Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: March 30, 2025
By: Laura Deni
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GET YOUR GROOVE GOING WITH THE BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB

The colorful skirts flip and swirl. The invigorating music transforms your inner solitude into an effervescent cocktail. Political dangers are denigrated. You're at the Buena Vista Social Club.

This high octane, vibrant, exhilarating Spanish musical which has been the subject of a 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary followed by an off-Broadway mounting. More than 25 years after it's release and becoming the best-selling world music album, it's again brought to life, this time on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

With music by Buena Vista Social Club, a book by Marco Ramirez, developed and directed by Saheem Ali, the lyrics are in Spanish with no translations. We'll get into that later. What is important is that the notes are fabulous played to perfection by the musicians.

Percussion - Javier Díaz, Román Diaz and Mauricio Herrera. David Oquendo guitar. Piano and Music Director is Marco Paguia. Hery Paz woodwinds. Jesus Ricardo trumpet who has an important solo. Gustavo Schartz bass. Eddie Venegas trombone.

The musical is set in Havana, Cuba and spans time from the 1950s to the 1990s, following the lives of four prominent musicians, the effect communism and the rise of Fidel Castro had on musicians at the time, and their eventual collaboration in 1997 on the landmark album "Buena Vista Social Club". The music in the show is presented entirely in the Spanish language, with the musical styles of Son, Danzón, and Bolero represented in the musical score. Being able to offer integrated Spanish-language songs and English dialogue must have been a difficult challenge.

Obviously this is a show whose subject matter taking place between 1956 and 1996 will have deeper meaning if a personal Cuban heritage is present. For others, the current world situation relegates the historical Cuban/Castro heritage to a bygone era.

For most people coming to The Buena Vista Social Club is for the music with the doleful Chan Chan being the standout number and a performance pivot point. It is one of eight of the album’s 10 songs featured in this jukebox musical with a message.

The plot line also represents events occurring in the country during that period.

"Inspired by true events, this new Broadway musical brings the Grammy Award-winning album to thrilling life—and tells the story of the legends who lived it. A world-class band joins a sensational cast of musicians, actors and dancers from around the globe for an authentic experience unlike any you've seen or heard before. Don't miss this captivating tale of big dreams, second chances and the unbreakable bonds of making music together," states the official release.

While nobody was physically dancing in the aisles during the show I attended, emotionally everyone was on their feet. You can't help but be uplifted by the effervescent energy. It is a story about a Grammy winning album titled Buena Vista Social Club and the performers who navigated Fidel Castro's Cuba.

The story line ping pongs from a 90s Old Havana recording studio to a week before the 1959 revolutionary takeover. Principal characters are represented by their younger selves, some of whom are haunted by memories of their conflicted youth with the two eras intertwining.

The audience is invited to step into the heart of Cuba, where blazing trumpets and sizzling guitars set the dance floor on fire. Here, the real sound of Havana is born—and one woman discovers the music that will change her life forever.

Starring: Natalie Venetia Belcon in a sensational performance as Omara. Mel Semé as Ibrahim. Jainardo Batista Sterling as Rubén. Isa Antonetti as Young Omara. Da’Von T. Moody as Young Compay. Wesley Wray as Young Ibrahim. Leonardo Reyna as Young Rubén. Renesito Avich as Eliades. Ashley De La Rosa as Young Haydee. Justin Cunningham as Juan de Marcos.

The creatives are: Co-choreographer Patricia Delgado. Co-choreographer Justin Peck. Music Supervision Dean Sharenow. Music Director, Orchestrations & Arrangements Marco Paguia. Scenic Design Arnulfo Maldonado whose two tiered set is exceptionsl. Vibrant costume design by Dede Ayite. Effective lighting design Tyler Micoleau. Sound Design Jonathan Deans. Wigs, Hair & Makeup Design J. Jared Janas. Creative Consultant David Yazbek. Music Consultant Juan de Marcos. Additional Arrangements Javier Díaz. Additional Arrangements David Oquendo. Casting Tara Rubin Casting. Production Stage Manager Arabella Powell. Associate Director Moses Garcia. Associate Choreographer Carlos E. Gonzalez.

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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

FROM KNITTED TO CHOCOLATE TO RED PAINT TO BRONZE: KING CHARLES III

King Charles unveiling his bronze bust as artist Lily Marsh stands next to her creation. Photo: The Kings Trust

Charles Philip Arthur George was born a public figure. Now going by the monicur of King Charles III the indomitable ruler of the British Empire is the subject for artists - be they amateur or professional - obsessing over his face. Having a face that is memorialized is perhaps one of the most important status symbols known in the artistic world.

King Charles has had his replicated as a knitted creation, sculpted in chocolate, emblazon on a powerful red paint on canvas work of art and now a bronze bust.

What makes the bronze different is that the sculptor Lily Marsh, is a graduate of the King’s Foundation, formerly known at the Prince's Foundation.

This is the first bust of the King to be commissioned since his accession will was sculpted to depict "his thoughtfulness," according to the artist.

Marsh spent two weeks sculpting the bust in clay at her studio at Stag Works in Sheffield, before she turned it into a bronze bust at a foundry in Liverpool.

The bronze bust was commissioned by the King’s Foundation to mark its 35th anniversary and will be on permanent display at its Dumfries House headquarters in Scotland. Last week King Charles unveiled the bust at Dumfries House in Ayrshire and seemed delighted.

In recognition of the charity’s commitment to heritage crafts, former student, Lily Marsh, 40, was given the honor of creating the bust.

Marsh, a mother-of-two, is a graduate of the foundation’s building crafts program, which provided a springboard into a successful career in stone masonry.

She trained under The Prince's Foundation's Building Craft Program, traveling to heritage sites across the country over eight months.

Last September she was offered the opportunity to offer a proposal for a bust of the King and a plinth.

Sam Starsmore, from Norfolk, a student on the building crafts program, was honored with the task of carving the plinth lettering.

Marsh, a former trainee psychologist in the prison service, was retrained as a stonemason 12 years ago, said the King’s Foundation course had enabled her to secure work placements at Gloucester Cathedral and Windsor Castle, giving her confidence to pursue a career in a field traditionally dominated by men.

In February 2022, the then Prince Charles, his wife the Duchess of Cornwall and his daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge visited the foundation’s base at Trinity Buoy Wharf in east London.

As the royal trio toured the site, which offers courses in craft and art forms from fashion and textiles to thatching and blacksmithing, then Prince Charles was drawn to a snail shell sculpture created by students. There he met Marsh, confessing that he was "fascinated" by her piece.

He emphasized to her the "importance of safeguarding traditional skills for future generations".

The King’s Foundation was founded when he was Prince of Wales in 1990. Known until recently as the Prince’s Foundation, its aim was to promote sustainable communities through education, training, and regeneration of historic sites.

When he stepped in to save Dumfries House for the nation in 2007, with a £45 million rescue package, it became the charity’s base, offering educational courses for almost 15,000 students a year, with a focus on traditional and heritage crafts.

The King spoke last year about the battle to maintain such “timeless skills”, noting: “They are all rather disappearing.”

Kristina Murrin, the chief executive at the King’s Foundation, said: "To celebrate the King’s Foundation’s 35th anniversary in 2025, we felt it was fitting to install a permanent monument to His Majesty at our charity headquarters Dumfries House, to recognize his role as our royal founding president and his positive impact on the local community.

"Equally to have Sam, a current student on our building craft program, creating the plinth for such an important commission just shows the depth of talent in traditional skills in this country and how hopeful we should be for the future generation of master craftspeople."

PROPSTORE one of the world’s premier film and TV memorabilia companies, has announced the results from day one of its US Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. 450 rare and iconic pieces from film and television were sold, totaling more than $6,800,000 which includes the buyer's premium.

Notable sales nclude:

STAR WARS: ORIGINAL TRILOGY (1977-1983) Chewbacca's (Peter Mayhew) Photo-Matched Bowcaster with Restored Dressing Components sold for $768,600.
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) / GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989) Screen-Matched Light-Up Radio-Controlled Hero Ghost Trap and Pedal sold for $327,600.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) Conan's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Atlantean Sword and Four Behind-the-Scenes Photos sold for $176,400.
THE FIFTH ELEMENT (1997) Screen-Matched Light-Up Zorg Industries "Rocket Launcher" ZF-1 sold for $176,400.
THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) A Jewish Barber's (Charlie Chaplin) Screen- and Photo-Matched "Little Tramp" Boots sold for $157,500.
BATMAN RETURNS (1992) Batman's (Michael Keaton) Batsuit on Display sold for $157,500.
THE EVIL DEAD (1981) Tom Sullivan Collection: Screen-Matched Naturom Demonto (Necronomicon Ex-Mortis) Book of the Dead with Hand-Illustrated Tom Sullivan Pages sold for $132,300.
GREASE (1978) Danny Zuko's (John Travolta) "Greased Lightnin'" T-Birds Jacket sold for $126,000.
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989) Screen-Matched "A" (Hero) Car DeLorean Time Machine's Mr. Fusion Reactor sold for $119,700.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2009) Dumbledore's (Michael Gambon) Hero Robe sold for $81,900.
TOP GUN (1986) Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's (Tom Cruise) Photo-Matched Bomber Jacket sold for $81,900.
MUPPETS FROM SPACE (1999) Light-Up Lightning-Struck Gonzo (Dave Goelz) Puppet sold for $63,000.
GREASE (1978) Sandy Olsson's (Olivia Newton-John) Screen-Matched Frosty Palace Jukebox Dress sold for $53,550.
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006) Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) Claws sold for $20,160.
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) Walter Sobchak's (John Goodman) Costume sold for $18,900.
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990) Kim's (Winona Ryder) Dress sold for $15,120.

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SWEET CHARITY

AMPLIFY Maestra Music's annual fundraising concert takes place Monday, March 31, 2025 at Sony Hall in New York City.

The annual Amplify concert and fundraising event, held the last Monday in March to align with Women’s History Month, brings together Maestras and RISE Directory members from all over the world for an electric evening of unique musical performances and powerful storytelling. The event is produced to achieve maximum awareness and support for the talented women and nonbinary members of the musical theater community.

Expected Celebrity Guests:

Shaleah Adkisson - - Tony-winner Lynn Ahrens - - Tony-nominated Kate Baldwin - - Grammy-winner, Tony-nominated Sara Bareilles - - Nell Benjamin - - Tanya Birl-Torres - - Tony-winner Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years) Lee Bynum - - Mindi Dickstein - - Jordan Fisher - - Stephen Flaherty - - Drew Gehling - - Antwayn Hopper - - Roger Reese Award winner Tatum Grace Hopkins - - Grammy-winner Joy Huerta - - Christine Toy Johnson - - Tony-winner Celia Keenan-Bolger - - Tony-winner Kecia Lewis - - Tony-nominated L Morgan Lee - - Pulitzer Prize-winning Tania León - - Anu Mysore - - Julia Mattison -- Cheeyang Ng - - Zeniba Now - - Laurence O'Keefe - - Graham Rowat - - Daphne Rubin-Vega - - Sarah Ruhl - - Nikhil Saboo - - Georgia Stitt, Founder and President of Maestra - - Joe Tippett - - Gabrielle (Ella) Uhl - - Jessica Vosk - - Khaila Wilcoxon - - Tony-winner Lillias White - - Nina White - - Meg Wolizer.

Musicians: Nicole Demai (Reeds), Emma Ford (drums), Sara Jacobino (Trombone), Ann Klein (Guitar), Lily Ling (Music Director Hell's Kitchen), Julianne B. Merrill (Music Director, Piano), Aziza Miller (Hells Kitchen piano), Mary Ann McSweeney (Bassist), Yuko Naito-Gotay (Violin), Melissa Westgate (Cello).

SPREADING THE WORD

THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL based in Park City, Utah will move to Boulder, Colorado.

After 40 years in Park City, the prestigious movie festival had outgrown Park City.

"Boulder is a tech town, it’s a college town, it’s an arts town, and it’s a mountain town," Amanda Kelso, acting chief executive of the Sundance Institute, said in a press conference. "At 100,000 people, a larger town than Park City, it gives us the space to expand."

Kelso, Sundance Institute board chair Ebs Burnough and Eugene Hernandez, director of the festival and head of programming, spoke shortly before announcing the festival’s move in Boulder. Local officials, who helped lure Sundance with $34 million in tax credits over 10 years, applauded the decision.

