Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: September1, 2024
By: Laura Deni
CLICK HERE FOR COMMENT SECTION

GALAXICABS IS A FUN, FROTHY FARCE BY PETER DAVIS

Galaxicabs is billed as "Music, Comedy, Sci-fi, and a murder mystery, all in one." It's really a fun, frothy farce written, edited, directed by Peter Davis who also composed the music.

"Set in the year 2168. Galaxicab 3, an interstellar taxi, is on route to pick up Ms Tender Parcels, the most famous singer in the galaxy and her frisky bitey dog. Crewed by a Captain, his co-pilot and a galactic stewardess with three arms. Let’s hope there isn’t a psychopathic serial killer on the loose…"

There is.

Featuring Matthew Woodcock as the narrator, Jessica Guyon as Tender Parcels, Peter Wheal-Jones as the Captain, Mike Garnell as Scooter, Laura Marshall as Navina and Nicholas Karpenko as Arnold the Dog.

Excellent sound balancing, diction and acting.

The quirky production makes its own rules. There are times when one actor will correct the grammatical structure of a co-star's lines, have the word changed and then restated.

Political correctness isn't even considered.

Organ harvesting is a booming business and those involved in the industry use a machine which sucks out a person's organs - unscathed and ready for transfer to another. Bodies which are now nothing more than shells are found littered about or on display in the Serial Killer Museum.

Our intergalactic taxi first takes flight on a wrong course before correcting the flight plan. The captain once - if not enjoyed - at least experience - a one day marriage in Morocco. Will he one day marry the three armed stewardess? If that happens will they live happily ever after or be eaten by worms? We need to find out.

When the Captain's life seems to be under the control of the murderer his request is for Ms Tender Parcels' autograph. She complies.

This is a well constructed, goofy, makes you smile production. On a hot summer day, relax and enjoy.

Can be enjoyed on Wireless Theatre.

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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

THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY (NPG) in London has announced Victoria Siddall as its new director. She is the first woman to be appointed to the role in the museum’s 168-year history.

Siddall cut a defining figure for herself within the art industry during her 18-year-long tenure at Frieze, in which time she founded Frieze Masters and grew the London-based fair group to include events in New York, Los Angeles, and Seoul before making a surprise move into a non-executive director position in 2022. Since 2012 she has also been board chair of London’s Studio Voltaire, a leading non-profit for arts and education, which she led through a £2.8 million capital redevelopment campaign in 2021. Since 2022, she has also worked with Tate as a strategic advisor and, from 2023–24, was a trustee of the NPG, having previously served on the museum’s Reopening Committee.

Notably, Siddall has become a champion for sustainability in the art world, co-founding two charities, Gallery Climate Coalition in 2019 and Murmur in 2023, both of which encourage environmental responsibility among galleries, museums, and the wider cultural sector. With Thomas Dane and Christie’s, Victoria launched Artists for ClientEarth in 2021 which raised over $6.5 million for the environmental charity through donations of works by artists like Cecily Brown, Rashid Johnson, Xie Nanxing, and Beatriz Milhazes.

The appointment, made by the NPG’s Board of Trustees, was approved by the U.K. Prime Minister; Siddall will take up the post in the Fall, taking over from interim director Michael Elliott. She succeeds Nicholas Cullinan, who took the helm of the British Museum in June.

Reportedly born in either 1977 or 1978 in Ireland, Suddall earned a bachelor's degree in English and philosophy from the University of Bristol. After university, she started with Christie's and worked there for over three years which is where she met her long term partner François Chantala who is a gallerist from Limoges, France and a director at Thomas Dane in London. Siddall and Chantala live with their daughter in London.

HOMELESSNESS: REFRAMED is a collaborative art collection between Prince William's Homewards program, which he launched with the Royal Foundation in June 2023 to help end homelessness for good, the Saatchi Gallery and the Eleven Eleven Foundation. The Prince of Wales will visit on September 5 when he will meet artists whose work is featured in the special display and people whose lived experiences have inspired some of the pieces. He will also hear from celebrated British photographer Rankin, who contributed to the exhibit, and spend time with children from Creative Kids, a charity that participated in one of the workshops for the "Open Doors" portion of the presentation.

The "Open Doors" section features doors created by children and young people from the six key locations — Aberdeen, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Lambeth, Newport, Northern Ireland and Sheffield — where Homewards is working to help make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurrent.

The exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London is on display through September 20.

COLLECTING INSPIRATION EDWARD C, MOORE AT TIFFANY & CO Edward C. Moore (1827–1891)—the creative force who led Tiffany & Co. to unparalleled originality and success during the second half of the 19th century—amassed a vast collection of decorative arts of exceptional quality and in various media, from Greek and Roman glass and Japanese baskets to metalwork from the Islamic world.

