Stagefright	by Javier

Television personality Kathy Lee Gifford (pictured right) is certainly keeping busy these days. After vowing never to work on TV on a regular basis again, she is now appearing as a special correspondent on “The Insider,” covering Broadway and theater news. Her musical Saving Aimee (it had been called Hurricane Aimee until devastating Katrina hit the south) just finished a try-out run at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, and the hope is to take it to Broadway. The show, with music by David Pomeranz and David Friedman, is about the renowned evangelist of the ’20s, Aimee Semple McPherson. Gifford, who made her Broadway debut in Sondheim’s Putting It Together, had her first musical, Under the Bridge, produced off-Broadway last season.

The Irish Classical Theatre Company is sponsoring a special event to benefit the children of the gulf coast hurricanes. On Monday, November 14 at 7:30, there will be a reading of Kathleen Betsko Yale’s comedy Stitchers and Starlight Talkers, starring Kelly Meg Brennan, Mary Kate O’Connell, Brendan Powers, and Manny Fried. The play won a New York Foundation for the Arts grant in 1990, was performed at the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, and was later produced at Yale Rep. The reading will take place at the Andrews Theatre. The donation of $15 at the door is suggested, plus a canned good for Buffalo’s Food Bank.

Scott Behrend, artistic director of Road Less Traveled Productions, will be Assistant Director to Scott Ellis in the upcoming New York production of Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr. Sloane. Produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company, the play is scheduled to begin previews in February at the Laura Pels Theatre, with a cast that includes Alec Baldwin and Lisa Emery. Behrend directed a local production of the play a few seasons ago at the New Phoenix Theatre.

Shakespeare in Delaware Park will celebrate the release of their CD The Music of Shakespeare on November 13 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Le Metro in Williamsville. The CD features period Renaissance pieces performed by Flauti Dolci Recorder Consort, and original compositions by Ray Leslee and Tom Makar. CDs can be purchased at the party for a special reduced price, and they are also available at local music stores. By the way, next season (its 31st!), the company will present Loves’ Labour’s Lost and Twelfth Night.

Tom Makar is set to direct Always… Patsy Cline, the musical tribute to the legendary country music star, which will open at the Kavinoky on January 6th. While the search for the actress to play Patsy is still ongoing, Lisa Ludwig will co-star as Cline’s friend and devoted fan, Louise Seger.

The fabulous Michele Ragusa returns to Buffalo to star in Studio Arena’s production of Theresa Rebeck’s one-woman show Bad Dates, which begins previews on January 8th. Ragusa will play a single mother and restaurant manager with a shoe fetish, who has just re-entered the dating world. The play will be directed by Scott Schwartz (son of composer Stephen Schwartz), who recently directed Broadway’s hit, Golda’s Balcony. Ragusa is currently in Philadelphia completing the run of Christopher Durang’s new musical A Drift in Macao, which parodies the film noir genre.

Recently relocated to Los Angeles, Jack Hunter has landed his first stage role. He will play Donner in The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. The production will run November 25–December 18 at the Attic Theater in Culver City.

Kurt Guba (pictured left) makes his BUA debut in the company’s upcoming production of the musical revue, Naked Boys Singing!. Directed and choreographed by Michael Walline, with musical direction by Michael Hake, the show also stars Joey Buchecker, Matthew Crehan Higgins, Christopher Stephen Parada, Marc Sacco, and Doug Weyand. The show opens November 19th at the Alleyway Theatre. There will be a sneak preview benefit for BUA on November 17th at 8 pm, with a reception beginning at 7 pm and a post-performance party with the cast and special guest Jim J. Bullock from the touring production of Hairspray, which opens at Shea’s next Tuesday. (See interview with Bullock on page 10 of this issue.)