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Theater Talk

Theater Talk: Buffalo actor Lisette DeJesus follows up on her online conversation about BIPOC issues in theater, Anthony sees Veanne Cox at GEVA, Peter enjoys Buffalo Opera Unlimited

By Anthony Chase,
Peter Hall
Published October 4, 2024 at 5:00 AM EDT
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Lissette DeJesus is the special guest on Theater Talk to discuss BIPOC issues in theater

This weekend on Theater Talk, in an extended online episode, Anthony recalls a recent trip to see Veanne Cox in Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at Rochester's GEVA Theatre, Peter recalls a first-rate production of Mozart's opera THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO (Buffalo Opera Unlimited, review here).

Theater Talk notes the untimely sudden death of Broadway's Gavin Creel

at age 48 due to cancer, an actor whom many saw at Shea's during a recent tour of Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS before the show went to The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

And Theater Talk's special guest is Buffalo actor Lisette DeJesus who started a social media conversation on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) issues in local theater, urging everyone to ask questions early in the planning stages of any production.

Monday, January 20 through Friday, January 24, it's another New York City Theater Adventure in January 2025. This exclusive 5-day travel opportunity includes round-trip transportation, select group meals at iconic Manhattan eateries, and five fabulous Broadway shows. From your hotel in the heart of Midtown, you’ll also depart to tour theater-related exhibits at the Museum of Broadway and New York Public Library’s Theater on Film and Tape Archive, have time for sightseeing and shopping, and more. Reserve your spot today! Visit https://www.wned.org/ways-to-support/wned-wbfo-tours/new-york-city-theater/ or call Regina Sullivan at 716-630-3731 or email rsullivan@nyaaa.com The planned 5 theater performances are SWEPT AWAY, SUNSET BLVD, HELL'S KITCHEN, THE OUTSIDERS, THE GREAT GATSBY.

The conversation also touched on SHIPWRECKED at Road Less Traveled Productions, THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III (which closes this Sunday!), MCNEAL written by Pulitzer winner Ayad Akhtar, currently in previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theater where it will continue through November 24. Film star Robert Downey Jr. leads the cast in his Broadway debut, with Tony winner Bartlett Sher at the helm.

Check out Anthony's reviews and the latest edition of 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!) so it's worth getting the latest COVID booster 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 SEPTEMBER. Within the categories, shows are alphabetical by title, with any show starting with "The" under the letter "T."

CLOSINGS THIS WEEKEND:

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OPENING: (in alphabetical order, plays starting with "The" under the letter T.)

A DOLL'S HOUSE by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Steve Braddock. Thu 10/3 - Sun 10/6 on the following days: Thu Oct 3 7:00, Fri Oct 4 7:30, Sat Oct. 5 2:00 & 7:30, Sun. Oct. 6 at 2:00 (with a post show discussion).Presented by Niagara University on stage in the Leary Theatre within the Elizabeth Ann Clune Center for Theatre, Clet Hall, Niagara University, NY 716-286-8685 theatre.niagara.edu

IBSEN’S A DOLL’S HOUSE PUBLICITY BLURB: A DOLL’S HOUSE IS A TRIBUTE TO FEMINISM LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE. Nora Helmer is a high-spirited young housewife, and her life is on the upswing. Her husband, Torvald, has just received a promotion, and their financial struggles are over at last. But when an old acquaintance reappears, threatening to bring a dangerous secret to light, everything changes: her marriage, her family, even her relationship to the world around her. As the illusions behind her marriage are exposed, Nora wakes to feelings of self-awareness for the first time in her life.

NOTE: Theater Talk listings do not, as a rule, include student performances, but since so many NU grads are on our local stages, and since this is such an important play, I made an exception. - ph

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ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, a comedy by Joseph Kesselring, directed by Peter Palmisano, starring R.J. Voltz, Mary McMahon, Pamela Rose Mangus, Don Gervasi, Kevin Craig, Rich Kraemer, Anne Roaldi Boucher, David C. Mitchell, and many more. 10/4 - 10/20 Fre - Sat 7:30, Sun 2:30, presented by Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Avenue

Lancaster, NY 14086. (716) 683-1776, Lancasteropera.org

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE PUBLICITY BLURB: Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunt’s window seat. Mortimer rushes to tell Abby and Martha before they stumble upon the body themselves, only to learn that the two old women aren’t just aware of the dead man in their parlor, they killed him! With “crazy family” shenanigans and at least two meanings of the expression “cold feet,” it’ll be a miracle if Mortimer makes it to his wedding in this classic, macabre comedy.

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POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, a play by Selina Fillinger, directed by Kate Powers, starring Arin Lee Dandes, Shannell Dixon, Vernia Sharisse Garvin, Lisa Ludwig, Alek Malejs, Camilla Maxwell, Maria Pedro. 10/ 4 - 10/20

Thur - Fri 7:30, Sat 3:30, Sun 2:00. Presented by D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave. (Entrance on Prospect Ave) Buffalo, NY 14201 (716) 829-7668 kavinokytheatre.com

POTUS PUBLICITY BLURB: What happens when seven women have to fix one VERY big mistake made by the leader of the free world? Hilarity ensues! Don’t miss the side-splitting, feminist farce that took Broadway by storm. With biting humor and a hilariously no-nonsense cast, this is the political comedy we’ve all been waiting for!

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THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, a play, adapted for the stage from Stephen King’s classic novella by Dave Johns and Owen O’Neill, directed by Jay Desiderio, starring Kinzy Brown, Brian Tabak, John Profeta, Lawrence Gregory Smith, Geno Delmaro, John Kennedy, Nate Chateaux, Daniel J. Greer, Andrew Salamone, Billy Horn Altamirano & Andrew Canada. 10/10 - 12/01 Shows run most Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays & some Wednesdays (Sundays and some Saturdays are matinee performances) Evening dinners 6:00 shows at 7:30, Matinees dinner 1:00 shows at 2:30. Presented by Desiderio's Dinner Theatre. Visit website mybobbyjs.com or call 716-395-3207 for exact times and dates. At BOBBY J’S 204 Como Park Blvd. Cheektowaga NY, 14227 (716) 395-3207 mybobbyjs.com

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION PUBLICITY BLURB: The Shawshank Redemption brings the story of resilience made famous by the acclaimed film turned play to the Desiderio stage. When Andy Dufresne is wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in the notorious Shawshank prison, he must find a way to keep himself and his hope alive by using his wits and forging friendships. Based on the novella by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption illustrates the physical, mental & emotional toughness needed to attain a goal no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way.

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CONTINUING: (in alphabetical order, plays starting with "The" under the letter T.)

SHIPWRECKED: An Entertainment — The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself), a play by Donald Margulies, directed by John Hurley, starring Gregory Gjurich, Jeremy Kreuzer, and Gabriella McKinley. 9/13 - 10/13 Thu - Sat 7:30, Sun 2:00 presented by Road Less Traveled Productions, 456 Main Street 716-629-3069 roadlesstraveledprductions.org

SHIPWRECKED PUBLICITY BLURB: The adventurous Louis de Rougemont invites you to hear his amazing story of bravery, survival and celebrity that left nineteenth-century England spellbound. Dare to be whisked away in a story of the high seas, populated by exotic islanders, flying wombats, giant sea turtles and a monstrous man-eating octopus. Shipwrecked! examines how far we’re willing to blur the line between fact and fiction in order to leave our mark on the world.

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TEA PARTY, play by Sean Abley, directed by Lara D. Haberberger, presented by First Look Buffalo (on the TOY stage), starring Andrew Zuccari, Bob Rusch, Kaylie Horowitz, and John DellaContrada. 9/13 - 10/5 Thu - Sat 7:30. At the Allendale Theatre (Theatre of Youth) - 203 Allen St, Buffalo, NY 14201. (716) 771-6358 FirstLookBuffalo.com

TEA PARTY PUBLICITY BLURB: In this dramedy, Frank, a married heterosexual crossdresser living in Montana, discovers Miss Olivia’s Finishing School for Girls, a club for fellow recreational crossdressers. Finally able to share his secret with another like-minded man, Frank’s newfound freedom threatens his marriage and his relationship with his best friend.

You may also know the PBS American Experience documentary on CASA SUSANNA. In the 1950s and ’60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreamed—dressed as and living as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalized for their self-expression. Told through the memories of those who visited the house, the film provides a moving look back at a secret world where the persecuted and frightened found freedom, acceptance and, often, the courage to live out of the shadows. You can stream that here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/casa-susanna/#part01

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THE PROM, a musical by Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar, directed by Doug Weyand, presented by MusicalFare, 9/4 - 10/6, Wed - Thu 7:00, Fri 7:30, Sat 3:30 and 7:30, Sun 2:00 at MusicalFare Theatre, c/oDaemen College, 4380 Main Street, Amherst, NY 14226, 716- 839-8540 musicalfare.com

THE PROM PUBLICITY BLURB: Five incredibly narcissistic Broadway actors, lamenting their days of fame, travel to a small town in Indiana to "help" a student banned from bringing her girlfriend to the prom. They’re ready to put a spotlight on the issue...and themselves...and kick-ball-change the world!

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SHEA'S BUFFALO 2024 - 2025 season

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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Theater Talk 2024 WBFO Arts & Culture DeskTheater Talk
Anthony Chase
Listen for Theater Talk, Friday morning at 6:45 and 8:45 during Morning Edition.
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Peter Hall
Even though "semi-retired," Peter Hall continues to wear many hats. He is the Sunday afternoon host on WBFO’s “sister station,” WNED Classical where he has produced over 1,000 radio interviews with musical artists. If you see him at a theater with a pen in his hand, he’s probably getting ready to co-host “Theater Talk” with Anthony Chase (heard Friday mornings at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. on WBFO) or to write a review for www.buffalorising.com. He is also a member of the "Artie Awards" committee (think “Tony Awards for Buffalo theaters”).
See stories by Peter Hall
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  • A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING L-R Sydney Contrad, Anthony Alcocer, Heather Holden
    Theater Talk: THE BOOK OF WILL at RLTP has it all; Bring extra Kleenex to THE NOTEBOOK at Shea's; YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Starring Buffalo) was so funny!; last weekend for A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING (snappy Rodgers & Hammerstein revue) at Kenan.
    This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about THE BOOK OF WILL, an exceptionally moving play at Road Less Traveled, concerning a group of friends working hard to save Shakespeare's plays. A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING takes 31 songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and presents them in a funny revue at the Kenan Center's Taylor Theater. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN was given a super presentation by Starring Buffalo. THE NOTEBOOK, a real tear-jerker, opened at Shea's and THE GODS OF PADEREWSKI DRIVE opened at American Repertory Theater (545 Elmwood Ave). Anthony did get down to NYC to see Buffalo's Stephen McKinley Henderson in the editor's cut of a new documentary titled "This Place Matters! Ten Chimneys" at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, celebrating the lives and legacy of the “first couple of the Broadway stage” Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. CLICK ON THIS PODCAST'S TITLE TO SEE COMPLETE LISTINGS FOR WNY THEATERS!That's right! Click through to see complete listings of what's on stage below!For over 30 years, Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian, Anthony Chase. Chase co-hosted Theater Talk with Buffalo Broadcast Hall of Famer Jim Santella for many years. These days, it's Peter Hall. With more than 20 active producing theater companies in Buffalo alone, not to mention Shea’s Performing Arts Center and the Shaw Festival at nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, Chase and Hall keep their calendars full, trying to see and share their insights on as many shows as possible.But Theater Talk is anything but a dry community arts listing service. Instead, with affection, good humor, and just the occasional rant, the segment provides snapshot reviews, recommends local productions, analyzes the Western New York theater scene and occasionally looks at what's happening on Broadway and across the nation.Chase is the founder of the Artie Awards, which recognizes excellence in Western New York theater and raises money for AIDS charities.
  • In THE BOOK OF WILL, at Road Less Traveled Productions, a scene that could be a painting by Engish painter William Hogarth
    Theater Talk: THE BOOK OF WILL CONTINUES at RLTP, Tom Dudzik on two stages, Last weekend at Shawfest, Openings include NOTEBOOK at Shea's, GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING at Kenan, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at Shea's 710. See listings!
    This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about THE BOOK OF WILL, the last of the 2025 Curtain Up! openings, which continues at Road Less Traveled Productions through 10.19. It's almost "Tom Dudzik month" (referring to the OVER THE TAVERN playwright) with 3 shorts at Desiderio's Dinner Theater and THE GODS OF PADEREWSKI DRIVE to open at American Repertory Theater (545 Elmwood Ave) on 10/9. Buffalo's Stephen McKinley Henderson to star in a new documentary titled "This Place Matters! Ten Chimneys" set to premiere on Monday, October 6, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City, celebrating the lives and legacy of the “first couple of the Broadway stage” Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Click through to see complete listings of what's on stage below!For over 30 years, Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian, Anthony Chase. Chase co-hosted Theater Talk with Buffalo Broadcast Hall of Famer Jim Santella for many years. These days, it's Peter Hall. With more than 20 active producing theater companies in Buffalo alone, not to mention Shea’s Performing Arts Center and the Shaw Festival at nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, Chase and Hall keep their calendars full, trying to see and share their insights on as many shows as possible.But Theater Talk is anything but a dry community arts listing service. Instead, with affection, good humor, and just the occasional rant, the segment provides snapshot reviews, recommends local productions, analyzes the Western New York theater scene and occasionally looks at what's happening on Broadway and across the nation.Chase is the founder of the Artie Awards, which recognizes excellence in Western New York theater and raises money for AIDS charities.