The Batavia High School Production Club opens the romantic musical comedy Mamma Mia at 7 p.m. on Friday the school's auditorium.
Tickets purchased online in advance at www.showtix4u.com are $10. At the door, they are $10 for students and $12 for adults.
Additional performances are Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Le Roy High School is presenting a production of the Disney musical Newsies on March 10, 11, 12, 18 and 19 in the school auditorium.
Newsies is the story of a homeless NYC newsboy, Jack "Cowboy" Kelly, who befriends two newcomers to the trade. Newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer sets new rules that make it harder for newspaper hawkers -- newsies -- to make a buck so the boys go on strike. A journalist sympathetic to the boys' cause gives them some tips on public relations and the newsies battle grips the city.
The story is based on an actual labor dispute between newspaper salesboys and Pulitzer in the summer of 1899. For more on the history behind the story, click here.
Performances in Le Roy are:
Tickets can be purchased at leroycsd.org or at the auditorium, 9300 South Street Road.
For more photos or to purchase prints, click here.
It was a busy night at Seymour Place, 201 East Main St., Batavia, on Thursday night with GO Art! hosting two art show openings and a Celebrity Bartender Challenge.
In the challenge, Lauren Humphrey and Mandy Humphrey faced off in a tip-fund raiser for the arts council.
Artists Adrian Morris and Rita Mallison opened, for each of them, their first solo exhibitions.
Morris, above, is originally from Ireland. He married a gal from Stafford (they're now divorced) and moved to Genesee County about a decade ago. He said he's been painting and drawing all of his life and enjoys his membership with GO Art because being part of the local community of artists is like being with a family (his family is all in Ireland, and he may return there at some point, he said, because his mother is getting older).
"I love the supportive nature," Morris said. "It gets me out of the house and I meet a lot of other artists and we socialize and network here."
He has given art demos at Seymour Place, most recently a pallette knife demonstration in which he produced an Irish landscape painting.
He specializes in landscapes and portraits and said he's done numerous portraits on commission for local residents and is available for more portrait commission work.
There is another Celebrity Bartender Challenge at GO Art! tonight featuring Rebekah Ireland vs. Ryan Duffy starting at 6 p.m.
Rita Mallison, a long-time Batavia resident, started painting just a few years ago. She specializes in portraits of nuns, priests, saints, and religious heroes. She took up the subject after her conversion to Catholicism but said she has long been fascinated by nuns and wanted to be a nun when she was a little girl. She said she could never afford to buy paintings sho she keeps the prices of her paintings low.
In the main gallery is a show of work by William Mathews, which opened previously.
Press release:
Officials from Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel have announced that they have entered into an agreement with the Riviera Theatre, located in North Tonawanda, NY whereby both properties will help promote each other’s musical events.
Each Riviera Ticket will have a free play coupon, valid at Batavia Downs, for attendees of the Riviera’s events. Riviera will also display signage onsite noting Batavia Downs as a major sponsor of their facility. General Admission Tickets will also be on sale for the Michael DelGuidice Show (Celebrating the music of Billy Joel) at the Riviera Box office for the discount price of $10.
Batavia Downs will be giving away tickets to select Riviera events to customers via drawings, all while advertising those upcoming events on their website and social media pages.
“The live entertainment industry is coming back in a big way, “said Henry Wojtaszek, President and CEO for Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. “We hope that by partnering with another facility we are able to help a fellow venue owner, and also provide more prizes in the form of Riviera tickets to our great guests here. We want the people of Western New York to continue to support local live events which keep so many of our friends and neighbors employed.”
"Batavia Downs has been a major sponsor for the Riviera Theatre over the last three years, " said Riviera Theatre Executive Director David Fillenwarth. "We are excited to partner with Batavia Downs to collaborate and help each other market our shows. The entertainment industry struggled as a whole the last two years and we are always looking for new ways to promote and host great concerts. Batavia Downs shares that same vision and this will open the door for bigger and better things to come in the future at both venues. I think we can all agree that there is always room for more live concerts in our lives."
Officials from Batavia Downs also announced continuing promotions for purchasing tickets at the Lucky Treasures Gift Shop in the Batavia Downs lobby through Valentine’s Day with $15 in Free Play for each ticket purchased.
Those wishing to buy tickets online for upcoming Batavia Downs Events can visit https://www.bataviaconcerts.com. Tickets for upcoming Riviera Theatre Events can be found at www.rivieratheatre.org/upcoming-events/. Tickets for select events at the Riviera Theatre are given away via drawings on Wednesday nights at Batavia Downs.
Submitted photo.
Batavia City Council president Eugene Jankowski and City Manager Rachael Tabelski faced off in GO ART!’s Celebrity Bartender Challenge at Seymour Place tonight. Tabelski and Jankowski both said they weren't really competing and that tips would be combined, though. All tips are donations to the arts council.
Press release:
Join GO ART! on January 21st from 6-9 p.m. at Tavern 2.o.1 for a very special Celebrity Bartender Challenge! Our first competitors of 2022 are Batavia City Council president Eugene Jankowski Jr. and City Manager Rachael J Tabelski.
Started in 2018 GO ART!’s Celebrity Bartender Challenges raise funds for arts programming in Genesee and Orleans Counties. In these challenges, amateur bartenders compete at GO ART!’s Tavern 2.o.1 to see who can wow the crowds and earn the most tips for our donation jars. From community leaders to local characters these nights allow the community to come together to support local arts! Bartender Challenges occur most third Thursdays and Fridays.
For 2022’s first bartender challenge Batavia’s City Council is sending two hardworking public servants to serve the public and bring in big tips!
Lifelong Genesee County resident Rachael J. Tabelski is eager to celebrate her new role as City Manager! Appointed in 2021 she plans to manage the bar with the same skill and friendliness that she manages Batavia’s administration. Eugene Jankowski Jr. has been City Council President since January 1, 2018- a graduate of Batavia’s own Notre Dame High School, a retired City of Batavia Police Officer and a competitive shooter Eugene will bring his quick shot to the bar.
Batavia's leaders visit with old friends, make new ones, and support arts and culture- a cornerstone of our community in the most welcoming historic building in the City. Come chat with Geno and Rachael while supporting Go Art! If you have not been to Go Art! Or have not been in a while, this is an open event to explore the space and connect with the community and the art that makes it special. This event is 21+, bring cash to tip, and may the best bartender win!
Everyone who attended college, especially those who went away to school, has at least a couple of good stories. You know, stories that you told your parents years later prefaced with, “It's a good thing you didn't know this back then but...”. Or stories that you told your kids once they were grown to prove that you were cooler or crazier than they thought you were.
One of my stories(I don't have that many) involves a weekend my senior year at St. John Fisher College in Rochester when I met some famous musicians. Unfortunately for me , even though in retrospect they were funny, my interactions proved that I was definitely not cool.
My friendship enabled me to score front row tickets to each of the 2 nights, but I was not involved in any of the production. It was such a great event though that 50 years later 3 of us who were there in 1968 went back to Nazareth on the anniversary to reminisce.
The following autumn the same friends had another big show at Nazareth planned and this time I wanted to be a part of putting it on. I was assigned to “Publicity”. This boiled down to me going around the downtown Rochester area and asking bar owners to put a poster in their windows. Not exactly exciting but a job that had to be done.
Grunt work I guess you'd call it.
As a reward for doing that and probably because I was one of the only ones with a car, my next task was to pick up 2 of the musicians at the airport for the first night's show.
All That Jazz
The group that night was a well-known jazz ensemble -- The Charles Lloyd Quartet. It consisted of leader Charles Lloyd on saxophone, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Ron McClure on bass, and Keith Jarrett on piano.
I knew little or nothing about jazz music then, but over the years I learned that these were some of the biggest names in that genre. Fortunately, now in their 70s and 80s, they are all still playing.
So, on Friday afternoon off to the Monroe County Airport, I went in my cranberry 1961 Chevy Biscayne to transport Ron and Keith to Nazareth for the soundcheck. I felt a little nervous, but not really having any idea of their stature in the jazz world, not too much.
I don't know if they were expecting a limo or some better kind of vehicle, but if so they were kind enough not to say so. We put McClure's upright bass in my trunk and off we went.
Apparently, I was more nervous than I had thought though. On the way there it had been raining. But , as I drove the two musicians the sun had come out. I was trying to make conversation when one of them said, “Hey could you turn off your windshield wipers? It's kind of annoying.” I hadn't even noticed they were on and hoped they didn't notice how beet red my face had turned.
Everybody Hasn't Heard About The Bird
Then at some point during the trip, I don't recall how it came up, but I mentioned the phrase, “...gave him the bird”, the colloquialism for the 1 finger salute given to people you are mad at. Except, neither Keith nor Ron had ever heard it called that. They said, "Gave him the what?” I could almost feel them exchanging odd glances at each other behind my back. But, at least it made for an interesting discussion the rest of the way. Hey, maybe I taught them something.
The concert that night was stellar and I felt good about broadening my horizons to a kind of music with which I had not been familiar . My date was a young lady from Batavia (who I have not seen for 50 years) and I probably tried to impress her by pointing out the two musicians on stage who had been in my car that afternoon. I left out the windshield wiper incident though.
If He Walks Like A Duck
The next night's headliner was the “Father of Rock and Roll” Mr. Chuck Berry. I would have been ecstatic to drive him from the airport, but Chuck had a very unique way of going on the road to perform.
The promoter would pay for his plane ticket and Berry would fly into town by himself bringing only his guitar. He would rent a car at the promoter's expense and drive himself to his hotel and the venue. No tour bus or big production with a trailer and “roadies” for him.
According to his contract, the promoter would be responsible for hiring a capable local band with bass, drummer, and rhythm guitarist to back him up. Chuck would show up for a soundcheck and rehearsal before the show and that was it.
