A Star Is Born 

Starring Buffalo was founded in 2018 to connect, entertain, teach, and above all, produce top-quality musical theater experiences in Western New York.  Each Starring Buffalo show is a collaboration among three groups: visiting stars from Broadway, Buffalo’s finest professional artists, and outstanding area students and community members.  Inspired by NYC’s City Center Encores! Series, these groups join forces to create large-scale, short-run, concert versions of musicals at affordable prices.  Each year hundreds of artists and students participate in the mainstage shows, creating dozens of good paying union jobs in the region, unforgettable experiences for the students, and world class theater for our audiences. 

Artistic Director Drew Fornarola and founding board members Laura Brodie and Steven Tartick, all high school classmates then living and working in New York City, quickly pulled together an all-star team to bring their idea to fruition. They drew on their shared experiences in the music department at Williamsville East (Amherst, NY) to develop an interdisciplinary model for performance, designed to incorporate talent and art from a wide range of sources. 

In recent years, Starring Buffalo has expanded its programming and reach, and become a pillar of the Western New York arts community.  Visiting artists have included Tony Award Winners and Nominees, American Idol finalists, world class dancers and celebrated directors.  They’ve performed alongside Buffalo’s very best professionals, as well as hundreds of student choristers, dancers, and stage crew.  Each event highlights the collaboration between the NYC, Buffalo, and student arts communities, and offers Buffalo audiences unrivaled access to unforgettable Broadway performances.  Starring Buffalo also offers a “cabaret series” which brings a smaller scale version of its productions to special venues around Western New York, reaching audiences who may not wish to travel downtown.  The program has garnered significant press interest, as well as plans for similar programming in other cities.  The future is bright, and we hope you will join us!    

Starring Buffalo is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

Starring Buffalo Team

Drew Fornarola, Artistic Director

Michael Russo, Executive Director

Dina Slawson, President

Emily Glick, Associate Artistic Director

Steven Tartick, Marketing & Advertising Director

Suzy Forster, Marketing & Social Manager

Julian Robison, Marketing Specialist

Jill Anderson, Community Outreach

Starring Buffalo Board

Dina Sarno Slawson, President
Owner/Artistic Director, Academy of Theatre Arts 

Steven Tartick, Secretary (Co-Founder)
Founder, Overture Strategy

Drew Fornarola, Treasurer (Co-Founder)
Theatrical Producer, Writer

RoseAnn Berardi

Laura Brodie (Co-Founder)
CEO, Pusterla 1880 North America

Rosemary Enright
Partner, Barclay Damon LLP

Emily Glick
Vice President - Financial Advisor, Theatrical Producer

Michael Rabice
Pediatrician, Lancaster-Depew Pediatrics
Contributing Editor, Broadwayworld

Cindy & Al Ripley
Senior Advisor, Education, iTheatrics

Karen Saxon
Music Educator, City Honors School at Fosdick-Masten Park

Debbie Wilson