#new york hippodrome

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Cover of the program for Better Times at the Hippodrome, 1922-23. Among the huge cast of this three-act "super-musical spectacle" was one Archie Leach, who later became known as Cary Grant. The show was a hit, running 405 performances.

Photo: NYPL

[bitter69uk]

“The Full Eartha – Carlsberg for Breakfast: "In the early 80s, I was the manager at the Coffee Shop in the Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch. Miss Eartha Kitt was staying at the hotel for a few days whilst she was performing at the Hippodrome. We were informed she would be joining us for 'breakfast'. "She appeared alone at noon in a beaded cocktail dress, huge heels and full slap. "'Miss Kitt, it's an honour to have you here. The staff would be extremely grateful if you would sign a menu for them,' I said. "'Daaaahlink, I'll sign anything for you if you bring me a beer,' she growled. "And that was her 'breakfast' for three days. Precisely at noon, she would arrive alone in a slinky, fabulous dress and 'breakfast' was two bottles of Carlsberg and a long, fine cigar."

Breakfast – Eartha Kitt-style! This juicy tidbit appeared in last week’s Popbitch gossip e-newsletter. I guess we now know how the divine Ms Kitt maintained her enviably svelte figure! I wonder if Kitt was puffing on an actual cigar or was it one of those slim brown cigarillos like Tura Satana smoked in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (or Alexis Carrington smoked in Dynasty!). Pictured: portrait of Kitt by Anthony Barboza, New York, 1992.

[blueiscoool]

Remains of Ancient Roman Triumphal Arch Unearthed in Serbia

Braving bitter cold and wind, archaeologists in Serbia surveyed the site of an ancient Roman triumphal arch, one of only a handful in the Balkans, that dates back to the third century.

The triumphal arch was discovered in December at the site of Viminacium, a Roman city near the town of Kostolac, 70 kilometers (45 miles) east of Belgrade.

Miomir Korac, the leading archaeologist, said the discovery was made during excavation of the main street of Viminacium, the capital of the Roman province of Moesia.

“This is the first such triumphal arch in this area… It can be dated to the first decades of the third century AD,” Korac told Reuters on Monday.

Viminacium was a sprawling Roman city of 45,000 people with a hippodrome, fortifications, a forum, palace, temples, an amphitheatre, aqueducts, baths and workshops. It existed between the first and sixth centuries.

“When we found square foundational footprints made of massive limestone pieces… there was no doubt that this was a triumphal arch,” Korac said.

A fragment of a marble slab with letters reading “CAES/ANTO” suggested that the arch was dedicated to Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, known as Caracalla, who reigned from 198 to 217 AD.

It is believed that Caracalla was elevated to emperor in Viminacium, said Mladen Jovicic, an archaeologist.

“We are hoping to find more pieces… We have found one finely made pillar, beams, but we would like to find more from the inscription on the arch,” Jovicic said.

Excavations of Viminacium have been going on since 1882, but archaeologists estimate they have only scoured 5% of the site, which they say is 450 hectares — bigger than New York’s Central Park — and unusual in not being buried under a modern city.

Discoveries so far include two Roman ships, golden tiles, coins, jade sculptures, religious items, mosaics, frescos, weapons and remains of three mammoths.

[the1920sinpictures]

1914 7th Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets. There's a nice ad for the Hippodrome. From New York City-Vintage History, FB.

[dathen]

“You could not take me to the Hippodrome, as we had arranged. I asked your manservant, Jeeves, to take me there. The man has very little intelligence. He seems to have misunderstood me. I am thankful that he did. He took me to what I subsequently learned was Madison Square Garden, where Mr. Mundy is holding his meetings. He escorted me to a seat and then left me.”

I’M SCREAMING this was Jeeves’ brilliant plan to fix everything? ‘Accidentally’ dump the intruding aunt at a sermon so she’d want to flee the Pit of Sin New York City?? INCREDIBLE.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Look who's Laughing

Meghan's BFF was spotted laughing backstage at the Chris Rock Live Show: Meghan's BFF, Janina Gavankar, famously told Gail King Meghan had receipts for those RACIST BRF conversations.🤥

Janina Gavankar was also filmed attempting a high five at the wedding, she was spotted in a vehicle with Harry & Meghan outside NOprah's house, and she credited herself with the (Soho House) Sussex trio 2019 Holiday photograph.

Janina heard the jokes a few times prior to the Live Taping so she knew what to expect. I wonder if Harry (or backers) telephoned Chris Rock (like South Park) to ask him not to use Meghan in his show?🤔 I think her influence could explain his use of Megflix talking points: "British Empire, Colonialism, and seems like a nice lady..."

Janina Gavankar, one of Meghan Markle’s longtime best friends, was at the live taping for Chris Rock’s blockbuster Netflix show Saturday night – and watched as the comedian skewered the Duchess of Sussex, Page Six can reveal.

The “Vampire Diaries” actress, who has been a staunch defender of Prince Harry’s wife and a close pal of hers for over 20 years, was at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theater to witness Rock make history for the streaming service’s first live global streaming event. Sources told Page Six that Gavankar, 42, joined her good friend Dave Chapelle backstage to watch the show in the VIP Green Room.

“Janina looked to be enjoying the show very much, she was standing up by the TV screens and laughing,” one eyewitness told us. Rock had finely honed his routine over the past few months at a number of gigs around the country, including at Radio City Music Hall in New York City back in October, where he made the same comments about Markle and the royals.

We’re told that Gavankar had been to previous shows, so she knew what to expect.

Gavankar joined a host of big names at Saturday’s show, including director Spike Lee and wife Tonya Lewis Lee, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, author Nelson George, comics Darnell Rollins, Sam Jay and actor Stephen Hill, alongside Arsenio Hall, David Spade and former “Saturday Night Live” stars Leslie Jones and Dana Carvey.

Gavankar was a guest at the Sussexes wedding in May 2018.

She also went on British TV after the royal family responded to the Oprah interview by saying “recollections may vary” at the couple’s claims of their hellish time behind palace walls.Speaking on “This Morning,” Gavankar hit back at the family’s claims they weren’t aware of the full extent of Meghan’s struggles while she was a working royal family member.

“Though their ‘recollections may vary,’ ours don’t because we lived through it with them,” Gavankar said, quoting directly from the Palace’s statement. “And there are many emails and texts to support that.”

[dankusner]

Starck contrast

The year was 1984.

A rich kid from Preston Hollow created a Studio 54 for the landlocked on a dicey stretch of McKinney Avenue.

The stories were legendary: People had sex in the bathroom. They did ecstasy, which was legal, and cocaine, which was not. The place was designed by Philippe Starck, aFrench architect who’d given his name to cool chairs that were wildly uncomfortable (the place had a few).

Stevie Nicks was part owner, though people rarely saw her during the club’s five-year run.

They did see Prince, Oliver Stone and Rob Lowe.

Clubgoers lined up to get inside. They wanted the scene, but they needed the music.

Punk, post-punk and new wave, spun on vinyl by real, living humans who knew more about obscure artists and B-sides than Casey Kasem could ever hope to learn.

The live shows were epic: Australian noise band SPK, New York art monster Grace Jones, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Video was projected onto the walls, because avirtual dreamworld still felt like a novelty.

Nobody knew screens and media would rise up like atidal wave and swallow us whole. You should have been there. And for one night only, May 12, you (sort of) can be when the Starck Club returns for a 40th anniversary party, thanks to the good folks behind the Longhorn Ballroom and the Kessler Theater, which is the far more civilized setting for this bash.

Of course, the event is already sold out, giving wannabe clubgoers the familiar experience of getting shut out ofthe best party in town.

Details: 6-11 p.m. May 12 at the Kessler Theater,1230 W. Davis St., Dallas.

Stalling for time FROM THE ARCHIVES In 1985, the now-acclaimed Texas Monthly writer Skip Hollandsworth contributed astory toThe Dallas Morning News about how men's rooms in Dallas were having amoment—avery opulent moment. He noted the upholstered walls ($70 per square yard) inside the gentlemen's lounge atCafe Pacific inHighland Park Village. He praised The Mansion on Turtle Creek's "hand-cast sink fixtures and commodes with comfy seats."Buthewas most gobsmacked by the facilities at the city's hottest dance spot: "The newly opened Starck Club downtown may be the only nightclub in Western civilization that has gotten national attention for its bathrooms. The facilities look like a combination video game, church parlor, hair salon and somebody's idea of a great practical joke. "The mirror-encased lobbies of both themen's andwomen's rooms arecoed. Everybody sits around high-tech couches and talks and smokes cigarettes. Occasionally,someone may get up to actually use the facilities. "There is a television monitor abovethecathedral-likedoor thatleads to the stalls.Likearrival-departure screens at the airport, the monitor tells you which stall is occupied. Each stall is setoff in its own separateroom large enough to startan impromptu game of handball." Hollandsworth spoke with valet attendant Herman Babers, 60, who worked the men's lounge at another showy nightclub, Mistral, inside the then-Loews Anatole Hotel. "I always thought you were supposed to pop inand out of abathroom," Babers told him. "But these men today like to come in and brush their hair and think about things, I guess." Christopher Wynn"The facilities look like a combination videogame, church parlor, hair salon and somebody's idea of a great practical joke."

For One Night Only, the Kessler Theater Turns Into the Starck Club The infamous night club in the West End opened its doors 40 years ago. The Kessler Theater is bringing it back to life, briefly. The scene at the Starck Club during its peak.

New York City had Studio 54, London had the Hippodrome, and Dallas had The Starck Club. The West End venue, named for its Parisian designer Philippe Starck, defined the nightlife scene in Dallas throughout the 80s and reveled in the excesses of the decadent decade, powered by a new and curious drug called ecstasy. DJ Mark Ridlen says there’s more to The Starck Club than meets history’s narrow eye, a cultural touchstone that meant far more than the unchecked libido of the clubgoers. “All they talk about is the drug busts, ‘Who shot J.R.?,’ and the 80s but you’ve never seen a club with such an eclectic lineup over the years whether it was a band, fashion shows, plays, performance art,” Ridlen says. “You name it. They had it.” The Kessler is bringing back The Starck Club for its 40th anniversary reunion by transforming into the venue for five hours on Sunday May 12 into a new version of the influential Dallas nightclub. Kessler Artistic Director Jeff Liles said the event sold quickly: it took less than a week to sell out. It is not dissimilar to the venue’s tribute to the long-gone Video Bar, a room that was influential in the avant-garde scene of the 1980s. “We love paying homage to the venues that made Dallas culture what it was,” Liles says. “It was happening right at the same time as the emergence of the Deep Ellum scene.” Club founder Blake Woodall opened his vision of a hip, technology-filled nightlife spot in 1984 under a Woodall Rodgers overpass near the West End in a converted warehouse space. The first official show for the club’s investors brought Grace Jones and Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks to its stage. They were the first of many celebrities to walk through its doors, early adopters before Rob Lowe and Princess Stephanie of Monaco. Talking Heads’ David Byrne dropped in while in town to film his movie True Stories. Members of the famed Brat Pack who starred in movies like The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink spent evenings there. Prince even hosted an after party at Starck one night that went “well into the morning,” according to David Hynds, who ran the club’s video and art department with his then wife, Suzie Riddle. Word of mouth spread mostly by hairdressers to their clients helped build the club’s reputation as a fashion hot spot for the late-night partier. The Starck Club’s popularity started with some exclusivity but eventually, it wasn’t a place where you had to argue with a bouncer to convince them you were important enough to go past the velvet rope. “Initially, it seemed to have an upper-end feel to it but as time went on, we attracted a much broader range of customers,” Hynds says. “Part of the design and desire was to have a complete mix of all spectrums of people.” The space wasn’t just used for live music, dancing, and the occasional hit of what we now call Molly. The Starck Club was one giant canvas that a got a new coat of paint every evening. “We had these funky theme parties,” Ridlen says. “We would make it look like a grocery store or we would make it look like a rodeo. We’d have these fun themes with appropriate music. We’d always have video exhibits, people showing their art videos. We had events just for that.” ADVERTISEMENT

The club’s first theme party took on the psychedelic. Hynds asked Ridlen if he would create a band that fit its far-out theme. Ridlen’s band was named Lithium X-Mas and the group stayed together long after the club’s closing. “It was only meant to be a one-time deal but a few months down the road, they decided they would carry it forward under that name,” Hynds says. The Starck Club served as a kind of zeitgeist thermometer for its time that reflected changing trends and new sounds. “It was the beginning of the DJ culture in Dallas,” Liles says. The events on the club’s calendar weren’t just concerts. The Starck Club would host fashion shows, plays, and all kinds of performance art. “It was a hotbed of all kinds of just really cool activities under one roof,” Ridlen says. “You would come and see that and then, of course, stick around the music.” No ideas was too off the wall for the Starck Club. Hynds had everyone on the staff pitch ideas for shows, theme nights, and artistic expressions. “One of the things we did was a furniture fashion show,” Hynds says. “It had the basic design of a fashion show instead of clothing, we had people dressed as furniture movers bringing up furniture. Me and Suzie and [Greg Snyodis] from Lithium X-Mas had the idea of doing a band but instead of audio or music, it was visual. Instead of musical instruments, we used visual instruments.” So no recreation of the Starck Club would be complete without a reconstruction of its eclectic style. Camron Ware, the owner and founder of Lightware Labs who provided the visual tech for The Kessler’s recreation of the Video Bar, will work with Hines to turn the Kessler into a visual recreation of the Starck Club. “It’s going to feel like it’s all really immersive when you come in,” Liles says. “There’s going to be a red carpet and everything. We’re really gonna trick out The Kessler that night.” The Kessler turns into the Starck Club for one night only, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on May 12. Tickets are sold out, but keep your eye on this page. 1230 W. Davis St.

[project1939]

Day 82- Film: Million Dollar Mermaid 

Release date: December 4th, 1952. 

Studio:  MGM 

Genre: Musical 

Director: Mervyn LeRoy 

Producer: Arthur Hornblow Jr 

Actors: Esther Williams, Victor Mature, Walter Pidgeon 

Plot Summary: This is a biography of famous swimmer and performer Annette Kellerman, also remembered as the originator of the one-piece bathing suit for women. We follow her and her father as they travel around the world for Annette to race and perform in carnival shows, working her way up to the famous Hippodrome in New York City. 

My Rating (out of five stars): *** ½ 

Like Esther Williams’ other film in 1952, Skirts Ahoy!, this was pretty uneven in terms of quality, but it was always enjoyable. It wasn’t filled with as much silly fun as Skirt’s Ahoy!, but it had several jaw-dropping musical swimming numbers. The biography aspect of this pioneering woman was great as well. If you like Esther Williams, you’ll like this movie, even if it’s not a masterpiece. 

The Good: 

The musical swimming numbers! Everything about them was lavish, gorgeous, and a splendor for the eyes. The costumes, the color, the staging, the framing, etc... I want to go back and rewatch them. They are so unique- where else in Hollywood could you find musicals with swimming and diving? 

The Technicolor. I’m going to run out of adjectives because gorgeous, vivid, luscious, and rich are all words I use over and over. 

Esther Williams. She’s not an amazing actress, but she has such warmth and charisma about her, and she’s so beautiful it makes you weak in the knees. I still love the fact that she has more of an athlete's body than a typical Hollywood bombshell’s. Her shoulders are broader, her waist is thicker, her thighs are bigger and stronger... all of which made me swoon even more. I love her speaking voice as well- it's so soothing. 

Walter Pidgeon as Annette’s father. He was just the kind of father you’d hope for, and Pidgeon had the usual appealing power of his presence as an actor. 

Learning the biography of Annette Kellerman. She seems like a pretty cool boundary pusher in the early 20th century. She got a lot of attention for wearing a one-piece bathing suit, rather than the skirts and pantaloons women of the time wore. There is no way a swimmer could be competitive in swimwear like that! 

The historical aspects, especially with how female athletes were viewed and treated. 

The Bad: 

I didn’t really like Victor Mature or his character. He is portrayed as a total huckster, and I just didn’t find it appealing at all. I hope Kellerman’s husband in real life wasn’t like that. 

I didn’t like the other guy in the love triangle either. He was kind of boring and not very attractive. Why can’t they find some good men for Esther?! She deserves better!  

Sometimes there was too much drama and not enough fun. Williams is not an especially great dramatic actress (no matter how much I love her!), so I prefer her in more light-hearted stuff. I thought she was perfect in Skirts Ahoy!, for example. 

I wish the musical numbers were more spread out. I understand why we didn’t really get musical numbers until Kellerman started performing at the Hippodrome, because it fit with the story, but I wished we could have had one of the numbers earlier. 

I gripe a lot about accents, so I cannot, in all fairness, neglect to mention that Kellerman and her father were Australian, yet she had an American accent, and her father had a Mid-Atlantic accent. I didn’t really mind it, though, because I think it would have been distracting if Williams tried to do an Aussie accent! 

[pancrippi]

Annette Kellerman, all'anagrafe Annette Marie Sarah Kellermann (Sydney, 6 luglio 1887 – Gold Coast, 5 novembre 1975), è stata una nuotatrice e attrice australiana.

Nuotatrice professionista, divenne famosa in tutto il mondo per le sue imprese natatorie eccezionali. Diventò attrice, lavorando anche nel vaudeville e girando numerosi film. Fu una delle prime donne a usare il costume a un pezzo, cosa che, all'epoca, provocò grande scandalo.

Le viene spesso accreditata l'invenzione del nuoto sincronizzato. Lo si deve a un suo spettacolo del 1907 al New York Hippodrome quando, immersa in una piscina di vetro, si esibì in quello che viene considerato il primo balletto acquatico.

[overthinkingbelle]

Michael Ball appreciation post

Theatre Roles:

1984 Godspell (John the Baptist/Judas Iscariot) Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales [14 July 1984 – 25 August 1984]

1985 The Pirates of Penzance (Frederick, the Pirate Apprentice) Manchester Opera House [Summer Season 1985]

Les Misérables (Marius Pontmercy) Barbican Arts Centre, London [8 October 1985 – December 1985], Palace Theatre, London [4 December 1985 – October 1986]

1987 The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny) Her Majesty's Theatre, London [12 October 1987 – 10 October 1988]

1989 Aspects of Love (Alex Dillingham) Prince of Wales Theatre, London [17 April 1989 – January 1990]

1990 Aspects of Love (Alex Dillingham) Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway [8 April 1990 – 29 September 1990]

1995 Les Misérables: The Dream Cast in Concert (Marius Pontmercy) Royal Albert Hall

1996Passion (Georgio Barchetti) Theatre Royal, Plymouth [17 February 1996 – 24 February 1996], Palace Theatre, Manchester [27 February 1996 – 2 March 1996], Theatre Royal, Nottingham [4 March 1996 – 9 March 1996], Queen's Theatre, London [13 March 1996 – 28 September 1996]

2001 Alone Together – One man show (The Performer) Donmar Warehouse, London [17 September 2001 – 29 September 2001]

2002 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Caractacus Potts) London Palladium, London [19 March 2002 – 19 July 2003]

2004 Alone Together – One man show (The Performer) Theatre Royal Haymarket, London [27 September 2004 – 9 October 2004]

2005 The Woman in White (Count Fosco) Palace Theatre, London [10 February 2005 – 30 April 2005]

Patience (Reginald Bunthorne) New York City Opera, New York City [10 September 2005 – 5 October 2005]

The Woman in White (Count Fosco) Marquis Theatre, Broadway [28 October 2005 – 19 February 2006]

2007Kismet (Haji / The Poet) London Coliseum ENO, London [25 June 2007 – 14 July 2007]

Hairspray (Edna Turnblad) Shaftesbury Theatre, London [11 October 2007 – 25 July 2009]

2010 Hairspray – UK Tour (Edna Turnblad) Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff [30 March 2010 – 24 April 2010], Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow [28 April 2010 – 8 May 2010], Mayflower Theatre, Southampton [11 May 2010 – 29 May 2010], Manchester Opera House [13 July 2010 – 31 July 2010], Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin [16 November 2010 – 27 November 2010], Edinburgh Playhouse [14 December 2010 – 9 January 2011], New Wimbledon Theatre, London [15 March 2011 – 26 March 2011], Bristol Hippodrome [12 April 2011 – 30 April 2011]

2011 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Sweeney Todd) Chichester Festival Theatre, West Sussex [24 September 2011 – 5 November 2011], 2012 Adelphi Theatre, London [10 March 2012 – 22 September 2012]

2015 Mack and Mabel (Mack Sennett) Chichester Festival Theatre, West Sussex [13 July 2015 – 5 September 2015]

Mack and Mabel – UK Tour Theatre Royal, Plymouth 1 [October 2015 – 10 October 2015], Manchester Opera House [12 October 2015 – 24 October 2015], Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin [27 October 2015 – 7 November 2015], Edinburgh Playhouse [10 November 2015 – 21 November 2015] Theatre Royal, Nottingham [23 November 2015 – 28 November 2015], Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff [1 December 2015 – 6 December 2015]

2019 Les Misérables – The All-Star Staged Concert(Inspector Javert) Gielgud Theatre, London [10 August 2019 – 30 November 2019], 2020 Sondheim Theatre, London [5 December 2020 – 16 December 2020]

2021 Hairspray (Edna Turnblad) London Coliseum, London [22 June 2021 – 29 September 2021]

Upcoming role: 2023 Aspects of Love (George Dillingham) Lyric Theater [12 May 2023-11 November 2023]

Albums

Michael Ball (1992)

Always (1993)

One Careful Owner (1994)

First Love (1995)

The Musicals (1996)

The Movies (1998)

The Very Best of Michael Ball – In Concert at the Royal Albert Hall (1999)

Christmas (1999 & 2000)

This Time... It's Personal (2000)

Centre Stage (2001)

A Love Story (2003)

Love Changes Everything – The Essential Michael Ball (2004)

Music (2005)

One Voice (2006)

Back to Bacharach (2007)

Past and Present: The Very Best of Michael Ball (2009)

Heroes (2011)

Both Sides Now (2013)

If Everyone Was Listening (2014)

Together with Alfie Boe (2016)

Together Again with Alfie Boe (2017)

Coming Home to You (2019)

Back Together with Alfie Boe (2019)

Together at Christmas with Alfie Boe (2020)

We Are More Than One (2021)

Together in Vegas with Alfie Boe (2022)

Concert Tours:

- 1992: first UK tour

- 1993: UK tour

- 1993: Christmas tour

- 1994: UK tour

- 1996: "Show Me" UK tour (filmed for VHS and DVD - "The Musical & More")

- 1997: UK tour

- 1999: UK tour (filmed: "Live at the Royal Albert Hall")

- 2000: Uk tour (filmed: This time... it's Personal)

- 2001: Christmas tour UK

- 2003: UK tour (filmed: "Live in London")

- 2004: Australia tour

- 2004: Salt Lake City (USA) concerts

- 2005: UK "Music" tour

- 2007: Uk "One Voice" tour (filmed for "One Voice - One Special Night")

- 2009: UK 25th anniversary tour (filmed for "Past and Present")

- 2011: UK tour (filmed for "Heroes")

- 2013: UK tour (filmed for "Both Sides Now")

- 2015: UK tour - If Everyone Was Listening

- 2016: Together tour with Alfie

- 2017: Together shows in NYC and Australia

- 2017: Together Again UK tour (filmed for livestream)

- 2018: Together Again shows in Japan

- 2019: UK tour "Coming Home to You"

- 2020: Back Together UK tour (finished JUST before lockdowns happened - also released on dvd)

- 2021: Ball and Boe Chhristmas tour

TV Shows/Guest appearances/acting roles

1985 Coronation Street (Malcolm Nuttall)

1993–1995 Michael Ball (Presenter)

1998 Ball in the Hall (Presenter)

2004–2005, 2007, 2018This Morning (Guest presenter)

2006–2007, 2009 The National Lottery Draws (Presenter, Wednesday night draws)

2007Soapstar Superstar (Judge, Series 2)

2010 The Michael Ball Show (Presenter 30 episodes)

2010–2011 Lorraine (Guest presenter, 6 episodes)

2013, 2016, 2021?, 2022?—The One Show (Guest presenter ??? episodes)

2013 Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years (Presenter, One-off special)

The Paul O'Grady Show (Stand-in presenter, 1 episode)

2014 That Day We Sang (Tubby (Jimmy))

2016 Josh (Paul)

2016 Ball & Boe: One Night Only (Himself With Alfie Boe)

2017Our Friend Victoria (Presenter & guest)

Ball & Boe Back Together (Himself With Alfie Boe)

2021 Michael Ball's Wonderful Wales (Presenter, Four-part series)

Radio

Regular Shows

2008-2011 Sunday Brunch with Michael Ball

2013-2016 Sunday Night with Michael Ball

2016-present Michael Ball Show

*???-2016 Stand-in presenter for Ken Bruce

Specials

Ball Over Broadway

The Greenroom

The Look of Love (Burt Bacharach special) 2004

Books

The Empire (October 2022)

The Empire Part 2 (*October 2023)

Different Aspects (October 2023)

Source: Wikipedia, @thefleetstreetvicomte for Concerts section

[apexart-journal]

Jevijoe in Tbilisi, Day 12

Pottery class today! I was really excited about the class since I already had something in mind for what to do. I wanted to create a Georgian ancient jar called Qvevri used for wine making. It has a unique egg shape but is pointy at the bottom. I met the instructor, Anna who was very patient with me. Our session was cut short since I needed to meet Anano at 2 p.m. I asked Anna if we could set up another session to finish my pottery and she agreed.

I went to the Hippodrome of Tbilisi, which used to be a large oval stadium for horses during the Soviet era and is now being rebranded as the Central Park of Tbilisi. I was confused at first about the definition of "central park" since it is not located in the central part of Tbilisi, where I am currently staying (near the residential palace of the President of Georgia). The term "central park" was derived from New York's Central Park, which is associated with high buildings, high cost of living, and luxury. The disused Hippodrome from the past years has been recreational for different types of people with various interests, such as dog walking, jogging, and playing cricket, but now it is facing urban transformation. I met local Elene, who has been there since childhood and has witnessed the rapid change and gentrification. We had a conversation about gentrification and how it affects her family and the local community, which is similar to what we are experiencing in New York and has become so normalized. Elene shared her thoughts about their current challenges with the so-called development.

Then I walked around the neighborhood, near Tbilisi Sports Palace and the National Library. After the fall of the Soviet Union and Georgia's independence, followed by civil war and political conflicts, some government building projects were abandoned, leaving the city without a master plan.

I'm ending my day with a check-in meeting with Nia. It's been a long walk today. I was planning to have one beer downstairs at a nearby nightclub, but I decided to call it a night.

In the middle of the night, I could not sleep and was staring at a 100 Georgian Lira and intrigued about the person on the bill; it was the portrait of Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, known for the epic poem "The Knight in the Panther's Skin."  I did some research online and felt captivated by the story of love, friendship, and equality.

[fearsmagazine]

WITCHES!? IN SALEM?! by Puffs author Matt Cox premieres March 16-30at HERE in New York City

Matt Cox, writer of the long-running Off-Broadway hit wizard comedy "Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic", is back with another play also involving witchcraft. WITCHES!? IN SALEM?! performs at HERE Arts Center beginning March 16th, 2024.

