Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 3, 2016
By: Laura Deni
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FIDDLER ON THE ROOF'S TZEITEL PROVES SHE CAN REALLY SING

It's raining. Then there is thunder, lightning as the rain pours down. A horrific drenching. Thunder and lightning crash. Then dramatic silence.

This is not your usual musical CD. Arlington a world premiere recording has been released by Broadway Records. This is a two person operetta, with book & lyrics by Victor Lodato and music by Polly Pen, starring Grammy nominee Alexandra Silber, currently starring on Broadway as Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof and pianist/actor Ben Moss.

According to the official description: It's a sunny day and Sara Jane is valiantly trying to keep it that way. Her young husband, Jerry, is away at war - and though Sara Jane believes in the cause, nothing has seemed quite right lately. Especially the last few messages from Jerry. At least she has her piano - and Jerry's bourbon - to keep her company as she tries to figure things out. But how far will she go to keep the impending storm at bay?

Arlington began as a 20-minute version at Premieres in 2012. The full version of Arlington was given its world premiere on November 20, 2013 by Magic Theatre, San Francisco. It was produced Off-Broadway by the Vineyard Theatre.

Mounting any new Broadway musical is tough. An operetta is even more difficult. What stands out on his CD is the beautiful voice and talent of Silber. If one can sing - and Silber leaves no doubt she can - a singer doesn't need trappings. She simply opens her mouth and enchantingly captivates with her gorgeous soprano. No engineering tricks. Nothing cranked up to fool the listener. Just a pure voice belonging to a woman who knows what to do with those pipes.

From the first notes of making a piano sound like a rain drop, lightening and thunder, Bill Moss lets it be known that he has the ability to make those 88 piano keys do his bidding. To establish that one knows how to play the piano, you don't need to over indulge in dramatic chores. The piano arrangements for Arlington are simple. What Moss does is turn that box into an actor with co-star billing.

The first time Moss actually speaks is on Track 6 and he utters one sentence. On tract 8 he joins in singing and speaking, including his character declaring "I'm horny and hard" and shows it to her. The character played by Silber is shocked. From that point on there appears to be a lot of discussion and singing about sex.

The musical tempo also changes to upbeat with even a touch of ragtime. Tract 10 has a more reflective nuance with occasional dramatic punctuation. . Track 12 is angry and dramatic. Tract 15 is rapid, as are several of the selections. Silber's enunciation is precise and her vocal notes pure. Tract 16 begin soft and gentle before building. Track 18 is piano bounding dramatic sliding into a soft mourning before building. The CD ends with Tract 19 a sad lament.

Most of dialogue appears to be sung. I doubt that anyone would truly understand this musical/operetta without seeing it. However, if one has seen Arlington then having this CD as a souvenir would no doubt be a pleasure. Without having seen the production what Arlington CD does is offer an opportunity to enjoy the voice of Silber and the piano artistry of Moss.

An interesting listen.

Recording engineer John Kilgore. Recorded at John Kilgore Studios, NYC on May 2 & 9, 2016. Mixed by Michael J. Moritz, Jr.at Kontinuous Jams Studios. Mastered by Greg Reierson at Rare Form Mastering. Musician Assistant: Jared Loftin. Sound Effects Dan Moses Schreier.

The booklet contains the "complete libretto of the play except for stage directions, which were edited for space."

It's stated that "This album is made in part by a generous donation from The Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund."

And, if you haven't seen Fiddler on the Roof put that on a must see ticket priority.










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ART AND ABOUT

DAVID HOCKNEY RA: 79 PORTRAITS AND 2 STILL LIFES

Barry Humphries by David Hockney.

David Hockney returns to the RA with a remarkable new body of work. Embracing portraiture with a renewed creative vigor, he offers an intimate snapshot of the LA art world and the people who have crossed his path over the last two years.

After his monumental landscape exhibition, Hockney turned away from painting and from his Yorkshire home, returning to Los Angeles. Slowly he began to return to the quiet contemplation of portraiture, beginning with a depiction of his studio manager. Over the months that followed, he became absorbed by the genre and invited sitters from all areas of his life into his studio.

His subjects - all friends, family and acquaintances including Barry Humphries, Lord Jacob Rothschild, Celia Birtwell and gallarists such as John Baldessari and Larry Gagosian.

Each work is the same size, showing his sitter in the same chair, against the same vivid blue background and all were painted in the same time frame of three days. Yet Hockney’s virtuoso paint handling allows their differing personalities to leap off the canvas with warmth and immediacy.

Opened on July 2 and runs through October 2, 2016 at London's Royal Academy of Arts.

ROCKAWAY! presented by MoMA PS1, is a special outdoor exhibit by artist Katharina Grosse, acclaimed for exploring the medium of painting in regards to its locations, conditions and possibilities. Through this temporary public art installation, Grosse turns Ft. Tilden's decaying aquatics building into a sublimely exhilarating exterior painting with her unique spray painting technique.

In her practice, Grosse, who lives and works in Berlin, seeks to extend the scope of her paintings beyond the traditional borders of a canvas. She uses a technique in which brightly colored paint is sprayed directly onto site-specific structures. In doing so, she incorporates both the architectural features of the space, and materials located in its immediate vicinity, such as sand, trees, sea grass and pavement. These sprawling and sculptural landscapes evoke the physicality of action painting and earthworks through their gestures and monumentality.

Grosse’s work seamlessly combines the subtle nuances of light and shadow, characteristic of traditional landscape painting, with the weight and spectacle of large scale sculpture. In this exhibition, Grosse’s singular approach highlights the possibilities of painting as a medium, and encapsulates the stark beauty of the natural and manmade structures in which this installation is contextualized.

Rockaway! which opens July 4th Weekend and continues through Thanksgiving, 2016 at Ft. Tilden Beach, New York is organized in collaboration with the Rockaway Artists Alliance, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, Central Park Conservancy, NYC Parks & Recreation and Rockaway Beach Surf Club. Rockaway! 2016 is a continuation MoMA PS1’s ongoing collaborative programming alongside the Rockaway Artists Alliance in the Rockaways that began with the VW Dome 2, erected in 2013 in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and that continued with Rockaway! in summer of 2014 which featured solo projects by Patti Smith, Adrián Villar Rojas, and Janet Cardiff as well as a group show at the Rockaway Beach Surf Club.

Since 1995 Rockaway Artists Alliance (RAA) has brought innovative art exhibitions, cultural events, and high-quality art education programs to the Rockaway peninsula. RAA’s facilities—sTudio 6, sTudio 7, and Building T-149—are nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay in Gateway National Recreation Area’s historic Fort Tilden. RAA brings children, adults, and seniors to the Fort for interactive programs - like Rockaway! - lectures, demonstrations, and musical performances.

DUCHESS KATE wife of Prince William will present the Museum of the Year 2016 prize at a dinner on July 6.

The Art Fund awards the Museum of the Year prize annually to one outstanding museum, which has shown exceptional imagination, innovation and achievement. The prize of £100,000 will be awarded at the Natural History Museum on Wednesday 6 July 2016 before an invited audience of the UK’s museum and cultural leaders.

The shortlist of five museums competing for the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year 2016 are:

Arnolfini in Bristol - In 2015 the gallery and arts centre delivered a superb contemporary arts program and reached a record number of people with exciting new learning initiatives.

Bethlem Museum of the Mind, London - South London's fascinating museum of mental health was reopened by Grayson Perry in 2015 after an impressive transformation, which has led to a dramatic increase in visitors.

Jupiter Artland, West Lothian - In the past year, the Scottish sculpture park and gallery opened a stunning new indoor space, launched a program to support emerging artists, expanded their learning program and much more.

Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London - 2015 was a remarkable year for the world's leading museum of art and design, from a record-breaking Alexander McQueen exhibition to its acclaimed new Europe galleries.

