Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: December 24, 2017
By: Laura Deni
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HAMLISCH UNCOVERED PAYS TRIBUTE TO A MAN WHO DIED TOO SOON

When Marvin Hamlisch passed away in 2012, he left behind a number of scores that didn't go into the recording studio. With Hamlisch Uncovered, released on Broadway Records, producers Michael Lavine, Chip M. Fabrizi and frequent Hamlisch collaborator Craig Carnelia unleash a treasure trove of unrecorded songs, including songs from the original version of Smile (lyrics by Carolyn Leigh), Ballroom (lyrics by Alan & Marilyn Bergman), and several songs from his scores with Craig Carnelia.

While the selections are only recently uncovered, that doesn't mean they are unknown. Performed by Tony Sheldon, The Only Way To Go with lyrics by Tim Rice from The Entertainer is a toe tapper. Likewise those familiar with Sweet Smell of Success, and Bullets Over Broadway will recognize those selections. Offering a new and pleasant experience are tracks from Imaginary Friends, and The Nutty Professor, which was Hamlisch's final musical with lyrics by Rupert Holmes.

The songs are vibrant, delightful, charming, sensitive, and/or clever. Each number is backed by "only" a piano played by either Michael Lavine, Craig Carnella or Hamlisch. In this case the solo instrument is not only sufficient, but magnificent, offering musical depth in its simplicity.

Featuring a bevy of Broadway luminaries including Kelli O'Hara, Randy Graff, Tony Sheldon, Hayden Tee, Nancy Opel, Leah Horowitz, Marissa McGowan, Lisa Brescia, cabaret stars Klea Blackhurst and Steven Brinberg, alongside several new voices.

Over the decades Hamlisch touched the musical lives of everyone, making this is a must-have album for everyone.

An EGOT and one of only two to be both an EGOT and a Pulitzer Prize winner - the other being Richard Rodgers. In 1974, at the age of 29, Hamlisch won three Oscars. When he made his third acceptance speech of the evening he leaned on the podium and announced that he thought he'd become friends with the audience.

He is one of ten people to win three or more Oscars in one night and the only one other than a director or screenwriter to do so.

When he died The Associated Press described him as having written "some of the best-loved and most enduring songs and scores in movie history".

Hamlisch Uncovered features 20 gems. The well put together booklet has numerous photographs which shows the musical prodigy (a few months before he turned seven, in 1951, he was accepted into what is now the Juilliard School Pre-College Division) at various stages of his career.

A marvelous CD to cherish and enjoy.

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Chip M. Fabrizi at PPI Recording, Inc. Tracks 14-16, 18 and 20 recorded at The Hit Factory.

Track List:
1. Typical High School Senior
2. Vet (Jenny Baker)
3. Walking in the Sunshine (Hayden Tee)
4. Classical Music (Randy Graff)
5. Six O’Clock News (Daisy Carnelia)
6. There is More to a Ballroom (Steven Brinberg)
7. A Different World (Kelli O’Hara)
8. Us and Them (Nancy Opel)
9. That’s How I Say Goodbye (Kelli O’Hara)
10. While I Still Have the Time (Marissa McGowan)
11. Step Out of Your Shell (Klea Blackhurst & Julian Decker)
12. Everything You Do (Leah Horowitz)
13. The Only Way to Go (Tony Sheldon)
14. Fig Tree Rag (Craig Carnelia & Marvin Hamlisch
15. A Smoke, A Drink and You (Craig Carnelia & Marvin Hamlisch)
16. Smart Women (Craig Carnelia)
17. Imaginary Friend (Holly Davis, Jessica Fontana, Happy McPartland & Emily Shoolin)
18. I Would But I Can’t (Craig Carnelia)
19. Words Fail Me (Lisa Brescia) 20. Will It Matter At All (Craig Carnelia & Marvin Hamlisch)










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ART AND ABOUT

WINNIE-THE-POOH: EXPLORING A CLASSIC

Teddy bear, manufactured by Margarete Steiff, 1906 - 10. Museum no. MISC.10-1970. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

This multi-sensory and playful exhibition explores the magical world of Winnie-the-Pooh – one of the most adored fictional characters of all time

Experience the timeless and universal appeal of this much-loved bear and discover the story behind the creative partnership of A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard, brought to life through sketches, letters, photographs, cartoons, ceramics and fashion.

Events include pop up performances and drop-in design and teachers' resorces.

On exhibit until Sunday, April 8, 2018 at the V&A Museum in London.

FATBERG TO GO ON DISPLAY Looming in the sewers, rapidly growing beneath the streets, a 130 ton monster the equivalent of 11 double-decker buses was discovered this year in London. This creature was… fatberg!

Unearthed from the Victorian sewers of Whitechapel, an enormous congealed mass of fat consisting of wet wipes, diapers, oil and more, amazed and disgusted people around the world as it hit the headlines back in the autumn, and next year it's coming to the Museum of London.

The only remaining section of the infamous fatberg will go on display in early 2018 as part of the museum's City Now City Future season, which explores the challenges facing modern cities today. People are invited to "come and confront this fascinating and repulsive product of our increasingly disposable society...if you dare."

THE GREAT ART ESCAPE is a holiday tradition at the Toledo Museum of Art, where a number of special programs are planned from December 26 through December 31, 2017.

Bring family, friends and holiday guests to experience the performances, art activities, life-size chess, family yoga, and after-hours flashlight tours that fill the galleries, Glass Pavilion and Peristyle.

A few of the events include Giant Chess where your family, friends and try to checkmate among the grandest works of art. Created in the Family Center by Justin Overholt with the help from Jones Leadership Academy Chess Club, Family Center Visitors and other community members. There is also Glass Percussion in the Glass Pavilion: GAPP artists Rela Percussion perform using glass percussion instruments created in TMA’s glass residency program.

Peristyle performances include the infectious Southeast Asian experience provided by Aha! Indian Dance, El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico, the Ardan Academy of Irish Dance, and joining us for the first time this year, the Greater Toledo International Youth Orchestra.

December 26-31, 2017 at the Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio.

NEW YORK ON ICE: SKATING IN THE CITY invites visitors to explore how ice-skating evolved in the city from its colonial Dutch and British origins to become a 19th-century craze, and later an opportunity for elaborate spectacle, commercialized leisure, and competitive sport in the 20th century and beyond.

Along the way, skating has left its mark on New York’s urban landscape, from the design of Central Park, to intimate hotel rinks and extravagant arenas, to a plethora of skating facilities that today define and transform parks and other public spaces across the city.

On October 10, 1940, a new kind of entertainment was born at Rockefeller Center’s Center Theatre. Called It Happens on Ice, the show was dubbed “an icetravaganza” by its promoters and was formatted like a basic musical revue with songs, dance numbers, and comedic sketches. Only in this revue, the performers wore ice skates and glided across a frozen theater stage.

Produced by Sonja Henie through 1950, during that decade it was estimated 9 million people saw the ice shows at Center Theatre.

The story of New York on Ice is told through vintage photographs, posters, lithographs, paintings, and costumes. Together they reveal the evolution of the sport and art of ice-skating in the city both as a window into a passion and pastime of generations of New Yorkers, and as an unexpected ingredient of urban place-making.

Through April 15, 2018 at the Museum of the City of New York.

DOWNTON ABBEY, THE EXHIBITION has been extended in New York City due to unprecedented demand. Tickets are now available through April 2, 2018. See Broadway To Vegas column of November 12, 2017.

SWEET CHARITY

TEXAS RANGERS PITCHER COLE HAMELS AND HIS WIFE, HEIDI are donating a mansion in Missouri to a local charity rather than put it on the market, a posted press release announced. The house, which is reportedly worth $9.75 million, was meant to be the Hamels' permanent home when he was pitching for the Phillies. But after 2015, when he was shipped to the Rangers, they apparently decided that Texas was where they would reside. That decision left the Missouri house empty.

So instead of trying to sell it, and at least recoup their investment, the pair are instead donating it to Camp Barnabas which is a non-profit Christian summer camp that is “dedicated to providing life-changing experiences to individuals with special needs and chronic illnesses as well as their siblings” as well as “provides ministry and social experiences that increase spiritual knowledge, social learning, and human dignity” and “changes perspectives and redefines disability.”

In the release, Hamels explains why they decided to donate it to Camp Barnabas, for which this is the largest donation in their history. “There are tons of amazing charities in Southwest Missouri. Out of all of these, Barnabas really pulled on our heartstrings. Seeing the faces, hearing the laughter, reading the stories of the kids they serve; there is truly nothing like it. Barnabas makes dreams come true, and we felt called to help them in a big way.”

They added, "We love that Barnabas sees the bigger picture. They are changing the way the world sees disability ministry.”

Krystal Simon, Barnabas’ Chief Development Officer says of the gift, “This is so much more than a beautiful property. This incredible gift allows us to further our ministry and truly change thousands of lives for years to come.”

Barnabas has served more than 75,000 campers and missionaries in its history and also has a “two-year faith-based collegiate program” for students with special needs in Branson, Missouri. The house is 32,000 square foot home includes 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, six half-baths, a second kitchen, exercise room, wine cellar, elevator, three-car garage. and includes more than 100 acres of land and 1,700 feet of shoreline along a lake for Camp Barnabas to use in their programming if they so choose Since they already run two separate locations in the area, another possibility is that the organization could sell the home, with the money going back into the charity. The press release doesn’t indicate if any conditions apply to the donation.

SPREADING THE WORD

BOTH VAPID AND SHREWD

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in one of their official engagement photos. The bride-to-be is wearing a Ralph & Russo couture collection floor length gown which features a black, tiered ruffled tulle skirt and nude colored lining under a sheer bodice decorated with gold intricate leaf embellishment.

Ralph & Russo is a British luxury goods company and haute couture fashion house. It became the first British brand to be elected in almost 100 years by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to show its collection on the official schedule at Paris Haute Couture Week. Reportedly, the company is set to launch boutiques around the world

Harry looks good, too; his suit is from Burberry. Photo taken by fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski. Photo release from Kensington Palace.

that would be the Israeli based fashion house Inbal Dror which released three sketches they submitted as a potential wedding gown for Meghan Markle, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Markle will wed Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. It will be her second marriage, but her first in the Church of England, permitting her to wear any type of gown.

According to the Jerusalem Post The Royal Family had asked Dror, and several other fashion houses, to o provide sketches of a potential dress.

Dror is noted for sexy, racy designs, cinched it that the design house won't get the contract by releasing the information and three sketches showing a slinky long white dress, with long sleeves and lace detailing.

Details of Markle's gown are going to be kept secret - as are gowns of not only notables, but most brides in general.

In the shrewd category, Dror has gained millions of dollars in free publicity.

It's also appropriate that the designer chosen has strong ties to America and/or Great Britain.

Markle has a lot of fashion sense and knows what looks best on her. Designers might well check out what she selected to wear to her first wedding. and how costumers on her hit show Suits designed for her.

Merkle has described her dream wedding dress as something 'classic and simple'.

The only time a bride marrying a royal didn't look her best was when the then Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles.

The gown which is gushed over by many - wore her. The poor young lady was suffocated in yardage. The puffed sleeves looked good when they were at their full, puffed status. When they drooped, they appeared dowdy. The large neck ruffles were too large. The train was so long it wouldn't even fit into the royal coach. The gown could be made to look gorgeous in a staged photo setting, when every aspect of the gown was perfectly positioned. When the bride moved, she was swallowed up by the fabric.

Reportedly, Diana remained loyal to the designer David and Elizabeth Emanuel.

Here's hoping the bride of Princess Diana's youngest son doesn't permit others to dictate to her.

A GOLDEN GATE PARK MEADOW IN SAN FRANCISCO has been rechristened after the late comedian Robin Williams.

Formerly known as Sharon Meadow, for the past 25 years it has been the location of Comedy Day, an annual showcase for local comedians. Williams was frequently the event's silent financial benefactor, making Comedy Day possible.

The Meadow re-naming was instigated by Comedy Day producers Will and Debi Durst.

A FIRST VIEW Joanna Carpenter and Town Stages present an untitled raw, unfiltered film aimed at furthering the discussion around harassment and assault in today's climate, on Thursday, January 4, 2018 at Town Stages, NYC.

Join Ms. Carpenter, Cinematographer Colby Moore, Associate Producer Amanda Bruton, and the cast for the first screening of this untitled short film that documents and recreates various real-life incidents of harassment and assault. On a single camera, Mr. Moore and Ms. Carpenter capture raw scenes based on true stories and re-created verbatim.

"Deeply personal and painfully visceral, this directorial debut explores the devastating impact of harassment and assault on women of all backgrounds and shines a bright spotlight on the pain and experiences of women."

The screening is presented in conjunction with Town Stages, a female-led arts collective and event space based in the TriBeCa neighborhood of New York. A Q&A with speakers will follow, with refreshments provided.

A CHRISTMAS STORY LIVE! which aired last Sunday, December 17, 2017 on Fox was so deliciously perfect that here's hoping it's turned into an annual holiday airing.

DUCHESS KATE made a surprise appearance at the Royal Opera House to watch the Nutcracker last Wednesday evening. The wife of Prince William, who is expecting her third child in April, spent time after the performance chatting with dancers in the show.

Broadway To Vegas will have a review of the Royal Opera House production of the Nutcracker in next week's column.

CHRISTMAS EVE DECEMBER 24 is National Egg Nog Day. Christmas is National Pumpkin Pie Day (seems like that should be on Thanksgiving), and National “Kiss the Cook” Day (which is good any day of the year). December 26 is National Candy Cane Day. December 27 is National Fruitcake Day while December 28 is National Boxed Chocolates Day. December 29 is National “Get on the Scales” Day (rude) and National Pepper Pot Day. December 30 is both National Bicarbonate of Soda Day and Baking Soda Day.

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MEGAN HILTY TO HEADLINE THE 2018 JUNIOR THEATER FESTIVAL

Megan Hilty to headline theater festival.

Megan Hilty, Paul Williams and Stephen Schwartz will be front and center at the 2018 Junior Theater Festival Atlanta happening January 12-14, 2018 at The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA.

Inspired by professional sports outreach programs like baseball’s Little League World Series and Pop Warner Little Scholars Football, which ensure sports are ubiquitous across the U.S., the Junior Theater Festival is an incredible weekend of theatrical fellowship bringing together musical theater professionals from Broadway with the largest live audience of artists and arts supporters of tomorrow. The Junior Theater Festival Atlanta will unite 6,500+ students and educators from 119 educational musical theater groups representing 26 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, New Zealand, and Canada.

“We want to make sure that all young people have the same access to musicals as they do to youth sports programs, because being part of a show is the ultimate, all-inclusive team sport," emphasized Timothy Allen McDonald, Founder and CEO of iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Group. "Theater allows students to gain life skills, including collaboration, team-building, and problem-solving," he continued. "Furthermore, musicals introduce and draw in young people to the five pillars of the arts - music, language, dance, visual arts, and the digital arts - all in one experience.”

“When the Junior Theater Festival was founded in 2003, the intent was to create a World Series-like experience for theater. And, just like many Little League members go on to continue to participate in sports for the rest of their lives, the educational musical theater movement and its Junior Theater Festival are creating the audiences of tomorrow today,” McDonald added.

At JTF Atlanta, performer Megan Hilty will return as the festival’s headliner, performing in concert for all attendees. She last performed as the JTF headliner in 2015.

Composer, performer, and songwriter Paul Williams, who also serves as President and Chairman of the Board of ASCAP, will receive the Junior Theater Festival Legacy Award. The award recognizes those individuals whose vision and artistry have shaped the minds and hearts of educational musical theatre students and audiences all around the globe. Past recipients include Alan Menken, Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty, Jeanine Tesori, and Stephen Schwartz.

Also appearing will be: Luca Padovan, Cass Morgan; Katy Geraghty; Rob Rokicki; Morgan Siobhan; Isabella Russo; Elyssa Samsel & Kate Anderson; Brad Simmons; Amanda Flynn, and New York Times best-selling author Jodi Picoult

Past festival attendees have included Ben Platt, Darren Criss, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Zac Efron, Cory Lingner, Skylar Astin, Andy Jones, Kara Lindsay, Henry Hodges, Alan Menken, Jeanine Tesori, Kenny Leon, and Seth Rudetsky.

Musical theatre lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz will introduce the new student edition of Children of Eden JR., presented by Inspiration Stage in Sugarland, TX, at the New Works Showcase. At the New Works Showcase, select groups present 15 minutes from a new or updated musicals that will soon be made available for licensing by MTI. The presentations will be adjudication by a distinguished panel of theatre professionals.

Other showcase performances will include Spotlight Theatre Productions (Sarasota, FL) presenting Disney’s Aladdin JR., and Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School (Oak Park, IL) presenting Chitty Chitty Bang Bang JR.

Participants will take part in interactive workshops led by Broadway and West End professionals.

There will be a tech track in which students interested in technical theater train with professionals. The festival will award the sixth annual Sharidan Giles Technical Theater Award Scholarship to the technical theater student who most exemplifies commitment, curiosity, collaboration, and creativity in technical theater.

At JTF Atlanta and JTF West, eight (total) exceptional educators from schools and performing arts centers around the country will be selected for the ninth annual “The Freddie G Fellowship,” in which the teachers will receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York City for four days of master classes working one-on-one with Broadway greats. Each winning teacher will also receive a $5,000 grant to put toward his or her theater program. The event is underwritten and hosted by Freddie and Myrna Gershon and is to raise awareness of the teachers’ programs and develop their skills, thereby enhancing their programs to introduce young people to Broadway and musical theater.

Worldwide, 14,500 people participate in a Junior Theater Festival event each year. In addition to the flagship Junior Theater Festival Atlanta, iTheatrics and the Junior Theater Group produce the Junior Theater Festival West. That event will mark its second year in February 2018, bringing together 1,500 students and educators from 31 educational musical theater groups representing 11 U.S. states and Seoul, South Korea. iTheatrics also produces Junior Theater Celebrations, which provide one-day Junior Theater Festival experiences across the U.S. as well as in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia.

Based in New York City, for the last decade iTheatrics has been dedicated to making sure every child has access to the arts. The company has worked with leading public and private companies around the world - including The White House, the Kennedy Center, NBC and all the leading theatrical licensors — to make sure that young people everywhere have access to quality musical theater programs. Over 36 million people see one of iTheatrics’ educational musical theatre adaptations each year.

MORE MEN ON SANTA'S NAUGHTY LIST

The San Francisco Orchestra has severed ties with Charles Dutoit, 81, the world-renowned conductor of London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra after he was accused of sexual assault by three opera singers and a classical musician who say the two time Grammy winner physically restrained them, forcing his body against theirs, sometimes thrusting his tongue into their mouths, and in one case, sticking one of their hands down his pants.

In separate interviews with The Associated Press, the accusers provided details of the assaults which they assert occurred between 1985 and 2010. The incidents took place in a moving car, in his hotel suite, his dressing room, an elevator and backstage while in rehearsals and at performances while on tour in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Saratoga Springs, New York.

Dutoit was slated to conduct the New York Philharmonic next month in a four-day program honoring Ravel. The New York Phil announced that he will be replaced.

New York public radio hosts Leonard Lopate and Jonathan Schwartz have been fired from New York Public Radio after they were investigated for sexual misconduct.

Schwartz has called the allegations "hurtful," while Lopate denied the charges against him.

Hollywood producer, director and theme park designer Gary Goddard who mentored a theater program in Santa Barbara during the 1970s was accused of sexual misconduct by 8 former child actors.

Actor Anthony Edwards first came forward by penning an online editorial that Goddard sexually abused him as a pubescent actor. Seven others then came forward to the Los Angeles Times claiming that Goddard molested or attempted to molest them when they were boys and under his mentor-ship. The Los Angeles Times printed that Goddard's publicist disputed the allegations.

On Wednesday, December 21, 2017, Britain’s First Secretary of State Damian Green was forced to resign after an investigation concluded that he had made “misleading” and “inaccurate” statements about pornographic images found in 2008 on a Parliament computer in his office.

Considered a key ally of Prime Minister Theresa May, he had denied viewing pornography on his office computers but admitted that he had not been forthcoming in statements he made last month about the investigation.

Last month, Michael Fallon stepped down as defense secretary after a female journalist accused him of trying to kiss her after a lunch meeting in 2003.

Royals creator Mark Schwahn has been fired after being suspended shortly after Variety reported on detailed allegations of sexual harassment during his time on One Tree Hill.

In a letter to Variety, 18 women who worked on One Tree Hill, came forward to accuse Schwahn of sexual harassment. The Royals is produced by Lionsgate Television and Universal Cable Productions. The show tells the soap-opera story of a fictionalized version of the British royal family.

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 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.






AUDIBLE BOOKS whose mission is ‘to unleash the power of the spoken word,’ in celebration of its 20th anniversary, has launched The Narrator Hall of Fame honoring ‘the voices that transform stories.’

Inaugural inductees into The Narrator Hall of Fame include:

Vikas Adam
Andi Arndt
Scott Brick
Cassandra Campbell
Alan Cumming
Jim Dale
Luke Daniels
Jonathan Davis
Dion Graham
George Guidall
Edward Herrmann
Katherine Kellgren
Lorelei King
Robin Miles
Frank Muller
Prentice Onayem
Davina Porter
Barbara Rosenblat
Bahni Turpin
Simon Vance
Rick Lewis

The 20 narrators (and one distinctive voice) were selected based on several criteria: a wide, varied, and vibrant body of work; exceptional listener reviews; and a commitment to the craft and dedication to spreading awareness of audio performance.

SOFI JEANNIN has been named chief conductor of the BBC Singers beginning in July 2018.

Born in Sweden, in 2008 Jeannin was appointed Music Director of La Maîtrise de Radio France, the choir school of French National Radio and since 2015 has been the Music Director of the Chorus of Radio France.



MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN written by ERC Executive Artistic Director Eve Wolf and features Bach-inspired music of the 19th century, from Liszt, Schubert and Bach.

Directed by Donald T. Sanders.

Starring the incredibly talented Robert Fairchild who received a Tony award nomination for his star turn in An American Paris. He's joined by Avey Noble, Krysty Swann, Mia Vallet, Peyton Lusk, Rocco Sisto, Shiv Ajay Pancholi-Parekh, and Paul Wesley

Fairchild will also be making his debut as a choreographer.

The joys and perils of motherhood, the hovering shadow of infant mortality, and the sting of loneliness and rejection merge. The Creature that Dr. Frankenstein produces, an assemblage of disparate elements, coalesces into a monster with a human soul. His horrific appearance conceals the gentlest heart. Through no fault of his own, he is forced to descend into evil deeds. Excerpts from the 1818 edition of Frankenstein, music, and dance interwoven with Mary Shelley’s letters and diaries create parallel narratives as both dramas unfold.

In previews with an opening night set for December 27th at The Pershing Square Signature Center in New York City. Limited engagement through January 7, 2018.

THE MERRY WIDOW Directed and choreographed by Graeme Murphy.

Conducted by Vanessa Scammell.

Come for the can-can, stay for the love story .

It’s an opulent party, all glitz and glamour and Parisian charm. It’s an old-fashioned romance, flirty and funny and fabulous. It’s a Viennese waltz and you know all the steps.

The vivacious Danielle de Niese plays the bubbly, beautiful Hanna: newly wealthy, newly widowed, and suddenly the hottest catch in town.

The cast also includes: Alexander Lewis, David Whitney, Stacey Alleaume, John Longmuir, Benjamin Rasheed, Richard Anderson, Christopher Hillier, Jane Ede, Graeme Macfarlane, Luke Gabbedy, Agnes Sarkis, Tom Hamilton, Dominica Matthews, backed by the Opera Australia Chorus and Orchestra.

The Merry Widow’s got that can-can, familiar waltzes, and a “bathtub full of froth” to boot, but it’s the love story that’ll stay with you a while.

Before you sway, smile and swoon the night away, join patrons in the Joan Sutherland Theatre Southern Foyer half an hour before the show begins, and their dance instructor will teach you to waltz.

Creative Associate: Janet Vernon - Set Designer: Michael Scott-Mitchell - Costume designer: Jennifer Irwin - Lighting designer: Damien Cooper. Sound designer: Tony David Cray. Assistant director & choreographer: Shane Placentino - Assistant director: Matthew Barclay. English translation: Justin Fleming.

Sung in English.

This special treat will run for performances from January 2-13, 2018 at the Sydney opera House in Sydney, Australia.

A special New Year's Eve performance will take place on New Year's Eve and you'll be able to ring in 2018 with the best view of Sydney’s famous fireworks.

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Harold Pinter.

Directed by Ian Rickson.

Starring in this comedy of menace are Toby Jones, Stephen Mangan , Zoë Wanamaker, Pearl Mackie, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Peter Wight.

Stanley Webber (Toby Jones) is the only lodger at Meg (Zoë Wanamaker) and Petey Boles’ (Peter Wight) sleepy seaside boarding house. The unsettling arrival of enigmatic strangers Goldberg (Stephen Mangan) and McCann (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) disrupts the humdrum lives of the inhabitants and their friend Lulu (Pearl Mackie), and mundanity soon becomes menace when a seemingly innocent birthday party turns into a disturbing nightmare. Truth and alliances hastily shift in Pinter's landmark play about the absurd terrors of the everyday.

Designed by the Quay Brothers, with lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker, music by Stephen Warbeck and casting by Amy Ball.

Opens January 9, 2018 at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London.

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY by Conor McPherson.

The show originally opened at the Old Vic in London earlier in 2017. Joining the production is Hannah Azuonye, Mary Doherty, David Ganly as Mr Burke, Adam James as Dr Walker, Karl Johnson as Mr Perry and Emmanuel Kojo.

They star alongside the returning cast which includes Sheila Atim, Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Arinze Kene, Tim McMullan and Debbie Kurup.

The piece uses reworked versions of Bob Dylan songs, weaving them into a piece set in Duluth, Minnesota in 1934, where a community huddles together in a local guesthouse. . But Nick Laine thinks he's seen a way out.

The West End transfer runs at the Noel Coward Theatre in London from December 29, 2017 to March 24, 2018.

WHO'S WHERE

HARRY CONNICK, JR has a delightful television talk show which permits him to sing, shows off his endearing personality and allows him to prove that he has a lot of cooking skills. His demo of how to cook a turkey was not only entertaining but factual and helpful. Harry won't be cooking on stage, but he will be serving up an entertaining show Saturday, December 30, at WinStar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, OK.

KID ROCK welcomes the New Year with a show December 31, at the Sprint Center in Kansas city, MO.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH is a classy way to bring in the New Year when she performs, backed by her five piece band, on Sunday, December 31, 2017 at The Smith Center in Las Vegas.

SALUTE TO VIENNA inspired by Vienna’s beloved New Year’s Concert, this charming celebration blends acclaimed European singers and dancers with full symphony orchestra for a rich cultural experience that will leave your toes tapping. A New Brunswick tradition for 12 years, experience Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert: a toast to life itself Sunday, December 31, 2017 at The State Theatre of New Jersey in New Brunswick, NJ.

BRITNEY SPEARS will be performing live in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood on New Year's Eve with a segment of her show being aired as part of the Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2018' television show which airs from Times Square in New York City. The show may ring in 2018 but for Spears it's Auld Lang Syne, as her residency in Sin City comes to a close.

CAISSIE LEVY direct from starring as Elsa in the Broadway-bound production of Disney’s Frozen in Denver, Caissie Levy returns to Feinstein’s/54 Below for a magical New Year’s Eve celebration. "Backed by a killer band, Caissie will sing highlights from her career starring on Broadway in such shows as Hair, Ghost, Rent, Wicked, and Les Miz. December 31, 2017 at Feinstein's/54 Below in New York City.

FINAL OVATION

KEELY SMITH Las Vegas legend and one of most popular singers in the era of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, died Saturday, December 16, 2017 in Palm Springs, CA of heart failure after a long period of declining health. She was 89.

She was married three tines. Her first marriage was to bandleader and performer Louis Prima in 1953. Smith and Prima's act was a mainstay of the Las Vegas Sahara Hotel's lounge scene. They opened in the Sahara lounge on November 24, 1954 and staying for eight years. The couple divorced in 1961. They had two children: Toni Elizabeth and Luanne Francis. Her second marriage was in 1965 to Jimmy Bowen. They divorced in 1969. In 1975 she married singer Bobby Milano in 1975 in Palm Springs. Frank Sinatra gave the bride away.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of the Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Keely Smith was a remarkable pop and jazz vocalist and a true icon in Las Vegas and beyond. In a career spanning more than seven decades, Keely was celebrated by fans and critics alike, praised for her powerful vocals. Her musical partnership with her first husband, Louis Prima, earned the pair a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group for 1958 at the very first Grammy Awards for their hit That Old Black Magic. She would perform that same song 50 years later on the Grammy stage with Kid Rock at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Keely will be greatly missed and our sincerest condolences go out to her family, friends, and creative collaborators."

She is survived by her children.

JORDAN FELDSTEIN manager of Maroon 5 and the brother of actor Jonah Hill, died suddenly on December 22, 2017 in Los Angeles. He was 40.

Feldstein founded management company Career Artist Management (CAM), which was based out of the Live Nation offices in Beverly Hills. In addition to Maroon 5, the CAM roster includes Miguel, Elle King and Robin Thicke, among others. Feldstein negotiated Maroon 5’s Adam Levine’s coach role on NBC’s The Voice.

He is a father to two children and was previously married twice, once to Francesca Eastwood in 2013, the daughter of Clint Eastwood. The marriage took place in Las Vegas and was annulled. In addition to his children and brother he is also survived by his parents and a sister.

Next Column: December 31, 2017
Copyright: December 24, 2017 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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