ON STAGE: Capsule look at area theater shows

A capsule look at area theater productions:

CLOSING

LEBENSRAUM (LIVING SPACE): Through March 14. The play by acclaimed author Israel Horovitz features three actors in 80 roles exploring what might happen if a German government, in a gesture of Holocaust redemption, invited six million Jews to make Germany their home. At Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Rochester. For times and ticket information, call (585) 461-2000 or go to www.JCCcenterstage.org.

ANANSI THE SPIDER AND THE MIDDLE PASSAGE: Through March 13. The Forum Players at Genesee Community College, 1 College Rd., Batavia, present Frank Higgins play as its annual children’s theatre production. The celebrated spider of African folklore springs to life in a series of action-packed, light-hearted adventures as a mother and her daughter are taken from their homeland and must search for meaning in their new lives. Special daytime school performances continue today and Friday; a public performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday. For ticket information, call (585) 343-0055 ext. 6814 or e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu.

ELMO’S GREEN THUMB: Through March 14. Elmo has raised his sunflower, Sunny, from a seed, but the floral friend has outgrown his flower pot. Elmo and friends find Big Bird’s garden the ideal place for Sunny to flourish and grow but they are too excited to wait. Rather than let Sunny follow nature’s course, Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street’s fairy-in-training, casts a spell to make him grow. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and all of his friends shrink! While Abby searches for just the right words to reverse the spell, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and friends explore Big Bird’s garden from a smaller perspective and learn  big lessons about patience, overcoming their fears and appreciating the role that each creature plays in our ecosystem – from dancing ladybugs and beautiful butterflies to grouchy beetles that scavenge the garden floor. Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo. Tickets available online at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling (800) 745-3000. For more information, visit www.sesamestreetlive.com, or call (716) 847-0850.

OPENING

MARCH 11

SLEEPING BEAUTY: Musical version of Sleeping Beauty. 6:30 p.m. at Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Ave., Lancaster. For ticket information, call (716) 683-1776 or go to www.lancopera.org.

MARCH 13

PETER PAN: Rochester Children’s Theatre stages an adaptation of the adventures of the boy who won’t grow up. Performances scheduled for March 13, 14, 20 and 21 at the Nazareth College Arts Center, 4245 East Ave., Rochester. For ticket information, call (585) 389-2170.

MARCH 14

THE SWEET LIFE: MuCCC’s American Playwright Series presents a reading of Craig Thornton’s play for one performance. “The Sweet Life” is a homecoming story that embraces quirkiness and rides a fine line between zaniness, satire and drama. The bittersweet comedy is also an homage to small towns, chocolate, family and Kaufman and Hart. Michael H. Arve directs, with actors from the Greater Rochester Repertory Companies. 2 p.m. March 14. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door. For reservations, call (585) 234-1254.

MARCH 15

CONVENIENCE: The original Mainstage cast of Gregg Coffin’s musical reunited for a one-night concert to celebrate Geva Theatre Center’s 25th anniversary in the historic armory building at 75 Woodbury Blvd., Rochester. “Convenience” is the story of a single mom and her estranged 26-year-old son who have news to break to each other, but neither can find the words or courage. Liz (Mary Jo McConnell) worries about telling Vince (Jim Poulos) that she’s getting married; Vince is afraid to tell her that he’s gay. The cast also include Melissa Rain Anderson, Ron DeStefano and Martin Vidnovic. Tickets are available from the Geva box office, by calling (585) 232-GEVA and online at www.gevatheatre.org.

ONGOING

BELLE: Through March 28 by Ujima Theatre. The story of two recently freed slaves, a husband and wife, on a journey to the North in search of a new life. When they encounter a white woman fighting for the suffrage movement, they become entwined in the social upheaval that epitomized post Civil War America. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays at TheaterLoft, 545 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo. For ticket information, call (716) 883-0380 or go to www.ujimatheatre.org. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/96672.

BLACK PEARL SINGS: Through March 28. Frank Higgins’ play with music explores song, race and culture in America. Set in the midst of the Great Depression, Susannah Mullally travels the country, recording lost traditional songs for the Library of Congress. Hoping to find the one song that will bring her long-awaited recognition, she discovers Pearl Johnson in a Texas prison. With a soulful voice and a wealth of African-American spiritual songs, Pearl seeks information and a chance at freedom. Each woman must decid ehow much of herself she is willing to give to get what she wants in return. Mary Kate O’Connell stars as Susannah, Mary Craig is Pearl. Thursdays to Sundays at Erie Community College-North Campus in Gleasner Hall, 6205 Main St., Williamsville. For times and ticket information, call (716) 848-0800.

COOKING WITH THE CALAMARI SISTERS: MANGIA ITALIANO!: Just extended through April 4. Meets the brassy, sassy Calamari Sisters, the multi-talented darlings of Brooklyn’s cable access station WFAT. Will the gals make it through the final broadcast of their cooking show, “Mangia Italiano,” or will tempers boil over to a heated salami-slamming food fight? . Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, Rochester. Call (585) 324-4370, or go to www.downstairscabaret.com.

FALSETTOS: Through April 3 (no performance on Easter Sunday, April 4). In celebration of MusicalFare’s 20th anniversary season, the company returns of one of the most acclaimed and cherished productions.  The 1992 Tony award winning story of a family that somehow manages to stay together by reinventing itself.  Performances are Wednesdays through Sundays at Musicalfare Theatre on the campus of Daemen College, 4380 Main St., Amherst. “Meet the cast” talkbacks follow all Wednesday performances except opening night. For times and tickets, call (716) 839-8540 or go to www.musicalfaretheatre.com.

I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME: Cindy Miller presents a Las Vegas-style show featuring contemporary musical selections and impersonations. Ongoing monthly performances. Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, Rochester. Call (585) 324-4370, or go to www.downstairscabaret.com.

THE PRICE: A powerhouse drama from Arthur Miller (“Death of a Salesman,” “The Crucible”) about two brothers who meet to sell their parents’ furniture and uncover an attic full of memories and old rivalries. What price has each paid for the choices he’s made. Through March 21. At Geva Theatre Center, 75 Woodbury Blvd., Rochester. For times and ticket information, call 232-GEVA or www.gevatheatre.org.

SECRET ORDER: Through April 3. A taut drama about the moral and ethical dilemmas involved in the high stakes world of medical research. A brilliant young research biologist working in an obscure university lab discovers a possible cure for cancer. Aided by the dynamic director of New York’s leading cancer institute, the biologist is set on a path of acclaim and prestige, only to be thrust into the high-stakes world of medicine, money and power. At the Kavinoky Theatre, on the campus of D’Youville College, Buffalo. For times and ticket information, call the box office at (716) 829-7668 or go to www.kavinokytheatre.com.

SISTER ROBERT ANNE’S CABARET CLASS: “Sister Robert Anne’s Cabaret Class” is a “one-Nun-sense musical event” starring Paula Betlem in a celebration of the songs Sister Robert Anne has debuted in the six “Nunsense” musicals. The production includes two new songs from the upcoming seventh “Nunsense” production, “Nunset Boulevard: The Nunsense Hollywood Bowl Show.” Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, Rochester. Call (585) 324-4370, or go to www.downstairscabaret.com.

UNLEASHED! COMEDY IMPROV: Rochester-based comic troupe performs the second and fourth Saturdays at the Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Brighton. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, call (585) 461-2000 ext. 235 or go to www.unleashedimprov.com.

Coming Attractions

MARCH 16-21

GREASE: “American Idol” season-five finalist Ace Young stars in this new production that takes audiences back to a time of poodle skirts, drive-ins and T-birds as “bad boy” Danny and “girl next door” Sandy fall in love. ("AI5" winner Taylor Hicks will not be appearing in the Rochester engagement; Young's appearances are scheduled March 16, 17 and 21.) Featuring such familiar songs as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’ ” and “We Go Together” and additional songs from the movie, including “Hopelessly Devoted to You and “You’re the One That I Want.” Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main St., Rochester. Tickets available online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and at the box office. Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main St., Rochester. For more information, go to www.rbtl.org.

March 18

RICHARD III: Through March 20. Batavia Players Inc. presents its annual Shakespeare in Spring production at Batavia High School, 260 State St., Batavia. “Richard III” is the story of how Richard, resentful that his brother Edward IV is made king, sets his sights on the crown. Richard will manipulate and murder anyone who tries to block his path to the crown. E. Jane Burk directs. For ticket information, go to www.bataviaplayers.org.

BABY WITH THE BATHWATER: Through March 27. Niagara University students stage Christopher Durang’s comedy about dysfunction and breaking life patterns. Helen and John, first-time parents, are disappointed that their newborn baby doesn’t speak English and they are too polite to check its sex. Later, as Daisy grows up he must break life patterns before repeating them. On stage at The Church, 415 Plain St., Lewiston. For times and tickets, call (716) 286-8685 or go to www.niagara.edu/theatre.

MARCH 19-28

ODD COUPLE (FEMALE VERSION): Through March 28. Times vary. Lancaster Regional Players present this update of Neil Simon’s famous play the opens with a group of women friends playing their regular game of Trivial Pursuit. Among them, Olive Madison, a divorcee who freely admits to being a slob, and Florence Unger, a stickler for detail. At Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Ave., Lancaster. For ticket information, call (716) 683-1776 or go to www.lancopera.org.

March 20

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH: Based on the children’s book by Roald Dahl about the adventures of James, a lonely young boy who is forced to do chores all day long for his self-absorbed aunts in England. Then, one day a mystical old man gives James a bag of magic and the most incredible events begin to happen after James accidently spills the bag near an old peach tree. March 20 to 28 at the Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Brighton. Recommended for ages 6 and up. For tickets and more information, call (585) 461-2000 ext. 235 or go to www.tykestheatre.org.

March 23

GREASE: Through March 28. Times vary. American Idol” season-five winner Taylor Hicks and “AI5” finalist Ace Young s in this  new production that takes audiences back to a time of poodle skirts, drive-ins and T-birds as “bad boy” Danny and “girl next door” Sandy fall in love. Featuring such familiar songs as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’” and “We Go Together” and additional songs from the movie, including “Hopelessly Devoted to You and “You’re the One That I Want.” At Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo. For times and ticket information, contact the Shea’s box office, 650 Main St., call 1 (800) 745-3000 or check Ticketmaster outlets, including www.ticketmaster.com

MARCH 25 to 27

CALAMITY JANE: Through March 27. Perry High School musical. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. March 25 to 27. Tickets are $5.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS: Through March 27. Warsaw High School musical. Performances are 7:30 p.m. March 25 to 27 in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $6, $5 for students and seniors.

MARCH 26 to 28

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS: Through March 28 in the Letchworth Central School Auditorium. Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. March 26 and 27 and 2 p.m. March 28. Tickets are $6 at the door.

MARCH 26

ELMO’S GREEN THUMB: Through March 28. Elmo has raised his sunflower, Sunny, from a seed, but the floral friend has outgrown his flower pot. Elmo and friends find Big Bird’s garden the ideal place for Sunny to flourish and grow but they are too excited to wait. Rather than let Sunny follow nature’s course, Abby Cadabby, Sesame Street’s fairy-in-training, casts a spell to make him grow. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and all of his friends shrink! While Abby searches for just the right words to reverse the spell, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and friends explore Big Bird’s garden from a smaller perspective and learn  big lessons about patience, overcoming their fears and appreciating the role that each creature plays in our ecosystem – from dancing ladybugs and beautiful butterflies to grouchy beetles that scavenge the garden floor. Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main St., Rochester. Tickets available online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and at the box office. Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main St., Rochester. For more information, go to www.rbtl.org.

APRIL 8-10

CHICAGO: One show-stopping song after another, and intense dance sequences are featured with the theatrical institution — and all that jazz — springs to life on stage at Genesee Community College’s Center for the Arts, 1 College Rd., Batavia. For ticket information, call (585) 343-0055 ext. 6814 or e-mail boxoffice@genesee.edu.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS: Through April 10. Neil LaBute’s play is presented by VegSOUP at Geneseo State College. Performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. April 8 to 10 and 11 p.m. April 9 in Robert Sinclair Theatre. Admission is $6. Available from the Brodie box office, (585) 245-5833, and online at www.geneseo.edu/~bbo

APRIL 14

WICKED: Through May 2. Musical inspired by “The Wizard of Oz” set box-office records when it first played Rochester in 2008. Before Dorothy arrived in Oz, two women meet in the land of Oz. One - bornw ith emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Withc of the West and Glinda the Good Witch  is the basis of this spellbinding musical. Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main St., Rochester. Tickets go on sale Feb. 22 and will be available online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000 and at the box office. Auditorium Theatre, 875 East Main St., Rochester. For more information, go to www.rbtl.org.

April 16

PROOF: Through April 18. Niagara University Players present David Auburn’s drama about a mathematicians and his daughter who must proving herself to herself. At The Church, 415 Plain St., Lewiston. For times and tickets, call (716) 286-8685 or go to www.niagara.edu/theatre.

APRIL 16-25

NOISES OFF: Times vary. Chaos reigns in this Tony Award-winning farce that follows a motley and disorganized theater company as they try to make it through “Nothing On.” At Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Ave., Lancaster. For ticket information, call (716) 683-1776 or go to www.lancopera.org.

APRIL 21

JERSEY BOYS: Through May 9. Times vary. The 2006 Tony Award-winning best musical about rock and roll hall of famers The Four Seasons tells how four blue-collar kids — Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi — become of the of greatest successes in pop music history. The show features such hits as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” At Shea’s Performing Arts Center, 646 Main St., Buffalo. For times and ticket information, contact the Shea’s box office, 650 Main St., call 1 (800) 745-3000 or check Ticketmaster outlets, including www.ticketmaster.com

ZOOMA ZOOMA: Through May 23. One of the most successful world premiere musicals ever created at MusicalFare celebrates its 20th anniversary with the return of star Norm Sham and the entire original cast. The production promises to “blow the roof off the joint” with an onstage band and a shimmy shaking cast performing the songs and arrangements you love and remember! Performances are Wednesdays through Sundays at Musicalfare Theatre on the campus of Daemen College, 4380 Main St., Amherst. “Meet the cast” talkbacks follow all Wednesday performances except opening night. For times and tickets, call (716) 839-8540 or go to www.musicalfaretheatre.com.

APRIL 23

GILBERT & SULLIVAN’S PIRATES OF PENZANCE: Presented by Roberts Wesleyan College Fine Arts Department. Performances scheduled for 7:30 p.m. April 23 and 3 p.m. April 25 in the Cultural Life Center at Roberts Wesleyan College, 2301 Westside Drive, Rochester. For ticket information, call (585) 594-6008 or 1 (888) 222-1048, or go to www.roberts.edu/clc.

April 29

ANYTHING GOES! Through May 9. Cole Porter’s tap-dancin’ musical will open Niagara University’s newly renovated Leary Theater in Clet Hall on the NU Campus. The story, set on a cruise ship en route from New York to London, spotlights the madcap antics of a stowaway, an heiress, a nightclub singer, Public Enemy No. 13 and a host of tap dancers who all sing such hits as “I Get a Kick Out Of You,” “You’re the Top,” “It’s De-Lovely,” Blow Gabriel, Blow” and the title song.  On May 1, the production is the centerpiece of the 25th annual Friends of Niagara University Theatre Gala fundraiser, which include a 4 p.m. production of “Anything Goes” at the Leary Theatre, and a cocktail reception, dinner and silent and live auction at the Niagara Falls Country Club. For times and tickets, call (716) 286-8685 or go to www.niagara.edu/theatre.

MASK DANCE: April 29 to May 1. GENseng presents by Rick A. Shiomi. Performances at 7 p.m. April 29, 4 p.m. April 30 and 2 p.m. May 1 in Robert Sinclair Theatre at Geneseo State College. Admission is $7. Available from the Brodie box office, (585) 245-5833, and online at www.geneseo.edu/~bbo

APRIL 30

LETTICE & LOVAGE: Through May 30. Lettice Duffet, an expert on Elizabethan cuisine and medieval weaponry, is a tour guide at one of the least stately of London’s stately homes who theatrically embellishes its historical past until Lotte Schoen, an inspector from the Preservation trust, fires her. Not one to go without a fight, Lettice engages the stoic, conventional Lotte in a comedic battle to the death. At the Kavinoky Theatre, on the campus of D’Youville College, Buffalo. For times and ticket information, call the box office at (716) 829-7668 or go to www.kavinokytheatre.com.

APRIL 30-MAY 9

ME AND MY GIRL: Through May 9. Times vary. A razzle-dazzle musical about a Cockney lad who inherits the title and fortunes to Earl of Hareford. at Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Ave., Lancaster. For ticket information, call (716) 683-1776 or go to www.lancopera.org.

May 3

SLEEPING BEAUTY: A full-scale musical with sets, costumes, make-up and props starring up to 64 local kids. Cast and crew will rehearse Monday through Friday and perform the show Saturday. Presented by the Missoula Children’s Theatre Experience, which comes to town with everything needed to put on a play — except the cast. Children age 5 to 17 may participate in the week-long program; no auditions necessary. Rehearsals start at 4 p.m. daily and go to about 8:30 p.m. with snack breaks; shorter rehearsal times for the youngest children. For registration information and costs, call (585) 723-6080. At the Jewish Community Center, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Brighton. For tickets and more information, call (585) 461-2000 ext. 235 or go to www.tykestheatre.org.

MAY 13-16

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST: Through May 16. Batavia Players Inc. plans a dinner theater production of Oscar Wilde’s society satire. At Players’ new Harvester Avenue Theatre, 56 Harvester Ave., Batavia. For more information, go to www.bataviaplayers.org.

MAY 15-16

MARK TWAIN LIVE!: Mike Randall presents his one-man show that shares the wit and wisdom of Mark Twain. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. At Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Ave., Lancaster. For ticket information, call (716) 683-1776 or go to www.lancopera.org.

MAY 17

“THE HORNETS‘ NEST“ (To be announced): Geva Theatre Center’s script-in-hand reading series, “The Hornets’ Nest,” which features professional actors and directors investigating difficult and controversial subjects. Two plays are being considered for the final play of the series. “Yankee Tavern” asks who benefits when citizens grow cynical and ponders if there is just cause for America’s loss of faith in the leaders or does the media foster paranoia just to sell their product, among other questions. “Whose Life Is It Anyway?” deals with individual’s control over their own health, and asks who has the right to make end-of-life decisions for you. The decision on which play will get a reading will be made based on conversations with audiences at the previous two readings on Jan. 18 and March 8.Reading is at 7 p.m. in Geva’s Nextstage, 75 Woodbury Blvd. Tickets are fee and limited to two per person. Patron discretion advised as “Hornets’ Nest” plays deal with adult subject matter. Reservations recommended. Call the box office at (585) 232-4382.

JUNE 11-19

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2: Through June 19. Times vary. The Wildcats are back in this sequel set primarily at the Lava Spring Country Club where hoops hero Troy Bolton, his girlfriend Gabriella Montez and their two best friends find summer jobs. Sharpay Evans, whose parents own the resort, wields remarkable power in an attempt to win Troy away from Gabriella. Eventually, Troy must decide between true love or a bright future with a scholarship. At Lancaster Opera House, 21 Central Ave., Lancaster. For ticket information, call (716) 683-1776 or go to www.lancopera.org.

AUGUST 19-21

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS: Through Aug. 21. The 2010 Batavia Players Inc. Summer Youth Theatre production. Performances at Batavia High School, 260 State St., Batavia. For more information, go to www.bataviaplayers.org.