This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter discuss the economic impact of Shea's in general and THE LION KING in particular, with $5.8 million in ticket sales, of which Shea's gets a small percentage, but the three-week run brought a $19 million financial boost for the region. MusicalFare will soon be part of the Shea's 710 family, but this week Kelly and Steve Copps opened THE LAST FIVE YEARS at MusicalFare's Cabaret in Amherst, a real acting tour de force as each character takes turns in solo roles, meeting for one duet in the middle of the show. Anthony shares that the Buffalo News' now defunct GUSTO, so chock full of activities, was what convinced him to come to Buffalo over 30 years ago. And, First Look Buffalo opens a new play (that's what they do!) called THE DAY I LEARNED TO FLY at the Canterbury Woods performance space.
THE BROADWAY-BOUND BUS IS ABOUT TO HEAD OUT! 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 the hotel in the heart of Midtown, the group will also depart to tour theater-related exhibits at the Museum of Broadway and New York Public Library’s Theater on Film and Tape Archive, go sightseeing and shopping, and more. The planned 5 theater performances are SUNSET BLVD, HELL'S KITCHEN, THE OUTSIDERS, THE GREAT GATSBY and DEATH BECOMES HER (the musical SWEPT AWAY having closed early).
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? 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!
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LOCAL LISTINGS ARE PRESENTED AS FOLLOWS: CLOSINGS (last chances to see these plays), followed by OPENINGS, then CONTINUING. Within the categories, shows are alphabetical by title, with any show starting with "The" under the letter "T."
CLOSING THIS WEEKEND:
SORRY! WRONG CHIMNEY, a comedy farce by Jack Sharkey & Leo W. Sears, directed by Jay Desiderio, starring Andrew Canada, Jessie Miller, Brooke Georgen, John Profeta, Ian Michalski, Marie Costa, and Daniel J. Greer, through January 19, 2025, on various days (usually Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays). Dinners at 6:00, show at 7:30; Matinees lunch at 1:00, show at 2:30. Presented by Desiderio's Dinner Theatre at Bobby J's, 204 Como Park Blvd. Cheektowaga, NY 14227 716)395-3207 www.mybobbyjs.com
SORRY! WRONG CHIMNEY PUBLICITY BLURB: This is the story of David Tuttle who is moonlighting as a department store Santa so that he can buy his wife a fur for Christmas. He tells her he’s working late at the office, but she finds out he isn’t at the office. A suspected other woman, hypnotism, the notorious Santa burglar Kris Kreigle and his gun-toting fiancée, and a confused policeman add up to a rollicking tale that is hilarious Christmas entertainment any time of year.
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OPENING THIS WEEK:
KHAN!!!, the musical, "A PARODY TREK-TACULAR," directed by Daniel F. Lendzian, choreographed by Joey Bucheker, music direction by Joe Isgar, Jan 16 - 26, Thu - Sat 7:30, First weekend Sat & Sun at 2:00, Second weekend, no Saturday matinee, Sun has two performances, at 2:00 and 7:30. Presented by O'Connell & Co. at Shea's Smith Theatre, 658 Main Street, Buffalo, NY Visit sheas.org/performances/khan-the-musical.
KHAN PUBLICITY BLURB: Music, Lyrics, and Book by Brent Black;
Co-Conceived by Alina Roth. In 2366 and the timeframe of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data the android presents his musical comedy version of The Wrath of Khan with a cast of virtual actors on the Holodeck! A campy show-within-a-show ensues where the bloodthirsty Khan vows revenge on a washed-up James T. Kirk and Data–portraying multiple roles–learns a thing or two about life along the way.
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THE DAY I LEARNED TO FLY, a new play by Wendy-Marie Martin, directed by Jason Francey, starring Heather Casseri, Kaylie Horowitz, Sandra Roberts, Annie DeFazio, Adam Kilgore, Emrald Ja'ceil. Jan 17 - Feb 9, Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 2:00. Presented by First Look / Canterbury Woods at the Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center, 705 Renaissance Dr, Williamsville, NY 14221 (off Youngs Rd. between Maple and Klein). (716) 771-6358 firstlookbufflo.com,
THE DAY I LEARNED TO FLY PUBLICITY BLURB: One day, while walking her dog, Daisy, fifteen-year-old Hattie was struck by a direct hit from 100 million of volts lightning-tastic electricity and SuperHattie was born. SuperHattie instantly became fluent in a language of flashes and sparks and zzzzts and screams and learned to use them to her advantage. Five years later, SuperHattie has honed her ability to read minds and withstand unbelievable amounts of pain, but she still hasn’t learned to fly. Will she finally find the courage to let go of her fears and soar?
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100 YEARS, a musical written and directed by Christopher Parada, presented by Curtain Up Productions, the in-house production company of Lockport's Historic Palace Theatre. Jan 17 - 19 (3 shows only) Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 3:00 at The Palace Theatre 2 East Ave. Lockport, NY 14094 (716) 438-1130 lockportpalacetheatre.org
100 YEARS PUBLICITY BLURB: Join us for an amazing event! A LIVE Musical production featuring 100 years of the Historic Palace Theatre history. Written by Executive Director Christopher Parada.
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CONTINUING: (in alphabetical order, plays starting with "The" are under the letter T.)
THE LAST FIVE YEARS, a musical by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Eric Deeb Weaver, starring Kelly Copps & Steve Copps. Jan 10 - 26 Fri - Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00, presented by MusicalFare in their cabaret space, MusicalFare Theatre c/o Daemen College 4380 Main Street,
Amherst, NY 14226 (Tip: Enter campus off Getzville Road). (716) 839-8540 musicalfare.com
THE LAST FIVE YEARS PUBLICITY BLURB: Written by Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown (PARADE), this intensely personal look at the five-year relationship between a writer and an actress is told from both points of view: she chronicles their union from the end to the beginning, he from the beginning to the end. Starring award-winning actors Kelly Copps & Steve Copps. NOTE: This production is NOT a part of the Mainstage Season of Musicals - it is part of the Cabaret Musical Series.
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SOME PLAYS AND MUSICALS OPENING LATER IN JANUARY, 2025:
ACCOMPLICE, a comedy thriller by Rupert Holmes presented by Lancaster Opera House. Jan 31 - Feb 16 Fri - Sat 7:30, Sun 2:30 presented by Lancaster Opera House 21 Central Avenue. Lancaster, NY 14086 (716) 683-1776 lancasteropera.org
ACCOMPLICE PUBLICITY BLURB: Winner of the Mystery Writers of America’s coveted “Edgar” award and written by Rupert Holmes, Tony® award winner for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. This theatrical roller coaster will trigger screams of laughter even as audiences vow to keep its secrets hush-hush. The story begins in Dartmoor, England at the stylish weekend retreat of the affluent Derek and Janet Taylor, and both adultery and murder are in the air. But we will soon learn that all is never as it seems in this electrifying game of trickery and misdirection. Who is the hunter and who the hunted…and precisely who is the titular Accomplice?
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BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART, a play by Donna Hoke, directed by Sabrina Kahwaty presented by Bellissima Productions, starring Johnny Barden, Zoe Goñez, and Greg Howze. Jan 30 - Feb 15, Thu- Fri 7:30, Sat 3:00 & 7:30. Alleyway Cabaret Space 1 Curtain up Alley, Buffalo, NY 14202
BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART PUBLICITY BLURB: Law student Abby Gates has no qualms about becoming a sugar baby to get her tuition bills paid–until it means keeping a secret from the man she loves, an artist exploring confession and thresholds of shame. When Abby’s two worlds collide, she discovers her sugar daddy has taught her about more than good wine. Prepare to be swept away by the gripping and emotionally charged story where ambition, desire, and self-discovery collide. Content Warning: sexual themes & simulated sexual acts, strong language, simulated use of drinking
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100 YEARS, musical written and directed by Christopher Parada, presented by Curtain Up Productions, the in-house production company of Lockport's Historic Palace Theatre. Jan 17 - 19 (3 shows only) Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 3:00 at The Palace Theatre 2 East Ave. Lockport, NY 14094 (716) 438-1130 lockportpalacetheatre.org
100 YEARS PUBLICITY BLURB: Join us for an amazing event! A LIVE Musical production featuring 100 years of the Historic Palace Theatre history. Written by Executive Director Christopher Parada.
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SOME SHOWS STARTING IN FEBRUARY:
GOODNIGHT TYLER a play by B.J Tindal, directed by Curtis Lovell. Feb 28 - Mar 16, Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00. Presented by Ujima Co. Inc. at the Lorna C. Hill Theater, 429 Plymouth Ave., Buffalo, NY, 14213
(716) 322-5178 ujimacoinc.org
Goodnight, Tyler, by B.J Tindal Tyler, is the ghost-love story of Tyler Evans, a dead Black man who wants to be remembered for who he was rather than how he died. He wants to make peace before he leaves behind his fiancée, his college buddy, his grandmother, and his student. It's a story about loss, intimacy, fear, and white supremacy as Tyler is brought face-to-face with the reality of whose grief matters and whose lives matter most.
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SHEA'S BUFFALO 2024 - 2025 season
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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