Community actors have taken direction well for ‘Annie’
JOYCE RUDOLPH
The exceptional talent displayed by community actors is what has
pleased Susan Kussman most as director of the Stepping Stone Players’
musical “Annie,” which is completing its run this weekend.
“They are so professional in the way they have responded to
direction from me, the choreographer and the musical director, down
to the small roles,” she said.
In addition to Annie, there are eight orphans in the cast and
several more small children. Someone had made the comment, “Those
children are all listening to you,” Kussman said.
The company had only six weeks to produce “Annie,” which has 14
scenes, including blocking, learning the choreography and musical
lyrics.
Kussman was able to stage the show with 40 people from curtain
call to taking their bows in only 20 minutes.
“And they did it perfectly the first time,” she said. “We have
people who have done almost no theater at all that are absolutely
outstanding in this play.”
She attributed that success to the 3 1/2 hour workshop she
conducted that was devoted to building a character. They all went
home and did their homework, she said.
Emma Degerstedt is in the starring role and Michael Le Beau is
playing Daddy Warbucks. Show times are 7 tonight and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Hoover High School Auditorium is at 651 Glenwood Road in Glendale.
Sunday’s performance will be interpreted in American Sign Language.
Tickets are $10. Group rates are available. For ticket information,
e-mail info@steppingstoneplayers.com, call 246-8822, or log on to
www.steppingstoneplayers.com.
SPECIAL EVENTS
FRITZ COLEMAN PROVIDES LAUGHS FOR CHARITY
Fritz Coleman performs “The Reception” in a benefit performance
at 8 tonight for Burbank’s Colony Theatre and the Glendale-Crescenta
Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.
This funny but poignant play is like a wedding album with
narration, said Coleman, who has been KNBC-TV Channel 4’s weather
forecaster on the “Channel 4 News” for the past 20 years.
The performance will be at the Burbank Center Stage, 555 N. 3rd
St., Burbank. Tickets are $50 for the performance and $125 for the
performance and a post-show reception with Coleman, catered by Arnie
Morton’s The Steakhouse. For reservations, call 558-7000 or go online
to www.colonytheatre.org.
‘EVENING WITH JACK KLUGMAN’ OPENS TONIGHT
“An Evening With Jack Klugman” opens tonight at The Falcon Theatre
in Burbank.
Klugman will talk about working with such legendary figures as
Humphrey Bogart, Henry Fonda, Ethel Merman, Judy Garland and Tony
Randall, as well as sharing his battle and recovery from throat
cancer.
He recently completed touring the United States and Canada,
starring in Ernest Thompson’s “On Golden Pond.”
“An Evening with Jack Klugman” continues through Oct. 19.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 4 p.m.
Sundays. Ticket prices for adults range from $25 to $37.50. For
reservations, call 955-8101. The Falcon Theatre is at 4252 Riverside
Drive.
BANDS WILL ENTERTAIN AT CARNIVAL
Several bands are in the lineup for the 33rd annual Days of the
Verdugo Carnival this weekend at Verdugo Park, 1621 Canada Blvd.,
Glendale.
There will be dance performances by LA Salsa Kids play at 5
tonight.
Bands playing on Sunday are blues group Blue Shadows at 4 p.m.,
classic rock group Tom Kurlander and the Pale Blue Band at 5 p.m. and
blues artist Carlos Guitarlos at 6 p.m.
All weekend there will be food, games and rides.
Hours are from noon to 10 p.m. today and Sunday. Admission is $3
and free for children 2 and younger. The money raised goes to various
Verdugo Park charity events such as the Junior Fire Picnic and
Operation Santa.
FORDS ARE HONORED AT ROAD’ERS CAR SHOW
The Road’ers Car Club’s Cruise In will be from 6 to 9 tonight at
Bob’s Big Boy, 1407 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale. In celebration of
Ford Night, a special trophy will be awarded to the best Ford bodied
car. Eight additional trophies will be awarded.
There will be raffles, a 50/50 drawing and D.J. Jim playing all
the great old songs. Those planning to show their cars should come
early as space is limited.
For more information, call Rick Fox at 240-9461 or e-mail
roaderscarclub@hotmail.com.
Last month’s Best of Show winner was Stan Kramer and his 1959 Nash
Metropolitan. Best Mopar 2003 went to Rand Freeman and his 1970 Dodge
Charger RT.
WELLNESSWORKS CENTER INTRODUCES TEA SERIES
The WellnessWorks Community Health Center in Glendale will have a
free Garden Party and Open House to celebrate the beginning of the
Tea House Series from 3 to 7 p.m. today.
Representatives from Sri Lankan Tea will conduct a tea ceremony
and explain the benefits of tea. The Hennacy House Band will
entertain with blue grass and Celtic music.
The health center is at 540 W. Broadway in Glendale. The event is
free. For more information, call 247-2062 or visit www.wwchc.org.
BARBECUE, CONCERT PART OF LOVE RIDE KICKOFF
The first day of registration for the milestone 20th anniversary
of the Love Ride, scheduled for Nov. 9, will kick off with a party
from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at Harley-Davidson of Glendale.
The Love Ride will feature ZZ Top in concert. Jay Leno will
return as grand marshal.
A concert by the Thunder Blooze Express will be part of today’s
kickoff event. Also planned are prize drawings, a barbecue and a
preview of 2004 motorcycles.
The minimum donation to participate in the Love Ride is $60, or
$50 in advance. Advance registration can be done at Harley-Davidson
of Glendale or online at www.loveride.org.
Harley-Davidson of Glendale is at 3717 San Fernando Road. For more
information, call 246-5618.
VAUDEVILLE NIGHT AT THE ALEX THEATRE
The Alex Film Society pays tribute to The Alex Theatre’s roots as
a vaudeville house when it sponsors the fourth annual “Vaudeville
Extravaganza!” beginning at 8 tonight at The Alex.
True to the vaudeville genre, the show concludes with a comedic
movie “Laurel and Hardy’s 1933 Paramount classic “Sons of the
Desert.”
The evening’s live vaudeville acts include Grammy winner Ian
Whitcomb and the Bungalow Boys performing nostalgic music, the comedy
of Chipper Lowell, the human calculator Arthur Benjamin,
award-winning magician Danny Cole and The Balloon Man/Little Cowboy
Kicker Skip Banks.
Tickets are $17.50, $10 for youngsters and $15 for society members
and are available at The Alex box office. For tickets by phone, call
243-2539. The Alex Theatre is at 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. For
recorded information, call 754-8250.
The Alex Film Society is a nonprofit community arts organization
dedicated to film preservation through exhibition at Glendale’s Alex
Theatre. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit
the society’s home page at www.AlexFilmSociety.org.
AUDITIONS ARE THIS WEEKEND FOR ‘SNOW QUEEN’
The Dance Street Performers are having auditions this weekend for
“The Snow Queen,” an original holiday ballet, to be performed Dec.
19, 20 and 21 at the Glendale Community College Theatre.
This is the sixth season the company has performed this family
production. Children and young adults from the community are invited
to participate.
Auditions will be at noon Saturday for principal roles and
soloists. Needed are teenagers and young adults 13 to 24 with dance
training in ballet, jazz, modern and/or gymnastics. Auditions will be
at 10 a.m. Sunday for gymnastic roles and at noon Sunday for chorus
roles 11 years and older. These auditions will be held for chorus
with varying levels of dance experience from beginners to advanced.
Auditions will be at the Dance Now Academy, at 4490 Cornishon
Ave., in the Foothill Intermediate School Complex in La Canada
Flintridge.
Those auditioning should bring a picture, resume, dance attire and
ballet shoes. All chorus roles will be auditioned in groups. There is
a $5 audition fee. Please arrive early for registration. For
information regarding the auditions, call the studio at 790-7924.
VICTORIAN FAIR AT TUDOR COTTAGE
Montrose resident Daina Johnson is planning a Victorian fair today
at her Tudor Cottage gift store in La Canada Flintridge.
The event will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Byers’ Choice
Carolers, best known for their O-shaped mouths and angelic faces.
An exclusive event piece, Victoria’s Mother, will be offered from
1 to 3 p.m. Victoria, the first of a new series inspired by Victorian
postcard illustrations, will also be available. After a 10-year
hiatus, the creators of the line, Joyce and Bob Byers, will re-visit
Tudor Cottage to sign purchases. Each customer will also receive a
free gift with their purchase.
Other activities are a mini classic car show, entertainment by
Michael Heatherton as Tuba the one-man band, popcorn and snow-cone
carts, prizes and a wreath-making demonstration.
Tudor Cottage is at 4542 Rinetti Lane, La Canada Flintridge. For
information, call 790-4542.
BALLET HONORS ARAM KHACHATURIAN
Glendale-based The Friends of the Aram Khachaturian International
Festival is co-sponsoring the ballet “Spartacus,” composed by
world-famous composer Arman Khachaturian, and performed by the
Grigorovich Ballet Company of Russia at 7:30 tonight at the Pasadena
Civic Auditorium.
Choreography was created by Yuri Grigorovich, who was artistic
director and chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Ballet from 1964 to
1994. He founded the Grigorovich Ballet Company in 1990.
Tickets range from $25 to $100 and can be purchased at the
Pasadena Civic Auditorium Box Office at (626) 449-7360 or from
Ticketmaster at (213) 365-3350 or www.ticketmaster.com. The Pasadena
Civic Auditorium is at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization has declared 2003 the Khachaturian Jubilee Year
commemorating the 100th birthday of one of the most renowned
composers of the 20th century.
ON STAGE
‘CORIOLANUS’ BEGINS PREVIEWS
A Noise Within’s production of William Shakespeare’s “Coriolanus”
begins previews this weekend.
Coriolanus, a creature singularly bred for violent combat, braces
for a meteoric rise as Rome’s greatest warrior. Unable to sever the
tentacle-like apron strings of his honor-seeking, bloodthirsty
mother, Coriolanus struggles to grasp control of a universe filled
with treachery and rebellion. It is only when Coriolanus uses honesty
as a blunt instrument to strive for real depths that he discovers his
real self.
Company artistic co-directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez
Elliott are directing this piece. Geoff Elliott is in the starring
role.
Previews continue through Thursday and the play opens Friday. It
plays in repertory through Dec. 6. Tickets range from $20 to $40 and
can be reserved by calling 240-0910. A Noise Within makes its home at
234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale.
‘LATE NIGHT CATECHISM’ PRODUCED AT FALCON
“Late Night Catechism” is continuing in an open-ended run at 7:30
p.m. each Sunday at The Falcon Theatre in Burbank.
It was written by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan. Directed by
Marc Silvia, the interactive comedy features an irrepressible
“Sister” teaching a class of “students” (the audience). Parochial
school was never this funny!
The Falcon is at 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank. Tickets are $25.
For reservations, call 955-8101.
‘DAMN YANKEES’ ARE UP TO BAT
“Damn Yankees” is continuing this weekend at Glendale Centre
Theatre.
Written by Abbot, Wallop, Adler and Ross, the musical is about one
fan’s attempt to save his favorite baseball team. It has entertained
numerous generations since it premiered on Broadway. The run
continues through Oct. 11. Tickets range from $16 to $20.
For the children, “Jack and the Beanstalk” by Byron Simpson
continues at 11 a.m. Saturdays through Nov. 15. Tickets are $12 and
$10 for children.
For reservations, call 244-8481. Glendale Centre Theatre is at 324
N. Orange St., Glendale.
ART EXHIBITS
‘POLISH EXPRESSIONS’ AT FOREST LAWN MUSEUM
“The Art of a People -- Polish Expressions,” featuring works of
three renowned artists of Polish descent, is continuing at the Forest
Lawn Museum in Glendale.
Contemporary artists Danuta Rothschild and Jerzy Skolimowski will
show large paintings and will be featured in a video about their life
and work. Jan Styka is known for painting the “Crucifixion” at the
Hall of the Crucifixion-Resurrection at Forest Lawn. The exhibit will
have artifacts and a 5-foot-high by 20-foot-long version of the
Crucifixion painting shown in the half-round, as it was originally
intended when it was created.
The exhibit is free and continues through Nov. 16. The museum is
open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Forest Lawn Glendale is at 1712 S.
Glendale Ave., Glendale. For more information, call (800) 204-3131.
VILLAGE SQUARE OWNER FEATURED IN SHOW
Gallery owner Charles Borman of Glendale joins in a group show,
titled “The American Landscape,” at his Village Square Gallery in
Montrose.
There are 18 artists exhibiting including Walter Askin, Gerald
Brommer, Meredith Olson, Shirley Pettibone, Al Porter and Bonese
Collins Turner.
Borman is a former professor at Cal State Los Angeles. Emeriti
Professor Borman opened Village Square Gallery in 1995 after his
retirement. The gallery has been open since 1995.
This exhibit features paintings, drawings, prints, pastels,
collage and mixed media.
The artists’ reception is from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Hours are 1
to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and by appointment. The exhibit
closes Oct. 4. The gallery is at 2418 Honolulu Ave., Suite C, in
Montrose. For more information, call 541-9952.
ARTISTS SHOW OPPOSITE STYLES AT BRAND GALLERIES
Two artists portraying the figure in opposite styles are
exhibiting at the Brand Galleries in Glendale.
Zhenya Gershman’s nearly life-size interpretations of contemporary
male and female forms are painted in the artist’s unique use of her
oil media placing them in their own visual world.
For her “Men in Tutus” series, Miriam L. Preissel hired a
professional choreographer, make-up artist and costumer to photograph
19 unlikely men invited to appear in tutus on a dramatically lighted
stage.
The exhibit ends Oct. 18. The galleries are in Brand Park, 1601
W. Mountain St., Glendale. Hours are 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and
Thursday; 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday; and 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more information, call 548-2051.
PHOTOGRAPHER SHOWS WORKS OF NEW YORK
Los Angeles photographer Rick Penn-Kraus’ exhibit, titled “New
York: B&W; Photos from Before You-Know-When,” continues at the Wax
Poetic salon and art gallery in Burbank.
In addition to being an art photographer, Penn-Kraus is design
director at the international public relations firm Hill & Knowlton.
His photography has appeared on the covers of numerous national
best-selling books.
The exhibit continues through Oct. 20. Wax Poetic is at 3208 W.
Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. For more information, call 843-9469.
NATURE DEPICTED IN DESCANSO EXHIBIT
Descanso Gardens’ Boddy House Gallery features depictions of
nature from four artists through Thursday.
Trish Kertes returns to the gallery with “Flowers and Fields,
Mountains and Streams -- The Painted Landscape,” a collection of
landscapes and still lifes in oil. Kertes is an award-winning
plein-air painter whose works recall Impressionist painters and the
world of early California artists.
In addition to her art, Kertes is a licensed marriage and family
therapist who specializes in working with young children with
disabilities.
As an artist and therapist, she tries to foster positive emotions
in her clients. Collectors have told her they hang her paintings in
places where they are seen first thing in the morning, setting a
positive mood for their day. Other clients have said they use them as
an image for meditation.
Leona Sanderson, who taught art in La Canada Flintridge public
schools for 37 years, exhibits watercolors featuring floral
renderings with still-life objects including antiques.
