Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 20, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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A GENTLEMAN OF MY OWN MAKING IMPORTANT FOR LGBT COMMUNITY

The inspiring story of Laura and Michael Dillon. Laura Dillon had the first ever gender reassignment surgery, becoming Michael Dillon.

A Gentleman of My Own Making is based on the true story of Michael Dillon, born Laura Maud Dillon. Laura could not rest within the female body, beginning by experimenting with hormones and eventually giving herself over for the very first experimental gender re-assignment surgery in order that her appearance would represent the man she knew she was, Michael Dillon. A remarkable individual, whose personal change changed the world we live in today.

Part of the Wireless Theatre Company's Couples who Changed The World Series recorded live at The Pleasance King Dome for The Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Leaving Laura behind - - -

David Beck effectively directs Adam Hall, Ishia Osborne, James Parkes, Morag Sims, and Nina Millns.

Losing a parent is disturbing for a child. Dillon's mother died of sepsis ten days after giving birth. Dillon, born female, was raised with older brother Bobby by their two aunts in Folkestone in Kent, England. Her father showed more interest in her brother than in her. That emotional absence did damage.

A difficult girl, Laura Maude Dillon was termed exceptionally bright, a loner, not beautiful but in need of a husband and "there are ways to dress a sow".

For her it would be better if she thought of education before a husband. She is considered university material.

As Laura, she became more and more uncomfortable as she grew into a beautiful young women. She strapped down her breasts and dressed in manly clothes.

She is constantly confused, fighting her own emotions. Michael was always there, but Laura denied him, pushed him away. She preferred to be alone.

The dialogue effectively dovetails between Laura and Michael.

She's on the train to the university's Radcliffe Hall with cropped hair and a manly jacket. The voices in her head- especially that voice from Michael - encourages her to move into the men's train cabin where she can enjoy the smell of cigar smoke and Brill Creme. The torment of one body and two genders.

Then Laura finds Griffin - Elizabeth Violet Griffin - who intends to become the man she intends to be.

Elizabeth comments that no women who smokes a pipe is ever called Laura and a new name needs to be found. They settle on Michael.

They smoke pipes and discuss their conditions. Then Griffin began to unbutton Michael's shirt.

Michael Dillon in the Merchant Navy. Photo: Wikipedia.

Her homosexual urges are only a reminder that she isn't - what she wishes to be.

Dillon was president of the Oxford University Women's Boat Club and won a blue for rowing, competing in the Women's Boat Race in 1935 and 1936. Never-the-less Dillon was more comfortable in men's clothing and was more self-assured living as a male.

In 1939 Laura is now Michael and Michael alone. In the local library he discovers research about hormone therapy altering sexual appearance. Dillon seeks out specialist George Foss, who requires a psychiatric examination, which declares that Dillon is conflicted. Dillon wonders if she has been born into the wrong body.

Dillon begs for experimental hormone therapy. The doctor is cautious wanting Dillon to continue with psychiatric care. It is the psychiatrist who will have the final say. The psychiatrist gossiped about Dillon's desire to become a man, and soon the story was all over town.

Dillon fled to Bristol and took a job at a garage. The hormones soon made it possible for him to pass as male, and eventually the garage manager insisted that other employees refer to Dillon as "he" in order to avoid confusing customers.

During the war Dillon enlisted and was promoted to recovery-vehicle driver and doubled as a fire watcher during the Blitz.

World War II raged but Laura and Michael stopped being at war with each other.

Dillon suffered from hypoglycemia, and twice injured his head in falls when he passed out from low blood sugar. While in the Bristol Royal Infirmary recovering from the second of these attacks which took place on a street corner, he came to the attention of one of the world's few practitioners of plastic surgery.

The understanding doctor promised discretion and encouraged surgery to complete the process. The horrors of war has brought great advances in the reconstruction of penises for soldiers who had suffered war wounds. The soldiers came first. Dillon's surgery would come after the war.

Pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies performed at least thirteen surgeries on Dillon between 1946 and 1949 and Laura became the first man created at the hands of a surgeon.

Dillon was one of the few transgender people able legally to change his identity at this time.

There it began says Michael. Laura being cut away from my body - becoming "A Gentleman of My Own Making."

Superb writing and directing. Emotional, powerful acting, with excellent sound balancing and sound effects.

Music by: Jaky Fong
Sound by: Malcolm Thorp and Gareth Brown
Editing by: Malcolm Thorp

The play is focused on the sexual transformation and doesn't address Dillon's later life - qualifying as a physician in 1951 and initially working in a Dublin hospital. He then spent the six years at sea as a naval surgeon for P&O and the China Navigation Company. Then unwanted press attention led Dillon to flee to India, where he spent time with Sangharakshita (Dennis Lingwood) in Kalimpong, and with the Buddhist community in Sarnath. While at Sarnath, Dillon decided to pursue ordination and became Sramanera Jivaka (after the Buddha's physician). Because Sangharakshita refused to allow Jivaka full ordination, and other frustrations with Sangharakshita's management of Triyana Vardhana Vihara, Jivaka turned to the Tibetan branch of Buddhism. He went to the Rizong Monastery in Ladakh. He was reordained a novice monk of the Gelukpa order, taking the name Lobzang Jivaka, and spent his time studying Buddhism and writing. Despite the language barrier he felt at home there, but was forced to leave when his visa expired. His health failed, and he died in a hospital at Dalhousie, India, May 15, 1962, aged 47.

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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

IN A NATIONAL GALLERY FIRST

A Winter Scene With Skaters Near A Castle by Hendrick Avercamp who was a non-verbal (and probably deaf) artist known as 'the Mute of Kampen' (de stom van Campen). He specialised in painting winter scenes. Photo: National Gallery

you are invited to join us as larger-than-life characters step out of a masterpiece and embark on a magical Christmas adventure. A tale of friendship, mystery and festive spirit set in the 1600s.

This 60-minute musical show will unfold in the National Gallery's theatre and is set inside the imagined world of one of the Gallery’s paintings: Hendrick Avercamp's Winter Scene with Skaters near a Castle.

In this entertaining family-friendly show, we are transported from the shores of the icy lake in Avercamp's painting into the depths of an enchanted winter forest.

Patrons are invited to adventure along with two children, Frederick and Maaike, as they unite to defeat a frosty foe scheming to ruin Christmas.

Along the way, you'll meet an industrious squirrel, a bold badger, an honorable deer and, of course, Father Christmas. With the help of our forest friends, the power of love and some seasonal cheer, they hope to save the day and Christmas too! Expect songs, dance, and lots of laughter.

Four one-hour long shows daily November 26-27 and eleven dates in December ending December 23, 2022 at the National Gallery in London.

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SWEET CHARITY

EQUALITY NOW recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary Gala in New York City. At our first in-person gala since 2019, they reflected on our 30-year history of helping to make the world a better place for women and girls, and our global community came together to raise more than $1,200,000 to continue the fight.

They also recognized 30 women and changemakers who have helped shape our mission, values, and work—and who inspire us each and every day. Keynote speaker was internationally bestselling author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

The brave women and girls of Iran were honored with the 5th annual Changemaker Award, presented by Gucci and CHIME FOR CHANGE, and enjoyed powerful remarks and performances by Meryl Streep, Jodie Turner-Smith, the Resistance Revival Chorus, Sage Sovereign, Sarah Cooper, and many others.

The 30th Anniversary celebration also provided an opportunity to welcome Equality Now’s incoming Global Executive Director, S. Mona Sinha, and to recognize Yasmeen Hassan for more than a decade of visionary leadership and tireless service to their mission.

SPREADING THE WORD

COURT TENNIS ANYONE? Prince Edward made an under the radar visit to the United States two weeks ago. The Earl of Wessex spent two days at the Westwood Country Club in Vienna, Virginia inaugurating a new court tennis facility which is also known as real tennis - an indoor predecessor to the modern version of "lawn tennis." Prince Edward participated in numerous events including a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a junior court tennis clinic, and a VIP black-tie gala. He also attended a professional exhibition before returning to England.

Prince Edward (center) with Silver and Gold Edinburgh Awardees and officials. Photo: The Royal Family

According to Westwood’s general manager Bryan Stone as first reported by The Washingtonian court tennis fits somewhere between squash and traditional tennis. There are only around 50 courts worldwide and less than a dozen in the U.S., Players, who traditionally wear all-white, use a hand-sewn felt balled filled with crushed wine corks, and play with heaven wooden rackets.

Prior to the tennis foray, Prince Edward, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation, attended a Reception for young people who have achieved h the Silver and Gold Standards at an event in Washington DC.

According to the official posting: "23 young people from across the United States came together for a very special ceremony 'with a difference' as they received their Gold and Silver Duke of Edinburgh's International Awards from HRH The Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. The group which spans 35 states, have collectively dedicated more than 5,870 hours to inspiring and supporting their communities through the Voluntary Service section of the Award. A large congratulations to you all!"

The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award in the USA is the world's leading youth achievement award, equipping young people for life.

BROADWAY AND WEST END STAR RUTHIE HENSHALL and her business partner and music supervisor Paul Schofield will open a new drama school outside of London in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Called CAST the school will focus on musical theatre. CAST will have 25 students a year who can work towards a three-year diploma in musical theatre industry preparation.

Educator Gary Willis will head up the academic staff.

Students will learn from leading industry Icons including:

longside the core performance skills of singing, acting & dancing, the course will offer students opportunities to develop additional life skills to ensure that they are fully equipped for a lasting and versatile career in the entertainment industry; honing in on their unique individual strengths and offering bespoke guidance on career pathways.

A successful career in arts doesn’t just rely on high-level on-stage training, it is also important that young performers are equipped with all the skills needed to be successful off stage.

Henshall has pulled in a variety of industry icons to develop the project and says, “The world is changing, as is the industry. A major part of our training at CAST is about staying relevant within a business that continues to shift daily. I am lucky enough to have been able to call on an illustrious panel of rising stars and musical theatre legends to develop a course and ethos that best serves our students as they start their journeys in this new world. Our “Icons” will remain at the heart of what we do, whether this is offering their invaluable personal experiences to inform our curriculum or teaching regular workshops and taking Q&A’s, making them part of our extended faculty.

We want our students to have the opportunity to work alongside, to learn and to grow with a team of talented, successful, and extraordinary artists. Who better to guide them than the people who are currently working in the industry that they aspire to join"

Leading CAST Icon, Claude Michel Schonberg famed composer of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, has pledged to run termly masterclasses with students, in person, and has said about the course, “Only practical experience in our industry can give you a complete understanding of what it takes to succeed and sustain a career in the world of musical theatre. With strong ties to industry professionals and Ruthie at the helm, this is what CAST will offer all its students.”

Stephen Mear CBE, the 2005 Olivier winner for choreography of Mary Poppins, another CAST icon, has said, “For me, inspiring the next generation of performers and offering the support and skills to help them on their journey is essential. CAST are offering a really special provision that will help to create both amazing performers and also happy, successful freelancers in our industry."

CAST takes a different approach from most drama schools and feels strongly that students should continue to perform publicly during their training, thus learning to manage the goals and pressures of performance which is essential to their development.

An hour and a half outside of London, CAST will allow its artists the privacy to develop their skills and perform to audiences without feeling like they are exposed to the industry at large. Each year will be punctuated by a final performance in a professional venue with final 3rd year performances taking place in a London theatre.

Students will begin study in September 2023.

THE DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER who is president of the Royal Academy Opera at the Royal Academy of Music in London will attend a performance of The Rake's Progress on November 25, 2022.

The Rake's Progress by Stravinsky, conducted by Trevor Pinnock, follows the downfall of Tom Rakewell, who is engaged to his sweetheart, Anne Trulove. The mysterious Nick Shadow arrives to tell of the death and resulting legacy of an unknown uncle, and so begins the progress of the Rake to London.

FELIX & FANNY is the first of Myla Lichtman-Fields’ four "Musicmakers" plays about classical composers. Others are about Robert and Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms. On November 24th, at the Milton Court Theater in London’s Barbican Centre, the Carducci Quartet will be playing the music of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, framed by the words of Myla Lichtman-Fields’ play Felix and Fanny.

Actors Luke Thallon and Lucy Phelps join the Carducci Quartet to explore the music of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn, reading letters between the siblings, adapted into a two-person play by Myla Lichtman-Fields. Casting by Martin Poile for RSC.

Lichtman-Fields currently lives in El Cajon, CA. She attended the Juilliard School of Drama when she was a cast member along with the great tenor, Jan Peerce, in the East Coast production of Laugh a Little, Cry a Little. While in graduate school at USC, Myla worked as a staff writer at Universal Studios. She wrote NBC television episodes, Movies of the Week and an NBC special. She earned her B.A. in drama from UCSD, her M.A. in theater from SDSU, and her Ph.D in Communications/Drama with a minor in film from the University of Southern California.

HARRY CONNICK JR. has a busy week with his holiday show. On Monday, November 21 he's on stage in Washington, DC at the Kennedy Center. On Tuesday he opens a two nighter in Durham, NC at the DPAC. Friday's stop is in Cleveland, Ohio at the KeyBank State Theatre. Saturday's stop is in Rochester, NY at the Auditorium Theatre. Next Sunday, November 27, he opens a two nigt stand in New York, NY at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center.

SCALA RADIO CHRISTMAS the best of the West End alongside all your classical Christmas favorites, accompanied by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra conducted by Freddie Tapner.

Scala Radio and TV presenter Penny Smith host. On the Scala Radio Christmas Live stage will be Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, Anne Dudley, Luke Evans, MILOŠ, John Owen-Jones, Esther Abrami and The Ayoub Sisters.

November 27, 2022 at The London Palladium.

ROMAN HOLIDAY A multi Academy Award winning movie when first released 70 years ago, Roman Holiday follows a youthful princess and an American journalist on a frenetic journey. Theatre Royal Bath Productions will stage the U.K. premiere of a new stage adaptation of the 1953 film which features the songs of Cole Porter. The musical will run June 10–July 1, 2023, with opening night set for June 20, 2023.

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA and the cast of Freestyle Love Supreme at The Venetian Hotel, surprised students at the Las Vegas Vegas Performing Arts Academy by offering a special talk.

The magnet high school students are accepted through an audition process and claim a major pertaining to performing arts or visual arts.

BRAVO TO KING CHARLES for banning the French delicacy foie gras from all royal palaces. Foie gras is made by painfully force feeding baby ducks and geese until their livers enlarge and are fatty. Then the baby ducks and geese are killed and their livers mashed up.

The pate is typically eaten during special occasions like Christmas dinner.

King Charles has been a longstanding opponent of the food. The King's household wrote to the Peta campaign group informing them that foie gras was not bought or served in royal residences.

For over a decade King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales, stopped the use of foie gras in his own properties and had been instrumental in a wider ban across royal residences. This ban has now been expanded.

There is a ban on the production of foie gras in the UK, but not a ban on its sale or importation.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

BUDWEISER BEER BUST until last Friday Budweiser had expected more beer to be consumed during the FIFA World Cup tournament than would typicallybe slurped down during an entire year in the country. Each bottle was reportedly priced at $11.

However, just days before the World Cup start today, November 21, host city Qatar ordered Budweiser to move their eight beer stands to a less prominent spot.

Alcohol is permitted in the Muslim nation within hotel bars and restaurants provided they are away from street view. The alcohol restrictions were relaxed to allow the FIFA sponsor to sell beer at matches.

As one of FIFA's most lucrative sponsors, Budweiser pays roughly $75 million to associate itself with the World Cup every four years, obtaining the exclusivity to sell beer at World Cup matches.

Then on Friday. November 18, Budweiser was informed that the IFA had banned all sale of alcohol at Qatar's World Cup stadiums - thus banning beer at the tournament.

Budweiser responded: "Well, this is awkward."

Lawyers call it a breach of contract.

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HANG IN THERE

JAY LENO who suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns to the left side of his face and hands last week when a 1907 White Steam Car, which had a clogged fuel line that he was working on burst into flames. The hard working and affable comedian who has gone through multiple surgeries for skin grafting at the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills, California, is doing well, with a long road ahead of him involving numerous procedures.

Dr. Peter Grossman, who is treating the former Tonight Show host, said during a press conference: "When he got pulled out from the area underneath the car, it was noted that he had pretty significant burns to face and hands."

"His burns include his face, his hands, and his chest, the burns are fairly significant," elaborated Grossman.

Leno was first taken to a local hospital and then was transferred to the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles.

"Some of the burns to the face are a little deeper and a little more concerning. Right now they’re in that progression of somewhere between deep second and third-degree burns to the face. We’re hoping we can keep them from progressing by using these alternate treatments, including good wound care and hyperbaric oxygen and aggressive surgical management," he explained.

"He’s Jay leno, he’s walking around, he’s cracking jokes," he said, noting the comedian is "incredibly kind" to the hospital staff.

A doctor elaborated that the hyperbaric oxygen treatments are daily, two hour sessions.

"His injuries are serious, his condition is good," he said. "I do anticipate him making a full recovery."

His induries involved severe burns to the lower left side of his face, ear, chin, neck and chest as well as hands.

Leno who is in the 'beloved' performer category is a workaholic who quietly keeps a full schedule and publicly always appears upbeat and professional. He's been biding his hospital time by helping the staff pass out cookies in the children's ward.

Recently his good friend Tim Allen visited him, reporting that Leno was "still handsome." Leno guest starred in Tim Allen's Home Improvement television show. In fact, in one episode, Leno's actually garage was used in a scene in which Leno appeared as a mechanic.

If good can come from bad, hopefully Leno's fire tragedy will inspire people to become skin donors. When individuals sign organ donor cards, frequently done when obtaining or renewing a driver's license, the donations are for organs such as heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. Skin usually isn't mentioned and needs to be specifically added.

During a press conference one of Leno's doctors specifically used the word 'cadaver' to describe a skin craft Leno would receive and the importance of the procedure.

A skin graft can be the determining factor as to whether the burn will become infected, or heal. And, will there be significant scars, or the patient able to use that area of the body.

Trying to deep fry a turkey on Thanksgiving, house fires, and auto accidents result in filled burn unit hospital beds.

Skin grafting is a major surgical procedure.

The first functional skin bank was created privately in 1971. The success rates of both split-thickness and full-thickness grafts are 95%.

Your gift of skin can save lives and greatly reduce suffering.



PRODUCER SONIA FRIEDMAN has been appointed president of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She succeeds Michael Grandage.

TO ALL OF THE GRAMMY NOMINEES Broadway To Vegas pulled a few of the categories which might be of particular interest to Broadway To Vegas readers.

BEST MUSICAL THEATRE ALBUM NOMINEES:

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE
John Cariani, Sharon D Clarke, Caissie Levy & Samantha Williams, principal vocalists; Van Dean, Nigel Lilley, Lawrence Manchester, Elliot Scheiner & Jeanine Tesori, producers; Jeanine Tesori, composer; Tony Kushner, lyricist (New Broadway Cast)
INTO THE WOODS 2022 recording.
Sara Bareilles, Brian d'Arcy James, Patina Miller & Phillipa Soo, principal vocalists; Rob Berman & Sean Patrick Flahaven, producers (Stephen Sondheim, composer & lyricist) (2022 Broadway Cast)
MJ THE MUSICAL
Myles Frost & Tavon Olds-Sample, principal vocalists; David Holcenberg, Derik Lee & Jason Michael Webb, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
MR. SATURDAY NIGHT
Shoshana Bean, Billy Crystal, Randy Graff & David Paymer, principal vocalists; Jason Robert Brown, Sean Patrick Flahaven & Jeffrey Lesser, producers; Jason Robert Brown, composer; Amanda Green, lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)
SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT
Joe Beighton, Tom Curran, Sam Featherstone, Paul Gatehouse, Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, producers; Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast).
A STRANGE LOOP
Jaquel Spivey, principal vocalist; Michael Croiter, Michael R. Jackson, Charlie Rosen & Rona Siddiqui, producers; Michael R. Jackson, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast).

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR VISUAL MEDIA

BE ALIVE [From King Richard] - Beyoncé & Darius Scott Dixson, songwriters (Beyoncé)
CAROLINA [From Where The Crawdads Sing] - Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
HOLD MY HAND [From Top Gun: Maverick] - Bloodpop® & Stefani Germanotta, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
KEEP RISING (The Woman King)" [From The Woman King] - Angélique Kidjo, Jeremy Lutito & Jessy Wilson, songwriters (Jessy Wilson Featuring Angélique Kidjo)
NOBODY LIKE U [From Turning Red] - Billie Eilish & Finneas O'Connell, songwriters (4*Town, Jordan Fisher, Finneas O'Connell, Josh Levi, Topher Ngo, Grayson Villanueva)
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT BRUNO [From Encanto] - Lin-Manuel Miranda, songwriter (Carolina Gaitán - La Gaita, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz & Encanto - Cast)

BEST COMEDY ALBUM

THE CLOSER Dave Chappelle
COMEDY MONSTER Jim Gaffigan
A LITTLE BRAINS, A LITTLE TALENT Randy Rainbow
SORRY Louis C.K.
WE ALL SCREAM Patton Oswalt

BEST AUDIO BOOK, NARRATION AND STORYTELLING RECORDING

LIN=MANUEL MIRANDA for "Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World."
MEL BROOKS for his memoir "All About Me: My Remarkable Life In Show Business."
VIOLA DAVIS her 2022 memoir "Finding Me."
JAMIE FOXX for "Questlove."

