Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: September 5, 2021
By: Laura Deni
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OPERA AUSTRALIA DELIVERS A THRILLING AIDA

Aida is exquisite.

Opera at its finest. Aida by Verdi ins a story of betrayal. A historic epic with rich, elaborate costumes from imposing military to glam red carpet ball gowns with creative headdresses by Gianluca Falaschi in a production which even utilizes a red carpet. Ten towering digital screens by D-Wok create ever-changing floor-to-ceiling set pieces. Immersive digital video design ranges from rich symbolism to vivid landscapes and is an outstanding example of the collaboration between theatre and the digital. Set design by Giò Forma.

Sumptuous, exquisite, effective red, yellow and blue lighting designs by John Rayment enhance the story-line while not detracting from the performance.

Marvelous directing by Davide Livermore with clean camera work. Shaun Rennie serves as assistant director and Shane Placentino is the revival director.

Tahu Matheson conducts powerful, full bodied arrangements.

The magnificent cast features American soprano Leah Crocetto performing as the Ethiopian princess, Aida, enslaved in Egypt who is handmaiden to Amneris. Elena Gabouri reprises her critically acclaimed turn as Aida’s rival, the fickle and jealous Egyptian princess Amneris. Italian tenor Stefano La Colla makes his Opera Australia debut as Radamès, the man they both love who has been chosen to lead the Egyptians in battle.

Leah Crocetto

Soprano Crocetto next month will sing Leonora in 'Il Trovatore with the Toledo Opera. Leonora is the role that has been with her the longest. On her Twitter account she posted "I have sung her all over the world, and even sang her for my European debut! I cannot wait to re-visit this stunning music with Toledo Opera next month. Soprano

This month she can be heard September 17 in concert at Croswell in Adrian, MI. On the 19th she participates in the Lexington Bach Festival at Ava Maria Parish in Lexington, MI. On September 30 she is in recital at Varner recital hall, Oakland University in Rochester, MI.

Her solos in this production are awesome.

French-Russian mezzo Elena Gabouri was born in Saint-Petersburg, studied at the St. Petersburg National Conservatoire under Tamara Novichenko at the Paris National Conservatoire; then at the Cortot Paris School, where she won the Singing Prize Unanimous with Congratulations of Jury. International prizes include: 1st Prize at Arles Opera Competition, Grand Prix at the Vivonne Singing Competition, 2nd Prize and the Audience Prize at the Catalan Singing Competition, The Jury Prize at the Corsica Competition and 2nd Prize at Ramfis Competition.

Elena Gabouri

Her international career launched in 2012 when she made her debut at the Arena di Verona as Amneris in Verdi's Aida, with Daniel Oren conducting. In 2015 she made her Asian debut in the Seoul Arts Center (South Korea) as Amneris in Aida. She is set to return to Opera Australia as Amneris in Aida for performances November 3-19, 2021.

Born to play Amneris her powerful voice projects a fury during her trial scene solo.

Sought after for performances around the world, Italian tenor Stefano La Colla made his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Calaf in Turandot in 2017-18. He is getting ready to perform Saturday, September 11 in Fedora in Amsterdam. Then he appears in Norma in Parma, Italy October 20-24.

He returns to Aida February 15-26, 2022 in Naples, Italy.

Also featured in the production are: Michael Honeyman as Amonasro, Alexander Vinogradov and David Parkin sharing the role of Ramfis, Gennadi Dubinsky as The King, Jane Ede as the High Priestess and Dean Bassett as the messenger.

Backed by Opera Australia Chorus & Orchestra Victoria.

Stefano La Colla

The is a high class, professional, opulent production. Opera Australia has the ability to contract A-list vocalists. Of course they all do a magnificent job. To even imply they might not is insulting.

This is a flawless production.

And, let us not forget that world famous march The Triumphal March - big, bold and brassy, this glorious tune celebrates the Egyptian triumph over the Ethiopians in war. It’s one of the most famous pieces of classical music in the world - you might never have seen Aida, but you’ve heard the march - enormously popular and frequently used as a graduation march.

The official Opera Australia description is "a sonorous, glorious mass of trumpets and voices praising victorious Egypt. Using a martial, war-like rhythm, Verdi layers brass upon brass, and the melodic line rises, getting steadily louder until the voices come in a wall of magnificent sound: "Glory to Isis!"

Between scenes cameras pan the audience showing a full house.

Aida is a collaboration between theatre and the digital.

As for the plot-line: A rebellion is brewing on Egypt’s borders, and for both the oppressor and the oppressed, loves and loyalties are about to be tested. Egypt needs a hero to lead their army, and the High Priest has made his choice. Through victory in battle, Radamès hopes to win the hand of the beautiful slave girl Aida - handmaiden to the princess Amneris, and secretly, an Ethiopian princess.

Aida is torn between her love for the Egyptian hero and her despair for the country he must march against - her homeland. And the Princess Amneris, who also desires Radamès, is beginning to have suspicions that her hero might prefer her slave. As Radamès returns to Egypt in triumph, Aida is greeted with a terrible sight - her father Amonasro, the King of Ethiopia, is among the slaves. Just when all seems lost, the King of Egypt deals another blow: promising the triumphant Radamès his daughter Amneris’ hand.

On the banks of the Nile, the lovers arrange to meet one last time. But the conquered Ethiopian King has a plan to save his country. Aida has to make a devastating choice. In the darkness, the King’s plan, Aida’s conflicted heart and Radamès’ steadfast love collide in a devastating finale.

Radamès’ is to be entombed alive.

Jealousy between the women has given him over to death. Aida blames herself for sealing his fate and prays that the gods have pity. Aida secretly sneaks into the tomb prepared for Radamès’ and sings of death escalating their eternal love. They embrace death - "my heart will feel great joy."

As their wandering souls fly to the "eternal day," they sing of - peace.

Sung in Italian with English surtitles. Approximately 2 hours & 50 minutes, including one interval. This production contains partial nudity and a bright lighting effects during Act 3.

According to Opera Australia: "There is actually no authentic sampling of Egyptian or African tunes in the score - Verdi creates an Eastern “feel” at the end of Act 1 in the harps (it sounds a little like what you might hear a belly-dancer perform to), and again in the famous Nile scene, where a flute plays a rippling melody line, rising in trills and leaps."

The official description, first published in the 1950 as liner notes:

In 1869, a new opera house opened in Cairo with Verdi's Rigoletto. The Khedive wanted a more spectacular opera done there, so he commissioned a new work from Verdi. A libretto was prepared by Antonio Ghislanzoni based on a French synopsis by Camille du Locle. Verdi worked very closely with Ghislanzoni on the form and the exact text of the libretto, and at all times urged that conventional forms be abandoned if they did not serve any dramatic purpose. The premiere in Cairo was delayed from January until December 1871 because the set designs and costumes were trapped in Paris during the Franco-Prussian War. The opera was an immediate success, but Verdi continued to revise the score. He composed a full overture for the Teatro alla Scala premiere, but discarded it before the performances took place; however, the extension of the ballet music for the Paris premiere was incorporated into the printed score.

The score to Aida is the culmination of all of Verdi's earlier struggle to let the music advance the plot. The Triumphal March and ballet from Act Two are not just display pieces, but an integral part of the celebrations of a victorious army. Except for this scene, Aida is really a very intimate opera with most scenes requiring only a couple of characters; in fact, a great deal of the choral singing comes from off-stage. The tenor's entrance aria ("Celeste Aida") is a dreamy romance about his beloved Aida, showing the tender side of the warrior magnificently rendered by La Colla. Coming before the tenor has a chance to warm up his voice, it is one of the most difficult entrances in opera.

The role of Aida is one of the most gratifying found in any of the Verdi operas. With two important arias plus duets with each of the major characters, the soprano is given the opportunity to display all aspects of her talents. The jealous Amneris joins a long list of important mezzo-soprano roles Verdi created. She is the one who brings various dramatic elements together, and her duet with Radames is one of the great confrontation scenes in opera. Amonasro has the shortest baritone role in any of the late Verdi operas, appearing in only two scenes. He is also the only father in Verdi to put his child in a secondary position; he wants only to win the war with Egypt. The sweep of the score to Aida led many early critics to complain that Verdi had given in to the influence of Wagner, but it really is the culmination of the stylistic experiments which were first heard in La forza del destino, Simon Boccanegra, and Don Carlo. With its famous arias and ensembles, Aida has become one of the most popular operas ever written, and familiarity only brings new details to the listener's attention.

The 2015 version which is available on line was directed by Gale Edwards. Mark Thompson was the designer; Latonia Moore starred as Aida, Milijana Nikolic as Amneris and Walter Fraccaro as Radames. Brian Castles-Onion conducted the orchestra.

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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 WORK AND LEGACY OF SURREALIST POET ALME CESAIRE is being featured at The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. The legendary Black author and activist was key figure in establishing an African diaspora literary movement.

The exhibit of Aimé Césaire (1913-2008) explores Césaire’s poems, political activism and strong ties to the art and literature of his time. Césaire once said about his writing: “Surrealism provided me with what I had been confusedly searching for.”

Aimé Césaire: Poetry, Surrealism and Négritude is organized by The Dalí Museum and co-curated by founder and artistic director of Studio@620 Bob Devin Jones and Dalí Museum curator of education Peter Tush. The free exhibit will be on view in the Raymond James Community Room on the Museum’s ground floor September 10 through December 5, 2021.

Hailing from the French Caribbean island of Martinique, Césaire, while studying in Paris, co-founded Négritude, a movement that drew on Surrealism in developing an anti-colonialist awareness of Black culture. With his wife, fellow writer Suzanne Césaire, he founded the review Tropiques, which brought together a group of Martinican intellectuals to write anti-colonial poetry and essays influenced by Surrealism. In 1941, Césaire met Surrealism founder André Breton, who became his friend and supporter. When Césaire’s book-length poem "Cahier d'un retour au pays natal (Notebook of a Return to the Native Land)" was published in 1947, Breton said it "is nothing less than the greatest lyrical monument of our times."

Césaire also developed a close friendship with Pablo Picasso. In 1949, Césaire published his poem collection "Corps perdu (Lost Body)," which featured 32 drypoints and etchings by Picasso, including his "‘Negro, negro, negro...’ Portrait of Aimé Césaire, Laureate."

In addition to being a great literary figure, Césaire was a well-respected politician. In 1945, he was elected mayor of Fort-de-France, Martinique, and deputy to the French National Assembly. He later founded the Parti Progressiste Martiniquais and served with the party for 47 years. In 1955 Césaire published "Discourse on Colonialism," a denunciation of European colonial racism, decadence and hypocrisy.

THE MACHINE INSIDE: BIOMECHANICS has opened at the Field Museum in Chicago.

What’s a machine that’s built to survive, move, and discover?
All living things—including you!—contain remarkable feats of engineering.

Investigate nature’s mechanical marvels in The Machine Inside: Biomechanics. You’ll uncover surprising strengths and hidden talents: jaws that can crush over 8,000 pounds in one bite, ears that act as air conditioners, and a spring-like body that sprints at 80 miles per hour.

All ages can try out interactive experiences that show how mechanics like wings and fins, pumps and pipes, and claws and jaws work in nature.
Exhibition highlights
Giraffe heart model you can “pump”

Thermal camera that reveals body heat.

Flying interactive where you can test short and long wings.

When evolution inspires human inventions.
All living things on Earth face threats, from dangerous predators to increasingly extreme temperatures. Adaptations—changes that allow an organism to adjust to its environment—are what help plants and animals survive in an ever-evolving world. And humans benefit from these solutions, too.

Learn how to spot examples of biomimicry in technologies based on nature’s designs. Have you ever used Velcro, heard a chainsaw, or powered your home with electricity from turbines? Find out how nature’s innovations made these technologies—and more—possible in The Machine Inside.

Closing January 9, 2022. The exhibition at the Field Museum in Chicago is presented in both English and Spanish. La exhibición está presentada en inglés y español.

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SWEET CHARITY

KENNEDY CENTER 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CONCERT takes place September 14 at the Concert Hall.

The 50th Anniversary festivities kick off with a celebration and re-launch of live, in-person performing arts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

Join this special evening hosted by Tony, Emmy, and Grammy winner Audra McDonald with special guests Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and Ms. Rose Schlossberg. Featuring the NSO, the star-studded concert will be directed and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse and conducted by JoAnn Falletta, Steven Reineke, and Thomas Wilkins.

