Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: March 3, 2024
By: Laura Deni
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THE IRONDALE ENSEMBLE PROJECT - TEACHING POLICE HOW TO COMMUNICATE

Terry Greiss

From horror can come hope for better understanding.

In 2014 the world witnessed the tragic death of Eric Garner at the hands of NYC police offices. The large, black man who looked intimidating, a father of six, was supporting his family by selling cigarettes on the street, which is illegal. When the NYC police attacked him, his last words were 'I can't breathe,' which became a rallying cry.

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner, a 43-year-old African American man, was killed in the New York City borough of Staten Island by Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, after the latter put him in a prohibited chokehold while arresting him.

On August 19, 2019, James Patrick "Jimmy" O'Neill Jr. who served as the 43rd Police Commissioner of New York City from September 2016 until November 2019 terminated Pantaleo's employment with the New York Police Department, stating that it would not be possible for Pantaleo to serve effectively, and that Pantaleo's decision to maintain the chokehold on the ground is what led to his firing."

America was forced to grapple with questions of history, procedure, and social responsibility, and Brooklyn based Irondale Theater saw an opportunity to contribute to the discussion through its unique lens of improvisation, actor training, and ensemble building by creating To Protect, Serve, and Understand.

Terry Greiss is the Executive Director, Actor and Co-Founder of Irondale - one of the longest standing ensemble theatres in America - where he is also an actor and the Executive Director. He has performed in more than 60 roles with the company, and is a creator of most of Irondale's original works and education programs and developed TPSU. He is also an Improv Instructor at the Alan Alda School of Communicating Science and Alda Communications Training (ACT) and recently guested on Alda's Clear & Vivid podcast.

Greiss who previously worked at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park developed TPSU with the core belief that "theatre can lead us to a greater understanding of who we are and how we can communicate with each other—and coexist with empathy and compassion—in an increasingly polarized world," It's a program to help police and the community in general build truat and understanding through theater game.

Over the past 8 years, To Protect, Serve, and Understand (TPSU) has gained local and national acclaim for being an innovative training program designed to ease tension between police and community members.

TPSU is a transformative 10-week, 40-hour workshop rooted in social change, activism, and humanity. Through a combination of improvisations, poignant monologues, and songs the combined group of seven officers and seven community members share personal narratives, fostering profound understanding and driving positive change.

They begin by sharing a home cooked meal, play, sing, and have difficult conversations. Police departments select the officers who will attend and they are paid for their participation.

The police officers how to better communicate and how to listen. They learn to improvise, tell their own stories, and "step into each other’s shoes." The workshops culminate in public performances that show what can come from mutual trust and empathetic understanding.

Theatre doesn’t always happen on stage. It unfolds all around us on a daily basis.

The Irondale Ensemble Project is "theatre of the moment, in the moment." Police departments participating include not only American units, but those located in Belgium.

"Irondale exists at the intersection of art, education, community engagement and social justice. We develop long-term artistic collaborations to create theatre that expands the boundaries of the art form and helps audiences and artists make sense of today’s world. Every play and program we produce is chosen for its relevance to what is going on in the world now. Our projects range from epic theater pieces developed over several years to work that immediately engages at-risk youth, young scientists and engineers, and the New York City Police Department," according to their website.

Irondale, in collaboration with the New York Police Department, proudly presents a public performances at the end of each cycle of To Protect, Serve, and Understand (TPSU).

This free to attend public program takes place at Irondale Theater in Brooklyn. Contact the venue for time and dates.

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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

GUERCINO

Guercino, King David, 1651 © Waddesdon, A Rothschild House and Gardens

an exciting new exhibit opening March 20 at Waddesdon, a Rothschild House and Gardens in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England.

Over 350 years since they were painted, five paintings by the renowned Baroque painter Guercino are displayed together for the first time in this new exhibition. This historic exhibition spotlights one of the great painters of 17th-century Italy, Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino (1591-1666). Brought together for the first time since leaving the artist’s studio in 1651, are Waddesdon’s King David alongside two associated paintings of sibyls from the National Gallery and another sibyl from the Royal Collection, painted the same year.

Born in the Italian town of Cento, Guercino was an excellent draughtsman whose compositions were known for their originality. In his lifetime, he created hundreds of altar pieces and paintings, becoming one of the most sought-after Italian Baroque painters and enjoying the patronage of popes, foreign courts, cardinals and dukes.

See close up Guercino’s brilliant use of paint to depict silk, flesh, ermine, paper, wood and stone, while conjuring up ideas about inspiration and contemplation, sight and foresight, poetry and prophecy. This is an opportunity to explore how King David relates to the sibyls. What is a sybil?

These female prophets or seers from classical antiquity were popular subjects in the 17th-century, appealing to Baroque artists as models of female authority.

Also on display and never before seen in public is Guercino’s recently rediscovered depiction of Moses. This is one of the most important additions to Guercino’s body of work and adds to our understanding of his early maturity, a period considered by many to be his greatest for the dynamism, vigour and spontaneity of his painting.

What is a sybil? These female prophets or seers from classical antiquity were popular subjects in the 17th-century, appealing to Baroque artists as models of female authority.

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri enjoyed a successful career spent mostly in Bologna and Rome. He acquired the nickname 'Guercino' ('Little Squinter') due to strabismus (the condition of having a squint). According to the biographer Carlo Cesare Malvasia, the infant Guercino was awoken by a loud noise with such a start that he was left with his right eye permanently fixed at an angle. Whether or not this story is to be believed, this does not appear to have impaired his vision or achievements as a painter.

Upon the death of Lord Rothschild OM, GBE, CVO (1936-2024) The Rothschild Foundation and Waddesdon Manor issued the following statement.:(We) are deeply saddened at the death earlier this week of Lord Rothschild, businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and cultural leader. He was at the helm of the Manor from 1988 and was a towering influence throughout that time. He will be greatly missed by his family, his colleagues and his many friends." "He led, amongst other institutions, the National Gallery, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the family’s flagship, Waddesdon Manor. He supported many causes, some close to his home in Buckinghamshire, others as far afield as Israel, Albania, Greece and the United States. He was committed to helping communities, the environment, education and above all, the arts. His exemplary service to his country was recognised on several occasions, with a GBE, a CVO and as a member of the Order of Merit.

"Jacob Rothschild was an extraordinary person, and his loss will be felt by many. The family is committed to continuing his legacy and the foundation which he loved and endowed.

"He was married for more than fifty years to Serena (nee Dunn 1936-2019) with whom he had four children, Hannah, Beth, Emily and Nat and many grandchildren.

"His daughter Hannah takes over with immediate effect as Patron and Chair of the Rothschild Foundation."

THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE AND TRANSATLANTIC MODERNISM Through some 160 works of painting, sculpture, photography, film, and ephemera, it explores the comprehensive and far-reaching ways in which Black artists portrayed everyday modern life in the new Black cities that took shape in the 1920s–40s in New York City’s Harlem and nationwide in the early decades of the Great Migration when millions of African Americans began to move away from the segregated rural South.

The first art museum survey of the subject in New York City since 1987, the exhibition establishes the Harlem Renaissance and its radically new development of the modern Black subject as central to the development of international modern art.

Featured artists include Charles Alston, Aaron Douglas, Meta Warrick Fuller, William H. Johnson, Archibald Motley, Winold Reiss, Augusta Savage, James Van Der Zee, and Laura Wheeler Waring. These artists will be shown in direct juxtaposition with portrayals of international African diasporan subjects by European counterparts ranging from Henri Matisse, Edvard Munch, and Pablo Picasso to Germaine Casse, Jacob Epstein, and Ronald Moody.

A significant percentage of the paintings, sculpture, and works on paper on view in the exhibition come from the extensive collections of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, Fisk University Galleries, Hampton University Art Museum, and Howard University Gallery of Art.

Other major lenders include the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, with pending loans from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The exhibition will include loans from significant private collections and major European lenders.

Through July 28, 2024 at The Met Fifth Avenue in New York City.

MONUMENTS AND MYTHS Daniel Chester French (1850–1931) and Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907) were the preeminent American sculptors of the Gilded Age. As friendly rivals, they transformed sculpture in the United States, producing dozens of the nation’s most recognizable public artworks—from Saint-Gaudens’s Diana atop New York City’s Madison Square Garden to French’s Seated Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC.

Monuments and Myths is the first exhibition to explore the artists’ intersecting careers and features approximately seventy sculptures, models, maquettes, and more.

In this exhibition, learn about the lives and careers of both artists while exploring the aesthetically graceful and socially potent artworks that shaped and reflected America’s complicated negotiation of national identity in the years between the Civil War and the Great Depression.

This exhibition is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts, Chesterwood, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Saint-Gaudens Memorial in partnership with the Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park.

On display through May 27, 2024 at the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, TN.

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SWEET CHARITY

THE LATIN GRAMMY CULTURAL FOUNDATION in partnership with Latin Grammy winning and Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Noel Schajris will invest $40,000 in an educational experience, including a donation of musical instruments to Overton High School in Memphis, Tennessee.

This investment in music education marks the 41st time that the Foundation hosts a Latin Grammy In The Schools. The program will feature a musical performance with the Argentine Mexican singer-songwriter Noel Schajris, along with a Q&A session with students moderated by Jessica Rodríguez co-host of Univision’s top rated morning show, "Despierta América" (Wake-Up America).

"We all know how important art and music are in our lives; in my personal case, it has been a lifesaver, a friend, a love, and even the doctor during many important moments. This is an important opportunity for the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation to share with those who will undoubtedly carry that torch of hope, the kids, the future generations. I am honored to share my life experience and especially the last few years in charge of my own record label Dynamo Producciones and more recently with my own digital platform and App NSMUSIC (Noelschajris.fan). Surely we will draw wonderful conclusions and certainties from this event; always with truth and love as our banner," said Schajris.

The Creative and Performing Arts Program at Overton High School was developed to nurture artistic talent within its diverse student population. The program includes a wide range of offerings, including various bands, orchestras, choirs, dance, creative writing, broadcasting, and visual arts, each contributing significantly to students' artistic development and collaborative experiences. This program is vital in providing students with invaluable opportunities they might not otherwise access. To ensure its continual growth and enrichment, there's a pressing need for resources and educational experiences. The school will use the new instruments to grow its music education programming, enhancing and expanding the experience of future generations of music creators.

"We are beyond thrilled and ecstatic to receive this musical instrument donation and educational resources for the Overton Band Program," said Juan Valdez, Overton HS Senior Band Director. "Through the students' hard work, we have many award-winning ensembles, including Wind Ensemble, CAPA Choir, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Piano, and Marching Band. This generous contribution will allow our students' work to continue to be seen and heard all across the Mid-South. ¡Muchas gracias!"

Since its inception the Latin Grammy In The Schools program has benefited schools in U.S. cities such as Aransas Pass, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Antonio; as well as internationally in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Mexico City, Mexico; Arecibo, Humacao, Yauco, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Seville, Spain.

SPREADING THE WORD

ALAN CUMMING IS NOT ACTING HIS AGE will have a one night mounting at Studio 54 in New York City on March 11, 2024.

"The cabaret genre and Studio 54 are both utterly defining parts of my life and career," said Cumming in a statement, "So, to be able to combine the two—taking my latest show to this beautiful and iconic venue—is a dream come true and a coming home wrapped up in one. And where better to discuss not acting your age than the home of hedonism and bacchanalia?"

The solo show centers around this question: "What exactly is acting your age?" As Cumming explained in a previous statement, "I’m constantly told, even now in my sixth decade, that I am child-like or puckish, and yet at the same time I’m also called a silver fox and a daddy. I think we all get really mixed messages about aging. We’re told to worship at the fountain of youth, to do everything we can to our bodies and our minds to stay young, yet then we bandy around pejoratives like 'grow up' or 'act your age,' even that we’re 'mutton dressed as lamb.' I feel I’m still at an age where I can dance till dawn but also be able to dole out some wisdom to my fellow revelers! Wisdom is just being able to recognize the repeating patterns that emerge as you get older, and maybe deciding to react to them differently. It’s just the same show with different costumes."

The show covers the classic topics of sex, death, and debauchery with a set list that ranges from John Kander and Fred Ebb songs, to contemporary favorites, to songs written by Cumming himself.

EMMY AND TONY AWARD WINNER KRISTIN CHENOWETH will be joined by special guest, composer and songwriter Stephen Schwartz at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Saturday, March 9th.

Schwartz, who is known for writing the music and lyrics for the current Broadway hit Wicked and has also contributed music and lyrics toGodspell; Pippi; The Magic Show; The Baker's Wife; Working Rage and Children Of Eden. He has been inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and has been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Awards include three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, and a tiny handful of tennis trophies.

Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, she received an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Pushing Daisies. In 1999, she won a Tony Award for You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. She was also nominated for her original role of Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked in 2004. Chenoweth was nominated for two Emmy Awards and a People’s Choice Award for her role on Glee.

Their performance takes place at NJPAC Prudential Hall, Betty Wold Johnson Stage in Newark, New Jersey.

MOST LIKELY NOT TO . . . is an edgy new musical comedy, created by the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) community, offering a light-hearted look at life with disabilities and a window into how ableism colors everyday situations.

Follow our protagonist — a high-powered fashion designer — as she navigates a meet-cute, an awkward high school reunion and a dodgy run-in with the airline industry while traveling cross-country with her wheelchair. With an eclectic ensemble cast, the production features show-stopping musical numbers in a comedic twist on disability like you’ve never seen before.

The six-song EP, released by Center Stage Records, is produced by Adam Pryor and mixed by Grammy Award nominee Michael J. Moritz Jr., who also leads the band. Featuring songs by Greg Dean Borowsky, James Ian, Peter Mills, Katya Stanislavskaya, and Melvin Tunstall III, the show’s cast includes Lauryn Adams, Darilyn Castillo, Andrew Chappelle , Sarah Dacey Charles, Bryan Cortes, James Ian, Cedric Leiba Jr., Alexis Loiselle, Joel Manuel, Phil Sloves, Yasmeen Suliman, Jesse Swimm, Melvin Tunstall III, Natalie Weiss, Allie Williams, and Jessy Yates.

In total, 13 members of the SMA community played a role in the development of Most Likely Not To…, including 7 people living with SMA and 6 non-disabled caregivers who serve as SMA advocates. Both the star and much of the supporting cast are living with SMA. The script-writing process involved SMA community members along every step of the way. Most Likely Not To… features original songs, performed by members of the SMA community, including full ensemble numbers, a hilarious parody of air travel, a soulful duet and a 90s remix of “SPACES which was a first-of-its-kind musical collaboration between Genentech and the SMA community recorded in 2021 to highlight the talents and humanity of people with disabilities and demonstrate that people with disabilities belong in all spaces.

Genentech is proud to support the many talented, vibrant and diverse people living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) through the SMA My Way program, which is an initiative that aims to support all people impacted by SMA by sharing lived experiences and building connections within the community. SMA is a genetic, often severe, disease involving progressive muscle weakness that can impair basic functions, including walking and breathing. SMA does not impact a person’s ability to think, learn and build relationships with others. Through SMA My Way, Genentech has co-created two trailblazing, multi-award-winning projects with the SMA community, the Spaces song in 2021 and the Double Take fashion show in 2022, to increase disability visibility and spark important dialogues about disability rights.

ALL THINGS EQUAL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF RUTH BADER GINSBERG written by Tony Award winning playwright Rupert Holmes.

Directed by Laley Lippard.

Starring Michelle Azar as Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Supreme Court Justice "RBG" welcomes a friend of the family to her cozy chambers to convey, over the course of ninety fascinating and often funny minutes, a sense of her life and its many trials: losing her mother the day before she graduated as valedictorian of her Brooklyn high school . . . being one of only nine young women studying law at Harvard while also raising a daughter and helping her husband battle cancer . . . fighting for women's rights in the nineteen-seventies before condescending all-male courts . . . and taking courageous stands for human rights as a voice of reason amid a splintering and increasingly politicized Supreme Court. An evening with a great and compassionate icon of straight-thinking American justice emerges . . . an RBG who is not only "notorious" but victorious as she takes a stand for ordinary people facing the many challenges of a changing world.

March 8, at The Flynn in Burlington, VT.

EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE presents a full performance reading of All the Rage, a new musical by Tony Award-nominee Larry Kirwan. Paradise Square Co-Writer Larry Kirwan who received 2022 Eugene O'Neill Lifetime Achievement Award.

Starring Chilina Kennedy and Constantine Maroulis. Music Direction by Mark Fifer. Directed by Karen Carpenter.

It is 2009, when Shelley suddenly shows up, unannounced, at Rick’s East Village apartment. They had been bandmates and lovers in the 80’s - twenty-three years have passed since their tumultuous break-up. Their reunion is a roller coaster ride of emotions; can Rick and Shelley bridge the gap of decades apart? Is it too late for them? Will love and music prevail?

"An intimate, two-character musical journey into the world of rock ‘n roll, All The Rage is a universal story of love lost and found again, written by playwright, Kirwan, a legendary rocker.

The production stars Chilina Kennedy as Shelly and Constantine Maroulis as Rick, star-crossed lovers in this "perfect double-star vehicle, efficiently producible in multiple markets, featuring a fantastic score of 18 new songs by Kirwan."

A Benefit for Emerging Artists Theater. The reading takes place March 12 at the 28th Street Theatre in New York City.

FIGARO: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL has a book by Ashley Jana and Will Nunziata with music and lyrics by Jana. Nunziata is set to direct the West End premiere later this year.

Set in mid-1800s Italy, Figaro: An Original Musical "is the hauntingly beautiful tale of Sienna, a young woman who dreams of singing but feels imprisoned by her life on her father's farm. When a chance encounter with two young orphans thrusts her into the life of a traveling performer, she meets the handsome Figaro, who promises to make all her dreams come true - but there is always a price to fame. Part love story, part mystery, Sienna's journey to discover herself and live the life she always wanted is fraught with twists and turns until it culminates in a moment that will change the course of her life forever."

The original cast album, released on Center Stage Records, features the talents of Cayleigh Capaldi, Mauricio Martínez, Ashley Jana, Lily Bell Morgan, Benjamin Pajak, T. Oliver Reid, and Jayke Workman.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

THE NORTH CAROLINA THEATRE has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In a press release the venue states: The North Carolina Theatre has been Raleigh’s largest professional theatre company producing live musical theatre for 40 years. With profound sadness, the NCT Board of Directors announces that it must implement a financial restructuring by seeking protection under Chapter 11 and suspending the remainder of its 2024 season. As a beloved theatre company housed within the Martin Marietta Performing Arts Center in downtown Raleigh, NCT has been recognized throughout the nation as a beacon of professional performing arts in North Carolina. The financial restructuring is a necessary step toward rebuilding and revitalizing The North Carolina Theatre for the future.

"NCT will join multiple prominent live theatres across the country that have either closed or sought bankruptcy protection resulting from external forces during and after the pandemic, including significant increases in production costs, loss of corporate and personal sponsorships, decline in subscription sales, and a slow return of audiences to live venues. The NCT Board of Directors, with assistance from NCT staff, made extraordinary efforts to secure additional funding, and NCT re-scaled production to bring down expenses. Unfortunately, those efforts did not result in the ability to continue producing live theatre at this time. As a part of the reorganization plan, NCT will continue its efforts to secure substantial public funding to supplement its funding from ticket sales, sponsorships, and donations.

"During the reorganization phase, NCT plans to continue the day-to-day operations of the NCT Conservatory, training and fostering educational growth with students ranging from beginners to pre-professionals in acting, dancing, and voice performance.

"NCT plans to emerge from reorganization as the premiere regional theatre, producing performances that blend professional Broadway actors with talented local youth and adult actors in North Carolina. The Chapter 11 reorganization process will allow NCT to eventually resume its new model of producing more cost-effective productions in the smaller, more intimate A.J. Fletcher Theatre. NCT hopes to emerge at the end of the restructuring phase with the ability to provide some form of credit to those who purchased tickets for future shows. NCT sincerely apologizes for this hardship and inconvenience to our devoted patrons, benefactors, and stakeholders. The NCT Board requests grace, patience, and generosity from fellow patrons and subscribers during the reorganization phase."

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EGOT JENNIFER HUDSON will receive the 2024 NAB Television Chairman’s Award during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas on the Main Stage during the We Are Broadcasters session on Tuesday, April 16.

The NAB TV Chairman’s Award recognizes individuals for groundbreaking work in one or more specific art disciplines in television. The award was first presented in 2009 to four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe-winning actor Kelsey Grammar. Past recipients include "This Is Us" and "Black Panther" star Sterling K. Brown, television and film actress Kristen Bell, award-winning actor and activist Terry Crews and Emmy-winning host Mario Lopez.

“Jennifer Hudson’s distinguished career spans multiple facets of the entertainment industry, from television to music to the big screen and beyond, and makes her well deserving of this award,” said NAB Television Board Chair Pat LaPlatney. "I am honored to present her with the NAB TV Chairman’s Award during NAB Show in recognition of her outstanding work." "Jennifer Hudson is in a league of her own," said Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Television Group. "She is an inspiring force, an expert in her craft, and continues to prove her talent has no bounds and there is no limit to what she can achieve. We are honored to be her creative home and congratulate her on this prestigious award"

Hudson’s love of music and performing started during her childhood when she would sing for her church congregation in Chicago. Her career has skyrocketed since as the recipient of countless awards and becoming the youngest female EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) award winner in history.

Hudson’s nationally syndicated talk show, “The Jennifer Hudson Show, has received six Daytime Emmy Award nominations and two nominations for People’s Choice Awards. In its second season, the show has featured an impressive lineup of guests including Oprah Winfrey and Shaquille O’Neal, earned her the AAFCA "We See You Award" and NAACP Image Award for Best Talk Show Host. In addition, Hudson was named one of People magazine’s "People of the Year" and one of Glamour magazine’s "Women of the Year." Produced by JHUD Productions and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Telepictures and distributed in national syndication by Warner Bros., The Jennifer Hudson Show has been renewed for a third season by the Fox Television Stations and Hearst Television.

CHRISTOPHER DURANG has been named recipient of the Dramatists Guild of America's 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented in May at the Guild's annual ceremony at Sony Hall in New York City.

The annual award recognizes distinguished lifetime achievement in theatrical writing. Previous recipients include Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford, Jules Feiffer, Tina Howe, Pearl Cleage, Adrienne Kennedy, A.R. Gurney, John Guare, Micki Grant, Paula Vogel, Terrence McNally, Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock, Lanford Wilson, Joseph Stein, Horton Foote, August Wilson, Stephen Sondheim, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Neil Simon, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Edward Albee and Arthur Miller. Career Achievement Awards have also been presented to Marsha Norman and Stephen Schwartz.

Lloyd Suh, chair of the Dramatists Guild’s Awards Committee, said in a statement, "It’s a privilege to celebrate Christopher Durang with the Dramatists Guild’s highest honor, in recognition of his singular voice and his enduring impact on generations of other writers. His grace, wit, charm, and generosity are an example to all of us in the community of American dramatists."

Durang has been a member of the Dramatists Guild since 1978 and a member of the Dramatists Guild Council since 1981.

Since its inception in 1919, the Dramatists Guild of America has been the professional association for playwrights, librettists, lyricists, and composers writing for the American stage.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO . . .

PRINCE EDWARD THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH who turns 60 on March 10, 2024. Reaching an age when many people are looking forward to retirement, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip is full steam ahead holding patronages with over 70 charities and organizations.

The Duke is passionate about the arts and gives much of his time to organizations that enable young people to develop their skills through theatre and music. His patronages in this area include the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, The Orpheus Centre Trust, Creative Youth, Northern Ballet and the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland.

An important focus of His Royal Highness’s work as Patron of the Production Guild of Great Britain has been widening access to opportunities in the film and TV industry. In January 2023 he presented the inaugural 'Earl of Wessex Award'’ – a new prize recognizing efforts to promote diversity in production and make the sector more inclusive.



FRIDA … A SELF PORTRAIT

Vanessa Severo in Frida ... A Self Portrait Photo: Indiana Rep

written and performed by Vanessa Severo.

Directed by Joanie Schultz.

"Set on the eve of Frida Kahlo’s death, this intimate show plunges into the brilliant, nuanced world of Kahlo’s tumultuous, extraordinary life. Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo cracks open a powerful portal between herself and the celebrated Mexican painter, bringing breathtaking physicality and raw honesty to this stunningly creative production."

Iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was a woman who lived boldly, loved wildly, and painted prolifically in order to see herself and the world around her more clearly. With stunning stagecraft and irresistible charm, Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo unearths powerful common ground between herself and Frida, inviting us to experience the artist’s vibrant, tumultuous life and rare genius.

The creatives are: Scenic Designer: Jacqueline Penrod - Lighting Designer: Rachael Cady - Costume Designer: Katherine Davis - Sound Designer: Thomas Dixon: Sound Design & Original Music Richard J Roberts: Dramaturg Janine Vanderhoff.

Performances March 12 - April 7, 2024 at the Indian Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis, IN.

ROMEO & JULIET by Shakespeare, adapted by Christopher Gable CBE and Massimo Moricone. Music by Prokofiev. The greatest love story ever told is back – as Northern Ballet’s electrifying production returns beginning March 8 with performances through March 16, 2024 at Leeds Grand Theatre in Leeds, England.

In the ultimate tale of forbidden love, two young people risk everything to be together.

Romeo & Juliet is one of Northern Ballet’s most beloved and critically acclaimed productions. Every leap, every turn, every heartbeat breathes new life into Shakespeare's masterpiece and invites you to rediscover the iconic love story like it’s the very first time.

With glorious dancers, eye-catching sets and Prokofiev’s timeless music, this is ballet at its most dramatic, romantic and intense.

Shakespeare's words are brought to life by former Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company Sir Gregory Doran. Driven to desperation, Juliet takes the potion given to her by Friar Lawrence, thinking only of being reunited with Romeo.

Featuring dancers Amber Lewis, Kevin Poeung, Sarah Chun, Joseph Taylor, Harris Beattie, Albert González Orts, Heather Lehan, Antoni Canellas Artigues, Filippo Di Vilio, Yu Wakizuka, and Harris Skoupas.

The creatives are: Directed and Devised by Christopher Gable CBE. Choreographer Massimo Moricone. Production Design Lez Brotherston OBE. Assistant Director Mollie Guifoyle. Music Sergei Prokofiev. Orchestration John Longstaff. Lighting Design Paul Pyant.Fight Director Jonathan Howell. Tour Lighting Alastair West.

Attending the opening night performance, March 8th, will be The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. Prince Edward is the Patron.

CORRUPTION a new play by J.T. Rogers, based on the book Dial M for Murdoch: News Corporation and The Corruption of Britain by Tom Watson and Martin Hickman, .

Directed by Bartlett Sher.

Featuring Dylan Baker, John Behlmann, Saffron Burrows, Anthony Cochrane, Sanjit De Silva, K. Todd Freeman, Eleanor Handley, Robyn Kerr, Sepideh Moafi, Seth Numrich, Michael Siberry, T. Ryder Smith, and Toby Stephens.

"Corruption tells the story behind the story of the phone hacking scandal that engulfed Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in 2011, stunning the world and upending British politics. When Parliament member Tom Watson is maliciously smeared by the newspapers of Murdoch’s News International, he decides to fight back – taking on its larger-than-life leader Rebekah Brooks. But what he uncovers is far more insidious than he ever imagined. As Watson and a small band of journalists, lawyers, and politicians struggle to expose the endemic criminality at the heart of this media monolith, they risk their careers and, at times, their very lives. Epic in scope and often startlingly funny, Corruption tells a true-life David and Goliath story of ordinary men and women trying to find a way to save their democracy before it’s too late."

The creatives are: sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Jennifer Moeller, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Justin Ellington, and projections by 59 Productions/ Benjamin Pearcy and Brad Peterson. Theresa Flanagan will be the Stage Manager. Opening Monday, March 11 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in New York City.

NA PEIRSIGH / PERSIANS Europe's oldest surviving play. The Abbey Theatre is bringing a new Irish-language translation of Aeschylus’ Greek masterpiece Na Peirsigh / Persians by renowned writer and poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill.

Directed by Conor Hanratty.

Performed in Irish but fully surtitled in English, this contemporary production "offers powerful drama, sean-nós singing & a thrilling theatre experience while exploring the strikingly contemporary themes of our shared humanity and the importance of empathy."

First performed in Athens in 472 BC, Na Peirsigh / Persians tells the story of a surprising Greek victory, extraordinarily told from the perspective of the losing side. A play that sets out so much of what theatre will do, has done and must do, it makes us see the world This play retells a Greek victory but from the perspective of the defeated Persians as they come to terms with what has happened and their new reality, .subverting expectations and honoring the humanity of the enemy.

The English surtitles for this production in Irish will be integrated with Maree Kearns’ rich design, projected into the set so that a wide range of audience members can readily engage with the language, the performance as well as the text.

A stellar cast from across Ireland, includes: Karen Ardiff, Brendan Conroy, Timmy Creed, Naoise Mac Cathmhaoil, Deirdre Molloy, Séamus Moran, Caitríona Ní Mhurchú, Bríd Ní Neachtain, Marion O’Dwyer.

The creatives are: Translator: Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill. Set Design: Maree Kearns. Costume Design: Joan O'Clery. Lighting Design: Paul Keogan. Composer & Sound Design: Mel Mercier. Movement Director: Eoin Mac Donncha. Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth. Assistant Director: James Riordan. Assistant Set Design: Ronan Duffy. Associate Lighting Designer: Iris Liange. Casting Director: Deborah Pearce.

The Abbey Theatre is happy to announce that this production will be featured in the St Patrick’s Festival 2024 as part of the One City program.

Running from March 6th to April 6, 2024 at the Abbey Street in Dublin, Ireland.

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FINAL OVATION

CONDOLENCES TO Moira and Gary Sinise on the death of their beloved son McCanna Anthony "Mac" Sinise who has died from a rare form of cancer. He was 33.

He died on January 5, 2024 at 3:25pm, and was laid to rest on January 23rd.

A musician who graduated from the USC Thorton School of Music, Mac "joined the team at Gary Sinise Foundation as our Assistant Manager of Education & Outreach."

In 2018 Mac was diagnosed with a very rare cancer called Chordoma, a one in a million cancer. Originating in the spine, Chordoma affects, on average, only 300 people in the U.S. per year. In 70% of the cases the initial tumor can be removed, and it is cured. But in 30% of the cases, perhaps about 90 people per year, the cancer returns.

Mac was one of the unfortunate ones.

The grieving father has authored an emotional tribute to his son posted on The Gary Sinise Foundation website. Sincere sympathy to all of the Sinise family members.

DIPPER STEWART a brindle pit bull who lost a leg after being hit by a car when he was a pup, and lived at the New York Animal Haven shelter until the Jon Stewart family adopted him, died last week. He was about 12. A tearful Stewart announced the dog's passing on his The Daily Show. Dipper used to accompany Stewart to work.

The beloved dog was surrounded by his loving family when he gave them his last tail wag.

Dipper is survived by his pet parents Jon and Tracey and two human siblings, Maggie Rose and Nathan Thomas.

DAN WILCOX Emmy award winning screenwriter died on February 14, 2024 at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 82.

Best known for writing numerous M*A*S*H episodes including - alongside Alan Alda, Burt Metcalfe, John Rappaport, Thad Mumford, Elias Davis, David Pollock and Karen Hall -penned the M*A*S*H series finale, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, which was watched by a total audience of 121.6 million.

It is the most-watched finale and single episode of any television series in US history.

Wilcox and Mumford joined M*A*S*H for season eight and stayed until its 11th and final season - with Wilcox also serving as a producer.

Wilcox began his career writing for CBS children's show Captain Kangaroo. He went onto work on shows in the 1970s including What’s Happening!! and Sesame Street- winning an Emmy in 1970 for his work on the children's show and meeting his writing partner Thad Mumford in the process.

He would receive four additional Emmy nominations for talkshow America 2-Nite and M*A*S*H along with five Writers Guild Awards nominations, winning for the latter in 1980.

In 2017, he received the Morgan Cox Award from the Writers Guild of America West.

His writing credits also include Alice, Angie, Bay City Blues, Diagnosis Murder, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Cosby and Murder, She Wrote.

He is survived by his actress wife Leslie Easterbrook, sister Nina Wilcox Merson and nieces Julie Merson Rothenberg and Wendy Merson Rich.

MARY McGARRY was an actress, writer, and teacher died December 22, 2023. She was 79.

She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and started acting at 14. She received a doctorate from Northwestern and then joined the drama department at the University of California -Irvine (UCI while also working at South Coast Repertory.

Battling cancer three times, up until the end she was working, with parts in The Miracle Workers with Steve Buscemi and Daniel Radcliffe, and Bring on the Dead Horses with Kate Bosworth.

She is survived by her sisters Bebe and Margaret, her brother Daniel, and their children.

BENJAMIN LANZARONE musical director of the original Broadway production of Grease passed away on February 16, 2024 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 85 years old.

He graduated from the famed High School of Music and Art in New York and earned a double master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music. He began as a classical pianist, traveling the country as soloist with the Longines Symphonette and making his solo debut at Carnegie Recital Hall.

His association with Bob Crewe and Charles Fox resulted in Ben's album, In Classic Form showcasing his talent as both a classical and jazz pianist. Ben arranged numerious Bob Crewe productions, including recordings for Bobby Darin, Vikki Carr, and The Bob Crewe Generation. He served as arranger for recording artists: Peter Nero, Vicki Sue Robinson, the disco group The Brothers, as well as the soundtrack of the motion picture Grease. He also arranged and composed jingles while maintaining his career as a studio pianist, appearing on well over a thousand commercials, records and soundtracks. This recording activity led to his election to the NARAS Board of Governors.

It was for his work composing television scores that won Ben the prestigious ASCAP "Most Performed Composer" award. He wrote music for countless episodes of television, from "The Tracy Ullman Show", "The Jay Leno Comedy Hour" and Mr. Belvedere", to "Dynasty" (including the legendary catfight episode with Alexis and Crystal Carrington), "The Love Boat", "Vegas", "Matt Houston", "The Colbys", "Hotel", "Happy Days" (including the episode where Fonzie jumped the shark), "Laverne and Shirley" and "Mork and Mindy".

As musical director/pianist, Ben toured with a wide variety of artists including Frank Sinatra, Art Garfunkel, Mary Travers, Anthony Newley, and Petula Clark.

On Broadway, he was musical director of the original production of "Grease", and arranger for the Broadway productions of "Via Galactica" and "Truckload". He was also the musical director/arranger for Off-Broadway's "How to Steal an Election" and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival's "Midsummer Night's Dream".

He received a Grammy nomination for collaborating with his wife Ilene Graff on their album Baby's Broadway Lullabies.

As educators, Ben and Ilene taught the popular workshop "Making the Song Your Own," inspiring singers to find the joy in music and performance. In addition to his numerous professional accomplishments, Ben was proud to have lent his time and talents to many charitable organizations, including The Variety Club, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and The Entertainment Community Fund.

He is survived by his wife, Ilene Graff, daughter Nikka Graff Lanzarone (Daniel Smith), brothers Frank and Peter Lanzarone, brothers-in-law Richard and Todd Graff (Jhon Lafaurie), nieces and nephews, and many devoted friends

LANNY FLAHERTY actor and playwright died February 19, 2024. He was 81.

Flanherty was part of the 1974 Broadway revival cast of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Alternating his time between his birth place Mississippi and New York for the rest of his life, Flaherty went on to appear on Broadway in Sweet Bird of Youth; Inherit the Wind; Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, and Requiem for a Heavyweight, in addition to numerous productions at the Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Steppenwolf Theatre.

As a playwright, Mr. Flaherty wrote numerous works, including A-Birthing At Nubbin Ridge; Cedars Mark The Campground; Crisscrosscreeks, and Whilhom. His piece Showdown at the Adobe Model, presented at Hartford Stage in 1981, starred Oscar winner Henry Fonda in his final live performance.

Flaherty is survived by his daughter, Sara Suzuki; her husband, Ryosuke Suzuki; and his twin granddaughters.

RICHARD LEWIS Curb Your Enthusiasm star and comedy legend died Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at his home in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack. He was 76.

In 1959 he graduated from Ohio State University where he attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in Marketing.He was the recipient of the Fisher College of Business Alumni Achievement Award in November 2023.

In April Lewis announced on X that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and had retired from stand-up comedy.

Richard Lewis also starred in numerous films including Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Leaving Las Vegas.

He is survived by his wife Joyce Lapinsky.

IRIS APFEL the designer, known for her oversized, owlish spectacles, became a 'geriatric starlet' in her 80s, died March 1, 2024, at her home in Palm Beach, Florida. Ahe was 102.

Apfel appeared regularly in the style pages of the New York Times and starred in advertising campaigns for Kate Spade and Coach handbags to name only two.

"Just because you get to a certain number doesn’t mean you have to roll up into a ball and wait for the grim reaper," she told the London-based youth fashion and culture magazine Dazed in 2012.

Before 2005, Mrs. Apfel had a 42-year career as co-owner with her husband, Carl Apfel, of a textile firm that designed fabrics for high-end clients, including first ladies and movie stars.

She burst onto the international fashion scene at 84, long into her retirement from the textile industry — after pieces from her personal wardrobe were exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City.

She wrote a memoir, entitled Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon, in 2018.

Next Column: March 10, 2024
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Laura Deni

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