This Saturday at the Weis Center, Manual Cinema spooked and stunned the audience with its intriguing multimedia performance of Frankenstein. The well-known story was conveyed in a unique, attention-grasping way which was able to captivate any lover of the arts. The show included live acting, orchestra and vocals, shadow work and puppetry, film, visual art, and sound effects. All of these elements brought the audience into the world of the story and allowed us to experience it in a new way. The Weis Center shook as the sound of thunder permeated through the space. It was fantastic to be able […]

The Philadelphia Dance Company, better known as PHILADANCO!, stunned the audience on Tuesday night with their captivating ability to tell stories through movement. The first piece on their program, “Super 8!”, dealt with love, sensuality, and seduction via the examination of three different couples. Throughout this piece, the music and lighting played a key role in complementing the dancers’ movements and enhancing the overall experience. Additionally, the communication of body language between the dancers was visible to the audience and provided an authentic experience. PHILADANCO! also performed two other pieces titled “With(in)verse” and “La Valse” which were both raw and […]

From Texas, to Brooklyn, to the Weis Center stage! Kat Edmonson, jazz vocalist with specialty in what she refers to as “vintage pop”, gave a truly captivating performance. As her recent album is titled, she truly is an “old fashioned gal”; her unique and romantic vocal style instantly places audience members into another time period. Kat conveyed to the audience and in several interviews that her main source of inspiration comes from 1930s and 40s movies such as Turner classic movies. These movies and personal life events such as breakups spark her spectacular songwriting method. Kat says she first hears […]

On October 2nd, the seats in the Weis Center were filled to capacity (1200!) with elementary schoolers from Mifflinburg, Milton, Danville, Lewisburg, and Millville as well as homeschool families, to watch Max Darwin, better known by his nickname “The Amazing Max,” showcase his mesmerizing magic tricks. From start to finish, the energy in the room was infectious and the audience was on the edge of their seats, spellbound by the performance.  Max’s ability to captivate the audience can be attested by the fact that nearly every hand shot into the air to participate when he asked for volunteers for his […]

Jazzmeia Horn, jazz vocalist, shined on the Weis Center stage with her band this Thursday evening. Her energy was palpable and present in everything about her, from her vibrantly colored outfit to her wide vocal range and fast moving, upbeat tempo songs. The way she and her band members were able to interact with each other and the audience created a warm and intimate environment, in which the viewers were truly immersed in the performance. Horn’s songs were meaningful and inspired by her everyday life and experiences, such as searching for love and interacting with her active daughters. The passion […]

Aizuri Quartet: Intricate Machines performed in the Weis Atrium lobby last Sunday at 2 pm. The performance began with an introduction from two of the composers who chose the music for the program. Each piece of music is special in that they each inhabit a different musical space. Every song had its own unique, dimensional voice that intertwined with other songs, making each set unique and connected. The first song began soft, like a whisper, trickling across the notes. It’s a siren song; haunting and alluring simultaneously. A later song explored the “dimensions of the breath”, from rapid pants to deep […]

The Utah based Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company performed at the Weis Center on March 23. A prominent figure in the contemporary dance scene, Ririe-Woodbury pursues a mission to incorporate dance into everyone’s life through dynamic education and community outreach programs. Their program for Saturday night was comprised of 4 beautiful pieces; including “Excerpts From Exilic Dances”, “Opposite of Killing”, “Strict Love” and lastly “Storm”. Using minimal props and simplistic but elegant costumes, the dancers performed with a grace that casts a light on the spectacle of dance and the capabilities of the human form. The choreography feels rooted in the sheer […]

Accompanied by Jenny Scheiman on the violin, Robbie Fulks on the banjo, and Robbie Gjersoe on the guitar, Kannapolis: A Moving Portrait is a multimedia performance set against the movies of H. Lee Waters, who documented more than 118 small towns in the American southeast between 1936 and 1942. The score is originally composed by Sheinman, a testament to her dedication and passion for capturing the essence of the time period. Scheinman and filmmaker Finn Taylor painstakingly reedited Waters’ images to Scheinman’s music, creating a new movie that speaks to any community as much as to the towns where it was filmed. The history […]

Thursday, February 28th: The lights go down. A gold backlight glows, revealing the silhouette of a well-dressed man poised in position. From seemingly nowhere a guitar picks up a rhythm. Drums and sound of hands clapping add to the beat. Suddenly the music rises and the man explodes into dance. His footfalls shake the room as he flies in a whirlwind; his dance so fiery and beautiful it takes your breath away. The next 90 minutes go on to be one of the most spectacular international dance performances ever seen at Bucknell. Farruquito is a living legend. Son of flamenco singer Juan […]

American songwriter and jazz vocalist René Marie performed on February 21st with her band featuring Quentin Baxter on drums, John Chin on piano, Elias Bailey on bass, and Randy Napoleon on guitar. Opening with “Turn the Page” by Bob Seger, Marie incorporated a variety of covers and original songs in her soulful performance. Marie proves that all musicians, at their core, are storytellers. She spins stories not just with her voice and musical accompaniment but with her breath, her body, her fingers and her feet. She falls into her music like a dancer, embracing the quirky high notes and deepest blues. […]