Labors of Love Once upon a time, before it became a “Rust Belt City”, Buffalo was a “Blue Collar Town.” Almost by definition, a place had to be the former before it could become the latter. Although “white collar” workers have long ago eclipsed its number of “blue collar” workers, Buffalo is still known as a blue collar town, with its penchant for sports, beer, and what remains of the ever dwindling manufacturing jobs in steel, autos and tires. Even the endangered 4 a.m. “last call” in our local bars is a testament to the graveyard shift workers, who’d stop…
Author: NeilGarvey
There couldn’t be a better way to enjoy the last weekend of summer than by taking a leisurely cruise up the Niagara River and through the Black Rock locks at 10:00 a.m. this Sunday, September 5. Join docents of Buffalo Tours and the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper on the Miss Buffalo on a two-hour tour and learn about the history and environmental issues of this natural wonder, right in our backyard. Why is it incorrect to call the Niagara a river? How many light houses are there? Can we see any remnants of the original Erie Canal? And how many species…
CURTAIN UP!, Buffalo’s annual celebration opening the theatre season, roars back on Friday, September 10th for its 29th edition. This year’s extravaganza features a locally connected Broadway star as the Honorary Chairman and no less than sixteen participating professional theatres. Buffalo’s professional theatre scene blasts off each September with the nationally recognized CURTAIN UP! celebration. It offers a creative black-tie Gala Dinner on the stage of Shea’s Buffalo, though many choose to spend the evening at one of the many downtown restaurants that are eager to welcome back the theatre crowd.Tony-nominated actor Stephen McKinley Henderson returns to Buffalo to serve as the Honorary Chair of this year’s CURTAIN UP! He…
Shakespeare in Delaware Park’s 35th Anniversary Season continues with the opening of Macbeth. As in years past, the selection of plays for the season follows a pattern of producing one of the comedies and then one of the tragedies or a history play, or vice versa.Usually one production is presented in traditional garb and one in modern dress. And so it follows that after the hugely successful first presentation of a very light-hearted musical version of Much Ado About Nothing, set in the 1940s, this Macbeth would, in contrast, settle on a dark and brooding medieval look, complete with long…
Much Ado About Nothing (the Musical), as it has come to be called, runs through July 11th. If you plan to attend, and I recommend it highly, I suggest you arrive early, because if the crowds of the past two weeks are any indicator, the hill will fill quickly for these final shows. This has to be the most colorful, riotous, boisterous, and yes, musical Shakespeare production the park has seen in years. The cast is a good mix with veterans like Tom Loughlin as Leonato, Dan Walker as Don Pedro, Tim Newell as Don John and Jim Maloy as…
(This article is based upon a preview performance.) June is upon us. There are lawns to be mowed, hedges to be sheared and hot dogs to be roasted. June has never been the kindest month for theatre in Buffalo, (save perhaps Shakespeare in Delaware Park). Nevertheless, local theatres have been finding expanding summer audiences in the last few years, and you may wish to put down the clippers and the grilling spatula and join them for this excellent end-of-the-season offering from the Irish Classical Theatre. Lovers, by Brian Friel, opened at the Andrews Theatre this week (6/4/10). Directed by ICTC…
This week is National Bike to Work Week and bicyclists have taken to the street en masse. Tonight Green Options Buffalo is holding a celebration for cyclists with “Merge into the Bike Lane”. The celebration is the kick-off to a beautiful season but also a year where we will begin to see Buffalo begin to change into a more bicycle-friendly city. In the works are several projects to accomplish this goal including; The third phase of the Commercial District Bicycle Parking program will go into effect which will see 150 more bicycle racks installed across the city by the end of the…
In June 2008, the Buffalo Common Council passed and Mayor Brown signed into law the “Complete Streets” ordinance. This nationally groundbreaking legislation amended the city charter assuring that all City streets are designed, constructed and operated to enable safe, attractive, and comfortable access for all users of all ages. However, the absence of an implementation mechanism and adequate staff support has made it difficult for Buffalo to implement this progressive policy and aggressively compete with peer cities, such as Madison, Minneapolis, and Grand Rapids, in implementing pedestrian and bicycle improvements.To address this Green Options Buffalo has partnered with Council Members…