Only Marvin Hamlisch was missing. Pasadena Pops honors conductor.
A concert that culminates with the great lyricist Alan Bergman crooning in aching nostalgia The Way We Were, a song that he, his writing partner and wife Marilyn, and composer Marvin Hamlisch co-wrote for Barbra Streisand, is an event I’m interested in attending. Bergman is so special, a poet, really. The Pasadena Symphony’s high-quality tribute ...
How the Stones rolled through L.A.
Found: Photographs of the Rolling Stones, a month-long exhibition of twenty-six rare and candid photographs that document the Rolling Stones on their first American tour in 1964 opens soon at Dilettante, a creative theatre and gallery located in Compton. The Stones photo-booty was discovered in an unmarked box at a Central California estate sale — ...
Happy birthday, George Chakiris
One of dance’s smoothest operators, a suave and velvety mover whose smoldering good looks propelled him to stardom — and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1962 — George Chakiris, born in Ohio, reared in California, celebrates a significant birthday today. Dance Magazine Editor Wendy Perron calls Chakiris “the sexiest dancer on film ...
Jerry Lewis, amped on technology
Sep
14
2012
“That was so nice,” murmured Jerry Lewis, 86, in acknowledgment of the heartfelt standing ovation that erupted when he stepped onto the Samuel Goldwyn Theater stage on Thursday night. The comedian/actor/producer-director and all-around entertainment legend was being honored at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Still emitting zingers but notably less frenetic than ...
New programming duo at Film Society of Lincoln Center
Sep
13
2012
A familiar pair has been named as co-directors of programming at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, replacing the longtime Director Richard Peña, who will celebrate his 25th and final New York Film Festival later this month. Kent Jones, at right, will return to the Film Society next year to lead the New York Film ...
Thank you, Turner Classic Movies, for “Choreography by Jack Cole” 1
May I express my gratitude to the wonderful classic-movie channel for “Choreography by Jack Cole” broadcast Monday night? I co-hosted the program with TCM’s great veteran host, Robert Osborne. Together, we screened four movies studded with dance sequences that were created by the massively talented American choreographer. And a huge ‘thank you’ to Mr. Osborne, ...
Happy birthday to a champion of a dancer named Marge
Hello New Yorkers! Looking for a way to turn a difficult anniversary into a positive occasion? A beautiful and worthy event will honor one of the Silver Screen’s great dancers and it also supports the Dance Films Association. It’s the DFA’s celebration of Marge Champion’s 93rd birthday with a Show Boat Cruise September 13, from ...
America, choose your old guy 2
Aug
31
2012
Last night was a tough choice. Very, very hard. Whether to watch Clint Eastwood address the Republican National Convention saying things like “We own this country” (watching the RNC makes me want to cash out), versus a quick drive to the Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park where the groovy, happening reggae singer, Don Carlos, a ...
Robert Osborne asks: “Why did Jack Cole fade away?” 2
A sample from “Choreography by Jack Cole” to be broadcast Monday September 10 (8 pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific) on Turner Classic Movies.
Dance Heritage Coalition unveils “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” online
Aug
28
2012
The Dance Heritage Coalition (DHC) has launched a tremendous new online exhibition, America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: The First 100. Newly commissioned essays, bibliographies and research resources, and curated visual materials are included. Here’s but a brief sampling: Anna Schuman Halprin is one of the “founding mothers” of the American avant-garde in modern dance. Beginning with ...