Sheas

‘Riverdance’ visit’s Shea’s Buffalo Theatre

/ Buffalo Theatre Guide

The 25th Anniversary Show of Riverdance made its way to Shea’s Buffalo Theatre this past weekend with three Buffalo-natives in the cast. This thrilling addition was the cause of several mid-show standing ovations like I’ve never seen before! The excitement filled the air for Erin Lynch, Fiona Dargan, and Kevinah Dargan along with the rest of the incredibly talented cast and production team.

The original Riverdance that premiered at The Point Theatre Dublin 25 years ago has been reimagined in this captivating anniversary show with new additions in lighting, stage designs, costuming, and music. This theatrical show consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance with occasional features of flamenco, Russian folk dance, and American tap. Even if you aren’t particularly knowledgeable about dance, you’re sure to be fascinated by the effortless movement on stage accompanied with complex rhythms and incredible musical talents. As a dancer myself (primarily trained in classic ballet pointe), I found this performance all the more interesting from a technical point of view. 

Irish Dance and Ballet differ in many ways, but also have a great number of parallels. For example, the idea of having principal dancers backed by a troupe or corpse is the same as well as the overall goal of making even the most intricate routines appear easy and light. Something that differed that I particularly enjoyed was the air of confidence and attitude possessed by the female dancers. Instead of having to appear dainty, sweet, and fragile as is often the goal in ballet, these Irish dancers present themselves with sass, flair, and empowerment. The way they move across the stage is almost unreal in that they just seem to float from one place to another with such speed and power. 

The musicians of this production, especially Emma Frampton, Tara Howley, and Haley Richardson, are extremely talented and make their instrumental “face-offs” exceedingly enjoyable to watch. It seems like everyone is having fun and is so passionate about what they do that you can feel it as an audience member. The Riverdance Singers have the traditional, angelic voices we equate to celtic music that transcends you to the peaceful rolling hills of Ireland and eases your mind so you can only focus on the beauty of their sound. 

The audience continued to be an active participant throughout the show, getting involved with clapping, cheering, and reacting to the performance. The buzz of energy and delight that filled the theatre was unlike anything I’d felt before when attending a typical Shea’s season show. Perhaps it was the attendance of all of the Rince Na Tierne dancers- past and present, young and old- that created such a buzz. The feeling of seeing the possibility of your dreams coming true and turning your hard work and passions into a career like the dancers on stage is made even more achievable and palpable. 

Overall, this is an exciting show you won’t want to miss. Even if you think you’ve seen it before, you’ve never seen it like this! If you missed it in Buffalo, it’s headed to New Brunswick, NJ next. Definitely worth the day trip- you won’t be disappointed! 

For more information, click here.

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Escape To Margaritaville at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre

/ Buffalo Theatre Guide
Shelly Lynn Walsh as Tammy, Peter Michael Jordan as Brick, Chris Clark as Tully, Sarah Hinrichsen as Rachel in Jimmy Buffett’s ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. © Matthew Murphy 

If you are a fan of the Hallmark channel formula for a love story, you will absolutely love “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape To Margaritaville.” A tropical island, lots of tequila, a vocanic eruption, four unlikely love birds, and a slew of Jimmy’s greatest hits, take to the stage in this feel good, no substance, musical that is perfect to use as a coping mechanism in 2021. Sometimes it is great to just sit back and be entertainined. Sometimes you don’t want to be an active audience member, you just want to tap your toe and smile. This show does that so well.

When Rachel (Sarah Hinrichsen) and Tammy (Emily Qualmann) decide to take a week vacation at the tropical Margaritaville hotel, they get a life changing vacation. Rachel meets island host and guitarist Tully (Chris Clark)) and after an afternoon of exploring the island, Tully discovers that for the first time, he has fallen in love. Well, usually the girls he dates stay on the island for a week and then he never sees them again. Rachel is special. Emily – who is getting married in a week – finds that she is not so keen on her fiance anymore after she meets Brick (Peter Micheal Jordan). The island allows magic to happen, until at the end of the vacation turns treacherous – when the volcano that sits on the island – has it’s own plans.

Overall this show is a feel good, goofy, silly, good time. If you are looking for hard hitting theatre, this isn’t it, but that doesn’t mean that it is not enjoyable. Chris Clark’s Tully is really fun to watch. His voice does wonderful justice to the Buffett songs and he is instantly an audience favorite. Sarah Hinrichsen’s Rachel is fun and feisty. Comic relief is produced by Qualmann’s Tammy and Jordan’s Brick. 

Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley do a great job crafting a book for this jukebox musical. I never thought that I would hear a musical with songs by someone like Jimmy Buffett, but then again, I never thought Jim Steinman had a chance at writing for the stage, and boom there was “Bat Out Of Hell The Musical.”

Walt Spangler’s set design is a character all in it’s own. The goofyness of the story is captivated with the minimalistic set pieces. The main cabana is wonderful, and it is great seeing the band housed on stage behind the action. It has a true island vibe. 

If you want to have your heart warmed in the cold months again, get your ticket and find your escape. Just make sure that you got the volcano insurance.

Running Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

“Escape To Margaritaville” runs until November 28, 2021. For more information, click here.

The Band’s Visit at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre

/ Buffalo Theatre Guide
The Company of “The Band’s Visit” North American Tour. Photo by Evan Zimmerman.

It’s a busy season at Shea’s Performing Art Center with three musicals running through November! First up is The Band’s Visit, based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name, which tells the tale of some Egyptian musicians who get lost on their way to a concert in Israel. 

Going into this performance, all that I knew of The Band’s Visit was that it had a very successful year at the 72nd Annual Tony Awards where it was nominated for 11 awards and won 10, including Best Musical. However, I was not familiar with any of the music or the storyline which is a rare occurrence for me. The show oddly opens with a projected caption on the curtain stating, “Once, not so long ago, a group of musicians came to Israel from Egypt. You probably didn’t hear about it. It wasn’t very important.” On the surface level, this can basically sum up the entire show. The occurrences and conflicts onstage all take place within a 24-hour time span and focus on average, daily events. It is up to you as an audience member to read deeper into each interaction, connect with it, and discover personal take-aways. In this regard, I’m not sure this show is really meant for everyone. If you’re looking for show-stopping numbers with eye-catching costumes, choreography, and effects, this isn’t for you. This is for the audience member who appreciates music, people, and how the two seamlessly connect. 

At the beginning of the show, band member Haled (Joe Joseph) is tasked with purchasing bus tickets for the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra’s trip to Petah Tikvah for their performance the following evening. When communicating with the ticket clerk, his Egyptian accent causes a misunderstanding, and the tickets are instead purchased for the isolated desert town of Bet Hatikva. The group’s leader, Colonel Tewfiq Zakaria (Sasson Gabay), and the rest of the band don’t realize this error until they arrive in Bet Hatikva and get an introduction to the town from local restaurant owner, Dina (Janet Dacal), and two café employees, Papi (Coby Getzug) and Itzik (Clay Singer). Since there are no more busses available until the following morning and the small town doesn’t have any hotels, Dina suggests the band divide and spend the night with her, Papi, or Itzik at their respective homes. 

The audience is able to experience three different lives and environments alongside the band members including Dina’s lifestyle, Itzik’s home and life with his wife, their baby, and his father-in-law, and Papi’s double-date experience at a roller-rink. The evening is filled with getting acquainted, supporting each other, and of course: music! Most of the instrumental music is created onstage with a variety of instruments and sounds. The talent of the band is truly incredible and provides a constant heartbeat to the show. Many pieces of music are about music itself like “The Beat of Your Heart”, “Something Different”, and “Itzik’s Lullaby”. I thoroughly enjoyed the all the elements of humor throughout the show like Getzug’s hilarious rendition of “Papi Hears the Ocean”. Similarly, Dacal’s comedic timing as Dina is perfect and Joshua Grosso’s commitment to his role as Telephone Guy is fantastic.

While the show may feel slow-moving at times, it’s definitely an interesting and unique production that causes you to reflect on the ability of music to bring people together and the power of a simple change in one’s routine. If you’re a music-enthusiast, you can’t miss this thoughtful and heartfelt production. The show runs through November 7th, is 90 minutes in length without an intermission, and includes 15 musical numbers.

For more information, click here.

“Frozen” kicks off National Tour at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre

/ Buffalo Theatre Guide

Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher presents Frozen, the North American Tour, music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and book by Jennifer Lee directed by Michael Grandage with: Caroline Bowman (Elsa), Caroline Innerbichler (Anna), Mason Reeves (Kristoff), F. Michael Haynie (Olaf), Austin Colby (Hans), Jeremy Morse (Weselton)

For the first time in forever, Shea’s is back with LIVE theatre! Kicking off the 2021-22 season for shows is Disney’s Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical. Anyone familiar with the animated film will be familiar with the show’s storyline: two young sisters, Anna (Victoria Hope Chan) and Elsa (Natalie Grace Chan), live in the country of Arendelle with their parents, the King (Kyle Lamar Mitchell) and Queen (Marina Kondo). The eldest sister, Elsa, has magical powers over ice and snow that enchant her younger sister until one night she loses control and shoots an icy blast straight at Anna. Concerned for Anna’s safety, the King and Queen decide it’s best to keep the sisters separated until Elsa learns to control her powers and to have all of Anna’s memories of her sister’s magic erased. The King and Queen set off on a journey to seek answers regarding their daughter’s powers but are swept away at sea and never return. Back at the palace, the sisters grow up isolated from each other and the kingdom until Elsa (Caroline Bowman) comes of age to be crowned the next queen of Arendelle. On Coronation Day, Anna (Caroline Innerbichler) gets carried away in the excitement of the celebration and meets Prince Hans (Austin Colby) who she immediately falls in love with. After their swift engagement, Elsa refuses to give her blessing to her sister’s marriage. A fight between the two causes Elsa to have an outburst of anger that sends her powers out of control and frightens the citizens of Arendelle. She flees the palace leaving Anna responsible to find her and end the eternal winter set off by her magic. 

First off, it felt amazing to be back in Shea’s and experience Frozen with an audience full of excited patrons and younger children. You are required to wear a mask throughout the entire performance regardless of your vaccination status, but I found that wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest as it’s easy to get lost in the world of Frozen and forget your surroundings. I was immediately impressed with the young cast opening the show. Natalie and Victoria Chan performed the Tuesday evening show I attended and were absolute pros onstage. They had the audience engaged and laughing right off the bat. Later when adult Anna started singing “For the First Time in Forever”, I began to tear up. Innerbichler is the perfect Anna and truly embodies the character in every way. Her voice is stunning, and the song really resonates with a lot of us now as we’ve all felt shut away from people and “normal life” throughout the pandemic. Bowman is an absolute powerhouse as Elsa and brings such strength to her pieces. I found it amusing that in real life, Caroline Bowman is married to Austin Colby or Prince Hans. 

Mason Reeves brings a refreshing take on Kristoff and is immediately likeable. He appears with his infamous sidekick, Sven, who is played by two different actors depending on the performance due to the physical demands of the role. On Tuesday evening, Evan Strand did a phenomenal job with the body contortion and puppetry required for the role that allows the effect of a realistic reindeer onstage. I truly hope the show has a traveling chiropractor specifically for Sven! Olaf (F. Michael Haynie) was another character using puppetry. Haynie provided comic relief and stole the show during “In Summer”. 

In addition to the well-known songs from the movie, the musical offers new numbers to fill the show and add to our understanding of character development. One of my favorite additions is “What Do You Know About Love?” sung by Anna and Kristoff. A strange addition I could have done without was the song “Hygge” that is sung primarily by Oaken (Michael Milkanin) who is then joined by Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and the Family & Friends from the sauna. While this song was fun, it mainly felt like an unnecessary filler with a strange concept and odd use of implied nudity. Because this is a Disney show, rules are stricter when it comes to things like this. When the Family & Friends appear to dance nude out of the sauna covered only by leaves and branches, they are actually wearing mesh, skin-toned body suits to cover any bare skin. While I’m sure the effect is more believable farther away, from closer up it was very strange and noticeable.  

