Theater Talk co-host Anthony Chase will be the emcee at this year's Curtain Up! gala dinner at Shea's Performing Arts Center next Friday, September 19. While the dinner always sells out, the local theater productions themselves sell out even faster. Still, Chase advises, if you can't get a ticket to a show, after 8 p.m. you can get a dinner reservation anywhere downtown and then enjoy the street party afterward, this year featuring vintage cars lining Main Street.
Of course, you don't have to wait for Curtain Up! to enjoy good local productions. "The Grapes of Wrath," at The Manny Fried Playhouse, "The Drowsy Chaperone" at Musicalfare, and "Tropical Heat" at the Alleyway all run into October.
Meanwhile, Theater of Youth (TOY) is going after an even younger demographic than usual and "Balloonacy" is designed to appeal to 3, 4, and 5 year olds, showing you're never too old nor too young to enjoy live theater.