs, especially with legendary bands like Kansas and the Commodores coming here for the very first time,” said Brown.  “The Concert Series at Batavia Downs has quickly become a Western New  York summertime destination.  I want to thank the Board of Directors for approving the concert series and I look forward to seeing all our fans starting in June.”

“As Chairman of the Board, I’m thrilled with the eight concerts that will be coming to Batavia Downs this summer,” said Dennis Bassett, Chairman of the WROTB Board of Directors.  “As a Rochester resident, I’m especially happy that Rochester native Lou Gramm will be returning to perform at Batavia Downs in August.”

“I want to thank the great staff here at Batavia Downs for creating such a great line up in 2025,” said Ed Morgan, Vice-Chairman of the WROTB Board of Directors.  “I look forward to seeing record crowds this year.”

Tickets for all eight concerts will be available only at www.BataviaConcerts.com beginning on Friday, Dec. 20 at 1 p,m.  All tickets can be redeemed at Player’s Club at any time in the three days following the concert for $10 Free Play to be used on one of Batavia Downs Gaming’s 920+ gaming machines.

Season Tickets are also back and will also go on sale for General Admission and VIP Sections.  A Season pass for General Admission will be $145 (a savings of $20) Season Passes for VIP tickets are $220 (a savings of $20).  Season passes may ONLY be purchased online.

Concerts are held rain or shine.  Additional information may be found at www.BataviaDownsGaming.com.

The Genesee Chorale presents its annual Christmas concert at 2 p.m. on Saturday at St. James Episcopal Church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia, featuring baritone Joseph Finetti.

Finetti is featured in the performance of "Fantasia on Christmas Carols," composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The chorale will also perform "Magnificat" by Taylor Scott Davis.

Tickets are $10.

Press Release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that tickets are now available for several indoor concerts in the Park Place Event Center on Thursdays throughout the upcoming Winter and Spring months.

All events will have General Admission tickets, and some will have VIP tickets.  All tickets include $10 back in Free Play to be redeemed at Player’s Club. These shows will all begin at 7 p.m.

“As Batavia Downs continues to grow with weekend events, we’re excited to introduce a brand new Thursday night concert series that stretches from mid-December to mid-May, “ said Byron Brown, President & CEO of Batavia Downs.  “With a wide range of musical acts, including Polka, Rock, Comedy and Country, we’ve got something for everyone.”

On December 19, Batavia Downs welcomes Terry Buchwald as Elvis Presley. This acclaimed musical experience showcases Terry Buchwald's talents, as he has done for many years, performing “The King” Elvis Presley’s greatest hits throughout the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. This show will have GA ($10) and VIP ($15) seating.

On January 9, WBBZ’s Polka Buzz returns to Batavia Downs. Listen to polka music from the New Direction Polka band while Ron Dombrowski hosts WBBZ’s weekly show. You may even see yourself on TV. This show will have $10 GA seating.

On January 16, “Band on the Run Live”, a Tribute to Sir Paul McCartney, will rock the Park Place Event Center stage at Batavia Downs. Take a trip through Paul’s music throughout his iconic and award-winning artistic career with the Beatles, Wings, and as a solo artist. This show will have GA ($10) and VIP ($15) seating.

On February 27, Jason Ostrowski will return to Batavia Downs to perform the greatest hits of piano-rock legends Elton John and Billy Joel! Enjoy back-to-back hits from the Piano Man and the Rocket Man live inside the Park Place Event Center. This show will have GA ($10) and VIP ($15) seating.

On March 13, 2025, Batavia Downs welcomes Frank Spadone's comedy. Frank has been featured at comedy festivals in Australia and South Africa and is a regular face at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. His movie credits include “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle,” and he has appeared in several television series. This show will have both GA ($10) and VIP ($15) seating.

On April 10, 2025, following their acclaimed set during the Rockin’ the Downs Summer Concert Series, Tiny Music Band will grace the Park Place stage to perform a standing-room-only show. This tight, talented group will showcase their skills playing crowd-pleasing party hits throughout the night. This show is FREE. There will NOT be seats, but an ADA-seated section will be available for those who need it.

And finally, on May 22, 2025 the popular Zach Brown Tribute Band (ZBTB for short) will close out the Thursday concert series with a bang, playing a mixture of Zach Brown Band hits alongside country and rock classics. Known well throughout the area, this band is sure to please music fans of all genres. All tickets for this show are $15. This show will NOT be seated (ADA ticketed seats will be available).

General admission tickets are now available on BataviaConcerts.com, and the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop is located in the lobby of the main entrance of Batavia Downs. VIP tickets will be available exclusively at BataviaConcerts.com. Hotel Specials for select events are available on the Hotel Deals tab on BataviaDownsGaming.com.

Batavia Downs’ Summer Concert Series announcement will take place later in December.

The long road to completing a five-minute film about a scary kitty that was shot in Batavia this past year reached the milestone of a public screening at GO ART! on Saturday night after the Christmas in the City parade.

The film isn't online yet. Producer, director and screenwriter James DiLullo said the short will be entered into a number of film festivals and those festivals typically want exclusive access, so it will be a little while before you can view the film on YouTube (embedded below). 

DiLullo hosted a discussion with two of the lead actors who were able to attend the screening, Aurora Callery, and Roselyn Kasmire.

An audience member asked Callery what she drew on to inspire her character and the child actor said, "I just thought about my little sister, who loves cats. I just pretended I was my little sister."

At one point during filming, the cat playing "Kitty," Bunny "Kitbull" Buzzkill, scratched her, making a scare that looks like a smiley face, which she likes.

"She's very fat so she thinks my fingers are little hot dogs," she said.

Callery asked Kasmire, who plays a teacher, what she thought about while doing her scenes. Kasmire, who actually is a teacher in Buffalo, said in this case she didn't have to dig deep.  As animated as she is as a teacher in the movie, that is how she is with her students in real life.

For previous coverage, click here.

Your ugly Christmas sweater could be your ticket to ride at Sunday's annual Genesee Symphony Orchestra holiday concert at GCC.

At intermission, GSO elves seek out the ugliest sweater worn by an audience member who will be the winner of the grand prize -- a chance to conduct the orchestra during its annual performance of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride."

While "Sleigh Ride" is a perennial fan favorite, among the highlights of the concert, said Conductor and Musical Director Shade Zajac, is the vocal performances of Soprano Jessica Moss.

She's singing an aria from the opera “La Wally,” two from Handel's “Messiah,” and an aria from “La Bohème.”

"She's an extraordinary singer," Zajac said. "I met her about two years ago. I've only been able to work with her one other time before, and she's a real, a real fine artist. I mean, absolutely, see her now before she gets to the Met, where the tickets are going to be more expensive."

Besides "Sleigh Ride," other fun numbers on the program include "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," as well as selections from the “It's a Wonderful Life” Suite -- yes, the soundtrack of the Jimmy Stewart classic arranged for orchestra.

"We've had a very busy start of the season and really intense start of the season, so it's really nice to just kind of let loose a little bit and play some fun music," Zajac said. "We love doing 'It's a Wonderful Life.' It's some great, great music and they don't make scores like that any more. It’s really cute and full of old Hollywood schlock."

GSO performs at GCC at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $17 for adults; seniors $12, and students with ID are free.

Photos by Howard Owens

An eclectic evening of music is planned for the main gallery to GO ART!, 201 E. Main St., Batavia, at 7 p.m. on Friday when local musicians Howard Owens and Henry Grace perform solo sets that touch on pop, folk, country and Americana.

On stage first, Henry Grace, a Batavia-based singer-songwriter whose style evokes a variety of influences cultivated from years of living a life simple as a moment, partly an urban legend, a dreamer of dreams, and a storyteller to the working class whose live performances connect vividly with audiences.

Grace has an extensive musical background has taken him through New York to Atlanta to Nashville and back again, playing coffeehouses, church basements, bars, colleges, libraries, backyards, and regional festival stages.

Recently, Henry Grace has become a part of the burgeoning Batavia music scene as co-founder of the folk duo Parris and Holly and clamor pop band Rose Mary Christian’s Babies gigging locally at Jackson Square, GO ART!, Iburi Photography, Pub Coffee House, and VFW Post 1602.

Grace plays a mixture of original songs and covers by Vic Chesnutt, Jules Shear, and Neil Young, among others.

Owens is a product of the backcountry of San Diego County and the nascent punk scene in Southern California (birthplace of cowpunk). He never lost his Western roots, and his musical interests reflect that broad range of influences.  On Friday, expect to hear some Dave Alvin, Odetta, Iris Dement, Johnny Cash, Graham Parsons, Jack White, Amos Milburn, Tanya Tucker, and Bob Dylan.

Over the past two years, he's played at Juneteenth, GO ART!, Iburi Photography, and VFW Post 1602.

Admission to Friday's show is free.

Walking down the Batavia High School hallway as the Drama Club prepares for dress rehearsal, it's notable how there’s a surprising number of males in a show about women.

That’s because there are also very important male roles, director Caryn Wood says.

“Teddy is a very excellent example of a very important male role. John Brooke, obviously, how he affects (the story), and you see how they all interact and what the effects of those relationships are. And so, yeah, there's a bunch of men in the show too," Wood said during rehearsal Monday at BHS. "And so, I just think it's a wonderful story, and I think that these kids are rising to a challenge. It's hard because it's such a classic, and they have their own expectations. Because the characters are. But then there's the movie that came out in the 90s from one Winona Ryder, which was part of my childhood, and there's so many different versions, and they can all kind of meld and become one, almost. 

“And so we're just trying to do a classic is not a crazy way, very intimate because it's a black box,” she said. “You're very close to the actors, and a story that is so much about the relationships. I think it's awesome to do it in such a close, intimate proximity, like a black box theater.”

“Little Women,” about the lives of four sisters — Jo, Amy, Beth and Meg March and their mother, Marmee — after dad goes off to the Civil War front, debuts at 7 p.m. Friday and continues at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at BHS, 260 State St., Batavia. 

For anyone unfamiliar with black box theater, it’s about as up close and personal as you can get in theater — on stage with the actors, action and sets. Jeremiah Childs, 17, who has the role of Teddy, aka Laurie, enjoys sharing the spotlight with an audience, he said. 

“It’s interesting, being that close to the audience,” he said. “You can hear everything and see everything. So if they laugh, you can see the laughter. If they do a face, you can see the face. I like it.”

His character is similar to his own personality, but there was a challenge he’s had to deal with, he said.

“Laurie is a lot like me: he’s funny, he's very out there, he likes doing what he does. He has some traditional values,” the 12th-grader said. “But with Jo, Jo tries to break him out of that, and he just can't. And they don't end up together, which is kind of sad. But if you watch the movie later on, they do end up together, but he's very fun, he's very charismatic. He's very loving, and he desperately wants to get into this March family.”

Jo March serves as the head of the family and works as a surrogate father in his absence. Kelsey Kirkwood wanted the role when she auditioned and was elated when she won the part, she said.

“I’ve just been in theater for a very, very long time, and I could tell that I’d been working my way up. And so when I got picked for her, I was really excited,” she said. “I’ve been in shows since, I think I was like eight, so probably third grade, and then I’ve been doing the shows here at the high school since ninth grade. I definitely want to keep going with it in college, but more so just for fun.”

So tell us about Jo., and are there more similarities or differences between you?

“Jo is very, very, I can’t think of that word for her. She's very not spiteful, but she knows her way. She's very set in her beliefs, and she just goes against the social norms, which I think is pretty cool, because that was a little difficult to do in her time,” 17-year-old Kirkwood said.  “I relate to her a lot because she kind of, I wouldn't say I'm defiant, but she's kind of defiant, and she knows her own way, and she definitely is passionate about what she believes in, and she fights for it, which I think is pretty cool.

“When father goes away, Jo kind of takes over for him and ends up being like the quote, unquote, man of the house,” she said. “And so she just kind of, she tries to keep everything in order, and she's not always great at it, but she tries.”

There are 22 students in the cast and five student crew members for a traditional and familiar adaptation of the story, Wood said. So if you have ever read the book or seen any of the movies, this will seem fairly customary, with one catch.

“One thing we're doing a little differently is that ... because it's supposed to be during the Civil War, but so many of the themes are so applicable of Little Women, obviously, there's some feminism, and women leaving home to find work, and the transition to working outside the home, Jo has a desire to make a living for herself, to support herself in the future, and she isn't sold on the idea of marriage, necessarily, and so many of those themes and ideas are still so relevant even today, more than 100 years later. So we're taking it out of any one time period, and we're kind of making it of any time period," she said. "You'll see costumes like modern clothing. So there's some modern clothing in there, and then many of the women are in clothing from various time periods. We've got some 60s, 50s, there's a 50s housewife kind of look on one person. There's almost a regency kind of look on another girl. There's almost a Victorian look on another, so we're just mixing up all the time periods because it is so timeless, it’s such a classic story that could almost fit in any time. 

"So instead of making it any one specific time, our costumes should reflect the character and the person more than necessarily the time period itself," she said. "And so that's something unique that we're doing.” 

The common thread is a familial bond in a "coming of age" classic, clothing style notwithstanding, as these little women deal with the ups and downs of life.

Sophomore Willow Rozell plays Meg, and despite her nervous demeanor backstage, the 15-year-old can more easily slip into character once the quiet on set cue is given. She described a varied experience for patrons. 

“Oh, I think it's going to be fun, but it's also going to be sad. We definitely have a mixture. It’s supposed to be serious but fun, too,” she said, adding what she thinks is the show’s message. “I think family, specifically sisterhood, is really important, and to unite with that is a really important thing in the show.” 

Tickets are $9 in advance and available at www.cur8.com (search BHS) or $10 at the door.

To view or purchase photos, click here. 

When conductor Shade Zajac discovered the piece “From the Diary of Anne Frank” by American composer Michael Tilson Thomas, who was already “a big hero of mine,” he says, he also thought of his sister Gemini, a freelance actor and vocalist who could embrace the emotional importance of the work.

That was during the pandemic, and Gemini lives in Philadelphia, so it took some time for this concert to come together for Genesee Symphony Orchestra. 

“I was just struck by what a great piece of music it is. So of course, two years go by and everything worked out that we could do it this season. I think people will have a bit of an idea what the piece might be, just because we know how her story ends, unfortunately, which is tragically. But the remarkable thing about the piece and about her writing, and all of the text comes from her diary, obviously, is that how optimistically and how hopeful she views not only the world, but people,” Zajac said during an interview with The Batavian. “One of the most striking lines is towards the end she writes, I'm paraphrasing here, but deep down, I truly believe that people are good at heart, which is incredible, that this 13-year-old girl hiding in an attic while people are disappearing or being shot or, all this kind of horrible stuff that's going around, that she can still be so optimistic and have such a view of, not just the world, but of people.”

Genesee Symphony Orchestra’s program is to begin at 6:30 p.m. with a pre-concert chat/lecture followed by the concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at Stuart Steiner Theatre, Genesee Community College, 1 College Road, Batavia.

Anne Frank was a teenager caught up in the horror of the holocaust, and she began to write in a diary two days after her birthday on June 14, 1942. She documented her life in hiding amid Nazi persecution during the German occupation of the Netherlands. She died in February 1945.

“Even after they were discovered and she was sent away to the camp at first she was still in a good mood. There were other children, there were people that she could be with. It was only right up to the very end. And she talks an awful lot about being in nature, that she wants nothing more than to stick her head out of the window and breathe the air and listen to the birds and all this,” Zajac said. “And it's this love of nature that connects the second half of the program, which is the Beethoven “Pastoral” Symphony, which is all about nature, being in nature, and having nature be a safe haven, having it be a cure for feeling depressed or dejected, or an escape from all the terrible things.”

The first half features the orchestra as a strong backdrop to Gemini’s reading Anne Frank’s words from the diary. There are somber moments accentuated with heavier strings offset with fluttering woodwinds, and long paused notes held to emphasize points throughout the essay.

The program also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major “Pastoral,” one of those lengthy classical numbers that is pretty, flowing, and if you close your eyes — possibly conjures visions of someone running about in a field with butterflies or perhaps watching clouds floating overhead.

There’s a connection between Anne Frank and Beethoven, Zajac said, and it’s one of isolation. While Anne’s was forced upon her by being captured, Beethoven’s was self-imposed due to his embarrassment at being deaf and unable to hear and understand most conversations. Throughout both stories, there’s a message about “just finding hope in really terrible times,” he said.

Zajac hopes that the audience can glean some of the overall contemplative essence that while we can celebrate a Thanksgiving in the end, it came with steep cost and some have paid dearly. It’s a heavy program, he said, but a thought-provoking one that features a little food for thought to this concert menu. 

This is a third visit to perform with GSO for Gemini (pronounced Gemin-ee), who has her bachelor’s in fine arts from University of Buffalo and performs with Sesame Place in Philadelphia. Similar to her brother, she grew up with creative interests, realizing early on that it was more than a passing whim.  

“I just kind of remember one show I was in in high school and I didn’t get the part that I wanted, and I remember being back stage during one of the performances, going ‘it’s not the part that I wanted, but if I’m going to pursue theater, then I have to be ok with getting parts that I don’t want, because that’s part of the lifestyle.’ And it was at that moment where I was like, oh I’m thinking about pursuing my career in theater,” she said. “So it was that moment where it was, I guess, the deciding factor. I’ve always enjoyed doing just kind of anything creative, and that’s just what’s pulled me most.”

When Shade talked to her about doing the Anne Frank piece, he felt confident about it being a role for her, one that she could breathe life into. 

She quickly agreed that it was quite an emotional piece.

“Incredibly. I know I talked about it on my little video on Instagram and the Facebook page, how I talked about that a lot of people don't feel safe and seen in this world. And that's a lot of what this piece talks about, in as much as finding the hope," the 26-year-old said. "But it's one of those things that I know lots of people personally who experience those fears and those things throughout the world, just because of who they are and their differences, and it just breaks my heart, that they have to go through things like that and they don't feel safe or welcomed in certain areas. And when I'm reading this piece, it just makes me think how how they're feeling, and how awful it is that they are feeling this, experiencing this.

“But also with that idea that these people that I know, they're still hopeful, they still see the good in people, and they're still fighting for, you know, their place in this world," she said. "And I think that's the part that really gets me, is that no matter what, there always is that hope and that drive to find your place.”

She has been rehearsing with a recording while being out of state, and described the music as having “moments where it gets very beautiful and light, and whimsical.”

“But there's also moments that are very haunting, and that contrast is it keeps the listener very engaged, because it kind of flows one way and then the other from that beauty and that fear,” she said. “It’s a very emotional piece, and I hope that people, they feel that emotion, not necessarily the emotion that I'm feeling on stage, from narrating and from the words, but the feeling of the music and what they take away personally.

“I really hope that people will get that same feeling of, people go through this, they're still going through this, and that's horrible, that people are still going through these kinds of fears and emotions,” she said. “But there’s always that hope, and I think that what people really should take away is that treating people with kindness, respect and equality is so important now more than ever, and to continue to do that.”

Tickets are $17 adults, $12 seniors, and free for students with a student ID, and are available at Mr. Wine & Liquor, GO ART!, YNGodess, The Coffee Press, Holland Land Office Museum, Gillan Grant and at www.geneseesymphony.com.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Parris and Holly, a Batavia-based folk/pop duo, headlined the second of a four-night residency at GO ART! on Thursday, with featured artist Alex Feig opening.

The residency continues on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. with Billy Lambert as the featured guest artist and on Oct. 24 with Chris Humel.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Show tunes and more show tunes.

If you love Broadway, Batavia Players has just the show for you this weekend.

"Just One More Time & Something New" is a celebration of 100 years of the best musicals to grace the stages of 42nd Street in the heart of Manhattan, better known as Broadway.

The choral review covers the music of Tin Pan Alley to state-of-the-art contemporary Broadway.

You will certainly hear some familiar classics as well as a few tunes that might surprise you.

There are shows at Main Street 56 Theater on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $24 at the door or $22 for seniors and students.  There is a discount to buy in advance online. 

Photos by Howard Owens.

The rock band Falling in Reverse headlined a night on Tuesday, supported by Jeris Johnson, Tech N9ne, Dance Gavin Dance, and Black Veil Brides.

Photos by Philip Casper

It's just a typical Prohibition-era night at Ruth's Speakeasy, where you can find the best moonshine and jazz singers in town before one of the patrons is murdered.

To solve this crime, the cast of Batavia Players needs your help.

"Murder at the Speakeasy" is an immersive and interactive murder mystery and scavenger hunt.

Audiences are encouraged to register in teams of up to four people each and dress in period-correct costumes.

Ruth's is a place with simple rules -- no business and no guns.  It is the haunt of gangsters, crooked cops, businessmen, and rising stars. The perfect environment for betrayal, vengeance, greed, and, ultimately, murder.

Who done it: the crooked police chief? The sultry jazz singer? A scorned woman?

You and your companions will have to figure it out.

You will be provided clue questions to ask the possible suspects and a map of all the local places the suspects hang out so you can track them down and find the clues.  

The adventure begins at check-in. Audience members will receive the secret password to gain entry to the Speakeasy.  Upon entry, they will meet the host of characters, and that's when the game begins. Sleuths must keep their eyes and ears open for any hints that might be dropped.  

The scene will unfold, the murder will happen, and then the questioning begins. Then the audience is released to follow the leads and track down the clues scattered throughout Batavia's local business community.  When the audience returns, the members will cast ballots for who they suspect is the likely killer before reentering the Speakeasy to see if they got the details right.

There are prizes supplied by local businesses.

Batavia Players encourage audience members to take pictures and post to social media but they ask, "please, however, at no time share the solution so the other groups can have the pleasure of solving the crime on their own."

The show is Saturday at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Main St. 56 Theater in Downtown Batavia.

Tickets are $30 per person or $100 for a team of four people. For tickets, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

The Genesee Chorale is opening its 2024 Fall Season and is looking for a few good singers.

The Chorale held its opening rehearsal on Monday at St. James.

For more information on joining, click here.

Photos by Howard Owens.

In two years, the Songbirds, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, has gone from playing for a couple of dozen people at a block party in Batavia to headlining at some of Western New York's top music venues.

On Monday, they closed out, as headliners, the Oakfield Labor Daze Music & Food Festival, drawing, likely, in the area of hundreds of fans for a three-hour set of all the best of Fleetwood Mac along with some deep tracks.

Previously: It's more than just ‘Rumours’ that Songbirds pay tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Photos by Howard Owens.

After the parade, on a beautiful blue-sky Labor Day, the third and final day of the music portion of the Oakfield Labor Daze Music & Food Festival opened with power trio Salvatore, an Albion-based band, followed by Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald. 

Photos by Howard Owens.