Broadway To Vegas

Copyright: October 18, 2015
By: Laura Deni
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GHOST TOURS, CEMETERIES AND HAUNTED THEATRES CAPTURE THE HALLOWEEN SEASON'S EERIE SPOTLIGHT

Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without ghosts and cemetery crawls.

In real life politicians can be scary. Apparently that is also true in the afterlife. Washington, DC is a Mecca for ghosts. Washington DC Ghost Tour tell potential ghost hunters: "Ghosts are the real time travelers. Especially here in Washington, DC: The Capital City of Conflict and Conspiracy. As hard as politicians fight to get to Washington, is it surprising that some are reluctant to leave? By day, the 7-acre Lafayette Square clamors with government workers and strolling tourists. By night, the visage shifts - spookiness surrounds. The backdrop to the White House, this is the hubbub of the haunted. From ghosts walking through walls to past presidents knocking on doors to the unexplainable."

Over 65,000 individuals are laid to rest in Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. From Congressman to carpenters, suffragists to bootleggers, each resident has a unique story to tell. Soul Strolls, the Cemetery’s annual twilight tours, explore these stories through guided tours and costumed interpreters. Typically only open from dawn to dusk, this special event allows nighttime access to the public. Billed as an "exclusive experience unlike any other Halloween tour!"

Soul Strolls take place October 23rd and 24th. Beer and wine will be for sale.

The Congressional Cemetery hires actors to dress in costume and lurk by the graves of the people they are portraying, delivering spine-tingling stories of dirt, death and drama.

One of the residents who comes to spooky life on the tours is Mary Ann Hall, a famed madam who owned a brothel during the Civil War era where the National Museum of the American Indian now stands.

Her history was unearthed when the Smithsonian began construction on the new American Indian Museum. When the foundation was dug, archeologists discovered a surprising number of champagne bottles and gilt dinnerware shards, which were used by Hall and her brothel clients.

Hall amassed such a fortune that she was able to purchase 18 plots at the cemetery in 1867 for her family and friends.

Hall’s mother and sister have graves marked with a l twelve-foot-tall angel statue. Hall's grave is marked by a marble tombstone, which features a woman crying over an urn. She is buried near her mother and sister, according to the Smithsonian Institute.

The gates stay open after dark around Halloween at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. Hear from one of the legendary graveyard’s eternal residents as you gaze upon gorgeous candlelit mausoleums during the hour-long tour of Atlanta’s most illustrious final resting place.

From October 23-25 Oakland Cemetery Halloween Tours feature costumed docents to guide guests through the historic park. Come in costume for an evening of cemetery spookiness, live music, and even a fortune teller.

The Fox Theatre in Atlanta will host its third annual Fox Theatre Spooky Ghost Tours this Halloween season starring its resident spirits and specters. From Sunday, October 25 – Thursday, October 29, guests are invited to walk the haunted halls of one of the city’s most treasured landmarks and to learn about the guests that loved the theatre so much they never left. You might even meet one, if you're lucky.

The Friends of the Orpheum Theater and Phoenix Ghost Tours have teamed together to present a Ghost Tour of the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix, Arizona October 28, 2015 through October 31, 2015. They will provide an hour long tour o of the Orpheum, sharing some of the tales of ghosts that may still haunt the historic theater. All proceeds will benefit the preservation of the Orpheum Theater.

Many theaters around the world claim they have actors and patrons of the past still waiting for that last curtain call - and the Orpheum Theater has their share of mystery too. This tour includes stories not often heard by the public, and a great opportunity to explore some areas of the Orpheum not normally accessible to the public. You don’t have to believe in ghosts to enjoy this incredible evening at the theater - although by the time the evening ends you may be converted.

Phoenix Ghost Tours have combined the history of the theater and reports of ghostly happenings to present the best information and factual tales to the guests. There will be five tours every evening. Each tour will be one hour long with four stops within the theater.

Photography is extremely encouraged. And why not bring your EMF meters or voice recorders? You never know which “patron of the past” you may encounter.

