Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 16, 2025
By: Laura Deni
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AMERICAN HEART IN WWI: A CARNEGIE HALL TRIBUTE

Usually press releases touting a production are overblown. It's expected.

In the case of last week's presentation on PBS of "American Heart In WWI A Carnegie Hall Tribute" every gem of a compliment is well earned.

On stage at New York City's Carnegie Hall, historian John Monsky takes the viewer inside the war through the lives of five real people, movingly brought to life by some of Broadway's finest performers. Powerful storytelling, breathtaking music, rare and iconic archival film and images, unforgettable characters, and meticulously researched.

Tribute is equal parts concert, suspense, drama, romance, tribute and exhibition of rare and iconic images and film from the National Archives. Every section is professional and polished.

This week Ken Burns’s new film about The American Revolution makes its debut. Most people known the name Ken Burns. But who is John Monsky?

John Monsky is the creator, writer, and narrator of the American History Unbound series. His historical productions premiere annually as part of the Carnegie Hall Presents series. Meticulously researched, Monsky’s works include 60-piece orchestras, leading Broadway vocalists, archival photography and film, and rare flags drawn from his nationally recognized collection.

John Monsky

In addition to Carnegie Hall, he has performed at Boston’s Symphony Hall, The Kennedy Center, Miami’s New World Center, New Orleans’ Orpheum Theatre, and in his hometown at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. His most notable productions include We Chose to Go to the Moon, The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day and The Great War & The Great Gatsby (now titled American Heart in WWI: A Carnegie Hall Tribute). In December 2024, Monsky was asked to bring his acclaimed performance of The Eyes of the World to the White House for a special performance for the President. The Eyes of the World with the Boston Pops is currently streaming on PBS.org.

Monsky’s flag collection—which he began in his boyhood—is nationally recognized and has been featured in The New Yorker and Art & Antiques Magazine. His productions originated in his living room over a decade ago, with “Flag Day Parties,” entertaining his four children, and family and friends with his first lectures, and his wife, Jennifer Weis, at the piano.

A lawyer and partner at an investment firm, Monsky is a lecturer at The New York Historical. Monsky is a Senior Partner of Oak Hill Capital and has been part of the firm since 1993. Prior to joining Oak Hill, he was a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Prior to that, he was Assistant Counsel to the United States Senate Select Committee investigating the Iran-Contra Affair and a law clerk to the Hon. Thomas P. Griesa, Federal Judge, Southern District of New York. Mr. Monsky earned a B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from Yale University and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.

In "American Heart in WWI," a panoramic musical and visual account that brings America’s World War I story to life. Created, written and narrated by historian John Monsky and directed for the stage by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer, this tribute to those who fought, and those they left behind, premiered Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2025. It deserves as annual airing.

This is a flawless production which permits the viewer to be both richly entertained as well as accurately informed.

Powerful storytelling, breathtaking music, rare and iconic archival film and images, unforgettable characters, and meticulously researched history all come together.

Using F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby as a framework, which marked its 100th year since publication this year, Monsky guides the audience from the war’s origins through its harrowing climax, as seen through the wartime experiences of Fitzgerald’s fictional veterans Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway, as well as five real-life figures from the war: soldier and music pioneer James Reese Europe, a civil rights trailblazer and Harlem Hellfighter; Vera Brittain, an Oxford student and young nurse who loses everything in the war; Charles Whittlesey, a shy New York lawyer who leads a melting pot of soldiers trapped under fire in the single biggest battle in American history; combat pilot Quentin Roosevelt, son of President Theodore Roosevelt, in love with debutante and future philanthropist Flora Payne Whitney.

One of the most serious mentions regards how Americans have never treated their returning service members with the respect they deserved.

For instance - if a service member has visible injuries - a missing eye, leg, arm, ect they were expected to remain indoors so that their appearance didn't "disturb" anyone.

Filmed at Carnegie Hall in April 2025 by the Academy Award-winning RadicalMedia, this living documentary features the 60-piece Orchestra of St. Luke’s and a stellar cast — Adam Chanler-Berat, Nicholas Christopher, Micaela Diamond, Gracie McGraw and Diego Andres Rodriguez conducted by music supervisor and arranger Ian Weinberger.

Performers are spectacular but don't overpower.

Bursting with dozens of songs from the period by composers Irving Berlin, James Reese Europe, George M. Cohan and others; rare archival film of American soldiers and WWI figures; historic flags from the period and a narrative rich with twists and turns, "American Heart" captures the voice of a generation set adrift, forever changed and looking for answers. Performers: Kristolyn Lloyd, Vocalist. Stephanie Jae Park, Vocalist. Kate Rockwell, Vocalist. Nicholas Rodriguez, Vocalist. Daniel Yearwood, Vocalist. Peter Flynn, Director,

Electrifying Theatrical Event Brings America’s World War I Story to Life through the Lens of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Five Real-Life Figures from the War Created and Narrated by Historian John Monsky, Directed by Tony Award-Winner Michael Mayer, and Produced for Television by Academy Award-Winning RadicalMedia and for the stage by American History Unbound. Executive producers are Jon Kamen, John Monsky, Dave Sirulnick, Meredith Wagner and Karla Zambrano. Michael John Warren directs the television production, and it was directed for the stage by Michael Mayer. Ian Weinberger serves as music supervisor, conductor, and arranger. Declan Quinn serves as director of photography and Spencer Averick as editor. Lighting design by Mike Baldassari.

Put this program on your don't miss it list. You'll want to watch more than once.

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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

THE SOHO SESSIONS the invitation-only music series renowned for pairing extraordinary artists with meaningful causes, today announced a new partnership with Morrison Hotel Gallery, the world’s leading brand in music photography. Through this collaboration, Morrison Hotel Gallery will become the official art gallery of The Soho Sessions, curating rotating exhibitions inside the series’ iconic SoHo loft space and donating a portion of proceeds from artwork sales to the nonprofit beneficiary of each evening’s performance.

This marks the first time that The Soho Sessions and Morrison Hotel Gallery have partnered to create a seamless fusion of live music and music photography, with shows expected to rotate quarterly. Each event will now not only spotlight unforgettable performances but also showcase powerful imagery of music legends, with a portion of every sale directed to the cause championed that night.

As part of the collaboration, one wall of The Soho Sessions loft will be permanently dedicated to the work of renowned photographer Danny Clinch, whose iconic images have long been intertwined with the series’ history.

“The Soho Sessions has always been about creating unforgettable experiences where culture and purpose intersect,” said Greg Williamson, co-founder of RWE Partners. “Bringing Morrison Hotel Gallery into that vision feels like a natural step forward. Their photography is iconic and deeply connected to the artists and stories we celebrate. Together, we can add an entirely new dimension to these evenings while strengthening our impact for the causes that matter most.”

Nicole Rechter, co-founder of RWE Partners, added: "Every Soho Sessions event is about more than just a concert — it’s about community, creativity, and contribution. By partnering with Morrison Hotel Gallery, we’re able to extend that mission visually and emotionally. Guests will not only experience incredible performances but also be surrounded by artwork that embodies music’s legacy and spirit, all while giving back to vital nonprofits. It’s a full-circle collaboration that we’re proud to champion."

"Morrison Hotel Gallery has always been dedicated to celebrating the art of music through photography, and this partnership allows us to take that mission one step further," said Nick Bonomo, Chief Operating Officer of Morrison Hotel Gallery. "By joining forces with The Soho Sessions, we can integrate our images into evenings that are as timeless as the performances themselves — and channel that energy into meaningful support for important causes."

Morrison Hotel Gallery, founded in 2001, has become the definitive home for music photography, representing over 125 of the world’s most acclaimed photographers. Its collections feature timeless portraits of rock legends, jazz icons, hip-hop pioneers, and pop culture trailblazers, making it a natural fit for The Soho Sessions’ mission to celebrate artistry while driving positive impact.

Since its inception, The Soho Sessions has featured intimate performances by artists such as Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Maren Morris, Marcus King, Kate Hudson, Gary Clark Jr., Trombone Shorty, Amos Lee, Joss Stone, Brittney Spencer, and Warren Haynes, among others. The series has supported a wide range of causes—from mental health and medical research to food insecurity and gun safety—and, through affiliated events produced by RWE Partners, has helped raise more than $75 million for nonprofits over the past decade.

TATE MODERN stages the first UK exhibition to trace the development of modern art in Nigeria. Spanning a period from indirect colonial rule to national independence and beyond, Nigerian Modernism celebrates an international network of artists who combine African and European traditions, creating a vibrant artistic legacy. The exhibition presents the work of over 50 artists across 50 years, from Ben Enwonwu to El Anatsui. They each responded to Nigeria’s evolving political and social landscape by challenging assumptions and imagining new futures, reclaiming Indigenous traditions to create a new African vision of Modernism. Featuring more than 250 works, including painting, sculpture, textile, ceramics and works on paper from institutions and private collections across Africa, Europe and the US, Tate Modern offers a rare opportunity to encounter the creative forces who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria.

The exhibition begins in the 1940s amid calls for decolonisation across Africa and its diaspora. With the Nigerian education system under British governance, many artists train in Britain, adopting European artistic techniques and witnessing Western modernism’s fixation on African art. The balance between Nigeria’s Indigenous traditions, colonial realities and calls for independence is evident in the practices of artists, many of whom become involved in arts education and reform. Aina Onabolu pioneered new figurative portraits of Lagos society figures, whilst Akinola Lasekan depicted scenes from Yoruba legends and history. Globally celebrated artists of the period, Ben Enwonwu and Ladi Kwali, combined their Western training with Nigerian visual art traditions. Drawing upon his knowledge of Igbo sculpture, Enwonwu adapted his Slade School education to celebrate the beauty of Black and African culture. Meanwhile, Kwali who trained under British potter Michael Cardew at Pottery Training Centre in Abuja, developed a new style of ceramic art that synthesised traditional Gwarri techniques and European studio pottery.

National independence on 1 October 1960 inspired a sense of optimism throughout the country, with artistic groups creating art for a new nation. The exhibition explores the legacy of The Zaria Arts Society, whose members included Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Yusuf Grillo, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Jimo Akolo. Encouraged by teachers like Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, they developed independent creative styles centred around a concept of ‘Natural Synthesis’, merging Indigenous forms with modern expression. In the 1960s amid an economic boom, Lagos became a dynamic cultural hub, inspiring tropical modernist architecture, public art commissions and nightclubs filled with Highlife music.

Meanwhile in Ibadan, The Mbari Artists’ and Writers’ Club founded by German publisher Ulli Beier, offered a discursive space run by an international group of artists, writers and dramatists including Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Malangatana Ngwenya. The Mbari Club is closely associated with the influential Pan-African modernist journal Black Orpheus, which is displayed at Tate Modern.

During this period, many artists reflected on Nigeria’s rich cultural and religious heritage as home to more than 250 ethnic groups. The late 1950s saw the emergence of the New Sacred Art Movement, founded by Austrian born artist Susanne Wenger who drew on Yoruba deities and beliefs to explore the ritual power of art. The group led the restoration of the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove where ancient shrines were adorned with cement sculptures and carvings. In parallel, The Oshogbo Art School emerged out of series of influential workshops at Duro Ladipo’s Popular Bar providing a space for experimentation among untrained artists and performers including Nike Davies-Okundaye, Jacob Afolabi and Twins Seven Seven who explored Yoruba cultural identity and personal mythologies in their work.

The outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967 caused a cultural and political crisis for many artists. The post-independence feeling of optimism and unity is replaced with division, and later a desire to reconnect across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups. The exhibition highlights the revival of ‘uli’ - linear Igbo designs which can be decorative or represent natural elements and everyday objects. Historically passed down between women, artists like Uche Okeke who had inherited this knowledge from his mother, and those from the Nsukka Art School including Obiora Udechukwu, Tayo Adenaike and Ndidi Dike, adapted this visual language as a modernist art form, reclaiming an element of ancestral culture and reflecting on the struggles of conflict during the Nigerian Civil War.

The exhibition concludes with a spotlight on Uzo Egonu, exploring how artists towards the end of the 20th century respond to global Nigerian identities. Living in Britain since the 1940s, Egonu’s work was informed by his perspective as an expatriate, imbuing his work with childhood memories and feelings of nostalgia, as well as responses to current events observed from overseas. The exhibition brings together Egonu’s Stateless People paintings, the first time these works have been reunited in 40 years. Begun in 1980, the series reflects on nationhood and cultural identity. Depicting a single figure in each painting – a musician, artist and writer – Egonu represents the growing visibility of Nigeria’s diaspora around the world. The series sums up the tension between national identity and artistic independence which shapes Nigeria’s story of modern art.

Nigerian Modernism is in partnership with Access Holdings and Coronation Group. Supported by Ford Foundation, The A. G. Leventis Foundation, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. With additional support from the Nigerian Modernism Exhibition Supporters Circle, Tate International Council, Tate Patrons and Tate Americas Foundation. Curated by Osei Bonsu, who was recently appointed as Jorge M. Pérez Senior Curator, International Art, Africa and Diaspora; and Bilal Akkouche, Assistant Curator, International Art, Tate Modern.

List of artists.
Jonathan Adagogo Green, Tayo Adenaike, Jacob Afolabi, Adebisi Akanji, Justus D. Akeredolu, Jimo Akolo, El Anatsui, Chike C. Aniakor, Abayomi Barber, Georgina Beier, Alexander “Skunder” Boghossian, Jimoh Buraimoh, Avinash Chandra, Nike Davies-Okundaye, Ndidi Dike, Uzo Egonu, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Afi Ekong, Erhabor Emokpae, Ben Enwonwu, Sir Jacob Epstein, Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, Okpu Eze, Adebisi Fabunmi, Agboola Folarin, Buraimoh Gbadamosi, Sàngódáre Gbádégesin Àjàlá, Yusuf Grillo, Felix Idubor, Solomon Irein Wangboje, Ladi Kwali, Akinola Lasekan, Jacob Lawrence, Valente Malangatana, Naoko Matsubara, Demas Nwoko, Olu Oguibe, Rufus Ogundele, J.D Ojeikere, Emmanuel Okechukwu Odita, Simon Okeke, Uche Okeke, Olowe of Ise, Asiru Olatunde, Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, Oseloka Okwudili Osadebe, Aina Onabolu, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ben Osawe, Muraina Oyelami, Ru van Rossem, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Gerard Sekoto, Twins Seven Seven, Ahmad Shibrain, F.N. Souza, Ada Udechukwu, Obiora Udechukwu and Susanne Wenger.

Nigerian Modernism on display until May 10, 2026.

CONTEST The MUSEUM OF BAD ART MOBA curatorial staff can use some help interpretating this painting (merely interpreting would be insufficient).

You can become an official MOBA Guest Interpretator by giving this painting a title and a smart, pithy, clever, sincere paragraph to help viewers understand the girl in the blue dress.

It must be fewer 100 words (less is often more). Remember, we don't say snarky things about the art or the artist. Send your interpretation to MOBA@MuseumOfBadArt.org.

The winning interpretation will become the official "blurb" for this image. You will be credited with writing it. You'll also get a free 2026 MOBA Wall Calendar and a package of 10 different MOBA postcards. Deadline December 31, 2025.

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SPREADING THE WORD

THE 2025 BOOKER PRIZE

Her Majesty The Queen with Booker Prize 2025 winning author David Szalay and the Booker Prize 2025 judges at Clarence House © David Parry for Booker Prize Foundation"

has been awarded to David Szalay for his novel Flesh.

One of literature's pre-eminent awards, the Booker Prize is given each year to the book deemed to be best novel written in English and published in the United Kinngdom, Ireland and the United States.

On November 11, 2025, Queen Camilla hosted a reception at Clarence House in London for shortlisted authors, judges, and supporters.

Flesh was selected as the winning book by the 2025 judging panel, chaired by 1993 Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle, the first Booker Prize winner to chair a Booker judging panel. Doyle was joined by fellow judges Booker Prize-longlisted novelist Ay?`bámi Adébáy?`; award-winning actor, producer and publisher Sarah Jessica Parker; writer, broadcaster and literary critic Chris Power; and New York Times bestselling and Booker Prize-longlisted author Kiley Reid. They considered 153 books and were looking for the best work of long-form fiction by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK and/or Ireland between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025.

Flesh is the sixth novel by David Szalay, published in 2025. It concerns fictional alienation, adultery, trauma, interpersonal relations, young men
The Genre is Rags to riches, Coming of age, Literary realism
Set in Hungary and London, England

Szalay was born in 1974 in Montreal, Canada. He was educated at the University of Oxford and Sussex House School.

The book tells a rags to riches story about a young Hungarian man named István. He lives an impulsive lifestyle, making rash decisions without thinking them through. Through sexual affairs, military service, and a series of menial jobs, István becomes a rich married socialite in London. This success brings him some contentment, but István's largely unchanged personality generates conflict with his new family.

The chair of the Booker judging panel, author Roddy Doyle, described the work as "singular" in its narrative style. Doyle further stated that the sparseness of the novel invited the reader to engage with the character.

Its winner receives 50,000 British pounds, about $65,000, and typically a big boost in book sales.

THE CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS AND THE RODEO DRIVE COMMITTEE staged the return of one of Southern California’s most beloved holiday traditions – a sparkling and magical program of holiday décor and entertainment including the annual Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration that took place on Thursday, November 13.

This year’s theme, Enchanted Holiday Dreams, takes inspiration from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Ballet — celebrating imagination, courage, and love through the timeless story of Clara and her magical Christmas Eve adventure. Adorned in shades of gold, blue, red, and white, the center median featured Nutcracker-inspired and ballerina ornaments set beneath the sparkle of lights cascading from palm to palm. Wrapped tree trunks and glistening white rose bushes brought a romantic, dreamlike glow to all.

The special evening which was free and open to all, featured live performances by award-winning local and international artists. Viral sensation, Billboard-charting recording artist, and Broadway star Chris Mann, performed the bold classic-rock-meets-big-band anthem and title track “Santa, We’re Ready” from his brand-new holiday EP. A finalist on The Voice with Christina Aguilera, he went on to star in more than 700 performances as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera’s 25th Anniversary Tour, and has become a PBS holiday favorite with appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and beyond.

Offstage, Chris will also lend his comedic commentary on NBC’s New Year’s Eve broadcast for the fourth year in a row. Australian Superstar Hugh Sheridan, whose new Christmas Album “The Merriest” has just dropped, will perform the world premiere of his original Christmas song “Loco Navidad”. Hugh has performed for royalty, topped the charts Down Under and won five consecutive Best Leading Male Actor Awards for his work on screen and the Australian equivalent of a Tony Award in Australia. He has danced with everyone from The Australian Ballet to The Paris Opera Ballet, and his band California Crooners Club has wowed audiences across the globe. James Tormé, the male jazz vocalist also known as “The Prince of Jazz” , whose father and Beverly Hills resident Mel Tormé, a three time Grammy winner and Jazz legend would have turned 100 years this year, will perform the 80-year old sensation “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” , soon to be part of the Grammy Hall of Fame at the Grammy Museum. Internationally acclaimed, award-winning guzheng performer, composer, recording artist and guqin artist Bei Bei also joinedthe headlining performers. As one of the world’s premier guzheng musicians, she has played a key role in bringing this ancient Chinese instrument to a global audience. Since her 2006 debut, she has been featured on several Disney movie soundtracks, performed with Christina Aguilera, appeared as a soloist with the Pacific Symphony, and released several critically acclaimed original music albums. Guests on Rodeo Drive will experience her unique fusion of Chinese and Western music.

Dazzling special guest performances included a spectacular set from The Nutcracker Ballet by West Side School of Ballet - Santa Monica; a special performance presented by Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts; two numbers from The Soul of The Holidays, the show celebrating the Sounds of Motor City in support of Altadena with benefits going to Black Freedom Fund, presented by Kellum Entertainment in partnership with the Schmidt Foundation; a set from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s annual Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, and a performance by the USC Trojan Dance Force, the official dance team of USC Athletics. The evening’s entertainment also included sounds by DJ Lady Sha, a hand bell melody by Belle Choir, a myriad of holiday vocalists and the traditional New Orleans Second Line band.

Magical Street Spectacle resulted in the street coming alive with a whoosh of Nutcracker-inspired and Sugarplum skaters and the pirouettes of stilt ballerinas. Nutcracker “Mouse King” holiday helpers were on hand, joined by roaming puppets, animated life-size sweets, and the sound of carolers. Mother Ginger surprised with performers appearing unexpectedly from under the swathes of large-scale costumes. Guests lso enjoyed gourmet bites from local food trucks and fine wines at two wine gardens courtesy of Autovault, GEARYS Beverly Hills and 208 Rodeo.

The holiday festivities and decor will continue across the City through January 4, 2026.

SEARCHING FOR GALILEO'S DAUGHTER uncovers untold story of Maria Celeste and her famous father.

She was "a rock star nun," in the words of playwright Jessica Dickey. Now, Maria Celeste—the brilliant and devoted daughter of Galileo Galilei—steps out of the shadows in Searching for Galileo’s Daughter, the newest addition to the L.A. Theatre Works catalogue of state-of-the-art audio theater. Starring Ginnifer Goodwin as Maria Celeste, Gregory Harrison as Galileo, and Dickey herself as The Writer, this centuries-spanning journey is now available at streaming.latw.org as well as at retailers and libraries everywhere.

In 1616, with little prospect of marriage for his illegitimate daughters, Galileo sent his eldest, Virginia Gamba, into a Tuscan convent, where she took the name Sister Maria Celeste. From behind convent walls, she maintained a lively correspondence with her father, offering moral support as he was forced to defend his discoveries against the Catholic Church. Her 124 surviving letters reveal her wit, curiosity and courage—but her story has long been overlooked.

Inspired by the book Galileo’s Daughter by Dava Sobel and by her own personal journey, Dickey brings Maria Celeste to life in a play that moves fluidly between past and present. A contemporary writer (played by Dickey) travels to Florence in the wake of a personal crisis, intent on reading Maria Celeste’s letters to her father. As she delves deeper, her encounter with the nun’s resilience becomes a mirror for her own search for faith, forgiveness and truth.

"Maria Celeste was a guiding star at times, and at other times daunting," Dickey said in an interview. "She was incredibly industrious, courageous, and devoted to her father. I felt a strong connection with her—just as the playwright in the piece does."

Searching for Galileo’s Daughter is directed by Anna Lyse Erikson, with sound design by Mark Holden and live sound effects by Jeff Gardner. The cast also features Moira Quirk and Nick Toren, who play multiple roles. It was recorded at The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood.

L.A. Theatre Works, the world’s foremost producer of audio theater, makes great plays accessible to millions of theater lovers, teachers, and students each year. The company’s catalog of nearly 600 recorded plays is the largest of its kind in the world. LATW’s syndicated audio theater series broadcasts weekly on public radio stations across the U.S.; can be downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series of science-themed plays is sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

FORMULA 1 has taken over this week-end in Las Vegas. It's a money maker. Formula 1 receives hosting fees from cities to stage a Grand Prix. Cities then generate their own profit through ticket sales, sponsorships, and merchandise. Overall impact: The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix had an estimated economic impact of $934 million, with $556 million from net visitor spending and $378 million from operational spending. The 2023 race had a larger impact of $1.5 billion.

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JASON MORAN has been announced as the 2026 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival Curator.

The Flynn is thrilled to announce that Moran, one of the most visionary and influential figures in contemporary jazz, will serve as the curator for festival which takes place across Downtown Burlington from June 3-7. This year’s festival, produced by the Flynn and presented by Vermont Tire with Nokian Tyres takes place June 3 - 7, 2026.

BIRTHDAY FOLLOW UP Last week King Charles celebrated his birthday looking healthy, relaxed, happy and having a good time slicing open an orate, detailed cake replica of a castle. May this year be the start of an energetic productive future for him. Let the good time roll as they say in New Orleans.



THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

Original Cast Recording

Directed by Colin Hanlon

Choreography by Kevin Covert

Music direction by Garrett Taylor

Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has charmed audiences across the country with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience. Broadway and television actor Colin Hanlon returns to Shenandoah Conservatory as a guest director, bringing a fresh perspective to this crowd-pleasing favorite.

Performances at the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre November 19-November 23, 2025.

JAPAN SOCIETY proudly presents the U.S. debut of the Hosho Noh School, led by the School’s 20th Grandmaster Kazufusa Hosho, performing Mishima’s Muse – Noh Theater, a selection of the traditional noh plays that Japanese author Yukio Mishima would later adapt into modern plays.

In accordance with the centuries-old tradition of presenting two noh plays with a kyogen (comedic play) interlude, each evening features a slate of works within the authentic classic repertoire of noh, performed by members of the Hosho Noh School, and a popular classical kyogen piece, performed by leading members of the prominent kyogen family Yamamoto Tojiro-ke. Complete works featured in this program include the noh plays Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi) (December 4 and 6) and Aya no Tsuzumi (The Silk Drum) (December 5); and the kyogen play Busu (Poison) (December 4, 5 & 6). Mishima’s Muse – Noh Theater will have three performances only, taking place Thursday, December 4; Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6 at 7:30pm at Japan Society, as the culminating stage presentation in the Fall 2025 Yukio Mishima Centennial Series: Emergences. Performed in Japanese with English supertitles. Performances run approximately 110 – 120 minutes, including intermission.

A pre-performance lecture by Princeton University Professor Thomas Hare begins one hour prior to the start of each performance (free and open to all ticketholders).

Beginning in his childhood and continuing throughout his professional life, Yukio Mishima regularly immersed himself in Japan’s traditional arts such as kabuki and, notably, noh theater, enchanted by the noble elegance and refined beauty which have defined this form since the late 14th century. His love for noh resulted in a series of esteemed dramatic works, Modern Noh Plays, eventually growing to encompass eight contemporary adaptations of noh stories. For this series of programs, the Hosho Noh School – one of the five main noh schools, established in the mid-15thcentury -- has drawn from a selection of the original noh plays that became Mishima’s inspiration for his own modern adaptations centuries later.

As one of the oldest branches of noh theater in Japan, this School is known for its dignified movement and florid, delicate chanting style. This rare performance of the original, traditional works that captured Mishima’s imagination marks the esteemed Hosho Noh School’s historic U.S. debut.

Among the complete works featured in this rotating selection of plays, Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi), written by Zeami (1363?-1443), is regarded as one of the masterpieces of classic noh repertoire. Based on a dramatic episode from the eleventh century Japanese novel The Tale of Genji, the story of the noh play Aoi no Ue follows a priest attempting to exorcize the vengeful living spirit of Lady Rokujo, a former lover of the Emperor’s son Genji, as the eerie sprit attacks and possesses Genji’s wife, Lady Aoi.

This set of shows will also feature another well-known piece from an unknown author, Aya no Tsuzumi (The Silk Drum), recognized as a staple work within the Hosho Noh School’s repertory. In this play, an old man who falls in love with a young consort at the Imperial Palace is tricked into believing that the consort will meet with him in person if he sounds a hand drum hanging in the Palace garden, but is devastated after realizing that the drum, made of silk, is not meant to make any sound.

Drowning himself in the pond of the Palace garden out of despair, the old man returns as a vengeful ghost to haunt the consort. Notably, this noh play and Mishima’s later adaptation were also the basis for Le Tambour de Soie (The Silk Drum), a work of dance-theater most recently featured in Japan Society’s current Emergences series. Additional works within this slate of performances include the complete kyogen comic play Busu (Poison), one of the most popular plays in the kyogen repertoire and the only kyogen play to be given a modern adaptation (unpublished) by Mishima; shimai (unmasked noh dance excerpts) from the plays Kantan and Yoroboshi, which were also later adapted by Mishima; and Shishi (Lion Dance), a dramatic excerpt of noh music intended to portray the dance of a wild or possessed animal.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY Based on the story The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern. Adapted by Joe Landry.

Step in from the cold as our stage is transformed into a 1940s radio studio for this cherished American classic complete with musical jingles and sound effects created live on stage. Inspired by Frank Capra’s beloved holiday film, this heartfelt adaptation follows the life of the idealistic George Bailey.

When all suddenly seems lost, an unlikely guardian angel intervenes and offers George an unexpected gift. A nostalgic blend of holiday cheer and theatrical magic, It’s a Wonderful Life celebrates the true meaning of the season and the best attributes of humankind. It will warm your heart and make you fall in love with the inhabitants of Bedford Falls all over again.

December 3 - December 28, 3035 at the F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre in Madison, New Jersey.

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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.

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Laura Deni