Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Notes from the woodcutter: Woody Allen

  By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California — From 1977 to 1986, Woody Allen had a filmmaking run so impressive it’s been equaled only by the likes of Billy Wilder and Preston Sturges. Allen’s films included Annie Hall, Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose, Zelig, Purple Rose of Cairo and Hannah and Her Sisters. Woody was an antidote to the Spielberg/Lucas

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Violinist mixes humor with classics and pop

Editor Donald H. Harrison is back from a roundtrip cruise between San Diego and the Hawaiian Islands. This is the sixth in a series of articles based on that experience. By Donald H. Harrison ABOARD MS ZAANDAM– Violinist Michael Bacala says he was inspired as a child by the Rocky movies starring Sylvester Stallone,  especially

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Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food

Notes from the Woodcutter: ‘Billy Wilder’

By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California –Billy Wilder is one of Hollywood’s all-time great filmmakers. His movies ranged from film noir to screwball comedy and they were known for tight plots and memorable dialogue. Wilder despised sentiment and he sought to tell stories as simply and elegantly as possible. To Wilder, “the best director is

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Surviving the Holocaust at what price?

By Joel A Moskowitz M D LA JOLLA, California — Claudia Stevens, a multi-talented actress, singer, drummer, and historian brought to life “Madame F” on Monday evening, Nov. 26, at the Recital Hall of Mandeville Auditorium UCSD. Madame F is the abbreviated name for Fanja Fanelson  (Goldstein) who was an award winning pianist. While she

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International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education

Patinkin concert caps Beth Israel sesquicentennial

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Congregation Beth Israel closed out the celebration of its sesquicentennial year with a nostalgic concert by Mandy Patinkin on Saturday evening, November 17, at Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall. Patinkin, who has had starring roles on Broadway, in movies and in television series, took the Qualcomm stage following

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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Donald H. Harrison, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Notes from the Woodcutter: Harry Houdini

By Loren Kantor Editor’s Note:  Loren Kantor often chooses Jews and Jewish themes as topics for his woodcuts.  He’s agreed to share images from his work–and the stories behind them– with San Diego Jewish World.  Magician Harry Houdini is the fifth topic in the series. STUDIO CITY, California — His name is synonymous with magic,

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Notes from the Woodcutter: Edward G. Robinson

    By Loren Kantor Editor’s Note:  Loren Kantor often chooses Jews and Jewish themes as topics for his woodcuts.  He’s agreed to share images from his work–and the stories behind them– with San Diego Jewish World.  Actor Edward G. Robinson is the fourth topic in the series. STUDIO CITY, California–Edward G. Robinson was born

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Notes from the Woodcutter: Peter Lorre

  By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California — Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor known for playing sinister foreigners. Born Laszlo Lowenstein in 1904 to Jewish parents in present-day Slovakia, Lorre’s mom died of food poisoning when he was only four. As a teenager, Lorre was a student of Sigmund Freud in Vienna. Lorre began

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Notes from the woodcutter: Sandy Koufax

Editor’s Note:  Loren Kantor often chooses Jews and Jewish themes as topics for his woodcuts.  He’s agreed to share images from his work–and the stories behind them– with San Diego Jewish World.  Dodger pitching great Sandy Koufax is the second in this series. By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California — Hitting against Sandy Koufax is

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sports & Competitions

Who was the better artist: DaVinci or Michelangelo?

 By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO— The rivalry between Da Vinci and Michelangelo was a big deal back in 1504, Florence. Imagine pitting these two art giants of the Renaissance, one against another in a painting duel? Michelangelo was an up and comer and Da Vinci was already a well-established inventor, musician, writer and painter of

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Carol Davis, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast