Jersey Boys, at Shea’s from April 21–May 9.
From left: Josh Franklin, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Matt Bailey, and Steve Gouveia.
Jersey Boys photo by Joan Marcus.

INSIDE PICKS

Reps from eleven WNY theaters choose their favorites from the 2009–10 rosters:

Alleyway
Joyce Stilson, director of public relations
“The Careful Glover (Sept. 10–Oct. 3) by Jim Baines is the production I am most excited about. The last days of William Shakespeare as played by Buffalo’s Saul Elkin.”

American Repertory Theater of Western New York
Matthew LaChiusa, executive/artistic director
“Greater Tuna (Oct. 15–Nov. 2) is an engaging theatrical piece. It is a challenge for the actors, a whirlwind of characters for audiences to watch, and a rich portrayal of southern Americana.”

Buffalo State College Theater/Casting Hall Productions
Drew Kahn, chair and professor
“Anything Goes (Nov. 12–21) is pure entertainment. The combination of Cole Porter’s style and the antics of a frivolous plot will take you back to a time when laughing, toe-tapping, and singing were the American agenda.”

Irish Classical
Vincent O’Neill, artistic director
“Engaged (Apr. 23–May 23) by W. S. Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame) is a rarely performed gem of a farcical comedy; [our production will be] a WNY premiere, a comic delight—charming, utterly endearing; a treat for audiences.”

Jewish Repertory
Saul Elkin, artistic director
“Martin Sherman’s Rose (Oct. 15–Nov. 1) encapsulates the whole range of the Jewish experience in the twentieth century in a life story that begins in a tiny village in Eastern Europe and moves through the devastation of World War II and the Holocaust, the founding of the state of Israel, immigration to the United States, and eventual old age and retirement in Miami.”

Kaleidoscope Theatre Productions
Beth A. Gerardi-Wharton, artistic director
“Upon reading Hatcher’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, we were exhilarated by its fiercely dark, yet sensual, theatrical composition, similar to [the same playwright’s] highly acclaimed Turn of the Screw in 1996.”

Kavinoky
Joe Demerly, managing director
“I’m most excited to see Steven Dietz’s Yankee Tavern (Jan. 8–Feb. 7); everyone will certainly relate to the closeness of the subject matter. My hope is that this play will resonate not as a commentary on 9/11, but as the compelling conspiracy thriller it is.”

MusicalFare
Randall Kramer, artistic/executive director
“Falsettos was a seminal production that, for many of us, left memories that we cherish to this day. Much of the original cast is returning from our downtown 1995 production and I think the result will be a story that is the same, but told from a more mature perspective.”

New Phoenix Theatre
Robert Waterhouse, artistic director
“A delay in a NYSCA award caused a delay in scheduling Freud and the Sandman (Sept. 10–Oct. 3), but this has allowed us to gather a formidable cast and creative team. This sort of ensemble-driven alternative theater is what the New Phoenix does best.”

O’Connell & Company
Mary Kate O’Connell, artistic/executive director
“4 Guys Named Jose and Una Mujer Named Maria (Oct. 1–25) is a completely entertaining show filled with amazing Latin music, a charming story, and memorable characters.”

Shea’s
Lisa Grisanti, director of marketing and public relations
“Jersey Boys! Great story, great music, great nostalgia, great cast—I saw it twice. It’s my favorite musical; I brought my mother, knowing she would love it. It was wonderful to see her excitement and the look on her face as she reminisced during all the songs.”

UB Center for the Arts
Dave Wedekindt, director of marketing
“To Kill A Mockingbird (Nov. 21). This classic story is currently celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, but the message is still applicable today. This presentation will mark the first time the Center is presenting a touring dramatic production, and the Montana Repertory Theatre is one of the most respected companies in the country.”