Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: January 23, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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LOS ANGELES THEATRE WORKS (LATW) RECORDING OF BABBITT STARRING ED ASNER AND 90 MEGASTARS IS AMAZING

Babbitt tells the story of real estate agent George F. Babbitt and explores the vacuity and conformity of the middle class in small town, white collar America. Lewis’s epic novel, celebrated for its comic tone, satire and vivid dialogue, uniquely captures the booming 1920s and the relentless culture of American business.

In American literature and popular culture, the character and behaviors of George F. Babbitt became established as negative archetypes of person and personality; a Babbitt is "a materialistic and complacent businessman conforming to the standards of his [social] set" and Babbittry is the "Philistine behaviour of a Babbitt."

Penned by Harry Sinclair Lewis who was an American writer and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was awarded "for his vigorous and graphic art of description and his ability to create, with wit and humor, new types of characters."

In l987 Babbitt was the first program LATW recorded. Laid down in the Santa Monica studios of NPR affiliate station KCRW 89.9 FM, in 1987, the 12½ marathon reading, which took over a year to produce, debuted on Thanksgiving Day to instant acclaim. The production is presented now in honor of the novel's centennial year in 2022.

A stellar 34 member cast plays all 90 parts. After an introduction, the production is an unabridged, word-for word recording of the seminal 1922 Harcourt, Brace & Co. 432 page, satirical novel about American culture and society that critiques the vacuity of middle class life and the social standards.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS: This series of recordings (remember the book was published in 1922) has segments which contain a frequent use of words and phrases which are now realized to be highly offensive and inappropriate.

Expertly directed by Gordon Hunt, this remarkable recording, totaling 12½ hours in all, is available for listening in 29 accessible 25-minute installments.

That, in itself, can seem overwhelming. However, view listening to this as you would read a book. Listen to a chapter or two, then come back to it later and listen to a few more chapters. The production is hypnotic. Sinclair Lewis set the gold standard for writing descriptive phrases. You'll feel you're there. You'll know which pocket a pen was in. The color and design of the bathroom guest towels; where picture frames were placed, that crumbs were in the cigarette box. The ability to write captivating descriptive phrases is what made radio productions popular. You could "see" what was happening. And, so it is with this superlative recording.

Kudos to sound engineers for their nothing short of perfection; clear, crisp sound balancing.

After a musical intro an announcer identifies which actor is playing what part.

Edward Asner stars as Babbitt. There is no mistaking his booming, growling voice which viewers of The Mary Tyler Moore Show ("Oh, Mr. Grant!") came to love.

Mrs. Babbitt is played by Nan Martin. The Babbitt children are performed by Judge Reinhold, Holly Palance and Ally Sheedy.

Ed Asner recording his star turn as Babbitt. Photo: Courtesy LATW

There is a clever use of announcers who inject descriptive phrases into the dialogue.

The jaw dropping assemblage of actors are experts as using their voices to convey meaning - as opposed to expressions, movements and props:
René Auberjonois - - Bonnie Bedelia - - Ed Begley Jr. - - Georgia Brown - - Roscoe Lee Browne - - Jack Coleman - - Bud Cort - - Ted Danson - - William Devane - - Richard Dreyfuss - - Héctor Elizondo - - Fionnula Flanagan - - Robert Foxworth - - Harry Hamlin - - Julie Harris - - Helen Hunt - - Amy Irving - - Stacy Keach - - John Lithgow - - Nan Martin - - Marsha Mason - - Richard Masur - - Marian Mercer - - Joanna Miles - - Holly Palance - - Judge Reinhold - - Franklyn Seales - - David Selby - - Ally Sheedy - - Madolyn Smith - - James Whitmore - - JoBeth Williams and Michael York.

There is no plot whatever. Babbitt simply grows two years older as the tale unfolds.

After introducing George F. Babbitt as a middle-aged man, "nimble in the calling of selling houses for more than people could afford to pay," Lewis presents a meticulously detailed description of Babbitt's life. He tended to prefer sleeping on a sleeping porch than in bed with his wife. The straight laced, rigid Presbyterians are frequently acknowledged.

Edward Asner, Amy Irving and John Lithgow record Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis for L.A. Theatre Works in 1987. Photo courtesy of L.A. Theatre Works

The first seven chapters follow Babbitt's life over the course of a single day. Over breakfast Babbitt dotes on his ten-year-old daughter Tinka, tries to dissuade his 22-year-old daughter Verona from her newfound socialist leanings, and encourages his 17-year-old son Ted to try harder in school, although in Episode 6 Ted announces he'd like to drop out of high school and study through correspondence courses.

A couple of highlights include:

Babbitt touts the importance of digestion - eating apples and complaining that women "can't form regular habits - always eating between meals."

He feels the three languages are "American, baseball and poker."

Stacy Keach, Richard Dreyfuss and Bud Cort record Babbitt for L.A. Theatre Works in 1987. Photo courtesy of L.A. Theatre Works

A crisis occurs when Babbitt discovers that his old college roommate Paul Riesling, who plays the violin and sells tar roofs, has shot his wife Zilla. When Paul receives a 3-year prison sentence, "Babbitt returned to his office to realize that he faced a world which, without Paul, was meaningless." Shortly after Paul's arrest, Myra (Babbitt's wife) and Tinka go to visit relatives, leaving Babbitt on his own. Alone with his thoughts, Babbitt ponders what it was he really wanted in life. Eventually, "he stumbled upon the admission that he wanted the fairy girl – in the flesh" - an imaginary woman full of life and gaiety who sees him not as a stodgy old businessman but as a "gallant youth." He imagines various women as his fairy child, including his secretary, a manicurist, his son's girlfriend, and finally Tanis Judique, an attractive new client.

Babbitt begins to rebel against all of the standards he formerly held: he jumps into liberal politics with famous socialist/'single tax' litigator Seneca Doane; conducts an extramarital affair with Tanis; goes on various vacations; and cavorts around with would-be Bohemians and flappers. But each effort ends up disillusioning him to the concept of rebellion. On his excursions with Tanis and her group of friends, "the Bunch," he learns that even the Bohemians have rigid standards for their subculture. When Virgil Gunch and others discover Babbitt's activities with Seneca Doane and Tanis Judique, Virgil tries to convince Babbitt to return to conformity and join their newly founded "Good Citizens' League." Babbitt refuses. His former friends then ostracize him, boycotting Babbitt's real estate ventures and shunning him publicly in clubs around town.

Babbitt often reflects on his failed goal of becoming a lawyer. In college, he dreamed of defending the poor against the "Unjust Rich," and possibly even running for governor. He began practicing real estate in college to earn money for living expenses, but settled into real estate permanently shortly after marriage.

In the novel's dramatic final scene Ted announces that he has eloped with his girlfriend, "movie crazy" Eunice Littlefield, and intends to skip college to become an engineer.

Special thanks to LATW's radio producer Ronn Lipkin who went beyond the call of duty to make this review possible.

L.A. Theatre Works has become the world’s foremost publisher of great dramatic literature. LATW stands apart in its approach to making great theater widely accessible and affordable, bringing plays into homes and classrooms of millions of theater lovers, teachers and students each year. Its catalogue of nearly 600 plays is collected by over 8,000 libraries. LATW’s syndicated radio theater series broadcasts weekly on public radio stations across the U.S. and daily in China on the Radio Beijing Network.

To purchase the complete, unabridged L.A. Theatre Works recording of Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis, go to www.latw.org.

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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

WATERCOLORS BY PRINCE CHARLES

Prince Charles and two of his watercolors.

The largest-ever exhibition of paintings by Prince Charles is currently on display in London. On his 50th birthday Charles displayed 50 of his watercolors at Hampton Court Palace in 1998 and, to celebrate another birthday, 30 of his creations went on display at the National Gallery of Australia in 2018.

The Prince of Wales, who travels with his watercolors, has put 79 of his landscapes on display at the Garrison Chapel in the former Chelsea Barracks through February 14. It features landscapes in England, Scotland, France, Tanzania and more.

Sale of any of his paintings benefits The Prince’s Foundation.

Rosie Alderton, curated the exhibition for The Prince’s Foundation.

Entry is free and you do not need to book tickets in advance.

In a display panel for the exhibition, His Royal Highness writes: “I took up painting entirely because I found photography less than satisfying. Quite simply, I experienced an overwhelming urge to express what I saw through the medium of watercolour and to convey that almost ‘inner’ sense of texture which is impossible to achieve via photography. I very quickly discovered how incredibly difficult it is to paint well in such a spontaneous medium, and the feeling of frustration at not being able to achieve on paper the image that your eye has presented you with is intense!

“Looking back now at those first sketches I did, I am appalled by how bad they are. But, nevertheless, the great thing about painting is that you are making your own individual interpretation of whatever view you have chosen. Because it obliges you to sit down and make a careful observation of the selected subject, you discover so much more about it than by just pointing a camera and arriving at a result which is probably almost identical to somebody else’s photograph. As a result, you become increasingly aware of things that may have escaped your attention previously – things like the quality of light and shade, of tone and texture and of the shape of buildings in relation to the landscape. It all requires the most intense concentration and, consequently, is one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know. In fact, in my case, I find it transports me into another dimension which, quite literally, refreshes parts of the soul which other activities can’t reach.

"I am under no illusion that my sketches represent great art or a burgeoning talent,” the self effacing artist writes in the exhibition wall text. “They represent, more than anything else, my particular form of ‘photograph album’ and, as such, mean a great deal to me.”

Prince Charles has a style and his paintings are quite good.

A WAY THROUGH ABSTRACT ART OF THE 1940s evolution of abstraction in the 1940s provides a rich, visually compelling examination of the decade.

A captivating new exhibition premiering at the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State considers how some of the most provocative midcentury artists made the leap from figuration to abstraction.

The title of the exhibition derives in part from the closing lines of Clement Greenberg’s 1940 essay Towards a Newer Laocoön, in which the influential critic acknowledged and promoted the challenge of abstract art, arguing for the necessity of “fighting our way through it.”

A precursor to the New York School and Abstract Expressionism, the American Abstract Artists group was founded in New York in 1936. The cohort was united in its belief in the importance of non-figural compositions and in the autonomy of the work of art. It opened its first annual exhibition in 1937.

A Way Through: Abstract Art of the 1940s features major works by Suzy Frelinghuysen, Arshile Gorky, Paul Keene, Lee Krasner, Alice Trumbull Mason, Henry McCarter, George L. K. Morris, Irene Rice Pereira, Judith Rothschild, Charles Green Shaw, Esphyr Slobodkina, Hedda Sterne and John von Wicht. Many of these artists – including a significant number of women, whose contributions have too often been overlooked – were pivotal founders and early members of the American Abstract Artists group.

The exhibition is organized by the Palmer Museum of Art and curated by Adam M. Thomas, curator of American art at the Palmer. It will be on view at Penn State, the sole venue, now through May 15, 2022.

BETWEEN HEARTLANDS/KELLY WANG New York-based artist Kelly Wang (born 1992) combines ancient and contemporary influences to create multimedia works resonant with elements of cultural identity and personal grief. She creates what she terms landscapes of the heart — heartscapes — that revolve around places, people or events with which she has a deep affinity. Between Heartlands / Kelly Wang features 32 works of art from the last six years, including recent acquisitions from the Princeton University Art Museum’s own collections, that challenge the way we think about heritage and how we perceive the world around us. Walking a tightrope between past and future, East and West, Wang pushes the boundaries of calligraphy, painting and sculpture in new ways while confronting prejudice, life and death.

Between Heartlands / Kelly Wang is curated by Cary Y. Liu, the Nancy and Peter Lee curator of Asian art at the Princeton University Art Museum. The exhibition will be on view at the Museum’s contemporary gallery Art@Bainbridge in downtown Princeton now through February 27, 2022.

OPEN WINDOW: EMILIO SANCHEZ ON PAPER presents 21 works by Emilio Sanchez (1921-1999) demonstrating his delight in natural patterns and shadows cast by bright sunlight on façades, doors, windows and shutters. Sanchez’s work is often described as dreamlike.

Sanchez’s depictions of place were informed by his multifaceted identities as a gay Cuban man in New York, as well as his fascination with buildings and their architectural details. During a career spanning more than 50 years, Sanchez investigated the effects of light and shadow on architecture and landscapes across the globe, particularly in the Caribbean, Latin America and North America.

Although born in Cuba, Sanchez spent most of his life in the United States. Part of a prominent and wealthy Cuban family, Sanchez attended various U.S. boarding schools from a young age. He then spent two years at the University of Virginia before enrolling at the Art Students League of New York in 1944. For the rest of his life, Sanchez made New York City his home while continuing to travel worldwide.

In summer 2021, the United States Postal Service celebrated the artist by issuing a new series of stamps featuring four of his architectural artworks. Sanchez is the first Cuban-American artist to be honored in this way.

Curated by Laura Minton, curator of exhibitions, on view at the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia through June 20, 2022.

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SWEET CHARITY

CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL, ANNE FRANK'S STEP SISTER EVA SCHLOSS AND DAME JOANNA LUMLEY

Anne Frank's step-sister Eva Schloss MBE, and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

attended the annual Anne Frank Lunch for Holocaust Memorial Day .The luncheon celebrated the 75th anniversary of the publication of Anne Frank’s diary. Camilla delivered a speech calling on people not to be ‘bystanders of prejudice’. The reception for the Anne Frank Trust, at the InterContinental London on Park Lane, was also attended by Eva Schloss, MBE, 92, an Auschwitz survivor and Anne Frank’s stepsister.

She is Honorary President of the Anne Frank Trust UK and said she was 'deeply grateful' to the Duchess of Cornwall for her support of the Anne Frank Trust.

The Diary of Anne Frank, describing how the Jewish Frank family went into hiding for two years during the German occupation of the Netherlands, was first published in Dutch in June 1947, three years after the author died in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. at the age of just 16.

Since then it has been translated into 70 different languages ??and published worldwide. It is widely regarded as one of the most influential literature of the 20th century.

After lighting a candle in memory of victims of the Holocaust, alongside Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, the Duchess of Cornwall spoke about the book.

Camilla said: ‘Like so many others, I first read Anne’s diary at about the same age as when she began her poignant memoir.

"Anne had an exceptional gift for words. She had seen their power to promote great evil, but also recognized their ability to provide comfort, meaning, and hope.

"Her life and death continue to inspire a global anti-prejudice education movement, including the Anne Frank Trust here in the UK.” The Duchess, who visited Auschwitz in 2020 on the 75th anniversary of its liberation, recalled a speech given by Marian Turski, a Holocaust survivor, who had warned in 1930s Nazi Germany about laws that discriminated against Jewish people, "would never (be) forget(ten)."

She said: "He described how people (victims, perpetrators and witnesses) can gradually become desensitized to the exclusion, stigmatization and alienation of those who were previously friends.

"Marian warned us that this could happen again. But he also gave us the answer to prevent it. "You should never, never be a spectator."

"Ladies and gentlemen, let’s not be spectators of injustice or prejudice. After all, our personal values ??are measured by the things we are willing to ignore.

"So let’s learn from those who witnessed the horrors of the Holocaust and all the genocides that followed, and work to keep their stories alive so that every generation will be ready to tackle hate in all its horrific forms. And let us carry with us the words and wisdom that Anne Frank (a child of only 14 years old) wrote on May 7, 1944: ‘What has been done cannot be undone, but at least one can prevent it from happening again."

The wife of Prince Charles was presented with a copy of Anne Frank’s diary.

Other guests included the daughter of murdered MP Sir David Amess and cricketer Azeem Rafiq, who spoke out about racism in his sport. Guest speaker Dame Joanna Lumley described the day as “unforgettable” and called meeting Eva Schloss a “privilege.” She has previously spoken about filming a charity video with Charles and Camilla at their London residence Clarence House, praising the couple for being hospitable.

SPREADING THE WORD

ADELE in tears as she announced her tour was cancelled on the night before she was to open a week-end gig at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She said there was a problem getting equipment moved on time and that half her crew had Covid.

She was originally slated to perform on weekends from January 21 though April 16, 2022.

No rescheduled dates have been announced.

THE GRAMMY AWARDS for the first time ever - will be held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Gardens on April 3, 2022.

Because of COVID the ceremony had been postponed from January 31 at Crypto.com Arena (formerly known at the Staples Center); the second straight yer the show has been postponed due to the virus.

A joint statement was released by the Recording Academy and CBS.

Trevor Noah will serve as host.

Jon Batiste, the band leader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tops the list - being nominated for 11 Grammy Awards including categories of R&B, jazz American roots music, classical and music video.

Justin Bieber, Doja Cat and H.E.R. are tired for second place with 8 nominations each.

THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS Libretto by Michael Korie. Based on the novel by Giorgio Bassani. Production Concept by Richard Stafford.

Directed by Michael Capasso and Richard Stafford.

Set on the eve of World War II this opera tells the story of an aristocratic Italian-Jewish family, the Finzi-Continis, who believe they will be immune to the changes happening around them. As they make a gracious haven for themselves in their garden, walling out the unpleasantness of the world outside, Italy forms its alliance with Germany and begins to enforce anti-Semitic racial laws. But the Finzi-Continis discover too late that no one is immune, no one is untouchable.

Starring Rachel Blaustein (Micól Finzi-Contini), Brian James Myer (Alberto Finzi-Contini), Mary Phillips (Mama), Franco Pomponi (Papà), Anthony Ciaramitaro (Giorgio), and Matt Ciuffitelli (Malnate).

The cast also includes D'Marreon Alexander, Robert Balonek, Adam Cioffari, Peter Kendall Clark, Dani Goldstein, Spencer Hamlin, Kristee Haney, Rebecca Hargrove, Sarah Heltzel, Adam Klein, Meredith Krinke, Melanie Long, Violet Paris, Gabe Ponichter, Sami Sallaway, Drew Seigla, Markos Simopoulos, Rosy Anoush Svazlian, Tim Roller, and Rachel Zatcoff.

Production design by John Farrell, costume design by Ildikó Debreczeni, lighting design by Susan Roth, and production stage management by Diana Vassall-DuMelle.

New York City Opera's production Of Ricky Ian Gordon's The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a co-production with National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.

Opening Thursday, January 27, 2022, which is International Holocaust Remembrance Day for 8 performances only through Sunday, February 6 At Edmond J. Safra Hall at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

INTIMATE APPAREL a new opera with music by Ricky Ian Gordon, libretto by Lynn Nottage, based on her acclaimed play.

Directed by Bartlett Sher.

Featuring Justin Austin, Errin Duane Brooks, Kearstin Piper Brown, Chanáe Curtis, Adrienne Danrich, Jesse Darden, Arnold Livingston Geis, Christian Mark Gibbs, Tesia Kwarteng, Anna Laurenzo, Barrington Lee, Jasmine Muhammad, Naomi Louisa O’Connell, Adam Richardson, Kimberli Render, Krysty Swann, Indra Thomas, Chabrelle Williams and Jorell Williams.

Set in turn of the century New York, Intimate Apparel tells the story of Esther, a lonely, single African-American woman who makes her living sewing beautiful corsets and ladies’ undergarments. Seeking love and romance, Esther embarks on a letter writing relationship with a mysterious suitor laboring on the Panama Canal, and comes to realize that only her self-reliance and certainty of her own worth will see her through life’s challenges. The role of Esther will be performed by Kearstin Piper Brown at Tuesday through Saturday evening performances and Sunday matinees, and will be performed by Chabrelle Williams at Wednesday and Saturday matinee performances. The production has choreography by Dianne McIntyre, sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Jennifer Tipton, sound by Marc Salzberg, projections by 59 Productions, casting by Telsey + Co., and music direction by Steven Osgood. Theresa Flanagan is the Stage Manager.

Opening Monday, January 31, 2022 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in New York City.

ALL RISE the CBS television series which got axed after two seasons has moved to OWN-TV which has commissioned 20 episodes. HBO Max and Hulu have acquired subscription streaming rights to all episodes via a deal with Warner Bros.

Simone Missick stars as Judge Lola Carmichael in the courtroom drama. Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles appears as as Lola’s assistant Sherri Kansky. The ensemble cast also includes Wilson Bethel as Judge Carmichael’s best friend, Deputy District Attorney Mark Callan, Jessica Camacho as public defender Emily Lopez, J. Alex Brinson as bailiff-turned-lawyer Luke Watkins, Lindsay Mendez as court reporter Sara Castillo and Lindsey Gort as defense attorney Amy Quinn.

CARNEGIE HALL has announced today that its upcoming performance by Steven Reineke and The New York Pops on Friday, February 4 has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 16 due to COVID-related challenges for this specific event. The program for the March 16 performance remains as originally announced and features jazz artist Tony DeSare and Broadway star Capathia Jenkins celebrating arranger-composer Nelson Riddle.

VERMONT WRITER DANA WALRATH AND COMPOSER ERIK NIELSEN have teamed up to compose an opera about Alzheimer's Disease.

As first reported in Seven Days and then by GBHI The Brain Health Buzz, in her 2016 graphic memoir, Aliceheimer's: Alzheimer's Through the Looking Glass, Walrath, a medical anthropologist, tells of accepting and entering into her mother's shifting realities at every turn. Her adaptation to her mother's disease became a way to learn about her mother's past and heal their previously prickly relationship. Alice died at age 84 in 2017.

Told in vignettes accompanied by drawings, Walrath's story caught the attention of composer Erik Nielsen. What interested him was not the mother-daughter interaction but Alice's own experience of the disease. Now Nielsen and Walrath, acting as librettist, have turned the book into a chamber opera, also called Aliceheimer's, that features a single voice: Alice's.

Nielsen has orchestrated the 12 scene opera for 10 instruments. He's told the press that a full performances will include a silent dancer.

The typical portrayal of Alzheimer's as an inexorable downward spiral. In Walrath's approach, Nielsen discovered a unique challenge: creating a story arc out of an individual's constantly shifting reality.

Other operas about Alzheimer's include the signature event of the Colchester-based Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival's August 2021 program which featured a production of A Song by Mahler, a 2018 chamber opera by Marc Neikrug about a soprano who develops early-onset Alzheimer's while her loving husband struggles to cope.

Another chamber opera about Alzheimer's, Sky on Swings, premiered at Opera Philadelphia in 2018. Composed by Lembit Beecher, the work is told primarily from the perspectives of two women with Alzheimer's who meet and fall in love at a memory care facility.

The Lion's Face by Elena Langer, which premiered at England's Brighton Festival in 2010 and is sung from the perspectives of a male patient with Alzheimer's, a relative, a caregiver and a clinician-scientist.

In June 2021 it was announced that in the Fall, 2021 Opera Saratoga would launch a full time therapeutic music program for individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia. Through this program, professional singers lead 45-minute, interactive sing-alongs with piano accompaniment. The singers use therapeutic techniques such as mirroring and verbal and gestural prompting throughout the program.

BRANFORD MARSALIS the legendary saxophonist and his jazz ensemble perform January 26 and 27, 2022 at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia.

TOPIC ORIGINAL: THE ACCIDENTAL WOLF – VIRTUAL SCREENING AND CAST Q&A WITH NY1’S FRANK DILELLA Join the Tony Award-nominated creator of Topic’s acclaimed series The Accidental Wolf, Arian Moayed, with stars, Tony Award winning and Emmy Award nominated, Kelli O’Hara, Emmy Award nominated Marsha Stephanie Blake and New York’s prolific TV star, Mike Doyle, moderated by Emmy Award winning host of On Stage on Spectrum News NY1’s Frank DiLella for a special virtual conversation. The Accidental Wolf is the story of a woman searching for answers after her life is upended by a mysterious call from a dying stranger. A brilliantly absorbing meditation on truth, misinformation, and fate anchored by O’Hara’s Emmy-nominated, powerhouse performance. The evening’s remarkable event commemorates the release of the second season of The Accidental Wolf exclusively on Topic by bringing its stars together to discuss the inspiration for the series, its eerie relevance in the age of misinformation, stories from behind the scenes, and more.

Featuring Arian Moyaed, Kelli O'Hara, Marsha Stephanie Blake and Mike Doyle. Presented by 92nd Street Y in New York City Monday, January 24, 2022.

MICHAEL SCHUR IN CONVERSATON WITH JON STEWART: HOW TO BE PERFECT in person and on line Wednesday, January 26, 2022.

Presented by 92nd Street Y in New York City, Michael Schur – the Emmy Award-winning creator of The Good Place and co-creator of Parks and Recreation – talks with Daily Show legend Jon Stewart on their lives in comedy, and Schur’s new book, How to Be Perfect, a hilarious and brilliant look at how ethics and moral philosophy can make us better people. Schur and Stewart are no strangers to the big questions: what does it mean to be ethical? Why should we strive to do the right thing in a screwed-up world that often rewards doing the wrong thing? Are the Knicks and the Celtics “good” basketball teams? Hear Schur and Stewart cover it all in this funny and timely discussion about comedy, searching for the good life, and everything in between.

IF YOU ARE A CELEBRITY, THESE MAY NOT BE THE DAYS OF YOU LIVES AFTER ALL

In an article published by the American Bar Association with an invitation to share, Broadway To Vegas does that with this important article for those in the entertainment community. The article was penned by Melissa Watt and Raika Casey who are attorneys at Faruki PLL, which has offices in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio.

A federal court in California may have the opportunity to weigh in on whether celebrities have the right to share paparazzi photos of themselves on social media.

Days of Our Lives and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna recently decided to share a day of her life with her more than 2.7 million Instagram followers. She posted eight photos on Instagram of herself and her two adult daughters. The paparazzi took the photos in public locations. There was just one problem: the photos were copyrighted, and Ms. Rinna did not have the owners’ permission to post them.

After Ms. Rinna shared the photos, one of Hollywood’s largest celebrity-photography agencies, BlackGrid, sued Ms. Rinna for copyright infringement alleging $1.2 million in damages. By sharing the photos, BlackGrid alleges she hurt its chances of selling the photos because Ms. Rinna’s millions of Instagram followers already saw them. BlackGrid argues that under the US Copyright Act, the right to share and distribute those photos of Ms. Rinna and her family lies exclusively with the copyright owner—the photographer. Not Ms. Rinna.

Rinna Fights Back
In an October filing, Ms. Rinna answered BlackGrid’s claims by stating that BlackGrid has “weaponized” the US Copyright Act to augment its income (and the income of its affiliated photographers, commonly referred to as ‘paparazzi’) during and because of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Ms. Rinna points out that although BlackGrid has filed nearly 50 copyright infringement cases in the last four years, they filed roughly two-thirds of those cases in 2020 and 2021. Her amended answer further alleges that the lawsuit against her is “trolling,” stating that BlackGrid’s practice is merely seeking a novel source of revenue for their photos: first, capture candid celebrity photos (i.e., the bait) and then sue any celebrity that takes the bait and posts the photos without permission.

Do Celebrities Own Their Own Image?
Celebrities being sued for posting photos of themselves may seem nonsensical. Celebrities live a life primarily based on profiting from their image—other people should not be allowed to take photos of them without their consent and profit from the photos. Those photos only hold value because of the independent grit, effort, and success of the celebrity. While the value of paparazzi photos has decreased over time, the value of social media posts has soared astronomically. The shift in the balance of power between celebrities and the paparazzi results in some agencies suing for their share of the proceeds, as Ms. Rinna has aptly pointed out, seeking a novel source of income. The surge of the value of social media posts and the ability for celebrities to reproduce and distribute images to millions of people has thrown the norms of copyright law into limbo.

Copyright Law Is on the Photographer’s Side—For Now
No matter how absurd it may seem that celebrities do not have the right to use photographs of themselves, especially those taken in public without their consent, the US Copyright Act likely favors BlackGrid as the owner of a copyrighted work distributed without permission. Under the US Copyright Act, the owner of a copyright has the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and, in the case of certain works, publicly perform or display the work. The law views a photograph as an “original work of authorship,” the same as a painting or a book.

Ms. Rinna’s response underscores this idea that paparazzi photos hold value because of the celebrity being photographed, arguing that Ms. Rinna receives an implied license to use photos of herself taken by paparazzi. In short, Ms. Rinna’s position is that, since the photographers target celebrities to make money from such photos, an implied license is created: “It is only because of Ms. Rinna’s hard work, dedication to her craft and resultant success that her image confers monetary benefits on the Plaintiff,” the amended answer says. “Having taken and used Defendant’s images in this fashion, Defendant is informed and believes and thereupon alleges, that an implied license was created between herself and the Plaintiff (and subject photographers), whereby it was understood that Ms. Rinna would be permitted to use and comment on these photographs of her and her family without facing a claim of ‘infringement.’”

The US Copyright Act in the Digital Age
There is no question that how celebrity photos are taken and shared is dramatically different today than in 1976 when the US Copyright Act was enacted. Courts will have to continue evaluating the remaining anachronisms of copyright law as applied to today’s digital world. How the court will decide the fate of Ms. Rinna’s Instagram posts, and whether she receives an implied license or must compensate BlackGrid, remains to be seen.

From Broadway to Vegas -- The above article refers to a law regarding photographs taken in public places, not on private property. A man who is not a professional photographer was send, without my knowledge or permission, to my house apparently by the son of a man who was once in my life. The amateur photographer crossed several no trespassing signs. The door was answered by a distant relative of mine, who was extremely ill and has since died. Apparently he asked her if Laura was home and she nodded and said 'Yes'. He then took a picture and ran away. That photo of a dying woman looking her worst was e-mailed all across the country claiming to be a photograph of me. On several levels that is actionable.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION LAUNCHES THE SOFIA CARSON PRODIGY SCHOLARSHIP which is a four-year scholarship towards a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music and 43 additional scholarships are available to music students in need.

This includes their prestigious $200,000 Prodigy Scholarship co-sponsored, this year, by Sofia Carson, Global Ambassador for the Foundation. In addition, three Gifted Tuition, and 40 Tuition Assistance Scholarships will be awarded to music students admitted to universities of their choice. All scholarships are awarded to exceptionally talented music students, with financial need, to support their educational and musical aspirations. The Foundation is committed to investing in future Latin music creators from around the globe.

The four-year namesake Prodigy Scholarship, this year the Sofia Carson Scholarship, was created seven years ago and has been co-sponsored by Latin stars including Enrique Iglesias (2015), Juan Luis Guerra (2016), Miguel Bosé (2017), Carlos Vives (2018), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Julio Iglesias (2020) and Juanes (2021). This year’s scholarship will fulfill one exemplary student's dream of completing a bachelor's degree, in music at Berklee College of Music, starting in the 2022 fall semester.

In 2019, songstress and actor, Sofia Carson, became the Global Ambassador for the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, advocating, promoting, and increasing awareness of the Foundation’s mission and educational programs. As part of her efforts, she has participated in countless events to help raise funds and promote the primary charitable focus of providing scholarships to students interested in Latin music as well as grants to scholars, and organizations, worldwide, to research and preserve diverse Latin music genres, and music education programs. This year the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation will distribute a maximum of $900,000 among 44 talented music students between the ages of 17 and 25 with financial constraints, as follows:

One Sofia Carson Scholarship awarded to one student for up to $200,000 to earn a bachelor’s degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, starting in fall 2022 Three four-year Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000 each will be awarded for students to earn a bachelor's degree in music starting in fall 2022 at the university of their choice.

Forty Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to students pursuing a bachelor's degree in music. This is a one-time award that will cover tuition costs over one year: the fall 2022 and spring 2023 semesters.

*Gifted Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Assistance Scholarships are restricted to the payment of tuition.

Each year, the Foundation's Scholarship Committee carefully evaluates applications from a highly competitive pool of aspiring musicians on a variety of skills; rigorous requirements that are both academic and artistic in nature. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $6.5 million in scholarships, grants, musical instrument donations and educational programming, and events, worldwide.

As part of the process, students must complete an online application, submit two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university along with two completed essays. The materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 10, 2022.

KEEN COMPANY HAS AWARDED its first commission of a new musical to Adam Gwon whose Ordinary Days was staged in Fall of 2018.

Partial support for this commission comes from a Grant for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Keen Company is a Drama Desk and Obie Award winning Off-Broadway theater creating story driven work that champions identification and connection. In intimate productions of plays and musicals.

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10TH ANNUAL JOHNNY MERCER FOUNDATION WRITERS GROVE AT GOODSPEED MUSICALS celebrating its 10th anniversary, returns to the Goodspeed campus January 31 - February 27, 2022 after being virtual in 2021. 30 established and emerging composers, lyricists and librettists representing 15 new musicals will gather in East Haddam creating a truly exceptional environment for discovery and inspiration at one of the premier writers’ residencies in the nation.

The 2022 participants are (in alphabetical order):

Melis Aker, Avi Amon, Jake Bernstein, Jonathan Brielle, Ty Defoe, Nolan Doran, Dr. Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin, Alex Hare, Elliah Heifetz, Paul Hodge, Alphonso Horne, Naomi Iizuka, Jessica Kahkoska, Jesse L. Kearney, Jr., Zhailon Levingston, Nevada Lozano, Peter Mills, Cheeyang Ng, Hayley Gene Penner, Kyle Puccia, Kalani Queypo, Cara Reichel, Jorge Miguel Rivera-Herrans, Benjamin Scheurer, Rona Siddiqui, Eric Sorrels, Khalil Sullivan, Rotana Tarabzouni, Joshua Williams and Zack Zadek .

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

Established in 2013, 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, starting January 31, 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.

E-Book

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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

LOUIS ANDERSON Emmy winning comedian, actor and game show host died Friday, January 21, 2022, in a Las Vegas hospital from Diffuse larger B cell lymphoma which is a common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 68.

In 2016, he won a best supporting actor Emmy for his portrayal of Christine Baskets, mother to twins played by Zach Galifianakis, in the FX series Baskets. Anderson, who received three consecutive Emmy nods for the role, credited his mom with elements of the character.

He was a familiar face elsewhere on TV, including as host of a revival of the game show Family Feud from 1999 to 2002.

Anderson voiced an animated version of himself as a kid in Life With Louie. He created the cartoon series, which first aired in prime time in late 1994 before moving to Saturday morning for its 1995-98 run. Anderson won two Daytime Emmy Awards for the role.

MEATLOAF (Marvin -legally changed to Michael - Lee Aday) Grammy Award winning Bat Out Of Hell singer and songwriter whose amazing career spanned 6 decades that saw him sell over 100 Million albums worldwide and feature in over 65 movies died Thursday, January 20, 2022, reportedly from Covid. He was 74.

He had heart surgery in 2003 after collapsing onstage at Wembley Arena in London.

His Facebook page stated: "Our hearts are broken to announce that the incomparable Meat Loaf passed away tonight with his wife Deborah by his side," the statement read. "Daughters Pearl and Amanda and close friends have been with him throughout the last 24 hours."

Meat Loaf's two biggest albums -- 1977's Bat Out of Hell and the 1993 follow-up Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell - produced numerous hit singles, including Paradise by the Dashboard Light; Two Out of Three Ain't Bad and I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That).
He won a Grammy in 1993 for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance for the song I'd Do Anything for Love.

He made his Broadway debut in More Than You Deserve co-written by his professional partner Jim Steinman who wrote Bat Out of Hell. Steinman died in April 2021 at age 73,

His early stage work included being cast in the original 1973 L.A. Roxy production of The Rocky Horror Show, playing the parts of Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott. He also played the dual roles in the original Broadway cast and he appeared in the musical Hair, both on-and off-Broadway.

Meat Loaf's final theatrical show in New York City was Gower Champion's Rockabye Hamlet, a Hamlet musical. It closed two weeks into its initial run.

Meatloaf did join the cast of the Bat Out of Hell musical penned by Steinman, on Tuesday evening, August 20, 2019 for You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) e for a curtain call performance.

Meatloaf is survived by his, Deborah, and his daughters Pearl and Amanda.

Next Column: January 30, 2022
Copyright: January 23, 2022 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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