Curtain Up! 2024 slated for Friday, September 13th, in Downtown Buffalo
Official Opening of Theatre Season in WNY will be sponsored by M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust
Buffalo, New York: Celebrate 41 years of live theatre in Western New York on Friday, September 13th at Curtain Up! 2024 in the Buffalo Theatre District! Produced by the Theatre District Association of WNY Inc., Curtain Up! 2024 will mark the 41st in person celebration of the opening of Buffalo’s professional theatre season. Curtain Up! is produced by the Theatre District Association of WNY Inc. Founded in 1979, Theatre District Association of WNY, Inc. is a not-for-profit community association dedicated to the promotion of the health and well-being of Buffalo’s neighborhood known as the Theatre District. Curtain Up! 2024 is made possible by generous support from M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust.
The celebrations start earlier in the week, on Monday, September 9th, when the Theatre District Association holds its highly anticipated Plaza of Stars Induction Ceremony. Renowned critic and scholar Anthony Chase who has been a fixture in the Buffalo theater scene for decades and the host of “Theater Talk” on WBFO, will be honored. He will be inducted by the distinguished Stephen McKinley Henderson, a Tony Award-nominated and award-winning actor and past star recipient. Click here to learn more.
With the lead sponsorship of M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust, the Theatre District Association has the support necessary to continue growing Curtain Up! and keep the program accessible to the community. It builds on M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust’s longstanding commitment to strengthening Downtown Buffalo and making the city a vibrant cultural destination.
Curtain Up! will be taking over downtown Buffalo on Friday, September 13th. This exciting night empowers attendees to “choose their own adventure” through a signature event that is broken into three acts. Join the kickoff party or select a place to dine in the Theatre District, then purchase tickets for any of a wide variety of shows, and finally enjoy free entertainment on the street throughout the Theatre District.
Act I – Kickoff Party – 5:00-7:00 p.m.
The Curtain Up! Kickoff Party will be held in Shea’s Grand Lobby, from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m. Guests will enjoy a two-hour open bar, and delicious bites and hors d’oeuvres provided by Bijou Restaurant. A limited number of tickets are available and priced at $90 per person. For more information, and to purchase tickets, call Shea’s Buffalo Theatre Box Office at (716) 847-0850. For those looking to start their Curtain Up! adventure differently, consider dining at one of the Theatre District’s wonderful restaurants.
Act II – Theatre Performances – 7:30 p.m.
Curtains rise at productions at area theaters at 7:30 p.m. Advance reservations are recommended. Guests should check with the theatre venue to review start times, run times, and ticket pricing.
Act III – Free Street Party – 10 p.m.
When the curtains fall around 10 p.m., the free Theatre District Street party goes into high gear. Free outdoor entertainment on Main Street between Chippewa and Tupper Streets will feature a variety of music and specialty acts.
Lineup Of Curtain Up! 2024 Theatrical Performances (Act II)
Alleyway Theatre
1 Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo, NY 14202 | (716) 852-2600 | www.alleyway.com WIPEOUT by Aurora Real de Asua. Claudia, Wynn, and Gary are three best friends, celebrating their golden years with the ultimate challenge: learning to surf in Santa Cruz. Trading their comfort zones for surfboards, the three friends navigate the choppy waters of their changing relationships and identities, balancing on both the literal and metaphorical tides of life. The sun-soaked breakers are no match for these three as they learn to master the waves, while confronting the complexity of aging, friendship, and embracing the courage to hang ten on new beginnings. Dive into this bitingly funny and profoundly moving new surf comedy that proves adventure has no age limit … all on surfboards. Did we mention lessons are provided by a young hotrod surf instructor?
The Birds Nest Circus Arts
66 Filmore Ave, Buffalo, NY 14210 | (716)444-0162 | www.birdsnestbuffalo.com A Circus Line. An aerial homage to the classic musical “A Chorus Line.”
Buffalo United Artists Theatre
Compass Performing Arts Factory, 545 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, New York 14222 | (716) 440-5521| buffalounitedartists.org. Monsters of the American Cinema by Christian St. Croix
When his husband dies, Remy Washington, a Black man, finds himself both the owner of a drive-in movie theater and a caregiver to his late husband’s straight, white teenage son, Pup. Monsters of the American Cinema is a haunting and deeply honest tale about fathers and sons, ghosts and monsters.
First Look Buffalo
203 Allen St, Buffalo NY 14201 | (716) 771-6358| www.FirstLookBuffalo.com TEA PARTY by Sean Abley. Frank, a married heterosexual crossdresser in his late 30s living in Montana, discovers Miss Olivia’s Finishing School for Girls, a club for fellow recreational crossdressers. Finally able to share his secret with another like-minded man, Frank’s newfound freedom threatens his marriage and his relationship with his best friend.
Irish Classical Theatre Company
625 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203 | (716) 853-ICTC (4282) | www.irishclassical.com DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS By Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen. A laugh-out-loud sendup of a Gothic classic. Step into the shadows with our electrifying Curtain Up! show as we unleash the uproarious mayhem of Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors by the ingenious minds of Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen. Fresh from its smash-hit off-Broadway reign at New World Stages in NYC, this wickedly offbeat comedy is descending upon Buffalo for the first time, igniting the stage with its irreverent charm. This 90-minute romp of gender-bending, lightning-paced hilarity breathes new life into the timeless gothic tale by one of Ireland’s most famous exports – Bram Stoker. Packed with razor-sharp wit and a riotous parade of pop culture nods, these reimagining promises to leave audiences of all blood types howling with laughter.
MusicalFare Theatre
4380 Main Street, Amherst, NY 14226 | (716) 839-8540 | www.musicalfare.com THE PROM Music by Matthew Sklar, Lyrics by Chad Beguelin, Book by Bob Martin and Beguelin. Four Broadway actors lamenting their days of fame, travel to a small town in Indiana to help a student banned from bringing her girlfriend to the prom. They’re ready to put a spotlight on the issue…and themselves…and kick-ball-change the world!
O’Connell & Company
Shea’s Smith 658 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14202 | (716) 848-0800 | www.oconnellandcompany.com Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier music by A. J. Holmes, lyrics by Kaley McMahon, and a book by Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Eric Kahn Gale. Hop on your flying carpet, because this musical parody retells the classic tale of Aladdin… from the villain’s point of view! Long ago in a Magic Kingdom, one misunderstood Royal Vizier will go on a quest to save his city from its bumbling sultan, an invading prince, and the most notorious thief to ever live! With the help of the Kingdom’s free-spirited, teenage Princess, the Vizier must find a magical lamp containing a wish-granting Djinn (who’s really funny, by the way) and defeat the city’s most-wanted criminal… Aladdin! This musical adventure celebrates and lovingly pokes fun at everyone’s favorite series of hand-drawn, animated films. THIS IS 18+ and not suitable for children.
Road Less Traveled Productions
456 Main Street Buffalo NY 14202 | (716) 629-3069 | www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org Shipwrecked! An Entertainment—The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself) by Donald Margulies. The adventurous Louis de Rougemont invites you to hear his amazing story of bravery, survival and celebrity that left nineteenth-century England spellbound. Dare to be whisked away in a story of the high seas, populated by exotic islanders, flying wombats, giant sea turtles and a monstrous man-eating octopus. SHIPWRECKED! examines how far we’re willing to blur the line between fact and fiction in order to leave our mark on the world.
Ujima Company, Inc.,
429 Plymouth Ave. buffalo 14213 | (716) 322-5178 | ujimacoinc.org The African Company Presents Richard III, written by Carlyte Brown. Based on true events, this play tells the story of the first Black theatrical troupe in America putting on a production of Richard III, while white uptown producer, Stephen Price, threatened by the competition, sets about shutting them down at all costs. A timeless message on the challenges of negotiating racial consciousness in theater that resonates today.
Starring Buffalo
Shea’s Buffalo, 646 Main St., Buffalo NY 14202| (716) 847-08502| www.starringbuffalo.org An Evening with the Stars: 2024 Curtain Up! Cabaret. Be transported back to Buffalo’s Gilded Age in this unique and intimate cabaret experience inside the incomparably beautiful Shea’s Buffalo petit lobby. Starring Buffalo presents its unique mix of Broadway and Buffalo’s best performers inside Buffalo’s most famous theater venue. Craft cocktails are available and seating is strictly limited for this unforgettable event.
710 Theatre
710 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 142022| (716) 847-0850 | www.sheas.org www.kavinokytheatre.com DISNEY’S NEWSIES Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Jack Feldman. Book by Harvey Fierstein
(produced by D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre). They delivered the papers until they made the headlines… Newsies, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing musical from Disney is coming to Shea’s 710 Theatre. A two-time Tony Award-winning show, Newsies has audiences and critics alike calling it “a musical worth singing about!” (The New York Times). Filled with one heart-pounding number after another, it’s a high-energy explosion of song and dance you don’t want to miss.
Theatre of Youth
203 Allen St, Buffalo NY 14201 | (716) 884-4400 | www.theatreofyouth.org CURTAIN UP! For Kids: SATURDAY Sept 14th. Recently awarded 2024’s Best Cultural Programming for Kids by the Buffalo Spree, Theatre of Youth is excited to announce Curtain Up For Kids! – A Fundraising Event at TOY. As WNY’s only professional theatre company dedicated to serving children and their families, TOY is looking forward to offering a fun family day for both adults and their children who can walk the red carpet, enjoy some breakfast treats, take some workshops utilizing a Pay-What-You-Can pricing model and benefit from season sneak peeks amongst other giveaways and basket raffles Tickets are available at theatreofyouth.org!
Theatre District Street Party (Act III)
When the evening’s stage shows end, the Theatre District Street Party is just getting started. Entertainment will include:
Drag Me To The Stage Bandshell—performances by local actors and singers, drag performances and much more.
Catch Max Davis tickling the ivories on the baby grand at 42 North at the Flats.
Pianist Griffin Kramer, playing showtunes, classics, and your favorite sing- along songs at Shea’s Bistro.
WIDE RIGHT, Buffalo music award winners performing current Radio Hits, Classic Rock, County, Disco, Motown and more, will be playing next to Shea’s
Piano master and tenured jazz legends, George Caldwell Jazz Quartet, will be set up inside the Alleyway Theatre lobby.
Laissez le bon temps rouler at The Bijou! The Zydeco Band is playing their annual upbeat, spicy blend of Cajun music outside of The Bijou.
Pyromancy, a premier fire performance troupe, will be at the Plaza of the Stars.
Don’t miss Stilt Walkers, Ghost Busters of WNY, The AKG Art Mobile and more!!
TDA members whose productions open after Curtain Up! 2024
Bellissima Productions https://bellissimaproductions.com (716) 218-8530
Drag Me to The Stage www.dragmetothestage.com (321) 299-7464
Second Generation Theatre www.secondgenerationtheatre.com/tickets (716) 508 -7480
Shakespeare In Delaware Park www.shakespeareindelawarepark.org (716) 856-4533
CU! 2024 is Sponsored by M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust
Supported by: TDA of WNY, Drag Me To The Stage, WKBW and Wynne Creative.
