Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 21, 2024
By: Laura Deni
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RE IMAGINED SCRIPTS AND PERFORMING LEGENDS GIVE NEW LIFE TO BROADWAY CLASSICS

Taking the great and making it new, fresh - even better - doesn't happen very often. When it does, the productions bring in a new audience and box office receipts.

For instance . . .

Michael Ball

Alfie Boe

The legendary Olivier Award-winning Michael Ball and Tony winner Alfie Boe are returning to star in Les Miserables in a world tour! Ball and Boe will play the roles of Javert and Jean Valjean respectively beginning September 19. 2024 in Belfast, Ireland. Their performances continues in Glasgow Scotland; Sheffield, Aberdeen, Manchester and Newcastle Great Britain, ending January 6, 2025.

Others in the cast include: Channah Hewitt in the role of Fantine, BAFTA winner Bonnie Langford is scheduled to perform the role of Madame Thénardier, Tony and Olivier nominee Gavin Lee is scheduled to perform the role of Thénardier, Theatre World Award winner Jeremy Secomb is cast as Bishop Of Digne. Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship winner Beatrice Penny-Touré is Cosette. 2020 Olivier Award nominee Jac Yarrow is cast as Marius.

In certain performances in European countries such as Sweden and italy, Milan van Waardenburg or Peter Jöback will perform the role of Jean Valjean and Bradley Jaden will play the role of Javert.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The score includes the classic songs "I Dreamed a Dream," "On My Own," "Stars," "Bring Him Home," "Do You Hear the People Sing?," "One Day More," "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," "Master of the House" and many more.

The arena tour will have an extraordinary new design specifically created for arenas - and large theatres - with audiences of between 3,000 and 5,000. This spectacular production will also feature a core cast of actors and musicians of 65 with a number of celebrated guest stars appearing as their schedules allow.

The production continues to play at the Sondheim Theatre in London where it will soon enter its 40th year.

In addition to the United Kingdom and European tours, the Tony award winning musical begins a North American tour on July 30 in Montreal, QC at the Place Des Arts followed by performance dates in Boston, Philadelphia, Norfolk, VA Cleveland, Ohio, Ottawa, ON, Boston, MA, Philadelphia, PA, Louisville, KY, East Lansing, MI, Syracuse, NY, Hartford, CT, Minneapolis, MN, Detroit, MI, and ending 2024 in Chicago, IL

The revised Broadway musical Company enjoyed a splendid reincarnation by theatrical producer Chris Harper who was inspired after the premature birth via surrogate of his twins eight years ago. As a single father he began to view life differently. He had a revolutionary idea: staging a revival of the iconic, 1970 musical examining marriages and commitment among New Yorkers – but reshaping the story by switching the main character from male (Bobby) to female (Bobbie), with the plot now set in modern times.

"Portraying an empowered woman is the whole point," he is quoted as explaining to venues staging his revival.

Harper has a hit on his hands. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, the show is on the first North American tour, showcasing invigorating songs by eight-time Tony-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, along with an uproarious script by George Furth.

This revival marked the final Broadway musical Sondheim ever worked on.

Closely involved with reimagining the show, the legendary composer-lyricist "couldn’t have been more supportive and generous and helpful," the release says.

Sondheim saw the final rehearsal, then died a week before opening night.

The revival of the Stephen Sondheim musical includes some of his most beloved songs, such as "Company", "You Could Drive a Person Crazy", and "The Ladies Who Lunch".

The tour is directed by three-time Tony Award winner Marianne Elliott and stars Britney Coleman as Bobbie and Judy McLane as Joanne.

Some of the upcoming tour dates include:
July 16–21, 2024: Keller Auditorium, Portland, OR
July 23–28, 2024: Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
July 30–August 18, 2024: Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
August 20–25, 2024: The Smith Center, Las Vegas, NV
September 11–15, 2024: First Interstate Center, Spokane, WA
September 17–22, 2024: SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, Sacramento, CA

The much maligned Cats has received a radical reimagining of the Andrew Lloyd Webber iconic musical based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. The new concept The Jellicle Ball is inspired by the Ballroom culture that roared out of New York City over 50 years ago and still rages around the world.

Few thought such a brilliant reimagining could ever occur.

Cats is the longest running, most popular, North American Touring Production in history.

As of 2024, Cats remains the fifth-longest-running Broadway show and the seventh-longest-running West End show.

It premiered in the Winter Garden Theatre on October 7, 1982. The London production ran for 21 years and 8,949 performances, while the Broadway production ran for 18 years and 7,485 performances, making Cats the longest-running musical in both theatre districts for a number of years. Cats has since been revived in the West End twice and on Broadway once.

This new reimaged production is staged as a spectacularly immersive competition by Zhailon Levingston and PAC NYC Artistic Director Bill Rauch, with all-new Ballroom and club beats, runway-ready choreography, and an edgy eleganza makeover that moves the action from junkyard to catwalk plays "The Jellicle Ball".

This is the show's first major production to depart stylistically from the original. If there is ever a show which lends itself to gender diversity, drag and a spark of quirky it's Cats morphed into Cats: The Jellicle Ball. After being extended twice, the production plays through August 11, 2024 at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC).

Choreographed by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles. Directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch.

The cast includes: Baby (Victoria), Jonathan Burke (Mungojerrie), Tara Lashan Clinkscales (Ensemble), André De Shields (Old Deuteronomy), Shelby Griswold (Understudy), Sydney James Harcourt (Rum Tum Tugger), Antwayn Hopper (Macavity) Dava Huesca (Rumpleteazer), Dudney Joseph Jr. (Munkustrap), Capital Kaos (DJ), Junior LaBeija (Gus), Dominique Lee (Understudy); Robert "Silk" Mason (Mistoffelees), “Tempress” Chasity Moore (Grizabella), Shereen Pimentel (Jellylorum), Primo (Tumblebrutus), Xavier Reyes (Jennyanydots), Nora Schell (Bustopher Jones), Bebe Nicole Simpson (Demeter), Emma Sofia (Skimbleshanks), Phumzile Sojola (Ensemble), Kendall Grayson Stroud (Ensemble), Frank Viveros (Ensemble), Garnet Williams (Bombalurina) and Teddy Wilson Jr. (Sillabub).

The creatives are: directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Choreographers Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles, Rachel Hauck (Scenic Design), Qween Jean (Costume Design), Adam Honoré (Lighting Design), Kai Harada (Sound Design), Brittany Bland (Projection Design), Nikiya Mathis (Hair/Wig Design), Rania Zohny (Make up design), Josephine Kearns (Dramaturg & Gender Consultant), William Waldrop (Music Supervision and Music Direction), David Lai (Music Coordinator), Trevor Holder (Beats Arrangement), Capital Kaos (Ballroom Consultant), Skylar Fox (Magic and Illusions), Hannah "Rock" Roccisano (Fight Director), Ann James (Intimacy Coordinator), X Casting/ Victor Vazquez CSA, and Sujotta R. Pace CSA (Casting).

The Book of Mormon is making new converts.

The musical tells the story of two Salt Lake City Mormons sent as missionaries to Uganda, hoping for a few baptisms and a couple of conversions. Instead, they are welcomed by some very harsh realities and a particularly unpleasant warlord. Written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the comedy giants behind South Park and Robert Lopez who helped pen Avenue Q and Disney’s Frozen; The Book Of Mormon is a hilarious musical that breathes three-dimensional, all-singing, all-dancing life into the absurdities of Mormon dogma, whilst simultaneously being incredibly rude, potentially offensive and above all, unexpectedly endearing.

Since making its world premiere in March 2011 at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre, where it won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Book of Mormon has been performed on three continents and won over thirty international awards. The musical has smashed long-standing box office records in New York, London, Melbourne, Sydney and cities across the U.S.

The London production opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in February 2013 when it set the record for the highest single day of sales in West End history and went on to win four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical. You can still see the show at the Prince of Wales Theatre London as well as enjoying it on its UK tour.

Manchester at the Palace Theatre Wednesday, September 11 - Saturday, October 5, 2024; Edinburgh, at the Edinburgh Playhouse Tuesday, October 15 - Saturday, November 2, 2024; In Bradford at the Alhambra Theatre Tuesday, November 5 - Saturday, November 23, 2024; Birmingham at The Alexandra from Tuesday, December 3 through Saturday December 28, 2024. In next year is more your style there are performances in Plymouth at the Theatre Royal Tuesday, January 14 - Saturday, January 25, 2025 followed by shows in Hull at the New Theatre Tuesday, March 3 through Saturday, March 22, 2025.

In American, the missionaries will be getting laughs at The Palace Theatre in Chicago September 10 - September 15; in Johnson City, TN at the Martin Center September 18 -September 19; in Lexington , KY for a two nighter September 20-21; At the State Farm Centerin Champagne, IL on September 27, 2024; Emens Auditorium in Muncie, IN September 24; Dow-Events Center in Saginaw, MI September 25; Portland, Maine September27-28; Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, ME September29; The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia October 1-6; Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio Theatre October 8-13; WVU Canady Creative Arts Center in Morgantown, WV on October 15, 2024; In Richmond, VA at the Altria Theatre October 18-19; In Orlando, FL at the Dr Phillips Center October 22=27. That stop might enjoy excessive laughter since the production mentions the city of Orlando. The production then heads to Canada for shows in Vancouver at the Queen Elizabeth November 12-17; In Edmonton at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium November 19-24; At the Southern Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary November 26-December 1; In Regina at the Conexus Art Theatre December 3-5. The return to America closes out the year with shows in Minneapolis December 10-15 at the Orpheum Theatre. The tourpicks up again in January 2025 with dates through June.

Oliver! with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. Freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Revised by Cameron Mackintosh opened at the world famous Chichester Festival Theatre with performances through September 7, 2024 in a brand new concept announced by none other than Cameron Mackintosh. The Chichester productions frequently find legs to the West End. Mackintosh has already announced that this version of Oliver! will open in London in December.

The production stars Simon Lipkin as Fagin, Shanay Holmes as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins as the Artful Dodger and Philip Franks as Mr Brownlow.

The cast includes: Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Mr Bumble. Katy Secombe as Widow Corney. Stephen Matthews as Mr Sowerberry/Dr Grimwig. Jamie Birkett as Mrs Sowerberry/Mrs Bedwin. Callum Hudson as Noah Claypole. Isabelle Methven as Bet. Lochlan White as Charley Bates. Harry Cross as Dandy.Bethan Keens as Charlotte and Wendy Somerville as Old Sally. Cian Eagle-Service, Raphael Korniets and Jack Philpott as Oliver Twist.

The company: Rachael Archer, Tegan Bannister, Adam Boardman, Ebony Jonelle, Peter Nash, Josh Patel-Foster, Sam Peggs, Leah Vassell and Matthew Whennell-Clark.

Bethany Huckle Swing/Dance Captain. Swings Danny Lane and Jasmine Sakyiama.

Fagin's Gang: Toba Agbelusi, Zoe Akinyosade, Ben Birch, Finley Burrows, Preston Cropp, Benjamin Dalton, Kylan Michael Denis, Sebastian Elton, Liam Findlay, Rudy Gibson (Alternate Artful Dodger), Stanley Guy, George Hamblin, Lily Hanna, Charlie Hodson-Prior (Alternate Artful Dodger), Grace King, Cooper McCrae, Jonny Niland, Hugo Pechey, William Skinner (Alternate Artful Dodger), Dylan Xavier and Aaron Zhao.

The orphaned Oliver escapes the harsh Victorian workhouse and takes refuge in London’s murky underworld with the wily gang leader Fagin and his team of resourceful pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. He finds a friend in the kind-hearted Nancy and when he’ s wrongly arrested for stealing, Oliver meets an unexpected saviour; but is happiness truly within his grasp? With a sensational score, including "Food Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself", "You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two", "I’d Do Anything", "Oom Pah Pah", "As Long As He Needs Me" and many more, the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens’ ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.

This staging of Lionel Bart's Oliver!, has Matthew Bourne internationally renowned for his ground-breaking reinventions of dance classics such as Swan Lake and Edward Scissorhands, as well as his Olivier Award-winning choreography for My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins making his Chichester debut as both director and choreographer.

Proving what a real friend is all about - In a highly unusual return to ownership - Lionel Bart had rashly sold off his stage rights in Oliver! His good friend Mackintosh was offered co-ownership of the rights for the very first time - "allowing me to give Lionel a piece of his original royalty back - as well as becoming guardian of his artistic rights as author of the show's book, music and lyrics which he had also given away," the producer had been quoted as explaining.

The trio of proven friends Mackintosh, Matthew Bourne and Lionel Bart had collaborated to create the spectacularly successful new 1994 production of Oliver! at the London Palladium, which they subsequently remounted in 2008 on an even grander scale, with a cast of over 80, led by Rowan Atkinson. Then COVID hit and the trio became inspired to think in a different direction - from over the top large to a more intimate ensemble roots of the brilliant original at the New Theatre, now the Noal Coward.

The creatives include: Jean-Pierre van der Spuy Co-Director. Lez Brotherston Designer. Graham Hurman Musical Supervisor and Conductor. Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs Lighting Designers. Adam Fisher Sound Designer. George Reeve Projection Designer. Stephen Metcalfe New Orchestrations. William David Brohn Original Orchestrations. Choreographic Associates Etta Murfitt and Sam Archer. Claire Llewellyn of Rc-Annie Ltd Fight Director. Verity Naughton CDG Children's Casting Director. Felicity French CDG and Paul Wooller CDG Casting Directors. This paired down, true to the original is at the Chichester Festival Theatre to September 7, 2024 before transferring to the West End.

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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

TAYLOR SWIFT SONGBOOK TRAIL

Taylor Swift on The 1989 World Tour, 2015 Credits: V&A/ Courtesy of TAS Rights Management, LLC

this summer, celebrate Taylor Swift's ground-breaking impact on the world stage and mark the success of her UK tour with a free trail at V&A South Kensington! Journey through Taylor's career with 13 stops along the way, each showcasing a particular era of her music and prolific song writing.

Discover a selection of costumes on loan from Taylor Swift, from customized cowboy boots worn during her breakout success as a country singer in 2007 to the jet-black ruffled shoulder dress worn in the most recent music video for her single Fortnight from the critically adored album The Tortured Poets Department (2024). As well, see instruments, music awards, storyboards, and previously unseen archival material that explores her childhood and recording legacy, many of which are on display for the first time.

The trail will feature 16 looks spanning Swift's eras.

"Kate Bailey, senior curator of theatre and performance at the V&A, said in a statement: “We are delighted to be able to display a range of iconic looks worn by Taylor Swift at the V&A this summer.

“Each celebrating a chapter in the artist’s musical journey. Taylor Swift’s songs like objects tell stories, often drawing from art, history and literature. We hope this theatrical trail across the museum will inspire curious visitors to discover more about the performer, her creativity and V&A objects."

Each stop will be "theatrically staged," added the V&A, designed by award-winning designer Tom Piper, best known for his stage designs for the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as his Tower of London poppies and V&A exhibition Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser. Costume and accessories will be on loan from Swift’s personal archive.

Saturday July 27 - Sunday, September 8, 2024.

FIRST EVER SAN FRANCISCO CHINESE ARTIST REGISTRY seeks artists with "real connection" to Chinatown.

At a press conference officials outlined goals of the new project. Officials said they hope the registry solicits art from people with a "meaningful connection" to Chinatown.

Eligibility for the registry is open to all professional and practicing artists in the country. Applications can be submitted online through the San Francisco Arts Commission website. The deadline to apply is September 11, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Selected artists approved by the arts commission will begin working with The City early next year.

Registry entrants will be considered for three future Chinatown public-art projects that will be paid for using nearly $2 million in city funds — art walls at the Chinatown Public Health Center, wall-mounted two-dimensional artwork at the Chinatown Him Mark Lai Branch Library, and a sculpture in Portsmouth Square.

"Chinatown is such an important neighborhood for San Francisco and for the country. And yet, our community has been deeply underrepresented in public spaces and public art," said Jenny Leung, executive director of the Chinese Culture Center. "“This is the first time that we’re seeing deep and meaningful collaborations with the city, public arts and the community. It’s such a groundbreaking process to have the community involved at the very beginning."

ELECTION SEASON IS IN FULL BORE filled with excitement and dread. Throughout his life, Charles Dickens was keenly interested in politics and the machinations of political campaigns. According to the Charles Dickens Museum, "one of his earliest jobs had been as a parliamentary reporter and he later recalled his fondness of the process:

"'I went into the gallery of the House of Commons as a parliamentary reporter when I was a boy not eighteen… I have often transcribed for the printer, from my shorthand notes, important public speeches in which the strictest accuracy was required, and a mistake in which would have been to a young man severely compromising, writing on the palm of my hand, by the light of a dark lantern, in a post-chaise and four, galloping through a wild country, and through the dead of night, at the then surprising rate of fifteen miles an hour.'"

Museum in London explains: The time spent in parliament had an impact on Dickens. He remained political throughout his life, though he was often cautious not to allow party politics to colour his published works. Privately he was more vocal both about those whom he supported and those he did not. He lamented the loss of Lord Russell, for example, and expressed his optimism at the election of Gladstone as the Liberal Prime Minister in 1868.

Above all, Dickens was highly cynical about the political system, and the way in which politicians sought to be elected. In his very first novel, The Pickwick Papers, Dickens was highly comedic in the way in which he presented an election campaign.

"…There are twenty washed men at the street door for you to shake hands with; and six children in arms that you're to pat on the head, and inquire the age of; be particular about the children, my dear sir--it has always a great effect, that sort of thing."

'I'll take care,' said the Honourable Samuel Slumkey.

'And, perhaps, my dear Sir,' said the cautious little man, 'perhaps if you could--I don't mean to say it's indispensable-- but if you could manage to kiss one of 'em, it would produce a very great impression on the crowd.'

'Wouldn't it have as good an effect if the proposer or seconder did that?' said the Honourable Samuel Slumkey.

'Why, I am afraid it wouldn't,' replied the agent; 'if it were done by yourself, my dear Sir, I think it would make you very popular.'

'Very well,' said the Honourable Samuel Slumkey, with a resigned air, 'then it must be done. That's all.'

Indeed, many if not most, of Dickens’s novels contain satirical or cynical reflections on the political system. Whether that was the American model, "This is not the republic of my imagination," or in the UK where he set the fictitious Circumlocution Office, whose departments were “in the art of perceiving – HOW NOT TO DO IT.”

Dickens, as in all aspects of his life, was mostly concerned with ordinary people and how they were impacted by their government. Many of his frustrations with politics generally was precisely because he felt that not enough was being done to support them. He neatly encapsulated this view in a letter in 1869. "My faith in the people governing is on the whole infinitesimal; my faith in The People governed is, on the whole, illimitable."

On the fourth Wednesday of every month there is a Guided Museum Evening Tours takes place. Led by a knowledgeable guide, visitors will explore all 5 floors of the house and will hear the incredible stories of Dickens and his life.

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SWEET CHARITY

MEGAN THEE STALLION a Houston native, has partnered with Bread of Life, Inc. to launch the Emergency Power Program through her Pete and Thomas Foundation. Together, they will provide generators for senior citizens across Houston and enable them to access electricity during future natural disasters.

"It's been painful to watch the elderly population in Houston suffer without electricity during these devastating storms. That's why we wanted to partner with Bread of Life to take a strategic approach to this problem and secure generators to help protect our senior citizens. We need to do our part to provide our elders with the best resources possible to withstand future emergencies," Megan said in a statement.

The Pete and Thomas Foundation was established in 2022 to assist women, children, senior citizens and other underserved communities, with a focus on education, housing, health and wellness. The foundation is named after Megan's parents, Holly Thomas and Joseph Pete, Jr.

Megan is currently overseas on her Hot Girl Summer Tour.

SLASH the iconic, Grammy Award-winning guitarist and songwriter has kicked off his first-ever nationwide S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival Blues tour.

On the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. trek, SLASH handpicked an all-star Blues lineup with Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ ‘Mo, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe. SLASH and his Blues Ball Band--Johnny Griparic (bass), Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis (keys/vocals), Michael Jerome (drums), and Tash Neal (vocals/guitars).

The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, which stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance is designed by SLASH with maximum social impact in mind. SLASH has chosen five nonprofit organizations to benefit from touring proceeds that will lift marginalized communities and support mental health initiatives that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. Through PLUS1.ORG, the S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival will donate a portion of the proceeds from every VIP package, as well as every ticket sold, directly to NAMI the National Alliance on Mental Illness, The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute, and War Child.

SLASH’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival is celebrating the release of his acclaimed sixth solo album titled Orgy of the Damned, available worldwide now via Gibson Records.

WILL GEER THEATRICUM BOTANICUM ECHOES IN THE FOREST GALA takes place Saturday August 3, 2024 at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga, CA.

This year's Echoes in the Forest gala will pay tribute to Geer family friend Woody Guthrie.

Celebrants include Pamela Adlon, Jim Beaver, Keith Carradine, Dan Lauria, Inara George, Wendy Malick and more.

Wendie Malick and Dan Lauria are set to host this year’s edition. Attendees will be able to enjoy food, drink, live music and performances while strolling the gardens at the beautiful outdoor venue. At 7:30 p.m., the main stage will open for performances by Pamela Adlon, Jim Beaver, Keith Carradine, Inara George and other surprise guests to celebrate the legacy of Woody Guthrie, the great American songwriter, folklorist and labor leader who was also a longtime Theatricum friend. The evening will culminate with the posthumous presentation to Guthrie of the Will Geer Humanitarian Award, which will be accepted by his grandson, Damon Guthrie. The Shelter, a recently renovated cottage on the grounds that was once home to Guthrie and is now home to an exhibit of historical photos and other memorabilia, will remain open throughout the evening. All proceeds benefit the artistic and educational programming at Theatricum, honoring founder Will Geer’s legacy to the arts and the next generation.

SPREADING THE WORD

HEAD AND SHOULDERS GETS A SHOUT OUT you, too, would want to look your best if the King of England was about to make you a "royal." So it was last Tuesday when King Charles bestowed the Royal Title to the Golden Guernsey Goat breed, which were rescued by Miriam Milbourne from oblivion after the discovered some in the scrub herds of the island in 1924. The goats are a rare breed and considered "at risk" on the Rare Breeds Watchlist. Considered friendly and docile, they produce good milk.

Christopher Price, the chief executive of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, said the honor offers recognition of the breed’s historical significance and its value to biodiversity, the environment and sustainable food production.

Granting the Royal title, marked the first time in recent history that such a title has been granted to livestock.

Now known around the world as the Royal Golden Guernsey goat breed the royal title was accepted by eight-year-old Summerville Tamsin, the goat chosen to represent the breed.

Wishing to look and smell its best, prior to the ceremony the goat was shampooed with Head and Shoulders.

THE BARTER THEATRE the state theatre of Virginia, was founded in 1933 by Robert Porterfield. Barter Theatre in Abingdon gets its name from its unique beginning. During the Great Depression, Porterfield saw an abundance of food in Southwest Virginia, his homeland, but no live theatre. With the idea of letting patrons barter for admission to productions, Barter Theatre was born. Porterfield famously proclaimed, "With vegetables you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh."

Porterfield allowed local farmers to barter produce from their land and gardens for admission to see a play. At the end of the first season, the Barter Company cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly and a over 300 pounds of food.

Nearly 90 years later, the Barter Theatre has upgraded the lighting system and improved the acoustics, but sadly, no longer accepts ripe tomatoes.

Many famous alumni have walked the halls of Barter Theatre including: Gregory Peck, Ernest Borgnine, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, Hume Cronyn, Gary Collins, Wayne Knight, Elizabeth Wilson and Larry Linville.

Currently on the Gilliam Stage is The Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Performances to August 18, 2024.

WAYNE NEWTON known has Mr. Las Vegas is on tour, performing a two nighter beginning July 25 at the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino in Niagara Falls, NY.

ODYSSEY THEATRE ENSEMBLE'S THRESHOLDS OF INVENTION SERIES of first looks at pieces-in-progress by prominent L.A. visionaries presents 108 Stitches, written and performed by Ernie Silva. Silva unveils his latest solo project, "a wonderfully seriocomic story about a father who struggles with his own sordid past in America’s pastime as his young son now decides to play the game we all know and love."

Directed by Mary Joan Negro and featuring original music composed by Lucas Tamaren. Series curator: Tony Abatemarco.

One performance only: Saturday, August 3 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.

CHAIN SUMMER ONE-ACT FESTIVAL will feature the New York premiere of Banshee by award-winning writer John Patrick Shanley, the world debut of the Jesse Eisenberg-produced Catch by Jeryl Brunner, and two new plays by 2024 ScreenCraft Stage Play Competition grand prize winner Matthew McLachlan. The festival will feature over 50 new plays at the Chain Theatre in New York City. The festival begins Thursday, August 8 and continues through Sunday, September 1.

The New York premiere of Banshee by John Patrick Shanley will star Elizabeth Bays and Erik Betancourt. Directed by David Zayas Jr., Banshee is a mystical comedy about a banshee, a fantastical Irish spirit, who pays an ailing teacher a visit and makes him an otherworldly proposal.

Academy Award-nominee Jesse Eisenberg returns to the Chain as the co-producer with Anna Strout and Barbara Toy of Catch by Jeryl Brunner. Lastly, Matthew McLachlan returns to the Chain with two new plays: Online Dates Are Hard to Handke, directed by David Zayas Jr., and Who You Are to Me, directed by Lee Zayas. McLachlan is the 2024 ScreenCraft Stage Play Competition Grand Prize Winner for This G*d Damn House, which was a world premiere at the Chain Theatre in 2023.

Now one of the largest theatre festivals in New York City, The Chain Summer One Act Festival will celebrate over 50 plays this summer. The festival is a hub for new work by established and emerging artists. Chain Theatre is once again opening its doors to New York City’s playwrights, actors, and directors for a festival of original works. All productions are carefully curated and designed to create a ‘mix-tape’ of live theatre.

COMIC CON IN SAN DIEGO from July 24 to July 28, the San Diego Convention Center will play host to special panels on everything from the history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise to how to write, illustrate, create and publish a comic book for the first time. Some of the biggest names in TV and film will be featured on these panels or at special events happening inside or outside the massive pop culture event.

To mention just a couple: Dark Horse and Josh Gad: The Writer—Bringing Faith, Folklore, and More into the Best of Fantasy takes place Friday July 26, 2024.

History is rich with stories from around the world, from every faith, religion, and folktale, woven into the tapestry of pop culture storytelling. Writer/actor Josh Gad has collaborated with Ben and Max Berkowitz and renowned artist Ariel Olivetti to bring the story of Stan Siegel, a comic book creator whose life takes an unexpected and dark turn when he is plunged into a Nazi occult-fueled nightmare. In a whirlwind of folklore and magic, Stan’s hunger for answers unveils hidden identities amid demonic chaos and high-speed chases. This thrilling saga is a race against time, with Stan compelled to stop the rising tide of terror by becoming the hero from his pages. Josh, Ben and Max Berkowitz, and Ariel are joined by a panel of creators to talk about the stories they were raised on across Islamic, Christian, and Jewish faith that inspire their own comic book storytelling journeys.

Celebrate the women in film and TV in the 5th Annual "Hollywood Game Changers" panel. Hear stories about making your mark in the industry all while blazing a trail for the next generation of creatives and CEOs. With executive producer/voice actor Ashleigh Hairston, director/actor/writer/co-founder of Not Your Daddy's Films Carlye Tamaren, composer Joy Ngiaw, creator of Big Talk Kalina Silverman, re-recording mixer Kate Finan of Boom Box Post, and co-founder of On Camera Audiences KC Cavarozzi. Moderated by writer and producer Victoria Male.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO . . .

QUEEN CAMILLA

Stunning birthday girl Queen Camilla on her way to the opening of Parliment. Photo: press pool

who celebrated her birthday last Wednesday in two different ways. The day before her natal day she and her husband - that would be King Charles - were on a tour of island of Guernsey where the birthday girl was serenaded by students from Sark School who performed Happy Birthday in the island's native language, Sercquaise.

Queen Camilla, an avid reader, was also given a private tour of author Victor Hugo’s home, Hauteville House, which she declared a "remarkable treat". This was the home Victor Hugo during his exile in Guernsay. He penned numerous masterpieces there, including Les Miserables; Toilers of the Sea, and The Man Who Laughs. Ths house is considered a work of art, designed by Victor Hugo himself.

The following day the Royal Couple officiated at the State opening of Parliament which coincided with Camilla's 77th birthday. Westminster Abbey commemorated the special occasion by ringing its bells. The landmark then posted a video of the bell ringing on X as a musical tribute to Camilla.

The birthday girl looked positively stunning - her hair, makeup, crown, dress, jewelry and expression were perfectly gorgeous.

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2024 THEATER HALL OF FAME The eight 2024 inductees for the 53rd year of the Theater Hall of Fame have just been announced by its producer, Terry Hodge Taylor. Listed alphabetically, they are:

Elizabeth Ashley, actor
Charles Busch, actor-playwright
William Finn, composer- lyricist
Boyd Gaines, actor
Todd Haimes (deceased), producer
Stephen McKinley Henderson, actor
Donna Murphy, actor
David Rabe, playwright

The selections were made by an electorate of members of the Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association. They will be inducted on November 18, 2024, in the upper lobby of Broadway’s Gershwin Theater, where the 589 members elected since 1971 have their names posted in gold.

THE RECORDING ACADEMY has renamed and recategorized its annual Best Song For Social Change Special Merit Award to the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award in honor of the late entertainment industry icon who was a powerful voice for social justice throughout his illustrious career. Originally established in 2022, the award will continue to honor songwriters of message-driven music that speaks to the social issues of our time and has demonstrated and inspired positive global impact.

Formerly a Special Merit Award, the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award will now be categorized as a CEO's Merit Award; finalists and the recipients will be selected annually by a Committee composed of a community of peers dedicated to artistic expression, the craft of songwriting, and the power of songs to effect social change.

The submission period for the current cycle of the Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award is currently underway, ending Friday, August 30. The inaugural Harry Belafonte Best Song For Social Change Award will be presented during the 2025 Grammy Awards season.

From his debut in the 1950s until his passing in 2023, Belafonte's artistic career progressed in parallel with his work as a trailblazing activist. An important friend of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and advisor, organizer and funder of the Civil Rights Movement, Belafonte helped organize the 1961 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and contributed to the 1961 Freedom Rides and the Mississippi Freedom Summer of 1964. Belafonte was outspoken throughout his career about American political elections; he performed at President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball and was later named as a cultural advisor to the Peace Corps by Kennedy.

Creating the gold record standard in the music industry, Belafonte's 1956 RCA album CALYPSO made him the first artist in history to sell over 1 million albums. An advocate for global humanitarian causes including the Anti-Apartheid Movement and USA for Africa, Belafonte, in 1985, was the key organizer for the benefit single "We Are The World," which raised money for famine relief in Africa and ultimately won four Grammy Awards; it remains one of the best-selling physical singles of all time. As well, Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1987 and traveled internationally to raise awareness for the needs of children across sub-Saharan Africa.

A two-time Grammy winner and 11-time Grammy nominee, Belafonte received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. Three of Belafonte's recordings are inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame: Belafonte At Carnegie Hall (inducted in 1999), "Banana Boat (Day-O)" (inducted in 2009), and Calypso (inducted in 2015).

GIBSON GIVES SISTER ROSETTA THARPE MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP administered by the Arkansas Art Academy - -has been awarded to music student Luis Melchor.

The music scholarship created in honor of the incomparable, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, with the Gibson Gives Sister Rosetta Tharpe Scholarship, Gibson--through its philanthropic division Gibson Gives--awards a music scholarship directly every year to a high school senior as they prepare to navigate their post graduate education and future career in the music industry.

"Luis is a great kid and has grown so much as a musician," says Patrick, Music Instructor, Arkansas Art Academy. "He has an insatiable passion for music - particularly vocally, and as a guitarist."

The scholarship is comprised of cash grants as well instruments and gear, with each recipient receiving one acoustic or electric guitar, as well as a $5,000 cash grant to assist in their ?education.

The annual Gibson Gives Sister Rosetta Tharpe music scholarship honoring the iconic Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, brings her massive musical influence back to her birth state of Arkansas.

THE KENNEDY CENTER HONORS released the names of their latest honorees. They are: Francis Foird Coppola, musicians Arthuro Sandoval, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt and the Apollo Theatre which turns 90 this year, the first theater honored. The Aoikki has served as an incubator for generations of Black talent.

The December 8th ceremony will take place in the 2,364-seat Opera House. The show will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount Plus on December 23rd.

THE PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA announced that Tyler Perry will receive the highest honor at its Paley Honors gala in Beverly Hills on December 4, 2024.

The event will celebrate Perry’s extensive career in media, highlighting his production of over 2,000 episodes of television and direction, writing and production of 28 feature films. Since 2019, he has also operated Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia.

CURTAIN DOWN

JUST SAD the iconic West Bank Cafe and Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York City to close in August after 46 years on Theatre Row.

Owner Steve Olsen made the depressing announcement on the restaurant’s Instagram page. It explained that the reason for closing is "due to the high cost of conducting business and the continuing fallout from the pandemic."

Throughout its long tenure, the 90 seat Laurie Beechman Theatre in the basement of the West Bank Cafe where Bruce Willis once worked as a bartender, regularly staged the work of emerging writers, actors and singers — many of whom later became stars. Comedian and actor Lewis Black was once employed as "playwright-in-residence", where he wrote and oversaw the development of more than 1,000 plays.



HENRY 6 world premiere adaptation by Barry Edelstein of William Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Parts I, II, and III.

Directed by Barry Edelstein.

A once-in-a-generation event comes to San Diego in 2024: The Old Globe becomes only the 11th theatre in the country's history to complete Shakespeare's canon.

In Henry 6, two ruling families of England, the Yorks and the Lancasters, fight each other in a high-stakes civil war for power known as the Wars of the Roses. "Edelstein’s adaptations include everything people love about the Bard—transcendent language, vibrant characters, breathtaking battles, and sweeping crowd scenes—as they explore the impact of national politics on individual lives. And the action is framed by a design team working at the very top of their craft and enacted by a sprawling cast of professional actors and local community members."

The cast features, in alphabetical order, Elizabeth A. Davis as Margaret and Chanteuse, William DeMeritt as York, Sofia Jean Gomez as Warwick, Alex Guzman as Westmorland and Rioter, Mahira Kakkar as Eleanor, Mortimer, and Iden, Ian Lassiter as Gloucester and Edward, Jake Millgard as Charles, Bolingbroke, and King Louis, Keshav Moodliar as King Henry VI, Victor Morris as Salisbury, Gregg Mozgala as Suffolk and Richard, Mike Sears as Cardinal, Old Clifford, and Father, Ella Serrano as Rutland, Tally Sessions as Talbot and Cade, and Cassia Thompson as Joan and Prince Edward.

The cast also includes students in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program: Danny Adams as Reignier, Tutor, and Saye, Kevin Alicea-Minor as Messenger, Hume, and Bevis, Jose Balistrieri as Priest and Young Clifford, Luana Fontes as Countess, Murderer 1, and Smith, Chris Hathaway as Jailer, Southwell, and Holland, Madeline Grace Jones as Bastard, Ship’s Captain, and Dick, Angelynne Pawaan as Lawyer, Jourdain, and Jailer, Carter Piggee as Somerset, Akoni Steinmann as Talbot’s Captain and Clarence, Vandous Stripling II as Buckingham, Emma Svitil as Burgundy, Chaplain, and Messenger, Michael Underhill as John Talbot, Spence, and Son, and Lisa VillaMil as Valet, Murderer 2, and Michael.

The Henry 6 Corps are Layth Haddad, Gerardo Navarro, Ella Serrano, and Alejandra Villanueva. The company also includes musicians Nathan Hubbard (Percussionist) and Martín Martiarena (Guitarist).

The creatives are: Lawrence E. Morten III (Scenic Design), David Israel Reynoso (Costume Design), Mextly Couzin (Lighting Design), Melanie Chen Cole (Sound Design), Caite Hevner (Projection Design), Julián Mesri (Original Music), Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum (Fight Director), Chelsey Arce (Choreography), Emmelyn Thayer and Jesse Perez (Voice and Text Coaches), Alaine Alldaffer, CSA and Lisa Donadio (Casting), and Jess Slocum (Production Stage Manager).

One: Flowers and France runs through September 14, 2024 and Two: Riot and Reckoning runs through September15, 2024 in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre at The Old Globe in San Diego’s Balboa Park.

THE CHOIR OF MAN by: Ben Norris, based on an idea by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay.

Directed by Nic Doodson.

Choreography by Freddie Huddleston.

Cast includes Levi Tyrell-Johnson (as The Hard Man), Michael Baxter (as The Maestro), Matt Thorpe (as The Joker), Jordan Oliver (as The Handyman), Matt Beveridge (as The Romantic), Ben Norris (as The Poet), Lemuel Knights (as The Barman), Owen Bolton (as The Beast), Mark Irwin, Sam Ebenezer, Gavin Ryan, Lucas Koch.

The creatives include Costumes by Verity Sadler and lighting by Richard Dinnen.

It has been advised: "Don’t see it if Don't like music, going to the pub, men talking about their mental health and shows that encourage audience participation"

The musical, which is set in a British pub and is in its second year at London's Arts Theatre.

THE PROMISE by Paul Unwin.

Directed by Jonathan Kent.

To promise nearly fifty million people truly universal health care - 'cradle to the grave' - is crackers.

1945. In a country exhausted and crippled by debt after six years of war, time is up for Winston Churchill’s Tories. With a rallying cry for change, Labor wins an astonishing, landslide election victory.

Clement Attlee may be an unlikely prime minister and his cabinet of competing heavyweights – from the loyal Ernest Bevin to scheming Herbert Morrison – argue furiously about how to realize their manifesto: to make a welfare state, build millions of homes, reorganize dilapidated schools, and most dramatically, create a National Health Service that is free at the point of need.

Driven by the passionate and courageous radical Ellen Wilkinson, and the visionary firebrand Nye Bevan, a very British revolution is in the air. But in the face of bitter opposition, is this an audacious pledge of hope or a promise too far? "Paul Unwin’s new drama is a fascinating, deeply pertinent portrayal of the people who molded modern Britain and what it cost them."

Cast: Suzanne Burden as Violet Attlee. Clare Burt as Ellen Wilkinson. Reece Dinsdale as Herbert Morrison. Peter Hamilton Dyer as Richard Stafford Cripps. Martyn Ellis as Winston Churchill. Felixe Forde as Joan Vincent. Richard Harrington as Nye Bevan. Allison McKenzie as Jennie Lee. Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy as Thomas Merriman. Miles Richardson as Hugh Dalton. David Robb as Lord Moran (Charlie Wilson).Clive Wood as Ernest Bevin. Andrew Woodallas Clement Attlee.

The creatives are: Joanna Parker Set Designer. Deborah Andrews Costume Designer & Supervisor. Peter Mumford Lighting and Video Designer. Gary Yershon Composer. Christopher Shutt Sound Designer. Annelie Powell CDG Casting Director. Harry Mackrill Dramaturg. Christophe Eynde Associate Set Designer. Sydney Stevenson Assistant Director. Matt Ledbury Production Manager. Fahmida Bakht Props Supervisor. Alison Rankin Company Stage Manager. Caitlin Shay Deputy Stage Manager. Emily Humphrys Assistant Stage Manager.

Opened on Friday, July 19 with performances through August 17, 2024 at the Minerva Theatre in England.

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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

WIILIAM KLAGES a pioneer in the field of television lighting design, passed away on Sunday, July 7, in Santa Monica, California. He was 97.

The winner of seven Primetime Emmy Awards, Klages was inducted into the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2012, the only lighting designer to receive this honor.

William Maxwell Klages was born on May 7, 1927, in Long Beach, New York. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University, and was a licensed Professional Engineer. Before embarking on his professional career, he served as a naval officer.

In 1948, Klages was hired by NBC, where he lighted landmark shows starring Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, and Perry Como. In 1958, he married Julie Rosalie Light, an associate director at NBC. They enjoyed a loving marriage until Julie's death in 2009.

Throughout his career, Klages lighted an extraordinary range of acclaimed shows and events including "The Kraft Music Hall," "My Name Is Barbra," "Baryshnikov by Tharp," and the 1984 Olympics Closing Ceremonies in L.A. He founded his own company of lighting designers, New Klages Inc., and conducted seminars across the world, mentoring generations of lighting designers.

He is survived by his son, Jonathan Light Klages, a writer, editor, and musician, of Los Angeles, California.

BOB NEWHART Emmy and Grammy award winning star of two long-running TV sitcoms "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart" died July 18, 2024. He was 94.

The former accountant turned stand up comedian and recording artist became famous for his satirical "button down mind" style of deliver. He performed stand up throughout America including - for decades - regular headline performances in Las Vegas.

His album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, won a Grammy Award as album of the year at the 1961 Grammys – becoming the first comedy album to win that honor.

His television sitcoms thrust him into international status.

However, it was a guest spotas Arthur Jeffries on The Big Bang Theory which earned him his only Emmy award.

Newhart is survived by four children, Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy and Robert, and numerous grandchildren. His wife of 60 years, Virginia "Ginnie" Newhart, passed away in 2023.

Next Column: July 28, 2024
Copyright: July 21, 2024 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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