Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: September 3, 2023
By: Laura Deni
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THE CASE OF THE CAUSTIC CATALOGUER - A MYSTERY WHERE THE COMMERCIALS STEAL THE SHOW

Many people react to a commercial airing by hitting the mute button or leaving the room. In the cast of the campy spoof mystery The Case of the Caustic Cataloguer by the commercials steal the show. Recorded and produced by Ice Box out of Alexandra, Minnesota, the program is set up as an old fashioned radio program where commercials are aired.

Sponsoring he show is Too Bright. Their first commercial declares that Too Bright is the book light more important that your friends or marriage. The commercial hawker explains that Holy Scripture says darkness is evil. So unless you love satin you'll invest in your family's spiritual future by buying Too Bright, the light bright enough to reveal sin. What would you say if 50 million candle power was peering into your family's souls? We're not saying its brighter than the heavenly hosts, but it could be.

With a hilarious commercial like that, it's tough for a script to compete.

Written and directed by Jeffrey Adams, The Shamus of the Stacks has a following.

It's a dangerous job, being a library detective. Fortunately Lance has avoided those painful paper cuts.

This time he’s met his match in the form of an attractive new cataloguer with a terrible secret. Can Lance save her from her past? Or is it curtains for the dame that stole our gumshoe’s heart?

Starring Diane Adams as Effie, Jeffrey Adams as Wormwood, Aela Mackintosh as Nora Diamond, and Caleb Silvers as Lance Manley.

Mable Spade was the original library cataloguer. Now she 's retired and moved to Florida.

"Boss lady" Effie Standish has hired a new cataloguer without permitting Lance to do a background check.

Enter new hire Miss Nora Diamond, sassy with an edge, she's a tall, redheaded and curved like a country line that promises peace.

"Boss lady" Effie Standish has even ordered everyone not to look into Nora's past.

Nora is worried. Every book she has catalogued - all 42 of them - have disappeared.

Finally Nora confided in Lance, who tryies to maintain a professional attitude while fantasizing about Nora.

She explains that Lawrence was a big shot at her last job and they developed a relationship.Then she discovered he had a bad temper and drinking problem. When she attempted to leave him, he vowed that she'll never work in libraries again.

A book is planted, a suspect is accosted and a chase ensues. Gregory Wormwood, a library regular and frequently late returner is collared. It seems that Wormwood had a huge crush on Mable Spade, but she thought he was too unstable - having run up $50.00 in overdue book fines.

He is contrite but closed mouth. Did someone put him up to this - perhaps a director of another library?

The ending commercial from Too Bright regards their "weaponizing retina damage since 1936."

Music: Fast Talkin, I Knew A Guy, Night On The Docks, Cool Vibes, Hard Boiled, Dances & Dames, Shades of Spring. Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.

Program copyright 2022 by the Icebox Radio Theater which is solely responsible for its content. Partial funding made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

'"The Icebox Radio Theater, the company behind ‘Radio Icebox', began in May of 2004 in International Falls, Minnesota. Originally envisioned as a community theater group, the IBRT was brought to life by radio station KXBR, International Falls, which offered the company air time and equipment so long as they performed their shows live over the air.

"With the slogan "Bringing the Northland’s Stories to the World" the group set out to tell stories about their unique corner of the world known for frigid winters, colorful characters, and great natural beauty (not an easy thing to convey in radio). These included shows like Snowbank a 4-part mini series about a shoe less body appearing in the snow by the local high school; Dome Dog a comedy/super-hero series based on former IBRT president Harley Droba’s Minnesota Viking fan costume, The Scoop Sisters a mystery/comedy series about a family of journalists solving crimes; and The Thing on the Ice an award-winning horror story about an ice fisherman hunted on a frozen lake by the force of nature itself.

"Over the next several years the IBRT performed these plays both on the air, and in front of live audiences in the International Falls area. Along the way they begin distributing their shows on PRX.ORG and over 20 stations nation-wide licensed an IBRT play for broadcast. In 2007, the company began its first podcast. The IBRT stream has been steady ever since.

