Theater Talk: NYC all decked out for the holidays, Chenoweth and Ruff always good to see, back home we have five A CHRISTMAS CAROLs, two WHITE CHRISTMASES, and at Shea's, a Neglia/BPO NUTCRACKER.

Theater Talk: Theater excellence abounds with so many good actors! WICKED through this weekend at Shea's, MR. WOLF through 12/14, Neglia/BPO's NUTCRACKER next weekend. See complete listings.

Theater Talk: Four closings this weekend, time flies! THIRST at Irish Classical; GIDION'S KNOT (Brazen Faced Varlets at ART); STRAIGHT WHITE MEN at Ujima, and CONSCIENCE at JRT. Continuing: WICKED at Shea's and MR. WOLF at Road Less Traveled.

Theater Talk: Anthony back from NYC saw Jimmy Calire's (remember the rock group "Raven"?) musical REUNIONS. Also ROMY & MICHELE (a new musical about their H.S. reunion). Next week: GIDION'S KNOT and THIRST (see attached listings).

Theater Talk: Author Terry Guest on OAK at Alleyway, CONSCIENCE delivers powerful performances at Jewish Rep, last weekend for URINETOWN with super choregraphy by Kristy Cavanagh. Click through and scroll down for complete listings through December.

Theater Talk: So much talent on so many stages! THE GIRL IN THE WASHROOM by Bella Poynton (First Look/BUA at Canterbury Woods), COME FROM AWAY (MusicalFare at Shea's 710), and URINETOWN (2nd Gen at Shea's Smith) with more to tell next week.

Theater Talk: Last chances for 3 good shows - Bellissima's BITE ME (see photo), Lancaster's NIGHT WATCH, and ART's GODS OF PADEREWSKI DRIVE. Openings include Musicalfare's COME FROM AWAY, 2nd Gen's URINETOWN, BUA/First Look's GIRL IN THE WASHROOM, and Alleyway's OAK.

Theater Talk: Hear Anthony's amusing family trip for DAMN YANKEES, THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, and more! Meanwhile, there are plenty of local openings (click through for listings).

Theater Talk: THE BOOK OF WILL at RLTP has it all; Bring extra Kleenex to THE NOTEBOOK at Shea's; YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Starring Buffalo) was so funny!; last weekend for A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING (snappy Rodgers & Hammerstein revue) at Kenan.

Theater Talk: THE BOOK OF WILL CONTINUES at RLTP, Tom Dudzik on two stages, Last weekend at Shawfest, Openings include NOTEBOOK at Shea's, GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING at Kenan, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at Shea's 710. See listings!

Theater Talk: OUTSIDERS a hit; Closing this weekend: THE COTTAGE, OR, DREAMGIRLS, and THE LAST CROISSANT. BOOK OF WILL continues, Tracy Lane and Josie DiVincenzo on stage in NYC while Michele Ragusa sings Saturday with BPO at KMH

Theater Talk: A chat with special guest Michele Ragusa to sing with BPO; Curtain Up! is tonight with five shows on Main Street to add to the excitement. See listings.

Theater Talk: So many shows, including THE OUTSIDERS at Shea's and DREAMGIRLS at Shea's 710. For plays think THE COTTAGE (check for cancellations) at Alleyway or OR, at Irish Classical, or away from Main Street, THE LAST CROISSANT, with BUA at 545 Elmwood, or TOM DUDZIK'S short plays at Desiderio's, and GODSPELL, the musical, at Ujima and one day only, Wagner's opera THE FLYING DUTCHMAN at Artpark in Lewiston, Saturday, September 13 at 3:00 pm (note new start time).

Current season opens in advance of Curtain Up! (September 19): GODSPELL at Ujima, DREAMGIRLS at 710, Tom Dudzik's three short plays at Desiderio's, THE COTTAGE at The Alleway, a mixed-up historical fiction called OR at Irish Classical, and THE LAST CROISSANT with BUA at the Compass PAC. Click through to see complete listings.

Theater Talk: ONCE IN MY LIFETIME at Lancaster Opera House will have you Bill-ieve, MURDER ON THE LAKE very funny at Shawfest, Ujima's GODSPELL to concentrate on "the outsider," and Shea's Broadway season highly anticipated (esp. THE OUTSIDERS and KIMBERLY AKIMBO)

Theater Talk: RIP Artie Award-winning actor Hugh Davis; all-Black production (author, director, cast) of BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY stunning at Shawfest; African-American playwright C.A. Johnson's THE WITNESSES closes this weekend at Chautauqua; Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST magnificent at Shea's (what a cast!) closes this Sunday.

Theater Talk: Anthony's talk at Shaw a success; preview of BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY had added delight; Chautauqua has two openings; and Veanne Cox has three shows in development (fingers crossed for WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT)

Theater Talk: Shakespeare in Delaware Park's RICHARD III very clear and timely, Anthony in NYC for Charles Busch reunion, Jean Smart's CALL ME IZZY, and MAYBE HAPPY ENDING. At the Shawfest, DEAR LIAR is engaging, ANYTHING GOES is over-the-top wonderful, and MAJOR BARBARA beautifully cast, including Fiona Byrne, who joins Anthony (and Neil Barclay and Philip Aiken) for the roundtable Saturday, August 9, at 10am in the Spiegeltent. Get your tickets today!

Theater Talk: Shakespeare in Delaware Park's 50th anniversary opens RICHARD III while the traveling, edited ROMEO AND JULIET, highly entertaining, continues. At the Shaw Festival, GNIT is engaging and funny as will be Anthony on August 9th, speaking in the Spiegeltent at Shawfest, after which we'll see BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY.

Theater Talk: R.I.P. Saul Elkin (1932 - 2025) founder of two (!) Buffalo theater companies, Shea's expansion, HERE WE SIT at new Evangola Community Theater, Buffalo's Michele Ragusa in WIZARD OF OZ at Maine's Ongonquit, Anthony also sees Bianca Marroquin in GUYS AND DOLLS.