The 65th annual Grammy Awards will take place February 5, 2023 and air on CBS.

THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY celebrated its 2022 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Gala on November 15, 2022 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The event honored Marco Antonio Solís, with renditions of some of Solís’ renowned repertoire by the following artists: Bronco, Camila, Elsa y Elmar, Gente De Zona, Jesse & Joy, Los Bukis, Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández, Carla Morrison, Edén Muñoz, Christian Nodal, Fito Páez, Laura Pausini, Romeo Santos, Sin Bandera, Marla Solís, Taboo from Black Eyed Peas, Ana Torroja, and Sebastián Yatra.

Five-time Latin Grammy-winner and six-time Grammy-nominee Marco Antonio Solís was honored for his more than four-decade career as a composer, arranger, producer, musician, artistic director and multifaceted performer, as well as one of Mexico’s most successful artists of all time.

The sold-out, star-studded gala and tribute concert featured a diverse range of artists and genres. Solís surprised attendees by opening the show with a medley of his greatest hits, including "¿A Dónde Vamos A Parar?," "La Venia Bendita" and "Tu Cárcel", alongside Los Bukis. The set design was the largest live event production to date by The Latin Academy, and included a 180-degree, multi-stage setup that revealed multiple bands and allowed guests to feel closer to the performances.

Musical Director for the evening was Latin Grammy winner and Grammy nominee David Cabrera.

Net proceeds from the 2022 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Gala will go toward the charitable work of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, whose mission is to further international awareness and appreciation of the significant contributions of Latin music and its makers to the world's culture. The Foundation provides college scholarships, educational programs and grants for the research and preservation of its rich musical legacy and heritage, and to date has donated more than $7.6 million with the support of Latin Recording Academy members, artists, corporate sponsors and other generous donors.

At the Latin Grammy Awards Uruguay's Jorge Drexler was the big winner, taking home six awards, while Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who was not in attendance, claimed five.



MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG featuring music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by George Furth, and based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart.

Directed by Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman.

Choreographed by Tim Jackson.

Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends — writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. An inventive, cult-classic ahead of its time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim’s most celebrated and personal songs.

The cast will include Sherz Aletaha as Scotty/Mrs. Spencer/Auditionee, Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, Leana Rae Concepcion as Newscaster/Waitress/Auditionee, Jonathan Groffas Franklin Shepard, Carter Harris as Franklin Shepard Jr. (alternates with Colin Keane), Colin Keane ) as Franklin Shepard Jr. (alternates with Carter Harris), Morgan Kirner as Swing, Corey Mach as Tyler/Make-Up Artist, Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn, Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Talia Robinson as Meg Kincaid, Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson, Amanda Rose as Swing, Jamila Sabares-Klemm as Dory/Evelyn, Brian Sears as Newscaster/Photographer/Bunker, Evan Alexander Smith as Swing, Christian Strange as Ru/Reverend, Koray Tarhan as Swing, Vishal Vaidya as Jerome, Natalie Wachen as KT and Jacob Keith Watson as Terry/Mr. Spencer.

The creative team includes Catherine Jayes as music supervisor and Alvin Hough, Jr. as music director, with scenic & costume design by Soutra Gilmour , lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker , and sound design by Kai Harada. Casting is by Jim Carnahan, CSA & Jason Thinger, CSA, with additional casting by Taylor Williams, CSA. Dave Anzuelo will serve as fight & intimacy director, with Jhanaë K-C Bonnick as stage manager.

Merrily We Roll Along will begin performances Monday November 21, with an opening night set for December 12, 2022, for a limited run through Saturday January 21, 2023 at the New York Theatre Workshop, New York City.

THE COLLABORATION show is written by four-time Oscar-nominated writer Anthony McCarten.

Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director of London's Young Vic.

Warhol. Basquiat. Electric, eccentric, polar opposites... together, for the first time in the most unlikely partnership the art world has ever seen.

In the summer of 1984, longtime international superstar Andy Warhol and the art scene’s newest wunderkind, Jean-Michel Basquiat, agree to work together on what may be the most talked about exhibition in the history of modern art. But can these two creative giants co-exist, or even thrive? The stage is their canvas in this sizzling tour-de-force.

The cast features Tony Award nominee Jeremy Pope (Jean-Michel Basquiat), Paul Bettany (Andy Warhol), Krysta Rodriguez (Maya), and Erik Jensen (Bruno Bischofberger).

The creative team includes Anna Fleischle (Set & Costume Design), Ben Stanton (Lighting Design), Emma Laxton (Sound Design), Duncan McLean (Projection Design), Ayanna Witter-Johnson (Original Music).

The world premiere of The Collaboration was originally produced by the Young Vic Theatre London in January-March 2022 in partnership with Eleanor Lloyd, Anthology Theatre, Stanley Buchthal and Eilene Davidson in association with Denis O’Sullivan. The Collaboration begins performances on Tuesday, November 29 and opens on Tuesday, December 20. at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City.

THE WEIR by Conor McPherson.

Directed by Caitríona McLaughlin.

Starring: Valerie: Jolly Abraham - Finbar: Peter Coonan - Jack: Brendan Coyle - Brendan: Sean Fox - Jim: Marty Rea.

Gathered at the pub on a windy night in rural Ireland, the landlord and his regulars share old stories with Valerie, a young woman who has recently arrived from Dublin. At turns ghostly and mesmerizing, their tales draw Valerie into their world – but it is her story that stops the men in their tracks.

The creatives are: Set and Costume Design: Sarah Bacon - Lighting Design: Jane Cox - Composer and Musical Director: Tom Lane - Movement Director: Sue Mythen - Assistant Director: Claire O’Reilly - Hair and Makeup: Leonard Daly - Casting Director: Sarah Jones Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth.

November 26 - January 14, 2023 at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.

KANSAS CITY BALLET'S THE NUTCREACKER

With live music by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

Kansas City Ballet’s seasonal tradition returns to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC , continuing their annual holiday presentation of America’s best Nutcrackers.

The company’s production, choreographed by Artistic Director Devon Carney, continues to awe audiences year after year, promising grandeur, laughter, and a snowfall of holiday magic.

November 23 & 25–27 at the Opera House, Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

THE RAT TRAP by Noël Coward.

Directed by Alexander Lass.

Featured in the cast are James Evans, Elisabeth Gray, Ramzi Khalaf, Heloise Lowenthal, Cynthia Mace, Claire Saunders, and Sarin Monae West. Emily Bosco, Jason Eddy, and Kate Hampton will serve as understudies.

Written when Coward was only 18 years old, this remarkably mature drama tells the story of a newlywed couple looking towards a bright future together, two promising writers vowing to support and love each other through the challenges of creative and professional endeavor. Things go even worse than you might imagine—the result is a drama of caustic realism, mixed with flashes of Coward’s brilliant, biting wit. Looking back on the play in 1937 in his autobiography, Present Indicative, Coward called it "My first really serious attempt at psychological conflict… When I had finished it, I felt, for the first time with genuine conviction, that I could really write plays."

The creative team includes Vicki R. Davis (scenic), Hunter Kaczorowski (costumes), Christian DeAngelis (lighting), Bill Toles (sound), Amy Stoller (dialect), and Stephanie Klapper, CSA (casting).

Opening Night Monday November 21st at the Mint Theater in New York City. Performances through December 10, 2022.

E-Book

Soft back Book

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

JOAN HOTCHKIS actor, writer, screenwriter, playwright and groundbreaking feminist performance artist whose career spanned over five decades died on September 27, 2022 in Los Angles of congestive heart failure. She was 95.

She began her career by joining the Actors Studio and studying acting in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in Advise and Consent, adapted from the novel by the same name. From the 1950s through the 1990s, Hotchkis played various roles in television, film and theater (summer stock and Broadway). She was featured in Broadway productions of It's a Bird It's a Plane It's Superman (Philadelphia previews), and Write Me A Murder, before playing Myra on the soap opera The Secret Storm for several years in the early 1960s.

Hotchkis began writing original material in the 70s, beginning with a one-woman play, Legacy depicting an upper-class housewife having a mental and emotional breakdown. Eric Morris directed the play on stage; director Karen Arthur saw the play and approached Hotchkis proposing to make a film version, with Arthur as director and Hotchkis as writer, producer and star. The resulting film, Legacy (1975), won Best Newcomer at the Tehran Film Festival.

During the early 1980s, Hotchkis returned to the stage, performing for several years in regional theaters such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She subsequently starred in The Glass Menagerie at Los Angeles Theater Center and did occasional television roles.

Beginning in the late 1980s, Hotchkis resumed writing original material, this time moving beyond legitimate theater into the performance art world. She founded the Santa Monica-based Tearsheets Productions and wrote, produced and performed two solo performance pieces. The first, Tearsheets: Rude Tales from the Ranch, toured the United States in the early 1990s and went abroad to the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe, where it was the only U.S. production to win a Fringe First Award. Her second solo work was Elements of Flesh: Or Screwing Saved My Ass (1996), about aging and sexuality.

Hotchkis married Robert Foster in June 1958. They met while filming a live commercial. Together, they had one child, Paula. They eventually divorced in 1967.

JOHN ANISTON Days of Our Lives actor and father of Jennifer Aniston died on November 11, 2022. He was 89.

Best known for his role of Victor Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives which he originated in July l985.

He received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.

He is survived by his Daughter Jennifer from his marriage to Nancy Dow, and a son Alexander, with his second wife Sherry Rooney, step son John Melick from Nancy's prior marriage, whom he raised since he was a toddler.

KENNETH R. KOCH Emmy nominated producer, director and editor passed away suddenly on October 30, 22. He was 80.

His numerous credits include such well known series as Blossom; Beauty and the Beast; TJ Hooker and Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

He is survived by his wife, Christina, son Donald, daughter Rebecca and grandchildren.

WILLIAM RAY LANPHIER bassist for Madonna's Virgin tour died at home in Albany, CA on November 4, 2022 from neuroleptic malignant syndrome. He was 73.

He also toured with the Rippingtons as their original bassist. He recorded and played with Richard Carpenter, Harry Chapin and Linda Ronstadt. He is survived by distant cousins.

SHEL STARKMAN legendary Hollywood design artist spanning over 65 years, died October 17, 2022. He was 90.

He received the Freedoms Foundations award for Journalistic art at the age of 18, presented to him by General Omar Bradley.

He amassed a fortune by investing $130 in 1970 and reaped a profit of $5 million in 1981 in stocks of motion picture companies he worked for.

He is survived by his first wife Donna Albertson, his second wife Simone Overman, and his son Quintin and his family.

NED ROREM the Pulitzer-winning composer, also known for diaries offering entree into elite gay, artistic circles, died November 18, 2022 at his Manhattan home. He was 99.

He won the Pulitzer Prize for composition in 1976 for Air Music, an orchestral suite. In 1966 he published The Paris Diary of Ned Rorem, which stirred up considerable controversy, largely because of its frank, first-person account of the author’s sex life including sexual relationships with Leonard Bernstein, Noel Coward, Samuel Barber, Virgil Thomson and others. He also had a short affair with writer John Cheever.

By the time Rorem was 40, he had written more than 400 'art songs' as well as three symphonies, several one-act operas and a great deal of chamber music, making him one of America’s most prolific composers.

His life partner James Roland Holmes, organist long associated with the Episcopal Church of St. Matthew and St. Timothy in New York City, died from cancer in 1999.

ROBERT CLARY French-born actor and Auschwitz concentration camp survivor who gained fame during his six-season stint as Corporal Louis LeBeau on the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes died November 16, 2022 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 96.

Clary began his American career on Broadway appearing in three Broadway shows including La Plume de Ma Tante; Seventh Heaven and Leonard Stillman's New Faces of 1952.

His off-Broadway appearances included Around the World in 80 Days.

Film and television roles quickly followed.

The son-in-law of Eddie Cantor, Clary's wife, Natalie Cantor Metzger whom he married in 1965, died in 1997.

Next Column: November 27, 2022
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Laura Deni

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