Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: August 3, 2025
By: Laura Deni
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BROADWAY THROWS A BIRTHDAY PARTY: HAMILTON TURNS 10

Original Cast of Hamilton. Photo: Joan Marcus

Decades ago creative genius Lyn-Manuel Miranda was at the white house speaking with President Obama. When Obama asked him what he was up to he remarked that he was putting together a musical about Hamilton.

With a puzzled look Obama responded - 'Well, good luck with that.'

Sure, luck had a little to do with it. But it was Miranda's ability to think beyond the norm. Miranda's inventive mind and generous heart is also evident in the upcoming 10th anniversary party.

The 10th anniversary performance of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Pulitzer Prize-winning Hamilton will serve as a fundraiser for the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition.

The August 6 performance at the Richard Rodgers Theatre is expected to raise nearly $3 million for the coalition of nonprofits that provides immigration services and includes ACCESS (Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Service), Alianza Americas, America’s Voice, Asian Law Caucus, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Haitian Bridge Alliance, Immigration Equality, Kids in Need of Defense, National Day Laborer Organizing Network, National Immigration Law Center, Tahirih Justice Center, Texas Civil Rights Project, and United We Dream.

This project is being made possible thanks to the support of Tony winner Miranda, the Miranda Family and Miranda Family Fund, and the cast of Hamilton. Funds are being raised through the August 6 performance, which will feature a reception with Miranda and members of the original Broadway cast, followed by an invitation-only performance of the international hit musical.

"Immigrants are the lifeblood of America," said Hamilton creator and original star Miranda in a statement. " I am honored that audiences have connected so deeply with Hamilton’s status as an American immigrant, and that it has become a source of strength and pride. So, in celebration of Hamilton’s 10-year anniversary on Broadway, we are proud to raise much-needed funds for the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition to empower, financially support, and uplift vital organizations doing lifesaving and life-affirming work on the ground daily, for the most vulnerable amongst us."

If you hurry, you might be able to snag a ticket, as a limited number of tickets are available. Be in the room with everyone who helped bring this iconic show to life and celebrate 10 years of this magical production with a special Broadway performance.

This is an invite-only event featuring the current cast of the Broadway show, with an audience made up of original cast members, celebrities, and friends of the production over the past decade.

Pre-show reception and red carpet with Lin-Manuel Miranda and members of the original Broadway cast. Photos on the step and repeat. Performance at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Post-show celebration.

Every actor who has performed in Hamilton on Broadway since its opening has been invited to watch the 10th anniversary performance.

"We’re working on something special for the curtain call and another nice special thing after that," Miranda revealed to AP. "That’s about all I can say."

The musical—with a book and score by Miranda—explores the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Inspired by the book "Alexander Hamilton" by Chernow, the musical incorporates historical figures such as George Washington, Aaron Burr, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.

Hamilton also has direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, casting by The Telsey Office's Bethany Knox, and general management by Baseline Theatrical.

Hamilton, which continues at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre, won 11 2016 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical officially opened August 6, 2015, following previews that began July 13. It is also the recipient of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The Public Theatre acknowledges the land on which The Public and its theaters stand is the original homeland of the Lenape people.

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ART AND ABOUT

MICKEY HART: ART AT THE EDGE OF MAGIC includes almost 100 of the Grateful Dead percussionist’s artworks, which involve paint mixtures poured onto various materials — including canvas, metal, paper and plexiglass — before vibrations from large speakers were used to move the colors on the chosen surfaces.

Through September 21, 2025 The Haight Street Art Center in San Francisco is featuring dozens of paintings and prints from Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart as part of a free exhibit timed to the band’s 60th anniversary. On display are such works as "1640," an acrylic painting on plexiglass.

Haight Street Art Center held an opening celebration on July 31 — just one night before Dead & Company’s first of three sold-out Polo Field concerts in Golden Gate Park honoring the Grateful Dead anniversary.

Haight Street Art Center Executive Director Kelly Harris said the exhibit — the first in a San Francisco museum featuring the 2024 Kennedy Center honoree’s art — will showcase Hart’s "lifelong journey as an artist, innovator and cultural bridge-builder."

Hart joined the Grateful Dead in 1967, and he has been a member of Dead & Company since its formation in 2015.

The devices Hart uses to make his art will be on display, and organizers said in a release that "[a] musical audio experience will complement the installation."

"The adventure of composition is a mystery.
The muse has her ways, she hides from you, comes for you in the middle of the night, at midday, at dawn.”
-Mickey Hart

In all, the exhibition brings together "a deep exploration of rhythm, ritual and visual art," Harris said. She said the exhibition is "a really exciting moment for staff," as it pushes "the boundaries of what we can do and exhibit at the art center."

In a prepared statement, Hart said that he keeps "an open mind" when creating art, which is the same way "I approach my drums in performance."

A special-edition exhibit poster is based on Hart's “Sandman” and “Goldman” prints on paper and aluminum, both of which are showcased in "Art at the Edge of Magic."

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SWEET CHARITY

WEST END WOOFS hosted by Dame Elaine Paige and Bernadette Peters, returns Saturday, August 9, 2025 at St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden in London.

Following the success of Broadway Barks in America, stage icons Elaine Paige and Bernadette Peters were thrilled to host the first live West End Woofs (and meows) on Saturday, November 18, 2023 at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden.

Then they teamed up to co-host the first virtual edition of West End Woofs during lockdown, raising money and awareness for animals in need of adoption.

Following the success of last year’s event, this year the two gals are thrilled to bring together superstar talent of the West End and their four-legged friends, for a live dog and cat adoption event, working with participating shelters and rescue groups to find forever homes for the four legged fur balls who just want a human to love.

SPREADING THE WORD

LES MISERABLES turns 40 with a new star cast. Les Misérables, the world’s longest-running musical, celebrates 40 phenomenal years in the West End this autumn with a dazzling new anniversary cast. For 8 weeks only from September 8, 2025, see Bradley Jaden as Javert, Killian Donnelly as Jean Valjean, Jac Yarrow as Marius, Shan Ako as Éponine, Beatrice Penny-Touré as Cosette & many more.

THE LYRIC THEATRE AND THE VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA come together August 13-15 at the Trapp Family Lodge for Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! In Concert! The musical is the first written by the famous duo and features well-loved tunes including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" and "Oklahoma".

Picnic in the concert meadow in Burlington, Vermont and enjoy the Oscar- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical score brought to life in concert by a full orchestra, soloists, and chorus, conducted by Christopher Ray. Set in Oklahoma in 1906, the musical depicts a love story between a farm girl and a cowboy and the growing rivalry between the cowboys and local farmers.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD is celebrating 9 years in the West End's Palace Theatre, with over 2 million people now having seen the London production. The show boasts a cast of 45 actors, over 630 costumes and 45 wands, conjuring up theatrical magic at every show.

GETTING TEENS HOOKED

The late Frankie Laine once said that if you have teenagers as your fans you'll have those fans for a lifetime.

TeenTix LA, an organization that connects local youths to LA’s vibrant cultural scene through its unique free TeenTix Pass program, has announced a campaign to raise awareness about the digital pass’ notable benefits and expand the number of passholders from its current base of 4,600 teens to 6,500 by the end of the year.

The TeenTix Pass, available at no cost to teens 13-19 years old, provides access to more than 35 leading theaters, museums, and film centers in the Greater Los Angeles area for just $5 per ticket. Participating institutions include Armory Center for the Arts, Center Theater Group, East West Players, Geffen Playhouse, Heidi Duckler Dance, Latino Theatre Company, Pacific Opera Project, Pasadena Playhouse, Sierra Madre Playhouse, Skirball Cultural Center, The Autry Museum of the American West, The Soraya, Wende Museum, and many more.

Founded by the Washington-based arts, educational, and entertainment center, Seattle Center, TeenTix expanded to Los Angeles just four years ago. The LA entity currently includes more than 4,000 passholders from 500 Southland zip codes. To date, TeenTix LA has facilitated more than 2,500 $5 ticket purchases, making the arts accessible while helping cultural institutions reach a younger demographic.

TeenTix Pass companion tickets are available to passholders as well, enabling them to bring friends or family members so they can enjoy cultural events together. LA Parent describes TeenTix LA, which also has a comprehensive online calendar of events for its cultural partners, listed by date, genre, venue, or organization, as "a one-stop shop for youth to learn about arts events in the city."

The awareness campaign for TeenTix LA launches with two special events open to all teens, who may attend either or both events, but advanced reservations are required.

First up is a jazz concert headlined by Street Symphony’s celebrated jazz and vocal ensemble, which delivers West Coast cool jazz, pop hits, gritty soul and more, on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at Sierra Madre Playhouse. Also included is an exclusive private pre-concert mixer and post-concert artist talk-back.

A week later, TeenTix LA hosts a hands-on visual arts event at Pasadena’s Armory Center for the Arts, featuring a private artist-led tour of the current photography and art exhibits, a collage workshop created specifically for TeenTix, and lunch, on Saturday, September 6. Admission is free but reservations are required.

"These events offer Southland youths a great way to experience what TeenTix LA is all about," says Program Director Allison Whorton. "We welcome everyone! There are no requirements to participate other than age."

She adds, “The mission of TeenTix LA is to spark teens’ curiosity about the arts and provide access to the region’s extraordinary cultural offerings by helping to eliminate cost as a barrier to entry. Equally important, TeenTix LA provides an opportunity for teens to engage with art their own terms and connect with like-minded teens.

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MARTHA STEWART has been appointed as Kohler Cast Iron Ambassador by lifestyle authority by Kohler Co., a global leader in kitchen and bath design and innovation.

In a first of its kind appointment, lifestyle authority Stewartl will promote a shared vision to the timeless design, beauty, and craftsmanship of enameled cast iron.

The partnership celebrates Kohler's deep heritage and enduring legacy in cast iron design – one that began in 1883 when founder John Michael Kohler transformed a humble cast iron horse trough into the company's first enameled bath.

Today, Kohler's enameled cast iron collection spans beautifully crafted baths, shower bases, bathroom sinks, and kitchen sinks in a variety of styles—ranging from contemporary to transitional to traditional.

Martha Stewart, a longtime user of and personal advocate for enameled cast iron, will collaborate with Kohler on a series of engaging content pieces and events throughout 2025 and 2026. With her signature approach to home and design, Stewart will showcase cast iron's ability to enhance both everyday spaces and personal style, telling the story of timeless beauty and quality craftsmanship through her distinct perspective.

Made from at least 80% recycled material, Kohler Cast Iron reflects a longstanding commitment to sustainability. Built to withstand the test of time, these offerings support a more mindful approach to artisan manufacturing. As a part of the partnership, Stewart will headline the Kohler Food & Wine Festival, which takes place in Kohler, Wisconsin from Thursday, October 16th to Sunday, October 19th, 2025.



CARMEN by Bizet.

Conducted by José Luis Gómez.

Directed by John de los Santos.

Step into the sultry streets of Seville, where desire and danger intertwine in Bizet’s timeless masterpiece. At its heart is the fiery Carmen, whose seductive charm ensnares the heart of a young soldier, only to lead them both toward an inevitable clash of honor, love, and tragedy. With its electrifying drama and iconic score, featuring unforgettable melodies like the “Habanera” and the “Toreador Song,” Carmen is a celebration of freedom, passion, and fate. A must-see for seasoned opera lovers and first-time attendees.

Before the performance, join Wolf Trap Opera’s Arianna Zukerman and Carmen conductor José Luis Gómez on the Terrace Pavilion for a pre-performance discussion about conducting opera, collaborating with Wolf Trap’s young singers, and what makes Carmen’s role both iconic and demanding.

Sung in French with English captions with the Wolf Trap Orchestra.

Cast In order of vocal appearance: Moralès: Søren Pedersen - - Micaëla: Amanda Batista - - Don José: Daniel O’Hearn - - Zuniga: Sam Dhobhany - - Carmen: Elissa Pfaender - - Frasquita: Midori Marsh - - Mercédès: Erin Wagner Escamillo: Laureano Quant - - Dancaïre: Charles H. Eaton - - Remendado: Travon D. Walker.

The creatives are: Costume Designers: James Schuette, Ashley Soliman. Lighting Designer: Chad R. Jung. Hair & Makeup Design: Anne Nesmith. Costume Design Assistant: Chloe Levy. Wig & Makeup Design Assistant: Melissa Sibert. Originally directed by Anne Bogart.

Scenery and properties designed by Riccardo Hernández, constructed by Glimmerglass Festival, and jointly owned by Minnesota Opera and Glimmerglass Festival. Costumes designed by James Schuette and originally created for Glimmerglass Festival.

Music & Production staff. Principal Coach: Blair Salter. Cover Conductor: David Hanlon. Chorus Master/Coach: William Woodard. Assistant Chorus Master/Coach: Pei Hsuan Lin. French Diction Coach: Jocelyn Dueck. Supertitles: Vladimir Soloviev. Intimacy & Fight Coordinator: Casey Kaleba. Assistant Director: Jessica Burton. Production Stage Manager: Gina Hays. Assistant Stage Managers: Diane Lin, Arturo Fernandez Jr.

The 2025 Wolf Trap Opera season culminates with their full-scale production of Bizet’s Carmen on Friday, August 15. This production marks Wolf Trap's first fully realized production in over a decade, complete with stunning sets and costumes. Performance at Wolftrap in Vienna, Virginia on August 15, 2025.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES based on the play by Jean Poiret, "La Cage" has a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.

Marcia Milgrom Dodge will direct.

Choreography by Richard J. Hinds.

Musical direction by conductor Darryl Archibald.

Tony nominee Norm Lewis and Michael James Scott will lead the cast as, respectively, Georges and Albin, joined by Cameron Anika Hill as Anne, Terence Archie as M. Edouard Dindon, Allison Blackwell as Mme. Marie Dindon, Troy Iwata as Jacob, Michael Hartung as Francis, and Meghan Murphy as Jacqueline.

Newly announced for the production are Mason Reeves as Jean-Michel plus Leah Berry, Patrick Blindauer, Michael Di Leo, Kylie Edwards, Marjorie Failoni, Julia Feeley, Aaron Graham, Cory Hammond, Madison Johnson, Owen Kent Ing, Brian Liebson, Michael Milkanin, Kaylee Olson, Vincent Ortega, Gordon Semeatu, Duncan B. Smith, Cooper Stanton, Kodiak Thompson, YaYa Vargas, Kyle White, Jonah D. Winston, and Jack Wunsch. The company will be joined by the Muny Teens Youth Ensemble.

The creative team also includes scenic designer Matthew Buttrey, costume designer Bobby Pearce, lighting designer Jason Lyons, sound designers John Shivers and David Patridge, video designers Kylee Loera and Greg Emetaz, wig designer Tommy Kurzman, associate choreographers Nathan O. Peck and Josh Zacher, and makeup designer Heather Hardin with casting by The Telsey Office's Rashad Naylor. Kelsey Tippins is the production stage manager.

The Muny artistic staff includes Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson, Associate Artistic Director Michael Baxter, Director of Production Tracy Utzmyers, and Music Supervisor Michael Horsley.

"La Cage" will play Muny, the Tony-winning venue, August 8-14, 2025.

The musical first opened on Broadway in August 1983, subsequently winning six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. musical by Jerry Herman. "La Cage"

AVA: THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS based on discussions Ava Gardner had late in life with British journalist Peter Evans becoming the foundation of a book. Adapted for the stage by Elizabeth McGovern.

Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel.

Starring McGovern as Hollywood's original femme fatale Ave Garner and Aaron Costa Ganis as Peter Evens who deliver a highly charged exchange of verbatim dialogue which has been put into a theatrical frame.

The Golden Age of Cinema’s Ava Gardner sat for a series of real-life interviews with writer Peter Evans in an attempt to glean the juicy details about her life story, her marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra, and her turbulent relationship to Howard Hughes. Initially barred from publication, Evans’s stories of a bygone era were published twenty-five years later with permission from Gardener’s estate and is now reimagined on stage played by "two powerful forces": Elizabeth McGovern and Aaron Costa Ganis.

The creatives are: Producer Karl Sydow. Scenic Designer David Meyer. Costume Designer Toni-Leslie James. Lighting Designer Amith Chandrashaker. Sound Designer Cricket S Myers. Projection Designer Alex Basco Koch. Wig Designer Matthew Armentrout.

McGovern has spent nearly a decade honing this play.

This production contains profanity and discussions of sex and sexual assault. Recommended for 12+

The earliest stage version premiered in London, followed by a full production in Los Angeles. This polished to perfection version comes to New York after a sensational run at the Geffen playhouse in Los Angeles. Performances in New York City through September 14 at New York City Center.

LILI/DARWIN written and performed by Darwin Del Fabro.

Directed by The Tank’s Artistic Director, Meghan Finn.

A poetic solo performance exploring the intimate, overlapping journeys of Lili Elbe and Darwin Del Fabro, "Lili / Darwin" invites the audience into a raw, unflinching world of identity, memory, and becoming. Through voice, projection, and powerful language, Darwin brings to life the blurred lines of self and story, history and present.

Darwin Del Fabro is a Brazilian writer, performer, and producer based in New York. After years of creative work in theater and music, Lili / Darwin marks her return to the stage following her gender transition. Drawing from an inspiring lifelong connection to the story of Lili Elbe, Darwin intertwines personal narrative with historical record in this deeply intimate, genre-defying piece. The play traces the evolution of identity through language, history, and transformation.

Lili Elbe was a Danish painter who was assigned male at birth, experienced what is now called gender dysphoria, and underwent the world's first documented sex reassignment surgery in 1930. Her life inspired the 2015 Academy Award-winning film "The Danish Girl" starring Eddie Redmayne, and a 2023 opera by Tobias Picker.

"I’ve always written to survive, to see myself clearly,” says Darwin Del Fabro. “Lili / Darwin is the most personal work I’ve ever brought to the stage. It’s not just a play — it’s a reintroduction to myself, and an homage to the woman who helped me find the courage to begin."

Lili / Darwin will be a featured mainstage show as part of The Tank's annual LimeFest, which invites new works by creative teams who identify as women, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming to make way for more gender parity in the performing arts. Produced by McKenna McQueen, the festival and runs August 2 - 24, 2025 at The Tank NYC.

JUST ANOTHER DAY by Dan Lauria.

Directed by Eric Krebs.

Starring Dan Lauria best known as the Dad on the hit television series "The Wonder Years" and famed movie star Patty McCormack who came to world wide fame in "The Bad Seed."

The creatives are: Original Music by Lord Graham Russell. Original Scenic Design by Christopher Swader and Justin Swader. Odyssey Scenic Design by Peter Hickok. Lighting Design by Michael Blendermann. Video and Sound Design by Dan Lauria. Stage Manager Katie Chabot. Produced by Beth Hogan. Presented by Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Beth Hogan, acting artistic director.

A joyous and deeply moving love story about the complex nature of aging. In this captivating romantic comedy that celebrates the resilience of love with hilarity, pathos and meaning, a couple in their seventies meet daily on a park bench to exchange wits and barbs, wax nostalgic about old movies — and to try to remember how they know, and love, one another.

"The characters are two former comedy writers who now have dementia, so every day they meet, they write comedy, and they fall in love again," explains Lauria.

"I want the audience to understand that the creative spirit never dies," he says. "All the other plays I’ve seen or read have to do with how the family deals with dementia. This is the only play on this subject I know of that is not about the family or the hospital conditions. This play is about the creative spirit that lives on no matter what."

"Just Another Day" had its New York City premiere at off-Broadway’s Theatre 555 in a production produced and directed by Krebs, then traveled to Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where it will return in October.

Founded in 1969 by Ron Sossi, a pioneer in the intimate theater movement who remained at the company’s helm for 56 years until his recent death on March 19 at the age of 85, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is one of Los Angeles’ most adventurous companies, offering world-class live theater experiences in its three-theater complex.

Performances of "Just Another Day" take place from August 30 through September 28, with one preview set for Friday, August 29.

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

FINAL OVATION

DAME CLEO LAINE DANKWORTH one of the most distinctive voices in the history of jazz died inher home on Friday, July 24, 2025. She was 97.

The English singer and actress was known for her scat singing. Laine had popular success with singles such as "You'll Answer To Me" and appeared in a range of musical theatre productions. She received a number of awards and honors including an OBE in 1979 and a Grammy in 1986; she became a Dame in 1997.

She played the lead in Barry Reckord's play "Flesh to a Tiger" at London's Royal Court Theatre. The same year, she played the title role in "The Barren One", Sylvia Wynter's adaptation of Federico García Lorca's Yerma. This led to other stage work, such as the musical Valmouth in 1959, the play"A Time to Laugh" in 1962, "Boots with Strawberry Jam" in 1968, and eventually to her role as Julie in Wendy Toye's production of "Show Boat" at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1971. Show Boat had its longest run to date in that London production, 910 performances.

Laine played roles in Colette, a musical by Dankworth in 1979; and in Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" in 1983 and Franz Lehár's "The Merry Widow" the following year for Michigan Opera. In 1985 she originated the role of Princess Puffer in the "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" on Broadway, for which she received a Tony nomination. In 1989, she received a Los Angeles critics' award for her portrayal of the Witch in Sondheim's "Into the Woods." In May 1992, Laine appeared with Frank Sinatra for a week of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

She was the wife of jazz composer and musician Sir John Dankworth. Dankworth and Laine founded the Stables theatre in 1970, in what was the old stables block in the grounds of their home. It eventually hosted over 350 concerts per year.

In 1946, Laine married George Langridge, a roof tiler, with whom she had a son, Stuart. The couple divorced in 1957.Her son predeceased her, in 2019, aged 72.

Dankworth died in February 6, 2010. She is survived by sons, bassist Alec Dankworth and singer Jacqui Dankworth.

Next Column: August 10, 2025
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Laura Deni