IN THIS ISSUE
August - September - October 2023 >> 4 - 5
October - November 2023 >> 6 - 7
November - December 2023 >> 6 - 7 - 8 - 9
January - February 2024 >> 10 - 11
February - March - April 2024 >> 12 - 13
May 2024 >> 14 - 15
Additional Free Events 2023-24 >> 16 - 17
Tickets, Information and Seating >> 18 - 19
On the cover, photo by Lori Deemer: Amanda Lynn Bottoms and Jordan Weatherston Pitts were the featured alumni guest artists for the 2023 Commencement Eve Pops concert “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber” last May. The Commencement Eve Pops will return this season as one of the featured events. The details can be found on pages 14 and 15. Mix & Match Season Tickets and single tickets for fall semester events are on sale now through the Fredonia Campus Ticket Office. Call 716-673-3501 or order online at fredonia.edu/tickets. The online ticketing platform now allows you to select specific seats and generate print-at-home tickets or tickets that can be uploaded to your mobile device.
OUR 2023-24 SEASON SPONSOR
Dear Arts Enthusiast:
Plans are set for the 2023-24 performing and visual arts season at the State University of New York at Fredonia! We are excited to share the highlights of our programming with you in our annual entertainment guide.
The 2023-24 Lake Shore Savings Season kicks off in August and the talents of Fredonia’s students and our professional visiting artists will be in the spotlight all year long.
This publication from Rockefeller Arts Center is your guide to the major ticketed events including the Walter Gloor Mainstage shows produced by the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra Classics Series, the DFT Communications Pops Series, the Kaleidoscope Family Series, School of Music special events and major Marion Art Gallery exhibitions.
We are also pleased to announce not one, but two free concerts with United States military bands. See pages 4-5 and 12-13 for more details.
In addition, you will find a listing for more than 70 of free School of Music ensemble concerts and the art exhibitions by students in the Department of Visual Arts and New Media.
But even more opportunities await you. For information on additional events on campus, be sure to visit events.fredonia.edu . On this site, you will find a searchable comprehensive calendar of upcoming events as well as any calendar additions or changes.
You can get your tickets in person at the Campus Ticket Office, by phone at 716-673-3501 (M-W-F, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or you can use our online ticketing platform at fredonia.edu/tickets (24/7). Ordering online allows you to select your own specific seats on line. In addition, it offers the option of printing your tickets at home or uploading them to your mobile device to be scanned at the venue.
So, order your tickets today, mark your calendars and get ready for all that the arts at Fredonia have to offer YOU. We look forward to seeing you many times during the 2023-24 Lake Shore Savings Season!
Jefferson Westwood, Director
Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center
State University of New York at Fredonia
Wednesday, Aug, 23, 7:30 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents
U.S. Air Force Jazz Ensemble Rhythm in Blue
King Concert Hall, Free, General Admission
Rhythm in Blue is the The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band’s dynamic jazz ensemble. This stellar group presents exciting and uplifting music to inspire patriotism and tell the Air Force story. Made up of outstanding Air Force enlisted professional musicians, Rhythm in Blue takes great pride in preserving America’s uniquely original art form. With their extensive repertoire highlighting instrumental and vocal soloists, Rhythm in Blue makes lasting connections with audiences of all ages. Limited to four tickets per person
Event sponsor: The Observer and The Post-Journal
Tuesday, Aug. 29 through Sunday, Nov. 12
The Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery presents
Not Gay
Marion Art Gallery
Reception: Friday, Sept. 8, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Mon. Closed, Tues.-Thurs. noon-4:00 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-6:00 p.m., Sun., noon-4:00 p.m.
Curated by Jonathan David Katz and Ryan Patrick Krueger, Not Gay is an exhibition about trans art, charting the energy and vitality of trans identifications across a range of art works stretching from the immediate post-World War II period until the present day. The exhibition includes photography, film, and video from the Light Work Collection in Syracuse and several private collections. Twenty artists are represented in the exhibition: Kenneth Anger, Laura Aguilar, Amos Badertscher, Sophie Barbasch, Samantha Box, Maxine Brackbill, Shia Conlon, David De Lira, Jess T. Dugan, John Edmonds, Devin Fenimore, Clifford Prince King, Emily Lucid, Zanele Muholi, Rory Mulligan, Barbara Proud, June T. Sanders, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Del LaGrace Volcano, and Ajamu X.Y.
Saturday, Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents
Fleetwood Mask: The Fleetwood Mac Experience
King Concert Hall, Reserved Seating
Level I : $39.00, Level II: $34.00, Level III: $29.00, Level IV: $24.00
Fleetwood Mask brings audiences the very best of Fleetwood Mac’s 50-year history with a focus on the 1975-forward five-piece version of their lineup that catapulted the band to super stardom. Fleetwood Mask has played nationally for over a decade to music lovers from all corners of the U.S. and each group member provides their character’s select equipment, persona, and performance bringing audiences a truly authentic Fleetwood Mac experience. After meeting Fleetwood Mac founder and namesake Mick Fleetwood in Maui several years ago, Fleetwood Mask humbly and proudly received the auspicious gift of Mr. Fleetwood’s only endorsement in America.
DFT Communications Pops Series. Event sponsor: WDOE and 96 KIX Country
Sunday, Sept. 24, 3:00 p.m.
The Western New York Chamber Orchestra presents Classics 1: Fredonia Chamber Choir
King Concert Hall, General Seating
General Public: $20.00; Student/Child: Free
The Fredonia Chamber Choir will be featured as it joins WNYCO, under the direction of Conductor and Artistic Director Glen Cortese for Vivaldi’s Gloria in the seasonopening concert.
WNYCO Classics Series
Friday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.
The Department of Theatre and Dance presents Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
By Dave Malloy
Presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
Dr. Jessica Hillman-McCord, Director; Dr. Paula Holcomb, Music Director
Marvel Theatre, Reserved Seating
General Public: $25.00 advance, $30.00 door; Student/Child: $10.00 advance, $15.00 door
Continues Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 22 at 2:00 p.m., Oct. 26-28 at 7:30 p.m.
This “electropop opera ripped from a slice of Tolstoy’s War and Peace” expands the possibilities for the musical genre with its daring score and bold storytelling. When Natasha Rostova falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, it is up to Pierre, a family friend, to pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation.
The Walter Gloor Mainstage Series
Thursday, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.
The Fredonia Dance Program presents Merrins Chamber Concert
James and Marcia Merrins Dance Theatre
Paula J. Peters, Director
General Public: $15.00 Student/Child: $7.00
Continues Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 4 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Fredonia’s talented Dance majors perform in the intimate Merrins Dance Theatre to choreography created by Dance faculty and guest artists. The program will feature styles ranging from Contemporary Ballet and Jazz to Musical Theatre style and Commercial Contemporary.
The Merrins Chamber Series
Satuday, Nov. 4, 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents Mr.
Crites & Woodhead: Sons of Vaudeville & Masters of Mayhem
Marvel Theatre
General Public: $16.00; Student/Child: $12.00
Mr. Crites provides the skills while the bumbling Woodhead offers up the musical accompaniment and tomfoolery. Together, the duo creates an eclectic mix of character driven vaudeville and circus, with an added pinch of zaniness!
The Kaleidoscope Family Series sponsored by The Observer and The Post-Journal
Sunday, Nov. 5, 12:00 p.m.
The Fredonia School of Music presents 8th Claudette
Rosch Recital Hall, Free
Sorel Piano Competition
The Claudette Sorel Piano Competition is open to talented young pianists, ages 15-18, of all nationalities. Spend the afternoon listening to these remarkable young artists share their unique programs with us. Each invited Finalist is asked to curate a 25-minute program with a unique theme. First Prize is $4,000, and an additional $4,000 in smaller prizes will be awarded, including an Audience Choice Award. A reception will immediately follow. This event is made possible thanks to generous support from The Sorel Charitable Organization, Inc. For information about the Sorel Fellows Program, visit us online: fredonia.edu/sorel-piano. Join us in person or on the livestream: www.fredonia.edu/music/live.
Friday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.
The Hillman Opera presents Die Fledermaus
By Johann Strauss
Joe Dan Harper, Producer
Emily Schaad, Music Director/Conductor ; Paul W. Mockovak, Stage Director
King Concert Hall, Reserved Seating
General Public: $25.00; Students: $10.00
Continues Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
This Strauss work is one of the most popular operettas in the world. The title translates to “The Bat” in English and it combines elements of comedy, mistaken identities, and romantic entanglements to create a light-hearted and entertaining story. Set in Vienna, it revolves around the events of a single evening at a ball.
Event sponsor: Gugino and Ryel Financial
Thursday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m.
The Department of Theatre and Dance presents
Mason Wright is Not a Mother
By Ashley Giaccio
Daniel Lendzian, Director
Bartlett Theatre, General Seating General Public: $20.00 advance, $25.00 door; Student: $5.00 advance, $10.00 door
Continues Dec. 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 3 and 4 at 2:00 p.m.
This is the premiere of a work by Fredonia student Ashley Giaccio. Through the use of hyper-theatricality and puppetry, it explores themes of consent, trauma and medical malpractice against women.
The Walter Gloor Mainstage Series
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 6:30 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents Frosty:
A Musical Adventure
Marvel Theatre
General Public: $16.00; Student/Child: $12.00
A young orphan named Billy discovers magic in a stolen hat, and when he places the hat on a snowman’s head, that snowman comes to life! Can Frosty help Billy find his real family in time for Christmas? Come along for the journey with Barter Theatre, the state theater company of Virginia.
The Kaleidoscope Family Series sponsored by The Observer and The Post-Journal
Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents River
City Brass: Holiday Brasstacular
King Concert Hall, Reserved Seating Level I: $35.00; Level II: $30.00; Level III: $25.00; Level IV: $20.00
Embrace the spirit of Christmas with this seasonal concert! The River City Brass Band of Pittsburgh, Pa., offers its take on popular Christmas songs such as The Little Drummer Boy and You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch; plus many favorite carols. Start the holiday season early! The mission of the River City Brass Band is to entertain, educate and engage citizens locally, nationally, and internationally in the American musical culture!
DFT Communications Pops Series. Event sponsor: Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat, CPAs
Tuesday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, April 14
The Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery presents
IS ANYTHING THE MATTER?
Drawings by Laylah Ali
IS ANYTHING THE MATTER? will excerpt from different periods of Laylah Ali’s career, presenting drawings from the 1990s to 2023. Included in the exhibit will be selections from her earliest drawing series, Self-Portraits with Nat Turner’s Vision (1993-1994). Though the drawings range in format, they share a continuing theme in Ali’s oeuvre, her ongoing interest in “the amalgam of race, power, gendering, ambition, human frailty, murky politics, and the other complex combinations that we so often treat as separate entities.”
Marion Art Gallery
Reception: Friday, Jan. 26, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Gallery Hours: Mon. Closed, Tues.-Thurs. noon-4:00 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-6:00 p.m., Sun. noon-4:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 3, 2:00 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Marvel Theatre
General Public: $16.00; Student/Child: $12.00
Written by playwright Mike Kenny and inspired by Aesop’s famous fable, the Tutti Fruitti Theater Company of England offers this beautiful wintery tale about a boy who learns that “nobody believes a liar, even when they’re telling the truth!”
The Kaleidoscope Family Series sponsored by The Observer and The Post-Journal
Sunday, February 18, 3:00 p.m.
The Western New York Chamber Orchestra presents
Classics 2: Bach, Lasser and Copland
Rosch Recital Hall
General Public: $20.00; Student: $5.00
Conductor and Artistic Director Glen Cortese leads the orchestra through works by Bach, Lasser and Copland. WNYCO Classics Series
Saturday, Feb. 24, 4:00 p.m.
The Fredonia School of Music presents Fredonia Choral Festival
Rosch Recital Hall
General Public: $8.00; Students: Free on advance, $2.00 at the door; general admission
The annual Fredonia Choral Festival highlights the work of the university’s choral ensembles while bringing a world-renowned conductor on campus for two days, culminating in a final concert. This clinician is Dr. Stephen Gusukuma, Director of Choral Activities at Furman University. The concert is sponsored in part by the Carnahan Jackson Fund. .
IS ANYTHING THE MATTER?
Drawings by Laylah Ali Untitled, from the series Typology, 2005, pen and ink
Friday, Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.
The Department of Theatre and Dance presents Edges
By Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Presented through special arrangement with MTI.
Paul W. Mockovak , Director
Bartlett Theatre, General Seating
General Public: $25.00 advance, $30.00 door; Student: $10.00 advance, $15.00 door
Continues Feb. 24, 29 and March 1, 2 and 4 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 25 at 2:00 p.m.
This contemporary song-cycle about young adults at the metaphorical edge of their lives is described as a “charming, witty and honest examination of adulthood that explores what happens when we are teetering on the edges of our lives.” The songs cover such universal issues as love, commitment, identity and meaning.
Walter Gloor Mainstage Series
Friday, March 22, 7:30 p.m.
The Department of Theatre and Dance presents Fredonia
Dance Ensemble
Paula J. Peters, Director
Marvel Theatre, Reserved Seating
General Public: $20.00 advance, $25.00 door; Student: $5.00 advance, $10.00 door
Continues March 23 at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.
A variety of dance styles will be featured as Fredonia’s talented Dance majors perform works choreographed by Dance faculty and guest artists.
Walter Gloor Mainstage Series
Friday, March 28, 7:30 p.m.
The Western New York Chamber Orchestra presents
Classics 3: Progressive Musicians Concerto Winners
King Concert Hall, General Seating General Public: $20.00; Student: $5.00
The winners of the winners of the WNYCO & Progressive Musicians concerto competition will be featured in this special concert event . WNYCO Classics Series
Monday, April 8, 7:30 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents
United States Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors
King Concert Hall, Free, General Admission
Known as America’s Big Band, the Jazz Ambassadors are the premier touring jazz orchestra of the United States Army. Formed in 1969, this 19-piece ensemble has received critical acclaim throughout the United States and abroad performing America’s original art form, jazz. Performances by the Jazz Ambassadors offer some of the most versatile programming of any big band. Concerts include classic big band standards, instrumental and vocal solo features, patriotic favorites, contemporary jazz works, and original arrangements and compositions by past and present members of the Jazz Ambassadors. Limited to four tickets per person. Event sponsors: The OBSERVER, The Post-Journal and WDOE and 96 KIX Country
Friday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.
The Department of Theatre and Dance presents The Crucible
By Arthur Miller
Presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Daniel Lendzian, Director
Marvel Theatre, Reserved Seating
General Public: $20.00 advance, $25.00 door; Student: $5.00 advance, $10.00 door
Continues April 27 and May 2 at 7:30 p.m.; May 4 at 2:00 p.m.
The Crucible is a drama that tells the story of a young farmer, his wife, and a young servant-girl who maliciously causes the wife’s arrest for witchcraft in 17th Century Salem, Mass. A monstrous course of bigotry and deceit terrifyingly unfolds.
Walter Gloor Mainstage Series
Saturday, April 27, 2:00 p.m.
The Department of Theatre and Dance presents
Abigail 1702: A Twice Told Tale
By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
Daniel Lendzian, Director
Marvel Theatre, Reserved Seating
General Public: $20.00 advance, $25.00 door; Student: $5.00 advance, $10.00 door
Continues April 28 at 2:00 p.m., May 2 at 7:30 p.m. and May 4 at 2:00 p.m.
This play picks up where The Crucible left off. Set 10 years after the witch trials, main character Abigail Williams, the accuser who sent 20 people to their doom, lives under an assumed name, striving to atone for her sins. When a handsome stranger arrives, Abigail takes him in, and long-dormant passions awaken within her. However, the Devil also comes looking for Abigail - demanding her soul.
Walter Gloor Mainstage Series
Sunday, May 5, 3:00 p.m.
The Western New York Chamber Orchestra presents Classics IV: Masterworks
King Concert Hall, General Admission
General Public: $20.00; Student: $5.00
Glen Cortese, Conductor and Dr. Vernon Huff, Director
The Western New York Chamber Orchestra joins the Fredonia Chamber Choir, College Choir and Camerata for Haydn’s acclaimed Saint Cecilia Mass. WNYCO Classics Series
Friday, May 17, 7:30 p.m.
Rockefeller Arts Center presents Commencement
