Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: September 12, 2021
By: Laura Deni
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PHONOPHOBIC HORROR STORY CLEVERLY HOLDS YOUR ATTENTION

Phonophobia is not only a word, it is also a real condition - in which a person doesn't like loud or sudden noises.

Suffering from such a malady is history student Geoff Verwood.

In the horror audio Phonophobia by Jack Bowman and Robert Valentine it's London, 1999. Verwood, blighted by phonophobia, takes refuge from the London din in a quiet bookshop off Charing Cross Road. There, he makes a chance discovery – an old scrap of paper hidden in a dusty book. On that scrap is written a code, hiding a lost musical score… the last work of the evil Anton Valderberg Drache! With Halloween fast approaching, Geoff races to unlock the mystery, unaware of the terrible supernatural powers he is about to unleash. Who or what is desperate to hear the music played? What is the true nature of the dark forces that stalk Geoff’s every turn? And what connects all this to the most notorious chapter of the West End’s history?

Starring: Antonio Reed-Felstead, James Cross, Lucy Joseph, Michael McEvoy and Scott Thomas.

Recorded live on Halloween at London' Leicester Square Theatre, in a clever introduction a director is explaining to the audience that the upcoming performance is about to be recorded. He cautions that mistakes can be made and sections may need to be redone. He rehearses the audience on how to applaud as well as how to comment when something goes wrong.

All of the play's elements are based on real historical events.

This productions contains considerably more musical background and sound effects than are usually found in a production. The sound quality as well as the incorporation of sound effects are excellent.

When a mistake occurs the director stops the performance until the sound can be fixed using the idle time to tell really bad jokes, which end up being funny.

As the play opens, a man without a ticket enters the theatre and warns director Tom Brady not to continue with the play. The director passes him off as a local weirdo.

Verwood's snooping through the old book shop triggers a series of events. When the scrap of paper is discovered Verwood keeps it - his first and last act of thievery.

Removing the scrap of paper triggers Verwood's phonophobia as books fall off shelves.

He also thought someone was following him.

He consults with his friend Jeffrey who tells him that Drachel was a child protege - avaunt guard musical taste - who experienced psychic phenomenon with rumors of body snatching and murder. He turned his back on the outside world to work on his Opus.

Verwood's friend, music student Kate invites him over to discuss the case. They translate musical shorthand in determining that the paper is a code for something musical being hidden. Throughout the production Verwood emphasis that he and Kate are NOT dating. "This is not a date," which becomes a clever protesting too much tagline.

Verwood goes off to investigate. Kate loans him her Dictaphone - which Verwood emphasizes is not a romantic offering - "it is just a Dictaphone."

Then there is Jack the Riper and a person who might be someone else and a basement which is more like a dungeon - supposedly where Drachel lived and brought his victims. Most thought they could still hear the music. And, why is Spooner international Artists building a theatre?

CID investigators get involved. Why is the caretaker dead? And, where is Kate and why might she have come to harm?

The Star Wars theme blares.

With loud noises setting off Verwood and horror twists and turns, this is a loud, clever, well done horror story with an undercurrent of humor. With stores already decorated for Halloween, this is a play to amuse your party-goers.

Duration: 57:30.
Edited by Matt Blair
Directed by Tom Brazier
Music by Francesco Quadraruopolot
Presented by the award winning Wireless Theatre Company.

The only criticism is that the applause at the end is so loud and sustained that it is impossible to hear most of the credits.

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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 MODERN CHAIR

Terje Ekström (Norwegian, born 1944), Ekstrem Chair, 1984, polyurethane foam, metal, fabric, 31 × 28 × 27 inches. Collection of Palm Springs Art Museum, Gift of William G. Butler, 34-2012.1.

this special exhibition follows a timeline of the development of the modern chair starting with the famous Thonet “B-9” bentwood armchair (circa 1905), which is widely considered the first modern chair. Le Corbusier frequently used it in his early architecture as there was no other modern furniture readily available at the time.

The Modern Chair traces the evolution from the first cantilevered example by Mart Stam, and then onward to designs of current times including examples by Cini Boeri, Charles and Ray Eames, Frank Gehry, Eileen Gray, George Nakashima, Charlotte Perriand, Rudolph Schindler, among many others.

Technological and stylistic advances pushed chair design forward at a breakneck speed in the 20th century like no other time before. The exhibition also contains important examples of 21st century as well.

