I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Sunday Scoop Week of 3/8/20 What's Happening This Week or Coming Up Soon

Due to the Cornavirus outbreak, things are rapidly changing in the world of entertainment. Accordingly, we highly recommend that you check back here or on the various show or event websites to make sure that a show or event hasn't been cancelled or postponed since it was originally listed. We will do our best to update information as soon as it comes in. 

In This Week's Scoop

 1) CANCELLED: Emit Theatre :Twelfth Night An Immersive Interactive Experience for Youth
2) Upcoming at Harlem Stage
    Repertorio Espanol's El Quijote 3/13,
    Harlem Stage Jazz Music Intensive w/Manhattan School of Music, 3/16
3) CANCELLED Upcoming at Kelsey Theatre
     33 Variations 3/13 - 3/15 & 3/20 - 3/22
4) CANCELLED Upcoming at Symphony Space
                               Squirrel Stole My Underpants 3/14
5) POSTPONED TO 5/30 :Story Pirates Changemakers Benefit at NY Skirball
6) CANCELLED Broadway Backwards 3/16

PR Firm Roundup

 7) News from DKC/O&M
     New Hadestown Education Initiative to Bring NYC Public School Kids to the Show
8) News from JT Public Relations
     Urban Stage presents: Charmed Life, From Soul Singing to Opera Star
9) News from KampFire PR
          American Bard Theatre Presents Echoes in the Garden
10) News from Karen Greco
      POSTPONED 10A) Sheik & Jarrow Gothic Thriller, Whisper House at 59E59 Theatres
                                10B) New York No Limits Film Series Art of Short: March 2020 Edition 3/12
11) News from Michelle Tabnick PR
      11A) La Mama Presents the New York Premiere of Panandem 3/12 - 3/15
      11B) TRU Presents Practical Playwriting How to Write for Commericial Production 2020 3/14
12) News from Pascal Nadon Communications
       CANCELLED
      American Symphony Orchestra Salutes the Great Duke Ellington at Carnegie Hall 3/12
13) News from Richard Hillman PR
       CANCELLED J2 Spotlight Theater Final Production of Inaugural Season
14) News from Spin Cycle NYC
      Unmaking Touluse Lautrec Extends Run to Open


THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
1) Emit Theatre Presents 
Twelfth Night,
An Adaptive Interactive Adaption 
for Young Audiences 

Emit Theatre is thrilled to present TWELFTH NIGHT: An Immersive Experience, an interactive show for young audiences and families, adapted from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and directed by Gianna Cioffi. Twelfth Night runs for a limited engagement March 13 - 22, Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 7pm, and Sundays at 2pm at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 (215 E. 99th St., off the Q and 6 trains). Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at https://emittwelfthnight.brownpapertickets.com/ or at the door.
In Twelfth Night, audiences will be welcomed to Illyria, a world of music, wonder, mystery, and more than a touch of glamour. This romantic comedy will explore themes of wealth and class, identity and disguise, and love and loss. The production will allow participants to directly engage with these themes with a high level of agency. The show runs 75 minutes.
All of Emit Theatre’s productions are built to be engaging for multiple ages and abilities and allow audiences to experience plays in their own ways. Emit’s plays are “shush-free zones,” and all audience members are encouraged to become active participants in the story. Fun for everyone, crafted for ages 8-adult.
Twelfth Night is a sensory friendly and relaxed performance and El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 is ADA compliant. For more information about accessibility, visit emittheatre.org/accessibility. 
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2) Upcoming at Harlem Stage
150 Covent Ave. at W. 135th St.
New York, NY
Repertorio Español’s “El Quijote” ,
Harlem Stage Jazz Music Intensive 
Repertorio Español’s “El Quijote”
Friday, March 13 
1:00pm and 7:30pm
FREE with RSVP

An adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel that follows the misadventures of Don Quijote and his loyal squire, Sancho Panza. A series of adventures from the novel in twelve scenes, the production’s carnivalesque character brings forth the festive and ironic spirit of the classic text.

The show is performed in Spanish with English supertitles. 
By Miguel de Cervantes
Adapted by Santiago García
Directed by Jorge Alí Triana

Harlem Stage Jazz Music Intensive 
Monday, March 16
11:00am 
FREE with RSVP
Presented in Collaboration with Manhattan School of Music (MSM)
Join us at the legendary Manhattan School of Music for the fourth edition of our immersive music workshop that will be part lecture, part clinic, part jam session and packed with tangible information on being a working and thriving artist. All are welcomed: instrumentalists, vocalists, dancers and poets.

The intensive takes place at Manhattan School of Music.

TICKETING INFORMATION
Box Office Location: Harlem Stage Gatehouse (150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street, Manhattan). 
Box Office Hours: Regular box office hours are 10AM–3PM Monday through Friday, except on performance days when the box office remains open until one hour after the start of the performance.
By Phone: 212.281.9240 ext. 19

For more information on Harlem Stage, visit: www.harlemstage.org. 
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THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
3) Upcoming at Kelsey Theatre 
1200 Old Trenton Rd.
West Windsor, NJ 

33 Variations

Fridays, Mar. 13 & 20 at 8pm
Saturdays, Mar. 14 & 21 at 8pm
Sundays, Mar. 15 & 22 at 2pm

One of classical music’s enduring riddles is why Beethoven devoted four years of his diminishing life (and hearing) writing 33 variations of a rather uninspired waltz. Two hundred years later, a modern-day music scholar is driven to solve the mystery even as her own health and relationship with her daughter crumbles. Moises Kaufman (The Laramie Project) wrote this passionate play that simultaneously explores the composer’s creations and the struggle of the musicologist, presented by. Pierrot Productions and accompanied by a live pianist playing the variations themselves.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 
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THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
4) Upcoming at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway
New York NY

Squirrel Stole My Underpants

Saturday March 14, 11:00 AM & 2:00 PM

Back by popular demand, Bonnie Duncan and The Gottabees return to Just Kidding to reprise their kid-friendly wordless puppet show with live music. Sylvie is sent to the backyard to hang up the laundry. The moment her back is turned, a mischievous squirrel steals her favorite piece of clothing and runs off. When Sylvie gives chase, an entire world emerges from her laundry basket, and curious characters show her the way through mysterious lands. Will our lonely heroine rescue her underpants and discover the magic within herself?
Puppeteer Bonnie Duncan has performed her show across the US, Canada, Scotland, Turkey, and India. It won a 2017 UNIMA-USA Citation of Excellence.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 
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THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO MAY 30, 2020
5) Story Pirates & Friends

Benefit Performance on March 15th 

at NYU Skirball

All-ages fund-raising performance in New York City features all five hosts of the Story Pirates Podcast and special guests

The Story Pirates are a group of top comedians, musicians, best-selling authors, and world-class teachers who come together with a single mission: to celebrate the words and ideas of kids. Best known for their podcast, which tops the family charts and has been downloaded more than 10 million times, Story Pirates is also a leading supporter of arts education. This special NYC celebration will include Story Pirates “greatest hits,” along with fresh new musical sketch comedy based on ideas from the audience. All five of the Story Pirates Podcast hosts will perform: Peter McNerney, Meghan O’Neill, Lee Overtree, Rachel Wenitsky, and Nimene Wureh.

Sunday, March 15th at 3:00 pm
NYU Skirball. 566 LaGuardia Place, New York, NY 10012
Tickets are available now: https://tickets.nyu.edu/storypirates2020/10919
Phone: (212) 998-4941
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6) Broadway Backwards

Monday, March 16, 8 pm
New Amsterdam Theatre
214 West 42nd Street, NYC

Beloved show tunes will get a fresh perspective when Broadway Backwards returns with LGBTQ twists on classic and modern favorites.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://tickets.broadwaycares.org
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PR Firm Roundup

 7) News from DKC/O&M

THE REIGNING TONY AWARD® WINNER FOR BEST 

MUSICAL

HADESTOWN

ANNOUNCES THE

HADESTOWN EDUCATION INITIATIVE

TO BRING NEW YORK CITY 

PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS

TO THE TONY AWARD-WINNING BEST NEW MUSICAL


Producers Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, and Tom Kirdahy announced the launch of the Hadestown Education Initiative, a program that provides access to the Tony Award-winning Best New Musical for New York City public school students at a small cost per student. This industry-leading initiative is being announced just before the show’s first anniversary on Broadway and while Hadestown is selling out nightly at the Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street).

These subsidized tickets are being made available through a partnership between the producers of Hadestown and various arts and education organizations including Broadway Bridges (a program of The Broadway League) and Situation Project. Ticketing subsidies are being secured by the Hadestown producing team in order to make subsidized tickets available to the New York City Department of Education for use by their various education, arts, and outreach programs.

