Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 10, 2019
By: Laura Deni
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NATIONAL TREASURE HARVEY FIERSTEIN CHANNELS BELLA ABZUG

Four-time Tony Award winner and National Treasure Harvey Fierstein effortlessly channels tenacious Bella Abzug in Bella Bella! a world premiere written and performed by Fierstein. Although Fierstein doesn't play the role in full drag, political firebrand Bella Abzug comes to life in this new raucous, heart-rending and absurdly humorous solo show taken from the words and works of the late activist.

I never met her, but I was a fan. She was foulmouthed and fearless. She stood up for women back in the days when husbands basically owned the women they married.

To fully appreciate this wonderful production ably directed by Kimberly Senior it helps to know about Abzug.

Bella Savitsky Abzug (July 24, 1920 – March 31, 1998) was a lawyer, US Congresswoman, and activist with a personality as big as her hats. She was born in the Bronx to Russian-Jewish immigrants who empowered her from a young age to fight the system. She gave her first public speech at 11 years old at a subway station to raise money for the Zionist Youth Organization. Abzug’s passion to be a lawyer lead her to study labor law at Columbia University on a full ride scholarship. She married Martin Abzug in 1944, and ran her own practice while raising her two daughters, Liz and Eve. Her tenacious and exuberant fervor made Bella a controversial icon attracting many supporters and enemies. Bella was a radical before it was fashionable, and was a founding feminist alongside Betty Freidan, Gloria Steinem, and Shirley Chishom. After serving for three terms in Congress, Bella ran for Senate in 1976, becoming the first woman to do so in the state of New York. During the last decade of her life, Bella established and ran several nonprofit advocacy groups working for achieving full rights for women internationally. Bella Abzug was a powerful voice for the ignored and oppressed, with an indefatigable spirit whose agenda was too pure for her moment in time.

Not since gossip columnist Hedda Harper have hats been such a trademark. Abzug wore them as a crown. Fierstein uses them as the identifiable, rather than playing her in drag, which would have lent the possibility of a comic interpretation. As it is, her statements and positions command attention.

I've never seen a John Lee Beatty set that I didn't think was spot on - and that includes this production which takes place at 2 a.m. in a ordinarily functional bathroom in Manhattan’s Summit Hotel.

Set in 1976, on the eve of her bid to become New York State’s first female Senator, this larger-than-life, truth-slinging, groundbreaking, hat-wearing icon squirreled away in the bathroom of a midtown hotel awaiting that night’s election results while a coterie of family and celebs including Gloria Steinem, Lily Tomlin and Shirley MacLaine, are waiting for Bella appear.

Considering the current political climate with the outlandish number of Democratic hopefuls angling to be the contender, and the propensity towards press bashing, this production seems timely. Bella had five Democrats competing in the primary, in what turned into a tight race, an unheard of five-way primary which begins to indicate that she will lose by a hair to Daniel Patrick Moynihan. She insists that her defeat is the fault of The New York Times, because the publisher went against the instructions of the editorial board and endorsed Moynihan. "I have never entered a race I didn't win. Eventually," she quips.

While waiting for the vote to become official, Bella calms her nerves by sharing memories from her childhood to the present.

Fierstein, who knows how to tell a story, is obviously a fan but doesn't totally sugarcoat Bella. She was always in fighting mode and took on anything or anybody who stood in the way of equality - losing more battles than she won - which is the way it always is when you stand up to a misogynist, tyranny and injustice. Or, as Bella said: "Look, I know I'm a pain in the ass, but the rules of the patriarchy were not invented to include us. They were, in fact, designed to exclude us. If we wanted to be heard, we had to be loud."

Costumes, Rita Ryack; lighting, Tyler Micoleau; sound, Jill BC Du Boff; projections, Caite Hevner, production stage manager, Laura Smith. At the Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City.

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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

DOWNTON ABBEY: THE EXHIBITION

The Biltmore Estate at Christmas time.

has arrived at George Vanderbilt's magnificent estate in Asheville, NC. through April 7, 2020. Showcased in two estate locations, the Crawley family story pairs seamlessly with the real-life story of the Vanderbilt family, their friends, and their servants.

Included with admission to Downton Abbey: The Exhibition at Biltmore is a self-guided visit of Biltmore House, America’s Largest Home. Explore the magnificent rooms of this historic home, which are furnished with the Vanderbilt's original collection as it was during the family’s era.

Your admission also includes: Access to Biltmore’s historic gardens, grounds, and Antler Hill Village & Winery and a wine tasting at the nation’s most-visited winery, Biltmore Winery.

Completed in 1895, George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateau is as impressive today as it was more than a century ago. Visit America's Largest Home, built by George Vanderbilt. Explore the 8000-acre beautiful and grand estate.

Vanderbilt named his estate Biltmore, derived from "De Bilt", Vanderbilt's ancestors' place of origin in the Netherlands, and "More", Anglo-Saxon for open, rolling land.

It is a Châteauesque-style mansion built between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 square feet (16,622.8 m2) of floor space (135,280 square feet of living area). Still owned by George Vanderbilt's descendants, it remains one of the most prominent examples of Gilded Age mansions.

THE SIDNEY AND LOIS ESKENAZI MUSEUM OF ART reopened on November 7, 2019 after a three-year renovation.

The Eskenazi Museum has completed a $30 million renovation of its acclaimed I. M. Pei-designed building, which was inaugurated in 1982 and features the architect’s signature triangles and light-filled atrium. The newly renovated museum will be an enhanced teaching resource for Indiana University and southern Indiana, dedicated to engaging students, faculty, artists, scholars, alumni and the wider public through the cultivation of new ideas and scholarship.

The project was overseen by Ennead Architects, a leading New York-based firm, under the leadership of Susan T. Rodriguez (who has since established her own practice) with IU’s Capital Projects office and Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf of Indianapolis.

The installation in the new Featured Exhibitions Gallery displays 51 works by 45 artists, all acquired in the past five years, including work from Robert Mapplethorpe, Kara Walker, Vik Muniz, Ai Weiwei and more. Some of the works in this exhibition represent the first by an emerging or mid-career artist in the collection, while others add to existing holdings by established masters. This exhibition is divided into five themes: Beauty and Identity; Race, Ethnicity and Community; Social Activism; Nature and Place; and Abstraction.

Jim Dine: Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Other Personal Metaphors opened November 7,2019 and is on dispplay through May 7, 2020. Jim Dine is the inaugural exhibition in the new Rhonda and Anthony Moravec Gallery dedicated to prints, drawings and photographs. The exhibition includes the artist’s gift of his 44-plate Pinocchio series, a recent self-portrait print and his first print series, The Crash, which relates to one of his early performative Happenings.

Like his later Pop art works, The Crash has autobiographical significance. Also included are other works from the museum’s collection that highlight Dine’s interests in poetry, psychoanalysis, transformation and the fine art of drawing. The prints and drawings are complemented by treasures from other IU collections, including a first edition of Carlo Collodi’s “The Adventures of Pinocchio” (1883) from the Lilly Library and one of Dine’s first filmed interviews for the National Education Television (NET) in the IU Libraries Moving Image Archive.

CORNELLA PARKER renowned British artist transforms the everyday into the unexpected. Discover an explosion frozen in time, silverware flattened by a steamroller and earth excavated from beneath the Leaning Tower of Pisa, rearranged in surprising and spectacular ways.

Working with sculpture and installation, as well as drawing, photography and film, Parker creates mesmerizing works that are playful yet haunting. This must-see survey exhibition of over 40 works from across Parker’s career is presented as part of the Sydney International Art Series.

On display at the Museum for Contemporary Art in The Rocks, NSW Australia.

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SWEET CHARITY

AN ACTORS FUND BENEFIT takes place Monday, November 18 at the Friedman Theatre in New York City.

Playwright Charles Busch will lead an all-star Broadway one night only staged reading benefit performance of his play The Tale of the Allergist's Wife and he'll take over the titular role, originally played by Linda Lavin. But Lavin will still be performing - filling in for the late Shirl Bernheim, who was the original Frieda. The rest of the entire original all star Broadway cast will also appear - Michele Lee, Tony Roberts and Anil Kumar as well as original director Lynn Meadow.

Premium Orchestra and Mid-Premium Orchestra tickets include attendance to the post-show reception.

SPREADING THE WORD

A SLEW OF CELEBRITIES attended the the DAZN Canelo Alvarez / Sergey Kovalev fight Saturday, November 2, 2019 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The famed who enjoy watching guys trying to beat the stuffing out of each other included: Cedric The Entertainer, Anthony Anderson, JB Smoove, Schoolboy Q, KSI, YG, Kehlani, Gabriel Iglesias “Fluffy”, Mario Lopez, Danny Trejo, Maverick Carter, Charles Barkley, Carlos Vela, Kevin Garnett, Robert Horry, Devin Haney, Dimitriy Bivol, Anthony Pettis, Metta World Peace, Andy Ruiz Jr., Evander Holyfield, Mikey Garcia, Gervonta Davis, Adrien Broner, Gabe Rosado, and Shane Mosley.

As for the fight - Canelo Alvarez knocked out Sergey Kovalev with a vicious TKO in the 11th round to win the light heavyweight title.

now in its tenth anniversary season, the 2019 White Light Festival features events presented in eight venues across the city, including American and New York premieres and the return of festival favorites, through November 24.

"The resonance of the White Light Festival has only deepened during its first decade, as we have moved into far more challenging times here and around the world," said Jane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic Director of Lincoln Center. "The Festival's central theme, namely the singular capacity of artistic expression to illuminate what is inside ourselves and connect us to others, is more relevant than ever. This 10th anniversary edition spanning disparate countries, cultures, disciplines, and genres emphasizes that the elevation of the spirit the arts inspires uniquely unites us and expands who we are."

The darker side of human nature is on display in DruidShakespeare: Richard III a chilling story of power and ambition in a wickedly comic production from Ireland's Druid theater company and director Garry Hynes, which opebed on November 9. The production stars Aaron Monaghan, who appeared as Estragon in Druid's acclaimed Waiting for Godot in the 2018 White Light Festival.

As in prior years, the 2019 White Light Festival will offer opportunities for audiences to delve further into the themes of the festival with pre- and post-performance artist talks, as well as a special panel discussion moderated by John Schaefer. White Light Lounges follow many performances: these receptions are exclusive to White Light Festival ticketholders and provide opportunities to mingle with artists and fellow audience members while enjoying a complimentary glass of wine or sparkling water.

L.A. THEATRE WORKS records The Hard Problem by Tom Stoppard for radio, podcast, online streaming.

Multi-Tony award-winner Tom Stoppard explores the origins of human consciousness in this hilariously mind-bending comedy. Hilary believes fervently that consciousness is more than the sum of our biology. When she receives a position at a prestigious think tank, she develops a novel experiment to prove that humans are intrinsically altruistic, but the results are something she never anticipated. Rosalind Ayres directs Eddie Cahill, Rosie Fellner, Adhir Kalyan, Julian Morris and Moira Quirk.

Each of the four performances at UCLA’s state-of-the-art James Bridges Theater will be recorded live in front of an audience for future radio broadcast, distribution on CD, digital download and online streaming. November 15-17, 2019 at the James Bridges Theater, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in Los Angeles, CA.

TAITEN: NOH & KYOGEN a program of rare, traditional Japanese theater, playing three performances only, Thursday, November 14 — Saturday, November 16 at the Japan Society in New York City.

The program features Taiten, a ‘modern' noh play created to celebrate the Taisho Emperor’s enthronement in 1912, performed by Kurouemon Katayama X, a renowned noh actor and scion of the Kyoto Kanze Association. Per tradition pairing a noh play with a comedic kyogen piece, the program also features Kagyu (The Snail), one of the most popular pieces from the traditional kyogen repertoire, performed by Noritoshi Yamamoto from the prestigious Yamamoto Tojiro Family from Tokyo.

