Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The independent student publication of The University at Buffalo, since 1950

Performing Arts

Ballet dancers performing as the Flowers.
ARTS

'The Nutcracker' kicks off holiday season with charm

Dancing sweets, giant mice and a Nutcracker came to life –– literally –– and contributed to a magical staple of the holiday season at Shea’s Performing Arts Center on Saturday and Sunday. Locals were able to experience this popular story of “The Nutcracker” performed live in its 11th year in Buffalo, with mystical charm and astute accuracy by some of the best visual and performance artists in the area.


Zodiaque dancers performing to the piece "Kyrie Eleison."
ARTS

Dance transcends beyond the stage

Zodiaque Dance Company doesn’t always have to be on stage to entice its crowds. During this weekend’s performances, Zodiaque won over audiences with “As Within, So Without,” a pre-recorded, on-stage visual display.


Dr. Seuss characters Sally, Conrad, Thing 1, Thing 2 and The Cat in the Hat on stage.
ARTS

Students perform first children’s theater production at UB

Coloring pages and Dr. Seuss books covered tables outside of the Katharine Cornell Theatre Friday, as children and families waited in line to see the first-ever UB-led performance from an iconic cat. UB students performed a theater production of Dr. Seuss’s “The Cat in the Hat” at the theater on Sept. 27-28 as part of the Department of Theatre and Dance’s annual Student Directed Series. The series gives students the opportunity to produce and direct a show on their own and this production was the first-ever children’s theater production at UB, based on the 1957 children’s book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. 


Guerilla Toss plays in Buffalo.
ARTS

What would the odd say: A conversation with Guerilla Toss’ Kassie Carlson

A backdrop of old VHS tapes and psychedelic visuals set the stage as wild synth patterns clash with violins.  NYC band Guerilla Toss has covered everything from ear-splitting punk to ‘80s synthpop. Its gradual evolution has created a satisfying career arc, but one consistent appeal of the group is vocalist Kassie Carlson. Her singing ranges from high-pitched screams to melodic anthem cries, but she always remains the heart and soul of the band’s personality.


Stills from the production of Hairspray now showing at The Kavinoky Theatre.
ARTS

“Hairspray” brings the ‘60s back to Buffalo

Buffalo’s production of “Hairspray” brings something to the musical that professional performances don’t typically see. A student-filled cast. “Hairspray,” despite the uncharacteristically young team, radiated an exuberant energy between the cast and audience that resonated throughout the house.


The Spectrum
ARTS

UB students bring ‘Julius Caesar’ show to campus

William Shakespeare is no stranger on a college campus, but students are taking his work one step further with UB’s newest reimagining. UB Theatre & Dance will present Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” at the Center for the Arts. Performances on Friday and Saturday are available to the general public. But the production isn’t without surprises.


ARTS

Sins in heels

Hell awaits a wholesome couple as they wander into a deliciously sinful castle. Brad Majors and Janet Weiss have come out of desperation for shelter from an ongoing storm but have unknowingly entered a world more extreme than the natural disaster that drove them there. Eager phantoms litter the glamorous stage as the couple tries to back away from this madness.


ARTS

Burlesque Made Boring

Grade: C- It's the oldest story in the book. In fact, it's so old, it borders on embarrassing. Ali (Christina Aguilera, Entourage), a wholesome, blue-eyed, blonde, small-town girl, goes to Hollywood in order to find fame and fortune.


FEATURES

Dancing For A Cause

Students were dancing until dawn to raise funds for the Pennies for Peace organization on Friday night in the Student Union. Free prizes, raffles, cotton candy, popcorn, a kick-line, and dancing occupied the SU lobby on Friday night as students crowded for the fourth annual Stay-Up UB fundraiser. "It is an opportunity for students to give back [to the community] and participate in a philanthropic event, while building UB pride and a new tradition," said Terri Budek, the community engagement coordinator for the Center for Student Leadership & Community Engagement. The dance-marathon fundraiser displayed the heart of UB pride.


ARTS

The singing dead

Cheerful, uplifting numbers and light-footed dance sequences are all staples of your everyday garden variety musical. However, Evil Dead is different. "It was definitely one of the least infuriating musicals I've seen in a while?might have been because of the zombies," said Bryan Lynch, a 42-year-old accountant from Buffalo. It is deliberately campy, cheesy and outrageously gory.


NEWS

New club two steps back in time

Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon" is blaring on a radio while a group of students energetically dance around the Student Union flag room, a few showing off their perfected Charleston as if it were 1920.



View this profile on Instagram

The Spectrum (@ubspectrum) • Instagram photos and videos




Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2025 The Spectrum