Buzz Blog

It is said that 100 soldiers in lockstep can bring down a bridge.

Thus it should be no surprise that three drag queens in lockstep can bring down a bus!

Whatever the reason, the bus Priscilla, the star of the camp drag queen musical "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," reportedly kicked on stage last night at Shea's Performing Arts Center. The reports came from people who were there and who, trust us, know what they are talking about.

That bus had had it!

There were apparently no mechanics in the house. Where are rednecks when you need them? And so the show continued sans bus. Priscilla is supposed to have issues so the malfunction was not a complete drag.

News Arts Critic Colin Dabkowski loved this show, which gets rolling again tonight.

Priscilla willing...

Buzz loves the story of how they have found the bones of England's Richard III. Right now the king is lying there in England with a Catholic priest watching over him and reporters filing past him. Questions are being raised. Did Shakespeare gave Richard III a bad rap? Perhaps he was not the villain he is often made out to be. It will be interesting now that there is DNA involved, and other sophisticated methods of investigation. Perhaps we will get some surprises.

It is most exciting! And personally we are pulling for the king, pictured above.

Because Richard III was no stranger to the Buzz column!

Continue reading "Newly exhumed Richard III was no stranger to Buzz" »

Buzz ran into Gary Marino, who plays Drosselmeyer in the American Academy of Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker," on stage this weekend at UB's Center for the Arts.

Gary, pictured above in his iconic role, is having a great time with the legendary ballet, explored recently in great depth by The Buffalo News. This production uses Flying by Foy, the same company that flew Mary Martin in "Peter Pan."

A matinee school performance, Marino said, brought the house down.

"I fly out, the kids go wild," he said. "Three thousand grade school kids screaming at the tops of their lungs. I love the school shows. You could do anything and they would just go wild."

He added: "It's like you're the Beatles in 1967."

Grown-ups are invited to join the kids in this magical mystery tour this weekend.

We dare them to scream at the tops of their lungs!

"The Nutcracker" is on stage at Shea's this weekend -- there is another show today at 2 p.m. -- and Buzz is sorry, but this is one guilty treat we just cannot resist. It is a joint production by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Neglia Ballet Artists. We went last night.

It is so entertaining! That is the battle scene up above, charming and weird at the same time the way this battle scene is supposed to be.

And speaking of charming and weird, it is fun just to observe the kids in the audience.

One little girl in a purple dress and sparkling purple shoes kept climbing things in the lobby at intermission. She was fascinated with the big marble water fountain and kept shimmying up it.

Then when Buzz was trying to throw out our plastic champagne glass she was climbing the garbage receptacle! It looked as if she was trying to throw herself in!

There were tots in our row and you could tell they loved being at the ballet.

"Bravo!" they would yell at the end of a dance.

And: "Encore!" Can you believe it?

You could tell what the kids loved because they were vocal about it. They loved the grandfather, who pretty much stole the party scene. He is Fredonia faculty member Paul Mockovak. And they got a huge kick out of it when Fritz, danced charmingly by Sergio Neglia's son Nico, gets thrown over an adult's shoulder and spanked. Ha, ha! They knew what that was about!

One of the best scenes is Mother Ginger, who in the Neglia production is a giant cupcake. Out from under her skirts skip all these little cupcakes. 

"Ah!" breathed a little girl down our row. "Cupcakes!"

So cute.

Plus, when we got out of Shea's, the air was filled with the first snowflakes we had seen this season.

Perfect!

The Jewish Repertory Theater, in a cheery ad in Gusto, describes "The Whipping Man" -- now on stage -- as "Matzah and Mayhem!" Oy vay! They will have their little joke.

The reality is, we hear, somewhat more grim.

News critic Colin Dabkowski, reviewing it, mentions "a raw and wrenching display of emotional pain."

Not to mention physical pain!

A friend went to the play and was horrified to find that there is also, ahem, an on-stage amputation.

"One of the most grisly things I've ever seen on a mainstage," he confides. "It's a pretty good show. But I'll tell ya, I was damn careful about letting my own leg hang into the aisle."

Ow ow ow!! Kind of lends new meaning to "break a leg."

"Believe it or not," our friend said, "I never thought of that."