In the mood for a scare? Not being startled, but a chill down your spine to the core-scare? Take the Auora Theatre Ghost Tour in Lawrenceville, GA. Real Stories - Real spooky places. For years Lawrenceville Ghost Tours has referenced the spookiest place in town. Now, for the first time ever, take a guided tour of the haunted cemetery to witness this supernatural phenomenon first hand.

Hear chilling tales, told in the most frightening place you can imagine - a cemetery - by Madame Macabre, played by Cynthia Rintye who is the last original Lawrenceville, GA Ghost Tour guide and now it’s Director. She has had numerous eerie encounters at the cemetery including capturing an EVP (electronic voice phenomena), seeing orbs and ectoplasm, and a terrifying personal experience - the very event that inspired this tour. This exclusive tour will take a limited number of people on Fridays and Saturdays only through October.

Scattered throughout the evening will be stories about the occupants of the Historic Lawrenceville Cemetery: the town’s earliest settlers and founders. Learn about the long forgotten but recently unearthed graves, all while investigating a paranormal hotspot where many have witnessed strange and unexplained occurrences. Finding it hard to believe? Witness archived WXIA TV file footage of a famed paranormal investigator and a television news crew.

All participants are encouraged to bring:
Cameras (cell phone cameras are fine)
Audio recorders
Paranormal investigation tools, like a K2 meter (if you already have one)

The historic Mounds Theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota offers a one hour night-time presentation of their well known haunted venue. Walk and learn historical information and stories about their resident spirits! Stairs, darkness, and paranormal company is included.

Tours every weekend in October!

Haunted Landmark Theatre Tour in Syracuse, New York takes place October 24 prior to the Rock & Roll Freak Show.

Join Maggie of the Violet Nile on a haunted tour See the Theatre in a way that you’ve never seen before. Experience things that you’ve only heard of.

Spooky.










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ART AND ABOUT

THE WORLD'S OLDEST CLOCK COLLECTION

Salisbury Cathedral Clock believed to be the oldest clock in the world.

will have a new home in London's Science Museum. Anne, The Princess Royal, will officially open the Clockmakers Gallery on October 22. The exhibit opens to the public on October 23.

The remarkable collection was assembled by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, an ancient London Livery Company, and includes some 600 watches, 30 clocks and 15 marine timekeepers. Spanning the period from the 15th century to the present day, it tells the story of ‘the Clockmakers of London’ and charts their history through the years.

The majority of items in the Collection date from between c.1600 and c.1850, but also includes the best of modern British work.

The new gallery will allow the Science Museum’s three million plus visitors a year to enjoy one of the best horological collections in Britain - from the first mechanical clocks and marine chronometers used at sea to the traditional wrist watch.

Key pieces in the collection include:

A year duration longcase clock by Daniel Quare, London (c. 1647-1724)

A watch containing the world’s first thermostat

The 5th marine timekeeper completed in 1770 by John Harrison; who secured the famous Longitude Prize of 1714 for devising a way of establishing the East-West position of a ship at sea
marine timekeeper by Henry Sully (1724)

A timekeeper used for navigation (1791-4) by Capt. George Vancouver on his voyage around the North American island that bears his name

A watch used to carry accurate time from Greenwich Observatory to London

A wristwatch watch worn by Sir Edmund Hillary when he conquered Everest in 1953.

The Science Museum also houses the Measuring Time gallery which displays beautiful handcrafted clocks, watches and sundials from different eras as well as early electrical clocks. It includes the third oldest clock in the world, dating from 1392 (on loan from Wells Cathedral) as well as a 1500-year-old Byzantine sundial-calendar, the second oldest geared mechanism known to have survived.

SWEET CHARITY

DRIPPING BLOOD ON HALLOWEEN During Halloween week it's not only vampires whou want your veins. Halloween themed blood drives are ready to suck the life sustaining stuff right out of you. Getting into your wallet is also an option.

If you think your home loan is a blood sucker, get squeezed some more at the Blood Drive set for October 28 at the Bank of America Home Loans in Monterey, CA. The Harley Haven Halloween Blood Drive will siphon off your blood on Halloween at the Harley dealership in Irmo, South Carolina.

A Haunting Affair takes place Saturday, October 24, 2015 at the U.S Grant, in San Diego. Presented by Sycuan Casino, the proceeds benefit the San Diego Blood Bank.

The second annual Delete Blood Cancer DKMS Blood Ball is a Halloween-inspired, dark circus-themed fundraising event which takes place Thursday, October 29, 2015 at The Box in New York City. The costume ball will feature live circus themed performances, and dance music by MICK, an A-list deejay. Expected guests include models Teresa Moore and Julie Henderson Vogue contributing editor Sarah Brown, fashion designer Derek Lam, DJ/designer Mia Moretti, as well as Kelly Cutrone, a NY Times Best Selling Author and America's Next Top Model judge, and fashion blogger Bryanboy.

Open to the public, 100% of every dollar raised goes directly to bone marrow donor registration.

FRANK SINATRA BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION INCLUDES TELEVISION SPECIAL

Frank Sinatra will be celebrated in a Grammy television special. Photo: The Recording Academy

The only televised Frank Sinatra Centennial Celebration will emanate from Las Vegas. The live concert taping will be held Wednesday, December 2, 2015, at Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theatre. The two hour special will be broadcast on CBS television on Sunday, December 6, 2015.

The Recording Academy is honoring the remarkable legacy of the nine-time Grammy winner presenting Sinatra 100 - An All-Star Grammy Concert, written by Ken Ehrlich and David Wild and helmed by Lou Horvitz.

Initial performers include 17-time Grammy winner Tony Bennett, two-time Grammy winner Garth Brooks, 15-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys, nine-time Grammy winner John Legend, three-time Grammy winner Adam Levine, seven-time Grammy winner Carrie Underwood, and eight-time Grammy winner Usher.

According to The Recording Academy, "Through the generosity of the (Sinatra) family, the concert will feature artists performing instantly recognizable arrangements originally orchestrated for "the Chairman of the Board" by renowned arrangers Don Costa, Gordon Jenkins, Quincy Jones, and Nelson Riddle. The special will keep the honoree center stage throughout the night by integrating tribute performances of Sinatra classics with rare archival footage narrated by Sinatra himself."

"Frank Sinatra is a voice for all generations. His showmanship and artistry have remained unmatched since he began performing professionally in the 1930s to his last recording 21 years ago," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "Today, he continues to gain popularity for his classic sound and signature style. It’s only fitting that we join the global celebration in honor of his 100th birthday."

"My personal memories of Frank remind me that he was a class act who also knew how to have fun. That's what this celebration will be," said executive producer Ken Ehrlich of AEG Ehrlich Ventures. "By partnering with Steve Wynn and featuring Las Vegas as the backdrop, the evening will be a party the Rat Pack would be proud of."

Among Sinatra's nine Grammy wins are three for Album Of The Year for Come Dance With Me (1959), September Of My Years (1965), and A Man And His Music (1966). Additional recognition from The Recording Academy includes a Lifetime Achievement Award, Grammy Legend Award, and 13 recordings inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame.

RALLY FOR MUSIC LEGISLATION REFORM

Last Wednesday, nearly 1,650 members of The Recording Academy showed up at the offices of their local legislators to discuss issues facing music creators. This grassroots advocacy initiative allows Recording Academy members to address important issues, including creators’ rights, copyright review, and the impact of digital services on the music industry.

"For the first time in 40 years, Congress is considering major changes to the nation’s copyright laws," said Daryl P. Friedman, The Recording Academy’s Chief Industry, Government & Member Relations Officer. "Creators are currently operating in a patchwork system of outdated rules that inadvertently stifle innovation and discount creative labor. If Congress is going to fix music law, then it needs to be fixed in a way that is fair to all creators and complements the continuous evolution of music technology."

Meetings took place in more than 330 congressional districts and included participants from various sectors of the music industry, including songwriters, producers, engineers, and performers. The key issues discussed included:

H.R. 1733: The Fair Play Fair Pay Act Of 2015 – addresses four previously separate parity issues within one encompassing piece of legislation. The bill would establish a process for setting fair-market royalty rates; create a performance right for artists on terrestrial radio; close the pre-1972 loophole to ensure that veteran performers receive royalties; and codify royalty payments to music producers for the first time.

H.R. 1457: The Allocation for Music Producers Act – provides fairness for producers and engineers. The AMP Act would codify into law the producer’s right to collect the royalties they are due, and formalize SoundExchange’s current voluntary policy.

Fairness for Songwriters – The Department of Justice is reviewing decades-old consent decrees that prevent songwriters from receiving fair-market value for their work. The consent decrees need to be reformed to reflect the modern music marketplace. In addition, the Songwriter Equity Act (H.R. 1283/S. 662) would update other areas of the law so that songwriters can receive fair compensation.

This proposed legislation seeks to provide fair compensation across the music industry and bring music legislation into the modern age, addressing compensation from digital and streaming platforms as well as terrestrial radio.

SPREADING THE WORD

FIRST ANNUAL FOOD HISTORY WEEKEND PRESENTED BY THE SMITHSONIAN IN WASHINGTON, DC takes place October 22 – 24.

Through culinary demonstrations, hands-on learning opportunities, tastings, talks, incomparable historic collections, and much more, museum visitors and food-enthusiasts of all ages will learn about the rich history of innovation in American food.

The Weekend includes three distinct, connected events: The Food History Gala which takes place inside the home of Julia Child's kitchen is sold out. That takes place the evening of Thursday, October 22. This is a black-tie fundraiser for the programs and exhibitions of the American Food History Project, and will feature inspiring entertainment and extraordinary food and wine. The highlight of the evening will be the inaugural presentation of the Julia Child Award by the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Featured guests at the Gala will include: Alton Brown, Marcus Samuelsson, Sara Moulton, and Derek Brown. Daniel Boulud will present the award to the first recipient and create the evening’s menu.

The award was created by the Foundation to continue to foster the impact and contributions Julia Child made during her lifetime.

The Food History Roundtable is a free food symposium which will take place from on Friday, October 23; and the Food History Festival on October 24, which will feature a free day-long festival around the museum with live cooking demonstrations, films, curator-led tours, and more, as well as a special ticketed evening event, After Hours at the Food History Weekend: Brewing Up Innovation, that will explore the story of American craft beer with experts and tastings from participating breweries.

EVERY 28 HOURS in America, a black person is killed by the police. In response, 60 to 90 10-minute plays, written by playwrights from across the nation, will be read in site-specific venues in St. Louis County on October 23 and 24, 2015.

Collaborators include: Richard Montoya, Ralph Remington, Dominique Morriseau, Liza Jesse Peterson, Stew Stewart, Rickerby Hinds, Robert Schenkkan, Aurin Squire, Idris Goodwin, Jim Mcmanus, Shishir Kurup, Robert Alexander, Zakiyyah Alexander, Larissa Fasthorse, Tavia Nyongo, David Henry Hwang, Lynn Nottage, The Black Rep, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, That Uppity Theatre Company, St Louis Rep, Salt House Collective, Trinity Rep, The TEAM, Know Theatre, Salvage Vanguard, Steppenwolf, Voices United, Sojourn Theater, Looking Glass Theater, Urban Theater Movement, Fishtank Performance Studio, Cleveland Public Theater, Guthrie Theater, ACT, and The National Black Theater.

A PRESS SCREENING OF OKLAHOMA takes place Monday, October 19, in New York City, followed by a Q&A with Ted Chapin, President of Rodgers & Hammerstein.

