Category: PostEvents

As BPO principal violin Nikki Chooi [say “chewy”] played the notoriously difficult Brahms violin concerto, I had the feeling that we were watching a “dueling violins” smackdown.  Not that there was another soloist on stage, but it had that same “You liked that? Watch this!” feeling.

Of course, violin faceoffs are nothing new to Mr. Chooi.  Before he was a principal violin with the world-famous Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, he was with the crossover group Time for Three.  To understand what I’m talking about, watch him at a recent concert when Time for Three came to Kleinhans.  For an encore, they played the wild “Csárdás” [say “CHAR-dosh”] by Vittorio Monti and they had a surprise guest artist leave his seat with the orchestra and re-join his old band.

Go ahead, the video recorded by Bernd Gottinger at Kleinhans is only five minutes long.  WARNING: The Csárdás is an earworm.

But back to the Brahms Violin Concerto.  It’s difficult for me to talk about it because, growing up, in our family, while Beethoven was God, Brahms was certainly The Archangel of classical music.  You didn’t have to say any more than the name “Brahms.”  It was simply understood that you were about to be moved in a way that no other composer can affect you.  Anyway, hearing this violin concerto was like coming home.  And from the leap-to-your feet applause that followed, I don’t think that I was alone.

Now, after a tour-de-force like the Brahms Violin Concerto, at the end of a concert, other violinists might want to take two ibuprofen, maybe ice the shoulder, or take a nap.  Not Nikki Chooi.  He bopped right back on stage with #13 of the 24 Violin Caprices by Nicolo “ I sold my soul to the Devil to play like this” Paganini.  I’ve said it before, but when the professional musicians of the orchestra put down their priceless instruments so that they can applaud with both hands, you know what just happened was something special.

When the professional musicians of the orchestra put down their priceless instruments so that they can applaud with both hands, you know what just happened was something special.

The concert opened with music by the Italian-Argentinian Astor Piazzolla and his “new tango” piece “Tangazo,” not quite as well known as his shorter and more often heard “Libertango” or “Oblivion” but very engaging as it starts with a low grumbling in the basses, passing the sound around the orchestra before finally emerging into the Piazzolla sound that is instantly recognizable.

Speaking of basses, and moving on to another audience favorite on the program, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 “Italian,” one reason I like live concerts at Kleinhans, in addition to sound that is superior to earbuds, is seeing how the sausage is made, on stage, right in front of you.  Now, those big bass viols to our right are called “Double Basses” because they so often “double,” in other words, duplicate, what the cellos are playing.  Cellos are smaller, their fingerboards are shorter, their strings are thinner, their bows are lighter than double bass’s.  So I found it highly entertaining to watch the seven guys playing these lightning fast runs on instruments that are bigger than my refrigerator.  Kind of like when the tuba plays “Flight of the Bumblebee.”  As the meme tells us: “Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway.”  Tubas shouldn’t be able to “take Flight” and Bass Fiddlers shouldn’t be able to play Mendelssohn at a Ferrari, I mean Falletta, tempo.  But they don’t know that, and so they do.

The Saturday night concert which I attended encores this afternoon, Sunday, October 24 at Kleinhans Music Hall, located at “3 Symphony Circle” Buffalo, 14201 where Porter Avenue, Richmond Avenue, North Street and Wadsworth meet at a traffic circle.  For tickets you could visit www.bpo.org or call 716-885-5000.  Or just show up.  You don’t want to miss this one!!!

UP NEXT AT KLEINHANS:  

The next classical concert with JoAnn Falletta on the podium will again feature a Buffalo favorite, pianist Joyce Yang, the Van Cliburn medalist (and so much more) to play Grieg’s popular Piano Concerto.  Similar to this Sunday’s concert, the concerto will be matched with two audience favorites – Prokofiev’s fun and upbeat “Classical” Symphony and Stravinsky’s even more fun and upbeat “Pulcinella” Suite.  Come early for coffee and donuts before Friday, November 5th’s 10:30 a.m. concert or come on Saturday night, November 6, at 7:30 p.m.

BPO Rocks presents STEWART COPELAND: POLICE DERANGED FOR ORCHESTRA featuring a founding member of 70s and 80s rock legends The Police.  That’s this coming Friday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.

The BPO Pops Series presents BEWITCHING BROADWAY with three Broadway touring/Disney vocalists belting out songs from WICKED, PHANTOM, SWEENEY TODD and more, the night before Hallowe’en, Saturday, October 30 at 7:30 p.m.

And other non-classical events include a world-premiere, the screening of the movie “Elf,” the 2003 American Christmas comedy film directed by Jon Favreau, starring Will Ferrell, with the BPO playing the soundtrack in concert.  That’s Friday December 3, and if you’re still not in the holiday spirit, there’s a one-night-only holiday performance with star of stage and screen Vanessa Williams scheduled Tuesday December 7, all at Kleinhans.

NEW BILLS/SHEA’S TYPE MASKING & VACCINATION PROTOCOLS FOR KLEINHANS MUSIC HALL

“Recent trends in the pandemic continue to concern all of us. In alignment with measures taken by other live entertainment operators including Shea’s and the Buffalo Bills, the BPO will now be implementing a full COVID-19 vaccination requirement and continuing our masking policy for all staff, volunteers, performers and audiences at Kleinhans Music Hall.”  That includes Children 12 and over, while those 12 and under need proof of a negative test.  Read more here.  bpo.org/safety-protocols/

It’s not every day that you come across a 3700+ square foot, 4-level, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired residence that is as captivating inside as it is outside. What makes real estate along these lines even more tantalizing, is when there is a fascinating, fairytale-esque story that accompanies the creation of the property.

Built in 1953, the property’s asking price is $695,000

Take 5650 Keems Lane for example. The story goes that the builder of the lavish MCM home, Nelson Keem Sr., did not start off as a home builder at all. The man actually grew up on a WNY dairy farm. Although he was successful in the farm business, it was a trip to Florida to visit a cousin who was building apartments that led to his first home designing and building venture.

Lake Marie

What is especially interesting about all of this is that Keem knew zippo about designing and building homes. In fact, when he took his wife Marie to the land where 5650 Keems Lane stands today, and told her that this was the spot where he was going to build “her” house, she apparently laughed and told him that he was dreaming. After all, the land was essentially atop a cliff, overlooking wilderness and a creek (or crick, as they call it in the Hamburg neighborhood).

Maybe he was dreaming. But as we all know, many real life ventures start out as dreams. Without any real direction, the self-taught architect and builder began to jot down his drawings of the property, the house… the whole shebang. He was 29 years of age at the time.

Click photos to enlarge

Resolute and steadfast in his conviction and determination to build a sensational modern home, with magnificent vistas overlooking Lake Marie – a man-made lake that he would name after the love of his life – Keen ultimately fulfilled his promise to her.

The result was an opulent sprawling house that boasted flagstone from the same quarry as FLW’s Falling Water, an Italian marble floor in the kitchen, a starlit ceiling (with sunburst), a 100% concrete and steel staircase, flocked wallpaper, shag carpeting, glamour bathrooms, pink chiffon bedspreads, mirrored walls, a white Schumann baby grand piano, bleached mahogany built-ins, 3 wood burning fireplaces, and numerous patios for entertaining.

The entire place was built for entertaining – that was the main point, according to Kathleen Jones, realtor at Keller Williams who toured me throughout the compound.

Vanity bathroom hidden behind a mirrored wall

“Can you imagine the parties? It must have been so lively back in the day,” said Kathleen, as we stood at the top of the endlessly-spiraling staircase, overlooking the living room area. “He harvested the cherry trees from the property and made those cabinets [pointing]. The natural lighting is incredible – the house is surrounded by nature, with lots of windows to view the natural setting. In the springtime it’s a palette of colors. Marie loved to sit outside. Inside she had her Gucci pillows, a room full of designer shoes and handbags, and her collection of dolls. I’ve become quite intimate with the house (and the story) because I signed up as project manager for the listing – I spent three weeks getting it ready for showing. What I love most about the house is how quiet it is – it’s built exceptionally well. It was not long after building the house that Keem would be awarded Builder of the Year. He ended up building all of the homes on Keems Lane, but one. The lane features Lake Marie… and Marie Drive is just around the corner. It’s an incredible listing, that has it all.”

Custom built MCM kitchen

Starting with meager means, Keem and his wife managed to create palatial accommodations for themselves, which they shared with their friends. Marie would spend time preparing the food “down below,” before bringing it up to the kitchen, where it would be served. The sensational soirées spoke of the Keem’s desires to live life to the fullest, but as we are painfully aware, all good things must come to an end. After the passing of his father, and then mother, Nelson Keem Jr. decided that it was time to hand the keys to the dream home to someone that could truly appreciate the posh domicile – the hope being that that person carries on the legacy that all began as an impulsive act of devotion, which led to a fulfilling career in WNY homebuilding.

Cantilevered garage – there are two garages and two separate driveways

View property listing

kathleen.jones@kw.com

Hertel Walls continues to impress. This time, muralist Chuck Tingley has completed what is being considered an ode to the street’s Italian heritage, with his dedication to the Rat Pack. The three heralded entertainers depicted on the mural – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. – were considered the group’s lead members.

With the recent opening of the Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo, along with artist Nicole Cherry’s own ode to “Little Italy,” the decision was made to up the ante, by bringing to life a trifecta of faces that personify a day and age when famed actors and crooners with Italian heritage were considered all the rage. Check out this amazing video of Sinatra in Buffalo in 1951, and learn more on Forgotten Buffalo:

Frank Sinatra, considered America’s greatest entertainer, embodied the Italian persona, although it was actor and singer Dean Martin – born Dino Paul Crocetti – who was known for retaining more of his Italian heritage throughout his career.  As for Sammy Davis Jr., he emulated everything that Sinatra did, and considered him an older brother. You might say that Italian blood ran through all of their veins, in some form or another. That is why they were deemed the perfect spokesmodels for Hertel’s newest mural billboard.

“So far, the response to the Rat Pack mural has been incredible! Each time I visited Chuck while painting, people were stopping by to compliment it by foot, bike, and car. This is an outstanding addition to the dozens of murals on Hertel,” said Delaware District councilperson Joel Feroleto. “Many Italian Americans that have lived in North Buffalo for decades are proud to see the homage to this trio.”

The Rat Pack mural is located at the corner of Hertel and Lovering Avenue.

THE BASICS:  AMERICAN SON by Christopher Demos-Brown, directed by Aaron Mays, starring Tanika Holmes, Christopher Guilmet, Mike Benoit, and Tuhran Gethers, runs at the “Lorna C. Hill” theatre, newly re-named after the founder of Ujima Theatre.  Through Sunday, October 31, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 4 at 429 Plymouth in Buffalo.  For tickets, visit ujima.squarespace.com (716) 322-5178  Runtime: 90 minutes without intermission

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  The play is set in “the waiting room of a police station in Miami-Dade County, Florida” on “a morning early this coming June after 4:00 am.”  The lights come up on an African American mother (played by Tanika Holmes) who is frantic that her 18-year-old son, Jamal, the honor student, hasn’t come home; it’s long past midnight; and he isn’t answering his cell phone.  The rookie officer at the desk (Mike Benoit) offers some attitude, then later donuts, but little in the way of information, putting her off until “the Lieutenant” arrives, but he’s not sure exactly when that will be.  At some point, her estranged husband (Christopher Guilmet), who is white, shows up and it’s gloves-off-knives-out.  Finally, the Lieutenant (Tuhran Gethers) does arrive, adding a whole new level of intensity to the drama.

THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION:  The good work at Ujima continues in this 2021-2022 season, the last season fully programmed by the beloved founder of Ujima, Lorna C. Hill.

I am not going to be a spoiler but will simply say that by the end of the play, as badly as any one of the four characters has behaved, you will certainly understand, at least a little, why they comported themselves that way.  Kendra Ellis-Connor, the mom, is a professional psychologist, but here she reverts to angry mama bear trying to protect her cub, Jamal.  The rookie cop is getting under her skin, asking if Jamal has a street name? or gold caps on his teeth? or visible scars or tattoos?  The rookie later describes her reaction as “she went from zero to ghetto.”  Officer Paul Larkin has some issues.  These comments and more elicited strong cries of recognition and dismay from the audience.

The dad, Scott Connor, is also a study in contrasts.  He obviously loves his son and wants the best for him and is concerned about his future.  But he has never accepted the name, Jamal, preferring to use a nickname “Jay” and is uncomfortable with Jamal’s hair, now in cornrows, saying “The last few times he’s stayed at my place, he’s looked like a goddamned gangster.”

And I’ll leave it up to you to meet Lt. John Stokes on your own, but he is also wound up tighter than a drum.

I was intrigued that on Netflix there’s a version of this play available starring Kerry Washington and one review, which you can read here, was fairly negative.  I’m thinking that a big reason is that this is a play, not a movie script, and it only works well if the action is right there in front of you.  The closer the better, and in the intimate space of Ujima, that’s exactly what happens.  I’m saying this also because, after 18 months of hibernating and watching Netflix, if you haven’t been out to see live theater, then you might have forgotten what you’re missing.

It only works well if the action is right there in front of you.  The closer the better, and in the intimate space of Ujima, that’s exactly what happens.

So, both the production and the play are of high caliber.  If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.

During his pre-show comments to the audience settled in those beautiful and comfortable red seats, actor and current Associate Managing Director, Brian Brown, revealed that he is being prepped to take over next year for Margaret M. Smith, the current Managing Director.  We can all take comfort that the torch is being carefully passed to a new generation.  But let us take a moment to thank Ms. Smith as well as Interim Artistic Director Sarah Norat-Phillips for keeping the ship on course over the past two very trying years.

WHAT’S NEXT:  As mentioned, this is the last full season programmed by Ujima Founder Lorna C. Hill before her untimely passing.  Coming up are SMART PEOPLE by Lydia R. Diamond (four Harvard students find that discussing race can be treacherous), directed by Phil Knoerzer, December 3 – -19.  STEW (3 generations of black women discuss their lives) by Zora Howard, directed by Curtis Lovell, March 11 – 27, 2022.  And SPUNK by George C Wolfe (inspired by Zora Neale Hurston short stories), directed by Sara Norat-Phillips, May 6 – 29, 2022.

*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)

ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e., you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.

TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.

THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.

FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.

FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!

Lead image: AMERICAN SON at Ujima, L-R Tuhran Gethers, Mike Benoit, Chistopher Guilmet, Tanika Holmes

THE BASICS:  PHOTOGRAPH 51 by Anna Ziegler, directed by Katie Mallinson, starring Jacob Albarella, Ray Boucher, John Profeta, Dan Torres, and Adam Yellen with Kristen Tripp Kelley playing Chemist/Crystallographer Rosalind Franklin, runs Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 3:30 and 7:30, and Sundays at 2:00 through November 14 in the Maxine and Robert Seller Theatre at the Benderson Family Building, 2640 North Forest Rd, Getzville, NY 14068, about 20 minutes from anywhere in Buffalo.  (716) 650-7626, www.jccbuffalo.org/jrt. Runtime: 100 minutes without intermission.

Kristen Tripp Kelley plays Rosalind Franklin whose photograph revealed to Francis Crick the structure of DNA

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  This play reveals the little-known but true story of Rosalind Franklin, PhD, a woman scientist working in the 1950s to map the contours of the DNA molecule using a method called X-Ray Crystallography.  Unbeknownst to Franklin, her now famous “Photograph 51” surreptitiously shown to researchers Watson and Crick revealed to them the actual double helix that we now know as the structure of DNA.  Subtle, nuanced, exciting, we get caught up in the chase to discover the secret of life, it’s almost a science-thriller.  Along the way, PHOTOGRAPH 51 explores gender bias, the isolation of research, ambition at its best, and at its worst.

THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION:  Director Katie Mallinson is two for two in my book when it comes to directing plays about physicists in a way that keeps an audience on the edge of the seat.  Several years back I was so impressed when she directed a Niagara University student production of COPENHAGEN by Michael Frayn, another 100 minute, no intermission play with intense dialog about science, based on a 1941 meeting between the physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg.  In that play, much of the drama came from learning just how close the Nazis came to developing the atom bomb.  If she could create that magic with students, imagine what she does with experienced actors.  Now, in PHOTOGRAPH 51, the topic is DNA, the secret of life.

