Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: October 19, 2025
By: Laura Deni
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A WEEK FULL OF INDUSTRY READINGS

An industry reading typically involves the cast sitting around a table (or Zoom), reading the script aloud without blocking or significant staging. For writers, it's a golden opportunity to hear the dialogue and songs in the actors' voices, providing insights into the script's dynamics and the characters' development.

Readings can happen at any stage of development.

A 'staged reading' means that actors will move around the stage like they woukd in a full production but with their scripts in hand.

SPOTLIGHT! THE DOROTHY DANDRIDGE MUSICAL

N'kenge will star as Dorothy Dandridge

presents an exclusive industry invite only stage reading at the Laurie Beechman Theatre on Monday, October 20 at 11:00 AM and Tuesday, October 21 at 2:00 PM.

A powerful new stage production celebrating the life, artistry, and resilience of Hollywood trailblazer Dorothy Dandridge, SPOTLIGHT! fuses breathtaking music, dazzling dance, and unforgettable storytelling to illuminate the legacy of the first Black woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

From her early performances at the Apollo to her groundbreaking rise in 1950s Hollywood, SPOTLIGHT! reimagines Dandridge’s story for a new generation—one defined by perseverance, glamour, and the courage to stand in one’s own light.

“Dorothy Dandridge shattered barriers with grace and brilliance,” says N’Kenge, the Tony-, Emmy-, and GRAMMY-nominated artist who conceived the musical and stars in the title role. “Her story is not just history—it’s a call to every artist to claim their power.”

The musical’s creative team includes: Directors: N’Kenge and Christina Sajous. Book and Lyrics: Trey Ellis, two-time Emmy Award winner. Music and Lyrics: Shelton L. Becton, Tony Award winner. Choreography: Ray Mercer. Arrangements: Everett Bradley, Grammy nominee. Music Director: Deah Love Harriott. Associate Music Director: Katie Coleman.

The reading is produced by Y. Dolly Fox, Dawn Derow, Perri Gillon with executive producers Willette Klausner, Richard Bell, and The N’Kenge Foundation. Michael T. Clarkston is the production supervisor, TyNia Brandon and Kim Lara serve as line producers and Morgan Eisen is the production stage manager.

The stellar cast features N’Kenge as Dorothy Dandridge, joined by a cast of Broadway luminaries including Tia Altinay, Felicia Bosewell, Ronnie Bowman Jr., Mark Campbell, Carrie Compere, Dawn Derow, Grace Field, Patrick Oliver Jones, James T. Lane, Alexander Rios, Ollice Spaulding, Jeremy Webb, Darnell Williams, Natasha Yvette Williams, and Lavon Fischer-Wilson. The band include Deah Love Harriott (Music Director / Piano), Katie Coleman (Associate Music Director / Key 2), Melissa Solcum (Bass), and Shawn Dustin (Drums). Eddie Dantz is reading the stage directions.

The next milestone for this new work will be its World Premiere at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center, February 20 – March 8, 2026.

WORKS & PROCESS PRESENTS THE SANTA FE OPERA U.S. Premiere of "Lili Elbe" by Tobias Picker. Libretto by Aryeh Lev Stollman. The event takes place at Guggenheim New York Monday, October 27, 2025 at 7pm.

Composer Tobias Picker and librettist Aryeh Lev Stollman present selections from Lili Elbe—the first full-scale opera about a transgender person composed for a trans opera singer in the title role—which will have its American premiere at The Santa Fe Opera in 2026. The opera tells the true story of Lili Elbe, a celebrated Danish painter who, with the steadfast support of her wife, Gerda, became one of the first to undergo gender-affirmation surgery nearly a century ago. Members of the production’s creative team will discuss their process and excerpts will be performed. American Heldenbaritonistin Lucia Lucas will take on the title role.

The Works & Process presentation of Lili Elbe will include a moderated discussion and excerpts of the music with Picker, Stollman, director James Robinson, Lucia Lucas, and soprano Sylvia D'Eramo, who performs the role of Lili Elbe’s wife Gerda Wegener.

Lead funding provided by Adam and Abigail Flatto, Christian Humann Foundation, Leon Levy Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Stephen Kroll Reidy, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Caroline M. Sharp, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation, The SHS Foundation, and Eugene and Jean Stark.

Additional support provided by Jody and John Arnhold, Jeff and Susan Campbell, Cate Caruso, Stuart H. Coleman and Meryl Rosofsky, Paul Cronson, Duke Dang and Charles E. Rosen, Lucy and Philip Dobrin, Elizabeth Sharp Edens and Wes Edens, The Fanwood Foundation, Bart Friedman and Wendy Stein, Agnes Gund, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, Barbara Ritchin, Denise and Andrew Saul, and Randall Sharp.

INDUSTRY READING OF GRINDR MOM Tuesday, October 21 at 2:00pm at The Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theater Center, New York City.

Two-Time Tony Award Winner Judy Kaye stars as a conservative Mormon mother who misguidedly creates her own Grindr profile in a desperate attempt to connect with her gay son.

Written and directed by Ronnie Larsen who grew up Mormon.

What’s a conservative Mormon mother to do when her only son comes out as gay, confesses he’s an atheist, and starts swiping on something called Grindr? For this mom, the answer is obvious: download the app herself. In Grindr Mom, Judy Kaye brings to life a compulsively candid mother who just wants to understand her son, even if that means opening her own account. Between hiding Pepsis from her husband, debating with Siri and Alexa about sexuality, and mistaking “verse bottom” for a choir note, she stumbles into a world of lamp shade fetishes, headless torsos, and more “HappyPigs” than she ever prayed for. As she spirals between laughter and heartbreak, this well-meaning mother wrestles with God, her religion, and her greatest fear - that her son’s eternal soul is lost to damnation.

The creative team behind Grindr Mom includes Ronnie Larsen (Artistic Director), Jeff Walters (Managing Director), Dennis Manning (Board President), Jack Stein (Producer), Joseph Guidetti (Associate Producer/Grants Administrator), Steven Some (Public Relations), Dan DeMello (New York Public Relations) and Scott Jordan (Volunteer Coordinator).

The presentation runs approximately 75 minutes with no intermission, and the venue is fully wheelchair accessible.

A brief cocktail reception will follow immediately after the reading.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

In the pages of How To Earn A Living As A Freelance Writer (the first to be lied to and the last to be paid) you'll find sex, celebrities, violence, threats, unethical editors, scummy managers and lawyers, treacherous press agents, sex discrimination; as well as a how-to for earning money by writing down words.

ART AND ABOUT

AUSCHWITZ. NOT LONG AGO. NOT FAR AWAY in its regional premiere, more than 500 original objects are showcased in the first traveling exhibition about the history of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz.

Through this daunting selection of objects from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and more than 20 institutions and museums across the world, Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. portrays the complex reality of the notorious camp while sharing first-hand stories from those who survived, and those who perished.

These remarkable artifacts range from:

Concrete posts that were part of the fence of the Auschwitz II-Birkenau camp
Fragments of an original prisoners' barracks from the Auschwitz III-Monowitz camp
A gas mask used by the members of the SS garrison of the camp
Personal items including shoes, clothing, children's dolls, eyeglasses and suitcase

When guests enter the exhibition, they will confront one of history's darkest periods, but they will also be part of an ongoing remembrance and will leave bearing the weight of society's responsibility to combat hate and evil everywhere. An exhibition you cannot miss: Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.

An exhibition humanity needs you to see.

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away is hosted by Cincinnati Museum Center and the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.

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SWEET CHARITY

2025 THEATER ALLIANCE GALA presented Impact Awards to industry veteran Alex Hodges and Aaron Egigian while raising funds to strengthen theaters nationwide.

The Annual Theater Alliance Gala united more than 150 leaders from across live entertainment to support the performing arts. Comedian Ron Funches Hosted with Live Performances from Andrew McMahon and Betty Who.

Presented by DeKuyperthe event took place at Hollywood Park on Tuesday, October 14, for an evening celebrating artistic excellence and community impact.

Theater Alliance honored two of the industry’s most respected executives – Alex Hodges, CEO of Nederlander Concerts, and Aaron Egigian, founding lead of Artistic Programming at Segerstrom Center for the Arts — with the 2025 Theater Alliance Impact Awards. Over five decades, Hodges has shaped the live music landscape as a promoter, agent, and manager for artists including Otis Redding and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Egigian, who recently retired after a 39-year tenure, helped bring a wide range of performances, from classical to pop, to audiences in Southern California. Presented live on stage by Gala Co-Chairs Joe Giordano, Vice President, OVG Alliances and Noel Mirhadi, Senior Director, OVG Theater Alliance, the awards recognize each honoree’s decades of leadership, innovation, and dedication to advancing the performing arts.

The Theater Alliance Gala serves as a cornerstone fundraiser for the OVG Theater Alliance Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization created in collaboration with Music’s Promise, helping theaters continue their invaluable work and ensuring the arts thrive for generations to come. Funds raised through the gala directly support theaters across the Alliance network through capital improvement grants, community engagement initiatives, youth arts education programs and more via alliance members and their nonprofit and philanthropic partners.

SPREADING THE WORD

QUEEN CAMILLA WELCOMES PETER RABBIT

Queen Camilla and Peter Rabbit celebrate BookTrust.

for 100th anniversary of children's literature charity BookTrust of which she has been the patron since 2011. Queen Camilla welcomed Peter Rabbit to Clarence House to celebrate the milestone anniversary, The Queen, 78, who is always charming and aproachable appeared to be in an exceptional good mood. Both were dressed to the nines - Peter is a BookTrust sash along with his famous blue waistcoat for the A-list literary reception. Queen Camilla looked elegant in a long-sleeved navy blue embroidered dress with sheer hose and black pointed heels.

She wore her lovely blonde tresses in her signature wavy blowdry and accessorizes with pearl drop earrings and her blue Van Cleef & Arpels clover bracelet.

Introduced to the large-than-life rabbit, Camilla enthusiastically shook his hand and happily posed for pictures with the famous rabbit from Beatrix Potter's story books. In her hand was the new book, Four Happy Bunnies, created especially for the gift program. The charity has provided a book from the series for every child in the UK before their first birthday through their program Bookstart Baby.

It will be gifted to around half a million babies and their families across the UK to encourage them to start reading as part of BookTrust's collaboration with publisher Penguin Random House Children's.

Queen Camilla and Peter greeted friends and supporters of BookTrust, including the President of the organization, Sir Michael Morpurgo; Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and authors Dame Floella Benjamin, Richard Osman, Sir Philip Pullman, Dame Julia Donaldson, and Malorie Blackman.

Queen Camilla was also seen chatting to Thursday Murder Club author Richard Osman to mark the 100th anniversary of BookTrust.

In an off-the-cuff speech, which was recorded by many, Camilla spoke about how society needs to encourage young people more than ever to read, given the march of modern technology.

Cutting a cake, she added: "Can I say happy 100th birthday to everybody involved in BookTrust?
"I wouldn't be standing here now if I hadn't been read to as a child. We were read to by my father every night and it just shows how important it is. It's lodged in my very small brain forevermore.
"But the job you are doing is ensuring that a great deal of children are going to have the same experience and enjoy reading all their lives.
"Especially in this day of phones, a lot of children aren't reading as much as they should be. The statistics show it is even more important now to start them at an early age and get them reading all the way through their lives."

Camilla also spoke to Ann Graham from the Association of Directors of Children Services and displayed a broad grin as she laughed with children's author Nadia Shireen at the reception.

Sir Michael Morpurgo said of Camilla's involvement: "It's huge. The one thing books have always struggled with are getting supporters in the right place. And you can't get any higher than a head of state.

Referring to Diana Gerald and Annie Crombie Morpurgo added: "The two of them have been hugely supportive of the important things in life, whether it is the environment or literature. They fight the good fight and I really appreciate that. It's really good for the country because they realize those two people care about our lives.

"It also helps hugely with children's' literature particularly. The Queen has really taken it to heart," he emphasized.

"She loved books when she was young and she has chosen to focus her enthusiasm on this. We have someone is who our champion and fight the cause. And we need that both here and in the government.

"She is not backwards in coming forward with what she thinks and people respect that. We have a great champion on our side."

Speaking about the importance of getting children to read from a young age in the face of technology, he said: "Nowadays there is always something more immediate, that's the problem. It has to happen when they are very young. I am lucky enough to be a father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather. I have seen it through the generations. And one thing I know for sure is that if mum and dad read a book to a one-year-old child and read often enough, then that book becomes a conduit between them.

"Something they share together. And when you share something with someone you love most in the world, that imprints itself on you when you are growing up and it's easier to then for a teacher later on to introduce other books. If you have that regular sowing of the seed, then it's so important."

The War Horse author said his own mother read to him and his brother 'religiously' every night. "She was wonderful but when I went to school, books suddenly became a worry because they were all about learning and spelling tests. And, in those days, you got stood in the corner, which was deeply humiliating, and that put me off.

"I was lucky, I had one or two teachers who resuscitated what my mother had set going."

He added: "We exaggerate the perils of technology too much. When I was a child they said television would kill literature. It goes through phases of being more popular and less popular. "These things distract; we have always had distractions. But we have BookTrust who have been here for 100 years and seen parents and teachers through all these things. We shouldn't lose heart.

"We have some of the best writers we have ever had. We need to focus on parents who start the habit going."

As an avid reader, the Queen has a strong interest in highlighting the importance of literacy and has been instrumental in the promotion of literacy.

She became Patron of BookTrust in 2011, succeeding the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Alongside their book-gifting programs, BookTrust works across the UK with partners from libraries and schools to local authorities and community hubs to provide advice and resources designed to encourage reading, aiming to embed it as a core part of early childhood.

MILESTONE FOR GREY'S ANATOMY as it airs 450th episode according to the National Association of Broadcasters, "Grey's Anatomy," now in its 22nd season and airing its 450th episode, ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" has achieved a rare milestone in modern television, where most shows have far shorter runs. Surviving industry-wide disruptions like two major Hollywood strikes, the series has remained a fixture for over two decades, consistently drawing new generations of viewers and adapting to shifts in the industry. Showrunner Shonda Rhimes and her team have celebrated not just the show's longevity, but its ongoing relevance and the evolving stories it continues to tell.

SIR DVID ATTENBOROUGH at 99, has become the oldest Daytime Emmy winner for his work on documentary Secret Lives of Orangutans.

Attenborough won in the outstanding daytime personality, non-daily category, with the Netflix film - which follows a group of apes living in the jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia - also coming away with two other awards.

Sir David beat the record previously held by actor Dick Van Dyke, who was 98 when he won the guest performer in a daytime drama series category in 2024.

The 52nd annual Daytime Emmys was held on Friday in Pasadena, California, but Sir David - who is eight months away from his 100th birthday - did not attend.

Secret Lives of Orangutans also won outstanding music direction and composition and outstanding directing team for a single camera daytime non-fiction program.

Writer, broadcaster and naturalist, Sir David's career spans more than 70 years during which his voice has become synonymous with natural history programs across the English-speaking world.

His award-winning natural history programs include Life on Earth, The Private Life of Plants and The Blue Planet.

More than 40 animals and plant species have been named after him.

Earlier this year he released his cinema-length film Ocean, which he described as one of the most important projects of his career and spoke of his belief it could play a decisive role in saving biodiversity and protecting the planet from climate change.

SPIRIT OF HALLOWEENTOWN Some say that you can’t recreate movie magic. The town of St. Helens, Oregon, prides itself on he ability to recreate movie magic. Their experience of Halloweentown ( from the Disney Channel classic) every October transforms the charming town into a month-long extravaganza. This year, spook connoisseurs have access to a haunted house, oddities museum and a gargantuan pumpkin in the town plaza. And of course, no visit to Halloweentown is complete without checking out Benny’s Taxi and an appearance from Kimberly J. Brown (a.k.a. Marnie Piper) herself.

Bring iy back to life: "Marnie and her kids get a big shock when they follow grandma home to Halloweentown - and find out they come from a family of witches. The town is the only place where supernatural beings can lead a `normal' life, but trouble is looming, and on her 13th birthday Marnie not only finds she is a witch, but that she and her family are involved in a fight against the evil that is threatening to take over "

St. Helens is also home to Bella Swan’s house from Twilight, where you can stay in Bella’s actual bedroom from the movie—before she turns into a vampire and births a vampire baby, that is.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

KEYOTO JAPAN Starting in March 2026, Kyoto will introduce the highest accommodation tax in Japan, charging visitors more to stay in the city’s hotels, inns and guesthouses. Under the new system, tourists at high-end hotels could pay up to ¥10,000 (about $65) per person, per night, in tourism taxes: a tenfold increase from current rates. Budget travelers will also see jumps from about ¥200 to ¥400 (about $1.30 to $2.60), while mid-range rooms will jump from ¥500 to ¥1,000 (about $3.30 to $6.50) per person.

Kyoto’s tourism tax revenue and will go toward managing crowds, preserving cultural sites, and easing strain on local infrastructure.

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THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Directed by New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players newly appointed Artistic Director James Mills.

The comic opera tells the story of a falsely accused prisoner in the Tower of London, the two girls who loved him, and an out of work itinerant jester in grand and colorful fashion – with humor and a touch of pathos. The 25-26 season marks the first under the direction of Artistic Director James Mills His first performance with NYGASP 20 years ago was in the ensemble The Yeomen of the Guard. He has since played most of the patter roles and served as Associate Artistic Director.

Gilbert & Sullivan fans, opera enthusiasts, and musical theater lovers who revel in the beauty of the scores as much as the clever lyrics, will be thrilled by The Yeomen of the Guard. The Tower of London has been a popular symbol of British grandeur since the days of William the Conqueror, so its choice as the setting for Gilbert & Sullivan’s most historical work is particularly appropriate.

A real Lieutenant of The Tower during the reign of notorious King Henry VIII, Sir Richard Cholmendely, is buried there and appears as a sympathetic character in Yeomen (portrayed in this production by NYGASP veteran Co-Director and Choreographer David Auxier). Despite the rather forbidding time and place, elements of humor and joyous celebration join with thematic pathos in this colorful and broad story of two men whose fates are the exact opposites of each other. Romantic hero Colonel Fairfax (tenor Thomas Valenti) is cavalierly resigned to his own death at the outset, while comic jester Jack Point (patter man James Mills) is hopeful of a romantic union with his beautiful performing partner. Through the gain and loss of a woman’s love, the men trade emotional places - with Fairfax achieving a fairy tale happy ending and the jilted jester left alone and heartbroken.

Joining Artistic Director James Mills (Stage Director) on the creative team are Joseph Rubin (Musical Director and Conductor), and Laura Sudduth (Assistant Director & Dance Captain).

In addition to those mentioned above, the cast includes Andrew Martens as fatherly Sergeant Meryll, Natalia Hulse as street singer and virtuous heroine Elsie Maynard, Angela Christine Smith as formidable Dame Carruthers, Matthew Wages as comic jailer Wilfred Shadbolt, and the delightful Amy Maude Helfer as flirtatious Phoebe Meryll. NYGASP veterans Sarah Hutchison as Kate and Cameron Smith as Leonard Meryll complete the principal cast. An ensemble of brilliant yeomen and citizens of The Tower include Sam Balzac, Caitlin Borek, Michael Connolly, Quinn Corcoran, Hannah Eakin, Katie Hall, Maurio Hines, Mark Hosseini, Patrick Lord-Remmert, Jack Murphy, Monique Pelletier, Darrick Penny, Helen Jane Planchet, Alex Poletti, Sarah Caldwell Smith, Tyler Tejada, Kyle Torrence, David Vogel.

The vibrant sounds of a 27-piece orchestra rounds out the picture with period costumes by Gail J. Wofford and Jan Holland and a stunning representation of The Tower of London by Rick Manfredi and Albère. The evocative lighting is by Benjamin Weill.

October 25-26 at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College in New York City.

LIBERATION by Tony Award nominee Bess Wohl.

Directed by Tony Award nominee Whitney White.

"Liberation" is a funny, time-bending, and deeply moving new play that brings to life a group of women in 1970s Ohio who gather in the basement of the local Y for a weekly consciousness-raising group—as they find their place in a new wave of feminism taking hold around them. While their candid conversations unfold with humor, heart, and vulnerability, the play explores how everyday moments spark lasting change.

Interwoven with a present-day narrator discovering her mother’s radical past before marriage and motherhood, Liberation becomes a heartfelt exploration of memory, identity, and the enduring power of women speaking their truths.

The production stars Tony Award nominee Betsy Aidem as Margie, Audrey Corsa as Dora, Kayla Davion as Joanne, Susannah Flood, Kristolyn Lloyd as Celeste, Irene Sofia Lucio as Isidora, Charlie Thurston as Bill, and Adina Verson as Susan. Understudies are LeeAnne Hutchison, Britt Faulkner, Matt E. Russell, and Kedren Spencer.

The creatives are: Set design is by three-time Tony Award winner David Zinn, costume design is by Drama Desk Award nominee Qween Jean, lighting design is by Drama Desk Award nominee Cha See, sound design is by two-time Tony Award nominee Palmer Hefferan, and hair and wig design is by Special Tony Award winner Nikiya Mathis. Intimacy Director is Kelsey Rainwater. Vocal and Dialect Coach is Gigi Buffington. Production Stage Manager is Erin Gioia Albrecht.

Liberation has begun performances at the James Earl Jones Theatre. Opening night is October 28, 2025.

IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS is based upon the Paramount Pictures Film, written for the screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, a book by David Ives and Paul Blake, and original stage production directed by Walter Bobbie.

Based on the classic holiday film, this heartwarming musical sparkles when two army buddies turned entertainers team up with a singing sister act to save a snowless Vermont inn—and discover love along the way. Featuring show-stopping dance numbers and treasured songs like “Count Your Blessings,” “Sisters” and the iconic “White Christmas,” it’s the perfect way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year!

Directed by Hunter Foster.

Choreographer: Kelli Barclay

Music Director: Adam Souza

Principals:
Clyde Alves (Phil Davis)
Lauren Nicole Chapman (Betty Haynes)
Omar Lopez-Cepero (Bob Wallace)
Sofie Nesanelis (Susan Waverly)
Bruce Sabath (General Henry Waverly)
Jonalyn Saxer (Judy Haynes)
Aurelia Williams (Martha Watson)

Ensemble:
Sydney Chow - - Jeff Gallup - - Jasmine Ashanti Gillenwaters - - Laura Guley - - Jay Aubrey Jones - - Linda Neel - - Keyon Pickett - - Daniel Reardon - - Colleen Roberts - - Travis Ward-Osborne

Swings: Rhagan Carter and Brandon J. Morris

Understudy: Audrey Kravontka (Susan Waverly)

The creatives are: Scenic design will be by David L. Arsenault. Costume design will be by Jeff Hendry, with costume coordination by Antonio Consuegra. Lighting design will be by Kirk Bookman. Sound design will be by Jay Hilton and serves as Goodspeed’s Audio Supervisor. Wigs, hair and makeup design will be by J. Jared Janas and Cassie Williams.

Chris Zaccardi will be the Production Stage Manager Casting for this production is by Paul Hardt / Hardt Casting.

White Christmas will run November 14 – December 28, 2025 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn.

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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

HELEN GELLER singer/ actress and the beloved wife of the late Irving Geller, Associate Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, died October 9, 2025 9n Los Angeles.

As a child she was a "Meglin Kiddie", part of a distinguished troupe of young performers including Shirley Temple, Jane Withers, Jackie Cooper, and Judy Garland. She was a fluent Yiddish speaker and had a deep love for Klezmer music. A devoted fan of Deanna Durbin, she held a lifelong membership in the Deanna Durbin Society.

As an actress, Helen was an active member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity Association. Over many years she forged a full, active career in theater, film, television, and voice work. Her final performance came in September 2023, when she reprised the role of Hattie Walker in the Musical Theatre Guild's production of Follies, delivering a memorable "Broadway Baby." A powerhouse belter in the tradition of Ethel Merman, she can be heard on the original cast recording of Radio Gals performing "A Gal's Got To Do What A Gal's Got To Do." Her many stage roles ranged from Gypsy's Mama Rose to a nun in a convent yard, and her screen credits include a beloved Pizza Hut commercial, "Grandma's Brownies."

She is survived by her daughter Valerie Geller and son-in-law Patrick Spann, and grandchildren Aaron Spann and Greyson Spann; and by her son Paul Geller, daughter-in-law Jenna Geller, and grandchildren Juliana Geller and James Geller. Helen was predeceased by siblings Pearl, Mitchell, Martha, Seymour, Miriam, Sylvia, and her twin brother Herbert.

JOE DERA music industry publicist died on Friday, October 10, 2025 in Bentonia, Mississippi. He was 74.

The music world is mourning a major loss today. For more than 50 years, Dera worked with the likes of David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Elton John and others.

Dera got his start in the early '70s at the label Track Records, going on to work at the firm Levinson and Associates before moving on to the world's biggest entertainment PR firm at hte time, Rogers & Cowan.

Among Dera's most notable accomplishments at Rogers & Cowan were overseeing Bowie’s Serious Moonlight Tour in 1983 and representing the historic charity concert Live Aid in 1985. He also went on to represent Woodstock '99 and Amnesty International.

After forming his own company, Dera & Associates, in 1989, Dera represented both McCartney and his fellow former Beatle Ringo Starr, eventually taking on Paul's wife, Linda McCartney, in addition to Elton John, Billy Joel, Duran Duran, Pink Floyd, Brian Wilson, Queen, ZZ Top and many others.

In a 2017 interview with the Clarion-Ledger, Dera shared his approach to successfully representing the world's most famous musicians.

"There are people who are attracted to the business because they want to hang out with their favorite rock stars,"Dera said. "If you’re going to be an ogling fan, you’re not going to last (in public relations) … I always kept my artists at arm’s length."

In 2008, Dera promoted employees Eileen Campion and Chris Roslan to partners of his firm, changing the name to Dera, Roslan & Campion Inc. in 2016, Dera retired with his wife, Suzanne Case, in Mississippi.

Dera is survived by Case and his son, Samuel Mulford Dera.

ROBERT STEWART music professor died in September, 2025.

Robert enjoyed a long and fulfilling career in classical music. For over 30 years, he was a much esteemed Professor of Music Theory, History, and Composition at California State University, Fullerton. He began his early studies in piano and theory with Stanley Hummel, graduated from SUNY Fredonia, and briefly attended Eastman School of Music, Fresno State College, and UCLA to study composition, history and analysis. He received his Ph.D. In Composition from the University of Iowa, where he studied advanced composition with Richard Hervig.

He was a contributor to The Composer Magazine, The Music Review, and Rosetta (a guitar journal), and was an active member and board member of the American Society of University Composers and the National Association of Composers/USA, Los Angeles Chapter.

A gifted and avant-garde artist, Robert wrote major works in every genre, except opera. He was the author of "An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Counterpoint and Palestrina's Musical Style," published in 1994.

Robert is survived by his beloved wife Sue, his brother Douglas Stewart, his son Robert Stewart, Jr., granddaughter Stacey Turner (Josh), grandson Christopher Stewart, and great grandsons Pike and Jace, as well as nieces and nephews, and many friends. Robert was preceded in death by his son Gregory Stewart (Stephanie), his sister Gail Tedesco, brother-in-law Salvadore Tedesco, and sister-in-law Becky Stewart.

Next Column: October 26, 2025
Copyright: October 19, 2025 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