Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: September 10, 2023
By: Laura Deni
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ADAM AND EVE AND ERIC BY TERRY NEWMAN IS A CREATION STORY WITH NON-STOP LAUGHS

For a laugh a minute experience listen to Adam and Eve and Eric starring Adam Hall, Nina Millns, Morag Sims and James Parkes with music by Jacky Fong all of whom are excellent.

Brilliantly written by Terry Newman whose quirky script is a delight.

Adam and Eve and Eric is an hour long comedy recorded live at The Pleasance King Dome as part of Wireless Theatre's 'Couples Who Changed The World' season at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Adam feels he is the most blessed of men and that God is good because He has "given us this Garden of Eden."

Adam and Eric in the Garden of Eden -what more could they ask for?

A soft top convertible, suggests Eric.

The couple observes lions lying down with the lambs - all day, every day. "You would think they would come up with something else to fill the time." Then they discover a lion and a lamb having sex.

Adam and Eric pursue their quest for nuts and berries. However, it is pointed out that God's will is sometimes not abundantly clear. After breakfast they continue with the naming of things.

Naming things is an important part of the plot line and a job assigned to them by God.

Birds chirp. Then comes "a message from the Big Guy."

Something is going to be manifested. Enter a feminine voice who, in a cryptic way, comments: "What a piece of work is man."

Adam and Eric are informed that they shall not eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Good and Evil. Then they learn that for every creature a mate shall be created.

The guys mention that certain animals special to them - especially that lamb - will be disappointed.

They are informed that phase two is about to begin - children. A woman will be made and called Eve. They are told there will be children springing forth from the loins of women.

Adam and Eric decide they have experienced a bad dream - that God was going to create a version of them, only with leaky parts.

Enter Eve.

Adam and Eric notice that she is missing a vital part and wonder what "those two things on the front are for."

Eve declares that Adam is perfect and "I can't wait to improve him." She also sets out to rearrange the Garden of Eden.

Eric ponders how it would even be possible for a man and woman to love each other. It's like they are two different species. Only a man knows what another man wants.

Eve attempts to explain a vagina and how babies are born.

As big as a watermelon?

Oh, that would smart, is the comment.

A hissing serpent enters the picture. She offers Eve some special fruit from the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Good and Evil.

Life is about to be radically changed.

This entire production is one laugh after another. Perfectly directed by David Beck. The acting is top notch. Exquisite live sound by Gareth Brown.

Editing and post production by Malcolm Thorp. Contains language and content not suitable for younger listeners. Distributed by Wireless Theatre Company.

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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

REBEL: 30 YEARS OF LONDON FASHION How does London repeatedly set the creative agenda? Find out in this major exhibition celebrating the city's leading role in global fashion.

Opening to coincide with London Fashion Week 2023, it will be the first display to focus solely on the radical creativity of young designers in Britain.

The exhibition REBEL: 30 Years of London Fashion, sponsored by Alexander McQueen, will be a landmark collaboration with the British Fashion Council (BFC) and will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the BFC’s NEWGEN program, an initiative that supports the best emerging fashion design talent and aims to build global, high-end brands of the future.

The show will be one of the most compelling contemporary fashion exhibitions ever staged in the UK, acknowledging the work of over 300 designers and featuring over 100 objects – from innovative and trailblazing garments to films, drawings and memorabilia. It aims to deconstruct the creative process and inspire the next generation of fashion designers.

September 15, 2023 - February 11, 2024 at the Design Museum in London.

BIGGEST EVER PUSSY RIOT

The feminist punk protest group 's inaugural museum exhibit in Denmark. Photo: Louisiana,

multi-media exhibit Velvet Terrorism - Pussy Riot's Russia, will be mounted at the Danish museum Louisiana September 13, 2023 to January 13, 2024.

This will be the feminist punk protest group 's inaugural museum exhibit in Denmark. This exclusive showcase will provide a comprehensive insight into their ongoing battle against the Russian government over the course of several years.

The exhibit will feature hundreds of photo and video recordings. Showing a large number of Pussy Riot’s non-violent actions in public spaces and the consequences these performances have had for those taking part: arrests, beatings, imprisonment, poisoning, surveillance and house arrest.

The group, made up of around 11 women and typically clad in trademark colorful balaclavas, is known for its unauthorized, provocative music performances and protest stunts criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin.

They call on Russia to fulfill its human rights obligations and are fierce critics of their country's war on Ukraine.

The group is renowned around the world, having been awarded several prizes for its activist work, most recently the Woody Guthrie Prize in the United States.

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is north of Copenhagen.

HENRY HEERUP- WHAT WOULD DO WITHOUT IMAGINATION?

