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BHS Drama Club tries to determine who murdered billionaire in eight 10-minute plays

By Howard B. Owens
batavia high school drama club the alibis

For those who love murder mysteries and comedies, the Batavia High School Drama Club is staging The Alibis, a collection of eight interconnected 10-minute plays that revolve around the murder of eccentric billionaire J. Leslie Arlington.

There are plenty of suspects in the murder, and all have alibis, which none of them want to admit to because they were all committing other ridiculous crimes at the time. The suspects include disgruntled chefs, teen detectives, and vengeful divas.

Performances are at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday on the stage of the Batavia High School Auditorium, 260 State St., Batavia.

Photos by Howard Owens.

batavia high school drama club the alibis
batavia high school drama club the alibis
batavia high school drama club the alibis
batavia high school drama club the alibis
batavia high school drama club the alibis
batavia high school drama club the alibis
batavia high school drama club the alibis
batavia high school drama club the alibis

GSO ready to perform holiday favorites at GCC on Sunday

By Howard B. Owens
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Genesee Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Julia Plato.
Photo by Howard Owens

It's that time of year when the Genesee Symphony Orchestra rosins up the bows and gets crackin' on holiday chestnuts such as “Christmas Festival,” “Sleigh Ride” and selections from “The Nutcracker.”

The annual holiday concert is at 4 p.m., Sunday, at Genesee Community College.

GSO's concertmaster, Julia Plato, is looking forward to taking the solo on another holiday favorite, the winter movement from Vivaldi's “Four Seasons.”

She's excited about it, she said, because "I think it's insanely easy to make it sound modern, even though it was written through like 300 years ago. It still has so much excitement and vigor and, yeah, personality that you would never know that it was written in the 1700s."

Plato, who is originally from the Hershey area of Pennsylvania, is in her second year as the first chair of the GSO, under the direction of conductor S. Shade Zajac.

She's been involved in orchestra performance since she was a child, participating in the youth orchestra in her hometown.

"That's kind of where I fell in love with playing music," she said.  "I went to school for music education in Ithaca and wound up teaching in Pittsford."

Through a friend, she heard about GSO during the pandemic, when the orchestra was still finding ways to perform, and that piqued her interest.

"I was so excited because I just wanted to have a group to play with, and it just lined up really well with the time that I moved to the area, and I found a good group of people to perform with," she said.

She's found it inspiring to work with Zajac.

"He has got such a great taste and repertoire," she said. "He selects very nice, well-rounded programming from all the modern works that you may not have heard to the classics that everyone hopes to hear."

genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Genesee Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor S. Shade Zajac
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
genesee symphony orchestra holiday rehersal 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.

Photos: Nerds go wild in 1980s celebration at Batavia Downs

By Howard B. Owens
nerds gone wild batavia downs

It was a packed house in the Park Place Events Center at Batavia Downs on Saturday with Nerds Gone Wild rockin' that action-packed and fun 1980s vibe.

The Nerds are:

  • Eddy "Eugene" Tabone on drums and vocals
  • John "Gilbert" Gibbon, on bass, guitar, and vocals
  • Ed "Milton Wild" Wyner, lead vocals and guitar
  • Brian "Irwin" Beaudry, keyboards, keytar, vocals
  • Eric "Barney" Rovner, lead guitar and vocals.

Previously: Expect a wildly fun night at Batavia Downs when Nerds Gone Wild takes the stage

nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs
nerds gone wild batavia downs

Photos: Give Thanks Night of Music at Ri-Dans

By Howard B. Owens
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia

Good music was part of the Thanksgiving celebration at Ri-Dans in Batavia on Wednesday night with the Rusty Fisher Band and the Growlers Blues Band both taking the stage.

Photos by Howard Owens.

rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia
rusty fisher band at ri-dans batavia

Photos: 'Leave your troubles outside' sets tone of O-A's annual Cabaret

By Howard B. Owens
oakfield-alabama cabaret night 2023
Cara Williams, grade 11, performs "She Used to Be Mine" from Waitress.
Photo by Howard Owens.

The Oakfield-Alabama Music Department presented its annual Cabaret night before a packed house in the school's auditorium.

The night's theme was 'Leave your troubles outside, with dozens of students performing solo or in ensembles.

oakfield-alabama cabaret night 2023
Shane Coast, grade 9, performs Weird Al Yankovic's "I Love Rocky Road," a parody of "I Love Rock and Roll" by Joan Jett.
Photo by Howard Owens.
oakfield-alabama cabaret night 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
oakfield-alabama cabaret night 2023
Emily Gould, grade 9, performs "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman.
Photo by Howard Owens.
oakfield-alabama cabaret night 2023
Kaylle Merkel, 9th, Allison Wiliams, 9th, Teagan Falk, 10th, Emily Szplyman, 10th, Jessica Sosnowski, 11th, Cara Williams, 11, and Rachael Wight, 12 (order from the program not necessarily the order on stage), perform "Vienna" by Billy Joel.
Photo by Howard Owens.
oakfield-alabama cabaret night 2023
Amora Mabon, 10th grade, performs "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl.
Photo by Howard Owens.
oakfield-alabama cabaret night 2023
Photo by Howard Owens.

Batavia Players present three one-act plays Friday to Sunday

By Howard B. Owens
Mr. Icky cast batavia players
The cast of the one-act play, Mr. Icky by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Photo by Howard Owens.

This month's night (or afternoon) of theater at Main St. 56 Theater at Batavia City Centre consists of three one-act plays performed by members of Batavia Players. 

The plays are:

  • "The Bear," by Anton Chekov
  • "Mr. Icky," by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • "Verbatim," by Albi Gorn

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for students and seniors.

The Mr. Icky Cast:

  • Mr. Icky, Seth Coburn
  • Divine, Maia Zerillo
  • Peter, Deacon Smith
  • Ulsa, Sophie Crandall
  • Charles, Lilah Mordell

Other characters played by:

  • Joel Coburn
  • Leigh LeFevre
  • Jeriko Suzette
  • Shakeem Walcott
  • Jazz Wessell
Mr. Icky Batavia Players
Scene from Mr. Icky.
Photo by Howard Owens
Mr. Icky Batavia Players
Scene from Mr. Icky.
Photo by Howard Owens
Mr. Icky Batavia Players
Scene from Mr. Icky.
Photo by Howard Owens
The Bear Batavia Players
Scene from The Bear
Photo by Howard Owens

The cast of The Bear:

  • Anthony Haitz as Grigory Stepanovitch Smirnov
  • Angelina Celej as Elena Ivanovna Popova
  • James Barcomb as Luka
The Bear Batavia Players
Scene from The Bear
Photo by Howard Owens
Verbatim Batavia Players
Scene from Verbatim
Photo by Howard Owens

The cast of Verbatim:

  • Marlene, Teressa Hirsch
  • Reese, Steve Coburn
  • Andy, Dorothy Gerhart
Verbatim Batavia Players
Scene from Verbatim
Photo by Howard Owens

Alexander presents 'Beauty and The Beast' this weekend

By Howard B. Owens
alexander beauty and the beast

This Friday and Saturday, the students of Alexander Central Schools present the musical "Beauty and the Beast" in the high school auditorium.

The cast:

  • Belle, Aubrey Hamm
  • Beast, Carter Edmonds
  • Gaston, Owen Dunbar 
  • Lumiere, Morgan Burns
  • Mrs. Potts, Riley Wall
  • Cogsworth, Drake Orr

A total of 37 students, grades six through 12, are participating in the production, which is directed by Alexander High School graduate Hunter Doran. 

Show times:

  • 7 p.m. Friday
  • 2 p.m. Saturday
  • 7 p.m. Saturday

Admission is free.

Photos by Howard Owens.

alexander beauty and the beast
alexander beauty and the beast
alexander beauty and the beast
alexander beauty and the beast
alexander beauty and the beast
alexander beauty and the beast
alexander beauty and the beast

Nightmare on Bank Street gives the green light to a Halloween scare

By Howard B. Owens
Homeowner David Raines poses in front of residence 209 bank St. - Nightmare on Bank St. Haunted house is in backyard  Photo Steve Ognibene
Creator David Raines poses in front of his residence at 209 Bank St., Batavia, where where he has a "Nightmare on Bank Street" haunted house in his back yard.
Photo by Steve Ognibene

The haunted house experience David Raines has designed at his Bank Street residence can be so scary, he said, that he's developed a red light, yellow light, and green light system so that actors in the attraction know when to tone down the level of fright.

This is the sixth year Raines has opened the haunted house to the public and it's his most elaborate yet, he told The Batavian.

"I've actually lived here for 17 years and I love Halloween," Raines said. "There's nothing like this in Batavia. I've had people say this is the best thing in town. So it just keeps me going."

The haunted house, dubbed "Nightmare on Bank Street," is free, but Raines is asking for donations in order to help cover his cost, and also to help expand the attraction, perhaps in a larger venue in Batavia.

It will be open from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 5 to 11 p.m. on Halloween. The address is 209 Bank St., Batavia.

This year, the attraction has spilled out into his front yard. It also takes up all the space in his back yard.

"This is just something fun that I love to do," Raines said. "I like to see kids have a good time, and adults have a good time and enjoy it. And I like to scare people, too."

Gaines hasn't done all this work by himself. His daughter and her friends as well as his girlfriend, he said, helped with the setup. Work started on the project on Sept. 1.

He explained the red light, yellow light, and green light system, which aren't actually colored lights but him yelling out to actors what light category they're in.

  • Red light: The haunted house is fully lit.  Guests can see all the details of the exhibits and the actors don't try to scare anybody.
  • Yellow light: The lighting is off and the actors tone down the scare factor.
  • Green light: All bets are off. No lighting, full-on scare from the actors. There's also fog, strobe lights, and laser lights.

"Then Greenlight is, you know, you're entering at your own risk," Gaines said. "If you don't come back out, I don't know what to tell you."

And if full scare is too much for you, there are emergency exits.

"I want to say I think I had a couple of people last year ask me where the bathroom was because they were so scared," Gaines said. "I had people running down the driveway screaming because they were scared. So to be honest with you, the more fun that I see the public have the more fun I have."

The Maze inside Nightmare on Bank St.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
The maze inside Nightmare on Bank Street. 
Photo by Steve Ognibene
The Spider Room, Nightmare on Bank St.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
The Spider Room, Nightmare on Bank Street.
 Photo by Steve Ognibene
The cemetery, Nightmare on Bank St.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Photo by Steve Ognibene

 

David Raines starts building his haunted house early September to have ready two weeks before halloween, Nightmare on Bank St.   Photo by Steve Ognibene
David Raines starts building his haunted house in early September to have it ready two weeks before Halloween, Nightmare on Bank Street.   
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Flautist to perform music 'from the last 100 years' during free concert

By Joanne Beck

 

Jaclyn Breeze
Jaclyn Breeze of Chili during one of her flute concerts. She will be performing at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Batavia First Presbyterian Church.
Submitted Photo

While the thought of composing a song with indigenous birds may seem intriguing, doing so for two violins, which at first blush don’t quite seem to fit the mode of a tweet or cackle, and for seven minutes, sounds even more daunting a task.

Yet songwriter Jaclyn Breeze of Chili, who obtained her master’s in music composition this May from Syracuse University and bachelor’s in flute performance from Roberts Wesleyan College,  described it as anything but.

“A teacher in Wisconsin at St. Norbert College was having a bird-themed recital this fall, and she was familiar with my work. And she said that she wanted to use the calls of the birds in her area kind of as a basis for the piece. And so from there, I was free to do what I wanted. Just with that idea in mind,” Breeze said during an interview with The Batavian. “It was fun. It’s going to be premiered in November.”

Breeze’s primary focus while pursuing her master’s degree was composing music, which she does on a commission basis for groups and individuals, but then she began to miss the performance aspect of her work, she said, and so she promoted her flute concerts to area churches and organizations.

“I loved going for my master's degree doing composition. But I found that I really missed performing, which, you know, I got to do a lot as a performance major in my undergrad,” she said. So after I graduated, I decided that was something that I was going to make a priority in my life, make sure that I was still getting my performance.”

She will be part of the Fall Concert Series at Batavia First Presbyterian Church, with a concert at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 300 E. Main St., Batavia.

As many kids do in elementary school, Breeze began her instrumental career. When asked why she picked the flute out of all the possible instruments, Breeze wasn’t entirely sure. 

“I don't know, I just enjoy it. It's fun to work on. I'm not really sure why I chose that. I guess when I went to college, I kind of was deciding between doing flute and going for vocal performance. And I just started on flute,” she said. “And that was kind of that. I had taken lessons for both in high school. I don't really know when this decision was made, or why I made it.”

She also plays piano and saxophone, and comes from a musical family — her mom always sang with Breeze as a child, she said, and her great-grandpa played a lot of different instruments. 

“He was always trying to get different instruments and getting new things. He usually had a harmonica with him. And I remember him playing just different string instruments. I'm not sure exactly. You know now I can't remember what they all were,” she said. “When it came time to pick an instrument in fourth grade, I was really excited about it. I think by the time I was in high school, I knew that music was what I wanted to do.”

Breeze has taught music at the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University as a teaching assistant and was a guest lecturer at the University of Kentucky for Intro to Music and Jazz History. 

She has collaborated on new music compositions with the Society for New Music in Syracuse the last two years and has also had several commissioned works with groups including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Rococo Quartet.

Self-described as a “composer, collaborator and creator” on her website, she’s a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, an age group winner of the 2022 Warren County Summer Music School’s Promising Young Composer Competition and received Honorable Mention in 2021 for the Hypotenuse Trio COVID Commission.

When asked about the difference between playing the flute and clarinet, two woodwind instruments usually found near each other in a band, she said that all of the air has to be blown into the clarinet, versus the flute, which gets about 70 percent of the air, meaning that 30 percent of the air is lost. 

“So it definitely takes a good amount of air to get that going, get the sound going, and keep it,” she said, addressing prospective concertgoers. “I don’t want them to see a flute concert and think ‘Oh, this is going to be boring.’ The program that I have set up is music of pretty much the last 100 years. And some of that is really beautiful impressionist music, and some of that is rock music that was written six months ago. The program is varied and there is stuff that anyone who likes going to a strictly classical concert will enjoy. There’s also stuff that people who don’t typically enjoy classical music will enjoy.”

Her portion of the concert will be about 45 minutes, and local musician Melzie Case will lead a hymn sing for another 15 minutes. The concert is free and open to the public. 

Breeze is also scheduled for a free concert at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 at Le Roy Presbyterian Church, 7 Clay St., Le Roy. 

To hear samples of her work, go to https://www.jaclynbreeze.com

GSO's musical director balances what audiences know and what is unfamiliar in planning new season

By Howard B. Owens
Shade Zajac 2019 file photo
S. Shade Zajac conducting the Genesee Symphony Orchestra during a rehearsal in 2018.
Photo by Howard Owens.

Audiences can be unpredictable, suggested Genesee Symphony Orchestra Music Director S. Shade Zajac while discussing how he's programmed the 2023-24 season and especially the season's opening show next Sunday, Oct. 22.

"Sometimes you think something is really going to connect with people, and it receives a lukewarm reaction," Zajac told The Batavian. "And sometimes you think, oh, boy, this is going to be tough for people to grasp, and then they go wild for it. You never really know."

The lineup for the opener for next Sunday's concert:

  • Romanian Dances, by Béla Bartók
  • Háry János Suite, by Zoltán Kodály
  • Trail of Tears Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orchestra, by Michael Dougherty
  • Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A Major, by George Enesco

Zajac thinks audience members will find the music of the concert both challenging -- because some of the selections might be unfamiliar to many people -- or engaging -- either because of the dynamics or sheer beauty of the selections. 

"I'm always trying to bring things that the audience really will connect to and also maybe give them something a little new," Zajac said.

The program selection is built around the Trail of Tears Concerto, which will feature Rebecca Gilbert, principal flutist of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Composed by Dougherty in 1989, the piece commemorated the 150th anniversary of the forced march in 1838-39 of Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Chickasaws and the Seminoles off their land in the Southeastern U.S. more than 1,500 miles to what is now part of Oklahoma.

"It's a very, very interesting piece," Zajac said. "It's got some really beautiful and emotional moments in it. And it's got some unbelievable virtuosic playing for the solo flute. He (Dougherty) asks her to do a lot of different kinds of techniques to sound like a traditional Native American flute, so what we call breath tones and pitch bends and slides. It sounds very, very authentic, ethnic, which then kind of ties the rest of the program together."

The ethenic theme of the program is set up by the Bartók and Kodály (pronounced co-die) pieces.  Both Bartók and Kodály were composers, but they were also ethnomusicologists, perhaps the first ethnomusicologists, something that wasn't really possible before the invention of machines that record voices and music. They both traveled to Transylvania with a Thomas Edison invention, a wax cylinder recorder and recorded the music of the towns and villages in that part of Romania. They then incorporated the unique musical elements of those songs into their own compositions.

"The Kodály is a really wild piece of music," Zajac said. "Again, I've never conducted it before. And it calls for a very large orchestra, I think, like six trumpets and a smattering of percussion. We're just we're having tons of fun doing it. And it's a very colorful, colorful piece of music."

The final piece of the program returns to a Romanian setting. 

Enescu, born in Romania in 1881, building his fame as a composer in the early 20th Century, was often compared to Mozart.  This piece was composed in 1901 and is perhaps his most famous work.

"It's really virtuosic and showy for the orchestra features a lot of people," Zajac said. "After our last two seasons with the 75th season, which was two seasons ago, and then last season, you know, doing all this Brahms and all this heavy dramatic music, I kind of wanted to go in a completely different direction. When you finish a monumental project like that, you're like, 'Okay, what do we do next?' And this seemed like a different way to go. And the orchestra is really enjoying it. I think the audience will really like this program."

