Douglas Parker
Douglas M. Parker (born May 25 1963) is a playwright known for biographical and reality-based plays. His works include ''BESSIE: The Life and Music of Bessie Smith'' (2005); ''Life on the Mississippi'' (2006); ''Declarations'' (2007); ''Life on the Mississippi'', a musical based on his play (2008); ''Thicker Than Water'' (2009); and "The Private History of a Campaign That Failed" (2011). Working as a librettist and lyricist, Parker adapted his play ''Life on the Mississippi'' into a musical with composer Denver Casado. In October 2008, ''Life on the Mississippi'' was named by the National Alliance for Musical Theater as one of their Five Shows You Should Know. In January 2009, Goodspeed Opera House presented the musical as one of three shows in their Festival of New Artists. In January 2010, a shorter version of ''Life on the Mississippi'' for younger audiences premiered at the Coterie Theater in Kansas City. In June 2010, the full-length version premiered with a ten-week run at ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1892 – September 26, 1937) was an African-American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Empress of the Blues" and formerly Queen of the Blues, she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, she is often regarded as one of the greatest singers of her era and was a major influence on fellow blues singers, as well as jazz vocalists. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Smith was young when her parents died, and she and her six siblings survived by performing on street corners. She began touring and performed in a group that included Ma Rainey, and then went out on her own. Her successful recording career with Columbia Records began in 1923, but her performing career was cut short by a car crash that killed her at the age of 45. Biography Early life The 1900 census indicates that her family reported that Bessie Smith was bor ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Libretto
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as the Mass (liturgy), Mass, requiem and sacred cantata, or the story line of a ballet. The Italian language, Italian word (, ) is the diminutive of the word ''wiktionary:libro#Italian, libro'' ("book"). Sometimes other-language cognates, equivalents are used for libretti in that language, ''livret'' for French works, ''Textbuch'' for German and ''libreto'' for Spanish. A libretto is distinct from a synopsis or scenario of the plot, in that the libretto contains all the words and stage directions, while a synopsis summarizes the plot. Some ballet historians also use the word ''libretto'' to refer to the 15- to 40-page books which were on sale to 19th century ballet audiences in Paris and contained ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the southwest, and Arkansas to the northwest. Mississippi's western boundary is largely defined by the Mississippi River, or its historical course. Mississippi is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 32nd largest by area and List of U.S. states by population, 35th-most populous of the 50 U.S. states and has the lowest per-capita income. Jackson, Mississippi, Jackson is both the state's List of capitals in the United States, capital and largest city. Jackson metropolitan area, Mississippi, Greater Jackson is the state's most populous Metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan area, with a population of 591,978 2020 United States census, in 2020. Other major cities include Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport, Southaven, Mississippi, South ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Goodspeed Opera House
Goodspeed Musicals is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theater and the creation of new works, located in East Haddam, Connecticut. Its landmark Goodspeed Opera House is a distinctive feature of the view from the Connecticut River and is the birthplace of some of the world's most famous musicals, including '' Annie'', '' Man of La Mancha'', and '' Shenandoah''. Goodspeed Musicals also includes the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester as well as several writing and performing seminars. Goodspeed Musicals is considered one of the foremost regional theaters in the United States to date producing 250 musicals, over 70 world premieres, and sending 21 productions to Broadway. Goodspeed Musicals is the first regional theatre in America to earn two special Tony Awards, one in 1980 for outstanding contributions to the American musical and a second in 1995 for distinguished achievement for a regional theatre. Goodspeed Opera House The Ope ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Northern Sky Theater
Northern Sky Theater (formerly known as American Folklore Theatre or AFT) is a professional theater company that creates, develops and produces musicals based on the populist culture and heritage of the United States. Located in Door County, Wisconsin, the company began in 1970 as The Heritage Ensemble, performing on the stage of the 700-seat outdoor theater in Peninsula State Park. In 1990, American Folklore Theatre was co-founded by Fred Alley, Frederick Heide and Gerald Pelrine. In 2015, the company changed its name to Northern Sky Theater. Northern Sky's productions This list of past productions includes musicals such as ''Loose Lips Sink Ships'' and ''Belgians in Heaven'', concerts, and anthology productions such as ''Tales of the Midnight Sun''. Productions and year of premier are as follows: Musicals *''Mule for Breakfast Again'' (1990) *''Tongue 'n Cheek'' (1991) *''Fishing for the Moon'' (1992) book and lyrics by Fred Alley, with music by James Kaplan *''Northern Light ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. With a population of about 6 million and an area of about 65,500 square miles, Wisconsin is the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 20th-largest state by population and the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 23rd-largest by area. It has List of counties in Wisconsin, 72 counties. Its List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, most populous city is Milwaukee; its List of capitals in the United States, capital and second-most populous city is Madison, Wisconsin, Madison. Other urban areas include Green Bay, Wisconsin, Green Bay, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kenosha, Racine, Wisconsin, Racine, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and the Fox Cities. Geography of Wiscon ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Barter Theatre
Barter Theatre, in Abingdon, Virginia, opened on June 10, 1933. It is the longest-running professional Equity theatre in the United States. History Concept In 1933, when the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression, many people could not afford to pay for theater tickets, and many actors had trouble finding employment. A review by Paul Dellinger in the December 17, 2006 issue of ''The Roanoke Times'' summarized the situation as follows: But Broadway was not doing so much swinging during the Depression, when theaters went dark and actors found themselves out of work. Back in Porterfield's part of Virginia, farmers were stuck with crops they couldn't sell. That was when Porterfield came up with his genius of an idea, bringing actors to Abingdon to barter their performances for farm goods. Beginning with "some twenty of his fellow actors", Robert Porterfield, founder of the theatre, offered admission by letting the local people pay with food goods, hence the n ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
2014 Pulitzer Prize
The 2014 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded by the Pulitzer Prize Board for work during the 2013 calendar year. The deadline for entries was January 25, 2014. Prize winners and nominated finalists were announced on April 14, 2014. ''The Washington Post'' and '' The Guardian US'' shared the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, often considered the top prize for journalism. The two papers were honored for their coverage of the disclosures about surveillance done by the US National Security Agency. Edward Snowden, who leaked security documents to the two newspapers, said the award was "vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government." Other journalism honored included the ''Boston Globe''s coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings, Chris Hamby for investigative reporting, and Eli Saslow for explanatory reporting. '' The Goldfinch'' by Donna Tartt won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The judges described the novel, which took Tartt 11 years to write, as " ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue (also known as monolog in North American English) (in , from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media (plays, films, etc.), as well as in non-dramatic media such as poetry. Monologues share much in common with several other literary devices including soliloquies, apostrophes, and asides. There are, however, distinctions between each of these devices. Similar literary devices Monologues are similar to poems, epiphanies, and others, in that, they involve one 'voice' speaking but there are differences between them. For example, a soliloquy involves a character relating their thoughts and feelings to themself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters. A monologue is the though ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
National Endowment For The Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government by an act of the Congress of the United States, U.S. Congress, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 29, 1965 (20 U.S.C. 951). It is a sub-agency of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, along with the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The NEA has its offices in Washington, D.C. It was awarded Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, as well as the Special Tony Award in 2016. In 1985, the NEA won an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its work with the American Film Institute in the identification, acquisition, restoration and preservation of histo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop
The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop is a two-year educational program for people who wish to develop a musical and has been called "the premier incubator for Broadway". At the end of the second year, a small number of selected participants are invited to join the advanced workshop program for further study and collaboration on works in development. The workshop was created in 1961 by BMI and Lehman Engel and is free for participants. Among the musicals developed or partly developed in the workshop are '' Avenue Q'', ''A Chorus Line'' and ''Little Shop of Horrors''. The workshop grants Jerry Harrington Awards for Creative Excellence to four participants each year. In 2006, Drama Desk awarded the BMI Workshop a Special Award "for nurturing, developing and promoting new talent for the musical theater." The same year, the workshop was one of the recipients of the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre. ''The New York Times'' called the BMI Workshop "The Harvard of Showtunes" ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadcasters, and digital streaming services (music stores). ASCAP collects licensing fees from users of music created by ASCAP members, then distributes them back to its members as royalties. In effect, the arrangement is the product of a compromise: when a song is played, the user does not have to pay the copyright holder directly, nor does the music creator have to bill a radio station for use of a song. In 2024, ASCAP collected approximately 1.84 billion in revenue, distributed approximately 1.7 billion in royalties to rightsholders, and maintained a registry of approximately 20 million works. The organization had approximately 1 million members as of 2024. ASCAP has drawn negative attention for attempting to enforce licensing fees when so ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |