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FAMED MADAME HEIDI FLEISS' CAREER TURNED INTO A MUSICAL RECORDING - LITTLE BLACK BOOK - - GLOBAL CITIZEN'S VAX LIVE: THE CONCERT TO REUNITE THE WORLD
- - CHRISTIANE NOLL: COMING ALIVE AGAIN NAUGHTY
- - LATIN GRAMMY CELEBRATES WOMEN IN A TWO-HOUR SPECIAL
- -
DUB LONDON: BASELINE OF A CITY - - ALICE NEEL: PEOPLE COME FIRST - -
MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY'S SPOTIFY DEAL
- - MOTHERS DAY SHOULD INSPIRE BETTER HEALTH CARE - - DONATE . . . Scroll Down
Copyright: May 2, 2021
By: Laura Deni
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FAMED MADAME HEIDI FLEISS' CAREER TURNED INTO A MUSICAL RECORDING - LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Little Black Book, a new rock musical about the life and times of prostitute turned madame Heidi Fleiss, has been released by Broadway Records. It features music, lyrics and book by Billy Recce. The album centers on the infamous Hollywood Madam of the 90's who now resides in the middle of the deserts of Nevada with her forty parrots.
Fleiss signed off on this recording and is thanked in the accompanying booklet.
The CD has some interesting music, showcasing the talents of Recce.
"Co-conceived by Will Nunziata and Billy Recce and developed as a one-woman rock concert, Little Black Book is a sharp-tongued, raucous, and ultimately moving 90-minute ride. Through 11 pop-rock songs, the show examines a woman who was stripped of everything she worked for by a ruthless tabloid press and an unforgiving society. Stepping into the shoes of Heidi on the album are Tony winner Alice Ripley, Tony nominee Orfeh, In the Heights and Hamilton star Mandy Gonzalez, Wicked stars Jessica Vosk and Brittney Johnson, American Idol alums Diana DeGarmo and Vonzell Solomon, Lortel and Drama Desk Award winner Kuhoo Verma, SIX: The Musical's Samantha Pauly and Billboard artist Natalie Weiss. Tony winner Lillias White appears as Heidi's Mentor, Madame Alex."
Heidi Lynne Fleiss ran an upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles, California, and is often referred to as the "Hollywood Madam". A high school dropout, she said she worked as a prostitute for a short period to learn all aspects of the occupation.
Fleiss has stated that she made her "first million [dollars] after only four months in the business" as a madam, and that on her slowest night, she made $10,000. By 1991, she was so successful that she was able to reject women who wished to work for her. In June 1993, she was arrested for multiple charges, including attempted pandering.
Federal charges were filed in 1994, and Fleiss posted $1,000,000 bail. The state trial began the same year and Fleiss was convicted. In May 1996, her state conviction was overturned, and her appeal bond was set at $200,000. She was convicted of federal charges of tax evasion in September 1996 and sentenced to seven years in prison. Fleiss served 20 months at the Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin in California. She was released to a halfway house on November 19, 1998, and ordered to perform 370 hours of community service. She was finally released from the halfway house in September 1999.
Fleiss's ring reportedly had numerous prominent and wealthy clients. When questioned by British TV presenter Davina McCall about revealing the names of her clients, she replied, "It's not my style."
In 2005, Fleiss announced plans to open a brothel in Pahrump, Nevada called "Heidi Fleiss's Stud Farm". In 2007, Fleiss opened a laundromat called Dirty Laundry in Pahrump, as her plans for the brothel had been derailed because of a "slight complication." In 2009, she said that she had abandoned her brothel plans because she did not want to "deal with all the nonsense in the sex business". Instead, she said, she would focus on renewable energy, which she described as "perfect for Nevada" and "the wave of the future".
Fleiss who lives in Pahrump, cares for parrots. Dr. Drew Pinsky, who treated Fleiss for substance abuse, performed brain scans on her that showed significant frontal lobe dysfunction, which Pinsky surmised was behind her inability to empathize with people, and her propensity for doing so with birds. She had developed a particular closeness to a macaw called Dalton that later died.
Fleiss became the romantic partner of Dennis Hof, owner of Nevada's Moonlite Bunny Ranch. He died in his sleep on October 16, 2018 at age 72. At the time of his death he was running for the Nevada Assembly's 36th District. Hof, whose name remained on the ballot (with polling places posting public signage stating that Hof was deceased), posthumously won election to the seat over his Democratic opponent, Lesia Romanov, by a 68.3 to 31.7 percent margin; under the laws of the state of Nevada, the seat was declared vacant.
The barriers for this musical having legs are several including a 1996 documentary about Fleiss. "Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam (1996), a feature-length documentary film by Nick Broomfield. In the film, Broomfield attempts to discover if Fleiss truly is a "horrible person" and what made her that way.
"The film documents the power struggle among Fleiss, another Madam known as Alex, and Fleiss' former lover Ivan Nagy, himself allegedly involved in prostitution. The film also chronicles the destructive relationship between Fleiss and Nagy, a sort of mutual aggressiveness that both seem to find appealing. The documentary was co-funded by the BBC, HBO, CBC and WDR."
Feiss' comfort zone is living in the world of prostitution. She isn't a sympathetic character.
Turning prostitution and the role of a madame into a performance piece has been done before.
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is outrageously funny. Pretty Woman has heart. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita has substance - politics, power, love, caring for humanity, charity work and an early death.
There is no redeeming social value to A Little Black Book. This attempt to establish Fleiss as a "mother figure" who guided prostitutes who had survived a troubled childhood is ludicrous. This is a woman who, according to Dr. Dru, has front lobe brain dysfunction and can't feel empathy for humans. She was a hard nosed boss. Her "employees" were grown women whom Fleiss controlled in using sex to get money and a luxurious lifestyle from men.
Fleiss, who is a good business person, cracked the whip.
In official releases labeling Fleiss as a woman who "was stripped of everything she worked for by a ruthless tabloid press and an unforgiving society," is a warped analyzes, pandering to stupidity.
In the liner notes Reece writes: "Will Nunziata (director) and I . . . were both deeply inspired by the life of Heidi Fleiss."
Really???
Also, since Fleiss never threatened to release the names of her male clients, there is no powerful name suspense.
This isn't a Jeffrey Epstein type of scandal.
What elevates this effort to whitewash Fleiss is the music.
This is an album of exceptional possibilities about a person/subject matter with a non-existant sympathy quotient. Publicity wise, Heidi Fleiss has been over covered. Yet, the music in this CD raises Heidi Fleiss and her profession into the something-worth-listening-to category. Some of the songs are vulgar, while some of the lyrics are profound.
The overture, which according to the accompanying booklet: "The first voices we here are of Heidi's parrots - as sung by three backup girls - waking their mother up for another day." Don't let the claptrap dissuade you. The overture is intriguing, eerie from the first notes indicating this is a dark effort not a sugar and cream romance story. The artists performing the numbers are flawless.
The official song descriptions beg for sarcasm: Tract 3: Streets of LA is described as "Through her soon-to-be divorced parents have tried to build a comfortable life for her and her sisters . . . their frequent family trips to national parks leave much to be desired"
Yup, we all know that taking a kid to a national park will damage their life.
"Heidi begins skipping class and running off to the city to see movies and bet on horses. Finally, by the time she turns sixteen . . . she needs to leave home to live the life she has always dreamed of."
That would be trolling for men with big bankrolls.
This is a rock album - thus all of the numbers are upbeat. To succeed as a musical it would be better to have a couple of slower, dramatic numbers, so that the album doesn't have the potential of sounding like one long song.
The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard Charts and #6 on the Apple Music charts.
Billy Recce has enormous talent. He is one of the few creatives who has penned music, lyrics and book for a musical. He also did the arrangements. Looking forward to hearing more of his work. The music has substance. The subject matter does not.
Musicians:
Piano, Keys: Billy Reece
Bass: Sean Cortese
Guitar: Jimmy Bie
Percussion: Adam Mastrocola
Trumpet: Rocco Recce
Alto Saxophone: Ashley Everhart
Tenor Saxophone: Scott Beyer
Trombone: Billy Freeman
Flute: Laurel Albinder
Additional Woodwinds: Josh Plotner
Violins: Sophie Epstein, Emma Hasselbach.
Viola: Sophie Epstein.
Cello: Rose Recce.
Addiional guitar, Bass and Keys: Lloyd Kikoler
Arrangements by Billy Recce.
Additional guitar arrangements by Jimmy Bie.
Additional vocal arrangements on Enterrprise by Orfeh
Co orchestrations by Lloyd Kikoler and Billy Recce.
Numbers:
Opening (Heidi) -
Amanda Lopez, Sarah Kleist, and Lauren Robinson
Little Black Book -
Mandy Gonzalez
Streets of L.A. -
Jessica Vosk
My (Much, Much Older) Man -
Brittney Johnson
One of the Girls [Explicit] -
Kuhoo Verma, and Lillias White.
Enterprise -
Orfeh
No Sympathy [Explicit] - Vonzell Solomon
Pandering -Samantha Pauly
Serial Fuckup [Explicit]
Diana DeGarmo
Cage Song
Alice Ripley
Summer in Nevada
Natalie Weiss.
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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
ALICE NEEL: PEOPLE COME FIRST is the first museum retrospective in New York of American artist Alice Neel (1900–1984) in twenty years. This ambitious survey positions Neel as one of the century’s most radical painters, a champion of social justice whose longstanding commitment to humanist principles inspired her life as well as her art, as demonstrated in the approximately one hundred paintings, drawings, and watercolors that will appear in The Met’s survey.
Images of activists demonstrating against fascism and racism appear alongside paintings of impoverished victims of the Great Depression, as well as portraits of Neel’s neighbors in Spanish Harlem, leaders from a wide range of political organizations, queer artists and performers, and members of New York’s global diaspora. The exhibition also highlights Neel’s erotic watercolors and pastels from the 1930s, her depictions of mothers, and her paintings of nude figures (some of them visibly pregnant), all of whose candor and irreverence are without precedent in the history of Western art.
Neel was a longtime resident of New York, and the city served as her most faithful subject. Indeed, the sum total of her work testifies to the drama of its streets, the quotidian beauty of its buildings, and, most importantly, the diversity, resilience, and passion of its residents. “For me, people come first,” Neel declared in 1950. “I have tried to assert the dignity and eternal importance of the human being.”
Through August 1, 2021 at the Met Museum in New York City.
DUB LONDON: BASELINE OF A CITY From its roots in Jamaican reggae to how it shaped communities over the last 50 years, thisr new display explores not only dub music, but also the cultural and social impact it has had on the identity of London and its people.
Until September 5, 2021 at the Museum of London.
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SWEET CHARITY
GLOBAL CITIZEN'S VAX LIVE: THE CONCERT TO REUNITE THE WORLD aires Saturday, May 8, 2021.
President Joe Biden along with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will appear in the broadcast which "aims to inspire vaccine confidence worldwide and help get the COVID-19 vaccines to everyone, everywhere" according to a statement made by Global Citizen.
The show is in partnership with the White House's "We Can Do This" initiative to increase public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines while reinforcing basic prevention measures, such as mask wearing and social distancing.
Also on board are heads of state President Macron of France, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada and Prime Minister Plenkovic of Croatia.
Global Citizen's VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, which will be hosted by Selena Gomez, will also feature appearances by Ben Affleck, Chrissy Teigen, David Letterman, Gayle King, Jimmy Kimmel, Nomzamo Mbatha, Olivia Munn and Sean Penn.
VAX Live will also include performances from Jennifer Lopez, H.E.R., J Balvin, Eddie Vedder and the Foo Fighters.
Harry and Meghan will be serving as Campaign Chairs of VAX Live and will be delivering an important global message for vaccine equity, helping ensure equitable access to the vaccine during the event. The couple has also been leading a coordinated drive across the private sector to raise funds for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX.
The concert will also call on world leaders and governments to pledge $22.1 billion in order "to get two billion COVID-19 vaccine doses, tests and treatments to the world's poorest countries by the end of 2021."
VAX Live will be pre-taped at SoFi stadium – a "large-scale vaccination site" – in Los Angeles with the support of the state of California, the L.A. County Health Department, the City of Los Angeles, the City of Inglewood and E. Stanley Kroenke, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park Developer and the Los Angeles Rams' owner and chairman.
THE ACTORS FUND the national human services organization for everyone in performing arts and entertainment, and Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers recently partnered with Christine Baranski on an auction event: Stage & Screen. The inaugural event raised a total of $138,625 specifically for The Fund, not including the 10% of Doyle’s own profits from the rest of the sale. Featuring a diverse array of memorabilia from the performing arts, the event took place
as a digitally live auction event on Wednesday, April 28, 2021.
With competitive international bidding, the entire sale totaled an exceptional $615,573, far surpassing the pre-sale estimate of $289,300 – 445,850, with a strong 89% sold by lot and 100% by value.
100% of the hammer price of lots 64-147 will go entirely to The Actors Fund, as curated by Ms. Baranski. 100% of the hammer price of lots 148-164 will go entirely to the Costume Industry Coalition. A portion of proceeds from every item sold as part of Stage & Screen benefitted The Actors Fund.
GEORGE STREET PLAYHOUSE STAR STUDDED VIRTUAL GALA BREAKS RECORDS
raising over $452,000, the highest grossing gala in George Street Playhouse history.
The evening featured the following star-studded line-up of performers and celebrities, all of whom are friends of George Street Playhouse: Chris Bohjalian, Felicia Boswell, David Bryan, Jackie Burns, Karen Burthwright, Bobby Conte Thornton, André De Shields, Joe DiPietro, Ann Dowd, Rachel Dratch, Steve Guttenberg, Jeremy Jordan, Laiona Michelle, Nancy Opel, Maulik Pancholy, David Hyde Pierce, Renée Taylor, Mary Testa and Marlo Thomas.
There was even a special surprise guest appearance by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
Encore broadcast available on-line through Monday, May 3, 2021.
CHRISTIANE NOLL: COMING ALIVE AGAIN
TheaterWorks Hartford in partnership with Goodspeed Musicals stars Tony award nominee Christiane Noll May 9-30, 2021.
Directed by Rob Ruggiero with Music Direction by William Waldrop.
A thoughtful, moving and funny (virtual) concert experience exploring themes of motherhood and complex women, through the lens of a Broadway artist navigating a crazy Covid-paralyzed world.
Also, on stage with Christiane are William Waldrop on Piano and Conducting, Celeste Cumming on Cello, Billy Bivona on Guitar and French Horn and Jonathan Barber on Drums.
This virtual concert includes a heartwarming collection of beloved songs from Follies, The Bridges of Madison County; Company; Fun Home; Grey Gardens; Hello, Dolly!; Dear Evan Hansen; Jagged Little Pill; Ragtime; Next to Normal; Wicked; Anyone Can Whistle and Sunday in the Park with George.
Coming Alive Again was filmed live to stream on stage at TWH and Goodspeed Musicals.
This is a benefit concert to support music events and musicals at TWH and Goodspeed Musicals.
SPREADING THE WORD
THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA has a new patron and it's Prince Charles who has assumed the patronage once held by his brother Prince Andrew.
"The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted to announce that The Prince of Wales has accepted an invitation to become the Orchestra's Patron," they announced last Tuesday. "The Prince of Wales has a life-long association with the Arts. During the pandemic His Royal Highness spoke about the importance of protecting the Arts, stressing their enormous importance to life in the UK and to the economy."
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world. The orchestra will mark it's 75th anniversary this autumn.
The orchestra, which has welcomed a new music director, Vasily Petrenko, has pledged to help communities recover from the Covid-19 crisis.
RPO managing director James Williams said he was honored to have Charles as patron.
TAMING OF THE SHREW by William Shakespeare.
Directed by Damien Ryan.
Two sisters. One wants to marry, one doesn’t. What could possibly go wrong?
It's Lights! Camera! Action! on an Italian silent film set in a bygone era. The suitors are lining up to woo movie mogul Baptista’s enchanting film star daughter, Bianca. But there’s a catch: Bianca can’t marry until her elder sister is wed.
Enter Kate — bold, free and fierce, the last thing she wants or needs is a husband. Men conspire to marry this wild woman off to any man who will have her.
Enter Petruchio — Navy captain, in need of a wife. The stage is set for one of the most powerful clashes of wills in history.
"With a sprinkle of old-time movie magic, director Damien Ryan rescues this classic love story from the clutches of controversy, by transporting it to a time when Kate is less of a problem and more of a promise of great women to come. This may not be the Shrew you were expecting, but it will be an irresistible night in the theatre filled with glamour, romance, song and laughter. And a plane."
Cast:
Tania: Ellen Bailey.
Petruchio: Nicholas Brown.
Biondello: Leon Cain
Lucentio: Patrick Jhanur
Vincentia: Barbara Lowing
Katharina: Anna McGahan
Baptista: John McNeill
Curtis: Wendy Mocke
Gremio/Grumio: Bryan Probets
Hortensio: David Soncin
Bianca: Claudia Ware.
The creatives are Design Realization Adam Gardnir. Lighting Designer Jason Glenwright. Sound Designer Tony Brumpton.
May 8 – June 5 at the Bille Brown Theatre, Queensland Theatre in Australia.
This play is also available as part of their new Digital Series, so you can enjoy the best seats in your house.
LATIN GRAMMY CELEBRATES WOMEN in a two hour special to air Sunday, May 9 on Univision.
For the first time on television, The Latin Recording Academy and Univision, will celebrate the journey of women in music through a television special.
Legends, icons, and rising artists will gather to celebrate those who paved the way and inspired new generations – through unforgettable musical performances and never-before-told personal stories.
Hosted by Luis Fonsi, Becky G and Thalía.
Performers: Anitta, Paula Arenas, Ana Barbara, Vikki Carr, Cazzu, Chiquis, Alexandra Cabrera De La Cruz, Aida Cuevas, Lila Downs, Shaila Durcal, Gloria Estefan, Becky G, Kany García, Ballet de Siudy Garrido, Goyo, Leslie Grace, Alejandra Guzmán, La India, Mon Laferte, Ednita Nazario, Nella, Aymée Nuviola, Milly Quezada, Sofía Reyes, Ximena Sariñana, Raquel Sofía, Olga Tañón and Yuri.
Presenters: Camilo, Victor Manuelle and Prince Royce.
MARY POPPINS resuming performances at the Prince Edward Theatre on August 7, 2021. Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular big budget musical will be led by Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp, who reprise their roles as Mary Poppins and affable chimney sweep Bert.
Mary Poppins is based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the original Walt Disney film. The magical story of the world’s favorite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is triumphantly and spectacularly brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs. It first premiered in the West End 16 years ago.
Mary Poppins is booking from August7, 2021 until February 13, 2022 at the Prince Edward Theatre, London.
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which resumes performances at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London this July has announced that Lucy St Louis will play ‘Christine Daaé’. becoming the first black actress to play the role which has now been running for over 35 years in London.
Lucy St Louis starred as Diana Ross in the West End production of Motown The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Her other West End credits include Beautiful The Carole King Musical; The Book of Mormon and Man of La Mancha which starred Kelsey Grammar. She has also appeared in Ragtime at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Rhys Whitfield and double Olivier Award nominee Killian Donnelly will play Raoul and The Phantom respectively. Both actors having previously played the roles in the UK tour. Killian Donnelly is best known for playingCharlie Price in Kinky Boots The Musical (West End and Broadway), Huey in the original London cast of Memphis and Deco in The Commitments. He has also played Jean Valjean, Enjolras and Courfeyrac in West End and touring productions of Les Miserables.
Whitfield most recently played the role of Raou in the National Tour of Phantom. He has also appeared in Summer and Smoke at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End and as ‘Peter’ in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. His other credits include Close to You at the Criterion Theatre and the UK tour of The Commitments.
The cast also includes Saori Oda as ‘Carlotta Giudicelli’, Matt Harrop as ‘Monsieur Firmin’, Adam Linstead as ‘Monsieur André’, Greg Castiglioni as ‘Ubaldo Piangi’, Francesca Ellis as ‘Madame Giry’ and Ellie Young as Meg Giry. At certain performances the role of ‘Christine Daaé’ will be played by Holly-Anne Hull.
Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Phantom of the Opera is written by Richard Stilgoe with lyrics by Charles Hart, it is composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber with co-orchestration by Lloyd Webber and David Cullen.
The Phantom of the Opera is booking from July 27, 2021 until February13, 2022 at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London.
THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE “Live at The Lortel” podcast series features award-winning actress and playwright Charlayne Woodard (May 3), Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang (May 10), theater educator and intimacy director Ann James (May 17), and Tony Award-nominated actress Robyn Hurder (May 24).
Hosted by Eric Ostrow, along with co-hosts Joy DeMichelle and John-Andrew Morrison, season two of Live at The Lortel is dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories of people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and artists who stand in solidarity with the continued fight against institutional racism and racial injustice. Theater makers will delve into their thoughts on the future of theater during this period of radical change. They will also discuss their craft, as well as their professional and personal projects that help to make theatre and the world more equitable.
Live on YouTube via LiveatTheLortelcom.
MOTHER'S DAY REMINDS THAT BETTER HEALTH CARE IS NEEDED
Every day, 830 women die and 2.9 million newborns die annually from complications during pregnancy or
childbirth. Millions sustain serious life-long injuries.
Ninety-nine percent of the more than 356,000 annual maternal deaths occur in the developing world where
women lack access to adequate medical services. These deaths are preventable.
700 deaths occur annually in the United States due to women dying during childbirth.
Worldwide maternal mortality is the leading cause of death for women of childbearing age. Every
90 seconds a woman dies somewhere in the world from complications during pregnancy or childbirth; for every
woman who dies, another 20 suffer disability.
"The main causes of maternal mortality include infection, hemorrhaging, high blood pressure, and obstructed
labor. They are mostly preventable.
A few of the famous women who have died in childbirth.
Both Rachel (Genesis 35:16-20) and the wife of Phinehas (1 Samuel 4:19-20) died after
prolonged and difficult labors.
Daphne Akhurst (1933), five time consecutive winner of women's singles title at the Australian Championships from 1925 to 1930.
Anna of Austria, Queen of Spain (1580)
Margaret of Austria (1611), Queen of Spain and Portugal
Juliane Reichardt (1783), pianist
Vichara Dany (1976), actress
Nan Dorland Morenus (1950; née Evangeline Annette Danke) former Broadway actress, fifth wife of Richard Morenus
Lady Lu (1677), wife of poet Nalan Xingde
Dora Pejacevic (1923), composer
Elizabeth Jane Weston (1612), English-Czech poet
Louise of Great Britain (1751), Queen of Denmark and Norway as first wife of Frederick V. She was the youngest surviving daughter of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach.
Princess Louise of Denmark (1756)
Constance of Castile (1160), second wife of Louis VII, King of France
Joanna of Bourbon (1378), Queen of France
Elisabeth of Valois (1568), Queen of Spain
Gabrielle d'Estrées (1599), mistress of the French King, died following eclampsia
Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1627), Duchess of Orléans
Elisabeth of France (1644), first wife and Queen consort of Philip IV of Spain
Catherine Éléonore Bénard (1769), mistress of Louis XV of France
Eva Gonzalès (1883), Impressionist painter
Catharina Sperling-Heckel (1741), German artist
Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1801), maternal grandmother of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria of the UK.
Paula Modersohn-Becker (1907), artist
T. K. Padmini (1969), painter
Smita Patil (1986), Indian actress and wife of Raj Babbar
Ann Lovett (1984), unmarried teenage mother whose death sparked a national debate in Ireland
Savita Halappanavar (2012), her death caused widespread outrage after doctors refused to terminate her 17-week-long pregnancy, and ignited protests and debate on Irish abortion laws.
Maria of Montferrat (1212), Queen of Jerusalem, died after giving birth to Isabella, also died in childbirth.