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on display September 14, 2023 - April 1, 2024 at the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg, Denmark.

Visitors can step into the magical universe of Henry Heerup in this major exhibition.

Henry Heerup (1907-1993) is a one-off in the history of Danish art, familiar to countless people today for his impactful paintings, his distinctive graphic expression and his highly imaginative universe.

Today we also regard Heerup as the ultimate symbol of freedom and a prominent member of Denmark’s 20th century avant-garde movement who wanted to reintroduce magic into the world and break away from the shackles and structures of society. But Heerup’s approach was totally unique, originating partly from the magical universe of his garden, where, over the years, a myriad of paintings, garbage models and stone sculptures emerged from a jungle of weeds. Everything resulted from his desire to unite art and life in a "re-enchanted" world.

Featuring a wide selection of works, including both familiar and rarely seen aspects of Henry Heerup’s practice, the exhibition explores the multifaceted aspects of this much-loved artist’s oeuvre and its exploration of big existential questions, the collective fear of war at the time and small everyday moments. In his works, Heerup, who cultivated the magical potential of the world and life, created alternative worlds and went his own way - free of established rules and systems.

”Yes, dear elves, goblins, archangels and strange animals etc. … What would we do without imagination? Art’s greatest source of inspiration”.
– Henry Heerup, 1966

Today, Heerup’s ability both to enchant the world and to tackle serious issues is more relevant than ever.

OBJECTS OF ADDICTION

Opium pipe, China, Qing dynasty to Republican period, inscribed with cyclical date corresponding to 1868 or 1928. Water buffalo horn, metal, and ceramic. Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Grenville L. Winthrop, 1943.55.6.

a special exhibition September 15, 2023–January 14, 2024 at the Harvard Art Museum, Boston.

How did the sale of opium in China by Massachusetts merchants in the 19th century contribute to a growing appetite for Chinese art at Harvard at the start of the 20th century?

Objects of Addiction explores the entwined histories of the opium trade and the Chinese art market between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. Opium and Chinese art, acquired through both legal and illicit means, had profound effects on the global economy, cultural landscape, and education—and in the case of opium, on public health and immigration—that still reverberate today.

The first section of the exhibition examines the origins of the opium trade, the participation of Massachusetts traders, and opium’s devastating impact on the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) and the Chinese people. Works presented here include smoking paraphernalia, an opium account book, and photographs, along with mass media illustrations critiquing the use and sale of opium.

The second section highlights the history of imperial art collecting in China and demonstrates the growing appetite for Chinese art in Europe and the United States after the Opium Wars (1839–42, 1856–60). Artworks from Massachusetts-based private and public collections show the shift in taste at this time from export ceramics and paintings to palace treasures and archaeological materials, including ancient bronzes and jades unearthed from tombs and Buddhist sculptures chiseled from cave temple walls. Through the histories of museum directors, professors, and donors, this section looks critically at the sources of Harvard’s Chinese art collection.

A special section of the exhibition investigates parallels between China’s opium crisis and the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts today. The Museum invite visitors to share their thoughts and personal experiences in this space. A range of public programs throughout the fall will encourage community discussion around the opioid crisis, the effects of the Opium Wars on U.S.–China relations, the role of opium in Chinese exclusion in the United States, and art collecting practices. In addition, the artist collective 2nd Act will present a series of substance use prevention workshops, and the Cambridge Public Health Department and Somerville Health and Human Services Department will host trainings on the use of naloxone (Narcan) to reverse opioid overdoses.

This exhibition features works from the collections of the Harvard Art Museums. In addition, loans have been generously provided by the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Fine Arts Library, Harvard-Yenching Library, Economic Botany Library of Oakes Ames, Houghton Library, and Baker Library (all at Harvard), as well as by the Forbes House Museum, the Ipswich Museum, and Mr. and Mrs. James E. Breece III.

Curated by Sarah Laursen, Alan J. Dworsky Associate Curator of Chinese Art, Harvard Art Museums; with contributions from Harvard students Emily Axelsen (Class of 2023), Allison Chang (Class of 2023), and Madison Stein (Class of 2024), who were instrumental in the early development and planning of this exhibition.

AN AUCTION OF FREDDIE MERCURY'S possessions - more than 1,400 of them - were gaveled down last Wednesday by Sotheby's in London to the tune of £12 million.

A Yamaha Baby Grand piano used by late Queen frontman to compose hits such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Don't Stop Me Now sold for a record £1.7 million.

They were among more than 30,000 items being sold across six auctions by Mercury's close friend Mary Austin.

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SWEET CHARITY

FREEING REPRESSED WOMANHOOD FASHION

Alpargata Frida Kahlo Leather Wrap. Photo: TOMS

Fashion label and New York-based brand Batsheva, had teamed with footwear brand Toms offering a unique collection in purpose driven fashion.

