Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: May 1, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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THE BLUE BENCH IS POIGNANT

Max Arnaud as The Man and A. J. Melnick as The Youth. Photo by: Andrea Phox

A blue bench. Women and children are advised never to go near it - the gathering place for "monsters" - men badly disfigured from the war who are now shunned by the society they defended.

The Blue Bench by Aleks Merilo, who has an MFA in playwriting from UCLA, presented by the New Jersey Repertory Company is a well thought out, expertly constructed drama with a powerful and poignant ending.

Joel Stone directs Max Arnaud as The Man and A. J. Melnick as The Youth.

Somewhere in France 1946, The Blue Bench opens with a circus ringmaster at the worst circus in Paris, which touts dancing conjoined twins and freaks.

Hoping to see the conjoined women remove their clothes, the young man sneaks backstage. Instead, he finds himself confronted by the faceless man who joined the circus after being found on the Blue Bench, a war victim of "machine guns, barbed wire, burning gas."

"Do I scare you?"

"Yes."

The terrified lad explains that he has no money but has cigarettes, which the underage youth shouldn't have, offering them to the faceless man. He's curious if the faceless man has seen the conjoined twins naked. He understand they are Persian royalty.

The faceless man is adamant that they are now his family and he refuses to divulge any secrets.

"Every year I come on this day, every year," says the lad who explains that his mother gives him money to go to this particular circus every year on this specific day. The lad doesn't really appreciate it, since there are four great circuses in Paris and then - this one. It's every year going to the circus - not on his birthday - but on the birthday of his father.

The lad has fond memories of his father - of lifting him up to pick pears from a tree and sneaking him chocolate in church. He was told that he died a soldier. "That has to mean something."

His mother has remarried to a butcher and now expects a baby boy. The lad offers to show the freak a picture of his mother and father.

He laments that his step father doesn't like him. He's not sure if his mother still does.

The faceless man asks if he has been a good son. The lad supposes not, as they are a dysfunctional family, not even speaking at the dinner table.

The faceless man suddenly blurts out that the twins are really from Dublin who appear is a special dress which makes them look coinjoined.

The faceless man admits that he remembers seeing the lad last year - crying.

"When you took off your wig your ears came off with it. . . You took out your glass eye. . . I thought you were the most horrible thing I would ever see in my life," explained the boy.

"Your mother was kind, always kind," suddenly says the monster leading to a startling, thought provoking conclusion.

Edited by Jessica Parks, presented by NJ Rep and available to view free on Vimeo and www.njrep.org through May 8, 2022.

The Blue Bench was previously produced by: Group Rep, Los Angeles, CA, - Santa Paula Theater Center, Santa Paula, CA - Short & Sweet Festival, Sydney, Australia - Short & Sweet Festival, United Arab Emirates - New Jersey Rep, Theatre Brut Festival, Long Branch, NJ.

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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

A TOTAL WORK OF ART - UNVEILING THE COLLECTION OF ANNE H. BASS will be gaveled down by Christie's on May 12, 2022 in New York.

Petite danseuse de quatorze ans. Stamped with foundry mark A.A. HEBRARD CIRE PERDUE (on her left thigh). bronze with brown patina with muslin skirt and satin hair ribbon on wooden base. Height (excluding base): 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.) Original wax model executed circa 1879-1881; this bronze version cast in 1927. Petite danseuse de quatorze ans. Estimate: USD 20,000,000 – USD 30,000,000. Auction Date: May 12, 2022.

During her lifetime, Anne Hendricks Bass was acknowledged as much for her refined taste and timeless style as for her generosity. A selection of 12 works from Mrs. Bass’s New York apartment will lead the 20th Century Evening Sale at Christie’s New York this May. Featuring iconic works by Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Mark Rothko, and expected to exceed $250 million, the Collection of Anne H. Bass represents one of the most important American collections to appear on the market in decades.

"In every room there were masterpieces, between each masterpiece there was dialogue," says Max Carter, Christie’s Head of Impressionist and Modern Art. "When you entered, you stood between the dreamy windows of Balthus and Hammershøi and Degas’s Petite danseuse de quatorze ans, one of the greatest sculptures of the 19th century. Through to the right: two bravura red Rothkos guarding Monet’s La Parlement, soleil couchant and the unseen Monet Nymphéas and Peupliers beyond. There was nothing like it and probably never will be again. A total work of art."

Mrs. Bass made instrumental contributions to the New York City Ballet, and her collection echoed her lifelong interest in dance. She studied ballet from youth through adulthood and in 2010 directed the documentary Dancing Across Borders, chronicling the young Cambodian dancer Sokvannara "Sy" Sar’s quest for greatness. Fittingly, Mrs. Bass owned three works by Degas, known as "the painter of dancers" — one in pastel, one in bronze and one in oil.

The largest, best-known and the only sculpture that the artist ever exhibited in his lifetime, Degas’s Petite danseuse de quatorze ans occupies an inimitable place within the history of Impressionism and modern sculpture. Innovative and daring, this two-thirds life-size depiction of an adolescent ballet dancer caused an immediate sensation when the original wax version was first exhibited in 1881 at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition in Paris, and continues to compel audiences today.

While the original sculpture was executed in wax around 1879-1881, Bass’ cast was commissioned from the Hébrard foundry in August 1927. The previous owners of Mrs. Bass’s apartment, the Payson family, were also the previous owners of her Degas bronze, having acquired it from Knoedler Gallery in 1955. Auction Estimate: USD 20,000,000 – USD 30,000,000.

SCREEN TIME: PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO ART IN THE INTERNET AGE seeks to answer this question - What does it mean to be an artist in a pixelated world? - with work by a group of global and intergenerational contemporary artists who explore the evolving role of video and photography in the era of digital communication and social media. Their work considers the role of artists in a society in which online culture is omnipresent and new platforms for self-expression are constantly developing.

The exhibition will be on view at Art on Hulfish, the Princeton University Art Museum’s photo-forward gallery in downtown Princeton, from May 7 through August. 7, 2022.

Spanning three decades, the works on view in Screen Time are by turns wry, playful, nostalgic and critical in their considerations of how the internet has transformed the ways in which we present ourselves, connect with others and engage with the layered technologies that inform our wide-ranging digital experiences. The exhibition explores themes ranging from scientific and geographic systems, ecology and environmentalism and fashion to intellectual property and the influence of social media.

“In bringing together a trenchant selection of contemporary lens-based works, Screen Time affords timely glimpses into the overwhelmingly diverse and abundant responses to the digital information age,” said James Steward, Nancy A. Nasher–David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976, director. The exhibition includes Christian Marclay’s iconic montage highlighting the ubiquity of the telephone as a narrative device in classic film; Cyrus Kabiru’s Afrofuturistic eyewear incorporating found electronic waste; one of Marilyn Minter’s besmirched but glamorous photographs evoking online makeup tutorials and fashion advertising; Peter Funch’s Instagram-era digital composites, a modern take on the genre of street photography; and documentation of Otobong Nkanga’s performance work exploring the environmental legacy of colonialism. The opening celebration of the exhibition will be held on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Art on Hulfish and hosted by Museum Director James Steward and Curatorial Associate Beth Golnick.

Screen Time is curated by Richard Rinehart, director of the Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University, and Phillip Prodger, executive director, Curatorial Exhibitions. The works in this exhibition have been loaned from The EKARD Collection. The exhibition is toured by Curatorial Exhibitions, Pasadena, California.

SIEGFRIED & ROY PERSONAL AFFECTS AUCTION On June 8-9, 2022, Bonhams will present more than 500 personal items from Siegfried & Roy's professional and personal lives in two days of live sales in Los Angeles. All proceeds will go towards the SARMOTI Foundation, Siegfried & Roy's personal charity.

Costumes from their four-decade Las Vegas career to custom luxury gifts and home decor from their two estates, Jungle Palace and Little Bavaria will b gaveled down.

"Their two residences in Las Vegas, the renowned "Jungle Palace" and personalised retreat, "Little Bavaria", were quite extraordinary and unique, filled with treasures and mementos of their storied lives and travels around the world. The duo amassed a collection of jewellery, furniture, and decorative objects - ranging from Victorian English clocks to Japanese bronzes. Cartier necklaces, Breitling wristwatches, and other custom jewellery adorned with tigers or lions are also featured, along with one-of-a-kind artwork and collectables from their adventurous lives," according to Bonhams.

Highlights offered in the sale include:

• Electric blue satin stage costumes worn on stage by Siegfried & Roy, c. 1980s. Embellished with blue bugle beads to the collar and lapels and embroidered all over in a foliate pattern with silver sequins, rhinestones and faux pearls, the tailcoat was worn by Siegfried and the cropped jacket by Roy. Estimate: $2,000-3,000
• 18 Karat gold tiger head pendant with numerous round brilliant-cut diamonds and a ruby eye. Estimate: $4,000-6,000
• Yellow Diamond and Diamond Ring. Estimate: $40,000-60,000
• 18 Karat Cartier necklace with emerald and diamonds. Estimate: $60,000-100,000
• Leopard Spot pattern Tiffany & Co. Porcelain Tea Service, comprising one tea pot, creamer, sugar bowl, seven cups, eight saucers, eight dessert plates, and a cake plate. Estimate: $200-300
• French Japanese Cloisonné gilt and patinated metal turtle-form clock (c. 1870-80). Almost certainly designed by Émile-Auguste Reiber for L'Escalier de Cristal, Paris. Estimate: $10,000-15,000

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SWEET CHARITY

FAN ROOM LIVE is a new platform that connects celebrities and their fans via fun virtual events while helping various charities, Launched by Cedric the Entertainer during the pandemic, FanRoom Live organizes town hall-style virtual hangouts between actors, musicians, comedians, athletes and other celebs, giving fans the opportunity to participate in Q & A’s with their favorite stars, while at the same time giving them the opportunity to support charities and organizations that need support. The event is sponsored by Nanosol Pro.

Yesterday, April 30, two-time NBA Champion Lamar Odom teamed up with Fan Room Live to raise money for the American SIDS Institute.

Odom has a personal connection to the cause. His 6-month-old son Jaden died from sudden infant death syndrome in 2006. 100% of the proceeds from the virtual event/fundraiser will go to the American SIDS Institute.

FanRoom was Co-founded by Cedric The Entertainer, Jeff Krauss, the President of IE Group, and Mich Faulkner, the CEO of 123 Talent, the platform allows people to meet their favorite celebrities and hang out in an intimate and unique town hall setting. Fans can interact and chat with their favorite celebs.

Previous guests of FanRoom Live include Cedric The Entertainer, Ice T and Coco, Tichina Arnold , Beth Behrs, Tommy Chong, George Lopez, Alexander Ludwig, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Anthrax, CJ Ramone, Paul “Big Show” Wight, D.L. Hughley, Brant Daugherty, Holland Roden, Kurt Angle, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Whey Jennings, Morgan Fairchild, Richard Kline, and George Wayne the former Vanity Fair scribe. The platform also helped raise money for charities with some of the proceeds generated from the meetings. So, while fans get their entertainment fix, they’re simultaneously contributing to a great social cause.

For instant, actor and wrestler Paul “Big Show” Wight recently hosted a special edition of FanRoom Live. The entertainer donated his worn shirt in a gesture to support kids with Cancer and Cerebral Palsy. That special show was organized in partnership with Wrestling for Warriors, a charity organization fighting for children with disabilities and terminal illnesses.

FanRoom takes safety seriously. Everything the company does is focused on creating a safe and fun online environment where fans can have face-to-face, personal interactions with celebrities, ask questions, and watch other fans ask questions. It is the only platform of its kind providing this type of unique experience.

FanRoom takes safety seriously. Everything the company does is focused on creating a safe and fun online environment where fans can have face-to-face, personal interactions with celebrities, ask questions, and watch other fans ask questions. It is the only platform of its kind providing this type of unique experience.

GIBSON GIVES the charity arm of Gibson Guitars will stage a live, benefit concert at the National Blues Museum (NBM) in St. Louis, MO on May 7th and 8th.

Blues and rock prodigy, Eric Gales, will join blues-rock icon Devon Allman for a special, live benefit concert, presented by Gibson Gives, at the National Blues Museum (NBM) in downtown St. Louis, MO on May 7th and 8th.

The two-night concert series will also feature music by blues legend Albert King.

Allman and Gales are generously donating all proceeds of this concert to the National Blues Museum to support the mission, music, and education programs.

Devon Allman is a long-standing board member, and the National Blues Museum has announced the appointment of Eric Gales to the museum board, making this benefit even more meaningful.

FETE AT THE FARM Celebrating State Theatre New Jersey’s Centennial Anniversary Honoring Magyar Bank and Our Healthcare Heroes on behalf of Johnson & Johnson takes place Saturday, May 7.

The State Theatre Benefit Gala will be hosted at historic Suydam Farms in Somerset, NJ. The event will include a seasonal, farm-to-table menu, beer specially brewed for State Theatre by Suydam Farms’ own master brewers, and a performance by Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Fête at the Farm brings together several historic Central New Jersey institutions for the 100th Anniversary Gala to celebrate a shared history and honor those who made the return to the stage possible. These institutions include: Suydam Farms, a 300-year-old farm founded by some of the first settlers to our area; Magyar Bank, a steadfast supporter of the State Theatre who is also celebrating their centennial anniversary; and our healthcare heroes, on behalf of Johnson & Johnson, whose commitment to caring for our community throughout this pandemic has made it possible for us to welcome the public back to the theater once again.

The Gala festivities will include a cocktail hour, a silent auction, dinner, dancing, and an intimate performance featuring the incomparable Brian Stokes Mitchell performing songs from the American Songbook.

All proceeds from the State Theatre New Jersey Gala help provide education and community engagement programs for children, families, and underserved residents and support the continued excellence of its world-class mainstage performances.

PRINCE'S TRUST GLOBAL 2022 GALA was held in New York City on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at Cipriani.

Co-chaired by Lionel Richie and Edward Enninful, OBE, some of the celebrities walking the red carpet included: Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid and Gigi Hadid, Charlotte Tilbury, Lily James, Maya Jama, Stella Maxwell, Diane von Furstenberg, Adut Akech, Karlie Kloss, Grace Coddington, Natasha Poonawalla, Sabrina Dhowre, Phoebe Dynevor, Sophie Summer, Imhan Hammam and Richie's girlfriend Lisa Parigi.

In attendance were Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece.

"We are delighted to welcome you to celebrate the global work of The Prince’s Trust and to support young people from around the world to transform their lives and build their futures. We are both so passionate about creating these opportunities and are touched by your support for this cause. The journey of The Prince’s Trust started in the UK over 45 years ago and today stretches over 20 countries globally, now including the US and Ghana, countries very close to our hearts. Tonight, we want you to enjoy an inspirational evening, as we hear from young people who have already changed their lives and to harness the incredible gift we have to help support many more to achieve their dreams. We cannot thank you enough," stated the ch-hosts.

Prince Charles started The Prince's Trust to help youths. It all began in 1976, when Prince Charles had a bold idea. Having completed his duty in the Royal Navy, His Royal Highness became dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged young people in the UK. He founded His Trust to deliver on that commitment.

The UK was struggling with record levels of unemployment and spiraling inflation; young people were being left behind. The Prince used his Navy severance pay – £7,400 – to fund a number of community initiatives.

Twenty-one pilot projects were set up around the country. Grants were given to a 19-year old woman to run a social center for the Haggerston Housing Estate in East London and for two ex-offenders to run a fishing club. Funds hired swimming club in Cornwall to train young life guards and for a self-help bicycle repair program.

