Good Show! Good Show!
Todd: The middle of the semester has come and gone, and what have you been doing, dear reader? Sitting in your dorm room drinking and smoking while watching the same crappy campus movies wondering why that one-night stand hasn’t called back? Perhaps becoming massively involved with clubs so much that you have drained all your ability to speak up against anything? Or maybe –
Penn: You are rambling, good fellow.
Todd: My mistake. Well, no matter what you may have been doing so far this semester, there are countless things that you can still be doing on campus. And the one place where so many great events take place is the Center for the Arts (CFA). They have a great lineup of upcoming performances that can occupy your nights instead of watching your roommate try to pole vault drunk up into bed. First off, this weekend is Hubbard Street 2 (HS2). HS2 is a vibrant company of six dancers in a performance that mirrors the variety and vitality of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s main company. Led by Artistic Director Julie Nakagawa Böttcher, HS2’s inspired and energetic young dancers perform works by some of the nation’s most promising choreographers. So, dance majors, I’m looking at you to go see this group. They are performing this Saturday, November 6 at 8 p.m. and will have a pre-show talk at 7 p.m. Tickets are $14 for students and $20 for the general public.
Following not too long after, on November 12 at 8 p.m., Colin Quinn brings his brand of comedy to the CFA. Now, you may know Quinn as the former Weekend Update anchor from “Saturday Night Live” or from his hit show on Comedy Central “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,” but I know him as the comedian who went on for a little too long when I saw him in New York City three years ago. Of course, that was for free, but, for his CFA visit, tickets to Quinn are $20 for UB students and $27 for the public.
Penn: Oh, what could be better than quality entertainment in our own backyard? Well, one of Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, for starters. Derek Trucks comes to UB on November 17, promising an impressive show and an eclectic blend of blues, reggae, rock, and world music that ought to rock all your socks off. Trucks and his band are known for a blended style that is always new and innovative, but also easy on the ears, as well as for their improvisational style and fluidity. If none of the above appeals to you, then let me just casually drop the fact that Trucks also plays with the Allman Brothers Band, and is one of the hottest young guitarists on the scene today. That ought to be enough motivation right there. Go see a legend in progress, here at UB.
Todd: December 4 and 5 bring The Nutcracker back to the CFA once again. This holiday classic, presented by the American Academy of Ballet, has become a Western New York family annual tradition. The ballet, of course, is geared heavily toward children. The rendition of the The Nutcracker that will be performed at the CFA features a unique combination of old-fashioned charm and highly creative visual excitement. Show-times are Saturday (12/4) at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday (12/5) at 1 p.m. Tickets are going from $14 to $18.50.
Penn: I bet you just love that title, The Nutcracker.
Todd: Wait, I thought that was your nickname.
Penn: Ah, touché. Well, we’ll leave my personality analysis out of this conversation. For those of you who say, “Hey Todd, hey Wunpenn, fancy dancing, angry comedians, and guitar picking ain’t my thing,” I say to you, “Despair not, my friend.” One of the truly excellent qualities of our Center for the Arts is the wide variety of shows and acts that they book. The musical Steel Pier comes to us at the end of November and offers an exciting mix of flappers and 1930’s flair in Atlantic City. If you like Chicago and Cabaret, then you’ll want to check out this show, the latest success from the same songwriting duo. Playing November 18-21, and December 2-5, this show offers all of the spontaneously choreographed musical numbers that we all secretly love, without the hefty price tag of Broadway.
If musical theater is not your cup of tea, then sit yourself down for Linda Eder’s holiday concert. Returning to the CFA for the second time this year on December 11, Eder brings us her fantastic talent and vocal range, a 32-member choir, and the promise of a night to remember. With comparisons to such prolific singers as Celine Dion and Barbara Streisand, Eder wields a powerful voice, known both in the recording world as well as in Broadway musical theater. Perhaps we’ll even get a little glimpse of the diva in her, who knows. Nothing says “holidays” like a tiny woman with a huge voice.
Todd: Festive, indeed.