"Toms is in business to improve lives. This mission has been at the heart of who we are since our start in 2006. Merging profit and purpose, we pioneered a new way of doing business. As the original One for One company, we’ve evolved our strategy to now invest a third of our profits into global organizations proven to make meaningful change in their communities—namely providing access to mental health resources.

Simply put, we wear our impact. From our iconic Alpargatas and espadrilles to boots, sandals, eyewear, and apparel, we offer stylish, comfortable, versatile ways to quite literally Wear Good.

Founded in 2016 by Batsheva Hay, Batsheva plays with American styles of feminine dress – from Victorian to Pioneer; from Housewife to Hippie – by taking elements symbolic of restraint and repression (high collars, voluminous sleeves and skirts) and giving them a modern inflection. By retooling historical looks, Batsheva explores how to extract the strong and beautiful aspects of those styles while rejecting antiquated notions of womanhood.

Designer Hay, says, "My collection was heavily inspired by the 1950's. I made dresses out of placemats and oven mitts, so the inspiration was a sort of DIY housewife. I thought it would be cool to hand-sew ruffly trims around the edges and on top of TOMS shoes, to take the casual vibe of the shoes and make them frilly and feminine. We used deadstock lace and ruffled trims that we sourced locally here in NYC."

Last Friday Toms X Batsheva Collaboration took Center Stage at SS24 NYFW Presentation.

SONGS FOR HOPE A Concert Celebration of the 2023 Surgeon General’s Medallion Awardees for Health takes place September 18, 2023 at the Concert Hall, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC.

At this exclusive concert event, Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy awards the Surgeon General’s Medallion to individuals or organizations that have exemplified extraordinary acts of compassion, innovative mental health efforts, and exceptional leadership during the pandemic and beyond.

This special evening of joy features musical performances from Aloe Blacc, Ariana DeBose, Renée Fleming, Ben Folds, Joshua Henry, Jimmie Herrod, and The Lone Bellow.

GUILD HALL MAIDSTONE GOLF CLUB OUTING takes place Monday, September 18, 2023.

Golf at the historic, ocean-front Maidstone Club in East Hampton, New York. Practice on the gorgeously maintained grounds while you work up an appetite for a delicious lunch served on the Clubhouse veranda overlooking one of the most beautiful ocean beaches in America.

The shotgun tournament begins at 1:30PM, followed by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and an awards ceremony honoring the top golfers at the outing.

Proceeds benefit Guild Hall in Hamptons, NY.

SPREADING THE WORD

POETRY TOGETHER

Recently Queen Camilla attended Poetry Together, bringing a Honey and Cream sponge cake to the event. She cut it while Alice and The Mad Hatter looked on. Photo: The Royal Family.

launched by Gyles Brandreth in 2019, encourages children and the elderly to learn a poem by heart together, before sitting down to a cup of tea and slice of cake. Over 800 care homes and schools from around the UK have participated since its inception. Last year, schools in Greece, Romania, Dubai, the UAE, Nigeria and the USA also took part.

Recently Queen Camilla watched recitals and presented certificates, before cutting a cake with special guests – Alice and The Mad Hatter – on stage. The Honey and Cream sponge cake, which was baked at Buckingham Palace, was brought to the school by Her Majesty. She then joined children and their families for a tea party. Having supported the initiative since its launch in 2019, The Queen (as The Duchess of Cornwall) shared her personal recipe for a Victoria Sponge in September 2021 for the Poetry Together tea parties. Later, in November 2021, The (then) Duchess attended a recital at the Royal Geographic Society in South Kensington. In 2019, Her Majesty attended the inaugural Poetry Together event at Eaton Square Upper School, where she recited - by heart - an extract from the poem Matilda.

The Queen is internationally recognized as an important champion of literacy. As a grandmother, Her Majesty understands the joy of reading, but also the importance of literacy in creating life opportunities. Another of Her Majesty’s key focuses is supporting the older generation – encouraging them to stay active, and to feel valued and independent, tackling the isolation and seclusion that many older people can face.

THE BILLY ROSE THEATER DIVISION OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS has acquired the archives of three-time Tony Award-winning writer Thomas Meehan (August 14, 1929 – August 21, 2017). The papers will be added to the library’s extensive and valuable collection, including the archives of Meehan's composing partner Charles Strouse. ( Strouse, Charles Call number JPB 06-64 Physical description 21 linear feet (24 boxes) Preferred Citation Charles Strouse Papers, JPB 06-64, Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts).

The Meehan Collection from the 1960s to 2017 contains designs for his major theatrical works, including Anniel The Producers and Hairspray as well as notes, programs, press clippings, agreements and audio and video recordings. The collection also includes drafts of Meehan’s short stories and unproduced theater, film and television projects.

Meehan was 47 when he made his Broadway debut, working with Martin Charnin and composer Charles Strouse on a stage music adaptation of Harold Gray’s comic strip Little Orphan Annie. The production was a mega hit performed 2,377 times, earning Meehan his first of three Tony Awards.

He is the only creative to have written the books for three shows that have had more than 2,000 performances on Broadway: Annie (2,377 performances), The Producers in 2001 alongside Mel Brooks (2,502 performances) and Hairspray in 2002, which he wrote with the late Mark O’Donnell (2,642 performances). He received Tonys for all three shows. Meehan received a fourth Tony nomination in 2008 for writing the book Crybaby (How Hairspray, a stage adaptation of a John Waters film) alongside O’Donnell. His countless other Broadway credits include: Eleven; Young Frankenstein (his second Brooks collaboration) and Chaplin. His last Broadway project was the stage adaptation of Rocky.

After a cataloging and digitization period, researchers can access the material in the library at Lincoln Center in New York City.

WARRIOR SISTERS OF WU by Damon Chua, directed by Jeff Liu will have an open to the public staged reading on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at the 520 8th Ave, 3rd Fl. Conference Room, NYC. Wine & Snacks served.

This staged reading is a prelude to ther mainstage production that will run February 7 - March 10, 2024 at the A.R.T./NY Mezzanine Theatre, NYC.

Adapted from the famous Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms and with kinship to Much Ado about Nothing and Pride and Prejudice, this play follows the romantic exploits and comic misadventures of two young couples. A story of courage and scintillating swordcraft- putting two strong female warriors against two high-ranking military men, highlighting the profound changes taking place during the chaotic end-years of China’s Han Dynasty.

BRIAN McKNIGHT with 16 Grammy nominations, nine BET Awards and record sales totaling over 25 million albums sold worldwide, will tour with Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) this fall. The tour features six shows at bases across the Pacific and starts on November 3, culminating in a final show on Veterans Day.

AUDRA McDONALD performs with the Kansas City Symphony September 15-17, 2023.

DRAG ROYAL TEA with drag artist extraordinaire Kate Butch who'll "bring the house down at the inaugural drag afternoon tea!" Live vocals, lip-syncing and drag silliness.

Saturday, September 16, 2023 at Royal Albert Hall in London.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

BASKETBALL LEGEND AND NBA STAR LEBRON JAMES has been pictured in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where report have ranged from him training with basketball players at the AZM Academy to negotiating a $1bn contract offer. James was pictured accompanied by his agent Maverick Carter, in a snap taken by Bader bin Farhan Alsaud, the Kingdom's minister of culture.

James has two years left on his $99million contract with the Lakers, including a player option for the 2024-25 season.

James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and ranks fourth in career assists. He has won four NBA championships and has been quoted as saying he'd move to Saudi if the offer came with enough money.

Other superstar athletes who have moved to Saudi include Neymar, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Cristiano Ronaldo - with other players reported to be following Ronaldo and the Saudi Pro League setting a spending record to get them.

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PASADENA PLAYHOUSE has announced a new slate of Board officers: Erin Baker (Chair), Julie Gutierrez (Vice Chair), Leigh T. Olivar (Secretary), and Bonnie Wongtrakool (Treasurer). This is a new executive slate for Pasadena Playhouse. Erin Baker, who Co-Chaired the Board with Dennis Cornell for the past season, will now be taking over as sole Chair.

“After 4 years as Chair of the board navigating the Playhouse, from one of its most challenging periods in our history to our recent Tony-Award success, it is with great pride that I hand the reins over to our co-Chair, Erin Baker." Dennis Cornell, immediate past chair said. "I'm confident that Erin and our new officers will lead our extraordinary Board of Trustees to new heights as we continue to support the Playhouse as one of the top theaters in the country."

Additionally, over the past season Alfred Molina, Bonnie Wongtrakool, Y-Vonne Hutchinson, and Bernhard von Thaden have joined its Board of Trustees. The eclectic backgrounds of this accomplished, multigenerational group of individuals include expertise in the arts, finance, tech, equity and diversity, all sure to strengthen the Playhouse's commitment to making theater for everyone.

JAZZ QUINTET EZRA COLLECTIVE have won the 2023 Mercury Prize for their second album Where I’m Meant To Be. The erroneously named collective (none of their names are actually Ezra) impressed the prestigious award’s judges to become the first jazz album to win. Typically, a jazz album is among those nominated but has never actually won before.

The £25,000 (€29,000) prize celebrates the best British or Irish album of the last year. It’s one of the most respected awards for its regular recognition of upcoming British talent. Previous winners have included Primal Scream’s ‘Screamadelica’, Pulp’s ‘Different Class’, Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Boy in da Corner’, and last year’s winner Little Simz’s ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’.

This year’s nominees included Arctic Monkeys becaming the most-nominated act tied with Radiohead for their seventh album ‘The Car’. Fred Again, J Hus, Jessie Ware, Jockstrap, Lankum, Loyle Carner, Olivia Dean, Raye, Shygirl and Young Fathers were also nominated.

Where I’m Meant To Be is an expansive album that combines jazz, afrobeat, funk to create joyfully atmospheric songs. Featuring on the album is 12 Years a Slave director and Turner Prize-winning artist Steve McQueen, 2022 Mercury Prize nominee Kojey Radical, as well as musicians Sampa the Great, Emeli Sandé, and Nao.



PURLIE VICTORIOUS: A NON-CONFEDERATE ROMP THROUGH THE COTTON PATCH written by and originally starring the legendary Ossie Davis. Book by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose, and Peter Udell, lyrics by Udell and music by Gary Geld. It is based on Davis's 1961 play Purlie Victorious. Directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon.

Purlie Victorious is set in an era when Jim Crow laws still were in effect in the American South and focuses on the traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson.

This rousing, laugh-filled comedy by Ossie Davis is set in an era when Jim Crow laws still were in effect in the American South and focuses on the traveling preacher Purlie Victorious Judson, who returns to his small Georgia town hoping to save the community's church and emancipate the cotton pickers who work on an oppressive plantation.

The play premiered on Broadway in 1961 at the Cort Theatre (now the James Earl Jones Theatre), directed by Howard Da Silva, and starred Ossie Davis as "Purlie Victorious Judson" and his wife and frequent collaborator, Ruby Dee as "Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins." Original cast members also included: Alan Alda, Godfrey Cambridge, Sorrell Booke and Beah Richards. For its 100th performance, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the company and celebrated the milestone with them.

For the first time since his award-winning and star-making performance as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, Leslie Odom, Jr. makes his highly anticipated return to Broadway, starring in the first-ever revival of the hilarious hit comedy.

Tony & Grammy Award winner and Academy & Emmy Award nominee Odom stars as "Purlie Victorious Judson", alongside Vanessa Bell Calloway as "Idella Landy", Billy Eugene Jones as "Gitlow Judson", Noah Pyzik as "Deputy", Noah Robbins as "Charlie Cotchipee", Jay O. Sanders as "Ol’ Cap’n Cotchipee", Heather Alicia Simms as "Missy Judson", Bill Timoney as "Sheriff" and Tony Award nominee Kara Young as "Lutiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins".

The producers also announced the full company also includes: Melvin Abston (u/s Gitlow Judson), Willa Bost (u/s Missy Judson/Idella Landy), Brandi Porter (u/s Luttiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins) and Donald Webber Jr. (u/s Purlie Victorious Judson).

The creative team features scenic design by Tony Award winner Derek McLane, costume design by Tony Award nominee Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Drama Desk Award nominee Adam Honoré, sound design by Peter Fitzgerald and casting by The Telsey Office (Will Cantler, CSA and Destiny Lilly, CSA).

The long list of producers now includes: Tony Award-nominated actor Alan Alda, actor-producer Nnamdi Asomugha, director and Tony-nominated actor LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Tony-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson, two-time Tony-winning actor Phylicia Rashad and actor-producer Kerry Washington.

In a 2009 You Tube interview Alan Alda discussed being in Purple Victorious and called the script a "brilliant comedic parody of racism ... Ossie was skewering stereotypes . . . I loved being in that play." Alda called Ossie "Brilliant . . . Amazing."

In a press statement Alda said: "61 years ago, when Purlie Victorious last played on Broadway, I was in the cast as Charlie Cotchipee. Every performance was a new lesson in my theater education: getting to play Ossie Davis’s brilliant writing; standing in the wings watching Ossie and Ruby, and learning acting from them; listening to the knowing laughter from (black) church congregations who came to our Saturday matinées. They took the roof off the theater, and I saw how theater could galvanize people. And there was the stirring moment meeting Martin Luther King when he came to our 100th performance. The whole run of Purlie was an important moment in my life. And now an extraordinary cast will bring this American classic to life again. I think it will be an important moment for them, too—and for all the rest of us."

In 1963 Davis wrote a screenplay Gone Are The Days! based on Purlie Victorius with Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Beah Richards, Sorrell Booke and Alan Alda reprising their stage roles. This was Alda's film debut.

Davis and Dee were named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame; were awarded the National Medal of Arts and were recipients of the 2004 Kennedy Center Honors. Davis was also inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994.

Performances are currently in previews at the Music Boc Theatre in New York City with the official opening taking place on September 27, 2023.

OPERATION EPSILON by Alan Brody.

Directed by Andy Sandberg.

Based on actual transcripts of secretly recorded conversations, Operation Epsilon shines a light on the ethical complexity of scientific discovery – and its potential for catastrophic consequences. One true story. Ten brilliant minds. Explosive possibilities.Exploring the other side of the Oppenheimer story, Alan Brody's award-winning play shines a light on a once-classified piece of history. At the close of WWII, the Allies have captured Germany’s ten foremost nuclear scientists and sequestered them deep in the English countryside to ascertain the answer to a life or death question: how close are the Nazis to making an atomic bomb?

The cast includes Nicholas Armfield as Horst Korsching, Jamie Bogyo as Carl Friederich von Weizsäcker, Simon Bubb as Major T.H. Rittner, Simon Chandler as Max von Laue, Matthew Duckett as Erich Bagge, Jake Mann as Karl Wirtz, Olivier Award winner Nathaniel Parker as Otto Hahn, Peter Prentice as Paul Harteck, Leighton Pugh as Walter Gerlach, Simon Rhodes as Kurt Diebner, and Gyuri Sarossy as Werner Heisenberg.

The creative team for the show also includes Set Designer Janie Howland; Costume Designer Beth Colley; Lighting Designer Clancy Flynn; and Sound Designer Chris Drohan; with Original Music by Dewey Dellay; and Casting by Lucy Casson CDG.

September 15 - October 21, 2023 at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London.

TWIGGY: THE MUSICAL book by Ben Elton.

Directed by Ben Elton.

The story of a skinny kid from Neasden who became the most famous teenager on the planet and the 'face of the 1960’s' may seem like the stuff of fairy tales, but there is tragedy as well as triumph in this intimate portrayal of a true 20th century icon.

Author and director Ben Elton charts Twiggy’s journey through laughter and tears from the suburbs of London to the world’s fashion capitals to Hollywood and Broadway and ultimately to becoming a national treasure and Dame of the Realm. All accompanied by a fabulous score featuring the hits that have been the soundtrack to Twiggy’s life.

"Grab your miniskirt and re-live the swinging ‘60s and soulful ‘70s in this joyful, uplifting and empowering world première musical!"

Starring Elena Skye as Twiggy.

September 18 - November 18, 2023 at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

THE LITTLE BIG THINGS based on the Sunday Times best-selling autobiography by Henry Fraser. Music by Nick Butcher, lyrics by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling, a book by Joe White.

Directed by Luke Sheppard.

The Little Big Things is a new British musical with an explosive theatrical pop soundtrack in a world premiere production.

An extraordinary true story about an ordinary family. When one moment changes everything, Henry’s family are split between a past they no longer recognize, and a future they could never foresee. Can Mum and Dad rally his three brothers; as the family start a journey to overcome the unimaginable?

This uplifting and colorful new musical is a life-affirming reminder about the transformative power of family, and how sometimes it really is the little things which matter the most.

An avid sportsman and academy player with a premiership Rugby club, Henry Fraser’s life changed forever when in 2009 he had a diving accident. From that moment he had a new life to live as a tetraplegic and new circumstances to accept and adapt to. Henry’s defiance and determination to prosper against devastating odds led to him wheeling himself out of hospital a whole year earlier than predicted. Today he is a successful artist, inspirational speaker and best-selling author.

The Little Big Things cast: Jonny Amies as Henry Fraser - Jordan Benjamin as Dom Fraser - Rebecca Bowden as Surgeon - Jamie Chatterton as Tom Fraser - Alasdair Harvey as Andrew Fraser - Linzi Hateley as Fran Fraser - Ed Larkin as Henry Fraser - Gracie McGonigal as Katie - Tom Oliver as Marco - Malinda Parris as Dr Graham - Cleve September as Will Fraser - Amy Trigg as Agnes, The company includes: Amy West, Joseph Wolff, Elena Pitsiaeli, George Salmon, and Stephen John Davis.

The creatives are: Mark Smith Choreographer. Colin Richmond Set Design. Fay Fullerton Costume Design. Luke Halls Video Design. Howard Hudson Lighting Design. Paul Gatehouse Sound Design. Matthew Brind Musical Supervisor, Orchestrator and Arranger. Nickie Miles-Wildin Dramaturg/Associate Director. Jill Green CDG Casting Director. Toby Murray Assistant Director. Joseph J Fletcher Associate Choreographer. Danny Vavrecka Associate Lighting Designer. Sylvia Addison Orchestral Management. Laura Bangay Musical Director. Mark Carey Production Manager. Lynette Mauro Costume Supervisor. Marcus Hall PropsProps Supervisor.

