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The Friends Save Shea's Buffalo

The Friends Save Shea's Buffalo

1975 - 1994

Leon Lawrence Sidell foreclosed in December 1974, owing as much as $225,000 in taxes, and planned to shutter the theater doors by June 30, 1975. It would soon be the end of the Loew's Buffalo Theatre, another one of Michael Shea's theaters lost to the wrecking ball...

Still Playing at Loew's

By 1974, there wasn't much still playing at Loew's Buffalo Theatre: patrons could only buy tickets to see wrestling, boxing, World Cup soccer matches (live via satellite), and exploitation films like Sweet Sugar, Dolemite, and Foxy Brown.

Curt Mangel III

Shea's Buffalo has had many friends -- and Friends -- but none more-so than Curt Mangel III.

Curt was hired in 1973 as an engineer and watchman, the 23-year-old living out of a dressing room backstage but he became quickly intent on saving the theater organ -- and then the entire theater as it was apparent that Sidell was preparing to shutdown for good. But plans to strip the theater and attempts to demolish it were all foiled by Curt: by living in Shea's at all hours of the day, the wrecking ball was unable to be unleashed -- and by night, Curt spent countless hours inventorying "every antique in the building", a record that saved Shea's Buffalo Theatre in State Supreme Court.

After a decade of serving Shea's -- from volunteer to Managing Director, whether he was rebuilding the Mighty Wurlitzer and installing a new stage floor or paying the heat bill out of his own pockets, Curt Mangel III moved on from Buffalo, to take on another theater in Denver in need of saving. But our friend, and Friend, is always welcome back at Shea's.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - July 12, 1975

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - July 15, 1975

Photo Credit: Photo originally published in the Buffalo Courier-Express Newspaper. Credit to Buffalo State Digital Commons. November 22, 1975

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - January 19, 1976

Thanks Sylvia! <i>Mignon</i> appreciates the cleaning.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - February 20, 1976

Thanks Sylvia! Mignon appreciates the cleaning.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - April 23, 1977

These Friends of Buffalo led by restoration director L. Curt Mangel reacted with pleasure as they toasted the future of the landmark theater. From left are Mangel, George Wands and Carl Kosmerl.

Photo Credit: Buffalo Courier-Express Newspaper - August 20, 1977. Credit to Buffalo State Digital Commons.

These Friends of Buffalo led by restoration director L. Curt Mangel reacted with pleasure as they toasted the future of the landmark theater. From left are Mangel, George Wands and Carl Kosmerl.

L. Curt Mangel, founder of the Friends of Shea's Buffalo and director of the restoration work on the Buffalo landmark, is seen from a straight up angle as he climbs over scaffolding to inspect a plastering job. The effort to restore the showplace to its former splendor, including new seats and rugs and refurbished marble and chandelier, is expected to be completed by Sept. 29.

Photo Credit: April 12, 1978. Photo originally published in the Buffalo Courier-Express Newspaper. Credit to Buffalo State Digital Commons.

L. Curt Mangel, founder of the Friends of Shea's Buffalo and director of the restoration work on the Buffalo landmark, is seen from a straight up angle as he climbs over scaffolding to inspect a plastering job. The effort to restore the showplace to its former splendor, including new seats and rugs and refurbished marble and chandelier, is expected to be completed by Sept. 29.

This whiskey bottle was found by Friends of the Buffalo Theatre (Dave Vanderhoek, Curt Mangel, and Gordon Gillette) behind the east wall wood pipes of the Wurtlizer's Foundation Chamber in May 1979 and is believed to have been placed during the original installation of the Wurlitzer organ in December 1925. It has stayed here ever since and is now a good-luck charm for stagehands at Shea's.

This whiskey bottle was found by Friends of the Buffalo Theatre (Dave Vanderhoek, Curt Mangel, and Gordon Gillette) behind the east wall wood pipes of the Wurtlizer's Foundation Chamber in May 1979 and is believed to have been placed during the original installation of the Wurlitzer organ in December 1925. It has stayed here ever since and is now a good-luck charm for stagehands at Shea's.

A letter to the Common Council written by Curt Mangel seeking federal assistance for repairs following the Blizzard of '77.

A letter to the Common Council written by Curt Mangel seeking federal assistance for repairs following the Blizzard of '77.

City Comptroller George D. O'Connell

With weeks to go before the wrecking ball would arrive, someone would need to sign off on the city's expense report to pay for the demolition. That someone would be Buffalo Comptroller George D. O'Connell, who wouldn't sign the paperwork, and instead stepped to help the Friends of Shea's Buffalo rally the city.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - April 18, 1975

"I feel very strongly about Shea's Buffalo. There's only one Shea's Buffalo in the entire world, and if it's gone, there is no way to retrieve it, or rebuild it. I call it Shea's, rather than Loew's Buffalo, because that's the way I remember it."

- City Comptroller George D. O'Connell
Thanks to the Friends of the Buffalo Theatre, the State Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting the remaining furnishings still preserved at the Shea's Buffalo Theatre, preventing former owner, Leon Lawrence Sidell, from taking or selling these artifacts -- including the Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - July 2, 1975

Thanks to the Friends of the Buffalo Theatre, the State Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting the remaining furnishings still preserved at the Shea's Buffalo Theatre, preventing former owner, Leon Lawrence Sidell, from taking or selling these artifacts -- including the Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - June 4, 1976

National Register of Historic Places

June 1975

National Register of Historic Places - Property Photographs

These photographs, taken by Curt Mangel, were submitted to the National Register of Historic Places, hoping to have Shea's Buffalo Theatre declared a Historic Site and saved from demolition.
This is a page from our extensive submission form to have the Shea's Buffalo Theatre declared a National Historic Site.

This is a page from our extensive submission form to have the Shea's Buffalo Theatre declared a National Historic Site.

View of vestibule looking northwest. Marble ticket office is in the center foreground, bronze and glass doors in the background.

Photo Credit: Curt Mangel, 1974

View of vestibule looking northwest. Marble ticket office is in the center foreground, bronze and glass doors in the background.

View of front (Main Street) facade.

Photo Credit: Curt Mangel, 1974

View of front (Main Street) facade.

View overlooking the lobby from the mezzanine at the west end showing enormous arched window, coffered ceilings, original furniture, sculpture, and lighting fixtures.

Photo Credit: Curt Mangel, 1974

View overlooking the lobby from the mezzanine at the west end showing enormous arched window, coffered ceilings, original furniture, sculpture, and lighting fixtures.

View from balcony in theater auditorium showing Wurlitzer organ in raised position.

Photo Credit: Curt Mangel, 1974

View from balcony in theater auditorium showing Wurlitzer organ in raised position.

View looking east over theatre auditorium.

Photo Credit: Curt Mangel, 1974

View looking east over theatre auditorium.

Allen Miller and the Organ Committee

In 1977, the work of restoring the Mighty Wurlitzer organ was finally began. To supervise the restoration of the instrument, the Organ Committee was fortunate to engage the services of Allen Miller, perhaps the leading organ technician in the country, whose training and experience qualified him perfectly for the task ahead. Under Allen's watchful eye, contracts where let to re-build and re-finish the entire console, a modern solid state multiplex system was installed, missing pipes and ranks of pipes were replaced and the entire organ was re-leathered - even the re-voicing, a task made more difficult by the fact that all of the original voicers who had worked for Wurlitzer had passed on.

Thanks to his efforts, together with those a score of dedicated volunteer workers and a generous grant from the Margaret Wendt Foundation in Buffalo, the Shea's Buffalo Mighty Wurlitzer was re-dedicated in April of 1984 with Lyn Larsen at the console.

Photo Credit: Newsletter of The Friends of the Buffalo Theater, Inc. Fall 1978

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - March 5, 1979

After a decade managing - and Managing - Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Curt Mangel left Shea's better than he had found it as a 23-year-old watchman, leaving Buffalo to restore the Paramount Theatre in Denver.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - January 23, 1983

After a decade managing - and Managing - Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Curt Mangel left Shea's better than he had found it as a 23-year-old watchman, leaving Buffalo to restore the Paramount Theatre in Denver.

The Shea's-O'Connell Preservation Guild

The Friends of the Buffalo Theatre ran Shea's Buffalo Theatre as a rental from the city of Buffalo, keeping the doors open and the lights on as they began the long, hard work of restoring the theater. By 1985, the city finally stepped up to take over paying utilities, forgave the deficit, and set-up The Shea's-O'Connell Preservation Guild, a nonprofit that leases the theater and manages Shea's - and still does so today.

A Grand Re-Opening

February 26, 1976 - The Friends of the Buffalo Theatre re-opened the Shea's Buffalo Theatre with comedian George Burns and jazz musician Cab Calloway both returning to headline the grand 50th anniversary event.

"Part of our vision is the Buffalo at one end of this derelict part of downtown and the Studio Arena Theater at the other, both contributing to the economic development of downtown. The city for the first time would have a performing arts complex."

- prophetic words from Charles F. Chauncey, spokesman for the Friends of the Buffalo Theatre and Executive Director of the Shea's Buffalo Theatre.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - January 6, 1976

The entire cast of <i>Equus</i> playing at the Studio Arena Theater took up a collection to aid in the re-opening of the Shea's Buffalo Theatre, walking down Main Street to present it to their neighboring theater.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - February 7, 1976

The entire cast of Equus playing at the Studio Arena Theater took up a collection to aid in the re-opening of the Shea's Buffalo Theatre, walking down Main Street to present it to their neighboring theater.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - February 7, 1976

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - February 26, 1976

"It's good to see the old joint again. It hasn't changed much in the years since I was here. I hope the future will hold further splendor for the place."

- Jack Kirwan, former usher for Shea's Buffalo (early 1940's)

Photo Credit: February 21, 1976

"I was in Buffalo in 1932. I must have made an impression, because here I am again."

- George Burns

Photo Credit: February 25, 1976

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - February 26, 1976

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - February 26, 1976

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - February 28, 1976

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - March 1, 1976

1976 - 1986

February 17, 1978

February 17, 1978

Bruce Springsteen - May 23, 1978 / November 12, 1996. <br><br> "Damn it's cold in Buffalo, I'm freezing my butt off," he joked.

Photo Credit: Eric Jensen

Bruce Springsteen - May 23, 1978 / November 12, 1996.

"Damn it's cold in Buffalo, I'm freezing my butt off," he joked.

"A Rolls Royce automobile is parked in front of the glittering Shea's Buffalo Theater in downtown Buffalo Friday night as patrons arrive for a performance of Puccini's opera 'Tosca.' The magnificent theater was reopened Friday night after being closed for renovation to its Old World splendor."

Photo Credit: Photo originally published in the Buffalo Courier-Express Newspaper. Credit to Buffalo State Digital Commons. September 30, 1978

"A Rolls Royce automobile is parked in front of the glittering Shea's Buffalo Theater in downtown Buffalo Friday night as patrons arrive for a performance of Puccini's opera 'Tosca.' The magnificent theater was reopened Friday night after being closed for renovation to its Old World splendor."

Hall and Oates

December 3, 1978
April 20, 1979

April 20, 1979

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - April 1, 1980

"A New Deal for Christmas" - thanks Jack! It is thanks to many donations like this that Shea's Buffalo Theatre was able to be restored.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - July 8, 1980

"A New Deal for Christmas" - thanks Jack! It is thanks to many donations like this that Shea's Buffalo Theatre was able to be restored.

Local children auditioning for parts in the musical "The King and I."

Photo Credit: May 8, 1981. Photo originally published in the Buffalo Courier-Express Newspaper. Credit to Buffalo State Digital Commons.

Local children auditioning for parts in the musical "The King and I."

Yul Brynner in The King & I

May 13, 1981
Tom Roffino in the "living room" of the Yul Brenner dressing room at Shea's Theatre Buffalo. Actor Yul Bryner performed at Shea's Buffalo in <i>The King and I</i> and as part of his contract, had the star dressing room done all in shades of brown. The dressing room was later re-decorated to remove the brown - reportedly, Liza Minnelli hated Yul's color palette. President Patrick Fagan announced "We got as much of the brown out as we could without making major repairs."

Photo Credit: March 11, 1982. Photo originally published in the Buffalo Courier-Express Newspaper. Credit to Buffalo State Digital Commons.

Tom Roffino in the "living room" of the Yul Brenner dressing room at Shea's Theatre Buffalo. Actor Yul Bryner performed at Shea's Buffalo in The King and I and as part of his contract, had the star dressing room done all in shades of brown. The dressing room was later re-decorated to remove the brown - reportedly, Liza Minnelli hated Yul's color palette. President Patrick Fagan announced "We got as much of the brown out as we could without making major repairs."

439 Pearl Street circa 1970's: the back of Shea's Buffalo Theatre once had a bowling alley for a neighbor.

Photo Credit: Buffalo City Archives, edited by Mika Puma

439 Pearl Street circa 1970's: the back of Shea's Buffalo Theatre once had a bowling alley for a neighbor.

439 Pearl Street circa later 1970's or early 1980's: the bowling alley was demolished and this parking structure was put in place until 2016, when it was removed to make way for the future Shea's expansion.

Photo Credit: Buffalo City Archives, edited by Mika Puma

439 Pearl Street circa later 1970's or early 1980's: the bowling alley was demolished and this parking structure was put in place until 2016, when it was removed to make way for the future Shea's expansion.

Photo Credit: Buffalo City Archives, edited by Mika Puma

Down the street at 710 Main Street, our new neighbors Studio Arena had just moved into the old Palace Burlesque theater. Note the two painters working on the Entertainment mural - it's still there today!

Photo Credit: Buffalo City Archives, edited by Mika Puma

Down the street at 710 Main Street, our new neighbors Studio Arena had just moved into the old Palace Burlesque theater. Note the two painters working on the Entertainment mural - it's still there today!

U2

May 16, 1983
While U2 put on a great show in 1983, they didn't bring down the house - the balcony of Shea's Buffalo Theatre was built to allow "flex" to safely bounce up and down in place.

Photo Credit: May 22, 1983

While U2 put on a great show in 1983, they didn't bring down the house - the balcony of Shea's Buffalo Theatre was built to allow "flex" to safely bounce up and down in place.

January 20, 1979 / May 25, 1983

January 20, 1979 / May 25, 1983

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - June 17, 1983

Joel Grey

November 25, 1983
<i>The Natural</i> starring Robert Redford makes its world premiere at Shea's Buffalo Theatre on May 9, 1984.

The Natural starring Robert Redford makes its world premiere at Shea's Buffalo Theatre on May 9, 1984.

56 years after Ginger Rogers first danced across the Shea's Buffalo stage - not yet a Hollywood star, but as a young vaudeville unknown, Ginger returned to serve as our spokesperson for the 1984-1985 season.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - September 7, 1984

56 years after Ginger Rogers first danced across the Shea's Buffalo stage - not yet a Hollywood star, but as a young vaudeville unknown, Ginger returned to serve as our spokesperson for the 1984-1985 season.

Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller in Sugar Babies

November 27 - December 2, 1984

Dionne Warwick

March 19, 1985

The Temptations and The Four Tops

April 6, 1986

Broadway in Buffalo

1987

Shea's hired Patrick J. Fagan but nobody thought he would stick around. By November 1986, Shea's Buffalo had gone through multiple managers who lasted mere months in the unenviable position of not just saving Shea's from the wrecking ball but restoring it. <br><br> His first priority? "To get people to come here to see this beautiful building and see what we're doing."

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - November 22, 1986

Shea's hired Patrick J. Fagan but nobody thought he would stick around. By November 1986, Shea's Buffalo had gone through multiple managers who lasted mere months in the unenviable position of not just saving Shea's from the wrecking ball but restoring it.

His first priority? "To get people to come here to see this beautiful building and see what we're doing."

Patrick Fagan

Photo Credit: 1987

Patrick Fagan

Cats lands on its feet!

The show was nearly cancelled before it even got onstage when the first touring production of Cats at Shea's Buffalo couldn't get their set through the backstage door. Luckily, the crew finally pushed it through, tilting the large set piece on its side. But Cats almost closed anyways when local promoters Corky & Harvey defaulted on their share, leaving Shea's and our Board Chairman James L. Vardon scrambling to cover the costs alone.

The show went on - with help from a young producer named Albert Nocciolino, who was sent from Broadway to insure Cats played Buffalo. And Cats would go on to play sell-out runs in Buffalo for the next three years, with Albert as our co-promoter.
May 16 - 17, 1987 / October 1 - 4, 1992

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - October 2, 1994

May 16 - 17, 1987 / October 1 - 4, 1992

This auspicious article in The Buffalo News correctly predicts the beginning of a new theatrical era as Albert Nocciolino partners with Shea's Buffalo Theatre as a co-promoter in bringing Broadway productions to Buffalo. In August 1988, Shea's began offering our Broadway season subscription with our first five-show package: <i>Cabaret</i>, <i>Me and My Girl</i>, <i>Elvis: An American Musical</i>, <i>Nunsense</i>, and <i>Cats</i>.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - April 1, 1988

This auspicious article in The Buffalo News correctly predicts the beginning of a new theatrical era as Albert Nocciolino partners with Shea's Buffalo Theatre as a co-promoter in bringing Broadway productions to Buffalo. In August 1988, Shea's began offering our Broadway season subscription with our first five-show package: Cabaret, Me and My Girl, Elvis: An American Musical, Nunsense, and Cats.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - April 6, 1988

Albert Nocciolino and Patrick Fagan at our first Broadway season announcement.

Photo Credit: August 9, 1988

Albert Nocciolino and Patrick Fagan at our first Broadway season announcement.

Coming soon to Shea's: <i>Nunsense</i> and <i>Elvis: An American Musical</i>!

Photo Credit: August 9, 1988

Coming soon to Shea's: Nunsense and Elvis: An American Musical!

Our first season announcement took place in the Grand Lobby for quite a small crowd.

Photo Credit: August 9, 1988

Our first season announcement took place in the Grand Lobby for quite a small crowd.

October 18 - 23, 1988

October 18 - 23, 1988

The first time that Shea's booked <i>Les Misérables</i>, the international blockbuster musical of 1987, the producers called to cancel the performance - the stage of Shea's Buffalo Theatre was simply not big enough for the Tony Award-winning turntable and barricades that came with the tour. But Shea's stepped up, meeting <i>Les Misérables</i>'s requirements and bringing the show to Buffalo for the first time in 1991 by cutting out two new loading doors and building a sheltered crossing to allow quick entrances and exits backstage. It wouldn't be for another decade before Shea's built the stagehouse expansion that allowed us to bring <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> and <i>The Lion King</i> - making Buffalo finally big enough for Broadway.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News - August 2, 1989

The first time that Shea's booked Les Misérables, the international blockbuster musical of 1987, the producers called to cancel the performance - the stage of Shea's Buffalo Theatre was simply not big enough for the Tony Award-winning turntable and barricades that came with the tour. But Shea's stepped up, meeting Les Misérables's requirements and bringing the show to Buffalo for the first time in 1991 by cutting out two new loading doors and building a sheltered crossing to allow quick entrances and exits backstage. It wouldn't be for another decade before Shea's built the stagehouse expansion that allowed us to bring The Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King - making Buffalo finally big enough for Broadway.

Photo Credit: Dr. V. Roger Lalli (Buffalo My City Collection) - circa 1989

10,000 Maniacs

September 19, 1989
In this undated photo of downtown Buffalo, it's hard to make out Shea's Buffalo Theatre without it's blade sign.

In this undated photo of downtown Buffalo, it's hard to make out Shea's Buffalo Theatre without it's blade sign.

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