#Erik Carstensen

[larryland]

REVIEW: "George Gershwin Alone" at the Berkshire Theatre Group

REVIEW: “George Gershwin Alone” at the Berkshire Theatre Group

[megadarkbouquettidalwavethings]

ADM pursues big ag merger with grain trader Bunge: source

CHICAGO/CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Top U.S. grain merchant Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM.N) has proposed a takeover of Bunge Ltd (BG.N), according to a person familiar with the approach, which could set up a bidding war with Swiss-based rival Glencore Plc (GLEN.L).

Large grain traders that make money by buying, selling, storing and shipping crops have struggled in recent years with global oversupplies. Thin margins have squeezed core commodity trading operations, including those of ADM, Bunge, Cargill Inc [CARG.UL] and Louis Dreyfus Co [AKIRAU.UL], which together are known as the “ABCDs” and dominate the industry.

Consolidation is seen as one remedy. Glencore last year sought a tie-up with Bunge in what was viewed as a start of a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the industry.

Bunge, which rebuffed an acquisition offer from Glencore last year, might not follow up on ADM’s proposal, the source said, requesting anonymity because the approach is confidential. A standstill agreement prevents Glencore from making a new offer until next month, and Bunge is keeping its options open for now, the source added.

White Plains, New York-based Bunge operates in more than 40 countries and is Brazil’s largest exporter of agricultural products, while Chicago-based ADM says it has customers in 160 countries.

Bunge, which has a market capitalization of $9.79 billion, closed up 11.4 percent at $77.56 on Friday. ADM has a market cap of $22.64 billion.

ADM said it does not comment on “rumors or speculation,” while Bunge did not respond to requests for comment. Glencore was not immediately available for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported on ADM’s interest in Bunge.

STRATEGY SHIFT?

Grain companies in recent years have expanded into higher-margin sectors, such as food ingredients and aquaculture, to offset weak results and wild swings in their traditional business of handling crops.

In 2014, ADM bought natural ingredient company Wild Flavors for about $3 billion in its biggest deal ever. The company has also expanded into handling healthy ingredients such as fruits, nuts and “ancient grains.”

“News of the ADM bid is a bit surprising given that ADM had been indicating the company’s strategic direction was more towards value-added rather the traditional commodities,” said Stephens Inc analyst Farha Aslam.

ADM is the most U.S.-focused of the major grain companies and a takeover would help it grow in South America, where Bunge is a major agricultural force.

ADM, which dates back to 1902, has tried to expand its international operations, in part to take advantage of growing demand from China. In 2013, Australia rejected its attempted $2.55 billion takeover of Sydney-based grain handler GrainCorp Ltd (GNC.AX) on concerns it could reduce competition.

Bunge was founded in Amsterdam 200 years ago. It moved its headquarters to South America as its operations grew in the region and relocated to New York ahead of an initial public offering in 2001.

HURDLES LOOM

Aslam estimated that fair value for Bunge in a takeover would be $90 to $95 per share, but Morningstar said the price could exceed $100.

Any tie-up would probably face stiff scrutiny from regulators and opposition from farmers who fear handing more market control to ADM could hurt wheat, corn and soybean prices.

The biggest overlap between ADM and Bunge in the United States is in grain origination and oilseeds processing, Aslam said. The companies would probably need to divest facilities in North America and also possibly in Europe, she added.

Aslam raised the possibility that ADM and Glencore could partner in a bid for Bunge to split up its operations.

“ADM would take the more value-added downstream businesses, and Glencore would own the more ag commodity businesses,” she said.

FARMERS’ WORRIES

An ADM-Bunge merger would also face opposition from farmer groups in key agricultural markets, including the United States, European Union, China, India and Brazil, said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

The companies’ relatively late move into the big-agriculture merger game, behind DowDuPont (DWDP.N), Nutrien Ltd (NTR.TO) and others, would make gaining regulators’ approval even tougher, Gordon said.

“When you’re the first one, there’s still more competition,” he said. “Once they’ve let a few through, they may have second thoughts.”

Grain farmers need five or six active buyers to get fair prices for their goods, but there are already only a handful, said Peter Carstensen, who teaches law at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

“This is the kind of transaction that will screw farmers,” he said.

Illinois farmer Dan Henebry, who delivers corn and soybeans to ADM’s North American headquarters in Decatur, Illinois, said he was worried a takeover of Bunge could lead grain handlers to pay farmers less for their crops.

“We’ve had so many mergers,” Henebry said. “Less competition is not good.”

Reporting by John Benny in Bengaluru, Rod Nickel in Calgary, Alberta, Tom Polansek in Chicago, Chris Prentice and Greg Roumeliotis in New York and Diane Bartz in Washington; Writing by Peter Henderson and Anna Driver; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Von Ahn

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The post ADM pursues big ag merger with grain trader Bunge: source appeared first on dailygate.

[vanitynumbers]

ADM pursues big ag merger with grain trader Bunge: source

New Post has been published on https://lawyer800marketing.com/business/adm-pursues-big-ag-merger-with-grain-trader-bunge-source/

ADM pursues big ag merger with grain trader Bunge: source

Local vanity Numbers:

CHICAGO/CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Top U.S. grain merchant Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM.N) has proposed a takeover of Bunge Ltd (BG.N), according to a person familiar with the approach, which could set up a bidding war with Swiss-based rival Glencore Plc (GLEN.L).

Large grain traders that make money by buying, selling, storing and shipping crops have struggled in recent years with global oversupplies. Thin margins have squeezed core commodity trading operations, including those of ADM, Bunge, Cargill Inc [CARG.UL] and Louis Dreyfus Co [AKIRAU.UL], which together are known as the “ABCDs” and dominate the industry.

Consolidation is seen as one remedy. Glencore last year sought a tie-up with Bunge in what was viewed as a start of a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the industry.

Bunge, which rebuffed an acquisition offer from Glencore last year, might not follow up on ADM’s proposal, the source said, requesting anonymity because the approach is confidential. A standstill agreement prevents Glencore from making a new offer until next month, and Bunge is keeping its options open for now, the source added.

White Plains, New York-based Bunge operates in more than 40 countries and is Brazil’s largest exporter of agricultural products, while Chicago-based ADM says it has customers in 160 countries.

Bunge, which has a market capitalization of $9.79 billion, closed up 11.4 percent at $77.56 on Friday. ADM has a market cap of $22.64 billion.

ADM said it does not comment on “rumors or speculation,” while Bunge did not respond to requests for comment. Glencore was not immediately available for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported on ADM’s interest in Bunge.

STRATEGY SHIFT?

Grain companies in recent years have expanded into higher-margin sectors, such as food ingredients and aquaculture, to offset weak results and wild swings in their traditional business of handling crops.

In 2014, ADM bought natural ingredient company Wild Flavors for about $3 billion in its biggest deal ever. The company has also expanded into handling healthy ingredients such as fruits, nuts and “ancient grains.”

“News of the ADM bid is a bit surprising given that ADM had been indicating the company’s strategic direction was more towards value-added rather the traditional commodities,” said Stephens Inc analyst Farha Aslam.

ADM is the most U.S.-focused of the major grain companies and a takeover would help it grow in South America, where Bunge is a major agricultural force.

ADM, which dates back to 1902, has tried to expand its international operations, in part to take advantage of growing demand from China. In 2013, Australia rejected its attempted $2.55 billion takeover of Sydney-based grain handler GrainCorp Ltd (GNC.AX) on concerns it could reduce competition.

Bunge was founded in Amsterdam 200 years ago. It moved its headquarters to South America as its operations grew in the region and relocated to New York ahead of an initial public offering in 2001.

HURDLES LOOM

Aslam estimated that fair value for Bunge in a takeover would be $90 to $95 per share, but Morningstar said the price could exceed $100.

Any tie-up would probably face stiff scrutiny from regulators and opposition from farmers who fear handing more market control to ADM could hurt wheat, corn and soybean prices.

The biggest overlap between ADM and Bunge in the United States is in grain origination and oilseeds processing, Aslam said. The companies would probably need to divest facilities in North America and also possibly in Europe, she added.

Aslam raised the possibility that ADM and Glencore could partner in a bid for Bunge to split up its operations.

“ADM would take the more value-added downstream businesses, and Glencore would own the more ag commodity businesses,” she said.

FARMERS’ WORRIES

An ADM-Bunge merger would also face opposition from farmer groups in key agricultural markets, including the United States, European Union, China, India and Brazil, said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

The companies’ relatively late move into the big-agriculture merger game, behind DowDuPont (DWDP.N), Nutrien Ltd (NTR.TO) and others, would make gaining regulators’ approval even tougher, Gordon said.

“When you’re the first one, there’s still more competition,” he said. “Once they’ve let a few through, they may have second thoughts.”

Grain farmers need five or six active buyers to get fair prices for their goods, but there are already only a handful, said Peter Carstensen, who teaches law at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

“This is the kind of transaction that will screw farmers,” he said.

Illinois farmer Dan Henebry, who delivers corn and soybeans to ADM’s North American headquarters in Decatur, Illinois, said he was worried a takeover of Bunge could lead grain handlers to pay farmers less for their crops.

“We’ve had so many mergers,” Henebry said. “Less competition is not good.”

Reporting by John Benny in Bengaluru, Rod Nickel in Calgary, Alberta, Tom Polansek in Chicago, Chris Prentice and Greg Roumeliotis in New York and Diane Bartz in Washington; Writing by Peter Henderson and Anna Driver; Editing by Leslie Adler and Lisa Von Ahn

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

http://vanity123.com

[londontheatre]

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin

Award-winning actor and musician Hershey Felder brings to life on stage the music and personal stories of Irving Berlin and Leonard Bernstein in two musical-plays, which will alternate at London’s The Other Palace this autumn.

Recently named in TIME Magazine’s top ten theatre artists for 2016, Hershey Felder has broken box office records and received critical acclaim across America with his solo productions that bring to life the stories and music of Ludwig van Beethoven and Frédéric Chopin, Franz Liszt, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and George Gershwin. Felder created, produced and directed last season’s critically acclaimed and box office hit, The Pianist of Willesden Lane at the former St. James Theatre and now returns to newly named The Other Palace with this unique blend of piano virtuosity and musical biography for two of the 20th Century’s great icons of music.

Hershey Felder as MAESTRO Leonard Bernstein

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin The Other Palace 22 – 24 September, 27-28 September and 9 –15 October Hershey Felder embodies the role of Irving Berlin, performs some of the great composer’s most enduring songs and shares the backgrounds behind their creation including Alexander’s Ragtime Band, There’s No Business Like Show Business, Always, Blue Skies, White Christmas, Puttin On The Ritz and God Bless America.

Irving Berlin’s story begins as a child refugee from Russia, before rising as a songwriter in New York’s Tin Pan Alley and beyond to become one of the most celebrated composers of Broadway musicals, top charting hits and scores for Hollywood movies, earning him eight Academy Award nominations and with George Gershwin calling him “the greatest songwriter that has ever lived”.

In a career spanning 60 years, Berlin wrote an estimated 1500 songs, many of which formed a major part of the Great American Songbook and which are known globally today, having been performed by artists including: Fred Astaire, Aretha Franklin, Ethel Merman, Willie Nelson, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley, Luciano Pavarotti, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Barbra Streisand, Billie Holiday, Marilyn Monroe and Lady Gaga.

Book by Hershey Felder; Scenic Design: Hershey Felder; Lighting Design: Richard Norwood; Projection Design: Christopher Ash; Sound Design and Production Management: Erik Carstensen; Dramaturgy and Research: Meghan Maiya; Directed by TREVOR HAY; Produced by Eva Price, Samantha F. Voxakis, Karen Racanelli, and Tom Wirtshafter with Fane Productions.

Hershey Felder as MAESTRO Leonard Bernstein The Other Palace 25 – 26 September, 30 September – 7 October and 18 – 22 October Hershey Felder plays Leonard Bernstein in MAESTRO as he reveals the behind-the scenes tale of the making of a musical superstar. MAESTRO features selections from Bernstein’s musicals and orchestral works including West Side Story, Candide, On The Town and Wonderful Town as well as compositions from those who inspired him including Beethoven, Mahler, Wagner, Copeland, and more.

Leonard Bernstein was a conductor, pianist, author, teacher, librettist, television star, and the composer of symphonies, operas, iconic film scores and many American musical classics. Born in Massachusetts in 1918, he found fame leading the New York Philharmonic as Artistic Director. Bernstein had a life of personal turbulence and tragedy but also great triumph, pushing boundaries to become, as music critic Donald Henahan described him, “one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history.”

Book by Hershey Felder; Scenic Design: Francois Pierre Couture; Lighting & Projection Design: Christopher Ash; Costume Design: Abigail Caywood, Directed by JOEL ZWICK; Produced by Samantha F. Voxakis, Karen Racanelli, Erik Carstensen and Tom Wirtshafter with Fane Productions.

LISTINGS The Other Palace 12 Palace St, Westminster, London SW1E 5JA http://ift.tt/2dPBiyt

http://ift.tt/2u5hT6G LondonTheatre1.com

[larryland]

by Barbara Waldinger

During the question and answer session that concludes his solo production, George Gershwin Alone, Hershey Felder was asked by an audience member at Berkshire Theatre Group’s Colonial Theatre why he did not choose to be a concert pianist.  His response was that in performing his nine distinctive one-man shows he plays more concerts than any other pianist in the world:  almost four hundred per year.  To those who say that one cannot combine acting with piano-playing, Felder points to the shows he has created, each about a brilliant composer/pianist, using first person narration, accompanied by their music.

There have been other celebrated pianist/entertainers like Liberace and Victor Borge, but Felder’s plays with music are a unique blend of genres. Painstakingly researched, they are distinguishable from Michael Feinstein’s presentations because Felder is not only a singer/pianist but also an accomplished actor who knows how to bring a character to life and to interact with his audience.  In addition to Gershwin, he has resuscitated such greats as Chopin, Beethoven, Bernstein, Liszt, Berlin, and Tchaikovsky and has several more in the works.

Previously staged on Broadway, George Gershwin Alone is directed by Tony Award-nominee Joel Zwick, who has also collaborated with Felder on Beethoven and Maestro (Leonard Bernstein).  Zwick is an actor, drama professor, and a theatrical, television and film (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) director.  This run of George Gershwin Alone, unfortunately only one week in duration, should be seen before it closes.

In the course of a packed ninety minutes we hear scratchy old recordings of George and Ira Gershwin’s music and songs, we learn about music theory (who knew that the same two repeating chords that introduce  Summertime were given a totally different approach by John Williams in Jaws!) and study the critical and controversial influence of jazz.  Projected upstage are large photographs of the people and historical places prominent in Gershwin’s life as Felder traces his career in America and later Paris.  Beginning chronologically in 1898 with the composer’s birth in New York City to Russian immigrant parents, Felder regales us with personal stories revealing the ups and downs experienced by Gershwin, all the while playing his memorable music, including a complete rendition of Rhapsody in Blue.

Through Felder’s impersonations, we meet Gershwin’s family, friends, teachers, employers, and the many artists and musicians he knew. There was Al Jolson, for whom he wrote Swanee (he sounded as though he had “a megaphone in the middle of his throat”), and Ethel Merman (whose voice “sounded the same as Jolson”), Paul Whiteman, who commissioned  Rhapsody in Blue, which imitated the sound of a train on which Gershwin traveled and the noise of the cities he passed, DuBose Heyward and his wife Dorothy, who helped Gershwin adapt Heyward’s novel into the opera Porgy and Bess, and Kitty Carlisle, who admitted to  Felder in an interview for this show that her mother wanted her to marry Gershwin.

Though the performance is infused with humor, Felder also personalizes Gershwin’s physical pain, in the form of terrible headaches, which were eventually diagnosed to be the result of a brain tumor that killed him at the age of 38, as well as the emotional pain caused by some wretched reviews of An American in Paris and Porgy and Bess.  In addition, he  suffered the indignity of the anti-Semitic, racist attacks on his religion and music by Henry Ford in the Dearborn Independent.

The production is a pleasure for the eyes as well as the ears, thanks to  the work of Lighting Designer Michael T. Gilliam, whose colorful palette not only matches the mood of each piece, but can also focus, laser-like, on Felder’s hands, when the rest of the stage fades to black.  Sound Designer Erik Carstensen’s use of original recordings of well-known songs injects period authenticity into the production.

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After Felder’s performance was officially over, he asked the audience which songs they would like him to play (Gershwin wrote over one thousand of them).  He then located the music for the requested selections in the oversize books he kept on a desk nearby (some of which were original scores), and supplied the words as willing patrons sang along, following which he answered questions.  Felder talked of the great artists he has researched and impersonated in his shows, and how they put the human condition into their art in order to make the world more beautiful, more elegant, and finally, something we have lost today—more civil.  As the evening drew to a close, Felder played Clair de Lune by Debussy, whose music had a great influence on Gershwin—a perfect example of beauty in the world.

  GEORGE GERSHWIN ALONE runs from August 24—31.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org or call 413-997-4444.

Berkshire Theatre Group and Hershey Felder present GEORGE GERSHWIN ALONE by Hershey Felder.  Music and Lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin.  Directed by Joel Zwick; Associate Director Trevor Hay.  Cast:  Hershey Felder (George Gershwin).  Lighting Designer:  Michael T. Gilliam; Sound Designer/Production Manager:  Erik Carstensen.

Running Time:  90 minutes, no intermission.  The Colonial Theatre, 111 South Street, Pittsfield, MA.; from August 24; closing August 31.

REVIEW: “George Gershwin Alone” at the Berkshire Theatre Group by Barbara Waldinger During the question and answer session that concludes his solo production, George Gershwin Alone, …

[larryland]

"Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin" Returns to Hartford Stage

“Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin” Returns to Hartford Stage

Limited One-Week Engagement – June 21-30, 2019 Performer/Creator of Our Great Tchaikovsky and George Gershwin Alone;  Director and Adaptor of The Pianist of Willesden Lane 

  Hartford, CT – November 19, 2018 – Hartford Stage will present Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, a celebration of one of America’s most beloved and prolific songwriters, written and performed by internationally-acclaimed…