Peter Hall
Theater Talk HostEven 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”).
Peter feels fortunate to have worked for some of the most trusted brands in Western New York. In past lives he has been a Director of Membership for Buffalo Toronto Public Media, the Director of Marketing for Canisius College, and before that was a Director of Marketing for Fisher-Price. Growing up in the Amherst school system, music, the arts, theater, literature, outdoor activities, and teaching were important in his family. His grandfather, the painter W.J. Schwanekamp, has works on display at the Burchfield-Penney. His father was a high school English teacher and his mother was a librarian. In high school, in addition to running track and cross country and being in the ski club, Peter played various instruments in the orchestra, had leading roles in the plays, and was an editor of the high school newspaper.
Peter holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from SUNY at Buffalo. For over twenty-five years he has taught undergraduate and graduate classes at Canisius College’s Richard J. Wehle School of Business and continues to this day. Depending on the season, on weekends he might be seen on his bicycle with "The Sunday Morning Riders" or teaching downhill skiing at Kissing Bridge.
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This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter discuss the 34th Annual Artie Awards, sponsored by Buffalo Toronto Public Media, presented June 9, 2025 at Asbury Hall, in Buffalo, hosted by Anthony Chase, Curtis Lovell, and Amy Jakiel with Music Director Philip Farugia. Scroll all the way down to see the winners or visit theatertalkbuffalo.com. Also, complete listings are 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. -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter discuss MASS APPEAL at Desiderio's Dinner Theatre, which is continuing, while WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD is generating a lot of buzz but closes this weekend (a must-see). CROCODILE FEVER at Irish Classical comes with numerous trigger warnings, and Anthony shares how Buffalo's Prop Mistress to the Stars, Diane Almeter Jones, is learning to create reusable fake pools of blood. JOSHUA'S BOOTS, an opera by African American composer Adolphus Hailstork, is performing tonight and tomorrow afternoon at First Shiloh Baptist Church. Complete listings are 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. -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about the Artie Awards Monday, June 9th at Asbury Hall on Delaware Avenue at 8 p.m. Amy Jakiel and Curtis Lovell return as hosts, along with Anthony Chase. Visit Anthony's blog theatertalkbuffalo.com for a complete list of nominations and visit babevillebuffalo.com/events/ for tickets. Anthony and Peter also enjoyed the strong cast in WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE EATING SALAD, currently up on the Alleyway stage. For 32 years (as of November 2024), Theater Talk has been appointment listening on BTPM NPR, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45am, 8:45am, and 5:45pm Fridays on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on btpm.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, and Chautauqua are covered as are other relevant art forms for the stage, including ballet and opera -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about the 27th annual Pride Brunch organized by Embrace Western New York which honored, among others, Anthony for being the only media personality in WNY to be openly gay without that being the point of his shows. Anthony was over the moon about HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (see listings) directed by Michael Gilbert-Wachowiak and starring Kris Bartolomeo and drag queen Vanna Deux while Peter went to Bailey Avenue for O'Connell & Company's fun INTO THE WOODS with fine singing (no mics!) and a solid live (not taped) pit (see listings). For 32 years (as of November 2024), Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45am, 8:45am, and 5:45pm Fridays on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on wbfo.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, and Chautauqua are covered as are other relevant art forms for the stage, including ballet and opera. -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter note the Artie Awards will be on Monday, June 9th (the day after the Tony Awards). But first, eight (8!) shows opening over May 1st, 2nd and 3rd! (See listings.) Playwright Kathleen Betsko Yale has a memorial service at Irish Classical on Monday. THE CHER SHOW is coming to Shea's (but only for four performances) while WAITRESS continues at MusicalFare in Amherst, and almost simulteaneously, LEGALLY BLONDE will be produced by MusicalFare at Sheas 710. EVERYBODY by Brandon Jacob Jenkins opens at Ujima, and Sondheim and LaPine's INTO THE WOODS opens at O'Connell & Co. just to name a few For 32 years (as of November 2024), Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45am, 8:45am, and 5:45pm Fridays on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on wbfo.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, and Chautauqua are covered as are other relevant art forms for the stage, including ballet and opera. -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about Chris Handley's impressive direction of AGATHA CHRISTIE'S THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD at The Alleyway Theatre; WAITRESS, cleverly directed by Susan Drozd with movement direction by Collin McKee, starring Maria Pedro with a solid cast (it's the final MusicalFare show at their current Daemen University home); and BURN THIS, the emotional Lanford Wilson play at Road Less Traveled Productions (See listings under "continuing" below). Seven (7!) shows open over May 1st and 2nd! (See listings just below). For 32 years (as of November 2024), Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45am, 8:45am, and 5:45pm Fridays on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on wbfo.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, and Chautauqua are covered as are other relevant art forms for the stage, including ballet and opera. -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk about Anthony's trip to NYC to see crossdressing actor Charles Busch in Noël Coward's HAY FEVER at "The Players" (a club founded by Edwin Booth) plus GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK starring George Clooney as Edward R. Murrow, along with DEATH BECOMES HER and SMASH. Peter mentioned crossdressing actor Cole Escola was hilarious on Jeopardy! dressed as Mary Todd Lincoln from their current Broadway show, OH, MARY! And BUA's gay send-up of Hitchcock movies titled THE HUNG MAN, has opened. For 32 years (as of November 2024), Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45am, 8:45am, and 5:45pm Fridays on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on wbfo.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, and Chautauqua are covered as are other relevant art forms for the stage, including ballet and opera. -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter quickly run through last weekend performances of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, CHESS, DIAL M FOR MURDER, DORIAN, and NOW AND THEN (see listings below) while opening tonight are AGATHA CHRISTIE'S THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD and THE HUNG MAN (a gay send up of Hitchcock movies), and opening next week are BURN THIS (Road Less Traveled) and WAITRESS, the final MusicalFare show at their current Daemen University home.For 32 years (as of November 2024), Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45am, 8:45am, and 5:45pm Fridays on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on wbfo.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, and Chautauqua are covered as are other relevant art forms for the stage, including ballet and opera. -
This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter describe the play DORIAN at Irish Classical as "fabulous," almost unbelievable in its excellence." DIAL M FOR MURDER (RLTP as Shea's 710) has, like DORIAN, a great cast, direction, costumes, and set. In the 'burbs Lancaster Opera House has CHESS with stellar performances while O'Connell & Co. has PIPPIN, also with strong voices. -
