December 2017, Featuring Julia Pajot by Hollywood Weekly Magazine, LLC

DECEMBER 2017

CALLYWOOD

GOES TO HOLLYWOOD

KELLY LYNCH ON “KEPLER’S DREAM,”

HER CAREER AND OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

JULIA PAJOT A NEW APPROACH OF INSTRUM

ENTAL COMPOSITION

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 1

DECEMBER 2017

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR In this, our December issue we are honored to feature an exclusive interview with French composer Julia Pajot. Julia was a child prodigy and stopped by Hollywood Weekly’s offices for the exclusive interview. As a composer, she earned many awards, for both her concert and orchestral and chamber music, including many Global Music Awards and a Hollywood Music Award among others. We also feature our coverage of The Governors Awards which is conferred PRATHER JACKSON by the Academy’s Board of Governors. In honor of the 9th Annual Governors Awards, G. alberg Memorial Award, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Picture Arts and Sciences presented the Honorary Award. Honorary Awards (Oscar® statuettes) to writer. The 2017 honorees are: Charles Burnett, Owen Roizman, Donald Sutherland and Agnès Varda. Lenny Kravitz headlined the InterContinental® Miami Make- A-Wish Ball featuring a special appearance by Snoop Dogg at the a party presented by E11EVEN MIAMI. Marking arguably the most star powered Ball to date, the festivities opened with a heartfelt speech by Once Upon A Time co-star Gabrielle Anwar, followed by an opening performance by e Voice winner Alisan Porter. e evening continued with a very private performance for top donors by Lenny Kravitz with a nale by Snoop Dogg who closed out the night DJing some of his top hits at the a er party presented by E11EVEN MIAMI. With the help of Board Chairman Shareef Malnik, Gala Host Robert Hill and Make-AWish Southern Florida President Norman Wedderburn, $2.2million was raised for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Be sure to read our coverage of the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival’s “ Callywood Comes to Hollywood.” The glitzy gala was held during the first week in November on the lot at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. Well established and new talent alike streamed in from all four corners of the globe and walked on the red carpet, donning their most glamorous ensembles and rubbing elbows with industry heavy weights. We extend a special thanks to Egor Eifok and Michael Okon who travelled from Nigeria to participate in this special event. 2 Callywood Studios films , “ The Father” and “I Am Bassey”, respectively, were premiered in Hollywood. The Director General of Callywood Studios Egor Efiok and the lead actor of “ Thee Father” Michael Okon, were there to represent Callywood. The premiere was attended by top Hollywood executives from Fox Studios and Paramount Pictures who reviewed the films and were so impressed that they were given 4 awards which included “The e Success Of Callywood Goes To Hollywood 2017” for His Excellency Senator Professor Ben Ayade.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson MANAGING EDITOR Prather Jackson MARKETING & SALES Launy Rhem AFRICA OPERATIONS Egor Efiok Award Winning Filmmaker & Director General Of Callywood Studios +447932399204 / +2348063167990 ASIA OPERATIONS Joyce Penas Pilarsky HWM Asia Ambassador Email: info@joycepilarsky.com Bench Bello HWM Asia Operations hollywoodmagazineusa@gmail.com Mobile: +639273895559 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nitara Osborne MUSIC EDITOR Dick Michaels LIFE & STYLE EDITOR Niki Shadrow-Snyder RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT Alberto Arellano

WEB DESIGNER Howard Chan ART DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Karina Pacheco CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Viktorija Pashuta

PRODUCTION MANAGER Hector Santacruz

VP CORPORATE ACCOUNTS STRATEGY & PLANNING Rudy Germany

FEATURED WRITER Nitara Osborne, Jenny Werth Alex A. Kecskes

DISTRIBUTORS NEWSWAYS DISTRIBUTORS GOLD KEY MEDIA NEWS INFLIGHT, INC

Enjoy,

Prather Jackon Prather Jackson

PUBLISH & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

KEEP UP WITH HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY AT: www.hollywoodweeklymagazine.com FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @hollywoodweeklymagazine (323) 456-5004

WEEKLY

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST A CHRISTMAS ROSE An updated version of the classic tale, in the style of a traditional British family Panto

JULIA PAJOT

XBOXONEX

A NEW APPROACH OF INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION

THE GOVERNORS AWARDS

ANNUAL EVENT CELEBRATING AWARDS CONFERRED BY THE ACADEMY’S BOARD OF GOVERNORS

KELLY LYNCH 16 ON “KEPLER’S DREAM,”

HER CAREER AND OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

A NEW APPROACH OF INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION

PORTER GRANT WISHES

LENNY KRAVITZ, SNOOP DOGG, GABRIELLE ANWAR AND ALISAN

THE HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE OF CALLYWOOD FILMS

“THE FATHER” AND “I AM BASSEY”.

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JULIA

I WAS ONLY 17 YEARS OLD, WHEN I GAVE MY FIRST REHEARSAL, FOR MY PIANO QUARTET IN WHICH I PLAYED AND CONDUCTED FROM THE PIANO

HW: You are being featured in Hollywood Weekly. Why is this important to you? JP: It is extremely important to me, as it is the first article written in depth about my whole background, experience and achievements, especially being distributed in different places internationally. HW: People who read about you, what do you want them to learn? JP: I was a child prodigy. As a composer, I earned many awards, for both my concert and film music and concept, orchestral and chamber music: many Global Music Awards and a Hollywood Music Award among others, as well as GMA gold for my career as “emerging pictorial and film composer” and for TEMPÊTE ENSOLEILLÉE. http://www.globalmusicawards.com/PastWinners.html I am a professional pianist and singer. A dark dramatic/ coloratura soprano (C2 to D6+), dark heavy yet agile soprano, my voice is a mix between Maria Callas, boy soprano, and “soul voice”.

(HMMA) voting Academy, and voting member of Film Independent, ASIA-Hollywood and was among the 5 judges of the music committee (music in feature animation, and TV/broadcast categories) for the Annie Awards 2017. Among my projects, I am working on a trailer for feature film FISSION, which I will score, written by Tom Weston, based on the life-story of Lise Meitner. I am also developing my decade research project with artists in different sound and visual arts fields. Violinist Anais Ponty develops new sound instrumental EFX with me and Jill Baer (Universal) and Ken Blackwell developing scripts, and I am writing a piano concerto with string ensemble based on it. I was among the researchers contacted worldwide by IRCAM to fill a questionnaire about our projects, for their 40th anniversary with Centre Pompidou. Thanks especially to sound artist Charles Maynes for his contribution on it. My first achievement in this development was my SYMPHONY 2, mentioned below.

PAJOT https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=LCvzO5GDPDU

I am a member of the SCL, ASMAC, AWFC, and WIA. I am part of Hollywood Music in Media Awards

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HW: Tell me about your recent anime concept film. JP: I scored and produced the anime short AU FIL DE L’EAU (2015), by Dominique Monfery. Formerly Disney, he also directed the legendary Dali/Disney DESTINO, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. What inspired me is the beauty of the animation and very natural way non-living objects move that are personalized, as the way he animated the water droplets in this film. With no budget or a team behind this film, we were ultimately joined by the music mixer, re-recording mixer, and distributor. (Thanks to Isidoor Roebers from Fortissimo Films for recommending us). This is the first film on which i really developed my concept of visual approach to sound. The director created the whole animation himself, with no script or a storyboard. I was in charge of the whole sound concept, post-production, marketing the film, etc. With his annotated breakdown of shots, I could synchronize everything by analyze different changes of shots and positions of each droplets, in space. I even used the rotations and speed changes, achieving gravity in terms of dynamics and rhythm. It was a silent film, and I used musical sentences as words, as sonic voice acting. Its message is that life goes on, some fall, some succeed, but as shown by the hero drop, one has the ability to change his fate and lead the others away from their fall. Despite the droplets dying under the sun, a new life is born… The audience needs to associate them with the instruments. Too bad the droplets are all the same color. Each one is represented by a different instrument, full orchestra as they gather together later. The drop dying in the trash is formed by 5 droplets, formed by lower instruments (bassoon, trombone, tuba, harp and contra-bass), last time we hear them in the film. The hero drop is represented by piano and violin solo. The sound effects are mostly instrumental sounds that i scored, and blended with Monfery’s EFX, (car horns, birds, wind etc.). Initially heard in full, the theme ends on a half cadence question. It begins as string quintet solo, then as strings

I AM DEVELOPING A NEW APPROACH OF INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION AND ORCHESTRATION BASED ON MOVEMENT AND SOUNDSCAPE, A VISUAL APPROACH TO SOUND

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orchestra, continuing throughout the film. With multiple transformations and fragmentations on same harmonies, its first note always falls on each important shot. Quintet solo is back at the conclusion, in a fade-in when the last droplet dies on the electric thread under the sun, continuing throughout the credits. Unfortunately, we had to release the film in a tight deadline, so I lacked time to really use all the possibilities of surround panning which was new to me. If everything went as wished, audience would feel different movements linked to animation and music physics, immersing us in the middle of the droplets. Having written pictorial and concrete music for years, I was very happy about the result, although the film needed a half minute more…

HW: Tell me about your experience and background that led you there? With perfect pitch, I sung in tune very early. Later, I was singing whatever I heard, with a natural voice that quickly developed into “dramatic-coloratura soprano”.

When I was 6, Mom looked into conservatories for lessons, but in Norway, minimum age was 9. Starting with her, we My compositions then moved to London and i kept singing follow my quote anything I heard, from Disney songs to “Music is the scores, recording with my little magnetoscope, or writing down my own way, as organization of the only music I knew was notes on the sound, its ordering, piano. Later, I really learned seriously, at design, structure 8. Mom wasn’t a professional musician etc, in an abstract, but was an extremely gifted interpreter emotional, musically and emotionally. She learned music and piano at 25, shortly later narrative way, We earned many nomination and awards, ending up with Inger Sodergren, or anything else”. for the film production (sharing wins for multi award- winning Swedish soloist the film and concept), and for original specialist of Brahms and Beethoven (her score and animation. The result was so interpretation of Beethoven’s sonata blended that several AMPAS members 32 op 111’s ragtime movement 2 is a and peers thought that the animation was created on masterpiece). Mom learned renowned Alfred Cortot’s the music… legato technique (world-famous Chopin specialist) from An Academy member, documentary branch - who had her who learned it from Yvonne Lefébure, and passed it switched from the animation branch - wrote to me: on to me, like a legacy. “I watched your film tonight, and I was utterly charmed by it. I especially liked the music, and was very impressed that you were credited for it. When I made short films back in the 1960s I would hire composers to do my scores and it was always wonderful to work with them. I also loved the way that water was animated into characters, so natural and beautiful. I now understand why your film has achieved such success at festivals, and I hope you make the finals for the short animation Oscar. If I were on the selection committee for animated shorts I would have given it a 10 (max score given). It was that good. Unfortunately I’m not on that committee; but if it ends up being nominated I will definitely watch it at one of the animated short screenings and will definitely consider it for my Oscar vote. Thank you for sharing it with me. I’m looking forward to seeing it on the big screen.” More details on the film on here http://www.reelport.com/index. php?id=300&movie_id=99640

After 2 years of kid stuff and exercises for legato that she had from her former teacher Inger, I was already playing the repertoire. She decided to prepare me to auditions for the top preparatory schools in the city (specialist department for aged <18). Feeling overwhelmed by my fast progress and musical abilities, she found a teacher, but shortly after, the latter decided that I wasn’t ready for such auditions as I was taking more time sight-reading the repertoire than focusing on “technique”… Back with Mom, I eventually entered Guildhall School of Music and Drama in first study piano, playing a bagatelle by Beethoven, and Chopin’s Nocturne No2 in Eb major. The audition happened to be on my birthday, March 16, just 12 years old… It was also the year when I bought and sight-read Mozart Requiem’s entire score, singing soprano line from the choir and reducing orchestra and rest of choir simultaneously at the piano. After that time, I quickly began to hear everything in my head at sight, from solo to orchestra. They accepted two pianists this year including myself. They gave me their famous teacher, Lucy Parham. I learned a lot from her but wasn’t prepared for her discipline. I continued with

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Sanae Nakajima, very soft and also a very good teacher. I didn’t take private lessons as a singer, but was part of Guildhall Chamber Choir. We premiered Copland’s THE SECOND HURRICANE, mixed with the BBC choir. It was performed at Barbican Center with BBC Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin, Nov 2000. I always sing solos while playing the rest at the piano, recording all choir voices, sight-reading even whole operas such as Tosca, Norma… Ex below https://www.youtube.com watch?v=B4U4BAYQdYE My career as a composer started thanks to Guildhall. What I love in what is called “Anglo-Saxon” countries is that theory and aural skills classes are very creative. It isn’t dictation, solfège, or technical writing. Everyone composes their own stuff, without any creative restriction. Very impressed by my first piece, they put me in private lessons with Michael Christi and composition workshops with Jeffrey Wilson. Most students in first study composition, aged 16-18. I wrote several pieces and two piano sonatas, at 13 and 14 respectively. There was a discussion to also put me on first study composition and possibly voice, but we left for Houston TX, just one term after starting my second year there. In Houston, I studied with Tom Osborne, then Todd Frazier. Performing publicly every month both as a soprano and pianist, at Rice University’s Lillian Duncan recital hall, I also performed in several international festivals, including Italy, France, and Houston. I had master classes with renowned pianists and singers, including Lorraine Nubar (Juilliard’s preparatory voice) and Jean-Pierre Blivet (Natalie Dessay’s former teacher). I had a month intense training at his school in Burgundy, also coaching with piano his students during some weekends he was away. I continued on few private lessons with him when I was in France for vacations. My Composition Bachelor was at Oberlin Conservatory. Offered a place in several top schools, including from Theofanidis (Peabody conservatory), and from Michael Gandolfi (New England Conservatory and coordinator for Tanglewood Music Center’s composition department) who was very impressed by my works, orchestration skills and approach to instrumental writing, particularly for strings, I chose Oberlin to be immersed into hard core avant-garde music and get off my doubts about it, especially to develop my own emotional approach to this music and sounds. I discovered various modern trends, which I

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incorporated to my music previously dominated by “traditional” musical trends of harmony, melody and the rest. I created an original approach of a style I call “classical music with instrumental soundscape”. My works are based on stories, nature events, still images, or graphic codes. I approach sound visually and physically, including its movement in space. In my freshman year, I wrote an aria for my voice, a monologue from Racine’s ANDROMAQUE. At age 19, I was a finalist at ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Competition (2006). The year after, I wrote a 45 minutes Symphonic Opera LE FEU DE LA VIE, a metaphor of life with intro and prologue, musical narration of the songs of Nietzsche’s THUS SPOKE ZARATHOUSTRA, also finalist at ASCAP (2007). When writing these works, I only knew orchestration and instrumentation by my own work from books, I had classes later. I wrote much for various ensembles, all played in various concerts. Recruiting players myself, in charge of rehearsals, I also organized concerts. I was only 17 years old, when i gave my first rehearsal, for my piano quartet in which i played and conducted from the piano. During junior year, I had several master classes with composers in residence, including Steven Takasugi, David Lang, and Helmut Lachenmann who became my mentor for a few years. I learned much from him, especially his “instrumental music concrete” that i developed further in a narrative way, approaching sounds as “instrumental foley and SFX”. In my senior year, I wrote many pieces including a song for tenor (Roy Hage) and piano, on Victor Hugo’s poem DEMAIN DES L’AUBE. Finalist at ASCAP (2009), part of Oberlin’s “Composer CD” and juried recital, performed in other concerts in the country. That year, I was also in famous CENTRE ACANTHES 2009, commissioned to write for the National orchestra of Lorraine’ s soloists, guided by Hugues Dufour (spectral music expert working with IRCAM and CNRS) and Bruno Mantovani (renowned composer and director of Paris CNSM. I was only 22, the few people this age there were mostly commissioned for small ensembles. Conducted by Jean Deroyer, LE CHANT NOCTURNE, first movement of my SYMPHONY 2, was entered on IRCAM database with Acanthes’ commissions. My Composition Master was at the London Royal Academy of Music (RAM). Among many pieces for various ensembles and Symphonic Orchestra works mostly of 8-15 minutes, I had a commission each year by the school. First was my Symphony’s second movement, TEMPÊTE ENSOLLEILLÉ (2009) with

Clio Gould (London Sinfonietta’s director and lead violinist) and RAM soloists (some also in LSO orchestra and others). Second was ONDES for solo marimba, performed by percussionist Jose Daniel Martinez, as part of the concert of Beat Furrer’s, in residence. Jose is an amazing artist. We developed a special sound for marimba. I use it often in my works, sounding like a mix of Waves, Theremin and choir. A piece is around 4 minutes; I had a call back after the performance, something historic for a student here. My graduation piece was LE LABYRINTHE ASSISSINÉ (2011), final movement of my Symphony. HW: I see you are both in contemporary classical music industry and film industry. Which one is the most important to you, and why? Tell me about your mentors and how they influenced you. JP: Both “worlds” are important to me. The great Ennio Morricone would probably say the same, having started in this New Music world. They are different. in concert. We are free to express our own vision, in structure, concept, etc. I love to make art with a scientific approach, the discovery is endless. But I also need to be free to express my emotions, and i wish we were freer in style, harmony and emotions, in New Music. I moved to film in parallel. I love to work with artists across the fields, and I value their individuality, as each time I recruit players. They follow my vision, yet are individuals which make it different each time. I always wished to bridge our new music, classical music,

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film music and sound art, especially respecting those sound artists who are wrongly and unfairly classified as “technicians”. They are composers of sounds, a narrative Musique Concrete. My compositions follow my quote “Music is the organization of sound, its ordering, design, structure etc., in an abstract, emotional, narrative way, or anything else”. I can’t say much of my research, but I am developing a new approach of instrumental composition and orchestration based on movement and soundscape, a visual approach to sound. The result is a combination of music (emotion) and sound effects (soundscape), as if we listen to a whole soundtrack without images, immersed from the composition itself.. A genius sound artist, Gary Bourgeois, created a brilliant orchestral layout linked to surround panning, which I developed for different ensembles, extending the possibilities of my “spatial orchestration”. The players were reticent when he experimented, and I wish people understood how immersive and important it is. HW: What would you like to add? JP: I find it truly irrational to have all these awards for most of my work, all this experience, and not being given any opportunity. The worst of all is voting, judging on all these famous artists, and yet, not having any work at all. This is quite disturbing. Being a woman, I will also always have to fight against all these

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comments about an imaginative difference in our style etc., compare to men’s. Some concert composers are offered a chance to score a feature, yet are new in film but end up succeeding. The lesson should be taken. We have a very broaden experience as we can go very deep and far in any medium, and I also do have an important experience in film, as shown by my accomplishments, which reflects my true experience. I am fed-up on all these prejudices on “credits”. My fellow winners and nominees already have a publisher, agent, features, etc. I don’t. If i have the same recognition, i should have the same work. Although I lived mostly in US and London, I am a citizen of France, and in that country, adding to universal prejudices, a 38 year-old is compared to a 22 year old, in “youth”, just more “experienced”. I am pushed away without any interest in my background and career, from teaching to commissions to any paid work, as they always reject me as “just a little young and inexperienced”. After few hopeful months following my Master, the first 3 years were a sequence of dreadful humiliations and cheating. The way “youth” is treated and exploited is a widely spoken problem about all industries in this country. Saddening, and our values are founded on respect. The “leave of French brains” as they call us, worsens our economic crisis. We enrich the culture and economy of other countries, not ours.

I AM DEVELOPING A NEW APPROACH OF INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION AND ORCHESTRATION BASED ON MOVEMENT AND SOUNDSCAPE, A VISUAL APPROACH TO SOUND

Yet without all the prejudices that ruin us, France would be a paradise. I stay with my parents in French Basque Country since 4 years. Beautiful region of culture, I met Jean-Michel Barate, who was in charge of organizing concerts. He supported me a lot, and for the first time, I had the possibility of having concerts in my country. But only a few months after, during 2015, the mess started when the “scene nationale” supposed to help our regions’ art, got the all-power and once more, only famous people are invited. They say it is “quality programs”, yet I am also of quality. What is the use of all my experience and awards, I wonder… Being a French citizen, they should be proud to have me as a valuable artistic, scientific and mature experience and insight. But no, I am just a useless “young”. Also, there are so many programs and commissions for emerging artists (with rules to prove) in US, and

I AM NOW 31, AND I STILL HAVE NO WORK

I cannot apply as I am not a citizen or resident. It is important to also have programs for us in France, not always international, as those people already have aids in their own country. I am also fed up, as awards voter, to see so many films produced and submitted by my country, that are in a foreign language, with foreign actors, foreign composer, many other foreign artists. Having lived abroad my whole life, even my artistic style is not valued as “French”. Both socially and professionally, I am not part of any community nor country. I have so much hope with Emanuel Macron! With him as president, not only things are changing and moving forward, but it will also push people to believe in us, younger people. How marvelous and hopeful it is to have a president of 39 years old, surrounded by all these dynamic, experienced professionals of all ages! I am now 31, and i still have no work.

jpajot@gmail.com http://www.imdb.me/juliapajot https://www.thescl.com/profile/32807 http://fr.linkedin.com/pub/julia-pajot/45/337/348 http://medias.ircam.fr/xa348b5_julia-pajot-le-chant-nocturne

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Academy President John Bailey introduces the 2017 Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA

GOVERNORS AWARDS

he Governors Awards is an annual event celebrating awards conferred by the Academy’s Board of Governors – the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and the Honorary Award. Recipients are announced each summer and honored at a dinner gala in November. Highlights from the event are incorporated into the year’s Academy Awards show.

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The 2017 honorees are: Charles Burnett, Owen Roizman, Donald Sutherland and Agnès Varda. In honor of the 9th Annual Governors Awards, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented (11/11) Honorary Awards (Oscar® statuettes) to writerdirector Charles Burnett, cinematographer Owen Roizman, actor Donald Sutherland and director Agnès Varda, and a Special Award (Oscar statuette) to Alejandro Iñárritu’s “CARNE y ARENA” virtual reality installation.

Sheléa performs at the 2017 Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom

Jennifer Lawrence presents the Oscar® to Honorary Award recipient Donald Sutherland at the 2017 Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® Honorary Award recipient Owen Roizman attends the Academy’s 2017 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA,

Academy Governors Kimberly Peirce and Kate Amend speak as part of the award presentation to Honorary Award recipient Agnès Varda at the 2017 Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA

Ava DuVernay present the Oscar® to Honorary Award recipient Charles Burnett at the 2017 Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®

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The Academy’s 2017 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, on Saturday, November 11, 2017. Pictured (left to right): Agnès Varda, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Owen Roizman, Charles Burnett and Donald Sutherland.

María Eladia Hagerman and Alejandro G. Iñárritu attend the Academy’s 2017 Annual Governors Awards in The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®

THE ACADEMY’S BOARD OF GOVERNORS AWARDS AN OSCAR® TO ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU’S

of cinematic perception,” said Academy President John Bailey. “‘CARNE y ARENA,’ Iñárritu’s multimedia art and cinema experience, is a deeply emotional and physically immersive venture into the world of migrants crossing the desert of the American southwest in early dawn light. More than even a creative breakthrough in the still emerging form of virtual reality, it viscerally connects us to the hot-button political and social realities of the U.S.-Mexico border.”

“CARNE Y ARENA” VIRTUAL REALITY INSTALLATION

he Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted to present a Special Award – an Oscar® statuette – to director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s virtual reality installation, “CARNE y ARENA (Virtually Present, Physically Invisible),” in recognition of a visionary and powerful experience in storytelling. “The Governors of the Academy are proud to present a special Oscar to ‘CARNE y ARENA,’ in which Alejandro Iñárritu and his cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have opened for us new doors

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“CARNE y ARENA,” currently on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Fondazione Prada in Milan, and Tlatelolco Cultural Center in Mexico City, is a collaboration between Iñárritu, Lubezki, producer Mary Parent, Legendary Entertainment, Fondazione Prada, ILMxLAB, and Emerson Collective. Katie Calhoon executive produced. In recognition of this achievement, an Oscar will be presented to “CARNE y ARENA” at the Academy’s 9th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 11, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

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IN “KEPLER’S DREAM,” LYNCH IS AMY, A MOTHER FIGHTING CANCER AND STRUGGLING TO RAISE ELLA (ISABELLA BLAKE-THOMAS), A YOUNG ‘TWEEN FORCED TO MATURE QUICKLY AMIDST SUSPICIONS, BETRAYALS, AND HEARTBREAK THAT HAVE BURDENED HER FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS.

