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 […]
Notes from the Woodcutter: Peter Lorre Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO — The more things change, the more they stay the same. When Luis Valdez wrote Zoot Suit in the 1970’s, he could never have imagined that it would make as much impact today as it did when it premiered at the Mark Taper Forum in 1978. Zoot Suit is the
Racist attitudes depicted in ‘Zoot Suit’ still plague us Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy 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
Two golden mezuzot to ‘Fiddler’s’ star and director Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—Put on your dancing shoes and make haste to the Civic Theatre downtown. Memphis, the La Jolla Playhouses-bred musical that wound it’s way to Broadway picking up four Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Circle Awards and four Tony Awards including Best Musical along the way, is back in town for a
‘Memphis’ dances its way back to San Diego Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy 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
‘Inherit the Wind’ monkeys with the facts–to good effect Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy 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
‘Man of La Mancha.’ a story within a story, at the Cygnet Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy 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
Who was the better artist: DaVinci or Michelangelo? Read More »
Carol Davis, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
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
Notes from the woodcutter: Lauren Bacall Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Carol Davis SOLANA BEACH, California — North Coast Repertory Theatre is having fun this month with the George Haimsohn and Robin Miller (book and lyrics) and Jim Wise (music) 1968 tongue-in-cheek musical Dames at Sea that is set in the 1930’s as a takeoff on the big dance shows of the Busby Berkeley musical
Thumbs up for a cast on its toes Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast. 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
Holocaust imagery has no place in Shakespeare comedy Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy 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
‘Man Who Came to Dinner’ is delicious fun Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Carol Davis LOS ANGELES—If there is one show you must see this year, make it War Horse, the 2011 Tony Award winner for Best Play and then some. It is now playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles on its national tour for a limited engagement through July 29th. Don’t see it because
Spellbinding ‘War Horse’ at Ahmanson Read More »
Carol Davis, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy Carol Davis SAN DIEGO — Let’s get one thing clear, Richard III Duke of Gloucester is a demon and not because his body is deformed. There is not one redeeming quality about him to admire yet he manages to con at least one member of royalty, Lady Anne (Vivia Font) whose husband and father-in
Jay Whittaker is a Richard III you’ll love to hate Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Carol Davis VISTA, California — Legally Blonde The Musical that earned seven 2007 Tony Award nominations is back in San Diego County, at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista through July 14th. It is making its Southern California Regional Music Theatre premiere and it’s not only zippy, fast paced and high-spirited; it’s also fun for
‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’ is OMG such fun! Read More »
Carol Davis, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast