The recent shootings at the Tops on Jefferson Avenue have affected everyone. All of us at Buffalo Toronto Public Media are heartbroken and shaken by the senseless tragedy that occurred in our great city on Saturday. We've put together a page of information and community resources on our website you may find helpful - it's available at WBFO.org.
Another list of resources that could use your help is on the Ujima Theatre Co. (one of the two Black theaters in Buffalo) Facebook page where they post as follows:
"Our beloved community was violated this past Saturday. Ten souls taken from us by senseless violence and unfathomable hate. Today we are numb, disheartened, and continuing to be afraid for our future; grappling with the truth that our community was targeted because we are Black.
"It could’ve happened anywhere, but he came here. A spokesperson for the chasm of hate that rages openly and unfettered in large pockets of our country. He is a vivid reminder of the hateful behaviors that communities of color endure every day, including in the Buffalo area.
"For 44 years Ujima Theatre Company has committed itself to serving our beloved community through collective work and responsibility. This act of violence, intended to terrorize us, only strengthens our resolve to do the work. To advocate. To give voice. To care for one another, with love and justice as our guide.
"We continue to lift up in light and love the victims of this hateful act and their families:
Aaron Salter
Ruth Whitfield
Pearly Young
Katherine Massey
Deacon Heyward Patterson
Celestine Chaney
Roberta A. Drury
Margus D. Morrison
Andre Mackneil
Geraldine Talley
"If you would like to take part in the collective work ahead to help heal the deep wounds of our community please engage in any of the resources below:
Buffalo Community Fridge
Rooted In Love, Inc.
Black Love Resists In the Rust
Buffalo Creek Academy
Resource Council of WNY"
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If you are wondering how else you can help, you might want to support Ujima Theatre Co. by attending their currently running production of SPUNK, inspired by short stories by Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston (see listing under CONTINUING below). Their space at 429 Plymouth was recently dedicated as the "Lorna C. Hill Theatre" in honor of their founder who created the company back in 1978. Hill was an activist in the community but, as Anthony says, all Black theater is activist theater.
The Artie Awards Nominees (think Tony Awards for Buffalo area theaters) will be announced on WBFO's Facebook Live page on Monday, May 23, at noon. Following that, two weeks later, the Artie Awards Ceremony will take place Monday night, June 6, 2022 at Shea's 710 Theatre, sponsored by Buffalo Toronto Public Media. That live event is a ticketed event, to raise money for ECMC's HIV/AIDS Immunodeficiency Clinic.
The 75th Annual Tony Award Nominations were announced on Monday, May 9 on the Tony Awards official YouTube channel. Visit tonyawards.com for the complete listings. The 2022 Tony Awards is still on for Sunday night, June 12th, at Radio City Music Hall to be hosted by West Side Story's Ariana DeBose.
The THEATER LISTINGS below are accurate as of this Friday morning, May 20, but check with the venue frequently. Pro Tip: Visit the websites to buy tickets but check with Facebook as well which will often have the most up-to-the-minute information on cancellations and postponements! And always bring a mask and proof of vaccination. Several venues are requiring one or both (as is the case with Ujima Theater).
CANCELLATIONS/POSTPONEMENTS:
PARADIGM BOMB presented by A.R.T. postponed to September.
PEOPLE, PLACES, and THINGS presented by D'Youville's Kavinoky Theatre cancelled for the remainder of the run.
NO OPENINGS THIS WEEK:
CLOSINGS THIS WEEKEND (FINAL SHOWS):
ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS by Jane Martin, directed by Lara D. Haberberger, starring Rachael Buchanan, Heather Fangsrud, Corey Gorski, Kaeli McGinnis, Davida Tolbert, Alyssa Walsh, Stefanie Warnick, through Sunday May 22, Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30, One Sunday show 2pm May 22, at the Alleyway Cabaret 716-598-1586 or visit brazenfacedvarlets.org or on Facebook or For www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5425950
ANTON IN SHOW BUSINESS BLURB:This madcap comedy follows three actresses across the footlights, down the rabbit hole, and into a strangely familiar Wonderland that looks a lot like American theatre – the resemblance is uncanny! As these women pursue their dream of performing Chekhov in Texas, they’re whisked through a maelstrom of “good ideas” that offer unique solutions to the Three Sisters’ need to have life’s deeper purpose revealed. In the tradition of great backstage comedies, Anton in Show Business conveys the joys, pains, and absurdities of “putting on a play” at the turn of the century.
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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the Disney Broadway musical, runs through Sunday May 22, presented by Theatre of Youth, Saturday at 2 pm and 7 pm, Sunday at 2 pm, at the Allendale Theatre, 203 Allen Street, Buffalo, NY 14210. 716.884.4400 theatreofyouth.org Masks are required. Runtime: 2-1/2 hours including one intermission.
BLURB: Be swept away by Broadway’s classic musical as TOY proudly presents Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. A tale as old as time, the spirited Belle, a prince-turned-beast, and a gaggle of enchanted friends discover there’s more than meets the eye as they look beyond what we see to discover that beauty comes from within.
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LITTLE WOMEN...NOW, a world-premiere adaptation by Donna Hoke, directed by Doug Weyand, starring Lisa Vitrano, Brittany Bassett, Alexandria Watts, Heather Gervasi, Sabrina Kahwaty, Jake Hayes and Ricky Needham, through Sunday May 22, Friday - Saturday at 7:30, Sunday at 2. Presented by Road Less Traveled Productions. 456 Main Street Buffalo NY 14202 Box Office 716.629.3069 roadlesstraveledproductions.org
LITTLE WOMEN NOW BLURB: Little Women… Now brings the beloved March sisters to life in this contemporary adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic story by RLTP Ensemble member Donna Hoke. Follow Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth as they navigate the challenges of love, loss, and family on the road from childhood to adulthood in the 21st century. With fresh perspective and charm, this world premiere production captures the spirit and sensibility of the original for a modern audience.
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*CANCELLED* NO FURTHER SHOWS AVAILABLE for PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS, a play by Duncan MacMillan, directed by Katie Mallinson, through Sunday May 22, Friday - Saturday at 7:30, also Saturday at 3:30, and Sunday at 2:00, presented by D'Youville's Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201. 716.829.7668 kavinokytheatre.com NEW SHOW HAS BEEN ADDED: Wednesday, May 18th at 7:30 pm.
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS BLURB: Emma was having the time of her life. Now she’s in rehab. An inventively dramatic tale of addiction, recovery, and everything that happens in between. NOTE: For the production of PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS the D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre is proud to partner with Save the Michaels of the World. On Thursday nights of the run (May 12 & 19) there will be panel discussions with the cast, people with lived experience, professionals from Save the Michaels of the World, and other support organizations. We want to create a safe space for dialogue and questions surrounding the current Substance Use Disorder crisis. On those nights, the bar will be alcohol free. Those “Talk-Back/Panel discussions” are free of charge and take place AFTER each Thursday performance.
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THE OTHER JOSH COHEN, a musical comedy, by David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, directed by Randall Kramer, presented by MusicalFare. Through Sunday May 22 Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm, Sunday at 2 pm at MusicalFare Theatre on the Daemen College campus, 4380 Main Street, Amherst, NY 14226 (pro tip: enter off Getzville Road). 716.839.8540 musicalfare.com
THE OTHER JOSH COHEN BLURB: Josh Cohen just can't get a break. He's single, broke and to top it all off, his apartment's been robbed of everything but a Neil Diamond CD. Broke and alone, all hope seems lost – until a mysterious letter arrives that changes his life forever. Thus begins the hilarious and quirky romantic comedy about a good guy caught in a lifelong battle with bad luck. It features a six member ensemble with two actors who play the same hapless-yet-warmhearted title character – one eventful year apart – in a 90-minute life-changing laughfest for the whole family that will leave you feeling better about the world!
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CONTINUING:
MODERN ORTHODOX by Daniel Goldfarb, directed by Steve Vaughan, through May 29, Thursdays at 7:30, Saturdays at 3:30 and 7:30, Sundays at 2, presented by Jewish Repertory in the Maxine and Robert Seller Theater, 2640 N Forest Rd, Buffalo, NY 14228. 716.688.4114 ext. 309 www.jccbuffalo.org/jrt/
MODERN ORTHODOX BLURB: This hilarious and heartfelt comedy tells the story of Ben Jacobson, an Upper West Side financial consultant ready to propose to his long-time girlfriend Hannah, and Herschel Klein, an Orthodox diamond dealer tasked with selling Ben an engagement ring. After a fateful first meeting Herschel becomes entangled in the lives of Ben and Hannah for better and worse. Initially Ben and Herschel’s differing views on their shared religions divides them, but as both men struggle with romantic relationships and faith an unexpected bond is forged between them in their pursuit of love.
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OREGON TRAIL, by Bekah Brunstetter, through May 28, directed by Chris J. Handley, presented by the Alleyway Theatre, Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30, at One Curtain Up Alley (between Pearl and Main along the back wall of Shea's) Buffalo NY 14202 alleyway.com 716.852.2600
OREGON TRAIL BLURB: It’s 1996 and Jane is trapped in her middle school computer lab playing “The Oregon Trail.” Suddenly the game comes to life and whisks us back to 1848 to travel covered-wagon style with Jane’s great-great-grandmother. As the game moves us (and Jane) back and forth in time, Jane forms a bond with her ancestors while navigating the complexities of a modern life. This comedy about depression from the EMMY-nominated writer of “This Is Us” is a must for anyone who grew up trying not to die of dysentery.
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SPUNK, by George C. Wolfe, adapted for the stage from Zora Neale Hurston stories, directed by Sarah Norat-Phillips, through May 29, Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 4 pm, presented by Ujima Theatre, 429 Plymouth Avenue, Buffalo, NY, 14213 716-281-0092 boxoffice@ujimacoinc.org.
ON THURSDAY 5/26, 7:30PM, Ujima invites everyone to join them for a special performance and talkback with Professor Nicole M. Morris-Johnson, Scholar of Zora Neale Hurston and Black performance, Director Sarah Norat-Phillips, and the cast of Spunk!
SPUNK BLURB: Using the blues, choral narrative and dance, the three tales focus on men and women, trapped inside the "laughin' kind of lovin' kind of hurtin' kind of pain, that comes from being human. Based on three short stories of Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God) and adapted by George C. Wolfe. SPUNK sets the human ability to endure to the strums of a guitar in a stirring musical fable. An unearthly Guitar Man and Blues Speak Woman tantalizingly interweave three tales of the early 20th century African American experience, from the fierce determination of a resilient washerwoman to the zoot suit struts of 1940s Harlem, to the bittersweet innocence of young married love. Glowing with wit, humor and energy, three tales of survival are told in the key of the blues.
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POSTPONED TO SEPTEMBER...THE PARADIGM BOMB, by Matthew LaChiusa, 5/19 (NEW) - 6/4, Thursdays - Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 5:00 pm, presented by A.R.T. at Compass Performing Arts Center, 545 Elmwood Avenue (the old TheatreLoft). 716-697-0837 artofwny@msn.com
THE PARADIGM BOMB BLURB: Per the playwright: "Ted Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh, the faceless thousands behind the Janauary 6th Capital storming, we know of their deeds, but do we ever know what was the first sparks that led to their actions? This piece looks closely at the humanity behind terrorist and insurrectional acts". This is not a political play, but a narrative about the human condition placed in a contemporary political and social environment. It's a piece about the hunger to be heard, and the extremes one takes to be".
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SHAWFESTIVAL LIST OF SUMMER PLAYS:
(Note, visit shawfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022Calendar_print.pdf for a printable calendar with days, dates, ande times)
FESTIVAL THEATRE
DAMN YANKEES
Words and Music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
Book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
By Oscar Wilde
THE DOCTOR’S DILEMMA
By Bernard Shaw
ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
By Edmond Rostand
Translated and adapted for the stage by Kate Hennig
GASLIGHT
By Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson
Based on the play Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton
CHITRA (Lunchtime One-Act)
By Rabindranath Tagore
JUST TO GET MARRIED
By Cicely Hamilton
JACKIE MAXWELL STUDIO THEATRE
THIS IS HOW WE GOT HERE
By Keith Barker
Produced by Native Earth Performing Arts
Presented by the Shaw Festival
TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD
By Bernard Shaw
EVERYBODY
By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
AUGUST WILSON’S
GEM OF THE OCEAN
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BUFFALO OPENINGS LATER THIS MONTH OF MAY:
GRINDR MOM, play by Ronnie Larsen, directed by Todd Fuller, starring Caitlin Coleman, presented by Plum Stab Productions, May 25-June 5
Wed May 25, Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30, Saturday May 28 at 2:00, Sunday June 5 at 2:00. Alleyway Theatre Cabaret, One Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo, 14202
GRINDR MOM BLURB: Caught between the love for her only child and the Church she has given her entire life over to, a Mormon woman seeks answers in the most unexpected of places – Grindr, the gay dating app. And by God, does she get them! This one woman show written by the award winning playwright, Ronnie Larsen (Happy Ending, Sleeping with Straight Men) features Buffalo Artie Award winning actress, Caitlin Coleman, in a powerhouse performance unlike any role you’ve seen her in before. Director Todd Fuller (The Boys Upstairs, Afterglow) and Plum Stab Productions (420: The Musical) are excited to bring this comedic and relevant story to the Alleyway Theater Cabaret to celebrate PRIDE week. Tickets $25-35
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JUNE EVENTS IN BUFFALO:
BLITHE SPIRIT, comedy by Noel Coward, Lancaster Opera House, June 10-26, Fridays - Saturdays at 7:30, Sundays at 2:30, at the Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Avenue, Lancaster, NY 14086. 716.683.1776 lancasteropera.org
BLITHE SPIRIT BLURB: A novelist invites an eccentric medium to conduct a séance at his house, with the aim of gathering material for his next book. Unexpectedly, the medium conjures up the reappearance of his first wife (who died five years earlier). Since his “ghost” wife cannot be seen or heard by his current wife, he finds himself torn between the two women in a comedic story about ghosts, ex-wives, and next wives.
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CABARET, musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb, directed by Kristin Bentley, starring Joe Russi, Cassie Cameron, Dan Urtz, Steve Jakiel, and Pamela Rose Mangus, presented by Second Generation Theatre June 10th- 26th, 2022, Thursdays - Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2:00 and 8:00, Sundays at 2:00 at Shea's Smith Theatre.
CABARET BLURB: In 1930s Berlin, everything is beautiful… but for how long? SGT presents CABARET- a beloved musical theatre classic with a message that remains relevant today. Choreographed by Kelly Copps, with Music Direction by Allan Paglia.
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ISLEÑA (Islander), a one-woman play by Victoria Pérez and María Pérez Gómez, featuring Victoria Pérez, directed by María Pérez Gómez, presented by Raíces Theatre runs from June 17 to July 3 at Road Less Traveled (the new home of Raíces) 456 Main Street Buffalo NY 14202
Box Office (716) 629-3069 roadlesstraveledproductions.org
ISLEÑA BLURB: Isleña (Islander) is a memorable story of an island girl’s journey from Puerto Rico to Buffalo ¡Nos vemos en el teatro! (See you at the theater!) (716) 629-3069 roadlesstraveled.org
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THE ONION GAME, by Brian Delaney, presented by Irish Classical Theatre June 3 - 26.
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THE LIFE OF ROBERT GIOIA presented by Road Less Traveled Productions, one night only, June 4.
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THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT, directed by Katie Mallinson, presented by D'Youville College's Kavinoky Theatre, June 10 - 22, Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30, Saturdays 3:30, Sundays 2, presented by D'Youville's Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201. 716.829.7668 kavinokytheatre.com
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SHAKESPEARE IN DELAWARE PARK presents AS YOU LIKE IT, directed by Steve Vaughan, June 23 - July 17 on "Shakespeare Hill" in Delaware Park near Marcy Casino and The Rose Garden.
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SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, semi-staged production by Starring Buffalo, June 10 - 11, Friday - Saturday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2:00 pm at Shea's 710 Theatre. Visit Shea's Box Office at Sheas.org or starringbuffalo.org.
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE BLURB: Starring Buffalo returnS to Shea’s 710 with SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer prize-winning masterpiece. Inspired by the painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat, SUNDAY merges past and present into a beautiful and poignant parable about love and the creation of art. One of the most acclaimed musicals of all time, SUNDAY was nominated for an incredible ten Tony Awards.
Performed in Starring Buffalo’s signature staged concert format, the cast features Tony Award nominee Josh Young (Jesus Christ Superstar, Amazing Grace, Evita) as George, five-time Broadway actress Emily Padgett (Side Show, Grease, Bright Star) as Dot, and Buffalo star Karen Saxon (Ujima Theater Company) as The Lady, performing alongside an ensemble of Buffalo’s best including Keith Ersing, Jake Hayes, Matthew Iwanski-Jackson, Jetaun Louie, Michele Marie Roberts, Sara States, Andrea Todaro, and Josh Wilde, as well as dozens of Western New York singers, dancers, and musicians.
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JULY EVENTS IN BUFFALO:
ALLEY OF THE DOLLS, directed by Chris Kelly, as Buffalo United Artists continues their "Summer Camp" series, July 9 - July 31, starring Jimmy Janowski, Renee Landrigan, Matt Refermat, Christopher Standart, Michael Blasdell (Bebe), Michael Seitz… and more! at The Alleyway Theater, One Curtain Up Alley.
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GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, MusicalFare, July 6-August 7
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MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Shakespeare in Delaware Park, July 28-August 21
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AND IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
The M&T Broadway series at Shea's for 2022-2023 includes:
THE PROM Sep 27-Oct 2, 2022
TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL Nov 8-13, 2022
COME FROM AWAY Dec 13-18, 2022
HADESTOWN Feb 21-26, 2023
BEETLEJUICE Mar 21-26, 2023
SIX Apr 25-May 7, 2023
JAGGED LITTLE PILL Jun 6-11, 2023
with two "special engagements"
Disney's ALADDIN Nov 22-27, 2022 and
DEAR EVAN HANSEN June 20-25, 2023.
