Kids with a parent who is living with a mental illness diagnosis develop an intriguing set of social skills. They quickly intuit to whom they can confide, how to disappear into the woodwork during challenging moments, and how to fend for themselves if need be. They also learn how to love with a whole albeit … Continue reading Every Brilliant Thing Sparks Joy at Shea’s Smith Theatre
Author: Cherie Messore
BPO and ICTC Join Forces for a Storm Surge of Artistry
Irish Classical Theatre Company and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra built a beautiful model for collaboration with this series of theatre-set-to-music productions. The 2023 installment was Shakespeare’s The Tempest with Jean Sibelius’ incidental music and it was a lush and lavish visual and aural feast. First of all, the music. It was stunning, and it helped … Continue reading BPO and ICTC Join Forces for a Storm Surge of Artistry
Suspense on Stage at RLTP
Remember “Long Distance Call,” that episode of the incredible and timeless TV classic The Twilight Zone, where Billy Mumy’s grandmother gives him a play telephone and then she dies the next day? Whenever he picks up the phone, his grandma is talking to him. The Thin Place, the new production at Road Less Traveled Theater, … Continue reading Suspense on Stage at RLTP
Sir Andrew’s Back in Town at MusicalFare
It takes a lot of stage presence to command a stage solo for more than an hour. And that's exactly what Leah Berst does in Tell Me on a Sunday, onstage now at MusicalFare Theatre. Berst has the power (and the chops) to sing her way through this Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black one-woman … Continue reading Sir Andrew’s Back in Town at MusicalFare
A World Premiere at Alleyway
The connection between a mom and her daughter can run deep. Especially when it’s only the two of you, you’re tight in each other’s orbit, your worlds intersect in inextricable ways. And that is Nicky and Naomi, the mother-daughter duo at the heart of The Aleph Complex, now on stage at Alleyway Theatre. This is … Continue reading A World Premiere at Alleyway
The Mai on Stage at ICTC
“I’m not drunk, I’m trapped.” That single line sums up the key to The Mai, presented by the Irish Classical Theatre Company. Playwright Marina Carr examines the lives of seven women over four generations, each with their triumphs and tragedies that knit their family story. The Mai (Kate LoConti Alcocer) is at the center: a … Continue reading The Mai on Stage at ICTC
All Is Calm is Elegant Theatre
We learn the most important lessons from the most devastating moments. Reflecting on a moment in World War I’s history is a poignant reminder of humanity and the power of simple kindness. MusicalFare Theatre’s reprised production of All Is Calm at Shea’s 710 Theatre is just as stunning as its 2021 staging. The same production … Continue reading All Is Calm is Elegant Theatre
Ride That Magic Carpet to Aladdin
Well, after the week we’ve put in, isn’t it good to escape to a whole new world? That’s what it felt like on opening night at Disney Aladdin on stage at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre until Sunday, November 27. It’s everything you expect a Disney stage production to be; dazzling costumes, lots of stage magic, a … Continue reading Ride That Magic Carpet to Aladdin
Guards at the Taj at Road Less Traveled Productions
I’ve always loved a good buddy story. Butch and Sundance, Thelma and Louise, Oscar and Felix…you get it. One is always solid, pragmatic while the other is more spontaneous, creative, free-falling through life because the other buddy is both the emotional safety net and soft place to land. Road Less Traveled Productions has the ultimate … Continue reading Guards at the Taj at Road Less Traveled Productions
Beehive Makes a Buzz at MusicalFare
Randy Kramer offered the best explanation as he welcomed the opening night audience to Beehive, now on stage at MusicalFare Theatre. He said the season was built during the pandemic and it’s all about forgetting about what is going on outside under all those facemasks and just having some fun. And for the most part, … Continue reading Beehive Makes a Buzz at MusicalFare