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What do you Think?
ACTORS ALLIANCE
Benefits Lost … Values Perceived?
With
the suspensions of the Actors
Alliance FESTIVAL and
the Book On Stage Benefits
programs, a questionable Website, the
closing of former relatively-easy,
actors-accessible Alliance
Offices (with their move to the NTC),
the unclear, re-signing of new
Alliance contracts (that most
actors assumed carried the same
‘conditions’, payments, etc…) of
previous years’ contracts, and…the
somewhat ‘hot-button’ issue of a
set $90 dollar same membership
fee for both performing artists and
non-performing persons, with the
relative ‘benefits’ received, or
not received, the same for both
the working actor and the non-working
member. Question
(?)
What is left to drive new membership in
the
Actors Alliance…?
 New
Life for …
HORTON GRAND THEATRE
The
performing arts community welcomes the
possible re-opening of the downtown San
Diego Horton Grand Plaza Theatre
(where Triple Espresso ran forever)
under the new management team of
Lamb’s Players. Look for some
quality management and subsequent
productions by Lamb’s Players.
Together, with their Chula Vista
satellite theatre, their
looked-forward-to-appearances at the
Lyceum Theatre during the holidays,
and, of course, their jewel-box theatre
in Coronado, Producer Robert
Smyth, Chris Turner and the
Lamb’s team, will be re-introducing a
lovely downtown 250-seat proscenium
theatre (originally founded and
designed by Willy Simpson and
architect Robert Earl)
which should add to the constant need
for ‘performance space’ in San
Diego!
To our readers…
What
do you think?
Email Response to:
raoulappel@aol.com
 Funny
Bits . . .
From your CELL
…
A mortician was
working late one
night. He
examined the
body of famed
stage director
Eli Schwartz,
about to be
cremated, and
made a startling
discovery.
Schwartz had the
largest
‘private
part’
he had ever
seen! So, he
removed it,
stuffed it into
his briefcase,
and took it
home. I have to
show you
something you
will not
believe, he said
to his wife,
opening his
briefcase. . .My
God!
The wife
exclaimed. . .
Schwartz is dead?
******
Bravissimo
Mini-REVIEWS
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** )
SHOW REVIEW
(**
As seen,
5/8/08):
Old Globe
Theater:
HERSHEY FELDER
‘Captivating’
BEETHOVEN, As I
Knew Him!
 Hershey
Felder as
BEETHOVEN
Having
seen
Hershey Felder
last year in his
GERSHWIN
ALONE
first-time
around at the
Old Globe
Theater, I
had
‘expectations’
of what I was to
see now in this
insightful
portrayal of
BEETHOVEN, As
I Knew Him
… and, like most
all of the
packed- house
this night…I
found
Felder’s
work ‘captivating’
… there was not
a sound or
movement in the
theatre for at
least
90-minutes…a
hushed silence,
as everyone hung
on every spoken
word and musical
note played. It
takes a capable
‘actor’
to deliver this
script (by
playwright
Hershey Felder),
and it takes a
fine ‘pianist’
to play the
music of
Beethoven so
sensitively and
delicately as
did
Hershey Felder…who,
in all three
arenas a
‘triple threat’,
as an actor,
pianist, and
writer,
Felder
has it all
rolled into one
very talented
artist in this
world premiere
of
BEETHOVEN, As I
Knew Him.
(As noted)
Hershey
Felder’s
BEETHOVEN, As I
Knew Him
is a
dramatization of
a little known
true story, as
told in 1870,
43-years
after
Beethoven’s
passing, by the
person who spent
a good part of
the maestro’s
last two years
by his side.
With a narrative
spanning several
generations,
Hershey
Felder
combines his
acting, piano
and musical
analytical
skills to bring
to life the
character of
Ludwig van
Beethoven, as he
existed through
the eyes of one
who knew him
well. Featuring
some of the
composer’s most
famous works,
including THE
MOONLIGHT
SONATA, THE
PATHETIQUE
SONATA,
selections from
Beethoven’s 5th
& 9th SYMPNONIES,
the GROSSE
FUGUE, as well
as a movement of
Beethoven’s
great EMPEROR
CONCERTO….
BEETHOVEN, As
I knew Him
is a journey
through time
that will bring
one closer to
the genius of
the Maestro
Ludwig van
Beethoven
himself!
 Hershey
Felder as
himself!
Directed by
Joel Zwick
(who directed
MY BIG FAT GREEK
WEDDING, the
highest-grossing
romantic comedy
of all time),
this
tour-de-force
production
written and
performed by
Hershey
Felder,
will be followed
by two
additional
productions in
his acclaimed
COMPOSER
SONATA,
including
Monsieur Chopin
on June 11-22nd,
and the repeat
of George
Gershwin Alone
on June 25-29th,
bringing to life
three of the
greatest
composers of all
time, to this
exciting and
musical trilogy.
With the music
of Ludwig van
Beethoven and
text by
Hershey Felder,
the one-set
parlor scene by
Francois
Pierre Couture
(nominated
for an L.A.
Ovation Award
for his scenic
design of A
PICASSO at the
Geffen Playhouse)
is most
effective, and
lit by
Richard Norwood
(also, a
proud recipient
of the 2006
After Dark Award
for Outstanding
Lighting Design
for his design
of OLD CLOWN
WANTED at the
Trap Door
Theatre),
who respects the
projection
designs on the
back curtain by
Andrew
Wilder
and
Christopher Ash,
all staged with
comfortable
pacing by
director
Jack Zwick.
LUDWIG VAN
BEETHOVEN
One of the great
composers in
music history,
Ludwig van
Beethoven lived
a tumultuous
life, marked by
erratic
fortunes,
estranged
relationships,
and his failing
health. Though
he is celebrated
for his
compositions,
which shaped the
traditions of
classical music,
he is remembered
as a troubled
and belligerent
man, tortured by
his hearing loss
and his sense of
impending death.
Perhaps this was
the most
devastating turn
of events for
Beethoven, the
gradual but
severe
deterioration of
his hearing. He
was only 26 when
the hearing loss
complicated his
financial
struggles, as it
limited the
number of
concerts that he
could
conduct…but it
did not stop him
from continuing
to compose!
If you missed
this
BEETHOVEN, As I
Knew Him,
do yourself a
big favor, and
go see the
succeeding duo
of
Felder’s
COMPOSER SONATA…with
his
MONSIEUR CHOPIN
(6/1/1-22), and
GEORGE
GERSHWIN ALONE
(6/25-29th)
by calling for
advance
reservations at
(619) 23-GLOBE
or online at
www.theoldglobe.org.
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SHOW REVIEW
(**
As seen,
5/10/08):
Balboa Theatre:
Betty Buckley In
Concert
BETTY BUCKLEY
A One of a
Kind!!!
San
Diego
was indeed
blessed by that
rarest of
concerts…a
parlor-performance
by a quality
Broadway
‘diva’ …
BETTY BUCKLEY
In Concert
at the newly
renovated
Balboa Theatre.
As she took to
the stage with
her friend and
Musical Director
of 18 years,
Kenny Werner,
Buckley
regaled the
house with her
charming stories
on her career,
her personal
life, and dreams
along the way,
and delivered
her Act I
‘choices’ of
songs
remembered, WE
NEVER SAID
GOODBYE (from
Sunset Boulevard),
LOVE MUST STAND
(unknown to
this listener,
but stunning
nevertheless),
TILL THE DAYS GO
BY (from
High,
Diddle-Diddle),
a Sherman
Edwards song
LOOK SHARP, a
pop-favorite
THEY CAN’T TAKE
THAT AWAY FROM
ME, a Billie
Holiday standard
EVERYTHING MUST
CHANGE (sung
with a
tear-in-the-eye
effect), a
more up-tempo
SPRING FEVER,
and a powerful
Stephen Schwartz
vocal Act I
closer…MEADOW
LARK!
Betty Buckley…as
‘Grizabella’ in
CATS
Betty Buckley
won a Tony Award
for her
performance as ‘Grizabella’
(the Glamour
Cat…see photo)
in Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s CATS.
She received her
second Tony
Award Nomination
for Best Actress
in a musical for
her performance
as ‘Hesione’
in TRIUMPH OF
LOVE, and an
Olivier Award
Nomination for
her
interpretation
of ‘Norma
Desmond’ in
the London
production of
Webber’s SUNSET
BOULEARD, which
she repeated to
more rave
reviews on
Broadway.
Buckley
added to her
critically
acclaimed work
with the role of
‘Mama Rose’
in the great
American musical
GYPSY for the
reknown
Papermill
Playhouse. Her
other Broadway
credits include
Webber’s SONG &
DANCE and the
role of
“Margaret White’
in the cult
musical CARRIE,
for which she
was nominated as
Best Actress in
a Musical by the
Outer Critic’s
Circle.
Betty Buckley’s
most recent CD,
‘Quintessence’,
released by
Playbill
Records/Sony
BMG, and
features her
long time
collaborator and
Musical Director
Kenny
Werner.
The CD focuses
on an eclectic
mix of jazz
interpretations
of standards,
repertoire from
the Broadway
songbook, and
contemporary
popular songs.
Arranger-Musical
Director
Kenny Werner
has written
compositions for
the Mel Lewis
Jazz Orchestra,
now known as the
Vanguard Jazz
Orchestra. He
has since
written big band
charts for
groups such as
the Cologne
Radio Jazz
Orchestra, the
Danish Radio
Jazz Orchestra,
the Metropole
Orchestra (from
Holland),
and the Umo Jazz
Orchestra
(from Finland)….
and now,
Kenny Werner
writes music for
Quincy Jones.
 BETTY
BUCKLEY
Act II brought
forth a few more
of the known
Buckley
‘hits’ …
opening with a
MY FAIR LADY
Medley, a
wonderful
arrangement by
Kenny
Werner
of STARDUST, a
tipping-of-her-hat
to FANTASTIKS,
‘They Were You’
(which she
admitted, she
always wanted to
play…even the
role of ‘El
Gauyo’ if need
be).
Buckley
then let loose
with a big-belt
rendition of
COME RAIN OR
COME SHINE, and
with delightful
anecdotes on her
history starring
in the
‘1-week’ run
of Broadway
musical CARRIE,
singing a truly
beautiful ballad
WHEN THERE WE
ARE.
Buckley
then moved into
A LITTLE NIGHT
MUSIC with a
dramatic SEND IN
THE CLOWNS,
featuring an
outstanding
piano
‘variation’
of CLOWNS by
pianist
Kenny Werner,
and finally, a
long time
favorite from
Buckley’s
Concert
career…DREAMS.
Buckley
brought to a
close this
absolutely
delightful
evening spent
with Betty
Buckley,
with her famed
signature song…MEMORIES
(from
CATS).
Future dates on
the Balboa
Theatre hit
parade is….
*
June 10-21st
20th
Anniversary
MAINLY MOZART
*
Aug 15-31st
SPRING AWAKENING
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