After serving nearly two decades in the increasingly dysfunctional U.S. House of Representatives, former Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo knows a thing or two about drama.
“Think about it. You have members of the majority party in the House wanting to impeach a cabinet secretary, the secretary of Homeland Security, because of the problems at the border,” Higgins said in a recent meeting with The Buffalo News Editorial Board, referring to his Republican colleagues in the House.
“It’s the most dysfunctional Congress in the history of the nation,” he said.
That experience probably set him up nicely for his new gig as president and chief executive officer of the region’s premier professional theater venue, Shea’s Performing Arts Center, which has recently weathered its own dramatic tensions.
Shea’s, the crown jewel in Buffalo’s Theatre District, boasts as one of the most successful venues for touring Broadway shows in the country. However, in 2022, it endured nearly as much performative drama behind the scenes as it showcased on stage. The result was a strife-filled saga that culminated in the departure of Higgins’ predecessor, Michael Murphy.
Murphy was fired in October 2022 after six years as president. Employee complaints about his management style led to a large number of staff resignations during the tumultuous year, and the departure of five trustees after action wasn’t taken sooner against Murphy. M&T Bank withdrew its decadeslong sponsorship, since replaced by Five Star Bank.
“I don’t know what happened, but here’s what I know: Everybody is going to be seen and heard,” Higgins promised of how he will manage the Shea’s staff. “Everybody is going to be respected, and people should be themselves without fear or apprehension.”
There is a bit of irony having Higgins placed in the center of melodrama at Shea’s given his relentlessly calm demeanor and low-key deportment.
More than three…
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