Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 28, 2013
By: Laura Deni
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2013 SUMMER FRINGE FESTS OFFER A SMATTERING OF EVERYTHING

The King's Speech started out as a one night fringe reading.

Urinetown, The Drowsy Chaperone, The King's Speech, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding all started as fringe festival productions.

The King's Speech started out as a one night presentation at a London fringe festival. You never know who is part of a fringe audiences - maybe even the mother of a famous person.

That's how The King's Speech went from a one night presentation at a fringe festival to become an Oscar winning movie.

A staged reading of the play was presented in the London borough of Islington, and in the audience was director Tom Hooper's mother, Meredith, who is Australian.

It was the first time in her life that she had ever attended even a play reading, much less a fringe. She'd been invited by Australian friends and didn't dare refuse. Everyone, including her, were glad she came.

Immediately after leaving the theater, she called her son, who was finishing the HBO miniseries John Adams. and informed him that she had "found your next movie."

Producer Joan Lane, who had helped organize the Islington reading, decided the part of the speech therapist would be perfect for Geoffrey Rush. Lane requested an Australian associate to get Rush the script, using whatever means it took. In true fringe style, the script - in a brown paper bag - was left on his doorstep.

Upcoming fringe presenters are hoping to catch the same lightening in a bottle.

One of the most prestigious of them all, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and takes place every August for three weeks in Scotland’s capital city. This year the festival runs from August 2-26.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe intends to cram 45,464 performances of 2,871 shows in a total of 273 venues, located in every "nook and cranny" of the city.

Acts range from the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra to ground-breaking theatre from Scotland and beyond.

The Fringe comedy festival includes Russell Kane, Reginald D Hunter, Ardal O'Hanlon, Jenny Eclair, Al Murray and Lucy Porter.

There will be comedy, theatre, music, children's shows, dance and spoken word.

The spoken word section includes George Galloway MP, while Three Lions imagines David Beckham, Prince William and David Cameron finding themselves in a hotel room the night before England's bid for the 2018 World Cup. Ian Lavender, who played Pike in Dad's Army, makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut alongside Omid Djalili in a stage version of The Shawshank Redemption.

Scottish Opera will perform five shows and Motown legends Martha Reeves and the Vandellas will appear at The Assembly Rooms.

For the first time the Scottish Government will expand its support for Scottish-based artists to perform.

Last January Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop announced that the Made in Scotland funding program will be extended to support music acts in addition to theatre and dance.

Martha Reeves performing in 2011. Photo by: Begnt Nyman

She said: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s biggest arts festival, attracting visitors and artists from all over the globe to experience the cultural and creative talent it has to offer.

“It makes strong economic sense to ensure Scotland’s own exceptional talent is at the centre of the Fringe and our artists are given opportunities to benefit from the global exposure the festival brings. Through Made in Scotland – part of the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund - the Scottish Government continues to demonstrate its commitment to doing exactly that.

“Since 2009 we have provided £1.6m (almost $3m) through Made in Scotland to support 56 theatre and dance productions to perform at the Fringe and to embark on a range of international touring opportunities.

“Expanding the scope of the scheme to support musicians is a natural next step for Made in Scotland. For the successful applicants, it will provide access to fantastic support, expertise, training and advice, exposure to esteemed international promoters and funding towards performing at the 2013 Fringe.”

The Made in Scotland music program will be a five day focus run from August 14-18.

The Minnesota Fringe will take place on six venues in Minneapolis, hosting 176 original theater, dance and musical theater productions over the course of the 11-day festival, set for August 1-11.

Minnesota Fringe is an uncurated festival, with participants selected by random drawing.

One of the oldest and largest fringe festivals in the country, in 2012, the Minnesota Fringe issued 46,284 tickets for 829 performances of 163 shows, and featured the work of over 1,100 artists. The festival returns at least 65% of ticket sales to the participating producers; in 2012, it paid over $230,000 to artists.

The Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival is a riotous celebration of theatre old and new, edgy and not-so edgy, that happens for 11 days every August in the Mass Ave Cultural District in downtown Indianapolis. The festival exploded in Indianapolis eight years ago and has grown into an annual cultural attraction that keeps drawing record audiences.

With 8 different venues, 64 performing groups, and 384 performances, people come back year after year to see what is new and exciting in the world of theatre.

The 9th Annual IndyFringe Festival takes place August 15-25, 2013.

Urinetown got its start at Fringe NYC

FringeNYC will celebrate its 17th Anniversary August 9th - 25th, 2013. With over 1,000 performances, FringeNYC is the largest multi-arts festival in North America.

The juried festival is produced by The Present Theatre Company, Inc. Total payout from most recent festival: $350,000 Average payout from most recent festival: $1,872. Ticketed attendance exceeds 70,000.

The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF)'s fourteenth season is in full swing with mountings through August 4th at the June Havoc Theatre, the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, Main Stage Theatre and the Jewel Box Theatre in New York City.

MITF includes full-length plays and musicals, as well as Short Subjects. The lineup represents submissions in all genres. Nonmusical plays run 45-90 minutes; musicals may run for up to two hours.

John Chatterton, MITF executive producer created the MITF in 2000, a Midtown alternative to other theatre festivals, as a way to present the finest Off-Off Broadway talent in convenience, comfort, and safety. The MITF's artistic emphasis is on the script itself, and therefore the Festival focuses on effective but minimal production values.

Fringe Wilmington is a five-day, no-holds-barred celebration of unconventional and experimental art in all major art disciplines: performance art (theater, spoken word and music), visual art, and cinematic arts.

The festival offers nightly after party activities, including outrageous musical acts, game shows, and more-all in the "fringe" spirit. Fringe Wilmington draws artists and audiences from several nearby metropolitan areas, including Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.



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ART AND ABOUT

SIDEWALK SURFING: THE ART OF SKATEBOARDING exclusive to the Everhart Museum, Sidewalk Surfing is a multi-disciplinary exhibition highlighting the multicultural roots of skateboarding in the United States, as well as the popular culture of the sport today.

Skateboarding may have its roots on the West Coast in the ancient sport of surfing, found in Polynesia and ancient Peru, but it also developed on the East Coast in urban areas with its paved streets and roads during the early 20th century.

After its boon in the 1960s, skateboarding as a pastime quickly spread around the country and today is often linked to youth culture and sport.

The Everhart Museum will present artifacts and artwork that reflect the cultural importance of skateboarding, as well as design, technology, demographics, contemporary art, and social impact of the sport on society.

August 2- December 30, 2013 in the Maslow Gallies of the Everhart Museum in Scranton, PA.

THE DOROTHY AND HERBET VOGEL COLLECTION: 50 WORKS FOR 50 STATES Beginning in 1962, Dorothy and Herbert Vogel began collecting contemporary works of art. A librarian and a postal worker, respectively, the New York City couple dedicated one of their salaries to purchasing art, and in a few decades they had amassed a collection encompassing thousands of works.

In a unique partnership with the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Vogels distributed 2,500 works from that collection, with 50 works going to one art museum in each state, including VMFA.

The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States showcases all 50 works received by VMFA in 2008. While the Vogel collection is best known for its examples of Minimal and Conceptual art, the donations also explore numerous directions of the Post-Minimalist period including Figurative and Neo-Expressionist works.

The exhibition will showcase objects by American artists Anne Arnold, Robert Barry, Richard Francisco, Don Hazlitt, Martin Johnson, Steve Keister, Alain Kirili, Cheryl Laemmle, Jill Levine, Joseph Nechvatal, David Novros, Larry Poons, Lucio Pozzi, Edda Renouf, Judy Rifka, Pat Steir, Daryl Trivieri, Richard Tuttle, and Thornton Willis.

July 27 – December 8, 2013 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, VA.

THE CLOTHESLINE ART SALE Since 1946, Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York has proudly hosted the annual Clothesline Art Sale, a community event that showcases original works by East End artists.

Nearly 400 artists enter the sale each year, with their work attracting thousands of art lovers looking for the next de Kooning, Prince, or Sherman.

Works range in price from $50 to $2,000, with all proceeds split 50/50 between the artist and Guild Hall. Proceeds from the sale benefit Guild Hall of East Hampton. Free Admission to the sale.

Saturday, August 3, Guild Hall, East Hampton, New York.

THE MUSIC GOES ROUND AND ROUND

WHEN I GROW UP: BROADWAY'S NEXT GENERATION Live at 54 Below Aaron Tveit's one night, sold out March 17, 2013 concert of the same name, staged at 54 Below in New York City, will be released as a CD on July 30 by Broadway Records. The concert also returns to 54 Below for a July 29 encore engagement.

A splendid CD which establishes that Broadway musicals have a bright future, thanks to these capable, though youthful, performers.

A wonderful, easy listening addition to a CD collection.

Featuring seasoned pros Emily Rosenfeld (Annie), Caleb McLaughlin (The LionKing,) Kelsey Fowler (Grey Gardens, Sunday in the Park, Bonnie & Clyde), Ethan Haberfield (Mary Poppins), Grace Capeless (A Christmas Story), Isabela Moner (Evita), Matthew Gumley (Mary Poppins, Elf, Addams Family, Beauty and the Beast), Matthew Schechter (Waiting for Godot, Mary Poppins, Elf, Newsies), Neil McCaffrey (Mary Poppins, Billy Elliott), Rozi Baker (Shrek, Mary Poppins, Bonnie & Clyde), and Zoe Considine (A Christmas Story). They may be kids, but this isn't a children's record. Although the performers aren't old enough to vote (all under the age of 17), the selections are adult, including I Believe from The Book of Mormon which is just about the only song from that production that a ‘tween should be permitted to sing.

Their voices are rich, trained, mature beyond their years. Clear, powerful solos and selections with voices which flawlessly blend. In a manner of speaking, these Broadway veterans are musically grown up. The age part will catch up with them, whether they want it to, or not.

Many times children have difficulty in enunciating. Not on this CD. Amazing articulation. The singers also demonstrate an ability to convey sensitive lyrical interpretation. The musical accompanying is gentle, not meant to dominate or overpower. A beautiful blending of arrangements, musicianship and singing. That doesn't mean this is soft peddled pap. They let it whale with When I Drive and then get mellow on Mr .Cellophane. The clever Grow For Me is followed by the fast paced Getting Married Today which shows Rozi Baker, Kelsey Fowler and Matthew Gumley's powerful voices and ability to speed sing.

The musical selections are perfect. The songs aren't - by themselves - hits driven to the top of the charts by a famous singer. That would beg for a comparison. Wisely, these musical numbers are associated with shows, not individuals.

Concert concept conceived by Van Dean, directed by Kenny Howard and musically directed by Michael J. Moritz, Jr. Assistant direction by Yvette Kojic. The album is produced by Michael J. Moritz, Jr. and executive-produced by Dean and Howard, of The Broadway Consortium, and Ken Mahoney. The track list:

Song of Purple Summer from Spring Awakening
Show Off from The Drowsy Chaperone
Agony from Into the Woods
You Can't Win from The Wiz
When I Drive from Bonnie and Clyde
Mr. Cellophane from Chicago
Summer in Ohio from The Last Five Years
Superboy and the Invisible Girl from Next to Normal
Grow for Me from Little Shop of Horrors
Getting Married Today from Company
Worlds Apart from Big River
Waiting For Life from Once Upon this Island
You Could Drive a Person Crazy from Company
Farmer Tan from Pump Boys and the Dinettes
Bring the Future Faster from Rooms, a Rock Romance
Agony (Reprise)
A Way Back to Then from {title of show}
Someone to Fall Back On from Wearing Someone Else's Clothes
I Believe from Book of Mormon
For Now from Avenue Q
Outro performed by Michael J. Moritz, Jr. and the Band

Bass: Adam DeAscentis; Drums: Billy LaGuardia; Sax/Flute/Clarinet: Joe Graziosi; Guitar: Ed Levy.

Mixed and Mastered at Kontinuous Jams Studios. Engineer Lake Baum.

SWEET CHARITY

HUGH JACKMAN will make his Southern California stage debut this fall in a benefit for .the Motion Picture & Television Fund The Tony winner and Oscar nominee will perform his hit Broadway show One Night Only on Saturday, October. 12, at the Dolby Theatre. The evening will include a mix of musical entertainment and Hollywood film highlights.

Jackman has long been a supporter of the Motion Picture & Television Fund, a 92-year-old charity that provides healthcare and retirement services to those in the entertainment community.

"Films, television and theater have brought me great success throughout my career, and it is one of my greatest pleasures to give back by putting on a show as a benefit to support MPTF," Jackman said in a statement.

The One Night Only event, co-chaired by 20th Century Fox CEO Jim Gianopulos, will also include a live and online auction.

THE 32nd ANNUAL STURGIS BUFFALO CHIP MOTORCYCLE AND MUSICAL FESTIVAL takes place August 2-11, 2013 in Sturgis, SD.

Performers include legendary hard rocker and philanthropist Kid Rock, Grammy Award winning hard rockers Halestorm who will open for the legendary band ZZ Top, Toby Keith, Brantley Gilbert, Queensrÿche and Sublime with Rome.

Kid Rock will take the Buffalo Chip’s stage on Monday, August 5th, following the motorcycle rally’s premier charity event, The Legends Ride.

The Legends Ride, The Ride that Rocks, was created in 2008 as a way to raise significant funds for worthwhile charities in the Black Hills.

Celebrity Legends that have participated in the ride include Neil Schon from Journey, Aerosmith front man and American Idol judge Steven Tyler, “Big” Kenny of Big & Rich, comedic icon Pee-Wee Herman, America’s Favorite Survivor and Indiana Gubernatorial candidate Rupert Boneham, Kristi Swanson of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, infamous motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel and three generations of custom bike building fame, the Ness Family.

In five years, the Legends Ride has raised more than $240,000 that has been donated to various charities throughout the hills.

SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY PRESENTS PEARL a new opera which was offered in a very popular workshop version last year will be presented at Shakespeare & Company as a special one-night engagement August 5 in the Tina Packer Playhouse in Lenox, MA.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the Actor Training Scholarship Program.

A modern retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s timeless novel The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is told from the viewpoint of the daughter of Hester Prynne.

The libretto was written by feminist psychologist Carol Gilligan (together with her son Jonathan Gilligan) who also penned a stage adaptation of The Scarlet Letter, which was produced by Shakespeare & Company in 2002.

The project of Pearl was initiated by Grammy-nominated conductor Sara Jobin, a Berkshire County resident, who was the first woman to conduct the San Francisco Opera.

The composer is Amy Scurria, who has had pieces commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, among others.

Performers in the opera include Maureen O’Flynn and John Cheek, both regulars on the Metropolitan Opera stage.

SPEED DATING AND PUNK SCIENCE

Affinity at Land's End, Cornwall, England. Cambridge University Eco-Racing (CUER) is the UK's number one solat car rcing team. Founded in 2007, its first prototype vehicle, Affinity became the first solar-powered car to drive legally on UK roads. Photo: Christopher Uglow, Cambridge University Eco Racing

The Science Museum in London is exploring speed - as they put it "that’s velocity, not the recreational drug." Visitors can build and race their own speed machines, meet the UK’s entry for the World Solar Challenge and discuss free running with the experts; as well as taking part in the silent disco, speed dating and punk science shows.

This month, the Science Museum is on the fast track. Visitors arre invited to build and race their own speed machine, meet the UK racing car entered into the World Solar Challenge, discuss free running with the experts and listen to talks on the speed of communication all on Wednesday, July 31. UK’s number-one contender for the World Solar Challenge 2013 and the team from Cambridge University Eco Racing will be on hand, along with members of the 60-strong student team to explain how their innovative design is capable of reaching motorway speeds with the power of a hairdryer.

Then there is Rollapaluza Roller Racing. You can cycle 500 metres as fast as possible without going anywhere. It might sound crazy, but in fact it’s a 1940s craze called ‘Rollapaluza’.

Participate in the Speed Derby. Put your creative and engineering skills to the test and make your own speed machine. Have fun racing it down the custom-built track while competing for a prize.

Faster than the Eye is a bit of entertainment where experimental illusionist Neil Monteiro gives a rare insight into the methods of the quickest card sharps and conjurors. See apparently impossible stunts of speed and reaction with demonstrations of the science behind the trickery.

Originally trained as a theoretical physicist, Neil's performances draw ideas from many areas of science, highlighting the things we know - and don't know about the world. Neil focuses on the common ground between magic and science, the techniques they share and the difficulty we can have in distinguishing them - particularly when it comes to pseudoscience.

Free Running is where you can find out from the experts how they can jump from great heights and land without a scratch. Using their bodies and the world around them, these guys propel themselves through the streets at amazing speeds.

Oh, brings you running shoes. The Beep Tst Challenge will push you to the beeping limit. Run against the beeps to see if you can beat the scores of the RAF, Royal Marines and British Army.

Making Time: Slowness in a Speedy World finds Science Museum Curator of Time David Rooney looking at the clocks that sped up our lives - and the timekeepers offering a slower alternative. From the girl with the golden voice to the Clock of the Long Now, time technology plays a crucial role in helping us navigate the modern world.

Punk Science: The Fast and the Spurious will take visitors on a comical journey into the science of speed with quick-witted comedy and fast-paced science demonstrations. The Speed Cup Stacking Challenge give you the opportunity to become become the skilled cup-stacker you always wanted to be. Watch the experts and join in the fun.

Other activities include: Silent Disco - Whether you’re practicing your moves or just in the mood to slam dunk the funk, grab a headset, select your tunes and dance until you drop. The Science Museum does not accept responsibility for the quality of some of the moves you will see this evening. Speed Dating - a ticketed event which could be your chance to meet the person of your dreams - or possibly - nightmares. There’s also a free drink thrown in for all daters.

Not to be left in somebody's tail wind is the Fleet Science Center in San Diego, CA. They are featuring On The fly, multiple daily performances by small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), complemented by interactive stations where visitors can create flying objects of their own and then test them out using wind tubes or a motorized airplane launcher.

A digital media kiosk highlights current events involving unmanned flight technology and its uses.

The UAVs take flight in a temporary arena in the Main Gallery - hovering, moving, reassembling and reshaping the space. The entire performance is controlled by a laptop. This fascinating display highlights the unique characteristics of the UAVs and how they fly, using magnetometers, pressure sensors, ultrasound sensors, gyroscopes rotors and motors.

After enjoying the show, you can apply the principles of aerodynamics to create your own aircraft in On the Fly.

The Fleet provides all the supplies, and you provide your creativity in crafting a flying object. See how well your creation takes flight by testing it out in a wind tube or sending it into the sky with the motorized airplane launcher.

Hurry into the Fleet, and enjoy this exhibition before it takes off at the end of the year! Opens Friday, August 2 and flies through December 31, 2013 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego, CA.

SPREADING THE WORD

SIOUX FALLS JAZZ & BLUES  reported  record attendance at their  JazzFest which took place  July 18-20. An estimated 125,000 people attended the Sioux Falls, South Dakota music festival. Headliners included Dr. John, North Mississippi Allstars, and Sheryl Crow.

KEVIN SPACEY an Emmy contender  for his  starring role  in House of Cards tweeted a congratulatory message to his fellow nominees and then wondered what the Vegas odds were on who would win. Sin City experts haven't yet posted their picks, but Gold Daddy has. The Experts' Rankings have all three listing  Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad has their top pick. Second choice has two of the experts going for Damian Lewis  for Homeland and one for Kevin Spacey. In the third spot, two of the experts pick Spacey and one for Lewis. 

The Editors Picks  have a complete split with Robert Bianco, Damian Lewis, and Kevin Spacey each getting one vote. In second place, two votes for Ryan Cranston with one going for Damian Lewis. The third picks are  two for Spacey and one for  Jeff Daniels for The Newsroom.

JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY playwright, screenwriter and director, Oscar, Tony, Writers’ Guild and Pulitzer Prize winner, has been announced at the Honoree of the 33rd Annual William Inge Theatre Festival in Independence, Kansas, at Independence Community College. Shanley will attend the Inge Festival, March 26-29, 2014, and present a writing workshop. At the multi-media Tribute performance that concludes the festival, Shanley will accept the annual William Inge Theatre Festival’s Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award, joining a roster of internationally renowned playwrights who have traveled to the Inge Festival to receive thr honor. This select company includes Arthur Miller, Stephen Sondheim, Edward Albee, Wendy Wasserstein, David Henry Hwang, Tina Howe and Neil Simon, to name only a few.

JUST ASKING, WHY? WHEN you board an airline in America and fly to Europe, ordering vegetarian or vegan for meals, somebody tosses a granola bar your way and cryptically tells you to "enjoy your breakfast."  However, when you board any airline brand,  in any European country, flying back to America and order vegetarian or vegan, you are presented with a glorious meal that is so tasty the impulse is to say, 'give my regards to the chef."    

 

STORK DROP OFF . . .

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE AND HER HUSBAND PRINCE WILLIAM became parents of a son they named George Alexander Louie (pronounced Loo ee) on July 22, 2013. The prince of a fella tipped the scales at 8 pounds, 6 ounces.

Queen Elizabeth's third great grandchild will have a playmate when Zara Phillips gives birth the first part of January to what will be Princess Anne's third grandchild, the Queen's fourth great-grandchild and little Prince George's second cousin.

GARTH BROOKS is now a grandfather. His daughter August gave birth last week to a little girl who has been named Karalynn.

HUNTER MAHAN AND KANDI HARRIS he's the pro golfer and she is a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and Dallas Mavericks dancer- became parents of a baby girl on July 27, 2013. Mahan, 31, was leading the RBC Canadian Open by two strokes through two rounds of play, having shot 13-under the first 36 holes, when the phone call came that his wife was in labor. Mahan walked off the course and dropped out of the tournament, so that he could be by his wife's side. The couple married in 2011.

Mahan, an American who plays on the PGA Tpur is the winner of two World Gold Championships events, the 2010 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Mahan is one of four golfers in the PGA Tour exclusive boy band "Golf Boys" (the other three golfers are Rickie Fowler, Ben Crane and Bubba Watson). The Golf Boys currently have a popular YouTube video for the song Oh Oh Oh.. Farmers Insurance will donate $1,000 for every 100,000 views of the video. The charitable proceeds will support both Farmers and Ben Crane charitable initiatives.



THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY book by Marsha Norman, based on the best selling novel. Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Bartlett Sher

The cast includes: John Paul Almon, Jennifer Allen, Nick Bailey, Whitney Bashor, Daniel Jenkins, Caitlin Kinnunen, Michael X. Martin, Cass Morgan, Steven Pasquale, Elena Shaddow, Laura Shoop, and. Tim Wright.

In 1992, a rural American romance by an unknown author became a literary phenomenon. Millions of readers have been captivated by the simple story of Francesca, a beautiful Italian woman who marries an American soldier to flee war-ravaged Italy.

Her new life in Iowa is common until she encounters Robert, a loner and artist, whose photography at National Geographic shields him from commitment and connection.

Their three days of flirtation, memories of Naples, food, and laughter inspire a timeless love, and an impossible choice. Lushly transforming the best-selling novel into an intimate musical work for the stage, Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown have added new resonance to a lyrical portrait of true love, loss, sacrifice, and devotion.

Scene Design by Michael Yeargan. Costume Design by Catherine Zuber. Lighting Design by Donald Holder. Sound Design by Jon Weston. Musical Director is Thomas Murray.

A world premiere August 1 - 18, 2013 on the Mainstage of the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, MA.

THE EPIC ADVENTURE OF NHAMO THE MANYIKA WARRIOR AND HIS SEXY WIFE CHIPO by Denton Chikura. A world premiere presented by Tiata Fahodzi in association with Tricycle Theatre.

"Nhamo you are a legend of African Folklore! Hollywood awaits!"

With just 24 hours to create the ultimate African fable, the superstar cast is missing a hero. Suddenly, a dashing goatherd appears on the horizon… Nhamo. Is he The One? Storytelling is turned on its head in this Zimbabwean comedy of epic…epicness!

August 1, 2013 to August 17, 2013 at The Tricycle Theatre in London.

THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL a rousing score by Frank Wildhorn and inspiring lyrics by Nan Knighton. Directed by Marco Gomez.

A high-adventure, Tony-nominated musical based on the original secret identity hero. Set in 1794 during France’s “reign of terror,” a seemingly foppish British aristocrat takes on the identity of the mysterious Pimpernel who outwits French revolutionaries, rescues fellow countrymen and romances a brave and passionate beauty delivering a that we all have heroism lodged deep within.

Presented by the DOMA Theatre Company August 2 through September 8 at the MET Theatre in Los Angeles.

THE SAME DEEP WATER AS ME a new play by Evening Standard Award winner Nick Payne. Directed by John Crowley.

Had an accident at work? Tripped on a paving slab? Cut yourself shaving? You could be entitled to compensation. Andrew and Barry at Scorpion Claims, Luton’s finest personal injury lawyers, are the men for you. When Kevin, Andrew’s high school nemesis, appears in his office the opportunity for a quick win arises. But just how fast does a lie have to spin before it gets out of control?

Starring monica Dolan, Peter Forbes, Joanna Griffin, Isabella Laughland, Nigel Lindsay, Daniel Mays, Niky Wardley, and Marc Wootton.

Designer: Scott Pask - Lighting Designer: Peter Mumford - Sound Designer: Christopher Shutt.

August 1, 2013 - September 28, 2013 at the Donmar Warehouse in London.

PETER PAN: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE Composed by George Stiles. Lyricist Anthony Drewe. Book by Willis Hall. Based on J.M. Barrie’s original play.

Directed by Pierre Brault. Music Director is Eddie Carney.

Sir James Barrie’s timeless tale of the boy who never grew up is reborn as a spectacular musical by Stiles & Drewe and the late Willis Hall. Close your eyes and imagine - and join in for a trip beyond the stars to Neverland, where swashbuckling pirates, beautiful mermaids and mischievous fairies have adventures everyday, and children never grow up.

August 2 - 4; 8 - 11 and 15 - 17 at Mercury Summer Stock in Cleveland, Ohio.

SHIDA a new musical, written and performed by Jeannette Bayardelle. The musical is directed by Tony Award winner Andy Sandberg.

Set to a score of rock, jazz, R&B, and gospel music, SHIDA is a solo musical based on the true story of a young African-American girl who aspires to become a writer, tracing the ups and downs of her family, friendships, and love life - from the double-dutch court at St. Mary's Catholic School in the Bronx to a scholarship at NYU. Her dreams become sidetracked by hardship and loss until her faith and those closest to her combine to restore Shida's hope and give her a second chance.

Scenic design by Charlie Corcoran, lighting design by Grant Yeager, costume design by Michael McDonald and sound design by David Sanderson. Musical direction is by Jesse Vargas. Music supervisor is Larry Lelli. Alexander Orbovich is General Manager.

Jeannette Bayardelle won the NAACP Theater Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance in The Color Purple. Opening night ofr SHIDA is July 31. This Off-Broadway engagement runs through August 28 as part of Ars Nova Summer Fling, NYC. Ms. Bayardelle performed a sold-out one-night-only concert version of SHIDA at Birdland in 2011 as part of the Broadway at Birdland series, and SHIDA subsequently received a workshop at Ars Nova as part of the Project Residency Initiative, both under the direction of Mr. Sandberg. Ars Nova Summer Fling, which provides independent productions with subsidized performance space and production support to help artists from the Ars Nova community bring their creative vision to life on our stage.

WHO'S WHERE

TAYLOR SWIFT performs Thursday, August 1, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA. On Friday she begins a two nighter at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

PHISH begin a two nighter Tuesday, July 30, at the Outdoor Arena at Harveys in Stateline, NV. On Friday they start a three night gig at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

PINK has an 8 show engagement at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Darling Harbour, Australia. The four shows that take place this week open on Tuesday, July 30, with performances also on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

JUSTIN BIEBER opens a two nighter at the Prudential Center in Newark, NY on Tuesday, July 30. On Friday he stars at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. On Saturday he's on stage at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

BRUNO MARS appears Tuesday, July 30 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. Wednesday's show is at the US Airways Center in Phoenix. On Friday the show is at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City. On Saturday he's in Las Vegas for a show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

BLAKE SHELTON entertains Thursday, August 1, at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Friday's performance takes place at the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA. On Saturday he's on stage at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL.

MERCYME perform Saturday, August 3, at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, OK.

FINAL OVATION

BRIONY McROBERTS actress and wife of David Robb, who plays Dr. Clarkson in the hit period drama Downton Abby committed suicide July 17, 2013 when she jumped in front of a tube train. Her body was found on the tracks at Fulham Broadway train station in London. She was 56.

McRoberts appeared in Scottish drama Take The High Road for nine years and also starred in Taggart, The Bill and EastEnders. She also starred alongside Peter Sellers in comedy film The Pink Panther Strikes Again.

She is survived by her husband David Robb.

DENNIS FARINA former Chicago police officer turned actor died July 22, 2013 in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona after suffering a blood clot in his lung. He was 69.

The successful television and movie actor was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and played an avid fan in a 1988 revival of the successful 1977 Organic Theater Company stage play The Bleacher Bums which was written by and starred fellow Chicago actors Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz.

Franz was divorced. He is survived by his long time girlfriend Marianne Cahill whom he lived with in Arizona. He is also survived by his three sons Dennis Jr, Michael and Joseph from his 1970-1980 marriage to Patricia Farina. He is also survived by two granddaughters, Brianna and Olivia, and four grandsons: Michael, Tyler, Matthew and Eric.

DOMINGUINHOS born José Domingos de Morais was a Brazilian composer and singer. In December 2012, Dominguinhos was taken to a hospital in Recife with cardiac dysrhymia and respiratory tract infection. He was later transferred to the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital, in São Paulo, where his coma was described as permanent and doctors stated there was no hope he was ever awaken.

He died on July 23, 2013, due to infectious and cardiac complications, according to the Sírio-Libanês Hospital. He was 72.

Dominguinhos performed with countless musicians and in 1997 wrote the soundtrack of the film O Cangaceiro.

Gabriel Abaroa Jr. President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy issued the following statement:

“Two-time Latin Grammy winner Dominguinhos was one of Brazil’s most treasured icons. An accordionist, singer, composer, and protégé to Luiz Gonzaga, he was revered as a great national influence to artists such as Chico Buarque de Hollanda, Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethânia, Elba Ramalho, and Toquinho, among others. His musical genius, humble character and generosity will live on through his enduring contributions, and we mourn his loss along with our Brazilian musical family. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, colleagues and fans everywhere.”

MILLER WRIGHT a thetrical publicist died July 18, 2013 after falling from the window of his apartment, located on the 23rd floor. He has been cleaning his windows. He was 59.

Wright had been involved in the the theatrical community as both publicist and personal manager since 1986. Well respected, he worked for many years at Shirley Herz and Associates, for clients like The Theatre for a New Audience and Primary Stages, and for a time was with Lincoln Center Theater. In 2001 he opened his own firm Miller Wright and Associates.

He represents Pulitzer Prize winning writers, Academy Award winning actors, Emmy Award winning actresses, Grammy Award winning musicians and Tony Award winning composers.

He handled the national publicity and marketing campaigns for well over 100 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including Contact which won the 2000 Tony Award, Twelfth Night with Helen Hunt, Little Foxes with Stockard Channing, Gypsy with Tyne Daly, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof with Kathleen Turner, The Threepenny Opera with Sting and all 50 national and international companies of Forever Plaid. He also worked on the publicity and media promotions for the 2001 Tony Awards.

He also represented the cabaret Feinstein's at the Regency during its existence.

Individual artists he represented for their cabaret engagements included Cleo Laine, George Shearing, Rosemary Clooney, Maude Maggart, Barbara Carroll, John Pizzarellii, Keely Smith; Chita Rivera, Judy Kohn, Andrea Marcovicci, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Patti LuPone. For 15 years, he worked with singer Ann Hampton Callway.

He is survived by sisters Joni Wright Demera and Linda Croner and half-sister Heidi Barringer.

MIKE SHIPLEY Grammy award winning recording producer, engineer and mixer has died. His death was announced on July 26, 2013. No case of death or age were released. Born in Australia, he got his first real in London working for Wessex Studios, home to Queen and Thr Sex Pistols. His first engineering sessions were during the punk-music explosion of the late 70s and early 80s and included recordings with the likes of these names and others, including The Damned.

Asked to work with The Cars, Shipley went to Los Angeles in 1984, where he has since been based.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Three-time Grammy winner Mike Shipley was a multitalented producer, engineer and mixer. Throughout his impressive career, he worked with a vast variety of acts across many genres, including Aerosmith, the Black Crowes, Def Leppard, Faith Hill, Enrique Iglesias, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, and Shania Twain. We have lost a beloved industry professional who leaves behind a legacy of enduring work, and our sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.”

PAUL SZILARD famed dancer, died peacefully at home on Friday, July 26, 2013, at the age of 100.

He was born in Budapest, Hungary on August 24, 1912 and became a United States citizen in the 1950’s. A former leading dancer, Paul Szilard has performed throughout the world with such famous dancers as Nora Kaye, Colette Marchand, Sonia Arova and others. As a world-renowned impresario, he has presented such prestigious dance companies as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, for whom he was the exclusive international representative for almost 40 years, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Martha Graham Dance Company, Dancers of Bali, Madrid’s Ballet Víctor Ullate, Universal Ballet and the American premiere engagement of the Bunraku Japanese Doll Theater.

He produced the first Japanese tour of West Side Story with an American cast rehearsed by Jerome Robbins. It was the first English language Broadway show from New York to appear there.

In 2012, in honor of his years of bringing great dance to France and for his outstanding and numerous contributions to French culture, Mr. Szilard was decorated by the French Ministry of Culture. He was presented with the decoration at a gala in his honor in Paris on June 25, on the occasion of the Opening Night of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s four-week season at the Theatre du Chatelet.

J. J. CALE whose songs Cocaine and After Midnight were made famous by Eric Clapton, July 26, 2013, at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, California, after suffering a heart attack. He was 74.

Cale was one of the originators of the Tulsa Sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockbilly, country, and jazz influences. Cale's personal style has often been described as "laid back".

Neil Portnow President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Grammy winner J.J. Cale was a gifted writer whose classic songs became hits for countless artists including Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Waylon Jennings, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty, and Carlos Santana. His laid-back style combined elements of blues, folk and jazz, as evidenced by his collaboration with Clapton on The Road To Escondido, which garnered a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. He was an exceptional talent whose remarkable career influenced musicians across the industry. We are saddened by this loss, and our sympathies go out to his family, friends and all who were inspired by his music.”

Next Column: August 4, 2013
Copyright: July 28, 2013. 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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