This groundbreaking Obie-winning Off-Broadway smash tells the story of “internationally ignored” rock goddess, Hedwig Schmidt, a fourth-wall smashing East German punk rock singer who also happens to be the victim of a botched sex-change operation, which has left her with just “an angry inch.” This outrageous and unexpectedly hilarious story is dazzlingly performed by Hedwig (née Hansel) in the form of a rock gig/stand-up comedy routine backed by the hard-rocking band “The Angry Inch.”
In THE NICETIES by Eleanor Burgess, an accomplished Ivy League professor holds routine office hours with an ambitious young student to discuss her thesis: if history is written by the victors, who tells the story of the oppressed? Before long quibbles over vocabulary and Wikipedia citations turn into a dangerous discourse as both women passionately defend their perspective and their personal world view- until one of them puts everything on the line to make her case.
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, Additional Material by Jay Weiss
Winner for the Tony and Drama Desk Award for Best Book of a Musical, this musical comedy follows six pre-teens as they compete to be Putnam County’s Champion Speller!
The Color Purple is a musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel spotlights Celie, a downtrodden young woman whose personal awakening over the course of 40 years forms the arc of this epic story. With a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is a story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life.
WARNING – This play contains themes of violence, abuse, rape and sexuality. Parents should use discretion about what is age appropriate for their children. Should you or anyone you know need assistance, The Color Purple team has partnered with Family Justice Center of Erie County, who provides free services and support to individuals and the community on breaking the cycle of abuse.
Brian Brown as HARPOCurtis Lovell as SOPHIAGabriella McKinley as CELIEGeorge Brown as MISTERJetaun Louie as SHUGAnika Pace as NETTIE
Stephen Sondheim’s beloved cult classic, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG is seeing its regional premiere at the Shea’s Smith! A fable about friendship told in reverse, MERRILY contains some of Sondheim’s classic songs: Not A Day Goes By, Good Thing Going, and Old Friends.
SGT’s second show of the season is a world premiere comedy developed in our free reading series! Pete is attractive, single, and on a blind date… in a bowling alley. Will his misfit bowling team come between him and the girl of his dreams?
We’ve all been there. We’re facing a landmark birthday and our BFF is on a new path and our significant other has expectations and we’re staring down a crossroads riddled with self-doubt, anticipation, enthusiasm, and fear. What are you supposed to do? What should you do? Is it ever too late?
That’s the essence of Tick, Tick…BOOM! magnificently performed at Shea’s Smith Theatre by Second Generation Theatre. It’s a three hander with a lot going on. With Sean Ryan as Jon, Leah Berst, and Joe Russi play multiple roles in the life of this aspiring composer who is facing down the days leading up to his 30th birthday. Created by the late Jonathan Larson, it’s semi-autobiographical and wasn’t fully staged until after his way-to-early death at age 36, the day before his seminal work Rent was to open off-Broadway.
Jon is plugging away, getting ready to workshop his latest work. His girlfriend Susan is a dancer who is teaching ballet on the side. His best bud Michael, after trying his hand at acting, is a marketing executive with a BMW, fancy new digs, a corporate wardrobe and apparently few regrets about leaving the stage behind. Berst is also Jon’s mom, his agent, Karessa the ingenue in his workshop, making minor wardrobe and prop switches to emphasize her character changes. It’s her force of personality, command of her voice, and body language that put us there, though. It’s breathtaking. Equally powerful is Russi’s flexes from slick business guy to the deli clerk, and Jon’s pipe smoking dad.
Whew. Everything about the production is spot on. I couldn’t imagine a better SGT-selected cast. Ryan commands the stage, cleverly designed by Chris Cavanagh to suggest Jon’s less grand SoHo apartment, the subway, his buddy Michael’s uptown place, other places. It takes some theatre of the mind to get there, but the storytelling is so vivid, your mind’s eye doesn’t have to struggle. The score is a winner: standouts are “Therapy,” a Jon and Susan duet as they gently explore the minefield of a dysfunctional relationship. It’s comic, and charming, and sad all at the same time; “30/90,” Jon’s ruminations on his impending birthday, Michael’s “Real Life” reflection on the choices he made that are working for him; Karessa the ingenue’s “Come To Your Senses” ballad; and Jon’s “Why” as he reflects on choices. Music director Joe Isgar and his quartet play the dickens out of this powerful music. Lou Colaiacovo’s direction makes great use of the two tier stage and the storytellers upon it.
Can I say it again? Whew. There’s more going on with this story, but I’m not about the spoil it for you. Just see it. And book your tickets now. This is the show to see as the theatre season is winding down.
Tick, Tick…BOOM! is performed in one glorious, 90-minute act. Fill your sippy cup in the lobby before you go in and then hunker in for one heck of a ride. Get tickets at www.sheas.org.
Jon is a promising composer living in NYC… but he’s almost 30 and what has he done? A fast-paced musical about being true to yourself and what “success” really means from the composer of RENT.
Directed by Louis Colaiacovo, Choreographed by Elizabeth Polito, Music Direction by Joe Isgar
This one-man show is a beautiful and unique experience. The Narrator (Kevin Craig, AEA) takes the audience through his life and his on-going list of “every brilliant thing” there is to live for. A hilarious and heart-breaking look at life, loss, and how we move on. Directed by Charmagne Chi
CONTENT WARNING– Although the play balances the struggles of life while celebrating all that is “truly brilliant” in living each day, Every Brilliant Thing contains descriptions of depression, self-harm, and suicide. The show briefly describes a character’s attempted suicides and her death by suicide. Crisis Services recommends only audience members 14+ attend, and reminds audiences to attend this program with their personal experiences in mind. As always, if you or somebody you know is struggling, call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Buffalo Rising takes you behind the scenes of EVERY BRILLIANT THING starring Kevin Craig. Director Charmagne Chi sits down with Kevin and they talk about… well, brilliant things!
EVERY BRILLIANT THING runs March 3-19 @ the Shea’s Smith Theatre.
