This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter observe the passing of Irish Classical Theatre co-founder Vincent O'Neill. They rave about CRAZY FOR YOU, chock full of Gershwin tunes and spectacular dancing (Eric Deeb Weaver, choreography), starring Eric Rivas (up from Orlando) and UB senior Audree Woods. It's only up through this Sunday 6/22. Also fun, and also a bit out of town, MASS APPEAL at Desiderio's Dinner Theatre in Cheektowaga. Anthony reports on early preparations for an African-American take on GODSPELL, Ujima's Curtain Up! musical. Many shows open with Shakespeare in Delaware Park, Bellissima (at TOY), Buffalo Writers (at ART), and Shea's brings us BACK TO THE FUTURE! Complete local listings (including Shawfest) are below.
34th ANNUAL ARTIE AWARDS:
For winners: Scroll down to view the winners or visit theatertalkbuffalo.com.
Complete listings of what's on stage are below!
Check out all of Anthony's reviews and the latest edition of Javier's "Theater News" (the new "On the Boards") at theatertalkbuffalo.com!
Peter's reviews appear in Buffalo Rising (buffalorising.com).
COVID, the flu, and some weird respiratory thing going around 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 shows!), followed by OPENINGS, then CONTINUING, then OPENINGS NEXT WEEK or MONTH. Within the categories, shows are alphabetical by title, with any show starting with "The" under the letter "T."
CLOSINGS: (Last chances to see this!)
CRAZY FOR YOU, music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, co-conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent, starring a huge cast of 19, including Eric Rivas and Audree Woods as Bobby Child and Polly Woods, with a huge cast including Bobby Cooke, Anna Fernandez, Timiyah Love, John May, Vinny Murphy, and more, with Emily Weber as Dance Captain. 6/6-6/22 Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 2:30. Presented by Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Avenue, Lancaster, NY (716) 683-1776 lancasteropera.org
CRAZY FOR YOU PUBLICITY BLURB: This throwback musical from the early '90s is reminiscent of the effervescent hits from early Broadway. A zany rich-boy-meets-hometown-girl romantic comedy, CRAZY FOR YOU tells the story of young New York banker Bobby Child (Eric Rivas), who is sent to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a rundown theater. In Deadrock, Bobby falls for spunky Polly Baker (Audree Woods), the theater owner’s daughter. But Polly takes an instant dislike to the city slicker, so Bobby vows – through cunning, razzmatazz, and a hilarious case of mistaken identity – to win Polly’s heart and save the theater. Memorable Gershwin tunes from the score include “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.”
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OPENINGS: (in alphabeticall order)
BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL (8 shows), 6/24 - 29 Tue - Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 & 8:00, Sun 1:00 & 6:30 presented by Shea's Performing Arts Center as part of their Broadway series, 646 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14202 716-847-0850 sheas.org
BACK TO THE FUTURE BLURB: Get ready for a high-voltage ride through time! Marty McFly and Doc Brown bring the iconic DeLorean to Broadway in this thrilling musical adaptation of the beloved film. Packed with dazzling effects, nostalgic hits, and brand-new songs, this electrifying adventure will have you cheering as Marty races to fix history!
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BETWEEN THE LINES, a musical based on the novel by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer, with music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, and book by Timothy Allen McDonald. 6/20 - 6/29 Fri-Sat 7:30, Sun 3:00, produced by Bellissima Productions on the Allendale (TOY) stage, 203 Allen Street, Buffalo, NY 14201. Write to Bellissimaproductions1@gmail.com or Visit bellissimaproductions.com/tickets/
PUBLICITY BLURB: BETWEEN THE LINES is an empowering and enchanting new musical for any of us seeking to find our place in the world. An outsider in a new school, Delilah seeks comfort in the pages of her favorite book, where she feels heard and understood. But as the lines between the two worlds of reality and fantasy begin to blur in extraordinary and astonishing ways, Delilah has to confront whether she alone has the power to rewrite her own story.
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MOMENTS IN TIME, The Buffalo Writers' Theater 7th annual short play festiva showcaseS features 9 shorts written by 716 playwrights, directed and starring Buffalo theater artists, on the theme of "Moments in Time" presented by Buffalo Writers' Theater at Compass Performing Arts (home of American Repertory Theater of WNY) at 545 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14222, Friday, June 20th at 7 pm, and Saturday at 2 pm and 7 pm. $15 at the door. Online tickets visit artofwny.org
MOMENTs IN TIME PUBLICITY BLURB: Plays include: A sturdy table for a dying president, a reenactment of the 6th game of 1986 World Series, Mt. Olympus, Niagara Falls drained and dry, World War I trench warfare under glass, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Fallujah combat, Jackie and her pink suit.
Memories, emotions, drama, and laughter in nine installments, evoking a range of historical events and individual moments.
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ROMEO AND JULIET, ABRIDGED, 2025 Touring Production, an hour-long abridged version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, adapted and directed by Brendan Didio, starring Patrick Burke, Karen Harty, Manuel Mejia, Maria Pedro, Tabitha Raithel. 6/11 - 8/18 7:00 pm, For dates and locations, visit shakespeareindelawarepark.org/2025-tour-locations/ All performances are FREE, non-ticketed and open to the public at 7:00pm (unless otherwise indicated). Seating not provided – Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or chaired seating. Picnics welcome!
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TWELFTH NIGHT, play by Shakespeare, directed by Eileen Dugan, with a cast of 17 including Solange Gosselin, Rebecca Elkin, and Chris Hatch with comic roles played by Norm Sham, Todd Benzin, Daniel Lendzian, and Kevin Craig. 6/19 - 7/13 Tuesdays through Sundays (no Mondays) at 7:00 presented by Shakespeare in Delaware Park. Shows are free (with a goodwill offering at intermission) on "Shakespeare Hill" adjacent to the Rose Garden and The Terrace Restaurant. For information visit shakespeareindelawarepark.org/season/2025-50th-season/
BLURB: Come ashore onto the whimsical world of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s delightful comedy of love, mistaken identity, and mischievous revelry. After a shipwreck, Viola disguises herself as a man, igniting a tangled web of romance and deception. With witty wordplay, unforgettable characters, and hilarious twists, this timeless masterpiece explores love’s unpredictability and the joy of discovery. From the lovesick Duke Orsino to the pompous Malvolio, Twelfth Night is a theatrical feast of laughter, longing, and lively mischief!
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CONTINUING (in alphabetical order):
ANYTHING GOES, a musical by Cole Porter, directed and choreographed by Kimberley Rampersad. 5/2 - 10/4 presented by The Shaw Festival in repertory at the Festival Theatre, 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0. shawfest.com 1-800-511-SHAW
ANYTHING GOES PUBLICITY BLURB: Set sail on the S.S. American! This dazzling production breathes new life into Cole Porter’s timeless tale of romance, intrigue and high-seas hijinks. Follow the delightful antics of Reno Sweeney, a spirited nightclub singer, as she navigates love triangles, mistaken identities and comical misunderstandings on a transatlantic voyage. Featuring beloved songs like “It’s De-Lovely,” “You’re the Top,” and the showstopping title number “Anything Goes,” this fresh revival brims with spectacular dance numbers and non-stop laughter. Approximate run time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
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DEAR LIAR, a play by Jerome Kilty, adapted from the correspondence between Bernard Shaw and Mrs Patrick Campbell, presented by The Shaw Festival in repertory in the Spiegeltent, 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0. shawfest.com 1-800-511-SHAW
DEAR LIAR PUBLICITY BLURB: Bernard Shaw was besotted with — and infuriated by — the great actress Stella Tanner, better known by her stage name, Mrs Patrick Campbell. This witty and moving two-hander follows their long-lasting relationship through the letters they wrote one another and some of the scenes that Shaw wrote for his Stella. Discover a world of jousting wits, hidden longings and shared pain as two great artists find, lose and find each other again over the course of a life in the theatre. Approximate run time: 2 hours, including one intermission.
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MAJOR BARBARA, a play by G. Bernard Shaw, directed by Peter Hinton-Davis. 6/1 - 10/5 . Presented by The Shaw Festival in repertory at the Royal George Theatre, 85 Queen St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0. shawfest.com 1-800-511-SHAW
MAJOR BARBARA PUBLICITY BLURB: Idealism and reality crash headlong into each other in Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara. Barbara Undershaft could not be more different from her estranged father: she is a Salvation Army officer, he a wealthy arms manufacturer. As their worlds collide, she finds all her beliefs about wealth, poverty and redemption tested to the breaking point. More provocative than ever, this play raises questions of justice, morality and the truth of human nature, all with Shaw’s inimitable wit and incisive dialogue.
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MASS APPEAL, a comedy/drama by Bill C. Davis, directed by Jay Desiderio, starring Peter Horn as Father Farley and Connor Hesch as Mark Dolson. Through June 29, usually Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with dinners at 6:00 and the show at 7:30 or lunches at 1:00 with matinees at 2:30. At Desiderio's Dinner Theatre at Bobby J's 204 Como Park Blvd, Cheektowaga, NY 14227. Visit the website mybobbyjs.com/dinner-theatre or call 716-395-3207
MASS APPEAL PUBLICITY BLURB: MASS APPEAL is a brilliantly funny yet compassionate play that had a long and critically acclaimed Broadway run and was later made into a movie starring Jack Lemmon. the play explores the conflict between Father Farley, and established an popular older priest who reulctinlty agrees to take under his wing an intense and idealistic young seminarian. The two immediately knock heads.
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THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, a play based on the novel by C.S. Lewis, co-adapted for the stage by Selma Dimitrijevic and Tim Carroll, directed by Selma Dimitrijevic. 4/9 - 10/4 presented by The Shaw Festival in repertory in the Festival Theatre, 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0. shawfest.com 1-800-511-SHAW
Note: pre-show Workshop available Come on an adventure in this exciting workshop for children and families offered prior to every performance. $10
PUBLICITY BLURB: Narnia returns! Step through the wardrobe and enter a magical world. Guided by the noble lion Aslan, four children – Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy – embark on a quest to free this enchanted land from the White Witch’s icy grip and restore peace to the kingdom. Filled with breathtaking battles, mythical creatures and unforgettable characters, this new adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ classic will delight the whole family. It’s a story about imagination, loyalty and what it takes to be a real hero. Approximate run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission. Age Recommendation: Age 8+
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TONS OF MONEY, a farce by Will Evans and "Valentine," directed by Eda Holmes. 4/11 - 10/5 presented by The Shaw Festival in repertory at the Royal George Theatre, 85 Queen St, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0. shawfest.com 1-800-511-SHAW
TONS OF MONEY PUBLICITY BLURB: Side-splitting comedy, anyone? Failed inventor Aubrey Allington devises a cunning scheme to escape the clutches of his creditors: he will fake his own death and assume the identity of his long-lost cousin, thereby inheriting — you guessed it — tons of money. What could possibly go wrong? This classic British farce is a madcap delight that will have you in stitches from start to finish. Approximate run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission.
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SELECT SHOWS OPENING LATER IN JUNE (in alphabetical order)
THE COMEDY OF QUEERERS, by Shawn Northrip, directed by Lara D. Haberberger (4 shows only!) 6/30 - 7/7 Fri 7:30, Sat 5:00 Presented by Brazen Faced Varlets at Compass Performing Arts Center, 545 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 Tickets available at the door and online at varlets.org00
THE COMEDY OF QUEERERS PUBLICITY BLURB: That's right! We are celebrating 18 years of Brazen-Faced Varlets by bringing back our production of THE COMEDY OF QUEERERS, an adaptation of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors by Shawn Northrip! We earned an Artie Nomination for both Direction of a Play (Lara Haberberger) and Ensemble of a Play, back in 2012... Come see what we can do in the 2024 - 2025 Season!
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SELECT SHOWS OPENING IN JULY (in alphabetical order)
GNIT, a play by Will Eno, directed by Tim Carroll, 6/19 - 10/4
GNIT PUBLICITY BLURB: From the author of our 2017 smash hit Middletown. Watch closely as Peter Gnit, a funny-enough but so-so specimen of humanity, makes a lifetime of bad decisions, on the search for his True Self, which is disintegrating while he searches. A rollicking and very cautionary tale about, among other things, how the opposite of love is laziness. Gnit is a faithful, unfaithful and wilfully American reading of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, a 19th century Norwegian play which is famous for all the wrong reasons, written by Will Eno, who has never been to Norway.
WAIT UNTIL DARK
KINKY BOOTS MUSICAL
SELECT SHOWS OPENING IN JULY (in alphabetical order)
BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY
MURDER ON THE LAKE
RICHARD III, by Shakespeare
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SHEA'S BUFFALO 2025-2026 Five Star Bank Broadway shows include:
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, August 20-24, 2025, as a special subscriber add-on, part of the Gallagher Encore Specials for the 2025-2026 season
THE OUTSIDERS, September 17-23, 2025
THE NOTEBOOK, October 7-13, 2025
WICKED, November 12-30, 2025
‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE… BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, Opening December 17, 2025
KIMBERLY AKIMBO, March 17-22, 2026
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, April 14-19, 2026
SUFFS, June 2-7-2026s
The Five Star Bank 2025-26 Broadway Season is presented by Shea’s Performing Arts Center and Albert Nocciolino, and is sponsored locally by Five Star Bank, The Buffalo News, and WKBW-TV.
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Copied from https://www.theatertalkbuffalo.com/post/2025-artie-award-winners
34th Annual Artie Awards
Sponsored by Buffalo Toronto Public Media
Presented June 9, 2025 at Asbury Hall, Buffalo, New York
Hosted by Anthony Chase, Curtis Lovell, and Amy Jakiel with Music Director Philip Farugia
2025 Artie Awards Winners
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Dorian, Irish Classical Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL
Waitress, MusicalFare Theatre
EMANUEL FRIED AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY
Matthew LaChiusa, The Informer
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
David Lundy, Remember This
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Tracie Lane, Scenes from A Marriage
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Vanna Deux, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
OUTSTANDING LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Maria Pedro, Waitress
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Gerald Ramsey, The African Company Presents Richard III
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Rebecca Elkin, The Loved Ones
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Kristopher Bartolomeo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kelly Copps, The Producers
OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE
Caitlin Coleman, The Hung Man
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Mason Beggs, Dorian
OUTSTANDING DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Susan Drozd, Waitress
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A PLAY
The Hobbit, Theatre of Youth
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL
Into the Woods, O'Connell & Company
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Eric Deeb Weaver, Newsies
OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
Bridget Moriarty, The Fitzgeralds of Saint Paul
OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN
Dyan Burlingame, Shipwrecked!
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Ann R. Emo, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL ELEMENT
Emma Schimminger, Lighting, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Eileen Dugan
SPECIAL APPRECIATION AWARD
Buffalo Toronto Public Media
KATHARINE CORNELL AWARDS – honoring the work of visiting artists
Christie Baugher; composer, lyricist, and playwright; The Fitzgeralds of Saint Paul, Irish Classical Theatre Company
Derrian Brown, actor, William Barfee, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Second Generation Theatre
Kevin Zak, playwright, Kidman Carol, Alleyway Theatre
