Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: April 23, 2023
By: Laura Deni
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ANNALEIGH ASHFORD AND JOSH GROBAN SERVE UP AN AMAZING MENU IN SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban in Sweeney Todd. Photo by: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.

It's a time of hardship you do whatever it takes to keep your failing, downtrodden pie shop in business. The pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett teams up with a former tenant, Sweeny Todd. He has an axe to grind. However, his weapon of choice is a straight razor. A plan is devised and carried out.

The Grammy Award-winning baritone Josh Groban plays the title role: a Victorian barber, né Benjamin Barker, convicted wrongfully who, after 15 years in an Australian penal colony, escapes and returns to London using the new name Sweeney Todd, only to find that Judge Turpin (Jamie Jackson), who is responsible for his conviction, has raped his young wife, Lucy, causing her to suffer a total mental breakdown and adopted his daughter, Johanna (Maria Bilbao). At first Todd plans to kill Turpin, but when his prey escapes, he swears vengeance on humanity in general and begins to slash his customers' throats. He goes into business with Mrs. Lovett (Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford), his former landlady, who bakes his victims' body parts into pies

It's all in the seasoning and this musical concoction is done to perfection.

Sweeney Todd also possess a sub revenge plot. Victims who are wealthy enough to afford a shave and a haircut are fed to those so poor they can't afford to buy from more reputable establishments.

Thomas Kail’s outstanding Broadway revival of the Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler musical, that would be Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Saville in performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, currently serving up a delightful production starring the incredible Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban who make this revival their own.

In real life, serial killers and con artists tend to be likeable, even low key, which enables them to con their victims and accomplish their crimes. Groban does just that, portraying the barber as a closeted maniac, which makes it possible for him to attract and keep his customers - until he sees fit to slit their throats.

Groban is a one man slaughter house. His voice conveying all of the raw, unhinged, stiffled emotions which his demeanor deliberately keeps under the wraps of his barber's apron.

Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford is a force of nature - a cross between Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Fanny Brice with an addition of her own special talents. If you missed her Tony Award winning performance in You Can't Take It With You that's a shame. Hopefully, you caught her in the television series B+ in which the beginning episodes showed off her incredible comedic flare in a role which could have been played by very few. The re-tooled later episodes established that she isn't an uncontrollable loose canon, but a skilled actor who could also stay within the norm, portraying a sincere, non flamboyant character. To say the least, Annaleigh Ashford is versatile.

In Sweeney Todd Ashford is the pie maker who takes the human slaughter house properties, chopping them up, adding some seasoning and serving up pot pies.

A unique way to stave off bankruptcy, (The Worst Pies In London.)

This is Broadway’s first full-scale revival of Sondheim’s musical thriller masterpiece in 43 years.

Ruthie Ann Miles incredible performance as the beggar woman in Sweeney Todd. Photo by: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.

The supporting cast is a treasure: Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles delivers a heartwrenching performance as a beggar woman who suspects something foul is afoot (Beggar Woman’s Lament); Jordan Fisher as the somewhat naive Anthony Hope who is besotted by Joanna. He sings Ah, Miss and they duet in Kiss Me; Fisher and his dancing partner Lindsay Arnold won the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars (2017). On Broadway he took on the lead role of Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen in 2020; Maria Bilbao in an auspicious Broadway debut as Johanna (Green Finch and Linnet Bird. She appeared in the Miami Stage Company before moving to New York to study at AMDA. She performed in the off-Broadway production of In the Heights.

Australian actor and stand up comedian Jamie Jackson as Judge Turpin (Joanna;) John Rapson who originated the role of the D'Ysquith Family in the first national tour of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder as Beadle Bamford (Ladies in Their Sensitivities: Nicholas Christopher who played George Washington in Hamilton as Adolfo Pirelli (The Contest,) and Gaten Matarazzo as Tobias Ragg, the apprentice to the abusive barber Pirelli ( Not While I'm Around.) and later works along side Mrs. Lovett. In the end, Ragg does his own revenge killing.

Ensemble: Jonathan Christopher, Dwayne Cooper, Kyrie Courter, Taeler Cyrus, Timothy Hughes, Paul Jordan Jansen, Alicia Kaori, Michael Kugn, Raymond J. Lee, Megan Ort, Patricia Phillips, Mia Pinero, Samatha Pollino, Lexi Rabadi, Nathan Salstone, Kristie Dale Sanders, Stephen Tewksbury, Daniel Torres, Felix Torrez-Ponce, Delaney Westfall and Hennessy Winkler.

Swings: Dwayne Cooper, Kyrie Courter, Michael Kuhn, Megan Ort, Mia Pinero and Hennessy Winkler. Standby: Nicholas Christopher (Sweeney Todd) and Jeanna de Waal (Mrs. Lovett, Beggar Woman) Understudies: Jonathan Christopher (The Beadle), Paul-Jordan Jansen (Sweeney Todd, Judge Turpin), Raymond J. Lee (The Beadle, Pirelli), Mia Pinero (Beggar Woman, Johanna), Nathan Salstone (Anthony Hope, Tobias Ragg), Stephen Tewksbury (Judge Turpin), Daniel Torres (Pirelli), Felix Torrez-Ponce (Anthony Hope, Tobias Ragg) and DeLaney Westfall (Mrs. Lovett, Johanna).

Natasha Katz's lighting is powerful. Emilio Sosa's costumes are spot on and scenic design by Mimi Lien with forceful beams emphasize the poverty drenched area of London.

Over eighty percent of the production is set to music, either sung or underscoring dialogue. Historians have noted that "The score is one vast structure, each individual part meshing with others for the good of the entire musical machine. Never before or later in his work did Sondheim utilize music in such an exhaustive capacity to further the purposes of the drama."

The 26-piece orchestra deserves co-star billing.

Musical Supervisor: Alex Lacamoire; Musical Coordinator: David Lai; Conducted by Alex Lacamoire; Associate Conductor: Fred Lassen; Flute/Piccolo/Recorder: Elizabeth Mann; Oboe/English Horn: Keisuke Ikuma; Clarinet/Eb Clarinet/Flute/Piccolo: Steve Kenyon; Clarinet/Bass Clarinet: Todd Palmer; Bassoon: Damian Primis; Horn: Sarah Boxmeyer; Trumpet: John Chudoba and Changhyun Cha; Trombone: Jason Jackson, Julie Dombroski and Jennifer Wharton; Percussion: Javier Diaz and Sean Ritenauer; Harp: Tomina Parvanova Lyden; Organ/Celesta/Harmonium: Fred Lassen; Violin: Anna Parks (Concertmaster), Bryan Hernandez-Luch, Claire Chan, Katherine Livolsi-Landau, Elizabeth Lim and Lady Jess; Viola: David Blinn and Orlando Wells; Cello: Emily Brausa and Wayne Smith; Bass: Lisa Stokes; Keyboard Programmer: Randy Cohen and Randy Cohen Keyboards.

The creatives are: Scenic Design by Mimi Lien; Costume Design by Emilio Sosa; Lighting Design by Natasha Katz; Sound Design by Nevin Steinberg; Hair and Wig Design by J. Jared Janas; Make-Up Design by J. Jared Janas; Associate Scenic Design: Jason Lajka; Associate Costume Design: Johanna Pan; Associate Lighting Design: Craig Stelzenmuller; Associate Sound Design: Jason Crystal; Associate Hair and Wig Design: Tony Lauro; Associate Make-Up Design: Tony Lauro; Assistant Scenic Design: Anna Grigo and Abby J. Smith; Assistant Costume Design: Benjamin Burton, Melissa Gargiulo, Willa Piro and Benjamin Weigel; Assistant Lighting Design: Natali Arco; Moving Light Programmer: Alex Fogel; Assistant Sound Design: Jaechelle Johnson; Stage Manager: Aaron Elgart: Special Effects Design by Jeremy Chernick: Casting: The Telsey Office; Press Representative: Matt Ross Public Relations; Advertising: RPM; Dance Captain: Taeler Cyrus and Samantha Pollino; Dialect Coach: Deb Hecht; Intimacy Coordinator: Ann James.

The ending has a twist. You'll just have to go see the production.

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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

ISAAC JULIEN: WHAT FREEDOM IS TO ME

Isaac Julien Pas de Deux with Roses (Looking for Langston Vintage Series) 1989/2016, © Isaac Julien, Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro. Photo: Tate

at Tate Britain will present the UK’s first ever survey exhibition celebrating the influential work of British artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien (b. London, 1960). One of the leading artists working today, Isaac Julien is internationally acclaimed for his compelling lyrical films and video art installations. This ambitious solo show will chart the development of his pioneering work in film and video over four decades from the 1980s through to the present day, revealing a career that remains as fiercely experimental and politically charged as it was forty years ago.

The exhibition will present a selection of key works from Julien’s ground-breaking early films and immersive three-screen videos made for the gallery setting, to the kaleidoscopic, sculptural multi-screen installations for which he is renowned today. Together, they explore how Julien breaks down barriers between different artistic disciplines by drawing from film, dance, photography, music, theatre, painting and sculpture.

The show will open with Julien’s earliest experiments in moving image, produced in the context of the Sankofa Film and Video Collective. Founded by Julien in the summer of 1983 together with Martina Attille, Maureen Blackwood, Robert Crusz and Nadine Marsh-Edwards, this group of London art students from across the African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora played a vital role in the establishment of Black independent cinema in Britain.

Four works from this period will be brought together at Tate Britain, including Julien’s first film, Who Killed Colin Roach? (1983) – conceived as a response to the unrest following the death of a young man at the entrance to a police station,Territories (1984), which focuses on the Black British experience in the early 80s, and This is Not An AIDS Advertisement (1987), an important work of LGBTQIA+ history that continues to resonate powerfully today. The artist’s pivotal film exploring Black, queer desire – Looking for Langston (1989) – will also feature, bringing together poetry and image to look at the private world of the Black artists and writers who were part of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.

Julien’s use of dance to articulate the movement of peoples across different continents, times and spaces, is reflected in the pioneering three-screen film installation Western Union: Small Boats (2007) and the spectacular Lina Bo Bardi - A Marvellous Entanglement (2019). In Western Union, a series of vignettes choreographed by the internationally renowned Russell Maliphant create a poetic reflection on African migration histories and the effects of trauma on people, buildings and monuments. A Marvellous Entanglement meanwhile features a stunning performance from Balé Folclórico da Bahia filmed at the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia in Brazil, meditating on the legacy of visionary modernist architect and designer Lina Bo Bardi (1914–1992).

For the first time in Europe, the exhibition will premiere the artist’s latest film, Once Again...(Statues Never Die) (2022), which explores the relationship between US collector Albert C. Barnes and the famed philosopher and cultural critic Alain Locke, known as the 'Father of the Harlem Renaissance'. The film examines their storied relationship, its mutually formative critical dialogue, and its significant impact on their work as educators and activists on behalf of various African American causes. The exhibition will also showcase Julien’s critically acclaimed ten-screen film installation Lessons of the Hour (2019). A portrait of the life and times of the self-liberated freedom-fighter Frederick Douglass, this work can be seen to represent Julien’s 40-year long commitment to cultural activism, the politics and poetics of image, and the moral and social influence of picture-making.

Isaac Julien is curated by Isabella Maidment, Curator Contemporary British Art and Nathan Ladd, Assistant Curator, Contemporary British Art, Tate Britain, in close dialogue with the artist. Following its presentation at Tate Britain, the exhibition will tour to Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf and Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht. The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue by Tate Publishing, including an engrossing selection of archive photos and essays by a wide range of contributors such as Homi Bhabha, Jack Halberstam, Nina Kellgren and Bradford Young, Mark Nash and Adam Finch, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Irit Rogof and Wole Soyinka.

April 26 - August 20, 2023 at the Tate in London.

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SWEET CHARITY

ON MAY 1, THE NEW YORK POPS CELEBRATES ITS 40TH BIRTHDAY GALA with Music Honoree Barry Manilow.

Michael Urie will co-host the evening alongside Steven Reineke.

Jim Caruso, Megan Hilty, Lillias White, Erich Bergen, Charo, Deborah Cox, Norm Lewis, Melissa Manchester, Billy Stritch, Max von Essen, and Dionne Warwick eill perform sogs from Barry's career.

The evening also features the Comedian Harmonists from the cast of Barry’s musical Harmony: Sean Bell, Danny Kornfeld, Zal Owen, Eric Peters, Blake Roman, and Steven Telsey.

SPREADING THE WORD

ALEC BALDWIN had all criminal charges dropped against him it was announced on Thursday, April 20, 2023, as first reported by Fox news.

Baldwin, 64, saw two counts of involuntary manslaughter against him dropped.

The charges were filed in connection with the October 2021 fatal shooting of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The announcement came as Baldwin returned to the set of Rust, now filming in Montana.

A TRIO OF BROADWAY STARS will perform at the White House state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday, April 15, 20223. A-listed guests will be entertained by three Broadway stars, "bringing a quintessential American art form to the world stage." Those stars include Norm Lewis, who appeared in Phantom of the Opera and other productions; Jessica Vosk, who played Elphaba in Wicked; and Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, who was also the singing voice for Disney’s princesses Jasmine and Mulan.

Prior to the entertainment guests will dine on a sumptuous meal prepared by guest chef Edward Lee, a Korean-American James Beard Award winner with restaurants in Washington, DC, and Louisville, Kentucky. He'll prepare the meal alongside White House executive chef Cris Comerford, her staff and executive pastry chef Susie Morrison for the state dinner. First Lady Jill Biden requested Lee who is noted for his "experience with the intersection of American cuisine with Korean influence."

TONY WINNER JAMES CORDEN'S final show as host of The Late Late Show With James Corden takes place Thursday on CBS. The OBE who received his award from the Princess Royal will be returning to England. That is a loss for us across the pond. Here's hoping he returns to Broadway in short order. His presence on television will be missed.

WILLIE NELSON is turning 90, and to celebrate a lineup of acts will hit the Hollywood Bowl. On April 29 and 30, the prolific American songwriter will headline a two-night show that includes: Allison Russell, Beck, Billy Strings, Bobby Weir, Charley Crockett, Chris Stapleton, Edie Brickell, Kacey Musgraves, Leon Bridges, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Margo Price, Miranda Lambert, Nathaniel Rateliff, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Orville Peck, Particle Kid, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Sturgill Simpson, the Avett Brothers, the Chicks, the Lumineers, Tom Jones, Tyler Childers, Warren Haynes and Ziggy Marley.

MICHAEL R. JACKSON the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning writer and composer will perform some of his best-known works as well as some special rarities. Hear new music and instant classics from the creator of last season's Tony Award-winning Best Musical, A Strange Loop. April 26 - April 30 at NEXT@LCT3 which is a concert series featuring original music in the intimate setting of the Claire Tow Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Each week, a new act will perform both new music and the songs you already love. This event gives audiences the chance to experience the great composer/songwriters of our time up close and personal. at Bringing together theater's most exciting new songwriters and composers.

WHERE PEOPLE ARE "HAPPY" TO LIVE in order of "happy" - London, New York. Washington DC, Singapore and Copenhagen according to a report compiled by Boston Consulting Group.

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS (NAB) announced today preliminary registered attendance of 65,013 for the 2023 NAB Show, which was held last week in Las Vegas.

International attendees: 17,440.
Countries represented: 166.
Total Exhibiting Companies:1,208

NAB also announced that the next NAB Show will be held April 13-17, 2024, in Las Vegas.

SINGER-SONGWRITER FIONA APPLE IS A COURTWATCHER

Fiona Apple is a three time Grammy award winner, as well as earning two MTV Video Music rds, and a Billboard Music Award. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Her parents are singer Diane McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart, who met when both were cast in the Broadway musical Applause.

For the past two years, when Apple isn't making music, she has volunteered with Courtwatch PG, the largest court watch program in the country, to observe legal proceedings in Prince George’s County, Maryland, from her home in Los Angeles. Apple has also joined a group of advocates calling attention to the concept of court watching and aiming to get more people involved, as first reported in an ABA Journal weekly issue by Amanda Robert.

As part of a launch of the National Courtwatch Network, the animated short film The Court Watchers was released with the opening scenes narrates by Apple. Additionally narration in provided by actor Jesse Williams and Courtwatch PG director Carmen Johnson.

Courtwatch PG, is the largest court watch program in the country. The goal of the network is to bring together individual court watch programs, such as Courtwatch PG, Court Watch Los Angeles and Court Watch NOLA in New Orleans, so they can collaborate and share resources. It also provides information on how people can start their own court watch programs or get involved with existing programs.

A coalition of volunteers, most of whom have no prior legal experience, are trained to sit in on bail hearings and other court proceedings and document what happens in each case. They share their notes in reports, on social media and in letters meant to hold attorneys, judges, police and jail staff accountable for any problems.

"Court Watch is unique because these are not lawyers,” Hechinger says. “They are high school students, they are retired librarians and everything in between who are trained in the language of that particular court."

"Within two days of someone’s arrest, they are brought before a judge like this one, who will decide whether they will be released or incarcerated in jail while their case proceeds," says Apple, who also provides the film’s score. "These decisions can mean life or death, and they are made within minutes with little information.

"All over the country, thousands of people go through these hearings each day as if in a national assembly line of injustice. But in a growing number of places, people are beginning to hold actors accountable by showing up in court and documenting what they see."

"[Protecting] the Sixth Amendment right to a public trial is one of, if not the most, direct, powerful actions that everyday people can take if they are interested in justice, accountability, transparency and the proper functioning of the court system," Scott Hechinger, founder and executive director of the advocacy organization Zealous, who helped launch the network, told Robert. Prior to that he worked as a public defender in Brooklyn, New York for nearly a decade.

"But we know this important constitutional right isn’t being fully realized for a range of reasons, and we know court watching is not really at the top of people’s list of racial and social justice imperatives. So how could we make that issue and this intervention engaging and accessible? That’s how this evolved."

A coalition of volunteers, most of whom have no prior legal experience, are trained to sit in on bail hearings and other court proceedings and document what happens in each case. They share their notes in reports, on social media and in letters meant to hold attorneys, judges, police and jail staff accountable for any problems.

In September 2019, Hechinger started Zealous, a national advocacy and education initiative that helps public defenders, community leaders and people with lived experience challenge injustice through media, storytelling and the arts. Several months later, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, he received a call from Claire Glenn, then a public defender in Prince George’s County, who was trying to get her clients released from pretrial detention before they contracted the virus.

Several of Glenn’s clients did get COVID-19, and once they could communicate with her, they told her about "horrific" conditions at the jail, she says.

"I found out my clients had been locked in isolation cells for days," says Glenn, who now works as a staff attorney with the Climate Defense Project. "They were not provided fresh clothing or a bar of soap or a toothbrush for days. They were in the clothing they had been vomiting in and having fever sweats in. And they were denied access to counsel. They wouldn’t even let them use the phone to call their attorneys, let alone their loved ones."

By this time, Johnson—who was then Courtwatch PG’s sole court watcher—started showing up at bail hearings. Hechinger brought together a group that included Glenn and Johnson as well as attorneys from Civil Rights Corps—who in April 2020 filed a class action lawsuit against the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections—to brainstorm what else they could do to bring awareness to the situation.

They decided to launch a campaign called Gasping for Justice to amplify dozens of sworn statements that were collected from prisoners inside the Prince George’s County Jail. Apple and Williams as well as other singers, actors, academics, advocates and public defenders, read those statements in filmed segments that were shared on social media. Hechinger says the campaign went viral and millions of people heard these previously unknown stories. (The civil rights lawsuit later settled.)

"The call to action among sharing it was to sign up for court watch virtually in Prince George’s County," Hechinger told the publication. "Within four days, Carmen, this lone court watcher, was joined by over 200 volunteers."

Courtwatch PG posts the accountability letters it sends to court and county officials on its website.

In a recent letter, Courtwatch PG asked a judge to correct an error in the record that kept a defendant from being released. According to the organization, a commissioner set a $2,500 secured bond that the defendant could not afford. The judge granted a request to set the bond at 10% since the full amount was unaffordable, but the court’s written records did not reflect the ruling.

Courtwatch PG sent another letter to the police chief raising concerns about police procedures its court watchers encountered in bail hearings. In one case, a defendant was searched by police after a confidential informant claimed a few days earlier that he possessed an illegal firearm. “Stopping and frisking people without sufficient cause violates their constitutional rights,” the letter states.

Courtwatch PG notified several county officials that a woman was held for public intoxication, but asked repeatedly for a rape exam once she was lucid. Police and jail staff ignored her request. "We feel that this young woman was failed by the police who arrested her, the commissioner’s decision to hold her without bond, the jail’s lack of attention to her request and its medical system, and her judge’s comments in her bond hearing," Courtwatch PG says.

Courtwatch PG often follows its letters with calls to public defenders and defense attorneys to track what happens in cases.

According to Makes Courts Accessible Twitter account: "Maryland's State Treasurer calls for ending secret police payouts to settle lawsuits. PG County paid out at least $51 M in the last 4 years for unlawful behavior, including police shooting a handcuffed man."

LADIES WHO LUNCH - THEN AND NOW

On April 20, 1868, a truly radical statement was made. On that date, some 160 years ago, a dozen women filed into Delmonico's New York steak house, then the most famous restaurant in America, and did something that was shocking to society as a whole. This group of women deliberately dined alone, unaccompanied by men. To say that this was a shocking statement is shocking to modern society, but in 1868 America, it truly was a bold, brazen display that challenged the norms of the day.

Fast forward to last week - April 20, 2023 - and a group of women, led by fashion professional Myrdith Leon-McCormack, took a seat at Manhattan’s Tudor City Steakhouse as a display of not only how far they’ve come, but to also acknowledge just how far they yet to go.

Joining Myrdith was a group of some 20 business leaders, style makers, and philanthropists from around the globe including:

Mimi Lombardo – Fashion Editor, (Italian-American)

Rowena Husbands – Celebrity Photographer (African-American)

Irene Gandy – Broadway Producer (African-American) winner of the 2020 Tony Honors Excellence in Theatre Award, and member of the Drama League Board of Directors.

Debra Harebey – Founder of OMHH (American-Bahamas)

Rae Ashe – Publisher of Height Magazine (African-American)

Amor Phillip – Founder of Apples & Oranges Public Relations (Barbados)

Tralynn Husbands – Actress, Screenwriter (American)

Jamilah Rosemond – Actress (Haitian-American)

Amanda Smith – Event Producer, Cater (Mexican)

Roxanne Ward – Broadway Theater Marketing Director (African-American)

Sonya Keshwani – Founder of StyleEsteem (Indian-American)

Athari Mohammed Alkhudher – Fashion Entrepreneur (Kuwait)

Chaya Bromberg – Event Planner, Home Decor Designer (Israel)

Corey Reiter – Paiget (Ukranian/Russian/Romanian/Eastern European)

Hannah Soule-Powderly – Photographer and Artist (Scottish-Irish, Basque)

Roxanne Ward – Broadway Business Executive (African-American)

Also in attendance were author and restauranteur Melba Wilson who founded a chain of restaurants, most notably Melba’s in Harlem, and Haitian-French Sabine Poisson who was responsible for the table décor.

"The goal is to make this an annual celebration all over the world to celebrate the accomplishments of women and empower others to achieve their best as well. Yes, we’ve come a long way for sure, but I believe the potential of women in modern society is just beginning to be seen," said Leon-McCormack.

If the phrase "Ladies Who Lunch" sounds familiar it has come to be "a phrase often used to describe well-off, well-dressed women who meet for social luncheons, usually during the working week.

The Ladies Who Lunch is also a song from the Broadway musical Company, sung by the character Joanne. It was written by Stephen Sondheim, and was introduced by Elaine Stritch, becoming her signature song.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

AMERICANS SPEND 87% MORE ON SPORTS TICKETS THAN ON MUSIC EVENTS according to data presented by CasinosEnLigne.

According to Statista Digital Market Insights, US sports fans will spend an average of $298.8 on sports tickets this year, considerably more than Europeans or Chinese. Europeans will pay just over $140 to attend sports events this year, while the Chinese will spend six times less than that.

The United Kingdom is the only European country close to the United States. In 2023, Brits are forecast to spend an average of $228 on attending sports events, that's above the European average.

The Statista data also showed Americans would spend 87% more on sports tickets than on music events this year. The average spending per user in the US music events market hit $150.9 in 2023, up from $106.8 in Europe and $29.8 in China.

45% of Global Ticket Sales Revenue Comes from the United States.

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THE DRAMA LEAGUE has announced the fourteen directors chosen for the 2023 Drama League Directors Project.

Selected from hundreds of applicants worldwide, the Directing Fellows are:

Héctor Alvarez, Alex Keegan, and EJ Soto; Directing Assistantship Recipients Michelle Chan, Diego González, Sanhawich Meateanuwat, and Vanessa Ogbuehi; Beatrice Terry Director in Residence Ann Kreitman; Next Stage Directors in Residence Nehprii Amenii and Lyam B. Gabel; and, continuing into their second year of the Directors Project, Drama League Stage Directing Fellows Nadia Guevara and Ibi Owolabi, and Drama League Film/Television Directing Fellows NJ Agwuna and Justin Emeka.

Hailing from Chicago, Cleveland, Iowa City, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Juan, and Washington DC, "each of these artists has a rare combination of talent, determination, skill, and artistry that gives me great hope for the future of the American theater," stated Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, Artistic Director, The Drama League of New York.



TALES FROM THE GUTTENBERG BIBLE written by and starring Steve Guttenberg.

Directed by David Saint.

Tales from The Guttenberg Bible is a farcical, laugh-out-loud story written by and starring veteran screen actor Steve Guttenberg. This hilarious journey takes the audience from the Guttenberg’s family home on Long Island to the glamour of Hollywood as Guttenberg himself tells-all – i.e. how he broke into the Paramount Lot – to his run-ins with everyone from Paul Reiser to Tom Selleck, Kevin Bacon to Merv Griffin.

The cast features: Arnie Burton, Dan Domingues, Steve Guttenberg and Carine Montreband.

Design and Production team features: Caite Hevner (Scenic Designer), Lisa Zinni (Costume Designer), Joe Saint (Lighting Designer), Scott Killian (Sound Designer), Samantha Flint (Production Stage Manager) and Casting by McCorkle Casting.

Playing April 25th – May 21st, 2023 on the stage of the George Street Playhouse, at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, in New Brunswick, NJ.

GYPSY book by Arthur Laurents. Music by Jule Styne. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Suggested by memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee.

Directed by Jean Thompson.

Music direction by Goodspeed’s Resident Music Director Adam Souza.

Choreographed by Patricia Wilcox.

Here she is, world! Momma Rose, the ambitious stage mother determined to drive her daughters toward stardom, takes center stage in one of the most celebrated musicals of all time. And with her comes a parade of iconic tunes that conjure the joys and heartaches of show business: Everything’s Coming Up Roses; Let Me Entertain You; Together, Wherever We Go, and more. The brassy masterpiece about vaudeville and burlesque lights up the Goodspeed stage for the very first time. Curtain up!

Starring Judy McLane as Rose, Talia Suskauer as Louise, Cameron Blake Miller as Baby Louise and Philip Hernandez as Herbie (the only actor in Broadway history to star as both Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert in Les Miserables).

The cast also includes: Gabe Amato, Romelda Teron Benjamin, Kelly Margaret Berman, Victoria Huston-Elem, Amahri Edwards-Jones, Carlos Velasquez-Jones, Carlos Velasquez Escamilla, Thomas Goldbach, Laura Sky Herman, Sunny Lauren Hoder, Edward Juvier, Meadow Nguy, Bianca Belle Palana, Maddie Robert, Ben Sears, Michael J. Starr, Geoffrey Wade, David Cochise Williams, Valerie Wright, Brianna Ascione,and Anthony DaSilva.

The creatives are: Alexander Dodge (Scenic Designer) - Eduardo Sicangco (Costume Designer) - Paul Miller (Lighting Designer) - Jay Hilton (Sound Designer) - Dan DeLange (Orchestrator) - William (Bill) Berloni (Animal Director and Trainer) - Bradley G. Spachman (Production Stage Manager) - Naomi Anhorn (Assistant Stage Manager) - Paul Hardt (Casting Director) - Trevor Pierce (Assistant Music Director).

This Golden Age classic will appear on the Goodspeed stage for the first time, which will run from April 28 – June 18 at Goodspeed in East Haddam, CT.

UNDER THE SKIN written by Michael Hollinger.

Directed by caryn desai.

Starring Tony Abatemarco, Tanya Alexander, Allison Blaize, Julian Smith.

What does it mean to give a part of yourself to someone else?

Lou (Tony Abatemarco) needs a kidney. As in now. His daughter Raina (Allison Blaize) has one to spare, but she’s also got issues. Like, how come the sonofabitch had sex with so many women who weren’t her mother? And never went to any of her birthday parties when she was a kid? Or can even remember the name or sex of her daughter? Secrets get aired and truths revealed in this lively, unpredictable comedy that asks just how much parents and children really owe one another.

Who knew the subject of organ donation could be this funny? Inspired by an article he read about the ethics of organ donation, Hollinger’s dark comedy teeters on the edge of tragedy.

The creative team includes set designer Timothy Mueller, lighting designer Donna Ruzika, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Dave Mickey and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The production stage manager is John Freeland, Jr.

Previews: April 26 and April 27. Performances: April 28-May 14, 2023 at the International City Theatre in Long Beach, CA.

BLANKET BAN by Davinia Hamilton and Marta Vella.

Co-directed by Sam Edmunds and Vikesh Godhwani.

Starring Davinia Hamilton and Marta Vella.

Davinia Hamilton is a performer, writer and activist. She did her training at ArtsEd, and has attended training workshops with Punchdrunk, Complicité, Clean Break, and Tangled Feet. Originally from Malta, Davinia now lives and works in London. She is a recent graduate of the Faber Academy's Writing a Novel programme, under the tutelage of Nikesh Shukla.

Marta Vella is a London-based actress and theatre practitioner originally from Malta. She has collaborated extensively with TOI TOI, Malta's National Theatre's educational program, and co-founded her own theatre company FROLIC.

A blanket ban is a broad brushed, all encompassing ban on something.

Malta: Catholic kitsch, golden sun, deep blue sea, Eurovision – and a blanket ban on abortion.

Propelled by three years of interviews with anonymous contributors and their own lived experience, actors and activists Marta and Davinia interrogate Malta’s restrictions on the freedom of women.

What does it mean for your country to implement trailblazing social justice laws, but have some of the world’s strictest abortion laws?

A rallying cry from award-winning Chalk Line Theatre.

The creatives are: Chantelle Micallef Grimaud understudy. Set and Costume design by Isabella Van Braeckel. Stephanie Dale is the dramaturg. Holly Ellis lighting designer. Ton Fitch video designer. Sophie Vera McLean stage manager. Natalia Knowlton marketing officer. Mobius PR press officer.

Following a sold-out Edinburgh Festival Fringe run, as winners of the Underbelly and New Diorama Untapped Award, hit show Blanket Ban transfers to Southwark Playhouse.

April 25-May 20, 2023 at the Southwark Playhouse in London.

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS adapted from Agatha Christie’s masterpiece by two-time Tony-nominated playwright Ken Ludwig.

Directed by Casey Hushion.

With a train full of suspects and an alibi for each one, it’s the perfect mystery for detective Hercule Poirot, n’est-ce pas? Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is a funny, fast-paced thrill ride.

Starring Leanne Antonio as Mary Debenham - Gisela Chipe as Countess Andrenyi - Anthony Cochrane as Hercule Poirot - Donna English as Princess Dragomiroff - Stephanie Gibson as Greta Ohlsson - Alex Mandell as Hector MacQueen - Graham Stevens as Michel/Headwaiter - Mark Jude Sullivan as Col. Arbuthnot/Samuel Ratchett - Evan Zes as Monsieur Bouc - Karen Ziemba as Helen Hubbard with Emily Harvey, Kelsey Rainwater, Alex Syirk and Price Waldman.

Q&A with the cast takes place May 6, 2023 after the 1:30 PM matinee performance.

Performances through May 14 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ.

E-Book

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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

AHMAD JAMAL a jazz master of the piano who influenced the works of others died April 16, 2023 at his home in Ashley Falls, Mass from complications from cancer. He was 92.

For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz as a pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator.

he is frequently credited with having a great influence on Miles Davis.

Clint Eastwood featured two recordings from Jamal's But Not For Me album — Music, Music, Music and Poinciana — in the 1995 movie The Bridges of Madison County.

In his 80s, Jamal continued to make numerous tours and recordings, including albums such as Saturday Morning (2013), the CD/DVD release Ahmad Jamal Featuring Yusef Lateef Live at L'Olympia (2014), and Marseille (2017), which features vocals in French.

Jamal was the main mentor of jazz piano virtuosa Hiromi Uehara, known as Hiromi.

A few of his awards include: 1994 he received the : American Jazz Masters award, National Endowment for the Arts. In 2003 he was inducted into the American Jazz Hall of Fame, New Jersey Jazz Society. In 2007 he was named a Living Jazz Legend, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. That same year he received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government. In 2015 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music, The New England Conservatory. In 2017 he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, The Recording Academy.

TODD HAIMES astute businessman and a lover of the performing arts, who single-handedly transformed Broadway, died April 19, 2023 from complications of osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer he suffered from since 2002. He was 66.

Known and respected as the driving force in transforming Roundabout from a 150-seat Off-Broadway company into one of the largest not-for-profit theatres in the United States, he led the company for the last 39 years.

According to his official obit; "initially the managing director, to stave off bankruptcy, Haimes took out loans in his own name to keep the company afloat fighting the board of directors who voted to shut down the venue. He fought back, and, at 26, was able to convince a board member to donate enough money to buy him the time to implement sweeping expenditure cuts, marketing improvements, and staff changes. Among his wide-reaching changes was an adjustment to curtain times to entice earlier theatre goers, discounts for children, and special events for different audience demographics. Remarkably, he turned the company around, growing it into one of the most powerful forces in the American theatre."

In 1989, Haimes became the producing director of Roundabout, rising to chief executive in 2015. Currently, two new plays - Pictures From Home and Fat Ham - are mounted at Roundabout-owned theatres for their Broadway debuts, as well as the Broadway transfer of the Olivier-winning & Juliet. Under Haimes' expertise, Roundabout has grown to encompass three Broadway theatres: Studio 54, the American Airlines, and the Stephen Sondheim; and Off-Broadway's Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre.

In total, he was involved in 141 Broadway productions, in addition to his countless contributions to the Off-Broadway theatre ecosystem. Roundabout is responsible for one of the most expansive theatre education program in the country, which reaches more than 4,000 students annually, alongside extensive technical training programs to help underprivileged students find careers in the backstage aspects of theatre. During the COVID-19 shutdown, Roundabout created remote learning programs for the NYC Department of Education, ensuring that arts education would continue throughout New York City. During Haimes' tenure, Roundabout won 34 Tony, 58 Drama Desk, 73 Outer Critics Circle, 21 Lucille Lortel, and 14 Obie Awards. In 2013, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lucille Lortel Awards, and in 2021 he received a portrait at Sardi's Restaurant, an honor which he particularly valued.

Haimes was the former President of the Board of The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, and a member of the Tony Awards Administration Committee and the Broadway League Executive Committee. He has taught Theatre Administration in the graduate program at the Yale School of Drama and the Graduate Theatre Administration program at Brooklyn College. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the Yale School of Organization and Management.

He is survived by his wife Jeanne-Marie; his children, Hilary and Andrew; his step-children, Julia and Kiki; his grandchildren, Corey, Josephine, Aiden, and Alexander; and the countless performers and audience members whose lives he impacted.

BEN LIPITZ known for playing Pumbaa in The Lion King for more than 6,000 performances, died April 19, 2023. He was 58.

Lipitz frequently starring in regional theatres including Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre, where he starred in The Producers; Art, andLaughter on the 23rd Floor.

Regional stage credits also include musicals such as Just So; Red Hot and Blue; and plays such as God of Carnage and Death Of A Salesman.

Called "a notable interpreter of Shakespeare's works," Lipitz performed in Richard III; Twelfth Night; Two Gentlemen of Verona; Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night's Dream at various times for the Public Theatre of Fort Lauderdale, Essex Theatre, the Florida Shakespeare Festival, and New York's Shakespeare Project.

For over a decade he was associated with The Lion King playing the warthog Pumbaa for more than 6,000 performances. He held the role both on Broadway and multiple national tours, and was one of the longest-tenured performers in the history of the musical.

The April 19 performances of The Lion King on Broadway and its national tour in Ohio was dedicated to him with the following statement from Disney Theatricals.

"Tonight, we celebrate the life of our dear friend and colleague Ben Lipitz. Ben was part of The Lion King for over 20 years, performing as Pumbaa for over 6,000 performances on Broadway and across the country. Ben is forever a part of our family.

"In addition to his time with The Lion King, Ben produced over 100 concerts for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Entertainment Community Fund, and The Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey. Over his many years on tour, Ben raised an astounding $3,425,139.22 for Broadway Cares. Ben's legacy of centering the needs of others is immeasurable.

"Ben is survived by his wife Rosalie, his son Matthew, and his daughter Mikaela. His laughter and spirit will be deeply missed, for he was one of a kind. "Please join us in honoring Ben at this performance."

BARRY HUMPHRIES the famed Australian comedian also known as Dame Edna whose career spanned more than 60 years died in Sydney, Australia on April 22, 2023 for complications following hip surgery replacement last month following a fall in February. He was 89.

"He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit," his family said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute in a tweet, calling him "a great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind."

In 2000, Humphries, a law school dropout, won a Special Tony Award for his Broadway show Dame Edna, The Royal Tour. Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1934, Humphries created the character of lilac-coiffed, cat- eye bespectacled housewife Edna Everage in 1955 as a social satire on suburbia. The character quickly evolved into a global goddess of bling and irreverence who performed for British royalty and on Broadway stages. The character became a mega-hit in the 1970s when Humphries brought the act to London’s West End as well as appearing on television.

Before Dame Edna became a superstar, Humphries appeared in numerous West End productions including Oliver and Maggie Way in the 1960s.

Known for her catch phrases such as "Hello Possums!", Edna quickly became an international treasure.

An actor, director, and scriptwriter, Humphries also authored several books, novels, autobiographies and plays, and was a avid landscape painter.

Humphries toured the UK in 2022, then aged 88, recounting his life stories and inspirations in a one man show called The Man Behind the Mask.

In 1982, Humphries was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (OA) for services to theatre and in 2007 the Queen made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contribution to the arts.

Humphries is survived by his wife, Lizzie Spender and four children.

Next Column: April 30, 2023
Copyright: April 23, 2023 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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