Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 10, 2016
By: Laura Deni
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UNATTACHED REUNITES EMILY SKINNER & ALICE RIPLEY WHO DELIVER AN ENCHANTING CD

Emily Skinner & Alice Ripley- Unattached - Live at Feinstein's/54 Below is the latest live cabaret recording released by Broadway Records.

A captivating performance captured during shows at the elegant New York cabaret this past February, the talented singers are backed by musical director John Fischer on piano, Randy Landau on bass and drummer Shannon Ford.

Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley, who won a Tony award for Next to Norma, return to Feinstein's/54 Below performing their Unattached show for eight shows July 12, 13, 19-20, 22, 23 & 25. If you missed them the first time around, now is your chance to enjoy this remarkable pair.

See them in person also affords the opportunity to enjoy the conversational reminiscing segments, which are somewhat faint and perhaps difficult to understand on the CD, due to this being a live recording, in which it is obvious that the live audience enjoyed every moment of the evening.

What isn't faint is the singing - the glorious, dulcet to dramatic tones from this duo who first worked together nearly 20 years ago in Side Show, in which they were jointly nominated for a Tony Award for their role as conjoined twins, Daisy and Violet Hilton. The title Unattached of this elegant CD is a play on them no longer performing attached in the same dress - although they cleverly wear identical gowns in this cabaret performance, as can be seen in the accompanying booklet with photos by Nancy Opel.

What will keep you captivated and repeatedly playing the CD is their duet and solo singing backed by a trio of expert musicians.

Well thought out selections span a variety of emotions and permit both women to show off their vocal chops. Low bows to all of the musicians especially John Fischer's piano backing.

Material is gleaned from various Broadway shows. The singing portion of the CD begins with I Will Never Leave You from Side Show, a production which tethered two strong willed women, who learned how to work and sing alongside each other - as well as appreciate and respect their differences.

The first section goes back to their Side Show days with a Friendship Medley followed by a bouncy Best Friends/She Needs Me. Ripley offers a tear jerking delivery of Harry Nilsson's Life Line. Arrangements for all selections are perfect.

A balanced placement of material has Skinner following with I Don’t Need A Roof from Big Fish. Singularly or together these women know how to deliver, no matter whether the vocals are tender or powerful. A mesmerizing CD which will have you stop what you're doing to devote your entire attention to immersing yourself in the enjoyment of this CD. Their exquisite a capella rendering of You Belong To Me, a tribute to Skinner’s mom, is showstopping and sets the gold standard for vocal blending.

Ripley solos on the powerful and poignant As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard. Stunning and show stopping.

The clever Leave Me Alone from Side Show is a duet depicting the frustration of never being by oneself - with the cryptic comment of "No one even knows that song from Side Show." The audience howls in response.

Then Skinner changes the mood by delivering a (think Eartha Kitt) sexy, smoldering dramatic interpretation of When It Ends from The Wild Party.

The gals begin to close their set by returning to their professional relationship with a delightful “Friendship Medley” followed by the sassy and clever Bosom Buddies from Mame. The Reminder Song is upbeat with a reprise of Two Little Sisters ending the show.

But the CD. If you're in New York - get thee to Feinsteins/54 Below and enjoy Unattached in person.

Album mixed at Kontinous Jams Studios . Mastered by Greg Reierson, Rare Form Mastering.










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ART AND ABOUT

I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE: DECODING POLITICAL ADS

Daisy Girl was a controversial political advertisement aired on television during the 1964 United States presidential election by incumbent president Lyndon B. Johnson's campaign. Though only aired once (by the campaign), it is considered an important factor in Johnson's landslide victory over Barry Goldwater and an important turning point in political and advertising history. It was created by Art Director Sid Myers and Copywriter Stan Lee of Doyle Dane Bernbach with Tony Schwartz. It remains one of the most controversial political advertisements ever made. Image credit: LBJ Library by DNC

The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) is taking on the subject of political persuasion with a new exhibition that delves into how imagery, music, sound effects, camerawork and words are used to stir emotions and capture votes.

I Approve This Message: Decoding Political Ads is a free, immersive exhibition that opens July 14, just days before the Republican and Democratic national conventions.

The topic may not be unusual for a presidential election year, but this isn’t a typical art museum exhibition. Visitors will not see traditional works of art or political endorsements. Instead, TMA uses video, graphics and interactive media to give a nonpartisan, insider’s look at advertising. The exhibition organizers aim to show visitors how rational decision-making is often overridden by emotions.

“This exhibition is grounded in recent research into behavioral science and emotional response. We attempt to outline how political ads are consciously constructed to evoke specific emotions in viewers,” said Adam Levine, co-curator of the exhibition and assistant director of the Toledo Museum of Art. “Those creating ads know that emotional triggers override your rationality. And, we will show you how they do it time and again.”

The 7000-square-foot exhibition is divided into theaters displaying ads that focus on particular emotions, such as fear, anger, enthusiasm and hope. More than 50 ads will be projected. Frame-by-frame breakdowns of key ads will demonstrate how individual elements impact viewers. The ads start in 1952, when the first political TV commercial ran, and go up to 2012. In the Fear Theater, visitors will see ads such as the infamous Lyndon B. Johnson 1964 Daisy Girl, which begins gently with a little girl pulling petals from a flower and ends with nuclear annihilation. Commercials such as the Ronald Reagan ad many call It’s Morning in America will be among examples in the Enthusiasm Theater.

“Our goal is to increase visual literacy as it relates to advertising,” explained Brian Kennedy, director of the Toledo Museum of Art. Visual literacy is the ability to read, comprehend and write visual language - or the ability to identify, read and understand images and their sometimes covert or culturally influenced meanings. “This exhibition will look at all the tools used by political advertising to induce particular emotions.”

In the center of the exhibition, visitors will find a Mood Room, a space to take pause and “feel” how ambient images and sounds create emotion. Interactive, hands-on tools round out the experience, and visitors will be invited to create their own ads, among other activities.

“Since most ads have not aired since the original campaign, many have never seen them and will be amazed. Those who have seen them will now view the ads through different eyes. For more than 60 years with all the new technologies and research, political issues have remained remarkably similar - it is the messages to specific groups that have changed,” said guest co-curator Harriett Levin Balkind, founder of HonestAds, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to bring people into-the-know about political advertising. “You will never look at political advertising in quite the same way again.”

The free, nonpartisan exhibition is co-curated by TMA Associate Director Adam Levine and guest curator Harriett Levin Balkind, founder of HonestAds, who commissioned Thinc, an exhibition design firm.

PICASSO WORKS ON PAPER

Picasso Works On Paper through November 12, 2016

an extensive Picasso features a selection of works on paper from the Israel Museum’s collection of more than 800 prints and drawings by the artist, including a complete set of Picasso’s Vollard Suite and numerous prints from his Suite 347.

The exhibition traces the artist’s development, innovation, and endless experimentation, from the early 20th century through late works of the 1960s and 1970s.

Comprising hundreds of prints and drawings, complemented by selected paintings, it provides a unique opportunity to follow the constant reinterpretation of favorite motifs and the technical creativity of a master of 20th-century art.

Curated by Tanya Sirakovich.

On display through November 12, 2016 at The Israeli Museum in Jerusalem.

HOMELAND: PHOTOGRAPHS BY BARRY GOLDWATER

Navajo image by Barry Goldwater

Through much of his life, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater was an accomplished amateur photographer.

It was a hobby he took seriously and he managed, before his death, to leave behind more than 15,000 photographs - a legacy he called his “last will and testament to my love to the native state.”

This exhibition features approximately 30 of his most iconic images of Western landscapes and Native Americans.

Organized by the Huntsville Museum of Art.

On display July 10-September 25, 2016 at the Huntsville Museum of Art in Huntsville, Alabama.

SWEET CHARITY

OPERA UP CLOSE

Tenor Anthony Flaum. Photo: Twitter

is staging their first even garden party on Saturday, July 16, 2016 in one of the City of London's most secluded spots, Postman's Park, just a stone's throw from St Paul's Cathedral. The party is being held to raise funds for their next production, The Magic Flute, and the production's director Valentina Ceschi, and librettist Glyn Maxwell and other members of the cast and team will be there to talk about the production.

The afternoon's entertainment will include performances from tenor Anthony Flaum (Scottish Opera and English National Opera soloist), soprano Elinor Jane Moran (SONY BMG soloist, Garsington Opera Award) and pianist Paul McKenzie (Cadogan Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, St David's Hall, the Council of Europe and St Martin-in-the-Fields).

There will also be mother-watering food from hot off the streets from the company of nibs etc. Saturday's menu includes: savory strawberry gazpacho; pizza bases with roasted cauliflower, Parmesan rind pure?e, mushroom ragu and carrot top pesto; and beet pulp brownie with candied beet stems and whey caramel. The founder, Chloë Stewart will be at the party in person to indulge those hungry for more with recipes and ideas.

The dress code is Summer Smart and you may bring as many guests as you'd like - children are very welcome!. Monies raised will go towards the production of The Magic Flute.

FIRE ISLAND DANCE FESTIVAL produced by and benefiting Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS takes place July 15-17, 2016.

The 22nd annual Fire Island Dance Festival will once again present three eclectic performances outdoors against the picturesque backdrop of the Great South Bay in Fire Island Pines.

It will be hosted by Broadway and TV performer Tituss Burgess.

An acclaimed singer, songwriter and actor, Burgess currently stars in the hit comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as Titus Andromedon, a role for which he received an Emmy Award nomination in 2015.

Acclaimed choreographer Brian Brooks and ballet world legend Wendy Whelan will perform a duet. Brooks and Whelan join a diverse lineup of performers, including Ballet Contemporáneo de Camagüey Cuba’s first performance outside of Cuba, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Gallim Dance, KEIGWIN + COMPANY, Glenn Allen Sims and Linda Celeste Sims of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Madboots Dance and choreography by festival favorite Al Blackstone.

The Fire Island Dance Festival is a unique occasion where audiences and dancers come together to make a difference. Last year’s festival raised a record-breaking $544,555. Since its first installment in 1995, the event has raised more than $4.3 million, helping ensure that those in need throughout the New York area and in all 50 states receive lifesaving medications and health care, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance.

Dorrance Dance, an energetic tap company founded by MacArthur Fellow Michelle Dorrance, will headline the Friday night Leadership Event for Leadership Supporters.

SPREADING THE WORD

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT WITH THELMA RUBY King's Head Theatre in London, celebration of 46 years of this theatre, is thrilled to have coaxed legendary 91 year old West End star Thelma Ruby out of retirement to perform her one-woman musical revue. An autobiographical afternoon of songs, sketches and extracts from leading roles Thelma Ruby ­now aged 91 ­has played as Golde opposite Topol in Fiddler on the Roof, as Mistress Quickly to the Falstaff of Orson Welles in Chimes at Midnight and with Dame Judi Dench in Cabaret.

That’s Entertainment describes her varied and exciting life in the theatre including her experience in ENSA, repertory, pantomime, television, Shakespeare, revue and musicals.

Accompanied by the extremely talented and versatile pianist, musical director, singer and dancer Jonathan Williams.

The special event takes place July 24 and 31.

ELEVATION 506 the first American workshop reading takes place once on Monday, July 11, and twice on Wednesday, July 12. This is the the next project in The Drama League Artist Residency Program. Elevation 506 is directed by Directors Project Alum Ellie Heyman and written by Bulgarian playwright-in-residence Yasen Vasilev. The Drama League Artist Residency Program, made possible in part by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust and Art Office Sofia, gives theater directors and their collaborators unique, supportive opportunities to develop new plays and musicals.

Elevation 506 is inspired by the murder of Bulgaria's first expressionist poet, whose poem triggered an uprising, only to be killed by the Fascists. Court transcripts, love letters, and playwright Yasen Vasilev's own battles with self-censorship collide to shake free the unadulterated voice of politically subversive expression.

Featuring: Chris Bannow, Emily Davis, and Catalin Stelian-Shanks. Assistant Directed by Charles Quittner and Dramaturgy by Jeremy Stoller,

The Drama League in New York City.

IN THE KNOW: HOW THE GHOSTS OF WORLD WAR I CAME BACK TO HAUNT THE LORD OF THE RINGS Exactly 100 years after J.R.R. Tolkien fought in the Battle of the Somme, Award-winning author John Garth visits the World War I Museum in Kansas City, on Saturday, July 16 for this free presentation. The program offers an in-depth look at how Tolkien’s experiences in World War I shaped the trilogy. Garth, author of the biography Tolkien and the Great War and Fellow in Humanistic Studies at the Black Mountain Institute, reveals how the return of suppressed memories of the battle, and of friends lost there, influenced the Lord of the Rings.

The Museum continues its Talking Tolkien series on Friday, July 29 with a free program from Museum Archivist and Edward Jones Research Center Manager Jonathan Casey examining the influence of WWI on Tolkien’s writings to be followed by a presentation of the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

The centenary of the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in human history with more than 1 million casualties, was commemorated around the world on July 1.

HALIFAX JAZZ FESTIVAL is a five day event taking place July 13-17, 2016 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Halifax Jazz Festival is about people working together to deliver a music festival which celebrates artists and their creativity as well as community. Mutual respect and cooperation are the cornerstones of this organization. Every participant including artists, volunteers, staff, sponsors and festival attendees is entitled to be free from discrimination and harassment, both at the festival mainstage and at all festival venues, on the basis of age, sex, color, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, marital status, criminal record, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, language, class or political belief.

HOME COUNTY MUSIC AND ART FESTIVAL presents its 43rd edition of the annual celebration on July 15 – 17, 2016 in beautiful Victoria Park. located in London, Ontario, Canada.

Hear some of Canada’s finest songwriters sharing the stories behind their songs on three afternoon workshop stages, and sit back and enjoy the evening main-stage concerts at the Kiwanis Memorial Bandshell.

This ‘admission by donation’ event features 25 of Canada’s best roots, traditional and indie folk/pop acts.

Home County is renowned for its juried craft show. Craft booths showcase Canadian artisans and include pottery, glass, jewelry, fine art, textiles, metal, wood, photography, and gourmet foods. Come and observe several Canadian artisans demonstrating their craft in our craft demonstration area. The festival also features 30 food vendors from a variety of cuisines

MEASURE FOR MEASURE with Elevator Repair Service and Artistic Director John Collins in a reading and conversation, takes place Thursday, July 14, at 92Y in New York City.

The innovative theater ensemble Elevator Repair Service offers an early look at its new project with a short excerpt from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure followed by a conversation with the company and artistic director John Collins. Theater critic Tom Sellar moderates. ERS is currently in early stages of work on the piece, co-produced by The Public Theater where it will premiere in an upcoming season.

YIDDISH THEATER's LEGACY IN AMERICAN PERFORMANCE The historical influence of Yiddish performance on American popular culture can still be felt to this day. Attend to experience a discussion about how being Jewish leads to "performing Jewish," and how performers today still connect to traditions forged on the Lower East Side over a century ago.

Panelists taking part in the discussion include: Tovah Feldshuh, actress, singer, and playwright. Jackie Hoffman, actress in Kissing Jessica Stein and Once Upon a Mattress. Adam Kantor, actor currently in Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof, and Michelle Slonim, stand-up comedian; star of Date Me! The moderator will be David Chack Professor at The Theatre School at DePaul University and President of the Association for Jewish Theatre.

Monday, July 18, at the Museum of the City of New York in New York City.

CLINT EASTWOOD will serve as Grand Marshall of Carmel, California's Centennial Parade.

The announcement indicated that the 86-year old, four- time Academy Award winner will ride shotgun on top of the Wells Fargo stagecoach during the October 29 parade, honoring the city's 100 years.

Eastwood served as the town’s mayor from 1986-88. He ran on the slogan “Bringing the Community Together” and amassed 72.5 percent of the vote.

The centennial celebration will encompass an annual winemakers' celebration and sandcastle competition. Residents are encouraged to dress as costumed residents of a hundred years ago. There will also be dancers, musicians, vintage cars and floats. The Wells Fargo stagecoach which will carry Eastwood will be making its first appearance in a Carmel parade in more than 20 years.

IN THIS TIME OF HEARTBREAKING UNREST one might look at what the Seattle Police Department has been doing since 2004. That's when the Seattle Police Foundation started building relationships between police, residents and local businesses through Picnics in the Precincts. The events provide opportunities for each precinct’s surrounding neighborhoods to come together and enjoy an afternoon of celebration with the officers that protect their families and businesses. Businesses financially support the event through donations and community groups assist in the planning and execution of each picnic.

The first Picnic at the Precinct was held in September 2004 at the East Precinct. Since then, the Picnic in the Precinct program has grown to include all five precincts. Thousands of Seattle residents enjoy food, music, and an opportunity to learn about and interact with many of the SPD’s specialty units like: K-9, Mounted Patrol, Bomb Squad, and SWAT.

A North Precinct Picnic took place yesterday, July 9, while an East Precinct Picnic will be held on Saturday, July 16.

JULY 12 is National Pecan Pie Day and July 13 is National French Fries Day.






TECTONIC THEATER PROJECT has announced that their Director of Development and Communications us Matt Joslyn, who comes to Tectonic from Charlottesville, Virginia, where for the past six and a half years he served as the Executive Director of Live Arts, Charlottesville's producing theater company. Prior to Live Arts, Matt served as Executive Director of the Renaissance Performing Arts Association and Mansfield Symphony in Ohio. Previously he's held positions at The State Theater of Ithaca, COSI Columbus, and Columbus Children's Theatre. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Matt received his MFA in Acting from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Play House. He also holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University. Matt is thrilled to relocate to New York with his Scottish husband Moray and their two dogs, Ethan Allen Hawley and Atticus Finch.

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW celebrated its 100th performance July 9 at Theatre Row in New York City. The 100th Show was followed by reception fit for a Very Hungry Caterpillar, although no leaves were served.

The show has played over 250 performances worldwide to date and recently announced its UK tour will begin this September.

Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show features a menagerie of 75 enchanting puppets during a magical 60-minute show that faithfully adapts four of Eric Carle's beloved books for the stage: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, The Very Lonely Firefly and, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

The New york cast includes Jake Bazel, Ariel Lauryn, Mindy Leanse, Weston Long, and Kayla Prestel. The Creative team includes Jonathan Rockefeller (Director), Nate Edmondson (Original Music), The Puppet Kitchen (Puppets), CESA Entertainment (General Management).

RANDALL CUNNINGHAM former UNLV and NFL quarterback is exercising bragging rights as a proud father. His 18-year-old daughter Vashti has qualified for the Olympics. The Cunningham gang lives in Las Vegas and will all travel to Rio to cheer her on.

1988, Dad Cunningham became the youngest quarterback since the merger to rush for at least 500 yards in three different seasons, but says his daughter's accomplishments far outrank his.

Vashti became the youngest athlete since 1980 to make the United States track and field team. She qualified on the 4th of July. No surprise - she is coached by her father.

MIKI SUDO of Las Vegas has retained her crowd as 2016 Women's Hot Dog eating champion in 4th of July Nathan's hot Dog Eating contest. The petite lady ate 38 1/2 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes to hold onto the coveted title. Sudo has won the contest last two years.



GROUNDHOG DAY book by Danny Rubin, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, based on the 1993 film.

Directed Matthew Warchus,

Choreographed by Peter Darling.

Starring Andy Karr.

The story of Phil Connors (Andy Karl), a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman who is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in the isolated small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, when he finds himself caught in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day again and again…and again. As each day plays out exactly the same as before Phil becomes increasingly despondent, but is there a lesson to be learnt through his experiences, will he ever unlock the secret and break the cycle?

Set design by Rob Howell.

Groundhog Day will play a strictly limited 10-week season from Monday July 11 – Saturday, September 17, 2016 at The Old Vic in London.

FIORELLO! book by Jerome Weidman and George Abbott. Infectious music by Jerry Bock. Pithy and poignant lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.

Original production presented by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince.

Directed by Bob Moss.

Choreography by Michael Callahan.

Music direction by Evan Zavada.

In this election year what could be better than a staging of Fiorello! What is a progressive politic? Look no further than Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning Fiorello! A big-hearted look at Mayor La Guardia and his battle for the people of New York City. With music and lyrics by Tony Award-winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler On The Roof, She Loves Me) and book by Tony Award and Drama Desk-Winner George Abbott (The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees) and Jerome Weidman (Tenderloin), this production is directed by Playwrights Horizons founder, Bob Moss (BTG: A Class Act). Tammany Hall is in dire need of an honest leader, and Fiorello La Guardia is just the man for the job. Battling against the corrupt, political puppets of New York City, Fiorello vows to clean up the Big Apple. A man of the people, Fiorello must use his wit and charm to fight for the right of the citizens. Based on the real-life rise to power of Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, Fiorello! is one of only eight musicals to have been awarded the esteemed Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Featuring Austin Lombardi as Fiorello, Rebecca Brudner as Thea, Katie Birenboim as Marie, Chelsea Groen as Dora, Rylan Morsbach as Ben, Matt McLean as Morris, Dan Cassin as Floyd, Michael Sullivan as Neil - with Julius Reese and Michael Brahce.

Presented by the Berkshire Theatre Group at The Unicorn Theatre, Stockbridge, MA on the The Larry Vaber Stage through Saturday, July 23, 2016.

Due to the success of this mounting, Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire announced that “due to critical acclaim and record breaking attendance,” the musical will transfer to the East 13th Street Theater for a limited run September 2-October 6. The transfer off-Broadway marks a first for the BTG. The New York cast has yet to be announced.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film. Music by Alan Menken with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.

