Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: December 10, 2023
By: Laura Deni
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THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA PAYS TRIBUTE TO GRACIELA DANIELE

The Gardens of Anuncia cast. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

New Yorkers and Broadway aficionados know Graciela Daniele.

For those who don't - get ready to be impressed.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Raúl Daniele and Rosa del Carmen Almoina. After her parents divorced, her mother got a job as a secretary for the Argentinian government. Later, her mother became an actress.

Daniele began her dance training at the age of seven at Teatro Colón, Argentina's equivalent of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. She later moved to Paris to continue her ballet studies, and while living there attended a performance of West Side Story, with Jerome Robbins's original choreography. Overwhelmed by the way dance was an integral part of the story-telling, she decided to move to New York City to study jazz and modern dance, styles she felt were best for expressing human emotions on stage. As a performer, Daniele made her Broadway debut in What Makes Sammy Run? in 1964. She studied with Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham while working with Bob Fosse, Agnes de Mille, and Michael Bennett, who hired her to assist him with Follies in 1971. Her first credit as a full-fledged choreographer was the 1979 revival of The Most Happy Fella.

Daniele has worked with Woody Allen on three films, Mighty Aphrodite, Everyone Says I Love You, and Bullets over Broadway. In addition to her work in New York City, where she has choreographed for Ballet Hispanico and served as a director-in-residence at Lincoln Center, Daniele has directed and/or choreographed theatrical, opera, and dance productions throughout the United States. She has directed and/or choreographed several musicals of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, including, most recently, The Glorious Ones (2007) and Dessa Rose (2005) at the Off-Broadway Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center. She has directed and/or choreographed several musicals of Michael John LaChiusa Off-Broadway, most recently Bernarda Alba (2006) and Little Fish (2003).

In 1991, she was the first to direct William Finn's two one-act musicals March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland as one evening of theater, for the Hartford Stage Company. This combination went on to become the musical Falsettos. In 2005, Daniele was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

The Argentine-American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director, Graciela Daniele, who celebrated her 84th birthday on December 8th, is also celebrating The Gardens of Anuncia which tells her unusual life story through the three women who raised her - tia, Mami, and Granmama.

Many an award winning creative has attempted to tell "their" story, usually in the form of a cabaret performance. Most have fallen flat.

What makes this different?

The story form and the creatives.

It's extremely difficult to step back and objectively view yourself, presenting your experience in a way that interests anyone other than yourself.

Graciela Daniele has succeeded.

This is an Off-Broadway show, not a three act, big budget Broadway musical with over the top costumes and a closing Act I bring-'em to their feet song. The Gardens of Anuncia is a a stripped down, bare bones interesting, loving, quirky tribute to Daniele from her long time collaborator and friend, the composer and lyricist John Michael LaChiusa whose musical footprints are statement making. Set in Argentina during the Peron resign the score is operatic infused marches and the expected Tango.

Directed and choreographed by Daniele at the intimate Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, she deftly manages the unusual task of staging her own life's story.

Starring Priscilla Lopez (older Anuncia); Kalyn West (Younger Anuncia); Andréa Burns (Tia); Mary Testa (Granmama); Eden Espinosa (Mama); Enrique Acevedo (Granpapa / That Man / The Priest / Mustache Brother) & Tally Sessions (The Deer / Mustache Brother).

The elephant in the room is "That Man', who deserted Anuncia when she was six - her father.

Tending her garden is used as the tangible metaphor for her life. Anuncia gives the illusion that the past hasn't affected her - that she doesn't dwell on the what was but rather looks to the future.

In this production Daniele hides behind the name Anunci who talks to her flowers - the way many gardeners do. She's nervous as she is about to receive a lifetime achievement award. She inspects the flowering tomatoes, not yet plump and juicy. The aroma of melancholy perfumes the garden.

She addresses the anemones, telling them how she got to where she is. She continues to search for the perfect spot, the place where she will lay to rest the ashes of her tía (aunt). It is the trauma of that death which has jolted Anunci to review the women in her life.

In affect a coming of age tale, The Gardens of Anuncia then takes us through the labyrinth of Anuncia’s existance, weaving a tale based on Daniele's experiences with those three women who were the spine of her existance.

Some of the most difficult costumes are those which are "current." No traditional Victorian or ancient Greek to fall back on. Taking what people have in their closets, or can buy in stores, and turning the current into a coordinated creative expression was accomplished by Toni-Leslie James. Some are ultra simple - men as deer with antlers on their head - the type that can be purchased at a costume or high end party shop.

While the book is charming but unassuming the score is rich, ranging from profound to misanthropic; surreal to confident.

It has been announced that the cast of The Gardens of Anuncia recorded an original cast album on Monday, December 4, to be released in 2024. Released by Ghostlight Records, the album is produced by Lawrence Manchester and Michael John LaChiusa.

While not known as operatic singers, the performers are dynamic and excellent in delivering a score which is dramatic and emphatic.

Andréa Burns as the deceased tía, is the soul of the show. Priscilla Lopez is the storyteller. Kalyn West is wise and adorable still experiencing the magic of childhood as Young Anuncia. The abuse that Mami's suffered at the hands of "That Man" Anuncia's father is told through musical flashback. Granmama with her propensity for the dramatic is brought to life by Mary Testa.

Creatively inventive beaded strings and hanging flowers by Mark Wendland transform into what the imagination and lighting design create: from trees to prison cells.

Other creatives are: Orchestrations by Michael Starobin. Sound design by Drew Levy. Co-choreographer Alex Sanchez. Lighting design by Jules Fischer (who is married to Daniele) and Peggy Eisenhauer, recreated by David Lander.

The Gardens of Anuncia is now in performance at Lincoln Center Theater, New York City.

An intersting and moving production.

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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 SLAVE BAKERY - THE OTHER POMPEII: ORDINARY LIVES IN THE SHADOW OF VESUVIUS

Pompeii prison bakery. Photo: Palestra Grande.

will open on December 15 at the Palestra Grande in Pompeii—dedicated to that myriad of individuals often forgotten by the historical sources, such as the slaves, who constituted the majority of the population and whose labor contributed in an important way not only to the economy, but also to the culture and social fabric of Roman civilization.

A Pompeii prison bakery has emerged.

In the floor are indentations to coordinate the movement of donkeys and enslaved workers.

A bakery-prison, where enslaved workers and donkeys were confined and exploited to grind the grain needed to make bread. A cramped room with no view of the outside world and with small windows high in the wall with iron bars to let the light in. In the floor indentations to coordinate the movement of the animals, forced to walk around for hours, blindfolded.

The workspace has emerged in Region IX, Insula 10, where excavations are underway as part of a larger project to secure and consolidate the slopes that form the edge of the unexcavated areas of the ancient city of Pompeii.

Excavations have uncovered a house in the process of renovation. As is often the case, the house is divided into a residential area, decorated with exquisite Fourth Style frescoes, and a productive quarter, in this case a bakery. In one of the rooms of the bakery, three victims were discovered in recent months, confirming that, despite the ongoing renovation, the property was far from uninhabited.

"A witness to the backbreaking labor to which men, women and animals were subjected in the ancient mills and bakeries, was the second century AD writer, Apuleius, whose account we are fortunate to have in Metamorphoses IX 11-13. Evidently based on direct knowledge of similar contexts, Apuleus recounts the experience of the protagonist, Lucius, who was transformed into a donkey and sold to a miller," continued Pompeiiaites Organization.

The new discoveries also make it possible to understand better the practical workings of the premises, which, although not in use at the time of the eruption, gives us a timely confirmation of the disconcerting picture painted by Apuleius.

The production area that has been uncovered is devoid of doors and communication with the outside world; the only exit leads into the atrium of the house, not even the stable has direct access to the street, as is often the case. "It is, in other words, a space in which we have to imagine the presence of people of servile status whose freedom of movement the owner felt the need to restrict," notes Director Gabriel Zuchtriegel, in a co-authored scholarly article published December 8, 2023 in the E-Journal of the Pompeii excavations. "It is the most shocking side of ancient slavery, the one devoid of both trusting relationships and promises of manumission, where we were reduced to brute violence, an impression that is entirely confirmed by the securing of the few windows with iron bars."

The area of the millstones, located in the southern part of the central room, is adjacent to the stable, characterized by the presence of a long feeding trough.

A series of semicircular indentations can be seen in the volcanic basalt paving slabs around the millstones. Given the robust durability of the material, it is likely that what at first glance might appear to be "footprints" are actually deliberate carvings made to prevent draught animals from slipping on the pavement and simultaneously tracing a path, thus forming a "circular furrow" (curva canalis) as Apuleius also describes it.

"Iconographic and literary sources, particularly the reliefs from the tomb of Eurysaces in Rome, suggest that a millstone was usually moved by a couple consisting of a donkey and a slave. The latter, in addition to pushing the grindstone, had the task of inciting the animal and monitoring the grinding process, adding grain, and collecting the flour."

The wear on the various indentations can be attributed to the endless cycles, always the same, carried out according to the pattern laid out in the pavement. More than just a groove it reminds us of the gears of a clockwork mechanism, designed to synchronize the movement around the four tightly packed millstones found in this area.

The resurfaced space, with its evidence of hard daily life, complements the picture told in the exhibition "The Other Pompeii: Ordinary Lives in the Shadow of Vesuvius" —dedicated to that myriad of individuals often forgotten by the historical sources, such as the slaves, who constituted the majority of the population and whose labor contributed in an important way not only to the economy, but also to the culture and social fabric of Roman civilization.

"In the final analysis," the director adds, "it is spaces like this that also help us understand why there were those who thought it necessary to change that world and why in the same years Paul, a member of a small religious group, who was later canonized, wrote that it is better to be all servants, 'douloi', meaning slaves, not of an earthly master, but rather of a heavenly one."

THE TURNER PRIZE 2023 has been awarded to Jesse Darling. The winner of the £25,000 prize was announced at Tuesday evening's ceremony presented by musician, creative and broadcaster Tinie Tempah at Eastbourne’s Winter Garden, adjacent to Towner Eastbourne, the hosts of this year’s prize.

Darling's recent practice encompasses sculpture, installation, text and drawing. The jury commended his use of materials and commonplace objects like concrete, welded barriers, hazard tape, office files and net curtains, to convey a familiar yet delirious world. Invoking societal breakdown, his presentation unsettles perceived notions of labor, class, Britishness and power.

One of the best-known visual arts prizes in the world, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. The prize is awarded to an artist born or based in the UK, for an outstanding exhibition or presentation of their work in the past twelve months. The shortlisted artists for 2023 were: Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim and Barbara Walker.

The members of the Turner Prize 2023 jury are Martin Clark, Director, Camden Art Centre; Cédric Fauq, Chief Curator, Capc musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux; Melanie Keen, Director of Wellcome Collection and Helen Nisbet, CEO and Artistic Director, Cromwell Place. The jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, Director, Tate Britain.

An exhibition of the four shortlisted artists is at Towner Eastbourne until April 14, 2024. It is curated by Noelle Collins, Exhibitions and Offsite Curator at Towner Eastbourne. This year’s prize is presented as part of Towner 100, a year-long celebration of arts and culture across Eastbourne and Sussex marking the centenary of Towner Eastbourne.

Turner Prize 2023 is sponsored by King & McGaw. The education partner is University of Sussex. Turner Prize is supported by Lorna Gradden, Chalk Cliff Trust, The John Browne Charitable Trust and The Uggla Family Foundation. It is also supported in 2023 by Eastbourne Borough Council and East Sussex County Council.

The prize will mark its 40th anniversary next year, returning to Tate Britain for the first time since 2018.

A CENTURY OF THE EGO AND THE ID The Freud Museum in London is celebrating the centenary of the publication of Freud’s famous work The Ego and the Id with an interactive mini-exhibition exploring visual metaphors behind the id, ego and superego – concepts that have become household names.

It will be an opportunity to delve a little deeper into the Freudian universe while reclining on a perfect replica of Freud’s famous psychoanalytic couch – coming to us straight from the set of a new film Freud’s Last Session (2023) starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, Liv Lisa Fries and Matthew Goode.

Through rarely seen objects and photographs from the family archive, we will also offer a glimpse into Berggasse 19 in Vienna – Freud’s home for 47 years before he and his family fled Nazi-Occupied Austria to come to London. The Freud Museum is grateful to "The Circles of Art and to Lord David Freud for their kind support in making this mini-exhibition possible."

On exhibit to May 31, 2024 at the Freud Museum in London.

SEEING IN ART AND MEDICINE try your hand at close-looking activities in this interactive exhibition, which examines objects from across the collections through the lens of the medical humanities and the human questions that doctors face in their daily work.

This exhibition and the medical humanities program on which it is based are part of the Harvard Art Museums’ broader commitment to interdisciplinary learning. Now in its sixth year, the Seeing in Art and Medical Imaging program welcomes a cohort of nuclear medicine and radiology residents from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital to explore questions about human relationships, emotions, beliefs, and opinions through art. The yearlong program is organized around seven themes: narrative, objectivity, embodiment, empathy, power, ambiguity, and care.

Radiologists specialize in looking at images; their job is to examine patients’ bodies using X-rays, CT scans, and other visual technologies. Whereas this work is conducted at a rapid pace and high volume, the museum environment offers medical residents the opportunity to slow down. Through close looking and object-based exercises, they are given the time and space to develop their interpersonal and communication skills, discuss the big issues and challenges of their profession, and make room for the emotions both they and their patients feel in the clinical setting.

This exhibition brings together objects from across the collections that residents have explored as part of the Seeing in Art and Medical Imaging program, including works by Vito Acconci, William Anastasi, Alexandra Bell, Trisha Brown, Jess T. Dugan, Mona Hatoum, Dorothea Lange, Annette Lemieux, Timm Rautert, Dario Robleto, Fazal Sheikh, Rosemarie Trockel, and others.

When you visit, the museum invites you to stay awhile and linger in the active learning space. Try your hand at some of the writing and drawing activities from the Seeing in Art and Medical Imaging program, which you will encounter throughout the exhibition.

Curated by Jen Thum, Associate Director of Academic Engagement and Campus Partnerships and Research Curator; and Laura Muir, Interim Division Head and Director of Academic and Public Programs and Louis Miller Thayer Research Curator; with assistance from Sarah Lieberman, Cunningham Fellow in Academic and Public Programs.

On display through December 30, 2023 at the Harvard Art Musum in Boston.

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SWEET CHARITY

QUEEN CAMILLA

Queen Camilla helps a child select an ornament for the tree. Photo: The Royal Family

continued the annual tradition she started as the Duchess of Cornwall by inviting children, supported by Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, to decorate the Christmas tree in the library at Clarence House in London on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

Ten children, eight of whom were in wheelchairs, and their families enjoyed a festive day including a special surprise visit from Father Christmas and his reindeer Dancer and Blitzen who magically appeared from he North Pole before returning up north to assist Santa.

Queen Camilla was joined by Santa's reindeer Dancer and Blitzen. Photo: The Royal Family

Her Majesty looked holiday ready in a gorgeous green velvet dress by ME+M. She helped the children choose decorations for the tree, with her equerry Major Oliver Plunket using his sabre to place the ornament on the branches.

Camilla even served the guests a lunch of sausage and mashed potatoes with a broccoli crown and - for dessert - plenty of sweets.

The children enjoyed Christmas carols performed by the Band and Bugles of The Rifles. Lance Corporal Edward Watts, 29, brought smiles and laughs when he played festive songs with musical instruments made with a hosepipe attached to a watering can and post horn.

Helen & Douglas House was the world's first children's hospice when it opened in 1982, Helen & Douglas House cares for terminally ill children and their families from Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties. They provide medical, emotional and practical support, helping families deal with the implications of living with a child who will die prematurely, so they can make the most of their time together.

As The Duchess of Cornwall, Her Majesty became Patron of Helen & Douglas House in 2007 and this was the eighteenth time that families supported by the charity, along with hospice staff, have been invited to decorate the Christmas tree at Clarence House.

Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity provides specialist nurses and support for seriously ill children with some of the most complex health conditions in the UK. The children they support often have multiple conditions, which require lifelong specialist care.

Over 120 Roald Dahl Nurses currently support more than 33,000 seriously ill children. The dedication and expertise of Roald Dahl Nurses reduces waiting times, A&E visits, and hospital admissions. They are also a vital lifeline for the whole family, coordinating care and providing the highest level of emotional support.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA 2023 volunteers will hold a wreath-laying ceremony on the World War I Museum and Memorial’s Courtyard in Kansas City, MO to remember the fallen and to honor those who serve. This hour-long event coincides with other commemoration ceremonies occurring nationally, including one at Arlington National Cemetery. The event takes place Saturday, December 16, 2023.

THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION in partnership with Latin Grammy winner and founder of the all-woman mariachi band Flor de Toloache Mireya Ramos and Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, invested $40,000 as part of an educational experience that included a donation of musical instruments to J.C. Harmon High School in Kansas City.

NEW YORK STAGE AND FILM has successfully launched the "NYSAF 40 Campaign: The Foundation of American Storytelling" in honor of their 40th Anniversary in 2025. For nearly four decades, NYSAF has been an integral part of the arts in the U.S. and vital to the creation of thousands of new stories for the stage and screen. This three-year Anniversary Campaign invited members of the artistic community to pledge a yearly meaningful contribution of $2,500 or more to secure a funding base to reach the anniversary.

The first initial 40 pledges are from: Debbon Ayer and Rob Morrow, Jon Robin Baitz, Stephen Belber, Bob Boyett, Keith Bunin, Alexandra Cunningham, Diana DiMenna, Rick Elice, Halley Feiffer, Dale Franzen, Peter Gallagher & Paula Harwood, Doug Harmon, Donald Holder & Evan Yionoulis, Tom Hulce, Sheryl Kaller & Scott Zaretsky, Mark Linn-Baker & Christa Justus, Jennifer Manocherian, Judith Manocherian, Steve Martin, Max Mayer & Rebecca Carpenter, Leslie Mayer, Michael Mayer, Neil Mazzella, Kevin McCollum, Drew McCoy & Amy Aquino, Ina Meibach, Marianne Mills, Stephen & Jesse Nathan, Johanna Pfaelzer & Russell Champa, Daryl Roth, Steven Sater, Tony Shalhoub & Brooke Adams, John Patrick Shanley, John Slattery & Talia Balsam, Jon Tenney & Leslie Urdang, Alex Vassillaros, Terry & Darin Walters, Patti Wettig & Ken Olin, Barbara Whitman and Matt Williams.

ALL FOR THE HALL BENEFIT CONCERT raised nearly $1M for the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nearly two dozen stars -- Hall of Famers, up and comers and modern-day stars -- took to Bridgestone Arena's stage in Nashville last Tuesday, December 8, 2023.

Performers included: Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, and Country Music Hall of Fame members Brenda Lee, Brooks & Dunn and Patty Loveless. Hosts Vince Gill and Keith Urban also performed.

The event raised an unprecedented nearly $1 million in support of the nonprofit museum's education programs and celebrated music's power as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

SPREADING THE WORD

I WANT A HIPPOPOTAMUS FOR CHRISTMAS is celebrating the 70th anniversary of this popular holiday hit being recorded by Oklahoma City born Gayle Peevey.

The renowned recording of this classic holiday song resulted in children raising money to buy a hippopotamus for Gayla, who presented this particularly popular pachyderm to the Oklahoma City Zoo on Christmas Eve 1953. The hippo went to hippo heaven in March 1998.

DACRE STOKER, THE GREAT GRANDNEPHEW OF BRAM STOKER author of the original Dracula novel, on December 6, 2023 attended a performance of Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors at New World Stages in New York City.

The special occasion was the celebration of the recent 100th performance.

At the December 6 performance, after the cast was presented with a cake celebrating the recent 100th performance, producers Drew Desky and Dane Levens welcomed Stoker (a "blood relative," you might say) to the stage where he said "Dracula has been adapted to the stage many times and in many ways. I think my uncle would be very proud of what happens on the stage at Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors. The adaptation, the creativity and the performances are all incredible. I think my uncle would have loved this. It’s just wonderful."

After taking questions from the audience, he congratulated the company on their success and presented them with a gift: red wine from his new Stoker Wines label, produced in Romania. A toast was made, with the wine served in blood bags, of course.

There are only a few more weeks to sink yourr teeth into Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors now playing in a limited engagement at New World Stages through January 7, 2023. Presented by Drew & Dane Productions and directed by Gordon Greenberg, the production features Jordan Boatman, Arnie Burton, James Daly, Ellen Harvey and Andrew Keenan-Bolger. The company understudies are Kaitlyn Boyer and Sean-Michael Wilkinson.

CHARLES DICKENS'

Gerald Dickens as Scrooge. Picture: Gerald Dickens Site

Great-Great-Great Granddaughter Lucinda Dickens Hawksley and his great-great grandson Gerald Dickens are imparting information about their famous relative.

Hawksley was the star attraction at the 18th annual New England Dickens' Fest hosting readings from A Christma Carol with actors Lia Bostnar and Ken Sheldon performing in multiple roles. The Fest which opened Wednesday at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey, NH closes today, December 10, 2023.

Also wrapping up today is Gerald Dickens' performance on the factory floor of Byers' Choice in Chalfont, PA.

Returning for his 19th year, actor and great-great grandson of Charles Dickens, Gerald has been performing A Christmas Carol since 1993 to the delight of audiences worldwide. A fascination with the life and works of his relative t led him to write and direct further one-man shows including Mr. Dickens is Coming!; Nicholas Nickleby, and Sketches by Boz.

In addition to A Christmas Carol, Gerald also performed Mr. Dickens is Coming and Dickens & The Queen: a Meeting of Two Victorians. That latter concerns Dickens and Queen Victoria whose paths once crossed. In this new performance Gerald delves into the intricate relationship, recreating the tone of that 1870 morning at Buckingham Palace where these legendary individuals finally came fave to face.

Following his American performances Gerald returns to England where he performs A Christmas Carol December 15-16 at St. George's Hall in Liverpool; December17 at Dalamere Manor in Cuddington Cheshire; December 18 at Leeds Library in Leeds, Yorkshire' December 19-30 Highclere Castle, Highclere, Berkshire and December 23 at The Gulkd Hall in Leicester.

M*A*S*H: THE COMEDY THAT CHANGED TELEVISION will air as a two hour special January 1, 2024 on ABC-TV.

A definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around previously un-aired interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter "Radar" O’Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy) who passed way in 2016), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. "Max" Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. "Trapper" John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds (1923-2020) and Burt Metcalfe (1935-2022).

"In these intimate, highly personal remembrances, the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters are revealed, alongside rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories," according to a release from Fox.

Members of the M*A*S*H family who are deceased: writer/producer Larry Gelbart (1928-2009), and series stars Larry Linville 1939-2000 (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan 1915-2011 (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson 1927-1996 (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) and David Ogden Stiers 1942-2018 (Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III) are remembered through a collection of clips from the series as well as in rarely-seen archival interviews.

"With unique experiences, observations and memories from 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, this special will make audiences laugh, touch their heartstrings, and leave them on a nostalgic high while celebrating the sustained brilliance of the iconic sitcom,"according to the release.

"MASH is not only a great television series, it is a cultural phenomenon. It has made multiple generations of viewers laugh, cry and think, often in the same episode," said Executive Producers John Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan. "We are excited to team with Fox to create this unprecedented window into an innovative television classic."

"MASH is among the most iconic sitcoms in the annals of television history. It’s a timeless show that comedically captures the 4077th medical corps and how they managed to maintain their sanity while saving lives on the front lines of the Korean War," said Dan Harrison, EVP, Program Planning & Content Strategy, Fox Entertainment. "Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe brought this incredible comedy to life thanks to their ensemble cast led by the incomparable Alan Alda. Fox is proud to celebrate the landmark achievements of one of the best comedies ever created."

The MASH two-and-a-half-hour series finale that first aired on CBS in 1983 remains the highest rated telecast in television history, delivering a 77 audience share and 60.2 rating. To-date, the show has continuously run in syndication, on basic cable and now streaming on Hulu. The series was produced by 20th Television.

MASH: The Comedy That Changed Television is directed by John Scheinfeld with Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan as Executive Producers.

PEABODY AND TONY AWARD WINNER BARRY BOSTWICK will join Debbie Wileman’s "Judy Garland" We Need a Little Christmas one night only concert on Sunday, December 10, 2023 at Carnegie Hall, New York City.

The evening will feature signature songs that Garland had previously released as well as newly arranged songs that Judy might have sung if she were still with us today. Wileman and Bostwick will be accompanied by a live orchestra, conducted by award-winning musical director and arranger Steve Orich.

T. S. ELIOT LECTURE SERIES will return to the Abbey stage in Dublin, Ireland on December 17, 2023.

Produced by the T. S. Eliot Estate in association with the Abbey Theatre, this lecture returns as the eighth in a series that has been inspired by T. S. Eliot’s impact on modern literature.

This year's lecture, Journey of the Magi, is named for T. S. Eliot's 1927 poem of the same name and will be delivered by Jeanette Winterson followed by an in conversation with Mark O'Connell.

NEIL GAIMAN AS CHARLES DICKENS A Dramatic Reading of A Christmas Carol takes place Monday, December 18 & Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at The Town Hall in New York City.

In 2013, Neil Gaiman performed Charles Dickens "performance text" of A Christmas Carol at the New York Public Library, dressed as Dickens and channeling Dickens' own celebrated public readings. The audio of that event became the most popular and most downloaded event the NYPL has ever had, becoming a Christmas staple.

"Now, ten years later, in a Christmas Miracle, Neil will be putting on a beard and top hat, and impersonating the great novelist once again, as he reads Dickens' unique performance text for two December nights to remember. Neil is renowned as one of the finest of modern readers/performers, as Dickens was in his time. For two glorious Victorian nights, The Town Hall will fill with carolers, unique gifts for sale, and a tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, of ghosts, and of life."

As at the NYPL in 2013, the event at The Town Hall will be introduced by Molly Oldfield who will delight, bemuse and educate the audience with information about the real Charles Dickens and his American dramatic readings.

Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in response to British social attitudes towards poverty, particularly child poverty, and wished to use the novella as a means to put forward his arguments against it. A Christmas Carol (1843) enjoyed enormous popularity, running through six editions in five months, and it remains an enduring classic. Dickens chose this work for his first public readings in December 1853 and went on to perform it more than 100 times to huge audiences. A Christmas Carol was Dickens's first public reading - on Tuesday, December 27, 1853, in Birmingham Town Hall. On an earlier visit to the city, Dickens had offered to give his first public reading to help raise funds for the Birmingham and Midland Institute (BMI).

WILLIE NELSON will be honored with a two-hour pre-recorded special celebrating the country star's 90th birthday. The spacial will air will air on CBS on December 17 and be available to streaming audiences on Paramount+. The special will honor the Grammy-winning musician with performances by a host of artists, including his sons, and feature appearances by a variety of celebrity hosts.

CHRISTMAS WITH JUDI DENCH AND GYLES BRANDRETH takes place Friday, December 15, 2023 Royal Albert Hall in London.

Dame Judi Dench will be joined by her friend Gyles Brandreth on a glorious trip down memory lane. Explore the legendary actress’ extraordinary life and times, from her childhood in York in the 1930s to her latest Oscar nomination in 2022. Plus, the duo will host a fun-filled Christmas party with a star-studded cast of very special guests, as well as some seasonal party performances from Judi and Gyles and a bran tub full of surprises. You can expect moments from Shakespeare and anecdotes galore – stories, sonnets, even some singing. Of course, there will be crackers and a Christmas tree, too.

THE ANDRE CAILLOUX CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AND CULTURAL JUSTICE the only Black-led performing arts center in Louisiana, presents the inaugural Unity Festival taking place through January 1, 2024 featuring performing arts and community-partnered events.

Through December 24, stage performances of A Blessing for Christmas by Keanitra Sharnelle, directed by Nia Benn, featuring a stellar cast, illuminates the gifts of love, family, kindness, and togetherness, all bound together by unwavering faith.

The ACC in New Orleans is a multidisciplinary, community-centered arts, cultural, and intellectual center dedicated to freedom, flourishing, and promotion of justice through the arts, community engagement, dialogue, and sustainable arts enterprise development for Black makers.

HANDEL'S MESSIAH composed in a mere 24 days, Handel’s Messiah has been in continuous performance since virtually the day of its premiere. Experience this holiday favorite in all its historical glory as the world-class musicians of the Spire Chamber Ensemble and Baroque Orchestra perform with period instruments in Helzberg Hall, creating a rendition like you've never heard before. Monday, December 18, 2023 in at the Helzberg Hall in the Kauffman Center in Kansas City, MO.

THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY (STNJ) presents an elaborately staged reading of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen on December 16th as part of their new series for young audiences titled Classics for Kids! Directed and adapted by Brian B. Crowe, this scripts-in-hand presentation features a cast of many of STNJ’s long-time company members and patron favorites

The Snow Queen and Lady-Love Crow will be played by Chantal Jean-Pierre; Courtney McGowan will play young Gerda. Silas Lloyd joins the cast as Kai and the Prince; Jeffrey M. Bender is cast as Crow and Devil Goblin. Angela Della Ventura takes to the STNJ’s stage as Grandmother, Magic Woman, and Robber Woman; James A. Earley joins the cast as Reindeer, a Goblin, and the Herald. Ellie Gossage is s the Robber Girl, the Princess, and a Goblin; Amy Hutchins will be the tale’s Narrator.

The creatives are: Brian B. Crowe directs. He's in his 28th season with The Shakespeare Theatre, and will be stepping into the role of Artistic Director for the Theatre’s upcoming 2024 season. Lighting and Sound Design by Steven Beckel. Jenna Gregson is the Production Stage Manager.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey is located in Madison, NJ.

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KENNEDY CENTER HONOREES received their ribbons and medallions at a December 2 ceremony, held at the United States Department of State, presented by Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein, and hosted by 2015 honoree Rita Moreno. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken served as honorary chair.

The five honorees who will receive the 46th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievement are Tony-nominated actor and comedian Billy Crystal; acclaimed soprano and Tony-nominated actor Renée Fleming; British singer-songwriter, producer, and Bee Gees member Barry Gibb; rapper, singer, and actor Queen Latifah; and Grammy-winning singer Dionne Warwick.

On December 3, the honorees were celebrated with an evening of tributes from numerous performers at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 2017 honoree Gloria Estefan hosted the celebration. The performers included Ben Platt, Ariana DeBose, and Missy Elliott.

The 46th Annual Kennedy Center Honors, which were held December 3, will air December 27 at 9 PM ET on CBS and will also stream on Paramount+.

The 46th annual Kennedy Center Honors will be produced by Done+Dusted in association with ROK Productions, represented by Elizabeth Kelly, who will executive produce alongside David Jammy. The show will be directed by Alex Rudzinski.

MARTIN SCORSESE will be honored with the prestigious David O. Selznick Achievement Award in February, the Producers Guild of America has announced.

“Marty’s trailblazing career as a producer, marked by decades of bold, breakthrough projects, demands to be celebrated,” said PGA Presidents Donald De Line and Stephanie Allain in a joint statement. “His mastery and unwavering commitment to the craft are truly unparalleled.”

A three-time PGA Award nominee with six decades of producing credits, Scorsese will accept the honor at the Producers Guild Awards on February 25 in Los Angeles, joining previous honorees like Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise and Kevin Feige.



JEWISH CHRONICLES - CHRISTMAS SPECIAL by Join Daniel Cainer.

In songs Cainer wrestles with the big ideas: What does it mean to be Jewish? Is there a God or isn’t there? Who invented the bagel?

"His songs and music are for anyone who has ever wrestled with their home, heritage and heart. All the human condition is here, expertly brought to life with brilliant rhyming and wordplay, great musicianship and haunting tunes you won’t forget. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll kvell!"

Daniel Cainer is a London-based multi-award-winning songwriter, performer, storyteller, broadcaster, music producer and composer. He has written large amounts of music for radio and television for all the major UK networks, worked as a producer and session musician, and performed topical news related songs for the BBC and independent stations. Daniel Cainer’s Jewish Chronicles – Christmas Special runs December 13 – 23, 2023 in a limited engagement at SoHo Playhouse in New York City.

THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY based on one audience suggestion (a title of a show that has never been written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company creates a brand new, fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes. Nothing has been planned out, rehearsed, or written. All of the dialogue is said for the first time, the characters are created as you watch, and if ever you’re wondering where the story is going... so are they.

Due to the improvised nature of the show, some performances may contain mild mature content.

Players may include: Joey Bland, Ross Bryant, Brendan Dowling, Greg Hess, and Blaine Swen.

The Improvised Shakespeare Company is one of the most critically acclaimed improv troupes in the world. The ISC was founded in Chicago in 2005 where its hit show, Improvised Shakespeare Chicago still runs today. Performances through December 23, 2023 at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF book by Joseph Stein. Music by Jerry Bock. Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick,

Directed by Mark S. Hoebee.

Original Jerome Robbins Choreography Reproduced by Parker Esse.

Fiddler on the Roof is set in a Russian village in the home of Tevye, a husband and father striving to uphold his family’s religious and cultural traditions. This beloved classic is sure to charm and captivate the entire family.

The Tony-winning musical's timeless score includes such favorites as Tradition; Matchmaker, Matchmaker; If I Were a Rich Man; To Life (L’Chaim!) and Sunrise, Sunset.

Featuring: Jordan Gelber as Tevye; Jill Abramovitz as Golde; Alexandra Socha as Tzeitel; Austen Danielle Bohmer as Hodel; Maya Jacobson as Chava; Etai Benson as Motel; David R. Gordon as Perchik; Suzanne Grodner as Yente; Jeremy Radin as Lazar Wolf; Andrew Alstat as Fyedka.

Now performing on the Paper Mill stage through Millburn, NJ.

Paper Mill Playhouse is the recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award.

MEREDITH WILLSON'S MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET Book, Music and Lyrics by Meredith Wilson Based on the 20th Century Fox Picture. Story by Valentin Davies, Screen Play by George Seaton.

A holiday classic from the writer of the musical theatre classic, The Music Man!, and based on the movie of the same name, Miracle on 34th Street features a book and score by none other than Meredith Willson. Single mother Doris Walker doesn’t want her six-year-old Susan’s head filled with romantic notions. When their neighbor, Fred Gaily, tries to woo Doris by charming Susan and taking her to see Santa Claus at Macy’s, where Doris works, Doris is not impressed. But when it turns out that Macy’s Santa may, in fact, be the real Kris Kringle, a wave of love spreads across New York City that melts even the most cynical hearts. Filled with humor, spectacle, and such songs as Pinecones and Hollyberries; It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, and My State, My Kansas, this joyous, heartwarming musical is pure family entertainment.

This production is being staged in several venues during this holiday season. A sampling includes:

The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Their cast includes: Jim Lawson plays Kris Kringle. Doris Walker played by Elizabeth C. Butler. Susan Walker played by Catherine Mayers. Kevin Cleary cast as Fred Gaily.

Also in the cast are: Chris Zavadowski, Ian Lane, Kathy Halenda, Andrea Kahane, Alan Hoffman, Sheri Hayden, Barbara Breen, Hazel Bennett, Jarrett Bloom, Leighton Carter, Silas Iem, Colleen Kleveno, Sally Roehl, Stephanie Wood, Colby LeRoy. The Youth Ensemble: Bella Browning, Brody Lane, Joey Vogel.

The creatives are: Produced and Directed by Patrick A’Hearn. Scenic Design Christian Flemming. Sound Design Cheyenne Tenda. Music Direction David Landrum. Lighting and Projection Design Weston Corey. Properties Master and Set Dresser Claire Flores. Choreography Stephanie Wood. Costume Design Erin Welsh. Production Stage Manager Cody Medley. Jingle Belles Choreography Stephanie Wood and Barbara Breen. Wig Design Kyna Chilcot. Technical Direction Nathan Dunn.

A couple of other venues staging their own productions are: Coaster Theatre Playhouse in Cannon Beach, Oregon with shows through December 21, 2023 and Little Lake Theatre in Canonsburg, PA with performances through December 17, 2023.

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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

JOSS ACKLAND CBE famed British actor r who appeared in more than 130 film, radio, stage and television roles, died November 19, 2023. Hhe was 95.

The actor, whose body of work included originating the role of Juan Peron in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Evita.

The first production of Evita - directed by Hal Prince - debuted on stage in London's West End in 1978 starring Elaine Paige as Eva, David Essex as Che and Joss Ackland as Perón. The show won two SWET awards (now Olivier Awards) for Best New Musical and Best Performer of the Year in a Musical (Elaine Paige).

Ackland had a career that began in the 1940s, and appeared alongside Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and more at the Old Vic.

Over the years, he performed in a notable number of productions, including Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music in 1975.

In 2013, he played King Lear in Shakespeare’s play, in a rehearsed reading directed by Jonathan Miller.

He also appeared in the West End premiere of The King’s Speech in 2012.

He was awarded the CBE for his services to drama in 2000 from Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace .

He was preceded in death by his wife Rosemary of 51 years. She died in 2002.

LUIGI CAIOLA Tony award winning Broadway producer died on Sunday, November 26, 2023. He was 64 years old.

Luigi was one of the Managing Members of B and L Management LLC, a real estate development company that focuses on multi-family residential projects.

In 2011, Luigi partnered with his sister Rose in pursuit of their mutual passion for theater. They formed Caiola Productions, an eight-time Tony Award winning entity that aided in the development of over 50 Broadway shows. Their Tony Award winners include: Dear Evan Hansen; The Color Purple; Once on This Island; Company; All the Way; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and the recent revival of Parade. As a gay activist who had survived the horrors of the AIDS crisis, one of the shows Luigi was most proud of was The Inheritance which won the Tony for Best Play in 2021. Most recent productions include Prima Facie; The Piano Lesson; Harmony; Here We Are, and the AUDELCO winner for Best New Musical, Rock and Roll Man. Luigi was a true champion of the theater as evidenced by Caiola Productions being awarded the 2023 Arts Ally Award from the Drama League.

He served on the Boards of New York City Center; The Bay Street Theater and Cultural Center in Sag Harbor, LI; the Friends Seminary in Manhattan where his three children attend high school; and Family Equality, an organization dedicated to creating a world where all loving families are recognized, respected, protected and celebrated. In addition, Luigi was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Tyler Clementi Foundation, a group committed to ending bullying in schools and communities.

He is survived by his devoted partner Sean and their three children, Maria, William, and Adam. His mother Bettina Caiola, siblings Alfred, Jaime, Benny, Bora, Rose and Eddie.

ELLEN HOLLY who became the first Back actress to star on a soap opera died December 6, 2023 at Cavalry Hospital in the Bronx, N.Y. She was 92.

A member of The Actors Studio who did Shakespeare for Joseph Papp and was mentored by the same woman who discovered Julie Harris and Kim Stanley, Holly appeared four times on Broadway, beginning with her acclaimed performance in 1956 as the female lead in an adaptation of Too Late the Phalarope. She also starred in Face of a Hero; Tiger Tiger Burning Bright and A Hand Is on the Gate. Her first television role came in 1957 on The Big Story.
Cast on One Life to Live in 1968, Holly stayed with the long-running series through 1980, before returning from 1983 to 1985. Producer Agnes Nixon cast Holly in the role for $300 a week after reading the actor’s New York Times opinion piece "How Black Do You Have To Be?," in which Holly recounted her personal difficulties in finding acting work as a light-skinned Black woman.

Her role as Carla involved a main conflict regarded a love triangle between two doctors — one white, one Black. The arc predated storylines on All My Children and General Hospital that also directly confronted race. In her 1996 autobiography, One Life: The Autobiography of an African American Actress, Holly recounted how her and her Black co-stars were underpaid and mistreated by executives while working on One Life to Live.

Holly generated huge ratings for One Life to Life but in the ensuing years, she had problems with her salary, story-lines and reduced workload and quit the show in 1980. She returned in 1983 to a pay raise, only to be told by then-producer Paul Rauch that when her contract was over in ’85, she would not be renewed, she said in a 2012 interview with The New York Times.

"I feel as if I was hired as a temporary gimmick to rocket-boost a payload of white stars into orbit. Basically, that’s what I was used as. And that’s how it worked out," she said in another 2012 interview.

After One Life to Live concluded, Holly continued to work, with roles on The Guiding Light; In the Heat of the Night; 10,000 Black Men Named George and Spike Lee’s School Daze. In the 1990s, she became a librarian at White Plains New York Public Library.

Holly is survived by her grand-nieces, Alexa and Ashley Jones; their father, Xavier Jones and cousins, Wanda Parsons Harris, Julie Adams Strandberg, Carolyn Adams-Kahn and Clinton Arnold.

DENNY LAINE co-founder of bands Wings and The Moody Blues and longtime collaborator of Paul McCartney, died on Tuesday, December 5, 2023 from Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD). He was 79.

A singer, songwriter and guitarist, Laine along with McCartney established the band Wings in 1971. They went on to win a Grammy for best pop vocal performance by a duo, group or chorus in 1975 for the title track off their third album Band on the Run, and later won for best rock instrumental performance for 1979’s Rockestra Theme.

Prior to Wings, Laine founded The Moody Blues in 1964, with whom he played until 1965. Laine’s contribution to the Moody Blues was later recognized when he was included in the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2018 alongside Mike Pinder, Graeme Edge, John Lodge and Justin Hayward.

He is survived by his wife Elizabeth Hines and family members.

NORMAN LEAR the writer producer who transformed television sitcoms died Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 101.

Under the semblance of mirth, Lear managed to descimate television’s most entrenched taboos, including the sound of a toilet flushing. His hit comedies, including All in the Family; Good Times; Sandford and Son; Maude and The Jeffersons, forever changed TV by confronting racial prejudice, divorce and social mobility.

He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984.

All in the Family which addressed numerous issues, including prejudice, menopause, rape, homosexuality, sexual dysfunction, the Vietnam War and religion, earned 55 Emmy nominations and won 22 of them.

Later in his career, Lear, who called himself "a bleeding-heart conservative" regarding his support for the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, paid more than $8 million for a copy of the Declaration of Independence and displayed it on tour in the early 2000s to give Americans the chance to see the words that helped create their democratic birthright. He founded People for the American Way in 1981, a liberal coalition to defend core First Amendment freedoms. In 1991, he created the Business Enterprise Trust, a nonprofit that celebrated acts of integrity, courage and social vision in American businesses.

During his seven decade career he amassed four individual Emmys, two Peabody Awards, the Golden Globes' Carol Burnett Award, the National Medal of Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.

Lear is survived by wife Lyn and children Ellen (with ex-wife Charlotte Rosen), Kate and Maggie (with ex-wife Frances Loeb), and Benjamin, Madelaine and Brianna (with Lyn).

PHILIP MICHAEL QUARTARARO a veteran music executive who led EMI Records, Virgin Records and Warner Bros. Records, died Wednesday morning, November 22, 2023, in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 67.

Quartararo, who was known as Phil Q., leaves a lasting legacy in the recording industry as one of the most respected and beloved executives of all time. An acknowledged leader in music promotion who advocated for artistic vision, he created powerful partnerships between artists and media to break careers and fight music piracy.

Quartararo first began booking acts while still in high school and got his first 'real job' as a college representative for A&M Records while still a student at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Upon graduating, Phil moved to Buffalo to become the local promo representative for A&M, where he helped break artists including The Police and Bryan Adams. He went on to develop the careers of major recording stars, including Paula Abdul, Linkin Park and the Spice Girls. He introduced U2 to the United States in the early 1980s and also worked with Cher, Coldplay, Faith Hill, Green Day, Josh Groban, Norah Jones, Madonna, The Smashing Pumpkins and Wilco.

Quartararo held leadership positions in nearly every major label group during his 46-year career, including A&M Records, Arista Records, Island and RCA. In 1986, Richard Branson brought Quartararo on to launch Virgin Records' American label. Quartararo soon rose within the organization, eventually serving as CEO/president. In 1997, he left Virgin to join Warner Bros. Records as president, remaining in this role until 2002, when he left to lead EMI Music's distribution and licensing business.

In 2005, Quartararo began consulting with music industry enterprises, pursuing entrepreneurial ventures while serving as a manager for Japanese composer Yoshiki and the metal band X Japan. He became president of Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation Records in 2016, and in 2019 joined the Hello Group entertainment company as Chairman.

Quartararo served on the board of directors for Cedars Sinai, City of Hope, Fender Guitar Foundation, Gibson Brands, Grammy Foundation, Pacific Science Center, Recording Industry Association of America, T J Martell Foundation, State of California Board for Engineers and Surveyors, and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Quartararo was named Billboard's Music Executive of the Year in 2001, received the City of Hope's "Spirit of Life" Award, Russell Simmons Award for Diversity and Equality, the Vincent Testaverde Award for Spinal Injury, Sons of Italy Award, and Syracuse University's 40 at 40 Award.

He is survived by his four sons – Brandon (Candace), Philip, Lucca and Daniele; his fiancée Joanne Prewett; his three brothers Louis, Paul (Carol), Raymond (Lynn); his two grandsons, Liam and Pearson and his eight nieces and nephews.

SHEILA SMITH actor who served as the standby for both Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur in the original Broadway production of Mame died November 30, 23. She was 90.

Ms. Smith made her Broadway debut in 1963's Hot Spot opposite Judy Holliday. In 1967 she won the Theater World Award for standing by and performing for both Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur in the original Broadway production of Mame. She also appeared in the original Broadway production of Follies at the Winter Garden Theater, where she stood by for both Alexis Smith and Yvonne DeCarlo. It was during this time that director Hal Prince asked her to simultaneously stand by for Jane Russell as Joanne in Company. One evening as she was on as Carlotta, and had just finished singing "I’m Still Here," when she was rushed across the street to the Alvin Theater to step in for the second act of Company, performing "Ladies Who Lunch" for an ailing Jane Russell.

Ms. Smith would later leave Follies to originate the role of Sweet Sue in the Jule Styne musical Sugar. Her other Broadway credits include the original production of 42nd St,; The 5 O’Clock Girl, and the 1993 Hal Prince revival of Show Boat.

On tour, in addition to the aforementioned Mame, she appeared with Tallulah Bankhead in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1956, as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof opposite Hershel Bernardi, in the original national tour of Equus opposite Brian Bedford, and in the national tour of La Cage Aux Folles.

Smith appeared in the Chicago premiere of Follies; No, No, Nanette with Ruby Keeler, Forty Carats with Joan Fontaine, and The Sound of Music with Shirley Jones. Ms. Smith created the role of Janet in the Off-Broadway musical Taking My Turn, which was filmed for PBS, and she played the role of Mitzi in a revival of Fiorello! at City Center, before replacing Eileen Rodgers as Reno Sweeney in the acclaimed 1962 Off-Broadway revival of Anything Goes.

She starred in the Australian premiere of Fade Out Fade In, as well as numerous regional and stock productions. She also made a great many TV and film appearances throughout her career.

In lieu of a public service, Ms. Smith's family asks that donations be made in her honor to the Entertainment Community Fund.

PETER WHITE an actor best known for his groundbreaking performances in both the original Broadway production and William Friedkin-directed film of Boys in the Band, his portrayal of Lincoln (Linc) Tyler on the soap opera All My Children, and for multiple roles on stage, television and film, passed away in his home in Los Angeles on November 1, 2023. He was 86 years old.

Peter started his career as an NBC page, first for Jack Paar, then as Johnny Carson's head page, but his first major acting break was the international tour of Barefoot in the Park alongside Myrna Loy. While on that tour, he was offered the role of the ambiguously straight Alan McCarthy in Mart Crowley's norm-shattering The Boys in the Band, that premiered Off-Broadway on April 14, 1968 and, although it was meant for a short run, it became a critical and box office success. Peter was with the production until it closed after 1,001 performances, as well as for its run in London. Peter later starred in the film version, which also featured all of the original Broadway cast.

Peter had his first role in soaps in 1966 in The Secret Storm, and, in 1971, he played Dr. Sanford Hiller on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. He was best known for his portrayal of the beloved Lincoln (Linc) Tyler on All My Children, a role he would play on and off for 30 years. His many film credits included "Mother," as Debbie Reynolds' boyfriend and "Mr. Wonderful" as Ellen Degeneres father, as well as "Dave," "Flubber," "Armageddon," "Thirteen Days," "First Daughter," "Pursuit of Happiness," HBO's "Weapons of Mass Distraction" and more. He also appeared in over 150 guest and recurring roles on television.

Peter is remembered with love by nieces Alison Estes (Paul), Pinehurst NC, and Leslie Herlin (Robert), Hobe Sound, FL; great-nieces Colleen Estes, Andrea Cizek and great-nephews Bowden Herlin and Hugh Herlin; dear friends Francesca James, Tina Carlisi, Maggie Marshall & Stephen Goldman, Melanie Webber and longtime assistant and friend Bernarda Gramajo. He was predeceased by his sister Mary Jane Miller-Puckett, and his brother, Brevoort White.

Next Column: December 17, 2023
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