Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: December 18, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: FOCUS CENTER STAGE CELEBRATES A HALF CENTURY

The New York Library for the Performing Arts. Photo: Laura Deni

The headline is a bit misleading. Actually, the The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Theatre on Film and Tape is beginning its 53rd year. However, COVID delayed the original planned 50th anniversary exhibition.

And, yes, there was a splendid 50th anniversary celebration back in February 2016 honoring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Angela Lansbury, and Jessye Norman. So, the anniversary depends upon what segment of the Library for the Performing Arts you're celebrating. The 2016 event was for the entire structure. This current exhibit celebrates the specific Theatre on Film and Tape which opened in 1970. It is on display through February 23, 2023.

The current main exhibit offers a look back at the archive, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Theatre on Film and Tape and how it affected theatre history. It was curated by Patrick Hoffman with assistance from Wendy Norris.

Hoffman, who received hi BA in theatre from the University of Missouri-Columbia, has been responsible for running the TOFT Archives since 2001. He oversees the production of more than 50 original documentations video recordings of live theatre each year and is well known and respected within the theatre community.

Whatever the anniversary, the Library for the Performing Arts is a jewel in a city noted for wonders.

Located in Lincoln Center, the Library for the Performing Arts houses one of the world's most extensive combinations of circulating, reference, and rare archival collections in its field. These materials are available free of charge, along with a wide range of special programs, including exhibitions, seminars, and performances. An essential resource for everyone with an interest in the arts - whether professional or amateur - the Library is known particularly for its prodigious collections of non-book materials such as historic recordings, videotapes, autograph manuscripts, correspondence, sheet music, stage designs, press clippings, programs, posters and photographs.

At the heart of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is a collection of video recordings which has documented and preserved theatre history, America’s diverse and expansive culture, and revolutionized theatre research. The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT) has long been recognized as the first and foremost collection of videorecorded live theatre performances in the world.

The archive was founded by Betty L. Corwin, a former assistant to producer Martin Gabel, who approached the Library for the Performing Arts in November 1969 and proposed preserving visual records of live theatre performances. Despite many obstacles and after lengthy negotiations with the theatrical unions and guilds, TOFT was established and made its first recording in November 1970. The collection has become the foremost archive of live theatre performances in the world and a role model for similar archives in the United States and abroad. The archive consists of a collection over 5,000 plays, musicals, classics, experimental and avant-garde productions, and an additional 3,000 videos of interviews, dialogues, film and television adaptations, award presentations, and other theatre-related programs. It remains today the single largest, most comprehensive collection of live theatre anywhere in the world, according to historical documentation.

The Theatre division includes the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive (TOFT), dedicated to donor Lucille Lortel, which produces video recordings of New York and regional theater productions, and provides research access at its Lucille Lortel screening room. The collection is considered one of the most comprehensive collections of videotaped theater productions in the world. Archives modeled on TOFT include the Museum of Performance & Design in San Francisco, the Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive established in Washington, D.C., and the National Video Archive of Performance in London.

Over its five-decade history, the TOFT is proud that "each year theatre professionals and researchers come from every state in the U.S. and dozens of countries around the globe to New York City to view videos at the Library. They are today's, as well as tomorrow's producers, playwrights, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers, actors, designers, stage managers, dance captains, conductors, musicians, and other theatre professionals, plus critics, journalists, professors, teachers, students, and scholars. For them TOFT has become an indispensable, vital tool for studying past productions, for inspiring, creating, and refining new ones, and for adapting productions for film and television."

Patrick Hoffman Director of the Film and Tape Archive. Photo: NYPL

Celebrities such as Baryshnikov, Bette Midler and Alan Cumming have studied their own performances as well as prepare for upcoming roles by viewing videos of their own work as well as others.

The Library has been collecting theatrical materials for years prior to 1931, when the executors of David Belasco's estate offered the producer's holdings on the condition that a division be created. The Theatre Collection, as it was initially known, began on September 1, 1931. The division opened at Lincoln Center as the Theatre Collection. In 1956 the theatre collection of the New York Public Library was recognized with a Special Tony Award. In 1979, it was renamed the Billy Rose Theatre Division, honoring a financial gift from the lyricist/producer's foundation. It is now the largest research division at the library, with holdings primarily on the theatre, and increasing on film, with some collections on the related subjects of vaudeville, magic, puppetry, and the circus. The Theater of Film and Tape Archive is administratively within the division.

The core of the collection consists of live recordings of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, with some additional productions from professional regional theaters. The Archive also records interviews and dialogues with notable theater professionals. In addition to live performances, commercial recordings of theater-related films, documentaries, and television programs are also included in the collection. Currently between 50 and 60 live recordings are produced each year, covering most important productions. As of fall of 2016, the collection included 7,901 titles.

The collection maintains contracts with all theatrical unions and guilds, thus enabling clearances for the non-commercial videotaping of live theater.

Productions are recorded during a regular performance with an audience, are edited live, and are intended to represent as closely as possible a typical performance as seen in the theater. It is Hoffman who hires the recording crew. Hoffman also determines which productions make the videotaping cut. In addition to live performances, commercial recordings of theater-related films, documentaries, and television programs are also included in the collection.

The collection includes many Tony Award-winning productions. Each production is normally recorded only once, although exceptions are sometimes made for significant cast changes. An attempt is made to collect artistically significant theater. The first play recorded by TOFT was Golden Bat, a 1970 Off-Broadway Japanese rock musical.

Among the highlights of the collection are:

1952 London production of South Pacific with Mary Martin
1975 production of Equus starring Anthony Hopkins
Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel
Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing (1994 revival)
Original production of A Chorus Line at The Public Theater
The Taming of the Shrew with Meryl Streep and Raúl Juliá
Original production of Rent at New York Theatre Workshop
1998 Broadway revival ofCabaret, starring Natasha Richardson and Alan Cumming
2005 Broadway production of Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Liev Schreiber

The current exhibit highlights various aspects of the archive including exciting excerpts from its unparalleled video collection, rare photographs of the creatives behind some of these memorable productions, awards presented to TOFT through the years, and images of its founder, staff, and video crews who have worked over the past 50 years to create the collection it is today.

Exhibits and displays have included a replica of Hal Prince's office, an exhibit of Stephen Sondheim's letters and work, caricaturist Al Hirschfeld's desk and chair; the score of a 1914 Princeton musical called “Fie! Fie! Fi-Fi!, with plot and lyrics by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was in the class of ’17; a first edition of Porgy and Bess, signed by Gershwin and the original cast; and Bill Evans’s original handwritten liner notes to Kind of Blue.

Works of Cole Porter - including his cigarette case - Meredith Willson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeanine Tesori, Lorraine Hansberry, Tennessee Williams, Martin McDonagh, Lynn Nottage, and Paula Vogel, are also represented, among many others.

Routinely, set designers create miniatures, much like a doll house, of the production they are helping to create. Many of these are on display.

The TOFT has file cabinets containing 500,000 folders holding more than a million clippings pertaining to the performing arts. As a whole, the L.P.A. has more than ten million items. which are being digitized.

Since the late 1990s, NYPL's exhibitions program has added online exhibitions. Online exhibitions serve as an extension of physical exhibitions, adding more material or allowing a greater depth of exploration.

A recent internal report estimated that LPA holds approximately 4.5 million photographs, including the recently acquired collection of New York photographer Martha Swope, itself holding 1 million photographs.

Also currently on display: Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars through March 4, 2023. The first large-scale exhibition featuring previously unseen and unheard work from Lou Reed’s archive, the first large-scale exhibition from Reed’s archive which the Library acquired in 2017. The exhibition displays the life and work of the icon whose profound influence—musically, visually, and culturally—still affects a range of artists and writers today. The exhibition is free to all—no library card, ticket, or appointment is needed to view the exhibition at this time, according to official releases.

Lou Reed: Caught Between the Twisted Stars, taken from a lyric from "Romeo Had Juliette" from Reed's solo album, New York, exhibits previously unseen and unheard work of a prolific and uncompromising artist—songwriter, musician, performer, poet, photographer, and tai chi practitioner. The story is told through the voices, images, and music of Reed's music projects; through his performances and theatre works; the articles, books, and poems that he authored; his own photography; and his personal tai chi studies.

The exhibition is curated by Don Fleming and Jason Stern. Fleming served as the archivist for the Lou Reed Archive, and Stern as Reed's Technical Director and Archivist during the artist's lifetime.

Upcoming: The Wondrous Willa Kim, Costume Designs for Actors and dancers on exhibition February 23 - August 19, 2023.

On Tripadvisor 93% of travelers recommend Library for the Performing Arts, while Broadway To Vegas gives it a 100%.

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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 DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ART last week partnered with Shakespeare in Detroit to present staged a reading of Six Letters by Van Gogh, presented in conjunction with the Van Gogh in America exhibition now on view at the DIA.

To bring the letters to life the DIA selected several of Van Gogh’s letters to friends and family that help paint a picture of the artist’s life through his own words.

The letters were performed by actors of various backgrounds enhancing the appreciation and interpretation of the correspondences.

The exhibition Van Gogh in America, celebrates the Detroit Institute of Art’s status as the first public museum in the United States to purchase a painting by Vincent van Gogh, his Self-Portrait (1887). On the 100th anniversary of its acquisition, visitors can experience 74 authentic Van Gogh works from around the world and discover the fascinating story of America’s introduction to this iconic artist, in an exhibition only at the DIA.

The exhibition explores the considerable efforts made by early promoters of modernism in the United States—including dealers, collectors, private art organizations, public institutions, and the artist’s family—to introduce the artist, his biography, and his artistic production into the American consciousness.

Van Gogh in America is organized by the Detroit Institute of Arts and is part of the Bonnie Ann Larson Modern European Artists Series.

On display through January 22, 2023.

THE TAIPEI ART AWARDS is a competition exhibition which has been held annually by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum since the museum opened its doors in 1983. As one of Taiwan’s most forward-looking and iconic visual art awards, it encourages creations that are in tune with the spirit of the times and introduces more diversified ideas and creative energy.

A total of 366 submissions were submitted this year, and after a two-stage judging process, the finalists selected include:

Sara Wu, Wu Lien-Yin, Lu Yi-Lun, Lin Cheng-Yo, Chang Cheng-Chun, Fu Wan-Ting, Steph Huang, Liu Wen-Chi, Liu Chi-Tung, Zheng Wen-Hao, Hsieh Chi-Hsun.

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SPREADING THE WORD

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA will return to Las Vegas for another three performance stint in his musical Freestyle Love Supreme January 12, 104, 2023. The production can be enjoyed at the Venetian Resort.

Freestyle Love Supreme was conceived by Anthony Veneziale who then created the show along with and created by Miranda and Thomas Kail.

Las Vegas performance of the non stop blend of hip-hop, improvisational Comedy, music and vocal stylings are schedule through April 23, 2023.

SWEENEY TODD will open a revival of the hit musical on with a stellar cast; Tony Winner Annaleigh Ashford as pie maker Mrs. Lovett and Josh Groban as the murderous barber Sweeney Todd. Joing them in this Stephen Sondheim and HughWheeler delight will be Jordan Fisher as Anthony, Gaten Matarazzo as Tobias, Tony Award winner and Laurence Olivier Award nominee Ruthie Ann Miles as Beggar Woman, Maria Bilbao as Johanna, Jamie Jackson as Judge Turpin, John Rapson as Beadle Bamford, Nicholas Christopher as Pirelli/Standby for Sweeney Todd, and Jeanna de Waal as Standby for Mrs. Lovett and Beggar Woman.

The revival will feature Jonathan Tunick's full, 26-piece orchestration for the first time on Broadway since the original production, under the baton of three-time Tony winner Alex Lacamoire.

The production will also feature choreography by Steven Hoggett, scenic design by Tony winner Mimi Lien, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by seven-time Tony winner Natasha Katz, and sound design by Tony winner Nevin Steinberg. Directed by Tony-winning Thomas Kail, the production will play the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre beginning February 26, 2023, with opening night set for March 26, 2023.

ELF IN CONCERT Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa's elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn't fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. This holiday season relive this heartwarming holiday classic on a giant screen as every note of John Debney's wonderful score is played live to picture by the Kansas City Symphony in Elf in Concert. December 21-24, 2022 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, MO.

BALLY'S HOTEL on the Las Vegas strip is now known as the Horseshoe.

Caesars Entertainment announced that a soft opening took place on Thursday. The venue has been given a multimillion dollar renovation.

LA COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION a one-of-a-kind, free holiday spectacular that has been a Los Angeles holiday tradition since 1959 takes place December 24, 2022 at The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

The 63rd annual, two-time Emmy award-winning event will feature 21 music ensembles, choirs and dance companies from the many neighborhoods and cultures that make up L.A. County. Returning with a live audience for the first time since 2019, the program will delight both the in-person audience and at-home audiences watching the live broadcast on PBS SoCal, streaming online at kcet.org and pbssocal.org, or via the free PBS app.

Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano and Emmy award-winning television host Suzanna Guzmán returns as co-host for her ninth year, and will be joined by professional roller skater, skate choreographer and coach Candice Heiden.

Featuring colorful costumes and global sounds from Africa, China, India, Philippines, Mexico, Hawaii and more, this year’s participating artists hail from communities across Los Angeles County.

Returning audience favorites include the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles; gospel singers Lorenzo Johnson & Praizum; all-women global soul ensemble ADAAWE; Grammy award-winner Daniel Ho with Hawaiian hula dancers Halau Hula Keali’i o Nalani; Philippine folk arts dance company Kayamanan Ng Lahi; all-female mariachi ensemble Las Colibrí; Mexican folkloric dance troupe Pacifico Dance Company; current student and alumni ensemble Palmdale High School Choral Union and Sunday Night Singers; world chamber music ensemble Quarteto Nuevo; Asian/country fusion musicians Sound of China Guzheng Ensemble; children’s ensembles MUSYCA Children’s Choir and Our Lady of the Angels Children’s Chorus; and Urban Voices Project, a choir comprised of men and women surviving homelessness on Skid Row.

New this year are award-winning blues band Sista Jeans Blues Machine; hip-hop dance ensemble Temper Tantrum; all-kids a cappella group Squad Harmonix; secular a cappella choir Voices of Reason; modern kathak (North Indian classical dance) ensemble Shivam Arts Dance Company joined by Clarita Corona of Arte Flamenco; tap dance ensemble Reverb Tap Company; keepers of the Ballet Russe legacy Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre; and the California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley Vocal Arts Ensemble.

Tickets to the in-person event are free and available on a first-come, first-seated basis. Parking is free in The Music Center parking garage.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION has announced that Latin Grammy winner Nicky Jam is sponsoring its prestigious Prodigy Scholarship toward a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music starting in the 2023 fall semester.

The scholarship announcement comes as a follow-up to the artist’s performance at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, alongside Foundation scholarship winners, where he pledged to support aspiring musicians.

The four-year namesake Prodigy Scholarship, this year the Nicky Jam Scholarship, was created eight years ago and provides up to $200,000 in financial aid. It has been co-sponsored by the following Latin artists: Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021) Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016), and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

In addition, the Foundation is accepting applications for all 2023 scholarships, and alongside Nicky Jam, Juan Diego Medina, CEO of La Industria Inc., is also sponsoring one of the Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000.

All scholarships are available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25, as follows:
Three (3) Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000 each will be awarded to students to cover tuition costs towards a four-year bachelor's degree in music starting in fall 2023 at the university of their choice.
Forty (40) Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to students pursuing a degree in music. This is a one-time award that will cover tuition costs over one year (fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters).

Each year, the Foundation's Scholarship Committee carefully evaluates applications from a highly competitive pool of aspiring musicians on a variety of skills, along with rigorous requirements that are both academic and artistic in nature. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $7.6 million in scholarships, grants and musical instrument donations through their music education programming, and events worldwide. All scholarships are awarded to exceptionally talented music students, with financial needs, to support their educational and musical aspirations.

The online application process requires students to submit two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university along with two essays. The materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese. The deadline to apply is April 10, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

THE NEW YORK CITY MAYOR'S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT (MOME) whose portfolio of creative industries expanded to include NYC's historic publishing industry in 2016, has announced the results of the 2022 NYC Publishing Industry Economic Impact Study. The groundbreaking analysis details specifics on the industry's continued significance and contribution to New York City's creative economy. Most notably, in 2020 the industry supported a total of 95,000 jobs, $11 billion in wages, and $34 billion in economic output.

This study defines the publishing industry as composed of four sectors: Publishers, Talent (content creators), Print Production and Distribution & Consumption. Data from 2010-2020, which includes the full calendar year of 2020 and therefore reflects the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, was evaluated to determine the total numbers. An additional assessment through June 2021 was used to more closely evaluate the pandemic's impact on the industry.

Regarding Employment:
Total industry employment declined between 2010 and 2020 by -2.8%, {p. 7} which may be attributed to the high cost of living locally, rapid digitization of media, growth of e-commerce, and pandemic decline in in-person events and book fairs. {p. 56}
Talent sector employment increased by 4.8% and grew in total size by 60%, which speaks to NYC's continued resilience as a literary hub with strong networking opportunities, trade associations, and educational programs. {p. 23}
Publishers sector (which includes print and digital media) represents 75% of the overall industry's direct employment and 81% of direct wages.
Publishers sector employment declined across four U.S. benchmark cities, New York (-3.2%), San Francisco (-4.4%), Pittsburgh (-7.2%) and Boston (-7.4%), showing the decrease in the industry is nationwide. {p. 60}
Internet Publishers, a subsector of the Publishers sector, employment increased at an average annual rate of 19% between 2010 and 2020, representing growth from approximately 300 to 1,700 employees, due to a demand for virtual content as computers, smartphones, and wireless infrastructure has become increasingly commonplace across the nation. {p. 30}
Internet Publishers employment increase has not offset the annual average decrease of periodical (-5.9%) and newspaper (-2.1%) Publishers employment from 2010-2020, in part because the curation of online publications is more standardized than for print publications and requires fewer employees. {p. 8 & 30}

Regarding Equity & Diversity:
Share of female employees in publishing industry is 51%, representing an increase of 3%-4% between 2010 and 2020, which is on par with the NYC average (52%) and indicative of the industry's utilization of NYC's strong pipeline of female talent. {p. 33}
Share of non-white employees in publishing industry is 30%, much lower that the NYC average (53%), indicative of the industry's need to better improve efforts to recruit and retain from the city's diverse workforce. {p. 33}

Regarding Wages:
All sectors experienced wage increases between 2010 and 2020 at average annual rate of 2.6%. {p. 24}
Average annual wage of publishing industry workers is $122,000, above the city's overall average annual wage of $99,000. {p.24}
Average annual wage encompasses a range of salaries from $30,000 (at newsprint mills) to $172,000 (at news syndicates). {p. 25}

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THE THEATER HALL OF FAME has inducted new members.

They are: Actors Christine Ebersole and Bill Irwin, director Frank Galati, sound designer Abe Jacob, and playwrights Lynn Nottage and Ntozake Shange. Normally eight are inducted, but this year two members were postponed until 2023: actor Mandy Patinkin (away working on a movie) and playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, who is ill.

The criteria for selection: Nominees must have onstage careers of at least 25 years, with at least five major credits. They are then voted on by an electorate of over 300, including members of the hall and the nationwide American Theatre Critics Association. Terry Hodge Taylor is the producer.

The evening’s host was hall member Andre De Shields. Each inductee was introduced by someone of their own choosing, a professional colleague or friend.

SAN JOSE JAZZ has announced the 20 artists chosen for the 2023 Jazz Aid Fund commissioning program, a diverse and unique group of musicians spanning the Bay’s jazz community. The artists were chosen from a pool of musicians recommended by working artists, educators, curators and writers.

They include San Jose native Jackie Gage, whose new single Green just wound up on Putamayo’s Acoustic World Playlist; 16 year-old trumpeter Skylar Tang, who won the Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Big Band Composing and Arranging Contest; and Jamaica-born reggae artist Kava Jah.

Other winner include: Brian Andres, Tifany Austin, B. DeVeaux, DRUYY, Essiet Okon Essist, Frunkyman, Kira Hooks, Martin Luther McCoy, Dwan Muhammad, Destiny Muhammad, Oddity, Tony Peebles, Marcus Phillips, Michelle Pollace, Adam Shulman, Stoney Creation, and Dillon Vado.

The Jazz Aid Fund was established in 2021 by the SJZ Board of Directors, following a substantial lead gift by longtime Board Member Jan DeCarli.

WALES CARE AWARDS dubbed the Oscars of social care – took place at City Hall in Cardiff, Wales.
Karin Diamond, the artistic director of the Cardiff-based Arts in Health charity Re-Livewon was recognized by Sir Bryn Terfel Foundation for Promoting the Arts in Social Care, with the award being sponsored by the Pendine Arts and Community Trust. The bilingual play, called Belonging/Perthyn, follows the lives of two families as they discover that love and laughter don’t have to stop because of dementia. It provides a moving and inspirational insight into the hidden lives of families affected by dementia.

Karin, who has worked in theatre, film and television for two decades and co-founded Re-Live 16 years ago, said: "Re-Live runs a creative group in Cardiff for people living with dementia and their families. It’s the stories of our group members that inspired me to write Belonging, and the play is a testament to their courage and determination."

Belonging/Perthyn won two Wales Theatre Awards for Best Director (Peter Doran) and Best Actor (Llion Williams). The play toured theatres and arts venues around Wales in 2016 & 2018 and was performed at the Bealtaine Festival in Ireland.

Belonging/Perthyn was written for both general theatre audiences, and as dementia training for health and social care professionals. Re-Live, in partnership with The Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly Workforce Development Service have received a grant from the Arts Council of Wales to support a new bilingual project which develops self-care strategies for social care workers through the arts.

The host for the evening was the tenor, Wynne Evans.



ONE MAN POE

Edgar Allan Poe

written by Edgar Allan Poe.

Directed and Performed by Stephen Smith.

Renowned as the 'Godfather of Gothic Horror', Edgar Allan Poe has left a timeless mark on the horror genre. . .

This marathon of the macabre bring's three of Poe's original words from the 19th century back to life.

The Tell-Tale Heart
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Raven

Using his original publications from the 19th century, one actor faithfully brings Poe's words to life, live on stage, performing back-to-back three of the finest examples of gothic literature:

The Tell-Tale Heart is an insight into the mind of a madman, convincing us that he is sane.

The Pit and the Pendulum follows a prisoner of the dreaded Spanish Inquisition, undergoing various mental and physical torture.

Finally, The Raven is a poignant poem surrounding grief and remembrance - featuring an ominous talking Raven.

The creatives are: Music & Sound Designer - Joseph Furey. Sound Designer- Django Holder. Lighting Designer & Operator - Eddie Stephens. Dramaturgical Support: Amber Buttery for The Tell-Tale Heart. Amy Roberts for The Pit and the Pendulum.

Truly a marathon of the macabre. Join us... If you dare.

December 27, 2022 - January 4, 2023 at King's Head Theatre in London.

The production has toured to the London Horror Festival, Southwark Playhouse, Poe Fest International (Baltimore, USA) and an Off-Broadway run in New York City.

THE WEIR by Olivier award-winning and Tony award-nominated playwright Conor McPherson.

Directed by Abbey Theatre Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin.

The cast includes: Valerie: Jolly Abraham - Finbar: Peter Coonan - Jack: Brendan Coyle - Brendan: Sean Fox - Jim: Marty Rea - Musician: Éamonn Cagney - Musician: Courtney Cullen.

The creatives are: Set and Costume Designer: Sarah Bacon. Lighting Designer: Jane Cox. Composer and Musical Director: Tom Lane. Sound Designer: Rob Moloney. Movement Director: Sue Mythen. Assistant Director: Matthew Ralli. Hair and Makeup: Leonard Daly. Casting Director: Sarah Jones. Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth. Publicity Image: Hazel Coonagh.

The Weir runs on the Abbey stage in Dublin, Ireland until January 14, 2023. A series of post-show discussions on themes emerging from The Weir will follow performances on January 5tth & 12th. . This series, Changing the Conversation, is curated and presented by Catriona Crowe, Curator of First Thought Talks at the Galway International Arts Festival.

Thursday, January 5th: Courtship which is an important issue in the play. In 1997, there was no internet, and no mobile phones or dating apps. How did courtship work then and for decades beforehand? Does courtship by Tinder succeed any better than the older methods? How do people meet each other these days?

Guests will be social historian Dr Caitríona Clear of NUIG, author of numerous books on women’s social history in 19th and 20th century Ireland, and Róisín Ingle, author of The Daughterhood and two collections of her very popular columns in The Irish Times. She is also co-producer of The Irish Times Women’s Podcast.

Thursday, January 12: Land and Housing. Finbarr is a middle-class businessman with “an eye for the gap”, a situation which can be exploited to his advantage. He deals in property and land, two extremely important commodities in Ireland historically and currently. Why do we still have a terrible housing crisis in Ireland, with young people once again emigrating because they cannot afford to live here? How did we get to this point? What about the older generation which has valuable assets because of ridiculous and unearned increases in the value of their homes, and who do not want to pay inheritance tax on those gains? What about intergenerational solidarity?

Guests include Dr Rory Hearne, lecturer in social policy at Maynooth University and prolific author and broadcaster on our housing issues. His latest book is Gaffs: Why No One Can Get A House, And What We Can Do About It. He will be joined by Professor Michelle Norris, director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy at UCD, and an expert on the history of social housing in Ireland.

BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY written by Stephen Adly Guirgis.

Directed by Austin Pendleton.

Featuring Victor Almanzar, Elizabeth Canavan, Rosal Colon, Liza Colon-Zayas, Common, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Michael Rispoli.

City Hall is demanding more than his signature, the landlord wants him out, the liquor store is closed – and the Church won’t leave him alone. For ex-cop and recent widower Walter “Pops” Washington (Henderson) and his recently paroled son Junior (Common), the struggle to hold on to one of the last great rent stabilized apartments on Riverside Drive collides with old wounds, sketchy new house-guests and a final ultimatum in this Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy. For Pops and Junior, it seems the Old Days are dead and gone – after a lifetime living Between Riverside and Crazy.

Between Riverside and Crazy officially opens Monday, December 19 at the Hayes Theatre in New York City. The production runs through Sunday, February 12, 2023.

CORNELIA STREET by Tony Award winner Simon Stephens collaborating with singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel.

Directed by Tony Award nominee Neil Pepe.

Choreographed by Hope Boykin.

The cast has just been announced. They are: Featuring George Abudm Norbert Leo Butz, Esteban Andres Cruz, Gizel Jimenez, Jordan Lage, Kevyn Morrow, Mary Beth Peil, Len Pepe and Ben Rosenfield.

In a back street in the West Village, Jacob Towney tries to save the restaurant that has been his home for longer than he can remember and release his daughter to the life he dreams she can have. His place is a home for the odd ghosts of the village. It is out of place and out of time and running out of luck.

January 20 - February 26, 2023 at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City.

SOME LIKE IT HOT with a book by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin. Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw.

The cast is led by Christian Borle as Joe, J. Harrison Ghee as Jerry, Adrianna Hicks as Sugar, Kevin Del Aguila as Osgood, NaTasha Yvette Williams as Sweet Sue, Adam Heller as Mulligan, Mark Lotito as Spats.

Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, Some Like It Hot is the rollicking story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they’re on the run as the newest members of the swingingest big band ever to cross the country. Can they hide in plain sight without completely losing themselves? Or will the mob, the truth, and maybe even love itself finally catch up to them?

Currently on Broadway at the Shubert Theatre in New York City.

SONS OF THE PROPHET written by Tony Award winner Stephen Karam.

Directed by Bijan Sheibani.

"Every family's got their stuff, right? The Douaihys have a habit of dying tragically. We're like the Kennedys without the sex appeal."

Joseph Douaihy, a gay American Maronite Christian in rural Pennsylvania, has a pretty complicated life. When his father dies as the result of a prank, life truly spirals towards the bizarre. With unexplained pain, blocking his athletics career, a desperate new boss who wants to capitalize on his grief, a dependent uncle who thinks he is his legal guardian and a very wayward younger brother, Joseph has a lot on his plate. So he really should not be spending time with the attractive journalist who's looking for the inside scoop on his father's accident.

Featuring Irfan Shamji, Jack Holden, Juliet Cowan, Raphael Akueudike, Holly Atkins, Raad Rawl, Eric Strakian and Sue Wallace.

Sons of the Prophet runs until January. 14, 2023 at the Hampstead Theatre in London.

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

ALBERT BRENNER five time Oscar nominated production designer died in his sleep on December 8, 2022 in his Los Angeles home. He was 96.

His worked on over 57 motion pictures including The Sunshine Boys; Beaches; Bullitt; The Missouri Breaks and Pretty Woman.

In addition, he served on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Governors and was the President of the Society of Art Directors. His contribution to the profession was awarded with their Career Achievement award in 2003.

Albert leaves his wife Susan; his children, David (Kathryn) Faye, Rachel, Mara; six grandchildren.

DONALD RAY KEMP called " a rare combination of a master pianist and Las Vegas businessman," passed away peacefully on Friday December 1, 2022. He was 86.

He was hired to play piano in the MGM Studio Orchestra. In the evenings he performed for local dance bands. He met his future wife Dorothy Laurel Kemp while she was singing in a dance band and in 1960 the two moved to Las Vegas and married. Don joined the Eddie O’Neal Orchestra at the Stardust Hotel, remaining there for many years, as well as performing as the accompanist for headliners in Las Vegas including Frank Sinatra and Barbara Streisand. Don was the founder of the Las Vegas Performing Arts Center He founded Southern Nevada Music, later Music World, in the late 1960s where he created a music class program for elementary school children using the latest in electronic aids for their music education. He sponsored and mentored many young musical artists and provided scholarships for them.

Dorrie predeceased Don in August 2016 after 56 years of marriage and a life partnership. Don is survived by his brother Clive Kemp, his dearest friend Ana Chiu, and his nieces and nephew Debbie Ficke, Cheryl Maunsell, Russell Kemp, Christine Kemp, Jennifer Kemp, April Cherf, as well as his cousin Jefferey Munro of the UK.

Next Column: December 25, 2022
Copyright: December 18, 2022 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.
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Laura Deni

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