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	<title>Broadway After Dark &#187; Theatre</title>
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	<description>Reviews and Articles by Ward Morehouse III</description>
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		<title>What our critic thinks the Tony Awards noms got right – and what they missed (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/critic-thinks-tony-awards-noms-got-right-missed-article-christian-science-monitor/</link>
		<comments>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/critic-thinks-tony-awards-noms-got-right-missed-article-christian-science-monitor/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jun 2018 04:40:57 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Tony Awards]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Article by Ward Morehouse III for The Christian Science Monitor. Click here to read the article on www.csmonitor.com</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/critic-thinks-tony-awards-noms-got-right-missed-article-christian-science-monitor/">What our critic thinks the Tony Awards noms got right – and what they missed (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Article by Ward Morehouse III for The Christian Science Monitor.</em></p>
<p>Click <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/2018/0610/What-our-critic-thinks-the-Tony-Awards-noms-got-right-and-what-they-missed" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">here</span></a></span> to read the article on www.csmonitor.com</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/critic-thinks-tony-awards-noms-got-right-missed-article-christian-science-monitor/">What our critic thinks the Tony Awards noms got right – and what they missed (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>Some of Broadway&#8217;s best picks focus on love, inclusiveness (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/broadways-best-picks-focus-love-inclusiveness-article-cs-monitor/</link>
		<comments>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/broadways-best-picks-focus-love-inclusiveness-article-cs-monitor/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Apr 2018 02:19:18 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Inclusiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Off-Broadway]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Article by Ward Morehouse III for The Christian Science Monitor.  Click here to read this article on the www.csmonitor.com</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/broadways-best-picks-focus-love-inclusiveness-article-cs-monitor/">Some of Broadway&#8217;s best picks focus on love, inclusiveness (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Article by Ward Morehouse III for The Christian Science Monitor. </em></p>
<p>Click <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2018/0118/Some-of-Broadway-s-best-picks-focus-on-love-inclusiveness" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">here</span></a></span> to read this article on the <a href="www.csmonitor.com" target="_blank">www.csmonitor.com</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/broadways-best-picks-focus-love-inclusiveness-article-cs-monitor/">Some of Broadway&#8217;s best picks focus on love, inclusiveness (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>5 really good off-Broadway shows (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/5-really-good-off-broadway-shows-article-cs-monitor/</link>
		<comments>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/5-really-good-off-broadway-shows-article-cs-monitor/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Apr 2018 02:11:57 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Article by Ward Morehouse III for The Christian Science Monitor.  Click here to read Ward&#8217;s article on www.csmonitor.com</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/5-really-good-off-broadway-shows-article-cs-monitor/">5 really good off-Broadway shows (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Article by Ward Morehouse III for The Christian Science Monitor. </em></p>
<p>Click <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2018/0320/5-really-good-off-Broadway-shows" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000ff;">here</span></a></span> to read Ward&#8217;s article on <a href="www.csmonitor.com" target="_blank">www.csmonitor.com</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/5-really-good-off-broadway-shows-article-cs-monitor/">5 really good off-Broadway shows (Article in The Christian Science Monitor)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>Simon McBurney&#8217;s &#8220;The Encounter&#8221; on Broadway</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/simon-mcburneys-encounter-broadway/</link>
		<comments>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/simon-mcburneys-encounter-broadway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 02 Oct 2016 23:36:30 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Simon McBurney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Encounter]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>By Ward Morehouse III Simon McBurney&#8217;s &#8220;The Encounter,&#8221; which opened at Broadway&#8217;s Golden Theatre September 30, is an astonishing one-person tour-de-force. The multi-Olivier Award-winning, Tony and Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated actor/writer/director leads the audience at the Golden on a brazenly-harrowing trip in the jungles of the Amazon River basin &#8211; with only his voice and [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/simon-mcburneys-encounter-broadway/">Simon McBurney&#8217;s &#8220;The Encounter&#8221; on Broadway</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>By Ward Morehouse III</em></p>
<p>Simon McBurney&#8217;s &#8220;The Encounter,&#8221; which opened at Broadway&#8217;s Golden Theatre September 30, is an astonishing one-person tour-de-force.</p>
<p>The multi-Olivier Award-winning, Tony and Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated actor/writer/director leads the audience at the Golden on a brazenly-harrowing trip in the jungles of the Amazon River basin &#8211; with only his voice and 15 recorded voices programmed by sound wizards Gareth Fry and Pete Malkin.</p>
<p>At the start of the play the audience is asked to don earphones to &#8220;see&#8221; all the action through its ears and imagination. That is a remarkable achievement in itself:  No matter where members of the audience sit, they are &#8220;sound witnesses&#8221; to the play inspired by the book &#8220;Amazon Burning&#8221; by Petru Popescu. It graphically recounts the late National Geographic photographer Loren McIntyre&#8217;s quest deep into the heart Amazon territory in 1969. The explorer/shutterbug is searching for the Mayoruna Indians on the Peru-Brazil border.</p>
<p>And Mr. McIntyre almost doesn&#8217;t return. Sometimes, it&#8217;s the characters of Mr. McIntyre, as related by Mr. McBurney, a prominent tribe member and others who speak. But mostly it&#8217;s Mr. McBurney himself in his hauntingly-sonorous English diction. It&#8217;s as if the late, great Orson Wells was telling the story of Citizen Kane in the movie of the same name as well as playing its title character.</p>
<p>Mr.McBurney, speaking for Mr. McIntyre, explains that after landing on a remote river by seaplane he trudges deep into the jungle looking for a village occupied by the &#8220;Cat people&#8221; or Mayoruna.</p>
<p>&#8220;The truth was, that being fascinated with the Mayoruna he&#8217;s simply forgotten to mark his passage as he normally did,&#8221; Mr. McBurney relates. &#8220;He was so far into the jungle he had no way of getting back and time was passing. Five, ten, forty minutes later &#8211; still no village&#8230; Suddenly the trees pulled back &#8230; A narrow horizon of huts, perhaps six, seven, eight or nine at a glance &#8230; It was a village &#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>This passage especially brought back memories of a trip journalist Clay Jones, now the chief editorial writer of The Christian Science Monitor and I had in 1976. We landed on the Columbian-Brazil border seven years after Mr. McIntyre&#8217;s trek several hundred miles to the south on the Peru/Brazil border.  Clay and I later wrote a series of articles for The Monitor about our adventure; they were syndicated in other newspapers as well.</p>
<p>The Encounter seemed to bring it all back. We flew on a DC &#8211; 3 from Villavicencio, where the Andes mountains meet the plains of Los Lianos, to Mitu, Columbia and from there traveled by single-engine Cessna much further into the wilderness. I won&#8217;t recount details of our journey other than to say in retrospect it bore remarkable similarities to Mr. McIntyre&#8217;s as depicted in The Encounter.</p>
<p>Mr. McBurney says Mr. McIntyre was befriended by a tribal leader he called &#8220;Barnacle,&#8221; just as Clay and I were befriended by a chief on a remote tributary of the Rio Negro River.  Both friendships grew out of self-preservation as well as curiosity.</p>
<p>&#8220;In the middle of the clearing he (McIntyre) saw the headman, who he had now christened, Barnacle, sitting in front of a fire on his carved stool,&#8221; Mr. McBurney says in his performance piece or play. &#8220;His cheeks were guant. His eyes were at half-mast, but he could see from a distance that his hands were moving with precision, of stature,&#8221;</p>
<p>At the same time, despite the incredible beauty of Mr. McBurney&#8217;s words and performance, I wasn&#8217;t as captivated with the rather elaborate &#8220;curtain raiser,&#8221; for want of a better description, of Mr. McBurney&#8217;s prelude to the heart of his journey when he describes the rather elaborate technical preparations in putting together his show.  But listening though earphones brings you into the very action of the jungle much like radio dramas of yore must have done.</p>
<p>In this prelude, Mr. McBurney also introduces the audience to the voice of his young daughter who wants to be told a bedtime story. If this and other interludes were meant to contrast &#8220;civilization&#8221; back home to the seeming timelessness of living in the jungle I applaud them. And an overriding important question pervades the play: is the obsession with recorded time in so-called civilized societies so seemingly important when it can vanish like the morning mist in jungle environs?</p>
<p>Yet his observations are sometimes revelatory. For instance, Mr. McBurney hints that he and Barnacle seemed at times to communicate in a metaphysical, telepathic language, wholly apart from verbal exchanges. I wanted to hear more about this in the play.</p>
<p>In sum, thank you Simon McBurney for giving Broadway one of the most original masterworks in years. Personally, I put it almost on the same level as seeing Richard Burton in &#8220;Hamlet.&#8221;  I left the Golden Theatre electrified, rejuvenated &#8211; and on a purely personal level found a fountain of my journalistic youth along the way at The Encounter.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/simon-mcburneys-encounter-broadway/">Simon McBurney&#8217;s &#8220;The Encounter&#8221; on Broadway</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>Cyrano de Bergerac</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/cyrano-de-bergerac/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2016 05:02:04 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Cyrano de Bergerac]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Edmond Rostand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gabriel Barre]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>By Ward Morehouse III With this fabulous new production of Cyrano de Bergerac the golden age of  the American theatre is alive and well at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, one of the oldest continuously-operated Off-Broadway theaters in New York. Directed by and starring Tony Award-nominated actor (for Best Actor) Gabriel Barre, this production of the Edmond [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/cyrano-de-bergerac/">Cyrano de Bergerac</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>By Ward Morehouse III</em></p>
<p>With this fabulous new production of <em>Cyrano de Bergerac </em>the golden age of  the American theatre is alive and well at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, one of the oldest continuously-operated Off-Broadway theaters in New York.</p>
<p>Directed by and starring Tony Award-nominated actor (for Best Actor) Gabriel Barre, this production of the Edmond Rostand classic is a classic itself. I’m positive that the late Jose Ferrer, who I knew personally and well – and who practically set the modern-day standard for the title role in his 1950 film &#8212; would have graciously taken off his own white-plumed hat in admiration to the acting and production.</p>
<p>Mr. Barre&#8217;s eloquent portrayal of the ski-nosed hero is thrilling in its pathos, sweeping majesty and sheer magic. The same can be said of his direction, revolving around a small turn-table where the love and battlefield scenes are seamlessly interwoven.</p>
<p>Barre, who most recently directed the musical<em> Amazing Grace</em> on Broadway, joins a long list of great actors who have played Rostand’s title character, including Mr. Ferrer at the New York City Center and Kevin Klein in 2007.  The late, great Walter Hampton first played Cyrano on Broadway back in 1923 and reprised the role on the Great White Way three more times in subsequent years.</p>
<p>This production of <em>Cyrano de Bergerac </em>was adapted by Gabriel Barre, Rick Sordelet and Alexander Sovronsky. It was produced by the Resonance Ensemble, Eric Parness, Artistic Director and Rachel Reiner, Managing Director.  Barre was supported by a highly-gifted cast including Bridget Saracino as Roxanne and Luke Darnell as Christian, who has the looks but lacks both the prose and poetry to express his love he feels in his heart for the beautiful Roxanne.  I also very much liked Rin Allen, Joe Jung, Mark Peters, Alexander Sovronsky and Louis Tucci in their roles.  Jennifer Paulson-Lee as the show’s choreographer also deserves great applause for her artistry.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/cyrano-de-bergerac/">Cyrano de Bergerac</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Bear Who Lived At The Plaza</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/bear-lived-plaza/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2015 03:19:04 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>NEW BOOK BY WARD MOREHOUSE III: The Bear Who Lived at The Plaza is the true-life story of a small brown bear, Bangkok, from Bangkok, Thailand, who lived at New York&#8217;s Plaza Hotel. The book is also the story of Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, George M. Cohan, Eugene O&#8217;Neill and other American show business greats [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/bear-lived-plaza/">The Bear Who Lived At The Plaza</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>NEW BOOK BY WARD MOREHOUSE III:</p>
<p>The Bear Who Lived at The Plaza is the true-life story of a small brown bear, Bangkok, from Bangkok, Thailand, who lived at New York&#8217;s Plaza Hotel. The book is also the story of Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, George M. Cohan, Eugene O&#8217;Neill and other American show business greats who were interviewed and profiled by the late New York Sun drama critic Ward Morehouse at his home in New York&#8217;s Plaza Hotel and other places both near and far.</p>
<p>In one sense, Bangkok the Bear is symbolic of a vanished Broadway and Hollywood era where its stars were still put on pedestals and their antics told with loving reverence. At six weeks old Bangkok was about the size of a full-grown Scotty and fed on goat&#8217;s milk when first purchased in Bangkok. He stayed in Bangkok&#8217;s famous Oriental Hotel and the elegant Hotel Fairmont in San Francisco and before moving to the Plaza Hotel in New York.</p>
<p>Ward Morehouse&#8217;s son, author Ward Morehouse III, also recounts his own interviews with Miss Hepburn for Reuters and the New York Post and his life growing up in a family as famous and interesting as some of the stars it worked with. There are stories of Ward III&#8217;s gregarious, fun-loving father; his &#8220;Stepmother,&#8221; Jean Dalrymple, one of Broadway&#8217;s first great women producers; and his mother, Joan Marlowe, co-publisher and editor of The Theater Information Bulletin for half a century, and who famed New York Journal-American columnist Jack O&#8217;Brien said, &#8220;knew more about theater than New York Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson and Broadway producers Lee Shubert and John Golden.&#8221; Ward Morehouse III, who spent his childhood going to the theater and backstage with his father and mother, also inherited his father&#8217;s love of hotels and has written 12 books on the history of hotels and theater including Millennium Biltmore: A Grand Hotel Born of Hollywood Dreams and two previous books on New York&#8217;s Plaza Hotel. Ward III also recounts his own sometimes humorous journalistic beginnings as well as Bangkok&#8217;s free-spirited romp in the senior Mr. Morehouse&#8217;s suite at The Plaza where he (Mr. Morehouse senior) lived for 11 years.</p>
<p>Ward Morehouse III is a former longtime staff correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor and former Broadway columnist for The New York Post. He is the author of two plays, The Actors and If It Was Easy, produced Off-Broadway. He and his wife, actress and writer Katherine Boynton, co-wrote the screenplay Waters of Summer. (see <a href="http://www.ThousandIslands.nyc" target="_blank">www.ThousandIslands.nyc</a> )</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p>The Bear Who Lived at The Plaza, by Ward Morehouse III &#8211; publication date: July 15, 2015 &#8211; by Bear Manor Media &#8211; ISBN 978-1-59393-831-4 softcover $14.95, ISBN 978-1-59393-832-1 hardcover $24.95</p>
<p>Available on: <span style="color: #3366ff;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&amp;field-keywords=The+Bear+who+lived+at+the+plaza" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3366ff;">Amazon</span></a> </span>and <span style="color: #3366ff;"><a href="http://www.bearmanormedia.com/bear-who-lived-at-the-plaza-hardcover-edition-by-ward-morehouse-iii" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3366ff;">Bear Manor Media</span></a></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Bear-at-the-Plaza-Screenshot1.png"><img class="wp-image-436 aligncenter" src="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Bear-at-the-Plaza-Screenshot1.png" alt="Bear at the Plaza- Screenshot" width="183" height="280" /></a></p>
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		<title>Finding Neverland</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/finding-neverland/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2015 14:40:22 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Kelsey Grammer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matthew Morrison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Melanie Moore]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>By Ward Morehouse III When the shutters opened in the Darling London house I half-expected Mary Martin to come sailing through singing &#8220;I&#8217;ve Got to Crow,&#8221; one of the hit songs from the1954 Broadway musical Peter Pan starring the late Miss Martin. But as tuneful and joyful as the songs were in this musical they [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/finding-neverland/">Finding Neverland</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>By Ward Morehouse III</em></p>
<p>When the shutters opened in the Darling London house I half-expected Mary Martin to come sailing through singing &#8220;I&#8217;ve Got to Crow,&#8221; one of the hit songs from the1954 Broadway musical Peter Pan starring the late Miss Martin. But as tuneful and joyful as the songs were in this musical they pale to &#8220;When Your Feet Don&#8217;t Touch The Ground,&#8221; &#8220;Neverland&#8221; and &#8220;We&#8217;re All Made of Stars,&#8221; with music and lyrics by Gary Barlow and Elliot Kennedy.</p>
<p><em>Finding Neverland</em> just may be the best musical I&#8217;ve seen in years: best acted, best sung and best danced. Little wonder that Barlow has 15 number 1 UK singles to his credit and Kennedy has has written hits for Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion and the Spice Girls. <em>Finding Neverland</em> is also directed to perfection by Diane Paulus, Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.</p>
<p><strong>Matthew Morrison</strong> is brilliant as playwright J. M. Barrie whose character is cross between shy and self-effacing poet and daring man-of-letters. <strong>Kelsey Grammer</strong>, in the duel role of Captain Hook and producer Charles Frohman strikes just the right balance between the kind of comic genius we&#8217;ve seen in Cheers and straight-laced, budget-minded producer Frohman. In 1906, Frohman risked money and reputation to bring Peter Pan to Broadway. <strong>Laura Michelle Kelly</strong>, as Barrie&#8217;s muse Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, and <strong>Carolee Carmello</strong> as Mrs. Du Maurier are both highly-effective and sincerely heartfelt. <strong>Teal Wicks</strong>, as Mary Barrie, dreamer J.M. Barrie&#8217;s unsympathetic wife, brilliantly succeeds in being appealing despite her carping. And she has a knockout singing voice. And everyone of the children in Neverland bring incredible zest and talent to their roles. <strong>Melanie Moore</strong> as the character Peter Pan is both fun and knows how to fly quite well indeed! The cast also features <strong>Alex Dreier, Aidan Gemme, Jackson DeMott Hill, Noah Hinsdale, Sawyer Nunes, Chris Richards, Hayden Signoretti with Courtney Balan, Dana Costello, Colin Cunliffe, Rory Donovan, Chris Dwan, Kevin Kern, Josh Lamon, Mary Page Nance, Fred Odgaard, Emma Pfaeffle, Jonathan Ritter, Tyley Ross, Julius Anthony Rubio, Paul Slade Smith, Ron Todorowski, Jaime Verazin</strong> and <strong>Jessica Vosk</strong>.</p>
<p>It was 110 years ago that Charles Frohman produced of Peter of the tree tops and Never-Never Land at Broadway&#8217;s old Empire Theater starring the great Maude Adams. And playgoers from 6 to 60 &#8220;came swarming into the theater,&#8221; my late father, Ward Morehouse, writes in his book Matinee Tomorrow a one-volume history of the American theater. Adams herself was a large part of the play&#8217;s allure. She &#8220;had something of a spiritual quality that made her appeal universal,&#8221; my father continued in the book. &#8220;The rippling laugh, the lilting voice, the odd toss of her head &#8211; these were attributes that endeared her to playgoers.&#8221; It was also her generosity that endeared her, especially to children. When a little girl who had saved her pennies for what she thought was the 50 cent ticket price found out it was $1 Miss Adams not only paid the difference for her but ordered that all tickets for that performance be sold for 50 cents.</p>
<p>As a very young boy, I saw Mary Martin playing Peter in the 1954 Jule Stein-Betty Comden-Adolph Green musical adaptation of the play and my father and I visited Miss Martin in her dressing room after the show. She gave me some &#8220;fairy dust,&#8221; and for many minutes I tried using it to fly off my family&#8217;s living room couch. It failed to do the trick.</p>
<p>Based on the Academy Award-winning Miramax motion picture by <strong>David Magee</strong>, and the play <em>The Man Who Was Peter Pan</em> by <strong>Allan Knee</strong>, <em>Finding Neverland</em> follows the relationship between playwright <strong>J. M. Barrie</strong> and the family that inspired Peter Pan. Directed by Tony®-winner <strong>Diane Paulus</strong> (Pippin, Hair)with book by Olivier Award®-nominee <strong>James Graham</strong>, music and lyrics by <strong>Gary Barlow</strong> (Take That) and Grammy Award®-winner <strong>Eliot Kennedy</strong>, choreography by Emmy Award®-winner <strong>Mia Michaels</strong> (“So You Think You Can Dance,” Cirque du Soleil’s Delirium). Scenic design is by Tony Award®-winner <strong>Scott Pask</strong> (Pippin, Book of Mormon), lighting design by Tony Award®-winner <strong>Kenneth Posner</strong> (The Coast of Utopia, Pippin), costume design by <strong>Suttirat Larlarb</strong> (Of Mice and Men), and sound design by Tony Award®-nominee <strong>Jonathan Deans</strong> (Pippin, La Cage aux Folles).</p>
<p><em>Finding Neverland</em> is produced by <strong>Harvey Weinstein and Weinstein Live Entertainment</strong>, <strong>The Madison Square Garden Company, Len Blavatnik, Ron Burkle, Radenko Milakovic</strong> and <strong>Bryan Cranston</strong> in association with <strong>Jason Blum, Broadway Across America, Stephen Bronfman, Rodgin Cohen, Michael Cohl, Jean Doumanian, Chad Dubea, Rick Gerson, Jeremiah J. Harris, Sh. Mohammed Y. El Khereiji, Terry Allen Kramer, Howard Milstein, Dalip Pathak, Steve Rattner, Jimmy Sommers, Peter Stavola, Marvin Peart</strong>, and <strong>The American Repertory Theater</strong>. The production is Executive Produced by <strong>Alecia Parker, Barry Weissler</strong> and <strong>Victoria Parker</strong>.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/finding-neverland/">Finding Neverland</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>Rich Theatre and Cabaret</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2015 15:21:25 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>By Ward Morehouse III I saw two adventurous and entertaining shows recently and while their styles couldn&#8217;t be farther apart, they both were startlingly insightful as well as a lot of fun. Singer Jackie Draper returned to the Laurie Beechman Theatre with a one-woman show called Designing Woman. Accompanied by her longtime music director Gregory Toroian on piano, Ritt Henn on [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/rich-theatre-cabaret/">Rich Theatre and Cabaret</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>By Ward Morehouse III</em></p>
<p>I saw two adventurous and entertaining shows recently and while their styles couldn&#8217;t be farther apart, they both were startlingly insightful as well as a lot of fun.</p>
<p>Singer Jackie Draper returned to the Laurie Beechman Theatre with a one-woman show called Designing Woman. Accompanied by her longtime music director Gregory Toroian on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Robbyn Tongue on woodwinds, Ms. Draper illuminates each song from &#8220;Something In Your Smile&#8221; (Leslie Bricusse) to &#8220;Make Some Magic&#8221; (Blossom Dearie, Johnny Mercer/Duncan Lamont) with unique clarity and unadorned appreciation. Each song tugs at both mind and heart with a unique personal meaning for her and audience members.</p>
<p>Money Lab, conceived and directed by Edward Einhorn, head of Untitled Theatre Company No. 61, is a brilliant potpourri of cabaret and Brechtian vaudeville. Often performers directly address the audience interrupting the narrative in fresh and humorous ways as well inviting people to be part of the show. Money Lab is at HERE, 145 Sixth Avenue through April 11.</p>
<p>Yet not all is strictly fun and economic games. One question Money Lab addresses, Mr. Einhorn writes in the program is &#8220;how much do we really value art &#8230; (and) is it important to us.&#8221;</p>
<p>Actor Mick O&#8217;Brien, who plays the MC, keeps the evening rolling right along by asking the audience to bid on items with plastic chips they have purchased. The competition is fun as well as instructive. But, surprisingly, several people pooled their chips altruistically to help another make a purchase &#8212; something that seems out of kilter with strictly competitive business practice.</p>
<p>The climax of Money Lab was a segment called &#8220;Love and Greed,&#8221; sung by Jenny Lee Mitchell. The glamorous Ms. Mitchell, who studied classical voice in Vienna and Munich, transports us to Germany in the 1930s. Yet the piece speaks to our own unstable economic times where cut-throat greed, the love of money, overshadows the love of humanity. The &#8220;Dead Cat Bounce&#8221; segment was entertainingly and satirically instructive, pointing to market highs and lows which are not as final as they do appear.</p>
<p>Ms. Draper&#8217;s rendition of songs in Designing Woman also often go beyond joie de vivre. She nimbly treats us to soulful elements not primarily associated with pieces. I found this was especially true with &#8220;Let Me Be Your Mirror.&#8221; With two of her songs, &#8220;It&#8217;s My Party&#8221; (Herb Wiener, Wally Gold, John Gluck, Jr.) and &#8220;The Ballad Of Pearly Sue&#8221; (Gerry Mulligan) I noticed some audience members so enthusiastically engaged I thought they were almost tempted to join Ms. Draper on stage.</p>
<p>Oscar Wilde is said to have once quipped that some people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. But you can&#8217;t put a price on the artistry of Money Lab and Designing Woman. They take you on a refreshing musical journey of self-discovery as well as joy.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/rich-theatre-cabaret/">Rich Theatre and Cabaret</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>“Les  Contes d’Hoffman”: Tales of a Production</title>
		<link>http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/les-contes-dhoffman-tales-of-a-production/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2015 19:29:53 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Erin Morley as Olympia and Vittorio Grigolo in the title role of Offenbach&#8217;s &#8220;Les Contes d’Hoffmann.&#8221; (Photo credit: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera) Review by: Beatrice Williams-Rude In keeping with the current trend of Broadway-Metropolitan Opera crossovers, it seemed a good time to revisit Bartlett Sher’s production of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” (“The Tales of Hoffmann”), which was broadcast [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/les-contes-dhoffman-tales-of-a-production/">“Les  Contes d’Hoffman”: Tales of a Production</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Erin Morley as Olympia and Vittorio Grigolo in the title role of Offenbach&#8217;s &#8220;Les Contes d’Hoffmann.&#8221; (</em><em>Photo credit: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)</em></p>
<p><em>Review by: Beatrice Williams-Rude</em></p>
<p>In keeping with the current trend of Broadway-Metropolitan Opera crossovers, it seemed a good time to revisit Bartlett Sher’s production of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” (“The Tales of Hoffmann”), which was broadcast live from the Met on Saturday. Sher, a Tony-award winning theater director, also did Met productions of “The Barber of Seville” and “Le Comte Ory,” both of which were charming.</p>
<p>The opera is a recounting of the bizarre loves of the poet Hoffmann, a perennial adolescent whose addiction to alcohol exceeds all other feelings even when he lands in the gutter. This is the story of a man, not unlike Poe’s “William Wilson,” who is his own worst enemy. Hoffman hangs out in Luther’s Tavern, a students’ venue. His companion, Nicklausse, is actually his Muse disguised as a student, as she tries to save him from himself.</p>
<p>Hoffmann is killing time as he waits for his current love, the diva Stella, who is performing in an Mozart opera. The students press him to tell them about his romantic life.</p>
<p>The first is Olympia, a beautiful mechanical doll, delightfully performed by Erin Morley, who brought the house down. The production, however, was a problem. Everything in the text points to Olympia’s being unique, the invention of Spalanzani and Coppelius. However, the stage is littered with Olympia look-alikes which violates the story line and serves to confuse the audience. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the principal Olympia.</p>
<p>The Munich and Venice acts present a choice. Sometimes one is the second act sometimes the other. There is justification for both. Musically the Venice scene is much more grandiose, culminating in the magnificent septet, which would make it a logical third act. Dramatically it shows Hoffmann’s descent: he kills a man. However, the argument for the Munich scene providing the climax is that Antonia is real — an actual love. Giulietta, in the Venice scene, is a courtesan, whose love is for diamonds.</p>
<p>The production presents problems in both acts. The Munich scene is supposed to be intimate — Crespel and his daughter Antonio are hiding. It’s ridiculous when Crespel tells his servant to keep the door locked. What door? The setting is huge and barren without any of the properties of a home. Antonia was beautifully sung by Hibla Gerzmava, who also played Stella, a nice touch given both characters are singers.</p>
<p>Critical to the plot is Antonia’s dead mother whose portrait sings, urging Antonia to sing, which for health reasons she shouldn’t. There was no portrait. The mother, appealingly sung by Olesya Petrova but at too rapid a pace, was performing mostly hidden in the dark, then emerging into the light at the end.<br />
The man sitting in front of me was so appalled he didn’t return for the third act. Two others in the same row were denouncing this production and comparing it to the abhorrent new Willy Decker production of “ La Traviata,” which replaced a beautiful and much loved Zeffirelli production, even as this “Hoffmann” replaced a nigh on perfect Otto Schenk production. The new “Traviata” managed to be as ugly as it was stupid, re-set in the 20th century.</p>
<p>As stark as the Hoffmann Munich scene was, the Venice scene matched it at the other extreme: it was so cluttered one couldn’t follow the principals. Traditionally the act opens with Nicklausse and Giulietta in a distant gondola singing “Belle Nuit” with increasing volume as gondola gets nearer. Not in this production. No gondola — not a hint of water &#8211;and the stage so crowded they had to step forward to be seen.</p>
<p>Vittorio Grigolo was an excellent Hoffmann, singing beautifully except on what should have been the boffo bring-the-house-down high notes on which his voice lost focus and became breathy. Breathiness was also an occasional problem of an otherwise lovely Nicklausse performed by Kate Lindsey.</p>
<p>Thomas Hampson was excellent as all four villains, Lindorf, Coppelius, Dr. Miracle and Dapertutto. Tony Stevenson was a standout in multiple roles: Frantz, Pitichinaccio, Andres and Cochenille. David Pittsinger was fine as Luther and Crespel. The conductor, Yves Abel, was mostly on target, although his tempi could be challenged. There was one devastating moment, during the septet, when there was a disconnect between the army of singers and the orchestra.</p>
<p>Applause was mostly tepid. “The Tales of Hoffman,” Jacques Offenbach’s masterpiece, is one of those glorious operas that stays with people. The music keeps replaying in one’s head long after one has left the opera house.</p>
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<div id="attachment_370" style="width: 281px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Hoffmann_3133-s-X3.jpg"><img class="wp-image-370" src="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Hoffmann_3133-s-X3-1024x755.jpg" alt="&quot;Les Contes d'Hoffmann&quot;" width="271" height="200" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Thomas Hampson as Dapertutto and Christine Rice as Giuletta in Offenbach&#8217;s &#8220;Les Contes d’Hoffmann.&#8221; Photo credit: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera</p></div>
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<div id="attachment_372" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Hoffmann_4144-s-X3.jpg"><img class="wp-image-372" src="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Hoffmann_4144-s-X3-1024x682.jpg" alt="&quot;Les Contes d'Hoffmann&quot;" width="300" height="200" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Vittorio Grigolo in the title role of Offenbach&#8217;s &#8220;Les Contes d’Hoffmann.&#8221; Photo credit: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera</p></div>
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<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/les-contes-dhoffman-tales-of-a-production/">“Les  Contes d’Hoffman”: Tales of a Production</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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		<title>&#8220;On Kentucky Avenue&#8221;</title>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2014 04:31:19 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Photo: Kentucky Avenue Cast includes (l to R) Cheryl Freeman, Ty Stephens and Andricka Hall Review by: Ward Morehouse III On Kentucky Avenue &#8211; the Club Harlem Revue is set on the night of a dress rehearsal during the the club&#8217;s 1969 season in pre-casinos Atlantic City. But neither time nor nostalgic memories of a [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/theatre/on-kentucky-avenue/">&#8220;On Kentucky Avenue&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org">Broadway After Dark</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Photo: Kentucky Avenue Cast includes (l to R) Cheryl Freeman, Ty Stephens and Andricka Hall</em></p>
<p><em>Review by: Ward Morehouse III</em></p>
<p>On Kentucky Avenue &#8211; the Club Harlem Revue is set on the night of a dress rehearsal during the the club&#8217;s 1969 season in pre-casinos Atlantic City. But neither time nor nostalgic memories of a by-gone era, however vivid or hazy, can overshadow the brilliance of this new musical. And the word revue is actually a misnomer since it indicates a series of songs and dances stitched together around a common theme. But On Kentucky Avenue is a full-fledged, razzle-dazzle riveting &#8220;book&#8221; musical that startlingly transforms the tiny stage of Off-Broadway&#8217;s Triad Theatre into one of New York&#8217;s most magical and electric shows.</p>
<p>There are no ghosts of the past On Kentucky Avenue.</p>
<p>Rather, the show recreates a time that was with a brilliant blend of rousing original finger-snapping songs along with music of the 1960&#8242;s (such as &#8220;Rescue Me&#8221; and &#8220;You&#8217;re Nobody Till Somebody&#8221;&#8230;) And I felt like I might have felt if I was fortunate (and old enough!) to have heard the late <strong>George Gershwin</strong> play his signature &#8220;Rhapsody in Blue&#8221; in person.</p>
<p>In other words, move over <em>The Last Ship</em>, <em>If/Then</em> and even <em>Jersey Boys</em>. <em>On Kentucky Avenue</em> is a vivid example of what Broadway should and can be.</p>
<p>I personally have seen On Kentucky Avenue twice, the first time  a number of months ago. &#8220;OK&#8221; was what I thought the first time. &#8220;Wow!&#8221; and &#8220;unbelievable&#8221; now. Mostly recently, Tony Award nominee <strong>Brenda Braxton</strong> (Smoky Joe&#8217;s Cafe) and recording artist <strong>Jenny Douglas</strong> stepped in for the brilliant stars <strong>Cheryl Freeman</strong> and <strong>Andrika Hall</strong>, both of whom had holiday commitments. They all thrill us with their grace, beauty, humor and especially their voices. But award-winning singer/songwriter <strong>Ty Stephens</strong> steals the show time and time again. Mr. Stephens delivers the kind of virtuoso performance that would do Engelbert Humperdinck and Wayne Newton proud indeed. The only difference is that that Mr. Stephen acts, too. Acts up a storm in a performance that is an heart-warming as it is exciting.  Mr. Stephens, who plays the MC, is caught in a love triangle between the club&#8217;s lead showgirl and its featured female singer. Yet what could be ordinary becomes extraordinary, pulsing with pathos and the genuine emotion of longing and reconciliation.</p>
<p>Last and certainly not least is the show&#8217;s magnificent original score with such songs as &#8220;And If I Tell You I Love You,&#8221; by Mr. Stephens and Frank Owens, and &#8220;This World Is Mine&#8221; by Mr. Stephens.  And when the music of the 1960&#8242;s starts there&#8217;s not a pair of hands not clapping in the audience.</p>
<p>This production also features <strong>Lee Summers</strong> as comedian ‘Slappy Black’ (modeled after real-life comedian Slappy White who performed frequently at Club Harlem) with special guest artist, <strong>Jeree Wade</strong> as singer Damita Jo.   Mr. Summers plays his role with such believabilty it&#8217;s hard to believe he isn&#8217;t the character he portrays. Jeree Wade  Also appearing are dancers (in alphabetical order): <strong>Brian Davis, Donna Clark, Gregory J. Hanks, Mindy Haywood, Cassandra Palacio, Renee Ternier</strong> and <strong>Olutayo Bosede</strong>.  The “Hot Band” includes <strong>Frank Owens, Wilbur Bascomb, Richard Cummings, Jr.</strong> and <strong>David Silliman</strong>, <strong>Brian Brake</strong> and <strong>Jack Cavari</strong>. The show concept was first developed by Jeree Wade, is written by <strong>Adam Wade</strong> and <strong>Ty Stephens</strong>. Original music is by <strong>Ty Stephens, Frank Owens, Branice McKenzie, Wilbur Bascomb, Adam Wade</strong> and <strong>Jeree Wade</strong>. The Musical Direction is by <strong>Frank Owens</strong>. Choreography is by <strong>Ty Stephens</strong>, the Assistant Choreographer, <strong>Donna Clark,</strong> Dance Captain, <strong>Cassandra Palacio</strong> with Swing Dance Choreography by <strong>Mickey Davidson</strong>. The Showgirl Consultant is <strong>Betty Jo</strong> and Creative Consultant is <strong>Russ Weatherford</strong>. The Costumes were created by <strong>Ty Stephens</strong> and <strong>Pearl Williams</strong>, who is also the Executive Company Manager.  Production Assistants are <strong>LaToya Britton</strong> and <strong>Moses Ukandu</strong>.</p>
<p>On Kentucky Avenue – The Atlantic City Club Harlem Revue is presented by <strong>Robert R. Blume, Adam Wade,</strong> Songbirds Unlimited Productions, <strong>Peter Martin/Rick Newman</strong> in association with <strong>J.R. Knauf, Marshall N. Warner, Marya Coburn</strong> &amp; Step Forward Entertainment. Jazz producing legend, <strong>Cobi Narita</strong> is Associate Producer.</p>
<p>The musical has been playing three to four times a month this past year. Let&#8217;s hope that in 2015 this fabulous night (also the name of the show-stopper song &#8220;Fabulous Night&#8221; by Adam Wade, Mr. Owens and Mr. Stephens), is on Broadway.</p>
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<div id="attachment_363" style="width: 585px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/On-Kentucky-Avenue-showgirls-L-to-R-Cassandra-Palacio-Renee-Ternier-Mindy-Haywood-and-Donna-Clark-Photo-by-David-James.jpg"><img class="wp-image-363" src="http://www.broadwayafterdark.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/On-Kentucky-Avenue-showgirls-L-to-R-Cassandra-Palacio-Renee-Ternier-Mindy-Haywood-and-Donna-Clark-Photo-by-David-James.jpg" alt="On Kentucky Avenue showgirls (L to R) Cassandra Palacio, Renee Ternier, Mindy Haywood and Donna Clark   Photo by David James" width="575" height="399" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">On Kentucky Avenue showgirls (L to R) Cassandra Palacio, Renee Ternier, Mindy Haywood and Donna Clark. Credit: David James</p></div>
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