By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – It is scary to think what could have happened on Jewish dairy farmer Max Yagur’s field in August 1969. Yet, it’s inspirational to realize what actually did happen. I’m talking about the Woodstock Music & Art Festival, which commenced Friday, August 15th with folk music, and continued to […]
Film depicts the joy and terror of Woodstock Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
By Eric George Tauber CARLSBAD, California — Little Shop of Horrors first appeared in 1960 as a campy horror movie beside such titles as The Blob, Plan 9 from Outer Space and I Was a Teenage Vampire. Relegated to dusty cans and the Late Late Show, it was given new life as a rockin’
A Faustian bargain With Doo Wop Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel SOLANA BEACH, California — My daughter Judith and I had tickets for the North Coast Rep on Sunday afternoon to see A Walk in the Woods with David Ellenstein, and J.Todd Adams. We arrived at the theater in plenty of time to pick up our tickets , get seated and
‘A Walk in the Woods’ stopped before it started Read More »
Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Donald H. Harrison DEL MAR, California – At the San Diego County Fair on Sunday, June 2, I was reminded of three Jewish entertainment figures who were instrumental to the making of the celebrated movie, The Wizard of Oz, which because of its San Diego connections provides the theme for this year’s fair.
Three movie wizards recalled at Oz- flavored county fair Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and FoodBy Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — I remember hearing a story about a ten-year old Jewish boy exploring his grandmother’s house. In the closet by the front door, he found a small suitcase filled with old photos and precious tchotchkes. When asked, his grandmother explained that these were relatives who had long since passed
‘Fiddler’ raises the roof at the Civic Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — There was an obvious division in the house on Wednesday night at a performance of Fiddler on the Roof at the Civic Theatre downtown. There were those in the packed audience who never had seen the musical before, and there were those who had seen it in other incarnations since
‘Fiddler’ pulls heart strings at Civic Theatre Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Will Smith is currently starring as the Genie in a live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin. What is a Jewish connection in Will Smith’s life? A. Smith grew up in West Philadelphia’s Wynnefield neighborhood, an area with a large Jewish population. When Smith first began rapping under the
Jewish trivia quiz: Will Smith Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — Latin is a dead language. This is defined as “one that has no native speakers.” Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh is on a mission to make sure that Yiddish never goes the way of Latin. And she’s succeeding. Two years ago, the doctoral candidate from the Slavic Languages Department at the
Yiddish play (with English subtitles) examines power Read More »
Eva Trieger, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Dorothea shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM — Actually, the one-woman show of the above title that I saw last week has very little to do with the subject of the title, namely, mothers-in-law. I am one such, and even an ex-one in one case, but not a step one, or not yet, at least (and I hope never).
Play review: ‘My Ex- Step- Mother- in- Law’ Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Eva Trieger SAN DIEGO — Big thanks to Kate Hamill for rewriting Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in such a playful and accessible way. The cast did justice to the snappy, buffoonish, coquettish roles that Hamill created. The playwright sought to deliver Austen’s feminist message and did so in a way that engaged the
Pride and Prejudice with a comic twist Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Leona, a name meaning Lioness, is also equivalent to the Hebrew name “Ariela,” by which the protagonist in this 94-minute, Spanish-language, English-subtitled film is known. She is 25 years old living in what might be considered the cocoon of the insular Jewish community of Mexico City. The movie
‘Leona:’ Inter- faith dating in Mexico Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — The Gods of Comedy is playing at the Old Globe Theatre through June 16, 2019. Theatre traces its origins to the classical period of Greece, 510-323 BCE. There were a great many more plays written than are extant today. Copying by hand is a laborious process and
Play Review: ‘Gods of Comedy’ Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Mexican Jewish film director Sergio Umansky Brenner offers a gritty cry for Mexican justice and compassion in Eight out of Ten, which will be shown June 1 and 2nd at the Hola Mexico Film Festival at the Regal Cinemas Los Angeles, at 1000 W. Olympic Blvd. The film
Film review: ‘Eight out of Ten’ Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Meeting Gorbachev, a documentary on the life of the Soviet Union’s final leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, will be shown at Landmark’s Ken Cinema at 4061 Adams Avenue beginning on May 24th. The 90-minute tribute by Werner Herzog and Andre Singer is both informative and a bit disappointing. Informative because
‘Meeting Gorbachev’ paints sympathetic portrait Read More »
International, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA