Arts/Culture

Movies about hope have been around since the image started moving on a screen. Now there is a new local film about hope and children undergoing major medical treatment.

Fans of the musical HAMILTON are quite comfortable with 18th century figures singing about issues which still impact us today, so it shouldn't be too much of a leap to enjoy three operas in a row, July 25, 26, and 27 at the Chautauqua Institution, all based on plays by a hero of the American and French revolution - Beaumarchais!

Genocide. Active shooter drills in school. Abortion. These are the topics Buffalo students are exploring in a new art exhibit that opens tonight at Squeaky Wheel. It’s part of the film and media art center’s new educational program called Saturday Café. WBFO’s Nick Lippa spoke with some of the artists and their educators about their work and journey to opening night.

Even though society may look down on her, she's still in control, and we could be talking about the flower girl, "Sonya," in THE RUSSIAN PLAY by Hanna Moscovitch or Margy, the prostitute in Mae West's SEX, both of whom forego money for love, but "it's complicated." These two seemingly different plays just opened and continue the conversation started when Shawfest presented GBW's MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION several seasons back.

"A Quiet Place," a thriller directed by John Krasinski, was a surprise hit last year and production on the sequel is underway here in Western New York. WBFO's Howard Riedel spoke with Executive Producer JoAnn Perritano, who said that while much of the first film was shot farther downstate, a lot of the sequel will be filmed in Western New York. "A Quiet Place 2" is tentatively scheduled for a March 2020 release.

Anthony is back after a short trip to NYC where he saw his favorite MY FAIR LADY (again!) at Lincoln Center and TO KILL A MOCKINBIRD at the Schubert (the updated Aaron Sorkin version that's coming to the Kavinoky in the fall)! And THE TEMPEST continues to delight at Shakespeare in Delaware Park (especially with comic masters Chris Handley and Norm Sham - see photo).

Buffalo's rich history of world class jazz musicians has spawned a new generation of players. One group that best embodies this is the Ed Croft Trio. Croft recently won three 2018 Jazz Buffalo awards, including artist of the year, and brought his bandmates to WBFO's studios to play and talk about their music with reporter Nick Lippa.

Now heading into 17th year, Music Is Art is preparing to put on, perhaps, its most ambitious festival to date. "I think the most thrilling part about the festival to me is the amount of different stimuli that happens," said Robby Takac, founder of Music Is Art. The festival, which takes place on Saturday, September 7th at Riverworks and River Fest Park, plans to host over 800 musicians and dozens of performance artists appearing on 21 stages throughout the one-day event.  

Today we observe the 50th anniversary of "The Stonewall Riots" in NYC which mark the modern era of Gay Rights with a "Triple Play" (pardon the pun) of LGBTQ themed theater: You can see THE SEAT NEXT TO THE KING and/or ON THE ROOF either tonight or tomorrow, and BUA TAKES 10: STONEWALL EDITION tonight through Sunday.

It's been 50 years since the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village, an event widely considered to be the catalyst for the LGBTQ civil rights movement. It's also the 50th anniversary of Buffalo's first gay rights organization, founded out of a Stonewall moment of our own.

Perhaps appropriately for a play that opens with a storm, the opening night of Shakespeare in Delaware Park shut down just before the second act of "The Tempest," as the rain and wind rolled in.

As mentioned, the "next" (2019-2020) Artie Award season is well underway and so far the theatrical offerings are simply first rate. For example, Kelli Bocock-Natale and Stan Klimecko a bit too interested in "Mr. Sloane," at Irish Classical, while across Main Street Ben Michael Moran and a cast of fifteen high energy actresses are making NINE the talk of the town.

The Shaw Festival now has half of its productions up, including a very satisfying musical (finally!) in Lerner and Loewe's  BRIGADOON, for which seats are becoming scarce. Locally, GIRLS WHO WALKED ON GLASS at the Alleyway is immersive, innovative, and very well done, a play that you won't soon forget.

A cultural tourist attraction in East Aurora has reopened one of its longtime structures, ending a $465,000 restoration project. A ceremonial ribbon was cut Wednesday outside the Copper Shop building on the Roycroft Campus.

The 29th Annual Artie Awards recognized Buffalo theatrical talent (and hard work, late nights, and supportive spouses) while raising dollars to support HIV/AIDS Immunodeficiency Services. See the winners and pictures or visit #ArtieAwards or see "Related Content" below. Now we're already into next Artie season. Two plays focus on dangers women face, with an immersive experience by Gordon Farrell titled GIRLS WHO WALKED ON GLASS at Alleyway Theatre while Kelly Beuth's students from BAVPA present the edgy LAYLA'S ROOM at Subversive Theatre.

With a combination of guest artists, Indonesian immigrants and Buffalo-born residents, Buffalo Gamelan Club put on a four-hour show Thursday night at Kleinhans Music Hall that featured shadow puppets. As the group continues to tackle more ambitious performances, WBFO’s Nick Lippa reports on their growth in the community.

There is a new Artpark on the distant horizon, with better finances and changing geography.

Buffalo's Pride Parade began in the rain at Buffalo State College, but by the time it moved down Elmwood Avenue toward Allen Street, the sun was coming out. It really came out later for a party at Canalside.

You don't have to enroll at Buff State to enjoy a talk by "Professor Chase!" Anthony will be introducing a live, costumed dramatic reading "Little Women", Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Kavinoky Theatre. This week we also look at the first four openings at The Shaw Festival (see listings below) and the highly recommend LOOKING THROUGH GLASS which closes Sunday at the Jewish Repertory Theatre in Getzville.