arts

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins today released the following statement announcing this year’s Congressional Art Competition and encouraging local high school students in New York’s 27th district to participate.

“The Congressional Art Competition is a great opportunity for hardworking high school students to showcase their work to the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Capitol each year,” said Congressman Collins. “There are incredibly talented artists throughout NY-27. I look forward to seeing this year’s submissions and the opportunity to welcome the winning artist to our nation’s capital.”

Now in its 35th year, the Congressional Art Competition is open to all high school students who reside in New York’s 27th Congressional District. Last year there were more than 90 submissions. The winning artist will receive a round trip flight to Washington, D.C., to see their artwork in the U.S. Capitol, where it will be on display for one year.

Submissions are due to either of Congressman Collins’ two district offices no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. A reception and award ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 8th, at the Roz Steiner Art Gallery, located on the Genesee Community College campus in Batavia. Local high schools have been notified regarding contest rules and submission guidelines.

Interested students should see their art teacher for details or contact Chris Catt from Congressman Collins’ office at (585) 519-4002.

The Elba Central School Drama Club is presenting the musical "Hello, Dolly!" this weekend.

The show opens at 7 p.m., Friday. Additional performances are at 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, in the school auditorium.

Tickets are $6 for students and seniors and $8 for adults. Tickets available at DailyNewsTickets.com, Roxy's Music Store, and at the door before the show.

Press release:

The Genesee Chorale invites the community to "Summer Daze," a summer-themed choral performance at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19 at St. Joseph Catholic School at 2 Summit St. in Batavia. This fun concert will depart from the Chorale's classical selections to uplift the audience and melt away the winter doldrums with an afternoon in the summer sun.

“This time of year, the long, dark winter days seem to stretch on forever,” said Director Ric Jones. “We wanted to give our audience a much-needed break from the snow and cold by transporting them to a warm, sunny day through music.”

The concert venue will be decorated for the theme, Chorale members will dress the part, and the Chorale will be accompanied by local musicians on percussion and ukuleles! These fun performances are audience favorites, with familiar songs and performances by the full chorale, small ensembles, and soloists.

Concertgoers will recognize many of the song selections, like the Beach Boys’ "Little Deuce Coupe," Israel Kamakawiwo'ole’s Hawaiian rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Bob Marley’s "One Love," and many more.

Presale tickets cost $8 and can be purchased from any Chorale member or online at www.geneseechorale.com. Tickets will also be available at the door for $10. In the event of severe winter weather, the concert will be rescheduled for the same place and time on the following Sunday, Feb. 26.

This performance is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.

The Genesee Chorale is a community chorus founded in 1971 with members from Genesee County and seven surrounding counties. The Chorale’s repertoire includes a wide variety of music in various styles from motets and madrigals of the Renaissance, to folk, musicals and jazz. The Chorale always welcomes new singers. The Chorale is directed by Ric Jones, who is the owner of Imagine Music Publishing, the musical director of the Brighton Symphony Orchestra and The Middleport Community Choir, and is also the organist at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in Medina and Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolcottsville.

Chance the Rapper, fresh off a Grammy win this week, has been added to the lineup of top stars coming to Darien Lake Performing Arts Center this season.

The show is scheduled for 8 p.m., May 31.

The theme park won't be open on that date, though for all other upcoming dates, Live Nation is celebrating 25 years of bringing music to Darien Lake by partnering with the Theme Park to offer free park admission on concert nights.

Other acts booked for the summer include Zac Brown Band, Third Eye Blind, Nickelback, Chicago and the Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, Kings of Leon, Lady Antebellum, and Green Day.

For more on the concert season, click here.

This weekend and next, Batavia Players, now in its 85th season, is presenting "The Magic Kingdom On Broadway VIII." The musical review features performances from a variety of Disney productions, including "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah," "A Spoonful of Sugar," "A Whole New World," "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," songs from "Frozen," and songs from "High School Musical," plus several other numbers. 

The cast includes 37 local dancers and singers from age 8 to 40. The show consists of five segments with a 15-minute intermission and a total run time of an hour and 45 minutes. The show is appropriate for theatergoers of all ages.

There is a performance at 56 Harvester today at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m. Next weekend there are performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for students and seniors. 

One time when Shirley Taylor was pinstriping a man told her, "I've never seen anybody pinstriping like you before."

She knew the man wasn't being negative, but she still wasn't sure how to take the remark.

When the publisher of a UK-based hot rod magazine, "Pinstriping and Kustom Graphics," contacted her on Facebook and said she really liked her work, Taylor thought maybe she had found her own style that people like.

This month, Taylor is featured in that magazine, a bit of recognition only six years after she took up the art form.

