Entertainment: Multimedia Belt

April 2, 2014 - 12:17am
Star of FOX's 'New Girl' visits SU, gives Q&A with students.

When asked to speak at SU, New Girl’s Max Greenfield said he would much rather come to accept his honorary degree and serve as this year’s commencement speaker.

“You guys go to the cool school,” he said Tuesday night. “Go ‘Cuse! Carmelo Anthony foreva!”

No, Greenfield didn’t go to SU, but his witty, woman-loving, Jewish-professing character, Schmidt did, and it was Schmidt who showed up to deliver a commencement-styled talk filled with advice, jokes and even a little Judaism on Tuesday night.

March 7, 2014 - 12:35pm
Review: The first Bandersnatch Concert show of the semester rocked an energetic Syracuse University crowd ready for Spring Break.

If you closed your eyes Wednesday in the Schine Underground, you definitely felt like Spring Break had come early — somewhere between Coachella and a desert oasis.

Unfortunately, the carefree, billow-in-the-breeze feelings didn’t start until an hour of tirelessly waiting for sound check for the Bandersnatch concert series show to be completed.

The sold-out concert began with electronic duo ASTR, pronounced like the beginning of asteroid. The couple is comprised of New York natives Zoe Silverman on vocals and Adam Pallin on electronic percussion.

February 27, 2014 - 1:19am
Director Ryan Travis and his ensemble of young men set out to expose the realities and falsities of the modern male African-American experience in a new derived theatrical performance.

Ryan Travis sits at the head of a table at Syracuse University's Arts Engage center downtown. He listens intently as a black SU student explains the story of his first experience with racism as a child.

Suddenly, Travis springs from his seat, raising his hands over his head and explaining an idea for transferring the student's story from the table to the stage.

February 21, 2014 - 10:07pm
The online comedy kings played to a sold out audience at the Goldstein Auditorium.

Syracuse University was the home of our four favorite class clowns last night. The guys of College Humor, Jake Hurwitz, Amir Blumenfeld, Streeter Seidell, and our very own SU alum Dan Gurewitch, took the stage to a packed Goldstein Auditorium. Students were buzzing with excitement before the show began. Some students hoping College Humor’s stand-up performance would live up to the hype! 

February 7, 2014 - 9:45pm
Syracuse Stage's production of Matthew Lopez's dramatic spin on America's "original sin."

On the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act’s passage and the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, Syracuse Stage presents The Whipping Man. Playwright Matthew Lopez’s debut work reminds Americans of the unhealed scars on the slaves and their masters. Directed by Timothy Bond, this production taps into the reflection of history and poses question on how far America has advanced. 

February 4, 2014 - 4:18pm
RYSE (née Ryan Andersen) is a young rapper and artist constantly searching for the freshest sound while overcoming a turbulent past.

Ryan Andersen is looking for ways to broadcast his message to the world. As the aspiring rapper RYSE, the Syracuse University freshman has found just a way to do that.

Andersen's exposure to alcohol and drugs during his upbringing ultimately created severe emotional and dependency issues including the amphetamine Adderall. But while he was able to conquer many of those personal challenges, Andersen also tried to tap into those experiences for his musical endeavors.

February 3, 2014 - 12:24pm
A tribute to the Academy Award-winning actor considered one of the best of his generation.

One of my favorite film critics, Sam Adams of The Dissolve and Indiewire, said it best when he tweeted this:

“Writers trying to figure out the first line for your PSH obit: I suggest ‘Jesus, where do I start?’”

January 29, 2014 - 3:50pm
Chuck's and other local spots experienced a (small) British invasion this past week as the cast of TV's 'Campus Crashers' tried party like American college students.

Not even the frigid cold could keep these Brits from partying in the USA.

Over the course of the last week, the cast of Campus Crashers have been discovering what it is like to live (and party) like a Syracuse University student.

January 28, 2014 - 4:03pm
The Redhouse puts on the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical.

Winning the 2009 Tony Award for best score and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, next to normal, written by Brian Yorkey and scored by Tom Kit, stands as a milestone in musical history for its outstanding achievement in terms of both its literary and musical qualities. 

Red House Arts Center brings this contemporary rock musical legend to Syracuse, giving the local audience an unforgettable experience that’s heartbreaking, and breathtakingly beautiful at the same time. 

December 8, 2013 - 8:41pm
Review: The Red House's production of 'The Music Man' suffers from the small space but is a triumph overall thanks to a talented cast.

There’s little new to be done with The Music Man. The 1957 Broadway classic is as uncontroversial as apple pie and as populist as Frank Capra.

That said, there’s a lot of charm in its wholesome story of a con man redeemed by love and a small town lit up by the excitement he brings. It’s a natural fit for community theaters that can cast and stage it well. The Red House’s production only gets about halfway there on both counts, but that can’t totally negate the musical’s strengths.