Earlier in the conversation, discussing the challenges of selecting pieces for an orchestra concert, Zajac compared some pieces of music to "comfort food."

"It is called comfort food for a reason because, you know, mom's chicken pot pies always gonna taste good," Zajac said. "So if she asked someone what they want to eat, they're gonna say, chicken pot pie. It's scarier to go out and try something new. You're gonna take a chance. There's a chance you really like it, and you find something that you really like, and there's a chance that this is going to be terrible. And now you feel like you've just wasted dinner. So I think there's a human need to feel comfort. I know how this is gonna go. I'm not going to be surprised."

Zajac said comfort food on a program helps the less familiar pieces go down a little easier for audiences.

“Romanian Rhapsody” is perhaps the comfort food on the first program, Zajac said.

"Whether or not you know, if you sit down and you listen to this piece, there is no way, if we do our job, and the GSO always does its job, there's no way you're gonna be in your seat because it's just, it's one of those pieces. It's a showpiece. There's fireworks and fast playing and all sorts of things. So that's probably the comfort food, but the Bartok and the Kodály, even though they may be unfamiliar, they're just excellent pieces of music, and they're wild."

After Sunday's concert, the GSO has five more performances this season -- three concerts as part of its regular season and a performance at the GCC Foundation's annual Encore event.

The holiday concert will, of course, include the ultimate in comfort foods, "Sleigh Ride," by Leroy Anderson. 

The program will also feature a solo by GSO's concertmaster, Julia Plato, on the winter movement of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

"She's a wonderful, wonderful leader and an excellent musician, so we're excited to feature her," Zajack said.

The Dec. 15 Encore event will also be filled with holiday music but not all the same pieces as the GSO's annual Holiday Concert.

In February, the GSO's theme turns British, with English composers being featured, including Sir Paul McCartney.  The former Beatle has written -- even some of his biggest fans aren't aware of this -- a number of classical pieces.

Zajac predicts his mom will especially like the concert.

"My mom is like the world's biggest Paul McCartney fan," Zajac said. "I know every fan says that they're the biggest Paul McCartney fan. My mom is like the biggest Paul McCartney fan. In fact, when she met my father, she goes, 'Well, just so you know, there is one other man, and that man is Paul McCartney.'"

The anchor piece of the program is Elgar's “Enigma Variations.” 

"It's one of my favorite pieces in the entire literature," Zajac said. "It's a very special piece. I've conducted only one movement from it (previously). It's a remarkable piece of music. Every note, every bar sounds like English music, which is incredible because you can trace every note to some other composer. You can hear the influences of Beethoven and Bach and Wagner. But somehow, he makes it all sound like English music."

The GSO will close out the season with a concert comprised entirely of works by American composers.

"I'm a sucker for American music," Zajac said. "I wish we did more American music here in America, aside from, you know, Copeland, and there's nothing wrong with Copeland. Indeed, we're doing Copeland's Appalachian Spring, which is a great piece of music, but there's so many other things.”

The program will include pieces by David Diamond, a contemporary of Copeland's, and is from Rochester, along with an often overlooked black female composer, Florence Beatrice Price.

"Her music has been enjoying a revival these days," Zajac said. "A lot of people have been doing her first symphony and those big pieces. I decided to program this little piece called Dances in the Canebrakes. It's just really fun, beautiful. It just reeks of America. You hear it, and it's like, yes, that is an American sound."

Also on the program is William Grant Still, another black American composer with ties to Rochester. The orchestra will perform “Summerland.”

And just like an American program probably must include Copeland, it will also include Gershwin's Piano Concerto, featuring the winner of GSO's Young Artists competition.

Perhaps the most familiar piece on the program is Appalachian Spring.

"I've never had a chance to do the piece before though I've known it for many years," Zajac said. "I've studied it. The orchestra hasn't played it in a very long time. It's a beautiful piece, and it ends quietly. Sometimes I like to end programs quietly. It's great to end with fireworks and huge standing ovations and sometimes it is really meaningful and really poignant to end a concert quietly, and indeed ending the season quietly."

That ending, Zajac said, will be a tribute to Roxanne Choate, the former GSO board president who passed away this past week at age 80.

On the topic of performing American composers, The Batavian asked Zajac if he would consider Duke Ellington. 

