[Rick Stein here again, filling in for Paul Hodgins while he’s away…]

Taking a page out of OC Register classical music critic Tim Mangan’s book, I’m calling for all Shakespeare-lovers to weigh in on the subject of their favorite Shakespeare play by commenting on this blogpost.

As for me, I just returned from a trip to Europe, planned nearly a year ago, to reconnect my 87 year old mother with her Hungarian roots (you can read more about that on my personal blog:  http://rickstein.blogspot.com). 

We wrapped the trip with a visit to Stratford-upon-Avon, England, to see a really terrific production of one of Shakespeare’s less-often-produced plays, “The Winter’s Tale,” at the Royal Shakespeare Company.  This is one of the Bard’s late-in-life works, and reflects his darker broodings tempered by a (mostly) happy, suspend-all-disbelief ending.

I’d only seen it once before, in another Royal Shakespeare Company staging at London’s gloomy Barbican Center that was equally gloomy.  The current production, staged by RSC’s new Associate Director David Farr is bold, energetic, filled with joyous comic relief in the bravura performance of Brian Doherty as Autolycus, but mostly notable for its exceptionally strong ensemble performances.  In a word, it was riveting.

Not sure I’d call it my favorite Shakespeare play, though.  I’ll have to think about that one some more.

Meanwhile, this poll is also a great way to remind everyone about the season debut of Shakespeare Orange County (now offering “As You Like It”) and Tom Bradac’s 30th year of staging Shakespeare in our community.

Rick Stein
Executive Director
Arts Orange County
Spark-e’s Place blog:  http://sparkoc.blogspot.com
SparkOC—Comprehensive arts & cultural listings:  http://sparkoc.com
Find us on Twitter at:  SparkOC

PREVIEW: Director Roy Roderick adjusts story and special effects for musical’s tour. The Orange County Register, July 2, 2009.

(AP Photo/Barlow-Hartman/Joan Marcus)

I’m off to the Great White North to see family and eat real bacon. I’ll be back on July 14. In the meantime, Arts Orange County executive director Richard Stein will fill in with his usual aplomb. Thanks, Rick!

Check out Stein’s regular blog.

Stay tuned.

Karl Malden, who died today at 97, enjoyed a lengthy, varied and distinguished career as a character actor.

On film he is best remembered for roles that required restrained passion, grit, wisdom and integrity. Malden wasn’t a showy performer by any means, but he was able to hold his own against Marlon Brando in two of Elia Kazan’s greatest films, “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951) and “On the Waterfront” (1954). Malden won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in the former film. He played Mitch, a frustrated suitor of Blanche DuBois who finally sees she is a mass of deception and neuroses. That scene of realization and accusation is one of the quieter moments from an emotionally fraught film, yet one of its most brutally memorable.

Later in his career, Malden brought his bankable quality of streetwise gravitas to television. He was an effective presence in a series of advertisements for American Express. And he created a new generation of fans when he played police lieutenant Mike Stone in “The Streets of San Francisco” from 1972-77, in the process giving a young actor named Michael Douglas a pointer or two about the thespian’s craft.

The bulbous-nosed actor (he claimed his nose was broken twice during his years as a high school basketball player) also helped out Michael’s father, Kirk, when both were young theater performers.

Read the rest of this entry »

Playbill reports that Jerry Lewis will direct a musical version of his 1963 comedy, “The Nutty Professor.”  Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes will write the songs for the show, which will debut sometime during the 2010-11 Broadway season.

“The Nutty Professor” will be Lewis’ theatrical debut as a director, although he’s tried acting in musicals before — you might remember him in that devilishly good role, Applegate, when “Damn Yankees” came to O.C. years ago.

The producers of Inland Idol, a talent contest for young singers, have announced they’re bringing the competition to Orange County later this year. Mark Wahlberg will be among the judges.

Entrants must be between 7 and 18 years old. Registration is now open.

Winners will receive:

- A two-song, professional recording and production opportunity
- One original song producedspecifically for the young artist
- Professional vocal coaching
- Professional photography session
- Performance showcase opportunities

More details follow.

Read the rest of this entry »