The Arts

San Diego composer, pianist featured in TICO concert

By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — Youth Overture by Arkady Luxemburg opened the June 4 concert of the Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra (TICO). Luxemburg, who died recently, was a Russian-Jewish immigrant, residing in San Diego for more than two decades and writing music in many genres. His brief, upbeat work displayed influences of Kabelevsky and […]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County

Harold and Lillian: Up to now unsung movie heroes

By Pamela Pollack-Fremd SPOKANE, Washington — Film making is a collaborative endeavor.  Many people who are essential to the film making process are not well known.  The documentary film, Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Romance, written and directed by Academy Award-nominated Daniel Raim is about two of those little known, but essential people. Harold Michelson

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Suspicion, acceptance on menu at ‘The Spitfire Grill’

By Eva Trieger SOLANA BEACH, California — Craving an omelet, or a cuppa Joe, served up with sarcasm or perhaps a smile?  You know how it is when you stop in at your favorite breakfast joint, and don’t even have to say, “I’ll have the usual.”  The waitress knows your signature dish, your daily habits,

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

In drama ‘Oslo,’ behind-the-scenes diplomacy takes center stage

Ahead of the Tony awards, the story of the historic Oslo peace accords and hit stage production — from Terje Rod-Larsen himself By George Alan Baumgarten NEW YORK — The iconic image is forever etched in the minds of those who remember it: Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat in that unlikeliest of handshakes, under the

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International, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Neil Diamond voice still in top shape on 50 Year Anniversary Tour

ANALYSIS/OPINION: His voice remains smooth like silk, and as flawlessly on-pitch as he was a half-century ago when the world of rock was yet young. Neil Diamond, now 76, brought his hits, his verve and his unconquerable joy to Baltimore’s Royal Farms Arena Friday night, where the New Yorker took the thousands gathered – from

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Stephen King more profound as author than coach

On Writing by Stephen King; Scribner, Simon and Schuster, 2000 By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Not being a fan of the horror/fantasy genre of novels, I must confess at the outset that I have not read any of Stephen King’s other books. I do know, however, that he is a very successful and prolific author in

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson

E.L. Woody, the self-proclaimed ‘King of the Paparazzi’, dies at 70

He didn’t meet Sylvester Stallone on the best of nights, and it didn’t go much better the time he bumped into Kiefer Sutherland. But Mark Wahlberg liked E.L. Woody, at least enough to cast him in HBO’s hit series “Entourage.” Wahlberg’s marching orders for Woody were clear enough — just play yourself. So Woody strapped

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Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Jewish great-grandson has a play on Theresienstadt

By Sandee Brawarsky J.R.R. Tolkien’s great-grandson Nicholas Tolkien. Separated by three generations, one lived through war to create a magical world of fantasy, and one was blessed to know peace but writes about an unimaginably tragic chapter of history. Playwright and director Nicholas Tolkien, who makes his Off-Broadway debut this month with “ Terezin,” is

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Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Ending with Cosby’s own words, prosecution rests

NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Prosecutors in Bill Cosby’s sex assault trial closed their case Friday, ending five days of evidence and testimony by letting jurors hear the 79-year-old entertainer’s admission that he used to get Quaaludes, a powerful sedative, to use in sexual encounters with women. In a 2005 deposition, Cosby admitted to obtaining seven prescriptions

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Polanski’s victim asks judge to end 40-year-old sex case against director

LOS ANGELES — The woman Roman Polanski was convicted of sexually assaulting in 1977 when she was 13 appeared in court Friday and urged a judge to dismiss the 40-year-old sex case against the fugitive director. Samantha Geimer stood before Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon in downtown Los Angeles and said she wanted the case

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

The debate about Bob Dylan’s faith is over

Nearly 40 years after Bob Dylan stunned the music world with the release of his overtly Christian album, “Slow Train Coming,” followed quickly with the unambiguously gospel “Saved,” people still don’t know what to make of America’s most enigmatic troubadour. The conventional wisdom is that Dylan took an intense dive into evangelical Christianity for a

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Cosby told police that accuser was conscious and aware during their encounter

NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby told police that he and Andrea Constand had a romantic relationship well before the January 2004 night when he is accused of assaulting her and that she was aware and conscious during their entire encounter that evening. The pair, Cosby told police, had kissed and petted “at least three times”

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA