Over 3,000 years ago, Solomon, one of the wisest people who ever lived, wrote many proverbs. Proverbs are wise sayings that make observations about life, God and human nature. In Proverbs 29:18 we read, "Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction." That word "revelation" means vision or prophetic insight. Vision can be described as "a picture of a preferred future that inspires passion in us." When we have a sense of personal vision we live motivated lives. We tend to jump out of bed in the morning and we are excited about the day ahead. It could be a vision of completing a university degree, acquiring a job, winning a sports final, renovating our house, or losing weight. Without a sense of vision we tend to roll out of bed in the morning. It's hard to get going and the day tends to drag on. Thankfully, God has great plans for our lives (see Jeremiah 29:11). We just need to take time to seek him and his will for our life.
As a church family, we have had a sense of vision right from the beginning. Richard Holland and a few families started our church back in 1967 with a vision to know God and make him known. As the church grew, various venues and buildings were used until we eventually purchased land in the city of Knox back in 1981. Richard had a vision of a church of 1,500 people. This seemed pretty crazy at the time as our church was only about 400 people in size. Eventually, that vision was achieved and the vision has unfolded and continued to this day when we meet in 10 church services every weekend in 4 locations across our city.
Last year we shared a new vision for this season in the life of our church – a vision to see over 10,000 stories of transformation by 2016. That vision includes people coming to faith in Christ, finding a church home, being baptised in water, starting to serve with their gifts, and of people in the community being reached as well as churches being planted overseas. It's not just about the numbers. Every number represents a name and every name represents a story of a person who matters to God.
Where did we get this idea of vision for our church? From Jesus himself. In Acts 1:1-11, we read of one of Jesus' final conversations with his disciples. After telling them to wait for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, he emphasised the mission he wanted them to pursue. It was a vision of an ever-expanding outreach to people locally, regionally, cross-culturally and internationally.
Despite Jesus painting a picture of this vision numbers of times during his last days with them, the disciples were still interested in their own parochial vision of a political kingdom with Israel overthrowing the pagan Romans (see Acts 1:6). Jesus had to challenge them about not being distracted by these less essential matters so that they could fully focus on the primary mission he was giving them (Acts 1:7-8).
In the same way, we can be easily distracted by interests and priorities other than the vision Jesus has for his church. Some Christians get caught up in 'end times' hysteria, trying to identify the antichrist, focusing solely on end time prophecy, the rapture and second coming of Jesus. Others get into heretic hunting, debating over who is right and who is wrong on various theological matters, who is in and who is out. Others get caught up in politics or debates about personal holiness while others are distracted by the pursuit of a career, wealth or just having fun. Though these things may not be wrong in and of themselves, they can so easily draw our time and energy away from the primary calling of the church – to reach out to people in our world with the good news of Jesus Christ. That's why a vision such as "10,000 stories of transformation" is so important - because it helps us focus on what is most important to Jesus for his church.
If you think about it, most Christians don't need more information. As John Maxwell says, "Most Christians are educated beyond the level of their obedience!" For example, if someone has offended us, we don't need a seminar or another sermon. We simply need to choose to forgive.
When I was going out with Nicole, I had lots of thoughts about our possible future together. I thought things like, "I could marry her" and eventually, "I should marry her". That process was important but until I came to the decision of "I will ask her to marry me", nothing much changed for our future together. Decisions are powerful moments that determine out destiny.
As we begin this year, what is your vision for your life? What part has God called you to play in the vision he has for our church? Most importantly, what is your next step? What decision do you need to make today? Is it to surrender your life to Jesus or be baptised in water or lose weight or forgive someone? As a church, for us to see more stories of transformation, two steps we all need to take are to ENGAGE and to CONNECT. Engaging with people around us could be through praying for them, listening to their story, eating a meal with them, helping them or sharing our faith with them. The good news is that when we engage with people, we find that God is already there at work in their lives. Just ask Phillip (Acts 8:26-40), Ananias (Acts 9:10-19) or Peter (Acts 10:9-48)! We also need to connect, which means to join, to link, to associate or to unite. Like LEGO blocks, we were designed to connect – to God and each other. In a church family, connecting to a small group or a serving team provides a strong spiritual link that establishes a person in their faith and positions them for spiritual growth.
For us to achieve our vision as a church and for each of us to continue to be transformed personally, we need the person and power of the Holy Spirit. He is the source of the power, love and wisdom we need for life and ministry. This year, we want to position ourselves to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. That's the purpose of our Encounter Weeks.
1. Discuss the idea of personal vision. Describe times in your life when vision was clear and strong, as well as times when you weren't sure about your future.
2. Share about when you became part of CityLife. What drew you to the church?
3. Discuss Jesus' vision for his church from Acts 1:1-11.
4. Discuss the various distractions that can pull us away from the essence of what the church is called to do – reach out to the world with the good news of Jesus Christ.
5. Discuss how your group can contribute to the accomplishment of our vision to see over 10,000 stories of transformation.
6. Ask people to share the 'next step' they feel God calling them to make right now. It could include committing their life to Christ, being baptised in water, or beginning to serve.
7. Discuss the two leading behaviours of ENGAGE and CONNECT. What do these look like and how do they contribute to our church's vision?
8. Finish with prayer for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit for mission this year. Pray also for our Encounter Weeks. Encourage the whole group to come 15 minutes early for prayer.


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Thousand Pines – Review by Tom Holehan
The aftermath of a school shooting is on the minds of victims trying to observe the Thanksgiving holiday in Mathew Greene's new play, "Thousand Pines", currently in a world premiere production at the Westport Playhouse. This mournful drama, written well before the Sandy Hook tragedy is, sadly, still very timely.
Utilizing a unique structure that takes place just under 80 minutes without intermission, "Thousand Pines" is told in three separate vignettes as it observes three neighborhood families each suffering a loss from a recent shooting that took place at the local Thousand Pines High School. Five of the six actors play three roles each while a sixth, the gifted Andrew Veenstra, portrays a young man who connects the first and third vignettes in a surprising way. Given the difficult material, Greene hasn't shied away from the real pain inflicted into these people's lives, but that's about as far as he goes. There is no broader insight here into the tragedy or the bigger question of why our particular society seems to breed mass killers. Instead it often veers into melodrama which ultimately does the play and its important topic a disservice.
This brings us to the acting. With the exception of Mr. Veenstra, whose tortured performance resonates long after the curtain call, I'm afraid the other members of the acting company give into the worst excesses of the script. Kelly McAndrew, playing three different mothers, is "acting" throughout with a capital "A" and rarely convinces. Katie Ailion, Anne Bates, Joby Earle and William Ragsdale all have moments here and there, but it's quite clear that few of them can handle one role, let alone three. I don't mean to be harsh, but this is professional theatre and one just expects the acting to be of a higher standard. Some of the blame can, of course, be put on the limitations of a script filled with several unlikable characters and gratuitous profanity. Austin Pendleton's surprisingly limp direction is also a factor.
The pristine scenic design by Walt Spangler is impressive, but even though the playbill tells us it represents three identical suburban tract houses, it really doesn't work for the third vignette with characters who frankly sound like they live far on the other side of the tracks. Much praise, however, to designer Xavier Pierce who rose to the challenge of lighting a set equipped with a full ceiling, Composer Ryan Rumery's ominous sound design adds to the general feeling of dread throughout the evening and Barbara A. Bell's costuming keeps busy with over a dozen changes.
"Thousand Pines" is a sincere effort with great potential, but it's an important topic that deserves a more accomplished treatment. Better acting and direction would help, but the script could also use another draft or two.
"Thousand Pines" continues at the Westport Playhouse through November 17. For further information or ticket reservations call the theatre box office at 203.227.4177 or visit: www.westportplayhouse.org.


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POLL RESULTS: Merch Madness!
Show Matches and Marquee Cards...
just some of the Broadway merch I collect!
The Ides of March are behind us, and the second half of the Broadway season is in full swing, even though as I write this, it is winter-cold once again! Anyway, last month, all of the polls were about merch - the fun stuff you just have to buy when you see a new, exciting show or return to an old favorite. Just this past week or so, I dropped $70 for How to Succeed and Priscilla - bilia. Had Catch Me If You Can had posters or programs, I'd have spent more. We need BMA... Broadway Merch Anonymous. I was not the only one dropping major coin at the Priscilla booth (cute sales boys always add to my total, and the Palace is overrun with Queens these days)!
March Poll #1: Which theatre-related memorabilia do you have collections of?
(You could select as many "collections" as applicable. Had I voted, I'd have selected all of those below marked with "*". See? I need an intervention!)
0% - TIE - Jewelry/Watches and Toys/Cards/Plush
OK, I don't have COLLECTIONS of these, but I do have an Opening Night wrist watch from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and I have a Ragtime teddy bear (charity item), Show Boat playing cards, and a Zazu plush from Disney's The Lion King (a gift from a friend who says I behave just like that blue bird)!
* 4% - Window Cards
My friend Mike will tell you that I have a ridiculous number of these things, and that I have a whole routine for packaging and carrying these things all around Manhattan. Apparently, though the percentage is low, I'm not the only one of you... Carolyn from Trenton, NJ wrote, "Jeff, I have about 50 window cards, all autographed by the cast of the show, and all of them for charity! A nice write-off and many fond memories..."
9% - Key Chains and Pins
My gal Sal collects so many of these things that she decorates a small Christmas tree with the key chains she has! And she must have over a hundred lapel pins, all gathered in a collector's album.
* 14% - TIE - Magnets and Coffee Mugs/Water Bottles
Mike is the magnet man! He has dozens, including an obscene one from Spring Awakening that he proudly displays on his refrigerator! I have the coffee mugs, including 3 different Sunset Boulevard cups. My favorite is the tall Tarzan mug. (Disney has the best merch...) I have, however, stopped collecting them - they take up a lot of room in my tiny kitchen - in favor of those plastic sippy cups with show logos that they sell. To date, I have never paid for one... I scavenge from the seats after people leave...
* 19% - Souvenir Programs
Again, I have too many, and the best are put out by Disney (though the Priscilla one is enormous and fun). At least these I do actually pull out and look at. Lots of great memories. Writes Sherry from Petok, Maine, "I am always disappointed when I go to a show that hasn't been open long enough to have a souvenir program! But then I have an excuse to drag my husband back to the same show again!" I hear you, Sherry. I've gone back to shows for far less!
* 23% - Clothing/Hats/Hoodies
I'm shocked that this number is so low considering how many people stand in line to buy t-shirts at merch booths! I have lots of show shirts, but haven't bought a new one since Tarzan. Not sure why... among my other clothing items: a Phantom ball cap, a Titanic scarf, and Xanadu winter hat.
* 33% - Books/Scripts
OK, so I studied theatre in college, and never really stopped buying scripts. Most of the books I have now are gifts (thanks to Mike and Sal mostly. They know me so well!). And I have some collections - the Theatre World series from 1983-1994, and all 6 editions of the Playbill Yearbook.
* 47% - Ticket Stubs
This one I don't understand. This number should be much higher, after all, it is a free souvenir. But as Charlene from Brooklyn, NY wrote, "Doesn't everyone print out their own tickets at home now?" No, Charlene, not everyone does! I'll tell you why I don't (besides loving my little slices of cardboard): I think it is OUTRAGEOUS that the CHARGE you to print your own ticket on your own paper with your own ink! They charge you the handling fee anyway, whether you print the ticket or not! So if I have to pay to have something handled, let them do it!
* 61% - Cast Recordings
The ultimate memorabilia! How do you store yours? Mine are alphabetical through 1999-2000, and alphabetical per season after that, in one several of those leather binders with a plastic slip for each disc. I switched to this method when an entire 4 shelf book case wasn't enough to store them in the jewel cases. I have a series of boxes that have the CD booklets similarly ordered. And don't bother to write, iTunes people... I recycle my jewel cases for my picture CDs and I bring the rest to work.
* 85% - Playbills
OK, these are more FREE souvenirs from shows. You can always go back and look at them for fun. Did I mention they are FREE? I have Playbill binders for really special ones - opening night, Spider-Man with Natalie Mendoza, Spider-Man without Natalie Mendoza, and I have a space set aside for Spider-Man version 2.0. I then have each Playbill saved in those special plastic bags and cardboard that comics collectors keep their books in, and in turn those are saved in special cases designed just for that. Those I have arranged in order of having seen the shows. The other 15% of you, don't play the "environmental impact" card. You know you are the people who leave them on the aisles for the rest of us to slip on as we leave the theatre looking for the merch booth!
(NOTE: My apologies for spilling my "merch guts"... I told you, I need an intervention!)
Poll #2: What format(s) are your Original Cast Recordings in?
(A logical follow up to question #1, I thought.)
0% - TIE - 8-Track Tapes and Reel-to-Reel
Tim J. of Potomac, MD wrote, "What is a reel-to-reel?" Enough said.
33% - Cassettes
I gave most of mine away as my CD collection grew. I still have The Tap Dance Kid, Starlight Express(the London Cast Recording AND the Concept Recording), and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
34% - Records (Vinyl)
I still have every one of mine. And you know, I still miss the sheer size of them. When you bought one you knew you had something. And I especially miss the big color pictures, the longer liner notes, and the excitement of pulling out the sleeve and finding the lyrics printed on it. The two best vinyls I have are Evita and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Both are bi-fold (!) and both have all of the lyrics and plot synopsis - crucial to both shows. Evita's is a booklet!!!
53% - MP3/iTunes
I suppose that when I final break and buy an iPod, I'll join the ranks. And yes, it is cheaper, and yes, it is environmentally responsible, but damn it, I like to have something to hold when I buy it!
93% - CDs
Is almost 300 Broadway Cast Recordings a lot? I have a lot of them. When Anything Goes comes out, it will be the first one in my new CD book. (The, A and An don't count as the first word of a title when alphabetizing - unless you are The New York Times)
Poll #3: Where do you buy the majority of your theatre-related memorabilia?
(Thanks to all of you, and there were MANY, who complained that you couldn't pick more than one. Yes, I know, Amazon can't be beat for cast recordings, while the theatre itself is cheapest for general merch. And poor Lon, from Brighton, UK who lamented that, "I have to buy all of my Broadway items from online stores that charge far too much to send things across the pond!") I let you all pick ONE so you'd have to tell where your MAJORITY comes from!
18.2% - TIE - Other Online Stores (Amazon.com, Overstock.com, etc.) and Online Broadway Stores (BroadwayNewYork.com, etc.)
I buy most of my OBCRs from Amazon myself. And thanks to BackwoodsBarbie, from Springfield, MA, who reminded me that most show websites also have their own dedicated show "shops" online.
27.3% - Broadway Gift Shops
I also buy a lot here, too. Mostly posters and programs for shows I've seen but didn't have them when I saw them. And they pack the posters so nicely for just $1.00! Plus, these are the only places that sell those marquee cards I also collect (HELP ME PLEASE...). And what trip to the theatre district would be complete without checking out all three of them?
36.3% - At the Theatre
I couldn't agree more with Trina from New York, NY (loved you in Falsettos, by the way) who wrote, "I don't know about you, but I think it feels more authentic when you buy it right at the theatre!" And I agree, too, with Marla from Bayonne, NJ who wrote, "I especially love the shows that have small stores set up, like Spider-Man and Wicked. It's like real shopping, and theatre and shopping are my two favorite things!"
And there you have it theatre fans! Until next month... um... hope to see you back here tomorrow!
Have an idea for a poll? Email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Posted by JK at 12:01 PM
Labels: Merchandise, poll results
Masterpiece Theatre: Broadway Bares 2011 & More Bares News
WARNING: NOT WORK SAFE!
BROADWAY BARES XXI: MASTERPIECE
Every year, I look forward to the unveiling of the new Broadway Bares theme and campaign, and this year, for the first time, I was disappointed. On paper, the theme, Broadway Bares XXI: Masterpiece sounds like a great idea. After all, the bodies on display each year really are sculpted pieces of statuesque art all by themselves. And, just like every year, the title is chock full of double entendre possibilities. Instead, the posters, by SpotCo and brilliant photographer Andrew Eccles, come off as surprisingly literal. The three posters represent spins on famous works of art: Roy Lichtenstein's "Girl With a Beach Ball", Michaelangelo's David; and Matisse's version of Icarus. I suppose that the adoring crowds staring at the "art" with what appear to be bidding paddles over the "private" parts is supposed to be titillating. Instead, it comes off kind of stiff (and not in the way Broadway Bares normally conjures up that term). After all, since these representations are so close to, and so carefully recreating of the originals, what is so "naughty"? No one ever covers the genitals on the David, or puts a censored sign over the breasts of a woman in a painting. Is the sign, therefore, supposed to make us think something naughty? I kinda giggled when I saw them.
To be completely fair, though, they are, as always well done posters, with obviously a lot of work and time (all donated) put into them. And maybe a few more places would be inclined to display them. So, in that respect, the posters are a success.
Then, too, are the fun and very sexy "rotators" - pictures that match this year's theme that serve as background to the pages at broadwaybares.com. Each and every one a lovely "rendering" in a golden frame. (One might wonder if Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark would be a huge(r) success if Spidey stunt man/ensemble member Brandon Rubendall (above) flew around the Foxwoods in a gold frame ONLY!)
BROADWAY BARES: SOLO STRIPS: SPRING FEVER
And in even more Broadway Bares news... this Sunday at Splash Bar is another edition of Broadway Bares: Solo Strips, called Spring Fever. This version features Dave August, (Naked Boys Singing!), Tony Guerrero (Broadway Bares 19 and 20), Tyrone Jackson (Baby It's You!), Andy Mills (Memphis), Brandon Rubendall (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark), Kellen Stancil (The Lion King), Charlie Sutton (Catch Me If You Can), Rickey Tripp (In the Heights) and Matthew Skrincosky (Broadway Bares 16 - 20). The cover charge is only $10! Show times are 8 and 10 PM.
BARED: BROADWAY BARES' DVD DOCUMENTARY
Finally, you have only until Friday to donate to Bared the documentary film about the 20 seasons of Broadway Bares. The documentary itself will become a fundraiser for the "mothership of Broadway charities," Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and its associated charities including the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and others. Click on the link below to see the video and to make your donation.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2022328922/bared
For more information, tickets and to donate to BC/EFA and Broadway Bares, go to:
http://www.broadwaycares.org/ and/or http://www.broadwaybares.com/
(Photos from Broadway Bares.com, by Andrew Eccles.)
Comments? Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Labels: 2010-2011 season, Broadway Bares
REVIEW: Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Review of the March 26 matinee performance. At the Palace Theatre on Broadway, New York City. 2 hours, 30 minutes, with an intermission. Starring Will Swenson, Tony Sheldon, Nick Adams, C. David Johnson, J. Elaine Marcos, Esther Stilwell, Luke Mannikus, Jacqueline B. Arnold, Anastacia McCleskey and Ellyn Marie Marsh. Book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott. Production Supervised by Jerry Mitchell. Choreography by Ross Coleman and direction by Simon Phillips.
I went into Priscilla Queen of the Desert with the highest of hopes that it would be a non-stop thrill ride of color, spectacular sets, costumes and exciting dancing. About 2 minutes into I began to get that sinking feeling that this was not going to be the great musical good time of the season. Don't get me wrong. I knew enough to hope this would be Mamma Mia style good times, not next to normal, and not even somewhere in between, like say, Billy Elliot. You see, the problem with Priscilla is that if the scale of intensity was a low of 1 and a high of 10, it starts out at about a 12 and goes higher from there. What's wrong with that, you ask? Well, when you start out that high, it gets nearly impossible to build upon, and quite frankly, it is exhausting.
Another problem is that with so much going on - between director Simon Phillips' frantic staging and Ross Coleman's equally frenzied choreography - including a lot of props and costume changes as part of the dance - you miss some of the central action. About the only reason Will Swenson's entrance is even noticed - he walks into the dance number of all things - is because he is dressed in a non-rainbow color, and because he gets in the way. If you listen closely, you hear snippets of dialogue (during the song and dance) along the lines of "you're late, you washed up old drag queen," etc. The pretty boys aren't shoving him out of the way because he's walking through their number. They are man-handling him (get it?) because they really don't like him. His act is stale - think Marilyn Monroe meets Avenue Q - and he really needs to get the hell out of Sydney (Australia, mate). You kind of get that they're from Down Under from Swenson's accent, but the supporting cast up to this point is more uneven with their speech patterns, and I'm thinking I'm back at La Cage aux Folles with a bigger budget. In the midst of the noise, Will, um, I mean Tick makes a phone call to a friend to bemoan his lot in life, only to discover that the friend, a transgendered woman named Bernadette (Tony Sheldon) is worse off. Seems her lover, Trumpet (I will not even try to explain the reason for this name; it is tasteless and unfunny) has died and she is about to attend his funeral. Of course, this is the world of drag queens, so the occasion calls for a huge production number to "Don't Leave Me This Way." Drag queens in mourning are both wildly funny and shockingly disturbing, and cheap sight gags involving the humping of a casket and ass-less chaps and black umbrellas are the icing on this overbaked cake. It was right around here that I really almost checked out, arms folded and eyes a-rolling.
The Finale
But then the actual story got going, including the entrance of Adam/Felicia, aka Nick Adams, whose bright eyes, wide smile (and amazing body) are all eclipsed by his youthful abandon, absurd cattiness and infuriating naivete that includes an impetuous lack of consideration for others' feelings. He comes on like a hurricane of Skittles, and we are instantly smitten. And all of a sudden there's Tick/Mitzi (Will Swenson) alive and alert and a tower of female strength, Bernadette (Tony Sheldon). And all of a sudden there are three characters to care about, a thin storyline that holds the show together with heart, and gigantic set piece, a bus, named Priscilla. And then, out of the blue, one fantasy sequence after another gets funnier and funnier, more clever than the last, and each more cleverly staged. I am now in love with all three, and am practically wriggling in my seat with anticipation as to what will happen next (even though you already know it will end in a predictably pat ending, you don't care, I didn't anyway, because it is the journey here that is interesting).
Some two dozen hits from the 60's through the 90's, ranging from Bacharach and David (please no more musicals with "I Say a Little Prayer" after this season, OK?) to Madonna to M (remember that techno-ditty "Pop Muzic"? After you see this show, I guarantee you will never forget it) to Donna Summer (just thinking of the song "Hot Stuff" now riles me up in anger), and a dazzling production number based on the lyrics to "MacArthur Park." Believe it or not, this may just be the pinnacle of jukebox musicals. The variety of sources make it more surprising and with more possibility than the limits of using one group's song catalogue. And not once - even when it seems like it comes out of nowhere like "MacArthur Park" - does a song feel shoehorned in. You never groan at a song choice for its obviousness, and they have chosen some real doozies. Part of this might have to do with how some songs are rearranged (orchestrations by Stephen "Spud" Murphy and Charlie Hill). They are not always like you hear them on the radio, and take on a life of their own in the context of the show - witness "I Love the Night Life" as a torch song/country ballad, or "We Belong" as an anthem of acceptance.
After those first several off-putting minutes, Simon Phillips' staging becomes more thoughtful and creative, which is no small feat considering that much has to do with being confined to a bus, and finding realistic reasons to get on and off of it. To his credit, Phillips really knows how to counterpoint all of the fabulousness with quiet, meaningful moments - there were four times during the show where I wiped away tears and twice where my stomach was in angry knots. And more to his credit, he gets us to feel deeply, then moves us right back into party mode. Clearly, his objective is to entertain, make us feel, and then entertain us some more. Similarly, Ross Coleman's choreography (supervised by Jerry Mitchell, following Mr. Coleman's untimely passing) is frenetic much of the time - in fact, it comes across as rather busy, fussy and repetitive, not unlike the dance moves at any number of gay clubs in big cities - and actually kind of dull by the 5th production number in a row. But then, he pulls out something small, slower paced and elegant, and you find yourself loving the dancing all over again.
The Divas (top); Mitzi, Bernadette and Felicia (center);
James Brown III and Bob - C. David Johnson (front, center)
And all of this is wrapped up in a non-stop, moving set, designed by Brian Thompson. The bus spins (a lot), the floor moves, there are more sparkly curtains here than in all of Liberace's mansion, and everything that isn't nailed down is hot pink. Is there such a thing as "too gay"? Thompson's set, Nick Schlieper's equally busy, but surprisingly unimaginative lighting, and Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner's brilliant, funny and endlessly inventive costume designs (they won an Oscar for their work on the film version) would all point to "yes, there is such a thing as 'too gay'", if it weren't for the fact that they are so damned fun to look at. The signature flip flop dress is here, and there are some crazy spandex outfits topped with topiary style headdresses and bottomed with bizarre square bouncy feet. And some very special kudos must go to Cassie Hanlon's make up design, which includes peel on/peel off make up "masks," so that in seconds Tick and Adam can turn into Mitzi and Felicia right before our eyes.
Felicia and Priscilla
To be honest, the spectacle a lot of times obliterates the story and the characters, but the whole thing is so much fun you hardly notice. There are the three "divas" who descend from the heavens to sing, diva-like, naturally. Sometimes they (Jacqueline B. Arnold, Anastacia McCleskey and Ellyn Marie Marsh) sing as commentary to the action, sometimes they provide the singing voices for the lip-syncing drag queens, and other times they just add to the fun. Aside from their singing, they provide no discernible aid to the plot, are never explained or, for that matter, addressed by the cast (save for a duet of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" - go figure - between the Divas and Adam). Some nice one scene characters add some depth to the book scenes, including Nathan Lee Graham as Miss Understanding, a drag queen hostess/Tina Turner impersonator, James Brown III as a faux aboriginal tour guide, and Steve Schepis as Young Bernadette, who is all glamour and style and proving why old school is sometimes the better education. And the scene stealer of the year has to be J. Elaine Marcos who plays the mail order bride of a bus mechanic. She is the one who does a number to the song "Pop Muzic" and nearly stops the show. She does a "trick" with ping pong balls that cannot be described here without my locking the review from the view of anyone under 18. It is HILARIOUS.
Luke Mannikus and Jessica Phillips
Much of the emotional ground work comes from Esther Stilwell (in for Keala Settle) as mullet wearing, bar owner and down on her luck in love, Shirley, who milks every possible laugh and a nice dose of empathy from "I Love the Nightlife (I Love to Boogie)," and Jessica Phillips as Marion, Tick's wife and the mother of their child, who Tick has never met. She plays the role with such sincerity that you honestly believe that she accepts her husband's gay life and has really raised their son without prejudice. (And I say "believe"because her sincerity is played so for real.) But the real tug-at-your-heart stuff comes from the utterly adorable and charming Luke Mannikus who you'd swear was really from Australia, so superb is his accent. His duet with Swenson - clearly as smitten with the kid as the audience is - will bring even the coldest-hearted to tears. Best of all, the boy is as genuine as they come; there is not a trace of "cute kid actor" in him. Perhaps the most interesting character, though is the bus mechanic, Bob, played with warmth and manly sweetness by C. David Johnson. He is drawn to Bernadette because of a fond memory from the past, and is smitten enough with her to join the bus trip and leave his annoying wife behind. Does he know Bernadette is transgendered? Does he he know that when he first fell for her years ago, she was really a man? And do they really end up together? It is nice that the show brings it up and leaves that for the audience to answer.
Finally, and of course, it goes without saying, that if we don't give a hang about the three main characters, Tick/Mitzi (Swenson), Adam/Felicia (Adams) and Bernadette (Sheldon), Priscilla would be a pointless, overblown drag show. Nick Adams certainly has ascended to the ranks of leading man quickly, and this role suits him perfectly. His impossibly muscular body, including a much featured bare rear end, is stunning to look at, and yet still manages to look totally femme in his drag costumes (this was NOT the case when he was in La Cage). He can sing like a bird, and is a fantastic dancer. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by his acting - he displays quite a range. My fear is that, as he gets used to it and after a few months of adding little bits, though, he might go too far, and that will ruin it. He is great as is. (I have that exact fear for the entire show.) Will Swenson has the most accessible role, with the most obvious range of emotions. It is fun to watch him let himself go and enjoy his big drag numbers - he's a great dancer. And it is really nice to see him work through his character's biggest fears: that he won't be able to keep his friends together, and worst of all, that his son, once they meet, will want nothing to do with him. It is the brief glimpses of this man that makes Swenson's performance so terrific, so real. And then there is Tony Sheldon, who has played Bernadette in every production of this show since its inception. You would never know he's played the role over 1,000 times. It is as fresh and new feeling as his co-stars' roles. Mr. Sheldon wears Bernadette like a lovely flowing dress. He is, for all intents and purposes, a woman. Not a man playing a woman, not even a man playing a transgendered person. If it weren't for a couple of cheesy laughs he's been directed to get by lowering his voice, you would completely believe that Bernadette is a woman now. But besides believability, Mr. Sheldon also brings to the role a depth of feeling, nuance and charisma that draws you naturally to this woman whose life has been hard fought and beautifully won.
Will Swenson, Tony Sheldon and Nick Adams
As piled on as the spectacle is, ultimately Priscilla works because of its quieter moments. Not bad for a show whose main characters are inherently larger than life and a bus. I guess that's what really struck me about the show. The bus is amazing. The costumes are amazing. And all 20 production numbers are amazing. And yet, I left the show wanting to spend just a little more time with Priscilla and her family. How many times can you say that about a show that you started out not liking that much?
(Photos by Joan Marcus)
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Labels: 2010-2011 season, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Show Review
REVIEW: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Review of the March 19 matinee preview performance. At the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway, New York City. 2 hours, 40 minutes, with an intermission. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, John Larroquette, Rose Hemingway, Tammy Blanchard, Christopher J. Hanke, Rob Bartlett, Mary Faber, Ellen Harvey and Michael Park. Choreography and direction by Rob Ashford.
The 50th anniversary revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying lovingly embraces its old-fashioned-ness like a new A-line dress or three-button suit. It would be really easy to compare this to last season's Promises, Promises – both share an early sixties look at American Big Business, romance in the workplace and a director/choreographer in Rob Ashford. How to Succeed could very easily have become Promises, Promises II. But leave it to the frequently underrated Ashford to breathe new and completely original life into this somewhat quainter, less edgy show by pretty much leaving it alone.
What can you say to scorn the masterful book by the late great Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willy Gilbert or the sharp, witty and tuneful score by Frank Loesser without imposing modern Broadway thinking on it? Sure, you could say that there is some fat to be trimmed – a reprise or two could go, or maybe dump the whole Pirate Dance business. And you might say that, without a big splashy act two opener, the second act takes awhile to get going. But the truth is, there-in lies the charm of the show. Sure you could make those cuts, but you'd also lose much insight into the main characters – the reprises all act like internal monologues one might expect in a Sondheim show, minus the really ugly darkness, and by letting us SEE the disaster of the whole treasure hunt sequence, the payoff that effects every single character up to the rousing finale is all the richer. And so Ashford gives it all to us – overture, entr'acte and exit music – without apology. And besides, if you can sit through three plus hours of death and "miserables," surely you can sit still for a half hour less of good old American backstabbing, trickery and ass-kissing fun, right?
True, in an era of Ponzi schemes, bank defaults and an economy that is stalling, the show has considerably less bite than it might have 50 years ago. But make no mistake, the same ass-kissing, ladder climbing world of who you know getting you farther than what you know is still firmly in place. The biggest difference between now and then is that sexual harassment works both ways, what with the advent of the male assistant and the female executive. But the show is still vibrant and relevant. Of course, it really helps that Ashford gives the entire piece a sense of urgency and smoothly fitting interlocking pieces. Basically, his staging is a visual for how many American companies run, from mass production of "wickets" to the advertising that convinces us we need "wickets" in all kinds of varieties, to the equally machine-like quality of life at the executive building in New York City. Each employee is a wicket of sorts, selling wickets and generating ways to sell even more wickets. How does Mr. Ashford do this? Through his collaboration with the creative team and the marvelously complicated simplicity of his thrilling staging.
"Coffee Break": Christopher J. Hanke and
Mary Faber (center) fight over the last cup
Everyone on the creative team is clearly on the same page – so nice for a change, lately. Derek McLean's silver monoliths of sixties-sleek high-rise design both dwarf and shelter the worker bees of the World Wide Wicket Company, with its honeycomb shape and interlocking look. Even the scenery moves – albeit faster – with that old sixties style: set pieces slide in and out on small trucks, and large set pieces descend from the flies and wings. Nothing too flashy like computerized projections, and we are not bombarded with visual clutter. Howell Binkley has used a similarly conventional lighting design, with pin spots lighting those small honeycombs, and by lighting the set with different colors that suit both the mood and the location changes throughout the "building." The stage setting really only shifts back and forth, in and out, though it gives off a more complex air, but McLean and Binkley make it simple to understand where we are at all times. And the subtlety of Catherine Zuber's costume design is a fun nod to the hierarchy of "the company," too. You have to love that all of the executives wear the same suits and ties, interchangeable clones such as they are. Only those who are actually climbing to the top or are at the top get any variation to that suit and tie. The best is the nod to the fact that the secretaries not only run the company, but they do so as individuals. Each secretary is adorned in bright colors and in a variety of business appropriate dresses and accessories. As it should be, all of the design elements serve to accent, but not overwhelm, the action of the story or take away from the sharply drawn characters. That is left to the aforementioned thrilling staging.
The entire show is stuffed with superb dance sequences, but three really stand out. There has already been much press and social networking about "The Brotherhood of Man" and it is certainly well-deserved. It is sharp, eye-pleasing, and clearly difficult to execute, which the company does with breathtaking intensity and precision. To be honest, I really wanted to stand up when it was over; it was THAT good. The second number which stands out for me is the title song, which opens the show and sets a very high bar for the rest of the evening. It is an intricate set of athletic, yet mechanical moves, as slyly repetitious as it is varied. It also looks like it is as much fun to do every night as the rest of the show does. And finally, there is perhaps the most complex number of the show, "The Company Way," a tribute to toeing the company line. You'd have to go back to early Susan Stroman to find such a complicated fusion of dance moves, the use of a variety of props, and the reliance of movements of each dancer that are often completed blindly – they often can't even see each other, and still don't drop a piece of mail or miss a step. It is wonderful, too, that the audience recognized the feat they just witnessed by rewarding it with a cheering, extended ovation.
Daniel Radcliffe and Rob Bartlett (center)
and the mailroom boys play it"The Company Way"
Mr. Ashford's dances are, in fact, a microcosm of the entire production. Every actor in the show has a character name, and each has created a complete character, even the ensemble members relegated to the background. They are just as great as the above-the-title actors; you could move the background to the foreground and still see a stage full of characters with story lines. And just like the big business that the show satirizes, each "company man and woman" is a small cog that keeps the big wheel turning. In short, everything about the way this revival is put together serves each element separately and as a whole.
One of the great pleasures of being able to see Broadway shows frequently is that you get to recognize a lot of the gypsies, who go from show to show, season after season. How to Succeed is no exception, and in an ensemble that is 100% stand-out quality, five of my favorite dancers are up there, often in featured spots: Charlie Williams, Megan Sikora, Cameron Adams, Ryan Watkinson and Marty Lawson. This revival scores on every level because of such deft staging, almost unequalled detail and a uniformly well cast company of triple-threats. If it weren't for a lack of lines or stage time, one could certainly argue for a single company bow. That is just how amazing these people are.
Some semblance of fanfare was given to the casting of Anderson Cooper of CNN fame as the Narrator. Certainly a fun nod to the "journalism" of Shepard Mead's book from which Cooper narrates. His straight forward, analytical sounding delivery is perfect for the satire of the piece, and he gets several laughs throughout the evening.
If you know anything of big business, you know that it is the secretaries that really are the backbone of the company. That is certainly the case here, with Ellen Harvey as Miss Jones, career steno-gal who has climbed her way to the top as Executive Secretary to the big cheese at WWW. Harvey's hang dog, goofily serious countenance generates enough giggles, but her brusque delivery and subsequent softening make her a crowd-pleaser. (Her solo in "Brotherhood" dazzles with its extreme range.) And there is Mary Faber as the been-there-seen-it-all secretary, Smitty, who knows she's almost to the point where she needs to get out with a husband or end up another Miss Jones. Considering the range of Ms. Faber's career thus far (she just left American Idiot of all things), it should come as no surprise that this wise-cracking but lovable character is well within her abilities. It is especially nice to see her use her considerable comic chops in every scene she's in. Considering how much direct time she spends with the two leads in the show, it says something that she still makes such a strong impression. "It's Been a Long Day," a trio for Smitty, Finch and Rosemary, is a perfect example of Faber's dazzling presence.
"It's Been a Long Day": Rose Hemingway,
Mary Faber and Daniel Radcliffe
Michael Park, late of As the World Turns, reminds us that he is also a song and dance man in his hilarious turn as Bratt, head of personnel. In other versions of this show, I've seen the character played with broad, lascivious strokes. But Mr. Park takes a more subtle, and ultimately, more realistic approach to the role. Even as he admonishes the young executives to remember that "A Secretary is Not a Toy," one can see that he is speaking from experience, and the only thing that keeps him out of that dog house is the constant reminder that he, like everyone else, is hanging on to that ladder of success by the merest thread. And so, as he blusters, huffs and puffs, and glad hands his way to the top, we see a Bratt who is still on the climb. Rob Bartlett, on the other hand, gets to use his subtle ways to show us a man on the rise and a man on top – he plays the dual roles of Mr. Twimble and Chairman of the Board Wally Womper. Audiences familiar with Bartlett's long association with Chicago as Amos will recognize the woebegone, sad-eyed look that he uses to great comedic advantage in the mailroom scene, and he more than holds his own in the complicated "Company Way" number. And, even more a "type" as Womper, a self-made man, Bartlett pulls out all the stops, milking every last giggle out of his brief act two appearance.
Ponty and Hedy spend an uncomfortable
moment on the Excecutive Couch.
Every company has its ass-kissing pain in the neck and its much-gossiped-about tart; so, too, does the World Wide Wicket Company, with Bud Frump and Hedy La Rue, respectively, played by two of my favorite actors, Christopher J. Hanke and Tammy Blanchard. They also go with a more realistic, less cartoonish approach to their characters, letting their actions speak for themselves. In other productions I've seen, both characters tend to be overplayed stereotypes, which get really old, really fast. By taking the less is more approach, both actors allow the audience to get on their side, even as both have a great stake in ruining the fortunes of our romantic leads. Don't get me wrong, every time Bud Frump gets taken down a peg, you are happy, but you are also looking forward to what he has up his sleeve next. A lot of that is owing to Mr. Hanke's considerable and natural boyish charm. It is hard to outright hate a guy just for knowing what buttons to push. Likewise, Ms. Blanchard hits all the obvious notes as the dumb office bimbo (as mandated by the script and tradition), but she does so with a sort wink-wink "surely you know I'm not THAT dumb" delivery, and with genuine heart, too. You root for her from the minute she takes the stage.
TOP: Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette
BOTTOM: "Grand Old Ivy"
Considering the length and breadth of his acting career, it is somewhat astonishing to think that this is John Larroquette's Broadway debut! I am pleased to report that his comic timing, slow burn and naughty but nice delivery, so great on Night Court and other projects, are as sharp and excellent as ever here. Very few actors have the sharp retort/slow burn combo down like this guy, and he knows how to get a laugh to be sure. But can he carry a Broadway musical? Absolutely! OK, so he's more Rex Harrison than John Raitt in the singing department, but he can carry a tune without putting the audience on edge, and does so fully within the confines of his well-rounded, fully-developed character. Can he dance? You betcha. He blends in perfectly with the rest of the cast when he needs to, and the man has a gift for sight gags and physical comedy, too. This is most in evidence in the side-splittingly funny, and surprisingly large production number "Grand Old Ivy." I've never seen this number done so BIG before, and with Mr. Larroquette front and center throughout, it becomes another jewel in a whole crown full of them. The audience went nuts at the end of this one, like I've never seen before.
Rose Hemingway as
Rosemary Pilkington
Every once in a rare while, you have the great fortune of witnessing a newcomer's ascendance to the top of the heap. In Rose Hemingway, a Broadway star is born. This impossibly adorable young woman charms with her smile, draws you in with her lovely, heartfelt voice, and her magnetic charm and smooth sophistication sneak up on you and hold you in her grip. I'm telling you, each and every time she is on stage, she is the one you want to watch. What a voice! What a smart delivery! Her rendition of "Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm" is no anti-feminist manifesto. No, it is crystal clear that she can match Finch trick for trick, machination for machination. His goal may be the board room, but hers is the freedom to run a household, a family and a prize catch of a husband. In her care, it is clear that becoming a suburban housewife is not a step back for the women's movement, but a definite choice of career. And that she plays off everyone around her so well speaks volumes for her natural and considerable talents. How many people get the opportunity to debut on Broadway with such heavy hitters in every scene? You'd never know she was a "newbie" if you didn't read it in the Playbill. Keep her name in mind, she is going far. Trust me.
Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch
Of course, the marquee draw here is one Daniel Radcliffe, worldwide movie superstar and all around good guy, here playing the anti-hero, a guy who we shouldn't like, but we can't help but love, anyway. He is also the youngest to play the role on Broadway, and this works especially well in a modern world where 20-somethings invent Facebook, clawing to the top without apology and a giant measure of ego. J. Pierrepont Finch is an opportunistic, often lucky and always in the right place at the right time kind of guy. We all know people like this – life seems so easy for these jerks, right? In Mr. Radcliffe's take on the role, we can see a guy who is working hard at getting to the top; it seems that just his own impatience is what is keeping him from doing it the old-fashioned way, and who can't relate to that? His boyish good looks, winning smile, and coy asides to the audience ingratiate the character to the audience, because, let's face it, we are already smitten with the actor who has grown up before our eyes. Still, starring in effects-laden blockbuster films isn't quite the same as live, every night in front of an audience Broadway performing. His turn awhile back in Equus proved that he was more than his famous film role, and is, in fact, a daring, risk-taking actor, and the next logical step would be a musical. And here he is. Can he handle the lead in a Broadway musical? In this role, absolutely! I mean, don't look for him in RENT or a revival of Miss Saigon, but his singing voice is suited to this "actory" role just fine. A little thin in the upper notes, and perhaps still a bit nervous to sing in front of screaming fans, he doesn't have much belting power, but he can carry a tune confidently, and is such a great actor that he makes any vocal shortcomings seem more like acting choices. (Apparently he saw Alice Ripley in later performances of next to normal.) And let's just put it out there: the boy can dance! He is truly a good dancer, not just holding his own, but leading "The Brotherhood of Man." And he is FUNNY - the make your sides hurt kind of funny. He all but stomps all over Mr. Larroquette in "Grand Old Ivy," one of those numbers you know both actors look forward to every night. And Mr. Radcliffe also has the magical "it" factor; the ability to give and take, and to have a connection with every scene partner he has. His charisma is particularly noticeable every time he and Miss Hemingway have a scene. I can't remember rooting for a couple as much as these two in years.
This revival is going to be hard to beat this season. It really succeeds in every way, and is one show you really should not miss.
(Production photos by Ari Mintz)
Full disclosure statement: I received press comps for this show, with the objective of writing a review of the production. It was very clear, for both myself and the production company, at all times, that I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The above opinions are mine alone.
Comments? Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me.
Labels: 2010-2011 season, How to Succeed, Show Review
TheatreScene: March 21 - 27
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE FINAL POLL OF THE MONTH! (JUST TO THE RIGHT!)
LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? BECOME A "FOLLOWER"!
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS WEEK:
March 21: A Broadway Hero: Trevor Project Honors H2S Star Daniel Radcliffe
March 22: LOGOS: Wonderland. A New Alice. A New Musical.
March 23: Tangled Web? Or Just Plain Bad Luck?
March 24: LOGOS: Sister Act
March 25: DVD REVIEW: Passing Strange
March 26: LOGOS: Baby It's You!
DON'T MISS THIS WEEK'S BROADWAY VIDEO OF THE WEEK - IT'S FOR A GREAT CAUSE! (IT'S ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM!)
SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE FOR HOW TO SUCCEED!: (Just click for details!)
http://howtosucceedbroadway.com/HSFAN105.php
TOPS AND BOTTOMS (March 14 - 20)
Top Gross: Wicked ($1.67M)
Top Attendance: The Book of Mormon (101.8% - 7 previews)
Bottom Gross: Lombardi ($263K)
Bottom Attendance: La Cage aux Folles (62.5%)
$1M Club: Mary Poppins, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, The Lion King, Wicked
SRO Club: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, Wicked
BROADWAY BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK:
March 21: Actor Matthew Broderick (1995 - How to Succeed…, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Producers)
March 22: Composer Stephen Sondheim (West Side Story, Gypsy, Passion)
March 23: Actor Hope Davis (God of Carnage)
March 24: Actor Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart, TV's Big Bang Theory)
March 25: Actor Lee Pace (The Normal Heart, TV's Pushing Daisies)
March 26: Actor Jennifer Grey (The Twilight of the Golds)
March 27: Actor Quentin Tarantino (Wait Until Dark)
IN MEMORIAM:
Helen Stenborg, actress, passed away at the age of 85 on March 22. Her Broadway career spanned 5 decades. Her most recent appearance was in the 2002 revival of The Crucible, in which she played Rebecca Nurse. She is pre-deceased by her husband, Tony winner Barnard Hughes.
Elizabeth Taylor, actress, passed away at the age of 79 on March 23. On Broadway, this screen legend starred in revivals of The Little Foxes and Private Lives. She also co-produced a revival of The Corn is Green. The lights of Broadway were dimmed in her honor on March 25.
Lanford Wilson, playwright, passed away at the age of 73 on March 24. Among his many plays, he was most famous for The Hot L Baltimore and the Talley Trilogy, which includes Fifth of July and Talley's Folly, 2 of the most produced plays in the late 20th century. He also wrote the Broadway play Burn This.
BROADWAY IN PREVIEWS AND OPENING THIS WEEK:
Anything Goes: Previews – March 10; Opening - April 7
Baby It's You!: Previews - March 26; Opening - April 27
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo: Previews – March 11; Opening - March 31
Catch Me If You Can: Previews – March 11; Opening - April 10
High: Previews - March 25; Opening - April 19
The Motherfucker with the Hat: Previews - March 15; Opening - April 11
Sister Act: Previews - March 24; Opening - April 20
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: Previews - November 28, 2010; Opening – June 14
War Horse: Previews - March 17; Opening - April 14
Wonderland: Previews - March 21; Opening - April 17
COMINGS AND GOINGS:
Roger Rees has joined The Addams Family as Gomez Addams.
Richard H. Blake will replace Kyle Dean Massey as Fiyero in Wicked.
Victoria Matlock, Erik Hayden and Jared Mason have joined the cast of Million Dollar Quartet.
The Geek Chorus has been axed from Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. They will not return when the show re-starts in May, but will continue until the hiatus starts in mid-April.
Chase Brock has joined the creative team as the choreographer for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.
Good news for 5 New York shows! Ghetto Klown (through 7/10), Good People (through 5/29), Dreams of the Burning Boy (through 5/15), Peter and the Starcatchers (through 4//24) and Hello, Again (through 4/10) have all been extended past their original limited runs! See what a good review or two can do?
March 24th saw the re-start of Rock of Ages, now at the Helen Hayes Theatre.
On March 21, Michael Cusumano aka Mr. Chicago, was named Mr. Broadway at the 5th Annual Broadway Beauty Pageant. The pageant benefits the Ali Forney Center in New York City.
On March 25, Chicago became the 5th longest running show in Broadway history with its 5,960th performance. Only A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera have run longer.
BROADWAY HISTORY: WHAT OPENED THIS WEEK IN THE PAST:
March 21: Both The Wizard of Oz and Toto opened on this date; the former in 1904, that latter in 1921.
March 22: The Tony winning Best Play of 2009, God of Carnage, opened on this date.
Ghetto Klown opened March 22, 2011.
March 23: The 1995 revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opened on this date.
March 24: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened in 1955. It played 694 performances at the Morosco Theatre. It lost every Tony it was up for, but it did with the Pulitzer Prize.
The Book of Mormon opened March 24, 2011.
March 25: Come Fly Away opened at the Marquis Theatre in 2010. The Las Vegas production of this Twyla Tharp piece is a big hit, and the National Tour starts soon.
March 26: Funny Girl opened at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1964. It played 1,348 performances.
March 27: Dancin' opened at the Broadhurst Theatre in 1978, Brighton Beach Memoirs opened at the Alvin Theatre in 1983, and Gypsy opened at the St. James Theatre in 2008.
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opened March 27, 2011.
BROADWAY VIDEO OF THE WEEK:
Broadway Bares, the annual striptease burlesque show put on by the hottest dancers in the world - Broadway gypsies - is about to launch its 21st season of sexy fundraising, with Broadway Bares XXI: Masterpiece, Broadway Bares Solo Strips: Spring Break, and, with your help, the completion of a film documentary that chronicles all of the first twenty editions of the show. That documentary, compiled by Broadway Bares regular (and Mr. Broadway on this very site) Daniel Robinson and others, is in need of some final financing to be completed. Once that is done, and the dvd is complete, all proceeds will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and its associated charities. At the time of this writing, about 2/3 of the funds had been raised. Let's see what we can do to help this worthwhile cause by April 1st - that's LESS than a week from now! Even a dollar will help. Donate more and earn a gift!
If there is no video above, please click on this link to watch video and to contribute:
Comments? Leave one here or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Labels: 2010-2011 season
Masterpiece Theatre: Broadway Bares 2011 & More Ba...
REVIEW: How to Succeed in Business Without Really ...
LOGOS: Baby It's You!
DVD REVIEW: Passing Strange
LOGOS: Sister Act
Tangled Web or Just Plain Bad Luck?
LOGOS: Wonderland: A New Alice. A New Musical.
A Broadway Hero: Trevor Project Honors H2S Star Da...
LOGOS: Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Broadway on YouTube: 2 Theatre Shows Full of Stars
BOOK REVIEW: At This Theatre (2010 Edition)
Spider-Man's Act One Curtain: Photo Shoot for Page...
Ms. Broadway March 2011: Julie Taymor
LOGOS: Catch Me If You Can
TheatreScene: March 7 - 13
GAME: All "Eyes" on Broadway
LOGOS: Anything Goes (2011 Revival)
An Open Letter to the New Spider-Man Creative Team
Spider-Man: Turn On the Blame Game
Casting: The People in the Picture
DVD: Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert
TheatreScene: February 28 - March 6
ON THE RADAR: Prometheus Bound
CASTING: Baby It's You!
Back in Time: 2002: Into the Woods (Revival), Part IV
LOGOS: How to Succeed in Business Without Really T...
Mr. Broadway March 2011: Van Hughes


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Liberty, equal opportunity and justice form the principle aspirations of the human population. To attain these aspirations, individuals ought to face challenges bravely. This is exemplified by the cultural awareness of African-Americans that was clearly outlined by Malcolm X. He was born on May 19, 1925 in Nebraska; his birth name was Malcolm Little. Malcolm X was born in a family of eight children (Sitkoff 2009). Malcolm's mother, Louise Norton Little, was responsible for taking care of the children. Malcolm's father, Earl Little, had responsibilities to the society as a Baptist minister. In addition, Malcolm's father was a staunch supporter of Marcus Garvey who was the Nationalist Leader. As a result of supporting Marcus Garvey, Malcolm's father was threatened by the white supremacist association Black Legion and this prompted Malcolm's family to relocate from one place to another.
Malcolm's father was engaging in activities that expressed support for Marcus Garvey and as result was the torching of their home. After several years, Malcolm's father was killed. The death of his father was filled with controversy as the police arrived at a conclusion that both the torching of Malcolm's home together with the death of the father were accidental. Contrary to this decision, the family believed strongly that the Black Legion was responsible for their predicaments. As a result of the demise of Malcolm's father, emotional breakdown led to the admission of his mother to a psychological institute (Lawson 2008). The children, including Malcolm X, were later separated and taken to different homes.
Being a focused and intelligent student, Malcolm X graduated as the top in his class during his high school days. Some teachers discouraged him from pursuing his dream of becoming a law practitioner saying that that was 'no reasonable objective for a nigger'. This was the reason why Malcolm left the school and moved to New York. Malcolm got involved in anti-social activities, such as gambling, narcotics and prostitution. He was arrested for burglary in 1946 and sentenced to ten years in prison. After serving seven years, he was granted parole and released. This experience made him meditate about his life. During this period, Malcolm's brother, who belonged to the Nation of Islam, encouraged him to convert to Islam.
The studying of Elijah Muhammad's teachings by Malcolm was due to the experiences he had gotten. The lessons obtained in Muhammad's teachings, the leader of the Nation of Islam, involved the oppression of Black people by the Whites. The teachings contributed to his conversion to Islam, hence a change in his name to Malcolm X. Malcolm regarded "Little" as a name for slaves, and that is why he changed to Malcolm X. At this time, Malcolm excelled in public speaking and debates. He applauded the skill of debating as "…being on a battleground with philosophical and intellectual bullets" (Dyson 1996, P.45) His outstanding debating skills enabled him to be viewed with reverence.
Malcolm became the Nation of Islam's minister soon after his release from jail. He was so influential and outspoken during this time, concentrating his talks on the revolution of the Black race during the twentieth century. Malcolm proposed that "We are black first and everything else second" (Lawson 2008, p.57) His talk was so powerful that it led to the empowerment of the Black people. He encouraged blacks to rise above the tribulations, brought about by slavery, and stand for their rights. He said: "We are Africans who happen to be in America. We didn't land on Plymouth Rock. That rock landed on us" (Lawson 2008, p.64). He revolutionized the thinking and perception of the Black people. Consequently, this led to the Black people being self-confident and proud. With the belief in truth, Malcolm X overcame the obstacles that posed threat to his mission.
Malcolm strove to pass his insights and encouragement to individuals in the street since he regarded them as, "little black people in the street". His mode of conveying the intended message was straightforward and unsympathetic. He regarded the message as, "sharp truth". Furthermore, Malcolm considered that his way of passing information was one that "causes great pain" (Sitkoff 2009, p.38). He reprimanded the Blacks for being naïve, gullible and "… walking dead people" for accepting the foreigner's names, language and religion. Malcolm X asserted that Christianity teached us that "black is a curse". He advised the Blacks to rise to the occasion and keep away from drugs, alcohol, immorality and crime.
Initially, the direct method of tackling issues that hindered the well-being of the black population by Malcolm X did not go down well with most people. They viewed him as an insightfool kind and the person who loved violence. Malcolm addressed his audience unsympathetically and never hesitated to talk about any problem. The Nation of Islam influenced his life, and he considered Islam to be "the religion of naked truth". He commenced developing an independent thinking since, while working in the Nation of Islam, he could not address those issues openly. Malcolm's effort saw the redemption of the black population from slavery.
Owing to his relentless efforts to save the black population from misdeeds, Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965, aged 39, while addressing a multitude of approximately four hundred blacks in Harlem (Lawson 2008). Though he is no longer among the living, his revolutionary struggle is still felt up to now. He is highly revered as his life and messages articulate the prominence of his legacy. Moreover, many books, films and cultural festivals talk about him as, "Master Teacher". Surely, Malcolm X played a very crucial role in shaping the cultural sphere that currently forms the African culture. From his life history, I have discovered that Malcolm X was surely the savior of the Black population from oppression. His relentless efforts played a crucial role in shaping the life currently experienced by the Blacks. My values, which include love, patience, optimism and endurance, have got a new dimension after learning about the contributions of Malcolm X to the lives of the Blacks. The way I relate to others and how I view things has been greatly changed. I have learnt that through persistence, all can be achieved. As much as life is full of challenges, the will to overcome is the key to success.
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Anyone who fears for the future of the arts should make it a point to go see the Connie Company's production of Narnia at the Armour Street Theater in Davidson. (That's if you can get a ticket; the show has almost sold out its initial run and has added a performance to accommodate the crowds.) The youth education arm of the Davidson Community Players, the Connie Company offers classes and camps and presents productions that feature actors aged 8-18.
If the current production of Narnia is any indication, the Connie Company is providing a superior education for its participants and is rearing a whole new generation of skilled and enthusiastic artists. There were so many things to applaud that one hardly knows where to start.
With the exception of the recorded soundtrack, a necessity in the intimate theater, the production value was very high – no skimping just because it's a "kids'" show – and gave the actors a professional setting in which to work. The set was simple, but cleverly conceived. The play began in front of the stage, with a giant wardrobe standing majestically in the center (Narnia is a musical version of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). When the children opened the wardrobe doors, the stage curtains behind it opened too, to reveal the land of Narnia. More impressive were the costumes, designed by Chris Lundsten: fauns, beavers, squirrels, wolves, and of course, the icy White Witch and regal Aslan, the lion.
The highest praise, though, is for the performance itself. Melissa Ohlman-Roberge, former artistic director* of the Davidson Community Players, has created a first-rate ensemble of nearly 30 performers. She has excellent students to work with, and their talent is genuine, but what stood out is what they've been taught, as much as what they were born with. The students projected their lines, without yelling; every word was clearly delivered (although the British accents were more distracting than convincing). They moved confidently and efficiently throughout the theater; even at the very first performance, there were no wrinkles to iron out in the staging. They worked together and responded to each other in a natural and integrated manner. And – particularly remarkable – they sang beautifully. So often, musical theatre encourages actors to bellow, and young people, especially, fall prey to the temptation to belt their high notes. Kudos to Ohlman-Roberge and Musical Director John Smith for eliciting lovely, clear tones and balanced harmonies from these singers.
All of the principal performers did extraordinarily well, but I will highlight four. Samantha Rockhill, as the mute White Stag, danced with exceptional grace. Libby Hatfield and Sierra Key, as Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, were a hilarious duo, fondly bickering and chattering like a couple that had been together for years. And KC Roberge was an imposing – and brash – White Witch. Unlike C.S. Lewis's White Witch, Narnia's evil queen provoked chuckles as well as shivers. She's full of herself and larger than life (her exaggerated make-up and coiffure suggested a frosty Tammy Faye Baker), with a cartoonish Russian accent and a dwarf assistant who scratches incessantly. Roberge played her to the hilt.
Narnia, with book by Jules Tasca, lyrics by Ted Drachman, and music by Tom Tierney, premiered in 2008. The story is necessarily truncated, making the characters less fully developed than in the novel. There is little time, for example, to really convey the depth of Edmund's weaknesses or the fullness of Tumnus and Lucy's friendship. But the plot holds together and moves along briskly in this 90-minute production. The songs are pleasant enough, although unremarkable. Only one truly stands out – not for its tune, but for its buoyant tap routine, choreographed for the show by Emily Hunter and joyously danced by the cast: "Wot a Bit O' Spring," which celebrates Aslan's thaw of Narnia's eternal winter.
Narnia continues through Sunday, November 17. For more information on this production, please view the sidebar.
*Edited/corrected 11/19/13: "I am no longer the artistic director for the company; I stepped down a year ago to spend more time with family and diversify my projects! I was the director of this production as an independent contractor. Best, Melissa Melissa Ohlman-Roberge"


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R3AL Records Inc.
(Suli) Derrives from Sulaiman which is an English transliteration of the Arabic name سليمان that means "man of peace" and corresponds to the English name Solomon. 4Q is an abbreviation for Fourth Quarter. It is a constant reminder that each day lived is another opportunity to take another step towards victory.
Suli4Q was recently selected by Hot 103.3 Jamz as "One of the Top 10 Artists." He has reached over 1,000,000 streams on the music service Spotify. His single "You Shoulda Listened" is now playing on the #1 Kansas City radio station for Hip-Hop and R&B, Spreading quickly to other stations across the world, and his "Cadillac Issues" music video is well received with over 100,000 views on YouTube. Hip Hop Mogul Tech N9ne was asked what he thought about the rising star Suli4Q; he simply replied, "Dude is tough, real music." The song that caught Tech N9ne's attention was "2900". "2900" sheds light on the inner city life and is part of his larger project, The Program. The album explains although we are programmed, pre-destined by our genes and environment, it's up to us to break out and create our own destiny.
Combine witty rhymes with hypnotic catchy beats and artist Suli4Q comes to mind. Suli4Q reminds listeners to always speak the truth and live like it's the 4th quarter of the game. Suli4Q's first studio album The Program represents optimism and realism combined. From beginning to end, his raps and storytelling urges us to prosper, to overcome obstacles programmed by our environment and circumstances. Suli4Q challenges us all to break the chains and design our destiny – the way we envision.


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Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America
Agustín Julián-Jiménez, Mark Supino, Jesús Daniel López Tapia, Carolina Ulloa González, Luis Eduardo Vargas Téllez, Juan González Del Castillo, Alejandro Moyá Álvarez, Luis Loro Chero, Ulises González Bascuñán, Francisco Javier Candel González, Olinda Giselle Garza Sáenz, Fabián Andrés Rosas Romero, Luis Antonio Gorordo Delsol
Escuela de Medicina
Universidad de Monterrey
Although infection rates and the impact of infection on hospital emergency departments (EDs) are known or can be reliably estimated, the incidence and prevalence of sepsis vary in relation to which definitions or registers used. Sepsis is also well known to be under-diagnosed by physicians in general and by ED physicians in particular. Over half of sepsis cases are community-acquired, and 50% to 60% of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) with sepsis or septic shock are admitted directly from the ED. Pneumonia and urinary tract infections are the most common points of focus in sepsis, septic shock, bacteremia, and ED admissions to the ICU for infectious processes. For this article a multinational group of experts representing Latin American emergency medicine associations reviewed and analyzed similarities and differences in the epidemiology of sepsis in different geographic locations. We consider key aspects and geographic similarities and differences in the early identification of patients with severe sepsis; criteria that define the diagnosis; appropriate early antibiotic and fluid therapy; the roles of triage systems and multidisciplinary sepsis code units; and the use of biological markers in this time-dependent disease. We also discuss key points and strategies for improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and care of sepsis patients in the ED.
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Latin America Medicine & Life Sciences
Hospital Emergency Service Medicine & Life Sciences
Sepsis Medicine & Life Sciences
Septic Shock Medicine & Life Sciences
Intensive Care Units Medicine & Life Sciences
Geographic Locations Medicine & Life Sciences
Fluid Therapy Medicine & Life Sciences
Julián-Jiménez, A., Supino, M., Tapia, J. D. L., González, C. U., Téllez, L. E. V., Del Castillo, J. G., Álvarez, A. M., Chero, L. L., Bascuñán, U. G., González, F. J. C., Sáenz, O. G. G., Romero, F. A. R., & Delsol, L. A. G. (2019). Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America. Emergencias, 31(2), 123-135.
Julián-Jiménez, Agustín ; Supino, Mark ; Tapia, Jesús Daniel López ; González, Carolina Ulloa ; Téllez, Luis Eduardo Vargas ; Del Castillo, Juan González ; Álvarez, Alejandro Moyá ; Chero, Luis Loro ; Bascuñán, Ulises González ; González, Francisco Javier Candel ; Sáenz, Olinda Giselle Garza ; Romero, Fabián Andrés Rosas ; Delsol, Luis Antonio Gorordo. / Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America. In: Emergencias. 2019 ; Vol. 31, No. 2. pp. 123-135.
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title = "Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America",
abstract = "Although infection rates and the impact of infection on hospital emergency departments (EDs) are known or can be reliably estimated, the incidence and prevalence of sepsis vary in relation to which definitions or registers used. Sepsis is also well known to be under-diagnosed by physicians in general and by ED physicians in particular. Over half of sepsis cases are community-acquired, and 50% to 60% of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) with sepsis or septic shock are admitted directly from the ED. Pneumonia and urinary tract infections are the most common points of focus in sepsis, septic shock, bacteremia, and ED admissions to the ICU for infectious processes. For this article a multinational group of experts representing Latin American emergency medicine associations reviewed and analyzed similarities and differences in the epidemiology of sepsis in different geographic locations. We consider key aspects and geographic similarities and differences in the early identification of patients with severe sepsis; criteria that define the diagnosis; appropriate early antibiotic and fluid therapy; the roles of triage systems and multidisciplinary sepsis code units; and the use of biological markers in this time-dependent disease. We also discuss key points and strategies for improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and care of sepsis patients in the ED.",
author = "Agust{\'i}n Juli{\'a}n-Jim{\'e}nez and Mark Supino and Tapia, {Jes{\'u}s Daniel L{\'o}pez} and Gonz{\'a}lez, {Carolina Ulloa} and T{\'e}llez, {Luis Eduardo Vargas} and {Del Castillo}, {Juan Gonz{\'a}lez} and {\'A}lvarez, {Alejandro Moy{\'a}} and Chero, {Luis Loro} and Bascu{\~n}{\'a}n, {Ulises Gonz{\'a}lez} and Gonz{\'a}lez, {Francisco Javier Candel} and S{\'a}enz, {Olinda Giselle Garza} and Romero, {Fabi{\'a}n Andr{\'e}s Rosas} and Delsol, {Luis Antonio Gorordo}",
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Julián-Jiménez, A, Supino, M, Tapia, JDL, González, CU, Téllez, LEV, Del Castillo, JG, Álvarez, AM, Chero, LL, Bascuñán, UG, González, FJC, Sáenz, OGG, Romero, FAR & Delsol, LAG 2019, 'Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America', Emergencias, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 123-135.
Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America. / Julián-Jiménez, Agustín; Supino, Mark; Tapia, Jesús Daniel López; González, Carolina Ulloa; Téllez, Luis Eduardo Vargas; Del Castillo, Juan González; Álvarez, Alejandro Moyá; Chero, Luis Loro; Bascuñán, Ulises González; González, Francisco Javier Candel; Sáenz, Olinda Giselle Garza; Romero, Fabián Andrés Rosas; Delsol, Luis Antonio Gorordo.
In: Emergencias, Vol. 31, No. 2, 01.04.2019, p. 123-135.
T1 - Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America
AU - Julián-Jiménez, Agustín
AU - Supino, Mark
AU - Tapia, Jesús Daniel López
AU - González, Carolina Ulloa
AU - Téllez, Luis Eduardo Vargas
AU - Del Castillo, Juan González
AU - Álvarez, Alejandro Moyá
AU - Chero, Luis Loro
AU - Bascuñán, Ulises González
AU - González, Francisco Javier Candel
AU - Sáenz, Olinda Giselle Garza
AU - Romero, Fabián Andrés Rosas
AU - Delsol, Luis Antonio Gorordo
N2 - Although infection rates and the impact of infection on hospital emergency departments (EDs) are known or can be reliably estimated, the incidence and prevalence of sepsis vary in relation to which definitions or registers used. Sepsis is also well known to be under-diagnosed by physicians in general and by ED physicians in particular. Over half of sepsis cases are community-acquired, and 50% to 60% of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) with sepsis or septic shock are admitted directly from the ED. Pneumonia and urinary tract infections are the most common points of focus in sepsis, septic shock, bacteremia, and ED admissions to the ICU for infectious processes. For this article a multinational group of experts representing Latin American emergency medicine associations reviewed and analyzed similarities and differences in the epidemiology of sepsis in different geographic locations. We consider key aspects and geographic similarities and differences in the early identification of patients with severe sepsis; criteria that define the diagnosis; appropriate early antibiotic and fluid therapy; the roles of triage systems and multidisciplinary sepsis code units; and the use of biological markers in this time-dependent disease. We also discuss key points and strategies for improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and care of sepsis patients in the ED.
AB - Although infection rates and the impact of infection on hospital emergency departments (EDs) are known or can be reliably estimated, the incidence and prevalence of sepsis vary in relation to which definitions or registers used. Sepsis is also well known to be under-diagnosed by physicians in general and by ED physicians in particular. Over half of sepsis cases are community-acquired, and 50% to 60% of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) with sepsis or septic shock are admitted directly from the ED. Pneumonia and urinary tract infections are the most common points of focus in sepsis, septic shock, bacteremia, and ED admissions to the ICU for infectious processes. For this article a multinational group of experts representing Latin American emergency medicine associations reviewed and analyzed similarities and differences in the epidemiology of sepsis in different geographic locations. We consider key aspects and geographic similarities and differences in the early identification of patients with severe sepsis; criteria that define the diagnosis; appropriate early antibiotic and fluid therapy; the roles of triage systems and multidisciplinary sepsis code units; and the use of biological markers in this time-dependent disease. We also discuss key points and strategies for improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and care of sepsis patients in the ED.
JO - Emergencias
JF - Emergencias
Julián-Jiménez A, Supino M, Tapia JDL, González CU, Téllez LEV, Del Castillo JG et al. Sepsis in the emergency department: Key points, controversies, and proposals for improvements in Latin America. Emergencias. 2019 Apr 1;31(2):123-135.
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This guide will step you through the process of enabling Cookies in Google Chrome.
The main interface for Chrome's settings will appear, with a dark blue search box at the very top. (If you only see the magnifying glass icon, either click it or drag your browser window a bit wider to make the search box appear).
Chrome has hundreds of different configuration options, so to quickly go to the Cookies settings, type the word "cookie" into the search box and Chrome will filter out options which don't match.
After you've typed "cookie" in the search, there will still be a number of different options listed, so you need to scroll down to the bottom of the settings screen where you will see a section named Content settings.
Now that you've gone into the Content settings section, you'll see the first option there is Cookies. You'll notice that it's still highlighted yellow due to your search for it. Click it to see your Cookies settings.
You can now change your Cookies setting to what you want.
Typically (especially if you are already following this guide!) you want to enable cookies in Chrome by selecting the first option - "Allow sites to save and read cookie data (recommended)". This will allow websites to store cookies (and other data!) on your computer for as long as the websites want to.
If you want to disable cookies the set that option to Off (slid to the left and greyed out).
An possibilty to consider is keeping cookies enabled but also turning on "Keep local data only until you quit your browser". This will allow normal cookie functionality (eg. logging into websites with a username and password), however every time you close and reopen your web browser, you would need to log in to the website again. This setting can also help (but not necessarily eliminate) advertising companies tracking your behaviour across various browsing sessions.
One other option to consider is to "Block third-party cookies and site data". If you have cookies enabled and also have this option enabled it means (basically) that any website you directly visit is allowed to store cookies on your computer, but any "third-party" website (eg the server that places advertising banners on the site) is not allowed to place a cookie to track you. Note that this will not stop the advertising appearing, just (hopefully) decrease the amount of tracking they perform.
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Griffith one of Australia's top employers for gender equality
Published November 5, 2015 November 5, 2015 AuthorMichael Jacobson
Griffith's Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of Logan Campus, Professor Lesley Chenoweth AO, and Griffith University Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian O'Connor
Griffith University continues to lead the way as an employer for gender equality.
Granted a 2015 WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation for its commitment and best practice in promoting gender equality, Griffith is one of only six organisations in Queensland, and one of 12 universities and 90 organisations nationwide, to receive the citation this year.
Ever since the inception of the awards in 2001, Griffith has been recognised for gender equity in the workplace.
The award also comes as Griffith's Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of Logan Campus, Professor Lesley Chenoweth AO, was named in the top 100 of Australia's most influential women by the Australian Financial Review.
Griffith University Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Ian O'Connor, said the award cemented Griffith's reputation as an equal opportunity employer.
"Equity has always been part of our ethos as a University and as an employer," he said.
"We aim to be a University where people want to work. This requires practices and policies to build a work environment reflecting the diversity of Australian society and where people and performance are valued.
"To again receive this acknowledgement is an extremely satisfying result and is a testimony to our work and environment."
Professor O'Connor said creating an organisational culture where women participate equally at all levels allows the University to be more effective at teaching, learning and research.
"Our strategy as a University is to work continuously to identify and address the traditional and not-so traditional disadvantages faced by women in the workforce in order to maximise the opportunities for female staff at Griffith," he said.
Griffith has created flexible working conditions and removed barriers that prevented staff from reaching their full potential.
It also has gender equity in salaries, an open and consultative management style, and a transparent equal opportunity and anti-discrimination policy.
WGEA Director Ms Libby Lyons said the initiatives demonstrated by this year's EOCGE recipients showed that more employers were taking a sophisticated and whole-of-organisation approach to supporting women's and men's equal participation at all levels of the workplace.
"Employers increasingly understand and value the benefits of having a diverse workforce for organisational culture and business performance," said Ms Lyons.
This year's citation applicants were required to consult with employees to demonstrate that gender equality initiatives translated into lived experience.
The WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation is designed to encourage, recognise and promote active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.
The EOCGE citation commenced in 2014, replacing the predecessor citation, the EOWA Employer of Choice for Women.
The citation is strategically aligned with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Act), reflecting the change in focus of the legislation to promote and improve gender equality for both women and men, while recognising the historically disadvantaged position of women in the workplace.
The EOCGE citation is a voluntary leading practice recognition program that is separate to compliance with the Act.
Criteria for the citation cover leadership, learning and development, gender remuneration gaps, flexible working and other initiatives to support family responsibilities, employee consultation, preventing sex-based harassment and discrimination and targets for improving gender equality outcomes. Criteria are strengthened each year to reflect best practice.
Categories Arts Education Law, Corporate, Features, Griffith Business School, Griffith Health, Griffith International, Griffith Sciences, home, Inside Griffith, News articlesTagged Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, Ms Libby Lyons, Professor Lesley Chenoweth, Vice Chancellor Professor Ian O'Connor, Workplace Gender Equality Agency


Growing a vegetable garden can a rewarding pursuit. It is easy to grow fresh produce in whatever space you have available. Growing your own vegetables is not just fun, it is a good way to get fresh air and exercise, save on your grocery bill and experience a wider variety of tasty, wholesome foods.
You do not need a big farm or even a large garden plot to grow vegetables. It is possible to grow a wide range of vegetables in raised beds, or even containers, which is a good idea if you have soil that is extremely hard to work with or very poor in nutrients. Growing vegetables vertically also allows you to an abundant harvest in very little space. It is important to pick the garden plan that best suits your need, space and budget.
Position your garden where it is accessible and you can easily monitor it. If you have a problem with deer, rabbits, and other small animals you may wish to put up a small fence to keep unwelcome visitors out. Do not locate your garden where it will be directly in the wind, as this tends to dry out the soil and damage young plants.
Providing the best growing conditions for your vegetables will assure you that your plants are healthy and produce plenty of vegetables. There are several factors that come into play when considering the growing conditions required for successful garden full of vegetables.
It is important that you pick a spot to grow your vegetables that receives at least six hours a day of sunlight. While some vegetables do not mind light shade, such as lettuce, most vegetables require ample sunlight to thrive.
Vegetables require high-quality, fertile soil that is rich in organic matter. Your soil should also drain well and not puddle after a heavy rain. Adding peat moss or perlite to clay soil will help it to drain. Adding soil amendments such as well-aged horse or cow manure will help increase the nutrient value of your soil.
Position your garden close to a water supply so that watering is not a major challenge. Vegetables need to be watered frequently, especially when they are just getting established or when the weather is hot and dry. Drip irrigation is an excellent way to keep vegetables moist at all times.
Perennial vegetables include such crops as rhubarb and asparagus, and should be located where they will not interfere with the rest of your garden.
Cool season vegetables include those that can withstand the cooler temperatures of early spring and fall. These vegetables include such crops as lettuce, peas, spinach, potatoes kale, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets and onions. You can generally plant these vegetables several weeks before your last possible frost date and in early fall.
Common warm season vegetables like the soil temperatures to be warm and should be planted after the last expected frost date for your area. Warm season vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, pumpkins, melons squash and corn.
Provide water from planting until harvest, especially when the weather is dry and hot. Keep young seedlings moist and water more than once a day if necessary. Drip systems are ideal for vegetable gardens.
A layer of mulch will help conserve water and provide protection for your vegetables. You can use straw, bark chips, or compost. Apply mulch several weeks after planting to allow time for the soil to heat up. If you live somewhere with a very short season, consider a mulch of black plastic as it keeps the heat in and will help to speed up growth.
If you apply fertilizer at the time of planting, it is generally unnecessary to apply it again. Use a high quality organic fertilizer. Bone meal is an excellent slow release fertilizer. Heavy feeders such as tomatoes, broccoli, or cabbage may require a follow-up feeding.
To minimize damage from pests, plant heirloom vegetable varieties, avoid using synthetic pesticides or traps and consider companion planting. The more you mix up your crops, the less pest damage you will have. If pests become a problem, there are several organic homemade pesticides that will work quite well. Keeping the garden area clean and weed free will also help keep pests at bay. Encourage birds, toads and other beneficial insects into your garden. They will help keep the bad insects away.
Enjoying the fruits of your labor is always the best part of vegetable gardening. Pick vegetables when ripe and pick frequently. Handle vegetables carefully and be sure to follow proper storage and preservation techniques to enjoy your harvest for a long time.