Buffalo Takes Center Stage
The diversity and abundance of performances, put on by nearly 25 professional theaters, makes it easy to find something to see in and around Buffalo. The MusicalFare Theatre stages new and classic musicals. Torn Space Theatre breaks ground with the avant-garde. At the Alleyway Theatre the work of up-and-coming playwrights are on the marquee.
Shows & Musicals for Every Season
The Theatre of Youth’s plays for young people unfold at a restored movie house in the historic Allentown neighborhood. See productions rooted in African American traditions at the Ujima Theatre Company. In the summertime, join the crowd bringing picnics to sit on the lawn and take in the Bard’s comedies and tragedies at a Shakespeare in Delaware Park performance.
From Contemporary to the Classics
West of the city, the Lancaster Opera House continues a tradition of live entertainment that began in 1897. The Kavinoky Theatre’s restored 1903-recital hall on the D’Youville University campus is an elegant, vintage setting. Baroque grandeur suits the Broadway shows at Shea’s Performing Arts Center, a gilded former movie palace on Main Street. For a more intimate production, consider its neighbor on the block, the Irish Classical Theatre Company. Performances suit any proclivity – from murder mystery comedy to a Stephen King movie-turned-play, a Jane Austen interpretation, golden-era shows like Guys and Dolls and the cutting edge. Let us entertain you.
Buffalo: It’s Showtime!
A glimpse into our vibrant theater scene
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Take in the Theater & Entertainment District
Be in the heart of the action downtown
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Perfectly Tuned: Kleinhans Music Hall
You have to experience this amazing concert hall!
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Harold Arlen
Buffalo’s Great American Songwriter
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Excellent Pairings for Dinner @ A Show
An evening of delicious food and entertainment
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Architectural Spotlight: Shea’s Performing Arts Center
A touchstone for downtown’s exciting revitalization
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Erie County Theater Companies
With 22 professional theater companies in the Buffalo area, there’s no shortage of show-stopping performances to enjoy. View some of our favorites below!
Buffalo: It’s Showtime!
Alleyway Theatre
American Repertory Theatre of Western New York
Brazen-Faced Varlots
Buffalo United Artists
Desiderio’s Dinner Theatre
D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre
First Look Buffalo Theatre Company
Irish Classical Theatre Company
Jewish Repertory Theatre
Lancaster Opera House
MusicalFare Theatre
O’Connell & Company
Paul Robeson Theatre
Raices Theatre Company
Road Less Traveled Productions
Second Generation Theatre
Shakespeare in Delaware Park
Shea’s 710 Theatre
Shea’s Buffalo Theatre
Theatre of Youth
Torn Space Theater
Ujima Theatre Company
Upcoming Shows & Musicals
Death Becomes Her
02/16 – 02/21
Shea’s Buffalo
The Tony Winning Hit Musical Comedy Madeline Ashton is the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the…
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Stepping Out
02/19 – 03/07
Canterbury Woods Performance Arts Center
Stepping Out is a warm, witty, and uplifting comedy about a group of unlikely dancers who gather each week for a…
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Theatre Senior Showcase
02/21
Katharine Cornell Theatre
The Theatre Senior Showcase provides graduating undergraduate students in Acting, Musical Theatre, and Design/Technology an opportunity to present their work…
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THE MAGICAL CLOSET MYSTERY: THE MUSICAL
02/27 – 03/13
Theatre of Youth (TOY)
Based on the book The Magical Closet Mystery: A Puerto Rican Adventure by María Pérez-Gómez, published by Berry Powell Press.Directed by…
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Beetlejuice
03/04 – 03/07
Shea’s Buffalo
He earned his stripes on Broadway now the ghost-with-the-most is coming to Buffalo. It’s showtime! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly…
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The Wedding Singer
03/04 – 03/21
Shea’s 710 Theatre
Based on the iconic film of the same name, this hilarious musical comedy will have you partying like it’s 1985!…
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Unfinished Women Cry In No Man’s Land While A Bird Dies In A Gilded Cage
03/04 – 03/14
Ujima Theatre
On March 12, 1955, the same day that virtuoso jazz saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker is dying in the plush boudoir…
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Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical
03/05 – 03/21
Lancaster Opera House
An intimate and uplifting musical portrait of American icon Rosemary Clooney, told through her life story and the gorgeous songs…
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Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding
03/05 – 03/21
Shea’s Smith Theatre
You’re not just watching the show you’re invited to the wedding! Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding is the wildly popular interactive comedy where…
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Harry Potter and The Cursed Child
03/31 – 04/08
Shea’s Buffalo
IT’S TIME TO BELIEVE IN MAGIC Broadway’s spellbinding spectacular, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, is coming to Buffalo. Join…
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Miss Holmes
04/02 – 04/11
Shea’s 710 Theatre
When an anonymous note sends a newlywed wife looking for help, Miss Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Dorothy Watson work together to uncover the…
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Parsons Dance Company
04/03
Center for the Arts
Known for its energized, athletic, and joyous style, Parsons Dance is internationally renowned for creating and performing contemporary American dance.…
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MFA Dance Thesis & ChoreoLab
04/09 – 04/11
Center for the Arts
The spring program foregrounds the MFA Dance Thesis, featuring the premiere of new work by MFA candidate Madeline Dembowski. This…
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Unnecessary Farce
04/09 – 04/25
Lancaster Opera House
Two cops. Three crooks. Eight doors. Go. In a cheap motel, an embezzling mayor is about to be caught on…
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A Two Woman Hamlet
04/13 – 04/15
Shea’s Smith Theatre
Think Hamlet has to be miserable? Well think again & and think fast! Shakespeare’s tragedy is reenacted in one hour…
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SPRING AWAKENING
04/16 – 05/02
Irish Classical Theatre Company
Budding consciousness, innocence, inexperience and rebellion ignite in this darkly electrifying adaptation of Spring Awakening. When no one speaks, youth…
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Gypsy – Musical
04/23 – 05/09
Canterbury Woods Performance Arts Center
Widely regarded as one of the greatest American musicals ever written, Gypsy tells the unforgettable story of the ultimate stage mother, Rose, and…
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The Shark is Broken
04/30 – 05/22
Kavinoky Theatre
FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Filming is delayed again. The lead actors theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood…
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THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD: THE MUSICAL
05/01 – 05/15
Theatre of Youth (TOY)
This classic story has been cherished for generations, teaching kids the value of optimism, hard work, and perseverance. It centers…
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