Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: August 25, 2024
By: Laura Deni
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NOSY NEIGHBORS CREATE HAVOC IN 1101 WELLINGTON WAY BY DRAMATISTS GUILD MEMBER VIVIAN LERMOND

Vivian Lermond has been a member of the Dramatists Guild since 1998. Her focus is on the genres of short, one-act, and ten minute plays. As an adjunct faculty member she has taught play-writing at Columbus State Community College in Ohio. She works with the Gallagher Literary, an LA talent management company, where she evaluated pitches and screenplay submissions. She currently freelances for afilmwriter.com, where she is a script analysis specialist for stage plays.

Her play 1101 Wellington Way is a tightly written, well structured play which quickly offers insight into the personalities of each waring neighbor.

Convincing acting by by Glen Dickson, Karen Fraser and Titch McClean with music by Titch McClean. Presented by Wireless Theatre Company.

They live at 1101 Wellington. Three misfit neighbors talk to the audience explaining their complaints regarding each other.

One busy body has been snooping around, peeking through a knot hole in the wooden fence that divided each resident's plot. While plugging up the knot hole with wood cement, the neighbor relates: living next door to a person like that - sucks.

Wellington Way has always been a place for pensioners, not young bachelors who guzzle gin, complains a neighbor to the police about a young man who has moved in. A constant parade of depravity.

The police tell her nothing has happened so they can't do anything but they will come by for a "look-see".

It's Friday night and he meets free spirited Nelly at a music show. They hit it off. Expecting a memorable evening, he caught an Uber and headed back to his place with Nellie. Three water detection vehicles, with lights flashing, are at his place. A major water main has burst.

The Uber turns around and heads to Nellie's where he found himself spending the night on her "too small sofa." He called his insurance agent and was told to leave a message.

Then a mysterious phone call makes everything worse.

He has been invited to appear at the police station to answer a few questions because his neighbor has reported him as being a "questionable character".

Permitted to return home he finds it has been flagged as a crime scene.

Apparently, the water main burst caused extensive flooding resulting in a dead body being unearthed.

To learn who did it, you'll have to listen to the play.

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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

THE MUSEUM OF LONDON'S POOPING PIGEON

London Museum's bird pooping logo. Photo: Museum of London

Nothing says 'welcome' quite like a pooping pigeon. That's how the museum's patron, the Duke of Gloucester will be greeted when he visits the venue on September 3, 2024.

In addition to being brought up to date on the new museum building, set to open in 2026, he'll get a change to view the museum's new logo - a pigeon pooping.

Drawing massive attention is the announcement that The Museum of London has chosen a pooping pigeon for its logo which they claim is - a symbol of duality, defiance and immigration.

The new logo features a porcelain pigeon and a glittery poo splat.

Not everyone thinks it's appropriate.

However, director of the museum, Sharon Ament, defended the choice stressing that the pigeon and poop splat represented the "grit and glitter" of the capital.

In her statement she continued: "The pigeon and splat speak to a historic place full of dualities; a place where the grit and the glitter have existed side by side for millennia; an impartial and humble observer of London life"

Ament added: "A good logo gets people talking. Our pigeon, cast from London clay and its splat, rendered in glitter, prompts people to reconsider London."

The London Museum with a collection of over 7 million objects, covers the history of the city from prehistoric to modern times, with a particular focus on social history. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating the collection previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall. While the London Wall site is now closed after 45 brilliant years, the new museum is due to open in Smithfield and a revamp is taking place at its Docklands site.

SWEDISH LANDSCAPE a group exhibition curated by Saskia Neuman Gallery opens August 28, 2024 running through September 14, 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The exhibit introduces three Swedish artists; Harry Anderson, Emma Jönsson and Hans Kvam, in the collaborative project between Saskia Neuman Gallery, Stockholm and V1 SALON, Copenhagen.

Harry Anderson, b.1986 is a Swedish artist based in Stockholm. Anderson received his MFA from the Danish Academy of Art in 2019. His practice encompasses ceramic sculpture, embroidery and painting. For the exhibition at V1 SALON, Anderson’s work boasts a suit of new ceramic busts; a continuation of the artists fascination in renaissance sculptural practices, closely combined with his examination of the conceptual portrait.

Emma Jönsson, b. 1961 is a Swedish artist based in Floda, Sörmland. Emma received her MFA at HDK Valand, Gothenburg in 1998, and was educated at the Royal Danish Academy School of Design as well as Gerlesborgsskolan and HV Handarbetets Vänner, in Sweden. Jönsson’s work focuses on her very personal internal dialogue in combination with her thoughts and reactions to current events, travels and impressions from farther afield than Floda, Sörmland. The artist builds a gentle narrative, where embroidery paints an enchanting and at times jarring picture of the world in which we live.

Hans Kvam, b. 1965 is a Swedish artist based in Ås, close to Östersund. Kvam graduated from Kunstakademiet in Trondheim 1997 and studied at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. Having initially employed video and sound as the primary medium in his practice, the artist later turned to painting; creating elusive abstract works where both flora and fauna take on new forms. The overpowering, almost tactile imagery exudes contemporary gestures, while simultaneously paying homage to references within the Swedish art historical canon.

SKULPTUR PROJEKTE MUNSTER announced that three women will serve as the new artistic directors. The curatorial collective What, How & for Whom said the vision of the women aligns with that of co-founder Kaspar König, who died earlier this month.

The sixth edition in 2027 will mark its 50th anniversary. The decennial event in the western German city of Münster is one of the most important international exhibitions of contemporary art.

The three members of WHW—Ivet Curlin, Nataša Ilic, and Sabina Sabolovic—co-founded the collective in Zagreb, Croatia in 1999 and are currently based between Zagreb and Berlin. Their appointment will make 2027 the first woman-led edition in the event’s history.

Skulptur Projekte was launched in 1977 by the late German curators Dr. Klaus Bußmann and Kasper König, with the aim of exploring our encounters with art in the public realm as well as addressing the social issues of the day. This is the first edition in which neither founder is involved.

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SWEET CHARITY

AARON LAZAR who continues to face ALS with unwavering resilience, has released his album Impossible Dream, a portion of the album's proceeds will benefit the ALS network.

Lazar's debut album, Impossible Dream, features an inspiring nine-song collection features a remarkable roster of Lazar's friends, supporters, and artistic idols, including multi-platinum singer, songwriter, and Tony nominee Josh Groban; Tony and multiple Emmy winning film star Neil Patrick Harris; Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Award-nominee Leslie Odom, Jr.; 17-time Grammy Award-winning icon Sting; Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning songwriter, actor, director and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda; Tony and Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth; Tony Winner and Emmy and Grammy Nominee Kelli O’Hara; the late Rebecca Luker (three-time Tony nominee); Tony and Grammy nominee Norm Lewis; multi-platinum recording artist and voice from The Greatest Showman, Loren Allred.

The album contains eight duets with Lazar, plus a celebrity-fueled finale of the title track “The Impossible Dream,” from The Man of La Mancha, a song that has been an anthem for Lazar while on his ALS healing journey. The star-studded group performance features the aforementioned celebrities along two-time Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell; Emmy winner, and Tony and Grammy nominee Liz Callaway; two-time Tony winner Joanna Gleason; two-time Tony nominee Brian d'Arcy James; Tony winner Adrienne Warren; Tony nominee Shoshana Bean; Broadway’s Christy Altomare; Tony nominee Christiane Noll; Grammy nominee Adam Jacobs (Aladdin); Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, Mike Love; Tony nominee Betsy Wolfe; two-time Tony nominee Marc Kudisch; Tony nominee Max Von Essen; Tony nominee Tony Yazbeck; and many more, including additional members of the Broadway community and music industry.

The duets on the album include Lazar performing with Groban on Sting’s "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot," Neil Patrick Harris on "Fight the Dragons" from Big Fish, Leslie Odom, Jr. on "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again," Kelli O’Hara on "Make Our Garden Grow"; Rebecca Luker on "I Am Loved," Tony Norm Lewis on "When You Believe," Kate Baldwin on "I'd Give It All For You," and Loren Allred on "You'll Never Walk Alone."

His speaking platform The Impossible Dream helps raise awareness to end ALS. With a successful launch in the fall of 2023, Aaron now brings his impactful story to audiences around the country including: a conference of the country’s top neurosurgeons, global pharmaceutical companies, the world's biggest biotech conference, and the students and faculty of Duke University, Aaron’s alma mater. Aaron was also recently honored as the keynote speaker and special guest artist at the ALS Network’s annual gala in Los Angeles. The versatility and vulnerability of Aaron and his Impossible Dream motivates and inspires audiences across all industries and sectors to believe in the power of the indomitable human spirit, reminding us that we all have the power to make the impossible possible.

SPREADING THE WORD

PURPOSE The Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of the play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is transferring to Broadway. Steppenwolf was elated to make the announcement. The show is slated to open next spring at the Helen Hayes Theater, with previews beginning February 25 and an opening night in the middle of March.

RECYCLE YOUR CUP Kings Theatre in New York City is proud to be one of the first indoor venues in NYC to partner with Cup Zero! Help reduce single-use waste by swapping your cup at the bar for a $1 credit towards your next drink. If you're done for the night, drop your cup in the collection points located throughout the venue. Cups will be commercially sanitized and reused again and again.

THE NEW YORK POPS has welcomed seven new members to the orchestra. They are: Rachel Handman, violin - Joyce Hammann, violin - Philip Payton, violin - Andrew Griffin, viola - J.J. Johnson, viola - Beomjae Kim, flute - Toyin Spellman-Diaz, oboe.

The new musicians make their New York Pops debut at the opening night of the Pops' Carnegie Hall season, Simply the Best: A Tina Turner Tribute with Adrienne Warren on October 18, 2024.

JIM MESKIMEN'S JIMPRESSIONS is a one-man extravaganza of stories, music and of course - impressions! at the Gary Marshall Theatre in Burbank, CA on September 13-14, 2024.

Meskimen’s connection to Garry Marshall began in 1972, when his real life mom, actress Marion Ross, was cast as Marion Cunningham in the iconic television show Happy Days. As an actor himself, Jim first appeared in a Garry project at age 17 -- featured in the iconic "Jump the Shark" episode of Happy Days. Jim returned to work with Garry again in two of Marshall’s films, including a favorite of Garry's, The Other Sister.

Meskimen's 'voices' have been heard in animation (Family Guy, Phineas & Ferb, Marvel Avengers Assemble), talk shows (Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Maher, Jay Leno and David Letterman), and on scripted TV (For All Mankind, Mom, The Big Bang Theory, Night Court). his stage performance showcases special stories of Jim’s early years being raised by the real Mrs. C, his days on set with Ron Howard on his films The Grinch and Apollo 13, moving homage to Robin Williams, and original songs in a parade of celebrity voices.

PLAYING WITH YOUR ZUCCHINI

This is the season to play with your gourd. It's doesn't matter if it fits in your hand or is so large that you brag to your friends.

There is a race for you.

Zucchinis grow, and grow and grow - and take over.

All across the country there is such an abundance of the gourd that people in some areas are advised to keep their car doors locked, otherwise they might find zucchinis in their back seat.

There is even a Happy National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor's Porch day.

You might just as well join in.

The Obetz Zucchini fest in Obetz, Ohio is a four day, family-friendly event held August 30 -September 2, 2024 celebrating everything zucchini. Free admission to the Festival and concerts!

More than 20 food vendors participate in the Festival so get your fill of flavorful zucchini items. There are dozens of arts and crafts vendors offering unique items for sale. Prizes are awarded for biggest zucchini; smallest zucchini; most unusual; and best dressed. Enter your dessert, relish, or zucchini bread into their culinary competition.

Who's playing at this Zucchini Festival? On Friday, August 30th, 2024 it's Slaughter. 90's Rewind Tour featuring Dru Hill, with special guests Digital Underground, C&C Music Factory, and Tag Team are on the program for Saturday, August 31st, 2024 and Gary Allan featuring Parmalee on Sunday, September 1st, 2024.

McSpadden County Fair in Vancouver, BC will rev up their zucchini engines on Sunday, September 8, 2024.

Nobody said the zucchini had to stay green. A space ship and maybe a submarine or blue whale? Photo: McSpadden County Fair

This race even has a high tech class STEM division.

"This category is for the Technical Adventurers out there who have ambitious plans for their zucchinis but are being held back by the rules. Your racer will still need to be built around a zucchini and the width restriction remains, but otherwise you are free to showcase your STEM skills and wow us!

"P.S. Zucchinis simply attached to a vehicle will not qualify... and, please, no flames!"

And then there are the rebels - you know who you are.

The Outlaws category.

"Didn't read the rules? Don't care about rules? We love you anyway!"

The rules. however, are along familiar lines.

Step 1: Grab a zucchini (home grown or bought)
Step 2: Decorate it (think big!)
Step 3: Fix some wheels to it (don't forget to check out the axle regulations, this is serious business)
Step 4: Register your zucchini at the Fair (Bring in a non perishable food item for the McSpadden Little Free Pantry)
Step 5: Send your masterpiece zooming down our custom 26' ramp and celebrate victory or epic defeat with your neighbors.

Winners in all categories receive "the prestigious title of the winner of the eighth annual East Van Zucchini Race, wild applause, and a custom medal!"

There is even a McSpadden Flying Zucchini Society, a not for profit community development group based in East Vancouver, British Columbia, with a strong focus on squashing the competition. No, we just made that up.

Founded in 2020, the McSpadden Flying Zucchini Society is a "not-for-profit organization working to support the community around McSpadden Park in East Vancouver. Our purpose is to promote community building and connection through events, activities and education. We have a strong focus on families, urban agriculture and sustainable healthy living."

August zucchini races have included one in downtown West Stockbridge, MA. They would like people to know that the archaeozucchini was hanging around 250 million years ago - the early Mesozucchic Period. According to West Stockbridge zucchini experts: "Zukeontologists estimate Archoeozucchini persisted into the Mesozucchic Era, surviving the Permini-Triasszuke Extinction Event at the end of the Palaozucchini Period. Isozuke-dating and location suggests this particular specimen won the 242.44-million'th Pangeon Zucchini Festival Weigh-Off Contest, coming in at a whopping 85 lbs."

Last week the Farmer's Market in Sonoma, CA touted their Zucchini Races by even offering a free Zucchini Races Building Workshop two days before the race, so the contestants could be instructed in how to put the best face on their fastest fruit - yes, a zucchini is a fruit.

In Ft. Collins, CO their zucchini race even provides the fixings: zucchini, wheels and a track all ready for the contestants to assemble their "car" and get it in the race.

Cole Camp, MO encourages its residents to "play with their food." This year they hosted their 17th Annual Zucchini Races . The rules of the race are quite simple. To enter a zucchini into the race, your "cart' must abide by these standards:

The axles must past through the zucchini.
The overall width should not be more than 12 inches long.
You may not create a "cradle" or "carrier" to set the zucchini in.
Besides the simple standards, contestants are free to use their creativity to decorate and create the winning racer. Decorating is a competition within it's own. Other prizes are awarded for the best zucchini dish and the biggest zucchini.

Over the years, word has spread of Cole Camp's unique races and contestants have come from as far away as Iowa.

Rio Linda Grange near Sacramento specializes in overgrown tubors.

Two weeks ago the Grange, which is celebrating its 100th year, presented its annual Zucchini Festival & Races. The Festival is fun but the big draw are the zucchini races.

The Zucchini Festival at the Healdsburgh Farmers' Market in Healdsburgh, CA was a smashing success with talented zucchini growers competing for Healdsburgh's bigget zuke. The races are held in heats, with each age category raced together. Heat winners receive Market Bucks.

The Los Gatos Farmers Market in California also hosted its annual zucchini car race.

Up north in Seattle they staged their annual farmers market Zucchini 500. It's the only event in Seattle where playing with your food is a requirement.

Across the country, in Cooperstown, NY two weeks ago the Cooperstown Farmers Market waved the starting flag on the race as well as offering zucchini specials including zucchini recipes.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

SARAH JESSICA PARKER'S SHOE LINE SJP will cease operation after 20 years according to a company memo sent to business outlets.

According to a statement sent to WWD and Footwear News, SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker will shut down by fall 2024.

"After 10 colorful years, SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker has made the difficult decision to close its doors this fall," the company statement explained.

The message continued: "The SJP Collection team expresses enormous gratitude to all of their loyal customers and supporters, as well as all those they’ve worked alongside."

Though the fate of SJP’s retail locations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar hasn't been announced, the brand’s store on Bleecker Street in New York will close on August 25. Customers will be allowed to shop online until further notice. Online, shoe prices are on sale from over $500 to $450 and below.

WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY wants to bet on Nevada as a profitable film location. They are hoping to expand into Nevada with a film studio partnership with the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) and Birtcher Development by committing a half a billion dollars annually for the next 17 years, totaling $8.5 billion, toward productions - contingent on state lawmakers approving a massive expansion of the state’s film tax credit program next year.

This announcement follows on the heels of Nevada Assembly Majority Leader Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas) declaring she would introduce similar legislation to establish a Las Vegas-based production studio and workforce training program in partnership with Sony Pictures, and developer Howard Hughes Corp.

Don't everyone rush to Sin City in the hopes of being :discovered".

Currently, Nevada law limits the state from providing more than $10 million in transferable tax credits for all film productions in a single year, with a credit cap at $6 million per production.

The proposed bill initially offered as much as $190 million in annual film tax credits, but bill sponsor Sen. Roberta Lange (D-Las Vegas) now plans to lower that amount to $95 million annually over 17 years. The bill would still require that tax credits be available only after private companies set up a minimum amount of infrastructure, with production processes being prequalified by the state and then audited before receiving credits.

Under the current film tax credit program, the amount of credits issued for production is primarily based on a percentage of wages and qualified production costs.

Passage must overcome critics who stress the need to support critical services that lawmakers have declared to be underfunded, including education, child care, health care, affordable housing and mental health services.

"This bill is a truly astonishing proposal to give handouts to the already wealthy and well-connected, while ignoring the small businesses that are the heartbeat of our economy," Republican National Committeeman Jim DeGraffenreid wrote in an opposition statement.

BURNING MAN a ten day event, is currently taking place in Black Rock City, Nevada. For the first time in over a decade the annual event is not sold out.

Burning Man features large scale art installations, mutant cars, performances, DJ sets and all aspects of weird and wonderful - ranging from self-help talks to sex parties. The event's climax, the burning of a large wooden effigy, the "Man" himself.

Critics of Burning Man say that the event has strayed too far from its countercultural roots, that it's too big, that – despite its "leave no trace" policy – it's causing environmental damage. Last year, climate activists blocked the route in.

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THE ROOMMATE

Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone star in The Roommate.

written by Jen Silverman; Original Music by David Yazbek.

Directed by Jack O'Brien.

Starring icons Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone.

According to the official Stage Agent synopsis: "Sharon, a housewife, 50-something, recently divorced, anxious empty-nester, has some trepidation when she advertises for a roommate to share her large home in Iowa City. After all, she’s never had a roommate before. Her alarm increases when she discovers that her new roommate, Robyn, is a pot-smoking vegetarian lesbian from the Bronx, who arrives with a box full of clay voodoo dolls. Robyn, a former entrepreneur and scam artist, 50-something, flees to Iowa, looking to get a fresh start, find some peace and quiet, and prove to her estranged daughter that she can turn her life around. She, in turn, is alarmed to find in Sharon a nosy and persistent new friend who discovers her secrets….notably her secret stash of fake I.D.s and former identities. Fascinated, Sharon convinces an unwilling Robyn to school her in the art of the telephone scam, and blossoms as she discovers her persuasive powers to fool and beguile even the members of her local book group. For a busy, idyllic time, the two women enjoy a friendship while raking in the cash. But when their connection deepens into an attraction, Robyn must make a choice to keep them both safe….. Jen Silverman’s poignant, hilarious one-act The Roommate is a powerful story about personal transformation, life transitions, love, friendship, and identity."

The play was first performed at the Actors Theatre of Louisville in the 2015 Humana Festival of New American Plays, directed by Mike Donahue. In 2016, it was performed at the Sarasota, Florida Studio Theatre.In 2017, the play was performed during the Williamstown Theatre Festival from June 27-July 16. In 2018, the play was on the boards of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, directed by Phylicia Rashad. 2019 productions included one in Milwaukee as well as the Long Wharf Theatre in a mounting directed by Donahue. Actors have included Sharon Margaret Daly, Jo Twiss, S. Epatha Merkerson, Sandra Marquez, Robyn Tasha Lawrence, Rita Rehn, Jane Kaczmarek and Ora Jones.

In all of the above pre-Broadway tryouts the reviews have been similar - both in plaudits and constructive criticism. It will be interesting to see the respected O'Brien has made any modifications and if gold standard actors Farrow and LuPone can make this show their own.

The creatives are: Associate Director: Marsha Mason and Simone Sault. Scenic Design by Bob Crowley; Costume Design by Bob Crowley; Lighting Design by Natasha Katz; Sound Design by Mikaal Sulaiman; Hair and Wig Design by Robert Pickens and Katie Gell; Make-Up Design by Robert Pickens and Katie Gell. Movement directed by Simone Sault; Press Representative: DKC/O&M.

The Roommate will begin performances on Thursday, August 29, with an official opening night of Thursday, September 12, at Broadway’s Booth Theatre for a limited run through December 15, 2024.

TABLE 17 by Douglas Lyons.

Directed by Zhailon Levingston.

The cast includes Biko Eisen-Martin, Michael Rishawn, and Tony Award winner Kara Young.

"If your ex wanted to meet up again, would you? Previously engaged, Jada and Dallas reunite for dinner to hash out the good, the bad, and the ugly from their romantic past. Despite the intrusion of sassy waiters,complicated memories, and their best efforts to keep things casual, the estranged couple find themselves cornered by the truth. This world premiere play is a hilarious and sweet open letter to love found, lost, and possibly reignited."

The creatives are: scenic design by two-time Emmy Award winner Jason Sherwood, costume design by Devario D. Simmons, lighting design by four-time Tony Award nominee Ben Stanton, sound design by Christopher Darbassie, wig design by Tony Award winner Nikiya Mathis, and makeup by Earon Nealey. Andrew Diaz is the Props Supervisor, Tre Matthews is the Composer, and Ann James is the Intimacy Coordinator. shiku thuo is the Production Stage Manager.

In previews with opening night set for Friday September 6 and a limited run through Sunday September 22, 2024 at MCC Theater’s Susan & Ronald Frankel Theater in New York City.

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: MERRILY WE STOLE A SONG created, written and directed by Tony award winning Gerard Alessandrini.

Musical staging by Gerry McIntyre.

Forbidden Broadway: Merrily We Stole a Song skewers the latest deluge of Broadway offerings including Hell’s Kitchen, Stereophonic, The Outsiders, The Great Gatsby, Back to the Future, The Wiz, and of course, Merrily We Roll Along. In addition, there will be sendups of Roger Bart, Patti LuPone, Daniel Radcliffe, Ariana DeBose and Jeremy Jordan, among others. This up-to-the-minute version will also poke fun at the 2024 Tony Awards, and will include some of the most popular numbers from Alessandrini’s recent Forbidden Sondheim.

The uniquely talented company will be headed by Chris Collins-Pisano and Jenny Lee Stern with musical director Fred Barton on piano.

Previews begin on August 30th with an official opening on September 16, 2024 at Theater 555 on West 42nd Street in New York City.

OUR CLASS by Polish playwright Tadeusz Slobodzianek.

Directed by Igor Golyak.

Our Class follows ten Polish classmates, five Jewish and five Catholic, growing up as playmates, friends, and neighbors, who then turn on one another with life and death consequences. The piece comes at a time when the world is facing an increase in antisemitism across the globe. Our Class was a featured production of the 2024 Under the Radar Festival,and has received multiple award nominations: a Drama League Award Nomination for Outstanding Revival of a Play; an Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination for Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Play (Gus Birney); and a Drama Desk Award Nomination for Outstanding Projection and Video Design (Eric Dunlap).

The cast includes: Gus Birney as Dora, Andrey Burkovskiy as Menachem, José Espinosa as Rysiek, Tess Goldwyn as Zocha, Will Manning as Heniek, Stephen Ochsner as Jakub Katz, Alexandra Silber as Rachelka/Marianna, Richard Topol as Abram, Ilia Volok as Wladek and Elan Zafir as Zygmunt.

The creatives are: artists from New York and across the world. Scenic designer Jan Pappelbaum of the Schaubuehne, ?ostume design by Sasha Ageeva, lighting design by Adam Silverman, music by Oscar winner Anna Drubich, music direction by Lisa Gutkin, projections design by Eric Dunlap, chalk drawings design by Adreea Mincic, choreography by Or Schraiber, intimacy design by Leana Gardella, hair & makeup design by Timur Sadykov, and dramaturgy by Dr. Rachel Merrill Moss. Kyra Bowie is the production stage manager.

Our Class transfers to Classic Stage Company’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater in Manhattan for a limited run September 12-November 3, 2024.

THAT PARENTING MUSICAL book, music, lyrics and co-arrangements by real-life Mom and Dad team, Graham and Kristina Fuller.

Directed by Jen Wineman.

Dive into the hilarious, chaotic world of a new Mom and Dad with That Parenting Musical. Laugh along as two sleep-deprived parents navigate their new reality, juggling a danger-prone toddler, an overlooked younger sibling, and the ever-present "official mom uniform"—yoga pants. This new musical explores the joys, challenges, and absurdities of parenthood, and so much more.

The show features an original score with songs like "The Most Dangerous Thing in the Room", "Toddler Travel Travesty", and "Second Child Blues."

The cast features Natalie Bourgeois, Max Crumm, Vidushi Goyal, McKenna OGrudnik, Brian Owen and Dwayne Washington. Mia Gentile and Branden R. Mangan are the company understudies.

The creatives are: Scenic Design by Tim Mackabee; Costume Design by Tina McCartney; lighting design by Alan C. Edwards; Sound Design by Jessica Paz; and Properties by Brendan McCann and Music Arrangements by Graham and Kristina Fuller and Dan Graeber. Dan Graeber is Music Director and Orchestrator. Candi Boyd is Associate Director and Choreographer. Joe Trainor is Production Manager. Ellie Handel is Production Stage Manager and Miranda Shaffer is Assistant Stage Manager. Jen Sandler is Executive Producer. Visceral Entertainment is General Manager. Jason A. Sedgwick is Company Manager. Casting is by Daryl Eisenberg / Eisenberg Casting.

Following developmental stagings in CenterStage Theater Company, Louisville, CO (2019); Elaine Wolf Theatre in Denver, CO (2019); and 54 Below in NYC (2022); That Parenting Musical had its premiere staging at Town Hall Arts Center, Littleton, CO in 2023, under its original title, In The Trenches.

Ember Productions presents the New York premiere of That Parenting Musical, starting performances September 4 at Theatre Row, Theatre 3 in New York City. Opening night is September 12, 2024.

DIVERSION by Scott Organ.

Directed by John J. Wooten, producing artistic director of Premiere Stages.

Featuring Michelle Liu Coughlin, Jeaniene Green, Lucas Iverson, DeAnna Lenhart, Edie Salas Miller and Dani Nelson.

Understudies for the production are Kean University Theatre Conservatory alumni Riv Dabul, Brandon Luckenbaugh and Melody Stubbs.

In Diversion, a group of devoted and hard working nurses in an ICU unit see their world turned upside down when it is discovered that someone is diverting (stealing) medicine on the unit. The nurses grow even more unsettled when a consultant shows up to investigate the diversion, effectively placing them all under a microscope. When it’s finally revealed who the culprit is, the nurses must fight to save themselves and the integrity of the unit itself.

Selected as the winner of the 2023 Premiere Play Festival, Premiere Stages at Kean University will present the New Jersey Premiere of Diversion September 5-22 in Kean University’s Bauer Boucher Theatre Center.

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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.

Next Column: September 1, 2024
Copyright: August 25, 2024 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