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