Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: October 30, 2022
By: Laura Deni
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ASIANS IN AMERICA - IS THERE PARITY? ASIAN THEATERS: PRESERVING CULTURE OR PROMOTING RACISM?

Fifteen of the fifty states have Asian theatrical companies. Like most creations, they were born out of necessity. In World War II America was at war with Japan. All Americans of Asian heritage suffered, none more so than Japanese Americans who were forced into camps. Survivor George Takei has spent decades recounting the experience, none more personal than his 2012 Broadway show Allegiance, about the internment experience which also starred Tony winner Lea Salonga of Philippino heritage (the first actress of Asian descent to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway), Telly Leung of Chinese heritage and American born Michael K. Lee who lives in Korea.

During the Korean War, China became an enemy, as the country supported North Korea. Again, all Asians suffered.

In the early 60s Asian theaters sought to fill a need for Asian artists to express their talents and for Asian residents - many who had experienced venues refusing to sell them tickets or admit them to events - finally had outlets to quench their thrust for entertainment.

Officially: Asian-American theatre emerged in the 1960s and the 1970s with the foundation of four theatre companies: East West Players in Los Angeles, Asian American Theatre Workshop (later renamed Asian American Theater Company) in San Francisco, Theatrical Ensemble of Asians (later renamed Northwest Asian American Theatre) in Seattle, and Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in New York City. The four companies have provided the resources and opportunities to actors, writers, directors, designers, and producers to pursue and define Asian-American theatre for over five decades.

By the end of the 1990s, the number of Asian-American theatre companies and performance groups grew to about forty. In addition, such companies helped integrate Asian-Americans into many popular theatre companies by normalizing Asian actors. Asian-American plays have appeared on Broadway and regional theatres and have received major awards both nationally and internationally.

Asian-American actors have used Asian-American theatre companies as their artistic bases while pursuing careers in the mainstream theatre, film and television. Alternative forms of theatre and performance such as multimedia performance, solo performance and spoken word have also shaped Asian-American theatre. In the beginning, participants of Asian-American theatre were mostly of East Asian descent, but in the 1990s and the 21st century, more artists of South Asian and Southeast Asian backgrounds have joined the community and have made Asian-American theatre one of the fastest growing and changing sectors in American theatre.

Broadway To Vegas spoke with an Asian actor and an Asian theatrical company director to get their take about the state of the Asian theatre and Asians in general.

Roger Tang

With a name like Pork Filled Productions, you might think they are a Chinese restaurant. What PFP serves up is satisfying laugher. It's long been established that a good laugh is a cure for many maladies - social as well as physical. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the Pork Filled Productions in Seattle, Washington is an Asian comedy springboard which was dedicated to inclusion before the word became popular.

Pork Filled Productions is the theater offshoot of the long-running sketch comedy group, The Pork Filled Players. PFP is the oldest Asian American drama group in the Pacific Northwest and is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of Asian American theatre by tackling non-traditional subject matters for Asian American theatre, ranging from sketch comedy to steampunk to supernatural romantic comedies to kung fu Shakespeare zombies.

Roger Tang, Executive Director of Pork Filled Productions, was interviewed by Broadway To Vegas about the current situation.

Tang is a veteran theatre producer of over four decades who began working with folks like David Henry Hwang and Philip Kan Gotanda. As a producer, he introduced Northwest audiences to such writers as Qui Nguyen, Prince Gomolvilas, Carla Ching and Genny Lim and has produced numerous Northwest and world premieres, from Hwang’ Bondage and Yellow Face to Maggie Lee’s The Clockwork Professor; The Tumbleweed Zephyr and A Hand of Talons.

He has sat on the boards of ReAct Theatre and the Northwest Asian American Theatre he is a recipient of a 2016 Equity Award from the Equity In the Entertainment Industry Symposium at Stanford University, and is Secretary for the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) and chairs the membership committee. He is also is the Literary Manager for SIS Productions.

"Let's start by laying down statistics," said Tang. "The population of King County, where much of theatre is occurring, is about 20% Asian American. By a rough count, over the last decade, Asian Americans have gotten only 5% of the roles on stage - and of that, about a third of those roles were from Asian American led companies. That's a discrepancy that's concerning.

"Another concerning fact is that there are no midlevel or Equity level theatres that focus on any BIPOC community," he stated, referring to what is pronounced as "bye-pock" which stands for Black, indigenious, and people of color. "One of the major reasons is a disastrous decision two decades old by funders - both private and public - to focus on larger institutions, supposedly to get more bang for the buck. This lead to wiping out all BIPOC theatres in the area; the ones that exist now are the ones who've risen from the wreckage and have survived by cutting operations to the bone; I joke that I basically run my theatre out of my car trunk."

Members of Pork Filled Productions. Photo: PFP

He asserts that: "more efficient funding strategy has led to: a) larger organizations - who are almost wholy led and staffed by white artists - to reach out to marginalized communities by constantly reinventing the wheel, and doing it more inefficiently than the BIPOC theatres they replaced. More over, they vampire away resources from BIPOC led groups by sucking up funding and the artists developed by BIPOC groups (because they can offer higher pay). It's set up a cycle of incentivizing these groups to feed off the efforts of smaller BIPOC groups without giving back.

"In the Seattle world, this demographic change has snuck up on the theatre leadership. I don't think they were quite aware of how drastically the demographics of the area has changed," he reasoned. "And leadership operated on the 'There can only be one' model; they had the name of one Asian American leader and thought it was sufficient. I am often mistaken for that theatre leader's husband or brother, despite leading an organization that's among the oldest in the Pacific Northwest. OK, I did have a crush on her, but that was 30 years ago....," he quipped.

"I think there is a realization that the larger theatres cannot continue to just vampire away resources from BIPOC theatres. They have to give back, because we are the theatres that continue to develop actors, designers, directors and playwrights that they need to address: a. 21st Century America. We live in a theatre ecosphere, and all parts have to live in harmony. There's room for all kinds of organizations, and the environment is healthier when there is a diversity of groups that can exist. It is unhealthy and impossible for one large organization to be all things for all populations in a community.

"There are pressures that act on theatre; a very big one is real estate prices, which affect buildings, which affect venues, which affect where or if a theatre can produce. One response of large and mid level theatres is to co-produce with smaller BIPOC organizations, with the BIPOC groups lending specific cultural and artistic expertise and the larger groups offering a platform and larger budgets. Again, care needs to be taken so that the partnership is equitable and one side doesn't overshadow the other," he emphasized.

"The small BIPOC-led theatres are where major BIPOC artists get nurtured and developed. I can't think of one who didn't get developed there. Folks like David Henry Hwang, Lauren Yee, Leah Nanko Winkler, Philip Kan Gotanda and others got nurtured in small BIPOC groups like East West Players before they got a bigger name.

"I think this is an important issue across the nation, stated Tang who has "an overview as Secrtary of the COnsortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists, the national group devoted to Asian American theatre. The growing population of Asian Americans in New York, SF and LA approach the proportions in Seattle. In particular the Asian American Performers Action Coalition has tons of stats on the New York scene, yet the casting lags the population. More more importantly, I think, the artistic visions lags behind the population."

PFP also finds racism unacceptable.

Steps They're Taking:
While open and ever-changing, the PFP staff are majority BIPOC and consist of folks of various gender identities.
We commit to casting 51% of the roles in our productions with BIPOC actors (including Asian and non-Asian POCs).
Our Unleashed program has always included new works written by Black and Latinx writers (four of which have gone on to full productions), with one centering members of the Deaf community.
A percentage of the box office is being donated to Real Rent Duwamish.

100% of Real Rent goes to the non-profit, Duwamish Tribal Services, run by the Duwamish Tribe. The Real Rent campaign launched in 2017 called on people who live and work in Seattle to pay to the Duwamish, to acknowledge their stewardship of the land on which they live and work.

Michael Rubenstone and Chris King Wong in Farragut North. Photo by Peter Allas

Chris King Wong is an SAG-AFTRA actor you can catch on Better Call Saul (AMC), Bulge Bracket (Amazon), Grey's Anatomy (ABC), and Lady Driver (Netflix). He is also working on a web-series following the lives and marriage of two individuals. A pivotal element to the show's creation has been the real struggle of Asian Americans' ability to define their own identity within America. The show "zeroes in on this issue and focuses on removing the subservient, exotified, emasculated, and otherwise stereotyped image of Asian Americans within society; it portrays a fresh, real take on what it really means to be an Asian American - simply put, an American."

Referring to Asian Americans in entertainments Wong said: "there has been so much hoopla about yellow face and not getting enough roles in television and films. I think it comes down to where we are 'supposed to be' in society. Our parents or our grandparents immigrated and they wanted us to build a better life and be more secure. That generally didn't have its roots in the entertainment field.

"I would say that we are just now coming up upon a generation of artists. I don't think the entertainment industry has quite caught up with that in terms of the diversity of roles. We're still trying to find that middle ground. We need a good representation of our ethnicity without the "you're forcing us into every story now."

Currently Wong is starring in the lead role of Farragut North, a Foursome Productions at Theatre 68 Arts Complex in Los Angeles through November 5, 2022. It is penned by Beau Willimon.

Before becoming a playwright and screenwriter, Willimon worked as a political operative, toiling behind the scenes on the campaigns of Chuck Schumer, Hilary Clinton, Bill Bradley and Howard Dean. Willimon left politics in 2004, subsequently translating his experiences as a ringside player in Washington into plays, film and TV, most notably the long-running hit Netflix series House of Cards, an offshoot of writer Andrew Davies’ British original.

But before House of Cards, which premiered in 2013, Willimon wrote Farragut North, the current production under the direction of Peter Allas. it was written when Willimon was a playwriting student at Juilliard, about behind-the-scenes election intrigue.

No trick is too dirty, no lie is too outrageous, no spin is too ingenious if it gets your candidate over the top. Titled after the metrorail stop closest to Washington D.C.’s geographic center for think tanks, lobbyists, power plays and spin-doctoring, Farragut North is about the political view that winning is everything.

Wong plays press secretary Stephen Bellamy a political wunderkind; only 25 years old, he’s already made a name for himself as a brilliant strategist who takes pride in the manipulative ruses he devises to gain points for his candidate.

"The majority of the roles are cast as Caucasian," explained Wong. "When you read the play it's implied that the roles are Caucasian.

Chris King Wong: Photo Publicity

I'm a Chinese American playing the lead role. Another lead is played by a person of mixed race. The casting is that the best person for the part got the role," he explained. In addition to Wong the cast includes: Jack Esformes, Camryn Hamm, Amy Motta, K.J. Powell, David Reyes, and Michael Rubenstone.

What about the theaters which concentrate on race, sexuality or a name that can sell tickets?

"This person has X amount of followers, we'll broaden our base," reasoned Wong about what can amount to a casting consideration. "I don't know how much of that is rooted in fact or data anymore."

Asian theaters only doing Asian authored productions and casting only Asian actors. Do they perpetuate racism?

He paused and then said; "There is no great way to answer that question. I don't diminish the reasons the theaters were started. But if a person is not getting cast simply because they are white and that is the only reason, then, yes, maybe that could be called racism.

"I think things are going quite well right now for people of color. This is my first play, ever. I love it. I didn't audition. Peter Allas had seen my work and came to me," he explained.

Since Wong's prior experience had been in television, a theatrical audience is a new experience.

"It isn't that people are reacting. It's that you can feel that the people in the room are super engaged and that lets us really delve in and focus on how we are suppose to be connected to one another and the audience. That creates something really special. The playwright flew in for two days to check it out. We had no idea he was coming. We got to meet Beau Willimon. It was really a great experience."

Returning to the image of Asians in America Wong commented: "The stereotype that Asians are subservient and meek, and to be fair there are folks who are like that," conceded Wong who quickly added, "I find the opposite is true as much - in terms of being aggressive or knowing what you want, confident."

"I was doing a photo shoot for a motorcycle company and the director came up to me and said , 'You have a really deep voice for an Asian guy'", a reference to Chinese men speaking in Mandarin, which requires a four tonal delivery, speaking in a higher pitched voice. "What do to say to that? Thank you?," quipped Wong about the director's comment. "There are just little things like that are inherent in this society. Looking at Asian men as not sexual, not as masculine or having the power or confidence as might be needed for the part in a show.

"I am in a weird spot. I grew up my whole life in America. I've never been to China. I can't really identify that much with their culture. Being here in America I'm told that my people are emasculated; we're not as manly strong, confident. It has taken me almost my entire life to come to terms with who I am and trying to find my place in America. It's such a sore spot for people who live their lives on the borders - just trying to fit in and find your way. Just trying to hide in the shadows and keep your head down. That isn't who I am as a person. I want my art to be out there. Whatever the Asian cultural, we can bring that power to light and show that we're more than just hiding in the shadows."

COVID 19 and blaming the Chinese is a touchy subject.

"Part of me just wants to rage and scream," he exclaimed. "Even before COVID, all of this was bubbling right underneath the surface," he argued referring to the Chinese being resented. "Before acting I was in the Bay Area doing tech. I worked at Facebook doing advertising. It was in the middle of the tech boom. I remember walking to the bus stop to get to work and I see an older Chinese lady. She had her wares set up on the corner of the street and it's very clear that she is homeless or has very little money. There was a person of color just screaming at her, berating her - ' go back to China, you don't belong here'. She doesn't speak the language, so she is standing there crying," he said referring to many immigrnts who understand but can't speak English.

"People are walking past her," he continued. "I was furious. I walked up and got in his face. I said things I won't repeat. He said to me, 'You guys need to get a job and go back where you can from.' Now you might assume this was a white man, a MAGA supporter; but it wasn't. It was a person of color and it was very shocking to see that. I've been called a Chink," he said referring to an ethnic slur for a person of Chinese descent. "Everyone would look, but noone would say anything. Because of who I am I'd get up in this person's face. I'm not trying to paint a picture that I'm an aggressive person, trying to start fights with anyone. That is definitely not the case. Yes, COVID just gives people another reason to say what they were going to say anyway." Then he repeated: "These things have been bubbling under for a long time."

We are in an election season. Asians have a low voter turnout and rarely does an Asian group endorse a candidate.

"Overall Asian Americans in our society, I would say, we could do a little bit better," Wong agreed. "But, I have no idea how to do that. One of the biggest problems is lack of access to reputable news sources. I have a lot of friends who are Vietnamese and apparently there is really only one major Vietnamese news channel that gets broadcast in America. I guess it leans heavily to the right. So, I have a lot of my Vietnamese friends who are at odds with their parents because they only get their news from this specific channel. There is a lot of misinformation. Things are being spread around that don't line up with what is really going on.

"I would love to see Asians getting more involved in politics," he reiterated. "But, I think it first needs to be rooted in access to accurate information. I find that has been more accessible for Black and Hispanic communities than for the Asian communities."

As for Wong, who has also started two tech companies, in December he travels to Japan for six weeks. With no pets and no plants he has a certain freedom. His passion is broccoli. Seriously. When asked if his friends have recommended that he seek therapy, he laughed. "I like to eat healthy."

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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

CAPTURED

Handmade violin by German soldier August Christian Voigt while he was a prisoner of war of the French. The violin and case are made of scrap supplies provided by his guards. The top of the violin is marked P. G. 46 [Prisonnier de Guerre number 46]. The back is marked “St. Loup Soumouse, 1918-19-20 Francoise”, indicating where he was held [the prison camp was also sometimes spelled 'Semouse']. Photo: WWI Museum

During four brutal years of the Great War, nearly 9 million people were held as prisoners of war at some point during the conflict. From the shores of Southeast Asia and the Siberian tundra, to mere miles from the Western Front, they were imprisoned the world over – by both sides.

Seldom told, their experiences are some of the most common during the Great War.

Captured, at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, MO, delves into the stories of life behind the wire: relationships among the prisoners and between the prisoners and their captors, a complex and unique dynamic of mundane daily life and the arduous conditions of captivity.

Bound together by suffering and uncertainty, many prisoners and guards were encountering people of different races, religions, languages and cultures for the first time.

This exhibition explores how their relationships sustained hope – on both sides of the barbed wire – amid bleak and uncertain circumstances.

The historical and personal accounts of prisoners of war in WWI carry a modern and global impact still seen a century later. Images of WWI prisoners, gazing at cameras across the globe, document a historical juncture in which long-term mass incarceration was becoming a key outcome of fighting.

Prominent international military and diplomatic leaders agreed to the humane treatment of prisoners, while evolutions in industry and technology changed the scale and duration of captivity.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community.

The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and experiences of the war.

On display through April 30, 2023 in the Wylie Gallery of the World War I Museum in Kansas City, MO.

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SWEET CHARITY

RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE 2022 FALL GALA with Bernadette Peters takes place Friday, November 4, 2022.

Get red carpet ready for this special evening as the 21-year career of their executive director, Allison Stockel is celebrated, honoring her dedication, commitment and years of service, with special guests. Gala tickets include sit-down dinner, open bar, silent auction and more.

Winner of three Tony Awards, a Golden Globe, three Emmy and four Grammy Award nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Bernadette Peters is best known for her work on stage and as one of Broadway’s most critically acclaimed performers.

Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT.

I PUT A SPELL ON YOU: ALIVE AT SONY HALL raised over $100k for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. In their search to find beauty, youth and immortality, the bewitching and beloved Sanderson Sisters returned from the dead and gather their most famous friends to help them lure the children of New York.

The Sanderson Sisters bewitched Sony Hall as part of Jay Armstrong Johnson’s annual Halloween concert-meets-party. Broadway’s biggest Halloween event played to a packed standing room only crowd last Sunday, October 23, 2022.

SPREADING THE WORD

UNDERWATER PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST The press gets invited to a variety of quirky events. For instance, last Wednesday's underwater pumpkin carving contest at Sea Life in Kansas City, MO. The media was invited to come out and compete in a Pumpkin Carving Competition at Sea Life. At the event a trained Sea Life diver began cutting inside the 120,000-gallon Ocean Exhibit surrounded by 600 sea creatures including sharks, sea turtles, and other sea creatures. The media stayed dry on the opposite side and carved away at their own pumpkins.

MY BODY, NO CHOICE free readings on November 2-3.

20 theaters and universities across the U.S. will present two evenings of My Body, No Choice, staged readings of monologues commissioned by Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage. Eight of America’s most exciting female playwrights share what choice means to them through the telling of fiction and non-fiction stories rooted in personal experience.

Directed by Molly Smith. Monologues by Lee Cataluna, Fatima Dyfan, Lisa Loomer, Dael Orlandersmith, Sarah Ruhl, Mary Hall, Surface, V (formerly Eve Ensler) and "Anonymous".

Venues include:

Montana State University - - Frosburg State University, Frostburg, MD - - Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC - - Central Michigan University - - Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH) - - SUNY Geneseo (Genesco, NY) - - Universiy of Hawaii - - Balyhoo Theatre (Edmonds, WA) - - The Bridge Initiative and Ronin Theatre Company (Phoenix, AZ) - - Cactus Woman Productions (Nevada City, CA) - - Clocktower Players (Irvington, NY) - - Fountain Theatre, Los Angeles - - Gateway Regional Ats Center Mt. Sterling, KY - - Open Theater Project - Boston, MA - - The New Mexico Actors LAB - - Radial Theater Project, Seattle, WA - - Stewart Mann Woman Productions, Atlanta, GA - - Upsairs at Midnight Theatre Project, Lexington, KY - - UP Theater Company New York City.

The Fountain Theatre performance on November 3 will be live-streamed. Judith Moreland directs starring Veralyn Jones, Tamika Katon-Donegal, Jenny O'Hara, Amy Pietz, Pam Trotter.

BONO - STORIES OF SURRENDER has Bono returning to the stage with a very different kind of show as he goes on tour to talk about his brand new memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs One Story. Billed as an evening of words, music and some mischief as he details his life, his loves and those who have inspired and shaped him. With each chapter named after one of his songs and with original illustrations by Bono himself Surrender tells of Bono's journey from Dublin and the loss of his mother to stadium superstardom. Sunday, November 6, 2022 at Meridian Hall in Toronto, Canada.

PETER FRAMPTON the celebrated guitarist returns to the UK for his farewell tour with a performance Tuesday, November 8, at Royal Albert Hall.

JERROD CARMICHAEL: ARI TOLD ME I LACK FOCUS the Emmy Award winning comedian brings his brand new solo show to Steppenwolf for performances on Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5. Continuing Steppenwolf’s tradition of presenting innovative, artist-driven work, "this limited engagement is a one-of-a-kind evening from a masterful storyteller at his best." Steppenwolf in Chicago.

GRAMMY WINNERS PETER YARROW AND NOEL PAUL STOOKEY of acclaimed folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary will perform at Enlow Recital Hall in Union, N.J. on Saturday, November 5. The trio performed for nearly 50 years, won five Grammy Awards, and produced 13 Top 40 hits. They earned eight gold and five platinum albums, all the while continuing a centuries-old tradition of people raising their voices in song for the sake of freedom and social justice. Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey carry on the proud tradition of their iconic folk group, performing classic hits like Leaving on a Jet Plane; Puff, the Magic Dragon; Blowin' in the Wind; If I Had a Hammer and many more.

THE PYGMALION EFFECT a ballet interpretation of the archetypical story of Pygmalion, the sculptor who fell in love with his creation. The Pygmalion Effect is Boris Eifman's first work in the genre of comedy (or, more accurately, tragicomedy) in recent years – the form the choreographer has perfected.

Once again finding inspiration in the world's cultural heritage, Eifman offers his audience a ballet interpretation of the archetypical story of Pygmalion, the sculptor who fell in love with his creation, a statue of a beautiful young woman. In the ballet storyline, the role of the fierce creator is taken by a successful ballroom dancer who resolves to "sculpt" a virtuoso performer from a clumsy ordinary girl. The internal and external transformation of the heroine is accompanied by the background music of Johann Strauss the Son. This is the first time choreographer works with the music of the Waltz King in his prolific creative career.

In this production, Eifman presents a comprehensive artistic and philosophical portrayal of a human personality's remarkable flexibility and ability to undergo an unpredicted change in response to set aims and aspirations.

November 7-8 at Dubai Opera in Dubai, UAE.

LUCAS DEBARGUE The French piano phenomenon makes a return to Carnegie Hall with a solo piano recital debut. Debargue has prepared a program of works that trace the winding streets of Paris, guided by four masters of the pianoforte: Scarlatti, Ravel, Chopin, and Liszt. The convention-defying pianist performs November 5, 2022 on the Perelman Stage in Carnegie Hall in New York City.

METAL AND MONSTERS If you like blast beats and things that go bump in the night, this is the show for you. Gibson TV, the iconic, American instrument brand’s award-winning, worldwide online network--features original series about music and culture from the world’s best storytellers. Gibson TV presents the second episode of the original series Metal And Monsters, the network’s first show dedicated to all things heavy metal and monster culture. Throughout Metal And Monsters, viewers are treated to different segments that explore the worlds of music, film, and tales from the dark side. All Gibson TV original shows are streamed for free on Gibson.com

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ALMOST FAMOUS features a book and lyrics by Academy Award winner Cameron Crowe, music and lyrics by Tony, Grammy, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize Award winner Tom Kitt.

Directed by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Jeremy Herrin.

Choreography by Sarah O’Gleby.

The production stars Chris Wood, Tony Award nominee Anika Larsen, Solea Pfeiffer, Drew Gehling, Rob Colletti, and introducing Casey Likes. The company will also include Matt Bittner, Chad Burris, Gerard Canonico, Julia Cassandra, Brandon Contreras, Jakeim Hart, Van Hughes, Jana Djenne Jackson, Claire Kwon, Katie Ladner, Danny Lindgren, Erica Mansfield, Alisa Melendez, Kevin Trinio Perdido, Andrew Poston, Emily Schultheis, Daniel Sovich, Libby Winters, and Matthew C. Yee.

The year is 1973 and it’s all happening. Led Zeppelin is king, Richard Nixon is President, and idealistic 15-year-old William Miller is an aspiring music journalist. When Rolling Stone magazine hires him to go on the road with an up-and-coming band, William is thrust into the rock-and-roll circus, where his love of music, his longing for friendship, and his integrity as a writer collide. Almost Famous is a spirited tale of fandom, family, and the unforgettable characters you’ll meet along the way.

Officially opens at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City on Thursday, November 3, 2022.

THE ORCHARD conceived and directed by Igor Golyak. Based on The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov as translated by Carol Rocamora.

Featuring Jessica Hecht as Ranevskaya with Juliet Brett, Darya Denisova, Seth Gore, Jeffrey Hayenga, Elise Kibler, Nael Nacer, Gene Ravvin and Mikhail Baryshnikov as Firs.

The Orchard invites us into the fragile world of a family yearning for connection and struggling with the end of their world as they know it. Threatened with foreclosure and the loss of their beloved orchard, they face unstoppable, destructive forces that dismantle their lives like the breaking of a string.

Performances November 4-13 at the Robert J. Orchard Stage, Paramount Center, Boston, MA.

THE RAT TRAP by Noël Coward.

Directed by Alexander Lass.

Featured in the cast will be James Evans, Elisabeth Gray, Ramzi Khalaf, Heloise Lowenthal, Cynthia Mace, Claire Saunders, and Sarin Monae West. Emily Bosco, Jason Eddy, and Kate Hampton will serve as understudies.

The creative team includes Vicki R. Davis (scenic), Hunter Kaczorowski (costumes), Christian DeAngelis (lighting), Bill Toles (sound), Amy Stoller (dialect), and Stephanie Klapper, CSA (casting). Written when Coward was only 18 years old, this remarkably mature drama tells the story of a newlywed couple looking towards a bright future together, two promising writers vowing to support and love each other through the challenges of creative and professional endeavor. Things go even worse than you might imagine - the result is a drama of caustic realism, mixed with flashes of Coward’s brilliant, biting wit. Looking back on the play in 1937 in his autobiography, Present Indicative, Coward called it "My first really serious attempt at psychological conflict… When I had finished it, I felt, for the first time with genuine conviction, that I could really write plays."

The Rat Trap was announced for a tryout in 1923, but sadly, that never happened, presumably due to the death of the actress Meggie Albanesi, who was intended to play Sheila. Albanesi’s biographer, Frances Gray, speculated that Coward may have intended The Rat Trap as a vehicle for the two of them. When The Rat Trap was published in 1924, Coward dedicated it to the "Dear Memory" of Albanesi, who was widely mourned as the "most promising actress of the younger generation." Only a few close friends, and likely Coward, knew the truth: that Albanesi had died not from an operation for appendicitis or from "nervous tension" - among other causes circulated by the press - but from the peritonitis that followed a botched abortion.

Noël Coward’s The Rat Trap, will begin November 1st at New York City Center Stage II for a limited Off-Broadway engagement through December 10th only. Opening Night is set for Monday November 21st.

SANDRA written by David Cale. Featuring an original piano score by Matthew Dean Marsh.

Directed by Obie Award-winning Leigh Silverman.

Starring Marjan Neshat.

In this new one-woman thriller from David Cale Sandra seeks to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearance of her closest friend, a young pianist and composer, who went on a trip to Mexico and never returned. Her search for clues leads her into both a highly charged love affair, and increasingly dangerous territory. Sandra asks how far would you go for love?

The design team includes scenic design by Tony Award winner Rachel Hauck, costume design by Tony Award winner Linda Cho, lighting design by Thom Weaver, and sound design by Kathy Ruvuna.

The 6-week limited engagement will play at the Vineyard Theatre in New York City November 3 - December 11 with an opening night of Sunday, November 20, 2022.

YOU WILL GET SICK by Noah Diaz.

Directed by Sam Pinkleton.

The cast includes Marinda Anderson, Daniel K. Isaac, Linda Lavin, Nate Miller, and Dario Ladani Sanchez all of whom are making their Roundabout Theatre Company debuts.

In the play, a young man is shocked to receive a life-changing diagnosis. Overwhelmed, he turns to a stranger for help, hiring an older woman to break the news to his family and friends – thus setting into motion a series of events that will profoundly reshape both of their lives. This humane and piercing new play is a testament to the great challenges – and extraordinary joys – that come from having a body.

Presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company, You Will Get Sick opens officially on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at the Laura Pels Theatre in the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre in New York City. This is a limited engagement through Sunday, December 11, 2022.

EDEN PRAIRIE: 1971 a National New Play Network World Premiere written by Mat Smart.

Directed by Evan Bergman.

Featuring Emilio Cuesta, Andrea Gallo and Oriana Lada.

As war churns in Vietnam, night falls over the tranquil hills and creeks of a small Midwestern town, and a young woman hears a tap at her window. On the same night Apollo 15 makes its lunar landing, a young draft-dodger steals home to Eden Prairie, after a 300-mile trek from Canada. He risks arrest to deliver an important message to his childhood friend, Rachel. Both are caught between duty to the ones they love and their own futures. In a moment of national tension that mirrors our own, the young man must defend his choices and grapple with the sacrifices he has made. Mat Smart's stark, passionate drama skillfully questions our notions of bravery and responsibility. Due to the adult nature of the play no one under 16 will be admitted.

The creatives include: set design by Jessica Parks. Lighting design by Jill Nagle. Sound design by Nick Simone. Costume design by Patricia E. Doherty. Technical director, Brian Snyder. Production stage manager, Kristin Pfeifer. Assistant stage manager, Rachael Malloy. Assistant director and assistant lighting design, Janey Huber. Master electrician, James Lockhart.

Performances through November 20, 2022 at the New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, New Jersey.

WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE SEA from Jeff Augustin.

Directed by Princess Grace Award winner Joshua Kahan Brody.

A timely story of a son's quest to connect with his father. Lyrical story-telling and live folk songs from The Bengsons weave a tale of searching and longing, family and legacy. A Haitian immigrant travels from Miami to California on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. Years later, his son makes the same journey in reverse. Along the way, blurring the lines of time, these two finally discover common ground and make a connection that has eluded them for decades.

The New York premiere production will feature Billy Eugene Jones and Chris Myers.

The production’s creative team includes Arnulfo Maldonado (scenic design), Dominique Fawn Hill (costume design), Stacey Derosier (lighting design), Ben Truppin-Brown (sound design), Sarah Lunnie (dramaturgy), Steph Paul (movement), and Roxana Khan (production stage manager).

Where the Mountain Meets the Sea was commissioned by and premiered in the 2020 Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Officially opens Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at New York City Center – Stage I in New York City.

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FINAL OVATION

LESLIE JORDAN beloved Emmy-winning actor, writer and singer died October 23, 2022 in Los Angeles after he experienced a medical incident while driving to work on the television series Kat and crashed his car. He was 67.

He won the Emmy Award for guest actor in a comedy series for his work on Will & Grace, on which he played the sexually ambiguous, socialite frenemy, art-tongued socialite, Beverly Leslie.

Jordan played three different characters on three different seasons of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, recurring in the 'Coven,' 'Roanoke' and '1984' installments.

One of Jordan’s most celebrated roles was his turn as Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram in the stage play Sordid Lives, which was later adapted into a 2000 cult romantic comedy film of the same name. In 1993, he created his first autobiographical stage show, Hysterical Blindness and Other Southern Tragedies That Have Plagued My Life Thus Far, which ran for seven months off-Broadway at the SoHo Playhouse. The play chronicled Jordan’s early life in Chattanooga, Tenn., and featured the actor backed by a gospel choir singing satirical songs about racism and homophobia.

In 2020, Jordan became a social media phenomenon, gaining millions of Instagram followers due to his humorous videos posted throughout the pandemic.

He currently was a series regular on Call Me Kat, which stars Mayim Bialik. Upon learning of Jordan's death the sitcom paused Season three taping.

Fox Entertainment said in a statement, “We are shocked and devastated by today’s tragic passing of Leslie Jordan. Leslie was far more than an Emmy Award-winning comedic talent with whom we’ve laughed alongside for all these years. He was the kindest person you could ever imagine who simply lit up a room and brought pure joy and huge smiles to millions of people around the world. The truest of Southern Gentlemen, Leslie carried an infectious exuberance, indelible sense of humor and, throughout, gifted us with countless fond memories that will last forever. As we grieve this sad news, we also wish to extend our most profound sympathies to Leslie’s family, friends and fans, whom he held so dear.”

JERRY LEE LEWIS singer, songwriter, and pianist, nicknamed The Killer, he was described as "rock n' roll's first great wild man and one of the most influential pianists of the 20th century." died October 28, 2022 at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, south of Memphis. He was 87.

Lewis lost a third of his stomach to ulcer surgery in 1985. He suffered from a minor stroke in 2019.

Known for Great Balls of Fire, he had 34 Top 20 country hits between 1968 and 1981 and earned three Grammy awards.

He was an inaugural inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, a 2005 recipient of a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award and, at the age of 86, a 2022 inductee of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Lewis was notorious for his drinking, drugging, womanizing and pistol-waving.

In 1976, after wrecking his Rolls-Royce in a drunk-driving accident, he was arrested, intoxicated, with a loaded derringer on the grounds of Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate. The same year, he shot his bassist Butch Owens in the chest with a .357 Magnum handgun; Owens survived, and only minor charges were filed. Failure to pay income taxes for years led to a 1979 raid on Lewis’ home by the Internal Revenue Service.

Married seven times, he married twice in his teens, and fathered a son by his second wife: Jerry Lee Lewis, Jr., who would drum behind his father before he was killed in a single-car accident in 1973. During a May 1958 British tour that he had married Myra Gale Brown, the 13-year-old daughter of his bassist J.W. Brown and his first cousin once removed. However, whether he was actually divorced from his second wife was questioned. Divorced by Myra Gale in 1970, Lewis remarried four times. His fourth wife, Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, drowned in a swimming pool in 1982 while suing for divorce. His fifth wife, Shawn Stephens, 23 years his junior, died of an apparent drug overdose. Within a year, Lewis had married Kerrie McCarver, then 21. She filed for divorce accusing him of physical abuse and infidelity. He wed his caregiver, Judith Coghlan, in 2012 who survives him. He is also survived by his children Jerry Lee Lewis III, Ronnie Lewis, Phoebe Lewis and Lori Lancaster, sister Linda Gail Lewis, cousin Jimmy Swaggart and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

JAMES M. "JIM" KLAIN long time manager of UCLA'S Royce Hall died September 24, 2022. He was 100. A celebration of life will take place December17, 2022.

In 1947 he accepted a job in UCLA's nascent Theater Arts Department as stage manage for Royce Hall. Over the course of a 37-year career in which he became responsible for all public events at UCLA, h worked with luminaries in the fields of drama, music and politics. He hosted events for Zubin Mehta, the Shah of Iran, then Senator John Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson, Frank Sinatra, Igor Stravinsky and many others. He is survived by his wife Lois and children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

MARK MILLER Emmy nominated actor, writer, producer of stage, film and television died September 9, 2022 at the age of 97.

Best known for his role as Professor Jim Nash in Plese Don't Eat the Daisies, he starred in many of the seminal shows of the 1960s and 70s.

According to his official obit, Miller trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. His first professional job was starring opposite classmate Grace Kelly in Noël Coward’s Private Lives at the Casino Playhouse in Newport, Rhode Island. Miller and Kelly dated for two years and remained lifelong friends.

He was then tapped by playwright Philip Barry to portray Sandy Lord in The Philadelphia Story opposite Sarah Churchill, daughter of Winston Churchill.

Miller, who starred in more than 30 plays, captured the attention of William Inge, who waited until the actor was available to launch the first Broadway touring company of Bus Stop. Miller played the cowboy Bo opposite Elaine Stritch. At the invitation of Desi Arnaz hemoved to Hollywood branching out into films. He wrote, produced and starred in the family classic Savannah Smiles. He also wrote A Walk in the Clouds, starring Keanu Reeves.

He was predeceased by his son Gabe Miller. He is survived by three daughters Marisa, Savannah and Tony nominates actress Penelope Ann Miller. Survivors also include his granddaughters, Amelia, Eloisa, Gretta, Sophie, Maria and Celeste.

CARL SAMROCK who enjoyed a 50 year career in publicity and journalism died October 1, 2022. He was 81.

Fro the late 60s through the 70s. Samrock was Vice President of Publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures and a freelancer for The New York Times, specializing in entertainment an editorial work.

He worked for Warner Bros Pictures from 1982-1997, and for the next two decades he ran his own boutique agency, Carl Samrock Public Relations.

He is survived by his wife Carol, and sons Gabriel and Steven.

Next Column: November 6, 2022
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