Michael Rabice

Michael Rabice

Michael Rabice has over  40 years of experience attending plays, musicals and opera all over the world. He is a frequent performer in opera and has appeared with the Glimmerglass Opera, Artpark Opera, Greater Buffalo Opera and Nickel City Opera. Michael has extensively studied the history of the American musical theatre throughout the past century. In addition, he has written many essays on the impact of musical theatre on American culture, as well as how musical styles of a specific era impacted the Broadway stage and it's orchestrations. He regularly attends theatre in Buffalo, Toronto , Niagara-on-the-Lake, and New York City. He has been a Contributing Editor at Broadwayworld since 2014.




LEARN MORE ABOUT Michael Rabice

First Show:

Woman of the Year with Lauren Bacall

Favorite Show:

Mame -Revival with Angela Lansbury

Favorite Stories:



MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Lancaster Opera House
Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Lancaster Opera House
March 11, 2024

A breakdown of  union labor relations, abuse in the workplace and  demands for higher wages surely doesn't sound like the stuff of musical comedy. Unless you're speaking of the classic 1954 musical THE PAJAMA GAME, now playing at the Lancaster Opera House. 

Review: BETRAYAL at Irish Classical Theatre
Review: BETRAYAL at Irish Classical Theatre
March 4, 2024

Eavesdropping, snooping or just morbid curiosity seemed to be the scene set in Harold Pinter's play BETRAYAL now playing in a riveting production at Buffalo's Irish Classical Theatre. The playgoer sits on the sidelines, witnessing a deeply personal story of three  broken people, best kept behind closed doors.  

Feature: THE FALLING AND THE RISING Comes To Nickel City Opera
Feature: THE FALLING AND THE RISING Comes To Nickel City Opera
February 23, 2024

Nickel City Opera's 15th Season will bring a new American opera, The Falling and the Rising produced by the U.S. Army Field Band, Saturday, June 29th at 8:00pm and Sunday, June 30th at 4:00pm at Nichols Flickinger Performing Arts Center, 1250 Amherst Street Buffalo. On Friday, March 1st, A Night of Funny Stuff with Artistic Director, Valerian Ruminski and pianist Ivan Docenko accompanying in concert at The Meeting House, 5658 Main Street, Williamsville and the 15th Annual NCO Gala Dinner, Tuesday, June 25th at 6:00pm at Ilio DiPaolo’s 3785 South Park Avenue, Blasdell.

Review: THE LIGHT FANTASTIC at Road Less Traveled Theater
Review: THE LIGHT FANTASTIC at Road Less Traveled Theater
February 23, 2024

It's not often that  a horror story or the supernatural takes to the stage, so when a comedy turns dark, you know you're in for a night of the unknown. Ike Holter's play THE LIGHT FANTASTIC is full of surprises, twists and turns that kept the opening night audience engrossed in Road Less Traveled Productions latest production.

Review: FUNNY GIRL at Shea's Buffalo Theatre
Review: FUNNY GIRL at Shea's Buffalo Theatre
February 14, 2024

Funny. In 1964 a newcomer named Barbra Streisand was the third or fourth choice  to take on the role of Fanny Brice in the new Jule Styne musical FUNNY GIRL. The result catapulted a gawky Jewish girl from Brooklyn to superstar status. And the musical has never been revived again on Broadway.

Review: ANNIE at Shea's Buffalo Theatre
Review: ANNIE at Shea's Buffalo Theatre
December 19, 2023

That famed comic strip red head Little Orphan Annie has returned to town just in time to celebrate Christmas in Buffalo. Charles Strouse's blockbuster musical ANNIE is touring the country again and the show will play at Shea's through December 23rd.

Review: AIR HEART at Revelation Theatre
Review: AIR HEART at Revelation Theatre
December 8, 2023

Buffalo's Revelation Theatre has chosen a intriguing piece of theatrical performance art in presenting the one woman play AIR HEART. The 65 minute show examines the life of Amelia Earhart, leading to her disappearance while on her famed  flight over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.

Review: BRIGADOON at Shaw Festival
Review: BRIGADOON at Shaw Festival
November 27, 2023

The golden age of Broadway found lilting infectious melodies melding with captivating, if often whimsical stories. Lerner and Loewe's 1947 BRIGADOON ticked all the boxes in a world fresh off of World War II. The Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake has revived it's 2019 production and this version shines even brighter than it's first outing.

Review: 'MASTER HAROLD'...AND THE BOYS at Irish Classical Theatre
Review: 'MASTER HAROLD'...AND THE BOYS at Irish Classical Theatre
November 20, 2023

As the audience grew restless awaiting the start of the play, the near twenty minute delay had me wondering if there would even be a production. Luckily, the play started and the wait, though unexplained, was worth it. Buffalo's Irish Classical Theatre's production of Athol Fugard's riveting 'MASTER HAROLD'... AND THE BOYS proved to be a captivating afternoon.

Review: ALL MY SONS at Road Less Traveled Theater
Review: ALL MY SONS at Road Less Traveled Theater
November 17, 2023

How an American dream ends up as an American tragedy pretty much sums up the gut wrenching production of ALL MY SONS now playing at Road Less Traveled Theater. Arthur Miller's 1947 classic immerses the audience is post World War II Americana, where the pangs of the war are still felt and a quest for happiness and prosperity could be felt in every suburban neighborhood.

Review: ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Kavinoky Theatre
Review: ROCKY HORROR SHOW at Kavinoky Theatre
October 29, 2023

The spooky transvestites have once again taken to the stage for the Halloween season. Happily, The Kavinoky Theatre’s stage production of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW ticks off almost all of the boxes for a fun night of laughs.

Review: MOULIN ROUGE: THE MUSICAL at Shea's Buffalo Theatre
Review: MOULIN ROUGE: THE MUSICAL at Shea's Buffalo Theatre
October 26, 2023

A spectacle among spectacles takes to the Shea's Buffalo stage as MOULIN ROUGE: THE MUSICAL bedazzles it audiences. Settled in for a 2 week run, MOULIN ROUGE is the epitome of eye candy presented to be entertainment for the masses, just like the real Moulin Rouge,  which draws in tourists by the droves.

Previews: Alyssa Wray in SISTER ACT at Starring Buffalo at Shea's 710 Theatre
Previews: Alyssa Wray in SISTER ACT at Starring Buffalo at Shea's 710 Theatre
October 25, 2023

STARRING BUFFALO returns for it's 5th season and has programmed the outrageously fun musical, SISTER ACT. The unique concert style production has a found a perfect home at Shea's 710 Theatre, and the stars are in town for a short three-show run  on November 3 and 4, 2023

Review: THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES VOLUME 4: THE HALLOWEEN EDITION at O'Connell And Company
Review: THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES VOLUME 4: THE HALLOWEEN EDITION at O'Connell And Company
October 20, 2023

When you mix a gaggle of sassy drag queens with one of the most successful  sitcom female casts of the the last century, the alchemy that results seems like a no brainer.  And when Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia and Rose are those beloved ladies, audiences clamor for more  time with their favorite ladies. For your enjoyment, O' Connell and Company along with Todd Warfield present 'THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES VOLUME 4: The Halloween Edition.'

Review: THE COLOR PURPLE at Shea's 710 Theatre
Review: THE COLOR PURPLE at Shea's 710 Theatre
September 16, 2023

Something magical is happening at Shea's 710 Theatre. And it's a joy to report that the local talent onstage is simply astounding. Along with the Ujima Theatre Company and Second Generation Theatre, Shea's is producing a spine-tingling production of the musical THE COLOR PURPLE.

Review: THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT At Shaw Festival
Review: THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT At Shaw Festival
September 12, 2023

Unearthing a hidden gem is always intriguing- whether it be a true fossil, pirates booty, discarded musical manuscript, or perhaps a virtually unknown play. The Shaw Festival is the lucky producer who gets to produce a never before seen mystery by the celebrated author Edith Wharton. For the first time, audiences get to be mesmerized by THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT, Wharton's one and only play that was written in 1901, never produced and found in a library archives in 2016.

Review: THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF MARC SUMMERS at Alleyway Theatre
Review: THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF MARC SUMMERS at Alleyway Theatre
September 11, 2023

Everyone's life has a story. And when you start from birth, most can be pretty interesting, although not worthy of the stage. Such a story of  a young boy from  Indiana born in 1951 is being told, but is it really that stage worthy?  The answer is a resounding yes, if that guy is Marc Summers, that charismatic game show and TV host extraordinaire.

Review: ON THE RAZZLE at Shaw Festival
Review: ON THE RAZZLE at Shaw Festival
August 3, 2023

A good story often bears repeating. Such is the case in Tom Stoppard's ON THE RAZZLE, currently playing on the Royal George stage of the Shaw Festival. It's storied provenance has beginnings dated back to the 1842 play  'Einen Jux will er sich machen'  by Johann Nestroy.

Review: CARMINA BURANA at Artpark
Review: CARMINA BURANA at Artpark
July 30, 2023

Composer Carl Orff most certainly would never have imagined having his most beloved cantata Carmina Burana staged with costumes , actors, dancers, and scenery. As one of those most popular choral  pieces performed worldwide by Symphony Orchestras everywhere, the established tradition is to perform this  piece in standard oratorio fashion.

Review: BLITHE SPIRIT at Shaw Festival
Review: BLITHE SPIRIT at Shaw Festival
July 27, 2023

The  perennial festival favorite BLITHE SPIRIT is making a welcome to return to the Shaw Festival stage after 30 years. The result is a breezy romp that is sure to delight, thanks to the fine casting showcasing some of the company's best players.



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