I was fortunate to be able to attend the warm-up at Nazareth that afternoon and it was an experience to see Berry put the band through its paces. It was fairly easy actually. He would say, “ Key of G, 1,2,3 and away we go...”. But he had specific cues to guide them like when he stomped his foot they would pause and when he stomped it again they'd start back up. He had them go through some of his basic songs like Johnny B. Goode or Reelin' And A Rockin', corrected them on a few things, seemed satisfied, and let them go with, “See ya tonight”.
They must have been a very capable band because Berry was known to be somewhat difficult with his backups at times, including some famous musicians. There is a 1988 documentary about him titled “Hail! Hail! Rock And Roll!” which shows how hard he could be to work with specifically with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.
Before that night's show, a friend and I inhaled a substance that was illegal back then but mostly legal now. It was the first time for me (it never became that big of a deal for me going forward) and let's just say that we were in a “jovial state of mind” for the festivities.
Chuck put on a very entertaining show going through many of his hits and showing why just about every rock guitarist who came after him borrowed his licks and paid him homage by their imitation. He did his patented duck walk move a number of times and had the crowd right in the palm of his talented hand.
Nuns Night Out
Being in a “jovial state of mind” really added to one song that Berry did. He did a humorous double entendre tune called “My Ding A Ling” ( Google the lyrics) which involves an audience sing-along with different parts for the men and ladies.
As this concert was held at the Catholic Nazareth College, a number of the nuns who lived on campus must have decided to have a night out for themselves and attend. There were a bunch of them all sitting together in one row and good sports all they sang along with everyone else.
Well, it was funny enough to see a row of nuns singing, “ I wanna play with my ding a ling'', but our “jovial state of mind” put us over the edge into side-splitting laughter.
After the concert, there was the usual “after show” party. Ours wasn't held in a ritzy club though. It took place in the apartment of some of the students who had worked on the show. It was located above a bar on Monroe Avenue in Rochester known as the Cobbs Hill Grill. Today it's still operating as Jeremiah's, known for their chicken wings which weren't even invented back then.
Party Like It's Almost 1969
So, college student apartment 1968 style: probably minimum furniture of the used variety. A bookshelf made from concrete blocks and boards may be holding Kurt Vonnegut novels, Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, a book of Lawrence Ferlinghetti poetry, and so on. Hanging beads separate one room from another. Possibly a big wooden spool from a utility company that had once held wire now used a table. On the table would be a Chianti bottle used as a candle holder coated with melted wax and a couple of overflowing ashtrays. A stereo system with good-sized speakers and some Bob Dylan vinyl spinning on the turntable.
People came in from the show in twos and threes. Chatting, smoking one thing or another, drinking beer or wine, talking loudly over the music. Someone said they heard Chuck was coming to the party. “Nah. Chuck Berry here? No way man.”
A group of us were hanging out in the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. Someone yelled out, “It's open!” and in walked Chuck Berry. Our mouths dropped open because 1. it was Chuck Berry and 2. he was accompanied by a Nazareth girl who I bet has a way better story to tell than me.
We were all trying very hard to be cool and nonchalant in Chuck's presence. You know like the guy who pretty much-invented the rock and roll guitar wasn't standing right there.
It's Not The Real Thing
Then out of the blue came one of the greatest uncool moments of all time. Chuck asked, “Hey man, anybody got any coke?”
One of the girls replied, “ There might be some in the refrigerator.” And I in my infinite naivete chimed in, “ Or if not , I'm sure they have some downstairs at the bar.”
Chuck looked at us with a look like, as my mom used to say, we all had 3 heads. “Man”, he scoffed. “ You ain't even in the right ballpark.”
“Oh!”, we all realized together. “That coke!” You could almost see us facepalming ourselves in unison. SMH as we would have commented today by texting.
I don't remember exactly, but I don't think Chuck stayed at our party much longer. All these years later I wish I could find that Nazareth girl( now in her 70's if living) and find out where the rest of the night led them.
Now, since “that coke” wasn't really a big well-known deal until the 70's I guess we could be forgiven for our cluelessness. Also, since I had just finished the third of my 4 summers working for Coca-Cola in Batavia, one could see why the kind that came in a bottle would be fixed in my brain. But still... it was embarrassing.
But, on the positive side, it was in reality a good thing we didn't have what Chuck wanted. And over the years I have told that story many times and never failed to get a laugh out of those who heard it.
Chuck passed away a couple of years ago at the age of 90, but he is still one of my favorites and I listen to his songs all the time. When I hear the lyrics to “Reelin' and a Rockin' that says, “Looked at my watch, it was 10:28, I gotta get my kicks before it gets too late”, that night in 1968 flashes in my mind.
The Le Roy-based heavy metal band Invictra has released a new single and video to go with it.
Nicole Greenbaum won "Best in Show," as selected in voting by attendees, at the opening of the Batavia Society of Artists Winter Show at the Richmond Memorial Library. Her painting, a watercolor, top right, is entitled "Silent Observations."
Madeleine Rusch is the featured artist in the show. Rusch has been painting for about 15 years and is mostly self-taught though attended classes with John Hodgins and Dennis Wood. Her main interest is acrylic paint. She has participated in many art shows and recently won Best in Show at the Alden Art Show.
Performances of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by the BHS Drama Club will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday and Sunday (7 p.m. and 2 p.m.) with Friday's postponed performance being moved to 7 p.m., Sunday. Tickets for all three shows are still available here.
Previously: BHS Drama Club presents Sherlock Holmes play
Press release:
Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced the lineup for their fifth Rockin’ the Downs concert series, presented by Pepsi, which will take place outside on the racetrack, with ten Friday dates, starting in June and running into August.
Kicking off the series on Friday, June 17th will be a double bill of rock with Tommy DeCarlo and Rudy Cardenas. Tommy has been the lead singer of Boston since 2007 and performs all of Boston’s hits from the ’70s and 80’s including More Than a Feeling, Peace of Mind, Hitch A Ride, and more! Opening the show will be Rudy Cardenas, a season 6 American Idol finalist and who will perform a full set of Journey’s classic hits.
Next up, on Friday, June 24th, Batavia Downs welcomes Canadian Rock Band Finger 11. Originating in Burlington, Ontario in 1990, the band has gone on to release 7 studio albums. The Juno Award-winning rockers will be performing hits such as One Thing, Paralyzer, and others.
Friday, July 1st will see Get the Led Out perform at Batavia Downs. This group of professional musicians are passionate about their love of the music of Led Zeppelin, making it their mission to bring the studio recordings of the Mighty Zep to life on stage. These musicians were fans first and strive to do justice to one of the greatest bands in rock history by touring all across the US and Canada. Songs performed by the band will include Led Zeppelin hits like Black Dog, Immigrant Song, Stairway to Heaven and more!
Returning to Batavia Downs on Friday, July 8th is Theory. Hailing from Delta, British Columbia, the band also known as Theory of a Deadman has turned their hard rock/alternative sound into nine top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, including four number one tracks in Bad Girlfriend, Lowlife, Rx (Medicate) and History of Violence.
Performing on Friday, July 15th is another double bill of great music, this time with Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone. Peter Noone is a multi-talented entertainer, who achieved international fame as Herman, lead singer of the legendary Sixties pop band Herman’s Hermits. His classic hits include: I’m Into Something Good, Mrs. Brown, you’ve Got A Lovely Daughter, I’m Henry VIII, I Am.
Earlier that evening The Grass Roots will take the stage having originated in the Mid-60s and charted with such hits as; Midnight Confessions, Let’s Live for Today, Sooner or Later, and Temptation Eyes. The current Band Line up of Mark Dawson, Dusty Hanvey, Larry Nelson, and Joe Dougherty rocked Batavia Downs last summer with an inspired performance.
On Friday, July 22nd, Batavia Downs welcomes back Southern Rock legends Molly Hatchet. Originating in Jacksonville in 1978, the band has gone on to release 14 studio albums. They’ll be performing hits such as Flirtin’ with Disaster, Dreams I’ll Never See and Whiskey Man. Opening for them will be American Southern Rock Band Blackfoot, who will be playing such hits as Train, Train, and Highway Song.
Rocking the stage on Friday, July 29th is the legendary band, 38 Special. After forming in Jacksonville in 1974, they have currently achieved over $20 Million in sales. Their signature blast of Southern Rock is unmistakable with such arena-rock pop smashes as Hold On Loosely, Rockin’ Into the Night, and Caught Up in You.
America’s top Pink Floyd Show, The Machine returns to the Batavia Downs stage on Friday, August 5th. For 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 their stellar musicianship, dramatic lighting and video performances. Last year’s performance at Batavia Downs was well received by one of the largest crowds of the summer.
Making his Batavia Downs debut on Friday, August 12th is Mike DelGuidice - Recording Artist/Singer/Songwriter who is currently on tour with Billy Joel.
Mike DelGuidice now lives a dream come true. In October of 2013, Billy Joel was so impressed with Mike's singing, Joel personally hired Mike to join his band.
And now you can see Mike on tour with Billy Joel all over the US & world in major arenas and stadiums including every month at the iconic Madison Square Garden. Mike and his band play all of Billy Joel’s big hits. They will also perform a few astonishing renditions of other classic rock hits, plus some of Mike’s own original work.
Closing out the series on Friday, August 19th is the Dire Straits Experience. With former Dire Straits member Chris White, this stellar collection of professional musicians has been paying homage to one of the greatest songbooks of all time with tours across the world. They will be playing all Dire Straits’ major hits, in all their ambition, grandeur and aching beauty. These songs are once again presented live for the fans that that have kept them alive.
“We are looking forward to hosting what we feel is the best Concert Series Line-up we’ve ever had,” said Henry Wojtaszek, President, and CEO for Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel. “We’re appreciative to the folks at Pepsi for being our headline sponsor this year and excited to welcome back charities like Make-A-Wish Western New York & Volunteers for Animals who raise funds for their organizations through the chair rental and guitar raffle.”
