This week Anthony and Peter talk about the Artie Award Nominations for 2024. 70 shows in a very competitive field. Whether or not an Artie comes your way, it's an honor to be nominated in such a distinguished company. So congratulations to all the nominees. To see the list of nominees you can scroll down, or you can visit Anthony's blog at theatertalkbuffalo.com, or you can watch the YouTube video of Anthony and Curtis Lovell presenting the nominees on the Buffalo Toronto Public Media YouTube channel here:
Scroll down for May listings. Check out Anthony's reviews and Javier's "On the Boards" at theatertalkbuffalo.com for more details!
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, followed by COMING IN MAY. Within the categories, shows are alphabetical by title, with any show starting with "The" under the letter "T."
CLOSING (last chances!):
I F*CKED YOU IN MY SPACESHIP, a play by Louis Emmitt-Stern, produced by Buffalo United Artists (BUA) starring Paige Batt, Andrew Brown, Jeremy Catania, Jason Francey, Sadie Roberts, Aaron Saldana. 5/3 - 25 Fri 7:30 Sat 5:00 at Compass Performing Arts Center 545 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo. Tickets at buffalounitedartists.org or buaspaceship.eventbrite.com
I F*CKED YOU IN MY SPACESHIP PUBLICITY BLURB: Two couples each invite a stranger into their homes in the hope of sparking new life. Instead, they find themselves threatened by invasion. Louis Emmitt-Stern's uncanny and razor-sharp sci-fi comedy-drama premiered at the Vault Festival 2023 (London, England). It won the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work (before transferring to Soho Theatre). 'I F*cked You In My Spaceship' is devilishly funny, exploring modern-day queer relationships, polyamory/ethical non-monogamy, and the inevitable failings when communication breaks down.
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CONTINUING (in alphabetical order):
CROSSING DELANCEY, a play, by Susan Sandler, directed by Steve Vaughan, presented by The Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY, starring Arin Lee Dandes, Darleen Pickering Hummert, Tina Rausa, RJ Voltz, and Adam Yellen. May 9 - June 1 Thursdays at 7:30, Saturdays at 3:30 and 7:30, Sundays at 2:00 (no performances on Fridays) in the Maxine and Robert Sellers Theatre located in the JCC at 2640 N Forest Rd, Getzville, NY 14068 (716) 688-4033 jccbuffalo.org/jewish-repertory-theatre/
CROSSING DELANCEY PUBLICITY BLURB: You've probably seen the Warner Brothers adaptation (by the author, Susan Sandler) of this play which premiered off-Broadway at the (New York City) Jewish Repertory Theatre on April 25, 1985. Isabel is a modern young woman who lives alone and works in a book shop. When she is not pining after a handsome author, she is visiting her grandmother (Bubbe) in Manhattan's Lower East Side. This irascible granny and her friend the matchmaker have found a "good catch" for Isabel, whose initial reluctance gives way to a blossoming romance when she finally meets Sam, the pickle vendor, as the end of the play offers a new beginning.
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THE MELVILLE BOYS, a play by Norm Foster, directed by Jack Hunter, produced by Desiderio's Dinner Theatre, starring Marc Ruffino, Trevor Dugan, Marie Costa, and Alyssa Grace Adams. 4/25 - 6/23 on select Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays; see the website for complete information. Evenings arrive at 6:00, shows at 7:30. Matinees arrive at 1:00, shows at 2:30. Desiderio's Dinner Theatre at Bobby J's, 204 Comoo Park Blvd. Cheektowaga NY 14227 (716)395-3207 mybobbyjs.com
HE MELVILLE BOYS PUBLICITY BLURB: The Melville Boys by Norm Foster, Canada's most produced playwright, tells us the story of the Melville brothers who set out for a relaxing weekend trip full of fishing and beer. However, their plans are suddenly thrown for a loop when the boys meet two attractive sisters who inadvertently change more than just their agenda. The Melville Boys is a tender, funny, and unsentimental look at four lives in transition.
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COMING LATER THIS MAY, 2024
TITANIC, the musical, by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, presented by Starring Buffalo, 5/31 - 6/1 (3 shows only) Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 7:30 at Shea's 710 Theatre, 710 Main Street (at Tupper) in the heart of the Theatre District. (716) 847-0850 sheas.org/performances/starring-buffalo-titanic/
Starring Buffalo is thrilled to close its fifth season at Shea’s 710 Theatre with the epic TITANIC, featuring original songs by Maury Yeston (Nine, Grand Hotel). Majestic and dramatic, with moments of comedy and whimsy, TITANIC tells the story of triumph and tragedy of the passengers on the ill-fated “ship of dreams” that has captivated imaginations and hearts for over 100 years. Winner of five 1997 Tony Awards including best musical, best book, and best score, and told in Starring Buffalo’s signature staged concert format, the show is appropriate for all ages and not to be missed.
TITANIC will feature the work of nearly 100 artists, as visiting Broadway professionals, Buffalo professional actors, the Starring Buffalo Community Chorus, University at Buffalo dance majors, a professional orchestra and crew, and an area creative team unite to create an unforgettable evening of theater.
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THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE, by Matthew Lopez, directed by Javier Bustillos, starring Anthony Alcocer and Jimmy Janowski, with Bebe Blasdell, Shannell Dixon, Christopher Guilmet and Michael Seitz. 5/31 - 6/16, Thu-Fri 7:30, Sat 3:30, Sun 2:00. D'Youville University's Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201 (716) 829-7668, kavinokytheatre.com
PUBLICITY BLURB: He’s young, he’s broke, and he’s about to be a father. To make matters even more desperate, Casey (Anthony Alcocer) is fired from his gig as an Elvis impersonator in a run-down, small-town Florida bar. When the bar owner brings in a B-level drag show (Jimmy Janowski is the "grand dame") to replace his act, Casey finds that he has a whole lot to learn about show business—and himself.
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OPENINGS IN JUNE (an incomplete list):
MJ: THE MUSICAL (8 shows) national tour presented by Shea's Performing Arts Center 6/11 - 16, 2024 Tue - Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 8:00, Sun 1:00 and 6:30 at Shea's Buffalo Theatre / Shea's Performing Arts Center on Main Street in the heart of Buffalo's Theatre District. (716) 847-0850 sheas.org
MJ PUBLICITY BLURB: He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to Buffalo as MJ, the multi-Tony Award®-winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own. Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. MJ is startin’ somethin’ as it makes its Buffalo premiere at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre in June.
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PRIVATE LIVES, play by Noel Coward, directed by Chris Kelly, presented by The Irish Classical Theatre Company, starring Anna Fernandez, Ben Michael Moran, Maria Pedro, Darryl Semira, and Jenn Stafford. 6/7 - 6/30, Thu - Sat 7:30, Sat 3:00, Sun 2:00. Irish Classical Theatre Company 625 Main Street Buffalo NY 14203 (716) 853-1380 irishclassical.com/private-lives/
Pay-What-You-Will Performances: Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 3:00 pm and
all Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, June 15, 22, 29
(*Purchase in-person at the Box Office on the performance day. Seating subject to availability.)
Industry Night: Saturday, June 8, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Speaker Series: Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 1:30 pm
Community Matinee: Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 10:00 am
Young Professionals Night: Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Open Captioned Performance: Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 7:30 pm
PUBLICITY BLURB: Elyot and Amanda are both happily married… for the second time. Both honeymooning with their new spouses Sibyl and Victor, the couple finds themselves staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a volatile history, this chance encounter reignites their flame, causing chaos for their new spouses.
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THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE, a play by Matthew López, directed by Javier Bustillos, starring Anthony Alcocer and Jimmy Janowski, Michael "BeBe" Blasdell, Shannell Dixon, Christopher Guilmet, and Michael Seitz. Presented by D'Youville University's Kavinoky Theatre 320 Porter Ave. Buffalo, NY 14201. 716-829-7668 kavinokytheatre.com
MCBRIDE PUBLICITY BLURB: He’s young, he’s broke, and he’s about to be a father. To make matters even more desperate, Casey is fired from his gig as an Elvis impersonator in a run-down, small-town Florida bar. When the bar owner brings in a B-level drag show to replace his act, Casey finds that he has a whole lot to learn about show business—and himself.
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THE PRODUCERS, the musical by Mel Brooks, presented by Lancaster Opera House, 6/7 - 6/23 Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 2:30 (Note: Performance Saturday, June 22 is at 2:30, not 7:30!) 21 Central Avenue, Lancaster, NY 14086 (716) 683-1776 lancasteropera.org
THE PRODUCERS PUBLICITY BLURB: Bialystock and Bloom! Those names should strike terror and hysteria in anyone familiar with Mel Brooks’ classic cult comedy film. Now as a big Broadway musical, The Producers once again sets the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor. It is a truly “boffo” hit, winning a record twelve Tony Awards and wowing capacity crowds night after night.
The plot is simple: a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history, thereby bilking their backers (all “little old ladies”) out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit! The antics of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom as they maneuver their way fecklessly through finding a show (the gloriously offensive “Springtime for Hitler”), hiring a director, raising the money, and finally going to prison for their misdeeds is a lesson in broad comic construction. At the core of the insanely funny adventure is a poignant emotional journey of two very different men who become friends.
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WELL BEHAVED WOMEN, a cabaret musical, directed by Davida Evette Tolbert, starring Leah Berst, Sam Crystal, Timiyah Love, and Brittney Leigh Morton. 6/7 - 6/16 Fri - Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00. Presented in the Premier Cabaret space, at MusicalFare Theatre, c/o Daemen University 4380 Main Street, Suite 123 Amherst, NY 14226 (716) 839-8540 musicalfare.com
WELL BEHAVED WOMEN PUBLICITY BLURB: You know the old saying: "Well-behaved women seldom make history." But in this contemporary song cycle, we feature women who fought to have their voices heard and bravely made their mark on the world. Woman such as Billie Jean King, Frida Kahlo, Harriet Tubman, Cleopatra and Malala Yousafzai are just some of the fierce and impactful female trailblazers whose incredible stories are brought to life through powerful, emotional and often hilarious songs, leaving audiences entertained, moved and inspired._____
Shea's Buffalo Theatre continues its 2023-24 Broadway Season:
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
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Shea's Buffalo Theatre announced its 2024 - 2025 season
SOME LIKE IT HOT (8 shows), Sep 24 - 29
HAMILTON (16 shows), Oct 15 - 27
& JULIET (8 shows), Nov 19 - 24
THE LION KING (24 shows), Dec 18, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025
THE WIZ (8 shows), Mar 4 - 9, 2025
SHUCKED (8 shows), Mar 25 - 30, 2025
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL (8 shows), Apr 8 - 13, 2025
BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL (8 shows), Jun 24 - 29, 2025
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THE 33RD ANNUAL 2024 ARTIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!
On Monday, May 20, on the Buffalo Toronto Public Media YouTube Channel two of the four Artie Awards co-hosts, Anthony Chase and Curtis Lovell, announced the five finalists in each award category. Read below or watch on the Buffalo Toronto Public Media Youtube channel here:
1. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
A Great Wilderness, Buffalo United Artists
Kindertransport, Jewish Repertory Theatre of WNY
The Price, Irish Classical Theatre Company
The Sound Inside, D’Youville Kavinoky
Wedding Band, Ujima Theater Company
2. OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
The Color Purple, Second Generation/Ujima/Shea’s
Kinky Boots, MusicalFare
Little Shop of Horrors, Lancaster Opera House
Merrily We Roll Along, Second Generation Theatre
Sondheim on Sondheim, MusicalFare
3. OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Scott Behrend/John Hurley, The Light Fantastic
Catherine Burkhard/Mariangela Mercurio, London Calling
Chris Kelly, Romeo and Juliet
Kyle LoConti, The Sound Inside
Fortunato Pezzimenti, The Price
4. OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Lou Colaiacovo, Tick, Tick, BOOM!
Susan Drozd, Twelfth Night
Sarah Norat Phillips, The Color Purple
Michael Oliver-Walline, Kinky Boots
Michael Wachowiak, Merrily We Roll Along
5. OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Naila Ansari, The Color Purple
Joey Bucheker, Oklahoma
Carlos R.A. Jones, Twelfth Night
Michael Oliver-Walline, Kinky Boots
Eric Deeb Weaver, Rocky Horror Show
6. OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A PLAY
Belfast Girls, Irish Classical Theatre Company
The Bowling Play, Second Generation Theatre
Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence, Road Less Traveled Theater
Death of Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, Alleyway Theatre
The Price, Irish Classical Theatre Company
7. OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL
Crowns, MusicalFare
Go Dog Go!, Theatre of Youth
Murder Ballad, Road Less Traveled Productions
Reefer Madness, O’Connell & Company
Sondheim on Sondheim, MusicalFare
8. OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Alejandro Gómez, Bloom
Jack Hunter, The Homecoming
Ben Michael Moran, The Price
Michael Starzynski, A Great Wilderness
Paul Todaro, Faith Healer
9. OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Tracie Lane, The Homecoming
Kate LoConti Alcocer, The Price
Shanntina Moore, Cullud Wattah
Darleen Pickering Hummert, Crossing Delancey
Emily Yancey, The (Curious Case of the) Watson Intelligence
10. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Chris Hatch, Romeo and Juliet
Greg Howze, The Light Fantastic
Stan Klimecko, The Homecoming
Tom Loughlin, The Price
Adam Yellen, The Bowling Play
11. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Lanie Shannon, Hamlet
Marie Costa, The Melville Boys
Diane DiBernardo, The Light Fantastic
Ellen Horst, Kindertransport
Davida Evette Tolbert, The Light Fantastic
12. OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Steve Copps, Kinky Boots
Kevin Deese, Reefer Madness
Jordan Levin, Merrily We Roll Along
Sean Ryan, Tick, Tick, BOOM!
Josh Wilde, Merrily We Roll Along
13. OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Nicole Cimato, Chicago
Jetaun Louie, The Color Purple
Gabriella McKinley, The Color Purple
Mary Kate O’Connell, Sunset Boulevard
Maria Pedro, Beautiful
14. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Louis Colaiacovo, Merrily We Roll Along
Michael J. Galante, Sunset Boulevard
Austin Marshall, Showtune
Dave Spychalski, Kinky Boots
Dan Urtz, Rocky Horror Show
15. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Leah Berst, Tick, Tick, BOOM!
Bethany Burrows, Kinky Boots
Heather Casseri, Sunset Boulevard
Kelly Copps, Merrily We Roll Along
Curtis Lovell, The Color Purple
16. OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE
Lindsay Brandon-Hunter, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf
Philip Farugia, The Natural Horse
Stevie Kemp, Twelfth Night
Peter Horn, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf
Gretchen Didio, Beautiful
17. OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
David Butler, Grumpy Old Men
David Dwyer, The Price
Collin Ranney, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf
Kristina Siegel, The Homecoming
Sarah Waechter, The AI At Delphi
18. OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL ELEMENT
Ed Hallborg, Romeo and Juliet, MUSIC AND SOUND
Tom Makar, Betrayal, SOUND
Katie Menke/John Rickus, The Light Fantastic, SPECIAL EFFECTS
Emma Schimminger, Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, SOUND
Hannah Wolland, Fauci - Kramer, VIDEOGRAPHY
19. OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Jenna Damberger, The Color Purple
Vivian Del Bello, The Importance of Being Earnest
Vanna Deux, Kinky Boots (the Angels)
Kari Drozd, Guys and Dolls
Lise Harty, The Price
20. EMMANUEL FRIED AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
AI at Delphi by Bella Poynton
Blue Xmas by Charmagne Chi
Fauci and Kramer by Drew Fornarola
The Bowling Play by Kelly Copps
The White Devil adaptation of John Webster by Charles McGregor and Arianna Lasting
21. CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Doug Weyand