In rehearsal at JRT John Profeta plays Maurice Wilkins (ultimately the third name on the Nobel Prize)
In rehearsal at JRT Director Katie Mallinson knows how to keep a play engaging

In her Director’s Note, Mallinson describes the play as “a work of imaginative speculation” given that five of the scientists on stage “had the privilege of time to place their work in the narrative of history” while Franklin’s early death cheated her of that.  Mallinson further writes that “… it is not a documentary; it’s an artistic experiment.”  And who better to know that than Mallinson, whose many credits before have been for “dramaturge” – that little understood role in the theater which provides, among other things, context and deep background for both the director and the actors so that everyone can make informed choices.  And this play is well informed.

Also to be singled out is Sound Designer Tom Maker, a Buffalo treasure, able to come up with just the right music or sound-scape for every scene.  And Costume Designer Kari Drozd.  And Stage Manager Cali Smith.  And, it’s so nice to have experienced actors on the stage, all favorites, Jacob Albarella, Ray Boucher, John Profeta, Dan Torres, and Adam Yellen.  But the star of the evening, and a great casting choice, is Kristen Tripp Kelley as the sometimes prickly but always honest Franklin.  You can enjoy a short clip of her comments on the role here.

It’s a hotly debated topic, whether Rosalind Franklin on her own (and she was not what we’d call today “a team player”) could have come up with the final double helix model.  Also, some downplay the significance of the one photo’s importance to Watson and Crick who were very close to finalizing their model.  But, if all that conjecture were fact, then would we have endured a 100-minute lecture on the history of science?  Probably not.  And that’s just one level of engagement for this play.  Plays are about people with all their flaws and who doesn’t want to peek into the lives of great minds?

In a 2015 interview piece in The New York Times, Alexis Soloski wrote about Anna Ziegler: “…all her plays explore ethical issues of one kind or another, the duties we owe to ourselves and to each other. They are filled with characters… who are trying to behave well and only sometimes succeeding. ‘I have a lot of sympathy for my characters,’ she said. ‘The people I write are people who are really trying to do their best.’ Asked if this jibed with her view of the real world, she said: ‘I guess I do believe that most people are sort of well intentioned. And yet enormous mistakes occur anyway and we have to live our lives knowing that.’”

A Buffalo Connection – Nobel Laureate, Crystallographer Herbert Hauptman of Buffalo’s Hauptmann-Woodward Medical Research Institute

Watson and Crick and Wilkins ultimately received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1962, four years after the death of Franklin, and Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously.  By the way, if you want to know more, read the now classic The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA, an autobiographical account of the discovery of the double helix structure written by James D. Watson.  But I also just found out about Rosalind Franklin and DNA, by Anne Sayre, which is apparently very critical of Watson’s account, especially in his treatment of Rosalind Franklin.

And, of course, there’s always a Buffalo connection, and that’s our very own 1985 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winning crystallographer, Herbert Hauptman (1917-2011), associated with Buffalo’s Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute.

So for a variety of reasons – historical interest, women in science, another look at gender biastgripping drama, smart dialog, and great acting, this is a play not to be missed.

*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)

ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.

TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.

THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.

FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.

FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!

Lead image: PHOTOGRAPH 51 in rehearsal at JRT L-R John Profeta as Maruice Wilkins, Daniel Torres as Ray Gosling, Kristen Tripp Kelley as Rosalind Franklin | Photos courtesy Jewish Repertory Theatre

Got a hankering for Thai food, but you’re hoping to catch some fresh fall air at the same time? Well, look no further than Sublot 37, where the Tiny Thai food truck will be celebrating its soft opening this weekend (450 Rhode Island, at 18th Street). The food truck, owned and operated by Chef Kae Baramee (lead image), will be setting up on Saturday and Sunday, between 11am and 5pm. That will give everyone plenty of time to try out Chef Kae’s cuisine, which looks something like this:

Gai Yang (grilled chicken and sticky rice)
Kaho Man Gai (poached chicken over rice, with soup)
Massaman Curry (veggie or chicken, served with paratha bread)
Chor Muang (handmade chicken dumplings, dyed with a purple flower)
Thai Iced Tea (with or without cream)

After the weekend is over, Tiny Thai will embark upon its regular business of rolling through the city, stopping to serve members of the business community. Chef Kae will also be handling catering requests for private events. 

In the meantime, this is your chance to meet Chef Kae and try out her delicious Thai creations. 

Orders are walk-up with online ordering live by the weekend. “Special dietary restrictions (vegetarian/ vegan/ gluten-free) are no problem.” Check out the menu, and remember that for catered events, Chef Kae will design a menu specific to your likings and dietary restrictions.

Lead image: Photo courtesy Tiny Thai

What does Forest Avenue mean to you?

For some people, it’s the gateway to the Richardson Olmsted Campus. For others, it’s a link between Delaware Park and Niagara Street. Some people see the street as a future business corridor, while others see it as a street that is stuck in the past – mainly used as a thoroughfare to get from point A to point B.

In the latter scenario, it’s unfortunate, because while Forest Avenue might mean many things to many people, the street (as a whole) has been subjected to neglect for decades. And unfortunately, that neglect has had an impact on the houses that line the street, mainly from Elmwood to Niagara Street.

But now, things might be looking up for Forest Avenue, as GObike Buffalo is conducting a survey that will help them to better understand the wants and the needs from the community, as they pertain to this valuable urban connector.

With Complete Streets infrastructure work on Niagara Street (part of the Empire State Trail) reaching completion, there is a desire to better connect it with other parts of the city, including Amherst Street, Grant Street, Elmwood Avenue, and SUNY Buffalo State. As for Forest Avenue, GObike has this to say:

Along this section of Forest Avenue, between Richmond and Niagara Streets in particular, there are roughly 4,250 residents (American Community Survey 5-year; 2015-2019). Based on counts conducted by GObike Buffalo in fall 2021, 230 pedestrians and bicyclists utilize this corridor every day. Four different bus routes also pass through this area, and serve over 200 average daily passengers from this neighborhood (American Community Survey 5-year; 2015-2019). However, between 2015 and 2019 (American Community Survey), approximately 18 pedestrians were hit by cars, one pedestrian was killed, and 18 bicyclists were also hit by cars.

Combined with the ancillary Jesse Kregal Path along the Scajaquada Creek, that also connects Niagara Street to Delaware Park, Forest Avenue will one day offer cyclists and pedestrians a safer way to get from place to place. In order to get the best results from the project, which is currently in the planning stages, GObike is asking the public to take a survey.

Earlier in October, SUNY Buffalo State College hosted a ribbon cutting for the completion of the reconfiguration and renovations to two key academic spaces: the Academic Commons within E. H. Butler Library, and the Science and Mathematics Complex (SAMC).

Along with the spectacular renovations, and new facilities, the highly anticipated new Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium has opened to the public – a project that is key to supplementing a number of academic departments (sciences, dance, theater, art, music, technology, communication, history), as well as offering one of the most unique exploratory settings for birthday parties and other private events.

“I’m so excited the planetarium is opening,” said Kevin Williams, associate professor of earth sciences and planetarium director. “Classes and other groups on campus that have visited recently have been blown away by the visualizations and unique way of viewing the night sky and beyond in the immersive environment of the planetarium.”

The planetarium includes three state of the art projection systems that will specialize in different areas of study:

The digital planetarium projection allows for visitors to see the entire sky including planets. It gives the feeling of being taken right off of planet earth and transported anywhere in the solar system.
The traditional projection shows the stars and constellations the best.
The laser projection can be used for laser light shows or other special projects. 

Video projection with star projector

As for the planetarium’s accommodations, the 43 foot wide dome seats 48 people, where audience members are able to view the unobscured 360-degree environment.

To learn more about visiting this super unique celestial experience, visit planetarium.buffalostate.edu. Also learn more about the completion of phase 4 renovations of the entire Science and Math Complex where the planetarium is located.

