Herbert Paine - Page 13

Interview with LEA SALONGA in advance of her appearance on May 17th at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in LEA SALONGA: THE HUMAN HEART TOUR. Insightful and thoughtful perspectives from this powerhouse of talent, the star of Miss Saigon and a Disney Legend.

For a boost to the spirit and a refreshing introduction to a unique personality, check out Nick Nanton's biopic, CONNECTED: THE JOE POLISH STORY ~ premiering at thePhoenix Film Festival ~ April 12th-13th.

Sombreros off to the theatre companies that are emphasizing cultural diversity and inclusiveness in their programming and casting and creatively outreaching to new audiences. One of the leaders in the mix, thanks to the artistic directorship of David Ivers (who's off now to take the helm at South Coast Repertory), is Arizona Theatre Company, which has mounted AMERICAN MARIACHI as one of its 52nd Season highlights. The light-hearted and sentimental production, directed by Christopher Acebo, runs through April 21st at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.

In one sense, WICKED is the epitome of a Broadway blockbuster, possessed of all the elements that generate roaring and adoring crowds such as those welcoming the 15-year-old phenom, directed by Joe Mantello, to a month-long run at ASU Gammage's stage. Spectacular production quality! Outstanding performances, led by Mariand Torres and Erin Mackey. Runs through May 5th at ASU Gammage in Tempe.

There's something for everyone in the Phoenix region's growing and robust world of theatre - from upstart to established companies, from black box to dinner theatre and theatre-in-the-round, from edgy and provocative to classics and family-friendly shows, from Broadway-inspired musicals to comedy and drama. Nonprofit theatre companies are leading the way in ensuring that Valley of the Sun audiences have as vital and diverse a selection of quality offerings as possible.

Director Virginia Olivieri controls the arc and tone of Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN with fidelity, carefully building this American tragedy towards its emotion-laden finale. Featuring Walt Pedano as Willy Loman, the winner of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play runs through April 14th at Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale, AZ.

Noel Coward's BLITHE SPIRIT is Don Bluth Front Row Theatre's current production, running through May 24th. Charm permeates this show, directed by Janis Webb and featuring a glorious performance by Joy Bingham Strimple as the clairvoyant Madame Arcati.

MAMMA MIA! ~ Arizona Broadway Theatre's zesty reprise of the ABBA-inspired musical that never flags in its ability to stir up a hearty round of opas. The familiarity of the songs and the characters brings certain comfort to an already appreciative audience. Mark Foreman's orchestra knocks out ABBA's popular melodies with vigor. The ensemble steps lively to their airs. The leads deliver solid performances. Runs through April 20th.

Seth Tucker delivers an astonishing display of jaw-dropping artistry in Elaine 'E.E.' Moe's superbly directed production of Doug Wright's award-winning I AM MY OWN WIFE. A must-see, BLK BOX PHX production, running through March 16th at The Phoenix Theatre Company's Judith Hardes Theatre in Phoenix.

Matt Embry's LIVING PROOF is an inspiring and compelling film account of one man's courageous journey to find viable relief from Multiple Sclerosis. It was one of the featured films at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.

ONE DAY HOME, screenwriter and actress Rebecca Louise Miller's debut as a filmmaker, is a touching and sensitively executed allegory about hope. The short film, deftly directed by Drew Denny and featuring a superb cast, is an enchanting and smile-inducing paean to hope and possibility.

From the exhilarating get-go of BUT FIRST, Erin Brown Thomas's homage to the transformative effects of coffee, three dancers ~ Erin Love, Sarah Housepian, and Tiffanie Carson ~ undulate, thrust, and kick to the pulsating beats of ~ naturally ~ shaken coffee beans. Rich and flavorful, and a great treat for the senses. One of the short film features in this year's Sedona International Film Festival.

Edward James Olmos and Ryan Guzman deliver rich captivating performances in the newly released film, WINDOWS ON THE WORLD, directed by Michael D. Olmos. World Premiere at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.

Sedona International Film Festival presents IN THIS GRAY PLACE, written and directed by R.D. Womack II and featuring Aleksander Ristic. An unconventional but oddly romantic morality tale.

Krista Riihimaki's documentary, CHILD, DISRUPTED,is a compelling and rightfully disturbing 26-minute documentary, that addresses the question, 'As a society, are we in danger of raising a generation of children disrupted by the overuse of technology?' Profound. One of the films at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.

AN ACT OF TERROR, directed by Ashley Paige Brim and co-written with Rachel Rush, is an absorbing and important film of conscience about racial injustice in America, directed by Ashley Paige Brim and co-written with Rachel Rush, featuring a compelling performance by Olivia Washington. One of the screenings at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.

LUCY IN THE SKY, an exceptional 11-minute film, written by Jen Rudin and directed by Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, and featuring Zoe Margaret Colletti, Whoopi Goldberg and an outstanding cast, probes the experience of a 14-year-old girl on the autism spectrum as she enters a mainstream high school. One of the screenings at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.

TO DUST, directed by Shawn Snyder and featuring standout performances by Geza Rohrig and Matthew Broderick, is a strikingly sensitive, whimsical, and intensely human account of a man's struggle not only to reconcile himself to the death of his wife and an illuminating exposition of the Jewish perspective on life and death and the hereafter. One of the features at this year's Sedona International Film Festival, February 23 through March 3.

FOR SALE: BABY SHOES, NEVER WORN, co-directed by Dmitri Milkin and Ryan Turner and featuring Amy Shiels and Asher Grodman, is a poignant one-minute film that propels you into the grief of two people who are letting go of the toys and paraphernalia that might have adorned the room of a baby that died too soon. (The short film is one of the features at this year's Sedona International Film Festival.)

THE BILL MURRAY STORIES ~ LIFE LESSONS LEARNED FROM A MYTHICAL MAN (one of the features at this year's Sedona International Film Festival) is a wildly entertaining and inspiring documentary about a unique urban legend.