"Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd / His skin was pale and his eye was odd / He shaved the faces of gentlemen / Who never thereafter were heard of again" sings the chorus at the opening of one of Sondheim's most enduring works. SWEENEY TODD opens tonight at the Kavinoky Theatre. The Stratford Festival continues into late October with Shakespeare, modern classics, and new works, including Ms. Erin Shields' dramatization of PARADISE LOST, with one of the Stratford stars, Lucy Peacock, as "Satan."
OPENING
FARENHEIT 451, play by Ray Bradbury presented by Subversive Theatre, directed by Gary Earl Ross & Michael Doben, starring Rick Lattimer, John Profeta, Jamie Nablo. Sep 6-Oct 6, Thu-Sat at 7:30. The Manny Fried Playhouse, 255 Great Arrow Ave., third floor (462-5549). www.subversivetheatre.org
HEATHERS THE MUSICAL, by Laurence O'Keefe & Kevin Murphy, presented by American Repertory Theater of WNY, directed by Candice Kogut, starring Madalyn Teal, Joe Russi, Carly Luksch, Kelly O'Hara, Talia Mobley, Parker Welling, Jake Grear, Kaeli McGinnis, Katy Miner, Nick Lama, Rich Kraemer. Sep 6-22, Thu-Sat at 8, Sun at 7. 3200 Elmwood Ave. (983-4345). www.artofwny.org.
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, musical by Sondheim & Wheeler, directed by John Fredo, starring, Matt Witten, Loraine O’Donnell, Peter Palmisano, Aleks Malejs, Leah Berst, Anthony Lazzaro, Bill Lovern, Marc Sacco, Charmagne Chi, Kelly Copps, Lucas Denies, Adam Eckmair, Karen Harty, Dudney Joseph, Ben Moran, Bob Mazierski, Derek Moran, Steve Heatley. Sep 7-30, Thu & Fri at 7:30, Sat at 3:30 & 7:30, Sun at 2 (Sep 14 at 8). Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave. (829-7668). www.kavinokytheatre.com
ONGOING
PUMP BOYS & DINETTES, musical by Foley, Hardwick, Monk, Morgan, Schimmel & Wann, directed by Chris Kelly, starring Jaclyn Lisenby Brown, Jayson Clark, Joseph Donohue III, Maria Droz, Ryan Kaminski, Andrew J. Reimers. Through Oct 7, Wed & Thu at 7, Fri at 7:30, Sat at 3:30 & 7:30, Sun at 2 (Sep 14 at 8). MusicalFare Theatre, 4380 Main St., Amherst (839-8540). www.musicalfare.com
CLOSING
ONCE IN MY LIFETIME: A Buffalo Football Fantasy, world premiere of a play by Donna Hoke, presented by Buffalo Boys Productions, directed by Victoria Pérez-Maggiolo, starring Josie DiVincenzo, Jake Hayes, Aaron Wag Krygier, Adam Hayes, Kinzy Brown, Diane Di Bernardo, Jon May, Kyle Baran, Pamela Rose Mangus, Steve Brachmann. Through Sep 8, Tue-Fri at 7:30, Sat & Sun at 2:30 & 7:30. Shea’s Smith Theatre, 658 Main St. (847-0850).
UPCOMING
HELLO, DOLLY!, musical by Jerry Herman presented by The Niagara Regional Theatre Guild, directed by M. Joseph Fratello, starring Dianna Kolek, Marc Ruffino, Michele Holden, Richard Plotkin, Angelo Heimowitz, Sarah Mullin. Sep 14-30, Fri & Sat at 7:30, Sun at 3, plus Sep 29 at 3. Ellicott Creek Playhouse, 530 Ellicott Creek Rd. Tonawanda (260-2319).
PHILOSOPHUS, by Colin Speer Crowley, winner of the 2017 Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition, World Premiere, directed by Neal Radice. , Sep 13-Oct 6, Thu-Sat at 7:30. Alleyway Theatre Inc. 1 Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo, NY 14202 (852-2600). email@alleyway.com
SOCIAL SECURITY, a comedy by Andrew Bergman, directed by Susan Toomey, Sep 13-Oct 28 Thu-Sat 7:30, Sunday Sep 16 at 7:30, otherwise all Sundays 2:30 Dinner 6pm - Show 7:30pm, Matinee Dinner 1pm - Show 2:30pm Desiderio’s Dinner Theatre at Bobby J’s 204 Como Park Blvd Cheektowaga (395-3207)
THE SHAW FESTIVAL in Niagara-on-the-Lake https://www.shawfest.com/2018season/
(800-511-SHAW)
At the Shaw's Festival Theatre:
THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW
GRAND HOTEL
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
At the Shaw's Royal George Theatre:
O’FLAHERTY, V.C.
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR
STAGE KISS
OF MARRIAGE AND MEN: A Comedy Double Bill
At the Shaw's Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre
THE ORCHARD (AFTER CHEKHOV)
THE BARONESS AND THE PIG
HENRY V
THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL
The Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario presents a variety of plays. https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/ThePlays (800-567-1600)
Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR, THE TEMPEST, CORIOLANUS, and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS along with such classics as Eugene O’Neill’s LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT and Oscar Wilde’s AN IDEAL HUSBAND. In addition, there are world premieres of BRONTE and PARADISE LOST and modern works including TO KILL A MOCKINBIRD and NAPOLI MILIONARIA! And there are musicals: Meredith Wilson’s THE MUSIC MAN and Richard O’Brien’s THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW.
Listings adapted from “On the Boards” appearing in Artvoice 09/06/2018
