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On Broadway, it was a special evening to celebrate the 25th-year Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera. Cameron Mackintosh, Harold Prince and Sarah Brightman were all present for the occasion. Only Andrew Lloyd Webber was missing, due to health reasons. Sierra Boggess was the new Christine and was splendid. Hugh Panaro as the Phantom and Kyle Barisch as Raoul were equally fine. It was a wonderful performance. with film clips to begin and speeches afterwards, with many of the former Phantoms. Everyone went to the a marvelous party at the New York Public Library to mark the fantastic achievement of this superb Broadway musical.
Manilow on Broadway opened to rapturous applause. Barry Manilow's fans were out in force, singing along with him, enjoying every song that he performed, with a final highlight of the show of three of his most famous songs. His opening night party took place at, naturally, the Copacabana with his friends, and guests like Clive Davis and David Zippel. Earlier in the afternoon, we attended a pre-theatre fiesta, a party at the Copacabana for Viva Broadway, presented by the Broadway League and the magazine Latin Trends, for the Latino community with ethnic food, drinks, music and dancing. It was great fun..
Off-Broadway, All the Rage, written and performed by Martin Moran, is a one man show, in which the author explores his lack of anger, despite the fact that he was sexually abused at the age of 12, and had an unpleasant relationship with his father's second wife. The actor is a decent person and a good companion. We enjoy his stories of helping an African seeking asylum in this country, his father's funeral, visiting his frustrated brother and his trip to South Africa. The performance is like spending time listening to a dear friend. We celebrated the opening night at the West Bank Cafe with Marin Mazzie, Hunter Foster, Brian d'Arcy James, Seth Numrich, Kathryn Erbe, and many more of his actor friends. It's obvious Martin is well liked.
The 42nd Annual Theatre Hall of Fame inducted eight new members at the Gershwin Theatre, followed by a dinner at the New York Friars Club. Tyne Daly was the Mistress of Ceremonies, and five of the honorees attended, including Andre Bishop, Michael Kahn, Trevor Nunn, Paula Vogel and Sam Waterston. As always, it was a delightful occasion.
There was a wonderful We Are Family Foundation Celebration Gala 2.0, at Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom, honoring Adam Lambert, Jeni Stepanek and Daniel H. Stern. The hosts were Rosie Perez and Toure. Among the guests and performers were Nile Rodgers, Randy Jones and Lucia Hwong Gordon. It was a festive occasion.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center is presenting A Close-up of Abbas Kiarostami February 8-17. I attended two press screenings of his films. Close Up, Iran, 1990, is based on a true story.
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Ten, France, Iran, USA, 2002, takes place in a car in ten scenes, where a female driver gives rides to her young son, her sister,and various people she picks up on the street, including a prostitute. Unfortunately, she never stops talking, and it makes the viewer realize that traveling with someone in a confining car can be an unpleasant experience.
MoMA presented Witness for the Prosecution, by Billy Wilder, USA, 1957, an absolutely delightful courtroom drama about a man accused of murder (Tyrone Power), being defended by Charles Laughton, who steals the film as his barrister. Although a far fetched story, it is constantly entertaining, with an unexpected ending. The acting by the entire cast is first rate. I enjoyed every minute of this well made film.
Opera in Cinema from Emerging Pictures presented La Boheme, by Puccini, from The Royal Opera, a live performance on January 10. It was one of the most delightful productions presented in this magnificent series. The cast was superb, especially a radiant Maija Kovalevska as Mimi and an ardent Dmytro Popov as Rodolfo. Both acted and sang splendidly with great passion. Andun Iversen (Marcello) and Stefania Dovhan (Musetta) as the other pair of mismatched lovers contributed to the success of the opera. The orchestra played the score brilliantly, under the baton of Mark Elder. It was a memorable performance.
01-29-13
(L-R)
Sara
Ruhl.
honoree
Paula
Vogel
at
the
2013
Hall
of
Fame
dinner
at
the
New
York
Friars
Club.
57
East
55th
St.
Monday
night
01-28-13
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