The Shaw Festival now has half of its productions up, including a very satisfying musical (finally!) in Lerner and Loewe's BRIGADOON, for which seats are becoming scarce. Locally, GIRLS WHO WALKED ON GLASS at the Alleyway is immersive, innovative, and very well done, a play that you won't soon forget.
The musical NINE just opened at the Smith Theatre with Second Generation Theatre pulling together a well-loved cast that is enormous. In contrast, THE SEAT NEXT TO THE KING is an intimate two hander that continues at The New Phoenix Theatre. The Irish Classical Theatre presents a deliciously wicked Joe Orton play, ENTERTAINING MR. SLOANE about a brother and sister who unwittingly get involved with a murderer. And, the 2019 Tony Awards presented a successful broadcast with many highlights, including Elaine May, at age 87, receiving her first Tony and you can read the transcript of her witty "Let me tell you how I did it" acceptance speech here.
OPENING
ENTERTAINING MR. SLOANE, play by Joe Orton presented by the Irish Classical Theatre Company, directed by Greg Natale, starring Kelli Bocock-Natale, Anthony J. Grande, Stan Klimecko, Gerry Maher. Jun 14-30, Thu & Fri at 7:30, Sat at 3 & 7:30, Sun at 2. Andrews Theatre, 625 Main St. (853-ICTC). www.irishclassicaltheatre.com
NINE, musical by Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston presented by Second Generation Theatre, directed by Victoria Pérez, starring Ben Michael Moran, Aimee Walker, Arianne Davidow, Kelly Copps, Lisa Ludwig, Mary Gjurich, Sabrina Kahwaty, Nicole Cimato, Charmagne Chi, Leah Berst, Cassidy Kreuzer, Bethany Burrows, Jessie Miller, Anna Fernandez, Stevie Jackson, Julia Murphy, Max Goldhirsch. Jun 14-30, Thu at 7:30, Fri at 8, Sat at 2 & 8, Sun at 2. Shea’s Smith Theatre, 658 Main St. (508-7480). www.secondgenerationtheatre.com
ONGOING
GIRLS WHO WALKED ON GLASS, immersive play project by Gordon Farrell, directed by Neal Radice, starring Jamie Nablo, Emily Yancey, Ember Tate, Daniel Greer, John Panepinto, James Cichocki, Trevor Dugan, Gayle Petri, Betsy Bittar, Niki Nowak, Lillian Reszel, Sandra Roberts. Through Jun 22, Thu-Sat at 7:30. Alleyway Theatre, One Curtain Up Alley (852-2600). www.alleyway.com
MEMORIES & MARTINIS, cabaret-styled memoir presented by O'Connell & Company, directed by Joey Bucheker, starring Mary Kate O’Connell, Charles Basil. Through Jun 23, Thu-Sat at 7:30, Sun at 2:30. The Park School, 4625 Harlem Road, Snyder (848-0800). www.oconnellandcompany.com
THE SEAT NEXT TO THE KING, play by Steven Elliot Jackson, directed by Todd Fuller, starring Robert Cooke, Xavier Harris. Through Jun 29, Thu-Sat at 8. New Phoenix Theatre, 95 Johnson Park (853-1334). www.newphoenixtheatre.org
CLOSING
DEARLY DEPARTED, play by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, presented by Aurora Players, directed by Chris Fire. Through Jun 16, Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 2:30. The Roycroft Pavilion, in Hamlin Park. South Grove St., East Aurora (687-6727). www.auroraplayers.org
LAYLA'S ROOM, play by Sabrina Mahfouz presented by Subversive Theatre as part of Subversive Youth series, directed by Kelly Beuth, starring emerging actors of Buffalo's Performing Arts High School. Through Jun 15, Thu-Sat at 7:30. The Manny Fried Playhouse, 255 Great Arrow Ave., third floor (462-5549). www.subversivetheatre.org
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
A TIME TO KILL, courtroom drama adapted for the stage by Rupert Holmes, presented by Desiderio’s Dinner Theatre, directed by Jay Desiderio, starring Kinzy Brown, Peter Horn, Marc Ruffino, Sandra Gilliam, Larry Smith, Elizabeth Oddy, Bob Lohr, Jeremy Catania, Michael David O'Hear, Ronald Hicks, Kenneth Leman, Justin Chortie, Jacob Sauer, Nathanial Higgins.
May 9-Jun 30, evening shows arrival at 6, show at 7:30; matinee shows arrival at 1, show at 2:30. Bobby J’s Italian American Grille, 204 Como Park Blvd., Cheektowaga (395-3207). www.mybobbyjs.com
UPCOMING
THE CHRISTIANS, play by Lucas Hnath presented by Chautauqua Theater Company, directed by Taibi Magar, featuring the Chautauqua Choir. Jun 28-Jul 14. Bratton Theater, Chautauqua Institution (357-6437). https://chq.org/chautauqua-theater-company
THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare, presented by Shakespeare in Delaware Park, directed by Saul Elkin, starring David Marciniak, Christine Turturro, Robyn Lee Horn, Phil Wackerfuss, David Lundy, Brendan Cunningham, Brett Klaczyk. Brendan Didio, Tom Makar, Chris J. Handley, Norman Sham. Jun 20-Jul 14, Tue-Sun at 7:15, Shakespeare Hill in Delaware Park (856-4533). www.shakespeareindelawarepark.org
AT THE SHAW FESTIVAL 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada 905-468-2172 / 1-800-511-7429
BRIGADOON, a musical, by Lerner and Loewe, at the Festival Theatre, through October 13
GETTING MARRIED, a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, at the Shaw's Royal George Theatre, through October 13.
ROPE, a thriller by Patrick Hamilton (after Hitchcock) at The Royal George Theatre, through October 12
THE HORSE AND HIS BOY, adapted from C.S. Lewis's Narnia books by Anna Chatterton, at the Festival Theatre, through June 26
THE LADYKILLERS, by Graham Linehan, at the Festival Theatre, through October 12
THE RUSSIAN PLAY, by Hannah Moscovitch, a "Lunchtime One-Act" at the Royal George Theatre, though October 12
Listings adapted from Javier Bustillos