The reconfigured Academic Commons—a $16 million reconstruction project begun in 2018

Photos courtesy SUNY Buffalo State College

Pick a seat. Any seat. No matter which audience you find yourself in, you’ll realize that Buffalo’s stage presence is electric. Home to more than 20 professional theatre companies and the Grammy-award winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, your options for an evening of live entertainment range from Broadway musicals to avant-garde dramas. Immerse yourself in Buffalo’s theater scene.  It’s worthy of a standing ovation.

Shea’s Performing Arts Center

Shea’s Performing Arts Center & Marble + Rye (Downtown Buffalo)

Shea’s: Prepare to be wowed as you step foot inside the grandeur of this Tiffany-designed theater. The best shows of Broadway all make a stop in Buffalo and so should you.

Marble + Rye: Test your bartender’s mixology skills by ordering one of their signature cocktails followed by any of the small or large plate items off of their seasonal, local-focused menu.

Roost | Photo by Onion Studio

Kavinoky Theatre & Roost (West Side)

Kavinoky: This 250-seat Victorian style theatre has been delighting audiences with its locally-produced performances for almost 40 years.

Roost:  Chef Martin Danilowicz brings his locally-renowned flare an ever-changing menu on Buffalo’s west side. Make a reservation for dinner or Sunday brunch.

The BPO at Kleinhans Music Hall

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra & Marcato (Allentown)

BPO: Consider it “music to your ears” to experience the classical sounds of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra inside the acoustically perfect Kleinhans Music Hall.

Marcato by SEAR: Why venture far?  Marcato by SEAR, located in the beautifully appointed lower level of Kleinhans, serves up palette-pleasing entrees before all pops and classics concerts.

Photo courtesy of San Marco

MusicalFare Theatre & San Marco (Amherst)

MusicalFare: This intimate playhouse welcomes theater-goers looking for an evening of toe-tapping delight and introduces you to original musicals and new twists on old classics.

San Marco: Specializing in Northern Italian cuisine, its carb-centric menu is sure to satisfy your pre-show hunger one bowl of rigatoni alla Bolognese at a time.

Photo courtesy of Prescott’s Provisions

Riviera Theatre & Prescott’s Provisions (North Tonawanda)

Riviera Theatre: From their live concert performances to original productions, there’s always something fun happening at the Riv. Catch a show and awe at the detail in this historic 1926 theatre, including their mighty Wurlitzer organ.

Prescott’s Provisions: Founded by a family of food lovers, Prescott’s Provisions sports a menu full of flavor including fresh pasta, delicious cuts of meat and plenty of smaller starters to share.

Photo courtesy of Irish Classical Theatre

Irish Classical Theatre & Bacchus (Downtown Buffalo)

Irish Classical Theatre Company at Andrews Theatre: Every seat in the house is the best seat in the house at Buffalo’s only theater-in-the-round featuring productions of dramatic literature and modern plays.

Bacchus: A sophisticated restaurant with a first-class wine list for all budgets. Located just steps away from the heart of the Theatre District, it’s the perfect spot to grab a bite before the show.

Photo courtesy of Hydraulic Hearth

Torn Space Theater & Hydraulic Hearth (East Side)

Torn Space Theater: This innovative company produces imaginative and challenging theater from a space in the historic Adam Mickiewicz Library on the city’s East Side.

Hydraulic Hearth: Just a short drive from Torn Space, Hydraulic Hearth is just the spot for a quick pre-theater pizza and locally-brewed craft beer.

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Buffalo Business First reports that The Krog Corp. will restart work on redevelopment of the Trico complex at the edge of the Medical Campus “this fall.” Work on the project stopped early last year shortly after Covid hit.  The pause has changed

Krog is planning 130 loft apartments, 132,000 sq.ft. of office space, 12,000 sq.ft. of retail space and indoor parking for 230 cars.  A 105-room extended-stay hotel to be operated by Hart Hotels is still planned but work on that portion of the project will lag behind the residential and commercial space.

Vacant since 1999, the Trico complex was placed on the State Historic Registry in 2000 and the National Historic Registry in 2001.

Prior to stopping work, Krog demolished the center of the plant, the former ice house of the Weyand Brewing Company, opening up the complex and creating more usable floor plates. Due to rising materials costs, the project price tag has risen from $82 million to $105 million.  Work is now expected to be complete in mid-2023.