Hurt people hurt people. That's a succinct way to sum up the Pulitzer Prize (for Drama) and Tony-nominated play Becky Shaw on stage now at Alleyway Theatre. It's a quirky twist on the dysfunctional family comedy: Susanna's father has passed away (two months ago, she says when it's really four months passed), and Max, the … Continue reading Becky Shaw Has a Regional Premier at Alleyway
By Cherie Messore
The DaVinci Code Sparks Mystery at RLTP
Novelist Dan Brown's mystery-thriller The Da Vinci Code flew off the shelves when it was published in 2003 and was made into a rather lack-luster film in 2006. The stage adaption (by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel) is making its regional debut to kick off Road Less Traveled Productions' new season. It's a complex and … Continue reading The DaVinci Code Sparks Mystery at RLTP
Kimberly Akimbo – A Poignant Performance
All Kim wants is a normal teenage existence. Stable parents, a few school friends, and the anticipation of a long and happy life after high school. For Kimberly Akimbo, now on stage at Shea's Performing Arts Center to March 22, most of this isn't happening. Winner of the 2023 Tony Award for best musical, Kimberly … Continue reading Kimberly Akimbo – A Poignant Performance
Hedda Gabler at D’Youville Kavinoky
More than likely you read Ibsen's masterwork Hedda Gabler in your high school honors English class. It had that right balance of higher level thinking, cultural diversity, plot twist, and a soupcon of scandal. But reading it and seeing it on stage are two different things and the current production on stage at D'Youville Kavinoky … Continue reading Hedda Gabler at D’Youville Kavinoky
Second Gen God of Carnage
Kids. They’re cute until they’re not. Especially little boys with big sticks. When name calling just won’t cut it, sometimes you just swing the stick and – ouch! – contact is made. And that is what brings the Novak and Raleigh parents together in Novak living room in God of Carnage, presented by Second Generation … Continue reading Second Gen God of Carnage
Exit Strategy is on Fire at RLTP
No one loves school more than teachers. Sure, they may complain about unruly kids and lack of parental engagement and out-of-touch administrators and insufficient contracts, but these souls have made it their lives’ work to stay in school. Because they belong there. Because it’s part of their very being. So when a school is threatened … Continue reading Exit Strategy is on Fire at RLTP
Murder and Mayhem at MusicalFare
Who knew bumping off an entire family and some unrelated infidelity could be so darn funny? A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, a MusicalFare production on stage at Shea’s 710 Theatre to March 8, is all that and more. It’s flat-out hilarious with some of the best singing – and sight gags - you’ll … Continue reading Murder and Mayhem at MusicalFare
Sheltered is Powerful and Moving at JRT
"Sometimes love doesn't look like love." That one statement from the second act of Sheltered by Alix Sobler, the current production of the Jewish Repertory Theatre, pretty much sums up this powerfully moving story. And it's true: sometimes love is sacrifice, letting go, opening your mind and your heart, or turning away. Yes, love is … Continue reading Sheltered is Powerful and Moving at JRT
Lady Day Shines for MusicalFare
She was a force; her unique singing style was a bright glimmer over her dark personal life. Billie Holiday - Lady Day - may not have realized how profound her musical influences are (her Grammy recognitions were all posthumous). Her music and her life story are celebrated in Lady Day at the Emerson Bar and … Continue reading Lady Day Shines for MusicalFare
Preservation Examines Past to Cope with the Present
Sometimes memories create the reality we wish we had: other times, those memories reveal life-changing secrets. At the end of life, that line between what was and what might have been is wavy and wavering. This examination is at the heart of Preservation, presented by First Look Buffalo, onstage at the lovely Canterbury Wood Performing … Continue reading Preservation Examines Past to Cope with the Present
