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High School Musical

Shrek: The Musical

By Eric Traugott

Encore! Theatre Arts presents a musical event for the whole family based on the DREAMWORKS motion picture.   Shrek: The Musical takes the characters and story you know and love and brings them to life on stage with stunning costumes and entertaining musical numbers!

Friday, November 22 at 7:30PM

Saturday, November 23 at 2:00PM and 7:30PM

Sunday, November 24 at 2:00PM

 

Stuart Steiner Theatre at Genesee Community College

One College Road
Batavia, New York 14020

 

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Le Roy High School presents 'Anything Goes'

By Daniel Crofts

Le Roy high schoolers Margaret Kovach, Erica Parker and Ben Neumann posed in character during a rehearsal of "Anything Goes," Le Roy Jr./Sr. High School's 2013 musical production. They will be playing Reno, Bonnie and Moonface Martin, respectively.

Jackie McLean, chorus teacher for the Le Roy schools and musical director for the play, described "Anything Goes" as an intricate, laugh-out-loud funny show with great characters.

More than 80 kids are involved in this production, including cast and crew members.

With music and lyrics by Cole Porter, the show takes place on a cruise ship and features comic circumstances resulting from three love triangles.

Pictured Ashley Webb (Hope), Steven Farnholz (Evelyn) and Natalie Salphine (Mrs. Harcourt)

"The script is jam-packed with funny moments and intricacies," McClean said.

She also said that the cast, which is made up of students in grades seven through 12, "did a great job of making the characters believable."

Danny Weaver and Jayce Seeley play Mr. Whitney and Billy, respectively.

Having "believable" characters is a big change from last year's performance of "Cinderella," which had a fanciful fairy tale atmosphere. With "Anything Goes," the kids have switched to a more realistic setting.

"It was a challenge, but they've done a great job," McClean said. "It's a great group of kids."

For her part, McClean understands and appreciates the challenge of bringing these characters to life. She was in "Anything Goes" as a junior at Batavia High School, which put on its own performance of the show in 2001.

"I picked the show (for the 2013 musical) because I loved it when I was in it," she said. "I understand the challenges, and also the funny moments and the characters, because I lived it. That gives you a different perspective."

As for the music, McClean describes it as old-style jazz with a "huge choral involvement." So in addition to great sets and lots of humor, "Anything Goes" will also boast a large chorus.

Le Roy is known for setting a high bar when it comes to its school musicals. Each year, staff and students like to give audiences something new to look forward to.

This year, audiences can look forward to huge, elaborate tap dance numbers by the whole cast, as well as a six-foot platform of the cruise ship built by Patrick Patton, complete with the look of a real ship and lights that go on at night.

Patton, the father of a Le Roy High School student, has been building sets for these productions for seven years. McClean said he sets a new challenge for himself with each one.

"He's amazing," she said. "(His sets) get better each year."

Performances of "Anything Goes" will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the high school auditorium, at 9300 South St. Road in Le Roy. All performances will begin at 7 p.m.

All tickets are $8 each and can be purchased at the door, via the district Web site or at the school's main office.

Supplemental Photos: Past Performances

GCC's Forum Players Present "The Triumph of Love"

By Cathy DeBellis

Join us for an entrancing musical based on the 18th century comedy by Pierre Marivaux and the book by James Magruder featuring a young princess trying to win the love of an exiled prince, while she ensnares two others.  In the end, all see the triumph of love.  Performances @ 7:30 p.m. nightly Thursday-Saturday May 2-4 with a Sunday matinee May 5th @ 2 p.m.  Tickets: $8/$5/$3  Tickets available online at boxoffice@genesee.edu, by phone 345-6814 or in person at the GCC Center for the Arts Box Office.

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Wolcott Street School in Le Roy to perform 'The Jungle Book'

By Jamie VanWyngaarden

The sixth-grade students of Wolcott Street School in Le Roy will be performing "The Jungle Book" at 7:30 p.m., Thursday.

Unique to the Le Roy elementary school, the annual sixth-grade musical is an opportunity for its students to showcase their musical, acting and artistic talent.

This year, 63 students auditioned for various roles in the production, with opportunities made for all.

The stage will be colored by the various characters of the storyline, both human and animal alike.

In addition to acting, students are responsible for creating the set, props and costumes.

With only six weeks of rehearsals, “This is the shortest amount of time I have prepared a musical and the students are doing a fantastic job!” musical director Jessa Dechant said.

She is joined by Andrea Feola, who has been the assistant director for the fourth year in a row.

Several other teachers are also providing support to the production by filling in various roles such as lighting and sound.

The Le Roy PTSO and Le Roy Music Boosters will be doing the hair and makeup for the performance.

Also, several Le Roy JR/SR High School students are volunteering their time as backstage crew.

In addition to the 45 minute show, the school is hosting a food drive the night of the production to benefit local food pantries.

The food drive and the musical became a team two years ago when Disney’s "Cinderella KIDS" was on stage at the school. Its goal was to provide a way to give back to the community.

The idea stuck and has become a yearly tradition as a way to do something nice for those in need within Le Roy.

Donations of nonperishable food items can be brought Thursday evening and will be collected at the door.

This event is open to the community. No tickets are necessary.

The Sound of Music

By Eric Traugott

The 2013 season for Encore! opens with “The Sound of Music” at  Batavia High School.  2 Evening and 2 matinee performances January 11-13.   A cast of over 50 will take the stage for the family-friendly production. “The Sound of Music” tells the semi-biographical story ofthe Von Trapp family, set in Austria during the rise of the Nazi party preceding World War II.

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Footloose: The Musical

By Eric Traugott

Encore! Theatre Arts presents FOOTLOOSE: The Musical!

Friday, May 4 at 7:30PM
Saturday, May 5 at 7:30PM
Sunday, May 6 at 2:00PM
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Batavia Middle School
39 Washington Avenue
Batavia, NY 14020

Tickets go on sale Monday, April 16 at www.showtix4u.com OR in person at Adam Miller's Toys and Bicycles
8 Center Street Batavia, NY (Cash or check only)

$12 for Adults
$10 for Students/Seniors

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Fooloose Tickets on Sale Soon!

By Eric Traugott
Encore Theatre Arts opens its 2012 season with the high-energy dance musical, FOOTLOOSE, opening Friday, May 4 - and playing through Sunday, May 6, 2012. Batavia Middle School Auditorium,39 Washington Avenue Batavia, NY. The season continues in July with the hilarious musical comedy Title of Show, at the SPACE, 1115 Main Street, Rochester, NY, July 13-15. "Footloose is the perfect summer musical. It is packed with high-spirited dancing, and a score full of the music that defined the ‘80s. It is simply a fun night at the theatre, and we all need that," says Vocal Director and Executive Director of Encore! Eric Traugott. Director and choreographer Tara Kaczorowski along with the creative team has assembled an outstanding cast of talented young and adult performers. Inspired by the wildly popular 1984 movie, FOOTLOOSE thrilled Broadway audiences for nearly two years. Based on the popular 80’s movie of the same name, the stage version of Footloose is a high-powered, exhilarating musical. With hit tunes right off the solid gold soundtrack such as “Holding Out for a Hero,” “Let's Hear it For the Boy,” and “Almost Paradise,” this is one show guaranteed to have you dancing in your seat! Teenage Ren moves from the big city to a very religious and small farming town. Things heat up when he insists the high school hold a dance. Footloose blends teenage rebellion, the wisdom of youth, and an explosion of good old-fashioned, down-home dance. FOOTLOOSE, the stage adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, is based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford. The musical features all the chart-topping music from the film ("Almost Paradise," "Holding Out For A Hero," "Let's Hear It For The Boy," etc.) mixed with new material written specifically for the stage musical. The score contains music and lyrics by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford, with additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, and Jim Steinman. The cast of FOOTLOOSE will be led by Steve Hazekemp(Bishop, Les Mis, Benny, Guys and Dolls) as Ren McCormack and Maureen Edwards (Eponine, Les Mis) as Ariel Moore. Also featured will be audience favorite Paul Gunderson ( Franz Liebkind,The Producers) as Reverend Shaw Moore, Kathy Johns as Vi Moore, Jennifer Bradley as Ethel McCormack, Dr. Rich Edwards as Principal Clark, Trevor Lee (Msr. Thenadier, Les Mis) as Willard, Samantha Reed as Rusty, Paul Spiotta( Mr. Marks, The Producers) as Cowboy Bob/Uncle Wes, Sydney Moag(Hold Me Touch Me, The Producers) as Wendy Joe , Erica Parker as Urleen and Alex Kieffer as Chuck Cranston (Angie the Ox, Guys and Dolls). The company of FOOTLOOSE also includes the roles of Lulu Warnicker: Linda Conroy, Coach Dunbar: Joe Buckley, Eleanor Dunbar: Meredith Smietana, Lyle: Nash Johns, Travis: Anthony Giambrone, Cop: Rich Conroy, Jeter: Blake Carter, Bickle: James Murphy, Garvin: Mark Knitter and Betty Blast: Peggy Marone. Also an ensemble consisting of: Elizabeth Barcomb, Hannah Cline, Rebecca D'Hilly, Andrea Gilebarto, Jacob Hoffman, Teresa Jackson, Chelsea Jensen, Hayley Jensen, Margaret Marchese, Brigid McCormack, Paige Misiti, and Fiona O'Connor. FOOTLOOSE will be Directed and Choreographed by Tara Kaczorowski (Ulla, The Producers, Sharpay Disney High School Musical) . The creative team also includes Musical Director, Eric Traugott and Jeff Fischer, Orchestra Director. Tickets go on sale Monday, April 16 at www.showtix4u.com (credit card) OR in person at Adam Miller's Toys and Bicycles, 8 Center Street Batavia, NY (cash or check only) or at the door one hour before show (cash or check only). $12 for Adults $10 for Students/Seniors (This musical is recommended for ages 12 and up.) For more info/questions, call 585-615-8893 or email encoretheatrearts@gmail.com, You can also visit at www.encoretheatrearts.com or find us on Facebook!

