On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Drew Fornarola, artistic director of Starring Buffalo, and Michele Ragusa, actress and star of Hello, Dolly.
Starring Buffalo was founded in December 2017 to connect, entertain, teach, and thrill, and above all, to provide top-quality musical theater. Drew Fornarola was inspired by NYC’s City Center Encores! Series, which offers short-run, unstaged versions of musicals starring superb Broadway performers.
Michele Ragusa, Buffalo native, and star of Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theater returns to Buffalo to play the titular character in Hello, Dolly.
This episode includes:
- The impetus for forming Starring Buffalo
- The connection between Buffalo and New York City’s theater scenes
- How non-profit art organizations are funded
- The benefit of presenting concert style musical theater to Buffalo Audiences
- The importance of connecting New York and Buffalo based talent
- The challenges maintaining a life in the arts
- Where Michele Ragusa finds her “Dolly”
- Ragusa’s advice for up-in-coming performers
- The future of Starring Buffalo