Says Me Says Mom: Sunday Scoop Week of 11/4/18 - What's Happening This Week or Coming Up Soon

In This Week's Scoop

1) Immersive Hit The Hidden Ones Moves and Extends Run
2) Now at Markin Concert Hall

Daniel Lebhardt, piano; Pasquale Esposito Celebrates Italian Piazzas

3) Upcoming at the State Theatre New Jersey

Peppa Pig Live, Abba the Concert, Menopause the Musical, All Hands on Deck! Show

4) LURED, a timely and honest new play that examines hate crimes against gays in Russia

5)Upcoming at iPlay America

MAX, Tino Martinez. Danity Kane

6) Upcoming at the New York Historical Society

Potions and Painint History of Magic, Wilson and the Armistice: Ending World War I

7) Upcoming at Symphony Space

Frogtown Manor Puppeteers: The

PR Firm Roundup

8) News from Andrea Alton

8A) Consumption

8B) The Little Prince

9) News from BroadwayCon

Harry Potter and Cursed Child and My Fair Lady Join BroadwayCon Lineup

10) News from DKC/O&M

10A) MCC Theater Extends School Girls or the African Mean Girl Show

10B) Daniel & Patrick Lazour Launch New Monthly Series "Lazour Light Show"

11) News from Karen Greco

11A) What's On at the Wild Project

11B) Bernie and Mikey's Trip to the Moon premieres at 59E59 Theatre

12) News from Lincoln Center

13) News from Michelle Tabnick PR
13A) Druid Returns to NYC in Gary Hynes Staging of Waiting for Godot
13B) New York Theater Ballet Announced 2018/2019 Season
13C) Opera Saratoga Announced 2019 Summer Opera Festival Productions

14) News from Pascal Nadon Communications
Tan Dun Leads The Orchestra Now in U.S. Premiere of his Cello Concerto

15) News from Polk and Co.

14A) Fox Announced Rent Live Cast

14B) Network Begins Performances

16) News from Richard Hillman PR

Durst Case Scenerio To Play Limited Engagement Off Broadway

17A) The Book of Merman to Play Weekends

17B) Stephanie Mills Joins Bebe Winans for Born for This Preview Concert

17C) Hamilton to Release New Block of Tickets Through November 10, 2019

1) Immersive Hit

THE HIDDEN ONES

Moves to Manhattan for Extended Run

Now through December 2 at Secret Midtown Location

After scoring critical acclaim and sold out performances earlier this fall in Brooklyn, immersive hit THE HIDDEN ONES returns for and extended run beginning November 1 at an undisclosed venue in Midtown Manhattan near the 50th Street stop on the A/C subway line. THE HIDDEN ONES was conceived and directed by Anthony Logan Cole (Les Miserables, Curiosities) and choreographed by Whitney Sprayberry (Seeing You, Jagged Little Pill).

THE HIDDEN ONES is set near the end of World War II. An audience of 6 members per performance begins their journey in a secret location, where they are smuggled into a world of true stories of those forced into hiding. THE HIDDEN ONES brings the audience face to face not only with history, but with stories of raw love and humanity as they observe two families working to overcome extraordinary circumstances in the darkest of times. It is about how hope can survive turmoil, how passion can thrive in the bleakest of times, and how silence can speak deafening volumes.

THE HIDDEN ONES runs through December 2. Performances are Wednesday – Sunday at 7pm and 9pm. (Note: no performances Nov. 21-23.) Running time is 65 minutes. The production is recommended for ages 16+. Exact location details are only provided after ticket purchase, via email. Tickets are $100, available at www.TheHiddenNYC.com.

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2) Upcoming Merkin Concert Hall

Kaufman Music Center

129 W. 67th St.

New York, NY

Daniel Lebhardt, piano and Pasquale Esposito Celebrates Italian Piazzas

Tuesday November 6, 2:00 PM
Tuesday Matinees

Daniel Lebhardt, piano

The Young Concert Artists Auditions First Prize Winner praised for his "power, poetry and formidable technique" (New York Times) performs works by Bach, Rachmaninoff and Schubert.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/tuesday-matinees-daniel-lebhardt-piano

Saturday November 10, 8:00 PM

Pasquale Esposito Celebrates Italian Piazzas

The Italian tenor takes the audience on a musical journey paying tribute to the most beautiful piazzas in Italy, dedicating to each of them a song celebrating their history, beauty and romance.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org/mch/event/pasquale-esposito-celebrates-italian-piazzas

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3) Upcoming at State Theatre New Jersey

15 Livingston Ave.

New Brunswick, NJ

Peppa Pig, Abba the Concert, Menopause the Musical, and All Hands On Deck! Show

Wednesday November 7, 2:00 PM & 6:00 PM

Peppa Pig Live!

Peppa Pig's Big Surprise

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

www.stnj.org/event/peppa_pig_live

Thursday November 8, 8:00 PM

Abba the Concert

A Tribute to Abba

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stnj.org/event/abba-the-concert

Saturday November 10, 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM

Menopause the Musical

This hilarious musical parody set to classic tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s will have you cheering and dancing in the aisles! See what millions of women worldwide have been laughing about for 17 years! It’s the Hilarious Celebration of Women and The Change!®

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stnj.org/event/menopause-the-musical

Sunday November 11, 3:00 PM

All Hands on Deck! Show

The All Hands on Deck! Show is an all-singing, all-dancing, all-American 1942 Roadshow & Radio Broadcast reproduction filled with the songs, dances, and laughs that America has loved for 70 years

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.stnj.org/event/all-hands-on-deck

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4) LURED, a timely and honest new play that examines hate crimes against gays in Russia

Based on factual accounts and events, LURED focuses on one particular Russian hate group’s attack on a young gay man and the repercussions that follow, when his loved ones decide to take action. The play depicts how these vigilantes lure and entrap LGBTQ people, humiliating and torturing them on camera. LURED wonders if hate is inherent or taught and whether revenge is ever the answer. In this current world climate, the play could not be timelier. LURED is for mature audiences only.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit WWW.LUREDTHEPLAY.COM

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5) Upcoming at iPlay America

110 Schank Rd.

Freehold, NJ

MAX, Tino Martinez and Danity Kane

Friday November 9, Doors: 6:00 PM Show: 7:00 PM

MAX

Bryce Vine, Ezi

For more information or to purchase tickets,

event/max/https://www.iplayamerica.com

Saturday November 10, Doors: 6:00 PM Show: 7:00 PM

Danity Kane

with Dawn and Dumblonde

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

www.iplayamerica.com/event/danity-kane

Saturday November 10 Warehouse 100

Doors: 11:00 AM Start time: 12:00 PM

An Afternoon with Tino Martinez

For more information or to purchase tickets,

www.iplayamerica.com/event/afternoon-tino-martinez

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6) Upcoming at the New York Historical Society

170 Central Park W.

at Richard Gilder Way (at 77th St.)

New York, NY

Potions and Painting: History of Magic and Wilson and the Armistice: Ending World War I

Friday November 9, 6:30 PM

Potions and Painting: History of Magic

Sip wine, chat with friends, and get creative! Join us to create your own painting inspired by items in Harry Potter: A History of Magic and New-York Historical’s collection. At the end of the class, take home your unique work of enchanting art! Ages 21 and up.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

www.nyhistory.org/programs/potions-and-painting-history-magic

Saturday November 10, 9:30 AM

Wilson and the Armistice: Ending World War I

On the centennial of the signing of the First World War Armistice, join historian John Maurer for a unique event reflecting on the agreement and illuminating President Woodrow Wilson’s role in negotiating the Treaty of Versailles, the peace treaty that ended the war.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

www.nyhistory.org/programs/wilson-and-armistice-ending-world-war-i

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7) Upcoming at Symphony Space

2537 Broadway (at 95th St.)

New York, NY

Frogtown Mountain Puppeters: The Legend of the Banana Kid

Saturday November 10, 11:00 AM & 2:00 PM

Chucky, a boy with a dream, goes West. Along the way, he meets a mysterious cowboy who takes him to a remote Western town that is being harassed by a seedy group of outlaws. Pretending to be a local hero – “The Banana Kid” – Chucky leads an effort to outsmart the thugs and bring justice back to the town.

With a fistful of bananas, Chucky rides into town on his trusty goat for a showdown with Big Bad Bart and his gang of bandits (please note that there are no guns in the show).

“The Legend of the Banana Kid” features 20 of Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers’ hand-crafted glove, mouth and rod puppets, and a slew of flying and twirling styrofoam bananas. It’s a witty and engaging show for all ages, best for kids ages 4 and up.

Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers is a puppetry troupe based in Bar Harbor, Maine, and comprised of three siblings - brothers Erik and Brian Torbeck and sister Robin (Torbeck) Erlandsen. Founded in 2000, Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers has performed at festivals, schools, libraries and theatres in the United States and Canada. They write and create all the shows they perform and have received three Citations of Excellence from UNIMA-USA, the highest national award in puppetry.

For more information, please visit The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers site.

To purchase tickets, visit www.symphonyspace.org/events/just-kidding-legend-of-the-banana-kid.

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PR Firm Roundup

8) News from Andrea Alton

8A) Mason Holdings to Premiere New Play

at Victorian Home in Brooklyn

Consumption

November 9 to December 8 at the Beverly Social Club

A mysterious German doctor; a dying woman; stoned teenagers; a showbiz marriage on the rocks; an itinerant fortune teller; a lost episode of TV’s Dragnet. Loosely based on the true-ish story of Elena Hoyos and Count Carl Von Cosel, five disparate but intertwining couples fly through time, space, and planes of existence to ponder the nature of love.

Consumption is an intimate, experiential and immersive work that will play for an audience of just thirty people per performance. The cast, which consists of two actors, will be “on stage” for the duration of the performance, moving amongst the audience, guiding them through the story and the venue. The play takes place in a beautifully restored 100-year old Victorian home where the first floor, including two parlor spaces and a ballroom will be utilized.

Performances take place at the Beverly Social Club, 1016 Beverley Road (Between Stratford Road and Coney Island Avenue), Brooklyn, New York 11218. Subway: Q to Beverley Road. There is a four block walk from the subway.

Consumption runs Saturday, November 10 – Saturday, December 8. Performances are Wednesday – Saturday at 8 pm (excluding Thursday, November 22nd. An additional performance will be added that week on Tuesday, November 20th). Running time: 90 minutes. Tickets are $25 and are available at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1000498.

More information available at www.mason.holdings/consum

8B) EPIC Players Inclusion Company Presents a Neuro-Inclusive Adaptation of

The Little Prince

November 10 – 18 at The Flea Theater, The Siggy Space - 20 Thomas Street, NYC

EPIC Players Inclusion Company (EPIC) will open their 2018/19 season with a neuro-inclusive adaptation of the classic tale, The Little Prince. Written by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar and based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the production is directed by EPIC company member Travis Burbee. The Little Prince will run November 10 – 18 at The Flea Theater, Siggy Space, in Tribeca. Opening night is slated for November 10.

The Little Prince tells the story of a world-weary and disenchanted Aviator whose sputtering plane strands him in the Sahara Desert, where he meets a mysterious, regal young boy: The Little Prince. Over the course of the next eight days stranded in the desert, The Little Prince recounts the miraculous story of his life, while the Aviator reconnects with his lost youth.

EPIC’s inclusive adaption employs a neuro-diverse cast who share the story of the Little Prince and his new friend and their adventures through the galaxy, inclusively illustrating that "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly…what is essential is invisible to the eye.” The audience as with our heroes, will go home with a new understanding of how to laugh, cry, love and accept all that life may have in store for us. Appropriate for kids and grown-ups of all ages.

Tickets are $25 (general), $35 for (reserved) and $55 (premium seating with VIP gift) and are available at www.epicplayersnyc.org - Performances take place at The Flea Theater – The Siggy, 20 Thomas Street (between Broadway & Church Streets), New York, NY 10007. Subways: A/C/E/1/2/3/J/M/Z to Chambers Street, N/Q to Canal Street, and the R/W/4/5/6 to City Hall.

Performance schedule:

Saturday, November 10 at 7:00 pm

Sunday, November 11 at 3:00 pm

Wednesday, November 14 at 7:00 pm

Thursday, November 15 at 7:00 pm

Friday, November 16 at 7:00 pm

Saturday, November 17 at 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm

Sunday, November 18 at 7:00 pm

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9) News from BroadwayCon

TONY AWARD-WINNING

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD

and

LINCOLN CENTER THEATER’S AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION OF

LERNER & LOEWE’S

MY FAIR LADY

JOINS THE BROADWAYCON 2019 MAINSTAGE LINEUP

BroadwayCon is pleased to announce that the Tony Award-winning Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Lincoln Center Theater’s award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady have joined the BroadwayCon 2019 MainStage lineup. The panel will feature cast members from the hit show. The exclusive My Fair Lady panel will feature cast members Laura Benanti, Harry Hadden-Paton, Danny Burstein and Allan Corduner. My Fair Lady and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will join Mean Girls, Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song, Be More Chill, Come From Away, The Prom, and Pretty Woman as part of MainStage programming.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.BroadwayCon.com.

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10) News from DKC/O&M

10A) MCC THEATER

EXTENDS THE ENORE PRODUCTION

SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN

MEAN GIRLS PLAY

NOW EXTENDED BY POPULAR DEMAND THROUGH

DECEMBER 9^TH, 2018

MCC Theater (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey, William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) announced tthe extension of the run of the encore production of the critically acclaimed, award-winning play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, written by 2017-2018 Tow Playwright-in-Residence, Jocelyn Bioh, and directed by Tony^® Winner Rebecca Taichman. The encore production opened at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street) on October 22^nd and was set to end performances on November 25^th. Due to popular demand, the production will now play through December 9, 2018.

In School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, Paulina, the reigning Queen Bee at Ghana's most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter--and Paulina’s hive-minded friends. This buoyant and biting comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe. How far would you go to be queen bee?

