Jamestown Gals Delights at MusicalFare

Jamestown Gals, a playful revue of the careers of Lucille Ball and Peggy Lee is the latest creative effort from veteran choreographer Michael Walline. The show is now playing at MusicalFare at Daemen College in Amherst.

Kathy Weese and Kelly Jakiel played Lucille Ball in her various incarnations while Terrie George and Arin Lee Dandes appeared as Peggy Lee. John Fredo and Marc Sacco played Desi Arnaz and most any other male roles called for.

Walline cast the actors as the "essence" of Ball and Lee, his goal being to capture the spirit of the performers without impersonating them exactly.

"By the Waters of the Minnetonka" will delight fans of "I Love Lucy". It's the familiar shtick of Lucy trying to weasel her way into Ricky's act at the club. Fredo, as Ricky, manages to capture Ricky Ricardo's accent and attitude without being campy.

Those only familiar with Lucille Ball's comedy may be surprised by her musical background. Jamestown Gals features songs from her starring role in the movie version of Mame and her Broadway performance in Wildcat.

Peggy Lee received an Oscar nomination for "Bye Bye Blackbird" from Pete Kelly's Blues and won a Grammy for "Is That All There Is?"

Walline's father, who served as the catalyst for this musical once mused to Michael that these two talents were both from Jamestown- Lee was from Jamestown, ND and Ball from Jamestown, NY.

With his father's inspiration, Walline studied the musical histories of the two legends and put together this revue.

Walline said that he "tried to be true to the original choreography" which runs the gamut from samba to cha-cha to waltz.

The performers were accompanied by a five-piece band led by saxophonist Jim Runfola under the musical direction of Allan Paglia.

The costuming was a collaborative effort, according to Walline, with Loraine O'Donnell and Olivia Ebsary. "I tried to give them a silhouette and a color (red for Ball, yellow for Lee) and trust Loraine creatively". Each female character had five dresses; each male had two tuxes and six vests, Walline said.

"It was really hard to let go after living with it for a year," Walline said. His biggest challenge was "staying true to my dad's vision while still making original entertainment." The closing of act one is priceless. It seems that it can't get any funnier that the duets "Friendship," "Sisters," and "," but "I'm a Woman" is worth the price of admission on its own.

The show continues through December 7. Performances are staged Wednesday through Sunday with "meet the cast" talkbacks after Wednesday performances. Tickets are available at www.musicalfare.com or a by calling the box office at 716-839-8540

Love Triangles Span a Century at RLTP

Jon Elston's Elliptical, the highlight of Scott Behrend's concept production, Triangles, is now playing at the Road Less Traveled Theater in Buffalo's theatre district.

Elliptical is a fast-paced journey thorough the lives of three twenty-something friends who began their relationship in high school.

The dynamic, ever-reconfiguring friendship between Ches (Todd Benzin), Michelle (Bonnie Jean Taylor) and Camille (Kelly Meg Brennan) begins during high school drama club. Here the awkward Ches has finally found his home away from the jocks and popular kids. Lifelong friends Michelle and Camille compete for roles and boys, with Camille the usual victor.

The relationship takes unexpected twists and turns over the years that are alternatively intriguing, funny and cringe-worthy.

Triangle opens with the haunting guitar chords of Buffalo's local musician, Alan Kryszak from behind the dark scrim. The actors enter through three triangular openings recite a series of monologues that tie the trilogy together. This triangle theme is repeated throughout the show.

The first one act play isThe Strongerby August Strindberg set in the late nineteenth century. Lisa Virtanen plays Madame X, who alternately harangues and cajoles Madame Y (Kristen Tripp- Kelley) who remains stubbornly silent. Madame Y boasts about winning her husband away from X, but who has struck a better bargain?

Emanuel Fried'sTriangle follows, a fifties era piece with Tripp-Kelley as Mary Ann, the other woman, and Vitrano as Jackie, the long-suffering wife. Mary Ann tries to convince the wife she should give over her husband and return to New York. Like Tripp-Kelley in the previous sketch, Vitrano frequently says more with stony glares and rolling eyes than her pacing co-star does with rambling monologues.

In both plays the third character is the conspicuously absent husband.

Jon Elston's contemporaryElliptical closes the trilogy.

The grouping of the three plays was the brainchild of Director, Scott Behrend. According to Elston, "Scott gets the credit for conceiving of the trilogy. Manny wroteTriangle as a response toThe Stronger, and Scott suggested a third, modern piece to give the evening its third angle."

The show continues through December 7th. See www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org or call (716) 683-1260 for more information.

Old School Punkers Rock The Town Ballroom

NOFX fans packed The Town Ballroom in Buffalo Thursday night, many of them younger than the twenty-five year old band.

Fans sported facial piercings and black clothing and hairstyles ranging from mohawks or spikes to the classic emo bowl-cut.

Ontario punkers Ceremonial Snips opened the sold-out show followed by The -based Flatliners. The Flatliners signed last year with , the independent punk label founded by Mike Burkett of NOFX in 1991.

Chris Cresswell, The Flatliner's lead man on guitar, performed as the crowd erupted into an awkward mix of skanking and slam dancing, some skank dancers shuffling off after a few slams too many.

Cresswell, backed by Scott Brigham on guitar, John Darbey on bass and Paul Ramirez on drums, spoke about a recent trip home to Toronto. After a brief stop at a local Tim Horton's, the band headed to the border where they were pulled over by customs for inspection, "They didn't find any drugs," said Cresswell, "but their dog ate Jon's bagel."

Minnesota-based Dillinger Four appeared next. Vocalist Patrick Costello did everything he could to keep the audience's attention, from fellating the microphone to invoking the name of Joe the Plumber, but the crowd began chanting "NOFX" only fifteen minutes into the Dillinger Four performance.

Band mates Erik Funk and Bill Morrisette on guitar and vocals, and drummer Lane Pederson also shared the stage.

Much of the audience remained in Town's bar during the set, watching the Buffalo Sabres defeat the band's home team Minnesota Wild on the big screen.

Security was beefed up considerably before NOFX took the stage. A total of seven bouncers lined the barrier, prepared for the enthusiastic crowd surfers who lunged for the stage.

NOFX Front man and (Mike Burkett) joked that guitarist " likes playing here even better than selling oranges" but he was "lonely because there are no Mexicans" in Buffalo.

The band, including founding member on guitar and drummer Erik Sandin, played a mix from their considerable play list featuring both older music and songs from their latest CD, released in November 2007, "They've Actually Gotten Worse Live".

NOFX next heads to Baltimore and Richmond before beginning their European tour.

Green Builders Come Together at Buffalo Forum

The Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Inc. hosted the Green Building Forum: A Blueprint for Change at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum Wednesday. The forum brought together nearly one hundred local building professionals interested in learning how to create green and affordable housing in Buffalo.

Sam Magavern, an instructor who teaches who teaches Affordable Housing and the Environment at University at Buffalo Law School said, "If we are working in the building field already, we need to see how can we take it to the next level and build green."

The Keynote Speakers, Ann Petersen, Home Ownership Coordinator for the City of Schenectady, New York and David Sadowsky, architect, discussed their Schenectady project which created a prototype environmentally friendly home which was designed for low income buyers.

The home was awarded the Best in American Living Award by the National Association of Homebuilders. It was the first home in New York state to be certified by the United States Green Building Council to meet national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

The home which was built for forty dollars less per square foot than typical Schenectady construction costs and was designed to fit the historical character of the community, Sadowsky explained. Operating costs are also kept in mind. The twelve month average combined utility cost was less than half that of a typical Schenectady home of that size.

The home was created using the principals of Universal Design, Sadowsky said, "Universal Design enables people to age in place by building in flexibility. Wider doors, a first floor bedroom, first floor laundry, accessible or adaptable bathroom, on-grade access" are among the features that allow for adaptability for an aging or disabled resident without " looking like an institutional space."

"HUD Subsidies are essential to building these homes," added Ann Petersen, "because we don't have private developers coming into these neighborhoods and building homes that cost $200,000 to build when they can only be sold for $100,000 due to neighborhood market conditions." Using real costs from prototype, the partners applied for grant funding to develop more homes.

