Shea's Taps The Old Globe's Michael G. Murphy as New President

The Board of Trustees of the Shea's-O'Connell Preservation Guild Ltd. is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael G. Murphy as the new President of Shea's Performing Arts Center to succeed Anthony Conte.

Michael is currently Managing Director of The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California. Michael is a Western New York native and a proud graduate of Gowanda Central High School, Class of 1979.

Prior to joining The Old Globe in 2003, Michael worked as Managing Director of Austin Lyric Opera, Director of Administration of San Diego Opera and General Manager of San Diego Repertory Theatre. He also held similar positions in New York at Theatre for a New Audience and the Joyce Theatre Foundation's American Theatre Exchange.

Michael serves on the Executive Committees of the National Alliance of Musical Theatre, League of Resident Theatres, and the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, and on the Boards of the National Corporate Theatre Fund and San Diego County Theatrical Trusts.

Michael has a BFA in Stage Management from Webster University in St. Louis and an MFA in Performing Arts Management from Brooklyn College.

"We are thrilled to welcome Michael as President of Shea's," said John Zak, Vice Chair of Shea's and head of the search committee. "Michael's experience and passion for the theatre arts and his appreciation for the important role Shea's plays as the anchor of a thriving downtown arts scene makes him a perfect fit to succeed Tony Conte. Michael's appointment caps a seven month nationwide process conducted by the Shea's search committee with the assistance of Korn Ferry International. The committee received dozens of applications from across North America, and interviewed several local and out-of-town candidates. In the end, Michael's combination of experience, intelligence and passion stood out."

"We owe Tony Conte a real debt of gratitude for his long and very successful service to Shea's," commented Gregg Stalker, Chair of Shea's. "Under Tony's leadership, the Shea's Buffalo Theatre has been fully restored, Shea's Smith Theatre and Shea's 710 Theatre have been added to the Shea's Performing Arts Center portfolio, and the whole organization has been placed on sound financial footing. We are confident Michael is the right person to protect and build upon Tony's legacy."

"Returning to Western New York and joining the extraordinary arts and culture community that makes Buffalo such a great place to live is a wonderful opportunity for me" said Murphy. "The arts are tightly woven into the fabric of the region's history and I'm honored and thrilled to be selected to work with the dedicated and talented Trustees, staff, and volunteers at Shea's. With the support of thousands of hard-working volunteers and generous philanthropists, the citizens of Buffalo have restorEd Shea's Buffalo Theatre to be the shining beacon of Buffalo. By working with the region's amazing theatre organizations, schools, colleges, and universities, I look forward to building upon the solid foundation created by Tony Conte."

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