CHRISTINA CRAWFORD'S MOMMIE DEAREST: THE MUSICAL with a book by Christina Crawford, music by David Nehls and lyrics by Crawford and Nehlsy.

The cast will include Eugene Ebner, Maddie Franke, Alexander Molina, Deven Kolluri, Charlie Levy, Blake Sheridan, Leo Ash Evens, Raleigh Shuck, Lael Van Keuren and will feature Tina Scariano as Christina and Dorothy Bishop as Joan. Drew Wutke will accompany on piano. Joe Barros directs. In honor of Veterans Day, this event is dedicated to Christopher Crawford, who fought in Vietnam, and all those who serve our country.

The musical (based on the 40th anniversary edition of the memoir), complete with two New York readings directed by Joe Barros, tells the courageous story of brother and sister struggling to survive the abuse by a powerful sociopathic Hollywood woman against all odds, with neither power nor money of their own.

Christina Crawford’s Mommie Dearest: The Musical In Concert takes place Monday, November 11, at Birdland in New York City.

THE OREGON SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL has announced that this, their 84th year offered highest number of performances—850—to date, along with expansion of audience development, community engagement and giving programs The season closed with attendance of 360,199—82.1% of capacity. Ticket revenue was approximately $21.3 million. The season included 11 productions. Student attendance from 47,336 tickets generated approximately $1.5 million in revenue. In total, contributed income was up approximately 24% in 2019.

While air-quality issues from Southern Oregon wildfires played a role during the Festival’s summer season, as it has in several summers since 2013, no performances scheduled for the Allen Elizabethan Theatre were cancelled throughout the entire 2019 schedule of outdoor shows. Audiences enjoyed 38 performances moved to the Mountain Avenue Theatre located at Ashland High School, resulting in 13,751 tickets sold—92% venue capacity.

The 2019 Green Show season welcomed 55 performance groups to the OSF and the Ashland community, from local to regional to national, for 66 performances presented to approximately 33,000 patrons. OSF livestreamed over half of Green Show performances, beginning on July 31 and continuing doing so through the end of its outdoor season.

THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY has announced the lineup of artists scheduled to perform at the 2019 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year gala honoring Juanes. Performers include current Latin Grammy Awards nominees Cami, Alessia Cara, Paula Fernandes, Fonseca, Juan Luis Guerra, Mon Laferte, Morat, Ozuna, Draco Rosa, Rosalía, Alejandro Sanz, and Sebastián Yatra. In addition six-time Latin Grammy and Grammy winners Jesse & Joy; six-time Latin Grammy winner and Grammy nominee Fito Páez; and past Latin Grammy nominee Pablo López will also perform; and acclaimed guitarist Orianthi will also take the stage. Attending guests will enjoy a special presentation from comedian Andrés López.

The 2019 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year gala will honor 23-time Latin Grammy and two-time Grammy-winning singer, composer, musician, and philanthropist Juanes for his creative artistry, unprecedented humanitarian efforts, support of rising artists, and philanthropic contributions to the world.

The sold-out, star-studded tribute concert will feature renditions of some of Juanes' renowned repertoire and will take place on November 13, 2019, at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. The event precedes the 20th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, airing live on the Univision Network on November 14 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE! aired on television last Tuesday receiving almost universal eviscerating reviews from television critics.

Someday people might begin to comprehend that one medium does not necessarily bode well in a different sphere. A lot of the charm of Disney cartoons is just that - they are animations. Add water and mermaids and the sum of those parts equal - leave the movie alone. It's a delightful movie. Be satisfied with that. The stage production didn't do all that well, so who ever decided to blend the two could be specializing in large arenas not terelvision.

That doesn't diminish the complexity of the project and the accolades which the technical crew deserve.

Director Hamish Hamilton should have business cards which read: "If you have a project which is high risk for a technical disaster - call Hamish." He and his crew made televising The Little Mermaid Live! look easy. It wasn't. More things could have gone wrong than you can count on both your fingers and toes.

Sets were creatively fanciful. The lighting was sparkling. The live performers Graham Phillips Auli'i Cravalho, Queen Latifah, John Stamos , Frank Welker, Edie McClurg and Shaggy - excellent.

Give credit where credit due.

Animated film directors: Ron Clements and John Musker. Associated directors: Hayley Collett, Susan Kopensky and Adam Mishler.

Production designer Misty Buckley. Artie Esposito Puppet Captain / Flounder / Lobster / Soul / Frog. Art Direction by Joe Celli. Alex Gurdon was the lighting designer (as Al Gurdon). Max Chernov art department coordinator. Kyle Doll assistant art director. Sarah Hicks conductor. Eve Nelson music director / music producer.

Choreographers RJ Durell and Nick Florez. Flight direction by Las Vegas based Fly by Foy.

As for the nicknamed Hamish, in February 2010, after 15 years directing prominent multicamera-based television and DVD projects he directed the 82nd Annual Academy Awards and the Super Bowl halftime show. He has directed live concert DVDs for U2, Beyoncé, Robbie Williams, Britney Spears, The Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Bryan Adams, Avril Lavigne, Mötley Crüe and Phil Collins. His award show credits include the MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, and Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows between 2003 and 2015.

In 2012, he directed the televising of the opening and closing ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

He was awarded the BAFTA Special Award at the British Academy Television Craft Awards on 28 April 2013. He won a second BAFTA for Multi-Camera Directing the London Olympic Opening Ceremonies, and was nominated for an Emmy. He received a Doctorate from Stirling University, Stirling on June 25, 2019.

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THE ZIEGFELD CLUB one of New York City’s first performing arts charities to benefit women, has announced that composer and lyricist Rona Siddiqui's autobiographical musical Salaam Medina Talse of a Halfghan which will be workshopped at Playwrights Horizons this month, has been named the recipient of the fifth annual Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award (BBZA). Created to honor a female composer of musical theatre, the BBZA is a prestigious $10,000 cash grant. In addition, the recipient receives one year of artistic and professional mentorship from a prominent composer and a producer of musical theatre.

A talented musical theater composer whose musical One Good Day was recently selected as the ASCAP/DreamWorks Musical Theatre Workshop with Stephen Schwartz, Rona Siddiqui joins the ranks of previous Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award recipients Masi Asare (2015), Anna Jacobs (2016), Shaina Taub (2017) and Julianne Wick Davis (2018).

The 2019 recipient of the Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award was selected by panelists that included Kirsten Childs, Rachel Sussman, César Alvarez, Natasha Sinha, Clara Luthas, Nikka Graff, John Margulis, EllaRose Chary, Shea Sullivan, , Nadav Wiesel, and Laurie Sanderson.

A by invitation only reception will be held on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 to honor Ms. Siddiqui as the 2019 Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award recipient, and NYC based Elementary Music Educator Ayah Rifai as the 2019 recipient of The Liz Swados Inspiration Grant, a $5,000 cash grant for a distinguished female music educator in NYC given by The Ziegfeld Club and underwritten for four years by Academy Award-nominee actor Diane Lane.

Held at the New Amsterdam Theater, home the legendary Ziegfeld Follies from 1913-1927, the ceremony will feature a special musical presentation by Siddiqui, with New York Stage and Film Artistic Director Christopher Burney serving as this year’s Key Note Speaker. In addition, the ceremony will offer a special display of original Ziegfeld Follies memorabilia.

THE MEMPHIS MUSIC HALL OF FAME inducted eight new members last Friday night, November 8th at The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. The newly minted are: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Don Bryant, Steve Cropper, Florence Cole Talbert McCleave, The Memphis Boys, Charlie Musselwhite, Dan Penn and Tina Turner.

SIR ROBERT COHAN the Brooklyn born dancer, choreographer, and the founding artistic director of The Place, London Contemporary Dance School, and London Contemporary Dance Theatre (LCDT), which he directed for 20 years was Knighted during an Investiture services at Buckingham Palace, presided over by Prince Charles, for his services to choreography and dance. At age 94 he continues to choreograph and has worked with thousands of performers across the globe.

ALFIE BOE the English tenor and actor, notably performing in musical theatre. received an MBE from Prince Charles during the same above mention Investiture service. He received the honor for services to music and charity.

Boe and Michael Ball recently joined forces for their third album which was release last Friday.

ISRAELI CULTURE & ARTS AWARDS ("ICA AWARDS") honoring the most impactful Israeli artists have selected five iconic visionary artists as the inaugural recipients. They are: Hanna Azoulay Hasfari (Theatre), Vania Heymann (Visual Arts), Ron Leshem (Film/TV), Ohad Naharin (Dance) and Idan Raichel (Music).

They will be fêted during the America-Israel Cultural Foundation's (AICF) 80th anniversary celebration on Sunday, November 17 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

The ICA Award winners were selected out of nearly 20 finalists by an esteemed panel of judges including artists, actors and authors: David Broza, Judy Collins, Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, Mindy Lang, Liev Schreiber and Edna Landau, as well as a public vote of over 4,000 people around the world. The America-Israel Cultural Foundation supports and develops artistic life in Israel by awarding scholarships and grants. By encouraging Israeli artists and supporting institutions and programs, AICF makes a vital contribution to the cultural foundation of Israel and strengthens Israel's relationship with the United States.

For 80 Years, AICF has identified, catalyzed, and developed the top emerging Israeli artistic talent. Since its founding in 1939, AICF has impacted 18,000 artists – including Anat Cohen, Itzhak Perlman and Yefim Bronfman – and dispersed over $160 million to benefit Israeli culture. AICF has supported Israeli arts and culture around Israel's periphery, mainland and around the world, and in the process has created ambassadors for Israel and put the country on the global stage. The esteemed ICA Awards were inaugurated in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF) and to recognize Israel's greatest artistic contributors.



BEFORE written and performed by Pat Kinevane.

Directed by Jim Culleton.

Music composed by Denis Clohessy and recorded by the RTE Concert Orchestra, conducted by Cathal Synnott.

"A new play with much music, influenced by the golden era of Hollywood musicals Inside Clery’s of Dublin, on the very day this iconic department store shuts for good, Pontius is trying to choose a gift for his estranged daughter, whom he hasn’t seen for almost 20 years. He will meet her in an hour. This father’s journey is both beautiful and strange, from the isolation of his Midlands home, to the madness of O’Connell Street. Some folk are impossible to buy for…"

Featuring the voices of Clelia Murphy as the Announcer, Kez Kinevane as the Guard, and Alex Sharpe as Aster.

Choreographed by Emma O’Kane.

November 14 – December 8 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.

EIGHT NIGHTS written by Jennifer Maisel.

Directed by Emily Chase.

Starring Tessa Auberjonois, Arye Gross, Devin Kawaoka, Christopher Watson, Karen Malina White, Zoe Yale and Josh Zuckerman.

Presented by Antaeus Theatre Company Set during eight different nights of Chanukah over the course of eight decades, Eight Nights tells the story of Holocaust survivor Rebecca Blum, who arrives in America at age 19 to forge a new life. As Rebecca moves through time, the play explores the lives that come and go in her New York apartment, where ghosts of the past both haunt and guide her. "Maisel lyrically weaves together heart-aching moments with life-affirming humor to call out the trauma experienced not only by concentration camp survivors, but by African American descendants of slavery, by interned Japanese Americans, and by current victims of war in Africa and the Middle East."

Developed in the Antaeus Playwrights Lab, Eight Nights was staged as part of the company’s Lab Results series at the end of 2018 and was a semi-finalist for the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. It has been workshopped as part of Playmakers’ and UNC at Chapel Hill’s Process series, Bay Street Theatre’s Title Wave series, at the Gulf Shore New Play Festival and the Berkshire Playwrights Lab, and had readings as part of Playwrights' Union First Peek series and Moving Arts Seasons Readings.

In addition, the play is receiving a unique series of benefit staged readings across the U.S. in 2019: The 8 Nights of Eight Nights series, created in the wake of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, includes readings on eight different nights in eight different cities, including Chicago; New York; Washington, DC; San Francisco. San Diego, Seattle, Mercer Island, WA; and Stowe, Vermont, with proceeds going to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). The benefit series was created by Rachel Leventhal, a long-time collaborator of Maisel’s who had attended the Lab Results reading at Antaeus.

The creative team includes scenic designer Edward E. Haynes Jr., lighting designer Karyn D. Lawrence, costume designer Alex Jaeger, sound designer Jeff Gardner, properties designer David Saewert, dialect Coach Lauren Lovett, new play dramaturg Paula Cizmar and dramaturg Ryan McRee. The production stage manager is Heather Gonzalez.

Performances continue through December 16 at The Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, CA.

LINDIWE by ensemble member Eric Simonson. Music by Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Directed by ensemble member Eric Simonson and Jonathan Berry.

Featuring ensemble member Yasen Peyankov and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the five-time Grammy-winning a cappella group whose message is about the group’s global impact and message of love and peace.

The cast: Buddy Fambro, Jennifer Engstrom, Erik Hellman, Frank Russell, Nondumiso Tembe, and Cedric Young.

As the story travels from Chicago’s Kingston Mines to South Africa and beyond, Lindiwe’s love story challenges us to define the boundaries between this world and the next, all the while exploring the sacrifices we make for love.

The creatives are: Casting Director JC Clementz. Scenic Design Collette Pollard. Costume Design Karin Kopischke. Lighting Design Marcus Doshi. Sound Design Michael Bodeen. Sound Design Rob Milburn. Company Voice & Text Coach Gigi Buffington. Production Stage Manager Laura D. Glenn. Assistant Stage Manager Jacqueline Saldana. South African Cultural Consultant Mlondolozi Zondi.

Performances through January 5, 2020 in the Downstairs Theatre, Steppenwolf in Chicago.

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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.

WHO'S WHERE

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER which has two touring groups brings their holiday show to The Mahaffey Theater, St Petersburg, FL on Wednesday, November 13 and to the North Iowa Community College, Mason City, Iowa. Thursday's show are at the Au-Rene Theater, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Fort Lauderdale, Florida and at the Adler Theatre, River Center, Davenport, Iowa. On Friday they can be enjoyed at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Prior Lake, MN and at the Mannheim SteamrollerJohnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah, GA. On Saturday the performances are at the Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI and the William B. Bell Auditorium, Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center, Augusta, GA. Next Sunday, November 17, they are on tage at the Theatre, Classic Center, Athens, GA and the Sangamon Auditorium, University of Illinois, Springfield, IL.

THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND performs Wednesday, November 13, at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Thursday's stop is at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA. On Friday the show is in Wallingford, CT at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre. On Saturday, the gig is in Waterloo, NY at the del Lago Resort & Casino.

WILLIE NELSON singing his hits on Friday, November 15, in Fort Worth, TX at Billy Bob's Texas. Saturday's romp is in Lake Charles, LA at the Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino.

JERRY SEINFELD telling funny stories November 15-16 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS on stage Tuesday, November 12, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA. On Wednesday, they can be found at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, Saint Augustine, FL. Friday's stop is at the The Mahaffey Theater, St Petersburg, FL. On Saturday the show is at the Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah, GA.

OOT HOME BREW PRESENTS Bowie Goes to the Opera. Straight from the tap, Freddy’s Bar and the Divas of Opera on Tap bring you the Home Brewed Opera series: funny, engaging, immersive operatic concerts in a casual setting. Join the Opera on Tap Home Brewed roster in imagining what would happen if David Bowie went to the opera. And we certainly hope you'll dress up with us.. Freddy's Bar Brooklyn, NY on Thursday, November 14th.

Next Column: November 10, 2019
Copyright: November 17, 2019 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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