• Rohrbach Brewing Company changes hands after 35 years

    The post Rohrbach Brewing Company changes hands after 35 years appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
  • 2026 Oscar predictions: CITY critics weigh in

    The 98th annual Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 15 — locally, you can play film trivia and watch it on the big screen at The Little Theatre — and our film critics have a few thoughts on this year’s nominees ahead of Hollywood’s glittering night.
    The Olympics are my Super Bowl, the Oscars are my Olympics and, no, I will not be explaining any further. (Most) awards are (mostly) silly, but as someone who has tuned in to the Academy Awards every year since about t
  • REVIEW | ‘Barefoot in the Park’ at Geva Theatre

    Nostalgia has a strong pull in times of uncertainty. Perhaps that’s why Neil Simon has been especially popular this theatrical season. His comedies seem familiar and fun, especially for theatergoers who witnessed his prolific stage and screenwriting, which started in the 1960s. A longtime favorite of regional theater, Simon’s works have also recently been staged by Blackfriars and Rochester Community Players. Now, Geva Theatre gives one of his most well-known plays “Barefoot i
  • Mega Man, Angry Birds and more considered for The Strong’s video game hall of fame

    The post Mega Man, Angry Birds and more considered for The Strong’s video game hall of fame appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
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  • REVIEW | ‘Hands Up’ by Eli Flynn ft. Felix Free

    Rochester musician Eli Flynn established himself in the local music scene as a member of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and through his own collaborative, Eli Flynn and the Everymen. His talents extend beyond the stage and into the classroom, where he works as a music therapist at The Hochstein School.Inspired by stories of resilience and music as therapy, Flynn released the single “Hands Up,” featuring rapper Felix Free on January 30. Flynn says to accompany the release, “It&
  • In memory of Bill Towler

    Retired City Newspaper publisher Bill Towler died February 27 at age 87 after a long, courageous battle with the neurological disease Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. He was a loving, intensely engaged husband, father, and grandfather and is survived by his wife Mary Anna; daughters Elizabeth Towler-Menon and Cheryl Towler Weese; son Will; son-in-law Dan Towler Weese; daughter-in-law Dawn Brandenburg; grandchildren Micah, Cole, and Carter Weese; sisters Lena Scott and Martha Jones; brother Bob;
  • In his second act, Mark Cuddy bets on Chekhov — and Rochester

    Mark Cuddy was known as a hands-on artistic director during his nearly three decades at the helm of Geva Theatre. But he’s been giving new meaning to that reputation as the founder of his latest venture, The Classics Company, which arrived on the local theater scene with authority in January with a striking production of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull” at the Multi-use Community Cultural Center (MuCCC) on Atlantic Avenue.  When he wasn’t clearing snow
  • LGBTQ+ historic sites and more listed on Landmark Society’s 2026 Five to Revive

    The post LGBTQ+ historic sites and more listed on Landmark Society’s 2026 Five to Revive appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
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  • City to offer up $170,000 in grants for the arts

    The post City to offer up $170,000 in grants for the arts appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
  • Why we fixate on — and fetishize — those behind the line

    There’s a reason chefs don’t translate cleanly into daylight.They belong to the hours when the rest of the world is loosening its grip. When people are drinking, touching, confessing, unraveling. While everyone else is reaching for pleasure, chefs are manufacturing it. While the room fills, they disappear. That inversion matters.Tension lives there.Food is the first intimacy we ever experience. Before sex, before language, before memory — someone fed you. Warmth, salt, fat, sw
  • Why we fixate on — and fetishize — chefs behind the line

    There’s a reason chefs don’t translate cleanly into daylight.They belong to the hours when the rest of the world is loosening its grip. When people are drinking, touching, confessing, unraveling. While everyone else is reaching for pleasure, chefs are manufacturing it. While the room fills, they disappear. That inversion matters.Tension lives there.Food is the first intimacy we ever experience. Before sex, before language, before memory — someone fed you. Warmth, salt, fat, sw
  • Antiques Roadshow to film at Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford

    The post Antiques Roadshow to film at Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
  • PUSH Physical Theatre’s Heather and Darren Stevenson have built a life — and a company — together, on stage and off 

    When Heather and Darren Stevenson tell a love story on stage, it’s not an act. They have been married for 32 years and served as co-artistic directors of PUSH Physical Theatre for 25 years — by now, performing side-by-side is second nature. As part of the company’s 25th anniversary celebration, PUSH will host a homecoming of sorts at Geva Theatre March 13–21 with the premiere of “HOME[sic],” a new work featuring pieces from PUSH’s past with fresh explor
  • Gladys Knight and Mikaela Davis among summer festival performer announcements

    Despite a fresh snowfall, festival season is just a few months away. This week, two of the city’s cornerstone summer celebrations have revealed some 2026 headliners.The Rochester Lilac Festival will fill Highland Park with homegrown and touring acts beginning May 8 and running through May 17. Each night has free live music, with local acts supporting the top names.
     
    One of them is regional favorite and Rochester native Mikaela Davis, who brings her harp back to the stage for an
  • REVIEW | ‘Tyzik Joyride’ by Eastman Wind Ensemble

    Here’s an album to turn on when you’re looking for something bright and fun in the midst of winter — whether you’re embracing the season’s chilly energy or trying to combat its gloom. From the first note of Jeff Tyzik’s “Jazz Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Wind Ensemble,” there’s brightness, bounce, lift and energy. In other words, “Joyride” is an apt name for this track, and for the whole album. Throughout the diff
  • In love and marriage, people with disabilities pay the price 

    Stephanie Woodward is a disability rights attorney, activist and mother. She is also disabled and used to strangers asking her inappropriate questions. “The amount of people who are shocked that I have children and ask me how it is done…” she said. “And I’m like, is health class illegal where you’re from?” For Woodward, those moments are not just awkward or offensive; they are revealing. They expose assumptions a
  • REVIEW | “WICKED”

    The last time I saw “WICKED,” the 2003 musical from Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, performed on stage, I (and probably most of the world) had yet to learn who Ariana Grande was. That’s mostly an indictment of how old I am, but it’s also a testament to how long the show has had a hold on the musical theater world. Audiences have been defying gravity and debating how well pink goes with green for over two decades, and for good reason. Rochester is a theater town
  • Vision of Sound returns for four days of eclectic local music and dance

    The Rochester City Ballet, a krumping university professor and ensemble musicians will gather this weekend for a unique festival. Vision of Sound, which pairs local composers and choreographers to perform new work together, returns for four shows of eclectic music and dance February 19-22.The shows will be staged at four local schools, including SUNY Brockport, Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, Rochester Institute of Technology and Hobart and Willia
  • Rochester’s drag community is more than double entendres and dollar bills

    The perception that drag equals sex sparked controversy this past summer when a Rochester drag bingo fundraiser planning to benefit the Child Advocacy Center was canceled due to widespread online backlash. Many commenters objected to a drag-themed fundraiser being tied to a child-welfare charity, arguing it made the event inappropriate or was misaligned with the organization’s mission. David Chappius, who is a co-owner of Rochester nightclub ROAR and also known as prominent local dra
  • How New York State’s top-free movement started with a picnic at Cobbs Hill

    The month of February provides opportunities to celebrate St. Valentine, Body Awareness Month and, perhaps, new and exciting ways to make sure your needs are being met. You may find yourself in the company of someone who you wish to celebrate with, and part of that equation may include breasts. You may have them, have consensual access to them or have had experience with them. But is there any consensus as to what they are for?In the 1980s, a group of women from Rochester fought for — and
  • REVIEW | ‘Wuthering Heights’

    For much of “Wuthering Heights,” a film adaptation of the revered 1847 novel of the same name by Emily Brontë, written and directed by Emerald Fennell (“Saltburn,” “Promising Young Woman”), doomed lovers Cathy and Heathcliff behave like the worst version of the most insufferable couple you knew in college.
    You know the one. Always the two hottest people in any room, and always on the verge of breaking up or declaring their undying love for one another, w
  • 6 local ways to love yourself

    Self-love is a concept that is thrown around so casually and frequently these days it can sometimes feel meaningless. But I place firm stock in it, manifesting it through self-kindness, putting less pressure on yourself and not only accepting, but embracing your imperfections. Truly loving yourself means exploring who you are down to the core and giving yourself the grace to be a little (or maybe a lot more) vulnerable. Here are a few (local) ways to practice self-love — whether
  • Rom-com roll call for V-Day (or any day) viewing

    I was 8 years old when I first saw Rob Reiner’s “The Princess Bride,” a romantic comedy wrapped in the trappings of a fantasy, to delight young girls and fool young boys for decades to come. It paved the way for a life where part of my brain is always thinking about Shopgirl and NY152 from “You’ve Got Mail,” or how Cher goes to the opera with Nicolas Cage in “Moonstruck,” or when Bill Pullman describes leaning to Sandra Bullock in “While You
  • Applications open February 17 for the 15th annual ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

    The post Applications open February 17 for the 15th annual ESL Rochester Fringe Festival appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
  • REVIEW | ‘Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune’

    Some plays focus on the larger-than-life: think Shakespeare’s kings, witches and battles. Other plays are mundane and true-to-life: think conversations about farts, radio requests and getting to know your coworkers. “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” is solidly in the second camp. Out of Pocket, Inc. lovingly stages this 1980s romantic comedy at the MuCCC through (appropriately) Feb. 14 under the direction of Trish Annese.Written by Terrence McNally, a prolific dramatis
  • Innovative Field to become ESL Ballpark this season

    The post Innovative Field to become ESL Ballpark this season appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
  • REVIEW | ‘Blanket’ by Shep Treasure

    Indie artist Shep Treasure’s second full-length album, “Blanket,” feels like taking a walk after a blizzard, leaving the house for a world sheathed in layers of pearl grey and reflected sunlight.Sabrina Nichols, the primary creative force behind the band’s name, wrote “Blanket” after moving back to her native Rochester from Brooklyn. Nichols takes charge on nearly every aspect of her music’s output, recording and mixing the album in her basement with co
  • A therapist’s tips for sexual wellness, intimacy and empowerment

    It’s not always easy to talk about sex. Some might say the discussion of sex is wholly unsexy and best left alone. Eleni Economides talks about it every day.
    © 2024 | Kelly Kester PhotographyAs a licensed marriage and family therapist, an AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) certified sex therapist and a sexual wellness and intimacy coach, Economides works to help others feel fulfilled and empowered in their sexual lives. Her private practice
  • Fanning the flames of romantasy in Rochester

    As a young girl, Myla Rose kept a life-sized cardboard cutout of Legolas from ”The Lord of the Rings” in her bedroom. She spent hours reading fantasy novels or playing “RuneScape” on dial-up internet under his watchful gaze. These early obsessions grew into “Skyrim” marathons and Renaissance festival outings, cosplay and even fantasy “fae” balls. Threaded through it all was a love of meticulously crafted storylines, rich characters and e
  • REVIEW | ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’

    “The Voice of Hind Rajab” worked last year’s festival circuit with no distributor but plenty of A-list support (Brad Pitt, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix all ended up boarding the film as executive producers). When it debuted at the Venice Film Festival in September, writer-director Kaouther Ben Hania won the Grand Jury Prize (considered the festival’s second-place prize) and the film received a 23-minute standing ovation. “The Voice of Hind Rajab” also play
  • Mutoscopes provided a window into the risqué

    The year is 1900. You’re a Rochester boy old enough to ride the streetcars, and you’ve got a few nickels in your pocket. Where to go?There’s the ballpark on Culver Road or the races at Driving Park. You could ride up to the beach if the weather is good, or down to the South Avenue bathhouses if it isn’t.Or – if your taste runs toward the risqué – you could slink downtown to the Clinton Avenue moving picture parlor.From the mutoscope archives at George
  • REVIEW | ‘Before the Dawn’ by Claudia Hoyser

    “Before the Dawn,” the sophomore album from Fairport native Claudia Hoyser is an ethereal dive into modern Americana and country. Hoyser’s unique voice and emotional vulnerability create something new and fresh, sultry and sweet. For fans of indie and country, this LP is sure to turn heads. While exploring themes like growth and healing, “Before the Dawn” is more than a group of songs; it’s a testimony.The opening track, “Girl in Blue,” trickles t
  • Pittsford grad Isa Antonetti, Eastman faculty and alumni take home Grammy awards

