By Dennis D. Rooney The Irerra Brothers – John (violin) and Joseph (piano) – are alumni of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, from which they graduated in the class of 2016, both with DMA degrees. Their recital March 21 closed the 31st season of concerts at Duncan Theatre’s Stage West on the campus of Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth. The program was nicely … [Read more...]
Parsons Dance delights Duncan audience in season finale
A staunch modern dance aficionado might say that Parsons Dance was light fare, but they would also have to say that it was gourmet quality. Closing the Duncan Theatre’s 2018 dance series with winning style, Parsons Dance left the loyal modern dance audience more than satiated – they were swooning. Parsons Dance has been around a long time, performing around the world, and … [Read more...]
Amid the camp, Trocks present some startlingly good dancing
There is a whimsical banner on Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s website that almost looks like it could be for a vaudeville show. It says: “The World’s Foremost All-Male Comic Ballet Company. Though initially it might be hard to envision classical ballets performed en travesti, it certainly was easy to sit back, relax and go just along – laughing all the way – with … [Read more...]
Attacca Quartet shows its worth in Ligeti, Beethoven at Duncan
By Dennis D. Rooney It took only a few measures of Beethoven’s Quartet No. 6 (in B-flat major, Op. 18, No. 6) to explain the high rank among contemporary American string quartets of the Attacca Quartet, founded in 2003 and actively concertizing for a decade. In the opening work of their Duncan Stage West program Feb. 21, they excelled in its strongly rhythmic character … [Read more...]
BalletBoyz proves sensational at Duncan
If you missed seeing BalletBoyz this past weekend at the Duncan Theatre, you missed a terrific show. First off, they weren’t really boys, or even Boyz for that matter. Composed of 10 handsome men whose lean and chiseled bodies moved in a way that was completely intoxicating, this outstanding British dance company gave a stunning performance that enthralled the Duncan’s sage … [Read more...]
Dorrance Dance taps into endless energy, innovation
The performing arts are currently undergoing one of their occasional convulsions, as established ways of presenting art, dance, music and theater are remade along with their subjects of inquiry. From a critic’s standpoint, it’s been welcome to see, as fresh thinking and new ideas spice up the cultural menu to delicious effect. In the case of Dorrance Dance, a New York-based … [Read more...]
Telegraph Quartet brilliantly opens Duncan classical series
By Dennis D. Rooney Founded in 2013, the Telegraph Quartet hails from the West Coast, specifically San Francisco, where they been appointed artists-in-residence at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music. They have often appeared nationally and internationally, and performed last year in the Flagler Museum music series. Their prizes include the Fischoff Competition. In 2016, … [Read more...]
Arts Preview 2017-18: The season in dance
Devotees of dance this season can sample Miami City Ballet’s continued artistic honing by Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez, the ongoing successful dance programming at the Duncan Theatre or the breakthrough PEAK presentations at the Kravis Center, as well as decide to experience the continuity and strength in the local dance scene. Amid this strong lineup, this season it … [Read more...]
Bluegrass wizards The HillBenders give Duncan crowd an exciting ‘Tommy’
Pete Townshend has proven a musical visionary since he penned The Who’s first of two rock opera releases, Tommy, in 1969 (the other being Quadrophenia, in 1973), but could the guitarist/vocalist have foreseen Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry, the 2015 Compass Records release by Springfield, Mo.-based quintet The HillBenders? Perhaps. Both the group’s latest recording and its … [Read more...]
Cellist Shaw offers fresh programming to close Classical Café
By Dennis D. Rooney Cellist Jacob Shaw and pianist David Lau Magnussen brought to a close this season’s Classical Café concerts at the Duncan Theatre’s Stage West on March 29. The room was designed for easily understood speech. Its dry acoustics reinforce that quality. Music fares less well there. Although these players did not especially seek tonal elegance, their … [Read more...]