‘X Factor’ phenom and her brother talk music, TV and being No. 1 Carly and Russ Sonenclar, earlier this fall, before Carly’s meteoric “X Factor” rise. Courtesy Terri Edelman. If she were like most 13-year-olds, Carly Rose Sonenclar might have given her brother, Russ, a card for his 19th birthday… Read More →
Fox Lane junior stitches together his own course of study It was the ultimate throwaway assignment, but it led Conner Ives to what he hopes will be a long career. When Ives was a freshman, the art department at Fox Lane High School held a “Trashing Competition,” a challenge where… Read More →
5 bands with local ties aid Rotary effort K.J. Denhert will take part in Ossining Rotary’s Sandy relief concert on Dec. 3. Ossining Rotary hosts “The Rock ‘n’ Roll for Relief Concert,” 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Ossining High School. Five bands, all including Ossining grads, will perform:... Read More →
There is “American Idol” and “The X Factor”—with Mamaroneck’s phenom Carly Rose Sonenclar—but Westchester has its own singing competition: Westchester Teen Idol, held for the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Irvington’s Town Hall Theater. A fundraiser for PMT Productions, a Pleasantville-based community theater, Westchester Teen Idol this year winnowed down a… Read More →
Mamaroneck teen’s ‘Over the Rainbow’ puts her over the top Last night’s emotional “X Factor” exit of New Jersey teen-ager Beatrice Miller—who sang through the tears in a performance that seemed a bit cruel, even by reality-tv standards—was followed by the unveiling of the vote totals for the remaining… Read More →
The show goes on this weekend (From left, Bryant Lo and Sayeel Alam rehearse scenes from Scarsdale High School’s production of Guys and Dolls at Scarsdale High School Auditorium on Nov. 8, 2012. Photo by Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News.) In theater, the week before the show opens is spent… Read More →
Harrison’s Sophia Gennusa will share role Just announced today that the much-anticipated Broadway production of “Matilda” will alternate the demanding lead role among four young actresses, one of whom is from Westchester. Sophia Gennusa, 9, from Harrison, is a veteran of Purchase College’s famed “Nutcracker.” (That’s her, inset, when she… Read More →
Even after all these weeks, the judges on THE X FACTOR still aren’t quite sure what they’ve got with Mamaroneck’s Carly Rose Sonenclar. She killed “My Heart Will Go On,” the “Titanic” anthem tonight and the judges were still thinking that someone was singing for her. L.A. Reid to Carly’s… Read More →
Mahopac High School Drama Company will present “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” this week, with performances at 7 p.m. Nov. 15, 16 and 17 at Mahopac High School Auditorium. $10. And, in a decision made weeks before Superstorm Sandy put food pantries front and center, the company is… Read More →
Irish comedy to open Nov. 10 Actors Jay Stratton, left, and Richard Hollis, rehearse the play “Stones in His Pocket” at Hudson Stage in Briarcliff Manor Oct. 26, 2012. The two men play dozens of characters in the play, about Hollywood coming to a small Irish town to find the… Read More →
High-school productions weather storms to a heavenly ‘Hell Week’ After years of focusing purely on high-school theater during the busy spring rush of shows, I’ve been expanding my coverage to other forms of performing and visual arts. Still, I have to admit it was nice to get back in a… Read More →
Some schools postponed their fall shows after losing a week of rehearsal (thanks to Superstorm Sandy) and another day of rehearsal (thanks to the Nor’easter). But not Tappan Zee High School where, tonight, “Robin Hood” opens without delay. Tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the TZ High School auditorium… Read More →
America voted, and Carly Rose Sonenclar made it (back) into the Top 12 on THE X FACTOR tonight. Eliminated tonight was Jason Brock, who got the lowest vote total last night. The wrinkle was that the judges had to choose between two sing-off competitors: Brock and Cece Frey. After they… Read More →
John Gwardyak is kind of crazy. Well, he’s more than kind of crazy. He’s insane, in the best possible way. So it’s great to see him infecting his theater kids at Eastchester High School with his particular brand of loopiness. To promote “Why Bump Off Barnaby?”—the drama club’s fall comedy—they… Read More →
Facing the voters for the first time We got to meet Russell, Carly’s brother, last night on “The X Factor” and the 13-year-old phenom from Mamaroneck got to sing a song from her wheelhouse: Bruno Mars’ “It Will Rain.” Carly has said Mars is an inspiration and an example. He’s… Read More →
Updated: An earlier post reported the airing date of tomorrow. Then NBC moved the airing to Friday. Set your DVRs for the “Today” Friday morning to catch the Brewster High School band taking part in a surprise wedding proposal. Band director George Viglucci tells me the event was filmed in… Read More →
Mamaroneck phenom advancing on “The X Factor” (Carly Rose Sonenclar performs live on THE X FACTOR last week. Ray Mickshaw/FOX. ) Last week, Mamaroneck’s Carly Rose Sonenclar made it through the first week of live shows on “The X Factor.” Wednesday night, she’s back for the next round. Here’s this… Read More →
Soprano, alto, tenor, bass sing the praises of choir (Soprano Emily Brotmann, alto Sebastianne Kent, tenor David Axelrod and bass Justin Fischer in Penelope Cruz’s choir room. Photo by Matthew Brown/The Journal News) As four of the 40 voices in the White Plains High School Choir, they are accustomed to… Read More →
Soprano, alto, tenor, bass speak in unison Members of the White Plains High School Choir, under the direction of Penelope Cruz, not pictured, rehearse a selection from Handel’s “Messiah” that they just began to learn. From left, soprano Emily Brotmann, left, tenor David Axelrod, alto Sebastianne Kent and bass Justin… Read More →
Nyack filmmaker and cast to attend Monday event Mike Timmons plays Earl Coleman—an ex-convict who channels his guilt over his sister’s death into an effort to clean up his crime-ridden neighborhood—in Tim McCann’s drama “Zero in the System,” which will be screened at 7:30 p.m., Monday at Pleasantville’s Jacob Burns… Read More →
And then there were 12 on “The X Factor,” including Mamaroneck’s Carly Rose Sonenclar, who was spared by Britney Spears last night, with 11 other acts. They’ll be back singing live next Wednesday with the results show next Thursday. But first, there’s Sunday night’s recap from the judges’ homes, for… Read More →
Superstorm Sandy, it turns out, is even more powerful than a teen-age wizard. The storm has forced Brewster High School to postpone to next weekend its fall play, “Mary Potter and the Race to Nowhere,” which was to run this weekend. Performances will be 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 and 10… Read More →
Gotta love this Facebook post from Tarrytown Music Hall: For all of you attending the Aimee Mann show tonight and still have no power at home, drop off your cellphone and charger tonight and we’ll charge it for you during the show. (Subject to available outlets and power strips…)
Just heard from Olivia Sklar at Hudson Stage. With Briarcliff Pace still without power after Superstorm Sandy, they’re pushing back “Stones in His Pockets” a week. “But we’ll extend performances to Nov. 23 and 24 at 8 p.m.,” she writes. Read more about “Stones” here.
Pleasantville’s Axial Theatre is getting in the post-Sandy spirit, realizing that people may be short on cash due to powerless ATMs, so they’re offering a pay-what-you-can policy for 8 p.m. performances of “Awake and Sing!” on Nov. 1 and 2. Tickets for the final two performances, 8 p.m. Nov. 3… Read More →
Mamaroneck teen gets her Britney on Gotta say that Carly Rose Sonenclar looked so out of place singing Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” last night on “The X Factor.” It looked like she got some bad advice from her judge-advisor Britney Spears, who had Carly dressed in a school uniform (I… Read More →
