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Theater Talk

Theater Talk: ON THE RAZZLE at Shaw is a great farce; this weekend Anthony's shows are at JRT; last chances for ROMEO AND JULIET at SiDP; welcome Keelie Sheridan to ICTC

By Anthony Chase,
Peter Hall
Published August 18, 2023 at 5:00 AM EDT
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ON THE RAZZLE at Shawfest stars L-R Ric Reid as Zangler, Kristi Frank as Christopher, Mike Nadajewski as Weinberl.
Emily Cooper
/
Shaw Festival
ON THE RAZZLE at Shawfest stars L-R Ric Reid as Zangler, Kristi Frank as Christopher, Mike Nadajewski as Weinberl.

Anthony and Peter went back up to The Shaw Festival, this time for a comedy by Tom Stoppard, full of wit and wordplay, a farce called ON THE RAZZLE, featuring two lowly clerks on a big city spree, from the same source material that gave us Barnaby and Cornelius in HELLO, DOLLY!

In other news, ROMEO AND JULIET wraps up this week at Shakespeare in Delaware Park, a youthful, energetic, and delightful presentation. (See listings below.) Read Peter's review here:

https://www.buffalorising.com/2023/08/romeo-and-juliet-at-shakespeare-in-the-park-brings-a-fresh-vision-well-done/

Anthony was rehearsing ANTHONY CHASE: MY LIFE IN THE AUDIENCE at the Jewish Repertory Theatre in Getzville, getting ready for the two matinees this Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm (see listings below). Then he drove over to the Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center located at 705 Renaissance Dr. in Williamsville, NY, WNY’s newest state-of-the-art theater. With 250 seats, Anthony reports it's quite wonderful and they have a very good piano there, as well!

The Irish Classical Theatre has announced its new Artistic Director, Keelie A. Sheridan, who holds an MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College and an MFA in Directing from The Lir Academy of Trinity College Dublin. She's already on board and will be supported by outgoing AD Kate LoConti Alcocer and Producing Director Cassie Cameron.

Meanwhile, Verneice Turner has stepped into the leadership role at the Paul Robeson Theater and as we discussed last week, Katie Mallinson is heading up the Kavinoky Theatre staff as Executive Artistic Director.

Road Trip! GYPSY, A Musical Fable, with Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Jule Styne, and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim has been called "the perfect musical" by Anthony who will be leading a bus tour up to Niagara on the Lake Wednesday, September 27 leaving from the AAA parking lot in Amherst at 8:30 am and returning at 6:30 pm. To get your ticket click here:

https://www.wned.org/ways-to-support/wned-wbfo-tours/gypsy/

Anthony's reviews appear in The Buffalo News (buffalonews.com) and Peter's reviews appear in Buffalo Rising (buffalorising.com).

LOCAL LISTINGS ARE PRESENTED AS FOLLOWS: CLOSINGS (last chances to see these plays), then OPENINGS, then CONTINUING, then The Shaw Festival lineup for 2023.

CLOSINGS: (listed alphabetically by title)

ROMEO & JULIET by William Shakespeare, presented by Shakespeare in Delaware Park, directed by Chris Kelly starring Aidan Conklin and Erin Grace Kely in the title roles. July 27 - August 20, Tuesdays-Sundays nightly at 7:15 on "Shakespeare Hill" near the Rose Garden and the casino in Delaware Park. Bring your own chair or blanket, picnics are encouraged. (716) 856-4533) www.shakespeareindelawarepark.org

ROMEO & JULIET BLURB (from shakespeare.org.uk): An age-old vendetta between two powerful families erupts into bloodshed. A group of masked Montagues risk further conflict by gatecrashing a Capulet party. A young lovesick Romeo Montague falls instantly in love with Juliet Capulet, who is due to marry her father’s choice, Paris. With the help of Juliet’s nurse, the women arrange for the couple to marry the next day, but Romeo’s attempt to halt a street fight leads to the death of Juliet’s own cousin, Tybalt, for which Romeo is banished. In a desperate attempt to be reunited with Romeo, Juliet follows the Friar’s plot and fakes her own death. The message fails to reach Romeo, and believing Juliet dead, he takes his life in her tomb. Juliet wakes to find Romeo’s corpse beside her and kills herself. The grieving family agree to end their feud.

All performances are FREE, non-ticketed and open to the public, with donations gratefully accepted during intermission. Here's the cast list:

ROMEO – Aidan Conklin

MONTAGUE – Caitlin Coleman

BENVOLIO – Kris Bartolomeo

ABRAHAM – Brent Hetrick

BALTHAZAR – Shawn Adiletta

JULIET – Erin Grace Kelly

LORD CAPULET – Mike Garvey

LADY CAPULET – Marie Costa

NURSE – Pamela Rose Mangus

TYBALT – James Delano

SAMPSON – Sam Fesmire

GREGORY – Ayden Herreid+

PRINCE – Rick Lattimer

PARIS – David Wysocki

MERCUTIO – Adam Koda

FRIAR – Chris Hatch*

_____

WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A PLAY, an hour of scenes and sonnets by Shakespeare, adapted by Brendan Didio, directed by Norm Sham, presented in a touring format by Shakespeare in Delaware Park, starring Emily Basset, Heather Casseri, Connor Graham, and Nathaniel "Nate" W.C. Higgins. June 14 - August 21, all shows are free at 7:00 (with one added matinee, July 23 at 4:30 at Freedom Run Winery). All performances are FREE, non-ticketed and open to the public. For dates and locations, scroll down or visit https://shakespeareindelawarepark.org/2023-tour-locations/

Bring your own chair or blanket, picnics are encouraged.

ONE REMAINING SHOW!

Monday, August 21 (7:00PM) – Bassett Park

359 Klein Rd, Williamsville, NY 14221

_____

OPENINGS: (listed alphabetically by title)

ANTHONY CHASE: MY LIFE IN THE AUDIENCE, additional shows in August, two matinees filled with story and song with theater critic, raconteur, and all-round bon vivant Anthony Chase with Music Director Phil Farugia at the piano. August 19 and 20, both matinees at 2:00 at The Maxine & Robert Seller Theater in the Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo,

Benderson Family Building 2640 North Forest Rd. Getzville, NY 14068 For tickets visit www.jewishrepertorytheatreofwny.org Keep up to date by subscribing to https://www.theatertalkbuffalo.com/

CONTINUING: (listed alphabetically by title)

None

_____

AT THE SHAW FESTIVAL THEATRE, Venue by Venue listings.

For details visit https://www.shawfest.com/2023-season/

AT THE FESTIVAL THEATRE

GYPSY

A Musical Fable, Book by Arthur Laurents

Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee

_____

Noël Coward’s

BLITHE SPIRIT

_____

THE AMEN CORNER

By James Baldwin

_____

AT THE ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

PRINCE CASPIAN

Adapted for the stage by Damien Atkins

Based on the novel by C.S. Lewis

_____

ON THE RAZZLE

By Tom Stoppard

Adapted from Einen Jux will er sich machen by Johann Nestroy, but you'll recognize scenes from Thornton Wilder's THE MATCHMAKER and also from the musical HELLO, DOLLY!

_____

VILLAGE WOOING (2023's Lunchtime One‐Act)

By Bernard Shaw

_____

THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT

By Edith Wharton

_____

At the JACKIE MAXWELL STUDIO THEATRE

THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

By J.M. Synge

_____

THE APPLE CART by G.B. Shaw, directed by Eda Holmes, starring Tom Rooney and others, is in repertory through Saturday October 7, 2023 at the Shaw Festival’s Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre behind the Festival Theatre (they share a courtyard), 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON (905-468-2172 / 1-800-511-7429) www.shawfest.com Download house program here.

https://www.shawfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Apple-Cart.pdf

_____

THE CLEARING

By Helen Edmundson

_____

And there are two new "venues" at the Shaw Festival including

SPIEGELTENT offering

THE GAME OF LOVE AND CHANCE

A romantic comedy by Pierre de Marivaux

Improvised by the Shaw Festival Ensemble – a new play every time.

MOTHER, DAUGHTER

Written and directed by Selma Dimitrijevic

and there's "OUTDOORS @ THE SHAW"

A SHORT HISTORY OF NIAGARA

Created by Alexandra Montagnese and Mike Petersen

Commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival

Rogers and Hammerstein’s

A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING – ONE ACT – IN CONCERT

Music by Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Musical arrangements by Fred Wells

Orchestration by Michael Gibson and Jonathan Tunick

Conceived by Walter Bobbie

_____

For the HOLIDAY SEASON 2023 The Shaw Festival will bring back

Lerner and Loewe’s

BRIGADOON

Book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe

Original dances created by Agnes DeMille

Revised book by Brian Hill

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

By Charles Dickens

Adapted and originally directed by Tim Carroll

_____

Shea's Buffalo Theatre has announced their 2023-24 Broadway Season:

MRS. DOUBTFIRE 9/24 - 30, 2023

MOULIN ROUGE! 10/24 - 11/5, 2023

with ANNIE as a "special engagement" 12/19 - 24, 2023

and then in calendar 2024:

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY 1/16 - 21, 2024

FUNNY GIRL 2/13 - 18, 2024

LES MISERABLES 3/12 - 18, 2024

MAMMA MIA! 4/9 - 14, 2024

MJ THE MUSICAL 6/11 - 16, 2024

_____

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Theater Talk 2023 Theater TalkWBFO Arts & Culture Desk
Anthony Chase
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  • For the defense L-R Renee Hawthorne, Adam Yellen, Nick Stevens in Aaron Sorkin's A FEW GOOD MEN, RLTP at Shea's 710
    Theater Talk: PERICLES at SiDP off to a fun start; A FEW GOOD MEN and GIRL ON AN ALTAR, both excellent, close this weekend; YALLA BITCH continues a touring show; deadline to join Anthony at Shawfest for FUNNY GIRL is July 8; deadline to enter drawing to see Broadway's Josh Groban in Canandaigua is June 30 (see listings for details).
    This week on Theater Talk, Anthony and Peter talk a bit about PERICLES at Shakespeare in Delaware Park, YALLA BITCH touring throughout town, and Anthony's bus trip with BTPM to see FUNNY GIRL at Shawfest. The deadline is is July 8th to reserve your seat for the bus trip, the show, and the dinner. Visit btpm.org/events/travel-club. While you're on the BTPM website, enter the drawing to win a pair of tickets to see Broadway star Josh Groban on stage in Canandaigua on August 18. Five pairs of tickets will be drawn, but the deadline to enter is June 30. Visit btpm.org/giveaway. Closing this Sunday, June 28, are two excellent shows, A FEW GOOD MEN (Road Less Traveled Productions on the Shea's 710 stage) and Irish playwright Marina Carr's GIRL ON AN ALTAR at the Irish Classical Theater. Aaron Sorkin's A FEW GOOD MEN (it was this play before it was a movie) stays true to the original (no sappy Hollywood love interest); GIRL ON AN ALTAR by Irish playwright Marina Carr at Irish Classical shows us that for once, Clytemnestra isn’t the monster, she’s the wounded one; SCROLL DOWN TO SEE LISTINGS. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE LISTINGS.CLICK THROUGH OR SCROLL DOWN TO SEE LISTINGS.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 HIS GIRL WATSON Anna Fernandez stars in title role at the Alleyway
    Theater Talk: Anna Fernandez stars in HIS GIRL WATSON at the Alleyway, A FEW GOOD MEN (Road Less Traveled at Shea's 710) stays true to Sorkin's original script, the stunning GIRL ON AN ALTAR (Irish Classical) shows Clytemnestra as the wronged party, and THE BOOK OF MORMON opens a short run tonight at Shea's.
    This week on Theater Talk, it's all in the one block "Theatre District" as Anthony and Peter talk about Anna Fernandez, about to leave for New York, starring brilliantly in HIS GIRL WATSON: A SHERLOCK NOIR at the Alleyway; while down Main St. Aaron Sorkin's A FEW GOOD MEN (it was this play before it was a movie) stays true to the original (no sappy Hollywood love interest); GIRL ON AN ALTAR by Irish playwright Marina Carr at Irish Classical shows us that for once, Clytemnestra isn’t the monster, she’s the wounded one; and THE BOOK OF MORMON returns to Shea's for a limited run. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE LISTINGS.CLICK THROUGH OR SCROLL DOWN TO SEE LISTINGS.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.