KELLY LYNCH ON “KEPLER’S DREAM,” HER CAREER AND OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

BY ALEX A. KECSKES

est known as Matt Dillon’s love interest in “Drugstore Cowboy,” the sultry ‘Doc’ in “Road House” and Jean Price in “The Jacket,” Minneapolis born Kelly Lynch was an Elite model and studied acting under the direction of Sanford Meisner. Lynch also earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her role in “The Beans of Egypt, Maine.” She has appeared in “Magic City,” “90210,” and the “L Word” and currently stars as Deborah Hartsfield in the Stephen King TV series “Mr. Mercedes.” In “Kepler’s Dream,” Lynch is Amy, a mother fighting cancer and struggling to raise Ella (Isabella BlakeThomas), a young ‘tween forced to mature quickly amidst suspicions, betrayals, and heartbreak that have burdened her family for generations. HW: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. “Kepler’s Dream” is an inspirational family drama. What drew you to the role of Amy in this film?

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KL: My sister in law, Amy Glazer, brought me into this project. She’s one of the top theater directors in the country. She has an amazing ear for dialog and has discovered a lot of talent. She’s done three little movies—“Seducing Charlie Barker,” “Drifting Elegant,” and “Kepler’s Dream.” Amy found the material, raised all the money, and befriended the book’s author, Juliet Bell. She mentioned that “Kepler’s Dream” would make a beautiful young adult movie—lots of female characters, a very empowered young girl, and as you mentioned, some Nancy Drew sleuthing. I was looking for a film about an empowered, adventurous young person. We have so much princess stuff out there, which I was never really interested in, nor was my daughter. When I read the book and Amy told me I’d be perfect to play Ella’s mother—a small, but important role—I thought, this is wonderful. And when Amy worked on the script, it just got better and better. My husband, an un-credited writer in the screenplay, felt that the male characters were underdeveloped and needed to be living, breathing people, even though the story was focused on Ella.

So while the story remains very close to the book, Ella’s father, Walt, was fleshed out quite a bit. HW: What did you draw from to portray a mother fighting cancer and dealing with a dysfunctional family? KL: I’m a child of divorce, my parents split up when I was six years old. My father remained in the same town, but I felt like he was an absent father. He passed away a couple of years ago but as adults, we found our way back to each other. He tried to explain that he didn’t know how to be a dad and that he hadn’t had a good father. I felt that was true in “Kepler’s Dream.” Walt is a father who feels he was wrongly shoved out of his family but he still owns some shame in leaving and doesn’t want to soil this great kid. He stays away, not so much because he’s a jerk, but because he just doesn’t want to mess up something good. As far as relating to cancer, my younger sister is a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in her early 30s and treated with radiation, which cleared that up. But a year later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was there for my sister every step of the way. She was a single mother with a young girl and I saw her as the bravest person I ever knew. She didn’t want to scare her daughter but she wanted to be honest with her and empower her by telling her ‘we’re on a mission.’ It was all so similar to Amy’s Michael Collins astronaut reference, where she tells Ella, ‘I’m going on the dark side of the moon, but you’re going out there and doing things.’ It gave Ella an assignment. Like my sister, I knew to keep my head covered so Ella wouldn’t be so shocked. It’s awful and scary for a child to see what cancer treatments do to a person. I’d done a movie called “Mr. Magoo” in which I played a villainous master of disguise and I had 15 beautiful human hair wigs that I gave to my sister when she lost all of her hair. One day, she’d have this little China-girl haircut, the next day, these long blonde locks, then wavy red hair (laughs). My sister’s fine now. She’s tall, beautiful, and sending me wake-boarding videos from Lake Havasu. So my character was kind of an homage to my sister. HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 17

HW: Do you have a favorite scene? And why do you like it? KL: For me personally, it was the scene where I say goodbye to Ella because it says everything with so much subtext. Ella knows her mom might die. She talks about it with her friend Rosie. And that she should look to the stars if her mother doesn’t make it. That’s a very heavy thing: to send your child off, to empower her, and maybe hug her for the last time without bursting into tears. We were both trying not to cry because the reality of it was so scary.

KEPLER’S DREAM

society. I think it’s time women take their place alongside men. Whether they’re women, girls or grandmothers. It’s so rare that you have a young adult story where the girl is believable, truthful, and of her time who gets to be the protagonist. Another subtext of the film is how dependent we’ve become on our screens, whether they’re TVs, phones, iPads, or computers. Ella is basically unplugged for the entire summer and able to experience an adventure in the real world, away from all the light and sound pollution.

As far as my favorite scene in the film, I Directed by love Holland Taylor and worked with her HW: You were an Elite model. AMY GLAZER three times. So it would be where Violet What drew you into acting? And Writing Credits finally realizes what the situation is, who what challenges did you face in the SYLVIA BROWNRIGG her son is, and all those pieces that come transition from model to actor? SEDGE THOMSON together for her. Holland doesn’t schmaltz KL: I became a model after having ANN CUMMINS it up ever. She was happy to play Violet done quite a bit of acting in AMY GLAZER and as tough as she needed to be with Ella, Minnesota. We had the Guthrie VIJAY RAJAN she softens up and does these wonderful Theater, where I took a director’s things without losing her character. She’s workshop. I directed several plays almost like Barbara Stanwyck’s character in “The one summer as a young girl. Then I was in this Big Valley.” She’s extremely capable, knows what’s terrible car accident the week before my 20th right and wrong, and when you earn her respect, it birthday, where they almost had to amputate both really means something. Eventually, Ella and Violet my legs. I was crippled for about a year. I wasn’t fall in love with each other. The thing is, so many walking and the medicines they gave me to heal actors are afraid of being mean, but real people are my bones caused me to lose weight—I was down mean sometimes. to about 85 pounds. I almost died. They told me I would never walk, that I’d have one leg shorter than HW: What do you think young people should take the other, and I’d be in leg braces the rest of my life. away from this film? So I started walking with canes and a walker and KL: I think it’s extremely timely. We’re living in a moving around in a wheelchair. I told myself that if really weird time where a lot of rocks have been I ever walked again, I would go to New York, find a lifted up and a lot of ugliness is coming out in our great acting school, and pursue a directing career.

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Later I met John Casablancas, the head of Elite modeling, in an elevator and he asked if I wanted to be a model. I didn’t know who he was but my friends convinced me to call him. I was immediately signed up, had a great modeling career, traveled the world, and met amazing people. I still pinch myself because I never thought of myself as someone you’d want to photograph. In my mind, I was a character. I viewed modeling as a character I played. HW: What was your toughest and easiest audition? KL: My easiest audition was with Gus Van Sant for “Drug Store Cowboy.” The script called for a drug addict in her late 30s who’s not very pretty. So I did a couple of auditions, including the one where my character, Dianne walks away from Bob at the very end to go back to doing drugs. It was a sad scene. Gus started to cry and said I want you for the part. The producers resisted and wanted more actors to audition for the part but Gus said no, I want Kelly. My worst audition was with Brian De Palma and Lynn Stalmaster where I had to do a dialog scene running up stairs wearing a strapless dress. Lynn’s face was bright red and angry and I realized my breasts were moving as I’m faking running up these stairs. So I looked at Brian and said, you’ve got to be kidding. And he started laughing and said that was great. I thanked them both and walked out the door. That said, I’ve been very lucky to work with some of the best people. HW: I understand you’re a sports fan. What’s your favorite sport to watch and what do you like to play? KL: It’s funny, I like to watch sports only when the stakes are really high. I’ll watch just about anything during playoffs. The Vikings will always hold a place in my heart. My favorite sport is cross-country skiing. I like to ski on the shorter, thinner crosscountry skis at Mammoth. I also like to skate on snow at Tamarack. And I enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding and scuba diving out in the ocean. HW: Shifting gears, what’s it like working on Stephen King’s “Mr. Mercedes” TV series? KL: OMG. The cast is amazing with Harry Treadway who brilliantly portrays Brady, this weird young killer. It’s been the best job I’ve ever had. I’ve always said I’m a character actor trapped in a leading lady’s body. When I first heard about “Mr. Mercedes,” David Kelley told me I was too pretty for the part of Deborah Hartsfield. But I really wanted the part— the alcoholic, agoraphobic mother of a young man

who is killing people. So in playing this screwedup mom, I read the books, used my imagination, and sprinkled in some humanity. In the books, Deborah is this awful, hideous person. She was that beautiful cheerleader in high school who married the handsome football player who gets a job at the power company and they’re set. But then they draw the bad luck card and everything gets pulled out from under them. Deborah lacks the emotional, intellectual, and financial resources to help herself. In further episodes, we see who Deborah was and we begin to care for her.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 19

MEGAN FOX & DAVE BAUTISTA HOST XBOX ONE X LAUNCH EVENT IN LA

20 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

egan Fox and Dave Bautista celebrated the upcoming launch of the new Xbox One X console by hosting an epic night of gaming for local celebrities in Venice, CA.

Following the Xbox Live Session, Fox and Bautista joined other celebrity gamers including Will Arnett, Thomas Middleditch, Martin Starr, Nyjah

Houston, Blake Anderson, Eric Dickerson, Keegan Allen, Justin Roiland, Mike Judge, Nolan Gould, Robbie Amell, AJ McLean, Taryn Manning, Issa Rae, Breckin Meyer, Wayne Brady and more to play the latest Xbox titles such as NBA 2K18, Madden NFL 18, Forza Motorsport 7, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Call of Duty: WWII and Gears of War 4 on Xbox One X. HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 21

PHOTO CREDIT: CASEY RODGERS/AP IMAGES FOR XBOX

To kick-off the night, Fox and Bautista each joined Xbox Live Sessions – an interactive livestream hosted on the Mixer Xbox channel – to play Call of Duty: WWII on the new Xbox One X.

LENNY KRAVITZ, SNOOP DOGG, GABRIELLE ANWAR AND ALISAN PORTER GRANT WISHES

enny Kravitz headlined the InterContinentalÂŽ Miami MakeA-Wish Ball featuring a special appearance by Snoop Dogg at the after party presented by E11EVEN MIAMI.

Marking arguably the most star powered Ball to date, the festivities opened with a heartfelt speech by Once Upon A Time co-star Gabrielle Anwar, followed by an opening performance by The Voice winner Alisan Porter. The evening continued with a very private performance for top donors by Lenny Kravitz with a finale by Snoop Dogg who closed out the night DJing some of his top hits at the after party presented by E11EVEN MIAMI. With the help of Board Chairman Shareef Malnik, Gala Host Robert Hill and Make-A-Wish Southern Florida President Norman Wedderburn, $2.2million was raised for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 23

THE HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE OF CALLYWOOD FILMS “THE FATHER” AND “I AM BASSEY”.

n 3rd November 2017, 2 Callywood Studios films, “The Father” and “I Am Bassey”, respectively, were premiered in Hollywood. The Director General of Callywood Studios Egor Efiok and the lead actor of “The Father” Michael Okon, were there to represent Callywood. The premiere was attended by top Hollywood executives from Fox Studios and Paramount Pictures who reviewed the films and were so impressed that they were given 4 awardswhich included “The Success Of Callywood Goes To Hollywood2017” for His Excellency Senator Professor Ben Ayade.

PROTECTED BY REGISTERED COPYRIGHT 2017©. PRODUCED BY CALLYWOOD STUDIOS IN COLLABORATION WITH HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PARTS OF THIS CONCEPT, LITERATURE OR THE RELATED ENTRIES MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM, USING THE SAME PEOPLE OR DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BY ANY MEANS (ELECTRONIC, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE) WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PRODUCER. DUPLICATION OR SALE OF ALL OR ANY PART OF IT IS PROHIBITED. COPYRIGHT VIOLATION OR INFRINGEMENT WILL RESULT IN LEGAL ACTION.

24 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

This led to an invite to the stands o f the Hollywood film executives at the American Film Market and a meeting at Fox Studios where Egor and Michael got to meet and liaise with many Hollywood stars. They used the opportunity to attend the Nigerian International Film Summit at the American Film Market too, where they networked with respected Nollywood stakeholders. Please see @ egorefiokladyboss on Instagram for more photos, information and for ongoing projects in Hollywood throughout this month.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 25

EGOR EFIOK BRINGING HOLLYWOOD INVESTOR FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES TO CALLYWOOD STUDIOS THIS DECEMBER

ollowing the successful premiere of 2 Callywood films “The Father” and “I Am Bassey” in Hollywood on 3rd November 2017, Egor Efiok opened talks with Hollywood filmmakers from Fox Studios and Paramount Pictures, respectively, to collaborate with and invest in Callywood for their African themed projects. She showed them photos of Callywood Studios and convinced them that they could build different sets inside there if they wanted to film in Africa. Keith Barrows a former Paramount Pictures executive is coming to Calabar in December to inspect Callywood Studios himself and check

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out other locations. If he is satisfied that they can shoot their next film there, this would be a really huge milestone for Callywood, an initiative of Governor Ayade’s. They are also rewriting the script of Callywood Studios first horror film, “DEATH Atlas”, “The Ring” style. Paramount Pictures produced the famous “Coming To America” and “Titanic” amongst others. See photos below of Egor Efiok with Keith Barrows and his colleagues at the American Film Market and afterwards at dinner where they discussed and agreed on this new deal. Congratulations Callywood! This is a huge milestone indeed! PROTECTED BY REGISTERED COPYRIGHT 2017©. PRODUCED BY CALLYWOOD STUDIOS IN COLLABORATION WITH HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PARTS OF THIS CONCEPT, LITERATURE OR THE RELATED ENTRIES MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM, USING THE SAME PEOPLE OR DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BY ANY MEANS (ELECTRONIC, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE) WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PRODUCER. DUPLICATION OR SALE OF ALL OR ANY PART OF IT IS PROHIBITED. COPYRIGHT VIOLATION OR INFRINGEMENT WILL RESULT IN LEGAL ACTION.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 27

CALLYWOOD HANG OUT WITH HOLLYWOOD STARS COURTESY OF HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

EGOR EFIOK AND MICHAEL OKON AT THE AMERICAN FILM MARKET WITH HOLLYWOOD EXECUTIVES & NOLLYWOOD STAKEHOLDERS PROTECTED BY REGISTERED COPYRIGHT 2017©. PRODUCED BY CALLYWOOD STUDIOS IN COLLABORATION WITH HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PARTS OF THIS CONCEPT, LITERATURE OR THE RELATED ENTRIES MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM, USING THE SAME PEOPLE OR DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BY ANY MEANS (ELECTRONIC, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE) WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PRODUCER. DUPLICATION OR SALE OF ALL OR ANY PART OF IT IS PROHIBITED. COPYRIGHT VIOLATION OR INFRINGEMENT WILL RESULT IN LEGAL ACTION.

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EGOR EFIOK AND MICHAEL OKON AT THE US CHINA FILMMAKER ASSOCIATION EVENT COURTESY OF HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 29

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Dan Gilroy ,Carmen Ejogo and Denzel Washington at the New York special screening of Columbia Pictures ‘Roman J. Israel, Esq.’ at the Henry R. Luce Auditorium.

Roman J. Israel, Esq. Roman J. Israel, Esq. is set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system. Denzel Washington stars as a driven, idealistic defense attorney whose life is upended when his mentor, a civil rights icon, dies. When he is recruited to join a firm led by one of the legendary man’ s former students – the ambitious lawyer George Pierce (Colin Farrell) – and begins a friendship with a young champion of equal rights (Carmen Ejogo), a turbulent series of events ensue that will put the activism that has defined Roman’s career to the test.

GENRES: Dramatic Thriller

PRODUCED BY Jennifer Fox, Todd Black, Denzel Washington

RATING: The film has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for language and some violence.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY Brian Oliver, Betsy Danbury, Charles D. King, Kim Roth, Poppy Hanks, Michael Bloom, Adam Pincus, Aaron L. Gilbert, Alex Lebovici, Steve Ponce, Derek Dauchy, Ben Ross

STARRING: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrel DIRECTED BY: Dan Gilroy

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Architects for Animals

“Giving Shelter” Architects & Celebrities Including Clint Eastwood, Jay Leno & William Shatner Accept Challenge to Help Homeless Cats Architects for Animals “Giving Shelter” Event October 19 in Southern California’s Culver City to Benefit Local Non-Profit FixNation

ABOUT FIXNATION FixNation is an award-winning Los Angeles-based non-profit that supports TrapNeuter-Return (TNR) programs for homeless cats. The organization provides free spay and neuter services for homeless cats as well as low-cost services for pet cats. Founded in 2007, FixNation has cared for nearly 150,000 cats to date. Details at fixnation.org.

ne of this year’s most innovative design events, Architects for Animals® “Giving Shelter” exhibit, returns to the Herman Miller Showroom in Culver City on Thursday, October 19th 2017. The event is expected to be a sold-out fundraiser for LA-based non-profit FixNation, which provides free spay/neuter services for the city’s skyrocketing population of homeless cats.

“Giving Shelter” Exhibit & Cocktail Reception Thursday, October 19th, 2017 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm HermanMiller Showroom 3641 Holdrege Avenue Los Angeles CA 90016 $50 General Admission

LA’s top architecture and design firms as well as individual architects and designers have been invited to design, build and donate one-of-a-kind and functional outdoor dwellings for cats. Shelters will be displayed at a cocktail reception attended by the public, VIPs and media representatives. Also on display: cat food bowls decorated by feline-loving celebrities such as Jay Leno, Beau Bridges, Elvira, William Shatner, Clint Eastwood, Eric Dickerson, Tricia Helfer and Morgan Fairchild, which will be available for purchase via an online auction. “These cat shelters are absolutely remarkable,” says FixNation’s Co-Founder and Executive Director Karn Myers. “They will help raise awareness about homeless cats and provide practical solutions that can be implemented throughout our community.” This year’s event has added significance as the organization honors Myer’s late husband, Mark Dodge. The couple cofounded FixNation 10 years ago.

Los Angeles is home to one of the nation’s largest populations of homeless felines, an estimated one to three million cats. FixNation is a model for successful TrapNeuter-Return (TNR) and humane colony management programs across the country and around the world.

“Many communities use lethal methods in an attempt to control the population of stray, abandoned and feral cats. Such methods are not only horribly cruel, they simply don’t work,” explains Myers. “We founded FixNation because we believe TNR is a much more effective and compassionate alternative. Our mission is to manage colonies of homeless ‘community cats’ and gradually reduce their number through humane sterilization.” Participating design firms this year include: Abramson Teiger Architects; d3architecture; ES-EN-EM; HLW; HKS; HOK; Knowhow Shop; Kollin Altomare Architects; RNL; and Standard Architecture | Design.

ABOUT ARCHITECTS FOR ANIMALS® Architects for Animals® by Feral Design Group LLC is an awareness raising initiative that plans one-night events benefiting select animal welfare organizations. Participating architecture and design firms as well as individual architects and designers design, build and donate creative outdoor shelters to provide animals with refuge from the elements. Details at architectsforanimals.com. 34 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

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LA THEATRE BEAT Here are the new shows running in our theatres this month:

“A JCHRISTMAS CAROL” a masterpiece about the redemptive and transformative power of love. It allows families to take a supremely theatrical journey and celebrate the transformative power of forgiveness during the holidays. Ebenezer Scrooge’s rebirth from miserly curmudgeon to the epitome of love and generosity affirms our faith in the potent goodness of humanity during this beloved time of year. Written by Charles Dickens, adapted by Geoff Elliott, with music by Ego Plum, and directed by Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, it runs December 1 through December 23 at the A Noise Within in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-3100 or visit www.ANoiseWithin.org. “LATINA CHRISTMAS SPECIAL” Back by popular demand and bursting with laughs, more laughs, music and scandal! You thought your holidays with the family were dramatic? Try these three hilarious, touching and surprisingly personal Christmas stories of holidays past told by three acclaimed Latina comedians. Written by Maria Russell, Sandra Valls and Diana Yanez, and directed by Geoffrey Rivas, it runs December 1 through January 7 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in Los Angeles. For tickets call 866-811-4111 or visit www. thelatc.org. “PACIFIC OVERTURES” is set in 1853 and follows the difficult Westernization of Japan, told from the point of view of the Japanese. In particular, the story focuses on the lives of two friends caught in the change. Written by John Weidman, with music by Stephen Sondheim, and directed by James Esposito, it runs December 1 through December 17 at the Chromolume Theatre at the Attic in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-205-1617 or visit www.crtheatre.com. “THE SANTALAND DIARIES” Patrick Censoplano dons the candy-cane tights for a Santa Monica Playhouse holiday celebration in this outrageously funny one-man play from NPR’s well-loved humorist David Sedaris about the author’s experiences as an unemployed writer taking a job as an elf at Macy’s department store in New York City, taking a wry look at how the holiday season brings out the best - and the worst - in us all. Written by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello, and 38 HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH

long beach ballet the nutcracker 2017 2

directed by Chris DeCarlo, it runs December 1 through December 17 at the Santa Monica Playhouse in Santa Monica. For tickets call 310-394-9779 Ext. 1 or visit www.SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com. “SANTASIA” This laugh out loud annual holiday romp is the perfect blend of Yuletide snark and sentiment, and has been compared to “The Carol Burnett Show”, “The Kids in the Hall”, “In Living Color”, “Saturday Night Live” and Vaudeville. This multi-media holiday special has it all including classic Rankin and Bass Claymation inspired movies, musical parodies, and heartfelt holiday moments. Written by Shaun and Brandon Loeser, and directed by Shaun Loeser, it runs December 1 through December 25 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets call 818-990-2324 or visit www.santasia. com. “WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ANTONY & CLEOPATRA” has its all: Romance, passion, sex, heartbreak, the fascination of royalty, war, politics, the epic sweep of history and, at its center, one of history’s most celebrated love stories: that of Antony, a general and triumvir of the Roman Republic who defied his Emperor; and the woman for whom Antony was willing to risk all, the Macedonian usurper of the throne of Egypt, the mighty Queen Cleopatra. Written by William Shakespeare, and directed by Gloria Gifford, it runs December 2 through December 30 at the Gray Studios in North Hollywood. For tickets call 310-366-5505 or visit www.tix.com.

ALADDIN

ashes to ashes odyssey

beauty and the beast pasadena

January 21 at the CASA 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights. For tickets call 323-263-7684 or visit www.casa0101. org. “ASHES TO ASHES” Liberal Sara and right-winger Jefferson are polar opposites about everything — except their love and devotion for their two, newly deceased, filthy-rich best friends. Trapped by the time-constraints of their friends’ will, the two are forced to spend the next 16 days, 21 hours and 32 minutes together, scattering ashes across Europe. Whether they make it or not, the audience is in for a bumpy and very funny ride. Written by Debbie Bolsky, and directed by Katherine James, it runs December 9 through January 14 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-564-9410 or visit www.AshesToAshesThePlay.com.

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS” In his lifetime, Charles Dickens was recognized not only as a great writer, but as an actor. His greatest successes on the stages of Britain and the United States were his solo performances of his own work. One of the first pieces he presented to great acclaim was A Christmas Carol. In what has become a holiday tradition, ISC re-creates (with a little artistic license) the experience of a public reading given by Mr. Dickens himself. Written by Charles Dickens, and directed by Melissa Chalsma, it runs December 7 through December 23 at the Independent Studio in Atwater. For tickets call 818-710-6306 or visit www.iscla.org. “ALADDIN AND HIS WINTER WISH” is a singing, swinging and soaring adventure that features family-friendly magic, with a comedic twist, dancing (with “So You Think You Can Dance” alumni), and contemporary music from “Jai Ho” (Slumdog Millionaire) to “Treasure” (Bruno Mars) to “Fantasy” (Earth, Wind and Fire) and many more! Written by Kris Lythgoe, and directed by Spencer Liff, with music by Keith Harrison, it runs December 8 through December 31 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets call 949-4972787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com. “DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” a young woman in a provincial town, and a Beast, who is actually a handsome young Prince who lives in a luxurious castle in France, meet again in this classic Disney tale. Written by Linda Woolverton, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and directed by Rigo Tejeda, it runs December 8 through

“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - A CHRISTMAS ROSE” An updated version of the classic tale, in the style of a traditional British family Panto, it features family-friendly magic, with a comedic twist, dancing with “So You Think You Can Dance” alumni, contemporary music and more. Written by Kris Lythgoe, with music by Michael Orland, and directed by Sheldon Epps, it runs December 13 through December 24 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena. For tickets call 800-9822787 or visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastPanto.com. “MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET” an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he is soon appearing regularly at the chain’s main store in midtown Manhattan. When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it leads to a Supreme Court case to determine his mental health and, more importantly, his authenticity. Written by Valentine Davies, and directed by Danny Feldman, it runs December 14 through December 23 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-7529 or visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org. “THE NUTCRACKER” This production boasts a full symphony orchestra, a flying sleigh, a real live horse, on-stage pyrotechnics, and a cast of over 200. Former Disney designers Elliot Hessayon and Scott Schaffer created the enchanting scenery, Australian artist Adrian Clark designed the detailed costumes, and renowned magician Franz Harary created the special effects. Written by Alexandre Dumas, with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and directed by David Wilcox, it runs December 16 through December 24 at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center Terrace Theatre in Long Beach. For tickets call 877-852-3177 or visit www.LongBeachNutcracker.com. HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY 39

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