Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Feb. 22 at Pitt-Bradford's Bromeley Family Theater: Four Broadway Performers join together to sing some of the best music of Broadway, while sharing their personal stories from their individual journeys —  in this intimate, funny & entertaining evening of music, laughter & dreams!  This extraordinary group of artists met while performing in  “PHANTOM: The Las Vegas Spectacular”   and together formed their own highly-acclaimed spectacle that continues to thrill audiences everywhere:   THE PHAT PACK! THE PHAT PACK  opened in the fall of 2012 in Las Vegas to rave reviews, and standing ovations!   The show headlined for almost a year at The Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas, followed by a highly successful run in the Windows Showroom at Bally’s Hotel And Casino, overlooking the world famous Las Vegas Strip! THE PHAT PACK  brings you Music, Laughter & Dreams –  These Broadway Performers (formerly with PH...

2019 Composer-in-Residence We’re thrilled to announce that Gilda Lyons will join Chautauqua Opera this summer as our fourth Composer-in-Residence! GILDA LYONS , composer, vocalist and visual artist, combines elements of renaissance, neo-baroque, spectral, folk, agitprop music theater and extended vocalism to create works of uncompromising emotional honesty and melodic beauty. An active vocalist and fierce advocate of contemporary music, Lyons has commissioned, premiered and workshopped new vocal works by dozens of composers. Lyons serves as co-chair of the Composition Program at Wintergreen Summer Music Academy in Virginia, and as visiting assistant professor of composition at The Hartt School in Connecticut. She is artistic and executive director of The Phoenix Concerts , New York's "intrepid Upper West Side new-music series" ( The New Yorke...

Claude Monet: Young Girls in a Rowing Boat

For the full story go here:  https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2019/02/14/all-you-need-is-little-people-fisher-price-to.html?iana=hpmvp_buff_news_headline

Olean Theatre Workshop  presents "The Crucible".    The action begins in the home of Reverend Parris, whose daughter Betty lies unconscious and appears very ill. Around midnight the night before, Parris had discovered Betty, his niece Abigail, and Tituba, his black slave, dancing in the woods, causing Betty to swoon. The local physician is unable to determine the cause of Betty's illness. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam arrive and reveal that their daughter Ruth is also ill. There is talk in the village of an unnatural cause. Show times are: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday- 7:30pm Sunday - 2pm Tickets are $10 and available at the door as well as prior to the shows online.  For more information on this event please visit  http://www.oleanworkshop.org/

The sounds of Classic Rock will echo through the Southern Tier when  The Doobie Brothers  perform at  Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino  on S aturday, April 13 th  at 7pm .  Tickets go on sale Friday, January 18 th  at Noon. The Doobie Brothers  have been Rock & Roll stalwarts for more than 40 years. From their breakout record,  Toulouse Street,  through to today, the band has mixed rugged rock with three-part harmonies and rootsy, introspective acoustic flavors to create a sound and style all their own. Along the way, they have produced a mountain of hits songs, like “Listen To The Music,” “China Grove,” “Black Water,” “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Long Train Runnin’” and many, many more. Across the decades, The Doobie Brothers have used their ever-evolving sound and energy to connect with a legion a fans, selling more than 48 million records worldwide, earning four Grammy Awards, and earning a place in the Vocal Group Hall of...

On such a dreary day, van Gogh is a beautiful pick-me-up. Angler und Boote an der Pont de Clichy by Vincent van Gogh

"The arts are not a frill. The arts are a response to our individuality and our nature, and help to shape our identity. What is there that can transcend deep difference and stubborn divisions? The arts. They have a wonderful universality. Art has the potential to unify. It can speak in many languages without a translator. The arts do not discriminate. The arts can lift us up." -- Barbara Jordan  Thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts for sharing this.

Twelve St. Bonaventure University theater students and two faculty members participated in the regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, held Jan. 15-19 at Montclair State University in New Jersey. They were among approximately 1,000 students and faculty attending the festival for Region II, which comprises college and university theater programs in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Also attending the week-long festival were guest artists from Broadway and regional theaters. The festival featured workshops, seminars, presentations, exhibitions and various types of theater production, including devised theater and new works. Eight St. Bonaventure students participated in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions. Four students were nominated by festival faculty responders for their work in SBU Theater’s 2018 productions of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and “A Christmas Carol.” Each of those students chose a scene partner and presented aud...

If you're looking for something different and fun for you and your sweetheart to do for Valentine's Day you could try a painting date night. On Friday Michelle Chapman will help you paint not one -- but two -- paintings. Snacks and all supplies will be provided, and   you can bring your favorite beverage. The class is from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Old Post Office on East Corydon Street in Bradford To reserve a spot email info@mckeanarts.org with your names.

Join artist Samila Sosic for the paint nights of 2019!  This one will be held at  Four Mile Brewing  in Olean.  Scene you will be painting is called "Spring Thistles".  She will take you from your first dip of the brush to the finishing touches in creating your very own masterpiece.  Bring a group of friends to complete this fun evening of social creativity.  All painting supplies will be provided!  No need to bring a beverage as Four Mile Brewing is fully stocked!!   For more information on this event please visit  http://www.myartscouncil.net/adult-classes.html

Students and faculty will present “The Vagina Monologues” next week at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The shows will take place at 8 p.m. Feb. 19 and 20 in the Studio Theater in Blaisdell Hall. Tickets are $3 each for the public, $2 for faculty and staff, free for Pitt-Bradford students and $1 for other students. Proceeds from the show benefit the Bradford YWCA and V-Day, an organization that promotes ending violence against women and girls through performances of Eve Ensler’s Tony Award-winning show. Ensler interviewed more than 200 women of various races, ages, and sexual orientations, discussing their experiences as women and their perspectives of stigmas surrounding topics such as abuse, rape and the LGBTQ+ community. Her interviews became the basis for “The Vagina Monologues,” which debuted in 1994 in New York City. Both empowering and educational, the production challenged the heavily conservative, patriarchal narrative commonly unaddressed by society. It encou...

Never Tell by Lisa Gardner My rating: 5 of 5 stars Lisa Gardner is a master at her craft and she just keeps getting better and better. In Never Tell Boston PD Detective D.D. Warren and kidnap victim/avenger/CI Flora Dane are back working on the case of a man who was shot to death in his home, and who may have had contact with Flora when she was being held captive by monster Jacob Ness. The man's wife, Evie, is a suspect because not only did she have the smoking gun in her hand when police arrived, she claimed to have "accidentally" shot her father 16 years earlier. Much to D.D.'s dismay (at first) other people, including the FBI and a true-crime blogger, are also working on the case, which leads to a trip to the dark web where some questions are answered but others are raised. The story is told in alternating chapters by D.D., Flora and Evie, which I liked because it not only shows all points of view, but all vantage points. I espec...

A still photo from the documentary “Man on Fire” about racism in Grand Saline, Texas, and a 79-year-old minister who set himself on fire to draw attention to it. The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will present the award-winning documentary “Man on Fire” next week along with a question-and-answer session with the filmmaker. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 in the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. The documentary is part of the On Screen/In Person tour, a program of the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts. It is also being presented in conjunction with Black History Month events.             “Man on Fire” is about Charles Moore, a 79 year-old Methodist minister from Grand Saline, Texas, who committed his life to being a social justice warrior. He defended gay rights, promoted racial equality, and overall strived to help those who were marginalized. His...

Judgment by Joseph Finder My rating: 0 of 5 stars This story, as they say, is "ripped from the headlines." You'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about Russian oligarchs and how they gain influence over people as you follow Judge Juliana Brody as she tries to get herself out of a mess and get herself involved in more trouble than she could have imagined. And the whole time she's playing this high stakes game of blackmail and more, she has to deal with a troubled teenage son and her husband from whom she is hiding a big secret. I love stories with strong but flawed women. Juliana checked all my boxes. You can hear my interview with Joseph here . View all my reviews

Jamestown, New York – February 11, 2019 –  The National Comedy Center, the nation’s first museum and visitor experience dedicated to the comedic arts, announced today that Sebastian Maniscalco and John Mulaney will headline the 2019 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, August 7-11. Tickets for their performances will go on pre-sale for National Comedy Center members only — starting Wednesday, February 20 at noon ET at  www.ComedyCenter.org . Public on-sale date will be Friday, February 22 at noon ET. Many festival events have yet to be announced, in a lineup that will celebrate comedy’s contemporary stars, rising voices, and historic legacies. Sebastian Maniscalco and John Mulaney are two of the most popular and acclaimed comedians in the country in 2019 — Maniscalco breaking several comedy box office records over the past year, and Mulaney named “one of the best stand-up comics alive” by  Entertainment Weekly . John Mulaney will be performing on Friday, August 9...

Following Diana Ross' stunning performance on Sunday's Grammy Awards broadcast , we're thrilled to announce that the Motown legend will appear on the Amphitheater stage on July 5, to cap our Fourth of July celebration during Week Two. Also in Week Two, favorite Chautauqua collaborator James Fallows joins us to host a series of Interfaith Lecture Series conversations featuring "Common Good Change Agents." Diana Ross Friday, July 5 8:15 p.m. · Amphitheater Tickets available Feb. 14 $80–205 Preferred seating available Details National treasure Diana Ross is known as one of the world’s greatest entertainers of all time. She has been inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and is the recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. A legendary performer of the Moto...

The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray My rating: 0 of 5 stars Even with all their faults and flaws -- or maybe because of them -- I couldn't help but fall in love with all three Butler sisters as soon as I was introduced to them. In her debut novel, Anissa Gray paints a portrait of three troubled adults who are hanging onto events that had profound impacts on them when they were growing up. The story starts as oldest sister Althea and her husband Proctor are being sentenced on federal charges of defrauding the government. As the story progresses, Gray hands out bits and pieces of how and why Althea and Proctor got to this point, and the effect their actions had -- and are having -- on their twin teenage daughters. Middle sister Viola has her own problems, including the break-up of her marriage and a relapse of an eating disorder she's had since she was a teenager. Baby sister Lillian tries to repress her memories but ...