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Artificial Intelligence – AI – is all the talk today. How can it be used appropriately, where is off limits, and how are the ethical boundaries drawn are frequently asked questions.  But think ahead 100 years. Technology will have advanced. AI will be even more dominant and humans may be more comfortable with these interactions. What happens when an AI creation aspires to lead from the most powerful seat in our land?

These are the many themes explored in THE AI AT DELPHI, a new play by Bella Poynton, presented by First Look Buffalo Theatre Company in the Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center in Williamsville.

First Look Buffalo is committed to presenting new works and highlighting local playwrights: this show checks all the right boxes.

Pythia (Lisa Ludwig) has given life to IZ (Melinda Capeles) through AI, including a physical form, at techno-plant Delphi. IZ is reluctant at first and cautious about how her form is revealed but that doesn’t damp her passion for living a full life…a very full, ambitious life. Pythia, like any good mother, wants the world and then some for the lifeform she created, but is the rest of the world ready for an AI-made leader? Anthros, a human and humanist politician (Jon May) doesn’t believe so, and Delphi tech Calos (Anthony J. Grande) is torn.

This is a complex and fascinating story well told under Jeffrey Coyle’s expert direction. Capeles gives IZ fire and vulnerability: you see her struggle with trying to process compassion and love, the most human emotions. Her stage movement is a joy to watch: she’s giving form to IZ with gentle stretches and pulls as she embodies what non-human life be like. Ludwig, May, and Grande deliver solid performances around her, too, reacting to her fey humanity. This is a tight and cohesive ensemble as they banter and debate in Poynton’s carefully layered story. The presentation and dynamic is very much like watching an episode of The Twilight Zone in the way it intersects science fiction with a traditional morality story. Coyle at el made some very smart and interesting choices, including using AI-generated house music, according to a note in the printed program.

First Look Buffalo is doing exemplary work as a company and made a fine choice to work from the comfortable and lovely theatre space at Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center.

THE AI AT DELPHI runs 90-minutes with a brief intermission until May 19: find details and tickets at firstlookbuffalo.com

Once -once again – is Magical

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“You cannot walk through life leaving unfinished love behind you.”

That’s the essence of the plaintive and lovely musical Once,  produced by MusicalFare Theatre and presented by Shea’s 710 Theatre.

I flat out loved this production, from the Irish pub set designed by Chris Cavanagh to the way director Randy Kramer used the whole house to frame the story, to Michael Oliver Walline’s precise and stunning choreography, and the sweet-sad-hopeful story itself.

A standout from MusicalFare’s 2018 season, this band is -literally – together again, and what a band it is under Theresa Quinn’s musical direction. There are plenty of familiar faces, not only the previous Once, but from MusicalFare’s productions of Million Dollar Quartet.  Composers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s songs range from toe-tapping North Atlantic fiddle and jig to melodic and lilting ballads, all skillfully performed and woven into the story.

Ah, yes, the story: Steve Copps is the guy, an Irishman in Dublin, busking and working for his da’s vacuum repair shop and ready to give up on music. Then he meets the girl, (Renee Landrigan), a fellow musician who sees through the guy’s broken heart. She encourages him to connect with his music again. Along the way, she introduces him to her extended Czech family, including her mother (Theresa Quinn), and her daughter (the absolutely adorable Arden Kacala in her very first role). Philip Farugia is Billy, another Irishman trying to win the girl’s heart, and he’s hysterical as he pines for her and struggles to keep the community’s music store going.

When Copps and Landrigan sing, it’s pure magic. Their voices meld beautifully and the slightly eerily melodies flow against the wistful words of love that can be better…and it’s pure gold. They’re reprising their 2018 roles and maybe the passage of time added to the wisdom and heart they bring to their performances.

As poignant as the love story is, the comedic moments are a stitch and a half. Farugia’s Billy is all blunder and heart. John Kaczorowski as the bank manager who is also a wannabe musician lands some of the best lines of the night. Nick Stevens and Bob Mazierski get their share of laughs, too.

The music, though, is so powerful and evocative…and also downright fun as Katie Clark and Maggie Zindle play some dueling fiddles and Amy Jakiel joins in with some cello, too.

Once runs a little more than two hours (I didn’t want it to end) with a 15-minute intermission, to May 19. Find tickets and details at sheas.org.

Merrily We Roll Along…at last!

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Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along had a very short run on Broadway originally in 1981 with a few other short runs in subsequent years. It was retooled and is a hit on Broadway now. Second Generation Theatre is the first regional theatre company to stage this musical gem. It’s at Shea’s Smith Theatre until May 12.

While it may have a lower profile (and sketchier reputation) than some shows, it’s always been a hit with Sondheim followers because of the lovely score with several very familiar tunes. Link this with Second Gen’s inventive staging, period-perfect costumes, strong characters, magnificent cast, and a cleverly told story and you have a very fine night at the theatre.

This is friendship story told in reverse, from when the trio of one-time friends – Franklin, Charley, and Mary – have grown apart from a tight, supportive friendship. Along their trip backwards through time, there’s between, promises broken, dreams upended, love lost, love never realized, and careers on and off track. Admittedly, it took a few beats to get into the moment: as the overture was playing, the narrow screens around the stage flashed back to the early days, when Franklin, Charley, and Mary were all laughs and smiles and pinky promises. The show opens, though, at a darker time.  This killer cast can carry it off, under director Michael Gilbert-Wachowiak’s astute eye. Like other Sondheim shows (think Company), there’s the cocktail party chatter and the beautiful people milling about. From this throng, we meet the players. Franklin, the commercial success and composer is suavely played by Josh Wilde. He’s now married to the glamorous Gussie (Kelly Copps), an actress who connives behind her air kisses. Jordan Levin is Charley, the solid and true playwright who has a lot to say and wants to say it right. Their pal for the ages, Mary, is Alexandria Watts, once an aspiring writer who settled for writing reviews when she’s sober enough to manage it. They are surrounded by a standout ensemble – Kris Bartolmeo, Brittany Bassett-Baran, Louis Colaiacovo, Bobby Cooke, Jake Hayes, Stevie Kemp, Sofia Matlasz, John Panepinto, Maria Pedro, Valentine Rodriquez, and the adorable Carter Riccio as Franklin, Jr.- who pop in and out of roles and scenes. Dynamos all.

It’s the music that moves the story. Sondheim’s trademark recitatives require strong technique and articulation and this cast nails every note and nuance with Allan Paglia’s musical direction. And oh that score: Charley’s “Franklin Shepard Inc.” is raw emotion and rage and darn but Levin’s Charley breaks out of his shell spectacularly; “Old Friends” part I and II weave the Frank-Charley-Mary friendship tightly; Gussie slays that “Act II Opening” and Copps’ sexy sass and powerful voice are incredible; Mary’s “Like It Was” is heartbreaking and lovely and Watts’ sweet voice is perfect; “Our Time” is so full of hope and passion and Wilde, Levin, and Watts are in perfect harmony as their friendship is at its earliest moment (spoiler alert: the trio meets as they were waiting for Sputnik to fly over their apartment…an innocent and hopeful time in our history and their relationship. The storytelling in the scene is wonderfully evocative. The love in Mary’s eyes. The ambition in Frank’s stance. The hope in Charley’s voice….Wilde, Levin, and Watts conveyed this all).  I almost hate to say this, but my only disappointment was Pedro’s take on “Not a Day Goes By;” her high belt is marvelous  but it was almost too much power for this tender lyric.

Second Gen’s high production values, keen sense for casting, and season choices are always spot on and very special. This was a great way to end the company’s 10th season.

Merrily We Roll Along is a good reminder about the value of relationships (yes, as soon as I got into the car after the show, I reached out to a dear old friend…because who’s like us? Damn few.): it runs a little over two hours with a 15-minute intermission. Find tickets and info at http://www.sheas.org.

Plenty of Watsons at RLTP

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Does everywhere have a Watson? Someone to call just because…or someone to listen to your deductions? Does everyone need a Watson, someone of your own design who’s always there for you, even if he needs a nudge in the right direction?

Playwright Madeline George explores the world of Watsons in her Pulitzer Prize-nominated play The (Curious Case of The) Watson Intelligence, onstage to May 19 at Road Less Traveled Theater.

It’s an inventive script that time hops from 1876, 1891, 1931, and 2011 and back again with four distinctly different Watsons (all played by Brendan Didio) and three couples each named Eliza and Merrick (Emily Yancey and Dave Hayes respectively).  Confusing? Maybe. But it’s certainly worth the wild ride through time and imagination.

First up is contemporary Eliza who created the AI Watson and is programming his language as she potty-mouths about her ex. The creepy ex arranges for her to meet yet another Watson (an IT tech) who was hired to get the goods on her. Their, ahem, liaison isn’t what Merrick the ex was anticipating.

Jump back a century as Eliza pays a visit to the infamous home of Sherlock Holmes to engage him in some espionage. Victorian Eliza is also concerned about her spouse, too.

The best part of this all-over-the-time-spectrum romp is the dynamic of this trio as they morph between characters. Yancey is at her best as modern Eliza, bereft over her boyfriend even though he has Applebees and Billy Joel issues, is one neurotic laugh a minute. Yancey’s expressions and timing are impeccable. Hayes and Didion are right up there with her. The ensemble is smooth and funny and thought-provoking in some odd and interesting ways.

Dyan Burlingame’s set also has to leap the centuries and it does so winningly, thanks to skillful lighting by John Rickus and Diane Almeter Jones’ collection of interesting props.

This is an off-beat script that is endearing and delivers an entertaining evening that still manages to make you stop and think about relationships and interactions. And darn but doesn’t it make you laugh, too. A near perfect night in the theatre.

The (Curious Case of The) Watson Intelligence runs just under two hours with a 15-minute intermission until May 19. Find tickets and details at http://www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org. It’s a fun close out of an exceptional season.

CROWNS is Joyful Noise and Fashionable, too

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Who hasn’t been told to “cover your head” to either protect or adorn your crowning glory? What we wear on our heads and why is at the heart of CROWNS, now onstage at MusicalFare Theatre until May 19.

Playwright Regina Taylor weaves Black American history, inspirational storytelling, and glorious Gospel music into a proud tale about finding your personal expression in an unexpected place. For Yolanda (Janae Leonard), this means she is transported from her native and beloved Brooklyn to her grandmother’s home in the south after an incident ends her brother’s life. In this new place, her rap music, flashy clothes, and bravado don’t fit this traditional culture. She learns, though, through her grandmother’s firm yet gentle hand, her church woman friends, their stylish hats and the things and people they represent.

This is a lively, joyous production that celebrates womanhood, faith, and a dash of fashion, too.  You’re immediately drawn in by Chris Cavanagh’s video and set design. There’s just enough video to add interest without a screen takeover and it’s very skillfully integrated into the set, which is elegantly curved to suggest a church layout. Then the music grabs your ears and doesn’t let go. Karen Saxon commands a keyboard that goes from orchestra to piano to church organ and back again, backed up by Preston Brown at the drums. And when the women of the church start singing, hold on to your hats, the are marvelous. Each has a story and song to share about how they are living their truth and are ready to share their life lessons with Yolanda. Danielle N. Green, Latosha Jennings, Zhanna Reed, Ember Tate-Steele, and Davida Evette Tolbert raise their voices in high praise and encourage the audience to clap and sway and join their journeys. Director Thembi Duncan and choreographer Naila Ansari had the cast across the stage and up the stairs to immerse the audience in the whole experience. Through it all, hats came off and came back on and it’s all glorious. The poignant message sings through: a hat is more than a fashion statement. It’s history and protection and a display of self, with humility and pride. It’s a personal crown of triumph and a reminder to share your love.

There is an irresistible joy in this show that makes every element of it uplifting and wonderful. CROWNS runs for just under two hours with a 15-minute intermission. Find details and tickets at www.musicalfare.com. Amen!

Gutenberg! Goofy and Good!

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I get a kick out of plays about plays. Noises Off, The Play That Goes Wrong, [title of show] all make the audience members feel like insiders in the wonderful world of theatre. Gutenberg! The Musical! on stage now at D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre has that same vibe with a heavy dose of both goof and spoof.

Doug Simon (Ricky Needham) and Zak Ward (Bud Davenport) are buddies who wrote the book and the score for a story about Johann Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press. The show about the show is actually Doug and Bud’s “staged reading” of their magnum opus with their hopes that a Broadway producer will help them realize their dream. Since there’s not a lot of documentation before the time of documentation, they took to crafting their own treatment (or what they’re calling ‘historical fiction’) to create the required pathos, romance, and “something bad” that create a Broadway show.

Director Loraine O’Donnell must have had a blast casting Needham and Ward for this one. They embrace the goofiness of this story and bring it with energy and expressiveness, and full commitment to being flat out funny. The third player in the shenanigans is cited as Chuck Basil: the performance I saw, the role went to Joe Isgar who was the perfect deadpan foil to the silliness. Not only was he a master at the piano, he was the bored and cranky announcer, too,

Doug and Bud play all the characters in their “reading,” and also break the fourth wall to explain theatre jargon, or as they say, “guys like us would say foreshadowing” and give some stage direction, too. Their character development is aided by a series of labeled baseball caps that they sometimes don in stacks to show crowd scenes.  Their roles test Needham and Ward’s singer chops, as they stretch their range from natural voice to falsetto. They were sublime in the goofiest way possible. My favorite characters were Helvetica, the lovely maiden who works for Gutenberg in his wine press (yes, he was pressed grapes before moveable type, or as the playwright’s say “one makes you drink, one makes you think”) and the rats. Yes, singing rats. How can you NOT love this?

Like the best Broadway musicals, there is a happy ending, which at this performance was an audience call and response and a walk-on role for Peter Palmisano.

Gutenberg! The Musical! runs two hours with an intermission to April 28. Find tickets and details at www.kavinokytheatre.com.

MAMMA MIA! … Loads of Fun and Music, too!

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MAMMA MIA!, the mother of all juke box musicals, on stage now at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, is just as fun and lively as it’s ever been. All the ABBA songs you know and love frame a sweet story about love, marriage, and waiting until the time is right.

In brief, 20 year old Sophie is preparing to marry her beau Sky when she reads her mom’s 1979 diary, and …she learns that her mom – Donna, the front woman for power trio Donna and The Dynamos, was having some fun that summer with Harry, Bill, and Sam. She secretly invites them to the wedding, hoping that one will reveal himself as her dad. In the meantime, mom Donna is running a Taverna on a Greek island, happy to be on her own after having a…spirited youth. There’s lots of squealing and reminiscing as Sophie’s girlfriends and Donna’s Dynamo gal pals reunite for the wedding…and then the three ex beaus show up. Hijinx and plenty of great music ensues.

Sophie finds special reasons to connect with each of her potential dads. Her gift of music came from Harry: their “Thank You for the Music” duet was sweet. Her name came from Bill’s late aunt Sophia, with whom she and Donna lived with early on. Then she learns that it was Sam’s sketches that led to the Taverna  that is her home. While a 20 year mystery, each one left their mark on her life. It’s a nice perspective on an otherwise simple story.

So if the story itself is a little thin, who cares? It’s the music that makes this show so fine.   

There were some issues on opening night with sound balance: in some of Sophie’s solos, the music was too loud it and was  hard to hear her singing, but Alisa Melendez is charming in this role nonetheless. Mamma Donna (Christine Sherrill) sounds great with her Dynamos (Jalynn Steele as Tanya and Carly Sakolove as Rosie), but in her solos were uneven, she was often a beat or two behind the music and sometimes her high belt became a screech. The Dynamos were great: Tanya’s “Does Your Mother Know That You’re Out” was a hoot and Rosie’s rich and resonant voice was spectacular every time.

The choreography for the ensemble was clever and fun to watch, too. The abundant energy and vibe really invited you to join right in.

The best part of the show is the megamix at the end, when the cast comes back on stage with a title song reprise and some other hits to leave you dancing in your seats and up the aisle. It’s always my favorite part of the show.

Catch MAMMA MIA! through April 15. It runs a little over two hours with an intermission. Find details at www.sheas.org.

Paul Robeson Theatre Hits a Home Run

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They all loved to play ball. They weren’t well paid. Some of them made it to the big league. Who were they?: men of color in what was called the Negro League in the early 20th century. Baseball – the All American Sport – had its own color barrier and the solution was to exclude these baseball players from major league play and give them a league of their own, without the perks of conventional sports stardom. One of these players with right-hander pitcher Satchel Paige and is the subject of A Pitch from Satchel Paige on stage now in the African American Cultural Center’s Paul Robeson Theatre.

A Pitch from Satchel Paige was written by father-son duo Loren and Jim Keller and this one act monologue is Satchel telling his story. Two actors are alternating in role: opening night was Roosevelt Tidwell, III, who was poised and reflective as he told Satchel’s story. Recruited out of reform school where he was remanded after stealing some rings (“I had them in my mouth and they all came out,” he laughed), he was sent there since confusion about his actual age indicated he was younger than 18 and too young for a jail cell. His gift for throwing a fast ball got him on the Negro league circuit. His catcher of choice was Josh Gibson, another talented ball player who never earned the notoriety of some of their peers. And like the Allen to Diggs combination of our not-so-recent past, Gibson and Paige were once unstoppable and Tidwell’s reflection on this duo is both joyous and poignant.

Tidwell covers a lot of ground, literally and in story. His monologue has him pacing the stage, moving between the locker room to the ball diamond and beyond. Verneice  Taylor’s direction and simple set was expressive and elegant. A coat rack, a chair, and some crates with hats and a mitt as props represented key destinations in Satchel’s life. The locker room that he said smelled of sweaty socks and muscle relieving liniment, to the pitcher’s mound, the vivid language of the script made it easy to create the actual settings in your mind’s eye.

Turner is part of the performance, too, providing off-stage vocal renderings of some key songs of the day, almost like a Greek Chorus that underscores the story. Sometimes her songs are bright and cheery, and other interpretations are more plaintive, these little musical moments were lovely.

There were moments of silence on stage, too, as Satchel collected his thoughts before sharing more of his story. These were power moments for sure and let you appreciate how memories are precious when you’re looking back at your life.  There are lessons there, regret, happiness, contentment, and the “what might have beens.” When the content of your story is steeped in social (in)justice, humility, and longing for a better world, these quiet moments spoke loudly.

The Paul Robeson Theatre is known for selecting quality pieces, celebrating local playwrights, and telling the stories that you won’t hear elsewhere. What Turner, resident stage manager Matthew Mogensen, and their volunteers also do oh so well is create an extraordinary experience. You feel warm, and welcomed, and appreciated from the moment you cross the threshold. This is a space that provokes thought and inspires intention with grace. It was particularly wonderful to see an almost full, diverse house on opening night, too.

A Pitch from Satchel Paige continues through April 26. Tidwell is Satchel for the weekend of April 12 and Russell C. Holt takes on the role on the weekend of April 12 and 26. The play is performed in one act (no intermission) and is 90 minutes. You’ll meet the cast and crew after the show where you’re also invited to grab a (free) bottle of water, books for playwright/poet Loren Keller, and Turner may even take your photo for Facebook, too. All good.

Fauci and Kramer Spar Again

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Weird stuff can happen late at night, when you’re working full tilt, not getting enough sleep, and trying to manage a global crisis that no one quite understands. Playwright Drew Fornarola must have channeled these thoughts as he penned Fauci and Kramer produced by First Look Buffalo and now on stage at the Canterbury Woods Performing Center in Amherst.

Fornarola imagines a provocative conversation between AIDS activist Larry Kramer (Louis Colaiacovo) and Dr. Fauci (Steve Jakiel) in the earlier days of the coronavirus pandemic. Thing is, Kramer died just a few days before this conversation.

Colaiacovo and Jakiel do fine work in this two-hander. They trade quips, they reflect on their contentious past, they squabble over the current health crisis. There are small moments that put us back in that time: the off-stage singing of “Happy Birthday” as Fauci dutifully washes his hands, and Kramer running out for a better cup of coffee. And there are huge moments, when the two rehash the early days of their acquaintance when Kramer publicly criticized Fauci for not doing enough and letting people die.  Kramer is Fauci’s conscience when it comes to the human side of a health crisis. It was really quite remarkable to watch this interaction.

Director Kate Powers didn’t cop to cheesy ghostly special effects: Kramer’s presence was very real and the actors engaged as such. The actors captured this spirit of their characters’ complex and evolved relationship: Fauci was conflicted and pragmatic and Kramer was fierce and passionate. Powers did use some very compelling news bites and photos that were all too poignant reminders of AIDS and its devastation and how government and some Americans responded to the crisis at that time. Fornarola’s script didn’t hold back: his social justice message was perfectly stated and spot on.

A word about the Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center: it’s a lovely spot for this kind of intimate storytelling. It’s a warm and comfortable, comforting environment and it’s a wonderful addition. The campus could improve its wayfinding signage to reach this destination, and for the love of all things holy, do not trust OnStar to get you there.

Fauci and Kramer runs on the weekends until March 17. It’s a well-paced 80 minutes with no intermission. Find tickets and details at www.firstlookbuffalo.com.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The Road to Hell is Paved with Great Cast and Effects at RLTP

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Are you prepared for life’s next steps, especially if fluffy white clouds and gentle harp music and pearly gates aren’t involved?

Yup, The Light Fantastic on stage now at Road Less Traveled Theater is about the downside of the hereafter. Ike Holter’s script is strong and jam-packed with f-bombs in every permutation and declension. Co-directors Scott Behrend and John Hurley picked a cast that’s equal to the message and the verbiage, too. In brief, this team is f-ing wonderful.

Sassy Grace (Leah Berst) has returned to her native Indiana to crash at the big house owned by her f-buddy Eddie (Alejandro Gabriel Gomez). When she starts hearing things going bump in the night, she calls the police and the responding officer Harriet (Davida Evette Tolbert) turns out to be a high school pal who Grace burned. Something does happen there and despite a warning from Katrina (Melinda Capeles), Grace is in for more. In this case, the supreme spirit of evil is named Rufus and he’s a suave and smooth talkin’ hottie played by Greg Howze. He’s coming for Grace and she’s not going easy. And since karma is a you-know-what, her future is looking bleak. Even a mean girl wants her mom (Diane Di Bernardo) who turns up with a new beau in tow (Ricky Needham).

To say this is a killer cast is an understatement. Tolbert in particular delivers some of the best lines and moments: her monologue when she returns to the house yet again is an amazing feat of fast patter scripting and dead-on delivery. The other star of this show is the incredible set designed by Collin Ranney: the center is the big old house’s living room and the sides are the outdoors, in perfect perspective indicating a look down the road. These sides are super important as the force of evil makes inclement weather roll in. Katie Menke’s sound and projection designs and John Rickus’ light scape and special effects put you in the storm and the arms of the devil, too. The technical side (thanks to Lou Iannone and the rest of the crew) was quite spectacular and integral to the storytelling.

This is another bright spot in RLTP’s 20th season of bold and inventive theater.

The Light Fantastic is one act (no intermission) and you’ll be on the edge of your seat when you’re cowering in fear. Or laughing at the quirky characters. Details and tickets at http://www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org.