Nick Foti ’19 offers his selection of events and activities to check out this weekend. Browse, discover, and share upcoming events on the University Events Calendar by logging in with your University NetID. The calendar features a variety of events at all campuses, including the River Campus, Eastman School, Memorial Art Gallery, and Medical Center.
#1: Get a seat to the ‘The Pinter Plays’
“The Pinter Plays”—works by Nobel Prize–winning British playwright Harold Pinter opens Thursday, April 26, and runs through May 5. Produced by the International Theatre Program, the double bill at Todd Theater, includes The Collection and The Lover, considered two of Pinter’s most shocking one-act plays. Originally written for television, they were later transformed into stage plays. The Collection tells the story of infidelity and jealousy in two households: one same-sex couple and a heterosexual married couple. The Lover is about a couple who grapples with fantasy role-playing games. The shows begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, April 29. Tickets cost $8 for University students; $12 for alumni, faculty, staff, and seniors; and $15 for the general public. They can be purchased up to an hour before the show at the door or online at rochester.edu/theatre, or by calling (585) 275-4088.
#2: See performance by Tony Award-winning actress
Broadway singer Patti LuPone—one of the most storied performers in modern musical theater—will bring her talents to Rochester for a performance for Eastman Presents on Sunday, April 29. LuPone established herself with a Tony Award-winning performance as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, and she continued to impress audiences and critics alike in Les Misérables, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy. The legendary singer will perform “Don’t Monkey with Broadway,” and will be joined members of the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus. The show begins at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theatre. Tickets range from $26–$91 and are available online. In addition, LuPone will give a free public Q&A session on Saturday, April 28, at 5 p.m., in Kilbourn Hall.
#3: Support student creativity in Rochester
The Memorial Art Gallery will host “an artists’ affair” on Saturday, April 28 to support the Memorial Art Gallery-Rochester City School District Expanded Learning Collaboration. The event will feature nine regional artists working to empower the museum to deepen the impact of art and creativity in the lives of public school children in Rochester. Artists include Juan Carlos Cabellero-Perez, Robin Cass and Bill Klingensmith, Shawn Dunwoody, Andrea Gill, John Gill, Leonard Urso, Robin Whiteman, and Sabra Wood/Cat Clay. The fundraiser event will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music, and an elegant dining experience. Many unique art objects by the featured artists will be featured in a silent auction. Tickets are $200 per person and available online.
#4: Listen to classical and diverse repertoire
The Department of Music will host several concerts this weekend. The Symphony Orchestra will perform “An Academic Festival” at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Strong Auditorium. In its final concert of the year, the ensemble will perform Brahm’s “Academic Festival Overture” and Alexander Arutiunian’s “Trumpet Concero,” which will feature 2017 Concerto Competition winner Jeffrey Pinsker-Smith ’21. The 100-member ensemble, conducted by Rachel Waddell, will also perform Symphony No. 2 “Romantic” by Howard Hanson, who was the director of the Eastman School of Music from 1924 to 1964. On Sunday, April 29, the Jazz Ensemble will perform at 5 p.m. in the Lower Strong Auditorium. The ensemble is conducted by Bill Tiberio and will feature compositions by Grover Washington Jr., Billy Strayhorn, Dave Brubeck, and others. Later on Sunday evening, the West African Drumming Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m., in the May Room of Wilson Commons. Director Kerfala (Fana) Bangoura leads his ensemble in the dynamic percussive traditions of Guinea, West Africa. The concerts are free and open to the public.
#5: Catch Star Wars flick for free
Did you miss out on seeing Star Wars: The Last Jedi at the theater? The University’s Cinema Group will offer two free screenings of the film on Saturday, April 28, at Hoyt Hall Auditorium on the River Campus. Reviews by Rotten Tomatoes concludes that “The Last Jedi honors the saga’s rich legacy while adding some surprising twists and delivering all the emotion-rich action fans hope for.” Catch a screening 6:30 or 9:30 p.m. Open to all.