"I've been thinking about doing a jazz-inspired program at some point because there's some really great pieces," Zajac said. "Of course, there's Gershwin, An American in Paris. I'd love to do it with the orchestra. I've only gotten to do the piece once. But Duke Ellington, I'm so glad you said something because I know there are things that we can do, but I haven't really thought about him. That might be an excellent addition if I ever get around to doing this program. That would be really cool."

All of GCC's concerts this season are at GCC:

  • Sunday, Oct. 22, 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 3, 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, February 10th, 7 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 5, 4 p.m.

Batavia Players stage timeless study in human conflict, 12 Angry Jurors

By Howard B. Owens
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Teressa Hirsch, playing Juror #7, doesn't hide her anger after Juror #8 refuses to join the other 11 jurors for a quick unanimous guilty verdict in the Batavia Players presentation of 12 Angry Jurors.
Photo by Howard Owens.

A simple plot -- 12 ordinary people deliberating the guilt or innocence of a young man accused of murder -- became a riveting drama on Sept. 20, 1954, when it first aired on CBS's Studio One.

In the 1950s, women couldn't serve on juries, so the title was to the point: 12 Angry Men.

A lot has changed over the past seven decades. Women have been able, for example, to serve on juries for decades, so now the play is called 12 Angry Jurors (12 Angry Men was also an award-winning movie in 1957 starring Henry Fonda). 

And a lot hasn't changed.  Not all is equal just yet. Society is still beset by prejudices, and people still have biases and personal histories that color their views of events.

So juries can still sometimes find it hard to agree on a verdict.

That's why the play originally written by Reginald Rose is still performed all over the country, is taught in schools, and is the subject of scholarship.

"It's still relevant," said Director Kristy Walter. "It's like one of those timeless plays that speaks to justice, it speaks to humanity, it speaks to people's prejudices and biases. And that's, I think, what makes it so compelling because when you watch the play, you see yourself in those characters. So I think that's what makes it worth seeing."

The first Batavia Players performance is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The play begins with an off-stage charge from a judge in a murder trial: The jury must reach a unanimous verdict.

Once in the jury room, Juror #7 (the jurors are only identified by their numbers until the close of the play), played by Teressa Hirsch, says, “Yeah, lets vote. Who knows, maybe we can all just go home.”

She has someplace else to be, she reveals.

And the vote? It's 11-1. Not unanimous.

The lone holdout, Juror #8, played by Steven Coburn, confesses, “It's not easy for me to raise my hand and send a boy off to die without talking about it first.”

The jury decides it's up to them to convince him why they are right -- that the young man on trial stabbed his abusive father and killed him.  A guilty verdict would send the kid, from an impoverished background, to the electric chair.

The disagreements erupt for the jurors to confront their own morals and values, their own histories and beliefs.

You can probably guess the resolution -- if you've never caught the movie on late-night TV -- or better, no matter how well you know the story, you can join Batavia Players at 56 Main Theater this weekend to see how it plays out. The play holds up over decades of changing cultural norms and multiple viewings.

12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Steven Coburn, as Juror #8, cast the lone "not guilty" vote at the start of Batavia Players production of 12 Angry Jurors.
Photo by Howard Owens.
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Photo by Howard Owens.
12-angry-jurors-batavia-players-2023
Photo by Howard Owens.

Photos: Oakfield Labor Daze Music and Food Festival recap

By Howard B. Owens
...

Here's a slide show of photos from over the Labor Day weekend in Oakfield of the Labor Daze Music and Food Festival, including many previously unpublished photos.

All photos by Howard Owens.

The Batavian provided the community with the most comprehensive, daily coverage of Labor Daze.  If you appreciate what we do, please sign up for Early Access Pass.

Photos: The Floyd Concept headlines final night of Labor Daze

By Howard B. Owens
the floyd concept oakfield labor daze

The Floyd Concept, a Pink Floyd tribute band from Buffalo, closed out the third and final day of the Oakfield Labor Daze Music and Food Festival with a show that brought the legendary progressive rock band's most iconic recordings to life.

Photos by Howard Owens.

the floyd concept oakfield labor daze
the floyd concept oakfield labor daze
the floyd concept oakfield labor daze
the floyd concept oakfield labor daze
the floyd concept oakfield labor daze
the floyd concept oakfield labor daze

Photos: Public Water Supply at Oakfield Labor Daze

By Howard B. Owens
Public Water Supply Oakfield Labor Daze

Rochester-based Public Water Supply, an alt-Americana band that artfully mixes tasteful covers with well-written originals, played Monday afternoon at Labor Daze in Oakfield.

