Curtain Up! 2025

Celebrate 42 years of live theatre in Western New York on Friday, September 19th at Curtain Up! 2025 in the Buffalo Theatre District! This will be the 42nd 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! 2025 is Presented by M&T Bank. Complete details are available online by clicking here.

The Theatre District Association will begin a week-long celebration with the highly anticipated Plaza of Stars Induction Ceremony. On Monday, September 15th, renowned actor Anne Gayley, a fixture in the Buffalo theater scene for decades, will be honored with a star in the Buffalo Theatre District. The installation ceremony will begin at 5:30pm in the lobby of the newly renovated Shea’s 710 Theatre, followed by unveiling of the star outside on the Plaza of Stars. A reception will follow immediately after at The Bijou, 646 Main St.

Curtain Up! will be held on Friday, September 19th in Downtown Buffalo. As always, Curtain Up! is a “make your own” night signature event. Join us at the Kick off party or select a place to dine in the Theater District, purchase tickets for any of a wide variety of shows, and then enjoy free entertainment on the street throughout the Theater District. Complete details regarding Curtain Up! 2025 may be found online at: https://tda-wny.com/event/curtain-up-2025/

Act 1– Curtain Up! Kickoff Party will be held at The Bijou Club Level, September 19th from 5pm through 7 pm. Guests will enjoy a two-hour open bar, and delicious heavy hors d’oeuvres. Stomachs will be full and happy with the amazing spread put out by The Bijou! 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. Tickets can be purchased through this link: https://am.ticketmaster.com/sheas/buy/cupcocktail. Or, dine at one of the Theatre District’s wonderful restaurants.
 
Act 2 – Theatre Performances

7:30 pm – Curtains rise at productions at area theaters. Advance reservations are recommended. Guests should check with the theatre venue to review start times, run times, and ticket pricing.

Act 3 – Free Street Party

10 pm When the curtains fall, 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! 2025 Theatrical Performances (Act I)

Alleyway Theatre – 1 Curtain Up Alley, Buffalo, NY 14202 | (716) 852-2600 | www.alleyway.com
THE COTTAGE by Sandy Rustin
A Brand New, Old Fashioned British Farce. Set in a lavish English country estate in 1923, THE COTTAGE is a wildly entertaining and outrageously funny romantic farce where secrets fly, alliances shift, and passions ignite as Sylvia boldly exposes her year-long affair to both her husband and her lover’s wife. With sharp wit, unexpected twists—including a potentially murderous plot—and a dazzling mix of sex, betrayal, and laughter, this modern twist on a classic British comedy takes you on a rollercoaster of love, identity, and fate that will keep you laughing and gasping until the final curtain. Run dates: September 5 – 27, 2025 Ticket Price: $33 with a subscription; single tickets start at $45

Buffalo United Artists – Compass Performing Arts Factory, 545 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 | (716) 440-5521 | www.buffalounitedartists.org
THE LAST CROISSANT by Veronica Tjioe
The Last Croissant is an existential farce, following nine campers in a cramped campsite and explores the themes of identity, gender and self-discovery. Oh, and there is a talking bear!
Run dates: September 12 – 26, 2025 Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 5:00pm Ticket Price: $30 Dollars for General Admission / Industry Rates Available

D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre – 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo NY 14201 | 716-829-7668 | www.kavinokytheatre.com
THE GAME OF LOVE AND CHANCE
All’s fair in love and war—or so the saying goes. But once the games begin will the high-spirited socialite Silvia and her well-suited suitor Dorante feel the same? Masks, mischief, and mayhem abound in this witty romantic comedy in which the paupers become the privileged and the privileged become the paupers—and everyone becomes a player in the hilariously heartwarming Game of Love and Chance. Run Dates: September 19 – October 11, 2025, Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2:30pm Ticket Price: $55 (Adult); $49 (Senior)

Irish Classical Theatre Company – 625 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203 | (716) 853-ICTC (4282) | www.irishclassical.com
OR, By Liz Duffy Adams
A deliciously dizzying (semi)-historical romp. A night in the life of Aphra Behn; poet, international spy, and England’s first professional female playwright. Sprung from debtors’ prison after a disastrous overseas mission, Aphra is desperate to get out of the spy trade. She has a shot at a production at one of only two London theatre companies, if only she can finish her play by morning. But she’s thwarted by interruptions from sudden new love, actress Nell Gwynne; complicated royal love, King Charles II; and very dodgy ex-love, double-agent William Scott – who may be in on a plot to murder the king. Can Aphra save Charles’ life, win William a pardon, resist Nell’s charms, and launch her career, all in one night? Against a background of a long drawn-out war and a counterculture of free love and pastoral lyricism, the 1660s look a lot like the 1960s in this neo-Restoration comedy about “the female Shakespeare.” Run Dates: September 12 – 28, 2025. Ticket Price: $12 – $45

Road Less Traveled Productions in collaboration with Shakespeare in Delaware Park  – 456 Main Street Buffalo NY 14202 | (716) 629-3069 |   www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org
THE BOOK OF WILL Directed by John Hurley
Without William Shakespeare, we wouldn’t have literary masterpieces like Romeo and Juliet. But without Henry Condell and John Heminges, we would have lost half of Shakespeare’s plays forever! After the death of their friend and mentor, the two actors are determined to compile the First Folio and preserve the words that shaped their lives. They’ll just have to borrow, beg, and band together to get it done. Amidst the noise and color of Elizabethan London, The Book of Will finds an unforgettable true story of love, loss, and laughter, and sheds new light on a man you may think you know Performance dates: September 19th – October 19th, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 2:00pm. Ticket prices: $30-$60

Shea’s 710 Theatre 710 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14202 | (716)-847-0850 | www.sheas.org   www.kavinokytheatre.com
DREAMGIRLS Co-produced by Shea’s & AnsariSaxon Productions. DREAMGIRLS is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen; Music by Henry Krieger. Original Broadway Production Directed, Produced, and Choreographed by Michael Bennett.
Inspired by Motown and R&B legends of the 1960s-70s, DREAMGIRLS is more than a musical – it’s a celebration of Black womanhood, excellence, and the pursuit of the American Dream. This story reflects the journey of becoming – from artist to entrepreneur, from overlooked to unstoppable. It captures the complexity of surviving in America while daring to thrive in business, love, and identity. Through music, movement, and heart, we follow the Dreamettes as they navigate ambition, betrayal, joy, and liberation. Performance Dates: September 10 – 28, 2025 7:30PM Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays; 2:00PM & 8:00PM Saturdays; 4:00PM Sundays

Shea’s Buffalo Theatre 646 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14202 | (716)-847-0850 | www.sheas.org
THE OUTSIDERS. Adapted from S.E. HINTON’s seminal novel and FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’s iconic film, this thrilling new musical features a book by ADAM RAPP with JUSTIN LEVINE, music and lyrics by JAMESTOWN REVIVAL (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and JUSTIN LEVINE, music supervision, orchestration, and arrangements by JUSTIN LEVINE, choreography by RICK KUPERMAN & JEFF KUPERMAN, and direction by Tony Award® winner DANYA TAYMOR. The winner of the 2024 Tony Award® for Best Musical is THE OUTSIDERS.  In Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of ‘outsiders’ battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. THE OUTSIDERS navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, THE OUTSIDERS is a story of friendship, family, belonging…and the realization that there is still “lots of good in the world.” Performance Dates: September 17 – 23, 2025, 7:30PM on Wednesday, September 17th, Thursday, September 18th, Friday, September 19th, and Tuesday, September 23rd, 2:00PM and 7:30PM on Saturday, September 20th, 1:00PM and 6:30PM on Sunday, September 21st. Ticket Prices: Varies, see website for details

Ujima Company  Lorna C. Hill Theater, 429 Plymouth Ave., Buffalo, NY, 14213  www.ujimacoinc.org
GODSPELL Ujima opens its 47th season with the iconic musical Godspell by John-Michael Tebelak, featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. This uplifting production brings together an eclectic group of individuals to tell timeless parables through song, dance, and joy. With its message of hope and unity, Godspell promises to be a joyous celebration of faith, love, and community. Ujima is proud to present this production because of its deep connection to the ideals of collective responsibility and the belief that one person’s kindness and service can uplift all. In a time when we need unity more than ever, Godspell reaffirms the power of community and shared humanity. Performance Dates: Sept. 5 – 19, 2025.

Act 3 Entertainment will include:

Book Arts: Book Arts will offer hands-on art making featuring their portable press with copper plates.

Buffalo’s Rocky Horror – The Francis Bacon Experiment: Buffalo’s Premier Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast will be strolling as characters from The Rocky Horror Picture Show and offering a mega mix performance.

DJ Milk: DJ Milk will be spinning beats in the Shea’s 710 Lounge

Griffin Kramer: Pianist Griffin Kramer, playing showtunes, classics, and your favorite sing along songs at Alleyway Theatre.

Max Davis: Catch Max Davis tickling the ivories on the baby grand, playing your favorite show tunes and pop music at 42N at The Flats.

Pyromancy Fire Performance Troupe: Pyromancy Fire Performance Troupe specializes in promoting the art of fire dancing, object manipulation, circus, and flow arts. The troupe is made up of skilled and dedicated performers who are passionate about sharing their love of fire spinning and dancing.

The Ghostbusters of WNY: A local cosplay group of “paranormal investigators and eliminators” who raise money for charity and bring joy to children of all ages. Created by Daniel Keith Barone, an ambassador for the New York City Ghostbusters.

Wide Right: Since forming in 2009, Buffalo Music Award Winners, Wide Right, have become a WNY favorite. They perform current radio hits, classic rock, country, disco, Motown, and more and will be set up outside of The Bijou.