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Theatre News: Red Bull’s Short New Play Festival, TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series Seeking Submissions, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella and LAByrinth Theater Company

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Red Bull Theater’s 11th Annual Short New Play Festival will be held ONLINE on Monday, July 12, 2021. This year’s theme? Restoration. Six brand new short plays will be selected from this open-submission process to be presented in online readings alongside two new short plays by commissioned writers, JOSÉ Rivera (Marisol, The Motorcycle Diaries) and C. A. Johnson (All the Natalie Portmans). Get Complete Details

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is taking submissions for the 2021 TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series submissions, with a deadline of February 26, 2021.TRU will pay for developmental readings of two or three new plays with the generous support of R.K. Greene and The Storyline Project. To apply, fill out an application: PRS21Application (writable PDF) or PRS21Application (Word), and send toTRUPlaySubmissions@gmail.com
The TRU Voices New Plays Reading Series is planned for June 2021 and will consist of 2-3 new works presented in one performance each virtually on OnTheStage.com. Created to nurture producers as well as writers, TRU Voices seeks producer-driven projects; however, as the only non-profit dedicated to developing producers TRU connects all finalists with both an experienced producer and a “rising through the ranks” associate producer. 
Making this an even more unique opportunity for writers, each reading will be followed by a “Dollars and Sense” panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing, budgeting and a developmental trajectory for the work. TRU literary manager Cate Cammarata adds, “Since we guarantee three industry professional readers for every submission, often one of our readers will express interest in meeting a writer, even if their script isn’t a finalist.” She goes on to say: “I have heard others boast of helping thousands of plays get produced – we’ve actually been supporting new work for over 20 years, and now TRU is recognized as being one of the leaders in early development.” 

Producers and theater companies are invited to submit new work that they are interested in developing; of course writers are invited to submit and are strongly encouraged to find a sponsoring producer for their work. “Use this as an opportunity to form a relationship with a potential producer, for our series and perhaps for the future,” suggests TRU executive director Bob Ost. 
TRU members may submit free of charge. All non-members must submit a $25 application fee, which is applicable towards our $95 annual membership. If selected for the series, at least one member of the producing/writing team must be a paid member of TRU. There is a one-week extension for TRU members and plays with a producer attached. These submissions are due on March 5, 2021. 

For complete guidelines, please visit https://truonline.org/2021-play-guidelines/Applications and a detailed history of plays that have participated in the series can be found here: https://truonline.org/tru-voices-details-and-history/.  Application submissions are $25 with a $10 feedback letter upon request. Join TRU and submit as a member, for no fee (except for feedback, if you request it). To encourage writers to join TRU, there is a playwright discounted membership: $75 (regularly $95).

Polydor Records/UMe has announced the release of the third piece of music from the forthcoming album of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. “I Know I Have A Heart” is sung by Carrie Hope Fletcher.

It follows the release late last year of “Only You, Lonely You” sung by Ivano Turco. “I Know I Have A Heart” is the second song by Fletcher to be released from the forthcoming cast album, after “Bad Cinderella” came out to high acclaim last October. “Bad Cinderella” has now been streamed over 1.4 million times globally and performed on “The One Show” and “Children in Need 2020.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “I knew we needed a big power ballad moment for Cinderella, and I am so excited for you to finally hear it. These things tend to come to you when you least expect them, and I wrote this melody on a plane to L.A. I sent it on to our lyricist and almost instantly David Zippel came back with the fantastic line, ‘I Know I Have a Heart Because You Broke it.’ ‘I Know I Have A Heart’ is Cinderella’s ‘unrequited love moment’ in the show but I won’t tell you more than that other than what a thrill it is to have a voice like Carrie’s record it.”

The album features cast from the highly anticipated new theatrical production, which will open Spring 2021 at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London, along with appearances from some surprise guest vocalists. 

Pre-order the album here: https://cinderella.lnk.to/albumpr

LAByrinth Theater Company (Aaron Roman Weiner, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the selections for its 2021 Annual Barn Series, the award-winning company’s developmental play reading series. This year’s series features six new plays, five of which were written and directed by LAByrinth company members, along with an evening of six short plays from LAB’s Intensive Ensemble.

The series runs from February 22 – 28, 2021. All readings are free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Visit www.labtheater.org to RSVP and receive a link to view the readings. All readings begin at 8pm. Reservations are now open! 

The schedule is as follows:

February 22ndWave_Head by Joey Palestina

February 23rdThe War I Know by Dominic ColonFebruary 24thIntensive Ensemble Night

February 25th Wherever You Go by Elizabeth Canavan

February 26thRayne by David Deblinger & Ben Snyder

February 27thDani & Joe: A Gen X Love Story by Kristina Poe

February 28thThe Undertaking BY Chris McGarry

“At a time when so much life has ground to a halt, we’ve been amazed and uplifted by the output from LAB artists and friends. There’s a thread through these plays of characters searching for connection, for a way out of our many forms of isolation. These themes certainly resonate now, and the writers all bring incredible humanity, depth, and humor to the varied worlds they’ve created. This year’s Barn is a reminder that art is a tireless guide through difficult times, and I can’t wait to share these plays with our community.” 

Suzanna, co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles or T2C. At one point a working actress, she has performed in numerous productions in film, TV, cabaret, opera and theatre. She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival, The United Nations and Carnegie Hall. She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works, which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog. She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator. Email: suzanna@t2conline.com

Celebrity

The Glorious Corner

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G.H. Harding

FAMILY’S A BITCH-THE END OF SUCCESSION — Sunday’s finale of Succession (HBO) was a mixed bag. I’ll be honest: At first I thought the finale was totally underwhelming, but after some additional thought and reading some other excellent reviews, I’ve come to the point where I now believe it was, pure and simple, how it had to end.

Greg didn’t win the crown; Tom did, but only as a puppet master for the notorious Swede Alec Matsson. One terrific take on the show said that there were never really any heroes; just a family fighting for control and only really fighting with each other.
If you followed this season closely, you knew full well that none of the siblings could really do anything near what Logan Roy did. In the episode where he chastised them all by proclaiming you are not serious people- you – it should have immediately tipped you off that an outsider, yes Tom, would get the crown.
Roman melted down at the funeral; Shiv changed sides so often you never really knew where her loyalties lay and Kendall had him own set of issues. Also, the fact that he killed someone in Season 1 came into play again.
Creator Jesse Armstrong wrote this one (With Open Eyes) and it was as strong, while being a bit confusing, as everything he’s done. Truth be told, he was right to end it now as some of the themes kept repeating. Sure Brian Cox was not in the last few, but his presence still loomed large. Face it, none of the siblings could have done what he did.
Funnily enough, in the next-to-final scene with the three siblings, Kendall said that his father told him years ago, at The Candy Kitchen, that he would inherit the whole shebang. The Candy Kitchen does exits in Bridgehampton, New York and actually is a fine, fine establishment. I bet they’ll be packed this week!
The last scene of he show was a dejected Kendall wandering near the water with Logan’s bodyguard Colin. I wondered, as did many others, whether he’d off himself. He didn’t.
Is there room for a sequel or spin-off? Of course. Tom is the prefect puppet master for Matsson. There definitely is more intrigue to come. Brilliant writing and acting. I can’t see any of the actors ever equaling what they did on this show. Bravo!
SHORT TAKES — Talk about promotion! Q1043’s latest one involves a golden shovel! Sounds like something out of Willy Wonka! … Micky Dolenz jets off to London today for the weekend’s James Burtonevent with Van Morrison; John Oates; Brian May; and more. We’ll have details next column … Eric Clapton’s London-tribute for the recently departed Jeff Beck was just excellent.

Joss Stone

None more so than Joss Stone on “I Put A Spell On You.” What a voice. I’m amazed she’s not bigger; very Janis Joplin.

Gary Clark

Also, Gary Clark delivered a blistering, amazing performance on Stevie Wonder’s “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers.” No question that he’s the next guitar-wizard. Here they both are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvO2_noxaXQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO2BLAXveVo  …

The Flash

I watched all 9 seasons of the CW’s The Flash and the first 5 were pretty terrific. The remaining ones got poorer and poorer as the original cast disappeared one by one. Grant Gustin, The Flash, was there the whole time, but their finale last week was terribly confusing – save for a song by Tony Award winner Jesse L. Martin (for Rent) – a key member of the original cast. The last two seasons had a myriad of costumed villains, some from the comic, some not, but just wildly messed up. The CW was sold to Nexstar last year and big changes are in their future. Sad … and, CNN is reporting that Universal Music is close to snapping up the rights to the Queen-catalog for $1 billion-plus. Good for them.

Queen

Disney had it previously, but Queen’s music is more popular than ever before. It’s a real shame Freddie is not her to share in it. If you wondered the record for the biggest previously was for Bruce Springsteen’s catalog at $500 million.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — William Schill; Crimshaw; Joel Diamond; Katherine Clarke; Terry Jastrow; Anthony Pomes; Barry Fisch; Mark Bego; Dave Sholin; Les Bider; Lush Ice; Steve Walter; Peter Abraham; Jack Cunningham; Randy Alexander; Howard Bloom; Ken Dashow; Norena Barbella; Angela Tarantino; and BELLA!
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Celebrity

The Mayor of Motivation interviews Ramon Hervey, Manager & Publicist to the Famous

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Ramon Hervey has earned global recognition as a highly regarded entertainment manager, brand consultant & publicist who has represented Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Paul McCartney, the Bee Gees, Muhammad Ali, Caitlyn Jenner, Quincy Jones, Vanessa Williams, The Commodores with Lionel Richie, the Jacksons with Michael Jackson and a whole lot more A Listers. He is the author of the book…The Fame Game: An Insider’s Playbook for Earning Your 15 minutes.

After having invested 4 decades in playing the fame game, Ramon and I sat down to talk on The Motivation Show podcast.

Ramon, why do you call fame a “game” and why did you choose that word for your book title?    “Fame is unpredictable, just as are the results in a game.   Everyone has failures.  You hope to win, but it is not guaranteed. Only .0065% of over 7 billion people in the world are famous.  There are a lot of successful people in the world that never become famous.  Fame and success don’t come with a warranty.”

What does Ramon feel about luck playing a role in success and fame?  “I think there is a certain amount of luck in what I do.  A lot of it is timing.  Timing is a form of luck.”  One example Ramon gives is when Starbucks started to introduce music in it’s cafes.  The first one was Ray Charles, who died shortly thereafter, which skyrocketed sales of his music.   That sales surge is what Ramon attributed to luck.

The pursuit of fame…is it mostly a positive goal?   “Most people don’t know what fame is til they already become famous.  A lot of stars change their mind about what they thought fame was going to be.  A lot of people don’t like all the baggage that comes with being famous. The lack of privacy.  In my time on the planet, it has definitely changed dramatically over the past ten years.”   Ramon points to Social Media and it’s impact on more people having an opportunity to become famous in different ways than were available previously.

Why did Richard Pryor, at the height of his fame, attempt suicide & what was the famous incident which almost killed him that he later confessed to as a suicide attempt? “I managed all of Richard’s missteps.  He was probably the #1 black entertainer in the world at that time.  It’s not my fame. It’s their fame. I think Richard always felt guilty about his fame.  He didn’t think he could live up to the level of fame that he achieved. That created an albatross around his neck.  It made him rely on more substances to sedate him and calm himself.  He reached the point that he did not want to become that person anymore.  For the longest time he said that he didn’t (try to commit suicide), he said it was an accident. Richard always found a way to market his vulnerability.  All of his comedy focused on all of his missteps.  He had shot all four tires on his Mercedes and told his wife during a fight that you are not going to leave in that car.  He put that into his comedy.  He did it the exact opposite way of what we would advise which would be to put the incidences behind you. I don’t know anyone else that was as successful as him in marketing all of the things he did wrong.”

When asking Ramon about what type of confident personality one has to have to become famous he says, “I do believe you have to have a big ego and a certain amount of self confidence to be successful.  Every famous person I met took a different path to get it and they all loss some level of fame at some point.”

Can you give us an example of someone you managed very well?   “I am very proud of my relationship with Bette Midler.  She helped to blossom my career.    I was never her manager, but I was her publicist.  I did work in a management capacity…she didn’t have a manager.  I have a great appreciation and fondness for her.  Also, working with my ex-wife Vanessa Williams on her crisis management.  I did not know her at the time she was embroiled in the Miss America controversy.  She resigned here title and I am glad she did.  We got married and had three kids together and I managed her career.   It took ten years for her to get her life back after she resigned from the Miss America pageant where she was just called Vanessa Williams without alluding to any prior controversy.”

In discussing his earlier years, Ramon shares two musical giants that helped shape his career.  “In my book, I try to enlighten people about the trajectory of my own fame.  My first client I got to work with was Paul McCartney.  My initial task was to put together a press kit. That shaped my next 4 or 5 years when I got an opportunity to work with Quincy Jones who is the first client I brought to Rogers & Cowan who I was working with at the time.  He was someone I treasured to be in his presence because he had so many great stories and so much great insight.”

Ramon muses in his book about fame, that the more you get, the harder it is to manage.  I asked him if there are any other examples like that. “Probably the worst case scenario was Rick James.  He had a very troubled childhood.  For him, fame meant he put himself above people.  He created a lot of bad blood.  The way that he treated people. A lot of people did not want him to win.   He always had a great fan base, but I think his fame was toxic for him.  He self-destructed.    He was obsessed with fame and all the hoopla and perks.  He loved being the king of everything.  He was very demanding.  He did not know how to manage his fame.”

In closing, I ask Ramon, what he is most proud of.  “I am proud of my reputation.  I have never been sued. I’ve always approached business with a great deal of integrity.  I’ve always worked really hard.  I’ve always tried to be honest with my clients.  Authentic and transparent. I think that is much better than being a yes man.”

So when I think of fame, I think of getting the best table in the best restaurants.  I think about people idolizing me.  I also think about people interrupting my conversation and my meal for photos and autographs.   Do I really want that…or do I just want a nice, quiet, peaceful meal.  Hmmm…some food for thought.  How about you?  Do you want to be part of the Fame Game?

You can listen to Eli’s podcast The Motivation Show on any podcast listening app or use this Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NVmTDAvGbzooN8TCW7tuN.    To contact Eli or to have him speak at your event, email motivatea2z@gmail.com.

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Celebrity

The Glorious Corner

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G.H. Harding

LASSO’S MOM CITY — I believe that the best ever episode of Ted Lasso was dropped this week, entitled Mom City. It started off innocently enough with Ted leaving for work and walking right past his mother! He realized it and turned back to her. Turns out she had been in London for a week and was just now seeing Ted.

Ted introduced her to just about everyone and she immediately bonded with the team as well as Leslie and Rebecca. As Ted watched he realized that good-time feeling she generated (and he did too) with everyone held back a devastating fact: that Ted’s dad committed suicide.
They eventually resolved their issues, but Ted’s mom said she was there for a far more specific reason; that his son Henry was missing him. It immediately set up perhaps the last-ever episode of the show next week.
Elsewhere, Jaime dealt with his own family issues. Re-connecting with his mother and step-father. Keeley and Roy joined him and found themselves at one point alone in Jaime’s childhood room and at one point spied posters of themselves from years back. It was, quite possibly, the funniest moment ever in the series.

Harry Nilsson

Also, Harry Nilsson’s “Puppy Song” was a key musical moment in the EP. Harry, we love you!

All resolved, the show ended abruptly as Ted was going to tell Rebecca some news.
Many have said that in this third season, the show had lost it’s way a bit. In this episode, it was all pulled together quite beautifully. All I can say is, what a great show. It will be missed for sure.

Joel Diamond

SHORT TAKES — The #1 iTunes song currently is Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do with It.” Much deserved … Producer Joel Diamond used to live at 220 Central Park South in NYC. His building was torn down and re-built. It is now part of what they call Billionaire’s Road. WSJ-reporter Katherine Clarke’s new book is about just that.. Via Random House, Billionaire’s Row is out on June 13 …

Sasha Prendes

We dropped the name of new Latino-artist Sasha Prendes last time; we just saw a teaser clip for her new video “Shake This.” Check it out here: https://www.sashaprendes.com/video … Micky Dolenz headlined at this week’s Abbey Road On The River and delivered his usual high-octane performance.

James Burton

He leaves for England this week for the James Burton & Friends/One Night Only event June 4 at London’s Palladium … Terry Jastrow interviewed by Brad Balfour for his podcast this week …

Finally caught A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks and enjoyed it immensely. Hanks did a movie, with Steven Spielberg in 2004 called The Terminal, which was fantastic. This movie reminded me of that; a tremendously nuanced performance by Hanks as a peculiar man who found trouble with almost everyone and everything after the death of wife. He describes his life and wife in one great line: My life was in black and white and she was the color. Based on the film A Man Called Ove and with a sensational screenplay by David Magee and directed by Marc Forster, I just loved it …

Whoopi Goldberg

ENDQUOTE: Via Deadline: The View’s Whoopi Goldberg Claims ‘American Idol’ Led To The Downfall of Society. Ouch! Check it out here: https://deadline.com/2023/05/the-view-cohost-whoopi-goldberg-claims-american-idol-led-to-downfall-society-1235380500/ … Happy Bday Buddy Blanch and Bobby Shaw!

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Jodi Ritzen; Rich Dart; Daryl Easlea; Ali Hawthorne; Adrianba Kaegi; Wayne Avers; John Billings; Jane Blunkell; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Chris Gilman; Zach Martin; Anthony Noto; Anthony Pomes; Rhonda Shore; Howard Bloom; Robert Funaro; Michael Jensen; Bob Merlis; Roy Trakin; Evan Evanston; and CHIP!
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Events

Memorial Day Playlist

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As you lay out by the pool, the beach, Central Park or on the sidelines of a parade, T2C offers you music to celebrate and get you in the mood.

 

 

 

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Art

Events in June

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Gay Pride, Bryant Park Picnic Performances, Movie Nights, Lincoln Center Summer for the City (Midsummer Night Swing), Juneteenth, New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks, Tribeca Film Festival, Free Outdoor Concerts, Museum Mile Festival, the Puerto Rican Day Parade and that’s just the beginning!

Until September 29 every summer in Times Square, NYC, TSQ LIVE showcases hundreds of artists, performers and cultural producers and this summer 80 free events hosting over a dozen incredible New York-based institutions and collectives, including Pioneer Works, NEW INC, Children’s Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Ailey Extension, New York Live Arts, OTA Entertainment, Soul Summit, Rash Bar, and Elsewhere.

6/1: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park New York City Opera: La Bohème

6/2: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Jazzmobile: The Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra

6/2: Billy Joel @ MSG

6/3-4: Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit atUniversity Place, starting at East 13th Street and continuing south along the east side of Washington Square Park to West 3rd Street.

6/7 until September: Little Island  Tony and Grammy Award winners in The Glade, late night djs, drag bingo, and dance parties in The Play Ground, weekly artmaking activities for all ages and Teen Night every Friday.

6/7 – 18: Tribeca Film Festival will take place movie theatres, rooftops and various venues throughout NYC, such as the new Pier 57, Beacon Theatre, the Angelika. The premiere of Let the Canary Sing with a performance by Cyndi Lauper or The Closing Gala: A Bronx Tale, followed by a conversation with director and star Robert De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal, and writer and co-star Chazz Palminteri.

6/8 – 8/6: Shakespeare in the Park Hamlet 

6/8: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Contemporary Dance: Robin Dunn, The Lite

6/9: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Contemporary Dance: Dance Heginbotham, Jennifer Muller/The Works

6/9 – 11: @ Citi Field Governors Ball Music Festival – The contemporary music festival for music lovers by music lovers. With 60+ artists of all genres across 4 stages, there is something for everyone, including delicious restaurants, food trucks and menus.

6/9 – 18: River to River Festival The festival takes place in a variety of public venues that canvas all of Downtown New York – from Chambers Street down to the southern tip of Manhattan and across the island from river to river.

6/11: National Puerto Rican Day Parade Fifth Avenue, 44th to 79th Street

6/12: Bryant Park Movie Nights  Almost Famous (2000)

6:13: Museum Mile Festival on Fifth Avenue from 84th Street to 109th Street: The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Neue Galerie New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; The Jewish Museum; Museum of the City of New York; El Museo del Barrio; and The Africa Center.

6/14 – August: Dancing Under the Stars (formerly Midsummer Night Swing), free outdoor movies, dancing, singing, readings, celebrations, flamingos, disco ball, poetry, Mozart, concerts, crafts, Juneteenth and much more!

6/15: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Contemporary Dance: Terk Lewis + Kayla Farrish

6/16: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Contemporary Dance: Soles of Duende + Josh Johnson

6/17-25: Gay Pride The Rally, The March & Pride Island. The 2023 theme is “Strength in Solidarity” and Christina Aguilera is headlining NYC Pride Island on Sunday, June 25th at Brooklyn Army Terminal. The festivities begin with Family Night and the Rally and culminate with PrideFest & The March. Other events include Pride Island and the annual Dance on the Pier, following the parade wrapping up Pride Week in a grand fireworks display.

6/16 – 18: Juneteenth is a celebration of June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, which declared the ending of slavery in the USA. The three day Juneteenth in NYC festival kicks off Friday with a virtual summit, Friday night is the Celebration of Black Kings, Saturday is Festival Community Day and the festival culminates Sunday with a Parade, Fashion Show, Food trucks Field Day and more. Monday, June 19th, is a national holiday, with government, banks and post offices closed. More Info: Junteenth NY

There are dozens more Juneteenth celebrations throughout all 5 Boroughs, including BBQs, the NYC Parks Department, Seneca Village, Broadway, Lincoln Center, concerts, shows, theater and more.

6/17: The Coney Island Mermaid Parade is the nation’s largest art parade where 3,000+ participants dress in hand-made costumes.

6/ 19: Bryant Park Movie Nights Amistad (1997)

6/23: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Emerging Music Festival: Psymon Spine, THUS LOVE, Katy Kirby

6/24: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Emerging Music Festival: Ky Vöss, Seramic, Miss Grit, Dead Tooth

6/26: Bryant Park Movie Nights Mean Girls (2004)

6/30: Picnic Performances @ Bryant Park Jalopy Theatre: Michael Daves Quartet ft. Tony Trishka, Yacouba Sissoko, Terrell King

6/30: Intrepid Museum Summer Movie SeriesPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

 

 

 

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