Join Stephen Fry, the legendary comedian, actor, presenter, writer, and masterful storyteller, for a captivating evening in, as he celebrates the launch of his new book, Troy.

After enchanting readers with his formidable ‘Mythos’ and ‘Heroes’, Stephen Fry returns to complete this epic trilogy with yet another grand narrative from Ancient Greece, this time exploring the passionate and powerful story of Troy. Curl up on your sofa with a hot cuppa as Stephen brings to life the legendary kidnapping of the beautiful Helen, for whom the Greeks launched a thousand ships and lay siege for ten bloody years; the king of the gods, Zeus, who triggered war when he asked Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of all; and the terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. Find out how these human passions of heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, and desire and despair still speak to us today.

TROY: OUR GREATEST STORY RETOLD – STEPHEN FRY’S GREEK MYTHS

Organized by Fane Online and Penguin Live, ‘A Night In with Stephen Fry’ will be broadcast on 30 November at 6:30 UK time and will be available to view up to a week after the event has ended and can be accessed Worldwide.

Don’t miss this one-off opportunity to join one of Britain’s best-loved authors as he invites us to join him at the fireside to hear the greatest story ever told.

Follow this link to register for this one of a kind event.

The ‘book and live stream’ package includes a unique ticket for the live stream, and a copy of Troy, worth £20, deliverable to any UK, Australia & New Zealand or rest of the world address. The first 1000 book and live stream packages in the UK will be signed.

On Saturday, 7 November 2020, at 8 PM GMT/3 PM EST, The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) will welcome Academy and GRAMMY Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino to discuss his first solo LP, ‘Travelogue: Volume 1’, featuring his Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra.

Giacchino will be joined in conversation by Tim Simonec, who arranged the string parts for the album, along with members of his Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra including Mark Gasbarro, Dan Greco, Abe Laboriel, Abe Laboriel Jr, Gayle Levant, and Andrew Synowiec, as well as mixing engineer Warren Brown.

The concept album, which was released on 30 October 2020 on Mondo Records, was recorded during the pandemic and saw Giacchino reunite with a few of his long-time collaborators. The record features spoken-word interludes voiced by actress Janina Gavanka and ‘follows a space traveller seeking solace on a planet that isn’t as broken and lost as her own distant world. Upon discovering earth, the story unfolds throughout its 11 captivating tracks.’

©MONDO

Michael Giacchino’s credits include some of the most popular and acclaimed film projects in recent history, including ‘The Incredibles’, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’, ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Star Trek’, ‘Jurassic World’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’, ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and ‘Coco’. Giacchino’s 2009 score for the Pixar hit ‘Up’ earned him an Oscar®, a Golden Globe®, the BAFTA, the Broadcast Film Critics’ Choice Award and two GRAMMY® Awards.

Giacchino studied filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. After college, he landed a marketing job at Disney and began studies in music composition, first at Juilliard, and then at UCLA. He moved from marketing to producing in the newly formed Disney Interactive Division where he had the opportunity to write music for video games.

After moving to DreamWorks Interactive, he was asked to score the temp track for the video game adaptation of ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’. Subsequently, Steven Spielberg hired him as the composer and it became the first PlayStation game to have a live orchestral score, recorded with members of the Seattle Symphony. Giacchino went on to score numerous video games including Spielberg’s ‘Medal of Honor’ series. Giacchino’s work in video games sparked the interest of J.J. Abrams, and thus began their long-standing relationship that would lead to scores for the hit television series ‘Alias’ and ‘Lost’, and the feature films ‘Mission Impossible III’, ‘Star Trek’, ‘Super 8’ and ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’.

PHOTO BY DAN GOLDWASSER

Additional projects include collaborations with Disney Imagineering on music for Space Mountain, Star Tours (with John Williams), the Ratatouille ride in Disneyland Paris, and the Incredicoaster on Pixar Pier at California Adventure. Giacchino was the musical director of the 81st Annual Academy Awards®. His music can be heard in concert halls internationally with all three ‘Star Trek’ films, ‘Ratatouille’, ‘Jurassic World’, ‘Up’ and ‘Coco’ being performed live-to-picture with a full orchestra. In June 2018, Giacchino premiered his first work for symphony orchestra, Voyage. Commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the piece celebrates the 60th anniversary of the founding of NASA. In July 2019, a third movement was added for the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing.

‘Jojo Rabbit’, the critically acclaimed Fox Searchlight film written and directed by Taika Waititi, earned Giacchino a BAFTA nomination this year. His upcoming film projects include Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’.

Giacchino serves as the Governor of the Music Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and sits on the advisory board of Education Through Music Los Angeles.

The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts of Music Arranging, Composition and Orchestration within the entertainment industry community and the general public. To find out more about ASMAC or to become a member, visit www.asmac.org.

Tickets:

To register for the event, follow this link.

ASMAC Members – $5.00
SCL, Maestra, ASA, AWFC – $8.00
Non Members – $10.00

©MONDO

To purchase this gorgeous vinyl, visit mondoshop.com, or listen to the album on your music streaming service of choice.

On Saturday, 10 October 2020, The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) hosted an online event as part of their Master Class Series, featuring a very special guest: the prolific Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney.

Moderated by composer, arranger, pianist and ASMAC board member, Sylvester Rivers, the master class was cleverly structured into five main topics:

•  Anatomy of a comedy score

•  Anatomy of a rom-com

•  Anatomy of a big action movie

•  How to get inside a director’s head

•  Surviving post-pandemic Hollywood

Famously charismatic and friendly, Debney began the master class with the cheerful statement, ‘Let’s have fun! Let’s have a look inside my crazy musical brain!’

JOHN DEBNEY

A musical chameleon, John Debney has composed music for over 100 films and shows in a variety of genres during his career that spans over three decades, including ‘The Passion of the Christ’, ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘The Princess Diaries’, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’, ‘Sea Quest DSV’, ‘A Pup Named Scooby-Doo’, ‘Inspector Gadget’, and ‘The Ant Bully’, to name but a few.

For this class, the composer chose to analyse in detail three big genres: comedy, rom-com, and action. As such, Debney dissected a few of his memorable cues from films like ‘Liar Liar’, ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Isn’t It Romantic’, and ‘Iron Man 2’, providing aspiring film composers with advice on how to go about writing music for these genres and important aspects that need to be taken into consideration in each case.

Over the course of three and a half hours, the composer received a plethora of fantastic questions from ASMAC members and attendees alike, graciously answering each and every one of them and offering invaluable advice, as well as words of encouragement to aspiring film composers. He also elaborated on some of the challenges the industry is facing in the time of COVID-19 and how the musicians are adapting.

ASMAC Executive Board President, Gayle Levant, who is also Debney’s long-time friend and harpist on many of his films, joined the composer in reminiscing about their experience of working together. Among other things, she praised Debney for his professionalism, excellent conducting skills, and ability to keep calm in stressful situations.

JOHN DEBNEY PRESENTING DURING THE MASTER CLASS

There were two notable nuggets of wisdom the composer shared with the attendees that are perhaps the most important pieces of advice he has offered during the class. Firstly, Debney encouraged aspiring composers to ‘become the best composer you can become’ by learning all styles of music (even the ones they dislike), studying everything from how to write a melody, to counterpoint, orchestration, conducting and the ranges of each instrument, to work hard, be a good person, treat people well, and to always remain humble.

And secondly, following a question from an attendee regarding the toll that this profession can take on one’s mental health, Debney urged film composers to be disciplined, take care of themselves, make sure they have a great support system and not ‘take it so seriously that it will eat you alive’.

Needless to say, the hours flew by very quickly. The master class was a great opportunity for aspiring composers to get a sneak peek behind the curtain with one of the most successful composers in Hollywood and to learn a few tips and tricks on how to navigate this increasingly competitive landscape.

Now it is perhaps more important than ever to have access to such events, considering the exceptionally challenging times brought about by the pandemic. Not only do they provide attendees with invaluable and entertaining information, but they also help keep the community together and the conversation going on how industry professionals can adapt to the new normal.

To keep up to date with ASMAC future events, visit www.asmac.org, where you can also become a member, or follow their Eventbrite page.

On Saturday, 10 October 2020, at 12 PM PDT/8 PM BST, film music lovers and aspiring film composers alike will get a unique chance to attend an online masterclass with the Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney. Organized by The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC), the event will be moderated by the ASMAC board member Sylvester Rivers.

Topics discussed during the event include:

•   Anatomy of a Comedy Score

•   Anatomy of a Rom Com

•   Anatomy of a Musical

•   How to get inside a director’s head

•   Surviving Post-Pandemic Hollywood

JOHN DEBNEY

John Debney is one of the most successful and versatile composers in Hollywood. During his prolific career that spans over three decades and more than 100 film scores, the composer has penned music in a variety of genres for films such as ‘The Passion of the Christ’, ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘The Jungle Book’, and ‘The Princess Diaries’, television projects such as ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and ‘Sea Quest DSV’, as well as numerous cartoons such as ‘A Pup Named Scooby-Doo’, ‘Inspector Gadget’, and ‘The Ant Bully’, to name but a few.

Beloved by collaborators and fans alike, Debney’s musical talent is only matched by his famed charismatic and affable disposition, which makes for one extra reason to join this not-to-be-missed event.

SYLVESTER RIVERS

Sylvester Rivers is a composer, arranger, pianist and ASMAC board member. He has recorded with numerous hit artists including Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, The Jacksons, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rogers, New Edition, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Gladys Knight &The Pips, Martha Reeves, Lamont Dozier, Barry White, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, Shalamar, Cheryl Lynn, Gloria Gaynor, Candi Staton, The Sylvers, Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio, Deniece Williams, Johnny Mathis, Billy Preston, Syreeta Wright, Michael Henderson, Earl Klugh, Stanley Turrentine, Najee, Maxine Nightingale, Aretha Franklin, The Fifth Dimension, and many others.

The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts of Music Arranging, Composition and Orchestration within the entertainment industry community and the general public. To find out more about ASMAC or to become a member, visit www.asmac.org.

Tickets:

To register for the event, follow this link.

ASMAC Members – $5.00
SCL, Maestra, ASA, AWFC – $8.00
Non Members – $12.00

Every Saturday at 5pm EST from 3^rd October till 31^st October, the new thought-provoking series Red Pilling America, hosted by TV and Broadway Star Ciara Renée, will be putting the spotlight on democracy, American politics and the current socio-economic climate through the lens of Tonya Pinkins’ new socio-political horror film, Red Pill. New guest stars will be featured each weekend while participants will be able to chime in on the live discussion, asking any and all questions.

RED PILL MOVIE 2020 LLC

Written, produced and directed by Pinkins herself, Red Pill is a progressive dystopian nightmare shot by cinematographer John Hudak Jr. and is set to be released this fall. The movie is a visually stunning metaphor for all our fears and a reminder that there are worse things than death. Cassandra (Pinkins), a Black American woman fearful for the fate of her country in the next election, reluctantly accompanies her best friend Rocky, a land preserver activist (Ruben Blades) and his wife Emelia (Luba Mason), her roommate Lily (Kathyrn Erbe), close friend Nick (Jake O’Flaherty), and her partner Bobby (Adesola Osakalumi) to canvas in newly blue Virginia. As the friends arrive at their “Super-Host” housing, they encounter signs that point to possible trouble and before the weekend is over, the fight for their country becomes a fight for their lives.

Pinkins: Red Pilling Of America will take place through Marissa Lynn Daniel Studios on Zoom. Proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill and to supporting actors during COVID-19.  For more information and to enrol, visit, www.marissalynnstudios.com.

TONYA PINKINS

Tonya Pinkins is a three-time Tony nominee for Caroline Or Change, Play On! and Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam. Author of Get Over Yourself: How To Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve, she is also the host of You Can’t Say That at www.bpn.fm/ycst and writer/director of Red Pill.

CIARA RENÉE

Ciara Renée‘s career includes Broadway’s Frozen, Big Fish, Pippin, and the world premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. On television, she has starred in Facebook’s Strangers, Netflix’s Master Of None, CBS’s Big Bang Theory, CW’s Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Flash. She also played Peggy/Maria in the final lab of Hamilton and co-directed (with Michael Dallatorre) the short documentary, Beating The Odds: Children’s Defense Fund Of California. On top of that she is also a writer, EP, and co-director of the short film Reddy Records.

Guest Stars:

RASHAD ROBINSON

Rashad Robinson is an American civil rights leader and the president of Color Of Change. He has served as a board member of RaceForward, Demos, State Voices and currently sits on the board of the Hazen Foundation. Robinson has appeared in NPR, MSNBC, CNN, NPR, PBS, and BET and has a monthly column in the US edition of The Guardian. His editorials have been featured in New York Times, Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and USA Today.

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON

Jay Armstrong Johnson, known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple threats has appeared in FIVE Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning revival of Hair, Catch Me If You Can, Hands On A Hardbody, On The Town, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and Phantom Of The Opera. Johnson also starred on TV in ABC Studios’ Quanitco.

NIK WALKER

Nik Walker led the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud and starred in Hamilton, Motown The Musical, Peter And The Starcatcher and TV’s Law And Order Svu. Walker is also the playwright behind The Bloody Boston Trilogy and cohost of The Chaos Twins.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT

Michael James Scott starred in Disney’s Aladdin as the Genie, as well as Something Rotten, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf and Hair.

TELLY LEUNG

Telly Leung, star of Broadway’s Aladdin, has been recognized for his notable work in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance and TV’s Glee.

JON RUA

Jon Rua originated roles in Hamilton, The Spongebob Musical and In The Heights and starred on screen in Blacklist, Blue Bloods and Law And Order. Rua is also a celebrated choreographer and founder of The Grit.

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

Hamilton star Paul Oakley Stovall, best known for Columbus (2020) Shortbus (2006) and Buffalo (2019), is an actor, activist, and president of KernoFortoProductions. Stovall was also a staff writer on season four of the critically acclaimed STARZ series, Survivor’s Remorse.

JOANNA CARPENTER

Joanna Carpenter is a New York City-based actor, singer and director who is best known for her work on The Lonely Cure (2014), Half a Dozen (2015) and Nevertheless, She Auditioned (2018)

YAEL SILVER, MARISSA LYNN DANIEL, WILL VAN MOSS

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with Tony-Award winning producer Yael Silver and Will Van Moss will produce this event. Jordan Leigh Auriemma and Adriana Shaw will associate produce.

Every Thursday at 3pm from 10 September – 31 October, Tony award-winning actress Tonya Pinkins and TV & Broadway star Ciara Renée will come together for exclusive, one-on-one conversations with new guest stars as Pinkins puts a horror-fying lens on the upcoming US election with her socio-political horror film Red Pill. Red Pilling of America will feature conversations with Chuck Cooper, Lilli Cooper, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Nik Walker, Jon Rua, Telly Leung, Michael James Scott, and more.

RED PILL MOVIE 2020 LLC

Written, produced and directed by Pinkins herself, Red Pill is a progressive dystopian nightmare shot by cinematographer John Hudak Jr. and is set to be released this fall. The movie is a visually stunning metaphor for all our fears and a reminder that there are worse things than death. Cassandra (Pinkins), a Black American woman fearful for the fate of her country in the next election, reluctantly accompanies her best friend Rocky, a land preserver activist (Ruben Blades) and his wife Emelia (Luba Mason), her roommate Lily (Kathyrn Erbe), close friend Nick (Jake O’Flaherty), and her partner Bobby (Adesola Osakalumi) to canvas in newly blue Virginia. As the friends arrive at their “Super-Host” housing, they encounter signs that point to possible trouble and before the weekend is over, the fight for their country becomes a fight for their lives.

Pinkins: Red Pilling Of America will take place through Marissa Lynn Daniel Studios on Zoom. Proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill and to supporting actors during COVID-19.  For more information and to enrol, visit, www.marissalynnstudios.com.

TONYA PINKINS

Tonya Pinkins is a three-time Tony nominee for Caroline Or Change, Play On! and Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam. Author of Get Over Yourself: How To Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve, she is also the host of You Can’t Say That at www.bpn.fm/ycst and writer/director of Red Pill.

CIARA RENÉE

Ciara Renée‘s career includes Broadway’s Frozen, Big Fish, Pippin, and the world premiere of Disney’s The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. On television, she has starred in Facebook’s Strangers, Netflix’s Master Of None, CBS’s Big Bang Theory, CW’s Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow, and Flash. She also played Peggy/Maria in the final lab of Hamilton and co-directed (with Michael Dallatorre) the short documentary, Beating The Odds: Children’s Defense Fund Of California. On top of that she is also a writer, EP, and co-director of the short film Reddy Records.

Guest Stars:

CHUCK COOPER

Chuck Cooper is a Tony Award winner for THE LIFE and is best known for Amen Corner, Passion, Getting Away With Murder, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Chicago, Caroline, Or Change, Finian’s Rainbow and Amazing Grace.

LILLI COOPER

Lilli Cooper starred in Broadway’s Tootsie, for which she received a Tony Nomination, Spongebob Squarepants, Wicked, and Spring Awakening. On television, she has starred in Dynasty (The Cw), Bull, Instinct, Elementary, The Code and The Good Fight (CBS).

JAY ARMSTRONG JOHNSON

Jay Armstrong Johnson, known as one of Broadway’s most versatile triple threats has appeared in FIVE Broadway shows including the Tony-Award winning revival of Hair, Catch Me If You Can, Hands On A Hardbody, On The Town, for which he won a Drama Desk Award and Phantom Of The Opera. Johnson also starred on TV in ABC Studios’ Quanitco.

NIK WALKER

Nik Walker led the Broadway cast of Ain’t Too Proud and starred in Hamilton, Motown The Musical, Peter And The Starcatcher and TV’s Law And Order Svu. Walker is also the playwright behind The Bloody Boston Trilogy and cohost of The Chaos Twins.

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTT

Michael James Scott starred in Disney’s Aladdin as the Genie, as well as Something Rotten, The Book Of Mormon, Mamma Mia, Tarzan, All Shook Up, The Pirate Queen, Elf and Hair.

TELLY LEUNG

Telly Leung, star of Broadway’s Aladdin, has been recognized for his notable work in Rent, Flower Drum Song, Pacific Overtures, Godspell, Allegiance and TV’s Glee.

JON RUA

Jon Rua originated roles in Hamilton, The Spongebob Musical and In The Heights and starred on screen in Blacklist, Blue Bloods and Law And Order. Rua is also a celebrated choreographer and founder of The Grit.

PAUL OAKLEY STOVALL

Hamilton star Paul Oakley Stovall, best known for Columbus (2020) Shortbus (2006) and Buffalo (2019), is an actor, activist, and president of KernoFortoProductions. Stovall was also a staff writer on season four of the critically acclaimed STARZ series, Survivor’s Remorse.

YAEL SILVER, MARISSA LYNN DANIEL, WILL VAN MOSS

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with Tony-Award winning producer Yael Silver and Will Van Moss will produce this event. Jordan Leigh Auriemma and Adriana Shaw will associate produce.

Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins will come together with Frozen star Ciara Renée for an exclusive one-on-one discussion about Tonya’s upcoming socio-political horror film Red Pill.

Red Pill is Pinkins’ first feature film, which she has written, directed and produced. The television, film and Broadway star decided to step behind the camera and use her voice as an artist and storyteller to paint a vivid picture of the grave repercussions that the current political climate in America has on the country’s people.

The film features the work of a talented cast and crew, including eight-time Grammy award winning Latin music star Rubén Blades (Fear the Walking Dead), Catherine Curtain (Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, Homeland), Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Tonya Pinkins (Fear The Walking Dead, Madame Secretary), Colby Minifie (The Boys, Fear the Walking Dead), Luba Mason (Person of Interest, NYPD Blue), Jake O’Flaherty (Criminal Minds, Shameless) and Adesola Osakalumi (Sex & The City 2, Ice).

‘It’s Halloween weekend just days before the 2020 election. An intersectional posse of progressive canvassers drive to Virginia to get out the vote. As soon as they cross the state line it is clear they are not welcome. Distressing clues indicate that they should get out of their rental house while the getting is good. They decide to stay, armed with their heart, humor and naiveté. But what they really need is heavy artillery.’ – Red Pill 2020

KATHRYN ERBE, TONYA PINKINS AND LUBA MASON IN ‘RED PILL’. © GREG NANAMURA

Pinkins explains, ‘I wrote my own personal Get Out. #Uprising2020 is White people waking up to the world Black and Brown folks have always known. Black women are intimately familiar with Becky and Karen, White women, who on the low end of the spectrum treat us as invisible, and on the high end weaponize their whiteness and sometimes cost us our lives. Red Pill‘s #Karengonewild is a dose of what’s coming to America if liberal Whites don’t wake up.’

Red Pill is currently in post-production and is set for release this autumn.

For more information, visit: http://redpillmovie2020.com/

Marissa Lynn Daniel, along with producing partner Jordan Leigh Auriemma, will produce this event with the support of Brielle Dulce Perez, Adriana Miriah Shaw, Grace Elizabeth Antinori, Shane Glenn Vickers, Christopher Ryan Quiroz and James Rushin.

The event will take place on the 1^st of August, 3PM EST.

Tickets cost $15 and proceeds will go towards the funding of Red Pill.

Register now at marissalynnstudios.com

Like most of us these days, the triple-threat Broadway icon is constantly looking for ways to keep herself busy during lockdown whilst observing social distancing guidelines.

I call on a quiet Friday afternoon and find Ms Rivera in good spirits at her home in Upstate New York. She cheerfully recalls her mother’s futile pleas for her to rest. ‘My mother, if she were alive, would be very happy that I’m taking naps in the afternoon. She tried to get me through my entire life to take a nap. And I would never ever do that. Well, now I’m taking naps and I’m not so sure I like that!’, she laughs.

CHITA RIVERA. PHOTO BY LAURA MARIE DUNCAN

Her daughter, the singer, dancer and choreographer Lisa Mordente is by her side during this period. Lisa is Ms Rivera’s ‘most treasured production’ and the only Shark/Jet baby in history. Despite director Jerome Robbins’ strict demand back in the day for the Sharks and the Jets [West Side Story’s two rival gangs] to refrain from associating with one another in order to create more tension on stage, Ms Rivera ended up marrying Tony Mordente – a Jet.

Chita Rivera is very fond of England and has returned to this country time and again throughout her impressive career. She has performed on numerous occasions including in ‘West Side Story’, ‘Bye Bye Birdie’, ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’, and most recently played two exclusive concerts at Cadogan Hall in 2019, as part of her solo tour.

When asked about her fondest memory of her time in England, she enthusiastically remembers having met HRM Queen Elizabeth ll, but that having ‘had a life as full as I’ve been blessed to have’, it’s difficult to choose only one. ‘I like the people of England and the theatre there. People go to the theatre. They sit and they listen and they really have an understanding of what they’re going to see. I appreciate that.’, she explains.

CHITA RIVERA IN ‘KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN’. PHOTO BY CATHERINE ASHMORE

Ms Rivera continues, ‘My daughter was a year old the first time we went there and the second time, with Birdie, she was three years old. Each one of those shows was a big hit and the audiences were wonderful. I’ve had the opportunity to not just work in England, but to live, have neighbours, and have a life there. We have many many friends in England.’

During the London production of ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ in 1992, she met Mr Harry Gabriel, Shaftesbury Theatre’s beloved stage doorkeeper, for whom a handful of distinguished artists, including Ms Rivera, will be performing an online concert on 15 July, to celebrate his 40-year career. ‘I love Harry! You walk through that door and the very first face you see is Harry’s face. It’s the most welcoming, the warmest and the sweetest introduction to your evening that you can possibly have. It does help when the first person you see is a welcoming sight. And he enables you to really do a wonderful show!’, she exclaims.

CHITA RIVERA IN ‘WEST SIDE STORY’. PHOTO BY MARTHA SWOPE. ©NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Ms Rivera made history by originating and shaping the roles of Anita in ‘West Side Story’ (1957) and Velma Kelly in ‘Chicago’ (1975), both of which secured Oscars for Rita Moreno and Catherine Zeta-Jones, respectively, who went on to portray the characters on screen.

She landed the leading role in ‘West Side Story’, the ground-breaking musical by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, back in 1957. Having brought ‘passion, motherly instinct and devilish humour’ to the role of Anita, she credits Leonard Bernstein, in no small part, for her singing abilities.

Bernstein had invited Ms Rivera to his apartment to help her inhabit the role of Anita musically. ‘He taught me to appreciate and understand the music itself. And he went through it with me, note for note. He actually, I can almost say, taught me how to sing. His personality was a warm and friendly one and he made me feel as though I could do this amazing music. I was very nervous at first, but he made me comfortable. He was not so superior that I felt as though I couldn’t do it. He put me on the same level as himself and I felt as though I was the right person for that music. So it was exciting to sit next to him and feel his energy and understand his music.’, she recalls.

CHITA RIVERA & COMPANY IN ‘THE VISIT‘ (2015). PHOTO BY THOM KAINE

Ms Rivera’s voice adopts a sad tone when asked about the great playwright Terrence McNally, whom we’ve lost to coronavirus earlier this year. She talks about him in the present tense, as if he’d never left us, and declares that, ‘Terrence McNally is a great playwright. He is brilliant. He taught me how to speak his language, how to have faith in myself, and how to play in this wonderful piece of theatre called ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ and get good reviews out of it. It was brilliantly written, therefore every night I went into that theatre was an exceptional evening for me.’

‘The Visit’, the final musical collaboration between Terrence McNally, composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, added more awards to Chita Rivera’s impressive résumé. ‘The Visit was extraordinary! He writes very well for Kander and Ebb, and obviously he writes wonderfully for me. It was a very exciting time in my life. It was a complicated show, a very dark musical, but he made the audiences understand what the play was all about. Some people misunderstood it and thought it was a play about death. We thought the play was really about love. But that’s what’s so great about theatre. You go to the theatre and you have your own interpretation.’, she says.

CHITA RIVERA SOLO AT CADOGAN HALL, LONDON, 10 FEB 2019. PHOTO BY DARREN BELL

With her upcoming shows being postponed due to the pandemic, Ms Rivera keeps herself busy by doing virtual shows and interviews. Over the past few months, she has made a few online appearances to fundraise for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, The Actors Fund, recently raising over $100K for Broadway Cares’ COVID-19 Emergency Efforts during the stream of her October 2013 concert, ‘Chita: A Legendary Celebration’. The 2013 benefit concert for Broadway Cares, which took place at the August Wilson Theatre, originally raised around $500K at the time, bringing Chita: A Legendary Celebration’s performance total to over $600K.

Notwithstanding the technical difficulties that come with such endeavours, she accepts that, for now, this is the only way ‘you can express yourself and explain how your experience has been’.

Her advice to everyone who is struggling during ‘this time of confusion’ is to find ways to make their own lives interesting. ‘We find out more about ourselves by delving into our own conscience. It’s very hard but you have to look forward to waking up in the morning and finding something constructive about your life and about your work.’, Ms Rivera reflects. ‘This pandemic is making us aware of each other much more than we have been. I think it’s turning into a less selfish time and it’s making us realize how fortunate we have been in our lives by thinking about other people, not just ourselves.’

CHITA RIVERA, GWEN VERDON, CHICAGO, 1975. PHOTO BY MARTHA SWOPE. ©THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Despite admitting that the business has changed drastically since she started her career, Ms Rivera is adamant that one thing did remain the same. ‘You have to accept the fact that times change but the wonderful thing about the theatre is that it’s alive. Audiences are very smart and very aware of when you’re being truthful and when you’re being phoney. So I think the theatre forces us to be honest.’, she elaborates. ‘This pandemic is a whole ‘nother bag of beans. We have to wait until this is over to find out how our theatre is going to be done. We’re not in charge and, in a way, that’s good.’

For any individuals who are looking to pursue this career, Ms Rivera has one simple piece of advice: ‘They have to have patience with themselves and get to learn as much as they can about the business and about other people. But most of all, I think they have to have faith in themselves, in what they want to do and how they want to express themselves.’

One of Broadway’s greatest legends, with numerous iconic roles under her belt, Chita Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history having earned ten nominations, won twice and received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. In 2009, she was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and in 2002, the coveted Kennedy Center Honor. In 2018, Ms Rivera was honoured as a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.

CHITA RIVERA & DICK VAN DYKE IN ‘BYE BYE BIRDIE’. PHOTO BY FRIEDMAN-ABELES

Looking back at her illustrious career, Chita Rivera proudly declares that if she had the opportunity to go back in time and do it all over again, she wouldn’t change a thing. She explains, ‘This is what I tell the kids: “Your eyes are meant to see, your ears are meant to listen and your mouth is made to speak. You’ve got to use them all.” Hopefully, you use them in the best of ways. But you must see, listen and speak. And I think I did all of that. I was extremely obedient as a performer, and by listening and seeing I learned so much not just about the theatre, but about my life. So I don’t think I would do things differently. And I think that’s a blessing.’

She continues, ‘I can honestly say I’m one of the luckiest performers in the world because I came at a very full time, The Golden Age, when the theatre was alive and well and there was a piece of good theatre in most theatres. I worked with some of the greatest and most creative people: Jerome Robbins, Jerry Herman, Michael Kidd, Jack Cole. And they’re a part of my being now.’

Ms Rivera was interviewed, together with her long-time friend and colleague, Graciela Daniele, for Khadifa Wong’s upcoming documentary ‘Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance’, which is a cinematic exploration of the art form of jazz dance. ‘Graciela is a great gift and a great talent. She is a great director and this is a girl that has been through much in her life and she has now put it back into the theatre. She is like my soul sister. We’re hoping this piece will be successful.’, she concludes.

‘Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance’ is set to be released on 20 July.

Chita Rivera will make a guest appearance on the online training platform, Bridge to Broadway, on Wednesday, 1 July, at 6pm BST/1pm EDT. Her fans, as well as up and coming industry professionals, will get the unique chance to learn more about her career and ask her questions during the Q&A segment of the masterclass.

Broadway veteran Erik Liberman, noted for his impressive career on Broadway and off, as well as on the small screen (‘War Paint’, ‘The Band’s Visit’, ‘LoveMusik’, ‘Modern Family’, ‘Vinyl’), talked with The Cinematic Journal about the way he approaches each role, how he deals with stage fright and some of his most memorable roles in productions such as ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, and the musical finale of the hit TV series ‘Transparent’.

The actor, director, author, and educator has been keeping busy during the lockdown, having decided to give something back to the community during these challenging times. Together with producer Marissa Lynn Daniel, he launched Bridge to Broadway, an online training platform that connects young industry professionals with a star-studded line-up of seasoned mentors.

ERIK LIBERMAN. PHOTO BY MARK ODGERS

Do you remember your first encounter with the performing arts, that precise moment when you thought, ‘I belong in this world’?

Two things come to mind. The first is that my mother, on my sixth or seventh birthday, took me to the Riverboat Playhouse where they performed children’s shows. That filled me with wonder and ignited my imagination.

Then there was a commercial for The Coconut Grove Children’s Theatre which featured a bunch of kids my age in costumes. I remember turning to my grandmother when she asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ and I said, ‘In there!’ pointing to the television [laughs].

I remember calling the Children’s Theatre many times and when they picked up, I hung up because I was afraid. Finally, my father got me an audition through a friend of his who knew the Artistic Director, Corky Dozier, and I got in. It changed my life.

Before that, I typed a letter to the producers of ‘The Sunday Funnies Show’ because I wanted to read comics to kids on TV and ended up doing that… So it was very much a confluence of events at around five or six years old, I would say.

ERIK LIBERMAN IN ‘THE BAND’S VISIT’. PHOTO BY AHRON R. FOSTER

Did that period foreshadow the genres you’d end up gravitating towards? 

I don’t think at five or six there is an awareness of ‘genre,’ per se. There’s just a question of wanting to be part of something larger than yourself and seeing if you have something to offer. It’s an investigative time.

When you are offered a role, which boxes does it need to tick in order for you to say, ‘This is for me’?

I would say that when a role coincides with my humanity in a way that will help me grow, I go for it. And hopefully, there are collaborators involved who have a commitment to cutting edge work and to telling a story that hasn’t been told before, at least not in the way they’re imagining it.

In terms of musicals, you’ve portrayed quite a few memorable roles in ‘War Paint,’ ‘The Band’s Visit,’ ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ and ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ to name a few. How did you find the connection with them? Did you identify with any of those characters in real life?