Tickets for all ten concerts will be available at www.BataviaConcerts.com only beginning on Thursday, December 2nd at 10am.
Tickets this year will be $15 for General Admission, $30 for VIP, $50 for Premium and debuting this year, limited tickets for $75 will guarantee a front row spot. All tickets can be redeemed at Player’s Club at any time in the three days following the concert for $15 Free Play to be used on one of Batavia Downs Gaming’s 800+ gaming machines.
Season Tickets are also back and will also go on sale for General Admission, VIP, and Premium Sections. A Season pass for General Admission will be $100 (a savings of $50) and purchasers will receive a $50 Free Play Voucher valid to be used within one month of purchase. Season Passes for VIP tickets are $250 (a savings of $50) with the purchaser receiving $100 in Free Play Vouchers. A Premium Season Pass is $450 (a savings of $50) with the purchaser receiving a $150 in Free Play Vouchers. Season passes may only be purchased online.
For the month of December until Christmas, tickets purchased online for the General Admission section will be only $10. Concert goers will still receive $15 in Free Play on show day with this ticket.
Suite Packages for the Hotel at Batavia Downs are available for $500 and include 10 Lawn Tickets. To book a suite package, contact Sara Tenney at 585-344-6155.
Concerts are held Rain or Shine. Additional information may be found at www.BataviaDownsGaming.com.
The BHS Drama Club presents three performances this weekend of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
The play is a mystery adapted by Jon Jory.
Performances are at 7 p.m., Friday, 7 p.m., Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets are $9 in advance or $10 at the door. For advance tickets visit https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/58348 (advance sales close one hour before the event).
The play is presented in the round on the stage of the Batavia HS auditorium.
As the 75th anniversary of Genesee Symphony Orchestra quickly approaches, the planning of its concert this weekend has been anything but rushed.
In fact, Conductor Shade Zajac has been thinking about the event for the last few years.
“I’ve been so looking forward to this particular season for so long, not for any personal reason. I just want the orchestra to be celebrated, for people to know that this incredible thing exists,” Zajac said during an interview with the Batavian. “I am not the same guy I was when we started … and the orchestra is not the same. GSO will always be part of my history and part of my family.”
The 75th celebration concert titled Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow is set for 4 p.m. Saturday at Genesee Community College’s Stuart Steiner Theatre, 1 College Rd., Batavia.
Years in the making ...
Zajac, whose first season was in 2016, has been mulling the 2021 musical season “for a lot of years now,” he said. He had discussed it with Co-President Roxie Choate and had several ideas amidst a pandemic that had canceled many public events.
“It was touch and go whether or not we would actually be having a season,” he said.
Once venues began opening up, Zajac and staff plunged ahead with mapping out an agenda of nostalgic and meaningful pieces. History has been the focus of the orchestra’s return to the stage, exactly 75 years to the date it first debuted as Batavia Civic Orchestra.
A letter in Richmond Memorial Library’s archives demonstrates just how delicate GSO’s formation really was. Zajac stumbled upon it, he said, while scouring the vast relics for concert ideas. It was fairly early on after the orchestra’s 1947 founding, and it was an ominous musing about whether it was worth it to carry on.
“Do you want the Civic Orchestra to continue? If so, will you work for it?” the letter began. “It will be a sad loss to the community to end the orchestra. It seems better, though, to end it quickly than to drag on to a slow death.”
Written by then-President Virginia Trietly, the letter ended with a hopeful encouragement to “muster up enthusiasm — lasting enthusiasm” that would allow the group to survive longer than 11 years. It’s safe to say that community members rallied to carry on and endure the next several decades.
“And here we are 75 seasons later. Yeah, through this horrible pandemic where many orchestras haven't been able to do a thing, and we've been fortunate enough to continue to make music. That's a really incredible thing,” Zajac said. “And it's a testament to the musicians, of course, to all the people that have worked on the board of directors and also to this community that continues to support us through tough times, and through great times. Without all of these components … we wouldn't be having this conversation.”
As for the music, a concert lineup is chock full of classical compositions, a guest performance, and a piece of freshly crafted work. Mikhail Glinka’s “Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla” is not unfamiliar to orchestras, as it has been performed “many, many, many times” by GSO and others, Zajac said.
“Because it's just a complete fireworks spectacular showcase for the orchestra,” he said. “It’s breakneck fast, and then it gets even faster at the end. It’s a statement to start a program with that piece.”
“Prelude to Act III, Dance of the Apprentices, Final Prelude and Intermezzo,” from Cavalleria, was featured in the very first orchestra performance. Zajac discovered the musical score in library archives labeled with the group's original name. Considered a “classical repertoire,” the prelude is “just gorgeous,” he said.
“I really wanted to do something different, something from the very early season … the librarian gave me the score. And the coolest thing is, stamped on the cover is the Batavia Civic Orchestra, which is, of course, the name before,” he said. “So that is a cool find. And that's a really great piece.”
Then and Now ...