Kevin Connors of eco_logic STUDIO, a design studio which focuses on ecological architecture and design, worked with University at Buffalo architecture students to build a straw bale project in Depew. Green Building, according to Connors includes, "Super insulation, utilizing natural daylight and ventilation, locally renewable and recyclable products and systems which conserve water and green space."

Nathan Rizzo, Vice President of Solar Liberty Energy Systems seeks to make solar energy a " rewarding and viable alternative." Several Buffalo buildings including St Gregory the Great, Erie County SPCA and the Chautauqua Institution are able to generate sixty to one hundred percent of their energy through passive solar technology.

Sam Magavern states that all housing is pollution, the key is how much we can eliminate the impact on the environment. Concerned that there would be a "value conflict between affordable housing and environmental protection," he has found green buildings cheaper to operate, healthier and more likely to prevent global warming. Magavern says the best strategy for Buffalo is rehabbing existing housing stock and taking a block by block approach to turn Buffalo's supply of vacant lots into "assets instead of eyesores".

The next step, according to Stephanie Simeon, Executive Director, Heart of the City Neighborhoods, is to "get the word out to the public so that people who are looking to build or renovate will have a resource."

NYSCAR Unveils New Software Program

The New York State Commercial Association of Realtors and the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise hosted a presentation of a new commercial listing software program at Harry's Harbor Place Grill Thursday.

The program will help commercial realtors to work together and centralize their listings with Commercial Listing System (CLS), similar to the Multiple Listing System (MLS) that has been used by residential realtors for years.

The challenge surrounding commercial real estate in Western New York is that the "information is scattered. There is no centralized location so you need to go to the individual commercial real estate sites," according to Paula Blanchard, Commercial Realtor and Marketing Committee Chair of the Western New York Chapter of the New York State Commercial Association of Realtors.

The goal is to "create a more synergistic organization" among Western New York commercial realtors, says Kristin Badger-Bach, Past President of the Western New York Chapter of NYSCAR and membership chair. Buffalo is the home of "smart people, the 20-minute commute and one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply. We need to tell people our story, leverage marketing and spread the word."

Catalyst Real Estate software, according to Nancy McKellar, Vice President of Regional Sales will help realtors "save time, save money, make money by creating relationships and working together."

Patricia Collins, President of the Western New York Chapter of NYSCAR stresses the importance of getting people to work together and utilize the system. "It's like the chicken and the egg, until people are using it, it's not recognized as a resource," she said. "The purpose is to bring people together."

Thomas Kucharski, President and CEO, Buffalo Niagara Enterprise says that commercial real estate is one of the pieces of the puzzle that attracts people to do business in Buffalo, which has "low cost power, a high quality work force and affordable real estate. We are recognized nationally as a college town with a high quality of labor," Kucharski says of Buffalo, "we are going to come out of this economic downturn as one of the places leading the way."

Hell Hole Honeys Bawdy Fun at Alleyway

Hell Hole Honeys, written by Ben Budick, Steve Mackes & David Ogrin opened Thursday at Buffalo's Alleyway Theatre and continues through May 9th. This World Premiere Musical is directed by Todd Warfield.

The show begins as cable access journalist Mary Jo Huntsinger (Kim Piazza) is jailed for refusing to reveal her source in a controversial story. MJ's investigation uncovered city corruption, making her the target of the powerful people she crossed.

Naive young MJ is thrust into Bellpole Women's Maximum Security Prison and quickly learns to adapt. Her fellow inmates appear to be hardened and heartless, but most are just afraid and making the best of what is sure to be their home for some time to come.

Cutter (Stephanie Bax) shines as MJ's deranged cellmate. Her crazy behavior is mostly her method for coping with a disturbing childhood. She tells MJ her story and soon becomes her protector and confidant.

Scratch (Victoria Perez) is the tough chick on the cell block. She chose the wrong man and took the fall for his crime. Tragically, she was pregnant when jailed and her daughter is being raised without her. Scratch is willing to do anything the corrupt Warden Beaumont (Jeff Coyle) asks of her hoping to get out to raise her child.

B_tch (Mercedes), Ho (Jasmine Ramos) and Squeaky (Kate Wolff) round out the cellblock. The song "B_tches and Hos" is one of the musical highlights of the evening. The music, under the direction of Michael Hake crossed a wide range of styles from rap to ballads and was consistently well done.

"Most of the cast has worked with me before," said Warfield, "But, Jasmine Ramos and Kate Wolff are making their professional debut."

Warfield makes remarkable use of the small Alleyway space, with jail cells hung on a scaffold base and a couple of moving set pieces.

The show is bawdy throughout, not suited for children or teens, but a fun night of adult entertainment.

Hell Hole Honeys continues through May 9. Contact Alleyway theatre at 716-852-2600 or www.alleyway.com for tickets and information.

Eclectic Improv Electrifies Opening Night Crowd

"When you've been together as long as we have, you learn to trust each other," said Don Gervasi, when he was asked about his ten plus years of working with the members of the Eclectic Improv Company. Todd Benzin, who has known Gervasi since college said that they have to be ready to do anything. "It helps that we share the same pop culture references."

The Eclectic Improv Company opened their season Saturday night to a packed house at Shea's Smith Theatre. The troupe started the show with an improvised sermon by Peter Cumbo. They said they begin the show with the sermon to promote audience interaction and drive up the energy that is crucial to a good perfomance.

After sequestering Cumbo offstage, Don Gervasi and Todd Benzin asked the audience for a multi-syllable noun, verb and adjective. When Cumbo returned, he discerned, with help from Gervasi and Benzin, that he was to perform a sermon about an organic, filibustering parallelepiped (a geometric shape not covered in fourth grade class).

The structure of the show is short-form, game-based improvisation, according to Cumbo. They can't prepare jokes, but Gervasi writes down a list of the gimmicks or games on a white board prior to the show. "It's like a set list you would see musicians with at a concert," Gervasi explained.

Basic principle of improv is "yes, and?", meaning that you have to accept whatever premise you are given (in this case by the audience) and build on it. You can't say no or the scene dies.

Cumbo noted that you can never just relax back stage like you might in a conventional stage show. "In a regular ongoing stage show, you might see people backstage reading, but in improv you have to always be aware of what is going on onstage, even if you won't be in that scene."

The audience laughed their way through a song about eggplant, accompanied by pianist Mike Hake and a Spanish version of Goldilocks. The group also performed a musical about foot augmentation in which Todd Benzin spontaneously created a character named "Mr. Galumpers" a funny/creepy clown who taught Peter Cumbo that his tiny feet made him special.

The Eclectic Improv Company will be performing at Shea's Smith Theatre the last Saturday of every month through June. See www.eclecticimprov.com for tickets or additional information.

MusicalFare Sondheim Production a Success

Sunday in the Park with George, written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine is a fictionalized account of the life of French Pointillist Painter George Seurat based on his painting "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte."

The MusicalFare production is the second Sondheim musical featured at the theatre on the campus of Daemen College in Amherst.

Directed by Randall Kramer, the story centers on Seurat's obsession with "design, composition, tension, balance, light and harmony" to the exclusion of genuine human relationships.

George Seurat, played by Paschal Frisina III, meets the love of his life, Dot (Jenn Stafford), but their relationship is hampered by his inability to see past the tip of his paintbrush. While his art was best viewed by stepping back and looking at the whole, Seurat lacked the perspective to do so with the rest of his life.

Act One begins with a petulant Dot modeling for George and longing for his attention. Jules (Doug Crane), a rival painter, stops by frequently as do Jules household staff, Franz, (Louis Colaiacovo) and Frieda (Leah Russo), who provide much-needed comic relief along Jules' bratty daughter, Louise, played by Anne Roaldi.

There is a marked difference between the first and second acts, the former set in the 1890s and the latter in the 1980s. "It was initially written as only the first act," said Director Kramer, "Sondheim and Lapine tried to write act two quickly. The second act was drubbed by critics, while the first act was considered brilliant. But the whole show is what won the Pulitzer."

While Seurat is known to have painted from life, the back stories are fiction. "The People that he sketched were actual people in the park, most of them lower class," said Debbie Pappas, who played Jules' wife, Yvonne. "Dot is the only real thing in his life. The others need the painting to exist," added Frisina.

Chris Schenk's set design is minimalist, but evocative of Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon." He employs a painting-sized scrim that allows the artist to work while facing the audience. Costumes, by Loraine O'Donnell and Olivia Ebsary, are remarkably true to the painting.

The show continues through April 5. See www.musicalfare.com or call the box office at 716- 839-8540 for tickets or information.

Buffalo Quickies Titillates Alleyway Audience

Buffalo Quickies 2009 is a one-act play festival presented by Alleyway Theatre. Director Joyce Stilson has assembled this annual show for 18 years.

This year's festival, billed as "The Sex Edition," included one-act performances mostly about relationships. Stories ranged from Jay C. Rehak's "Marinated Steaks and Socks" about marital communication problems between Francine (Sheila Connors) and John (Christopher S. Parada) referred by therapist Dr. Watts (Louise Reger) to Alex Broun's "Saturday Night Chippewa, Sunday Morning Lackawanna" on the perils of an alcohol- laced one night stand. Michael Seitz and Tammy Reger played the mismatched pair.

"The selection of pieces is extremely difficult," said Stilson, "because there are so many factors: casting, content, set, and of course if it's any good and how it relates to the rest of the evening."

This is the fourth year with a unifying theme. Most years the festival has been an eclectic mix. Previous themes have been love, theatre and Greek Mythology.

The one-acts transitioned seamlessly into one another, the actors moving their own props and set pieces, sometimes changing costume right on stage. The set itself was a plain black box. Scenes were set with chairs and other moveable pieces.

The evening moved quickly, fitting 10 plays into 90 minutes. The actors were well-utilized - Carlton Frankin played everything from a frustrated suitor to a death row inmate equally well. Seitz was a charismatic presence when he stepped on stage and Parada always provided a laugh.

The climax of the evening was "Jump!" by George J Bryjak, the 2008 Maxim Mazumdar New Play Competition One Act Winner. It was about a young philosophy student (Seitz) and his no- nonsense neighbor (Louise Reger). The philosopher was experiencing existential depression (ED) and was interrupted while attempting to jump from the roof. The laundry hanging neighbor pressed him to make a decision, but he was unmoved until the arrival of a Birkenstock-clad flash poet (Sheila Connors) who shared her art with him.

Next appearing at Alleyway Theatre is Hell Hole Honeys, a world premiere musical, directed by Todd Warfield. Show dates are April 23 through May 9. See www.alleyway.com for information or tickets.

Hell Hole Honeys Bawdy Fun at Alleyway

Hell Hole Honeys, written by Ben Budick, Steve Mackes & David Ogrin opened Thursday at Buffalo's Alleyway Theatre and continues through May 9th. This World Premiere Musical is directed by Todd Warfield.

The show begins as cable access journalist Mary Jo Huntsinger (Kim Piazza) is jailed for refusing to reveal her source in a controversial story. MJ's investigation uncovered city corruption, making her the target of the powerful people she crossed.

Naive young MJ is thrust into Bellpole Women's Maximum Security Prison and quickly learns to adapt. Her fellow inmates appear to be hardened and heartless, but most are just afraid and making the best of what is sure to be their home for some time to come.

Cutter (Stephanie Bax) shines as MJ's deranged cellmate. Her crazy behavior is mostly her method for coping with a disturbing childhood. She tells MJ her story and soon becomes her protector and confidant.

Scratch (Victoria Perez) is the tough chick on the cell block. She chose the wrong man and took the fall for his crime. Tragically, she was pregnant when jailed and her daughter is being raised without her. Scratch is willing to do anything the corrupt Warden Beaumont (Jeff Coyle) asks of her hoping to get out to raise her child.

B_tch (Mercedes), Ho (Jasmine Ramos) and Squeaky (Kate Wolff) round out the cellblock. The song "B_tches and Hos" is one of the musical highlights of the evening. The music, under the direction of Michael Hake crossed a wide range of styles from rap to ballads and was consistently well done.

"Most of the cast has worked with me before," said Warfield, "But, Jasmine Ramos and Kate Wolff are making their professional debut."

Warfield makes remarkable use of the small Alleyway space, with jail cells hung on a scaffold base and a couple of moving set pieces.

The show is bawdy throughout, not suited for children or teens, but a fun night of adult entertainment.

Hell Hole Honeys continues through May 9. Contact Alleyway theatre at 716-852-2600 or www.alleyway.com for tickets and information.

Bedouin Soundclash Headlines Lineup at Town

Town Ballroom featured a wide range of musical styles this past Saturday night. There was something for everyone, from old school punk fans to lovers of reggae, R&B and .

Wolf Tickets, a Buffalo punk band opened the evening. The group has been performing together since 1992. Chris Malachowski led the vocals and played guitar. Russell Bickert backed him on drums and Mike Snyder on bass.

A couple of teen boys began slam dancing, much to the dismay of a flock of young women in sundresses and cardigans, but the boys gave up when no one else would join them.

Wolf Tickets played ³Long Walk´ from their soon to be released record, Here Comes the Hell. They finished the set with, ³Down at the Casbah Club,´ a reggae inspired number that served as a great segue into the next band, The Great Train Robbery.

The Great Train Robbery has been part of the local music scene since the 1980¶s. The band is difficult to categorize - their sound seamlessly blends jazz, reggae, R&B and ska.

They have a large local following. David Watts is the lead vocalist, David Malia plays guitar, and Naheem Shabazz the trombone. Vincent Fossitt awed the crowd on both tenor and alto sax assisted with vocals. Rodney Chamberlain rocked the bass and Andrew Case played drums.

The venue really came alive when took the stage. An Ontario band, Bedouin Soundclash formed when lead singer and Bassist Eon Sinclair met at Queens College in Mississauga.

The band opened with "Until We Burn in the Sun", a hit from their 2007 album , and went through a wide range of their play list, much of which the audience knew well enough to sing along.

Malinowski smiled throughout the entire performance, jokingly prodding the techs at one point, "Turn down the lights a bit, it's like high school talent night"

Malinoski introduced ³Rude Boy Don¶t Cry´ from their 2004 album Sounding A Mosaic with a shout-out to rude boys everywhere. ³Rude boys´ were originally street toughs in Jamaica, but in recent years, the term has come to include fans of ska.

Malikowski joked that one of their biggest hits, ³Walls Fall Down´ was about crossing the US-Canadian border.

They closed the set after eleven with 12:59 Lullaby which most of the audience sang as well. The song gained a lot of exposure when it was featured on an episode of Grey¶s Anatomy.

Contact The Town Ballroom at 716- 852-3900 or see their website at www.townballroom.com for information on future shows.

Ted Leo Wows Tralf Crowd

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists performed at Tralf Music Hall Wednesday, June 17, their second Buffalo show in less than a year.

The audience varied widely in age, but shared the same laid-back vibe.

Local band Paul¶s Grandfather took the stage at 8:45 for a show slated to begin at eight. Scheduled opener, Titus Andronicus did not make the gig.

Paul¶s Grandfather played a wide range of folksy self-written songs including, Jailbirdy, from their new EP, No Home. Vocalist Becca Ryskalczyk said that The EP ³just came in the mail today.´

Band founders Becca Ryskalczyk, Katie Preston and Karrah Teague share vocal duties and an impressive array of instruments, from guitar and bass to harmonica and percussion.

The women of Paul¶s Grandfather met at Fredonia State and began performing together. The most recent additions to the band are Bobby Frisk on percussion and Paul Swenson on cello.

The mellow crowd remained seated throughout the hour long set, the dance floor a twenty foot gap between the audience and the stage.

When the roadies began resetting the stage for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists ten pm set, the crowd came to life, jostling for position in front of the stage.

Ted Leo played many older familiar tunes like Me and Mia from the 2004 album , probably their best known song and the moderately successful Colleen from 2007¶s Living with the Living.

Newer songs included Even Heroes have to Die and a number that Ted Leo called ³the newest of the new.´ After flubbing the intro, he quipped, ³I forgot how it starts, it¶s that new.´

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists played a solid set, powering through song after song, Ted strumming the guitar at an astonishing speed, with no need for flash or showmanship.

An alternative band with punk flair and a political bent, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have been performing since 1999. Vocalist Ted Leo is the only member who has been with the band since inception, percussionist Chris Wilson and guitarist James Canty joined the band several years later.

Contact The Tralf at 716-852-2860 or see their website at www.tralfmusichall.com for information on future shows.