These objects were a source of inspiration for Moore, a noted silversmith in his own right, and the designers he supervised.

The exhibition Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co. features more than 180 extraordinary examples from Moore's personal collection, which was donated to the Museum, alongside 70 magnificent silver objects designed and created at Tiffany & Co. under his direction.

Drawn primarily from the holdings of The Met, the display also includes seldom seen examples from a dozen private and public lenders. A defining figure in the history of American silver, Moore played a pivotal role in shaping the legendary Tiffany design aesthetic and the evolution of The Met’s collection.

Now on view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 199 through October 20, 2024.

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SWEET CHARITY

THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING 2024 GALA takes place Monday, September 9, 2024, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

Tony Award Nominee Jenn Colella, Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie, Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart, Nikki Renée Daniels, Tony Award Nominee Brody Grant, Tony Award winner Matt Doyle, Tony Award nominee Amber Iman, and Tony Award nominee Eli Gelb are among the performers set for The Gala’s concert program.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response and success of last year’s "Unsung Heroes of the Theatre Industry" theme for the evening, the gala will once again have each stage star shine a spotlight on their own personal Unsung Hero. From dressers who execute seamless quick changes between scenes, to understudies and swings who go into a show with little to no notice and don’t miss a beat, to makeup artists responsible for the flawless faces seen on stage, and so many more vital contributors to the theatrical art form, the 2024 Gala celebrates members of the theatrical community who don’t often get the recognition they deserve.

All of the proceeds from the Gala will go directly to the American Theatre Wing’s programs, including The Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative, The Jonathan Larson Grants, National Theatre Company Grants, The Playreaders Club (in partnership with The Drama Book Shop), and producing ATW’s Emmy Award nominated Working in the Theatre Series. Through these programs, the American Theatre Wing continues to be a catalyst for change in the industry by providing traditionally underrepresented talent with resources to begin or continue their artistic journey, supporting future generations of theatre artists in forging a path towards equity for all.

The black tie gala celebration includes cocktails, dinner, and performances. Produced by Staci Levine, the concert program is led by Music Director Benjamin Rauhala. This year, the Wing will be hosting a digital auction on Charity Buzz, that will launch on September 5 and continue through September 19.

AN EVENING WITH ALAN CUMMING takes place September 12, 2024. This is a benefit for the The Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, hosted by broadcaster Kirsty Wark.

Alan Cumming is a true polymath: an award-winning actor, author, photographer, podcaster, presenter and more. With projects ranging from solo dance-theatre to his recently Emmy-nominated turn as the host of global cultural phenomenon, The Traitors, Alan also has four honorary doctorates, and over forty awards for his humanitarian and philanthropic work.

"In this special one-off event as part of our "Evening with…" fundraising series, we welcome Alan back to The Lyceum stage, and look forward to an intimate and personal insight into his life and career. Prepare your burning questions as afterward there will be a Q&A session."

VIP tickets include a meet and greet in the Henry Irving Room after the show with a chance to chat with Alan over a complimentary drink.

All profits go to The Royal Lyceum Theatre Company.

PILTON PARTY 2024 Glastonbury Festival’s annual "thank you" fundraising gig for villagers, workers and local people – known as the Pilton Party – returns to Worthy Farm on Friday, September 6, 2024.

The show will be headlined by raucous London rockers The Libertines, with Special Guests.

Pilton Party gates open at 5pm. Live music is due to finish around 11pm, with a DJ set from Patmandu until midnight.

SPREADING THE WORD

FLASH FORCE! MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN SUPERHEROES SAVE DEMOCRACY a new podcast adventure comedy series featuring The All-Star Broadway Repertory Company: Lucie Arnaz, Judy Blazer, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jason Graae, Kevin Isola, Kecia Lewis, Nancy Opel, Linda Purl, Emily Skinner and Karen Ziemba.

On New York’s Upper West Side, five middle-aged women from the Broadway community in their 12th year of group therapy, and their octogenarian therapist, are suddenly transformed by a mysterious accident in the physics lab next door, and find they possess superpowers. Powers that may…just may…be the only thing to save the world and rescue democracy. Their mission? To battle the evil organization, ORWELL, bent on destroying democracy worldwide.

All while pursuing personal growth.

Written and created by Deborah Grace Winer, Flash Force! is a six-part weekly series that launched with the first two 20-minute episodes last Tuesday and will air an episode every Wednesday following. Directed by Mark Waldrop, with music/sound design by Nathan Scalzone; editor/sound design, April Tucker, the series is available everywhere you get your podcasts.

Flash Force! explodes with cliffhangers, guest villains, conspiracy theories, personal rivalries, therapy breakthroughs, and hair-raising echoes of real life. Training to learn their new powers (and the ones they’ve always held within), our superheroes deploy as undercover entertainers to crush ORWELL’s democracy-destroying disinformation campaign: to convince the world that the American Revolution was a hoax, and the US has actually belonged to Russia since it was ceded by King George III in 1770, in exchange for wheat. Will they succeed?

The Broadway All-Star Repertory Company (by default of its membership), proudly boasts, two Tony awards, six Tony award nominations, one Emmy award, and enough Drama Desks and Obies to cover a small planet.

THE GRAMMY MUSEUM PRESENTS: A NEW YORK EVENING WITH INGRID MICHAELSON, MODERATED BY ELLE MAGAZINE’S SAMUEL MAUDE The Grammy Museum and 92NY are hosting Ingrid Michaelson for an intimate conversation about her album, For the Dreamers, composing music for The Notebook, her creative process, and more, followed by a performance.

Thursday, September 5, 2024 at 92Y in New York City.

HEATHER HEADLEY the Grammy and Tony Award winner performs an evening of show-stopping hits, including favorites from her spectacular stage career including Aida, The Lion King, The Color Purple, and beyond September 7 n the concert hall of the Kennedy Center in Washington,CD.

HOUSTON GRAND OPERA COSTUME AND PROPS SALE takes place Saturday, September 14, 2024 in Houston, Texas.

For the first time since 2016, HGO is having a garage sale! Join in at the HGO Warehouse on Saturday, September 14 from 9:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. for your chance to find something special from a HUGE variety of costumes and props - including items from previous productions of Carmen, Hansel and Gretel, Candide, and more! Perfect for your pre-Halloween planning. First come, first served; while supplies last.

Discounts are available for teachers and employees at other arts organizations with valid ID at time of purchase. Don't miss out on your chance to own one-of-a-kind items!

LABOR DAY IS UPON US and while many associate the day with getting a good deal on a mattress, the holiday was created to honor the hard working men and women who keep this country on track - sometimes under great peril.

Labor Day marks the day in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland signed the law that Congress had passed, declaring the first Monday in September a national holiday to honor the nation's workers and their contributions to the well-being of the country. Labor Day's roots date back to the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago - a crisis over federal efforts to end a strike by railroad workers.

Over the decades many productions have been penned honoring or incorporating labor issues into the script.

What follows are a few examples. If you happen to run across any of them, curl up on your new mattress and watch.

Assistance - Blue Collar - Brassed Off - Bread and Roses - Days To Come - F.I.S.T. - Harlan County, USA - Hidden Figure - Hoffa - How Green Was My Valley - I Can Get It For You Wholesale - Made in Dagenham - Matewan - Modern Times - Newsies - 9 to 5 - Norma Rae - North Country - On the Waterfront- Pajama Game - Radium City - Ragtime - Roger & Me - Salt of the Earth - Silkwood - Sweat - The Grapes of Wrath - The Help - The Molly Maguires - The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire - The Wobblies - To The Bone - Tucker The Man and His Dream - Waiting For Lefty - Workingman's Death.

FINALE GOING FINAL BRINGS CONSTERNATION TO MUSIC CREATORS

Finale is/was one of the leading music notation software programs. Their announcement that they were curtailing service has sent shock waves down the backs of composers.

"Music notation software is used to engrave music into a digital form. It can be used to create, edit, play back, and print sheet music for compositions, arrangements, and transcriptions. Input is often done using a computer keyboard and mouse, or with MIDI instruments.

Per MakeMusic's letter: After more than 35 years, we have made the decision to sunset the Finale music notation software and all of its associated products. There will be no new versions of Finale released ever again. Additionally, as of August 2025, all technical support for any version of Finale will cease as will the ability for people to authorize Finale on any new devices.

That declaration issued on August 26, 2024 caused such an uproar that the following day Finale's website @ 5:30 PM ET, posted: authorizations will remain available indefinitely (on compatible operating systems) and then repeated that in the Q&A section.

That does not mean people can exhale.

Finale users have one year to find a new program to write music, they also only have one year to preserve all of their existing music in a different way. The easiest solution is to export everything to PDFs (something most people have already done). However, this does not allow people to edit the music down the road if needed. The more difficult solution is to export their music out of Finale using the infamous .XML file, and import it into a new program such as Sibelius or Dorico - a tedious and time consuming process. For a large music publishing company that has published thousands of pieces of music using Finale, this news is absolutely devastating.

According to Finale website: "While this may be the end of Finale’s chapter, we hope this is the beginning of a new one in your musical journey. MakeMusic has partnered with Steinberg, the makers of Dorico, to offer exclusive crossgrade pricing on Dorico Pro. For a limited time, users of any version of Finale or PrintMusic can purchase Dorico Pro for just $149."

Finale listed several Q&As: Can I still purchase Finale or PrintMusic? No. As of August 26th, 2024, Finale and PrintMusic are no longer available for sale from MakeMusic.

Will my software continue to function? Yes, barring future OS changes, your existing Finale installations will continue to work as long as your current computer is working.

My computer crashed. Can I authorize on a new computer? Yes, you will still have access to download registered products from your MakeMusic account page, and you can continue to authorize Finale on compatible operating systems indefinitely.

Can I still get technical support? Yes, MakeMusic is committed to providing technical support for the latest version, Finale v27, for the next twelve months until August 25th, 2025.

The Marvin Duchow Music Library at the McGill Libraries in Montreal, Canada has an enormous division devoted to music notation software programs with extensive on line information.

Dorico Pro, Finale, MuseScore, and Sibelius Ultimate are music notation software programs available on selected computers and circulating laptops at the Marvin Duchow Music Library. Additionally, PhotoScore, an optical music recognition software program for music scanning available on selected computers is also housed at the Duchow Music Library.

Dorico is a suite of music notation software offered by Steinberg, a German music technology company. Dorico is available for Windows, MacOS, and iPad. Dorico is available either as a limited, free version or via paid subscription. Available in English and German.

Finale is a music notation software offered by MakeMusic, and is/was available for Windows and MacOS. Available in English only.

MuseScore is a free, open source music notation software available for Windows, MacOS and Linux. Sites offer Software downloads, support, and documentation.

Berklee Online has been offering dedicated courses for notation software and focuses on the how-do use as well as the differences in each respective piece of software.

For instance Finale versus Sibelius:

According to the Berklee website: For the majority of courses, MuseScore will have most of the features that students will need, making it a very solid choice, especially considering its (lack of a) price point. You may find Finale Notepad online, which is a free, feature-reduced version of Finale. It's worth noting, however, that Finale Notepad has not received any updates for quite some time, and is not a suitable option for Berklee Online courses.

In comparison, according to Berklee: "A few features that Finale does (did) have as an advantage over MuseScore include the following: Support for microtonal music - Legacy support for older documents -Better default built-in sounds -Real-time "

"Finale has more sophisticated options for independent settings for time signatures in the score versus the part. Sibelius allows independent text sizes for the score and parts; Finale doesn't."






JANE FONDA, ROBIN MORGAN AND GLORIA STEINEM the Co-Founders of The Women's Media Center - have announced the honorees for the 2024 Women’s Media Awards, to be held on Thursday, September 19th, at the JW Marriott Essex House in New York City.

The Honorees are:

· America Ferrera, Emmy winning, Oscar nominated actor, director, producer, and activist, will receive the WMC Gloria Steinem Visible and Powerful Award.

· Yamiche Alcindor, NBC News Washington correspondent, will be honored with the WMC Carol Jenkins Award.

· Donna Deitch, film director, writer, producer, Emmy winning director and activist, will be honored with the WMC Ahead of Her Time Award.

· Liz Rebecca Alarcón, Founder & CEO, Pulso, will be honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award.

· Rahna Epting, Executive Director, MoveOn, will be honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award.

· Jenice Fountain, Executive Director, Yellowhammer Fund, will be honored with the WMC Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award.

· Chicken & Egg Pictures, which awards grants and provides creative mentorship to filmmakers from around the world, will be honored with the WMC Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award. Chicken & Egg Pictures Co-Founders are Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger and Judith Helfand. Jenni Wolfson is CEO.

The Women’s Media Awards Co-Chairs are: Loreen Arbus, Donna Deitch, Anne Kiehl Friedman, Mellody Hobson, Cindy Holland, Helen LaKelly Hunt, Carlene C. Laughlin, Michelle Mercer & Bruce Golden, Susan Pritzker, Lynda & Stewart Resnick, Sheryl Sandberg, Bonnie Schaefer, Marla Schaefer, Regina K. Scully, Alexandra Shiva, Mary & Steven Swig, Darren Walker.

Proceeds from these awards support the work of the Women's Media Center.

Past WMC honorees include Luvvie Ajayi, Gayle King, Christiane Amanpour, Amma Asante, Laura Bates, Samantha Bee, Ursula Burns, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Katie Couric, Abigail Disney, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Mona Eltahawy, Fatima Goss Graves, Maria Hinojosa, Cindy Holland, Sarah Hoye, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff, Sheila C. Johnson, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Ashley Judd, Maria Teresa Kumar, Laura Ling and Lisa Ling, Lara Logan, Andrea Mitchell, Pat Mitchell, Martha Nelson, Soledad O’Brien, Salma Hayek Pinault, Elianne Ramos, Joy Reid, Robin Roberts, April Ryan, Anita Sarkeesian, Regina K. Scully, Mary Thom, Marlo Thomas, Barbara Walters, Padmasree Warrior, Lindy West, and Maggie Wilderotter.

Founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem, the Women's Media Center (WMC) is a feminist organization that works for gender and racial inclusion, representation, and equality in media.

WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL has named Kit Ingui as its new managing director of operations and advancement. Ingui will succeed Eric Gershman in November. Gershman has been serving in the role on an interim basis since the beginning of this year. Ingui was previously the managing director of Long Wharf Theatre.

Ingui will work in partnership with Raphael Picciarelli, managing director of strategy and transformation, along with the Festival's newly formed Creative Collective, led by Creative Director Jeremy O. Harris.

WTF's national search for Ingui's role was facilitated by Tom O'Connor Consulting Group along with a search committee comprising WTF artists, staff, and board members.

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FRANK'S CLOSET Book, music and lyrics by Stuart Wood.

Directed by Sasha Regan.

The cast features: Frank: Andy Moss - - The Diva: Luke Farrugia - - The Sailor: Paul Toulson - - Gaiety Girls: Patrick Cook, Olivia McBride, Daniel Walford, and Tayla Watson-Braithwaite.

Meet Frank. A soon-to-be groom with a closet full of frocks. As he prepares to marry his beloved partner Alan, it’s time to make space in the wardrobe and donate his fabulous collection of iconic diva dresses to the V&A. If only he could part with them…

Through the magical portal of his closet door, Frank retreats into a fantasy world where he is The Chairman of The Music Hall. Each diva visits him in turn, delivering a musical number (what else?) containing a gem of good - or at least well intentioned - advice. Mix in a quartet of dancing Gaiety Girls and glorious songs that straddle the British, Broadway (and Swedish) songbooks – and you have Frank’s Closet. But will frocks or fiancé ultimately triumph?

A joyous, warm-hearted celebration of camp that will chime with anyone who’s ever felt torn between fantasy, responsibility and being yourself.

Presented by Ladbon MacLeod Barnes and the Union Theatre at Wilton's Music Hall in London September 3-14, 2024.

CLUE based on the fan-favorite 1985 Paramount Pictures movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game. Original screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, book by Sandy Rustin, additional materials by Hunter Foster and Eric Price.

Directed by Casey Hushion.

A mansion. A murder. A mystery.
The ultimate whodunit opens next month!

Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench?

Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist. September 17–October 6, 2024 at the Opera House at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Featuring Mariah Burks as The Cook - John Treacy Egan as Colonel Mustard - Christina Anthony as Miss Scarlet - Joanna Glushak as Mrs. Peacock - Tari Kelly as Mrs. White - Mark Price as Wadsworth - John Shartzer as Mr. Green - Jonathan Spivey as Professor Plum - Alex Syiek as Mr. Boddy - Teddy Trice as The Cop - Elisabeth Yancey as Yvette.

The understudies are Greg Balla, Alison Ewing, Mary McNulty and James Taylor Odom.

The creatives are: Lee Savage set design - Jen Caprio costume design - Ryan O'Gara lighting design - Jeff Human sound design - J. Jared Janas hair, wig & make up design - Michael Holland original music and music supervision - Robert Wesley fight director - Steve Bebout associate director. casting by Pearson Casting CSA CDG - tourbooking, marketing and publicity by Bond Theatrical - Production Management Port City Technical - Margot Whitney production stage manager- assistant stage managers Emily Kritzman and Maria Bella Divittorio - Suzanne Prueter company manager.

On tour with performances this month: September 3 -15, 2024 in at DPAC in Durham, NC: September 10-15 in Nashville, TN and September 17–October 6, 2024 at the Opera House at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH a Pulitzer Prize-winning, time-bending comic romp written by Thornton Wilder.

Directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott.

Starring Christian Henley, Mildred Marie Langford, Kasey Mahaffy, Trisha Miller, Cassandra Marie Murphy, Ann Noble, Frederick Stuart.

Ensemble: Anthony Adu, Stella Bullock, Julia Chavez, Jacob Cherry, Yannick Haynes, Amber Liekhus, Veronica McFarlane, David A. Rangel, Landon M. Robinson, Micah Schneider, Maya Sta. Ana.

What gives us the internal fortitude, the "grit," to keep going in the face of adversity? The archetypical American family, Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus (Frederick Stuart and Trisha Miller) live in Excelsior, New Jersey along with their daughter Gladys (Mildred Marie Langford), son Henry (Christian Henley), and saucy family maid, Sabina (Ann Noble). This year, George and Maggie Antrobus are celebrating 5,000 years of marriage — but now the Ice Age is upon them, floods are coming, and war is on the horizon. The story of the family’s journey through time is the story of mankind: surviving disaster… by the skin of their teeth. The Antrobus family weathers heat waves and deep freezes, pestilence, plague, war and depression, but, through it all, they keep moving forward.

The Skin of Our Teeth opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theatre in November, 1942, and was an immediate smash hit. Directed by Elia Kazan, it starred Fredric March and Florence Eldridge as Mr. and Mrs. Antrobus, Tallulah Bankhead as Sabina, and Montgomery Clift, at the beginning of his career, as Henry. Originally written largely in response to World War II, in part to assuage our fears of worldwide destruction, it earned Wilder his third Pulitzer Prize.

The creative team includes scenic designer Frederica Nascimento; lighting designer Ken Booth; composer and sound designer Robert Oriol; costume designer Garry Lennon; wig and make up designer Tony Valdés; and dramaturg Miranda Johnson-Haddad. The production stage manager is Angela Sonner, assisted by Hope Matthews.

Performances take place September 7 through September 29 at A Noise Within in Pasadena, CA.

WIPEOUT by Aurora Real de Asua.

It's never too late to catch the perfect wave...

Claudia, Wynn, and Gary are three best friends, celebrating their golden years with the ultimate challenge: learning to surf in Santa Cruz. Trading their comfort zones for surfboards, the three friends navigate the choppy waters of their changing relationships and identities, balancing on both the literal and metaphorical tides of life. The sun-soaked breakers are no match for these three as they learn to master the waves, while confronting the complexity of aging, friendship, and embracing the courage to hang ten on new beginnings.

Dive into this bitingly funny and profoundly moving new surf comedy that proves adventure has no age limit … all on surfboards. Did we mention lessons are provided by a young hotrod surf instructor? Featuring Julie Kittsley, Diane McNamara, Christina Rausa and Jacob Applegate.

Wipeout was previously workshopped at Manhattan Theatre Club, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. It was first produced as a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere by Rivendell Theatre Ensemble (Chicago, IL), B Street Theatre (Sacramento, CA) and Gloucester Stage Company (Gloucester, MA).

Previews start September 6, 2924 at the Alleyway Theatre in Buffalo, New York which is a performing arts theater which was a former Greyhound station with '40s architecture. The venue holds multiple stages for live plays and musicals.

JANE AUSTEN'S SENSE AND SENSIBILITY adapted by Jessica Swale.

Directed by Nisi Sturgis.

Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility tells the captivating tale of the Dashwood sisters as they attempt to navigate financial strife, would-be suitors, and the rigid edicts of English society following the death of their father. Jessica Swale’s elegant stage adaptation of this beloved classic overflows with humor and style.

Set against the lush backdrop of 1790s England, Austen’s first novel follows the Dashwood sisters — sensible Elinor, spontaneous Marianne, adventurous Margaret — and their widowed mother as they are forced to leave their family estate and find their way in the world. Unexpected romances are challenged when scandals erupt and secrets are revealed, forcing the sisters to rely on themselves and each other to weather the heartache.

The ensemble cast unites new and veteran company members, including Mandi Masden as Elinor and Billie Wyatt as Marianne, Austen’s devoted sisters. The cast also features Terra Chaney as Margaret Dashwood and Lucy Steele, Lynette R. Freeman as Mrs. Palmer and Mrs. Dashwood, Christian Frost as Willougby, Sean Mahan as Colonel Brandon, Patrick Andrew Jones as Edward Ferrars and Mr. Palmer, Kayla Ryan Walsh as Fanny Dashwood and Mrs. Jennings, and Patrick Toon as Sir John and Mr. Dashwood.

The creative team for the production includes scenic designer Brittany Vasta, costume designer Sophie S. Schneider, lighting designer Anthony Galaska, and sound designer Liam Bellman-Sharpe. Kimiye Corrigan is the dance consultant and Julie Foh is the dialect consultant. Mary Garrigan stage manages.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey will present Sense and Sensibility at their F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre on the campus of Drew University in Madison, NJ beginning September 4, 2024.

Patrons are encouraged to check out these special upcoming events connected with the production:
"Pay What You CAN" Food Drive preview — Wednesday, September 4 at 7:30pm: Bring two canned-goods and receive a $10 ticket.

Jane Austen Fan Night — Thursday, September 19 at 7:00pm: Join STNJ on the patio of The F.M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre for tea-style treats before seeing Sense and Sensibility. Patrons are encouraged to wear period appropriate costumes and celebrate Jane Austen.

A LETTER TO LYNDON B. JOHNSON OR GOD: WHOEVER READS THIS FIRST created and performed by Natasha Roland and Xhloe Rice.

Boyhood is all about spit-shakes, rope swings and playing soldiers. But what happens when the pretend becomes all too real and the childhood tales become harder to retell? Whether it’s stories around the campfire, letters home to mom, or a prayer to your favorite president, these two Boy Scouts really just want a turn to play the good guy and get their moms to see the big strong men they’ve become... Scout's Honor.

Drawing on their own experiences of being in military families comes this absurdist two-hander about the idealized American childhood, and the boys it left behind. Drawing on their own experiences of being in military families comes this absurdist two-hander about the idealzed American childhood, and the boys it left behind. From consecutive 2022, 2023 and 2024 Fringe First Award winners Xhloe and Natasha in association with the SpaceUK, this production is brand new for 2024 and comes to the King's Head Theatre after another successful Edinburgh Festival Fringe season.

Lighting design by Angelo Sagnelli.

September 3-14 at King's Head Theatre in London.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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FINAL OVATION

MARK EDWARD died Sunday, August 4, 2024 at home after a year's long battle with prostate cancer. He was 63.

Mark earned a BA of Fine Arts in 1974 from California Institute of the Arts. A punk musician turned magician, who gravitated to mentalism and educated animal acts and became a performer at Hollywood's Magic Castle in 1975. He worked the Houdini Séance room for 14 years and continued to perform mentalism at the Castle and elsewhere up until his death.

In 1990 Mark began working for the Psychic Friends Network and became one of their top psychics; for years he was also associated with the scientific skepticism community; he used his behind-the-scenes knowledge to write his 2009 book, Psychic Blues: Confessions of a Conflicted Medium, exposing the secrets of the psychic world.

Over the years he was sought out for his expertise and appeared on Penn & Teller's Bullsh!t, The Con, Brain Games, Adam Ruins Everything and many more.

Mark is survived by his girlfriend of 15-years, Susan Gerbic and her sons Caspian (Jamie) and Stirling.

JAY GRIMES dancer, Pilates teacher passed away on July 29, 2024 after a prolonged battle with chronic heart and lung conditions. He was 84.

He played piano professionally as a teenager, danced with the American Ballet Theatre. He served as stage manager for the touring production of Applause from September 22, 1972 to May 3, 1973 and performed in the original Fiddler on the roof from December 27, 1969 to June 26, 1971 as a Villager and a Bottle Dancer.

In the 1960s, Jay's dance profession led him to the late Joseph Pilates and his method of corrective exercise, known then as Contrology. Jay trained with Joe, and eventually taught alongside him and his wife, Clara, in New York. He moved to Los Angeles in 1974, and his direct connection to Joe made him a sought-after expert, ultimately shaping generations of Pilates teachers.

Jay is preceded in death by his parents, John and Lucile, and his siblings, John, Jennifer, and Janet. He is survived by his Pilates family, who continue to carry on his legacy.

THOMAS CAMPBELL "grandfather of the benefit concert" died on August 13th, 2024. He was 84.

Creditied as having virtually inventing the idea of bringing together musicians and activists to create memorable and often historical events that funded organizations working on a wide spectrum of social issues. He organized and produced more than 1,200 cultural, educational, environmental, and service events with musical artists including Linda Ronstadt; John Denver; Bonnie Raitt; Jackson Browne; John Hall; Jesse Colin Young; Crosby, Stills & Nash, and hundreds more. The events raised public awareness of the issues, provided publicity to grassroots organizations working on those issues, and raised millions of dollars for those organizations to assist their environmental and social change work.

Tom was born in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 19, 1939. During World War II, Tom's mother moved the family to California while his father was overseas. Tom attended UCLA from 1957 -1961. He worked for Walt Disney during college on weekends, holidays, and summer vacations as a ride operator. Tom became production coordinator in 1962 and then from 1963 – 1964 he worked in the entertainment division and produced shows. After leaving Disney, he went to work at the folk club, the Golden Bear, a legendary music venue in Huntington Beach, California, running the lights and sound.

Tom left the Golden Bear in 1966 and returned to Disney to become National Promotional Director for their music division, where he remained until 1968.

In 1974, Tom staged his first fundraising concert, in support of an Earth First! project with Linda Ronstadt, Pete Seeger, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steve Martin, John Denver, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Taj Mahal performing.

Tom then produced a California Sierra Club concert series, These concerts with artists Jackson Browne, Jesse Colin Young, Maria Muldaur, Danny O'Keefe, Bonnie Raitt, and Linda Ronstadt were the start of decades long relationships working together putting on benefits. In 1994, he staged the "Raitt Family Concert for the Forest" in Northern California, with Bonnie Raitt, her legendary father, Broadway actor/singer John Raitt, and other Raitt family members. Another successful benefit for Oregon forest groups, with Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Native American activist/poet John Trudell, ended with the concert crew needing to be escorted out of town after the show by local police, pursued by loggers in pickup trucks revving chainsaws.

In 1976, Tom with Pacific Alliance co-produced with Musicians United For Safe Energy (MUSE) the famous 1979 series of "No Nukes" concerts, which sold out five straight nights in New York's Madison Square Garden and included a protest rally at Battery Park that drew 250,000 people. MUSE was a group of several artists including Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and John Hall, along with Harvey Wasserman, Sam Lovejoy, Howard Kohn and David Fenton.

Tom, and fellow solar advocate Ty Braswell, along with Styx guitarist, James Young, longtime spokesperson for the Solar Lobby and financial backer, helped to create "Solar Genny One," a 6,000-pound solar unit, housed on a 20-four-foot-long trailer, designed, and built by Solarwest Electric of Santa Barbara, California. A national tour using Genny to demonstrate that renewable energy was available and practical. Styx was the first band that put Genny to the test by using in the recording studio for their new album. Between 1982 and 1985, Genny visited thirty-one states, where a Baltimore Orioles baseball game used it to power the speaker system; brought power to the Boston Pops for their 4th of July celebration; and to a Diana Ross concert.

Over the span of a decade, Tom helped the Gloria Steinem organization, Voters For Choice, produce nearly 20 concerts and 20 artist receptions featuring major artists ranging from Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash, Jackson Browne, The Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge, Keb' Mo,' Tish Hinojosa, and Sonia Sanchez, to Pearl Jam, Neil Young, and the extraordinary Jessye Norman.

For 10 years, from 1990 to 2000, his Avocado Productions and Guacamole Fund produced the Verde Valley Music Festival in Sedona, Arizona, supporting the Native American Scholarship Fund hosted by Jackson Browne, and musician friends whom Jackson invited to appear: Shawn Colvin, John Trudell & Bad Dog, Ben Ha Arper, Nanci Griffith, Patty Griffin, Bruce Cockburn, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Chapin Carpenter, David Lindley & Wally Ingram, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Lyle Lovett, Trisha Yearwood, Indigo Girls, Michelle Branch, Joel Rafael Band, Indigenous, Kenny Loggins, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, Ulali and Melissa Etheridge.

With the National Organization for Women, Tom produced The March for Women's Lives in Washington, DC, in 1989. In 1990, Tom produced the massive Earth Day rally, again in Washington, DC.

Tom returned to Washington, DC, for the 2000 Earth Day rally, powered by alternative energy, with a generator powered by used cooking oil. The rally was emceed by Leonardo DiCaprio,

Tom received the Best of the West 2018 Lifetime Achievement in Community Service Award for his work with the Guacamole Fund. He also received the Arthur M. Sohcot Award in 2001 at the California Music Awards; both awards. In 1992, Tom and Avocado Productions were honored with a Congressional Record by the One Hundred and Second Congress for their outstanding work in Washington, D.C.

Tom's records and papers, along with hundreds of pieces of concert memorabilia, have recently been moved to the Guacamole fund /Tom Campbell Archives, in the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas - Austin.

He is survived by his loving wife, Smoky Dagan; his son, Grady Campbell; and grandsons Cosmo and Django. He was preceded in death by his former wife, Margaret Holmes. He leaves behind former wives, Courtney Campbell and Janis Monaco Clark, her children, Calvin Turnbull and Alana McClellan; Cousin Carol Alexandra (Sam Riordan) and numerous nieces and nephews;

ALAN MARK HAUFRECT actor and sports marketing executive died at his home in Century City, CA on Saturday, August 17th. He was 83.

A graduate of Tulane University and then the Yale School of Drama, Alan went on to established himself as a go-to character actor in a variety of films, TV shows, commercials and stage plays in his almost 30-year career. He was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science.

His movie parts included: Kiss Me Goodbye (1982), Eve of Destruction (1991), Coma (1978), Footloose (1984), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), 9 to 5 (1980).

In 1977, he married Kate McClure Lyman (1955-2015) and, in 1982, welcomed a baby girl, Sarah McClure Haufrect, into the world, whom he described as his greatest accomplishment.

In the second half of life, Alan translated his skills to the sports industry, serving as a V.P. for two companies, Aminco International (USA), and then WinCraft, where he spent a decade leading the jewelry, pins and accessories division to great success, and popularizing the now ubiquitous WinCraft "Pin Trading Centers," now an indelible part of the sports fan experience.

He is survived by his daughter Sarah Haufrect and son-in-law Jared Cote, his two brothers Eric and Dale Haufrect and four nephews Adam, Ian, Brian and Mark Haufrect.

Next Column: September 8, 2024
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Laura Deni