"Here in our state we celebrate the arts and film industry as a key economic driver, job creator and important contributor to our thriving culture," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

The Sundance Institute was founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, who sought a location far from Hollywood to foster independent voices in film. Redford, 88, attended the University of Colorado in Boulder in his youth and gave the move his blessing.

WORKS & PROCESS ANNOUNCES its first-ever Residency Open Call. Applications from New York City-based artists are now open through April 22, 2025 for out-of-town residencies that will take place from October 2025-May 2026.

Artists who create movement-based work are invited to apply for a residency to start a new project or continue developing an existing work in one of Works & Process’ week-long, out-of-town residencies. Works & Process residencies include industry-leading fees of $150 per artist/per day (up to $8,400 for a maximum of 8 participants), 24/7 studio access, on-site housing, a transportation stipend, and health insurance enrollment access. Each residency will culminate in an open rehearsal or showing for the local community. The projects will also be considered for Works & Process presentations in New York City.

Works & Process will accept up to 250 applications.

To date, Works & Process has produced 100+ residencies that have supported 700+ artists. Works that have been incubated through these residencies, and in many cases commissioned and premiered by Works & Process, have been recognized with Bessie Awards, National Dance Project grants, and toured nationally and internationally with the U.S. State Department.

SONGBOOK SUNDAYS CELEBRATES RODGERS AND HART Created and hosted by Deborah Grace Winer to celebrate the American Songbook, will continue April 6 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club with two performances celebrating the work of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.

Interpreting the songs of the musical theatre giants will be Grammy winner Debby Boone, Nikki Renée Daniels, and JALC rising young artist Charles Turner.

Music director Ted Rosenthal will lead a band that includes Noriko Ueda on bass, Tim Horner on drums, and Summer Camargo on trumpet.

Expect to hear such Rodgers and Hart classics as "I Could Write a Book," "My Funny Valentine," "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Falling in Love With Love," and more.

The songwriting team of Rodgers (music) and Hart (lyrics) penned the scores for A Connecticut Yankee, The Boys From Syracuse, On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, I Married an Angel, By Jupiter, and Pal Joey. Among their hundreds of songs are such titles as "Mountain Greenery," "Ten Cents a Dance," "Spring Is Here," "Isn't It Romantic?," "Blue Moon," "My Romance," "Little Girl Blue," "I Wish I Were in Love Again," "Where or When," "Johnny One Note," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," and "There's a Small Hotel."

INCLASSICA INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL organized by SAMIT Event Group, returns to Dubai on Sunday, April 6, 2025, for its 14th edition, opening with a spectacular performance at Dubai Opera by Roman Kim. Winner of the International Violin Competition "Valsesia Musica" in 2012, Kim shot to fame with his viral performance of Bach’s Air, showcasing his groundbreaking ability to play all four parts of the score on a single violin. Known for his virtuosic artistry and innovative techniques, Kim has performed in prestigious venues worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Cologne Philharmonic, and the Taipei National Concert Hall.

For this special evening, Kim will join forces with the distinguished Franz Schubert Filharmonia, under the baton of celebrated Armenian conductor Sergey Smbatyan, offering audiences an extraordinary display of technical brilliance and musical innovation.

The InClassica International Music Festival, running April 6 - 21, 2025 a celebration of the very best that the world of classical music has to offer. Featuring a series of concerts with some of the most renowned soloists, orchestras and conductors of our time, the festival boasts a multitude of richly diverse programmes ranging from seminal favorites all the way up to contemporary masters, promising a momentous event and an unforgettable experience for all.

IN ADDITION TO THE TRADITIONAL SEDERS that take place for Passover, Yiddish-speaking New Yorkers have celebrated alternative Yiddish cultural Seders for over a century. The most well-known of these is the “Driter Seder” (Third Seder), which actually takes place before the holiday, inspiring celebration with beloved Passover songs and readings from the Yiddish musical and literary canons.

This year, the Congress for Jewish Culture and the Yiddish Artists and Friends Actors Club will hold their joint Third Seder on Monday, April 7, 2025, beginning at 6:30 PM. The pre-Passover Yiddish cultural seder will take place at the richly historical Sutton Place Synagogue.

Attendees will read and sing through the Arbeter-Ring hagode. Cantor Moishe Bear will conduct the seder and will be joined by special musical guests.

A Peysekh-style glatt kosher dinner will be served.

Founded in 1948, the Congress for Jewish Culture (Executive Director, Shane Baker) is a secular organization based in New York City dedicated to enriching Yiddish culture worldwide. The Yiddish Artists and Friends Actors Club was founded in 1936 by a group of actors to help members of the Yiddish theater stranded on the road. Legendary star of both the Yiddish and Broadway stages as well as 25 feature films, Paul Muni, was the first President.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS presented by the Tulsa Ballet April 3-6 at the Chapman Music Hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Swashbuckling adventure swings into the Tulsa PAC! For the first time in more than a decade, Tulsa Ballet is proud to bring The Three Musketeers back to the stage! A rip-roaring ballet with a classic love story at its heart, The Three Musketeers is an exciting ballet adventure for the whole family.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

GLOBAL MUSIC REVENUES GREW by 4.8% YoY, reaching US$29.6 billion in 2024 according to IFPI's Global Music Report 2025 as reported by Grammy Association.

GLOBAL SPENDING ON E-SPORTS sponsorships and advertising has skyrocketed over the years, rising from $340 million in 2017 to around $980 million last year. Despite the annual growth slowing in the past five years, the market is still set to reach a historic milestone in 2025.

According to data presented by Betideas.com, annual spending on e-sports sponsorships and advertising is projected to surpass the $1 billion mark this year.

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THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION has announced that Jeff T. Daniel has been named president of the organization, effectively immediately.

Previously the theatrical group's chief strategy officer, Daniel will serve alongside Chairman and CEO Robert E. Wankel.

Prior to his time at Shubert, Daniel served a 14-year tenure at touring presenter Broadway Across America, first as an executive vice president of business operations and later as co-chief executive officer. He's also held roles at Lewis + Daniel Group, WhiteFence, and iHeartMedia.

The Shubert Organization is Broadway's largest theatre owner, controlling 17 venues on Broadway, six Off-Broadway spaces, and the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia.



GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS by David Mamet.

Directed by Patrick Marber.

David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Glengarry Glen Ross is set in a cutthroat Chicago real estate office where four salespeople compete to sell mostly worthless properties to unwitting customers. Whoever sells the most wins a car; whoever sells the least is out of a job – a ruthless environment where each character will do anything to come out on top.

Glengarry Glen Ross stars Academy Award, Emmy, SAG, Golden Globe, BAFTA & Critics Choice Award-Winner Kieran Culkin as Richard Roma, Emmy, SAG & Critics Choice Award-Winner & Golden Globe Nominee Bob Odenkirk as Shelley Levene, making his Broadway debut, Emmy & Grammy Award Nominee Bill Burr as Dave Moss, making his Broadway debut, Grammy Award-Winner and Academy Award-Nominee Michael McKean as George Aaronow, Donald Webber, Jr. as John Williamson, Howard W. Overshown as Baylen and SAG Award Nominee John Pirruccello as James Lingk making his Broadway debut.
The design team includes Production Design by Scott Pask. Lighting Design by Jen Schriever.

The production will open officially on Monday, March 31 at The Palace Theatre in New York City.

THE BRIGHTENING AIR from the Olivier Award-winning writer and director Conor McPherson.

How much of living is really just forgetting?

The family home is more than merely a building. It can be a destination of pilgrimage, an inherited investment, a repository of memory or even magic.

And, for brother and sister Stephen (Brian Gleeson) and Billie (Rosie Sheehy), home is all they have. Mucking along in their decaying farmhouse, they’re doing just fine.

That is, until the arrival of an ex-clergyman uncle (Seán McGinley) with an unscrupulous plan, a sister-in-law (Hannah Morrish) seeking a miracle, and a prodigal brother hell-bent on trouble (Chris O’Dowd).

Set in 1980s Ireland, poised on the brink of extraordinary change, a family gather at their decaying farmhouse with hidden aims. An entrancing tale of fate, family and unseen forces.

The outstanding ensemble cast includes Derbhle Crotty, Eimhin Fitzgerald Doherty, Brian Gleeson, Aisling Kearns, Seán McGinley, Hannah Morrish, Chris O’Dowd and Rosie Sheehy.

The Brightening Air, an entrancing tale of fate, family and unseen forces in 1980s Ireland.

Winner of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, The Brightening Air will play for a limited run from April 10 - June 24, 2025 at The Old Vic in London.

ALL THE BEAUTY IN THE WORLD a new one-man play written and performed by Patrick Bringley, who spend a decade as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, based on his New York Times Best-Selling memoir.

Directed by Dominic Dromgoole.

Patrick Bringley’s All The Beauty In The World is a portrait of one man's life through a time of transition. While looking for somewhere to contemplate his life and heal from his brother’s death, Patrick quits his high-profile journalism career at The New Yorker and seeks refuge in the most beautiful place he can think of: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through his job as a Museum Guard, Patrick starts his life anew, all while falling under the spell of the place and the people he meets there. As his connection to the art around him grows, so does Patrick, until he gradually emerges... transformed by all the beauty.

The stage adaptation was first produced as a special presentation at the 2024 Charleston Literary Festival, Charleston, South Carolina.

The creatives are: scenic design by Dominic Dromgoole, lighting design by Abigail Hoke-Brady, projection design by Austin Switser, and sound design by Caleb Garner.

All The Beauty In The World plays DR2 Theatre in New York City with an opening night set for April 7 in a limited engagement.

TAKE THE LEAD Book by Robert Cary and Jonathan Tolins. Music and Lyrics by Elliah Heifetz and Zeniba Now. Based on the New Line Cinema film written by Dianne Houston, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

Directed and Choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.

Music Supervision by Bill Sherman.
Music Direction by Geoffrey Ko.
Co-choreographed by Maria Torres and Jennifer Weber.

This joyful new musical is based on the inspiring true story of Pierre Dulaine, the professional dancer-turned-educator who brought ballroom dance into New York City public schools, forever changing the lives of his students.

Set in the pulsating heart of New York City, Take the Lead is a joyful new musical based on the 2006 dance film that starred Antonio Banderas. This electrifying tale is the true story of Pierre Dulaine, a former professional dancer who, against all odds, brought the art of ballroom dance into New York City public schools. This world-premiere musical spotlights a dynamic fusion of ballroom and hip-hop in its music and choreography.

Starring Adrienne Bailon-Houghton as Arianna. Vincent Jamal Hooper as Rock. Savy Jackson as La Rhette. Tam Mutu as Pierre Dulaine. Matthew Risch as Alan Ford. The Ensemble: Eric Ascione, Brandon O’Neal Bomer, Megan Elyse Fulmer, Gaelen Gilliland, David Jennings, Natalie Jolley, Dillon Lehman, Natalia Nieves-Melchor, Justin O’Brien, Kevin Trinio?Perdido, Ryan Raffloer, Deon Releford-Lee, Cristian “Chino” Rodriguez, Kiki Rodriguez, Jonalyn Saxer, Tatiana Seliverstova, SeQuoiia, Grace Slear, Salome Smith, Stephani Sosa, Christian Whan.

The creatives are: Orchestrations and Arrangements by Bill Sherman and Geoffrey Ko, Scenic Design by Paul Tate DePoo III. Costume Design by Jen Caprio. Lighting Design by Justin Townsend and Nick Solyom. Sound Design by Walter Trarbach. Hair, Wig and Makeup Design by Earon Chew Nealey. Casting by The Telsey Office. Production Stage Manager Molly Meg Legal.

Performances through April 27, 2025 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn,New Jersey.

BECOMING EVE written by Emil Weinstein, based on the memoir by Abby Chava Stein.

Directed by Tyne Rafaeli.

A week before the High Holidays, three rabbis find themselves in a room fighting to save a family by building a bridge between orthodoxy and modernity. One of these rabbis is Chava,the child of?a dynastic Hasidic rabbinical family and destined to become a leader of the next generation before the revelation of her trans identity clashed explosively with the strictly gendered world in which she was raised. As we jump through memory—and wrestle with theology—truths and secrets emerge that ensure no one will read the old stories the same way again.

The cast will include GLAAD Rising Star Award winner Tommy Dorfman as "Chava," Tony Award nominee Judy Kuhn as "Mami," Tedra Millan as "Fraidy," Rad Pereira as "Chesky," Justin Perkins as "Puppeteer," Emmy Award winner Richard Schiff as "Tati"” Tony Award winner Brandon Uranowitz as "Jonah," and Emma Wiseman as "Puppeteer."

The creatives are: feature scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Enver Chakartash, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by UptownWorks - Daniela Hart, Noel Nichols & Bailey Trieweiler, puppet design by Amanda Villalobos and music by Daniel Kluger. Claire Yenson is the Casting Director, and Jason Kaiser (Monsoon Wedding) serves as Stage Manager.

Becoming Eve has an opening night set for April 7, for a limited run through April 27, 2025 at the Abrons Arts Center in New York City.

I’M ASSUMING YOU KNOW DAVID GREENSPAN by Mona Pirnot.

Directed by Ken Rus Schmoll.

Starring David Greenspan.

One 69-year-old man plays four millennial women in a comedy (full of drama) about how to make a living as a playwright (or to try.)

This world premiere showcases three dynamic downtown legends, Drama Desk Award nominee Mona Pirnot, two-time Obie Award winner Ken Rus Schmoll, and six-time Obie Award winner David Greenspan.

March 29 – April 30, 2025 at Atlantic Stage 2 in New York City.

IOLANTHE a Gilbert and Sullivan fan favorite has performances April 5-6, 2025 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in New York City.

NYGASP Artistic Director & General Manager Albert Bergeret. directs the large cast and also conducts the 25-piece orchestra, with co-direction and choreography by David Auxier.

A fanciful Victorian tale with a heady mix of drama and comedy, Iolanthe or The Peer and the Peri, explores whether a man who is half a fairy can find happiness in a world where to marry a mortal is a capital crime. Despite its completely whimsical premise involving fairies and fairyland, Iolanthe's topsy-turvy plot is a commentary on human nature, human foibles and political institutions that are all too familiar in any age. Sullivan's brilliant score, with echoes of Mendelsohn and other classics, is also appropriately evergreen.

The cast features: James Mills as Lord Chancellor, Daniel Greenwood as Lord Tolloller, Matthew Wagesas Lord Mountararat, David Macaluso as Strephon, Claire Leyden as Phyllis, Angela Christine Smith as Queen of the Fairies, David Wannen as Private Willis, and Amy Maude Helfer in the title role of Iolanthe. The principal cast is rounded out by Caitlin Borek as Celia, Alexandra Imbrosci-Viera as Leila, Natalia Hulse as Fleta and Peter Shaerf is the Lord Chancellor’s Train Bearer.

Additional ensemble members include: Sam Balzac, Carlyn Barenholtz, Michael J. Connolly, Katie Hall, Maurio Hines, Hannah Holmes, Sarah Hutchison, Dana Kluczyk, Patrick Lord-Remmert, John Charles McLaughlin, Quinto Ott, Kendrick Pifer, Michelle Seipel, Laura Sudduth, Tyler Tejada, and Adam Hirama Wells.

The pastoral and urban London settings are by Jack Garver, with lighting by Benjamin Weill. Costumes, including replicas of ceremonial robes worn by British Lords, are by Gail J. Wofford.

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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.

FINAL OVATION

MARQUIS FLOYD actor in The Lion King suddenly passed away on March 23, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Floyd was starring in the national tour of the Disney hit, which canceled its March 23 performance following the tragic news.

Floyd, who was part of the Lion King ensemble, was also a choreographer. A graduate of the Boston Conservatory, he was a Gene Kelly Artist Award winner, whose credits included work with the Dance Theater of Harlem and the Bad Boys of Ballet. Floyd's additional credits included the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show and the 2021 VMA Awards as well as the Apple+ series Dickinson and Fire Shut Up in My Bones at the Metropolitan Opera House.

In a statement, Lion King producer Anne Quart said, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Marquis Floyd, a cherished member of The Lion King North American tour company. In the three years Marquis was with the tour, he brought his extraordinary talent to the stage and shared his warm humanity off stage. On behalf of The Lion King, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and friends. He will forever be part of our Pride."

The March 23 performance of The Lion King was canceled at Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center following the news. Performances resumed March 25.

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Laura Deni