Set in Rwanda in 1994, The Overwhelming tells the chilling tale of an American professor who unwittingly takes his family on a trip to Rwanda in the weeks leading up to the genocide. Intended as a reunion with an old college friend, the visit spirals quickly into chaos, duplicity, and tragedy as Rwanda descends into the maelstrom of a bloody civil war. Dramatic storytelling at its very best, this gripping play will be directed by Robert Moss.

"Smart, complacency-rattling drama." Time-Out Magazine

Single tickets on sale now! Buy them online here or call 607.273.4497


KIDDSTUFF season opens with The Kid Who Talked to Penguins

Philip Ryan Mann
MOZART: Don Giovanni Overture, K.527

TCHAIKOVSKY:  Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op.33

KOPYTMAN: Kaddish for cello and string orchestra.

Also with acclaimed Cellist

Folk-rock singer songwriter and guitar master Bruce Cockburn is a flat out legend in his native Canada.  Those of us in the rest of the world who know this very special artist clearly understand why. 

His recording career spans nearly four decades and thirty-something albums, twenty of which have achieved gold or platinum status, and eleven Juno awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy. And he also has been inducted into Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

From tumbling, guitar-driven rock and roll to subtle acoustic creations, Bruce Cockburn's performances run the gamut of stylistic approaches including jazz, blues, reggae, and world music. He is a performer who masterfully moves his audience through a range of emotions, at once inspiring them to dance and next inspiring them to think.

His ability to distill political events, spiritual revelations and personal experience into rich, compelling songs has made him one of the world's most celebrated artists.  Meanwhile, Cockburn's songs have been covered over 250 times by such diverse artists as Jerry Garcia, Barenaked Ladies, Maria Muldaur, Anne Murray, and Jimmy Buffet.

"My songwriting is an attempt to take what I've experienced and what I think is true and distill it into something that is entertaining, then throw it out to people and say 'Maybe you can use this too.' In some ways it makes me the focal point for like-minded people. . .  They hear the songs, and all of a sudden there's a kind of community."

NYS Baroque, Central New York's professional period instrument ensemble, concludes its 2007-2008 season "Brilliance and Glory" with Heavenly Handel in Ithaca at the First Unitarian Society (corner of Buffalo and Aurora Streets) on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 8:00 PM.   

Soprano Laura Heimes performs Handel's delightful Gloria and the intense and dramatic cantata Dunque sarà pur vero (Agrippina), HWV 110.  Virtuoso harpsichordist Avi Stein takes center  stage for J.S. Bach's A Major harpsichord concerto, BWV 1055.  NYS Baroque's original concertmaster Dana Maiben returns to lead the NYS Baroque period-instrument orchestra. 

Meet and mingle with the musicians at a reception following the performance.  

NYS Baroque's performers are the most sought-after early music specialists of the Fingerlakes and the nation.  Presented by the New York State Early Music Association (NYSEMA), NYS Baroque brings music alive with historically-informed performances in an annual concert series, in an intensive Arts-in-Education program, and on tour throughout the country.

Tickets available now by calling 607.273.4497 or online here.