Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: June 12, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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TONY WEEK IS HERE - WITH ALL THE JOYS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS

The 75th annual Tony Awards takes place Sunday, June 12, honoring the first full Broadway season since the COVID-19 pandemic started two years ago.

Ariana DeBose, who was in the original cast of Hamilton and a Tony nominee in 2018 for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, will host the three-hour Tony's ceremony from Radio City Music Hall. Directed by Glenn Weiss, the program will air on CBS.

Performance segments will include all Tony nominated musicals: SIX; A Strange Loop; MJ; Music Man; Company; Girl from the North Country; Mr. Saturday Night and Paradise Square.

Also in the spotlight will be Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, and the original cast members of the 2007 Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening.

The stars who will commemorate Tony Awards history and celebrate 75 years of Broadway excellence includes Utkarsh Ambudkar, Skylar Astin, Zach Braff, Danielle Brooks, Danny Burstein, Len Cariou, RuPaul Charles, Jessica Chastain, Lilli Cooper, Bryan Cranston, Wilson Cruz, Colman Domingo, Anthony Edwards, Cynthia Erivo, Raúl Esparza, Laurence Fishburne, Andrew Garfield, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tony Goldwyn, David Alan Grier, Marcia Gay Harden, Vanessa Hudgens, Jennifer Hudson, Samuel L. Jackson, Nathan Lane, Telly Leung, Judith Light, Josh Lucas, Gaten Matarazzo, Ruthie Ann Miles, Patina Miller, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O'Hara, Sarah Paulson, Bernadette Peters, Jeremy Pope, Billy Porter, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Chita Rivera, Tony Shalhoub, Phillipa Soo, Sarah Silverman, George Takei, Aaron Tveit, Adrienne Warren, Patrick Wilson and Bowen Yang.

For many a win can determine if the show will be extended or drop the curtain.

Special shout out to the dance captain for the musical SIX who stepped into one of the six leads for the Tony Awards' production number - having been given only 12 hours notice.

The nominees and winners are:

BEST PLAY
"Clyde's," Lynn Nottage
"Hangmen," Martin McDonagh
"The Lehman Trilogy," Stefano Massini and Ben Power WINNER
"The Minutes," Tracy Letts
"Skeleton Crew," Dominique Morrisseau

BEST MUSICAL
"Girl From the North Country"
"MJ"
"Mr. Saturday Night"
"Paradise Square"
"SIX: The Musical"
"A Strange Loop" WINNER

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
"American Buffalo"
"for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf"
"How I Learned to Drive"
"Take Me Out" WINNER
"Trouble in Mind"

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
"Caroline, or Change"
"Company" WINNER
"The Music Man"

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
"Girl From The North Country," Conor McPherson
"MJ," Lynn Nottage
"Mr. Saturday Night," Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
"Paradise Square," Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas & Larry Kirwan
"A Strange Loop," Michael R. Jackson" WINNER

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE
"Flying Over Sunset" Music: Tom Kitt Lyrics: Michael Korie
"Mr. Saturday Night" Music: Jason Robert Brown Lyrics: Amanda Green
"Paradise Square" Music: Jason Howland Lyrics: Nathan Tysen & Masi Asare
"SIX: The Musical" Music and Lyrics: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss WINNER
"A Strange Loop" Music and Lyrics: Michael R. Jackson

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Simon Russell Beale, "The Lehman Trilogy" WINNER
Adam Godley, "The Lehman Trilogy"
Adrian Lester, "The Lehman Trilogy"
David Morse, "How I Learned to Drive"
Sam Rockwell, "American Buffalo"
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Lackawanna Blues"
David Threlfall, "Hangmen"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
Gabby Beans, "The Skin of Our Teeth"
LaChanze, "Trouble in Mind"
Ruth Negga, "Macbeth"
Deirdre O'Connell, "Dana H." WINNER
Mary-Louise Parker, "How I Learned to Drive"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Billy Crystal, "Mr. Saturday Night"
Myles Frost, "MJ" WINNER
Hugh Jackman, "The Music Man"
Rob McClure, "Mrs. Doubtfire"
Jaquel Spivey, "A Strange Loop"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Sharon D Clarke, "Caroline, or Change"
Carmen Cusack, "Flying Over Sunset"
Sutton Foster, "The Music Man"
Joaquina Kalukango, "Paradise Square" WINNER
Mare Winningham, "Girl From The North Country"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Alfie Allen, "Hangmen"
Chuck Cooper, "Trouble in Mind"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "Take Me Out" WINNER
Ron Cephas Jones, "Clyde's"
Michael Oberholtzer, "Take Me Out"
Jesse Williams, "Take Me Out"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
Uzo Aduba, "Clyde's"
Rachel Dratch, "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive"
Kenita R. Miller, "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf"
Phylicia Rashad, "Skeleton Crew" WINNER
Julie White, "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive"
Kara Young, "Clyde's"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Matt Doyle, "Company" WINNER
Sidney DuPont, "Paradise Square"
Jared Grimes, "Funny Girl"
John-Andrew Morrison, "A Strange Loop"
A.J. Shively, "Paradise Square"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Jeannette Bayardelle, "Girl From The North Country"
Shoshana Bean, "Mr. Saturday Night"
Jayne Houdyshell, "The Music Man"
L Morgan Lee, "A Strange Loop"
Patti LuPone, "Company" WINNER
Jennifer Simard, "Company"

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Beowulf Boritt, "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive"
Michael Carnahan and Nicholas Hussong, "Skeleton Crew"
Es Devlin, "The Lehman Trilogy" WINNER
Anna Fleischle, "Hangmen"
Scott Pask, "American Buffalo"
Adam Rigg, "The Skin of Our Teeth"

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Beowulf Boritt and 59 Productions, "Flying Over Sunset"
Bunny Christie, "Company" WINNER
Arnulfo Maldonado, "A Strange Loop"
Derek McLane and Peter Nigrini, "MJ"
Allen Moyer, "Paradise Square"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Montana Levi Blanco, "The Skin of Our Teeth" WINNER
Sarafina Bush, "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf"
Emilio Sosa, "Trouble in Mind"
Jane Greenwood, "Neil Simon's Plaza Suite"
Jennifer Moeller, "Clyde's"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Fly Davis, "Caroline, or Change"
Toni-Leslie James, "Paradise Square"
William Ivey Long, "Diana, The Musical"
Santo Loquasto, "The Music Man"
Gabriella Slade, "SIX: The Musical" WINNER
Paul Tazewell, "MJ"

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
Joshua Carr, "Hangmen"
Jiyoun Chang, "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf"
Jon Clark, "The Lehman Trilogy" WINNER
Jane Cox, "Macbeth"
Yi Zhao, "The Skin of Our Teeth"

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Neil Austin, "Company"
Tim Deiling, "SIX: The Musical"
Donald Holder, "Paradise Square"
Natasha Katz, "MJ" WINNER
Bradley King, "Flying Over Sunset"
Jen Schriever, "A Strange Loop"

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Justin Ellington, "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf"
Mikhail Fiksel, "Dana H." WINNER
Palmer Hefferan, "The Skin of Our Teeth"
Nick Powell and Dominic Bilkey, "The Lehman Trilogy"
Mikaal Sulaiman, "Macbeth"

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Simon Baker, "Girl From The North Country"
Paul Gatehouse, "SIX: The Musical"
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, "Company"
Drew Levy, "A Strange Loop"
Gareth Owen, "MJ" WINNER

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Lileana Blain-Cruz, "The Skin of Our Teeth"
Camille A. Brown, "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf"
Sam Mendes, "The Lehman Trilogy" WINNER
Neil Pepe, "American Buffalo"
Les Waters, "Dana H."

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Stephen Brackett, "A Strange Loop"
Marianne Elliott, "Company" WINNER
Conor McPherson, "Girl From The North Country"
Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage, "SIX: The Musical"
Christopher Wheeldon, "MJ"

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Camille A. Brown, "for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf"
Warren Carlyle, "The Music Man"
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, "SIX: The Musical"
Bill T. Jones, "Paradise Square"
Christopher Wheeldon, "MJ" WINNER

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
David Cullen, "Company"
Tom Curran, "SIX: The Musical"
Simon Hale, "Girl From The North Country" WINNER
Jason Michael Webb and David Holcenberg, "MJ"
Charlie Rosen, "A Strange Loop"

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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

GRIME STORIES from the corner to the mainstream. A new display opening on June 17, 2022 at the Museum of London honoring the music, people and places central to the grime scene and its roots in East London.

Co-curated by one of the first cameramen of grime, Roony 'RiskyRoadz’ Keefe.

Grime music emerged almost twenty years ago in the early 2000s and flourished through an informal network of record shops, youth clubs and pirate radio stations. Now the Museum of London is spotlighting the people and places across East London that shaped grime from then to the present day.

Partnering with those who were there at the scene's inception, this landmark display considers how the area has changed in the 20 years since and the impact of these changes on the future landscape of grime. A panoramic illustration by artist Willkay, a series of newly commissioned films, and personal artefacts will pay tribute to the parents, carers and youth workers who supported the city's grime MCs. Footage featuring Skepta and DJ Slimzee examines how these once emergent artists were able to find an outlet to share their music, uncensored through pirate radio networks such as Rinse FM.

From grime pioneer Jammer's basement, the iconic birthplace of one of the most important battle platforms in the UK music scene, to films and footage celebrating grime’s story of Black and working class ingenuity, this is your chance to explore the moments, music and people that took grime from the corner to the mainstream.

MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES, HISTORIES & TRAGEDIES
The collection of 36 plays by William Shakespeare was published in 1623, seven years after the author's death.

Out of the 750 copies, less than a third are still accounted for, and less than 20 are privately owned, according to Sotheby's.

Because it was printed by hand, some letters are misaligned, some spaces are missing, and page numbers are sometimes wrong.

THE OBAMA PORTRAITS TOUR from the moment of their unveiling at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in 2018, the official portraits of former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have become cultural icons. For eight weeks only, catch The Obama Portraits Tour at the de Young.

President Obama's portrait was painted oil on canvas by Kehinde Wiley. Michelle O'bama's portrait was painted oil on linen by Amy Sherald.

The Obama Portraits Tour has been organized by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC. Support for the national tour has been generously provided by Bank of America. June 18–August 14 at the de Young museum in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA.

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SWEET CHARITY

PRINCE WILLIAM

Matthew Gardner and Prince William. Posted on LinkesIn.

donned a red vest and hat to stand on a London street corner selling $5.00 copies of Big Issue a publication devoted to helping the homeless. Normally the homeless sell the magazine as a way of earning some money.

Normally, homeless vendors are given five free magazines, which they then sell to the public for £3 ($3.60), with additional copies bought for £1.50 ($1.85).

Rather than taking money away from those in need, William's participation drew attention to the serious homeless problem.

The affable husband and father of three, posed for pictures with tourists as he hawked the publication. For those without the ready cash, William produced a credit card machine.

In England more than 274,000 people are homeless, including 126,000 children, according to research published by charity Shelter in December 2021. Some 2,700 people are sleeping on the streets on any given night, the charity says.

In America as of January 2020, more than 580,000 people were homeless in the U.S. on a given night, with an estimated 226,000 of them sleeping outside, in cars, or in abandoned buildings.

Matthew Gardner, an anti-corruption expert and the COO of Intelligent Sanctuary, posted two photos on LinkedIn taken by his brother-in-law, who was one of the people who ran into William while he was out selling the magazines.

Lithuanian tourists Vitalijus and Laura Zuikauskas also met the prince on their visit to London to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

"We bought the magazine and had a warm chat," said Mr Zuikauskas. "We wished him good luck and shook hands, and were excited that the Royal Family take big care of ordinary people," they posted.

Another social media post by black cab driver Neil Kramer also showed Prince William in the vendor uniform posing for a photo with another Big Issue vendor.

WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN received over $100,000 in donations from around the world honoring the first birthday of Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan. The parents had requested charity donations rather than presents for their daughter who has an abundance of toys.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly overjoyed and grateful for the donations. The charity responds to humanitarian, climate, and community crises by providing meals to those in need. Most recently, the charity has operated in Uvalde, Texas in the aftermath of the elementary school shooting and in Ukraine after Russia launched a military invasion.

World Central Kitchen is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Founded in 2010 by celebrity chef José Andrés, the organization prepared food in Haiti following its devastating earthquake. World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés is the subject of a new Ron Howard documentary, We Feed People.

SPREADING THE WORD

THOSE FUN LOVIN' LITHUANIANS invite tourists to experience what an "ordinary day" in Lithuania involves.

For many Lithuanians, paddling a kayak through the country’s 3, 000 lakes or 60,000 km of rivers is a suitable substitute for an early morning shower.

A walk in Vilnius’ Užupis District - which declared itself as an independent republic as part of an April Fool’s joke - is full of eclectic sculptures, colorful trinkets, and graphic street art as famous art pieces line the streets.

A brisk walk can work up an appetite.

A vibrant pink chilled soup created from natural local ingredients (cucumbers, beetroot, herbs, and kefir) is a dish which has become a national symbol, depicted on lighters, T-shirts, and even car decals. Pair the soup with Kibinai - a traditional snail meat stuffed pastry as opposed to the usual pork, beef, lamb, or veggie alternatives.

Kibinai - snail meat stuffed pastry and soup. Image: Lithuania.

For dessert, a large serving of ice cream with fried bread or sea buckthorn sorbet helps satisfy any lingering cravings. Lettuce, cucumber, honey, rose, cedar nut, kvass, and smoked berry flavors are just a few varieties of this frozen treat that Lithuanians enjoy daily.

Then get yourself beaten with a broom.

After a long day of activities, a simple bath is not enough for most Lithuanians. They love to relax in saunas and treat their bodies and souls with a range of therapeutic plants. The mild slapping of the bather with bath whisks or brooms - bundles of birch or oak twigs (called vanta in Lithuanian) or even other trees - is a unique technique in a Lithuanian sauna. The Lithuanians also tend to also rub the body with salt, crushed chestnuts, clay, honey, and other natural ingredients.

Then drift off to sleep in a tree house or on a pontoon.

Glamping in Lithuania feels one-of-a-kind, with tree houses built amid century-old pine trees in the Varena region, overwater bungalows disconnected from the internet for a chance to truly unplug, and the wide variety of quaint cabins found in the Atokampis Boutique Spa and Resort near the Kaišiadorys district, between Vilnius and Kaunas.

Summer Solstice Celebration. Photo: True Lithuania

Weaving wreaths beckons one’s truest love. Image: Welcome to Lithuanian

Skipping a traditional accommodation altogether, some locals prefer the Getrest SEALANDER - a modern and adaptable caravan on wheels that can be used both on land and in the water. Drifting away to sleep under the stars while floating in the middle of a lake is just another end to an ordinary Lithuanian day.

If you happen to be in Lithuania on the 23rd of June you can join in commemorating Jonines (St. John’s Eve) - a celebration of the summer solstice that dates back to pre-Christian Lithuania. Throughout one of the shortest nights of the year, locals partake in curious pagan rituals for prosperity, bountiful harvest, and never-ending love.

Participate in reliving century-old traditions like jumping over a bonfire for health, hunting for the mystical fern flower for knowledge, or weaving wreaths to beckon one’s truest love.

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR Eric Adams took steps to transform the city into a global hub for the digital games industry by announcing that The City University of New York (CUNY) is creating and funding a Bachelor’s Degree program in Digital Game Design at City College of New York (CCNY).

AUSTRALIAN SOAP OPERA NEIGHBOURS wrapped it's final scenes, 37 years after it first debuted. The official Twitter account of the show shared a photo of the cast and crew today, with the final episodes due to air later this summer. The soap opera, which first aired in Australia in 1985 before coming to the UK the following year.

Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue are set to appear in the final episodes after being confirmed to be returning to the roles which made them household names. The pair's character wed on screen in 1987, with millions tuning in to watch.

Other actors who had their careers launched on the soap include Russell Crowe, Margot Robbie and Natalie Imbruglia.

Cast regulars who are now available for work include fan-favorite characters "Karl and Susan Kennedy" played by Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburn , "Paul Robinson" played by Stefan Dennis and and "Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi" played by Ryan Moloney.

Neighbours has become the longest-running drama series in Australian television history. In 2005, it was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.

The storylines concern the lives of the people who live and work in Erinsborough, a fictional suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The series centers on the residents of Ramsay Street, a cul-de-sac, and its neighboring area, the Lassiters complex, which includes a bar, hotel, café, police station, lawyers' office and park.

SASHA BARON COHEN LAWSUIT: THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS for the Second Circuit heard the appeal of former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and U.S. Senate candidate, Roy Moore, and his wife Kayla, on June 10 at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse, in New York City.

The appeal concerned the the dismissal by the lower court of their defamation suit brought against Sasha Baron Cohen, Showtime and CBS, over having been falsely branded by him as a pedophile on the show This is America. The caption of the case is Moore et. al v. Cohen et. al, Case No. 21-1701.

Representing Chief Justice Moore and his wife Kayla are Larry Klayman, Esq., the founder of Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, and Alabama lawyer Melissa Isaak.

THE GRAMMY AWARDS have added five new categories to their award presentations bringing the total to 91.

The 2023 ceremony will now include: songwriter of the year honor to recognize the “most prolific non-performing and non-producing songwriters for their body of new work,” best alternative music performance, best Americana performance, best spoken word poetry album, and best score soundtrack for video games and other interactive media.

ISAAC MIZRAHI'S CABARET SHOW accompanied by his band of jazz musicians, Mizrahi will perform a range of tunes by the likes Madonna and Barbra Streisand to Billie Eilish, Cole Porter and more. He will also dish on everything happening from social media, politics, sex and his latest Instagram obsessions.

Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. He served as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars for the series’ entire seven-season run.

Saturday, June 18, 2022 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT.

AEROSMITH performs selected dates June 17-December 11 at the Park MGM in Las Vegas.

BILLIE EILISJ on stage Tuesday, June 14 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. Wednesday's gig is in Birmingham, UK at the Utilita Arena Birmingham. Wednesday's stop is again at the 02 in London. Saturday's stop is at the Ziggy Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Next Sunday, June 19, she can be enjoyed in Frankfurt, Germany at the Festhalle Frankfurt.

THE UK PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE takes place at the Dubai Opera in Dubai, UAE on June 15th and 16th. The spellbinding show recreates the sights and sounds of the legendary Pink Floyd band.

THOSE ROYAL SCENE STEALERS

Paddington Bear pours Queen Elizabeth a cup of tea.

Queen Elizabeth discloses that she keeps a marmalade sandwich in her purse.

last week's festivities were to honor Queen Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne but it was the children (and Paddington Bear) that stole the events.

Captured in a photo which will come back to haunt him, Louis thumbed his nose at his mother, Duchess Kate, during the Platinum Concert while his sister Charlotte and big brother George sang along to Sweet Caroline. One year old August Brooksbank, son of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank seemed awe struck and looked adorable in a Union Jack sweater.

Savannah and Isla Phillips, daughters of the Princess Royal's son Peter Phillips, were shushed by Prince Harry and Meghan during Trooping of the Colors, while their one-year-old Lilibet looked adorable in her official birthday photo. Her birthday party apparently consisted of cake and face painting.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth and Paddington Bear having tea at Buckingham Palace and discussing where they keep their marmalade sandwiches was delightfully charming.

Now we know what's in Her Majesty's purse - her marmalade sandwich. Long live the Queen.

JUNE IS WEDDING MONTH

BRITNEY SPEARS GETS MARRIED - AGAIN to her boyfriend of five years, Sam Asghari. The couple got married at her LA home. One fellow who was once her husband for a few hours attempted to crash the event. That made headlines. But, did you notice her jewellery? Leading diamond expert, Zack Stone, from UK engagement ring retailer Steven Stone did.

"We should have known that Britney’s jewellery choices were never going to be subtle, but she’s blown us away with her array of dazzling diamonds," he said in his release. "It’s interesting that both Britney and Sam have chosen two wedding bands – many brides make this call because they like the symmetry of wearing two bands. A more romantic outlook is that wearing two bands is said to keep your engagement symmetric.

"Britney's Marquise full diamond ring is a particularly eye catching and interesting piece as it features a marquise cut - a cut that actually dates back to 18th century France.

"Though the focus is on Britney, it’s incredibly sentimental that she had a pair of silver cufflinks designed for Sam by Stephanie Gottlieb, who designed her jewellery.

"Draped in around 62 carats of diamonds, Britney was certainly dressed to impress and I’d estimate the combined value of her jewellery choices to be over $430,000."

WEDDING SCAMS In 2021, people reported losing a total of $547 million to online romance scams, and that was an 80% increase over 2020. The numbers could be greater than that because many romance scams go unreported. Trying to avoid judgment from peers is one reason, and blackmail from scammers is another, according to an article "Prosecutors are cracking down on online romance scams" by Stephanie Francis Ward published in the ABA Journal.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

JIMMY KIMMEL

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delivered a commendable job interviewing President Joe Biden on his talk show last Wednesday. However, when it came to the economy and the high cost of food and fuel, which adversely affects everyone, Biden's answer was - to compensate for the outrageous food and fuel prices - he was going to lower the cost of medicine for diabetics.

That is wonderful for those who need those life saving medications, but I haven't a clue how it helps anyone else. Besides, on the very day Biden made those statements to Kimmel it was announced that another major study concluded - what has been touted for several years - that if Type 2 diabetics ate a ;low carb diet, they would cure themselves of Type 2 diabetes (or at least put it into remission) and no longer need medication. The fly in that ointment is that some of the most expensive foods in grocery stores are ones labeled "low carb."

Type 1 diabetes is genetic. According to US government statistics: " 0.55% of U.S. adults had diagnosed type 1 diabetes, representing 1.3 million adults; 8.6% had diagnosed type 2 diabetes, representing 21.0 million adults. As of 2020 the population of the United States is 329.5 million all of whom eat and are affected by food and fuel prices.

TUESDAY IS MID TERM VOTING DAY IN NEVADA I'm not sure, but I think I voted in person at Early Voting, only I'm not sure. I presented my sample ballot cover page identification for scanning, as has been the identification process of choice for decades. I was told I needed to present my driver's license (NOT any government issued ID or any photo ID, but specifically a driver's license) or I wouldn't be permitted to vote.

The older gentleman, who appeared to have been under-trained and had extreme difficulty navigating the process called the supervisor three times to assist him. In the meantime, the lady clerk sitting next to him, processed 5 voters. I asked the supervisor why they needed my driver's license? She answered that my voter records were kept at the DMV. I never registered to vote at the DMV. I've been voting longer than that supervisor has been alive. I have never experienced anything like this.

Then there seemed to be a problem locating my voting registration. I was handed back my driver's license. The supervisor said she would try to find me "in a different way." Then the man had me sign an electronic voter card, not once, but twice - something that has never before happened. Eventually, I was permitted to vote - I guess - once - I guess.

I complained to the Register's office in an E-mail, but they never responded.

THE ANDRÉ CAILLOUX CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS AND CULTURAL JUSTICE the former St. Rose de Lima Church in New Orleans, LA has opened and will serve as the home for predominantly Black-led performing arts organizations that have operated without having permanent access to performance spaces of their own.

In creating the Cailloux Center, the co-founder's Lauren E. Turner, Dr. David Robinson-Morris, and Dr. Robin G.Vander, were cognizant of the economic impact Black performing arts and culture have had on both the local and regional economies while the artists and companies themselves have often struggled to financially sustain themselves and their work. By creating an organization that would provide space and infrastructure, the Cailloux Center is addressing this and other historic inequities within the performing arts community and the community at large. The strategy is to create a performing arts ecosystem housing seven organizations, each with its own respective performing arts season. Of the seven, three will be designated “Legacy residents,” organizations with lengthier histories of offering live performances that have contributed to African American culture in New Orleans.

New Orleans-based Junebug Productions has agreed to join the Cailloux Center as its Legacy Partner, creating and supporting artistic works that question and confront inequitable conditions that have historically impacted the Black community.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation provided funding to facilitate strategic planning for the Center. Most recently, No Dream Deferred-NOLA under the direction of Turner was awarded a grant by the Mellon Foundation that will support both programming, capital improvements, and purchasing of equipment.

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ALAN PAUL Associate Artistic Director of Washington, DC's Shakespeare Theatre Company, will be recognized on June 16 by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, as the part of the next generation of Jewish leaders, during Federation’s Inaugural Capital Chai Awards. As a Capital Chai Honoree, he represents one of 18 individuals under 40 selected for making a positive impact on the world.

Paul is the only newly minted who operates within the entertainment industry.



EPIPHANY a new play by Brian Watkins.

Directed Tyne Rafaeli.

Featuring Francois Battiste, Marylouise Burke, Heather Burns, Jonathan Hadary, Omar Metwally, Colby Minifie, David Ryan Smith, C.J. Wilson, and Carmen Zilles.

An uncanny evening. Snow falls softly. An eager host gathers old friends to try and resuscitate a forgotten tradition. But when the guest of honor is unusually late, the group becomes unmoored, craving answers. And there might not be enough wine, or goose, or time to fend off the long-neglected questions that now haunt their souls.

The creatives are: sets by John Lee Beatty, costumes by Montana Levi Blanco, lighting by Isabella Byrd, original music and sound by Daniel Kluger. Roxana Khan is the Stage Manager.

The Lincoln Center Theater productions opens Thursday, June 23 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in New York City.

WOODIE KING JR'S NEW FEDERAL THEATRE to stream Gong Lum’s Legacy June 20-26.

Written by Charles L. White.

Drected by Elizabeth Van Dyke.

This special streaming presentation was pre-recorded from performances at Theatre at St. Clements in April 2022.

Gong Lum’s Legacy takes place in 1925 in the Mississippi Delta. Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South, we witness the unexpected romance that blooms between Joe Ting, a Chinese Immigrant and Lucy Sims, a Black school teacher.

The cast features Anthony Goss, Alinca Hamilton, DeShawn White, Eric Yang, Henry Yuk.


EVERY BRILLIANT THING by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe.

Directed by Anne Hering.

Suzanne O’Donnell stars in this one actor play.

1. Ice cream. 2. Kung Fu movies. 3. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out of your nose. 4. Me. In the face of severe depression, a child begins a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. The list soon takes on a life of its own. An uplifting story examining a family’s resilience through laughter and appreciation for life.

The Production Stage Manager is George Hamrah, who serves as the Director of Production at OST. Sound design is by David M. Greenberg.

On stage through June 19 at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the professional theatre on the campus of DeSales University. through June 19 in the Schubert Theatre at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts in Center Valley, PA.

THE FELLOWSHIP by Roy Williams, OBE.

Directed by Dr. Paulette Randall, MBE who was Associate Director of London’s 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and a former Artistic Director of Talawa Theatre Company.

Rosie Day, Ethan Hazzard, Trevor Laird, Suzette Llewellyn, Cherrelle Skeete, and Lucy Vandi star in this World Premiere.

Children of the Windrush generation, sisters Dawn and Marcia Adams grew up in 1980s London and were activists on the front line against the multiple injustices of that time. Decades on, they find they have little in common beyond family. Can the Adams sisters navigate the turmoil that lies ahead, leave the past behind, and seize the future with the bond between them still intact?

A Hampstead, England Theatre World Premiere playing on the Main Stage from June 17 to July 23, 2022.

CIRCLE JERK Pulitzer Prize finalist conceived & written by Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley, in collaboration with Cat Rodriguéz and Ariel Sibert, who together, make Fake Friends.

Directed by Rory Pelsue.

Starring Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley who are joined by Cat Rodriguéz.

"It’s winter on Gaymen Island, a summer retreat for the homosexual rich and fame-ish. This off-season, two White Gay internet trolls hatch a plot to take back what’s wrongfully theirs. Cancellations, meme schemes, and political, erotical flip flops abound as three actors playing nine parts play out this chaotic live-streamed descent into the high-energy, quick-change, low-brow 'shitpit' of the internet."

The show takes inspiration from Charles Ludlam’s The Mystery of Irma Vep and sci-fi genre films like Ex Machina to send up plotlines about the crisis of technology in relationship to humans and the concept of "reality".

The creative team includes: video & co-lighting designer David Bengali and associate Ted Boyce-Smith, scenic and props designer Stephanie Osin Cohen, sound designer Kathy Ruvuna, costume designer Cole McCarty, and wig and make-up designer Tommy Kurzman.

Official opening night is Tuesday, June 14, 2022. at the Connelly Theatre in New York City.

E-Book

Soft back Book

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.

FINAL OVATION

JIM SEALS half of the soft rock duo Seals and Crofts died June 6, 2022. He was 80.

He suffered a stroke in 2017 that put a halt to his playing.

Their string of hits included: "Summer Breeze; Diamond Girl; We May Never Pass This Way (Again); I’ll Play for You; Goodbye Old Buddies"; and "You’re the Love."

He is survived by his wife Ruby and their children Joshua, Juliette and Sutherland.

Next Column: June 19, 2022
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Laura Deni

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