Jim Heuston is exhibiting ceramics. Heuston has taught for four
years at the Roger Barkley Community Center in La Canada Flintridge.
Chris Hogan shows his gourds that have been transformed into
colorful, contemporary reflections of Navajo artifacts.
Visitors have an opportunity to meet with the artists, at least
one of whom is at the gallery during open hours. The gallery is on
the main floor of the 22-room mansion built in 1937 as a family home
by Descanso Gardens founder E. Manchester Boddy. It is open 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. daily and admission is free with gardens admission.
Descanso Gardens is at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge.
The gardens are open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Parking is free. Admission
fees are $6, $4 for seniors and students, $1.50 for children 5 to 12,
and free for members and children 4 and younger. For information call
949-4200 or visit www.DescansoGardens.org.
A LITTLE JAZZ WITH DINNER
RESTAURANT OFFERS MUSIC FROM ‘20s, ‘30s, ‘40s
The Oceanview Bar and Grill offers live entertainment six nights a
week for diners.
Entertainers perform a combination of piano and jazz guitar
pieces, and some accompany with vocals. Musical selections include a
mix of music from the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s to opera to Celine Dion.
Some entertainers also perform their original pieces and invite
diners to sing along with them.
Jennifer Russell and Michael Gayle sing jazz while playing piano
and guitar from 7 to 10 tonight. Singing behind the piano the rest of
the week are Bill Howe on Monday; Travis Warren, Tuesday; Mary Ekler,
Wednesday; Alexandra Caselli, Thursday; and Bob Fetherolf, Friday.
The Oceanview Bar and Grill is at 3826 Ocean View Blvd., Montrose.
For more information, call 248-2722.
JAX OFFERS SUPPER, JAZZ EVERY NIGHT
Show times are 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 p.m.
to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Sunday. Happy Hour Jazz is 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through
Saturday.
Tonight, the spotlight shines on the Doug MacDonald Trio. Preston
Smith & the Alligators performs Sunday. The schedule for the week is
Celia La Tio on Monday; Danny Weinstein & Viva on Tuesday; Harold
Bennett on Wednesday, Jack Sheldon on Thursday; and Joe Palumbo
Quartet on Friday.
Jax is at 339 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. For more information, call
500-1604.
MUSEUMS
BURBANK HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFERS EXHIBITS OF BURBANK
The Burbank Historical Society’s Gordon R. Howard Museum Complex
features exhibits of early Burbank. There are extensive collections
of vintage vehicles, costumes, dolls, cameras and special sections on
the history of Lockheed, Disney and Warner Bros. studios.
Hours are from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free, but
donations are accepted. The complex is at 1015 W. Olive Ave.,
Burbank. Parking is available at George Izay Park lot off Clark
Avenue.
For more information, call 841-6333.
BURBANK MUSEUM DEDICATED TO AVIATION
Located at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Cemetery, artifacts are
displayed in the Portal of the Folded Wings-Shrine to Aviation, an
ornate domed building that is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. Visitors can enter on Valhalla Boulevard behind
Fry’s Electronics, off Hollywood Way or use the main entrance at
10621 Victory Blvd.
The Portal building is accessible from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for
viewing the cenotaphs and burial stones.
The aviation displays can be viewed from noon to 4 p.m. on
Sundays. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more
information, call 845-3300.
THE DOCTORS’ HOUSE FEATURES GLENDALE HISTORY
The Doctors’ House, tucked inside Brand Park in Glendale, is a
Victorian home in Queen Anne Eastlake-style open to the public from 2
to 4 p.m. Sundays. Built in the 1880s by real-estate entrepreneur
E.T. Byram, the house has been restored. Brand Park is at 1601 W.
Mountain St., Glendale.
* If you have press releases for the 48 Hours column, please call
JOYCE RUDOLPH at 637-3241 or e-mail joyce.rudolph@latimes.com or fax
them to 241-1975.