The Buffalo News - Gusto http://www.buffalonews.com Latest stories from The Buffalo News en-us Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:12 -0400 Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:00:12 -0400 <![CDATA[ Shakespeare in Delaware Park production brings play back to basics ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130620/GUSTO/130629990/1031 During Saul Elkin’s first attempt to bring “Hamlet” to life on the Shakespeare in Delaware Park stage in 1977, the young director made some bold and bizarre choices.

He inserted a snooping Hamlet, disguised as a Puerto Rican janitor, into a scene in which the scheming King Claudius enlists two of the young prince’s college buddies to spy on him. When the time came for Hamlet to deliver Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquy – “To be, or not to be ...” – he did so in a Puerto Rican accent. Ophelia’s death scene involved Hamlet raising a gun to her head while carting her off stage in a sort of wheelbarrow.

The whacked-out production was based on “Naked Hamlet,” an adaptation of Shakespeare’s original by Elkin’s Ph.D. mentor, Joe Papp, who founded the Public Theatre and the New York Shakespeare Festival in the early 1950s. It included a rock band, film projections and all sorts of bells and whistles beyond even the Bard’s expansive imagination.

But when Elkin’s fifth version of “Hamlet” opens on Shakespeare Hill tonight, all audiences will see is a jet-black stage punctuated by a single painted tapestry and actors delving into the language of the play. No avant-garde interpretations. No modern-day flourishes. And no Puerto Rican accents.

“It was my notion, back then, that was the direction theater was going. I’m not sure it is anymore,” Elkin said. “Then, I thought I had to throw everything in, and I did. Now, I’m thinking that I need to trust Mr. Shakespeare. I need to trust the play a little bit more.”

Though Elkin has pared the play down from its original running time of more than four hours to around three, he has otherwise left the language untouched. The set is spare and the play’s frequent shifts from one location to the next are usually indicated by nothing more than the actors’ body language. The audience, as was the case in Shakespeare’s time, fills in the rest with their own estimable imaginations.

His take on “Hamlet” has evolved over the decades, from an all-out “total theater” interpretation to gradually more language-focused productions. This year’s show, he said, is about bringing it back to basics.

Niagara Falls native Shaun Sheley, a St. Louis-based actor and teacher who last appeared on the Shakespeare in Delaware Park stage in a 2000 production of “As You Like It,” is playing the demanding role for the first time in his career. Though at first the prospect of playing perhaps the most sought-after and challenging role in English theater weighed heavily on Sheley, he has since come to treat it as he would any other theatrical challenge.

After reading books on the role and familiarizing himself with the most notable performances of the conflicted Danish prince, from Edwin Booth and John Barrymore to Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh, he has settled into a kind of confidence about the task ahead of him.

“You get sort of a wide range of interpretations of the different Hamlets,” Sheley said of his research for the role. “But having said that, it’s gotta be your own. You’ve got to just leave all that aside and get out there and dig for truth.”

“Hamlet,” like all great works of literature, strikes the reader at remarkably different angles depending on that reader’s age. A teenager reading the play for the first time might think of the 30-year-old prince as unfathomably complex and adult. It might take on more self-analytical overtones for a 30-year-old. And for those a decade older than the tortured protagonist, it takes on even deeper and more complicated shades.

For Sheley, approaching the play with 40 years of life experience behind him makes its existential themes all the more evident and poignant.

“I’m more attuned now to all the various motifs around the idea of death, life. He goes back and forth with this struggle: what is life, what is death, what comes after, what the hell are we doing in this place, what’s the point, is there a point, yes there has to be a point,” he said. “It’s just those ideas that keep popping up over and over again: What are we doing here, what are we supposed to do, how do we get through this life and not screw up too much?”

These are eternal, unanswerable questions to which anyone of almost any age can relate to, which is one essential part of the play’s appeal across the centuries.

But the play’s language – quotable and poetic as it is – has proved one of its major challenges. For Elkin, having actors on hand like Sheley, his daughter Rebecca Elkin-Young, who plays Ophelia, and SDP veteran Tim Newell as Claudius, helps to make sure none of Shakespeare’s meaning gets lost in translation.

“The quality both these gentlemen have is that they can speak the language with great clarity and they can also be very real about the action that underlies the language,” Elkin said. “There’s no doubt in my mind what’s up with Hamlet and Claudius while they’re up there.”

Elkin has decided to leave the play’s anachronistic references and outmoded words intact, challenging the actors to help the audience understand the language by highlighting its context and communicating its motivation. There’s a scene, for instance, in which Claudius says that he has “bought an unction of a mountebank” – a poisonous oil from an untrustworthy doctor – which remains unchanged.

“A what from a who?” Sheley asked, jokingly. “But we make it clear,” Elkin said. “The intention is there.”

While there are no radical interpretations at work in this production of “Hamlet,” the sixth in the company’s history, Elkin and Sheley view Hamlet as a pragmatic figure rather than as a tortured man who procrastinates and is completely unsure of himself.

In Elkin’s view and Sheley’s delivery, Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy has more to do with the practical considerations of carrying out murder than with the existential poetic reverie we normally associate with the speech. To them, the question is not exactly “To be, or not to be?” but rather, “To murder, or not to murder?”

“My advice to Sean was, this is not a contemplative speech,” Elkin said. “This is not only, ‘Should I commit suicide?’ but, ‘Should I kill the king as well, and what happens if I commit murder?’ So he comes in on the run and does it.”

Sheley immediately bought into the approach, which replaces what is typically a bout of tortured poetic yearning with a straightforward internal debate. “He’s thinking on his feet all the time,” Sheley said. “He can’t be sitting there ho-hummin’. He’s got to be thinking, he’s got to be moving.”

For Newell, who has played a string of villains on the SDP stage to great acclaim – none more popular than his portrayal of Richard III last year – the opportunity to play Claudius provides a different challenge.

“He’s up there with King Richard, I think, in how deliciously charming he can be,” Newell said. “The real fire kicks in in the second half of our production, once he’s on to the fact that Hamlet is now pursuing his life.”

There are endless readings of Shakespeare’s longest tragedy and his popular protagonist, many valid and many out of left-field. For his fifth time through, Elkin and his cast have chosen to hew closely to the text and to let Shakespeare’s language speak loudly and clearly for itself.

“In the end, every actor’s task is to attach a believable intention to the words,” Elkin said, “and if the intention is believable and if it’s true to the text, then the words are understandable and we know what you’re about. We know what you’re after.”



email: cdabkowski@buffnews.com ]]> Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:21:01 -0400 Colin Dabkowski
]]> <![CDATA[ Niagara Arts and Cultural Center launches its first juried art show ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130620/GUSTO/130629988/1031
“I’d be lucky if I was getting 20, 30, 40 pieces of artwork in the beginning,” he said during an interview in his small office on the first floor of the 160,000-square-foot former high school, which was saved from the wrecking ball in 2000 by preservationists and volunteers and converted into an arts center.

But last November, when the NACC mounted its annual fall show, Drozdowski received more than 120 entries. The uptick signaled a tipping point for the NACC, which has floated under the radar for some members of the local arts community outside Niagara County.

And because of the increased response, Drozdowski instituted a jurying system for the center’s annual spring show, “Beyond the Barrel,” which opens in the main gallery space Friday night. The juror for the show was Burchfield Penney Art Center Director Anthony Bannon, who chose 55 works out of 122 submissions. He also awarded five prizes. First prize went to Nikki Catalano-Ritchey for her bronze sculpture “Erotica”; second prize to James Craig for his painting “Phoson”; third prize to Jonathan Rogers for his painting “To the Finish.” Honorable mentions were awarded to Jeff Bagneschi for his ink drawing “This Maid Don’t Clean” and Mike Kudela for a mixed media piece called “Not One.”

“I think we accomplished a couple of things. One, we attracted some artists who have never exhibited here before. And I think we bumped up the quality a little bit,” Drozdowski said, adding that he estimated a third of the submissions were due to Bannon’s inclusion in the project.

The NACC’s main gallery, a 4,000 square-foot space that occupies the former high school cafeteria, was renovated last year with help from members of the Buffalo Society of Artists. Volunteers covered the tiled walls and surrounded columns with drywall and also constructed several movable walls, improving the atmosphere of the fluorescent-lit space.

The show, which includes sculpture, painting and photography, will also feature a special section dedicated to the late artist, poet and teacher Violet Gordon organized by her daughter, Bonnie Flickinger. The NACC’s light-filled Garden Gallery, an ad-hoc art space in the high school’s former grand entryway, will feature new abstract work by painter Candace Masters.

The trio of art shows opening this weekend is only one part of the breathless activity taking place in the cavernous rooms of the NACC. The center also hosts a community theater company, the Western Door Playhouse and two ballet companies along with various education programs, classes and workshops. Some 50 artists also rent studio space in the NACC and, Drozdowski said, all but one room is rented out.

Even so, the economic challenges of paying for utilities in such a massive and inefficient building are daunting. And after the Niagara Falls City Council diverted funds designated for the NACC earlier this year and forced the organization into an emergency fund drive it will have trouble repeating, those challenges aren’t going away any time soon.

Even so, Drozdowski was generally optimistic about the NACC’s future and its ability to sustain itself, and fulfill its artist-centric mission, going forward.

“Over the years, our goal has always been to support the local arts community and also be a proving ground for new artists. I’ve seen many artists who started here who now exhibit all over the area,” Drozdowski said. “We’ve had some very talented artists here.”

email: cdabkowski@buffnews.com ]]> Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:21:24 -0400 Colin Dabkowski
]]> <![CDATA[ A star shines ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130620/CITYANDREGION/130629982/1031
The crowd at the Star 102.5-organized event, the proceeds of which benefit the Botanical Gardens, sprawled over the lawn on blankets and in camp chairs and was given a classy air from the wine glasses that came with every ticket. The group seemed to be composed of a mix of older folks there to support the gardens and younger adults and teens drawn there by the headlining act. No matter what their reason for coming, they all got a show worth the ticket price.

Bareilles is a radio queen, coming onto the scene with her triple-platinum hit “Love Song” in 2007 and maintaining a steady presence ever since. However, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter’s voice has an intensity and depth that just doesn’t fully manifest itself over the airwaves. Husky and powerful, it rang out over the front lawn of the Gardens during her hourlong performance, providing an immensely satisfying evening.

Appearing onstage just as the sun sank from view behind the greenhouses, Bareilles included all her fan favorites in her set, including the aforementioned breakthrough hit as well as the equally upbeat “Many the Miles,” “Gonna Get Over You” and “King of Anything.” With “Brave,” an inspiring and energetic number driven by a thumping baseline, she gave the appreciative audience a taste of her newest album, “The Blessed Unrest,” to be released in July.

Bareilles slowed things down with the fragile-sounding “Gravity,” “Basket Case” and her soulful, sultry cover of the Otis Redding hit “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.”

Goofy and unpretentious, she laughed and joked around with the crowd throughout her set, keeping the mood light no matter what her songs’ subject matter. Bareilles’ pop-oriented songs are fun and catchy, but it’s in the bluesy ones that her powerhouse of a voice really shines. An accomplished pianist, she accompanied herself on almost every song, quitting the piano bench only a few times in favor of an acoustic guitar. She was unquestionably a headliner worthy of the gorgeous surroundings.

Opening the show was Los Angeles-based band Youngblood Hawke. As attendees milled about, enjoying the wares from participating vendors like Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, McKenzie’s Hard Cider and various wineries, the six-man band played an acoustic set that included some of the more mellow songs from its repertoire, though the lead singer made mention several times that the band’s normal sound is much more rock-and-roll. Their final song was the catchy, popular hit, “We Come Running,” which was met with much enthusiasm from the audience. Also opening was New Zealand native Ginny Blackmore, a fun stage presence who played several covers as well as her hit “Bones.” ]]> Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:35:28 -0400 By kristy kibler

news contributing reviewer

]]> <![CDATA[ Brick Oven Bistro adds fine touches to tavern dining ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130620/GUSTO/130629989/1031
You hankering for a nice pot roast? They got that: a fist-sized hunk of beef short rib, spoon tender and buttery rich. It arrived reclining on a bed of fresh pappardelle pasta, glistening with jus and dotted with peas, and a handful of fresh pea shoots. It was $19, and if you ate it all in one sitting, you would want a nice nap.

Chef Andrew Murtha used to cook at a swanky Philadelphia steakhouse called Barclay Prime, and the plates that come out of the kitchen show attention to detail and a handle on presenting prime ingredients.

I saw a beer-battered soft-shelled crab po-boy on the specials, $12 with Cajun remoulade and fries. I am drawn to soft-shells, crab for lazy people, so I asked if I could have just the crab.

For $10, I got an expertly fried crab done up in a light, puffy jacket, spicy mayonnaise, chive flowers and pickled ramps, whose puckery green note helped all that richness shine.

The beef on weck version in the restaurant’s brick oven pizza lineup ($12) could have been a cliche. But the roast beef was tender, the Swiss cheese added depth, the crust was crunchy and adeptly bronzed, and the horseradish aioli was applied with restraint under a dusting of chives.

Everybody has a beet salad these days. Not like this one. It arrived in a bowl that had been coated with a roasted beet puree brightened with orange zest and blood orange, topped with roasted beet wedges, arugula, orange supremes, sliced radishes and house-cured duck prosciutto. Oh, and little crispy-crusted goat cheese croquettes. For $9.

The antipasti platter is house-cured salami-like soppressata and more of that duck prosciutto ($12 small) with fresh mozzarella, toasted Italian bread and a ramekin of oil. How I wished for pickles or any foil for all that funkiness.

The French onion soup ($2 upcharge with entree) was decent but not compelling, considering the competition, and we lost interest after eating the cheese. The chicken soup was hearty, with chunks of chicken and carrot, but it needed salt.

The fried chicken, fries and gravy special ($14) was gone by 6 p.m. during our Saturday visit. After a brief mourning period we ordered the steak sandwich ($11), manicotti ($14), veal cutlet Milanese ($17) and the short rib pasta.

The sandwich’s steak was several thin pieces, some still a bit pink, on a vigorously toasted roll with hot pepper, provolone and garlic aioli. It won the heart of its owner.

The manicotti was nutmeg-scented ricotta rolled in delicate crepes, and lots of it. The sweet, bright tomato sauce had a lick of heat.

The short rib pasta, with tender beef and the pleasant texture of fresh pasta, evoked low noises of appreciation. It made its owner happy the next day for lunch, too.

The veal cutlets had some scorching here and there, making them chewier. The salad that topped it was fine, dressed with balsamic and a surprise prosciutto guest appearance.

For a place that’s put so much effort into food, the beer list is broad and deep, and the bartender will supply free draft samples. A flight of four 5-ounce glasses is $6. At the table, I asked for an IPA draft and got a lemony Leinenkugel instead. Apologies and immediate replacements were offered, but it was growing on me, so I kept it. The black-clad servers play as a team and got us sorted out.

Desserts ($5.50) weren’t a letdown. The cinnamon creme brulee’s creamy-crusty contrast was heightened with salt flakes; the chocolate brioche bread pudding was comforting and not overly sweet.

A guest said that after eyeballing the place on his way in, he was “100 percent surprised in all the best ways possible.”

Well, the secret’s out now.

email: agalarneau@buffnews.com ]]> Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:21:11 -0400 Andrew Z. Galarneau
]]> <![CDATA[ James Gandolfini, star of ‘The Sopranos,’ dies at age 51 ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130619/WORLD/130619021/1031
But his portrayal of criminal Tony Soprano in HBO’s landmark drama series “The Sopranos” was just one facet of an actor who created a rich legacy of film and stage work in a life cut short.

Gandolfini, 51, who died Wednesday while vacationing in Rome, refused to be bound by his star-making role in the HBO series that brought him three Emmy Awards during its six-season run.

No cause of death was given by HBO and Gandolfini’s managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders in a joint statement confirming his death.

“He was a genius,” said “Sopranos” creator David Chase. “Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes.”

HBO called the actor a “special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone, no matter their title or position, with equal respect.”

Joe Gannascoli, who played Vito Spatafore on the drama series, said he was shocked and heartbroken.

“Fifty-one and leaves a kid — he was newly married. His son is fatherless now. ... It’s way too young,” Gannascoli said.

Gandolfini and his wife, Deborah, who were married in 2008, have a daughter, Liliana, born last year, HBO said. The actor and his former wife, Marcy, have a teenage son, Michael.

Gandolfini’s performance in “The Sopranos” was his ticket to fame, but he evaded being stereotyped as a mobster after the drama’s breathtaking blackout ending in 2007.

In a December 2012 interview with The Associated Press, he was upbeat about the work he was getting post-Tony Soprano.

“I’m much more comfortable doing smaller things,” Gandolfini said then. “I like them. I like the way they’re shot; they’re shot quickly. It’s all about the scripts — that’s what it is — and I’m getting some interesting little scripts.”

He played Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama bin Laden hunt docudrama “Zero Dark Thirty.” He worked with Chase for the ‘60s period drama “Not Fade Away,” in which he played the old-school father of a wannabe rocker. And in Andrew Dominick’s crime flick “Killing Them Softly,” he played an aged, washed-up hit man.

On Broadway, he garnered a best-actor Tony Award nomination for 2009’s “God of Carnage.”

Deploying his unsought clout as a star, Gandolfini produced a pair documentaries for HBO focused on a cause he held dear: veterans affairs.

He was mourned online in a flood of celebrity comments. “The great James Gandolfini passed away today. Only 51. I can’t believe it,” Bette Midler posted on her Twitter account.

“An extraordinary actor. RIP, Mr. Gandolfini,” Robin Williams tweeted.

His final projects included the film “Animal Rescue,” directed by Michael R. Roskam and written by Dennis Lehane, which has been shot and is expected to be released next year. He also had agreed to star in a seven-part limited series for HBO, “Criminal Justice,” based on a BBC show. He had shot a pilot for an early iteration of the project.

While Tony Soprano was a larger-than-life figure, Gandolfini was exceptionally modest and obsessive — he described himself as “a 260-pound Woody Allen.”

In past interviews, his cast mates had far more glowing descriptions to offer.

“I had the greatest sparring partner in the world, I had Muhammad Ali,” said Lorraine Bracco, who, as Tony’s psychiatrist Dr. Melfi, went one-on-one with Gandolfini in their penetrating therapy scenes. “He cares what he does, and does it extremely well.”

Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge, N.J., the son of a building maintenance chief at a Catholic school and a high school lunch lady.

After earning a degree in communications from Rutgers University, Gandolfini moved to New York, where he worked as a bartender, bouncer and nightclub manager. When he was 25, he joined a friend of a friend in an acting class.

Gandolfini’s first big break was a Broadway production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” where he played Steve, one of Stanley Kowalski’s poker buddies. His film debut was in Sidney Lumet’s “A Stranger Among Us” (1992).

Director Tony Scott, who killed himself in August 2012, had praised Gandolfini’s talent for fusing violence with charisma — which he would perfect in Tony Soprano.

Gandolfini played a tough guy in Scott’s 1993 film “True Romance,” who beat Patricia Arquette’s character to a pulp while offering such jarring, flirtatious banter as, “You got a lot of heart, kid.”

Scott called Gandolfini “a unique combination of charming and dangerous.”

In his early career, Gandolfini had supporting roles in “Crimson Tide” (1995), “Get Shorty” (1995), “The Juror” (1996), Lumet’s “Night Falls on Manhattan” (1997), “She’s So Lovely” (1997), “Fallen” (1998) and “A Civil Action” (1998). But it was “True Romance” that piqued the interest of Chase.

In his 2012 AP interview, Gandolfini said he gravitated to acting as a release, a way to get rid of anger. “I don’t know what exactly I was angry about,” he said.

“I try to avoid certain things and certain kinds of violence at this point,” he said last year. “I’m getting older, too. I don’t want to be beating people up as much. I don’t want to be beating women up and those kinds of things that much anymore.”

___

]]> Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:19:35 -0400 LYNN ELBER

AP Television Writer

]]> <![CDATA[ BPO Rocks in 2013-14 with power voices ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130619/GUSTO/130619029/1031
The fun kicks off in September with the songs of Queen. The season ends next April with one of the great voices in rock, live and in person: Foreigner founder Lou Gramm.

In between come a couple of shows back by popular demand: an ABBA tribute and a Beatles tribute. The songs of America come to life next March with an appearance by founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell. And in November, Brent Havens, who brought the BPO several sellout tributes to Led Zeppelin, is also presiding over a tribute to the Rolling Stones.

Mark your calendars:

Sept. 21: Conductor/arranger Havens, tackles the music of Queen. It is almost unthinkable to step into the shoes of Freddie Mercury, but Las Vegas star Brody Dolyniuk is the man for the job.

Oct. 12: ABBA: The Hits, sold out the last time it came to the BPO. Boosted by artists like the Lemonheads and Sinead O’Connor, as well as the musical “Mamma Mia,” the cotton-candy songs of the Swedish band have proved surprisingly long-lasting.

Nov. 8: Havens is back, this time with a tribute to the Rolling Stones. This concert is sure to be interesting not only musically but visually, because Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both look distinctive and portraying them on stage is a challenge.

The evening should also be a welcome workout for the BPO’s horn and wind players as they re-create the Stones’ bluesy, gritty sound.

March 1: The Classical Mystery Tour is waiting to take you away! The BPO’s tributes to the Beatles have always been spot on, and this concert will spotlight songs from various phases of the band’s short but intense life span.

March 28: Not a cover band, but the real deal. Band founders Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America perform as a duo, joined by other musicians who share their vision.

April 25: Gramm, the original voice of Foreigner, was unforgettable powering through such 1970s and ’80s ballads as “I Want To Know What Love Is” and “Midnight Blue.”

At 63, Gramm is on his own and by all accounts that voice is in good shape. He sings with the BPO in Kleinhans’ pristine acoustics as part of his first-ever symphonic tour.

Subscribers can purchase all six shows for as little as $28 per concert, or choose the four-concert series comprising the Music of Queen, the Rolling Stones, America and Lou Gramm starting at $108.

For further information, call 885-5000 or visit www.bpo.org.

email: mkunz@buffnews.com ]]> Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:20:10 -0400 Mary Kunz Goldman
]]> <![CDATA[ Danielle Bradbery, 16, wins Season 4 of “The Voice” ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130619/WORLD/130619062/1031
LOS ANGELES TIMES

LOS ANGELES – Danielle Bradbery beat out rivals Michelle Chamuel and the Swon Brothers to emerge as the Season 4 winner of “The Voice” on Tuesday night, giving coach Blake Shelton his threepeat. For the third straight year, and in three out of the four seasons the show has been on the air, a contestant mentored by Shelton has taken the show’s top honors.

“I don’t give a crap, honestly, about a threepeat,” Shelton had said early in the night, long before the results were revealed, insisting he was focused only on this year, when he again had two contestants in the final three.

After two hours filled with performances – by contestants current and returning and visiting celebs who ran the gamut from break-taking “Voice” coach Christina Aguilera and Pitbull to Bruno Mars to Bob Seger to Cher in her first live TV performance in years – and with only five minutes left in the show, Carson Daly finally gathered the Top 3 to hear the news they’d been waiting for.

Who would take it? Would it be Bradbery, the silky-voiced, silky-haired 16-year-old from Cypress, Texas, who Shelton said was destined for big things in country music, and whom Levine had already tipped for the win?

Would it be Massachusetts native Chamuel, whose big heart, solid vocals and bendy knees had won her many devoted fans? Or would it be the fraternal duo from Muskogee, Okla., the Swon Brothers, whose good humor and charm are on full display every time they appear on screen?

Going home third, Daly said, were the Swon Brothers. That left Chamuel and Bradbery. They clung to each other. Shelton and Usher briefly reached across the chasm between their red chairs and clasped hands.

And the winner was … Bradbery. Bradbery had vaulted straight to the top. She had sung with one of her favorite musicians, young Nashville star Hunter Hayes, during the long lead-up to the results. Asked for her reaction, the newly minted winner, stammered, “I don’t even know … I’m thankful,” before adding, “I’m sorry. I’m speechless.”

She tried to sing Sara Evans’ “Born to Fly,” but when the confetti dropped, she simply had to stop. ]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:12:37 -0400 <![CDATA[ Channel 4 could be bouncing back ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130619/LIFE/130619069/1031
Or it could be an aberration.

One thing is clear: The demos – which are gleaned from viewer diaries and are important to advertisers – create a different picture than the earlier household ratings that arrived a few weeks ago and declared Channel 2 the winner everywhere but at 10 and 11 p.m.

Channel 2’s morning program “Daybreak” with co-anchors John Beard and Melissa Holmes was the big household winner in May. But in the age 18 through 49 demographics that the networks focus on, Channel 4 wins decisively at 5 a.m. and by the slimmest of margins at 6 a.m.

In the age 25-54 demographic that local stations focus on, Channel 4 wins by a healthy margin at 5 a.m., and Channel 2 wins narrowly at 6 a.m. The combination allows Channel 4 to claim a morning demographic victory.

At 5 and 5:30 p.m., Channel 2 is a big winner in households and in the 18-49 and age 25-54 demographics. However, Channel 4 wins the demos by slim margins at 6 p.m. even though Channel 2 is the household winner.

At 11 p.m., the situation is oddly reversed. Channel 4 is a big household winner as usual, but Channel 2 ties in the 18-49 demo and has the slimmest of victories in the 25-54 demo.

The situation is even stranger at 10 p.m., the first sweeps period in which Channel 2 is on a stronger station – Fox affiliate WUTV. Although its household ratings rose significantly, Channel 2 lost half of its 18-49 rating from when it was on WNYO a year ago and about 30 percent of its age 25-54 viewers. That’s so incredible that Channel 2 may question the methodology being used to measure the demographics. Meanwhile, Channel 4 saw big increases in both demos for its 10 O’Clock News on sister station WNLO-TV.

The results couldn’t come at a better time for some Channel 4 staffers now that a new general manager, Rene LaSpina, has been hired. She isn’t expected to make any personnel decisions until she gets to know the station and the area better.

The main question is whether the results will save the job of News Director Joe Schlaerth, who, according to multiple sources, is unpopular inside the newsroom and was singled out by staffers in a focus groups conducted for LIN Media several months ago. Before LaSpina was named, many insiders expected Schlaerth’s job to be in jeopardy.

The staffers who should have the biggest smiles are morning co-anchors Diana Fairbanks and Jordan Williams, who have brought back Channel 4’s “Wake Up” to life. In addition, meteorologist Mike Cejka, who returned to the morning after Amelia Segal left for a job in Washington, D.C., might be able to point to the ratings as an indication he never should have been bounced from the mornings.

The sweeps results also could be good news for veteran evening co-anchors Don Postles and Jacquie Walker, whose successful tenure could be under scrutiny by the new boss.

email: apergament@buffnews.com ]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:22:01 -0400 Alan Pergament
]]> <![CDATA[ REO Speedwagon delights Artpark crowd ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130618/CITYANDREGION/130619085/1031
The band’s songs have long been a staple of booze-fueled karaoke nights, couples dances and hearty singalongs. Tuesday night, REO presented one power ballad after another to the delight of a huge Artpark crowd.

The Artpark concert series spectacle showcased a rollicking set by REO, a band with an ardent and longtime Western New York following.

The band opened with the distinctive, driving drums of “Don’t Let Him Go,” a jaunty tune about a hard-to-snare bad boy, before heading into ’70s-era “Music Man,” not one of their more catchy melodies but one showcasing the guitar chops of Cronin and Dave Amato, along with bassist Bruce Hall of the ever-flowing rock ’n’ roll mane.

Then onto the evening’s first big happy singalong moment, “Take It on the Run.”

The set veered from revered hits to lesser-known songs from the vast REO archive, which showcased the band’s musicianship but did not inspire body-swaying moments. Energy on the stage remained high-to-frenetic throughout (with occasional front-line pauses for photogenic moments for cameras in their midst), but the crowd’s energy waned.

When the power ballads emerged so did the cameras, fists and beers – held aloft by arms alongside beaming faces.

The band, noting that the Midwestern salad days of yore formed it into the cohesive rock ’n’ roll machine that it is today, referenced being a mere “bar band” playing in Champaign, Ill, their hometown.

“It’s our goal,” Cronin shouted, “to turn a big beautiful place like this into a big skanky-... bar.”

Cronin led off “Like You Do” with a story about the band’s ’72 green Chevy Impala station wagon. Nostalgia was in the air.

Cronin sermonized a bit before launching into “Golden Country,” an interesting protest song from the same vintage as the band’s aforementioned classic car.

Noting the venue’s proximity to Canada, he spoke of his gratitude for being able to express his “intellectual beliefs.”

The song, again not a foremost REO favorite, showcased more of the band’s guitar mastery.

Encores “Keep on Lovin’ You” and “Ridin’ the Storm Out” followed by a rollicking rendition of “Gloria” did indeed turn that geographic music venue alongside the Niagara Gorge into one big barroom singalong, which was what Cronin, and REO devotees, had wished for all night long.

Among the Tuesday night throng were Buffalo tax adviser Colleen Talty Feyko and her ex-pat sister Maureen Talty Lowery, who jetted in from Valencia, Calif., for the show. Due to the twisting road of fate, the sisters hadn’t had a chance to see REO, a rock favorite, together before. A plan to see the band in the ’80s didn’t happen.

“We never got to go together, so now is our time. She flew in to go with me. This is awesome, a beautiful night, a great concert,” said Feyko, who danced and sang the night away with her sister and nearby concertgoers.

Opener the Nick Moss Band was a visual and aural contrast to the taut and strutting rock of REO with its solid attack. The Chicago blues-rock quintet aced a set that had crispy Southern overtones, no lyrical competition for REO. ]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:47:55 -0400 By Nancy J. Parisi

NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER

]]> <![CDATA[ In Focus: Thomas J. Eoannou, North Park Theatre owner ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130618/CITYANDREGION/130619123/1031
Buffalo attorney Thomas J. Eoannou expressed optimism that he and business partner Michael G. Christiano will develop a thriving entertainment venue at the theater, which Dipson Theatres said has not turned a profit in five years. The developers hope to offer a mix of movies and live entertainment.

Eoannou talked with The Buffalo News’ Brian Meyer about the North Park and Hertel Avenue, where he and his wife have operated businesses for two decades. Here is a summary of an interview that is part of the weekly “In Focus” series.

Meyer: It’s ironic that one of the posters remaining in this very impressive showplace is for a James Franco summer movie, “This is the End.” Is this the end for the North Park?

Eoannou: No, Brian, it’s the beginning. It’s the resurgence of the North Park. We’re going to put it back. We’re going to keep it running bigger and better than ever.

Meyer: How are you going to do that when established movie folks claim they’ve been losing money for five years straight here?

Eoannou: Because we’re going to put the effort in. I’m a neighborhood guy. This is a neighborhood community asset. We’ll do, quite frankly, what Dipson didn’t do. We’ll invest money. We’ll put time and effort into it. We’ll make it beautiful again. We’ll fix the seats. And people will want to come.

Meyer: What type of program fare are you envisioning?

Eoannou: It’s early in the game, but we will certainly have to supplement it with live entertainment, because that’s the only way a single-screen theater can survive.

Meyer: How much money are you going to have to put in to get it up to where you want it?

Eoannou: Mike Christiano and I – Mike from Left Bank – have made a commitment ... in the hundreds of thousands of dollars that we will personally invest

Meyer: Are you going to actually be able to turn a profit here, do you think, or is this more a labor of love?

Eoannou: We’d like to think we can turn a profit, but it’s definitely a labor of love.



Meyer: If you were to give a State of Hertel Avenue speech, what would you say about its current status?

Eoannou: If anybody could give a State of the Avenue speech, it’s me. I’ve been here for over two decades. More has gone on in two years than in the last 20. It’s amazing. Small-shop owners used to open [with] $10,000 or $15,000 investments. Now you’re seeing people spend hundreds of thousands in the same space. ... Hertel is in a sense the new Elmwood. ... It’s a neighborhood still, but it’s wider. It’s just an area that has developed.A lot of people have come over from the Elmwood Village – young professionals. It’s just seeing a rebirth.

Meyer: What do you think the biggest challenge is on Hertel?

Eoannou: The biggest challenge is going to be parking. For 15 or 20 years, I sat around, and there weren’t any cars. Now there’s no parking spots. Hopefully, someday we’ll be able to work with [St. Margaret’s Catholic Church on Hertel] and hopefully get the parking lot. Because Hertel is going to need it. ]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:07:38 -0400 <![CDATA[ Kavinoky cast is stellar in ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130618/LIFE/130619215/1031
Good news for Western New Yorkers: It’s in English and is now playing at The Kavinoky.

Playwright and lyricist DiPietro hit it big right from the start of his career with “Love-Perfect-Change.” He followed it with the sappy but fun Elvis juke-box send-up, “All Shook Up,” continued the streak with the Tony Award-winning musical, “Memphis,” a collaboration with Bon Jovi’s David Bryan. Last year, he garnered more accolades for a Gershwin tribute, “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is indeed about looking for love, men seeking women and vice versa, traditional and contemporary. There are 20 skits – most with song, some with monologues, some with both.

A cast of four plays 40 characters: dates, lovers, married couples, parents, in-laws, lonely people longing for soul mates, tweeting, texting or Facebooking like mad for someone “out there.” One of the many songs about dating, “I’ll Call You Soon (Yeah, Right)” sums up the early going as does a bittersweet “A Stud and a Babe.” Wise moments here.

Joe Demerly’s first directorial assignment for The Kavinoky is very impressive. Each skit, each song, is presented with great care . It matters little if the stellar quartet of a cast – Kelly Meg Brennan, Charmagne Chi, John Fredo, Brian Riggs – are in joyous relationships or suddenly on would-be love’s downside, the vignettes, for the most part, work. A few skits begin lamely and go nowhere. These are minority minutes.

Actress Brennan can go from frump to beauty in a blink. Her countrified version of “Always a Bridesmaid,” with its limerick lyrics – “For Tabitha, I wore taffeta; You should never, people laugh at ya,” – is a laugher.

Veterans Fredo and Riggs are at their intuitive best, the former a delight during “The Baby Song.” Riggs, who always surprises, does so on the tender ballad, “Shouldn’t I Be Less in Love with You?” a tale of reflection after years of marriage, over breakfast, a time of mystery and wonder beautifully delivered by Riggs; great wordsmithing by DiPietro, sage staging by Demerly.

Chi is the night’s best, comical and quick, then introspective on the sage “The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz.” Rose’s husband has left her and the kids – “for an older woman with grand kids and a bad hip” – and she’s making a taped message for a dating service. Too much information, Rose. Hilarious and touching at once.

The melodies are listenable – nice work by composer Roberts – the words very clever, the themes universal, and you giggle, identify and even get misty-eyed.

Musical direction is by Mark Vona; Doug Weyand adds some choreography.

Theater Review

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”

Three and a half stars (Out of four)

Through July 7 in Kavinoky Theatre, 320 Porter Ave. Tickets are $39. Call 829-7668 or visit www.kavinokytheatre.com. ]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:19:22 -0400 By Ted Hadley

NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER

]]> <![CDATA[ Canadian sellout anxiety ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130617/LIFE/130619222/1031
Wedged between these more traditional entries is “This Is The End,” Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s terrifically silly genre-buster, in which a party at James Franco’s Los Angeles mansion goes nuclear – or satanic, or maybe alien: One of the running jokes questions which flavor of apocalypse has interrupted the fun. The movie sends up any number of the end-of-the-world staples audiences can now measure in buttered handfuls.

Rogen and Goldberg say their film, the directorial debut for both, is really about friendship. The same is more obviously true of their first feature collaboration, “Superbad,” which they wrote as kids growing up in Vancouver. But whereas “Superbad” X-rayed an adolescent male friendship, “This Is The End” – despite featuring a cast so pungently male that the lone woman (Emma Watson) to stumble into the story soon axes her disgusted way out – offers a less gendered slant on its theme. The niche it explores instead is even more exclusive: What happens when a Canadian friendship is hitched to a third wheel the size and shape of the United States.

Canada’s axis of talent and opportunity has long run north/south. Brain and comedian drain are known blights; every four years Canadians weep to see those hometown hockey players sold off to American franchises don the maple leaf for the Olympics. Developing a cultural identity is tricky when a country is pressed against the world’s greatest superpower. In the past this has contributed to what Lorne Michaels, a highly successful Canadian, has called “a kind of national self-loathing.” In an interview with Alec Baldwin last year, Michaels recalled approaching his boss, the then-head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., about a job offer that would take him to the States. “If you’re that good, why are you here?” his boss replied.

Rogen and Goldberg were raised, then, as all Canadians are, amid these delicate resentments, and their new film folds them into an allegory of the end of a friendship as the end of the world. As with all of the characters in “This Is The End,” Rogen stars as himself – that is to say, a Hollywood baller with the connections and the view to prove it. His co-star is Jay Baruchel, another Jud Apatow alumnus and a fellow Canadian. (Baruchel was the lead on “Undeclared,” the follow-up to “Freaks and Geeks” that was also quite good but will probably never get the oral history treatment.) In real life, after a stint in Los Angeles, Baruchel decided to return to Canada and pursue his career from there – though not before a bout of homesickness resulted in a red maple leaf tattoo over his heart. Since then Baruchel has vowed never to leave his native Montreal, and he exhibits the kind of patriotism that can make those Canadians camped out across the border feel a little queasy.

“Everyone had always left,” Michaels said in that same interview with Baldwin, describing his youthful hope of joining “the first generation of artists who would be able to stay in Canada. “And the moment that you left, in Canada people started to treat you differently.” Like Rogen, Michaels had a writing partner; in the late ’60s he and Hart Pomerantz tried their luck in L.A., writing for Phyllis Diller and “Laugh In.” The pair headed back to Canada for a CBC show, but their stay was brief. When Michaels decided to take that better offer in Los Angeles, Pomerantz settled in Toronto and became a lawyer.

Growing up in a Vancouver infested with film and television shoots demystified the industry for Rogen and Goldberg, but some naiveté remained: They wrote “Superbad” not realizing, as Rogen said on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast this week, that “you can’t write a movie that takes place in Canada and have it be released in America in a major way.” Their very personal story would have to be deracinated, all its references to home extracted, made American and put back in.

“We always thought we’d make it,” said Goldberg during the same interview. “We just never thought we’d make it how we made it.” Canadians tend to be uncomfortable with bald ambition, bulging out in the open like that. But Goldberg and Rogen had each other, and they had a plan. Baruchel also dreamed of filmmaking (as opposed to acting) from a very young age, but he felt more ambivalent about the expatriate path. (Aware of his friend’s ambitions, Goldberg asked Baruchel to co-write the hilarious – and deeply Canadian – hockey flick “Goon,” released in 2011.) With “This Is The End,” Rogen and Goldberg finally wrested the kind of control they ditched Canada (joking, joking) to command. For a Canadian viewer, especially, it’s gratifying to see them restore to their more universally pleasing repertoire of penis jokes a few elements of home.

The film opens with Jay arriving in Los Angeles for some alone time with his famous friend Seth. Rather than a rose-petal heart arranged on the bed, on the coffee table at his condo Seth has spelled out his buddy’s name with joints. (This is true love.) But there is tension between them, as becomes evident when Seth suggests attending Franco’s housewarming blowout. Jay is uncomfortable with Hollywood flash, and with Seth’s apparent comfort with it; he spends the party sulking in the face of American exuberance and excess. (Another alternative, posed by Canadian No. 3 Michael Cera in a neon color-blocked windbreaker, is delirious, coked-out corruption.) Baruchel has said that the story draws on his time as Rogen’s roommate in L.A., and the movie makes it easy to imagine them as the two types of Canadians likely familiar to Americans: the mole on the make, identifiable only by his extreme self-deprecation; and the peacock, always fanning his superiority and Montreal Canadiennes plumage.

Once the apocalypse hits, Seth’s assimilation gains a mortal importance. Franco favors him, slipping him crackers from a secret food stash and vowing to sacrifice himself for his friend, both in real life and in their sequel to “Pineapple Express.”

Maybe I was particularly vulnerable. On my way to the screening of “This Is The End,” at the start of my 10th summer in New York City, I pulled a brand new green card out of the mailbox. I clutched it from Brooklyn to midtown and kept it my lap until the credits rolled. Listening to Goldberg and Rogen on WTF this week, I felt a new kinship; they don’t issue cards here, but limbo is its own country.

“Do you miss Canada?” Maron asked them. “Yeah,” they both said softly, without hesitation. ]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:39:14 -0400 By Michelle Orange

Slate

]]> <![CDATA[ A morning TV news star is born – in the wrong place ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130617/LIFE/130619216/1031
No, I don’t mean the hair-raisingly articulate governor’s bro, Chris Cuomo, who was the center of “New Day,” Jeff Zucker’s attempt to be competitive in the morning on the new network he’s now running, the habitually lost and searching CNN. (This is the network Cuomo described with incomparable eloquence, to media critic Howard Kurtz, as “America’s panic button,” the network we all turn to reflexively when a major story is happening in “real time” – when, for instance, a murdering terrorist in loose in the Boston suburbs after a horrible explosion that maimed, mutilated and killed people at the Boston Marathon.)

When breaking news happens, we may not stay with CNN very long but it’s where we always check in eventually – or at least that’s true for many of us.

But it has never been a player in the gruesomely remunerative morning news racket. That’s always been a “Today” vs. “Good Morning, America” brouhaha with CBS placing show and everyone else sharing the breakfasting also-rans.

But if you remember that on his resume, new CNN chief Zucker can list majordomo of the “Today Show” during its almost effortlessly dominant Katie-and-Matt era, it makes sense that a major endeavor of a managerial ego the size of Zucker’s would be making a statement on his old turf with a morning show.

There are, we are often told, staggering sums of money changing hands in morning TV. Whatever hits people’s eyes and ears along with their morning cereal, orange juice and protein bars is presumed to stick to their brainpans, which is why advertisers couldn’t possibly be more eager to get people’s attention then. You know – get to the lady of the house, especially, before she does her shopping.

It’s morning TV thinking that’s decades old.

So Monday was the premiere day for CNN’s “New Day,” in which Zucker’s search for bigger numbers has now given us a conventional news “family” a la “Today” and “Good Morning, America.”

The center was Chris Cuomo, late of GMA and a brilliantly articulate member of a gubernatorial family for which elocution and vocabulary are clearly consumed along with jars of baby pears.

Cuomo’s morning sidekicks – note the traditional guy sandwiched by two women – are beautiful blonde Kate Bolduan (pronounced “Bold-win”) of Indiana and warm, street smart Michaela Pereira, late of Los Angeles TV news. In order to serve them up to viewers on a barbecue platter as an “instant” family – as if they’d just moved next door – they actually filmed them at a weekend backyard barbecue, munching some rather wan-looking burgers and talking about themselves.

Bolduan called herself “kooky” and “loud.” Pereira vowed to Cuomo “she and I are going to gang up on you. It takes two of us to take on one of you.” (If you’ve ever heard Cuomo when he’s on a roll, you understand why.)

In case that wasn’t enough family life for you, we had Cuomo’s very real three preteen kids wishing Daddy luck on camera, including the oldest whom he didn’t get to drive to camp this year. Lest any cynics doubt the sincerity of his rue at that point, any idiot could see a real redness in Daddy Chris’ eyes at that point. And you can bet the farm, the emotion displayed was real.

Despite Pereira’s claim that they were “three wallflowers who don’t have much personality,” they clearly have enough to please any TV news consultant anywhere, which is why the whole “New Day” package looked like something assembled by a news consulting firm as a “sizzle reel” to sell to a network client who desperately wanted advice on how to get into the morning news racket with maximum profit.

Meanwhile, over at MSNBC – where Joe Scarborough’s “Morning Joe” has long been earning viewer points for eccentricity and kick-out-the-jams commentary for those who like Tabasco in their morning omelettes – the great new morning host who was born before our very eyes was, I confess, not really a host at all. He was a guest.

Russell Brand, to be exact, the long-haired cockney-accented rock maniac who came to plug his “Messiah Complex” comedy tour and stayed to take over the show with about as much hilarity as I’ve ever seen on bleary-eyed morning TV.

I am, as I’ve often mentioned, no fan of morning TV. I don’t care how many zillions are at stake in it. I’ve always found it a barbaric way to begin the morning. When I was a kid, I listened only to school closings on Clint Buehlman in the morning (and briefly after that to WBNY, the radio station that brought “Top 40” radio to Buffalo). That was about as much “entertainment” as anyone in my family tolerated over its morning orange juice and Cheerios.

Morning, it seems to me, is for reading and music and at least minimal family talk. If nothing else, it should be where everyone’s daily agenda should be fully understood to see where potential conflicts are – the after-school sports practice, for instance, that may conflict with everyone else’s hopes for dinner that night.

On the other hand, if morning TV were always was funny as Russell Brand was on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, I’d never miss it.

Scarborough was off. Mika Brzezinski was presiding.

Brand, like any antic comedian, sat down and took over the show, doing lines relentlessly.

He knew a bunch of well-comported charmless stiffs without a presiding host when he saw one and did his best scandalized Brit bit.

It was wild.

At one point, when the show’s denizens on all sides of him discussed how to deal with his cheery disruptions, he interjected “you’re talking about me as if I’m not here, as if I’m an extraterrestrial.”

And then, when it came time to do the bumper to the final commercial, Brand looked straight into the camera with sarcasm through the roof and said, “America, you’re going to be OK. These are your trusted anchors.”

And then, the show in hopeless shambles, he had one final fillip for Brzezinski: “You’re ovulating.”

And then, to us all, he said, “My work is done here.”

And so it was.

A major pity, that.

What a way to start a morning.

email: jsimon@buffnews.com ]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:27:36 -0400 Jeff Simon
]]> <![CDATA[ Keeping up with another Kardashian ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130617/LIFE/130619217/1031
Kardashian and her rapper boyfriend Kanye West were keeping silent in the wake of multiple reports that Kardashian gave birth over the weekend – about a month premature.

But Jenner told E! at the Daytime Emmys on Sunday that Kim is “extremely happy and thrilled for the new baby and she’s doing great and she’s beautiful.”

Kardashian’s sister Khloe appeared to have let a rather cryptic cat out of the bag on Twitter.

“I can not even begin 2describe the miracle that is now apart of our family. Mommy/baby are healthy &resting. We appreciate all of the love,” she tweeted Sunday.

She quickly followed with a second tweet: “More info will come when the time is right! Thank you all for understanding! We love you all dearly! Overwhelmed with love right now.”

Jenner linked to both tweets on her Twitter account, then wished West a Happy Father’s Day.

Asked for comment on the red carpet at the Daytime Emmys, where she was a presenter, Jenner said, “She’s in charge,” pointing at her publicist who whisked her away from print reporters after doing TV interviews.

The reality TV star’s pregnancy was almost as anticipated as the royal pregnancy of Kate Middleton, who is due in mid-July.

That’s about the time the Kardashian baby had been due. ]]> Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:15:00 -0400 John Rogers

Associated Press

]]> <![CDATA[ ‘Hot in Cleveland’ goes live on Wednesday ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130617/LIFE/130619220/1031
Unless you’re in the studio audience or watching a blooper reel, you wouldn’t have known about that bad habit. That all changes Wednesday when “Cleveland” opens the second half of its fourth season with a live episode.

To prepare for the event, the cast is getting six days to prepare – one more than usual.

“I don’t know why they didn’t make it eight or nine days,” Leeves said in a phone interview last week. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this and wring their necks.”

One cast member unlikely to come unraveled is Betty White, and not just because she killed three years ago as host of “Saturday Night Live.”

When White started doing television full time in the early ’50s, she ad-libbed for nearly six hours a day. So it’s no surprise that when producers asked White if she’d like a teleprompter for Wednesday’s event, she declined.

“She said it would be too distracting,” Leeves said. “Of course, we’re all so old now that we probably wouldn’t be able to see it anyway.”

The inability to do a second take means Wednesday’s episode could be a disaster – and that’s exactly why television should do it more often.

The idea that at any moment, Wendie Malick might have a hair issue or Valerie Bertinelli might forget her lines is a big reason we’ll be tuning in. After all, high-flying circus acts are always more exciting without a safety net.

“I loved it on ‘The Carol Burnett Show’ when they used to crack each other up, or on ‘Saturday Night Live’ when the cast cannot hold it together,” Leeves said. “Audiences love it when you screw up.” ]]> Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:14:16 -0400 By Neal Justin

MINNEAPOLIS Star Tribune

]]> <![CDATA[ ‘Bold and Beautiful,’ ‘Young and Restless’ actors reap Emmys ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130617/WORLD/130619266/1031
Davidson earned his first career trophy for a role he’s played since 1978. Tom, who previously was on “Y&R,” repeated her win from last year.

Davidson had been nominated seven times in various categories for playing Detective Paul Williams on the CBS soap before winning.

“It suddenly occurs to me that the presenters are younger than my tux,” he said. “I would like to thank the viewers. They have been more than fans, they’ve been like family to me. They’ve supported my character in some very difficult times.”

Tom plays Katie Logan on “B&B.” Last year, she became the first person to win Daytime Emmys in the younger, supporting and lead categories.

The show had its unexpected moments, including Corbin Bernsen uttering two expletives during the in memoriam tribute that included his late mother, Jeanne Cooper of “The Young and the Restless.”

The ladies of “The Talk” presented outstanding talk show informative, and when Aisha Tyler opened the envelope, she quickly realized it was the wrong one.

“Oh, this is interesting,” she said. “This winner is not in this category.”

The audience in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton gasped at the error.

“There better be a cocktail waiting on my table,” Tyler said before being handed the correct envelope from the wings.

Tyler then announced “The Dr. Oz Show” as the winner.

“I was having heart palpitations, real ones,” Dr. Mehmet Oz said onstage.

In another surprise, there was a tie for supporting actor in a drama series. Scott Clifton of “The Bold and the Beautiful” and Billy Miller of “The Young and the Restless” both won.

Julie Marie Berman of “General Hospital” won supporting actress honors.

Ben Bailey of “Cash Cab” picked up his third win as outstanding game show host, beating out five-time winner Alex Trebek of “Jeopardy!” among others.

Top-rated “The Young and the Restless” took on last year’s winner “General Hospital,” “Days of Our Lives,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and online refugee “One Life to Live” for best daytime drama honors.

“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” earned its seventh trophy as outstanding talk show entertainment.

“Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion, along with HLN network’s A.J. Hammer and Robin Meade, hosted the show on HLN.

The 40th anniversary of the Daytime Emmys was recognized with a past, present and future theme woven throughout the show.

Reflecting the current era of dwindling daytime audiences, network budget-cutting and the cancellation of some soaps, the awards show was aired by cable news channel HLN, having lost its longtime home on the broadcast networks last year.

Clash left the PBS show amid allegations that he sexually abused underage boys. His attorney has said that related lawsuits filed against Clash are without merit. He played Elmo for 28 years and has 26 Daytime Emmy awards.

Sunday’s show paid tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winners Monty Hall and the late Bob Stewart. ]]> Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:10:12 -0400 By Beth Harris

Associated Press

]]> <![CDATA[ Listening Post: Black Sabbath, Morton Feldman, The Yellowjackets and the Emerson Quartet ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130616/CITYANDREGION/130619325/1031
...

Conrad Tao, “Voyages” (EMI Classics). Conrad Tao is just turning 19 and already he has a hip new music festival rolling in Brooklyn. He also not only plays piano extremely well but he plays violin, too, extremely well. Plus, he composes. He won eight consecutive ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards between 2004 and 2011. He looks great on paper, and you have to admire his success. On the other hand, there is no doubt that he is being overpraised and overindulged. The New York Times, for instance, hailed him as some kind of genius for simply rearranging a bunch of Rachmaninoff preludes to form “an emotionally charged narrative arc.” I love Rachmaninoff, but give me a break. This CD shows Tao looking mean, staring the buyer down through a shower of squares of something, possibly glass. The repertoire is openly pretentious. Tao opens with “Railroad (Travel Song)” of Meredith Monk – repetitive, minimalist and forgettable, but it’s cool to play Meredith Monk, and apparently no one else has ever recorded this. Then come the rearranged Rachmaninoff preludes. Later comes Ravel’s dark “Gaspard de la nuit,” a show-offy offering, with nothing special about the performance. In between come Tao’s own “Vestiges” and “iridescence.” Tao is lavishly credited with helping bring back the era when virtuoso pianists would compose, but his compositions sound like the same pointless ramblings you hear everywhere. In “iridescence,” he sets an iPod to play a monotonous riff, and he plays riffs over that on the piano. There is a video on YouTube that looks like a joke, with Tao wearing ear buds and a dead-serious expression as he turns from piano to iPod and back again. He might be onto something. Debussy and Ravel would have loved this technology. But Tao has to learn to use it in a way that touches your heart. Time will tell if he will grow into an artist with something genuine to offer or just another academically spawned grant-consuming, Bjork-loving overpraised composer of stuff nobody really wants to hear. ΩΩ (Mary Kunz Goldman)

...

Emerson String Quartet, “Journeys” (Sony Classical). The great Emerson String Quartet is transitioning. The group’s longtime cellist, David Finckel, left to pursue other projects (his second-last concert with the quartet was in Buffalo, a few weeks ago) and is being succeeded by Paul Watkins. This recording is, I am guessing, the last to feature the old configuration. It also features two additional musicians. Violist Paul Neubauer and cellist Colin Carr join the group for Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence” and Schoenberg’s “Verklarte Nacht.” The musicians’ energy hits you right off. Much of it is attributable to Finckel, although I am sure his successor will do as well. Finckel digs into that cello and gives the music drive and momentum. Violinist Phil Setzer, with his expressive tone and generous use of portamento, gives Tchaikovsky’s wonderful fantasy a romantic sheen. Though both pieces could be considered warhorses, they’re warm and arresting, and the whole ensemble, going full tilt, draws you in irresistibly. Violinist Eugene Drucker plays first violin in the transparent Schoenberg, and the music’s beauty shines. Music students should have to listen to this disc. It’s a clear and listenable display of marvelous and heartfelt ensemble playing. ΩΩΩΩ (M.K.G.)

...

Great Wagner Voices, the Munchner Rundfunkorchester (BR Klassik). Here are 10 great Wagner singers who were big in the 1960s. The resonant bass Theo Adam, heard in the cathartic “Wotan’s Farewell” from “Die Walkure,” is still among us and remembered. So is the great African-American soprano Martina Arroyo, magnificent in a brooding excerpt from “Lohengrin.” Other singers in this collection are almost forgotten. It is a pleasure to hear Josef Greindl, whose recordings I’ve admired on YouTube, singing “Goetterdaemmerung.” Basso cantato Franz Crass – the notes explain nicely how his approach to Wagner differed from Adam’s – is heard in Hans Sachs’ famous “Wahn! Wahn!” monologue from “Die Meistersinger.” (It would be nice to have heard him in “Wotan’s Farewell,” too, to compare and contrast.) The sustained, rounded tones of Elisabeth Grummer and the exuberance of Ingrid Bjoner are thrilling in “Tannhauser.” Catarina Ligendza, famous for Wagner and Strauss, ends the disc with the “Liebestod” from “Tristan and Isolde.” Translations would have been welcome. Wagner fans probably don’t need them, because these are well-known excerpts, but newcomers might. There are good notes and pictures of the singers. ΩΩΩ (M.K.G.) ]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:07:01 -0400 <![CDATA[ Theater capsules ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130616/CITYANDREGION/130619316/1031 IRISH CLASSICAL THEATRE COMPANY. “A Life.” Through June 30. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Andrews Theatre, 625 Main St. 853-4282. www.irishclassical.com. $34-$42. ∆∆∆∆ (Ted Hadley)

KALEIDOSCOPE THEATRE PRODUCTIONS. “Beckett Dances With Pinter.” Through Saturday. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Medaille College Campus Theater, 18 Agassiz Circle. 479-1587. www.kaleidoscopetheatreproductions.com. $15-$20. ∆∆ø (Ted Hadley)

KAVINOKY THEATRE. “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” Through July 7. Show times: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. 320 Porter Ave. 829-7668. www.kavinokytheatre.com. $39.

O’CONNELL & COMPANY. “Nunsense II: The Second Coming.” Ends today. Show times: 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Erie Community College North Campus, 6205 Main St., Williamsville. 848-0800. www.oconnellandcompany.com. $25 general, $18 seniors.

SECOND GENERATION THEATRE. “Into the Woods.” Through next Sunday. Show times: 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. New Phoenix Theatre on the Park, 95 N. Johnson Park. 206-4964. www.secondgeneraltiontheatre.com. $25. ∆∆∆∆ (Colin Dabkowski)

SHAKESPEARE IN DELAWARE PARK. “Hamlet.” Opens Thursday and runs through July 14. Show times: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Shakespeare Hill, behind the Rose Garden and Marcy Casino off Lincoln Parkway. 856-4533. www.shakespeareindelawarepark.org. Donations.

SHEA’S PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. “The Book of Mormon.” Ends today. Show times: 2 and 7 p.m. today. 646 Main St. 847-0850. www.sheas.org. $32.50-$85 (box office, Ticketmaster) ∆∆∆∆ (Colin Dabkowski)

SUBVERSIVE THEATRE COLLECTIVE. “sUBVERsIVE sHORTs.” Through July 7. Show times: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday. Manny Fried Playhouse, Great Arrow Building, 255 Great Arrow Ave. 408-0499. $15-$20.

Canadian stages

SHAW FESTIVAL. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. (800) 511-SHAW. www.shawfest.com. Tickets are $24 to $110 (Canadian funds). In the Royal George Theatre: “Our Betters.” ∆∆∆ (Colin Dabkowski) Through Oct. 27. Also, “Major Barbara.” Through Oct. 19. ∆∆∆ (Colin Dabkowski) Also, “Faith Healer.” In previews; opens July 12 and runs through Oct. 6. In the Festival Theatre: “Guys and Dolls.” Through Nov. 3. ∆∆∆ø (Colin Dabkowski) Also, “Lady Windermere’s Fan.” Through Oct. 19. In the Court House Theatre: “Peace in Our Time: A Comedy.” Through Oct. 12. Also, “Trifles (Lunchtime One-Acts).” Through Oct. 12.

STRATFORD FESTIVAL. Queen’s Park, Stratford, Ont. (800) 567-1600. www.stratfordfestival.ca. Tickets are $20 to $175. In the Festival Theatre: “Fiddler on the Roof.” Through Oct. 20. Also, “Romeo and Juliet.” Through Oct. 19. Also, “The Three Musketeers.” Through Oct. 19. In the Tom Patterson Theatre: “Mary Stuart.” Through Sept. 21. Also, “Measure for Measure.” Through Sept. 21. Also, “Waiting for Godot.” In previews; opens June 27 and runs through Sept. 20. In the Avon Theatre: ”Tommy.” Through Oct. 19. Also, “Blithe Spirit.” Through Oct. 20.
]]> Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:56:47 -0400 <![CDATA[ Sea of cowboy hats brimming with enthusiasm for Taste of Country ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130615/CITYANDREGION/130619370/1031 The sheer variety of cowboy hats out there is astounding. There are hats with glitter, with rhinestones, with flashing LED lights and with feathers gracing their bands. There are pink hats, straw hats, Confederate flag hats and even some hats made out of beer boxes.

All those and many more were on display in Buffalo Friday night as 25,000 country music fans from all over Western New York – a record-breaking number of people gathered for a one-day event in Buffalo, according to WYRK’s Clay Moden – flocked to Coca-Cola Field to take in the 2013 Taste of Country.

The biggest draw of Taste of Country is just how many performances you get for the ticket price. Although former Hootie and the Blowfish front man/current country sweetheart Darius Rucker shared top billing with pop-rock-country queen Sheryl Crow, Rucker was the unquestioned star of this show. Newcomer Jana Kramer, the group Gloriana and crowd favorite Rodney Atkins rounded out the package.

As a glorious bonus to the diverse and impressive lineup, the breezy 70-degree evening melted into a cool and comfortable night, a welcome contrast to last year’s rain- and wind-soaked spectacle.

Kramer was a delight, clearly ecstatic to be there. Though much of the crowd was still waiting in line for admission outside and filtering into the park, that didn’t stop 2013’s ACM Top New Female Artist from charging through a brief and energetic set that included her chart-topping single, “Why Ya Wanna.”

Next up was Gloriana, a band that makes good use of the complementary sounds of its trio of lead vocalists, Rachel Reinert and upstate New York natives and brothers Tom and Mike Gossin. Their half-hour performance included their first hit, “Wild at Heart,” and their most recent and first platinum-selling song, “Kissed You Goodnight.” Though Reinert’s voice seemed overpowered and was hard to hear in a few songs, the crowd shouted and clapped its approval after every song. The group ended with a fun cover of The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey.”

Following a between-sets intermission in which one overjoyed member of the audience won a Ford F-150 pickup truck, the good ol’ boy charm that is Rodney Atkins took the stage. His songs are the stuff of classic, honky-tonk country sound, and the audience roared for more. He fired through some of his most popular hits, including “Farmer’s Daughter,” “These are My People” and the lighthearted “Cleaning This Gun.”

He also included some of the older favorites that rocketed him to country music stardom, such as “If You’re Going Through Hell” and the adorable “Watching You,” which both amassed widespread sing-alongs in the audience. All the while, Atkins looked like he was having a blast, and the crowd returned that enthusiasm right back.

Next up was Sheryl Crow, who was solid, if not spectacular. Although her set was enjoyable and her voice as youthful and strong as ever, her performance felt a little out of place sandwiched between all of the traditional country sound the other acts embody. The genre-defying singer-songwriter looked comfortable onstage, offering the crowd a smorgasbord of her most well-known work, including “Easy,” “Favorite Mistake” and “Real Gone,” which was featured on the sound track of the animated movie “Cars.” She finally got the crowd response she was looking for with “First Cut is the Deepest” and brought Gloriana back on to accompany her in “Strong Enough.” Crow ended with “If It Makes You Happy” and “Soak Up the Sun,” the latter of which provided a fitting, summery conclusion to her set.

And then – the moment the crowd had been waiting for the entire night. The stage background turned bright blue, with a fluorescent green lifeline, like that on a heart monitor, pulsing across it. As the seconds ticked by, the line’s pulse grew louder, stronger and more frequent, and the crowd’s buzz of anticipation grew with it. And as the band made their way onstage and Rucker picked up his microphone and launched into “Heartbreak Road,” the crowd – as they say – went wild.

Rucker, clad in a simple red T-shirt and a camouflage baseball cap, looked simply delighted to be in front of his Buffalo fans. He didn’t give them a chance to slow down, continuing right into his hits “Alright” and “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It” and then into a surprising but immensely well-received cover of “Space Cowboy” by the Steve Miller Band. He slowed it down just a bit with the cleverly written “Come Back Song” and a thoughtful, soulful performance of “It Won’t Be Like This for Long,” which he dedicated to the victims of the recent Oklahoma tornado.

He took a shot onstage for “country radio, for giving me a new life,” while the crowd cheered him on. Rucker then offered the audience some of his Hootie and the Blowfish hits to great applause before bringing the rest of the evening’s lineup back onstage for a rousing rendition of the rowdy Hank Williams, Jr. classic, “Family Traditions.” The call back onstage was obviously unexpected for the other acts, but they looked like they were having a ball.

Rucker ended with his immensely popular cover of Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” which sent the crowd into a sing-along so enthusiastic that it almost overpowered the band. It was a perfect end to what, for a country fan, was one heck of a night. ]]> Sun, 16 Jun 2013 07:51:41 -0400 By Kristy Kibler

NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER

]]> <![CDATA[ At Seneca Niagara Casino, Go-Go’s prove the going is still good ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130615/CITYANDREGION/130619346/1031
During a break in a fast-paced Events Center set by the 1980s all-women band, Schock elicited a lackluster response from the crowd when she asked if anyone was having success gambling.

“Wow – does that tell you something?” she said.

Perhaps Schock and bandmates made up for it by playing for just 70 minutes before sending the seemingly satisfied crowd back to the slots.

The casino circuit is a welcome haven for post-heyday acts happy to just rehash the hits, which the Go-Go’s did in fine form over 17 songs.

Schock proved she and the band still had the beat from the get-go, with a rumbling tom-tom intro to “Get Up and Go” – answered by guitar bop from original bandmates Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey, with Belinda Carlisle sweetly singing and shouting to the crowd to clap along.

The band followed up with its 1982 Top 10 ten hit “Vacation,” quickly and convincingly reaffirming the brilliant balance between the band’s relentless beat and Carlisle’s candy-coated melodies, harnessing the closed-fist energy of punk while bypassing its fury in favor of good, clean fun.

Absent from the band, however, was bassist Kathy Valentine, co-author of many songs, including “Vacation.” She is currently suing the band, having parted ways with the group in March – and that’s not the first in-band lawsuit in Go-Go’s history. However, fill-in Abby Travis proved plenty able to lay down the low line.

Though she appeared strained at times, Carlisle’s unmistakable voice has largely withstood the test of time, carrying songs such as “Tonite” and her “Go-Go-fied” solo hit, “Mad About You,” as she traversed the entire stage with a hop in her step. Caffey’s switch to keyboards brought out the new wave in “Automatic” and “Fading Fast” – complete with a flub or two and a few laughs from a group that clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously – before a loyal cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Paint in Black.” During another cover, of the Capitols’ “Cool Jerk,” at least 25 members of the crowd were called to the stage to dance like no one was watching.

Closing with one of their greatest hits, “We Got the Beat” – complete with a midsong segue into Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite” – and “Our Lips Are Sealed,” before a two-song encore, the Go-Go’s successfully gave the crowd and casino what they wanted and got gone with gusto. ]]> Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:51:50 -0400 By Seamus Gallivan

NEWS CONTRIBUTING REVIEWER

]]> <![CDATA[ Beard is delighted by 2nd 'arrest' ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130615/CITYANDREGION/130619383/1031 Channel 2 morning co-anchor John Beard didn't expect to get “Arrested” again.

He also didn't expect his appearances as himself on the new Netflix season of “Arrested Development” to garner raves in TV Guide.

Nor did Beard expect the support he received from USA Today writer Whitney Matheson, who concluded her praise of the season's guest stars with “while I wasn't familiar with John Beard before, I certainly know the man's name now!”

So does America. Or at least the part of America that embraces “Arrested Development,” which was canceled by Fox in 2006 after three seasons that documented the crazy antics of the Bluth family.

The chances that Beard would become a TV star appeared to be as likely as the chance that patriarch George Bluth Sr. (Jeffrey Tambor) would be named Father of the Year.

“I am surprised every day by this thing,” Beard said in an interview. “I didn't expect to be in the new series. That's a bonus. And I didn't expect to be in it as much as I am. That's an additional bonus. All the nice things people have said is a layer on the cake.”

Beard's surprise is more understandable than some of the gags on “A.D.” After all, he fled Los Angeles for Buffalo almost four years ago, and that was three years after Fox canceled the series.

A huge fan of the show's cast and creator Mitchell Hurwitz, Beard didn't realize the feelings were mutual. “I assumed when they started back up, they'd get someone who is on the air in Los Angeles who people see every night,” said Beard.

After Beard was approached, he needed approval from Channel 2 executives. “I told them it was 'an important, fun, rare thing to do but I understand if you see it as a conflict,' ” recalled Beard. “They said, 'Go for it.' ”

Beard is the latest of a long line of newscasters who have played themselves on comedies, including Walter Cronkite on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

“Believe me if you can't tell the difference between a real newscast and 'Arrested Development' then all of the television in the world is not going to help you,” cracked Beard.

His story lines are ripped from the headlines. The John Beard he plays in “A.D.” gets increasingly smaller broadcasting jobs and sees the value of his 10,000-square-foot home diminish during the California housing crisis. The housing decline is a familiar story to Beard, whose home in Santa Monica was once worth $1.5 million. “By the time I left, it was probably worth a third of that,” Beard said.

Beard, who made cameos as himself on “Bernie Mac” and “24” when he was a Fox anchor in L.A., initially said no to “Arrested Development” prior to its first season but succumbed after seeing the pilot script.

“They said, 'We watch you, and we see what you are doing,'” Beard recalled. “'You do the news straight, but you do this little thing with your eyes and a little smirk. … We get it, and we like it. And we're doing a whole show just like that. We want you to be in it and be yourself.'

“I think they were saying sometimes if there is a story that is a little off-the-wall, I would do a little take. Not even consciously I don't think. Sometimes if it was a ridiculous story I transmitted that intentionally or unintentionally.”

The pilot script made him laugh out-loud. “It really was the funniest damn thing I've ever read,” Beard said. “So I did it.”

He thought that would be the end of it. But seven years later, he flew to Los Angeles to shoot scenes for 12 hours one day and has ended up in just about every one of the 15 Netflix episodes in one way or another. He thanked the show's chief writer for keeping him.

“He said, 'You kidding? We write things for you we don't even need just because we like you,'” recalled a flabbergasted Beard. “I was knocked out by that. I grew up in a farm in North Carolina. This is all new to me.”

His comedy chops led to TV Guide comparing him to NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, a late-night talk show fixture. “Any sentence I am associated with Brian Williams is pretty flattering,” Beard said.

Beard's biggest moment comes in episode five, when he plays the host of “John Beard's To Entrap a Local Predator” (T-shirts and hoodies are available online) and Bluth son-in-law Tobias Funke (David Gross) is mistakenly grabbed as a child molester.

Beard got his first indication that his appearances would have an impact bigger than he expected when he went to the red carpet premiere in Los Angeles and was treated so well by the cast.

The next time he saw the cast he played John Beard, “Daybreak” co-anchor. He did interviews during a press tour for the series. The highlight was the interaction with Jason Bateman, a former child star (“Silver Spoons”) who plays the seemingly normal Bluth son, Michael.

“I interviewed him and Justine (of “Family Ties”) when he was 12,” recalled Beard of his days at KNBC. “They were brother and sister on shows. … He remembered it.”

That led to some back and forth talk about Beard's age. “I said 'I must have been 14,' ” recalled Beard. “He said '14 or 15. Don't lie to them. Or maybe even 16.' Which obviously was not even close.”

Beard is in his 60s, an age that likely would prevent him from heading to a bigger market if he wanted to leave Buffalo for a second time. He left Channel 4 in 1981 but returned here in 2009 about two years after leaving the Los Angeles station in a dispute over news content. His Channel 2 contract expires in September, which would free him to leave for bigger markets if all this attention led to offers.

“Why would I ever want to do that?” said Beard, laughing. “Go back to a bigger market. … I'm half joking. This is the first job I've had in a long time that I didn't have to fight editorial fights every day. That was draining. It was almost a relief in a way when they didn't renew my contract at Fox. Every day I would dread fighting the fight and never winning. I'm proud of this station. These guys are in the news business. That's unfortunately an increasingly rare privilege for a station. And they are good to me. They let me be me.”

“I'm happy,” added Beard, who anticipates re-signing with Channel 2.

And as any “A.D” fan who has seen Beard's final scene in the Netflix season knows, happiness and love is more valuable than money. Beard won't even say what he got paid.

“I don't want to embarrass myself,” Beard said. “It was never about the money. I would have done it for free.”

Another paycheck may await Beard. In a recent online interview, Hurwitz's answer to a question about a potential “A.D.” movie played to Beard's escalating value. “A lot of it has to be worked around John Beard's schedule,” cracked Hurwitz.

email: apergament@buffnews.com.
]]> Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:09:06 -0400 Alan Pergament
]]> <![CDATA[ Buffalo’s retired boomers already know this is a great place ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130615/CITYANDREGION/130619371/1031
So, when Nerd Wallet’s “Best Places for Baby Boomers” came out, we took it with a grain of salt that No. 3 was “Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.” Especially considering the criteria used: It gives the area props for our public transportation coverage (78 percent – if you have the time), and its cost-of-living index puts median home prices here at a whopping, and not totally accurate, $337,059. As one friend remarked, “Well, maybe if you own two homes.”

But, data irregularities aside, the Nerds got us thinking about other, unrated and possibly unmeasurable qualities of life in Western New York that are keeping older people here and bringing many back, including baby boomers. That would include the area’s famed “20 minutes to anywhere” rule and, for those moving from either coast, the economics of “buy twice the home at half the price.”

And no one says it better than those who are, as they say, living the dream.

“We could move a lot of places, but we won’t,” said Art Zucker of East Aurora, who retired 13 years ago from General Motors’ engine plant. “Why would I move? Financially, it might be better, but money is secondary at this point.”

Zucker and his wife, Rhoda, go to Florida for a few weeks each year, “to break up the winter,” he says – and have traveled around the country and Canada, often using their camper.

“Nothing against them, they’re nice places, but they are transient,” he said of communities in the South and West that he has visited. “You don’t get the sense of groundedness. They’re nice people, but everybody’s from somewhere else.”

Here, he said, he still sees former co-workers regularly for lunch, takes his Corvette to car shows and makes the occasional trip to Toronto. He and his wife are both active volunteers and consider East Aurora a near-perfect place to be retired.

“Nobody had to talk me into staying here,” Zucker said. He said his wife grew up here, “and my wife loves it here, too.”

He also has a measure of pity for friends who retired to Phoenix.

“They can’t go out of their house after 10 o’clock in the morning” because of the heat, Zucker said. “I’d rather put on a coat and hat in the winter than worry about dying of heat stroke.”

Many “Best Places” lists include a weather variable, often using “sunshine days” or average temperatures, the higher the better, to determine the desirability of the climate. Our snow and winter clouds weigh heavily against us, while the raging wildfires, suffocating humidity, drought and earthquakes elsewhere are barely factored in for those places.

However, the local lake-modulated climate is appreciated by many who live here, including retirees who have no interest in answering the call of the Sun Belt. That includes Charles and Gerry Kempton from Cheektowaga, who brought their lawn chairs to the edge of Lake Erie last week to enjoy the light breeze and the view.

“No tornadoes, no hurricanes, no floods. It’s a nice place to be,” said Charles Kempton, explaining why the couple opted to stay in Western New York when they retired. The waterfront is among their favorite amenities.

There also is a general sense among residents – and numbers back this up – that the Buffalo area has an exceptional level of cultural attractions for its size. The Nerd Wallet rightly included the world-class Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Burchfield Penney Art Center as attractions for the 50-to-70 set (which is 25 percent of the population), but nothing else.

For next time, Nerd Wallet, let us also suggest the Sportsmen’s Tavern, Allen Street Hardware and the Colored Musicians Club, among many other venues that appeal to mature and dedicated music lovers.

And there’s our classical music profile. That starts with Kleinhans Music Hall and the Buffalo Philharmonic, and it continues on to a small opera company and other chamber groups that are easy to get to and easy to pay for – if any ticket is needed at all.

Boomers with discretionary bucks are also fans of Buffalo’s genuine theater district, where “The Book of Mormon” recently played to eight sold-out houses at Shea’s Performing Arts Center – and where the most expensive seats were still under $100 – which is the lower end for New York’s Broadway, when you can get tickets.

This space could be filled with a long rehash of regional assets – museums; parks; golf courses; great architecture and old homes; up-and-coming, locally sourced restaurants; and, naturally, Niagara Falls – and that would be fine. Yet, it would still miss what appeals to Buffalo’s boomers most.

Last month, an article in Time magazine made an argument in favor of ignoring “best places to retire” lists altogether. As writer Martha C. White put it, the lists miss the point: “They don’t tell you much about what your life would be like if you lived there. ... Plus, a lot of what’s desirable is completely subjective.”

For Carrie Smith, volunteer coordinator at the Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Erie County, it is the retirees themselves – 90 of them in her programs alone – who belong on the list of our best assets.

“It’s not only helping the community grow and become stronger,” Smith said. “The volunteers also reap benefits – they are staying active and engaged, they are involved and getting positive feedback, and some really great friendships have begun here.”

One such volunteer, William N. Kieser, retired from the New York State Thruway in 1999.

“I’m a docent” at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, said Kieser, who lives in the Town of Tonawanda. “I’m down there at least once a week in the summer. On Mondays, I volunteer at the Buffalo Veterans Administration Hospital – I’m a Vietnam-era veteran myself. I also do Meals on Wheels for about a dozen clients once a week with my wife – I drive, she delivers.”

His wife, Dawn, is a retired schoolteacher and also joins her husband doing single-day, or single-event volunteer jobs through the volunteer program.

Kieser said there was a time when they considered moving to Florida, after visiting friends who had retired to the Gulf Coast. Thinking they might want to make a permanent move, they took a three-month rental one year.

“And we cut it short,” Kieser said. “We both missed Buffalo too much.”

Instead, they embraced this place. He plays horseshoes in Amherst on Wednesday nights and was planning a Frisbee golf game with his brother in Ellicott Creek Park when interviewed for this story.

“I never rode the Maid of the Mist until after I retired – and I’m sorry I didn’t do it sooner,” said Kieser, adding that visits to the falls can be free for seniors. In New York State, if you’re 62 or older, you can use almost any state park for free Monday through Friday. “You can’t beat that.”

“Best Places to Retire” lists can give points for low income taxes or for great public services; some count the number of doctors, and others value the number of nursing home beds; some recreational publications track mountain bike trails and whitewater rapids, while others prefer golf courses and yacht clubs. Nerd Wallet gave high points to having lots of neighbors in the boomer demographic (Buffalo ranked high); other lists try to plunk people down into college towns, with a smaller general population supplemented by younger students.

“They were promoting the fact that you could still have a ‘life of the mind’ there,” said Edward J. Healy, marketing executive at Visit Buffalo Niagara.

In Buffalo, retirees can attend events and audit classes at the University at Buffalo, SUNY Buffalo State (an asset mentioned by Nerd Wallet), Canisius College and 10 other private or community colleges. Erie County also has a library system that, even in its downsized form, is more extensive than many in newer cities.

Other “Best Places to Retire” lists are for people who like wine, history or architecture, or are geared toward cheap housing, low food prices or access to shopping outlets. Some get points for air quality or proximity to a major airport, and for bike trails, walking paths and gardens.

Buffalo doesn’t show up on any of these lists, and, despite the area’s acknowledged problems of poverty and what we like to call January and February, it is not unreasonable to wonder, why not?

Healy said, “It has a lot to do with what we’ve been calling the ‘who knew?’ effect,” seen in people visiting Buffalo for the first time and being exposed to the walkable neighborhoods, wine trails, waterfront and classic architecture, and quite a few friendly people.

Well, some people knew, and that’s why they are sticking around.

As Art Zucker jokingly put it, “At this age, there’s not a helluva lot of time left. You might as well enjoy it.”

email: mmiller@buffnews.com ]]> Sat, 15 Jun 2013 19:38:22 -0400 Melinda Miller
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