Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Movie Review: ‘Julia Scotti: Funny That Way’

I’ve heard it said that great comics use humor to mask a world of pain. Bouts of depression are common as is substance abuse. Jokes make a good cover. Robin Williams said, “I think the saddest people always try their hardest to make people happy because they know what it’s like to feel absolutely worthless and they don’t want anyone else to feel like that.” (Eric George Tauber)

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Eric George Tauber, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Music Rises Like A Phoenix

Telling the story of someone’s life without turning it into a thick biography is the art of the raconteur. The art is to seize upon a single, defining moment and work from there. Maestro Hershey Felder takes us to the deathbed of the famed composer Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff in Nicholas, Anna & Sergei: A new musical film by Hershey Felder. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Making San Diego a Yiddish Destination

During the pandemic, YAAANA, the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America, a tiny non-profit organization I founded four years ago, saw significant growth, and is about to move into a new physical space in La Jolla. In June 2021, we plan to open a mini-Yiddishland California in the Village of La Jolla. Among the activities planned for that space are Yiddish music concerts, theater performances, activities for children, Yiddish classes, and festive Yiddish-style dinners. And, just like our previous pop-up and Zoom events, all YAAANA activities will be accessible to all regardless of Yiddish-speaking abilities. Additionally, childcare will be available to visiting parents. [Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Scene-stealing actor Charles Grodin, star of ‘Beethoven’ and ‘Midnight Run,’ dead at 86

Published by New York Daily News Actor Charles Grodin, whose dry wit and everyman persona led to long-running Hollywood success in films like “The Heartbreak Kid” and the unlikely family movie hit “Beethoven,” died peacefully Tuesday at his Connecticut home. The 86-year-old Grodin died at his Wilton, Connecticut, residence of bone marrow cancer, his family

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Lipinsky Family S.D. Jewish Arts Festival Schedule Announced

The 28th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival, Jfest 2021, promises to be sparkling with more stars from all corners of the globe than ever before, thanks to the virtual platform for all but one of the 15 offerings. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

LaKeith Stanfield apologizes for moderating anti-Semitic Clubhouse chat

Published by New York Daily News LaKeith Stanfield apologized Friday for participating in an anti-Semitic social media conversation. Stanfield, 29, did not say anything anti-Semitic himself, but was a moderator of a Clubhouse room in which other people spewed Jewish hatred Wednesday night, The Daily Beast reported. “At some point during the dialogue the discussion

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Tovah Feldshuh’s True-Life Role as a Daughter

It’s hard to believe that Lilyville is a first book given its accessibility and universal appeal. This memoir of four-time Tony, two-time Emmy nominee, Tovah Feldshuh delights and delivers! Broadway performer, and television star, Feldshuh has produced an honest, loving tribute to her tour de force mother, Lily Feldshuh. [Eva Trieger]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Einstein Didn’t Come Through for This Reviewer

It is wonderful to see how resilient and innovative our San Diego area theaters are, and North Coast Repertory Theater is a testament to the old adage, “the show must go on.” Under the direction of David Ellenstein with co-writer Marc Silver, audiences were invited to attend the one-man show, Einstein Comes Through, portrayed by Jake Broder.  [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Prison Inmates Tell Their Stories Through Theater

Thanks to Covid-19 many of us experienced “lockdown” in our homes, yet we can’t begin to imagine what life is like for those who are truly locked down and sequestered from polite society. That is, until the Playwrights Project teamed up with San Diego State University, nine years ago, to bring us Beyond Prison Walls. This innovative, honest and empathetic showcase brought us into the hearts and minds of those who’ve served time at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility and Centinela State Prison. [Eva Trieger]

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

‘Nomadland’ wins big at pandemic Oscars as Zhao makes history

Published by AFP Hollywood (United States) (AFP) – US road movie “Nomadland” emerged as the big winner at the Oscars on Sunday with three major prizes, including a history-making award for director Chloe Zhao, as Hollywood celebrated its most glamorous night with a unique pandemic-era gala. Zhao’s drama about marginalized Americans roaming the West in

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Good News from Israel (April 25, 2021)

NETANYA, Israel — In the April 25, 2021 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
–Over 80% of Israeli adults have now been vaccinated against Covid-19.
–Israeli optical breakthrough allows for early detection of skin cancer.
–Israel marks Earth Day with national clean-up and new sustainability center.
–New Israeli-developed microchips are the fastest ever.
–Israel signs hi-tech agreement with one of the world’s largest carmakers.
–Discovery in Israel of the oldest example of alphabetic writing. [Michael Ordman]

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Business & Finance, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Ordman, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, The World We Share, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

This Year’s Oscar Predictions

This year’s nominees consist of intimate dramas or recreations of politically or socially relevant events or situations. Among the eight movies nominated for best picture, The Father, The Sound of Metal, Mank, and A Promising Young Woman feature protagonists suffering from some addiction, disease, disability, or trauma and examine how these afflictions affect their careers or personal relationships.  [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Young Actors Take Us Beyond Prison Walls

How do you readjust to life as an ex-con? Will you make better choices? Surely, that experience will always be a part of you, but does it have to define you for the rest of your days? These are questions explored in San Diego by Playwrights Project, the SDSU School of Theatre, Television and Film and former inmates of the Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility. [Eric George Tauber]

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Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast