Off Road with Peter Palmisano

08/25/2026

✨Welcome Back, Folks!✨A NEW season of OFF ROAD!✨Season 8 kicks-off with Buffalo’s own, legendary performer Jimmy Janowski!

One of the most recognizable faces, performers, and personalities in the last several decades, Jimmy Janowski remains an icon of Buffalo theater. Known nearly as much for his flamboyance in real life as for his prowess on the stage, he has found welcoming audiences well beyond his adopted home with the ground-breaking company of Buffalo United Artists. A force of talent and enthusiasm, Jimmy set a pace of excitement from beginning to end in this remarkable interview. (Photo by Cheryl Gorski)



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One of the most recognizable faces, performers, and personalities in the last several decades, Jimmy Janowski remains an icon of Buffalo theater. Known nearly as much for his flamboyance in real life as for his prowess on the stage, he has found welcoming audiences well beyond his adopted home with....

06/30/2026

✨ In our final episode of Season 7 on OFF ROAD, Peter sits down with an old pal, Actor, Musician and Educator, Christian Brandjes!

Well-known for his myriad roles throughout the WNY area, and equally well-liked, Christian Brandjes tells Peter a story of the pursuit of his dreams, his best-friend-bride, and a broad theatrical career. Encompassing the education of young practitioners, the delight of audiences enjoying his many performances, and the magic of the relatively new art form known as “sound painting,” Chris’s fascinating story makes a fitting conclusion to this season’s podcasts!

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OFF ROAD will be back for Season 8 at the end of August! Enjoy your summer! 🌞

Well-known for his myriad roles throughout the WNY area, and equally well-liked, Christian Brandjes tells Peter a story of the pursuit of his dreams, his best-friend-bride, and a broad theatrical career. Encompassing the education of young practitioners, the delight of audiences enjoying his many pe...

06/16/2026

⭐️A FEW GOOD MEN cast member & RLTP Ensemble member Nick Stevens joins Peter this week on OFF ROAD!

Nick Stevens is one of the fastest rising young stars on the Buffalo theater scene. Having played significant roles in just about every major theater in the area, Nick landed the coveted role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee in RLTP’s current production of A Few Good Men. How does one take on such an iconic and familiar character whose appearance still seems to dominate just about every late night cable channel? This is just one of the questions posed by Peter, along with this no less important question: how does one adapt to a new baby in the house?

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Nick Stevens is one of the fastest rising young stars on the Buffalo theater scene. Having played significant roles in just about every major theater in the area, Nick landed the coveted role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee in RLTP’s current production of A Few Good Men. How does one take on such an iconic a...

06/02/2026

✨A FEW GOOD MEN cast member John Fredo stops by OFF ROAD this week to catch up with Peter!

Whenever the name of John Fredo is heard in connection with any production, be it a musical extravaganza or a deeply affecting drama, the knowledgeable audience member is assured that the show will be one of the highest quality. So, it was with great anticipation that Peter welcomed the opportunity to have a friendly chat with the man who will soon be playing an iconic role in RLTP’s A Few Good Men. The conversation ended up being as much fun as it was informative, tracing John’s career from his earliest roles to this most recent, highly demanding, character.

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Whenever the name of John Fredo is heard in connection with any production, be it a musical extravaganza or a deeply affecting drama, the knowledgeable audience member is assured that the show will be one of the highest quality. So, it was with great anticipation that Peter welcomed the opportunity....

05/19/2026

✨Peter catches up with his buddy, actor Ian Lithgow this week on OFF ROAD!

It was over a decade ago that Ian Lithgow last performed on the Buffalo stage. The Kavinoky was lucky to have him when he came to town with his wife Rachel, a hometown girl, and performed several roles at that venue. Peter was onstage with him for one of those shows, and was delighted to be able to catch up with his old friend after all this time to find out what is new in his life, and how his acting gigs mesh with his “other” vocation as a licensed family counselor.

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It was over a decade ago that Ian Lithgow last performed on the Buffalo stage. The Kavinoky was lucky to have him when he came to town with his wife Rachel, a hometown girl, and performed several roles at that venue. Peter was onstage with him for one of those shows, and was delighted to be able to....

03/24/2026

⭐️OFF ROAD this week welcomes Executive Artistic Director Randy Kramer of MusicalFare Theatre!

When Randy Kramer left New York City to return to his home town, he couldn’t possibly have known that he would some day be the Executive Artistic Director of a theatrical company in residence at one of the most treasured venues in Buffalo: Shea’s 710 Theatre. Although his performance interests began with studying to be a professional pianist, he developed a love for musical theater and a skill set that resulted in marked successes composing, directing, and producing quality shows for the devoted and growing audiences at MusicalFare, his highly respected company. In this fascinating interview, he looks back at his first year downtown, and he looks ahead at what might still be!

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When Randy Kramer left New York City to return to his home town, he couldn’t possibly have known that he would some day be the Executive Artistic Director of a theatrical company in residence at one of the most treasured venues in Buffalo: Shea’s 710 Theatre. Although his performance interests b...

03/10/2026

✨OFF ROAD this week welcomes Exit Strategy Actor & Ensemble member Diane DiBernardo!

Whether she’s designing and wearing ingenious make-up looks, standing front and center in her classroom, or gracing the stage of RLTP (and so many others), Diane DiBernardo is someone worth knowing, talking to, and hanging out with! In her current onstage persona, she starts off the play Exit Strategy with a bang…and the show flies even higher from there. She’s so busy that Peter felt lucky to persuade her to sit down for a chat in this fun episode.

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Whether she’s designing and wearing ingenious make-up looks, standing front and center in her classroom, or gracing the stage of RLTP (and so many others), Diane DiBernardo is someone worth knowing, talking to, and hanging out with! In her current onstage persona, she starts off the play Exit Stra...

02/25/2026

RLTP’s Sound & Projection Designer & Ensemble member, Katie Menke, sits down with Peter this week on OFF ROAD! Katie has been with RLTP since its inception! 🔊📽️

When you attend a show at RLTP, and you finally leave the bar area (with your pre-show cocktail) and walk into the theater proper, you will likely be greeted by a feast for the senses. Not just a beautiful set and lighting, but a soundscape designed and developed by their resident audio expert, Katie Menke. This delightful lady is usually hidden from sight, shying from the spotlight and working her magic long before the curtain rises. But here she is to tell the story about how she found success following her father’s lead into a field of endless creativity and entertainment.

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When you attend a show at RLTP, and you finally leave the bar area (with your pre-show cocktail) and walk into the theater proper, you will likely be greeted by a feast for the senses. Not just a beautiful set and lighting, but a soundscape designed and developed by their resident audio expert, Kati...

02/10/2026

Off Road this week welcomes Revolution Gallery owners, Maria & Craig LaRotonda!

The Revolution Gallery Lounge became a critical element of the arts scene in North Buffalo nearly ten years ago. Since then, it has doubled in size and hosted art shows, concerts, “event” nights, while welcoming fans and newcomers who were just plain curious. With their focus on surreal and figurative art, Maria and Craig LaRotonda practically created a new experience by combining three of the finer things in life: artworks, music, and alcohol! Their thriving gallery could almost be missed if one were to focus on all of the shops in their neighborhood, but once a person’s curiosity opens the door, there are few who would not stay to enjoy the sights and sounds.

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🔗 in bio!

01/13/2026

I never thought we could top Part 1 for entertainment value, but I think Greg really "brought it" for this follow-up episode. If you like theater and film history, name-dropping, and two guys just having a great time gabbing, then this might be the podcast for you!

He’s BA-ACK! Greg Stuhr couldn’t quite get everything...all of his love for Western New York and its theater scene, all of his theatrical credits, all the names of those who helped him along the way…into one podcast. Well, frankly, the truth is that Peter couldn’t bear to edit out so much go...