Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: August 23, 2020
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

CIRQUE ACQUISITION OFFERS HANGING BY THEIR THUMBS PERFORMERS A NEW LIFELINE

When the safety net is removed from circus performers and the support lines look frayed, nerves also unravel.

For Olympic performers, there are limited job opportunities and many athletics don't have a fall back on career. Going to work for Cirque du Soleil was the natural transition for those who have been excelling at acrobatics since childhood.

Cirque du Soleil was a global phenomenon which started as 20 street performers and turned into a global conglomerate until the Covid-19 virus first put it on life support before the plug was pulled. At one point there were 44 shows being staged around the world.

Then the virus hit and cancellations spread from one show to the next.

Bankruptcy was the next step, followed by acquisition.

Mergers and acquisition is a tricky business. Generally people at the top leave and the new owners bring in their own heads.

Las Vegas, which accounted for some 35% of Cirque’s revenue and was the company’s most important market, until the pesky virus took Cirque to the morgue. On March 14, MGM Entertainment in Las Vegas called Cirque CEO Daniel Lamarre to tell him the death knell news that all of the city’s casinos and other tourist destinations would be shut down.

At that time, Cirque had been running 44 shows worldwide. The first Cirque to shutter was in China. Las Vegas Cirque productions getting the curtain dropped were the corporation's cash cows - accounting for 50-60 percent of the company’s profits. For the first time in 35 years, Cirque shows went dark. In Sin City, shuttered Cirque shows were: O at the Bellagio, Ka at the MGM Grand, Love (The Beatles) at The Mirage, Zumanity at New York-New York, Mystere at Treasure Island and Michael Jackson One at Mandalay Bay.

Thousand of Cirque performs were out of work. Some stayed optimistic, and kept fit - a requirement for performers. They even practiced in Lake Mead.

It didn't matter if the performers' acrobatics were on land or in the air - the shutdown was devastating. 95% of the company’s employees, who are not represented by a union, were laid off.

Cirque went from generating a estimated $950 million in 2019 to zero revenue.

In a recent credit assessment, analysts at Moody’s downgraded Cirque’s credit rating to junk territory, citing its “excessively high leverage” and limited investment capacity for 2020.

“Weak liquidity, soft show demand and challenging economic conditions will further pressure Cirque du Soleil’s operating flexibility and capacity for growth capital investments once shows resume,” the analysts wrote. S&P Global Ratings offered a similarly dire outlook, downgrading Cirque to its lowest rating and citing “missed principal and interest payments.”

In June Cirque du Soleil filed for bankruptcy protection and cut 3,500 jobs.

All of that read like a love note to The Catalyst Capital Group Inc. a leading Canadian private equity investment firm founded in June 2002. Catalyst specializes in control and/or influence investments in distressed and undervalued Canadian situations.

Newton Glassman is the founder and managing partner of Catalyst Capital Group, the second largest private equity firm in Canada. He was also the CEO of Callidus Capital Corp., an alternative lending company.

The firm touts: "We Buy What We Can Build. We Invest With Honesty and Transparency. We provide companies with the strategic tools and operational resources needed to navigate economic and industry challenges. Our goal is to create value for our investors and position companies for successful turnarounds and renewed growth – benefiting the communities of stakeholders that rely on them.

"Our team collectively possesses more than 110 years of relevant experience in restructuring, credit markets and merchant and investment banking in both the U.S. and Canada."

In August it was announced that Cirque du Soleil creditors won control of the company. Under the proposal, first-lien creditors, owed more than US$900 million as of March 31, wind up with virtually all of the equity.

The bid by the creditors’ group, which represents holders of about US$760 million in Cirque debt and includes Toronto-based Catalyst Capital Group Inc., must still receive the approval of a Canadian court. Lenders are planning to inject US$375 million of new capital into the Montreal-based company to restart its shows. Because of Covid-19 no timeline for reopening has been projected.

Cirque shareholders including TPG, China’s Fosun International Ltd. and Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec will see their investment wiped out under the creditors’ plan. TPG bought a majority stake in 2015.

Caisse de Depot, Quebec’s largest pension fund, spent US$75 million in February to double its stake in the entertainment company to 20 per cent — an investment it was forced to write off in June when the company filed for bankruptcy protection.

The lenders have also agreed to keep Cirque’s international headquarters in Montreal for at least five years. They committed to setting up a US$15-million fund to pay laid-off employees and another US$5 million for contractors, according to the bid document. There is no government money in the proposal.

In this venture the powerhouse Capital Catalyst Group is joined by prominent investor CBAM Partners, which is part of the Eldridge Industries empire founded by CEO Todd Boehly, who also owns 20 percent of the L.A. Dodgers and a piece of the L.A. Sparks WNBA franchise.

Other investors included such asset managers as BlueMountain Capital Management of New York; First Eagle Credit (formerly THL Credit) out of Boston; Shenkman Capital Management Inc. of New York; Providence Equity Partners of Rhode Island; and Fidelity Investments Inc.

"The Catalyst team has extensive knowledge of and experience in navigating the Canadian capital markets and integrating Canadian restructurings, when necessary, with U.S. and other jurisdictions’ capital market restructuring, regulatory, and political processes. This experience combined with significant on-the-ground presence has resulted in Catalyst being one of the preeminent investors in distressed and undervalued situations globally. Catalyst believes its job is to manufacture risk-adjusted returns and, as a result, its Guiding Principles are an integral part of its culture. Catalyst has raised five funds (and two parallel funds) with over US $4.3 billion in capital commitments from prominent university endowments, charitable foundations, pension plans, family offices and financial institutions."

Cirque performers don't know a lot about mergers and acquisitions. Most of them know that a roll-up is an acrobatic phrase and don't realize it is also a financial term. They don't care. They want want to get back rolling up, saltoing, onoding, twisting around and arabesquing. While in gym talk a stuck landing is a perfect landing, without any steps, stumbles or errors; for these out of work performers, they have landed out of bounds.

They look to Capital Catalyst to throw them a rope.

E-Book

Soft back Book

Broadway To Vegas is supported through advertising and donations. Priority consideration is given to interview suggestions, news, press releases, etc from paid supporters. However, no paid supporters control, alter, edit, or in any way manipulate the content of this site. Your donation is appreciated. We accept PAYPAL.

Thank you for your interest.

E-Book

Soft back Book

This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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

ART AND ABOUT

JUSTICE AND POLICE MUSEUM

Looking like a pose from a society girl, it's actually the mug shot of Eileen May Burt, taken January 31, 1924. at the Central Police Station, Sydney, Australia. Criminals were frequently photographed by chairs in order to give the viewer a perspective of the criminal's height.

in Sydney, Australia takes visitors into dark side of Sydney’s past with a visit to the Water Police station and courts that once made up one of the city’s busiest legal hubs. Crooks and cops, thugs and judges, locals and drifters, the guilty and the innocent have all left their stories here.

With its 1890s holding cells, offices, charge room and courts, the museum draws you into a world of crime, punishment and policing, from bushrangers, sly grog and razor gangs to forensics. A vast archive of crime scene photography and mug shots reveal more than a century of underworld Sydney.

The remarkable New South Wales Police Forensic Photography Archive is made up of approximately 130,000 negatives in both glass-plate and cellulose film formats, taken between 1910 and 1964.

These negatives are both a record of how New South Wales Police used photography and a reflection of how photographic technology changed during these decades.

The images in the archive document, in all their gritty and at times confronting detail, Sydney, Australia’s ‘Sin City’ – its people, their misfortunes and their crimes. Sydney Living Museums now shares images from this collection through exhibitions, books and online stories.

E-Book

Soft back Book

SPREADING THE WORD

THE TONY AWARDS postponed from their previously scheduled June 7th event will now go virtual this fall according to a release by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, co-presenters of the annual event.

“Though unprecedented events cut the 2019–2020 Broadway season short, it was a year full of extraordinary work that deserves to be recognized,” Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin and American Theatre Wing President Heather Hitchens shared in a joint statement. “We are thrilled not only to have found a way to properly celebrate our artists’ incredible achievements this season, but also to be able to uplift the entire theatre community and show the world what makes our Broadway family so special at this difficult time. The show must go on, no matter what—and it will.”

No date nor eligibility requirements were disclosed.

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE A MUSICAL ROMANCE based on the mega-hit Tom Hanks / Meg Ryan movie Sleepless in Seattle, which was inspired by the favorite romantic movie of women of a certain age - An Affair to Remember is a new musical with a book by Michael Burdette and music and lyrics by new British writers Robert Scott and Brendan Cull and will feature a 12-piece jazz orchestra.

The musical stars Jay McGuiness and Kimberley Walsh as Sam and Annie.

The musical tells the heart-warming tale of Sam, who moves to Seattle with his eight year-old son, Jonah, following the tragic death of his wife. When Jonah phones a radio show, Sam is forced to talk about his broken heart and sleepless nights live on air, and he suddenly finds himself one of the most sought after single men in America. Can Jonah bring the two together on the top deck of the Empire State Building on, appropriately, Valentines Day?

Sleepless is directed by Morgan Young, with set design by Morgan Large, costume design by Sue Simmerling, lighting by Ken Billington, video design by Ian William Galloway, orchestrations and arrangements by Larry Blank, musical supervision by Stuart Morley, musical direction by Chris Walker, wig and hair design by Richard Mawbey and casting by Sarah Bird CDG and Michael Donovan CSA.

Sleepless was originally due to begin performances on 24 March 2020, prior to the UK Government shutdown of theatres.

Michael Rose, producer of Sleepless said, “Lockdown has effected and frightened a huge number of people in this country – particularly in our industry. Our story in Sleepless deals with mending something that is broken – it’s about putting a family back together after a loss – and we feel it’s time to do exactly that – it’s time to start the healing process – that’s part of what we do in Theatre.”

The show will follow Covid-19 guidelines, with the venue stating that: “Our first priority is and always has been the safety and comfort of our audiences, staff and visiting companies. We are working closely with health and safety experts and strictly following all government guidelines and we look forward to welcoming audiences to the world premiere of Sleepless whenever this is allowed.”

There will be no physical contact between staff and audience members, with face masks, temperature checks and contactless ordering all a few of the measures put in place.

Sleepless in Seattle Musical begins previews August 25 at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre with performances until September 27, 2020.

BEAT THE DEVIL a world premiere written by David Hare.

Directed by Nicholas Hytner.

Performed by Ralph Fiennes.

Covid-19 seems to be a sort of dirty bomb, thrown into the body to cause havoc.

On the same day that the UK government finally made the first of two decisive interventions that led to a conspicuously late lockdown, David Hare contracted Covid-19. Nobody seemed to know much about it then, and many doctors are not altogether sure they know much more today. Suffering a pageant of apparently random symptoms, Hare recalls the delirium of his illness, which mixed with fear, dream, honest medicine and dishonest politics to create a monologue of furious urgency and power.

August 27- October 31, 2020 at the Bridge Theatre in London.

Thus is part of a repertoire of twelve one-person plays during September and October, using the Bridge’s flexible auditorium to provide 250 socially distanced seats.

GREAT THINKERS: COLIN JOST AND SETH MEYERS ON COMEDY WRITING produced by 92Y in New York City, takes place Tuesday, August 25, 2020.

SNL co-head writer, “Weekend Update” co-anchor and New York Times bestseller Colin Jost and Emmy Award-winning writer and host of NBC’s Late Night Seth Meyers have a genius for writing across an array of platforms.

They join in to talk about being funny in a room without laughter as they broadcast from their homes during the pandemic, Jost’s new book, A Very Punchable Face (including, with luck, his story of falling asleep in a Helsinki cemetery), and their respective Emmy-nominated shows. Don’t miss the chance to hear from these comedy icons who keep us laughing amidst global chaos.

MAX WEINBERG 69, Bruce Springsteen’s long-time drummer who has served as bandleader for Conan O’Brien’s Late Night and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien has been appointed to a two-year term on the Delray, Florida Planning and Zoning Board.

He told The Palm Beach Post he is looking forward to “serving the city.”

He pledged to thoroughly review plans that come before the board.

“You owe that to the community,” Weinberg said. “I want to see Delray Beach developed in a way that takes into consideration all of the different viewpoints. You need to look at these plans from every angle.”

Real estate investment turned into a profitable hobby for the musician who is a noted home flipper. He has bought or built nearly 40 houses over the years, a familiar figure before planning and zoning boards throughout the country.

In April 2008, the Wall Street Journal reported in a feature article that Weinberg is “real estate obsessive.” He spends hours leafing through property records at town halls, and throws around names of architects the way most people throw around names of rock stars, the Journal reported.

“In those days, nothing was on line. You had to go to City Hall to do your research,” Weinberg said. Sometimes, he said he has encountered planning and zoning board members that were not as “thorough or as prepared” as they should have been.

In seeking the appointment, he said in his application: “I’d like to serve the community with an eye to the future growth and livability of the city. I am a long range thinker, a necessary requirement of the position. As a property owner and as an individual with a vested interest in the future growth of the city, I have followed with interest the desires of the various constituencies that comprise the city. All need to be heard and have their applications reasonably and thoroughly evaluated.”

He has been involved in a number of real estate deals in Palm Beach County. He and his wife, Becky, sold a five-bedroom, Mediterranean-style house in Palm Beach for $6.79 million in April 2018. And in 2017, he purchased a British Colonial in Delray Beach, where they currently resides, for $4 million. Weinberg said it is on the market as he wants to downsize but he will continue to reside in Delray Beach. The six-bedroom, 5 ½ bath house on Seaspray Avenue is listed for $5.2 million.

Weinberg has been a mainstay of Springsteen’s concert performances. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band.

Asked if he had any political aspirations he told The Palm Beach Daily News “You never say no. I drive around town and I see issues that need to be addressed. So who knows?”

THE BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL'S original cast of Fountain’s 2010, award-winning production by Ifa Bayeza reunites on Friday, August 28, for an online reading on 65th anniversary of Till’s murder.

The reading will take place at 4.p.m. PT. / 7 p.m. ET and be available for viewing at www.fountaintheatre.com/fountain-digital/the-ballad-of-emmett-till-2020. Tickets are $20.00. In August, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi when he was accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman who was a cashier at a grocery store. Four days later, Bryant's husband Roy and his half-brother J.W. Milam kidnapped Till, beat him and shot him in the head. The men were tried for murder, but an all-white, male jury acquitted them. Till's murder and open casket funeral galvanized the emerging Civil Rights movement. Bryant recanted her story in 2017, admitting that the court testimony she gave more than six decades prior was false and stating “Nothing that boy did could ever justify what happened to him.”

“As America is now being challenged to face its racist history, I can think of no project more worthy,” says Fountain artistic director Stephen Sachs. “In addition to being the 65th anniversary of the murder, August 28 also marks the 57th Anniversary of the historic March on Washington in 1963, and a 2020 march on Washington is being planned this year, on that date, as well.”

Part history, part mystery and part ghost story, Bayeza's lyrical integration of past, present, fact and legend turns Emmett’s story into a soaring work of music, poetic language and riveting theatricality. T Bernard K. Addison, Rico E. Anderson, Lorenz Arnell, Adenrele Ojo and Karen Malina White will reprise their roles for the online reading, with Shirley Jo Finney again at the helm.

THE JAMES BEARD AWARDS the most prestigious wars in food won’t announce 2020 chef and restaurant winners in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating impact on the industry. The recipients of the annual awards for outstanding achievement in 23 categories — often referred to as “the Oscars of the culinary world” — were scheduled to be announced via Twitter in a live virtual ceremony from Chicago on September 25.

Instead, the 2020 ceremony will now celebrate previously announced honorees in the categories of America’s Classics, Lifetime Achievement, Humanitarian of the Year, Design Icon, and Leadership Awards.

“The uncertainty of this time for our industry is already a hard reality and considering anyone to have won or lost within the current tumultuous hospitality ecosystem does not in fact feel like the right thing to do. In short, an honor which we know is held in high regard, at the moment, feels minor when compared to the dire situation we are in,” said James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach, via the statement.

The foundation also announced it is working with an outside social justice agency to remove bias in its policies and procedures and increase the diversity of its candidate pool - described as “a comprehensive internal and external review to address any bias and align the awards with the foundation’s mission of promoting sustainability, equity, and diversity in the restaurant industry.” This will include a re-examination of the awards process, “to ensure a more fair and equitable process and to better reflect the industry which we serve.” “We hope to focus our collective energy on helping our community get through this crisis and on addressing the inequities in the industry going forward,” Reichenbach said.

ARTS ACROSS AMERICA during the coming weeks, will feature over 200 diverse, visionary artists who play leadership roles in their communities, exemplify unique regional artistic styles, and are using their medium as a tool for advocacy and social justice.

In collaboration with arts organizations from coast to coast, the series will present 20 weeks of free, online programming available on Facebook Live, YouTube, and on the Kennedy Center website, five days a week at 4 p.m. ET.

POLITICAL AND PATRIOTIC VERMONT SONGS take center-stage on August 30, from 3:30 to 4:30 PM on the Vergennes Green in Ferrisburgh, Vermont.

From the 1798 The Green Mountain Farmer, to the 1923 campaign song, Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge, singer Linda Radtke, accompanied by pianist Ernest Drown, will sing and talk about Vermont songs from the sheet music collection at the Vermont History Center.

Honoring Rokeby Museum's history as a center for abolition work, Linda will also present some Vermont songs from the Civil War era, as well as a special set marking the centennial of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

Admission is free. Please wear a mask and honor social distancing recommendations. Rokeby will host lawn games at 3:00 PM. Come early for croquet and badminton.

IN THE COURTS . . . .

JESSE LEE SANTOS

Jesse Lee Santos

a Las Vegas dance instructor who has worked with Britney Spears, Madonna and other stars has been arrested in North Las Vegas as a suspected serial sexual predator.

On August 19, Santos, 45, was accused of a variety of sex crimes by the North Las Vegas Police Department including "sexual assault, lewdness with a minor, sexual conduct between a school employee and a student, child abuse and intentional transmission of HIV.”

Police believe there could be other alleged victims in Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, Georgia and California and ask anyone who has been in contract with Santos to contact the nearest police department.

Santos is the owner of JLS Entertainment which operates in Las Vegas. The website Millennium Dance Company, Los Angeles lists him as a member of the Master Class Faculty and posts his resume as:

"Since the beginning of my dance career in 1999, I was able to tour throughout the world with pop icon, Britney Spears, Mandy Moore, Pink, and Jessica Simpson. I have been also seen performing on the multiple Grammy Music Awards shows with Madonna & Alicia Keys, The Soul Train Awards with Blaque & Usher, Peoples Choice Awards with Queen Latifa and ‘MTV Video Music Awards with Christina Aguilara, MTV’s Janet Jackson Icon Show, ‘Divas Live” with the Pussycat Dolls, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Donnie and Marie, The View, David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Pop Stars with Eden’s Crush, The Joey Show staring Joey Tribbiani, HBO Live from Vegas with Britney, as well as national commercials like Pepsi, Sony, Bud Light, Target, and Visa with renown choreographers such as Travis Payne and Mia Michaels. I have done over 25 music videos which include Wild Wild West with Will Smith, Crazy with Britney Spears, Most Girls with P!NK, Irresistible and A Lil’ Bit with Jessica Simpson, Slave 4 U and Overprotected with Britney Spears, Pass the Dutch with Missy Elliott, and Hands up with TLC …

"I also branched out to the big screen and can be seen in Austin Powers 3 with Mike Meyers, The Hot Chic with Rob Schneider, Honey with Jessica Alba, and Malibu’s Most Wanted with Jamie Kennedy.

"In the world of choreography, I have choreographing for such artists like Jessica Simpson, Pink, and also tackled motion picture industry with such films like Being a Girl with Sony Pictures staring JD Pardo.

"In Reality TV I was an Assoc. Choreographer of America’s Best Dance Crew and then on the road as the Supervising Choreographer of the ABDC LIVE The Tour along with being the manager for ABDC Champions Super Cr3w and Blueprint Cru, and then part of the administrative family for the MUS.I.C and PRISM show with the Jabbawockeez while leading the production choreography realm for Paul Mitchell systems."

Again - Police believe there could be other alleged victims in Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, Georgia and California and ask anyone who has been in contract with Santos to contact the nearest police department.

GABRIEL ALSINA 37, a former drama teacher at Vista PEAK Preparatory School in Aurora, Colorado has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for repeatedly sexually assaulting a student over a two-year period.

When he is released from jail, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said l Alsina will spend five years in a sex offender intensive supervised probation program. He also must surrender his teaching license, and register as a sex offender.

The victim and her parents addressed the judge during Alsina’s August 10 hearing, alleging that he “posed as a concerned teacher who wanted to help” when in reality “he played on her weakness, and he is a pedophile,” the girl’s mother is quoted as saying in a news release.

“I was sexually abused by a teacher who wheedled his way into my heart,” the victim told the court. “His hands were constantly touching me in ways no adult should be touching a child. A teacher meant to protect me was the one hurting me.”

“I silenced myself for a predator … Now I want justice for the little girl he hurt.”

During the sentencing, the DA’s office said the judge praised the victim for coming forward.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

More doctor jokes:

A man speaks frantically into the phone, “My wife is pregnant, and her contractions are only two minutes apart!”
“Is this her first child?” the doctor asks.
“No, you idiot!” the man shouts. “This is her husband!”

Why did the Dalmatian go to the eye doctor?
Because he kept seeing spots.

Patient: Doctor, what should I do if my temperature goes up a point or more?
Doctor: Sell!

Patient: Doctor, I think I swallowed a pillow.
Doctor: How do you feel?
Patient: A little down in the mouth.

A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear, and a banana in his right ear.
“What’s the matter with me?” he asks the doctor.
The doctor replies, “You’re not eating properly.”

“The doctor said he would have me on my feet in two weeks.”
“And did he?”
“Yes, I had to sell the car to pay the bill.”

What did the doctor say to the rocket ship?
Time to get your booster shot!

Patient: I always see spots before my eyes.
Doctor: Didn’t the new glasses help?
Patient: Sure, now I see the spots much clearer.

Doctor: You are very sick.
Patient: Can I get a second opinion?
Doctor: Yes, of course! You are very ugly too.

Who do you call when you need a doctor immediately?
The nearest golf course.

How many doctors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
One to find a bulb specialist, one to find a bulb installation specialist, and one to bill it all to Medicare.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

US THEME PARKS LOSE $18 BILLION cut 125,000 jobs amid pandemic, according to new data released by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

That’s a 40% reduction from the $44 billion that the 360 U.S. theme parks contributed to the economy in 2019, according to IAAPA. Job loss accounts for a 40% reduction in the industry’s 312,000 jobs in 2019. U.S. theme parks that have reopened have been forced to reduce hours, cut weekly operating days, trim positions and make layoffs, according to IAAPA. A survey of IAAPA members in April found that 59% of their employees had been terminated or furloughed without pay.

E-Book

Soft back Book

E-Book

Soft back Book

This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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






BARD COLLEGE held its one hundred sixtieth commencement on Saturday, August 22, 2020. In the virtual The program, which took place in the commencement tent on the Seth Goldfine Memorial Rugby Field.

Musician David Byrne delivered the commencement address. Honorary doctoral degrees were awarded to:

David Byrne, Multimedia Artist Laurie Anderson, Physicist Steven Chu, Composer Gao Xiaosong, Curator Thelma Golden, Brooklyn Public Library President Linda Johnson, Educational Historian Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, and Biophysicist George Rose.

FINAL OVATION

HOWARD BINKLEY a two time Tony award winner died August 14, 2020. He was 64.

The professional lighting designer took home the Tony award for Hamilton and Jersey Boys.

Binkley made his Broadway debut as designer for Kiss of a Spider-Woman in 1993, which earned him his first ever Tony nomination. From this success he went on to design and light a plethora of major Broadway shows. In total, he designed 52 shows for Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award nine times. Over the course of his work in Broadway, he became a frequent collaborator with Hal Prince and director Des McAnuff.

Binkley enjoyed using saturated color, accompanied by white or slightly cool highlights. He frequently used smoke or haze to draw attention to his use of angle. His designs are partly based upon Craig Miller and Tom Skelton's use of cross focusing to make diamond effects.

MEL R. CHASE died July 15, 2020 in Los Angeles. He was 85.

The comedy writer who was credited with the 1976-78 Dean Martin Roasts and in 1971 for Steve Allen. He also provided material for many Hollywood notables including Johnny Carson, Dinah Shore, Pat Buttram, and was a regular contributor to late night television.

RHONDA HALL considered the "go to person" for props in the Nebraska/Iowa theater community died of natural causes on Sunday, August 16, 2020 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She was 68.

It was while she studied for her BA in Communications at St Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Iowa that she fell in love with the theatre. For decades her evenings and weekends were spent building props and creating costumes. In her 40+ years in the Omaha community, she worked with numerous theatres.

She served as President of Opera Omaha Craftsman’s Guild and was awarded lifetime achievement awards from Opera Omaha and the Theatre Arts Guild.

She was headquartered at the Chanticleer Community Theater. Founded in 1952 the theater serves the greater Council Bluffs Community through the performing arts.

Next Column: August 30, 2020
Copyright: August 23, 2020 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.
Link to Main Page

---