Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 7, 2010
By: Laura Deni
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LAS VEGAS RESIDENT STEVE LAWRENCE CREDITED WITH SAVING BROADWAY SHOW

Rarely is one performer credited with saving a Broadway show - especially if the role is their Broadway debut.

Long time Las Vegas resident Steve Lawrence holds such a distinction.

The musical was What Makes Sammy Run? which opened at the 54th Street Theatre on February 27, 1964 running for a total of 540 performances. Now the Grammy nominated musical makes its long overdue first appearance on CD, using the original stereo master, which was originally produced for records by Goddard Liberson.

In an era when Broadway musical equaled a toe-tapping, sugar coated smile fest, What Makes Sammy Run? broke the mold - a musical adaptation of Budd Schulberg’s novel of the same name. The critics were puzzled and crabbed about the serious plotline. However, they couldn't stop raving about Lawrence who starred as the ruthless, savvy and crude Sammy Glick.

Casting Brooklyn born Lawrence was a brilliant but daring choice. While it was permissible for an actor to migrate from the legitimate stage into movies and television, a pop singer wasn't a breed Broadway casting agents sought out. You could be an actor who sings, but you were either theatre or you weren't. Lawrence was the latter. In fact, the singer was at the height of his popularity when he took to the stage in this, his Broadway debut. Lawrence got the part after critics raved about his 1961 acting debut when he appeared in a stock production of Pal Joey.

The multi-talented Lawrence earned a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Glick. The ability for the musical to last a year on Broadway was credited to Lawrence’s talent, appeal and personal charm.

Steve Lawrence in What Makes Sammy Run?

With Robert Alda as a studio boss, and Sally Ann Howes as Sammy’s love interest of the moment, What Makes Sammy Run? also benefited from the unusual score composed by Ervin Drake, a songwriter better known for such pop hits as I Believe and It Was a Very Good Year. A major difference with What Makes Sammy Run? as compared to the musical production norm is the length of the individual songs. Short and to the point. Kiss Me No Kisses is only 48 seconds. Nine of the 16 numbers fall within the two minute category.

This Masterworks Broadway CS is a wonderful, totally enjoyable listening experience. The gritty me-first storyline comes across in clever songs effectively sung by Lawrence, Sally Ann Howes, Robert Alda, Barry Newman and Bernice Massi.

Two hits quickly emerged from this musical, A Room Without Windows and My Home Town, both written for Lawrence. Paired with his wife Eydie Gorme, the superstar couple spent decades delivering SRO Las Vegas performances. Lawrence always included A Room Without Windows in his repertoire.

As an aside, Lawrence has never fully received the credit he deserves for being an exceptional comedian. Check out his guest star spots on the Carol Burnett Show. Had he not been such a world class singer, he would have achieved stellar success as a comic noted for flawless timing and impeccable delivery.

The overture to What Makes Sammy Run? is neither dramatic, edgy, sinister or a tip off to the plotline. Rather, it begins with a swinging version of A Room Without Windows. Lawrence kicks off A New Pair of Shoes, referring to an imitation pair of alligator footwear, announcing; "Loser, I'm no loser! That's a dirty word to me," which sets the tone for Lawrence's portrayal of Glick, the unsavory character from New York’s Lower East Side, and his rise from copy boy to 1930's Hollywood mogul - success achieved through chicanery, treachery and other devious means.

You Help Me sung by Lawrence and Alda gets the point across that success at any price is the Hollywood mantra.

Steve Lawrence, Robert Alda, Sally Ann Howes, and record producer Goddard Lieberson. © Sony Music Entertainment Courtesy of Sony Music Archives

A Tender Spot beautifully sung by Sally Ann Howes has her at her high note best, as do her renditions of Kiss Me No Kisses and Something To Live For.

In today's market of explicit everything, a song about having sex - The Friendliest Thing sung by Bernice Massi is charming with lyrics which are gentle. An anti-love song, You're No Good, performed by Massi and Lawrence have the two paramours cleverly describing how bad the other is.

In an unusual final scene for a Broadway musical of that era, it's a down ending - not to be misinterpreted as a downer or a let-down. The closer is Some Days Everything Goes Wrong, a powerful punch-it number, which contains the now famous line - "I've got mud on my rainbow," while posturing the don't-mess-with-me attitude of overcoming any adversity. As Sammy keeps running, his hard ball philosophy is - ". . . for guys who come on strong, you've got to figure that some days everything goes wrong . . . I'm no loser and with guys who love a fight, you'd better expect that most days everything goes right."

Pat on the back to Masterwork Broadway for finally releasing this CD which is digitally available and as Disc-On-Demand.

The cast:

Al Manheim: Robert Alda
Sammy Glick: Steve Lawrence
O’Brien: Edward McNally
Julian Blumberg: George Coe
Rita Rio: Graciela Daniele
Sheik Orsini: Barry Newman
Kit Sargent: Sally Ann Howes
Sidney Fineman: Arny Freeman
H.R. Harrington: Walter Klavun
Laurette Harrington: Bernice Massi
Seymour Glick: Mace Barrett

The orchestra was conduced by Lehman Engel using Don Walker orchestrations.

Project director was David Foil. Maria Triana served as Mastering Engineer. Recorded March 1, 1964 in New York City.



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ART AND ABOUT

JIMMY ERNST RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION Continuing its focus on the critical, yet often overlooked, Abstract Surrealist period during and following World War II, Weinstein Gallery in San Francisco presents a retrospective exhibition of Jimmy Ernst, opening November 13.

Ernst was born in 1920 in Cologne, the son of surrealist painter Max Ernst and art historian Louise Straus-Ernst.

His parents divorced in 1922 and Ernst staying with his mother in Cologne, frequently visiting his father in France. In February 1933, the SS searched Luise Straus' apartment. As a noted intellectual and a Jew she was regarded as suspect by the new regime. Ernst was sent to live with his grandfather, Luise's father while his mother moved to Paris. In June 1938, Jimmy sailed to New York. In 1940, he petitioned the Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC) to secure the release of his father from internment. The ERC secured his release in 1941 and he arrived in New York from Nazi occupied France. In 1944, unknown to Jimmy, his mother was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp from Drancy, a detention camp near Paris. She did not survive.

Ernst became director of The Art of This Century Gallery in 1942. A year later he had his first one-person exhibition. During the late 1940s he became a member of The Irascible Eighteen, a group of abstract painters who protested the Metropolitan Museum of Art's policy towards American painting of the 1940s and who posed for a famous picture in 1950; members of the group included: Willem de Kooning, Adolph Gottlieb, Ad Reinhardt, Hedda Sterne, Richard Pousette-Dart, William Baziotes, Jimmy Ernst, Jackson Pollock, James Brooks, Clyfford Still, Robert Motherwell, Bradley Walker Tomlin, Theodoros Stamos, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko. These artists are part of what is known as the New York School.

In 1951 he was granted the post of an instructor at Department of Design, Brooklyn College. He was awarded Guggenheim Fellowship in 1961, and was also elected to the American Academy.

Ernst married Edith Dallas Bauman Brody (known as Dallas), a talent scout for Warner Brothers, on January 3, 1947. They had two children, Amy Louise (1953) and Eric Max (1956), who are both artists.

His memoirs, A Not-So-Still Life dealing with his youth and early years in America were published shortly before his death in 1984. Dallas Ernst established the Jimmy Ernst Award in memory of her husband. The award of $5,000 is given to a painter or sculptor "whose lifetime contribution to his or her vision has been both consistent and dedicated". The American Academy of Arts and Letters has presented the award annually since 1990.

SPREADING THE WORD

A SONG OF TWILIGHT a reading of the bittersweet comedy by Noel Coward will take place Monday, November 15, as part of Westport Country Playhouse's Script in Hand Series.

Directed by Anne Keefe, the cast will feature Kieran Campion, Kathleen Chalfant, Mia Dillon and Edward Herrmann.

The play is about a cosmopolitan author caught in his declining years between two women, one being his wife of convenience for 20 years, the other, one of his former loves. When his former flame produces a set of old love letters she's about to turn over to a biographer, he is dead set against it - for it would compromise his impeccable reputation. Then she produces still another set of love letters, even more damaging.

Will this former flame succeed in blackmailing the aging author? Attend the reading and find out.

The Westport Country Playhouse in located in Westport, CT.

PICTURE TIME From November 9-12 patrons seeing the Broadway play Lombardi have the opportunity to have their picture taken with the iconic Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy, on display in the lower lobby of the Circle in the Square Theatre.

CONVERSATIONS FROM THE CULLMAN CENTER Playwrights Will Eno, a former Cullman Center Fellow, and Edward Albee discuss their new plays. Eno's Middletown opened November 3 at the Vineyard Theatre in Manhattan, and Albee's New York premiere of Me, Myself, & I is currently playing at the Playwrights' Horizon.

This event is free, but you must reserve your seats (no more than four per person). November 15, 2010 at The New York Public Library Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

DEREK JACOBI will be interviewed by theatre critic and journalist Mark Shenton on Tuesday November 16. The interview will take place live on stage at the Donmar Warehouse in London where Derek is in rehearsals for the Donmar’s production of King Lear.

CHARLES GRODIN who is both extremely brilliant and reasons well (traits that don't automatically go together) is also thoughtful, interesting and funny. His commentary can be heard on WCBS 880.

THE IRISH REP in NYC presents A Special Musical Evening featuring master violinist Christina Prince, with special guests performing an evening of Bach's masterpieces, accompanied by renowned harpsichordist Gerald Ranck. Guest readers include actors from The Irish Repertory Theatre Company. Monday, November 15, 2010 at The Irish Rep.

ONE FROM THE HEART: A HART TO HART REUNION in person Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner. Created by Sidney Sheldon, Hart to Hart proved that even the rich and glamorous could be adept at fighting crime. Starring Robert Wagner as millionaire business executive Jonathan Hart and Stefanie Powers as his freelance journalist wife Jennifer, the stylish series followed the jet-setting amateur sleuths as they tangled with international espionage and murder. Running for five seasons on ABC, Hart’s popularity continued over the years through eight reunion movies as well.

Wagner and Powers return for their own mini-reunion at The Paley Center to discuss the show. Wednesday, November 10, 2010, Los Angeles.

THE CROWD GOES WILD: FIVE YEARS OF THE JERSEY BOYS to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Broadway show, this in person event will feature a conversation with original Four Seasons members Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio, and Jersey Boys co-authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, who will discuss the legacy of the band and the production of the Broadway show, and share archival performance clips with the audience.

Monday, November 8 at The Paley Center in New York City.

QUEEN OF THE STARDUST BALLROOM

Charles Durning and Maureen Stapleton starred in the original CBS television presentation.

a 1975 Emmy Award-winning drama with music about a suddenly widowed housewife who finds that her acute problems are loneliness and the well-meaning attempts at comfort by her family and friends.

Billy Goldenberg and Alan and Marilyn Bergman created the music and received Emmy nominations. Sam O'Steen received the Directors Guild of America Award and Jerome Kass won the Writers Guild of America Award for his teleplay.

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom subsequently was expanded into the Broadway musical Ballroom and opened in December 1978.

Now a Broadway revision is planned by Jerry Mitchell. This proposed mounting reunites many of the original team - a book by Jerome Kass, with music by Billy Goldenberg and additional music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Marilyn and Alan Bergman.

Mitchell will direct and choreograph a staged reading, with Tyne Daly expected to star. John McDaniel and Todd Ellison are the musical directors for the November 8-19 Manhattan rehearsals that will lead to a private industry presentation.

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SWEET CHARITY

WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL takes their show on the road for their annual Benefit in NYC, Monday, November 15, at The Prince George Ballroom.

This year's theme Sing! celebrates WTF musicals.

Hosted by Lewis Black, there will be appearances by Katie Finneran, Christopher Fitzgerald, Victor Garber and more special guests.

There will also be featured performances from the 2010 WTF musicals A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, The Last Goodbye and Western Country, plus the Broadway cast of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the incredible, highly unconventional musical that started as a small workshop as part of WTF's Fellowship program in the summer of 2006.

All proceeds from the fun-filled evening support WTF's signature programs.

IT GETS BETTER: THE CONCERT In light of the recent events surrounding the six young men and boys who tragically took their lives after being tormented and bullied, producer Chris Isaacson will bring back the beloved Upright Cabaret Revue for a one night only concert to raise funds and awareness for The Trevor Project, the nation’s largest GLBT Suicide Hotline.

Performances by 3-time Grammy nominated pop star Taylor Dayne, Grammy award winning record producer Walter Afanasieff, American Idol semi-finalist Frenchie Davis, Maxee Maxwell member of Grammy Nominated R&B group Brownstone, Yvette Cason, Jake Simpson, Nita Whitaker, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Harlem Lee, Our Lady J, Tapiwa Mugadza, Matt Cusson and Von Smith.

Thursday, November 11, at the Catalina Bar & Grill, Los Angeles, CA.

JULES FEIFFER

Jules Feiffer's ad art for the hip jazz musical The Nervous Set was used on the 1959 cast album (reissued in 2002).

the cartoonist and Tony Award nominee will perform his 90-minute autobiographical show Funny Side Up, with special appearances by Robert Klein, Bill Irwin, and Mike Nichols, as a benefit for the Writers Guild of America, East on November 15 at Broadway's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. A brief question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Proceeds from Funny Side Up will benefit such WGA programs as Veterans Writing Workshops, Actors and Writers Book Clubs and WGA fellowship programs.

Feiffer’s self-titled Pulitzer-winning comic strip ran for 42 years in the Village Voice as well as 100 other papers. He is the author of the Obie-award winning Little Murders, the screenplay for the film Carnal Knowledge and Oscar-winning animated short, Munro.

Through his use of biting humor and illustrations over the past six decades, Feiffer has graphically captured American social change and cultural mood. He has also made us laugh and laugh as we’ve found ourselves and our politicians at his mercy.

He earned a Tony Award nomination for his play Knock Knock and also penned Grown-Ups. His short story Passionella inspired a portion of the Broadway musical The Apple Tree. His books include Harry, the Rat with Women and Ackroyd.

Honorary chairpersons for the event are: Alan Arkin, Candice Bergen, Kristen Chenoweth, Paul Dooley, Art Garfunkel, Elliott Gould, John Guare, Sheldon Harnick, Hugh Hefner, Bill Irwin, Robert Klein, Arthur Kopit, John Lithgow, Emily Mann, Bill Moyers, Richard Nelson, Mike Nichols, Oliver Platt, Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Sondheim, Gay and Nan Talese and Robin Williams.







CHICAGO on Sunday, November 14, 2010, will celebrate its 14th anniversary on the Great White Way - earning the distinction of being the second longest-running production currently playing on Broadway, the sixth longest-running production in Broadway history, and Broadway's longest-running musical revival.

Now playing at the Ambassador Theatre, Chicago is the winner of six 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Cast Recording.

Chicago features a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

The production currently stars two-time Tony Award winner Charlotte d'Amboise as Roxie Hart, Leigh Zimmerman as Velma Kelly, Brent Barrett as Billy Flynn, Raymond Bokhour as Amos Hart and Roz Ryan as Matron "Mama" Morton.

THE FOURTH ANNUAL LOUIS AUCHINCLOSS PRIZE will be presented to novelist, essayist, and journalist Pete Hamill on Monday, November 15 at the Museum of the City of New York.

Hamill has published nine novels and two collections of short stories. In his most recent novels, North River and Forever, he takes readers into the city that most captures his heart, memory, and imagination - New York.

The Louis Auchincloss Prize is presented to writers and artists whose work is inspired by and enhances the five boroughs of New York City. The prize honors Louis Auchincloss (1917 - 2010) for his many years of service to the Museum of the City of New York as well as for his literary contributions.

MICHAEL KAHN

Michael Kahn

artistic director of The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC, will receive the sixth Richard Bauer Award, presented by the Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive. Kahn is called an "extraordinary theatre luminary (who) is recognized for his impact on the local theater scene." The catered reception before the ceremony will feature celebrity servers and bartenders from the local theatre community followed by a special presentation of Michael Kahn directed play readings by a cast of leading actors from across Washington-area theaters in the WAPAVA archives.

The award presentation will be November 8 at The Forum, Harman Hall in Washington, DC.

Honorary Committee for the event: Esthy and James B. Adler - Kathleen Akerley - Landon and Carol Butler - David Dower - James Fitzpatrick - Edward Gero - Janet Griffin Linda Leyv Grossman - Gregg Henry - Floyd King - Michael Klein and Joan Fabry - Rebecca Klemm - Marcus Kyd Freddi Lipstein and Scott Richard Berg - David Muse - Jennifer Nelson - Bonnie Nelson Schwartz - Ann Norton - Jim Petosa Eden and Jerry Rafshoon - Mark Ramont - Nancy Robinette - Blake Robison - Ari Roth - Eric Schaeffer - Howard Shalwitz - Victor Shargai The British Ambassador and Lady Sheinwald - Molly Smith - Paul Tetreault - Ted van Griethuysen - Jerry Whiddon - Halo Wines.



ELF based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin.

Directed and choreographed by Tony nominee Casey Nicholaw.

Elf is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Buddy is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and his step-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day Christmas classic promises to make everyone embrace their inner Elf.

Elf stars Sebastian Arcelus as Buddy, Amy Spanger as Jovie, Tony Award nominee Mark Jacoby as Walter, Michael Mandell as Store Manager, Michael McCormick as Mr. Greenway, Valerie Wright as Deb and Matthew Gumley as Michael. The production will also star Tony Award winner Beth Leavel as Emily, and six-time Emmy Award nominee George Wendt as Santa.

The company also includes Timothy J. Alex, Callie Carter, Cara Cooper, Lisa Gajda, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Blake Hammond, Stacey Todd Holt, Emily Hsu, Jenny Hill, Nancy Johnston, Marc Kessler, Matt Loehr, Matthew Schechter, Michael James Scott, Noah Weisberg, Lee Wilkins, and Kirsten Wyatt.

Opens Sunday, November 14, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, NYC.

COLIN QUINN LONG STORY SHORT the one-man show written and performed by Colin Quinn. Directed by Jerry Seinfeld.

Comically channeling the demise of great world empires, Colin Quinn uses his “articulate brand of comedy” in taking audiences through an uproarious history of the world in 75 minutes. From his personification of Caesar as the original Italian mobster to his complaints about Ancient Greece and Antigone giving way to Costco and Snooki, Quinn is at his satirical best, taking on the attitudes, appetites and bad habits that toppled the world’s most powerful nations.

Running 75-minutes without an intermission, the production previously played a successful engagement at the Bleecker Street Theatre from June 19th through September 4th. Opens at the Helen Hayes Theatre, NYC on Tuesday, November 9.

SPIDER MAN - TURN OFF THE DARK in an expected announcement, both the first preview as well as the official opening night dates have been postponed. In an announcement by lead producer Michael Cohl. The show, directed by Julie Taymor, featuring music by U2's Bono and The Edge, will now begin preview performances November 28 and opening night will be January 11, 2011 at the Foxwoods Theatre. "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has an unprecedented level of technical artistry, and getting it right takes time," Cohl said.

THE LIBERTINE

LtoR: Libby Arnold as Jane, Joseph W. Rodriguez as the Earl of Rochester & Patricia Duran as actress Elizabeth Barry. Photo: DfxDen

by Stephen Jeffreys. Directed by Eric Tucker.

Based on the most notorious rake of the Restoration age The Libertine tells the story of the flamboyant and scandalous John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester, confidante of Charles II. Wilmot was a complex and fascinating man who reveled in debauchery and the arts. He was an English poet, anti-monarchist Royalist, and an atheist who later converted to Christianity. This provocative and witty play centers on the moment his cynicism is confounded when he falls earnestly in love with an aspiring actress.

Starring Joseph W. Rodriguez as the Earl of Rochester, and will feature Playhouse Creatures Theatre company members Libby Arnold, Eric Doss, and Patricia Duran. The cast also includes Tom O'Keefe, Ross Hurwitz, Sarah Koestner, Claire Warden, and Harry Oram.

The production will feature original musical composition by Edward Davis, scenic design by Laura Taber Bacon , lighting design by Les Dickert, and costume design by Angela Huff. The production stage manager is Gina Costagliola.

Officially opens Monday, November 8, playing through Saturday, November 20, at the Kirk Theatre in NYC.

IMAGINING HESCHEL by Colin Greer. Directed by Larry Moss. Starring Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss and Pulitzer Prize finalist Rinde Eckert in this Culture Project world premiere.

The historical drama imagines the private conversations between Cardinal Augustin Bea and Rabbi Abraham Heschel during the summer and late fall of 1968. While the Pope sent Bea to Heschel to implore him to accept a formal and public apology from the Catholic Church for their silence during the Holocaust, Heschel turned the meetings around - lobbying the Pope to formally exonerate the Jews for the death of Christ, a crucial repudiation of anti-Semitism. The riveting discussions between these philosophical giants in the midst of the myriad conflicts of the late 1960’s-resolution in the Middle East, while raising important questions about the intellectual justification of retaliation within any faith community.

Dreyfuss portrays Heschel, opposite playwright, director and actor Eckert as Bea.

Officially opens November 8 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, NYC with a limited engagement only November 28.

EONNAGATA brings together three of the world’s most inventive artists: internationally adored principal ballerina Sylvie Guillem, theatrical visionary Robert Lepage, and award-winning choreographer Russell Maliphant.

A genre-bending mix of dance and theatre colored by Kabuki and martial arts, Eonnagata is inspired by the life story of the 18th century cross-dressing French diplomat and spy, the Chevalier d'Éon - Charles de Beaumont, this exciting new work draws from the backgrounds of the artists, as well as from the ancient Kabuki technique of Onnagata, in which male actors stylishly portray female roles.

Poetic lighting, gorgeous gender-bending costumes by late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, and stirring performances combine in a extraordinary spectacle that has garnered illustrious international praise since its premiere in London in 2009.

A Sadler's Wells London Production with Ex Machina & Sylvie Guillem.

November 12 - 13; Southam Hall, National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada.

On Saturday, November 13, attend Face à Face with Robert Lepage. Join acclaimed NAC French Theatre Artistic Director Wajdi Mouawad for an in-depth discussion with internationally-renowned artist Robert Lepage. Hear first-hand about Lepage’s experience with Éonnagata, the collaboration process, working in the world of dance and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to sit down with two of the most remarkable Canadian theatre icons. Conversation will be mostly in French with some English, and attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions in either official language.

This is a free non-ticketed event. Limited Seating. First come first served.

BLOODY RED HEART

Deborah Senior, (Anika Norrgard, Rene Michelle Aranda, and Noa Medford in background) Photo by Enci

based on the book RED: Teenage Girls in America Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today by Amy Goldwasser, and the companion web/social network site. Adapted for the stage by Tom Bryant and Amy Goldwasser. Directed by Leslie Ferreira.

With additional personal stories from L.A. public high school students. Every word of Bloody Red Heart is written by real teenagers - the girls in the book, ages 13 to 19, and local students.

"These talented young authors are on fire. Their true stories are the best shades of red (not pink): deeply gutsy, a little bit angry, a lot passionate, primary-color invested in their cause," according to press notes. "Actors from the Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy will bring the teen-written true stories to life on stage. A local writing contest adds an unprecedented immediacy and educational component to the show, shaping important dialogue between youth and their peers, parents, and educators."

Produced by Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in association with Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy as part of the Odyssey's student outreach program THE ODDS. This production was made possible in part by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Performances through November 21 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.

IN THE HEIGHTS welcomes Arielle Jacobs to the cast in the role of Nina Rosario on November 15. In doing so, she is making her Broadway debut. The 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical will see Jordin Sparks play her final performance as Nina on November 14. The show previously announced that the production will play its final Broadway performance on January 9, 2011.

MISTAKES WERE MADE by Craig Wright with direction by Dexter Bullard.

The two-character play features Academy Award-nominee Michael Shannon as producer Felix Artifex and Mierka Girten as his assistant Esther.

Shannon's character gets in way over his fast-talking head when he takes on his play within a play, also called Mistakes Were Made. Felix's project is a gargantuan epic of the French Revolution, which he thinks is going to be his ticket to professional and personal redemption.

The satire received its world premiere at Chicago's A Red Orchid Theatre in 2009 with the same cast and director. Shannon is one of the founders and A Red Orchid Theatre and Mistakes Were Made is his third collaboration with Wright.

In previews at the Barrow Street Theatre, NYC with the official opening taking place November 14.

AFTER THE REVOLUTION by Amy Herzog. The New York City premiere is directed by Carolyn Canter.

The cast includes Obie Award winner Mark Blum, Tony Award nominee and Obie and Drama Desk winner Peter Friedman, Meredith Holzman, David Margulies, Katharine Powell, two-time Tony Award nominee Lois Smith, Elliot Villar and Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Mare Winningham.

Mare Winningham, Lois Smith and Peter Friedman were part of the summer production of this family drama at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

"You can look back and say we did this wrong, or we did that wrong,
but the point is it was for something."

The brilliant, promising Emma Joseph proudly carries the torch of her family's Marxist tradition, devoting her life to the memory of her blacklisted grandfather. But when history reveals a shocking truth about the man himself, the entire family is forced to confront questions of honesty and allegiance they thought had been resolved. After the Revolution is billed as "a bold and moving portrait of an American family, thrown into an intergenerational tailspin, forced to reconcile a thorny and delicate legacy."

Scenic Design Clint Ramos. Costume Design Kaye Voyce. Lighting Design Ben Stanton. Sound Design Fitz Patton. Production Stage Manager Hannah Cohen.

In previews with the official opening slated for November 10 continuing through November 28, 2010 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater, NYC.

WHO'S WHERE

TOMMY TUNE in Steps in Time: A Broadway Biography in Song and Dance backed up by long time collaborators the Manhattan Rhythm Kings, the nine-time Tony Award winner presents a personal look back at his incredible career, featuring timeless standards, elegant choreography, and his own unique charm and warm-hearted humor. Sunday, November 14, at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College.

ADAM PASCAL AND LARRY EDOFF on piano with the passionate and fiery star of the Broadway and film versions of Rent, Adam Pascal on vocals, bass and guitar. Me & Larry features hip, new arrangements of hit songs from Chess, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, and Rent, as well as original material from Adam's solo CDs. Saturday, November 13, Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.

ROD STEWART on stage at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas performing through November 21.

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN performs Saturday, November 13, at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix,AZ.

RENEE FLEMING brings her beautiful voice to the Musikhuset in Aarhus, Denmark on Wednesday, November 10.

JOHNNY MATHIS opens a two night stand Friday, November 12 at the Mansion American Theatre in Branson, MO.

PETULA CLARK on stage Tuesday, November 9, at the Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights, WA.

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY in the spotlight Saturday, November 13, at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Greenvale, NY.

ROBIN WILLIAMS has taken his sense of humor Down Under, getting laughs Monday, November 8, at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. On Thursday he opens a two night stand at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Darling Harbour.

LEONARD COHEN is also in Aussie Land this week. He opens a two night gig Monday, November 8, at the Acer Arena in Sydney. On Friday he begins a two night stand at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER out on tour with their two divisions. Performances Thursday, November 11 at Union Colony Civic Center in Greeley, CO and at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. On Friday the shows are at the Viaero Event Center in Kearney, NE and the Moran Theater in Jacksonville, FL. On Saturday the tours stop at the Performing Arts Center in Topeka, KA and the Mahaffey Theater in Saint Petersburg, FL.

LINDA LANE SMITH in From Cows to Cadenzas Opera singer Linda Lane Smith performs a musical journey - from showing her prize-winning Hereford cows as a young woman in rural Oregon, through her metamorphosis into an opera star singing on the world's grand stages. The musical director is Phil Hall. At The Triad Theatre, NYC on Wednesday, November 10.

FINAL OVATION

SHANNON TAVAREZ

Shannon Tavarez

who starred on Broadway in The Lion King has lost her battle with leukemia. She was 11 years old.

Shannon died Monday, November 1, 2010 at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, on Long Island.

Shannon, who played the young lion Nala, had received an umbilical-cord blood transplant in August. The procedure was performed as an alternative to a bone marrow transplant. Her doctor, Dr. Larry Wolfe, said that a perfect bone marrow match for Shannon could not be found.

Shannon's health issues forced her quit the show in April in which she played Nala, the childhood pal and girlfriend of Simba, hero of The Lion King. She split the role with another girl, performing four shows a week for six months.

Alicia Keys, Rihanna and 50 Cent campaigned to help Tavarez find a bone marrow donor, and cast members held bone marrow donor registration drives outside the play's Minskoff Theater. Katharina Harf, co-founder of the bone marrow donor center DKMS, said the donor center registered 10,000 people as potential donors. ( See Broadway To Vegas column of July 11, 2010 )

Child performers from The Lion King and other shows also sold bracelets and key chains that read, Shine for Shannon, to raise money to help pay for her medical bills.

"Shannon's strength and her happy, positive spirit will live on in our hearts and minds each day," her mother, Odiney Brown, said in a statement. "Shannon's dream was to perform on stage, and that she did."

The Minskoff Theatre, home of The Lion King, paid tribute to their fallen cub by dimming its marquee lights Tuesday, November 1.

"It is our hope that Shannon's legacy will continue to inspire other brave children battling leukemia. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers," her family said in the statement.

JERRY BOCK the Tony Award winning composer died November 3 at Northern Westchester Medical Center in Mount Kisco, NY. He had a stroke on October 30, and died of heart failure He was 81.

Bock composed the score to Fiddler on the Roof, and collaborated with longtime creative partner, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, on She Loves Me, Fiorello!, The Apple Tree, Tenderloin and The Rothschilds.

Jerrold Lewis Bock was born Nov. 23, 1928, in New Haven, CT, and raised in Flushing, Queens. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he and a classmate, Larry Holofcener, wrote a musical titled Big As Life, about Paul Bunyan, which toured the state and had a run in Chicago. After graduation he spent three summers at the Tamiment Playhouse in the Poconos and wrote for early television revues with lyricist Larry Holofcener including Max Liebman's The Admiral Broadway Revue, which evolved into Your Show of Shows, the hit vehicle starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca.

Bock also wrote for TV shows starring the singers Mel Tormé and Kate Smith.

In 1955 Bock made his Broadway debut with the revue Catch a Star, in which he collaborated on both the music and words with Holofcener. That effort was a flop. However, they then collaborated with George Weiss to pen a Mr. Wonderful a quasi-biographical production for Sammy Davis, Jr. That ran for a year and the title song was a hit.

Bock and Holofcener also worked together on Ziegfeld Follies of 1956, which closed before it reached New York.

The Jerry Bock Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, established in 1997, is an annual $2,000 grant presented to a composer and lyricist. Mr. Bock was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. He was a 2010 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Original Song - Children's and Animation category - for A Fiddler Crab Am I, penned with Larry Hochman and Billy Aronson. It was heard on the series Wonder Pets.

Survivors include his wife, Patti, daughter Portia Bock, son George Bock and granddaughter Edie Mae Shipler. Funeral services were private.

The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York were dimmed in his memory on, November 4, for one minute. Paul Libin, Chairman of The Broadway League and Executive Vice President of Jujamcyn Theaters, stated; "His work will live forever on Broadway."

JILL CLAYBURGH

Jill Clayburgh

the Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress, died Friday, November 5, 2010 of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. She was 66.

Born in New York City, after graduating from Sarah Lawrence, with a bachelor of arts degree, she joined the Charles Street Repertory Theater in Boston. She appeared in numerous Broadway productions in the 1960s and 1970s, including Noel Coward's Design for Living, the original production of Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, and the Tony Award-winning musicals Pippin and The Rothschilds. Alongside Richard Thomas, she headed the 2005 Broadway cast of A Naked Girl on the Appian Way. In 2006, she appeared on Broadway in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, with Patrick Wilson and Amanda Peet, playing Peet's mother.

Two years ago she appeared in a production of Arthur Miller's All My Sons at the Westport Country Playhouse, which was directed by Doug Hughes.

Clayburgh also had a successful career as a film and television actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Starting 'Over, and was nominated for two Emmys, for best actress in 1975 for her work on Hustling and for her guest turn on Nip/Tuck in 2005. During 2007, Clayburgh appeared in the ABC television series Dirty Sexy Money, playing Letitia Darling.

She is survived by her husband, Tony Award winning playwright David Rabe whom she married in 1979. She is also survived by their son Michel Rabe, daughter Lily Rabe, a respected actress who currently plays Portia opposite Al Pacino as Shylock in Merchant of Venice at the Public Theatre. A step-son Jason Rabe also survives. There will be no funeral. A memorial will take place at a later date.

Next Column: November 14, 2010
Copyright: November 7, 2010. 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.
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Laura Deni

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