46 years, and 22 countries later - including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and America - one million young people have been helped.

SPREADING THE WORD

THE KENNEDY CENTER ARTS SUMMIT on May 2, 2022 brings together thought leaders for conversation and connection - aiming to challenge old ideas and spark new ones.

The 2022 Arts Summit theme of “What’s Next?” is inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Center and its continuing role as the Nation’s Cultural Center. Along with keynote speakers Lisa Richards-Toney (Association of Performing Arts Professionals) and Darren Walker (Ford Foundation), the day will feature a variety of presenters, hosts, Citizen Artist Fellows, and explore visions and ideas of the Center’s Next 50 honorees.

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS an original musical based on the Harvard Secret Court of 1920, with book by Grammy nominee Jonathan Sheffer who attended Harvard, where he was a composer of a Hasty Pudding Show, Keep Your Pantheon and score by Sheffer and acclaimed producer/songwriter Bruce Roberts, will have an invitation-only listening event on Monday, May 9 at a private residence.

The album features some of Broadway’s biggest names, including Christine Ebersole, Erich Bergen, Brooks Ashmanskas, Max von Essen, among others.

In 1920, Harvard University instigated a secret drumhead court to expel gay students or any student whose lifestyle didn’t fit the mold. The unmarked files covering the Secret Court were discovered in 2003 by undergraduate Amit Paley, now CEO of The Trevor Project, an anti-suicide organization focused on LGBTQ+ youth. It was a student’s suicide in 1920 that caused the court to be formed. Paley, who is portrayed in the musical, will attend the event, and speak about his discovery and the work of The Trevor Project.

Dirty Little Secret traverses past and present, from Amit’s modern-day journey to discover the truth back to the Jazz Age to a group of gay students whose not very subtle dorm room parties exposed their secret lives. The college’s traditional Hasty Pudding Show, an historically sanctioned drag show, serves as a mirror of 1920s attitudes about gender. In this way, the Pudding shows what was allowable then, while narrating the story as well. Musically, the score blends the rhythms of the Charleston with hip-hop and pop in a contemporary theater mashup. "It’s Cabaret meets The History Boys," says the release. "The result is a passionate, heartfelt musical that challenges us to think as it moves us to feel, addressing the all too real comparisons to today’s world."

EVERY YEAR ON MOTHER'S DAY "MOMentum Place" creates a fantastical world of aerial and circus performers, dancers and musicians in the rustic outdoor amphitheater at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga CA. Bring your mother to honor the MOMentum in her life — always on the go for others. Now, she can sit back and relax and enjoy an uncommon afternoon of performance delights that are kid-friendly and full of surprises.

For an extra treat, enjoy a scrumptious Mother’s Day brunch in the Theatricum gardens before the performance.

JIMMY FALLON on his late night talk show gave Billy Crystal's new Broadway show Mr. Saturday Night a rave review. The following night Fallon had words of praise for the Broadway revival of Take Me Out which features Jesse Tyler Ferguson who was Fallon's guest.

JAMES CORDEN announcing he will leave his late late night talk show next year is sad news. First enjoyed him on Broadway in History Boys and One Man, Two Guvnors. Hopefully, someday he'll decide to return to the Great White Way. I'd love to see Corden cast as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls with Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford in the role of Miss Adelaide.

JOE BONAMASSA an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who started his career at age 12, when he opened for B.B. King. performs May 3 at the Verti Music Hall in Düsseldorf, Germany. On Thursday he opens a two nighter at Royal Albert Hall in London. Saturday finds him in Paris, France at the Le Dome de Paris.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

THE NAB SHOW (the National Association of Broadcasters) wrapped up in Las Vegas reporting an attendance number of 52,468 guests. That figure includes 11,542 international attendees representing 155 countries.

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THE OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE an organization founded during the 1949-50 Broadway season by respected theater journalist John Gassner, is an esteemed association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, broadcast stations, and online news organizations, in America and abroad.

They have announced their nominations for the 2021-2022 theater season. Winners will be announced on Monday, May 16, with a ceremony honoring the award recipients on Thursday, May 26 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

For a complete list of the nominees click here. See Outer Critics Circle list of nominees.

THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY has announced that five-time Latin Grammy -winner and six-time Grammy-nominee, composer, arranger, producer, musician, and artistic director, Marco Antonio Solís will be the 2022 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

Solís will be honored for his more than four-decade career as a multifaceted performer and one of Mexico’s most successful artists of all time. His dedication to his musical roots has made him a true ambassador of Latin music around the world, endearing him to the legions of fans who have been moved by his songs. Solís is one of the most respected musicians of his generation—generous with his talents by composing and producing for other performers—as well as an ardent supporter of up-and-coming talent.

Solís will be celebrated at a special star-studded gala featuring a heartfelt tribute concert, including renditions of his renowned repertoire performed by an impressive array of notable artists and friends.

The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year recognizes musicians of Ibero-American heritage and honors their artistic achievements in the Latin music industry as well as their humanitarian efforts. The past honorees are Rubén Blades (2021), Juanes (2019), Maná (2018), Alejandro Sanz (2017), Marc Anthony (2016), Roberto Carlos (2015), Joan Manuel Serrat (2014), Miguel Bosé (2013), Caetano Veloso (2012), Shakira (2011), Plácido Domingo (2010), Juan Gabriel (2009), Gloria Estefan (2008), Juan Luis Guerra (2007), Ricky Martin (2006), José José (2005), Carlos Santana (2004), Gilberto Gil (2003), Vicente Fernández (2002), Julio Iglesias (2001) and Emilio Estefan (2000).

Net proceeds from the Latin Academy Person of the Year gala will go toward the charitable work of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS (NAB) has announced the Winners of 2022 Product of the Year Awards.

The awards recognize the most significant and promising new products and technologies exhibited for the first time at the 2022 NAB Show.

Winners were selected by a panel of industry experts in 15 categories. To be eligible for an award, nominated products had to come from companies exhibiting at the 2022 NAB Show and are delivered within the 2022 calendar year.

This year's winners are: Best Overall - Create
Sony Electronics: Venice 2

Best Overall - Connect
Voice Interaction: Media Monitoring System

Best Overall - Capitalize
AnyClip: AnyClip



IAMA THEATRE COMPANY presents a sneak-peek engagement of two solo plays, each written and performed by members of the IAMA ensemble, before they head out to the 2022 Edinburgh Theatre Festival.

Drew Droege directs I Hate New York, a "gaytastic" comedy written and performed by quick-witted and self-confessed rage-aholic Tom DeTrinis.

Deanna Cheng directs Hot Dogs and Tears, a darkly hilarious, autobiographical snapshot of the American South, written and performed by reformed redneck and stand up comedian Melissa Stephens.

May 5 – 8 at the Actors Company LA in Los Angeles, CA.

DANCING WITH THE UNIVERSE: NATIVE STYLE a new theatrical work, created by Derrick Suwaima Davis.

The production will debut May 7 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“We all have ancestors, and ancestors around the world use the sun, moon and stars to migrate and build, all the while appreciating and encouraging the natural order of the universe,” said Suwaima, who is Hopi and Choctaw. Dancing With THe Universe - Native Style celebrates not only human life but our relationship with the life of the universe. I hope the audience will be inspired to carry on the important responsibility of stewardship and restore and renew Mother Earth. Live to dance, and dance to live.”

Although Suwaima created the show and acts as its artistic director, drawing on experience from his past Native Trails productions, he is quick to note how the other performers from a variety of tribal backgrounds contributed to the show’s creation, including musical composition and dancing. Joining Suwaima for the program are performers from multiple Arizona-based tribes, including Hopi, O’odham, Diné and Apache dancers and musicians.

"We recognize our performing arts center sits on unceded and unsurrended Indigenous homelands," said Abbey Messmer, director of programming at the center. "For many years, we have been honored to present numerous performances by Suwaima and his Native Trails productions, which have provided opportunities for Native artists from diverse tribes — including multiple tribes based here in Maricopa County and throughout Arizona — to share their traditional movements and music. Dancing With the Universe - Native Style continues that legacy with an exciting new work that Suwaima has developed in response to receiving a prestigious grant from the National Endowment for the Arts."

LA BOHEME by Puccini. Translation by Philip Lee and David Eaton.

Directed by Mark Ravenhill.

Featuring Daniel Koek, making his operatic debut, who was previously the West End’s youngest Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and after Bohème will play the Phantom in the Australian production of Phantom of the Opera.

Joining him as Mimi is Philip Lee, who has created a powerful character: a vulnerable, endearing and troubled gay man who falls helplessly in love.

The talented Grace Nyandaro and Matthew Kellett make up the rest of the cast of this queer reinvention of the Puccini's classic.

Performances currently at King's Head Theatre - London's oldest pub theatre.

UNN KULTHUM & THE GOLDEN ERA A Musical Tribute concept & story by Mona Khashoggi.

Directed by Bronagh Lagan.

Musical Direction by Mostafa Fahmy.

This musical play and tribute tell the story of a woman who has made it on her own in a man's world, constantly rising against the tides, transforming her music, image and style to become a legend: Umm Kulthum, star of the Orient.

Starring Lubana Al-Quntar with guest performer Sanaa Nabil, Great Grandniece of Umm Kulthum.

Umm Kulthum & The Golden Era will take you through a musical journey of her early years from the 1920s up to the 1970s, where she performed her grand concert at L'Olympia Theatre in Paris. A live orchestra and singers will perform this show to adapt to her early and later years. Songs including Ghanili; Alf Laylah; Serat el Hob; Hob Eyh and many more of her top hits will be performed live.

Egyptian Delta, the turn of the century. In Tammay al Zahayera, the village imam takes his daughter to sing in a ‘mawlid’ festival, where she wows the crowd with her voice. As she gets older, he dresses her up as a Bedouin boy for performances before taking her to Cairo to develop her career, where she is surrounded by great composers, intellectuals, musicians and thinkers of Egypt's golden age. There she meets poet Ahmed Rami, a Sorbonne graduate, and a love affair begins.

Beloved by all and belonging to no one, admirers of Umm Kulthum have won her love and praise with their attention and songwriting. Her songs about love and longing express the many forms that love can take, its pain and complications.

Bilingual dialogue – English/ Arabic 3 – 5 May 3-5 at Dubai Opera in Dubai, UAE.

JANE AUSTEN UNSCRIPTED a fully improvised play that brings the world of Austen to life with audience suggestions and participation.

Directed by Sara Mountjoy-Pepka and Paul Rogan.

With Austen’s work spanning six novels that are far-reaching to this day, Impro Theatre’s Jane Austen Unscripted gives audiences the chance to not only imagine the other books she might have written, but create one on-the-spot. The company starts with audience suggestions and deftly creates a world of headstrong young women, brooding noblemen and eccentric relatives. With the foundation of mesmerizing courtship and manners that come undone, guests are treated to a unique story that just might rival one of Austen’s delicious novels.

Guests are welcomed into an outdoor, English garden setting with party table seating and all the enchantment of a curated Regency experience. The aptly named GMTea Experience Ticket invites guests to be seated at party tables closest to the action, and includes tea and treats curated by local shops and purveyors of wonderful things (Fridays include Regency-inspired drinks by Pomp & Whimsy).

Now thru May 8, 2022 on the Garry Marshall Theatre - New Outdoor Stage in Burbank, CA with performances on Mother’s Day. No performance is the same and the improvisation skills of Impro Theatre will have audiences laughing and cheering, gasping and gossiping. There are sure to be dilemmas and broken hearts, but true love is certain to triumph in this immersive afternoon (and Friday evening) of sheer entertainment.

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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.

FINAL OVATION

FORMER SENATOR ORRIN HATCH OF UTAH died Saturday, April 23, 2022 in Salt Lake City. He was 88.

Hatch's 42-year Senate tenure made him the longest-serving Republican U.S. senator in history.

Hatch, who grew up in poverty, was the first in his family to attend college; he attended Brigham Young University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in history in 1959. He also fought 11 bouts as an amateur boxer. In 1962, Hatch received a Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Hatch has stated that during law school, he and his young family resided in a refurbished chicken coop behind his parents' house. Hatch worked as an attorney in Pittsburgh and moved to Utah in 1969, where he continued to practice law.

Hatch has long been a proponent of expanding intellectual property rights, and introduced the Senate version of the Copyright Term Exension Act in 1997. Hatch believes intellectual property laws should, in general, more closely mirror real property laws, and offer greater protections to authors and creators.

On September 20, 2010, Hatch once again attempted to outlaw websites which could be used for trademark and copyright infringement through the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA). This bill would authorize the United States Department of Justice to blacklist and censor all websites that the department deemed to be dedicated to infringing activities.

Hatch played the piano, violin and organ. Fueled by his interest in poetry, Hatch had written songs for many. He co-authored Everything And More, sung by Billy Gilman. In addition to his job as a United States Senator, Hatch has earned over $10,000 as an LDS music recording artist.

Hatch also had a history in arts management. In the early 1970s he was the band manager for a Mormon-themed folk group called the Free Agency. The Free Agency was made up of members of an earlier Mormon group called the Sons of Mosiah, that was formed when guitarist David Zandonatti and vocalist Ron McNeeley relocated to Utah after their San Francisco based psychedelic group Tripsichord Music Box disbanded in 1971. The group also included Lynn Bryson and Alan Cherry.

Rock musician Frank Zappa composed a guitar instrumental entitled Orrin Hatch On Skis, which appears on his 1988 album, Guitar.

In March 1997, Hatch and Janice Kapp Perry jointly recorded an album of music with Tree Music entitled My God Is Love.. Later albums with Perry included Come to the Manger.

. Hatch appeared as himself, alongside Chuck Grassley, in Steven Soderbergh's 2000 Oscar-winning drama Traffic, in a brief cameo in a scene set during a Washington, D.C. cocktail party. Soderbergh later featured one of Hatch's songs, Souls Along The Way, in his film Ocean's 12 as background music for a scene in Hatch's home state Utah.

Hatch and Janice Kapp Perry co-wrote the song Heal Our Land, which was performed at George W. Bush's January 2005 inauguration.

Hatch, along with Lowell Alexander and Phil Naish, composed the 2006 song Blades Of Grass And Pure White Stones..

Hatch's likeness was featured in the 30 Rock episode "Jack Gets in the Game", aired in 2007, as one of Dr. Leo Spaceman's famous clients. In 2009, at the request of The Atlantic correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg, Hatch authored the lyrics to Eight Days of Hanukkah, described by Goldberg as "a hip hop Hannukah song written by the senior senator from Utah."

Hatch appeared in a 2015 scene in the Parks and Recreation episode Ms. Ludgate-Dwyer Goes to Washington alongside Cory Booker.

He is survived by his wife Elaine Hansen and their six children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

NAOMI JUDD died in Nashville on Saturday, April 30, 2022, a day before she was to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She was 76 and "died of mental illness."

Along with her daughter,Wyonna, became the famed singing duo The Judds. She was also mother to actress Ashley Judd.

Recently The Judds had announced a tour beginning in the fall, their first tour in over a decade.

The Judds were country music's most famous mother-daughter team amassing 20 top-10 hits, including 15 at number one. In addition the duo won five Grammy awards.

After her last tour, Judd developed depression, anxiety, panic attacks, edema, baldness, tremors and suicidal thought. She wrote about not leaving her home for weeks at a time and neglecting personal hygiene.

She is survived by her husband, singer Larry Strickland; her daughters and grandchildren.

Next Column: May 8, 2022
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Laura Deni

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