"In 2015, after working as an anthology show for over a decade, the IBRT made a major change in focus. For the first time, the Icebox Radio Podcast would be a series based on recurring characters and situations in a strange (and fictitious) community called Icebox, Minnesota where radio and radio drama was still king.

"Today, the Icebox Radio Theater continues to expand its offerings with its flagship series "Radio Icebox" as well as the live comedy show "Funny in a Small Town" and a series of podcasts such as the Scoop Sisters Mysteries and Frozen Frights designed to give the IBRT archives a permanent home on the web"

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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

ART FOR THE MILLIONS: AMERICAN CULTURE AND POLITICS IN THE 1930s The 1930s was a decade of political and social upheaval in the United States, and the art and visual culture of the time reflected the unsettled environment.

Americans searched for their cultural identity during the Great Depression, a period marked by divisive politics, threats to democracy, and intensified social activism, including a powerful labor movement.

Featuring more than 100 works from The Met collection and several lenders, this exhibition explores how artists expressed political messages and ideologies through a range of media, from paintings, sculptures, prints, and photographs to film, dance, decorative arts, fashion, and ephemera.

Highlights include paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Sheeler, and Stuart Davis; prints by Elizabeth Olds, Dox Thrash, and Riva Helfond; photographs by Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange; footage of Martha Graham’s dance Frontier; and more, providing an unprecedented overview of the era’s sociopolitical landscape.

September 7–December 10, 2023 at The Met Fifth Avenue, New York City.

WORKS & PROCESS AND THE JEROME ROBBINS DANCE DIVISION at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts present Paul Kolnik, Photographing New York City Ballet with Wendy Whelan, moderated by Linda Murray on Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 6:00 pm at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts as part of the Works & Process Fall 2023 Season.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the New York City Ballet, Paul Kolnik has selected a number of his most iconic images of the company, illuminating his unique artistic perspective.

For five decades, photographer Paul Kolnik has been an intimate collaborator with George Balanchine's New York City Ballet. His images have captured and become a significant part of the visual iconography of the company, allowing us to experience both the ephemeral nature of the dance and the timelessness of a photograph.

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SWEET CHARITY

AMERICAN LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW HOSTS have joined forces for WGA strike benefit podcast

All of the proceeds will go to the staff of their shows, off the air since the Hollywood union strikes.

Strike Force Five, as they called, includes Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Myers who have teamed up for a "super group of super late-night interviewing talent."

The podcast first aired last Wednesday on Spotify.

What made this effort possible is that - unlike the strike of 2008 when talk show hosts were at odds with one another - to put it mildly - these like know and like each other. They even hang out together.

Much of the money pledged came from sponsors Mint Mobile and liquor company Diegeo.

STAX MUSIC ACADEMY AND GIBSON GIVES have announced the student scholarship recipients for the new SMA Afterschool Program for 2023-24.

The incredibly talented student recipients of the Gibson Gives Scholarship for the SMA Afterschool Program at Stax Music Academy include: Isaiah Blair, Zariya Scullark, Shaun Murray, and Jack Ward.

In addition to participating in the SMA music program, these gifted guitarists will be honored at a special reception on September 14th at Stax Music Academy in Memphis, TN.

Available to all middle and high school students with an interest in music, the Stax Music Academy (SMA) Afterschool Program is energetic, challenging, and designed to help students earn music scholarships to college and result in civic-minded, socially conscious, successful adults.

The exceptional Gibson Gives Scholarship recipients, each showcasing remarkable talents and accomplishments are: Jack Ward, a sophomore at East High School - Zariya Scullark, a freshman at Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering - Shaun Murray, a junior from Faith Heritage Christian Academy - Isaiah Blair a senior from Southwind High School.

A massively successful music institute located at the original site of Stax Records in Memphis, TN the Stax Music Academy provides training, classes, rehearsals, ensembles, and more in vocals, instrumentals, music theory, production and audio engineering, songwriting, as well as music business, videography, choreography, and more. The school pairs its music education with equal parts mentoring, offering social and emotional growth learning, professional mental wellness counseling, and college preparedness training.

Gibson supports the global music community through its philanthropic arm, Gibson Gives. In the last four years, Gibson Gives has raised over $4.5 million dollars and enabled $46 million in funding for key organizations.

For this new partnership, Gibson Gives is now providing assistance to all students in need of tuition in the SMA Afterschool Program via the Skip Pitts and Albert King Gap Funds. Albert King was an American guitarist and singer signed to Stax Records, who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues singers of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and influential song “Born Under a Bad Sign” (1967). Skip Pitts was the longtime guitarist for Isaac Hayes’ who played the famous wah-wah riff on the Academy Award-winning song “Theme from Shaft.”

SPREADING THE WORD

STAMP HONORING JUSTICE GINSBURG

Stamp will be released October 2, 2023. Photo: Posta lService

will be released in October. The stamp celebrates "her groundbreaking contributions to justice, gender equality and the rule of law."

The dedication ceremony for the new stamp will be October 2 at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are asked to register.

The stamp features an oil painting of Ginsburg in her black judicial robe and iconic white collar. Ethel Kessler, an art director for the Postal Service, designed the stamp with a portrait by Michael J. Deas. The portrait is based on a photograph by Philip Bermingham.

Ginsburg, who died at age 87 in 2020, became the second female justice after she was appointed to the Supreme Court by then-President Bill Clinton in 1993. She was a champion of gender equality who became a cultural icon dubbed "the Notorious RBG."

The Postal Service said the stamp "captures her enduring spirit and tireless dedication to upholding the principles of the Constitution."

DUBAI OPERA has proudly announced the long-awaited return of Puccini's immortal tragedy Madama Butterfly" to the stage of Dubai Opera after six years, performed by the Hungarian State Opera Soloists, Orchestra and Choir, conducted by János Kovács. September 12-13, 2023.

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

Join the premiere performance of Madama Butterfly on September 12, where elegance meets artistry for an unforgettable evening of beauty and grace. 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 naďve 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 by an American short story and a French novel, in London in 1900.

The world premiere of Madama Butterfly was held 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. Set designer Kentaur. Costume designer Ilona Vágvölgyi. English subtitles Arthur Roger Crane. Chorus director Gábor Csiki.

GEORGE CLINTON delivers a Roof Garden Performance on Friday, September 8, at The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, The Met in New York City.

Artist Lauren Halsey attributes some of her earliest artistic inspiration to funk pioneer George Clinton and his groundbreaking Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk) ensemble. Many of Halsey's artworks make reference to Parliament-Funkadelic's sci-fi, Afrofuturist explorations—and when Clinton himself first saw her art, he was blown away. The two are now good friends, and Clinton considers Halsey a mainstay of the P-Funk collective.

As part of The Roof Garden Commission: Lauren Halsey, The Met welcomes iconic funk innovator Clinton to the Roof Garden for a limited, one-night-only performance. See Clinton and his band against Halsey's regal installation, search for the hidden Parliament-Funkadelic references within the interactive sculpture, and dance the night away one last time before summer ends.

Tickets were free, and assigned by random draw.

JANE AUSTEN FESTIVAL

in the Summer the Festival also hosts the Jane Austen Festival Summer Ball. Photo: Jane Austen Festival

takes place in Bath, England September 8-17, 2023. The Jane Austen Festival in Bath is the largest and longest running Jane Austen Festival in the world. The first Jane Austen Festival in 2001 took place over a weekend at The Jane Austen Centre, Bath, and has since grown into a 10 day program, drawing over 3500 people from around the world.

The festival begins with our Regency Costumed Promenade, which has been filling the streets of Bath with over 500 people in Regency dress since 2004 and holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest gathering of people dressed in Regency costumes. Full of bonnets, soldiers, and drummers the backdrop of Georgian Bath transports visitors back to the time of Jane Austen.

Throughout the 10 day event, visitors can enjoy events inspired by the timeless works of Jane Austen including: guided walks, costumed balls, theatrical performances, talks and much more!

Events include:

On September 9 a Meryton Assembly Ball. Austen fans from all over the world can dance in the Upper Rooms that Austen herself frequented.

The Bath Sword Club will be offering fencing taster sessions on Tuesday September 12, 2023. Enjoy a taste of the sport rumored to be Mr Darcy’s favorite, or imagine you’ve been challenged to defend your favorite Austen character’s reputation.

Learn about Dressing Jane Austen’s Men with Ben Townsend; Austen never tells us more than the color of her male character’s coats… this talk fills in some details!

Explore an interactive replica of a Georgian dress with Dr Lindsay Holmes, learning about the life of the original wearer, and her parallels with the life of Jane Austen.

Learn about how underwear influenced outerwear with Mackenzie Scholtz of FigLeaf Patterns, exploring not just clothes but also the socio-political world that influenced the changes that Austen weaves into her novels.

None other than TikTok’s Mr Darcy himself, Christian Brighty, will be performing his highly acclaimed Playboy show on Wednesday, September 13th. The Jane Austen Festival teams cautions: "If you’re a fan of his work, you’ll know you’re in for a treat. If you haven’t yet seen his hilarious Austenesque stylings, you can find him on Instagram and TikTok as @brightybuoy, bringing risque Regency romance to the masses. The Jane Austen Festival takes no responsibility for anyone swooning for lack of smelling salts; you have been warned!"

Festival Dates 2024 - Friday 13th to Sunday 22nd September 2024
Festival Dates 2025 (250th anniversary year!) - Friday 12th to Sunday 21st September 2025.

WORKS & PROCESS presents Gutenberg! The Musical! with Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Scott Brown, Anthony King, Alex Timbers moderated by Nikki M. James on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, as part of the Works & Process Fall 2023 Season.

Go behind the scenes of Gutenberg! The Musical! Actors Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon) reunite in a new musical comedy in which two best pals try to get their unintentionally hilarious new musical on Broadway. It’s art imitating life imitating art. Writers Scott Brown and Anthony King and director Alex Timbers join Gad and Rannells, discuss the show and their creative process, blended with performance excerpts.

PETE DAVIDSON has become the fastest selling artist in Ridgefield Playhouse history, and the only person to perform 4 consecutive shows.

NBC’s Saturday Night Live veteran, Pete Davidson has achieved meteoric success and garnered millions of views with his singular Weekend Update features and original music videos. Davidson shot his first one-hour stand-up special for Comedy Central in 2016 and was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 the same year. In 2022, Davidson was listed as Time’s 100 Most Influential People. Today, Davidson is the creator, writer and star of Peacock’s critically acclaimed comedy Bupkis.

Davidson's 4th and final show takes place September 5 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT.

JAKE GYLLENHAAL, GRETA CARUSO, AND DAN SANTAT IN CONVERSATION WITH HANNAH GOLDFIELD: THE SECRET SOCIETY OF AUNTS & UNCLES takes place Tuesday, September 5 at 92Y in New York City.

Join Tony and Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and Greta Caruso with Caldecott Award-winning illustrator Dan Santat on the relationships that really matter, the beautifully porous line between family and friendship, and their new picture book, The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles.

Longtime friends, Gyllenhaal and Caruso have unique perspectives on how living in the public eye can alter our connections to the people we hold closest. In their hilarious adventure about family bonds and finding love in the simplest things, Gyllenhaal, Caruso, and Santat paint a loving and goofy ode to some of the most important relationships in our lives. Hear them discuss the nature of friendship, the stories from Gyllenhaal and Caruso’s lives that inspired the story, how they hope their work will speak to kids and their parents (not to mention aunts and uncles), Santat’s uniquely delightful and inventive approach to illustration, and much more.

THE SUPER BLUE MOON

The Super Blue moon could easily be seen in Las Vegas. Photo: Laura Deni

which dominated the sky on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, could easily be seen in Las Vegas.


For those who didn't look up, they'll have to wait until 2037.


The Virtual Telescope Project will run a live feed of the super blue moon rising over Rome.


The next blue moons will occur in a pair in January and March 2037. The fourth and last will be in September.


The first supermoon of 2023 was in July.

THE AVERAGE BRA SIZE in the United States as of 2020 is . . . 34DDD.

According to a survey conducted between 1992 and 2019 the average bra size increased from 34B to 34DD during that time period. As of 2020, the average bra size has increased even more to a DDD. In the UK the average bra size is 36DD.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

A GROUP OF THREE VISUAL ARTISTS have filed a lawsuit against AI image generation toolmakers Stability A, Midjourney and DeviantArt, who they say are infringing on copyrights and profiting from their work, according to reporting in NAB Smartbrief. The case could provide insight into how successful other media creators could be in protecting their work from being used to train AI tools without permission or compensation.

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THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY has announced its 2023 Leading Ladies of Entertainment honorees—an initiative created seven years ago to honor and recognize professional and socially-conscious women within the arts and Latin entertainment fields who have made significant contributions and inspired the next generation of female leaders. The private ceremony and luncheon will be held in Sevilla (Andalucía), Spain, on Monday, November 13, as part of the marquee events for Latin Grammy Week.

This year’s honorees are:

Róndine Alcalá, founder of RondenePR, a music and entertainment public relations firm
Mon Laferte, singer/songwriter, multiple Latin Grammy winner and Grammy nominee
Simone Torres, Grammy-nominated engineer and vocal producer
Ana Villacorta López, SVP Marketing and Promotion at Sony Music Entertainment México.

GIBSON the iconic leading American instrument brand, has announced the promotion of Mat Koehler to the role of Vice President of Product at Gibson Brands, reporting to Cesar Gueikian.

In his new role, Mat will continue leading the product development team, expanding his responsibility across Instruments and Sound, two key pillars of Gibson’s global brand strategy and business organization.

Mat has been leading research, design and development creating new product introductions for Gibson, Custom Shop, Acoustics, the Murphy Lab, Epiphone and Kramer. As Vice President of Product, Mat will add the responsibility of leading research, design and product development for amplifiers, effects and pro-audio, across all brands, including, Mesa Boogie, Maestro, and KRK.

Mat joined Gibson in April of 2016. He started as a product specialist for Gibson Custom Shop and Gibson Memphis and became the Custom Shop Product Manager in 2018 and Head of Product Development the following year. He is considered one of the top vintage guitar experts in the world, which enables his work maintaining and recovering Gibson archive assets.



FREUD ON COCAINE an outrageous new comedy taken from Sigmund Freud’s own words as documented in his book, Cocaine Papers. written and directed by Howard Skora.

Starring Jonathan Slavin. With Barry Brisco, Kim Hopkins, Aaron LaPlante, Sara Maraffino, Sigute Miller, Amy Smallman-Winston.

"Trust me, I’m a doctor."

Jonathan Slavin stars in the title role as one of the most important thinkers of the 20th century, a respected doctor, a loving husband, a devoted father — and a drug addict.

Fact: Freud used up to a gram of cocaine daily for at least a decade. Fact: Freud touted cocaine as a panacea for pain, exhaustion, low spirits, depression and morphine addiction. Fact: Merck Pharmaceuticals (Barry Brisco as Emanuel Merck) offered Freud free "product" in exchange for his continued research into its medical use. Fact: Freud slipped cocaine into the love letters he mailed to his German finacée (played by Sara Maraffino), keeping their engagement secret from his future mother-in-law (Sigute Miller). Fact: Freud convinced his fellow doctor and best friend, Ernst von Fleischl-Marxow (Aaron LaPlante), to use cocaine to control Ernst’s addiction to morphine after a painful accident. Fact: While treating patient Emma Eckstein (Amy Smallman-Winston) for the “nasogenital" cause of her hysteria, Freud and another doctor cauterized Eckstein’s nose with a gram of cocaine, nearly killing her after three surgeries. Fact: Freud on Cocaine is based on a collection of Freud’s writings that was edited by his daughter, Anna (Kim Hopkins).

Freud on Cocaine is based on Freud’s Cocaine Papers, which contains his letters, notes, dreams and recollections on the therapeutic use of cocaine, some of which were published in 1884 under the title Über Coca.

The creative team includes scenic designer Dusti Cunningham, costume designer Michael Mullen, and video designer John Knowles.

Opens September 8 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA, where performances continue through November 4, 2023.

THE 12 a new musical with book & lyrics by Robert Schenkkan. Music & Lyrics by Neil Berg.

Music Direction by Adam Souza.

Music Supervision by Greg Jarrett.

Direction and Musical Staging by John Doyle.

Jerusalem. The disciples are in disarray. Torn apart by the unthinkable death of their leader, see how twelve ordinary individuals come together to create one of the most powerful movements ever known. "Filled with power and passion, The 12 is a universal story of love and how each of us must eventually navigate the loss of whatever we hold most dear. Join us for a profoundly moving musical that you will never forget!"

September 8 – October 29 at Goodspeed in East Haddam, CT.

ANTHROPOLOGY by Lauren Gunderson.

Directed by Anna Ledwich.

Dakota Blue Richards stars along with MyAnna Buring, Yolanda Kettle and Abigail Thaw.

"I built you because this is what I do. It’s my job. These are my tools, I used them, and honestly it’s not that hard – you’re basically a chatbot."

Merril is one of Silicon Valley’s leading software engineers, but her life disintegrates when her younger sister Angie vanishes on her way home from college. A year later, when the police have long abandoned their search, Merril assembles all the digital material Angie has left behind and sets about building herself a digital simulation of her sister. The resultant 'virtual Angie' offers her some solace – until, that is, it starts to reveal new details about the real Angie's disappearance…

Opening September 7 - October 14, 2023 on the Main Stage of the Hamstead in London.

THE FATHER AND THE ASSASSIN by Anupama Chandrasekhar.

Directed by the Kiln Theatre’s Artistic-Director, Indhu Rubasingham.

Mahatma Gandhi: lawyer, champion of non-violence, beloved leader. Nathuram Godse: journalist, nationalist – and the man who murdered Gandhi. This gripping play traces Godse’s life over 30 years during India’s fight for independence: from a devout follower of Gandhi, through to his radicalisation and their tragic final encounter in Delhi in 1948.

2022 Olivier Award-winner Hiran Abeysekera will play the role of Nathuram Godse with Paul Bazely reprising his role as Mahatma Gandhi.

Joining them are Marc Elliott, Sasha Ghoshal, Aysha Kala, Johndeep More and Aryana Ramkhalawon.

The cast also includes Azan Ahmed, Ravi Aujla, Ayesha Dharker, Ravin J Ganatra, Raj Ghatak, Halema Hussain, Nadeem Islam, Tony Jayawardena, Nicholas Khan, Raj Khera, Hari Mackinnon, Sid Sagar and Akshay Shah.

The creatives are: set and costume designer, Rajha Shakiry; lighting designer, Oliver Fenwick; movement director, Lucy Cullingford; composer, Siddhartha Khosla; additional music by David Shrubsole; sound designer, Alexander Caplen; fight director, Kate Waters; casting director Alastair Coomer CDG, associate set and costume designer, Khadija Raza and staff director, John Young.

The Father and the Assassin, was nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for Best Play (2022) and was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (2023). In 2016–17, she became the first International Playwright-in-Residence at the National Theatre Studio.

This gripping new play returns to the Olivier Theatre in London beginning September 8, 2023.

BLOOD AT THE ROOT a "choreopoem" by Dominique Morisseau inspired by the true case of the "Jena Six."

Directed by Michael A. Shepperd.

Racial tensions erupt in an explosive ensemble drama based on a real-life incident at a Louisiana high school. Infused with hip-hop music and movement, Blood at the Root sheds light on escalating tensions between Black and White students at a Southern high school, delving into the double standard often applied to racially charged situations.

On a scorching autumn day, Raylynn, an African-American senior, dares to break tradition by grabbing some shade under a historic oak tree in front of the school — an area typically reserved for White students. The next day, three nooses are discovered hanging from the tree — sending shockwaves through the school. The administration dismisses the incident as a thoughtless prank. In stark contrast, when six Black teenagers are accused of beating a White schoolmate during a subsequent fight, attempted murder charges are sought.

