Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘Maestro’ Looks into the Soul of Leonard Bernstein

The story begins with Lenny’s big break. He was the Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic when, just before a concert at Carnegie Hall that was broadcast live on the radio, the conductor took ill. They had zero rehearsals together, but the depth of his knowledge and passion for the music shone through. After that, folks in the industry knew his name and he was a hot-ticket item. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

‘Chapatti’ at Scripps Ranch Theatre Reaches into Lonely Human Hearts

The dialogue is honest and self-reflective. Dan’s hopelessness has him questioning the value of life without another’s recognition or memory.  For Betty, after a loveless marriage, the middle-aged woman wants to be loved and valued. Both characters know the love and companionship of their respective dog and cats, but each longs for a human’s affection to give them validation and meaning.  [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Milos Forman

In 1975, Forman had his first big hit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, about life in a psychiatric ward, which won him an Oscar as best director. In 1979, he directed Hair, based on the Broadway musical but it did not do well financially. In 1981, he directed Ragtime, based on a novel by E.L. Doctorow, and in 1985, he won another Academy Award for directing  Amadeus, about the life of Mozart. [SDJW staff]

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Holocaust, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Love Triangle is Focus of ‘The Age of Innocence’ at Old Globe

The story itself centers on a love triangle between Newland Archer (Callum Adams), Countess Ellen Olenska (Shereen Ahmed), and May Wellend (Delphi Borich).  Countess Olenska returns to America after fleeing her abusive husband in Europe.  She thinks and dresses very differently than the rest of New York society causing her to scandalize some and be idolized by others.  [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Barbara Myerhoff

Following advice to “study your own,” Myerhoff began fieldwork on the elderly Jews at the Israel Levin Center in Venice, California, resulting in a 1977 Oscar-winning short documentary film, Number Our Days, and in 1979 a book of the same title. [SDJW staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Jackie Gmach Utilizes the Arts to Teach Lessons of the Holocaust and the Tree of Life Synagogue

That drawing inspired Gmach to develop “We Are The Tree of Life,” a project focusing on Holocaust education utilizing the arts to promote a message of hope and survival. Literature, music, dance, poetry and drawings created by prisoners in the concentration camps and ghettos during World War II show that beauty can survive, even when experiencing unspeakable horrors. [Eileen Wingard]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eileen Wingard, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

‘Chicago’ Features Minimal Set and Costumes, Maximal Choreography

We follow the story of two murderesses; Roxie Hart (Katie Frieden) and Velma Kelly (Kaitlin Brown) and their sensational murder trials.  Being that it’s set in the roaring 20s which didn’t have modern day social media, the flashy and charismatic and lawyer Billy Flynn (Connor Sullivan) is able to manipulate the press and jury with wild and conflicting stories about his clients, or as he calls it razzle-dazzle, in his attempts to acquit his client. [Sandi Masori]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Verdi’s ‘Requiem’ Revisited in Tel Aviv Performance

At the performance in Tel Aviv last week the audience sat in rapt silence as the orchestra played and the choir and soloists sang, bringing the majesty and drama of Verdi’s music to life. In Israel of today, with war being waged in the Gaza Strip and skirmishes raging in the north of the country, the performance of the Requiem has special significance. In the plaza of the nearby Tel Aviv Museum families of the hostages held in Gaza were demonstrating in order to convince the government to do more to get them released. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Anne Frank musical hits Dutch stage, ‘we should never forget’

Published by Relaxnews By Nick Gammon / AFP A new musical production based on Anne Frank’s diary has hit the stage in The Netherlands, with the producer and star convinced the story needs telling now more than ever. A new musical production based on Anne Frank’s diary has hit the stage in The Netherlands, with

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Arab-American Organization Complains About ‘To All the Dads’ Super Bowl Commercial

A Super Bowl advertisement that the Jewish state purchased to call attention to hostages being held captive in the Gaza Strip by Hamas “undermines the integrity of broadcasting standards” and “misleads the public by not providing necessary context about the ad’s origins.” That’s according to Abed Ayoub, national executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. [JNS.org]

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Israel, JNS, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA, Videos

What Should Come First, Hamas Ouster or Ceasefire in Gaza? U.S. Senate Candidates Disagree

Lee wants an immediate, permanent ceasefire which would leave Hamas in power, and negotiations toward a two-state solution. Porter and Schiff also favor a two-state solution but not while Hamas is in power. Garvey says a two-state solution is naïve, because a Palestinian state would remain in favor of Israel’s destruction. [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Super Bowl Ads: Schwarzenegger #1; ‘Silence’ #18

“Sometimes I imagine what I’d write today for my dear friend Martin,” Jones begins.  “I’d remind people that all hate thrives on one thing: silence.  The people who will change the nation are those who speak out, who refuse to be bystanders, who raise their voices against injustice.  When we stand up to silence, we stand up to all hate.”  [SDJW staff]

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Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Videos