Welcome to the digital world. Every day our lives become more and more infused with text messaging, social media, and new technology, and Broadway is keeping up with the times. For years, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows have offered theatre-goers a chance for last-minute tickets through student rushes, general rushes, and the ever-popular lottery system. These traditions invite fans straight to the theatre box offices so that they might snag a discounted pair of tickets just hours before the curtain goes up. CLICK HERE to read more about all of the Broadway lotteries/rushes.
The times are a-changin' however, as this morning A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER joined the growing list of productions that now offer a digital lottery. That's right- no more waiting in line in the cold/heat at the crack of dawn; no more joining the hoards of people in the street for the chance that your name might get chosen. One question remains- how long until the rest of Broadway joins the bandwagon?
Tayo Oredein, an author, model and actress from Queens, NY is giving away free electronic copies of her book 'His PhD is in Hypocrisy...And Other Poems about My Crappy Ex-Boyfriend.' The book is a collection of poems recounting the author's interreligious and interracial relationship with her then-boyfriend, a Muslim man with family ties to Palestine. Oredein says her relationship with her ex-boyfriend is largely responsible for steering her away from Islamophobia after the 9/11 attacks. She is hosting the give-away in the hopes that her story can help raise awareness about Islam, and reduce the tensions that have risen given recent events.
'Before my ex, the only exposure that I had to Muslims was what I saw on TV. It was nothing but negative stereotypes,' Oredein says. 'But then we started dating, and I was around him, and his family and friends all the time. I learned a lot about Islam- what it is, and what it isn't- and how the literal root of the word means 'peace'. Even though he and I obviously didn't end on great terms, if it weren't for him, I would have jumped on the anti-Muslim bandwagon out of ignorance along with everyone else.'
Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the United States and other fear mongering tactics has only increased distrust and strained relationships with respect to the Islamic community. Oredein, who identifies as an African-American, and as Christian, is frustrated by the way Muslims are being portrayed and treated in the media. She decided to give away free copies of her book in hopes of changing the messaging surrounding Muslims.
'When I hear anti-Muslim rhetoric leads an eight-year old child to think she is going to be ripped from her home, it breaks my heart. I'm just hoping that my story can open some eyes, minds and hearts with respect to our Muslim brothers and sisters- because that's exactly who they are - They are our brothers and sisters.'
So far 'His PhD is in Hypocrisy...And Other Poems about My Crappy Ex-Boyfriend' has been well received and has been mentioned for contributing to the abatement of Islamophobia. 'The book ends with the 9/11 tragedy, and Tayo's wisdom to understand the meaning that her relationship with Steve gave her, how it informed her not to respond to the attacks in hatred,' says Rebecca Danos, PhD. Michael T. Lyle, Jr, News Reporter/Writer for AM 1220 WQUN Radio, adds 'In the post-9/11 environment, Tayo not only manages to overcome the tragic events of that somber day, but by also proving through even in the most trying of times, hate and rage are no match for love and hope. A must-read for anyone seeking inspiration in times of despair and uncertainty.'
The give-away is set to begin on January 1, 2016 and will last at least through the end of the year. The book will still be available for purchase in ebook and paperback formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and other online retailers. However free electronic copies of the memoir can be requested by reaching out to the author via email at tytaytai@gmail.com, or on social media using her handle '@tytayai'. To request the book on Twitter or Instagram, tag Oredein with her user handle using the hashtags #HisPhdIsInHypocrisy, #FreeCopy, and #TheRootOfIslamIsPeace. Interested parties can also make a request by sending a message to the book's or author's Facebook fan pages.
Tayo Oredein is a writer from Jamaica, Queens NY and has degrees from Wellesley College, Hunter College (CUNY) and Rutgers University. She also models and acts. 'His PhD is in Hypocrisy...And Other Poems about My Crappy Ex-Boyfriend' is her first book.
Oredein is available for interviews and appearances. For booking presentations, media appearances, interviews, and/or book-signings contact her directly at tytaytai@gmail.com
Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights will perform a kids' rock concert at The Jewish Museum on Sunday, December 20 at 2pm. The Brooklyn-based kindie rocker Joanie Leeds and her band bring families to their feet with interactive, high energy performances incorporating a unique and playful sound ranging from pop-rock to gospel to country. They will perform hits from her latest releases, Good Egg and Meshugana.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced details for LOUNGE REGIME: 100 YEARS OF AMBIENT MUSIC on Monday, November 9, 2015 at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Nations Gallery and Atrium.
Lesli Margherita is back on Broadway- and she never even left! The star of Broadway's MATILDA is making a seamless transition into another wacky (but this time lovable) role in DAMES AT SEA, which opens on Thursday, October 22 at the Helen Hayes Theatre (240 West 44 Street).
Just a week away from her big opening night, Margherita checked in with BroadwayWorld to tell us all about her new role, the show's incredible tap numbers, and so much more. Check out the full interview below!
Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for The Other Place. Josie de Guzman leads the cast as Juliana Smithton, a neurologist whose research leads to a potential breakthrough for a new treatment. Just as it does, her life takes a disorienting turn. During a lecture to colleagues, she enters into a mystery that blurs fact with fiction, the past with the present, until the elusive truth is unraveled in a windswept cottage on the shores of Cape Cod. The Other Place, by Sharr White and directed by Don Stephenson, begins previews October 23 and opens October 28, with performances continuing through November 15, 2015.
Earlier today, New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players announced they would be cancelling their planned production of THE MIKADO due to complaints from the Asian American community about the show's offensive stereotyping, as well as NYGASP's casting of caucasian actors in Asian roles.
Today, in an announcement posted on their official Facebook page, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players has canceled their production of THE MIKADO and replaced it with THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE.
The Old Globe opens its 2015-2016 Season with IN YOUR ARMS, a World Premiere dance-theatre musical featuring direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies, Godspell, Lincoln Center Theater's The King and I and South Pacific) and original music by Tony Award winner Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once on This Island; two-time Oscar nominee for Anastasia). The production begins tonight, September 16, with an opening slated for September 24, and runs through October 25, 2015.
Husband-and-wife duo Alpher & Litt bring their unique songwriters' perspective and tastefully heimische style to legendary cabaret Don't Tell Mama this fall with 'The Elegant & The Immigrant: Cole Porter & Irving Berlin Together,' a program of songs in matched pairs exploring the similarities and differences between these two master songwriters from Tin Pan Alley's golden age. The Elegant & The Immigrant will play a four-show run opening Friday, September 25, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, October 25, at 4 p.m., Saturday, November 14, at 5 p.m., and Sunday, December 20, at 4 p.m. Don't Tell Mama is at 343 W 46th St, NYC between 8th and 9th Avenues. There is a $15 cover plus a 2-drink minimum, with a $5 professional discount for MAC members. Call 212-757-0788 after 4 p.m. to reserve or visit: www.donttellmamanyc.com.The Elegant & The Immigrant: Cole Porter & Irving Berlin Together has played in concert at many venues on the East coast, including the Beacon Hill Concert Series, SummerKeys, Bard College, Custer Observatory, and the Hudson River Valley.
Among them, the company can claim 18 Tony Awards, 4 Pulitzer Prizes, 6 Pulitzer finalist distinctions, 3 Emmy Awards, and 2 Academy Awards; to list all their honors would take several pages.
I'm gonna make this nice and simple: if you're not watching the HBO comedy series THE COMEBACK, you should be. The sitcom stars Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish, a former A-list actress who agrees to document her attempt at rediscovering fame by being the subject of a reality show. It's genuinely hilarious and full of heart – and boasts an extensive list of guest stars, to boot (I'm looking at you, Sean Hayes and Seth Rogen). If you don't believe me, maybe you'll listen to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which just recognized the series with an Emmy nomination for Lisa Kudrow for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Welcome to the digital world. Every day our lives become more and more infused with text messaging, social media, and new technology, and Broadway is keeping up with the times. For years, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows have offered theatre-goers a chance for last-minute tickets through student rushes, general rushes, and the ever-popular lottery system. These traditions invite fans straight to the theatre box offices so that they might snag a discounted pair of tickets just hours before the curtain goes up. CLICK HERE to read more about all of the Broadway lotteries/rushes.
The times are a-changin' however, as this morning A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER joined the growing list of productions that now offer a digital lottery. That's right- no more waiting in line in the cold/heat at the crack of dawn; no more joining the hoards of people in the street for the chance that your name might get chosen. One question remains- how long until the rest of Broadway joins the bandwagon?
Center for Puppetry Arts presents five timeless tales of fun and friendship in The Tortoise, the Hare, and Other Aesop's Fables. On stage August 13-September 20, this piece takes tots and parents on a playful carnival ride complete with a bandwagon of animal friends that will have audiences bouncing, clapping and singing along to the catchy tunes! Featuring some of Aesop's most famous fables: The Lion and the Mouse, The City Mouse and the Country Mouse, The Fox and the Crane, The Ant and the Grasshopper and The Tortoise and the Hare, this charming and energetic production, specifically designed for the very young, is a must-see summer sensation!
A cast of six will lead a reading of the Broadway-bound WHAT WOMEN DO (and men too) written by playwright and Broadway performer William Youmans and directed by Don Stephenson. The new play is a battle-of-the-sexes farce set in New York City. The reading, which is being produced by The Resonance Ensemble, takes place tonight, July 7, 2015 at 7:00 p.m at the Manhattan Theatre Club Studios (311 W 43rd Street 8th Floor) and is open to the public.
A cast of six will lead a reading of the Broadway-bound WHAT WOMEN DO (and men too) written by playwright and Broadway performer William Youmans and directed by Don Stephenson. The new play is a battle-of-the-sexes farce set in New York City. The reading, which is being produced by The Resonance Ensemble, takes place on Tuesday July 7, 2015 at 7:00 p.m at the Manhattan Theatre Club Studios (311 W 43rd Street 8th Floor) and is open to the public.
Somewhere in my prodigious vinyl collection there is at least one album by the self-proclaimed 'High Priestess of Soul,' Nina Simone; and having just seen SIMPLY SIMONE: The Music of Nina Simone, at the Hattiloo Theatre, I am taking a deep breath and planning to thumb through my myriad of records in order to seek it out. Nina Simone never quite 'caught on' with mainstream audiences; the legendary Aretha Franklin, who, like Simone, emerged from a gospel background and was a gifted pianist, was much more successful in that respect. Simone was too idiosyncratic a performer to be pigeonholed or labeled. She scoffed at being called a blues singer or a jazz singer; her early classical training, encouraged by a white pianist and patron (who collected money from the people in the town and helped to enroll at Juilliard), always informed her music. Moreover, the songs she chose to interpret, in addition to her own, were an eclectic repertoire: Everything from Gershwin to the Beatles. Underappreciated in her own country, and disillusioned by the stagnation of the Civil Rights Movement after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she found her audience abroad, particularly in France; she turned her back on disco (which she disdainfully dismissed) and was selective and intelligent in the music she chose to interpret, which left no room for her on the popularity bandwagon.