This brand-new musical production is an epic and emotionally charged retelling of the famous Victor Hugo love story of the beautiful gypsy girl Esmeralda, the scorned bell-ringer Quasimodo and the dashing Captain Phoebus, set in 15th century Paris.

Menken and Schwartz have joined forces to adapt this time-honored story for the musical stage promising that "the music's orchestral power and choral beauty, along with bold and dramatic theatrics create a powerful rendition of this timeless tale."

Performances July 13 - August 6 at The Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, ME.

THE CHINESE ROOM a World Premiere by Irish playwright Michael West.

Directed by Obie Award winner James McDonald.

A sci-fi comedy thriller starring Golden Globe and Tony Award nominee Michael Stuhlbarg.

A visionary in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Frank (Stuhlbarg) has built a humandroid to preserve his wife's memory - because she is losing hers. But when he is ousted from the company he founded, he must race to save his life's work. As Frank scrambles to protect his property, his legacy and the technology he invented, the play examines how far we will go to preserve what we love.

Performances are July 13-24 on the Nikos Stage at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, MA.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN with a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan and music and lyrics by Brooks.

Directed by Marcia Milfrom Dodge.

Choreography by Josh Rhodes.

Charles Alterman is the music Director.

Starring Josh Grisetti (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Stephanie Gibson (Inga), Steven Rosen (Igor), Vicki Lewis (Frau Blucher) and Jen Cody (Elizabeth).

Enter the wacky world of Mel Brooks. The gang’s all here: Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, Igor and the horse-frightening Frau Blücher - together again in scenic Transylvania to reanimate a monster. Only the deranged mind of Mel Brooks could have inspired such lunacy. As Mel’s 1974 movie comedy classic comes to bawdy, musical life onstage, you too will feel like Puttin’ on the Ritz as you revel in a madcap evening of mad scientists, yodeling lab assistants.

A Muny Premiere July 13 - 19 at America's oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre. St. Louis, MO.

AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' THE FATS WALLER MUSICAL SHOW Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. & Murray Horwitz.

Directed by Yvette Freeman.

Starring Yvonne Brown, Cynthia Thomas, Ron Christopher Jones, Anise Ritchie and Tony Perry.

A roof-raising musical tribute to the black musicians of the ‘20s and ‘30s. Based on the signature Fats Waller song, this rousing musical revue takes audiences back to the glory days of the Harlem Renaissance when the Cotton Club and Savoy Ballroom served as playgrounds for high society. Five performers take you on a journey, presenting an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous songs.

Cindy Rumley is the Stage Manager. Choreographer Julia Lema and Lanny Hartley is the Musical Director/Piano. Musicians: Danny King (Drums), Greg MCKinney (Bass), Julian Davis (Trumpet) and Malcolm Jones (Reeds - Tenor Sax and Clarinet).

Marty Burnett (Resident Scenic Designer), Matthew Novotny (Light Design), Melanie Chen (Sound Design), Anastasia Paulova (Costume Design), Andrea Gutierrez (Prop Design), Peter Herman (Hair & Wig Design).

Previews begin Wednesday, July 13. Opening Night on Saturday, July 16, includes a post-show reception. There will be a special talkback on Friday, July 22, with the cast and artistic director. Performances through August 7, 2016 at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, CA.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice,

Directed by Lyric Artistic Director Brandt Blocker.

The first full-length musical by the legendary theatrical team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice is a lovely, comic, and colorful journey through the Biblical story of young Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers after his father favored him with a gorgeous colored cloak. His gift of prophecy saves him from an uncertain fate and helps him to rescue Egypt from famine. Animated with a high-energy mix of music and dancing from 50's rock to calypso to country, this show is hailed for its family-friendly storyline, universal themes, and catchy music.

Atlanta area native and international stage veteran Stanley Allyn Owen stars in the title role with Galen Crawley as The Narrator, Broadway star and Georgia native Glenn Rainey as Potiphar, and Shane Delancey as Pharaoh.

The cast also features J. Koby Parker (Rueben), Cansler McGehee, (Napthali), Beau Harmon (Asher), CJ Babb (Gad), Chase Davidson (Simeon), Quentin Brown (Judah), Nick Eibler (Zebulon), Austin Tijerina (Dan), Austin Tijerina (Issachar), and Matt Alea (Benjamin).

The female ensemble includes Bonnie Harris, Becca Potter, Becky Simmons, Jenna Jackson, Alexis Bruza, Natalie Rhea Goodwin, and Remington Bogdanovich.

Joseph also features a chorus of local children including Chris Arrendondo, Avri Bartolozzi, Jada Bartolozzi, Autumn Bristow, Christian Conte, Kaia Davis, Allison Gann, Abby Goldberg, Arjaye Johnson, Evan Jones, Neve Juday, Hayden Kerzie, Joseph Masson, MC Owens, Olivia Owens, Martin Sholl, Mabel Tyler, Katie Van de Water, Kiersten Wallace, Elizabeth Windley, and Olivia Windley.

The creative team includes Cindy Mora Reiser (Choreographer), Bill Newberry (Musical Director), Lee Shiver (Scenic Designer), Amanda Egerton West (Costume Designer), Michael Wolmer (Lighting Designer), Cassie Garner (Scenic Artist), and George Deavours (Wig Designer).

Presented by the Atlanta Lyric Theatre which is celebrating 37 years as the Atlanta area’s only local professional musical theatre company. Performances at the Cobb Energy Centre from July 15-17, 2016.

OSLO a new play by J.T. Rogers.

Directed by Bartlett Sher.

Featuring Michael Aronov, Anthony Azizi, Adam Dannheisser, Jennifer Ehle, Daniel Jenkins, Dariush Kashani, Jeb Kreager, Jefferson Mays, Christopher McHale, Daniel Oreskes, Angela Pierce, Henny Russell, Joseph Siravo, and T. Ryder Smith.

It’s 1993. The world watches the impossible: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat, standing together in the White House Rose Garden, signing the first ever peace agreement between Israel and the PLO. How were the negotiations kept secret? Why were they held in a castle in the middle of Norway? And who are these mysterious negotiators?

A darkly comic epic, Oslo tells the true, but until now, untold story of how one young couple, Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul (played by Jennifer Ehle) and her husband social scientist Terje Rød-Larsen (played by Jefferson Mays), planned and orchestrated top-secret, high-level meetings between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which culminated in the signing of the historic 1993 Oslo Accords. Featuring dozens of characters and set in locations across the globe, Oslo is called both a political thriller and the personal story of a small band of women and men struggling together - and fighting each other - as they seek to change the world.

Sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, and sound by Peter John Still.

Oslo opens on Monday, July 11 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in New York City.

BABY DOLL the West Coast premiere of the Pierre Laville/Emily Mann adaptation.

Directed by Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Lifetime Achievement in Directing Award recipient Simon Levy.

The Story: Mississippi Delta, early 1950s, where the accents are thick, the summers are hot, but the livin’ isn’t so easy. Archie Lee has been married to a seductive young woman/child, called only by the endearment of Baby Doll, for some time, but by agreement with the girl’s now-dead father, the marriage can only be consummated on her 20th birthday, now just days away. The manager of a successful plantation nearby, handsome Silva Vacarro swaggers in, suspecting that Archie Lee is the arsonist who destroyed his cotton gin the night before. Once Silva sets his eyes on Baby Doll, things get steamy and complicated.

Starring Daniel Bess, Karen Kondazian, Lindsay LaVanchy, John Prosky, and George Roland.

Set design for Baby Doll is by Jeffrey McLaughlin; lighting design is by Ken Booth; sound design is by Peter Bayne; costume design is by Terri A. Lewis; props and set dressing are by Terri Roberts; fight director is Mike Mahaffey; dialect coach is Tyler Seiple; production stage manager is Emily Lehrer; assistant stage manager is Miranda Stewart.

Opening July 16 at East Hollywood’s Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles.

WHO'S WHERE

FREDDIE ROMAN master entertainer. As the creator, packager, and star of the groundbreaking Catskills on Broadway, he brought the mountains to Broadway. The show offered a nostalgic and laugh-packed salute to the upstate New York region whose hotels spawned scores of America’s foremost performers, writers, and directors. His personable style and “everyman’s” outlook at the world around him has won him both fans and friends around the world. Opening for Roman is Cory Kahaney, voted best female comedian by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets. They'll be garnering laughs Sunday, July 17 at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND begin a split two nighter Monday, July 11, at the Accor Hotels Arena in Paris. They return for the second show on Wednesday. Saturday's stop is at the Circus Maximus in Rome, Italy.

RIHANNA appears Wednesday, July 13, at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Italy. Friday's gig is at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, France. Next Sunday, July 17, she is on stage at the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany.

ALABAMA SHAKES performs Friday, July 15, in Memphis, Tenn. at the Mud Island Amphitheatre. On Saturday they are in Louisville, Ky. for a gig at the , Louisville Waterfront Park as part of the Forecastle Festival.

ELTON JOHN and the band will touch down at the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii for a show July 12, 2016 at the Anfiteatro di Pompei. This will be Elton's first ever concert at the archaeological site and it promises to be a very special event.

HANDEL'S HEROINES This program explores not only the extraordinary characters created by Handel for the stage - including Alcina, Rodelinda and Cleopatra, but also the vocal abilities of three of the virtuosic women who sang the roles - the sopranos Francesca Cuzzoni, Anna Maria Strada and Elisabeth Duparc. Performed by soprano Emily Owen who is recently completed a Masters in Historical Performance at the Guildhall School, studying with Marie Vassiliou and Mhairi Lawson. Performance takes place Saturday, July 16, 2016 at Handel and Hendrix Museum in London.

THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC lead by music director Gustavo Dudamel in a program pairing Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with Chinese pianist Lang Lang as soloist in the concerto which takes place July 12 at the Hollywood Bowl, CA. On July 14 and 19 Dudamel will lead Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. The concert performances will boast a cast of 12 soloists and the Los Angeles Master Chorale joining with Dudamel and the LAPO. Solea Pfeiffer, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan, will portray Maria and Jeremy Jordan, a Tony and Grammy-nominated actor and singer, will sing the role of Tony.

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET on their 25th anniversary tour posts a busy week. Tonight Glen Phillips on lead vocals and guitar, Dean Dinning on bass and vocals, Todd Nichols on lead guitar and vocals, and Randy Guss on the drums perform at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, AR. Monday finds them in Las Vegas at the Brooklyn Bowl. Wednesday's show is at the Pepsi Amphitheater in Flagstaff, AZ. Thursday's gig is at the Amphitheatre in Sandy, UT. On Friday they'll be at the Mishawaka Amphitheater in Bellvue, CO. Saturday's show is at the Ogden Theatre in Denver.

FINAL OVATION

JOHN McMARTIN five time Tony nominated actor died from cancer on July 6, 2016. He was 86.

He made his off-Broadway debut in Little Mary Sunshine in 1959, opposite Eileen Brennan and Elmarie Wendel. He won a Theatre World Award for his role as Corporal Billy Jester. In 1960 he married one of the show's producers, Cynthia Baer, who bore him two daughters. They divorced in 1971.

His first Broadway appearance was as Forrest Noble in The Conquering Hero in 1961, which was followed by Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole. He gained widespread fame when he created the role of Oscar in Sweet Charity in 1966, opposite Gwen Verdon, garnering a Tony nomination, and played the role again in the 1969 film opposite Shirley MacLaine.

He later starred in the original Broadway production of Sondheim's Follies opposite Alexis Smith in 1971 as Benjamin Stone, introducing the ballad The Road You Didn't Take. The McMartin/Sondheim collaboration continued, appearing in A Little Night Music as Frederick at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, in 1991. He appeared in the Broadway revival of Into the Woods in 2002, in the dual role of the Narrator/Mysterious Man.

Other Broadway roles include the Narrator in Happy New Year, Ben in A Little Family Business, Donner in Tom Stoppard's Artist Descending a Staircase, Cap'n Andy in Kern and Hammerstein's Show Boat (1994), and Uncle Willie in Cole Porter's High Society (1998).

McMartin was a leading member of the New Phoenix Repertory Company during their three Broadway seasons in the early 1970s, appearing onstage in, among other productions, Eugene O'Neill's The Great God Brown (opposite Katherine Helmond), Molière's Dom Juan, and Luigi Pirandello's The Rules of the Game. He played "Anton Schell" opposite Chita Rivera in Kander and Ebb's musical The Visit at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He created the roles of "J.V. 'Major' Bouvier" and Norman Vincent Peale in Grey Gardens, opposite Mary Louise Wilson and Christine Ebersole. He played Thomas Jefferson in the original cast of John Guare's A Free Man of Color at Lincoln Center (2010–2011), and next played "Elisha Whitney" in the 2011 Broadway revival of Anything Goes, opposite Jessica Walter.

He is survived by his long-time partner, actress Charlotte Moore, the artistic director of the Irish Repertory Theatre, his two daughters, Susan and Kathleen; a brother, James; a sister, Mary Schultz; and three grandchildren.

Next Column: July 17, 2016
Copyright: July 10, 2016 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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