Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 13, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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THE NEW MORALITY BY HAROLD CHAPIN SHOWS WOMEN WEREN'T ALWAYS FREE TO SPEAK

Brenda Meaney (Betty Jones) and Michael Frederic (Col. Ivor Jones) in The New Morality. Photo by: Richard Termine

The three-act domestic comedy takes place during late afternoon and evening of an incredibly hot summer of 1911 when temperatures reportedly reached 100. To escape the brutal heat the affluent took to their houseboats, hoping that the sea breezes will make the summer bearable.

Jonathan Bank directs Christian Campbell (Geoffrey Belasis), Brenda Meaney (Betty Jones), Ned Noyes (E Wallace Wister), Michael Frederic (Col. Ivor Jones), Douglas Rees (Wooten), Clemmie Evans (Alice Meynell), Kelly McCready (Lesceline).

One of the couples, Betty and Ivor Jones, have docked their houseboat, the Hyacinth, on a snooty slip on the Thames bringing with them a maid, Lesceline, and their manservant Wooten wearing a tuxedo and white gloves. These are the dwindling days of the Edwardian era.

Betty is beyond annoyed, tired of her husband, recently retired Colonel Ivor, paying what she feels is too much attention to the flirty Muriel Wister, the wife of their nearest neighbor on a houseboat called The Merry Mischief.

Having reached her boiling point she not only visited the Wister houseboat and insulted Miriam to her face using "bad" language, which no one knew she knew, much less her demonstrated proficiency. She also did so in such a loud voice that people lined the shore to listen, gasp and gossip.

The New Morality deals with the consequences of this unacceptable Victorian tirade. Ivor doesn't have a clue as to why his wife is upset with him and threw a tantrum. As far as he is concerned he's only been appropriately civil to Muriel.

It's the following morning and Betty is in bed taking stock of her actions.

This is an era where it was common for decent women to entertain guests while in bed. In her tastefully Victorian decorated master cabin, with a green vocal point bedspread, Betty receives her good friend, the conservative, hat and gloves wearing Alice, who proves to be a good listener. She was also a good listener the previous day when the tirade took place. She heard and remembers every word.

Brenda Meaney (Betty Jones) and Clemmie Evans (Alice Meynell) in The New Morality. Photo by: Richard Termine

Betty's baffled husband, the suit and tie attired Ivor, arrives asking for tea and conversation.

At the time this play was produced the actions of a woman loudly and voraciously swearing at a neighbor would have been jaw dropping. Today, it's more like ho hum another day in the neighborhood. However, this play was groundbreaking, giving women not only the right to an opinion, but the strength to express it.

That totally dumbfounded men.

To appease his wife, Murie's husband boards the Hyacinth to speak to Betty's husband in a scene taking place on the deck. As was typical of the time, no matter the heat, both men are wearing heavy suits complete with ties. An embarrassed E. Wallace Wister demands an apology. Betty adamantly refuses. Gaining courage Wister asserts he will consult his lawyer regarding bringing charges of criminal libel against Betty. When Betty’s brother Geoffrey, a barrister, is called for assistance, he states that anything can be considered criminal libel. Stubborn Betty insists that she is willing to go jail and stands by her insults.

For today's morality, the scene is a bit long, but no doubt appropriate for the time in which it premiered.

Excellent acting with crisp pronunciations. The British accents are easy to understand.

Ned Noyes as Muriel’s husband Wallace Wister walks off with the show with his third act drunken monologue.

A pleasant production which emphasizes that a woman's ability to speak her mind was a hard fought 'new morality.'

Interesting is that when this production first aired at the Mint Theatre in New York City, Benjamin C. Zipursky Professor of Law and James H. Quinn ’49 Chair at Fordham Law School conducted a after play session regarding: In The New Morality, Betty Jones insults result in a threat of liable. Ben’s post-show discussion focused on the play’s interweaving of feminist themes and defamation law.

In this three camera shoot the creatives included: Sets: Steven Kemp - Costume: Karisa Kelly - Lights: Christian DeAngelis - Original Music and Sound: Jane Shaw - Props: Joshua Yocom - Dramaturgy and Dialects: Amy Stoller - Casting Judy Bowman - Stage Manager: Chris Batstone - Production Stage Manager Kathy Snyder - Assistant Stage Manager Arthur Atkinson - Illustration Stefano Imbert - Graphics Hey Jude Design, Inc. - Advertising The Pekoe Group - Press David Gersten & Associates.

Mint Theater Company continues its hybrid season of live performances at NY City Center along with the on-demand streaming of acclaimed previous productions. Through December 4, 2022 The New Morality by Harold Chapin, will be available. It is free. Closed Captioning Available!

The Mint Theater is commemorating Harold Chapin's centennial (1886-1915) with The New Morality. Chapin was killed on the World War I battlefield in France in 1915 at the age of 29. This play was produced five years after his death.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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

ART AND ABOUT

MICHAELINA WAUTIER

Young Man Smoking A Pipe. Year 1650s. Dimensions 68.5 cm (27.0 in) × 58.5 cm (23.0 in)

exhibit is centered around her rare series The Five Senses (1650), this is the first gallery space in the Americas dedicated to the art of Michaelina Wautier (1614–1689), a painter from Brussels all but forgotten until the recent rediscovery of her work. The set of five pictures was virtually unknown until it was acquired by Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo and lent to the MFA in Boston in 2020. Here, it is joined by Wautier’s remarkable Self-Portrait (1645), on loan from a private collection and on public view in the US for the first time.

Wautier’s technique, process, and training are mysterious. Few records about her life exist, due in part to her gender. This exhibition, organized by the MFA’s Center for Netherlandish Art in collaboration with a professor and six doctoral students from Brown University, presents new scholarship about the artist and her unusual career as a female painter working in mid-17th-century Brussels.

The Five Senses and Self-Portrait, all of which have only been attributed to Wautier in recent years, are among fewer than 40 known works by the artist. Wautier focuses on boys—a different model in each painting—performing everyday activities in her detailed portrayals of Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch. Accompanying prints by her predecessors and contemporaries, including Cornelis Cort (1533–1578) and Johannes Gillisz. van Vliet (about 1610–about 1640), demonstrate Wautier’s originality, showcasing how she defied a convention at the time of depicting the senses as experienced by idealized women. In her Self-Portrait, Wautier presents herself both in a formal aristocratic setting and as a professional artist, facing an easel and holding painting tools. Together, these extraordinary pictures are exemplary of Wautier’s unique style and brushwork. The exhibition also features a print after a now lost portrait by Wautier from MFA Boston that has never been on view.

This is the second in a series of collaborations between the CNA and its academic partners that draws on MFA Boston’s deep collection of Dutch and Flemish art in new and unexpected ways, bringing new perspectives and diverse voices to the forefront while showcasing cross-disciplinary scholarship. The previous installation, A Modern Art Market, was on view from November 2021 through October 2022.

The Founders of the Center for Netherlandish Art are Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo and Susan and Matthew Weatherbie.

QUEEN CAMILLA'S

Queen Camilla's Cipher.

new cipher depicts her monogram -- "C" for Camilla and "R" for Regina (Latin for Queen) -- beneath a representation of the Crown, according to a Buckingham Palace statement. "The cypher is The Queen Consort's personal property and was selected by Her Majesty from a series of designs," it added.

Camilla will use the cipher on her personal letterhead, cards and gifts.

It was designed by Ewan Clayton, 66, a professor and calligrapher at the Royal Drawing School, who collaborated with Timothy Noad, herald painter and scrivener at the College of Arms, the artist behind His Majesty King Charles III’s monogram, according to the palace.

During the mid-1980s Clayton lived as a Benedictine monk at Worth Abbey in Sussex. It is there that Professor Clayton honed his calligraphy skills. After leaving the monastery he spent 12 years working as a consultant to Xerox PARC, the research lab in California that developed much of the digital technology underpinning the world of digital communications that we know today.

He is also a member of the Royal Drawing School, a charity founded by King Charles to provide free drawing tuition.

Professor Clayton told the press: “I made nine designs for Her Majesty to choose from and was delighted when she chose the one I also liked best.

“I asked my friend Timothy Noad, a Heraldic painter, to help me with the crown as it had to be approved by the Garter King of Arms and I knew Tim would come up with exactly the right shape and presentation. I am very pleased with the result.”

In 2013 Clayton was named the Craft Champion of the year for his contribution to educating others in the Crafts in the first National Craft Skills Awards. He was awarded an MBE in the 2014 New Year’s Honours List.

