Time to vote in the Broadway World Regional Awards

Photo by Erik Mclean

The readers of Broadway World have set the nominees, and now voting is open for the 2021 Broadway World Regional Awards worldwide through Dec. 31.

The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between Oct. 1, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021.

Streaming productions are eligible this year in the categories designated as streaming. This year BroadwayWorld is also allowing audiences to vote on which theatres they are most excited to return to, and which productions they are most excited to see.

Winners will be announced in January.

Don't miss out on making sure that favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve! Click here to vote.

NV Producers to LEAP team: "There is no COVID recovery without the local, independent arts industry"

For more information about joining the alliance or other inquiries, visit palsnv.org.

Several independent performing arts organizations in the Las Vegas valley have come together to form the Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada (PALSNV) in a move that is not only long overdue but essential to our region's economic recovery in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After years of deliberation between local theatre makers about organizing a coalition, Kate St-Pierre of The Lab LV reached out to colleagues Troy Heard of Majestic Repertory, Daz Weller of Vegas Theatre Company, Mikey Bilbray Philips of Poor Richard's Players, and Sarah O'Connell from The Asylum Theatre and Eat More Art Vegas to consider the idea. In a matter of 24 hours, producers from an additional dozen companies signed on.

The organization seeks to facilitate cooperation between both commercial and nonprofit stakeholders in the arts, culture, and entertainment industry. Their first collective action was a letter seeking a direct line of communication with the LEAP officials appointed by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak to manage the state's COVID recovery "Nevada United" plan.

The letter:

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August 7, 2020

From: Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada

To: Nevada Local Empowerment Advisory Panel (LEAP)

Re: Independent performing arts orgs ABSENT from LEAP and Nevada United plans

Dear LEAP Panel :

On January 31, 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern and our local, independent production arts industry was the first to take a hit as the corporate event cancellations rolled in due to public health concerns. The total loss of business for the Nevada nonprofit arts and culture sector soon followed with Governor Sisolak’s “Declaration of Emergency” on March 12th, 2020 and mandated social distancing closures.

The recent record-setting 32% drop in GDP comes as no surprise to members of the arts and culture sector. We understand that prior to the pandemic America’s nonprofit Arts industry generated $166.3 billion in activity every year, employed 5.1 million people, and provided $877 billion (4.5 % of GDP) to the U.S. economy, adding more value than transportation, agriculture, or tourism. Performing Arts organizations and independent artists added a combined total of $52.2 billion to the U.S. economy in 2017. In Nevada, this resulted in over 40,900 jobs, $8.7 billion, or 5.5 percent of Nevada's GDP.

According to the “Nevada Creative Industries Report” there were 4,942 arts-related businesses operating in our state in 2017. The Nevada Arts Council, Nevada Humanities, and around 83 individual organizations received a combined total of $1,210,873 of investment from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) CARES funds. Most of these awards were less than $5K. An additional undisclosed amount was awarded by WESTAF to 3 Nevada companies, though none were allowed more than $20K as per their guidelines. Clearly, the federal allocations to Nevada fall short of the billions in arts sector payroll, goods and services, and rent checks now lost due to mandated closures and travel restrictions.

The temporary lifelines offered through SBA grants and loans as well as programs established by Clark County are also insufficient to protect our sector and empower our community’s recovery. Our nonprofit organizations are wrongly excluded from workforce development opportunities reserved solely for commercial businesses (or those without independent contractors) despite our contribution to the overall GDP of our state (see the county Stabilization Grant). Here in Southern Nevada, the City of Las Vegas offers scant resources to its hundreds of independent, local arts organizations and arts-adjacent businesses but many are considered to be a “city problem” due to their location and are disqualified from county initiatives (see the county Retrofit Grant). Our local performing arts groups are prohibited from combining their nominal CARES awards from the NEA and NEH with partial relief from COVID rent programs and forgivable PPP or EIDL loans (see the county Rental Assistance grant).

Loss of revenue is not the only resource that has evaporated from the local arts and culture sector. Many of our nonprofits rely on community partnerships to offer venues for their programming. With restrictions now in place at CCSD and UNLV, there are few affordable options for rehearsal, performance, and meeting space.

In addition to a funding blind spot, our sector is overlooked when it comes to pandemic public health policy. Small venue operators are inappropriately subject to the regulations intended for casino showrooms and large concert arenas, if included at all. This leaves the task of establishing best practices up to us as individual producers. Smaller venues have the best chance of reopening immediately when deemed safe to do so, but we must have specific attention from the LEAP committee to ensure the health of our workers and establish public confidence in the safety of our experiences. As of this moment, smaller, independent arts organizations have not been included in any collaborative conversations with LEAP about the COVID crisis.

It is ironic that the true plight of nonprofits and businesses focused on taking the stage has gone unnoticed by leaders at the state and local level, but under the shadow of the Strip and far from Carson City, this is precisely the case in Southern Nevada. Our local small venues, performing arts organizations, and independent arts industry can no longer withstand the neglect.

Venues may be closed well into 2021 due to safety concerns posed by large gatherings, permanently impacting our entire community’s cultural ecosystem – artists, stagehands, chefs, administrators, educators, production managers, radio/social media/tv/print advertising, event companies, and many others. The common “survival jobs” for Arts workers in the hospitality and service sectors have also been decimated by this crisis and the competition for them will remain an ongoing challenge.

The voters and taxpayers who depend on the arts and event industry for income relied on the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program to pay their bills during these unprecedented times. Arts workers now face instant financial devastation, including eviction due to its expiration which disproportionately impacts communities of color. If our artists lose their homes and hope of a career, we lose their talent and engagement. It is imperative to the social fabric of Southern Nevada and our ability to attract investment that we avoid a “Brain Drain” similar to the aftermath of last decade’s “Great Recession.”

In Southern Nevada, there is no recovery without a specific strategy for our local arts economy. Our diverse population relies on the economic mobility, social cohesion, and opportunity that the independent arts and culture sector provides. Work with us now on a strategy to protect the local arts and culture community and you will empower the most impactful force multiplier we have in Nevada’s economy.

We look forward to speaking with a member of the LEAP panel or your staff as soon as possible to address the needs of your cultural constituency.

Sincerely,

The Producers Alliance of Southern Nevada

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For more information about joining the alliance or other inquiries, visit palsnv.org.

One Day More: Local theatre artists show the unifying power of #VegasBornArts amid adversity

Thankfully for the rest of us, most theatre artists do not give up when times are tough. Their resilience is often fueled by the fellowship of others who courageously join forces as an ensemble and dedicate their energy to a common purpose. Fortunately for our local theatre community, Ray Winters is one local performing artist who was willing to lead the way.

Ray Winters started making theatre in 2009 at Bishop Gorman High School where his performance journey met with early success including a production of Godspell at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, NE. The first-ever "Best Actor" winner of the Nevada High School Musical Theatre Awards at The Smith Center, Winters attended the 5th Annual Jimmy Awards in 2013 along with their professional Broadway training intensive. After studying at Montclair State University in New Jersey for a few years with the intent of studying with their Musical Theatre program, he took a four-year pause from performing.

In 2018 the call to create propelled him to audition for Signature Productions' Newsies, earning "Best Actor" for his performance of "Jack Kelly" at the 2019 Las Vegas Valley Theatre Awards. Since then, Winters has taken advantage of every performance opportunity that comes along including as "Chip Tolentino" in Las Vegas Little Theatre's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and "Lumiere" in Huntsman Entertianment's Beauty and the Beast that was forced to cancel its run just two weeks before opening due to COVID. As the world waits for theatres to reopen, Winters is focusing his effort on graduating with a degree in film from UNLV in Fall 2020.

Ray Winters (c.) with the ensemble of 'Newsies' at Signature Productions. 2018. Photo: Jilliene Michelle Photography

Last April as the COVID closures began to take their toll, Ray Winters made the call to local performers to come together for a virtual chorus to sing "One Day More" from Les Miserables and they did not disappoint. We asked Ray to tell us about his journey with the project:

Ray Winters in "Spelling Bee" at Las Vegas Little Theatre. Photo: KM2 Creative. 2019.

