Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: February 5, 2023
By: Laura Deni
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SOME LIKE IT HOT WILL WARM UP YOUR WINTER

From the big screen to re-imagined as a Broadway musical.

Some Like it Hot.

Get on board the train and come along for the ride as a sax, a bass, and a singer experience a trip of a lifetime. You'll get caught up in all of the fun and froth which will chase away the winter blues and have you smiling as you leave the Shubert Theatree in New York City.

With spirited direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, its revamped plot by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, who have politically updated the ending, capitulating to the current trend of Broadway being scared to death of not being politically correct.

The new book highlights the energetic and high octane score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Conducted by Darryl Archibald, the musicians are: Keyboard 1: Austin Cook; Associate Conductor: Annbritt duChateau; Keyboard 2: Annbritt duChateau; Reed 1: Kristy Norter; Reed 2: Ansy Francois; Reed 3: Neil Johnson; Reed 4: Mark Thrasher; Trumpet 1: Liesl Whitaker; Trumpet 2: Brandon Lee; Trombone 1: Sara Jacovino; Trombone 2: Reginald Chapman; Drums/Percussion: Sean McDaniel; Percussion: Bill Hayes; Acoustic Bass: Mary Ann McSweeney; Guitars: Brian Koonin; Concertmaster/Violin: Justin Smith; Violin 2: Melissa Tong; Violin/Viola: Claudia Chopek.

Musical Director: Darryl Archibald; Music orchestrated by Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter; Dance & Incidental Music Arrangements: Glen Kelly; Vocal arrangements by Marc Shaiman; Assistant Musical Dir.: Austin Cook.

First made into a blockbuster 1959 Billy Wilder movie starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. If you saw that flick when it was released, then have your caretaker bring you to this show. You'll feel rejuvenated.

However, don't compare or over analyze this Broadway musical.

The Gregg Barnes' costumes are jazzy, slinky, sexy, colorful and spot on. The choreography is jazz age spirited and the songs are big band era infused. The cast is excellent.

It's never a good idea to witness a mob hit. Unfortunately that is what our lead BFF characters Joe (Christian Borle) and stand-up bassist Jerry (J. Harrison Ghee) encountered. Smart enough to know they better vamoose.

They decide to dress in drag and reinvent themselves - Joe becomes Josephine, Jerry morphs into Daphne. They hustle their way into Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators, a women’s touring band led by hard shelled Sweet Sue (NaTasha Yvette Williams) that’s headed to the West Coast.

The Society Syncopators feature: TyNia René Brandon, Gabi Campo, Devon Hadsell, Jenny Hill, Abby Matsusaka, Amber Owens, Angie Schworer and Raena White.

Girdles ride up and high heels are awkward.

Once the train rolls from Chicago to San Diego Joe/Josephine and Jerry/Daphne decide to make a break for Mexico. The escape has it's obstacles; Joey has become enamored by Sugar (Adrianna Hicks who originated the role of Catherine of Aragon in Six ), the band’s lead singer who has a dynamic voice, and Osgood (Kevin del Aguila), a soda pop titan who pops his top for Daphne. Then there is Spats (Mark Lotito), the mob boss determined to snuff out the witnesses and Adam Heller as Detective Mulligan.

The design team works with, not against each other. The effective use of movie stills coordinates excellent Scott Pask sets and Natasha Katz’s always exceptional lighting as one scene morphs into the next.

The creatives also include: Sound Design by Brian Ronan and Mike Tracey; Hair Design by Josh Marquette; Make-Up Design by Milagros Medina-Cerdeira; Associate Scenic Design: Orit Jacoby Carroll and Frank McCullough; Associate Costume Design: James Nguyen; Associate Lighting Design: Anthony Pearson; Associate Hair Design: Sarah Levine; Assistant Scenic Design: Caitlin Ayer, Stephen Carmody, Mike Kaukl and Christine Peters; Assistant Costume Design: Rachel Townsend and Amy Sutton; Assistant Lighting Design: Tessa Bookwalter; Assistant Make-Up Design: Charlotte Bravin Lee.

Musical Supervisor: Mary-Mitchell Campbell; Musical Coordinator: Kristy Norter; Score Associate: Samuel Hoad; Keyboard Programmer: Randy Cohen; Associate Keyboard Programmer: Sam Starobin, Tim Crook and Nicholas Schenkel; Drum Pad Programming: Sean McDaniel; Playback Engineer: Julianne Merrill and PatchMaster Productions LLC; Music Preparation: Russell Bartmus, Charlie Savage, Nathan Serot and JoAnn Kane Music Service; Music Assistant: Chloe Geller.

Gangster, Porter, Bellhop, et al. are played by: DeMarius R. Copes, Casey Garvin, K.J. Hippensteel, Jarvis B. Manning, Jr., Brian Martin, Charles South, Brendon Stimson and Richard Riaz Yoder.

Swings: Ian Campayno, Ashley Elizabeth Hale, Kayla Pecchioni and Julius Williams.

Understudies: TyNia René Brandon (Sugar), Ian Campayno (Spats), DeMarius R. Copes (Jerry/Daphne), Casey Garvin (Joe/Josephine, Spats), K.J. Hippensteel (Joe/Josephine, Osgood, Mulligan), Jarvis B. Manning, Jr. (Jerry/Daphne), Charles South (Osgood, Mulligan) and Raena White (Sugar).

At the Shubert Theatre New York City.

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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

RICHARD AVEDON

Marquee: Richard Avedon (American, 1923–2004). Andy Warhol and members of The Factory, New York, October 30, 1969. Gelatin silver print, 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm). Collection of The Richard Avedon Foundation © The Richard Avedon Foundation

In 1969, Richard Avedon was at a crossroads. After a five-year hiatus, the photographer started making portraits again, this time with a new camera and a new sense of scale. Trading his handheld Rolleiflex for a larger, tripod-mounted device, he reinvented his studio dynamic. Instead of dancing around his subjects from behind a viewfinder, as he had in his lively fashion pictures, he could now stand beside a stationary camera and meet them head-on.

Facing down groups of the era’s preeminent artists, activists, and politicians, he made huge photomural portraits, befitting their outsized cultural influence. On the centennial of the photographer’s birth, Richard Avedon: MURALS will bring together three of these monumental works, some as wide as 35 feet. For Avedon, the murals expanded the artistic possibilities of photography, radically reorienting viewers and subjects in a subsuming, larger-than-life view.

The murals are society portraits. In them, Avedon assembles giants of the late twentieth century—members of Andy Warhol’s Factory, architects of the Vietnam war, and demonstrators against that war—who together shaped an extraordinarily turbulent era of American life. Presented in one gallery, their enormous portraits will stage an unlikely conversation among historically opposed camps, as well as contemporary viewers.

The formal innovations of Avedon’s high style—of starkly lit bodies in an unsparing white surround—are best realized in these works, where subjects jostle and crowd the frame, and bright voids between them crackle with tension. Uniting the murals with session outtakes and contemporaneous projects, the exhibition will track Avedon’s evolving approach to group portraiture, through which he so transformed the conventions of the genre.

The exhibition is made possible by Joyce Frank Menschel. On exhibit throutgh October 1, 2023 at The Met Fifth Avenue, New York City.

Marquee: Richard Avedon (American, 1923–2004). Andy Warhol and members of The Factory, New York, October 30, 1969. Gelatin silver print, 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm). Collection of The Richard Avedon Foundation © The Richard Avedon Foundation.

SLAVERY & THE BANK This exhibition explores the history of transatlantic slavery through its connections with the Bank of England and the wider City of London. For over 300 years, the slave trade tore more than 12 million African people from their homes and families. In this exhibition, we reflect on how the wealth created through transatlantic slavery shaped the development of Britain and. in turn, America.

Slave trading was the central business of British companies like the South Sea Company and the Royal African Company. The bank was not involved in this way, but it was linked in its role in the wider financial system. Individuals with the bank were also linked to slavery.

The Golden Guinea coin is named after the west African Guinea coast, which was the center of the English slave trade. it is also made from African gold, which was transported to London by the Royal African company.

In the 1800s, tea from the East Indies, sweetened by sugar from the Caribbean, was consumed on a daily basis, by large numbers of the British populations, across all classes. But sugar was ultimately produced on plantations that relied on slave labor.

While London and Bristol were initially Britain's key slave trading posts Liverpool began to dominate the trade by 1740 and continued to do so until it was abolished in 1807.

There were 5,300 voyages from Liverpool to Africa between 1695 and 1807, compared to 3,100 from London and 2,200 from Bristol.

Slavery was not abolished in the British Empire until 1833, after decades of fighting for abolition. In the end, it was secured by the promise to pay slave owners for the loss of their 'property,' a process known as compensation.

On diaplay until April 28, 2023 at the Bank of England Museum in London.

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SWEET CHARITY

FREE MEALS AT ROYAL PALACES

Participants at Winter Warmers. The initiative is run by King Charles III charity The Prince's Foundation and offers locals a warm place to socialize (Image: PA Media. Distributed by The Royal Family)

The Winter Warmers Initiative is a new weekly program to fight loneliness and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in England. Winter Warmers, organized by the Prince's Foundation, the charitable network King Charles set up while still Prince of Wales, has opened the doors at several royal residences so local people have a warm place to chat, develop friendships and engage in social activities like crafts and board games - and enjoy a free meal.

Through the winter months the public can enjoy hot drinks and soups at Highgrove in Gloucestershire. The Winter Warmers program also takes place at the charity’s headquarters, Dumfries House in East Ayrshire and the Queen Mother’s former home the Castle of Mey in Caithness. At Highgrove, it all occurs in The Orchard Room, set within the gardens of Charles’s beloved home.

"At a particularly hard time for many, we felt we had the capacity in the quieter Winter months to utilize our spaces to benefit those in the surrounding communities, many of whom perhaps cannot afford to heat their homes or whom may not have the opportunity for social interaction," Emily Cherrington, the foundation's executive director, said.

The new initiative is part of the Prince's Foundation's wider mission to grow communities and combat the effects of social isolation. Another feature of the program is monthly tea dances, where 130 guests enjoy afternoon tea, dancing and other entertainment. Last summer, the charity held tea dances at several royal properties - including Highgrove, where then-Prince Charles took to the dance floor, - to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

"We hope that, by offering a space for people at these three communities across the UK to meet for a cup of tea and some enjoyable activities, we can play a small part in ensuring our guests benefit from some warmth and friendship each week," Cherrington added.

It isn't just America where residents have seen a spike in food, gas and oil prices.

Thousands of "warm banks" have opened their doors across the UK this winter, as household budgets are squeezed by spiking energy bills and inflation reaches a 40-year high, leaving many scrambling to pay for basic necessities.

As for King Charles, regardless of his past or current titles, this rich kid from a privileged background has always been a champion for the underdog. I know plenty of men who were born into rich and powerful families who ended up lazy, spoiled brats who believe their money and power heritage enables them to get away with anything. Then there is Charles Philip Arthur George who didn't need his Naval pension to live on. Instead of partying the funds away, he started the Princes' Trust. Among the numerous accomplishments - saving Dumfries House and thus reinvigorating the nearly dead community.

BOOK AID INTERNATIONAL

Queen Camilla touring the Book Aid warehouse. Photo: Publicity release Book Aid

is a charity that works to share the power of books and build a more equal world. Every year, the charity provides over one million brand-new books to thousands of communities where people have very few opportunities to read and works with its partners to support and establish libraries.

Her Majesty Queen Camilla celebrated the 50th anniversary of Coram Beanstalk, by joining staff, volunteers and young readers for a special event on February 2, 2023.

The Queen visited Book Aid International’s warehouse in London, where books of all kinds are prepared to be shipped to communities across the globe. The national children's reading charity supports children to become confident, independent readers, and has so far helped over 250,000 children to develop their reading abilities.

During the visit The Queen toured the organization's warehouse, where Her Majesty saw some of the books that the charity provides to its many library and NGO partners around the world. The books on display included the latest UK-published children’s titles, leading medical textbooks and best-selling fiction and non-fiction titles. All of the books were generously donated by the UK publishing industry.

The charity’s Vice Patron, Lord Boateng, who accompanied Her Majesty on her tour of the warehouse, commented:

"It was our great privilege to welcome Her Majesty The Queen Consort today. Her Majesty has long championed reading and today’s visit sends a clear message about the importance of books and reading for everyone, whatever their circumstances. We thank Her Majesty for her unfailing support for readers across the Commonwealth and around the world."

During the visit The Queen Consort also met Book Aid International staff and trustees as well as representatives from its many volunteers and supporters. Her Majesty also heard from the charity’s president, Bloomsbury Publishing founder Nigel Newton and viewed photos of the charity’s work. Those photos included young readers in Malawi and Uganda, refugees in Kenya, pupils in Zambia and Zimbabwe, midwives in Somaliland and staff from the recently rebuilt University Library in Mosul, Iraq.

The visit concluded with Her Majesty helping to pack a box of books which will be sent to one of Book Aid International’s key partners in Rwanda, the Kigali Public Library, which Her Majesty visited during the CHOGM conference in June 2022.

On February 3, 50,786 books were sent to Rwanda. Books sent just in 2023 have already totaled 96,965.

Book Aid International provides over one million new books every year in the places where they will make the biggest difference and sets up libraries, trains people to run them and works with its partners to spark a love of reading.

Together with its 185 partners worldwide, the charity provides books everywhere from refugee camps, prisons and hospitals to remote schools where there has never been a library before.

All of the books the charity provides from the UK are donated by publishers, and Book Aid International receives no government grants or support.

SPREADING THE WORD

BEDDING DOWN WiTH SETH ROGEN'S CANNABIS AND POTTERY Rogen's weed company Houseplant has teamed up with Airbnb to offer a limited number of reservations to crash at a spectacular mid-century Los Angeles home, filled with original ceramics made by the comedic genius himself.

Rogen will be there as host.

If you're lucky enough to get a reservation, you'll have to cough up $42, plus taxes and fees.

A promotional video advertising the one-night stays shows the actor and design enthusiast moulding clay on a potter's wheel and dancing to music from a vinyl record player, while pointing out the floor to ceiling windows, outdoor swimming pool, and hilltop views over the city.

“I don’t know what’s more of a Houseplant vibe than a creative retreat at a mid-century Airbnb filled with our Housegoods, a pottery wheel and incredible views of LA,” Rogen said in statement.

“Add me, and you’ll have the ultimate experience.”

Rogen hosts three, one-night stays February 15. 16 and 17, for two guests each. The actor, filmmaker and pottery enthusiast promises to join paying guests for part of the evening, to offer laughs and some pottery pointers.

The listing includes a description from Rogen himself: “What makes it Houseplant-y, you may be asking? Well, it’s stocked with some of our favorite Housegoods." Rogen noted. “The mid-century styling and LA views also have a distinctly Houseplant feel. And there’s the fact that I’ll be there to welcome you, which given that I’m the founder, adds to the Houseplant-ness. I AM HOUSEPLANT!!!"

To keep himself out of jail the pot enthusiast will not provide cannabis-based products, nor will they be available on site. Guests can "get glazed" with Rogan by throwing and glazing their own creations in the studio with Rogan offering feedback, relax in the hot tub and get the first exclusive listen to Vinyl Box Set Vol. 2, a new record set with specially curated track lists by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, inspired by different cannabis strains.

In conjunction with this B&B launch, Airbnb states they will make a donation to the Hilarity for Charity nonprofit, which was founded by Seth and Lauren Miller Rogen in 2012 which supports families affected by Alzheimer’s through comedy-related initiatives.

Booking requests open from February 7 at 10 am PT.

FANTASIZING ABOUT A DREAM JOB? Apparently everybody does. Pilot scores Number 1 worldwide for the dream job while different locations have other preferences. In Saudi Arabia and the UAE its poet, according to data compile by financial services Remitly. Writer tops the list in New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden. UTuber was tops in Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. Influencer was tops in Spain, Argentina and Colombia. Dancer was most popular in Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria. Professor was tops in Germany.

World wide the top 20 are: pilot, writer, dancer, Youtuber, Entrepreneur, actor, influencer, programmer, singer, teacher, DJ, blogger, doctor, professor, flight attendant, firefighter, judge, lawyer (defense), attorney ( prosecution), psychologist.

LAS VEGAS STYLE EXPRESS WEDDING - and that's what it's being called - have been announced in Dubai, UAE. Under the new expat family laws of UAE, couples of mixed faith can obtain a civil wedding license in 24 hours. The relaxation of rules are an acknowledgement that more non-Muslims now visit the UAE.

The new rules expedite both marriages and divorces. The new rules are effective in all seven emirates in the Middle East country. Previously, the old laws required non-Muslin couples to marry and divorce by following the county's Sharia law. Under the new Personal Status Law for non Muslims, marriages, divorce, inheritance, wills, child custody and paternity will be addressed without following the Sharia Law. Some of those restrictions required the bride to get the permission of a father or brother.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION in partnership with JPMorgan Chase, kicked off its first Educación Financiera financial health education workshops as part of the Latin Grammy Master Series. Through live and virtual sessions, high school seniors and college students, including emerging musicians, will have access to money and credit management information and resources— and expert advice from financial leaders, music executives and creators. The first event was hosted in Miami with more than 500 students in attendance.

Special guests, Latin Grammy, Grammy, and Emmy-winning producer, director, musician and entrepreneur, Emilio Estefan Jr. and Latin Grammy and Grammy-winning producer, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Loud And Live, Nelson Albareda kicked off the first workshop, "Essentials of Building Credit in the Music Arts Industry". JPMorgan Chase representatives discussed the importance of building credit to help jumpstart financial wellness. Together the special guests, along with the Foundation and JPMorgan Chase, share the goal of inspiring students to create and cultivate innovative ideas that will help advance their creative pursuits and financial wellbeing.

"Empowering Hispanic and Latino students with financial education tools is key to building a stronger future for our communities,” said Silvana Montenegro, Global Head of Advancing Hispanics & Latinos at JPMorgan Chase. "That’s why we are thrilled to support the Foundation via the Latin Grammy Master Series to provide the resources and knowledge that our students need to succeed and plan for their future; because their musical dreams shouldn’t come at the expense of their financial wellbeing."

"Financial literacy is an essential component of art and music education and often takes a back seat to the more creative elements," said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin Gramm Cultural Foundation. "Together with JPMorgan Chase, we have designed the Educación Financiera series to promote conversations and provide resources that enable and strengthen Latin music creators and professionals in the industry along with their families to take charge of their money and future."

Throughout the year, the Foundation and JPMorgan Chase will host two additional workshops for students, as well as two special virtual sessions for parents, to learn more about financial health topics.

THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS has awarded 1,251 Grants for Arts Projects totaling nearly $28.8 million that were announced by the NEA as part of its first round of fiscal year 2023 grants.

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA has announced that Sarah and Ernest Butler have created a new fund within the HGO Endowment valued at $22 million, the largest philanthropic investment in the 68-year history of the organization.

The company also announced that its acclaimed training program for young artists has been renamed the Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio.

"The arts are a reflection of who we are,” said Sarah Butler. “For our society to be healthy, we must invest in art and culture, which is critical to the well-being of humanity. With our investment in HGO’s future, Ernest and I want to support the organization through the next century, so that everyone in our part of the world has access to the beauty of grand opera. This gift is a strategic one, because the artistic excellence at HGO supports and elevates cultural endeavors both within, and far beyond, Houston."

The Sarah and Ernest Butler Houston Grand Opera Studio, one of the most respected and highly competitive young artist programs in the world, provides comprehensive career development to young singers and pianist/coaches who have demonstrated potential to make major contributions to the artform. During residencies that last up to three years, artists receive individualized study programs in classical singing, piano, and coaching, as well as movement and language instruction.

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GOODSPEED MUSICALS is hosting the 11th annual Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals which began January 31 and runs through February 27 on the Goodspeed campus in East Haddam, Connecticut. A distinguished group of 34 established and emerging composers, lyricists and librettists representing 16 new musicals have gathered in East Haddam creating a truly exceptional environment for discovery and inspiration at one of the premier writers’ residencies in the nation.

The 2023 participants are (in alphabetical order) Melis Aker, Jake Bernstein, Jonathan Brielle, Jonatha Brooke, Jessie Burton, Jeff Chambers, Jacinta Clusellas, Paula Cole, Jennifer Lucy Cook, Lauren Du Pree, Scott Gilmour, Mark Governor, Jasmine Joshua, Joriah Kwamé, Patrick Lundquist, Beth Malone, Claire McKenzie, Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako, Geoffrey Nauffts, Tatiana Pandiani, T.J. Peiffer, Barnaby Race, Heather Ragusa, Lynn Rosen, Janet Roston, Emily Sailers, Marc Sambola, Jesse J. Sanchez, Peter Seibert, Shelby Solla, Mary Ann Stratton, Shea Sullivan, Melvin Tunstall III and Pia Wilson.

Over the course of the program, Jonathan Brielle serves as a writer and Producer in Residence. Blair Russell serves as Producer in Residence. Clifford Lee Johnson III is the Resident Dramaturge.

According to Goodspeed: "The JMF Writers Grove at Goodspeed is an unparalleled, long-term residency program devoted exclusively to musical theatre writing. It provides a sanctuary for composers, lyricists, and librettists to embark on new musical theatre work or to devote a substantial amount of time to a work-in-progress in an environment rich with creative energy. For four weeks the writing teams work in residence in Goodspeed’s Artists Village, each team in their own house, with whatever support is needed, from dramaturgical to Goodspeed’s fine music department. In the evenings writers get together in an informal, salon-style environment and share the day’s work. This gathering allows the artists an invaluable opportunity to gain insight from their colleagues. The Grove is the ultimate think tank of veteran Broadway and young working professionals in theater today."

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE (EST) in New York City has announced that Estefanía Fadul and Graeme Gillis have been appointed the new Co-Artistic Directors of the 55-year-old award-winning off-Broadway theater company. Gillis, who has been serving as Interim Artistic Director since William Carden retired in 2022 and is a long-time member of EST, will begin planning the 2023/2024 season with director/producer Fadul who will officially join the prestigious company in March. In the past five decades, EST has developed thousands of new American plays and has grown into a company of over 600 actors, directors, playwrights, and designers. EST was founded and led by Curt Dempster beginning in 1968 and was succeeded as Artistic Director by William Carden in 2007. Fadul and Gillis mark the first co-leadership structure for the company.



TROUBLE IN BUTETOWN by Diana Nneka Atuona.

Directed by Tinuke Craig.

"First thing I'm a need you to do is keep my secret. can’t let nobody know I’m here and I mean nobody"

In her illegal boarding house in Butetown, Cardiff, Gwyneth Mbanefo toils tirelessly to keep afloat.

It’s a port town during the war; home to souls from every corner of the globe. When Nate, an African American GI, escapes his barracks and discovers this new world without segregation, can he find safe harbor in Tiger Bay? And with danger on every corner, who can he trust?

Cast includes BAFTA nominee and BIFA winner Samuel Adewunmi, Rita Bernard-Shaw, Ifan Huw Dafydd, Zaqi Ismail, Gareth Kennerley, Bethan Mary-James, Sarah Parish and Zephryn Taitte .

The creative team also includes Designer Peter McKintosh, Lighting Designer Oliver Fenwick, Sound Designer Emma Laxton, Composer Clement Ishmael, Movement Director Ingrid Mackinnon, Fight Director Kev McCurdy and Casting Director Anna Cooper CDG.

Trouble In Butetown is a recipient of the Theatre Royal Haymarket Writers Award and the George Devine Award.

Previews beginning February 10, 2023 at the Donmar Warehouse in London.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING written by William Shakespeare.

Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos.

Claudio is pursuing the hand of the lovely young Hero. Meanwhile, Beatrice and Benedick want nothing of love. Beatrice and Benedick’s verbal jousts are witty and sharp, each one calculated to wound. Yet, beneath their animosity lies a mutual attraction that neither dares confess — until circumstances force them to admit their true love. Filled with romance, intrigue and surprising plot twists.

Starring in the roles of the four lovers are Erika Soto as Beatrice, Joshua Bitton as Benedick, Alexandra Hellquist as Hero and Stanley Andrew Jackson III as Claudio.

The rest of the cast includes Rafael Goldstein as Don John, Wes Mann as Dogberry, Tony Pasqualini as Leonato, Nick Petroccione as Balthasar, Fredrick Stuart as Don Pedro, Randy Thompson as Friar Francis, Jeanne Syquia as Margaret and Michael Uribes as Borachio. Also featured in the ensemble are Alejandro Hernandez and Arely Vianet.

The creative team includes scenic designer Angela Balogh Calin; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Christopher Moscatiello; costume designer Christine Cover Ferro; wig and make up designer Tony Valdés; properties designer Stephen Taylor; choreographer Joyce Guy; text coach Susan Wilder; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The production stage manager is Chloe Willey.

Performances of Much Ado About Nothing take place February 11 through March 12 at A Noise Within in Pasadena, CA.

Audiences are invited to attend a symposium with resident dramaturg Dr. Miranda Johnson-Haddad at 6:45 p.m., prior to the preview, on Wednesday, February 8, 2023.

ALAN TURING: THE MUSICAL This intriguing new musical, composed by Joel Goodman and Jan Osborne, is a journey through the extraordinary life of Alan Turing. It presents experiences of paramount importance such as the loss of his closest friend, Alan’s role in the Second World War as well as his struggle with society’s unjust view of homosexuality. This biographical account is narrated by Andrea, the fictitious author of Alan Turing’s biography. Alan’s dialogue is directly taken from historical letters that he wrote to his friends, colleagues & his mother.

Featuring Joe Bishop, Zara Cooke and Shania-Grace Thompson.

February 6-11, 2023 at King's Head Theatre in London.

UNDER A BASEBALL SKY a Globe-commissioned story by José Cruz González.

Directed by James Vásquez.

When troublemaker Teo is put to work cleaning up a vacant lot belonging to his elderly neighbor, this unlikely pair forms a bond forged in history and America’s pastime. Inspired by San Diego’s Logan Heights neighborhood. This world premiere celebrates communities and individuals coming together to find hope, healing, love, and the occasional home-run.

The cast includes Ana Nicolle Chavez as Paloma, Laura Crotte as Elí, Diego Josef as Teo, Joseph Morales as Chava, and Cesar J. Rosado as Santiago.

Understudies include Jose Balistrieri, Marcel Ferrin, Luana Fontes, and Lorena Santana.

In addition to playwright José Cruz González and director James Vásquez, the creative team includes Anna Louizos (Scenic Design), Danielle Nieves (Costume Design), Rui Rita (Lighting Design), Leon Rothenberg (Sound Design), Caparelliotis Casting (Casting), and Jess Slocum (Production Stage Manager).

Performances begin February 11 with performances through March 12, 2023. The opening takes place on Thursday, February 16 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by Kate Hamill. Based on the novel by Jane Austen.

Directed by Sara Bruner & Jaclyn Miller.

"Elinor and Marianne Dashwood find themselves in quite the predicament after the sudden death of their father brings a loss of fortune and leaves them socially vulnerable. This playful adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel gives a fresh female voice to 18th-century England. Exuberant and inventive, this production is full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatricality. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart?"

Featuring: Laura Welsh Berg, Lynn Robert Berg, Jillian Kates, Maggie Kettering, Vilma Silva, Nick Steen, M.A. Taylor, Angela Utrera, Hanako Walrath, Joe Wegner

The creatives are: Nicki Cathro, Assistant Stage Manager. Charles Fee, Artistic Director. Sarah Kelso, Production Stage Manager. Iran Micheal Leon, Hair/Wig Designer. Erica Lauren Maholmes, Lighting Designer. Courtney O'Neill, Scenic Designer. Paul James Prendergast, Composer and Sound Designer. Imani Sade, Assistant Stage Manager. Mieka van der Ploeg, Costume Designer.

February 10 - March 5, 2023 at the Hanna Theare, Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio.

KINKY BOOTS music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Book by Harvey Fierstein. Original Broadway Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Based on the Miramax motion picture of the same name, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth.

Directed by Jason Loewith.

Music Direction by Christopher Youstra.

Choreographed by Tara Jeanne Vallee.

The uplifting Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit by superstar Cyndi Lauper lands on the Olney Theatre Mainstage in spike heels and ready to strut. Charlie Price (Vincent Kempski) is desperately trying to save his family’s shoe factory, when an encounter with Lola (Solomon Parker III), a London drag queen in need of a quick repair for her boot, unites them in a new business venture. In order for their plan to work, the macho culture of Charlie’s economically depressed industrial hometown is going to have to co-exist with the gender-fluid exuberance of Lola and her queens. Hilarious and moving, Kinky Boots is an optimistic, 21st Century tale of finding community and family in unlikely circumstances.

Starring: Solomon Parker III as Lola - Vincent Kempski as Charlie - Ricardo Blagrove as Simon Sr. Alex De Bard as Lauren - Chris Genebach as Don - Grayden Goldman as Young Charlie - Kaiyla Gross as Pat - Henry Harleston as Young Lola/Simon - Karl Kippola as George - Calvin McCullough as Harry - Stephen Russell Murray as Richard - Dustin Sardella as Young Charlie - Stephen F. Schmidt as Mr. Price - Candice Shedd-Thompson as Nicola and Sarah Anne Sillers as Trish.

Angels are: Malachi Alexander, Quadry Brown, Robbie Duncan, Connor James Reilly, David Singleton and Shane Hall who also serves as Associate Choreographer.

Swings are: Catrina Brenae, Alexis Krey, and Tyrell Stanley.

Performances begin February 10 at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland.

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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

CINDY WILLIAMS who gained fame playing Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the on Laverne and Shirley died January 25, 2023 in Los Angeles. She was 75.

Williams made her Broadway debut in 2007 as Mrs. Tottendale in The Drowsy Chaperone.

She did national tours of Grease; Deathtrap. and Moon over Buffalo. She had a three year contract to appear at Harrah's Las Vegas starring in Menopause The Musical.

She also delivered a 19 city tour of her one woman show Me, Myself & Shirley.

Williams was also announced to star in National Tour of Nunset Boulevard: The Nunsense Hollywood Bowl Show, which was the latest installment of Dan Goggin's Nunsense franchise, on a multi-city national tour in the 2012-2013 season playing Mother Superior. A special DVD of Nunset Boulevard was filmed.

She reunited with her Laverne & Shirley co-star Eddie Mekka in a November 2008 regional production of the Renée Taylor-Joseph Bologna comedy play It Had to Be You.

She is survived by her children Zak and Emily Hudson.

PACO RABANNE famed fashion and perfume designer died February 2, 2023 at his home in France. He was 88.

He began his career by making fashion sketches for Dior and Givenchy.

In 1966 Rabanne opened up his own fashion house.

He debuted his first collection under a show called: "Manifesto: 12 unwearable dresses in contemporary materials".

Waxwork mannequins were used by him for the presentation of his 1973 collection of paper dresses.

One of the co-creators of the Space Age movement in fashion, Rabanne created the famous green costume Jane Fonda wore in the 1968 sci-fi film Barbarella.

Beyond clothing, Rabanne expanded into perfume with a 1969 collaboration with the company Puig, launching 'Calandre'.

Next Column: February 12, 2023
Copyright: February 5, 2023 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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