The Music Man

By Amy Vlack

The ECS Drama Club presents The Music Man, February 24 and February 25 @ 7:00 each night.  Cost is $6.00 for seniors and students, $8.00 for adults.

Elba Central School Auditorium

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Alexander PTA's 'Seussical Jr.' was whimsical fun

By Rick Franclemont

On Friday and Saturday, the Alexander PTA presented its 25th annual production featurning fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders in the Music Theatre International production of "Seussical Jr. -- The Musical."

Under the direction of Kathy Weil (Music Director Suzanne Perry, Choreographer Bethany Anderson) the children welcomed theater-goers to a colorful, fast-paced adventure.

We met Horton the Elephant and the cohabitants of this Seussical fantasy!

The night required only one thing...

Your imagination! ... or in Seuss's words: "the thinks you can think"!

Other pictures from the event can be found here.

The Producers

By Eric Traugott
Based on the hit 1968 film of the same name, this Mel Brooks masterpiece chronicles the hilarious adventures of washed-up Broadway producer Max Bialystock and his mild-mannered accountant Leo Bloom, as they scheme to get rich quick by producing the most notorious flop in the history of showbiz. What they don't know is that after all their hard work, the musical ends up being a smash hit! It's a comic tour-de-force that spoofs the big, old-fashioned Broadway musical while paying tribute to it at the same time.
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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

By Amy Vlack
The Elba Central School Drama club is proud to present their performance of the musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Performances are Friday, Feb.25 and Saturday, Feb. 26 beginning at 7:00 pm each night in the Elba Central School Auditorium. Tickets are $6 for students and Senior citizens, $8 for adults. Tickets are available at the Elba Central School District Office or at the door the night of the performances. Come for an evening of entertainment.
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"RENT" due in Batavia

By Gretel Kauffman

This weekend, the Western New York Arts Society will return with a bang from a one-year hiatus with the enormously popular and acclaimed rock opera, "RENT." It's the society's first show since  "The Producers" in 2009, and one that most certainly will prove worth the wait.

"'The Producers' was just a gigantic show," said Jason Juliano, the head of the group and the producer of "RENT." It had a huge budget and a two-week run in both Batavia and Buffalo.

"We definitely needed a break after that was all done. This has a much lower budget, but that doesn't mean it's of a lower quality."

Director Ashley Bateman says the decision to do "RENT" was an easy one.

"It's always been my favorite show," she says. "And it's never done around here, so it's offering something new to the community."

The WNYAS has something of a history of producing "new" shows. "RENT" will join the ranks of the other successful, nontraditional productions that the company has performed, which include "Urinetown," "The Producers," and "Songs for a New World."

If the WNYAS name does not sound familiar, that's because the group has recently undergone a change in moniker. It was previously known as the Batavia Musical Society, but because of increasing participation from actors in the Buffalo and Rochester areas and performances in venues not in Batavia, the group felt the renaming would give them a greater opportunity to expand.

"RENT" is a modern-day version of the opera "La Boheme" set in New York City. It follows the lives of the young starving artists who live there as they struggle with HIV/AIDS. The show has won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Musical, and enjoyed a 12-year run on Broadway.  

Mark, one of the aforementioned starving artists and the show's narrator, is portrayed by Jake Bortle of Le Roy.

"He's really, really, poor," Bortle says of his character. "He's extremely pathetic."

But regardless of the "pathetic"ness of Mark, Bortle says it is a role he has always wanted to play. Bortle, 17, is a senior at Le Roy High School and an active participant in the Genesee County theater community. He plans on attending Park Point University after graduation to study musical theater and hopes to someday work as a professional actor.  

Despite the fact that Bateman describes the show as "definitely PG-13," Bortle is not the only high school student involved. The cast of 16 is comprised mainly of teenagers and college students, with only a smattering of adults.

Although some of the themes may be inappropriate for children, Juliano says the show contains an "amazing message of tolerance and acceptance. Do not take anything for granted, and live every day as if it's your last because you never know when your last day will come. Live life to the fullest."

Performances of "RENT" are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, all at the Ross Street Performing Arts Center in the Batavia Middle School, located at 96 Ross St.

Reserved-seating tickets are $15 and can be puchased online at www.wnyas.com or by calling 585-201-3750. Tickets are also available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 1 pm. Friday at the Juliano Allstate Insurance Co. (located at 590 E. Main St., across from Aldi). At-the-door tickets will be available in the lobby at 6:30 p.m., and the house will open at 7. The theater is handicap accessible.

Auditions next week for 'Oliver!'

By Billie Owens

The search is on for Oliver! The 2010 Batavia Rotary Club Production of "Oliver!" is calling all actors and actresses between age 6 and 14 to audition for the title role and 35 other roles, which portray orphans and/or pickpockets.

Throughout August, Laurie Mastin, show chair, and Director Patrick Burk, are scouting Western New York for 36 young thespians for the 62nd Rotary Show Musical Production.

"Oliver!" will be performed Nov. 4 – 7, with rehearsals starting Sept. 13.

Auditions will take place at Batavia High School, 260 State St., at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.

All young people will learn a song, sing in small groups, work on choreography and present a monologue from the show. No experience is necessary.

Batavia Rotary is looking for a great cross section of young actors and actresses to be a part of the largest Rotary Show in recent memory. Joining in the selection process will be past cast members of "Oliver!" and a long list of guest judges in the areas of dance, music and acting.

At the conclusion of the Oliver Search 2010 evening, the top 36 -- who will be cast in the show -- will be announced, along with several runners-up.

The announcement of who will play the title role will happen after the adult and ensemble auditions. These will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 and 8 at Batavia High School. All 36 youngsters will be asked to attend those evenings as well.

Parents of young actors and actresses interested in Oliver Search 2010 are asked to call and register their Oliver hopefuls with Burk at his office (585) 343 9721.

All pre-registered actors and actresses will be given audition numbers and be asked to show up at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 31.

Walk-in auditions that have not pre-registered are also welcome. They will be added to the audition process on a first-come-first-serve basis and will receive audition numbers upon arrival.

For more information, please call Patrick Burk at (585) 343-9721 or Mastin at (585) 344-5880.

'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' to be performed at BHS

By Daniel Crofts

Batavia Players, Inc. presents "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," their 2010 Summer Youth Theatre production.

The play will be performed at Batavia High School, at 260 State St. in Batavia. Show dates are Thursday, Aug. 19, Friday, Aug. 20 and Saturday, Aug 21. All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and last about 90 minutes.

"Seven Brides..." is the story of Adam Pontipee, a backwoodsman living in 1850s Oregon. He brings a new wife home one day and then, all of a sudden, his six brothers want to get married, too!

Filled with energetic dance numbers, great music, colorful costumes and the performances of 54 youth from Genesee, Livingston, Wyoming, Monroe and Seneca counties (ages 4 to 21), this play is sure to please. Don't miss it!

Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students and seniors. For more information, please call 343-9313, ext. 31.

Batavia Players Summer Youth Theatre

By Loren Penman

 Don't miss this great show -- here's the link to a teaser on YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/user/PenguinMultimedia#p/a/u/0/RJ4w7r5l964

Batavia Players 2010 Summer Youth Theatre production of 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'

By Loren Penman

DON'T MISS IT!  THREE NIGHTS ONLY!

Batavia Players 2010 Summer Youth Theatre Production of

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers"

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, August 19, 20 and 21, 2010

7:30 PM in the Batavia High School Auditorium

Tickets available online at www.showtix4u.com

$10.00 ($8.00 for students/senior citizens)

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'Once Upon a Mattress' performance at Batavia High School

By Daniel Crofts

Batavia High School's 2010 musical performance will be 'Once Upon a Mattress."

It is a Broadway musical/comedy adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Princess and the Pea."

Showtimes are March 5 at 7 p.m. and March 6 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the BHS auditorium, 260 State St. Tickets are $7 for adults and $6 for students and seniors.

Tickets for reserved seating can be purchased in the BHS main office between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Please contact BHS at 343-2480, Ext. 2000 for more information.

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