Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: June 30, 2019
By: Laura Deni
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SO YOU THINK YOU CAN WRITE TRAGEDY?

Langham Court Theatre presents: The Risk Theatre Modern Tragedy Competition.
The world's biggest tragedy competition. No risk, no reward.

Sponsored by Edwin Wong, Langham Court Theatre calls on playwrights worldwide to submit plays to our second annual 2020 Risk Theatre Modern Tragedy Competition, juried by an international panel of professionals, anonymous to each other and the public until the winners are announced.

1) Cash prizes of $9000 for the winner and four $525 prizes for the runners-up (total $11,100 in Canadian dollars).
2) The winning playwright will receive a travel stipend of up to $1020 to help offset the costs of travelling to Victoria for a professionally led workshop culminating in a staged reading before an audience including invited British Columbia theatre producers at Langham Court Theatre.
3) At the discretion of Langham Court Theatre, the play could be fully produced during the following season as a special event.

Electronic submissions only will be accepted until 9PM, June 1, 2020 Pacific Standard Time (PST) . The winners will be announced on the Competition website on August 16, 2020. The workshop will take place on mutually agreeable dates coordinated between Langham Court Theatre and the winner.

The Premise of Risk Theatre:
There’s an undercurrent of popular interest in risk and uncertainty that theatre can capitalize on. We live in an increasingly complex world: consider artificial intelligence, gene editing, leveraged investments, globalization, and weapons of mass destruction, for example. We gamble with the world not knowing how the unintended consequences will play out. Because we act on an unprecedented global scale, now, more than ever, we have a moral imperative to understand risk. What is risk? What can go wrong? The best place to explore risk is on the tragic stage. This belief informs risk theatre, which is based on the following premises:

1) tragedy consists of a gambling act in which protagonists wager all-in
2) by wagering all-in, protagonists expose themselves to unexpected and catastrophic low-probability, high-consequence events
3) as the dramatization of a gambling act, the emotional reaction of risk theatre is anticipation and apprehension: anticipation for what the protagonist wagers and apprehension for the price the protagonist, the protagonist’s friends and family, and the community must pay

Examples of Risk Theatre:
In the risk theatre interpretation of Macbeth, Macbeth wagers the milk of human kindness for the crown and is struck down by a low-probability event: Birnam Wood. In Oedipus rex, Oedipus bets against the gods and does quite well. Until the Corinthian messenger comes out of nowhere. In Death of a Salesman, Loman stakes his dignity on the American Dream, only to find that he is worth more dead than alive. In Margin Call, the traders save the company, but at the expense of their careers. And in The Cincinnati Kid, the Kid is on the verge of defeating the Man. But then the Man makes “the wrong move at the right time.” Audiences emerge from risk theatre with a heightened awareness of how low-probability, high-consequence events shape human life. We had thought it was an error or a tragic flaw. But really, it’s just chance. Just like how Pablo finds out in Sartre’s The Wall.

The Challenge of Risk Theatre:
To write a new 90 – 120 minute play based on the risk theatre model of tragedy which speaks to contemporary audiences.

For 90 years, Langham Court Theatre has presented nearly 3000 performances with 4000 actors in over 500 shows to 250,000 guests. Established in 1929, Langham Court Theatre is one of Canada’s most successful and longest running community theatres. The theatre seats 177 and is located a ten minute walk from downtown Victoria in the historic Rockland neighborhood.

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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

SWISS ARTIST FELIX VALLOTTON

Bathing on a Summer Evening by Felix Vallotton. Photo: Royal Academy of Art.

(1865–1925) - the Paris-based Nabi group of the 1890s comparatively little known outside his native Switzerland.

By the end of the 19th century, Paris was the unrivalled capital of the Western art world. Impressionism had transformed the visual arts, and Post-Impressionism was flourishing in its wake. Meanwhile, new boulevards and parks had modernised the medieval city, while theatres and department stores provided endless opportunities for entertainment and consumption. Artists, alongside scientists and industrialists, were seen by many as the leaders, the avant-garde, of a new society.

Into this dynamic world arrived the 16-year-old Swiss artist, Felix Vallotton, who would make Paris his home for the rest of his life. He became closely involved with a group of artists known as Les Nabis, which included Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Vuillard, adopting their decorative painterly language and sharing their interest in journalistic illustration and Japanese ukiyo-e prints. Offering witty and often unsettling observations of domestic and political life, Vallotton’s woodcuts were frequently published in the press and he is now considered one of the greatest printmakers of his age. As his work evolved, the sharp realism and cool linearity of his later style – drawn from such sources as Holbein and Ingres – made him one of the most distinctive artists of the early 20th century.

This is the first comprehensive survey of Vallotton’s career to be held in the UK. Through more than 80 paintings and prints, we explore an extraordinary body of work: from compelling portraits, magnetic still-lifes, luminescent landscapes and bitingly satirical prints, to interior scenes which reverberate with psychological tension.

Often anticipating the emotionally charged paintings of Edward Hopper and the films of Alfred Hitchcock, these works demonstrate a legacy of vision that carried into the 20th century.

Exhibition organized by the Royal Academy of Arts, London and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in collaboration with Fondation Félix Vallotton, Lausanne. June 30–September 29, 2019 Sackler Wing of Galleries of the Royal Academy of Art in London.

DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS I AM LIKE: THE ART OF BILL VIOLA This exhibition brings together a selection of major works reflecting on the history of painting by renowned video artist Bill Viola, including screen-based works and large scale installations.

June 30-September 15, 2019 at the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA.

HUMBLE AND HUMAN

Ralph Wilson, Jr.

Impressionist Era Treasures from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Detroit Institute of Arts, an Exhibition in Honor of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. is on display through Sunday, October 13, 2019 at the Detroit Institute of Art in Detroit, Michigan.

See more than 40 Impressionist and Post-Impressionist treasures from the DIA and Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York. This exhibition celebrates the life and vision of the philanthropist, business leader as well as founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, who lived in metro Detroit for most of his life. Wilson valued honesty, hard work and the beauty of the everyday that he saw reflected in such nineteenth century avant-garde masters as Monet, Cézanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Morisot and others.

"On the hundredth anniversary of Mr. Wilson’s birth, both institutions are proud to celebrate these extraordinary works, a testament to the power of collaboration among artists, museums and cities and to Mr. Wilson’s legacy as an advocate for the citizens of Detroit and Buffalo."

Wilson died at his Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, home in 2014.

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SPREADING THE WORD

OPERA ON TAP

A song by abolitionist Julia Griffiths wrote in tribute to her friend Frederick Douglass.

Opera on Tap in partnership with The Old Stone House, The Park Slope Fifth Avenue BID, and Anti-Social Music and in association with Sing For Hope will stage an interactive musical walk through America's volatile political history the weekends of July 5th and July 12th entitled This Is The Ground. With curatorial support from famed song historian Paul Sperry, music will include a diverse array of songs spanning popular and classical styles ranging from the 1790s to now. Billed as a site-specific, interactive musical journey mapping an American refusal to surrender, the experience has been developed and directed by Latrelle Bright and Jerre Dye. Music will include compositions by William Bolcom, Margaret Bonds, Adolphus Hailstork, and Kamala Sankaram as well as folk songs, pop songs and spirituals inspired by the likes of Odetta and Patti Smith.

Also being presented will be a song by abolitionist Julia Griffiths written in tribute to her friend Frederick Douglass entitled Farewell Song of Frederick Douglass. This performance will mark the 2nd time in the last 150 years that the songs has been performed. There are only 2 copies of the song known to exist. Opera on Tap worked with University of Rochester’s Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation to obtain permission to perform the piece and review the printed score.

This is the Ground will feature performances by Lindell Carter, Adrienne Danrich, Victoria Davis, Drew Fleming, Joy Jones, and Kamala Sankaram accompanied by Christopher Berg, Brian Thompson, Kirin McElwain and Ross Wightman.

Opera on Tap (OOT), now 13 years old, was one of the pioneers in the movement to bring opera out of the opera house and into alternative venues, like bars. By breaking down the barriers that many people perceive around the art-form, Opera on Tap shines a light on the core elements that make opera great: the beauty of the music, the (often bizarre) stories, and the incredible talent it takes to sing operatic repertoire without any amplification.

A MUELLER REPORT READ-A-THON will take place at two Los Angeles intimate theaters, offering Angelenos the opportunity to hear the Mueller Report read aloud, in its entirety, on either side of the City. The Fountain Theatre in East Hollywood will host a single, 15-hour event on Thursday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to midnight. The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West L.A. will hold a separate marathon reading, breaking it up into two 8-hour sessions on Monday, July 22 and Tuesday, July 23, each from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission to both Read-A-thons is free and open to the public.

Theater companies across Los Angeles declaring their support for the Read-A-Thons, many sharing their resources and talent, include 24th Street Theatre, Blank Theatre Company, Boston Court Pasadena, Celebration Theatre, Company of Angels, Cornerstone Theater Company, Echo Theater Company, The Inkwell Theatre, Latino Theatre Company, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble, Matrix Theatre Company, Moving Arts, New American Theatre, Not Man Apart–Physical Theatre Ensemble, Open Fist Theatre Company, Padua Playwrights, Playwrights Arena, Road Theatre Company, Rogue Machine, Skylight Theatre, Stacie Chaiken and What’s the Story?, The Victory Theatre Center and Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum.

Each offering 10-minute segments, readers at the Fountain will include over 90 readers representing the diversity of Los Angeles, including actors, artistic leaders, community leaders and business people. Confirmed to read so far: Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell; actors Jeff Perry, Richard Schiff, Rob Nagle, Frances Fisher, Harry Groener, Bill Brochtrup and Jenny O’Hara; artistic directors Daniel Henning (Blank Theatre) and John Flynn (Rogue Machine); playwright Justin Tanner; and theater journalist Steven Leigh Morris.

The Odyssey event, curated by Not Man Apart artistic director John Farmanesh-Bocca, will include 20-minute readings by long-standing company members, friends and celebrities including Councilmember Paul Koretz; film and stage actors Alfred Molina, Frances Fisher, Brenda Strong, Norbert Weisser, Michael Nouri, Ray Abruzzo, Darrell Larson and Gregg Henry; Richard Montoya of Culture Clash; spoken word artist Steve Connell; Cornerstone Theater Company members Shishir and Bahni Kurup; Padua Playwrights founding artistic director Murray Mednick and many more.

In May, a group of Congressional Democrats held a live marathon reading of the report. Since then, similar events have been taking place across the country. A 24-hour live reading hosted by theater companies New Neighborhood and Slightly Altered States took place in New York City; a group of elected officials, activists and celebrities put on a reading in a San Francisco café; and a marathon reading is scheduled for July 11 at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. This week, an all-star celebrity reading of a new play, adapted from the Mueller Report by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan, took place in New York. On Tuesday, it was announced that former special consul Robert Mueller will testify before Congress on July 17.

PAT BENETAR will be lighting up the sky with her talent as will traditional fireworks during the Graceland "All-American July 4th Weekend" in Memphis, Tennessee.

THE CARPENTERS had a chart hit with Bless the Beasts and the Children which contains the line "I believe the children are our future".

During World War II American troops entering a country would be instructed to be extra nice to any children they encountered. Give them candy and gum; play ball with them in the street. The object was to instill in those homeless, war revenged children a warm feeling for Americans. The children would grow up to have a fond memory of Americans and, thus, not become our enemies.

If Americans deliberately deprive youngsters of the decent basics - soap, a toothbrush, clean clothes, food, a bed - these children will grow to hate Americans, even though they may continue to live here. The 8-year old of today is the soldier ten years from now.

As the song states: "Bless the beasts and the children/Keep them safe/Keep them warm."

DID YOU KNOW THAT according to Forensic Psychology actor Brad Pitt and famous neuroscientist Oliver Sacks suffer from a condition known as ‘prosopagnosia’ or ‘face blindness,’ in which the person is able to recognize objects but is not able to recognize faces. The condition can be congenital and may affect up to 2.5% of the population.

JUNE 30 is National Mai Tai Day. July 1 is National Gingersnap Day while July 2 is National Anisette Day. National Chocolate Wafer Day is July 3. July 4 is National Barbecue Day and Caesar Salad Day. July 5 is National Apple Turnover Day and July 6 is National Fried Chicken Day.







THE CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE by Bertolt Brecht in an acclaimed translation by Alistair Beaton.

Directed by Stephanie Shroyer.

Deep in the Caucasus Mountains of Georgia, a humble kitchen maid named Grusha risks her life to rescue an abandoned baby from civil war. But when the child’s aristocratic mother returns to claim him, the entire social order of a corrupt and violent world is put on trial.

Previews begin July 5 with the official opening set for July 11. The performance runs through August 26, 2019.

Part of the Antaeus Theatre Company's four modern classics by American, Irish, British and German playwrights at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, California.

JESUS CHRIST, SUPERSTAR with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Book by Tom O'Horgan.

Directed by Timothy Sheader.

Originally written as a rock opera album, Jesus Christ Superstar made its explosive debut on the Broadway stage in 1971. The show transferred to the West End the following year where it ran for eight years and went on to become one of the most enduring musicals of its time.

Tom Scutt Design. Drew McOnie Choreographer. Tom Deering (musical supervisor) Lee Curran Lighting. Nick Lidster (for Autograph) Sound. Kate Waters (fight director). Barbara Houseman (associate director). Will Burton and David Grindrod (CDG - casting directors).

Opening Night: July 4 2019 with the final performance taking place August 24, 2019 at the Barbican Centre, London.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX Book, music, and lyrics by PigPen Theatre Co. Based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo and the Universal Pictures animated film.

Directed by Marc Bruni and PigPen Theatre Co.

Despereaux is a courageous mouse who dreams of becoming a knight. He sets off on a noble quest that will take him down into dungeons and up to the heights of a castle tower to rescue a beautiful human princess—but the dark-hearted rat Roscuro has other ideas "Full of gorgeous music, stunning stage effects, witty performances, and a message of optimism and community, is an inspiring and beguiling story for all ages."

the Family-Friendly Show Runs July 6 – August 11, 2019 at the Old Globe in San Diego, CA.

TRUE WEST Written by Sam Shepard.

Directed by ensemble member Randall Arney.

In 1982, Steppenwolf exploded onto the American Theatre scene with its now legendary production of Sam Shepard’s True West. Now, 37 years later, True West is back in its first ever Steppenwolf revival.

This American classic traces the volatile relationship of Austin and Lee, estranged brothers who find themselves holed up together in their mother's well-kept suburban house with a typewriter, a set of golf clubs and the undeniable call of the desert.

Featuring Jacqueline Williams and Ensemble Members Randall Arney, Jon Michael Hill, Namir Smallwood, and Francis Guinan.

Scenic Design Todd Rosenthal. Costume Design Trevor Bowen. Lighting Design Ann G. Wrightson. Sound Design & Original Music Richard Woodbury. Fight Choreographer Ned Mochel. Company Voice & Text Coach Gigi Buffington. Production Stage Manager Laura D. Glenn. Assistant Stage Manager Amanda Landis.

July 5 - August 25, 2019 at Steppenwolf in Chicago.

E-Book

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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.

WHO'S WHERE

BARBRA STREISAND'S will headline British Summer Time series in Hyde Park in London on Sunday, July 7. The show will feature Ramin Karimoo, The Kingdom Choir which performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, Bryan Ferry , Kris Kristoffferson and comedian Richard Marx .

CELINE DION who recently closed out a decade's long engagement in Las Vegas stars at the British Summer Time series in London's Hyde Park on Friday, July 5. Also on the bill are talents Josh Groban and Claire Richards.

JON BON JOVI is in Germany and Spain this week. The show on July 3 is at the Merkur Spiel Arena in Dusseldorf. On July 5 they'll be rockin' Olympic Stadium in Munich. On July 7 the tour stops at the Wanda Stadium in Madrid.

II DIVO performs Monday, July 1, 2019 at the Royal Concert Hall Notts, Nottingham, UK. Tuesday's show is at the Royal Albert Hall, London. On Wednesday they'll be delighting the crowds at Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield, England.

AEROSMITH on stage at the Park Theater, Park MGM Las Vegas Tuesday, July 2, Thursday, July 4 and next Sunday, July 7, 2019.

HUGH JACKMAN backed by an orchestra and dancers continues his North American tour with a performance on Monday July 1, in Washington D.C. at Capital One Arena. Wednesday's show is in Atlanta, GA at State Farm Arena. Friday's tour stop is in Tampa, FL at the Amalie Arena. On Saturday he's in the spotlight in Sunrise, FL at the BB&T Center.

WEIRD AL YANKOVIC is on stage Tuesday, July 2 in- Ft. Wayne, IN at the Foellinger Theatre. Wednesday the tour stops in Kettering, OH at the Fraze Pavilion. On July 5 the show is in Rochester Hills, MI at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre. Saturday's gig is in Cleveland, OH at the KeyBank State Theatre and next Sunday, July 7 the performance takes place in Pittsburgh, PA at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts.

FINAL OVATION

DAVE BARTHOLOMEW the New Orleans trumpeter, songwriter, bandleader, producer and arrange considered one of the fathers of Rock'n'Roll died at a hospital in Metairie, LA on June 23, 2019. He was 100.

Bartholomew was inducted into the Rock Hall as a non-performer in 1991, five years after his protégé and partner Fats Domino joined its initial class of honorees. In 2010, the Rock Hall dedicated its annual American Music Masters celebration to both men, the first time it had so acknowledged a creative collaboration of that nature.

He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998.

His marriage to Pearl King, who was listed as a co-writer of some of his songs, ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of more than 50 years, the former Rhea Douse; eight children; a sister; and more than 20 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of the Recording Academy issued the following statement: "Recording Academy Trustees Award recipient Dave Bartholomew was a multitalented bandleader, composer, arranger, and record producer. A rock and roll pioneer, Bartholomew's innovative approach to his craft helped define the New Orleans sound and establish the metropolis as one of our nation's great music cities. He achieved profound success from his partnership with fellow New Orleans-native Fats Domino, producing and co-writing several chart-topping hits, including "Ain't That A Shame," "I'm Walkin'," and "Let The Four Winds Blow." Bartholomew's impactful contributions to the field of recording were recognized by the Recording Academy when he was selected as a Trustees Award recipient in 2012. He has eternally influenced rock and roll music, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of musicians for years to come."

Next Column: July 7, 2019
Copyright: June 30, 2019 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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