Awards weekend kicked off Friday in an informal, but elegant luncheon on the patio of the Mondrian Hotel where the International Press Academy (IPA), under the leadership of its President, Mirjana Van Blaricom, held its 23rd Annual Satellite Awards honoring the outstanding achievements of 2018.
Under the superb, masterful direction of Patricia McGregor, Dulé Hill, renders an extraordinary portrayal of one of America’s most famous entertainers. This story, written by Colman Domingo and McGregor is not what you might think it is. What it is not is a cheerful trip down the memory lane of Cole’s remarkable career where you will be reminded of his velvet throated rendition of such iconic favorites as “Mona Lisa,” “Nature Boy,” “Route 66,” “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” “Stardust,” and, of course, “Unforgettable."
If a picture speaks a thousand words, then Sir Matthew Bourne’s astounding re-imagined tale of Cinderella is akin to the 2010 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which consisted of 32 volumes for a total of 32,640 pages. In this production, not a word is spoken as every detail is clearly illustrated through his remarkable direction and choreography, combining traditional ballet elements with freewheeling, exaggerated modern dance movements.
Don’t send me hate mail for saying this, but Betty Buckley, as the latest Dolly Gallagher Levi, the quintessential meddling yenta and one of the most iconic characters in American Musical Theatre, is not quite up to the same level of performance as most of her predecessors, including the one and only Carol Channing, who starred in the original 1964 premiere, produced by David Merrick and choreographed and directed by the extraordinary late Gower Champion.
When J.P. Priestley’s multi award winning chestnut “An Inspector Calls” makes its way across the pond, one cannot restrain one’s excitement at anticipating director Stephen Daldry’s restaging of The National Theatre of Great Britain’s 1992 landmark production. Assembling a top-notch British cast, whose excellent work is enhanced by the technical components, the production delivers an overall exciting theatrical experience.
There is no doubt that multi-award winning playwright Luis Valdez is a brilliant playwright, earning his stripes with his innovative “Zoot Suit,” which premiered in 1978 at the Mark Taper Forum and subsequently made history by becoming the first Chicano musical to hit Broadway.
Bluesmen have been lacing up their walking shoes and relocating to Europe for generations. The list is extensive; Memphis Slim made his home in Paris the latter part of his life, and Champion Jack DuPree lived in Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, England and Germany. Harp player Hook Herrera still lives in Scandanavia and the late Frank Frost once said he loved being in Italy.
Theatre Review Is it a book? Is it a film? Is it a play? Is it a musical? Is it “Jersey Boys?” Is it “Guys & Dolls?” Is it “West Side Story?” Well, my friends, if this production was a stew, it would be a dash of this, a little bit of that, and a drop or two of schmaltz* …
Once thought of as the domain of cultural elitists, opera has garnered a more universal audience, perhaps because of the accessible Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD annual broadcasts, featuring a series of ten outstanding productions, simulcast to movie theaters on Saturday afternoons — truly live from the stage of the Gotham’s Met.
When the National Touring Company of a play that won six Tony Awards last year goes on the road, one invariably wonders if the Los Angeles production will get the same caliber of performances as those presented on Broadway. Please don’t worry as this production of “Dear Evan Hansen,” with book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson, 15 songs with music and lyrics by the award-winning team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who won an Oscar for “La La Land,” has travelled exceedingly well.
