Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: August 30, 2020
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

HOUSTON'S ALLEY THEATRE OFFERS SUPPORT TO THEATERS IMPACTED BY HURRICANE LAURA

Hurricane Laura was an equal opportunity destroyer - the strongest storm to hit the Louisiana coastline in over 100 years, with winds of 150 mph. Suffering a direct hit was Lake Charles, a city of 80,000 people. Having survived a similar tragedy, the famed Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas is reaching out to arts organizations to offer support.

The Alley posted:

"To all of the arts organizations that have been affected by #HurricaneLaura: our hearts go out to you. After being devastated by #HurricaneHarvey in 2017, the Alley knows how difficult it is to rebuild and recover from a catastrophic storm.

"We would like to extend our support to any arts organization that has been affected by #HurricaneLaura. Whether it is assisting you with our expertise to restore props or finding new ways to protect your building in the future, we will be happy to help."

The Alley requests that impacted organization contact the Alley's press office which will "direct you to someone at the Alley who can help."

The Houston and Galveston areas were largely spared after days of preparing for the potential of a devastating direct hit, weather officials said.

The storm tore through the wall of the WVUE TV station in New Orleans. In Lake Charles a transmission tower toppled into the studios of KPLC-TV, whose staff has been evacuated to broadcast from other locations.

In Lake Charles the 22-story Capitol One Tower suffered severe window damage. The roof of the Golden Nugget casino was destroyed. The L'Auberge Casino Resort also suffered substantial damage. L’Auberge is operated by Penn National Gaming, which also runs the M Resort and Tropicana in Las Vegas.

In Austin, Texas Circuit of the Americas race track was set up to house evacuees and pets.

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

ANDY WARHOL

Andy Warhol self portrait.

this major retrospective is the first Warhol exhibition at Tate Modern in London for almost 20 years. As well as his iconic pop images of Marilyn Monroe, Coca-Cola and Campbell’s soup cans, it includes works never seen before in the UK. Twenty-five works from his Ladies and Gentlemen series – portraits of black and Latinx drag queens and trans women – are shown for the first time in 30 years.

Popularly radical and radically popular, Warhol was an artist who reimagined what art could be in an age of immense social, political and technological change.?

Andy Warhol was the son of immigrants who became an American icon. A shy gay man who became the hub of New York’s social scene. An artist who embraced consumerism, celebrity and the counter culture – and changed modern art in the process.

He was born in 1928 as Andrew Warhola to working-class parents from present day Slovakia. In 1949 he moved from Pittsburgh to New York. Initially working as a commercial illustrator, his skill at transforming the imagery of American culture soon found its realization in his ground-breaking pop art.

On display through November 15, 2020.

All visitors will need to book a ticket in advance. This is due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus. Expect: A one-way route - Increased cleaning regimes in toilets and high use areas - Protective screens on desks and counters - Hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the gallery - The cloakroom is closed so avoid bringing bulky coats or bags.

Keep your distance and act on any guidance the staff gives - Please wear a face covering.

BRICE SPRINGSTEEN'S 1969 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE one of the most iconic car lyrics in music history, has been install in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Museum. Once owned by The Boss, the car can be found on the museum’s lower level.

The car is on loan to the Rock Hall from Toby Scott, a sound engineer who worked on 18 of Springsteen albums, including Darkness On The Edge of Town; Born in the U.S.A. and Tunnel of Love. Springsteen gifted the Chevelle to Scott in 1988.

“[It] is a car [Bruce and I] had driven around New Jersey on many an occasion,” recalls Scott. “Although not the inspiration for the song Racing in the Street, [that song’s] opening lines describe it exactly: ‘I got a ’69 Chevy with a 396, Fuelie headers and a Hurst on the floor…”

In addition to Springsteen's car, the Rock Hall has recently opened up new exhibits, including the 2020 Inductee Exhibit honoring this year’s class (Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G., T.Rex, Whitney Houston, and Ahmet Ertegun honorees Irving Azoff and Jon Landau) and “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment” spotlighting how artists throughout generations, from Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and James Brown to Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine and Miles Mosley, have used music as a platform for social justice.

