The smash Broadway musical In the Heights, written and conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also starred in the production, just celebrated its first year in the Great White Way. In the Heights has already recovered its $10 million investment, and won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Miranda won a 2008 Tony award for his score and was also nominated for the Tony as Best Actor in a Musical. He recently left the production and will concentrate on the movie version, to be released by Universal Pictures. The national tour kicks off in the fall, and Miranda was very happy that his Tony-winning musical will be seen in Buffalo.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Shea’s will announce the 2009-2010 season on March 12 at 6:30pm. The 2008-09 has been a great success with three more shows yet to come: The Wizard of Oz, A Chorus Line, and The Color Purple. Ted Neeley, who starred as Jesus in the movie Jesus Christ Superstar back in 1973, is touring once again in the popular musical and will play Shea’s on April 7. It is not uncommon for stars to revisit (several times) roles that have made them famous. Topol, who starred in the 1971 movie Fiddler on the Roof, is also back on the road playing Tevye.

Road Less Traveled will present one of Arthur Miller’s seldom produced plays, The Man Who Had All the Luck, April 17-May 17. Directed by Scott Behrend, the production will star Bob Grabowski, Cassie Gorniewicz, Gerry Maher, Steve Copps, Greg Natale, Peter Jaskowiak, Steve Jakiel, Jim Maloy, Matt Witten, and Jeanne Cairns. Miller’s first Broadway play, The Man Who Had All the Luck ran for less than a week in 1944. It had a very successful revival in 2002, starring James Rebhorn, who will attend the local production on May 1.

In the upcoming biodrama The Farnsworth Invention, Christian Brandjes will play Philo Farnsworth and Peter Palmisano will play David Sarnoff, two visionaries who fought for the patent for the invention of television. Opening at the Kavinoky on May 1, the production will be directed by David Lamb and will feature Eileen Dugan, Phil Knoerzer, David Lundy, Eliza Maher, Tom Owen, Dan Walker, John Warren, Kathy Weese, Doug Weyand, Joseph Wiens, and Tom Zindle.

Chautauqua Theater Company’s 2009 season will include Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, and Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.

Liz Smith

The Buffalo Quickies (The Sex Edition) opens March 26 at the Alleyway. The annual festival of one-act plays turns 18 this year. Directed by Joyce Stilson, the acting ensemble will include Louise Reger, Carlton Franklin, Christopher Parada, Tammy Reger, Sheila Connors, and Michael Seitz.

Up next for BUA, Canadian playwright Salvatore Antonio’s In Gabriel’s Kitchen. Directed by Chris Kelly, the production will star Adam Rath, James Konidis, John Kaczorowski, Darryl Hart, and Kerrykate Abel. The play opens on March 20 at BUA’s new performing space, located at 119 Chippewa, between Delaware and Elmwood.

Legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith was laid off by the New York Post last week in an attempt to cut costs at the paper. The Post said it was no longer able to pay her $125,000 a year salary. Smith will continue to write for the Web site wowOwow.com and for other publications. Her interview with Liza Minnelli appeared in Parade last Sunday.