Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: March 6, 2022
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

MARCH 8 IS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY - STOP CUTTING GIRLS

Cornflake Girl is a song by Tori Amos written and recorded 28 years ago. The song is based on a book by Alice Walker called Possessing The Secret Of Joy, which details the practice of female genital mutilation.

Girls all over the world are being forcefully held down against their will, their genitalia brutally mutilated so that they are "clean" and able to marry a "good" boy.

The most recent report from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated 513,000 girls and women in the United States were either victims of FGM or at risk of FGM, with one-third under age 18.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, includes any procedure involving the removal or injury of part or all of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

Cutting is handed down by women from one generation to the next.

It is the mother, grandmother, aunt who takes the girl to the cutter - generally telling the child they are going on a shopping trip. Females forcefully hold the girl down. It is a female who does the cutting - without anesthetic and frequently with a dirty knife.

Women perpetuate the horror for several reasons. It was done to their mother, to them and so it must be done to their daughters. They are worried that their daughter might enjoy sex - thus classifying her as a whore. To surgically prevent her from enjoying sex they think will make her more acceptable to a "good" man.

Not every woman likes their daughter. Since time began there are women who are jealous of their daughters or suffer from permanent postpartum depression and want to hurt their daughter.

Cornflake Girl is a song by singer-songwriter Tori Amos written and recorded 28 years ago. The song is based on a book by Alice Walker called Possessing The Secret Of Joy, which details the practice of female genital mutilation. In an interview with NME Classic Songs, Tori recalled discussing the issue with a friend:

"We were talking about the fact that the women are betrayed, by a grandmother, a mother, or an older sister - that the women you trust the most are taking you into this butchery. And we had a term for those people, those girls that would turn on you, that wouldn't be there for you, that would maybe expose something you trusted them with, and really let you down - a complete wreckage. So those girls were called Cornflake Girls."

The song describes the irreversible damage and pain rendered by a woman betraying another woman.

Peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100. It was released as the first single from her second studio album,Under the Pink, on January 10, 1994, by EastWest Records in the United Kingdom, and on May 5, 1994, by Atlantic Records in North America.

In 2018 Rolling Stone reported that Florence and the Machine had recorded a dramatic, elegant rendition of Cornflake Girl for Spotify's latest "Singles" session.

Women are not able to stop the procedure. For some it is ingrained - brainwashed. For women who do speak to other women about curtailing the cutting, in most cases they are preaching to the choir.

It is men who can get the practice stopped.

Doctors need to step forward and declare that FGM doesn't make one "clean." In fact, quite the opposite. There is nothing "clean" about suffering from reoccurring urinary tract and/or uterine infections.

"Good" men, the ones these girls want to marry, need to step up and declare that they don't want to marry a woman who has been cut. They want their wives to enjoy sex. Many of these "good" men have been schooled in America or Great Britain and have enjoyed an active social life. They know that a man will enjoy sex more if they are with a woman who is responsive to him.

In patriarchal communities men need to order women to stop the practice.

FGM/C has no health benefits and can lead to a range of serious physical and mental health problems.

Short and long term problems include: Infections - Urinary retention - Excessive bleeding - Risk of fistula- Severe pain - Problems with pregnancy and childbirth - Injury to adjacent tissue - Difficulties with menstruation - Broken limbs from being held down - Recurrent infections - Wound infections - Scar tissue - Urinary problems- Chronic pain - Infertility and Death.

In the United States FGM was performed by doctors regularly until the 1980s.

FGM was considered a standard medical procedure in America for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. Physicians performed surgeries of varying invasiveness to prevent and treat lesbianism, masturbation, depression, hysteria, and nymphomania. These procedures continued well into the 1970s, and were covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance until 1977.

There are four main types of FGM, distinguished by the World Health Organization by their severity.

graphics from The Desert Flower foundation

It is also important to note that there are subtypes of each of the 4 types of FGM.

In type 3 a hole is left the size of a match head, resulting in reoccurring infections. The night before her wedding the girl is suppose to return to a doctor who will make the hole a little larger. Sometimes a doctor isn't available or the family doesn't have funds for the procedure. Frequently the women is torn open. Many times the thick scar isn't opened wide enough for childbirth which can result in death if a cesarean section isn't performed.

Prior to the Female Genital Mutilation Act being declared unconstitutional, FGM on anyone under the age of 18 had become a felony in the United States with the passage of the Female Genital Mutilation Act of 1996. The law was introduced by former congresswoman Pat Schroeder in October 1993. The Female Genital Mutilation Act included education and community outreach programs that provide information about the physical and emotional harm caused by FGM.

On November 20, 2018, Federal Judge Barnard A. Friedman ruled the Female Genital Mutilation Act of 1996 unconstitutional because it exceeds the enumerated powers of Congress and cannot be justified by the commerce clause, invalidating the FGM statute in United States vs. Nagarwala. The court found, among other things, that the statute exceeds Congress's authority under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution because it (1) lacks detailed, record-based findings regarding how FGM substantially affects interstate commerce; and (2) lacks jurisdictional elements (e.g., requirements that charged offenses have an explicit connection with, or effect on, interstate commerce).

As part of the ruling, Friedman also ordered that charges be dropped against 8 people who had mutilated the genitals of 9 girls.

The Department of Justice decided not to appeal the ruling.

However, the US House of Representatives appealed it.

Bill (No. 116-309) STOP FGM Act first introduced on March 5, 2020 became public law on January 1, 2021, creates a statutory definition of female genital mutilation and provides explicit findings regarding the effects of FGM on interstate commerce. STOP FGM Act gives federal authorities the power to prosecute those who carry out or conspire to carry out FGM, as well as increasing the maximum prison sentence from five to ten years. It also requires government agencies to report to Congress about the estimated number of females who are at risk of or have had FGM, and on efforts to prevent FGM.

The bill also prohibits a federal criminal defendant from asserting, as a defense, that FGM is required as a matter of religion, custom, tradition, ritual, or standard practice.

In 2013, the Transport for Female Genital Mutilation Act specifically prohibited the practice of "vacation cutting", the transport of a girl outside of the United States with the intention of performing FGM.

HOWEVER, only 40 U.S. states have made specific laws that prohibit FGM, while the remaining states have no specific laws against FGM.

The necessity for both state and federal laws closes loopholes and makes investigation and prosecution easier. If only the Feds are involved, you're working with an overworked and understaffed agency who may be required to work a pecking order which has one girl being cut as important, but low priority.

Having both state and federal laws on the books invokes the concept of dual sovereignty which means the federal and state governments may both prosecute you for a crime without violating the constitutional protection against double jeopardy if your act violated both state laws and federal statute.

State law also prevents the state from being perceived as ignoring - if not outright approving - FGM by closing their eyes and taking a "let somebody else handle it" approach.

State laws also provides law enforcement more teeth and can make investigating and prosecuting easier and faster.

FGM in the United States is commonly associated with African and Asian migrants. It has also anecdotally been found to occur in some local white conservative Christian communities in the American Midwest. Beginning in 2019 adult, white women from conservative Christian homes have begun to come forward and relate what happened to them in communities where female sexual pleasure is believed to be a "sin against God", and FGM is employed as a way to make women "obedient to God" and their husbands.

Equality Now has white Americas from conservative religious backgrounds explaining the horror they endured in forced cutting when parents feared someday they might enjoy sex or were discovered "touching" themselves.

Dr. James Burt, a physician from Ohio, performed a so-called "surgery of love" on over 170 women throughout the 1960s and 1970s. During the non-consensual procedure, Burt would cut around, move, and reshape the clitoris of women who had been admitted for other operations. This continued well into the 1970s, when a former co-worker served witness to several of Burt's victims, and he was fired and cast out of the medical community.

As of October 2021, 40 states, most recently, Indiana, had passed legislation making FGM illegal. Several of these states passed legislation that made it illegal to perform FGM on anyone (not just girls under 18).

The U.S. Congress required the Department of Health and Human services to provide information for medical students about treatment recommendations. Education policy was also included in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. The IIRARA mandated that visa recipients from 28 high-risk countries receive culturally appropriate information on the personal and legal repercussions of FGM in the United States at or before the time of entry.

As of October 2021 states that do not criminalize FGM:

Alabama
Alaska
Conn
Indiana
Maine
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
New Mexico
Washington (which has proposed legislation).

NOT ALL STATE LAWS ARE THE SAME not all state laws are comprehensive in that they do not always include measures such as awareness - raising, training of professionals and care for survivors. Only six or seven laws are comprehensive. The most stringent state laws are in Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Utah and Wyoming.

Colorado and Georgia also state that doctor-patient and husband-wife privileges are inapplicable in prosecutions for FGM.

The U.S. government opposes FGM/C, no matter the type, degree, or severity, and no matter what the motivation for performing it. The U.S. government considers FGM/C to be a human rights violation and a form of child abuse, gender discrimination, and violence against women and girls.

It is against US federal law to perform FGM/C in the United States on a girl under the age of 18, or for the parent, caretaker, or guardian of a girl under the age of 18 to facilitate or consent to FGM/C being performed on her. It is also against the law to send or attempt to send her outside the United States so FGM/C can be performed. People who violate this law can face prison time and significant immigration consequences. Additionally, anyone in the United States who performs FGM/C on a woman 18 years old or older without her consent may be charged with a crime under state law.

