By Barbara Arnstein
The 42nd annual Curtain Up! celebration in the Theatre District in Buffalo is on Friday, September 19th, and it is a three-act event. The first event is dinner (or Bijou’s ticketed cocktail hour); the second is a show; and the third is a free, fun-filled outdoor party on Main Street, which will be closed off for the occasion. To enjoy the Curtain Up! evening at the Bijou Club Level, which includes a two-hour open bar and hearty hors d’oeuvres, purchase a $90 ticket (they’re limited) by calling (716) 847-0850. Buy tickets for the shows on the theatre websites. Reservations are recommended for them, all of which begin at 7:30pm, because many sell out on this special night. The party will be held on Main Street between Chippewa and Tupper beginning at 9:30pm and it will feature entertainment by Pyromancy, a fire performance troupe; the Zydeco Band and Wide Right at the Bijou, and pianist Griffin Kramer at Shea’s Bistro. Local singers and actors will perform at the new Drag Me to the Stage Bandshell. On the street there will also be food trucks, cash bars and additional activities.
in Buffalo is on Friday, September 19th, and it is a three-act
event. The fi rst event is dinner (or Bijou’s ticketed cocktail
hour); the second is a show; and the third is a free, fun-fi lled
outdoor party on Main Street, which will be closed off for the
occasion.
The many show selections include a play simply entitled “Or,” (yes, with a comma) involving a playwright, a king and a double-agent. For more information, go to irishclassicaltheatre.com, or call (716) 853-4282. The plot of “The Book of Will” concerns two actors working to compile Shakespeare’s First Folio. For tickets, go to roadlesstraveledproductions.org or call (716) 629-3069. “The Cottage” is a comedy about the secrets surrounding the annual rendezvous of a couple married to other people. For tickets, go to alleyway.com, or call (716) 852-2600. The ever-popular, joyous musical “Godspell” features upbeat songs and dances about Biblical parables. For tickets, go to ujimacoinc.org, or call (716) 322-5178. “Dreamgirls”, a long-time favorite of theatre-goers, is about an aspiring girl group like the “Supremes”. For tickets, go to sheas.org, of call (716) 847-1410. “The Last Croissant” involves two couples sharing a campground and trying to find themselves. For tickets, go to buffalounitedartists.org, or call (716) 440-5521. “The Outsiders”, based on the bestselling novel of the same name about teenagers who feel alienated from society, won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical. For tickets, got to sheas.org or call (716) 847-1410. To buy tickets for a collection of one-acts entitled “Tom Dudzick’s Shorts”, go to mybobbyjs.com/desiderio-s-dinnertheatre, or call (716) 395-3207. Tickets for “The Game of Love and Chance”, about a socialite and her suitor, can be purchased at kavinokytheatre.com, or by calling (716) 829-7668. To see “A Streetcar Named Desire”, the intensely emotional play about some of life’s most dramatic changes, which is set in New Orleans, go to rockinghorseproductions. net, or call (716) 319-0846. To enjoy a street party with a New Orleans theme on September 19th, go to the Tappo restaurant at 338 Ellicott Street. Ellicott Street will be closed between 7:30-10:30pm for a party presented by JazzBuffalo & ArtsBuffalo in partnership with the restaurant, featuring themed drinks and a unique menu. For general up-to-date information, go to the Theatre District’s website, tda-wny.com.