Thomas Jefferson News

On Saturday, July 26, at 8:15 p.m. in the Amphitheater, Chautauqua Institution presents an original inter-arts collaborative performance called Go West! Featuring theater, opera, symphony, dance, music and visual arts, the production is directed by CTC Associate Artistic Director Andrew Borba and explores the American impulse to pioneer.

This summer, visit a small Italian provincial, 1950's town, as INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. brings a bit of 'La Dolce Vita' as it presents its take one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Managing Director David Melville. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW will begin previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL tonight, July 24 at 7pm and will open on Saturday, August 2 at 7:00pm and perform through Friday, August 29 at Old Zoo in Griffith Park. All ISC Summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public! THE TAMING OF THE SHREW will play in repertory with TWELFTH NIGHT or What You Will.

Mentioned by the New York Times as "What to Do in New York City in Summer 2014" and lauded by The Huffington Post as "a brilliant example of what might be called creative, feminist historiography," Madame Infamy, is a new musical directed by Carlos Armesto, with concept and Book by Jp Vigliotti and Music and Lyrics by Cardozie Jones and Sean Willis. At the turn of the 18th century, America stood firmly on the backs of its slaves while Paris burned as its poorest citizens revolted against the aristocracy. Two worlds united by one electrifying score, Madame Infamy is the dark and moving tale of Marie Antoinette, last Queen of France, and Sally Hemings, slave and mistress of President Thomas Jefferson. Fighting hardship, scandal, and loss, each must find the strength to combat a nation in hopes of protecting the ones she loves.

The Public will soon present the world premiere of Lin-Manuel Miranda's new play Hamilton from Jan 20 to Feb 22, 2015. It is based on the book 'Alexander Hamilton' by Ron Chernow. Miranda will play Hamilton himself. According to an Equity casting notice, auditions are currently underway to fill several key roles, including Aaron Burr, George Washington and more. The character descriptions paint exciting pictures of Miranda's characters, including: Aaron Burr ('Javert meets Mos Def'), George Washington ('John Legend meets Mufasa'), Hercules Mulligan/James Madison ('RZA meets Zach from Chorus Line'), King George ('Wainwright meets King Herod in JCS'), and Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds (Jasmine Sullivan meets Carla from Nine).

LOS ANGELES, July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ Have you ever wished you had help in answering those who challenge the relevance and accuracy of the Bible? Throughout the month of July Trinity Broadcasting Network, America's most watched faith channel, is offering the perfect resource from one of its good friends and ministry partners, renowned author and evangelist Ray Comfort.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, celebrates the July 4th weekend with '54 Below Sings 1776,' a celebration of the music from Broadway's Tony Award-winning Independence Day musical by Sherman Edwards. '54 Below Sings 1776' will play four performances only: Thurs. July 3 at 7PM and 9:30PM, and Sat. July 5 at 7PM and 9:30PM. To make a reservation, visit www.54below.com. Cover starts at $50. $25 food & beverage minimum.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, celebrates the July 4th weekend with '54 Below Sings 1776,' a celebration of the music from Broadway's Tony Award-winning Independence Day musical by Sherman Edwards. '54 Below Sings 1776' will play four performances only: tonight, July 3 at 7PM and 9:30PM, and Sat. July 5 at 7PM and 9:30PM.

In honor of this week's major national holiday of Independence Day, today we celebrate the most patriotic musical of them all, 1776.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, celebrates the July 4th weekend with '54 Below Sings 1776,' a celebration of the music from Broadway's Tony Award-winning Independence Day musical by Sherman Edwards. '54 Below Sings 1776' will play four performances only: TONIGHT, July 3 at 7PM and 9:30PM, and Sat. July 5 at 7PM and 9:30PM.

The Off-Broadway hit Murder for Two is the eighth and final play to be announced in the 2014-2015 Geffen Playhouse season. The new musical will run from May 27 through July 7, 2015 in the Geffen Playhouse's intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater. Murder for Two, in which everyone is a suspect, is a hilarious musical murder mystery with a twist: one actor investigates the crime, the other plays all of the suspects - and they both play the piano! This 90-minute whodunit is a zany blend of classic musical comedy and madcap mystery, a highly theatrical duet loaded with killer laughs.

JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ James & Dolley Madison: America's First Power Couple, a comprehensive dual biography by Dr. Bruce Chadwick, a professor of English at New Jersey City University, has been published by Prometheus Books.

It's the summer of 1776, and the nation is ready to declare independence...if only our founding fathers can agree to do it! 1776 follows John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Richard Henry Lee and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia as they attempt to convince the members of the second Continental Congress to vote for independence from the shackles of the British monarchy by signing the Declaration of Independence.

Mentioned by the New York Times as “What to Do in New York City in Summer 2014” and lauded by The Huffington Post as “a brilliant example of what might be called creative, feminist historiography,” Madame Infamy, is a new musical directed by Carlos Armesto, with concept and Book by Jp Vigliotti and Music and Lyrics by Cardozie Jones and Sean Willis. At the turn of the 18th century, America stood firmly on the backs of its slaves while Paris burned as its poorest citizens revolted against the aristocracy. Two worlds united by one electrifying score, Madame Infamy is the dark and moving tale of Marie Antoinette, last Queen of France, and Sally Hemings, slave and mistress of President Thomas Jefferson. Fighting hardship, scandal, and loss, each must find the strength to combat a nation in hopes of protecting the ones she loves.

The nation's renowned auction house, Profiles in History, (www.profilesinhistory.com) has set July 11, 2014 (11 a.m. PST) to present the highly anticipated The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector IV, the next auction of the series. Following the immensely successful Parts I, II, and III, the newest auction will represent a wide array of single lots, meticulously compiled groups and comprehensive archives.

This summer, visit a small Italian provincial, 1950's town, as INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. brings a bit of 'La Dolce Vita' as it presents its take one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Managing Director David Melville. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW will begin previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Thursday, July 24 at 7pm and will open on Saturday, August 2 at 7:00pm and perform through Friday, August 29 at Old Zoo in Griffith Park. All ISC Summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public! THE TAMING OF THE SHREW will play in repertory with TWELFTH NIGHT or What You Will.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, celebrates the July 4th weekend with '54 Below Sings 1776,' a celebration of the music from Broadway's Tony Award-winning Independence Day musical by Sherman Edwards. '54 Below Sings 1776' will play four performances only: Thurs. July 3 at 7PM and 9:30PM, and Sat. July 5 at 7PM and 9:30PM. To make a reservation, visit www.54below.com. Cover starts at $50. $25 food & beverage minimum.

I had forgotten how profoundly theatre can transcend. That the people doing the singing, dancing, joke making and storytelling are actual human beings, and that they're susceptible to the butterfly effect and the hundredth monkey and that they, too, are feeling the weight of the sky pressing down in these hard, heavy times.

My whirlwind day trip to the City of Brotherly Love continued with stops at as many places I could get to that either figure in the story of 1776 or might evoke 18th century Philadelphia. There are still some wonderful pockets of the city that are very much like they were a couple hundred years ago, the most charming of which is Elfreth's Alley. This little cobbled lane lined with quaint houses (all still residential homes) is the oldest residential street in America and looks just as it would have had John Adams himself strolled down it in the summer of '76.

Raising America's love of snacking to epic proportions, Jack Link's today commemorates the third annual National Jerky Day with its most monumental achievement ever: the creation of "Meat Rushmore," an awe-inspiring meat replica of South Dakota's famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The 13-foot tall, 17-foot wide structure is covered in more than 1,600 pounds of Jack Link's beef, pork and turkey jerky, weighing in at over 350,000 grams of lean protein, and is being showcased today in New York City's Columbus Circle. National Jerky Day is celebrated annually to commemorate Americans' love for snacking and their unadulterated desire to "Feed Their Wild Side."

Profiles in History, the world's largest auctioneer & dealer of historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed photographs, manuscripts and original Hollywood memorabilia, will present Historical Document Auction 63, June 13, 2014, beginning at 11am PST. This unprecedented collection of rare and virtually unseen documents is highlighted by one of Ludwig van Beethoven's most famous correspondences—a letter written in 1806 during the chaotic creation and production of his only opera, Fidelio. The Auction Pre-sale Estimate for this extremely rare document, not publicly seen since the 1950's, is $150,000 - $250,000 and could easily exceed that figure.