It's not just the weather that will keep Buffalo steamy this summer. The Center for the Arts will host an array of distinguished national performing acts while summer classes are in session.
The summer calendar will open with an appearance by journalist Cokie Roberts on May 1. A former chief congressional analyst for ABC News, Roberts will be in town to celebrate the opening of the Breast Center at the Women's and Children's Hospital of Buffalo. She will speak about her battle with breast cancer, as well as her career in journalism.
Later in the month, the national touring company of Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" will play one show at the CFA's Mainstage Theatre. Based on Manilow's disco hit from the 1970s, the show hits the CFA on May 16.
Now in its third year, the North American Rock Guitar Festival Competition will again hold events at the CFA. Some of the nation's greatest amateur rock guitarists will travel to Buffalo to participate in one of the fastest-growing summer events the city has seen in years. The festival's competition will be held June 16 and will be taped by local public television affiliate WNED-TV for a future national PBS broadcast. In addition, performances by national recording artists will take place throughout the city during the festival.
Grammy Award-winning singer and pianist Ray Charles will play July 17 at 8 p.m. The legendary singer, who is a member of four music Halls of Fame and the recipient of countless awards, will perform his signature mix of rock, jazz, gospel, and rhythm and blues.
The Jazz Dance World Congress, a conference of dance troupes from across the globe, will host a five-day convention at the CFA, increasing the exposure for the university's dance department as well as the center's facilities. Held Aug. 6-10, the event will feature workshops and master classes during the day and performances in the evening. University faculty and students are expected to participate in the event.
"Fosse," the 1999 Tony Award-winning musical based on the work of the late Bob Fosse, will spend three weeks at the CFA in late August to rehearse for their new national tour. Fosse was the director-choreographer of "Chicago" and "Pippin," and the Buffalo rehearsals will save the production money, since studio space in New York City is so expensive, as well as give local students the chance to assist in technical rehearsals. The production's rehearsals will conclude with two performances, Sept. 18 and 19, during Buffalo's "Curtain Up" event, the official opening of the local theater season.
As the summer winds down, the CFA will prepare for its 2003-04 season, which includes a full roster of national performing acts and groups. While the season has yet to be officially released, tickets to two events in the fall are already on sale.
Comedians Lewis Black, seen weekly on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," and Margaret Cho, who has released two concert films and has appeared on HBO's "Sex and the City," will bring their trademark acts to the mainstage Oct. 11 and Sept. 14, respectively.
Prices for events range from $5 to $100, depending on seat location. Tickets for all CFA events can be purchased at any Ticketmaster location or by visiting the CFA's box office. All summer events are currently on sale, and future performances will be made available soon. For more information on the upcoming season at the CFA, visit www.arts.buffalo.edu.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
