Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: May 16, 2021
By: Laura Deni
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HOLY SMOKE IS A DROLL PUB COMEDY

The Brewery has installed their worst landlords to run the Belfry into the ground. They just didn't tell the landlords that.

The Brewery is close to signing a lucrative deal to sell The Belfry pub and earn a fat load of cash but they don’t want to upset the locals. They have installed Bruce and Barbi Wayne, the worst landlords in the Brewery’s history, to run the pub into the ground. However, the new landlords know nothing of the Brewery’s plan and, having already destroyed four previous pubs, look at this as their chance to finally get it right.

When Brewery members start to disappear it is a race against time to keep the deal on the table and to thwart their unknown nemesis. For Bruce and Barbi it’s just business as (un)usual. The Belfry stands on a ring-road near the edge of town. In such a prime location it is able to offer an unhealthy mix of aspiration and desperation, blending the mundane with the bizarre.

Penned by Matthew Bartlett and Dominic Stephens, this comedy can be set in any city, so don't automatically assume anything.

Energetic music opens the production in what is called "Stage One - Opening Night" directed by Ohio based 31 Pumpkins and edited by Tony ‘El Gordo’ Stephens.

The deep male voice with a strong native American accent identifies himself as the last chief of the Cherokee nation. He then takes the listeners to the backstory.

It's rift with politically incorrect humor, sexual innuendo and pointed jabs.

"What a pub means to the poor - becoming their family - the way the rich love Aramis aftershave and a well trimmed vagina."

This is a low keyed, droll romp which can seem aimless until it all makes humorous sense at the end.

Interesting sound affects, excellent sound balancing and acting by Shelley Halstead, Gordon Cooper, Andrew Macklin, James Kermack, Matt Broad and Alex Beckett.

The first 10 minutes amounts to bar banter invoking a substantial mount of politically incorrect conversation concerning bringing customers into the bar for the opening night.

Its an innovative and highly original sit-com with some lines reminiscent of comedy of yore.

"Just call me Frisco."
"Why?"
"That's my name."

The Batman obsessed owner has even changed his name to Bruce Wayne. Two DJ's appear - Frisco Disco and his one armed co-pilot - seeking work. They're hired for Friday night's opening.

Just as events get complicated and involved a man appears garbed in an authentic Cherokee outfit brandishing a tomahawk. He explains everything including having "an excellent assortment of snacks."

Streamed by Wireless Theatre.

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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

CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD: JAN MATEJKO'S COPERNICUS

Jan Matejko's, The Astronomer Copernicus. Conversations with God, 1873; Jagiellonian University, Kraków © Photo courtesy the owner

opens this week at the National Gallery in London. This exhibit is a rare opportunity to see one of Poland’s most loved artworks.

This is a painting by the Polish artist Jan Matejko (1838–1893) completed in 1873, in the collection of the Jagiellonian University, Kraków. It depicts Nicolaus Copernicus observing the heavens from a balcony in a tower with the cathedral in Frombork in the background. The canvas was purchased from a private owner by public subscription in Poland and hangs in the aula (Great Hall) of the Collegium Novum of the University. Matejko produced this 1872 artwork as part of a series of paintings intended to capture and represent key moments in the history of Poland to inspire the public.

This painting celebrates one of the most important names in the history of science, Polish mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473—1543); known for his theory, published in 1543, which proposed the solar system with the sun at its center and the planets orbiting around it.

Matejko painted the enormous canvas in 1873 to mark the 400th anniversary of the astronomer’s birth.

The National Gallery will also be displaying a 1543 copy of Copernicus’s ‘De revolutionibus orbium coelestium’; the publication that marked a turning point in human understanding of our place in the universe.

Curated for the National Gallery by Christopher Riopelle. On display May 21 – August 22, 2021.

CONVERSATION FRANCIS BACON: REVELATIONS takes place Thursday, May 20, 5:30 p.m. (EDT). from the Princeton University's Princeton Art Museum.

By day the painter Francis Bacon explored the secrets of a dark century; by night he swashbuckled through London’s Soho, a Wildean figure who “adored” life and never concealed his homosexuality. In their monumental new biography of the artist, Francis Bacon: Revelations, Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan bring to life this complex man and offer fresh insights into his unforgettable art. The Pulitzer Prize–winning authors are joined in conversation by Princeton Museum Director James Steward.

Please note that registration is required to attend this virtual event, open exclusively to members. If you are not currently a member, set up your free membership.

This event will include live closed captions in both English and Spanish. English captions are available directly in the Zoom toolbar by clicking the "CC" icon. To access Spanish-language captioning, open Streamtext, where you can select “Spanish” to see the live captioning.

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SWEET CHARITY

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL live at Worthy Farm Global Livestream takes place Saturday May 22, 2021.

A global streaming takes place May 22 wih an encore streaming on May 23, 2021.

The five-hour spectacular will feature performances from a host of artists who are giving their time to support the Festival: Coldplay, Damon Albarn, HAIM, IDLES, Wolf Alice and Jorja Smith, the uninterrupted five-hour extravaganza will feature a unique spoken word narrative, provided by PJ Harvey, Jarvis Cocker, Kae Tempest, George The Poet, Kurupt FM, Little Amal and Festival founder Michael Eavis.

There will also be additional guest musical performances from George Ezra and Róisín Murphy.

Shot by acclaimed Grammy-nominated director Paul Dugdale, the event will be filmed across the Festival's Worthy Farm home, at landmarks including the Pyramid Field and the Stone Circle. The broadcast will be interspersed by a spoken word narrative, written and delivered by some very special guests, guiding listeners on a journey through the Glastonbury site.

The event will support Glastonbury's three main charitable partners, Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid, as well as helping to secure the Festival's return in 2022.

Live At Worthy Farm global online event "will be presented to viewers as an uninterrupted online event. However, if you miss the beginning of your allotted stream, there is a rewind function - allowing you to go back and enjoy the full show again or re-watch individual sets for up to 5 hours after the stream ends. Simply tap or click along the bar at the bottom of the video to the point you'd like to watch from."

By popular demand, two Sunday broadcast times have also been added, at 2pm (BST) and 7pm (BST).

Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, in England. In addition to contemporary music, the festival hosts dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other arts. Leading pop and rock artists have headlined, alongside thousands of others appearing on smaller stages and performance areas. Films and albums recorded at Glastonbury have been released, and the festival receives extensive television and newspaper coverage.

Regarded as a major cultural event, the festival is inspired by the ethos of the hippie, counterculture, and free festival movements. It retains vestiges of these traditions, such as the Green Fields area, which includes sections known as the Green Futures and Healing Field.

WILL ON THE HILL SKEWERS THE POLITICAL MILIEU

One of the most anticipated yearly events in Washington, DC, Will On the Hill, takes place Monday, June 7, with a VIP Virtual Pre-Show Reception followed by the Virtual Performance.

Washington’s favorite congressional performers return in a virtual performance of a a witty script that skewers the federal capital’s unique political milieu.

This joyous and bipartisan evening of the Bard’s best take on power and politics raises money to support the theatre’s arts education and engagement programs, which reach students and community members at home, at school, online, and in our theatres.

This year’s pointed script, Will on the Hill and Far Away< - written by playwright, director, and actor Nat Cassidy and directed by STC’s Senior Director of Engagement and Education Samantha Wyer Bello - follows a definitely-not-mad scientist who crashes a Congressional hearing held to determine once and for all what’s so great about the works of the Bard. In this silly scenario harkening back to old sci-fi classics, a hapless handful of politicians are transported directly into the world of Shakespeare’s plays when a time machine backfires.

Participants include: four time Helen Hayes Award winner Felicia Curry, STC Teaching Artist Yonatan Gebeyehu, STC Teaching Artist and Helen Hayes Award winner Christopher Michael Richardson, STC Affiliated Artist Tom Story, five time Helen Hayes Award winner Holly Twyford, and STC Affiliated Artist Gregory Wooddell to the virtual stage.

The illustrious cast will include Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Rep. André Carson (D-IN), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) are all confirmed to perform. Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States Dame Karen Pierce, Ian Liddell-Grainger, a Member of Parliament in the UK, Nury Turkel, who serves on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Founder and President of Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist, and longtime Will on the Hill actor Maggie Coons are also slated to join the performance.

All cast members are subject to change. The performance will be available for viewing on a Pay-What-You-Will basis, allowing audiences nationwide to take part in the fun. Sponsorships start at $2,500 and include access to a VIP virtual pre-show reception with cast members.

Please note: Invitations to the VIP virtual pre-show reception are based on sponsorship level.

SPREADING THE WORD

ALAN ALDA FILM FESTIVAL

Alan Alda Film Festival

unspools May 20-23, 2021.

Stony Brook’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and the Stony Brook Film Festival are offering a five-film festival of classics personally selected by the acclaimed actor, author and activist.

The films, which will be available to stream May 20 through May 23, include Same Time, Next Year; The Four Seasons in which two of Alda's three daughrers, Elzabeth and Beatrice appear in the movie; Sweet Liberty; Crimes and Misdemeanors and The Aviator. Alda will introduce the films and recount stories and memories from the different movie sets.

“It’s a treat to be working with the Stony Brook Film Festival and the Center for Communicating Science on this project,” said Alda. “I had a lot of fun making these films. It’s wonderful to be able to share them and some of the stories behind them in support of science communication, which is something that we need now more than ever.”

The films showcase a portion of Alda’s 60-year career as an actor and his versatility as a storyteller. In addition to playing major roles in each of the films included in the Festival, Alda also wrote and directed Sweet Liberty and The Four Seasons.

“It’s always an honor to work with the great Alan Alda,” said Alan Inkles, director of the Staller Center and Stony Brook Film Festival. “I’m always inspired by his career and work ethic and I was thrilled to be asked to participate in this Festival.” The films are offered chronologically based on their release dates to showcase the natural progression of Alan’s acting, writing and directing skills throughout the decades of his illustrious career.

Proceeds from the festival will support the Alda Center for Communicating Science, which offers professional development and graduate programs to researchers to help them learn to effectively share their work and engage with others. In collaboration with the Stony Brook School of Communication and Journalism, Alda co-founded the Center in 2009. The Center has worked with more than 15,000 scientists and researchers around the country and internationally.

Passes to the film fest are on sale. Each film will be available to passholders via a unique link and passcode for 72 hours.

92Y IN NEW YORK CITY HAS A BUSY CONVERSATIONAL WEEK Showtime's Black Monday takes place Tuesday, May 18, 8 pm ET, Free. Join Don Cheadle, Regina Hall, Andrew Rannells, Paul Scheer, and Casey Wilson – for a 92Y streaming conversation about the new season of their hit show, moderated by series writer, Bridger Winegar, host of the podcast, I Said No Gifts! a darkly funny look at the fallout after the stock market crash of October 19, 1987 – commonly known as “Black Monday.”

The stylish and whip-smart comedy series is anchored by this charismatic cast. Hear them discuss the making of the third season, the parallels between Wall Street from the late 1980s and today, stories from behind the scenes, and more. Black Monday premieres Sunday, May 23 at 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

Fox' Prodigal Son is on tap Wednesday, May 19, 6 pm. Free. M Join the stars, guest star and creative team of Fox’s Prodigal Son, as award-winning actors Michael Sheen, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tom Payne and creators Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver join TheWrap’s Jenny Maas for a convers ation about the acclaimed thriller series as it concludes its second season. The brilliant Michael Sheen stars as a notorious serial killer, whose son (played by The Walking Dead’s Tom Payne) uses his intimate understanding of the murderous mind to help the NYPD solve cases. Joining the cast this season is Academy Award and Tony Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones as the resident MD at the psychiatric hospital where Sheen’ s character is contained. They talk about the shocking season two finale, and how they manage to weave dark comedy into utterly gruesome storylines, and they explore the bonds of family — even amidst the lurid. Watch the finale of Prodigal Son on Tuesday, May 18 at 9 pm ET/PT on Fox.

A Light in the Dark: A History of Movie Directord has David Thomson in Conversation with Bill Goldstein on Wednesday May 19, 7 pm ET.

Join writer and film critic David Thomson, author of The Biographical Dictionary of Film, for a conversation about his new book, A Light in the Dark: A History of Movie Directors, with NBC’s Bill Goldstein. Brilliant, witty, and richly observed, Thomson’s new book examines the lives and work of some of cinema’s most innovative and distinctive directors — including Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Jane Campion, Spike Lee, and Quenti n Tarantino. Hear him discuss the role of the director in modern film, the genesis of his writing project, his candid takes on the big winners (and surprises) at this year’s Academy Awards ceremonies, and much more.

LOVE LETTERS will be first up when the Theatre Royal Haymarket reopens May 19, 2021 in London.

Bill Kenwright’s production of Love Letters will star Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove.

A.R. Gurney’s 1998 play is about two people physically separated yet brought together by candid communication and shared confidences, a romance blossoming across the miles and the years. It could have been written for the covid era.

Directed by Roy Marsden, the piece will play a limited run and will feature limited capacity to allow for social distancing in the auditorium with covid-secure healthy and safety measures in place to keep audience, crew and actors safe. Love Letters is booking from May 19 until June 13, 2021 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London.

NEW MONY! conceived and directed by Maria Camia as part of its Spring 2021 Production Season of puppetry commissions, performed live May 19-22, 2021 at 7:30pm EDT at Dixon Place in New York City with video on demand (VOD) streaming available from May 25 through June 1, 2021.

Step into the colorful, comical, spiritual, sci-fi, psychedelic world of Aricama where duality and ancestry are explored with puppets, body costumes, Toy Theater, original live music, and projections in this full-length production.

In the human cloning family business, our heroine Allimah lives a quiet, regimented life with her parents on a tiny blue planet. But after experimenting with life, slowly her dreams become reality as she finds herself relating to the prestigious Utopian planet Aricama, the land of practice, play, and healing. Will she be able to live a normal life after aligning with her truth? Join Allimah in a groundbreaking awakening! Approx. run time: 65 minutes. Rated PG (due to a puppet with a cardboard gun).

Puppeteers: Nikki Cologne, Fara Faidzan, lim, Leah Ogawa.
Pianist: Sienna Aczon.
Projection Designer/Animator: Camellia Bayle-Spence.
Sound Designer/Costume Designer: Gill Hartley.
Stage Manager: Mariel Sanchez.
Puppet/Set Building Assistance: Yisel Garcia.
Table Constructor: Matt Olowin.

AMELIE THE MUSICAL opens at the Criterion Theatre in London on May 20, 2021.

Inspired by the much loved five-time Oscar nominated film, the musical stage adaptation is brought to life by actor-musicians led by Olivier-nominee Audrey Brisson in the role of Amélie.

Casting includes Sioned Saunders, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, Rachel Dawson, Oliver Grant, Chris Jared, Caolan McCarthy, Samuel Morgan-Grahame, Kate Robson-Stuart, Jack Quarton, Jez Unwin and Johnson Willis.

The story follows an imaginative, shy romantic woman, Amélie, with a gift for helping others. It is set to a wonderful score by Hem’s Daniel Messé with lyrics by Nathan Tysen and Daniel Messé and book by Craig Lucas.

In line with current Government guidelines, the production will play with social distancing in place and the seating plan and booking system has been designed to facilitate this process. Amelie The Musical is booking from May 20 until September 25, 2021 at the Criterion Theatre, London.

HARRISON FORD may be Scotland bound to film the 5th installment of the Indian Jones franchise in the Highlands later this year. It has been publicized that this will be his final appearance as the archaeologist.

Film crews are expected to start pre-production shots from mid November before cast arrive. Filming is expected to take from a few days to a week before things wrap up just before Christmas.

Indiana Jones 5 is set for release in cinemas in July next year, more than four decades after Raiders Of The Lost Ark in 1981.

Glasgow and Edinburgh will be used to recreate Gotham City in superhero movie The Flash, which stars Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as two versions of the Dark Knight. It is understood producers plan to use shots of Glasgow and Edinburgh to recreate gothic scenes from Tim Burton’s Batman which will appear as flashbacks. Shooting begins in June. Michael Keaton, who played Burton’s Batman, is returning as the Dark Knight in The Flash. Keaton originally played millionaire Bruce Wayne in the 1989 classic as well as its 1992 sequel Batman Returns. The 69-year-old actor will be the oldest Batman to date.

Screen Scotland said: “Competitive film and TV funds, world-renowned talent, crews, facilities and locations and the UK’s attractive tax breaks continue to drive strong international interest in Scotland as a filming destination.”

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

TEXAS HAS HELP FOR LIVE MUSIC VENUES the Texas Legislature has passed a bill which enables qualifying music venues to receive up to $100,000 in tax rebates on mixed beverage gross receipts of alcohol sales. The proposal cleared the Republican-dominated Senate by a 22-9 vote and the House 102-40. The bill has gone to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.

Lawmakers hope this legislation will help the 200,000 Texans who make their living through music stay afloat.

“The Texas music industry is a vital portion of the state’s economy,” said State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, while promoting Senate Bill 609.

Upon Abbott's signature, the music incubator program would be developed by the state’s Music, Film, Television, and Multimedia Office which would begin taking applications for a portion of the funding beginning September 2022. The program would be funded by taxes on alcohol sales at the venues.

To be eligible for funding, venues would have to have an audience capacity of 3,000 people or less. Music festivals would also be eligible if they are in a county with a population of less than 100,000. Those venues and festivals must have been operating for at least 2 years to be eligible.

The venues and festivals would also have to show that artists are being compensated with a percentage of ticket sales or a guaranteed amount set in advance of a performance.

There is no restriction, however, on what kind of music genres would benefit. Tejano clubs, honky tonks and hip-hop clubs would all be eligible.

The venues must meet at least five of the following criteria, one of which must be described by Paragraph (A) or (B):

(A) the marketing of live music performances through listings in printed or electronic publications;
(B) the provision of live music performances five or more nights per week;
(C) employment or contracting of the services of one or more people who are tasked with two or more of certain positions or services;
(D) having live performance and audience space;
(E) the provision of technical sound and lighting support, either in-house or through a contract with a vendor;
(F) having a space for the storage of audio equipment or musical instruments;
(G) the application of cover charges to one or more live music performances through ticketing or the imposition of a front door entrance fee; or
(H) the maintenance of hours of operation that coincide with live music performance show times.

NO MORE FREE PARKING the properties associated with MGM Resorts in Las Vegas will reactivate they pay to park it yourself protocol beginning June 1, 2021.

Self-parking starts at $15 for up to four hours, and then $18 for four to 24 hours at the Bellagio, Aria, and Vdara. Each additional day is another $18. Other MGM properties fees start at $12 for up to four hours, then increase to $15 for four to 24 hours and another $15 for each additional day.

Valet parking will also be restored.

CAESARS ENTERTAINMENT has pared back entertainment in Las Vegas. In a statement issued last Friday Caesars Entertainment announced they will close several of its smaller venues and shows. Among the venues not reopening is Cleopatra's Barge at Caesars Palace, which means Wayne Newton and Dionne Warwick will no longer have their Las Vegas "residencies." An official at Caesars Entertainment said it is hoped they can find another spot for Newton in their properties. Warwick will concentrate on touring

Also not returning - the Chippendales who starred at their own The Chippendales Theatre at the Rio. Their management told the press that the group has no intention of leaving town and will appear at another location.

Other shows getting the hook: The Anthony Cools Experience showroom at Paris hotel-casino is closing and the shows the "Anthony Cools Experience," "Friends! The Musical Parody" and "Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man" received their walking papers.

Sin City Theater at Planet Hollywood hotel-casino is closing and the shows Tenors of Rock and Crazy Girls are on the unemployed list.

Also not reopening: Back Room at Bally’s hotel-casino and X Rocks, Final Fight Championship at Rio hotel-casino, the Bronx Wanderers and John Caparulo’s Mad Cap Comedy at Harrah’s Las Vegas.

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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.






THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME has revealed its 2021 Inductees, celebrating the most diverse list of Inductees in the history of the organization. They are: Tina Turner, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, Todd lundgren and the Go-Go's. Turner, Carole King and Foo Fighters founder Dave Grohl are all two-time inductees.

Dave Grohl, who founded the Foo Fighters in Seattle in 1994 after the death of Kurt Cobain, was inducted with Nirvana in 2014. King, the iconic raspy-voiced singer-songwriter, was inducted with Gerry Goffin in 1990. And Turner, known as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," was previously inducted with Ike Turner in 1991.

To be eligible for induction, artists have to had released their first record 25 years earlier and "have created music whose originality, impact and influence has changed the course of rock & roll," according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The 36th annual ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. ET October 30 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. The Ahmet Ertegun Award will go to Clarence Avant, 90, a music executive, film producer and entrepreneur who played a part in deals over the last 60 years that involved Black music talent, Black culture or civil rights. Dubbed the Black Godfather, a Netflix documentary about him aired in 2019.

The Musical Excellence Award will go to LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads. And the Early Influence Award will go to Kraftwerk, Gil Scott Heron and Charley Patton.

Next Column: May 23, 2021
Copyright: May 16, 2021 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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