WNY Soundstage

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Jacob Albarella and Jay Kaiser, playwrights of The Haunting of Hooverton Hotel.   The Haunting of Hooverton Hotel is a comedic caper inspired by Saturday morning cartoons; the play leans into every mystery trope that audiences love: Ghosts, secrets, a missing will, a suspicious cast of characters, and a group of complete...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Amy Glidden, Associate Concertmaster and Louis P. Ciminelli Family Foundation Endowed Chair of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.   Amy Glidden is associate concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and a lecturer in applied violin at Buffalo State University. She has appeared as a BPO soloist and performed wi...

On this episode, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Tullis Johnson, Charles Cary Rumsey Curator at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.  Johnson curated Something Sinister: The Haunted Landscapes of Charles E. Burchfield, which opens October 29, 2026, and runs through February 28, 2027. The exhibition explores the artist’s early fascination with the mysterious, emotional, and sometimes unsettling...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with JB Smoove. Audiences will recognize JB Smoove from his Emmy-winning work on Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as his roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man: Far From Home. A comedian, actor, writer, and producer, Smoove has also appeared in The Millers, Uncle Drew, and The Last O.G. He currently hosts Hell’s Kitchen and conti...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Gina Gionfriddo, playwright of Becky Shaw at Alleyway Theatre. Gina Gionfriddo’s plays Becky Shaw and Rapture, Blister, Burn were finalists for the 2009 and 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, respectively. She has written for the television series Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, FBI: Most Wanted, The Alienist, and H...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Ron Spigelman, conductor of S’Wonderful Gershwin at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.   Ron Spigelman is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and brings decades of experience conducting symphonic music, pops, ballet, opera, musical theater, and live-to-film productions to the BPO. For S’Wo...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Adam Weekley, whose exhibition Camp Everything is on view until October 26, 2026, at The Burchfield Penney Art Center.  Adam Weekley is a Buffalo-based visual artist, arts educator, and professor. His work has been exhibited throughout Western New York, including at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Hallwalls, Canisius College, Bu...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Tiffany Gaines, curator at The Burchfield Penney Art Museum, and Valeria Cray, whose exhibition Surface Tension is now on view until September 27, 2026. Valeria Cray is a sculptor and public artist, a longtime Buffalo resident, and has been widely celebrated and recognized in the community. Her public artworks have become landmark...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Bandits on the Run about their upcoming performances at the Chautauqua Institution.    Hailing from the Brooklyn-Queens Border, Bandits on the Run is a trio featuring Adrian Blake Enscoe, Sydney Shepherd, and Regina Strayhorn. Together, they blend rich harmonies, inventive instrumentation, and theatrical storytellin...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Jeff Miers, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated music journalist whose insightful criticism and reporting have made him one of Western New York’s most respected voices on music. Through his Substack, Miers on Music, he continues to cover artists, concerts, and the ever-evolving music scene with the same depth, curiosity, and passion...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Grant O’Brien, the inaugural JoAnn Falletta Conducting Fellow with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.  Grant O’Brien is a conductor known for imaginative programming, dynamic performances, and a commitment to making orchestral music accessible to broad audiences. He previously served as Assistant Conductor of the Jacksonvill...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Kevin Cirone, playwright of His Girl Watson: A Sherlock Noir at Alleyway Theatre. Kevin Cirone is a playwright and Kennedy Center Playwriting alumnus whose work has entertained audiences across New England, New York, and beyond for over 20 years, with productions at the Huntington Theater Company, New York International Fringe Fes...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Leslie Odom, Jr.  Leslie Odom, Jr. is a Tony and Grammy Award-winning, Emmy- and Oscar-nominated actor, songwriter, and New York Times bestselling author, best known for originating Aaron Burr in Hamilton. He returned to the role in September 2025 to record-breaking box office success, and also earned acclaim and a Tony nomin...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with playwright Douglas Lyons and cast members Michael ‘Bebe’ Blasdell and Matthew Crehan Higgins about Second Generation Theatre Company’s production of Pure Glitter.   Douglas Lyons is a two-time Emmy-nominated multi-hyphenate artist whose Broadway debut play Chicken and Biscuits earned a GLAAD nomination and became one of...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Kristoffer Díaz about his play Things with Friends, now playing at Alleyway Theatre.  Kristoffer Díaz is a playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and educator whose work often blends sharp social insight with kinetic, character‑driven storytelling. His play The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity was a finalist for the Pulitzer P...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Barry Privett, lead singer of the band Carbon Leaf. Formed in 1992, Carbon Leaf is a Virginia-based band known for blending rock, folk, and Celtic influences into a signature sound. Over three decades, they’ve released numerous albums, toured extensively, and built a devoted fan base. Their latest release, Time is the Playground,...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with James Olmstead.  James Olmstead is a Broadway and symphonic music director, arranger, and orchestrator known for his work on both stage and concert productions. He specializes in creating live orchestral arrangements of iconic film scores, combining precision, creativity, and a deep understanding of complex musical textures....

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Dante Williams, host of the No Label Podcast. Dante Williams, an East Side Buffalo native and versatile creative, has built a career blending music, art, fashion, and media, co-creating the respected No Label The Podcast with Nelson Clark. He also runs his own production company, Beyond Prolific Productions, and contributes regula...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Heather Gring, Rare Book Curator at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, and Michael Bosworth, Executive Director of WNY Book Arts Center, about the exhibition AP Gorny: Different from the Rest. The exhibition showcases the work of AP (Anthony Peter) Gorny, a Buffalo-born artist whose career defies easy categorization. Kn...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Anthony Parnther, guest conductor of Mozart’s Violin presented by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.  Conductor and Bassoonist Anthony Parnther is in his sixth season as Music Director of California’s San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra. His extraordinary career ranges from leading major symphony orchestras and selling out pre...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s double-bassist Jonathan Borden about BPO UpClose.  BPO UpClose is an intimate, in-the-round concert experience in Kleinhans Music Hall’s Mary Seaton Room that places audiences at the heart of the orchestra. Led by concertmaster Nikki Chooi and BPO double bassist Jonathan Borden, the program fe...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Ana Gasteyer.  Ana Gasteyer is an actor, singer, and comedian best known for her six seasons on Saturday Night Live. She has made countless television appearances, in addition to an extensive stage career (including starring as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway). Gasteyer is also an accomplished vocalist with multiple albums that...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Terry Guest, playwright of OAK at Alleyway Theatre.  Terry Guest is an award winning playwright, actor, director and producer. His play The Magnolia Ballet had its National New Play Network (NNPN) rolling world premiere in 2022. Other plays include: Marie Antionette and the Magical Negros, Milo Imagines the World,  At The Wak...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Eric Huebner and Alex Sesenton.   Eric Huebner is an Associate Professor and Chair of Music at the University at Buffalo (SUNY) where he maintains a studio of graduate and undergraduate piano majors and minors and teaches courses in 20th century piano music and piano literature. Alex Sesenton is the Associate Director of...

On this episode of WNY Soundstage, Host Daniel Lendzian speaks with Preacher Lawson.  Preacher Lawson is a comedian best known for his energetic delivery, physical comedy, and charismatic stage presence. He gained national recognition as a finalist on America’s Got Talent in 2017 and returned for AGT: The Champions in 2019. Lawson also has a strong online following, sharing stand-up clips, co...