Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 11, 2010
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

OUTRAGEOUSLY REMEMBERING ERNEST HEMINGWAY - BULLS AND BEARDS

David Douglas, center, beams after winning the 2009 "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest. Douglas, a 55-year-old Cypress, Texas mechanical contractor, won after eight tries, is surrounded by previous Hemingway look-alike winners. Photo: Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO

Calling all stocky white-bearded men - your day in the sun has arrived.

Ernest Hemingway rivals Elvis Presley. Granted Old Swivel Hips has over 64,000 impersonators, but during the 30th annual Hemingway Days July 20-25 in Key West, Florida - Ernest Hemingway is the one everyone wants to become.

Whether composing novels in his Whitehead Street writing studio or fishing for big game in local waters, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway left a powerful legacy in Key West. His zest for life, literary accomplishments and enduring affection for the island he called home throughout the 1930s are commemorated during the annual Hemingway Days celebration.

Scheduled events include a look-alike contest for stocky white-bearded men resembling Hemingway, readings and book signings by nationally acclaimed authors, an awards ceremony for the renowned literary competition directed by author and Hemingway granddaughter Lorian Hemingway, a commemoration of the 110th anniversary of Ernest's July 21 birth, a one-man play exploring the literary legend's life and motivations, a museum exhibit of rare Hemingway memorabilia, a three-day marlin tournament recalling Hemingway's devotion to the deep-sea sport - and of course, a zany Running of the Bulls.

During his 1930's Key West residence, Hemingway wrote some of his most enduring works.

Ernest Hemingway look-alikes mount fake bulls and begin the 2009 annual Running of the Bulls, a whimsical and much safer answer to the event of the same name in Pamplona, Spain, Photo: Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO

The "Papa" Hemingway Look-Alike Contest is held at Sloppy Joe's Bar, with the rounds set for July 22 and 23, with finalists facing off Saturday, July 24.

Past entrants have come from as far away as Australia and Kazakhstan to compete in the quirky contest, dressing in safari togs, wool fisherman’s turtlenecks and other garb associated with the Pulitzer and Nobel winner’s “Papa” persona. Some are longtime repeat contenders, and all must prove their resemblance to a judging panel of past contest winners.

Judges are to include 2009 winner David Douglas, a mechanical contractor from Cypress, Texas, who triumphed over 145 other candidates while dressed in a wool fisherman’s turtleneck sweater despite 90-degree heat. His attire emulated Ernest Hemingway’s appearance in a famous 1957 photograph by Yousuf Karsh.

Sloppy Joe's also spotlights the bearded brotherhood in the annual "Running of the Bulls," a quirky take-off on Pamplona's famous run, outside the bar Saturday, July 24.

Before the bull bash, at noon look-alikes will be on hand for Photos with Papa. Afterwards, they plan to serve a birthday cake in a slightly belated celebration of Ernest's July 21 birthday.

Acclaimed author and short story contest director Lorian Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter, is shown here with the bronze Hemingway sculpture unveiled at the Key West Museum of Art & History. Photo: Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO

The festival's foremost literary event is the announcement of the winners of the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition, which awards $2,000 annually to emerging fiction writers.

Author Lorian Hemingway, whose books include the critically acclaimed memoir Walk on Water, is to introduce the first-place story at a reception Friday, July 23. The awards gala traditionally takes place at Casa Antigua, where Ernest Hemingway stayed in 1928 during his first visit to Key West.

Theater fans can get new insights into Ernest during Hemingway on Stage, a one-man play by actor and playwright Brian Gordon Sinclair. Based on his extensive research into Hemingway's life, Sinclair's performances are July 22-23, at the Red Barn Theatre.

The festival's other literary highlights include Voices, Places, Inspirations, writers' readings and presentations scheduled Wednesday, July 21, at Wyland Galleries.

Anglers can emulate "Papa's" devotion to deep-sea fishing during the Key West Marlin Tournament, set for Wednesday through Saturday, July 21-24. Participating anglers can pursue marlin, tuna, dolphin fish and wahoo - hopefully no tar balls - while competing for $50,000 in guaranteed cash prizes.

Among the social events for tournament registrants are an island-style pig roast, dockside fish fry and awards banquet.

Other festival fun includes Saturday's Hemingway Days Caribbean Street Fair and Saturday night's 5k sunset run through Old Town Key West.

Sunday's schedule features a sidewalk art show outside the legendary Green Parrot Bar and Sloppy Joe's Arm Wrestling Contest, an annual favorite.

Attendees also can view an exhibition of rare Hemingway memorabilia at the Key West Museum of Art & History, and tour "Papa's" former Key West home, now the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum.



Broadway To Vegas is supported through advertising and donations. Priority consideration is given to interview suggestions, news, press releases, etc from paid supporters. However, no paid supporters control, alter, edit, or in any way manipulate the content of this site. Your donation is appreciated. We accept PAYPAL.

Thank you for your interest.

ART AND ABOUT

LEGENDS OF ST. LOUIS BLUES MUSIC

Bennie Smith, 2006, inkjet print, 17 x 17 inches. Photograph by Jennifer Silverberg. Photographed for the article Going Down Slow in the Riverfront Times published on April 26, 2006.

With photographs by Charley Taylor, Jennifer Silverberg and others, illustrations by Kevin Belford, ephemera and biographies on key musicians, this exhibition tells the story of the rich history of blues music in St. Louis.

Building on its key role in ragtime music, St. Louis became a gathering place for early blues piano players such as Speckled Red, Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw, and "Barrelhouse Buck" McFarland. Blues guitarists also made St. Louis their home - including "Blind Blues" Darby, Lonnie Johnson, Clifford Gibson, J.D. "Jelly Jaw" Short, Big Joe Williams and Henry Townsend. There were outstanding women singers Mary Johnson, Edith Johnson, Alice Moore, Irene Scruggs and Victoria Spivey, as well as big name recording stars like Walter Davis and the twins Aaron "Pinetop" Sparks and Milton "Lindberg" Sparks. W.C. Handy's famous St. Louis Blues, the many versions of Frankie and Johnny, the Staggerlee story and many other songs are landmarks from the St. Louis blues tradition.

The exhibition uncovers important St. Louis musicians, songs and blues music styles that have influenced our musical heritage, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, and a continually evolving blues tradition. The St. Louis blues tradition has shaped the music of artists from Clark Terry, Miles Davis and Ike and Tina Turner to Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry and Nelly.

The exhibition is based on research by Kevin Belford and is organized by The Sheldon Art Galleries. Continues through August 28, 2010 at The Shelton in Saint Louis, MO.

CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL 2010 STAGES US PREMIERES FROM ISRAEL, IRELAND, CANADA AND CHINA

Stage and television actor Linda Purl served as the Founding Executive Director of the Colorado Festival of World Theatre and Festival Director of the Rubicon International Theatre Festival 2008. Currently she is the CIT Festival’s director. “Born of a passion to stimulate cross cultural communication, like minds of theatre professionals, artists, business professionals, civic leaders and entrepreneurs have come together to create an annual event now in its third season, that builds bridges of understanding between ourselves and all nations of an increasingly inter-connected planet - The California International Theatre Festival,” Purl said in a prepared statement.

"Our mission is to produce an annual theatre festival in California, offering a distinguished array of international presentations and committed to broadening cultural understanding by means of community outreach, student training and cultural exchange through the performing arts.”

M. Edgar Rosenblum

California International Theatre Festival 2010 Season takes place July 17 – 25 in Calabasas, California. This year's festival is in honor of M. Edgar Rosenblum who died last April. Rosenblum, an arts executive, is credited with steering the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, CT to prominence, developing work that traveled to Broadway and elsewhere winning Pulitzer Prizes and Tony awards. At his death he was executive director of the California International Theater Festival,

Sponsored by the City of Calabasas this year's CIT Festival will stage US premieres from Israel, Ireland, Canada and China.

ISRAEL – US Premiere, Orto-Da Theatre Group production of Stones (Avanim) created and directed by Yinon Tzafrir. July 17-18

IRELAND – Gare St. Lazare Players production of The End by Samuel Becket, performed by Conor Lovett, directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett, July 20-21.

CANADA – US Premiere, Theatre Newfoundland Labrador production of Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe, July 23-24.

USA - Cabaret: Catch the Light, starring Michele Lee. The Musical Director is Ron Abel. July 24.

Outreach Events include:

China – West Coast Premiere, Essence of China, Beijing Opera De-Mystified, A Ghaffar Pourazar Demonstration, Sunday July 18.
UK – West Coast Premiere, Working With Pinter, a documentary film, directed by Harry Burton, July 19.

Across the Border, a Festival Wrap Party, takes place Sunday July 25 with Santa Maria Style BBQ, and the music of Conjuto Hueypan.

BBC PROMS

Bryn Terfel

Billed as "The world's greatest classical music festival" returns with an outstanding program of 76 concerts and 13 chamber music recitals.

Friday, July 16 - Saturday, September 11.

The event kicks off with a sold out performance launching their 150th-anniversary celebrations of Mahler's birth. His Symphony of a Thousand begins a weekend-long flourish of three towering works combining voices and orchestra.

The first week of the festival include Wagner The Mastersingers of Nuremberg with Bryn Terfel singing the role of Hans Sachs on Saturday, July 17. On July 18 Plácido Domingo returns to the Proms with his much-anticipated first role as a baritone in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. The cast also includes Marina Poplavskaya, Joseph Calleja, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Jonathan Summers, and Lukas Jakobski. Backed by the Royal Opera Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with Antonio Pappano conducting.

Also on tap the first week are Macedonian pianist Simon Trpeski playing Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2. Viviane Hagner playing Mendelssohn's popular Violin Concerto, and The BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chief Conductor Jií Blohlávek reviving the time-honored tradition of Beethoven Nights at the Proms.

This Late Night Prom will also celebrate the artistry of Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires. Wartime music dominates the season's first visit by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, under its Principal Conductor since 2006, Thierry Fischer. And, at the center of the BBC Philharmonic's first appearance this season is the early piano concerto by Scriabin, with much-admired Argentinian soloist Nelson Goerner.

SWEET CHARITY

BONE MARROW DRIVES

Shannon Tavarez

for Shannon Tavarez the 11-year-old who was appearing in The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre in NYC as Young Nala when she was diagnosed with acute leukemia in April are being orchestrated by The Lion King, Disney Theatrical Productions and DKMS.

A bone marrow compatibility test is nothing more than a cheek swab.

The bone marrow compatibility test dates are July 18 the Encore Senior Center in St. Malachy's - commonly known as The Actors' Chapel - and on July 23 at the Minskoff Theatre. The cast and crew of The Lion King will appear at the Minskoff blood drive.

"Registering to become a bone marrow donor starts with a simple cheek swab; it is a commitment to help save a life," according to organizers. "Donors must be between 18 and 55 and in good general health and meet the eligibility requirements. Upon completion of a simple registration form, prospective donors will receive a swab (with a cotton-tip) of the inside the cheek to collect cheek cells which identify HLA tissue-type. If prospective donors are found to be a match, a DKMS representative will contact them to answer an extended health questionnaire. At that point, a scheduled blood test and physical examination will ultimately determine if those candidates are in fact, the best suitable donors. When prospective donors register with DKMS, they will also be listed on the Be the Match Registry and to be a possible donor match for any patient in need of a bone marrow transplant."

"The laboratory cost incurred by DKMS for registering a new potential donor is $65. Payment of lab fees is not mandatory, but as a non-profit organization, DKMS depends on public donations and contributions to underwrite the fees."

NOTEShannon lost her battle with leukemia. She died Monday, November 1, 2010 at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, on Long Island, NY.

THE JOAN SUTHERLAND SOCIETY in the distinguished presence of Her Excellency Prof. Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales, presents a Gala Tribute to Maestro Richard Bonynge in celebration and recognition of his 80th Birthday and outstanding contribution to the world of opera. This special fund-raising concert will be staged in the beautiful City Recital Hall at Angel Place in Sydney, Australia.

Leading Operatic Stars will share the stage with recent JSS Award Winners and Grant recipients performing the repertoire for which Maestro Bonynge is worldly renowned.

Accompanied by Australia's leading pianist Sharolyn Kimmorley AM and hosted by Moffatt Oxenbould AM, this night-to-remember will be a chance for the artists and public to say Thank you in the presence of Maestro Richard Bonynge AO, CBE.

Starring: Aivale Cole, Amelia Farrugia, Lorina Gore, Rosamund Illing, Emma Matthews, Catherine Carby, Bernadette Cullen, Fiona Janes, Dominica Matthews, Henry Choo, David Corcoran, Aldo Di Toro, Jose Carbo, Teddy Tahu-Rhodes, Daniel Sumegi and introducing Angela Brun, Phoebe Humphreys, Emma Moore, Sam Roberts-Smith, James Roser.

City Recital Hall Angel Place on Sunday July 18.

ROCK THE DOCK

Mario Cantone

for Bay Street Theatre at the 18th annual Summer Gala Benefit Bash on Saturday, July 17th, taking place on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor, NY.

Mario Cantone will bring his comedic talent as Host to this star-studded event which will include cocktails, catered dining, dancing and auction Music and entertainment will be provided by celebrity DJ Tom Finn. The evening will also include a special performance by Escola de Samba BOOM which brings a Brazilian flair to the evening with its lively and rhythmical ‘Samba’ dancing and music. Funnyman, Richard Kind will serve as Guest Auctioneer.

This year, guests will also have the opportunity to partake in a special Tiffany & Co. Mystery Blue Box Moment. This special event, which only happens once a year in the Hamptons, is sure to please anyone that loves Tiffany. Only 125 Tiffany Blue boxes, each with a gift, will be sold. One lucky guest will receive a Tiffany Diamond Pendant in Platinum. Guests can purchase boxes prior to the event for $100 or at the event for $150, but purchasers must be present at the event to win.

Funds raised from the Gala will support Bay Street’s many programs including; the Summer Mainstage productions, the Comedy Club, Bay Street @ The Parrish and the Picture Show Classic Film Series, as well as Educational Outreach Initiatives including Literature Live, Summer College Internships and Theatre Camps and Classes for kids.

JOHN GALLAGHER, JR the Tony Award-winning American Idiot cast member will perform a July 18 benefit concert of his original music at Ars Nova in NYC.

The event serves as a benefit for Ars Nova's summer concert series, the 54/10 Music Marathon, which runs July 13-24. The series promotes the music of up-and-coming bands.

Opening for Gallagher, Jr. will be fellow American Idiot cast members Brian Johnson and Chase Peacock, who comprise Fran Sancisco. An after party, featuring American Idiot cast member Theo Stockman spinning as DJ Theocracy, will follow the concert.

MR. PRESIDENT a one-night-only concert of the musical, will be staged as a benefit for The Actors Fund.

Jacob Shoesmith-Fox will direct, with musical direction by Steven H. Taylor. Featuring music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

Larry Daggett, Kimberly Faye Greenerg, and Erin Mackey will star. The cast will also feature Chuck Karel, Joy Hermalyn, Kenneth Kasch, Eric Noone, Tara Novie, Spencer Andrew Taylo, DeeGee Brandemour, Scott Breitbart, Tricia Burns, Brianne Cobuzzi, Jody Cook, Gregory Couba, Benjamin Farha, Jonathan G Galvez, Maggie Graham, Christina Noone, Roger Rifkin, Michal Salonia, Stacey Scotte, Lawrence E. Street, Jennifer Teska, and Melodie Wolford.

Sunday, July 18, at The Mainstage Theatre in New York City.

CARRY IT ON!

James Cromwell

Great American moments in word and song, compiled by Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer. Celebrities including James Cromwell, Amy Madigan, Michael O'Neill, Jordan Belfi, and Christina Pickles will perform the actual speeches, songs and poetry of great Americans such as Abraham Lincoln; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Mark Twain; Walt Whitman; Rosa Parks; Mother Jones; and others who helped shape our country.

It's an inspiring celebration of our past, a positive look toward our future, and a part of our collective history that cannot be forgotten. Celebrate our forefathers and mothers in the joyous telling of their stories and sacrifices, and help us pass this vital history on to the next generation.

Carry It On! will continue for eight additional performances from August 7 through September 26, featuring Theatricum company members. Proceeds raised from the benefit performances will help support Theatricum's repertory company and arts education programs. Friday, July 16 at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, CA.

SPREADING THE WORD

ANXIOUS TO BOOK TIGER WOODS' SON

Tiger Woods, his father, Mike Douglas and Bob Hope on The Mike Douglas Show

so where will Charlie Woods make his first televised putt?

Oprah? Ellen?

From reports out of England it appears that Tiger Woods' 15-month old son may be the world's next great golfer.

Proud father Tiger is reportedly showing off a recording of his son's golf swing, which golf pros are calling "scary."

In 1978, at the age of two, Tiger appeared on The Mike Douglas Show demonstrating his swing and participated in a putting competition against comedian Bob Hope.

LA THEATRE WORKS RECORDS DOCTOR CERBERUS starring Simon Helberg of The Big Bang Theory, Steven Culp of Desperate Housewives, Jarrett Sleeper, Pamela J. Gray and Jamison Jones.

A coming-of-age, coming-out cocktail with a twist of terror written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, directed by Bart DeLorenzo.

Thirteen-year-old Franklin Robertson is trying to survive adolescence. His parents don't understand him, his brother torments him, he has no friends, and he's more interested in the high school quarterback than any girl. The one bright spot in his life is the glow of the black-and-white TV in his parents' basement. Here, he worships at the altar of the Saturday Night Horror Movie, hosted by the eerie Dr. Cerberus. Before long, Franklin is convinced that only by going on the show will his life be redeemed - by Dr. Cerberus himself!

All performances are recorded to air on L.A. Theatre Works' syndicated radio theater series, which broadcasts weekly on public radio stations nationwide.

July 14-18 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

HAMPTONS INSTITUTE Guild Hall of East Hampton, NY in collaboration with the Roosevelt Institute, is staging the first annual Hampton Institute - a weekend symposium featuring thought leaders discussing the ideas that shape our community and our world. With distinguished guests from across the arts, the economy and the media - including George Soros, Elizabeth Warren, Van Jones, Bernard Schwartz, Margo Lion, Damian Woetzel, Ken Auletta, Robert Johnson, Michael Greenberger, Jeff Zucker, Mort Zuckerman, Eric Fischl, Joan A. Marter, Joe Nocera, Jerry Saltz, Joan A . Marter and Craig Newmark - an exciting collaboration which shouldn't be missed. July 16-18 at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY.

PROPS AND COSTUME SEMINARS are part of the Tony Award winning Utah Shakespeare Festival.

You can explore where all those props come from and how they are made. Monday and Thursday from July 12 to September 2 and each Thursday and Saturday from September 23 to October 23 in the Randall L. Jones Theatre.

The Costume Seminars invite patrons to see the amazing costumes up close and learn from costume designers and technicians how the costumes are designed, constructed, and cared for. Costume Seminars are each Tuesday and Friday from July 13 to September 3 in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. At the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, UT.

MASTER CLASS FESTIVAL THE WAY OF THE MASK takes place July 14-18, 2010 in Abano Terme, Italy.

This festival is a co-production Teatro Punto and the director Fabio Mangolini. It hosts workshops, conferences and seminars from famous directors, actors and mask makers, specialized in physical theatre, theatre philosophy and mask making. There will be masterclass given by Nobel Prize Winner Dario Fo, Fay and Pascale Lecoq (Ecole Jacques Lecoq) and Erhard Stiefel (Theatre du Soleil), Donato Sartori, Mummennschanz and more. The workshop and festival take place in Abano Terme, a village near Venice and Padova, Italy.

BONFIRE NIGHTS book, music and lyrics by Justin Levine. Directed by Alex Timbers. Musical supervision by Kimberly Grigsby. This true story of Guy Fawkes and the 1605 Gunpowder Plot is illuminated by a score that blends jazz, pop, rock, and gospel. The cast features Santino Fontana and Tony Award nominee John Ellison Conlee, David Rossmer, Jonathan B. Wright, Robert Petkoff, Charlie Pollack, Greg Hildreth, Demond Green, Michael Izquierdo, Pierce Cravens, Devere Rogers, and Ian Unterman.

Presented as a concert reading, there are three performances only July 16-18 In the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film, Vassar College, Powerhouse Theater, Poughkeepsie, NY.

THE LUNT-FONTANNE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM which allows regional theatre artists who are recognized as the best in their communities to receive mentorship to continue to grow their theatrical muscles, will take place July 11-18 at Ten Chimneys, the home of the legendary acting couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin.

Barry Edelstein, the director of the Public Theater's Shakespeare Initiative, will replace the late Lynn Redgrave as the leader of the 2010 program.

"I’m delighted to begin my association with the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program, although I wish the circumstances were different. Lynn Redgrave’s passing is a blow to all of us who value the theater and love Shakespeare, and I hope my work at Ten Chimneys will be, in its own small way, a kind of memorial to her," said Edelstein.

Academy Award-winning stage and screen actress Olympia Dukakis will mentor the participants in 2011. Dukakis is widely celebrated as one of the greatest American masters of interpreting and teaching the work of playwright Anton Chekov. After two years of focusing on Shakespeare, the third weeklong retreat and master class at Ten Chimneys (July 24-31) will focus on Chekov.

The 2010 Lunt-Fontanne Fellows are Stephen Berenson, nominated by Trinity Repertory Company; James Carpenter, of California Shakespeare Theater; Celeste Ciulla, of The Old Globe; Bob Davis, of The Guthrie Theater; Laura Gordon, of Milwaukee Repertory Theater; Andrew Long, of Shakespeare Theatre Company; Peter Pryor, of The Wilma Theater; Jacqueline Williams, of The Goodman Theatre; and Larry Yando, of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

In addition to the distinction of being selected and the value of participating, each of the 2010 Lunt-Fontanne Fellows will receive a $2,500 cash fellowship in recognition of his or her exceptional contributions to their communities and to the overall quality of American theatre.

THE COLOR OF DESIRE by Nilo Cruz will have a staged reading, presented by The Cape Cod Theatre Project in Falmouth, MA on July 15-17. Carey Perloff will direct the performances. The company will feature Betsy Aidem, Maria Cellario, Scott Cohen, Alma Cuervo, Rey Lucas, Jesse Perez, Shirley Rumierk and Grant Shaud.

The Cape Cod Theatre Project brings together playwrights of new American plays with professional directors and actors each July for staged readings with the goal of contributing to the legacy of American Theater.

IAN McKELLEN

Ian McKellen

the two-time Oscar nominee, has been in New Zealand touring in Waiting for Godot. While in Kiwi land McKellen visited Weta, the esteemed New Zealand visual effects. Richard Taylor is Creative Director for the Weta Companies of Wellington, New Zealand, whose operations and workshop provided the design, fabrication and on-set operation of the creatures, special make-up effects and prosthetics, miniatures, armor and weaponry that makes up the three popular films in the LOTR series. ( See Broadway To Vegas column of December 6, 2009 )

In a breif interview conducted by Weta, McKellen teased: "I've been asking people when The Hobbit begins. Do you know when The Hobbit begins?"

Later McKellen twittered that: "I visited the WETA Cave and crouched among the original models of the Fellowship. I asked all I met at WETA when The Hobbit starts shooting. Reply? 'You tell us.'"

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

AUCTION OF ROY ROGERS’ PRESERVED HORSE TRIGGER

Roy Rogers with Trigger

and other belongings of movie cowboy Roy Rogers will be gaveled down by Christie’s in New York’s Rockefeller Plaza on July 14.

The items are from the now-closed Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum in Branson, Mo. Originally, the museum was located in Victorville, California, but the tourist attraction moved to Branson, Missouri in 2003. ( See Broadway To Vegas column of July 21, 2002 )

Rogers had his faithful Palomino stallion preserved with taxidermy in 1965. The presale estimate for the dead horse is $100,000 to $200,000.

Several mounted and preserved animals will be included in the auction, grouped as The Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Museum Collection. Bullet (Roy Rogers’ and Dale Evans Rogers’ German Shepherd), Buttermilk (Dale Evans Rogers’ horse) and Trigger Jr. (Roy Rogers’ horse) will be offered as well.

Roy Rogers’ family may earn as much as $1.5 million from the sale, which also features Roy Rogers’ cowboy belts, boots, directors’ chairs, guitars, money clips, pony carts, saddles, sunglasses, and more including Rogers' 1964 Bonneville convertible, adorned with collectible silver dollars with an estimated auction price of $100,000 to $150,000. Hand-drawn music for the theme song Happy Trails has a presale estimate of $300 to $500.

PASADENA PLAYHOUSE the State Theater of California, announced that its Plan of Reorganization was approved July 7, 2010 by the United States Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles and emerged from Chapter 11 after nearly two months. The Honorable Thomas B. Donovan presided.

Future plans, including a Fall 2010 production, will be announced at a later date.







CELINE DION endured six IVF treatments and a miscarriage before her publicist announced on May 30, 2010 that Celine was pregnant with twins. Now the Las Vegas headliner has revealed that she and her husband Rene Angelil are expecting twin - boys!

Anxiously awaiting the opportunity to offer big brotherly advice is the couple's 10 -year old son René-Charles Dion Angélil.

The twins are due in in November.

Dion is set to return to Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas on March 15, 2011 on a three-year contract for 70 shows per year.

CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME an four year old institution which honors trailblazers who "helped put California on the world man" has announced the class of 2010 which will be inducted during a December ceremony.

Those honored include; actress Betty White, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Barbra Streisand, Avatar director James Cameron, tennis champion Serena Williams, country singer Merle Haggard, former Secretary of State George Shultz and 1960s California governor Pat Brown. Also included are author Anne Lamott, artist Wayne Thiebaud, investor John Doerr, banker A.P. Gianinni, 19th century blue jeans maker Levi Strauss, and historian Dr. Kevin Starr.

2009-2010 PRIMETIME EMMY NOMINATIONS were announced July 8 and Broadway names standout. The Emmy Awards will be presented on August 29, hosted by Jimmy Fallon. For a list of nominations ( 2010 Emmy Awards )



ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS – A NEW MUSICAL featuring a book by Tony Award winner Rupert Holmes and songs by four-time Academy Award winners Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with musical supervision and vocal and incidental arrangements by John McDaniel.

Based on the classic Rat Pack film, Robin and the 7 Hoods takes the Robin Hood legend and gives it an early-sixties spin. Set in Chicago, when “Mad Men” reigned supreme and martinis flowed freely, the musical features such classic Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen tunes as My Kind of Town (Chicago Is), Call Me Irresponsible and All the Way. When Robbo, a suave, fast-rising entrepreneur in Chicago's sophisticated nightclub scene, tries to re-organize organized crime, he finds himself wanted by both sides of the law. He and his merry band quickly learn that a few wrongs - and a few songs - could make things right.

The cast features Will Chase (Little John), Adam Heller (Lieutenant Nottingham), Rick Holmes (P.J. Sullivan), Jeffrey Schecter (Willie Scarlatti), Eric Schneider (Robbo), Amy Spanger (Alana O’Dell) and Kelly Sullivan (Marian Archer) with Timothy J. Alex, Clyde Alves, Graham Bowen, Andrew Cao, Cara Cooper, Paige Faure, Lisa Gajda, Stephanie Gibson, Carissa Lopez, Vasthy Mompoint, Beth Johnson Nicely, Aleks Pevec, Sam Prince, Tally Sessions, Brian Shepard and Anthony Wayne (Ensemble).

The creative team includes Robert Brill (Scenic Design), Gregg Barnes (Costume Design), Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design), John Shivers and David Patridge (Sound Design), Josh Marquette (Hair and Wig Design), Bill Elliott (Orchestrator), Mark Hummel (Music Director), David Chase (Dance Music Arranger), Tara Rubin Casting (Casting) and Peter Wolf (Stage Manager).

The Broadway-bound musical comedy will run in the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, CA July 14 - August 22.

CHARLES PHOENIX'S RETRO DISNEYLAND SLIDE SHOW celebrates the 55th Anniversary of the Magic Kingdom's grand opening. One performance only takes place at the Crown Plaza Hotel Anaheim Resort in Garden Grove, CA on Saturday morning, July 17.

Charles shows and tells the back story of long-gone attractions including the Phantom Boats, Flying Saucers, Indian Village, Carousel of Progress, and other favorites. Also experience the early days of Main Street USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland and Frontierland.

Charles Phoenix has spent years collecting and researching these vintage images and the history of the park.

"Disneyphiles will enjoy seeing some classic images of the park gone by, including the original Tomorrowland when it was promoted as The World of 1987, he says, "We'll also check out the all-new Tomorrowland when it was launched in 1967. I'll share the flaming back story of the monorail; take you inside the ultra space-age, all plastic House of the Future; and fly you to the moon in the legendary TWA Rocket."

Audiences will also tour Freedomland USA, the ill-fated Disneyland wannabe theme park that opened in New York City in 1960.

OUR TOWN has welcomed Academy Award winner Helen Hunt, who has taken over the role of Stage Manager in the production at Barrow Street Theatre in Greenwich Village, NY.

Hunt will continue in the David Cromer-directed production through August 1.

THE IRISH AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY by Frank McCourt returns to the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City on July 14 to mark the one-year anniversary of the passing of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

Charlotte Moore will direct the limited engagement, which officially opens July 22 and continues through September 5.

Original cast members Ciaran Sheehan and Terry Donnelly will re-create the roles they originated in the 1997 world premiere of the production; they will be joined on stage by Kerry Conte, Patrick Shields, Gary Troy and Kevin B. Winebold.

The Irish...and How They Got That Way is billed as "an irreverent but affectionate history of the Irish in America that mingles laughter and sentiment in a tapestry of classical songs and stories. The production encapsulates the most tumultuous times of the past century with the vibrant humor and bitter irony that had become the trademark of the author of the critically acclaimed biographies Angela's Ashes; Tis,' Teacher Man.

The production features musical direction by Kevin B. Winebold; choreography by Barry McNabb; set design by Shawn Lewis; costume design by David Toser; lighting design by Michael Gottlieb; and projections by Jan Hartley. Stage management is by Christine Lemme and Megan Alvord.

PAUL ROBESON THROUGH HIS WORDS AND MUSIC by East Lynne's Artistic Director, Gayle Stahlhuth. Directed by Paul Robeson said: "To be free – to walk the good American earth as equal citizens, to live without fear, to enjoy the fruits of our toil, to give our children every opportunity in life – that dream which we have held so long in our hearts is today the destiny we hold in our hands." Starring Derrick McQueen, the Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company presents his story - an interweaving of two dozen songs that were sung by Robeson (The House I Live In; Joe Hill, etc.) with a narrative of his life as actor, singer, activist, and humanitarian. This is the story of the son of a former slave who became one of the most popular entertainers of his day, performing on Broadway and in films, and touring the world. He believed in the universality of music and that by performing spirituals and folk songs, he could promote intercultural understanding.

July 14-July 24 East Lynne Theater Company in West Cape May, NJ.

HAPPY DAYS by Samuel Beckett.

Westport artistic director Mark Lamos directs.

Starring Tony Award nominee Dana Ivey as Winnie and Jack Wetherall as Willie - a post-apocalyptic couple.

Described as a "black, existential comedy centers on Winnie, buried above her waist in a mound of blasted ground in a barren, sunburnt landscape. With only a mysterious bell to measure the passing of time, Winnie talks away (occasionally to her wandering husband) as she rifles through the items in her purse and muses on life."

Scenic and costume design by John Arnone, lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge and sound design by John Gromada.

Performances through July 24 at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT.

FALLING FOR EVE a new musical by 2010 Tony winner Joe DiPietro who authored the book, Bret Simmons who composed the music and lyrics by David Howard.

Larry Raben directs.

The six-person multicultural musical is a re-telling of the Adam and Eve story. The cast features Jennifer Blood, Krystal Joy Brown, Nehal Joshi, Adam Kantor, Jose Llana and Sasha Sloan.

Officially opens July 15 and continues through August 8 at The York Theatre Company, NYC.

SOUTH PACIFIC at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in NYC has welcomed the return of Paulo Szot in the role of Emile de Becque.

THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE by Academy Award-winning, Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Martin McDonagh.

Directed by Tony Award-nominee Wilson Milam.

The cast features in Ian Alda, Andrew Connolly, Coby Getzug, Seán G. Griffin, Kevin Kearns, Zoe Perry, Chris Pine and Brett Ryback.

Billed as "a blistering, graphic satire on violence set in 1993 on the rocky island of Inishmore. Padraic (Pine), a hard-boiled terrorist, has been away in Northern Ireland with his busy schedule of torture and assorted nationalist mayhem, but he is lured home to Inishmore by the news that his beloved cat, Wee Thomas, is doing poorly. When Padraic finds out Wee Thomas has been murdered, he initiates a cycle of revenge-killing that threatens everyone in his path, except perhaps the love-struck Mairead (Zoe Perry), a 16-year-old terrorist groupie with a BB gun."

The scenic designer is Laura Fine Hawkes, the costume designer is Stephanie Kerley Schwartz, the lighting designer is Brian Gale and the sound designer is Cricket S. Myers. Casting is by Erika Sellin and the production stage manager is David S. Franklin.

Opens at the Mark Taper Forum at the Los Angeles Music Center on Sunday, July 11 with performances continuing through August 8.

NEXT TO NORMAL welcomes to the Broadway production Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, who are married in real life, as they assume the lead roles of the dysfunctionally married fictional couple Diana and Dan Goodman beginning July 19. They will replace Alice Ripley and Brian d'Arcy James, respectively, who play their final performance on July 18.

SUMMER STOCK NYC A Celebration of the Broadway Musical. A 75 minute musical revue featuring hit songs and production numbers from classic Broadway Musicals. Directed by Scott Burkell. Musical Direction by Karl Mansfield. Choreographed by Tony Stevens.

Starring 9-time MAC Award winner Karen Mason, As The World Turns star Colleen Zenk and her talented son Kelsey Crouch Pinter, Kelly Felthous, Carrie Manolakos, Pearl Sun and Dana Steingold.

Sound Design by Brett Jarvis. Lighting Design by Graham Kindred. The Projection Designer is Christopher Jensen. Costumes by Anne Lommel.

Produced in partnership with Hunter College, Pace University, and Fund for the City of New York. Performances at The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts July 16-18 and The Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse July 20-23.

BRUSH THE SUMMER BY penned by 5-time Emmy award winning writer Hal Corley.

Directed by Mark Fleischer.

Starring Suzanna Hay and Kevin Kelly.

Described as "A thought-provoking mix of drama and comedy, the story focuses on Ellen, a recently divorced Maryland woman who heads to the Adirondacks on a leaf-peeping trip. Unimpressed by the scenery and agitated by her traveling party, she sets out on her own and makes a shocking discovery - a man sunbathing in the nude."

The show's design features sets by David Esler, lighting by Matt Frey, costumes by Isabel Rubio, sound by Ken Goodwin and projections by Richard DiBella.

Officially opened to mixed reviews on July 9 with performances through July 17 at the Charles R. Wood Theater in Glens Falls as part of the Adirondack Theatre Festival. This production is a transformation of the piece workshopped last year.

LA BETE a Molière-flavored satire by David Hirson. Directed by Tony and Olivier Award-winning director Matthew Warchus.

Starring Tony Award winners David Hyde Pierce and Mark Rylance and BAFTA winner Joanna Lumley in a revision of a role created for her - that of Princess Conti. Previous the role was that of Prince Conti which has been originated on Broadway by Dylan Baker.

The London cast also includes Stephen Ouimette, Lisa Joyce, Greta Lee, Robert Lonsdale, Michael Milligan, Liza Sadovy, Sally Wingert, Alan Freestone and Hannah Tollman.

The production is described as: "La Bête is a comic tour de force about Elomire, (Hyde Pierce), a high-minded classical dramatist who loves only the theatre, and Valere (Rylance), a low-brow street clown who loves only himself. When the dynamic Princess (Lumley) decides she's grown weary of Elomire's royal theatre troupe, he and Valere are left fighting for survival as art squares off with ego in a literary showdown for the ages."

The production has set design by Mark Thompson, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone, music by Claire van Kampen and sound design by Simon Baker.

La Bête made its short-lived Broadway premiere in 1991, playing 25 performances at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Thought it was so dreadful that Broadway To Vegas walked out before the show ended. Hopefully, this mounting will be better.

Offically opened July 7 at London's Comedy Theatre with performances through September 4. Following the London engagement, La Bête and its London cast will arrive on Broadway September 23 at the Music Box Theatre. An official opening has been set for October 14.

WHO'S WHERE

DAISY EAGAN who in 1991 at age 11 became the youngest female performer in history to win a Tony Award for her performance as Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, is set to make a rare cabaret appearance at the Los Angeles nightclub Barre, July 17. Now 30-years-old, her act is titled Still Daisy After All These Years and promises to offer "everything you always wanted to know about Daisy Eagan but were afraid to ask." Eagan is an alumna of Simon's Rock College of Bard. She studied psychology and creative writing at Antioch University in Los Angeles. In 2003, she married Patrick Comer, a financial consultant; they divorced in 2006.

SMOKEY ROBINSON makes his Hollywood Bowl debut on July 14. Celebrating his 50th anniversary in the music business, Robinson will perform songs from his latest CD Time Flies When You're Having Fun, to be released August 25.

ANDREA MARCOVICCI performs If I Were a Bell: The songs of Frank Loesser. Musical director Shelly Markham on piano. The concerts will celebrate the composer and lyricist's music in his centennial year. In addition to featuring songs from both Loesser's Broadway shows and his work from Hollywood, the concert will feature tunes by songwriters such Jule Styne, Hoagy Carmichael and Jimmy McHugh which will be paired with Loesser's own songs. July 14-17 at Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret, Chicago.

JUSTIN BIEBER performs Tuesday, July 13, at the Comcast Arena in Everett, WA. On Wednesday his screaming fans will be filling the Rose Garden Arena in Portland OR. Saturday's show is at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. Next Sunday, July 18, he can be enjoyed at the Events Center in Reno, NV.

ROBERT PLANT performs Tuesday, July 13, at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis. On Thursday the show is at the Robinson Center Music Hall in Little rock, AR. Friday the tour stops at the Brady Theater in Tulsa, OK. Next Sunday he's starring at the Sandia Casino Amphitheater in Albuquerque, NM.

AUDRA McDONALD blends classical training with an extraordinary dramatic sensibility, appearing with equal acclaim as opera singer, television actress, recording artist, and Broadway superstar. Her first Ozawa Hall concert offers an eclectic mix of standard favorites and songs written expressly for her by today's finest music theater composers.Sunday, July 18, in Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood. Lenox, MA.

BRET MICHAELS AND LYNYRD SKYNYRD appearing at the Common Ground Music Festival at Adado Riverfront Park in Lansing, MI on Thursday, July 15. On Friday the show is at the Hilton in Atlantic City. Saturday finds them at the Lea County Events Center in Hobbs, NM and next Sunday the performance takes place at Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis, MA.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE IGUANA hosted by MAC Award winners Dana Lorge and Richard Skipper. Barry Levitt on keyboard and Saadi Zain on bass. Wednesday's guests include: Linda Fields, Janice Hall, Melissa Hamilton, Pam Tate, Laurie Vega and a few other surprises. Wednesday, July 14 at the Iguana VIP Lounge in NYC.

LADY GAGA on stage at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Wednesday, July 14. On Thursday the show is at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Saturday the tour stops at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

JEFF BECK has a busy week. On Monday, July 12, the show is at the Cavea Auditorium in Rome, Italy. Tuesday he appears as part of the Summer Festival in Lucca, Italy. On Thursday he takes part in Tollwood/Joe Bonamassa in Mumich, Germany. Friday finds him at Loewensaal in Nuremberg, Germany. On Saturday he's performing in the Berg Herzberg Festival in Alsfeld, Germany.

ROD STEWART opens a two night gig Wednesday, July 14, at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, UK. On Saturday he's on stage at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in Inverness, UK.

TOMMY FEMIA: JUDY GARLAND LIVE the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, with a special appearance by the Harmonix from the Gateway Men's Chorus. Thursday, July 15, 2010 at the Sheldon Concert Hall in Saint Louis, MO.

HARRY CONNICK, JR on Thursday, July 15, opens an engagement at the Neil Simon theatre in New York City which runs through Monday, July 26.

LYLE LOVETT in the spotlight Monday, July 12, at the Performing Arts Center in Omaha. On Wednesday the show is at Red Butte Garden in Salt Lake City. Thursday finds him at Eagle Park Pavilion in eagle, ID. On Friday his show is at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA. On Saturday the tour stops at the Maryhill Winery Amphitheater in Goldendale, WA.

NANCY MERCHANT performs Monday, July 12, at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ. On Tuesday she's on stage at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA. On Thursday she opens a two night gig at Town Hall in NYC.

ADAM LAMBERT appears at the Chesaning Showboat Musical Festival in Chesaning, MI on Monday, July 12. On Tuesday he'll perform at the Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing, MI. Thursday's show is at The Midland in Kansas City. Friday he's on stage at The Cotillion in Wichita. Saturday's performance is at the Paramount Theatre in Denver.

BEN FOLDS with the Utah Symphony, David Cho, Conductor. Singer-songwriter Ben Folds brings his singularly subversive rock to Utah in a performance with the Utah Symphony that will prove what a great rock band the orchestra can be! Backed by orchestrations that highlight Folds' songwriting skills, fans will hear the indie-rock piano melodies, and irony-laced lyrics of his greatest hits. Saturday, July 17, 2010 at Deer Valley @ Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater. Deer Valley, Utah.

FINAL OVATION

ISRAEL HICKS 66, a director who made history in 2009, when he directed the final work in August Wilson's entire ten-play, ten-decade exploration of the black experience in America for the Denver Center Theatre Company, died July 3 in New York of prostate cancer.

Born in Orangeburg, SC, Hicks was raised in the Brooklyn projects. He studied at Boston University and got his graduate degree from New York University. He also received a law degree from Harvard. He was also artistic director of Ebony Repertory Theatre in Los Angeles and chairman of the theatre program at Rutgers. He also taught at Carnegie-Mellon and other acting conservatories, and was slated to direct this October at Juilliard.

At the Tony Award-winning Denver Center Theatre Company, he directed more than 20 plays since 1990. He was scheduled to direct the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ruined there in 2011.

He is survived by his second wife, Renee Harriston-Hicks. He was preceded in death by first wife, Catherine, and daughter, Victoria.

CESARE SLEPI opera singer and Broadway veteran considered to be one of the greatest operatic basses of all time, died Monday, July 5 at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta after suffering a stroke about ten days earlier. He was 87.

Born in Milan, Italy, his international reputation was established in 1950, when Sir Rudolf Bing bought him to the Metropolitan Opera to open the 1950 season as King Philip II in Don Carlos. He was to remain principal bass at the Met until 1974, adding roles such as Boris Godunov and Gurnemanz in Parsifal and singing all the major roles of the bass repertoire.

He made his Broadway debut in 1962 in Bravo Giovanni, a musical by A. J. Russell, Milton Schafer, and Ronny Graham based on The Crime of Giovanni Venturi by Howard Shaw. He also starred in the 1979 Broadway musical Carmelina, featuring lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Burton Lane, and a book by Lerner and Joseph Stein.

GEOFFREY HUTCHINGS the Olivier Award-winning actor died July 1 in a hospital of a suspected viral infection. He was 71.

Hutchings trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), and became a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1968, where he played numerous classical roles in plays such as Julius Caesar, The Duchess of Malfi, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Cymbeline, The Comedy of Errors, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

In 1982, he won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for his role in the musical Poppy.

The actor is survived by his second wife, Andi Godfrey, and the three children of his first marriage, one son and two daughters.

Next Column: July 18, 2010
Copyright: July 11, 2010. 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.
Link to Main Page

---

Laura Deni

For the snail mail address, please E-mail your request.
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION