A young songwriter Ben Shapiro is trying to make it as a Broadway composer, where his grandfather couldn't. Ben's father wants him to follow in his footsteps as a lawyer. Instead, Ben follows his heart and stages a reading of his grandfather's unfinished musical about a struggling composer at a swanky Miami resort in 1948.
Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, October 19, 2014 - Sunday, October 19, 2014.
Tate Publishing is proud to announce the signing of local author Robert Branham and his soon-to-be-published book, 'A Matter of Truth.'
'A Matter of Truth' takes four ordinary people, whose lives would have never intersected otherwise, out of their comfortable environment and places them into a cold and unfamiliar city without explanation, without recourse, without anything.
'A Muslim from Turkey and a Baptist Preacher from Oklahoma head the list of characters that are thrown into the mix,' shares Branham. 'People who would otherwise be at odds must decide if they should or can work together to survive in their unforeseen predicament.'
'A Matter of Truth' will put you on the edge as a search for truth, in religion. Robert spent roughly nine years living abroad in Istanbul Turkey. His life experiences magnifies curiosity while uncovering deep issues we have all questioned at one time or another,' said Mireille Mistkowski, the acquisitions editor for the book.
Branham's personal experiences living in Turkey served as the inspiration for the book. 'I first moved to Turkey from Waco, TX in 2005. Ever since we moved it has been an ongoing curiosity to observe and make note of the cultural differences,' says Branham. 'There are many differences that distinguish our two cultures but also there are similarities. I sometimes imagine what it would be like if I could instantaneously transport someone from central Texas over to Istanbul, Turkey (and vice versa).'
Branham's cultural surroundings also color the book in a vivid, illustrative manner. '100% of the book was written in the country of Turkey, with 90% was written a stone's throw from my neighborhood mosque. The sights, sounds and smells from the crowded streets of Istanbul flavored the story line,' says Branham. 'I wrote while the 'call to prayer' blared throughout the day from speakers at the Mosque across the street alerting all passersby that it was time to come inside and pray. There were countless glasses of Turkish chai set before me in those distinctive figure 8 shape glasses amidst the cloud of cigarette smoke that often hovered where I drank, sat and wrote at my favorite cafe. All of this helped to flavor the writing so that hopefully the reader will gain a unique experience from this part of the world.'
Branham expresses that the gut-wrenching awareness/mystery of the afterlife deeply influences and uses the word 'scary' to describe this theme in the book, sharing 'somewhere deep inside of each of us, no matter where we live or what language we speak or what religion we say we have, deep down inside is an idea that we hold to in the very center of our soul that explains the meaning of life, death, heaven and hell. The more people that I have talked to around the world, the more I see that it is the same regardless of culture and religion. People want to believe in a heaven and hell.'
'But,' Branham questions, 'why do we believe what we do? Is it something we heard from a parent, teacher, or preacher? Maybe it was something we read in a book? What if that teacher was wrong? What if the church got it wrong? What if the best selling author that we read was incorrect? Where does that leave us...for eternity?... Perhaps even more interestingly almost everyone seems to live with the notion that they are going to heaven and that it will be the 'other' guys that are going to hell. This is the scary part, unless truly everyone around the world is going to heaven. But if we are wrong, how do we know?'
Branham hopes this overarching themes will 'cause readers to reexamine what they believe and why. Hopefully it will be scary enough to cause readers to reevaluate their core beliefs... David Hume said that errors in philosophy are just ridiculous but errors in religion are dangerous. We can afford to be sloppy in our convictions about some things but not about religion.'
Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book will be available upon its release through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.
Robert Branham is married to Joni Branham. They have been married for 24 years and have four children. They moved from Waco, Texas to Turkey in 2005. Robert left a position with Baylor University in the Information Systems Group where he was Senior Systems Analyst at that time to teach in a private Turkish school.
For more information or interview requests please contact Michelle Whitman, publicist, at (405) 458-5642 or send an email to michelle@keymgc.com.
Actor Randy Harrison, best known for playing Justin Taylor in Showtime's Queer as Folk (2000-2005) is rehearsing Amadeus Mozart for the play Amadeus to bow in Santa Barbara at the Ensemble Theatre on October 11. In our chat he talks about the play, his role, his tastes in music, as well as a bit about Queer as Folk.
What was life like, briefly, during Queer As Folk? Did you know at first that this show was unique and groundbreaking? You guys had so many fans. I know because I interviewed Gale Harold when he did Orpheus Descending a few years ago, and the fan response to the interview was incredible. I had comments from all over the world.
David Yazbek has shown himself to be a Broadway composer-lyricist to be reckoned with, after a splashy debut with 2000's "The Full Monty," and a meaningful follow-up with 2005's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." Both film adaptations, they won Drama Desk Awards for him, as well as Tony nominations. 2010's "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown", also a film adaptation, was Tony-nominated for its score as well, though it suffered a truncated run of only 69 performances. Theatre at the Center in the Chicago suburb of Munster, Indiana, is the location for the show's world regional premiere.
When the tour of 'So You Think You Can Dance' comes to the Connor Palace Theatre in Cleveland on October 20, it will expose the local community to the top ten contestants and some of the other dancers who got the attention of the judges.
Boys Noize (Alex Ridha) is one busy and prolific gentleman. Last month, he announces a co-headline tour with Baauer, as well as a track collaboration titled “Fire Like This”, which is revealed via FADER Magazine
Why do some actors make it and others don't? Ken Womble sets out to find the answer to this question, one that has fascinated and tormented him for years, in his new book, INSIDE ACT: How Ten Actors Made it and How You Can Too (Hansen Publishing Group, 373 pages, $24.99). To celebrate the release, BroadwayWorld will be featuring chapter previews from the new book. Today, hear from Gary Beach!
Philip Roger Roy & Dana Matthow (the producers behind last year's smash-hit production of My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy) present the smash-hit comedy, MY SON THE WAITER, A JEWISH TRAGEDY, written and performed by Brad Zimmerman. MY SON THE WAITER - A JEWISH TRAGEDY will preview today, August 27 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm and will open on Thursday, August 28 at 7:30pm, and continue through Sunday, September 21st, at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
In the coming months, Broadway will welcome a fresh crop of productions- many of which will mark the Broadway debuts for a slew of talented actors. Whether they are fresh faces or established stars, these Broadway babies will soon take their very first bows on the grandest stages in the world.
Meet all of the Great White Way's newest stars below, and be sure to let us know who you're most looking forward to seeing onstage!
As schools are opening their doors and welcoming students back, class at the Mad Cow Theatre Company is also back in session with a production of Alan Bennett's 2005 Tony Winning Play, THE HISTORY BOYS. My review on the production, running through September 7th, will be up early next week. In the meantime, I was able to interview some of the cast members. Instead of your basic interview with straightforward questions, I kept with the spirit of Bennett's scholastic play by passing out the blue books with three open-ended questions about some of the themes from the play. Although these answers will not be graded, I am sure if Irwin took a glance at them he would not be regarding them as "abysmally dull".
This weekend, on Sunday August 10th, Boys Noize and Baauer will play the Boysnoize Records presents show alongside L-Vis 1990, Le1f (DJ), Pilo, Samo Sound Boy and Spank Rock at New York's Governors Island.
Kids who are deaf share their experiences in the brand-new Nick News With Linda Ellerbee half-hour special, 'Now Hear This! What If You Were Deaf?' premiering tonight, Aug. 5, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
Kids who are deaf share their experiences in the brand-new Nick News With Linda Ellerbee half-hour special, 'Now Hear This! What If You Were Deaf?' premiering Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
When did you first know you had a talent for Poetry?
Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond.
Musician/composer/lyricist Michael Patrick Walker is world premiering a new musical Dog and Pony at the Old Globe in San Diego. Walker is best known as one of the composers of the hit musical Altar Boyz. He was nominated for a 2005 Lucille Lortel Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and for two 2005 Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and for Best Lyrics for Altar Boyz. The show also won the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. In our chat, Walker talks in depth about Dog and Pony and working with the cast and creative team at the Old Globe.
North America's largest showcase of Japanese film and “One of the loopiest… and least predictable of New York's film festivals” (New York Magazine), JAPAN CUTS: The New York Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema returns for its eighth annual installment.
We are quickly approaching summertime in the city, and Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is gearing up to provide Houstonians a cool opportunity to catch a fun, family show, Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID. Like the beloved film, this production is sure to delight with familiar songs and all of our favorite characters.
Philip Roger Roy & Dana Matthow (the producers behind last year's smash-hit production of My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy) present the smash-hit comedy, MY SON THE WAITER, A JEWISH TRAGEDY, written and performed by Brad Zimmerman. MY SON THE WAITER - A JEWISH TRAGEDY will preview on Wednesday, August 27 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm and will open on Thursday, August 28 at 7:30pm, and continue through Sunday, September 21st, at the Scherr Forum Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
We're talking to this year's nominees ALL day from BWW's Tony Awards 'war room' - keep checking back for live updates!
When she found out that the frustrations, hardships and difficulties of settling as an immigrant were not unique to her but was the experience of many other immigrants like herself, Angie Manning Edusei decided to publish her first self-help book for immigrants. Little did she know that not only immigrants, but citizens of host territories and those who have never traveled would also benefit from her work. In this book, Edusei seems breathlessly in pursuit of 'happy' but not for herself as she embraces the entire global community of immigrants, who are constantly changing themselves in this pursuit to fit into a new society while all the time assimilating at the risk of losing their own identity. The book's full title 'Lost Crossing BroadWay: 40 Survival Lessons for the Wise Immigrant' encapsulates the challenges of the author's own experiences when she chose to uproot her family from Jamaica seven years ago, to live in the United States. Edusei believes her book, which is based on some of her own experiences, is the immigrant's guide to achieving stability and success.
With Broadway's 2014 season now in full swing, there's a solid group of performers making their Broadway debuts this Spring. Meet all of the Great White Way's newest stars below, and be sure to let us know who you're most looking forward to seeing onstage!
Pop-Rock Idol, Rick Springfield brings his Stripped Down Tour to The Colonial Theatre tonight, March 26 at 7:30pm. Rick Springfield fans will get to witness the pop-rock idol as they've never seen him before in his first-ever solo acoustic tour! In addition to playing unplugged versions of many of his memorable tunes, Springfield will share stories about the songs and his life during the performances and do a Q&A session with fans after the performance.
Looking ahead at Joe's Pub at The Public, performances running today, March 18, through March 30 include: A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN - JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL & HOLLY HUNTER - PAUL LOREN - FIRST ANNUAL FEMINIST BALL - FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 2014: SONIA OLLA's TIEMPO AL AIRE - MOBY DICK, PART III: THE BALLAD OF PIP - ARBOREA W/ CASSANDRA JENKINS - THE HOT SARDINES - BENJI HUGHES - FLAMENCO FESTIVAL 2014: SILVIA PEREZ CRUZ & RAUL FERNANDEZ REFREE's CRUZ MIRO - FUEL FANDANGO - OUR LADY J - VINCENT D'ONOFRIO & DANA LYN - TRANS FORMATIVE: AN EVENING OF SONGS THAT PROPEL US - PT WALKLEY - UBU SINGS UBU - CHARLES YANG - COMPANY FREAK - JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND - BRIDGET EVERETT - NEVER SLEEP ALONE - MATES OF STATE - JESUS ON THE MAINLINE / NATALIE CRESSMAN - CARMEN SOUZA. Details below!
Pop-Rock Idol, Rick Springfield brings his Stripped Down Tour to The Colonial Theatre on March 26 at 7:30pm. Rick Springfield fans will get to witness the pop-rock idol as they've never seen him before in his first-ever solo acoustic tour! In addition to playing unplugged versions of many of his memorable tunes, Springfield will share stories about the songs and his life during the performances and do a Q&A session with fans after the performance.
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