Guest soloist Mia Fasanello will also become part of the orchestra’s history by performing a concerto 75 years after her own grandfather, Sebastian Fasanello, played one during the first concert. No stranger to the GSO, Fasanello won its Young Artist competition for her oboe performance and was a featured soloist with the group for “Concerto for Oboe and Strings” in 2017. Currently studying with the Juilliard School, Fasanello’s talent prickled the judges’ ears from the very first tuning note.
“Oboe is a really tricky instrument to play. And for such a young person to have such a mature sound, it was a no-brainer that she had to be the winner,” Zajac said. “So it's really great for us to have her come and perform, and to work with us in this collaboration. And it just plays into the whole idea that this is a generational thing.”
From the past of a musician’s grandfather, the concert also includes the present with a “world premiere” of Nancy Pettersen Strelau’s original piece, “A Simple Beautiful Idea.”
Zajac wanted someone connected to the orchestra to compose a piece for the celebration but wasn’t initially sure who that should be. He chose Strelau for her role as his teacher, mentor, and sounding board throughout his education at Nazareth College School of Music. She even nudged him into applying for the conductor position when it became vacant in 2015.
“I owe so much to her, she’s an incredible human being; she’s always been there,” he said. “It’s a really beautiful piece … the idea of back when they first wanted this orchestra, how daunting it must have been. It’s a very special piece to me.”
A majestic and lively “Hungarian Rhapsodies no. 2” ends the lineup with a melody often heard during popular cartoons Tom and Jerry, and Bugs Bunny. Don’t be surprised if your mind conjures up a sneaky little rodent wreaking havoc during portions of the song, Zajac said.
The program includes proclamations from state Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Genesee County Legislator Rochelle Stein; and a display that highlights “certain aspects of our history,” said GSO librarian and second chair clarinet Joanne Tumminello. A GSO calendar will be available for purchase to support the orchestra and provide a cherished collection of photos across the decades, she said.
A member since 1995, Tumminello has been in charge of gathering and preserving tidbits of time in the form of news articles, photos, videos and other materials. This year has brought with it a sense of celebration to the wide assortment of members young and old and from all walks of life, she said.
“It’s definitely brought excitement to the orchestra,” Tumminello said. “It has brought us together.”
Shirts with the new GSO logo — selected from entries of a prior logo contest — have been made for members to wear during rehearsal, she said, noting that the 75th will be removed for next season and beyond. That’s a sign that “we can endure anything,” she said.
“The community has a love of history and enjoys supporting us, and that tells us to keep going,” she said.
Zajac emphasized that although he may be the “face” of the orchestra, it takes the whole body of musicians, board of directors and community support to make a concert, and this celebration, happen. One musician in particular has become part of the 27-year-old conductor’s future: his wife Nicole. Before they were married, she filled in as a pinch-hitter for a vacant French horn seat. The late Bob Knipe, heavily active in the GSO and local music scene, had also “invited her to come and play” in the group. She eventually became a permanent member of GSO.
“I was in the thick of my first season with GSO and knew I needed a sub for Horn. And she turned me down, and we kind of kept talking,” he Zajac said. “And then as that particular concert approached, we needed an extra horn player last minute. So she stepped up, played, and then they kept inviting her back.”
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Tickets are $15 adults, $10 seniors and free to students with a student identification card, and may be purchased at Holland Land Office Museum, YNGodess or online at www.geneseesymphony.com.
Photos: File photos from previous seasons' rehearsals. All photos by Howard Owens. Top photo, S. Shade Zajac in 2019. Videos below from 2019.
Press release:
Kent R. Ewell, Proprietor of O’Lacy’s Irish Pub has fulfilled one of the items on his “bucket list” by recording a CD titled Another Round for my Friends. This is a compilation of 15 original songs all written by Kent himself. On Monday, November 15th there will be a CD/Listening Party at O’Lacy Irish Pub, 5 School Street, Batavia, NY from 6pm-9pm. This is open to the public.
Being a local business owner in downtown Batavia for almost 25 years, giving back to the community has always been incredibly important to Kent. The CD will be sold for $15 each with 50% of each sale ($7.50) being donated to Crossroads House, a local comfort care house here in Batavia.
The CD was engineered by Kirk McWhoter of McWhoter Records, Attica NY. The CD will also be available online with 50% of each sale being donated to Gateway House, a local comfort care house in Attica, NY.
“I had to hit every note and look presentable … he groomed me,” McWilson said during a phone interview from her home in Niagara Falls. “It hit me when I picked up the mic, and everyone started clapping.”
That prep in St. John’s AME Church paved a musical path for her to follow, she said. She attributes the 100-voice choir, led by Kathy Jordan Sharpton (former wife of Al Sharpton), and pianist Bruce Parker, and related teachings for her gradual rise in the music industry.
McWilson plans to dazzle spectators during her first appearance at Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel. The show goes on at 7 p.m., Oct. 14 at 8315 Park Road.
