Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: December 13, 2020
By: Laura Deni
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LEA SALONGA MAKES SEASON ENTERTAININGLY BRIGHT

Tony award winner Lea Salonga headed to the Sydney, Australian Opera House for a spectacular performance which recently aired on PBS. The four fantastic shows were recorded November 2019 and has been released by Broadway Records as the elegant Lea Salonga Live in Concert With the Sidney Symphony Orchestra.

I was totally mesmerized by the PBS special and this recording is a must have. The recording isn't an actual recording of the concert. While you do hear her introduction and the audience applauding at the beginning, omitted are audience reactions including Lea's comments between numbers. That included her cute comment when she introduced her musical conductor Gerard Salonga who happens to be her younger brother saying: "Mother is so proud."

As for that younger brother, Gerard graduated summa cum laude and received Berklee's Contemporary Writing and Production Achievement Award from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and serves as the musical director of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. It was talent, not connections which got him hired as Lea's conductor. He also arranged many of the selections. His orchestral arrangements have been performed by the New York Pops, Indianapolis Symphony, Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras.

The song order is identical to the concert.

Following a layered, splendid overture, Lea dazzles with Feelin' Good which sets the positive mood. The wide ranging, well thought out selections, showcase her powerful vocals which can evoke a wide array of emotion. Before Les Miz made Lea a household name, at age 18, she originated the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, first in the West End and then on Broadway, winning the Olivier and Theatre World Awards, and becoming the first Asian woman to win a Tony Award. Her selection from that show isn't what she sang in the production but rather the more adult Why God Why?

Although she was already Tony Award winner it was the megahit Les Miserables and her rendition of On My Own which made her an international household name. Salonga was the first actress of Asian descent to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway. She also portrayed Éponine and Fantine, respectively, in the musical's 10th and 25th anniversary concerts in London.

Her trademark On My Own is included as the next to last selection.

She provided the singing voices of two official Disney Princesses: Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998). Those are represented by her rendition of A Whole New World with Mat Verevis.

She has immaculate control over her well trained, rich vocal instrument. From the book ended Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty The Human Heart and the Ahrens/Flaherty Journal to the Past the romantic filling of Will He Like Me/Vanilla Ice Cream/Till There Was You permits Lea to demonstrate the flexibility of her emotional delivery.

The CD ends with a Boy Band Medley.

A stunning recording that would make a perfect stocking stuffer.

Recorded live at the Sydney Opera House November 2019.

First Violins: Leride Delbridge, Kirsten Williams, Jenny Booth, Brielle Clapson, Claire Herrick, Emily Long, Alexandra Mitchell, Anna Skalova.
Second violins: Marina Marsden, Marianne Edwards, Emmma Hayes, Benjamin Li, Shuti Huang, Maja Verunica
Violas: Justin Williams, Sandro Costantino, Rosemary Curtin, Jane Hazelwood, Stuart Johnson.
Cellos: Leah Lynn, Kristy Xinraum Fenella Gill, Adrian Wallis, Paul Stender
Double Basses: David Campbell, Benjamin Ward, Hayley Witmore
Flutes: Emma Sholl, Kim Falconerr, Katie Zagorski
Oboes: Diana Doherty, Eve Osborn
Clarinets: Francesca Celata, Sandra Ismail, James Julian
Bassoons: Matthew Wikle, Jordy Meulenbroeks
Horns: Ben Jacks, Marnie Sebire, Aidan Gabriels, Jenny McLeod-Sneyd Trumpets: Anthony Heinrichs, Daniel Henderson, Fletcher Cox
Trombones: Scott Kinmont, Dale Vail, Christopher Harris
Tubs: Steve Rossse
Timpani: Tim Brigden
Percussion: Timothy Constable, Jess Clampa
Drum Kit: Anthony Clarke
Harp: Louise Johnson
Guitar: Clive Lendich
Elecric ass: David Stratton
Piano: Daniel Edmonds
Backing Vocalists: Sphie Carter, Rebecca Selley, Mat Verevis
Conductor: Gerard Salonga

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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

MOLASSES TO RUM TO SLAVES is a powerful song from the musical 1776, the production which first made history interesting. The musical number by Sherman Edwards refers to the British Slave Trade. Molasses to rum to slaves / Oh, what a beautiful waltz / You dance with us, we dance with you / In molasses and rum and slaves, sung by Edward Rutledge during the battle in the Continental Congress over signing the Declaration of Independence.

According to The Society of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, "In the stage play and then movie 1776, the character of Edward Rutledge is portrayed as the leader in the opposition to the slavery reference in Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration. There seems to be no corroboration of this in the written record, although Rutledge proved to be a passionate defender of South Carolina’s state rights throughout his tenure in the Continental Congress. Later in his career, during his tenure in the South Carolina House of Representatives, he opposed the opening of the African slave trade. This provides a remarkable insight into his sense of belief in the dignity of all human beings, as his fortune had been built on the backs of slaves working on his rice plantations.

History of Slavery in the British Caribbean is an excellent course taught by Dr. Peggy Brunache lecturer in the history of Atlantic slavery; Dr. Christine Whyte lecturer in global history; Dr. Sally Tuckett lecturer in dress and textile histories all from the University of Glasgow, as well as Dr. Zachary J.M. Beier Lecturer in the Department of History and Archaeology and the Director of the Archaeology Laboratory, Dr. Tara Inniss lecturer and Heritage Studies Coordinator both from The University of the West Indies, Dr. Shani Roper Historian and Curator of the University of the West Indies Museum and Annalee Davis a visual artist, cultural instigator, educator, and writer.

In a section about art and culture of West Africa at the onset and during the era of the transatlantic slave trade it is pointed out that, "The artistic traditions of the region, was populated by a wide variety of different communities, states and empires. It’s important to remember that while we rely on the short-hand ‘Africans’ to describe people living in West Africa, the term would not have made sense to them. People in West Africa defined themselves by their home community, by their language, by their religion and by their occupation, not by the continent they lived on."

Scene on the West African coast. On the left, two European men hit an African man. On the right, another European man takes his wife and child. On the right, a rowboat is hauled in in which an enslaved man holds his hands over his face.African family separated by European men, John Raphael Smith, after George Morland. Public Domain

"Enslaved Africans who were forcibly transported to the British Caribbean had to leave these important aspects of their culture behind, along with languages, cuisine and livelihoods. Excavations at a mass grave of enslaved people at Valongo, in Brazil, reveal that people kept hold of some small objects, such as pipes, amulets, and rings, through the long journey, which gives a sense of their significance," according to E.K. Agorsah (1977), Restitution of Cultural Material to Africa.

Rajeev Syal in the Guardian pointed out that 189 of the British Museum collection’s 9,500 works depict 24 people linked to the slave trade. Another five 19th-century satirical prints contain racist content. At the other end of the spectrum, 40 works in the Parliamentary Art Collection portray 14 abolitionists.

The early findings demonstrate how some of the U.K.’s most powerful people benefited from enslavement. Robert Peel, a 19th-century politician who twice served as prime minister, in addition to founding London’s modern police force, came from a family with interests in the slave trade. So did 19th-century prime ministers Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, and William Gladstone. The latter’s father was one of the most prolific plantation owners in the West Indies, exploiting hundreds of enslaved workers to ensure a steady supply of sugar and cotton. As a member of Parliament, Gladstone protected his family’s financial interests by speaking out against abolition. The collection includes dozens of portraits and statues of both Peel and Gladstone; Liverpool is cited twice, according to Syal.

A parliamentary committee has looked into how the governing body's collection is linked to the slave trade. (Storem via Flickr under CC BY-SA 2.0). Speaking with the Guardian’s Syal last June, collection curator Melissa Hamnett said that the Black Lives Matter movement inspired Parliament to investigate how its art was connected to a history of exploitation and cruelty.

The British government has warned cultural institutions not to remove statues based on protesters’ demands, reported Reuters. In a letter to the British Museum, the National Gallery, Tate and other prominent collections, culture minister Oliver Dowden said that taking down potentially offensive works could jeopardize the institutions’ public funding.

“Some represent figures who have said or done things which we may find deeply offensive and would not defend today,” Dowden added. “But though we may now disagree with those who created them or who they represent, they play an important role in teaching us about our past, with all its faults.”

“History is littered with autocrats instructing museum curators on what to exhibit,” argued Member of Parliament David Lammy on Twitter.

“The intention of the Parliamentary Art Collection is not to venerate people who have supported and committed acts of atrocity,” he added, “but to truthfully reflect the history of Parliament, our democracy and the people who played a part in it.”

This scene depicts Voltaire's Candide and Cacambo meeting a maimed slave near Suriname. The caption says, "It is at this price that you eat sugar in Europe". The slave that utters the remark has had his hand cut off for getting a finger stuck in a millstone, and his leg removed for trying to run away. Public Domain

Dr Christine Whyte pointed out that "some of the products that were used in trading for enslaved people in Africa were linked to Russia, India, the Indian Ocean and beyond through the goods Europeans brought to purchase enslaved people. British captains and slave-traders had to carefully consider the goods sent to the African coast, as different societies had a variety of different demands, and fashion changed quickly.

"The creation of these products drew a variety of artisans, laborers and traders across the world into indirect links with the transatlantic slave trade. Some may have known where and how their products would have been used, others would not. But the profits from the slave trade flowed into communities and through Europe through this production and consumption.

"The drive to respond to demand from African communities also drove innovation in production. New products were developed, some traders tried to create ‘fakes’ of popular products, and new designs were innovated. All of these had an effect on trade and consumption in general."

Slave traders therefore had to know exactly what kind of goods were in demand in the African ports they intended to visit. Why did Africans want goods for slaves? First, it is important to understand that before 1900, African economies were not monetised; goods were exchanged through barter. The most popular item in all African regions were colourful textiles, which slave traders predominantly obtained from Asian manufacturers. Guns and gunpower and different kinds of liquor (rum, brandy or gin) were other goods in high demand, although not everywhere to the same degree. Slave ships furthermore carried varying assortments of smaller goods to Africa, including knives, iron bars, cowrie shells, glass beads, tobacco, unwrought metal and metallic objects, copperware, earthenware and glasswork. But within these broad categories, there were always regionally specific variations in shape, colour, texture and quantity. Any ship captain who did not know what his African trading partners wanted risked heavy losses on his slaving venture.

When slave ships left their home ports for the African coast, they were practically floating warehouses, filled with expensive goods sourced from all corners of the world. Textiles mainly came from Asia, although some were manufactured in European countries. Denmark produced trade guns for the European slave trade, while Sweden and Belgium contributed iron. Cowrie shells came exclusively from the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and were carried to Europe by British and Dutch East India Company ships to be loaded on vessels destined to West Africa. Portuguese slave traders supplied African consumers with Brazilian tobacco, gold dust and rum (aguardente). Rhode Island slave traders carried American rum, while British, French and Dutch slavers usually bought their alcohol stocks from local distillers. When these goods reached Africa, coastal brokers forwarded them to their slave suppliers further inland. In this way, the slave trade was an immensely complex business that involved manufacturers, middlemen, enslavers and consumers in at least five different continents.

From Italy came another valuable kind of currency - glass beads. Venetian glass beads, particularly large Chevron style beads from the Venetian island of Murano, which were considered the most valuable. At times, there were as many as 17 factories on Murano producing beads specifically tailored to different and changing tastes along the West African coast.

Cowrie shells also formed a significant type of currency in the 18th century. Between 1700 and 1850, an estimated 16 billion cowrie shells were imported from the Indian Ocean to West Africa. This greatly reduced the value of the once very rare shells. And by the mid 19th century, the price of enslaved people in cowries had risen sharply. They also came to carry a deep significance. They were used to create decorative items like this necklace, which could demonstrate the owner’s wealth and trade connections. But they also became deeply associated with the slave trade.

Today, cowries are still used to symbolise and memorialise the slave trade. This cowrie shell basket was created by artists in Mozambique in 2015 to hold soil from the region, which was then deposited at the site of the Sao Jose shipwreck where 212 enslaved Africans died when the ship sank in 1794 off the coast of Cape Town in South Africa. The basket was placed close to the wreck by Lonnie Bunch, director of the Smithsonian National Museum for African-American history and culture.

Textiles also made up a significant part of imports to West Africa. Indian-made cloth dyed with indigo was particularly highly prized, called blue goods in English. They came to replace locally made textiles in the late 18th century. Indian cloth was so popular that European merchants attempted to make counterfeit versions. Unfortunately, for them, the fakes were generally easy to discern, as indigo has a distinctive scent, and other types of dyes faded fast.

British traders could use the East India Company’s monopoly on trade to source fabric from India specifically for West African trading. Fabrics would be sent to London for auction. And merchants there would sell them on to slave traders in London, Bristol, and Liverpool. And so a network across the British empire connected cotton weavers and dyers in India to the trade in enslaved people in Africa.

The goods brought to West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade forged links between the enslavers of West Africa, European slave traders, and the artisans and workers of Europe, India, and the Americas.

In the biggest deportation in known history, weapons and gunpowder from Europe were swapped for millions of African slaves who were then shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas.

Millions of African men, women and children were torn from their homes and shackled into one of the world’s most brutal globalized trades between the 15th and 19th centuries. Many died in merciless conditions.

Those who survived endured a life of subjugation on sugar, tobacco and cotton plantations. Britain abolished the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1807 although the full abolition of slavery did not follow for another generation.

Many museums are now showcasing art reflective of that era.

THE TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART (TMA) announces the appointment of three new members to its board of directors. Joining the board are Dr. Romules Durant, CEO and superintendent of Toledo Public Schools; Lisa McDuffie, president and CEO of the YWCA of Northwest Ohio; and Brian Chambers, chairman and chief executive officer of Owens Corning. New directors are elected following a rigorous internal process managed by a nominating subcommittee of the Museum’s Leadership & Governance committee of the board. Each new member will serve a five-year term with the opportunity for a second term of the same length. TMA board members oversee the Museum’s strategy and financial health, contributing their time and expertise to the whole board as well as several committees.

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SWEET CHARITY

LIVE EVENTS LIFT UP FESTIVAL also known as LEVL UP Fest has announced that Blake Shelton, Dave Matthews, Roger Daltrey, and Storme Warren, Co-Host of Sirius XM The Highway will join more than 25 artists and entertainers who are stepping up for the 12 million people who work behind the scenes of live entertainment and events across the United States.

Livestreaming from the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Wednesday, December 16 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, LEVL UP Fest is a benefit for the entertainment and events industry by the entertainment and events industry. Through a night of music and stories, LEVL UP Fest will entertain the audience while lifting up and giving hope to a workforce that has been decimated due to the global pandemic. The industry has collapsed under the weight of Covid-19, leaving nearly 10 million event pros unemployed and uncertain about what their future holds.

Blake Shelton joins the lineup along with Dave Matthews, Jimmie Allen, Jason Mraz, Michael Ray, Shy Carter, The War And Treaty, John Rzeznik from the Goo Goo Dolls, Dispatch, Keala Settle, Mt. Joy, Augustana, Indigo Girls, Lucie Silvas, Annie Bosko, Bre Kennedy, CJ Hammond & Sloane, and Veridia.

Also performing - Public, Michael Cerveris, the McCrary Sisters and singer/songwriter, Sam Wade. Along with the McCrary Sisters, Sam will deliver a very special debut performance of an original song that he co-wrote with LEVL UP Music Supervisor and long-time Composer/Conductor for The Who, Keith Levenson. The anthemic song, aptly titled 12 Million was written by the pair for LEVL UP Fest as a tribute to all those that the event seeks to represent.

Making special appearances will be rock legend, Roger Daltrey, actor/comic and poet, Steve Connell, Michael McDonald, Kenny G, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, All-American Rejects’ Nick Wheeler, Greta Van Fleet, Adam Gardner from Guster, Ray Parker Jr., Jerry Dipizzo from OAR, Taye Diggs, The Fray’s Ben Wysoki, the Irish rock band, The Harleys accompanied by Dublin Gospel Choir, Jim Sheridan of Ireland’s The Late Late Show and Co-Host of SiriusXM The Highway, Storme Warren. Also from SiriusXM, Nicole Ryan from Hits 1 The Morning Mash Up will host the evening live from The Ryman.

The LEVL UP Fest team says their top priority is to support the people behind live events. They also feel the lessons learned in 2020 demand that they pay attention to coming back stronger, more resilient and more diverse than they were before. To achieve this, they’ve named three beneficiaries for funds raised by the festival. MusiCares and The Roadie Clinic are two of those organizations whose focus is on critical assistance in times of need and mental health and wellness support. With an eye on the future, LEVL UP Fest named the Country Music Association Foundation (CMAF) as their third beneficiary with funds to be used for the CMA EDU program, supporting LEVL UP’s goal of strengthening and diversifying the industry through outreach, education and job placement. Donations can be made at any time.

LEVL UP Fest will be a free virtual event and featured on NoCap Shows and Twitch.

THE ACTING COMPANY in New York City has announced they will celebrate the holiday season with a virtual benefit performance of songs, readings, holiday traditions, and hijinks that will feature alumni and friends of the company. Styled as a variety show and hosted by Emmy nominated actor Rainn Wilson and directed by Tony Award winning director John Rando.

The event will feature performances from actors who have performed with The Acting Company during its storied 48-year history. The virtual fundraiser will stream live on December 17th at 8pm, EST and is free for all to enjoy. Donations to this benefit are highly encouraged. This fundraiser reunites Rainn Wilson and director John Rando, whose careers both began on tour with The Acting Company in 1990. From 2005-2013 Wilson played the icon Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom The Office, which earned him three consecutive Emmy Award nominations. Rando, who won the Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for Urinetown, has a new production of Back to the Future scheduled to open in London’s West End in 2021. Wilson and Rando’s shared sense of humor and zany imaginations will breathe new life into favorite holiday memories drawn from children’s stories, holiday poems, and music, providing laughter for the whole family this holiday season.

Joining Wilson will be alumni and friends of The Acting Company including: Oscar and three-time Tony Award winner, Kevin Kline; Harriet Harris; Lorraine Toussaint; Jesse L. Martin; Sara Mearns, Lisa Banes; Steven Skybell; Tatiana Wechsler and others.

All proceeds will benefit a 2021-2022 national tour of Twelfth Night directed by Kent Gash and The Three Musketeers directed by Carl Cofield.

CALLING FOR THE HOLIDAYS In the final week before Christmas, Abbey Theatre in Ireland is hitting the phones to connect their audiences with their artists. Bespoke and intimate performances are ringing your phone to connect with those feeling isolated or who have been desperately missing the connection of live performance.

Abbey Calling has 50 of Ireland’s leading actors plugging into the switchboard to make over 2,000 phone calls. In each phone call, the actors will read a poem, perform a speech, or perhaps sing a song, the choice is yours.

To book a call - Choose your date - Choose your performance piece - Pick a time for your call - One of their performers will call - Calls will last a max of 30 minutes.

Abbey Calling is a special collaboration with Aware, the mental health organisation providing free support, education, and information services to individuals and communities throughout Ireland. All proceeds from donations will go to Aware.

SPREADING THE WORD

92Y ANNOUNCES BROADWAY’S MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL stars Karen Olivo, Aaron Tveit, Robyn Hurder, Danny Burstein, and Sahr Ngaujah with Ruthie Fierberg on Monday, December 21.

Moulin Rouge! The Musical takes the 92Yr virtual stage for a behind-the-scenes look at the show that’s been nominated for 14 Tony Awards including Best Musical and individual performer nominations for each of the panelists.

How have they adapted the characters of Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film for the stage? How do they manage to tell an intimate love story in the context of the most lavish, eye-popping and transportive production ever to hit Broadway? How on earth do they perform over 70 songs that celebrate some of the greatest popular music of the last 50 years? And how do the central themes of the show—the celebration of artists and the struggles that face them—resonate now more than ever while Broadway is currently dark?

LOOKING BACK AT THE COAST OF UTOPIA: A ROUNDTABLE playwright Tom Stoppard and director Jack O’Brien reunite with actors Billy Crudup, Jennifer Ehle, Ethan Hawke, and Martha Plimpton for a very special ree Zoom roundtable discussion on Thursday, December 17, 2020 to talk about their experiences working on LCT’s groundbreaking, landmark production of Stoppard’s trilogy The Coast of Utopia.

FOUNTAIN THEATRE'S VIRTUAL END-OF-YEAR PARTY features holiday cheer, games, play reading about Hollywood icon Bette Davis.

Settle in with your favorite beverage on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET when the Fountain Theatre winds up 2020 and its monthly Saturday Matinee series with an Old Hollywood-themed holiday party filled with joy, games, and — of course — an online playreading. Admission is free at fountaintheatre.com.

Venerable actress Karen Kondazian, a lifetime member of the Actors Studio and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award-winner best known for her work in the plays of Tennessee Williams (with whom she was a personal friend), takes on the role of Hollywood legend Bette Davis in Interviewing Miss Davis by award-winning playwright Laura Maria Censabella.

After the reading, stick around for party games and a celebration of friends, fellow artists and the Fountain’s all-important audience. Wear something glamorous! (optional).

Inspired by a true event in Ms. Censabella’s own life, the one-act is set in 1985 as Davis interviews a new personal assistant (Wonjung Kim) upon learning that her current, beloved assistant (and nurse) Jacqueline (Aleisha Force) is leaving.

“I was just out of college and very, very broke — no furniture, a folding chair, folding table, mattress on the floor, and I was working for someone who said I’d make a great assistant for Bette Davis,” Censabella explained in an interview. “I went to the interview but was very conflicted because I wanted to be a writer and at the same time I wanted instant validation, and I felt like if I became Bette Davis’s assistant, I would have that.”

DISCOVERING JIMMY STEWART lunch and learn in a webnair by the World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo which takes place Thursday, December 17, 2020.

It’s a wonderful live virtual program! Join the Young Friends of the?Kansas City?Public Library, the Young Friends of Art and The Modernists for a discussion about? Discovering James Stewart, a documentary about the legendary James "Jimmy" Stewart with local film buff Jerry Harrington of Tivoli at the Nelson-Atkins. Get to know the man behind your favorite classic movies, including the holiday favorite It’s a Wonderful Life and meet other film lovers.

Participants are encouraged to watch?the documentary (and any of Stewart's films) on Kanopy, a free streaming service from the?Kansas City?Public Library before the event and come ready with your questions for this lunch-and-learn virtual event.

This free event will take place on Facebook Live and on Zoom – RSVP to get a notification when it starts.

CHARLES DICKENS' A CHRISTMAS CAROL in-demand streaming though January 3, 2021 from the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

Geffen Playhouse’s hit 2018 production Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was filmed for on-demand viewing by On The Stage streaming.

"The timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge comes to thrilling new life as Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays, directed by Michael Arden, plays over 50 roles in a virtuosic, master class of a performance.

You'll have 24 hours to watch your performance after activating your link. Performance can be watched on any device or cast to your TV.

DEBBIE REYNOLDS, FRANK SINATRA, ELVIS PRESLEY, MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORABILIA GAVELED DOWN

Premiere pops considered the leading marketing memorabilia company to market, authenticate, package, and distribute exclusive movie memorabilia conducted a virtual auction hammering down over 750 pieces of memorabilia, props and costumes on Saturday, December 12, 2020 at the Premiere Props headquarters in El Segundo, CA.

The auction also marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration with The Debbie Reynolds’ Archives and her son Todd Fisher with a collection of props, costumes and photos from Reynolds’ career.

“My mother’s wish was to cater to her fans and give them the chance to own and cherish her costumes and props,” said Todd Fisher. “We are excited to bring thousands of her items, at all price points, from her archive collection directly to her fans through Premiere Props’ Hollywood Live Auctions.”

Items from The Debbie Reynolds’ Archives included:

Elaborate custom-made stage costumes designed by the legendary costumer Bob Mackie for her stage shows
Stage worn gold-sequined rhinestone jumpsuit with ostrich feathers from the “Debbie and Donald O’Connor” live show from her “Ginger Rogers Tribute”
Red, white and blue spangled costume worn during the “Bicentennial” segment of her 1976 one-woman stage show
Stage worn and autographed dance shoes from her Las Vegas show
A complete rare family preserved early photo shoot collection of Carrie Fisher in her preteen and teen years, never released or shown to the public. Plus, original photos of Carrie, Debbie and Todd Fisher.
Actual pieces of flooring from the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio together with autographed posters and photos that were on display at the studio. The dance floor was originally from MGM studios (1930s) and Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and other major stars from the era danced on it. The floor was purchased by Reynolds and installed in 1976 at her studio where stars including Michael Jackson (rehearsing for his Thriller concert tour), Ann Miller, and Michael Crawford used it.
An original poster from “Singing In The Rain” autographed by Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor
Autographed prints of Reynolds’ MGM “pals” including Jimmy Stewart, Bettie Davis, June Allyson, Ann Miller, Esther Williams, Jane Russell, and Jack Lemmon, among others.
A collection of rare, autographed Star Wars posters direct from Carrie Fisher’s personal collection.
A rare collection of autographed Debbie Reynold’s original studio prints from her award-winning films.

The auction, which took place on Frank Sinatra’s birthday, included a collection of ten never before seen photos from Sinatra’s 1951 wedding to Eva Gabor, along with their family members, taken by celebrated photographer Jules Schick.

Additional items up for auction include: Elvis Presley - King Creole - screen worn shirt (1958) Yellow/cream colored custom long sleeve silk shirt worn in the film Follow That Dream – screen worn sunglasses (1962) Renauld of France green tinted sunglasses with metal frame worn in the film, along with collection of black & white photos of Elvis wearing the glasses Personal brown leather and wool Kentfield jacket (1956).

Michael Jackson - White “tux style” crystal glove from the Victory tour Signed leather jacket from the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002) Personally owned and worn autographed fedora (1998).

Black Panther (2019) Iconic concept (prototype) mask designed for Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).

Since 2001, Premiere Props has represented over 800 movies to date. Premiere Props works with some of the largest motion picture studios and independent distributors in the world, such as Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, MGM, Sony Screen Gems, Lionsgate, TriStar, Spyglass, Alcon, Blumhouse Productions and many more.

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JOSEPH CONYERS (BUTI’98) has joined Boston University Tanglewood Institute as Artistic Advisor and Artist-in-Residence.

An advocate for music education, Conyers is the executive director of Project 440 – an organization that helps young people use their interest in music to forge new pathways and change their communities. Since 2010 he has served as the Assistant Principal Bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra after tenures with the Atlanta Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, and Grand Rapids Symphony.

BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY (BSC) under the leadership of Founder/Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, has announced the first round of Spark Grants of $2,500 each to eleven artists with whom Barrington Stage Company has either collaborated with on past work or looks forward to collaborating with in the future. Each recipient was awarded the grant under the single condition that the money be used to spark the artist’s creativity.

“In these uncertain times, we know that many artists are struggling not only financially but also artistically,” commented Ms. Boyd. “We are addressing both of these challenges by awarding these grants to artists to spark their creativity, either for a new project or to continue working on an existing one.”

The following artists have received Spark Grants:

Director/Choreographer Camille A. Brown (Upcoming - BSC: Ain’t Misbehavin’; Broadway: Choir Boy, Once on This Island; Off-Broadway: For Colored Girls…; Film: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

Playwright Joe Calarco (BSC: Ragtime, Breaking the Code; Published work: In the Absence of Spring, Walter Cronkite is Dead)

Playwright-Lyricist Sara Cooper (BSC: The Memory Show; NY: Elevator Heart, Fault Lines)

Composer Jenny Giering (BSC: Gertrude and Claudius; Regional: Saint-Ex, Alice Bliss)

Activist, Professor and Playwright Keelay Gipson (NY & Regional: The Red and the Black, imagine sisyphus happy, #NEWSLAVES, Mary/Stuart)

Actor, Writer and Art-ivist Daniel K. Isaac (BSC: The Chinese Lady; NY & Regional: The Hope Project, Quiet Love, Fullerton, Once Upon A (korean) Time)

Playwright Donja R. Love (Off-Broadway: soft, one in two, Fireflies, Sugar in Our Wounds)

Actor, Singer, Writer and Composer Grace McLean (BSC: Mr Finn’s Cabaret; Broadway: Natasha, Pierre…; Off-Broadway: In the Green; Tour: Grace McLean & Them Apples)

Director and Choreographer Jeffrey Page (BSC: Company, Broadway Bounty Hunter; Broadway: Violet; Upcoming: 1776)

Composer, Actor and Writer Joël René Scoville (2&1, The Long Way Home; Webseries: “Crazy with a K!”)

Singer-songwriter Niko Tsakalakos (BSC: Fall Springs, Pool Boy; Regional: Off the Map.)

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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

FINAL OVATION

PEG MURRAY a Tony Award winner died November 29, 2020. She waas 96.

She won a Tony Award for her performance as the vile "Fräulein Kost" in the original Broadway production of Cabaret (1966). She understudied the role of "Fräulein Schneider", originated by Lotte Lenya, and eventually took over that role full-time when Lenya left the production.

Murray later worked in daytime television, playing the roles of Carrie Johnson Lovett on Love of Life and modeling agent Olga Swenson on All My Children. She remained with that soap for 13 years.

Never married, she was affiliated with the Herstory Writers Group.She lived primarily in New York City and Southold, Long Island.

CHARLEY PRIDE singer, musician, guitarist, business owner, and professional baseball player, died December 12, 2020 in Dallas Texas from Covid-19. He had been hospitalized with the virus since late November. He was 86.

His family's statement explains: "Despite the incredible efforts, skill and care of his medical team over the past several weeks, he was unable to overcome the virus," the statement continues. "Charley felt blessed to have such wonderful fans all over the world. And he would want his fans to take this virus very seriously."

Pride's greatest musical success came in the early to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis Presley.

He starred in Las Vegas on a regular basis. I had the pleasure of reviewing his performances several times as well as interviewing him on multiple occasions. He was one of the most intelligent and gracious individuals you could ever hope to meet.

Pride was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also a Grand Ole Opry member, the first Black singer to be invited to join the hallowed institution. A three time Grammy winner, and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, last November 11 the country icon received the CMA's Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Harvey Mason jr. Chair & Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Music is about breaking barriers. As one of the first Black superstars in country music, Charley Pride did just that. A three-time Grammy winner and 13-time nominee, the Recording Academy feels this loss deeply. During his nearly five-decade long career, Pride inspired artists and paved the way for so many in the industry, which is why the Academy honored him with our Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He'll be sorely missed, but we are grateful for the remarkable legacy he leaves behind."

He is survived by his wife Rozene Cohran whom he married in 1956 and children Carlton Kraig, Charles Dione and Angela Rozene. Dion Pride, Angela Pride and Kraig Pride. He was the grandfather of Carlton Kraig Jr., Malachi, Syler, Ebby and Arrentino, and the great-grandfather of Skyler and Carlton Kraig III. The singer also leaves behind his siblings Harmon (and wife Barbara), Stephen (and wife Pamela), Catherine and Maxine, as well as a number of nieces and nephews.

Next Column: December 20, 2020
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Laura Deni

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