EMAV: Why did you decide to make the video?

RW: It was sort of an idea that I said out loud as a hypothetical to my boyfriend, and then the more that I thought about it the more I wanted it to become a reality. I was sitting in my room, very bored, and I kept seeing these videos of performers on Broadway and the West End doing virtual chorus performances from various shows. So I thought to myself "wouldn't it be really cool to get a bunch of thespians from Vegas together to create something like this?" I for one had/have been very much so longing to get back on stage and create some art, and I knew for a fact that most performers in Vegas had to feel the same way!

EMAV: Who helped you produce it?

RW: I had some fantastic helpers along the way. Dr. James Whiting graciously helped me MD and conduct this ordeal! Without him, it would have probably been a bit of a mess. Every step of the way I reached out to one of my best friends Keaton Johns (who is a brilliant Enjorlas in the video), seeing if he could hear anything I was missing, and essentially assistant directing the project! And finally, another one of my best friends Steffan Scrogan (the Davey to my Jack in "Newsies") offered to create the video- he does it for a living, so I definitely was excited to see what he'd do with it. And also, YOU and Troy Heard helped me get the word to people I didn't know, helping me get the 58 performers that participated!

EMAV: What was the process? How long did it take and was the hardest part? RW: So I had the initial idea late March/early April, I started asking around early April, and from about April 22nd-May 22nd I was taking in submissions from whoever wanted to join in the fun! I would try to work on putting together the audio (splicing it together in GarageBand to make it as precise as possible) a few times a week! Truthfully the hardest part for me was getting myself to stop working on it and take breaks. Aside from some schoolwork, I really only had this project and some TikToks to work on, so I really devoted a lot of time to it! There was one day I genuinely spent 8 hours almost non-stop working on it. Another hard part was trying to make sure that the vocals were as balanced as possible. That's where James and Keaton's help came in handy.

EMAV: What has the impact of COVID been on your life? On local theatre? When do you think shows by local theatres will resume? RW: COVID has genuinely forced me to work on my self-discipline, and has made me reevaluate what is truly important to me. It's really easy to be unmotivated during this time, especially for people like myself who struggle with anxiety and depression, so the first few months were definitely rough for me. I was TWO WEEKS from opening "Beauty And The Beast" with Huntsman Entertainment as Lumiere, and all at once, we were cancelled- then public spaces began closing left and right.

Theatre is like therapy for me, it's cathartic, it's a really personal process, and so losing that outlet was definitely difficult. It's especially easy right now to get stuck in a rut; days tend to consist of "wake up, go sit on couch, play video games, go downstairs and make food, return to couch, maybe shower, go to sleep, repeat" so it wasn't insanely easy for me to just continue with business as usual. But, throughout the past few months I've really been pushing myself to continue working on things that inspire me. I continued taking vocal lessons again (via Skype), I started seeing a therapist who ROCKS, I pushed myself to pursue virtual performances (like Bill Fayne's weekly cabarets), I finally signed up for Backstage.com which led me to some really cool performance opportunities, and I've been trying to create art as much as I can.

Ray Winters. Photo: Stan Judd

Art is kind of what gets me through, so I refused to just sit back and accept "well, I can't do that anymore."

– Ray Winters

Art is kind of what gets me through, so I refused to just sit back and accept "well, I can't do that anymore." Local theatre, obviously, had to be put on hold. I know several shows have been postponed 'till Fall, and I also know several shows (like mine) that were put in this sort of Twilight Zone place of "we want to still put it on, we are confident that we will, we just don't know when or where." Especially with the removal/changing of the Henderson Pavilion, "Beauty and The Beast" would've been my last opportunity to perform there, now it's closed so I'll (most likely) never get that chance.

I would like to think that theatres will open back up for the Fall season, however it just depends on what happens with the COVID situation. If it lessens in severity, then I'm sure we'll be able to come back. Unfortunately, however, I do think that it won't be the same for a bit. Obviously, for the audience there will be less seating available to accommodate for social distancing, but it'll also be much different for the actors too. Rehearsals tend to be in closed off rooms, with sometimes as many as 20+ people depending on the cast. All very close together, and breathing heavy from singing and dancing. We've all seen our fair share of show plagues, how one person's cold can turn into 5, to 10, and so on. So, it really just depends on when we all feel comfortable enough to start working again. It's sad, but sometimes just because we really want to doesn't mean we should. But, don't get me wrong, I'm optimistic about the future! We just have to be smart and considerate.

EMAV: Why is it important to protect our local theatre companies and arts community? RW: I think that if anything, COVID should have proven to the world that the Arts ARE necessary for human survival. One thing that gave me something to look forward to every single week during the pandemic was the new season of Rupaul's Drag Race, it was a much needed escape from the situation we'd found ourselves in. I believe that the same could be said for every person about some form of art. What did people start doing when they couldn't go outside? Watching TV, watching movies, playing video games, reading books, learning to sew, learning to paint, learning how to do makeup, teaching themself to dance, etc. etc. Self expression is good for the soul, it helps us get things out that we sometimes didn't even know we had inside of us. Art can be an escape, and it can be how people cope. Theatre is that for me, among other things.

Ray Winters in rehearsal as 'Lumiere' with Huntsman Entertianment. 2020.

Theatre has been a form of entertainment for ages, and Las Vegas is a city that prides itself as the "entertainment capital of the world", rightfully so, so it only makes sense to me that our performers, on and off the strip, should be protected. Local theatre is an outlet for so many different types of performers: people just starting out, people who always wanted to try it but never could, people who have been doing it for years but don't want to pursue it as a full time career, people who do want to pursue it as a career, it's always been there for people. And our local scene is so strong, and so passionate, it's really inspiring to see. I consider myself insanely lucky to be a part of this community.

EMAV: What projects or shows do you hope to see produced when theatres reopen? RW: This is one of my favorite questions to ever answer, because I have many shows I'd love to see. The one that's been on my mind for a while now is "The Last Five Years" by Jason Robert Brown- the music is SO much fun to sing, the story is gorgeous and inventive, and the characters are simply incredible. I would also love to see "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", "Heathers", "The Drowsy Chaperone", "Next To Normal", "Aida", "The Color Purple", among many others, and you know what, let's do "Newsies" again while we're at it.

EMAV: Where can we watch the video?

RW: The video will be premiering on June 16th at 5:00pm local Vegas time on my YouTube (just my name "Ray Winters" with my headshot, not "Chray" which is my other YouTube) but you can find the link right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IYIAKk6go 

I really can't wait for everyone to see it, I'd be lying if I said I didn't get emotional watching it through the first time. A big thank you to everyone who helped me, and everyone who has participated, we made something really special and I'm so incredibly thrilled that we could all come together to make something beautiful even though we have to be apart right now. I look forward to the honor of sharing the stage with you again.

You can follow Ray Winters on instagram @_RayWinters_, and on TikTok @ray.winters

One Day More Las Vegas Thespian Edition cast (alphabetical by first name):

Conducted by: Dr. James Whiting Adrian Madamba

Alexandria Orr

Alize Cruz

Andy Morris Arianna Mercy Ariel Johnson Audrey Hansen Kunkel Bella Simon Bonita Bunt Christopher Velho Dawson Mullen Destiny Faith Diana Massi Eric McArdle Gail Romero Glenn Heath Haylee Elizabeth Hunter Nolen Isabella Ray Jane Ann Bartell Jeff Stults Jenelle Catherina Jessica Washer JJ Bettencourt Jonathan Tuala Kate Sirls Katie Marie Jones Keaton Delmar Johns Kelly Edgar Kristina Wells Lauren Taylor Marissa Massaro MaryBeth Zentner Maxwell Claydon McKenna Winesett Melani Veilleux Miranda Lopez Monica Johns Olivia Rae O’Brien Paul Iwanicki Ray Winters Rowan Johns Sandra Huntsman Sarah O’Connell Sean Michael Driscoll Shana Selene Spencer Debenham Steffan Scrogan Stephanie Miller Claydon Steve Huntsman Steven Fehr Tieran Horton Tory Ramirez Wade C. Abel Wayne Morton Will Haley

#EatMoreArt #vegastheatre #VegasBornArts