Welcome to Salem Village, 1692. A bad year to visit. Here, wealthy landowners want your land, local magistrates want your confession, unpopular reverends want your respect but more importantly your firewood, and everyone wants someone to be punished for something. Meanwhile, several local children try to make sense of a hysteria they find themselves at the center of. Oh! And the newest villagers, the Bloodkravens are here too. They are confused about it all.

WITCHES!? IN SALEM?! is darkly comedic, yet (mostly) historically accurate take on the Salem Witch Trials and all the (mostly) historically accurate horrors which may occur when populism runs rampant, injustice is a day to day occurrence, and a rigid religious minority sets the laws of the land. You know, old timey problems. A companion, or an alternative, to a certain other Salem play you probably read in high school.

“WITCHES!? IN SALEM?! is the most exciting kind of comedy: sharp, hilarious, and appallingly timely.” Says director Rachel Dart. “I could not be more delighted to work with this phenomenal cast and creative team on what is probably the funniest play there is about the brutal consequences of religious fanaticism!”

WITCHES!? IN SALEM?! stars Jessie Cannizarro (Puffs), Nick Carrillo (Puffs) , AJ Ditty (Puffs, Paddington Gets in a Jam!), Carolina Đỗ (Linda Vista, Grand Horizon), Aaron Parker Fouhey (Night of the Living N-Word!!! at Fringe NYC, The Christmas Tree Farm at Mile Square Theatre), James Fouhey (Puffs), Jake Keefe (Jesus Christ Tater Tot, Puffs), Andy Miller (Puffs, The Mysteries at The Flea), Jessica Mosher (Murder on the Links, “Mr. Robot”) and Jordan Sison (The Wolves at Hippodrome Theatre). Scenic, Costume and Puppet design is provided by K.C. McGeorge and Noah Ruff. Original Score by Brian Metolius. Stage Managed by Vanessa Rebeil.

WITCHES!? IN SALEM?! will be presented at 8:30pm on Sat 3/16, Tues 3/19, Fri 3/22, Sat 3/23, Tues 3/26, Thurs 3/28, Fri 3/29 and Sat 3/30 with 4:00 pm matinees on Sun 3/17 and Sat 3/23 at HERE (145 Sixth Ave, New York, NY 10013.). Tickets are available at www.witchesinsalem.com.

Matt Cox (Puffs; or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic, The Kapow-i GoGo Sagas, Guy Choiceman Decides To Save America: The Chooseical: Where YOU Do The Chooses) is a playwright, actor, improviser, sound designer, and former comic book retail associate based in New York City.

[nycreligion]

April 19, 1876 The last day of evangelist Dwight L. Moody’s “The Great Campaign" in NYC

Dwight Moody prepared for his globally influential evangelism meetings in Manhattan in 1876 by first opening the year before at the Clermont Rink in Brooklyn. Source: New York Public Library Photo Collection. April 19, 1876 The last day of evangelist Dwight L. Moody’s “The Great Campaign “ in New York City at Gilmore’s Concert Garden (previously Barnum’s Hippodrome). Overflow crowds of tens of…

[the1920sinpictures]

May 5, 1925Texas Guinan brings her speakeasy show to the Hippodrome, featuring Ruby Keeler, Peggy Shannon et al. This article gives a nice glimpse into what you’d see at a Vaudeville show in Manhattan in 1925. From Women’s Wear, New York.

[thechowk]

Vandamm theatrical photographs, 1900-1957 - NYPL Digital Collections

On the World Theatre Day, explore some elaborate sets from 20th Century New York theatres.

On the World Theatre Day, explore some elaborate sets from 20th Century New York theatres. “Porgy and Bess” in 1935 Noël Coward’s “Present Laughter,” Plymouth Theatre 1947. “Point Valaine,” 1935 at the Barrymore Theatre Scene from “Wonderful Town”, Winter Garden Theatre, 1953 “Jumbo”, Hippodrome Theatre, 1936. See more pictures from the archive here.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 1.13

27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years. 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople, as a result of discontent with the rule of the Emperor Justinian I. 1435 – Sicut Dudum, forbidding the enslavement of the Guanche natives in Canary Islands by the Spanish, is promulgated by Pope Eugene IV. 1547 – Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is sentenced to death for treason, on the grounds of having quartered his arms to make them similar to those of the King, Henry VIII of England. 1793 – Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville, representative of Revolutionary France, is lynched by a mob in Rome. 1797 – French Revolutionary Wars: A naval battle between a French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany ends with the French vessel running aground, resulting in over 900 deaths. 1815 – War of 1812: British troops capture Fort Peter in St. Marys, Georgia, the only battle of the war to take place in the state. 1822 – The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus. 1833 – United States President Andrew Jackson writes to Vice President elect Martin Van Buren expressing his opposition to South Carolina's defiance of federal authority in the Nullification Crisis. 1840 – The steamship Lexington burns and sinks four miles off the coast of Long Island with the loss of 139 lives. 1842 – Dr. William Brydon, an assistant surgeon in the British East India Company Army during the First Anglo-Afghan War, becomes famous for being the sole survivor of an army of 4,500 men and 12,000 camp followers when he reaches the safety of a garrison in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. 1847 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends the Mexican–American War in California. 1849 – Establishment of the Colony of Vancouver Island. 1849 – Second Anglo-Sikh War: Battle of Chillianwala: British forces retreat from the Sikhs. 1888 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C. 1893 – The Independent Labour Party of the United Kingdom holds its first meeting. 1893 – U.S. Marines land in Honolulu, Hawaii from the USS Boston to prevent the queen from abrogating the Bayonet Constitution. 1895 – First Italo-Ethiopian War: The war's opening battle, the Battle of Coatit, occurs; it is an Italian victory. 1898 – Émile Zola's J'accuse…! exposes the Dreyfus affair. 1900 – To combat Czech nationalism, Emperor Franz Joseph decrees German will be language of the Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces. 1908 – The Rhoads Opera House fire in Boyertown, Pennsylvania kills 171 people. 1910 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; a live performance of the operas Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci is sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. 1915 – The 6.7 Mw  Avezzano earthquake shakes the Province of L'Aquila in Italy with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing between 29,978 and 32,610. 1920 – The Reichstag Bloodbath of January 13, 1920, the bloodiest demonstration in German history. 1935 – A plebiscite in Saarland shows that 90.3% of those voting wish to join Nazi Germany. 1939 – The Black Friday bushfires burn 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) of land in Australia, claiming the lives of 71 people. 1942 – Henry Ford patents a soybean car, which is 30% lighter than a regular car. 1942 – World War II: First use of an aircraft ejection seat by a German test pilot in a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter. 1950 – British submarine HMS Truculent collides with an oil tanker in the Thames Estuary, killing 64 men. 1950 – Finland forms diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. 1951 – First Indochina War: The Battle of Vĩnh Yên begins. 1953 – An article appears in Pravda accusing some of the most prestigious and prominent doctors, mostly Jews, in the Soviet Union of taking part in a vast plot to poison members of the top Soviet political and military leadership. 1958 – The Moroccan Army of Liberation ambushes a Spanish patrol in the Battle of Edchera. 1963 – Coup d'état in Togo results in the assassination of president Sylvanus Olympio. 1964 – Anti-Muslim riots break out in Calcutta, in response to anti-Hindu riots in East Pakistan. About one hundred people are killed. 1964 – In Manchester, New Hampshire, fourteen-year-old Pamela Mason is murdered. Edward Coolidge is tried and convicted of the crime, but the conviction is set aside by the landmark Fourth Amendment case Coolidge v. New Hampshire (1971). 1966 – Robert C. Weaver becomes the first African American Cabinet member when he is appointed United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 1968 – Johnny Cash performs live at Folsom State Prison. 1972 – Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia and President Edward Akufo-Addo of Ghana are ousted in a bloodless military coup by Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. 1977 – Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1045, a Douglas DC-8 jet, crashes onto the runway during takeoff from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, killing five. 1978 – United States Food and Drug Administration requires all blood donations to be labeled "paid" or "volunteer" donors. 1982 – Shortly after takeoff, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737 jet, crashes into Washington, D.C.'s 14th Street Bridge and falls into the Potomac River, killing 78 including four motorists. 1985 – A passenger train plunges into a ravine in Ethiopia, killing 428 in the worst railroad disaster in Africa. 1986 – A month-long violent struggle begins in Aden, South Yemen between supporters of Ali Nasir Muhammad and Abdul Fattah Ismail, resulting in thousands of casualties. 1988 – Lee Teng-hui becomes the first native Taiwanese President of the Republic of China. 1990 – Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office as Governor of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. 1991 – Soviet Union troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, killing 14 people and wounding around 1,000 others. 1993 – Space Shuttle program: Endeavour heads for space for the third time as STS-54 launches from the Kennedy Space Center. 1993 – The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is signed. 1993 – Operation Southern Watch: U.S.A.F., U.S.N., R.A.F. and French Air Force jets attack AAA and SAM sites in Southern Iraq. 1998 – Alfredo Ormando sets himself on fire in St. Peter's Square, protesting against homophobia. 2001 – An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800. 2012 – The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain Francesco Schettino's negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths. 2018 – A false emergency alert warning of an impending missile strike in Hawaii causes widespread panic in the state. 2020 – The Thai Ministry of Public Health confirms the first case of COVID-19 outside China. 2021 – Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump is impeached for a second time on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the January 6 United States Capitol attack one week prior.