Expect glitz, glamour, a combination of jazzy blues, country, and Motown, plus assorted diva costumes. A full band, backup singers, and everything from Etta James and Tina Turner to Patsy Cline and Aretha Franklin will be featured.
“I’m bringing Vegas to Batavia,” she said. “Tell ‘em just get ready.”
The licensed beauty salon owner knows many facets of the industry, so the audience will get the full package of presentation, she said. Is there a connection between her beauty business and entertaining? Well of course there is, she said.
“That’s the biggest part of everything; I have the foundation already,” she said, adding a bit of snap to her voice. “I am the total package. I sing, write, produce, do hair, make-up and pick the clothes.”
The concert will be dedicated to her sister Vanessa, who succumbed to COVID, and to her high school music teacher and longtime friend, Marva Frails, for whom McWilson just sang during her funeral this past Thursday. Frails taught her young student the ABCs in music, which are the words Every Boy Does Fine and FACE to cover the musical notes on a staff. Frails also instilled the importance of being on time and not complaining, which McWilson intends to honor.
“She taught me so many things,” McWilson said. “I’m going to stop complaining.”
After losing many friends and family members to COVID, the energetic vocalist penned a song, “Rona Mae Blues,” which can be heard on her website. Accompanied by son Cameron Connor, she genuinely sings the blues with lines such as “If only I knew it was going to be the last time I saw you” and “You tore our lives apart.” Of all the uncertainties of the pandemic, she knows one thing for sure: “You won’t believe about coronavirus until your family dies,” she said. “My sister died Christmas Day. She didn’t think she had the virus.”
“It’s not about the money; the message I have is to uplift them,” she said.
McWilson recalled seeing her brother Larry on the living room floor after he had died from a heart attack. Her brother Maurice tried to nudge her into reality.
“He said that if I didn’t change my life, it could be me,” she said, noting that other siblings had died of heart attacks. “I prayed, and I walked. I called it the mind, body, and soul program. I began to get up every day and walk around Hyde Park and I prayed that God would help me.”
She prayed for help to lose weight, gain inspiration to write and sing songs and forge a path toward a successful musical career. Two hundred pounds lighter, she hit a local pinnacle as the first black female inductee for the 2020 Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame and has performed in jazz and blues festivals, at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, fundraisers and for a yearly 10-day Tom Joyner Foundation Fantastic Voyage cruise.
Had she not lost weight, McWilson knows she would have missed out on so much, including flying because she couldn’t squeeze into an airplane seat and giving birth to long-awaited “miracle” children. As one of a dozen siblings, she had a tight-knit family, though McWilson has been determined to do the work all by herself, she said. She was told that her gospel couldn’t be played on the radio and that she would never be able to fly in an aircraft. She found a way.
“I’m morphing through the pain … pain is what gets us through life,” she said. “My mother inspired me to go after what I want. She had 12 kids and none of them got in trouble. She’s my role model.”
Her favorite genre is Gospel, though she admits “the blues is getting me to the green.” She has appeared in three movies and sees herself doing more television work. Actually, her visual is much more specific than that.
“I see myself winning Grammys and Emmys … being so wealthy that I’ll be a blessing to help someone else,” she said.
For more about McWilson, check out her website at www.marshamcwilson.com. Concert tickets are $10 and may be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marsha-mcwilson-tribute-performance-at-batavia-downs-gaming-hotel-tickets-170476676328
Photos submitted by Marsha McWilson.
When Genesee Community College’s Fine and Performing Arts Director first met Samara Brown, a theater student from the Bronx, she noted something different.
“She was very talented and quirky, and she didn’t know what to do with it,” Maryanne Arena said of that meeting in 2007. “I called her the sponge. She always wanted to learn, she wanted to do something with her life.”
Brown can check off that box. She’s been a featured singer on season 21 of The Voice Blind Auditions. Watched by millions of viewers, the show puts vocal hopefuls on the spot to perform with hopes of getting selected by a seasoned mentor.
Brown had wanted artist John Legend to choose her because “he’s probably my biggest inspiration,” she said during an interview Tuesday. Needless to say, she put in a lot of time rehearsing her song “over and over and over” for the audition. (When he turned around) “I was kind of frozen. I think I blacked out a little,” the 32-year-old said.
During her time at GCC, Brown was diligent about her craft, Arena said. She asked a lot of questions about the what and why of the art and requested solo coaching time. A “very shy” and rather modest performer, Brown absorbed every ounce of the experience and never wanted it to end, Arena said.
“I would have to say, ‘ok, it’s time to go.’ She worked really hard, she never thought she was great,” Arena said. “She never walked around like she was the star. I recognized her talent, but I wanted it to become part of her confidence.”
When Brown’s episode of The Voice aired on Sept. 27, Arena and her family were in their seats at home watching it unfold. Arena felt certain that John Legend would pick Brown and be able to lend his pop and jazz background.
Then it happened. After her impressive rendition of “Sweet Thing,” Brown’s work paid off. She was chosen by John Legend and Ariana Grande. Pause for that electric moment when Brown said “I pick John.” Arena has told her students that if, at the end of the year, their taxes list entertainer as an occupation, that’s success. And, for sure, most people don’t make it to this point, she said.
