Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: April 17, 2016
By: Laura Deni
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CINEMA CON DRAWS CELEBS, SELF PRAISE AND TEXTING

Jennifer Lawrence

Garnering the most number of headlines from Cinema Con, the trade show staged in Las Vegas April 11-14 by the National Association of Theatre Owners, (NATO) is the claim that Jennifer Lawrence appeared on a promotional stage with co-star Chris Pratt bra less in a see through tank top.

She was wearing pasties.

Runner up in headline grabbing was that AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron - a fan of aggressive marketing and innovation - who told Variety that he wants to bring in a younger generation of moviegoers by allowing texting during movies.

The idea of having texting space at movie theatres had been proffered years before, and met by enough blow back to stop a storm.

When Aron spoke to Variety his comments sounded as though the change was imminent. Like a forward thinking stock report, don't charge up your cell phone just yet - or maybe ever.

Aron, who's been the company's CEO for just four months, told Variety: "When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow," he said. "You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life."

He said what would be more likely is having specific auditoriums that would allow texting, instead of a mix of pro- and anti-texting moviegoers.

Then he discovered people were quoting what he'd said. He took to Twitter to clarify his statements in two posts, saying:

Press reported we considering a test allowing texts in a VERY FEW screens. We know vast majority of audience wants no texting (1 of 2) — Adam Aron (@CEOAdam) April 14, 2016

IF ever, we ONLY would pursue in a way we'd be TOTALLY confident ALL our guests will fully enjoy movie going experience at AMC (2 of 2) — Adam Aron (@CEOAdam) April 14, 2016

When the story didn't go away, on Friday Aron further clarified with a strong, to-the-point statement: "There will be no texting allowed in any of the auditoriums at AMC Theatres. Not today, not tomorrow and not in the foreseeable future."

AMC recently became the country's No. 1 movie theater chain when it acquired Carmike Cinemas in a $1.1 billion deal in March.

The texting suggestion was in response to nervous flop sweat displayed among film companies. Those they want don't want them.

Demographics that movie producers desire are shunning a night out at the movies as an entertainment option. Those between the ages of 12 to 17 who bought movie tickets dropped to 5.3 million in 2015, down from 5.5 million in each of the two previous years. Furthermore, that figure is also down from 6.3 million in 2012, according to numbers provided from the Motion Picture Association of America.

Causing further angst for the movie industry is that there was an even bigger drop-off among movie ticket buyers ages 18 to 24 years. Over the past three years, that group fell by more than one-third, to 5.7 million last year, down from 8.7 million in 2102.

One of the biggie announcements was a non promoted appearance by James Cameron on Thursday afternoon. The Canadian filmmaker, director, producer, screenwriter, inventor, engineer, philanthropist, and deep-sea explorer stated that instead of the previous announced three Avatar sequels, there would be four, although the former truck driver was tight lipped about storyline details. Cameron did say that each of the four sequels will be able to stand alone, but will together create a saga. All are Christmas releases in 2018, 2020, 2022 and Avatar 5 in Christmas 2023.

Avatar is the highest-grossing box office movie of all time making over $2.7 billion.

Paramount confirming rumors that the studio is on board with Denzel Washington's next directorial project, Fences, in which he'll star with Viola Davis. Both actors took home Tony Award winners for their performances in the play’s 2010 Broadway revival.

Scott Rudin and Todd Black are producing Fences, which is an adaptation of August Wilson’s Tony-and Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The film will use Wilson's own big-screen adaptation of his play, which follows a onetime promising baseball player who works as a Pittsburgh garbage collector.

Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant in florence Foster Jenkins. Production photo.

Another flick taken from the stage is Florence Foster Jenkins opening August 12, starring Meryl Streep in the title role and Hugh Grant as her partner and manager. Other cast members include Simon Helberg, Nina Arianda, and Rebecca Ferguson.

The film stars Streep as a New York heiress who became an opera singer but was notoriously bad at singing.

Filming was done England with Liverpool's Drury Lane street was transformed into Central Park West.

The movie is based on the stage play which was based on the life of the American socialite and amateur operatic soprano who was known and ridiculed for her lack of rhythm, pitch, and tone; her aberrant pronunciation; and her generally poor singing ability.

She was so bad she became popular.

In 1994, Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, in Little Rock, Arkansas, premiered Precious Few, a play about Florence Foster Jenkins and the English novelist Ronald Firbank, written by Terry Sneed. In 1999, a one-woman play about Jenkins, Goddess of Song by South African playwright Charles J. Fourie and performed by Carolyn Lewis, was staged at the Coffee Lounge in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2001, Viva La Diva by Chris Ballance had a run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Another play, Souvenir by Stephen Temperley, opened on Broadway in November 2005 starring Judy Kaye.

A fourth play about Jenkins, and the most widely produced, is Glorious! by Peter Quilter, which opened in 2005 in London's West End where it was nominated for the Olivier Award as Best New Comedy and starred Maureen Lipman. Glorious! has since been translated into 27 languages and performed in more than 40 countries worldwide.

The French feature-film Marguerite, released in September 2015, is loosely inspired by the life and singing career of Jenkins. In May 2015, Florence Foster Jenkins began production in London and Liverpool. It premiered in London on April 12, 2016. Other big news concerns what new snacks will be money makers at the snack bar, motion chairs and whether the public will spend $50 to see a release at home the same day the potential mega-hit opens in theatres.

Like public taste, Cinema Com has changed over the decades. When NATO began staging their annual Las Vegas convention there was a serious edge to the stars mingling with theatre owners. There were more movie houses owned by small companies or independent owners. Those in the film industry needed their movie screens.

Whether small movie operators agreed to take a film had more to do with how much they thought could be made in concession sales from people watching the movie, than the star of the movie.

Today, NATO is one one of those events where celebrities go to be seen and attract attention for their current or upcoming movies but not from the ticket buying public.. Rather, the stars mingle with theatre managers who control concession sales at their theatre, and long for face time with the power players - the CEOs of AMC, Cinemark and Regal. Stars don't normally chill out with guys in suits.

For small town movie theatre managers a trip to Vegas and attending this convention is an opportunity to feel like a real industry insider. Movie theatre managers from the Midwest and all small points in-between get a bit excited at the thought of seeing real movie stars, but they aren't the do to people for what is run in their theatre. Theatre managers do have the final say on what concessions are sold. Snacks and drinks have regional favorites.

The trade show attended by 5,000 this year, has been a Vegas staple for decades. Over the years one of the most important areas of discussion has been popcorn and other high prices snacks sold in heart attack encouraging sized containers.

New to the stuff-your-face scene will be Oreo Churros and Rice Cakes, touted as gigantic profit makers.

Mobile ticketing is also big.

Just like meetings on golf courses and bars - deals do get inked at NATO. On Tuesday Cineplex Entertainment and Seoul-based CJ signed on the dotted line to enter the Canadian market with its 4DX brand of 4D cinema auditorium, which is designed to include the patron in the flick via specially designed motion chairs and environmental effects like wind, mist, bubbles, snow and scent working in sync with the action.

Set for a summer opening, the installation will take place at Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas and VIP in Toronto.

CJ operates 4DX screens in 233 auditoriums across 37 countries, up from 170 auditoriums in 33 countries at this time last year. Deals also were signed to expand 4DX into Portugal and South Africa.

Cineplex is headquartered in Toronto and operates 163 theaters with 1,666 screens.

A hotly debated issue was The Screening Room, Sean Parker and Prem Akkaraju's proposed service that would offer home viewers the opportunity to rent new movies, the same day they hit theaters, for $50 via an encrypted set-top box costing $150.

On the star front Ben Affleck confirmed that there will be a standalone Batman movie. Warren Beatty's movie on Howard Hughes will hit the big screen this fall. Beatty was at CinemaCon to honor veteran producer and Regency founder and chairman Arnon Milchan with the Legend of Cinema Award following a panel discussion about The Revenant.

Reels unspooled in an offering to the success gods had production companies and producers stage their own best of breed trot out with Jennifer Lawrence, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith, Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Keven Hart, Chris Pratt, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Megan Fox, Kate McKinnon, Jack Huston, and Leslie Jones - to name only a few.

Numerous awards were bestowed. Simon Pegg introduced his Star Trek director. J. J. Abrams who received the Showman of the Year award. Other awards included the all important (at least to those who win it) Ensemble of the Universe Award which went to Independence Day Resurgence. Remember that in case it's ever an answer on Jeopardy.










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ART AND ABOUT

THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH'S GOWNS

The Norman Hartnell dress the Queen wore to Princess Margaret's wedding in 1960 will be on display. Of historical importance – it was the last time that members of the royal family wore full-length day dress for a family wedding. Photo: Royal Collection Trust.

are set to go on display in honor of her 90th birthday.

Marking her reign with linked exhibitions across three different royal venues, the Royal Collection is rolling out more than 150 dresses for viewing.

Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style From The Queen's Wardrobe will be unveiled at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh - her Scottish royal residence - on the Queen's 90th birthday on April 21. The exhibit in Scotland will highlight the use of tartan in royal dress.

The second exhibit will go on display as part of the annual summer opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace in August 2016, and the final exhibit will take place at Windsor Castle in September.

Queen Elizabeth, who was born on April 21, 1926, will put over 150 of her favorite outfits on display for royal enthusiasts and fashionistas and the curious to admire. The exhibit will feature treasured pieces from her childhood to the present day, including ceremonial and military attire, as well as ensembles worn to family celebrations over the years. Jewelry and handbags are also part of the displays.

The Royal Collection also promises some ‘magnificent’ evening gown and elegant day ensembles worn at official events, which will contrast with some of the fancy-dress costumes worn by the young Princess Elizabeth for wartime pantomimes at Windsor Castle.

The Queen's wedding to Prince Philip, her coronation and her many official state visits will also be represented.

Norman Hartnell made her wedding and coronation gowns. It was the Queen's wish that the coronation dress should be made of satin, like her wedding dress.

Wills and Kate attended an archery event in Thimphu, hosed by Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck in April 2016. Kensington Palace announced tha Duchess Kate wore a skirt from traditional Bhutanese material, purchased from local weaver Mrs. Kelzang Wangmo who is based in Thimphu and often weaves for the royal family in Bhutan. It took five people three months to create the handmade skirt which cost about $1500. Photo: Kensington Palace.

The Coronation Gown took eight months of research, design and workmanship to make. The silk used to make the gown was obtained from Lady Hart Dyke's silk farm at Lullingstone Castle. The dress required the efforts of at least three dressmakers, six embroideresses and the Royal School of Needlework, responsible for the embroidery worked in gold bullion thread.

After the coronation, the dress was worn on several occasions such as when she opened the parliaments in New Zealand (1954), Australia (1954), Ceylon (1954), and Canada (1957). Her support for British couture and millinery will be highlighted through important pieces created for a world stage by renowned designed including Sir Norman Hartnell and Sir Hardly Amies.

See Broadway To Vegas column for another Queen Elizabeth Fashion Display.

Prince William's wife, Duchess Kate, is following Queen Elizabeth's policy of - as a compliment to the host nation - wearing clothes which pay homage to the host country in some way - by the use of national colors, design or emblems. Wills and Kate are currently wrapping up an official 10-days tour of Asia.

WOMEN ON THE EDGE a reception celebrating three groundbreaking artists collaborating to bring attention to the importance of creativity, originality and innovation. Up-cycled glass artist Kathleen Plate, famed choreographer Pascal Rioult, and mixed media painter Kristen Jongen will exhibit and discuss their work in the context of the essential culture of creativity.

Kathleen Plate, of Smart Glass Art, will showcase a collection of custom designed pieces including a 27' glass chandelier made from recycled bottles. Plate's innovative concepts have been commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum, The Coca Cola Company, Intercontinental Hotel Group and numerous private collectors. From chandeliers to runway fashion gowns, she transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary by creating functional and sophisticated works of art.

Pascal Rioult, artistic director of RIOULT Dance NY, will speak about his latest work, Women on the Edge - Unsung Heroines of the Trojan War premiering at the Joyce Theater June 21-26. The modern dance triptych pays homage to the emotional strength of Iphigenia, Helen of Troy, and Cassandra in three separate abstracted narratives. Rioult gathers inspiration from his mentor, Martha Graham, yet turns it on its ear in these three distinctive and athletic works. On display will be a selection of work by photographer Sophia Negron who has been documenting Rioult's evocative, female-driven creative process spanning the last 4 years and who's latest collection of images will offer a visual sneak peek into the company's upcoming NY season.

Kristen Jongen will showcase a new series of painted cityscapes, which survey the creative visions of the tenants that live inside. These works are a departure from the more lyrical style Jongen is internationally known for.

Thursday April 21, at Bene Rialto in New York City.

THE ERNEST HEMINGWAY COLLECTION

Ernest Hemingway in his Red Cross uniform.

at the JFK Library in Boston opened to the public last Monday with Hemingway's sole surviving son Patrick, 87, going on a pre-opening tour. Hemingway lives in Bozeman, Mont., and manages the intellectual property of his father’s estate.

The Ernest Hemingway Collection is the generous gift of Mary Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's widow, to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and to Hemingway scholars and readers around the world. The collection spans Hemingway's entire career, and contains ninety percent of existing Hemingway manuscript materials, making the Kennedy Library the world's principal center for research on the life and work of this author.

While Ernest Hemingway and President Kennedy never met, President Kennedy more than once expressed his admiration for Hemingway and his work. In the opening sentence of his own Pulitzer Prize winning book, Profiles in Courage, Kennedy cited Hemingway’s description of courage, writing that, “This is a book about the most admirable of human virtues — courage. ‘Grace under pressure,’ Ernest Hemingway defined it.”

Hemingway was among the American artists, writers, and musicians invited by President and Mrs. Kennedy to attend the 1961 inauguration, but the author was too ill to travel.

In a statement released by the White House when Hemingway died, President Kennedy noted: "Few Americans have had a greater impact on the emotions and attitudes of the American people than Ernest Hemingway.... He almost single-handedly transformed the literature and the ways of thought of men and women in every country in the world."

Collection Highlights include:

More than 1000 manuscript items, ranging from one-line fragments to thousand-page manuscripts
More than 10,000 photographs
Hemingway's first hand-written draft of The Sun Also Rises
Forty four different hand-written drafts for the ending to A Farewell to Arms
Hemingway's personal collection of bullfighting material which he drew on as background when writing Death in the Afternoon and The Dangerous Summer
One of the most extensive of the existing logs of Pilar, Hemingway's fishing boat; several thousand letters written by or to Hemingway, including correspondence with Sherwood Anderson, Carlos Baker, Marlene Dietrich, John Dos Passos, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, Martha Gellhorn, A. E. Hotchner, James Joyce, Archibald MacLeish, Maxwell Perkins, Ezra Pound, Alfred Rice, Charles Scribner, Toots Shor, Francis Cardinal Spellman, and Gertrude Stein.
The papers of Agnes von Kurowsky, Hemingway's first serious love, who was a Red Cross nurse at the hospital in Milan where he convalesced after his WWI injuries, and the woman on whom the character Catherine Barkley of A Farewell to Arms was loosely based.

Stacey Bredhoff is the museum’s curator.

SWEET CHARITY

I AM ANNE HUTCHINSON / I AM HARVEY MILK words and music by Andrew Lippa. Orchestrations by August Eriksmoen.

Directed by Noah Himmelstein. Music direction by Joel Fram.

Starring Kristin Chenoweth as Anne Hutchinson/woman, Andrew Lippa as Governor John Winthrop/Harvey Milk and Colin Wheeler as Samuel Hutchinson/young Harvey Milk.

Centuries apart, two reluctant prophets stood up for equality and changed the world. This groundbreaking World Premiere Concept Opera combines song, movement and powerful storytelling, bringing to life the emotional tales of two American icons.

Starring Broadway luminaries Kristin Chenoweth and Andrew Lippa, this stunning production magically weaves together the lives of 17th century women’s rights activist Anne Hutchinson and 1970s’ gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Separated by time, space, and culture, these two heroes were each lit from within by the same fierce passion for human dignity and devoted themselves to the fight for justice. This new, riveting theatrical work celebrates courage in the face of daunting odds, shining across the centuries from the hearts of two good people who achieved greatness.

The performance - scored for full symphonic orchestra and a cast of 140 actors and singers – celebrates two trailblazing stories of struggle, joy, passion, and ultimately, triumph.

Featured artists include: Ward Billeisen, Sam Bolen, Derrick Cobey, Roosevelt Credit, Carlos Encinias, Nick Gaswirth, Matt Gibson, Justin Greer, Nicholas Rodriguez, Michael Lowney, Michael McCorry Rose, Alex Puette, Heath Saunders, Nicholas Ward, Noah Zachary and Matt Zimmerman.

The Alexandria Harmonizers are directed by Joseph Cerutti, Jr. The National Philharmonic has music direction by Piotr Gajewski.

Choreography by Larry Keigwin. Projection Designer is Andrew Lazarow. Costume Design by Clint Ramos. Lighting Design by David Lander. Sound Design by Walter Trarbach. Orchestrations by August Eriksmoen. Production Stage Manager Shari Moxley. Pianist/Associate Conductor Paul Staroba. Drummer/Percussion Gary Seligson.

World Premiere production Saturday, April 23, 2016, and Sunday, April 24, 2016, at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD.

Strathmore is pleased to partner with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the National Women’s History Museum, who will benefit from the proceeds of these performances.

HAVING FUN WITH TRAINS - ROARING 20s STYLE

The Flying Scotsman. Photo: National Railway Museum

A different type of train experience takes place April 28, 2016 at the National Railway Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland.

That's the museum which houses the famous Flying Scotsman train - famous for speed, style and service.

A fun filled night where visitors are invited to "travel back in style for a Roaring 20s night at the museum.

Dance the night away with our Charleston classes and live band, Leeds City Stompers. Under the tuition of Swing Dance Leeds give this 1920s classic a go yourself. Try whiskey tasting, cocktail making. Watch Mix ‘n’ Twist Bartending demonstrate how to make the iconic Flying Scotsman Cocktail and listen to a curator talk about food and drink on the 1920s trains, while you sample some of the cocktails of the era.

"Live dangerously by taking one of our 1920s stunt classes. The 1929 Flying Scotsman film featured some dare devil stunts. Learn how to ‘fall’ like a stunt professional with stunt coordinator Abbi Collins.

Try a theatrical guided tour and get hands on with craft activities.

What Roaring 20s evening is complete without a few sequins? Don your finest 1920s attire and begin your transformation into a flapper girl or dapper gent with our vintage hair and make-up sessions conducted by York College Media Makeuo Students The Museum would "love you to join us dressed in vintage 1920s glamor, but if you haven’t, you can get into the 1920s spirit and make your own fascinator or bow-tie."

"There’s also the chance to win an afternoon tea for two on our beautifully restored carriage Countess of York. Simply pick up a trail and answer our Flying Scotsman inspired questions.

Join a character led tour of the Scotsman Exhibition. Or join a Curator led object handling of 1920s and Flying Scotsman related items in the collection.

In its lifetime Flying Scotsman has had four different liveries. Recreate them, or design your own, by icing a train cookie.

Those are just a few of the many activities. The vast majority of the events are free, but there will be small charges for a couple of the activities. Over 18s only. National Railway Museum in York, UK.

SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE AND SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL TO MARK THE 400th ANNIVERSARY OF SHAKESPEARE'S DEATH WITH SPECIAL SERVICE

Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, Patron, Shakespeare's Globe, will attend a Service to commemorate the quatercentenary of William Shakespeare's death, at Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, on Saturday, April 23.

Shakespeare’s Globe originally anounced the joint celebration with Southwark Cathedral to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, in his workplace parish of Southwark.

On the morning of Saturday, April 23, England’s greatest playwright will be honored at Southwark Cathedral in a specially curated service, blending liturgical worship, music and performance. The celebration will draw on extracts of Shakespeare’s four late plays - Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest – all currently playing in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe. The Choir of Southwark Cathedral will be singing a specially commissioned setting of Psalm 46 by Philip Moore.

The Very Revd Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark said: “Amongst the many famous and notorious former residents of the parish of what is now Southwark Cathedral, William Shakespeare stands premier amongst them. We are delighted, therefore, to be hosting the service which will commemorate his death 400 years ago. Anything said of the Bard does not do justice to what he has given to our nation and to the English language and arts but we hope that in word, drama and music the service in the Cathedral will express something of our delight in our association with the world’s greatest playwright.”

Neil Constable, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s Globe stated: “We are thrilled to be joining our neighbours at Southwark Cathedral in celebrating this momentous occasion. The 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death will be a busy weekend for Shakespeare’s Globe, with the return of the Globe to Globe Hamlet company after their unprecedented round-the-world tour, and brand new short films of all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays being screened along the riverbank for The Complete Walk. Globe Education will also be kicking off a host of events on the theatrical greats of 1616. As well as all this, we look forward to celebrating Shakespeare’s life and legacy in his workplace parish.”

Attendance is by invitation only.

SPREADING THE WORD

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION STAND The controversy in North Carolina over the anti-LGBT legislation has prompted the American Theatre Critics Association to make a public statement, which was written by a committee of members and approved by the attendees present, reads as follows:

"Prompted by growing concern regarding the actions of city and state lawmakers across the nation, the membership of the American Theatre Critics Association assembled at the annual conference in Philadelphia last week overwhelmingly passed the following resolution:

"The American Theatre Critics Association is an inclusive organization committed to diversity. Local and state laws that we regard as discriminatory shall be considered when planning and executing all association programs, activities and meetings. The association reserves the right not to enter into agreements or contracts where it perceives such laws exist.”

ATCA was founded in 1974 and works to raise critical standards and public awareness of critics’ functions and responsibilities. The only national association of professional theater critics, with members working in print, on radio and television and websites, ATCA is affiliated with the International Association of Theatre Critics, a UNESCO-affiliated organization that sponsors seminars and congresses worldwide.

JACKSON BROWNE has written and performed some of the most literate and moving songs in popular music and has defined a genre of songwriting charged with honesty, emotion, and personal politics. He was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2007.

Beyond his music, Browne is known for his advocacy on behalf of the environment, human rights, and arts education. In 2002, he was the fourth recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, given to artists whose works exemplify the environmental and social values that were essential to the great California-born author. He has received Duke University's LEAF award for Lifetime Environmental Achievement in the Fine Arts, and was given an honorary Doctorate of Music by Occidental College in 2004, for "a remarkable musical career that has successfully combined an intensely personal artistry with a broader vision of social justice." An evening with an iconic artist and humanitarian takes place April 21, 2016 at Sunset Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA.

NATIONAL JELLY BEAN DAY is April 22.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II who turns 90 on April 21, 2016. She still holds down a full time job which requires her to always look smart, be polite to people she may not like and endure criticism from the press about her handbag, shoes and offspring.

Bravo! to The Queen. Long may she reign!

Although her birthday is this week, the official parties won't begin until June when the London weather is a bit more favorable.

On Friday June 10 there will be a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, followed by the annual Queen’s Birthday Parade on Horse Guards on the Saturday. The Patron’s Lunch will take place on Sunday June 12. That is a street party for 10,000 planned by her eldest grandchild Peter Philips, son of her daughter, the Princess Royal, Anne. The party place is outside Buckingham Place and honors organizations of which the queen is patron. Tickets range from $215.

If you'd like to raise a glass in her honor during the June official birthday party, British pubs have been given permission to stay open longer than usual. "We will be extending pub opening hours on the 10th and 11th of June this year to mark Her Majesty The Queen's 90th birthday. I'm sure that will be welcomed right across the House," Prime Minister David Cameron told parliament resulting in cheers.

Pubs in England and Wales, which normally have to close at 11:00 pm will be allowed to open until 1:00 am, the government said later in an official statement.

On April 21 Queen Elizabeth will light the first of a chain of 1,000 lanterns across Britain in honor of her 90th birthday. She will be joined by her husband Prince Philip, her eldest son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. There is a long tradition of celebrating royal events such as jubilees, coronations and birthdays with the lighting of beacons. The last such royal lighting honored the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

The birthday girl will also walk about Windsor Castle to greet well wishers.

She will also unveil a plaque at the foot of Windsor’s Castle Hill to signify The Queen’s Walkway. The four-mile self-guided walking trail, designed by The Outdoor Trust, connects 63 points of significance in Windsor and celebrates the Queen’s record as the country’s longest reigning monarch.

That evening Prince Charles will host a private birthday party at Windsor Castle.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

ACTORS GET A SHARE OF THE PROFITS in a report first printed in the NY Times the original cast members of the musical Hamilton will receive a share of the play's profits.

Producers of the phenomenal hit relented to pressure after more than two dozen actors and dancers retained attorney Ronald H. Shechtman to represent them in their claim that their participating in the show's development helped make it a financial success.

Development of a musical takes years. Some performers are with the effort from the first readings to the Broadway opening. In the early stages of development actors work for free or a small pittance.

Agreement details weren't disclosed. Shechtman issued a statement saying his clients will get an unspecified share of “the profit stream from the play.”

While most Broadway productions never recoup their investment, megahits mean big bucks. Hamilton has not only paid off its initial investment, but is now clearing some $500,000 in profit per week.

The agreement, the first of its kind, opens the door to negotiations for performer compensation during a show's developmental per

THE OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE the organization of writers covering New York theatre for out-of-town newspapers, national publications and other media beyond Broadway, will announce the nominees for the 2015-16 season on Tuesday, April 19th at New York’s legendary Algonquin Hotel.

Broadway’s Something Rotten and Hollywood’s Spotlight star Brian d’Arcy James along with this season’s break-out & genuflecting sensation Jennifer Simard from Broadway’s Disaster will announce the nominees.

Outer Critics Circle will include a new award entitled Outstanding Video/Projection Design to increase award nominations to 25 categories. Outer Critics Circle nominations are the first major Broadway/Off-Broadway award nominees of the New York theater season.

Celebrating its 66th season of bestowing awards of excellence in the field of theater, the Outer Critics Circle is an association with members affiliated with more than ninety newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations, Internet, and theatre publications in America and abroad.

The winners will be announced on Monday, May 9th. The annual Gala Awards Dinner and presentation of awards to the winners will be held on Thursday, May 26th at the legendary Sardi's Restaurant.

GRAMMY SALUTE TO MUSIC LEGENDS The Recording Academy will honor its 2016 Special Merit Awards recipients with an awards ceremony and live tribute concert on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at The Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

The event will be part of the Great Performances series on PBS, set to air later this year. Led by music industry icon Don Was as musical director, the tribute concert will feature rare performances by honorees and never-seen renditions by those they've inspired.

This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees include Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Herbie Hancock, Jefferson Airplane, Linda Ronstadt, and RUN DMC. John Cage, Fred Foster, and Chris Strachwitz are Trustees Award honorees; and EMT and Dr. Harvey Fletcher are Technical Grammy Award recipients. Also being honored is Phillip Riggs, this year's recipient of the Grammy Foundation Music Educator Award.

Honorees and psychedelic rock pioneers Jefferson Airplane, including Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, will take fans back in time as they play some of their most memorable hits that shaped much of the San Francisco scene in the 1960s and earned them international mainstream success. Standing in for legendary frontwoman Grace Slick (who will be present to accept her award) will be Grammy-nominated rock songstress Cathy Richardson.

Previously held during Grammy Week, this is the first time that The Recording Academy has celebrated the Special Merit Awards with a stand-alone event and musical tribute.

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical Grammy Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, and are ratified by The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.

QUI NGUYEN whose play Vietgone was selected by The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) as the $25,000 winner of the 2015 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, recognizing playwrights for scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City during 2014.

This “sexy comedy about culture-shocked, grieving Vietnamese refugees who fled to the U.S. after the fall of Saigon” features “a vivid, specific voice, a wonderful sense of humor and compelling stakes,” said the judges. Vietgone premiered at South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California.

Two citations that carry $7,500 awards were presented to Steven Dietz’ Bloomsday, which premiered at ACT Theatre in Seattle, and Jen Silverman’s The Dangerous House of Pretty Mbane, which premiered at Philadelphia’s InterAct Theatre Company.

Dietz’s play is “lovely and thoughtful,” with a “slightly supernatural sparkle” about two people meeting on the streets of Dublin, visited by their 35-years-later selves. Silverman’s play is a “lyrical love story” that “uses memIiI'm orable, flawed characters to tell a powerful and personal story” about the abuse of women in South Africa.

In 1977, ATCA began to honor new plays produced at regional theaters outside New York City. Since 2000, the award has been funded by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. At $40,000, Steinberg/ATCA is the largest national new play award program recognizing regional theaters as the crucible for new plays in the United States.

Since the inception of ATCA’s New Play Award, honorees have included Lanford Wilson, Marsha Norman, August Wilson, Arthur Miller, Mac Wellman, Donald Margulies, Lynn Nottage, Moises Kaufman and Craig Lucas. Last year’s honoree was Rebecca Gilman’s Luna Gale.

The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg on behalf of himself and his late wife. In support of the American theater, it has provided grants totaling millions of dollars for new productions of American plays and educational programs for those who may not ordinarily experience live theater.



WAITRESS: A NEW MUSICAL with a book by Jessie Nelson. Music & lyrics by 5 time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles.

Directed by Tony award winner Diane Paulus.

Choreography by Lorin Latarro.

Tony winner Jessie Mueller is Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage. Faced with an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna fears she may have to abandon the dream of opening her own pie shop forever… until a baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s handsome new doctor offer her a tempting recipe for happiness. Supported by her quirky crew of fellow waitresses and loyal customers, Jenna summons the secret ingredient she’s been missing all along – courage.

The Broadway cast includes Eric Anderson, Christopher Fitzgerald, Drew Gehling, Kimiko Glenn, Dakin Matthews, Keala Settle, with ensemble members Charity Angél Dawson, Jeremy Morse and Stephanie Torns.

"Inspired by Adrienne Shelly’s beloved film, Waitress is an empowering celebration of friendship, motherhood and finding the strength to pursue even the wildest dreams."

Christopher Akerlind - Lighting Design; Scott Pask - Set Design; Suttirat Larlarb - Costume Design; Jonathan Deans - Sound Design; Nadia DiGiallonardo - Music Supervisor; John Miller - Music Contractor; Juniper Street Productions -Tech Supervisor; Telsey + Company - Casting; Thomas J. Gates- Production Stage Manager.

Officially opens April 24 at the Brooks Atkinson in New York City.

ELEGY a new play by Nick Payne.

Directed by Josie Rourke.

Starring Barbara Flynn, Nina Sosanya, and Zoe Wanamaker.

What if every neuron in the human brain could be mapped and decoded? Every act of human behavior cataloged and wholly understood? Elegy imagines a very-near future in which radical and unprecedented advances in medical science mean that it’s now possible to augment and extend life.

Called "a beautiful and moving story of three women who’ve made the choice between love and survival, Elegy explores a world in which the brain is no longer a mystery to us. But at what cost?"

Design by Tom Scutt. Lighting Design by Paule Constable. Sound Design by Ian Dickinson for Autograph. Performances April 21, 2016 - June 18, 2016 at the Donmar Warehouse in London.

ORPHEUS DESCENDING by Tennessee Williams.

Directed by Austin Pendleton.

The production features a 16-person cast lead by Irene Glezos, Thomas Beaudoin and Beth Bartley. Completing the 16-member cast are Beth Bartley as Carol Cutrere, Brenda Currin as Beulah Binnings, Mia Dillon as Vee Talbot, Keir Dullea as Jabe Torrance, Tom Drummer as Sheriff Talbott, Karen Lynn Gorney as Eva Temple, Jim Heatherly as Pee Wee, Lou Liberatore as David Cutrere, Skid Maher as Dog Hamma/Second man, David Pendleton as Uncle Pleasant/Conjure man, David Roby as Mr. Dubinsky/First man, Randi Sobol as Dolly Hamma, Michele Tauber as Nurse Porter and Penny Lynn White as Sister Temple.

Williams’s modern version of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice opened on Broadway in 1957 and was revived in 1989 in a celebrated production directed by Sir Peter Hall and starring Vanessa Redgrave. It has rarely, if ever, been produced in New York since.

Orpheus Descending centers on Lady Torrance (Irene Glezos), a Sicilian immigrant disenchanted with her unhappy 20-year marriage. She runs a dry-goods store in the Deep South in the 1940s, while her bigoted, tyrannical husband (Keir Dullea) lies bedridden with cancer upstairs. When a young, guitar-toting drifter Val Xavier (Thomas Beaudoin) shows up at her store, Lady begins an affair that not only causes a town-wide scandal, but also, and more importantly, awakens a long-forgotten passion that brings Lady deep solace.

The creative team includes Susannah Baron (lighting design), Carrie Mossman (set and prop design), Tony French (costume design), Dr. Annette J. Saddik (dramaturg), Duncan Becker (props), Logan Faust (props), Robert Neapolitan (production stage manager) Lefty Lucy (ASM/costume assistant), and Brooke Lynn Tibbs (associate producer/box office manager).

Presented by Beth Bartley and Irene Glezos in association with the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival. Limited engagement, April 23–May 14, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, one of the oldest buildings in Greenwich Village, NYC.

A LITTLE OFF THE TOP by Carl L. Williams.

Directed by Glen Bird.

Steve and Jerry, two lonely balding bachelors, find a perfect toupee with which to attract women, but cannot afford it. Desperate for hair, they purchase a used toupee and decide to taking turns wearing it. With two bald men and just one toupee, things get a bit hairy for Steve and Jerry.

The cast includes Anson Hahn as Jerry, Doug Hart playing Steve, Don Jacks plays Lewis, Kay Baker plays Peggy, April Lyon as Lisa and Sharon Penny playing Cheryl. Wayne Hawley and Randy L. Hilmer will share the role of Hubert the toupee salesman.

Presented by the Hill Country Community Theatre, in Cottonwood Shores, TX . The show opens ,on April 21 and runs through May 1, 2016.

WHO'S WHERE

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND entertain Monday, April 18, at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, PA. On Wednesday the show is at the Royal Farms Arena in Beltimore, MD. Saturday their tour stops at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY for a split two night stand with the second show taking place on Monday, April 25..

MARIAH CAREY performs Monday, April 18, at the Hallenstadon in Zurich, Switzerland. On Tuesday, April 19, she is in the spotlight at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. Thursday's gig is at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris. Saturday's stop is at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam.

RIHANNA entertains Monday, April 18, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Canada. On Wednesday she performs at Rexall Place in Edmonton, AB. Thursday's gig is at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. On Saturday she stars at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC. Next Sunday, April 24, the show is at the Key Arena in Seattle, WA.

JENNIFER NETTLES entertains Thursday, April 21 at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, NJ. On Friday the show is at the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY.

IL DIVO performs Monday, April 18, at the Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan. The next night the show is in the same city but at the Festival Hall. Wednesday's gig is at the Nippon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan. Friday finds them at the HBG Hall in Hiroshima, Japan.

JOSH GROBAN opens a two nighter Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at the opera house in Sydney, Australia.

ELLIE GOULDING performs Monday, April 18, at the Verizon Theatre in Grnd Prairie, TX. Tuesday's show is at the center in Cedar Park, TX. On Saturday she's on stage at the Viejas Arena in San Diego, CA.

CHITA RIVERA of the few EGOTs performs April 19 to April 30 at Cafe Carlyle in New York City.

ALEXANDER SHELLEY PRESENTS FROM PARIS TO NEW YORK Shelley, the RPO's Principal Associate Conductor, continues his serial exploration of the musical influence of Paris and New York at the beginning of the twentieth century. The series (curated, conducted and presented by Shelley) takes place at multiple venues around the UK and contains works by numerous composers including Cole Porter, Prokofiev, Weill and Debussy, as well as jazz-fuelled piano works by Ravel and Gershwin. Performances Thursday, April 21 at Hull City Hall. Friday, April 22 at Sheffield City Hall.

FINAL OVATION

ANNE JACKSON Tony Award nominee and Obie award winner died Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at her home in New York City. She was 90.

Jackson and her late husband Eli Wallach, who died in 2014, appeared together 13 times on Broadway, seven times Off Broadway, and occasionally in movies and on television,

She met Wallach, 10 years her senior, in 1946, when they were both cast in a production of Tennessee Williams’s This Property Is Condemned. They joined Le Gallienne’s American Repertory Theater on Broadway, appearing in Henry VIII, Androcles and the Lion and What Every Woman Knows, and married in 1948.

In 1956 she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Paddy Chayefsky's Middle of the Night. In 1963, she won an Obie Award for Best Actress for her performance in two Off-Broadway plays, The Typists and The Tiger.

See Broadway To Vegas column interview with Anne Jackson.

She is survived by daughter Roberta Wallach, Katherine Wallach, son Peter, a sister, Beatrice Marz; three grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

FRED HAYMAN a fashion retailer and entrepreneur known as Mr. Rodeo Drive, died April 14, 2016 at his Malibu, CA home. He was 90.

In 1961 Hayman created the Giorgio boutique in Beverly Hills famous for high end fashions and celebrity clientele including . Natalie Wood, Princess Grace, Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Diana Ross, Charlton Heston, and Elizabeth Taylor.

The boutique inspired a steamy novel, a heady perfume Giorgio, and an image of opulence that helped turn Rodeo Drive from a local shopping street into an international symbol of style.

In 1987, the fragrance business and the Giorgio Beverly Hills brand was sold to Avon for $165 million.

Next Column: April 24, 2016
Copyright: April 17, 2016 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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