If someone performed FGM/C on you, you have not violated any U.S. laws and are not at fault. You may be eligible for certain immigration benefits for noncitizen victims of crime or persecution and should consult with a qualified attorney or accredited representative if you have questions about your immigration relief options. For more information on USCIS humanitarian programs and protection, visit Humanitarian | USCIS.

Call 800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) or 800-994-9662 for available resources if:
You believe you are at risk of FGM/C;
You have undergone FGM/C;
You have questions about FGM/C;
You have information about someone who is performing FGM/C in the United States; or You know of someone who may be at risk of FGM/C here or outside the United States.

Female Genital Mutilation: (FGM) Health, Law and Socio-Cultural Sensitivity from the University of Abardeen is an excellent course which focuses on FGM in Europe/Mid East and Africa. Lead instructor is Dr Heather May Morgan LLB (Hons) CertHE MRes PhD FHEA FRSA with course facilitators Dr. Victoria Kincaid who received her medical degree from the University of Aberdeen as well as her Masters in Global Health and Management. She works just outside of London: Toloupe Aina is a public health professional currently running a master public health program at the University of Aberdeen: Temitope Ojewola a pharmacist with interest in global health and project management in health care and Dr. Miriam Inverarity. a doctor working in general surgery in Dunedin with interests in global health, particularly in health equity and health sustainability.

E-Book

Soft back Book

Broadway To Vegas is supported through advertising and donations. Priority consideration is given to interview suggestions, news, press releases, etc from paid supporters. However, no paid supporters control, alter, edit, or in any way manipulate the content of this site. Your donation is appreciated. We accept PAYPAL.

Thank you for your interest.

E-Book

Soft back Book

This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

ART AND ABOUT

PAINTINGS BY UKRANIAN FOLK ARTIST MARIA PRIMACHENKO

Photo: MFA of Ukraine

were destroyed at a local history museum in Ivankov, Kiev region Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Russian invaders burned down the local history museum in the village of Ivankov, which housed the unique works of Primachenko, director of the Vyshgorod Historical and Cultural Reserve Vlada Litovchenko told the press.

Roughly 25 of her creations were destroyed.

"Another irreparable loss of the historical and cultural heritage of Ukraine. The museum had a large number of interesting exhibits and thematic expositions, and especially we valued the works of the outstanding Ukrainian artist Maria Primachenko," Litovchenko added.

Maria Prymachenko (1908–1997) was a Ukrainian village folk art painter, representative of naïve art. The artist was involved with drawing, embroidery and painting on ceramics. Pablo Picasso once said after visiting a Prymachenko exhibition in Paris, "I bow down before the artistic miracle of this brilliant Ukrainian."

The J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles condemned Russian for the “deliberate” burning of historical arts and cultural sites.

“News reports indicate that among the many atrocities being committed in Ukraine over the past few days of Putin’s War, Russian forces have begun destroying Ukrainian cultural heritage,” read the statement from Getty President and Chief Executive James Cuno.

Ukranian officials have requested that Russia be deprived of the status of a member of UNESCO because of violations of international law and conventions.

E-Book

Soft back Book

SWEET CHARITY

STOP THROWING AWAY PERFECTLY GOOD VODKA in well meaning but financially counter-production support for the Ukraine, stores and people who own Russian vodka have been demonstrating their loyalty to the Ukraine by dumping out the bottle contents.

If you have already paid for the Vodka then the only person being hurt is you. It's one thing to say you will no longer order or stock, serve/sell Russian Vodka. It's something else to throw out existing stock.

Instead, why not hold a toasting party for the Ukraine - selling the Russian Vodka shots with proceeds going to help Ukraine refugees.

CAMILLA, THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL in her role as president of WOW - Women of the World Festival, will host a reception to mark International Women's Day at Clarence House in London on Tuesday, March 8.

On Thursday, March 10, she'll open the new Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) headquarters in Battersea, south London. The duchess has been vice-patron of the RAD since 2020.

GUILD HALL'S ACADEMY OF THE ARTS DINNER takes place at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on March 14, 2022, as Guild Hall shines a spotlight on the incredible accomplishments of the artists who are integral to telling the story of Guild Hall.

This evening will honor Board Chairman Marty Cohen and Michele Cohen for their long-standing commitment and generosity to Guild Hall. Marty became the Board Chairman in 2013 and has since helped to propel Guild Hall into the important next phase of our history.

Their prestigious Academy of the Arts includes the newest inductees who we will recognize that evening: Barry Bergdoll, Renee Cox, Cornelius Eady, Bran Ferren, RoseLee Goldberg, Rashid Johnson, Erik Larson, Robert Longo, Julianne Moore, Questlove, Ugo Rondinone, Lucy Winton, and Frank Wimberley.

In 1985, in recognition of the abundance of visual, literary, and performing artists in the region, Guild Hall’s Board of Trustees initiated an awards program honoring local luminaries Kurt Vonnegut, Willem de Kooning, and Alan Alda. The following year, the Guild Hall Academy of the Arts was founded by Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Perry, Joseph F. Cullman, III, Peter Jennings, Sydney Gruson, Wilfred Sheed, Elaine Steinbeck, Henry Geldzahler, and Sherrye P. Henry. Today the Academy boasts over 250 voting members comprised of an impressive array of notable artists with strong ties to the Hamptons.

GILDA'S LAUGHFEST with seriously funny events taking place March 16-20 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Kicking off the Festival, Gilda’s Club will celebrate their 20th anniversary at the Red Door Gala on March 15 at the Steelcase Ballrooms at DeVos Place. The evenings entertainment will be LaughFest alum, Justin Willman a magician and comedian. In 2018, Willman premiered his six-episode magic series on Netflix entitled Magic for Humans with Justin Willman. In March 2020, as Covid spread across the globe, Willman debuted Magic for Humans @Home, a virtual show, which has garnered an audience of over 500,000 people.

Gilda’s LaughFest, presented by Gun Lake Casino, will feature Clean Comedy Showcase, Maria Bamford, Fortune Feimester, Emmy winner Charlie Berens, and Tone Bell.

This year’s festival will feature nearly 50 events and seriously fun and funny events for all ages. In addition to headlining acts, there will be free events such as Seriously Funny Adventure Challenge, Sunday Night Funnies, Kids Joke, Family Improv, You Have Two Minutes: Brian Kelly's Favorite LaughFest Portraits, Laughter Yoga, Recovery Showcase, All Ya’ll Showcase, Drum it Out, and more.

Gilda's Club Grand Rapids provides free emotional healthcare to children, adults, families and friends on any kind of cancer journey or those grieving the death of someone in their life due to any cause. Its comprehensive program, delivered by licensed mental health professionals, meets individuals where they are, when they need it, with a variety of social and emotional support options to choose from, including support groups, educational opportunities as well as healthy lifestyle and social activities. Gilda Radner who died at the age of 42 from ovarian cancer was considered one of the great comic geniuses of the 20th century. She was one of the seven original cast members of the “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. In her routines, Radner specialized in parodies of television stereotypes, such as advice specialists and news anchors.

Her widower, Gene Wilder, carried out her wish that information about her illness would be used to help other cancer victims, founding—and inspiring the founding of—organizations that emphasize early diagnosis, attention to hereditary factors and support for cancer patients.

SPREADING THE WORD

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE noted for its irreverent mocking, pointed insults and put downs, acknowledged the Russian invasion of the Ukraine last Saturday, February 26, in a sensitive opening with The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performing "Prayer for Ukraine" followed by Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong delivering a sedated intro, rather than the usual bombastic "It's Saturday Night Live!"

In front, a table of candles spelled the name of Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv.

Lovely.

DANCERS OF THE KYIV GRAND BALLET were performing in France when Russia invaded their homeland. They gave their last performance near Arcachon last Wednesday evening. Before the performance of Swan Lake at the Cravey Theatre in La Teste-sur-Buch, the twenty young dancers were reported to have been on their phones attempting to contact loved ones.

Lead ballerina, Kateryna Didenko, who plays the two main roles of Odette, the swan princess and her evil double, "sang passionately with a raised fist and tears in her eyes," said press reports.

The dancers told reporters that their families have told them, for their own safety, not to return to the Ukraine. They said they will continue to dance in Europe.

In Paris, the Opéra Garnier has offered to help them with accommodation or financial aid.

MICHAEL BUBLE AND LEA SALONGA he the four-time Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter and she the Tony award-winning musical theater legend are the judges for Kumu’s Sing For The Stars an all-digital international singing competition dedicated to discovering the best of both Filipino and foreign talents.

“Kumu is the home of musicians,” says Founder and CEO Roland Ros. “Through this competition, we're discovering and highlighting new voices on a world stage in a unique and brand new way. Sing for the Stars is the most inclusive talent show ever because talents can audition, perform, and win no matter who or where in the world they are.”

The Kumu Music Team and Warner Music Philippines select 15 performers to be part of the show from the on line performing applications.

"The top eleven will be moving on to the final leg of the competition, while the remaining 4 will duke it out to secure their last chance to enter the finals. The second runner-up will win $2,000 in cash, while the first runner-up takes home $4,000 in cash. And the grand champion will take home $10,000 in cash, a one-year record contract with Warner Music, and their own mini-concert inside the Kumu app, plus a one-on-one coaching session from none other than Michael Bublé."

HENRY V by William Shakespeare.

Directed by Donmar Associate Director Max Webster.

A history play believed to have been written near 1599. It tells the story of King Henry V of England, focusing on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War.

Max Webster directs a cast led by Kit Harington with Jude Akuwudike, Seumas Begg, Claire-Louise Cordwell, Kate Duchêne, Kit Harington, Olivier Huband, Melissa Johns, David Judge, Danny Kirrane, Anoushka Lucas, Adam Maxey, Steven Meo, Marienella Phillips, Joanna Songi and Millicent Wong with Gethin Alderman, Diany Bandza and Thomas Dennis.

Henry V features design by Fly Davis, lighting design by Lee Curran, sound design by Carolyn Downing, video design by Andrzej Goulding, movement direction by Benoit Swan Pouffer, music by Andrew T Mackay, casting by Anna Cooper CDG, costume supervision by Lisa Aitken, fight direction by Kate Waters, dialect coaching by Fabien Enjalric, military consultation by Tom Leigh with Resident Assistant Director Dadiow Lin, assistant design by Roisin Jenner, assistant lighting design by Abi Turner, assistant sound design by Jamie Lu and assistant movement by Liam Francis.

Runs at the Donmar in London until April 9, 2022.

NOTES FROM NOW - SONGS OF RESILIENCE & RENEWAL directed and choreographed by Billy Bustamante.

Notes From Now features newly-commissioned original songs created by 21 of today’s brightest musical theater writers: Jay Adana; Troy Anthony; Masi Asare; Jeff Blumenkrantz; Georgie Castilla and Jaime Lozano; Gretchen Cryer; Tia DeShazor and Derrick Byars; Alexandra Elle and Stephen Schwartz; Adam Gwon; Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar; Peter Mills; Ryan Scott Oliver; Michelle J. Rodriguez; Angela Sclafani; Paulo K Tiról; and Amanda Yesnowitz and Deborah Abramson.

The cast features Ashley Blanchet, Thani Brant, Darron Hayes, Josh Lamon, Aline Mayagoitia, Outer Critics Circle Award winner Judy McLane, John Yi, with understudy support from Genesis Adelia Collado.

The creative team includes scenic design by Riw Rakkulchon, costume design by Rodrigo Muñoz, lighting design by Shannon Clarke, sound design by Ben Scheff, and casting by Michael Cassara, CSA. Sean Peter Forte serves as Music Director. Macy Schmidt, recently named to Forbes '30 Under 30' music list for 2022, is the Supervising Orchestrator. Production Stage Manager is Elizabeth Emanuel.

Performances are at 59E59 Theaters in New York City through Sunday, March 20, 2022.

WRITTEN IN STONE Inspired by Washington D.C.’s iconic monuments and the ideals embodied by President Kennedy, Written in Stone is a series of interwoven short works presented together in a single evening.

Creative teams Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran, Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang, Kamala Sankaram and A.M. Homes, and Carlos Simon and Marc Bamuthi Joseph offer intimate stories that celebrate diversity and acknowledge the struggles of today’s America.

This evening of captivating melody and story will feature performances from opera stars J’Nai Bridges, Rod Gilfry, and more, led by renowned conductor Robert Spano in his WNO debut.

Performances through March 25 at the Eisenhower Theater, Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

AN EVENING WITH BARRY MANILOW AND BRUCE SUSSMAN presented by 92Y in New York City.

In person on Saturday, March 12 for a special evening of conversation and performances with members of the cast of Harmony as it makes its New York City debut.

Harmony: A New Musical by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, six talented young men, Jewish and gentile, who came together in 1920s Germany and took the world by storm with their signature blend of sophisticated close harmonies and uproarious stage antics. They sold millions of records, starred in a dozen films and packed the houses of the most prestigious concert halls around the globe until the world they knew changed forever. Their incredible story inspired music industry legends Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman to create a spectacular new musical with an original score that celebrates this extraordinary group of friends and ensures their quest for true harmony in the most discordant chapter of human history will never be forgotten.

Harmony: A New Musical is presented by National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene at the Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. Previews begin March 23, 2022.

AN EVENING WITH HARVEY FIERSTEIN Interviewed by Roz Chast takes place March 15, 2022, at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT.

THE NEW YORK POPS has welcomed seven outstanding musicians to the orchestra this season: violinists Monica K. Davis, Keats Dieffenbach, Joshua Henderson, and Ashley Horne, and violists Amadi Azikiwe, Dana Kelley, and Ardith Holmgrain.

THE STAND-UP COMEDIAN WHO STOOD UP TO RUSSIA

He starred in numerous rom-com movies including Love In Vegas and 8 First Dates which was the 2013 recipient of the Russian National Movie Award for best Russian comedy. 8 First Dates was co-written and produced by its star Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He was also the voice of Paddington bear in Paddington and Paddington 2. Along with his dancing partner Olena Shoptenko he took home the top prize on Dancing with the Stars.

Now making headlines as President of the Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy began his career as a stand up/sketch comic. Prior to his acting career, Zelenskyy obtained a degree in law from the Kyiv National Economic University. He then pursued comedy and created the production company Kvartal 95, which produces films, cartoons, and TV shows including Servant of the People, in which Zelenskyy played the role of president of Ukraine. In the series, Zelenskyy's character was a high-school history teacher in his 30s who won the presidential election after a viral video showed him ranting against government corruption in Ukraine.

Servant of the People may be coming to your television set.

Country’s from around the world are vying for the rights to air the comedy series.

No word as to whether there will be English sub-titles.

In real life, he's married with two children. The former actor and comedian won the election with 73.2 per cent of the vote and has served as the sixth president of Ukraine since 2019.

He isn't the first entertainer to go from headlining to leading. After all, President Reagan co-starred with a chimp in Bedtime for Bonzo.

However, no other actor who went from casting calls to an election ballot has been faced with leading their country during a war. Zelenskyy has proven he is a world class leader - emotionally stable, focused, reasons well, intelligent, courageous, outspoken - and inspiring.

Those are the same traits that the world has witnessed of the typical Ukraine citizen.

More than 1.25 million people have flew Ukraine since Russian forces invaded on February 24, the International Organization for Migration (IGM) sad in a Saturday, March 5, 2022 press release.

Alan Alda who wrote and directed many of the M*A*S*H episodes as well as starring in all of them, posted a poignant Twitter missive regarding the ending of M*A*S*H and the current brutal invasion of the Ukraine.

"A war on TV ended for a company of actors on February 28, 1983. 39 YEARS later an actor leads the country in a war for its very survival. But this is real. And it breaks hearts."

PUTTING MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS

QUEEN ELIZABETH II has made a "generous" personal donation to the Ukrainian humanitarian appeal from the Disasters Emergency Committee - a group of 15 leading UK aid charities.

VIBRAPHONIST TOMMY VIG AND HIS WIFE MIA KIM OF THE KIM SISTERS who were Las Vegas performing mainstays and now live in Hungary told Broadway To Vegas: "Hungary is helping the refugees from Ukraine and Mia and I are sending money to the Ukrainian Bank for their army."

CELEBRITY COUPLE BLAKE LIVELY AND RYAN REYNOLDS announced February 27 they are matching donations up to $1 million made to USA for United Nations for refugees fleeing war in Ukraine.

ASHTON KUTCHER AND HIS WIFE MILA KUNIS who was born in the Ukraine, will match up to $3 million which will benefit freight forwarder Flexport and vacation rental company Airbnb. The two organizations will aid efforts by "transporting humanitarian aid to known NGO’s on the ground" and "providing free, short-term housing to up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine," according to the couple's statement.

They have also started a fundraiser on GoFundMe, aiming to raise $30 million in humanitarian relief for the people of Ukraine.

BETHENNY FRANKEL through her disaster relief charity BStrong, said she has raised nearly $3 million and committed $10 million in initial aid. According to BStrong, the funds will be used to helping refugees travel and to set up different stations along the Poland-Ukraine border to provide water and hygiene products.

JOSE ANDRES the Spanish chef who is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that delivers food relief to areas that need it most posted that "WCKitchen is on the Ukraine-Poland border delivering meals tonight—Romania soon.” He continued that he would be joining the fight with money. “In addition to your donations…I am committing support from the Bezos award to Ukraine.” In the video, Andres stated that he would be taking $5 million out of the Bezos award he won for his humanitarian efforts and he is committing it to helping out the people in Ukraine. The Bezos award had a prize fund of $100 million - of which he has put towards expanding his non-profit and helping those affected by natural disasters of facing humanitarian crisis.

BROADWAY CARES has allocated $300,000 in grants to humanitarian groups working in Ukraine. The non-profit charity will award $100,000 grants each to Global Giving's Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund which works to provide shelter, food, water, medical services and emotional support to those who have been forced to flee their homes, a mission they share with the the International Rescue Committee, and Project HOPE which coordinates health care.

THE LATE LATE SHOW IN IRELAND raised 2,200,000 euros ($2.4M) last Friday night for Ukraine during an appeal.

The money raised will be donated to Irish Red Cross to fund its work in the Ukraine.

Speaking on the late night talk show, which is the second longest running late night talk show in the world and is hosted by Ryan Tubridy, Taoiseach Michael Martin said the most practical way to help right now is cash donations, and he urged viewers to donate.

Taoiseach Martin disclosed that the Irish Government has donated €10m euros, and on Saturday announced that a further €10m euros is to be donated this week.

The Taoiseach emphasized that Ukraine's application to join the European Union should be fast tracked. He complained that the process is "too slow" and has been a strategic mistake.

Speaking about the Ukrainian president, he said he had "incredible admiration" for Volodymyr Zelensky, and that he personified Ukrainian "nationhood", resilience, defiance, and dignity."

"He stayed with his people and you've got to admire that," Mr Martin said.

LITHUANIA is one of the leading countries to demonstrate constant support to the Ukraine country in donations, humanitarian aid, and volunteer work. They report that in just a few days a local non-governmental organization "Blue / Yellow" has collected over 10M euros from Lithuanian residents dedicated to supporting Ukrainians, and many families are signing up to host Ukrainian refugees, while veterinarians are traveling to the border to help collect and treat Ukrainians’ pets.

Vilnius, the capital town, even started the process of renaming the street, where the Embassy of Russia is based, to Ukrainian Heroes Street.

On Saturday, March 5, 2022, Vilnius released eight hot-air balloons with 20-meter-long Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags steared by professional Lithuanian pilots, many of whom have friends fighting in Ukraine.

Lithuanian hot-air balloon enthusiasts, as well as Vilnius’ tourism agency, contributed to the initiative aimed at demonstrating the Lithuanian residents’ firm support to war-affected Ukrainians, comradery, and a desire to offer a glimmer of hope and strength.

One of the largest light installation shows, Klaipeda Light Festival, which celebrated the 770th anniversary of the port town, has completely changed its program in light of recent events: in addition to an hour of silence to support Ukraine, the festival’s main objects were illuminated in blue and yellow—the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

The Energy and Technology Museum in Vilnius, set up in the first central power station of the city, will donate all proceeds from the tickets to Blue / Yellow, which bestows multifaceted support to Ukraine. The museum is also prepared to provide shelter for Ukrainian refugees. Visitors are welcome to take a stroll through Vilnius city and history reflected in the exhibition Salve, Vilnius, as well as paintings, sculptures, and other creative pieces by 29 artists.

Countless local artists are donating the proceeds from selling their paintings to the Ukrainian cause while creative agencies are launching platforms, such as “Creatives for Ukraine to unite the worlds’ artists willing to share their illustrations of the war.

Education institutions offer free education to Ukrainians.

Lithuanian academia is taking care of Ukrainian students who have lost contact with their families left in the war zone. LCC International University, a liberal arts school, is currently providing food, shelter, essential items, financial as well as psychological support to almost 200 students from Ukraine.

Similarly, Vilnius University, the globally recognized institution and the country’s largest university, has offered free education and financial assistance to Ukrainian students, in addition to setting up a donations fund.

Hundreds of displaced Ukrainians have found their temporary home in Lithuania, and various hotels are offering housing options. Businesses are providing assistance in hygiene products, SIM cards, proceeds from sold goods, etc.

E-Book

Soft back Book

RUSSIAN TALENT CANCELLED

ANNA NETREBKO a Russian soprano with the New York Metropolitan Opera is a victim of ancillary fallout of Russian aggression against the Ukraine as she has been let go from the famed opera company. Netrebko will no longer perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City this season or next after she refused to publicly distance herself from Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a statement from the Met.

"It is a great artistic loss for the Met and for opera," the company's general manager, Peter Gelb, said in a statement to the press. "Anna is one of the greatest singers in Met history, but with Putin killing innocent victims in Ukraine there was no way forward."

Netrebko, 50, who was born in Krasnodar, Russia, made her Met debut in 2002 in Prokofiev’s War and Peace, going on to star in nearly 200 performances at the New York institution.

Netrebko was scheduled to perform in Puccini's Turandot this spring, as well as Verdi's Don Carlo next season.

The Met has replaced her with Ukrainian singer Liudmyla Monastyrska, 46, who made her Met debut singing the title role in Aida in 2012 and previously performed Turnadot at the Ukrainian National Opera and the Bolshoi in Moscow.

Monastyrska, a Ukrainian soprano from Kyiv, begins performances of Turandot, on April 30.

THE MUNICH PHILHARMONIC has taken the baton away from The Munich Philharmonic its chief conductor, Valery Gergiev, over his ties to Putin. Munich’s mayor, Dieter Reiter, had issued an ultimatum, saying Gergiev would be dismissed if he failed to condemn Putin’s actions. He refused, so he is gone.

The Edinburgh International Festival, of which Gergiev was honorary president, has asked for his resignation.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic has o threatened to cancel its longstanding annual Gergiev festival this year.

Switzerland’s Verbier festival has asked Gergiev to resign his position as music director of the Verbier Festival Orchestra.

Two upcoming performances in May by Russia’s Mariinsky Orchestra, which were due to be led by Gergiev at Carnegie Hall in New York City, have also been cancelled.

The Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale will not take place as planned this year after Russian artists and curators themselves pulled out. The artists Alexandra Sukhareva and Kirill Savchenkov, as well as the curator Raimundas Malašauskas, said they would no longer participate. The Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow said it would halt preparations for upcoming shows, while exhibitions at GES-2 House of Culture – including one by Ragnar Kjartansson – were also suspended. WARNER BROS, DISNEY AND SONY have halted the release of films in Russian cinemas. Those releases include The Batman, Turning Red and Morbius.

THE UKRAINIAN FILM ACADEMY has called for an international boycott of Russian cinema, including a ban on Russian films at international festivals.

VLADIMIR PUTIN'S WAX STATUE has been removed from the The Paris Grévin Museum in protest against his invasion of Ukraine and after it was damaged by visitors over the weekend.

The statue, which was created in 2000, was moved to a warehouse until further notice and the museum is considering replacing it with a statue of Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This marks the first time a statue has been removed at the Grévin due to world events.

LIVE NATION has canceled all business in Russia. Acts cancelling their tour stops in Russia include: Green Day, Iron Maiden, Oxxxymiron, Louis Tomlinson, Yungblud, AJR, Health, The Killers, Iggy Pop, Franz Ferdinand, Bring Me the Horizon, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - with more cancellations expected to be announced.

THE EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION (EBU) said Russia would no longer be allowed to participate in this year’s Eurovision song contest.

BALLET COMPANIES such as the The Royal Opera House have cancelled a planned residency by Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet. The dance troupe had been due to stage 21 performances from July 26 to August 14, 2022.

Performances by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia have been cancelled by Wolverhampton Grand Theatre and the Royal and Derngate in Northampton, England.

The Helix theatre in Dublin, Ireland also cancelled a performance of Swan Lake by the Royal Moscow Ballet.

CAT ATTACK Russian kitty cats have been banned from international competitions. The Federation Internationale Feline announced on its website that because of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, FIFe has banned Russian cats from international competition until at least June.

“The Board of FIFe feels it cannot just witness these atrocities and do nothing,” the organization said.

The “shocked and horrified” organization announced it will use part of its budget to help cat fanciers in Ukraine. Its sanction against Russia also prohibit any cat bred in Russia from being registered in any FIFe pedigree book outside the country.

FIFe labels itself “the United Nations of Cat Federations” and boasts members in 40 countries. According to its website, the federation has been hosting shows since 1949.



JAMES EARL JONES is having a Broadway theatre named after him. The 110-year old Cort Theatre complete with modern renovations will be reopened later this year as the James Earl Jones.

The name change, announced by the Shubert Organization, honors Jones' long and extensive Broadway career.

This is also the venue where Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958 in Sunrise at Campobello.

In addition to having a theatre named after him he has amassed a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award, seven Drama Desk Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and a Kennedy Center Honors.

ICONIC GAME SHOW THE PRICE IS RIGHT which airs on CBS and is produced by Fremantle, is the 2022 television inductee into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Host Drew Carey and executive producer and showrunner Evelyn Warfel will accept the award at The Achievement in Broadcasting Awards on the NAB Show Main Stage on April 24. in Las Vegas.

FINALISTS NAMED FOR STEINBERG-ATCA NEW PLAY AWARD The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) has selected five finalists for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, recognizing playwrights of the best scripts that premiered professionally outside of New York City in 2021.

The top award of $25,000 and two citations of $7,500 each, plus commemorative plaques, will be presented on April 9 at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Calif. At $40,000, Steinberg/ATCA is the largest national new play award program of its kind.

The 2021 finalists, listed alphabetically by play title, are:

Extreme Home Makeover by Makasha Copeland. Premiered by Theatre Exile, Philadelphia.

Galatea by David Templeton Premiered by Spreckels Theatre Company, Rohnert Park, Calif.

Poor Clare by Chiara Atik. Premiered by Echo Theater, Los Angeles.

The West End by Keith Josef Adkins. Premiered by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Young Money by Erlina Ortiz. Premiered by Azuka Theatre, Philadelphia.

Since the inception of ATCA's New Play Award, honorees have included Lanford Wilson, Marsha Norman, August Wilson, Arthur Miller, Lynn Nottage, Adrienne Kennedy, Donald Margulies, Moises Kaufman, Craig Lucas, Nilo Cruz, Lauren Yee, Horton Foote and Qui Nguyen. Last year's honoree was Her Honor, Jane Byrne by J. Nicole Brooks.

E-Book

Soft back Book

This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

Next Column: March 13, 2022
Copyright: March 6, 2022 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.
Link to Main Page

---

Laura Deni

For the snail mail address, please E-mail your request.