Maria Brizzi Giorgi (1812), organist
Koshikibu no Naishi (1025), poet
Kim Jong-suk(1949), second wife of Kim Il Sung and mother of Kim Jong Il and grandmother to Kim Jong Un
Hiromi Hayakawa (2017), singer and actress
Anna Maria de Bruyn (1744), ballet dancer and stage actor
Suzanna Sablairolles (1867), stage actor
C.C. van Asch van Wijck (1932), sculptor
Bisi Komolafe (2012), actress
Chiamaka Glory De Freitas (2017), actress
Modupe Oyekunle (2017), actress
Moji Olaiya (2017), actress
Olabisi Monsurat (2019), movie producer
Christina of Norway (1213), Princess of Norway
Margaret of Scotland (Queen of Norway) (1283), after giving birth to Margaret, Maid of Norway
Barbara Zápolya (1515), Queen of Poland
Cecilia Renata of Austria (1644), Queen of Poland
Maria of Aragon, Queen of Portugal (1517)
Bongi Makeba (1985), singer
Zina Mahjoub (1957), poet
Benedicta Ebbesdotter of Hvide (1200), queen consort of King Sverker II of Sweden
Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden (1254), princess and the mother of the king
Charlotte Slottsberg (1800), ballerina
Emilie Hammarskjöld (1854), composer, musician, member of the Royal Swedish academy of Music
Emilia Uggla (1855), pianist
Elizabeth of York (1503), queen of Henry VII of England and mother of Henry VIII
Jane Seymour (1537), third wife of Henry VIII of England, after delivering Edward VI
Catherine Parr (1548), sixth wife of Henry VIII of England
Mary Powell (1652), first wife of John Milton
Katherine Woodcock (1658), second wife of John Milton
Elizabeth Egerton (1663), writer
Martina von Trapp (1951), was a member of the Trapp Family Singers
Mary Welch (1958), stage actress
Margaret Brooke, Lady Denham (1667), concubine of James II of England
Anne Hyde (1671), first wife of James II of England
Elizabeth Knepp (1681), actress
Fanny Blood (1785), illustrator
Mary Wollstonecraft (1797), author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, after delivering Mary Shelley
Hester Anne Children (1800), from delivering Anna Atkins an English botanist and photographer
Ann Griffiths (née Thomas) (1805), Welsh poet and writer of Methodist Christian hymns
Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (1817), only legitimate child of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. The obstetrician later committed suicide.
Sophia Sidney, Baroness De L'Isle and Dudley (1837), eldest daughter of William IV and his longtime mistress Dorothea Jordan
Eliza Maria Gordon-Cumming (1842), aristocrat, horticulturalist, palaeontologist and scientific illustrator
Elizabeth Emma Soyer (1842), oil painter
Emma Albertazzi (1847), opera singer
Elizabeth Ann Ashurst Bardonneau (1850), first translator of George Sand's work into English
Joanna Mary Boyce (1861), painter
Harriet Kenrick (1863), mother of Austen Chamberlain, statesman and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
Isabella Beeton (1865), author of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management
Evelina de Rothschild (1866), socialite
Florence Kenrick (1875), mother of Neville Chamberlain, English prime minister
Hannah Smith (1889), mother of Edward Wadsworth
Bessie MacNicol (1904), painter
Ida Nettleship (1907), artist
Alice Moorhead (1910), one of the first female physicians in Scotland
Edith Maude Jenkins (1927), mother of Richard Burton
Betty Jardine (1945), actress
Mary Forth (1615), wife of John Winthrop
Thomasine Clopton (1616), wife of John Winthrop
Esther Hawley Lyman (1775), mother of Lyman Beecher and grandmother of Harriet Beecher Stowe
Martha Jefferson (1782), wife of Thomas Jefferson
Phillis Wheatley (1784), first American black female poet
Mary Jefferson Eppes (1804), daughter of Thomas Jefferson
Sarah Lincoln Grigsby (1828), sister of president Abraham Lincoln
Julia Beckwith (née Neale) Jackson (1831), mother of Stonewall Jackson
Waanibe (1841), first wife of Kit Carson
Olive Grey Frost Young (1845), 16th Wife of Brigham Young
Louisa Beaman Young (1850), 9th Wife of Brigham Young
Margaret Alley Young (1852), 22nd Wife of Brigham Young
Elinor Junkin (1854), first wife of Stonewall Jackson
Eliza Polk (1855), first wife of John P. Cochran, 43rd Governor of Delaware
Mary Eulalie Fee Shannon (1855), American poet
Jane McDougal (1862), wife of John McDougal, 2nd Governor of California
Josefa Jaramillo (1868), third and final wife of Kit Carson
Minnie Warren (1878), entertainer
Abigail May Alcott Nieriker (1879), painter
Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt (1884), first wife of Theodore Roosevelt
Susan James Parmer (1889), younger sister of Jesse James
Jeanette Guggenheim (1889), daughter of Meyer Guggenheim & aunt of Peggy Guggenheim
Clara Rudio Pierce (1890), first wife of Walter M. Pierce, later the 17th Governor of Oregon
Halle Tanner Dillon Johnson (1901), first black female doctor in Alabama
Jean Webster (1916), author
Benita Rosalind Guggenheim (1927), sister of Peggy Guggenheim
Nettie Harper (1932), first wife of Thomas A. Dorsey
Axie Pauline Cox (1933), first wife of Red Foley
Marjorie Frost (1934), daughter of Robert Frost
Edith Roberts, actress, vaudevillian (1935)
Marjorie Oelrichs Duchin (1937), socialite
Ruth Harriet Louise (1940), photographer
Nadine Renee (2004), singer/songwriter
Mofya Chisenga (2011), Miss Zambia 2006
and, of course, Lady Sybill on Downton Abbey.
OTHER PEOPLE'S
MONEY
MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY'S SPOTIFY DEAL has received criticism from musicians.
The lucrative deal with Spotify is for The Sussex duo to host and produce podcasts for an undisclosed sum. However, published reports indicate that the
"multi-year deal, likely to be worth tens of millions," has resulted in outrage from artists - especially musicians - who feel ripped off by streaming services.
According to the February 24, 2021 issue of Business Insider "With that part of their income declining and in the face of industry-wide shutdowns on live events, music streaming revenue has become even more critical for artists. Yet, Insider found that Spotify has paid artists as little as $.0033 per stream, with other sites reporting upwards of $.0054.
SONGWRITERS OF NORTH AMERICA (SONA) is set to launch its first ever SONA Warrior Awards on May 23 at 5 p.m. PT, with legendary songwriter Paul Williams as the inaugural honoree. Additionally, the advocacy organization has announced that a second honoree, singer/songwriter/activist Connie Lim (who performs as MILCK), will receive the vanguard New Warrior Award.
"SONA is a leading advocacy organization formed by professional songwriters to advocate for fair pay, safety, equality, and a collective voice for songwriters everywhere. The SONA Warrior Awards offers a platform for music creators to celebrate the immense talent and hard work of their peers. The virtual awards event will feature tributes and performances dedicated to Williams and MILCK."
MILCK shot to viral stardom in 2017 with a cell phone video of her performing “Quiet” with a choir of 25 strangers at that year’s Women’s March. “Quiet” was named Billboard’s #1 protest song of the year and earned distinction as part of NPR’s “American Anthem” series. And in 2018, it brought MILCK to the March’s main stage in New York City, where she performed alongside the legendary Yoko Ono.
As the SONA Warrior Award’s first recipient, Williams, an Oscar, Grammy, Golden Globe, Ivor Novello-winning songwriter, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and Chairman of the Board and President of the ASCAP, is one of the most beloved and respected music creators and spokespersons in the world today. He has penned hundreds of timeless songs including Rainbow Connection; Rainy Days and Mondays; Old Fashioned Love Song, and We’ve Only Just Begun. He is also a relentless creators’ rights advocate and has personally met with members of Congress and testified at Congressional hearings on the need to reform and update music licensing regulations, as well as helping form the coalition that enabled the passage of the Music Modernization Act. He also lobbied federal legislators for COVID relief to music creators and inspired ASCAP’s efforts to provide resources and support to its songwriter and composer members.
“The SONA Warrior Awards is proud to honor the hard work of individuals who are not only extraordinary songwriters, but who are outspoken advocates for fellow artists,” said SONA Executive Director Michelle Lewis. “As a collective voice for songwriters, we are so pleased to celebrate the genius of Paul Williams, as well as his tireless work for the music community. In addition, we are thrilled to recognize Connie Lim, a.k.a. MILCK, for using her artistry to inspire profound change.”
THE AMERICAN THEATRE CRITICS ASSOCIATION (ATCA) has selected five finalists for the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, recognizing playwrights for the best scripts that premiered professionally outside New York City during 2020.
"Top-quality work was staged prior to the COVID-19 shutdowns," said ATCA New Play Committee chair Lou Harry. "Rather than take a year off or combine years, I’m thrilled that ATCA and the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust agreed that outstanding work that made it to the stage in the first three months of 2020 should be honored in an uncompromised way."
The top award of $25,000 and two citations of $7,500 each, plus commemorative plaques, will be presented online at a date to be determined. At $40,000, Steinberg/ATCA is the largest national new play award program of its kind.
The 2020 finalists, listed alphabetically by play (including comments from the judging panel) are:
Graveyard Shift by Korde Arrington Tuttle. The worlds of a couple from Illinois and a small-town police officer collide. "Here’s a play that’s true to our moment: It stares the ugliness in the face, while challenging us to move beyond easy, virtue-signaling posturing." Plus, "the writing is gorgeous, the dialogue is real, and the cross-cutting is deftly handled." Graveyard Shift premiered at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago.
Her Honor, Jane Byrne by J. Nicole Brooks. In 1981, Chicago’s first woman mayor moves into the Cabrini-Green public housing project. "Brooks brings this chapter of history to real, vivid life." The play "toggles so deftly between personal and political tragedy" while "every angle gets an airing, but not in a way that makes the reader feel like she’s ticking off boxes." And the dialog is "smart, fast, and very Chicago." Her Honor, Jane Byrne premiered at Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago.
The Leopard Play or sad songs for lost boys by Isaac Gomez. After a decade away, a young man returns to his U.S./Mexico border home to find the truth behind his uncle’s death. "Powerful in so many ways," the play is "sincere, searching and contains a critique of deeply toxic machismo and how it can poison a family." The Leopard Play premiered at Steep Theatre, Chicago.
Ship by Douglas Williams. A young woman returns from rehab to her Mystic, Connecticut hometown where the most coveted job is seaport tour guide and the most interesting person is a classmate who attempted a world record for longest fingernails. “Finding that balance of quirkiness and believable humanity can be difficult. It’s pulled off here" in a "funny and poignant story about two stuck young people." Ship premiered at Azuka Theatre, Philadelphia.
Verböten by Brett Neveu (book) and Jason Narducy (music and lyrics). In 1983, a band of teens channel their homelife frustrations into punk music. "The characters are real and engaging. The dialogue and lyrics are funny and honest” and “the music is great, too." Verböten premiered at The House Theatre, Chicago.
In 1977, ATCA began to honor new plays produced at regional theaters outside New York City, where there are many awards. No play is eligible if it has gone on to a New York production within the award year. Since 2000, the award has been generously funded by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.
Since the inception of ATCA’s New Play Award, honorees have included Lanford Wilson, Marsha Norman, August Wilson, Arthur Miller, Mac Wellman, Adrienne Kennedy, Donald Margulies, Moises Kaufman, Craig Lucas, Robert Schenkkan, Lauren Yee, Lauren Gunderson, and Qui Nguyen. Last year’s honoree was “How the Light Gets In” by E.M. Lewis.
BOB BAFFERT who made Kentucky Derby history with Medina Spirit victory in the 147th running of the the roses.
Trainer Baffert now has a record seven victories in horse racing’s biggest event.
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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
OLYMPIA DUKAKIS Oscar winning actress died May 1, 2021 at her home in New York City. She was 89.
The actress, director, producer, teacher, and activist acted in over 130 stage productions, over 60 films, and in 50 television series. Best known as a screen actress, she started her career in theater. Not long after her arrival in New York City, she won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1963 for her Off-Broadway performance in Bertolt Brecht's Man Equals Man.
She later moved to film acting and won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, among other accolades, for her performance in Moonstruck (1987). She received another Golden Globe nomination for Sinatra (1992) and Emmy Award nominations for Lucky Day (1991), More Tales of the City (1998), and Joan of Arc (1999).
In 2008, Dukakis directed the world premiere production of Todd Logan's Botanic Garden at Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. That same year she starred in the revival of Tennessee Williams' The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, opposite Kevin Anderson at the Hartford Stage, and co-adapted and starred in the world-premiere of Another Side of the Island, based on Shakespeare's The Tempest, at Alpine Theatre Project in Whitefish, Montana.
With her husband, Louis Zorich, and with other acting couples, she co-founded the Whole Theater Company. The company's first play was Our Town, in 1973. With Olympia serving as Artistic Director, the theater rolled out five productions a season over almost two decades. Among the actors performing with Olympia and Louis were Jose Ferrer, Colleen Dewhurst, Blythe Danner and Samuel L. Jackson.
Olympia's prolific stage directing credits include many of the classics: Orpheus Descending; The House of Bernarda Alba; Uncle Vanya, and A Touch of the Poet, as well as the more contemporary: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Kennedy's Children. She also adapted such plays as Mother Courage and The Trojan Women for her Montclair theater company. Her Broadway theatre credits include Who's Who in Hell and Social Security. She appeared in Martin Sherman's one-woman play, Rose, entirely a monologue about a woman who survived the Warsaw Ghetto, in London and then on Broadway. For the role, she won the 2000 Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding Solo Performance. Twenty-two years after earning her first Obie, she won her second in 1985, a Performance Award, for playing Soot Hudlocke in The Marriage of Bette and Boo.
She's taught acting for 15 years at NYU; has given master classes for professional theatre universities, colleges, and companies across the country. She has received the National Arts Club Medal of Honor and, in 2013, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1962, Olympia Dukakis married the fellow Manhattan theater actor, the Yugoslav-American Louis Zorich who died in 2018. They had three children Christina, Peter, and Stefan who gave them three grandchildren.
CARL LaBOVE a Las Vegas comic who was an original founding member of The Outlaws died April 23, 2021 following a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 62.
At age nineteen he discovered stand up comedy with Sam Kinison. Together, LaBove and Kinison turned comedy touring into rock-n-roll.
Their relationship was as volatile as their comic routines. Kinison died on April 10, 1992 from injuries suffered in an auto crash. In February 2011 The Toronto Sun reported that Kinison had fathered a child with the wife of his best friend and opening act, Carl LaBove. LaBove had thought the girl was his and has been paying child support for 13 years. Eventually LaBove came to terms with that and said he forgave Kinison.
LaBove appeared in the Whoopi Goldberg movie, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, as Earl the guard. He also appeared in episodes of Seinfeld and Roseanne, performed multiple times on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Next Column: May 9, 2021
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