The Arts

‘I Love a Piano’ is an Irving Berlin revue

By Carol Davis VISTA, California–How does one pay tribute to an American icon who lived to be 101 years old, wrote over a thousand songs, nineteen were Broadway scores, eighteen Hollywood films scores with several nominations for Academy Awards, plus “God Bless America”, “Easter Parade” “This is The Army” and “White Christmas” and still do […]

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

‘Wizard of Oz’ still magic to throngs of kids at Civic Theatre

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO– During the intermission of the latest incarnation of the L. Frank Baum’ book,  the  John Kane adaptation of “Wizard of Oz” I chatted with a tyke munching on a cookie. “How do you like the show so far?” I asked? Being non-committal in front of a stranger, her Mom piped up

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

San Diego Jewish Film Festival preview: ‘Paint What You Remember’

By Norman Greene  SAN DIEGO–Some people are born with photographic memories, others with painterly gifts.  Artist Mayer Kirshenblatt is blessed with both skills. In the gentle, 31 minute film, Paint What You Remember, viewers are offered a retrospect on this 94 year old’s memories of his hometown in Opatow, Poland through his paintings and his

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Emma -A Musical Romantic Comedy’ Too much fun to pass up

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—Regardless of what Emma Woodhouse does in the business of matchmaking, the fact that Patti Murin inhabits her body, makes the new Jane Austen’s “Emma A Musical Romantic Comedy” with lyrics and book by Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre) and directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (“Bonnie and Clyde at the La

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

Male bonding subject of ‘The Story of My Life’

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—San Diego Musical Theatre is in its second year of producing musicals (may be the answer to Starlight without the outside stars) and, for its second show of the season, producers Erin and Gary Lewis have chosen the San Diego premiere of Neil Bartrum (Music and Lyrics) and Brian Hill’s (Book)

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

Simon’s ‘Barefoot in the Park’ still has a few laughs left

By Carol Davis VISTA –Some vintage wines get better with age. Some say women get better looking as they age. Some say that of men. Some Broadway plays have lasting power and in retrospect, shed more light on a current situation than when it was written. Some fall off by the wayside and when they

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

“Waving Goodbye” packs powerful punch at New Village Arts

By Carol Davis CARLSBAD, California — “If only I could change the past…?” How many times have we had this conversation with ourselves? “I would do this or that differently”. “I would say this or that to him or her”. “If I had it to do over again…” In Jamie Pachino’s touching and lyrical new

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

‘2 Pianos 4 Hands’ entertains to a point

By Carol Davis SOLANA BEACH, California– Fate: destiny, outcome chance, providence. When Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt were youngsters taking piano lessons, it never occurred to them that one day their paths would cross and they would be forever locked together playing dueling piano’s (if you will) and making a name for themselves, not as

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

‘Next To Normal’ hits a nerve touching all families with mental illness

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO — In light of the recent shootings in Tucson, most Americans are focused on what’s being done to help the mentally ill. For some, it’s business as usual. For some, it’s struggling at home making things ‘almost’ or next to right. For others help is available but with coaxing and

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

Survivors’ son charts their road to Holocaust recovery

An Italian Renaissance: Choosing Life in Canada by Robert Eli Rubinstein, Urim Publications, Israel, and Lambda Publishers, Brooklyn, 2010, ISBN 978-965-524-044-3, 177 pages including appendices and endnotes. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Perhaps the author and publishers were a bit too clever in titling this family memoir.  Although a portion of the action

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison