Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: August 29, 2021
By: Laura Deni
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS, SECOND CHANCES BY ASHLEY TAYLOR EXPLORES ZOOM DATING

After months quarantined in his apartment, single Todd, who is in the early stages of middle-age, reluctantly embarks on a challenging new social adventure: a blind Zoom date arranged by his sister.

People who never did Zoom until COVID will relate. So will those who are Zoom experts but can remember when they weren't.

Written by Ashley Taylor and directed by Ernest McDaniel, the production stars Tatum Shank as Todd and Ashley Taylor as Nicole.

A sweet, charming, timely offering presented by Theatre West.

When the play opens we find Todd opening up an instruction flyer on how to appear on Zoom. He puts on his reading glasses and reads "find a window you can face directly. If natural light isn't available invest in a high quality ring light." Todd wonders what is a ring light and why does it cost $50?

When Nicole becomes visible Todd is changing from his sweat pants into slacks, tucking in his shirt. Nicole's view is a crotch shot.

Divorced Nicole is more sophisticated while Todd is nervous and awkward.

She asks if he thinks they will ever meet in real life. It doesn't appear that they will until they both relax and drop the pretenses.

She admits that she's stapled two of her grandmother's table cloths to the ceiling to emulate curtains. She also confessed that she is wearing hair extensions which hurt.

They come clean about how they have planned, plotted and redesigned their apartments for the Zoom date - and Nicole admits that she hasn't been on a date since her divorce.

He sweetly divulges that the real her looks lovely. Possibilities emerge.

Produced by Michael Van Duzer. Composer David P. Johnson. Stream Engineer Gary Markowitz. Technical Director Ernest McDaniel.

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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

EMPIRES AT WAR: AUSTRIA AND RUSSIA by the close of World War I, four empires had collapsed, including both the Russian and the Austro-Hungarian Empires. Empires at War: Austria and Russia examines the conflict on the Eastern Front, an aspect of the war often less surveyed but with cataclysmic results for the millions affected.

Often viewed as the "spark" that ignited the First World War, Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated on June 28, 1914. As one of the very first nations to declare war, Austria accused Serbia of plotting and backing the assassination and threatened invasion. Russia roared in to support its Slav brothers, rapidly mobilizing its forces, resulting in huge losses and contributing to revolutions at home.

The Eastern Front was a ‘war of movement’ where the Central Powers, with over 2.5 million troops, faced a much larger, but disorganized, force of 4 million Russians. Drawing from original objects recently added to the Museum and Memorial’s collection, the exhibition features an extraordinary collection of never-before-seen Austrian and Russian material culture – uniforms, equipment, flags, hats, helmets and more.

“The subject matter of this exhibition rose out of the wealth and diversity of Austrian and Russian objects and archival materials that the Museum and Memorial has been fortunate to acquire over the last decade. Unlike many exhibitions, it is not presented chronologically but by topics.” said Doran Cart, senior curator at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. “Pivotal battles, Austrian and Russian women in the war and the changes in the nations are illustrated, and their stories told by the participants.”

Although the Museum and Memorial has been collecting internationally since 1920, material culture from the Eastern Front of the war has been difficult to acquire due in part to the collapse of dynasties. The commemoration of the Centennial of WWI brought opportunities to reengage the international community and enrich the collection, shedding new light on the enduring impact of war on the Eastern Front.

Empires at War: Austria and Russia opens August 27, 2021 and is on view in Exhibit Hall through January 2023 at the World War I Museum in Kansas City, MO.

Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State has opened Global Asias: Contemporary Asian and Asian American Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. This major exhibition features the cosmopolitan, exuberant and subtly subversive work of 15 artists of Asian heritage who are adept at crossing borders – not only physical ones but also those in media, styles, genre and materials. Global Asias is the first large-scale exhibition to highlight the impressive scope and diversity of the Jordan Schnitzer Foundation’s collection of contemporary Asian and Asian American art. The exhibition will premiere at the Palmer through December 12, 2021, before embarking on a national tour.

“The artists included in this exhibition open our eyes to what it is like to cross boundaries both real and cultural,” shared Jordan Schnitzer, whose family has a longstanding history of championing Asian art and culture. “I hope each viewer is as moved as I am by this exhibition and is challenged and inspired by the art. The power of this exhibition will influence all of us for years to come.”

Global Asias invites viewers to think about Asia not in singular but plural terms – encouraging audiences to understand Asia as a site of meaning across the globe. The artists in Global Asias were born in Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Argentina and the United States. Guest curated by Dr. Chang Tan, assistant professor of art history and Asian studies at Penn State, the exhibition provides an opportunity to move away from considering Asia as a geographical location and instead invites us to think broadly about how “Asia” has long served as an imaginative construct.

“As a centerpiece of a world-class and globally oriented research university, we are dedicated to organizing and presenting projects that rewrite outdated histories, reconsider cultural assumptions and embrace inclusivity,” said Palmer Museum Director Erin M. Coe. “This powerful exhibition, which was conceived of in late 2018, invites us to consider our shared humanity particularly in the wake of the global pandemic.”

The artists represented in the exhibition are Kwang Young Chun, Jacob Hashimoto, Manabu Ikeda, Jun Kaneko, Dinh Q. Lê, Hung Liu, Mariko Mori, Hiroki Morinoue, Takashi Murakami, Roger Shimomura, Do Ho Suh, Akio Takamori, Barbara Takenaga, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Patti Warashina. All draw on a rich array of motifs, media, genres, techniques and cultural motivations to reflect and embody diverse “Asias” in a modern global context.

The 45 works in Global Asias are divided into three thematic sections:

Exuberant Forms features works that reshape and challenge conventional views of abstract art by exploring new materials, techniques and metaphors. Kwang Young Chun (b. 1944) exploits the texture of handmade papers in his somber accretive monochromes, while Jacob Hashimoto (b. 1973) mimics the effect of collage in his tour-de-force prints. Jun Kaneko (b. 1942) “flattens” raku ware into explosive two-dimensionality. Hiroki Morinoue (b. 1947) and Barbara Takenaga (b. 1949) create intricate geometric patterns to evoke natural formations.

Moving Stories brings together powerful works that reflect on the experiences of migration, both within Asia and beyond. Dinh Q. Lê (b. 1968) appropriates and masks iconic images of the Vietnam War. Hung Liu (1948–2021) also finds inspiration in historical photographs, reinterpreting the genre of portraiture through the lens of displaced and voluntary immigrants. Roger Shimomura (b. 1939) borrows the visual language of Japanese woodblock prints and Pop art to render the lives of Japanese Americans incarcerated in internment camps during World War II. Do Ho Suh (b. 1962) and Rirkrit Tiravanjia (b. 1961) map their own diasporic trajectories, literally and metaphorically.

Asias Reinvented highlights two- and three-dimensional works that transform styles and motifs of traditional Asian art to engage, probe and critique contemporary popular culture and politics. The Pop- and manga-inflected fantasies of Takashi Murakami (b. 1962) and Mariko Mori (b. 1967) are rooted in both the artisanal heritages and the consumerist trends of Japan. Akio Takamori (1950–2017) and Patti Warashina (b. 1940) turn seemingly innocent motifs into uncanny portrayals of life, love and death. Manabu Ikeda (b. 1973) evokes Hokusai’s famous waves to create a surreal scene of planetary apocalypse.

The exhibition marks the first time in its 50-year history that the Palmer Museum has partnered with Jordan Schnitzer and his foundation.

After its debut at the Palmer Museum of Art, the exhibition travels to the Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, Tennessee, Jan. 28 through April 24, 2022; The Heckscher Museum of Art, Huntington, New York, June 4 through Sept. 18, 2022; Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, Montana, Oct. 13, 2022 through Jan. 15, 2023; and USC Pacific Asia Art Museum, Pasadena, California, March 10 through June 25, 2023.

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SWEET CHARITY

MUSICARES the leading music charity and a partner of the Recording Academy, announced Joni Mitchell as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year. Mitchell will be honored at a one-of-a-kind tribute concert on Saturday, January 29, 2022, two nights before the 64th annual Grammy Awards.

Mitchell, an eight-time Grammy Award winner, 16-time Gramm Award nominee, and soon to be 2021 Kennedy Center honoree, is known as one of the greatest, most important songwriters of our time.

She is being honored as MusiCares Person of the Year for her trailblazing spirit and being a poet of the ages; for breaking down barriers for women in the music industry; for tenacity in creating and following her own voice and for her ability to bring comfort, joy and inspiration to countless listeners and artists alike.

Like previous years, the tribute concert will feature renowned artists and musicians paying tribute to Mitchell’s music and legacy.

Person of the Year was put on pause in 2020 so MusiCares could honor the resiliency of all music people in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic at Music on a Mission, but MusiCares is excited to continue to raise funds and awareness for the ongoing needs of music people while celebrating the tremendous influence of Joni Mitchell.

SPREADING THE WORD

THE MISS AMERICAN ORGANIZATION has announced the return of the iconic "Show Us Your Shoes" Parade to kick off a three-day celebration to mark the 100th anniversary of Miss America. The parade will be held on Labor Day, Monday, September 6 in Mystic, Connecticut. The "Show Us Your Shoes" Parade will feature all 51 titleholders who are vying to become the next Miss America.

These accomplished young women will show off their elaborate parade costumes and decorated shoes to showcase their home states and the District of Columbia. The parade was a fun-filled tradition for many years and was brought back this year by the Miss America Organization. Other special guests will include many Forever Miss Americas as well as the newly crowned Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Marcelle LeBlanc.

The Miss America 100th Anniversary Celebration continues Tuesday, September 7 with a formal gala to mark a century of impact that the Miss America Organization has had on women. This formal gala at the Mohegan Sun will honor Miss America through historical photos and performances from some of the most talented women who've worn the crown: the "Forever Miss Americas."

The dinner and dancing will be followed by a champagne toast that celebrates Miss America's past and offers best wishes for the next 100 years.

Miss America's century celebration wraps up exactly 100 years from when she began with an official designation. On Wednesday, September 8, there will be a reading of the Executive Proclamation of Miss America Day to mark the beginning of the very first Miss America competition on September 8, 1921. This event will also feature special guests, elected officials, state titleholders and Forever Miss Americas in attendance. The proclamation reading will take place at the Cabaret Theater at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut which is the host venue fr the next three years.

BEATLES LOVE a stunning and fun tribute to the Beatles Cirque show has reopened in Las Vegas at the Mirage. A don't miss it show.

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND is celebrating 60 years of New Orleans jazz. Led by Ben Jaffe on bass and tuba, the band is living, breathing New Orleans music history. From sharing festival stages with greats including Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, the Grateful Dead, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, and the Black Keys to a guest appearance on the Foo Fighters’ eighth studio album Sonic Highway - PHJB is redefining New Orleans music.

Part of the Moffly Media Evening of Art, Wine & Jazz Series September 3, 2021 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT.

THE MEMORY OF WATER Shelagh Stephenson’s painfully funny comedy, directed by Alice Hamilton, will star Lucy Black, Carolina Main and Laura Rogers as sisters Teresa, Catherine and Mary, with Kulvinder Ghir, Adam James and Lizzy McInnerny completing the cast.

Sisters Mary, Catherine and Teresa think they share a common past - a seaside childhood punctuated by the odd monosyllable from Dad. But where does reality end and family myth begin?

The Memory of Water makes a highly anticipated return to Hampstead 25 years after its World Premiere there in 1996, when it won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Performances September 3 - October 16 at The Hampstead in London.

BROADWAY IN THE PARK featuring Renée Elise Goldsberry and Brian Stokes Mitchell takes place Friday, September 3 at The Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA.

THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL ORCHESTRA comprised of 80 players; an international mix of classically trained musicians who are among the best studio musicians in Los Angeles will be conducted by David Newman and John Williams in John Williams: Maestro of the Movies, the annual celebration of film music. Williams, the composer behind the emotioal heartbeat of some of Holywood's most memorable films, returns to the Bowl for this beloved annual celebration of music from the movies. The orcheation will perform a thrilling program of cinematic hits, including some selections presented with film clips. September 2-5, 2021 at The Hollywood Bowl.

PLYMOUTH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Steven Karidoyanes, conductor and Philip Lima, vocalist stage a special Labor Day Weekend concert as part of the Plymouth 400 Official Maritime Salute festivities.

This free concert will feature music for all ages to enjoy including an orchestral suite from Handel's famous Water Music, vintage film music from Erich Korngold's score to The Sea Hawk, and Sea Shanties sung by acclaimed baritone Philip Lima. In keeping with the maritime theme, the orchestra performs pirate-inspired music featuring Leroy Anderson's Pirate Dance, the overture to Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance, and a swashbuckling medley of music from the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Saturday, September 4, 2021 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

GERSHWIN, BONDS, AND STILL is a star studded lineup of songs from Broadway and beyond, with music by Ulysses Kay, William Grant Still, Margaret Bonds. and George Gershwin. Thursday, September 2, 2021 at The /ollywood Bowl.

SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY THEATRE in Fairfield, CT will celebrate its grand opening Labor Day weekend for an exciting new era of live performance, film and educational programming.

A September 2 ribbon-cutting with town and University officials will precede opening weekend events, including a Friday, Sepember. 3, performance by NBC’s The Voice winner Javier Colon and his band and an evening with Tony nominee Megan Hilty of TV’s Smash and Broadway’s Wicked on Saturday, September 4. On Sunday, September 5, Directed by Michael Whitney Brown, the audition-only SHU Gospel Choir will perform with Angela Clemmons, powerhouse back-up singer to Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Michael Jackson, John Legend and more. Award-winning singer and songwriter Matt Cusson, who has toured with Christina Aguilera, India Arie and Dave Koz, will open for Colon.

The new 400-seat theatre plans a full slate of events, academic and youth endeavors, and rental opportunities in the coming year. Exclusive series include:

Broadway on Post: Broadway stars performing with a Q&A and VIP experience
Community Unity Concerts: live performances designed to bring the community together
Live comedy
CT Coffeehouse: a singer-songwriter showcase
Film festivals

PLYMOUTH PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA conductor Steven Karidoyanes leads the orchestra in a free concert which includes an orchestral suite from Handel's famous Water Music, vintage film music from Erich Korngold's score to The Sea Hawk, and Sea Shanties sung by acclaimed baritone Philip Lima. In keeping with the maritime theme, the orchestra performs pirate-inspired music featuring Leroy Anderson's Pirate Dance, the overture to Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance, and a swashbuckling medley of music from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. This special Labor Day Weekend concert is part of the Plymouth 400 Official Maritime Salute festivities.September 4, 2021 at the Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth MA.

LAS VEGAS 2021 LABOR DAY WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT kicks off early with Santana opening his residency at the House of Blues on September 1. Donny Osmond does the same at Harrah's. The delightful RuPaul brings his RuPaul's Drag Race to the Flamingo. On September 3-4 George Lopexz will be getting laughs at the Mirage. Mike Epps performs September 5 at the Venetian Theatre.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN for the third round of grants from the NYC Women's Fund for Media, Music and Theatre, a program in partnership with New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). Qualified applicants can apply for finishing grants through November 1, 2021. The NYC Women’s Fund was created to address the underrepresentation of female-identified creatives in the entertainment industries. Since the program’s launch in 2018, MOME has awarded $3.5 million to 157 film, theatre, and music projects. Information about the program, including a schedule of informational sessions, is available on the NYC Women’s Fund website.

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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

DON EVERLY half of the hit making Everly Brothers died at his home in Nashville on Saturday, August 21, 2021. He was 84.

Don and his younger brother Phil who died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on January 3, 2014, 16 days before his 75th birthday, of lung disease, were in the first group to be inaugurated in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, alongside Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis.

In 2019, Don was voted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville; earning the organization's first Iconic Riff Award for his distinctive rhythm guitar intro to the Everlys' massive 1957 hit Wake Up Little Susie. In a video, Keith Richards called him “one of the best rhythm guitar players I’ve ever heard.”

Their harmonies set them apart, influencing the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel in the 1960s, and a decade later their Appalachian roots inspired country rockers like Gram Parsons and Linda Ronstadt, who had a hit covering their When Will I Be Loved in 1972.

In a five-year span from 1957 to 1962, they had 15 top 10 hits, among them: Bye Bye Love, which launched them; All I Have to Do Is Dream, written by Boudleaux Bryant; and Cathy’s Clown, which was a No. 1 hit in 1960 and a No. 1 country hit for Reba McEntire in 1989.

Don and Phil, both guitarists, used vocal harmony mostly based on diatonic thirds. On most recordings, Don sang the baritone part and Phil the tenor harmony. One notable exception is Since You Broke My Heart (1958). Although Don was mainly low, and Phil was mainly high, their voices overlap in a very intricate and almost subtle fashion. Another notable example is I'll See Your Light (1977). It is one of the few songs in which Phil consistently has the low harmony while Don is consistently high. Don usually sang most of the solo lines (for example, the verses of Bye Bye Love); among the few exceptions is the 1965 single It's All Over, on which Phil sang the song's solo lines.

The Everly Brothers had 35 Billboard Top 100 singles, 26 in the top 40. They hold the record for the most Top 100 singles by any duo and trail only Hall & Oates for the most Top 40 singles by a duo. In the UK, they had 30 chart singles, 29 in the Top 40, 13 Top 10, and 4 at No. 1 between 1957 and 1984. They had 12 Top 40 albums between 1960 and 2009.

In 1959 Don married Sue Ingraham, his first of four wives. Don Everly is survived by his mother, Margaret; his wife, Adela; his son, Edan; and his daughters Venetia, Stacy and Erin, ex-wife of Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose.

CHARLIE WATTS Rolling Stones drummer “passed away peacefully," August 24, 2021, in a London hospital surrounded by his family, spokesperson, Bernard Doherty, said. His death came only weeks after revealing he had unspecified medical procedure. He was 80.

the stylish sticksman known as the steady engine of the British band whose virtuoso stylings ranged from jazz to hard-driving rock and roll,

Known for his sharply tailored suits and bemused smile, Watts became the backbone of the Stones rhythm section when he joined forces with Jagger, Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart and Bill Wyman in 1963.

He described the group’s genesis as “white blokes from England playing Black American music,” but they went on to create their own instantly recognizable classics beloved by millions.

Watts wasn’t a fan of the fame that followed, shying away from flashy displays on his stage riser at concerts and telling The Guardian he found it nerve-wracking when screaming fans chased him in public.

He focused on the music instead, lending his impeccable timing to everything from the anthemic concert staple Brown Sugar to the highly instrumental, jazz-inspired Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.

Watts, who was ranked No. 12 on Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time” list in 2016. maintained his reputation as the calmest and coolest Stones member by finding contentment with his private life.

He married his longtime wife Shirley Ann Shepherd in 1964 after meeting her before he was catapulted into the spotlight. They shared a daughter, Seraphina, and a love of tending horses on their country estate in Devon, England.

Next Column: September 5, 2021
Copyright: August 29, 2021 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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