For more information, visit www.mcctheater.org

10B) DANIEL & PATRICK LAZOUR

LAUNCH NEW MONTHLY SERIES

LAZOUR LIGHT SHOW

AT THE CORNELIA STREET CAFÉ

APPEARANCES BEGIN

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12 AT 8:30 PM

Ahead of the premiere of their new musical, We Live in Cairo at the American Repertory Theater this May, brothers, songwriters, and collaborators, Daniel and Patrick Lazour have announced a new monthly series at the Cornelia Street Café, Lazour Light Show. Beginning Monday, November 12, their show will play the second Monday of every month at 8:30 PM. Tickets ($10, plus $10 drink minimum) are available at the door and reservations can be made by calling 212 989 9319. For more information, visit: corneliastreetcafe.com/underground

Together as a team, Daniel and Patrick have written seven musicals and several hundred songs. A new take on the troubadour tradition, once a month they take the stage Underground at the Cornelia Street Café (29 Cornelia Street) to present Lazour Light Show, an evening of songs and stories, featuring excerpts from their shows, stand-alone pieces, and new works in development, with the possibility of special guests aiding them in song.

For more information, visit lazourbros.com

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11)News from Karen Greco PR

11A) What's On At the Wild Project

November 12 – November 18
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ARTS FESTIVAL
Schedule: Varies
Tickets: Single tickets are $20; Festival Pass is $50

The International Human Rights Festival will comprise more than 20 events and 150+ artists, presenting advocacy performances and art which bring together beauty, sincerity,vulnerabilityand engagement to open a space for healing, discussion and social change.

The Full Line Up:

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12
7 pm: The Pantheon of Electric Beasties by Tribal Baroque/Thoth (performance/music)

Tribal Baroque/Thoth will be prayforming excerpts from their latest vocal theater piece entitled "The Pantheon Of Electric Beasties," about a despot who takes over a city using seductive entities called electric beasties. Thoth and Lila’Angelique are world-based nomads using countertenor and coloratura soprano vocals to create fantasy operas based on love and devotion, accompanied by ritual theater, dance, foot-percussion, and violins. www.tribalbaroque.com or www.skthoth.com

Fine is a drama about a therapist and her patients. This play explores mental health issues, the way we view individuals with mental health disorders, and the stigma surrounding these common, human issues.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
7 pm: “The Order of Pearls” by Amirov Dance Theater (dance and workshop)

“The Order of Pearls” (excerpt) strings together a chain of relationships unveiling the multiplicities of womanhood. The work exposes the audience to a myriad of female roles such as in a series of three drastically different duets to capture the identities of women from divergent paths in life. A workshop/discussion will follow the performance.

Jessica Litwak of the H.E.A.T. Collective presents “The Wall,” a short play that uses poetry, humor, puppetry and diverse characters to give voice to one woman’s experience of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Directly after thispiece the writer/performer will teach the short form of Puppets For the People: a workshop that teaches some of the methods of The H.E.AT. Collective focusing specifically on our puppet building techniques.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14
7 pm: “Hair Ties” by Movement of the People Dance Company (dance) and “TOYS” by Christina Evans (performance art)

“Hair Ties” is a multidisciplinary, dance-theater piece inspired by America's fear of Black power and beauty. Inspired by the Tignon Laws of the 1800s, this evocative work is a celebration of Black beauty, creativity, and ingenuity in the face of perpetual oppression. Collaboration with Evelyn Green (videographer), Amina Henry (wordsmith) and “Hair Ties” interviewees.

“TOYS” is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning solo show by Christina Evans exposing the insidious and massive trade of sex trafficking. Winner of three awards at Hollywood Fringe Festival and a sell-out season at Adelaide Fringe Festival, “TOYS” captures the chilling cycles of abuse, exchange and sexual corruption that playthings worldwide are entrapped.8:30 pm: Celebration of Black Men (dance, music, theatre)

8:30 pm: Celebration of Black Men (dance, music, theatre).

Tyrone Bevans (dance): “Getting Out the Door” begins a discussion about processing trauma to find resilience in order to step into the world. Tyrone began his journey in dance while studying at the Mark Morris Dance Group and Martha Graham School for Contemporary Dance. He is currently dancing for Christal Brown’s Inspirit Dance and Joya Powell’s Movement of the people.https://tyronebevansdance.com

J Bouey (dance): “Holding Onto Innocence” looks at the duality of innocence, a child-like innocence and not guilty of a crime, and the futile attempt to hold onto it. This piece shows the ways in which many adult Black Americans have tried to protect themselves and their Black children from state-sanctioned police violence. J has a Movement Research Van Lier Emerging Artist of Color Fellow for 2018, Dancing While Black Fellow for 2017-2018, and performed with Elisa Monte Dance as an apprentice from 2015 to 2017.www.jbouey.com

J will be joined by Dre Drummond/Dre.Speaks. Dre grew up in Queens, and earned his B.F.A in contemporary dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he worked with choreographers such as Bill T Jones, Susan Jaffe, Doug Elkins, Brenda Daniels and many more. DRE speaks is a multifaceted platform in which Dre expresses himself through the movement of his body and the words of his mouth. Through exploration Dre uses the unique qualities of poetry, movement, and film.http://andrespeaks.com/

Owen Valentine (violin/jazz fiddle): His soulful renditions of his original music and soul classics are just a starting point thatlead to the creation of spontaneous works of music. Owen has performed or recorded with George Duke, Gil Scot Heron and Surface, Mary J Blige, The OJays, Santana, Teddy Pendergrass, Anthony Hamilton and more. His most recent project collaboration with Emmy award-winning Tap dancer Jason Samuels Smith,"Transformation", drew standing ovations at New York's Lincoln Center.www.theowenvalentine.com

Anthony Wills (theatre): “It’s good to be alive” is a celebration of Ahmed El Motassem and all the unknown brilliant artists of the world. Recent performance credits includeRob in Ace the Case with Susan Sarandon, Richard in Cassanova Was a Woman, a guest appearance on Alpha House and Denzil Best in the Swedish film “Monica Z” directed by Per Fly. Anthony played the role of Harold Hill in Music Man with Tony Nominee Marla Schaffel. He has performed all over the country in his unique style of clowning, dance, singingand spoken word. http://www.anthonywillsjr.com/me/Welcome.html

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15
7 pm: ImprActivists (improv comedy)

Katie Hutch leads her team of professional improv actors to the intersection of improv comedy and social activism. TheImprActivists (“making the seemingly impractical, real”) are the International Human Rights Art Festival house team, bringing social activism to you in the form of humor, creativityand engagement. Tonight, they will be interpreting two different stories — one, a mystical take taken from Chuang Tzu, the Chinese Taoist, and then a biography of a well-known activist who really did make a difference! (This activist will be announced from the stage.)

8:30 pm: New Dance Projects (dance)

Tom Tsai: In his solo Filling Nothing, Tom Tsai relates an experience dancing with incarcerated men to his understanding of Breakin' culture and Hip Hop history. Tom's solo works have been presented throughout California and New York, and internationally in Sweden, Portugal, The Netherlands, and at Sadler’s Wells in London. Tom is the recipient of a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant and two-time winner of the REVERBdance Festival’s REVERB Award. http://tomtsai.com

Christopher Nuñez: “What a wonderful time we almost had” is a final conversation with Christopher’s father. The piece concerns the understated affection of fathers and disengagement in relationships. Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez is a Costa Rican born, Brooklyn-based choreographer, live artist, curatorand dance educator. Most recently, his work has been presented at Movement Research at The Judson Church, The Leslie Lohman Museum for Gay and Lesbian Art, BAM Fisher, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, NY City Center Studios, InSitu Dance Festival, Performance Mix Festival and the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center. unpezverde.com

J CHEN PROJECT: The story of a single immigrant girl-child, making her way from Honduras through Mexico and into the U.S., is told as myth, through poetry and dance. A dance/theater commission from Tom Block's original La Bestia: Sweet Mother text. Jessica's choreography credits include Off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theater (2016), Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (2015, 2016), Ai Weiwei: The Seed for Brooklyn Museum (2014), TEDx Semester at Sea (2014), Cornell University’s Celebration of Asian American Women (2011), World Expo - USA Pavilion in Shanghai, China (2010) www.jchenproject.com. Tom Block is a playwright, author of five books, 25+ year exhibiting visual artist and the founding producer of the International Human Rights Art Festival. tomblock.com

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16
7:30 pm: Celebration of Justice

The signature event, bringing together artists, activists, politicians on the IHRAF stage to most clearly present our philosophy of beauty, sincerity, vulnerabilityand engagement. Presenters/speakers include:

A film made specifically for us about the importance of art to the Civil Rights Movement by Congressman John Lewis
Chinese Democracy Activist and recipient of numerous international human rights awards Mr. Wei JingSheng
NYC Human Rights Commissioner Carmelyn Malalis
Rabbi Abie Ingber, Executive Director of the Center for Interfaith Community Engagement at Xavier University
Dr. Sarah Sayeed, Senior Advisor in the NYC Community Affairs Unit, specializing in issues related to the Muslim community
Violinist Owen Valentine
Singer Alika Hope
Spoken Word Artist (and Festival Assistant Producer) Layla Zami
Climate Change ActivistTheatre Artist Julia Levine
Two-Spirit Cherokee singer Tony Enos
Katherine Sweetness Jennings, substance abuse counselor

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17
1 pm: Aseemkala Initiative (traditional Indian Dance and discussion)

The Mahavidyas are a group of 10 demi-goddesses, each with a unique strength and character, who live on the margins of acceptable society. They are widows, young girls, dark skin,blood thirsty, warriors. They are feared and celebrated for their imperfections. Their ability to unify opposites through erasing boundaries between correct, incorrect, just and unjust makes the Mahavidyasthe inspiration of this dance project—a project hoping to cross boundaries in medicine. There will be six dance pieces and a 15-20 minute discussion. Dancers and Artists: Shilpa Darivemula, Sophia Salingaros, Supraja Chittari, Haritha Sishtla, Jenn Pamela Chowdhury. Choreographer Panelists for Q&A: Jenn Pamela Chowdhury, Shilpa Darivemula, Supraja Chittari.

2:30 pm: Theatre of the Oppressed (interactive theatre)

An original, interactive forum play by the Fortune Society Theatre Troupe addressing injustice in the criminal justice system, based on the lived experiences of the actors. This project is a partnership between Theatre of the Oppressed NYC and The Fortune Society.

4:30 pm: “Horny Bastards” written by Sam Graber, directed by Katrin Hilbe (theatre)

“Horny Bastards” takes on the curious relationship between rhino poaching in Africa and the sexual harassment of women in America. A concert reading of the upcoming world premiere play.

6:30 pm: “Hair Ties” by Movement of the People Dance Company and “Psyche (Part I & II)” by Oxana Chi (dance)

“Psyche (Part I & II)”: What are the affinities between the Psyche and the Soul? In this choreographic exploration of her body memory, the dancer dives deeper and deeper into her inner self, to discover her own humanity…

8:00 pm: Celebration of Women (dance, spoken word, music)

BARKHA PATEL COMPANY (dance): “Mukta, A Woman Liberated.” A dance production about the internal journey of anayika, or woman, grappling with long-held tradition against a modern world. Barkha Patel is an Indian Classical Kathak dancer trained in the Jaipur and Lucknow style by her Guru, Rachna Sarang. Based in New York, she was praised in the NY Times for her 'brilliant virtuosity and bewitching charm. She has performed across the USA and India, including for former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and music virtuoso Pandit Jarajji. An accomplished choreographer, she completed her Master’s in Kathak Performing Arts from the Kalidasa Sanskrit University in Nagpur, India. http://barkhadance.com

KAINA QUENGA (dance and song):” Ori Tahiti” (Tahitian Dance): A native of Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Kaina Quenga has been dancing hula professionally for over 20 years in Hawaiʻi, Florida, New York and throughout the East Coast. Kaina is the Director of Nā ʻŌiwi NYC, a New York City-based education and advocacy group. She serves as a cultural and Hula instructor at Concourse House Day Care, 92Y Harkness Dance Center and Spoke The Hub. Kaina Quenga will be accompanied by ANTHONY AIU. They are both co-founders of Te Ao Mana (2016). Anthony Haumanava Mataheiari'i Aiu received an MFA at the Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. His dedication is developing a dance form and approach to technical training that draws on his rich ancestry and to give voice to the underrepresented Polynesian people. His work has been presented by the LABA Theater NYC, Green Space, Dixon Place, 92Y, SUNY Purchase, Dance Parade NYC, Steppin’ Out Studios, Brooklyn Ballet, and Webster Hall, among other festivals. https://www.facebook.com/teaomanaori/

REIGN TAYLOR (singer, songwriter, guitar): Reign Taylor will share a beautiful fusion of blues/soul and hip-hop. A lil' N'degeocello mixed with Da Bratt, Reign Taylor is a soulful lyricist with roots in Jamaica, Queens. She began her journey as a writer and poet while residing at the YWCA shelter in Greater Harrisburg. Since then she's appeared in a Nike shoe commercial, the off-Broadway play Dimensions and regularly volunteers at Rikers Island Prison with Green Earth Poets Café. Her life goal is to use her art as a means to invoke others in pursuit of their dreams. She is truly a #dreamcatcher. http://soundcloud.com/MissReignProductions

LA ROKA NYC (dance, live music): An uplifting message celebrating women's presence in hip-hop. The performance incorporates dramatic Hip-hopchoreography done by 2 Full Circle HardRock dancers that burst into live song and rhymes performed by the legendary La Roka. Born and raised in NYC, La Roka, also known and acclaimed internationally as Bgirl Rokafella for her breakdance mastery, is well rooted in Hip-hop and Afro-Latin rhythms and currently teaches at The New School. She began to perform at theatrical venues with Full Circle Prod, the nonprofit company she co-founded with her husband Kwikstep. She has proven her multi-faceted creativity, as a model for Athleta, an actress in the film "On the Outs" and the choreo-play "SHE" and as a filmmaker directing the documentary "All The Ladies Say". La Roka created Hip-hop choreography for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's 70th anniversary Hamlet, performed with the House of Ninja for Rainbow Fashion week, and appeared in the Netflix series “The Get Down”! https://larokasoul.com

LAYLA ZAMI (spoken words, saxophone): “Homesong” is a diasporic journey from Berlin to Brooklyn, using words and sounds to flow through freedom, love, and resistance. Dr. Layla Zami is an independent scholar, artist, curator and globetrotter born in Paris, France. Drawing from a rich Jewish-Russian-German and Afro-Indian-Caribbean cultural heritage, Layla performed across NYC and across the globe as a Resident Artist with Oxana Chi Dance from the Abrons Arts Center in Manahatta to the Solo International Performing Arts Festival on the island of Java, Indonesia over the HAU Theatre in Berlin. A former Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, Zami holds a Ph.D. from Humboldt-University, Berlin and is currently IHRAF's Assistant Producer. www.laylazami.net

10 pm: “(Flying) Dutchman” by Theatre Of War, directed by Christopher-Rashee Stevenson with additional text from "Les Negres Clownerie" by Jean Genet (theatre)
Featuring Malcolm B. Hines & Jonathan Schenk

Experimental theater group Theatre Of War reconstructs Amiri Baraka's scathing racial diatribe, “Dutchman.” Amiri Baraka's 1964 text serves as foundation for a timely reconstruction examining eloquent blind fury, racial hysteria, sexual hysteria, and white obsession with silencing the black voice/body. “(Flying) Dutchman” is part theater piece, town hall meeting, heated debate, hypnosis session, and rite created to navigate the haunted, outer reaches of the human psyche, to conjure up Baraka himself for marching orders as well as to herald in our final wake up call.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
1 pm: “Quill House” (performance)

“QUILL HOUSE” is an immersive sonic visual theater experience by Karen Cellini & Gabriela Senza that explores invisible truths, the unseen realms of experience, and the founding of self. Through movement, sound, and ethereal elements, multidisciplinary artists Karen Cellini and Gabrielle Senza present a layered collage of visual and sonic experiences that delve into the subconscious realities and conscious fictions of the psycho-emotional realms of existence in a world fraught with injustice.

2:30 pm: Circus Amok and “Stranger in A Normal Land” by Barbara Ann Michaels (circus and clown)

Circus Amok is a circus-theater company whose mission is to provide free public art addressing contemporary issues of social justice to the people of New York City. Directed and founded by Jennifer Miller, the group has been together since 1989, bringing its funny, queer, caustic and sexy, political, one-ring spectacles to diverse neighborhoods throughout the city. Traditional circus skills combined with experimental dance, life-size puppetry, music old and new, gender-bending performance art and improvisational techniques, create new meanings for circus while continuing to entertain crowds of all ages throughout the streets, gardens, parks, and playgrounds. https://www.circusamok.org

"Stranger in A Normal Land:" Are we all really friends who haven't met yet? How do we bridge the perceived distances between us? "Stranger in a Normal Land" is a clown theater exploration of what it means to be a stranger and a friend. Whether traveling the world or the block, how do we often interact with each other? And how else could we? How often do you feel like a stranger or a friend to your own self? Enjoy this audience-interactive playful and serious take onconnection.

4 pm: Mare Nostrum Elements (dance/workshop) and “Altering” choreographed by Patrick O’Brien (dance)

MNE’s participation in the festival will include a live class demonstration of our teaching method (The Wave Within) followed by a performance of “Altering,” a dance work created by choreographer Patrick O’Brien during ECS 2018. Mare Nostrum Elements directors Kevin Albert and Nicola Iervasi will lead a participatory class following their signature Movement Theater method The Wave Within. The class will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. Altering premiered at MNE’s Emerging Choreographer Series in February 2018 and was inspired by the Me Too movement.

6 pm: Thank You for Coming Out (improv comedy)

Thank You for Coming Out presents an improvised love story. Our incredible cast of LGBTQ improvisers will bring to life a Queer Love Story through musical improv. Nothing is rehearsed. Everything is love and magic.

7:30 pm: “Dirt” by Julia Levine and Ran Xia (theatre

nspired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, and other writings both scientific and fantastical, Dirt elucidates the world beneath our feet and evaluates our connection to where our food grows. Theatre artists Julia Levine and Ran Xia will present a staged reading of this new play at the Festival.

9 pm: New Dance Projects (dance)

Tom Tsai: In his solo” Filling Nothing,” Tom Tsai relates an experience dancing with incarcerated men to his understanding of Breakin' culture and Hip Hop history. Tom's solo works have been presented throughout California and New York, and internationally in Sweden, Portugal, The Netherlands, and at Sadler’s Wells in London. Tom is the recipient of a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant and two-time winner of the REVERBdance Festival’s REVERB Award. http://tomtsai.com

Garrett Parker: “Room 1” is a solo dance work that explores the spectrum of human emotion and physicality as the protagonistsrealizes his loss of freedom. Garrett graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with academic honors and a merit-based full scholarship, the Sarah Graham Kenan Scholarship. Garrett attended the Movement Invention Project (2015, 2017), the NYC Gaga Winter Intensive (2016), the Kyoto Dance Festival (2016) and the American Dance Festival (2013, 2014, 2015). https://www.detoxmovement.org

J CHEN PROJECT: The story of a single immigrant girl-child, making her way from Honduras through Mexico and into the U.S., is told as myth, through poetry and dance. A dance/theater commission from Tom Block's original La Bestia: Sweet Mother text. Jessica's choreography credits include Off-Broadway Minetta Lane Theater (2016), Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (2015, 2016), Ai Weiwei: The Seed for Brooklyn Museum (2014), TEDx Semester at Sea (2014), Cornell University’s Celebration of Asian American Women (2011), World Expo - USA Pavilion in Shanghai, China (2010) www.jchenproject.com Tom Block is a playwright, author of five books, 25+ year exhibiting visual artist and the founding producer of the International Human Rights Art Festival. tomblock.com

All performances are at The Wild Project (195 E. 3^rd Street, between Avenues A & B).

Tickets can be purchased online at www.thewildproject.org.

The Box Office opens one hour prior to curtain.

11B) BERNIE AND MIKEY'S TRIP TO THE MOON receives world premiere at 59E59 Theaters

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) welcomes the world premiere of BERNIE AND MIKEY'S TRIP TO THE MOON written by Scott Aiello and directed Claire Karpen. Produced by Strangemen Theatre Company (The Woodsman), BERNIE AND MIKEY'S TRIP TO THE MOON begins performances on Thursday, November 8 for a limited engagement through Sunday, December 2. Press Opening is Wednesday, November 14 at 7:15 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday – Friday at 7:15 PM; Saturday at 2:15 PM & 7:15 PM; Sunday at 2:15 PM. Please note the following Thanksgiving week schedule adjustment: There is an added performance on Tuesday, November 20 at 2 PM and no performance on Thursday, November 22; the performance on Wednesday, November 21 will be a relaxed performance. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59^th Street, between Park and Madison).