The Rock Hall in Cleveland, Ohio is open daily with social distancing guidelines. Tickets must be purchased online in advance at rockhall.com.

E-Book

Soft back Book

SWEET CHARITY

DEAR LIAR starring Marsha Mason and Brian Cox.

“The perfect love affair is one which is conducted entirely by post.” – George Bernard Shaw Nobody knows quite what went on between playwright (and vegetarian) George Bernard Shaw and the celebrated, yet temperamental English stage actress, Mrs. Patrick Campbell ("Mrs. Pat") for whom he created Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion. But for 40 years of their very public lives, these two titanic personalities of the British theatre carried on a very private affair through the exchange of letters. Full of stinging wit and deep emotion, Dear Liar brings their epistolary relationship to life - revealing not only the ups and downs of their storied careers, but also illustrating the very stormy infatuation and magnetism that pulled these spirits together even through separation, hardship and heartbreak.

Watch in the comfort of your own home on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

Dear Liar will be streamed via a private link sent to ticket buyers the day of the reading. Early bird tickets (until August 31) for the broadcast are $25. Any tickets purchased the day of the event are $35.

All ticket proceeds of this reading will support the Bucks County Playhouse Pandemic Campaign.

The Bucks County Playhouse is located in New Hope, PA.

THE ORIGINAL CAST OF THE WEST WING is reuniting for the first time in 17 years as a benefit for When We All Vote, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that aims to increase voter participation.

In addition, WarnerMedia will make a donation to When We All Vote.

The theatrical stage presentation of an episode will stream in the fall om HBO Max. Series creator Aaron Sorkin, 59, will write original material for the event. Sorkin and executive producer Thomas Schlamme, 70, who will direct, plan to film the reunion over the course of several days in October at Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, in accordance with Covid-19 production guidelines.

A stage presentation based on the Aaron Sorkin series, which aired from 1999 to 2006 on NBC. The special will revisit the episode Hartsfield’s Landing from the show’s third season, which centers on a fictional small town that is one of the first to declare its election results in state and federal elections.

Original cast members Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and Martin Sheen will all reprise their roles from the episode, which is designed to raise awareness for voter participation with When We All Vote, a nonpartisan nonprofit founded by former first lady Michelle Obama. To that end, the special - titled A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote - - will also feature guest appearances from Obama, along with additional special guests and cast members yet to be announced.

“With A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, we are excited to revisit this legendary series and offer our passionate fans something that is substantial, meaningful and unforgettable, while also promoting an important message for our time,” Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max, said in a statement. “Combined with WarnerMedia’s donation to When We All Vote, this special not only entertains but also help ensure the organization can carry forth its mission to increase voter participation in every election.”

The West Wing was a critical hit upon its release, with the show winning 27 Emmy Awards over the course of its seven season run on NBC. It also won two Peabody Awards, two Humanitas Prizes, two Golden Globes, seven Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Writers Guild of America Awards, two Directors Guild of America Awards, and five Television Critics Association Awards, among many others. It was produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

SPREADING THE WORD

MURDER AT RIVER CROSSING BOOK CLUB is the first show in a new interactive Zoom experience from Live in Theater.

In this fun, interactive thought-provoking zoom experience, you will be able to use your sleuthing skills, comb through evidence and use interrogation techniques to find out who killed Ursula Fitzroy.

Created by Collin Blackard, Carlo D’Amore, Phoebe Dunn, Natalia Yandyganova. Written and Directed by Carlo D’Amore.

Present time. The Fictionalized rural community of River Crossing, Carolina receives shocking news that Ursula Fitzroy, local socialite and the last descendant of the wealthiest family in town is found dead, minutes before the Book Club would have disbanded. The police initially rule the death an accident, but discrepancies and the very reputation of the deceased make some believe she was murdered. To solve the mystery, audience members play the role of investigative reporters as they interrogate all the suspects, looking for an honest story to publish on tomorrow's front page edition.

The cast includes: Collin Blackard - Too Much Charlie; Phoebe Dunn - Ricarda Pissum, MD; Chris Enright - The Judge & Ursula’sHusband; Lemond Hayes - Mullet The Bartender; Olivia Jimenez - The Teacher; Sarah Sutliff - Ursula’s Best Friend.

"LIT has reinvented the theatrical murder mystery genre, we take the format and make it come alive like no one else."

The next preview date is August 31, 2020.

This experience is available for private booking only!

EAST LYNNE THEATER COMPANY in East Cape My, New Jersey on August 20 learned that they received the 4th theater contract from Actor's Equity permitting a theater in which actors will be working on a set, in costume, with no masks or social distancing. This permits the East Lynne Theater Company to rehearse and film Nothing Matters, written by Dave Geible, about famous journalist Ambrose Bierce. It will be available on ELTC's YouTube Channel from September 30 - November 7, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 PM, for $15.

ELTC's Artistic Director Gayle Stahlhuth serves as director, costumer and set designer. Her husband, Lee O'Connor who is ELTC's technical director is the stage manager, light board operator, and will put up the simple set. When it comes to filming, Rob LeMaire is setting up the cameras and will be editing.

Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the union for professional actors and stage managers, announced in May that none of its 51,000 members will be allowed to work unless it is safe. Since then, they have granted contracts to two theaters in Massachusetts and are allowing the Broadway musical Diana to be filmed and aired on Netflix before returning to Broadway in the spring of 2021.

iHEART RADIO MUSIC AWARDS have been canceled for 2020, but winners will still be announced.

The 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards were originally scheduled to take place March 29 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, with Usher hosting.

The winners will be announced over the Labor Day weekend (September 4-7) on 840 iHeartRadio stations nationwide and via iHeart’s social platforms.

This year’s nominations were announced on January 8, 2020. Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes were this year’s top nominees, with seven nods each. Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello each garnered six nods.

A NEW FILM ADAPTATION OF THE BOYS IN THE BAND starring Zachary Quinto and Jim Parson is set to launch globally on Netflix on September 30, 2020. Joe Mantello’s film adaptation of his 2018 Tony Award winning Broadway production reunites the ensemble cast which also features Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells. Completing the cast are Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesús, Brian Hutchison, Michael Benjamin Washington, Tuc Watkins.

Matt Crowley’s 1968 play about gay friendships and chosen family was ground-breaking for the time when being gay was best kept behind closed doors. Set in New York City, what begins as an evening of drinks and laughter descends into a night of confrontation, where the the very foundation of their friendship is put into question.

PIPPIN Stephen Schwartz’s much loved musical September 8 - 27 at the newly minted Garden Theatre in South London.

Directed by Steven Dexter, the show will feature an ensemble cast including Ryan Anderson, Tanisha-Mae Brown, Joanne Clifton, Harry Francis and Dan Krikler. Schwartz has given his blessing for the show to be performed by a cast of six for the the first time ever.

The show has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson. The original 1972 Broadway production was directed by Bob Fosse who also contributed to the libretto, and was one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

Initially conceived as a student production by Schwartz at Carnegie Mellon University, Pippin uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe, led by a Leading Player, to tell the story of Pippin, a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. As encouraged by the Leading Player, Pippin dabbles in bloody battle, licentious and lusty sexual entanglements, and savvy political maneuvers, only to discover that true happiness is more complicated than he thought.

Director Steven Dexter said: “Pippin originally opened on Broadway in October 1972, however Stephen Schwartz started writing an early version of the show while a student at Carnegie Mellon University in 1967. Flower power was at its peak, war was raging in Vietnam and Hair opened on Broadway. It was the year of the Summer of Love. My take on the show – which I have been lucky to direct twice before at drama schools – is told by a group of hippie travelers. A huge thank you to Stephen Schwartz and David Hirson, (son of book writer Roger O. Hirson) for embracing this approach and granting us the rights for a new version of Pippin with a cast of six players.”

The creative team includes choreography by Nick Winston, musical direction by Michael Bradley, design by David Shields and casting by Anne Vosser.

Face masks have to be worn for all performances, with audiences socially distanced within The Garden Theatre.

Cousin Brucie was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2001. He is the recipient of the Bravery in Radio Award from William Paterson University for his “inspirational radio programming and lifelong commitment to radio,” the Talkers Magazine 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Montclair State University, for excellence in broadcasting.

LONDON'S NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL traces its roots to the emancipation of Black slaves and race riots in the city during the late 1950s

The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event that has taken place in London since 1966. In July 2020 it was announced that a series of free live-streamed events will be shown across four channels on the Notting Hill Carnival website. This year, elements of the event will be prerecorded and streamed to the world this week-end, concluding August 31, 2020.

The long weekend that traditionally ends Britain’s summer holiday season. One channel will focus on the parade, including the dancers who normally snake through the streets of Notting Hill wearing colorful headdresses, masks and movable art. Others will stream music, cultural discussions and presentations on food and drink.

Executive Director is Matthew Phillip.

LIVE PERFORMANCE OF WORLD-RENOWNED DJ BEN BOHMER takes place on Monday, August 31, in Cappadocia, Turkey at dawn in a hot air balloon. The event will be aired at 8 pm, August 30 in Los Angeles, at 11pm, August 30 in New York and at 12 pm on August 31 in Tokyo.

Presented by Cercle, one of the leading electronic music platforms which broadcasts DJ sets in carefully selected and unusual places with their motto “Timeless Music”, this event is organized with the contribution of Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency and Ministry of Tourism, Cappadocia -an incredibly special location included in UNESCO's world heritage list.

This heavenly electronic music show will be broadcasted live on Cercle Music social media accounts. The audience will also be able to view Ben Böhmer's performance on GoTurkey Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The performance will be followed by an on-line interview with Böhmer where the audience will have the chance to direct their questions to the famous DJ.

Ben Böhmer, 26, is a composer, producer and DJ from Göttingen, Germany. He primarily produces and performs deep and progressive house music.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Money may be the root of all evil, but it also spawns a lot of jokes.

Uber lost over a billion dollars in the last six months so they're asking their drivers to check between the seat cushions.

I won $3 million on the lottery this weekend so I decided to donate a quarter of it to charity. Now I have $2,999,999.75.

The stock market is weird. Every time one guy sells, another one buys, and they both think they're smart.

Having teenagers is just paying for a bunch of dates that you don't get to go on.

Nothing says' I love my dog' quite like spending more money on his haircut than you do your own.

I am going to qualify for free shipping no matter how much it costs.

I am currently boycotting the companies that sell items I can't afford.

College is the opposite of kidnapping. They demand $100,000 from you or they'll send your kid back.

There's nothing I've learned from being a parent that I couldn't just as easily have figured out from setting all my money on fire.

What do you get if you cross a sorceress with a millionaire? A very witch person.

Why do I keep paying the bills? It just encourages them to send more.

If you think nobody cares whether you're alive, try missing a couple of credit card payments.

A bank is a place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you don't need it.

If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars.

Borrow money from pessimists, they don’t expect it back.

What’s the best way to get in touch with your long-lost relatives? Win the lottery.

"The trick is to stop thinking of it as ‘your’ money.” said the IRS auditor.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

NATION WIDE 18,000 MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL furloughed employees across the country have received notice that they will be laid off Monday, August 31,2020. That amounts to about a quarter of the company’s pre-pandemic workforce.

MGM furloughed nearly 63,000 employees this year as casinos across the country temporarily closed their doors to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

FYI: Furloughed staffers are still technically employees: they retain their employment rights and generally their benefits. Laid off workers are no longer employees, and lose their benefits and protections.

E-Book

Soft back Book

LABYRINTH THEATER COMPANY heading into its 29th season, has named Aaron Roman Weiner as its new Artistic Director. Weiner started as an intern at LAB 19 years ago, fetching coffee and printing scripts.

Following a cumulative 21 years as Artistic Director of New York City based LAByrinth, John Ortiz will now turn his focus to chairing the company’s Board.

LAB Leadership Committee member Liza Colón-Zayas stated: “After a search and a vote by membership, I was thrilled to see Aaron easily elected as our next Artistic Director. As a member of LAB’s Leadership Committee, I will continue to work closely with Aaron, as will our other committee members, Elizabeth Canavan, Alfredo Narciso, Kelley Rae O’Donnell, and Neil Tyrone Pritchard.”

TONY AWARDS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 18 shows and plays qualified for this year’s award show which will be a virtual presentation on a yet to be announced date.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rules have been adjusted for one-time only to ensure broad recognition of excellent work that occurred during the abbreviated Broadway season while also protecting the integrity of the Award,” the Tony Awards Attendance Committee explained in a statement.

"Performance and creative categories will be handled in a similar manner to how show categories have been handled in the past few years.” Normally, each category would have four to five nominees, but due to the fact that many shows did not get a chance to open the committee will be capping the category at three.

The only shows that are eligible for 2020 Tony Awards' nominations are:

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Sea Wall/A Life
Betrayal
The Height of the Storm
The Great Society
Slave Play
Linda Vista
The Rose Tattoo
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
The Sound Inside
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
The Inheritance
A Christmas Carol
Jagged Little Pill
My Name is Lucy Barton
A Soldier’s Play
Grand Horizons
Such shows as Six and West Side Story, which under normal circumstances would have been considered, were not seen by enough Tony committee members and therefore were not eligible to compete.

The Committee also announced that:

Elizabeth Strout and Rona Munro will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Play category for their work as co-authors on My Name is Lucy Barton.

Laura Linney will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play category for her performance in My Name is Lucy Barton.

Bob Crowley and Luke Halls will be considered jointly eligible in the Best Scenic Design of a Play category for their work on My Name is Lucy Barton.

David Alan Grier will be considered eligible in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play category for his performance in A Soldier’s Play.

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.

FINAL OVATION

NEAL AMES former road manager for Sly & the Family Stone died August 7, 2020 in Panorama City, California. He was 87.

While Ames was road manager a non appearance of Sly caused a major Chicago riot.

An article in the August 13, 1970 issue of Jet was headlined:

Blacks, Whites Wounded by Gunfire From Police.

. . . As a result of a barrage of rocks, broken bottles, bricks, chunks of jagged concrete and other missiles which were thrown by the youthful crowd, there were 91 police causalities. Three rock fans two Blacks and one white were wounded by gunfire which the police let loose in a fierce confrontation. A total of 160 persons were arrested Besides the missile throwing, police cars were overturned, burned and then the crowd spilled out of the park, looted and shattered store windows . . . .Police estimated that $80,000 worth of damage was done to merchants, the park and police property.

"The mad outbreak was blamed on the nonappearance of Sly & The Family Stone but the group's road manager Neal Ames, told Jet, "It doesn't seem like anyone knew that he (Sly) was to appear at 6:30pm" Advanced press releases listed the group to appear at 4pm when in fact two other groups were to appear before the Stone group.

The Chicago incident resulted in cancellations of rock festivals across the nation.

After retiring from the music business Ames established custom shade factories in North Hollywood, Mexico and China.

Search Results Web results Ames is survived by his loving partner of 45 years and wife of 36 years, Blanche D'Souza and sons Neal, Mark and Trevor, grandchildren, great grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews and extended family. His son Corey passed in 1960 and daughter, Cherry died in 2010.

LOU RAGLAND soul legend and lead vocalist for the world famous Ink Spots died August 19, 2020 at his home in North Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 78.

“I own the copyright and name,” he said referring to the World Famous Ink Spots in 2012. While performing as part of a long term contract at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas he ran the city of Las Vegas’ media arts program.

Ragland is survived by his wife of 27 years Stella, eight children and numerous grandchildren.

Next Column: Seotember 6, 2020
Copyright: August 30, 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

---