Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: November 8, 2020
By: Laura Deni
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BROADWAY PERFORMERS INSTRUMENTAL IN CELEBRITIES GETTING POLITICAL

Show business and politics are two nasty professions.

Helen Gahagan

Thank a couple of women for inspiring entertainers to cross over to politics. Some might say they are both professions in which the successful can be powerful depending upon how well they can convince people - even when they are lying by playing a role.

Give low bows to Helen Gahagan Douglas and Clare Boothe Luce.

Helen Gahagan Douglas was an American actress and politician responsible for labeling Richard Nixon "Tricky Dick" - a label which stuck.

Her career included success on Broadway, as a touring opera singer, and the starring role in the 1935 movie She, in which her portrayal of the villain inspired Disney's Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Douglas used her skills as an actress and her fame to speak passionately about topics ranging from equal rights for women to civil rights for African Americans and protections for the American worker.

Helen Gahagan was born in Boonton, New Jersey, on November 25, 1900, one of five children raised by Walter Hamer Gahagan II and Lillian Rose Mussen Gahagan. She attended the prestigious Berkeley School for Girls in Brooklyn. She later studied at the Capen School for Girls in Northampton, Massachusetts, and then at Barnard College in New York City. Against her father’s wishes, Gahagan left school before earning a degree. From 1922 to 1938, she pursued a career as an opera singer and an actress, starring in a variety of shows and plays.

She made her Broadway debut in 1922 in Manhattan. That was followed by Dreams for Sale; Fashion For Men; Chains; Leah Kleschna in the title role; Beyond; The Sapphire Ring: The Enchanted April; Young Woodley: Trelawny of the "Wells": Diplomacy: and in 1930 Tonight or Never in which she met and costarred with her future husband, Melvyn Douglas. They married on April 5, 1931.

She also trod the boards with And Stars Remain; Mother Lode and Moor Born before the couple left New York City to relocate in Los Angeles as Melvyn pursued a film career. There, the Douglases raised two children: Peter and Mary Helen.

The move west, made in the early years of the Great Depression, exposed Helen Douglas to the suffering and deprivations wreaked by a disastrous drought and economic crash. It also inspired her to become active in public service on behalf of migrant farm workers and others whom the Depression had dislocated. “I became active in politics because I saw the possibility, if we all sat back and did nothing, of a world in which there would no longer be any stages for actors to act on,” she recalled according to her official biography.

In 1944, when six-term incumbent Democrat Thomas Francis Ford announced he would retire from his seat encompassing downtown Los Angeles, Douglas entered the race to succeed her political ally. With Ford’s endorsement, she prevailed in the primary as the only woman among eight candidates, receiving more than 14,000 votes, versus about 5,200 for the runner-up.

Helen had little interest in mastering legislative processes, preferring instead to call attention to her agenda while using her celebrity to gain public exposure and awareness for specific programs. Her busy congressional schedule was complemented by an equally hectic speech-making itinerary around the country. Repeatedly during her congressional years, Douglas acted as a publicist for key liberal issues by making major speeches, both on and away from the House Floor, on issues ranging from postwar price controls to civil rights to the international regulation of atomic energy.

Douglas’s role as a spokesperson for liberal causes made her beloved by liberals and reviled by conservatives.

In one speech she referred to Nixon as “Tricky Dick,” a name that stuck with him for the remainder of his political career.

Douglas retired to private life as a lecturer and a successful author. She later returned to the theater and performed in two Broadway plays including a 1952 mounting of First Lady.

She succumbing to breast cancer which spread to her lungs on June 28, 1980.

Clare Boothe Luce was an American author, politician, U.S. Ambassador and public conservative figure. She was the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post abroad. Her mother pushed her to become a Broadway actress. in 1914, at the age of 10, she made her Broadway debut as an understudy in The Dummy.

While her mother may have preferred her daughter to achieve acting stardom, Clare preferred to write. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play The Women, which had an all-female cast which included Margalo Gillmore, Ilka Chase, Betty Lawford, Jessie Busley, Phyllis Povah, Marjorie Main, and Arlene Francis.

The pithy production is a comedy of manner concerning unrestrained Park Avenue gossip that propels and damages their relationships.

The Women received two Broadway revivals in 1973 and again in 2001.

Actors who switch from playing a role on television or films to playing a political role include:

The presidential campaign by entrepreneur and reality-TV star Donald Trump was one of the biggest stories of 2016 and he's continuing to make above the fold headlines today.

Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan was an American politician who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and became a highly influential voice of modern conservatism. Prior to his presidency, he was a Hollywood actor and union leader before serving as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 to 1975.

He earned his first screen credit with a starring role in the 1937 movie Love Is on the Air, and by the end of 1939, he had already appeared in 19 films, including Dark Victory with Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. Before the film Santa Fe Trail with Errol Flynn in 1940, he played the role of George Gipp in the film Knute Rockne, All American; from it, he acquired the lifelong nickname "the Gipper." In 1941, exhibitors voted him the fifth most popular star from the younger generation in Hollywood.

Future President of the United States Ronald Reagan bottle feeding Bonzo.

Reagan played his favorite acting role in 1942's Kings Row, where he plays a double amputee who recites the line "Where's the rest of me?"—later used as the title of his 1965 autobiography. Many film critics considered Kings Row to be his best movie. He also starred in Bedtime For Bonzo in which he co-starring with a monkey.

Best known for his role on Law & Order, Fred Thompson was a US senator for Tennessee from 1994 to 2003, and also ran in the Republican presidential primaries in 2008, ultimately losing to John McCain.

Bodybuilder and action movie superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger served as governor of California from 2003 to 2011. He starred in the movies The Terminator: Predator: True Lies: The Running Man and Conan the Barbarian. Academy Award winner actor/director Clint Eastwood was elected mayor of Carmel, California, in 1986, before being appointed to the California State Park and Recreation Commission in 2001 under Governors Gray Davis and Schwarzenegger.

Child actress Shirley Temple Black ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1967, and was appointed US ambassador to Ghana in 1974 and to Czechoslovakia in 1989.

Before he became a television personality, Jerry Springer was first elected to Cincinnati City Council in 1971 and resigned in 1974 after admitting to hiring a sex worker. He won back his seat in 1975, and served one year as mayor in 1977. A musical production about his life, titled Jerry Springer, The Opera opeed in 2003. Jerry Springer: The Opera is a British musical written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee. The musical contains irreverent treatment of Christian themes, extensive profanity, and surreal images, such as a troupe of tap-dancing Ku Klux Klan members.

Singers also began chortling a political tune.

Actor Kal Penn of Harold & Kumar success — served off and on in the Obama administration as an associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement from 2009 until 2011.

Actress and liberal activist Cynthia Nixon, who starred as Miranda in the Sex and the City television series and movies, announced ran for governor of New York, challenging incumbent Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination. She lost buthas stayed politically active.

First a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live and then a political talk show host, 5-time Emmy award winner Al Franken went on to become a Democratic senator for Minnesota in 2009 before announcing his resignation in 2017 over allegations of sexual harassment.

Most famously starring as Burl "Gopher" Smith on the TV show The Love Boat, Fred Grandy also served as a four-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives for the state of Iowa (1986-1995).

Following his role as a cast member of the MTV program The Real World: Boston, Duffy served as the district attorney of Ashland County, Wisc. (2002-2010) before being elected a U.S. representative for the 7th Congressional District for the state of Wisconsin. He is now contributor to CNN.

In 2012, comedian Roseanne Barr aimed to become the first female president of the United States of America. Her campaign promises were centered around "...marijuana legalization, environmental preservation, ending the wars overseas and equal rights," reported The Huffington Post. Barr ended up placing sixth in the election.

John Davis Lodge (October 20, 1903 – October 29, 1985) was an American lawyer, actor, politician, and diplomat. He was the 79th governor of Connecticut from 1951 to 1955, and later served as U.S. ambassador to Spain, Argentina, and Switzerland. As an actor, he often was credited simply as John Lodge. He reached the zenith of his acting career in the 30s starring in blockbusters like Little Women and The Scarlet Empress.

He played Marlene Dietrich's lover in The Scarlet Empress and Shirley Temple's father in The Little Colonel.

Sheila Kuehl as the brainy Zelda Gilroy who pined for Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman).

Sheila Kuehl made a name for herself as Zelda Gilroy on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis in the early '60s. Almost 30 years later, Kuehl made history in 1994 as the first openly gay politician elected to serve in the California State Legislature. She served 14 years in both the California State Senate and Assembly. She became the first woman in California history to be named Speaker pro tempore of the California State Assembly. In 1998 and 2000, the California Journal chose her as the Assembly member with the greatest intelligence and the most integrity.

She is currently the member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 3rd District.

Diane Neal who appeared on Law & Order: SVU made a bid to become a representative for New York's 19th Congressional District. Neal ran in 2018 as an Independent, but lost to Democratic candidate Antonio Delgado.

In August 2018, movie star Steven Seagal was appointed to serve as a "special representative" for "Russian-US humanitarian ties" by the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to Reuters the dual citizenship holder stated: "I've always had a very strong desire to do all I can to help improve Russian-American relations."

Singers have also chortled political promises.

One half of the team Sonny and Cher, Sonny Bono was mayor of Palm Springs from 1988 to 1992. He was elected to the House of US Representatives in 1994 and served until his death in 1998.

Former American Idol singer Clay Aiken ran for U.S. Congress as a Democrat in his home state of North Carolina in 2014, but lost to the Republican incumbent.

Haitian-American hip-hop star Wyclef Jean registered to run in the 2010 presidential elections in Haiti before being disqualified for not meeting residency requirements.

Sports celebrities have made a significant political presence.

Jesse Ventura was a member of the US Navy Underwater Demolition Team, a professional wrestler, and an actor who starred in action movies alongside Schwarzenegger, before he served as governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003.

World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao was elected to the Philippines House of Representatives in 2010, and was elected as a senator in 2016.

Linda McMahon, former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO, ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate in 2010 and 2012 US Senate races. Trump appointed her administrator of the Small Business Administration.

Bill Bradley served as a U.S. senator for the state of New Jersey (1979-1997), but is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, as he won an Olympic gold medal in 1964 and played with the New York Knicks (1967-1977).

Jim Bunning is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, playing for four teams (1955-1971) and threw a perfect game in 1964 (one of only 23 in major-league history). Following his retirement from baseball, Bunning went into politics, and was first elected to the city council of Fort Thomas, Ky., (1977-79), and then as the representative for Kentucky's 4th congressional district (1987-1998) before serving two terms as a U.S. senator for the state of Kentucky (1999-2010).

The late Jack Kemp (1935-2009) was a professional quarterback, primarily for the Buffalo Bills (1962-1969) and was selected as an American Football League All Star seven times. Upon retiring, Kemp ran for Congress and served nine terms as the congressman for Western New York's 31st congressional district (1971-1989) before his appointment as secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1989-1993).

Hall of Fame basketball player Dave Bing was a seven-time All-Star, but also served as the mayor of Detroit, Mich., from 2009 to 2013.

Recognized as "KJ" by fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Johnson was a three-time All-Star, playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns. He was elected mayor of Sacramento, Calif., in 2008, and re-elected in 2012.

WWE fans know him as Kane, Glenn Jacobs just got a brand new title. The former wrestler was elected mayor of Knox County, Tennessee on Aug. 2, 2018 as first reported by Sports Illustrated. Jacobs defeated Democratic nominee Linda Haney with a 2-1 lead.

NFL offensive lineman, Jon Runyan, played for the Houston Oilers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Diego Chargers before his political ambitions. But 2010 marked Runyan's bid to serve in Congress as a representative of New Jersey's 3rd district, and he went on to successfully claim the title. He served from 2011 to 2015.

One of the most vitrolic races in 2020 was the one between Nevada first term House of Representatives member Susie Lee and former wrestling star Dan Rodimer.

She accussed him of being violent and a wife abuser resulting in his wife, Sarah, who is pregnant with his sixth child, making a commercial in support of her husband.

Rodimer an American attorney, businessman, and retired professional wrestler and football player. In 2006, he signed a one-year developmental contract with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

Rodimer has been accused three times of assault but has no convictions and has never plead guilty to any crime.[27] In one instance, he completed a six-week anger management training course, the charge was dropped. He was also accused of assault in 2011 and 2013, according to records from the Collier County Sheriff's Office; however, in both cases no charges were filed.

Rodimer was endorsed by President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Rodimer has also been endorsed by the Public Safety Alliance of Nevada, National Rifle Association, the National Right to Life Committee, the American Conservative Union, former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt,] and Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison.

Lee prevailed winning with 49% at 181,781 to Dan Rodimer's 45.8% at 172,377.

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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

DISPLACED, ERASED, UNSEEN: REPRESENTATIONS OF LATINX BODIES IN CONTEMPORARY ART is a webinar taking place Friday, November 13, 2020, 2 p.m. Eastern Time.

Join the Princeton University Museum of Art for a live webinar roundtable featuring Princeton voices from across disciplines considering the strategies used by Latinx artists to combat the social and political forces that obscure the lived experiences of marginalized communities.

The panel will engage recent scholarship on the representation of Latinx bodies and feature work by Latin American artists recently added to the Museum’s collections. Panelists include Javier Guerrero, associate professor, department of Spanish and Portuguese and director of undergraduate studies; Susana Draper, associate professor, comparative literature; and Christina León, assistant professor, English. Moderated by Beth Gollnick, curatorial associate in photography and modern and contemporary art.

DETROIT STYLE: CAR DESIGN IN THE MOTOR CITY, 1950 -2020 opens November 15 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. 12 cars, designed and made in Detroit, are in the building, carefuly maneuvered into the galleries. Alongside them, many other works of art, drawings, paintings and sculpture will help tell the story of how the automotive industry, born and raised in Detroit, changed the world, with creativity, innovation, intelligence, and hard work.

"An industry that changed the way we understood transportation, how we related to each other in our society, and conceived our lives in this world, wrote museum director Salvador Salort-Pons. "I believe that a hundred years from now, our descendants on this planet will look back in history and acknowledge that Detroit, thanks to the creation of the car industry, crucially shaped the history of humanity. Perhaps Detroit will be considered like some of the historic and influential places in both Ancient Greece and India, where the origins of our democratic system can be found in city-states or poleis (Greece) and sanghas (India). Time will write our history. For the moment, our city and its hard-working people endure to make history with our industries, the Rivera murals have become a place of pilgrimage, and we are part of a country in which democracy has been exemplary for the world."

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SWEET CHARITY

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA RADIO airs holiday greetings from deployed troops.

During a time of year when families have empty seats at their tables, and deployed troops are missing home, Wreaths Across America Radio (WAAR) airs messages from troops from across the country and overseas, and encourages folks at home, to send a holiday greeting to them in the form of an internet radio greeting.

"The United States currently has 1.3 million active duty members, reservists and guards serving within our borders and abroad. Additionally, more than 24 million veterans have faithfully served our country in the past," said Karen Worchester, Wreaths Across America Executive Director. "I am honored and thrilled to be able to offer these soldiers and their families the opportunity to share their Holiday greetings on air. It's especially important for sharing love and support for their sacrifices at this special time of the year."

Anyone can participate by calling (833) 369-1351 to record a short holiday greeting. Wreaths Radio will play Holiday Greetings on-air during the holidays to help bring families, loved ones, members of our military, and American's closer together for the holiday season. These special Messages will be broadcast between November 23rd and December 31, 2020.

Wreaths Across America Radio was founded in 2014 as a 24/7 Internet stream. Its unique format offers a mix of country, rock, bluegrass, and Americana music interwoven with informational and inspiring content about members of the U.S. armed forces, their families, military veterans, and volunteers throughout the country and overseas who support the nonprofits' mission to remember, honor and teach.

ON LINE TRIVIA NIGHT from State Theatre New Jersey takes place Wednesday, November 11 at 7pm.

Proceeds raised support State Theatre’s Community Engagement programs. A minimum donation of $5 allows patrons to participate in the trivia challenge.

All Trivia Nights will be composed of 50 multiple choice questions. The first-place winner gets bragging rights as well as a $150 State Theatre gift certificate and a State Theatre swag bag and the second-place winner gets a State Theatre swag bag. Online Trivia Night will be hosted on Zoom on each participant’s desktop computer and played on the smartphone-based trivia game APP called Kahoot.

RED BULL THEATER presents a livestream Benefit Reading of The Courage To Right a Woman's Wrongs (Valor, Agravio Y Mujer) by Ana Caro.

Presented in Association with Diversifying the Classics | UCLA.

A New Translation Directed by Melia Bensussen.

Featuring Anita Castillo-Halvorssen, Helen Cespedes, Natascia Diaz, Carson Elrod, Anthony Michael Martinez, Sam Morales, Alfredo Narciso, Ryan Quinn, Luis Quintero, and Matthew Saldivar.

Monday, November 16th at 7:30 PM EDT.

"One of the Spanish Golden Age’s most accomplished female playwrights, Ana Caro presents a witty critique of society through the story of Leonor, a woman who sets out to find her one-time lover (Don Juan, naturally) and bring him to justice. The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs is a comedy of wild intrigue and lively ingenuity in which Leonor crosses geographical boundaries and defies social expectations of gender in order to bring her fickle lover to justice and restore her lost honor. "

SPREADING THE WORD

THE BLEEDING TREE by Angus Cerini. One of Australia’s most awarded plays of the decade. Winner of the Griffin Award, Helpmann for Best Play, and an AWGIE, this is vital, confronting and urgent theatre. Marta Dusseldorp stars as the vengeful matriarch in this defiant, blackly comic tale of survival.

Ben Winspear directs the cast which also includes Jane Johnson and Kartanya Maynard.

The creatives include: Designers: Liminal Spaces. Lighting Designer: Jason James. Composer: Glenn Richards.

Marta Dusseldorp gained international fame in her award winning role as Sarah Adams in the based upon true story and bestselling book A Place To Call Home, currently airing in America on PBS.

She was awarded the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards for lead actress in the television drama Janet King, which followed the story of Senior Crown Prosecutor Janet King. She also won Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play in the 2009 Helpmann Awards for her performance as Queen Margaret in Benedict Andrews' The War of the Roses with the Sydney Theatre Company.

The Bleeding Tree opens November 12 - November 28 at The Theatre Royal, Hobart, Australia.

ON BECKETT / IN SCREEN An Exploration of the Works of Samuel Beckett Conceived and Performed by Bill Irwin. The on screen performances take place November 17 – November 22, 2020.

Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin can’t escape Samuel Beckett. The pandemic hasn’t changed this. Two years ago, Irwin took the Irish Rep stage in New York City to premiere On Beckett, his award-winning meditation on Samuel Beckett’s works and language. For this new digital work, Irwin revisits the words of Samuel Beckett, and returns alone to the Irish Rep stage, to bring us On Beckett / In Screen, a new meditation for our current times.

SAN FRANCISCO'S FAMED CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADE Members of the San Francisco Police Department Lion Dance Team carry a dragon during the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco in February. Next year’s parade has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. has been canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The popular parade is usually held on a Saturday night during the new year celebrations in February.

For two weeks, San Francisco’s Chinatown celebrates the Lunar New Year - which begins on Feb. 12 next year and marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox. People born in that year are said to be dependable, patient and methodical.

“Like an ox, with fortitude and hard work, together we will build a bright and resilient 2021,” the city’s Chinese Chamber of Commerce said.

Instead, parade organizers will display the colorful floats in public for the first time, and 5-foot-high painted ox statues will adorn San Francisco in the chamber’s “Year of the Ox on Parade” celebration.

The San Francisco parade is the largest for the Lunar New Year outside of Asia, according to the chamber. The new year festival and parade began in the 1860s in San Francisco as a means to educate the community about Chinese culture.

THE SHAKESPEARE HOUR LIVE! presented by the Shakespeare Theatre Company.

The most requested topic for Shakespeare Hour LIVE! is finally here! Shakespeare’s works have inspired some of the most iconic works in the musical theatre repertory, from The Boys from Syracuse (The Comedy of Errors) to Kiss Me, Kate (The Taming of the Shrew) to West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet), authored by such giants in their own right as Rodgers and Hart; Cole Porter; and Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim, respectively.

More recently, Shakespeare’s plays inspired such “jukebox musicals” as Play On! (Twelfth Night meets Duke Ellington), All Shook Up (Twelfth Night meets Elvis Presley), and These Paper Bullets (Much Ado About Nothing meets Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong). And then there’s The Lion King, with its plot strongly “inspired” by Hamlet.

SHL! co-host Drew Lichtenberg is joined by STC Associate Artistic Director Alan Paul, along with D.C. favorite Natascia Diaz and Ted Chapin, President of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, for this deep dive into the special relationship between the Bard and Broadway.

Did you miss a previous episode of Shakespeare Hour LIVE!, or want to rewatch a favorite? They're all available to watch for free on our YouTube channel.

GEORGIAN LIVE AID Was Handel the Bob Geldof of his day? Researcher Lizzy Buckle answers this question and more as she explores eighteenth-century benefit concerts in this online talk. Presented free by the Founding Museum in London on November 19, 2020.

AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH TWO FRIENDS Michael Urie and Moisés Kaufman, talking about the new work Tectonic is developing and what has changed about the creative act during this pandemic. Join Michael and Moisés to discuss devising in this new world, and all the ways the work has evolved by our inability to share space.

At the end of the conversation, Michael and Moisés will answer questions from our live audience. Thursday, November 12 at 7 PM ET on a virtual Zoom Webinar happening live.

RED NATION FILM FESTIVAL runs through November 30. Now in its 25th year, the country's largest Native American Film Festival is virtual this year. The festival is a showcase for new work by American Indian and Indigenous international independent filmmakers, bringing together decision makers and content creators with the goal of ensuring media representation of American Indian and Indigenous content to the world at large.

CAL ARTS CENTER FOR NEW PERFORMANCE staging an encore screening of The Carolyn Bryant Project for two weeks through November 22, 2020.

The play and New York Times Critic’s Pick, has resonated with critics and audiences alike in a high-stakes 2020 election year, conjuring the specter of Emmett Till’s murder, and evoking the 1955 encounter between Bryant and Till which helped catalyze the modern Civil Rights movement.

Created by Nataki Garrett and Andrea LeBlanc, and directed by Garrett, Artistic Director at Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), the production which reached audiences in over 40 countries will be available for viewing for a two-week run through Nov. 22 on CNP’s digital platform. In collaboration with CNP, OSF presents additional engagement experiences on its digital platform, O!.

This work is offered free, with no registration required. Tax deductible donations are welcome and will support the Black Arts Collective, a student organization at CalArts.

LAS VEGAS RESIDENT DANIEL EMMET who was a finalist on season 13 of America’s Got Talent (AGT), has released a new single The People written by Emmet, Carlos Acosta (BreeZie), Grammy Award winner Frank Myers, and songwriter, arranger, and musical director Jerry Williams. Vocals were recorded at Studio at The Palms, Las Vegas, and the orchestra was recorded by The City of Prague Philharmonic, in Prague, CZ. The People was mixed by Grammy Award winning engineer David Reitzas, and mastered by Maor Applebaum at Maor Applebaum Mastering in California, USA.

The powerhouse tenor was joined in song by Dominican-American rapper BreeZie.

Emmet’s first single, a cover of Il Divo’s “Passerà,” debuted at #2 on the iTunes classical chart. He headlined his own show, “All That I Am,” for an exclusive run at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. His upcoming events include “Daniel Emmet in Concert” with The Plano Symphony Orchestra on Nov 21st, 2020; The Desert Symphony, Palm Desert, CA, and The Cleveland (Ohio) Pops Orchestra.

I HEARTMEDIA has announced an exclusive podcast partnership with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The first episode of the iHeartRadio Original series "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault" debuted Friday, November 6, the day before the 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony airing on November 7 on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.

Fans can listen on the iHeartRadio App and everywhere podcasts are heard.

The series, which covers iconic induction speeches, from artists ranging from Rock, Hip Hop, Country and Pop, will launch with The Beatles inducted by Mick Jagger, N.W.A inducted by Kendrick Lamar, The Eagles inducted by Jimmy Buffet, and Stevie Nicks inducted by Harry Styles. New episodes will premiere every Friday through the end of the year. A 2nd season will premiere in early 2021.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault podcast series will include speeches from the following presenters and inductees:

Stevie Nicks & Harry Styles
The Beatles & Mick Jagger
N.W.A. & Kendrick Lamar
The Eagles & Jimmy Buffett
Queen & Dave Grohl & Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters
Prince & Alicia Keys & Outkast
Stevie Wonder & Paul Simon Joan Jett & The Blackhearts & Miley Cyrus
Janet Jackson & Janelle Monae
Bruce Springsteen & Bono
Tupac Shakur & Snoop Dogg
Jackson 5 & Diana Ross
The Cure & Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails
Bonnie Raitt & Melissa Etheridge
The Staple Singers & Lauryn Hill
Pearl Jam & David Letterman
Joan Baez & Jackson Browne
Metallica & Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gladys Knight & The Pips & Mariah Carey
The Moody Blues & Ann Wilson of Heart

HUGH LAURIE currently starring in Roadkill, in addition to being an award winning actor is also a pianist and vocalist. He fronted and toured with his blues band, the Copper Bottom Band, and toured as part of the charity cover band, Band from TV. He’s released two solo albums, Didn’t it Rain and Let Them Talk, a celebration of New Orleans blues featuring collaborations with blues legends Irma Thomas, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint.

As the eponymous character in the long-running TV series House, Laurie made the Holmesian, misanthropic, Vicodan-addicted Dr. Gregory House a household name stateside and worldwide. In 2011, he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most watched leading man on TV.

Now he stars on the Masterpiece series. A devious politician, a capable Prime Minister, a whip-smart barrister are some of the characters in Roadkill. A truly engrossing series. As expected, Laurie is superb.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

What’s a horse’s primary concern when voting? A stable economy.

As chosen by voters, Germany's Berlin Zoo named their two newborn pandas "Hong" and "Kong". Upon hearing the news, China reacted fiercely and decided to withdraw all pandas from every country back to mainland China. It was a logistical nightmare? to bring all the pandas back—it was pandemonium.

Q: Where do poll workers get trained? A: Electoral College

If con is the opposite of pro, then isn’t Congress the opposite of progress? Jon Stewart

The Pentagon announced that its fight against ISIS will be called Operation Inherent Resolve. They came up with that name using Operation Random Thesaurus. Jimmy Fallon

If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? Abraham Lincoln

If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for ?a month. Theodore Roosevelt

Give me a one-handed economist! All my economists say, “On the one hand ...on the other.” Harry Truman

Being president is like running a cemetery: You’ve got a lot of people under you, and nobody’s listening. Bill Clinton

I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of a national emergency—even if I’m in a Cabinet meeting. —Ronald Reagan

"The problem with political jokes is they get elected." —Henry Cate, VII



THE RECORDING ACADEMY announced today the appointment of Kelley Purcell as Vice President of Membership & Industry Relations, effective immediately. The appointment follows the Recording Academy's restructure, which aims to streamline the organization and sharpen focus on its service to music. Reporting to Chief Industry Officer Ruby Marchand, Purcell will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of membership outreach, peer review, member account services, and the Academy's Chapter systems, including regional and local teams, Chapter events and programming, and all facets of Chapter service.

E-Book

Soft back Book

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

VIRGINIA LEE "GIGI" FISCHER co-founder of the Hill Country Community Theatre of Texas passed away peacefully on November 3, 2020. She was 91.

On June 6, 1985, GiGi and Phyl Holbert hosted a cocktail party at the Fischer’s home for people they thought might be interested in having a theatre in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. They were surprised and pleased when 22 guests attended and expressed their enthusiasm for the project. That evening Melissa Rowe came up with the name “Hill Country Community Theatre,” a name they chose to signify that the theatre was an enterprise for all the surrounding communities to participate in and enjoy.

In 1990, after the Cottonwood Shores Fire Station building was auctioned off, a former boat dealership in Cottonwood Shores was purchased and transformed into a performance venue that remains HCCT’s home. Having a permanent home has allowed us to expand the building as well as our activities. Various outreach programs have been introduced, including a children’s summer theatre program and scholarship awards. HCCT now mounts a season of five shows every year, with twelve performances each and several special events, including an annual talent show.

"Ultimately, Gigi’s work at HCCT touched the lives of thousands – actors, crew and audience members, supporters -- and many who had never “trod the boards” or previously seen a live stage performance," according to the official release from the venue.

Next Column: November 15, 2020
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