Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 31, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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COOL THINGS FOR HOT AUGUST DAYS

August is American Adventures Month. A spot-check across the country discovered a diverse array of events to fire your interest while you stay cool.

AUGUST 1 ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVALIN ASPEN, COLORADO special event: Science of Music - Music and Mathmatics Similarities ansd Differences . Co-presented with the Aspen Science Center.

AUGUST 1-31 HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD at the Curran Theater in San Francisco. Dates: August 1 - 31. This popular show tells the story of Potter's oldest son and the struggles he faces as he gets older. It's on stage all month long with shows every Tuesday - Sunday. They also offer two shows on the weekends.

AUGUST 2-7 NAUTICAL FESTIVAL IN ROGERS CITY, MICHIGAN Grand parade, carnival, fireworks (Sunday), Big Tent, live bands, clowns, antique and Classic auto show.

AUGUST 4 BROADWAY IN BRYANT PARK with a total of four of the best Broadway and Off-Broadway songs performed in Bryant Park. All performances last one hour, from 12:30pm – 1:30pm. The event begins August 4, 2022 with STOMP!; Disney on Broadway; Aladdin and The Lion King. Other performances are on: August 11, 2022 - Kimberly Akimbo; Dear Evan Hansen;Phantom of the Opera; Hadestown and Chicago. On August 18, 2022 - 1776; Mr. Saturday Night; Wicked; Funny Girl and Come From Away and on August 25, 2022 with a Special Performance by Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Six; Beetlejuice; A Strange Loop and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

AUGUST 5-6 NORTH DAKOTA CHOKECHERRY FESTIVAL IN WILLISTON The official state fruit (locals describe it like a pucker-inducing strawberry—in a good way) stars at this festival. Go all in for pit-spitting contests, a parade and a free pancake breakfast with the crop of honor drizzled as syrup. The festival features an Ultimate Air Dogs dock-jumping event.

AUGUST 6-7 REDCOATS AND REBELS 2022 IN STURBRIDGE, MA See the largest military re-enactment in New England with hundreds of costumed Revolutionary War reenactors, both soldiers and civilians, encamped on the Village Common. Visitors can not only explore Old Sturbridge Village's exhibits, galleries, and demonstrations and talk with costumed historians about everyday life in early New England, but also tour the camps, witness recreated skirmishes and battles, see special presentations, and enjoy fife and drum music.

AUGUST 6 TRIVIA NIGHTS AT HISTORIC SITES at the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden in Washington, DC. Grab your team and test your knowledge on everything from pop culture to history at the bi-weekly Trivia Nights this summer in the beautiful gardens of the Lee-Fendall House. Tickets include snacks and a complimentary drink.

AUGUST 7 LAKE CHAMPLAIN DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN BURLINGTON, VERMONT The annual festival is a favorite in the area made popular by the energy of community teams who eagerly paddle in 20-person dragon boats to raise money to support cancer survivors. This year’s festival promises to entertain and engage paddlers and spectators alike with some high-energy entertainment like Zumba for paddler warm-up and fast-paced paddling and splashing on the water. There will be musical entertainment Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, along with savory treats from favorite food vendors. And, most importantly, each team will participate in at least two 200 m races between Splash and the Coastguard station, cheered on by the amazing energy of community fans.

AUGUST 11-14 MENDOTA SWEET CORN FESTIVAL IN MENDOTA, ILLINOIS Vendors serve up more than 50 hot, buttery tons of summer’s quintessential treat. On Sunday, it’s cooked in a vintage steam engine and given away for free. A carnival, concerts and grand parade round out the fun.

AUGUST 11 CEDAR HILL CEMETERY SUNSET TOUR IN HARTFORD, CT Discover the history and beauty of Cedar Hill Cemetery on this tour showcasing some of its most celebrated residents and renowned monuments. Stops include General Griffin Stedman, Gilbert Heublein, John Pierpont Morgan, and Katharine Hepburn. Participants will enjoy watching the sun set over Cedar Mountain during the walk.

AUGUST 12 CANDLELIT BAROQUE: THE FOUR SEASONS IN ROCKPORT, ME Vivaldi’s vivacious Four Seasons will be performed by one of the most significant artists of his generation, violinist Benjamin Beilman. The work portrays a year filled with hope, flowering growth, flourishing abundance, and the quiet gathering of energy for tomorrow. The candlelit concert also features an exceptional ensemble of string soloists led by Geoff Nuttall, and marks the return to Bay Chamber of esteemed pianist and harpsichordist, Pedja Muzijevic.

AUGUST 13 GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE iN DANVILLE, VT Go on an epic journey of adventure and cornfusion at the largest, most complex maze in New England. Imagine an elf trying to communicate with a steampunk cowboy who has teamed up with a post apocalyptic survivor who just lost all her supplies to an orc while Bob and Marge Kowlaski run by with their fanny packs and cameras freaking out because they were just on a cruise ship moments ago before being transported into this amazing fold in the fabric of time space. And now they must all survive together or... alone. The large maze takes approximately 2-3 hours to solve; the smaller maze takes about 40 minutes. Each participant will be provided with a gaming pouch including coins, dice, supply cards, etc. in order to interact with other lost souls and roaming Reapers will be claiming lives.

August 13-14 PISTAHAN PARADE AND FESTIVAL IN CALIFORNIA Experience the beauty of Filipino art, dance, music, and food at the 26th edition of this two-day festival, known to be the largest celebration of Filipino Americans in the U.S. This event is fun for the whole family, and admission is free.

AUGUST 17-18 GRAND JAZZ FEST in GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN Pack a chair and a picnic (or snag a meal from a nearby food truck) before settling into Rosa Parks Circle. Free concerts by national artists and up-and-coming jazz musicians begin early afternoon. Prime spots go fast.

AUGUST 19-21 TATTOO EXPOSITION IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON Admire art on skin at the Seattle Tattoo Expo, with competitions, exhibitions, vendors, live music, and a burlesque revue in Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.

AUGUST 19-21 STOWE TANGO MUSIC FESTIVAL IN STOWE, VERMONT Led by a Grammy-winning Argentine bandoneon virtuoso Hector Del Curto, the concert features the tango legends directly from Buenos Aires, acclaimed tango dancers and the unique 25 piece orchestra made up of world-renowned tango musicians and talented students around the globe. An after-concert Milonga (tango dance party) on stage is included.

AUGUST 24-28 CORN PALACE FESTIVAL IN MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA Top-billed entertainers, including Clint Black, Trace Adkins, and Blood, Sweat and Tears perform at the not-so-corny festival. Other attractions include carnival rides, judged vegetable competitions and food vendors.

AUGUST 26 EARTHQUAKE FESTIVAL IN WINTERS, CALIFORNIA This Yolo County town was just about leveled in an 1892 earthquake. Locals haven't forgotten and annually they celebrate its rebuilding with this festival featuring food and crafts vendors and a big band.

AUGUST 25 WISCASSET ART WALK in Wiscasset ME is a summertime celebration of the arts in a 19th century mid-coast Maine village. the Village of Wiscasset invites residents and visitors to enjoy art galleries, unique shops, historic sites, and music and street performance, all in a beautiful riverfront setting.

AUGUST 26-28 CHARLIE PARKER JAZZ FESTIVAL AT MARCUS GARVEY PARK IN NEW YORK CITY On August 26 it's Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force / Calvin Booker On Tap & Friends. August 27 features Terence Blanchard ft. The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet / Buster Williams & Something More / NIKARA Presents Black Wall Street / Vuyo Sotashe. Sunday, August 28 in Tompkins Square Park you can enjoy Archie Shepp & Jason Moran + Special Guest / Melissa Aldana / Bria Skonberg / Pasquale Grasso.

AUGUST 27 BREW AT THE ZOO IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE, ISLAND Tap into your wild side at Brew at the Zoo an adults-only evening event, and sample more than 170 beers from 80+ local, regional and national brewers. Enjoy live musical entertainment by Niteflies and Farm Dog band, animal encounters and more at Rhode Island's largest outdoor beer festival. All attendees are required to show a valid ID.

AUGUST 27-28 SAN FRANCISCO CHINATOWN AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL Head over to colorful Grant Avenue in the heart of SF's Chinatown for two full days of entertainment, food, shopping, parades, children's activities, and more. Some of the highlights are the lion dancers and dragon parades. Maybe you'll even try a traditional mooncake to celebrate the full moon and Chinese culture!

AUGUST 27-28 SILICON VALLEY COMIC CON takes place in San Jose, California. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak presents the premier event in technology and pop culture: The Silicon Valley Comic Con. This convention brings together celebrities, comics, independent artists, cosplay, video games, music, apps, and even more electronics. The event will take place at the San Jose Convention Center.

SEPTEMBER 2-3 WISCONSIN STATE COW CHIP THROW IN PRAIRIE DU SAC (Yeah. we know it's September not August, but we just couldn't resist this one) Join more than 40,000 people of all ages at the annual chip-chuck, with honors given to winning teams and individuals. Additional events include an art fair, a 5K and 10K run, and the Tournament of Chips Parade.

AUGUST 28-29 INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE'S FESTIVAL OF NATIONS IN ST. LOUIS, MO Music, art and food from around the world draw 125,000-some visitors to Tower Grove Park. Don’t miss the World Bazaar, offering African drums, Indian saris and other goods. Festival host International Institute of St. Louis celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

TO RESERVE A DATE CONTACTMARITIME MUSEUM OVERNIGHT, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA Here’s a creative way to spend Labor Day weekend: Sleeping on the 1863 barque Star of India, the oldest active sailing ship in the world. This floating museum of historic vessels, docked along downtown San Diego, only rarely offers such family overnights. Meals are included, and costumed, in-character staffers will teach you how to move cargo and raise sails.

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Thank you for your interest.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

ART AND ABOUT

THE TABASCO MUSEUM is located in Avery Island, Louisianan.

If it's not hot enough for you outside then warm up your insides with some Tabasco tasting.

The Avery Island Fan Experience includes a self-guided tour of the Tabasco Museum, Pepper Greenhouse, Barrel Warehouse, Avery Island Conservation, Salt Mine diorama, Tabasco Country Store, Tabasco Restaurant 1868! and the 170-acre natural beauty of Jungle Gardens.

Have you ever wondered "how the hot sauce is made?" Explore the 10 stop tour that takes you from seed to sauce, get a full tasting at the tasting bar in the Tabasco Country store, light your taste buds up! The diet of the Reconstruction South was bland and monotonous, especially by Louisiana standards. So Edmund McIlhenny decided to create a pepper sauce to give the food some flavor and excitement.

A food lover and avid gardener, McIlhenny was given seeds of Capsicum frutescens peppers that had come from Mexico or Central America. On Avery Island in South Louisiana, he sowed the seeds, nurtured the plants and delighted in the spicy flavor of the peppers they bore. Many years later field hands used a little red stick, or 'le petit bâton rouge,' to measure the ripeness of the peppers. Staying true to history of Tabasco Brand, we still use it today to ensure the quality of the harvest.

McIlhenny grew his first commercial pepper crop in 1868. The next year, he sent out 658 bottles of sauce at one dollar apiece wholesale to grocers around the Gulf Coast, particularly in New Orleans. He labeled it “Tabasco,” a word of Mexican Indian origin believed to mean “place where the soil is humid” or “place of the coral or oyster shell.” McIlhenny secured a patent in 1870, and Tabasco Sauce began its journey to set the culinary world on fire. Sales grew, and by the late 1870s, he sold his sauce throughout the U.S. and even in Europe.

McIlhenny packaged the sauce in small cologne-type bottles with sprinkler fitments, which he then corked and sealed in green wax. The sprinkler fitment was important because his pepper sauce was concentrated and best used when sprinkled, not poured. Though the bottles are no longer sealed with wax, the sauce inside is every bit as pungent as the one McIlhenny first bottled back in 1868.

Today, nearly 150 years later, Tabasco Sauce, the basic recipe, the process by which it’s made, and the ingredients remain virtually unchanged. Now the aging process for the mash is longer – up to three years in white oak barrels – and the vinegar is high-quality distilled vinegar.

9 Varieties, labeled in 36 languages and dialects, sold in over 195 countries and territories, added to soldiers’ rations and put on restaurant tables around the globe, Tabasco Brand is the most famous pepper sauce in the world. You can learn all about it at the Museum.

CARL REINER: KEEP LAUGHING On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, the children of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Annie, Lucas, and director/actor Rob Reiner, cut the ribbon on the new multi-media exhibit honoring their father at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY. Carl Reiner: Keep Laughing celebrates Reiner’s seven-decade career as a writer, director, producer, author, and performer.

The new exhibit showcases hundreds of never-before-seen archival materials spanning Reiner’s remarkable career. Visitors can explore interactive stations that feature rare audiovisual clips, creative papers, photographs, and dimensional artifacts that intimately chronicle a lifetime of creative output. The exhibit will run throughout 2022 and beyond.

YAYOI KUSAMA'S THE OBLITERATION ROOM as part of UNIQLO Tate Play, Tate Modern’s year-round family program, visitors to Tate Modern are invited to transform a white domestic apartment into a sea of colorful dots using bright stickers.

Originally commissioned by the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia, The obliteration room is one of Kusama’s most ambitious participatory works and reflects the artist’s enduring obsession with accumulation, obliteration, and becoming one with the artwork. Beginning as a completely white domestic space filled with all white furniture, visitors are given a sheet of colorful dot stickers of varying sizes which they can place wherever they like to help turn the room into a riot of color. UNIQLO Tate Play: The obliteration room at Tate Modern is the largest iteration of this artwork yet and incorporates furniture and objects donated by members of the local community around Southwark ready to be adorned with stickers. Over the weekend of 13th and 14th August, The obliteration room will also host a house-warming party, celebrating one year of UNIQLO Tate Play with music and activities for all the family.

UNIQLO is a the largest of eight brands in the Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese retail holding company with global headquarters in Tokyo. With a corporate statement committed to changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom, and change the world, Fast Retailing is dedicated to creating great clothing with unique value to enrich the lives of people everywhere. The UNIQLO support of the Tate has enabled Tate Modern to offer captivating and culturally empowering participatory events that welcome new and younger audiences to the gallery. UNIQLO are proud of the ongoing partnership with the Tate, and the power it has to make art accessible to all.

THE DE YOUNG LEGION OF HONOR MUSEUM IN SAN FRANCISCO has an interesting organ.

From Patty Lacson, director of facilities special projects:

The Legion’s organ comprises more than 4,500 pipes ranging in size from one-half inch to 32 feet. It also has the capacity to imitate orchestral sounds such as the English horn, clarinet, French horn, and oboe; this organ has pneumatically operated percussion instruments, a set of large tubular chimes, and a thunder pedal as well. The organ pipes are located in the attic of the Legion, mainly above or near the main lobby area. The main console is located in Gallery 10, which provides space for visitors to sit with the organist during concerts.

The organ is maintained on a monthly basis by Schoenstein and Company. Their maintenance work includes checking all the reed stops—trumpets, oboes, tubas, clarinet—for any dirt or tuning issues and examining all controls for proper function. The organists note any problems in a small notebook on the console, which we attend to as well. Any additional time is devoted to inspecting the tuning of other stops in the organ so that over a period of years, all 4,543 pipes in the organ are tested for proper tuning and speech. Larger or one-time organ projects are often decided by a specific need: a set of pipes that would benefit from cleaning or restoration, or a task that had been put on hold that can finally be completed. One of the most successful recent projects was adding the ability to tune the entire organ from the chamber, saving time that could be devoted to other parts of the organ.

The organ, which is accessioned as part of the collections, is approaching its 100th birthday in 2024 and is in remarkably good condition due to the care and support it has received throughout its existence.

Enjoy classical music recordings by organist Jonathan Dimmock paired with some of our favorite European masterworks at the Legion of Honor. "Summer," "Spring," and "Winter" are now available to stream.

TAD MINOLITI: BIOSFERA PELUCHE / BIOSPHERE BLUSH Tate St Ives has brought the first UK solo exhibition by Argentinian artist Ad Minoliti to Cornwall. Trained as a painter, Minoliti (b.1980) draws on the rich legacy of geometric abstraction in Latin America to create alternative universes influenced by feminist and queer thought. For this interactive show, Minoliti’s playful approach to painting has transformed the physical gallery space into an imagined world, merging ideas around modern art, social justice, internet subcultures, and science fact and fiction. Following an inaugural presentation at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, this site-specific installation for Tate St Ives reimagines the gallery as a vibrant and futuristic environment that proposes ideas for inclusive living.

The exhibition takes as its starting point a critical exploration of Biosphere 2 – the world's largest Earth science experiment, launched in the Arizona desert in 1984. This monumental project isolated eight people in airtight domes to study whether humans could create and sustain life in artificial environments such as space stations. Interested in how this experiment highlighted the colonial and capitalist intentions of space exploration, as well as perpetuating a patriarchal and monocultural society, Minoliti has created an experimental station that subverts these purposes, valuing all identities, experiences and abstract forms.

Using the gallery walls as a canvas, Minoliti’s colourful geometric murals set the scene for this new universe. Inside the imagined biosphere, new works from the artist’s Fables (Butterfly and Flowers) series use colour and shape to deconstruct gender roles. These are shown alongside works from Minoliti’s Space Playset series, often referred to as ‘cyborg paintings’ due to their origins as spray-painted images that are digitally manipulated, printed, and then overpainted by hand. Created by both human and machine, Minoliti invites viewers to question the distinctions we make between biology and technology. The space is also inhabited by hybrid creatures, who reference cartoons and contemporary subcultures popular online. These human-sized avatars, a species which Minoliti calls ‘Furries’, each have non-binary names and wear clothing designed by the artist alongside collaborator Lam Hoi Sin. Bringing together ideas from queer and feminist theory, animalism and childhood, Minoliti further encourages viewers to think beyond the categorisations that we make between things – male and female, terrestrial and alien, art and everyday life.

A focal point of the installation is Minoliti’s Feminist School of Painting – an anti-school of art. Transforming the gallery space into an active classroom, the school hosts a series of free workshops open to visitors. These experimental sessions apply ideas from feminist and queer theory to reimagine portraiture, still life and landscape, in relation to power, gender and sexuality. Through discussion and practical art activities, visitors are invited to take part in rebuilding a new world which focuses on generosity and cooperation.

Alongside this is a new exhibition bringing together two artists – one modern, one contemporary – connected with West Cornwall. Wilhelmina Barns-Graham CBE (1912–2004) and Jonathan Michael Ray (b.1984) are separated by time, as well as the media and form their works take. The exhibition considers how both artists draw inspiration from the local landscape, exploring the idea that there is more to experience in nature than can be found on the surface.

Ad Minoliti: Biosfera Peluche / Biosphere Plush has been produced by BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, curated by Irene Aristizábal. This exhibition has been creatively adapted for Tate St Ives in collaboration with Anne Barlow and Giles Jackson.

on display through October 30, 2022.

THE FREUD MUSEUM in London has welcomed their new Director, Giuseppe Albano PhD, MBE who takes over from Carol Seigel who is retiring after 13 years at the helm of the Freud Museum London. Since 2011 Albano served as Curator and Director of the Keats-Shelley House in Rome.

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SWEET CHARITY

THE SANDRINGHAM GARDEN SHOW

Duchess Camilla took time to pose by an elaborately knitted crown. Credit: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool

which hasn't been held since the COVID outbreak is all abloom this year. The show which attracts around 20,000 visitors is held at Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham estate in Norfork, England. Since 1977, the Show Committee has given about $950,000 to approximately 49 good causes.

Arriving at the show this year by horse drawn carriage were Prince Charles and his wife, Duchess Camilla.

The couple, who enjoy gardening, attends every year and eagerly toured the 75 display stalls featuring flowers, vegetables and crafts.

Both are dog lovers and frequently petted dogs who were transported around the area in their own strollers.

Camilla also posed for a photo beside an elaborately knitted royal crown. The impressive creation was featured among the craft displays.

Individuals and agencies which have benefited from this show include: money to a riding for the disabled charity to buy another pony for the 150 children to use at its center each week; money to purchase an artificial hand for a young teacher who is a principal trombonist in a concert band; Christmas meals for pensioners, funds towards the East Anglian Art Ambulance (where Prince William once worked); Hospice organizations, and food banks - to name only a few.

SPREADING THE WORD

GRANTCHESTER

Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. Maguire on Grantchester.

a British ITV detective drama, set in the 1950s in the Cambridgeshire village of the same name. The show first featured Anglican vicar Sidney Chambers (James Norton) and now Will Davenport as Vicar Tom Brittney along with gruff, down-to-earth police inspector Geordie Keating's (Robson Green) whose methodical approach to police work complements the intuitive techniques of the local vicar.

Grantchester portrays both clergymen and police detectives with all of their foibles. There has never been a weak cast member. It is a brilliant ensemble series, featuring Al Weaver as gay Leonard Finch an ousted Vicar turned coffee shop owner. Tessa Peake-Jones as Mrs. Maguire is the housekeeper-cook for the vicarage who has maintained a reliable, even keel performance.

This season she has capitulated into mega star quality when the religiously devote, stoic, senior citizen is informed that she has cancer. What deserves to be an award winning performance Mrs. Maguire lashes out at anyone and everyone, including accusing God of abandoning her and punishing her. Simply stunning performances - from her fear that she might have something seriously wrong, to receiving the diagnosis to a total meltdown.

These emotional and desperate medical episodes are so well written that one can't help but wonder if the writer was ever diagnosed with cancer or lived through the experience with an extremely close relative or friend.

GUILLERMO RODRIGUEZ Jimmy Kimmel's right hand man, rose from a parking lot security guard at the late night studios before taking on the role as Kimmel's sidekick. His affable nature - and apparent willingness to do almost anything - has earned him a cult following and he appears to have broken through the side-kick ceiling by appearing in skits and commercials. Particularly effect was his moderating last week of a "presidential debate" between President Biden and former President Trump both amazingly portrayed by creative genius Dana Carvey - worthy of an Emmy nod.

MATT GOSS who spent 12 years in Las Vegas as a performing mainstay at Caesars Palace and the Mirage Resort returned to his native England on Tuesday, as first reported by the Daily Mail.

However, almost exactly a year ago, he made the same announcement as first reported in the Mirror.

In March of this year Goss, 56, told the British tabloid the Sun that he had found love again and is quoted as saying "I have a new girlfriend. She isn't obsessed with social media."

THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY has announced that the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards will return to Las Vegas at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Thursday, November 17, 2022. The three-hour telecast, which is produced by TelevisaUnivision, the leading Spanish language media and content company in the world, will air live on the Univision network beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central), preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

2022 GLASTONBURY ABBEY EXTRAVAGANZA takes place on Saturday, August 6 in the grounds of the historic Abbey inPilton, Somerset, England and features performances from Paloma Faith and Seasick Steve.

Also performing in the Abbey’s historic surroundings will be 13 times European Brass Band Champions, Black Dyke Brass Band. The event will conclude with the traditional fireworks finale.

JOEY CHESTNUT the hot dog guzzling champion has added another menu item to his list after he inhaled 44 Cane's chicken fingers in 5 minutes to set a world record on National Chicken Day. To leave room for the wings and sauce Chestnut explained that he had eaten only salad the night before and skipped breakfast and lunch.

The poultry party took place at the Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers on the Las Vegas Strip.

Oh, he's disclosed that the secret to being able to slide down so many hotdogs is to dip the buns in water.

DID YOU KNOW THAT: 98% of advertised foods are of low nutritional value.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

GRACELAND IS IN HUNKA, HUNKA, HUNKA DEBT the famed former home of Swivel Hips and now a famed tourist attraction was hit hard by Covid 19 - to the point that Tennessee state issued bonds tied to tourist revenue have gone into default. The City of Memphis, the state and Elvis Presley Enterprises are bickering g over how this happened and how to fix a fall that resulted in some $20 million of Graceland Project bonds down to "junk" status.

The borrower missed an interest payment on the largely tourist tax backed municipal bonds issued in 2017 for a development project at Graceland. Elvis Presley's Graceland bonds defaulted in March of 2022 leaving the estate with $25 million in debt. Graceland has been struggling to stay afloat since its debt was consolidated in 2006. "After years of mismanagement and falling attendance, Gracelanbd is set to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection," stated several press reports.

Memphis officials filed a lawsuit against Presley heirs, accusing them of failing to make payments on more than $28 million worth of bonds issued by the singer's trust. The lawsuit could lead to the sale of Graceland to repay the debtors.

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TAMRON HALL has been appointed to the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation (NABLF), NABLF Board Chair Darrell Brown announced.

The two-time Emmy Award-winning talk show host, journalist, producer and author will serve in the newly created position of industry ambassador, working with NABLF on campaigns and fundraising efforts to help shape the future of the Foundation.



NAN AND THE LOWER BODY by Jessica Dickey.

Directed by Giovanna Sardelli.

Based upon real-life events, the Nan of the title refers to Dickey's grandmother Nan Day, a cytologist who briefly crossed professional paths with Dr. George Papanicolaou, the physician who developed the life-saving Pap smear to help more easily detect cervical cancer.

"A pioneering doctor wants a full-time successor. A loving husband wants a full-time family. And Nan wants it all. She is the brilliant lab assistant of good-humored Dr. Papanicolaou, inventor of the life-saving Pap smear. In this frank and funny audience favorite from our New Works Festival, Nan has mysteries to unravel and life-changing choices to make. But who can unwind the mysteries of the heart?"

Starring Elissa Beth Stebbins as Nan Day, Jeffrey Brian Adams as her husband Ted, a minister; Christopher Daftsios as Dr. Papanicolaou and Lisa Ramirez as his wife, Mache.

The creatives include: Nina Ball Scenic Design - Pamila Z. Gray Lighting Design - Maya Herbsnab Intimacy Coordinator/Production EDI Consultant - Jeffrey Lo Casting Director - Randall K. Lum Stage Manager - Judith Nihe Artist Counselor - George Psarras Dialect Coach - Jane Shaw Sound Design - Heather Sterking Wig Design.

World Premiere presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley with performances at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto, California through August 7, 2022.

ALL OF US a new play by Francesca Martinez.

Directed by Ian Rickson.

A powerful new play about making a stand. Jess has a great life: a job she loves, a sharp sense of humor and a close group of friends. When austerity threatens the world she has worked hard to build, Jess makes a stand to protect those she holds most dear.

"Capturing the humor, sadness and joy of everyday life, All of Us is a passionate and timely look at the human cost of abandoning those who struggle to fit in."

Featuring: Oliver Alvin-Wilson, Chris Anderson, Mat Betteridge, Lucy Briers, Crystal Condie, Bryan Dick, Daniel Fearn, Michael Gould, Kevin Hely, Christopher John-Slater, Francesca Martinez, Francesca Mills, Goldy Notay and Wanda Opalinska.

The creatives are: Set and Costume Designer Georgia Lowe - Lighting Designer Anna Watson - Movement Director Lucy Cullingford - Composer Stephen Warbeck - Sound Designer Gregory Clarke - Fight Director Terry King - Staff Director Hana Pascal Keegan.

Performances to September 24, 2022 at the Dorfman stage of the National Theatre in London.

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE GHOST MACHINE a world premiere play by David MacGregor.

Directed by Angie Kane.

Featuring: David Bendena, Caitlin Cavannaugh, Mark Colson, Sarab Kamoo, Rusty Mewha, and Paul Stroili.

London: November 1905. England and the world are changing. As civilization edges towards the horrors of World War I, every day brings new tensions in Europe and technological advances that make Victorian England feel like a distant dream. Into the rooms of Sherlock Holmes come Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison—with new inventions that will alter the course of human history—only both inventions have gone missing. Can Holmes, Watson, and Irene Adler somehow unravel the latest diabolical scheme of the late Professor Moriarty’s evil daughter, Marie Chartier? Can world peace be achieved by the most powerful weapon ever created? Can death itself be overcome by a scientific genius? And can Sherlock Holmes survive the greatest personal loss of his career?

Performances through August 27, 2022 at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, Michigan.

THE HUMMINGBIRDS A Comedy of Menace by Garret Jon Groenveld.

Directed by SuzAnne Barabas, Artistic Director at NJ Rep.

The cast includes Sophia Lucia Parola and Michael Irvin Pollard.

Welcome to the Unemployment Bureau.

Been unemployed too long? Welcome to room 347, a very special branch of the Unemployment Bureau. Here you will be placed in a job that doesn't pay enough, or a job that might be unsafe, or one that is unsavory. But, you will have to do it. Because "If you can walk, you can work." A comic-drama set in the future, which may be closer than you think.

The creatives are: Rose Riccardi Production Stage Manager - Patricia Doherty Costume Design - Jessica Parks Scenic Designer/Props Designer - Jill Nagle Lighting Design - Janey Huber Assistant Lighting Design/COVID Safety Monitor - Nick Simone Sound Design - Rachael Malloy Assistant Stage Manager.

Performances August 4-28, 2022 at New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, NJ.

BE MORE CHiLL a musical adaptation of the 2004 novel of the same title by American author Ned Vizzini, has a book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominated Joe Iconis.

Directed by Tony Award-nominated Stephen Brackett.

The cast includes: Kota Yabu, Seishiro Kato, Sayuri Inoue, Yuya Kido, Akiyoshi Utsumi, Ruki Saito, Marika Dandoy, Ayaka Larrison, Bro.Tom and Daisuke Yokoyama.

A pop coming-of-age musical with a modern setting and slightly retro science fiction elements , is scheduled to be made into a movie. This production of Be More Chill is the first Asian production to be staged in Japan with a Japanese cast.

The creatives include choreography by Chase Brock, orchestrations by Charlie Rosen, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Bobby Frederick Tilley II, lighting design by Tyler Micoleau, projection design by Alex Basco Koch, sound design by Aki Takeda, hair and wig design by Yuko Sato, with musical direction by Mako Kuwabara.

Be More Chill made its Asian premiere this summer on July 25 at the New National Theatre Playhouse, in Tokyo, and will follow with performances in Fukuoka and Osaka, it was announced today by Tokyo Broadcasting System Television and Gorgeous Entertainment. Be More Chill is directed by Be More Chill, originally premiered at New Jersey’s Two River Theatre in 2015. Asian premiere at the New National Theatre-Playhouse in Tokyo through August 10, 2022.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare.

Directed by Globe Resident Artist Patricia McGregor.

Fall under the spell of Shakespeare’s most joyful and popular comedy. Filled with magic, humor, music, and spectacle, the merriment unfolds in an enchanted forest where fairies play tricks on unsuspecting lovers and bumbling actors are transformed beyond their wildest dreams. With a magic potion that grants love at first sight, anything can, and does, happen.

McGregor directs a cast of 20, which includes Karen Aldridge as Titania, Celeste Arias as Helena, Paul James as Oberon, Jake Millgard as Bottom, Victor Morris as Egeus, Carter Piggee as Fairy, Christopher Michael Rivera as Puck, Jamie Ann Romero as Hermia, and Miki Vale as DJ.

The cast also includes students in The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program: Brett Cassidy (Theseus, Mustardseed), Jacqui Dupré (Peaseblossom), Savannah Faye (Starveling), Komi M. Gbeblewou (Snout), Camilla Leonard (Hippolyta, Cobweb), Becca Lustgarten (Quince), Jeffrey Rashad (Demetrius), Bernadette Sefic (Lysander), Jude Tibeau (Snug, Fairy), Nathan VanAtta (Flute), and Maggie Walters (Moth, First Fairy).

In addition to McGregor, the creative team includes scenic and costume design by David Israel Reynoso, lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge, sound design and additional music by Melanie Chen Cole, original music by Mike Vale, choreography by Paloma McGregor, vocal coach Emmelyn Thayer, fight consultation by Ka’imi Kuoha, fight consultation by Jake Millgard, casting by Alaine Alldaffer, CSA and Lisa Donadio, production stage manager Chandra R.M. Anthenill, and assistant stage manager Avery James Evans.

Performances begin July 31 and run through September 4, with the opening on Saturday, August 6, 2022 in the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre of The Old Globe in San Diego, CA.

CAMP, A NEW MUSICAL Written and directed by David J.V. Meena.

Musical direction by Karen Feeney.

Musical arrangements by Jay O’Brien.

"Featuring a cast of 23, Camp, A New Musical will transport you upstate to New York’s Camp Goody Goody, summer retreat for children of the elite, run by fading socialite Madame Tres Faux. The curtain rises on opening day as Madame and the Counselors welcome a fresh crop of eager campers, Chaz, Annie, Fluffy, Muffy and Fawn, each it seems, with a designer suitcase full of self-absorbing issues.

Things are going swimmingly when suddenly, during the evening’s jamboree with the Counselors, smoke and flames are seen billowing from the much-maligned forbidden camp across the lake, which ultimately burns to the ground. Madame is thrust into emergency mode and offers to take in the displaced "hooligan" campers from this less-than-upscale establishment as a goodwill gesture, forcing the Goody Goody’s to share their cabins with the likes of Crusher, Spike, Sticks, Stones, and Bones. This all leads to fast-paced musical fun with plenty of comedic antics, unexpected tensions and surprising twists."

The cast stars Kelly Ross as Madame Tres Faux, with Campers and Counselors Christopher Abt, Elena Asfendis, Jacqueline Bahary, Victoria Bahary, Veronica Banat, Paulina Breeze, Sean Busk, Thomas Campbell, Mollie Cate, Jenna Cia, Alexandra Colaiacovo, Nora Collard, Sam Cusson, Ava Giglia, Matthew Glenn, Sealth Grover, Maria Guerrero, Tanner Kirol, Anna Loftus, Luli Mitchell, Maximilian Oster, Greyson Riley, Adriene Sanchez, Isabella Sciortino, Katie Smith, Macy Swanton, Julia Szostek, Kristian Thaxton, RJ Vandenbrouk.

This full-scale production features a score of over 20 original songs. Set designs by Rebecca Bell; costumes and hair by William Goodman: Lighting design by Saylor.

Performances at Theatre Row in New York City August 4th – 21, 2022.

NEWSIES based on the 1992 motion picture, featuring a score by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken and Jack Feldman and a book by four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein.

Directed by Joey Banks.

Musical direction by Beth Everett.

Newsies is inspired by real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, when newsboy Kid Blink led a band of orphan and runaway "newsies" on a two-week-long action against Pulitzer, Hearst, and other powerful newspaper publishers. Timely and fresh, the fictionalized adaptation of Newsies is high-energy with non-stop thrills, with eight new songs in additional to keeping many of the beloved songs from the film, including Carrying the Banner; Seize the Day; King of New York and Santa Fe.

Featuring LJ Salinas as Jack; Abigail Bensman as Katherine; Scott Shipman as Pulitzer; Andrew Tran as Crutchie; Morgan Whitley as Davey.

The cast also includes: Isaac Arrieta, Kyle Bussone-Peterson, Even Carlson, Keyshaan Castle, James Chapman, James Cho, Matt Connely, Cayden Couchman, Caroline Davis, Jackson Froelich, Ella Grace Harper, Maya Hillman, Marlena Hoffman, Britney Huguley, Danielle Kaigler, Jake Jordan, Will Mallick, JD Martin, Veronica Merrick, Jillian Nickens, Diego Rodriguez, Shane Scandurra, Joelle Sellers, Will Shafer, Katie Stumpf, Jessica Terán, Daniel Winkler, and Nick Xitco.

The creatives are: Chris Shin – Choreographer; Lisa Goering – Production Manager; Aly Redland – Production Stage Manager; Hannah Rutt – Assistant Stage Manager; Joshua Denning – Set Designer; Dennis Riley – Technical Director; Rachel Atkinson – Lighting Designer; Teresa Carson – Costume Designer; Robert Joseph – Props Designer; Rodd Simonsen – Sound Designer; Jacob Foster – Lead Charge Artist; Jacqueline Sindelar – Master Electrician.

Performances through August 13 at the Zilker Hillside Theater in Austin, Texas.

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FINAL OVATION

PAUL SORVINO Tony nominated actor and opera singer, died July 25, 2022 at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, He had been in ill health for several years. He was 83.

While attending The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, he decided to go into the theatre. He made his Broadway debut in the 1964 musical Bajour, Sorvino received critical praise for his performance as Phil Romano in Jason Miller's 1972 Broadway play That Championship Season, a role he repeated in the 1982 film version. He also directed Wheelbarrow Closers, a 1976 Broadway play by Louis La Russo II, which starred Danny Aiello.

He gained worldwide fame in both the movies and television.

Sorvino was also an accomplished sculptor, specializing in cast bronze. In December 2008 his sculpture of the late playwright Jason Miller was unveiled in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In addition, he guest-starred on the 2008 album of Neapolitan singer Eddy Napoli, Napulitanata, performing a duet of the song "Luna Rossa".

In December 2014, Sorvino married his third wife, political pundit Dee Dee Benkie after meeting her on "Your World With Neil Cavuto."

He is also survived by three children; Mira, Michael, and Amanda.

DAVID McDONALD Broadway actor died July 13, 2022. He was 63.

He appeared in the original Broadway casts of Side Show and Memphis as well as Les Misérables and Doctor Zhivago.

He was a part of the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Bye Bye Birdie, and played Sam Carmichael in the long running hit Mamma Mia opposite Carolee Carmello. McDonald also portrayed Rum Tum Tugger on the first national tour of Cats, the patriarch Mr. Price in the national tour of Kinky Boots, and Javert in Les Misérables.

Regionalkly, the actor appeared in leading roles at La Jolla Playhouse, Old Globe Theatre, and Goodspeed Opera House.

He is survived by his spouse, Pilar Millhollen, two children, mother Barbara, sister Suzanne and brothers Don, Stephen and Joseph.

MICK MOLONEY Irish-American musician and scholar died July 27, 2022. He was 77.

The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to Dr Mick Moloney.

Born in Limerick, Moloney was a member of the folk group The Johnstons, and had been honored by the US government with a National Heritage Award and by the Irish Government for his services to music.

He moved to the USA in 1973 and combined his careers of professional music, teaching and advocacy.

In 1992, Moloney received a Ph.D. in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania. For his work in public folklore, he received a 1999 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

He taught ethnomusicology, folklore and Irish studies courses at the University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University and Villanova University and was a Global Distinguished Professor at New York University in the Irish Studies Program and the Music Department. In 2008, he won the Golden Dozen Award for teaching excellence at NYU.

"Dr. Moloney was an admired Global Distinguished Professor at Glucksman Ireland House, New York University, as part of their Irish Studies Programme and Music Department," President Higgins said. "His passing is a loss to the musical heritage of Ireland, to Irish America and to Irish music worldwide."

Next Column: August 7, 2022
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Laura Deni

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