"South Pacific" @ The Auditorium Theatre, May 15-20

Auditorium Theatre | thru May 20

The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, South Pacific, makes its Rochester debut in a revival of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic that won a Tony Award in 2008.  Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical is a sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices.  It’s score includes such classics as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Younger Than Springtime,” “Bali Ha’I,” “There is Nothin’ Like A Dame,” This Nearly Was Mine,” and “A Wonderful Guy.”

Singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester has had a stellar career.  Since training under Paul Simon at New York University in her twenties, she has gone on to win a Grammy for “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” and the Governor’s Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.  As a composer, she’s worked on Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective and Lady and the Tramp 2; and her song, “I Know Who I am” was featured in the film For Colored Girls…Rochester’s Paradigm Shift is an organ-driven jazz group led by Melvin Henderson on guitar and Gerry Youngman on organ, with Sean Jefferson joining in on drums.

Nashville’s David Mayfield Parade performs Americana and folk-rock under the able leadership of David Mayfield, the Grammy-nominated artist who is also a member of the band Cadillac Sky.  David Mayfield Parade, their self-titled debut, has been receiving favorable press, earning the group a spot on Southwest Spirit Magazine’s “40 Artists To Watch” list.  Band members include Mayfield along with Kristin Weber, Wes Langlois, Shelby Means, and Joe Giotta.

An innovative singer/songwriter and harmonica virtuoso, Harper has been described as “the Jimi Hendrix of the harmonica” and is noted for his dynamic live show. Part harmonica wizard and part rhythmic explorer, Harper is a fiery artist who blurs the lines between rock, blues, soul and world music. He’s known for his huge soulful vocals, as well as for his use of the didgeridoo, an indigenous wind instrument of his native Australia, which gives Harper a distinctive sound entirely his own. One of Australia’s leading session vocalists and harp players, Harper received the “Male Vocalist of the Year” and “Song of the Year” titles from the Australian Blues Music Awards.  Releases include Down to the Rhythm, Day By Day, Stand Together and his latest with his Midwest Kind band, Live at the Blues Museum.

Dom Irrera @ The Comedy Club, May 17-19

Comedy Club | May 17 – 19

An award winning comic, Dom Irrera’s stand-up material was honed in a multi-generational Italian household in South Philadelphia with his mother, sister, grandmother, uncles and cousins all under one very big roof. Irrera’s first big break was his performance on Rodney Dangerfield’s Nothing Goes Right for HBO, soon followed by his own One Night Stand on HBO and a hosting gig on Showtime’s Full Frontal Comedy. Irrera has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Collin Quinn’s Tough Crowd; and he has made several appearances on Oprah. He’s also appeared as a guest on Seinfeld, Becker, Everybody Loves Raymond and King of Queens.

Declared by the Boston Globe as “Local on the Verge” in 2008, Miss Tess is a young Boston-based performer/songwriter.  Aptly naming her style “modern vintage,” her music bridges eras and genres from ragtime to blues; country to swing.  Tess first joined the storied Cambridge music scene in 2005, when she formed The Bon Ton Parade (recently renamed The Talkbacks) – a dynamic, solo-swaping combo comprised of sax, clarinet, upright bass, brushes on drums and backing harmonies.  In 2007, she released her first album with her band entitled Modern Vintage as well as When Tomorrow Comes, a CD comprised of jazz standards. These releases were followed by Live On the Road, Darling, Oh Darling, and The Waltz Set.  Her latest effort is a double album featuring two live shows, one from the Regatta Bar in Cambridge, MA and the other form Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA.  It’s titled Live Across the Mason Dixon Line.

The Tim Herron Corporation has been playing their mix of rock and roll, bluegrass and folk for some thirteen years now.  Based in Syracuse, they are known for their high energy shows that have earned the group fans on the club and festival circuit and attention from regional critics.  THC has four full lengths to its credit, the latest being Talkabout.    They also have a DVD called Ameribeat Sessions Volume 1.  For this Sticky Lips Ameribeat Session, the lineup will feature Tim Herron on guitar/vocals, Eric McElveen on bass/vocals, Patrick Strain on pedal steel guitar/vocals and Josh Dekaney on drums; along with special guests David Ferreira (T.A.O./The Buddhahood) on saxophone/percussion and Christopher English (AudioInflux) on percussion.

The electronic metalcore band, Skip the Foreplay, hails from Montreal.  Members include Jean-Michel Aumais, Marc-Andre Fillion, Julien Guy-Beland, Mathieu Maltais, Charles Pilon and Marc-Andre Lemyre.  Skip the Foreplay is part of the 2012 Vans Warped Tour; and the band has just released their debut, Nightlife.

Thursday, May 17

Lilac Festival – Highland Park

Rochester’s own Lou Gramm began his career in the local group Black Sheep before earning fame as the lead vocalist of Foreigner (“Cold As Ice,” “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Midnight Blue”).  Through the years, he’s also had an extensive solo career and he’s lent his talent to a number of collaborative projects. Brain surgery for a tumor slowed his career for a bit, but he’s fully recovered now, and performing frequently…Singer/songwriter Travis Rocco recently released Smoke & Tangerines.  The pop rock album features his unique voice and original material.  Travis has toured 24 states and performed at over 170 colleges, countless festivals and clubs.

Friday, May 18

Lilac Festival – Highland Park

Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey are Steel Magnolia.  The duo won CMT’s “Can You Duet” contest and their song, “Keep On Lovin’ You” was a break-through hit.  They’ve toured with Brad Paisley were named “Vocal Duo of the Year” and “Top New Vocal Duo of the Year” at the Academy of County Music Awards in 2010 and 2011…Binghamton’s “Shanty Rock” quartet, Driftwood, is a contagious act – sincere about the music and about their performance.  The American Roots/Rock artists’ first CD is Rally Day.