The Cher Show ,
book by Rick
Elice ,
at the Neil Simon Theatre, is a
musical for fans of Cher .
Three actresses play Cher at
different stages in her life. Stephanie
J. Block is
Star, the oldest and most mature.
She dominates the production with a
powerful voice and wears all the
outrageous costumes created by Bob
Mackie played
by Michael
Berresse .
All the songs made popular by Cher
are sung by an energetic cast,
directed by Jason
Moore .
The choreography by Christopher
Gattelli is
enjoyable. We see Cher as a shy
child, and as she has success as a
singer, she is dominated by Sonny
Bono ( Jarrod
Spector ).
They were television stars in the
1970s. She makes bad choices with
her husbands and boyfriends. It is a
superficial outline of her life.
However, those who remember her will
enjoy listening to the songs.
The Emperor's Nightingale,
by Damon Chua, is a
production of the Pan Asian
Repertory at the Beckett Theatre. It
is a fairy tale about two princes
wanting to inherit the throne in
China. The six member cast (photo
below), directed by Chongren
Fan, play multiple roles like
pandas, tigers and birds also, as
well as royals. It is a short play
that will delight children and
adults alike. The opening party took
place in Lounge at Theatre Row,
where we congratulated the cast and
creative team.
A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan
Thomas, adapted
and directed by Charlotte
Moore ,
with musical direction at the piano
by J ohn
Bell ,
is a charming production of the
Irish Repertory Theatre. The six
member cast (photo below) is
superb. Each and everyone sings and
dances magnificently. Margaret
Dudasik even
plays the violin while dancing. The
opening night party was held on the
second floor in the rehearsal room,
and we congratulated the cast, and
creative team for the delightful
performance, which is a perfect
Christmas gift to theater audiences.
Among the guests were Tony and Gen
Walton and Malachy
McCourt .
We thank Artistic Director Charlotte
Moore and Producing Director Ciaran
O'Reilly for a
marvelous party, complete with
delicious food and fine wine and
Jameson Irish Whisky.
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MoMA presented Silent
Comedy International until December
2. I
saw the last day's screenings. Transatlantic
Teamwork was
three films with Laurel
and Hardy, John Bunny and Flora
Finch and
the Danish team of Pat and
Patachon .
The first two were shorts and the
third was a feature film. I also
saw The
British Are Coming ,
with was four films with Jimmy
Aubrey, Lupino Lane and again
Laurel and Hardy in the first three
shorts. They were two fascinating
programs, which introduced the
cinema audience to many comic
talents from other countries
The Baker's Wife, by Marcel
Pagnol, France, 1938, at Film
Forum, is about a baker (the
wonderful Raimu),
who moves to a small village in the
Provence with his young wife (Ginette
Leclerc). She runs off with a
handsome shepherd, and the baker is
destroyed by her disappearance and
refuses to make bread until she
returns. The entire cast is
magnificent. Every villager is a
character and very funny. It is one
of the most brilliant films among
the many great films made by Pagnol.
Do not miss it!. It will be screened
at Film Forum from December 21-27.
A wonderful Chanukah party was held
at Jue Lan Club, 47 West 20th
St. Publicist Bruce
Lynn was the host, and he also
performed. Another performer was Marti
Gould Cummings. The food was
delicious, and the drinks kept
flowing. Everyone had a marvelous
night, and it was a delightful way
to celebrate the holiday.
Publicist Ann
Lawlor invited me to a lovely
holiday party at Blonde & Co, 34
West 27th St. The offices and rooms
represent fashion designers, hair
stylists, make-up artists, casting
directors, models, actors, and
executives of brands like L'Oreal
and Lassalle. Delicious food was
served along with open bars, one
featuring a wonderful rose wine Palm
from the Provence. I enjoyed
chatting with three
actresses/models Olivia
Gianella from New Jersey, Raveena
Gupta from London and Abigail
Rose Reedy from Wexford,
Ireland, who has just arrived in New
York. It was a wonderful evening.
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