Entertainment

Author : Brent WarnkenAt Home at the Zoo is a play by Edward Albee, a man claimed by many to be America’s greatest living playwright The play combines Albee’s landmark play The Zoo Story, which he wrote in 1959, with its prequel Hornelife The Zoo Story birthed the American absurdist drama, which is now seen in many forms on stage today In many ways the playwright has made it his duty to fly in the face of social convention, by uncovering the ways in which American society may not be as wonderful as it appears

Originally titled Peter and Jerry the play begins with Peter and his wife discussing their marriage, children and their pet Later, in the second act, he is reading on a bench in Central Park, soon Jerry comes along He is an odd and talkative stranger whose interaction with Peter eventually becomes dangerous The play offers a fresh look at Albee, giving a more mature perspective to the man who wrote The Zoo Story when he was still a young playwright, just starting out At Home at the Zoo tickets are currently available for San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, California Performances begin in June, and the first tickets available online are for June 5, 2009

Edward Albee was born on March 12, 1928, in Washington, D C He was adopted as an infant by Reed Albee, the son of a powerful American Vaudeville producer who Edward got his name from The family was very affluent and Albee often clashed with his mother, who wanted to mold him to fit the respectable persona of their Larchmont New York social scene When he was 20 he moved to Greenwich Village, where he started out with a number of odd-jobs before he managed to finally bring in a big hit with The Zoo Story The story is about a drifter who acts out his own murder with the unwitting aid of a respectable upper-middle-class editor

The Zoo Story was followed by The Sandbox the same year, and then by The American Dream in 1960 It was The Zoo Story that earned Albee acclaim as the leader of a new theatrical movement, bringing him comparisons with the likes Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill, however, his style connects him more closely with European playwrights like Harold Pinter The playwright mixes realism and surrealism, in a manner that leaves the audience wondering which theme was more prominent

Over the years Albee has won an astounding three Pulitzer Prizes The first was in 1967 for A Delicate Balance, a play in which two characters carry a mysterious psychic plague In 1975 he won the award for Seascape, a play in which an elderly couple comes in contact with two human-sized sea creatures The third award was in 1994 for Three Tall Women, in which separate characters on stage turn out to be the same character at different stages of her life Edward Albee was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for The Play About the Baby in 2001 and The Goat or Who is Sylvia?This article was sponsored by StubHub. StubHub sells At Home at the Zoo tickets as well as tickets to many other theatrical performances, sports, concerts and special events.

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Author : Brent WarnkenNot long ago hit comic Robin Williams had to cancel his show when he began to complain of shortness of breath, it was discovered that he was in need of heart valve replacement surgery The actor/comedian had a successful operation to replace his aortic valve on March 13th, according to publicists The recovery time is expected to span about eight weeks Thankfully the comedian has a strong heart Robins was forced to cancel his one-man comedy tour Weapons of Self Destruction, fans are now waiting to hear the final word on whether Robin Williams tickets will become available once more this coming autumn

Following his surgery Williams was reportedly already entertaining the medical team Insiders are now predicting that the surgery will offer Williams a wealth of new material for the coming fall He has been quoted as saying “I got some great new material for the tour and can’t wait to get back on the road I’m thinking the next leg of the tour will be ‘Weapons of Self-Destruction and Reconstruction!’” Williams has often used his personal struggles as material for his comedy performances One blogger from eonline predicted jokes that would include references to waking up from anesthesia sometime in the future, dancing like Beyonce, and wondering if his new aortic valve (made from pig tissue) is kosher

While Robin Williams has had his fair share of personal struggles, he has always used his personal life as fuel for his stand-up routine From his struggle with drug addiction came some favorite jokes Lines like “Do you think God gets stoned? I think so just look at the platypus ” And “Reality is just a crutch for people who can’t cope with drugs ” William’s ability to take his own life and use it for comedic purposes is one of the many reasons that his fans love him so much He takes life’s most serious and difficult situations and shows the humor in them, however wry, and it helps people to realize that these hard circumstances can be survived and even have a humorous side to them

Since he first flew to fame as the comic alien Mork in Mork & Mindy, Robin William’s talent as an actor and comedian has been undeniable His fame has reached incredible heights, and he is greatly loved by his fans Over the years he has won many awards, most notably Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Good Will Hunting He has also been nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the films The Fisher King, Dead Poets Society and Good Morning Vietnam

Robin Williams is wished a speedy recovery from the many fans that have enjoyed his comedy and his films over the years In recent years his films have been greatly enjoyed, 2009 releases include: World’s Greatest Dad, Old Dogs, and Prince of Providence He is also appearing in Shrink starring Kevin Spacey and he will be reappearing as Teddy Roosevelt in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Fans eagerly await Robin’s return to the stage, and tickets are certain to be scarce, so those of you who have trouble accessing them, be sure to check online This article was sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub sells Robin Williams tickets as well as tickets to many other theatrical performances, concerts, sports and special events.

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Author : Robert WilsonOnce upon a time, well, 1973 to be exact, a cop woke up after a terrible car accident to find himself barely injured Trouble was, when he had his accident it was the year 2006 Hmm Strange

So Sam Tyler, a Detective Inspector from Hyde, Greater Manchester, found himself reporting for duty at the same police station he had left in 2006 but this time with no computers, no cell-phones, nobody he knows, just a stranger sitting in his office, with outdated ideas of strong arm policing, totally alien to Sam’s 21st Century attitude That stranger is Gene Hunt, who will become Sam’s boss, a larger than life character who would think nothing of beating up a suspect, and often does

Of course, Sam wonders what the hell has happened to him? Is he imagining all this? Is he in a coma back in 2006 and is his brain playing out some weird scene? Has he really somehow slipped back in time? All this action takes place in “Life On Mars” the amazingly gripping BBC series launched on an unsuspecting British public back in 2006

An American version of the series was launched in 2008 on ABC, and while the first couple of episodes remained loyal to the original BBC script, and most characters names remained the same, later episodes veered away from the original and the American audience didn’t take to it in sufficient numbers to save it for a second season, so the episode airing April 1st was the series finale

Back in the U K , “Life On Mars” lasted two seasons, admittedly each of just eight episodes, but spawned a spin-off featuring three of the main “Life On Mars” characters, now set some 8 years further on in the early 1980s, where another 21st century cop, this time Detective Inspector Alex Drake, a very liberated female officer, finds herself face to face with Gene Hunt, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton after being shot in 2008

Alex had been working on Sam Tyler’s case file ‘back’ in 2008 and knew all about his 1970s adventure with these same policemen so is convinced that she too is in a coma and her brain is recreating characters she had been reading about in Sam’s reports With the demise of the USA version of “Life On Mars” it’s very unlikely that there will ever be an American version of “Ashes To Ashes”, so fans of the series will be pleased to know that it is now being shown on BBC America

Both “Life On Mars” and “Ashes To Ashes” are songs by David Bowie “Life On Mars” was playing on Sam Tyler’s iPod in 2006 and also on a car radio cassette player when he ‘woke up’ in 1973 Both series gave the producers the opportunity of playing some magnificent music from the seventies and eighties Fan forums are buzzing with questions like “What songs were played on last night’s “Life On Mars?” or “Who sang “Love Action” on “Ashes To Ashes”? Soundtracks from both series have proved to be very popular

In my opinion, both shows have created some of the most fascinating and gripping TV in recent years Bob Wilson writes extensively on TV and Music for TunesOnTheTube.tv and AshesToAshesSoundtrack.com among many others.

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Author : David UrmannAre you looking for a place where you can have a gathering for special occasion? Is this gathering a big one with a hundred guests invited? Well if you are, then you are looking for a nice Banquet Hall where you can have you big gatherings

A banquet hall is a room where you can have a party, reception, banquet or other events and gatherings These are found in buildings, hotels and restaurants There are also apartment buildings and condo associations that have Banquet halls

Here are the three famous banquet halls in Phoenix:

Arizona Elegant Catering

This is one banquet hall at the Phoenix Lodge They have full service catering those event organizers like you needs Here are some of the details for their Banquet hall

it has the capacity to handle up to five hundred people in one banquet event Their place is fully air conditioned, with a total of two rooms for this banquet hall The banquet hall has a dance floor

They have south lawn, outdoor patios and pool areas for all kinds of occasion and gatherings They can handle up to a maximum of two events a day The garden is frequented for photo ops because of the beautiful landscape

Their rate from Sundays to Fridays is three hundred fifty US dollars and six hundred US dollars on Saturdays They also offer separate cocktail room They offer only on house catering which are American, Italian and Mexican Cuisines

The visitors can bring their own outdoor drinks and food The place has a kitchen area and cold storage There is guaranteed enough tables to fill up a big event The rental cycle per banquet hall is from eight in the morning to two in the afternoon and from four in the afternoon to twelve midnight

ASA Banquet Hall

This is located at the Thomas Road They have the beautifully remodeled facilities It has been remodeled just this year and they have made great renovations of their banquet hall

Their hall can also be use as a reception hall This is fully air conditioned The maximum capacity that it can handle is one hundred fifty persons It has two number of rooms but it can only handle a maximum of one event per day It has no patio and no garden but guests do not mind as they are drawn already to the magnificence of the interiors

There is a separated cocktail room so if the event is just cocktails, they are willing to handle the event, Outdoor drinks and food are strictly not allowed There is a kitchen and cold storage available Guests can bring their own DJ, band and caterer

Azteca Banquet Hall

This is one banquet hall perfect for all types of events, be it small or big They have been quoted as the perfect hall for various events The place is fully air conditioned, and with a total capacity of three hundred persons They have dance floor

The number of room is only one so it can only cater one event per day There are no gardens or patio There is no separate cocktail room so they do not accept cocktail only No outdoor drink and food are allowed They have kitchen and cold storage They offer only the place, no catering is offered so guests have to bring their own caterer and menus

These are just some of the banquet halls that are available in phoenix There are many more that are available for you to choose where your occasions can be held For more information on Banquet Halls in Nebraska and Banquet Facilities in Columbus, TXplease visit our website.

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Author : Brent WarnkenForbidden Broadway is one of the most entertaining live music experiences that you might ever have the pleasure of attending This May the SNL meets Broadway experience is destined to bring you one laugh after another as you enjoy this fantastic roast of Broadway’s most entertaining shows This amazing event will have you laughing all through the night Watch these brilliant parodies of some of Broadways most famous, and infamous, shows, all compiled from the mind of Gerard Alessandrini

Forbidden Broadway has existed ever since 1982 to make fond fun of all that happens on Broadway, and remind that stellar institution of theater arts not to take its shows too seriously The show roasts Broadway through parody presentations of songs from different shows, as interpreted by Alessandrini The show has now celebrated a 27 year reign off-Broadway, and after the two months of the Forbidden Broadway Greatest Hits it is going to be going away whether it will be gone permanently or not remains unknown, but many hope that the show will return in all its hilarious glory someday in the future The show recently celebrated a fantastic run of the latest creation; titled Forbidden Broadway goes to Rehab in 2008

Past songs for the show include “The Be-Littled Mermaid (Part of Your World)” which begins with the verse: “Look at my tail, isn’t it neat?/Notice they bound up my legs and my feet/Wouldn’t you think I’d be glad/Glad I’m a Broadway Star ” and ends with “Now it’s my turn/I got my wish/But I’m a diva playing a fish/It’s such a shame/Broadway Became/Part Disney World ” To this show nothing is sacred, as long as it appeared on Broadway, and Alessandrini’s musical parodies have brought the house down, not far from Broadway, since the beginning of the ’80s

Gerard Alessandrini has been the mastermind behind the show, writing the lyrics, directing and often performing as well It all started as a simple nightclub act, premiering at Palsson’s Supper Club in 1982, and it began to take off from there It ended up becoming an establishment in New York City, and even the directors, writers and actors that they have parodied have been known to bring their friends in to see the show from time-to-time Eventually it became one of the must-see experiences for theater goers, and everyone seemed to jump on the band wagon So why is the show closing now, after 27 years of fantastic New York supremacy?

Well, Alessandrini has been referenced on the Playbill website as stating that the changing artistic climate of Broadway has led him to make the decision to take a few seasons off He has also been heard to reference what he terms the “Disneyfication” of Broadway The latest show poked fun at South Pacific, In the Heights, August: Osage County, Gypsy, Young Frankenstein and Equus Who knows what will be chose for future fun? But enjoy all the best of past years when you buy your Forbidden Broadway tickets for the Forbidden Broadway Greatest Hits in May and June of this year The show is going to be a blast, and is definitely going to sell out quickly, as it may be several years before we can enjoy Alessandrini’s great parodies on stage again, so check online for your tickets today!This article was sponsored by StubHub. StubHub sells Forbidden Broadway tickets as well as tickets to many other theatrical performances, concerts, sports and special events.

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Author : Brent WarnkenBill Cosby was once quoted as saying “In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure ” He has definitely lived up to his own quote, as today he is one of the most loved comedians in America The story of how he got there is an example of what a big heart, a strong will, and a generous amount of talent can accomplish His comedy and acting career began in 1962 when he began to make appearances at New York’s Gaslight Cafe, where Bill Cosby tickets first became available He was so successful that he left his Alma Mater, Temple University, to pursue a career in entertainment He went on to become the first African American actor to star in a weekly television drama, appearing in I Spy alongside Robert Culp from 1965 to 1968 He was on his way to becoming one of the great American icons of the 20th Century

A year after I Spy went off the air, Cosby was bade the star of his own TV Show, The Bill Cosby Show, which ran from 1969 to 1971 In the show he played the part of Chet Kincaid, a gym teacher at a fictional Los Angeles area high school Today it is known as one of the most underrated television shows in history The show introduced a new kind of comedy, in which an average guy is surrounded by eccentrics Though the show did not air for very long, it laid the groundwork for what would follow

A year later Cosby returned on September 11, 1972, on CBS with The New Bill Cosby Show, considered by some to be his best TV show ever It was a comedy variety show that was fun, funny and featured an all-star list of guest stars These included Peter Sellers, Lily Tomlin, Buddy Hackett, Connie Stevens, Don Rickles, The Smothers Brothers and Teresa Graves to name a few Though the show was excellent and well-put-together, it was given a poor time slot and eventually fizzled out after one season

It was followed by a second attempt at a variety show, Cos, which was presented on television for the first time on September 19, 1976 The idea of this set was to appeal to a younger crowd The show, unfortunately did not last long, finishing on Halloween night All this was leading up to something big, however, and during that time Cosby did have a hit show Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, an animation which ran for 12 years, airing on Saturday mornings It chronicled the educational adventures of a group of Afro-American inner city kids

In 1985, Bill Cosby’s most successful TV show was launched on September 20, 1984 The well-known show featured Cosby as an obstetrician, Dr Heathcliff “Cliff” Huxtable, a man with a gaggle of children and a lovely and down-to-earth wife, played by the wonderful Phylicia Rashad The successful, middle-class, African-American family presented a wholesome and humorous form of entertainment on the screen Over the years the Huxtables raised their children, and had many others coming and going through their house The Cosby Show became the top-rated show in America for five years, ending in 1992 In 2009 is still a fixture in the syndicated-rerun field Today, Bill Cosby is still a favorite comedian, now with a Doctorate in Education Tickets to his shows sell out fast, so make sure that you pick them up online soon while they are still available This article was sponsored by StubHub.com. StubHub sells Bill Cosby tickets as well as tickets to many other theatrical performances, sports, concerts and special events.

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