So many openings, so little time (see listings below). On this episode of Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about the all-woman HAMLET (Brazen Faced Varlets at 545 Elmwood Ave.), HERstory at Ujima, THE SORCERER (Gilbert and Sullivan) at The Alleyway, THE POLISH CLEANING LADY'S DAUGHTER at Paul Robeson, THE PAJAMA GAME at Lancaster Opera House, the 7 LAST WORDS at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Delaware, the continuing BEAUTIFUL at MusicalFare, and LES MIS, national tour at Shea's.
For more details check out Anthony's reviews and Javier's "On the Boards" at theatertalkbuffalo.com!
Peter's reviews appear in Buffalo Rising (buffalorising.com).
COVID and the flu are still affecting theatrical performers (and audiences... that's us!) so it's worth getting your flu shot and your COVID booster, both readily available at pharmacies everywhere. Did you know that, for your convenience, you can get your COVID booster AND your flu shot simultaneously, and if your age qualifies, you can also get your RSV vaccine with those other two. After Anthony told Peter that he "doubled up" then Peter "tripled up" and you can too!
LOCAL LISTINGS ARE PRESENTED AS FOLLOWS: CLOSINGS (last chances to see these plays), then OPENINGS, followed by CONTINUING. Within the categories, shows are alphabetical by title.
CLOSINGS:
THE BOWLING PLAY, a play by Buffalo playwright Kelly Copps, directed by Amy Jakiel, presented by Second Generation Theatre, starring Connor Graham, Alexandria Watts, Jacob Albarella, Nick Lama, Adam Yellen, Sofia Matlasz, and Rick Lattimer. 2/23 - 3/10. Thu - Fri 7:30, Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00 at Shea's Smith Theatre, 658 Main St, Buffalo. 716-847-0850 sheas.org
THE BOWLING PLAY PUBLICITY BLURB: SGT’s second show of the season is a world premiere comedy developed in our free reading series! Pete is attractive, single, and on a blind date… in a bowling alley. Will his misfit bowling team come between him and the girl of his dreams?
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GRUMPY OLD MEN THE MUSICAL, book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, lyrics by Nick Meglin, based on the Warner Bros film Grumpy Old Men by Mark Steven Johns, directed by Steve Vaughan, choreographed by Terri Filips Vaughan, musical direction by Nathanial Higgins presented by O'Connell & Company, starring Michael Starzynski, Michael J. Galante, Anne DeFazio, Christopher Wagner, Sára Kovácsi, John Kreuzer, Pamela Rose Mangus, Christopher Andreana, and Gail Golden stepping in for Mary Kate O'Connell. 2/23 - 3/10. Opening Friday 9/23. Thu - Sat 7:30, Sun 3:00, additional Saturday matinees 3/2 and 3/9 at 3:00 with all shows on the O'Connell & Company Mainstage, 4110 Bailey Avenue, Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 848-0800 oconnellandcompany.com
GRUMPY OLD MEN PUBLICITY BLURB: based on the 1993 Warner Bros. film Grumpy Old Men which starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. It tells the story of two childhood friends, John Gustafson and Max Goldman, now aging neighbors. An old grudge resurfaces when a mysterious woman moves in across the street.
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OPENINGS:
BUFFALO QUICKIES #33, short play showcase, plays by presented by Annette Daniels Taylor, Mark Humphrey, Justin Karcher, Bella Poynton, directed by Kate Powers, starring P.K. Fortson, VerNia Sharisse Garvin, Kate Olena, and Michael Starzysnki. 3/15 - 3/30 Thu - Sat 7:30 in the cabaret space at 1 Curtain Up Alley (use the main entrance between Pearl and Main Streets along the north wall of Shea's), Buffalo NY 14202 716-852-2600 alleyway.com
BUFFALO QUICKIES #33 PUBLICITY BLURB: 4 short plays make up the 33rd installment of BUFFALO QUICKIES, by some of the area's best-known playwrights... featuring a cast of four of your favorites. This year's theme: "Right here, right now."
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HAMLET, by Shakespeare, an all-woman production, directed by Lara D. Haberberger, presented by Brazen Faced Varlets, starring Stefanie Warnick in a cast of 17 players. 3/8 - 3/23 Thu – Fri 7:30, Sat 5:00 at the Compass Performing Arts Center, 545 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222 bfvhamlet.eventbrite.com
HAMLET PUBLICITY BLURB: The Brazen-Faced Varlets are bringing one of William Shakespeare’s most revered works to the Compass Performing Arts Center. Director Lara D. Haberberger says “We’re focusing on the
beautiful language of Hamlet... I’m excited to bring this larger-than-life play to the intimate space that is the Compass Performing Arts Center.” Haberberger’s vision will be accompanied by Jessie Miller’s choreography and a soundscape by stage manager Ellen Catherine Falank, who says, “I am looking forward to building the infamous ‘rotting’ Denmark with this team. The cast and crew are chock full of people who know how to mix hard work and fun. We’ll need that when we start digging into the tough topics of this play.”
Artie-nominated actor Stefanie Warnick will embody the tortured Prince Hamlet and will be supported by a diverse cast of women and nonbinary actors from the Buffalo area, including Jennifer Arroyo, Lanie Shannon, Alyssa Walsh, Jennifer Fitzery, Rachael Buchanan, Maryna Seufert, Kennedy Lee, Sarah Emmerling, Leyla Gentil-Rosado, Caitlin Coleman, Heather Fangsrud, Danette Pawlowski, Caroline Parzy-Sanders, Jessie Miller, Sandra Roberts, and Madeline Allard-Dugan.
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HERstory: History Her Way, a series of one-acts presented by Ujima Co. Inc. Three stories, one per each of three weekends 3/8 - 3/24 all in the Lorna C. Hill Theater, 429 Plymouth Avenue Buffalo, New York 14213 Phone: (716) 281-0092 Website: ujimacoinc.org Tickets $15 each, $35 for all three. "This series of three one-act plays, an up close and loving glimpse into the real lives of three women of color, will be performed over 3 weekends. Written by and starring women, these autobiographical plays are filled with joy, pain, and laughter. They provide a wealth of insights and lessons on living your truth that truly speaks to our shared humanity.
March 8 - 10 in the HERSTORY series: BIG BUTT GIRLS AND OTHER FANTASIES, THE REMIX by Marsha Estell, directed by Rachael Jamison, starring Dayatra Amber as "Marty." March 8 - 10 Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00 in the Lorna C. Hill Theater 429 Plymouth Avenue Buffalo, New York 14213 Phone: (716) 281-0092 Website: ujimacoinc.org
BIG BUTT PUBLICITY BLURB: Trapped by hot-flashes, varicose veins and that “middle-aged-middle” Marty longs for her childhood on the south-side of Chicago. Using humorous flashbacks and music, Big Butt Girls… takes us along on a hilarious and touching ride
March 15 - 17 in the HERSTORY series: BIOPSEE, by Tatiana de la Tierra, directed by Brian Brown March 15 - 17 Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00 in the Lorna C. Hill Theater 429 Plymouth Avenue Buffalo, New York 14213 Phone: (716) 281-0092 Website: ujimacoinc.org
BIOPSEE PUBLICITY BLURB: Depicting a woman’s solo journey through her diagnosis of lupus, outspoken Latina activist and lesbian writer, Tatiana de la Tierra holds back no truth when sifting through the layers of her life, while it flashes before her eyes.
March 22 - 24 in the HERSTORY series: MOM, HOW DID YOU MEET THE BEATLES by Adrienne Kennedy, directed by Gabriella McKinley, March 22 - 24 Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00 in the Lorna C. Hill Theater 429 Plymouth Avenue Buffalo, New York 14213 Phone: (716) 281-0092 Website: ujimacoinc.org
MOM, HOW DID YOU MEET THE BEATLES PUBLICITY BLURB: Adrienne Kennedy relates her star-studded experience of moving to London and working on The Lennon Play: In His Own Write. This is a great story, told in an intimate interview-style conversation between a mother and son.
