WXXI Productions

Memories of Midtown

Before looking ahead, WXXI asks that you take a look back. Tune in for this special presentation and recall your memories of Midtown Plaza. Narrated by 13 WHAM-TV’s Don Alhart, Memories of Midtown features never-before-seen footage, both archival and personal, along with anecdotal interviews with noted personalities. Chet Walker remembers working at Midtown Plaza, and how the Clock of the Nations always let him know if he was on time or late for work. Ken McCurdy remembers being able to miss school to attend the opening of Midtown Plaza. The Maggios remember meeting for the first time at Midtown, and fittingly, had their wedding reception at Top of the Plaza. These individuals and many others share their memories in WXXI’s latest documentary Memories of Midtown.

In the late 1950s, the retail marketplace was changing. As people moved to the suburbs, businesses followed, which had a huge impact on downtown. It took the vision of two Rochester business leaders to rise to the occasion and reinvigorate downtown, and Rochester itself. Gilbert J.C. McCurdy and Maurice Forman joined together to build the first urban, in-door mall in America that would change retail and downtown. Midtown Plaza opened on April 10, 1962, and for the two decades that followed it kept the heart of downtown beating. But the times changed, and Midtown began to struggle in the 1980s when it couldn’t compete with the suburban shopping malls.

On October 16, 2007 the City of Rochester announced that Midtown Plaza would be torn down to make room for the new PAETEC headquarters. Today, a new generation of business leaders is working to reinvent downtown, giving it a new heartbeat of activity.

3 Memories from Midtown:

In this segment: Former Eastman School of Music student, Glenn Call, now conductor of Tuba Christmas, remembers visiting Midtown as a student. Rochester citizen, Richard Swereda, talking about Midtown being the place to go for shopping… everything you would ever want was available… especially at Christmas. Rochester citizen, Joe McDonough, talking about moving to Rochester in 1962, construction still finishing up, exciting to think of his new home as a vibrant place to live.

In this segment: Rochester citizen, Martha Bush, remembers “meeting by the clock” as a child.

In this segment: Rochester citizen and artist, Edith Lunt Small, remembers the high-end, first class shopping at Midtown Plaza.

Eastman at 100: A Centennial Celebration On-Demand

Take a look back at the story of Eastman School of Music and how George Eastman’s vision for a school dedicated to scholarship, musicianship, and an inclusive community campus came to be.

Filmed over the course of three years, Eastman at 100 follows individual students throughout their academic year, offering a firsthand look at their transformational experiences. Eastman’s story is told through intimate interviews with professors, administrators, staff, community partners, and high-profile alumni, including:

World-renowned, Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming ’83 (MM), ’11 (Honorary)
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts ’94, ’99E (DMA)
Grammy-winning drummer Steve Gadd ’68, ’17 (Honorary)
Grammy-nominated jazz composer and conductor Maria Schneider ’85 (MM)
Retired “Voice of the Met” and former WXXI Classical host Mary Jo Heath ’88 (Ph.D.)

Emmy award-winning composer and conductor Mark Watters, who is Director of the Beal Institute for Film Music and Contemporary Media, wrote and composed the score for the documentary. Support for this documentary was provided by Dawn F. Lipson.

Watch the full program on WXXI Passport

Fantastic New York • On-Demand

Discover the Fantastic New York you never knew!

The mystery, the adventure, the surprise and delight behind some of our state’s most intriguing people, sites and stories.

Watch the First Episode: Fantastic New York: Boldt Castle: Fresh off of producing the award-winning documentary, Journeys Through the Finger Lakes, WXXI Public Media producers and hosts Jason Milton and Katie Epner dig deeper to divulge the enduring stories that embody the strange and unique personality of our state. Discover the Fantastic New York you never knew and experience the crazy history lesson you always wish you had.

Warrior in Two Worlds On-Demand

Ely Parker was a Seneca chief, a legal scholar, an engineer, a Civil War hero, and a Cabinet-level commissioner — all by the age of 40. At first glance, his story appears to be one of success and triumph.

Yet Parker died in poverty far from the land of his birth. In later life he was estranged from his people and dismissed by political leaders he once considered friends. Today, American history remembers him as a mere footnote, and inside the Seneca community, he is a controversial figure — considered a hero by some, branded a traitor by others.

The PBS documentary Warrior in Two Worlds was produced by WXXI Public Broadcasting Council in Rochester, New York, in collaboration with the Rochester Museum & Science Center in 2004 . The film is narrated by Native American actor Wes Studi, who is set to become the first Native American to win an Oscar February 2020. The program is also a co-presentation with Native American Public Telecommunications. Major funding for this site was provided by the Lennox Foundation of Dallas, Texas.

Safe Haven On-Demand

In 1944, 982 refugees from 18 European countries were brought to the United States as guests of President Franklin Roosevelt.

FDR agreed to admit this small token group in lieu of a much larger plan to create many safe havens all over the country and bring in possibly hundreds of thousands of refugees. The camp was Fort Ontario Army Camp in Oswego, NY. Through interviews with former refugees and archival footage, Safe Haven, tells the story of America’s only refugee shelter for Holocaust victims. Robert Clary, a former refugee, hosts.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of this WXXI production in 2017, Safe Haven was written and produced by Paul Lewis. In 1987 the documentary received a Peabody Award, with jurors congratulating the production team for “making a particularly timely statement about the undercurrent of racism and bigotry which afflict all governments. “Paul and other special guests were in studio before and after the documentary with Need to Know host Hélène Biandudi Hofer to talk about the production and share personal stories about working on the film. See the Need to Know special on the documentary to learn more. Listen the Connections podcast 4/27/17 about the documentary.

RIT Big Shot: Painting with Light On-Demand

Big Shot took place at the National Museum of Play at The Strong and was documented by WXXI. Photographed on the evening of May 5, 2011, more than 1,000 volunteers convened at the museum and used flash lights to “paint the building with light” as photographers from RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences captured the scene using an open shutter and the dramatic technique of timed exposure.

Rochester Italian Americans: Children of Columbus On-Demand

Rochester offered Italian immigrants a world of opportunities in the late 1800’s, namely through the success of the Eastman Kodak and the much-needed jobs it provided. Families joined their Italian relatives settling in Rochester, building the city and surrounding areas into the second-most Italian-populated area in New York State, second only to New York City. Hear their stories.

Restoring a Masterpiece: Renovation of the Eastman Theatre On-Demand

Restoring a Masterpiece: The Renovation of the Eastman Theatre, co-produced by WXXI and Eastman School of Music, is a one-hour documentary that captures the fascinating story of the Eastman Theatre and documents its recent restoration. Narrated by Rochester native, actor and director Philip Seymour Hoffman, the film includes historic photographs, film, video, and live performances.

WXXI Productions

Discover the Fantastic New York you never knew!

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