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Cover Story

Pippin Comes to Shea's Buffalo Theater

by Anthony Chase

The long-awaited national tour of Pippin opening at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre on Tuesday promises to be thrilling. This production was called one of the most electrifying and innovative musical revivals of the past decade when it opened on Broadway in 2013.

Upon Further Review

Hating Brady

by David Staba

I wish I could say that the first time I saw Tom Brady play football, I knew he was destined to become the greatest, and most hated, quarterback of all time.

News Feature

Cult of NXIVM Part 9: A Boiling Pot of Poison Stew

by Frank Parlato

Some of our readers probably feel that over the last few months they’ve read all they need to read about Keith Raniere, the Bronfman sisters and the many bizarre characters and victims flowing in and out of NXIVM Village.

News Feature

Shmueli To Be Arrested? The Power Of The Press And The Police May Topple The King Con

by Frank Parlato

This publication has been running an ongoing series on the notorious conman and serial defrauder, Shmuel Shmueli, who we have dubbed King Con. We have repeatedly laid out a number of Shmueli schemes – including fraud that he has committed against this writer and several area attorneys.

News Feature

Flaherty, Flynn Set To Square Off In Democratic Primary For DA

by Tony Farina

A spirited Democratic primary fight for the office of Erie County district attorney is now taking shape although it won’t be acting DA Mike Flaherty against headquarters’ favorite Tim Franczyk who shocked political observers last month when he announced he wouldn’t leave the County Court bench to run for DA, a move that had been expected for some time although never officially announced.

Health

Smoking Costs the Average New York Smoker $24 Million over a lifetime - Wallet Hub Study

by Frank Parlato

The personal finance website, WalletHub, has released a report this week called The True Cost of Smoking by State.

Tap This

Hey, Porter

by Willard Brooks

A quiet revolution seems to have taken place in the craft beer market. Where once only IPAs could hold the roaming eyes of beer nerds, there is now a thirst for ranges of porters and stouts, especially very high alcohol “imperial” versions that seem to disappear from shelves as quickly as they appear.

News Feature

Dyster's Crown Jewel: A $435,000 Traffic Circle Sculpture

by Frank Parlato

Niagara Falls – It was our own resident genius, James Hufnagel, who wrote us this week, to say, “You know what would be really funny? A picture of Mayor Paul A. Dyster wearing the new traffic circle sculpture like a crown.”

News Feature

Will Politicians Really Fix The Problems at ECC? Time Will Tell

by Tony Farina

So what’s next for Erie Community College now that a state audit has confirmed much of what I’ve written about over the last year about the unauthorized spending and job creation at the public college under the administration of President Jack Quinn?

News Feature

Confidential Report Downgrades Quinn's Effectiveness

by Tony Farina

As we have reported for some time, many at Erie Community College have questioned the commitment and leadership of President Jack Quinn who earns $192,500 to run the school but has several outside assignments not related to college business that often take him away from the college and leave the day-to-day management in the hands of his staff.

What's Brewing

Old First Ward Ho Oats Stout & Lagunitas Brown Shugga

by Willard Brooks and Chris Groves

Certain imperial stouts and porters—with their massive alcohol and big flavors—have achieved cult status. Endless hours can be spent enjoying the many comforting variations of these brews associated strongly with the UK and Ireland.

Art Scene

Scrolling Back In Time

by Jack Foran

More treasures from the library Rare Books Room. An exhibit called Rare Books 101, in and just outside the library main floor exhibit area. Complementing the Milestones of Science Books exhibit upstairs, and no less interesting.

Classical Music Notes

Kleinhans Music Hall History Preserved

by Jan Jezorio

Kleinhans Music Hall officially opened on October 12 1940 when music director Franco Autori led the first performance of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in the new hall. The 75th anniversary of this event was celebrated this past October with a gala dinner in the Mary Seaton Room of Kleinhans attended by many of our local movers and shakers, more than a few of whom were honored more than once by name in the after dinner speeches.

Theater News

Stagefright

by Javier

The fabulous Nichelle Nichols (pictured above), most famous for playing Lieutenant Uhura aboard the Enterprise in the TV show Star Trek, just turned 83 this past December 28th. The show premiered in 1966 and Uhura was one of the first African American female characters on TV who was not a servant.

Get Lit

Beyond The Towers

by Heather Cook

The history of the Buffalo State Hospital—also known as the Richardson Olmsted Complex, H.H. Richardson, Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, Buffalo Psychiatric Center—is not only rich in architecture but also rich in psychiatry tales. While walking through the idyllic grounds, amid connecting corridors, do you ever stop to wonder what formerly transpired behind the charming yet fortress-like edifice?

Film Review

Anomalisa

by Jordan Canahai

As much as I love the films of Charlie Kaufman, I dread having to write about them. The visionary screenwriter whose works include such mindbending modern classics as Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) are confounding enough for a critic to adequately summarize in story terms, let alone attempt to analyze thematically.

Graphic Traffic

The Wake & Pop

by Carolyn Marcille

I love circular stories, and I love stories about fantastical underwater creatures. Those seem like pretty disparate interests, but Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy manage to hit all the sweet spots with this deft tale. The Wake takes a number of historical conspiracies and melds them with both past and present to create a suspenseful story packed with the intelligent manipulation of myth, fact and fiction.

Listings

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Movie Listings (Friday, January 22 - Thursday, January 28)

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See You There!

AV Hit List: Top Event Picks for This Week

Offbeat News

News of The Weird

by Chuck Shepherd

Police in Monticello, Kentucky, charged Rodney Brown, 25, with stealing farm animals and equipment from a home in December—but offering to return everything if the victim (a man) had sex with him.

Horoscopes

Free Will Astrology

by Rob Breszny

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The birds known as mound-builders are born more mature than other species. As soon as they peck themselves out of their eggs, they are well-coordinated, vigorous enough to hunt, and capable of flight. Right now I see a resemblance between them and many of you Aquarians.