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LES MISERABLES, musical by Boublil and Schönberg, the Broadway Tour presented by Shea's Buffalo, starring Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean, Preston Truman Boyd as Javert, and Haley Dortch as Fantine 3/12 - 3/17 (8 shows) Tue - Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 8:00, Sun 1:00 and 6:30 at Shea's Buffalo Theatre, 650 Main Street, 716-847-0850 sheas.org
LES MISERABLES PUBLICITY BLURB: Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables. This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as “a reborn dream of a production” (Daily Telegraph). Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice, and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of Les Misérables includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and many more.
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THE PAJAMA GAME, a musical, with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross presented by Lancaster Opera House 3/8 - 3/24 Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 2:30 at 21 Central Avenue Lancaster, NY 14086. (716) 683-1776 lancasteropera.org
THE PAJAMA GAME PUBLICITY BLURB: The Pajama Game was awarded the 1955 Tony for Best Musical and, over half of a century later, claimed the award for Best Revival of a Musical, proving that the story is truly timeless. With book by George Abbott and Richard Bissel and an energetic score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (Damn Yankees), THE PAJAMA GAME is brimming with songs and dances that have become musical theater standards, including “Steam Heat” and “Hernando’s Hideaway.”
Conditions at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory are anything but peaceful as sparks fly between new superintendent, Sid Sorokin, and Babe Williams, the leader of the union grievance committee. Their stormy relationship comes to a head when the workers strike for a 7 ½ cent pay increase, setting off not only a conflict between management and labor, but a battle of the sexes as well.
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THE POLISH CLEANING LADY'S DAUGHTER, a one-woman play by Paula Wachowiak, presented by the Paul Robeson Theatre, starring Paula Wachowiak. 3/8 - 3/24 Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00, Paul Robeson Theatre, 350 Masten Ave, Buffalo, NY 716-884-2013 paulrobesontheatre.org/shows
THE POLISH CLEANING LADY'S DAUGHTER PUBLICITY BLURB: As part of the mission to bring understanding & realization of the commonality we all share, we are brought into the world of a Buffalo Polish American family through the eyes of one of the daughters. Featuring Paula Wachowiak.
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PRELUDE TO A KISS, by Craig Lucas, directed by Bella Poynton, starring Kevin Deese, Colleen Pine, Brendan Cunningham, et. al. presented by Bellissima Productions, March 14-17 & 21-24 (8 shows) Thu - Fri 7:30, Sun 3:00. Note: all shows at Theatre of Youth, 203 Allen Street, Buffalo (716-218-8530) bellissimaproductions.com
PRELUDE TO A KISS PUBLICITY BLURB: At Peter and Rita’s wedding, a mysterious old man insists on kissing the bride. While honeymooning, Peter gradually realizes that the woman by his side is not his wife. The wedding kiss caused Rita’s soul and the old man’s to change places. Peter must track down the old man and free his young love’s spirit trapped in an aging and diseased body before it’s too late.
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7 (SEVEN) LAST WORDS, two choral works, "Seven Last Words of Christ" by Michael John Trotta and "Seven Last Words of the Unarmed" by Joel Thompson, conducted by Garrett F. Martin, featuring Jaman E. Dunn-Danger, baritone, with The Westminster Choir, the Buffalo Seminary Choir, and a chamber orchestra. Sunday, March 10 at 4:00 pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 724 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. Free with donations accepted at the door. No need to make reservations.
7 LAST WORDS BLURB: Westminster’s 2024 Masterworks uniquely pairs Michael John Trotta's "Seven Last Words of Christ" and Joel Thompson's "Seven Last Words of the Unarmed." Trotta's composition, rooted in the Christian tradition, explores the emotional dimensions of Christ's crucifixion, creating space for reflection on themes of sacrifice and redemption.
Joel Thompson's work shifts the narrative toward pressing social issues, using the structure of the seven last words to amplify the voices of unarmed African American men who have lost their lives to police violence. This combination of the sacred and the socially conscious aligns with Westminster’s historic commitment to social justice.
I. “Officers, why do you have your guns out?” (Kenneth Chamberlain’s last words)
II. “What are you following me for?” (Trayvon Martin)
III. “Mom, I’m going to college.” (Amadou Diallo)
IV. “I don't have a gun! Stop shooting!” (Michael Brown)
V. “You shot me. You shot me!” (Oscar Grant III)
VI. “It’s not real.” (John Crawford)
VII. “I can't breathe!” (Eric Garner)
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THE SORCERER, operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan, directed by Lisa Berglund, presented by OperaLytes March 8-17, Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 2:00 on the main stage at the Alleyway Theatre 1 Curtain Up Alley (enter the lobby between Pearl and Main Streets along the north wall of Shea's), Buffalo NY 14202 716-852-2600 alleyway.com or operalytes.com Note: limited children's (13 and under) tickets with purchase of adult ticket.
THE SORCERER PUBLICITY BLURB: Opera-Lytes presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s THE SORCERER, a comic operetta brimming with exciting songs, hilarity, love, and magic. Alexis Pointdexter hires a Sorcerer to secretly administer a love-at-first-sight potion to the guests at his engagement party. As the villagers fall instantly in love, hilariously horrifying outcomes come alive. Alexis and the Sorcerer discover too late that their plans are out of control.
Chockful of fun, charming songs and witty dialogue, Opera-Lytes’ production of The Sorcerer will appeal to music lovers of all ages. The cast features Debbie Smith as Aline Sangazure, John Clayton as Alexis Pointdexter, Michael Warner as Dr. Daly, Lisa Krueger as Constance, Mariami Bekauri as Lady Sangazure, and Bohdan Dejneka as the Sorcerer, John Wellington Wells. The chamber orchestra is directed by Ciaran Krueger.
Note: On Sunday, March 10, at 1:30 p.m., director Lisa Berglund will give a free pre-curtain lecture on “The Sorcerer and the Origins of Gilbert and Sullivan.”
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SURVIVORS, a play, presented by Jewish Repertory Theatre, has two shows only 3/9 at 3:30 and 3/10 at 2:00.
The Maxine and Robert Seller Theater
SURVIVORS PUBLICITY BLURB: JRT is honored to present an exclusive and limited run of SURVIVORS in conjunction with CenterStage Theatre and the Louis S. Wolk Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester. Crafted from the actual testimonies of WNY-based Holocaust Survivors this new play puts a human face on this important time in history. A cautionary tale on the risks of normalized hate, this inspirational and uplifting play ensures that the voices of our Survivors will never be silenced.
CONTINUING:
BEAUTIFUL, the Carol King musical, directed by Randall Kramer, starring Maria Pedro, Gretchen Didio, Sean Ryan, Josh Wilde, Marc Sacco, and 13 others. 2/21 - 3/24 Wed - Thu 7:00 pm, Fri 7:30, Sat 3:30 and 7:30, Sun 2:00 at MusicalFare Theatre, c/o Daemen College
4380 Main Street, Suite 123 Amherst, NY 14226716-839-8540 musicalfare.com
BEAUTIFUL PUBLICITY BLURB: Before she was hit-maker Carole King — she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. From the chart-topping hits she wrote for the biggest acts in music to her own life-changing, trailblazing success with the multiple Grammy award-winning "Tapestry," BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL takes you back to where it all began — and takes you on the ride of a lifetime. With a stirring book by the late Oscar and Tony-nominated Douglas McGrath and the music and lyrics of icons Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Featuring such unforgettable classics as "You've Got a Friend", "One Fine Day", "So Far Away", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "Up on the Roof", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", and "Natural Woman", this Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning musical phenomenon is filled with the songs you remember and a story you'll never forget.
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BETRAYAL a play by Harold Pinter, directed by Greg Natale, starring Anthony Alcocer, Steve Copps, Aleks Malejs, and John Profeta. 2/23 - 3/17, Thu - Fri 7:30 , Sat 3:00, Sun 2:00pm Sundays.at Irish Classical Theatre, 625 Main Street, Buffalo. 716-853-4282 irishclassical.com
NOTE: Pay-What-You-Can Performances are Saturday evenings, March 2,9, and 16 all at 7:30 pm with a Speaker Series, featuring Intimacy Director, Jessica Hillman-McCord: Sunday, March 3, 2024, at 1:30 pm.
Note: Daytime Community Matinee: Wednesday, March 13, at 10:00 am
Open Captioned Performance: Thursday, March 14,mat 7:30pm
BETRAYAL PUBLICITY BLURB: Emma has been having an affair with her husband Robert’s close friend, Jerry, for seven years. Told in reverse-chronological order, Pinter’s semiautobiographical play explores relationships’ layered lies and all the complexities that come with them. Director Statement: “There are no innocents in Betrayal. Pinter, locks Robert and Emma, husband and wife, and Emma’s lover Jerry, her husband’s oldest and best friend, into a love triangle that leaves no one unscathed. The betrayals are more than just those between husband and wife, and best friends, they are non-stop and multilevel occurring not only between characters, but also within one’s self, to one’s own belief systems and integrity, even to unseen spouses, clients, and children."
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FAUCI AND KRAMER, a new play by Drew Fornarola, directed by Kate Powers, produced by Bob Rusch and Emily Glick for First Look Buffalo, starring Steve Jakiel and Louis Colaiacovo. 2/23 - 3/17 Fri - Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00 at the new Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center, 705 Renaissance Dr, Williamsville NY 14221. 716-771-6358 FirstLookBuffalo.com
FAUCI AND KRAMER PUBLICITY BLURB: "America's Doctor" Anthony Fauci and playwright and activist Larry Kramer had an unlikely and complicated friendship when both were fighting the AIDS crisis from opposite ends of the political spectrum in the 90s. After Kramer's death during COVID, his spirit visits Fauci one last time to discuss art, power, progress, and where we go from here. Fauci and Kramer is a heartfelt new play that takes a serious and sometimes comical look at this famously complex relationship.
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THE LIGHT FANTASTIC, a play by Ike Holter, co-directed by Scott Behrend and John Hurley, presented by Road Less Traveled Productions, starring Leah Berst, Melinda Capeles, Diane DiBernardo Alejandro Gabriel Gómez, Greg Howze, Ricky Needham, and Davida Evette Tolbert. Feb 22 - Mar 24 Thu - Sat at 7:30, Sun at 2:00 (Mighty Taco Student Thursday tickets only $10) RLTP theater is at 456 Main Street, Buffalo (716) 629-3069 roadlesstraveledproductions.org
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC PUBLICITY BLURB: In an unremarkable town in rural Indiana, on an uneventful evening, something truly terrible occurs, and a small family is thrust into a tit-for-tat game of survival against forces that are far from human. A play that is equal parts drama and comedy, and brings old-school horror into the now and new.
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I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES, a play by Neil Simon, directed by Jay Desiderio, starring Lisa Hinca, David Lundy, and Reagan Zuber. Jan 25- March 30, shows run most Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (click or call for exact dates and times). Dinner at 6:00, Show at 7:30, Matinee dinner at 1:00, Show at 2:30. Desiderio's Dinner Theatre at Bobby J's, 204 Como Park Blvd. Cheektowaga (716) 395-3207 mybobbyjs.com
I OUGHTA BE IN PICTURES PUBLICITY BLURB: In this 1980 three-character "comedy-drama" (Neil Simon's 18th play) struggling Hollywood screenwriter Herbert Tucker who abandoned his family in NYC 16 years ago is visited by his daughter Libby who wants a career in the movies. It's up to Herb to straighten out his relationship with Libby, his career, and his girlfriend Steffy.
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Shea's Buffalo Theatre continues its 2023-24 Broadway Season:
LES MISERABLES (8 shows) 3/12 - 18, 2024 Tue - Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 8:00, Sun 1:00 and 6:30 Runtime: 2 hours and 50 minutes
MAMMA MIA! (8 shows) 4/9 - 14, 2024 Tue - Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 8:00, Sun 1:00 and 6:30 Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (5 shows) Friday 4/26 - 4/28 Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 8:00, Sun 1:00 and 6:30
SHREK (5 shows) Thursday 5/16 - 5/19 Thu - Sat 7:00 also Sat-Sun 1:00
MJ THE MUSICAL (8 shows) 6/11 - 16, 2024 Tue - Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 8:00, Sun 1:00 and 6:30 Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes
