STAGEFRIGHT by Javier
It is certainly looking like a vibrant week of theater in Buffalo, mostly thanks to the official opening of the theater season. Monday saw the induction of Anthony Chase into the Buffalo Theatre District’s Plaza of The Stars as a kickoff celebration for the 41st Anniversary of Curtain Up! which will take place tonight, Friday, September 13th. Stephen McKinley Henderson hosted the event which was preceded by a celebration at Matinee and followed by another celebration at the Bijou.
On Tuesday, Patrick Fagan, Lorna C. Hill, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Albert Nocciolino were inducted into the WNY Entertainment Hall of Fame at Shea’s Grand Lobby. The event was hosted by Shea’s President and CEO Brian Higgins. Congratulations to all! The Hall of Fame was established by the Shea’s Performing Arts Center Board of Trustees in 1987. Lucille Ball was to be the first inductee in 1989, and the award was going to be named the Lucy Award. Unfortunately, Ms. Ball died prior to the event and before she could give any interviews about it.
Alleyway Theatre kicked off its season on Wednesday with the hilarious and touching comedy, Wipeout, by Aurora Real de Asua, directed by Josie DiVincenzo, starring Julie Kittsley, Diane McNamara, and Christina Ragusa as three golden girls who are taking their first surfing lesson. Jacob Applegate plays the instructor. The theater has been reconfigured to feature Bryce Cutler’s smart set. The whole play takes place in the ocean with everybody paddling for the entire 90 minutes - no intermission. We hear that Applegate was sent to California to take surfing lessons in preparation for the role.
And, of course, having Curtain Up! on Friday 13th is sure to be lucky. Just don’t mention the Scottish play. Now in its 41st year, the event is presented by the Theatre District Association of WNY. Curtain Up! begins with Act I - a cocktail kickoff party in the Shea’s Grand Lobby from 5 to 7 p.m. (admission required); Act II – theater performances at 7:30 p.m. in theaters all over; and Act III – free street party beginning at 10 p.m. Second Generation will be appearing at the Drag Me to the Stage Bandshell when Amy Jakiel and Vanna Deux host an adult spelling bee contest as part of the entertainment. This is, of course, in anticipation of the company’s production of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous.
On Saturday, September 14th, there will be Curtain Up! For Kids, a fundraising event at Theatre of Youth (TOY), 202 Allen St., 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. A fun family day, with red carpet, photo booth, breakfast treats, workshops offered by Second Gen. I hear that dark sunglasses will be provided to those adults who need them after a night of celebrating.
In case you are looking something other than regular theater, Starring Buffalo will present a night of Broadway songs in the stunning Shea's Buffalo Petit Lobby, starring Broadway veteran Marcus Paul James alongside Buffalo's own Michele Marie Roberts and talented Academy of Theatre Arts students Anna Campanella, Jill Goehle, and Naomi Lawley, under the expert musical direction of Joe Isgar. Curtain Up! street fair just outside Shea's front doors. Show starts at 7:30.
Incidentally, Starring Buffalo’s founder Drew Fornarola has written a new musical The Ghost of John McCain, which is now in previews in New York’s Soho Playhouse, set for a September 24th opening. Book is by Scott Elmegreen. According to Fornarola, “It's a Book of Mormon-style comedy that takes place inside Donald Trump's brain.” While in the brain, McCain meets other public figures, including Hillary Clinton, Roy Cohn, Eva Perón, Teddy Roosevelt, and Lindsey Graham. We saw it, and it is fabulously hilarious!
The dynamic duo is back! Doug Weyand and Michael Oliver-Walline, each one an actor/director/choreographer in his own right, are working together in the marvelous Musicalfare production of The Prom, Weyand directing and Oliver-Walline choreographing. The last time they worked together as directors/choreographers was in the 2013 production of ‘SWonderful: The New Gershwin Musical. Anyway, I digress. The current production of The Prom is a must see! This is the first musical of the whole Buffalo season! Well, actually there was The Producers at Lancaster Opera House, which was also great, under the direction of Eric Deeb Weaver, who is in such demand this season. He is directing and choreographing Newsies for the Kavinoky at Shea’s 710. But back to The Prom, great show, with a great cast, headed by the wonderful Jenn Stafford, Louis Colaiacovo, Marc Sacco, Nicole Cimato, Jake Hayes, Davida Evert Tolbert, Alexandria Watts and Sam Crystal (who play the high school girlfriends)
By the way, Musicalfare is partnering with Colvin Cleaners during the production of The Prom. Throughout the year, Colvin Cleaners collects, dry cleans and distributes prom gowns for students in need from the Buffalo community through their “Gowns for Prom” initiative. Collections for this event go all year long at Colvin Cleaners and at Musicalfare’s lobby during the run of The Prom (through October 6th).
The Kenan Center in Lockport, now under the artistic direction of Jen Mislywy and Kevin Leary is embarking on an ambitious 2024/2025 season with six shows. Running September 19th-October 6th is Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, directed by Leary, starring Cami Clune and Joshua Vacanti, both semi-finalists in the TV show The Voice. The popular show ran off-Broadway in 2002 and will be making its Broadway debut in March 2025 starring Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren. Musicalfare will also produce the show in January starring Steve and Kelly Copps, directed by Eric Deeb Weaver.
Ujima Company celebrates the opening of its 2024/2025 season with Carlyle Brown’s The African Company Presents Richard III, directed by newly appointed Artistic Director Curtis Lovell, starring Johnny Rowe, Brian Brown, Anika Pace, Rachel Henderson, Gerald Ramsey, Connor Graham, and Lucas Lloyd. Set in 1821 New York City, the play tells the true story of the African Grove Theatre, the first Black theatrical troupe in America as they present their production of Richard III. It runs September 13th-20th at the Lorna C. Hill Theatre.
The classic Arsenic & Old Lace arrives at Lancaster Opera House starring, as we previously announced, Mary McMahon and Pamela Rose Mangus as the elderly Brewster sisters, directed by Peter Palmisano. The full company includes RJ Voltz, Kevin Craig, Jeffrey Coyle, Don Gervasi, Anne Roaldi Boucher, David C. Mitchell, Nathanial Higgins, Rich Kramer, Mike Garvey, and Phil Salemi stepping in for an ailing Chris Standart. The show runs Oct 4th to 20th.
It will be quite a busy year for the fabulous Aimee Walker, Artie winner for her performance in O’Connell & Company’s 2022 production of Damn Yankees. Walker is scheduled to star as the Leading Player in the company’s production of Pippin coming in October, and, later in the season, in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, playing Aurora. In May 2024, Walker will be playing the title character in the classic musical Sweet Charity, under the direction of Robyn Horn at the Kavinoky. (We hear that James Cichocki has been cast as Berthe in the OCC Pippin!)
After opening its 45th anniversary season at Shea’s 710 with a production of the musical Newies (did I mention that Sean Ryan is the dance captain?), the Kavinoky returns to its home at D’Youville with the recent Broadway comedy POTUS: or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, directed by Kate Powers, starring Arin Lee Dandes, Shannell Dixon, Vernia Sharisse Garvin, Lisa Ludwig, Aleks Maleks, Camilla Maxwell, and Maria Pedro. The Broadway production starred Vanessa Williams, Lea Delaria, Julianne Hough, Rachel Dratch, and Julie White, among others. Both Dratch and White were nominated for Tony Awards.
Happy Curtain Up! everyone. It's shaping up to be a fabulous year.
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