Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: March 31, 2024
By: Laura Deni
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DOUBT HOMILIES ARE AS IMPORTANT TODAY AS THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO

Liev Schreiber and Amy Ryan in Doubt at the Todd Haimes Theatre. Photo: Joan Marcus

Pay attention to the homily.

Those moralizing lectures in this revival of Doubt are as pertinent today as they were when Doubt first premiered.

The John Patrick Shanley electrifying Doubt which won him a Pulitzer and a Tony, debuted not long after a Boston Globe investigation revealed widespread child abuse in the Catholic Church. Shanley was quoted in Vulture as telling them that he was influenced to write the play in part by the discovery that a teacher from his own Catholic school had been a serial abuser.

In 2004 Shanley told The Times: "A child in my family was molested by a priest. The parents went first to the local level, then up the chain of command to a highly placed church official, who took them by the hands and said: 'I'm so sorry this happened to you. I will take care of it.'" The priest was promoted.

Time passes and the sharp piercing of this play - when it first took the stage starring Cherry Jones, Brian F. O’Byrne’s and Heather Goldenhersh followed by the movie Shanley directed featuring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Viola Davis, and Amy Adams, each receiving an Oscar nomination - has felt the passing of time, front page headlines and the punishment of some priests.

Since then we have seen the glaring spotlight illuminate abuses to women; lived with the proliferation of internet websites - including the dark web - misuse, troll, victimize, and destroy lives. What people don't know, they make up. Even Britain's royal family hasn't been spared - fodder for conspiracy theorists.

That makes Doubt as important as it was 20 years ago. The message in the play, the point of the play - those homilies - are as important as they were when Shanley penned the piece.

Gossip, faulty, convoluted reasoning destroys. Relying on the opinions of others and then repeating what they say as fact can be as deadly as a gun - only more painful. Assumptions are lethal.

Go see the revival of Doubt at the Todd Haimes Theatre and actually listen to what Father Flynn (Liev Schreiber) eloquently preaches.

"What do you do when you're not sure?" Father Flynn asks in the play's opening sermon.

In this production directed by Scott Ellis, the charismatic Father Flynn teaches religion and physical education at a Bronx elementary school in 1964. The neighborhood is predominately Irish and Italian. Mrs. Muller is African American, new to this Bronx parish and looking forward to her son receiving a Catholic school education. She wants him to have a better life.

The ultra conservative Sister Aloysius (Amy Ryan) serves as the principal at St. Nicholas School. A widow who became a nun, she vehemently objects to advancement - including ballpoint pens being used in school. That Number 2 pencil is the standard.

Amy Ryan boldly stepped into the part of Sister Aloysius at the last minute after Tyne Daly took ill.

She is convinced that Father Flynn has sexually abused a 12-year-old boy, Donald Muller, her first black student. When a newby teacher, the waffling and nervous Sister James (Zoe Kazan), reports that Donald returned to her class after a "private meeting" with Father Flynn acting "a little odd" and with "alcohol on his breath," Sister Aloysius becomes the stalwart of indignant righteous persecution. She declares to Father Flynn "my certainty, and armed with that … I will not stop." When Sister James, who brought this abuse possibility to Sister Aloysius in the first place, sways regarding the priest's guilt, Sister Aloysius upbraids her: "Innocence could only be wisdom in a world without sin."

She calls the boy's mother to her office, hoping for proof and instead receives a reality check.

Quincy Tyler Bernstine is a believable Mrs. Muller, who loves her son, but whose life has developed a street wise reality. "How come the priest didn't get kicked off the priesthood?" she asks as a rhetorical question. "You know why that is? … You're just finding out about it, but that's the way it is and the way it's been, Sister. You're not going against no man in a robe and win, Sister."

Her comment about her son possibly being molested is chilling. "You know the rules maybe, but that don’t cover it," declares Mrs. Muller. "You accept what you gotta accept and you work with it … It’s just till June," she rationalizes referring to the school year.

Sister Aloysius defends taking serious action based upon suspicion, rather than any evidence, as doing God's work. "When you take a step to address wrongdoing, you move away from God," she states, "but in His service."

The ending with stay with you and should cause you to think.

David Rockwell’s set imparts confinement with the stone, cloister courtyard and imposing, authoritative mahogany office. Interesting that the nuns habit and bonnet that Sister Aloysius wears is the identical Catholic religious order bonnet that others have worn in their productions. Nun's head gear indicates their sub-order. Was Shanley sending a coded message or did a costumer do the picking? A posting on filmboard 11 years ago attempted to answer what their bonnets signify. The posting states: "It really depends on the order sub-category they belong to which determines their wardrobe & headdress. I believe the nuns in this film (Doubt) were the Daughters (sisters) of Charity which wore bonnets during that time. For Sister Aloysius, this makes sense since they take their vows annually and can pretty much come and go without requiring approval of the diocese. So she wouldn't necessarily have the encumbrances that come from being previously married."

Mikaal Sulaiman’s sound is neither moody nor implied, but rather direct and lifelike from crows cawing to children at play. Kenneth Posner's shadowy lighting has a dark alley, sinister implication.

Doubt is at the Todd Haimes Theatre (formerly the American Airlines) through April 21, 2024.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

ART AND ABOUT

WEDDING DRESS

Alex Katz (United States, born 1927), Wedding Dress 3, 1992, oil on linen, 90 x 66 inches. Gift of the artist, 2022.26.4. Image courtesy Luc Demers. © 2023 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

The exhibition will display a series of large-scale paintings that highlight the artist’s interest in the intersection of art and fashion, the texture of the painted surface, and the flatness of pictorial space. In his art autobiography Invented Symbols, Katz wrote, "Fashion is of the moment, and art is supposed to be forever." This observation guides the design of this exhibition, and centers time, and timelessness, as a focal point.

Organized by a curatorial team that includes the artist himself, Alex Katz, Wedding Dress offers a unique opportunity to situate Katz’s work in relation to performance, figuration, and fashion.

Alex Katz (born July 24, 1927) is an American figurative artist known for his paintings, sculptures, and prints. Since 1951, Katz's work has been the subject of more than 200 solo exhibitions and nearly 500 group exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally. He is well known for his large paintings, whose bold simplicity and heightened colors are considered as precursors to Pop Art.

In October 1996, the Colby College Museum of Art opened a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) wing dedicated to Katz that features more than 400 oil paintings, collages, and prints donated by the artist."

Katz' work is said to have influenced many painters, such as David Salle, Helena Wurzel, Peter Halley and Richard Prince, as well as younger artists like Peter Doig, Julian Opie, Liam Gillick, Elizabeth Peyton, Barb Januszkiewicz, Johan Andersson, and Brian Alfred. Furthermore, it has become ubiquitous in advertising and graphic design.

On display at the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine where everyone 21 and younger is always free.

DENILSON BANIWA: UNDER THE SKIN OF HISTORY In collaboration with Princeton University’s Brazil LAB and Department of Anthropology, the Princeton University Art Museum presents the work of Denilson Baniwa (Baniwa, born 1984, Amazonas, Brazil). Working in various media including drawing, painting, sculpture, and performance, Baniwa grapples with legacies of colonialism in the Americas and highlights Indigenous knowledge and resistance.

His work addresses themes ranging from early Indigenous encounters with Europeans to ongoing environmental destruction and cultural erasure. Baniwa often draws on historical imagery from European sources in order to critique colonial fantasies while incorporating references to pop culture and technology that reflect contemporary Indigenous experience.

The exhibition will include work that Baniwa made in response to objects that he examined in the collections of the Princeton University Art Museum and Princeton University Library Special Collections.

Curated by Jun Nakamura, assistant curator of prints and drawings; Miqueias Mugge, associate research scholar, Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies; and Carlos Fausto, professor of anthropology, Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, and Princeton Global Scholar.

On exhibition Saturday, April 13, 2024 - Sunday, September 1, 2024 at the Princton University Art Museum in Princeton, NJ.

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SWEET CHARITY

BERKELEY REP’S OVATION GALA takes place Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Raise a glass to celebrate the transformative power of storytelling. Gather friends and loved ones for an extraordinary evening paying tribute to Berkeley Rep’s history and future — including a sneak peek of the world premiere musical Galileo.

"You won’t want to miss this extraordinary evening which provides critical support to Berkeley Rep’s artistic and education programs. We hope to see you there!"

Cocktail reception followed by a seated dinner and entertainment featuring top-flight performances, awards, and a live auction. Dessert reception to follow.

Dress code - Cocktail attire.

FROM LA TO LONDON - THE KING'S TRUST HAPPENINGS formerly known as The Prince's Trust - now known as The King's Trust - Trust Ambassador Joan Collins DBE recently hosted a lunch to celebrate the work of The King's Trust at The Maybourne Hotel in Los Angeles. Joined by Trust Ambassadors Pierce Brosnan, Stephen Fry, and Nicholas Hoult, the event showcased the work of the Trust around the world, including the recent launch of program delivery in New York City, Chicago and Detroit. In addition to hearing from Dame Joan about her longstanding support for The Trust's mission, guests also heard from Prince's Trust Alum, David Thomas. Supported by The Trust in the 1980's, David is considered one of the original pioneers of celebrity styling and is currently a stylist for The King's Trust Global Ambassador, Lionel Richie and award winning singer, John Legend.

Other receptions taking place included: Ambassador Jane Hartley, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, hosted a reception at Winfield House in London to shine a light on the work The Trust does to transform lives and build sustainable communities worldwide. Guests heard from Victoria Gore, CEO of King's Trust USA, Ambassador Hartley, and King's Trust-supported entrepreneur, Kyle Frank, about the vital role King's Trust supporters play in securing the future of the next generation.

Dame Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom Mission to the UN, and Liz Weikes, Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management and King's Trust USA Trustee, hosted a reception to commemorate the start of Women's History Month. The evening's program - which also included remarks from Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous - examined investing in women, and the organizations working to protect women's rights, as a critical catalyst for accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Prince's Trust USA is committed to investing in young women around the world to help them realize their boundless potential and empower them to pursue their dreams.

After the success of last year’s Enterprise Challenge program pilots in New York and Chicago, which supported 110 young people, we have expanded our delivery to a third US city, Detroit. We will also be offering Get Hired and Development Awards, which in 2024 will support City Year AmeriCorps members who are considering the next steps in their careers beyond their year of service. After the success of last year’s Enterprise Challenge program pilots in New York and Chicago, which supported 110 young people, The King's Trust has expanded their service to a third US city, Detroit. They will also be offering Get Hired and Development Awards, which in 2024 will support City Year AmeriCorps members who are considering the next steps in their careers beyond their year of service.

The Get Hired program is aimed at young people who may be struggling to secure employment through a traditional recruitment process. Over a period of 1-3 days we host training activities that empower them with the confidence and skills that they need to enter the job market and provide the opportunity to interview with employers looking for new hires. The first Get Hired event will take place in New York City this June.

Development Awards are given to young people to support their personal development in either education or employment. Funds received can be used to cover a variety of expenses including professional clothing, certifications, or technology.

SPREADING THE WORD

MACY'S HERALD SQUARE is all abloom with thousands of flowers, plants and trees which have transformed into Macy’s 49th annual flower show / There is a jaw dropping, larger-than-life garden on the department store’s main floor, balcony and windows.

This spectacular bloom event is free to the public, running runs through April 7.

YOU'RE ON CAMERA The Alaska Constitution requires police to get a warrant if they use binoculars or cameras with zoom lenses to look into a yard from a plane, the Alaska Supreme Court has ruled, according to Amercan Bar Association Jornal News.

The Alaska Supreme Court said using a high-powered lens while flying overhead has the potential to reveal "intimate details," such as "an unflattering photo of a person in a swimsuit, images of a person practicing a silly dance with their children, or expressions of religious devotion that one might not wish others to see. The mere knowledge that the government could make these kinds of detailed observations without a warrant may discourage Alaskans from using their curtilage to live their private lives."

Two concurring justices said the Alaska Supreme Court should have gone further by requiring warrants for any plane surveillance, rather than aerial surveillance carried out with technological enhancements.

THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY in keeping with their commitment to evolve with the ever-changing musical landscape and to best serve its membership body of music creators and professionals, have announced that several changes, including a new field and categories, have been added to the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards Process.

The new field is Electronic Music and the new category is Best Latin Electronic Music Performance.

For singles and tracks only (vocal or instrumental). Recordings must have 51% playing time of Latin Electronic music genres (as defined by the Latin Electronic Committee), as well as related emerging genres, and Latin elements, in order to accurately reflect the current trends in Latin electronic music. Recordings containing interpolations/sampling are eligible if the interpolation/sampling does not constitute more than 25% of the lyrics and/or 51% of the music of the original song. Latin electronic remixes are eligible. Award is presented to solo artists, duos or groups (for groups of more than 10 members, the statuette will be presented to the “leader” of the group). Winner’s Certificates are presented to producer(s), engineer(s), mixer(s), composer(s) and to the original recording artist, if applicable.

BROOKLYN BASED FREN-CANADIAN SOUl-FUNK-R&B ARTIST AND PRODUCER ADI OASIS has been announced as the curator for the 2024 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival. This year’s festival, produced by the Flynn and presented by New England Federal Credit Union, takes place across Downtown Burlington, Vermont from June 5-9, 2024.

Adi Oasis is an electric performer and a sought-after collaborator in modern jazz and R&B spheres. She has toured globally and shared the stage with notable artists like Anderson .Paak, Lee Fields, Chromeo, Big Freeda, and Lenny Kravitz. She recently released her latest solo album, Lotus Glow, which includes special guest features from KIRBY, Leven Kali, Jamila Woods, and Aaron Taylor.

As curator for this year’s Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, Oasis helps guide the vision and themes that tie the five-day event together, selecting artists that represent and celebrate the present and future of jazz as an evolving art form.

MARTIN SCORSESE has partnered with Fox Nation to air Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints an eight part series which will profile a different saint in each episode; from Joan of Arc to John the Baptist to Mary Magdalene.

The series will examine the "extraordinary figures and their extreme acts of kindness, selflessness, and sacrifice," Fox News said in a media release. It will be presented in two four-part premieres, the first half released November 16 and the second concluding in May 2025.

"I’ve lived with the stories of the saints for most of my life, thinking about their words and actions, imagining the worlds they inhabited, the choices they faced, the examples they set," Scorsese said in the statement. "These are stories of eight very different men and women, each of them living through vastly different periods of history and struggling to follow the way of love revealed to them and to us by Jesus’ words in the gospels."

MICHAEL JACKSON'S CHILDREN Prince, 27, Paris, 25, and Blanket, 22, attending the press night of MJ: The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre in London last Wednesday.

GIBSON'S ARTIST SPOTLIGHT is the new emerging artists program from Gibson, the iconic American instrument brand.

As part of Gibson’s commitment to artist-first culture and music discovery, Gibson has launched the brand’s first-ever Gibson’s Artist Spotlight program which features an evolving and diverse roster of musicians. The program provides emerging artists from diverse genres around the world with global exposure and services committed to their career growth. The first two of the talented musicians from the Gibson Artist Spotlight roster are: Zach Person and Devon Thompson.

Gibson’s Spotlight Artist program features artists from North and South America and Europe, China and Japan.

READING AND BRAIN HEALTH

Queen Camilla hosted a reception for The Queen’s Reading Room Study at Clarence House on Tuesday, March 26. The queen posed alongside authors Harlan Coben and Donna Tartt along with actresses Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Joanna Lumley at the event. Photo: Clarence House.

Does reading on a regular basis made any type of significant difference in brain health or health of the body in general?

To attempt to answer that question Her Majesty Queen Camilla through her Queen’s Reading Room commissioned their first qualitative and quantitative research, as well as neuroscientific research to determine whether there is a link between reading fiction and wellbeing.

The results of the study have proven a clear link between reading fiction and improved mental health, brain health and social connectedness.

The neuroscientific study suggests that reading for just five minutes can reduce stress, improve concentration, and help people to feel more connected.

To celebrate the results of The Queen’s Reading Room most recent study, the Queen was joined by guests for a reception at Clarence House. They included authors Harlan Coben and Donna Tartt along with actresses Helena Bonham Carter and Dame Joanna Lumley. Helem Bonham Carter is currently starring in Nolly which airs on PBS.

During the reception, Her Majesty met with guests involved in the charity’s research project, including academics and independent neuroscientists who have led the study, as well as authors, actors and literary advocates who have contributed to The Queen’s Reading Room Podcast and Festival.

The Queen has long championed a love of reading across generations and is passionate about shining a light on the importance of literature.

In speaking to the crowd Queen Camilla emphasized that reading is as important for well being as "walking 10000 steps and eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables."

In explaining how the research study was conducted she disclosed that "the neuroscientific research used brain scans, skin conductance tests and a nationally representative study developed by neuroscientists to examine the connection between reading and well-being.

Key findings revealed that just 5 minutes of reading can reduce stress by nearly 20%, improve concentration and focus by as much as 11% and that reading earlier in the day can help readers feel more connected to others and feel ready to tackle challenges. The results have proven that there is an important link between reading fiction and increased mental health, brain health and social connectedness."

Now an independent charity, The Queen’s Reading Room works to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading and is on a mission to help more people find and connect with books which enrich their lives.

The Queen’s Reading Room Instagram account was launched in 2021 – a community space for book lovers to visit, and to see videos, photographs, and commentary from some of The Queen’s recommended authors.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

LOS ANGELES' LATINO THEATER COMPANY has announced that three additional funders have joined to support the company’s National Latinx Theatre Initiative, bringing the total of national and local funders to eleven. The program, launched in December 2022 with a $5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, aims to boost the national profile of Latinx theater companies across the U.S. and Puerto Rico; disperse funds needed to pursue greater financial stability; and nurture artistic voices in a post-pandemic landscape. The three new funders include the Doris Duke Foundation ($500,000 over two years), the New York Community Trust ($450,000 over 3 years), and The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation ($50,000).

These funders join the Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Joyce Foundation, California Community Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Miranda Family Fund and an anonymous donor in an unprecedented effort by the nation’s philanthropic community to deploy significant resources to the Latinx theater sector.

The National Latinx Theater Initiative is providing general operating support to 52 local and national Latinx anchor producing theaters in its first round of two and three-year grants and will offer robust professional development opportunities for grantees.

"The National Latinx Theater Initiative is the first time that national and local foundations have come together to address the challenges and opportunities faced by the Latinx theater sector," said Olga Garay-English, a director of the initiative alongside Latino Theater Company artistic director Jose Luis Valenzuela. "We hope to see many more foundations of varying types and geographies join us in this long-term investment in a vivid and critical piece of the United States’ theatrical ecosystem."

HIGH PLAINES RADIO NETWORK a Vernon, Texas broadcast group filed for Chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas on March 26. High Plains operates across six states.

The case has been assigned to Judge Scott W Everett, following the petition made by Jeff Carruth of Weycer, Kaplan, Pulaski & Zuber, P.C. on behalf of High Plains owner Monte Spearman. The company listed $1-10 million in debt with the same range of assets.

The company operates 18 stations in Texas, one in New Mexico, one in Colorado, four in Oklahoma, two in Mississippi, and 14 signals across Arkansas. The FCC canceled licenses for KICA-AM and KICA-FM earlier this month due to both stations going silent for more than a year. KICA lost its tower site leases in 2022.

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KEVIN HART was lovingly roasted and then awarded the 2024 Mark Twin Prize for American Human or last Sunday, March 24, 2024 during a gala performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Hart, 44, made his movie debut in the 2002 film Paper Soldiers. His films have grossed more than $4.23 billion globally.

Now in its 25th year, the Mark Twain Prize annually honors performers who have made a lasting impact on humor and culture.

Honorees receive a bronze bust of Twain, the iconic American writer and satirist whose real name was Samuel Clemens.

A lineup of leading performers saluted Kevin Hart at the 25th annual Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. They included: Dave Burd aka “Lil Dicky”, Nick Cannon, Dave Chappelle, Jimmy Fallon, Tiffany Haddish, Regina Hall, Chelsea Handler, Nelly, The Plastic Cup Boyz, Keith Robinson, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, J.B. Smoove, Robin Thicke, and Adam Blackstone.

"For over three decades, Kevin Hart has been a source of laughter across America and throughout the world with his iconic characters, inimitable physical comedy, and relatable narratives. An accomplished writer, producer, actor, and comedian, he has made lasting contributions to the comedic landscape and represents our celebration of American humor at the Kennedy Center," said Kennedy Center President, Deborah F. Rutter. "We express our gratitude to Kevin for enriching American culture and look forward to celebrating his exceptional career."

As a recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Hart received a copy of an 1884 bronze portrait bust of Mark Twain sculpted by Karl Gerhardt (1853–1940).

Previous recipients of the Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize are Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013), Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), Dave Chappelle (2019), Jon Stewart (2022), and Adam Sandler (2023).

The event was created by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and John Schreiber. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, David M. Rubenstein is serving as the Honorary Chair, with Gala Co-Chairs Barbara Goodman Manilow and Cappy McGarr—a steadfast supporter of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor since its inception in 1998.

The show will air on May 11 on Netflix.

GOODSPEED MUSICALS has announced Keirsten Hodgens has been selected as this year’s recipient of The Andrew A. Isen Prize at Goodspeed Musicals. This award is funded through a generous gift given by DC-based entrepreneur and musical theatre devotee Andrew A. Isen and was created to give young people who are in the early stages of professional development financial assistance and encouragement to focus on artistic excellence in musical theatre.

Isen served on the selection committee and is thrilled with the recipient. "This was our dream – to acknowledge young theatre artists in the beginning stages of their career, especially those who are rarely recognized for their vital contributions," Isen said. "Keirsten has a vision that is unique and vital. I am pleased we are able to facilitate an important step in her pursuit of a career in musical theatre. She has a rare talent, a strong vision for her future and a passion to make a difference in the world through her art."

Hodgens recently performed in Goodspeed Musicals’ Dreamgirls.

The Andrew A. Isen Prize at Goodspeed Musicals is the first-of-its-kind prize dedicated to supporting emerging musical theatre professionals across all disciplines. Given annually, this prize recognizes a young person between the ages of 20 and 29 who has demonstrated excellence in their work during the previous Goodspeed Musicals’ season. Chosen by a committee of theatrical professionals, the honoree will be awarded $5,000 to aid in their pursuit of a career in musical theatre. The establishment of this award with Goodspeed Musicals will also serve to enhance Goodspeed’s efforts to recruit exceptional technicians, designers and other theater professionals.

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND LETTERS has announce 19 new members who have been elected into the Departments of Architecture, Art, Literature, and Music in 2024, along with one new American Honorary member and three new Foreign Honorary members.

The Academy has also announced that it is also honoring Pulitzer Prize winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, avant-guarde performer Laurie Anderson and James C. Horton the president of the Harlem School of the Arts.

Goodwin will receive a Gold Medal for biography. Anderson a Gold Medal for music. Horton for his "significant contribution to the arts."

All three will be presented their awards in May, when the academy formally inducts its new members, among them the Oscar-winning composer John Williams and the novelist Alice McDermott.

The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments.

During the ceremony, Danielle Allen will deliver the keynote Blashfield Address. Allen is a professor of political philosophy, ethics, and public policy at Harvard University and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation.

NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS

ARCHITECTURE
James Carpenter, Mack Scogin, Sharon Egretta Sutton

ART
Matthew Barney, June Leaf, Simone Leigh, Laura Owens, Charles Ray, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Henry Taylor

LITERATURE
Charles Baxter, Margo Jefferson, Alice McDermott

MUSIC
Terence Blanchard, Anthony Braxton, Libby Larsen, Steven Mackey, Roscoe Mitchell, John Williams

AMERICAN HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Rosanne Cash

FOREIGN HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Olga Tokarczuk, Rosemarie Trockel, John Tuomey

In addition, Arts and Letters includes 75 Foreign Honorary members—architects, artists, composers, and writers from outside the United States—and 20 American Honorary members whose work falls outside the membership’s traditional departments.

The American Academy of Arts and Letters' 300 members distribute over $1.2 million in awards annually; fund concerts and new works of musical theater; purchase and commission contemporary art for donation to museums across the country; and present exhibitions, talks, and events for the public at our historic buildings in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.



THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD based on an unfinished Charles Dickens novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood is by Rupert Holmes who penned the book, music, lyrics, and original orchestrations.

Holmes, who wrote one of my three favorite songs Escape (The Pina Colada Song is a current New York Times best-selling author. He was the first person to singly win Tony Awards for book, music and lyrics of a musical, this for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which also won the Tony for Best Musical in 1986.

Directed by Rob Ruggiero.

Choreographer: James Gray.

Music Director: Adam Souza.

Who killed Edwin Drood? You decide! A troupe of Victorian performers invites you to play detective in this musical comedy whodunit packed with surprise. Your vote picks the guilty party from a lineup of suspicious Charles Dickens characters who leap off the page and into a gas-lit, gilded, giddy spectacle. No one is who they appear to be among the corrupt suspects in this cunning and clever show-within-a-show. You’ll be guessing motives, masks and murder ’til the final curtain.