While enjoying this show, I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between Frozen and Wicked. After all, Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa in the animated film, was also the original Elphaba on Broadway. Oddly enough, Caroline Bowman who portrays Elsa in this performance also previously played Elphaba on Broadway. Like Elphaba, Elsa has powers she can’t control that others view as frightening and dangerous. She ends Act 1 with the famous “Let it Go” which can be likened to Wicked’s Act 1 closer of “Defying Gravity”. Both are incredible, show-stopping numbers involving high belts, stunning visual effects, and acceptance of one’s own power and destiny. The mob format of Hans and his men coming to put an end to Elsa is reminiscent of Wicked’s “March of the Witch Hunters”. The focal point of Frozen is the relationship between Elsa and Anna which could be related to the friendship of Elphaba and Glinda. All of these similarities are very interesting to examine and may be the reason certain elements of Frozen are so successful. It makes sense to model a show after one so wildly successful that it has been on Broadway for 18 years. Frozen is Disney’s Wicked. 

A final element I wanted to discuss was the extravagance of the show’s visuals. Elsa’s ice powers are conveyed through a combination of projection, fake snow/confetti, and set pieces. The overall impact is mesmerizing and includes hundreds of thousands of glittering crystals. Elsa’s quick costume change in “Let it Go” had the audience cheering mid-song and is a spectacular reveal. Overall, Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical is sure to delight Disney-fanatics of all ages and provides a little bit of something for everyone. While I suspect it may not go on to become a top hit like Disney’s The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, it’s sure to stick around for years to come bringing magic to audiences everywhere. 

Running Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

Frozen runs until September 24, 2021 and is presented at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre. For more information, click here.

‘Hello, Dolly!’ at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre

/ Buffalo Theatre Guide
Carolee Carmello and the company of Hello, Dolly! PHOTOGRAPH JULIETA CERVANTES

Sometimes, the only exposure one has to a work of theatre is from a community theatre group’s best attempts at pulling it off. Big musicals usually get the short end of the stick when a group decides to pull out all the stops and present it. Not saying that the productions are poor, but just saying that subtleties and nuances are lost. It isn’t until you see a big splashy production, with a cast that fully understands the material, with direction that makes the jokes get all the laughs, that you can fully appreciate what you have witnessed. This is ‘Hello, Dolly!’ for me. After last evening’s opening night performance at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, I am now a fan!

A full size train, majestic sets, spectacular costumes, a powerful orchestra, and comedic delivery that keeps you in stitches, this production of ‘Hello, Dolly!’ is perfect. Carolee Carmello plays Dolly Levi to a tee. Yucking it up with the audience, filling the rafters with her beautiful voice, and bringing a sense of humor to the character that is always lost in many productions I have seen; seeing Ms. Carmello work is worth the price of the ticket itself.

‘Hello, Dolly!’ is the Jerry Herman musical, that tells the tale of the con-artist swindler Dolly Levi, who loves getting involved in everyone’s business, making things happen, and who is currently seeking a new husband, after her late husband passed away.

Supported by a fantastic ensemble, including John Bolton as Horance Vandergelder, Daniel Beeman as Cornelius, Sean Burns as Barnaby, and Karen Elliott as Irene Molloy, this show is strong from beginning to end.

John Bolton is fantastic as the cheapskate Vandergelder. Playing the over the top nuances and still grounding the character in reality, Bolton is loved by the audience. His act two song “Penny In My Pocket” is a great way to get you back into Dolly’s world after intermission. 

Daniel Beeman and Sean Burns are comedic powerhouses as Cornelius and Barnaby. The slapstick that they bring to the Hat Shop scene is heavily structured but so effortlessly pulled off by the duo. 

Karen Elliott also has the comedic chops to keep up with this cast and brings wonderful laughs to the Hat Shop Scene, as well as while the boys are wooing her to Harmonia Gardens for dinner.

Other highlights include the dancing waiter scene, which blows my mind and I cannot stop thinking about it, Vandergelder’s fantastic shop set, and the beautifully painting scrims that help tell this story. As an art teacher, I always appreciate a wonderfully painted backdrop!

I loved every second of this show, and you will too. The only downside is it is a little long, almost three hours, but it is so entertaining, you won’t believe how fast time flies! Get downtown and see it! You won’t regret it.

Running Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes with one 15-minute intermission.

‘Hello, Dolly!’ runs until March 15, 2020 and is presented at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre. For more information, click here.