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Articles by Ally Watkinson
Norwalk launches merchandise design competition for local artists
NORWALK, Conn. — The City of Norwalk will be hosting a Merchandise Design Competition open to Norwalk residents and business owners. The competition, currently set to launch on January 1, 2026, is meant to celebrate “Norwalk’s creative spirit, vibrant neighborhoods, coastal heritage, and community pride,” as stated in a document shared by the Norwalk Arts and Culture Commission.
Thanksgiving Food Resources in Norwalk: What Families Need to Know
NORWALK, Conn. — As Thanksgiving draws closer, so does the need for stuffing, mashed potatoes, and turkeys. With the rise in grocery prices and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits still in danger, many Connecticut residents require food assistance as they head into the holidays. Here are the locations in Norwalk that are distributing Thanksgiving meals ahead of the holiday.
Ally Watkinson
Dozens of original paintings, sculptures and photos are on display at Fairport's Railroad Street Artworks, just blocks from the Canal.
Manual Cinema’s “The 4th Witch” is pure magic
Provided To quote “Macbeth,” “Blood will have blood.” Except nobody says that quote — or anything else — in “The 4th Witch,” Manual Cinema’s exhilarating new adaptation of the Scottish play. Though the idea of a Shakespeare play devoid of spoken dialogue may be difficult for die-hard bardologists, “The 4th Witch” doesn’t need words, words, words. Part Phantom Thread, part Matilda, part Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, it’s a devilish, delicious delight on its own visually sumptuous terms.
Scottish Performing Arts Classic on June 6-7 keeps Gaelic culture alive
Scottish harpist and composer Maeve Gilcrist will perform in Charleston during the festival | Provided: Wikipedia Retired Canadian Army Maj. Bruce W MacDonald is aware that Gaelic words can be difficult to pronounce. But he has a solution. “Gaelic is not something you want to take on without being drunk,” he said. MacDonald serves on the boards of the Robert Burns Society of Charleston and the Clan Donald Trust, a global organization dedicated to preserving Gaelic culture.
Patti Smith pops up June 2 to Charleston’s delight
Musical legend Patti Smith entered the sunlit Second Presbyterian Church, its white walls reflecting the blue light of the stained glass window, to boisterous applause on Monday evening. And the living were not the only ones rising for her. “I got quite a welcome as I was walking in,” said Smith, who gave a surprise pop-up poetry reading and performance the day before her June 4 scheduled Spoleto Festival USA concert. “This headstone on the right side says Patricia Smith.
Manual Cinema’ puppetry adapts “Macbeth” in “The 4th Witch”
Provided A Manual Cinema show is hard to explain. It’s performed live, but it’s not quite a theater piece. It’s puppetry but not in the traditional sense. It’s cinema, as the company’s name suggests, yet happens live, mixing different art forms to create something unique. For those unfamiliar, the Chicago-based troupe — which last came to Spoleto Festival USA in 2016 with “Ada/Ava” — combines old-school projectors and shadow puppets to create a mix of cinematic theater and theatrical cinema.
Review: Flowertown’s “Eurydice” captures love, loss
Credit: Provided by Flowertown Players. If there’s a lesson to learn from Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice,” it’s that one should never marry an artist. The Flowertown Players’ production, reprised for Piccolo Spoleto from a September 2024 production, turns young love into a cautionary tale. But focusing solely on the title character and her husband, Orpheus, misses the point of this production. An adaptation of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Ruhl’s play puts Orpheus on the back burner.
“The Turn of the Screw” to haunt Dock Street Theatre
Gaitanou Rodula Gaitanou doesn’t believe in ghosts. The Greek opera director said she’s rational when it comes to the supernatural, not putting much stock in stories of haunted theaters. “What is stronger than the actual idea of a ghost is a sense of atmosphere, and the atmosphere always kind of triggers your imagination,” Gaitanou said. “I can imagine the glory of past times, past performances — an audience 100 years ago that was going to watch an operatic performance.
Mavis Staples is back to spread good sounds
Legendary singer Mavis Staples will perform at 9 p.m. May 30 at the College of Charleston’s Cistern Yard as part of Spoleto Festival USA | Photo by Danny Clinch Legendary singer Mavis Staples decided to retire in 2023. Then she changed her mind. “She’s driven to spread the message,” said music journalist and Staples biographer Greg Kot. “It’s tough being a touring artist when you’re 85 years old.
Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra blends past, future in 4 shows
Conductor Timothy Myers and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra (right), are joined by the Spoleto Festival Chorus to present Thaïs. Credit: Christopher Backholm/courtesy Spoleto Festival USA When Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra Music Director Timothy Myers plans the group’s programming, he said he balances the needs of the public, the festival and the orchestra— always aiming to help the players learn and grow.
Photo Essay: “Abominable” community band brightens Marion Square
A member of Seed and Feed throws a balloon at the audience. Credit: Mathilde Refloch Seed and Feed Marching Abominable made Marion Square more colorful for hundreds May 24 with a fun pool party-themed performance. Seed and Feed members play cymbals for the crowd. Credit: Mathilde Refloch A close-up of the cymbal section. Inside, the instruments said “ooga chaka,” the opening lyrics to “Hooked on a Feeling” by Björn Skifs and Blue Swede.
Two-time Grammy winner reflects on hope, music, aging
Corinne Bailey Rae Credit: Nick Giumenti Sitting in a friend’s backyard in England, musician Corinne Bailey Rae recounts seeing a burned field on a walk through the moors of Yorkshire. She remembers walking past and saying to a friend, “That is how I feel with my life right now.
Charleston Symphony’s Sunset Serenade on Friday celebrates city spirit
A recent Sunset Serenade. Credit: Via Charleston Symphony Orchestra. The magic that Charleston sent to New York three months ago is coming back home for Piccolo Spoleto. In February, conductor Ryo Hasegawa made his Carnegie Hall debut conducting the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra. “The experience was just absolutely amazing, of course for me, but also for my students,” he said.
Drummond weaves story-rich work at Piccolo
Drummond’s graphic-rich paintings often incorporate other media, such as sweetgrass baskets Credit: Photo provided South Carolina native Arun Drummond doesn’t want to define his art using just one category. “I’m a multi-disciplinary artist. A lot of my work does draw from Gullah traditions,” he said. “But I also like to focus on Southern history, contemporary Black culture.
Drawing from the Canal
Canal Culture Dozens of original paintings, sculptures and photos are on display at Fairport’s Railroad Street Artworks, just blocks from the Canal. Fairport’s main street is cut in half by a unique bridge that has drawn plenty of attention to the upstate New York village in the past century. The 139-foot Fairport Lift Bridge spans the Erie Canal with a distinctive 32-degree tilt, with an electrical motor system that lifts and lowers the structure about 10 feet.
The Ophelia's 'Spring Grove'
Spencer Peppet, the lead singer and songwriter for The Ophelias, promised their new album, Spring Grove, would not contain breakup songs. And this is sort of true ‚ÄĒ the record contains no songs about romantic breakups. But friendship breakups and riffs between ex-lovers still make up the DNA of the band‚Äôs fourth LP. The ‚ÄúCincinnati-born‚ÄĚ band brings their midwest flair to Spring Grove, as evident in the album‚Äôs title referencing a Cincinnati cemetery.
Theater Review: The Cher Show
Review: The national tour of the musical is a fun night at the theater. What makes a star? If The Cher Show is to be believed, versatility, courage and a good set of vocal chords are all it takes. The production, playing at the Landmark Theatre until April 12, is a glitzy romp through the life of the pop singer and actress.
Lucy Dacus' 'Forever Is a Feeling'
Review: Lucy Dacus’ fourth record is a beautiful queer time capsule about falling in love. It’s rare for an album to knock you off your axis in a way that feels permanent. Most albums have a lull, a questionable lyric or production choice that takes the listener out of the experience. For me, a perfect album is one I can’t wait to buy on vinyl (if I ever get a record player) so I can hear it in its true form. Lucy Dacus’s fourth record, Forever Is A Feeling, is one of those lucky few.
Lady Gaga's MAYHEM
Review: Does Lady Gaga need to recreate her old sound? When Lady Gaga released “Disease” in October 2024, many declared that the old Lady Gaga was back. Her seventh album, MAYHEM, hearkens back to The Fame Monster and Born This Way, almost emerging as a mature older sister. But does Gaga need to retread past ground to move into the future? Don’t get it twisted — MAYHEM is good. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart and led to Gaga’s biggest week ever on streaming platforms.
Charlotte Lillie Balogh, class of 2017, talks about her book Kill the Lax Bro. Charlotte Lillie Balogh has an exciting year ahead of her. Though she has mostly worked in film and TV before now, the 2017 Newhouse graduate’s first novel is being published in June. “My pitch was a very, very literal John Tucker Must Die,” said Balogh. The book Kill the Lax Bro is a young adult murder mystery set in the ‘90s.
Review: Everything sounds too similar on Tate McRae’s sophomore album. Tate McRae, the Canadian dancer-turned-singer, has been heavily compared to Britney Spears leading up to the release of her sophomore LP So Close to What. When examining McRae’s choreography on stage, the comparison makes sense. But the similarities are lacking when reviewing the songs on McRae’s latest release. The tracks on So Close to What blend together, each fairly non-distinct.
'Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory'
The name Sharon Van Etten probably sounds vaguely familiar, but exactly why is unclear. All it takes is to listen to 20 seconds of Van Etten’s song “Seventeen” to know her sound. Since its 2019 release, the song has become one of those unofficial anthems for depressive young women. Van Etten’s new album, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, moves away from the pounding radio station indie rock into more of a Kate Bush and Talking Heads-inspired sound.
FKA twigs' 'Eusexua'
Review: The artist’s third album takes listeners to another planet, where her self-invented feeling reigns. In Tune is The NewsHouse’s weekly album review. Contributors Ally Watkinson and Mathilde Refloch cover new releases across genres. Long live hyperpop. On her third studio album, British artist FKA twigs finds the perfect mix of techno and pop to create a danceable, not quite club album.
Should Chappell Roan “put her money where her mouth is?"
Commentary: Music executive Jeff Rabhan’s misguided Hollywood Reporter column sparks controversy in the industry. Is he right? Chappell Roan wouldn’t be Chappell Roan without causing a scene. Roan won Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammys, delivering a speech that resulted in online back and forth, mostly in the form of guest columns in The Hollywood Reporter.
Strong cast cannot save Tina Turner musical
Review: The bio musical at Landmark Theatre left much to be desired TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is a messy, long journey through the rise, fall, and rise again of the queen of rock ‘n’ roll. The show is chock full of Turner’s hits and is perfect for superfans of her music. However, for those uninitiated in the deep lore of Tina Turner, the show can feel like a slog. Due to sickness in the company, the January 30 performance ended up being the first of six performances at the Landmark Theatre.
Eusexua Album Review
The artist’s third album takes listeners to another planet, where her self-invented feeling reigns. In Tune is The NewsHouse’s weekly album review. Contributors Ally Watkinson and Mathilde Refloch cover new releases across genres. Long live hyperpop. On her third studio album, British artist FKA twigs finds the perfect mix of techno and pop to create a danceable, not quite club album. It is almost as if twigs went to another planet, observed their music, and brought back her version for EUSEXUA.
SU alum rolling into Landmark Theatre with TINA - The Tina Turner Musical
Morgan Lewis, class of 2024, returns to Syracuse to bring to life the story of the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Tina Turner is back on stage — and so is Morgan Lewis. Lewis, who graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University in May 2024, will making her return to the Syracuse spotlight — but this time, as a performer in the national tour of TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, a production that follows the life and career of Tina Turner. “It’s really surreal.
Romantasy fans fly to Parthenon Books for Onyx Storm midnight release
Lovers of the bestselling series by Rebecca Yarros revel in a night of food, drinks and fan culture. Through freezing temperatures, dragon lovers warmed Parthenon Books late evening on January 20, waiting for the anticipated third installment of Rebecca Yarros’s The Empyrean series. The bookstore hosted an evening for fans of the series to enjoy themed refreshments, crafts and merchandise leading up to the midnight release of Onyx Storm.
Eliza McLamb Delivers an Intimate Halloween Show in Syracuse
The last concert Maeve Brownell, 27, attended was a Chappell Roan concert this past May. “She was in Buffalo, and I got the tickets for $40, and then I think she played Coachella, and then they skyrocketed to 220, and I was like, I secured this,” said Brownell. It is rare to see an artist live before they “make it big.” In a year or two, Eliza McLamb’s Halloween concert attendees could very well hold the same bragging rights.
CITY staff Fringe picks
click to enlarge Barkha Dance Company: A Live Music & Kathak Dance Performance Wednesday. Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Sloan Performing Arts Center, University of Rochester: Smith Theater, $15 Kathak, one of India’s oldest forms of dance, has long been associated with oral tradition and storytelling. In the capable hands of Barkha Patel — a New York City-based dancer, choreographer, educator and artistic director — Kathak’s history comes alive in a modern context.
Balancing act
Marketing professional by day. Performer by night. Shanna Pagán is a jack-of-all-trades at this year’s Rochester Fringe Festival. While her 4-foot-10-inch height might not suggest it, Pagán has a mighty, powerhouse voice that has granted her a spot onstage at Rochester’s Fringe Festival for four years.
Varieté show
At this point, Rochester Fringe Festival Producer and CEO Erica Fee considers Las Vegas-based performers Matt and Heidi Morgan to be local celebrities. “Do you want to know how I know they're in Rochester?” she asked. “It's not because I know their flight.
Backyard Poets Society: Syracuse writers meet up for intimate, impromptu outdoor readings Original
When Liz Bowen moved to Syracuse in April 2023, she didn’t know anyone. So when a friend reached out about where to do a book reading, she suggested her yard. “It’s hard moving to a new place and not knowing anybody,” said Bowen, 34, a poet and assistant professor of bioethics and humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University. “I was like, ‘Is anyone gonna come to this?
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