Her Majesty's cipher was seen for the first time in public on November 10 on the cross Camilla laid at Westminster Abbey’s Field of Remembrance in London.

THE PORTLAND MAINE MUSEUM OF ART INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION for its new building and campus launched on June 1, 2022. Developed and led by Dovetail Design Strategists, the competition was structured in two stages. Stage I began with an open call, inviting architects from across the globe to form and lead a visionary, multi-disciplinary team that included accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability consultants, landscape architects, and graphic designers. Stage I attracted submissions from 104 teams representing 20 countries, including Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Spain, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and more. In total, more than 250 firms participated as part of the 104 submitting teams, with 46% of all lead architecture firms founded or owned by women or people of color.

This stage culminated in the selection of four shortlisted, finalists teams, chosen by a committee of PMA stakeholders. The four world-class teams were selected for their creative and sensitive approach, their distinctive vision, and embodiment of the PMA’s values of courage, equity, service, sustainability, and trust.

They are:

Sir David Adjaye, Founder and Principal, Adjaye Associates Representing Adjaye Associates with Simons Architects, KMA, Michael Boucher Landscape Architecture, Atelier Ten, 2x4, and John Bear Mitchell.

Chandra Robinson, Principal, LEVER Architecture Representing LEVER Architecture with Simons Architects and Unknown Studio, Chris Newell - Akomawt Educational Initiative, Openbox, and Once-Future.

Fokke Moerel, Partner, MVRDV Representing MVRDV with Simons Architects, Stoss Landscape Urbanism, Institute for Human Centered Design, Pentagram, Atelier Ten, and DVDL.

Toshiko Mori, Founder and Principal, Toshiko Mori Architect Representing Toshiko Mori Architect + Johnston Marklee + Preston Scott Cohen with Simons Architects, Cross Cultural Community Services, Arup, Buro Happold, Hargreaves Jones, and WeShouldDoItAll.

In early December, the Jury will convene to meet with the finalist teams, review the concepts, the collected public comments, and select the competition winner. The Jury is comprised of museum and community stakeholders, global thought-leaders, and world-renowned architects.

The Jury: Kyo Bannai, Board of Trustees - - Mark H.C. Bessire, Judy and Leonard Lauder Director - - Milton Curry, Della & Harry MacDonald Dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture, Principal, Milton Curry ProjectStudio - - Eileen Gillespie, President, Board of Trustees, Visual Artist - - Cyrus Hagge, Chair, Board of Trustees, Owner, Project Management, Inc. - - Jocelyn Handy, Board of Trustees - - Elizabeth Jabar, Board of Trustees, Lawry Family Director of Civic Engagement and Partnerships, Colby College - - Ma´rcia Minter, Board of Trustees, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Indigo Arts Alliance - - Theresa Secord, Board of Trustees, Executive Director at Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance - - Jack Soley, Board of Trustees, Partner, East Brown Cow - - Monica von Schmalensee, Partner, White Arkitekter - - Sara Zewde, Founding Principal, Studio Zewde, Assistant Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Design - - Susanna Sirefman, Competition Director and Jury Advisor, President, Dovetail Design Strategists.

The winning team will be announced January 2023.

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SWEET CHARITY

GIBSON GIVES the philanthropic arm of Gibson Guitars has brought the music community together to stand behind the Ukraine Relief effort, raising awareness and funds to aid the people of Ukraine.

Gibson luthiers have crafted an extremely limited edition run of Guitars For Peace Les Paul Custom electric guitars, which proudly display the unforgettable Azure Blue and Gold colors of the Ukrainian Flag. Gibson partnered with artists to perform with the Ukraine guitars on stage on tour this summer.

Autograph books traveling alongside each guitar have been signed by Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood), Slash, Brian May of Queen, Fher Olvera of Maná, Nile Rodgers of Chic, Paul Weller, Mark Knopfler, Lzzy Hale, Margo Price, Alex Lifeson, Lewis Capaldi, Blossoms, The Fratellis, Kasabian, Madness, Maisie Peters, Paloma Faith, The Charlatans, The Vaccines, Toyah, My Chemical Romance, and actor Jason Momoa, among others.

Available for auction at Julien’s Auctions this week-end, bidding took place both live and on line through today, Sunday, November 13, 2022.

This auction is part of Julien’s Auctions Icons & Idols: Rock ‘N’ Roll live auction at the Hard Rock Café in New York.

SPREADING THE WORD

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA the Hamilton creator and playwright will take to the Summit Showroom stage in Las Vegas as part of the Freestyle Love Supreme performances November 16 and 17 inside the Venetian Hotel.

"I’m excited to take the stage alongside this talented group of performers," Miranda said in a statement. "The beauty of this show is its unpredictability, and I can’t wait to see how the Las Vegas audience takes us on a new ride each night."

In 2004 Miranda co-created Freestyle Love Supreme a blending of hip-hop with improv, which was before he created the Broadway shows In the Heights and Hamilton.

It's described as an improvisational hip-hop comedy group that pays homage to different genres of music while crafting fully realized numbers from audience suggestions. The Venetian says the show will feature a roster of special guests, in addition to Miranda.

Conceived by Anthony Veneziale and created by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale, Freestyle Love Supreme pays homage to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," with a nod to musical roots in jazz, soul, blues and hip-hop. Directed by Thomas Kail, the show is a recipient of a 2020 Special Tony Award.

ANIME NYC one of North America’s largest conventions dedicated to anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture, celebrates its 5th Anniversary at New York’s Javits Center from November 18-20. The convention features three days of over 400 exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, performances, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan, all under one roof. Over 200 hours of programming is planned for the weekend.

This year, over 50,000 fans are expected to gather at Anime NYC from all 50 states and 27 different countries. Countries include: Canada, Mexico, England, France, Germany, Australia, China, Brazil, and Japan.

Anime NYC was founded in 2017 and has quickly become the fastest growing anime convention in the US, second only to Anime Expo which welcomes 100,000+ attendees in Los Angeles. Anime NYC has presented the largest Japanese concerts in NYC history and global premieres, before even Tokyo. The convention works with major companies in the Japanese entertainment world including Aniplex, Bandai Namco, Crunchyroll, GKIDS, HIDIVE, Kodansha, Sentai, TMS, VIZ Media, and Yen Press.

Anime NYC welcomes guests and panelists from across the US and Japan. Confirmed guests and panelists for this year’s convention include: Shuko Murase, Akihiro Nishino, Studio TRIGGER, Yoko Shimomura, and Johnny Yong Bosch.

SONGBOOK SUNDAYS created and hosted by Deborah Grace Winer, celebrating the American Songbook continues at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's with Always Irving Berlin on Sunday, November 20 at Lincoln Center in New York City.

A swinging celebration of the songs of America's, most legendary singwruter. Starring Grammy award winner Debbie Boone, Broadway star Darius de Haas and rising star Anais Reno will also feature a multi international band. Hosted and curated by Winer, the set includes Berlin classics, and a few stories. Music director Joe Davidian and is complimented by an all star phythm sectionn of Jay Leonhart on bass, and Jerome Jennings on drums, with rising star Abdias Armenteros on tenor saxophone.

HARRY CONNICK, JR. on tour with his band as 2022 draws to a close. He has a definitive take on Christmas classics, as well as his own originals and fan favorites like (It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus and When My Heart Finds Christmas. He performs November 18 in Hershey, PA at the Hershey Theatre. The next night he can be enjoyed in Philadelphia, PA at the Academy of Music. On November 20 he's on stage in Richmond, VA at the Altria Theater.

EAST LYNNE THEATER COMPANY to honor the 159th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, East Lynne Theater Company presents Gettysburg: One Woman’s War, two stories read by Michèle LaRue from Elsie Singmaster's moving 1913 classic book, Gettysburg: ?Stories of the Red Harvest and the Aftermath.

The performance takes place on the actual day, November 19, that President Lincoln delivered his famous speech.

This is the final reading in ELTC's Tales of the Victorians series for 2022, and like the other presentations, it will be outside. Light refreshments will be served. The Cape Ma, New Jersey y location will be revealed when the reservation is made. This is the 33rd year of Tales of the Victorians, in which ELTC actors read American short stories, famous speeches, and one-act plays, while guests enjoy tea and homemade treats, at different Cape May locations.

THE GENIUS OF COLE PORTER join Harvey Granat for a celebration of Cole Porter in song and story. Granat will focus his expertise on The Great American Songbook on this iconic creator of some of our most popular songs. The legendary Porter is one of a handful of composers who also wrote all the lyrics. His lyrics have been recognized for their sophistication and wit.

You'll hear live performances from shows and films including "Anything Goes", "Kiss Me Kate", "Can Can", "Silk Stockings and "High Society", stories behind their creation, as well as special videos featuring Ethel Merman, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Howard Keel & Kathryn Grayson.

Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 92Y in New York City.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

WYNN CASINO IN THE UAE promises to be bigger than anything in Las Vegas, according to Wynn Resorts' statement to Hotelier which broke the story.

Located on Dream Island in Ras Al Khaimah the casino is to be called Wynn Marjan. The casino will be about 18,500 sq. ft, double the size of the Las Vegas Wynn property.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO . . .

KING CHARLES III who is known to like birthday cake, gets to eat his fill this week.

On November 14 the birthday boy turns 74 and celebrates his first birthday since ascending the throne.

Expect lots of gun salutes - and birthday cake.



ONLY GOLD a new musical with music and lyrics by Kate Nash and a book by Tony Award winner Andy Blankenbuehler and Ted Malawer.

Directed and choreographed by Blankenbuehler.

Told through a sweeping, transformative fusion of dance and theater, Only Gold is a tale of love — lost, found, and rediscovered. This world premiere celebrates the virtuosic choreography of 3-time Tony Award-winner Andy Blankenbuehler against a vibrant score by pop sensation Kate Nash. Set amid the glamor of 1920s Paris, a royal family from a far-off land arrives with the hope that the city’s magical spark will rekindle the love between King and Queen and reconnect Mother and Daughter. But following your heart comes with a price—is it too late to make a change? And what will it cost them along the way?

Only Gold stars Kate Nash, Emmy Award and three-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann (Pippin), Tony Award nominee Karine Plantadit (Come Fly Away), “So You Think You Can Dance” winner Gaby Diaz (West Side Story), Hannah Cruz (Suffs), Ryan Steele (Carousel), and Ryan VanDenBoom (MJ).

The cast also features Haley Fish, Jennifer Florentino, Jacob Guzman, Tyler Hanes, Thayne Jasperson, Reed Luplau, Morgan Marcell, Ximone Rose, Ida Saki, Ahmad Simmons, DeAnne Stewart, Voltaire Wade-Greene, and Katie Webber. Swings and understudies for the production include Jacob Burns, Phil Colgan, Bradley Dean, Victoria Fiore, Samantha Pollino, and Eleri Ward.

Only Gold features scenic design by Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee David Korins, costume design by Anita Yavich, lighting design by Tony Award winner Jeff Croiter, sound design by Tony Award winner Nevin Steinberg, hair & wig design by Tom Watson, prop supervision by Samantha Shoffner, arrangements and orchestrations by Cian McCarthy, vocal arrangements by Grammy and two-time Tony Award winner Tom Kitt, additional arrangements and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, music supervision by Meg Zervoulis, music direction by Cynthia Meng, and music coordination by Michael Aarons. Pat Sosnow is the Production Stage Manager and Matthew Henao is the Assistant Stage Manager. Casting is by Rachel Hoffman, CSA and Lindsay Levine of The Telsey Office.

The production is at the MCC Theater’s Newman Mills Theater in New York City with a limited run through November 27, 2022.

AUTO-ENGRAIN writter and performerd by Helena Collins O'Connor.

Directed by Ella Faye-Donley.

Therapist (Voiceover) by Bethany Monk Lane.

Lets talk about toxicity, red flags and masturbation… no sugar coating. Botanist Kate finally decides it's high time she laid it all out in therapy! Exploring how a simple thing like an ex can be embedded into the mind so everything becomes automatically engrained as normal… but it isn’t normal, is it? Kate thought so, until now.

A harrowing and blunt re-telling of a woman’s experience of a past relationship and how she got to now. We Are Bosstress presents "a semi-autobiographical piece containing elements of humor with an essence of factual fiction."

The show debuted at Clapham Fringe Festival & was one of the only shows to be extended. lt then transferred the The Pleasance Theatre. Founded in 2021, We Are Bosstress was created not only as a theatre company but a platform to discuss and tackle the difficult subjects we as a society face on a daily basis. By using theatre, the company aims to create a shared empowerment for audience members and other creatives to the theatre company. It plans to release a series of workshops for universities next year, alongside the show, as part of an education platform on creating theatre in a safe space from real experiences.

Sound Designer Sophie O'Neill - Tech Operators Han Sayles & Can Avni - Marketing & PR Emma Erin, Nina Atesh & Helena Collins O'Connor.

November 15-19 at King's Head Theatre in London.

BECKY NURSE OF SALEM by Sarah Ruhl.

Directed by Rebecca Taichman.

"In the wake of the 2016 election, Ruhl found herself thinking about the long unforgiving road that women in American society travel on – with choruses of "lock her up" hearkening back to the 17th century Salem witch trials. Employing her beautiful precision with language and her singular sense of humor, she created Becky Nurse of Salem – a dark comedy about a modern-day descendent of accused Salem witch Rebecca Nurse.

Starring Tony Award winner Deirdre O'Connell and Bernard White.

Our 21st century Becky (Deirdre O’Connell) gives tours in the Salem Witch Museum, and is about to lose her job for going off-script - and off-color - with a visiting student group. (Is it her fault her boss doesn’t believe her when she says the actual trials took place in the spot now occupied by the Dunkin’ Donuts and not the Walgreens? Why won’t anyone listen to her?) Out of work and out of love, Becky Nurse is an ordinary but strong-willed grandmother just trying to get by in post-Obama America. She looks for love and redemption through spells, pills, and a bartender named Bob (White), Becky turns to a bit of witchcraft to set things right and have her voice heard.

In the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, New York City.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS based on the novel by Emily Brontë.

Adapted and directed by Emma Rice.

Emma Rice reimagines Emily Brontë’s Gothic masterpiece with live music, dance, passion, hope, and a dash of impish irreverence, creating an intoxicating revenge tragedy for today.

Rescued from the Liverpool docks as a child, Heathcliff is adopted by the Earnshaws and taken to live at Wuthering Heights. He finds a kindred spirit in Catherine Earnshaw and a fierce love ignites. When forced apart, a brutal chain of events is unleashed. Emma Rice reimagines Emily Brontë’s gothic masterpiece with live music, dance, passion, hope, and a dash of impish irreverence, creating an intoxicating revenge tragedy for today.

Featuring: Sam Archer Georgia Bruce, richardp Castro, Katy Ellis, Stephanie Elstob, Lloyd Gorman, TJ Holmes, Hordan Laviniere, Tama Phethean, Eleanor Sutton, Frances Earnshaw, Liam Tamme, Sid Goldsmith, Pat Moran and Jeevan Singh.

A National Theatre, Wise Children, Bristol Old Vic, and York Theatre Royal co-production West Coast premiere at the Roda Theatre at Berkeley Rep in Berkeley California November 18, 2022-January 1, 2023.

ANATOMY OF GRAY written by Jim Leonard.

Directed by Ben Martin.

The Open Fist production stars Erica Mae McNeal and Rebekah Paugam alternating in the role of June. Other double-cast parts include Martha Demson and Alina Phelan as June’s mother, Rebekah; Jeremy Guskin and David Shofner as Dr. Galen P. Gray; and Beth Robbins and Debba Rofheart as Maggie, owner of the local tavern. Portraying the other townspeople are Alexander Wells as Pastor Phineas Wingfield and Lane Allison as his sister, Tiny; Rosie Byrne and James Fowler as Belva and Crutch Collins; and Alex Hogy as Homer, a local teen who pines after June. Set at the end of the 19th century in the small town of Gray, Indiana, following the death of her father, 15-year-old June prays for a "healer" so no one in town will ever have to suffer again. When a man literally blows into town in a hot air balloon, she thinks her prayer has been answered. At first, the new doctor cures anything and everything; but soon his presence leads to a clash between faith and science.

The creative team includes scenic designer Jan Munroe, lighting designer Gavan Wyrick, sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett, costume designer Mylette Nora, and prop masters Bruce Dickinson and Ina Shumaker. The production stage manager is Jennifer Palumbo.

Anatomy of Gray was originally staged at Circle Repertory Theatre in New York, and has subsequently been staged at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and at A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle. Leonard is currently adapting it into a musical with composers and lyricists Beth Thornley and Robert Cairns, with whom he collaborated on the musical Bad Apples.

Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company with performances through January 21, 2023 at the Atwater Village Theatre in Los Angeles.

CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT A New Musical. Book by Emmy-winning commentator and journalist Patrick Pacheco and Erik Forrest Jackson, music by Tony nominee Jason Howland, and lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz.

Directed by Amy Anders Corcoran.

Choreography by Marjorie Failoni.

Smart Housekeeping columnist Liz Lane, a famous expert on marriage, cooking and homemaking, is asked by her publisher to host a war hero for Christmas dinner at her renowned Connecticut farmhouse. The only problem? She can’t cook, she isn’t married and she lives in a tiny New York apartment. Based on the classic 1945 Warner Bros. film, this World Premiere musical comedy is a delightfully cheerful way to celebrate the holiday season!

Principals: Audrey Cardwell (Liz Sandor) - Ed Dixon (Alexander Yardley) - Matt Bogart (Victor Beecham) - Josh Breckenridge (Jefferson Jones) - Raymond J. Lee (Dudley Beecham) - James Judy (Felix Bassenak) - Tina Stafford (Norah O’Connor) Rashidra Scott (Gladys Higgenbottom).

Ensemble: Matthew Curiano, Rachel Fobbs, Julie Kavanagh, Emily Larger, Brendan McGrady, and Melvin Tunstall III.

Swings: Ty-Gabriel Jones and Jamie Zeidman.

The creatives are: Music Direction by Goodspeed’s Resident Music Director Adam Souza. Scenic Design will be by Lawrence E. Moten III. Costume Design will be by Herin Kaputkin. Lighting Design will be by Rui Rita Sound Design by Jay Hilton who serves as Goodspeed’s Audio Supervisor. Hair, Wig & Make-up Design by Jason P. Hayes. Orchestrations will be Kim Scharnberg.

Bradley G. Spachman will be the Production Stage Manager. Casting for this production is by Paul Hardt / Hardt Casting.

Christmas in Connecticut will run November 18th – December 30th, 2022 at Goodspeed in East Haddam, CT.

MIKE BIRBIGLIA: THE OLD MAN AND THE POOL written and performed by Mike Birbiglia.

Directed by Seth Barrish.

A tale of life, death, and a highly chlorinated YMCA pool. Birbigliae takes the stage to chronicle his coming-of-middle-age story that asks the big questions: Why are we here? What’s next? What happens when the items at the doctor’s office that you thought were decorative become functional?

A hilarious reminder for all of us recovering from failing bodies and a flailing world that laughter is indeed the best medicine.

Extended through January 15 only at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center Theater New York City.

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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

CHRISTINE M. FARNON former Executive Vice President of the Recording Academy (Grammy Awards) died October 24, 2022. She was 97.

She began her career in the music business in 1946 in the A&R department at Capitol Records. She began her long stewardship of the Recording Academy as a volunteer at its inception in 1957. In 1971 she became the Academy's first and only Executive Director. In 1986 the Academy named her Executive Vice President, a position she held until her retirement in 1992 after 35 years of service. She was awarded a Trustee Grammy Award for her contributions.

She was married to Dennis Farron, one of the founders of the Recording Academy, from 1953-1969, with whom she had one daughter.

She is survived by her daughter, Joanna, and son-in-law Jeremy.

AUDREY SINGER actress and theatre owner died October 30, 2022. She was 94.

She began her career in her father's vaudeville act. She made her Broakway debut at the Paramount Theatre appearing in the musical Crocodile Island. and continued her career appearing in theatre, film and television.

She helped found the Actors Forum Theatre in 1975, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of the arts.

She is survived by three children, Charles, Mitch, Karen and six grandchildren.

HOWARD SMITH entertainment lawyer and film producer died May 31, 2022 after a long struggle with conjunctive heart failure. He was 79.

He attended Brooklyn Law School and practice entertainment law before he became a producer of major films including: Rhinestone Cowboy; Pumpkinhead; Relentless; Hunters Moon; and The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia.

He is survived by his wife, Donna and their daughters Cindy Smith, Dara Waxman and Lisa King, a brother and two granddaughters.

GALLAGHER a comedian known for smashing watermelons on stage, died Friday, November 11, 2022 from organ failure while in hospice care at his Palm Springs, California home. He was 76.

He did 14 comedy specials for Showtime.

Running for governor (as an independent) in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, he finished 16th out of 135 candidates with 5,466 votes.

He is survived by his two children Barnaby and Aimee.

Next Column: November 20, 2022
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Laura Deni

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