The Academy Award-winning musical Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! returns to theaters nationwide for the first time in wide release in 60 years fully restored and with an extended pre-show featurette featuring Okie native Kristin Chenoweth singing songs from the classic musical based on the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II stage production.

“I can remember watching Oklahoma! and my heart soared,” said Chenoweth. “A musical about the very place where I was growing up that has always remained special to me. From the very first downbeat of the overture to the very last note of this score, ‘Oklahoma!’ is my favorite musical.”

CONTROLLED EXPLOSIONS a Laboratory of Failure. The International Failure Institute (IFI) is launching a worldwide search for what failure means for us today. They are "opening investigations at The Shop Front Theatre in Coventry for a day-long participatory workshop crafting ideas, debating and researching, playing and wildly speculating, and daring to fail in our quest."

On Saturday, August 24, under the direction of Rachel Parish and Cristina Catalina at Theatre Absolute a market exchange on the value of failure in our lives takes place.

Physical and psychological dares, open conversations and talks, sound art, installations and scratch performances, and international exchanges on: the history of failure, failure and addiction, failure and ecology, skateboarding and academic failures, failure in the emergency room and more. From our international players "you may see a crowd sourced hacker space event, a marathon dance performance, and a workshop designing functional organizations based on the principles of failure."

The event is followed by informal drinks. A light lunch and refreshments are provided. The event is free.

Hosted by Firehouse Creative Productions, in association with Theatre Absolute. Saturday, October 24 in Coventry, UK.

CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE stages an open house on Saturday, October 24, 2015.

Spend an hour or an afternoon exploring how theatre is made at America's first professional regional theatre. Experience behind-the-scenes tours, "pop-up" performances, interactive theatre tutorials, and more! In attendance will be some of Cleveland’s artistic visionaries and representatives from the city’s thriving theatre scene. The free celebration concludes with a musical celebration and a piece of CPH birthday cake.

NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT IT The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, CA closed for a night last Wednesday after a man was shot and killed early Wednesday morning in front of the famed joke telling venue. 150 people were inside the club enjoying a roster of comedians when a man wearing a hoodie walked up to a man standing on the Comedy Store's patio and fired at least six shots.

“We are shocked and saddened that something like this happened outside our venue and are doing everything possible to assist our employees, patrons and law enforcement to ensure we remain the safe and entertaining venue we have been for over four decades,” the Comedy Store said in a statement.

A HALLOWEEN CONCERN - BAT SHORTAGE

National Bat Week will be kicked off on Sunday, October 25 at Rokeby Museum in Vermont when state wildlife biologist Alyssa Bennett will deliver a “state of the bat” address.

It's a crisis for the alter-ego of vampires, the frightful beasts that foreshadow the macabre.

Halloween is almost upon us and bats have been under siege by disease - and losing ground - for years. Five of Vermont's nine bat species are listed as either threatened or endangered. A fungus – the mysterious “white nose syndrome” – has attacked bats and decimated their numbers around the state. Bennett will explore new research that offers a glimmer of hope for the future. She and colleagues at the Department of Fish and Wildlife have been tagging and following bats for several years.

She hopes their discoveries will cast a spell to keep them alive.

In addition to being a Halloween necessity, bats save American farmers big money. Their nightly bug-munching saves U.S. agriculture between $3.7 to $53 billion a year on pesticides.

OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY

HUDSON VALLEY DANCE FESTIVAL raised a record $125,555 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The event took place on October 10, 2015, performed on the banks of the Hudson River.

WEDDING BELLS!

VICTOR GARBER AND RAINER ANDRESSEN who have been together for 16 years, were married Saturday, October 9, 2015 in Tofino, British Columbia, Canada. Both Garber and Andressen were born in Canada.

Garber has a long, respected list of stage, television and movie credits. He was part of the three person cast (Alan Alda and Alfred Molina) who won a Tony Award for Art, and is, himself, a four time Tony nominee.

He played Jesus in Toronto's 1972 production of Godspell. He appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Deathtrap, Sweeney Todd, Noises Off, and Lend Me a Tenor. He was in the original Off Broadway cast of Assassins, as well as the 1990s revival of Damn Yankees.

In 2005, he played the role of Frederic in the Los Angeles Opera production of A Little Night Music. He played the male lead in a critically hailed Encores presentation of Follies (2007), opposite Donna Murphy. In mid-2007, he played Garry Essendine in a production of Noël Coward's Present Laughter at Boston's Huntington Theatre. He reprised the role in the Roundabout Theatre's New York production, which opened in January 2010 Garber can be heard on the CD of Knickerbocker Holiday a Collegiate Chorale and American Symphony Orchestra presentation in which he co-starred with Kelli O'Hara. He is also a multi-Primetime Emmy nominee for his roles in the TV series Will & Grace, Alias, Frasier and Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows.

Andressen is an artist and model. In addition to commissioned works, his portfolio includes exquisite Figurative, Gray Matter and Landscapes/Still Life.

The couple resides in New York City.

GET WELL SOON TO . . .

PHIL LESH 75, bassist and Grateful Dead founding member who announced that he is battling bladder cancer. He is being treated in Arizona. He previously had prostate cancer.

On the Facebook page of his San Rafael restaurant and concert hall, Terrapin Crossroads, Lesh posted that he had been diagnosed earlier this month and has been undergoing tests at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. He have surgery to remove the tumors which he called non-aggressive.

Phil Lesh and Friends shows scheduled for October 24 and 25 at the Terrapin Crossroads have been postponed. They will be rescheduled after he had recovered from surgery.



REAR WINDOW

Kevin Bacon. Photo by Michael Lavine

playwright Keith Reddin’s adaptation is based on the Cornell Woolrich short story, which also served as the basis of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller.

Directed by Darko Tresnjak.

Starring Kevin Bacon as Jeffries and Melinda Page Hamilton as Mrs. Thoreslf/Gloria. With McKinley Belcher III as Sam, John Bedford Lloyd as Boyne, Robert Stanton as Thorwald. The ensemble includes Dan Bender, Erik Bloomquist, Ashley Croce, Roy Donnelly, Barbara Gallow, Jon Garrity, Caitlin Harrity, William Squier, Quinn Warren.

Murder is in the eye of the beholder.

A sweltering New York summer. A man confined to his wheelchair spends hour after hour watching his neighbors. Is he imagining things, or has he witnessed a murder?

Set Design by Alexander Dodge - Costume Design by Linda Cho - Lighting Design by York Kennedy - Sound Design by Jane Shaw - Projection Design by Sean Nieuwenhuis. The Fight Choreographer is Steven Rankin. Dramaturg Elizabeth Williamson. Stage Manager James Harker. Assistant Stage Manager Cherie B. Tay. Assistant Director Sam French.

This world premiere is sold out with performances October 22 to November 15, 2015 at Hartford Stage in Hartford, CT.

BIG APPLE CIRCUS THE GRAND TOUR conceived and created by Joel Jeske.

Directed by Mark Lonergan.

Associate director and choreographer Antoinette DiPietropolo. Musical direction by Rob Slowik with clown material created and directed by Joel Jeske.

The Grand Tour transports audiences to the Roaring 1920s, the advent of the modern travel era, when the most adventuresome began to tour the world in ships, planes, trains, and automobiles. With every seat less than 50 feet from the stage, audiences will be awed by the world-class entertainers as they perform breathtaking acts from the four corners of the globe, accompanied by the live, seven-piece Big Apple Circus Band.

Four-time Big Apple Circus ringmaster John Kennedy Kane returns to introduce a variety of stunning performers: clowns Joel Jeske and Brent McBeth; third-generation circus animal trainer Jenny Vidbel with her pony and dog acts; aerialist Sergey Akimov; international juggling sensation Alexander Koblikov; ninth-generation circus performer Chiara Anastasini with hula hoops; the Dominguez Brothers defying the law of gravity with their thrill-filled act featuring the Wheel of Wonder; Chinese hand balancers The Energy Trio; the African acrobatic troupe Zuma Zuma; and the Dosov Troupe soaring on the teeterboard.

