Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: September 20, 2020
By: Laura Deni
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TELEVISION BEGINS A RETURN TO "NORMAL" WITH DREW BARRYMORE, GAME AND AWARD SHOWS

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore's new daytime talk show which debuted last Monday is a welcome addition to daytime television. She proved that having guests "socially distanced" could seem intimate and warm. Kudos to the set designer who created a massive set which seems friendly. Use of a gigantic screen helps the audience forget that the person isn't in the room.

Intelligent and interesting in being creative and pushing futuristic boundaries, her use of a hologram of Cameron Diaz was ingenious.

Drew deserves to have a long and successful run.

However, the always adorable Drew is demonstrating some nervousness with her high octane personality exploding into something needing to be peeled off of the ceiling.

This is the woman who in 1995 climbed on top of David Letterman's desk, turned towards him, lifted up her top to show him that she wasn't wearing a bra. It was Letterman's birthday.

With her propensity for throwing her mouth wide open and tilting her head, she looks like a wide mouth bass being reeled in.

Sweetie - stop screaming and relax. You've got the job and you're doing great.

ALEX TREBEK

Alex Trebek

looking his usual handsome and best dressed self, took to the Jeopardy stage began it's new socially distance season with the same high quality and entertaining program. Viewers are there to watch the show and possible play along with the game - which remains the same. Unless you are looking for the subtle changes, viewers won't notice (and really not care) that the players are spaced father apart.

Trebek looks like he's never had a sick day in his life and - as always - is the perfect host. Long may he and the show continue.

Jeopardy is now being taped without an audience, which makes no difference to the viewing audience.

BOYISH LOOKING PAT SAJAK wheel-master for decades stepped over a few inches to allow for social distancing on Wheel of Fortune. A new set and contestants are able to spin the wheel without touching it, which would have left the good folk of Mesopotamian, who are credited with inventing the wheel around 4200-400 BC, absolutely slack-jawed.

Sajak and letter turner Vanna White apparently have been "bubbled" (and it couldn't happen to a cuter couple) as they walked out together arm in arm.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE which begins its 46th season on October 3, live from New York's Rockefeller Center, has announced that it will work with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office to determine a safe procedure for admitting a live audience to Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center to watch the taping.

Live audiences are important to comedians. They need audience feedback. That's why sitcoms like to stress that they are filmed before a live audience rather than using a laugh track or "sweetening."

Dramatic actors don't have a need for an audience. However, unless we're dealing with a chase scene - be it either auto or foot - it's difficult to write or direct a drama or romantic comedy which is totally socially distanced.

Covid-19 may have forced creativity, which in the long run, will have shoved the entertainment industry into a new era.

THE EMMY AWARDS airing tonight on ABC with the expert Jimmy Kimmel as host. For years all awards shows have primarily turned into fashion shows. It became more who wore whom rather than who won what. COVID-19 has changed that and returned awards' shows to their original intent.

The affiable Kimmel had some cute promos for the Emmy's including touting coming from 144 locations and declaring that nobody is going home a loser because - "they are already at home."

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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

BRIAN CLARKE: THE ART OF LIGHT

The Royal Mosque by Brian Clarke at King Khalid International Airport, completed in 1982 as the largest stained glass project of the modern era.

a new exhibition that brings the full power of the contemporary British artist’s achievements to the United States for the first time.

Discover the magic of stained glass.

An immersive exhibition of more than 100 works of stained glass, compositions in lead, and related drawings will showcase British artist Brian Clarke as one of the most important artists working in stained glass, at once a leader in new technology and a brilliant aesthetic innovator. Since the early 1970s, Clarke has collaborated with some of the world’s most prominent architects to create stained-glass designs and installations for hundreds of projects worldwide.

Radically stretching the limits of what the medium can do and express, Clarke explores the fullness of the human condition with dramatic works that glow with liquid color and are suffused with poetic expression.

The centerpiece of the exhibition will be more than twenty free-standing, glass screens. Animated by changing light and stained with exuberant, saturated colors, these dramatic works will transport audiences to the very frontier of what is possible in stained glass today.

Located at 2 Columbus Circle, in New York City, The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) reopened to visitors on Thursday, September 17. MAD's new timed-entry ticketing system makes planning your visit easier than ever. CDC, NYS, and NYC compliant protocols are now in place to protect the health and safety of visitors and staff. To welcome patrons back, discounted admission through September 30.

A SELECTION OF RARE and previously unseen images taken by late photographer Terry O'Neill of stars including David Bowie and Frank Sinatra have gone display in London. Thirteen photographs are on show at the Zebra One Gallery from through September 29, including; German actress Marlene Dietrich walking on stage in London in 1975; Actor Robert Redford with Richard Helms, former director of the CIA, during the filming of Three Days of the Condor on East River Lane, Wards Island, New York on February 27, 1975; Elton John kissing Davey Johnstone's guitar during his show at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, October 1975; Singer David Bowie shares a cigarette with actress Elizabeth Taylor in Beverly Hills, 1975. It was the first occasion that the pair had met.

ROKEBY MUSEUM in Ferrisburgh, Vermont: has announced its appointment of Lindsay Houpt-Varner, PhD, as the first full-time director in Rokeby’s history. She will assume her duties on September 21, 2020.

Employing a national search, Rokeby received over 90 applications for the position and interviewed 11 strong candidates.

Dr. Lindsay Houpt-Varner is a historian specializing in public history, community, and social history in the Early Modern period. She completed her undergraduate education with a double degree in History and Government & Political Affairs at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. She completed a Master's and PhD at Durham University in the UK. Her work in public history and heritage includes serving as community educator and administrator at the Durham World Heritage Site (UK) and as the Greater Carlisle Heart & Soul Project Director (Carlisle, PA).

Houpt-Varner joins Rokeby after four years at Cumberland County Historical Society in Pennsylvania, where she led initiatives in preservation, heritage, and community engagement with history and the humanities. During this time she spearheaded the Mt. Tabor Preservation Project, an initiative to save a c.1870s AME Zion log church. For her groundbreaking work to recognize the inequalities in the historical record in central Pennsylvania, she received awards from Preservation Pennsylvania, PA Museums, and the American Association for State and Local History. She has also served as an adjunct history professor at several Pennsylvania schools, teaching Early American and British History.

Lindsay and her husband, Chris, along with their dog and two cats, will live in Monkton, where, in her spare time, she will enjoy restoring their new home, and spending time outdoors running, biking and gardening.

ARCHITECTURE AND EXPERIENCE: DESIGNING A NEW ART MUSEUM FOR PRINCETON with Architect Sir David Adjaye and Museum Director James Steward. The event takes place Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

For many years now, the Princeton University Art Museum has been bursting at the seams, with collections, exhibitions and programs in desperate need of more space. In 2018 architect Sir David Adjaye was appointed to create a new museum facility at the heart of the Princeton campus.

Now, be among the first to discover the concepts, ideas and insights that are shaping this new town square for the arts. Join Museum Director James Steward and Sir David Adjaye for an illustrated talk affording the first glimpses of the facility, due to open in late 2024.

This event will include live closed captions in both English and Spanish.

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SWEET CHARITY

NICK CORDERO the Tony nominated performer who was tortured to death by the Covid-19 virus recorded Live Your Life - Live at Feinstein’s/54 Below. It's a recording of his cabaret performance, directed and music directed by Emmy Award-winning producer Michael J Moritz Jr.

Prior to being diagnosed with coronavirus, Cordero and Moritz had been planning to release the recording of his celebrated cabaret act from 2019, but following his passing, those plans were put on hold. Now, the album will be released on Broadway Records with his family’s blessing to honor his legacy and celebrate the incredible talent and life that was tragically cut short.

Proceeds from the album will go to benefit his wife, Amanda Kloots, and their young son Elvis who turned one while he father was hospitalized.

Guest performers on the album include Kathryn Gallagher, Drew Gehling, Sara Chase, and Zach Braff.

SPREADING THE WORD

LET'S ALL GO TO A ROYAL MOVIE Starting September 25, visitors will be able to drive to Sandringham the queen’s property in Norfolk and check out award winning flicks such as Grease; Moana; Toy Story; The Greatest Showman; Bohemian Rhaosody; A Star Is Born; Rocketman and 1917, as the country estate is turned into a weekend of drive-in movies.

Tickets cost around $40. Popcorn, soda and food from street vendors will be available for sale during the showings. Even alcohol will be sold, lending the possibility a less than quiet screening.

Sam Mendes’ Oscar-winning war film 1917 will kick off the drive-in series at 5 p.m. on September 25, followed by Rocketman, Taron Egerton’s turn as legendary British musician Elton John, at 9 p.m.

Each car will be parked in designated areas that are socially distanced from each other, and guests can hear the films’ audio using a provided transmitter in their cars.

THE MOUSETRAP by Agatha Christie.

has announces the West End cast for its socially distanced run.

Two alternating casts and socially distanced performances will feature:

Alexander Wolfe, Kate Tydman, Brenda Longman, Haydn Oakley, Peter Landi, Lizzie Muncey, Paul Hilliar and Philip Voyzey, while in the other are Eleanor McLoughlin, Neil Ditt, Joshua Griffin, Nicola Blackman, Damien Matthews, Sarah Moss, Tony Timberlake and Sam Ebenezer. Each cast will isolate from the other to limit the risk of cross-infection if a member of the cast contracts covid-19.

"Due to covid-19, the show has been slightly amended to ensure no touching occurs between cast members and they are socially distances at all times. This might sound strange, but given the period the show is set in, the added distance and lack of touching is unlikely to appear jarring to audience members."

The classic crime thriller is set in a snowed-in manor house with a killer stalking the guests.

Christie’s classic whodunnit, the world longest running play resumes its record breaking run at The St Martin’s Theatre on October 23, 2020 in accordance with Government stipulations for Stage Four of the Government’s Road Map for the return of live theatre and music. The theatre will take additional covid-19 precautions backstage and in the auditorium, where capacity has been reduced from 550 to 200 to accommodate socially distanced audiences.

THE WOODHULL PROJECT celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Written and performed by Emma Palzere-Rae, this one-woman play was directed by Albert Cremin, and Carin Jennie Estey is the production stage manager.

The Woodhull Project explores the life of Victoria Woodhull, the woman who ran for President of the United States in 1872, through a contemporary lens. Woodhull appears today wondering if she has left any legacy. Flashbacks of her life, coupled with her commentary, explore how we can make a better world. What would she think about the state of women’s rights and social issues today?

Raised in Ohio, and brought up in poverty, Victoria Woodhull and her sister Tennessee moved to New York City in 1870. During the six years there, they became the first women to run a stock brokerage on Wall Street and have their own newspaper. In addition, Victoria became the first woman to address Congress, and the first person to be arrested under the Comstock law. She ran for President of the United States, three times.

The Woodhull Project premieres on the Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company (ELTC’s) channel, available through Tuesday, September 29 at 7:59 PM (EST). It is being offered for free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

PAULO SZOT hailed as one of the most acclaimed and versatile baritones in the world, Tony Award winner Paulo Szot will make his Birdland debut streamed on Thursday, September 24, 2020 7:00 PM.

AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY in New Zealand has "had our 2020 program completely upended by COVID-19 and its consequences. As we approach the end of the year, we have been forced to make a further difficult decision," the venue announced in an e-mail.

"Hedwig & The Angry Inch is a major musical production for ATC that needs our entire theatre to be on sale and selling for it to work financially. With the extension of Alert Level 2 and the real possibility of further restrictions on audience sizes, the numbers just don’t work for the ASB season of Hedwig & The Angry Inch anymore. After such a difficult year we cannot risk a large financial loss from a production of such scale.

"This is a devastating blow for our team at ATC, the artists who have been working to create the production, our sponsors, stakeholders and audiences. We are deeply saddened we can no longer deliver this glam-rock end of year celebration.

"Unfortunately, our friends at The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC) have also been forced to make a tough decision. After much deliberation, NZDC has decided to cancel their season of Night Light. With rescheduling difficulties and uncertainty around COVID-19 restrictions, postponing the season to another date in 2020 has not been possible.

"At ATC, we will now devote our energies toward creating a sustainable theatre production model, that allows us to navigate a COVID-19 world next year and into the future. Our first step towards this is trialing a three zone, socially-distanced system at ASB Waterfront Theatre for our current Back on the Boards festival. This zoned and spaced approach, along with the implementation of other enhanced health and safety measures in accordance with government regulations, allows us to safely seat up to 265 people in the separate zones, under Alert Level 2 and 2.5 conditions."

PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE: SOCIAL FAULT LINES Online conference by Freud Museum in London investigating the effects of social divisions, psychic splits and collective expressions of irrationality and angst.

Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th September 2020.

Over 10 prominent speakers covering sessions on:

Democracy & Disappointment
Covid and Crisis
Haves, Have-Nots & Mental Health
Indelible Racism?
Palestine/Israel: Psychoanalytic Perspectives
Social Divisions and the Arts
Fascist States of Mind
Capitalist Materialism and its Fall-Out.

INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE in the spirit of cautious optimism that theater will be permitted to resume early next year, has decided to announce a 2021 season.

“We’re making this announcement with hope in our hearts that we’ll be able to get back to the business of doing theater in the new year,” says ICT producing artistic director caryn desai [sic]. “We will, of course, have the strictest safety protocols in place for our patrons, who will be carefully socially distanced, and we’re working closely with the union to ensure the safety of our actors. We are all longing for the wonderful, irreplaceable community experience that is live theater, and we’ve lined up a season that will deliver.”

If all goes as planned, the season will open on February 19 with Blues in the Night, a scorching, blues-infused, Tony and Olivier award-nominated musical revue. Three women share their stories of a lying, cheating snake of a man who did them wrong via 26 hot, torchy numbers made famous by the likes of Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and more. Conceived and originally directed by Sheldon Epps, the International City Theatre production will be directed by Wren T. Brown, founding artistic director of LA.’s Ebony Rep and director of ICT’s 2019 hit production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Performances will take place February 19 through March 7, with two previews on February 17 and February 18.

Next up, Marya Mazor will direct Slow Food by Wendy MacLeod, a play originally scheduled for the now-canceled 2020 season. In this uproarious, yet tender, comedy about love and marriage, a vacationing couple celebrates their anniversary at a Greek restaurant in Palm Springs. But will the marriage survive the service? As a wacky waiter insinuates his way into their meal - and their lives - the couple examine their past and their future together. Performances take place April 30 through May 16, with two previews on April 28 and April 29.

The Legend of Georgia McBride, a heartfelt, feel-good, music-filled comedy by Matthew Lopez, follows in June with Jamie Torcellini at the helm. Casey is young and broke. The landlord is knocking on his door, and he has a baby on the way. Now, the owner of the bar where he works as an Elvis impersonator has replaced his act with a B-level drag show, and Casey’s about to learn a lot about show biz - and himself. Performances take place June 4 through June 20, with two previews on June 2 and June 3.

August brings a hard-hitting drama about family conflict and clashing cultures. In Closely Related Keys by award-winning playwright Wendy Graf, an African-American attorney with a career on the rise is shocked to discover she has an Iraqi half-sister. Julia Dolan’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble when Neyla, a devout Muslim, arrives in the U.S. with plans to audition for Juilliard. But is there more to her story? Originally scheduled for the now-canceled 2020 season, performances have been rescheduled for August 27 through September 12 of 2021. Saundra McClain directs. Two previews will take place on August 25 and August 26.

Wrapping up the season will be Art, the Tony and Olivier award-winning comedy by Yasmina Reza. How much would you pay for a painting with nothing on it? Would it be art? Three old friends square off over the merits of a recently purchased, very expensive - and very white - painting. With friendships hanging in the balance, the question becomes: how much is a painting worth? This heady and hilarious look at the bonds of male friendship viewed through the prism of modern art will be directed by desai. Performances take place October 22 through November 7, with two previews on October 20 and October 21.

“This has been such a difficult year for everybody,” concludes desai. “We can’t give up hope, and it’s in that spirit that we must move forward as best we can.”

International City Theatre is located in Long Beach, California.

WORST PRESIDENTS IN U.S. History C-SPAN issued their third in-depth survey of presidential historians, asking them to identify the nation's worst presidents and discuss why.

For this survey, C-SPAN consulted 91 leading presidential historians, asking them to rank the United States' leaders on 10 leadership characteristics. Those criteria include a president's legislative skills, his relations with Congress, performance during crises, with allowances for historical context. Over the course of the three surveys, first released in 2000 and 2009, some of the rankings have changed, but the three worst presidents have remained the same. They are:

1 - James Buchanan who made the pro-slavery policy a central tenet of his administration.

2 - Andrew Johnson - "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men." - Andrew Johnson, 1866.

Andrew Johnson is one of only three presidents to be impeached (Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are the others).

3 - Franklin Pierce - During his administration, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 was passed, which many historians say pushed the U.S., already bitterly divided over the issue of the enslavement of people, toward the Civil War. Kansas was flooded with pro- and anti-slavery settlers, both groups determined to create a majority when statehood was declared. The territory was torn by bloody civil unrest in the years leading up Kansas' eventual statehood in 1861.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Magician Wayne Alan, owner and The Historic North Theatre in Danville, VA has e-mailed these magician funnies.

A magician was driving down the the street, and poof, he turns into a driveway.

A Mexican magician tells the audience he will disappear on the count of three. Uno, dos... poof. He disappeared without a tres.

