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2020 BAFTA BREAKTHROUGH AWARDS - -A TOAST TO BROADWAY! A VIRTUAL CONCERT
- - GRAMMY NOMINEES - - 30th ANNUAL DIVAS SIMPLY SINGING! - -
THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS' SURVEY - - FROM REAL LIFE TO SCREEN AND VICE VERSA - -
ANDY WARHOL EXHIBITS, A GLITTERING ALTERNATIVE
- - DOLLY PARTON'S $1 MILLION GIFT - - DONATE . . . Scroll Down
Copyright: November 22, 2020
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION
FROM REAL LIFE TO SCREEN AND VICE VERSA
Organ transplants and lawyers who drink too much.
Either inspired by real life experiences or depicting what happens in real life are three television shows - B-Positive, All Rise and Bull which all happen to air in CBS.
The dramas All Rise and Bull do an excellent job of accurately portraying the legal system and those who operate within the profession. Both shows portray lawyers regularly drinking. Decades ago I received a national grant for the study of alcoholism among police officers. Now, the American Bar Association (ABA) is encouraging members to pay attention to associates who use a bottle as their legal support system.
One in 3 lawyers is a problem drinker. Is you lawyer a drunk?
The ABA is offering webinars, programs and suggestions for members in now to spot and handle those in the legal profession who rely on a drink.
The ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs has the mandate to educate the legal profession concerning alcoholism, chemical dependencies, stress, depression and other emotional health issues.
One of the most significant studies of alcohol abuse and mental health disorders among practicing attorneys conducted by the ABA and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation concluded that attorneys are at a much higher risk than other professionals for alcohol use disorder, depression, anxiety, and stress.
Now members are being encouraged not to be an enabler.
Researchers surveyed 15,000 lawyers across 19 states. The study revealed that between 21% and 36% drink at levels consistent with an alcohol use disorder. For comparison, those numbers are roughly 3-5 times higher than the government estimates for alcohol use disorders in the general population.
The ABA-Hazelden study, conducted before covid-19 struck, revealed that 20.6% of the sampled attorneys screened positive for hazardous, harmful, and potentially alcohol-dependent drinking. Moreover, 28 percent of the respondents reported experiencing symptoms of depression, 19% of anxiety, and 23% of stress.
Problems with alcohol abuse were found at an earlier stage in the lawyers’ careers and far outpaced their peers in other professions. According to the ABA-Hazelden study, attorneys in the first 10 years of their practice now experiencing the highest rates of problematic use (28.9%), followed by attorneys practicing for 11 to 20 years (20.6%), and continuing to decrease slightly from 21 years or more. The study found that junior associates have the highest rates of problematic use, followed by senior associates, junior partners, and senior partners. The study found that being in the early stages of one’s legal career is strongly correlated with a high risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. Working from the assumption that a majority of new attorneys will be under the age of 40, that conclusion is further supported by the fact that the highest rates of problematic drinking were present among attorneys under the age of 30 (32.3%), followed by attorneys aged 31 to 40 (26.1%), with declining rates reported thereafter.
With the holiday season upon use, the gift of choice to take to the law office Christmas party is a bottle of booze. Judges find wrapped bottles of liquor placed in their chambers. Depending upon local rules, the gift may be signed or anonymous.
Michael Weatherly as Dr. Bull.
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According to the ABA-Hazelden study, “While some individuals may drink to cope with their psychological or emotional problems, others may experience those same problems as a result of their drinking. It is not clear which scenario is more prevalent or likely in this population, though the ubiquity of alcohol in the legal professional culture certainly demonstrates both its ready availability and social acceptability, should one choose to cope with their mental health problems in that manner. Attorneys working in private firms experience some of the highest levels of problematic alcohol use compared with other work environments, which may underscore a relationship between professional culture and drinking.”
The study suggests a need for greater investments in lawyer assistance programs and an increase in the availability of attorney-specific treatment - which is ABA is pushing to equate its members.
Attorney alcohol and substance abuse often go hand-in-hand with misconduct that leads to professional discipline. Indeed, the root cause underlying many violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct is alcoholism or substance abuse.
According to the recent ABA study, greater education aimed at prevention is needed, along with public awareness campaigns within the profession designed to overcome the pervasive stigma surrounding substance use disorders and mental health concerns. The most significant barriers to getting help, according to the study, are lawyers not wanting others to find out and concerns about confidentiality. The confidential nature of lawyer-assistance programs should be more widely publicized in an effort to overcome the privacy concerns that may create barriers between struggling attorneys and the help they need. And while such education should begin in law school, it should be reinforced throughout the practice of law.
All Rise does a commendable job of showing how judges, lawyers and court personnel are people whose personal lives are as disjointed as any of the clients who they either defend or prosecute. Alcoholic beverages, especially wine (as if that is more sophisticated and socially acceptable) is featured in every episode. Even with the new season's disclosure that Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick) is pregnant, Her Honor is seen drinking wine. What is also evident is that the characters seem to grab a class of wine or liquor or a bottle of beer, after a particularly horrific day at work or personal problem. It's as though the characters need a drink to cope and implies that it's okay to imbibe as long as the drink compensates for having a stressful day.
Bull uses liquor as more of a congratulatory substance. A case has been won or a character's plot line has accomplished something and earned a reward.
If a client, fellow attorney or patient suspects that a person in a superior position may have a drinking problem - confrontation is a tricky event.
If you are referred, the person doing the referral receives a kickback. No professional is going to refer you to an associate they don't like. It's to their financial benefit to maintain a healthy relationship with that person. That means they probably aren't going to be on your side.
Years ago I was referred to a specialist to correct laser surgery. Tranquilized, I sat there waiting for the doctor to enter. When the board certified gent sat down opposite me, ready to proceed, I could smell liquor on his breath. I point blank asked him if he drank. He became furious, jumped up and ran out of the room. Minutes later he returned, never answered my question. I stayed because, at that point, I wasn't able to stand up. He proceeded and afterwards penned a scathing indictment of me on my medical records. His male assistant contacted me and said I shouldn't have made him mad. I countered that I could smell liquor on his breath. I was told I should have ignored it.
If you drink enough, you might need a liver transplant.
Comically addressing the transplant issue - as well as drinking - is the cleverly titled B-Positive, partially based upon the real life experience of co-creator Marco Pennette whose resume includes Emmy-winning shows like Ugly Betty and What I Like About You. He also is known on Broadway, currently working on adapting cult classic Death Becomes Her for Broadway legend Kristin Chenoweth.
In 2013, Pennette suddenly learned that he was in renal failure and needed a transplant. From out of nowhere a childhood friend appeared and offered to donate a kidney.
Pennette has been quoted as saying "As terrified as I was, that if I actually survive this, this could be a great series."
B Positive is focused on Drew (Thomas Middleditch), a divorced therapist who is informed that he's suffering renal failure and needs a kidney transplant.
Broadway's Tony Award winning effervescent performer Annaleigh Ashford is cast as Gina, a drug taking drinker friend from high school he runs into at a wedding, who is required to stay sober for three months in order to be a donor. She's sure she can stop drinking because she's tried several times. She sincere when she makes a donor promise to Drew:
“I gave you my word, and where I come from that’s the only thing a person has to give. Except for, you know, money or sex.”
People who donate organs to absolute strangers — are termed “nondirected altruistic donor”. Five people who received donations from a stranger are called Band For One. They recently played their first gig.
China based, The Band for One is composed of five people who received donated organs from a 27-year-old Australian teacher Philip Hancock, who taught English in Chongqing, China. He died there in May 2018 from complications of diabetes.
His parents flew from Australia to China to say goodbye to their son and honor his wish to be an organ donor.
Hancock's liver and kidneys saved the lives of three people in the band and his corneas restored the eyesight of the other two.
The transplant musicians are: former truck driver turned tofu maker Chen Xianjun singer/guitarist and his four bandmates-a real estate salesperson, a farmer and two doctors.
Mo Li, a 36-year-old property salesperson who received one of Hancock's kidneys due to severe uremia, began shaking the maracas.
Tan Daobi, 53, who had spent years in darkness due to chronic keratitis discovered a bright world thanks to Hancock's cornea.
Tan multi-tasked by practicing while farming, building a fire in a wood stove and cooking.
Wu Jun, the 40-year-old surgeon who received Hancock's liver, played the guitar and Chen Jingzhong, 50, the recipient of Hancock's other kidney, played the drums.
