I am calling the attention of all of you who often sit at home, wondering what the hell the city of Buffalo has to offer besides mediocre bars and cosmic bowling. Wouldn’t it be great to tell our parents we spent their money on something cultural, and be telling the truth? Well, save up your beer money for a week, because, although the smells of alcohol and sweat, and the sight of young bodies grinding to the sounds of “The Real Slim Shady” are exciting, it all can become a bit routine and lose it’s aphrodisiac appeal.

Shea’s Performing Arts Center is downtown. You may have seen it on your way to Utopia, SoHo, or the pizza place. The theater is old and beautiful, and has always been a reliable source for bringing some unique entertainment to Buffalo. This year has been no exception. The months between now and the end of the year will continue this trend as Shea’s will host some great festivals and touring Broadway shows.

If you are stuck for an idea of what to do on Halloween, you have the option to escape finding that perfect costume. Starting October 31st, the Broadway musical, Cabaret, will be showing at Shea’s. If you are the type who enjoys the annual tradition of dressing up like a witch (or punk, or Superman), and dancing the night away under a full moon, don’t worry. Cabaret will run for six nights in a row, totaling eight shows.

Cabaret first opened in November of 1966, and ran for over 1,100 performances at the Broadhurst Theater. It was revived at the Imperial Theater in October of 1987, and is now offering a touring group from its current studio, Studio 54. If you are reminded of the racy, open sexuality that was explored and exploited at Studio 54 in the 70s, don’t think that Cabaret strays far from that lifestyle. (Maybe you have seen a glimpse of the performers in their skimpy costumes in the recent Degree deodorant commercials.)

The show is set in the tumultuous city of Berlin on the eve of Hitler’s reign to power. At this time, Germany (particularly Berlin) was the scene of a hedonistic sub-culture that produced a playground for black marketeers, great filmmakers, reckless street gangs, and outrageous nightclubs. However, as Berlin came to be known as the great crossroads of Europe in the 20’s and 30’s, it also became a battleground between Communists and Fascists.

The musical’s protagonist, Sally Bowles, is a cabaret singer who has just been kicked out of the Kit Kat Club, where she performs. She is taken in by an American writer, whom she meets at a Berlin nightclub. They inevitably fall in love, but despite their mutual affection, the chaotic world outside their doors threatens to jeopardize the relationship. The show lures the audience in by turning the theater into the dark, raunchy Kit Kat Club, and introduces the audience to the social discontentment and open sexuality that characterized this era of German history. However, the atmosphere soon loses its novelty and scares the audience with the reality of what was happening to Germany outside the clubs. Sam Mendes, the man responsible for Cabaret’s most recent revival, says the show is a metaphor for what took place in Germany during the 1930s. “You forget you’re watching a historical period...and instead you watch two love stories. And then gradually, what has been a comforting, welcoming place becomes one you have to escape from.”

In 1967, Cabaret received eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical of the Year, Best Scene, and Best Costume Design. It also received numerous Outer Critics Circle awards, and was named Best Revival of the Year in 1987.

Here is a calendar of events that will be held at Shea’s in the next few months:

NOVEMBER:

1,2 - Cabaret 7:30 pm

3 - Cabaret 8:00 pm

4 - Cabaret 2:00, 8:00 pm

5 - Cabaret 2:00, 7:00 pm

18 - On The Waterfront 7:00 pm

29, 30 - Bear in the Big Blue House 7:00 pm

DECEMBER:

1 - Bear in the Big Blue House 7:00 pm

2 - Bear in the Big Blue House 10:30 am, 2:00, 5:30 pm

5, 7 - Footloose 7:30 pm

8 - Footloose 7:30 pm

9 - Footloose 2:00, 8:00 pm

10 - Footloose 2:00, 7:00 pm

13 - The Three Tenors 7:30 pm

16 - It’s A Wonderful Life 7:00 pm

19 - Kenny Rogers’ Christmas 7:30 pm

20 - Oh Holy Night 8:00 pm

JANUARY:

27 - Man Who Knew Too Much 7:00 pm

If you have an interest in any of these shows or performances, Shea’s is located at 646 Main Street. Its box office number is 847-0850, and its web address is www.sheas.org.