“Beautiful Dreamer” rekindles memory of Stephen Foster’s patriotic anthems

Created, produced and directed by Richard and Cathie Craig Barry, the Geneseo Riviera Theater brought a lively and interactive side-by-side performance called “Beautiful Dreamer” to the Geneseo community on Saturday Feb. 27. “Beautiful Dreamer” is a performance piece in which Richard Barry is an informative and creative resurrection of Stephen Foster, offering everyone a chance to get to know the “Father of American music.”

Foster was born on July 4, 1826. He struggled his whole life to make a prosperous career with his compositions, but he never gave up. His most prolific period was when he married his wife Jane and became a father a year later.

Richard Barry has acted for most of his life. He has appeared in performances at Geva Theatre Center in Rochester and in many live theatre venues, commercials and films. In the Riviera performance, he demonstrated his passion and talent as an actor while narrating each story behind Foster’s songs—which are thought to be autobiographical.

Accompanying Barry and playing all of his music was the musical duo The Dady Brothers. The music of John and Joe Dady transcends genres and generations by the melding of American Folk roots and Irish traditional influences. These Rochester natives have traveled around the world for their music. John Dady’s daughter Mara also accompanied the band.

The Dady Brothers performed a variety of songs including “Beautiful Dreamer,” “Oh! Susanna,” “Nelly Was a Lady,” “Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway!,” “My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!,” “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,” “De Camptown Races,” “Gentle Annie,” “Nelly Bly,” “Hard Times Come Again No More,” “Comrades Fill No Glass For Me” and “Old Folks at Home.”

Foster’s song “Oh! Susanna” is influenced by a variety of musical traditions, taking its beat from the polka. This is one of the more well known American folk songs—the San Francisco 49ers unofficially adopted it as their theme song.

“Nelly Was a Lady” was one of many pieces that portrayed Foster’s progressive views on diversity. This was the first song in which a black woman was referred to as a “lady.”

“My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!” was eventually adopted as the state of Kentucky’s official anthem. It appears that Foster took inspiration for this song from the popular anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Written during the first half of the 19th century, “Gentle Annie” is a tribute to Annie Jenkins, the daughter of a grocer who died. It was debated whether or not Annie was black or white, but in this performance, Foster inquires, “Does it matter?”

“Comrades Fill No Glass for Me” was very popular during the temperance movement, written after Foster turned to drinking in order to cope with the loss of his wife. “Old Folks at Home” is more uplifting, centering on the notion that home will always be where our parents are and that the reflection of them within us is comforting. In this song, Foster expresses his belief that this comfort is what allows us to dream.

Foster died young at just 37 years old on Jan. 13, 1864. At the time, his wallet contained only 38 cents and a scrap of paper upon which he had written, “Dear friends and gentle hearts.” His last song was “Beautiful Dreamer”—after which this performance was named—and he died having written nearly 200 compositions.

This side-by-side performance was distinct, informative and entertaining, with the audience being encouraged to sing along. It was amazing to learn the story behind each of Foster’s famous songs and it thoroughly traced the narrative of his creative life.

Instrumental groups give harmonious performances

Conducted by adjunct lecturer in music Ernest Lascell, Geneseo’s Wind Ensemble, Clarinet Choir and Saxophone Quartet held a touching performance in Wadsworth Auditorium on Sunday Feb. 21. The Wind Ensemble started with distinguished service professor of music James Walker’s “March L’Homme Armé.” When translated from French, the title means “The Armed Man.” The piece was actually written for the Geneseo Wind Ensemble and features a cantus firmus—fixed song—which is a medieval composer’s device to provide unity to a musical composition. This was a light and energized song, reminiscent of a victory march.

The ensemble’s second song was Alfred Reed’s “A Jubilant Overture.” Reed was an American neo-classical composer and he created this composition in 1970. This song is set in a three-part overture form, which means it starts fast, slows down and then returns to its initial speed. With its succinct notes, the performance of this composition was very impressive.