The Pink Floyd tribute band, The Floyd Concept, is on the main stage from 7 to 10 p.m.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Public Water Supply Oakfield Labor Daze
Public Water Supply Oakfield Labor Daze
Public Water Supply Oakfield Labor Daze
Public Water Supply Oakfield Labor Daze
Public Water Supply Oakfield Labor Daze

Photos: Nerds Gone Wild headline Sunday night at Labor Daze

By Howard B. Owens
nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze

It was a packed park in Oakfield on Sunday night during the high-energy performance of Nerds Gone Wild.

Here's today's (Monday's) line of live music at Labor Daze:

  • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Batavia Swing Band
  • 1  to 4 p.m., Exit 13
  • 4 to 7 p.m., Public Water Supply
  • 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Photos by Howard Owens.

nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze
nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze
nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze
nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze
nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze
nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze
nerds gone wild oakfield labor daze

Photos: Saturday evening Labor Daze live music

By Howard B. Owens
hazard county oakfield labor daze

Music fans were clearly having a good time on Saturday night at Labor Daze during performances by a hardcore country band, Hazzard County, and the rockin' trio, Dave Viterna Group.

There is more music planned for the rest of the long weekend.

Sunday:

  • 9  to 10 a.m., Christian Music Hour
  • 10 a.m., Church Service
  • 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Russ Peters Group
  • 12:30  to 3:30 p.m., Songbirds
  • 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Dark Horse Run
  • 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Nerds Gone Wild

On Monday:

  • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Batavia Swing Band
  • 1  to 4 p.m., Exit 13
  • 4 to 7 p.m., Public Water Supply
  • 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Photos by Howard Owens. 

hazard county oakfield labor daze
hazard county oakfield labor daze
hazard county oakfield labor daze
hazard county oakfield labor daze
hazard county oakfield labor daze
hazard county oakfield labor daze
dave vintera group oakfield labor daze
Dave Viterna Group oakfield labor daze
Dave Viterna Group oakfield labor daze
Dave Viterna Group oakfield labor daze
Dave Viterna Group oakfield labor daze
Dave Viterna Group oakfield labor daze

Batavia Players, SkyCats kick off Labor Daze entertainment in Oakfield

By Howard B. Owens
labor daze skycats
James Catino with the SkyCats rocks Labor Daze in Oakfield.
Photo by Howard Owens

Labor Daze is underway in Oakfield, and organizers have set up two stages so that the entertainment continues pretty much non-stop throughout the event.

Batavia Players kicked things off with a set of show tunes, and then the SkyCats started rocking on the other stage at 1 p.m.

Hazzard County took the stage at 4 p.m. and performs until 7 p.m., followed by the Dave Viterna Group from 7 to 10 p.m.

Tomorrow, Sunday:

  • 9  to 10 a.m., Christian Music Hour
  • 10 a.m., Church Service
  • 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Russ Peters Group
  • 12:30  to 3:30 p.m., Songbirds
  • 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., Dark Horse Run
  • 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Nerds Gone Wild

On Monday:

  • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Batavia Swing Band
  • 1  to 4 p.m., Exit 13
  • 4 to 7 p.m., Public Water Supply
  • 7 to 10 p.m.: The Floyd Concept

The Labor Daze parade is at 10 a.m. on Monday.

labor daze skycats
The SkyCats
Photo by Howard Owens.
labor daze batavia players
Sophie Houseman, with Batavia Players, sings a show tune at Labor Daze on Saturday.
Photo by Howard Owens

WNY native has made a career of paying tribute to the King, brings Elvis act to Batavia Downs

By Howard B. Owens
Rick Alviti as Elvis
Photo courtesy Rick Alviti 

When you look like Elvis -- to the point that people have a tendency to stop you in the street unless you wear a bit of a disguise -- and can sing like the King, there's a natural path to take in life, especially if you're already living in the entertainment capital of the world.

That's the situation former singing bartender and Niagara Falls native Rick Alviti found himself in more than 20 years ago when his career as an Elvis impersonator started in Hollywood.

That life path brings him and his show, "That's the Way It Was," to Batavia Downs at 7 p.m. Sept. 9.

"I like the people I meet," said Alviti when asked what he enjoys about his career. "I meet the nicest people. They're always so kind to me.  When I'm out in stores or restaurants, people come up to me because I have this Elvis resemblance, and sometimes I wear a hat when I'm out, but when they come up to me, I always give them a card and invite them to a show. That's what I do for a living. 

"Meeting people, especially the people who love Elvis, is the best part. They're excited to meet because they love Elvis.  I'm fortunate to have that connection, and to me, that's a good thing."

After attending North Tonawanda High School, Alviti moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career.  He landed a job at Dimples, a bar across from the NBC Studio that was a favorite entertainment industry hangout.  His gimmick was signing while he poured drinks, and already a huge Elvis Presley fan, he sang a lot of Elvis songs.  But Alviti had a beard, so nobody yet noticed his resemblance to Tupolo's most famous son.

He landed an acting job and had to cut his hair and shave his beard.  That's when, he said, everyone started calling him "Elvis."

He decided to get an agent and began getting serious about studying Elvis Presley's moves, watching his movies, and learning his songs. He got some gigs in Las Vegas and then the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority sponsored him on a national tour.

After his parents moved to Myrtle Beach, he visited them knowing, too, that J.D. Sumner and the Stamps (Sumner was long associated with Presley), had a long-term residency at a theater in Myrtle Beach. That led to meeting the theater owner, and after Sumner's death, Alviti got an offer to set up an Elvis tribute show at the theater. 

That was a residency with a 12-piece band that lasted for years.

Doing two shows a day really helped him refine his Elvis impersonation, he said.

His career has led to shows all over the U.S. and several in Las Vegas, including at the Winn, the Mirage, and the Gold Coast. 

That's where he met the Jordinairs (once backup singers to Elvis), he said. They became friends, and he performed with them.  He's also performed with the Stamps.

He also played a birthday party for a playmate at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion, where he met  Hefner, whom he said was a nice guy. He was provided one of the mansion's many bathrooms (he guessed 27) as a changing room but kept getting interrupted by people wanting to use it for "one of two things," as he put it.

As for acting, being Elvis has opened doors there, too.  He played in a production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and was cast as Elvis in episodes of “ER” and “One Tree Hill.” He also played Elvis is a Rusty Wallace commercial for Miller Lite.

Alviti now splits time between Buffalo and South Carolina.  When he's in the northeast, he tours with a five-piece band of guys mostly based in and around New York City.  In South Carolina, he has another band, though when he's in the Nashville area, his band is led by the son of DJ Fontana (Presley's former drummer).

Tribute bands are a big deal now, but until Elvis impersonators, as they were called then, came along in the 1980s, musicians either played in cover bands or bands that played their own songs.

Impersonating some other act to the point of trying to sound exactly like that act and putting on their costumes was an industry waiting to be born.

"When I started out, there were maybe nine guys who did an Elvis tribute," Alviti said. "You had to look the part and sing the part and entertain the audience. Now there's probably 9,000 guys doing it."

He said it's probably for Elvis impersonators to get a start now, and a lot of guys doing it for "$200 and just to have fun. They just want to be Elvis for a bit.  What I do is a professional production." 

When he first started out, the Elvis Presley Estate was also much more concerned about Elvis impersonators, and he was contacted by representatives of Graceland.  He said he told them that he wasn't trying to convince people he was Elvis. He was performing as Rick Alviti.

"You're allowed to do a tribute to anybody. That's in law," Alviti said. 

When he was contacted, he said he told them, "I'm not saying I'm Elvis. I'm Rick Alviti. I happen to resemble him, but I'm not pretending to be Elvis."

He makes a point of calling his show "That's the Way It Was" without claiming to be Elvis Presley so he doesn't violate the estate's intellectual property rights. People who go to the show know they're seeing an Elvis tribute and not a substitute Elvis.

"Now. I think they've embraced tributes because it's helping keep the image alive," Alviti said.

He said his show is different from most Elvis tributes because it's interactive. He gets the audience involved.  He performs many of the songs it expects to hear, such as "Suspicious Minds" and "A Little Less Conversation," and his set can change on the fly.

"I try to gauge the audience," Alviti said. "If I'm doing too many ballads, I'll add in some faster things, stuff that gets everybody going.  I think I have a good sense of what the audience wants to hear."

While this show will be the "jumpsuit Elvis," he does do the "leather Elvis" at some of his appearances when the show includes an intermission.

"Elvis is great because there's four eras," Alviti said.  "There's the early Elvis, the movie-era Elvis, the leather-wearing comeback-era Elvis, and the Vegas years."

This will be Alviti's first appearance in Batavia.

"I invite everybody to come out and enjoy themselves," Alviti said. "We will have a wonderful time. That's what it's all about, making people happy and making sure everybody enjoys the music of Elvis."

Rick Alviti as Elvis
Photo courtesy Rick Alviti 
Rick Alviti as Elvis
Photo courtesy Rick Alviti 

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