Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 30, 2025
By: Laura Deni
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JANE AUSTEN'S ENERGIZED 250th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Jane Austen Centre.

On December 16th 1775 Jane Austen was born in Steventon Hampshire. 2025 marks 250 years since this remarkable author came into the world. To celebrate this momentous year in Austen history the Jane Austen Festival held some extra special events throughout the 2025 year, in addition to the ten days of Jane Austen themed events which made up the Jane Austen Festival.

If you are a female who has noticed that your life's aura of male testosterone has dropped to a depressing low, look no further than deceased love guru Jane Austen for a quick fix.

"On Saturday, December 13, 2025 the Jane Austen Festival will be holding a very special Yuletide Jane Austen Birthday Ball. It's like a booster shot for the lovelorn.

The Yuletide Birthday Ball is the finale of the Jane Austen Festival's 250th anniversary celebrations. Taking place on Saturday 13th December 2025 we will celebrate Jane Austen's Birthday a few days prior to her actual birthday on the 16th December. Join us in Bath for this extra special Regency Ball celebration. Tickets will include a welcome drink, followed by a 2-course sit-down dinner.

Participants at the JaneAusten Festival.

Jane Austen's 250th birthday is being celebrated throughout 2025 with numerous events including special exhibitions, festivals, and costumed balls in locations like Bath and Steventon. Major celebrations include the Jane Austen Festival in Bath with its world-record-holding Regency Promenade and numerous events at Jane Austen's House, featuring exhibitions like "Austenmania!" and a permanent exhibit on her writing. In the US, the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) is also holding festive meetings.

Exhibitions:

"Austenmania!": An exhibition at Jane Austen's House celebrating the 1995 film and TV adaptations. Jane Austen and the Art of Writing: A permanent exhibition at Jane Austen's House that honors her as a writer. The Most Tiresome Place in the World: An exhibition at No 1 Royal Crescent in Bath, featuring letters and the only manuscript she wrote while living there.

The Regency dancing will be led by the Jane Austen Dancers of Bath, with live music from Beau's Band. Our Master of Ceremonies will lead us in a birthday toast to Jane Austen, with some other little Christmas/Birthday surprises along the way!

This Ball is a Regency costumed mandatory event and we request that all ladies and gentlemen dress in the style of the Regency or late 18th Century period. No High Heels Are Permitted in The Venue.

A Pre-Ball Dance Workshop will be held in the afternoon before the Ball in the Percy Community Centre on New King Street in Bath. This workshop is exclusively for those attending the Yuletide Birthday Ball, it's the perfect chance to learn and practice your Regency dancing moves ready for the ball in the evening.

Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall admires Mr. Darcys shirt worn by Colin Firth commenting: I wish he was in it."

Dinner parties and travel: Some travel companies are offering bespoke experiences that include talks, dinners, visits, and accommodations.

Afternoon tea: Some organizations, like the WYES studios, are holding afternoon teas to celebrate the occasion.

Regency costume is mandatory at all balls.

For Janeites who aren't up for a trans-Atlantic trek, there are options closer to home. JASNA has some 6,500 members in 83 regional branches.

Don't forget there will be a new TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Royalty is even involved. When Queen Camilla was known as the Duchess of Cornwall she visited several locations which highlighted Jane Austen and her works. When Camilla was faced with Mr. Darcy's white shirt and was asked how she liked it - her comment was priceless. Referrimh to Colin Firth she said: I wish he was in it.

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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 LOUVRE in Paris has announced that ticket prices for visitors from outside of the European Union will be raised by45 percent.

Tourists from the UK, the US and China will now pay €32. The 45% increase is expected to increase annual revenue by up to €20 million to fund structural upgrades after last month’s brazen daylight theft.

The Louvre has decided to increase the price of admission for non-European visitors by 45% starting in 2026. From 14 January, nationals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA, which includes EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) will have to pay €32 to visit the world's most visited museum - €10 more than the current admission price. Approved on Thursday by the Louvre's board of directors, this increase will apply in particular to Americans, who make up the largest contingent of foreign visitors, but also to Chinese visitors, who rank third, according to the museum's 2024 activity report. The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million people last year, 69% of whom were from abroad.

PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM will honor legendary designer Bob Mackie at Art Party 2026, on January 24, 2026 with Carol Burnett presenting the award and Tony Award–winner Stephanie J. Block delivering a special performance. The gala returns to offer a glamorous evening of creative cocktails, gourmet bites, and unforgettable entertainment.

Bob Mackie is a nine-time Emmy Award winner, Geoffrey Beene CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and three-time Oscar nominee. Mackie’s iconic designs have elevated performers such as Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Cher, Elton John, Bette Midler, and Carol Burnett.

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SPREADING THE WORD

LATINO THEATER COMPANY presents La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin, the company’s signature holiday pageant that has been a Los Angeles holiday tradition since 2002. Adapted for the stage by Evelina Fernández from the mid-16th Century text The Nican Mopohua.

Directed by José Luis Valenzuela.

Join the tens of thousands who have become transfixed by the story of Juan Diego, a simple peasant to whom the Virgin Mary appeared on four occasions in the mountains of Tepeyac near Mexico City in 1531. Starring Esperanza América as the indigenous Virgen de Guadalupe — the Virgin of the Americas — and Sal Lopez as Juan Diego, the cast features over 100 actors, singers, musicians and indigenous Aztec dancers as well as children and seniors from the community. The City’s largest theatrical holiday pageant, La Virgen is performed in Spanish with English supertitles.

Friday, December 5 and Saturday,December 6, 2025 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

SPRINGBOARD FOR DESIGN has launched a $150,000 Fundraising Campaign to find the tuition-free theatrical design mentorship program led by Tony winners Clint Ramos and David Zinn.

The project offers training to high school students from underrepresented communities. The week-long intensive—set for July 19-25, 2026, at The Harvey Fierstein Theatre Lab at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Through hands-on workshops, seminars, and access to Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, students explore set, costume, lighting, projection, sound, and make-up design under the mentorship of theatre professionals.

Those interested can deepen their impact by joining one of Springboard to Design's sponsorship tiers: Design Visionary ($25,000), Innovation Partner ($15,000), Design Advocate ($10,000), or Creative Collaborator ($5,000). Each tier offers recognition and opportunities to directly support emerging designers.

Despite ongoing conversations about equity, American theatre design continues to experience significant racial and gender disparities. Currently, only 33% of designers identify as female, 66% as male, and just 1% as gender diverse. Springboard to Design is helping shift this landscape. Among its alumni, 74% are people of color. Alumni identify as 45% female, 26% male, and 30% gender diverse. Racially, the alumni community includes 30.4% Black, 22.8% White, 18.5% Latinx, 14.1% Asian, and 14.1% Indigenous designers.

Ramos said in a statement, “The future of theatre design depends on nurturing diverse voices early on—this program is about unlocking potential that might otherwise be overlooked.”

Zinn added, "Springboard to Design provides a high-quality entry point for young designers from communities historically excluded from the field. Our free program gives students the training and career mentorship that are essential for long-term success. By creating an educational pipeline with no financial barrier, Springboard to Design is shaping a more inclusive and innovative future for design."

PRINCESS CATHERINE will host her fifth festive Christmas Carol Concert at Westminster Abbey on Friday, December 5. In this concert the Princess of Wales wanted to recognize and thank people around the country who are acting with love in their communities, contributing to a more cohesive and connected society.

The service at Westminster Abbey on Friday, December 5, will feature poignant readings linked to the theme of love, compassion and connection, with the Prince of Wales, Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Babatunde Aléshé and Joe Locke billed to speak.

Alongside the world-renowned Westminster Abbey choice, there will also be musical performances from Hannah Waddingham, Dan Smith, Griff, Katie Melua and Cornish folk music group, Fisherman’s Friends. Guests will also enjoy a special performance by young performers from Platinum Performing Arts, an organization based in the heart of the community in Edmonton, North London.

Some 15 community carol services, held in places including the Coronation Street Visitor Centre, an arts centre in Newbury and a community farm in Gwent, are also set to take place across the UK with the same love and togetherness theme.

William will deliver a reading at the service.

Kensington Palace has confirmed that members of the royal family will make up the 1,600-strong congregation, with William's cousin, Zara Tindall, will be attending with her husband Mike.

The likes of Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Peter Phillips, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Princess of Wales's parents and siblings have also previously attended.

Upon arrival, guests will be welcomed with music by eight young performers aged between 13 and 18 from Future Talent, a charity co-founded by the late Duchess of Kent to support musically gifted children from low-income backgrounds. They will be performing as a brass ensemble specially brought together for the event.

The late Duchess of Kent taught music at a school in Hull Katharine Worsley, who was married to the late Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, the Duke of Kent, died aged 92 on September 4, 2025.

The inclusion of performers from her charity is particularly poignant given the Duchess's legacy. Known for stepping back from royal duties to work as a music teacher under the alias 'Mrs. Kent' for over a decade in Hull, she was passionately committed to the belief that music should be accessible to all.

Kensington Palace has also shared details about the exterior decorations outside Westminster Abbey on the night of the concert. In line with Kate's love of nature, plantsman and horticulturist Jamie Butterworth will be creating a natural, festive environment outside of the Abbey.

His designs with feature a collection of British woodland trees, sourced from Form Plants in Weybridge, interwoven with fruits, berries and Christmas trees. In 2022, Jamie won a Gold Medal award at the Chelsea Flower Show for his work with mental health charity Place2Be, which is one of Kate's patronages.

There will also be wreaths donated by The Royal Horticultural Society and florist Simon Lycett, which have been made in partnership with RHS Ambassadors and schoolchildren including Dame Mary Berry and Arit Anderson, as well as comedian Tom Allen and presenter Angelica Bell.

Guests will also be able to add their own named loop onto a paper chain on the 'Connection Tree,' supported by Hobbycraft, tying in with this year's theme of togetherness and the importance of moments of connection with one another.

And attendees will also be treated to mince pies donated by Fortnum & Mason, as well as the chance to enjoy a hot chocolate after the service, provided by The Royal Foundation.

The Westminster Abbey service is to air on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Eve and will be repeated on Christmas Day.

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MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL has won the 2025 Promising Practices Award .from the Mather Institute. The honor is being given for its recently launched Broadway Senior collection, which offers versions of musicals adapted specifically for older performers.

The collection launched earlier this year with five titles: The Music Man SR., Guys and Dolls SR., Singin' in the Rain SR., Fiddler on the Roof SR., and Into the Woods SR. Each show has been cut down to a 60-minute running time, with the licensing process streamlined for ease of production. The company is charging companies a flat $595 fee for everything they need to put up the show, from scripts to performance tracks and a heavily annotated production guide with notes from theatre experts on working with older performers.

The initiative has been in the works since 2014, when a pilot production of Guys and Dolls SR. was mounted at Nebraska's Lincoln Community Theatre.

"The Promising Practices Awards honors MTI for its unique program offering adaptations of popular musicals specifically developed for performers 55 and better," says Mather Institute Director Jennifer L. Smith in a statement. "Their Broadway Senior musicals help improve the lives of older adults by offering them a collaborative experience that can improve overall health and well-being."

"MTI is incredibly grateful for this recognition from Mather Institute," adds MTI President and CEO Drew Cohen. "We created our Broadway Senior musicals in order to make a positive impact in the lives of older adults. Research has shown that performing in a musical offers participants the opportunity to increase self-esteem and confidence while decreasing anxiety and loneliness. The benefits of engaging in the collaborative theatrical process are well-documented, but most of all, it’s fun!"

CURTAIN DOWN

THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES announced that it is closing January 4, 2026, after what will have been 65 regular performances and 32 previews. The musical, which reportedly cost $22.5 million to mount, stars Kristin Chenoweth and F. Murray Abraham.



TARTUFFE by Moliére, featuring a a new script by A Doll's House, Part 2 playwright Lucas Hnath.

Directed by Sarah Benson.

Choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.

Tartuffe is in our house. We’ve got to get him out.

Tony Award nominee Lucas Hnath and Obie Award winner Sarah Benson conspire to bring us a razor-sharp reinvention of Molière’s iconoclastic comedy in a mad-dash production full of ferocious wit, outrageous design, and downright buffoonery. Choreography is by three-time Princess Grace Award winner Raja Feather Kelly.

The cast of Tartuffe includes Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick as Tartuffe, Emmy Award winner David Cross as Orgon, Obie Award winner Emily Davis as Mariane, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Bianca Del Rio as Mme Pernelle, Tony Award nominee Amber Gray as Elmire, Obie Award winner Ryan J. Haddad as Damis, Tony Award winner Francis Jue as Cleante, Tony Award winner Lisa Kron as Dorine, and Emmy Award nominee Ikechukwu Ufomadu as Valére.

Tartuffe features scenic design by the Tony Award-nominated design collective dots, costume design by Tony Award nominee Enver Chakartash, lighting design by Obie Award winner Stacey Derosier, sound design by Henry Hewes Award nominee Peter Mills Weiss, hair and wig design by Robert Pickens, and makeup design by Katie Gell. Addison Hereen is the Properties Supervisor, with original music by Heather Christian. UnkleDave’s Fight-House serves as Fight Director, with Crista Marie Jackson as Intimacy Director and Gigi Buffington as Voice and Speech Director.

Casting is by Taylor Williams. Kasson Marroquin serves as Production Stage Manager.

Performances began at New York Theatre Workshop on November 28, 2025. ahead of a December 16 opening night. The already extended limited run, will continue through January 24, 2026

BOB BAKER's NUTCRACKER Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s (BBMT) delightful and spellbinding 1969 marionette adaptation of the beloved ballet classic, returns to Sierra Madre Playhouse, bringing joy and merriment to the holidays with 50 performances running from November 29, 2025, through January 4, 2026. The enchanting production – a cherished yuletide tradition for Angelenos of all age – features more than 100 handcrafted puppets, including original characters from the ballet, such as Clara, the Nutcracker, the Rat King, and the Sugar Plum Fairy, along with many of Baker’s own whimsical creations.

Bob’s original Nutcracker show, created in 1969, was performed with hand-and-rod puppets, but over the years, BBMT’s talented team of artisans and craftspeople carefully preserved and adapted the ballet, transforming it into a fanciful dreamscape featuring large-scale marionettes and intricate sets.

Presented by Bob Baker Marionette Theatre and Sierra Madre Playhouse, runs from November 29, 2025, to January 4, 2026, at Historic Sierra Madre Playhouse in Sierra Madre, CA.

HEART OF A DOG by Michail Bulgakov.

Directed by Konstantin Kamensky.

?Starring: Alexandr Feklistov, Artur Smolyaninov, Semyon Shteinberg, Grigory Sluzhitel, Sasha Aleksis and Irina Soboleva Step into the surreal and satirical world of Mikhail Bulgakov’s Heart of a Dog, where a stray dog’s astonishing transformation into a man reveals the absurdities, contradictions, and fragile hopes of a society in flux. Sharp humor meets profound social commentary in this gripping tale, making Bulgakov’s classic as electrifying and relevant today as it was in 1920s Moscow.

Under the visionary direction of Konstantin Kamensky, the production comes alive with immersive multimedia, striking visuals, and bold performances. More than a play, Heart of a Dog is an unforgettable theatrical journey that entertains, challenges, and lingers long after the curtain falls—holding a mirror up to our world with Bulgakov’s timeless wit and piercing insight.

This play is performed in Russian with no English translation.

Presented by Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation, NYC. Performances across America.

A CHRISTMAS CAROLAdapted by Daniel F. Lendzian.

Directed by Chris J Handley.

Featuring Mike Garvey as Scrooge. Marty Gartz, VerNia Sharisse Garvin, Andrew Giandomenico, Zoe Goñez, Sara Kow-Falcone, Steven Maiseke, Gigi McCann, Gerald Ramsey, and Kathleen Rooney.

< This joyful new adaptation features brand new sets, costumes, lights, puppets, ghosts, snow, and more.

The creatives are: Sets by Justin & Christopher Swader. Costumes by Ann R. Emo. Lights & Sound by Emma Schimminger. Puppets by Elizabeth Dapo. Props by Quincey Miracle. Stage Management by K Gorny.

Opening Night Sunday December 14 at the Alleyway Theatre Buffalo, NY.

CHRISTMAS IN DOOR COUNTRY Written by Dan Murphy & Rick Lewis.

Musical Arrangements by Rick Lewis.

Directed and Choreographed by Dan Murphy.

Heartwarming, uplifting, and full of holiday cheer, this new musical, Christmas in Door County, features familiar festive songs and a story about finding the meaning of Christmas. After a winter vacation at the Borealis Bed & Breakfast on Washington Island, Wisconsin, the ferry breaks down and guests are unable to return to the mainland. Staying with the B&B staff, everyone comes together on Christmas Eve to make the best of the situation in hopes of some yuletide cheer.

Musicians: featuring the talents of Katie Nordone on bass, Yuya Matsuda on drums, and music director Wendy Vece on keys.

This new holiday musical revue by the masters of mistletoe musicals, Dan Murphy and Rick Lewis, is sold out. Performances through December 21, 2025 at the Broadway Rose New Stage in Tigard, Oregon.

E-Book

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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

TOM STOPPARD was a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He wrote for film, radio, stage, and television, died November 29 in Dorset, UK. He was 88.

Stoppard was a playwright of the National Theatre and one of the most internationally performed dramatists of his generation. He was knighted for his contribution to theatre by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997.

Stoppard received numerous awards and honors including an Academy Award, three Laurence Olivier Awards, and five Tony Awards. In 2008, The Daily Telegraph ranked him number 11 in their list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture". It was announced in June 2019 that Stoppard had written a new play, Leopoldstadt, set in the Jewish community of early 20th-century Vienna. The play premiered in January 2020 at Wyndham's Theatre. The play went on to win the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and later the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play.

Married three times he is survived by his third wife Sabrina Guinness whom he wed in 2014. He also is survived by four sons.

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Laura Deni