Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 6, 2022
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

POLITICAL SATIRE CROSS PARTY PERFECT FOR ELECTION SEASON

With American having its mid-term election on Tuesday, which may or may not be decided that night, it seems a political satire is appropriate.

Cross Party by Carolyn Harris and former Parliamentary Member for Glasgow South Tom Harris is just that.

Officially: It’s a hilarious comedy about the political machinations in and around the formation of the Coalition – focusing on Member of Parliament Geoff Henderson, whose domestic arrangements are thrown into severe disarray when his wife Louise decides to stand for parliament.

Starring Andrew MacBean as Geoff Henderson, Mark Fairclough as the chief whips, Matt Blair as the student, Nick Lucas as Charles, Richard Gittins as Dean, and Sarah Whitehouse as Louise. Recorded at Unity Studios. Edited by Malcolm Thorp. Directed by George Maddocks.

Well written, delightful, funny, pithy and frequently all too close to home. Excellent acting. Dialogue and accents are easily understood.

Sprightly music indicates an off beat production presented by the Wireless Theatre Company.

During an important television interview in which an expense scandal is to be revealed, a reporter asks a member of Parliament to recall what he had for breakfast.

It seems that 20,000 pounds was collected for an antique garden gate and a gnome, which the press have christened Gardengate.

The guilty explain that a perfectly innocent mistake can land you on the front page.

A new candidate will have to be selected.

Louise is married to Geoff Henderson who is a member of Parliament. A member of the opposing party, Louise is being touted as a candidate. Geoff states that Louise isn't cut out for Parliament and one member of the family in Parliament is enough. He reminds Louise that she called Parliament an old boys network.

She corrects him "I think I used 'An old fart's network.'

The parties are getting desperate for a candidate who hasn't been involved in a scandal. It seems that Sir Thomas, a vegan, was photographed snorting cocaine in the company of three naked male friends, causing his wife to hyperventilate and the party to no longer considering him a viable candidate.

Politicians take the position that it isn't what you do, it's not getting caught that counts.

Geoff has been the official of the conservative party for 8 years, with a week to go before election day, polling pundits are having a field day. Televised debates didn't do either candidate any good. One candidate stated 'if you don't vote for me that makes you a racist' while the other told the unemployed to 'rely on their trust funds before trying to claim benefits'.

A candidate has been provided with insider information about another candidate's past, which was to be used with the caution 'Between you and your conscious, or tax accountant.'

It's politics where winners need to know that their job description requires them to understand that they will be told what to think, say and do by party whips.

A day before voting with stakes and emotions running high.

Three days after voting day there still is no clear winner.

Author Thomas Harris

Geoff is worried that it will be discovered that 'before they clamped down on what MPs can claim, he purchased a karaoke machine, which he used for relaxation.

Louise snaps: "to sing Elvis songs."

"No," he answered. "Michael Buble, mostly."

Have both Geoff and Louise won their respective elections?

If so, how will they get along in Parliament? They wait for the Prime Minister's call to deliver the recount news.

Geoff is still worried that his billing of the karaoke machine to his Parliament account will be revealed. When it is discovered that the bill was never submitted - 'lost in the black hole of incompetence,' Geoff entered a state of euphoria - which is short lived.

To find out why, you'll have to listen to the Wireless Theatre production. It's totally funny and bravely co-written by a member of Parliament.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Thomas Harris is a British journalist and former politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Glasgow South, from 2001 to 2015. Since 2021 he has been lead non-executive director of the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and Advocate General for Scotland.

As an MP Tom became the Labour government’s longest serving railways minister, serving under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. On June 9, 2009, he was the first Scottish Labour MP to call for Gordon Brown to stand down as prime minister.

He is a columnist for the Daily Telegraph, writing mainly on politics and the Labour Party.

As well as his role at the Telegraph, Tom runs his own public affairs company, Third Avenue Public Affairs, with his wife, Carolyn who co-authored this play.

E-Book

Soft back Book

Broadway To Vegas is supported through advertising and donations. Priority consideration is given to interview suggestions, news, press releases, etc from paid supporters. However, no paid supporters control, alter, edit, or in any way manipulate the content of this site. Your donation is appreciated. We accept PAYPAL.

Thank you for your interest.

E-Book

Soft back Book

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

KING CHARLES AND QUEEN CAMILLA

African Exhibit at the V&A museum in London. Photo V&A

viewed the African Fashion Exhibition at the V&A Museum in London on Thursday, November 3, 2022. The royal couple looked smart and color coordinated as they toured the elaborate exhibition which focuses on African craftsmanship and textiles. The exhibition celebrates the creativity, ingenuity and global impact of African fashion.

The Queen looked extremely well rested and fashionable in a black cape-style coat,with a white ruffled neckline andcuffs peaking through. Her husband was smart in a blue pin stripe suit accented by a pink tie and complimentary blue and pink pocket square. Both also sported red poppies in honor of the upcoming Remembrance Day.

