2009: it was a year By Ron Ehmke, Elizabeth Licata, and Christopher Schobert Photo by kc kratt. Most encouraging sign of life in WNY’s theater community It was thrilling to see so many local companies staging original work by homegrown playwrights—everything from musicals and farces to hard-edged dramas and experimental pieces—this year, and over the past few years. Toss in the dozens of up-and-comers who pop up every summer during Infringement and you’ve got a full-scale, if unsung, movement. Whether or not the next Gurney, Bennett, or Fried emerges from the fray is beside the point; it’s a little like watching a town’s music scene evolve from cover bands to original material—which we’ve also done, albeit two or three decades earlier. —R.E. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke awards … … go to Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Executive Chris Collins, one for wanting to scrutinize the practices of the heroic Olmsted Conservancy, which has been doing a bang-up job keeping its namesake parks beautiful; and the other for interfering in the already meticulous and rigorous funding evaluations of the Erie County Cultural Advisory Board. Stick to the smoke-filled rooms, guys. Please don’t meddle with our parks, theaters, and museums. —E.L. Wright here, Wright now The incredible timeline of Martin House successes continues. In 2006 we saw the near-magical reappearance of three structures that had been demolished in the sixties; in 2007 the veranda was reconstructed and a gorgeous Nike completed the conservatory; in 2008 there was more exterior and interior restoration; and in 2009, the new Visitor’s Center opened, to unanimous acclaim. The pay-off will continue for decades, as Wright scholars and other architecture buffs flock to Buffalo to see these marvels. We rebuilt it and they’re coming. —E.L. Golly, Mr. Wilson, we was only playin’ If you’ve ever driven past the barren sliver of Black Rock just off the Scajaquada where warehouse-turned-multi-use space “The Yard” is located, you’re surely baffled that August’s multimedia art and music event “Silent Exchange” was shut down early after complaints from the neighborhood. There’s a neighborhood there?! After all the talk about Buffalo’s cultural life being key to its survival, it’s troubling to see a new generation of arts programmers running into flak from the Powers That Be. Even more so because the Yard’s industrial-aesthetic outdoor stage has the potential to become a vital music venue in an otherwise neglected part of town. —R.E. Pop culture Viagra for Niagara Niagara Falls might not be the must-see it once was, but this year, Hollywood came a-calling, and left satisfied. First, Brad Pitt brought several members of the Pitt-Jolie brood to the Falls for a visit, and a Maid of the Mist trip. (Mama Angie was filming in Albany.) But the real event was the Pam-Jim wedding on The Office. The adorable Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski might be the most “real” couple on the tube, and a Falls wedding seemed utterly fitting. The lovely Maid of the Mist moment was probably the sweetest “Jim-gazes-at-the-camera” moment in show history, and the finest Office episode in years—even the Youtube gag was brilliant—meaning the Falls won, big. I’ll drink a Wegmans WPop to that. —C.S. Extra board members … going, going, Gaughan! Erie County board members and supervisors may squawk, but downsizing activist Kevin Gaughan is still working on governmental reform. And in 2009, Gaughan’s efforts began to pay off. In June, residents in Orchard Park and Evans voted in favor of board reduction, and, in a more controversial and fascinatingly contentious fashion, Orchard Parkers shaved two members from the town board in September. It was a clear sign that Gaughan’s initiative is gaining steam, and making some folks nervous: Only one polling site was open—in the basement, no less!—and not until 11 a.m. “I think it’s sad,” says board member Nan Ackerman, but the people under the stairs disagreed by two-to-one. —C.S. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top