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LIVE: Interview with Jason Smith, Batavia Concert Band

By Howard B. Owens
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Interview with Jason Smith, Batavia Concert Band.

LIVE: The Batavian Sessions Special Edition with Dylan DeSmit

By Howard B. Owens
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Dylan DeSmit performs for you at 8 p.m. (or thereabouts).

Poetry Month: Howard Owens reads 'Third Avenue in Sunlight' by Anthony Hecht

By Howard B. Owens
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Howard Owens reads "Third Avenue in Sunlight" by Anthony Hecht.

Hecht was a Literature professor at the University of Rochester. Below is a short video of Hect talking about poetry.

This concludes our poetry month readings. I hope you enjoyed them.

BID cancels 2020 Jackson Square Concert Series and Beertavia due to COVID-19

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The Batavia Business Improvement District Board of Directors regretfully announces cancellation of Jackson Square Concert Series and Beertavia.

Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, the need for social distancing, and our concern for the health of the community, vendors, volunteers, and attendees we have decided to cancel these two events for 2020. 

We are hopeful to see everyone back in Summer of 2021 and look forward to the times we can come out and enjoy the music and festivities again as a community. 

For more information on B.I.D. and Downtown events please visit our website

Poetry Month: Lucine Kauffman reads 'Leisure' by W.H. Davies

By Howard B. Owens
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Elba resident Lucine Kauffman reads "Leisure" by W.H. Davies.

Batavia Downs reschedules first two 'Rockin' the Downs' concerts to late August

By Billie Owens

Press release:

Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel has announced that out of an abundance of caution surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, the first two “Rockin the Downs” concerts scheduled for this June have been rescheduled to late August.

The Vince Neil concert scheduled for Friday, June 19th, 2020 will take place on Friday, Aug. 21st.

The Steve Augeri concert scheduled for Friday, June 26th, 2020 will take place on Friday, Aug. 28th.

So now the 2020 “Rockin the Downs” concert series will kick off with the regularly scheduled July 10th performance by Molly Hatchet.

Please note that all tickets already sold for these concerts will be honored on the new dates.

“We felt it was necessary to reschedule the start of the series,” said Henry Wojtaszek, CEO/president of Batavia Downs Gaming. “We are still looking forward to seeing everyone this summer, at time when local and state officials have determined it is safe to do so.”

Tickets to all concerts are available at BataviaConcerts.com

LIVE: GO ART! Virtual Birthday Party and Awards Show

By Howard B. Owens
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Join GO ART! for the organization's first Virtual Birthday Party at 7 p.m.

The party includes gallery tours, live performances by Jackie Siegel McLean, Theresa & Mark Kehl, Madison Hoerbelt, and the Canning Family, the Genean (Genesee-Orleans) Arts and Culture Awards, and winner announcements for its Quarantine Contest and Juried Show, “Art of the Rural.”

Poetry Month: Jane Burk reads 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost

By Howard B. Owens
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Jane Burk, a member of Batavia Players, reads "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.

Poetry Month: Jessica Hill reads Sonnet 116

By Howard B. Owens
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Jessica Hill, an artist in residence with Batavia Players, reads William Shakespeare's Sonnet 116.

GO ART! announces 'Quarantine' art contest, holding live stream art even April 15

By Howard B. Owens

GO ART! and The Batavian are teaming up to bring you a live arts event with an art contest, presentation of the Genean Awards, live performances, and a virtual tour of GO ART's gallery on April 15.

From GO ART! Executive Director Gregory Hallock:

GO ART! is seeking artists and heroes of all age levels to create a piece of art, in any media or size, in the theme of "Quarantine" and email a picture with the creator's name, grade level -- UPK - K, 1 - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12, college students, and adults (ones not doing the school thing anymore) -- to info@goart.org by April 10th.

Pictures will go live on GO ART!'s Facebook page on April 11th. The one with the most likes between April 11th and 14th will win the grand prize. A jury will also pick a winner from each grade-level category.

Winners and prizes will be announced live on The Batavian at https://www.thebatavian.com between 7 and 8 p.m. on April 15th.

I promise ye will like them.

The winners of the Genean Awards, GO ART!'s Arts and Culture Awards, live performances, a tour of GO ART!'s galleries and Genean's (GO ART!'s) birthday will all be a part of the hour-long event on April 15th. Artists, heroes, and villagers are all invited to attend.

Watch the video and see Hallock read a COVID-19 version of Kelly DiPucchio's children's book, "Dragon was Terrible."

'The Wizard of Oz' coming to Pavilion Central School

By Howard B. Owens

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Pavilion Central School presents "The Wizard of Oz" this week.

Dorothy is played by Kali Markek, the Scarecrow by Anthony Brown, Tin Man by Alex Stalica, the Cowardly Lion by Jacob Taylor, and the Wizard of Oz by Aiden McConnel.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. tomorrow, 7 p.m. on Friday, and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $6 for seniors and children.

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GV Wind Ensemble's Spring Concert is April 25 in Alexander

By Billie Owens

The Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble's Spring Concert will be held at Alexander High School at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.

The school is located at 3314 Buffalo St. in Alexander.

Tickets are $10 for adults; $8 for seniors 55+ and veterans; $5 for students with ID; children age 5 and under are admitted free. For families, cost is $25 for immediate families and children -- mother and/or father and up to four children.

The featured works for the Spring Concert are:

  • "Toccata for Band" by Frank Erickson
  • "A Touch of Tuba" by Art Detrick*
  • "Into Battle" by Christopher Taylor
  • "The Lion King" by Elton John, Tim Rice, Hans Zimmer, arrangements by Calvin Custer
  • "Foundry" by John Mackey 
  • "Molly on the Shore" by -- Percy Grainger, with Guest Conductor Meaghan McTammany
  • Selections from the musical "Chicago" -- arrangements by Ted Ricketts
  • "Mama Mia!" -- arrangements by Roy Phillippe
  • National Emblem March -- Edwin Eugene Bagley

The Genesee Valley Wind Ensemble will be conducted by its founder, Philip J. Briatico.

Meaghan McTammany will be the guest conductor.

*Matt Stanton, of Avon Central School, is the guest soloist, playing tuba.

The purpose of the GVWE is to serve and to provide the Greater Genesee Valley audience with new and familiar live music, to serve its membership with the opportunity to perform challenging wind ensemble literature and to create the opportunity for the conductor and musicians to grow their collective musical talents.

The GVWE Spring Concert is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York Legislature and administered by GO ART!

Contact:   geneseevalleywindensemble@gmail.com

Online:   www.geneseevalleywindensemble.org

Legislators agree to support art garden concept proposed by GO ART!

By Howard B. Owens

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County legislators on Wednesday indicated a willingness to sell or lease a small parcel of land next to the Senior Center building on Bank Street, Batavia, to GO ART! for the creation of an art garden.

Gregory Hallock, director of GO ART!, presented the concept at a Ways and Means Committee meeting and the committee unanimously approved a letter of support.

The letter is necessary to help secure a potential grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, which provided funds for the Musical Garden that opened this summer in the walkway next to Seymore Place.

Hallock said the art garden will be space for art displays, concerts, classes, flowers, and a place to grow herbs and vegetables for use in the GO ART! kitchen.

He said the garden could also help generate revenue for GO ART! as a place to host weddings and for culinary events as well as concerts.

The small lot in question is already a garden accessible only by the Senior Center that is barely used by the Office for the Aging.

Besides a connection to Seymore Place and the Musical Garden, the art garden would also fit nicely, Hallock said, with the Healthy Living Campus being developed by UMMC and the YMCA.

Hallock said both UMMC and the YMCA have signed off on the project and through discussions, leaders there realized that GO ART! is a natural fit for what they're planning with the Healthy Living Campus so GO ART! will be included more in future planning discussions.

'Doubt: A Parable' now playing at GCC

By Howard B. Owens

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Press release:

The Forum Players, Genesee Community College's Theater Arts students, and members of the local theater community are excited to open the 2020 spring season with "Doubt: A Parable," written by John Patrick Shanley, which won both a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award in 2005.

This performance is a brilliant and powerful drama that tells the story of Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal who takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with a male student.

Shanley not only wrote the play, but he also wrote the screenplay and directed it as a film starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

GCC's talented Forum Players bring this parable to life with four live performances, directed by Maryanne Arena and Jaime Arena, which are intended for mature audiences (age 16 and up). Performances are in the Stuart Steiner Theatre, 1 College Road, Batavia.

  • Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22, both at 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m.

The cast includes:

  • Lucine Kauffman, of Elba, as Sister Aloysius
  • Sam Rigerman, of Batavia, as Father Flynn
  • Nevaeh Vindigni-Kretchmer, of Rochester, as Sister James (alternating the role)
  • Alyssa Young, of Holley, as Sister James (alternating the role)
  • Francesca Pieter, of Willemstad, Curacao as Mrs. Muller (alternating the role)
  • Caitlynne Tape, of Syracuse, as Mrs. Muller (alternating the role)

The crew includes:

  • Brodie McPherson, of Rochester, as technical director and production designer
  • Emily Grierson, of Perry, as stage manager
  • Tiago Ortega, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, as a backstage assistant
  • Leah Plummer, of Bradford, Pa., as a backstage assistant

Tickets for these shows are available online here. The cost is $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors (55+) and students (16+) and GCC faculty/ staff. GCC students with ID are $3, and GCC alumni with ID will receive a $2 discount on an adult ticket.

To reserve seats, you may also contact the GCC box office at boxoffice@genesee.edu or (585) 345-6814. 

Photos by Howard Owens.

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