STAGEFRIGHT by JAVIER
The fabulous Phillipa Soo is now starring as a leading nurse in the new medical drama series Doctor Odyssey, created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken for ABC, which airs locally, Thursdays on channel 7. Soo originated the role of Eliza Hamilton in the musical Hamilton on Broadway, earning a 2016 Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Her other Broadway credits include the title role in the musical Amélie (2017), Rebecca in the play The Parisian Woman, opposite Uma Thurman, Cinderella in the 2022 revival of Into the Woods, and Guenevere in the 2023 Lincoln Center revival of Camelot.
In 2022, Soo originated the part of suffragist Inez Milholland in Shaina Taub's musical Suffs when it premiered Off-Broadway at The Public Theatre. The musical opened on Broadway in April 2024 (sans Soo), and was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, winning two, for Best Book and Best Score. The production is scheduled to close on January 5th, 2025 and a North American tour is scheduled to begin in September 2025 at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle. I think we can expect Shea’s to be a likely stop for this uplifting show.
Hamilton is back at Shea’s in a superb production which will play through October 27th. Justin Matthew Sargent is great fun as arrogant King George III. Sargent's Broadway credits include performing as Peter Parker in Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and Drew in Rock of Ages. He also appeared in the original Braodway production of the musical, Bonnie & Clyde starring Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan.
Speaking of Bonnie and Clyde, the Bellissima Productions rendition, now at the Allendale Theatre with Elise Vullo as Bonnie Parker and Quinn Christopher McGillion as Clyde Barrow, continues through October 27th. The lavishly scored show has music by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Don Black, and book by Ivan Menchell. Menchell, who also wrote The Cemetery Club, is working on a new musical which he describes as “a very unusual romantic comedy in which no one gets shot, stabbed, or dies in forty seconds of a heart attack. "
Things are really cooking at the Kenan Center in Lockport (no passport needed) where they have embarked on a stellar 2024-25 season which opened in September with the very popular musical The Last Five Years (two-people shows are very budget friendly) starring Joshua Vacanti and Cami Clune. The season will continue with The 39 Steps, a spoof of the Hitchcock classic (Nov. 7-17) starring Peter Horn, Anna Krempholtz, Jacob Albarella, and Jeremy Kreuzer, directed by Kevin Leary. On February 6-16, Brittney Leigh Morton, Karen Grace Harty, Alex Garcia, and Dave Spychalski will star in the musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. The hilarious farce Boeing Boeing will close the season May 8-18, starring Brendan Didio, Jacob Albarella, Paige Cummings, Solange Gosselin, Colleen Pine, and Jen Mysliwy in the role of the housekeeper, a marvelous comic role, last played on Broadway by Christine Baranski.
And while Hitchcock spoofs seem to be the fashion, fabulous Caitlin Coleman returns to BUA, portraying Alfred Hitchcock himself in The Hung Man by Ian Bonner and Marty Sheen. The play is a satirical feast on the queer undertones during Hollywood’s golden age of cinema. Opening in April, the production will be directed by Drew McCabe. BUA has previously taken on Hitchcock's Rebecca and The Birds.
Get ready for a hilarious and eye-opening comedy! The Thanksgiving Play, which follows four well-meaning white folks trying to create a politically correct Thanksgiving play for Native American Heritage Month in schools. The Thanksgiving Play is a satirical comedy written by Larissa FastHorse, in 2023. This made her the first Native American woman to have a play produced on Broadway. Presented by Ujima, the play will run November 8-24, starring Connor Graham, Melinda Capeles, Daniel Warman, and Elizabeth Oddy.
Next for The Irish Classical Theatre Company is the new musical The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul, by Christie Baugher, Nov. 8 - 24, directed by Danny Mefford, starring Shannon O'Boyle and Jewell Wilson Bridges, portraying one of the Jazz Age's most iconic couples—Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The show is billed as a story of love, madness, and art. Mefford is best known for choreographing the Broadway shows Kimberly Akimbo, Dear Evan Hansen, and Fun Home. Baugher is a graduate of the NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program She is a 2015 honoree of the York Theatre Company’s NEO (“new/ emerging/ outstanding”) program, under the mentorship of Buffalo’s own Michael John LaChiusa The musical was presented as part of the York’s NEO Developmental Reading Series in 2016,
Born in St. Paul in 1896, after the failure of his father’s furniture manufacturing business in 1898, Fitzgerald moved to Buffalo, where his father had been hired as a soap salesman with Proctor & Gamble. When the family arrived, they moved into the Lenox Apartments, now the Lenox Hotel, at 140 North Street. Fitzgerald spent most of his childhood in Buffalo, where he attended two Catholic schools on the West Side: Holy Angels Convent (1903–1904) and Nardin Academy (1905–1908).
Save the date! Shakespeare in Delaware Park has just announced its upcoming winter fundraiser, Shakespeare, Dickens, and Santa Walk into a Dinner Theatre… December 2nd at Desiderio’s.
Speaking of Desiderio’s, director Jay Desiderio’s choice of plays really does run the gamut. They are now presenting The Shawshank Redemption, yes, based on the movie classic on Stephen King’s classic story, the stage version stars Kinzy Brown, Brian Tabak, John Profeta, Lawrence Gregory Smith, Geno Delmaro, John Kennedy, Nate Chateaux, Daniel J. Greer, Andrew Salamone, Billy Horn Altamirano & Andrew Canada. The production runs through December 1st.
Grease is the word. Indeed. Starring Buffalo will be staging the popular show at Shea’s 710 Main, on Nov. 8 at 7:30; and Nov. 9 at 2 & 7:30. Get ready for those Pink Ladies: Caitlin Houlahan, Morgan Siobham Green, Sam Crystal, Anna Fernandez, and Timiyah Love. What about the T-Birds?: Daniel Quadrino, Kevin Deese, Glen Chitty, Jamil Kassem-López, and NJ Wingo IV. Broadway stars Caitlin Houlahan, Daniel Quadrino, and Morgan Siobhan Green will be, respectively, Sandy, Danny, and Rizzo (there are worse things I could do). But wait, Lisa Ludwig will be playing Teen Angel/Miss Lynch/ and others. Time goes so fast; I remember Ludwig playing a Pink Lady at Artpark – it seems like only yesterday! Next for Starring Buffalo is the now and forever Cats.
Congratulations to Chris Scanlon, now acting Mayor of Buffalo. I hear he is very fond of theater.
Rumor has it that soon the Buffalo News will no longer publish Gusto on Thursdays, focusing, instead, on its Sunday edition.
Some shuffling at O’Connell & Company’s next season. Kiss of the Spider Woman, where I was supposed to play Molina (I was taking singing lessons; I had the accent already) has been canceled. Pippin is moving to that slot. And taking the Pippin slot in the fall is The Marvelous Wonderettes: Move On directed and choreographed by who else, the multi-Artie nominated, Joey Bucheker starring Dasia Cervi, Mercedes, Casey Moyer and Audriana Yates.
Good news at the Alleyway! The theater’s new marquee will be installed soon, and it’s being built by Flexlume, the very company that created the original marquee back in 1941. In not such happy news, Alleyway’s Executive Artistic Director Chris Handley is reportedly recovering from a broken arm. Fortunately, that had nothing to do with the building of the marquee. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Coming up next at Road Less Traveled (Nov.7-Dec.8), Witch by Jen Silverman, a dark comedy based on a Jacobean play from 1621. Directed by Scott Behrend, the production stars Wendy Hall, Chris Hatch, David Marciniak, Alex Anthony Garcia, Johnny Barden and Renee Hawthorne. It's an interesting choice of a play. Silverman is currently making her Broadway debut,with her play The Roommate, now at the Booth Theatre through December 15th, starring Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone.
Second Generation Theatre kicks off its 2024-25 season on November 1st with the delightful musical comedy The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Kristin Bentley, choreographed by Kelly Copps, music direction by Allan Paglia, starring Brian Brown, Derrian Brown, Steve Copps, Amy Jakiel, Sabrina Kahwaty, Stevie Kemp, Sofia Siracuse, Brandin Smalls and Preston Williams. The show runs through November 17th. William Finn wrote the music and lyrics. Yes, the same Finn who wrote Falsettos.
As we previously announced, The Jewish Repertory Theatre (JRT) will kick off its 2024-25 season with the one-man show Remember This - The Lesson of Jan Karski, starring David Lundy, directed by Robert Waterhouse. Karski (1914-2000) was a Polish soldier, resistance-fighter, and diplomat during World War II. The JRT season will continue with in February with Anna Ziegler’s The Wanderers, directed by Saul Elkin, starring Arin Lee Dandes, Jordan Levin, Aleks Malejs, Alex Watts and Adam Yellen. Lauren Yee’s The Hatmaker’s Wife will conclude the season in May, directed by Steve Vaughan, starring Peter Palmisano and Jack Hunter.
Up next for Musicalfare is the hilarious Something Rotten directed by Chris Kelly, with musical direction by Phil Farugia. Set in 1595, the comedy follows the Bottom Brothers (played by John Kaczorowski and Ricky Needham) who set out to write the world’s first musical and attempt to compete with a certain rock-star playwright of the Renaissance named Shakespeare (played by Anthony Alcocer). The production also stars Brittany Bassett-Baran, Rachael Buchanan, Samantha Campbell, Louis Colaiacovo, Bobby Cooke, Gretchen Didio, Thomas Evans, David P. Eve, Rheanna Gallego, Jordan Levin, Austin Marshall, Dan Urtz. & Marc Sacco It runs Nov. 6- Dec 8. Book your tickets now!
Kelli Bocock-Natale is back in the director’s chair with The Mighty Maisie, a new play by Bella Poynton, produced by American Repertory Theater (ART) of WNY. The play opens on Feb. 6th, starring Lisa Ludwig, Mariangela Mercurio, Maryann Seufert, Andrew Zuccari, Emily Yancey, and Anthony Grande. All ART performances are at the Compass Performing Arts Factory, 545 Elmwood Ave. And this is the last week for Mark Humphrey’s The Break Song, directed by Monish Bhattacharyya, starring Vincenzo McNeill & Robert Humphrey. Through Oct. 26, Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 5 pm.
Congratulations to UB’s Zodiaque Dance Company, now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a Gala on October 25th at the Center for the Arts which starts with an awards ceremony followed by the company’s Celebration 50 Fall Program, and a post-show dance party. The concert is co-directed by Kerry Ring and Michael Deeb Weaver with production design coordination by Lynne Koscielniak. The program will include a diverse array of dance styles created by a varied group of choreographers including UB alum Brittney Griffin who was associate choreographer for the musical Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway. If you were paying attention, Akimbo’s choreographer Danny Mefford is also in town, directing the Irish Classical upcoming show. Only in Buffalo!
At the Zodiaque Gala, Directors Awards will be presented to UB Professor Emeritus Tom Ralabate, choreographer Bill Thomas; and Elka Dintcheva, former Director of Advancement for the UB College of Arts and Sciences. Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented to Cesar Salinas and Lindsay Guarino.
Founded in 1973 by Professor Emerita Linda Swiniuch, Zodiaque Dance Company started with a small group of dancers within the then called Department of Theatre. The Company became instrumental in the culture shift of dance becoming an equal entity in the department. In May 1980, the official name of the department became Department of Theatre and Dance.
Finally, we say goodbye to Broadway legend Ken Page who gifted us with the Cowardly Lion in The Wiz, Old Deuteronomy in Cats, the original Ain’t Misbehavin; and the voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas. He was 70.
And he was not known primarily as a man of the theater, but Ron Ely did enjoy appearing on stage from time time, including starring roles in Picnic, Teahouse of the August Moon, and The Rainmaker. He died this week at the age of 86. The 6'4" Texan was television's Tarzan in the 1960s, making him a cultural icon at the time. Ely referred to stage work as "real acting," and said that after doing television, he yearned for the immediate response of a live audience.