“We were all jumping around in my house,” Arena said. “We were really excited. It didn’t surprise me; I expected great things from her.”
The student and teacher have stayed in touch over the years. Ever since they met, Brown’s “quirkiness” spoke to Arena about the young woman’s gifts.
“We connected right away. She was alone because she lived in the Bronx and didn’t go home. She kind of became a second daughter to me; she spent Thanksgivings on the farm," Arena said. “I keep saying it, but I’m so proud of her.”
In August, Brown posted to social media "I auditioned for The Voice!" Since then, staff and faculty at Batavia-based GCC had been longing to see her performance, which is now available online. Her audition left judges John Legend and Ariana Grande fighting over who would get to be her coach this season.
Brown earned a Theatre Arts degree from GCC in 2009 with several musical roles under her belt, including a flying Peter Pan in Peter Pan-The Musical, as the Village Doctor in The Incredible Jungle Journey of Fenda Maria, Lady in Blue in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf, a performance that was awarded "Excellence in Acting to the Ladies of Color for their Ensemble Work" and received the highest honor, "Best Long Play of 2009.”
A GCC Alumni Spotlight Story quoted Brown’s take on what she reaped from her two years at GCC.
"In my career specifically, you need two things; technique and talent, I think the technique is definitely what GCC gave me," she said.
Brown lives in Bushwick, a thriving art, restaurant, and bar community on the edge of Brooklyn. She has been busy performing live music at clubs in Manhattan and Brooklyn, cover bands at weddings, and working on her own original music. Yet, all of that face time with audiences didn’t quite prepare her for stepping on stage for her blind audition.
“The nerves were there, it was a lot of pressure,” she said. “Once I was on stage, the jitters were definitely there.”
Confidentiality agreements prevented her from talking about anything specifically show-related. She did acknowledge the “long journey” she has been on to become a professional singer. This latest feat has given her a well-deserved nod.
“It is the fruition of what I’ve been doing,” she said.
Each week, the singers with the lowest number of votes are sent home, until only one artist remains. The Voice winner will receive a recording contract and a cash prize. The NBC show is expected to air on both Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times.
Photo submitted by NBC of Samara Brown
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Past and present came together Saturday night at City Church in a 15th-annual "Musical Memories" concert in support of Crossroads House in Batavia.
This year, the free concert honored COVID caregivers and honored victims and survivors.
Performers this year included: The Rochester Hitmen, The Park Avenue Brass, St. Joseph’s Batavia Brass Ensemble, The Hamburg Kingmen Drum Corps, and Mighty St. Joe’s Drum & Bugle Corps.
Photos by Alecia Kaus/Video News Service.
More fun, music, and food are on the agenda in the Elba Village Park tomorrow from noon until 6 p.m.
The Corfu Pembroke Community Band, directed by Don Rogers leads off the festivities. This group was the finale of the summer series last year and the program features patriotic music.
DSP Jazz Trio will follow. The trio is Derek Reiss, a BHS graduate who played trumpet in the US Air Force Band for 24 years and now lives in Elba. Skip Taylor, on drums, taught music at Pembroke Central School for 30 years, was a founder of the Corfu Pembroke Community Band, and has played in musical groups in WNY and Canada for many years. And Peter Mark, also a BHS graduate who has performed with many instrumental and vocal groups around WNY, will be on trombone and provide vocals.
The third band of the afternoon is Generations, a 5 piece group that plays danceable rock and roll from the 50s and 60s. You'll hear covers of the Beatles, Stones, Credence, Linda Ronstadt, and many one-hit wonders.
Rounding out the show will be the Don Newcomb Band playing good, old-school, traditional, real country music, such as Hank, Merle, and Buck. The group features Don Newcomb on bass and vocals, Keith Worthington guitar and vocals, Chris Mc Gauley on steel guitar and vocals, and rounding it out with Skip Taylor back on the stage on drums.
For Elba's last show, the Betterment Committee will be cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, serving pizza from Andy's, and popping corn at our stand. The committee will serve homemade pie from Chap's Elba Diner. Lori's Delectable Edibles, Ice Cream and Chill, Circle B Winery, and Eli Fish will be there as well
Every concert this summer has been provided free of charge but tomorrow there will be taking a free-will offering to the Elba Historical Society, which hasn't been unable to host their famous roast beef dinner for the past two years due to the pandemic.
Press release:
Randy Houser, a long-time friend of Tracy Lawrence, is picking up this date as a favor from one artist to another. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Lawrence is unable to keep this date, so his buddy Randy Houser is bringing his full crew to put on the show of the summer.
Jam At The Ridge is your Family Concert and Recreation destination, according to their guests and concert fans. With plenty of space to distance and a kid-friendly environment (children 17 and under are free when accompanied by a paying responsible adult).
Tickets are available through the http://www.jatrny.com website, by calling their store directly 585-768-4883, or directly at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4542083
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