I’ll say this straight up: suspend all your thoughts about present day Russia and erase your knowledge about the Russian Revolution and the urban myths behind Princess Anastasia dead or alive (maybe). Instead embrace the idea that the two plus hours you’ll spend in Shea’s Performing Arts Center seeing Anastasia The New Broadway Musical is … Continue reading Anastasia is a Feast for the Eyes at Shea’s
Cherie Messore Reviews
Berserker Is an Ursine-Driven Love Story
If a bear dances in the woods, will a teacher find true love? Berserker, on stage now at Alleyway Theatre, is full of similar existential questions, with a killer Led Zeppelin soundtrack, too. This was a 2019 Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition winner for good reason. Playwright Bruce Walsh created a quirky, complex, endearing set … Continue reading Berserker Is an Ursine-Driven Love Story
Tepid Passion in Stage Kiss
Despite what the timeless song says, sometimes a kiss is not just a kiss. Sometimes a kiss stirs up memories, emotions, and things that have no place coming to light again. That’s the heart of Stage Kiss, presented by the Irish Classical Theatre Company now to April 24. Playwright Sarah Ruhl’s examination of what happens … Continue reading Tepid Passion in Stage Kiss
Love and the universe onstage at Shea’s Smith Theatre
If COVID’s theatre blackout period delivered one positive thing, it’s the option for regional theatre companies to successfully present smaller cast, one act productions. As much as I love a full-on, two and a half hour show with an intermission, these one act, two and three-handers are a little slice of stage heaven. The latest … Continue reading Love and the universe onstage at Shea’s Smith Theatre
Red Thread Theatre’s Production of The Children
Red Thread Theatre was formed to advance female representation and engagement in all aspects of theatre in Western New York. The company’s current production is a collaboration with the New Phoenix Theatre. The Children - on stage now at the New Phoenix Theatre to March 26 – was written by playwright Lucy Kirkwood and it … Continue reading Red Thread Theatre’s Production of The Children
Make Haste to D’Youville Kavinoky
To paraphrase Jane Austen, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that productions at D’Youville Kavinoky Professional Theatre are gorgeously staged and thoroughly enjoyable.” Well, that’s what this affirmed Janeite thinks about Kate Hamill’s adaptation of the iconic novel Pride & Prejudice on stage now to March 27. While Hamill took some liberties, they were noble … Continue reading Make Haste to D’Youville Kavinoky
Families and Cultures Clash in Tribes
Families and cultures: sometimes they connect and sometimes they don’t. Tribes, now on stage at Road Less Traveled Theatre, makes that point very clear. Playwright Nina Raine crafted an interesting take on a family story. Parents and two of the three adult children are so wrapped up in their own orbits that they chose not … Continue reading Families and Cultures Clash in Tribes
31st Annual Buffalo Quickies
What’s not to love about 31 years of Buffalo Quickies at Alleyway Theatre? This is an annual showcase for (mostly) new short plays and a versatile team of local actors who take on several roles in a jam-packed evening. From angry drivers, to chickens facing mortality, to Bills fans, or activists, Buffalo Quickies is a … Continue reading 31st Annual Buffalo Quickies
American Rhapsody is Beautiful Music
George Gershwin’s iconic "Rhapsody in Blue" was an orchestral celebration of the American cultural melting pot when it debuted in 1924. The exquisite blending of jazz with a strong nod to classical music is still beloved for its syncopated rhythms (Gershwin said it was inspired by the clicks and clacks of trains) and its soaring, … Continue reading American Rhapsody is Beautiful Music
The Treasurer is Rich With Emotion at JRT
Near the end of The Treasurer, on stage now at Jewish Repertory Theatre’s Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre in Getzville, the titular character reminds the audience that people don’t determine the length of their lives. While that may be debatable (spoiler alert: there are some suicidal ideations in the story), people can and do determine … Continue reading The Treasurer is Rich With Emotion at JRT
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