Silence of the Clams

Uptown Players continues its 2012 season with the Southwest premiere of the hysterical parody, Silence of the Clams, written by Jamie Morris, the creator of past Uptown smash hits, The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode and Mommie Queerest.

Silence of the Clams, featuring an all-male cast of three, is a parody of the1990 Oscar-winning Jodie Foster/Anthony Hopkins thriller, Silence of the Lambs. Butch FBI agent Clarice Startling is assigned to help find Nancy Pelosi's missing daughter and save her from "Beaver Bob," a serial killer who skins his victims "down there." Clarice attempts to gain better insight into the mind of the killer by interviewing Dr. Hannibal Lichter, a convicted psychopath who "eats" his female victims before he kills them. The twisted relationship forces Clarice not only to confront her own psychological demons, but leads her face-to-face with a demented killer, so evil that even she may not have the courage - or strength - to stop him!

The cast of three men (Mathew Butler, Austin Tindle, and Mikey Abrams) play 15 characters in 22 fast-paced scenes in the span of 90 minutes. The production is under the direction of Linda Leonard and is rated R for adult language, humor and situations.

Silence of the Clams runs April 27 – May 20, 2012, with performances Thursday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m. There is no performance on May 19, but an additional performance has been added at 7: 30 p.m. on May 20 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place at the Rose Room Theatre, located inside the S4 Nightclub at 3911 Cedar Springs Rd, Dallas TX 75219. Tickets are $20-$25 and can be purchased online at http://www.uptownplayers.org/ or by phone at 214-219-2718. All patrons must be 21 years of age or older and have proof of age with them.

About this Production:
Silence of the Clams
by Jamie Morris
April 27 – May 20, 2012
Content Advisory: Adult Language, Adult Humor and Adult Situations - Ages 21 and up
Directed by Linda Leonard
April 27, 28, May 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 @ 8 p.m.
May 20 @ 7: 30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$25

Box Office Info:
Online: http://www.uptownplayers.org/
Phone: 214-219-2718

About Uptown Players:

Now in its eleventh season, Uptown Players has gathered a dedicated following with an annual audience base of over 15,000 patrons, including over 900 season subscribers. The response from the community and critics has been remarkable, including over 25 Leon Rabin Awards from the Dallas Theatre League, several hundred “The Column” Awards and 17 Theatre Critics Forum Awards in its first ten seasons. In recent years, Uptown Players has also been named the best theatre company by the Dallas Voice Readers Awards, and the Dallas Observer, and has appeared on the WFAA-A list and Best of Big D – D Magazine. Uptown Players has been featured on Good Morning Texas and Daybreak on WFAA. Uptown Players is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, presenting plays and musicals that challenge audiences artistically, build cultural bridges, and strive to create greater positive public awareness and acceptance through the performing arts. There is no other theater group with this unique mission in the Dallas area.

Horrible Humana Healthcare experience

I just joined Humana and had to switch to their drug by mail fulfillment.

RightSourceRX is impossible.

My first contact was with a rude, untrained employee (even his supervisor agreed when I finally held forever and got to talk to a reasonable person)

I have wasted hours, spent over 100 minutes on the phone to them, and had to drive to Walgreens to get the most urgent one because it could have been 21 more days before I received it by mail.

I am curious if anyone else has been as frustrated with RightSourceRX as I am

April 24

Spent about an hour trying to get status of my order. The man who answered phone insisted I had not signed up for RightSource RX online. He was rude and very unhelpful. He was also WRONG. I had signed up. When I insisted on talking to a supervisor, he was reluctant to get one. He kept coming back on line while I was holding to ask why I had to speak to a supervisor.

When I finally reached the supervisor, he apologized and said the first person was not an internet person. Why didn’t first person tell me that? Why did I have to wait so long and repeat my problem because I reached an untrained person?

They said it could take another two weeks AFTER it was processed. I was very frustrated and it took nearly an hour.

I had to call my doc to get a local pharmacy to fill Accupril.

April 25

I had to check with pharmacy. They had rx. I had to drive over, wait in line, and pay a higher price. But the story gets WORSE .

April 26,2012

I GET an email (first thing that was done correctly) that my order from RightSourceRX was on hold. They already had it for over a week and I have spoken with them. I call RightSourceRX again.

Alex at 12:15

Got a note that my order was on hold. Called rightsource RX. They said they had to talk to doctor. She said they needed instructions on two of the drugs. They could not send the other 7 until they talked to doctor. This is very annoying. I did not get accupril in time so doctor had to call in RX to a pharmacy and I had to go pick it up

I asked if they could ship the ones that were correct. She said she would have to get special permission from their doctor line. I held while she checked. She said she could not call me back or email me. I had to hold. She checked with “doctor line” and they said they had gotten my doctors instructions so they could finally process the order (which they had for 8 days)

Yulanda until 12:46

I asked for a supervisor. Yulanda was polite and tried to help. She just had no authority to do so. Again I had to hold while she checked with some other panel of drug gods. The FINALLY got them to make my order a priority. She said it would get there in about 5 days. Still too long a wait—and this took me three hours, there were 4 phone calls to my doctor and I wasted 100 phone minutes.

Alex suggested I wrote to their Grievance address. I wondered how long it would take them to open my letter. How long it would take them to read it. And then if they would even do anything about it.

Please post if you have had similar problems

.Right SourceRX

Humana inc.

Attention grievence and appeals

p.o. box 14546

Lexington, ky 40512

Thanks for listening to this rant. No one at RightsourceRX did.

RAIN A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATTLES

DIRECT FROM BROADWAY!

RETURNS TO
THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK
APRIL 24-29, 2012

The next best thing to seeing the Beattles

Direct from their phenomenally successful Broadway engagement, the internationally-acclaimed Beatles concert, RAIN – A Tribute To The Beatles, returns to the Music Hall at Fair Park April 24-29, 2012, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals.

As “the next best thing to seeing The Beatles!” (Associated Press), RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience.

Together longer than The Beatles, RAIN has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome, delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance that’s as infectious as it is transporting. From the early hits to later classics (I Want To Hold Your Hand, Hard Day’s Night, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Let It Be, Come Together, Hey Jude and more), this adoring tribute will take you back to a time when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends!

“The audience is enraptured. They get a chance to sing along, twist and shout!”
–The New York Times

“Just turn off your mind, relax and float downstream for a quick fix of nostalgic cheer!”
- Entertainment Weekly

“A fun-filled family crowd-pleaser!”

“ A two-hour homage to pop music’s most brilliant gem.” – Los Angeles Times

“On their feet, with arms raised high above their heads, all in the audience were swaying
and singing along in blissed-out, nostalgia-powered unison!
-- Chicago Sun-Times

“The enraptured audience relives the soundtrack of its life!”
-- Chicago Tribune

“RAIN creates musical nirvana…makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up! A
thrilling bit of time-warping nostalgia...Boomer Heaven!”
--Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Uncanny! RAIN are a quartet of fine musicians in their own right…as The Beatles, they
triumph!”
-- The Boston Herald

“An adoring Valentine to The Beatles!”

“RAIN is a spectacular extravaganza…did the audience love it? Yeah, yeah, yeah!”
-- The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Parents (and grandparents) and kids were on their feet bopping like crazy!”
-- The Courier Post

Like The Beatles, the onstage members of RAIN are not only supreme musicians, but
electrifying performers in their own right; visit www.raintribute.com. Become a fan of
RAIN on Facebook and follow RAIN on Twitter @raintribute.

Single tickets are priced from $15-$75, and are on sale now at The Box Office, 5959
Royal Lane, #542 in the Preston/Royal Shopping Center. Mini-packs of three or more
shows are also still available for purchase at The Box Office. Tickets are also available
by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For
groups of 15 or more, please call 214-426-GROUP.

RAIN A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES will run April 24-29, 2012 at the Music Hall at
Fair Park, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals. Performances are Tuesday through
Sunday at 8 p.m. with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Dallas Summer Musicals mini-packs of three or more shows are on sale now at The
Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, #542 in Dallas. DSM 2012 season shows continue
with MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL (May 15-27); MAMMA MIA! (May 29-June 3); PETER
PAN, STARRING CATHY RIGBY, (July 10-22); and THE ADDAMS FAMILY, A NEW
MUSICAL COMEDY, October 2-21, 2012.

For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals and the 2012 season, please
visit www.dallassummermusicals.org.

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders shoot new calendar and model swimsuits in Riveria Maya

Located along the Eastern Caribbean coastline in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts, alongside the Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office, has announced a strategic partnership with the, Dallas Cowboys Football Club. The year-long partnership is comprised of a number of marketing and promotional activities, and will be kicked off with an on-site shoot for the 2013 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Calendar at the upscale IBEROSTAR Paraíso Maya in Riviera Maya, Mexico. As key components of the integrated marketing program, guests of all ages at the resort will be able to interact directly with the cheerleaders with events designed to further enhance memorable vacation experiences. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will pose for their 2013 Calendar throughout Riviera Maya’s scenic hot spots - with transportation provided by Lomas Travel - as well as in locations at IBEROSTAR Paraíso Maya’s lush grounds and elegantly-appointed facilities from April 18 – April 25, 2012. With a plethora of gastronomic, nightlife and social hot spots, Riviera Maya will serve as an ideal location for the events taking place during this week. As part of the celebration, the resort’s guests - and fans of the Dallas Cowboys - will have the opportunity to attend an elegant fashion show at the IBEROSTAR Paraíso Maya where the cheerleaders will model swimsuits on April 23 at 8pm. Further, the resort’s youngest guests will be able to spend time with the world-renowned cheerleaders at a mini dance clinic taking place at the property’s Kids Club on April 21 at 10:30am. “IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts is proud to have a strong partnership with Riviera Maya and one of the most celebrated football teams in the nation, the Dallas Cowboys,” stated John Long, the leading Spanish hospitality chain’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing. He added, “As we kick off our year-long strategic partnership, we look forward to hosting the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders at the IBEROSTAR Paraíso Maya for their 2013 Calendar shoot and engaging activities planned for our guests.” One of the world’s most beautiful and desirable vacation destinations, Riviera Maya, offers an array of vacation options for every traveler – from unique spa treatments to world-class dining and nightlife to ecological and historical explorations that are ideal for adventurers of all ages. With the immense variety of vacation opportunities, every journey to the Riviera Maya showcases the destination’s abundant luxurious, historical and natural resources. “The Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office is honored to join forces with IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts, in partnering with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, to provide guests to the destination with a memorable experience,” said Dario Flota Ocampo, general director of the Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office. “As both one of the newest and oldest travel destinations in Mexico, we are thrilled to share the Riviera Maya’s rich cultural heritage with the cheerleaders of an iconic sports team that draws passion amongst its followers.” The IBEROSTAR Paraíso Maya is an upscale, family-friendly beachfront resort offering five-star, all-inclusive accommodations, expansive pools, fine dining venues and superior customer service. Located within the IBEROSTAR Paraíso complex, guests at the all-suite property have access to a world-class spa and gym, as well as facilities at neighboring properties - IBEROSTAR Paraíso Lindo, Paraíso del Mar, and Paraíso Beach. About IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts is a family-owned Spanish hospitality company with more than 50 years of experience in the travel industry. IBEROSTAR provides unique vacation experiences, rooted in superior customer service and quality, in the world’s most popular vacation destinations. With more than 100 hotels in 15 countries, IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts is committed to offering excellence in quality and service and providing personal attention to each guest. For more information, please visit www.iberostar.com. About The Riviera Maya One of the world’s most desirable destinations, the Riviera Maya is situated along the eastern coast of Mexico in the state of Quintana Roo. Nestled between the Caribbean Sea and protected jungles, the Riviera Maya stretches 81 miles, beginning south of the Cancun International Airport in Puerto Morelos and extending through Sian Ka’an, the first established Biosphere Reserve in Mexico and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Riviera Maya boasts the tranquility of sparsely-populated beaches, a vast network of underground rivers, more than 100 cenotes and numerous eco-adventure activities such as kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, trekking, bird watching and deep sea fishing. A vast variety of lodging options, from luxury hotels, all-inclusive properties to charming boutique hotels, provide excellent accommodations, first-class facilities and the warm hospitality of the local people. Many of Mexico’s most significant archeological sites are nearby, providing visitors with the chance to experience the fascinating Mayan culture. The Riviera Maya has been named the “Top Destination in Mexico” for seven consecutive years by Travel Weekly (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010); the “Sexiest Romance and Honeymoon Destination in Mexico” for the second consecutive year in Recommend Magazine’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards and one of the world’s “Sexiest Wedding Destinations for 2011” by Destination Weddings & Honeymoons. For more information on the Riviera Maya visit www.rivieramaya.com.

A Penny for your Seat

You can see wonderful theatre in Dallas for as little as a penny PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN and see Next Fall Pay-What-You-Can allows patrons to purchase ANY seat in the house for ANY amount they choose.For as little as a penny, theatergoers can see world-class live theater at Dallas Theater Center. "… the funniest heartbreaker in town." -The NewYork Times How do you profoundly love someone you profoundly disagree with? Next Fall is the story of Adam andLuke, a most unlikely couple. Luke’s a devout Christian; Adam’s a ferventatheist. When an accident changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke’s conservative family and friends for support... and a search for answers. The New York Times says this 2010 Broadway hit and Tony Award-nominee for Best Play, “embodies something theatergoers have been sorely missing, perhapswithout knowing it, for years. A smart, sensitive, immensely appealing and utterly contemporary comedy. Contains adult themes and language. WHO: Dallas Theater Center WHAT: PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN Next Fall By Geoffrey Nauffts Directed by Kevin Moriarty WHEN: Pay-What-You-Can Friday,April 13 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets will be available online beginning Monday morning at Dallas TheaterCenter.org. 100 tickets will also be available for purchase at the Kalita Humphreys box office beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13. All Performances: April 13 – May 6 WHERE: KalitaHumphreys Theater 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd Dallas,TX 75204 Dallas Theater Center Presents Next Fall Written by Geoffrey Nauffts • Directed by KevinMoriarty Previews Begin Next Friday, April 13 Tickets On Sale Now Kalita Humphreys Theater • 3636Turtle Creek Blvd. Previews: April 13 – April 19, 2012 • Full Run: April 13 – May 6, 2012 Opening Night: Fri., April 20, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets: (214) 880-0202 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (214) 880-0202 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or www.DallasTheaterCenter.org Dallas Theater Center presents Next Fall at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, April 13 – May 6,directed by Kevin Moriarty. Next Fall marks the return of former DTCActing Company member Candy Buckley to the Kalita stage, Terry Martin’s DTCMainstage debut and four area artistic directors working on one project – KevinMoriarty (DTC), Tre Garrett (Jubilee Theatre), Terry Martin (WaterTowerTheatre) and Steven Michael Walters (Second Thought Theatre). “DTC’sgoal is to continue to spark a dialogue with our community - people from allbackgrounds, age groups and personal experiences - about ideas that matter inour lives,” says DTC ArtisticDirector Kevin Moriarty. “Next Fall will inspire a conversationabout the intersection of faith and sexuality. Throughout the play, which is quite funny as well as deeply moving, thecharacters reflect multiple points of view about these issues, with eachviewpoint and experience portrayed sensitively and compassionately; theresulting conversation has the potential to be powerful and impactful.” Next Fallis the story of Adam, a fervent atheist, and Luke, a devout Christian. Despite their differences, the two make their relationship work and are able to weather life’s ups and downs for five years. And then an accident changes everything. Adam finds himself turningto Luke’s conservative family and friends for support and answers. The New York Times says this 2010 Broadway hit and Tony Award®-nomineefor Best Play, “embodies something theatergoers have been sorely missing,perhaps without knowing it for years. A smart,sensitive, immensely appealing and utterly contemporary comedy” The cast of Next Fall is comprised of veteran actors whose work is well-lovedby Dallas theater audiences. Terry Martin and DTC Brierley Resident Acting Company member Steven Michael Walters will lead the cast as Adam (Martin) and Luke (Walters). Martin is Producing Artistic Director at WaterTower Theatre and is making his DTC Mainstage debut. He has previously been seen in DTC’s reading of The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. Walters is Co-Artistic Director of Second Thought Theatre and appeared in this season’s productions of The Tempest and A Christmas Carol. Former DTC Acting Company member Candy Buckley is back at DTC for the first time in 18 years to play the role of Arlene. Buckley was part of the acting company from 1978 - 1990 and audiences will remember her from All the King’s Men (86-87) and The Cherry Orchard (93-94). Buckley joins Randy Moore as only actors to have worked with each of DTC’s artistic directors. Southern Methodist University Associate Professor, Head of Acting Kieran Connolly will play Butch. DTC audiences will remember him from lastseason’s Dividing the Estate. Rounding out the cast are Lynn Blackburn (Dividing the Estate) as Holly; and DTC Brierley Resident Acting Company member Lee Trull (The Tempest, Cabaret, Arsenic and Old Lace) as Brandon. DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty will direct the critically acclaimed Next Fall,written by Geoffrey Nauffts. Returning to DTC are Tony Award®-winning scenic designer John Arnone (Dividing the Estate); costume designer Thomas Charles LeGalley (Give It Up!and Broadway’s Lysistrata Jones); and sound designer Bruce Richardson (Dividingthe Estate). Making her DTC debut is lighting designer Natalie Robin. Tre Garrett, Jubilee Theatre Artistic Director, will serve as the production'sassistant director. Tickets for Next Fall are on sale now. Ticket prices start at $15 for all performances and are available online at www.DallasTheaterCenter.org or by phoneat (214) 880-0202 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (214) 880-0202 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. All performances of Next Fall will be held at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, where it runs April 13 – May 6. Preview performances are April 13 – April 19. Opening night is Friday, April 20 at 8:00 p.m. Performance times are Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m.;Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.; and Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m.(except Sunday, May 6). The Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) performance of Next Fall will be Friday, April 13 at 8:00 p.m. PWYC tickets will be available online beginning Monday, April 9 and at the Kalita Humphreys box office thenight of the performance beginning at 5:30 p.m. Pay-What-You-Can allows patrons to purchase ANY seat in the house for ANY amount they choose. For as little as a penny, theater goers can see world-class live theater created by Dallas Theater Center for North Texas residents. DTC thanks the following sponsors for their generous support of Next Fall: Executive Producing Partner e-Rewards, Inc. and Associate Producing Partner Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. DTC also thanks benefactors Missy and David Boone and Anna and Don Carty for their support of this production. LYNN BLACKBURN (Holly) DTC: Dividing theEstate; A Christmas Carol.Regional credits include, among others, work at Circle Theater, Classical Acting Company, Stage West, WaterTower Theatre, Uptown Players, Kentucky Repertory Theatre and The Kennedy Center. Represented by The Mary Collins Agency, Lynn has numerous commercial, film and television credits, including a recurring role on the acclaimed series Friday Night Lights. Education: University of Mississippi. Proud member of Actors Equity Association since 2001. CANDY BUCKLEY (Arlene) Broadway: Cabaret; Thoroughly Modern Millie; After the Fall; Ring Round The Moon. Off-Broadway: Petrified Prince (Drama Desk nom.); Shockheaded Peter; Valhalla; Defying Gravity; Communicating Doors; Make Me; Urban Dictionary Plays; Bernarda Alba; Wise Guys among others. Princess Grace Award for Theater. DTCcompany member: All the King’s Men among others. ART company member: Hedda Gabler among others. Regional: The Guthrie (A Delicate Balance); Yale Rep (Autumn Sonata); TheaterWorks (Little DogLaughed); Williamstown; Seattle Repertory; South Coast Repertory; Trinity Repertory. TV: Treme; Gossip Girl; Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Upcoming film: Bachelorette. KIERAN CONNOLLY (Butch) National credits: The Utah Shakespeare Festival; PlayMaker’s Repertory; Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival; Centre Stage; Boston Repertory; the Camden Shakespeare Festival. Dallas credits: DTC: Dividing the Estate; Laramie Project Revisited; The Seagull; A Christmas Carol. Kitchen Dog Theatre: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf; King Lear. The Dallas Opera: Bluebeard. Dallas Shakespeare Festival: Much Ado About Nothing. TERRY MARTIN (Adam) is privileged to be the Producing Artistic Director of WaterTower Theatre (WTT) in Addison, Texas where he has directed over 45productions. DTC: The Laramie Project:Ten Years Later. WTT: Bash: Latter Day Plays; Dinner with Friends; The Guys; Woman in Black; Blackbird and Our Town. He has also worked locally at Stage West and Plano Rep. Off-Broadway: The Normal Heart; The Rivers and Ravines;and Anima Mundi. TV: ABC’s One Life to Live and NBC’s To Serve and Protect. LEE TRULL (Brandon)is a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company and an Associate Artist at DTC where his credits include: The Tempest; Cabaret; Arsenic and OldLace; The Beauty Plays; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; In the Beginning; A Christmas Carol and 365 Days/365 Plays. Work atother theaters includes: Classical Acting Company; Theatre Three; Water Tower Theatre; Stage West; Dallas Children’s Theater; and Shakespeare Dallas.Playwright: Huck Finn; Gift of the Magi (CAC); Puppet Boy (StageWest). Mr. Trull is an Artistic Company member at Kitchen Dog Theater, an artistic consultant for Second Thought Theater, and he serves on the NationalNew Play Network’s Ambassador’s Council. STEVEN MICHAEL WALTERS (Luke) is a member of the Brierley Resident Acting Company and co-founder of Second Thought Theatre. DTC: A Christmas Carol; The Tempest; Henry IV; The Beauty Plays and The Good Negro (aco-production with The Public Theatre in New York). Theatrical credits: Love’s Labour’s Lost; The Cherry Orchard (Peterborough Players); Proof; Arcadia (Lost Nation Theatre); Jesus Hates Me (Kitchen Dog Theater); Thom Pain (based on nothing); King Ubu; The Glory of Living; Humpty Dumpty (Second Thought Theatre); Romeo and Juliet;As You Like It; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Dallas).Television: Chase; My Generation; Friday Night Lights; Trauma; Prison Break. GEOFFREY NAUFFTS (Playwright) has worked as an actor both on and off Broadway,regionally and extensively in film and television. He’s directed short plays by Kenneth Lonergan, Frank Pugliese, David Marshall Grant, Theresa Rebeck and Suzan-Lori Parks, as well as the critically acclaimed production of Steven Belber’s Tape in New York, Los Angeles and London. He wrote, directed and co-starred in the award-winning short film Baby Steps with Kathy Bates and co-wrote Jenifer, a movie of the week for CBS with David Marshall Grant. He and Anthony Barrle are currently collaborating with Elton John on a score for Showstopper, a screenplay they wrote for Ben Stiller’s company, Red Hour. His Tony Award-nominated play, Next Fall, is currently playing to packed houses around the country. In addition to his roleas a writer on ABC’s hit series, Brothers and Sisters, Geoffrey has beena proud member of Naked Angels for over twenty-four years. KEVIN MORIARTY (Director, Artistic Director, DTC ) joined DallasTheater Center in 2007 as the theater’s sixth artistic director, where he has directed productions of The Tempest, The Wiz, Henry IV, It’s aBird... It’s a Plane...It’s Superman, Fat Pig, A MidsummerNight’s Dream, In the Beginning, and The Who’s Tommy. Before joining DTC, Kevin served as the artistic director of the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY for seven years, where he directed world premieres of plays by Itamar Moses, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Kenny Finkle and Kathryn Walat, as well as a variety of classics and musicals. From 2002-2007 Kevin was the Head of Directing for the Brown University MFA program in Providence, RI, and he was an associate artist at Trinity Rep Company, where his productions included The Merry Wives of Windsor (Elliot Norton Award: Best Director), Richard II,Richard III, A Delicate Balance and Nickel and Dimed. Kevin has also directed plays off-Broadway and at regional theaters nation-wide, including the Lamb’s Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Virginia Stage Company, Queens Theatre in the Park, the Flea Theatre, HERE, Theatre works/USA,and the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar starring Sebastian Bachand Carl Anderson. He is a recipient of a Drama League directing fellowship and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. JOHN ARNONE (SetDesigner) Tony Award, Dora Mavor Moore, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circleand two-time Obie Award winner, celebrating a 40-year theater career. DTC: In the Beginning; Dividing the Estate; Tigers Be Still; Next Fall and God of Carnage. Undermain Theater: The Black Monk; Endgame; Easter; The Dog Problem; Port Twilight; Ages of the Moon; Time in Kafka; The Birthday Party. Selected Broadway: The Who’s Tommy (Tony Award); How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Sacrilege; Tommy Tune’s The Best Little Whore House Goes Public and Grease; Sex and Longing; The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?; Fortune’s Fool; The Full Monty; Marlene; The Deep Blue Sea; Lone Star/Pvt. Wars; Minnellion Minnelli; The Best Man; The Ride Down Mt. Morgan and Lennon. THOMAS CHARLES LEGALLY (Costume Designer) Broadway: Lysistrata Jones. Regional:Frida Libre, La Jolla Playhouse. Boeing, Boeing and The 39 Steps, Hartford Stage Co. Upcoming: God of Carnage, Dallas Theater Center. Off-Broadway Assistant: The Orphans’ Home Cycle; The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore; Restoration. National Tour: West Side Story (assistant). Education: MFA Stage Design, Southern Methodist University. NATALIE ROBIN (Lighting Designer) is a NYC-based lighting designer; associate producer of American Realness, a festival of contemporary performance; a company member of Polybe+Seats; Associate Artist of Target Margin; and adjunct faculty at NYU/Tisch. Natalie was the Apollo Lighting 2011 Standing O recipientand a 2008 Live Design Young Designer to Watch. Natalie is a contributing writer for Live Design and Stage Directions. She tours internationally with artists including Miguel Gutierrez. This season,Natalie is also designing at BAM, the New School for Drama and Williams College. BA: Columbia. MFA: NYU/Tisch. BRUCE RICHARDSON (Sound Designer) DTC: Dividing the Estate; Death of a Salesman; The Beauty Plays; Skin; The Sternheim Project; The Mystery of Irma Vep; A Christmas Carol; The Real Thing;Quake; Krapp’s Last Tape; The Importance of Being Earnest; The Violet Hour; Crowns. Shakespeare Dallas: Hamlet; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Tempest; Julius Caesar; Henry IV, Parts I & II; Timon of Athens. Project X: One in 3; Boy; Psychos Never Dream. Kitchen Dog: Heaven; Kiss of the SpiderWoman; Some Explicit Polaroids; In the Belly of the Beast.Undermain: The Seagull; Tiny Dimes; The Deatherians; The Hyacinth Macaw; Macbeth. TRE GARRETT (AssistantDirector) is an award-winning director and Artistic Director for JubileeTheatre in Fort Worth, Texas. He is a former show director for Walt Disney Entertainment where he directed over 200 live entertainment projects. He began his career as a Director in Residence at the Kennedy Center, which lead to assistant directing the pre-Broadway run of On Golden Pond (starring James Earl Jones) and the Broadway run of Julius Caesar (starring Denzel Washington). Since then, Tre has directed theater, opera, concerts, short films and live performances all over the country. JEFF GIFFORD (Production Manager) is in his fourth season with DTC. Jeff and family moved to Dallas from Southern California where he worked for eleven years at South Coast Repertory. While at SCR he helped guide more than twenty-five world premiere plays to their first Opening Night. He holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and has been an AEA Stage Manager formore than twenty years. LARA MAERZ (StageManager) is making her DTC debut with Next Fall. Off-Broadway: Sessions. Regional: Things Being What They Are and Orange Flower Water at Steppenwolf, The Fantasticks and Measure for Measure at Colorado Shakespeare Festival as well as many others throughout the country. Multiple seasons as resident stage manager at Next Theatre in Chicago and Circle Theatrein Fort Worth. BFA: Texas Christian University. MFA: University OfMissouri-Kansas City. ABOUT DALLAS THEATER CENTER: One of the leading regional theaters in the country, Dallas Theater Center (DTC) performs to an audience of more than 90,000 North Texas residents annually. Founded in 1959, DTC is now a resident company of the AT&T Performing Arts Center and presents its Mainstage season at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, designed by REX/OMA, JoshuaPrince-Ramus and Rem Koolhaas and at its original home, the Kalita Humphreys Theater, the only freestanding theater designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty and Managing Director Heather M. Kitchen, DTC produces a seven-play subscription series of classics ,musicals and new plays and an annual production of A Christmas Carol; extensive education programs, including Project Discovery, SummerStage and partnerships with Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts and Booker T. Washington High School for thePerforming and Visual Arts; and community outreach efforts including leading the DFW Foote Festival and recent collaborations with the Dallas Public Library, Dallas Holocaust Museum, North Texas Food Bank, Dallas Opera, and Dallas Black Dance Theater. Throughout its history, DTC has produced many new works, including The Texas Trilogy by Preston Jones in 1978, Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men (directed by Adrian Hall) in 1986, and recent premieres of Gian tby Michael John LaChiusa and Sybille Pearson, The Trinity River Plays by Regina Taylor, the revised It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Supermanby Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, Give It Up! (now titled Lysistrata Jones and recently on Broadway) by Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn, Sarah, Plain and Tall by Julia Jordan,Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and The Good Negro by Tracey Scott Wilson. Dallas Theater Center gratefully acknowledges the support of our season sponsors: American Airlines, The Dallas Morning News, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, Lexus, National Endowment for the Arts, TACA, TCA, Texas Instruments and WFAA.

free concert on Thursday plus chance to experience a live concert taping

DanceBrazil

Dance meets martial arts

APRIL 13 & 14
WYLY THEATRE
Shows start at 8PM

Powerful, physical and exciting, DanceBrazil has dazzled audiences around the world for more than 30 years. Whether on the street or in the most prestigious theater, the dancers and musicians of DanceBrazil never fail to enthrall audiences with their unique fusion of Afro-Brazilian movement, contemporary dance and Capoeira, the traditional martial arts/dance form.

In 2008, director Jolon Viera was honored with a National Heritage Fellowship for his work with the company. We’ll present DanceBrazil in the intimate Wyly Theater—surrounding you with the passion and excitement that permeates every performance.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

WINNER! DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD!

GEORGE HAMILTON and CHRISTOPHER SIEBER

Coming to Dallas Summer Musicals for a limited engagement.

The critically acclaimed production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, starring George Hamilton and Christopher Sieber, arrives at the Music Hall at Fair Park Tuesday,April 10-22, 2012, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals as part of their 2012 season. Tickets are on sale now at The Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, #542 in the Preston/Royal Shopping Center.

Mini-packs of three or more shows are also still available for purchase at The Box Office.
Tickets are priced from $15-$75, and are also available by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For groups of 15 or more, please call 214-426-
GROUP.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES recently made Tony® Awards history as the first show to ever win the Tony Award three times for best production.   The classic musical comedy by Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein originally won six Tony Awards in 1984, including Best Musical.  A Broadway revival won two 2005 Tony Awards including the Best Revival of a Musical prize.  The new, freshly reconceived LA CAGE won three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Director of a Musical (Terry Johnson). 
 
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES tells the story of Georges (George Hamilton) the owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin (Christopher Sieber), who
moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges' son brings his fiancée's
conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! 

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is a tuneful and touching tale of one family's struggle to stay
together... stay fabulous... and above all else, stay true to themselves! LA CAGE AUX
FOLLES is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani and Fran and Barry Weissler in association with NETworks Presentations. 

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES features music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein, based on the play by Jean Poiret.  

The creative team includes director Terry Johnson, who won a 2010 Tony Award for his LA CAGE direction, choreographer Lynne Page, set designer Tim Shortall, costume designer Matthew Wright, lighting designer Nick Richings, sound designer Jonathan Deans and orchestrator/musical supervisor Todd Ellison.  

The new production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES played from November 23, 2007 to March 8, 2008 at the Menier Chocolate Factory, earning across the board raves and moving to the West End’s Playhouse Theatre on October 30, 2008, where it was nominated for seven 2009 Olivier Awards, winning for Best Musical Revival and Best Actor in a Musicalfor Douglas Hodge and won the 2009 Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Musical.  

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES is a production not to be missed and reviewers agree. The Associated Press raves it is “Riotously funny! LA CAGE could not be more timely or enjoyable.” Variety called it “Funny, heartwarming and terrific!” Time Out New York sums it up: “Five Stars (out of five)! The Musical Revival of the Year!  A Sensation!”

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES will run April 10-22, 2012 at the Music Hall at Fair Park,presented by Dallas Summer Musicals. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 8 p.m.with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. There is an additional matinee performance Thursday, April 19 at 2 p.m., and there is no evening performance Sunday, April 22.

Dallas Summer Musicals mini-packs of three or more shows are on sale now at The Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, #542 in Dallas. DSM 2012 season shows continue with RAIN,A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES (April 24-29); MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL (May 15-27); MAMMA MIA! (May 29-June 3); PETER PAN, STARRING CATHY RIGBY,(July 10-22); and THE ADDAMS FAMILY, A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY, October 2-21, 2012.

For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals and the 2012 season, please visit
www.dallassummermusicals.org.

TALES OF A TEXAS TORNADO

Priyadarshi Saket
‎"Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next."


This QUOTE appeared on my screen as a booming voice on the intercom told everyone in my loft complex to go down to the basement as we are under a tornado watch.

Everyone in the building rushed downstairs, bringing their dogs and children.
It was an almost perfect storm shelter—below the ground and only a few windows near the entry.

So what do you do when you are sitting in a basement with dozens of your neighbors? I brought my computer and cell phone. Most people brought ipods.


How people dealt with being in the basement anticipating a tornado:

Urban market is probably the only place that appreciated the tornado. It was good for business. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of people were waiting in the basement. News from smart phones and computers was shared. Predictions and contradicting reports spread through the basement

We were anxious and had no idea how long we would need to stay in the basement.
What do you do when you are anxious? Eat.

I noticed what people were purchasing at Urban Market:

1. The man in front of me got three bottles of water and a pack of cigarettes.

2. I got a Snickers Ice Cream bar. Chocolate and ice cream are universal comfort food.

3. Lady behind me got a six-pack of beer and a candy bar.

4. Perhaps the wisest woman was the one who bought a bottle of Barefoot Wine. Not for herself, she insisted, but a neighbor who was really nervous.

5. I wondered if the man who bought six large bottles of water was a pessimist. He said he just never got down to the basement.



The building survived and so did the residents.

What do sex-deprived fruit flies alcohol preferences mean to us?

Sex-Deprived Fruit Flies’ Alcohol Preference Could Uncover Answers for Human Addictions

After being deprived of sex, male fruit flies, known as Drosophila melanogaster, may turn to alcohol to fulfill a physiological demand for a reward, according to a study recently published in the journalScience.

Troy Zars, an associate professor ofbiological sciences at the University of Missouri and neurobiology expert, said that understanding why rejected male flies find solace in ethanol could help treat human addictions.“Identifying the molecular and genetic mechanisms controlling the demand for reward in fruit flies could potentially influence our understanding of drug and alcohol abuse in humans, since previous studies have detailed similarities between signaling pathways in fruit flies and mammals,” Zars said.

In the study, male fruit flies that had mated repeatedly for several days showed no preference for alcohol-spiked food. On the other hand, spurned males and those denied access to females strongly preferred food mixed with 15 percent alcohol.

The researchers believed the alcohol may have satisfied the flies’ desire for physical reward.Zars said the new discovery could lead to greater understanding of the relationship between the social and physical causes of substance abuse in humans.

“The authors provide new insights into a neural circuit that links a rewarding social interaction with a lasting change in behavior preference,” Zars said.Zars has been a faculty member at MU since 2002. He leads investigations of the molecular and systems level mechanisms of behavioral genetics in the fruit flyDrosophila melanogaster. He is well known for his experiments identifying molecular mechanisms and neural circuits that support behaviors in the relatively simple fly brain.

His work has been published in leading scientific journals such asScience, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science,Current Biology, Learning and Memory, and Neuron.Previously, Zars received the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Post-doctoral Fellowship to investigate the molecular mechanisms of behavioral plasticity with Prof. Martin Heisenberg at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany.

Back Again--Broadway Our Way

Uptown Players presents its 10th annual fundraiser

Broadway Our Way: A Decade of Divas

March 16 – 25, 2012 at the Kalita Humphreys Theater.

The Uptown divas return for another entertaining evening of Broadway music with plenty of twists, laughs and surprises. Providing host duties for this year's festivities will be the incredibly funny and talented Paul J. Williams and Marisa Diotalevi.

This year’s divas will sing and dance to 30 songs from recent Broadway hits such as Catch Me If You Can, Xanadu, The Wedding Singer, Memphis and Shrek,as well as classic favorites like Fiddler On The Roof, Sweet Charity, Dreamgirls and Chicago.

This year’s cast includes Michael Albee, Beth Albright, Lon Barrera, Kayla Carlyle, B.J. Cleveland, Coy Covington, Brendan Cyrus, Marisa Diotalevi, Sergio Garcia,Whitney Hennen, Jim Johnson, Summer Kenny, Jeff Kinman, Linda Leonard, SaraMartin, Tony Martin, Kelly McCain, Kevin Moore, Arianna Movassagh, Mark Oristano,Chad Peterson, Thomas Renner, Stephanie Riggs, Rick Starkweather, Amy Stevenson, Max Swarner, Angel Velasco, and Paul J. Williams.

This year Broadway Our Way is written and directed by B. J. Cleveland with music direction by Kevin Gunter and Adam C. Wright and choreography by John de los Santos. The evening also features a gallery of nearly 100 terrific auction prizes, including theatre tickets, restaurant gift certificates, hotel stays, artwork and much more!

A reception follows each performance.The production runs March 16 through March 25, 2012, with shows at 8 p.m. onThursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Performances take place at the Kalita Humphreys Theatre, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd (at Blackburn), Dallas, TX 75219.Tickets are $40-$45, including the post-performance reception, and can be purchased online at www.uptownplayers.org or by phone at (214) 219-2718.

Now in its eleventh season, Uptown Players has gathered a dedicated following with an annual audience base of over 15,000 patrons, including nearly 1000 season subscribers. The response from the community and critics has been remarkable,including over 25 Leon Rabin Awards from the Dallas Theatre League, several hundred “The Column” Awards and 15 Theatre Critics Forum Awards in its first 10 seasons.

In recent years, Uptown Players has also been named the best theatre company by the Dallas Voice Readers Awards, and the Dallas Observer, and has appeared on the WFAA-A list and Best of Big D – D Magazine. Uptown Players is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, presenting plays and musicals that challenge audiences artistically, build cultural bridges, and strive to create greater positive public awareness and acceptance through the performing arts. There is no other theater group with this unique mission in the Dallas area.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre II Premieres Two New Works

Works of Mel A. Tomlinson and Bruce Wood to be Featured

At The Latino Culture Center

Dallas Black Dance Theatre II (DBDT II), the second performing company of Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) will take the stage of the Latino Cultural Center March 2-3, 2012 to present Spring Fiesta! Sponsored by Macy’s, the series spotlights new works performed by DBDT II, a fourteen member troupe of some of the country’s best trained dancers.

“The second company always presents the excellent dance artistry that represents the mission and vision of Dallas Black Dance Theatre.” said Ann Williams, Founder/Artistic Director of DBDT. In its 12^th season, DBDT II has traveled nationally and internationally performing a diverse repertoire of works by emerging and internationally recognized choreographers.

The engaging dancers of DBDT II will continue their trademark versatility and style. Premiering for the series will be Ain’t Dat Good News, an original work of Dr. Mel A. Tomlinson, former principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Director of the DBDT Dance Academy. In addition, Smoke an original work of choreographer Bruce Wood set to the music of Ray Charles has been restaged. Also featured in the performance will be Love Songs a passionate duet by DBDT II Artistic Director Nycole Ray along with Agony, a full company work choreographed by DBDT Dance Company Member Richard Freeman Jr.

Area K-12 students will have the privilege of previewing the series in a sold-out matinee performance specifically designed for them on Friday, March 2. Sponsored by Chase and RBC Wealth Management, students will enjoy excerpts from dance works featured on the evening program.

Performances will take place on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at 7:30pm. For information about tickets call (214) 880-0202 or visit www.dbdt.com. For group discounts call (214) 871-2390 or contact f.anderson@dbdt.com. Located at 2600 Live Oak, Dallas, the Latino Cultural Center is a noted host and venue for various expressions of the visual, musical, and performing arts.

Pumpkin Face

By Madelyn Miller

When I think of a pumpkin face I think of a silly face or a scary face. But recently I learned that pumpkin face can be beautiful.

The below at-home pumpkin face mask recipe or a pumpkin scrub recipe, created by beauty expert and author Erika Katz (bondingoverbeauty.com).

Pumpkin Face Mask

2 tsp canned pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp heavy whipping cream
Mix all ingredients and apply to
face. Leave on for 10 min and rinse.

Warning! Do not lick your fingers. Or this delicious mask will never make it to your face.

If you do have some left over, pour over ice cream or oatmeal.

This delicious recipe came from Bonding Over Beauty: A Mother-Daughter Beauty Guide to Foster Self-Esteem, Confidence and Trust. Created by beauty guru and author of Bonding
Over Beauty Erika Katz (www.bondingoverbeauty.com), this mask is full of exfoliating enzymes that brighten the skin so it won’t look too “scary”.

Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, which is very healing to the skin and is essential to maintain and repair skin tissue. It also helps reduce lines and wrinkles. Honey is a humectant. The cream moisturizes and helps flaky skin.

About Erika Katz

A beauty writer and blogger as well as a former child model and actress, Erika Katz has been a beauty junkie nearly all her life. Using her experience from her days working in the beauty department at Seventeen, cosmetology classes and lessons learned through her extensive work in television and modeling, Erika created a beauty guide that served as the foundation for Bonding Over Beauty, A Mother-Daughter Guide to Self-Esteem, Confidence and Trust.

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves pumpkin. Read her stories on http://www.travellady.com/, http://www.carladynews.com/, http://www.yogayaya.com/, http://www.chocolateatlas.com/, http://www.coffeeatlas.com/, http://www.teaatlas.com/ and www.coffeeAtlas.com

BRING IT ON to DALLAS

FEBRUARY 14-26
PRESENTED BY DALLAS SUMMER MUSICALS

Assembling this extraordinary company has been an incredibly exciting – and thorough –endeavor,” said Tony® Award-winning director/choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. “We found an amazing group that sings, dances, stunts and cheers. They are a talented group of newcomers, led by two dynamic leading ladies. I can't wait for audiences to see them.”

Leading the cast are Taylor Louderman and Adrienne Warren. Louderman, playing the role of Campbell, is a 20 year-old newcomer from the University of Michigan. Warren, previously seen in the National Tour of Dreamgirls at the Ahmanson Theatre, portrays Danielle, a role she originated in Bring It On: The Musical’s developmental production at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.

Ryann Redmond, a 2011 graduate of NYU, recreates the role of Bridget that she originated in the Alliance Theatre Production. Elle McLemore (Disney’s “Suite Life on Deck”) plays Eva and Jason Gotay (Broadway’s Rising Stars and Rent) stars as Randall.

Also starring are Ariana DeBose (Hairspray, “So You Think You Can Dance”) as Nitika,Gregory Haney (Memphis) as La Cienega, Neil Haskell (“So You Think You Can Dance”) as Steven, Janet Krupin as Kylar, Kate Rockwell (Legally Blonde) as Skylar and Nick Womackas Twig. Additional cast members include Calli Alden, Nikki Bohne, Dexter Carr, Shonica Gooden, Haley Hannah, Rod Harrelson, Casey Jamerson, Dominique Johnson, Michael Mindlin, Adrianna Parson, and Bettis Richardson.

The ensemble also features some of the nation’s most skilled competitive cheerleaders. Their combined achievements include over 25 national and 50 team titles in gymnastics and choreography. They were selected in collaboration with Varsity, the global leader in competitive cheerleading. Those members include Antwan Bethea, Danielle Carlacci, Michael Naone-Carter, Courtney Corbeille, Dahlston Delgado, Brooklyn Freitag, Melody Mills, David Ranck, Billie Sue Roe, Sheldon Tucker and Lauren Whitt.

Bring It On: The Musical is the explosive new musical comedy that raises the stakes on over-the-top high school rivalries. Set against the world of competitive cheerleading, this powerhouse new show hilariously proves that winning isn’t everything when it means losing something - or someone - you really care about. Bring It On: The Musical combines an exciting fresh sound, gravity-defying choreography, and a thrilling story to create a total theatrical event worth cheering for.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Bring It On: The Musical unites some of the freshest and funniest creative minds on Broadway with libretto by Tony® Award-winner Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), music and lyrics by Tony® Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), music by Pulitzer and Tony® Award-winning composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), lyrics by Broadway lyricist Amanda Green (High Fidelity) and music supervision by Tony® and Grammy®Award-winner Alex Lacamoire (Wicked).

The production is directed and choreographed byTony® Award-winner Andy Blankenbuehler (In the Heights).Bring It On: The Musical is produced by Universal Pictures Stage Productions / GlennRoss; Beacon Communications /Armyan Bernstein and Charlie Lyons; and Kristin Caskeyand Mike Isaacson, Executive Producers.

Members of the artistic design team that help bring this production to life are David Korins, Set Designer; Andrea Lauer, Costume Designer; Jason Lyons, Lighting Designer; Brian Ronan, Sound Designer; Charles G. LaPointe, Hair Designer; and Jeff Sugg, Video Designer. When the musical comedy premiered in its developmental production at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta earlier this year, Wendell Brock of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called Bring It On: The Musical “one high-energy drink with fiercely funny writing, catchy hip-hop tunes and an explosively original mix of singing, acting, dancing and cheer.”

Audrey S. Belle of AOL.com raved that Bring It On: The Musical “is guaranteed to be everything you wished for, nothing like you expected, but exactly what you will love!” To learn more about the cast of Bring It On: The Musical, visit Facebook page at facebook.com/BringItOnTheMusical.

DSM 2012 SEASON CONTINUES AT THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, March 6-18, 2012. The night Rock ‘n’ Roll began, the smash hit Broadway musical is inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians we regathered together by Sam Phillips, the “father of rock ‘n’ roll,” at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions of all time. This thrilling musical brings you inside the recording studio with four major talents who came together as a red-hotrock ‘n’ roll band for one unforgettable night.

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, April 10-22, 2012. Winner of three 2010 Tony Awards® including Best Musical Revival, this hilarious new production was the biggest hit of the 2010Broadway season, leaving audiences in stitches night after night. LA CAGE, starring George Hamilton, tells the story of Georges, owner of a glitzy nightclub in lovely Saint-Tropez, and his partner Albin, who moonlights as the glamorous chanteuse Zaza. When Georges’ son brings the conservative parents of his fiancée home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly. LA CAGE is a tuneful and touching tale of one family’s struggle to stay together….stay fabulous…and above all else, stay true to themselves.

RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES, April 24-29, 2012. Direct from Broadway, theinternationally-acclaimed Beatles concert returns by popular demand as a subscriber’s special. RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles’ discography live on stage, including the most complex and challenging songs the Fab Four recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. Together longer than The Beatles, RAIN has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome, delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance as infectious as it is transporting. From the early hits to later classics, this adoring tribute will take you back to a time when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends.

MEMPHIS, THE MUSICAL, May 15-27, 2012. From the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, comes a hot new Broadway musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs, and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love.Inspired by actual events, MEMPHIS is about a white radio DJ who wants to change the world and a black club singer who is ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves, filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock ‘n’ roll. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical.

MAMMA MIA!, May 29-June 3, 2012. The subscriber’s special features a mother, a daughter, 3 possible dads and a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget. Over 50 million people around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music based on the songs of ABBA that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel good show. Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone’s having the time of their lives. With more productions playing internationally than any other musical, MAMMA MIA is the world’s #1 show.

PETER PAN, STARRING CATHY RIGBY, July 10-22, 2012. Tony Award® nominee CathyRigby takes flight in an all new production of PETER PAN. Discover the magic all over again of this two-time Emmy® Award winning and two-time Tony Award® nominated production. The New York Times says, “Rigby still carries off the flights, fights and acrobatics that make Peter Pan audiences mesmerized.” Filled with timeless magical moments and a captivating hook, the legend you thought you knew is now the adventure you never dreamed possible.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY, A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY, October 2-21, 2012. THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a smash-hit musical comedy that brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez,Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley, and of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life. Direct from Broadway, this magnificently macabre new musical comedy is created by Jersey Boys’ authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, Drama Desk-winningcomposer/lyricist Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party), choreographer Sergio Trujillo (JerseyBoys) and Olivier Award-winning director/designers Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch(Shockheaded Peter), with creative consultation by four-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Zaks. THE ADDAMS FAMILY is also the 2012 State Fair of Texas musical. Mini-packs of any three or more season shows are on sale now at The Box Office, 5959 Royal Lane, #542 in Dallas.

Subscribers may also order tickets to the season specials RAIN and MAMMA MIA! ($12-$70 each), and may order by mail or in person at The Box Office, by phoning 214-346-3300, by faxing 214-691-7386, or online atwww.dallassummermusicals.org. For groups, please call 214-426-GROUP.

In 2013, DSM will continue its 72-year tradition of bringing the Best of Broadway to North Texas, setting the standard in musical theatre entertainment with such terrific straight-from-Broadway musicals as DISNEY’S THE LION KING, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, WICKED, and MARY POPPINS. Season sponsors for Dallas Summer Musicals are The Dallas Morning News, Metro PCS, WFAA TV Channel 8, American Airlines, and Texas Instruments.Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) is the preeminent nonprofit presenter of Broadwaytheatre in North Texas.

DSM produces, presents and promotes excellence in live musical theatre with year-round performances for diverse audiences of all ages, impacting the lives of children and families through community outreach and education, and enriching the cultural landscape of Dallas/Fort Worth, North Texas and the Southwest Region.

DSM isthe largest producer and presenter of live theatrical entertainment in the Southwest, the second oldest summer theatre organization in the United States, and the fourth largest nonprofit theatre company. In addition to presenting national Broadway tours, DSM also produces shows on Broadway, presents and tours local productions, and is involved indeveloping new works. Dallas Summer Musicals’ affiliates include DSM Management Group, Inc. (DSMMGI), which manages the Music Hall at Fair Park.As a nonprofit organization, DSM relies on a variety of funding sources to bring the Best of Broadway to Dallas at affordable ticket prices, as well as to preserve the beautiful historic theater, educate young audiences and create important community programs.

DSM’s Seatsfor Kids program provides a meaningful arts education experience to thousands of low income, at-risk and special needs children. DSM provides positive incentives for youth that are at risk for gang membership through the Stage Right program.In addition, the Dallas Summer Musicals Academy of Performing Arts offers professional theatre arts training and scholarships to talented students in need. Ticket sales alone do not sustain these endeavors. Only support from committed businesses, foundations and individuals make these programs possible.

For more information about Dallas Summer Musicals, please visit their website www.dallassummermusicals.org or call (214) 421-5678

Dallas Black Ballet Cultural Awareness Series

Announced this week, mega church pastor, the Rev. Rickie G.Rush, of the Inspiring Body of Christ Church will serve as the Honorary Chairperson for Dallas BlackDance Theatre’s 35th Anniversary celebration and Cultural Awareness Series to be held February 23rdthrough February 26th at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre.

With a membership of over 10,000, Rev. Rush’s ministry at IBOC includes educational programs thatencourage greater engagement in cultural activities and forge shared connections through the arts.“I am proud to serve as Honorary Chair for these performances and I invite the community to joinme at the AT&T Performing Arts Center to celebrate Dallas Black Dance Theatre and theaccomplishments of Ann Williams during Black History month,” said Rev. Rush.

Friday, February 24has been designated as a special IBOC Celebration with Dallas Black Dance Theatre and churchmembers will receive a special discount.Performances for the general public are scheduled for February 23 through February 26 - Thursday at2:00pm and 7:30pm; Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 2:00pm and 7:30pm; and Sunday at 2:30pm.

During the series, Dallas Black Dance Theatre will perform audience favorites, Nina Simone Projectby Dianne McIntyre (New York), Pacing by Julliard professor and former Alvin Ailey dancer, MiltonMyers (New York), and Angelitos Negros, an Afro-European compilation featuring the music ofRoberta Flack by dance legend Donald McKayle (California).

In addition to the evening performances, two sold out morning matinee programs will be held for 1,000+school children fromarea public and private schools.To purchase tickets and group discounts call 214-871-2390 or visit the website at www.dbdt.com.

Soup is good for you and does good

TEXAS FOOD BANK ANNOUNCES 13TH ANNUAL EMPTY BOWLS “Enjoy Lunch, Feed A Bunch” March 9, at the Meyerson Symphony Center

WHAT: NTFB’s 13th Annual Empty Bowls Presented by Tom Thumb <http://www.ntfb.org/d_empty_bowls_info.cfm>

Dine out with friends or colleagues and enjoy the best lunch deal in town! Select a handmade bowl created by a local artisan, sample a variety of delicious soups, breads and desserts from popular area restaurants and food purveyors*, and enjoy classical music by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Young Strings. All proceeds benefit the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) and its efforts to “ReThink Hunger,” so be the first to get your bowl

!NTFB distributes 92,000 meals a day, yet the community need is closer to 300,000 meals a day. Every $1 donated provides three meals for hungry North Texans.

Tickets: $35 in advance online <http://www.ntfb.org/d_empty_bowls_info.cfm>
$20 no-bowl ticket
$40 at the door
Reserved tables for 10 guests - $1,500 (main level) and $1,000 (upper level) Limited number of $100 VIP tickets for early 10:30am entrance

WHEN: Friday, March 9, 2012 - 11am – 1pm
WHERE: Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center - 2301 Flora St. Dallas, TX

75201Empty Bowls began in 1990 as a small fundraising project among Michigan high school students that has now grown into a worldwide fundraising event to help end hunger. Diners are able to enjoy a simple meal of soup and bread served in a decorative ceramic bowl that guests keep as a reminder of those who suffer from hunger.

The Dallas chapter of Empty Bowls was started by John Williams, potter and former owner of Trinity Ceramic Supply Inc., and his wife Darlene. Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved, Dallas’ Empty Bowls benefiting the North Texas Food Bank has helped countless in need, providing nearly 2.5 million meals over the last 12 years!

*Participating restaurants and food purveyors of the North Texas Food Bank’s 13th Annual Empty Bowls event include: The Blue Goose Cantina, Blue Mesa Grill, Bolsa, Bread Winners Café & Bakery, Celebration Market & Restaurant, Empire Baking Co., Freeb!rds World Burrito, Hattie's, McAlister's Deli, Dining at the Meyerson, Milestone Culinary Arts Center, Nick & Sam's Grill, North Texas Food Bank Community Kitchen, Place at Perry's, ReMARKable Affairs Catering, Royal Cup Coffee, Tom Thumb, Truluck's Seafood Steak and Crab House, and Wolfgang Puck Catering.

My nearly nude week

Last night I went to the Gautier exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. Rooms filled with boudoir-like costumes, erotic photos and extremely revealing garmets.

Friday night I am going to a performance by Uptown Players that has mostly nude men in a locker room.

Uptown Players opens its 2012 season with Richard Greenberg's Tony Award-winning Best Play, the revealing baseball comedy Take Me Out, at the Kalita Humphrey's Theater from February 3 - 19, 2012.

Greenberg's Broadway sensation, Take Me Out, throws a curveball at American's favorite pastime. Darren Lemming, a young, iconic baseball star, is at the top of his game both personally and professionally. When he calls a press conference that results in a shocking admission to the media, Lemming sends a ripple of effects through the team, the fans and the nation.

Both hilarious and hard-hitting, Take Me Out strips baseball bare. Playwright Richard Greenberg examines the dynamics of homophobia, isolation, racial tension and the cult of celebrity in this funny, moving love letter to America's favorite pastime.

The 12-member all-male cast features Lloyd Harvey, Kevin Moore, Art Kedzierski, Andrews W. Cope, Chester Maple, Travis Ponikiewski, Anthony A. Gonzalez, Antonio Garcia, Ryan Manalansan, Darius Warren, Tony Martin and Bronze Hill.

The production is under the direction of Michael Serrecchia. The Uptown Players all-star design team includes lighting design by Jason Foster, costume design by Suzi Cranford, sound design by Virgil Justice, set design by Andy Redmon, stage management by Cathy O'Neal, and hair and make up by Coy Covington.

Take Me Out runs February 3 through February 19, 2012, with performances Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. (no performance February 5).

A special Thursday night performance will take place on February 16 at 8 p.m.

Performances will take place at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd at Blackburn, Dallas TX 75219.

Tickets are $25-$35 and can be purchased online at www.uptownplayers.org or by phone at (214) 219-2718.

About This Production

Take Me Out

By: Richard Greenberg

Content Advisory: Mature Themes/Full Nudity - Ages 17 and up

Directed By: Michael Serrecchia

Dates: February 3, 4, 10, 11, 16, 17 & 18 @ 8 p.m. February 12 & 19 @ 2 p.m

Tickets: $25-$35

Box Office Info -Online: www.uptownplayers.org

Phone: (214) 219-2718

Mardi Gras Madness

By Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady


Throw me Something Mista!
Painting the Town Purple, Green and Gold
January 6 – March 8, 2012

From Jan. 6 to March 8, “Throw me something, mister!” is a common phrase around Southwest Louisiana. Lake Charles, La. hosts the 2nd largest Mardi Gras, second only to New Orleans. Once 12th Night kicks the season into gear, the more than 55 Mardi Gras krewes in Southwest Louisiana make the area a magical place to be.

From parades and galas for the whole family, to cook-offs and Children’s Day, rest assured there
is always a family-friendly activity for everyone to enjoy.

Mardi Gras kicks off on 12th Night, Thursday, Jan. 6 (12 days after Christmas). The 2011
Royal courts of the many krewes will take this opportunity for one last promenade at the Lake
Charles Civic Center at 7 p.m., making way for next year’s Royal court. This event is the official
opening of the 2012 Mardi Gras season and is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $6, children under the age of 12 are admitted for free.

Mardi Gras weekend begins with the Merchant’s Parade, Friday, March 4. Local merchants join in the spirit of the season to delight parade goers at this evening parade. The parade will roll through Lake Charles at 7 p.m.

The weekend rolls on with the Krewe of Omega parade at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, that
weaves around downtown, bringing festival-goers back to the Civic Center for a Zydeco Dance, from 3-5 p.m. There will also be a furry, four-legged parade at 3 p.m. with the Krewe of Barkus. Man’s Best Friend never looked so good in green, gold and purple!

And be sure to bring your spoon and appetite for the World-Famous Cajun Extravaganza and Gumbo Cook-off, being held at the Civic Center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day.

Although most Mardi Gras balls are private, two krewes in the area open theirs up to the public on Saturday night. The Krewe of Illusions will hold its own ticketed gala at 7:30 p.m. at the Lake Charles Civic Center. The Krewe of Cosmos will be strutting their stuff Saturday, March 5 at
the Sulphur High School Auditorium beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 6 will bring a day full of activities! For just $6, you can taste from every pot
at the Taste de la Louisiane, and bring the little ones to Children’s Day, from noon – 3 p.m. This is a free cultural event. They will participate in arts and crafts, music and a Mardi Gras celebration that is just their size. Afterward, head outside for the Children’s Parade, just for them and the whole family! Polish off Sunday night with a glittering spectacle of lights on the lake for the annual Lighted Boat Parade at 7:30 p.m.

Lundi Gras, or the Monday before Mardi Gras, March 7, has been coined the Cinderella Moment of the season with the Royal Gala, a night of glitz, glamour and royalty at the Lake Charles Civic Center. At 7 p.m. the 2012 courts will promenade in noble fashion, preparing for the big Krewe of Krewes parade on the final night of Carnival. This event is open to the public and the only of its kind in the state of Louisiana. Tickets are $6 at the door and children under the age of 12 are admitted for free.

On Mardi Gras Day, March 8, wake up and head to Downtown Lake Charles for the Krewe de
Charlie Sioux Block Party starting at noon. Food, music and fun will be going on all day. There will also be children’s activities, so it is an event for the whole family. The Hot Rods, Classics and Motorcycle Parade will roar through Lake Charles at 1 p.m.

Finally, that night, the streets of Lake Charles come alive for one final night of purple, green,
gold and all the magic and revelry that can be mustered. Be sure to bring a bag to carry home all of your treasures!

Hotel room packages are available for those wishing to experience Mardi Gras in Lake Charles. Packages can be viewed at www.visitlakecharles.org/mambo and include lodging and a pass to many of the events listed above.

For more details on the various Mardi Gras events, visit www.swlamardigras.com.


Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who experienced first Mardi Gras in Lake Charles, Louisiana this year. Read her stories on http://www.travellady.com/, http://www.carladynews.com/, http://www.coffeeatlas.com/, http://www.cocktailatlas.com/, http://www.chocolateatlas.com/, http://www.teaatlas.com/, and http://www.yogayaya.com/

Titas presents American Ballet Theatre

Winspear Opera House 8 p.m. January 20-21, 2012

Founded in 1940, the American Ballet Theatre has become one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Few ballet companies equal the company’s combination ofsize, scope and outreach. ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 600,000 people, and is the only major cultural institution to do so.

It has also made more than 15 international tours to 42 countries, and has been sponsored by the StateDepartment of the United States on many of these engagements. In keeping with thecompany's long-standing commitment to bringing the finest in dance to the widest international audience, ABT recently enjoyed triumphant engagements in Tokyo, London, Paris, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Palermo, Italy, and in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece. Under the direction of Kevin McKenzie, the company continues to be focused on bringing the magic of dance theater to the great stages of the world.

Love dance?

Command Performance Winspear Opera House March 9, 2012 TITAS continues its tradition of presenting Command Performance, the definitive dance event of the season. Command Performance will take place in the Winspear Opera House. The world’s greatest dance stars will come together for a spectacular evening of dance, with classic pas de deux alongside awe-inspiring contemporary works.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.attpac.org by phone at 214.880.0202, or in person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Box Office at the Winspear Opera House,2403 Flora Street (Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday 11 am – 4 pm), or at the remote Box Office at Park Place Lexus Plano at 1025 Preston Road.

About the AT&T Performing Arts Center

Open since October 2009, the AT&T Performing Arts Center is a vibrant destination for entertainmentin the heart of the downtown Dallas Arts District. The Center presents a variety of programs, includingits Lexus Broadway Series, Brinker International Forum and, in association with TITAS, contemporary dance and music, and other performances. The Center also provides performance space for The DallasOpera, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico, inunparalleled venues set within a 10-acre urban park.

Do you dream of looking like Snooki?

GreatApps.com Is Helping Users “Snookify” Themselves

The app allows users to “Snookify” pictures of themselves and their friends and post them to Facebook walls, email, or upload to a “Snooki” Gallery that allows other users to rate their “Snookify Me!” created pictures. Users of the app can choose from Snooki’s different hairstyles including Snooki’s famous “poof,” various clothing apparel, stylish sunglasses, flashy jewelry, and even tan themselves to look like the most popular of Jersey Shore’s cast members.

The “Snookify Me!” app costs only $1.99 to download and is available on Google’s Android Market, Apple’s iTunes and is now profiled on theGreatApps.com homepage.

“We are excited to add “Snookify Me” to our site and believe it’s a great addition for our customers as the celebrity app trend is taking off, “said Rick Singer, CEO of GreatApps.com. “While we continue to expand on our innovative service we look forward to working with Apps Genius in the future.”

Apps Genius markets, publishes and distributes social games and software applications that consumers can use on a variety of platforms. They will continue to develop some of the most pioneering and trend setting apps in the industry.

"We are delighted to have our application showcased on GreatApps.com,” stated Adam Kotkin, CEO of Apps Genius. “We are pleased with the apps exposure we have received in the media and believe that GreatApps.com will put us in the position to reach our targeted demographic. We look forward to building a relationship with GreatApps.com moving forward.”

Appsgenius.com (www.appsgenius.com), a company that develops, markets, publishes and distributes social games and software applications is now featuring their newest application, “Snookify Me!” by Nicole “snooki Polizzi” on GreatApps.com

About GreatApps.com

GreatApps.com is a media company that focuses on app marketing and consumer use of apps. GreatApps.com offers a platform to showcase apps to people who may never have thought to search for it. To provide the best user experience and to preserve individuality, the GreatApps.com platform only allows up to 15 new apps to be displayed daily. GreatApps.com has a national marketing reach that goes well beyond what an individual could typically achieve on their own. GreatApps.com fills the biggest void in the mobile space which is app marketing.

About Apps Genius Corp

Apps Genius Corp ( www.appsgenius.com) develops, markets, publishes and distributes social games and software applications that consumers can use on a variety of platforms. The platforms include social networks, wireless devices such as cellular phones and smartphones including the Apple iPhone™ and standalone websites. The Company’s Celebrity Entertainment Division focuses on leveraging the fan base of noted celebrities to build apps and games around their personas. The first title in this division, ‘Snookify Me!, was created for Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi of the reality TV show Jersey Shore. Additionally, the Company has released several applications including ‘Bed Bug Alert,’ an informational tool for the Apple iPhone™, ‘My Mad Millions,’ a game application for Facebook™, ‘Slap a Friend,’ a game application for the Apple iPhone™, ‘Bruisers,’ a game application for Facebook™, and ‘Crazy Dream’ Application for Facebook™. Apps Genius Corp’s goal is to develop and publish new titles on a recurring basis that are based on the same property and gaming platform. Examples of this franchise approach are ‘My Mad Millions’ and ‘Rock The House,’ currently under development, which both utilize the same underlying platform. A core focus of the Company’s Social Gaming and Mobile Application development is to allow users and players to reach across different networks into a virtual application or gaming environment such as Facebook, MySpace, iPhone and Android and be able to play games and use applications from all users no matter what environment they are using the application in.