Michael Rabice - Page 2

The days when old fashioned musical comedies were drawn  from classic  love stories, silly high school antics and farces will always be tried and true. But more heady topics like mental illness, Alzheimers, race relations, big business, and corrupt governments also have found a place into the uniquely American canon of musicals. A ridiculously named musical, URINETOWN, is now playing at Shea's Smith Theatre, and the fine production by Second Generation Theatre not only entertains but provides much food for thought in this time of government unrest.

Part romance novel, part heartbreak story of the ravages of Alzheimer's, Nicholas Sparks' novel THE NOTEBOOK is now a Broadway musical. No, not of  the glitzy  singing and dancing stage spectacular variety, but moreso a stage drama with music. The excellent National Touring production opened at Shea's last night, and even the most stoic of souls would be hard pressed not to feel one or more of the complex emotions that the cast works so hard to convey

A modern day Restoration Comedy with a contemporary gender fluid  slant takes to the stage in  Liz Duffy Adams' play OR, now playing at Buffalo's Irish Classical Theatre. This polished production brings a modern day sensibility to a 17th century comedy of sorts. Adams pens a play that while set in the late 1600's, carries 21st century morals and social commentary. She blurs the lines between a  predestined dichotomy of living by 'either-or' constraints. Must someone be 100% chaste or else a whore, is there only good without a trifle bad in everyone. And does a play need to have an 'or' subtitle. Needless to say, everything is not a black and white situation.

A renaissance of Buffalo born theatre productions at the former Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo continues to burnish brightly. As I sat in the crowded, newly renovated Shea's 710 Theatre, thinking how the facility had been mothballed a decade ago, Buffalo's hometown pride burst through. On afternoon when the Buffalo Bills were playing, a mix of cultures gathered for a spectacular production of DREAMGIRLS. In a joint production between Shea's 710 and the newly formed AnsariSaxon Productions, the energy was palpable both on and off stage.

'Tale as old as time,' the lyric goes in the heart warming production of Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST now playing at Shea's Buffalo Theatre. I knew I was in good hands when the sparkling new production of the beloved classic begins with Angela Lansbury's voice reciting the story that has captured children's minds for years. It was a lovely touch to settle into the familiar story,  hearing the voice of Mrs. Potts from the Disney animated film beckon us.

Heightened senses, a world of darkness and a band of conniving criminals all make up the fabric of the 1960's thriller WAIT UNTIL DARK. The Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake is presenting Frederick Knott's suspenseful drama in a new adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher that slowly builds to a nail-biting climax sure to intrigue audiences.

Some classic musicals will live on forever thanks to that perfect blend of book, musical score,and dance. Cole Porter's ANYTHING GOES continues to enchant audiences 90 years after it's Broadway debut. Multiple versions have taken to the stage and silver screen, cementing such classics as 'You're The Top,' 'Anything Goes, ' Friendship,' and 'It's De-Lovely.'

The 1980’s were a great era for blockbuster movies..TOOTSIE, MRS DOUBTFIRE, PRETTY WOMAN, and DIRTY DANCING, to name a few. And who doesn't want to capitalize on a beloved classic. Broadway producers love a familiar title and composers have taken a shining to transform these gems of yesteryear into Broadway musicals.

Living a lifestyle beyond one's means and being prone to excesses in all aspects of life often may catch up with you (especially if there is no money in the family vault) . That is unless a long lost relative leaves you everything in their will, and they day is saved. Therein gives just a glimpse into the super silly premise of the delightful farce, TONS OF MONEY, now playing at the Royal George Theatre of the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake.

Fasten your seat belts and prepare for a theatrical ride that no one could truly predict. A new play in the style of Grand Guignol takes to the stage in Buffalo's Irish Classical Theatre's gripping production of CROCODILE FEVER by Meghan Tyler.

LEGALLY BLONDE:THE MUSICAL has everyone shouting “Omigod You Guys” in true Valley-girl fashion as it takes to the Shea’s 710 Theatre stage. Presented in it’s new home, Musicalfare seems like to have found the perfect sized theatre  for all of it’s future productions.

Grief, love and personal life challenges are all examined with fascinating detail in the engrossing production of  Lanford Wilson's  play BURN THIS now on stage at Road Less Traveled Theatre.

That brilliant murder mystery author Agatha Christie is universally praised and beloved, but one of her first successes is not  well known to American readers. Happily the the stage adaptation by Heidi Armbruster of  that early work, THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD, now playing at Buffalo's Alleyway Theatre ,will change that for Western New York audiences.

The trend continues of bringing a musical superstar's life to the Broadway stage in a jukebox bio-musical style. We've had Cher, Tina Turner, Gloria Estefan, Michael Jackson, and now Neil Diamond in THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL: A BEAUTIFUL NOISE. The flashy and often heartfelt Broadway tour settled onto the stage of Shea's Buffalo Theatre last night to an enthusiastic ovation.

The personal life and writings of Oscar Wilde have been so inextricably linked that the new play DORIAN has woven  Wilde's journey into that of one of his best known characters, Dorian Gray. In an everything old is new again fashion, Wilde's' 1891 play  THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY has been freely adapted by  Phoebe Eclair-Powell and Owen Horsley into something remarkably fresh and creative.

Every now and then there is a musical that is near universally loved for it score, treasured by cast recording collectors, and infamous to many,  BUT is rarely ever produced. Most were failures soon after theirs debuts. My personal desert island treasured flop  from that category is Jerry Herman's DEAR WORLD. For others it was Stephen  Sondheim's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (  considered a flop for almost 40 years, but now a triumph). Which brings us to the rarely produced, but often recorded musical CHESS, now being presented at the Lancaster Opera House.

Murder, greed, blackmail, love affairs and a potential hanging are just some of the many dark subjects that form the fabric of the fabulous production of DIAL M FOR MURDER now playing at Shea's 710 Theatre. Who doesn't love a good old fashioned murder mystery? Alfred Hitchcock turned this nail biter into a classic film with Grace Kelly and Ray Miland in 1954. But everything old is new again, as playwright Jeffrey Hatcher has updated and adapted the original play by Frederick Knott into something equally intriguing and possibly even more salacious for current audience sensibilities.