The fabulous Charlotte D’Amboise (pictured above) is finally starring in a leading role in an original Broadway production, albeit a revival. Known as the perennial replacement, D’Amboise is now playing Cassie (the role created by Donna McKechnie) in the revival of A Chorus Line which opened on October 5 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Conceived by Buffalo’s Michael Bennett, the original production ran from July 1975 through April 1990 and became the longest-running Broadway show before it was surpassed by Cats (now The Phantom of the Opera has that record). The current revival was directed by Bob Avian, who was one of the co-choreographers of the original production. Famed Broadway costume designer Theoni V. Aldredge, who designed the original, has also designed the revival but this time with Buffalo’s Suzy Benzinger serving as associate costume designer. The new cast recording of the revival was just released this past week. And by the way, Donna McKechnie’s autobiographical Time Steps, which was released a few weeks ago, has some fascinating stories about the creation of A Chorus Line and about Bennett, to whom she was married briefly.

Mary Lou Wiltberger, Matthew LaChiusa, Charmagne Chi, J.K. Hudson and John Kennedy are set to star in the new musical Me II, with music and lyrics by Grant Golden and book by playwright DonnaMarie Vaughan. The show will open November 9 at the New Phoenix Theatre. David Granville directs, with musical direction by Michael Wah.

Mark Humphrey’s A Lunch with Mr. Benny starring Tim Newell as Jack Benny will be presented by the Jewish Repertory Theatre for one performance only, on November 6 at 7:30 at the Jewish Community Center in Getzville.

Mark Twain Live! starring Mike Randall will be presented on November 18 at the Buffalo Seminary to benefit Shakespeare in Delaware Park. The evening will begin with a wine-tasting and hors d’oeuvres reception at 6:30 followed by the performance at 7:30. The benefit performance is being staged to help meet a $10,000 challenge grant from the John R. Oishei Foundation.

Local playwright Joseph Ritz will have his play Autumn Colors, which is set in Western New York, staged in Manhattan in late October as part of the New York Playwrights Festival.

After a very successful run of Terminus at the Central Terminal, Torn Space returns to the Adam Mickiewicz Dramatic Circle November 10-December 2 with the area premiere of Cleansed by Sarah Kane, one of the most influential postwar British dramatists. The production will star Ryan O’Byrne, Chris Standart, Kara McKenney, Becky Globus, Andrew Liegl, Brian Butera and Matthew Crehan Higgins. Later in the season Torn Space will present Samuel Beckett’s Endgame, directed by Vincent O’Neill.

Kent Paul, who directed last season’s Ghosts at Studio Arena, returns to the area to direct the upcoming musical She Loves Me, which will be presented by UB Department of Theatre & Dance November 15-19 at the Drama Theatre in the Center for the Arts. Paul directed a beautiful production of the show back in 1990 at the Berskhire Theatre Festival which featured choreography by Marge Champion. Nathan Matthews, fresh from his Man of No Importance gig, will music direct and conduct the UB production, which will star Bethany Moore, Chris Critelli, Kelsey Mathes and Travis Taber.

Buffalo United Artists will present a staged reading of Angels in America—Part I on December 1 & 2 to benefit AIDS Community Services of WNY. Directed by Lou Colaiacovo, the reading will star Chris Kelly, Joe Demerly, Ellen Horst, Chris Critrelli and Bethany Moore.

The Kavinoky Theatre has rescheduled the performances of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum that were canceled last weekend due to the weather. The show will now play its final performances October 21 & 22.