53rd Utah Shakespeare Festival

Adams Theater
Adams Theater

Scholars and lovers of Shakespeare will be traveling this summer from England to America to study why Shakespeare is so popular here, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival is on their list of places to visit.

A team from the University of Warwick and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which is based in Shakespeare’s home town of Stratford-upon-Avon, will visit the Festival as part of a 60-day road trip visiting 14 Shakespeare-related theatre festivals across America. The team will fly to Kansas City on July 4 and hit the road from there, building up a picture of how Shakespeare is being performed and celebrated across the United States during the 450th birthday of Shakespeare in 2014.

Each festival with be given a commemorative plaque to mark the visit, and the project team will give  presentations about their work and the work of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the charity that cares for the five Shakespeare family homes in Stratford-upon-Avon and promotes the appreciation of Shakespeare worldwide. The festivals will be invited to deposit material in the trust’s archives to create a permanent record of their activities. Regular updates on the visit will be blogged during the 60-day road trip. Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s head of research and knowledge, and Dr. Paul Prescott, associate professor at the University of Warwick, will also compile a book about their experiences.

Edmondson said, “For centuries America has topped the list of nations flocking to visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. Americans were the first to sign our oldest surviving visitors’ book at Shakespeare’s Birthplace back in 1812, and now we welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors from the USA every year. Shakespeare on the Road is a reverse pilgrimage, to record and salute the troupes and groups who keep Shakespeare’s genius burning brightly across America.”

Prescott added, “The amount of Shakespearean theatre-making in America dwarfs that of any other country, the UK included. Every summer, from sea to shining sea – and at all points in between – from spit-and-sawdust performances in local parks to slick professional productions in reconstructed Elizabethan playhouses, the Bard busts out all over the USA. This trip will take the pulse of Shakespeare in America over the course of one remarkable summer in 2014 and is a perfect way of celebrating his enduring popularity and the 450th anniversary of his birth.”

“The Utah Shakespeare Festival is excited to be a part of this amazing study being undertaken by the University of Warwick and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust,” said Festival Executive Director R. Scott Phillips. “We are anxious for them to meet our guests and artists to discover what makes the Festival so unique. We have such a loyal and discerning audience base which recognizes that language and story-telling is at the heart of everything we do. Chronicling the love affair that America has with Master William Shakespeare is astounding and to have it being done by our friends from the UK is even more astonishing.”

Tickets are on sale for the Festival’s 53rd season, which will run through October 18, 2014. The eight-play season includes Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, The Comedy of Errors, Henry IV Part One, and Twelfth Night.  The season will also include the world premiere adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility written by Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, Steven Dietz’s adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, and Boeing Boeing by Marc Camoletti. For more information and tickets visit www.bard.org or call 1-800-PLAYTIX.

 

THIS AND THAT QUICKLY:

Jeff Altman
Jeff Altman

Fresh from an appearance on the David Letterman late night talk fest, Jeff Altman, is slowly making his way towards the Las Vegas Strip and the Tropicana Hotel/Resort. Yes, gang, Altman will be appearing in the Laugh Factory the week of July 21-27, along with his co-star, Harry Basil.

I just felt like giving you a little advance notice, so you can be sure to get your tickets before they sell out.  Altman is an American stand-up comedian and actor, who has appeared as a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, most recently on June 19, 2014. On this episode of Letterman’s show Jeff played a card trick where, after Letterman displayed much doubt in the authenticity of the trick, he isolated and found the card that Dave picked and signed. Jeff has also had numerous acting roles in movies and television such as Dr. Gene Splicer in Tiny Toon Adventure, professor Dweeb in Slimer, and The Real Ghostbusters, and is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Hughie Hogg, the nephew of Jefferson Davis Hogg, on the popular television series, The Dukes of Hazzard. Show times are 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. with tickets priced at $34.95 and $44.95 plus fees. For further information call 702-829-9084.

 

The Riviera Hotel & Casino has announced new catering packages for the spacious and unique “Top of the Riv” ballroom, located on the top floor of the Monaco Tower. With more than 10,000 square feet of ballroom space in a one-of-a-kind venue, the “Top of the Riv” offers guests panoramic, unmatched views of the Las Vegas valley and is perfect for weddings, receptions, and more. With catering packages beginning at $25 per person, the Riviera Hotel & Casino catering staff can deliver themed food stations, specialty décor, decorations, entertainment, DJ services and even complete stage sound and lighting. Dedicated chefs and experienced catering managers can help plan special menus and deliver events that are simple, elegant, audacious or extravagant. Located a mere 10 minutes from on the north side of the Las Vegas Strip and adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, Riviera Hotel & Casino offers a premiere location and a full-service conference facility. To book the “Top of the Riv” or for additional information and full catering menus, please contact [email protected] or call (702) 794-9219. For more information on Riviera Hotel & Casino, please visit www.RivieraHotel.com.

 

Fans of the American muscle car have seen a new version of the Dodge Challenger roaming the streets of the Las Vegas Valley, thanks to Towbin Dodge and its recent debut of the Saleen Challenger. The new Dodge Challenger Saleen 570 gets its name from the 5.7-liter V8 engines possessed by each model, and Towbin Dodge is the only dealership in Nevada to carry the popular muscle car. The Saleen 570 Challenger is offered in three compelling coupe models: the 570 White Label model features a 400 horsepower V8 engine; while the more powerful Yellow Label and Black Label models contain supercharged V8 engines under the hood, which boasts more than 570 horsepower.

 

Saleen Challenger
Saleen Challenger

Already a hot commodity in the automotive marketplace, Steve Saleen and SMS Supercars have spiced up the Dodge Challenger with additional, top-of-the-line features and upgrades.  The most vital component added is the SMS 296 Supercharger System, including a Lysholm twin-screw compressor, along with SMS’s six-pack intercooler system.  This new intercooler system features six finned tubes that make the system up to 60 percent more efficient than traditional intercoolers, which translates into an incredibly smooth ride. To experience a test drive of this special vehicle, visit the Towbin Dodge dealership. “My sons and I have been fans of the Saleen for many years, with one of our all-time favorites being the Saleen S7 Supercar,” said Towbin Automotive co-owner, Josh “Chop” Towbin. “We are so excited to represent Saleen for Nevada and to be selling these unique, fun and powerful cars.”

 

Sue and Paul Lowden
Sue and Paul Lowden

Thanks to my friend, Claire Voyant, I have borrowed the following information: The social event of the season will take place at the Italian American Club, 2333 E. Sahara, on Sunday, July 20th, when the non-club club F.I.O.R.E. (Fun Italians Organizing Ridiculous Events) celebrates their 10th Anniversary with a NIGHTIME party. The get-together will take place beginning at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5). The evening will include a delicious buffet dinner, prize drawings (including cash), and live (mostly) entertainment featuring Gary Anderson & The F.I.O.R.E. Anniversary Orchestra. Cost is $25 per person, with all widows of past-presidents as guests of F.I.O.R.E. (new boyfriends are on their own). Dress to impress. Hot summer elegance if you will. RSVPs are mandatory. Contact [email protected]. Before you commit to a F.I.O.R.E. event, it is suggested you visit the About Us page at www.nonclubclubfiore.com. The F.I.O.R.E. is not for everyone. Happy 10th Anniversary, F.I.O.R.E.!!! You don’t look a day over nine! Next month, at a daytime luncheon meeting at the Italian American Club, the special F.I.O.R.E. guests will be Sue and Paul Lowden. We will have more details in an upcoming column.

 

Well, gang, that’s about it for this week.

I’m outa here!

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