Until November 25, 2023 at sohoplace (sic), West End, London.

THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF MARC SUMMERS by Alex Brightman. Music by Drew Gasparini

Directed by Chad Rabinovitz.

Mark Summers performs the biographical one-man show featuring all the magic, slime, and personal stories.

As promotion for this production the venue has been collecting 90s memorabilia from its patrons. They have filled up their 2nd floor gallery with the best 90s items: Mall Madness? Tamagotchis? Magic Eye posters. Saved by the Bell sweatshirts. Troll dolls. Slap bracelets. Pogs. Floppy disks. Lisa Frank trapper keepers. You get the idea.

The items are on display in the gallery September 10-30 throughout the run of the Life and Slimes of Marc Summers Starring Marc Summers, by Alex Brightman.

At the end of the run, two prizes will be awarded to 90s Gear Contestants
1. Audience favorite, voted on by audience members throughout the run. Winner gets a signed Double Dare tshirt and Slimes poster!
2.A random drawing for a season subscription.

Performces through September 30, 2023 at the Alleyway Theatre in Buffalo, NY.

THIS IS NOT A TRUE STORY written by Preston Choi.

Directed by Reena Dutt,

Artists at Play in association with Latino Theater Company presents an exhilarating new comedy that tackles, head-on, the fetishization and anti-Asian racism of Orientalist works. Tired racist tropes are upended as the fictional worlds of Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon and Kumiko the Treasure Hunter collide with modern reality.

Julia Cho, Zandi de Jesus and Rosie Narasaki star as three Asian “tragic heroines”: “Cio-Cio” from Madame Butterfly, “Kim” from Miss Saigon, and “Kumiko/Takako” from the 2015 film, Kumiko the Treasure Hunter. Each is trapped in a loop she can’t control — until they work together to claim agency over their lives and forever break the cycle.

The creative team includes scenic designer Yuki Izumihara; lighting designer Henry Tran; sound designer M. Glenn Schuster; projections designer Vanessa D. Fernandez; costume designer Jojo Siu; props designer Naomi Kasahara; and dialect coach Kurt Sanchez Kanazawa. Katherine Chou serves as both associate director and dramaturg. The stage manager is Yaesol Jeong.

Artists at Play is a Los Angeles-based theater-producing collective dedicated to programming that explores the Asian American experience. Since 2011, AAP has produced theater that demonstrates the humanity and complexity of their diverse communities. They provide a platform for meaningful representation through employment opportunities, inclusive programming, advocacy and administrative and artistic resources.

The Latino Theater Company is dedicated to providing a world-class arts center for those pursuing artistic excellence; a laboratory where both tradition and innovation are honored and honed; and a place where the convergence of people, cultures and ideas contribute to the future. Now in its 38th year, LTC has operated The Los Angeles Theatre Center, a landmark building in Downtown’s Historic Core, since 2006.

This Is Not a True Story opens on Saturday, September 16, with performances through October 15 at The Los Angeles Theatre Center in Los Angeles, CA.

MADAME BUTTERFLY by Puccini. Performed by the Hungarian State Opera Soloists, Orchestra and Choir, conducted by János Kovács. September 12-13, 2023 at Dubai Opera in Dubai, UAE.

An exclusive gala night, honoring the enduring legacy of Madama Butterfly will take place before the 7:30pm premiere show.

Dress code: national dress/black tie/formal attire.

The sun rises on turn-of-the-century Nagasaki, where dashing American naval officer Pinkerton has chosen delicate Cio-Cio-san to be his bride. A naïve young geisha on the verge of womanhood, the clearly smitten and fiercely loyal "Butterfly" dismisses warnings of the lieutenant's ulterior motives. When betrayal inevitably strikes, and Butterfly must endure both shame and sorrow, she decides to take destiny into her own hands--leading to one of the most devastating and legendary final scenes in all of opera.

Puccini saw David Belasco’s one-act play Madame Butterfly: A Japanese Tragedy, inspired John Luther Long's short story Madame Butterfly (1898) and a French novel, in London in 1900.

The three-act opera premiered in February 1904 at Milan’s La Scala, where it was a fiasco – probably due to insufficient rehearsal. Puccini revised the opera, which was performed again in May – this time with great success. The composer continued working on it though: he prepared three more versions, the fifth and final of which is the one performed worldwide today. It is the version the Hungarian State Opera also performs, in a production by director Miklós Gábor Kerényi, which has enjoyed success with audiences since 2000.