York Art Gallery - The gallery reopened in 2015 following a dramatic renovation, including the launch of beautiful new space for its ceramics collection.

QUAKER MADE: VERMONT FURNITURE, 1820-1835 opens on July 10 at the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, Vermont.

Quaker cabinetmaker Stephen Foster Stevens produced furniture from his Monkton, Vermont shop for fourteen years. Several pieces made their way into the collection at Rokeby Museum and are exhibited here for the first time along with account books, diaries, documents, photographs, and other personal items.

Born to Quaker parents and trained by another Friend, Stevens turned out ordinary and utilitarian furniture for his neighbors, many of whom were also Quakers. His work, however, showed great talent and expert workmanship, suggesting that he could have pursued a more lucrative career making fine furniture elsewhere.

Instead, Stevens’ life as a Friend influenced the pieces he produced. Quakers lived under the testimony of simplicity at this time and were expected to remain “plain” in their speech, clothing, furniture, and deportment.

Quaker Made presents an intimate look into the meaning of plainness for Friends.

Rokeby Museum is a National Historic Landmark designated for its exceptional Underground Railroad history. The Museum and Quaker Made will be open daily through October 30, 2016.

AMBULANCE TRAINS

Soldiers waiting to be loaded onto an ambulance train. Photo: National Railway Museum/Science Museum Group

Nurses at their station in an ambulance train. Photo: National Railway Museum/Science Museum Group

Step on board an historic railway carriage in a new Ambulance Trains exhibition.

During the First World War, ambulance trains carried millions of sick and wounded soldiers to safety. This exhibition delves into this little-known story and recreating the atmosphere of an ambulance train through projection, sound, and film.

Explore a nurse's mess room, pharmacy, and ward as you move through the carriage, and get to know the stories of ambulance train staff and passengers in their own words, through letters, diaries, and photos.

Between 1914 and 1918, hundreds of thousands of Britain’s railway workers left their jobs to fight in the First World War – from cleaners, locomotive drivers, porters and carriage builders. Over 20,000 never returned.

Thanks to 10 years of careful research by our staff and volunteers, you can explore moving stories of the railway men who lost their lives through our extensive database. Ambulance Trains opens on Thursday 7 July, to mark 100 years since the busiest day of ambulance train traffic during the First World War. At te National Railway Museum in York, England.

CELEBRATIONS FOR OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND'S 100th BIRTHDAY

Two time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland celebrated her 100th birthday last Friday, July 1, 2016.

The British born silver screen icon is being celebrated with various events in America.

TCM will present 39 de Havilland's films on Fridays in July.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston kicked off their celebration with screen of her classic films The Adventures of Robin Hood and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In all 12 films - personally selected by the birthday girl will be screened through the centennial celebration at MFAH Films through August 13.

The tribute also features 35mm studio prints, along with digital restorations.

Flms De Havilland picks include two for which she won Academy Awards and another three that earned her nominations.

The MFAH gives "special thanks to de Havilland and her daughter, Gisele Chulack, who is an Honorary Trustee of the Museum, for their active participation in the planning of this tribute."

The daughter of a British businessman and a choir teacher, de Havilland (sister of Oscar winner Joan Fontaine, who died at age 96 in 2013) arrived in California at the age of 3. She made her screen debut in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935) and was signed to a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers. She played romantic heroines paired with many top male stars, but her breakout performance came as Melanie in Gone with the Wind (1939), when Warner Brothers loaned her to David O. Selznick for the role in the MGM film.

After rebelling for better roles at Warner Brothers, de Havilland was suspended and was not released from her contract at the end of her seven-year term. She sued the studio and won in a landmark case that set the limit for a studio-player contract to expire at the end of seven years - including suspensions. By prevailing in court, de Havilland saved other performers from similar limitations. The "De Havilland Law," as the court ruling came to be known, limited studio power and gave actors greater freedom.

She won Oscars for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949) and received accolades for her roles in Hold Back the Dawn (1941) and The Snake Pit (1948), becoming one of Hollywood’s leading dramatic actresses. In the 1950s she moved to France, where she still resides, continuing to take movie roles that appealed to her. Her comedic adventures in Every Frenchman Has One (a liver, not a mistress) recollect her adaptation to life in Paris. Earlier this year, de Havilland accepted, in good humor, the “Oldie of the Year” honor from the satirical British magazine The Oldie.

SPREADING THE WORD

VINCE GIORDANO-THERE'S A FUTURE IN THE PAST

Vince Giordano. Photo by Steve Friedman

a Jazz in July Special Event presented by the 92Y in New York City on Sunday, July 10.

How crazy do you have to be to keep a Jazz Age enterprise going in the 21st Century? 92Y presents the New York premiere of the film that attempts to answer that question. Vince Giordano - There’s a Future in the Past is a feature-length documentary about musician and bandleader, historian, scholar, and collector Vince Giordano who, with his 11-member band The Nighthawks, has doggedly kept alive the music of the 1920s and ’30s for the past forty years.

This Jazz in July Festival Special Event includes a screening of the film, followed by a conversation with Vince Giordano, Jazz in July Artistic Director Bill Charlap, and filmmakers Dave Davidson and Amber Edwards, and then a brief performance by Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks.

Grammy-winner Vince Giordano created the period music in Todd Haynes' Carol, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club, half-a-dozen Woody Allen films including his upcoming Café Society, and HBO's award-winning series Boardwalk Empire. A New York institution for nearly 40 years, Vince and his 11-member band the Nighthawks bring the hot, syncopated music of the 1920s and ’30s to life with their virtuosity, vintage musical instruments, and Vince's encyclopedic collection of more than 60,000 period band arrangements. But between the moments of glory on stage, there is the struggle to find gigs, manage personnel, and schlep a van full of equipment and 400 pounds of music to every job - with no road crew. Meltdowns occur, and the threat of going out of business constantly looms. Vince Giordano - There’s a Future in the Past captures the hard work, endurance, and joy of being true to one's calling.

The film made its world premiere at the Manchester (UK) International Film Festival in March, where it won the award for Best Music Score.

MUSIC AND TALK: IRVING BERLIN an evening of song and conversation about Irving Berlin’s long and glittering New York career, spanning from the 1920s through the 1960s. This program will feature Ted Chapin, President and Executive Director of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Robert Kimball, Editor of The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin, and members of the cast of The Roundabout Theatre Company's Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical which is slated to open on Broadway in October, who will perform select hits. Reception featuring a live jazz trio to follow!

Wednesday, July 6 at the Museum of the City of New York in New York City.

MOONLIGHTING AS TEACHERS ARE Matthew McConaughey who will teach a course this fall on filmmaking at the University of Texas at Austin and Angelia Jolie Pitt will be joining the London School of Economics as a visiting professor teaching a masters class. The LSE said the course will be run by its Centre for Women, Peace and Security, launched last year by Jolie and former Foreign Secretary Lord William Hague. The pair co-founded a global initiative to tackle sexual violence in conflict zones in 2012.

In England the wife of actor Brad Pitt is known as one of the youngest to be elevated to Damehood, knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2014 for her humanitarian work.

In America, Jolie is not addressed as Dame, though she can use the initials DCMG (The Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George) after her name.

JULY 3 is Eat Beans Day and July 6 is National Fried Chicken Day.

BATTING EYES AT A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE

It's something to bat your eyelashes over. It's so bad in Utah that it's considered a 'public health issue.'

People who aren't as knowledgeable about glue as they should be employed to apply eyelash extensions. A lot of nasty things can happen.

More and more women are lashing out these days.

Indeed, eyelash extensions have become so popular in recent months that the Utah Department of Commerce Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) has issued a warning about the potential health risks associated with using unlicensed providers for the cosmetic procedure.

Eyelash extensions are a “semi-permanent” cosmetic procedure in which artificial lashes are glued - one by one - onto a person’s natural eyelashes. Francine A. Giani, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce has stated: “The human eye is a very sensitive place to be messing around with. Think about it, when you get just a little eyelash in your eye, how much of a problem that is.”

The agency warned that eyelash-extension providers may claim to be “certified,” but in Utah this type of cosmetic procedure requires a cosmetology or estheticians license issued by the state.

According to her office, since January 1, 2015, Utah's DOPL has issued 67 administrative citations for unlicensed eyelash and eyebrow applications. That is considered high.

As of last Friday, July 1, people who apply eyelash extensions as part of their job in Minnesota are required to be licensed.

A list of laws enacted on July 1 includes one that specifies anyone wanting to apply eyelash extensions needs to complete 14 hours of education or training to get a license.

That's less than two full days of instruction and practice.

KARE 11 first reported that the move was taken to allow people to become qualified eyelash extension technicians without having to do the 600 hours of training required to become a cosmetologist or esthetician.

Consumer Reports printed: "Eyelash extensions can pose health risks. The popular trend can cause allergic reactions, infections, and more"

They quoted an appearance of Kristin Chenoweth on the Late Show with David Letterman.

“'Something bad has happened. I’ve got eyelash extensions,' Chenoweth confessed while wearing large dark sunglasses, and visibly drowsy on Benadryl. 'Here’s the problem: The glue has formaldehyde in it, and I’m allergic,' Chenoweth said. 'I swelled up and I’m sneezing. . . . It looks like I have lips on my eyelids.'"

The respected publication explained: "The quest for beauty can come at a price. Eyelash extensions - single synthetic fibers glued one by one to natural eyelashes—are usually fixed in place by formaldehyde-based adhesives or other biologic glues. The adhesives can cause allergic reactions, as can the solvents used to remove them. In addition, cosmetic eyelash enhancers carry a risk of bacterial and fungal infection.

Eyelash extensions have also been reported to cause irritation to the conjunctiva (conjunctivitis) or cornea (keratitis). The irritation can be caused by direct contact from the lashes themselves or hypersensitivity to the substances used to attach them. Among beauty treatments, eyelash extensions account for the greatest number of eye-clinic consultations in Japan, where they have been very widely used."

The College of Optometrists in England has warned that “repeated use of eyelash extensions can cause traction alopecia, a condition where the (eyelash) hair falls out due to excessive tension placed on the hair shaft. As a result, this can damage the hair follicle, which can slow down and even cease production of (eyelash) hair.”

Fully disclosure: I've never had extensions, but I wouldn't be caught dead without false eyelashes. Wear them to bed. Once in a legal deposition in which I was mocked, insulted, and ridiculed about everything - although not at all relevant - I was even questioned about a time when, in my own closed door bathroom, I discovered I had run out of adhesive after having reapplied only one false lash. I refused to come out until a relative I have since legally excluded from my life, went to the drug store and bought a tube. The attorney deposing me made a big deal out of my never being without false eyelashes.

He also made a big deal about Leslie Moonves, a name which the attorney - not I - brought up and who was discussed at great length. When I asked the lawyer "is he (Moonves) paying you," the lawyer refused to answer. Decades later, I still am never without false eyelashes, but I am fed up with all the never-ending problems Moonves has caused me - his retaliation because decades ago I once sued him. I wanted to be repaid for promised reimbursement for long distance phone bills put on my phone bill, and my time for calls I made at his request. The sum was so small that today the amount would only buy a few pairs of false eyelashes. Back then I was living in a small, rent-controlled apartment, counting every penny twelve ways and had a special needs child. In my opinion, the defendant didn't appear to care who didn't eat or how anyone was inconvenienced.

As I stated during the odd-ball and offensive deposition, I still have all the original paperwork. The office where Moonves worked at the time quietly suggested that I should just write it off as a bad experience because they assured my lawyer that this was a guy who, they could tell even then, was going right to the top of the entertainment business. It was emphasized to my attorney that he had a personality and mindset that, if I pursued any lawsuit, he would spend the rest of his life destroying mine and never relent. I refused to heed or knuckle under and filed against Moonves in small claims court. I finally collected. As I was warned, apparently Moonves has never-ending caused me substantial damage. At least I still have my false eye lashes, although he'd probably like to get those taken away from me, too.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

TICKETS TO SEE HAMILTON ON JULY 12 are available - for a price. The Hillary Clinton campaign has scored some hard to get tickets and has them up for sale.

Tickets for a special matinee July 12 to benefit her campaign can be yours. For $2,700 each you can snag a seat. Coughing up $10,000 will provide your bum with a "premium seat" that also includes a photo session with Clinton.

If you have even more spare change, pony up $100,000 and you'll be entitled to not only two premium seats, but also a "wrap party" with Clinton "and other special guests" plus other benefits, according to her campaign site.

Those attending the performance at the Richard Rodgers theatre will see the new Hamilton cast on stage including Christopher Jackson as George Washington and Javier Mundoz as Hamilton.

HOTEL MOGUL STEVE WYNN who paid $16.25 million for a Bel-Air mansion two years ago is now unloading it at a loss due to a slump in the luxury housing market, reports the LA Times.



PRIVACY a new play co-created and written by James Graham and co-created and directed by Josie Rourke.

Featuring De’Adre Aziza, Raffi Barsoumian, Michael Countryman, Rachel Dratch, Daniel Radcliffe, and Reg Rogers playing an ensemble of real-life high profile politicians, journalists and technologists who have all contributed exclusively to the show.

Inspired by the revelations of Edward Snowden, Privacy explores our complicated relationship with technology and data through the funny and heart-breaking travails of a lonely guy (Daniel Radcliffe), who arrives in the city to figure out how to like, tag, and share his life without giving it all away. The play uncovers what our technological choices reveal about who we are, what we want and who’s keeping track of it all.

This provocative theatrical event will ask audiences to charge their phones, leave them on during the performance and to embark on a fascinating dive online and into a new reality where we’re all connected …for better or worse.

Scenic Design by Lucy Osborne. Costume Design by Paul Tazewell. Lighting Design by Richard Howell. Sound Design by Lindsay Jones. Projection Design by Duncan McLean. Original Music by Michael Bruce.

Privacy, a co-production with the Donmar Warehouse in London, is in previews, running through Sunday, August 14, with an official press opening on Monday, July 18.

GREY GARDENS book by Doug Wright. Music by Scott Frankel. Lyrics by Michael Korie. Based on the film Grey Gardens by David Maysles, Albert Maysles, Ellen Hovde, Muffie Meyer, and Susan Froemke.

Directed by Michael Wilson.

Rachel York as “Little” Edie Beale and Tony Award winner Betty Buckley as Edith Bouvier Beale will lead the cast alongside, in alphabetical order, Bryan Batt, Peyton Ella, Sarah Hunt, Simon Jones, Katie Silverman, Davon Williams and Josh Young.

Based on the cult classic documentary, this haunting and often hilarious musical recounts Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' most eccentric relatives' fall from society darlings to notorious recluses in their crumbling East Hampton estate. G. Center Theatre Group's production at the Ahmanson is the Los Angeles debut of Grey Gardens—The Musical.

Music Director Kevin Stites. Choreographer Hope Clarke. Scenic Design Jeff Cowie. Costume Design Ilona Somogyi. Lighting Design Howell Binkley. Sound Design Jon Weston. Projection Design Jason H. Thompson.

July 6 - August 14, 2016 at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.

THE MUSIC MAN with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey.

Directed by Rob Ruggiero.

Choreography by Chris Bailey.

James Moore serves as Music Director.

Starring Hunter Foster (Harold Hill), Mark Linn-Baker (Mayor Shinn), Nancy Anderson (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn) and Liz McCartney (Mrs. Paroo).

Buyer beware! Professor Harold Hill, the slickest, slyest con man on the Iowa circuit is headed our way, eager to make mischief and steal your heart. Set on the 4th of July, every note in Meredith Willson’s iconic score is as delectable as a slice of Mom’s apple pie. And by the way, states the venue "if you think The Muny will settle for just “76 Trombones” onstage - you don’t want to miss this parade!"

First Muny Production Since 2009 is staged July 5-11 at The Muny in St. Louis, MO.

CORIOLANUS by William Shakespeare.

Directed by Brian B. Crowe.

Called "the perfect play for an election year." Shakespeare’s rarely-performed tragedy is a Roman epic, one of Shakespeare’s most political plays, depicts the confrontation between social classes, civil insurrection, and the machinations of politicians. But the brilliant essence of this play lies in the depiction of a great man whose moral and psychological flaws bring about his fall from grace.

July 6-24 on the Main Stage at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison, NJ.

HAM: A MUSICAL MEMOIR written and performed by Sam Harris.

Musical direction by Todd Schroeder.

Directed by Ken Sawyer and Tony Award winner Billy Porter.

The musical comedy takes us from a conflicted childhood in Bible-Belt Oklahoma to the dizzying roller coaster ride of a life in show business and the precarious balancing act of fatherhood. The production features musical direction by Todd Schroeder.

Based on Harris’ book HAM: Slices of a Life (Simon & Schuster), the musical originally opened Off-Broadway at Ars Nova in January 2015. It later played at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre in January 2016.

Two performances on July 9 and one on July 10 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA.

BUYER & CELLAR a one man show by Jonathan Tolins.

Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in L.A., he takes a job working in the Malibu basement of beloved megastar Barbra Streisand. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? Buyer & Cellar is billed an "outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs."

Winner of the 2014–2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show. Performances July 7-August 19 at Theatre Aspen in Aspen, Colorado.

LIBERTY; A MONUMENTAL NEW MUSICAL adapted from original material by Dana Leslie Goldstein, Jon Goldstein and Robert Bruce McIntosh, features a book and lyrics by Dana Leslie Goldstein with music by Jon Goldstein.

Directed by Evan Pappas with musical direction by Jeffrey Lodin.

Based on true events, Liberty is a fast-paced entertaining 80-minute theatrical experience detailing the arrival of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor in 1884. Coming to the United States in the middle of a national immigration debate and a terrible recession, political forces are aligning to deport her. With a strong resolve and a mighty spirit, she battles to gain acceptance and eventually becomes the enduring symbol of our country.

Liberty cast includes: Abigail Shapiro as Liberty are Mark Aldrich, Brandon Andrus; Nick Devito, Ryan Duncan, C. Mingo Long, Vincent McCoy, Keaton Micucci, Tyrone L. Robinson, Emma Rosenthal, Tina Stafford.

Creative team includes: Jamie Roderick (Lighting Design), Deborah Hobson (Costume Design), Michael Cassara, CSA (Casting), Cherie B. Tay (Production Stage Manager).

Liberty: A Monumental New Musical opened in the most American way possible, on the 4th of July at 42 West in New York City.

WHO'S WHERE

COLDPLAY star at the Parken National Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark on Tuesday, July 5, 2016.

RIHANNA stars at the Tele 2 Arena in Stockholm on Monday, July 4. Thursday's show is at the Refshaleoen in Copenhagen. Saturday finds her at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany.

SELENA GOMEZ stars at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix on Tuesday, July 5. Wednesday's stop is at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. Friday finds her at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Her tour stops at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday, July 9.

PAUL McCARTNEY performs at Summerfest on Friday, July 8 in Wilwaukee, WI. Next Sunday, July 10, he's at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH.

THE LONDON CHORUS performs Music From the Americas Bernstein Chichester Psalms and Ramirez Misa Criolla with music by Eric Whitacre and Piazzolla on Tuesday July 5, 2016 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND finish a split two nighter at the Stadio San Siro in milan, Italy on Tuesday, July 5. Saturday's show is at Festivalpark in Werchter, Belgium.

THE NEW YORK POPS brings their unique style to the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens for a concert starring Broadway favorites Matthew Morrison and Megan Hilty. The family-friendly, open-air event on July 7 will feature a 78-piece orchestra conducted by . Steven Reineke.

FINAL OVATION

BILL CUNNINGHAM famed NY Times fashion photographer known for his candid and street photography. died June 25, 2016 in New York after being hospitalized for a stroke. He was 87.

In 1983 the Council of Fashion Designers of America named Cunningham the outstanding photographer of the year. In 2008 he was awarded the Officier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2009, he was named a living landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy. In 2012 he received the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence.

SCOTTY MOORE guitarist for Elvis Presley died at his home outside Nashville on Tuesday, June 28, 2016. He was 84.

He was credited with pioneering the rockabilly guitar style and established the guitar as a lead instrument.

Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and was entered into the Memphis Music hall of Fame last November.

Married and divorced three times, he is survived by a son, Donald; four daughters, Linda, Andrea, Vikki Hein and Tasha; and several grandchildren. Services for Moore were held last Thursday in his hometown of Humboldt, Tennessee.

ELIE WIESEL the Nazi concentration camp survivor, Nobel Peace Prize winner died, Saturday, July 2, 2016. He was 87.

He authored over 57 books, mostly in French or English including the best selling Night based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz, Buna, and Buchenwald concentration camp The book is regarded as one of the most powerful achievements in Holocaust literature

From 1948 to 1951, Wiesel studied literature and philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris. Fluent in French, he worked as a journalist in France for Yiddish and French publications, which led to an interview with novelist Francois Mauriac, who encouraged him to write about his experiences and helped him find a French publisher.

He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1985, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence. Additionally, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1996.

Wiesel and his wife, Marion, started the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. He served as chairman for the Presidential Commission on the Holocaust (later renamed US Holocaust Memorial Council) from 1978 to 1986, spearheading the building of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., during which he pleaded for intervention during the persecutions in Yugoslavia after a visit in December 1992.

In February 2012, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints performed a posthumous baptism of Simon Wiesenthal's parents. After Wiesel's name had been submitted to be proxy baptized, he spoke out against the practice of posthumously baptizing Jews and asked presidential candidate and Latter-day Saint Mitt Romney to denounce it. Other famous people who were similarly baptized without their knowledge or consent included Anne Frank, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, Pope John Paul II, Mohandas Gandhi and Joan of Arc.

In December 2013 Wiesel wrote an ad in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal declaring that "Iran must not be allowed to remain nuclear", and that "If there is one lesson I hope the world has learned from the past it is that regimes rooted in brutality must never be trusted. And the words and actions of the leadership of Iran leave no doubt as to their intentions."

In an August 4, 2014, full-page advertisement in The New York Times and other newspapers, Wiesel condemned Hamas for the "use of children as human shields" during the 2014 Israel-Gaza Conflict.

At age 40, Wiesel married Marion Erster Rose in 1969. A Vienna native, she was a survivor of death camps and had a daughter, Jennifer, from a previous marriage. The couple had one son, Shlomo Elisha, and two grandchildren.

The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity - established with his Nobel Prize money - announced in 2008 that it had lost more than $15 million through investments with Wall Street financier Bernard L. Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme defrauded thousands of individuals and charities of billions. Wiesel and his wife lost their life savings.

CAROLINE AHERNE British television writer and comedian died July 1, 2016 at her home in Manchester. Two year ago she had been diagnosed with lung cancer, having previously had bladder and eye cancer. Both she and her brother had been born with cancer of the retina. She was 52.

The Bafta award-winning writer and comedy actor was the star and writer of The Royle Family and The Mrs Merton Show.

Next Column: July 10, 2016
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