On this episode of Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about the Brazen Faced Varlet's satisfying HAMLET at 345 Elmwood, they look forward to STOP KISS (Bellissima using the T.O.Y. stage), and Peter recommends visiting Anthony's blog theatertalkbuffalo.com, LES MISÉRABLES at Shea's is a hit with too much to tell in this five minute readio show. 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 (Last chances this weekend!)
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
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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LES MISÉRABLES, 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 MISÉRABLES 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 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.”
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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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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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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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 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 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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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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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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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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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
