Stagefright	by Javier

Buffalo born and a Buffalo State alum, Paul C. Vogt (pictured above) is currently making his Broadway debut playing Edna Turnblad in the musical Hairspray, which is now on its fifth year at the Neil Simon Theatre. Known to TV audiences for his performances on MADtv and The Rerun Show, Vogt most recently played Edna in the Las Vegas production, taking over for Harvey Fierstein. The Broadway production also stars Isabel Keating (known to WNY audiences for her performances in Brockport many years ago) and the one and only Darlene Love as Motormouth Maybelle.

Jeff Denman, whose new cabaret act Jazz Turns just debuted in Manhattan at Birdland, will star in the upcoming City Center Encores! production of Face the Music. Directed by John Rando (of Urinetown fame), the production will also star Judy Kaye and Walter Bobbie, and will play March 29-April 1st. Encores just presented a very successful production of Follies, with an outstanding cast including the fabulous Christine Baranski singing “I’m Still Here.”

Road Less Traveled Productions New Play Workshop series kicks off March 5 at 8pm with a reading of homeland by Eric Appleton, which will be held at Karpeles Museum, 453 Porter Avenue. Directed by Scott Behrend, the reading will feature Aayush Chandan, Mary Jakiel, Gerry Maher, Tim Newell, Peter Meacham, Bonnie Taylor and Dan Walker. Future readings include A Little Bit of Paradise by Annette Daniels Taylor (March 12); Bonegrinders by Melody Von Smith (March 19) and The Three of Us by Frank Canino (March 26). Darryl Schneider’s The War Room which had a very successful full production last October, was part of last year’s workshop.

For its first production of the season, Ujima Theatre Company will present the world premiere of Gary Earl Ross’s play, The Best Woman, set in a not too distant future where for the first time both presidential candidates are women. Directed by Lorna C. Hill, the production stars Joyce Carolyn as the conservative Republican nominee, and Mary Moebius as the liberal Democratic nominee. The show runs March 9-April 1 at TheaterLoft. Ross (who will also appear in this production) won the 2005 Manny Fried Artie Award for his play Matter of Intent, also produced at Ujima. Subsequent to that, the play won the 2005 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

Yet another new play coming up this season, Buffalo Movie, a comedy by Jon Elston, presented by Road Less Traveled, April 13-May 6. Directed by Scott Behrend, the show will star Bob Grabowski, David Oliver, Bonnie Taylor, Larry Rowswell, Katie Hart and Connie McEwen. Elston won the 2004 Manny Fried Artie Award for his play Interrogation Room.

Not to be left behind, Tom Dooney’s play Substitute Teacher will be part of this year’s Buffalo Quickies at Alleyway Theatre. Directed by Joyce Stilson, the 16th annual festival of one-act plays will run March 22-April 7. Other plays in the lineup include Justice of the Peace by Linda Eisenstein; and Herman Melville Learns to Write by Robert J. Myers, winner of the 2007 Maxim Mazumdar New One Act Play Competition. The festival stars Paul O’Hern, Michael Starzynski, Tammy Reger, Roger Van Dette, Kate Olena and Louise Reger.

Studio Arena will kick off the 2007-08 season with the world premiere of Buffalo’s Tom Dudzick’s Don’t Talk to the Actors, in which a new playwright, two fading TV stars and several other theater types try to create a Broadway hit. Dudzick is the author of the very popular Over the Tavern trilogy. Plans are for this show to transfer to New York, and a couple of big names are in the works for its director and star. As far as classics go, the season will include To Kill a Mockingbird.

David Lamb will direct this season’s final offering at the Kavinoky, The Importance of Being Earnest. The production will star Jeanne Cairns, Steve Cooper, Jim Maloy, Sheila McCarthy, Neal Moeller, Leah Russo, Hilary Walker and John Warren.

Salamanca born lyricist Ray Evans (pictured below) died on February 15 at the age of 92 (his birthday was February 4). A charming man, among his most memorable songs were “Mona Lisa,” “Silver Bells” and “Que Sera, Sera.” A little-known fact: Evans was fluent in Spanish and on very close terms with many notable Latin music personalities. He was inducted into Shea’s Western New York Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2005. Evans had recently made a major contribution to the Lucy Museum in Jamestown. The Seneca Theatre in Salamanca was renamed the Ray Evans Seneca Theatre in 1993.