The play’s title comes from the Billie Holiday song Strange Fruit in which Holiday sings, "Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves and blood at the root."
The young ensemble cast features Malik Bailey, Deandra Bernardo, Emma Bruno, Nychelle C.E. Hawk, Nicholas Heard, Jeremy Reiter II, Caroline Rose, Jack David Sharpe, Grace Soens, Amber Tiara and Azeem Vecchio.

The creative team, including scenic designer Joel Daavid; lighting designer Gavan Wyrick; sound designer Marc Antonio Pritchett; costume designer Mylette Nora; and chorographer Yusuf Nasir, promises a visually and emotionally immersive experience. The assistant director is Debba Rofheart, and the production stage manager is John Dimitri. Co-artistic directors Martha Demson, James Fowler and Amanda Weier produce for Open Fist Theatre Company.

Presented by Open Fist Theatre Company, Blood at the Root runs September 9 through October 28 at the Atwater Village Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.

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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

MOHAMED AL-FAYED

Commissioned by Mohamed al-Fayed, this memorial to Dodi al-Fayed and Diana, Princess of Wales, sits in Harrods department store after it was unveiled in 1998, a year after Diana and Dodi were tragical killed in a high speed chase. See Broadway To Vegas column of August 26,2012 Photo: Laura Deni

the father of Princess Diana’s former partner Dodi – died on Wednesday August 30, 2023 – a day before the 26th anniversary of the death of the pair who died in a Paris car crash. He was 94.

The flamboyant Egypt-born self made billionaire businessman was the former owner of Harrods department store in London and previous owner of the Fulham Football Club. The Sunday Times Rich List, which documents the fortunes of the UK’s wealthiest people, put the family’s fortune at 1.7 billion pounds ($2.1bn) this year, ranking al-Fayed as the 104th richest person in the country.

Al-Fayed first made headlines in the 1980s when he battled with rival tycoon "Tiny" Rowland for control of the House of Fraser group, which included Harrods in London’s Knightsbridge neighborhood.

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, after early investments in shipping in Italy and the Middle East, he moved to the United Kingdom in the 1960s and started building an empire.

He spent years mourning the loss and fighting the UK establishment he blamed for Dodi and Diana's deaths. He was never accepted by the UK establishment. The government twice rejected his applications for citizenship, though the reasons were never released publicly.

Burial took place on Friday at London Central Mosque, near Regent's Park, after prayers. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.

JIMMY BUFFET singer-songwriter died September 1, 2023. He was 76.Margaritaville, a story of lost love and resigned regret, remained his signature anthem as he became a guru for Parrotheads, the millions of fans who followed him and his band on their annual, sold-out cross-country tour.

Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett recorded hit songs including Margaritaville and Come Monday.

Of the over 30 albums Jimmy Buffett released, as of October 2007, eight are Gold albums and nine are Platinum or Multiplatinum. In 2007, Buffett was nominated for the CMA Event of the Year Award for his song Hey Good Lookin' which featured Alan Jackson and George Strait.

A 50-plus year recording career that spawned unparalleled devotion from fans as well as branded restaurants, books, beer, resorts, a Broadway show and cruise line established Buffett as a bona fide mogul.

He is survived by his second wife Jane Slagsvol and his children Savannah Buffett, Cameron Marley Buffett, Sarah Delaney Buffett.

NATHAN LOUIS JACKSON playwright and screenwriter died August 22, 2023. He was 44.

Jackson's works included Broke-ology, When I Come to Die, Sticky Traps, The Mancherios, The Last Black Play, and Brother Toad. His plays were presented nationwide, including at Lincoln Center Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Williamstown Theatre Festival, and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Jackson also wrote for television, including NBC's Southland, Showtime's Shameless, Netflix's Luke Cage and 13 Reasons Why.

Jackson was awarded the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award twice, the Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting Award, and the Kennedy Center's Gold Medallion. He also served for six years as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Playwright in Residence at Kansas City Repertory Theatre.

He is survived by his wife Megan Mascorro-Jackson, two children Amaya and Savion Jackson, his mother Bessie Jackson, and siblings Ebony Maddox and Wardell Jackson.

Next Column: September 10, 2023
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Laura Deni

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