entertainment

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"

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.

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.

As he's done each of the past couple of years, Carmen DelPlato has sent us over a Christmas song to share with the community. The song is written by Mary DelPlato and performed by Anthony DelPlato.

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.

Austin Moody, billed as an up-and-coming country singer/songwriter from Nashville, so up-and-coming, his first CD won't be out until the end of the year, played GCC for a couple hundred appreciative country fans.

Moody said he's played Upstate before and likes coming up here. It reminds him of home. There are real country fans here, he said. 

"And I mean, real country fans," he said. "Not bro-country fans. Not, 'I'm hot. You're hot. We're in a pickup truck,' country fans, but real country fans."

It was the first official rehearsal Monday night for S. Shade Zajac as the new conductor and musical director for the Genesee Symphony Orchestra.

The season opens Oct. 16 with a concert at St. James Episcopal Church, Batavia. The concert will also feature winners from the GSO young artists competition, Jackie Hager, cello, and Jarod Yap, piano. The program includes: "Shortcut Home," Dana Willson; Concerto in D Minor, Lalo; Concerto in A Minor, Schumann; and "Scheherazade" by Rimsky-Korsako.

Tickets are on sale now through GeneseeSymphony.com. 

In five years of covering concerts at Frostridge, there are four shows I'm sure I'll always remember: Marty Stuart in 2011, which was my introduction to Jam at the Ridge, The Farm, featuring Alexander native Krista Marie, the time Blackjack Billy upstaged the night's headliner, Blackberry Smoke, that same year, and finally, Blackjack Billy's return to Le Roy last night.

Mindfulness, self-improvement and guidance are important themes in today’s crazy world. With all of this anxiety swirling around our society, it’s probably the most perfect and appropriate time for a wonderful painting exhibition called “Meditations” by Joanna Angie at The Rosalie “Roz” Steiner Gallery at Genesee Community College in Batavia.

“Meditations” runs through Sept. 24. The gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and open during GCC special events.

Buffalo artist Angie’s large, colorful thangka paintings explore the themes of compassion, community and knowledge. The images stem from the natural connection of Tibetan spiritual practice and the traditional form of art dating back to the 11th century. In addition to their stunning beauty, the thangka paintings serve as objects of devotion, aids to spiritual practice and sources of blessings to the who meditate upon them.

Angie’s colorful works are reflective of her life’s path. Her early childhood passion for colorful paintings began a journey of creative pursuits. Along the way, she got involved with Tibetan spiritual practice, which has taken her across the world to places like China, Tibet, India and beyond. After founding Buffalo Arts Studio in 1991, Angie directed the organization and worked on her mural career.

Visit www.VisitGeneseeNY.com to learn more...

National recording artists and rock band ZZ Top performed last night, headlining three concerts in one week at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. They played many greatest hits off their 15-album career like "Legs," "Rough Boy," "Cheap Sunglasses," "Tush" and "La Grange."

Over 45-plus years of the band's success has also included TV and films early in 1990s as they appeared in the movies "Back to the Future Part III" and "Mother Goose Rock N Rhyme."  Very popular in the 1980s, they won three music video awards for "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Rough Boy."

Earlier this month, Gregg Allman cancelled the remainder of his solo and U.S. tour with ZZ Top due to serious health issues, so Randy Bachman and his band opened for ZZ Top. 

The former lead guitarist of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive from the 1960s and '70s played some classics like "No Sugar Tonight," "American Woman," "You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet" and "Takin’ Care of Business."

Also opening was Jonny Two Bags from Social Distortion who performed a 30-minute set.   

Tonight’s concert is pop / punk rock band Blink 182 and Friday’s performance is American bro-country duo Florida Georgia Line, both starting at 7 p.m.

Randy Bachman

Shade Zajac makes his official debut Sunday as the full-time conductor of the Genesee Symphony Orchestra in a special performance being sponsored by the United Way at Mercy Grove in Le Roy.

Zajac previously conducted the orchestra last season as part of an audition process for the musical director's position with the GSO and was appointed by the GSO board earlier this year.

Mercy Grove is Genesee County's newest event facility and will be a beautiful setting for this special performance.

Tickets are $75 per person and proceeds benefit the United Way and the Genesee Symphony Orchestra.

Party attire is suggested. The event starts at 3:30 p.m. There will be hors d'oeuvres, grazing stations and a cash bar. The GSO performance, "Summer Serenade," begins at 4:45.  

Tickets are available through GSO's website, or at Bank of Castile in Batavia and Le Roy, Roxy's Music, the United Way and GO ART!

Photos are from Monday's rehearsal.

Imagine having a multiple platinum recording rock band performing for you and your closest friends in your back yard. Well that was the feel of the Kansas concert in Le Roy at The Ridge.

Kansas must have felt right at home with Great Plains-style pop-up thunderstorms in the area as they played for a very friendly crowd that was not at all afraid of the rain.  The fans on hand were singing and dancing along with the bands many well known hits. Yes, you should have been here.

There are two more chances this summer to catch The Jam at the Ridge. The next show at the ridge is Blackjack Billy Aug. 27^th. 

The Batavia Society of Artists sponsored a Sketch Out/Paint Out event in Jackson Square on Wednesday evening, featuring cast members from the Batavia Players upcoming presentation of "Guys and Dolls."

The event gave local artists a chance to paint or draw characters from the famous musical.

American five-piece girl group Fifth Harmony performed last evening at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center with special guests JoJo and Victoria Monet. The five singers who all successfully auditioned as soloists on the second season of "The X Factor USA" in 2012 failed to progress individually in judging competition and decided to form a group together.

The band was formed one month following the second season of "The X Factor USA" and was named "Next Pop Superstar of 2013" by Popdust magazine.  They played hits like "Gonna Get Better," "All In My Head (Flex)," "Worth It" and "Work from Home."

Opening for them was Joanna Noëlle Blagden "JoJo" Levesque and Victoria Monet. Next concert is BRAD PAISLEY: LIFE AMPLIFIED TOUR, Aug. 19^th at 7:30 p.m.

JoJo:

Over 40-plus years and millions of albums sold the Wilson sisters -- brunette lead singer Ann and blond lead guitarist Nancy -- didn't miss a beat, as they kept the crowd dancing in the aisles last evening with their band Heart at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.  

Hands waving, cell phones were overheating amongst many followers engaged in some of the band's greatest hits like, "Magic Man," "What about Love," "These Dreams," "Crazy on You" and "Barracuda."

Cheap Trick and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts opened for Heart tonight with some famous songs by each band, "Dream Police," "I Want You to Want Me" from Cheap Trick. Joan Jett played some classics, "Cherry Bomb," "I Love Rock 'n’ Roll," and "I Hate Myself for Loving You."

Next concert is tomorrow night featuring G-Eazy & Logic: The Endless Summer Tour, with guests YG and YO Gotti at 6:30.

American singer, songwriter, actor, Josh Groban performed last evening at Darien Lake PAC in front of a contemporary, light-spirited crowd of six thousand people. His last appearance was in 2011 in Buffalo. He performed some hits like “You Raise me Up” and from musicals “Somewhere over the Rainbow,” and “Le Temps des Cathedrales.” 

Sarah McLachlan performed two duets with Josh, one being her own “Angel.” She was the lead opener with songs like "Building a Mystery," "I will Remember You" and "Sweet Surrender." Foy Vance opened for Sarah McLachlan.  

Next concert is tonight featuring Heart with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick, 6:30 p.m.

Sarah McLachlan