The Arts

String Quartet of Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Impressive at the Prebys

Celebrating the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s 85th anniversary, the IPO String Quartet gave an impressive concert last Wednesday evening in the Baker-Baum Concert Hall of the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla.  The four outstanding IPO musicians, David Radzynski, Polina Yehudi, violins, Yoni Gertner, viola, Haran Meltzer, cello, were on their next-to-last leg of a six-city tour, which included performances in New York, Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Sunday, they will conclude their tour in San Francisco. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

San Diego Rep’s Next Play Explores the World of a Neuro-Atypical Teen

In anticipation of San Diego Rep’s next mainstage production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I spoke by phone with Artistic Director, Todd Salovey. I had the magnificent opportunity to speak with him after the first reading as a company, and his insights and observations served as the basis for our call. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Movie review: Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’ a dazzling update of classic musical

Published by Tribune News Service There is only one word to describe Steven Spielberg’s remake/revival of “West Side Story”: dazzling. As Janusz Kaminski’s wildly liberated camera swirls around the flying limbs of the Sharks, Jets and everyone caught in the middle, set to the familiar strains of Leonard Bernstein’s music, the cinematic spectacle is simply

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast

‘There Are Jews Here’ Documents A Dwindling World

There are Jews here. This can be a simple statement of fact, but it is often phrased: There are Jews here?! Small towns are not where we usually expect to find Jewish communities. Such small town shtiebels are the subject of a documentary film, There Are Jews Here through America Reframed and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

A YouTube Channel featuring Jewish Women Performers

The ATARA organization and Spotlight on Women have joined forces to create the Jewish Women’s Chanukah Playlist 2021 Channel on YouTube, featuring music videos exclusively from Torah-observant (Orthodox) female artists from around the world. [Toby Klein Greenwald]

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International, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

An Enjoyable ‘My Fair Lady’ at the Civic Through Dec. 5

If you haven’t seen the show, it’s based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and is the story of a professor (Henry Higgens, played by Laird Mackintosh) who takes in a young woman who sells flowers in the street, (Eliza Doolittle, played by Shereen Ahmed) and makes a bet with his friend (Col Pickering, played by Kevin Pariseau), that he can turn her from a gutter rat into a duchess by teaching her to speak proper English instead of Cockney.  [Sandi Masori]

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Sandi Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

The Cain v. Abel Trial

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin BOCA RATON, Florida — Rabbi Dr. Dan Ornstein has written the easy-to-read “Cain v. Abel: A Jewish Courtroom Drama,” an interesting, thoughtful, eye-opening, and thought-provoking book based on the two-dozen biblical sentences in Genesis 4 that report the fraternal murder of Abel by his brother Cain. Rabbi Ornstein includes the

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion

Dave Grohl Covers Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ in 2021 ‘Hanukkah Session’

Published by Loudwire Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin delivered the second installment of their 2021 “Hanukkah Sessions” cover songs on Monday (Nov. 29). Grohl, the Foo Fighters figurehead and former Nirvana drummer, and Kurstin, the Grammy-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist from the indie pop group The Bird and the Bee, do a spirited take on the

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Jewish Celebrities, The Arts

Love, Loyalty, and Suspense in World War II France

“Postmistress” is a euphemism for “messenger,” which was the role that Nanée, an American heiress, played while in Paris, prior to the German invasion.  Initially, she and her compatriots focused on getting well-known artists and intellectuals — many but not all of them Jewish — out of Nazi Germany and into safety in France. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison

Comic-Con on the Come-Up

Comic-Con@Home once again took place online this past summer due to Covid fears. However, Comic-Con also hosted a live convention in San Diego this year, perplexingly on Thanksgiving weekend. So, I took my tryptophan-laden self, picked up my recently Black Friday bruised wallet, and headed downtown to see an all new and all different Con, one from 30 years ago. [Shor M. Masori]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori

San Diego Civic Youth Ballet Builds Skills and Self-Confidence

The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet was founded in 1945 and makes its home in Balboa Park.  As the resident dance school, the company puts on three shows a year at Casa del Prado Theater.  In addition to the classic and holiday favorite The Nutcracker, there is a full-length spring ballet, and a summer gem, Fairy Tales in the Park.  When possible, the company takes its performances to the community to share the joy of storytelling through movement.  I had the great fortune to speak with a former, and current student, Sara Goldman. [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Israeli Philharmonic String Quartet to Perform in La Jolla Dec. 8

– Celebrating the Israel Philharmonic’s 85th anniversary, the Israel Philharmonic String Quartet is touring the United States. Their San Diego stop will be Wednesday evening, December 8 in the Baker-Baum Concert Hall at the Conrad, 7600 Fay St. in La Jolla. The hour-long concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and feature single movements from quartets by Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Ravel, and Haydn. There will be a Gala Reception prior to the concert, sponsored by Sharon and Richard Gabriel and a dessert following the concert. 

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Eileen Wingard, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA