THE HOT 5 An opinionated to-do list By Christopher Schobert June is our annual “City Guide” issue, and in addition to our features section, you’ll find plenty of events in our calendars to make you feel like a WNY know-it-all. Need five more that run the gamut from opera divas to a “Perennial Diva” (not Barbra Streisand) to a solo Beatle (not Paul)? Act naturally—you’ve come to the right place. Nickel City Opera image courtesy of the NCO. 1. Nickel City Opera Last year’s debut for the Nickel City Opera—a performance of Rossini’s Barber of Seville—was an extraordinary one, successful both commercially and artistically according to all involved. Now, in year two, the NCO is staging Verdi’s Rigoletto with costumes and full orchestra at North Tonawanda’s Riviera Theatre on June 25 and 27. Artistic director Valerian Ruminski is a vet of the Metropolitan and New York City Operas and a UB grad who’s worked hard to create awareness of the NCO and bring opera back to Buffalo stages. The performances of Rigoletto should be just as ambitious as Barber. And to help raise awareness for the shows, at 6 p.m. on June 7, the second annual Opera Dinner will be held at Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant in Blasdell. It includes a six-course Italian dinner, entertainment, and raffle. Plus, a recital series is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo on June 22–24, and an opera highlights concert takes place 7 p.m. on June 26. 8 p.m. on June 25 and 2:30 p.m. on June 27 at the Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., North Tonawanda; 692-2413, www.rivieratheatre.org, or www.nickelcityoperaco.com. 2. Elmwood Village Cruise Night Cruise nights are curious bit of Americana, but perennially popular, and they can be found everywhere from Anderson’s parking lots to the Elmwood Village. Yup, on June 16, several businesses on Elmwood’s 500 block will host this special night with sales, dining specials, and live music. Of course, this is but one Elmwood summer tradition among many. There’s the Stiletto Run on June 23, the Elmwood Village Picnic in the Parkway Free Summer Concert Series Kick Off on June 29 (concerts run Tuesdays through August 10), and the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer’s Market, which began in May and runs on Saturdays through October. 5:30–8 p.m. on June 16 on Elmwood Ave. between West Utica and Bryant streets; www.elmwoodvillage.org. Ringo Starr photo courtesy of Fallsview Casino Resort. 3. Ringo Starr at the Fallsview Zooey Deschanel loves Ringo Starr. Okay, Zooey Deschanel’s character, Summer, in (500) Days of Summer loves Ringo. And considering Zooey’s deserved status as No. 1 crush for hornrim-sporting indie boys everywhere, that means something. Honestly, it’s almost impossible not to love Richard Starkey. It’s easy to forget that there was a time when he was the biggest-selling solo Beatle, and hits like “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Photograph” have lost none of their appeal. He can still be counted on for a new album every few years, and each one is generally followed by another All-Starr Band Tour. The group’s 2010 tour opens on June 24 and 25 at the Niagara Fallsview Casino, and here’s a guarantee: the two performances will be a nostalgia overdose. In the best sense. 8:30 p.m. on June 24 and 9 p.m. on June 25 at the Avalon Theatre at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls, ON; 888-FALLSVU or www.fallsviewcasinoresort.com. 4. AAUW Book Sale When something like the Buffalo Branch of the American Association of University Women’s Scholarship Book Sale rolls around, it’s celebratory news for bibliophiles. This, the fifty-sixth annual sale, will feature an estimated 100,000 items donated over the past year—hard and softcover books, DVDs, CDs, and more. The proceeds support local scholarships, interest-free student loans, and grants to WNY high school and college students, along with funds for community projects. All the work on the sale is done by volunteer members of the Buffalo Branch of AAUW. 9 a.m.–8 p.m. on June 2–5 and 9 a.m.–noon on June 6 at the Office Depot Plaza, 2309 Eggert Rd., Tonawanda; www.aauw.buffalo.edu. Stephanie Cohen photo courtesy of Timber Press, Inc. 5. The National Buffalo Garden Fest begins As we announced in these pages two issues back, the first annual National Buffalo Garden Festival, a five-week extravaganza of garden walks, talks, tours, exhibitions, and special events, runs from June 18 to July 25. Think of it as Woodstock for plant geeks. Things really take off on June 19 with keynote speaker Stephanie Cohen, award-winning author of The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer. An evening with the “Perennial Diva” at the Nichols School Flickinger Theater will open at 6 p.m. with a garden reception, followed by a presentation at 7 p.m. Earlier that day, a perennial symposium from 9:30–4 p.m. at Lockwood’s Greenhouses in Hamburg features Cohen, popular local guru Sally Cunningham, hosta expert Mike Shadrack, and container specialist Mary Gurtler. Amy Stewart, author of the hugely entertaining book Wicked Plants, will speak on June 26 at the downtown library. Wicked Plants is a New York Times bestseller and was recently featured on Cake Boss. Fest: June 18 through July 25; info: 1-800-BUFFALO, www.nationalgardenfestival.com, or e-mail info@buffalocvb.org. Associate editor Christopher Schobert is due to become the father of a baby boy sometime in late June, and contemplated adding the birth to the Hot 5. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top