Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: January 22, 2023
By: Laura Deni
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KIMBERLY AKIMBO DELIGHTS AND INSPIRES

Victoria Clark in Kimberly Akimbo. Photo: Joan Marcus

Occasionally there is a bonafide off-Broadway hit which successfully transfers to The Great White Way: Hamilton, Avenue Q, Rent, A Chorus Line, Urinetown, The Scottsboro Boys and now Kimberly Akimbo which last season carried off almost every off-Broadway award.

If the off-Broadway version was more than just good, this version is brilliant. The Booth theatre is larger and there has been some script polishing.

Officially put: "Kim is a bright and funny Jersey teen, who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady. And yet her aging condition may be the least of her problems. Forced to maneuver family secrets, borderline personalities, and possible felony charges, Kim is determined to find happiness in a world where not even time is on her side."

Progeria, also known as Hutchinson Giford Progeria syndrome is a rare, genetic condition that results in a child's body aging rapidly. Most kids with progeria don't live past the age of 13.

Kimberly Akimdo isn't the first time progeria has been the topic of entertainment. The short story and movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gave progeria the nickname Benjamin Button Syndrome.

The subject matter could be an uncomfortable downer. Who would think of turning progeria into an uplifting musical? Thanks to the genius minds of Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abairewho is responsible for the book, lyrics and original play and Tony award winner Jeanine Tesor, who penned the music, they have created a flawless musical which, directed by Jessica Stone, is both poignant and funny.

Reprising her off-Broadway turn, Tony winner Victoria Clark gives an astonishing performance as 15-year-old Kimberly who is about to celebrate her 16th birthday with a party. Clark has a magnificent voice which she has to temper in order to maintain her believable character of a 16-year-old.

The entire off-Broadway cast has transferred to Broadway including: Justin Cooley as Seth who plays the tuba and is fond of anagrams - "k is one of the hardest letters" - and smitten with Kim who says she likes his "point of view'" and wonders what he sees when he looks at her.

Tony nominated Steven Boyer as Buddy the father with a fondness for alcohol; Alli Mauzey as Pattie who is Kim's self absorbed pregnant mother, terrified that the new baby will be like Kim.

Scene stealing Bonnie Milligan as Debra the aunt who engages in check fraud (stealing letters with checks from mailboxes) with Kim as her accomplice (How To Wash a Check.) Bonnie's knock it to the back row voice is a stand out in Better in which it's emphasized to "grab life by the throat."

With Olivia Elease Hardy as Delia, Fernell Hogan as Martin, Michael Iskander as Aaron, Nina White as Teresa, are school chums with exceptional voices and the abilities to establish their own teen-age personalities.

Understudies Alex Vinh, Miguel Gil and Skye Alyssa Friedman. Standbys Betsy Morgan, Jim Hogan, and Colleen Fitzpatrick.

Kimberly maneuvers through high school, where she has little in common with her peers and copes with a less than desirable home-life.

Clark's wonderful voice is heard in songs such Make a Wish and piercing lines "I know I might be dying but I’m not dead," which can stop the show.

The closing song of Act I This Time performed by the company can bring the audience to its feet.

The show closes with Great Adventure, which advises "enjoy the view, because no one gets a second time around."

Creatives include choreography by Danny Mefford, David Zinn scenic design, Kai Harada sound design; j. jared janas wig, hair and makeup design, lighting design by Jeanette oi-Suk Yew; video design by Lucy Mackinnon and costumes by Sarah Laux.

Orchestrations by John Clancy; musical direction by Chris Fenwick. Additional orchestrations by Macy Schmidt.

A don't miss it show.

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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

KIM KARDASHIAN

The pendant was made by jewelers Garrard in 1920 and sold to businessman Naim Attallah in the 1980s. Photo Credit: Sotheby's

scored the high bid of £163,800 (about $197,453 ) taking home the 5.25 carat amethyst and diamond Attallah cross pendant worn by Princess Diana. It has been unworn since Princess Diana’s death.

In the last five minutes of the Royal and Noble collection sale at Sotheby's auction house in London on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, a representative for Kardashian successfully outbid others vying for the amethyst cross. The item sold for more than double its pre-auction estimate, Sotheby's said.

"This is a bold piece of jewellery by its size, colour and style which cannot fail to make a vibrant statement, whether it be of faith or fashion -- or indeed both," Kristian Spofforth, head of jewelry at Sotheby's London, said in a press release Wednesday.

"We are delighted that this piece has found a new lease of life within the hands of another globally famous name," Spofforth added.

Made by court jewelers Garrard in 1920, according to the auction house, the pendant features square-cut amethyst stones in the shape of a cross, decorated with circular-cut diamonds in a distinct flowery design. The piece is about 5.4 inches by 3.7 inches in size, and has a total diamond weight of approximately 5.25 carats.

It was bought from Garrard in the 1980s by the late businessman Naim Attallah, who loaned the item to his friend, Princess Diana, several times to wear to events, according to Sotheby's.

Princess Diana "had a particular fondness" for the pendant, the auction house said, and she famously showcased it while wearing a black and purple Catherine Walker dress to a charity gala in support of Birthright, a charity working to protect human rights during pregnancy and childbirth, in October 1987.

According to a press release issued by Sotheby's, the ornament has a decades-long history starting with court jewelers Garrard, which designed the one-off pendant in the 1920s. It was later bought by the late Naim Attallah CBE, the former group chief executive of Asprey & Garrard who often loaned the one-of-a-kind gem to Princess Diana, in the 1980s. According to the Sotheby's release, the cross was only ever worn by the Princess, and following her death, it hasn't been seen in public, until now.

According to the auction house: " Diana’s relationship with Garrard was long-standing, having selected her infamous sapphire and diamond engagement ring from the then Royal Jeweller in 1981. Over the years, she would go on to collaborate with Garrard, borrowing her favourite amethyst and diamond cross on many more occasions, as recalled by Ramsay Attallah, whose father, Naim Attallah, CBE (1931-2021) was joint managing director and eventually group chief executive of Asprey & Garrard. It was under his patronage that Garrard saw continued growth and success, remaining crown jewellers until 2007. As good friends of the Princess, Attallah acquired the cross shortly after her death and it has remained with the family, unworn, ever since."

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IN THE COURTS

Actor Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in October21, 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film Rust.” A third worker on the set, first assistant director David Halls, signed a plea deal for the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

New Mexico prosecutors made the announcement.

“On my watch no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice," Mary Carmack-Altwies, district attorney for the Santa Fe area, said in a statement.

“If any one of these three people [...] had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today,” special prosecutor Andrea Reeb added. “The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”

Prosecutors stated that they will file the criminal charges at the end of the month. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be "charged in the alternative," according to a news release, meaning that a jury will not only be tasked with determining their level of guilt, but also "under which definition of involuntary manslaughter they were guilty."

According to prosecutors, one definition of involuntary manslaughter charge implies underlying negligence and includes the misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a firearm. A second type "requires proof that there was more than simple negligence involved in a death" and tacks on a penalty referred to as a "firearm enhancement."

Each involuntary manslaughter charge carries a possible sentence of up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine. The firearm enhancement is punishable by a mandatory five years in jail.

The shooting occurred inside a church building on Santa Fe’s Bonanza Creek Ranch, where Baldwin was rehearsing a scene with Hutchins and director Joel Souza. Baldwin, who also served as a producer on the film, was sitting on a wooden pew, fatally shot Hutchins after discharging a .45 Long Colt revolver purported to have been loaded with dummy rounds. The 42-year-old cinematographer was taken by helicopter to an Albuquerque hospital and pronounced dead. Souza was injured in the shooting and released from a hospital soon afterward.

SPREADING THE WORD

BEYONCE in a "nice work if you can get it" gig, has been in Dubai this past week preparing for this week-end's official opening of the opulent 43-story Atlantis Royal Hotel which has 231 luxury apartments, 693 hotel rooms and 102 suites.

Last night's concert marked the first time in four years that she has performed in Dubai.

For that one, 75-minute performance she was paid $24 million.

As a general rule of thumb, for a performance of this type, from that gross amount, the performer's expenses include entire production costs for the show, expenses for those the performer invited for the week-end, plus income taxes in two countries. That still leaves the performer with an obscene amount of pocket change.

Also on the bill were Robbie William. Swedish House Mafic performed at the hotel after Beyoncé. The all female orchestra Firdaus backed Beyoncé, plus The Mayyas, an all-female Lebanese precision dance group who won America's got Talent last year.

Not on the bill, but performing a song with Beyoncé was her daughter 11-year-old Blue Ivy Carter. They performed Brown Skin Girl. Jay-Z watched the show form his own private box.

To prepare fo the event Beyoncé spent a week getting acclimated and rehearsing, providing residents within hearing distance of the hotel a rare, free, late night treat - listening to Beyoncé's loud, sound check rehearsal.

Social media posts immediately documented that she sang Naughty Girl; Halo; Spirit and Freedom in addition to Crazy in Love and Drunk in Love.

Special guests at the performance included her parents, all of her children, Kendall Jenner, Rebel Wilson, Ellen Pompeo, Winston Duke, Letitia Wright, Liam Payne, Chloe x Halle, and Bar Rafaeli.

Saturday's event was called Beyoncé's launching pad for her upcoming Renaissance Tour.

The week--end also included a party for the launch of Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila.

The Dubai shindig was A-lister, invite-only.

Beyoncé opened the show with a cover of Etta James' At Last.

NEW YORK FILM GREEN OFFICE stages a free Webnair on Office Hours: Fuel Reduction Strategies for the Transportation Department.

Fuel use is the #1 source of greenhouse gas emissions for any production. Hear from experts on how the Transportation Department can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels by turning toward cleaner energy sources, alternative fuels, and more efficient fleet management.

Speakers include:

Shira Gans, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
Michael Devereaux, Theatrical Teamsters Local 817
Matt Leuck, Technical Expert, Neste
Matthew Price, Director of Operations, Edge Auto Rental
Adam Shippey, CEO, Shattered Prism
Moderator: AnaLaura Giacomel, Education and Special Programs Manager, Earth Angel.

February 2, 2023 05:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada).

MODANSE a double bill presented by MuzArts and M Premiere, which narrates Coco Chanel’s journey that has forever overturned the world of the 20th century fashion.

Starring internationally renowned ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, the Bolshoi's prima and the Etoile at Teatro Alla Scala, at Dubai Opera January 27-28, 2023, in Dubai, UAE.

PRINCE EDWARD The Earl of Wessex will attend the Radio Times Centenary Reception and Dinner at Claridge's Hotel in London on January 31, 2023.

DID YOU KNOW THAT the biggest Corn Flakes factory in the world is located in Manchester, England. The Kellogg's factory is also the largest cereal-making facility in Europe. King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the location last week and also visited Bolton, located in the northwest English region of Manchester. At the local town hall the couple witnessed the Hand Made Sign Language choir perform God Save the King in sign language.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

GOONIES HOUSE SOLD Behman Zakeri - Managing Partner Chief Executive at Collectors Cache, We Buy Gold and Bury the Hatchet KC LLC calls himself a "serial entrepreneur with Type A personality on hyperdrive." Hid motto is: "Don't make excuses, just MAKE IT."

The Kansas City, Kansas entrepreneur has bought the house from the 1985 cult classic film The Goonies, in which a group of kids take on a property developing company which plans to destroy their home to build a country club. When the children discover an old pirate map in the attic, they follow it into an underground cavern in search of lost treasure but come up against plenty of dangerous obstacles along the way.

Several scenes in the movie were shot at the house which was suppose to be the home of the main character, Mikey, played by Sean Astin.

Directed by Richard Donner with a screenplay by Chris Columbus and a story by Steven Spielberg the movie features Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan.

The Victorian home is in Astoria and is one of the main tourism draws in the blue-collar town along the Columbia River.

Zakeri is a major Goonies superfan. Blame his mother. When he was eight she took him to see the movie. He said his reason for buying the home stems from his childhood love for the film. He told the press he purchased the house "for the community," and "Goonies everywhere."

The two-thousand-square-foot home was put on the market in November 2022 with a listing price of $1.65 million - a price point based upon its movie significance. Zakeri and his wife, Liz, officially took possession of the home on January 11, 2023.

Zakeri first saw the house a few years ago when he returned to Oregon to visit his childhood best friend and fellow Goonies appreciator, Michael Eakin, who had purchased the property next door.

With the help of the Goonies community, Zakeri plans to restore the Goonies House to "try to make it look as close to the movie as we can, both inside and out." This restoration project even includes the recreation of the Rube Goldberg contraption that opens the front gate and a zip line.

With the house, Zakeri took possession of some Goonies memorabilia to aid him on his restoration project.

He's even considering creating a potential Goonies Escape Room or allowing people to rent the house. Until then, he encourages fans and says, "Go on out there and get your selfies and do the truffle shuffle."

On twitter he's asked fans what they would like to see restored first.

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THEATRE COMMUNJICATIONS GROUP (TCG) the national organization for theatre, has announced the recipients of the first and second rounds of the 2022-23 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards. The awards, totaling $725,000, allow 17 productions extra time for the development and rehearsal of new plays with the entire creative team, hoping to extend the life of the world premiere play after its first run.

The first and second rounds of the 2022-23 Edgerton Foundation New Play Awards were presented to: Cowboy Bob -Alley Theatre - Molly Beach Murphy, Jeanna Phillips, & Annie Tippe

Patriots - Almeida Theatre - Peter Morgan

Exclusion - Arena Stage - Kenneth Lin

Pru Payne Arizona Theatre Company - Steven Drukman

Elyria - Atlantic Theater Company - Deepa Purohit

The Far Country - Atlantic Theater Company - Lloyd Suh

Colonialism is Terrible, but Pho is Delicious - Aurora Theatre Company - Dustin H. Chinn

Laughs In Spanish - Denver Center for the Performing Arts - Alexis Sheer

Swing State - Goodman Theatre - Rebecca Gilman

Here There are Blueberries - La Jolla Playhouse & Tectonic Theater Project - Moisés Kaufman & Amanda Gronich

The Travelers - Magic Theatre - Luis Alfaro

The Motive and the Cue - National Theatre - Jack Thorne

shadow/land - The Public Theater - Erika Dickerson-Dispenza

Primary Trust - Roundabout Theatre Company - Eboni Booth

Hamnet - Royal Shakespeare Company - Lolita Chakrabarti

Letters from Max - Signature Theatre Company - Sarah Ruhl

Eternal Life, Part 1 - The Wilma Theater - Nathan Alan Davis

Over the last 17 years, the Edgerton Foundation has awarded over $15,841,000 to 491 productions, enabling many plays to schedule subsequent productions following their world premieres. Thirty-seven have made it to Broadway, including: Skeleton Crew, Paradise Square, Curtains, 13, Next to Normal, 33 Variations, In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), Time Stands Still, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, A Free Man of Color, Good People, Chinglish, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Bronx Bombers, Casa Valentina, Outside Mullingar, All the Way, Eclipsed, Bright Star, Hamilton, The Columnist, In Transit, A Doll's House Part 2, Indecent, Dear Evan Hansen, Oslo, Escape to Margaritaville, The Prom, JUNK: The Golden Age of Debt, SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, and Head Over Heels. Nineteen plays were nominated for Tony Awards, with All the Way, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and Oslo winning the best play or musical awards. Twelve plays were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, with wins for The Hot Wing King (2021), Cost of Living (2018), Hamilton (2016), The Flick (2014), Water by the Spoonful (2012), and Next to Normal (2010).



WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? by Edward Albee.

Directed by Lindsay Posner.

Elizabeth McGovern and Dougray Scott play feisty yet quarrelsome couple Martha and George with Charles Aitken and Gina Bramhill cast as newlyweds Nick and Honey.

Hailed as having some of the greatest dialogue in American Theatre the play is a portrait of a marriage in meltdown.

First staged on Broadway in 1962, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? was soon established as one of the great plays in post-war American drama, winner of the Tony and Critics’ Circle Awards for Best New Play. Its reputation was further enhanced by Mike Nichols’ multi Academy Award winning 1966 film adaptation, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Sixty years on from its premiere, it is now seen as one of the most influential and highly regarded plays in American literature.

The creatives are: set and costume design by Paul Wills, lighting design by Paul Pyant, sound design by Gregory Clarke, assistant direction by George Jibson, casting by Ginny Schiller, movement and fight direction by Ruth Cooper-Brown, and dialect coaching by Michaela Kennen.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (receiving rave reviews) will run to February 11, 2023 at Theatre Royal Bath, England.

THE SMUGGLER by Ronán Noone.

Directed by Conor Bagle.

A Thriller in Rhyme

Starring Michael Mellamphy.

It’s 2023. Tim Finnegan is an Irish immigrant trying to make it as a writer on Amity, an affluent summer colony in Massachusetts, where tensions flare between the migrant and local communities after a fatal car crash. When he loses his job as a bartender, Tim gets drawn into the dark underbelly of the island. The Smuggler examines how far one man will go to restore his self-respect and asks the question, "What does it mean to be an American citizen?"

The Smuggler is an Official Selection of the Origin 1st Irish 2023 Theatre Festival.

in the Irish Rep's W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre through February 26, 2023, New York City.

THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI written and directed by Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman.

You know you’re pretty special when painting the Mona Lisa is the least of your accomplishments! Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest thinkers of all time. Now Tony Award winner and MacArthur Genius Grantee Mary Zimmerman (Metamorphoses) shapes a genre-busting play entirely from da Vinci’s own notebooks. A cast of chameleon-like actors takes us on a journey through da Vinci’s mind as he considers everything from math and engineering to philosophy and love.

The cast for The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci includes Adeoye as Leonardo, Christopher Donahue as Leonardo, Kasey Foster as Leonardo, John Gregorio as Leonardo, Anthony Irons as Leonardo, Louise Lamson as Leonardo, Andrea San Miguel as Leonardo, and Wai Yim as Leonardo.

Understudies include Chloe Baldwin, Jack DeCesare, James Newcomb, Emma Svitil, and Michael Underhill.

In addition to Mary Zimmerman, the creative team includes Scott Bradley (Scenic Design), Mara Blumenfeld (Costume Design, based on the original design by Allison Reeds), T.J. Gerckens (Lighting Design), Michael Bodeen (Sound Design), Miriam Sturm and Michael Bodeen (Original Music), Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi (Acrobatic Consultant), Lauren Port, CSA and Rachel Jimenez, CSA (Casting), Marne Anderson (Production Stage Manager), and Amanda Salmons (Assistant Stage Manager).

The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci will run to February 26, 2023, with the opening on Thursday, January 26 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego, CA's Balboa Park.

SYLVIA book by Kate Prince with Priya Oarmar. Original music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde.

Directed and choreographed by Kate Prince.

Musical Director Sean Green.

Be the change that you want to see
Be the change for you and me

The award-winning Beverley Knight will play Emmeline Pankhurst. Uniting hip hop, funk and soul, Sylvia shines a light on a remarkable moment in history, celebrating the life of Sylvia Pankhurst - the lesser-known Pankhurst at the heart of the Suffragette movement.

The cast includes: Beverley Knight, Kelly Agbowu, Verity Blyth, Bradley Charles, Kimmy Edwards, Alex Gaumond, Jade Hackett, Sweeney Holdsworth, Stevie Hutchinson, Kate Ivory Jordan, Hannah Khemoh, Sinead Long, Jaye Marshall, Kadaka Moore, Antonio Murray-Straughan, Razak Osman, Jay Perry, Sharon Rose, Kirstie Skivington, Ellena Vincent and Malachi Welch.

The world premiere unites dance, hip hop, funk and soul to shine a light on a remarkable moment in history.

The musicians are: Sean Green. Vanessa Domonique, Rachel Espeute, Joe Thomas, Frankie South.

The creative include: Set& Costumes by Ben Stone - Lighting by Natasha Chivers, Sound by Tony Gayle, Video and Animation by Andrzej Goulding, Wigs, Hair and Make-up by Cynthia de la Rose - Co-Orchestra Josh Cohen, Mark Dickman, Leonn Meade and DJ Eslde. Dialect coach is Mary Howland, Voice coach Charlie Hughes-D'Aeth.

Sylvia will play for a limited run from January 27 – April 1, 2023, at the Old Vic in London.

ENDGAME by Samuel Beckett.

Directed by Ciarán O’Reilly.

Starring Tony Award winner Bill Irwin, John Douglas Thompson, Joseph Grifasi and Patrice Johnson Chevannes.

Endgame, Nobel Prize-winning playwright Samuel Beckett's (1906-1989) favorite play, is a tragicomedy of epic proportions. Written in a macabre intensity of mood, it represents the playwright's fierce declaration of oblivion in a world populated with its last survivors. The play, about the end of everything, moves inexorably to its own conclusion, with its own humor bursting out of the bounds of Beckett's dark account of the Earth's last whimper.

Endgame tells the story of Hamm (John Douglas Thompson), who is reduced to living in one room, in which he sits, blind and chair bound. His only escape from his solitary world is the company of his aging, legless parents (Joe Grifasi and Patrice Johnson Chevannes), who live in garbage bins, and his shuffling servant, Clov (Bill Irwin), who is at his beck and call, and who, like a dog, comes when whistled for. The only thing left for Hamm is to wait for the inevitable end.

A pinnacle of Beckett’s characteristic raw minimalism, Endgame is a pure and devastating distillation of the human essence in the face of approaching death. “Nothing is funnier than unhappiness” invokes Nell, which summarizes the tragicomic nature of this timeless play.

The play premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1957 in French as Fin de Partie. The first English language production took place at the Cherry Lane Theater in New York in 1958. Irish Rep first presented an acclaimed production of Endgame, directed by Charlotte Moore, in 2005.

Endgame will feature set design by Charlie Corcoran, costume design by Orla Long, lighting design by Michael Gottlieb, sound design by M. Florian Staab, and properties by Deirdre Brennan. Jeff Davolt serves as Production Stage Manager with Giselle Raphaela as Assistant Stage Manager.

The Irish Rep presentation of Endgame will begin previews on the Francis J. Greenburger Mainstage in New York City on January 25, 2023, and is set to open on February 2, for a limited run through March 12, 2023.

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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

SIR SYDNEY SAMUELSON was a British film director and cinematographer, appointed in 1991 by the government of the UK as the first British Film Commissioner, died at his home on December 14, 2022. He was 97.

After serving in the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1947, he got a job as a trainee cameraman with the Colonial Film Unit. He then went on to work for Rayant Pictures, for whom he filmed the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. In 1954, he set up Samuelson Film Service, hiring out film equipment. He went on to become the first British Film Commissioner and remained in the post for six years. He was chosen as chairman of the management board of BAFTA in 1976 and was a permanent trustee.

In 1985, he received the Michael Balcon Award, and in 1993 a Fellowship of BAFTA, the Academy's highest honour. Samuelson was appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1978 Birthday Honours for service to BAFTA, and knighted in the 1995 Birthday Honours for services to the film industry.

He was the first President of the UK Jewish Film Festival. He remained in the role until 2005, and as of 2010 was the UKJFF Honorary Lifetime Patron.

The Film And TV Charity of the United Kingdom has issued the following statement:

"We were saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Sydney Samuelson last month. As a trustee of the Film and TV Charity (then the CTBF) from 1978-1990, President from 1983-1986, and Vice Patron until his death, Sir Sydney was a lifelong passionate advocate for those working behind the scenes. A true pioneer and a kind and sparkling man, we will long remember a great friend. Our thoughts continue to be with his family and friends."

DAVID CROSBY Grammy award winning, founding member of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash died January 18, 2023. He was 81.

Crosby was the recipient of a highly publicized liver transplant, paid for by Phil Collins, in 1994. News of his transplant created some controversy because of his celebrity status and his past problems with drug and alcohol addiction. Crosby's liver problems stemmed from a long run with hepatitis C. Crosby suffered from Type 2 diabetes and was treated with insulin to manage the disease.

Crosby joined The Byrds in 1964. They had their first number-one hit in 1965 with a cover of Mr. Tambourine Man by Bob Dylan.

Regarding CSN, their first album, Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969), was an immediate hit, spawning two Top 40 hit singles and receiving key airplay on the new FM radio format, in its early days populated by unfettered disc jockeys who then had the option of playing entire albums at once. The songs Crosby wrote while in CSN include "Guinnevere", "Long Time Gone", and "Delta". He also co-wrote "Wooden Ships" with Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane and Stills.

Crosby & Nash recorded three gold albums in the 1970s, while the core trio of CSN remained active from 1976 until 2016. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSNY) reunions took place in each decade from the 1970s through the 2000s.

Hits included "Eight Miles High," "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "Teach Your Children."

Crosby released six solo albums. Additionally, he formed a jazz-influenced trio with his son James Raymond and guitarist Jeff Pevar in CPR. Crosby's work with the Byrds and CSNY has sold over 35 million albums.

Crosby was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: once for his work in the Byrds and again for his work with CSN.

Crosby spent nine months in a Texas state prison after being convicted of several drugs and weapons offenses in 1985. The drug charges were related to possession of heroin and cocaine. Later in 1985, Crosby was arrested in California for drunken driving, a hit-and-run driving accident, and possession of a concealed pistol and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested after driving into a fence in a Marin County suburb, where officers found a .45-caliber pistol and cocaine in his car. On March 7, 2004, Crosby was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, illegal possession of a hunting knife, illegal possession of ammunition, and illegal possession of about one ounce of marijuana. He left the items behind in his New York City hotel room.

Crosby had a son, James Raymond, with Celia Crawford Ferguson in 1962, who was placed for adoption and later reunited with Crosby as an adult. Crosby had three other children: a daughter, Erika, with Jackie Guthrie, a daughter, Donovan Crosby, with former girlfriend Debbie Donovan, and a son, Django Crosby, who was conceived with wife Jan Dance after extensive fertility treatments while Crosby's liver was failing.

In January 2000, Melissa Etheridge announced that Crosby was the sperm donor of two children, Beckett and Bailey, with her partner Julie Cypher by means of artificial insemination. On May 13, 2020, Etheridge announced on her Twitter that her and Cypher's son Beckett had died of causes related to opioid addiction at the age of 21.

Crosby is survived by his wife Jan Dance and children Django Crosby, James Raymond, Bailey Jean Cypher, Donovan Crosby, Erika Keller Crosby.

Next Column: January 29, 2023
Copyright: January 22, 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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