COVID-19 Update, May 13, 2020: A Warning Delivered

As promised, Anthony Fauci gave it straight to the Senate: tinyurl.com/yd43o5b4.

According to an unreleased government report, cases of the coronavirus are spiking across the heartland. "The 10 top areas recorded surges of 72.4 percent or greater over a seven-day period compared to the previous week, according to a set of tables produced for the task force by its data and analytics unit. They include Nashville, Tennessee; Des Moines, Iowa; Amarillo, Texas; and -- atop the list, with a 650 percent increase - Central City, Kentucky." NBC has the document: tinyurl.com/yanhyp2z.

A new poll shows that most Americans don't believe public gatherings will be safe before mid-July: tinyurl.com/y8dk5p8h.

Meanwhile:

How the drop in pollution caused by COVID-19 may affect the weather: tinyurl.com/yb8tkov5.

Bryan Adams takes back his crazy rant about bat-eaters: tinyurl.com/ycxdarq8.

Food for thought: Nicholas Rivero, co-founder of the Atlanta-based creative agency MEPTIK, explains why the live events market is facing different challenges from any other: tinyurl.com/ydbwa23p.

Around the country:

In California:

The enterprising staff of the San Diego Opera costume shop are prototyping a face mask for deaf users, which allows for lip reading: tinyurl.com/ycxfj387.

Twitter employees will be allowed to work from home forever: tinyurl.com/yd8v8jpo.

The Fresno city council president gets three citations for pushing protestors who show up on his doorstep, demonstrating against lockdown measures: tinyurl.com/y7cr7phy.

In Florida:

Universal CityWalk in Orlando reopens on Thursday. Don't forget your face mask: tinyurl.com/y9xkd4lt.

In Illinois:

Governor Pritzker, consulting the models, says COVID-19 infections won't spike in the state until the middle of June. "In many ways, this is disheartening," he adds: tinyurl.com/yak5d565.

In New York:

Governor Andrew Cuomo says that unless Congress provides $61 billion in funding, New York City will face devastating cuts: tinyurl.com/y82rpeso.

Broadway will remain shut down until September 6 at least: tinyurl.com/ycf9fqzy.

A new coalition is forming to bring tourists back to the city once the pandemic is over: tinyurl.com/y9uv3vpv.

Broadway leading man Nick Cordero, whose Job-like suffering from the coronavirus includes being unconscious for six weeks and having a leg amputated, has come out of his coma: tinyurl.com/ya9g7ego.

Around the world:

In China:

Wuhan plans to test all 11 million residents for the coronavirus: tinyurl.com/yc5l65pm.

In Switzerland:

The head of the Geneva-based World Health Organization sees promises in several new treatments for COVID-19: tinyurl.com/ydeateqm.

In the UK:

The government will continue to pay up to 80% of workers' salaries through August: tinyurl.com/y8brnatk.

The country also posts its sharpest monthly economic decline on record: tinyurl.com/yc3lwvvu.

Mobilizing:

The cast of Smash, the much-loved, much-derided inside-Broadway TV series, will reunite on May 20 for a concert to benefit The Actors Fund: tinyurl.com/yb48t7fm.

Training:

The latest webinars from Christie include "Christie Terra SDVoE," a three-part series taking you on a deep dive into Christie Terra SDVoE (Software Defined Video over Ethernet) technology solution. The dates are May 13, 14, and 20 at 1:00pm ET. Register at tinyurl.com/yb3zeg7r. Christie "MicroTiles LED," May 13 at 2:00pm ET, is a live presentation on this award-winning LED video wall solution. Learn about its features, including the WebUI. Your hosts are Ted Romanowitz from product management, and Dave Veroba from marketing. Register at tinyurl.com/y88gv3ff. "RGB Pure Laser Projection: A Leap Forward in Color Space," May 19, 9:00am and 2:00pm ET in the US, offers a better understanding of RGB pure laser projection, to more effectively advise your customers and specify technical requirements. Register at tinyurl.com/y8gyehqe for the 9:00am session and tinyurl.com/y8nskzm9 for the 2:00pm session. "Christie Spyder X80 -- External Control and the Spyder API," on May 20 at 3:00pm ET, focuses on the Spyder Application Programming Interface (API) and how to control Spyder X80 from devices other than Spyder Studio software, using external commands. Register at tinyurl.com/yd264k7c.

Martin Audio's Portfolio Review, a virtual trade show, takes place May 20, 2:30 - 4:00pm ET. Register at tinyurl.com/ydeclw6u.

Scheduling:

The much-anticipated Broadway revival of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite, starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, has been postponed until spring 2021. The show was in previews at the Hudson Theatre when the lockdown began: tinyurl.com/y7v8fb2m.

Milwaukee Rep has delayed the opening of its season until October 30: www.milwaukeerep.com/.

It appears that the first major film release to be seen in reopening theatres -- on July 1 -- will be Unhinged, a psychological thriller starring Russell Crowe: tinyurl.com/y7lpts3f.

Entertainment:

Partly because you can never have too many subscribers, but partly because they think we need it right now, the folks at the streaming service Disney+ will show the film of Hamilton. It's a recording of the stage production with the original cast. It begins the day before Independence Day: tinyurl.com/y9valdnl.

Stars in the House, the online benefit series of talk shows and readings, today presents a reading of The Confessions of Lily Dare, Charles Busch's uproarious spoof of pre-Code Hollywood weepies. It features the cast of the recent Off Broadway productions. It's free, but donations go to The Actors Fund. The reading is at 2:00pm but will be available for a couple of days: www.starsinthehouse.com/.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre streams, on May 14 at 7:00pm ET, artistic director Robert Battle's Mass, which showcases 16 dancers in ritualistic choreography set to a score by John Mackey. In conjunction with the broadcast, Ailey will share behind-the-scenes footage as well as a special discussion hosted by dancer Hope Boykin with Robert Battle and composer John Mackey, giving viewers a chance to learn more about their collaboration. The company also streams exercise classes at $12 per session. For everything, go to: tinyurl.com/y7hxvdxp.

From May 15 - 22, St. Ann's Warehouse will stream The Encounter, Simon McBurney's drama, seen on Broadway in 2016, about an American photojournalist at loose in the Amazon. Wear headphones to experience the extraordinary sound design by Gareth Fry with Peter Malkin. Streaming is free, but need to register with a special talkback with McBurney and special guests on May 20: tinyurl.com/y8s3nuw4.

Today at Lincoln Center at Home, the offerings include dance class with New York City Ballet's Tiler Peck, a movement class with the company's artistic director Wendy Whelan, and a Metropolitan Opera 1988 performance of Ariadne aux Naxos, starring Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, and Tatiana Troyanos, conducted by James Levine: lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home. This week's concert from the vault finds Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis performing The Abyssinian Mass alongside the 70-piece Chorale Le Chateau as conducted by Damien Sneed: tinyurl.com/y7c9ezzz.

Off Broadway's Metropolitan Playhouse presents Zero Boy in the persona of Johnny Z, loveable gangster, hosting this week's sonic storytelling and improvisational repartee: Conspiracy, starring Johnny Z, on Thursday, May 14 at 8:00pm EST. The show rungs 30 minutes and is available via Zoom and YouTube at tinyurl.com/sn7ksjy. Viewers will have the opportunity to make written or spoken suggestions, and Zero Boy will turn them into a vocal improv scenario.

New York's Repertorio Espanol is streaming Boxcar, by Silvia González and directed by René Buch. Based on a true story reported on CNN in 1987 about several men that crossed the border in a boxcar, it was the winner of the 2004 MetLife "Nuestras Voces" National Playwriting Competition. It is performed in Spanish with English subtitles. Check it out at tinyurl.com/y79vfshl. Donations cheerfully accepted. It streams through June 7. On Friday, May 15, at 8:00pm EST, the company presents a one-time only reading of The Way of Water, by Caridad Svich, directed by Henry Godinez, of the Goodman Theatre. Get your ticket ($5 - $50) at tinyurl.com/ycj8zff9.

On May 21 at 8:00pm, Off Off Broadway's The Tank presents Puppet Spread, a live variety showcase. Tickets are $5. For information: tinyurl.com/y9n8xca2.

That's all for today. Stay safe.

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