Actually a beautiful theater space, parking free (and not hard to find), and terrific shows, Just saw 'Janis'..and WOW! Does Buffalo have talent. Just saw "A Night with Janis Joplin" and was blown away. Samantha Hoy as Janis was terrific and the 4 women who sang her inspiration songs were too, so was the 'band'. Highly recommended. PS I have seen a few shows there and was never disappointed, but this one 'rocked' the 'house'... read more

It's ironic that a theatre production at the Kav brought me back to the campus of the D'Youville University! We used to call it D'Youville College in my day - or just "DYC." I guess I was too busy studying to become a nurse when I I attended many years ago. A wonderful theater was under my nose, and I didn't know it! The Kav is in its 47th year now. This a Buffalo treasure. My girlfriend suggested we see the production called "A Night with Janis Joplin". I'm glad she did because it turned out to be a spectacular musical production. All the singers and musicians in the band were amazing! I was not exposed to the music of Janis Joplin growing up. I came to learn more about her life and how she became a star, leaving her hometown in Texas for San Francisco. Sadly, her life was short and she died at the age of 27 of a drug overdose. She only had a mere four years of fame, 1966-1970. Yet, her social and cultural legacy was, and is, unquantifiable. The singing voices of the "Blues Women" who's contribution to making Janis who she was as a blues artist in this production were over the top WOW!! Kudos to these amazing singers. They portrayed the likes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Chantel, Bessie Smith, Odetta, Nina Simone. Comfortable seats. Leg room! Small intimate theater and no bad seats. Very decent pricing for live theater productions. I'll be coming back to the Kav to see Julius Caesar next! And then after that, there's two more productions for the 2026 to 2027 season. www.kavinokytheatre.com Please check the website. And thank me later : ) read more

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Kavinoky is the most charming small theater in the area. No matter what the performance it will be an enjoyable experience. The drinks lounge is cozy and you can bring a drink in if you buy a special cup. There's an assortment of soft drinks, cocktails, and beers. Come to the Kavinoky of you can! read more

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I'm so happy the theatre is back in session. I attended a play on a Friday Night recently. It's a beautiful smaller theatre, with a great season lineup. Easy on street parking and a cute little hall/room for refreshments before the show or during intermission. Also, the friendliest staff. I plan to get season tickets next year. read more

This theatre was absolutely great and I can't believe it took me so long to get here. Went last weekend to see The Bridges of Madison County with my mom. It is on D'Youville's Campus. There is parking in the lot, not that much, and we managed to snag the last spot that wasn't reserved. The bathrooms are great and there are many, so if there is a line, it moves quickly. The ushers are very friendly and helpful. They offer adult sippy cups so you can bring your wine, or mixed drinks into the theatre and enjoy your beverage while watching great acting. The theatre is intimate. The seats are big and comfortable. There is a lot of room between you and your neighbor. read more

The Kavinoky Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Great spot! A nice newly renovated space for theatre and its patrons. The play we saw was amazing, but this review is about the venue. The staff was courteous and kind, the bathrooms renovated and clean, and the seats magical with the plush velvet touch. We will be back! read more

This is professional community theater at its best. There isn't a bad seat in the house. The productions are always well acted, the stage and sets are well-managed and their box office is efficient and organized. If you arrange to have your tickets at will-call, they will be there reliably. Sound quality is good, The seats are not particularly comfortable, but the theater is kept immaculately clean. The temperature is well-controlled and they have a nice refreshment and café area. We love this theater and compared to the prices we are used to paying in New York City and Toronto, it is wonderful entertainment at a very reasonable price. read more

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Didn't end up seeing a show there but they hosted a Buffalo Spree Event last night in which I attended. I got to check out their bar, a few complementary appetizers (while supplies lasted ) and get a guided tour of the stage. The shows run about $45 ($40 for seniors over 65) and currently Sweeney Todd is playing (see theatre website for schedule) . Staff was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, happy to answer any questions guests had regarding the theatre and shows. If you are looking to see a live professional scale play but Shea's is a bit out of your price range, this is the venue for you! read more

A lot of really great live theater comes to Kavinoky. I have seen a couple 4 out of 4 star shows here. There always seems to be parking available in one of the D'Youville College lots or there is street parking too. (I believe you can park in any lot except for the student residents parking lots, which are labeled). The theater itself is small and quaint, which makes almost all seats a good seat in terms of viewing and being close to the stage. The downside is that the seats are pretty uncomfortable and hurt after sitting for awhile. But I heard that new seating is anticipated in the upcoming season. If you are an alum, ask for about the discount for ticket pricing. read more

This place is phenomenal! I was fortunate enough to get a seat on opening night for "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," the musical that fires off the start of their 2012-2013 season. This Theater gets a 5/5 for everything: from interior, to acting, to stage and set design. They had a minor problem getting everyone's Will Call tickets with the new computer, but they solved it pretty quickly and it only ended up delaying the start 15-20m. Not bad for a full house on opening night when a 1001 other things could go wrong. The play was amazing and I highly suggest you go see it. This Theater is on D'Youville college's campus, yet it's an independent Theater. It doesn't look remarkable from the outside, but the inside of the Theater is impressive with distinct architecture, yet the setting remains intimate (and makes for great acoustics). Although the Theater does have its own free parking lot, it WILL be full if you're going to a sold out show unless you get to the Theater fairly early. In those cases, you can park on the street (for free) and just walk down to the venue. If you truly want a great Buffalo Theater experience, I highly recommend checking out one of these smaller community Theaters as opposed to Shea's, where you WILL find great plays, but usually national tours. Here you will actually get to see what the Theater scene is like and be among the best Buffalo actors entertaining you. I was impressed with the versatility and training among some of the cast which showed itself off from how they were able to perform certain numbers in mega speed, showing ultimate mastery of diction and projection. On top of that, staying completely in character. Acting is hard, but they make it seem so easy. Great place for: a) relaxing evening with friends b) date c) solitary enjoyment of a play read more

Came to this little diamond in the rough last night to see necks get slit at the ultra dark, SWEENEY TODD. Loved the fact that there was free parking in the compass behind the theater. There were signs all over the inside of the building to let customers know where the box office and theater were (which was great because I'm directionally ill equipped usually). They also had an adorable little bar area where people could purchase alcohol and sit, lots of comfortable little tables. The show itself was wonderful and well done! The lighting and sound was great and the seats were extremely comfortable. I really enjoyed myself and look forward to supporting this theater when they put on the next show! read more

Such a great place. High quality set designs, clean facilities, a professional cast, and a quaint and classic theater space. I'll definitely both recommend and go back myself again and again. read more

The Kavinoky Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Buffalo, New York

This theatre is very cool. We saw Mamma Mia here, what a blast. The stage design was done incredibly well for a small theater, shoot for a big theater! Definitely a place we will come to again and I highly suggest anyone to check it out! read more

Really nice, intimate theater. Saw "Miracle on South Division Street". The ushers were friendly, sound was great, and the show itself was excellent! We had great seats, 5 rows from the stage - although I don't think there is a "bad" seat in the place. Balcony seating available, but hear the seats are a little cramped. Would definitely attend a future show here! read more

This is a really nice regional theater. It's in a college building, so not the most obvious place to get to. But once you find it, it's beautiful and well laid out. On my most recent visit, it was Curtains Up!, so it was a pretty good crowd. As usual, my age group was under represented. The acting, stage design and play were OK. Nothing award winning, but enjoyable and engaging. It's fun to walk around on intermission and look at the old pictures from the school. I've not visited the concession stand, but have seen people sipping wine at the break, too. The seats are comfortable and have plenty of legroom. I do recommend checking out the seat map when you purchase tickets, as some seats have limited leg room or visibility. And when you buy your tickets online, print them and avoid will call! read more

This theatre is so easy to get to, from off the 190 , with very convenient parking, right outside the doors, and a few quick steps up, off the street, I entered the building and took in the smell and look of the beautiful woodwork of the hallway, and headed to the will call window. The line there moved quickly and then I stepped back into time to the rich creams and reds and gold roccoco of the Theatre. In the center of the stage was a big beautiful red velvet couch and I am not going to tell you more about the stage set up as you simply must try to catch Crazy Mary, while it is still available to do so. I did like how they crafted glass doors and stained glass in the back of the stage with a few pretty chandeliers throughout the building. As you sit and look around you realize they just don't build anything like that anymore. On this night, people of all ages were here, from students to seniors. The staff quietly and efficiently seating people in order to get started on time. My recommendations would be if you see something coming up that you want to attend, call in your order as soon as you can to insure that you can attend the show you wish to. I imagine they fill up and sell out quite frequently because of the size that only adds to it's charm. The accoustics are very good and due to the intimate set up no one on stage has to shout to be heard and everyone who attends has a good seat. I would come here over that other bigger place in Buffalo any day. Did I mention the parking was free? read more

This is a small, professional independent theater that really wows you. There isn't a bad seat in the house and even the balcony level has very close views of the stage. It's a great throwback to by-gone days with the velour seating and the side stage balcony seating. Although after the first act, the people that were sitting in the side balconies (on both sides) opted to move to open seating closer to center viewing. So I guess the seats don't command a great view of anything going on in the center of the stage....like the actor's facial expressions. Saw most of the "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" (I couldn't bear the thought of sitting through another 1.5 hour Act after intermission). The play itself was very long. But I would definitely come back to see another play or musical here. read more

Easy parking, easy to get to off of interstate, beautiful interior, I saw mama Mia 1.19.17. Front row balcony was too tight for my 6' 1" frame but seats behind me would've accommodated me ( next time). All seats seemed ok except maybe a couple on the periphery. Mamma mia was great too. read more

IF YOU DON'T GO TO SEE ANYTHING ELSE THIS MONTH - GO TO THE KAVINOKY AND SEE TWELVE ANGRY MEN!!!!! The one angry woman? Me! Why aren't there plays like this for women? I guess it would just turn people off by being a "catfight" instead a matter of substance. Such is the fate of being a woman. OK. I'll stop grousing. I sat in the balcony (which was full) for this show and you could have heard a pin drop for the full 90 minutes that this play was on. Not one person found it necessary to whisper, cough, scratch themself, etc. This show is absolutely brilliant!!! The casting is superb; the acting is so real that I may never again speak to STEVE COOPER, PHIL KNOERZER, and NORM SHAM again, although CHRIS BRANDJES, LOU COLIAIACOVO, DON GERVASE, PETER JASKOWIAK, GERRY MAHER, JAMES MALOY, GUY WAGNER, and DOUG WEYAND may earn my vote for knighthood. JOHN BUSCAGLIA I have to think about. Not that he isn't brilliant too - it's just that he always is in these roles. STEVE NASSIF has the role of the guard, but doesn't really get a chance to show off. I won't go on about it. Most of you know the story and have seen the movie, the tv show, something. I have never seen it done better than the Kav's presentation. What more can I say. If you don't see this, you will regret it, believe me. That's if you can even get a ticket! Chris Cavanagh directed this, built the set, and probably swept the floor. He is to be heralded for greatness in all categories. BRAVO!!!! TO ALL OF YOU!!! (Which is what the audience was calling out.) read more

Last Wednesday, I was able to take students from Leonardo da Vinci High School to see the Kavinoky's performance of Twelve Angry Men. It was an amazing production to say the least. I was a little concerned beforehand when I thought about how a play with 12 actors, one set, and little action could hold the attention of my 12th graders. As soon as the play began, I knew I had nothing to worry about. The actors were engaging from start to finish. Many of my students were actually sitting on the edge of their seats throughout the play. The set was fantastic- I was asked many questions about the construction of the set and who was responsible for its design. I loved the fact that when the windows were opened you could hear the sounds from the street below! Many of my students commented on how they "felt" the air in the theater grow colder when the rain began and the sunlight faded. Kudos to sound and lighting... This production stands out as one of the best I have seen. The drama was intense and believable and the interplay between the actors was sharp and spot on. The theater itself is beautiful and intimate...a gem in our city. You must get to the Kavinoky to see Twelve Angry Men which runs until February 3, 2008. read more