Greetings to all of our readers.

Those who have been with us for a period of time know that sometimes the number of announcements which pack into our computer daily becomes so large that it’s necessary to devote an entire column to sharing them.

There really are that many things to do for arts lovers in Western New York. As I’m always saying, ”Life is a banquet.”

WINKS

One of the most popular Broadway shows in history is ”Les Miserables,” by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo.

The show will be performed live in Jamestown Community College’s Scharmann Theater, for 11 performances, beginning Nov. 7. With more than 40 cast members and an 18-piece orchestra, it is the biggest theatrical project yet attempted by the Uncommoners, the JCC performing company.

Tickets purchased in advance cost $18 for premium seating, $15 for preferred seating and $10 for general seating. Tickets purchased at the door cost an additional $2, in all price categories.

To purchase them, phone 338-1187, or go to the website www.sunyjcc.edu/uncommoners. Members of the JCC Faculty Student Association are entitled to a $2 reduction in ticket price if they purchase in person at the box office.

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The Strong Museum, in Rochester, prides itself on being the official center of play in our country.

This year, the museum invites children to put on their favorite Halloween costume, and to come to their slightly early celebration of the holiday. Oct. 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Oct. 26, from 1-4 p.m. The museum will offer seasonal fun, with performances by Hildy, the German Juggler Boy.

On Oct. 31, the museum invites the youngest trick or treaters – young enough to attend the museum while school is in session – to a party, with prizes for costumes, and various games and contests.

The Strong is located at One Manhattan Square, in downtown Rochester. Phone for more details at 585-410-6365.

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Actors interested in a professional gig, are invited to two different auditions at the Kavinoky Theater Company, 320 Porter Ave., in Buffalo.

Today, from 4-6 p.m., adult actors who are strong singers are invited to audition for roles in Forest Lawn Cemetery’s production of the holiday production ”It’s a Wonderful Life,” which will be performed outdoors, in the famed Buffalo cemetery, Nov. 29 through Dec. 28. All positions are paid positions.

For more information, phone the director, Joe Demerly, at 829-8141.

The Kavinoky Company, itself, is holding auditions for their production of ”Family Furniture,” by A.R. Gurney, which will be performed Jan. 9 through Feb. 1, with performances on Thursdays through Sundays. Thursdays through Saturdays, performances begin at 8 p.m. Also on Saturdays at 4 p.m., plus Sundays at 2 p.m., there will be matinee performances.

The company is seeking two women, ages 18-25, one man, age 18-25, and one man, age 45-55. All positions are paid. Auditions will be held Monday, from 6-10 p.m. at the company’s performing venue, described above. To make an appointment for these auditions, phone 829-7668. No one will be auditioned without an appointment.

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Celebrated Jamestown storyteller Paul Leone will present ”Autumn Appeal: Stories of the Season,” from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Hultquist Library, on the Jamestown campus of Jamestown Community College.

The program is free, and open to the public. For more details, phone 338-1126.

Also at JCC, the Weeks Gallery will open an exhibit called ”The Veterans Book Project,” an art collaboration by Monica Haller. The project is made up of 50 books, each written by individuals with firsthand experience of current and recent American wars. Authors include veterans, family members and refugees from the wars.

Haller is a media artist, who uses design, photo, sound and installation. The gallery will schedule discussion sessions about the exhibit, both in the gallery and in sites in other communities. The exhibit will be displayed through Dec. 11. An opening reception, with the artist present, will be held from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 5.

A second exhibit from the project will be shown at Reed Library, on the campus of SUNY Fredonia, Nov. 1 to Dec. 5. The artist will discuss that work on Nov. 6, from noon to 1 p.m., in McEwan Hall, room 209.

Weeks Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday.

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Tonight at 8 p.m., get in the mood for the season with a performance of Bram Stoker’s ”Dracula,” by Big Time Players, at the Spire, in downtown Jamestown.

Tickets which are bought online, in advance at www.spiretheater.org, are $12. Tickets at the door are $15. For additional information about the production, phone 450-0989.

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Buffalo’s Jewish Repertory Theatre, performing in the Jewish Community Center, 2640 N. Forest Road, in the Buffalo suburb of Getzville, will open their 12th season of productions with ”Old Jews Telling Jokes,” by Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent.

Performances will take place Oct. 23 to Nov. 16. The play is described as 90 minutes of humor; a pickle barrel full of wit, history and humor.

For information or to purchase tickets, phone 688-4114, ext. 391 or visit the company’s website at www.jewishrepertorytheatre.com.

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The Buffalo History Museum, at One Museum Court, just off Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, will open a new exhibit this weekend.

”Inside Tim Russert’s Office” will celebrate Buffalo in the 1950s, and especially the life and career of newsman and commentator Russert. For additional information about the museum or this particular exhibit, phone 873-9644.

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Various upcoming events on the campus of the State University of New York at Fredonia include:

Tonight at 7:30 p.m., tomorrow at 2 p.m. and Oct. 23-25, the Department of Theater and Dance will present a production of Shakespeare’s ”A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” To purchase tickets, phone 673-3501 or go to www.fredonia.edu/tickets.

Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 9 at 2 p.m., the annual Hillman Opera will be performed in the Marvel Theater. This year’s production will be the opera ”Susanna,” by American composer Carlyle Floyd. This is a re-setting of the Bible’s story of scandal and gossip, placed in the rural American South. Tickets are $25 for the general public and $10 for students. Use the contact information above.

Dec. 6 at 5:30 p.m., the departments of Music and Theater and Dance will present a Madrigal Feast, which includes a grand feast, served in the style of the 15th century, accompanied by a musical and dramatic performance, in the style of the same period. Tickets are $65 for both feast and entertainment. Open seating will be followed, although tables for eight may be reserved by phoning 673-3686.

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Nov. 6-16, the Theater Department of Niagara University will present a production of the musical show ”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler.

Performances will be in the Leary Theatre, on the NU campus, in Niagara Falls. The show is based on true events, when a man who was sent into exile in Australia for crimes he didn’t commit, returned secretly to England and set himself up as a barber, to take bloody revenge on those who profited from his suffering.

Tickets are $20 for the general public, and $15 for those older than 62 or younger than 21. To purchase them, or for more information, phone 286-8685 or send an email to theatre@niagara.edu.

Today through Monday, the university will present the play ”The Wrestling Season” by Laurie Brooks. The play is an examination of the weight of societal and peer pressure and the power of rumor among young people in American schools.

Performances will take place in the Clune Theater, inside Clet Hall, on the university’s campus. Ticket prices and contact information are the same as above.

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The Erie Insurance Arena will present on Oct. 29, a performance called “The Gala of the Royal Horses.”

These are not the horses of the famed riding school of Vienna, Austria, but seem to come from Spain. Photos with the news release resemble the performances of the Lippizaner Stallions. For more information, or to purchase tickets, phone 814-452-4857.

Dec. 4, the popular a capella singers Straight, No Chaser will perform a holiday-themed concert at the Warner Theater. The same contact information may be used.

March 12, the global singing group Celtic Women will perform a concert of traditional Irish standards at the Warner Theater.

Oct. 29, Boz Scaggs will perform at the Warner Theater. No start time or ticket prices are given, but the contact information is the same.

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The University of New York at Buffalo has announced a number of performances in coming days:

April 22, jazz great Buddy Guy will perform at the Mainstage Theatre, in the Center for the Arts. Tickets are now on sale, and cost $39 and $49.

Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m., hear rock flutist Ian Anderson perform the music made famous by his band Jethro Tull. Tickets range in price between $49.50 and $69.50.

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2 p.m., the famed UB dance company Zodiaque will perform. Tickets are $20 for the general public and $10 for students of any school, and seniors age 62 or older.

The R&B group Boyz to Men will perform Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. Tickets range in price from $40 to $60. Profits from the performance will benefit the Ronald McDonald House, in Buffalo.

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Those who enjoy giving holiday gifts which are different from what is readily available will want to attend Shea’s Performing Arts Center, in Buffalo, on Nov. 20, for their annual Shopping Soiree.

Dozens of area vendors will display wares, from food treats, to fiber art, to products made from wood, to scents and make up, to hand made jewelry, and far beyond.

Admission to the event is $10, if purchased in advance, or $15 at the door. All admission fees benefit the restoration and preservation of the famous theater.

Participants may enjoy free food, a cash bar, raffles, and the chance to see the elaborate lobbies and stage of the theater. To purchase tickets, phone 829-1172 or visit www.ticketmaster.com. Shea’s is located at 646 Main St., in the downtown Buffalo Theater District.

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Speaking of Shea’s, tickets for the professional touring company’s production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ”Cinderella” are now on sale. Performances of the show will take place Dec. 2-7.

Tickets range in price from $33 to $73. To purchase them, phone 745-3000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

The 2014 season of professional Broadway touring shows at Shea’s has set an all-time record for the venue, with 13,644 season tickets sold for the series. Roughly one-third of the purchases were bought by first time audience members. The previous record was two years ago, when 13,092 season tickets were sold.

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Buffalo’s Albright Knox Art Gallery will open two major exhibits on Nov. 9.

The exhibits are ”Giving Up One’s Mark: Helen Frankenthaler in the 1960s and 1970s,” and ”Imperfections by Chance: a Paul Feeley Retrospective, 1954-66.”

The gallery is located at 1285 Elmwood Ave. For gallery hours, admission fees and additional information, phone the gallery at 882-8700.

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The Burchfield Penney Art Gallery, located directly across Elmwood Avenue from the Albright Knox has a number of offerings in the near future:

This evening from 8-10 p.m., artist Emile Desmedt, from Tournai, Belgium, will speak about an international artist’s perspective.

On Thursday, from 7-9 p.m., the gallery will screen ”A Witch’s Night Out,” a celebrated, animated Canadian television series.

Oct. 30, they will show the classic silent film ”Nosferatu” from 7-9 p.m.

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Since their recent remodeling of their performance space, on the campus of Daemen College on Main Street in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst, MusicalFare has been adding to their regular performances by performing cabarets.

Today, in that space, hear a tribute to Carole King performed at both 4 and 8 p.m.

Oct. 24, listen or perform for an open mic night at 8 p.m.

Oct. 25, at 4 and 8 p.m., hear a performance called ”The Bus Stops Here.”

Tickets to cabaret events are $15 each. For more information about these events, phone 839-8540 or visit the company’s website at www.musicalfare.com.

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Speaking of Musical Fare, the company will perform a production of Fats Waller’s tribute ”Ain’t Misbehavin,” Nov. 5 through Dec. 7. Five performers belt out the music of swing.

Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., plus matinees at 4 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. There will be no performance on Thanksgiving Day.

Tickets are $40 for the general public, and $15 for students. Use the contact information in the previous ”wink.”

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Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., professor Tim Ziaukas of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will deliver a lecture on famed author L. Frank Baum, creator of ”The Wizard of Oz,” and the whole series of related fantasy books.

Ziaukas teaches public relations at the university, and recently published a journal article which he believes proves that Baum lived and worked in Bradford, and drew inspiration for his writings from his life in Bradford.

The lecture will take place in the Mukaiyama University Room, in the Frame-Westerberg Commons, on the university’s Bradford campus. Admission is free of charge.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Hanley Library.

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Also at Pitt-Bradford, an art exhibit is currently on show in the KOA Art Gallery, as part of Disabilities Awareness Month. The gallery is located inside Blaisdell Hall, on the university’s campus.

Artworks in the gallery are on loan from Starlight Studio and Art Gallery, in Buffalo, which exists to encourage and display the work of artists with disabilities.

Admission to the gallery is free of charge. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays.

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Buffalo’s Theatre of Youth announces two fundraising events in support of their School Children Access Program, which provides admission to the company’s productions for young school students who couldn’t attend theater, otherwise.

Nov. 6, from 6-9 p.m., the Toy Box Bash will be held in the new Rich’s Atrium, at 1 Robert Rich way, in Buffalo. The event offers beer and wine, food stations, both silent and active auctions, and live entertainment. Tickets are $50 per person. Purchase them by phoning 884-4400, ext. 304. To reach the Rich’s Atrium, drive West on West Ferry Street, until just before I-190 and the Niagara River.

Those who would like to continue celebrating, after the Bash can buy a ticket for the Bash After Party, which will be held at the Resurgence Brewing Company, from 9-11 p.m. Admission is $10, and includes one free drink and a pint BASH glass. The Brewing Company is located art 1250 Niagara St., just north of the intersection of Niagara and West Ferry streets. Use the same phone number to make reservations.

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Lovers of Scottish music, dancing, costumes and everything Scottish will want to save the date of Jan. 29, which I’m told is Robert Burns Day.

The SONY Centre, at 1 Front St., East, near the intersection of Yonge St., in Downtown Toronto, will play host to the Scottish Tattoo. A tattoo, in this usage, is a professionally performed, costumed and designed performance of cultural events. The participants are all residents of Edinburgh, Scotland, who are on tour of Canada.

Tickets range in price from $62.25 to $94, in Canadian funds. To purchase them, phone 855-872-7669 or go to www.sonycentre.ca and click on ”buy tickets.”

Americans wishing to go to Canada are required to have a valid passport, or other U.S. government-recognized travel document.