These days, being a proud theater kid is not for the weak-egoed. I’ve learned that there is a certain kind of pride you must set aside to embrace the wonderful world of musical theater. Over winter break, my friend and I purchased two orchestra seats to Hadestown on a whim in order to take advantage of Broadway’s two for one deal which promptly rolled out after the holiday tourist rush. Though I had most certainly heard of the show, I went into Hadestown mostly blind. The one thing I was not blind to was the fact that To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before actor, “Elsa please I know you’re in there” singer and all-around icon Jordan Fisher is in it, and just for him, I was excited enough.
Arts & Culture
Joe Gatto: That Funny Guy from Staten Island
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On Friday, Dec. 1, comedian Joe Gatto graced the stage of the State Theatre of Ithaca. That’s right, Joe Gatto formerly of the show Impractical Jokers, which famously advertises to contain “scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other,” has visited Ithaca on his Night of Comedy tour. Although Gatto left Impractical Jokers in 2021, the show is still his most well-known work. I have been an Impractical Jokers fan for many years, so it was hard for me to imagine how Gatto would perform on his own, without the other members of the Tenderloins comedy troupe: Sal Vulcano, James “Murr” Murray and Brian “Q” Quinn.
Arts & Culture
Locally Grown Dance Takes a Bold Leap
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American modern dancer and choreographer Martha Graham once said that “great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” While watching the Performing and Media Arts Department’s recent production of Locally Grown Dance, I experienced the dancers’ visceral joy and passion for the work they were showcasing.
Held in the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts’ Kiplinger Theater on March 9, 10 and 11, Locally Grown Dance featured a series of student dance performances choreographed and spatially organized by student, faculty and guest choreographers. These nine pieces were comprised of four longer performances, Ariadne’s Noose, Beautiful Monsters, Unraveling and CRICKET, that were interspersed with five shorter pieces or interludes. All of these works were supported by live and pre-recorded music, beautiful costumes, vivid lighting and scenic design.
Although all of the performances were captivating to watch, some of the standouts of the night included Ariadne’s Noose, Beautiful Monsters, CRICKET and the interludes that introduced the audience to the atmosphere of the pieces following them. Starting off the production, Interlude No. 1 (Prelude) drew the audience into this bold world of dance.
Arts & Culture
‘Everything Everywhere’ at the Oscars
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The Everything Everywhere All at Once sweep at the Oscars shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who’s been familiar with the race for the past six or so months. It’s been in the driver’s seat the whole time, and the ceremony proved to be the coronation that most expected, with few other films finding their place on the stage. Sweeping every above-the-line category in which it was nominated, the film has now entered Oscar history as one of the most decorated films ever at the Academy Awards. Such an honor couldn’t have happened to a stranger film, representing at once one of the first genre exercises recognized, an absurdist comedy with a distinctly contemporary sense of humor, and a film with a diverse cast about the Asian-American experience. It’s been quickly canonized and attributed classic status, but how good really is it?
The opening sequence to Everything Everywhere is spectacular, easily the best in the entire film.
Arts & Culture
Happily Ever After: A Spotlight on Cog Dog Theatre Troupe
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Cog Dog always puts on my favorite shows here at Cornell, and this one was no different. Although this chapter may be closed, you better believe that I’ll be in line on opening night with tickets in hand to see the next one.
birding
Mastering Photo Exhibits: A Look at Cornell Birding
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Between the broad variety of majors and minors and the seemingly countless selection of clubs, Cornell is an institution where even an engineer can host a photography exhibit, as Veronica Gluza M.Sc. ’23 did this Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Arts & Culture
Tragedy Plus Timing: An In-Depth Look at ‘Comedy Unmasked’
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This might have been my first time seeing Pun Intended live, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Arts & Culture
Navigating ‘A Chicano’s Guide to Navigation’
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I walked into the Black Box Theatre at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts with one goal in mind: supporting my friend. When the light came on and John and his co-director Aisling Mannion ’24 stepped out to take their bows, I saw the pride in their faces for what they had accomplished.
Arts & Culture
Larissa Fasthorse’s ‘Thanksgiving Play’ Educates at The Kitchen Theatre
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The show demonstrates the intricacies of creating a piece about indigenous people with no real Native American perspective.
Arts & Culture
Seven Mammoths Find Their Home at Schwartz
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This play was not for the uninitiated theatre goer. With complex intersections of queer romance and the struggles of accepting change in both positive and negative manners, one must truly be prepared to think throughout the entire 120 minutes.
Arts & Culture
In “Noises Off,” the Farce is On
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On Friday, Nov 5th, 2021, Cornell’s student-run Cog Dog Theatre Troupe debuted their rendition of the play Noises Off in the Risley Theatre on North Campus. Originally published in 1982 by British playwright Michael Frayn, the storyline follows the model of a play-within-a-play, wherein the actors involved are playing characters who are actors themselves as they attempt to put on their own production titled Nothing On.