    Natalie Venetia Belcon and Isa Antonetti play Cuban singer Omara at different ages in “Buena Vista Social Club.” PHOTO BY Heather Gershonowitz.
    Among this year’s winners at the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 1 were Pittsford-Mendon graduate Isa Antonetti and several Eastman School of Music faculty and alumni.
    Antonetti is the daughter of Victor Antonetti and performed with her father’s Latin band, Orquesta Antonetti, as a teenager before graduating from Pi
  • Rochester’s forgotten NFL heroes

    Before the Bills. Before billion dollar stadiums. Before the NFL became a national obsession, Rochester was already rewriting the rules of football. On dusty sandlots and roaring high school fields, a visionary owner, a Haitian-born trailblazer and a city that loved the game more than college or pro teams laid the foundation for a sport that would change America forever.On fall Saturdays in the early 1900s, the city’s biggest crowds didn’t flock to college games. They poured into hi
  • Local businesses close; donate portion of proceeds during nationwide shutdown

    This week, the Somali Student Association at the University of Minnesota called upon the nation to shut down in response to the murders of Keith Porter Jr., Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.Activist groups have designated Friday, January 30 as a day for no work, no school and no shopping.Local closing announcements began earlier this week with posts from Ugly Duck Coffee and Pizza Wizard, and over the past few days grew to more than 100 closings. Many businesses will remain open for vario
  • REVIEW | “The Woman in Black”

    When the first jump scare happened during Geva Theatre’s production of “The Woman in Black” on Tuesday, a woman two seats down grabbed her friend’s arm and yelped. By the fourth jump scare, she said (loudly), “I’m gonna fight him!”The decent-sized crowd that had shuffled in from an icy 10-degree January night to endure two hours of bleakness the way only the English can tell a story may have shared her fervor at that point. “The Woman in Blac
  • REVIEW | “No Other Choice”

    More people than not have likely had to face the loss of a job. Whether it be a termination or a mass company layoff, their name just happened to be selected in favor of the bottom line — an unfortunate occurrence in a corporate world. It’s not an easy change to navigate, especially when the termination comes as a surprise. How people handle such bad news may vary, but hopefully no one ever handles it like Man-su (Lee Byung-hun) does in director Park Chan-wook’s new film &ldqu
  • CITY’s year in (music) review 2025

    Year-end lists condition people like me to think that there must be One Best Album to rule over all others. This is simply not true. My favorite 2025 music was made by several diverse artists that I love equally: ambient instrumentalist Walt McClements, New York City band Geese, local improvisational duo Wren Cove — more than I could highlight here.But that’s a champagne problem. With so much great music made from across the geographic and musical spectrum, it’s a fool’s
  • REVIEW | “Monty Python’s Spamalot” is not dead yet

    “Monty Python’s Spamalot” galloped into the West Herr Auditorium Theatre this week on invisible horses, leaving behind a trail of flatulence, flesh wounds, flying cows and a lot of laughter, proving that this 20-year-old madcap musical of the highest disorder is
    “not dead yet.”If those references were lost on you, not to worry, not to worry. “Spamalot” doesn’t want you to think a lot — and that’s the point of it. It just wants you to h
  • Taye Diggs and The Skycoasters to be inducted into Rochester Music Hall of Fame

    Long before he was demanding last year’s rent from his bohemian friends, Taye Diggs grew up in Rochester and attended School of the Arts. Since then, the actor, singer and Broadway star has gone on to much success and acclaim, including performances in the stage and film versions of “Rent” and “Chicago.”Later this year, his contributions will be formally recognized back home.Diggs will be inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame’s 2026 class during a co
  • ROCHESTER TEN | MIDGE THOMAS

    Age: 98
    Hometown: Mumford
    Current residence: Center City
    Occupation: Philanthropist and community champion
    On September 1, Midge Thomas will turn 99 years old.
    The times and accomplishments for which she’s most remembered — her marriage to Dr. Freddie Thomas, the establishment of a foundation and community center in his honor after his untimely death, the dedication of the Miss Jane Pittman drinking fountain at the Liberty Pole — are all decades past.
    What remains is smaller an
  • Best of Rochester Staff Picks: Drink

    Best ice cold martini service: PS Martini at Patron SaintIt was a visit to Bemelmans Bar on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that really ruined me for all other martinis. The bar, founded in 1947, is located in the Carlyle Hotel and named for Ludwig Bemelman, the Austrian-American creator of the “Madeline” books, which follow a little redheaded girl in a Parisian boarding school. (“12 little girls in two straight lines…” Yes, that one.) The bar is lush and dimly l
  • Best of Rochester Staff Picks: Food

    Best under-the-radar restaurant: Chortke If there’s been one singular story on my radar for the past two years, it’s Chortke: an unassuming storefront restaurant in Village Gate that pivoted from fast casual counter service to upscale dining and has been thriving ever since. When it opened in 2018, Chortke was known for its customizable, generous portions of rice or salad topped with kabobs like spicy joojeh (saffron chicken), blistered tomatoes and tzatziki on the side. E
  • REVIEW | ‘Is This Thing On?’

    In the early moments of Bradley Cooper’s “Is This Thing On?” Tess (Laura Dern) is brushing her teeth and watching her husband Alex (Will Arnett) as he steps out of the shower.
    “We need to call it, right?” Tess asks in between brushes. Alex takes a brief beat before responding “I think so, too.”The “it” being Alex and Tess’ marriage; after 20 years, the couple has decided to divorce. There doesn’t seem to be any anger or bitternes
  • RIT professor fills old payphone stands in city neighborhoods with free phones

    The post RIT professor fills old payphone stands in city neighborhoods with free phones appeared first on CITY Magazine. Arts. Music. Culture..
  • The results are in — here are your 2025 Best of Rochester winners

    The results of CITY’s annual “Best of Rochester” readers’ poll are in! This year resulted in more than 18,000 nominations and 180,000 final votes for in 136 categories — everything from your favorite burger and day spa to first date spot and idea for the future.As always, we assembled a team of CITY writers — both freelance and staff — to get their takes for best people/places/things flying under the radar (but should be on yours).For the first time eve
  • Best of Rochester 2025: Shopping & Services

    And the winners are…
    Best Pet Adoption Services: Lollypop FarmVerona Street | Operation Freedom Ride | Pet Pride
    Best Boutique: ParkleighShop Peppermint | Second Look Boutique | MescolataBest Charity/Nonprofit: Lollypop FarmFoodlink | SewGreen Rochester | Breast Cancer Coalition of Greater Rochester
    Best Wine/Liquor Store: Marketview LiquorBayTowne Wine & Spirits | Pinnacle | Euphoria LiquorBest Garden Center: The Garden FactorySunscape Farms | Genrich’s | Sara’s
    Best Lib
  • Best of Rochester 2025: Recreation

    And the winners are…
    Best Local Landmark: Mount Hope CemeteryHighland Park | High Falls | Susan B. Anthony HouseBest Place to Make New Friends: LUX LoungeWegmans | Flight Wine Bar | Unwine’dBest Place to Dance: ROARLUX Lounge | Vertex
    Best Playground: Lilac Adventure Zone (Highland Park)Rothfuss Park (Penfield) | Shadow Pines Park (Penfield) | Hilton-Parma Town Hall
    Best Picnic Spot: Highland ParkMendon Ponds Park | Cobbs Hill Park | Mount Hope CemeteryBest Idea for the Future: Rej
  • Best of Rochester 2025: Food

    And the winners are…
    Best Indian Restaurant: Thali of IndiaTandoor of India | Hyderabad Biryani House | Royal of IndiaBest Mediterranean Restaurant: Aladdin’s Natural EateryCedar | Voula’s | Sinbad’sBest French Fries: StrangebirdThe Playhouse // Swillburger | Good Luck | RouxBest Chicken French: Mr. Dominic’sAgatina’s | Proietti’s | Phillips EuropeanBest Gluten-Free Menu Options: The Owl HouseRed Fern | Salena’s | Alter Ego EateryBest Bagel: Bals
  • Best of Rochester 2025: Drink

    And the winners are…
    Best New Bar (Opened in 2025): Easy Sailor TikiVanni’s Jazz Lounge | Carmella’s Wine Bar | Parlays InnBest Brewer: Ellyn Gooch, StrangebirdMicah Krichinsky, Strangebird | Jon Mervine, Fifth Frame | Chris Uhlein, Fifth FrameBest Distillery (ROC or FLX): Iron Smoke DistilleryBlack Button Distilling | Hollerhorn Distilling | Finger Lakes DistillingBest Local Wine List: Carnegie CellarsApogee | Flight Wine Bar | Angelina’sBest Sommelier: Shomari Smoak,

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