In addition to tickets to Hadestown, the initiative will also offer educational materials created specifically for the initiative, as well as offering post-show talkbacks for students with Hadestown artists including members of the cast and creative team. Educators will also have access to a curated study guide designed to highlight the show’s unique blend of American folk music and jazz to reimagine ancient mythology for a contemporary audience.
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8) News from JT Public Relations

Urban Stages Presents 
The World Premiere of

CHARMED LIFE
From Soul Singing to Opera Star
A Play with Music 

Written by and Starring LORI BROWN MIRABAL
Directed by VINCENT SCOTT
 Limited Engagement: March 12 through March 29, 2020
Opening Monday, March 16, 2020 
Lori Brown Mirabal's play with music, CHARMED LIFE, From Soul Singing to Opera Star began performances on March 1, in advance of its Monday, March 16 opening and will enjoy a limited run through March 29 at Urban Stages Theatre (258 W 30 Street). Tickets are $40 and available by visiting UrbanStages.org or by phone at 1.866.811.4111.
Directed by Vincent Scott, CHARMED LIFE takes you on a musical journey from Mirabal's hometown of Nashville, to opera stages across the world. She toasts entertainment luminaries, including Oprah, Cab Calloway, and Pavarotti, that had a hand in her rise and salutes the black opera singers that paved the way. With comedy, storytelling, and show-stopping musical numbers, Mirabal brings you inside the world of opera and her efforts to spread the art form to the next generation. Charmed Life is a feel-good play about being open to opportunities and grabbing hold of the luck that comes your way.
Limited engagement:
March 12 to March 29, 2020.
Opening Night, March 16 at 7:30 pm 
Urban Stages is located at 259 West 30th Street (between Seventh and Eighth Avenue)
Performance Schedule:
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Saturday & Sunday: 3 pm
ADDED PERFORMANCES:
Sun, March 15 at 7:30 pm; Mon, March 16 at 7:30 pm; Wed, March 18 a 7:30 pm
NO PERFORMANCE:  Thurs, March 26. |  NO MATINEE: Sat, March 14
All tickets may be purchased at urbanstages.org by phone at 1.866.811.4111
For more information about Urban Stages, please visit https://urbanstages.org/
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9) News from KampFire

ECHOES IN THE GARDEN

The tie that unwinds...

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT
MARCH 11 – 29, 2020 AT THE CHAIN THEATRE
OPENING NIGHT IS FRIDAY, MARCH 13 AT 7 P.M.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT EVENTBRITE.COM

 AMERICAN BARD THEATER COMPANY is pleased to announce their talented cast for the world premiere production of Ross G. Hewitt’s ECHOES IN THE GARDEN, directed by Aimee Todoroff. ECHOES IN THE GARDEN will play a three-week limited engagement at The Chain Theatre (312 W 36th St 4th Fl, New York, NY 10018). Performances begin Wednesday, March 11 and continue through Sunday, March 29. Opening Night is Friday, March 13 (7 p.m.).  Tickets are $25 (student/senior $20 and previews $10) and available at https://echoesinthegarden.eventbrite.com.  
Returning home can often be fraught with family drama. For Ruth Hemmerich, bringing her young son to meet her parents is marred with a dark history and racial tensions. Set in 1962 with flashbacks to the late 1920s, in the home of Marion and Henry Hemmerich, the family tries to navigate social and familial expectations in the wake of loss that echoes through the generations. 
ECHOES IN THE GARDEN plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, March 29: 
Wednesdays at 7 p.m. 
 Thursdays at 7 p.m. 
 Fridays at 7 p.m. 
 Saturdays at 7 p.m. 
 Sundays at 2 p.m. 

Tickets are $25 (student/senior $20 and previews $10) and are now available online at https://echoesinthegarden.eventbrite.com. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the theater a half hour prior to the performance.
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10) News from Karen Greco PR

 THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED
10A) Duncan Sheik and Kyle Jarrow’s thrilling Gothic musical WHISPER HOUSE at 59E59 Theaters


59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) welcomes the New York premiere of WHISPER HOUSE, music & lyrics by Duncan Sheik, book & lyrics by Kyle Jarrow, with direction by Steve Cosson and music direction by  Wiley Deweese. Produced by The Civilians, in association with 59E59 Theaters, WHISPER HOUSE begins performances on Thursday, March 12 for a limited engagement through Sunday, April 19. Press Opening is Tuesday, March 24 at 7:00 pm. The performance schedule is Tuesday -  Friday at  7:00 pm; Saturday at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm; Sunday at 2:00 pm. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison).

 An eerie lighthouse stands on the remote coast of Maine at the height of World War II. After losing his parents, young Christopher is sent there to live with his aunt Lily, whom he’s never met, and Yasuhiro, the Japanese man who works for her. Soon Christopher begins to hear strange music seeping through the walls. Is his imagination getting the better of him? Or are there ghosts here, warning of real danger? Then the whispers become something louder…

 Single tickets are $25 - $70 ($49 for 59E59 Members). Tickets are available by calling the 59E59 Box Office at 646-892-7999 or by visiting www.59e59.org. 
**
10B) What's On At the Wild Project

March 12
NEW YORK NO LIMITS FILM SERIES ART OF THE SHORT: MARCH 2020 EDITION
Produced by New York No Limits and The Wild Project Tuesday at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $13 in advance, $17 at the door

New York No Limits and The Wild Project for the kick-off their 2020 season showcasing independent film from around the world.
The March film line up features:
BARBIE DREAM HOUSE, written & directed by Susan Kougell, U. S., experimental
EXTERMINATOR, written & directed by Duncan Birmingham, U. S., comedy
LOST CITY, Max Cea & John Hammond co-directors, Max Cea writer, U. S., comedy
ORNAMENTATION IS A GIFT, written & directed by Raymond Smiling, U. S., drama
NEW YEAR’S EVE, written & directed by Pranav Bhasin, India, drama
THE SHALLOW END, directed by Cynthia Silver, written by Wendy MacLeod, U. S., drama/comedy
UNNATURAL, directed by Shaina Feinberg, written by Mandy Schmieder, U. S., comedy

All performances are at the Wild Project (195 E. 3rd Street, between Avenues A & B).
Tickets can be purchased online at www.thewildproject.org.

The Box Office opens one hour prior to curtain.
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11) News from Michelle Tabnick PR

11A) La MaMa
presents
the New York Premiere of

Panandem (Remembering)
and a Filipino Indigenous Dance Workshop
March 12 - 15, 2020
at La Mama's Ellen Stewart Theatre

La MaMa presents the New York Premiere of Kinding Sindaw Melayu Heritage's Panandem (Remembering) from March 12-14, 2020 at 7pm, and March 15, 2020 at 3pm at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 E. 4th Street (2nd Floor), NYC. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and seniors, and can be purchased online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/42/1583038800000, by phone at 212-352-3101, or in person at the La MaMa Box Office one hour prior to showtime, 66 East 4th Street, NYC.

Potri Ranka Manis, the Founder and Artistic Director of Kinding Sindaw, will also lead a Filipino Indigenous Dance Workshop for La MaMa Kids on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 11am at La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 East 4th Street (2nd Floor). Tickets are $10 for kids and free for adult chaperones, and can be purchased online at www.lamama.org/pananadem, by phone at 212-352-3101, or in person at the La MaMa Box Office one hour prior to the event, 66 East 4th Street, NYC.

Pananadem (Remembering)
Conceived & Directed by Potri Ranka Manis
March 12 - 15, 2020
Pananadem means "remembering" in the language of the Meranao people.  It is a way of looking back across time, to gain inspiration and perspective from one's ancestors. In this tale, old and new align as a young group of refugees whose quest for inspiration leads them to a transformative encounter with displaced tradition-bearers who recall the legends of Derangen, the Meranao epic.

Saturday, March 14, 2020 at 11am
Learn and enjoy the Kulintang gong music, Sultanate court dance movements from the epic, legends and myths of the ancestral Philippine Melayu Nusantara heritage. This workshop will transport the participants to experience these epic stories through hand gestures, footwork and colorful scarves and fans together with musical instruments: talking gongs (Gandingan) drum (dabakan) and the mini kulintang called sarunay.

**

11B) Theater Resources Unlimited
presents
Practical Playwriting: 
How to Write 
for Commercial Production 2020
March 14, 2020

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) announces the return of Practical Playwriting: How to Write for Commercial Production 2020 on Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 10am to 5:30 pm at Clinton Cameo Studios, 307 W. 43rd Street, Studio A. Tickets are $125 for members and $150 for non-members. Early- Bird tickets are $25 off thru 3/4. Tickets can be purchased online at https://truonline.org/events/practical-playwriting-2020/.

What often holds playwrights back is that they rarely consider the person who will buy and produce their product: the producer.  With all the work, hope and sweat they invest in considering character, theme and plot, playwrights rarely take into account producibility.

This one-day intensive will be taught by TRU Literary Manager Cate Cammarata, with segments of the workshop taught by commercial producer 
Patrick Blake (The 39 Steps, My Life Is a Musical, Bedlam Theater's 
Hamlet/St. Joan, The Exonerated, In the Continuum, Play Dead) founding artistic director of Rhymes Over Beats, and TRU's Bob Ost and Gary Hughes offering marketing insights. With guest speakers including producers
Margot Astrachan (The Prom, A Gentleman's Guide..., Nice Work If  You Can Get It, On a Clear Day... revival, The Realistic Joneses), and producer/consultant/former general manager R. Erin Craig of La Vie Productions (Himself and Nora, Stalking the Bogeyman, Mr Rickey Calls A Meeting, Austen's Pride, Academy); and entertainment attorney Lee Feldshon.

* WHAT IS PRODUCIBILITY? The fact that producers always ask this question, and playwrights hardly ever do, causes a serious disconnect between the commercial producer and most playwrights.
* WRITING TO A MARKET - We will ask each playwright questions he or she has probably never considered before: Who is your market? Who is going to buy tickets? Who is this play written for?
* HOW TO SPEAK "PRODUCER" - Understanding the producer's point of view, and learning to look at your work from a more objective perspective.

Schedule
(subject to change):
10am - 11am - Writing a play that increases the odds of it being produced - practical guidelines taught by Patrick Blake
  • How your creative choices influence your budget
  • Producible where? What makes a property commercial? What are other markets?
  • Managing expectations and knowing who your audience is
  • What producers look for in a play, and a partner
  • Avoiding encumbrances
11am - 12pm - What to expect from collaborators  with Cate Cammarata
  • How collaborations work, and what to expect from your composer and co-writers
  • The role of the dramaturg in development
  • Balance of power: communicating clearly and working with a director
12:00pm to 1:00 pm - Lunch
1:00pm to 2:30 pm - Getting to Yes - with Cate, Pat and attorney Lee Feldshon
  • Steps of development
  • What goals to set at each step
  • When do I need a lawyer?
  • How to get an agent, and do I need one?
  • Outline of a reasonable option agreement
2:30 pm to 3:00 pm - Break
3:00pm to 4:00 - How to Improve Your Pitch taught by Cate Cammarata, Bob Ost, Gary Hughes
  • Understanding your producer
  • What is your show really about: identifying your strengths
  • Making your best elevator pitch ever: essential components you need to know
3:45pm to 4:00 - Break
4:00pm - 5:15pm - Inter-Active "Pitch" Session with feedback from producers Margot Astrachan and R. Erin Craig
  • The day ends with a panel of commercial producers who will offer feedback on writers' pitches as well as suggest appropriate markets for the works.
5:15-6:00pm - Reception
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12) News from Pascal Nadon Communications

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
AMERICAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SALUTES THE GREAT DUKE ELLINGTON
THURSDAY MARCH 12 AT CARNEGIE HALL
Guest Artists are the Marcus Roberts Trio and Singer Catherine Russell
All-Ellington Symphonic Program Includes Two World Premiere Arrangements
by Marcus Roberts

American Symphony Orchestra culminates its 2019-20 Vanguard series on March 12 with a tribute to the genre-defying genius of the great Duke Ellington on the stage of Carnegie Hall, where the composer played a series of annual concerts and premiered many of his greatest works, including Black, Brown, and Beige and New World A-Comin’.
The evening, conducted by ASO’s music director Leon Botstein, features two world premiere arrangements of New World A-Comin’ and Three Black Kings for Jazz Trio and Large Orchestra by American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and teacher Marcus Roberts, who performs with his Marcus Roberts Trio. His method of writing for trio and orchestra is to blend the two ensembles, the seemingly different worlds of Jazz and Classical they each represent, and the contrasting approaches of improvisational and written music-making into a collage that is uniquely and unmistakably American. Grammy Award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell, best known for her album Harlem on my Mind and her appearance as a featured artist on the soundtrack album for the HBO TV series Boardwalk Empire, also joins the evening.

 Leon Botstein will provide the musical context for the program in a lively, 30-minute Conductor’s Notes Q&A session, free for all ticket holders, one hour before the concert.
Thursday, March 12, 2020 at Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage)
Conductor’s Notes Q&A 7 PM
Concert 8 PM
Leon Botstein, conductor
Marcus Roberts Trio
Three Black Kings (world premiere arrangement by Marcus Roberts)
New World A-Comin’ (world premiere arrangement by Marcus Roberts)
Satin Doll
Harlem
Sophisticated Lady
Night Creature for Jazz Band and Orchestra
Black, Brown and Beige Suite
Tickets, priced at $25–$65, are available at carnegiehall.org, CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800 or the box office at 57th St & 7th Ave.
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13) News from Richard Hillman PR


THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
J2 SPOTLIGHT MUSICAL THEATER COMPANY
INAUGURAL SEASON CONCLUDES
WITH

A CLASS ACT
BONUS “LAGNIAPPES” SERIES ADDED
MARCH 12 - 22, 2020
AT THEATRE ROW
(410 WEST 42ND STREET – NYC)
The newly formed J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company (Jim Jimirro, Executive Producer/Co-Founder; Robert W. Schneider, Artistic Director/Co-Founder) has announced the cast and creative team for the last of the three productions in the company’s inaugural 2020 season: the 2001 musical, A Class Act, with book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price, and music and lyrics by Edward Kleban. Performances begin on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 7:30pm and continue through March 22, 2020 at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street – between 9th and Dyer Avenues). A Class Act is presented through special arrangement with R & H Theatricals: www.rnh.com. Opening Night is Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 7:30pm.

 Closing out the inaugural J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company season is the 2001 musical A Class Act with book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price, music and lyrics by Edward Kleban. Ed Kleban, the Tony Award winning lyricist of A Chorus Line and one of the unsung champions of Broadway, returns to his own memorial service to set the record straight in A Class Act, this vibrant musical about musicals. A colorful gallery of friends and loved ones in Ed’s life including the relentlessly peppy Marvin Hamlisch and stage wizard Michael Bennett all appear to celebrate Ed’s life, loves, and legacy. Songs include: “Better,” “Paris Through the Window,” and “The Next Best Thing to Love.”

 The J2 Spotlight Musical Theater Company series will play the following performance schedule: Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m.
THE LAGNIAPPES SCHEDULE FOR _A CLASS ACT_:
• SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 14: POST SHOW
A Post-Show Talk Back with the cast and creatives of A Class Act.
Moderator: Associate Artistic Director Benjamin Nissen.
• SUNDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 15 AT 2:00PM: THE STORY OF _A CLASS ACT_
Ed Kleban, lyricist of A Chorus Line, literally 'willed' this biographical musical.
This talk will be presented by Executive Producer and Co-Founder Jim Jimirro.
• THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 19 AT 6:30PM: THE LIFE OF ED KLEBAN
Family, friends, and colleagues of Ed Kleban will be present to explore Kleban’s
work and desire to change the future of the American musical.
Panelists will be announced soon.
• SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 21: POST SHOW
A Post-Show Talk Back with the cast and creatives of A Class Act.
Moderator: Associate Artistic Director Benjamin Nissen.

 For more information, visit or to purchase tickets, visit www.j2spotlightnyc.com
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14) News from Spin Cycle NYC

Environmental Drama About Legendary Artist Announces Open-Ended Run
UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
Continues at Madame X in Manhattan's West Village

After celebrating its 100th performance in February, Bated Breath Theatre Company announces yet another extension of their acclaimed immersive, environmental production UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC, selected as one of the “best immersive plays and interactive theatrical experiences on Broadway and beyond” by Time Out. The run of this unexpected hit will now be open ended at Madame X in Manhattan’s historic Greenwich Village where it began performances in May 2019.

UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC invites you to discover the bohemian world of the Belle Epoque with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec—artist, aristocrat and all-around 19th Century bad boy. Dive into the underbelly of old Paris as you drink innovative house-made cocktails, lounge in a totally immersive Parisian-style salon, and rub shoulders with the dancers, prostitutes and outcasts that inspired the most enticing, elegant and provocative art depicting the decadence and sexuality of post-impressionist France.

Through dance, imagery, vignettes, and text, the production combines modern music and language while exploring the ecstasy of creativity and the agony of the body in the sexiest art history lesson you'll ever have.

Tickets for UNMAKING TOULOUSE-LAUTREC are currently on sale through May 30, 2020. Performance schedule varies. Madame X is located at 94 West Houston Street, between LaGuardia Place and Thompson Street -- accessible from the B,D,F,M trains at Broadway/Lafayette.  You must be 21+ to attend. Tickets are $50 - $100. Tickets are available at www.unmakinglautrecplay.com..
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And that's the scoop. Tune in tomorrow for More Theater Monday.

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