The Arts

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

Two golden mezuzot to ‘Fiddler’s’ star and director

By Carol Davis VISTA, California — When Tevye, one of the most celebrated milkmen in the history of Broadway and star of the Joseph Stein (book), Jerry Bock (music) and Sheldon Harnick (lyrics) musical, Fiddler On The Roof, tries to explain to the audience why Jews do certain things (like keeping their heads covered all

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Carol Davis, San Diego County, 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

‘Inherit the Wind’ monkeys with the facts–to good effect

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO–I’m always thrilled at the quality of the actors who come to San Diego to be a part of the Old Globe’s outdoor summer festival who are able to appear in at least two, if not all three of the shows that are shown in Repertory. After seeing all three, it still

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Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Man of La Mancha.’ a story within a story, at the Cygnet

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO– What’s there not to like about a musical with a playlist that includes: “Man of La Mancha” (“I Don Quixote”), “I Really Like Him”, “Little Bird, Little Bird”, “Golden Helmet of Mombrino”, “To Each His Dulcinea”, “Night of the Woeful Countenance”, “A Little Gossip” and  “The Impossible Dream” just to

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Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

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

Notes from the woodcutter: Lauren Bacall

  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.  Actress Lauren Bacall is the first in this series. By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California — Lauren Bacall  and Humphrey Bogart were one

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

Holocaust imagery has no place in Shakespeare comedy

.  By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO — About ten minutes into director Adrian Noble’s rendering of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy, As You Like It, the strangest sight of all left me awe-struck. After the opening scenes were played and we got the gist of Shakespeare’s charming garden romp, (more on that later) a set of metal

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Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Man Who Came to Dinner’ is delicious fun

  By Carol Davis  CORONADO, California—If you are in the mood for some good old-fashioned fun, the Coronado Playhouse is mounting the riotous George Kaufman/Moss Hart comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner. It’s one of those classic oldies (1939) but goodies that, for some reason don’t get produced very often. Thanks to director Ruff

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Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast