Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: December 12, 2021
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

DUBAI SEEKS CREATIVES: JESSICA ALBA AND ZAC EFRON STAR IN PROMO FILM

Dubai wants your talent and is willing to pay for it.

The UAE country has let it be known that they intend to achieve global creative status.

Zac Efron and Jessica Alba star in the campaign by Dubai Tourism which s based on the pop culture appeal of romcoms. The storyline centers around two identical suitcases that end up with the wrong owners.

The film, whih is a spoof on an action film, launched by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Tourism, is the second installment as a part of its latest global campaign “Dubai Presents”, featuring Alba and Efron. Helmed by Director's Guild award winning Craig Gillespie and produced by Martha Davis, Dubai: A Romance To Remember spotlights several well-known Dubai attractions such fighting off enemies at the Burj Khalifa and the Museum of the Futur, skydive off a helipad on the Burj Al-Arab (where you can purchase the world's most expensive cocktail), dine at the award-winning Italian overwater restaurant Pierchic, and navigate through the historic neighborhood and quirkey boutiques of Al-Fahidi on scooters. before heading out on an epic desert caper to Dubai’s adventure capital Hatta, home to sweeping sandscapes and a multitude of activities including hiking, biking and kayaking all backed by an orchestrated film score.

Throughout A Romance to Remember, Efron and Alba search for their misplaced bags, traveling through the city on two very different routes that are intended to intersect. Efron posted the trailer on his Instagram page, alongside the cheeky caption: “She’s always getting me out of trouble.”
Alba, 40, also posted the trailer with the caption, “He’s always getting me into more trouble…”

The film invites couples to explore togetherness and love in Dubai. The Dubai Presents campaign comprises a series of ads that will be released over the coming months, starring Alba and Efron as they explore different experiences and destinations in the city. Dubai Presents will be distributed in 27 countries and 15 languages through various media.

Filming took place over five days with a diverse cast and crew of over 180 people representing 27 nationalities.

To tempt creatives to call Dubai home, tenants who plan to rebuild or renovate properties in the Al Quoz Creative Zone section will be exempt from rents for up to two years, according to decree set forth by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

Thee Al Quoz Creative Zone development project aims to transform the area into a comprehensive integrated creative zone that attracts talent from across the world.

The formation of the Creative Economy Strategy, aims to become a global destnation for the creative industry including culture, content, media, design and arts by 2025 with a goal of increasing the contribution of the creative economy to the country's GDP from 2.6 percent to 5 percent.

The Creative Economy Strategy seeks to more than double the number of creative and cultural companies operating from 8,300 now to 15,000 companies over the next four years.

Creative jobs are expected to increase from 70,000 to 140,000 jobs in the coming period.

Dubai began bolstering its creative economy with the establishment of Media City, Production City and Dubai Design District. Dubai Design District also known as D3 was launched in 2013 and has worked particularly well as a hub for fashion, arts and creatives.

The area is earmarked to become a dynamic area where artists and designers can live, work, and create and is a blueprint for the creative strategy moving forward.

To date, Dubai Culture has awarded 4,500 certificates of accreditation to creatives and artists of different nationalities.

Dubai recently enhanced its ranking in the Global Power City Index (GPCI) 2021 issued by the Institute for Urban Strategies at the Mori Memorial Foundation in Japan. Dubai ranked first in the Arab world and fifth globally in the cultural interaction criterion that measures the performance of cities in terms of leadership, tourist attractions, the number of cultural facilities and the availability of visitors’ amenities and communication.

Artwork by the British graffiti artist Banksy was on display Dubai's Mall of the Emirates from April 5 to June 30, 2021. The exhibition featured 120 original works brought to Dubai by The World of Banksy – The Immersive Experience.

This exhibition is said to be the largest Banksy exhibition. Afterwards the artworks were destroyed - nothing wwas available for purchase.

The GPCI rates cities based on 70 indicators that measure six functions – Economy, R&D, Cultural Interaction, Livability, Environment, and Accessibility.

Internationally acclaimed actress, author and founder of The Honest Company, Jessica Alba, said: “Being able to play multiple characters across different movie genres for this project gave me an opportunity to see the city in ways I wouldn’t have imagined. One moment I was winding my way through the spice souk in Old Dubai, and the next I was on the top floor of the iconic Burj Al Arab performing my own stunt sequence for an action scene. Dubai has so much to offer- from beautiful locations to the amazing food and an energy to match, I loved every part of it.”

She added, “One of the most surprising things about Dubai for me is how there is a respect and a true appreciation for traditional customs in the Middle East. Certainly, you can see a culture and people whose backgrounds come to life in different ways, but the Bedouin vibe was really appreciated and handled with such care and respect, but then also how super modern and almost like in the future, other pieces felt. I mean the architecture was insane, I’ve never seen architecture in my life like what I saw in Downtown Dubai, it was beautiful, just like pieces of art everywhere you look, just stunning buildings. And then in an hour you’re in the most breathtaking desert. The desert almost has a life of its own, during the day it’s one thing and then what it turns into at night, and how different the temperature is, it was really, really beautiful, so that was cool.”

Award-winning actor and producer Zac Efron commented: “I’ve been to Dubai previously but I was never able to truly appreciate the city in this way. Despite the fact that I travel often, it is rare to get to have the time and the opportunity to really explore and enjoy the city’s offerings. The desert was particularly special to me…such a peaceful and calm landscape and unlike anything I had ever seen. The people of Dubai were incredibly warm and hospitable and invited me to enjoy the culture by their side. I love the idea of discovery and exploration and Dubai did not disappoint.”

The aim is to attract as many as 15,000 companies and 14,000 professionals to the emirate.

The creative economy includes companies and professionals in the business of publishing, audio-visual and print media, artistic and cultural industries, as well as the software and video game industry.

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

17th-CENTURY PAINTING

British School. Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies wearing Beauty Patches 1650s Oil on canvas 640 x 750 mm

showing a Black woman with her White companion has been placed under a rare, temporary export bar to reduce the risk of the artwork leaving the United Kingdom. Arts minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has placed a temporary export bar on the painting titled, Allegorical Painting Of Two Ladies, English School in the hope it can be acquired for the nation.

The anonymous painting, described in a statement by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) on Friday, December 10, 2021 as "extremely rare," is valued at £272,800 ($362,060). The export block lasts until March 9, 2022 to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the painting.

The extremely rare painting depicts a black female sitter alongside her white companion, contributing to the historical debate about race and gender in the 17th century According to a UK Government official press release: This extremely rare painting shows two women, one black and one white, side by side, presented as companions and equals with similar dress, hair and jewellery. The depiction of a black female sitter in a 1650s painting was highly unusual, particularly a work showing an adult, rather than a child in a position of subservience, inviting important debate about race and gender during the period.

Another remarkable aspect of the painting is the depiction of beauty patches on both the women. Although in vogue at the time, the painting appears to condemn wearing these “spots” via an inscription above the two women which claims wearing beauty patches is a sin of pride, a widespread opinion in the 17th century. This style of work gives the painting an affinity with popular woodcut prints at the time, making it clear the work is allegorical and associating it with satirical verse, pamphlets and sermons.

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson said:

This fascinating painting has so much to teach us about England in the 17th century, including in the important areas of race and gender, which rightly continue to attract attention and research today. I hope a gallery or museum in the UK can be found to buy this painting for the nation, so that many more people can be part of the continuing research and discussion into it.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). The Committee agreed that it is an extremely rare and fascinating painting, which has tremendous potential for further research in many subjects. The Committee found the early date of this picture particularly significant, given the subject, as all known comparisons are from much later.

Committee Members Pippa Shirley and Christopher Baker said:

This anonymous painting is a great rarity in British art, as a mid-seventeenth-century work that depicts a black woman and a white woman with equal status. It is not a portrait of real people, as far as we know, but the inscription reveals that it is in fact a sternly moralizing picture that condemns the use of cosmetics, and specifically elaborate beauty patches, which were in vogue at the time.

Although not distinguished artistically, its imagery relates in fascinating ways to contemporary stereotypes of women, fashion, and, through the juxtaposition of the figures, race. The fact that it has only recently emerged, and only one other related painting is known so far, and that it could be used to explore important aspects of black culture in seventeenth-century Britain, makes it particularly important that it remains in this country so that its meaning can be widely studied and understood.

Further research could reveal how the picture connects with contemporary print culture and texts, and the contexts and purposes for which it might have been created and displayed.

The Committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the painting’s departure from the UK would be a misfortune because it is of outstanding significance to the study of race and gender in the 17th century.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred until March 9, 2022. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £272,800 (including VAT). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months.

BANSKY has pledged $13.3 M to help transform the prison Where Oscar Wilde was once held Into an Art Center. The maverick street artist plans to sell the stencil he used to paint a mural on the building in March to raise funds to buy the downtrodden Reading Jail (Gaol).

Reading Gaol has been for sale since 2019 and, without a better offer, could potentially be turned into apartments.

The grade II listed historic building in Reading, which is around 40 miles (64 km) west of London.

Banksy's mural depicts an inmate climbing down a rope made of bed sheets with a typewriter as a bottom weight. Wilde was one of the prison’s most famous inmates; he was jailed there between 1895 and 1897 for “gross indecency” after his affair with Lord Alfred Douglas was discovered. The venue has since been dubbed an LGBT heritage site. During his incarceration, Wilde wrote the famous poem Ballad of Reading Gaol.

“Oscar Wilde is the patron saint of smashing two contrasting ideas together to create magic,” Banksy said in a statement published by the BBC. “Converting the place that destroyed him into a refuge for art feels so perfect we have to do it.”

The stencil Banksy used to make the mural, Create Escape, is currently on view at Grayson Perry’s Art Club exhibition at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery.

PHOTOGRAPHER ED KRIEGER captured hundreds of L.A. theater productions over the course of 40 years before his death on December 16, 2020. Now, the Fountain Theatre has arranged for his large collection of photos, negatives, slides and digital files to be permanently housed at the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, where it will be archived as part of the library’s Photography Special Collections.

For decades, through the lens of his camera, Krieger chronicled the production history of local stages. His production stills captured the essence of live performance at such venues as the Fountain Theatre, Skylight Theatre, Boston Court, El Portal, Laguna Playhouse, Rubicon Theatre, Downey Civic Light Opera, Ford Amphitheatre, Hollywood Bowl and many more. His images appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. American Theatre magazine highlighted Krieger in its 2015 feature on nationally recognized theater photographers.

“The Los Angeles Public Library is honored to be chosen as the custodian of Ed Krieger's photographic archive documenting almost 40 years of local theater,” says Senior Librarian Christina Rice, who manages LAPL’s photo collections. “This collection will be an incredible supplement to our theater photos from the Herald Examiner newspaper image archive, and builds on the incredible wealth of materials in our Literature and Fiction Department which chronicles Los Angeles theater productions from the late 19th century to the present. We're excited to be a go-to source for local theater research.”

Krieger’s children, Will Krieger and Courtnay Krieger, said in a statement, “We thank the Los Angeles Public Library for archiving our father's work. We are happy to know that his photography will be preserved for the future and shared with others.”

HARVARD ART MUSEUM'S recently renovated East Asian gallery features two new installations, both part of their ReFrame initiative. The first presents works on paper, ceramics, jewelry, and textiles that highlight the struggles and achievements of women in China and beyond. The second features a group of Japanese paintings previously shown in the 2020 Painting Edo exhibition alongside other works from the Feinberg Collection, showcasing all the major early modern painting formats and the creative “frames” through which we encounter them today.

If you haven’t yet seen the States of Play exhibition, make your plans today—the show closes on January 2. States retraces the creative steps taken by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, Lee Krasner, Louis Delsarte, and more in the printmaking process.

The Harvard Art Museums are free to everyone on Sundays, and reservations are required for all visits.

E-Book

Soft back Book

SWEET CHARITY

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA the annual escort to Arlington National Cemetery kicked off on Saturday, December 11, 2021. National President of American Gold Star Mothers Inc. (AGSM) Jo Ann Maitland and President Emeritus of Gold Star Wives of America, Inc. (GSW) Nancy Menagh led the caravan as this year's Co-Grand Marshals. The official escort will travel down the East Coast stopping at schools, memorials, and other locations along the way to spread the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach. Stops with public events will be held in Maine, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C., before arriving at Arlington National Cemetery on the morning of Saturday, December 18 – National Wreaths Across America Day.

For the 7th year in a row Chevrolet, who has generously sponsored the escort vehicles transporting participating Gold Star families and veterans, will again provide wrapped vehicles in addition to sponsoring 4,000 veterans' wreaths for placement at Arlington National Cemetery.

Participants for this year’s convoy include Gold Star Families, Blue Star Families, veterans, volunteers, and members of the Patriot Guard Riders and Patriot Riders. Law enforcement from departments across Maine and other states along the route will provide escort to ensure safe transport for all participants throughout the week. Twelve tractor-trailers representing Walmart Transportation, Schneider National, Gully Transportation, Witte Bros. Exchange, Inc., Hartt Transportation Systems, Inc., Delhaize Transportation LLC (DBA Hannaford Supermarkets), American Trucking Associations – Share the Road Truck, Pottle's Transportation, Cargo Transporters, Inc., Boyd Grain Inc., Hampton Road Moving & Storage, and Tyson Foods, Inc., will haul a portion of the sponsored veterans’ wreaths heading to Arlington National Cemetery for placement on Saturday, December 18. Additionally, Load One Carriers will once again serve as the ceremonial wreath transporter for the escort.

In total, nearly 257,000 sponsored wreaths are needed to reach the goal of placing a wreath on every eligible marker at Arlington National Cemetery.

What began 30 years ago as a pilgrimage by Maine wreath maker, Morrill Worcester, in a single truck to deliver 5,000 wreaths to Arlington as a gesture of thanks has become a national mission to Remember, Honor, Teach. National Wreaths Across America Day ceremonies are happening at more than 2,900 participating locations across the country on Saturday, December 18, 2021. These events are free and open to all people.

VILLAGE WOOING sparkling short romantic comedy by George Bernard Shaw presented as part of the Gingold Theatrical Group’s Project Shaw.

Village Wooing is the perfect antidote to the holiday blues. Celebrate Gingold's return to live in-person performances at Symphony Space with two beloved, multiple award-winning, Broadway stars,Tony award winner Maryann Plunkett and Jay O. Sanders. In this charming play, two people determined to remain single meet on an around-the-world cruise. This chance encounter changes their lives in the most unexpected ways! Written by Bernard Shaw in 1933 while he was, himself, taking his first world cruise.

This very special evening will include the presentations of GTG's Golden Shamrock Award to honor humanitarians and award-winning actors Maryann & Jay, as well as Ethan E. Litwin, a partner at Constantine Cannon LLP, where he specializes in antitrust litigation and a tireless supporter of the arts in New York and longtime member of the GTG Board.

GTG’s Golden Shamrock Award is given annually to celebrate artistic and cultural contributions to society, as inspired by Shaw’s fiercely activist humanitarianism. Previous recipients include Tom Viola, Martha Plimpton, Tyne Daly, Kate Mulgrew, Kenneth Lonergan, Charles Busch, Judith Ivey, Robert Osborne, Terrence McNally and Brian Murray.

All the plays in this series are presented in a concert-reading format.

Monday December 13th at Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre in New York City.

THE CAPITOL SESSIONS Songs from a Rock Palace that impacted the world - an all star jam to benefit Headcountt takes place December 17 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.

The Capitol Sessions: Songs from a Rock Palace That Impacted the World is headlined by two of the defining artists of the era: singer, songwriter, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Browne and Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna guitarist and frontman Jorma Kaukonen. Joining them is a heavenly arrangement of musical ability, including Marco Benevento, James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band), Lisa Fischer (Luther Vandross, the Rolling Stones), Amy Helm (Levon Helm), Connor Kennedy (Steely Dan, Amy Helm), Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce), Tony Leone (Levon Helm, Chris Robinson Brotherhood), Grahame Lesh (Phil Lesh & Friends), Adam Minkoff (Zappa Plays Zappa, The Machine), Karina Rykman, Teresa Williams, and The War & Treaty.

The Capitol Theatre’s halcyon days played host to rock ‘n’ roll royalty — Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Jefferson Airplane, The Chambers Brothers, Mountain, the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Traffic, Eric Clapton, and more. Friday, December 17, Dayglo Presents and RWE Partners unite and give proper respect to these melodic masters in the iconic venue where they impacted the world forever.

Curating the evening is legendary producer, arranger, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, alongside his musical partner and wife Teresa Williams. Universally respected by his peers and fans as a master of music, the three-time Grammy-winning producer/musical director for Levon Helm was a member of Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour band, as well as a session and touring musician for artists including Keith Richards, Jackson Browne, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon and Emmylou Harris, and a recipient of the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award as Instrumentalist.

The show benefits HeadCount, a non-partisan voter registration advocacy organization that stages voter registration drives at more than 1,000 live events each year and collaborates with cultural leaders to promote civic engagement on a national scale. Since 2004, HeadCount has signed up over 1,000,000 voters through its work with Ariana Grande, Dead & Company, and Beyoncé and events like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Pride Festivals, and RuPaul’s DragCon.

The Capitol Sessions is the latest in a lineup of standout events by RWE, the company founded by Greg Williamson and Nicole Rechter to bring people together around music, culture, and philanthropy. RWE has realized its vision through charity concerts such as Love Rocks NYC, the Play On CBS primetime TV special, and the annual Tipping Point concert for Tulane University and the city of New Orleans.

HeadCount is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes participation in democracy through music, culture, and digital media. Since 2004 the organization has registered over one million voters and worked with a long list of musicians and partners including Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Dave Matthews Band, JAY-Z, Beyoncé, March of Our Lives, RuPaul’s DragCon, MTV, and Dead & Company. With 40,000 volunteers, street teams in most major U.S. cities, and a presence at more than 1,000 events each year, HeadCount ranks as one of the most active grassroots civic participation organizations in the United States. HeadCount Founder/Executive Director Andy Bernstein and Chairman Peter Shapiro were recently featured in Billboard’s inaugural ‘Change Agents’ issues for the organizations pro-democracy mission during 2020’s unprecedented election.

SPREADING THE WORD

ARLENE SCHUER will step down as President and CEO of New York City Center following the 2021 – 2022 Season after 19 years at the helm of Manhattan’s first performing arts center. Shuler will be honored for her extraordinary service and dedication to City Center’s founding mission to be a home for the performing arts and provide access for all New Yorkers at the Spring Gala on May 4 - the opening night of Encores! Into the Woods. The Board of Directors has formed a search committee to find a successor.

Arlene Shuler was named President and CEO of New York City Center in June 2003 - returning to the historic institution where she had danced as a member of The Joffrey Ballet. At the time, City Center was largely known as a rental house, but Shuler’s impact on the growth of the institution would be immediately felt with the launch of the first Fall for Dance Festival the following year. Shuler conceived, helped to program, and raised the funds necessary to support the largest showcase of dance companies of all types in New York—and with all tickets just $10, when it was first launched. With the dual goal of building a new audience for the future of dance and providing a crucial platform for many dance companies and artists who might not normally perform in a theater of City Center’s size, the Festival’s impact was immediate.

Shuler is also credited for the expansion of City Center’s musical theater programming to seven major productions each season. The summer Encores! Off-Center series was created as a complement to the long-standing, Tony-honored Encores! series, with notable productions of Off-Broadway works including Violet starring Sutton Foster and Joshua Henry, which transferred to Broadway; tick, tick…BOOM! starring Lin Manuel-Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., and Karen Olivo; and Little Shop of Horrors starring Ellen Greene and Jake Gyllenhaal. Additional musical theater presentations have included critically acclaimed productions of Gypsy starring Patti LuPone and Laura Benanti; and fall presentations of Cotton Club Parade featuring Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Sunday in the Park with George starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford, which all transferred to Broadway.

THE WINTERS TALE Seattle Rep’s Public Works’ musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s creation.
What is a “hybrid film and live theatrical experience”?

The Winter's Tale has been rehearsed and filmed onsite at Seattle Rep and Seattle Center campus, and beautifully edited to feature the rollicking Bard-inspired story as well as a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes magic of creating a Public Works production.

To experience The Winter’s Tale in person, you will join fellow theater fans at the Cornish Playhouse (across the way from Seattle Rep) for one of five showtimes to watch the film together. Enjoy elements of the in-person theatrical experience we’ve all missed, including atmospheric lighting and being in community with fellow theatergoers. Seattle Rep’s COVID health and safety protocols will be in full effect for all in-person attendees.

To experience The Winter’s Tale from home, the production will be available to stream. You can watch the filmed show anytime from December. 16–19 on your home devices. You will need to create or log into your Seattle Rep account to complete reservations. Please limit your in-person ticket order to 4 tickets. Streaming tickets are 1 ticket per household.
The Winter’s Tale runs December 16–19, 2021, with an in-person experience at the Cornish Playhouse. Tickets are free for this hybrid film and live theatrical event, though both in-person and virtual space is limited.

TONY AWARD WINNER LAURA BENANTI joins The New York Pops and Music Director Steven Reineke offering a festive program of traditional carols and contemporary classics including “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Winter Wonderland.” Special guests on the program include Benanti’s parents Linda Benanti and Martin Vidnovic as well as friends and collaborators Kate Mangiameli and Brandon Michael Nase. Friday, December 17, 2021 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

MARTINA McBRIDE'S FAMILY AFFAIR she is one of the highest-selling and most powerful vocalists in Country music. Her meteoric rise all began in Sharon, Kansas where Martina was introduced to the sounds of Classic Country music by her father, Daryl Schiff in his family band, The Schiffters, where Martina and her brother Marty would learn to play and sing. Now, the father-daughter duo, along with Martina's brother Marty Schiff, have all come together for Daryl's latest album, Satisfied, produced by Martina. The 15-song collection includes two covers from her and three songs by Marty - both providing harmonies with Daryl on all other tracks.

LEO GOZBEKIAN has been a professional photographer for over 50 years shooting assignments which vary from food to events such as wedding and music performances. It's the latter which is the subject of his new book, All Access Concert & Backstage Photos which is a photo essay featuring over 600 photographs in 200 pages and includes numerous comments about artists and events from music industry insiders.

Gozbekian gives the reader a first-hand look onstage and an intimate look back stage at the most popular rock musicians over the past 50 years. The book covers many genres of music with full-color and black & white photos that include The Who, David Bowe, Billy Joel, Barenakedladies, Alanis Morissette, Cristina Aguliera, Kid Rock, Jennifer Lopez, Post Malone, Kanye West, Tina Turner, Iggy Pop, Lady Gaga, and numerous other artists.

Good fortune introduced Gozbekian to the music industry. Raised in the Boston area, when he was 20 years old he got a call to go to New York City to photograph The Who for Sunn Amplifier Company. “That’s when I evolved from a fan into a music photographer,” he said. That was the start of a 50 year journey where he worked for major record companies, radio stations, and venues with amazing access to concerts, backstage, and private events.

SWING 46 SUPPER CLUB on Restaurant Row in New York City is the place to go for swing dancing and dinner. Their holiday entertainment includes nightly live music – excellent bands and singers who perform the hits from the 1930s – 1950s and beyond. Sets include those by Jazz Quartet, Jazz Bands and late night Jam Sessions. Open Tuesday through Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight and on Sunday 1:00 pm to 11:30 p.m.

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY the new ABC mockumentary, workplace comedy is clever, creative, timely, exceptionally well done and a hoot and a half. Not to be missed.

Starring Quinta Brunson, who also created the series, she has explained that the inspiration for the series came from the elementary school where her mother taught.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

NYC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES has announced a new $100M NYC Small Business Resilience grant program to provide immediate funding to small businesses in the arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food sectors and in low to moderate income (LMI) communities to help them recover from the pandemic.

The program is designed to reach the communities and sectors hardest hit by COVID. Eligible businesses can apply now to receive a $10,000 grant, which can be used for payroll and benefits, mortgage, rent, utilities, and other operating costs.

Businesses that would like to apply for the grant must:
• Have been in operation before October 1, 2019
• Demonstrate revenue loss between 2019 and 2020
• Not have received a federal grant from the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant program or the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

E-Book

Soft back Book

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO . . . .

RITA MORENO who turned a glam 90 years old yesterday, December 11, 2021.

The EGOT - winner of an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony and a Grammy, is known for her notable work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and theater projects throughout her extensive career spanning over 70 years.

Today, Sunday, December 12, 2021 she can be found at the Castro Theatre in San Francsci where she will be watching a screening of Spielberg's West Side Story. Moreno, who became the first (and still only) Latina to win an acting Oscar for her role as Anita in the 1961 film version, portrays the “newly created character Valentina” in the remake.



THE 44th KENNEDY CENTER HONORS took place Sunday, December 5, 2021, at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. This season's honorees are Bette Midler, Justino Díaz, Berry Gordy, Lorne Michaels and Joni Mitchell.

Attendees included U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and her huaband Douglas F Emhoff, as well as Newt and Callista Gingrich.

JONI MITCHELL (singer and songwriter) was presented and honored either in person or on film by Cameron Crowe, Dan Levy, Norah Jones, Ellie Goulding, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard and Herbie Hancock.

JUSTINO DIAZ (opera singer) was presented and honored by: Grace Bumbry, Denyse Graves, Chita Rivera, Denyse Graves, Hannah Shea, Christian Van Horn, Ariana Wehr, Anna Maria Martinez, Matthew Polenzani, Christian Van Horn, Diaz's daughters Katya and Natascia.

(creator of “Saturday Night Live”): presented and honored by: Steve Martin, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Kevin Nealon, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig and Paul Simon.

BETTE MIDLER (singer and actress) presented and honored by Goldie Hawn, Barbara Hershey, Scarlett Johansson, Melissa Manchester, Adele Kate Baldwin, Beanie Feldstein, Taylor Trensch, Kelli O’Hara and Billy Porter.

BERRY GORDY (Motown founder) presented and honored by: Smokey Robinson, Oprah Winfrey, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”Broadway cast, Andra Day, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder.

CBS will broadcast the 44th annual ceremony on December 22, 2021.

THE ACTING COMPANY in New York City has announced the appointment of Kent Gashas its new Artistic Director. Gash joins The Acting Company following a distinguished 20-plus-year career as an award winning director, actor, educator and author.

Gash is an Arts Professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is the Founding Director of the Tisch School of the Arts’ New Studio on Broadway. He now joins a distinguished list of impressive talents, including John Houseman, Alan Schneider, Michael Kahn, Gerry Gutierrez, Zelda Fichandler, Ian Belknap and Margot Harley to have served as Artistic Director of The Acting Company, founded in 1972 and oft-considered the leading touring repertory theater in the country.

Gash is a graduate of the Carnegie-Mellon University School of Drama with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and the University of California at Los Angeles School of Theatre, Film and Television with a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Directing for the Theatre and Television.

The Acting Company’s 2022-23 touring and New York season will begin with a world premiere adaptation of Alexandré Dumas’ The Three Musketeers by Kirsten Childs under the direction of Gash. The troupe will also perform William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Julietin repertory, directed by Leah C.Gardiner.



BEAUTIFUL- THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL Follow the inspiring true story of Carole King’s remarkable rise to stardom. Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend and 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her 20s, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock ’n roll. But it wasn’t until her personal life began to crack that she finally managed to find her true voice.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the Tony and Grammy-winning inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

Featuring a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil—including “I Feel the Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You've Got a Friend,” and the title song— Beautiful took home two 2014 Tony Awards, as well as a 2015 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, and features a book by Tony and Academy Award-nominated writer Douglas McGrath with direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince.

December 14, 2021–January 2, 2022 at the Eisenhower Theater, Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

PEGGY FOR YOU a Hampstead Theatre original by Alan Plater.

Directed by Richard Wilson.

Starring Tamsin Greig.

Agents are not supposed to be more famous than their clients – unless, of course, you are the formidable, outrageous and hilarious Peggy Ramsay.

Tamsin Greig stars as the legend that held complete sway over the theatre world in a career that spanned thirty years. Alan Plater’s raucously funny play is peopled with characters who fall under the spell of this unlikely heroine, who believed infinitely more in art than she did in money – or in good manners.

Peggy For You received its World Premiere at Hampstead Theatre in 1999 and was Olivier nominated for Best New Comedy. Playing on the Main Stage through January 29, 2022 at the Hamstead Theatre in London.

SKELETON CREW by Tony Award nominee Dominique Morisseau.

Directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson.

The cast features Chanté Adams, Joshua Boone, Brandon J. Dirden, Adesola Osakalumi, and Tony Award winner and five-time Emmy Award nominee Phylicia Rashad.

In 2008 Detroit, a small automotive factory is on the brink of foreclosure, and a tight knit family of workers hangs in the balance. With uncertainty everywhere, the line between blue collar and white collar becomes blurred, and this working family must reckon with their personal loyalties, their instincts for survival and their ultimate hopes for humanity.

The creative team includes Michael Carnahan (sets), Emilio Sosa (costumes), Rui Rita (lighting), Rob Kaplowitz (original music and sound design), Nicholas Hussong (projection design), Jimmy ‘J Keys’ Keys (original songs), Adesola Osakalumi (choreography), Chesney Snow (vocal foley artist), Dave Caparelliotis and Kelly Gillespie (casting), and Kamra A. Jacobs (production stage manager).

Skeleton Crew begins performances Tuesday, December 21 and opens Wednesday, January 12 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City.

TREVOR: THE MUSICAL featuring a book and lyrics by Dan Collins and music by Julianne Wick Davis. Trevor: The Musical is based on the Academy Award-winning short film Trevor directed by Peggy Rajski, produced by Randy Stone and written by Celeste Lecesne.

Directed by Marc Bruni.

Choreography is by Josh Prince.

Trevor: The Musical is about a charming 13-year-old force of nature with a vivid imagination. As he deals with becoming a teenager, Trevor struggles to navigate his own identity and determine how he fits in a challenging world.

It’s 1981 in America, and Trevor Nelson is busy navigating adolescence in suburbia while dreaming of a life in show business. When an embarrassing incident at school suddenly puts him in the wrong spotlight, Trevor must summon the courage to forge his own path.

The company features Holden William Hagelberger as Trevor, along with Mark Aguirre, Aaron Alcaraz, Ava Briglia, Sammy Dell, Tyler Joseph Gay, Ellie Kim, Colin Konstanty, Brigg Liberman, Diego Lucano, Alyssa Emily Marvin, Isabel Medina, Echo Deva Picone, Dan Rosales, Aryan Simhadri, Yasmeen Sulieman, Sally Wilfert, and Jarrod Zimmerman.

The creative team includes scenic designer Donyale Werle, costume designer Mara Blumenfeld, lighting designer Peter Kaczorowski, sound designers Brian Ronan and Cody Spencer, music director Matt Deitchman, orchestrator Greg Pliska, and casting by Tara Rubin Casting.

The Trevor Project, founded by Peggy Rajski, Randy Stone and Celeste Lecesne, was also created as a result of the Trevor film and is not affiliated with the musical. It is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people.

Winner of the Jeff Award for Best New Work, the Pre-New York Engagement of Trevor: The Musical was presented by Writers Theatre in a special agreement with John Ambrosino / Josie Bray / Mark Woods through the Literary Development Initiative, with the generous support of David and Mary Winton Green, Glencoe, IL; Kathryn M. Lipuma, Executive Director.

Performances at Stage 42 in New York City.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL David Mynne returns with his mesmerizing one-man performance of Charles Dickens’ timeless, transformative story: A Christmas Carol. Joy to all mankind? Bah! This is Dickens’ original words with added silliness. Silliness? Bah! Humbug!

December 20-22 at the Minack in Cornwall, England.

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

AL UNSER, SR 4-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, died December 9, 2021 at his home in .Chama, New Mexico. He been diagnosed with cancer 17 years ago. He was 82.

Unser was the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr.

Unser Sr. was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1986 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1998. His collection of trophies and cars is housed at the Unser Racing Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Unser is survived by wife Susan and son Al Jr. He was preceded in death by daughters Mary and Deborah. His brother Bobby died in May at age 87, and nephew Bobby Unser Jr. died in June at 65.

MICHAEL NESMITH a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series The Monkees, died at home in Carmel Valley, California on Friday, December 10, 2021. He had undergone quadruple bypass surgery in 2018. He was 78.

Nesmith's songwriting credits include Different Drum which was sung by Linda Ronstadt with the Stone Poneys.

He played a 12-string guitar, performing on a custom-built Gretsch electric during his time with the Monkees and various 12-string acoustic models during his post-Monkees career. He was also an executive producer of the cult film Repo Man (1984). In 1981, Nesmith won the first Grammy Award given for Video of the Year for his hour-long television show, Elephant Parts.

Nesmith formed the Pacific Arts Corporation, Inc. in 1974 to manage and develop media projects. Pacific Arts Video became a pioneer in the home video market, producing and distributing a wide variety of videotaped programs, although the company eventually ceased operations after an acrimonious contract dispute with PBS over home video licensing rights and payments for several series, including Ken Burns' The Civil War. The dispute escalated into a lawsuit that went to jury trial in federal court in Los Angeles. On February 3, 1999, a jury awarded Nesmith and his company Pacific Arts $48.875 million in compensatory and punitive damages, prompting his widely quoted comment, "It's like finding your grandmother stealing your stereo. You're happy to get your stereo back, but it's sad to find out your grandmother is a thief." PBS appealed the ruling, but the appeal never reached court and a settlement was reached, with the amount paid to Pacific Arts and Nesmith kept confidential.

He is survived by his children Christian Nesmith, Jessica Nesmith, Jason Nesmith, and Jonathan Nesmith.

Next Column: December 19, 2021
Copyright: December 12, 2021 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
Link to Main Page

---

Laura Deni

For the snail mail address, please E-mail your request.