"I always loved art, ever since I was a little kid," the Batavia resident said. "I’ve always loved painting and drawing, but I never knew about pinstriping until six years ago and I was first introduced to it. I never knew it existed."

Pinstriping is the art of creating designs using thin, precise lines, usually as decoration on objects. The art form is tied closely to hot rods and motorcycles, but pinstripers will also paint on sheets of metal and just about any object that might be of interest. Taylor's mailbox, for example, is pinstriped, and her collection of work includes Christmas tree ornaments.

She got started while attending an annual hot-rodding event hosted by her brother and a pinstriper there offered her a lesson. She's been hooked ever since, she said. After she learned the basics, she started to develop her own style.

When she attends the Syracuse Nationals this year, it will be her fourth year participating, painting panels along with pinstripers from all over the world. She said all of the items painted are auctioned off with the proceeds being donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Over the three days, she said, on average, they raise $75,000.

Last year was her first trip to a panel jam (a group of pinstripe artists gathering to paint) in Cleveland and she's been invited to an event in Chicago this year.

"It's a good community of people who come from all over the world for panel jams," she said.

Taylor's work can be found on her Facebook page.

Batavia Players held its annual gala and awards ceremony at the Harvester 56 Theater on Saturday night.

Here are the award winners:

• Outstanding Performance of the Year, Evan Bellavia as Harry the Horse, "Guys & Dolls"
• Outstanding Actor in a Play, Norm Argulski as Lionel Percy, "Bakersfield Mist"
• Outstanding Actress in a Play, Michele Stamp as Martha, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"
• Outstanding Dramatic Performance of the Year, Kevin Partridge as George, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play, Alex Farley as Nick, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play, Wendy Williams as Sissy, "Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean"
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Jesse Conklin as Corin, "As You Like It"
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, Kathy Johns as Joanne, "Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean"
• Outstanding Actor in a Musical, William Grimble as Nicely Nicely Johnson, "Guys & Dolls"
• Outstanding Solo Vocal Performance, Amy-Catherine Cunningham as Charity Hope Valentine, "Sweet Charity"
• Outstanding Actress in a Musical, "Sweet Charity," "Little Women"
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical, Nash Johns as Laurie Lawrence, "Little Women"
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical, Emily Crawford as Marmee March, "Little Women"
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, Patrick Burk as Daddy Brubeck, "Sweet Charity"
• Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Wendy Williams as Aunt March, "Little Women"
• Outstanding Musical Ensemble, Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat, "Guys & Dolls"
• Outstanding Youth Performance, Evan Bellavia as Harry the Horse, "Guys & Dolls"
• Outstanding Youth Performance -- Female, Celia Flyn as Adelaide, "Guys & Dolls"
• Outstanding Child Performance, Paige Sikorski as the Snowflake, "A Christmas Gift"

The way Laura Kauppi sees it, every child, regardless of income, should have a chance to learn piano.

The Corfu native who teaches piano to a lot of higher income kids in Amherst, decided recently that she wants to give back to her local community and has partnered with Roxy's Music to offer piano lessons to low-income children.

"Every child should be able to learn piano," she said.

She's calling the program, "Every Child Music School."

For qualifying students, classes are three times a month for 20 minutes at $3 per lesson. To qualify, parents need to show a benefits card, such as a WIC card, at the first lesson.  The lessons are available to children 18 months and older.

She's looking for donations of touch-sensitive keyboard (press hard for a louder note, soft for a softer note) to help ensure students have an instrument to practice on.

Kauppi studies piano performance at Geneseo while pursuing an undergraduate degree in another field, but put herself through college teaching piano.

"When I started teaching, I realized I absolutely loved teaching piano and I wanted to keep doing it, so I’ve been teaching for 12 years now," Kauppi said.

To donate or register, call Kauppi at 585-861-0153.

Rock star Joey Belladonna returns to Batavia Jan. 14 for a show at T.F. Brown's with his cover band, Big Chief Way.

Belladonna is best known as lead singer for the popular thrash metal band Anthrax. Anthrax, with frontman Belladonna, has released 10 albums that have sold 8 million copies worldwide. The band was nominated for three Grammy awards.

From Western New York, Belladonna occasionally plays shows in the area with Big Chief Way.

There are a limited number of VIP tickets available that includes a chance to meet Belladonna between 8 and 9 p.m. for $10. Tickets must be purchased at T.F.'s by Jan. 13. The show starts at 10 p.m. and tickets are $5 pre-sale or at the door. Tickets may be purchased at T.F. Brown's.

The Batavia High School Choir is singing Christmas carols all over Batavia, mostly at businesses that made a donation to help cover the $50,000 it will cost for them to travel and participate in a competition in Washington, D.C.

We happened to catch up with them while they were at Valle Jewelers.

The New York State Ballet performs "The Nutcracker" in the auditorium of Batavia High School today and tomorrow at 2 p.m.

The online ticket site says ticket sales have ended for today's performance, but I'm not sure if there will be tickets at the door.

There are definitely tickets available for tomorrow's performance.

The company was rehearsing when I went to the school last night for Batavia's basketball game.

St. Mary's yesterday held a capacity audience for the annual Genesee Symphony Orchestra holiday show, which featured performances by Emily Helenbrook, of Alexander, and Young Artist Competition winner Amelia Snyder.

The family of conductor Shade Zajac also dedicated a new podium his grandfather made and donated to the GSO.

When it came time for the orchestra to play "Sleigh Bells," Zajac invited a young member of the audience to step onto the podium to conduct the orchestra. Shannon Campbell stepped forward (photo below provided by her mother).

The GSO's next concert is at 4 p.m., March 12, at Genesee Community College, and will feature pianist Brian Preston. Music will include Brahms, Concerto No. 1 in D Minor and Marquez, Danzon No. 2.

Emily Helenbrook, of Alexander and a soprano, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, who has performed from Buffalo to California, will be a featured artist tomorrow during the Genesee Symphony Orchestra's annual holiday concert at St. Mary's Church.

For more about Helenbrook, see our previous story: Emily Helenbrook dreams big, works hard as she seeks career as opera singer

Also featured will be Amelia Snyder, on alto saxophone, and one of GSO's Young Artist Competition winners.

The program includes:

• Ukrainian Bell Chorale, arrangement by Nancy Strelau
• Fanfare from La Perri, Dukas
• Concerto for Saxophone and Strings, Glazonov
• Christ at the Movies, arranged by Krogstag
• Emily Helenbrook singing several selections
• Canadian Brass, arrangement by Custer
• Sleigh Ride, Leroy Anderson
• Christmas Festival, Anderson.

The concert begins at 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. To purchase tickets online, please make your purchase by 1 p.m. tomorrow. Visit GeneseeSymphony.com

The Batavia Society of Artists opened its winter show last night at the Richmond Memorial Library.  

Brian Kemp, above, received the Best of Show award.  

In the photo below, Kevin Feary, of Batavia, explains the technique behind his second-place photo.

These pictures are a few days old. Glenn Adams just sent them in and they're too good not to share.

They are from Thursday. This is Mike Randall playing the part of Charles Dickens as he re-enacts a reading of "A Christmas Carol" at the Corfu Free Library.

The Genesee Chorale performs a Christmas concert called "The Rose" this Friday at Our Lady of Mercy, 44 Lake St., in Le Roy.

Showtime is 7 p.m

The performance, conducted by Ric Jones, will be repeated at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at St. James Episcopal Church, Batavia.

Conductor Shade Zajac leads the Genesee Symphony Orchestra through a rehearsal Monday night at Batavia High School as the GSO prepares for its annual holiday concert at St. Mary's on Dec. 11.

The program includes: 

• Guests: Emily Helenbrook, soprano, and young artist competition winner Amelia Snyder, alto saxophone
• Ukrainian Bell Chorale, arrangement by Nancy Strelau
• Fanfare from La Perri, Dukas
• Concerto for Saxophone and Strings, Glazonov
• Christ at the Movies, arranged by Krogstag
• Emily Helenbrook singing several selections
• Canadian Brass, arrangement by Custer
• Sleigh Ride, Leroy Anderson
• Christmas Festival, Anderson

To purchase tickets, click here.

The Batavia High School Drama Club presents three performances this weekend of William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," as dramatized by Trish Black Melchan.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, on the stage of the school's auditorium.

Tickets are $8 per adult and $6 for students and seniors.

The Cast:

The Batavia HS choir plans on competing in a chorus competition in Washington, D.C., next year and they need to raise $50,000 to make the trip, so a novel fundraising idea they hit on is to sing Christmas carols for the community.

Local businesses can hire them to sing Christmas carols and other holiday songs on Dec. 19. The cost is $15 for two songs and $5 for each additional song.

The choir will also go to private homes on a date yet to be determined. The price is the same.

Director Jane Hagett said the group would also be happy to hear from service clubs, such as Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary or Zonta to sing at one of their gatherings in December.

The school's phone number is (585) 343-2480, ext. 2000.

Philip J. Briatico conducts the Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble at 4 p.m., Sunday, at Elba Central School.

The concert will include pieces by Samuel Barber, Danny Elfman, John Philip Sousa, Mark Camphouse, among others.