The Buffalo News : Entertainment

Monday, May 12, 2008

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Art & Theater Stories and Reviews

A mixture of grace, combat
By Colin Dabkowski NEWS STAFF REVIEWER
Updated: 05/11/08 6:46 AM

The Montagues and Capulets are it again.
Real lawyers take the stage for ‘Mockingbird’
By Caroline Binham - BLOOMBERG NEWS
Updated: 05/08/08 6:32 AM

LONDON — From “12 Angry Men” to “Philadelphia,” the drama of law has often made good entertainment. In London, real lawyers are taking to the stage in a play about racial injustice whose casting reveals a dearth of blacks in the U. K.’s legal profession.
Ballet dancers offer an interesting mix in solid performance
By Steve SucatoNEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER
Updated: 05/07/08 5:59 PM

Configurations Dance Theatre's inaugural performance as a Buffalo-based dance company (formerly Cape Cod, Mass.) in the University at Buffalo's Center for the Arts Drama Theater on Saturday night showed it needed more rehearsal at times, but nonetheless proved a triumph for the nationally recognized contemporary ballet company.
Depression comedy is always uplifting
By Ted Hadley NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER
Updated: 05/05/08 6:37 AM

Every once in a while, an acting company dusts off “Steal Away,” a 26-year old Depression-era comedy by the talented actress, poet and playwright Ramona King. No one knows why, exactly. Yet, the play, whenever it surfaces, is still situationally funny, albeit old, tired and creaky, and invariably wins awards for ensemble work. And for good reason.
Though beautifully set, ‘A Picasso’ falls short of realizing its potential
By Jana Eisenberg NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER
Updated: 05/04/08 6:46 AM

“A Picasso,” by Jeffrey Hatcher, despite its set-up as a Nazi-interrogation drama, is more of a set-piece/character study. Against the historically repulsive backdrop, its focus is on Picasso and his well-known ego. In the Kavinoky’s production, directed by David Lamb, it comes across as a scant construction.
A tip to the sweet and warm ‘Hats’
By Ted Hadley NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER
Updated: 05/03/08 6:41 AM

There is a poem by Jenny Joseph, “Warning,” and its opening lines go like this: “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple, with a red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.”
Haunted ruins on display in Paris
By Jorg von Uthmann - BLOOMBERG NEWS
Updated: 05/01/08 6:37 AM

Gloomy seascapes, desolate tombs and the wandering moon-watchers of painter Caspar David Friedrich are what most people associate with German art of the Romantic age.
Puppet sex, racism and more on ‘Avenue Q’
By Colin Dabkowski NEWS STAFF REVIEWER
Updated: 04/30/08 6:56 AM

Where were you the first time you saw puppets having sex?
Critics pan ‘Gone With the Wind’
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Updated: 04/24/08 6:37 AM

LONDON — The critics came, they saw, and frankly, my dear, most were unmoved by a new musical adaptation of “Gone With the Wind.”
'Side by Side by Sondheim': A rough start for challenging material
By Colin DabkowskiNEWS STAFF REVIEWER
Updated: 04/22/08 3:00 PM

Watching the opening night production of O’Connell and Company’s “Side by Side by Sondheim” was a little like listening to Puccini on a transistor radio. The spirit was undeniably there, but the presentation could have used some work.
'Stivale': Probing the tricks of the ad trade
By Colin DabkowskiNEWS ARTS WRITER
Updated: 04/22/08 2:58 PM

I’m not sure what “Stivale” is, but I kind of want it. The invented word, a la “Verizon,” “Allegra” or “Prius,” serves as the title of Torn Space Theater’s new conceptual production about consumerism, the advertising industry and the seemingly arbitrary creation of desire for products we didn’t even know we wanted.
‘The Rose Tattoo’ offers a wealth of emotions
By Jana Eisenberg News Contributing Reviewer
Updated: 04/20/08 6:58 AM

The newly formed American Repertory Theater presents its second production, “The Rose Tattoo,” Tennessee Williams’ 1950 homage to his sister and his lover, at Theaterloft through May 11.
Perfect time for a giddy take on a classic
By Colin Dabkowski NEWS ARTS WRITER
Updated: 04/20/08 6:58 AM

With the coming of spring after a particularly unkind winter, it’s natural to act a little bit giddy.
Theater: Irish Classical announces its 2008-09 season
BY COLIN DABKOWSKI -- News Arts Writer
Updated: 04/18/08 9:44 AM

Riding high on the rousing success of its still-ongoing season, the Irish Classical Theatre Company has firmed up its choices for next season. With a decidedly international flair and in keeping with attempts to broaden its audience, this particular season is far more classical than Irish.
Theater: Road Less Traveled announces its 2008-09 season
BY COLIN DABKOWSKI News Arts Writer
Updated: 04/18/08 8:29 AM

Actor James Rebhorn will come to Buffalo as part of the Road Less Traveled Productions 2008-09 season.


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