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The Second City's "A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens!" opens this Thursday, December 12 at 8 p.m. at the Center Theatre Group/ Kirk Douglas Theatre in culver City. Written by Second City alumni Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort and directed by fellow Second City alum Marc Warzecha, "A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens!" continues through December 29. The cast is made up of a talented group of Second City performers. Returning to "Twist Your Dickens!" for the second time are Frank Caeti, Amanda...
In his sophomore outing with OUT OF THE FURNACE, writer/director Scott Cooper proves that he is no "flash in the directorial pan." Facing the daunting task of at least equaling, if not surpassing, the excellence of his award winning debut feature "Crazy Heart", Cooper pulls no punches, delivering a prosaically melancholy tale of hearth, home and the ties that bind. Set in the Rust Belt region of the United States outside Pittsburgh in Braddock, Pennsylvania, Cooper again embraces the...
Amidst all the early awards hoopla and limited release of some “big” movies, this week I direct your attention to a very special indie film - HOURS. Written and directed by Eric Heisserer, who here makes his directorial debut, HOURS is also one of the final films of Paul Walker and the one of which he was most proud. Close to Walker’s heart, his passion and dedication to the story results in a tour de force performance that makes his recent passing all the more poignant, as with HOURS we see t...
Lester Bangs, the rock critic who reached iconic status in the 1970s with his passionate, intellectually honest writing, is the subject of "How to be a Rock Critic," presented in a staged reading as part of DouglasPlus at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City on Sunday, December 15 at 1 p.m. The reading will take place in the Douglas' rehearsal space, Upstairs@KDT. Written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, performed by Jensen and directed by Blank, "How to be a Rock Critic"...
The literary world first met young Ender Wiggins back in 1977 when he appeared as the protagonist in a short story written by Orson Scott Card. This was the story of a young boy named Ender set centuries into the future in a world that had fought, and barely defeated, an alien race known as "Buggers" (changed to "Formics" in later writings). In order to prepare for anticipated future battles with the Buggers, the best and the brightest children were taken from their families and shipped off to...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter I know that Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi is smiling with pleasure from the beyond as The Verdi Chorus presented its fall gala concerts this past weekend in honor of his 200th birthday at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. The program, titled Viva Verdi, was dedicated solely to his works and included scenes and arias from many of his masterpieces. The night kicked-off with President Thelma Sherman and chorus consultant and musicologist Dr....
Opening for FROZEN is the latest animated short from Disney and this is unlike anything you've ever seen. And yes, just hand director Lauren MacMullan (who holds the title of being the first female director to direct a film for WDAS solo) now for GET A HORSE. A perfect hybrid of hand-drawn 2D animation and CG, set to a 3D format, this is the stuff for which 3D (and Disney dreams) was made. Working off original 1928 black & white renderings of Mickey Mouse and company, MacMullan and her artisans...
Kentwood Players will present its next Kentwood Kids production, "Mr. Potcher's Holiday," a family musical comedy with book and lyrics by Bob Silberg, music by Barbara Klaskin Silberg. Performances will take place on Saturdays, November 30, December 7 and 14 at 11 am and 2 pm at the Westchester Playhouse, wo blocks west of the San Diego Freeway and two blocks north of Manchester at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Westchester. The production is directed by Drew Fitzsimmons and Melodie S. Rivers,...
Casting has been announced for The Second City's "A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens!" which begins previews December 8 at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Opening night is December 12 and performances run through December 29, 2013. "A Christmas Carol: Twist Your Dickens!" is written by Second City alumni Peter Gwinn and Bobby Mort (both formerly of "The Colbert Report"), and is directed by fellow Second City alum Marc Warzecha. The cast is made up of a talented...
Culver City High and AVPA's Blurred Vision Theatre Company will present its second weekend of Reginald Rose's Twelve Angry Jurors. A "co-ed" adaptation of the well-known drama 12 Angry Men, the play follows the deliberations of a jury at a murder trial. A seemingly open and shut case slowly comes unraveled as the jury's lone dissenter - played by Henry Fonda in the well-known film adaptation - holds steady in the face of opposition and works to gradually win others to his side. Reason and...
Most of us are familiar with the story of CARRIE; be it through Stephen King’s novel or the classic 1976 Brian de Palma film starring Sissy Spacek, complete with the now iconic blood-drenched imagery etched into our collective consciousness. Such a classic, it begs the question: Why? Why a new version? Why a remake? Why a reimagination? The answer is because this new 2013 CARRIE from director Kimberly Peirce is just that - a reimagination that harkens back to the original source material - K...
An exploration into sibling relationships set in a world of life on the wrong side of the tracks comes to us compliments of real-life brothers, Alan and Gabriel Polsky, who make their feature co-directorial debut with THE MOTEL LIFE. Although losing some depth and gravitas due to a scantily developed backstory, the emotional strength of the film is buoyed by a superlative performance by Emile Hirsch buttressed with perhaps the most potent work we've ever seen from Stephen Dorff. Frank and his...
Sadly, the timing of release of 12-12-12 couldn't be more appropriate in light of the recent devastation in the Philippines. As we reflect on one disaster and take pride in the generosity of America and the world in helping with that recovery, we are collectively faced with yet another that requires even more global attention. Mere weeks after Superstorm Sandy devastated the Northeast coastlines of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, a six-hour concert/telethon was put together by the Robin Ho...
Celebrating 40 years of performances, Westside Ballet of Santa Monica is excited to announce the 2013 performances of their holiday classic, The Nutcracker. Joining the company for the first time will be the Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra, playing Tchaikovsky’s majestic score, led by conductor Dr. James Martin. Performances are set for November 30 and December 1, 2013 at The Broad Stage at Santa Monica at Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. Martine Harley, Artistic Director of Westside Ballet of Santa Monica says “When I per...
The Culver City Art group will present a multi-media art exhibition of original artwork by its members at their 18th annual holiday show. The exhibition will be presented at the Playa Vista CenterPointe Club, 6200 Playa Vista Drive, Playa Vista on Saturday, November 9 from noon until 6 pm. Artists’ reception will begin at 3:30 pm. The exhibit will run for one day only. It is a juried event and awards are presented at the end of the day, with those who win raffle prizes being announced as well! The event is free and open to the public. For m...
The world premiere of "The Black Suits" opens Sunday, November 3 at the Center Theatre Group/ Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. With music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, book by Iconis and Robert Emmett Maddock, direction by John Simpkins, choreography by Jennifer Werner and music direction and orchestrations by Charlie Rosen, "The Black Suits" continues performances through November 24. Set in a garage in suburban Long Island, "The Black Suits" tells the tale of four boys (lead singer, guitar,...
By Steven Lieberman Observer reporter Gino Vannelli, who took the music world by storm in 1978 with his smash hit “I Just Wanna Stop” (#4 in the United States), will perform at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on November 8 for his first LA-area performance in 16 years. For the past three years, Vannelli has been touring with his eight-piece band and performing all of his hits and some newer songs. Before that, he was on hiatus from touring while in the studio exploring new music. He spe...
Classic! Classic action. Classic one-liners. Classic buddies. Classic action. ESCAPE PLAN is everything that we love about classic action movies and the genres high gods, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And while I am the first one to admit to emotionally orgasmic fun with the Expendables crew, it's about time these two classic action legends join forces together one-on-one and eschew the scenery, muscle to muscle. It's action, story and stars like this that catapulted action to...
Who hasn't heard of The Mustang Ranch? The most famous brothel in the United States, the Mustang Ranch stood proudly for decades in the Nevada desert catering to a diverse clientele base, including crews of many famous Hollywood westerns. Several years ago, Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci brought to life a fictionalized version of the Mustang Ranch story and its owners Sally and Joe Conforte in the Taylor Hackford directed Love Ranch. In Love Ranch, many moviegoers learned for the first time of the...
Just say “hell yes” to HELLBENDERS 3D!! Beyond entertaining and filled with laughs, HELLBENDERS 3D is the tale of the most unlikely bunch of exorcists on the planet - The Brooklyn Order of the Augustine Interfaith Order of Hellbound Saints aka HELLBENDERS. What makes them so special is that beyond their elite exorcism training they do what no others do - live in perpetual debauchery, madness and mayhem, ready to go to Hell on a moment’s notice. After all, what better way to lure the Devil and h...
With well over 150 adaptations and imaginations of what is perhaps Shakespeare’s most famous, and definitely most adapted, work on screen, director Carlo Carlei’s new ROMEO & JULIET is, in a word, masterful. Bringing the grandeur and majesty of Shakespeare and the legendary story of star-crossed love to life in this luminous version, is nothing short of golden - - as in Oscar gold. Having seen well over 100 incarnations of the story, including shorts that showcase only specific scenes, this ROM...
Continuing on our countdown to Halloween, this week brings us an honest to goodness, goosebump inducing, arm & neck hairs standing on end, thrills & chills fright that even had me jumping a bit with those noises and sudden haunting whispers. A good old fashioned haunted house ghost story with a twist, HAUNTER is hauntingly chilling. Showcasing everyone's favorite "Little Miss Sunshine", Abigail Breslin, with a performance that calls for depth, emotion and carrying 90% of the on-screen scenes,...
Casting has been announced for the world premiere of “The Black Suits,” which begins previews October 27 at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Opening night is November 3 and performances run through November 24. “The Black Suits” has music and lyrics by Joe Iconis, book by Iconis and Robert Emmett Maddock and is directed by John Simpkins, with choreography by Jennifer Werner and music direction and orchestrations by Charlie Rosen. The cast features Jimmy Brewer,...
Kentwood Players presents the beloved American holiday classic “It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” by Joe Landry from Friday, November 8 through Saturday, December 14 for a six-week run. The play will be performed on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm with Sunday matinees at 2 at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Avenue, Westchester. The production is directed by Gypsy Foster and produced by Vada Foster and Alison Mattiza by special arrangement with Playscripts Inc. This American hol...
Three finalists have been selected for Center Theatre Group’s 2014 Richard E. Sherwood Award. All three finalists will receive a cash prize, with $10,000 going to the top honoree. The Center Theatre Group includes the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Created in memory of Richard E. Sherwood, the award provides financial support for innovative and adventurous emerging theatre artists living and working in Los Angeles. Each year, Center Theatre Group learns about the recipient’s artistic vis...
