OFF ROAD with Peter Palmisano - An RLTP Podcast

In the penultimate history episode, Peter approaches the home stretch with an episode jam packed with origin tales and big names from some of the most familiar theaters and producers in town. These include Kramer, Bustillos, O’Connell, Lambert, Rausa and O’Neill!

The growth of dinner theater, from John Cimasi to Jay Desiderio, takes center stage in this edition, but it's quickly joined by Vincent O’Neill and Neal Radice, as the seeds of their theaters are planted and develop. Finally, the creation of the Artie Awards brings excitement and friendly competition to the arts scene.

In this episode, we learn about the Buffalo Entertainment/Ensemble Theatre from Bob Waterhouse, plus more from Messrs. Elkin, Radice, and Chase, along with a discussion of the growth of community theater by Peter and Tony. Plus, the saga of the birth of the Kavinoky Theatre concludes with final thoughts from David Lamb, and much much more!

As we continue through our timeline, the “Modern Age” gets so busy we could only cover five years of events! This time we hear about the roots of The Kavinoky, Shakespeare in Delaware Park, and Ujima…along with other surprises during this very active time.

Peter’s on his own starting with this episode. But he is joined via audio clips by some of the most important people in Buffalo theatre history from 1962-1973, as the Studio Arena, African American Cultural Center, and Theatre of Youth begin producing!

Covering a fifty-year period in which there was almost too much to talk about, this amazing podcast includes Al Jolson’s appearance at the Teck Theater, the Studio Arena precursor known as the Buffalo Players, The African American Cultural Center’s birth, The Town Casino, and the grand opening of "The Wonder Theatre”: Shea’s Buffalo! Plus, Anthony Chase makes the first of many welcome appearances.

In this first chapter, Peter is joined by Steve Cichon and Ron Ehmke, both fans of Buffalo and its rich history. Included in the discussion are the very first mentions of “theatre”  after the War of 1812, Michael Shea’s first ventures into the entertainment world, and the birth of the “First Lady of The Theatre” Katharine Cornell.

John Murphy is well known as the premier local broadcaster who is the voice of the Buffalo Bills. But in this episode of OFF ROAD, he uses that voice to talk about his life, his upbringing, and his future with the Bills and other ventures. 

Musician Tom Makar is one of many working behind the scenes to give you a more engrossing audio experience at the theater. What does he do and how did he arrive on the scene? Find out in this edition of Off Road!

Jennifer O’Neill and George Pittas join Peter to explain how they turned Buffalo into one of the most desirable film destinations in the world. It didn’t happen by intent, but it did happen practically over night, with a lot of hard work!