Brass specialist, teacher and composer of nearly 300 pieces for bands and orchestras Clair Johnson’s “Three Trombonists” followed. The trombone trio featured freshmen Robert Marino, Timothy Snyder and Patrick Buckley as soloists. This song bounced between the soloists and the band accompanying them, keeping the audience engaged.

The Saxophone Quartet performed one song following the Wind Ensemble: Eric Ewazen’s “Rhapsody for Saxophone Quartet.” Ewazen received a bachelor of music degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and a master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from the Juilliard School. Furthermore, he has won many awards for his compositions. His song had a more attentive tone than the previous songs and instilled ideas of overcoming adversity and triumph.

The Clarinet Choir then performed Robert Roden’s “Difference of Opinion.” This song was more relaxed than the previous works—which resembled marches—yet also maintained the sense of joy and contentment. At times, the song instilled visions of walking along Parisian streets with its uplifting tone.

The Clarinet Choir’s second song was Gustav Holst’s “St. Paul’s Suite” arranged by Matt Johnston. Holst was an English composer, arranger and teacher best known for his orchestral suite “The Planets.” The students performed the first movement of “St. Paul’s Suite,” appropriately named “Jig.” This fast-paced song and its high notes resembled and captured the happiness accompanying an Irish jig.

The Wind Ensemble reconvened to play three more songs following the Clarinet Choir. The first was Gary Gilroy’s “Four Dance Episodes.” The first of the four “episodes” varied the remaining dances in this piece, as it included a tune of multi-metered rhythmic changes—which also highlighted all sections of the group. The second was a “hoedown,” featuring jazzy rhythms; the third was a ballad and the fourth a very fast, driving movement featuring the brass and percussion sections.

Wind Ensemble then performed “Ballade for Alto Saxophone” by Alfred Reed, featuring soloist senior Alec Friedman. This piece is for alto saxophone and a band, as it emphasized the vocal quality of the saxophone through long lyrical passages accompanied by the band in a harmonic background. This song had a sentimental, retrospective tone to it, especially with Friedman’s solo.

Wind Ensemble concluded their performance with Rossano Galante’s “God’s Country.” A very interesting, engaging and powerful piece, this song was a reminder of the fairytales that captivate children. This song phenomenally depicted the landscapes of our country’s statuesque mountain ranges and waterfalls through soaring melodic lines, brass fanfares and lush harmonies.

Performing songs new and old, Geneseo’s Wind Ensemble, Clarinet Choir and Saxophone Quartet displayed their hard work through their execution of these compositions, each of which celebrated students’ instrumental talent here at Geneseo.

Bhangra’s “Mela” showcases multicultural performances

Geneseo Bhangra hosted “Mela: A Mix of Talents” in the MacVittie College Union Ballroom on Saturday Feb. 13. This event offered many student organizations a chance to showcase their talents and to celebrate their heritage. Opening the show was a cappella group Between The Lines performing a mash up of James Blake’s “Retrograde” and Fun.’s “Some Nights.” They also covered Marianas Trench’s “Who Do You Love.” This group seemed to entrance the audience with their ability to replicate these songs without the use of instruments.

Following Between The Lines were two members of South Asian cultural club Shakti performing a dance to traditional folk music. Shakti devotes their time to discussing, sharing and learning about the various cultures of South Asia.

Geneseo’s Japanese Culture Club also performed two dances. The first dance involved very swift movements to the more traditional Japanese music. It appeared that karate—which originated in Japan—had a strong influence on this dance. Their second dance was to a more techno-influenced song, which also featured Asian conical hats; mixing more traditional aspects of Japanese culture with more contemporary elements.

Geneseo’s improvisation comedy organization No Laugh Track Required followed JCC and brought big laughs to the audience. These comedians performed examples of long-form improv, which requires audience participation. In this case, an audience member provided a word and then the members built a comedic scenario. These comedians seemed to impress the audience with their skillfulness at thinking on the spot.

Original Dance Expressions came next, performing student-choreographed dances to songs including Kerwin Du Bois’s “Circles,” Eddy Kenzo’s “Sitya Loss” and Kanye West’s “Monster.” This incredible performance was fast-paced, allowing members to show off their complicated dance moves, talent and creativity in the art of dance.

Closing out the show, Bhangra took the stage in their signature vibrant and ornate outfits. Bhangra is a type of popular music combining Punjabi folk traditions with Western pop music. A few of the songs to which they danced include Benny Benassi’s “Cinema [Skrillex Remix],” Fort Minor’s “Remember The Name” and David Guetta’s “Hey Mama.”

These Bhangra dancers gave a magnificent performance, astounding the crowd with their execution of tricky dance movements and their ability to almost constantly be jumping. The dancers also made use of wooden clappers called sapps, which accompanied their performance by augmenting certain beats of the music to which they danced.

“Mela: A Mix of Talents” succeeded in its aim to celebrate an assortment of talents and cultures. Not only did this event highlight interesting differences among cultures, but it also depicted some similarities as well.

Riviera showing of Mockingbird highlights timeless motifs

The Geneseo Riviera Theater presented the classic 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird on Saturday Jan. 30. Robert Mulligan directed the film, which was an adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. The Riviera Theater maintained its original 20th century feel after Don Livingston and Jim Sullivan purchased the property in 2013 and reopened it. This feeling has been especially preserved with the ornate designs on the walls and the theater’s classic movie nights. While viewing To Kill a Mockingbird, it felt as if you were traveling back in time—as if you were dropped in the 20th century and going to see a movie was a big deal.

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in a small town in Alabama during the 1930s. This is a story of the highly respected lawyer Atticus Finch—played by Gregory Peck—putting his career on the line when he agrees to represent an African-American man, Tom Robinson—played by Brock Peters—who is accused of rape. But more importantly, it is a bildungsroman told from the perspective of Finch’s daughter Scout Finch—played by Mary Badham.

As this trial proceeds, it becomes increasingly more apparent to Scout Finch that there is no way that Robinson could have committed this crime against Mayella Ewell—played by Collin Wilcox Paxton. It is particularly appalling when Atticus Finch makes it clear to the all-white jury that the injuries Ewell sustained were ones for which Robinson, who had an injured left hand, could not have done.

Scout and her brother Jem Finch—played by Phillip Alford—mature throughout the film into more understanding individuals. Boo Radley—played by Robert Duvall—is, at the beginning of the film, a kind of superstition; someone to fear. But by the end of the movie and after the trial has finished, Radley has transitioned from a sort of ghost to a human, in Scout Finch’s eyes.

To Kill a Mockingbird portrays the nature of good and evil within humanity. Scout and Jem Finch grow from innocent children who believe all people are inherently good to mature adults who recognize the prevalence of discrimination. They must incorporate what they learn from Robinson’s trial into what they understand about the world—including the existence of social inequality, which remains relevant even today.

To Kill a Mockingbird has enjoyed somewhat of a revival since the 2015 publication of Lee’s sequel Go Set a Watchman, which documented a different side of Atticus Finch and has proven to be controversial. Atticus Finch was shown to have conflicting views about equality and segregation, which changed the way some readers viewed the nature of his character. Many people were disappointed that the man whom they believed to be a sort of moral compass had different, harsher views than those he expressed in To Kill a Mockingbird.

This film is a must-see classic, dealing with issues still relevant today. To Kill a Mockingbird documents a loss of innocence, which is something that everyone who watches will be able to relate to.

“Nine” offers unique spin on creative process

Geneseo’s department of music presented an impressive performance of the musical “Nine” on Friday Jan. 22 in Wadsworth Auditorium. Director and choreographer professor of English and music Melanie Blood opened the performance with a few words in remembrance of seniors Kelsey Annese and Matthew Hutchinson. Blood stated that those involved with this musical were asked if they still wanted to continue with their performance of “Nine” and the group decided that it would be best if the show went on. “We hope our art can be healing for our Geneseo community,” Blood said.

Maury Yeston originally wrote “Nine” in 1973 and Arthur Kopit later adapted it into a book. The story is based on Federico Fellini’s Academy Award winning film 8 1/2. The original Broadway production opened in 1982 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

“Nine” follows the creative imagination of the filmmaker Guido Contini—played by junior Jordan Bachmann—as he struggles with writer’s block while trying to write a new film at a Venetian spa in the early 1960s.

