‘Johnny Boy’ has strong performances, happy reminders of ‘50s
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JOYCE RUDOLPH
Impeccable is the best word to describe Jeff Mandels’ “Johnny Boy” in
its world premiere at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank.
The theater is closed this Sunday for the Easter holiday, but I
recommend getting on the phone today and making a reservation for
this one.
Not only is the acting extraordinary and kept at a swift pace, but
also the set takes one happily down memory lane, if you grew up in
the 1950s, when the play is set.
Keith Mitchell places the action between two rooms in the family’s
home in Queens, N.Y. The old cabinet TV in the living room is just
like the one we had in our home. In the kitchen, the stove,
refrigerator and metal table and four chairs duplicate those I grew
up with.
Above the stage, the backdrop features images of the Brooklyn
Bridge and Ebbets Field, fond reminders of the New York skyline, and
especially effective during the few street scenes.
Director Arnold Margolin adds just enough sentimentality in the
drama about a Jewish family with two teenage boys coming of age. One
is confined to a wheelchair. Their favorite pastime? Watching
baseball, at the time of the historic 1955 Yankees vs. Dodgers World
Series.
Rami Malek is dynamic as Paul, the eldest son. He balances well
the jealousy he feels for his brother, Johnny (Richard Alan Brown)
who gets most of his parents’ attention with the anguish caused by
the boys at school who make fun of his brother’s illness.
Another terrific performance is given by Barbara Gruen, playing
perfectly the boys’ aunt, Pearl. In typical fashion, she talks
nonstop and chases the boys around he room to kiss their cheek. It is
another reminder of the aunts from my family tree.
Performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 4 p.m.
Sundays. Tickets range from $25 to $37.50, with $20 rush tickets
available a half-hour before each performance, subject to
availability. The play continues until May 9.
For reservations, call 955-8101. The theater is at 4252 Riverside
Drive, Burbank.
SPECIAL EVENTS
PASADENA SYMPHONY IN CONCERT
Jorge Mester of Montrose will conduct the Pasadena Symphony at 8
tonight at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Glendale musicians performing are Louise DiTullio on flute and
Sharon Harman on violin. Lois Johnson of La Canada Flintridge is
assistant conductor.
Young violinist Ju-Young Baek performs Mendelssohn’s Violin
Concerto in E minor, op. 64. She won first prize in the 2000 Young
Concert Artists International Auditions.
Also on the program are Copland’s jazz-infused “Music for the
Theatre” and Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat major, K. 543. A
pre-concert lecture by musicologist Peyman Farzinpour is at 7 p.m.
Tickets range from $14 to $66, with discounts for seniors and
children. The auditorium is at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. For
tickets, call (626) 584-8833.
CONTEMPORARY WORKS ON DISPLAY
Internationally renowned artist Teni Vardanian is having a solo
exhibit at Harvest Gallery in Glendale.
Vardanian’s contemporary style evokes the depths of integrity and
the unconscious being, while creating surrealistic and spiritually
resounding effects. Her expressive canvases are animated and
profound, using vibrant oils to enhance images, symbols, scenes and
ideas.
Born in Armenia, Vardanian studied at the Terlemezian Art College
and is a graduate of the Yerevan State Institute of Art. She has been
a member of the Union of Painters of Armenia since 1986.
Vardanian has exhibited throughout Europe, South America and the
Middle East. Most recently her work was showcased at the Vermont
Studio Center Gallery in Johnson, Vt.
The exhibit continues through April 18. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.
to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call
546-1000.
JAZZ CELEBRATIONS HAS INTERNATIONAL GUEST
This month’s Jazz Celebrations concert features the Eileina
Williams Quartet at 5 p.m. Sunday at the First Lutheran Church in
Glendale.
At 19, while working as a legal secretary in London, Williams sang
gospel music. Later, she began doing session work and filled in on a
show of R&B; music. That led her to a run on the London singing
circuit.
In 1992, she was selected to join a six-month European tour
performing with Italian rock sensation Zucchero. While on vacation in
Rome after the tour, she was asked by a club owner to perform for an
evening. That evolved into a five-year contract taking her all over
Italy.
She has been performing professionally since coming to California
in late 1999. In 2002, she received Best Performance of the Year in
the Long Beach Jazz Search.
A freewill offering will be taken for the concert. The church is
at 1300 E. Colorado St., Glendale. For more information, call
240-9000.
YOUTH EXPO AT CREATIVE ARTS CENTER
The city of Burbank and the Burbank Fine Arts Federation along
with the Creative Arts Center Gallery is presenting the annual Youth
Art Expo featuring work by students in Burbank schools ranging from
kindergarten through 12th-grade.
The exhibit, themed “Up, Up and Away ... With Art!” continues
through April 22.
Best of Show winners in the high school category were Ricardo
Aguilar for his pen and ink and Rosie Rohwer for photography. Also
winning awards were Max Wedner, watercolor, and Lindsey Lydecker,
colored pencil.
Middle-school award winners were Taylor Adney, Nazgol Farkhondeh,
Ricardo Cardenas and Ryan Hansen.
Kindergarten award winners were Marcos Franco, Cailey Stevenson
and Mariah Gonzalez. First-grade award winners were Matthew Travis,
Alexandra Maclean and Valerie Ng. Second-grade award winners were
Christy Klocki, Gabriella Galvez and Delaney O’Brien.
Third-grade award winners were Christa Hernandez, Perla Mendoza
and Brandon Knight-Warren. Fourth-grade award winners were Spencer
Anderson, Elizabeth Ann Pasqual and Christopher Cavallazzi. Fifth
grade award winners were Connor Gori, Kristen Burroughs, Francisco
Alvarado and Alexa Schnaid.
The display is at the Creative Arts Center Gallery, 1100 W. Clark
Ave., Burbank. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through
Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
For more information, call 238-5397.
JIMMY SPENCER APPEARS AT SMOKE HOUSE
Jimmy Spencer will perform familiar songs when he appears with
jazz group Karen Hernandez Trio at 8:30 tonight at the Smoke House in
Burbank.
The restaurant is at 4420 W. Lakeside Drive in Burbank. For more
information, call 845-3731.
ART EXHIBITS
DUO SHOWING AT VILLAGE SQUARE GALLERY
Betty Dore is showing her paintings, drawing and mixed media and
Paul Lam his ceramic objects in an exhibit at Charles Borman’s
Village Square Gallery in Montrose.
Dore incorporates in her paintings vibrantly colored images taken
from nature. Lam’s works combine natural and architectural imagery.
The show ends May 1. The gallery is at 2418 Honolulu Ave., Suite
C, Montrose. The gallery is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday and by appointment. For more information, call 541-9952.
OIL PAINTINGS AT OCEAN VIEW BAR AND GRILL
Alyce Cox-Smith of La Crescenta is showing her newest works of
California landscapes in oil at Oceanview Bar & Grill in Montrose.
Her style of painting is contemporary realism in an
impressionistic style. She draws upon her life experiences and
travels for her inspiration.
The restaurant is at 3826 Ocean View Blvd., Montrose. For more
information, call 248-2722.
PRINTS AND WATERCOLORS ON EXHIBIT
“Works on Paper,” paintings and prints by Glendale artist John
Parshall, are being exhibited in the John Clark Room of La Canada
Flintridge Library.
This exhibit includes 50 works of collagraphs and prints and
watercolor paintings of gardens, like Descanso Gardens and country
scenes.
This exhibit continues through April 30 and the hours are 10 a.m.
to 8 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays,
and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The library is at 4540
Oakwood Ave., in La Canada Flintridge. For more information, call
240-9349.
A LITTLE JAZZ WITH DINNER
JAX OFFERS SUPPER, JAZZ EVERY NIGHT
Jax Bar and Grill is a supper club offering live jazz every night
of the week.
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 Gashouse Dave & The
Hardtails. Preston Smith & The Crocodiles perform Sunday. The
schedule for the week is the Eldad Tarmu on Monday, Ponticello on
Tuesday; Angela Carole Brown on Wednesday, Jack Sheldon on Thursday;
and The Martini Kings on Friday.
Jax is at 339 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. For more information, call
500-1604.
MUSEUMS
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.
During April, the Glendale Historical Society is sponsoring an
exhibit on Victorian Death and Grieving Customs.
Guests will learn how death was an accepted part of living and
sentimental memorials to loved ones were a part of the home’s decor.
On display are period hair wreaths, a coffin quilt, information on
funeral rites, cemeteries, medical practices and mourning embroidery
as well as an album of post-mortem photographs.
Donations are $1 for those 17 and older. Brand Park is at 1601 W.
Mountain St., Glendale. For more information, call 242-4290.
BOLTON HALL FEATURES EARLY SUNLAND, TUJUNGA
Bolton Hall Museum in Tujunga, run by the Little Landers
Historical Society, features historical displays relating to the
Sunland and Tujunga areas. It is open to the public at 1 p.m.
Tuesdays and Sundays. Admission is free. The museum is at 10110
Commerce Ave., Tujunga.
For information, call 352-3420.
LOOKING BACK AT THE LANTERMAN HOUSE
The Lanterman House, owned by the city of La Canada Flintridge, is
operated by the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation and is open to
the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and the first and
third Sundays of the month.
The house was built in 1914 by the founding family of La Canada
Flintridge. The city took ownership in 1987, and public tours have
been offered since 1995. For information, call 790-1421.
BURBANK MUSEUM DEDICATED TO AVIATION
Burbank Aviation Museum is dedicated to the memory of the men and
women who made aviation history in the San Fernando Valley.
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. Sundays.
Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more information,
call 845-3300.
DANCING
GO TO GIGGLES FOR SALSA, LATIN HOUSE
Giggles nightclub, 215 N. Brand Blvd. in Glendale, is offering a
mixture of dancing and salsa lessons Fridays.
Salsa and merengue dancing are offered on the lower level Friday
and Saturday. On the main floor, Spanish rock and pop are played
Friday, while Latin house, trance and Top 40 are offered Saturday.
There is a strict dress code. The club is open 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Friday and Saturday. Admission is $12 both nights. For more
information, call 500-7800.
DISC JOCKEY PLAYS TOP 40 MUSIC AT THE MIX
The Mix, at 2612 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose, offers Top 40 music
played by a disc jockey from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through
Saturdays. There is a dance contest every Thursday night. There are
also 12 pool tables and a pool league, dartboards and a darts league,
and the occasional live music band. The cover charge is $3 on the
weekends and Tuesdays. For more information, call 248-3040.
ATTRACTIONS
SKATING IS COOL FUN AT PICKWICK ARENA
Pickwick Ice Skating Arena, 1001 Riverside Drive in Burbank, has
public skating, figure skating and ice hockey lessons. It is also
available for private parties.
Public sessions are from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays;
8 to 10 p.m. Saturdays; 1:15 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays; and 8:20 to 9:50 p.m. Wednesdays. Admission is $10, $9 for
17 and younger, including skate rentals. If you have your own skates,
it’s $3 less. Discounts are offered to groups of 10 or more at $7 each. For more information, call 846-0035.
EQUESTRIAN CENTER GREAT FOR HORSING AROUND
The Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Drive in Burbank,
has horse events throughout the year but also rents out the animals
from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Horse rentals are $20 for one hour, $30
for 1 1/2 hours, and $35 for two hours, all with a $15 deposit, cash only. Private hourlong lessons are $35.
Private parties can take night rides or, for the summer only,
sunset barbecue rides. The sunset rides are also open to the public.
To horse around, call 840-8401, or for general information about the
center, call 840-9063.
MOONLIGHT ROLLERWAY IS THE PLACE TO SKATE
Moonlight Rollerway in Glendale offers skating for children and
adults throughout the week.
Admission ranges from $4.50 to $6.75. There is a $2 skate rental
fee or skaters can bring their own in-line or regular skates.
There is a session for children 12 and younger and their parents
from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
Public sessions are from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and
1:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Adult Disco Night for those 18
and older is from 8:30 to 11 p.m. Monday. Old-timers Night with live
organ music is from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Tuesdays.
Skaters receive a discount on the public session from 8 to 10:30
p.m. Wednesdays. Adult admission is $5 with $2 skate rental.
The rink is reserved for private parties Thursday.
Moonlight is at 5110 San Fernando Road in Glendale.
For more information, call 241-3630.
TALK TO THE ANIMALS AT THE LOS ANGELES ZOO
The L.A. Zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is
$9, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $4 for kids 2 to 12 and free for
kids younger than 2. Parking is free and strollers and wheelchairs
are available to rent. The zoo is at 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles.
For more information, call (323) 644-6400.
* If you have news 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.