Bernie and Mikey are perched on the edge of adulthood -- a sister and brother trapped between the lives they crave and the circumstances they were born into. The children of a working-class Italian family in 1990s Chicago, Mikey is torn between unrealized potential and loyalty to his sister, while Bernie, living with a cognitive disability, longs to find her voice but faces a world unwilling to listen.

Single tickets are $25 - $35 ($24.50 for 59E59 Members). Tickets are available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or by visiting www.59e59.org. Please note: After October 28, 59E59 Theaters will transition to a new ticketing system. Beginning October 29, patrons should call the 59E59 Box Office direct: 646-892-7999.

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12) News from Lincoln Center

Monday, November 5 at 1:00 pm

Lincoln Center Moments

Morley: A musical celebration of dignity, heritage, legacy, and love

Join Morley and masterful musicians as they traverse the musical soundscapes of the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. This musical journey will be uplifting and inspiring, and you'll find yourself singing along and tapping your feet!

Presented in collaboration with the Atrium 360° series

This free performance-based program is specially designed for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, 165 West 65th Street, 10th Floor

FREE Seating is limited and registration is required. Contact access@lincolncenter.org or 212.875.5375.

Monday, November 5 – FREE – at 7:30 pm

Insights at the Atrium: “New York’s New-Music Landscape”

The Marie-Josée Kravis Creative Partner Nadia Sirota, speaker

Rebekah Heller, speaker

New York Philharmonic Vice President, Artistic Planning, Isaac Thompson, moderator

How is new music adapting to and challenging contemporary culture? The Marie-Josée Kravis New York Philharmonic Creative Partner Nadia Sirota; bassoonist / International Contemporary Ensemble co-artistic director Rebekah Heller; and Philharmonic Vice President, Artistic Planning, Isaac Thompson survey the state of new music in New York City and consider its future.

Thursday, November 8 – FREE – at 7:30 pm

Atrium 360°

Voices of a People’s History of the United States

This Lincoln Center commission commemorates Howard Zinn’s seminal book, A People’s History of the United States, with music and spoken-word performances that bring to life the extraordinary history of ordinary people in the book: those who built the movements for social justice, ending slavery and Jim Crow, protesting war and the genocide of Native Americans, creating unions and the eight-hour workday, advancing women's rights and gay liberation, and struggling to right the wrongs of the day. Actors, musicians, and spoken-word performers delve into original source materials from the rebels, dissenters, and visionaries of our past—and present. Anthony Arnove, coeditor with Howard Zinn of the Voices of a People's History of the United Statesanthology and author of the introduction to the new 35th-anniversary edition of A People's History of the United States, narrates. Schedule pending, performers include actors Susan Pourfar, Brian Jones, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Okieriete Onaodowan, musician Zeshan B, and more to be announced.

David Rubenstein Atrium, Frieda and Roy Furman Stage (Broadway bet. 62nd & 63rd St.)

FREE Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, including program updates, visit LincolnCenter.org/Atrium.

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13)News from Michelle Tabnick PR

13A) White Light Festival

Theater Advisory

Waiting for Godot

Through November 13, 2018

A fresh and insightfully comic interpretation of Samuel Beckett's

Waiting for Godot from Ireland's Druid theater company

and Tony Award-winning director Garry Hynes

This year's 2018 White Light Festival will run from October 16 through November 18. The multidisciplinary festival will feature events presented in six venues across the city, including world, U.S., and New York premieres. The ninth annual international festival will explore transcendence, interior illumination, and the communal impulse as exhibited through artistic expression across continents and centuries.

Ireland's inestimable Druid theater company and Tony Award-winning director Garry Hynes present Samuel Beckett's irreverent existentialist masterpiece, Waiting for Godot. In this refreshing reimagining infused with slapstick comedy, Druid's award-winning production joins the festival for a 14-performance run, in the culmination of a well-received international tour.

Tickets for the 2018 White Light Festival are available online at WhiteLightFestival.org, by calling CenterCharge at 212.721.6500, or at the David Geffen or Alice Tully Hall Box Office (Broadway and 65th Street).

Details on the full White Light Festival lineup may be found at WhiteLightFestival.org.

13B) New York Theatre Ballet

Announces 2018-19

Once Upon a Ballet Peformances

New York Theatre Ballet announces the company's 2018-19 performances of their critically acclaimed Once Upon a Ballet series geared to audiences ages 3 and up and running time of one hour for young attention spans. This season's offerings include: Keith Michael's The Nutcracker from December 14-15, 2018 and Cinderella February 9 & 10, 2019 at Florence Gould Hall, 55 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022. Single tickets: $27 adults $15 children, for both Nutcracker and Cinderella: $20 adults $12 children, http://nytb.org/calendar-and-tickets.

2018-2019 Season Family Shows:

Nutcracker at Florence Gould Hall

December 14 - 16, 2018

Friday, December 14 at 6:00 PM

Saturday, December 15 at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM

Sunday, December 16 at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM

From clockwork imps to a luminous owl that flies above the audience, mice dressed in polka dots and dancers dancing with huge chopsticks, this timeless, re-imagined classic bursts with energy and excitement. This holiday ballet, danced to Tchaikovsky's beloved score, is set in Art Nouveau style circa 1907 with choreography by choreographer Keith Michael; set design by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith; and costumes by Resident Costume Designer of the Metropolitan Opera, Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan.

Cinderella at Florence Gould Hall

February 9 & 10, 2019

Saturday, February 9 at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM

Sunday, February 10 at 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:30 PM

A dancing clock, two wacky stepsisters, and everyone's favorite rags to riches princess are all part of this traditional enchanting story! A perennial favorite of NYTB audiences across America, Cinderella is one-hour in length with choreography by Donald Mahler, costumes by Sylvia Taalson Nolan, and set design by Gillian Bradshaw-Smith.

13C) OPERA SARATOGA ANNOUNCES

2019 SUMMER FESTIVAL

OPERA PRODUCTIONS

Saratoga Springs, NY - Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson announced the three operas that will be featured at the center of the company's 2019 Summer Festival, to be presented from June 29 through July 14, 2019.

The season will open with Gaetano Donizetti's sparkling French comedy, La Fille du Régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment), which returns to the company for the first time in 17 years. This new production, directed by Edelson, will feature the company debut of Argentinian Bel Canto tenor Santiago Ballerini in the role of Tonio, famous for the bravura aria 'Pour mon âme' in which the tenor sings a succession of nine high Cs in one of opera's greatest showpieces. Maestro Andrew Bisantz (Le nozze di Figaro, 2016; The Consul, 2018) returns to Opera Saratoga to conduct. Additional casting will be announced in the fall.

Balancing tradition with innovation, the second production of the season will be the World Premiere of Ellen West, a new chamber opera by Ricky Ian Gordon with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Frank Bidart. Co-commissioned by Opera Saratoga and Beth Morrison Projects, Ellen West brings us deep into the personal internal struggle of a young woman's battle with a severe, chronic eating disorder, as well as the attempts by her doctor to diagnose her. Inspired by one of the earliest cases of existential analysis, this World Premiere production will feature the company debut of soprano Jennifer Zetlan as Ellen West, and the return of baritone Keith Phares (Le nozze di Figaro, 2016) as her psychiatrist, Dr. Ludwig Binswanger. The production will be directed by Emma Griffin in her company debut, under the baton of Maestra Lidiya Yankovskaya (Zémire et Azor, 2017).

The third production of the season brings Humperdinck's classic Hansel and Gretel back to Opera Saratoga for the first time in 29 years in a boundary-breaking production by the Chicago-based theater company Manual Cinema, originally created for La Monnaie in Brussels. Manual Cinema combines handmade shadow puppetry and cinematic techniques to create immersive visual stories for stage and screen. Using vintage overhead projectors, puppets, actors, and live feed cameras, Manual Cinema's production of Hansel and Gretel is a remarkable hybrid between attending the cinema and the opera. Opera Saratoga presents the East Coast premiere of this truly unique version of one of the most beloved operas in the repertoire, featuring members of Opera Saratoga's Young Artist Program in all of the principal roles, with a guest appearance by members of the Children's Chorus of the Glens Falls Symphony.

For more information, please visit www.operasaratoga.org

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14)News from Pascal Nadon Communications

THE ORCHESTRA NOW (TŌN) OPENS 2018 ROSE THEATER SERIES
AT LINCOLN CENTER, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2018

TAN DUN WILL LEAD U.S. PREMIERE OF HIS

CELLO CONCERTO: INTERCOURSE OF FIRE AND WATER

TŌN Launched New WWFM Broadcast Series and Opens its
Second Season of Radio Concerts with WMHT

The Orchestra Now (TŌN) begins its third Rose Theater season at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall on Sunday, November 11, 2018 at 3pm. Led by the renowned conductor, composer, visual artist, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun, the program will be highlighted by the U.S. premiere of his Cello Concerto:Intercourse of Fire and Water, performed by Chinese soloist Jing Zhao in her Lincoln Center debut. The concert also includes another Tan Dun work: Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds, commissioned by Carnegie Hall in 2015 for the National Youth Orchestra of the United States. The music draws on forms from East and West, ancient and modern, and incorporates birdsong produced by smartphone.

Of special note in the Orchestra's fall season, TŌN recently launched a new broadcast series on WWFM - The Classical Network station serving New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and around the world at wwfm.org. The programs are part of WWFM's exclusive "The Classical Network in Concert" series and will be hosted by Carl Hemmingsen and the next performance will air on Friday November 9 at 8 pm. More information is available at wwfm.org.TŌN's second broadcast season with WMHT, serving Eastern New York and Western New England, will start on October 28 and details are available at wmht.org.

Tan Dun & Respighi's Pines of Rome

Sunday November 11, 2018 at 3 pm

Tan Dun, conductor

Jing Zhao, cello

Smetana: Vltava (The Moldau) from Má Vlast (My Country)
Tan Dun: Cello Concerto: Intercourse of Fire and Water (U.S. Premiere)

Tan Dun: Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds

Respighi: Pines of Rome

The next performance in the series will present guest conductor Fabio Luisi in works by Brahms and Grieg on March 26, 2019.

The Orchestra Now

The Orchestra Now (TŌN) is a group of more than 60 vibrant young musicians from 14 different countries around the globe: the United States, Bulgaria, China, France, Hungary, Malaysia, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Venezuela. All share a mission to make orchestral music relevant to 21st-century audiences. Hand-picked from hundreds of applicants from the world's leading conservatories - including The Juilliard School, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and the Curtis Institute of Music - the members of TŌN are not only rousing audiences with their critically acclaimed performances, but also enlightening curious minds by presenting on-stage introductions and demonstrations at concerts, offering program notes written from the musicians' perspective, and connecting with patrons through one-on-one discussions during intermissions. To date, members of TŌN have earned positions with orchestras across the United States and in Europe. Some play regularly with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Baltimore Symphony.

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15) News from Polk and Co.

15A) THE NATIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTION OF

NETWORK

PERFORMANCES BEGIN SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2018

OPENS ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2018

AT BROADWAY’S BELASCO THEATRE

Strictly Limited Engagement -18 Weeks Only

NETWORK will begin performances on Saturday, November 10, 2018 and officially open on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

Tickets are now on sale at www.Telecharge.com (212-239-6200) and range from $49.00 – $189.00 (including the $2 facility fee). The Belasco Theatre box office (111 W 44^th Street) will open on Monday, October 15 at 10:00AM.

For more information visit www.NetworkBroadway.com.

15B) FOX ANNOUNCES CAST FOR

LIVE MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF

THE TONY AWARD- AND PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING MUSICAL “RENT,”

AIRING SUNDAY, JANUARY 27

CAST INCLUDES KIERSEY CLEMONS, BRANDON VICTOR DIXON,

JORDAN FISHER, VANESSA HUDGENS, BRENNIN HUNT,

MARIO, TINASHE AND VALENTINA

Keala Settle (“The Greatest Showman”) Joins Event in Special Role

to Perform Classic “Seasons Of Love”

FOX has announced the full cast for the upcoming live musical event RENT, airing Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 (7:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed).

Actress Kiersey Clemons (“Hearts Beat Loud”), Emmy nominee and Tony Award winner Brandon Victor Dixon (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert”), singer/songwriter Jordan Fisher (“Hamilton,” 2017 winner of “Dancing with the Stars”), actress and singer Vanessa Hudgens (“Second Act,” “Grease: Live”), newcomer and singer/songwriter Brennin Hunt (“Nashville”), R&B/Pop superstar Mario (EMPIRE), recording artist Tinashe (“Dancing with the Stars”) and performer Valentina (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”) are set to star in the highly anticipated live musical event. Additionally, Keala Settle will perform the iconic solo from “Seasons of Love” and join the ensemble in the live musical.

The groundbreaking, Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is a re-imagining of Puccini’s “La Bohème,” and set in New York City’s gritty East Village. “Rent” tells the unforgettable story of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams during a time of great social and political turmoil. Winner of four Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, writer/composer Jonathan Larson’s tour de force continues to offer an inspiring message of hope and friendship.

Below is a cast breakdown:

Kiersey Clemons as JOANNE JEFFERSON, Maureen’s girlfriend and an Ivy League-educated lawyer.

Brandon Victor Dixon as TOM COLLINS, the computer scientist who returns to New York after being expelled from MIT.

Jordan Fisher as MARK COHEN, an aspiring filmmaker, who serves as the show’s narrator, while filming the lives of his friends.

Vanessa Hudgens as MAUREEN JOHNSON, the outgoing performance artist who’s not afraid to take on the establishment.

Brennin Hunt as ROGER DAVIS, a struggling musician and Mark’s roommate and best friend.

Mario as BENJAMIN COFFIN III, Mark and Roger’s former roommate-turned-landlord, who is after their rent.

Tinashe as MIMI MARQUEZ, the dancer who struggles with addiction.

Valentina as ANGEL DUMONT SCHUNARD, a young drag queen and street percussionist who embraces life and lives it to its fullest.

The television adaptation will be broadcast from the historic Fox Studios in Los Angeles. Acclaimed film, television and theater producer Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease: Live,” “La La Land,” “Wicked”), along with the estate of writer/composer Jonathan Larson, will executive-produce the event. Tony Award-nominated director Michael Greif (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “Rent”), who directed the original New York Theatre Workshop and Broadway productions of “Rent,” is the director overseeing the stage direction; and Alex Rudzinski (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease: Live,” “Dancing with the Stars”) will serve as the live television director.

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16) News from Richard Hillman PR

D U R S T C A S E S C E N A R I O:

M I D T E R M M A D N E S S

IN A STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

THE PLAYROOM THEATER

(151 WEST 46^THSTREET – BETWEEN BROADWAY & 6^THAVENUE)

11 PERFORMANCES ONLY!

NOVEMBER 7-18, 2018

Producer Eric Krebs will present Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness in a strictly limited engagement at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46^thStreet – 8^thFloor) with performances beginning Wednesday, November 7 (the day after the midterm elections) and continuing through Sunday, November 18. Tickets are $39 and may be purchased online here.

Will Durst is acknowledged by peers and press alike as one of the premier political satirists in the country. He’s patched together a quilt of a humorous career, weaving together columns, books, radio and television commentaries, acting, voice-overs and stand-up into a riotous patchwork of funny comedy humor. The Oregonian called him, “The thinking man’s comedian." Author of 4 books, Durst has told jokes in 16 countries, racked up 800+ television appearances, released 5 CDs and despite blistering reproach, continues to squeeze ketchup on his bratwurst.

Durst’s one-man show, The Durst Case Scenario received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike in its run at the Marsh in San Francisco, and on tour to 30 cities in 6 states. A hysterical exploration of the changes in America during the Time of Trump, this 85-minute feast of outrage and outrageousness provided audiences with an amusing outlet for their anger & confusion. Because laughter allows hope to creep back on the inhale.

Now, aided by his trusty overhead projector, Durst has revamped the show to be as up-to-date as the latest 4 am Oval Office tweet, reflecting one full year of Donald Trump’s Reign of Error, and he calls it Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness. DCS:MM describes our strange new world where every day without a mushroom cloud is a victory in segments such as “Top Ten Ways the Democrats Will Blow the Midterms,” “Scientific Proof the President is a Reptile” and “Slovenia is an Irony Free Zone.” Prepare to meet the funny side of defiance.

Durst Cast Scenario: Midterm Madness begins performances on Wednesday, November 7 at 8pm and will play the following performance schedule: Tuesday - Sunday at 8pm through November 18.

The Playroom Theater is located at 151 West 46 Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue.

For more information, please visit www.willdurst.com

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17A) NEW MUSICAL COMEDY

T H E B O O K O F M E R M A N

WILL PLAY WEEKENDS AT
ST. LUKE’S THEATER

STARTING NOVEMBER 2, 2018

FRIDAY - 8:00 PM

SATURDAY - 7:30 PM

SUNDAY - 2:00 PM

THE BOOK OF MERMAN, a new musical comedy featuring music and lyrics by Leo Schwartz and book by Schwartz and DC Cathro, will now play weekends at St. Luke’s Theater beginning November 2, 2018. Directed by Joe Langworth, this new Off-Broadway musical officially opened on Sunday, October 21 at St. Luke’s Theatre (308 West 46th Street).

THE BOOK OF MERMAN begins its new weekend schedule on November 2 and playing Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm. There will be a special 2:00 pm performance on Saturday, November 23 in place of the usually scheduled 8:00 pm show. Tickets ($39.50-$99.50) can be purchased through Telecharge by calling 212-239-6200 or visiting www.telecharge.com.

In addition to the new schedule, the show will also welcome Nicholas J. Pollina who joins the cast as Elder Shumway beginning Friday, November 2. Pollina is stepping in for original cast member Chad Burris, who is departing for scheduling reasons.

Two Mormon missionaries ring Ethel Merman's doorbell and hilarity ensues in this new musical comedy. THE BOOK OF MERMAN is a diva-driven journey featuring original songs and show-stopping ballads. It’s delightful. It’s delicious. It’s de-Merman!

For more information please visit www.bookofmermanmusical.com

17B) GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING RECORDING ARTIST7AND ACTRESS

STEPHANIE MILLS

JOINS

BEBE WINANS

AND CAST MEMBERS FROM
THE NEW BROADWAY-BOUND MUSICAL

BORN FOR THIS

SET FOR FEINSTEIN’S/54 BELOW
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH

TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY!

Legendary Grammy and American Music Award winning recording artist and beloved Broadway actress, Stephanie Mills will join BeBe Winans and the cast of the Broadway-bound musical BORN FOR THIS for a one-night-only concert previewing the music from his original musical BORN FOR THIS on Monday, November 5 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Feinstein’s/54 Below (254 W. 54 St).

Over the span of her illustrious career, Stephanie Mills has distinguished herself as an actress and performer who is a at home on the Broadway stage in the four-time Tony Award-winning The Wiz (on Broadway in the original company and across the United State in the revival) and Your Arms Too Short To Box With God as she is in the recording studio with five best-selling albums and ten Billboard #1 singles. Hit records such as “I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love,” “Home” and “Whatcha Gonna Do with My Lovin” have become enduring classics. Mills’ 2004 album Born For This featured her rendition of the title track.

For tickets please visit https://54below.com/events/born-for-this.

17C) HAMILTON

RELEASES NEW BLOCK OF TICKETS ON BROADWAY THROUGH NOVEMBER 10, 2019

AVAILABLE TO REGISTERED
TICKETMASTER VERIFIED FANS ON
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12 AT 10:00 AM ET

TICKETMASTER VERIFIED FAN
REGISTRATION AVAILABLE
NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 8 10:00 AM ET

HAMILTON producer Jeffrey Seller announces that a new block of tickets for the Broadway production will be made available on Monday, November 12 at 10:00 AM ET exclusively through Ticketmaster Verified Fan®. Verified Fan is an innovative new technology from Ticketmaster that combats bots and scalpers, helping shows like HAMILTON level the playing field so fans get better access to real tickets.

Ticketmaster Verified Fan registration begins today and will close Thursday, November 8 at at 10:00 AM ET. Verified fans will be notified on Saturday, November 10 by Ticketmaster via email if they have been selected for the Verified Fan pre-sale on Monday, November 12. Visit https://verifiedfan.ticketmaster.com/hamilton to pre-register or for more information please visit hamiltonmusical.com/new-york/tickets.

The new block of tickets for HAMILTON on Broadway are for performances beginning May 21, 2019 through November 10, 2019.

General on-sale will begin on Tuesday, November 13 at 10:00 AM ET.

For information on HAMILTON, visit:

www.hamiltonmusical.com
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And that's the scoop. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.