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Copyright: May 7, 2023
By: Laura Deni
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FROM CORONATION TO PARTY TIME: KING CHARLES AND QUEEN CAMILLA OFFICIALLY TAKE THE THRONE

King Charles and Queen Camilla. Her ivory, silver and gold embroidered Coronation dress was created by British designer Bruce Oldfield. Embellishments on the dress include her dogs, garlands of abstract wildflowers, celandine and scarlet pimpernel, and daisy chains to represent the King and Queen's love for nature. Photo: Official Photo from Buckingham Palace. Photo by Chris Jackson

Queen Camilla's gown included embroidery of her beloved rescue dogs. Photo: Official Photo from Buckingham Palace.

Nobody does pomp and circumstance like the British.

On Saturday they proved they set the gold standard as the world witnessed its first British Coronation in 70 years and saw the first crowning of a Queen since 1937. Queen Elizabeth, wife of King George VI, was the last Queen Consort to be crowned.

On Christmas Day 1066, William the Conqueror became the first monarch to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. King Charles III was the fortieth.

Their Majesties traveled from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was created for Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 60th anniversary of her reign in 2012. It is even air conditioned.

The Coronation Oath and the Accession Declaration Oath are the only aspects of the ceremony that are required by law. The anointing ceremony was private and profound.

At King Charles's request music played big part in the ceremony. Handel’s coronation anthem Zadok The Priest was performed as it has been at every oronation since 1727.

Charles and Camilla's coronation included 12 new musical commissions, including a Coronation Anthem by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, a Coronation March by Patrick Doyle, and other works by Ian Farrington, Sarah Class, Nigel Hess, Paul Mealor, Tarik O'Regan, Roxanna Panufnik, Shirley J. Thompson, Judith Weir, Roderick Williams, and Debbie Wiseman.

The Official Royal Harpist, Alis Huws, also performed as part of the Coronation Orchestra.

The King was crowned in St Edward's Chair, made in 1300 for Edward I and used at every Coronation since that time. It is permanently kept in Westminster Abbey. On the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation June 2, 1953, a black cat called Matins was found sleeping on the chair in Westminster Abbey.

Dr. George Gross, Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London, and co-leader of a 10-year study exploring British coronations elaborated: "The Coronation Chair facing Westminster Abbey’s High Altar has been used in British coronations since 1308. The chair was made somewhere around 1296 when Edward I captured the Stone of Scone [or Stone of Destiny] from Scotland, brought it down to the Abbey and created a new chair [to hold it],” says Gross.

“It’s one of the oldest bits of furniture still used. Of course, it doesn’t get used very often, but it still is actively used as opposed to just being a museum relic. It’s remarkable.”

Also remarkable is the fact that the chair has graffiti on it! “Westminster School boys over time got into the Abbey and marked their names on it,” continued Gross. “It looks like hieroglyphics, but it’s just people’s carved initials and signatures all over it.”

Queen Camilla and King Charles watch The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Teams, also known as The Red Arrows. Photo: Official Photo from Buckingham Palace. Photo by Chris Jackson

Steeped in history and tradition, the St. Edward's Crown, made in 1661, was placed on the head of The King during the Coronation service. It weighs a neck breaking 4 pounds and 12 ounces, or about 2.2kg, and is made of solid gold. The St. Edward’s Crown has been used in the coronation of every British monarch since the coronation of King Charles II.

In 1902, at the coronation of King Edward VII, the then Archbishop of Canterbury mistakenly placed the St Edward’s Crown on the King’s head back to front.

Fortunately, for King Charles' head and neck that crown only remained on his head for a short period of time, replaced by the frequently worn - and somewhat less heavy - Imperial State Crown as he left the ceremony.

Queen Camilla was crowned with the one worn by Queen Mary. It is the first time a Consort’s crown has been re-used since the 18th century – and featured diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection.

More than 6,000 men and women of the UK’s Armed Forces – and nearly 400 Armed Forces personnel from at least 35 Commonwealth countries - took part.

The Coronation Emblem for His Majesty’s 2023 Coronation was designed by Sir Jony Ive, who was formerly Chief Design Officer of Apple, Inc.

Royalty tends to change clothes quite often and the Coronation was no exception. For instance, those gorgeous Coronation Robes.

Their Majesties proceeded formally down the aisle, as the weight of the Coronation Robes would have prevented sashaying - although royals rarely sashay.

King Charles and Queen Camilla appear on the balcony. Not another person could have been shoe-horned into the crowd. Photo: Official Photo from Buckingham Palace.

In accordance with tradition, their Majesties wore two different sets of robes during the Coronation Service - the Robes of State and the Robes of Estate. Robes of State are worn on arrival at Westminster Abbey, and Robes of Estate are worn on departure, following the Coronation Service, and are traditionally more personalized in design.

Taking on the task of assuring that the stately robes were spick and span presentable was the Royal School of Needlework’s embroidery team.

The Queen became Patron of the Royal School of Needlework in 2017.

All four robes were seem in full glory during the coronation.

The King’s Robe of State is made of crimson velvet and was worn by King George VI at the Coronation in 1937. In preparation for the Coronation Service, the velvet was been conserved by the Royal School of Needlework, with the lining and gold lace.


Her Majesty’s Robe of State which she wore on arrival was originally made for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The Robe is made of crimson velvet.

His Majesty’s Robe of Estate which he wore on departure is made of purple silk velvet embroidered in gold and was worn by King George VI in 1937.

The Queen's new Robe of Estate was designed and hand embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. The Robe itself was made by Ede and Ravenscroft.

The Royal School of Needlework’s design of the train draws on the themes of nature and the environment, featuring the national emblems of the United Kingdom, as well as paying tribute to His Majesty The King.

Her Robe of Estate uses a rich purple velvet, chosen to match His Majesty’s Robe of Estate, and has been embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework using the Goldwork technique, with the design also incorporating Her Majesty’s cypher. For the first time, insects including bees and a beetle feature on the Coronation Robe, drawing on the themes of nature and the environment and reflecting Their Majesties’ affection for the natural world.

Queen Camilla's robe being hand embroidered by an artisan from the Royal School of Needlework. Photo: The Royal Family

In addition, there are a number of plants featured in the robe, all chosen for their personal associations. These include Lily of the Valley, which featured in Her Majesty’s wedding bouquet and was a favorite flower of Queen Elizabeth II; Myrtle, which represents hope; and Delphinium, one of The King’s favorite flowers and the birth flower of July, the birth month of Queen Camilla.

Also featured is the Alchemilla Mollis, known as Lady’s Mantle, which symbolizes love and comfort, Maidenhair Fern, which symbolizes purity, and cornflowers, which represent love and tenderness. The Cornflower also helps to attract and encourage wildlife such as bees and butterflies.

Broadway To Vegas doesn't know how much wine was guzzled after the ceremony but, in 1308 guests at the coronation feast of Edward II managed to drink 1,000 casks of wine.

If you kiss a toad it will turn into a prince - maybe, maybe not. In any event a toad was named after Charles. The Hyloscirtus Princecherlesi or Prince Charles Magnificent Tree Frog.

The King is merely the King, not a magician - although one might guess he wishes he had the ability to make issues disappear. In any event he does have a few tricks up his sleeve. In 1975, he became a member of the Magic Circle, a society of stage magicians founded in London in 1905, after passing his audition by displaying his ability at performing magic tricks.

He is also well educated. King Charles was the first heir to the throne to earn a university degree. The King studied archaeology and anthropology in his first year at the University of Cambridge, switching to history for the remainder of his degree. His Majesty also spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth (April to June 1969) learning Welsh. While at school, The King played the piano, trumpet and cello. He continued to play the cello while an undergraduate at Cambridge, performing in a symphony concert by the Trinity College Orchestra on December 4, 1967.

The Family was out in full force flanking the King and Queen on the balcony. To their Majesties right: (LtoR) Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh; the handsome James, Earl of Wessex; an all grown up and beautiful Lady Louise Windsor, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence; Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh; Anne the Princess Royal (partially hidden-red plume in military hat); adorable Princess Charlotte; Catherine, Princess of Wales, the lively Prince Louis, William the Prince of Wales. Sophie and Kate wear their Royal Victorian Order Mantle while Edward and William wear their Order of the Garter Mantles. Both Kate and Charlotte wear leaf tiaras. Photo: Official Photo from Buckingham Palace.

Tributes are everywhere - many in unique way.

Villagers in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, spent four months knitting a life-size King Charles that has since been placed on a nearby green. It took more than 100 balls of wool. Sitting alongside the creation is a wheelbarrow, flowers and wellies, in a nod to the King's love of gardening. Anita Armitt, who created it with her Yarn Bomber group in Holmes Chapel during the pandemic, told Cheshire Live: "'We decided to try to do something in the community to cheer it up, to put a smile on people's faces as they walked past. "The King really likes the environment. We know that he likes environmental things and gardening and so let's give him a garden. "It's something for people to look at and enjoy even if they're not particularly royalist"

The Boot and Slipper pub in Barmby on the Moore, Easy Yorkshire has created a 5 ft, 8 inch felt model of King Charles III with a recycled flower pot as a crown. The creation was made by a group of 14 women crafters calling themselves the Crafty Booters. The head of King Charles was created with needle felting, involving matting wool together. The arms and legs are made from tights and alpaca wool. His hands are gloves purchased from a charity thrift store. Customers coming into the pub bow and curtsy to the "king."

King Charles has also had a portrait of him created out using one jar of Marmite and 42 slices of toasted white bread by Wales artist Nathan Wyburn, a former 2011 Britain's Got Talent contestant.

At Legoland, model maker Daniel Anderson and Paul Laughton created a tiny replica of Buckingham Palace with a model King Charles and Queen Camilla standing on the balcony. The creation, which includes a gold carriage and other members of the royal family, such as the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children are also on the balcony. That project used 32,000 Lego pieces over all.

Laughton, the chief model maker at Legoland Windsor also created the after coronation concert party which took six model makers building.

"The bit we are most proud of is really the concert area because there is a lot of detail and to build violins and flutes is quite a task," he told the press.

''I think, something between 25,000 and 30,000 bricks just for the concert scene, which is like a full orchestra and some very famous guests on the day, which is Take That, Lionel Richie and Katy Perry,'' Laughton explained at the launch event.

The display will run until November 2023.

In coronation celebration flags and bunting are everywhere.

Apprentices working for 17 of the country's most famous tailors custom-made one mile of bunting to mark the King's Coronation. The trainee tailors on London's historic Savile Row created sustainable wool flags in red, white and blue.

King Charles has supported the Campaign for Wool, which promotes the use of sustainable wool, since its incarnation in 2010 and has been a patron of the group since 2016, endorsing a ten-point declaration "to support an environmentally responsible, sustainable, and commercially viable wool industry."

The celebratory bunting was fashioned from ethical sources both in the UK and across the Commonwealth.

Famous tailors involved with the project include Dege & Skinner and Gieves & Hawkes.

Chairman of Savile Row Bespoke, Anda Rowland, told newspapers that remnants of Melton cloth from iconic woolen mill Hainsworth had been used for the Coronation bunting.

If all of the hoopla has made you hungry remember that real men do eat quiche as was made apparent when Charles and Camilla selected a spinach and bean quiche as the official dish for the Coronation lunch. It's one of the most versatile dishes imaginable. You can vegetarian or not; add different types of meats, and cheeses, change the vegetables. Don't have cream? Use a condensed (don't dilute) soup such as cream of mushroom, onion or celery. Use whatever vegetables are handy, and it's a great way to make leftovers appealing. Add eggs or substitute artificial eggs like EggBeaters or a store brand. Also an easy dish to make with your children. Serve warm or cold and it freezes quite well. A recipe that easily conforms to a variety of dietary needs.

Wash it all down with a commemorative ale. There are several. Windsor & Eton Brewery has brewed a coronation beer from organic ingredients. and intends to keep making the beer after the coronation.

Swindon's Arkell's Brewery has released a special dark ale to mark the coronation of King Charles III. The limited edition "Coronation Ale" is described as a smooth, chocolatey, traditional style dark ale with an easy drinking body. It comes in at a 4.5% ABV.

The Arkell family has a history with the royal family. In 1953 Sir Noel Arkell, High Sheriff of Wiltshire at that time, attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, he also carried out the opening of Queen’s Park, Swindon in honour of the Queen’s coronation. For decades Arkell’s have brewed commemorative ales such as The Queen Mother’s Birthday Ale, as well as Golden and Platinum Jubilee Ales in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. The firm said they will be sending some bottles of the Coronation Ale to King Charles and Queen Camilla.

Last Thursday Prince William and Princess Kate visited the Dog and Duck tavern in Soho where Orwell used to hang out. William pulled a pint of a beer called Kingmaker.

If you are a dog fancier - specifically the King Charles Spaniel - you have your choice of brews from Aldi's King's Coronation Craft Beers. The can designs are dog-gone clever, featuring Cavalier King Charles Spaniels draped in royal attire. Cans also feature messages such as "Hail to the King".

Aldi’s King’s Coronation Craft Beers are available in four styles.

Session Pale Ale – A British classic with a tropical twist.

Organic IPA – Brewed using a combination of high-quality hops and malted barley, this IPA delivers a distinctive bitterness, hoppy aroma, and dry finish.

Best Bitter - The company says: "With a light, coffee-like finish and toasty, caramel flavours, this British bitter has a deep redness that exudes royalty."

Golden Pilsner - Said to be the crown jewel of the range, the Pilsner promises a modern twist on classic styles. The Company boasts: "Taking hops from the King’s allies in Europe and the US, it offers a distinctive citrus aroma with a bittersweet tang."

If you intend use the ale to help swallow a hamburger or hotdog you can remain celebratory: Heinz has repackaged their ketchup with a new label featuring a crown and bunting labeled "Kingchup'.

Or, If you opt for a shaken not stirred potable there is the "King Charles cocktail" created by Highclere Castle, which sells their own brand of gin. Highclere is where Downton Abbey was set. That venue has offered up their recipe for toasting to the King: 2 oz. gin, 1/4 oz. single malt scotch, 1/2 oz. orange curacao, and 1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice. The ingredients should be shaken in a cocktail shaker with ice then strained into a cocktail coupe and garnished with a rosemary sprig.

A unque mash-up between art and chocolate is an incredible 51-pound, life sized bust of King Charles, molded by the Slough based firm Mars Wrighley, headed by Jennifer Lindsey-Clarke. The company product is called Celebration Chocolates. The amazing bust took four weeks to create and used 2,875 melted Celebration chocolates. Thats 3.7 gallons of melted goodness.

Artisians creating the impressive sculpture were Lindsey-Clark and Tim Simpson.

To represent King Charles medals, the artists used mini bars of Snickers, Twix, Mars, Milky Way, Galaxy and Bounty.

The creation is on display at the confectionery firm's headquarters in Slough, England.

The royal concert at Windsor Castle this evening will be hosted by Hugh Bonneville, who may not exactly be royal although he played Lord Crowley in Downton Abbey and became friends with Queen Camilla when she was promoting the Paddington films he was in.

Tom Cruise and Winnie The Pooh will appear alongside Dynasty star Joan Collins, singer Tom Jones, adventurer Bear Grylls and dancer Oti Mabuse in a series of pre-recorded VTs in which they will reveal "little-known facts about the King."

Stars performing include Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli and Take That will highlight the concert's lineup. Perry, 38, and Richie, 73, have known King Charles for years. Perry has served as an ambassador of The British Asian Trust, a charity co-founded by Prince Charles to tackle poverty and transform lives in South Asia, since 2020. Meanwhile, the All Night Long hit-maker was appointed the First Global Ambassador and First Chairman.

Bonneville will also be introducing The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal College of Music and The Royal College of Art who will come together for the first time for a performance featuring Ncuti Gatwa and Mei Mac.

Also on stage: Paloma Faith, Tiwa Savage, Steve Winwood, Olly Murs and club DJ Pete Tong, who will play his Ibiza classics. The concert will also feature world-renowned pianist Lang Lang as well as recent "The Piano" winner Lucy. Bollywood star Sonam Kapoor will also appear on stage to deliver a spoken word performance to introduce the Commonwealth virtual choir.

A standing ovation for the newly crowned King and Queen. Long may they reign.

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

ART AND ABOUT

STYLE & SOCIETY: DRESSING THE GEORGIANS a major new exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace reveals life in the 18th-century through the fashions of the day.

Men's Court Suit. images by Royal Collection Trust / © HM King Charles III 2023

Visitors will discover through fashion about all areas of life in the rapidly changing world of 18th-century Britain, a revolutionary period when trade, travel and technological innovations fueled fashion trends across all levels of society.

The exciting exhibition explores what the Georgians wore, from the practical dress of laundry maids to the glittering gowns worn at court. Dazzling.

Delve into the Georgians’ style story and get up close to magnificent paintings, prints and drawings by artists including Gainsborough, Zoffany and Hogarth, as well as luxurious textiles, sparkling jewellery, and a range of accessories from snuff boxes to swords.

The exhibition reveals how the Georgians ushered in many of the cultural trends we know today, including the first stylists and influencers, the birth of a specialized fashion press and the development of shopping as a leisure activity.

Court dress – gown, petticoat, stomacher and shoes, c.1740–60 On loan from the Fashion Museum in Bath, England. images by Royal Collection Trust / © HM King Charles III 2023

Highlights include:

Queen Charlotte: a look at the life and fashion of one of Britain’s most iconic queens. Princess Charlotte’s Wedding Dress a story of marriage, survival, and loss.

One of the grandest items on display is the bridal gown worn by Princess Charlotte on her wedding to Prince Leopold in 1816. The silk embroidered wedding dress is the only royal bridal gown to survive from the Georgian period, although over time it has been altered and repurposed for new wearers. The tiny silver threads in the gown make it all more lovely to see in person, as it glitters under the light as you move around it.

The Widest Dress You Have Ever Seen: ever wondered what the ladies wore in the court of Queen Charlotte? This dress from the 1760s should give you an idea. The dress, which is on loan from the Fashion Museum Bath, highlights the extravagant fashions worn at court during King George III and Queen’s Charlotte’s reign. The back will also reveal a gorgeously embroidered train in a matching fabric.

The fashionable gentleman.

George IV's traveling service. Everything you need to know about this Georgian gentleman's grooming case. A mahogany and brass-mounted box, lined with tooled red leather and containing a French silver-gilt, ivory, mother of pearl and cut-glass traveling service, the pieces packed into fitted leather trays. Many pieces are engraved.br>
What’s inside? The luxurious mahogany box is lined with leather. The contents are packed around an elegant silver-gilt basin with layered trays.

The trays contain items for shaving including several razors, a shaving brush, scissors, and a strop for sharpening. Other trays contain a dental kit. There are also ear spoons, a hairbrush and combs, nail clippers and tweezers. Ear spoons or picks were used to clean earwax from the ears.

Among the other objects are several practical items including a winder for a pocket watch with six differently-sized keys. The case also contains tools for making repairs such as a mother of pearl needle case and a bradawl. The bradawl is a pointed tool probably used for making holes in belts.

The case contains boot hooks for assisting in the pulling up tightly-fitting boots. These types of boots were particularly fashionable in this period.

There are also several glass bottles for cologne and hair powders. Hair powders were used during the Georgian period by both men and women. They would be used to remove grease and made it easier to achieve elaborate hairstyles.

The elaborate process of shaving and dressing the hair was lengthy. Many gentlemen would take hot drinks while they were being attended to. In this case, there is both tea and chocolate equipment. A small spirit lamp would be used for keeping the tea hot while it is infusing. There are also utensils for eating such as forks and spoons. Although there are spaces in the case for cups and saucers these appear to have been lost in the past. The case also contains items for writing including penknives, a seal and a chamber candlestick.

On display through June 22, 2023 at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London.

THE MARY ROSE MUSEUM

Photograph of then HRH Prince Charles, wearing a diver's suit, who descends from recovery vessel Sleipner for one of his nine dives on the wreck. Photo: Royal Collection Trust. Steve Foote was the Mary Rose Trust photographer and one of the divers.

home to the wreck of Henry VIII’s warship, the Mary Rose, which sunk in the Solent in 1545. it was discovered off Portsmouth in 1967. The Mary Rose Trust was established in 1979 to manage the salvage of the great ship. As President of the Mary Rose Trust, King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales, has played an active part in supporting the project. He dived as part of the salvage crew 9 times before it was raised from the seabed in 1982.

Charles has been involved with the ship ever since his first dive on the wreck on July 30, 1974.

From May 6-8 visitors to the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth can see the very diving suit worn by the future King during the time he spent as a diver on the excavation.

He was one of the last people to dive down to the Mary Rose wreck in 1982, before watching the hull being raised from the site just outside Portsmouth Harbour where it was sunk in battle in 1545.

In 2014 as The Prince of Wales he visited the Museum, along with Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, and recalled his days of diving in the 'lentil soup' of the Solent.

As a biography of the ships raising pointed out, Prince Charles was almost killed.

Prince Charles was one of the nearest to the frame around the Mary Rose when part of it collapsed.

He told the gathering: "I will never forget the almighty crash as the chains came down and I thought it was all my fault."

He confessed later: "I was slightly horrified but I thought the best thing to do was to be British and not panic."

He added: "I think it was worth taking the risk as we have this truly remarkable example of a Tudor warship which is unique."

The Mary Rose was the pride of Henry VIII's fleet weighing nearly 600 tonnes. The ship was named after Henry VIII's sister, Mary Tudor. One fateful day in 1545, while fighting against a French invasion fleet, she sank in the Solent, the straits north of the Isle of Wight, with the loss of nearly 400 crew. Many of the crew couldn't swim as they were superstitious and believed to learn would tempt fate. The starboard side of the sunken vessel was raised on October 11, 1982, seen by a global TV audience of 60 million. There are over 19,000 artefacts which were found aboard and are on display including musical instruments, longbows and the skeleton of the ship's dog, Hatch.

NEW DIRETOR OF TATE MODERN IN LONDON HAS BEEN APPOINTED Karin Hindsbo, Director of The National Museum, Oslo, has been appointed the new Director of Tate Modern.

Hindsbo has been Director of The National Museum since 2017. The institution was created under her leadership, during which she finalized the consolidation of the former National Gallery, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Architecture, and National Touring Exhibitions. The new museum she and her staff developed was opened in June 2022 in a new 54,600 m2 building, which cares for a collection of 400,000 items, making it the largest museum in the Nordic countries.

Before taking on her current role in Oslo, Hindsbo worked as Director of several art institutions and museums in Norway and Denmark, including Kode in Bergen (2014-17), Sørlandets Kunstmuseum in Kristiansand (2012-14), Kunsthal Aarhus (2009-11), and Den Frie Centre for Contemporary Art in Copenhagen (2006-08). She was previously Editor in Chief of Danish cultural journal Øjeblikket, an external lecturer at the Institute of Art and Cultural Studies at the University of Copenhagen, and an assistant manager and curator at Overgaden, a contemporary art institute in Copenhagen. She studied at the Aarhus University and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin.

Karin Hindsbo will step down from her current role this summer and will begin as Director of Tate Modern in September 2023.

Tate Modern is the world’s most popular museum of modern and contemporary art. Located in the former Bankside Power Station by the river Thames, it opened to the public in May 2000 and attracts millions of visitors each year. The museum’s free collection displays span 100 years of art by renowned artists from around the world, presented alongside a diverse and international program of exhibitions, commissions and events.

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SWEET CHARITY

A GIANT DIGITAL PORTRAIT OF KING CHARLES was unveiled last Tuesday on immersive screens in London. The unveiling by BBC Children in Need and artist Sam Barnett showed a portrait which features hundreds of thousands of individual portraits of His Majesty drawn by people across the UK. Over 5,000 contributions from the general public were needed to break the Guinness World Records title for the most online contributions to a digital artwork.

Visitors can see the digital portrait from until May 8 and they can celebrate the King's Coronation and purchase a special print of the final portrait to remember this moment in history via the BBC Children in Need website.

Funds raised from the sale of each portrait will go on support the lives of vulnerable children and young people across the nation affected by food insecurity.

Free to experience, visitors are able to locate their individual drawing within the portrait using iPads and see their personal contribution on the large screens.

The portrait was auctioned by Christie's at Outernet London during a special auction event on May 4, with proceeds going to BBC Children in Need.

Head of Creative Outernet London, Alexandra Payne, said: "The coronation is a rare moment in history and Outernet are proud to partner with BBC Children in Need to provide a space for the community to come together and celebrate.

"We hope people will enjoy interacting with the portrait in the run-up to the coronation and support the brilliant and worthy cause.'

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE 85th Anniversary Gala takes place Friday, May 12, 2023 at the Hilton Short Hills.

Cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner, live auction and entertainment.

Honoring:
Kathleen and W. Theodore Bourke with the Antoinette Scudder Patron of the Arts Award.

Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Richard L. David, President and CEO with the Byrn/Kean Arts Advocate Award.

Disney Theatrical Productions with the Frank Carrington Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Gala Chair are Marie and Ian Mount.

THIRD ANNUAL IRISH REP GOLF TOURNAMENT on Monday, May 22, 2023 at Bayonne Golf Club, in Bayonne, New Jersey. A links-style golf course and one of the region’s finest private courses. Just a quick ferry ride from Manhattan, the course is an ode to Irish links, with no trees, cart paths or level lies.

Golf Tournament Chair: Eoin Duane, Managing Director, Insight Partners.

The day includes brunch, a day of golf, cocktails, and a festive dinner. All proceeds will support Irish Rep’s mission to present the best of Irish and Irish-American theatre.

SPREADING THE WORD

PAUL ANKA begins his first ever performance tour in the far east. Shows begin Saturday, May 13 in Singapore followed by a performance Monday, May 15 in Bangkok, Thailand. On Saturday, May 20, he'll be delighting fans at the MGM Macau in Macao. On Tuesday, May 23 he's in the spotlight in Tokyo, Japan.

BROADWAY ALASKA beginning in fall 2023, has entered into a a new partnership with The Nederlander Organization, which will bring four major Broadway productions to Anchorage, Alaska each year.

Their premiere season features Hamilton; Come From Away, Six: The Musical, and Disney’s Aladdin.

Hamilton will be in Anchorage playing the Atwood Concert Hall at Alaska Center for the Performing Arts beginning August 17, 2023.

PSYCHO WITH ORCHESTRA Bernard Herrmann's spine-tingling score is performed live to picture.

Thanks to Bernard Herrmann's remarkably inventive strings-only composition, the American Film Institute has ranked the ferocious musical driving force of Psycho among the Top 5 Greatest Film Scores of All Time. The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra underscores the emotional tension of the soul-searing plot, as one of the greatest—and most nerve-wracking—films of all time plays on Walt Disney Concert Hall's big screen.

Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor.

Friday, May 12, 2023 at Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

GET HAPPY: A JUDY GARLAND CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION WITH MICHAEL FEINSTEIN presented by the Kansas City Symphony takes place May 13, 2023 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City, MO.

PRINCE EDWARD, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH will visit the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, Merseyside, just outside of Liverpool in the north of England on May 16, 2023.

The Shakespeare North Playhouse is a cultural and educational venue that opened on July 15, 2022. With backers including Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi Dench, Kim Cattrall, Cherie Blair wife of the former Prime Minister, Vanessa Redgrave and Kathy Dacre, professor of drama studies and wife of the Daily Mail editor Paul, to name only a few, the venue includes a 420-seat main auditorium, a modern studio space, outdoor performance garden, exhibition and visitor centre.

This replica of a royal theatre from the time of Shakespeare, is galleried, eight-sided sturdy raw oak. However, according to published reports, it is roofed, unlike well-known Shakespearean theatres such as the Globe or the Rose, and comes with a deep blue calico ceiling that can be installed or removed as desired. Descending brass chandeliers enable, if wanted, candlelit performances.

The Shakespeare North Playhouse found its inspiration from the Cockpit-in-Court, first built around 1533 for Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn near where 10 Downing Street now stands, as part of what was then Whitehall Palace. It was a place for royal entertainment – first cockfights, and from 1607 and possibly even earlier plays, including Shakespeare’s. Around 1629, some time after Shakespeare’s death, Charles I had it made into a permanent theatre to the designs of the pioneer of English renaissance architecture Inigo Jones. It was destroyed in the 1670s.

EVGENY KISSIN & RENEE FLEMING A masterful pairing of Grammy–winning musicians! Renowned pianist and virtuoso Evgeny Kissin joins superstar soprano and Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor at Large Renée Fleming to headline an extraordinary evening of music. May 10, Concert Hall, Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

MORE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS My Fair Lady at the Old Vic in London will warn patrons of 'portrayals of abuse, abusive language and coercive control'.

The satire was written in 1912 - based on an Ancient Greek story - centers around the English class system as Prof Higgins takes on a bet when he brags that he can change a working-class flower seller into a would-be duchess in just six months.

My Fair Lady will have performance from September 6 to October 28, and will be the first show of The Old Vic's 2023/24 season.

THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY has announced today that, for the first time in the history of the organization, the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards will be held at the Conference and Exhibition Centre (FIBES), in Sevilla, Spain.

The announcement also marks the official start of a three-year partnership between The Latin Recording Academy and the Junta de Andalucía, who will sponsor the 24th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, Latin Grammy Week, as well as several Latin Academy events in the community. In addition, Sevilla joins the celebration as host city for all the events during this year’s Latin Grammy Week, which will precede the Latin Grammy telecast.

This year’s Latin Grammy Week includes the Person of the Year Gala, the Special Awards Presentation, the Leading Ladies of Entertainment luncheon, the Best New Artist showcase—which recognizes the nominees in that category—and a nominee reception, among others.

The Latin Grammy telecast will be produced by TelevisaUnivision in collaboration with Radio Televisión Española (RTVE). Nominees for the 24th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards will be announced on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

ENSEMBLE STUDIO THEATRE/SLOAN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PROJECT 2023 FIRST LIGHT FESTIVAL

The 2023 First Light Festival, part of the EST/Sloan Project to develop plays exploring science and technology takes place May 7 - June 23, 2023.

The festival includes six public readings; two closed readings for internal development; one satellite event; and a Youngblood Brunch, in conjunction with the festival, which will feature five short plays by members of EST’s early career playwrights collective. The Satellite Reading of TThe Kit: Made by Martha will be at Alchemical Studios in New York City.

All First Light Festival presentations are free and will be held at Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City, except for the Satellite Reading.

Since 1998, the EST/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project has developed hundreds of new plays that challenge and broaden the view of science in the popular imagination. Over the past 25 years, the EST/Sloan Project has fostered over 300 plays about science and technology, leading to productions across the country. Each play’s life onstage begins with the First Light Festival, an annual presentation of new readings, workshops, and productions. Mary Elizabeth Hamilton’s Smart, originally commissioned and developed through the EST/Sloan Project, had its world premiere this spring at EST.

The 2023 First Light Festival includes free public presentations of the following works-in-progress as well as a Satellite Event:

ReWombed by Nikki Brake-Sillá on Thursday, May 18.
ReWombed asks, in a world where nothing is believed until it can be replicated, when did science lose its faith?

PIN by Sam Mueller on Thursday, May 25.
In a world structurally designed around binary gender and sex, what would it mean to not only protect trans-nonbinary kids, but to also let them thrive?

Las Borinqueñas by Nelson Diaz-Marcano on Thursday, June 1.
Everyone remembers who created the birth control pill but nobody remembers the women that made it possible. This is their story.

Hello, World by Margot Connolly. Directed by Alex Keegan on Thursday, June 8.
In a coding competition, two teams of teenage girls need to create an app that changes the world for the better - but who decides which app and cause is most worthy?

S P A C E by L M Feldman. Directed by Larissa Lury on Thursday, June 15.
Drawing on history (female aviators, Congress, Civil Rights, & the Space Race), S P A C E unearths the forces at work in our time – and imagines a radical re-start.

With Fellowship by Amanda Keating on Thursday, June 23.
Women scientists study the fossilized dental plaque of medieval nuns while one of those nuns is hard at work illuminating manuscripts, the latest plague raging around her.

Satellite Event: Developed with support from Bechdel Project's year-long ROO Residency.

The Kit: Made by Martha by Jeanne Dorsey on May 7-8 at the Alchemical Studios in New York City.
The Kit: Made by Martha explores the life and work of Martha Goddard, inventor of the first standardized rape kit.

In addition, the 2023 First Light Festival will include the following plays, presented by invitation only, for internal development:
Apple Bottom by Karina Billini.
When a humble neighbor, Andrea, and social media influencer, Belinda, arrive as new post-BBL patients, Apple Bottom Spa struggles to keep both women and the house afloat.

Spray by Emily Chadick Weiss.
Rachel Carson sparked the environmental movement of the 1960s with her research on deadly insecticide while stuck with a trying nephew and resisting romance with a woman.

The Youndblood Science Brunch, presented in collaboration with the First Light Festival, will be held on Sunday, May 21 at EST. The Brunch will feature new short plays centered on science and technology by Jake Brasch, Phanésia Pharel, Lizzie Stern, Danny Tejera, and Susan Yassky.

The EST/Sloan Project (Graeme Gillis, Program Director; Linsay Firman, Associate Director), a pioneering collaboration between the Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is designed to stimulate artists to create credible and compelling new theatrical works that explore the worlds of science, technology, and economics and to challenge existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers in popular culture. Since its inception in 1998, the EST/Sloan Project has commissioned, developed, and produced over 300 staged plays involving over 1,000 playwrights, actors, choreographers, composers, and theatre companies nationwide. Recent notable plays include what you are now by Sam Chanse, Behind the Sheet by Charly Evon Simpson, Isaac's Eye by Lucas Hnath, Fast Company by Carla Ching, and Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a New York–based, philanthropic, not-for-profit institution that makes grants for research in science, technology, and economics; quality and diversity of scientific institutions; and public engagement with science. Sloan’s program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology, directed by Doron Weber, supports books, radio, film, television, theater and new media to reach a wide, non-specialized audience and to bridge the two cultures of science and the humanities.

The Foundation has an active theater program and commissions about 20 science plays each year from the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, and the National Theatre in London, while supporting select productions across the country and abroad. The Foundation’s pioneering theater program began with a 1997 grant to Ensemble Studio Theatre for Arthur Giron’s play about the Wright Brothers, Flight, and has helped usher in the science play as a regular part of the theater canon, making Sloan a coveted commission for any playwright engaging with a science and technology theme or character. Beginning with such renowned science plays as David Auburn’s Proof, Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen, and Alan Alda’s QED, recent grants from Sloan’s Theater Program have supported Mark Rylance’s Dr. Semmelweis, Mary Elizabeth Hamilton’s Smart, Anchuli Felicia King’s Golden Shield, Sam Chanse’s what you are now, Charly Evon Simpson’s Behind the Sheet, Lucy Kirkwood’s Mosquitoes, Chiara Atik’s Bump, Nick Payne’s Constellations, Lucas Hnath’s Isaac’s Eye, Anna Ziegler’s Photograph 51, Leigh Fondakowski’s Spill, and Bess Wohl’s Continuity. The Foundation has also supported a 32-play radio series through L.A. Theatre Works.

Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST) was founded by Curt Dempster in 1968. In 2023, EST established a new shared leadership model with Estefanía Fadul and Graeme Gillis as Co-Artistic Directors following the recent retirement of Artistic Director William Carden. In over 50 years, EST has developed thousands of new American plays and has grown into a company of over 600 actors, directors, playwrights, and designers.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

SUPER MARIO BROS. movie becomes first 2023 film to cross $1bn mark globally The Super Mario Bros. Movie features the voices of Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Jack Black.

WYNN RESORTS, LIMITED has appointed Thomas Schoen as President of Wynn Al Marjan Island, its new $3.9billion integrated resort set to open in Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in early 2027.

"In his new role, Schoen will oversee all operational aspects of the resort, the Company's debut in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region and its first beachfront destination. The project is being developed with local partners Marjan LLC and RAK Hospitality Holding LLC. Set to become a new architectural landmark in the UAE, Wynn Al Marjan Island rises more than 1,000 feet (305 metres) above the sea, welcoming visitors to a premium luxury experience. It will include a modern world-class luxury hotel with 1,500 rooms, villas and suites, a state-of-the-art events center, a gaming area, theater and a wealth of unique dining, spa and lifestyle experiences.

"An industry veteran with more than 30 years of luxury hospitality experience spanning Europe, the UK and Africa, Schoen's appointment will build on his extensive background in opening and operating prestigious integrated resorts to deliver an exceptional brand experience for the iconic new Ras Al Khaimah property."

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THE TONY AWARDS have announced their nominations. Winners will be named at a starry ceremony June 11 at United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights. The evening will kick off with The Tony Awards: Act One, a 90-minute pre-show of live and exclusive content set to stream for free on Pluto TV beginning at 6:30 PM ET. The main awards ceremony, hosted by West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose, will follow beginning at 8 PM ET, broadcasting live on CBS and streaming live (for premium-level subscribers) via Paramount+.

For a complete list of nominations

GOODSPEED MUSICALS AWARDS ANDREW A. ISEN PRIZE to Kendra Garnett. The annual prize supports emerging musical theatre professionals.

This award is funded through a generous gift given by DC-based entrepreneur and musical theatre devotee Andrew A. Isen and was created to give young people who are in the early stages of professional development financial assistance and encouragement to focus on artistic excellence in musical theatre.

Garnett, who is the executive assistant of Goodspeed Musicals, said this upon learning of the decision, "I am incredibly honored to be awarded The Andrew A. Isen Prize! I would like to thank Mr. Isen for his generosity and kind congratulations along with everyone in the selection committee for seeing my potential in the musical theatre industry and supporting my career path by selecting me for this prize. I would also like to thank Ed Wierzbicki and Dic Wheeler for their lovely letters of recommendation and mentorship over the years. I believe this prize is a very considerate and uplifting contribution to the growth of professional musical theatre artists. It means the world to be recognized for the work I have done so far, and I am looking forward to using this prize to support taking the next big steps toward my creative/performing arts career."

Isen served on the selection committee and is thrilled with the recipient. "This was our dream – to acknowledge young theatre artists in the beginning stages of their career, especially those who are rarely recognized for their vital contributions," Isen said. "Kendra has a vision that is unique and vital. I am pleased we are able to facilitate an important step in her pursuit of a career in musical theatre. She has raw talent, a strong vision for her future and a passion to make a difference in the world through her art."

The Andrew A. Isen Prize at Goodspeed Musicals is the first-of-its-kind prize dedicated to supporting emerging musical theatre professionals across all disciplines. Given annually, this prize recognizes a young person between the ages of 20 and 29 who has demonstrated excellence in their work during the previous Goodspeed Musicals’ season. Chosen by a committee of theatrical professionals, the honoree will be awarded $5,000 to aid in their pursuit of a career in musical theatre. The establishment of this award with Goodspeed Musicals will also serve to enhance Goodspeed’s efforts to recruit exceptional technicians, designers and other theater professionals.

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME has announced that they will induct Missy Elliott, its first female rapper. Elliott’s induction comes in her first year of eligibility. Other 2023 inductees include: Willie Nelson, Rage Against the Machine, Sheryl Crow, Kate Bush, George Michael and the Spinners.They were voted in by general balloting.

The following six were selected by a Hall of Fame committee. They are: Chaka Khan, instrumentalist-producer Al Kooper and lyricist Bernie Taupin in the "musical excellence" category. Pioneering guitarist Link Wray and hip-hop originator Clive "DJ Kool Here" Campbell in the "musical influence" division and Soul Train TV host Don Cornelius as the recipient of the annual Ahmet Ertegun Award.

The 38th class induction ceremony will take place in November 3 at Barkleys Center in Brooklyn. The inductees will be honored for creating music that "changed the course of rock and roll.”

"This year’s incredible group of inductees reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define rock & roll," John Sykes, the foundation’s chairman, said in a statement that noted this year coincides with Nelson’s 90th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the invention of hip-hop. GIBSON BRANDS, INC the world’s most iconic guitar brand, has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Cesar Gueikian, Gibson’s brand president, as president and interim chief executive officer, effective immediately. Gueikian succeeds James “JC” Curleigh, Gibson’s president and chief executive officer since November 2018, who will depart the company and step down as a director.

Gueikian joined Gibson as chief merchant officer in 2018 and was appointed as brand president in 2021. In those roles, Gueikian has spearheaded pioneering solutions for brand momentum, product innovation, media evolution and artist relations. He has been instrumental in the resurgence of Gibson, setting a new strategy centered around instruments, sound, and an expansion into media. He brings 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, investor and financier, and a lifelong passion for music and guitars.

Prior to Gibson, Cesar co-founded Melody Capital Partners, an alternative asset manager focused on private corporate financing, restructuring and investing. Under his leadership, Melody grew from a seed investment of $100 million to more than $1.5 billion in assets under management. Before that, Cesar held leadership roles at UBS and Deutsche Bank in London and New York, respectively.

THE OLD GLOBE IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORIA has announced that Adena Varner has been appointed as its new Director of Arts Engagement. A theatre arts leader, creator, innovator, and advocate of diversity and equity in a career that has spanned 20 years, Varner will assume her position at the Globe beginning August 1, 2023. She will lead a department of more than 30 employees and teaching artists that engages tens of thousands of people in neighborhoods around San Diego in theatre and theatre-related programming.

Varner comes to The Old Globe from St. Louis, where she most recently was the Director of Learning and Community Engagement at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.



HERE THERE ARE BLUEBERRIES a new work from multi-Tony nominated Moisés Kaufman and Amanda Gronich.

Conceived & Directed by Moisés Kaufman.

Devised with Scott Barrow, Amy Marie Seidel, Frances Uku, Grant James Varjas, and the Members of Tectonic Theatre Project.

Winner of Theater J’s Trish Vradenburg Jewish Play Prize, Here There Are Blueberries is based on true events surrounding a mysterious album of never-before-seen Nazi-era photographs that arrived at the desk of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum archivist Rebecca Erbelding. As Rebecca and her team of historians begin to unravel the shocking story behind the images, the album soon makes headlines around the world. In Germany, a businessman sees the album online, recognizes his own grandfather in the photos, and begins a journey of discovery that will lead him to a reckoning of his family’s past and his country’s history. Here There Are Blueberries tells the story of these photographs—what they reveal about the perpetrators of the Holocaust, and about our own humanity.

May 7-28 at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser, Book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock & Willie Gilbert, Based on the novel by Shepherd Mead.

Directed by Georgie Rankcom.

Alexzandra Sarmiento choreographer.

Natalie Pound musical director.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a comic gem that took Broadway by storm in 1961, winning both the Tony Award for Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize. It was revived twice on Broadway in acclaimed productions starring Matthew Broderick and Daniel Radcliffe.

A satire of big business and all it holds sacred, it follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook called How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant "company man", the office party, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love.

Featuring Michelle Visage ("RuPaul’s Drag Race") as the voice of "The Book."

Cast includes Olivier Award winning Tracie Bennett as J.B. Biggley.

The creatives are: Sophia Pardon set and costume designer - Lucía Sánchez Roldán lighting designer - Joshua Robins sound designer - Stuart Morley orchestrator - Waverley Moran stage manager.

Misha Mah production manager - Peter Noden casting director - Jodee Conrad producer/general manager.

May 12 - June 17, 2023 at the Southwark Playhouse in London.

MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT book and lyrics by Eric Idle. Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. A new musical lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail from the original screenplay by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.

Directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes.

Music direction by John Bell.

“Always look on the bright side of life…”

Telling the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and the quest for the Holy Grail in song, Monty Python’s Spamalot features a chorus line of knights, men in tights, killer rabbits, and sexy dancing divas. The production also promises "some of the most unforgettable musical numbers you will ever see in the theater on this evening!" The score will be performed onstage by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

Starring Alex Brightman as Sir Lancelot, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as Lady of the Lake, Rob McClure as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Matthew Saldivar as Patsy, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin, and Nik Walker as Sir Galahad.

Other cast members include Phillip Attmore, Daniel Beeman, Maria Briggs, Michael Fatica, Ryan Kasprzak, Eloise Kropp, Daniel May, Shina Ann Morris, Kaylee Olson, and Kristin Piro.

The creatives are: Scenic and projection design by Paul Tate dePoo III. Costume design by Jen Caprio. Lighting design by Cory Pattak. Sound design by Haley Parcher. Hair and wig design by Tom Watson. Casting by JZ Casting.

May 12-21 Eisenhower Theater, Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

ONE MAN AND HIS COW written by Howard Coggins.

Performed by Ian Harris.

A man.

A cow.

A whole shedload of trouble...

Farmer Trevor has a big problem. Given just months to live, he is faced with the dilemma of which one of his three children to bequeath his beloved farmstead to. Each has their own beguiling qualities and Trevor just can’t choose between them. Then one fateful night in the cowshed, help arrives from the most unlikely of sources…

A rural romp, featuring a multitude of agricultural antics and farmyard frolics, all told with homespun charm and wit and entirely in rhyme and song.

Presented by Living Spit with May shows: May 7 - 10 at the The Minack Theatre, Cornwall: May 12 at Artsreach, Cranborne: May 17 at the Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton: May 19 at The Neeld in Chippenham: May 20 at the Marine Theatre, in Lyme Regis: May 25 at The Exchange, Sturminster Newton: May 26 Vallley Arts, in Compton Martin and May 27 at Artsreach, Studland, England.

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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

VAL POLIUTO singer, songwriter, composer, and nightclub entertainer, died in his sleep on Friday February 24, 2023.

Beginning with the Doo Wop sound of the 1950’s, and lasting over 67 years in the music industry, Val is known for his role singing as second tenor, composing, and writing songs with 1950’s singing group The Jaguars.

The group made history as the first inter-racial group to play the Hollywood Bowl, with two black members, one Hispanic, and Val, who is white.

The Jaguars appeared on stage with artists such as: Jackie Wilson, Ritchie Valens, The Platters, The Coasters, The Calvanes, Jan and Dean, Little Richard, Chuck Barry, and the Big Bopper.in their early studio recordings.

When Brian Wilson and Mike Love started the Beach Boys, Val joined them in their early studio recording sessions, playing drums and singing background vocals for 6 song recordings, including Surfing Safari, and Surfer Girl. The early studio session recordings were later released in the CD set Becoming the Beach Boys.

The Jaguars also collaborated on several projects with Art Laboe, the LA radio disc jockey, an on-air radio personality / music producer for Original Sound records. The Jaguar’s soulful version of Jerome Kearn’s The way you look tonight appeared on Art Laboe's Oldies but Goodies Volume I album, which quickly became a number 1 hit in LA, and appeared nationally on Billboard’s top 100 for 235 weeks.

His wife Virginia passed away two years ago. He is survived by his children.

RUTH HUNT NEWMAN an actress, passed away April 24, 2023 from complications from severe intestinal obstruction. She was 87.

Under her professional name, Ruth Hunt, she studied at Yale School of Drama, then earned an MFA from Stanford University. Leading roles at the 1969 California Shakespeare Festival in Los Gatos, led to tours in Judith Anderson's Hamlet; Jesus Christ Superstar, and on Broadway, the role of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon in Crown Matrimonial.

She appeared in Rex Harrison's Emperor Henry IV, and Deborah Kerr's Last of Mrs.Cheyney, numerous daytime TV dramas, and with her husband, Stephen D. Newman, as principal players in the British American Repertory Company, performing Stoppard's Dirty Linen and Cahoot's Macbeth, in England and the US, Later, Ruth continued various TV and film appearances, including Ghost Story with Fred Astaire and John Houseman.

She is survived by her third husband Stephen D. Newman.

TIM BACHMAN a member of Bachman-Turner Overdrive died on Friday, April 28, 3034 after losing his battle with cancer. He was 71.

In 2008 he suffered a heart attack and subsequently underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Tim Bachman founded Bachman-Turner Overdrive with his brothers and Fred Turner. Tim's brother and Bachman-Turner Overdrive drummer Robbie died in January at the age of 69.

The group is most known for its song Takin' Care of Business, and its single Let It Ride which made the Top 40 list.

The group sold nearly 30 million records.

He is survived by his son Paxton.

GORDON LIGHTFOOT the Canadian folk singer-songwriter known for his poetic lyrics and reserved disposition, died in Toronto, Canada on Monday, May 1, 2023. He was 84.

Hailed as a folk icon in Canada for lyrics that documented the nation’s history and culture, Lightfoot’s music has been likened to classical poetry. It was once said that if Canada had a Mount Rushmore, he would be on it.

His 1970 track If You Could Read My Mind was a breakout hit. Other hits included: Sundown; Carefree Highway; Rainy Day People; and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Mar As his peers took a more confessional approach to songwriting, Lightfoot had a reputation for keeping to himself. Throughout his life, he struggled with alcoholism, had difficulty maintaining close relationships and revealed in a biography that he paid a price for letting his career take over his personal life. Ultimately he sobered up, married happily, and continued touring and writing songs into his 80s.

Lightfoot was a featured musical performer at the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Trent University in Spring 1979 and was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in May 2003. In November 1997, the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, was bestowed on Lightfoot. On February 6, 2012, Lightfoot was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. June of that year saw his induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. On June 6, 2015, Lightfoot received an honorary doctorate of music in his hometown of Orillia from Lakehead University.

He was married three times and had six children.

DEBORAH LAWLOR Los Angeles Fountain Theatre co-founder died, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. She was 83.

Lawlor’s extraordinary career began in the ’60s as a dancer, choreographer and actor in New York, where she was a member of the storied Judson Church/Caffe Cino scene in the Village. She moved to South India in 1968. There, she pioneered Auroville, a 12-square-mile utopian international community created for human unity that now holds 3,000 inhabitants from around the world. While there, she also created two full-length outdoor dance/theater pieces celebrating the community. After India, she spent ten years in Australia and France studying ancient cultures of India and Egypt. As an author, she translated the French philosopher and mystic R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz’s work on sacred architecture in The Temple in Man (1977), Egyptology in Symbol and the Symbolic (1978), and esoteric philosophy in Nature Word (1982).

Returning to the U.S. in 1986, she independently produced plays in Los Angeles’ burgeoning intimate theater scene and, in 1990, she and Stephen Sachs co-founded the Fountain Theatre. Dubbed the 'Fountain Theatre’s godmother of flamenco' by the Los Angeles Times, Lawlor was responsible for the Fountain's extensive dance program, including the company’s renowned Forever Flamenco series. Deborah’s 25-year collaboration with Maria Bermudez and Sonidos Gitanos at the Ford Amphitheater and the Fountain began in 1995. In 2017, the Fountain, in partnership with the Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy, premiered Lawlor’s play Freddy, the tragic story of legendary dancer Freddy Herko who was a denizen of Andy Warhol’s Factory and a personal friend of Lawlor’s during her Judson Church days. In 2010, Actor’s Equity Association honored Lawlor with its Diversity Award for her dedication to presenting work at the Fountain that is culturally diverse. In 2013, she received special commendations from the City of Los Angeles and the Spanish Consulate for her contributions to the art of flamenco.

"The Fountain Theatre, as it now exists, would not be if not for Deborah Lawlor," says Sachs. "More than anyone I've ever known, she is the foremost example of utilizing one’s privilege for the benefit of others. She will be deeply missed, but she lives on: in Auroville, at the Fountain, and in the hearts of those she touched and the countless lives she changed."

A memorial celebration to take place on the outdoor stage at the Fountain will be announced at a later date.

Next Column: May 14, 2023
Copyright: May 7, 2023 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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