Movie and TV star George Segal (pictured above) just finished the run of the play Heroes, which had its American premiere at the Geffen Playhouse in LA. Translated by Tom Stoppard from the French play Le Vent des Peupliers, Heroes made its debut in London in October 2005, winning the 2006 Olivier Award for best New Comedy. Segal’s last Broadway appearance was in another three-male-character play, Yasmina Reza’s Art.

Speaking of Heroes, the Kavinoky will present the play as part of its 2007-08 season. Also in the season, the classic Twelve Angry Men; the musical Hank Williams: Lost Highway; Jeffrey Hatcher’s two-character play A Picasso (starring Lisa Ludwig) and the comedy Glorious! about socialite/soprano Florence Foster Jenkins. The latter was produced in Toronto last November at CanStage, directed by former Shaw Festival AD Christopher Newton.

And speaking of Segal, his TV co-star in Just Shoot Me, Buffalo native Wendie Malick will be at Studio Arena next week, May 14-16, appearing opposite Dan Lauria in The Guys, a play about a journalist who helps a New York Fire Chief write the eulogies for his men lost in the 9/11 tragedy. A portion of the proceeds will go to Mercy Flight, the WNY Stress Reduction Team and the Guardian Foundation.

After satisfactorily recovery from hip replacement surgery, playwright Manny Fried has a busy fall schedule ahead. He will star in his one-man play Boilermakers & Martinis, which will premiere at Road Less Traveled, directed by Kelli Bocock Natale. At the same time (on the off-nights), he will appear opposite Roz Cramer in Rebecca Ritchie’s Memory Garden at O’Connell & Company. By the way, on May 12 Road Less Traveled will present a fundraiser for the company, An Evening With Michael Civisca, concert at 8pm, followed by a cocktail reception with Michael Civisca 9:30-11pm. For tickets and information call 629-3069.

O’Connell & Co. will go semi-legit in its 2007-08 season as it will present the comedies On Golden Pond (starring Anne Gayley and Ron Swick) and Steel Magnolias. The season will also include the musicals Dames at Sea, Lucky Stiff (the very first Ahrens & Flaherty musical to be produced), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (starring Mary Craig) and Buffalo Zings- 3D.

Lisa Ludwig will direct the WesternNew York premiere of the off-Broadway (still running) hit musical Altar Boyz, opening September 12 at MusicalFare. Playing the “boyz” in the Christian boy band will be Lou Colaiacovo, Brendan Cataldo, Pascal Frisina, Angel Rosario, and Marc Sacco. Later in the season, Ludwig will portray Mrs. Lovett opposite John Fredo’s Sweeney in the company’s revival of Sweeney Todd, the first production in a three-year retrospective of Sondheim’s musicals. Sweeney just had a very successful Broadway revival last year with a new conceptual take in which all the actors also play the musical instruments. A national tour starring Judy Kaye is scheduled to begin in the fall. And the movie version starring Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp is scheduled for a January release.

MusicalFare Theatre’s newly formed women’s committee, My Fare Ladies, will present Spring Swing, an evening of swing music and dance, on May 12 from 7 to 11pm at the Wick Center on the Daemen College campus. For reservations call 839-8540, proceeds will benefit the company.

David Oliver (as the Pharaoh), Willie Judson, Jason Bravo, Keith Ersing, Nicole Marrale and Kelly Jakiel will be appearing in Artpark’s summer production of the Elton John/Tim Rice musical Aida, which will be directed by Randy Kramer and choreographed by Lynne Kurdziel-Formato. The sets, which promise to be very lavish, will be designed by NU’s Eric Appleton.

After finishing his stint as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (pictured below) for Niagara University, Paul Todaro will be spending his summer at the Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre, where he will be starring in Hedda Gabler (Jun 4-30) and Private Lives (Aug 16-Sept 9).