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:  THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, book, music, & lyrics by Richard O’Brien, directed by Loraine O’Donnell, starring Kerrykate Abel, Kris Bartolomeo, Melinda Capeles, Charmagne Chi, John Fredo, Araia Heathcott, Andrew Kowalczewski, Morgan Kyle, Ricky Needham, Mike Randall, Michele Roberts, Dave Spychalski, and Dan Urtz. with musical direction by Allan Paglia. Oct 27 – Nov 18 Thu – Sat 7:30, Matinees on Sat at 3:30 at D’Youville University’s Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201 kavinokytheatre.com (716) 829-7668 Runtime: Two hours with one intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  This 1973 cult classic musical (which preceded and was the basis for the 1975 movie)…

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THE BASICS:  The Miró Quartet wraps up first three Beethoven concerts at UB ($20 ticket) on Saturday, Nov. 4, then on Sunday, November 5 “Tempus Fugit” plays clarinet quintets by Brahms and Taylor-Coleridge at the Unity Church (also $20), on Tuesday Nov. 7 the Danish String Quartet comes to Kleinhans ($30) then goes to UB on Nov. 8 for a different program ($20), and on Thursday, Nov 16, the Buffalo Chamber Players return to the AKG  WHAT’S WHAT: It’s a treasure trove of chamber music performances this early November in Buffalo with a variety of affordable concerts.  Chamber music is classical…

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THE BASICS: Friday morning 22-year-old pianist Alexander Malofeev returned to the Kleinhans stage with JoAnn Falletta and the BPO and once again brought the rather large audience to its feet.  The all-Rachmaninoff concert repeats at Kleinhans Music Hall this Saturday night, November 4, at 7:30.  Tickets at the door or call 716-885-5000. THE CONCERT: Back in 2014 when interviewing the legendary German conductor Günther Herbig who at age 81 had come to town to guest conduct our Buffalo Philharmonic I asked him the secret of boundless energy at his age.  He told me that the key is to approach every…

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THE BASICS:  THE NATURAL HORSE, a play by T. Adamson, directed by Robyn Lee Horn, starring Todd Benzin, Philip Farugia, Aleks Malejs, Yamilex Holgúin Pérez, Annette Daniels Taylor, and Christine Turturro.  Oct 25 – Nov 11, Thu – Sat at 7:30.  Industry Night Mon Oct 30 at 7:30, Extra matinee Sat, Nov 4 at 3:30.  Alleyway Theatre, 1 Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo NY 14202 716-852-2600 alleyway.com   Runtime: 100 minutes without intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  Anton (Phil Farugia) the father (working on remodeling his basement) and his pregnant wife Svetka (Aleks Malejs), an architect, are Russian immigrants living in a gated community in…

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THE BASICS:  MOULIN ROUGE! the musical based on the 2001 movie, directed by Alex Timbers, “re-teched” in Buffalo last week before a second national tour, runs through November 15 (note extended 2-week run) Tue – Fri at 7:30, Sat at 2:00 and 8:00, Sun at 1:00 and 6:30 at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, 646 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14202 (716) 847-1410 sheas.org Runtime: 2-1/2 hours including intermission CONTENT ADVISORY: mature themes, revealing costumes, and adult language.  It is recommended for ages 12 and up. THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  Set in the Gilded Age in Paris, Christian, a poor but ambitious American songwriter is befriended…

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THE BASICS: HOARDING HOPE, a play by Kerrykate Abel Smith, directed by the playwright, starring Marie Costa, Matt Refermat, and El. C. Tyner Oct 20 – Nov 5, Fri – Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00 at the Paul Robeson Theatre in the African American Cultural Center, 350 Masten Ave, Buffalo (716) 713-9340 Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes without intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH: Alexis (aka Faye) is a young nurse, fresh out of school, who takes a position in New York City in the early 1980s, caring for an elderly woman whose gay son, George, feeling bad for Alexis’s mousey lifestyle, introduces her…

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THE BASICS:  LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, a musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken based on the dark comedy cult classic Roger Corman film, here directed by J. Michael Landis with musical direction by Fran Landis, starring Joe Greenan, Amanda Funiciello, John May, Nicholas Lama with Johnny Rowe as the voice of Audrey II and Zach Haumesser as the puppeteer.  It runs through October 22, Fri-Sat at 7:30, Sun at 2:30 at the Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Avenue Lancaster, NY 14086 lancasteropera.org (716) 683-1776 THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  Skid Row floral shop owner Mr. Mushkin has a shlemiel of a floral assistant, the…

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An old ad campaign for recording tape (kids, ask your parents) had the tagline “Is it live? Or is it Memorex?” obviously touting “live” as the gold standard of audio enjoyment. This Friday morning, in a concert to be repeated Saturday night, October 7, 2023 at 7:30 pm, the BPO made yet another solid case for “live” versus “Memorex.” And it all started with French composer Maurice Ravel’s “Morning Song of the Jester” (Alborada del gracioso) music with Spanish influence. It’s a 7-minute proof if you needed one, that Ravel was a master of orchestration, meaning choosing just the right…

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THE BASICS:  TOLLEY’S PLACE, a play by Buffalo’s own Shirley J. Sarmiento, directed by Verneice Turner, starring Debra Davis, Charles A. Everhart Sr., Sandra Gilliam, Robbin Josey, and Shawnell Tillery.  9/29 – 10/15  Fri – Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00 at the Paul Robeson Theatre in the African American Cultural Center, 350 Masten Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209 716-884-2013  paulrobesontheatre.org Runtime: About 75 minutes without intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  The play opens at a gravesite and then quickly transitions as the two mourners, Kim and Alley, discover “Tolley’s Place,” a house where they are told first by Spirit, a sort of greeter and helper,…

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Before every Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) concert, the oboe plays a long “A” note, and that’s what the musicians tune to. The BPO is in tune with Buffalo by going long on “A is for Accessibility.” In fact, through their Family Series Accessibility Initiative, Kids Series tickets that used to cost from $9 to $24 are now a flat $7 per ticket (and that includes adults for the Kids Series). See for yourself with their first Kids show, the “Symphonic Spooktacular” on Sunday afternoon, October 15 at 2:30. Wear your Halloween costume (the musicians will be wearing theirs) and join…

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