The award recognizes and celebrates the talent and contributions of those who have achieved illustrious careers in the performing arts and entertainment industry.
Serving as President and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Finance Director for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Interim CEO for Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, and adjunct professor at SUNY Buffalo, Erie, and Fredonia, Patrick Fagan’s impact is deeply woven into the Western New York landscape. During his 16 years as Shea’s President, he established a collaborative environment among arts organizations, grew the annual fund and attendance, raised funding to add Shea’s Smith Theatre to the performing arts campus, and established the Western New York Entertainment Hall of Fame. Perhaps the most transformative impact came from Fagan’s vision and stewardship of the Shea’s Buffalo Theatre stage expansion project which opened Shea’s up to Broadway’s biggest touring productions and continues to make Shea’s Buffalo a premier destination in the entertainment industry.
An actor, director, poet, playwright, and activist, Lorna Hill’s visionary approach to storytelling has provoked reflection, inspired action, and captivated audiences. As founder and Artistic Director of Ujima Theatre Company, she lived up to Ujima’s definition of “collective work and responsibility” by providing a thriving environment for the growth of diverse audiences, enlightened learning, and opportunity for rising African American talent. A recipient of many local and national awards including the Associated Press Award for production of the radio show Uncrowned Queens: Voices of African American Women, and The Otto Award for the development of innovative and socially challenging theatre. Hill pushed creative boundaries, fostered the next generation of artists, and faithfully served the Buffalo community she loved.
Stephen McKinley Henderson’s versatility across various mediums, including the big screen, television, and stage, showcases an exceptional range of talent. His work appears in six Oscar nominated films such as Denzel Washington’s Fences and numerous iconic television series including Law & Order. The award-winning actor has been recognized for his Broadway and Off-Broadway artistry, earning two Tony Award nominations, and career achievement awards from the National Black Theatre Festival, the Drama Desk Awards, and Gershwin Theatre’s American Theatre Hall of Fame. In Western New York he has performed at Studio Arena Theatre, now Shea’s 710 Theatre, more than a dozen times, and taught for three decades under the University at Buffalo Department of Theatre & Dance.
As President & CEO of NAC Entertainment, Albert Nocciolino’s work has lit up stages across Northern Pennsylvania and Western New York. His incredible record of over 100 Broadway and touring productions produced and co-produced includes timeless classics including Some Like it Hot as well as fresh new work like & Juliet. Nocciolino is a pioneer in the industry, earning several Tony Awards, and taking on leadership roles with The Broadway League, the National Touring Theatre Council, and the Independent Presenters Network. As Shea’s Performing Arts Center’s Broadway presenting partner for over 35 years, Nocciolino’s instinct for audience connection has helped to touch the hearts and minds of thousands of Shea’s patrons each year, delivering sell-out performances which bolster the strength of Buffalo’s historic theatre and enrich the Western New York economy and community.
The WNY Entertainment Hall of Fame was first established by the Shea’s Board of Trustees in 1987, inducting sixteen iconic Western New York performers between 1989 and 2003, and is being reintroduced after a 21-year hiatus.
A native of Jamestown, N.Y., Miss Lucille Ball was the unanimous choice as the first inductee into the Western New York Entertainment Hall of Fame. "Lucy," comedienne extraordinaire, entertained and delighted audiences for over 50 years. it is hoped that her portrait will inspire all who come to Shea's to appreciate laughter. As the first recipent, she exemplified the true meaning of the award which now bears her name, "The Lucy Award."
James Whitmore spent his formative years in Snyder, New York. His long and illustrious career includes well-known roles for the stage, the screen and television. Along the way, Mr. Whitmore has gained a Tony Award and an Academy Award nomination. Mr. Whitmore's celebrated acting career coupled with the fact that he is a favorite son of Buffalo, uniquely qualify him for this place of honor in the Hall of Fame.
When he started dance lessons in Buffalo at the age of three, no one dreamed that Michael Bennett would one day become a Broadway legend. Recipient of six Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Bennett worked on Broadway as a dancer, a choreographer, and a director. His signature work, A Chorus Line, would celebrate the business that he loved and would become the longest running show in the history of Broadway.
As a teenager, Mark Russell earned $10 per night playing piano in an Italian restaurant on Buffalo’s West Side. Following graduation from Canisius High School and a 3-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps, he developed his Capital District club act and raised musical political satire to an unparalleled high art. His humorous commentaries and biting insights are known throughout the country thanks to his specials on PBS which consistently rank among the top five shows on the network.
While still in high school, he was “discovered” singing at the Simon Pure Supper Club. He went on to vaudeville, but homesickness soon returned him to his native Buffalo where he became staff pianist at WGR, WKBW, and WBEN. His local success led to a radio show in New York, and in 1947 to pioneering a children’s show on the new medium TV. With 2,543 live shows in 13 years, Buffalo Bob and his puppet sidekick, Howdy Doody, helped raise and entertain the first television generation.
Grover Washington, Jr.’s love of music began while growing up in Buffalo; his father a collector of jazz 78s, and his mother, who sang in church choirs, gave him his first saxophone at the age of 10. His professional life began at 12 and included playing record hops at the Dellwood Ballroom. This Grammy-winning instrumental artist has gone on to play with some of the giants of the music industry and become a key player, composer, and producer in modern jazz.
While attending Amherst High School, this aspiring young actress began her training with classes taught by Jane Keeler at the Studio Theatre School in Buffalo. After earning a B.F.A. from Carnegie Institute of Technology, she headed for New York City to launch an acting career which includes work on stage I in films, and in television that has spanned nearly five decades. Her talent has been widely recognized with awards including two Obies, and Outer Critics Circle Award, a Drama Desk Award and four Emmys.
Born and raised in Buffalo, A.R. Gurney has explored aspects of our unique city in his plays including Love Letters and The Dining Room. “Pete,” as he is less formally known, attended Nichols School before embarking on a career which has earned him a Drama Desk Award, a Rockefeller Playwriting Award, and an Award of Merit from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, among many others. He has emerged as one of the United States’ leading playwrights. His plays are regularly performed in New York City and theatre capitals around the world.
Raised in Hamburg, NY, George Abbot is regarded as Broadway’s Greatest Director. As an actor, playwright, director, and producer, he was associated with more than 120 productions and is regarded as the father of the modern musical insisting every song and dance advance the plot. His credits include The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town and A funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Before his death in 1995 at 107 years of age, he worked closely on the script revisions for the Broadway revival of Damn Yankees
His first screen kiss was with Elizabeth Taylor. He has starred with Charlton Heston, Bette Midler, Donald Sutherland, Rock Hudson, and Little Orphan Annie. Conrad John Schuck grew up in Amherst, NY, and has returned to his hometown many times to perform at Studio Arena Theatre in plays such as Harvey and The Fantastiks. Among his extensive screen credits are four Robert Altman films and two Star Trek films. On television, many will remember Mr. Schuck in the role of “Sgt. Enright” on the hit series McMillian and Wife. Directorial credits include Sand Mountain and The Foreigner.
Jay Silverheels became one of television’s early icons as Tonto, a faithful companion of the Lone Ranger. Born Harold Smith to a Mohawk Chief on the Six Nation’s Indian Reservation in Ontario, he moved to Buffalo in 1929. A versatile athlete, Jay gained local notoriety when he won an Eastern State Golden Gloves Championship, two Niagara District wrestling championships, and played on Buffalo’s semi-pro lacrosse team. He moved to California in 1938 and starred in more than 60 Hollywood movies. The creator of the Indian Actors Workshop, Jay was not only a star in Hollywood, but also a hero to many in the Native American community and was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Honor of the First Americans in the Arts in February of 1998.
Harold Arlen captured the hearts of every American with music. The composer of the score to The Wizard of Oz won a 1939 song of the year Oscar for Over the Rainbow. He also wrote favorites such as Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive and Stormy Weather. Born Hyman Arluck in 1905, Harold grew up in Buffalo and began studying music at the age of nine. He led local bands before moving to NYS in 1928. In his career, Harold worked with lyricists Ted Koehler, the Gershwins and E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, writing for such stars as Lena Horne, Ethel Merman, and Judy Garland. Irving Berlin once said Harold “wasn’t as well-known as some of us, but he was a better songwriter than most of us.” In 1982 he received the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award for an outstanding career in songwriting.
Christine Baranski is an award-winning and accomplished entertainer in every genre of acting. The Cheektowaga native and mother of two has won two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, an American Comedy Award, and an Emmy Award to become one of the entertainment industry’s most celebrated actresses. The Julliard graduate’s outstanding acting ability has won her awards for Tom Stoppard’s hit Broadway comedy The Real Thing, Neil Simon’s Rumor, her role as Maryann Thorpe on TV’s Cybill, and as Robin Williams’ ex-wife in The Birdcage. In her career, she has shared the screen with such stars as Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carey, Glenn Close, Nathan Lane, and Jeremy Irons. While her talent lies in all areas of acting, she has made a lasting impression with her incredible comedic talent.
Known as the “Gag Man” for his comedic writing style and scripts he wrote for comedians including George Burns, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, and Milton Bearle, Al Boasberg wrote films for such stars as Buster Keaton and the Marx Brothers. Born in Buffalo in 1891, Boasberg’s entry into show business came in 1921 when he sold $5 jokes to vaudeville star Phil Baker. Working for his father’s jewelry store, Boasberg continued to sell jokes while selling pinky rings backstage at Shea’s Buffalo, where, according to legend, Boasberg met a young George Burns in 1926. Burns offered him a job writing for Burns & Allen which became the cornerstone in his career that spanned vaudeville, radio & film (silent & sound) with a credit list nothing short of phenomenal. Boasberg, who died in 1937, added a dimension to American comedy not seen before and his work still resonates today.
Tom Fontana was born in Buffalo and grew up on the West Side. He attended Canisius High School, is a Buffalo State College Alumni, and also worked at Studio Arena Theatre in various capacities. Fontana received the Distinguished Alumni Award and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Buffalo State University. he has taught at his alma-mater as well as at Columbia, Syracuse, and Rutgers. Fontana has written and produced such ground-breaking television series as St. Elsewhere, Homicide: Life on the Street and Oz, for which he has received, among others, three Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, three Writers’ Guild Awards, four Television Critics Association Awards, the Cable Ace Award, the Humanitas Prize, and the first prize at the Cinema Tout Ecran Festival in France. Fontana wrote and contributed to several specials for ABC. He was the executive producer of American Tragedy for CBS, Shot in the Heart for HBO Films, the independent film Jean and the documentary The Press Secretary for PBS. Fontana has also had numerous plays produced across the country. A member of the Producers Guild of America, he serves on the Council of the Writer’s Guild of America East, from which he received the Evelyn F. Burkey Award for lifetime achievement.