What do you call a surgical operation to remove a magician's powers? A misdirectomy.

My dad is a magician. His greatest trick is cutting people in half. I have three sisters and a half.

A magician decided to incorporate the use of trapdoors in his shows. I think it's just a stage he's going through.

What is a magicians favorite piece of clothing? A card-again

A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience was different each week so he did the same tricks over and over. The problem was, the captain's parrot saw all the shows and began to understand how the magician did every trick. He started shouting in the middle of the show: 'Look, it's not the same hat. Look, he's hiding the flowers under the table. Hey, why are all the cards the ace of spades?' The magician was furious but, as it was the captain's parrot, he could do nothing. Then one day the ship sank and the magician found himself floating on a piece of wood with the parrot. They glared at each other but said nothing. Finally, after a week, the parrot said: 'OK, I give up. Where's the boat?'

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THE DORIS DUKE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION (DDCF) has announced the names of the 2020 Doris Duke Artists, each receiving an award of $275,000 intended as an investment in and celebration of these artists and their ongoing contributions to the fields of contemporary dance, jazz and theater. A total of $250,000 of the prize is completely unrestricted, and $25,000 is dedicated to encouraging savings for retirement. The awards are not tied to specific projects; rather, they are available to artists to attend to important life needs that can help artists thrive. As one of many ways DDCF is upping its support to individual artists in response to the impacts of Covid-19 on the arts sector, the foundation is expanding the number of artists receiving Doris Duke Artist Awards to a total of eight for 2020, up from six the previous year.

Michael John Garcés and Dael Orlandersmith received awards for their continuing excellence in theater. Additionally, Ana María Alvarez, Sean Dorsey, Rennie Harris and Pam Tanowitz were awarded for their contributions to the field of dance, and Andrew Cyrille and Cécile McLorin Salvant each received awards in recognition of their work in the field of jazz.

With the 2020 awards, DDCF has awarded nearly $10.2 million to 37 artists in the field of theater since 2012.

“The work of this year’s Doris Duke Artist Award recipients is profoundly inspiring and brings vibrancy, insight, gravity and light to the world,” said Ed Henry, president and CEO of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “We believe that the arts are critically important to the well-being of our nation, and at the heart of the arts is the individual artist. We take great pride in supporting these outstanding artists as they continue to develop and share their talent.”

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation designed the Doris Duke Artist Awards to invest in exemplary individual artists in contemporary dance, jazz and theater work who have demonstrated their artistic vitality and ongoing commitment to their field. The award is not a lifetime achievement award. Rather, it is a deep investment in the creative potential of dedicated artists. The foundation aims to empower Doris Duke Artists through the freedom of unrestricted support to take creative risks, explore new ideas, and pay for important professional and personal needs not typically funded by the project-related grants that dominate arts funding. While the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation initially conceived the Doris Duke Artists Awards as part of a larger $50 million special initiative that finished in 2017, recognition of the program’s importance in helping artists thrive spurred the foundation to cement a place for the flexible awards in its core strategy to support the arts. With the 2020 class, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation will have awarded nearly $33.5 million to 122 noteworthy artists through the Doris Duke Artist Awards since May 2012.

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This is not your typical, totally boring textbook.

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

FINAL OVATION

TONY TANNER Tony nominated British stage, film and television actor died September 8, 2020 in Los Angeles. He was 88.

Tanner graduated from the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art with the Douglas Cup, awarded him by Margaret Rutherford. He spent five years in northern repertory companies, playing everything from Saint Peter to the front end of a cow in a British pantomime. All of this culminated in the role of Littlechap in Stop the World - I Want to Get Off in London’s West End, taking over for author Anthony Newley. He played the same role in Warner Brothers' film version of the show.

Tanner went to America to assume the lead role in Half a Sixpence on Broadway, and remained in the U.S.. Two more starring roles on Broadway followed: in No Sex Please, We're British opposite Maureen O'Sullivan and Sherlock Holmes guest starring with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Tanner played Iago to Robert Guillaume’s Othello at the National Sylvan Theater. He has had many appearances with top opera companies in the comic roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas. Tanner's one-man show Charlatan was the hit of the New York International Fringe Festival.

As a director, Tanner has staged and choreographed five shows on Broadway — including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, for which he received Best Director and Best Choreographer Tony Award nominations. His 1981 production of A Taste of Honey starring Amanda Plummer was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival in the same season. Tanner has directed a number of Off-Broadway plays as well.

Next Column: September 27, 2020
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