Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 30, 2017
By: Laura Deni
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PRESCRIBING VIAGRA HOLDS THE MILITARY TO A HIGH STANDARD

Stand at attention, soldier, has taken on a whole new meaning since last week's headlines ballyhooed how much tax payer money is spent by the Department of Defense on Viagra and Cialis.

Jeff Schogol in his Military Times article wrote: "Military Times first reported in 2015 that the Defense Health Agency the year before spent $84.2 million on erectile dysfunction medications for active-duty troops, eligible family members and retirees."

The article continued, "Moreover, the military health system had filled nearly 1.18 million prescriptions for erectile dysfunction medications since 2014 and spent a total of $294 million on those drugs since 2011."

That averages out to approximately $243.23 per prescription. Neither the strength nor the number of pills are listed in the report.

The importance of a satisfying sex life is neither being minimized nor ridiculed by Broadway To Vegas. It's just that the enormous tax payer expenses for erectile dysfunction medications begs the question as to whether the military is overpaying; and does a patient wanting erectile dysfunction medication have a shorter wait time to see a physician than does a veteran with a physical war injury - such as an amputee?

According to Viagra.com there is a limit per person of 12 prescriptions per year. The pills come in 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg tablets.

Prescription instructions from manufacturer Pfizer: "For most patients, the recommended dose is 50 mg taken, as needed, approximately 1 hour before sexual activity. However, Viagra may be taken anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours before sexual activity Based on effectiveness and toleration, may increase to a maximum of 100 mg or decrease to 25 mg. Maximum recommended dosing frequency is once per day."

Since 2013 Pfiser has been selling Viagra on line. On line prices from various outlets have only a slight variation.



Broadway To Vegas computed the prices for the three most common strengths and pill numbers based upon an internet search which located numerous companies selling the FDA approved products. Many companies offer coupons and percentage discounts.

100m - - - 90 Cialis pills are $129.37
100m - - - 120 Viagra pills are $163.64
100m - - - 180 Levita pills are $232.19

50m - - - 90 Cialis pills are $105.34
50 m - - - 120 Viagra pills are $130.87
50m - - - 180 Levitra pills are 181.94

25m - - - 60 Cialis pills are $51.34
25m - - - 90 Viagra pills are $49.29
25m - - -120 Levita pills are $67.13

Using taxpayer funds, why is the government paying so much more per prescription?

A June 2, 2016 Military Times report indicated that "some veterans still wait months for medical care."

The Military Times article stated: "Of the nearly 6.7 million medical appointments at Veterans Affairs Department facilities nationwide, 92 percent - roughly the same percentage for the past year - were scheduled within a 30-day standard set by Congress in 2014.

"But the number of veterans who had to wait a month or more was up 23,000 from April (2016), including the 297,013 veterans who have waited one to two months for an appointment."

The same article stated the average wait time across the system as of May 15, 2016 was 6.89 days for primary care, 10.15 days for specialty care and 4.4 days for mental health appointments.

Are men who make VA appointments for erectile dysfunction medications increasing the wait time for physically injured soldiers who need care?

According to Statistic Brain, the average age of a United States serviceman is: Army and Navy 29 - Marine Corps 25 - Air Force and Coast Guard 30. Generally they are all in tip top condition - otherwise they wouldn't be in the military, which prides itself on fitness.

Why would a man in his 20s need Viagra?

Instead of a beer and a cigarette are the military branches offering potential defectors and informants Viagra and a girl to go with it? How is that secretly coded into the budget?

Statistic Brain published that the military is composed of: 1,196,897 enlisted and 232,139 officers with a total of 1,429,036. 14 percent of the enlisted are women and 15.3 percent of the officers are women. 52.3 percent of the enlisted and 70.2 percent of the officers of both sexes are married.

The age distribution range of active duty personnel - combined male and female - who are aged 51 to 59 and are in the age group which might be the Viagra consumer group - ranges from a high of 1% in the Coast Guard to 0 .6% for the Air Force - 0.2% for the Marines - 0.8% Navy and 0.7% Army.

The VA responded declaring that most of the Viagra prescriptions go to veterans, not active-duty personnel. Military Times printed that less than 10% of the prescriptions were for active duty personnel.

To be eligible for veteran's health benefits: Veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty in order to be eligible. This minimum duty requirement may not apply to veterans who were discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, for a hardship or “early out,” or those who served prior to September 7, 1980.

That means some veterans receiving Viagra on the tax payer's dime could also be in their 20s and 30s.

According to the va.gov website "the largest group of veterans (are) between the ages of 45 and 64. Most veterans are currently employed, have a combined family income of more than $50,000, and have completed high school.

The VA draws a strong link between erectile dysfunction and stress.

Not everyone in the military serves a tour of duty in a war zone.

Has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder become a convenient, sympathy inducing catch all?

According to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International, an organization originally formed in 1969 as a global watchdog committed to investigating and exposing human rights violations in the field of mental health, in 1980 PTSD officially became classified as a Mental Disorder meaning, among other things, that physicians were able to bill government and private insurance companies to treat PTSD.

According to the CCHR, "Today, some 80% of vets labeled with PTSD receive psychotropic drugs; 89% of these are given antidepressants, with 34% treated with antipsychotics - drugs so powerful they were intended only for the most seriously disturbed."

The diagnosis means big money.

"Just one branch of the United States military has spent nearly $300 million on PTSD research since 2006," wrote the CCHR.

"Part of the rapid expansion of PTSD is due to increasingly lax diagnostic standards," charged the CCHR. "Since the induction of PTSD into psychiatry’s book of mental disorders, definitions of what qualifies to have PTSD have become softer, wider and much more general.

"Today, PTSD isn’t just diagnosed in soldiers and veterans for war trauma, but has become a catch-all label for anyone - military or civilian - experiencing an adverse reaction to a distressing event. The result: tens of millions of people with a perfectly normal response to disaster now are being diagnosed with a mental disorder."

According to the National Center for PTSD, a section of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the condition can happen to anyone. "It is not a sign of weakness. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will develop PTSD, many of which are not under that person's control. For example, if you were directly exposed to the trauma or injured, you are more likely to develop PTSD.

"Going through trauma is not rare. About 6 of every 10 men (or 60%) and 5 of every 10 women (or 50%) experience at least one trauma in their lives. Women are more likely to experience sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Men are more likely to experience accidents, physical assault, combat, disaster, or to witness death or injury. About 7 or 8 out of every 100 people (or 7-8% of the population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives."

A 2014 study by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB) found that 100,248 cases of erectile dysfunction were diagnosed among active service members between 2004 and 2013, with "annual incidence rates" more than doubling in that time period. Nearly half of all the cases were due to psychological causes, according to the study.

A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2015 and referenced in a recent BBC article, found that male veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were "significantly more likely than their civilian counterparts to report erectile dysfunction or other sexual problems," according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

In other words, civilians who would be paying various amounts for the drug, depending upon their health care plan, are more apt to study the cost before seeking help for their diminished sex life.

About 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is only a small portion of those who have gone through a trauma. About 10 of every 100 women (or 10%) develop PTSD sometime in their lives compared with about 4 of every 100 men (or 4%), continued the report.

Specifically to veterans, the number suffering with PTSD can vary by war zone:

Statistics from the National Center for PTSD detailed the various operations.

Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF): About 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in OIF or OEF have PTSD in a given year.

Gulf War (Desert Storm): About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year.

According to the government organization, other factors in a combat situation can add more stress to an already stressful situation. This may contribute to PTSD and other mental health problems. These factors include what the person did in the war, the politics around the war, where the war was fought, and the type of enemy the veteran faced.

Another cause of PTSD in the military can be military sexual trauma (MST) - described as any sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you are in the military. MST can happen to both men and women and can occur during peacetime, training, or war.

The government report continued that among veterans who use VA health care, about: 23 out of 100 women (or 23%) reported sexual assault when in the military. 55 out of 100 women (or 55%) and 38 out of 100 men (or 38%) have experienced sexual harassment when in the military. There are many more male veterans than there are female veterans. So, even though military sexual trauma is more common in women, over half of all veterans with military sexual trauma are men.

There is no doubt that PTSD is a serious condition. Flash backs are haunting and debilitating. Constantly re-living an unpleasant experience is life altering and horrific.

Whether the reporting of PTSD is accurate, exaggerated, or even under-reported, the use of Viagra or Cialis seems to be drugs of choice. It's almost too easy to attach PTSD to a problem with sex. Most physicians serving the military are men. If a man complains to a doctor that he is suffering from erectile dysfunction, which makes him depressed - or the flip version - it's easy to write a prescription, especially if tax payers are footing the bill. You can't have a man stressed out over sex.

However, active duty or female veterans who are stressed or depressed about sex aren't provided with sex toys.

Since America has had an all volunteer military for decades, does anyone really think young men would volunteer for service if it was a given that they would be discharged suffering from PTSD and erectile dysfunction?

Conscription ended in 1960. In November 1960 the last men entered service, as call-ups formally ended on December 31, 1960. The last drafted serviceman left the armed forces in May 1963.

Thus, 99 percent of individuals being treated by the VA are members and former members of a volunteer military. Vietnam vets still exist, but prescribing Viagra to men in their 80s isn't usually considered common medical practice. Did anybody check that guy's heart before writing a scrip?

In this all volunteer military, is the real cause of post military mental health needs acerbated by insufficient screening of military applicants? Ask a person why they joined up and you'll get the sounds good statements of 'wanting to serve my country' and 'being patriotic.' Is that white wash covering up that the person was unemployed or underemployed, had little education, wasn't all that tightly wrapped to begin with and no other options?

If a person is mentally on the fringes when they enlist, anything they negatively experience will more deeply resonate.

Look around you; at your friends, neighbors, co-workers and perhaps even your own family. Many individuals from a poor background, with limited education, survive very well in the real world. Should more attention be paid to the actual reasons people enlist?

During conscription just about everybody was admitted into the Army. It became a stigma if a man was rejected. With an all volunteer military, why aren't the enlistees held to a higher standard? Wouldn't a more stringent enlistment code result in fewer post military emotional breakdowns? Do post military mental issues also have something to do with an inability to find employment or a place to call home - the same issues they faced upon enlisting. If the person had issues with employment prior to enlistment, those same issues are the welcoming committee upon discharge.

Even teen-age enlistees come with a history. Most teens have either had some type of after school or summer job. Were they reliable and hard working? Was the teen a member of after school clubs or active in sports? Was the person a member of the student council or other elected positions? Maybe they mowed other people's laws or walked dogs.

A stable upbringing isn't a requirement.

Many coming into the military with nobody and nothing have turned into the finest soldiers this country has ever honored. Youths who have spent their lives in the foster care system and are thrown to the curb at age 18 with no support system can make excellent military recruits. Just don't immediately deploy them to a war zone. Through no fault of their own, they've already experienced more difficulties than their age group will ever encounter.

That isn't to say that every single individual currently being treated by the VA isn't a rock solid, intelligent, hard working, sensible individual whose life has been destroyed by serving their country.

Americans have an obligation to the people who volunteer to serve. The subliminal recruitment mantra shouldn't be - it doesn't matter what happens to them, because we have pills to fix everything including a sagging penis.

It just seems that something is out of kilter. Why do the service personnel decide not to make the military a career? Are they not invited to re-enlist? If so, why? If the government knows they are recruiting individuals who are one step above homeless and have no employable skills, why aren't military programs designed to facilitate that when released from the service, the veterans will be able to care for themselves?

Deliberately recruiting the unwashed masses carries with it a certain moral responsibility. Another obligation is to the civilians of this country - and that is to not knowingly accept into service individuals who are volunteering for all of the wrong reasons.

Don't mislead. Don't over prescribe and don't overpay for the drugs that are doled out. Medications are physical and mental life savers. They also can become addictive, excuses and joke punch lines.










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ART AND ABOUT

DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES TRIBUTE

Diana's sons William and Harry helped select the items to be displayed. A four-hour ABC-TV special The Story of Diana is scheduled to air August 9-10, 2017. She died from injuries sustained in a Paris car wreck on August 31, 1997. Photo: Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017

is currently taking place at Buckingham Palace in London.

This summer marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. As a tribute to The Princess, her official work is remembered through a special display in the Music Room, one of the State Rooms which opened last week as part of the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace.

Many of the objects in the display have been selected by her sons William and Harry to reflect their mother's commitment to duty and their personal memories of her. .

The centrepiece of the display is the desk where The Princess worked in her sitting room at Kensington Palace, writing letters, and reading official briefings and correspondence.

Items on display include:

Blue leather blotter and brown leather letter rack.
Diana, Princess of Wales always wrote to thank those who had welcomed her on official visits. The blotter and letter rack were part of the Princess's desk accessories until the time of her death. The letter rack contains her cypher-embossed writing paper and envelopes.

Silver calendar
Made by Cartier, the calendar was a gift to The Princess from President and Mrs. Reagan on the occasion of the official visit to the United States by The Prince and Princess of Wales in November 1985.

Leather photograph frame
The frame, which contains photographs of friends and family, always sat on The Princess's desk.

The objects on the desk of Diana, Princess of Wales. Photo: Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017

Burgundy leather briefcase
The briefcase, made by Asprey, was a gift from the Worshipful Company of Glovers to Lady Diana Spencer on the occasion of her marriage in 1981.

Round enamel boxes
These small boxes were commissioned as gifts from Halcyon Days of London for The Princess to give to her hosts on official trips overseas. Among those displayed is one from the official visit to Brazil by The Prince and Princess of Wales in April 1991. It is decorated with an image of the statue of Christ the Redeemer which dominates the skyline of Rio da Janiero, surmounted by The Prince of Wales's feathers.

Ballet shoes
Diana, Princess of Wales loved dance in all its forms, but particularly ballet. These pumps, which she used, were hung on the door of her sitting room at Kensington Palace.

Wooden school tuck box and typewriter
Bearing the name 'D Spencer', this box was used by Lady Diana Spencer for treats and taken with her to boarding school. It was kept in The Princess's sitting room at Kensington Palace. Her childhood typewriter was also kept in the sitting room.

Case of cassette tapes
The Princess loved music and constantly listened to the radio, records and tapes when working at her desk. Among the tapes in the case are albums by Diana Ross, Elton John, George Michael, as well as works from the classical repertoire of opera and piano concerto.

On display through October 1, 2017.

THE PARK AVENUE SUMMER ART FEST will be celebrating its 41st anniversary Saturday August 5 and Sunday August 6, 2017 in Rochester, New York.

The festival runs along both sides of Park Avenue, a trendy tree-lined street of Victorian homes, independent shops and outdoor cafes, for 1 ¼ mile.

Booths are set up on the curb back across the sidewalks, leaving the street open for the estimated 225,000 festival-goers.

The emphasis is on the 300+ juried art and crafters, but it is also definitely a festival, with three stages of music and a lively mix of other activities. In addition, the approximately 75 members of the Park Avenue Merchants Association are allowed to display and sell their wares in front of their stores.

JOHN & MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART has named noted scholar and curator Rhiannon Paget, Ph.D as Curator of Asian Art, She will oversee Asian art exhibitions and collections, including publications, collection development and research. She begins her responsibilities at The Ringling on July 31, 2017.

Paget comes to The Ringling from the Saint Louis Art Museum, where she was the Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Japanese Art in the Department of Asian Art. While in this role she co-curated the major exhibition, Conflicts of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, which was on view at the Saint Louis Art Museum from October 2016 to January 2017, and co-authored its catalogue. Paget received her Bachelor of Arts in art history and theory from the University of Sydney in 2004 and her Master of Arts/Ph.D. from the Department of Art History and Film Studies at the University of Sydney in 2015 with an emphasis on Japanese painting and prints from the Edo period to the mid-20th century.

The Ringling’s Asian art holdings have broadened over time to include Chinese, Korean and Southeast Asian ceramics, Japanese woodblock prints, Buddhist sculpture and Central Asian jewelry and decorative objects. In recent years, the Ringling has organized and hosted dozens of exhibitions, performances and programs celebrating the arts and culture of Asia.

The Asian art curator position at The Ringling will oversee The Ringling’s new Center for Asian Art, which opened in May 2016. The 25,000-square-foot center, designed by Machado Silvetti, fosters the exploration of historical and contemporary Asian cultures through research, exhibitions and programs.

A place of exploration, discovery and respite, The Ringling’s campus in Sarasota, Florida - which includes the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, a historic home, an 18th-century theater and bayfront gardens - is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

SWEET CHARITY

CLOTHESLINE ART SALE a benefit for Guild Hall in The Hamptons, New York takes place - rain or shine - Saturday, August 5 , 2017.

Since 1946 approximately 400 artists each year enter the Clothesline Art Sale with their work attracting thousands of art lovers. Prices start at $75 and cap at $2,200 with all sales split 50/50 between the artist and Guild Hall.

Free admission to the sale although "donations warmly accepted at the entrance."

The Clothesline Art Sale is made possible thanks to an amazing group of dedicated volunteers ages 14 and up, each of whom work shifts from two to four hours.

SPREADING THE WORD

BBC PROMS PRESENTS ELLA AND DIZZY: A CENTENARY TRIBUTE on Friday, August 4, 2017 in Royal Albert Hall, London.

Dianne Reeves is joined by virtuoso trumpeter James Morrison and his trio to pay a double tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie in the centenary year of their births. Conducted by Broadway musical and Hollywood movie-score legend John Mauceri who is the recipient of Grammy, Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, Edison Klassiek, 3 Emmy Awards, 2 Diapasons d'Or, Cannes Classique, ECHO Klassik, Billboard, and four Deutsche Schallplatten awards.

This celebrations will contrast the Great American Songbook, which played a key role in Fitzgerald’s live and recording career, with the bebop and Afro-Latin sounds in which Gillespie excelled.

LA LA LAND IN CONCERT with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Emil De Cou, takes place Friday, August 4 at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia.

The winner of six Academy Awards including Best Original Score and Best Original Song, La La Land tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams.

The Academy Award-winning film will be projected in HD onto big screens in-house and on the lawn.

SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE in London has announced that Michelle Terry will become its new Artistic Director beginning April 22, 2018.

An Olivier Award-winning actor and writer, Michelle is well-known to the Globe’s stage, having starred as Rosalind in As You Like It (2015), as Titania/Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2013) and as the Princess of France in Love’s Labour’s Lost (2007). She also directed Richard III, King John and As You Like It for The Complete Walk (2016), a series of short films created as part of the Globe’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

Michelle also wrote and starred in the Sky One series The Café with Ralf Little, created My Mark, the Donmar’s ten-year project to chart the political growth of the next voting generation, with Rob Hastie, and most recently co-wrote and performed Becoming: part one with Rosalie Craig at The Donmar Warehouse. She trained at RADA.

The recruitment panel: included: Neil Constable is Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s Globe - Louise Jury is Director of Communications and Strategy, Creative Industries Federation - Claire van Kampen a Senior Research Fellow and Associate for Early Modern Theatre Music for Shakespeare’s Globe - Philip Kirkpatrick is a Trustee of Shakespeare’s Globe - Actor Jamie Parker - Emma Stenning is Deputy Chair of Shakespeare’s Globe and Jenny Topper who is a Trustee of Shakespeare’s Globe.

Michelle Terry will be Artistic Director Designate from Monday 2 October 2, 2017. She will take over as Artistic Director on Sunday April 22, 2018. Emma Rice remains as Artistic Director until April 21, 2018.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE OLD GLOBE in San Diego announced the appointment of Timothy J. Shields as Managing Director. A nationally respected arts leader, Shields will work together with Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director Barry Edelstein to lead San Diego’s flagship arts institution. Both Shields and Edelstein will report jointly to the Board of Directors. Currently the Managing Director at McCarter Theatre Center in Princeton, New Jersey, Shields will assume his Managing Director duties at The Old Globe in October.

NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY is today, Sunday, July 30. Monday is National Cotton Candy Day. National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is Wednesday. National Watermelon Day is Thursday. National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day is Friday, and National Oyster Day is Saturday, August 5.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ABOUT RACE

Mandy Patinkin graciously refused to step into the production.

the sad and embarrassing kerfuffle of the week was the poorly executed move to cut short the gig of the immensely talented black actor Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan from the financially troubled, but splendid musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 replacing him with multiple Tony and Emmy Award winner Mandy Patinkin, whose name can sell tickets.

Backlash against replacing a black actor with a white one skyrocketed like a flare. Within hours it was announced that Patinkin had pulled out of the production. Great Comet composer Dave Malloy used Twitter to apologize for the awkward handling of the situation, stressing that the proposed cast change had been based totally on an attempt to increase necessary ticket sales and speculated that the show wouldn't last.

His posting included: “the show was in desperate shape; sales . . . . were catastrophically low. show would have closed. it’s a weird show. turns out it needs a name to sell it...I am not sure that the show has a future now.”

If the show closes, that means a lot of people will be unemployed. Broadway To Vegas speculates that had it been a Tony Award winning black actor who could sell tickets replacing a talented white actor, nobody would have blinked an eye.

Not everything has to do with race. The proposed cast change was handled in an insensitive manner. However, race had no part in the motive. It was always about - the money.

YOU'D BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND A SWEETER, MORE LOVING CHILDBIRTH

WELCOME TO ANGELINA whose mother Pei "Sanny" Xia Chen Liu gave birth to her on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Angel's father is NYPD cop Detective First Grade Wenijan Liu who was murdered in the line of duty in 2014.

His sperm was harvested and saved permitting his widow to be artificially inseminated.

The adorable bundle of love weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and is 19.5 inches long. The baby was named "Angel" as a tribute to her slain hero father.

Hysterically happy at becoming doting grandparents are Liu’s dad Wei Tang Liu and his wife Xiu Yan Li who live in Brooklyn.

Police Commissioner James O’Neill tweeted: "From your #NYPD family: Congrats to Sanny & the grandparents of baby Angelina. Now Detective Liu's legacy can live on through his daughter. And, as far as Detective Liu's legacy goes, Sanny can't wait to tell Angelina that her father was a hero. She is also eager to introduce her daughter to the New York City Police Department that she lovingly refers to as her "big blue family."



GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY written and directed by Conor McPherson.

Music and Lyrics by Bob Dylan.

Duluth, Minnesota. 1934.
A community living on a knife-edge huddle together in the local guesthouse.

The owner, Nick, owes more money than he can ever repay, his wife Elizabeth is losing her mind and their daughter Marianne is carrying a child no-one will account for.

And, when a preacher selling bibles and a boxer looking for a comeback show up in the middle of the night, things start to spiral beyond the point of no return. Brought to life by a 20-piece company of actors and musicians, award-winning playwright Conor McPherson "beautifully weaves the iconic songbook of Bob Dylan into this new show full of hope, heartbreak and soul."

Featuring: Sheila Atim as Marianne Laine. Ron Cook as Dr Walker. Bronagh Gallagher as Mrs Burke. Shirley Henderson as Elizabeth Laine. Ciarán Hinds as Nick Laine. Claudia Jolly as Katherine Draper. Arinzé Kene as Joe Scott. Debbie Kurup as Mrs Neilsen. Jim Norton as Mr Perry. Sam Reid as Gene Laine. Michael Shaeffer as Reverend Marlowe. Jack Shalloo as Elias Burke. Stanley Townsend as Mr Burke. With ensemble members Kirsty Malpass, Tom Peters, and Karl Queensborough.

Stage design by Rae Smith - Simon Hale is Orchestrator, Arrangements & Musical Supervisor - Mark Henderson - Lighting by Simon Baker - Sound by Alan Berry - Musical Director is Lucy Hind - Movement Director is Joe Murphy - Associate Director is Jessica Daniels is Baylis Assistant Director and Jessica Ronane CDG is the Casting Director.

Recipient of 2016 Edgerton New Play Award. This world premiere is currently on stage through October 7, 2017 at The Old Vic in London.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME adaptation by Tony and Olivier Award winner Simon Stephens that brings Mark Haddon’s internationally best-selling novel to thrilling life.

Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Marianne Elliott.

Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbor’s dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to an earth-shattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever.

Adam Langdon stars as Christopher Boone. The cast also features Gene Gillette as Ed, Felicity Jones Latta as Judy, Maria Elena Ramirez as Siobhan and Amelia White as Mrs. Alexander.

The ensemble includes Brian Robert Burns, Francesca Choy-Kee, Josephine Hall , John Hemphill, Robyn Kerr, Kathy McCafferty, J. Paul Nicholas, Geoffrey Wade and Tim Wright. Benjamin Wheelwright will play Christopher at certain performances.

Winner of 5 Tony awards the national tour plays August 2-September 10 at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles, CA.

CURVY WIDOW a new musical comedy with a book by Bobby Goldman, music and lyrics by Drew Brody.

Directed by Peter Flynn.

Billed as a "sassy, frank and witty new musical comedy takes us through the semi-autobiographical adventures of a gutsy, recently widowed 50-something woman as she immerses herself in the modern dating scene. From exploring internet personal ads and surviving hilarious first dates, to weighing the pros and cons of married vs unmarried men, this widow romps her way through it all with humor and perseverance, and discovers unexpected truths about love, life and sex. Featuring a brilliant cast of best friends, a dead husband, and a myriad of potential suitors - Curvy learns the hard way what it means to start life over in the modern age."

Starring Tony Award nominee Nancy Opel as Curvy Window. Opel is joined by Andrea Bianchi, Aisha de Haas, Elizabeth Ward Land, Ken Land, Alan Muraoka, Christopher Shyer.

Curvy Widow features choreography by Marcos Santana, scenic design by Rob Bissinger, costume design by Brian Hemesath, lighting design by Matthew Richards and sound design by Ryan Rumery and M. Florian Staab. Andrew Sotomayor serves as musical director with orchestrations, arrangements and Music Supervision by Wayne Barker. Casting is by Stewart/Whitley.

Performances at the Westside Theatre in New York City.

WHO'S WHERE

JOHN PIZZARELLI QUARTET takes part in the Litchfield Jazz Festival in Goshen, CT on August 6.

NEIL DIAMOND is in the spotlight Wednesday, August 2, at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA. Friday's gig is at the Talking Stick Resort in Phoenix, AZ.

THE TEN TENORS are down under this week with a show on Tuesday, August 1, at Her Majesty's Theatre in Adelaide, Australia. Wednesday's stop is at Hamer Hall in Melbourne. On Thursday they can be enjoyed at the Entertainment Centre in Albury. Friday's stop is at the State Theatre in Sydney. Next Sunday the guys can be found at the Canberra Theatre in Canberra, Australia.

IDINA MENZEL performs Tuesday, August 1, at the Ryman in Nashville. Wednesday finds her at the Concert Hall at the BJCC in Birmingham, AL. On Friday she's on stage at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis, IN. Saturday's gig is at the Fraze Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Kettering, Ohio. Next Sunday, August 8, she's in the spotlight at the Palace Theatre in Louisville, KY.

QUEEN AND ADAM LAMBERT entertain Monday, July 31 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. Wednesday's gig is at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. Friday's stop is at American Airlines Center on Dallas, TX. Saturday finds them at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX.

COLDPLAY stars Tuesday, August 1 in East Rutherford, NJ at the MetLife Stadium. Friday finds them in Foxboro, MA at the Gillette Stadium. Next Sunday, August 6, they'll be performing their hits in Landover, MD at the FedExField.

TIM McGRAW AND FAITH HILL start a two night gig Monday, July 31, Mon at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. Thursday's stop is at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, AR. On Friday they begin a two night stand in the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.

GREEN DAY perform Tuesday, August 1, in Auburn, WA at White River Amphitheatre. Wednesday's stop is in Portland, OR at the Moda Center and on Saturday they can be found in Oakland, CA at the Alameda Coliseum.

FINAL OVATION

ALESHIA BREVARD who underwent one of the first transgendered surgeries in America, going on to a career in television, movies, and in Las Vegas died July 1, 2017 at home in the Santa Cruz County town of Scotts Valley, CA. She was 79.

She worked as an entertainer, actress, model, Playboy bunny, professor of theater, and author. At one time she was a stripper in Reno, Nevada and a showgirl at the Dunes hotel in Las Vegas. Until later in life she kept her transgendered status a secret, including marriage to several men none of who knew she had been born male - growing up as Alfred Brevard Crenshaw.

Ending up in San Francisco, Brevard found a job as a female impersonator at Finocchio's Club in San Francisco under the stage name "Lee Shaw" in the early 1960s, doing Marilyn Monroe impressions, eventually achieving enough fame that Marilyn herself came to a performance.

Brevard began her transition at 21 under the care of famed gender specialist Harry Benjamin in the late 1950s. At Benjamin's recommendation, Brevard underwent the surgical reassignment procedure in Los Angeles's Westlake Clinic under the care of surgeon Elmer Belt.

“Within a year of that life-changing surgery I was balancing a showgirl’s headdress at the Dunes Hotel,” she wrote on her website. “But a showgirl wasn’t what I wanted to be.” She would also do time as a stripper in Reno, Nevada.

She enrolled as a student at Middle Tennessee State University for her undergraduate education and married while still enrolled. She attended graduate school at Marshall University in West Virginia while also working as an actress, touring the country doing theater, working in film or television, and getting married. She ultimately got her master's degree in Theater.

“I even went back to teaching acting at the same university I’d first attended as a boy,” she wrote in her book Woman I Was Not Born To Be: A Transsexual Journey, published by Temple University Press. While living in Tennessee, she married for the first of four times, including twice to the same man.

She appeared in nine feature films, and made 36 television appearances, including in The Partridge Family, The Dean Martin Show, and the Red Skelton Show.

Stage roles included Not Now, Darling, Move Over, Mrs. Markham, The Owl & The Pussycat, Come Blow Your Horn, The Gingerbread Lady, Night of the Iguana, The Sunshine Boys, and Ruthless! The Musical.

In her later years she worked as a substitute teacher and participated in community theatre.

She is survived by her sister, of Midland, N.C.

BARBARA SINATRA died July 25, 2017 in Rancho Mirage, California after months of declining health. She was 90.

She was a model and showgirl who was married to Zeppo Marx from 1959 to 1973 and was the fourth and final wife of Frank Sinatra from 1976 until his death in 1998.

Upon his death, Frank Sinatra left her $3.5 million in assets, along with mansions in Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Palm Springs. She also inherited the rights to Sinatra's Trilogy recordings, most of his material possessions and control over his name and likeness.

The Sinatras founded the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center in Rancho Mirage, California, in 1986. The center is adjacent to the Betty Ford Center on the campus of the Eisenhower Medical Center. The non-profit facility provides individual and group therapy for young victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

She is survived by her only child, Robert Marx, and one granddaughter.

LOIS LAUREL-HAWES the only daughter and only surviving child of comedy legend Stan Laurel, of Laurel and Hardy fame, died Friday, July 28, 2017 at Holy Cross Hospital in Granada Hills, CA following a lengthy illness. She was 89.

Hawes devoted much of her time preserving the legacy of her father and his partner, Oliver Hardy.

Laurel and Hardy appeared in more than 100 comedy shorts and feature films between 1921 and 1952. After Hardy died in 1957, Laurel retired rather than continue acting. He died in 1965.

Hawes was a frequent visitor on her father's film sets and made uncredited appearances in at least three of their productions. She later provided narration and interviews for several documentaries about the two.

In 1948 she married Rand Brooks, who played Scarlett O’Hara’s first husband in Gone With The Wind. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1976. That union produced one son, Ran Brooks, Jr., who died in 2016. She was married to her second husband, Tony Hawes, who also worked briefly as an actor, from 1981 until his death in 1997. She was also preceded in death by her brother.

She is survived by a daughter, Laurel; five grandchildren and nine great- grandchildren.

Next Column: August 6, 2017
Copyright: July 30, 2017 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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