Set and lighting design by Maruti Evans, costume design by Oana Botez, and props design by Katie Fleming.

October 21, 2015 to January 10, 2016 at Lincoln Center, NYC.

As a nonprofit performing arts institution, the Big Apple Circus is committed not only to thrilling audiences in the ring, but also to bringing the joy and wonder of circus into the community. Big Apple Circus creates direct, shared connections inside its one-ring Big Top and in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, in its New York City home and in cities across America.

Big Apple Circus Clown Care brings the joy of classical circus to hospitalized children at 15 leading pediatric facilities across the United States. Performers collaborate with doctors and staff to design a program to fit the needs of each hospital. Members of the Clown Care team bring the healing power of humor to children with acute and chronic illnesses, visiting nearly 225,000 young patients every year.

There is also a specially adapted performance of the show, Circus of the Senses, for children and adults with vision or hearing impairments and/or other disabilities. American Sign Language interpreters are positioned in spotlights throughout the tent, and wireless audio headsets transmit a live audio play-by-play description of the action in the ring. Braille or large-print descriptive programs are available for audience members.

A "touch session" after the show offers a unique opportunity for pre-selected groups of visually impaired children to go into the ring to meet the artists and literally feel a clown nose, a juggler's clubs, or the silky coat of a performing dog. Big Apple Circus Embraces Autism provides performances with modified lighting and sound as well as a staffed calming center, to meet the needs of children on the autism spectrum. Inclusion is a core value at Big Apple Circus, which is dedicated to delivering the finest circus entertainment to everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive ability, or economic circumstance.

CHARM by Philio Dawkins. Inspired by a true story.

Directed by BJ Jones.

The play "depicts the colorful inner workings of an etiquette class taught by Mama Darleena Andrews, an African-American transgender woman, in an LGBTQ organization known as The Center. Mama attempts to share her rules of proper behavior with a youth group ranging in sexuality, race and gender identity from a Latina transwoman to a cisgendered straight black couple to a gay suburban teen. Though her students initially struggle to see how etiquette relates to their daily battles with identity, poverty and prejudice, Mama’s powerful love and unapologetic attitude eventually win them over. Inspired by a true story, Charm carries a message of peace and dignity, as Mama and her students must ultimately find a new way to respect each other and to redefine what “having charm” means.

Featuring Armand Fields, Elizabeth Ledo, Monica Lopez Orozco, Brittney Love Smith, Julian Parker, Awate Serequeberhan, Matt Sherbach, Namir Smallwood, and Dexter Zollicoffer.

Costume Design: Izumi Inaba. Lighting Design: J.R. Lederle. Sound Design: Lindsay Jones. Stage Manager: Jonathan Nook.

Performances through November 8, 2015 at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago.

PRINCE OF BROADWAY a world premiere by Harold Prince.

Directed by Hal Prince. Co-direction and choreography by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman.

The show focuses on "the circumstances and fortune, both good and bad, that led to Hal Prince creating some of the most enduring and beloved theatre of all time."

Starring Josh Grisetti, Shuler Hensley, Ramin Karimloo, Nancy Opel, Bryonha Marie Parham, Emily Skinner, Mariand Torres, Kaley Ann Voorhees, Tony Yazbek, Reon Yuzuki / Masachika Ichimura.

Well known numbers are from Flora, the Red Menace, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, She Loves Me, Follies, A Little Night Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Show Boat, Sweeney Todd, Kiss of the Spider Woman and It's a Bird . . . It's a Plane . . . It's Superman.

Set design by Tony Award winner Beowulf Boritt, costume design by six-time Tony Award winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Sonoyo Nishikawa and sound design by Koichi Yamamoto. Wig design is by Paul Huntley. Musical supervisor and arrangements are by three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown. Musical director is Fred Lassen. Casting is by Tara Rubin.