The Audience Chooses a New Ending at Each Performance.

Principals: David Beach (Durdles/Master Nick Cricker).Jetta Juriansz (Helena Landless/Janet Conover). Jamie LaVerdiere (Bazzard/Phillip Bax). Liz McCartney (Princess Puffer/Angela Prysock). Marcus Montgomery (Deputy/Mister Nick Cricker). Riley Noland (Rosa Bud/Deidre Peregrine). Mamie Parris (Edwin Drood/Alice Nutting). Paul Adam Schaefer (Jasper/Clive Paget). Paul Slade Smith (Crisparkle/Cedric Moncrieff). Levin Valayil (Neville Landless/Victor Grinstead). Lenny Wolpe (Chairman/William Cartwright).

Ensemble: Jon Cooper, Benjamin Howes, Albert Jennings, Miyuki Miyagi, Jacqueline Petroccia, Jesse Swimm, Natalie Welch.

Swings: Megan Arseneau and Noah Ruebeck.

The creatives are: Scenic Designer: Ann Beyersdorfer - Costume Designer: Hunter Kaczorowski - Lighting Designer: Rob Denton - Sound Designer: Jay Hilton - Hair/Wigs Designer: Tommy Kurzman - Orchestrator: Christopher Jahnke - Production Stage Manager: Chris Zaccardi - Casting: Paul Hardt / Hardt Casting.

Performances at The Goodspeed from April 5 – June 2 in East Haddam, Conn.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork.

With direction by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher.

Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Thomas plays the role of Atticus Finch in the National Tour.

Also in the producction are: Maeve Moynihan. as Scout Finch. Jacqueline Williams. as Calpurnia. Justin Mark. as Jem Finch. Yaegel T. Welch as Tom Robinson. Steven Lee Johnson. as Dill Harris Mary Badham. as Mrs. Henry Dubose. Ted Koch as Bob Well. Jeff Still as Judge Taylor. Christopher R Ellis as Horace Gilmer. Mariah Lee as Mayella Ewell. Travis Johns as Sheriff Heck Tate. Greg Wood as Link Deas. Anne-Marie Cusson as MissStephenie, Dill's Mother. Ian Bedford as Mr. Cunningham, Boo Radley.

The general understudies are Lance Baker and Stephen Cefalu, Jr.

Ensemble members are: Denise Cormier, Rae Gray, Greg Jackson, Joey LaBrasca, David Andrew Morton, Andre Ozim and Dorcas Sowunmi.

April 2-7, 2024 at The Historic Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee.

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE from five-time Olivier Award nominee Kate Prince, Inspired by and set to the Iconic hits of Grammy Award–Winning Artist Sting.

Choreographed and directed by Kate Prince.

Four-time Grammy, three-time Tony, three-time Olivier, and Emmy award winner Alex Lacamoire serves as music supervisor and arranger.

The peaceful village of Bebko is alive with joyous celebrations. Suddenly, under attack, everything changes forever. Three siblings, Leto, Mati, and Tana, must embark on perilous journeys in order to survive. Message In A Bottle is a spectacular new dance-theatre show from Prince, inspired by and set to the iconic hits of Kennedy Center Honoree and 17-time Grammy Award–winning artist Sting, including "Every Breath You Take," "Roxanne," "Walking on the Moon," and more. With a mix of exhilarating dance styles, high-energy footwork, and breathtaking athleticism, Message In A Bottle tells a unifying and uplifting story of humanity and hope.

Message in a Bottle was released as the lead single from their second studio album,"Reggatta de Blanc" (1979). Written by the band's lead singer and bassist Sting, the song is ostensibly about a story of a castaway on an island who sends out a message in a bottle to seek love. Having received no response for a year, he despairs, believing that he is destined to be alone. The next day, however, he sees "a hundred billion bottles" on the shore and realizes that there are more lonely people like him.

Origionally, the song "Time in a Bottle" exemplified the reggae rock/new wave style of early Police. It starts in the key of C minor with a chord progression of C#m9–Amaj9–B7–F#m, but modulates to the key of A major for the chorus. For the stage show Lacamoie has re-arranged many of the composition including "Invisible Sun," and "Every Breath You Take." "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is mixed with "Inshallah."

The live production show is recommended for age 12 and up. Contains some scenes of an adult nature.

A Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music UK production co-produced with Birmingham Hippodrome and The Lowry, Salford. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.

April 9 - 21, 2024 at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Come early on April 13 for a Touch Tour in the Grand Foyer from 12:15p.m. to 12:45p.m., featuring props and costumes from the production. Free to the public, no tickets required for the Touch Tour.

HERSHEY FELDER AS MONSIEUR CHOPIN a play with music of Fryderyk Chopin, Book by Hershey Felder.

Directed by Joel Zwick.

Days after the February 1848 revolution, Fryderyk Chopin is teaching a piano lesson in Paris. Set in the Polish pianist-composer’s intimate salon, Chopin shares with his students secrets about the piano and secrets about himself—as well as playing some of his most beautiful and enduring compositions. In a tour de force performance, virtuoso actor/pianist Hershey Felder brings to life the romantic story and music of the man once called the "Poet of the Piano."

April 10 – May 12, 2024 at the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre in Glencoe, IL.

CARRIE'S WAR from the novel by Nina Bawden, adapted by Emma Reeves.

Directed by John Brolly.

Composer and musical director Ben Sutcliffe.

Featuring Eleanor Toms as adult Carrie; Levan Dove as Carrie's son; Poppy Levingstone and Jess Postlethwaite as Young Carrie; Iris Kirwan as Nick; Steve Jacobs as Mr. Evans; Rebecca Hulbert as Aunty Lou; Dylan Taylor-Bennett as Albert Sandwich; Ben Kernow as Mr. Johnny; Georgia Nicholson was Hepzibah Green; Craig Johnson as Major Harper/ Mr. Owen/ Frederick; Eleanor Toms as Mrs. Fazackerly/ Mrs. Davies; Holly Taylor as Billy; Rebecca Hulbert as Mrs. Gotobed; Ben Kernow.

The cover actors are: Marnie Cole, Charlotte Bister and Jack Brownridge Kelly.

The musicians are Zaid Alrikabi and Ben Sutcliffe.

A new life, new friends and a secret that could destroy it all.

It's wartime and 12-year-old Carrie and her younger brother Nick are uprooted from their home and family, evacuated from London to a remote part of Wales where the harsh Mr. Evans makes them work in his shop and obey his strict rules.

They are lonely and bewildered until they meet Albert Sandwich, a boy unlike anyone else. At Christmas, they are sent to Druid's Bottom to collect a goose from Mrs. Gotobed where they meet Hepzibah, a warm hearted witch and eccentric Mister Johnny, and hear about the curse of an ancient skull.

When Carrie returns 30 years later with her own child, she has to face a terrible secret, one that she has never before revealed.

Carrie's War is based on the author's own childhood experiences of evacuation. Carrie's War has been adapted twice for television by the BBC.

The creatives are: Elroy Ashmore designer; Marion Harrison costume designer; Simon Hutchings lighting designer/production manager; Millie Brolly assistant director; Sion Tudor Owen is the Welsh langiage consultant; Stage managers Jenny Beare amd Craig Brown; Assistant stage managers Marian Hayes and Millie Brody; Chaperones Tamsin Livingstrone and Yasmin Baird; Publicity Designer Matt Travis; Set Building Dan Richardson and Lynn Batten; Sound operator Byron Ladd-Carr; Lighting Operator Lucy Gaskell.

Performances through April 12, 2024 at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, England.

MARY JANE written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog.

Directed by Anne Kauffman.

The cast includes Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams, April Matthis, Susan Pourfar, Lily Santiago and Brenda Wehle.

Captivating, affecting and compassionate, it’s the story of a single mother in an impossible family situation. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, Mary Jane relies on unflagging optimism and humor, along with the wisdom of the women around her who have become a makeshift family, to take on each new day. But will inner strength and newfound friendships be enough to see her through?

The creative team includes: Lael Jellinek (Set Design), Brenda Abbandandolo (Costume Design), Ben Stanton (Lighting Design), Leah Gelpe (Sound Design), J. Jared Janas (Hair, Wig & Make-up Design), Caparelliotis Casting & Kelly Gillespie (Casting), Kate Wilson (Vocal Coach), and Narda E. Alcorn (Production Stage Manager).

Begins previews on Tuesday, April 2 and will open on Tuesday, April 23, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City.

MOTHER PLAY written by Paula Vogel.

Directed by Tina Landau.

Featuring Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jessica Lange, and Jim Parsons.

It’s 1962, just outside of D.C., and matriarch Phyllis is supervising her teenage children, Carl and Martha, as they move into a new apartment. Phyllis has strong ideas about what her children need to do and be to succeed, and woe be the child who finds their own path. Bolstered by gin and cigarettes, the family endures — or survives — the changing world around them. Blending flares of imaginative theatricality, surreal farce, and deep tenderness, this beautiful roller-coaster ride reveals timeless truths of love, family, and forgiveness.

Mother Play begins previews Wednesday, April 3rd and officially opens Thursday, April 25 at the Hayes Theater in New York City. The production runs through Sunday, June 11, 2024.

GUN & POWDER Book and Lyrics by Angelica Chéri - a real-life descendant of Mary and Martha Clarke. Music by Ross Baum.

Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb.

Music Direction by Austin Cook.

Choreographed by Tiffany Rea-Fisher.

This adventurous, riveting musical is inspired by the "mostly true" story of two sisters who take extraordinary measures to settle their mother’s sharecropper debt and save her home.

In 1893 Texas, the Sisters Clarke—passing as white—embark on a remarkable Wild West adventure that examines race, family, and identity with two electrifying women who transformed from farm girls to outlaws to legends.

Featuring: Liisi LaFontaine as Martha Clarke, Ciara Renée as Mary Clarke, Jeannette Bayardelle as Tallulah Clarke, Aaron James McKenzie as Elijah, and Hunter Parrish as Jesse Whitewater. and Jisel Soleil Ayon as Standby for Mary and Martha.

The ensemble includes Rickens Anantua, Reed Campbell, Carrie Compere, Meghan Olivia Corbett, Joann Gilliam, Francesca Granell, Aaron Arnell Harrington, Mary Claire King, Malik Shabazz Kitchen, Rayshun LaMarr, Zonya Love, Tiffany Mann, Tony Perry, Adam Roberts, Hank Santos, Christine Shepard,Katie Thompson, Aurelia Williams, and Jason SweetTooth Williams.

The production features orchestrations by John Clancy, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Adam Honoré, sound design by Connor Wang, wig, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas & Tony Lauro, fight direction by Sordelet, Inc./Rick Sordelet, and intimacy direction by Crista Marie Jackson. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting. Jakob W. Plummer is the Production Stage Manager.

Gun & Powder was developed through the SigWorks: Musical Theater Lab at Signature Theatre, and made its World Premiere in the 30th Season at the Signature Theatre in 2020.

April 4 - May 5, 2024 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey.

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FINAL OVATION

LOUIS GOSSETT, JR an Oscar and Emmy award winning actor died Friday, March 29, 2024 at a rehabilitation center in Santa Monica, California. He was 87.

Gossett struggled with a debilitating illness during the 1990s and early 2000s, having been given a prognosis of six months to live from a doctor at one stage. In 2001, he learned much of his illness was due to toxic mold in his Malibu home. On February 9, 2010, Gossett announced that he had prostate cancer. He added the disease was caught in its early stages, and he expected to make a full recovery. In late December 2020, Gossett was hospitalized in Georgia with COVID-19.

He made his stage debut at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway play Take a Giant Step. His high school teacher had encouraged him to audition for that part, resulting in his selection for a starring role on Broadway in 1953 from among 200 other actors well before he entered NYU.

Gossett continued acting onstage in critically acclaimed plays including The Desk Set; A Raisin in the Sun (1959); Tambourines to Glory (1963); Golden Boy (1964); The Zulu and the Zayda (1965); My Sweet Charlie (1966); and Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights. (1968).

In 1961, Gossett appeared in the original cast of Jean Genet's The Blacks, the longest running off-Broadway play of the decade, running for 1,408 performances. The original cast also featured James Earl Jones, Roscoe Lee Browne, Cicely Tyson, Godfrey Cambridge, Maya Angelou and Charles Gordone.

In 1977, Gossett played the role of Fiddler in the television miniseries Roots based on Alex Haley's book Roots: The Saga of an American Family. The role was his screen breakthrough, earning him an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a single appearance in a drama or comedy series.

A six time Emmy nominee, in 1977, Gossett appeared in the popular miniseries Roots, for which he won Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series at the Emmy Awards.

Constantly acting, he won and was nominated at other ceremonies including the Golden Globe Awards, Black Reel Awards, and NAACP Image Awards.

Gossett was married three times and fathered one son and adopted one son. His first marriage was to Hattie Glascoe; it was annulled. His second, to Christina Mangosing, took place on August 21, 1973. Their son Satie was born in 1974. Gossett and Mangosing divorced in 1975. His third marriage, to Star Search champion Cyndi James-Reese, took place on December 25, 1987. They adopted a son, Sharron (born 1977). Gossett and James-Reese divorced in 1992.

MICHAEL S. STRUNSKY known for his stewardship of the Ira Gershwin Musical Estate and his notable contributions to the construction and arts sectors, passed away on February 24, 2024, at his residence in San Rafael, California. He was 89.

With an educational background in Electrical Engineering and Construction Management from Cornell and Columbia Universities, Mike's career traversed multiple sectors. His executive roles included positions at the Port of New York Authority, the Boeing Company, and Morse Diesel Construction, prior to his relocation to the West Coast in the 1960's, where he joined Bechtel Corporation. In 1978, he established Apersey Construction, undertaking significant projects such as the first Moscone Convention Center expansion in San Francisco and the construction of the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View for Bill Graham, a project he affectionately referred to as his "third child."

Following the death of his Uncle Ira Gershwin in 1983, Mike, alongside his Aunt Leonore, commenced the management of the Ira Gershwin Musical Estate. This endeavor became his primary focus after Leonore's death in 1991, leading to the production of numerous recordings and Broadway shows that celebrated the Gershwin legacy. These include Tony Award-winning shows Crazy For You (1992), Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012), The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess (2012), and An American In Paris (2015).

Mike demonstrated his enduring commitment to the arts and community service through his membership on the boards of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the San Francisco Symphony, the Great American Songbook Foundation, The Jewish Home, and the Goodspeed Opera House. As a zealous advocate for the arts, he was instrumental in founding the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and managed the Leonore S. Gershwin Trust for the benefit of the Library of Congress. He also directed various projects in music, education, and healthcare via the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Philanthropic Fund, including the establishment of The Gershwin Initiative at the University of Michigan.

Mike is survived by his wife of 55 years, Jean; his daughter, LJ; his son, Burke; grandsons Clark and Logan; and granddaughter, Emilie.

Next Column: April 7, 2024
Copyright: March 31, 2024 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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