Drawn in part from the rich collection of Palm Springs Art Museum, the exhibition also includes key loans from noted collectors and collections. In total, The Modern Chair includes more than 50 works by designers of international scope.

This exhibition is organized by Palm Springs Art Museum and curated by Brad Dunning, architecture and design specialist, with support from Rochelle Steiner.

The exhibition will be on view through April 3, 2022.

THE LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN an exhibition celebrating 80 years of DC Comics’ iconic Amazon.

The Legend of Wonder Woman features comic books, merchandise, and original illustrations by many of Wonder Woman’s most prominent artists, including H.G. Peter, who co-created the character in 1941 alongside writer William Moulton Marston; Trina Robbins, legendary underground comix artist and herstorian; George Pérez, who revitalized and redefined Wonder Woman for the 1980s; Robyn Smith, artist of the critically acclaimed YA graphic novel Nubia: Real One; and fan favorites including Colleen Doran, Phil Jimenez, and Liam Sharp; as well as costumes by The Bronze Armory.

On display trough December 2021 at th Cartoon Art museum in San Francisco, California.

GATHERING TOGETHER a selection of works by multimedia artist Adama Delphine Fawundu that explore cultural inheritance and collective creation through photography, fabric-making and video are on view through October 24, 2021 at the Princeton University Art Museum.

The installation includes 10 works by Fawundu acquired by the Princeton University Art Museum earlier this year. The exhibition’s title simultaneously alludes to Fawundu’s artistic practice, which gathers together multiple strands of history; to the installation, which assembles several bodies of her work across a range of media; and to this shared moment as we begin to gather together again.

The installation is organized by Beth Gollnick, curatorial associate, with Mitra Abbaspour, Haskell Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Princeton University Art Museum.

TOLEDO MUSEUM OF ART has received dual bequests directed toward staff enrichment. John Stanley, former director of the Toledo Museum of Art, and Ann Hartmann, longtime Museum supporter, have given separate planned gifts that total $2.5 million for employee professional development and engagement.

The $1 million endowment from Ann Hartmann and her late husband, Frank Snug, will be directed toward the personal growth and training of TMA staff. “We wanted to help employees gain knowledge and broaden their horizons,” Hartmann stated. “Employees are the most important factor in determining whether the Museum will become what it aspires to be.”

John Stanley will also support staff through his $1.5 million bequest. “I had the honor to work with, at all levels, some amazing colleagues. It is important to recognize and celebrate them, as well as to provide for personal and professional growth,” he said. “Early in my career the Toledo Museum of Art helped to pay for my MBA. My hope is this gift will encourage others to give to provide similar opportunities.”

Ann Hartmann has been a member of the Museum’s Apollo Society and development committee since 2008 and an Ambassador. She established her own financial planning firm, Hartmann & Associates. in 1980. Hartmann has served as the past local and national president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, and as arbitrator of the National Association of Securities.

Stanley began his museum career at TMA in 1979. In 1995 he left TMA as its chief operating officer. He spent the next nearly 25 years as COO at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

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SWEET CHARITY

MAGICIAN STEFFAN SOULE presents the Golden Rule Magician, a series of how-to do-it-yourself magic effects that demonstrate the magic of the Golden Rule to audiences in any language - making bullies disappear.

By studying magic, students of all ages learn how to demonstrate magic effects depicting the universal principle of treating others with kindness for a reason. During the program students learn how to apply the most simple idea to their relationships. They see the value of the Golden Rule: "Treat Others how You want to be Treated."

Amateur magicians can now become pros in a few months time, science teachers can find chemical experiments for their classroom, and high school drama teachers can develop an assembly program of magic performed by their students that demonstrates the universal principle of The Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you".

At the Golden Rule Project in Salt Lake City there is a collection of over 1000 ways to say the Golden Rule, 1000 expressions or formulations of this age old idea.

In the test area for this program, Soule performed his show, "Attention, Magic, and the Golden Rule," to over 150,000 students in schools from 2013 to March of 2020 (7 years) throughout the state of Utah. This activity was sponsored by GoldenRuleProject.org which receives funding from the Val A. Browning Foundation and other philanthropic donors.

The seven year tour proved successful (2013 to 2020), and there is a measurable difference in the schools using the Golden Rule theme to reduce bullying. Because the program works and attracts funding by philanthropic organizations, the creator of the show is offering it to others so that others can get funding to present the effects of the Golden Rule through the tried and true, live, magic program. Funding for this program is continuing into 2022.

THEATER COMMUNICATIONS GROUP (TCG) the national organization for theatre, has announced the appointment of LaTeshia Ellerson as its new director of institutional philanthropy. Ellerson will partner with TCG’s executive-leadership team to devise, implement, and manage strategies and approaches for foundation, corporate, and government sources to diversify TCG’s contributed revenue.

LaTeshia holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Science in Urban Policy Studies/Nonprofit Leadership from Georgia State University.

SPREADING THE WORD

YEAH, BUT NOT RIGHT NOW a new one-man musical written and performed by A.J. Holmes at SoHo Playhouse. Performances begann September 9 and opening night is set for September 19.

"Will you still like Broadway's A.J. Holmes after he tells you all the worst, most embarrassing, humiliating, potentially irredeemable parts about himself? The lies, the indiscretions, the fact that he legally changed his first name to "Broadway's"? Join A.J. as he tries to move past his crippling need for constant validation. . . in front of an audience. He's been on stage and screen, but has he ever been - himself? And really, should he? He'll be whoever you want him to be, but please hold your applause. It will only encourage him."

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE perform Sunday, September 19, at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT Performance begins at 7:30 PM EST but arrive in the lobby an hour for a complimentary wine tasting by Freixenet Ice and an art exhibit by RPAC Art Gallery artist Lily Fertik!.

98 DEGREES One of the best-selling boy bands of the ‘90s, the group features Jeff Timmons, brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre.They perform their hits Thursday, September 16th in Las Vegas, NV as part of the iHeartRadio Festival which kicks off Mandalay Bay Beach. On Saturday, September 18th they entertain at Mission Viejo, CA as past of the MV Concert Series.

THE OLD GLOBE IN SAN DIEGO offers a Theatre Design Studio, a free program that trains high school students and recent graduates in the fine art of designing sets, costumes, and props for the stage. Professional Globe artisans guide students in an intensive three-week program that gives them the chance to bring their own theatrical visions to life.

For this year's Theatre Design Studio faculty, the Globe hired two paid interns who were alumni of the 2020 program. One is heading to college this fall to study costume design, and the other is a senior at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts.

CURTAIN UP! takes place in NYV on Broadway between 45th-48th Streets on September 17 - 19.

Broadway's back, and being celebrated with three days of concerts, panels, and interactive experiences — all free, live, in Times Square, and entirely outdoors. Join Joe Iconis, Rob Rokicki, and more for themed sing-alongs at the piano bar at Broadway and 45th Street, and head to the main stage on Duffy Square for major events including:

The Jimmy Awards Reunion Concert, hosted by Jellani Alladin
Black to Broadway – It's "Play" Time!, a panel discussion on the seven new productions of plays by Black writers slated to open this fall
The ¡Viva! Broadway When We See Ourselves Concert celebrating Daphne Rubin-Vega, Robin de Jesús, Bianca Marroquín, Ana Villafañe, and more
and, of course, the Curtain Up: This is Broadway! Finale Concert, featuring performers from more than twenty current and upcoming Broadway shows.

The beloved TKTS booth under the Red Steps will reopen on September 14 at 3pm EST, so you can once again buy discounted same-day tickets for Broadway and off-Broadway shows.

SEPTEMBER 14 will be a crowded night around Times Square in NYC. Broadway curtains will rise in multiple locations. Hamilton The revolutionary Broadway blockbuster by Lin-Manuel Miranda returns to the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
Wicked Meet the witches of Oz before Dorothy dropped in as Glinda and Elphaba reunite at the Gershwin Theatre.
The Lion King Pride Rock comes to life in Disney’s long-running hit at the Minskoff Theatre.
Chicago Broadway's longest-running revival razzle dazzles at the Ambassador Theatre.
Lackawanna Blues Previews Begin: September 14, Opening Night: September 28 Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s solo play, which he wrote and stars as more than 20 characters, has its Broadway premiere.

JAMES CORDEN USES HIS CELEBRITY FOR THE GOOD

James Corden

James Corden delivered a brilliant and eloquent speech last week during his late night talk show hoping to generate even more support for Julius Jones, an Oklahoma death row inmate scheduled to be executed in a few weeks, despite overwhelming evidence that he didn't commit the crime. He was a victim of multiple blunders including an inexperience and inept public defender and an over zealous prosecutor - not to mention being framed.

Wide range supporters of Jones include faith based groups and professional athletes. The Innocence Project reports 8 Facts About Julius Jones including:

Julius Jones has been on death row in Oklahoma for 19 years for a 1999 murder he’s always said he had no part in. Mr. Jones, who is represented by federal attorneys Dale Baich and Amanda Bass, was convicted and sentenced to death at the age of 19 and has now spent half his life in prison, waiting to be executed for a crime that new and compelling evidence suggests he didn’t commit.

More than 6.3 million people, and counting, have signed a petition supporting Mr. Jones in his fight to prove his innocence in the killing of Paul Howell, a businessperson, in Edmond, Okla.

Despite this, Oklahoma’s attorney general requested that Mr. Jones’ execution be scheduled for Oct. 28. His is one of seven execution dates requested by the State to be carried out in the next six months. If approved, they will be the first executions to take place in Oklahoma since 2015, after a series of botched executions resulted in a statewide moratorium.

In light of the request, Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board met and decided to move Mr. Jones’ commutation hearing, originally scheduled for Sept. 13; instead, Mr. Jones is tentatively scheduled to have a clemency hearing before the board on Oct. 5. The hearing change comes as the board anticipates the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals’ approval of the State’s request for an execution date.

“We are disappointed that the commutation hearing will not be going forward on Sept. 13. Every day that Julius is behind bars, unable to tell the story of his innocence, is a painful day for him and for his family,” said Rev. Cece Jones-Davis, who has spearheaded the Justice for Julius campaign, said in a press release.

Here’s what you need to know about Julius Jones’ case:
1. Julius Jones was at home having dinner with his parents and sister at the time of the murder; however, his legal team failed to present his alibi at his original trial. His trial attorneys did not call Mr. Jones or his family members to the stand.

2. Mr. Jones did not match the description of the person who committed the crime, which was provided by a sole eyewitness. The person who killed Mr. Howell was described as having 1-2 inches of hair, but Mr. Jones had a shaved head.

3. A man named Christopher Jordan matched the eyewitness’ hair description, but claimed only to have been the “getaway driver” and not the shooter at trial. He was the State’s star witness against Mr. Jones.

In exchange for testifying that Mr. Jones was the shooter, Mr. Jordan was given a plea deal for his alleged role as the “getaway driver.” He served 15 years in prison and, today, he is free.

4. Three people incarcerated with Mr. Jordan at different times have said in sworn affidavits that Mr. Jordan told each of them that he committed the murder and framed Mr. Jones. None of these three men have met Mr. Jones and they do not know one another. And none of them have been offered a shorter sentence or incentive in exchange for disclosing Mr. Jordan’s confessions.

The impact of racial bias in Julius’ Jones’ case:
1. Mr. Howell, a white man, was killed in a predominantly white neighborhood. Immediately, then District Attorney Bob Macy characterized the crime as an act of violence committed by Black men, fueled by drugs. This narrative was perpetuated by media coverage.

2. The officer who arrested Mr. Jones called him the n-word and dared him to run, then implied he would shoot him if he did.

3. Eleven out of the 12 jurors at Mr. Jones’ trial were white, and one juror referred to Mr. Jones by the n-word, and suggested that he be taken out behind the courthouse and shot.

4. One-third of District Attorney Macy’s death penalty convictions have been overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct. Many of those whose convictions were vacated are Black people. To date, 10 people sentenced to death in murder cases in Oklahoma have been exonerated.

WADDESDON MANOR TRANSFORMED INTO CINDERELLA'S CASTLE

Waddesdon Manor AKA Cinderella's castle in the movie.

Cinderella's castle as seen in Amazon Prime Video’s new take on Cinderella, starring Camila Cabello is located in Buckinghamshire, England, and built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 1870s, Waddesdon Manor is a work of Neo-Renaissance architecture, sourcing its inspiration from French châteaus constructed in the early 1500s. Its exterior, interiors, and grounds - including its grand portico balcony - all get their closeups in the new film.

The twisted turrets, golden brick work and countryside setting meant no Fairy Godmother transformation was needed to turn this National Trust property into the famous palace.

Here, de Rothschild would entertain friends and family on weekends, allowing them to bask in his expansive art and furniture collection, which includes museum-worthy paintings by English and French artists, Sèvres porcelain, and opulent 18th-century furniture from France.

As the manor and estate have passed through three generations of the Rothschild family, the contents of the house have expanded to become one of the most rare and valuable collections in the world. In 1957, James de Rothschild bequeathed the house and its contents to the National Trust, opening the house and gardens for the benefit of the general public. Unusually for Grade I listed residences, the family who donated it still manages it. The Rothschild Foundation, chaired by Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, acts as custodian and continues to invest in the property making it, to some extent, a living residence.

it is one of the National Trust's most visited properties, with over 463,000 visitors in 2019.

Kim Hallett, a filming consultant for Waddesdon, said in a release, “Never before has Waddesdon played such a central role in a production of this scale, nor had the chance to shine as an instantly recognizable building in its own right.” She adds, “it’s been wonderful to see such a unique place bring its own magic and charm to this classic tale, and [we welcome] visitors to come and see ‘Cinderella’s palace’ for themselves.”

Tourists viewing the Morning Room.

Over the past 50 years, Waddesdon has featured in films, television series and even a J-pop video!

During filming, the rooms at Waddesdon are often completely transformed as the collection is put away and props are brought in. In Never Say Never Again, the Dining Room at Waddesdon was reimagined as the luxurious lair where James Bond (Sean Connery) goes head to head with villain Max Largo (Klaurs Maria Brandaeur) in the eternal battle computer game, Domination.

In Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, the façade of the Manor doubles as a chic Parisian hotel and Moriarty (Jared Harris) has a scene in the Dining Room. The Dining Room is a popular location at Waddesdon as filming is only allowed in places where large crews and equipment can be safely accommodated.

Waddesdon’s South Front masqueraded as the exterior of Buckingham Palace in The Queen. Here, the Queen (Helen Mirren), Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) and of course, the corgis are seen walking down the steps to the Parterre.

Buckingham Palace isn’t the only royal residence that Waddesdon has represented. In A Little Chaos the Manor transformed into Château de Fontainebleau, a French palace located just south of Paris. You’ll spot the Breakfast Room with it’s elegant 18th-century French paneling and the Dining Room too. Particularly apt, as the mirror frames on the walls are from a French nobleman’s house in Paris and the tapestries were designed by François Boucher, one of the most influential artists of the 18th-century.

In The Infiltrator, starring Brian Cranston, the exterior of Waddesdon featured as a Parisian building.

In a further transformation, the North Front features in the Bollywood classic Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), in which Waddesdon doubles for the Raichand family estate in Delhi, where Rahul Raichand (Shah Rukh Khan) arrives by helicopter.

Red Drawing Room.

The place was also featured in Netflix’s Rebecca with Lily James and Armie Hammer. The film features several shots of Maxim’s Bentley cruising up the long driveway to Manderley - which in reality were filmed at Waddesdon Manor. Some rooms within the French Renaissance-style château also made the perfect stand-in for parts of the Monte Carlo hotel at the start of the film.

The Breakfast Room, Dining Room, Conservatory and East Gallery were transformed for the filming, with all of the furniture, most of the textiles and several of the objects temporarily removed to accommodate the set design.

Most recently Waddesdon has played a starring role in the Amazon Prime Video adaptation of Cinderella.

Other films which were shot at Waddesdon Manor, include: Carry On; Don't Lose Your Head (1966); Never Say Never Again (1983); An Ideal Husband (1999); Ladies in Lavender (2004); The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008); Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011); Victor Frankenstein (2015), and Our Kind of Traitor (2016).

Waddesdon Manor has also been used in many television series. These include Howards' Way (1985) as a chateau in France belonging to Charles Freere. The house more recently stood in for the exterior of the fictional Haxby Park in the second series of Downton Abbey (2011) (the interior was filmed at Halton House, another country home once owned by the Rothschilds). Estate roads featured in And Then There Were None. Exteriors also feature in The Crown, 2016, in particular series two, episode one, in which the parterre and the ivy covered tower were used as French locations. The Breakfast Room was also captured during the same episode. Waddesdon was also used in Endeavour series three, episode one "Ride" as the residence of Joss Bixby and is a setting for the Netflix 2020 version of Rebecca.

Inside the Manor - two of the many exhibits are:

Riesener Furniture and the Rothschilds which is on display through October 21, 2021.

This year Waddesdon is celebrating the furniture of Jean-Henri Riesener, one of the greatest French cabinetmakers of all time. He was renowned for his brilliant marquetry and his sophisticated designs.

German-born but trained in Paris, Riesener became cabinetmaker of choice to the court of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. His furniture was later prized by 19th-century collectors including George IV and the Rothschilds – and Waddesdon has no fewer than 11 pieces by him.

Also on exhibit - Gustave-Moreau-The Fables. On display for the first time in a century, 35 watercolors on loan from a private collection.

You can explore Waddesdon Manor at your own leisure, as it’s open to the public every Wednesday through Sunday

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

WAITRESS returned to Broadway last week serving up a Single-Performance Box Office House Record at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre grossing $197,878 in tickets sales - which could buy a lot of pies.

The musical is mounted for a limited return engagement through January 9, 2022,



THE PRINCE FELLOWSHIP a program for emerging theatrical producers which honors the legacy, career and memory of the Broadway producer, director and Fellowship founder Harold Prince and is a managed by Columbia University has named Osh Ghanimah and Lawryn LaCroix as the 2021 Prince Fellowship Recipients who each receive a stipend of $10,000.

The goal of the Fellowship is to support the development of gifted emerging creative theatrical producers. The Prince Fellowship is committed to sustaining the finest traditions of producing by exposing new talent to the producing process in a manner that supports creative involvement. Although the environment in which theatre is produced continues to change, many of the underlying challenges and principles remain and must be understood and adapted if the art form is to thrive.

The philosophy is that which is good for the art form is good for business. The Fellowship emphasizes that the creative producer’s role is to be the instigator, the collaborator, and the leader who gets art on the stage and to the public. The program neither wishes to turn back the clock to 1950 nor settle for the status quo. The Prince Fellowship is looking to empower new producers to reinvent the wheel themselves, on their own terms.

Upon founding the fellowship in 2005, Prince said, "For a number of years now, I have had interviews with extraordinary young people who want careers as creative producers. They want to nurture new work, encourage new artists, and take chances, and they recognize that the current climate on Broadway makes that almost impossible. Costs have escalated, and producing is generally the work of either a consortium of wealthy individuals, or corporations. So, before it's too late, my colleagues and I have shaped a program with the help of Columbia University, to once again put young creative producing in the mainstream. I've always believed the best of Broadway is the best there is."

E-Book

Soft back Book

E-Book

Soft back Book

This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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

FINAL OVATION

MICHAEL JOHN RADEMAEKERS Executive Director of the Hill Country Community Theater in Texas died on August 29, 2021 in Marble Falls, Texas. He was 59.

Mike graduated from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut with a BA in Mass Communications. He would have majored in Theater Arts, but his father would have none of that, so Mike elected to call it “Mass Communications.” In 1985, Mike moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, directing and stage production. As an actor in Los Angeles, Mike studied the Michael Checkov Technique, and is an alumnus of the renowned Stella Adler Academy of Acting and Theatre. A working actor in Hollywood, Mike appeared alongside such stars as Kiera Knightly, Matthew Broderick, and Darryl Hannah. He also worked five pictures with John Goodman as his stand-in and photo double.

In 2000, Mike and his then-wife, Kaz Matamura, opened the Secret Rose Theater in North Hollywood, Los Angeles after refurbishing former retail space. Mike produced innumerable plays, acting classes for adults and children, and provided a space for actors and writers to refine their skills.

After 14 years, ownership of the Secret Rose was transferred to new management, but the venue continues today under that well-known name. Mike also founded and was chair of Fire Rose Productions in 2000, and ran the nonprofit organization as executive director for nine years.

In 2014, Mike was appointed as Executive Director of the Hill Country Community Theater in Texas where he served until his passing. His duties included producing all of the theatre’s shows and special events, handling fiduciary concerns, building audiences, marketing the theatre, creating fundraisers and special events, and directing a number of the theatre’s shows. His death came just three weeks after the close of the The Addams Family Musical, which set an attendance record for the theatre. Mike directed the show.

Preceding him in passing are his father William Rademaekers and mother Evelyn Hunt Rademaekers; and older brothers William (aka Rusty) Rademaekers and John Rademaekers. He leaves behind sister Susan Kent, brother Kurt Rademaekers and sister Kat Rademaekers. Mike also leaves three nephews, one niece, as well as grand nephews and grand nieces. He leaves countless friends in Massachusetts, California and Texas who are bereaved by his passing, and sadly leaves his faithful dog, Buddy.

Next Column: September 19, 2021
Copyright: September 12, 2021 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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Laura Deni

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