Begins performances October 23 at the 1,972 seat Theatre Orb in Tokyo. Performances through November 22 in a venue which specializes in musicals. The show the transfers to the Umeda Arts Theater, Main Hall, in Osaka for performances November 28-December 10, 2015.

WHO'S WHERE

THE MAVERICKS whose top hits include Here Comes the Rain, Crying Shame, Dance the Night Away, and All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down, perform Thursday, October 22 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ.

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN: THE GERSHWINS AND ME Brooklyn Center opens its 61st season with Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein, bringing his impeccable piano skills and unparalleled interpretations to some of the greatest selections in the entire American Songbook. Saturday, October 24, at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts in Brooklyn, NY.

ALEXA RAY JOEL yes, Billy Joel's daughter, has proved that she has her own talent. She sings October 20-31 at the Cafe Carlyle in New York City.

CRAIG FERGUSON brings his The New Deal Tour to the State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ. on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 for a laugh out loud evening of humor.

IMAGINE DRAGONS are on stage Monday, October 19, at the Forum Copenhagen in Frederiksberg, Denmark. On Tuesday they star at the Spektrum Arena in Oslo, Norway. Wednesday's stop is at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. On Saturday they perform at the Forest National in Brussels, Belgium.

ONE DIRECTION begins a three night stand on Tuesday, October 20, at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast, Ireland.

JOSH GROBAN entertains Monday, October 19 in St. Louis, MO at the Peabody Opera House. On Wednesday he can be enjoyed in New Orleans, LA at the Saenger Theatre. Friday finds him in Austin, TX at Bass Concert Hall.

FINAL OVATION

GERTRUDE TAYLOR mother of Grammy winner singer-songwriter James Taylor died Saturday, October 10, 2015 in her Martha’s Vineyard home. She was 92.

In her own right she was a painter, weaver, photographer and world traveler.

Mother of five, in addition to James, children Alex, Livingston and Kate became professional musicians. Only son Hugh stayed out of the business.

She is survived by four children and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband and one son.

HAL HACKADY lyricist, died October 12, 2015 at Atria Riversale, an assisted living facility in The Bronx. He was 93.

Hackady wrote the lyrics for several Broadway musicals, including Almost Crazy, Minnie's Boys, Goodtime Charley, Teddy & Alice, Snoopy!, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Little by Little. He also penned the theme song for the New York Mets.

There are no survivors.

JOHN BERG art director of album covers for Columbia Records died Sunday, October 11, 2015 in Southampton, N.Y. after a battle with pneumonia. He was 83.

Berg worked for advertising agencies including Doyle Dane Bernbach, and for magazines including Esquire, before joining Columbia Recordsw in 1981 as an art director. He was later named creative director, and retired in 1985 as a vice president. He was responsible for more than 5,000 album covers.

Neil Portnow President/CEO of The Recording Academy issued the following statement: "John Berg was one of the most prolific and productive art directors in the business. During his decades-long career at Columbia Records, he was responsible for the design of more than 5,000 album covers, winning four Grammy Awards in the process. John created unforgettable covers for a wide-range of influential artists including the Byrds, Bob Dylan, Bessie Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand and many more. His legacy will live on in his iconic cover art. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and all those who had the pleasure of working with him."

His first marriage to Rosamond Bassett ended in divorce. In 1982 hemarried Durell Godfrey who survives him. In addition, he is survived by a daughter from his first marriage, Kristina Berg. Lars, a son from his first marriage, died before him.

RONNIE SCHEIB Variety’s longtime New York-based freelance film critic, who specialized in documentaries, died October 4, 2015 after a three-year battle with lung cancer. She was 71.

Next Column: October 25, 2015
Copyright: October 18, 2015 All Rights Reserved. Reviews, Interviews, Commentary, Photographs or Graphics from any Broadway To Vegas (TM) columns may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, utilized as leads, or used in any manner without permission, compensation and/or credit.
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