Their Majesties were greeted by Sir Kenneth Olisa OBE, Lord Lieutenant for Greater London. He introduced them to the museum's chairman Sir Nicholas Coleridge and director Dr Tristram Hunt. Charles and Camilla toured the exhibit with curators Dr Christine Checinska and Elisabeth Murray serving as their guides.

They viewed an Artisanal exhibit as well as Nelson Mandela-related exhibition pieces.

They also viewed admired items from Commonwealth countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Rwanda.The exhibition features pieces from Lukhayo Mdingi, who celebrates mohair production in South Africa, Moses Turahirwa, who pays tribute to ceremonial attire historically worn by Rwandan Royalty, and Awa Meité, who celebrates the skill of those working in the cotton industry in Mali.

Many of the garments on show hail from the archives of iconic mid-twentieth century African designers – Shade Thomas-Fahm, Chris Seydou, Kofi Ansah and Alphadi. Alongside these are personal insights from influential contemporary African fashion creatives, including Imane Ayissi, IAMISIGO, Moshions, Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo, as well as highlights from fashion trends of the day, which are on display for the first time.

Starting with the African independence and liberation years from the mid-late 1950s – 1994 that sparked a radical political and social reordering across the continent, the African Cultural Renaissance section looks at the long period of unbounded creativity. Spanning fashion, music, the visual arts, protest posters, publications and records, we see objects that embody this era of radical change. Early publications from members of the Mbari Club, established for African writers, artists, and musicians, sit alongside the cover artwork for Beasts of No Nation by Fela Kuti – a call-to-arms album which embodied the communal feeling of frustration with the politics of the time, but also the energy of Africa's creativity and its artists' drive to create beautiful things.

Following the exhibition they signed the museum's visitor book. Then they joined a reception with High Commissioners, designers and those involved in curating the exhibition. The engagement comes ahead of a state visit by South Africa's President later this month.

On exhibit now until Sunday, April 16, 2023 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

STANDING WITH GIANTS to commemorate Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in the UK, a large-scale art installation has returned to the grounds at Waddesdon.

To honor the fallen, the silhouettes of 400 life-size soldiers, seamen and airmen are displayed alongside 250 poppy wreaths to form a striking art installation, the largest Standing with Giants installation in the UK. Created in partnership with Standing With Giants, this community-based project works to raise understanding and appreciation of our freedom and to remember and pay tribute to those who gave their lives so we could live ours today. On display through November 11, 2022 at Waddesdon in Buckinghamshire, England. Owned by National Trust and managed by the Rothschild Foundation, it is one of the National Trust's most visited properties.

THE TUTORS: ART AND MAJESTY IN RENAISSANCE ENGLAND under the volatile Tudor dynasty was a thriving home for the arts. An international community of artists and merchants, many of them religious refugees, navigated the high-stakes demands of royal patrons, including England's first two reigning queens.

Against the backdrop of shifting political relationships with mainland Europe, Tudor artistic patronage legitimized, promoted, and stabilized a series of tumultuous reigns, from Henry VII's seizure of the throne in 1485 to the death of his granddaughter Elizabeth I in 1603. The Tudor courts were truly cosmopolitan, boasting the work of Florentine sculptors, German painters, Flemish weavers, and Europe's best armorers, goldsmiths, and printers, while also contributing to the emergence of a distinctly English style.

This exhibition traces the transformation of the arts in Tudor England through more than 100 objects—including iconic portraits, spectacular tapestries, manuscripts, sculpture, and armor—from both The Met collection and international lenders.

Organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cleveland Museum of Art, in collaboration with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Through January 8, 2023 at The Met Fifth Avenue, New York City.

E-Book

Soft back Book

SWEET CHARITY

THE NEW YORK POPS AND ALZHEIMER'S AWARENESS MONTH In 2019, The New York Pops started a partnership with CaringKind, New York City’s leading expert on Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving, to develop music engagement programs for individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia and their caregivers.

During November, Alzheimer's Awareness Month, The New York Pops will present these free programs return during their 40th season! Designed to engage individuals with dementia through the power of music, these programs feature intimate performances, Q&A sessions with Steven Reineke and New York Pops musicians, sing-alongs, and even film clips pulled from the Museum of the Moving Image's archives.

These programs are free for individuals with Alzheimer's and dementia and their caregivers.

Up first - The New York Pops welcomes families affected by dementia to a special pre-rehearsal event at Carnegie Hall.

Hosted by Conductor Steven Reineke and musicians from the orchestra, enjoy light refreshments and a sing-along before attending the orchestra’s rehearsal for Broadway Blockbusters, which will include songs from The Phantom of the Opera, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, Miss Saigon, The Sound of Music, and more.

The New York Pops, Broadway Blockbusters Pre-Rehearsal Event. Hosted by Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke. Friday, November 18 - Reception 2 PM / Rehearsal 3-5:30 PM at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

ROCK TO REMEMBER IN SUPPORT OF US MILITARY VETERANS takes place Tuesday, November 8 at the Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tenn.

Hosted by Jared James Nichols, the event will feature performances from: Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, Scott Stapp, Kirk Fletcher, Emerson Hart, Tigirlily, Goodbye June, the John Bohlinger Trio, as well as U.S. Veteran Scott Hastings, and the Veterans of the Nashville Chapter of Guitars for Vets.

These musicians join Gibson Gives and Guitars for Vets to raise funds to provide music programs for returning military veterans afflicted with PTSD. Guitars for Vets intends to raise $200,000 through the Rock to Remember event.

THE CELEBRATED DRESDEN OPERA BALL is staged for the first time at Dubai Opera in Dubai, UAE on November 15, 2022.

The not-to-be-missed multicultural spectacle is all set to bring world-class performers like Placido Domingo, Marina Rebeka, Riz Khan, Oksana Fedorova, Anton Lubchenko, Igor Butman, Roman Lyulkin, Otto Sauter and the The European Peace Chamber Orchestra Dresden will perform.

World-class performers and modern culture will mix together to make this event into a fantastic one-of-a-kind not-to-be-missed experience produced by the founders of the famous Opernball Dresden – a project whose purpose is to support and further the relationships among the European and the Arab cultures.

The first Dresden Opera Ball in the UAE sets out to be one of the highlights of the celebration by adding the European flair to modern musical and artistic performances from the Arab world.

The ball begins with a red carpet opening ceremony followed by a reception and the gala show. The grand finale presents the Dresden Opera Ball debutants. The Fulminant ball opening dance is followed by the Gala dinner, Dancing music and entertainment and the closing.

SPREADING THE WORD

JIMMY FALLON will appear on Broadway in Almost Famous recreating the role of Dennis Hope he had in the legendary rock & roll journalism film. On last Tuesday's The Tonight Show writer and director Cameron Crowe invited the talk show show to join the production, promising that Jakeim Hart, who currently has the role, would be transferred to a different part, or alternate with Fallon. Crowe promised, "We'll work it out."

"My dream has always been to have you come and be the link between the two casts, the cast of the musical, who also became a really tight family, and the movie," Crowe told Fallon. "So, I would like you to come on the Broadway stage and play your part again of Dennis Hope."

To which the enthusiastic Fallon replied, "I'm in! Absolutely, I am in. Oh, my gosh!"

No Fallon performance dates have been announced .

The Broadway cast also performed Tiny Dancer on The Tonight Show.

Fallon made his film debut in the 2000 cult classic as Dennis, the second manager of the tumultuous, mid-level rock band Stillwater

In Almost Famous a high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on tour.

Almost Famous has shows on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

ALAN CUMMING IS NOT ACTING HIS AGE Alan Cumming has done it all. He has won a Tony, hosted the Tonys, and been nominated for an Emmy for doing so. He made back-to-back films with Stanley Kubrick and the Spice Girls. He has played God, the devil, Hitler, the pope, Hamlet, all the parts in Macbeth, Dionysus, a Smurf (twice) and the EmCee in Cabaret (thrice). And now he’s coming to Scottsdale Arts in Scottsdale, AZ with a performance on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

PRINCE EDWARD, THE EARL OF WESSEX who is patron of the Northern Ballet will visit the organization at the New Victoria Theatre on November 9, 2022.

The company has welcomed David Collins as their new executive director. He replaced Mark Skipper, DL who retired on September 30, 2022 "after taking the organization to extraordinary new heights during his 26 years as Northern Ballet's Chief Executive."

Prince Edward also has enjoyed a long relationship with the theatre. In fact, when he and his wife of 23 years were engaged, he took his fiancee, then known as Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones, to a Northern Ballet production of Bram Stoker's Dracula at Sadler's Wells Theatre.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL: FINDING SHAKESPEARE is a new podcast created by The Old Globe in San Diego, CA teaming up with Pushkin Industries. The podcasts will explore the many ways Shakespeare has made his way into unexpected corners of American life. Host Barry Edelstein, Erna Finci Viterbi Artistic Director of The Old Globe and one of the leading American authorities on the works of Shakespeare will take listeners on a journey around the country to discover the surprising places Shakespeare pops-up beyond the theater. From a Henry V performance in a maximum security prison to a look at how Shakespeare influences gender identity, "Where There’s A Will" asks why the Bard’s works permeate our history and culture, and what that says about him and about our society.

With help from featured guests like filmmaker Robert Eggers, No. 2 all-time Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider, Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro, Pulitzer prize-winner James Ijames, and political speech writer and screenwriter Eli Attie, listeners will join Barry in the places Shakespeare appears off the stage—like a Shakespearean Yom Kippur service, the Oval Office, or the lives of children on the autism spectrum—and discover the depth and meaning of his continued cultural relevance.

The first season of "Where There’s A Will" premieres on November 10, 2022 wherever listeners access podcasts. It will feature eight documentary-style episodes.

EFG-LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL London's finest Jazz festival brings musicians from all over the globe into the capital - from jazz masters flexing their chops to cutting edge bands making a stir.

The EFG London Jazz Festival – presented by our Associate Producer Serious – comprises hundreds of gigs across the city and sees jazz popping up everywhere, from concert halls to street corners.

The Barbican is marking 30 years of the festival with live performances lined up from a host of exciting musicians from across the globe - in both their concert Hall and free performances in their foyer spaces.

"This year on our stages we've got a solo show from South African piano master Abdullah Ibrahim; experimental saxophonist Matana Roberts presents the latest installment of their Coin Coin project; and Dhafer Youssef explores his African roots with kora player Ballake Sissoko and Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset."

November 11 - November 20, 2022.

IS THERE STILL SEX IN THE CITY? a one woman show written by and starring Candace Bushnell takes place Friday, November 11, 2022 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT.

"Grab your Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte and join the "real" Carrie Bradshaw for a Girls’ Night Out! In her new one woman show, New York icon Candace Bushnell, the international best-selling novelist and creator of Sex and the City takes us on a whirlwind tur of New York City, from Studio 54 to Sex and the City to Lipstick Jungle and beyond, sharing her remarkable philosophy through stories of fashion, literature and sex while pouring cosmos in Manolos."

JAPAN SOCIETY PRESENTS puppet artist extraordinaire Basil Twist who sits down to discuss his creative role in Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s current staging of the beloved Studio Ghibli animated feature film, My Neighbour Totoro, in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV.

Twist is known for surprising audiences with his infinite creativity, from 88 magical Japanese screen doors (Dogugaeshi) and dancing fabrics in an on-stage water tank (Symphonie Fantastique) to a gigantic rock creature in his most recent work (Book of Mountains & Seas).

In this one night only event, Twist will share backstage images and describe the process of creating real-life versions of the film’s fantastical creatures for the live staging of My Neighbour Totoro at London’s Barbican this fall. Behind-the-scenes of My Neighbour Totoro takes place on Thursday, November 10 at Japan Society in New York City.

GOLDIE HAWN rose to fame as the ditzy Sock It To Me Girl on Laugh In. At that particular point in time if you had attempted to link Hawn with developing a serious Foundation working with neuroscientists to teaching people how to cope with stress, the first thought might have been oxymoron.

MindUP The Goldie Hawn Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded to help children develop the knowledge and tools they need to manage stress, regulate emotions and face the challenges of the 21st century with optimism, resilience and compassion.

Hawn's foundation, MindUP, was created in response to the global epidemic of:
childhood aggression
anxiety
depression
suicide

To date, sibce 2003, over 7 million (and counting) children have been taught MindUP in schools around the world.

Hawn has teamed up with Ducere Global Business School to develop a class in Self Care and Well-Being. In the course one is taught that studies have indicated that people who think positive thoughts and recall pleasant experiences before a test achieve higher scores.

A NOISE WITHIN'S 'NOISE NOW' COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SERIES presents free reading of The Amateurs by Jordan Harrison.

When does a crisis destroy us, and when does it open new frontiers? A staged reading of The Amateurs, exploring the evolution of human creativity in a dark age. An intrepid troupe of pageant players races across medieval Europe, struggling to outrun the Black Death. The arrival of a mysterious outsider sends Hollis, the leading lady, in search of answers that can only be found off-script… and soon the 14th century plague begins to look like another, more recent one.

Directed by Brian Shnipper, featuring Susan Angelo, Rafael Goldstein, Kasey Mahaffy, Jeremy Rabb, Erika Soto, Frederick Stuart.

Monday, November 7, 2022 at A Noise Within in Pasadena, CA.

KEVIN SPACEY will receive the prestigious lifetime achievement award - the Stella delia Mole Award from The National Museum of Cinema in Turin, Italy. The Museum made the announcement last Thursday. He will be presented with the award "as a recognition of his aesthetic and authorial contribution to the development of dramatic art throughout his filmography" according to the released statement, This is the highest honor given by the National Museum of Cinema. The award will be presented to Spacey at an event on January 16, 2023 in Turin, Italy. Spacey will also conduct a master class in acting before introducing the viewing of one of his films. Spacey filmed his most recent movie, director Franco Nero's The Man Who Drew God, in Turin.

THE BRAM STOKER FESTIVAL a four-day festival celebrating Irish writer and creator of Count Dracula, took place last week in Dublin, Ireland.

Coming back after a Covid two-year hiatus, the Bram Stoker Festival drew inspiration from Stoker, his life, his work and the Dublin. It also generally celebrated all things Gothic, the supernatural, the after-dark and the Victorian.

Some of the highlights included Borealis, a light and sound installation which brought the experience of an aurora borealis to Dublin Castle's Upper Courtyard every night of the festival. Its lush visuals and soundscape utterly transformed the sky above as time seemed to slow down as patrons gazed at the mesmerising lights in a breath-taking experience of true awe and wonder.

Stokerland is the festival's annual pop-up Victorian fun park. It was free to enter, and filled with deadly adventures, as well as the talents of world-class street performers, lawn games, face-painting and a program of performances. Bram Stoker and the Haunted Library was an after-hours tour of Marsh's Library - one of Ireland's creepiest public buildings which first opened to the public in 1707. Bram Stoker read there as a teenager, and the tour showcased some of the materials he consulted on witchcraft and astrology.

A Motherfoclóir Live Podcast also took place, delving into the work that went into translating Dracula into Irish. In this event, Darach Ó Séaghdha and Peadar Ó Caomhánaigh from the Motherfoclóir Podcast and Siún Ní Dhuinn from RTÉ’s Beo Ar Éigean podcast explained why this book was chosen, the fascinating translation decisions made with the text… as well as sharing a few spooky Irish words and where they came from.

A fun time was had by all.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

BRAD SCHWARTZ the former president of Pop TV, beginning November 7, 2022 will head The CW's entertainment division now that Nexstar owns it. Schwartz intends to maintain the network as a destination for original scripted content.

In his new role, Schwartz will be charged with leading The CW’s programming strategy, including day-to-day operations, as well as its creative and brand development. will report to former Nexstar board member-turned-CW president Dennis Miller.

In October Nexstar took control of The CW in October after purchasing a controlling 75 percent stake in the network from CBS Studios and Warner Bros. TV.

Nexstar's Plan for The CW Includes targeting older viewers, During an August conference call, Nexstar president and chief operating officer Tomas E. Carter shared the company’s strategy for making The CW profitable in the years to come, which will include content that appeals to an older audience than The CW has previously targeted.

"As many of you are aware, The CW is currently the lowest-rated broadcast network, which we believe largely reflects the fact that its programming is targeted for an 18-to-34 audience demographic, while the average age of the CW broadcast viewer is 58 years," Carter confirmed. "Over time, we’ll be taking a different approach to our CW programming strategy."

Carter was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer in September 2020. He joined Nexstar in the role of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in August of 2009. He is responsible for coordination of divisional operations, long term strategy and various corporate and administrative functions.

Prior to joining Nexstar, he was Managing Director, Media Telecom Corporate Investment Banking at Banc of America Securities, which he joined in 1985. In this position, he acted as the senior banker responsible for delivering bank products and services including M&A, private and public equity, high-yield debt, fixed income derivatives, syndicated financial products and treasury management for selected clients across the broadcasting, cable, publishing and media industries, including Nexstar. Carter who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in 1980, began his banking career in 1980, serving for five years in various roles in Corporate and International Banking at a predecessor to JPMorgan Chase.

E-Book

Soft back Book

THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY has announced that Rosario Flores, Myriam Hernández, Rita Lee, Amanda Miguel and Yordano will receive this year's Lifetime Achievement Award, as part of its annual Special Awards Presentation. Additionally, Manolo Díaz, Paquito D’Rivera and Abraham Laboriel will receive the Trustees Award.

"The collective accomplishments of this extraordinary group of artists and their contributions to Latin music are immeasurable,” said Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. “It will be a great privilege to honor these legendary figures during Latin Grammy Week in Las Vegas."

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to Latin music and its communities. The Trustees Award is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to Latin music during their careers in ways other than performance. Both distinctions are voted on by The Latin Recording Academy's Board of Trustees.

The honorees will be celebrated in a private event as part of Latin Grammy Week on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Eduardo Osorio will return as executive producer along with the production team at The Latin Recording Academy.

Performers for the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards include: current nominees and past Latin Grammy and Grammy winners Christina Aguilera, Camilo, Elvis Costello, Jorge Drexler, John Legend, Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández and Christian Nodal.

They join artists Ángela Aguilar, Rauw Alejandro, Marc Anthony, Banda Los Recoditos, Chiquis, Nicky Jam, Jesse & Joy, Carin León, Sin Bandera, Sebastián Yatra and the 2022 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, Marco Antonio Solís.

The telecast will air on Univision on Thursday, November 17, 2022.



FIRST CASUALTY written by serving Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Johnston CSC, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Directed by Lee Lewis.

In an unusual move the cast got inducted by ex-commandos. As actor Reagan Mannix stated: "It's not every day you get to disarm a bomb for a play."

Ahead of the official start of rehearsals for First Casualty, the core cast went out on a three-day bootcamp with Australian veterans to get them ready to accurately portray ADF soldiers on the stage. The training program downloaded an enormous amount of information to the actors, including detail-focused tasks like proper gun control, how to wear the uniform and the process of going out on patrols.

With attention to detail director Lewis posted: "Every waking moment is spent on the details that will fill up this huge play: the right shoelaces, the way an old Lee Enfield rifle sounds from 600 metres away, the ribbons on the Brigadier’s jacket, the camera a press photographer would have been using in 2011 in Afghanistan, the snacks in the ration packs, tiny moments in the script (what is the difference between a SITREP and a SPOTREP?!?!), is that the right music for the final moments, is everybody wearing kneepads?"

This hard-hitting tale, which is informed by the authentic experience of Christopher (who wrote the play) and his colleagues, is an imagined account of soldiers on a remote patrol base in southern Afghanistan. The play follows the soldiers over two eventful days in 2011, as they combat Afghan troops, Taliban insurgents and even a local warlord. While it may tackle some heavy themes, First Casualty is, at its core, about the friendship of the soldiers who have sacrificed so much for their country.

"This is not an anti-war story. This is not a pro-war story. This is a story of solders - the sons, the husbands, the fathers, the people we love."

The ensemble cast is led by Captain Trent Kelly (Mitchell Bourke), Sergeant Jack Hunter (Steven Rooke), Corporal Nick"Woodsy" Woods (Will Bartolo) and Sapper Thommo Kent (Reagan Mannix). The cast also includes: Amer Thabet, Christen O'Leary, Arwin Arwin, Treant Owens, Adam Kay, and Silva Pearce.

The creatives are: musical director James Dobinson, Dan Venz choreographer, Renee Mulder designer, Paul Jackson lighting designer, T an original score by The Seats, sound design by The Sweats' Brady Watkins; Craig Wilkinson video designer; Jake Lodder associate video designer, Nigel Poulton intimacy and fight designer, stage manager isLuy Kelland and Bridget O'Brien assistant stage manager.

Contributing Artists: Military consultant Matt Cardinaels CSM; Dari Language Consultants Arwin Arwin and Reza Momenzada; Pashto Language Consultant Masood Ehsan.

First Casualty has performances onstage at the Bille Brown Theatre of the Queensland Theatre, Australia November 12- December 10, 2022.

JACK WAS KIND Written and Performed by Tracy Thorne.

Directed by Nicholas A. Cotz.

“How could you just sit there?”
For 10 years, that’s what they’ve asked Jack’s wife. Well, now she’s talking.

Tracy Thorne stars in a brand new solo play about personal complicity in power structures intended to keep us silent. In this intimate, 70-minute monologue, a privileged woman defends and explores her role in her husband’s illicit behavior.

Jack Was Kind gives an imagined, painfully human backstory to an actual American event that will affect the country for generations to come. This intimate confessional story examines long-seated issues of privilege and complicity at the core of America, as well as our current and explosive political moment.

Jack Was Kind will feature scenic design by David Esler, costume design by Haydee Zelideth, lighting design by Kate McGee. Michael Palmer is the Production Stage Manager.

World Stage Premiere November 9 - December 18, 2022 in the W. Scott McLucas Studio Theatre, Irish Rep in New York City.

COLD BLOODED by Joel Greenhouse.

Directed by Joe John Battista.

Life imitates art when grade Z movie actress Renee Flame, on the run from a murder rap, lands in the arms of an ancient religious cult who turn into alligators when sexually aroused. An anything goes comedy with live music, Cold Blooded is "a zany homage to exploitation films of the ’50’s and ’60’s."

The show stars GLAAD nominee Brian Belovitch and Jenne Vath, along with Sevin Ceviker, Tony Del Bono, Larry Fleischman, Robert Z Grant, Joseph Johnson Afthonidis, Maude Lardner Burke, Evan Laurence, Andrew Ryan Perry and Jacqueline Sydney.

The production team includes Peter W. Dizozza and Joe John Battista (Original Music), Mark Marcante (Set Design), Alexander Bartenieff (Lighting Design), Brian Park (Lighting), Wendy Tonken (Costume & Props Design), Mikaela Blanchard (Production Stage Manager) and Mari Tompkins (Assistant Director).

Musicians include Joe John Battista (guitar), Kevin Murray (Drums) and Mike Pride (Drums).

Running November 10 - 27, 2022 at the Theater for the New City in New York City.

ANGEL OF THE AMAZON a new musical drama with book and music by Evan Mack.

Directed by Nancy Rhodes.

Based on the true story of Sister Dorothy Stang, who devoted her life to helping indigenous families of Brazil gain land rights and to protecting the Rainforest. In 2005, this 73-year-old nun was murdered by assassins hired by the owner of a logging company, who felt her passion for the Earth and all its gifts to be a threat. Her sacrifice launched a global movement to save the rainforest and to plant trees around the world.

Evan Mack was inspired to write the work, after attending a lecture about Sister Dorothy. “What struck me,” explained Mack, “was that Sister Dorothy met her gunmen the day before, fed them, prayed with them, and showed them her work with the peasant farmers of the area. When the gunmen showed up the next day, Sr. Dorothy opened her bible, saying "This is my only weapon," and began reading the Beatitudes. "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom, Blessed are the…" and she was shot six times.

Music Director Liz Hastings conducts the musical accompaniment of piano, violin, and percussion. The cast includes, Melanie Long in the role of Sister Dorothy. José Rubio will perform the role of Luiz, Joseph Peterson, the role of the Landowner, and Marie Anello, Danielle Bavli, and Clayton G. Williams complete the cast of singers.

The creatives are: Sets are designed by Andis Gjoni, Lighting by Chris D’Angelo, Projections by Charles Wittreich, and Costumes designed by Angela Huff.

November 10 – November 20, 2022 at The Sheen Center, New York, NY.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL adapted by Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays, Susan Lyons, and Tony Award winner Michael Arden.

Directed by Michael Arden.

In this A Christmas Carol unlike any other – past, present or future, Jefferson Mays plays more than 50 roles, including a potato, in a virtuosic, master class of a performance that must be seen to be believed.

Conceived by Arden and Tony Award nominee Dane Laffrey, A Christmas Carol had a wildly acclaimed world premiere in 2018 at Los Angeles’ Geffen Playhouse. In the winter of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, producer Hunter Arnold released a special filmed version of the production as way for theaters across the country to raise money and bring the magic of A Christmas Carol to 84 partner theaters across the country.

The creative team includes Dane Laffrey (scenic and costume design), Ben Stanton (lighting design), Lucy Mackinnon (projection design), Joshua D. Reid (sound design), Cookie Jordan (hair and makeup design), John Kristiansen (puppet design), Stephen Kopel (casting director), and Justin Scribner (associate director and production stage manager).

Begins previews at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, with an official opening night set for Monday, November 21, 2022.

WHAT PASSES FOR COMEDY by G.D. Kimble.

Directed by Chain Managing Director Rick Hamilton.

“We may have topped ourselves, this is clearly the new hate mail record.”

xcv Set in the golden age of live television, a late night talk show host reads the wrong cue card landing a punch-line that rocks the nation. The three young writers behind the prank are now in the fight for their professional lives as celebrity guests drop, the head of the network is out for blood, and an all-night work session reveals hard truths. They each find out where the laughter stops and bigotry begins.

The production stars Stan Buturla as Bob, Jordan Elman as Zep, Michael Filisky as Jack, Rory Lance as Jerry, Andrew O'Shanick as Will, Alain Pierre as Tory, and Ryan Brooke Taylor as Bunny.

The production, produced by Christina Perry, features scenic design by Em Frank, costume design by Debbi Hobson, and lighting design by Michael Abrams. Greg Russ is the sound designer, with original music by Robert Pound and Allie Goldhammer is the stage manager. Publicity by Katie Rosin/Kampfire PR, production assistants are Grace Loeb and Anna FitzGerald-Larrison.

Performances through November 19,2022 at The Chain Theatre in New York City.

DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS book and lyrics by Timothy Mason and music by Mel Marvin. The original production of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was conceived and directed by Jack O’Brien, with additional lyrics by Theodor S. Geisel, additional music by Albert Hague, and original choreography by John DeLuca.

Directed by The Old Globe Resident Artist James Vásquez.

In this 25th annual anniversary production Andrew Polec reprising his role as The Grinch.

The family favorite features the songs Santa for a Day; You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch and Welcome, Christmas (Fah Who Doraze).

Principal cast members include Andrew Polec as The Grinch; Tyrone Davis, Jr. as Young Max; John Treacy Egan as Old Max; and, alternating in the role of Cindy-Lou Who, Issa Ally (Red Team) and Harper Quinn Hill (Pink Team).

Rounding out the cast of The Grinch are Kevin Solis as Papa Who, Ariella Kvashny as Mama Who, Larry Raben as Grandpa Who, and Bets Malone as Grandma Who; alternating in the role of Annie Who are Julia Davidson (Red Team) and Leila Manuel (Pink Team); alternating in the role of Betty-Lou Who are Chloe Oh (Pink Team) and Pearl Salonga (Red Team); alternating in the role of Boo Who are and Ari Gimbel (Red Team) and Faizi Mahalingham (Pink Team); alternating in the role of Danny Who are Ryan Hafner (Pink Team) and Landon Tweet (Red Team); and alternating in the role of Teen Who are Joelle Dana Advento (Pink Team) and Ali Nelson (Red Team).

The Grown-Up Who ensemble includes Summer Broyhill, Berto Fernández, Jacob Haren, Patricia Jewel, Liliana Rodriguez, and Lance Arthur Smith.

The Little Who ensemble includes Maisy Cuaresma (Red Team), Andrew Gorman (Pink Team), Poly Kazmerchuk (Red Team), Eva Mather (Red Team), Ellis Quesada (Pink Team), Arielle Sapozhnikov (Red Team), Milla Toker (Pink Team), and Ella Washington (Pink Team).

The swings for The Grinch are Jacob Caltrider, Bethany Slomka, and James Vásquez.

The child understudies for The Grinch are Arya Bosworth and Benji Katzke.

This season’s production features additional choreography by Bob Richard and music direction by Elan McMahan. The Grinch creative team also includes John Lee Beatty (Scenic Design), Robert Morgan (Costume Design), Pat Collins (Lighting Design), Paul Peterson (Sound Design), Anita Ruth (Orchestrator), Joshua Rosenblum (Vocal Arrangements and Incidental Music), David Krane (Dance Music Arranger), Caparelliotis Casting and Kim Heil, CSA (Casting), Jess Slocum (Production Stage Manager), Amanda Salmons (Assistant Stage Manager), and Lyndon Pugeda (Associate Music Director).

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! will play on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park for a seven-week limited engagement run November 9 – December 31, 2022.

On December 12, The Old Globe will celebrate the 25th year with a special event to honor the legacy of Audrey S. Geisel, whose lasting gift made Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! possible. The event will raise funds to support the free student matinees and sensory-friendly performance of The Grinch. Tickets are $500 a person.

HAUNTED AND IF THESE WIGS COULD TALK a double bill by Tara Flynn and Panti Bliss.

Directed by Phillip McMahon.

Haunted
What happens when you hit the floor and lose all of your marbles? Ask the mouthy Tara Flynn: a fame-adjacent actor turned advocate for the campaign to Repeal Ireland’s 8th amendment, which strictly limited the right to an abortion. The country voted Yes and the whirlwind of publicity and abuse came to an end, and crashing to the floor is where Tara found herself. Down there, she realized the whirlwind had conveniently kept her from dealing with the death of her dad. This is one woman’s journey back from the floor. A touching, funny tale of grief, campaigning for civil rights, the offline impact of online abuse, crashing to the ground, and fighting to tell your own story. It’s a story of resilience… and a search for marbles!

If These Wigs Could Talk
Panti warmly invites you to learn from her mistakes, laugh at her failures, and revel in her triumphs. Over seven years since Pantigate, Ireland’s Marriage Equality Referendum, and the international smash hit High Heels In Low Places, Panti is shaking out her oversized wigs and re-boning her corset to bring her unique brand of ridiculous anecdotes to the Peacock stage.

Meet Panti, a drag queen at 53, after a lifetime of showbiz, shenanigans, and making a show of herself, taking this moment to question what her purpose and place in the world is now.

Via salacious stories, impassioned polemics, some seriously funny soul searching, and a few unvarnished truths, Panti takes us from rural Mayo to London’s glittering West End to the ambassador’s residence in Vienna, where along the way the answer to the question presents itself when she least expects it.

Creatives for Haunted and If These Wigs Could Talk:

Director and Dramaturg: Phillip McMahon. Associate Director: Chris Moran. Lighting Design: Sinéad McKenna. Sound Design: Jenny O’Malley. Producer: Jennifer Jennings and Laura Rigney. PR: Conleth Teevan. Publicity Photography: Patricio Cassinoni. Promotional Video: Olga Kuzmenko.

Creatives for Haunted:
Set and Costume Design: Molly O’Cathain. Graphic Design: Niall Sweeney.

Creatives for If These Wigs Could Talk:
Costume Design: James David Seaver. Set Design: Molly O’Cathain. Graphic Design: Niall Sweeney and Pony Ltd.

November 11 - December 3, 2022 at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland.

THE DINING ROOM by A. R. Gurney.

Directed by Square One Artistic Director Tom Holehan.

A.R. Gurney’s classic comedy, a finalist for the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, takes place in the dining room of a typical well-to-do household. The Dining Room is a remarkable play of days long gone. Some audience members may not even remember the 'good ol’ days' hen families sat down around a dining room table, talking, reminiscing and getting caught up on family news and events…no cell phones, no television, no internet, no distractions…just conversations around one table in each household. The Dining Room is comprised of a mosaic of interrelated scenes - some funny, some touching, some rueful - but when taken together, the scenes create an in-depth portrait of a vanishing species: the upper-middle-class WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants). Overall, it tells a story of the transition into a much more efficient society with less emphasis on tradition and more emphasis on progress.

The cast features Bruce Murray, Josie Kulp, Ryan Hendrickson, Lillian Garcia, Danielle Sultini and David Victor.

Stratford's Square One Theatre Company, closed since March 2020, due to the pandemic, has reopened with this production. Performances through Sunday, November 20, 2022 at Stratford Academy in Stratford, Connecticut.

EVANSTON SALT COSTS CLIMBING by Will Arbery.

Directed by Danya Taymor.

In Evanston Salt Costs Climbing, Will Arbery confronts humanity’s deepest fears with surreal humor, warmth and the fortitude of municipal public servants. Winters keep getting worse in Evanston, IL where salt truck drivers Peter and Basil battle the ice and snow and pass the time with jokes and stories. But what’s with this creeping sense of dread? Is it because their boss Maiworm has noble visions of new green technology that would make their jobs obsolete? Or is there a more terrifying warning calling out from under these roads? At least they have each other, right?

The New York premiere of this play about climate and change features Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Ken Leung, Rachel Sachnoff and Jeb Kreager.

The production runs to December 18 at The Pershing Square Signature Center in the Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre in New York City, with a press opening on Monday, November 14.

E-Book

Soft back Book

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

AARON CARTER singer/rapper and younger brother of Backstreet Boys Nick Carter died Saturday, November 5, 2022 at his home in Lancaster, California.. He was 34.

The police have called the death "suspicious. Cater made his Broadway debut in 2001 as JoJo the Who in Seussical the Musical and later enjoyed a long run in the off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks.

He had a history of substance abuse.

Next Column: November 13, 2022
Copyright: November 6, 2022 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
Link to Main Page

---

Laura Deni

For the snail mail address, please E-mail your request.