Preeminent artists including Renée Fleming, Ben Folds, Punch Brothers, Keb’ Mo’, Christian McBride, Rachael Price, Randall Goosby, Tony Yazbeck, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Ray Chen, Robert Glasper, Joshua Henry, Bettye LaVette, Kelli O’Hara, Gaby Moreno, and others will join the National Symphony Orchestra to recognize the great performance traditions that enrich our culture, history, and the bright future ahead.

SHOWSTOPPERS Spectacular Costumes from Stage & Screen is a new exhibition in the heart of Times Square in New York City, showcasing costumes from Broadway, Film, Television, Opera, Dance and other live entertainment.

With more than 20,000 square feet of space, guests will make their way through an immersive maze featuring more than 100 of the entertainment industry’s most beautiful and complex garments, where they will get to see up close the detail and craftsmanship typically only seen far away on stage or screen.

Costume makers and experts will be on-site demonstrating their techniques and skills and interacting with guests, and multimedia elements will provide a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the process. MOME will also present a PSA on the Costume Industry Coalition as a part of the exhibition, which runs through September 26, 2021.

On Display:
Dragus Maximus - Santa Fe Opera - The Cher Show - Six - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming - The Martha Graham Dance Company - Heartbeat Opwea - Roundabout Theatre Company - Whipped Cream - A Soldier's Play - Cave ofthe Heart - Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS - The Lion King - No Time To Die - Signature Theater - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Dear Evan Hansen - American Ballet Theater - Golden Child - Norwegian Cruise Lines - Come From Away - Broadway Bares - Dickinson - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Frozen - The Phantom of the Opera - Mrs. Doubtfire - Wicked - Respect - Aladdin - New York City Ballet - Moulin Rouge! The Musical - The Museum of Broadway - Chicago - San Francisco Ballet - Bard Summerscape - The Broadway Podcast Network - Playbill - Rimgling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus - Starlight Express.

All proceeds from the Exhibition benefit the Costume Industry Coalition in support of the survival of New York City's custom costume industry.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA reports that US Senator Gary Peters (MI), has filed Senate bill 2571 to add the names of the crew and passengers of Flight 739 to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C., something the surviving families have hoped and worked towards for decades.

Flight 739 left CA on a secret mission to Vietnam with 94 Army Soldiers on board, and disappeared without a trace. Fifty nine years later, Morrill Worcester donated land and along with Wreaths Across America, erected a monument for the families to see their loved-ones names in stone, helping to bring these deserving families the closure and recognition for their fallen loved ones that these families have searched for over the last 59 years.

THE CHARITY PROS a Fort Myers, Florida non-profit, has announced the launch of the “Charity Pros for Heroes” concert tour to honor the frontline healthcare workers and first responders who lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fundraiser events will help provide educational scholarships and a “Megan’s Wish” grant to the children left behind by the death of our fallen heroes.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend John Fogerty will headline the three Florida events with support from powerhouse classic rock band Foreigner, HOF band Cheap Trick, country artist Lauren Alaina and a special appearance by American Idol finalist, Casey Bishop.

John Fogerty will be playing his iconic hits from Creedence Clearwater Revival and his solo career every night of the Heroes Tour and will be joined by one of the supporting bands and some surprises on every stop. “Each show will be a little different”, explainsMegan Maloney, Founder of The Charity Pros. “Plus, you never know who else may show up. It is truly a blessing to have John Fogerty and all of these incredible artists join us in honoring the heroes.”

The Charity Pros are already planning additional tours and special events for 2022.

Tickets go on sale September 10, 2021. The first performance dates are:
November 20, 2021: Yuengling Center, Tampa, FL- John Fogerty / Lauren Alaina.
November 21, 2021: Hertz Arena, Estero, FL- John Fogerty / Foreigner.
November 23, 2021: Amway Center, Orlando, FL- John Fogerty / Cheap Trick.

SPREADING THE WORD

SAY CHEESE Broadway and off-Broadway theatres are requiring patrons to produce a government issued photo ID to gain entrance. That, of course, is in addition to proving that one is fully vaccinated.

THE MUNY IN ST LOUIS had to cancel the final three performances of Chicago which should have been staged September 3-5 due to "positive COVID-19 breakthrough cases within the cast."

DID YOU KNOW THAT the ring light, which is de rigueur for people doing Zoom meetings and podcasts was actually developed in 1952 by Lester A. Dine for photography in dental clinics, which gave a detailed photograph of patients' teeth. That info comes from Richard Skipper who interviews stars and creatives on his well lit podcast Richard Skipper Celebrates which is viewed on YouTube.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN advance screening and conversation with Ben Platt, Amandla Stenberg, and Stephen Chbosky. Presented by 92Y in New York City. - In Person – Screening & Conversation Sunday, September 12, 5:30 pm ET. Online – Conversation Only Sunday, September 12, 7:45 pm ET.

Join Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning actor Ben Platt, actress Amandla Stenberg, and director Stephen Chbosky for a special advance screening of one of the most highly anticipated new films of the fall, Dear Evan Hansen - followed by a conversation.

Based on Steven Levenson's era-defining Broadway musical (also starring Platt) - with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a high school senior searching for acceptance and belonging amidst the cruelty of the social media age. Hear the stars and creators discuss bringing the Broadway megahit to the screen, why its story and music continues to resonate so deeply with people of all ages, stories from behind the screen, and much more.

THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA featuring book, music, and lyrics by five-time Tony Award nominee Michael John LaChiusa.

The Globe-commissioned world premiere, which is inspired by the life story of American stage icon Graciela Daniele (2021 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre and original productions of Ragtime and Once on This Island), is directed and co-choregraphed by Daniele.

Anuncia tends the garden of her country house as she reflects on her life, looking back on her girlhood in Juan Perón’s Argentina and paying homage to the family of women whose sacrifices allowed her to become an artist. This funny, poignant, and beautiful musical features a beguilingly romantic and tango-infused score filled with the exuberant sounds of women reveling in the joys of being alive.

In addition to LaChiusa and Daniele, the creative team for the world premiere musical The Gardens of Anuncia includes co-choreography by Alex Sanchez, scenic design by Mark Wendland, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenhauer, sound design by Drew Levy, orchestrations by Michael Starobin, music direction by Deborah Abramson, casting by Tara Rubin, CSA and Xavier Rubiano, CSA, and production stage management by Anjee Nero.

The cast features Enrique Acevedo as That Man, Andréa Burns as Tía (Lucia), Eden Espinosa as Mamí (Carmen), John Herrera as Grandfather, Carmen Roman as Older Anuncia, Tally Sessions as The Deer, Mary Testa as Granmama (Magdalena), and Kalyn West as Younger Anuncia. Rehearsal stand-ins are Summer Broyhill and Joz Vammer.

The Gardens of Anuncia will play on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in San Diego’s Balboa Park for the six-week limited engagement run September 10, 2021 – October 17, 2021, with the official press opening Friday, September 17, 2021.

WICKED the multi-award winning West End and Broadway musical will resume performances at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London from September 15, 2021.

The iconic musical – seen by over 10 million people in London alone – celebrates its 15th anniversary in its West End home this year. Based on Gregory Maguire’s multi-million-copy bestseller, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West it features music and lyrics by legendary composer Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, creator of the American television series My So-Called Life.

Wicked imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked is booking until May 22, 2022 at the Victoria Apollo Theatre, London.

PARAMOUNT+’s THE GOOD FIGHT: CHRISTINE BARANSKI IN CONVERSATION takes place Thursday, September 9, 7 PM EST. Presented by 92Y in New York City. Watch free.

Join Emmy and two-time Tony Award-winning actress Christine Baranski for a behind-the-scenes conversation about Paramount+’s critically acclaimed and massively popular original series The Good Fight. Following the season five finale, Baranski talks about the show’s incisive, ever-evolving topicality, featuring storylines in recent episodes centered on racial justice, police brutality, the Capitol riots, the pandemic, cancel culture and more. She shares what it’s like working with the show’s extraordinary writers and cast, and what might lie ahead for Diane Lockhart in the series’ sixth season.

MARY'S WEDDING written by Stephen Massicotte. Directed by Artistic Director Stuart Carden.

On the night before her wedding, Mary dreams of a thunderstorm, during which she unexpectedly meets Charlie. With innocence and humor, the two discover a charming first love. But the year is 1914, and the world is collapsing into a brutal war. Together, they attempt to hide their love, galloping through the fields for a place and time where the battle can’t find them.

Starring Sam Cordes and Bri Woods.

A play with a heart as big as the skies that serve as its stage, Mary’s Wedding is an epic, unforgettable story of love, hope, and survival.

The creatives are: Dialect Coach: Jason Chanos -Scenic Design: Kan Martin - Costume Design: Edith G. Moreno - Lighting Design: Selena Gonzalez-Lopez - Sound Design: Megumi Katayama - Casting: Yetunde Felix-Ukwu - Production Stage Manager: Emily White Winter - Assistant Stage Manager: Rachel M. Dyer.

Performed under the stars on the entrance terrace to the World War I Museum and Memorial through September 19, 2021, This show is BYOC - bring your own chair (or blanket).

DOROTHY PARKER A CERTAIN WOMAN created by James Rana, based on the life and works of one of the world's wittiest women, directed by Gayle Stahlhuth.

Starring Suzanne Dawson as Dorothy Parker. September 15 - October 16 at the East Lynne Theater Company in Cape May, NJ.

MICHAEL BUBLE performs outdoors September 9 at the PPI Center in Allentown, PA. On September 11 he'll be crooning and swinging at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY.

THE PRO BULL RIDERS FINALS (PBR) has thrown Las Vegas off the circuit, leaving Las Vegas for Texas starting in 2022.

The lucrative event will last throw the bull around November 3 to 7 at T-Mobile Arena ending a decades long agreement between Las Vegas and the tour.

THE JANE AUSTEN FESTIVALtakes place in Bath, UK September 10-19.

The world famous Grand Regency Costumed Promenade is on September 11.

ANDREW DICE CLAY brings his deliberately offensive persona known as “The Diceman,” with that signature brand of humor — described as “lewd, rude, and crude” — to the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT stage on Thursday, September 9, 2021.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH brings her show to the Coppell Arts Center in Copprll Texas on Septemer 11. On September 18 she can be enjoyed at the Alberts Bair Theater in Billings, MT.

FASHION AND DANCE: BYRON LARS In collaboration with Dixon Place and Creative Performances, legendary Fashion Designer Byron Lars will be presenting looks from his Fall 2021 Collection and the Holiday Collection together with fashion accessories by Sheila Gray Collection, for the 6th Annual StylePointe showcase. This year’s collaboration entitled "Moving Forward," brings together together two of NYC’s most vibrant institutions along with fashion designers to showcase their collections. Dance choreographers and fashion designers work together to create a unique fashion-and-dance runway experience. The stories and inspiration behind the each collection are told through movement and choreography.

"The collection presented is from Lars’ newest brand In Earnest and called Ath-Rom an abbreviation for Athletic/Romanticism. The styles are a reconciliation of the past one and a half years that we’ve spent in “jammies” comfort at home and our foray back into in-person encounters that very thankfully demand more effort on our style frontier. The result?… super comfy tracksuit hybrid’s in pretty stretch laces and sumptuous velvets that have an almost poetic sensibility."

“I’ve been designing clothes for a long time and I know that in addition to beauty, clothes are also about functionality and movement. Clothes that you can dance in are more than likely clothes that you can live in. It’s a natural pairing to work on this project with StylePointe. I’m really excited to see these clothes in this way,” says designer Byron Lars.

Producer Sangeeta Yesley and co-curator Mariana Leung have invited emerging and established fashion designers with complete collections to submit work samples for this unique annual showcase. A series of wonderful collections were selected with diverse backgrounds and paired with choreographers representing various dance styles who then created unique dance vignettes and assembled professional dancers to showcase each of the fashion collections.

Featured Fashion Designers: Byron Lars, Sheila Gray Collection, Goksu Guneylioglu, Jingwen Xuan, Renita Biddle, Runtan Du, Wanyu Shao. Dance Companies: Armada Dance, Dance Visons NY, DoubleTake Dance, Distributed Movement.

General Public Event: Friday, September 10 and Saturday, September 11 at 7:30 p.m. EST at Dixon Place in NYC.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

APPLICATIONS OPENS FOR NYC WOMEN'S FUND FOR MEDIA, MUSIC & THEATRE The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) are now accepting applications for the third round of grants as part of the NYC Women's Fund for Media, Music and Theatre.

Qualified applicants can apply for finishing grants through November 1, 2021. Projects are eligible for finishing funds in: the feature, short, and webseries categories for fiction and documentary film; the classical, experimental, jazz, new music and general categories for music; and theatre production.

FILM & TV IMPACT STUDY reveals the industry’s vital role in NYC’s economy.

The latest NYC Film and Television Industry Economic Impact Study details the unprecedented impact and leading role that the film and television industry has had on New York City’s economy. In 2019, the industry supported 185,000 jobs, $18.1 billion in wages, and $81.6 billion in overall economic output.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO . . .

WILLIAM IVEY LONG six time Tony Award winning costume designer who celebrated his 74th birthday on August 30, 2021.

LILY TOMLIN turned another year better on September 1st.

SALMA HAYEK AND BEYONCE blew out the candles on September 2nd.

MARTIN SHEEN multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner celebrated his 81st birthday on September 3rd.

MITZI GAYNOR turned a youthful 90 on September 4th.

JAMES MONROE IGLEHART who won the Tony for his role as the Genie in the 2013 adaptation of Aladdin got cake and ice cream on September 4.

IDRIS ELBA the actor, producer and musician will cut his cake on September 6th.

PINK can listen to others sing Happy Birthday to her on September 8th.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS AND HUGH GRANT share September 9th birthdays.

COLIN FIRTH will blow out the candles on September 10th.

HARRY CONNICK, JR will open his presents on September 11th.

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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

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 - SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 A series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda. Number of deaths: 2,996. 25,000 injured, becoming one of the most pivotal points in American history.

ED ASNER 7 time Emmy award winning actor, died August 29, 2021 at home in Tarzana, California. He was 91.

Best known for the Lou Grant and Mary Tyler Moore television shows he got his stage in the theater, Asner helped found the Playwrights Theatre Company in Chicago, but left for New York City before members of that company regrouped as the Compass Players in the mid-1950s.[14] He later made frequent guest appearances with the successor to Compass, The Second City. In New York City, Asner played Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum in the Off-Broadway revival of Threepenny Opera, scored his first Broadway role in Face of a Hero alongside Jack Lemmon in 1960.

In 1987, he played the eponymous character, George F. Babbitt, in the L.A. Classic Theatre Works' radio theatre production of Sinclair Lewis's novel, Babbitt. In 2010, Asner played the title role in FDR, a stage production about the life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt; he subsequently continued to tour the play throughout the country. Beginning in 2016, Asner took on the role of Holocaust survivor Milton Salesman in Jeff Cohen's acclaimed play The Soap Myth in a reading at Lincoln Center's Bruno Walter Theatre in New York City. He subsequently toured for the next three years in "concert readings" of the play in more than a dozen cities across the United States. In 2019, PBS flagship station WNET filmed the concert reading at New York's Center for Jewish History for their All Arts channel. The performance, which is available for free, world-wide live-streaming, co-stars Tovah Feldshuh, Ned Eisenberg, and Liba Vaynberg.

He is the most honored male performer in the history of the Primetime Emmy Awards, having won seven – five for portraying Lou Grant (three as Supporting Actor in a Comedy Television Series and two as Lead Actor in a Dramatic Television Series). His other Emmys were for performances in two television miniseries: Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), where he won for Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Performance in a TV series, and Roots (1977), for which he won for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a TV series.

Former President of the Screen Actors Guild, in 2001, Asner was the recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.

Asner was married to Nancy Sykes from 1959 to 1988. They had three children: twins Matthew and Liza, and Kate. In 1987, he had a son named Charles with Carol Jean Vogelman. Asner was a parent and a grandparent of a child with autism and was involved with the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Autism Speaks. He also served as a board member and adviser for Aspiritech, a nonprofit organization that trains high-functioning autistic persons to test software and perform quality-assurance services to companies.

Asner became engaged to producer Cindy Gilmore in 1991. They married on August 2, 1998. She filed for legal separation on November 7, 2007.[67] He filed for divorce in 2015.

He is survived by four children and several grandchildren.

GARY WADDELL veteran Las Vegas television anchorman died Thursday, September 2, 2021 at St. Rose Dominican Hospital Siena Campus in LasVegas where, although fully vaccinate, he was being treated for Covid-19 and appeared to be doing well. Suddenly, he suffered a massive heart attack. He was 77.

He worked at KLAS-TV for 32 years. Waddell retired after his broadcast on August 3, 2012. He was inducted into the Nevada Broadcast Hall of Fame three weeks later.

Well liked and respected, he was passionate about travel and motorcycles.

Next Column: September 12, 2021
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