The cast includes: Cio-Cio-San: Csilla Boross - Suzuki: Erika Gál - Pinkerton: Boldizsár László - Sharpless: Csaba Szegedi - Goro: Zoltán Megyesi - Yamadori: Barna Bartos - Kate: Helga Nánási - Bonzo: András Kiss - The Imperial Commissioner: Máté Fülep.

The creatives are: Librettist Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Director Miklós Gábor Kerényi. Set designe by Kentaur. Costume designer Ilona Vágvölgyi. English subtitles by Arthur Roger Crane. Chorus director Gábor Csiki.

CABARET book by Joe Masteroff. Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood Music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.

Directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes.

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome to Cabaret! It’s 1931 Berlin, and inside the Kit Kat Klub, British nightclub singer Sally Bowles keeps the delirious party raging. But no amount of booze, music, and dancing can slow the ominous march of a changing Germany. Featuring an iconic score from Kander and Ebb—including Maybe This Time; Mein Herr; Don’t Tell Mama, and, of course, the title song—this Tony Award–winning musical is reimagined in a visionary new staging by Josh Rhodes.

The cast includes, in alphabetical order, Alan Chandler as Clifford Bradshaw, Abby Church as Fräulein Kost and Fritzie, Lincoln Clauss as Emcee, Christian Douglass as Max, Alex Gibson as Ernst Ludwig, Yoni Haller as Herman, Brandon Halvorsen as Victor, Leeds Hill as Hans, Karma Jenkins as Texas, Joanna A. Jones as Sally Bowles, Celeste Lanuza as Frenchie, Kelly Lester as Fräulein Schneider, Trina Mills as Helga, Natalia Nieves-Melchor as Lulu, Bruce Sabath as Herr Schultz, Michael Seltzer as Bobby, and Amy Smith as Rosie.

Understudies include Christine Hewitt and John Rosen, and swings include Emily Bordley, Kaitlyn Mayse, and John Viso.

In addition to Josh Rhodes, the creative team includes scenic design by Tijana Bjelajac, costume design by Alejo Vietti, lighting design by Cory Pattak and Paul Vaillancourt, sound design by Haley Parcher, hair, wig, and makeup design by Michelle Hart, music direction by Robert Meffe, additional arrangements by Angela Steiner, fight direction and intimacy staging by Rachel Flesher, cultural competency consultant DeWanda Smith Soeder, associate director Lee Wilkins, associate choreographer Natalia Nieves-Melchor, casting by Tara Rubin Casting/Felicia Rudolph, CSA, dialect coach Emmelyn Thayer, and production stage management by Anjee Nero.

Cabaret runs through October 8, 2023, on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park, CA. Post-Show Forum events will be held on Tuesday, September 12; Wednesday, September 13; and Wednesday, September 27.

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FINAL OVATION

DR. JOHN WARNOCK Co-founder of Adobe (former CEO and Co-Chairman of the Board), died August 19, 2023 from pancreatic cancer. He was 82.

Widely recognized as one of America's greatest technology inventors, Warnock co-founded Adobe in 1982 with Dr. Charles "Chuck" Geschke. Warnock received multiple awards for his inventions in the U.S. and abroad, including the prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation presented by President Barack Obama in 2008, the Marconi Society Prize in 2010, Oxford University's Bodleian Medal in 2003, and the IEEE Computer Entrepreneur Award in 2008.

Warnock and Geschke invented Postscript, which launched the revolution in desktop publishing. Postscript is based on an interpretive programming language that Warnock had championed over the years. By late 1986, Warnock had also invented Adobe Illustrator, the application which uses bézier curves to render infinitely scalable graphics. He was inspired by his wife, Marva, to automate many of the manual tasks she utilized as a graphic designer. In the spring of 1991, Warnock outlined a system that evolved into the Portable Document Format (PDF) file-format. In 2021 it was estimated that 2.5 trillion documents were in the PDF format.

Warnock and his wife Marva endowed a Chair in Medicine at Stanford University and a Computer Science, Mathematics and Fine Arts Chair at the University of Utah, including a cornerstone grant, establishing the John and Marva Warnock Engineering Building at the University of Utah in 2007. The couple also endowed a chair at the Moran Eye Center in Ophthalmology, which supports the Global Outreach Division's work to treat preventable blindness in Utah and around the world. He is survived by his wife Marva, and their three children, Christopher (Barbara), Jeffrey, and Alyssa (Todd), and four grandchildren, John-Alex, Joshua, Kaia and Gunnar. In the words of Adobe Systems' current CEO, Shantanu Narayen, "John's brilliance and technology innovations changed the world. It is a sad day for the Adobe community and the industry for which he has been an inspiration for decades."

9/11 REMEMBERED

Next Column: September 17, 2023
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Laura Deni

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