Anthony Chase

Who doesn’t know Dr. Chase, the dean of the theatre department at Buffalo State, and Anthony Chase, the theatre critic who had been writing on local theatre and hosting “Theatre Talk” on WBFO for over 30 years? What about Anthony Chase, the performer?

I first met Anthony Chase, the theatre critic, in 2012. He wrote an article about my performance at the time to discover that not only were we neighbors but he also knew my most memorable theatre professor, Peter Loeffler, whom I studied with at The University of British Columbia. Such a small world, after all!

For those of you who know him, as well as those who have yet to hear about him, don’t miss the opportunity to get to know Anthony Chase in real life and on stage. “Anthony Chase: My Life in the Audience” ran for quite some time at the Bittersweet Piano Lounge, and I almost missed the last performance at this intimate venue.

I went to see “Anthony Chase: My Life in The Audience” as an empty vessel and found my “spirit climb” during the performance. The show seamlessly intertwined happy, funny, and sometimes sad stories with song fragments from Broadway musicals, reflecting on his life in an entertaining and thought-provoking way. I was particularly intrigued by the dissonance between the body movement of Anthony Chase, the storyteller-singer, and Philip Farugia, the piano player. (Hint: June and Louise in Gypsy)

Luckily, you can also let “your spirit climb.” There are two more performances, on August 19 and 20, at the Maxine & Robert Seller Theatre.

Purchase tickets at the Buffalo United Artists.