All of them. If I can’t identify with a character, I can’t play it.

In the case of ‘The Band’s Visit,’ it was the character’s longing — reaching for something larger than himself — with which I connected. I think that’s an urge we all contain.

‘War Paint’ was tougher because the man I played was quite destructive. I had to work backwards from those behaviours, considering his early misfortunes and how those can colour the roads we take.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ I avoided for a long time because it was a world my grandparents lived through which I wasn’t eager to revisit. Once I took the part, however, I felt the presence of my beloved grandfather every night, particularly during the exodus.

‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ — absolutely. That was a human who learned to entertain the masses in order to deal with the pain of being marginalized, as the Romani people were and continue to be.

ERIK LIBERMAN AND RENA STROBER IN ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

Going back to Fiddler, having eventually played in it, did the experience help you come to terms with your grandparents’ history?

Yes.

I feel that as actors, our job is to play characters as far from ourselves as possible in order to widen our purview of the human experience — so for a while, I avoided roles that were close to my history. But Fiddler forced me to embrace that history— and in fact I grew stronger for it.

Then again, you can’t help but feel embraced by such a brilliantly constructed show. We were held in the sturdy palms of Jerome Robbins, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein, three of whom I had the privilege of meeting.

Do you have a dream role that perhaps you are afraid of taking on?

 Not afraid, no, because I think there’s universal design to which parts find us and when. But I do have a particular affinity for two characters: Georges Seurat in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ and Shakespeare’s ‘Richard II.’

I’ve also written a lot lately which has been fun because as actors, we tend to look toward other creators to ascribe the secrets of our hearts and liberate us. At the moment, I am enjoying unlocking those doors myself.

How do you combat stage fright?

Before I go on stage, I summon everyone on whose shoulders I stand: my teachers, living and passed, my family, my role models. I thank them and say a blessing asking that everyone in the theatre be met with whatever it is they came to receive at that performance. When I feel ensconced in that matrix of appreciation, there’s less fear. Another means of combating fear is meditation — connecting with something larger than ourselves which transcends our individual concern as to whether or not people approve of us.

“The best thing we can do is gather the courage to step aside and be borrowed. That’s vulnerability.”

As a performer, how do you feel the ego and vulnerability intersect?

I think of the ego as this tender membrane designed to protect a finite instrument — the mind — from feeling obsolete in the face of the infinite. And what are things that render the mind obsolete? Love, nature and art, because we can’t quantify the magnitude of these phenomena.

For example, singing ‘Answer Me’ at the end of ‘The Band’s Visit’ was terrifying because it was everything that I am – my heart and soul laid bare. But once you hitch a ride on that material, something larger takes over and, much as our ego would like to take credit for it, we can’t. The best thing we can do is gather the courage to step aside and be borrowed. That’s vulnerability.

ERIK LIBERMAN IN ‘WAR PAINT’. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

Do you find getting into character on stage similar or different to getting into character in front of the camera?

On stage, there’s more time for research and I love that — deep-diving into a character then testing that homework in rehearsal. And, in a few weeks’ time, we all test our work before audiences.

On television, it’s a faster process. The prep is compressed, but you’re ready because the fast-twitch muscles required for TV are borne of the marathon muscles developed onstage.

MICHAEL ARDEN AS QUASIMODO AND ERIK LIBERMAN AS CLOPIN TROUILLEFOU IN ‘THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME’. PHOTO BY JERRY DALIA

A little bird told me you love to sing. Having worked on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ which features gorgeous music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, how was that experience for you from a singing perspective and do you have a favourite musical moment?

The majesty of that music washes over you in such an oceanic way, you can’t not be affected by Alan and Stephen’s exquisite creation!

That said, it was a tricky show for me because that’s when I was diagnosed with a hearing disorder — which was frightening but allowed me to understand why I had learned to work in certain unorthodox ways before and how I could navigate more effectively going forward.

“I’ve travelled in groups where none of us spoke the same language but we all sang around a fire. We taught each other a tune, we may not have understood the words but we felt the connectivity… that’s one reason I love music and musicals.”

As for favourite moments, near the end of the show, Michael Arden [the actor who played Quasimodo] recites a passage drawn from the novel about the hunchback ‘spooning’ the body of Esmeralda and their bodies turning to dust.

After that passage, Clopin’s theme is reprised and I had this idea — I think it was my idea — to ask our director, Scott Schwartz, if I could [exhales deeply] exhale with the company to sort of blow the dust, the star-stuff, of Quasimodo and Esmeralda into the ether.

It was then that we invited the audience to open themselves to the deeper meaning of the story… a near-silent moment in the midst of all this magnificent music that allowed us to step back from what had been invoked and reflect.

Hunchback is filled with such moments… There’s a lyric, ‘Could there be a country kinder to our race?’ which always touched me and there’s a song called ‘Someday,’ which is an anthem for anyone who has felt ostracised, marginalized, excluded…

I was in the car the other day when Erik Satie’s ‘Gymnopédie No. 1’ came on and I was unexpectedly moved. I thought, ‘How amazing that humans can assign notes to a page so long ago and we can still connect with them today!’

 I’ve travelled in groups where none of us spoke the same language but we all sang around a fire. We taught each other a tune, we may not have understood the words but we felt the connectivity… that’s one reason I love music and musicals.

ERIK LIBERMAN, LESLI MARGHERITA, JUDITH LIGHT AND JO LAMPERT IN ‘TRANSPARENT: MUSICALE FINALE’. PHOTO BY NICOLE WILDER

You appeared in the unexpected musical finale of Amazon’s ground-breaking series ‘Transparent’. What attracted you to this show?

From the moment I saw ‘Transparent’, I thought, ‘This is a show I have to be on because this is addressing something I haven’t seen before.’ At the same time, I thought, ‘I’ll never be on that show because Jay Duplass already is and we sort of cancel each other out visually [laughs].’ But something inside me knew that I had to be on it – just like when I was a kid – and I kept saying, ‘I’m going to be on “Transparent”’ and people would ask, ‘When?’ and I’d say, ‘Don’t know, but soon!’ [laughs]

In the end, it all came together magically. I met Faith Soloway, the composer and a producer on the show, at a concert of her work at Joe’s Pub in New York. We kept in touch and eventually, she asked if I’d be interested in participating in the workshop of a Transparent musical. We weren’t sure if it would make it to the stage or screen but blessedly, it did.

In April 2018, we played musical versions of the Pfeffermans in a concert at Joe’s Pub. Then, in early 2019, we shot the finale. Judith Light’s character casts us as doppelgangers of her kids, which helps heal her relationship with her actual kids… It was very ‘meta’!

Like holding a mirror up to nature.

Yes! Exactly.

Jay [Duplass] was so wonderful in that — and I was very sensitive to him, because I didn’t want to step on his toes in any way. But he could not have been more magnanimous. For a moment, though, it did feel like the Sharks and the Jets during ‘West Side Story’ rehearsals, when Jerome Robbins didn’t want them to talk to each other so there was tension in the air! In our case, I think that led to a lot of comedy.

ERIK LIBERMAN AND JAY DUPLASS TRANSPARENT LOS ANGELES PREMIERE PHOTO BY JEREMY BOROS

You recently launched Bridge to Broadway, an online training platform connecting young professionals with Broadway mentors. Can you tell me more about the initiative?

They say, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ and that was very much the case! Bridge to Broadway was sparked by a need to pivot in the face of the pandemic, which we thought would last a week or two. I had concerts and classes scheduled in New York, all of which were cancelled, so I reached out to a few friends and asked, ‘Do you want to teach?’ Then we realized that this was going to last longer than any of us expected and the program grew from there.

We offered the first 48 classes as ‘pay what you can, if you can,’ and began donating a portion of proceeds to The Actors Fund and Black Lives Matter… The most powerful thing I’ve observed over the last four months is the sense of global citizenship that has emerged as a result of these exchanges. There are students who wake up in the dead of night from all over the world to meet their mentors — and for most participants, they’ve never had face-to-face contact with artists like these before. It’s been a joy to facilitate.

Are you currently working on any projects that we should be on the lookout for?

I’ve spent much of the last two years writing a pilot and a book and am now producing a documentary.

The spiritual density of everything happening right now can sometimes just force me – and I don’t think I’m alone in this – into submission. And then I come out and say, ‘Hey, wait a moment, you’ve got something to offer.’

“The planet has been brought to its knees in a way. I feel that this inability to go out and shine as performers onstage and on set forces us to shine as human beings in real life and ask ourselves, ‘Why am I here?’ — then align with that deeper mission.”

Bridge to Broadway has been a real lifesaver because it’s a place to show up every day and engage in larger conversations — and a lot of opportunities have sprung from that.

It feels like a new world right now, or maybe it’s the same world with a lot of buried truths coming to light. Either way, the narrative is being rewritten and appropriately so.

Perhaps, similarly to what you did with ‘Transparent,’ this pandemic is raising a mirror.

I think that’s perfectly put.

It’s all a mirror that allows us to ask, ‘How can I be of service?’ When I coach someone, the first thing I ask is, ‘How can I best support you?’ because I really don’t know. I don’t know if any of us knows what it truly means to support each other — but maybe, finally, we’ve become humble enough to ask.

The planet has been brought to its knees in a way. I feel that this inability to go out and shine as performers on stage and set forces us to shine as human beings in real life and ask ourselves, ‘Why am I here?’ — then align with that deeper mission.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has chosen Krishnendu Majumdar as chair—the first person of colour to hold the highly esteemed position in BAFTA’s 73 years of activity, and the youngest in 35 years. The decision was announced at the BAFTA’s recent digital Annual General Meeting.

Known for ‘An Idiot Abroad’ (2010-2012) and ‘Sick of It’ (2018-2020), Mr Majumdar served as deputy chair for one year prior to this appointment. His tenure as chair will last three years, which is a newly revised and extended term for all future BAFTA chairs. Pippa Harris of ‘1917’ (2019) fame, whom he succeeds, will stay on as deputy chair.

KRISHNENDU MAJUMDAR, ©BAFTA

‘This year has been a difficult and turbulent time for many in our industry, working with Pippa, BAFTA’s talented and committed staff and membership, I want BAFTA to be at the heart of rebuilding the industry post-COVID’, Mr Majumdar said in a statement.

He added: ‘It is vital to ensure that we support people of all backgrounds, races and genders. Diversity and inclusion are crucial for the lifeblood of BAFTA, and we will continue to be a leader for real change across our industry.’

Pippa Harris offered her own thoughts on this selection. ‘I am delighted that Krish has been elected as deputy chair of BAFTA. He has been a passionate supporter and advocate of our work for many years, especially our learning and new talent initiatives. I’m looking forward to working closely with him over what promises to be an exciting year ahead.’

Carol Reed, David Lean and Richard Attenborough are among previous BAFTA chairs.