Author: Peter Hall

Peter Hall continues trying to figure out how "it" all works. For over 20 years, as a producer and program host on WNED Classical (94.5 FM), he's conducted over 1,000 interviews with artists as he asks them to explain, in layman's terms, "what's the big picture here?" These days Peter can be heard regularly on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5. On “Theater Talk” (heard Friday mornings at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m. on WBFO 88.7 FM) his favorite question of co-host Anthony Chase is simply "What's goin' on?" As mentioned recently in Buffalo Spree magazine, Peter's "Buffalo Rising reviews are the no-holds barred 'everyman's' take." A member of Buffalo's Artie Awards Committee, Peter holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from SUNY at Buffalo. For over twenty-five years he was an adjunct professor for Canisius College’s Richard J. Wehle School of Business.

THE BASICS:  PRELUDE TO A KISS, by Craig Lucas, directed by Bella Poynton, starring Kevin Deese, Colleen Pine, Brendan Cunningham, et. al. presented by Bellissima Productions, March 14-17 & 21-24 (8 shows) Thu – Fri 7:30, Sun 3:00. Note: all shows at Theatre of Youth, 203 Allen Street, Buffalo (716-218-8530) bellissimaproductions.com Runtime: A little under two hours with one intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  At Peter and Rita’s wedding, a mysterious old man insists on kissing the bride.  While honeymooning, Peter gradually realizes that the woman beside him is not his wife. The wedding kiss caused Rita’s soul and the old man’s to…

Read More

THE BASICS: The Buffalo Philharmonic (BPO) in concert, Leon Botstein, guest conductor, Melissa White, violin soloist, in Max Reger’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Beethoven, Op. 86; Florence Price’s Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra, and Mendelssohn’s MENDELSSOHN  Symphony No. 5 in D major, Op. 107, “Reformation”, Friday, March 15 at 10:30 am; Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 pm, at Kleinhans Music Hall at “3 Symphony Circle” Buffalo, 14201 where Porter Avenue, Richmond Avenue, North Street and Wadsworth meet at a traffic circle.  Visit www.bpo.org or call 716-885-5000 Runtime:  The usual two hours with one intermission THE CONCERT:  If…

Read More

THE BASICS:  LES MISERABLES, the multiple Tony-award winning musical by Boublil and Schönberg, in the national Broadway Tour presented by Shea’s Buffalo, starring Nick Cartell as Jean Valjean, Preston Truman Boyd as Javert, and on opening night, Fredonia grad Genevieve Ellis covering for Haley Dortch as Fantine 3/12 – 3/17 (8 shows) Tue – Fri 7:30, Sat 2:00 and 8:00, Sun 1:00 and 6:30 at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, 650 Main Street, 716-847-0850 sheas.org Runtime: A little under 3 hours including one intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, is…

Read More

THE BASICS:  HAMLET, by Shakespeare, an all-women production, directed by Lara D. Haberberger, presented by the Brazen Faced Varlets (Buffalo’s Feminist Theatre Company), starring Stefanie Warnick in a cast of 17 players. 3/8 – 3/23 Thu – Fri 7:30, Sat 5:00 at the Compass Performing Arts Center, 545 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222 varlets.org, tickets at the door or visit bfvhamlet.eventbrite.com Runtime: 3 hours, 15 minutes including one intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  This is the famous play that begins with the ghost of Hamlet’s father whispering to his son that he, the king, was poisoned in the garden of Elsinore Castle by his…

Read More

THE BASICS:  THE SORCERER, an early operetta by Gilbert (words) and Sullivan (music), directed by Lisa Berglund, presented by OperaLytes with chamber orchestra directed by Ciaran Krueger runs March 8-17, Fri – Sat 7:30, Sun 2:00 on the main stage at the Alleyway Theatre 1 Curtain Up Alley (enter the lobby between Pearl and Main Streets along the north wall of Shea’s), Buffalo NY 14202  Call 716-852-2600 or visit either alleyway.com or operalytes.com  Note: limited free children’s (13 and under) tickets with purchase of adult ticket. Runtime: 2 hours with one intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  THE SORCERER is a comic operetta (light opera sung by…

Read More

THE BASICS:  GRUMPY OLD MEN THE MUSICAL, book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, lyrics by Nick Meglin, based on the Warner Bros film Grumpy Old Men by Mark Steven Johns, directed by Steve Vaughan, choreographed by Terri Filips Vaughan, musical direction by Nathanial Higgins presented by O’Connell & Company, starring Michael Starzynski, Michael J. Galante, Anne DeFazio, Christopher Wagner, Sára Kovácsi, John Kreuzer, Pamela Rose Mangus, Christopher Andreana, and Gail Golden stepping in for Mary Kate O’Connell with a chorus of eight, runs through next weekend, 3/10. Thu – Sat 7:30, Sun 3:00, additional Saturday matinees 3/2 and…

Read More

THE BASICS: JoAnn Falletta conducts the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhans Music Hall in a program titled “Don Quixote” featuring Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole and Richard Strauss’s Don Quixote. Friday morning’s “Coffee Concert” repeats Saturday, March 2, at 7:30 pm. (716) 885-5000 or bpo.org Runtime: Under two hours with one intermission For a preview of the concert with comments by the BPO’s Roman Mekinulov written by Buffalo Rising’s Daniel Lendzian, click here. I’ve always thought that BPO Music Director JoAnn Falletta excelled at conducting music composed shortly before and after World War I, give or take, mostly by composers born right around 1880, give or…

Read More

THE BASICS:  FAUCI AND KRAMER, a new play by Buffalo’s own Drew Fornarola, directed by Kate Powers, produced by Bob Rusch and Emily Glick for First Look Buffalo, starring Steve Jakiel and Louis Colaiacovo.  Feb 23 – Mar 17 Fri – Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00 at the new (very comfortable) Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center, 705 Renaissance Dr, Williamsville NY 14221. 716-771-6358 FirstLookBuffalo.com Runtime: About 90 minutes without intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  During the AIDS crisis several decades back, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH (National Institutes of Health) was routinely…

Read More

THE BASICS:  THE LIGHT FANTASTIC, a play by Ike Holter, co-directed by Scott Behrend and John Hurley, assisted by Mike Doben, presented by Road Less Traveled Productions, starring Leah Berst, Melinda Capeles, Diane DiBernardo, Alejandro Gabriel Gómez, Greg Howze, Ricky Needham, and Davida Evette Tolbert.  Thu – Sat at 7:30, Sun at 2:00 (Mighty Taco Student Thursday tickets only $10) RLTP theater is at 456 Main Street, Buffalo (716) 629-3069 roadlesstraveledproductions.org Runtime: 100 minutes without intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  Grace is a bitch, always has been, but she’s cute and Eddie is smitten so he’s happy she’s back in town crashing at…

Read More

THE BASICS:  BETRAYAL, the 1978 play by Harold Pinter, directed by Greg Natale, starring Anthony Alcocer, Steve Copps, Aleks Malejs, and John Profeta. 2/23 – 3/17, Thu – Fri 7:30, Sat 3:00, Sun 2:00 at Irish Classical Theatre, 625 Main Street, Buffalo. 716-853-4282 irishclassical.com   Visit the website to see special performances, talk backs, etc including Pay-What-You-Can Performances on Saturdays March 2,9, and16 (all at 7:30); a pre-show speaker event with Intimacy Director, Jessica Hillman-McCord on Sunday, March 3, at 1:30, a Community Matinee: Wednesday, March 13, at 10:00 am, and an Open Captioned Performance Thursday, March 14, at 7:30 pm. Runtime:…

Read More