Peter is enjoying The Stratford Festival (which we used to call the "Stratford Shakespeare Festival") where contemporary plays (5 of them, 6 counting the musical CHICAGO) outnumber "the classics" (only 3 by Shakespeare with 1 by Moliere). So far he's seen EVERY LITTLE NOOKIE in Stratford's more experimental "Studio Theatre" (roughly equivalent to Shawfest's "Studio Theatre). It's a wonderful play where a group of queer (meaning non traditional/binary/married/suburban, etc.) under 40s, dealing with love, life, employment, and housing (a group not unlike those in the musical RENT) raise money by hosting swinger parties. And with four separate theatrical spaces and a fine group of resident actors, every play promises to be first rate. You can read Peter's preview of the season here.
Anthony flew down to NYC to see some Broadway productions before they change casts, in particular, FUNNY GIRL with Beanie Feldstein and Jane Lynch which, all credit to those actors, was a bit of a bust. But making up for that and more were Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in THE MUSIC MAN, which was spectacular.
_____
OPENING
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, presented by Shakespeare in Delaware Park, July 28-August 21, Tuesdays - Sundays at 7:15 on "Shakespeare Hill" in Delaware Park near Marcy Casino and The Rose Garden. These performances are free and open to the public (but bring some cash if you can for an intermission donation).
JUST CAN'T WAIT FOR SOME LOCAL SHAKESPEARE?
THE BARD'S IN OUR YARD, free touring performances of Shakespeare scenes throughout Western New York presented by Shakespeare in Delaware Park. See list of venues at shakespeareindelawarepark.org/2022-tour-locations/ Performances continue ono three Mondays in August (August 8, 15, and 22) when performances of AMSND on "the hill" are dark on Mondays. THE BARD'S IN OUR YARD performances are at 7:00 pm .
· Monday August 8: Locust Street Art, (Fruitbelt) Buffalo;
· Monday August 15: Raymond Klimek Veterans Park, North Tonawanda;
· Monday August 22: Galanti Park, Lackawanna.
Speaking of Shakespeare, we continue to recommend the weekly “Britcom” (British comedy show on television) called “Upstart Crow” (an insult directed at Shakespeare by one of his real-life rivals, Robert Greene). Each week finds the bard responsible for writing a play as he gets inspiration from events in his life, events that cleverly parallel contemporary woes (traffic jams and inept government come to mind, along with living with, not Covid, but the plague). Plague as comedy? Yes, the clever writers of “Upstart Crow” make it so. Currently running on WNED PBS (check your local listings) it’s pretty funny.
_____
CONTINUING:
A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman, music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak, directed by Doug Weyand, starring Solange Gosselin, Michelle Holden, Jon May, Ricky Needham, John Panepinto, Marc Sacco, Jenn Stafford and Emily Yancey, presented by MusicalFare, July 6 - August 7, Wednesdays - Thursdays at 7 pm, Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 3:30pm and 7:30pm, Sundays at 2. MusicalFare Theatre on the Daemen College campus, 4380 Main Street, Amherst, NY 14226. (716) 839-8540 musicalfare.com
A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE BLURB: This knock-'em-dead, uproarious comedy, was the most-nominated show of the 2014 Broadway season with ten Tony nominations and four wins, including Best Musical. When the low-born Monty Navarro finds out that he's eighth in line for an earldom in the lofty D'Ysquith family, he figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight and sets off down a far more ghoulish path. Can he knock off his unsuspecting relatives without being caught? A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER is a fresh new musical comedy filled with non-stop laughs and unforgettable music.
_____
ALLEY OF THE DOLLS, directed by Chris Kelly, as Buffalo United Artists continues their "Summer Camp" series, July 9th – July 31, Saturdays - Sundays at 7:30, starring Jimmy Janowski, Renee Landrigan, Matt Refermat, Christopher Standart, Michael Blasdell (Bebe), Dan Urtz, Alex Anthony Garcia, and Michael Seitz, on the Alleyway Theatre Mainstage, 1 Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo, NY 14202. 716-852-2600 or www.alleyway.com or www.buffalounitedartists.org
ALLEY OF THE DOLLS BLURB: Kicking off our 30th Season, BUFFALO UNITED ARTISTS presents, ALLEY OF THE DOLLS, a loving parody of the cult classic film. THE ULTIMATE "SUMMER CAMP" EXPERIENCE! Here is the shocking, candid story of the dazzling glitter and gutter realities of show business as it has never been told before… with SEQUINS and WIGS and DRAG QUEENS…OH MY!
_____
THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL LIST OF SUMMER PLAYS:
The Stratford Festival recommends downloading their Visitors Guide to discover information about Shows, Forum Events, Special Performances, Speakers & Panels, Workshops, Tours & Exhibits and much more. Click here: https://cds.stratfordfestival.ca/uploadedFiles/2022-Visitors-Guide.pdf
Read Peter's preview of the 2022 summer season here.
The Stratford musical this summer is
CHICAGO by Kander & Ebb & Fosse
Runs Through OCT 30 at The Festival Theatre
The comedy this summer is
THE MISER by Moliere
Runs AUG 09 - OCT 29 at The Festival Theatre
The family show this summer is
LITTLE WOMEN (a modern adaptation of the Luisa May Alcott classic)
Runs Through OCT 29 at The Avon Theatre
And there are three Shakespeare plays
RICHARD III
Runs Through OCT 30 at The Tom Patterson Theatre (newly rebuilt from the ground up!)
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
Runs Through OCT 29 at The Tom Patterson Theatre (newly rebuilt from the ground up!)
HAMLET
Runs Through OCT 28 at The Festival Theatre
And there are four “Modern” plays this summer at Stratford:
EVERY LITTLE NOOKIE at the Studio Theatre
Runs Through OCT 01
HAMLET-911
Runs JUL 28 - OCT 02 at the Studio Theatre
DEATH AND THE KING'S HORSEMAN
Runs AUG 11 - OCT 29 at The Tom Patterson Theatre (newly rebuilt from the ground up!)
1939
Runs AUG 23 - OCT 29 at the Studio Theatre
_____
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)
Shaw Festival Theatre NOTE: Mask use is optional and proof of vaccination is not required by Shawfest. However, it is required to enter Canada. Download and fill out your ARRIVECAN app (get it on Google Play or the App Store) prior to your border crossing.
2022 Season:
AT THE 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
Opens Saturday Aug 20 at 6
ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE
GASLIGHT
By Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson
Based on the play Angel Street by Patrick Hamilton
CHITRA By Rabindranath Tagore (11:30 am Lunchtime One-Act) at the Royal George Theatre
JUST TO GET MARRIED By GB Shaw contemporary Cicely Hamilton opens Sun Aug 21 at 11:30 am
BLURB: “It is 1910 and Georgiana is 29, so the burning question is: how can we get her married?”
JACKIE MAXWELL STUDIO THEATRE
TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD By Bernard Shaw is a three act play dealing with a host of (still contemporary) issues.
EVERYBODY By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins
GEM OF THE OCEAN By August Wilson (The first play in August Wilson’s THE AMERICAN CENTURY CYCLE) opens Fri Aug 19 at 6
_____
_____
SHEA'S 2022-2023 SEASON is only two months away!
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.
