Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: June 20, 2010
By: Laura Deni
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ANNIVERSARY OF MICHAEL JACKSON'S DEATH COMMEMORATED

Michael Jackson

On the first anniversary of the tragic death of the King of Pop people are remembering the icon through red carpet events and sleeping his with possessions.

Jackson's death on June 25, 2009 from cardiac arrest at the age of 50 shocked fans around the world and sparked a new wave of interest in his music - and his possessions

The Jackson Family Foundation will present Forever Michael, which is a red carpet celebration with performances to honor the late singer.

“The vision is to bring together Michael Jackson family members, celebrities, fans, supporters and the community to celebrate and honor his legacy,” said VoicePlate Productions – the company that is behind the Forever Michael celebration.

The event - which will be open to the public - is due to take place on June 26, 2010 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.

If you'd rather curl up with one of his rugs than walk down a rented one, consider spending the night inside the only official Michael Jackson exhibit in the world, which happens to be at the Tokyo Tower in Japan. That exhibit is considered a shrine to his sacred memory and treated with reverence most often displayed towards hallowed religious artifacts.

Visitors look at collections being displayed during the press preview of Michael Jackson exhibition, The Official Lifetime Collection in the Tokyo Tower museum in Tokyo. Photograph by: Getty Images.

Jacko was a compulsive collector. If you have enough money and keep things catalogued - it's called a collection. Just plop stuff down and it's called hoarding.

"The idea may sound a bit odd to Western cultures, but in Japan the tradition of being with the remains and possessions of passed loved ones on the anniversary of their passing is an important ritual," Kiroyuki Takamura of the Tokyo Tower told the press.

Fortunate fans will be selected at random to be able to ante up to $1,000 for the one time opportunity to enter the Tokyo Tower venue from 10:30 p.m. on the night of June 25, and will be able to stay until 8:00 a.m. the next morning - sleeping on the floor among Michael's belongings which include clothes he wore, things from his home, countless awards, and iconic video and stage sets.

To view the more than 280 estate owned items making up the collection visitors pass all five tons of the famous 24k gold engraved Neverland gate sign that stood in front of his sprawling California estate and now marks the entrance of the Tokyo Tower exhibition.

Inside, the exhibit runs the gamut from the singer's 1967 Rolls Royce Phantom, antique piano, and costumes to the 3D Thriller video shot for Jackson's This Is It tour, and the largest collection of crystal-encrusted gloves worn by the singer ever put on public display.

In American, Jackson fans will have semi-access to the remains of their idol. Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, CA is arranging limited access to grounds, but not to the mausoleum where the icon is buried.

"We understand that Forest Lawn is working with the Jackson family for some kind of commemoration," Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz told the press. "We will be working closely with Forest Lawn to ensure the safety of those who want to pay their respects to Michael Jackson while ensuring the safety of others who are coming to the cemetery to pay respects to their loved ones."

Michael Jackson Weekend at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland will celebrate the King of Pop with a Michael Jackson Weekend, June 25th-27th. The event will honor the life, music and legacy of two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee.

In addition to the Museum's permanent Michael Jackson exhibit, fans can enjoy a weekend of live music, films and giveaways - the first 2,000 ticketed visitors on June 26 and June 27 will receive a special Michael Jackson Weekend commemorative souvenir.

The weekend will culminate with the annual Rock and Soul Festival on Sunday, June 27, featuring a live performance by singer Angie Stone and other artists in tribute to Jackson.

Those in Las Vegas can get their Jackson personal property fix by visiting Planet Hollywood where Julien's Auctions will gavel down items Jackson commissioned Colombostile to create - handmade Italian furniture for an English pad he planned to use on tour. Once he died, Colombostile was left holding the bag. ( See Broadway To Vegas column of March14, 2010 ) In trying to recoup their outlay, they contracted with Julien's Auctions to auction everything including a 16-foot-long, $250,000 curved, gold-leaf couch; a crystal-encrusted chair; and teeth molds that were used to create Jackson's Thriller fangs.

The up for bid items are on display free for inspection through June 27.



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ART AND ABOUT

THE PEREGRINATIONS & PETTIFOGGERY OF W. C. FIELDS

W.C. fields

The life and work of one of America’s great cultural figures is presented in bounteous and munificent detail this summer at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.

On display in the Library's Vincent Astor Gallery is a unique exhibition organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Beverly Hills. It features posters, photographs, correspondence, and a trove of memorabilia from the Fields family. The exhibition draws on a remarkable assemblage of personal memorabilia, donated to the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library by the grandchildren of W.C. Fields, who "inherited all our grandfather’s artifacts and memorabilia," and "are happy to now share with the world."

Visitors are able to discover Fields's amazing juggling and billiards acts, view his drawing of colleagues, and hear his distinctive voice by listening to his radio broadcasts.

On Tuesday afternoons through July, LPA will present It's a Gift: W. C. Fields in the Movies, featuring his silent and sound films.

William Claude Dukenfield rose to vaudeville stardom as a comic juggler, reaching the Ziegfeld Follies and Frolics, and touring around the world. He was both a superb physical comic, with a successful career in silent film, and a great verbal comedian, with a radio and sound film career lasting into the 1940s. Augmented by numerous film clips and audio recordings, Peregrinations & Pettifoggery sheds new light on the many dimensions of Fields’ talents - from his amazing displays of physical dexterity in pool, juggling and golf, to his cartoons and writings - and offers all who see it fresh insight into his comic genius.

Now at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center through August 21, 2010.

REIS' PIECES: THE PAINTINGS OF TOM REIS the paintings of Tom Reis, a nationally known illustrator whose art has appeared with stories in Time magazine, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated, Business Week, Smart Money, and other prestigious publications.

A 1988 Stetson University graduate, Reis began work as an art director at JP Morgan Chase in New York City, shortly after receiving his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1993. Two years later, he began working as an illustrator for a wide range of nationally-known publications. His corporate clients have included MGM, Dupont, and Colgate. Throughout his career, Reis has also worked as a fine artist, producing work with all the refinement that one would expect from a classically trained painter. His paintings are represented in numerous permanent and private collections throughout the United States. Tom Reis currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

On display through August 1, 2010 at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, FL.

KEVIN COSTNER MAY SAVE THE GULF COAST THANKS TO DOING BUSINESS IN NEVADA

Kevin Costner

Nevada spends big bucks to tout the benefits of businesses incorporating in The Silver State.

It is odd that Nevada honchos have been ignoring a lot of free publicity. If Nevada didn't have a business friendly attitude, Kevin Costner might not have been able to develop a device which is being touted as the go-to machine for sucking up the oil that BP spilled when a well ruptured, during an April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig, killing 11 workers.

When Costner began his company he registered the corporation, Costner Industries, as a Nevada corporation based in Carson City.

What attracted Costner to Nevada?

Nevada has:
No state corporate income tax for Nevada Corporations.
No State Taxes on Corporate Shares.
No State Franchise Tax for Nevada Corporations.
No State Personal Income Tax for Nevada Corporations and Low Annual Fees.

Costner's company has grown and diversified with branches in several locations.

In a press release dated August, 2004 it was explained that "Costner Industries Texas is a privately held partnership founded in 2002 when Costner Industries Nevada Corp. (CINC) and The Hanstone Group, LP joined forces to expand and grow CINC's existing business and to diversify the company's offerings into the gas handling and remediation industries. The company divisions include one that focuses on gas handling solutions."

"CINC was founded in 1993 by Costner with the mission of materializing his commitment to the environment and providing technological solutions to environmental problems. The Hanstone Group, LP was founded in 2002 by Joe Bradford, a veteran oil and gas industry executive. Together, the two men are the driving force behind Costner Industries Texas."

Costner Industries Nevada Corporation (CINC) in Carson City is going strong. According to their website they are currently hiring "for the following positions:

Machinists
Assemblers - Assembly of large machined components for testing
Welders - Certified for GTAW welding of carbon steel and Stainless Steel to AWS D1.1
Quality Assurance Inspectors
Shipping and Receiving"

The company states it "designs, manufactures, sells and supports a series of liquid/liquid centrifuges with capacities from 0.5 to 200 gallons per minute (1.9 to 760 liters per minute)."

"Our units are used a variety of fields and applications such as:
Chemical
Pharmaceutical
Industrial
Flavors and Fragrances
Oil/Water
BioDiesel
Nuclear and many others."

The Waterworld actor isn't the only talent in the Costner gene pool. Kevin's brother Dan Costner, who is no longer with the company, is a scientist who helped develop the gizmo which may help save the Gulf Coast from total desecration.

Costner became interested in separating water from oil in the wake of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska.

Until now the only thing separated has been $26 million of Costner's own money from his bank account - money dropped into the Ocean Therapy oil separator project.

Dave Meikrantz of the Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory patented the devices with INL in 1990, and later sold the rights to Costner's company in 1993. Meikrantz then spent nine years as Director of Technology with Costner Industries before returning to INL.

In 1993 Costner obtained a license for the device from the Department of Energy and has spent the last 15 years lobbying major oil companies to have his machines on hand in case of a problem. Nobody listened.

In 2007, he carped to the London Daily Mail that he had blown millions on "technologies I thought would help the world" and had nothing to show for it.

The oil slick as seen from space by NASA's Terra satellite on May 24, 2010.

"I've lost $40 million-plus," he said. "But I knew that if I was right, it would change things in an incredibly positive way."

One of Costner's business partners is Louisiana trial lawyer John Houghtaling who described the centrifuge to the press as "like a big vacuum cleaner."

The company has 300 Ocean Therapy machines in various sizes. The largest, at 21/2 tons, is able to clean water at a rate of 200 gallons a minute - faster than the well is leaking, Houghtaling explained.

In May BP started testing the devices and they worked. Now Costner has sold 32 of them to BP to help with the Gulf of Mexico disaster.

The V20 centrifuges are about the size of a phone booth. There are 20-inch rotors that spin fluids to high speeds, treating up to 200 gallons-per-minute of fluid. The spinning motion of the rotors separates heavier water from lighter oil, allowing both to be separately siphoned out of the top of the device with what the company claims is 99% purity.

On Wednesday, Costner testified in front of the House Science and Technology Energy and Environment Subcommittee regarding these machines. He stated he envisions them as a first line of defense to be stationed in "harbors, bays, ports, oil transport and shipping boats, and on oil rigs - in other terms, anywhere where oil can come into contact with water - oceans, lakes and rivers."

This past Friday Kevin Costner joined officials of the energy company for an inspection of a barge that began transporting three of the devices into the Gulf. The rest of the 32 devices are expected to be deployed within two months.

THE MUSIC GOES ROUND AND ROUND

PROMISES, PROMISES a cast recording of the revival now on Broadway starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth will be released on June 22 by MasterworksBroadway.

Promises, Promises was based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David.

The show was originally produced on Broadway in 1968, running for 1,281 performances. A London production opened in 1969 featuring Tony Roberts and Betty Buckley. The original album won the Grammy Award for best cast recording, and two songs from the show, I'll Never Fall in Love Again and Promises, Promises, became hit singles.

A Broadway revival opened at the Broadway Theatre on April 25, 2010, after previews starting on March 27. The musical stars Sean Hayes as Chuck and Kristin Chenoweth as Fran, and features Brooks Ashmanskas as Mr. Dobitch, Katie Finneran who just picked up a Tony Award for her role as Marge MacDougall, and can be heard on A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing. Also in the cast are Hairspray Tony Award winner Dick Latessa as Dr. Dreyfuss, and Tony Goldwyn as J.D. Sheldrake. Rounding out the production are Keith Kuhl, Megan Sikora, Peter Benson, Cameron Adams, Sean Martin Hingston, Mayumi Miguel, Ken Land, Ashley Amber, Helen Anker, Sarah Jane Everman, Kristen Beth Williams, Nikki Renee Daniels, Chelsea Krombach, Ryan Watkinson, Matt Loehr, Adam Perry and Brian O'Brien.

The storyline revolved around a mild-mannered insurance clerk at a big corporation realizes that the only way to a promotion is to loan out his apartment for his superiors to carry on their extramarital affairs. Once he's rewarded for his services, he moves up the ladder and pursues his love interest - the elevator operator girl. Only problem is - she's the mistress of the CEO.

Both the movie and the subsequent stage version and now this revival are remarkable blends of both comedy and drama. Other composers might have chosen to construct the music more on the dark side. Bacharach knew the Top 40 radio market and how to compose to stay on the play lists. The Promises, Promises score is spirited - energetic - rhythmic. Bacharach even introduced an interesting use of off-stage vocal backups. Obviously that innovative technique is experienced by the live audience. When listening to the CD you don't appreciate the stage, but you do hear great, pop music.

Conductor: Phil Reno. Associate Conductor: Mat Eisenstein. music coordinator: Howard Joines. Reeds: Les Scott, James Ercole, Kenneth Dybisz, Jacqueline Henderson. Trumpets: David Trigg, Dan Urness, Barry Danielian, Jeremy Miloszewicz. Trombone: Jason Jackson. Drums: Perry Cavari. Bass: Michael Kuennen. Guitar: Ed Hamilton. Percussion: Bill Hayes. Concertmaster: Rick Dolan. Violin: Elizabeth Lim-Dutton. Viola: Liuh-Wen ting. Cello: Laura Bontrager. Keyboard1: Matthew Perri. Keyboard 2/Associate Conductor Mat Eisenstein. Synthesizer Programmer: Bruce Samuels. Music Copying: Emily Grishman Music Preparation - Katharine Edmonds/Emily Grishman. Recorded and mixed by Tom Whitelock. Associate engineer Isaiah Abolin. Protools and assistant mixing engineer Hyomin King. Protools engineer Derik Lee. Technical Engineer Brad Leigh. Assistant engineer Ryan Kelly, Danny Irizarry & Ian Kagey.

Recorded at MSR Studios in NYC on May 10, 2010, Mixed at MSR Studios on May 11-20, 2010. Mastered by Mark Wilder at Battery Studios, NYC. May 20, 2010.

SWEET CHARITY

PRINCE HARRY

Prince Harry

third in line to the British throne, who is still mourning the death of his favorite polo pony, returns to American to play polo in the third annual Veuve Clicquot (verve' klee-coh') Polo Classic on June 27 on Governors Island in New York Harbor.

Last year Prince Harry thrilled the public as he scored the winning goal.

This year, he will lead the Sentebale team as they face off against the Black Watch team headed by Nacho Figueras, who is also a model for Ralph Lauren. The match will once again have ticketed areas, and a new expanded area that will be free and open to the public. The public area does not require tickets.

Polo is one of the sports noted for ladies wearing attention getting hats. Veuve Clicquot had hired fashion designer Ellen Christine Colon-Lugo to be the official milliner at the social event. The famed hat designer has covered the celebrity heads of Usher, Rebecca Romijn, Ivanka Trump, Penelope Cruz, Carrie Underwood, Hilary Swank, Tina Fey, and the cast of Sex and the City 2.

The 2010 Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Host Committee Co-Chairs are Lucy & Mark Cornell, Delfina Blaquier & Nacho Figueras and Peter M. Brant. The Host Committee Chair is Samantha Barnes.

Members of the Host Committe are: Michael Alpert, David Anton, André Balazs, Georgina Bloomberg, Naomi Campbell, Melissa Cohn, Christine & Renaud Dutreil, Lapo Elkann, Bear Grylls, Cornelia Guest, Lorenzo Martone, Tom Munro, Donna Poyiadjis, Tricia Quick, Rachel Roy, Amy Sacco, Russell Simmons, Leslie Stevens, Becca Cason Thrash, Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner.

The event will benefit American Friends of Sentebale, the U.S. arm of the global charity co-founded by Harry. The charity supports impoverished children of Lesotho in southern Africa.

THE OLD VIC 192 summer party celebrating 192 years of London's Old Vic Theatre.

Taking place at The Boiler House in London, the event will be hosted by Kevin Spacey, Artistic Director, and Sally Greene, Chief Executive at The Old Vic, the major star-studded birthday celebration will feature entertainment including an exclusive private performance by Paul McCartney and live art auction hosted by Oliver Barker, Senior Director at Sotheby’s. The evening will commence with a champagne and canapé reception, dinner, auction and conclude with a private performance with Paul McCartney.

“I’m delighted to be able to announce The Old Vic 192, our inaugural annual fundraiser on 30th June 2010, in aid of The Old Vic Theatre Trust,” said Spacey. “We are thrilled Paul McCartney will lend his extraordinary talents on the evening alongside brilliant artists who’ve generously donated their artworks for auction. It’s set to be quite a night!”

The roof of the historic theatre roof has leaked since it was damaged by bombing raids during World War II, and Spacey has long wanted the problem fixed.

In aid of The Old Vic Theatre Trust, all monies raised will go to safeguard the 192 year old iconic building, to make great theatre available to all and to mentor the next generation of creative talent. The Old Vic 192 will further support ‘Meat Free Monday,’ a not-for-profit environmental campaign set up by Sir Paul,which seeks to raise awareness of the climate-changing impact of meat production and consumption.

JAMIE FARR OWENS CORNING GOLF CLASSIC takes place June 28-July 4, 2010 at the Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, OH. In addition to trying to attack a small ball with a club, there will be a gala dinner and show at the SeaGate Convention Centre featuring Jim Belushi And The Sacred Hearts.

Charities benefiting from the 2010 tournament are Camp Courageous, Gliding Stars, Heartbeat of Toledo, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northwest Ohio, Mary Immaculate School, SAFY, Sunshine Inc. of Northwest Ohio, Toledo Community Recreation Program, The Toledo Symphony and Ronald McDonald House Charities.

LEND ME A TENOR special Actors Fund performance takes place Sunday, June 27, at The Music Box Theatre, NYC.

TWIN SPIRITS

Sting

in celebration of composer Robert Schumann's 200th birthday at Jazz at Lincoln Center on June 30th is a unique event of music and theater devised and directed for the stage by Tony Award winner John Caird featuring Sting as Robert Schumann and Trudie Styler as Clara Weick.

The evening also features musical artists Joshua Bell, Jeremy Denk, Nathan Gunn, Natasha Paremski, Camille Zamora, and Nina Kotova.

Twin Spirits is billed as "a poetic meditation on the passionate relationship between composer Robert Schumann and wife Clara Wieck. Sting joins his wife, actress, producer and philanthropist Trudie Styler to read from the letters between Robert and Clara. Their story is illustrated and interwoven with music composed by Robert - whose spirit will be embodied by pianist Jeremy Denk, baritone Nathan Gunn and violinist Joshua Bell - and by Clara, who is evoked by pianist Natasha Paremski, soprano Camille Zamora, and cellist Nina Kotova.

A portion of the proceeds from the performance will benefit the Music Unites Youth Choir, bringing together public high school students from across the five boroughs.

Presented by Culture Project the live performance takes place Wednesday, June 30, in The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center. VIP Seating includes a post-concert reception with the artists.

24th ANNUAL RIBBON OF LIFE SPECTACULAR which is the Las Vegas HIV/AIDS charity Golden Rainbow's single largest source of. income, was staged last Sunday at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. The successful event brought in $175,000.

SPREADING THE WORD

LAURENCE FISHBURNE is in Washington, DC reprising his Broadway performance as Thurgood Marshall in The Kennedy Center’s sold out production of Thurgood, about the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Friday, June 11, Michelle and Barack Obama spent their "date night," attending a performance.

Last Friday, June 18, an additional - free - show was added. That's because the play was videotaped.

Audience members were required to be over 18, dressed in dark suits or jackets and ties for the men and dresses or suits for the women.

CHAZZ PALMINTERI is having a busy summer. After completing his successful run of A Bronx Tale at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas last May, the talented Chazz has just signed on to write Mob Street, which is about Wall Street. He also is set to act in Mighty Fine a flick co-starring Andy McDowell, which shoots in New Orleans. Palminteri returns to The Venetian in Las Vegas wit A Bronz Tale October 7 - 18, 2010.

MAGIC AND THE OCCULT an evening with Better Place Portraiture: an ongoing collaboration between artists Flora Whitley, Darren Banks and Christopher Rollen, in which an attempt is made to contact the spirits of departed pets. Attendees can even make an appointment for a one-to-one séance.

Then there is Occult Jam. Let culinary performance duo Bompas and Parr tempt you with Occult Jam, a special recipe featuring a range of unearthly ingredients, accompanied by a variety of strange and unexpected events throughout the evening. June 24, 2010 at the Barbican Centre, London.

READINGS FESTIVAL 1 at Vassar & New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater, begin in the NYC Susan Stein Shiva Theater, June 25-27.

On June 25 Stephen Bogardus, Blair Brown, Michael Cerveris, Jon DeVries, Rebecca Faulkenberry, Barret O'Brien, Maryann Plunkett, Anthony Rapp, Marquis Rodriguez, Andrea Ross, Stephen Spinella, David Strathairn, and Michael Winther will be featured in Unfinished Piece for Player Piano, written and directed by Richard Nelson and based upon a screenplay by A. Adabashyan and N. Mikhalkov, and Platonov, a play by Anton Chekhov. Music is by Peter Golub, with lyrics conceived and adapted by Nelson and Golub.

F. Murray Abraham, Dan Bittner, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Santino Fontana, Joanna Gleason, Gideon Glick, and Okieriete Onaodowan will star in Sons of the Prophet on June 26. Written by Stephen Karam the reading will be directed by Peter DuBois.

Jill Clayburgh, Michael Countryman, Caitlin Fitzgerald, Josh Hamilton, Sarah Steele, and Jeremy Strong will appear in Zoe Kazan's This Thing of Darkness on June 26. Sam Gold serves as director.

On June 27 Sarah Nina Hayon, Isabel Keating, Darren Pettie, Simon Pincus, and Mandy Siegfried will be featured in The Rest of Your Life, the winner of the first prize awarded by Leah Ryan's Fund for Emerging Women Writers. Megan Mostyn-Brown is the author and Josh Hecht directs.

A READING OF EDWARD ALBEE'S Everything in the Garden kicks off Peccadillo's new The Plays-You-Should-Know-And-Probably-Don't Reading Series on Monday, June 21st at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, NYC.

This private-industry reading will be directed by Peccadillo’s Artistic Director Dan Wackerman and will feature John Rubinstein, Angelica Torn, Kathleen Butler, Michael Hayden and Susan Jeffries. Adapted from a play by Giles Cooper, Everything in the Garden, which originally premiered on Broadway in 1967, lampoons the upper-middle-class suburbs where conformity and a hypocritical show of respectability are all that count.

The action starts in an entertaining 'comedy of manners' style in the home of Jenny and Richard, two social climbers struggling to make ends meet. Enter Mrs. Toothe, a mysterious business woman who offers Jenny the opportunity to make more money than she and Richard have ever known, to purchase all the little luxuries that their neighbors seem to enjoy. Richard's realization that their newfound money is being earned by his wife's whoring comes during a cocktail party at which Mrs. Toothe makes an unexpected appearance. Mayhem ensures as it becomes clear that (almost!) all the neighbors are already acquainted with Mrs.Toothe.

SHARON GLESS

Sharon Gless

a two-time Emmy Award winner will perform invitation only, investor staged readings of A Round-Heeled Woman at the Westside Theatre Downstairs June 21-22 in NYC. Written for the stage by Jane Prowse who will also direct.

A Round-Heeled Woman is based on the true story of Jane Juska. In late 1999, Juska, an English teacher, placed an ad in "The New York Review of Books" that read: "Before I turn 67 - next March - I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me." The response from men of all ages was so overwhelming that Juska took a sabbatical from her teaching job to meet - and have sex with- some of them. Her experiences ran the gamut from sad to satisfying, and she recounted them with candor and humor in her book A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance.

Earlier this year, Gless, who took out an option of Juska's book, starred in the limited-engagement premiere of the play at San Francisco's Theatre Artaud. ( See Broadway To Vegas column of December 27, 2009 )

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

BETHESDA THEATRE UP FOR AUCTION On Tuesday, June 29, Bethesda Theatre in Maryland will be gaveled down at a mortgage foreclosure auction by Alex Cooper Auctioneers. Unless a bidder is found willing to maintain the facility as a 700-seat theatre, the valuable downtown Bethesda space will most likely be converted to retail shops. As of this time, no potential buyers willing to keep the property as a performing arts venue have come forward. A $200,000 deposit from bidders

The landmark art deco theatre - originally a 1938 movie house - was given a $12 million renovation in 2007, and re-opened as a touring house for New York off-Broadway Nederlander productions.

The theater is in default for more than $4.6 million. The property included in the on-site auction will include 13,000 square feet at street level, 2,000 square feet in the basement and a 1,000-square-foot mezzanine.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL HOLLYWOOD PIANO COMPETITION the brainchild of California classical composer and concert pianist Carter Larsen, will be launched with a performance by Larsen during the Expo 2010, at the Shanghai Grand Theater June 21, the closing night of the International Film Festival and the Shanghai Music Festival. The performance will be broadcast for the Shanghai Arts Channel; produced and narrated by Sheryl Carlin, head of music production and licensing from Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California.

The juried competition is open to artists of all ages and nationalities.

Winners will get the opportunity to perform a filmed concert at Paramount Studios to an audience of Hollywood producers and directors. The top three winners will be awarded a recording contract for Sony and Universal, along with cash. The grand prizewinner receives $10,000 and a chance to record a music video in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Larsen is currently scoring Martin Scorsese’s new film Something to Believe In.

FRANKIE VALLI LAWSUIT in the April 18, 2010 column Broadway To Vegas reported that Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio - two of the original Jersey Boys of The Four Seasons - along with Jersey Boys: The Musical writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice had filed a law suit against six former Jersey Boys: The Musical performers, claiming that their tour, The Boys in Concert, rips off of the Broadway musical in unauthorized ways. ( See Broadway To Vegas column of April 18, 2010 ) According to The Boys In Concert website, the group has now been reminted under the title, The 4 Hitmen.

WICKED the West End production of the Tony Award winning musical is celebrating taking in almost $150m since it opened in September 2006. Upwards of three million people have seen the West End show, while more than 21 million people world wide have attended a production, according to its producers.

MARK TWAIN LETTER which was a 64-page tribute handwritten by Twain to his daughter after she died at aged 24 has sold at Sotheby's in New York for $242,500. Twin had penned A Family Sketch after the 1896 death of Olive, who contracted spinal meningitis. The gaveled down item is part of a collection of Twain manuscripts expected to sell for up to $1.2m.

LAUGH A LOT

TEAM COCO PRESENTS CONAN'S WRITERS LIVE is a one hour special about those who scribe the funny babble emanating from the mouths of Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter.

Set to air June 27, the show was taped June 17 during the second annual Just for Laughs festival presented by TBS. The festival, held in Chicago, ran from June 15-19. That special also features music by comedian Reggie Watts.

TBS also taped specials at festival with Ellen DeGeneres and Cedric The Entertainer. Others taking part in the five-day event included Denis Leary, Tim Meadows and Rob Corrdry.

LONDON'S COMEDY STORE owned by Don Ward and Amar Aggarwal, has opened a branch in Mumbai (Bombay) India with more than 1,000 showing up for the opening night laugh fest, which featured comedians Micky Flanagan, Craig Campbell and Paul Tonkinson.







JANE FONDA the Oscar-award-winning actress has been bestowed with the Great Medal of Paris by the city's mayor Bertand Delanoe during the Paris Cinema Festival where the 72-year-old beauty will be honored July 3-4. The medal was in recognition for her contribution to the city's art and culture. Fonda has long considered Paris her second home. The actress is presently working on her first French language film.

DANNY BOYLE the Oscar-winning film-maker has been selected as the artistic director of the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony.

37th ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS

Regis Philbin

airing from the Las Vegas Hilton on June 27 will be hosted by Regis Philbin, with a special salute to Dick Clark.

A few of the many performers set to appear on the program include Cher, Barry Manilow, Garth Brooks, Ann-Margret, Frankie Avalon, The Spinners, Jay Leno and Simon Cowell, Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, Wayne Newton, Cheech & Chong, Jeff Foxworthy, Carrot Top and the showgirls of Jubilee.

Nominees with ties to Broadway include: Michael Park who has received his fourth nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series as Jack Snyder in CBS-TV's As the World Turns. Ricky Paull Goldin has a Supporting Actor category nomination for playing Jake Martin on ABC-TV's All My Children.

Academy Award winner and Tony award nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman was nominated for Outstanding Performance in an Animated Program for his work as William Fillmore Toffman on the PBS-TV series Arthur. Others in the same category include Amy Poehler for Nickelodeon's The Mighty B!, Ed Asner for PBS-TV's Wordgirl, and the late Tony nominee Eartha Kitt for her performance as Cool Cat on Nickelodeon's The Wonder Pets.

Emmy winner and Tony-nominated orchestrator Larry Hochman ( See Broadway To Vegas column of May 24, 2009 ) has been nominated as serves as a lead composer on The Wonder Pets. His work, along with that of Tony winner Bobby Lopez and music director Jeffrey Kesser, and composers J. Walter Hawkes and Martin Erskine, received a nod in Outstanding Achievement in Musical Direction and Composition. A Fiddler Crab Am I, a song Hochman co-wrote for the show with Tony winner Jerry Bock and Billy Aronson, also made the grade in the Outstanding Original Song – Children's and Animation category.

The Daytime Emmy Awards air June 27 on CBS.

THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

David Foster

Leonard Cohen

honored their own at the 41st annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Award and Induction Ceremony held on June 17, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Phil Collins, who is already a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, was bestowed the Johnny Mercer Award, named after the legendary songwriter and founder of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Newly minted inductees include: Leonard Cohen, Jackie DeShannon, David Foster, and Earth Wind & Fire, Jesse Stone, Laura Nyro, Johnny Mandel, Matt Davis, Bob Marley and Sunny Skylar.

Taylor Swift received the Hal David Starlight Award. for emerging songwriters.

The hall also saluted Bridge Over Troubled Water, written by Paul Simon, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. Other special tributes include one for producer Phil Ramone and publisher Keith Mardak.

Presenters and performers at the gala include Kim Carnes, Peter Cetera, Charice, Judy Collins, Bruce Hornsby, Billy Joel, Diana Krall, kd Lang, John Mayer, Brian Stokes Mitchell, LA Reid, Raphael Saadiq, Paul Shaffer, Dionne Warwick, Elizabeth Withers and Nikki Yanofsky.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements, and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships.

WINNERS of the Phantom of the Opera posters ( See Broadway To Vegas column of June 6, 2010 ) courtesy of R&H Theatricals, a division of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization (RHO), are: A. T. Wong of San Francisco - Angelina Ashford of Los Angeles and Lupe McCarthy of NYC. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who entered.



KING LEAR

Three time Tony nominee Harry Groener and renowned Shakespeare actor Dakin Matthews share the title role in fully double cast production of King Lear. Photo by Tom Hackett.

by William Shakespeare. Directed by Bart DeLorenzo opens ClassicsFest 2010. Starring three-time Tony nominee Harry Groener and renowned scholar, actor and Antaeus founding artistic director Dakin Matthews heading two fully double-cast ensembles.

The productions open on Thursday, June 24 and Friday 25. Two gala openings, one with each cast, take place on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27, with performances continuing through August 8 at Antaeus' interim home, Deaf West Theatre in the NoHo Arts District, Los Angeles.

King Lear is the politically resonant, timeless and searing story of an aging monarch, a kingdom divided and a family in turmoil. Lear's decision to divide his kingdom among his three daughters ignites a firestorm of greed and betrayal. Displaced as king and cast out as patriarch, Lear discovers the fragility of familial bonds as he descends into madness. Shakespeare's sublime poetry infuses this towering tragedy, a tale of family, duty, politics and mortality.

King Lear marks the first full production of a Shakespeare play in The Antaeus Company's 19-year history.

"We chose Lear because it's a fantastic ensemble piece, and because we wanted to feature our founding artistic director, Dakin Matthews," explains artistic director Jeanie Hackett. "Dakin is one of the country's foremost interpreters of the Bard, and this is an opportunity to explore a Shakespearean play with the master. We double-cast all our productions, a technique that strengthens the way we collaborate and work together as an ensemble, so we're incredibly fortunate to have the equally superlative actor Harry Groener to share the title role."

In addition to Matthews and Groener, the ensemble features Allegra Fulton and Kirsten Potter as Goneril; Francia DiMase and Jen Dede as Regan; Rebecca Mozo and Tessa Thompson as Cordelia; Ramon De Ocampo and John Sloan as Edgar; Daniel Bess and Seamus Dever as Edmund; JD Cullum and Stephen Caffrey as the Fool; Robert Pine and Norman Snow as Gloucester; Morlan Higgins and Gregory Itzin as Kent; Kevin Daniels and Adrian Latourelle as Cornwall; and John DeMita and Thomas Vincent Kelly as Albany. Rounding out the cast are Adam Meyer, Brett Colbeth, Gabriel Diani, Jeff Doba, Drew Doyle, Jeff Gardner, Bruce Green, Jason Henning, John Francis O'Brien, Renata Plecha, Jeremy Shouldis and Paige Wilson.

Set Design for King Lear is by Tom Buderwitz; Lighting Design is by Lap Chi Chu; Costume Design is by A. Jeffrey Schoenberg; Sound Design is by John Zalewski; Prop Design is by Jen Prince; Production Stage Manager is Deirdre Murphy.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Suggested by a Film by Ingmar Bergman.

Conductor Andrew Greene. Director Stuart Maunder.

Starring the gorgeous Sigrid Thornton, who makes her Sydney debut as Desirée Armfeldt, Stuart Maunder and Roger Kirk's beautiful production also features mega-stars Nancye Hayes and Anthony Warlow in the role of Fredrik Egerman.

It is Desirée who sings the show's biggest hit, Send in the Clowns. Although this unforgettable number was made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Judy Collins it was written not for a singer but for an actress. Full of wise questions: isn't it rich? Are we a pair? and poignant answers: well maybe, next year... it is the dramatic turning point of a musical which mixes action, words and music in equal parts.

Director Stuart Maunder and designer Roger Kirk have created a dreamy, elegant production which brings together the finesse of Australia's national opera company with the flair and energy of great music theatre. Sigrid Thornton is joined by a heavenly quintet of high society ladies and gentlemen. Meanwhile, Nancye Hayes threatens to steal the show as the feisty matriarch, Madame Armfeldt.

A Little Night Music, which also features the Opera Australia Opera and Ballet Orchestra, is set in Sweden at the end of the nineteenth century. Three generations gather for a weekend in the country. It is midsummer, and the birch trees are suffused with the glow of a sun which never quite sets. As the husbands, wives, sons and lovers waltz through the golden night, they make life-changing discoveries about others and themselves.

Set & Costume Designer Roger Kirk. Lighting Designer Trudy Dalgleish. Choreographer Elizabeth Hill. Sound Designer John O'Donnell.

Performed in English. A Little Night Music waltzes its way into the Sydney Opera House on June 28 in Sydney, Australia.

TENNESSEE, USA! by Paul Crabtree.

This “Musical Comedy Cavalcade” of Tennessee history opened the new Cumberland County Playhouse in 1965 and has been seen by over quarter million people. Now all the tradition and spectacle of Tennessee’s stirring, flag-waving musical hit returns to the Playhouse stage in an exciting New Millennium production,

Performances through August 28, 2010 on the Mainstage of the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, TN.

'S WONDERFUL: THE NEW GERSHWIN MUSICAL is an all-singing, all-dancing celebration of the brilliant and breathtaking music and lyrics of brothers George and Ira Gershwin. This World Premiere sounds a lot like the wonderful 1971 television special called `S Wonderful, `S Marvelous, `S Gershwin, which also had an original cast recording - Stereo DR-1009 - produced for Daybreak Records by Sonny Burke, who also wrote the liner notes.

The television production and album starred Jack Lemmon, Fred Astaire, Leslie Uggams and Peter Nero, with Larry Kert, Linda Bennett, Robert Guillaume, Alan Johnson and the Elliot Lawrence Orchestra. It was produced by Joseph Cates and Martin Charnin.

This stage show is billed as "Five mini-musicals take audiences on a ride to the different places, times and styles that made the Gershwin brothers the most successful songwriting team in musical history. First it’s New York City in 1916 and New Orleans in the ’50s, then Paris in the 1930s, followed by Hollywood in the ’40s. ’S Wonderful pays a nostalgic tribute to the incomparable songbook of George and Ira Gershwin, featuring over 40 classic hits such as Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off; Shall We Dance; Someone to Watch Over Me and Rhapsody in Blue.

Performances through September 5, 2010 at the Pittsburgh CLO Cabaret.

TINYARD HILL by Mark Allen & Tommy Newman. Score by Mark Allen, winner of the 2009 Jonathan Larson Award.

Billed as:"A stunning new musical about love, pride, and patriotism, set against the backdrop of America's more turbulent decade!"

Tinyard Hill, Georgia. 1964, in a small town partial to old-time music and new-forged dreams, a handsome young blacksmith hammers out a living at the historic smithy his family has owned for generations. When an out-of-this-world beauty and an out-of-the blue draft notice arrive within days of each other, his life is turned upside down. This feisty new musical weaves an irresistible tale of small-town dreams and big-city longings, of loves newly found and nearly lost, of the inevitable pull of the future... and the times, they are a-changin’.

Performances through July 11, 2010 Mainstage of the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville, TN.

RACE welcomes Eddie Izzard to the cast in the role of lawyer Jack Lawson, created by James Spader who leaves the production on June 20. Race is slated to run through August 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, NYC with a cast that will include Dennis Haysbert and Afton C. Williamson, as well as Richard Thomas, who has been in the play since its opening.

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare. Directed by Ron Daniels.

Baptista has two daughters that need to be married off - Bianca; docile, beautiful and much sought after by the noble men of the town, and Katherine; ill-tempered and shrewish, with an acid tongue that no man can tame. As the oldest, Katherine must marry first - not that she much cares. Bianca's many suitors can't afford to wait, so in a wild scheme to find a husband for Katherine, they convince the wily Petruchio to take on the challenge of domesticating the willful "shrew."

The cast includes: Michael Stewart Allen (Tranio), Shirine Babb (A Widow), Donald Carrier (Hortensio), Andrew Dahl (Servant Lad), Grayson DeJesus (Servant Lad), Ben Diskant (Servant Lad), Craig Dudley (A Tailor, Vincentio), Christian Durso (Servant Lad), Kevin Hoffmann (Servant Lad), Andrew Hutcheson (Servant Lad), Charles Janasz (A Pedant, Curtis), Joseph Marcell (Gremio), Steven Marzolf (A Haberdasher, Servant Lad), Jordan McArthur (Biondello), Jonno Roberts (Petruchio), Adrian Sparks (Baptista Minola), Emily Swallow (Katherine), Bruce Turk (Grumio), Bree Welch (Bianca) and Jay Whittaker (Lucentio).

The Creative Team: Ralph Funicello (Scenic Design), Deirdre Clancy (Costume Design), Alan Burrett (Lighting Design), Christopher R. Walker (Sound Design and Original Music), Steve Rankin (Fight Director), Tony Caligagan (Movement Sequences), Claudia Hill-Sparks (Vocal and Dialect Coach) and James Latus (Stage Manager).

Performances through September 26, 2010 at the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, Old Globe in San Diego.

EMMA GOLDMAN: MY LIFE

Lorna Lable as Emma Goldman

created and performed by actress/playwright Lorna Lable. World premiere production commissioned by The East Lynn Theater Company directed by Karen Case Cook.

Emma Goldman, called by J. Edgar Hoover, "the most dangerous woman in America," was born in Kovno, Russia. At age 16 she emigrated to the United States and worked in a clothing factory in Rochester, NY. When she read about the Haymarket Riots in Chicago in 1889, she knew she had to be active in the union movement and moved to NYC. Here she met Johann Most and Alexander Berkman. In 1906 she founded the monthly magazine, Mother Earth, devoted to social justice.

An opponent of the draft during World War I, Emma was imprisoned for advocating a person's right to choose to fight or not. On Nov. 7, 1919, the second anniversary of the Russian Revolution, over 10,000 suspected communists and anarchists were arrested in 23 different cities. Emma was among them. With the financial help of Peggy Guggenheim she was able to purchase a home in San Tropez, France. During the Spanish Civil War, Emma visited Spain, and in 1937, joined Rebecca West and Sybil Thorndike in their effort to establish the Committee to Aid Homeless Spanish Women and Children. Until her death in 1940, she never stopped fighting for a kinder, better world.

The East Lynn Theater Company production runs through July 10, in Cape May, NY.

WHO'S WHERE

MICHAEL BUBLE has a busy week with a show Tuesday, June 22, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK. On Wednesday the tour stops at the Bank Arena in Wichita, KA. On Friday he can be enjoyed at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. On Saturday he'll be on stage at the Spring Center in Kansas City. Next Sunday he's on stage at the Qwest Center in Omaha.

BON JOVI continues performing at the O2 in London with performances Sunday, June 20 followed by shows on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and a closing night performance on Saturday, June 26.

JUSTIN BIEBER will be getting screams at the XL Center in Hartford, CT on Wednesday, June 23. On Thursday his tour stops at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, NJ. Saturday finds the heartthrob at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE IGUANA celebrates their One Year Anniversary with a show hosted by MAC Award winners Dana Lorge and Richard Skipper. Barry Levitt on keyboard & Saadi Zain on bass. Wednesday's guests include: Patricia Fitzpatrick, Meg Flather, Jennifer Litt & David Alpher, Miles Phillips and Julie Reyburn. June 23 at the Iguana VIP Lounge in NYC.

HARRY CONNICK, JR is at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, IN on Monday, June 21. On Tuesday he opens a two night gig at the Chicago Theatre in Chicago. Friday he appears at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass in Aspen, CO.

STING on stage Monday, June 21, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. On Wednesday the tour stops at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, MO. On Friday the show is at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX. Saturday's gig is at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans.

JEFF BECK performs Monday, June 21, at the Egyptian Room in Indianapolis, IN. On Wednesday the show is at the PNC Pavilion in Cincinnati, OH. On Friday he appears as part of Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI. On Saturday the show takes place in the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Bridgeview, IL.

ROD STEWART entertains Tuesday, June 22, at the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland. Next Sunday the show is at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria.

JIMMY BUFFETT brings the fun to the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI on Tuesday, June 22. On Saturday the musical party is at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI.

FOREIGNER on stage Thursday, June 24, at the First Niagara Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA. On Saturday the tour stops at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH.

CHICK COREA FREEDOM BAND with Christian McBride, Kenny Harrett & Roy Haynes, Bela Fleck, Zakie Hussain and the Edgar Meyer Trio in an eclectic night of all-star performances. Tuesday, June 22 at Wolf Trap, in Vienna, Virginia.

Next Column: June 27, 2010
Copyright: June 20, 2010. 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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