None of them either knew each other nor were musicians before the transplants. The inspiration to turn the group into a performing band was at the instigation of the Red Cross Society of China who were inspired by Hancock's parents who emphasized how much their son loved music and longed to have his own band.
The five musical newbies were assigned an instrument and for over a year practiced, practiced and practiced. Their practicing included traveling from different parts of Chongqing and neighboring Sichuan province several times to meet in a Chongqing studio for lessons and group rehearsals.
While they might not have been ready for Carnegie Hall, they were proficient enough to perform at West Lake in Zhejiang province.
The Band for One was scheduled for their first public performance at an organ donation memorial service in March, but their debut was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 7, they finally took to the stage to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the implementation of voluntary organ donations in China. In the audience were hundreds of Red Cross workers, transplant recipients, family members of organ donors and volunteers.
They were determined to make Hancock proud. They did.
According to the Red Cross Society of China, Hancock was the first foreign organ donor in Chongqing and the seventh in the country. Since China initiated voluntary postmortem organ donations a decade ago, about 31,300 people have donated their organs after death, including 11 foreigners.
According to the Red Cross Society of China, the number of registered organ donors has been rising fast in recent years, recently reaching 2.51 million.
In the past four years, China's organ donation volume has increased by 32 percent annually, ranking second in the world in terms of annual donation volume, according to Guo Yanhong, vice director of the medical administration division of the National Health Commission.
About 300,000 people in China need organ transplants every year, of which only 10,000 will eventually get the chance, with a supply-to-demand ratio of 1:30. Zhang Leida, a transplant specialist at the Army Medical University, said there is a serious shortage of organ transplant donors in China. Full disclosure: Laura Deni is a member of the ABA.
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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
ANDY WARHOL EXHIBITS, A GLITTERING ALTERNATIVE Andy Warhol's Silver Clouds. Photo: Mumok
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is a exhibition at the Mumok in Vienna, Austria until January 31, 2021.
If you’re in Vienna, why not go and discover more about the iconic artist and his lesser known work as curated by Marianne Dobner? Go beyond the Marilyns and the Campbell soups into the installation and curatorial work by the Pop artist that has been up to now overlooked.
Silver clouds, shoes, cows, wallpaper, children’s images, paintings and films exhibited side by side.
Exhibition artist, installation artist, or perhaps closeted curator? ANDY WARHOL EXHIBITS a glittering alternative presents rarely shown works that look behind the facade of the world-famous Pop Art icon to rediscover Warhol’s capabilities as a groundbreaking exhibition and installation artist. For the first time ever, viewers will be given an exemplary overview of the artist’s exhibition practice without letting his early and late works fall by the wayside. This cross-section places equal value on the myriad media Warhol used and shows that his modes of presentation should be understood as an essential part of his oeuvre. Two aspects of Warhol’s dual persona—the oft-quoted staged one and the hidden one barely noticed by the public—are juxtaposed on two levels of the mumok building.
The mumok, Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, was founded on September 21, 1962, as the Museum of the Twentieth Century (later the 20s House) in the Swiss Garden, located in the Austrian Pavilion that had been built by Karl Schwanzer for the Brussels EXPO in 1958, and was refurbished as an exhibition hall. The Mumok contains Vienna's premier collection of 20th-century art, taking in Fluxus, nouveau realism, pop art and photorealism.
There is also an Andy Warhol exhibition at the Tate Modern in London - a major retrospective which is the first Warhol exhibition at Tate Modern for almost 20 years. As well as his iconic pop images of Marilyn Monroe, Coca-Cola and Campbell’s soup cans, it includes works never seen before in the UK. Twenty-five works from his Ladies and Gentlemen series – portraits of black and Latinx drag queens and trans women – are shown for the first time in 30 years.
This exhibition examines Warhol’s subject matter, his experiments in media and the way he cultivated his public persona. It draws attention to Warhol’s personal story and how his view of the world shaped his art.
"As a gay man growing up at a time when sex between men was illegal in the United States, Warhol embraced New York’s queer community of designers, poets, dancers and artists. Warhol’s first exhibitions in the 1950s featured line drawings of young men. Abstract expressionist art dominated the US art world. Warhol was considered too camp, or what some referred to as ‘swish’, and overly connected to the commercial world of advertising illustration to be a serious contender. It would take another decade before he found success as an artist," according to the Tate.
VAN GOGH ALIVE opened November 21, 2020 at The Dalí in St. Petersburg, Florida offers visitors an immersive art installation, harnessing multisensory technology that will allow them to revel in the celebrated painter’s artistic genius. The experience will be on display at The Dalí through April 11, 2021.
Vincent van Gogh’s paintings, including the magical Starry Night and radiant Sunflowers,” have astounded viewers with their vibrancy and color. His brief and troubled life makes him one of the most fascinating figures in Western art history.
The special exhibition features Van Gogh images at enormous scale, presented through high-definition projectors and synchronized to a powerful classical score. Cinema-quality surround sound amplifies the emotion generated by the works themselves. The installation is powered by Sensory4, a unique system developed by Grande Experiences of Melbourne, Australia.
“The Dalí Museum is at the forefront of technology, embracing new methods to engage guests in unconventional ways,” said Hank Hine, executive director of The Dalí. “Just as we have used technology to bring both Dalí and his works to life, Van Gogh Alive offers a unique installation that expands how we are able to experience art.”
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) was a Dutch post-impressionist painter who is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art. The son of a Protestant pastor, Van Gogh made an unsuccessful attempt at theological studies before turning to art at the age of 27. Completely self-taught, Van Gogh was one of the most prolific artists of his time. In 10 years, he produced more than 2,000 works but only sold one work during his lifetime. His suicide in 1890 brought him into the public imagination as a misunderstood genius who continues to inspire new generations.
To coincide with the opening of Van Gogh Alive, The Dalí will be open daily while continuing to operate at reduced capacity for health and safety reasons.
THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS last week released its second survey regarding the consequences of COVID-19 on museums. The nonprofit accreditation and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. surveyed 850 museum directors asking, “Do you believe there is a significant risk of your museum closing permanently in the next 12 months, absent additional financial relief?” In response, 12% of museum directors said yes; 17% said they were not sure, and the rest said no.
The average loss per institution is about $850,000 through October, the survey found.
53% of museums had laid off or furloughed staff. 67% have cut educational programs.
Of the museums surveyed, 52% said they had six months or less of financial operating reserves to stay afloat; 82% said they had funds in reserve to cover 12 months or less.
The survey was conducted in mid-October by AAM and the Seattle-based Wilkening Consulting. It included small, midsize and large museums from around the U.S., including art museums, aquariums, historical societies, science museums and botanical gardens.
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SWEET CHARITY
LOVE TO DOLLY PARTON sure, we know she's filthy rich and probably won't even miss a million dollars, but so are a lot of people who prefer to spend money on their lifestyle rather than helping humanity. Then there is the adorable Pardon who is supported finding a vaccine for COVID-19 through a $1 million donation for research at Vanderbilt University.
A TOAST TO BROADWAY! A VIRTUAL CONCERT takes place
Saturday, November 28, 2020 @ 8PM at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT.
Free champagne for everyone that joins in the "watch party" at the Playhouse plus an automatic entry to win a bracelet and earrings courtesy of Silver Ribbon of Westport.
A Celebration of Broadway and Its Performers. This show can be watched virtually from the comfort of your own home, or on the big screen at The Playhouse. 10% of the net proceeds for A Toast To Broadway will be donated to The Actors Fund.
30th ANNUAL DIVAS SIMPLY SINGING! the longest consecutive running musical AIDS benefit in the United States begins on World AIDS Day Tuesday, December 1 through Sunday, December 6. DIVAS Simply Singing! will be broadcast live on Saturday, December 5th at 7PM PT/10 ET on KTLA5 Los Angeles and virtually on ktla.com and divassimplysinging.com. The virtual experience of entertainment and music will benefit Project Angel Food and Better Brothers Los Angeles.
Tony Award-nominated actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and a host of celebrity guests – Jenifer Lewis, Leslie Odom, Jr. Lalah Hathaway and Alex Newell among others – will be presenting thia week-long virtual concert and telethon honoring actress and activist Sharon Stone and award-winning music icon Patti LaBelle during the 30th DIVAS Simply Singing! musical AIDS benefit fundraiser.
The evening spotlights the talents of D.I.V.A. (acronym for Divinely Inspired, Victoriously Aware), who are individuals within the entertainment industry. The foundation stems from Sheryl Lee Ralph's deep concern for the lack of attention given to AIDS in the early years and now COVID-19 which has exposed the huge health disparities that exist for people of color.
ALL-STAR CHARITY VIRTUAL TABLE READ SERIES Pandemic Players Launches on YouTube November 25th With Raising Arizona To Benefit Covenant House.
In 31 cities across six countries, Covenant House builds a bridge to hope for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking through unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support. Our doors are open 24/7 and our high-quality programs are designed to empower young people to rise and overcome adversity, today and in the future.
In an effort to raise funds to help those most impacted by the pandemic, a group of independent filmmakers, writers and others, along with a troupe of talented actors, have banded together to create Pandemic Players, a series of streamed charity “table reads” of classic films, TV shows, radio plays, and more.
The series launches on Pandemic Players’ YouTube channel on Wednesday, November 25th with Joel and Ethan Coen's Raising Arizona, headlined by Zachary Levi as H.I. McDunnough and Alison Pill as Ed. This first production will benefit Covenant House. The program is presented "pay what you can," which consists of clicking through a donations page. Future episodes will partner with other charities, all benefiting those most deeply affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Rounding out the cast are Dean Norris as Nathan Arizona Sr., Clancy Brown as Gale Snoats, Macon Blair as Evelle Snoats, Ross Partridge and Sarah Clarke will read Glen and Dot, while Leonard Smalls, the memorable role originated on screen by Randall "Tex" Cobb will be played by Jeff "The Dude" Dowd. Leila Almas Rose and Jaime Zavallos will play Supercast Members 1 & 2, while Jordana Brewster will serve as narrator.
Pandemic Players is partnering with a rotating group of charities devoted to supporting frontline workers and first responders; out-of-work artists and service industry employees; minority communities; and others hardest hit by this global disaster, with 100% of all donations going directly to the charities.
The producers plan on releasing new shows roughly every month from November until the end of the pandemic. Future productions include The Breakfast Club and Heathers.
The Pandemic Players’ producers are director/producer Matthew Barber, filmmaker Chris Brown, filmmaker Darren Dean, writer/producer Frederik Ehrhardt, producer and IndieWire.com co-founder Mark Rabinowitz, and writer/producer Myrta Vida.
SPREADING THE WORD
ESTELLA SCROOGE A Christmas Carol with a Twist - a new holiday musical that uniquely blends
theatre, film and cutting-edge animation starring Betsy Wolfe as Estella Scrooge, Clifton Duncan as Philip ‘Pip’ Nickleby, Lauren Patten as Dawkins, and also starring
Patrick Page as Mr. Merdle, Carolee Carmello as Marla Havisham and Danny Burstein as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Book by John Caird and Paul Gordon. Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon. Direction by Tony Award winner John Caird.
Estella Scrooge will premiere on Friday, November 27, 2020 at EstellaScrooge.com.
Estella Scrooge "is the first fully-realized musical to be planned, produced and digitally captured entirely during the pandemic. With an innovative approach that combines the best aspects of live theatre and film with cutting-edge technology, Estella Scrooge filmed actors individually in green screen using strict social distancing practices, with hundreds of images, animations and digital environments blended in post-production with the footage of the actors to bring this dazzlingly cinematic musical theatre adventure magically to life. "
A modern day take on Charles Dickens’ beloved 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, Estella Scrooge also wittily incorporates characters and plot lines from Dickens’ other great novels, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit and Bleak House, among others.
FORD'S THEATRE in Washington, DC, in partnership with WAMU 88.5 FM, presents a one-hour radio play adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, featuring acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace as Ebenezer Scrooge.
This adaptation of the popular Ford’s Theatre holiday tradition captures the magic of Dickens’s Yuletide classic. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future as they lead Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption.
WAMU 88.5 FM will broadcast the play on December 25, 2020, at noon EDT. The radio play will also be made available to Ford’s Theatre Members on December 7 and to the general public on December 14 on Ford's website. In addition, it will be available for national broadcast on select PRX radio stations during December 2020. To supplement the audio play, Ford’s Theatre will create a downloadable souvenir program featuring photos from previous productions and special holiday-themed content. The program will be available on their website.
TONY WINNER JEFFERSON MAYS stars in A Christmas Carol streaming November 28 through January 3 from the Bucks County Playhouse.
Experience A Christmas Carol unlike any other—past, present or future. The timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge has been given new life thanks to the haunting vision of one of Broadway’s most imaginative directors, Michael Arden, and the Tony-winning virtuoso, Jefferson Mays, starring in 50 roles of a lifetime. Staged exclusively for this production and captured live with breathtaking clarity, this must-watch streaming event conjures the powerful spirits of Christmas and brings all the magic of live theatre home for the holidays.
NEW YORK CITY CENTER has announced the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods will be the first production of this third tenet and usher in a new tradition at City Center celebrating iconic American musicals.
Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet said, “If the reason to revive a hidden gem is to discover it, then the reason to revive a beloved musical that holds enormous meaning to so many people is to discover what we have in common, and how our experience with these shows connects us. One of the things I find remarkable about musical theater is the space it holds in America—against all odds, providing a touchpoint of commonality. Among its many rich layers, Into the Woods is a fable about how humans pursue their wishes, and what happens when they set aside their individual wishes to create a greater community wish.”
Streamed for free on City Center’s website and YouTube channel, the new digital series Encores! Inside the Revival explores the future Encores! productions - The Life, The Tap Dance Kid, and Into the Woods and cancelled shows from the spring 2020 season—providing a look inside the creative process of these revivals.
The first installment of the series released last week features Emmy and Tony Award-winning artist Billy Porter who takes audiences through his reimagining of the 1997 Tony-nominated musical, The Life. Punctuated with performances by recording artist and Encores! Off-Center alum Mykal Kilgore and Grammy-nominated artist Ledisi, Encores! Producing Creative Director Clint Ramos and Porter discuss his vision as the production’s director and adapter for an updated take on the story of Queen, a prostitute, and her fellow sex workers, who strive for a better life against all oppressive forces in Times Square in 1980. By re-envisioning the main character of Queen, Porter transforms and evolves the story of The Life into one of hope and survival, honoring the characters’ given circumstances, and revealing their universal humanity. The Life features music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Ira Gasman, and book by Cy Coleman, Ira Gasman, and David Newman.
RODGERS, RODGERS AND GUETTEL: STATUES AND STORIES presented by 92Y in New York Citypremieres November 23, 7 pm ET and is availablee through December 22, 2020.
Featuring Allison Blackwell, Nikki Renée Daniels, Katherine Henly, Telly Leung, Julia Murney, Zachary Noah Piser, Pearl Sun, Mariand Torres
Narrated by Beth Malone.
The groundbreaking works of Richard Rodgers, most famously in his collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, gave us the foundation of the modern musical theater form. But Rodgers also left a family lineage that has enriched the craft in abundant fashion. In a loose song cycle format, this program will weave his work with the charming and witty creations of daughter Mary Rodgers (Once Upon a Mattress) and the complex and extraordinary palette of grandson Adam Guettel (The Light in the Piazza, Floyd Collins ), as we look toward the progression of musicals over the decades and into the future.
"To hear songs like Rodgers and Hart's 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered' alongside Guettel's masterpieces Floyd Collins and The Light in the Piazza gives me such hope for the future of our art form,” comments artistic director Paul Masse. “And to know that Guettel is workshopping a new show at this very moment that will be waiting for audiences when we are able to be together again is just one example that we are very much alive here in the performing arts. Helping artists make it through this time is imperative not just for the arts, but the good of humanity - it will be worth it when we emerge from this moment."
All programs available on 92Y.org for the month following the premiere, and on StageAccess
WIFT NEW ZEALAND AWARDS 2020 take place December 3, 2020 at the ASB Waterford Theatre in Auckland, NZ.
From women to watch to unsung heroines, the biennial WIFT Awards joyfully celebrate the outstanding achievements of women in all aspects of the New Zealand screen industry.
"Get your glad rags on and party it up with nominees, friends, supporters and all your industry colleagues whatever their gender," chortles the announcement. "Your ticket will get you a couple of drinks (cash bar for more!), canapes, and some pretty sweet surprises, ensuring you are entertained and happy all evening."
From a welcome drink, to the uplifting awards presentation with the fabulous Theresa Healey as MC, followed by a spirited party, the WIFT Awards are a significant event in the local screen industry calendar.
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER: ONE NIGHT LONELY
25 years after the 1995 recording of Jubilee: Live From Wolf Trap, Carpenter is back with a rare solo performance filmed without an audience at Wolf Trap. Streaming November 27, 2020.
JOHN LENNON: 80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION takes place on line, November 29, 1:30-3:20 pm ET, as part of New York City's 92Y Icons from Worlds of Broadway, music, TV & Film.
"John Lennon – how to describe him? Founder of The Beatles and brilliant solo artist. A political and social justice activist. Half of the greatest songwriting team in the second half of the 20th century, yet possessing an utterly unique songwriting voice of his own. Had John lived he would have turned 80 this fall, the 92Y is celebrating his extraordinary legacy, exploring a selection of great songs spanning from his early work with The Beatles to his last songs on Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey, and lots of splendid work in between. Imagine… "
DAVID COPPERFIELD who had resumed his Las Vegas shows at the MGM Grand has now suspended them after a crew member tested positive for Covid-19. The shows will resume after the crew member's diagnosis disappears. His entire crew will be examined.
ZUMANITY Cirque du Soleil’s provocative production mounted at New York-New York, employed about 120 artists, crew and support staff. The show was unveiled on September 20, 2003 and went on hiatus on March 14, 2020 due to the covid-19 shutdown .after 17 years and 7,700 shows.On November 16, 2020 that the show will not be reopening.
ENTERTAINMENT RETURNED to the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE on November 20, 2020.
Shut since February due to covid-19, the re-opening of the 17,000 arena is covid-19 safety compliant.
2021 MARDI GRAS parades have been canceled in New Orleans - for the first time in 42 years.
DOES STAR TREK KNOW ABOUT THIS? The United States has Space Force. Great Britain has just announced their new National Cyber Force, including a Space Command and AI agency. Now, The International Trademark Laws Committee is in the process of developing a new subcommittee for Trademark Law in Space. This subcommittee will be dedicated to emerging trademark issues tied to outer space activities.
STEPPING DOWN
Ari Roth the American theatrical producer, playwright, director and educator who last served as the Artistic Director of the Mosaic Theater Company of DC- the company he created nearly six years ago - was forced out last week.
. From 1997 to 2014 Roth served as the Artistic Director of Theater J at the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center who was fired in December 2014, because of his resistance to pro-Israel activists’ demands to stop producing plays that gave voice to both sides Middle East conflicts.
Roth submitted his resignation, effective Wednesday. Roth's resignation which took effect Wednesday, November 18, was accepted by the 29-member board Tuesday night, during a meeting at which the company’s managing director and producer, Serge Seiden, became his de facto temporary successor.
The board issued a carefully worded statement Tuesday night, explaining Roth’s departure as a positive, evolving culture at the company.
“As part of this next phase,” wrote Board Chair Bill Tompkins, “Artistic Director Ari Roth will be leaving Mosaic to pursue new opportunities. Following all due process and a full consideration of his thoughts, and with a sincere thanks to Ari for being the spark that launched Mosaic, the board of directors unanimously voted to accept his resignation. His is a legacy of creativity, drive and passion that helped shape this theater company.”
As for Roth, he says that “tensions were exacerbated, not ameliorated,” by the process he was subjected to, and that he had no alternative but to leave. “It is a company I still very much care for,” he wrote in a farewell letter to the public dated Wednesday, “a company that finds itself, like so many institutions, in the throes of cascading crises, navigating valiantly, but in Mosaic’s current state, with depleted trust in the structural leadership role that a founding artistic director can offer.”
OTHER PEOPLE'S
MONEY
THE OMAHA (NEBRASKA) COMMUNITY FOUNDATION will receive an additional $8 million in federal funding through Douglas County to distribute to nonprofit organizations and some live entertainment venues affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
An unspecified portion of the new money will go to for-profit live entertainment venues that receive at least half their revenue from ticket sales or cover charges. Such businesses have been hit hard financially and haven’t been covered by other coronavirus relief funds, County Board Chair Clare Duda told the press.
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2020 BAFTA BREAKTHROUGH AWARDS have been announced. Supported by Netflix, BAFTA Breakthrough is the only new talent initiative that showcases and supports the next generation of creative talent across film, games and television, giving access to unique career development and mentoring opportunities.
The 34 most promising talents in the UK and USA in our industries include a Tony nominee and a writer on a hit American television series. This year's BAFTA Breakthroughs are:
Amir El-Masry, Performer (Film) - Limbo
Tamara Lawrance, Performer (Film & TV) - The Long Song
Tim Renkow, Writer/Performer (TV) - Jerk
Youssef Kerkour, Performer (TV) - Home
Abigail Dankwa, Director (TV - factual) - Love Song
Lauren Ridloff, Tony nominated Performer (Film & TV) - Eternals
Shannon DeVido, Performer (Film & TV) - Insatiable, Difficult People
Aleem Khan, Director / Writer (Film) - Afterlove
Bukky Bakray, Performer (Film) - Rocks
Linn Waite & Kate Byers, Producers (Film) - Bait
Rina Yang, Cinematographer (TV) - Sitting in Limbo
Rubika Shah, Director/Writer Film (Film) - White Riot
Ruka Johnson, Costume Designer (Film) - Blue Story
Be Sharrock & Irune Gurtubai, Director / Writer & Producer - Limbo
Jordan Hogg, Director (TV) - Ackley Bridge
Joy Gharoro-Akpojtor, Producer (Film) - Blue Story
Bim Ajadi, Director (Film & TV) - Here Not Here
Nicole Newham, Diretor (Film) - Crip Camp
Ekwa Msangi, Director / Writer (Film) - Farewell Amor
Gene Back, Composer (Film & TV) - Cowboys
Jim Le Brecht, Producer / Director (Film) - Crip Camp
Aadip Desai, Writer (Film & TV) - The Goldbergs
Bethany Swan, Hair and Makeup Designer (TV) - I May Destroy You
Ali Tocher, Director (Games - Bossa Studios) - Surge and Simulator 2
Catherine Unger, Art Director (Games) - Tangle Tower
Chella Ramanan, Art Director (Games) - Before I Forget
Claire Brombley, External Producer (Games - Sony) - Sack Boy
Lea Schönfelder, Lead Game Designer (Games) - Assemble With Care
Edson Oda, Director / Writer (Film) - Nine Days
Mary Kenny, Writer (Film) - Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Arnaldo Icea, Audio Director (Games) - The Last of Us Part II
The line-up was selected by an industry jury comprised of the likes of Killing Eve's Fiona Shaw, British Vogue's Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful, filmmaker Amma Asante and I May Destroy You actor Paapa Essiedu.
The BAFTA Breakthrough participants will take part in a year-long mentoring and guidance program, with BAFTA working with each Breakthrough individually to create a tailored year of support, mentoring and career development.
GRAMMY NOMINEES will be announced via livestream on Tuesday, November 24. Chair and Interim Recording Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. will be joined by a roster of talent to announce nominees for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Four-time Grammy Award-winning Regional Mexican singer-songwriter Pepe Aguilar, Nigerian Afropop singer Yemi Alade, Grammy Award-winning classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, two-time Grammy Award-winning contemporary Christian singer Lauren Daigle, Country singer-songwriter Mickey Guyton, two-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist and past Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony host Imogen Heap, CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King, two-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Dua Lipa, and The Talk host Sharon Osbourne will be part of the nominations livestream that will begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET. The livestream will be available to view on Grammy.com.
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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
LEM BANKER famed sports bettor based in Las Vegas died Friday, November 20, 2020 at his Las Vegas home. He was 93.
The affable Banker whose motto was "bet what you can afford to lose, not what you'd want to win never appeared on Jeopardy but he was featured in People magazine and on the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous TV series.
The colorful Banker wrote handicapping columns for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and numerous other newspapers across the country. He picked the winner against the spread in print in 20 of the first 23 Super Bowls, including 13 straight winners from 1973 to 1985.
Banker’s wife, Debbie, died in 2009. He is survived by his daughter, Blaine Banker, and grandson, Jonathan Ribaste.
Next Column: November 29, 2020
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Laura Deni
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