Besides facing the pressure of this deadline, Contini struggles to maintain a good relationship with his wife Luisa Contini—played by senior Alexandra Salerno—and to let go of other women with whom he has had affairs, including Carla Albanese—played by junior Beth Ohman—and Claudia Nardi—played by senior Samantha Clowes.

According to Fellini, people live on three levels: “the past, the present and the conditional—the realm of fantasy.” This musical clearly exemplified these three levels. At first, it was with ease that these three were separate, but as the musical progresses—along with the pressure on Guido Contini to create and finish his new film—the three levels become more intertwined.

Geneseo’s department of music included the inventive and creative use of video projected onto the back of the stage in order to enhance the distinctions existing between these three levels and to better portray Guido Contini’s world of fantasy.

Another goal of this musical was to create deep and compelling female characters; characters that don’t rely on their relationships with Guido Contini to define who they are. One striking example of this is when Luisa Contini recognizes that her husband is suffering from creative block, which she feels she is unable to help him with. Luisa Contini knows of her husband’s affairs and calls Nardi, thinking that since she can’t seem to inspire Guido Contini that maybe one of his mistresses can. This shows the great extent to which Luisa loved and cared for Guido Contini because she was able to, in a sense, “let him go,” since that was what would benefit him the most.

As Nardi then visits Guido Contini, he tells her, “You were my inspiration.” She replies, “I wasn’t your inspiration. That was always you.” This scene instills a renewed sense of confidence in Guido Contini.

At the end of the musical, Fellini’s three levels grow even more intertwined. When Guido Contini sings “Nine/Long Ago” with his younger, 9-year-old self, the tension that has been rising throughout the play due to Guido Contini’s struggles against the pressures of time as he nears the deadline for his film seem to dissipate. He appears to accept the passage of time and allows his younger self to conduct the final song.

This musical offered a very interesting take on the creative mind and how that mind never stops working and creating—sometimes even distracting one from reality. Those involved with “Nine” offered the Geneseo community a wonderful, thought-provoking performance which examined things that we all face: the tyranny of time and how to discover the line between reality and fantasy.

Spectrum Women’s Ensemble, Chamber Singers expertly perform holiday classics

Geneseo’s department of music brought some holiday spirit to the campus when they showcased Spectrum Women’s Ensemble and Geneseo Chamber Singers on Sunday Dec. 6 in Doty Recital Hall. Spectrum—directed by adjunct lecturer in music Amy Cochrane and featuring Wan-Lin Chuang on piano and bass—opened the performance with an anonymously-written 15th century English carol entitled “Nowel Syng We Bothe Al and Som.” This song featured freshmen Hannah Griffin and Jenna Bunce, sophomores Christine Schultz and Caroline House, juniors Victoria Stevens and Courtney King and seniors Kaitlyn DiResta and Samantha Clowes.

Next, the ensemble performed Mary Elizabeth Caldwell’s “Shine Lovely Christmas Star” and “Silent Night.” Caldwell was employed by the Pasadena Junior League to write three operas for children to be presented by the Pasadena Symphony. The songs the ensemble performed were from the second of these operas: “A Gift of Song,” which tells the story of Franz Gruber’s composing of “Silent Night.”

The ensemble closed their performance with “What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby?” This song featured freshmen Mackenzie Hintze and Melissa Frank and sophomore Jami Goldson and Bunce as soloists accompanied by Chuang on bass and a few members of the Genesee Valley Children’s Chorus.

Geneseo Chamber Singers took the stage next, directed by music department chair Gerard Floriano and featuring piano accompanist and vocal coach Linda Boianova on piano. They opened with “Gloria ad modum tubae” by Franco-Flemish composer Guillaume Dufay. Dufay was a composer during the early Renaissance who was regarded by his contemporaries as the leading composer in Europe in the mid-15th century.

The second song the Chamber Singers performed was Tomás Luis de Victoria’s “Vere Languores.” Victoria was the most famous composer in 16th century Spain and is considered one of the most important composers of the Counter-Reformation.

The third piece was “Cantata No. 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben” by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of nine movements and three solos. The second movement was a tenor recitativo, performed by junior Jordan Bachmann, the fourth movement was a basso recitativo performed by junior Noah Chichester and the seventh movement was an alto recitativo performed by sophomore Madison Kemler. All of the soloists performed exceptionally with their difficult parts.

Next, Chamber Singers performed one of Gabriel Fauré’s best-known works, “Pavane Op. 50.” Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers.

In a change of pace, the group performed “If I Got My Ticket Can I Ride?” arranged by Robert Shaw and featuring junior Ben Reiner as soloist. They ended with Kirby Shaw’s arrangements of “Silver Bells” and “Let it Snow.”

Both the Spectrum Women’s Ensemble and Geneseo Chamber Singers performed amazing renditions of holiday songs from varying time periods with both grace and talent. It was easy to hear the immense control that each performer had over their voice as they reached certain notes or changed from one pitch to another. Each singer displayed immense aptitude as vocalists and the performance was a wonderful showcase of Geneseo’s vocal talent.

“Doubt” explores morality, trust within Catholic Church

Directed by junior Will Gfeller, John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt” was showcased on Nov. 19 as the sixth staged reading in the theater department’s annual staged reading series. The reading featured sophomore Allison Altschiller as Sister James, junior Benjamin Ranalli as Father Brendan Flynn and junior Brianna Jones as Mrs. Muller. Seniors Isabella Dixon and Alexandra Salerno also played Sister Aloysius Beauvier and the narrator respectively. The effort that went into production clearly paid off in this incredible and convincing production of Shanley’s work.

“Doubt” was written as a response to the knowledge of the myriad of sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church that emerged in 2005. This play depicts Aloysius’ struggle with figuring out whether or not Flynn had abused his position of power in their school in order to harm young boys and her attempts to remove him from the parish.

Gfeller explained that he read “Doubt” during his senior year of high school and instantly felt connected to it, loving the story’s ambiguity and its take on moral relativism.

While it appears that the main question of this play is whether or not Flynn sinned, the even more stimulating question is: what does one do when they’re unsure? “I think the whole play—being a character in it or being an actor in it or an audience member—really comes down to weighing your options,” Gfeller said.

Dixon agreed that the ambiguous nature of morality is something that was expressed not just in plot, but with characterization. “When we talked about my character—specifically in reference to the hierarchy of the church—we spoke about the fact that the people who are in charge aren’t always right—and sometimes they’re morally bankrupt,” he said. “Overall, there’s no real sense of checks and balances.”

Dixon also explained the dichotomy that existed within Aloysius: the moral fortitude that she finds in the Catholic faith and being a fierce guardian for children of the parish while also being treated poorly by the men around her. She struggles between knowing something is wrong and wanting to do what is right, but having to let that go.

Donald Muller is the boy whom Aloysius is particularly worried about being subjected to Flynn’s attention. In an effort to put an end to their relationship, she seeks Mrs. Muller—the boy’s mother—as an ally. In a surprising turn of events, however, Mrs. Muller does not react as expected.

“Mrs. Muller is such a difficult character to wrap your head around because she only appears in one scene, but you could make the argument that she’s the most important character in the whole play,” Gfeller said.

“I guess she believes that his going to a good high school and then college means he won’t have to deal with anything he’s dealt with before, or anything that she’s had to deal with,” Jones said. Donald Muller was the only African-American in his school, so he already experienced a lot of other hardships including racism. “So when Sister Aloysius brings up this idea that Father Flynn had started this inappropriate relationship with her son, she wants to block that out and sort of keep the ball rolling,” Jones added.

It was intriguing to hear the actors and director bounce between their decisions to judge Flynn as guilty or innocent—it depicted the subjectivity of any kind of art. New perspectives and new performances yielded to new ideas, which could sway opinions.

This was a spectacularly performed staged reading and a very thought-provoking play that, in Gfeller’s words, “boldly forces people to consider their personal code of ethics and to determine their own conclusions, instead of following along with group mentality.”