Ron Klopfanstein’s Hot Seat: Media Monday Arts & Entertainment News for the week of Monday, April 29th – Sunday, May 5th
For more on Hot Seat: Media Monday, go to UticaPhoenix.net/MediaMonday
Saturday is Free Comic Book Day, a yearly celebration of comics and independent comic book stores. Ravenswood Comics will have free comics available for readers of all ages, as well as sales, snacks, and giveaways. Lots of events taking place at the Kirkland Art Center, and you can meet Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s “Charlie Bucket” at MVCC. Scroll down for details.
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Cinema Capitol will present Remembering Gene Wilder in both theatres this weekend. Show times are 4 pm and 7 pm on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 1 pm and 4 pm on Sundays.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/RomeCinemaCapitol.
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The Dunham Public Library’s Banned Book Club will meet on Wednesday, May 8th, from 3 to 5:30 p.m., for participants ages 16 or older. Each month, they focus on banned and “challenged” books to encourage people to “unlock [their] right to read!” For May, they will be discussing The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/DunhamPublicLibrary
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The Ilion Little Theatre will hold auditions on Monday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m. for
The Savage Dilemma, a sequel to John Patrick’s comedy, The Curious Savage, which the group just presented. They are also looking for backstage assistance and a lighting and sound operator. No experience is necessary. Show dates are: June 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 29th and 30th
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/ilionlittletheatre
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Keaton & Lloyd Bookshop will hold a book club gathering on Wednesday, May 8th, at 6 pm. This month, they are reading Frank Kafka’s The Trial.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/keatonandlloyd
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The Kirkland Art Center is offering a class in “Lighting in Photography with Wendy Wang” for students aged 12-16 on Saturday, May 4th, and Saturday, May 11th, from 12:45 pm to 3:45 pm. This is for participants with some to no experience with cameras. Students don’t need a professional camera to be in this class. They will learn the concept of lighting and have hands-on experience with studio lighting. Participants will get the opportunity to take portraits and print out some of their favorites at the end of the class.
Also, they have a needle felting workshop on Saturday, May 4th, at 10 am, where you can learn how to transform fluffy bits of wool into a unique felted owl! In this beginner-friendly workshop, the instructor will introduce you to the techniques and materials used in the process of needle felting as you are guided step by step in creating your own felted owl. Materials will be provided, and the price is $60.
The Kirkland Art Center will present a concert by the acoustic jazz ensemble Rhythm Future Quartet on Saturday, May 4th, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20 for members and $18 for students.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/KACenter
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MVCC presents “An Evening with Peter Ostrum,” the original Charlie Bucket on Thursday, May 2nd at 6 p.m. Peter Ostrum is an American retired veterinarian and former child actor. Ostrum was only 12 years old when selected to play Charlie Bucket in the 1971 motion picture “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Ostrum will talk about his experience behind the scenes, on-set, and after the film. Tickets are $5 for the public, $2 for MVCC employees, and FREE for MVCC students.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/MVCCCampusEvents
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The Oneida County Pride Association will present Pride Eve Drag Story Hour on Friday, May 31st, at 6 p.m. at the Tree House Reading and Arts Center. Admission is FREE, and this is a child-friendly event. The second annual Pride Festival is Saturday, June 1st, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mohawk Valley Community College. This is a family-friendly event that will include vendors, community resources, performers, and more! The Pride Drag Show (for ages 21 and older) will be on Saturday, June 1st, at 8 pm at the Uptown Center for Creative Arts.
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Players of Utica will present Funny Girl on Thursday, June 13th at 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 7th at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 8th at 2 p.m., Sunday, June 9th at 2 p.m., Friday, June 14th at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 15th at 2 p.m., and Sunday, June 16th at 2 p.m.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/PlayersOfUtica
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Saturday, May 4th, is Free Comic Book Day, a yearly celebration of comics and of independent comic book stores. Ravenswood Comics will have free comics available for readers of all ages, as well as sales, snacks, and giveaways.
For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/RavenswoodComics
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Rome Community Theater will hold auditions for their summer musical, Anastasia, directed by Justin Jones, with musical direction by Joah Clanton and choreography by Noah Alexander Price, on Saturday, May 18th, and Sunday, May 19th, at 5 p.m.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/romecommunitytheater
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The Tramontane will present Oneonta Takeover: Drag Show, hosted by Jahyra Joelle, Makenzie Taylor, and Natalie Taylor, on Friday, May 3rd, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
Also, on Friday, May 17th, they will present Whammo! with special guest Home Visitor as part of their House Concert Series 2024 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/TRAMONTANECAFE
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The Uptown Center for Creative Arts hosts an improv event every Thursday at 7 p.m. They invite people to attend “an open-to-all, pay-what-you-can, drop-in improv class followed by a community improv jam where everyone is invited to play, with plenty of opportunity for some stage reps!” They also have Comedy Open Mic nights every Wednesday; sign-ups begin at 7 pm, and the show starts at 8 pm.
New Saturday improv classes begin on May 4th. The six-week course will be each Saturday from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and the cost is $125, with opportunities for scholarships, payment plans, and sliding scale tuition.
For more information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/utcany
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Links
Cinema Capitol: https://www.facebook.com/RomeCinemaCapitol
Dunham Public Library: https://www.facebook.com/DunhamPublicLibrary
Keaton & Lloyd: https://www.facebook.com/keatonandlloyd
Kirkland Art Center: https://www.facebook.com/KACenter
Hamilton College: https://www.hamilton.edu/campuslife/arts-at-hamilton/events
Ilion Little Theater Club: https://www.facebook.com/ilionlittletheatre
Mohawk Valley Community College: https://www.facebook.com/MVCCCampusEvents
Oneida County Pride Association: https://www.facebook.com/OneidaCountyPride
Other Side: https://www.facebook.com/OtherSideGallery
Players of Utica: https://www.facebook.com/PlayersOfUtica
Ravenswood Comics: https://www.facebook.com/RavenswoodComics
Rome Community Theater: https://www.facebook.com/romecommunitytheater
Tramontane Cafe: https://www.facebook.com/TRAMONTANECAFE
Treehouse Reading and Arts Center: https://www.facebook.com/treehousereadingandarts
Unity Hall: https://www.facebook.com/historicunityhall
Uptown Theatre for the Creative Arts: https://www.facebook.com/utcany
Utica Public Library: https://www.facebook.com/TheLibrary.UticaPublicLibrary
Utica University Theatre: https://www.facebook.com/UticaUniversityTheatre
Uticon: https://www.facebook.com/uticon
WCNY: https://www.facebook.com/WCNYPBS
WRVO: https://www.facebook.com/WRVOPublicRadio
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Ron Klopfanstein is a multimedia investigative journalist, news and features editor, and creative content producer for the Utica Phoenix digital platform and 95.5 FM “The Heat” broadcast and streaming. He also hosts the Hot Seat: Media Monday every Monday at 5 pm, broadcast on 95.5 FM and streaming at 955TheHeat.com. Like him at Facebook.com/ReadRonKlopfanstein, Follow him at Threads.net/@RonKlopfanstein, Instagram.com/RonKlopfanstein, Twitter.com/RonKlopfanstein, Tiktok.com/@ronklopfanstein, and subscribe to his channel at YouTube.com/@RonKlopfanstein. Read all his work at Muckrack.com/ron-klopfanstein.
