IN THE WINGS - December 2008

Hi All,
This is my last blog for 2008. We have a new era coming in, Good-bye to the last few horrible years and with President-elect Barack Obama soon to be our new shining light and, hopefully, a much better 2009 to look forward to, this year goes out with an array of big pictures to end the year.
A Holiday assemblage of good films and many to contend for Oscar® consideration, they are: An outstanding Indian film, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, a take-off on the British and our old TV show, WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? starring Regis Philbin, remember? Here, an 18-year-old Mumbai orphan is going for the big jackpot toward winning millions on the game show. Young Dev Patel is excellent. It’s a very moving film depicting true life in India
. Another is MILK, starring Sean Penn (another statuette for him?) in his amazing portrayal of the true story of Harvey Milk, the gay activist of the ‘70s in San Francisco when he and the mayor are assassinated by a deranged opposing force. We realize that things haven’t changed that much with the defeat of our recent Prop. 8. Other winning actors are James Franco as Harvey’s longtime lover; young Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin as the assassin Dan White, and Victor Garber as Mayor Moscone.
Another amazing performance is given by Meryl Streep (when is she not amazing?) as the steely nun in John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT. Takes place in a Bronx parochial school in the ‘60s. Philip Seymour Hoffman as the priest and Amy Adams both give sterling performances.
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Director Ron Howard brings us FROST/NIXON in an electrifying battle between disgraced President Richard Nixon and TV personality, David Frost. Tony winner, Frank Langella and Michael Sheen reprise their theatrical roles in a dramatization of events surrounding the historic interview. Pretty powerful stuff here & so well done. Look for nominations for both at Oscar® time.
Haven’t seen this one yet but can’t wait to get my eyes on this gorgeous Down Under couple, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, in a romance between an English aristocrat and a cattle-driver at the onset of World War II in AUSTRALIA and directed by another Aussie, Baz Luhrmann.
THE READER is set in post-war Germany; it’s about a man whose life has been influenced by an affair with an older woman. Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes star., but, Fiennes as a boy, is played by David Kross who is dynamite in his torrid love scenes with the older Winslet. VALKYRIE stars Tom Cruise as a wounded World War II German officer who joins the German resistance’s plot to kill Adolph Hitler.
Dustin Hoffman stars LAST CHANCE HARVEY as a middle-aged man at a low point in his life, who meets a bristly woman (Emma Thompson) in an airport, and is presented with an opportunity for a new life.
And lastly, Clint Eastwood directs and stars in GRAN TORINO, as an iron-willed veteran forced to confront his long-held prejudices in a changing world.
Continue to read my next post for L.A. stage news.

NOW, FOR THE LEGITIMATE STAGE FRONT: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS…. What better place to be than in Los Angeles? Downtown at the Music Center on Grand Avenue a kaleidoscope of lights is creating a magical wonderland and the aroma of holiday foods greets us from the gourmet restaurants.
The sounds of happy applause coming from the Ahmanson as we await the arrival of MINSKY’S, one of Broadway’s racy, rollicking musicals set in the Prohibition Era of NYC. It arrives on January 21st.
SCHOOL OF NIGHT continues at the beautiful, newly remodeled Mark Taper Forum until the 17th and we’re awaiting the arrival of yet another Broadway musical, PIPPIN, but this time in collaboration with Deaf West Theatre who transform this classic musical into an exciting event featuring deaf and hard-of-hearing actors interwoven with music, dance and story-telling. Wonderful theatre.
A RECIPE FOR HAPPY HOLIDAY takes place on Wednesday, December 24th from 3 to 9:00pm on stage in the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Doors open at 2:30 and parking in the garage is free as is admission. Just bring some canned goods and/or packaged goods to support L.A’s Food Bank. There will be 1200 performers and 7 celebrity chefs giving out recipes and their lovely foods. Six hours of music and dance in the largest multicultural Holiday Show with Highlights from THE NUTCRACKER and excerpts from the South Bay Ballet. Jazz, folk, Mariachi, Rock, Klezmer, you name it, all these live musicians to celebrate Christmas, Chanukah and all the other Holidays falling at this time. You can also see this 6 hours live spectacular show live on KCET.
Watta Show!
THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE has a great holiday show, Victor Herbert’s BABES IN TOYLAND. This musical holiday fantasy is a definite “must see.”
More Holiday fare, CHRISTMAS PUDDING is at Theatre 40 on Beverly Hills High School campus. Features stories and poems by famous writers interlaced with traditional carols.
IT’S A STEVIE WONDERFUL LIFE at the Falcon in Burbank, bringing back Frank Capra’s holiday classic movie set to Stevie Wonders music. And, the Actors’ Gang at the Ivy Substation in Culver City has AaH! SCROOGE MUST DIE! It’s a rambunctious & raunchy retelling of the Dickens classic. This one is for adults, rated NC-17 so leave the kids at home to watch TV.
Guess what’s returning? THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, that’s what. Coming to the Pantages in January for only 5 weeks – so get your tickets NOW!
Haven’t seen much live theatre this season but what I did see was pretty outstanding. August Wilson’s first play, GEM OF THE OCEAN, ninth in his ten-play cycle, at the Fountain was awesome, the performances, the set, everything – and it’s extended, by popular demand, until February.
Bertolt Brecht’s A MAN’S A MAN is pure unabashed theatricality and ably directed by boss man, Ron Sossi.

FATAMORGANA is a lovely coming –of- age comedy set in 1924. Should be seen at the Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice. A MAJORITY OF ONE is a charming romantic comedy at the Pico Playhouse. It’s good to see Paula Prentiss again. We also saw SHOCK THERAPY at the Lillian in Hollywood. A very funny comedy. A party taking place at the home of a psychiatrist and his dysfunctional family.
That’s it for now. Wishing all of you a Happy Holiday Season and all good happenings for a wonderful 2009. See ya then!

IN THE WINGS - September 2008 - Theater

ENOUGH OF MOVIES, NOW ON TO LEGIT THEATRE. The long awaited renovation of the Mark Taper downtown is finally completed and is reopening shortly. There will be a fabulous gala opening of the 41-year-old totally different theatre. The enlarged lobby will be called Act II honoring the lead doner Brindell Roberts Gottlieb for her late husband Milton. A spacious bar area is included and within the auditorium there will be hand rails at the aisles, plush new upholstered seating and improvements of theatrical acoustics plus many more added features for the theatre goers comforts. The gala opening party hosted by British “comedienne”, Dame Edna, on the 13^th of September with a sumptious cocktail party, dinner and viewing the opening night of John Guare’s dark comedy, THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES about a zookeeper who has dreams of being a famous songwriter against his wife’s wishes and the encouragement of his mistress.

The Ahmanson Theatre has a new musical comedy based on the hit movie “NINE TO FIVE” featuring a new score by producer Dolly Parton and starring Allison Janney as the efficient office manager.

The L.A. Opera Company at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion presents three one act operas by two notable filmmakers, William Friedkin and Woody Allen directing Puccini’s IL TRITTICO with James Conlon conducting. Another filmmaker, David Cronenberg will direct Howard Shore’s THE FLY (remember the ’86 horror film?) with Placido Domingo conducting.

The Pasadena Playhouse has VANITIES, the Musical, adapted from the long- running NY dramedy and prior to returning to Broadway. Actress Judith Ivey directs this beautifully.

WICKED continues at the Pantages in Hollywood forever, it seems and Hershey Felder plays and is Beethoven (in full regalia) at the Geffen in Westwood.

OUR SMALL STAGES has outstanding theatre going on. The Fountain Theatre in Hollywood is about to conclude an amazing run of ACCOMPLICES, a heart rending tale of our politics and German Jews trying to flee Hitler. Their next production in October sounds just as fascinating, it’s GEMS OF THE OCEAN by

August Wilson.

The Actors’ Gang at the Ivy Substation in Culver City does a magnificient job of reconstructing BURY THE DEAD from Irwin Shaw’s powerful book. Come October they will present their created version of I’M NOT A RACIST. It’s bold, funny, sad and incendiary.

The beautiful Colony Theatre in Burbank has EDUCATING RITA. Remember the film with Michael Caine? Well, it’s back in its original concept of a play and it’s a good one. Another British play at the Odyssey is ABIGAIL’S PARTY, a fun house party, imbibing and the likes. A fun happening at the Santa Monica Playhouse, Charlie Lustman performs, in concert, in his one man show, MADE ME NUCLEAR.”

Before closing, COME ONE, COME ALL to the “NO HO SCENE”. An all day celebration. From 11am to 8pm on Oct. 5. All events and activities are Free! Music & dance, improve and acting workshops/ For complete schedule of events: Call 818-980-NoHo or go to www.nohoartsdistrict.com.

That is all for now... Go see a live play!!! xoxo Harriette

IN THE WINGS - September 2008 - Films

I was waiting for some good films to start coming out this year and it’s been a mighty long wait. However, they’re starting, they’re starting--- finally, after a long wait. Okay, DARK KNIGHT has finally arrived with the late, young Heath Ledger playing The Joker and he was really good. Wonder if he will receive a posthumous Oscar® for his superb last performance. Wouldn’t it be lovely if his parents came to Hollywood from Australia to accept on his behalf? Christian Bale returns as Batman to clean up Gothic City. The rest of the big cast is excellent too.

Fun and frivolity brings us the screen version replicated from the hit Broadway musical, MAMA MIA starring the amazing Meryl Streep as she sings and dances up a storm in all the songs from the 70’s pop Swedish group, ABBA. Filmed on a gorgeous Greek Island, Pierce Brosnan does a good job with the vocals also, as well as the two other guys, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard, all Streep’s former lovers. My favorite supporting character was Julie Walters, the fine British actress/comedienne. (I remember her from the 1983 “Educating Rita” film where she played a hairdresser trying to educate herself and Michael Caine was her ‘enry ‘iggins.) In Mama Mia, she and Christine Baranski play Streep’s old vaudeville partners who also came to attend the wedding of Meryl’s adorable daughter, played by Amanda Seyfried.

In the theatres are ELEGY with Penelope Cruz and Sir Ben Kingsley in a May-December romance and HOUNDOG with adorable Dakota Fanning, Robin Wright Penn, Piper Laurie and David Morse. How can a film be such an uninteresting downer with such a great cast? I dunno. A good one tho is the new Woody Allen picture, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA” starring handsome Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about a simply marvelous adult & thinking film, BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, the movie intelligent filmgoers have waited for all year with an extraordinary group of actors. “ This movie is a masterpiece” to quote critic Rex Reed.

Two gay films out soon are BREAKFAST WITH SCOT, about two gays, a former hockey player and a sports attorney. A precocious nephew visits them wearing make-up and high heels, upsetting their “butch” sports life. On a more serious note, MILK won’t be out for a few months but definitely worth waiting for. Remember when, in 1978, San Francisco’s Mayor Mascone was assassinated along with the gay supervisor, Harvey Milk. Sean Penn plays Milk while Josh Brolin plays the murderer. Young Emile Hirsch also stars and Howard Rosenman plays the owner/publisher of The Advocate, the only gay newspaper at the time.

Another chick flick will be out shortly, THE WOMEN, the 1939 classic about love, friendship, betrayal and gossip. It was such a big hit then and made super stars of Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, Paulette Goddard and Joan Crawford. The new one stars Meg Ryan, Annette Bening , Eva Mendes, Jada Pinkett Smith, Debra Messing, Candice Bergen, Bette Midler and a host of others.

Whew!, A lot of excuses to eat POPCORN!!! xoxo Harriette