Buffalo theater-goers have a lot to look forward to next year.
Shea’s Performing Arts Center announced its M&T Bank 2019-2020 season. This year’s lineup will include seven national tours, opposed to the location’s usual six. Highlights of the upcoming shows include “Mean Girls,” “The Band’s Visit” and “Come From Away.”
“Mean Girls” the musical will launch its national tour at Shea’s from Sep. 21-27. The musical, inspired by a book written by Tina Fey, follows Cady Heron, a teenager transferring to an American high school after living in Africa. She infiltrates a group of popular girls known as “the plastics” to take down their queen bee, Regina George.
“The Band’s Visit” is another highly anticipated musical coming to Shea’s. The musical won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Musical and tells the story of eight Egyptian musicians as they accidentally visit a small town in Israel’s Negev Desert, called Bet Hatikva. During their stay, the band members overcome ethnic barriers and befriend the town’s Israeli inhabitants. The tour will play at Shea’s from April 14-19, 2020.
Other shows included in Shea’s 2019-2020 season are “Come From Away,” Oct. 15-20, “Jesus Christ Superstar - 50th Anniversary Tour” from Feb. 11-16, “Hello Dolly!” from March 10-15, “Anastasia” from May 5-10 and “Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville” from June 2-7.
Shea’s also announced its Special Engagement performances. The three shows in the lineup are “Jersey Boys” from Nov. 14-19, “Les Misérables” from Dec. 10-15 and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” from Dec. 19-22.
“Jersey Boys” tells the true story of the creation of the 1960’s band, The Four Seasons. The hit musical features the band’s classic hits like “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)” and “Sherry.”
The classic musical, “Les Misérables” sold out Shea’s the last time the tour came to Buffalo. The musical tells a story of love, hope and redemption during France’s 1832 June Rebellion.
Shea’s also announced its 710 Theatre lineup. upcoming performances include “Superior Donuts” from Oct. 10-27, “Xanadu” from Nov. 5-10, “Christmas Over the Tavern” Dec. 5-22, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” from March 12-29, and “Bright Star” from May 7-17.
Samantha Vargas and Julianna Tracey are the asst. arts editors and can be reached at Samantha.Vargas@ubspectrum.com and Julianna.Tracey@ubspectrum.com and on Twitter @SamVargasArts and @JTraceySpec.
Samantha Vargas is an English/ film studies double major with a minor in media study. She spends her free time finding shows around buffalo and hanging out with her cat.
Julianna Tracey is a freshman music theater and history double major. She’s excited to explore all that the Buffalo arts scene has to offer.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
