Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: February 7, 2016
By: Laura Deni
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GOOD CHANCE BRINGS AN ENTERTAINMENT LIFE LINE TO THOSE LIVING IN A TENSION FILLED REFUGEE CAMP

Volunteers raise the frame on the Good Chance performance center. Photo: Good Chance

The Jungle, a sprawling ad hoc refugee camp in Calais, France, is home to around 6000 people who made hazardous trans-continental journeys from their home countries in search of a safe haven. Hailing from countries all across the Middle East and Africa, including Sudan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Morocco, Egypt, Eritrea, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria and more.

The University of Birmingham report published in October 2015 found living conditions in the camp to be at a critically low level. It identified that ‘shortcomings in shelter, food and water safety, personal hygiene, sanitation and security’ were ‘likely to have detrimental long-term health consequences for the camp’s residents of their life course.’

Leigh Daynes, Executive Director of Doctors of the World, has said it represents ‘a humanitarian emergency of the first order in one of the world’s most thriving nations. It confirms that we can no longer turn a blind eye to the dreadful humanitarian disaster on our doorstep."

The Jungle is not without serious political controversy. A large British movement doesn't want the refugees crossing into Britain.

In January 2016 the French government warned The Jungle residents that they intended to bulldoze part of the notorious Jungle. Officals stated they would destroy the tents of roughly a third of the migrants who are living in the camp while they attempt to cross the Channel and enter Britain.

The French government wants the evictees to move out of their makeshift tents and into converted shipping containers with heating, electricity and a high-tech entry code system.

At the very worst of times, two British playwrights Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, who go by Joe & Joe, and have worked together for five years, created an entertainment life rope called Good Chance Theatre. Joe & Joe are not only the Artistic Directors, but also a mix of humanitarians and social psychologists. So are their volunteers.

Good Chance provides the one and only daily aspect of life that offers a safe release from tension; an opportunity for refugees to express themselves, gives the desperate occupants something to do, lessens the possibilities of uncontrolled emotional powder kegs, and offers laughter and fun.

The daytime schedule can include writing workshops, music lessons, dance, acting and performance. In the evening, the space plays host to big communal events, which bring all of the camp’s many nationalities together. The theatre has had poetry slams, standup comedy, acoustic sets, theatre performances, rap battles, film nights and mass gatherings.

Volunteers cover the frame with fabric. Photo: Good Chance

“We believe that expression is a need for everyone. In a situation as difficult as the one that these people find themselves in, this need is even more urgent,” wrote the playwrights. Good Chance was founded on September 30 and raised their flap door on October 29, 2015 with the intention of staying as long as they are needed.

"We want to convey the humanity which exists at the core of this international crisis," stressed Joe & Joe.

"A place for people to come together, irrespective of who they are or where they come from. Somewhere they will always be welcome, warm and safe. A space for them to tell their stories however they want, to express themselves and their situations, or simply to escape and have some fun.

"Many have left behind close family and don’t know if they’ll see them again. They’ve been on momentous journeys over desert and sea, losing friends along the way. They live now in The Jungle in appalling circumstances with a deeply uncertain future."

When Joe & Joe first visited The Jungle they heard the words 'no chance' and ‘good chance’ spoken everywhere. "We found that it referred to the likelihood people thought there was of crossing the border that evening. And it stuck. The theatre offers a different kind of good chance."

Many comment postings in British newspapers have been hate fueled.

politcallyuncorrect4­life posted "Joe Murphy Joe Robertson traitors who need stringing up".

Johnlittlechild opined: "Playwrights? This makes me sick!"

Joe & Joe are undaunted.

The metal geodesic dome structure covered with textile has become a stopping point for visiting artists and companies who often stage performances – from clowning to intimate theater pieces.

Inside the Good Chance THeatre. Photo: Good Chance

Their performances are appreciate by the rag-tag community of tension riddled inhabitants who seek a semblance of normalcy within the Good Chance Theatre.

On Februarty 1, 2016 French riot police kept their word, entered The Jungle camp and began bulldozing tents as well as a makeshift Mosque and church.

Two days later, in partnership with Good Chance, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre's touring Globe to Globe Hamlet performed to residents of the camp.

“This performance will be yet another wonderful example of this ground-breaking tour’s ability to reach displaced people across the world. It’s a privilege that our Hamlet company will be able to perform in the Calais Jungle and our thanks go to Good Chance for enabling this.” stated Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe.

"We’re really looking forward to it," Joanna Ostrom, Head of Volunteers told Broadway To Vegas shortly before the performance.

Money obtained through crowdfunding sites such as JustGiving help keep Good Chance producing.

Volunteers are crucial.

"There are about 20 languages, a lot are local variations of Arabic, Farsi, Pashtu, Dari and Urdu. Those are spoken along with English/French during the events. Requirements for volunteering would be a great attitude, availability and a genuine interest in helping the situation. People stay for a minimum of a week with Good Chance, some have been with us for 4 months," Ostrom told Broadway to Vegas.

Since its inception several blue ribbon individuals and organizations have provided support in creating Good Chance. These include the Young Vic Theatre and David Lan, The Royal Court Theatre and Vicky Featherstone, Elyse Dodgson, Stephen Daldry, Sonia Friedman, Jeffrey and Susan Culpepper, Chris Sonnex, Willi Richards, Mike Toon, and many others.










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ART AND ABOUT

FAIRY TALE FASHION is now open through April 16, 2016 at The Museum at FIT in New York City.

Fairy Tale Fashion is a unique and imaginative exhibition that examines fairy tales through the lens of high fashion. In versions of numerous fairy tales by authors such as Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Andersen, it is evident that dress is often used to symbolize a character’s transformation, vanity, power, or privilege. The importance of Cinderella’s glass slippers is widely known, for example, yet these shoes represent only a fraction of the many references to clothing in fairy tales.

Organized by associate curator Colleen Hill, Fairy Tale Fashion features more than 80 objects placed within dramatic, fantasy-like settings designed by architect Kim Ackert. Since fairy tales are not often set in a specific time period, Fairy Tale Fashion includes garments and accessories dating from the 18th century to the present. There is a particular emphasis on extraordinary 21st-century fashions by designers such as Thom Browne, Dolce and Gabbana, Tom Ford, Giles, Mary Katrantzou, Marchesa, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, Prada, Rodarte, and Walter Van Beirendonck, among others.

The exhibition’s introductory space features artwork that has played a role in shaping perceptions of a “fairy tale” aesthetic. These include illustrations by renowned early 20th-century artists such as Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, and A.H. Watson. Several recent, large-scale photographs from Kirsty Mitchell’s award-winning Wonderland series are also on display. This is the first time that Mitchell’s marvelous work - for which she designs and makes all of the elaborate costumes and sets - has been shown in the United States. Connections between fashion and storytelling are further emphasized by a small selection of clothing and accessories, including a clutch bag by Charlotte Olympia that resembles a leather-bound storybook.

The main gallery space uses fashion to illustrate 15 classic fairy tales, arranged within four archetypal settings. Visitors first walk into the Forest, which includes the tales Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, The Fairies, Rapunzel, and Snow White and Rose Red. Several variations of Little Red Riding Hood’s red cloak are shown, beginning with a fashionable woolen cloak from the late 18th century - the style that is used to illustrate innumerable versions of the story - and concluding with a fall 2014 Comme des Garçons ensemble with an enormous, peaked hood in scarlet patent leather. Inspired by the fairy tale–themed fall 2014 presentation by Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet, Snow White is portrayed wearing a black organza gown encrusted with rhinestones while lying in her glass coffin. The subsection on Rapunze” includes a stunning dress from Alexander McQueen’s fall 2007 collection, made from deep emerald velvet embellished with copper-colored beads that create a motif of cascading hair.

The center of the gallery is dominated by a large Castle, in and around which the tales Cinderella, Furrypelts, The Snow Queen, Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty are displayed. Cinderella is first shown in her rags, exemplified by a Giorgio di Sant’Angelo ensemble with a skirt made from shredded chiffon, and dating from his 1971 The Summer of Jane and Cinderella collection. Cinderella’s spectacular glass slippers are exemplified by a pair of 2014 heel-less shoes by Noritaka Tatehana, 3D-printed in clear acrylic and faceted to reflect light. Clothing is central to a lesser-known Brothers Grimm tale titled Furrypelts, which calls for a cloak of many furs, in addition to magnificent dresses that look like the sun, the moon, and the stars. The latter is represented by a dazzling, early 1930s evening gown by Mary Liotta, covered in silver stars crafted from beads and sequins. In The Snow Queen, the beautiful villainess wears a coat and cap of pristine white fur, exemplified in Fairy Tale Fashion by an opulent hooded fur cape by J. Mendel from 2011.

The Little Mermaid and The Swan Maidens are explored in the Sea section of the exhibition. Charles James’s Swan dress, from the mid-1950s, has a full skirt made from alternating layers of black, beige, and brown net that form an exceptionally graceful silhouette. Undercover’s spring 2015 collection featured numerous swan-inspired designs, one of which is now in the collection of The Museum at FIT - an especially detailed ensemble comprised of a feather-printed miniskirt worn beneath a tutu hand-painted with a plumage motif. It is paired with a motorcycle-style jacket with sleeves made from laser-cut silk “feathers.” The Little Mermaid is represented by a variety of beautiful, mermaid-inspired gowns, including Thierry Mugler’s 1987 bustier and fishtail skirt in metallic lilac fabric, and an elaborately crafted dress embellished with pearls, sequins, feathers, and Swarovski crystals from the spring 2015 Rodarte collection.

The exhibition also highlights two fairy tales that take place in Parallel Worlds - Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. Although Alice makes little reference to clothing, there is a distinct “Wonderland aesthetic” that has influenced fashion. This subsection features a playful, bright blue mini-dress by Manish Arora, adorned with fabric playing cards that reference the tale’s Queen of Hearts and her playing card army. By contrast, The Wizard of Oz makes numerous references to fashion, including Dorothy Gale’s blue-and-white gingham frock, represented by a checked cotton dress from the early 1940s by Adrian, who also designed many of the costumes for the famous 1939 film version of the tale. Although Dorothy’s magical shoes are silver in the story, they are better remembered as the sparkling “ruby slippers” from the movie. A pair of bright red, crystal-encrusted stilettos by Christian Louboutin is unmistakably evocative of Dorothy’s iconic footwear.

INK, SILK AND GOLD: ISLAMIC ART

Tile Lunette Composite body (quartz, clay, and glaze frit) with colors painted on white slip under clear glaze, Bequest of Mrs. Martin Brimmer. Photo /the /John and Mary Ringling Museum of Art

the first comprehensive exhibition of one of the finest collections of Islamic art in the U.S. opened February 5 and is on display through May 1, 2016 at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

A rare and insightful introduction to Islamic art, Ink, Silk and Gold: Islamic Art from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, features approximately 100 superb works of art - in an array of media, including metalwork, manuscripts, paintings, ceramics, textiles and architectural details - from the eighth through the 21st centuries. Offering a window into the multifaceted and dynamic artistic traditions and contemporary voices of the Islamic world, and spanning the globe from Spain to Indonesia, the exhibition considers Islamic art as a synthesis of numerous cultures over the centuries.

“Leading up to the debut of The Ringling’s new Center for Asian Art in Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt Gallery of Asian Art this spring and during this challenging time of geopolitical and religious strife, Ink, Silk and Gold provides us with an ideal opportunity to foster an important cultural conversation focused on the dynamism and diversity of Islamic art and culture,” said Steven High, Executive Director of The Ringling. “As a leading university art museum with broad international reach, The Ringling is dedicated to examining the rich artistic traditions that are critical to more fully understanding our world today.”

Ink, Silk and Gold was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The objects presented in this special exhibition are being comprehensively studied, restored and circulated for the first time since the MFA began collecting Islamic art 130 years ago. The installation at The Ringling will be overseen by Christopher Jones, Assistant Curator of Exhibitions.

The works of art on view in the exhibition, which is arranged chronologically and regionally, were produced in societies where Islam was a major cultural force - some relate to Islamic ideas, others have little to do with religion. The exhibition title refers to the centrality of the materials of Islamic art, and throughout the galleries visitors are invited to explore how an object’s medium expressively shapes both its form and meaning.

The Ringling is a center for art and history, situated on 66 magnificent acres on the shores of Sarasota Bay. It is built on the remarkable legacy of circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier John Ringling and his wife Mable.

SWEET CHARITY

SONNETS AND CHOCOLATE the annual fundraiser for the Endstation Theatre Company in Lynchburg, Virginia takes place February 13, 2016.

A dessert theatre event of tasty treats, outstanding Endstation performances, a live auction and more to raise money for Endstation's 2016 summer season.

THE MUSIC GOES ROUND AND ROUND

ALLEGIANCE: A NEW MUSICAL INSPIRED BY A TRUE STROY - ORIGINAL BROADCAST RECORDING with music and lyrics by Jay Kuo has been released by Broadway Records.

Allegiance - a musical of shock, determination, courage and love - all captured in the music.

Allegiance opened at the Longacre Theatre on Sunday, November 8, 2015 to mixed reviews and will play its final performance on Broadway on Sunday, February 14, 2016. For those who read the mixed reviews, this CD is the score and thus eliminates some of what some critics felt were problematic.

There are many reasons to own this CD - including listening to the gorgeous voices of Lea Salonga, Christopheren Nomura, Michael K. Lee and Katie Rose Clarke.

Star Trek icon George Takei, at 78, makes his Broadway debut in this musical inspired by his childhood experiences in a WWII internment camp for Japanese-Americans. The musical also marks the long awaited return to the Great White Way of Tony award winner Lea Salonga.

Hopefully, this production offered Takei closure. For others, it may be an eye opening experience about a shameful and embarrassing segment of America history.

During the World War II, the U.S. government relocated 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent to internment camps. They were herded like cattle and forced to relocate into living quarters which were little more than prisons. They were wards of the government, permitted to take only what they could carry.

Takei’s family was among those relocated to a barbed wire encampment in Wyoming.

This is not a historical documentary, rather a musical heavily inspired by Takei's own experiences

Allegiance is a story of family, love and patriotism set during the Japanese-American internment of World War II and beyond, the show follows WWII veteran Sam Kimura (Takei) and his sister Kei (Salonga) as they find themselves torn between loyalty to their family and allegiance to their country.

With words and music by Jay Kuo; the score is reminiscent of Les Miserables, Phanton of the Opera, Miss Saigon and City of Angels. Most musical tempos are represented. The messages in the overly simplistic lyrics are delivered by top notch singers.

Opening in the present, Sam Kimura (Takei) learns that his sister Kei (Salonga) has died. Her spirit beckons him back to the past in the gentle Prologue which recalls "a time that no one speaks of anymore."

The Kimuras have long been settled in California, running an artichoke farm for the past 20 years, when youngest son Sammy (Telly Leung) returns from college to be reunited with his unmarried older sister Kei (Lea Salonga), their widowed father Tatsuo (distinguished Grammy nominated baritone Christopheren Nomura) and grandfather Ojii-chan (Takei). It's 1941 and the family celebrates a festival with their neighbors in the song Wishes on the Wind, which soars to a dramatic finale as festival goers hang a wish on The Wishing Tree.

Their security and hope for the future is shattered when the voice of F.D.R. is heard announcing that Japanese armed forces suddenly and deliberately attacked the United States. FDR tells the citizens that America is at war - against the Japanese.

The Kimuras are forced to sell their farm for pennies on the dollar to a neighbor.

Tatsuo predicts difficult times ahead, while American-born Sammy hurries off with friends from similar backgrounds to enlist, only to be turned down. The Army has classified them as "enemy aliens." The recruiting officer says "A Jap is a Jap."

Do Not Fight the Storm followed by Gamam shows their struggled to "stay strong," and have endurance with dignity.

The emotionally determined What Makes a Man sung by Sammy (Leung) shows his desperate attempt not to remain low profile as his father wishes, but to be his own man.

That is followed by the jazzy and breezy I Ought Go. Wind chimes and samisen add effective nuances to the instrumental The Dust Storm. leading into the spunky Get in the Game in which the detainees petition the warden - who has forgotten about them - to give them blankets and to get rid of the fleas. In a nod to The Great American Pastime, they try to make a normal life in a wired in camp and 'get in the game' by attempting baseball.

Christopher Nomura's elegant baritone delivers the militarily bombastic title song Allegiance.

George Takei and Lea Solonga in Allegiance. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

Romances develop. Sammy (Telly Leung with a tenor to please the angels) has his eye on Caucasian Hannah Campbell (Katie Rose Clarke who possesses a lovely, charming voice), a Midwest raised army nurse distraught by the lack of medical treatment of detainees. After she debates whether to enter into a relationship - Should I? - she returns his affection, which gives him hope. With You may have elementary lyrics, but the message is clear, lovingly sung by Sammy and Hannah.

His sister also has a fella Frankie (Michael K. Lee), who has become bitter with no news of his parents since they were arrested the day after Pearl Harbor. They duet on Ishi Kara Ishi.

Paradise is sarcastic. "The water tastes like rust/the bedding's filled with crabby lice/But here's a little sound advice/Just put up and shut up/Cause you're in paradise."

Lea's soaring, elegant voice on the closing first act solo, Higher, about never giving up on dreams, makes for standing ovations.
Our Time Now refers to the Japanese Americans being permitted to enlist in the American Armed Forces. This is Not Over is a romantic duet by Salonga and Michael K. Lee.

Without enumerating every single number, great voices deliver a powerful recollection of what Americans did to their own citizens.

Allegiance stars George Takei, as Sam Kimura/Ojii San; Lea Salonga as Kei Kimura; Telly Leung as Sammy Kimura; Katie Rose Clarke as Hannah Campbell, Michael K. Lee as Frankie Suzuki, Christópheren Nomura in his Broadway debut as Tatsuo Kimura. Also making his Broadway and musical debut Greg Watanabe, whose father was conceived in the internment camp in which this musical is set. Wantanabe is cast as wartime JACL leader Mike Masaoka. The ensemble includes Tony Award winner Scott Wise.

The musical's world debut was staged at the Old Globe in San Diego, breaking the 77-year-old box office record for attendance and sales.

Los Angeles based Watanabe wasn't in the San Diego production (Paolo Montalban played the part) and script changes were made before Allegiance transferred from The Old Globe to the Longacre. That is also reflected in the tone of the music for the character of Masaoka, a real person who died in 1991.

During the San Diego run many of Japanese American heritage, including Masaoka’s relatives, complained that Masaoka wasn't correctly projected. While Masaoka had been criticized for his advocacy of cooperation with the authorities during the internment, which put him at odds with draft resisters and others who challenged the government’s actions, he was instrumental in the creation of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

Production creators took notice of the criticisms and re-wrote the character using dialogue from his own writings and speeches and had his character speak but no longer sing.

Orchestra:
Music director/conductor: Laura Bergquist
Music supervision, arrangements, orchestrations: Lynne Shankel
Associate conductor / keyboards 1 Jeffrey Saver
Keyboard 2 Chris Kong
Trumpet/ Flugelhorn Tony Kadleck
Trombone/ bass trombone Nat Mayland
Drums/ Percussion/ Synthesizer Jow Moatt
Reed 1 Harry Hassell
Reed 2 Rick Heckman
Reed 3 Dan Sullivan
Violin 1/ Concert Master Paul Woodiel
Violin 2/Viola Kiku Enomoto
Cello Eliot Bailen
Bass Jim Donica
Music coordinator Howard Joines
Music copying Kaye-Houston Music/ Anne Kaye, Doug Houston
Keyboard/Programmer Randy Cohen.

Recorded at MSR Studios in New York City December 7, 2015. Recorded, edited and mixed by Joel Moss. Pro-tools engineer Jack Mason. Assistant engineers Dan Fyfe, Raphael Lee, and Alex Hendrickson. Keyboard programming Randy Cohen and Taylor Williams. Edited and mixed at Woods end Studio, Saratoga Springs, NY. Mastered by Charlie Eble, and Joel Moss at Woods End Studio. Production photography Matthew Murphy.

The elegant and well constructed booklet contains a message from George Takei, a synopsis, the song lyrics and beautiful pictures.

SPREADING THE WORD

FENTON'S CREAMERY OF OAKLAND is celebrating the Super Bowl by serving a $50.00 Super Bowl Sunday sundae. No estimate on the fat content or calories but the sundae includes 12 scoops of ice cream in an Oreo cookie bowl with hot fudge, whipped cream and cherries on top. Serves 5 to 10 adults.

CELEBRATE LOVE and the Supreme Court ruling that struck down laws against interracial marriage – at Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburg, VT on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14. They will screen The Loving Story, followed by discussion and refreshments - including chocolates.

The Loving Story is a documentary that explores the interracial marriage of Richard and Mildred Loving and the Supreme Court ruling that struck down laws banning such marriages. Loving v. Virginia is one of the landmark Civil Rights cases of the 1960s and has had a new life in the 21st century expanding the right to marry for same sex couples.

When Richard and Mildred Loving married in 1958, they knew it was against the law in Virginia, but they never expected to be arrested in their bedroom in the middle of the night. Forced to live in Washington, DC, they missed their home and family, so they decided to fight. With the assistance of attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union, they took their case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which decreed that “the freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.”

The documentary brings to life the Lovings' marriage and the legal battle that followed through filmed interviews and photographs shot for Life magazine. Its immediacy derives from the little-known 1960s footage depicting the daily life of the couple and their three children while they were in hiding in a house in Virginia.

PERFECT FIFTHS a JDTLab Staged Reading of a new musical by Dan Rider. Directed by Holly Kristina Goldstein. Music and Book by Dan Rider.

The cast includes Goldie Flavelle (Sam), Corynne Victoria Peters (Rose), Brinda Dixit (Cello), Dan Rider (Brian), and Taylor Edelhart (Bass and Stage Directions).

Sam feels empty. Well, she isn't really feeling anything. That is until Sam meets Rose, her cello, and her multi-talented hands. Suddenly Sam is transfixed, transported, and...transforming? Perfect Fifths explores what it's like to feel hollow and what it means to be whole again.

Free admission to the staged reading on Tuesday, February 16 at Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY>

A CONVERSATION WITH MOISES KAUFMAN From the groundbreaking The Laramie Project Cycle to the Pulitzer-winning I Am My Own Wife, Tony Award-nominee Moisés Kaufman has brought seminal questions about sexuality and gender-identity to the forefront in American theater through three tempestuous decades. Join Kaufman and Artistic Director Jason Loewith for a wide-ranging discussion about his life, his passion for theater that advances cultural conversation, and the artistic path that brought him to adapt Bizet’s famed opera Carmen as an Afro-Cuban Jazz musical.

Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical co-Produced with Tectonic Theater Project is staged February 10 - March 6, 2016 at the Olney Theatre.

This world premiere, directed and co-written by Kaufman with heralded Cuban-American playwright Eduardo Machado, and music adapted from Bizet’s opera by two-time Grammy Award-winner Arturo O’Farrill, this Carmen brings the action of one of the most sensual stories of all time to Cuba on the verge of revolution in 1958.

The star-studded creative team, along with Kaufman at the helm as director and Broadway’s Sergio Trujillo as choreographer turns Bizet’s passion-fueled opera into a sexy, swinging Afro-Cuban Jazz musical. Kaufman’s Carmen is a gun-runner for the rebels, who falls fiercely in love with José, a Batista loyalist. When Cuba’s boxing legend Camilo returns to Havana, Carmen and José’s love falls tragically apart.

The conversation with Kaufman takes place Saturday, February 13, 2016 at the Olney Theatre Center in Olney, MD.

GRAMMY AWARDS TO AIR HAMILTON PERFORMANCE LIVE

Lin-Manuel Miranda and cast in Hamilton

The Grammy-nominated musical Hamilton ushers Broadway back to the Grammy Awards stage after a more than five-year hiatus. Grammy winner Lin-Manuel Miranda and his extraordinary cast will perform a number from the acclaimed musical on the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, directly from the legendary Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York, marking one of only four times that the Grammy telecast has featured a performance live via satellite.

The Hamilton performance will be the eighth time in history that musical theater has been featured on the Grammy Awards. Previous Broadway productions featured on the telecast include Godspell (1972); The Magic Show (1975); Sophisticated Ladies (1982); La Cage Aux Folles (1984); Will Rogers Follies (1992); Riverdance and Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk (1997); and, most recently, American Idiot (2010).

"The Hamilton cast and crew are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this year's Grammy Awards," said Miranda, Hamilton creator, writer, and lead performer. "The music community's response to our cast album has been overwhelming, and we're honored to be a part of such a special night. To perform from our home at the Richard Rodgers Theatre is a dream come true."

The Hamilton segment also marks the fourth time that a performance will be broadcast live via satellite on the Grammy Awards. The last time the awards telecast included a performance from another location was when Amy Winehouse performed You Know I'm No Good and Rehab in London during the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008, the same year Winehouse earned her five Grammys.

"Melding contemporary hip-hop into a musical set in the year 1776, Hamilton reimagines the traditional musical in a unique and extraordinary way that has brought Broadway - and our nation's history - to new audiences," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "With the Grammy Awards on a Monday this year, we have a wonderful opportunity to highlight this important musical art form on an even bigger stage for our millions of viewers worldwide to experience."

Current nominees for Best Musical Theater Album from the Original Broadway Cast recording of Hamilton include: principal soloists Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and Phillipa Soo; producers Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman, Ahmir Thompson, and Tarik Trotter; and composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, Lacamoire, and Sherman are previous winners in this category for In The Heights (2008).

Nominee Justin Bieber will join fellow nominees Diplo and Skrillex to perform their Grammy-nominated hit Where Are Ü Now, marking the duo known as Jack Ü's first live television performance. Album Of The Year nominee Chris Stapleton will be joined by Grammy winners Gary Clark Jr. and Bonnie Raitt to pay tribute to legendary blues artist B.B. King. Nominee Pitbull will light the Grammy stage in collaboration with Travis Barker, Robin Thicke, and surprise special guests. Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, and Joe Perry promise an electric television debut with their rock super group The Hollywood Vampires.

Previously announced performers include Adele, James Bay, Andra Day, Ellie Goulding, Sam Hunt, Tori Kelly, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Little Big Town, Carrie Underwood, and The Weeknd. Entertainment icon and two-time Grammy winner LL COOL J is set to host for the fifth consecutive year.

The 58th Annual Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on the CBS Television Network, Monday, February 15, 2016.



CLIVE DAVIS and The Recording Academy will present the annual Pre-Grammy Gala on Sunday, February 14, 2016, at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., the evening before the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. This private invitation-only VIP event will feature memorable musical performances and will be attended by the who’s who of the entertainment.

As part of the evening's celebration, the 2016 Grammy Salute To Industry Icons will honor Irving Azoff, chairman and CEO, Azoff MSG Entertainment.

The Recording Academy will present Azoff with the President's Merit Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the music industry and his numerous philanthropic endeavors.

Past recipients include Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, Martin Bandier, Sir Richard Branson, Clive Davis, Ahmet Ertegun, David Geffen, Berry Gordy, Lucian Grainge, Doug Morris, Mo Ostin, and Antonio "L.A." Reid.

HANG IN THERE

FILMMAKER MICHAEL MOORE in intensive care at a New York hospital fighting pneumonia. He isn't too thrilled that he is launching his next film Where to Invade Next while tethered to IV tubes.

“I'm now worried about my film's release,” he wrote on Facebook Friday, February 5, 2016. “I can't fly, I have to recover, and in one week (February 12th) this great movie I've put so much of my life into is going to open in theaters -- with little or no assistance from me."

The courageous film producer of Bowling for Columbine, Roger & Me and Fahrenheit 9/11 hopes for a grassroots promotion of Where to Invade Next, which looks at what America can learn from the attitudes of European countries regarding life and work as he "invades" the countries to see what they have to offer.

Moore fell victim to his own grueling schedule.

“Between bustin’ it 4 my movie opening next wk, plus in&out of Flint, plus Election work, I find myself today in an ICU w/pneumonia” he tweeted Thursday.

Moore had been a one man promotional band, booked on several talk shows including Conan O’Brien and Bill Maher, which had to be canceled. He had also planned to cross the country doing interviews and hosting screenings.

“Naturally, I loved this plan, but none of us stopped to think what would happen if I got pneumonia!” he wrote.



THE LAST MATCH

(from left) Troian Bellisario stars as Mallory, Patrick J. Adams as Tim, Alex Mickiewicz as Sergei, and Natalia Payne as Galina in the world premiere of Anna Ziegler’s The Last Match. Photo courtesy of The Old Globe.

a World Premiere by Anna Ziegler.

Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch.

The US Open tennis semifinals are underway. As Russian phenom Sergei Sergeyev and American superstar Tim Porter do battle under the lights on center court, Galina and Mallory, the funny and complicated women who share their lives, watch anxiously from the sidelines. But as the back-and-forth action unfolds, we journey into the minds of the players and the lives of the two couples in a fast-paced and moving exploration of family, parenthood, and the legacy we leave behind. Before it’s game, set, and match, more than a championship will be won or lost. Developed in the Globe’s 2014 New Voices Festival, Anna Ziegler’s energetic new play is a funny and visceral look at the sacrifices we make to stay on top.

Featuring Patrick J. Adams (Tim), Troian Bellisario (Mallory), Alex Mickiewicz (Sergei), and Natalia Payne (Galina).

The creative team includes: Tim Mackabee (Scenic Design), Denitsa Bliznakova (Costume Design), Bradley King (Lighting Design), Bray Poor (Sound Design), Paul Peterson (Video Design), David Huber (Vocal Coach), Caparelliotis Casting/Lauren Port, CSA (Casting), Diana Moser (Production Stage Manager).

February 13–March 13, 2016 at the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center at The Old Globe in San Diego, CA.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. The revival is directed by Bartlett Sher.

Starring Danny Burstein as Tevye and Jessica Hecht as Golde.

In addition to Burstein and Hecht, the cast includes Jenny Rose Baker as Shprintze, Michael C. Bernardi as Mordcha, Adam Dannheisser as Lazar Wolf, Hayley Feinstein as Bielke, Mitch Greenberg as Yussel and the Beggar, Adam Grupper as the Rabbi, Adam Kantor as Motel, Karl Kenzler as the Constable, Alix Korey as Yente, Jesse Kovarsky as The Fiddler, Samantha Massell as Hodel, Melanie Moore as Chava, George Psomas as Avram, Ben Rappaport as Perchik, Nick Rehberger as Fyedka, Jeffrey Schecter as Mendel, Alexandra Silber as Tzeitel, Jessica Vosk as Fruma-Sarah, Lori Wilner as Grandma Tzeitel, Aaron Young as Sasha, and Jennifer Zetlan as Shaindel. The ensemble features: Julie Benko, Eric Bourne, Stephen Carrasco, Eric Chambliss, Austin Goodwin, Jacob Guzman, Reed Luplau, Brandt Martinez, Matt Moisey, Sarah Parker, Marla Phelan, Tess Primack, Silvia Vrskova, and Jonathan Royse Windham.

Choreography is by Hofesh Shechter, inspired by the original choreography of Jerome Robbins. The 23-piece orchestra is led by music director Ted Sperling.

The design team includes scenic design by Michael Yeargan, costume design by Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Donald Holder and sound design by Scott Lehrer. Casting is by Telsey + Co./Abbie Brady Dalton.

At the Broadway Theatre in New York City.

CLOSER THAN EVER Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. Music by David Shire. Conceived by Steven Scott Smith.

Directed by Todd Nielsen. Musical Direction by Gerald Sternbach.

Starring Kevin Bailey, Valerie Perri, Katheryne Penny and Adam von Almen.

Filled with hilarious and poignant songs about dating, parenting, aging and dreams both fulfilled and unrequited, Closer Than Ever is like a musical “how-to” manual for life. With each song a self-contained story inspired by real-life experiences, its message to value the little things in life remains timeless.

ICT opens its 2016 season with a recently updated version of this Outer Critics Circle Award winner for Best off-Broadway Musical that also netted Drama Desk nominations for lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr. and composer David Shire.

Set design is by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, lighting design is by Debra Garcia Lockwood; costume design is by Kim DeShazo, sound design is by Dave Mickey, props are by Patty and Gordon Briles, wigs are by Anthony Gagliardi, casting is by Michael Donovan Casting and the production stage manager is Pat Loeb.

February 10-March 6 at the International City Theatre in Long Beach, CA.

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS 1982 an evening of two, little known, one-act plays by Tennessee Williams, both completed in 1982, the year before the playwrights death.

Directed by Cosmin Chivu.

World Premiere of A Recluse and His Guest and New York Premiere of The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. Le Monde. These two chamber pieces epitomize the theatrical imagination the playwright employed throughout his long writing career combined with the freedom he found later in life. Crisply written black comedies, these fierce plays center on the demands of unlikely human relationships in exotic locales fraught with tension.

“The world is accident prone, no use attempting correction. After all, the loss of one fool makes room for another. A superabundance of them must be somehow avoided if at all possible now.” – Tennessee Williams in The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. Le Monde, 1982

Kate Skinner leads an Ensemble Cast.

In the world premiere of A Recluse and His Guest, we meet a tall person of indeterminate gender—who, we later discover, is a woman named Nevrika. She has walked all winter through the Midnight Forest to a fictional town in a mythical, cold, northern country. In this poignant fable, it is her destiny to always move forward, never back. Looking for someone in the town to care for, she finds a miserable little creature named, Ott. He is the Recluse and she is the Guest who transforms him into a more-human human being, at least for a while.

Making its New York premiere, The Remarkable Rooming-House of Mme. Le Monde is a black comedy steeped in the brutal and the fantastic. Using acutely direct, comic, and unflinching action, Williams gives us a theatrical preview of the world we live in now. His vision is filled with humility for those who suffer while highlighting the greed of those who withhold sustenance along with our growing fetish for money and violence, both emotional and physical. However, Williams does offer hope: to recognize ourselves in a world where the “have-nots” are unfairly blamed for the inequities of the world because they are “accident prone.”

Presented by the Playhouse Creature Theatre Company from February 14-March 13, at Walker Space in New York City.

THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN a New York premiere by Dan O'Brien.

Directed by Jo Bonney.

Featuring Michael Crane and Tony Award nominee Michael Cumpsty.

Winner of the 2014 Horton Foote Prize for Outstanding New American Play and the Inaugural Edward M. Kennedy Award (shared with All The Way.) The Body of an American tells the true story of an extraordinary friendship as two men, a war photojournalist and playwright, journey from some of the most dangerous places on earth to the depths of the human soul.

Scenic design by Richard Hoover; costume design by Ilona Somogyi; lighting design by Lap Chi Chu; sound design by Darron L West; and projection design by Alex Basco Koch.

At Primary Stages at the Cherry Lane Theatre. in New York City February 10-March 20, 2016.

WHO'S WHERE

ANDRE BOCELLI singing love songs over Valentine's Day week-end February 13th and 14th at Hard Rock Live Hollywood in Hollywood, FL.

ELLIE GOULDING entertains Tuesday, February 9 at the Antwerps Sportspaleis in Merksm, Belgium.

JENNIFER NETTLES entertains Friday, February 12, at the Peppermill Concert Hall in West Wendover, NV. Saturday finds her at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, CO. Next Sunday, Valentine's Day, she'll be spreading vocal romance at Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs, CO.

BARRY MANILOW is in the spotlight Wednesday, February 10 at the FedExForum in Memphis. Thursday's gig is at the BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, KY. Friday's show is at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. CHARLES AZNAVOUR the legendary singer/songwriter performs at Dubai Classics on Friday, February 12, 2016 at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai, UAE.

PETER NERO sets the mood for Valentine's Day with a night of beloved standards performed by the charismatic pianist and pops conductor. Friday, February 12, 201 at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale, AZ.

FINAL OVATION

CONDOLENCES TO VANESSA HUDGENS who father Greg died on Saturday, January 30, 2016 - one day before his eldest daughter Vanessa, 27, starred as Rizzo in the live performance of Grease on Fox TV. The cause of death was cancer. He was 65. Vanessa dedicated her performance to her father who is also survived by his wife Gina and another daughter, 20-year-old Stella.

CONDOLENCES TO LEA SALONGA the Tony and Olivier award winning star of the new musical Allegiance upon the passing of her father Rear Admiral Feliciano G. Salonga, PCGA who died Friday, January 29, 2016. He was 86.

A man of enormous accomplishment he was a 1953 graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. Salonga was named "Outstanding Professional Achievement Awardee for the year 1998" by the United States Merchant Marine Academy Alumni.

Salonga was also vice chairman of Bataan Shipyard & Engineering Co., Inc.; managing director of Marine Consultancy Division of B.P. Mata & Co., Inc.; marketing director of MLD & Associates, a marine consultancy firm, chief of the Aids-to-Navigation Group, Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) National Command; director of the O.B. Montessori Grassroots Leadership Foundation, Inc.; and president of the Mt. Pinatubo Hidden Temple Shrine & Community Foundation.

From 2006-2011 he served as the chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA

Prior to his chairmanship of the SBMA, Salonga was the president of Ganda Energy & Holdings, Inc., an independent power producer from 1997-1999. Among his numerous awards include a presidential citation for Successful Privatization of the Philippine Shipyard & Engineering Corporation by President Fidel V. Ramos in 1994.

His daughter will not miss any performances.

CHEF BENOIT VIOLIER whose Swiss restaurant was named the best in the world in December, was found dead in his home on Sunday, January 31, 2016 of an apparent self inflicted gun shot wound. He was 44.

Violier, 44, ran the Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville in Crissier, near the city of Lausanne. It earned three Michelin stars and came top in France's La Liste ranking of the world's 1,000 best eateries. In 2013 he was named chef of the year by the influential Gault et Millau guide, second only to the Michelin guide among gourmets.

Violier had been due to attend the launch of the new Michelin guide in Paris on Monday. February 1.

The restaurant's menus ranged from a quick lunch menu at $191 to a "discovery" set menu priced at $374.00.

The Michelin Guide said he had "immense talent" and its thoughts were with Mr Violier's family and colleagues.

His survivors include his wife Brigitee.

SIGNE ANDERSON the first female vocalist of Jefferson Airplane, died in Beverton, Oregon following a battle with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. on Thursday, January 28, 2016, the same day the band's Paul Kantner also died. She was 74.

Anderson joined Jefferson Airplane in 1965, marrying Merry Prankster Jerry Anderson shortly after. Their marriage lasted from 1965 to 1974.

The vocalist sang on the band's debut LP in 1965, "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off," which featured her lead vocals on Chet Powers' "Let's Get Together" and "Chauffeur Blues." Anderson decided to leave the band in 1966 after giving birth to her first child. She gave her last performance with Jefferson Airplane on October. 15, 1966 at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

After leaving the Airplane she returned to Oregon where she sang for nine years with a ten-piece band, Carl Smith and the Natural Gas Company. In the mid 1970s she recovered from cancer. In 1977 she married local building contractor Michael Alois Ettlin, and continued to sing with Carl Smith. In the mid 1990s, Anderson suffered further serious health problems. While she recovered from these ailments her family faced serious financial problems from the medical costs costs involved.

Anderson's husband, Michael Alois Ettlin, died at the age of 62, on February 21, 2011.

MAURICE WHITE an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger and bandleader and founding member of the band Earth, Wind & Fire died of Parkinson's disease in his sleep at home in Los Angeles on February 4, 2016. He was 74.

White won seven Grammys, and was nominated for a total of twenty-one Grammys. White was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as a member of Earth, Wind & Fire,] and was also inducted individually into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

With Maurice as the bandleader and producer of most of the band's albums, EWF earned legendary status winning six Grammy Awards out of a staggering 14 nominations, an NAACP Hall of Fame Award, a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame and four American Music Awards and the sale of over 90 million of the group's albums worldwide. As a member of the band, Maurice was bestowed with such honors as being inducted into: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Songwriters Hall of Fame, and The NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement: "We are very saddened to learn of the passing of seven-time Grammy Award winner Maurice White. A founding member and leader of Earth, Wind & Fire, who are receiving our Lifetime Achievement Award this year, Maurice was the guiding force behind the group’s success and helped create hit songs such as Shining Star, September, After The Love Has Gone, and so many memorable others. His unerring instincts as a musician and showman helped propel the band to international stardom, influencing countless fellow musicians in the process. While he will be greatly missed, Maurice’s contributions to music will live on. We offer our condolences to his family, friends and creative collaborators."

He is survived by his wife, his two sons, and his brothers Verdine and Fred.

Next Column: February 14, 2016
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