Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: August 14, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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THE CASE OF A TALE TOLD BY AN IDIOT IS SMART AND FUNNY

The Case of A Tale Told By An Idiot by Bruce Kane combines detective noir with Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Officially - the production "might contain some familiar plot points for Macbeth fans… When the King of Scotland gets his ticket punched it’s up to tough talking fictional detective Justin Thyme to find out who his travel agent was. Hard boiled with a side of irony, Thyme finds himself navigating a thicket of witchcraft, greed, ambition, envy and murder that includes three rapping old crones, a "Thane of Cawdor" with a penchant for Cole Porter and a sexy former flame by the name of Lady Macbeth. Dashiell Hammet meets William Shakespeare in this send up of both that will have you rolling in the aisles and The Bard rolling over in his grave."

Catriona Ryan directs Oliver Ford, Tegwen Tucker, Mike Garnell, Matt Prendergast, Ceri Gifford, Tom Wateracre and Catriona Ryan.

Well written and clever. Excellent sound, A-Capella singing is harmonious and on key.

Set in Scotland, all of the accents are easily understood -be it Cockney, Scottish or any other.

Our detective is assisted by a "well put together secretary with limited typing skills - a blonde with long legs and short memories."

When seven stab wounds are located in the victim's back, suicide was ruled out. Our detective needs to find out - who done it? The guy in a kilt who modestly crossed his legs at the ankles, sits in the gumshoe's office. Our snoop works for the FBI - the Fictional Bureau of Investigation.

With a short riff on Barry Manilow's Copacabana. and a comparison to the NY Yankee's pitching staff, a key figure is Nola "who couldn't draw a straight line with a ruler." Is she involved in a murder? Mail fraud and loansharking - sure, but murder?

Our detective acknowledges that when questioning a suspect - numerous sexual encounters mean that "it's hard to understand a guy who has a tongue in his mouth - and it isn't his."

Looking for evidence our gumshoe rationalizes that - it is permissible to fool around with an accessory to murder if that produces additional evidence.

He slips out of his bed and into his pants.

Of course he solves the case.

Fast paced, entertaining, quirky and unique.

Produced by the Wireless Theatre Company. Edited by Ross Burman.

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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

ARTHOUSE.NYC PRESENTS THE HERO ART PROJECT

DR. DWIGHT INOUYE Gunnison Hospital, Gunnison. Utah Artist: Turkish-American artist Dr. Gursel Akcay. For 40 years Inouye served the Central Utah community, focusing on patients in rural areas. ARTIST: Turkish-American artist Dr. Gursel Akcay who lives in Connecticut with his husband and two dogs.

portraits to honor healthcare heroes from around the world who have lost their lives while fighting COVID-19 while selflessly saving the lives of thousands of their fellow citizens. The Hero Art Project pairs members of Arthouse, NYC’s artistic community with family members of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers lost to COVID-19.

Their artists work with the families to have create multi-media portraits of these medical heroes to celebrate their lives, sacrifices and legacies.

Each family is able to select the artist and art style that they feel most represents the spirit of their loved one and to collaborate with the artist to capture their soul.

“We wanted to give back to the heroic communities that have been on the frontlines, hence The Hero Art Project was conceived, featuring artists from around the world,” said Susannah Perlman, Arthouse.NYC curator.

“This public tribute is especially poignant as many of the families were not allowed to have public funerals and the physical comfort of many of their loved ones during the lockdown. We have every type of healthcare worker represented in The Hero Art Project: doctors, nurses, PAs, NAs and EMTs. It is our hope that the art will convey the human lives and stories behind the statistics.” Perlman lost her own mother, a former healthcare worker to Covid in December 2021.

The Hero Art Project, portraits of healthcare heroes will be exhibiting on the National Mall in Fall 2022.

If you have a loved one who died from COVID-19 while working in a healthcare and would like to request that The Hero Art Protect create a portrait for you, contact the Hero Art Project and complete their form.

RAMSES THE GREAT AND THE GOLD OF THE PHARAOHS Discover ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaoh, Ramses the Great, in an unparalleled immersive museum experience making its West Coast debut at the de Young. Enjoy a stunning collection of more than 180 priceless artifacts, including animal mummies, opulent jewelry, and treasures that have never before left Egypt.

Transport yourself across the expansive Sahara Desert in a state-of-the-art virtual-reality experience using cinematic-motion chairs. Venture into two of Ramses’s most impressive monuments: the Abu Simbel temples and the tomb of Nefertari, Ramses’s royal wife. Museum visitors sit in cinematic motion chairs, experiencing the virtual reality add-on that's part of the exhibition "Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs."

Opening August 20 at the de Young Museum: Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA.

IMPOSSIBLE DREAMS COLLATERAL EVENT OF THE 59TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION, LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIZ takes place through November 27, 2022 at the Palazzo delle Prigioni, Venice, Italy.

The theme of this year's Taiwan Exhibition is Impossible Dreams, where "impossible" refers to something "not yet possible". It is a description of the current situation and a hope for better things, better people, and a better world in the future. It serves as a commentary on the history and prospects of the Taiwan Exhibition since its participation in the Venice Biennale. Impossible Dreams uses two axes, "Document Exhibition" and "International Forums", to guide memories and dialogue, and to create the mutual exchange of discourse and perception, thereby pointing out the limitations of the current crisis to the possibilities that are yet to come.

Document Exhibition is curated by TFAM, which presents the Taiwan Exhibition's archives and works from 1995 to 2019, and includes several works that have been exhibited in the past. The International Forums, with Filipino veteran curator Patrick Flores as the convener, is a platform for dialogue between the two, with the content of both stimulating each other as a call to memory (archive) and presence (activity or event).

THE IDAHO POTATO MUSEUM

Home to the largest collection of potato mashers in the world.

located in downtown Blackfoot, Idaho is home to the largest collection of potato mashers in the world. The museum also houses the largest potato crisp ever made by the Pringle's Company in Jackson, TN. It's a Guinness Book of World Records holder.

Objects on display range from agricultural and kitchen tools to spud-themed movie clips; the collection includes toys and games, lithographs, and musical instruments.

Called The Potato Capital of the World, the Idaho Potato Museum is housed in the historic, 5,500 square foot Oregon Short Line Railroad Depot. Construction began in October 1912 and was completed in August 15, 1913. A huge, community party was held the next day with more than 2,000 people attending to celebrate the depot’s opening.

The museum was established in 1988 by a handful of people with a big vision. They had been meeting and working toward opening a Potato Exposition when this building became available. After a lot of hard work and elbow grease, the first Idaho Potato Expo was opened here in August 1988. Union Pacific donated the building to the City of Blackfoot and the city leased the building to what was then the Idaho Potato Expo and is now the Idaho Potato Museum.

Freight trains were also an integral part of the depot’s service as is evident by the building’s many freight doors and freight platform that is still in use today as the Potato Lab area.

Exhibits and murals show how the potato made its way to North America. The route was circuitous and usually surprises museum visitors.

Although the potato made its way to Europe in the 1570s, it did not become a staple in the European diet until the late 1600s and early 1700s. Explorers introduced the potato to Africa, China, India and Russia in the 1600s. It wasn’t until 1621 that potatoes were introduced to North America.

According to Commercial Potato Production in North America, 2010 revision by editors William H. Bohl, University of Idaho and Steven B. Johnson, University of Maine, the first recorded potato planting in North America was at Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal) in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1623. The first recorded potato planting in the United States was at Londonderry, New Hampshire in 1719.

Today more than 155 countries grow potatoes. The five top producing potato growing countries are China, India, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.

Luther Burbank developed the Russet Burbank potato, a white-fleshed potato with a russet colored skin which has become the world’s predominant potato in food processing. Burbank invented the Russet Burbank to mitigate the effects of the devastating Irish Potato famine. The Russet Burbank is resistant to blight, the disease that destroyed potatoes all across Europe from 1845-1852 and was responsible for the deaths of more than a million people.

The potato is a major contributor to world food security. Before the potato was introduced, farmers planted only half of their acreages in wheat and grain and left the other half to "rest." When potatoes were introduced, farmers could keep all their land in production and rotate fields planting potatoes one year and grain the next or half their acreage in grain and the other half in potatoes and rotating the crops by field the next year. This way they were able to produce twice as much food.

Rotating crops not only protects and improves the soil; crop rotation interrupts disease and pest cycles. Grain is not a host to organisms that destroy potatoes and vice versa.

Museum exhibits show how farmers cultivated their fields and the back-breaking work of harvesting potatoes before modern farm machinery eased labor in the late 1950s. The museum has examples of some of these labor saving inventions and even a potato digger that was used in the late 1800s.

Visitors can participate in science projects taken from Potato Chip Science, a science laboratory in a bag.

Other projects include Mr. Potato Head races and computer games designed by the Idaho Potato Commission.

Tour the Outdoor Potato Farm Machinery which includes a 1940's John Deer Potato Planter and a 1950's Carl Johnson Potato harvester.

After visiting the museum, visitors want to try a delicious Idaho potato. The Potato Station Café serves them baked, fried, in salads, cupcakes, dipped in chocolate or as bread.

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SWEET CHARITY

GIBSON GIVES the purpose-driven, philanthropic arm of Gibson Guitars, is opening the Gibson Garage - -the ultimate guitar experience and Nashville’s must-see music destination - for a special event on Tuesday, August 16, 2022.

Join Alex Lifeson, the legendary guitarist from RUSH, representatives from the Local Nashville organizations Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital and Room in the Inn, as well as, Gibson’s leadership team, for a special donation event.

Attend to support music artists and programs at Children’s Hospital-Vanderbilt and Room in the Inn which offer vital services to the local Nashville community.

SPREADING THE WORD

ALAN CUMMING AND MIRIAM MARGOLYES LOST IN SCOTLAND

Alan Cumming and Mirian Margolyes. Publicity photograph by Graeme Hunter PIctures

three part series of the couple touring Scotland, visiting each other's childhood memories. It's a fascinating PBS event. Both Cumming, 56, and Margolyes, 80, were raised in Scotland. Relieving childhood memories can be exhilarating or heighten trauma - or both.

It's Alan who does the driving as Miriam confesses that her knickers (underpants to those on this side of the pond) fell off moments before her driving test.

This well constructed and what must have been an elaborate and exhausting production event has the delightful odd couple retracing their childhoods,including: returning to Allison Street where Miriam's ancestors lived in 1901 and reuniting Miriam with her co-star of 40 years ago. Along the way stops include a tartan factory (where a naughty joke about the vibrator is told), a golf course, an archery facility, a Cawdor Castle visit where Alan's relatives worked. He also bears a striking resemblance to the master of the house. A DNA test reveals whether Alan and the owner are related; making insenct repellent, sausage and haggas. demonstrating eating raw onions with cheese, meeting with a genuine witch and attending a surprisingly uplifting coven and - showing how the toilet in an RV is emptied.

The pair also let their guard down and shared some deeply personal and life altering moments. When you are betrayed by the people who should have loved you - be they parents, a marital partner or lover, or a sibling - the effect is permanent and profound. If the betrayal was done to a child by a parent, that can set the child up for making bad personal choices throughout the rest of their life. They are drawn to individuals who will also betray them. They don't know anything different. Such is the case for Alan Cumming, although he does seem to have a stable and positive relationship with his husband. His relationship with his father was traumatic. For Alan to return to the old family home was monumental. Dredging up the past picks at a scab that never healed. Alan hasn't yet reached the point where he could enter the house. He may never get to that point. I found it truly amazing that he was even able to return to the scene.

A visit to a gay bar - cleverly called Kafe Kweer in Edinburgh - resulted in Miriam confessing that after she told her parents that she had slept with a girl, they forced to her swear on Bible that she'd never do it again. Miriam said she did it but with the equivalent of fingers crossed behind her back.

Kafe Kweer is called a queer, non-alcoholic, safe space for the community in Edinburgh. "Our space is open to any that would like to use it, no matter what kind of event."

Miriam and Alan Lost In Scotland is an interesting, enjoyable series. PBS tends to repeat programming. Look for it. Watch and enjoy.

Cumming is currently starring in Burn – his dance show about Scottish poet Robert Burns. A co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland, New York City’s The Joyce Theater and Edinburgh International Festival, Burn is a new creation from the legendary Scottish actor and author Alan Cumming and the Olivier award-winning and internationally renowned choreographer Steven Hoggett featuring Robert Burns’ own words and the music of Anna Meredith.

This brand-new piece of dance-theatre challenges the ‘biscuit tin’ image of Scotland’s National Bard and goes beyond the poetry to focus on the man himself - his poverty, his personal tragedy, his struggles with mental health and his spectacular success.

A co-production between the National Theatre of Scotland, New York City’s The Joyce Theater and Edinburgh International Festival, The production will tour to Greenock, Edinburgh, Perth, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Inverness and New York.

Burn has its U.S. premiere September 20-25 at The Joyce Theater in New York City.

READY FOR A CURVE BALL? On Monday, August 15 the cast of Arena Stage's American Prophet perform - not at Arena Stage - rather, singing the National Anthem before the Cubs vs. Nationals game at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.

THE 7th ANNUAL WILLIAMS FESTIVAL ST. LOUIS takes place August 18-28.

Center stage will be a newly reimagined and sensual Fellini-esque production of William’s romantic Sicilian love story The Rose Tattoo, directed by David Kaplan and performed in the Big Top in the Grand Arts Center.

“This year we celebrate the resilience of love, passion, community, art and the human spirit” said Carrie Houk, TWStL Executive Artistic Director. “How delightful to be moving into the light of 2022 with productions embracing the magnificence of those who ventured from abroad to begin anew. Saluti and avanti!” The Rose Tattoo tells the story of love, death, and resilience in a downtrodden but hopeful 1940’s immigrant Sicilian community. Serafina delle Rose clings madly to her Italian identity, to the fanciful memory of her murdered husband, and to her free-spirited daughter. Will she find love with the banana truck driver? Are all the rose tattoos a sign?

Introducing the theme of an Italian circus, Kaplan’s take on Williams’ classic features aerialists, animals, singers and musicians. He surrounds Serafina with a dozen circus performers – including a ringmaster, a strongman, trapeze artists, and clowns – who perform the full text of the play.

“This St. Louis Rose Tattoo is performed in a circus as a circus, the better to share what Williams called his ‘limitless world of the dream,’” said Kaplan. “Live goats, accordions, impassioned acting, a play that celebrates the wisdom of desire. What's not to like?”

Other festival events will occur on the Italian Hill, a St. Louis cultural gem of a location:

—The St. Louis Neighborhood Plays, a series of Williams’ one-acts, directed by Robert Quinlan (Associate Artistic Director Illinois Shakespeare Festival). "Tennessee Williams captured the dreams and struggles of an eclectic collection of St. Louisans in several early one-act plays, to be presented "promenade-style" at the Marketplace on The Hill,” said Quinlan.

—thought-provoking Panels, hosted by TWStL scholar-in-residence Tom Mitchell, including The St. Louis Neighborhoods of Tennessee Williams, Tennessee Williams and his Significant Others and For the Love of Italy. From Mitchell: “It is surprising to see how much Tennessee Williams wrote about the neighborhoods of St. Louis where he grew up in the 1920s and 30s. His stories and plays reveal much about the city and about the playwright."

—Screenings of iconic films based on Williams’ works, to include The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (adapted from a Williams novella and featuring Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty) and Boom (adapted from The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore and featuring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton).

Other events to be held at various locations on The Hill:
Tennessee Williams Tribute: Selections from Williams’ Italian-inspired writing
Walking Tour of The St Louis Hill
Gelato Social
Bocce Ball Competition
La Dolce Vita Pool Party

Born Thomas Lanier Williams III in 1911 in Mississippi, Williams moved to St. Louis at age seven, when his father was made an executive with the International Shoe Company (where the City Museum and the Last Hotel are now located). He lived here for more than two decades, attending Washington University, working at the International Shoe Company, and producing his first plays at local theaters. He credited his sometimes-difficult experiences in St. Louis for the deeply felt poetic essence that permeates his artistry. When asked later in life when he left St. Louis, he replied, “I never really left.” Most people are familiar with the famous works that have garnered multiple Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, and Academy Awards, such as The Glass Menagerie; A Streetcar Named Desire; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly Last Summer. He also wrote hundreds of additional plays, stories, essays, and poems, many of which are only now seeing the light of day as his estate permits greater access. He is today considered by many leading authorities to be America’s greatest playwright.

DUBAI OPERA in Dubai, UAE which presents the ballet Romeo and Juliet September 9-11 says: The original title that William Shakespeare chose for Romeo and Juliet was actually The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo's love interest at the beginning of the play is not Juliet. He is in love with Rosaline. When Romeo meets Juliet at the ball, he falls in love with her instead. Romeo and Juliet is so popular that there have been more than 27 operas written that were based on the play. There have also been ballets, jazz music, musicals, movies, modern music, adaptations, a Twitter series, and paintings and other art works created that were based on Romeo and Juliet. It's believed that Shakespeare introduced some 3,000 new words to the English language in Romeo and Juliet.

MARILYN MONROE HOMES - 60 YEARS AFTER HER DEATH

Brentwood home of Marilyn Monroe. Photo: Top Ten Media

August 4th marked the 60-year anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe, who would be 96 if she were still alive. Still a sex symbol today, the blonde bombshell started as a pin-up model before branching out into cinema. Famous for her comedies, such as Some Like it Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, she was one of 20th Century Fox’s most bankable stars. She was the centerfold for the first issue of Playboy magazine and was rumored to have had an affair with President John F Kennedy. Before the troubled starlet succumbed to an overdose of barbiturates at age 36, she left her mark on many glamorous homes.

An LA native, Marilyn grew up rough and spent her childhood bouncing between orphanages and foster care and would keep up the lifestyle of frequent moves for the rest of her life. Married at sixteen, she lived with her first husband in a studio apartment in Sherman Oaks. As her star began to rise, she sought a quickie divorce in Vegas and set out on her own. After stints at the female-only Hollywood Studio club and the Beverly Hills Hilton, Marilyn and her second husband, New York Yankees-star Joe DiMaggio, moved into a sprawling Runyon Canyon mansion. Their marriage lasted just nine months.

The once-again-solo Marilyn then rented the penthouse at Granville Towers, one of the most spectacular buildings in West Hollywood. With a French Normandy style, the penthouse offers 2,032 square feet across two floors, floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping views, and gorgeous architectural elements. It was recently on the market for $2.49 million.

According to legend, Marilyn’s affair with the dashing JFK took place at the homes of his celebrity friends. One of the President’s most cherished love nests was the 6,700-square-foot Rancho Mirage party pad of superstar Bing Crosby. The palm-lined oasis boasts an oversized swimming pool, a sprawling open floor plan, Moroccan wood-entry doors, three firepits, and a bar. It was recently listed for $5 million.

Marriage to playwright Arthur Miller brought Marilyn to New York. The couple was married in a charming lake house in the French Country style, which sits across from the 16th hole of the Waccabuc Country Club golf course. Wrought iron, French doors, arched doorways, and European fireplaces impart an old-world fairy tale allure to the 4,291-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion. It was listed for $1.65 million.

The couple split their time between a Manhattan penthouse and a Connecticut estate for the five tumultuous years of their marriage. Following her third divorce, the bombshell purchased a charming Mediterranean-style home in LA’s Brentwood neighborhood for $75,000. Built in 1929, the 2,097-square-foot home with lots of green grass, flowers and citrus trees was the first home that she bought on her own. Most recently listed for $6.9 million, the home sits on over half an acre of prime Southern California real estate and sports four bedrooms, exposed roof beams, a Mexican-tiled fireplace, and a swimming pool shaded by mature trees. Four months after she bought the home, Marilyn’s body was found face down and nude on the master bed with a phone in her hand. Some say that her ghost still haunts the spectacular mansion.

WISHING A COMPLETE RECOVERY TO . . .

SALMAN RUSHDIE famed author and a symbol of freedom of expression. who sustained serious injuries after being stabbed 10e times as he prepared to give a speech at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York on Friday. He is currently on a ventilator with a damaged liver and the nerves in his arm were severed. He may lose an eye.

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JENNIFER DAVENPORT has been named Houston Grand Opera's new Chief Marketing and Experience Officer. She will head initiatives to new audiences to opera.

Jennifer joins HGO from training camp Houston Texans, where she most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer.

THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION awarded the Sofia Carson Scholarship to 19-year-old vocalist and student Valentina García during a special presentation with the artist in Miami. The Prodigy Scholarship (Sofia Carson Scholarship) — created eight years ago to support music education and the Latin music genres — holds a maximum value of $200,000 and allows García to pursue a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, starting this fall.

The Foundation also announced the recipients of its annual Gifted Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Assistance Scholarships, that will allow 43 talented students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue an education at some of the most prestigious musical institutions in the world.

The following three students will each receive the Gifted Tuition Scholarship, with a maximum value of $100,000, which will support the tuition costs of four years of study at the university or college of their choice are:

Ferran Rico, electric bassist from Spain
Juan Camilo Doria, tenor saxophonist from Colombia
Alejo Villareal, electric bassist from Argentina

Juan Camilo Doria’s gift of $100,000 was sponsored by international art collector, gallery owner and philanthropist Gary Nader, Nader Art Museum Scholarship.

Since its establishment, the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation has committed an extraordinary sum of more than $7.6 million in scholarships, grants, musical instruments, and educational events throughout the United States and Ibero-America.

LOUIS CATO who has taken over as bandleader for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. He replaces Oscar and Grammy winner Jon Batiste who is leaving after seven seasons. Batiste is set to make his film acting debut in the musical remake of The Color Purple.

JON STEWART who was instrumental in getting the PACT Act passed in Congress, attended the presidential signing. The bill provides health benefits to those exposed to toxic burn pits. Stewart received a well deserved standing ovation.



RANDY'S DANDY COASTER CASTLE written by Alexander Perez.

Directed by Rebecca Martínez.

Randy’s Dandy Coaster Castle takes its audience into the complicated and darkly comedic lives of five co-workers doing their best to hold a scrappy amusement park together. The highs and lows of working at Randy's are no joke, but this little piece of life, detailing the experience of a day job that's also killing you, "is too funny and too relatable not to break your heart and leave you laughing through the cringe." Randy's Dandy Coaster Castle explores class, capitalism, and the American dream through the colorful lens of this deeply human group of people.

Starring Adam Coy, Omar Perez. Katherine George, Susana Montoya Quinchia. and Nate Betancourt.

Presented by the Egg & Spoon Theatre Collective at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at A.R.T./New York Theatres in New York City, August 23-September 2, 2022.

THE ALMIGHTY SOMETIMES by Kendall Feaver.

Directed by Daniel Evans.

"The thing that scared her most was not hiding in the cupboard or under the bed or floating in the corners of the room like a ghost. The thing that scared her the most was inside her head." — Anna.

Anna has been on medication for so long she can't remember who she is without it. What has been lost to years of pills and prescriptions? A heartfelt family drama about loving someone with a mental illness. From the complexities of diagnosing children to the courage of raising teenagers towards independence.

What do you do when you run into your daughter's boyfriend in his undies in the middle of the night? How do you question the choices your mother made for you when you were little - choices that shaped your life but may not have been right? What is the love that holds a family together through the biggest challenges?

This production pits a daughter who wants to give up medication against the mother who wishes to keep her safe.

Starring: Will Bartolo as Oliver - Rachel Gordon as Renee - Melissa Kahraman as Anna and Luise Prosser as Vivienne.

The creatives are: Designer Simone Romaniukm lighting designer Ben Hughes, sound designer Mike Willmett. Fight and intimacy director NJ Price. State manager Erin Handford and Assistant stage manager Tia-Hanee Cleary.

Opened August 13 in the Bille Brown Theatre of the Queensland Theatre in Brisbane, Australia.

STATE FAIR music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Book by Tom Briggs and Louis Mattioli. Based on the screenplay by Oscar Hammerstein II and the Novel by Phil Strong.

Directed by Brett Smock.

Orchestrations by Bruce Pomahac Vocal Arrangements by Kay Cameron Dance Arrangement by Scot Woolley.

Choreography by Marc Kimelman.

R+H’s only musical written directly for the screen is now a Broadway musical! Set against the colorful backdrop of an American heartland tradition, State Fair travels with the Frake family as they leave behind the routine of the farm for three days of adventure at the annual Iowa State Fair. Mom and Pop have their hearts set on blue ribbons while their daughter and son find romance and heartbreak on the midway.

Featuring your favorite R+H songs and an Academy Award-winning score, plus spectacular choreography and a dollop of Americana, State Fair is a nostalgic kind of warm-hearted family entertainment only Rodgers & Hammerstein could deliver.

The cast includes: James Frances, Tommy Gedrich, Jackson Goad, Crissy Guerrero, Nigel Jamal Hall, Ian Hayes, Vivian Holton, Arjaye Johnson, Lilli Komurek, Emily Larger, Adeline Morey, Sarah Santos, Kim Sava, J. Savage, Marton Sola, Cooper Stanton, Tommy Sutter, Dan Teixeira, Brian Veith, Anne Wechskerm, Kyle Yampiro and Cullen Zeno.

August 17th-September 6th at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, NY.

THE METROMANIACS By David Ives.

Directed by Brian B. Crowe.

Adapted from Alexis Piron’s La Métromanie from the 1700’s, this outrageous and hilarious satire gives Moliere a run for his money. Ives’ superb “translapation” of Piron’s original is a delicious treat for anyone who loves to laugh.

The cast includes Brent Harris who will play the role of Francalou, Christian Frost as Damis, Billie Wyatt as Lucille, John Ahlin as Baliveau, Austin Kirk as Mondor, and Ty Lane as Dorante, DeShawn White, will play the role of Lisette.

The creatives are: Set Designer Dick Block, Costume Designer Brian Russman, and Lighting Designer Tony Galaska. The Production Stage Manager is Jackie Mariani.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey production stages a Press Opening on Saturday, August 20th at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre, located in Madison, NJ, on the campus of Drew University.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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

FINAL OVATION

DAME OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN singer, songwriter, actress, entrepreneur, and activist died August 8, 2020 at her Santa Ynez, California home. She was 73.

She had fought breast cancer for over 30 years.

She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included five number-one hits and another ten top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and two Billboard 200 number-one albums. Eleven of her singles have been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With global sales of more than 100 million records, Newton-John is one of the best-selling music artists from the second half of the 20th century to the present.

In 1978, she starred in the musical film Grease, whose soundtrack remains one of the world's best-selling albums of recorded music Newton-John's advocacy for health issues was presaged by her prior involvement with many humanitarian causes. Newton-John cancelled a 1978 concert tour of Japan to protest the slaughter of dolphins caught in tuna fishing nets. She subsequently rescheduled the tour when the Japanese government assured her that the practice was being curbed.

In 2008, she raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She led a three-week, 228 km walk along the Great Wall of China during April, joined by various celebrities and cancer survivors throughout her trek. The walk symbolized the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery.

In November 2012, Newton-John teamed with her Grease co-star John Travolta to make the charity album This Christmas, in support of The Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre and the Jett Travolta Foundation. Artists featured on the album include: Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, Chick Corea, Kenny G, Tony Bennett, Cliff Richard and the Count Basie Orchestra.

A 2013 performance contract at the Flamingo Las Vegas was postponed due to the May 2013 death of her elder sister, Rona, from a brain tumor. Newton-John resumed with 45 shows beginning in April 2014. Her Vegas stay was eventually extended beyond August 2014, and her Summer Nights engagement completed December 2016 after 175 shows in a successful three-year run.

In May 2017, it was announced that Newton-John's breast cancer had returned and metastasized to her lower back. Her back pains had initially been misdiagnosed as sciatica. Newton-John subsequently revealed this was actually her third bout with breast cancer, as she had privately battled a recurrence of the disease in 2013 in addition to her initial 1992 fight. With the 2017 recurrence the cancer had spread to her bones and progressed to stage IV.

Newton-John experienced a great deal of pain from the metastatic bone lesions and had openly spoken of using cannabis oil to ease her pain. She was an advocate for the use of medical cannabis. Her daughter Chloe owns a cannabis farm in Oregon.

The cast of Grease The Musical at London's West End Dominion Theatre have dedicated the run of the show to Dame Olivia Newton-John, who was known for playing Sandy in the 1978 film and John Travolta played Danny Zuko.

She is survived by her husband John Easterling and her daughter Chloe.

In 2019 it was anounced in the Queen's New Year honours list that Olivia was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth who honored her work in music and charity. A state memorial service will be held in her native Australia.

“I’m so pleased that Olivia Newtown-John’s family have accepted our offer of a State Memorial Service,” tweeted Victoria state Premier Dan Andrews, who called the Grease star "one in a million." "We’re working with Olivia’s family on the details, but it will be more of a concert than a funeral – fitting for a Victorian who lived such a rich and generous life," he said.

RYAN FELLOWS professional stuntman was killed in Las Vegas on August 8, 2022. He was 41.

A star of Street Outlaws: Fastest in America Fellows was fatally injured in a car accident during filming for the popular show. Ryan was racing another driver in what was the 8th out of 9 races scheduled for the night for the show. Driving a gold Nissan 240z, he somehow lost control near the finish line. Ryan’s vehicle rolled and caught fire. Onlookers were unable to get him out.

Reportedly the production failed to obtain the required Nevada filming permit.

He is survived by his wife Liz, and two children, Josiah and Olivia.

ANNE HECHE Emmy award winning and Tony nominated actress was taken off life support on August 12, 2022, succumbing to injuries she suffered in a one car auto accident a week earlier. She was 53.

She came to recognition portraying twins Vicky Hudson and Marley Love on the soap opera Another World, for which she received an Emmy Award.

She appeared in a long list of movies and television shows.

In 2002 Heche made her Broadway debut in a production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Proof, acting as a young woman who has inherited her father's mathematical genius and mental illness.

Heche suffered from her own mental health problems. She stated she was "insane" for the first 31 years of her life, and that this was triggered by being sexually abused by her father during her infancy and childhood. In a series of nationally televised interviews to promote her book Call Me Crazy in 2001, Heche stated that she created a fantasy world called the "Fourth Dimension" to make herself feel safe, and had an alter ego who was the daughter of God and half-sister of Jesus Christ named "Celestia", who had contacts with extraterrestrial life forms.

She is survived by two sons.

Next Column: August 24, 2022
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Laura Deni

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