Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 23, 2017
By: Laura Deni
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FOOD FIGHT OVER PAUL McCARTNEY

That left-handed guitar player - Paul McCartney - who gained a bit of notoriety with a group called the Beatles is currently on tour. Before his performance last Wednesday in Wichita, Kansas some employees and ushers at the Intrust Bank Arena leaked an email they received regarding their eating habits.

The Wichita Eagle printed: "employees who planned to bring lunches that included meat were asked to eat them discreetly in their offices or in the locker area. Those who want to enjoy meaty concession items can do so if they take them to a designated area on the upper concourse after the concert starts."

While Kansas is definitely a beef eating state, it's unusual that such a food information e-mail would be made public. It's not unusual for artists have food issues.

Most artists have specific, enforceable food requests and rules as a codicil to their contracts. All the McCartney team did was e-mail a polite and soft spoken, friendly request.

Must have been a slow news day.

Sir Paul is one of the nicest people on the planet. He is an outspoken vegetarian and animal rights activist. Yet, all he requested is that people around him eat meat products "discretely."

I first included information about McCartney's eating habits in an October 1976 cover story I wrote for Pageant magazine. At the time Paul was married to his first wife, Linda, who passed away in 1998. It was an extremely happy marriage.

In my extremely lengthy article I wrote how Paul began his journey towards healthy living. Linda was a fabulous cook who knew how to serve up healthy vitals. The family enjoyed spending time at their Scottish farm, which had a herd of sheep. As an aside - all of the furniture in that farm house was hand carved by Paul who could have earned an exceptional living as a carpenter. At the time he wasn't a total vegetarian - rather giving up one type of meat at a time. I wrote about lamb: " . . . one evening while eating lamb, Paul looked out of their farmhouse window to see sheep running across the lawn. He looked down at his plate of cooked lamb and realized he was eating something that the day before that he had petted. The family stopped eating lamp."

In his first visit to Kansas he played 39 songs to a sold out crowd at the 12,000 seat Wichita area. The ageless and personable McCartney next performs July 25 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL.










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ART AND ABOUT

DELICIOUS AND REFRESHING Over 100 Years of Coca-Cola Advertising Calendars is on display through October 29, 2017 at the Museum of Arts & Sciences in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Coca-Cola Company is famous for its advertising which has taken many forms over the company’s long history.

Coca Cola, which was invented in an Atlanta, Georgia pharmacy in 1886 by Dr. John Stith Pemberton originally sold for a nickel a glass.

In 1891 Coca-Cola began using calendars as promotional material. The calendars were some of the company’s most popular advertising tools and they remain popular today.

They offer a window into the popular culture and art of their respective years.

Considered one of the most historically important collections featuring the American soft drink, the museum houses this one-of-a-kind, popular culture exhibit.

The Root Family Museum is one of 10 permanent installations at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, which is a member of the Smithsonian Institution’s Affiliations program.

The Root Family Museum was established in late 2001. With every imaginable item relating to the bottling, advertising and consumption of Coca-Cola in their collection, the Root family has collected one of the most historically important compilations of the infamous American soft drink on which their family fortune was founded. Through a selection of glass bottles representing the changing trends in bottling over the decades, this collection chronicles the transition of the Root Family Glass Works into associated Coca-Cola, the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the nation. This collection includes everything Coca-Cola, from the evolution of the Coca-Cola vending machines to the science behind the construction of the Coca-Cola bottle.

WORLD BODYPAINTING FESTIVAL 2017 takes place July 28-30, 2017 in Bodypaint City, Carinthia, Austria.

Since 1998 the most colorful event in the world takes place in Carinthia, in the south of Austria. The festival has a very long tradition and founded the modern bodypainting art movement.

Artists from more than 50 different nations will do their best to stun and entertain visitors at the 20th anniversary of the World Bodypainting Festival, the world championships for Bodypainters. High quality Art creates a special experience for all visitors of the Open Air art park Bodypaint City combined with music and shows.

The venue is situated in the inner city of the state capital Klagenfurt and framed picturesquely by the historical buildings of the theatre, the art house and the city gallery.

Musical entertainment is considered an essential part. Different stages and areas of action with national, as well as international bands, street musicians and DJs are part of Bodypaint City.

SWEET CHARITY

THE LEONARD DiCAPRIO FOUNDATION GALA takes place July 26, 2017 at The Domain Bertraud Belieu Vineyard in St. Tropez, France.

The fourth French Riviera annual fundraising auction has become famous for its opulence and ultra-high-profile guest list.

Since 1998, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) has been on a mission to protect the Earth’s last wild places, implementing solutions that restore balance to threatened ecosystems, and ensure the long-term health and wellbeing of all its inhabitants. The LDF brings attention and needed funding to three areas: protecting biodiversity, ocean & forest conservation, and climate change. Currently LDF supports over 70 high-impact projects in more than 40 countries around the world.

The 2016 Foundation Gala raised nearly $45 Million to help support the foundation’s mission of protecting the earth from climate change and environmental crisis. Event Chairs included Boris F.J. Collardi, CEO of Julius Baer, Philippe Cousteau, Jonah Hill, Kate Hudson, Tobey Maguire, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Caroline Scheufele, Kevin Spacey, Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Robert De Niro, Scarlett Johansson, and Charlize Theron.

DAN RATHER AND GRANDSON DRIVE AWAY - POSTING AS THEY GO

On July 17 Dan Rather posted these pictures on his Twitter account with the comment "stopping for tacos at "Taco John's" near Chadron, NE." #roadtrip

Last week veteran news anchor Dan Rather, 85, and his handsome grandson Martin, 20, enjoyed "an intergenerational drive across the heart of America" from Texas to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

All along the route they tweeted and posted on Facebook.

It was the type of experience that both will fondly remember as long as they live.

An underlying message of the adventure was Rather emphasizing his respect for and love of small town and regional newspapers.

In Oklahoma City the Texas native and his grandson toured the bombing memorial site.

“I’ll tell you this,” Rather posted. “Anybody who comes to Oklahoma and goes through Kansas and Nebraska as we did today and does not come away saying these are among the friendliest, most polite people in the world has missed something very important about the essence of America and particularly this middle part of the country.”

A lot of rubber necking took place when the famed journalist and his offspring stopped in Selena, Kansas. It seems they barely managed not to run out of gas. That resulted in an unexpected stop in Lindsborg, known as “Little Sweden.” Martin Rather confessed to being the driver who ignored the gas gauge. When he discovered they were a drop away from stranded they took the first exit in search of go juice for the car, which was Lindsborg.

“I had heard of a Manhattan, Kan.,” Martin Rather said in their Saturday Facebook video. “I had not heard of a Sweden in Kansas.”

He was impressed by the town’s “old-time video store,” he posted referring to Movies ’N More, which opened in 2002.

“I guess Netflix and Hulu haven’t come to that town quite yet,” Martin Rather reported.

Once a reporter always a reporter, Grandpa Dan read local newspapers along the journey. Commenting about the Salina Journal - and mispronouncing the town's name - which the Journal quickly but gently pointed out, the elder Rather reported that in the Saturday edition of the paper, “everything about Donald Trump ... was on the sixth page of the newspaper. The front page of the newspaper included a pretty good feature story on why you should be a little careful about eating mac and cheese.”

He went on to explain that residents on either coast think the world revolves around them, concluding that - it doesn't.

He opined that big-city newspapers daily put Trump and the Russian investigation on the front pages, “but it’s not the way it plays out here. It’s Page 6 news out here,” he observed.

Rather's latest book is What Unites Us, a collection of original essays reflecting on patriotism and what it means to be an American today.

A reoccurring road trip comment was that local news coverage is accurate, important and reflects the views of the American public.

— Dan Rather (@DanRather) July 16, 2017
“You learn all kinds of things driving through mid-America. Like: Sonic doesn't have bathrooms. Also you forget how flat Kansas is,” he wrote in a post.

The Emmy and Peabody Award winner who won the 2012 Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2004 really oops-ed on that one. Numerous tweets informed Rather than Sonic does have restrooms and Kansas isn't flat.

Heading into Nebraska, which is flat Rather posted comments about railroads spotted along the highways as they traveled from Grand Island, Nebraska, to Rapid City. Rather emphasized the importance of the railroad and trucking for hauling goods.

Martin Rather also posted that they had stopped at a gas station that sold beer, bait and ammo in Nebraska, though Martin admitted that they had forgotten the name of both the station and town.

During the trip on Sunday, Martin mentioned that they didn't see many restaurants opened on Sundays.

The duo did post about a stop at the McDonald's in Alliance, Nebraska commenting about a construction project taking place. They didn't always agree on everything.

Martin Rather described it as "a lovely McDonald's," while Dan Rather said "it was anything but beautiful". He also laughed that his breaded chicken sandwich had too much mayo.

Alliance the town also got a shout out with the elder Rather tweeting about traffic. He posted "driving on lonely -- few other cars -- but lovely stretch of Hwy 385 through NW Nebraska, near town of Alliance."

Traveling must have increased their appetites since there were frequent eating stops including Rather posting a photo of the duo stopping at a Chadron, Nebraska Taco John's.

When the traveling twosome finally reach Mount Rushmore in Raid City, South Dakota late last Sunday, July 16, 2017, they opined about who would be carved into the mountain were the carving be done today.

"At Mount Rushmore. The great monument never disappoints. Grandson Martin got his 1st view just before twilight. More tomorrow. #roadtrip" — Dan Rather (@DanRather) July 17, 2017

On Monday the pair took a tour of Mount Rushmore and visited the Crazy Horse Memorial Monument, which is still under construction and a short drive from Mount Rushmore.

The journalistic icon kept reminding his viewers and readers about one of the major purposes of the trip - to support local media. He emphasized that he's visited with local journalists at television stations in South Dakota. He also stressed that he'd read local newspapers and listened to news on local radio stations.

He touted local newspapers, reminding people that they offer excellent coverage. "If you are not subscribing to your local newspaper, then why not do so, because in many, many cases you are supporting first-rate journalism."

Another of his tweets stated: "Driving through Black Hills in SD. Where plains meet mysterious, mountains, where ghosts of Custer, crazy Horse, and wagon train women dance"

On Tuesday as his trip ended Rather posted on twitter: Dan Rather Verified account @DanRather "Regret we're going to miss The Great Black Hills Duck Race, which is in today's @RCJournal newspaper (a pretty good local newspaper btw). Leaving Rapid City, SD bound for NYC thru Denver. Our #roadtrip ends with fond memories. precious days for which I am prayerfully grateful".

SPREADING THE WORD

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUCHESS KATE AND THEIR CHILDREN

Duchess Kate beams as her two-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte holds her first official bouquet, a precious mini spray of flowers. Photo: Kensington Palace video

George who turned four yesterday, July 22, 2017, and Charlotte made their first official visit to Poland and Germany last week.

A serious portion of the visit for William and Kate was their emotional visit to World War II Polish prison Stutthof where 28,000 Jews died. Their visit to the Holocaust Museum in Berlin was a somber one. The couple walked through the Field of Stelae. The Memorial contains 2711concrete blocks and represents the enormity of the Holocaust.

However, the couple did participate in some more light hearten activities. They attended a belated birthday party for Queen Elizabeth II. The Duke and Duchess were introduced to a mix of guests including those from the worlds of business, art, fashion. Guests enjoyed the beautiful music played by a Polish orchestra led by Rafal Zambrzycki-Payne an award winning Polish-British musician.

A stop last Wednesday at the town market in Gdanski saw the royal couple greeted by a gathering of historical proportions - residents who came out to say Hello to Prince William and Kate. Everyone was treated to traditional polish music played by Capella Gedanesis a world renowned ensemble. Gdanski is also famous for their amber processing and the royals got an opportunity to watch the process. They also tried Gdansk delicacies - Goldwasser a traditional liqueur with flakes of gold and some delicious pierogi

Then Wills and Kate went to the Gdansk Shakespeare Theatre where couple visited the theatre and attended a reception.

Upon arriving in Germany it was Princess Charlotte, 2, who showed of her royal manners. The toddler was presented with her first official bouquet, a precious mini spray of flowers, given to her by German government representative Till Knorn. The happy girl confidently shook hands with British defense attaché Brigadier Rob Rider before smelling the flowers.

Duchess Kate showed off her musical skills by conducting the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra in the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Orchestra members, who usually wear serious expression, sported grins showing their delight in having Kate as their conductor. Photo: Kensington Palace video

On Thursday Charlotte and George's parents were feted at a reception in the mirrored hall at Clärchens Ballhaus, the last original dancehall in Berlin for some of the most exciting new names in the world of art, culture, style, fashion and technology. Wearing a gown by Markus Lupfer, Duchess Kate hob-knobbed with stars including Sam Riley and Game of Thrones star Tom Wlaschiha.

On Friday the couple not only enjoyed a special performance given by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra for the children of Hamburg at the Elbphilarmonie Concert Hall, Kate even demonstrated her musical skills.

Offered an opportunity to conduct the orchestra the former high school flute player took baton in hand and directed the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra for a few seconds (maybe union rules wouldn't allow a non union member more time???) as they played the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony - the famous - 'da, da, da, daaa'

Publicity disclosed that Kate was not only a member of her prep school's Chamber Orchestra and the senior flute group - known as the Tootie-Flooties - she was also deputy head chorister in the chapel choir and once even received a commendation a BBC carol competition.

RICHARD KING AND MERCEDES RUEHL star in a Staged Reading of Assisted Loving by Bob Morris which takes place next Sunday, July 28, at Guild Hall in The Hamptons, New York.

Directed by Gordon Greenberg.

What would you do if your 70-year-old father dragged you into his search for new romance after 50 years of marriage? David, a resolute bachelor learns more about love than he bargained for and as his father’s wingman and screener, sees some things he’d like to forget. Richard Kind and Mercedes Ruehl shake it up in a battle of the sexes at least as fizzy as a bottle of seltzer. Based on the author’s award winning memoir Assisted Loving: True Tales of Double Dating With My Dad, this is a heartfelt and hilarious true tale of a year of dating dangerously.

The cast also includes Brian Sills and Max Wolkowitz.

JONATHAN L. FAIRBANKS a distinguished arts and sculpture expert has announced that he is stepping down as director of the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA.

Over the past six decades has worked as a curator, historian, writer, administrator, and artist. Fairbanks, 84, had spent the majority of his career as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, where in 1971 he founded the American decorative arts and sculpture department, which he led for more than 25 years.

In honor of his contributions, the Fuller Craft board has named Fairbanks senior research associate and director emeritus for the museum. Deputy director Denise Lebica will act as interim director as the board conducts a national search for Fairbanks’s replacement - a position that will be officially known as the Jonathan Leo Fairbanks Executive Director.

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S DUNKIRK which opened in theatres last Friday, is earning rave reviews - both as a sweeping epic motion picture as well as for Oscar and three-time Tony Award-winner Mark Rylance who is featured in writer-director Christopher Nolan’s ensemble cast.

Set during the early stages of World War II, Dunkirk depicts the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France as Nazi troops advance. Rylance plays Mr. Dawson, a civilian mariner, who sets out with his teenage son on the English Channel to rescue Allied soldiers.

In addition to Ryland the movie features Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, and Tom Hardy.

Music is by Hans Zimmer; Cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema. The flick was edited by Lee Smith.

Rylance returns to Broadway this season to star in the acclaimed Shakespeare’s Globe production of Farinelli and the King, a new play with music by author and composer Claire van Kampen, who also handled the musical arrangements. Directed by John Dove, the set design is by Jonathan Fensom.

Previews will begin December 5, 2017 in advance of an opening night on Sunday, December 17, 2017 at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, March 25, 2018.

TUESDAY is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day. Thursday is National Scotch - as in liquor - Day. Friday is National Milk Chocolate Day and National Hamburger Day. Saturday is National Lasagna Day and National Chicken Wing Day.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING has been awarded $60,000 in National Endowment for the Arts Grants. The money will support the Wing’s youth development initiatives and its documentary series.



RIGOLETTO by Giuseppe Verdi.

Stage direction by Ruth Mariner.

Musical direction by Razvan Luculescu.

An international double casting features American Keanon Kyles, 29, from Chicago who under a year ago had spent the past six years as a janitor for newsroom ABC7. He frequently held down three jobs to keep his bills paid. When one of the station's music produces heard him sing, his life changed. This is his first lead in an opera.

Aside from intense training from vocal coach and mentor, Andrew Schultze, he has received intense teaching from dramatic soprano Deborah Voigt, soprano Stephanie Friede, Landestheater’s Paul Plummer, AVA- Philadelphia’s Tim Ribchester, Dutch National Opera’s Peter Nilsson and tenor and President of Piper Anselmi Artists Management, Mitchell Piper. Kyles also teaches voice performance in Jazz, Gospel and Musical Theatre in his downtown Chicago studio.

Also cast as Rigoletto is baritone and bass-baritone Russell Malcolm. Singing the role of Gilda are Maria Ximena Abello and Atalia Später a lyric coloratura from California, who graduated from the University of Redlands in 2013 with a Master of Music in Vocal Performance.

The Duke of Mantua will be sung by tenor Jorge Ferrando and Germán Gholami who are both from Spain.

Romanian Alexandru Onea will play Sparafucile and Michael Cunningham is Monterone.

Scottish Mezzo soprano Barbara Scott and Elisa Pittau will alternate with each singing Maddalena one evening and Giovanna & Countess Ceprano the other evening. Patrick Relph is Marullo and Mexican baritone Gabriel Juárez-Arbesú is cast as Count Ceprano.

The creatives include: Ancuta Doyle is the Repetiteurs. Set and costume designer is Patti Amat. Victoria Stevens serves as Assistant director. Lighting designer - Matt Wilson. Stage manager - Hannah Brown.

Sung in Italian with English supertitles. July 29-30, 2017 at the Renfield St. Stephen's Centre in Glascow, Scotland.

SHOUT SISTER SHOUT! book by Cheryl West. Based on Gayle Wald's book Shout, Sister, Shout! The Untold Story of Rok-And-Roll Trailblazer Rosetta Tharpe.

Created and directed by Randy Johnson.

Shout Sister Short! tells the story about the life and music of legendary gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, whose hits include Down by the Riverside, This Train, and Strange Things Happen Every Day. Tharpe, known as The Godmother of Rock & Roll, was a trailblazer in the history of American music and influenced some of the greatest Rock & Roll and R&B singers of all time, including Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner and Johnny Cash.

Starring Tracy Nicole Chapman as Rosetta Tharpe. Logan Charles, Yvette Cason, Michael A. Shepperd, Angela Teek, Thomas Hobson, Boise Holmes and Armando Yearwood, Jr.

Joining Johnson’s creative team are choreographer Keith Young, musical director Rahn Coleman, scenic designer Steven C. Kemp, costume designer Dana Rebecca Woods, lighting designer Jared A. Sayeg, sound designer Jon Gottlieb, wig/hair designer Carol F. Doran, casting director Michael Donovan, CSA and associate director Tyler Rhodes.

Performances will play July 26-August 20, 2017 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA.

SOMETHING ROTTEN the ten-time Tony-Award nominated musical comedy with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell.

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw.

"Welcome to the ‘90s - the 1590s - long before the dawn of premium tickets, star casting and reminders to turn off your cell phones. Brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of Opening Night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self... and all that jazz."

Three of the Broadway principals will be reprising their roles on tour: Rob McClure as Nick Bottom, Adam Pascal as Shakespeare and Josh Grisetti as Nigel Bottom.

The touring cast also features Maggie Lakis as Bea, Blake Hammond as Nostradamus, Autumn Hurlbert as Portia, Scott Cote as Brother Jeremiah and Jeff Brooks as Shylock.

Rounding out the ensemble are Lucy Anders, Kyle Nicholas Anderson, Kate Bailey, Daniel Beeman, Brandon Bieber, Mandie Black, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Ian Campayno, Pierce Cassedy, Eric Coles, Drew Franklin, Juliane Godfrey, Leah Hofmann, Kristie Kerwin, Ralph Meitzler, Patrick John Moran, Joel Newsome, Con O'Shea-Creal and Tonya Thompson.

The award-winning design team of Broadway veterans includes Scott Pask (scenic design), Gregg Barnes (costume design), Jeff Croiter (lighting design), Peter Hylenski (sound design), Josh Marquette (hair design), Phil Reno (music direction / conductor), Glen Kelly (arrangements), Larry Hochman (orchestrations) and casting by Telsey + Company/Bethany Knox, CSA.

The national tour has performances July 25 - July 30, 2017 at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, MO.

A CHORUS LINE music by Oscar and Tony winning Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante.

Directed and choreographed by Denis Jones.

Music direction by Ben Whiteley.

This singular sensation of a musical tells the story of 19 dancers at a final audition, vying for a spot in a Broadway show. A landmark American musical, A Chorus Line has been called “the greatest musical – ever.” With, A Chorus Line celebrates the dreams, guts and sweat and "what I did for love" in order to take a place “on the line.”

Starring Caley Crawford (Bebe), Rick Faugno (Al), Hannah Florence (Diana), Jolina Javier (Connie), Madison Johnson (Kristine), Sean Jones (Mike), Evan Kinnane (Bobby), Sarah Meahl (Val), Matt Meigs (Larry), Ian Paget (Paul), Justin Prescott (Don), Drew Redington (Mark), Kiira Schmidt (Judy), Bronwyn Tarboton (Maggie), Sharrod Williams (Richie), Victor Wisehart (Greg), Bianca Marroqun (Cassie) and Megan Sikora (Sheila).

Performances July 29-August 4 at The Muny in St. Louis, MO.

APOLOGIA by Alexi Kaye Campbell.

Directed by Jamie Lloyd.

Starring tony and Emmy winner Stockard Channing who returns to the London stage for the first time in 10 years.

In Apologia, Channing will play Kristin, a renowned art historian in her 60s who has a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with her two sons.

Performances begin July 29 at Trafalgar Studios on the West End and a limited engagement scheduled to run through November 18, 2017.

COMING CLEAN by Kevin Elyot, who is best known for the drama, My Night With Reg.

Tony and Greg seem to have love all figured out. They’re in a committed relationship, but with room for a little sex-on-the-side whenever it takes their fancy. Their only rule? Never sleep with the same man twice.

When drop-dead gorgeous cleaner Robert walks into their lives, the fragile foundations of their sexual contract are thrown into jeopardy. Funny, fresh and packed with razor sharp wit, Kevin Elyot’s landmark drama questions the nature of fidelity and the limits of love.

Coming Clean was Elyot’s first professionally produced play and is a complex examination of fidelity and love.

Performances July 25 - August 26, 2017. This thirty-fifth anniversary production headlines the King’s Head Theatre’s 2017 Queer Season.

WHO'S WHERE

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN sings and swings. It’s quintessential Feinstein singing the best songs from the Kings of Swing: Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. Larry Blank conducts the Paradena Pops Orchestra July 29, 2017 at the Los Angeles County Arboretum.

THE WHO open July 29 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with six shows through August 11, 2017.

NEIL DIAMOND stars at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on Monday, July 24. Wednesday's stop is at the Key Arena in Seattle, WA. On Friday he can be found at the Moda Center in Portland, OR, next Sunday, July 30, he'll be singing his hits at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA.

QUEEN AND ADAM LAMBERT are on stage Tuesday, July 25, at the TD Garden in Boston. Wednesday's stop is at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. On Friday they perform at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Next Sunday, they perform at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA.

TIM McGRAW AND FAITH HILL perform Friday, July 28, at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA. Saturday's stop is in San Jose, CA at the SAP Center.

MATTHEW AND GUNNAR NELSON perform their Ricky Nelson Remembered show on Saturday, July 29, at Jackpot Junction in Morton, MN. Next Sunday, July 30 they can be enjoyed at the City Winery in Nashville, TN.

MANDY GONZALEZ now starring in the Tony Award-winning hit musical Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler, brings her talents to Guild Hall in The Hamptons, New York on Monday, July 31, 2017, for a performance featuring classic Broadway songs by composer friends along with Pop songs and standards.

FINAL OVATION

CLAUDE HALL former Radio and TV Editor of Billboard died July 7, 2017 at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, the result of of heart complications and a fall. He was 84.

Hall spent 14 years as Radio and TV Editor of Billboard magazine. Although he covered the news in music and radio, he was mostly known for a column called Vox Jox. He is credited with coining the term "easy listening" in 1965 in describing the sound of WPIX-FM, a radio station then heard in metropolitan New York City.

Hall later served as a professor of Communications at S.U.N.Y. Brockport, and also was an instructor at UNLV of Communications and English. He also worked as a Graphic Designer for the City of Las Vegas, Arts and Cultural Affairs. He and his wife, Barbara, also wrote This Business of Radio Programming, considered by many to be the best book on radio programming ever written and once adopted as a textbook by 22 major universities.

He was preceded in death by his two brothers and sister. He is survived by his wife, who is a former publicist for UNLV's School of Performing Arts; and sons, John, Darryl and Andy.

MARTIN LANDAU Academy Award winner actor who also received seven Emmy nominations died July 15, 2017 following “unexpected complications” while he was hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 89.

At the age of 17, Landau started working as a cartoonist for the Daily News, illustrating Billy Rose's column "Pitching Horseshoes" and also assisting Gus Edson on the comic strip "The Gumps" during the 1940s and 1950s. At 22, he quit the Daily News to concentrate on theater acting.

He attended the Actors Studio, becoming good friends with James Dean, and was later in the same class as Steve McQueen. In 1957, he made his Broadway debut in Middle of the Night. In 1959, Landau made his first major film appearance, as Leonard, right-hand man of a criminal mastermind, in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest.

Landau played the role of master of disguise Rollin Hand in the US television series Mission: Impossible, becoming one of its better-known stars.

Encouraged by his own mentor, Lee Strasberg, Landau has also taught acting. Actors coached by him include Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston. In 2009, Landau and his Actors Studio colleagues, director Mark Rydell and writer Lyle Kessler, collaborated to produce the educational Total Picture Seminar, a two-day event covering the disciplines of acting, directing and writing for film.

He is survived by his two daughters, Susan and Juliet, from his marriage to actress and former co-star Barbara Bain. They married on January 31, 1957 and divorced in 1993.

CHESTER BENNINGTON lead vocalist of Linkin Park committed suicide, reportedly by hanging at his home in the Palos Verdes Estates of Los Angeles on July 20, 2017. He was 41.

The unique voice cf the two-time Grammy Award winner had propelled the Nu-Metal band to more than 70 million record sales.

Bennington, the former lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots, had six children from two wives. He had spoken openly about his struggles with drugs and alcohol. In a statement, Cameron Strang, CEO and chairman of Warner Bros. Records, said Bennington “was an artist of extraordinary talent and charisma, and a human being with a huge heart and a caring soul.” “Our thoughts and prayers are with his beautiful family, his band-mates and his many friends,” Strang said. “All of us at WBR join with millions of grieving fans around the world in saying: we love you Chester and you will be forever missed.”

Neil Portnow President/CEO of the Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Our Grammy family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of two-time Grammy winner Chester Bennington. As the cutting-edge lead vocalist of Linkin Park, Chester’s powerful range, paired with his impressive songwriting skills, made him a bona fide hard rock hero. His riveting stage presence made every live performance magnetic, earning him millions of fans around the globe. Having put as much passion into charitable causes as he did his musical craft, we were honored to pay tribute to him at our 2013 MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert, where he lent his time and talents to help raise money to assist members of the music community with the addiction treatment process. We have lost a truly dynamic member of the music community and our sincerest condolences go out to Chester’s family, friends, collaborators, and all who have been impacted by his work."

KENNETH JAY LANE noted for designing high end costume jewelry KJL which graced the bodies of the rick and famous died in his sleep either late July 20, 2017 or early July 21, 2017 in his Manhattan home. He claimed to be 85, although various reports listed him as either 86 or 87.

Lane started designing jewelry and launched his business in 1963 whilst producing bejeweled footwear for Dior and Arnold Scaasi. He first came to public attention after Jo Hughes, a fashion industry insider, showed some of his designs to Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor, who bought several pieces and recommended him to her friends.

Lane created designs for Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Vreeland, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Joan Collins, Greta Garbo, Nancy Reagan and the princesses Margaret and Diana. More recently in 2011, Britney Spears and Nicole Richie were seen wearing Lane jewelry. The Duchess of Windsor was rumored to have been buried wearing one of his belts. First Lady Barbara Bush wore one of his three-strand faux pearl necklaces to her husband's inaugural ball.

In 1966 Lane was awarded a special Coty Award for his jewelry design. He also won the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1968. Other awards received in the 1960s include the Tobé Coburn award (1966), the Harper's Bazaar International award (1967), the Maremodo di Capri-Tiberio d'Oro award (1967), and the Swarovski award (1969). In 1990 he won the Brides award.

A documentary film about the designer, called Fabulously Fake: The Real Life of Kenneth Jay Lane, is expected to be released in 2018.

Lane collected Orientalist paintings and there is a gallery named in his honor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in tribute to his philanthropy and bequests.

JOHN HEARD Emmy nominated and Obie Award winning actor best known for playing the father in Home Alone. On July 22, 2017 he was found dead in a hotel in Palo Alto, California where he was reportedly recovering after undergoing back surgery the previous Wednesday. He was 72.

. He began his acting career appearing off-Broadway in 1974 in Mark Medoff's play The Wager and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in 1977 in a series of new plays. Heard won a 1976-77 Obie Award for G. R. Point and the 1979-80 Obie for Best Performance in Othello and Split. He received a 1999 Emmy Award nomination, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role on The Sopranos as the troubled corrupt detective Vin Makazian. In 2003, he was inducted into the Gonzaga College High School Theatre Hall of Fame.

Divorced, Heard is survived by son John Matthew from his relationship with Melissa Leo, another son Max and daughter Annika from his marriage to Sharon Heard. He has two other former wives, Margot Kidder and Lana Pritchard.

JOSEPH RAGO Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial columnists for the Wall Street Journal was found dead at his home in Manhattan on July 20, 2017 after colleagues wondered while he failed to show up for work. He was 34-years-old.

Police indicated there was no foul play. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

Rago was known for being an outspoken critic of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, Rago joined the Wall Street Journal as an intern in 2005. Rago was a 2010 media fellow at the Stanford University Hoover Institution.

Next Column: July 30, 2017
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