Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: July 5, 2015
By: Laura Deni
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ANDREW LIPPA'S STYLE EVIDENT EVEN IN HIS FIRST MUSICAL - AN UNUSUAL SHOW ABOUT A BROTHER & SISTER

Broadway Records has released the soundtrack of the 20th anniversary Off-Broadway production of John & Jen, starring Tony nominee the silver voiced Kate Baldwin and the talented singer/actor Conor Ryan.

The Keen Company’s staging features music by Tony and Grammy nominated Andrew Lippa, lyrics by Tom Greenwald with musical direction by Lily Lang who also performs on piano with Melanie Mason on cello.

Opening with a sprightly piano, it takes only a few bars to realize that the Lippa's signature sound styling of musical theatre pop was evident even in John & Jen, his first musical. The Goodspeed produced John & Jen in 1993 at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut. What followed that production was a workshop staging the following year at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and, ultimately, a nearly 6-month run at Lamb's Theatre in New York City.

Set against the background of a changing America between 1950 and 1990, it was revived in a 2015 0ff-Broadway production which was captured for this CD release.

John & Jen takes a look at the complexities of relationships between brothers and sisters and parents and children. Having the subject of a brother and sister is not your usual plot line. Family dynamics are put into perspective by Tom Greenwald's use of intelligent lyrics. The musical flourishes with predominately hopeful and airy numbers that discuss up close and personal stages of life.

Tony nominee Kate Baldwin and Conor Ryan in John & Jen. Photo: Carol Rosegg.

Involving a time span of 50 years, the complicated brother sister relationship and then the equally convoluted one Jen has with her son is told through songs. Though sentimental, it's also an emotional button pusher.

From 6-year-old Jen greeting her baby brother with Welcome to the World, to her making a sincere but impossible promise to keep that she will always be there for him and protect him from their abusive father; to his being killed in Vietnam at the age of 19 and Jen herself becoming a single mother - songs reflect all stages of their coexistence.

We learn about Jen first wearing a bra to such events as Christmas, and a heart tugging soliloquies sung to a grave site; the premiere of the new song Troubles With Men, as well as orchestrations by Jason Robert Brown; and two songs from the score never before recorded. The musical numbers are about family connections, commitments and the healing of the human heart.

The brother and sister are co-dependent and their relationship does have its disagreements. Jen heads off for college. John doesn't want her to go but she does, instructing him to Hold Down the Fort. As America transitions from the family friendly 1950s to the Vietnam Era, tensions arise. Jen has turned into a flower child. John enlists in the Navy. Prior to his deployment overseas, John and Jen have an awkward reunion. It’s the last time they’ll ever see each other.

The second act begins years later and there is a new John in Jen’s life: her namesake son. As a divorced mom, Jen is a helicopter mother desperately trying to keep the memory of her brother alive in his namesake.

According to the accompanying booklet: "Andrew and I began work on this show in 1990, when we were young writers, naive enough to think that people would be interested in a two-person musical which had an unfamiliar title, wasn't based on anything, and was about a brother and a sister. Oh, yeah, the brother dies at the end of the first act . . . John & Jen ends with Jen sending her son off to college. It's traumatic for her, of course . . . I sit there and ask myself, Why did we write this? What are on earth were we thinking? And how did we know? The real truth, of course, is that there are no answers. There are only memories. Which is how it should be," wrote lyricist Tom Greenwald.

Mixed and Edited by Michael Croiter. Tracking Engineer Andy Manganello. Assistant Engineer Matthias Winter. Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper. Recorded at Avatar Studios, NYC.



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ART AND ABOUT

OUT OF THE BOX: THE RISE OF SNEAKER CULTURE

Nike. Air Jordan I, 1985. Nike Archives. (Photo: Ron Wood. Courtesy American Federation of Arts/Bata Shoe Museum)

is the first exhibition to explore the complex social history and cultural significance of the footwear now worn by billions of people throughout the world. From their modest origins in the mid-nineteenth century to high-end sneakers created in the past decade, sneakers have become a global obsession.

The exhibition, which includes approximately 150 pairs of sneakers, looks at the evolution of the sneaker from its beginnings to its current role as status symbol and urban icon. Included are works from the archives of manufacturers such as Adidas, Converse, Nike, Puma, and Reebok as well as private collectors such as hip-hop legend Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, sneaker guru Bobbito Garcia, and Dee Wells of Obsessive Sneaker Disorder.

Also featured are sneakers by Prada and other major fashion design houses and designers, as well as those made in collaboration with artists including Damien Hirst and Kehinde Wiley.

Film footage, interactive media, photographic images, and design drawings contextualize the sneakers and explore the social history, technical innovations, fashion trends, and marketing campaigns that have shaped sneaker culture over the past two centuries.

The Rise of Sneaker Culture is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto. It is curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Senior Curator, Bata Shoe Museum.

The Brooklyn presentation is organized by Lisa Small, Curator of Exhibitions, Brooklyn Museum.

Opens at the Brooklyn Museum July 10 and runs through October 4, 2015.

SWEET CHARITY

BROADWAY BARKS PURR-TASTIC 17! star-studded dog and cat adoption event to benefit New York City animal shelters and adoption agency, takes place Saturday, July 11 in Shubert Alley in New York City.

Founded by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore, this event features celebrities from the hottest shows on Broadway. The event, produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, begin at 3:00 p.m. where future pet parents can meet all the adoptable dogs and cats; celebrity presentations of adoptable pets will take place between 5:00-6:30 p.m. This year’s event will be co-hosted by Bernadette Peters and Andrew Rannells from The Book of Mormon.

The event is free and open to the public.

Celebrity participants include:

Clyde Alves (On the Town) James Barbour (The Phantom of the Opera) - Ian Barford (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) - Bill Berloni (Trainer to the Animal Stars) - Heidi Blickenstaff (Something Rotten!) - Sierra Boggess (It Shoulda Been You) - Christian Borle (Something Rotten!) - Caroline Bowman (Wicked) - Marylouise Burke (Fish in the Dark) - Mary Callanan (Mamma Mia!) - Scott J. Campbell (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) - John Cariani (Something Rotten!) - Carolee Carmello (Finding Neverland) - Michael Cerveris (Fun Home) - Leanne Cope (An American in Paris) - Corey Cott (Gigi) - Veanne Cox (An American in Paris) - Gavin Creel (The Book of Mormon).

Also offering puppy love: Nikki Renee Daniels (The Book of Mormon) - Tracy Jai Edwards (Ruthless! The Musical) - Alison Ewing (Mamma Mia!) - Francesca Faridany (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) - Tori Feinstein (Matilda the Musical) - Jonathan Freeman (Aladdin) - Montego Glover (It Shoulda Been You). Hoping good pet parents come along are: Harriet Harris (It Shoulda Been You) - Glenne Headly (Fish in the Dark) - Edward Hibbert (It Shoulda Been You) - Jackie Hoffman (On the Town) - Dee Hoty (Gigi) - Jayne Houdyshell (Fish in the Dark) - James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin) - Rebecca Naomi Jones (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) - Andy Karl (On the Twentieth Century) - Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) - Jeff Kready (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) - Judy Kuhn (Fun Home).

Appearing with arms full of unconditional love will be: Peter Land (Ruthless! The Musical) - Kara Lindsay (Wicked) - Sydney Lucas (Fun Home) - Alison Luff (Matilda The Musical) - Beth Malone (Fun Home) - Kim Maresca (Ruthless! The Musical) - Lesli Margherita (Matilda The Musical) - Jefferson Mays (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) - Andrea McCullough (Ruthless! The Musical) - Howard McGillin (Gigi) - Rita McKenzie (Ruthless! The Musical) - Judy McLane (Mamma Mia!) - Tori Murray (Ruthless! The Musical) - Bebe Neuwirth (Madam Secretary) - Michael Oberholtzer (Hand to God) - Brad Oscar (Something Rotten!.

Showing off future best friends forever: Jill Paice (An American in Paris) - Joel Paley (Ruthless! The Musical) - Mary Beth Peil (The Visit) - Kate Shindle (Wonderland) - Christopher Sieber (Matilda The Musical) - Jarrod Spector (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) - Sarah Stiles (Hand to God) - Taylor Trensch (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) - Max von Essen (An American in Paris) - Amra-Faye Wright (Chicago) Jessica Keenan Wynn (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) - and Chip Zien (It Shoulda Been You).

STC BAZAAR Want a hand-made mask to wear to a masquerade? How about a dress fit for a Gogol play? Or maybe something with a bit of fire from a 1920's club? Head-to-toe costume pieces from Much Ado About Nothing, The Government Inspector and Measure for Measure.

The STC Bazaar promises all of your favorite costumes and props from many of their past hit productions, as well as a large selection of gently used furniture, artwork, kitchen supplies and more from their guest artist apartments.

Items for sale range from props to large furniture from The Importance of Being Earnest, Design for Living and The Winter’s Tale. Prices begin at $1 and go up from there. There promises to be something for everyone!

There are rules! For instance: "We do not have dressing rooms. You may not undress to try on items but can try items on over your clothing. Please, keep your pants on."

July 11 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC.

THE PRESIDENTS SPORTING CLUB CHARITY GOLF DAY takes place Wednesday, July 8, 2015 at the Five Star Marriot, Hanbury Manor Golf and Country Club, UK.

The Presidents Sporting Club’s Celebrity Golf Classic is "recognized as one of the most prestigious Celebrity-Am events." The cost of 1,000 pounds for a team of three playing with a Celebrity.

The event includes:

A first class full English breakfast on arrival - A Goodie Bag of leisure items for all the players - Each team of three will be playing with a celebrity player - Outstanding list of prizes for first four teams, nearest the pin, longest drive and best front nine and best back nine - In the evening a reception in the grounds of The Hanbury Manor Hotel and Country Club with musical entertainment - An excellent meal will be served followed by a full evening of top class entertainment.

The President’s Sporting Club/Essex Disabled Sports Foundation has now raised over $2 million to provide sporting facilities and opportunities for children with special needs.

SPREADING THE WORD

CHASIN' DEM BLUES FESTIVAL takes place July 7 - August 2, 2015 at the Southwest Arts Center in Atlanta, Ga.

Written and directed by Kevin Ramsey.

"Blues is the roots, everything else is the fruits." So proclaimed Willie Dixon, blues composer, famed recording-session maestro, bass man, and an early bridge between the blues and rock 'n' roll.

Explained as: "This thought is brought to life in the untold Story of Paramount Records, Chasin' Dem Blues. This roof-raising show is a foot-stomping, multi-media musical celebration, which thrills audiences with storytellers' account of how a small Midwest town changed the landscapes of American music, and ushered in the sound of the early 20th century, a sound that still reverberates today."

Presented by Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company.








SINATRA: THE MAN & HIS MUSIC in his centenary year, Frank Sinatra will be 'returning' to the London Palladium, 65 years after he made his UK debut on the same stage in 1950. This multimedia show, produced in association with Frank Sinatra Enterprises, features ultra-rare and original master recordings of Frank Sinatra. Using cutting-edge technology and never-before-seen performance footage, the show takes us on a journey through Sinatra's life, told by the man himself alongside personal family photographs and film.

The show is accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra and a company of 20 dancers and singers. Sinatra promises to be an extraordinary new multi-media concert celebrating of one of the world’s greatest entertainers.

Featuring all of Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits, including Come Fly With Me, Fly Me To The Moon, New York, New York and My Way.

The only show officially endorsed and supported by Sinatra's family, the production will begin performances at the London Palladium July 10, prior to an official opening July 20.

RUMOUR HAS IT by Adam Brunes & Naomi Price.

Musical Director: Jason McGregor.

Original Arrangements: Naomi Price, Jason McGregor & Michael Manikus. Vocal Arrangements: Naomi Price & Luke Kennedy.

Starring Naomi Price with Mik Easterman, Rachel Everett-Jones, Andrew Johnson, Luke Kennedy, Michael Manikus, Jason McGregor and Lai Utovou.

Part MTV unplugged, part intimate bedroom lament, Rumour Has It marries a modern-day music legend with Australia’s fastest-rising cabaret star.

"You’re invited to spend an evening with Adele: Grammy goddess, young mum, and potty-mouthed everywoman. Joined on stage by a big band of Australia’s best musicians, Adele spills all the intimate details about life on the road, love on the rocks, and the prick who took a sledgehammer to her heart."

Starring Naomi Price in her acclaimed portrayal of the pop idol, and features hits including Skyfall, Rolling in the Deep and Someone Like You. The show has become one of Australia’s most-loved original cabarets.

In this brand new season, she’s busting out some new songs, with fresh arrangements – and her infamous, up-to-the-moment, scathing social satire, delivered the way only a loudmouthed Londoner can. Lighting Design: Jason Glenwright. Production Manager: Jamie Taylor.

Originally produced in association with the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts. Coarse Language and adult themes. Recommended 15 years and over. July 8-11, 2015 in the Billie Brown Studio of the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane, Australia.

SCENES FROM AN EXECUTION by Howard Baker.

Directed by Potomac Theatre Project's Co-Artistic Director Richard Romagnoli.

Scenes From An Execution deals with the eternally fractious and complex relationship between the artist and the state. Galactia, a 15th century Venetian painter, is commissioned by the State of Venice to portray the Battle of Lepanto, a naval battle described as “the greatest triumph of Venetian history.” However, her 1,000 square feet of canvas contains quite a different interpretation. Thus the battle over truth, freedom and responsibility is engaged.

Starring five-time Tony Award nominee and two-time Drama Desk Award winner Jan Maxwell in her 6th collaboration with PTP. The cast also includes: Bill Army, David Barlow, Alex Draper, Pamela J. Gray, Adam Ludwig, Jonathan Tindle, Steven Dykes, Kean Haunt, Nicholas Hemerling, Meghan Leathers, Melissa MacDonald and Lana Meyer.

The production team includes Hallie Zieselman (Set Design), Mark Evancho (Lighting Design), Mira Veikley (Costume Design), Cormac Bluestone (Sound Design) and Eric Conner Marlin (Production Stage Manager).

Previews begin July 7 for a July 15 opening and runs through August 9 at The Atlantic Stage 2 in New York City.

BILLY ELIOTT based on the international smash-hit film and featuring a score by music legend Sir Elton John, lyrics and book by Lee Hall.

An inspiring celebration of one boy's journey who hangs up his boxing gloves for ballet shoes. Ten Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Set in a northern English mining town, against the background of the 1984 miners' strike, Billy Elliot is the inspirational story of a young boy's struggle against the odds to make his dream come true. Billy's journey begins when he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and community and changes his life forever.

With a powerful storyline, rousing songs, and spectacular choreography, Billy Elliot is a unique and memorable musical theatre experience.

July 8-12 at the Music Theatre Wichita in Wichita, Kansas.

THE WIZ book by William F. Brown and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. From the story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Directed and Choreographed by Edward Carignan. Music Direction by Matthew J. Pool.

Winner of seven Tony awards, this beloved Broadway musical sets Dorothy’s adventures in the Land of Oz to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul. July 9-19 at the Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre which produces four Broadway musicals each summer in the beautiful 630-seat Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre on the campus of Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. Eleven performances are given of each musical over a two-week period, drawing audiences from a 150-mile radius with groups traveling in from as far away as Ohio and North Carolina.

ONCE based on the 2007 film. Bo by Enda Walsh, retaining many of the songs written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, including the Academy Award winning Falling Slowly.

Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Once features an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, Once tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who's about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights - but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance.

Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, Once draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It's an unforgettable story about going for your dreams, not living in fear, and the power of music to connect us all.

July 7 - August 16 in the Eisenhower Theater of the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC.

ON GOLDEN POND Written by Ernest Thompson.

"On Golden Pond debuted on Broadway in 1979 - later turned into a film starring Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn - is an enduring comedy set on a beautiful New England lake where Ethel and Norman Thayer have spent their summers for nearly 50 years. Their tranquil hideaway is disrupted when their daughter and her newest boyfriend turn up unexpectedly to leave his precocious teenage son with the elder Thayers for the summer."

July 10-August 2 at Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA.

SOUTH PACIFIC music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan.

Directed by David Edwards.

Who doesn’t love this extraordinary show that includes Some Enchanted Evening, Younger Than Springtime, Bali Ha’i, There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame, and A Wonderful Guy? But South Pacific is also a deeply felt drama. Its portrayal of Americans stationed in an alien culture in wartime is as relevant today as when it first thrilled audiences back in 1949.

The play is based upon two short stories by James A. Michener from his book Tales of the South Pacific, which itself was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948. For their adaptation, Rodgers and Hammerstein, along with co-writer Joshua Logan, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950.

Stage Manager: Theresa Stark. Set Designer: Daniel Nischan. Lighting Designer: Marcus Abbott. Sound Designer: Tate Burmeister. Costume Designer: Lenore Grunko.

Wednesdays, July 8th, July 15th and July 22nd. Part of Summer 2015 The Events, at the Ivoryton Playhouse in Ivoryton, CT.

AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare.

Directed by Shakespeare in the Parking Lot Artistic Director Hamilton Clancy who is transporting this As You Like It "into a timeless period with costumes that hint of the classical Victorian era. They become Steampunk when the scene shifts to the Forest of Arden. The idea is to address the core elements of romance and love by savoring the romantic magic of retreating from modern culture to an imaginary place where lovers can be free."

The actors are Jane Bradley as Rosalind, Ahmed Koudous as Orlando, Elaine Ivy Harris as Celia, Emanuel Elpenord as Oliver, Alessandro Colla as Touchstone, Hayley Simmonds as Audrey, Aaron Scott as Duke Senior/Fredrick, Sott Baker as Jacques, Andrew Dahreddine as Corin/Charles the Boxer, Rachel Collins as Phoebe, Brandon Reilley as Silvius, Bill Green as Adam, and Sara Glancy and Aly Talley as Company Players.

The production will be designed by Leontine Greenberg. There wll be original music composed by Natalie Smith and sound design by Abby Grossman.

The performance location it is a working parking lot which gives the production an urban, gritty atmosphere that has helped made these shows a memorable experience.

July 9 to 26, 2015 Parking Lot behind The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center (CSV), NYC.

WHO'S WHERE

IDINA MENZEL performs Tuesday, July 7, 2015 Richmond, VA at the Altria Theater. Wednesday's show is in Baltimore, MD at The Hippodrome Theatre. On Friday she can be enjoyed in Atlantic City, NJ at the Borgata Resort Casino & Spa. On Saturday her tour stops in Uncasville, CT at the Mohegan Sun Arena and next Sunday, July 12, she's in the spotlight in Holmdel, NJ at the PNC Bank Arts Center.

NEIL DIAMOND stars at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland on Tuesday, July 7. Thursday's show is at the Arena in Manchester, UK. On Saturday he'll be delighting the fans at the Genting Arena in Birmingham, UK.

HARRY CONNICK, JR opens a two night gig July 9, at The Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, CA.

BILLY IDOL is on stage Friday, July 10, at the Piazza Napoleone in Lucca, Italy.

CHICK COREA AND HERBIE HANCOCK perform Monday, July 6, at Barbican Hall in London. On Thursday they appear at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. On Friday they are at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

ONE DIRECTION performs Thursday, July 9, at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA. On Saturday the show is at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.

TAYLOR SWIFT entertains on Monday, July 6, at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Tuesday' stop is at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Friday finds her opening a two nighter at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

NICKELBACK entertain Tuesday, July 7 at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. Friday's stop is at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL. On Saturday they'll be on stage at the Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, IN.

FINAL OVATION

CHRIS SQUIRE an English musician, songwriter and singer, best known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and the only member of the group to feature on every studio album, died Saturday, June 27, 2015. He was 67.

His band members issued the official announcement: "It's with the heaviest of hearts and unbearable sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend and Yes co-founder, Chris Squire," said the statement from Alan White, Steve Howe, Jon Davison and Geoff Downes.

Married three times and divorced twice, his marriage to Nikki Squire lasted from 1972-1987. His marriage to Melissa Morgan was from 1993-2004 and his marriage to Scotland Squire was from 2003 until his death. She survives him. Other survivors include his children Cameron, Chandrika, Xilan and Camille.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Grammy winner and co-founder of the iconic progressive rock band Yes, Chris Squire was an exceptional bass player and talented vocalist. From his humble beginnings as a church choirboy in London, to selling out arenas worldwide with Yes, it was his commitment to mastering his craft, as well as his enthusiastic demeanor, that made him one of the most respected and influential bass players of all time. We have lost an undeniably gifted musician and our heartfelt condolences go out to Chris’ family and friends, and to all of those he entertained during his impressive career."

JACK CARTER actor and rapid fire stand-up comedian died June 28, 2015 in his Beverly Hills home of respiratory failure. He was 93.

Born in New York City in 1922, he joined a stock company after high school, hoping to become a dramatic actor, but his talent at amusing his fellow performers turned him toward comedy.

Drafted during World War II, he toured with the cast of Irving Berlin's show, This Is the Army, and with other entertainment companies. Back in civilian life in 1947, he made his Broadway debut in Call Me Mister, a musical about soldiers returning from war.

He starred on Broadway with Sammy Davis Jr. in the musical Mr. Wonderful. He toured in Guys and Dolls, 'Born Yesterday, A Thousand Clowns, The Odd Couple and Oliver (as Fagin).

In 1958 while he was appearing on Broadway in Mr. Wonderful he hosted the first televised Tony Awards. In 1950 the hour long The Jack Carter Show, broadcast from Chicago, aired on ABC. He invented the concept of poking fun at the day's news. Carter opened the show with a standup routine that skewed politicians, celebrities and the day's headlines, a device late-night comics copied and still use.

In the 1950s and '60s he was one of the most sought after comedians on television and in nightclubs.

He made nearly three dozen movies, including Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas, in which Carter played himself; The Horizontal Lieutenant; The Extraordinary Seaman; and The Funny Farm.

He was adept at drama as well as comedy. Dramatic appearances includes turns on Dr. Kildare, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Hawaii Five-O, 'Murder, She Wrote, Baywatch, Diagnosis Murder and Touched by an Angel. His work as a director included Lucille Ball's CBS series Here's Lucy and plays, including A Thousand Clowns, Silver Anniversary and Mouth-Trap.

He starred in Las Vegas on a regular basis. During the 70s and 80s I booked him on two different television shows. In 2002 I interviewed him for Broadway To Vegas. See Broadway To Vegas column of November 24, 2002.

He was coming off of a bus and truck tour of A Funny Thing Happened on he Way to the Forum and was about to star in the Off-Broadway production of A Stoop on Orchard Street.

After a failed first marriage, Carter married actress Paula Stewart (the ex-wife of Burt Bacharach) in 1960, and they had a son, Michael. The marriage ended in 1970. Carter and wife Roxanne were married in 1971, divorced in 1977 and remarried in 1992. Survivors include his wife, Roxanne; two sons, Michael Carter (Victoria) and Chase Carter; a daughter, Wendy Carter; and grandchildren Jake and Ava.

Next Column: July 12, 2015
Copyright: July 5, 2015 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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