I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers

december 2013

MAGAZINE

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⁄⁄⁄⁄ DECEMBER 2013

CONTENTS 14 GOING SOLO

One-person shows, such as Bette Midler’s I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers or Hershey Felder’s Abe Lincoln’s Piano, up the ante for performers and creative team alike.

18 TECH TALK

Taxing and tedious “tech” rehearsals—when technical aspects, cast and director come together for the first time—are essential for a smooth production.

25 PROGRAM

Cast, who’s who, director’s notes, chairman’s letter and donors.

6 IN THE WINGS

Benjamin Britten, the Natural History Museum and the L.A. Aqueduct mark their 100th year; the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts continues its first.

In London, Doctor Who actors head the casts of Richard II and American Psycho; the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Cirque Éloize lift holiday spirits in New York.

46 HOME

54 WINE

42 SHOPPING

50 DINING

64 BACK PAGE

Gratus, on Canon Drive, feels like a friend’s living room—only it’s filled with merchandise from emerging or relatively undiscovered designers.

Not sure if you feel like shopping for home furnishings or fashion? Or a truly distinctive skateboard? Find it all at Garde on Beverly Boulevard.

Innovative Dining Group (IDG) follows its successes at Katana, Boa Steakhouse and Soleto with RivaBella, starring Gino Angelini.

Asked to find a “winter wine,” our writer has one answer: Amarone, the powerful, dry red wine from the Veneto region in northern Italy.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

COURTESY RIVABELLA

10 DATELINE

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UPCOMING PERFORMANCES Diana Krall

February 22 | Paddy Moloney THE CHIEFTAINS and special guests April 4 | Diana Krall May 9 | Lily Tomlin

Chita Rivera

MARQUEE December 7 | Brian Stokes Mitchell: Simply Broadway January 25 | Chita Rivera: A Legendary Celebration

BROADWAY Murray Perahia

January 18 | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Pinchas Zuckerman, violin February 19 | Bahia Orchestra Project with Chucho Valdés, piano February 20 | Bahia Orchestra Project: Samba Spectacular February 27 | Murray Perahia, piano

CLASSICAL

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company

February 1 | Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company Play and Play: an evening of movement and music February 13 | Moscow Festival Ballet: Giselle February 14 | Moscow Festival Ballet: Chopiniana & Romeo and Juliet

DANCE February 7 | Béla Fleck and Brooklyn Rider

Béla Fleck and Brooklyn Rider

February 23 | Guitar Passions featuring Sharon Isbin, Stanley Jordan, and Romero Lubambo

AMERICANA ENTIRE LINEUP OF PERFORMANCES

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EVENTS ⁄⁄⁄⁄ EXHIBITS ⁄⁄⁄⁄ PERFORMANCES

INTHEWINGS

Jason and the Argonauts at the Wallis

The inaugural season of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts begins the new year with Ballets Jazz de Montréal Jan. 10-11; the St. Lawrence String Quartet on Jan. 15; and Jason and the Argonauts Jan. 16-Feb. 2. The Canadian dance company works with choreographers such as Barak Marshall and Benjamin Millepied; it features neither ballet nor jazz but, rather, a fusion of styles. The string quartet, ensemble-in-residence at Stanford University, builds on its reputation for imaginative and spontaneous musicmaking in both masterpieces and new works. Scotland’s Visible Fictions uses two actors, action figures and an incredible wooden cart to recreate the Jason myth for ages 8 and up; the New York Times calls it “sly, silly, sophisticated and altogether winning.” 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.746.4000, thewallis.org 6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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Since antiquity, people have crossed HISTORY the seas to explore distant shores and discover other cultures. The introduction of the printing press made it possible for their illustrated accounts to find multi-continent distribution. Connecting Seas: A Visual History of Discoveries and Encounters, at the Getty Research Institute, features rare books, prints, maps and navigational instruments from the 16th to 21st century, including Napoleon’s monumental folios on Egypt, children’s games and the panoramic images known as vues d’optique. It’s the first show in the institute’s newly expanded galleries, now more than triple their former size. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, 310.440.7300, getty.edu

COURTESY GETTY RESEARCH INSTITUTE; BILLY BUDD, KEN HOWARD

LA Opera’s production of Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd

Tibetan pattern book of proportions (18th century)

L.A. Opera’s Britten 100/LA: MUSIC A Celebration continues. The countywide collaboration, inspired by music director James Conlon and marking the centennial of Benjamin Britten’s birth, features a host of organizations.

Highlights include performances of the composer’s A Ceremony of Carols by the Los Angeles Master Chorale Dec. 8 at Walt Disney Concert Hall (213.972.7282) and National Children’s Chorus Dec. 21 at Broad Stage (310.475.2070).

Pacific Opera Project presents The Turn of the Screw Jan. 11-19 at Rosenthal Theater at InnerCity Arts (323.739.6122), and the festivities culminate with L.A. Opera’s production of Billy Budd Feb. 22-March 16 at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (213.972.8001).

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EVENTS ⁄⁄⁄⁄ EXHIBITS ⁄⁄⁄⁄ PERFORMANCES

Taber Photographic Co., Portrait of Susan B. Anthony (1895), at the Huntington

The Natural MUSEUM History Museum of Los Angeles County marks its centennial, and that of the city’s iconic water source, with Just Add Water, featuring watercolors

by Rob Reynolds inspired by the L.A. Aqueduct. One hundred years ago, cattle ranchers, citrus orchard barons and city boosters as well as ordinary citizens gathered to witness the first water from the Owens River

surging into the city— before gushing out of its symbolic terminus fountain in Exposition Park for the museum’s opening in 1913.

Reynolds was invited by the museum to create 10 large-scale artworks; they reference key sites along the waterway’s 233-mile route and significant historical moments, allowing visitors to discover the region’s parched past. 900 Exposition Blvd., downtown, 213.763.DINO, nhm.org.

Rob Reynolds, A Glass of Drinking Water (2013)

ABOVE, COURTESY THE HUNTINGTON; BELOW, ROBERT WEDEMEYER

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical EXHIBITION Gardens has reopened the Main Exhibition Hall of its historic library building following a 17-month renovation and reinstallation project.

A new permanent exhibition, Remarkable Works, Remarkable Times, highlights 150 objects from the library’s incomparable collections of historical materials, which currently number about 9 million items. They include the Gutenberg Bible; the Declaration of Independence; Cortés’ 1524 map of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City); and the first known edition of Shakespeare’s collected plays. The original library building was designed by architect Myron Hunt and first opened in 1920.

1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, 626.405.2100, huntington.org

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⁄⁄⁄⁄ SHOWS ELSEWHERE

→

DATELINE

The holidays in New York just wouldn’t be the festive season they are without Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in residence at New York NEW YORK City Center, Dec. 4-Jan. 5. Guaranteed to raise spirits is the company’s world premiere of choreographer Aszure Barton’s Lift. Also making its local debut is Cirkopolis from Cirque Éloize. The Montreal-based troupe elevates circus acts to performance art at New York University’s Skirball Center, Dec. 18-Jan. 5. No need to ask if adult cabaret La Soirée has been naughty or nice, because it’s very naughty indeed.

The show may be barred from sitting on Santa’s knee, but that won’t prohibit the singers, acrobats, strippers (male and female), clowns or contortionists from sitting on yours at the Union Square Theatre, where it extends its holiday high jinks into the new year.

ANDREW ECCLES

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater appears at New York City Center

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⁄⁄⁄⁄ SHOWS ELSEWHERE

South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa continues its 50thTHE WEST anniversary season. There’s new leadership—artistic director Marc Masterson and managing director Paula Tomei—and its venue has been renamed the David Emmes and Martin Benson Theatre Center to honor its founders. Zoe Kazan’s Trudy and Max in Love or, That Forever Feeling, a funny take on an unconventional romance between writers, has its world premiere Jan. 5-26. Craig Lucas’ The Light in the Piazza follows Jan. 24-Feb. 23; SCR produced five of his plays in five years early in his career. One thing hasn’t changed: SCR’s 34th annual production of A Christmas Carol is on through Dec. 26.

Craig Lucas’ The Light in the Piazza is at South Coast Repertory, now celebrating its 50th-anniversary season.

The Elephantom at the Shed

Former Doctor Who star LONDON David Tennant heads up the cast of Richard II, opening Dec. 9 at the Barbican. The Royal Shakespeare Company production offers a contemporary take on the story of the monarch who succeeded the throne at the age of 10. Another Doctor Who actor, Matt Smith, takes the lead in Bret Easton Ellis’ musical thriller American Psycho, opening at the Almeida on Dec. 3. More family-friendly, The Elephantom is about a young girl and the ghost-elephant living in her house. Puppetry is involved in the telling; it’s at the Shed beginning Dec. 10. Much of the National Theatre is transformed into 1920s Berlin for Emil and the Detectives.

In it, young Emil leaves home for the first time and learns how to survive in a rapidly changing Berlin.

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“Absolutely beautiful... One big poetic event. So inspiring, I think I may have found some new ideas for the next Avatar.”

— Robert Stromberg, Oscar-winning production designer for Avatar

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A Shen Yun performance features 100 world class performers, over 400 sets of exquisite hand-made costumes, a unique orchestra blending East and West, and dazzling animated backdrops – creating a spectacular performance beyond imagination.

Shen Yun cannot be seen in China today, where traditional culture has been nearly lost. Yet the nonprofit Shen Yun has become an international phenomenon, bringing the wonders of 5,000 years of civilization to millions across the globe.

Experience divine culture! Experience Shen Yun!

“I probably have reviewed over 3,000-4,000 shows, none can compare to what I saw tonight. Five Stars!

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“Really out of this world!

There is no word to describe it... if I had to, the words might be ‘divine,’ ‘reborn’ and ‘hope.’

You have to see it to believe it.”

“I just wish there is a way I could cry out to mankind, and say they owe it to themselves to experience Shenyun!”

— Richard Connema, Talkin’ Broadway

— Christine Walevska, Goddess of Cello, watched Shen Yun four times

— Jim Crill, veteran producer

11/13/13 2:17 PM

GOING SOLO ACTOR-WRITER-MUSICIAN HERSHEY FELDER first rose to prominence in 1999 with his show George Gershwin Alone, in which he portrayed the composer and played Gershwin selections on the piano. He went on to create shows around Frederic Chopin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonard Bernstein and Franz Liszt; the latter, Rockstar, had its world premiere at the Laguna Playhouse in September.

Felder’s newest show, Abe Lincoln’s Piano, has its world premiere Jan. 3-13 at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. Though he portrays numerous characters in telling the story of the night President Abraham Lincoln was shot, he’ll still be onstage as alone as he was for Gershwin. Or perhaps not.

Rather than think of it as a one-man show, Felder sees it “as a play that happens to have one man in it.” He’ll also perform music primarily by Stephen Foster. The show was inspired by Felder’s invitation to view Lincoln’s White House piano in the attic of the Chicago History Museum; it’s a follow-up to his Lincoln—An American Story, about the surgeon who tried to save the president’s life, which had its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2012.

The way Felder sees it, the show does have other actors: “One is the piano. One is the audience. It’s not just a solo show—there are other elements.”

Such one-performer shows have been proliferating throughout Southern California. Val Kilmer has brought his Mark Twain personification, Citizen Twain, to the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse and Laguna Playhouse. Lorenzo Pisoni’s autobiographical Humor Abuse Above: Bette Midler was at the Mark Taper Forum. as Hollywood’s first powerful female I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat With agent in I’ll Eat You Sue Mengers, starring Bette Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers at the Midler as Hollywood’s first Geffen Playhouse powerful female agent, is at the Geffen Dec. 3-22. Upcoming shows include Christopher Plummer in A Word or Two, about his love for literature, Jan. 19-Feb. 9 at the Ahmanson Theatre; Barry McGovern’s interpretation of Samuel Beckett characters in I’ll Go On, Jan. 10-Feb. 9 at the Douglas; and An Iliad, Denis O’Hare’s take on Homer’s epic poem, Jan. 14-Feb. 2 at the Broad Stage.

Felder enjoys doing shows in this format in part because, he says, “it’s direct access to an audience,

RICHARD TERMINE

ONE-PERSON SHOWS CAN UP THE ANTE FOR THE PERFORMERS AND CREATIVE TEAM ALIKE. BY LIBBY SLATE

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and direct storytelling. There’s something about being able to tell the story that’s very, very honest. The music is a storyteller in its own right. And the audience—they have to play along. You have a contract with your audience: I’m going to tell you a story. I’m going to take you on a trip, and you’re going to be safe with me.”

Indeed, he says, “the most moving parts of any of these evenings is when I engage the audience as if they are in character—students in a Chopin master class, partygoers at a Gershwin-hosted party, Bernstein’s television-studio audience. It’s very touching to see the audience take on the characteristics of their supposed characters and discuss with me as if I am the individual I say I am.”

Memorizing the material—about 90 minutes, with no intermission—isn’t difficult; it’s making it sound natural that takes time. If he forgets a line, Felder says, “I have enough technique” to save it.

Trevor Hay, director of Abe Lincoln’s Piano and other Felder projects, says that working on a one-person show has taught him that “less is more. Look at the set—everything is streamlined.

Everything is there for a purpose.”

Working on such projects, Hay says, “has sharpened my eye for detail and for clarity and purpose.

What can you do, to heighten [a work], to be theatrical and use the medium to its fullest potential?”

Preceding Abe Lincoln’s Piano at the Geffen is Midler’s I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers,

which played to sold-out houses during its limited run on Broadway.

Scenic designer Scott Pask, a threetime Tony Award winner (The Book of Mormon, The Coast of Utopia, Pillowman) and a nominee this year (Pippin), also considers the show “a play with one person.” Midler, he says, is “playing a role. It’s different from Billy Crystal”—currently on Broadway for a return engagement of his autobiographical 700 Sundays—“who’s speaking from personal experience.”

The show takes place in Mengers’ Beverly Hills living room in 1981; Midler as Mengers, dressed in a blue caftan, doesn’t leave her sofa while awaiting an important phone call and dishing on Hollywood.

“The room is another character, for sure,” says Pask, who incorporated some of Mengers’ own belongings and collaborated with lighting designer Hugh Vanstone for effects that Christopher would reflect Mengers’ waning Plummer in A Word or Two, career. about the actor’s He worked with director Joe love for literature, Jan. 19-Feb. 9 at the Mantello rather than Midler: Ahmanson Theatre “Joe is the brilliant captain of the ship,” Pask says. “He was serving Bette’s needs in the meetings.” With the diminutive performer remaining seated, building the set so that audience sight lines were clear was one such need. Pask also worked closely with costume designer Ann Roth.

There’s a greater chemistry among the designers, Hay believes, with Felder’s type of shows.

As for Felder himself, the work never really ends.

“One must work very hard, and continuously, pushing, trying, elevating, changing, fixing, reworking, practicing, polishing,” he says.

“I love doing the work, and I absolutely love the discovery. It’s not really part of a whole, in the end, as much as it is a brief look—a moment, a window in time—that the soloist and audience share.”

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TECH TALK SOME YEARS BACK, DURING A TECHNICAL rehearsal for the musical Mask at the Pasadena Playhouse, it took the production team almost an entire day to work through just the first number— a seven-minute song.

Welcome to the world of “tech”—the period en route to opening night when a production’s technical aspects, cast and director come together for the first time, the process unfolding in exacting, moment-by-moment increments that are finetuned and sometimes changed completely.

“Tech is where all the elements from all the designers are brought together and meet the actors and director onstage,” says Joe Witt, Pasadena Playhouse general manager and production manager. “The core designers are lighting, set, costume and sound. Sometimes you have the wig designer, sometimes the video/media designer.”

By the time tech begins, the designers have met with the director to forge their particular vision. The performers’ movements have been determined, or “blocked,” and the dialogue learned and rehearsed.

The set has been loaded in, lights hung and focused,

costumes delivered. Tech might take four days for a smaller-scale show, 10 days for a larger one.

“It’s an exciting but scary time for the actors, the first few days,” Witt says. “It’s not really about the acting and dialogue—it’s about adjusting to the space. Walls seem closer than in a rehearsal hall.

Costumes seem hotter to wear under the lights than the street clothes worn in rehearsal. And at any moment, someone can call, Above: Intracacies ‘Hold, please,’ and you just have of lighting, set, costume and sound to stand there.” are obvious in the The “hold” directive usually bars sequence Carapace at Cirque comes from the stage mandu Soleil’s Totem. ager at the lighting designer’s request—and can last as long as 15 minutes.

The process can be tedious because, says Witt, “for all the preparation by the designers, they’re still creating on the spot, in the moment. They’re realizing things they couldn’t predict.... Can the audience see straight into the wings? Do you need to bring the set pieces on from where the director has blocked actors to make an entrance? Do you have enough backstage crew?” /CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

OSA IMAGES

TAXING AND TEDIOUS, TECHNICAL REHEARSALS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A SMOOTH PRODUCTION. BY JULIA VICENTE

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“E

11/13/13 2:11 PM

Brian Dennehy Brings Tenacious Spirit to Eloquent Irish Drama

T:10.875”

“EXHILARATING!

YOU MUST EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF.”

By Sebastian Barry Directed by Steven Robman With Brian Dennehy

BEN BRANTLEY, THE NEW YORK TIMES

Ahmanson Theatre Dec 3, 2013 – Jan 12, 2014

Mark Taper Forum Nov 26, 2013 – Jan 5, 2014

LSP US, EVERY ON HEES GOD BL

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top left:

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Joey deBettencourt and Megan Stern from the Peter and the Starcatcher Tour Company. photo by jenny anderson. top right: Brian Dennehy in Krapp’s Last Tape at the Goodman Theatre. photo by liz lauren.

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“ h o m e i s w h e r e t h e a r t i s . . .”

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FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS

Photo by Andrew Southam

WELCOME TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

WHILE WE ALWAYS STRIVE TO FIND PLAYS WITH WHICH OUR audiences connect, rarely are we met with a story that feels like a love letter (and a gossip column) to Los Angeles and its famous industry.

Perhaps you have heard of Sue Mengers. Getting her start in the talent business in 1955 at MCA, a company with a roster that included Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen and Marlon Brando, Sue Mengers became the most powerful agent in the new Hollywood of the 1970s. She represented all of the biggest stars — Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Barbra Streisand, Steve McQueen — as well as the directors with whom they wanted to work — Mike Nichols, Sidney Lumet and Bob Fosse, to name a few. Throughout her show business career, she was also famous for her dinner parties where she held court for and about the Hollywood elite. In the city that was her battleground and her playground, we are delighted to present Bette Midler in I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers.

John Logan’s script, with its wry portrayal of Mengers, has borne a tour de force that Bette Midler embodies so completely that by the end of the evening you will feel as though you know this Hollywood powerhouse. At the helm, Joe Mantello has directed a production with intricate precision in order to make the experience seem casual and effortless. Working with the theater’s best designers, John, Joe and Bette have created a world so real and welcoming that we feel as if we’ve spent the entire evening in Sue’s living room.

We are thrilled to bring this production to Los Angeles. We know that Ms. Mengers’ story will be as illuminating about Hollywood as it is fun.

Enjoy this evening’s party!

Randall Arney Artistic Director PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P1

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LETTER FROM THE CO-CHAIRS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARTHA HENDERSON CO-CHAIR

PAMELA ROBINSON HOLLANDER CO-CHAIR

PATRICIA KIERNAN APPLEGATE RANDALL ARNEY BEHNAZ ATAEE BETH BEHRS DR. GENE D. BLOCK HAROLD A. BROWN GIL CATES JR. VICE CHAIRMAN

MARY ANN CLOYD DENNIS DOTY JOHN EBEY DR. BRAD EDGERTON MARK FLEISCHER HERBERT M. GELFAND CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

MARTHA HENDERSON

PAMELA ROBINSON HOLLANDER

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME YOU TO THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE and to this very special Spotlight Series event, I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers starring the wonderful Bette Midler.

We’d like to begin our first letter as Co-Chairs by thanking Frank Mancuso for his incredible leadership and dedication over the past seven years. As Chairman of the Board, he made an invaluable contribution and we are honored to follow in his gigantic footsteps.

We also want to take a moment to honor our dear friend Gil Cates who founded this theater. Gil created a family when he started the Geffen Playhouse and his imprint of warmth, humor and affection for live theater lives on. He has left us his legacy and we are thrilled to be Co-Chairs of the Board and continue the growth and success of the Geffen Playhouse.

We look forward to getting to know each of you and sharing with you our love of the Geffen Playhouse — both the artistic initiatives and our educational programming which we provide to more than 10,000 underserved children, students, seniors and veterans throughout Los Angeles each year. Please look for more information on these programs in the following pages as well as at geffenplayhouse.com/education. These are programs that we could not continue without your support.

One way to support this programming is by joining us for Backstage at the Geffen on Saturday, March 22, 2014. Backstage at the Geffen is an evening of laughter, music and never-before-told stories from the other side of the curtain. This year, we will present Alan Horn, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios with our Distinction in Service Award. With the participation of our extended family of actors, playwrights and directors, this event never fails to be lively and unforgettable. To purchase tickets or to learn more, please contact Chief Development Officer Regina Miller at 310.208.6500 ext. 112.

Thank you for joining us tonight. We wish you and your families a joyful holiday season and look forward to seeing you at the theater in the new year.

PATRICIA L. GLASER ADI GREENBERG ARTHUR GREENBERG JOAN KALOUSTIAN GLORYA KAUFMAN LORETTA KAUFMAN DR. GERALD S. LEVEY CARLA MALDEN SUSAN MALLORY GINNY MANCINI FRANK G. MANCUSO CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

BARRY MEYER SUSANNA MIDNIGHT REGINA MILLER KEN NOVICE STEVEN A. OLSEN LOREN ROTHSCHILD LINDA BERNSTEIN RUBIN TERI SCHWARTZ RICHARD SHERMAN FRED SPECKTOR LORRAINE SPURGE DEEANNA STAATS CYNTHIA P. STAFFORD HOWARD TENENBAUM MICHAEL WALSH

FOUNDING TRUSTEES SUZANNE DEAL BOOTH KIRSTEN COMBS ROBERT A. DALY DAVID GEFFEN QUINCY JONES JEFFREY KATZENBERG RON MEYER LESLIE MOONVES JERRY MOSS JERRY PERENCHIO BRUCE M. RAMER FOUNDING CHAIRMAN

VICTORIA MANN SIMMS ANDY SPAHN STEVEN SPIELBERG STEVE TISCH DR. CHARLES E. YOUNG CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

IN MEMORIAM GILBERT CATES FOUNDER

Martha Henderson Co-Chair, Geffen Playhouse

Pamela Robinson Hollander Co-Chair, Geffen Playhouse

MARCIA ISRAEL-CURLEY AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS CHARLES KENIS KARL MALDEN EDIE WASSERMAN LEW WASSERMAN PETER ROSEN

LEGAL COUNSEL, LATHAM & WATKINS LLP

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2013 honoree Bruce Ramer with presenter Clint Eastwood

2013 honoree Billy Crystal with storyteller Morgan Freeman

Save the Date

BACKSTAGE at the GEFFEN Saturday, March 22, 2014 Join us this year in honoring

ALAN HORN

CHAIRMAN OF THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL TELL A STORY ...

WHO WILL PERFORM ...

AND WHO WILL STEAL THE SHOW! For more information please contact Regina Miller at 310.208.6500 ext. 112 or reginam@geffenplayhouse.com TITLE SPONSOR

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Rita Wilson and Jackson Browne performing

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REMEMBERING SUE MENGERS

BY GRAYDON CARTER

(Adapted from the December 2011 issue of Vanity Fair)

WHEN SUE MENGERS DIED IN LATE 2011, AT HER HOME, a short walk from the Beverly Hills Hotel, a number of reports put her age at 81. She claimed 78 — and to the end she was sticking to her story. In any event, Sue was a girlish 70-plus, who never looked her age, and with an ever-present joint in her hand she didn’t act it, either. She was a Holocaust baby, settling in upstate New York before America entered the war. Nobody in her family spoke English, and like so many immigrants she set her sights on a career in show business, first in New York and then on the Coast. By the early ’70s she was not only the most powerful female agent in Hollywood, she was its most powerful agent, period. At one time or another, she represented Barbra Streisand, Candice Bergen, Michael Caine, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Cher, Joan Collins, Burt Reynolds and Nick Nolte — all at various heights of their careers, and some of whom she was still speaking to at the time of her death.

When she wound her career down in the ’80s, Agent Sue became Hostess Sue — and she was even more successful in her new vocation. It was in this role that she became one of the more influential forces in Hollywood — a remarkable achievement in that she didn’t write movies, act in movies or direct movies.

She was most certainly a star snob, and she wanted only above-the-line talent, as they say out there. Years ago, you’d find Brando, Newman and Coppola at her place, and indeed, dinner at Sue’s was like stepping into the Hollywood you imagined but almost never experienced. Her house was a John Woolf jewel, with great, tall Hollywood Regency doors and a living room that looked over a largely unused, egg-shaped pool. The room was awash with soft colors and white orchids. Sue would sit at one end of the seating area, with two large sofas flanking the coffee table and a chair at the other end. She held court, to be sure. But she always brought out the best in her guests. At Sue’s, everyone was funnier and quicker than they were anywhere else.

I first met her at Ray Stark’s house, almost 20 years ago. She was married to a great-looking Belgian director named Jean-Claude Tramont. They had a relationship that a friend described as a satanic version of Nick and Nora Charles’s. One day, in a momentary fit of enthusiasm for exercise, Sue decided to get a running machine. As she was trying one out in the store, Jean-Claude turned from his wife, who was dressed in a kaftan and scarf and puffing on the treadmill, to the salesman and asked, not too quietly, if the store carried “the SUE MENGERS’ CLIENTS Cher (Photo: Casablanca Records), Gene Hackman (Photo: AP Wirephoto), Nick Nolte (Photo: ABC Television) and Barbra Streisand (Photo: Paramount Pictures).

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Isadora Duncan model.” Once, walking into a hotel event-space for a party, Sue surveyed the packed room, leaned into her companion and whispered out of the corner of her mouth: “Schindler’s B-List.”

The thing is, if Sue was your friend, she was really your friend. And when she laughed at something you said, her flat, throaty hack was as high praise as anything you can imagine. She was a lioness when it came to her friends, and her loyalty was as touching to the subjects as it was terrifying to the people who, God help them, did her friends wrong.

But we made it, and in a room that was wall-to-wall stars, Sue Mengers, who had been avoiding the public for years, was the hit of the evening. She loved being the center of attention. And she would have adored I’ll Eat You Last. My guess is she would have preferred Sofia Vergara in the lead, but she would know that a star like Bette is the sublime choice.

MY CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS

Photo courtesy Photofest

One reason everybody went to Sue’s was that she so rarely ventured out herself. If you wanted to see her, you had to go to her. Then, a few years back, she decided to attend the annual, star-packed party that CAA head Bryan Lourd throws at his house in Bel Air on the Friday night before the Oscars. She asked me to pick her up at eight. Now Sue was not the easiest person to move around, even in the familiar regions of her own living room. And shuffling her through her front door into her car, then out of her car, and then up the many stairs to Bryan’s front door — well, I can only say that it was like something out of The Wages of Fear, where four men try to navigate two trucks full of nitroglycerin over hazardous mountain roads in South America.

BY JOHN LOGAN

I’LL EAT YOU LAST BEGAN WITH A MEMORABLE ENCOUNTER, when I met Sue Mengers herself. It was at a dinner party in 2008. I was, by far, the least famous person at the table, so she didn’t have much time for me. But I was fascinated by her and persistent in my conversation volleys. Finally she deigned to glance over her tinted glasses and speak to me, and I got a full-frontal assault of her famed superagent persona: the wicked wit, constant cigarettes, lacerating asides, flowing kaftan and stevedore language. When she lit up a joint and a cigarette at the same time I was hooked.

But what most intrigued me about Sue was a sense of sadness, a deep resignation: a powerful woman whose time had passed her by. Late in the evening I asked her what had changed most about Hollywood since she had arrived. She didn’t hesitate for a second: “Honey, we used to have fun.” That Sue Mengers, bemused, self-aware and poignant, stayed with me and was finally the reason I wrote the play.

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THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS

Bette inMidler

Written by

John Logan Scenic Design

Scott Pask

Costume Design

Ann Roth

Lighting Design

Hugh Vanstone

Sound Design

Fitz Patton

Recreated by

Craig Stelzenmuller Production Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Barclay Stiff

Kyra Hansen

Directed by

Joe Mantello Originally produced on Broadway at the Booth Theatre by Graydon Carter, Arielle Tepper Madover, James L. Nederlander, The Shubert Organization, Terry Allen Kramer, Stephanie P. McClelland, Jeffrey Finn, Ruth Hendel, Larry Magid, Jon B. Platt, and Scott & Brian Zeilinger.

CAST Sue Mengers ................................................................................................. Bette Midler SETTING The living room of Sue Mengers’ Beverly Hills home. 1981.

There will be no intermission.

Opening Night: Thursday, December 5, 2013 PRESENTING SPONSORS

OPENING NIGHT SPONSOR

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PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

JOHN LOGAN (Playwright) John Logan received the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama

JOE MANTELLO (Director) Directing credits include: The Other Place, Dogfight, Other Desert Cities, The Pride, Pal Joey, 9 to 5, November, The Receptionist, The Ritz, Blackbird, Three Days of Rain, The Odd Couple, Glengarry Glen Ross (Tony nomination), Laugh Whore, Assassins (Tony Award), Wicked,

Take Me Out (Tony Award), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, A Man of No Importance, Design for Living, Terrence McNally and Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking for San Francisco Opera, The Vagina Monologues, Bash, Another American: Asking and Telling, Love!

Valour! Compassion! (Tony nomination), Proposals, The Mineola Twins, Corpus Christi, Mizlansky/Zilinsky…, Blue Window, God’s Heart, The Santaland Diaries, Snakebit, Three Hotels, and Imagining Brad. As an actor: The Normal Heart (Tony nomination), Angels in America (Tony nomination), and The Baltimore Waltz.

He is a recipient of Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Helen Hayes, Clarence Derwent, Obie, and Joe A. Callaway awards.

He is a member of Naked Angels and an associate artist at Roundabout Theatre Company.

SCOTT PASK (Scenic Design) Geffen: The Exorcist.

Selected Broadway: I’ll Eat You Last, Pippin (Tony nomination), Macbeth (LCT), The Book of Mormon (Tony Award, also London and National Tours), The Pillowman (Tony Award, also National Theatre London), The House of Blue Leaves, A Behanding in Spokane, The Ritz, Promises Promises, A Steady Rain, HAIR, Pal Joey (Tony nomination) Speed the Plow, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), November, 9 to 5, The Coast of Utopia (Tony Award, Drama Desk,

Outer Critics Circle, Hewes Awards), The Vertical Hour, Martin Short…, Cry Baby, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Nine, Take Me Out and Urinetown. UK: The Same Deep Water as Me (Donmar Warehouse), Barnum (Chichester Theatre), Finding Neverland (Curve), LoveSong, HAIR, On An Average Day, The Country Girl (all West End), The Playboy of the Western World (Old Vic), Tales from Hollywood, Take Me Out (Donmar), Bash (Almeida), Albert Herring (Opera North). Selected Off Bway: Tribes, Blackbird, Bash and The Mineola Twins.

Peter Grimes (Metropolitan Opera) and Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna.

I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS

BETTE MIDLER (Sue Mengers) Bette Midler has earned three Grammys, four Golden Globes, three Emmys, a Tony Award, and sold 30 million records worldwide in a career that spans more than four decades. She has played memorable film roles in The Rose, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Beaches, and The First Wives Club, among many others. Miss Midler made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Fiddler on the Roof. Other stage performances include Tony Award-winning Clams on the Half Shell, Experience the Divine, for which she holds the all-time record for a six week engagement at Radio City Music Hall, The Divine Miss Millennium Tour, Kiss My Brass, and The Showgirl Must Go On at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace. Outside the spotlight, she is the proud founder of the New York Restoration Project (www.nyrp.org), a non-profit organization that revitalizes abandoned and neglected public spaces across New York City. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @BetteMidler.

League awards for his play Red, directed by Michael Grandage. This play premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in London and at the Golden Theatre on Broadway. Since then Red has had more than 200 productions across the US and has been presented in over 30 countries.

He is also the author of more than a dozen other plays including Never the Sinner and Hauptmann. In 2013, his new play Peter and Alice premiered in London and I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers opened on Broadway. He is currently writing the book for the musical The Last Ship composed by Sting and directed by Joe Mantello.

As a screenwriter, Logan has been three times nominated for the Oscar and has received a Golden Globe, BAFTA and WGA award. His film work includes Skyfall, Hugo, The Aviator, Gladiator, Rango, Coriolanus, Sweeney Todd, The Last Samurai, Any Given Sunday, and RKO 281. He is currently writing the next James Bond film and in production for Penny Dreadful, a drama series he created and is producing for Showtime.

ANN ROTH (Costume Design) Select theatre: The Nance (Tony Award), The Testament of Mary, Death of a Salesman, The Best Man, Hurlyburly, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Singin’ in the Rain, Purlie, Waiting for Godot, The Odd Couple, plus Tony nominated for The Royal Family, The Crucifer of Blood, The House of Blue Leaves, The Book of Mormon. Select films: The English Patient (Oscar), The Way Way Back, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Julie & Julia, The Reader, Doubt, Mamma Mia!, Closer, The Village, The Stepford Wives, Cold Mountain, The Hours, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Birdcage, The Mambo Kings, Working Girl, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Silkwood, Nine to Five, Hair, The Day of the Locust (BAFTA),

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P7

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PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES Klute, Midnight Cowboy.

Television (HBO): Angels in America, Mildred Pierce. Recipient of the Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award (2000). Inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame (2011).

HUGH VANSTONE (Lighting Design) Hugh’s West End and Broadway career spans more than 20 years and over 160 productions worldwide. His many awards for lighting include the 2013 Tony Award for Matilda in New York and three Olivier Awards in London. Recent productions include the musicals: Matilda (London & New York), Ghost (London, New York, Korea, USA & UK tours), Shrek (New York, London USA & UK tours), The Wizard of Oz (West End, Toronto and USA tour) and the long running European hit musical Tanz der Vampire directed by Roman Polanski. Plays: I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers (Broadway), La Bête (with Mark Rylance, David Hyde Pierce and Joanna Lumley — West End and Broadway) and A Steady Rain (with Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig on Broadway). He has recently opened a new version of the ballet Don Quixote choreographed

by Carlos Acosta for the Royal Ballet in London.

Hugh’s next project is the stage adaptation of Strictly Ballroom directed by Baz Luhrmann opening in Australia April 2013. More at hughvanstone.com.

CRAIG STELZENMULLER (Co-Lighting Design) Broadway: Associate Lighting Designer for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, I’ll Eat You Last, Lysistrata Jones and Wonderland. Assistant Lighting Designer for Matilda, Scandalous, Everyday Rapture, The Little Mermaid, [Title of Show] and White Christmas. Recent Projects: Associate Lighting Designer for The Wizard of Oz (National Tour), Dogfight (Second Stage Theatre), The Lost Colony (Manteo, NC), Limelight (La Jolla Playhouse), A Bronx Tale (Tour), The Pride (MCC Theatre), 101 Dalmatians (National Tour), Stormy Weather (Pasadena Playhouse), Toy Story: The Musical (Disney Cruise Lines), Blackbird and Regrets Only (Manhattan Theatre Club). Regional Designs include: Hairspray, Annie, Hello Dolly, A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, High School Musical 1 & 2, The Music Man, Anyone Can Whistle, Beauty & the Beast, Aida, Les Miserables, The Sound of Music, Funny Girl, Mame, Cinderella, Ragtime, On the Town, Swing!, Camelot, South Pacific, Anything Goes. Craig is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.

FITZ PATTON (Sound Design) Fitz Patton has designed and scored more than 260 productions in 20 cities across the U.S, and was the designer for I’ll Eat You Last featuring Bette Midler

at The Booth. In 2010 he was awarded both the Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards for his design for When the Rain Stops Falling at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, and was nominated again in 2011 for his work on The Other Place at MCC, which completed its Broadway run this winter at the Friedman.

His symphony, The Holy Land, a 45-minute work for baritone, tenor, mezzosoprano, and orchestra, was completed in January of this year, and he is the founder of Chance Magazine, a new theatre design magazine that debuted in May. BARCLAY STIFF (Production Stage Manager).

Broadway: The Assembled Parties, The Other Place, Don’t Dress For Dinner, Wit, The House of Blue Leaves, Elling, Enron, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Mary Stuart, The Country Girl, The Seafarer, Inherit the Wind, Losing Louie, Shining City, Whoopi, Hedda Gabler, The Price.

Off-Broadway: Gruesome Playground Injuries, Farragut North, Beauty of the Father, A Picasso, House/Garden, From Door to Door, Juvenilia, Frank’s Home, Debbie Does Dallas, Fully Committed.

Williamstown: eight seasons.

KYRA HANSEN (Assistant Stage Manager) Kyra is happy to be joining the cast and crew of I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers. Past Geffen Playhouse credits include: Coney Island Christmas, Good People, The Jacksonian, Radiance:

The Passion Of Marie Curie, Extraordinary Chambers and Love, Loss and What I Wore. Other credits include Assistant Stage Manager for: Cenerentola, Dulce Rosa, Tosca, Arabella, The Magic Flute and La Boheme at LA Opera and Grand Duchesse, La donna del lago, Oscar, Tosca, Arabella, La Traviata, Maometto II, Elixir of Love, and Don Giovanni at The Santa Fe Opera and 200 Motels at LA Philharmonic.

Stage Manager for Beneath The Veil at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Kyra would like to thank her husband Adam for his love and support.

RANDALL ARNEY (Artistic Director) Randall Arney has been a theater professional for over 30 years, and has served as Artistic Director of the Geffen Playhouse since 1999. In addition to his artistic programming and oversight at the Geffen, Arney has helmed more than 10 productions for the theater, most recently American Buffalo, Superior Donuts, The Female of the Species, The Seafarer, Speed-the-Plow and All My Sons. Arney is an ensemble member and former Artistic Director of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre where his directing credits include: The Seafarer, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Death and the Maiden, Curse of

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PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES

KEN NOVICE (Managing Director) Ken Novice’s career in the professional theater spans 25 years and over 250 productions. Prior to joining Geffen Playhouse,

he served as Managing Director and Director of External Affairs at Pasadena Playhouse where his credits include the revival of Fences starring Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett and the world premieres of Sister Act the Musical, Ray Charles Live, Stormy Weather starring Lesley Uggams and many others. He was Director of Marketing and Public Relations for San Diego’s Tony Award-winning Old Globe Theatre where his credits include Jack O’Brien’s acclaimed revival of Damn Yankees, the Tony Award-nominated musical The Full Monty, Henry IV starring John Goodman and Sheldon Epp’s Tonynominated hit Play On! among many others.

His credits also include marketing and public relations for the Tony Award-winning Denver Center Theater Company and New York’s Circle Repertory Company. As Director of Programming for YouthStream Media Networks he developed national marketing and public relations programs for most of Hollywood’s major motion picture studios. Novice also served as Head of the Theatre Management MFA/MBA program at California State University, Long Beach and has been a guest lecturer at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. He holds a BA from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from San Diego State University.

BEHNAZ ATAEE (General Manager) Behnaz Ataee is a financial professional with more than 25 years of experience in for-profit and nonprofit financial management and auditing. Behnaz joined the Geffen Playhouse in 1999 and this marks her ninth season as the theater’s General Manager. She began her career in the Bay Area as a partner in a small family start-up before joining FBS Management where she acted as Director of Accounting, overseeing the finances of more than 25 non-profit organizations.

Behnaz continued her work with non-profits as an auditor for Trump and Van Sloten CPA and then returned to the for-profit sector at Ultratech, before ultimately landing at the Geffen Playhouse. Behnaz has a Master’s degree from Pepperdine University.

REGINA MILLER (Chief Development Officer) Regina has been a development professional for over 18 years, working with non-profit institutions, foundations and

corporations on strategy, analysis and fundraising.

She has worked for Simon Wiesenthal Center, The Clinton Foundation, Ben Affleck’s Eastern Congo Initiative, Hank Azaria’s Determined to Succeed, The Millan Foundation and Whole Child International, among others. Prior to the Geffen, Regina served as the Director of Partnerships for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire where she led strategic planning and development while executing policies that advanced the organization’s visibility and growth. Regina also has a strong passion for teaching. After graduating from University of North Carolina School of the Arts, she taught in preschools and kindergartens in New York.

From the age of 13, Regina worked as a professional dancer on Broadway as well as with a number of prominent modern dance ensembles. Fusing two of her interests, she created a highly successful program which incorporated dance therapy and creative movement into an early childhood curriculum as well as wrote and produced a television show based on this concept. In addition to being a published author and photographer with Tallfellow Press and Prometheus Books, Regina has taught and lectured at numerous schools in New York, Los Angeles and abroad.

I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS

the Starving Class, Killers and The Geography of Luck, among others. Arney also directed Steppenwolf’s world premiere of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, as well as the subsequent national and international acclaimed productions. Mr. Arney’s acting credits with Steppenwolf include Born Yesterday, Ghost in the Machine, The Homecoming, Frank’s Wild Years, You Can’t Take it with You, Fool for Love, True West, Balm in Gilead and Coyote Ugly.

As the Artistic Director for Steppenwolf from 1987 to 1995, he oversaw the creation of a new stateof-the-art theater which is Steppenwolf’s current home. Broadway transfers under his leadership include The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The Song of Jacob Zulu (six Tony Award nominations) and The Grapes of Wrath (1990 Tony Award, Best Play).

Mr. Arney has an MFA degree in Acting from Illinois State University and has taught master classes and workshops at UCLA, Steppenwolf, around the U.S. and in Tokyo.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

GEFFEN AT A GLANCE ADDRESS

PRODUCTION STAFF FOR I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS Hair Designer Mary Brunetti Makeup Designer Oslyn Holder Light Board Operator Chad Mata Associate Scenic Designer Orit Jacoby Carroll Assistant Scenic Designer (Broadway) Jeff Hinchee Assistant Scenic Designer (Broadway) Lauren Alvarez Production Assistant Taylor Ruge Stage Crew Joel Fullerton Assistant to Ms. Midler Jill Hattersley ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Set provided by Scenic Highlights Originally built by PRG Scenic Lighting Equipment provided by Entertainment Lighting Services Sound Equipment provided by Jon Sound Inc. Props Kathy Fabian Photography Richard Termine Public Relations Support Sunshine Sachs SPECIAL THANKS UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Scene Prop, Sound and Costume Shops; London Cleaners; Peet’s Coffee & Tea; Hillary Blanken and Juniper Street Productions; Annabelle Dunne; Holly Ferguson; Wendy Orshan and Jeffrey M. Wilson of 101 Productions, Ltd. UCLA SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND TELEVISION The Geffen Playhouse is affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles, specifically the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. The Geffen Playhouse values its role as an important educational resource by providing students with master classes, workshops and internships. Students are also able to work and learn from distinguished visiting Geffen artists such as Alan Ayckbourn, Jon Robin Baitz, Annette Bening, Ed Harris, David Ives, Neil LaBute, David Mamet, Donald Margulies, Terrence McNally, John Rando and Kathleen Turner in areas of directing, playwriting, acting, design, dramaturgy, management and production. The Geffen Playhouse also draws upon the distinguished experts in the university to enhance the theater’s programs and research.

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association; The Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

The director is a member of the society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union.

The Geffen Playhouse is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

This project was also funded in part by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles.

The Geffen Playhouse, a non-profit theater company, is proudly affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles.

Geffen Playhouse 10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024 Administrative Offices......... 310.208.6500 Weekdays........................10:00 am — 6:00 pm Box Office Phone Line.......... 310.208.5454 Daily .....................................7:00 am — 6:00 pm Subscriber Hotline ................. 310.208.2028 Weekdays........................10:00 am — 6:00 pm Weekends ....................... 12:00 pm — 6:00 pm Please visit geffenplayhouse.com for hours, parking and more information TICKET SERVICES Box Office Window When shows are not in performance, the box office window is open: Weekdays........................10:00 am — 6:00 pm Weekends ....................... 12:00 pm — 6:00 pm During the run of a show, the window will be open until curtain. Please note: the box office is unable to process exchanges and future sales one hour prior to curtain time on any performance day.

ACCESS

ASL

Accessible Accommodation The Geffen Playhouse is fully committed to ensuring a satisfying theater experience for our patrons with special needs or disabilities. Please contact the box office or an usher to discuss your needs.

AT THE THEATER Late Seating Should you arrive late to the theater or vacate your seat during the performance, please expect to be held in the lobby until an appropriate pause in the action on-stage.

To minimize disturbance to other patrons, you may be sat into the first available location by the house staff even if different from your assigned seat. Be advised that some productions or circumstances may not allow for late or return seating.

P10 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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“FUNNY, FURIOUS AND WHOLLY ENTHRALLING!” – THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

A “WILD, WICKED SHOW!” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

FEATURING

WRITTEN BY

TODD ROBBINS

TODD ROBBINS & TELLER

DIRECTED BY

TELLER

ON STAGE NOW IN THE AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

The stories and events of this interactive production contains some disturbing images, strobe effect, theatrical haze, interactivity, brief moments of nudity and a great deal of fun. Audiences are surrounded by sights, sounds and touches of the returning dead.

Material may be inappropriate for the faint of heart — or those under 18.

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

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GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM | 310.208.5454

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WORLD PREMIERE LIMITED ENGAGEMENT BEGINS JANUARY 3 How can one evening at the theater change history? The unfolding of events of April 14, 1865 did just that as the lives of those in the audience and those in our country would never be the same. Uncovering Abraham Lincoln’s White House piano and many of the era’s personalities to tell these stories best, Hershey Felder regales us with a stunningly new and insightful look at the artistry, politics and individuals surrounding that fateful night at Ford’s Theatre. From vaudeville to minstrel shows to American hymns and songs of patriotism, Felder’s signature storytelling and music reminds us of our collective history and how the history of the brave emboldens us all.

BUY TICKETS NOW FOR THIS SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SERIES EVENT LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

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GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM | 310.208.5454

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“THE PLAY THAT FIRST STAKED OUT HAROLD PINTER’S DEFINING HOLD ON MODERN DRAMA.” — VARIETY

“TIME HAS PROVEN ITS BRILLIANCE.” — CHICAGO TRIBUNE

“CREEPILY SINISTER …

DARKLY FUNNY.” — CHICAGO SUN TIMES

“PINTER SUBJECTED THE COMEDY OF KEEPING UP APPEARANCES TO AN INTIMATE SCRUTINY NOT SEEN SINCE ANTON CHEKHOV.” — VARIETY

“THIS IS PINTER LAND, WHERE MENACE AND MYSTERY RULE … AND NOTHING IS QUITE AS IT SEEMS.” — THE NEW YORK TIMES

WRITTEN BY

HAROLD PINTER DIRECTED BY

WILLIAM FRIEDKIN FEBRUARY 4 — MARCH 16 THE CLASSIC RETURNS IN THE GIL CATES THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

A NEW PRODUCTION FROM NOBEL LAUREATE HAROLD PINTER AND ACADEMY AWARD WINNER WILLIAM FRIEDKIN LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

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GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM | 310.208.5454

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OUTREACH

YOUR IMPACT The Geffen Playhouse’s extensive education and outreach programs work with student, senior, low-income and veteran groups to ensure the most underserved of our community participate in the artistic work done at the Geffen Playhouse and beyond.

California ranks dead last — 50th out of the 50 states — in the amount spent per child and adult on the arts: 14 cents per person.

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The City of Los Angeles has a budget of only $3.7 million a year to support the arts, versus New York City’s support of $29 million and San Francisco’s $13 million for the arts.

Your support brings unparalleled strength, insight, humanity and hope to those working hard to transition out of homelessness, through season-long work with Geffen artists and performances.

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Your gift improves our economy. Every dollar spent on the arts generates more than $11 in revenue to the surrounding community.

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Your support changes lives — inspiring profoundly disadvantaged youth across Los Angeles County to stay in school and to realize their potential as writers, critical thinkers, and much more through their time and work with Geffen artists, casts and teaching artists.

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You will have a role in bringing each play to life this coming year. Subscriptions and single ticket sales cover only half of the costs of our nonprofit operations and productions.

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Your support gives veterans and their families the opportunity not only to experience our plays at no charge throughout the year — but also to feel honored, recognized and welcomed home.

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Your gift will give more than 10,000 profoundly disadvantaged children, youth, seniors and adults access to the one-of-a-kind beauty, power and inspiration of live theater.

6

Your support gives recently emancipated foster youth, women and families living in domestic violence shelters, and many other isolated populations the opportunity to feel connected to society, experience relief through entertainment, and gain renewed strength and perspective through plays and workshops with our artists and casts.

1

Your support improves the quality of life for all of us.

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Play a role in bringing the transformative power of live theater to as many people as possible in the coming year. Support the arts and access to the arts for all.

Photo by Lorman Photography

Here are the top ten reasons to support the work:

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS VISIT GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM/EDUCATION P14 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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Imagine being a 14-yea r-old who, on top of the normal angst and pre age, was also surround ssure most young peo ed by the lure of gangs, ple experience at this drugs and more in a nei high school diploma.

How could you believ ghborhood where mo e you would make it st adults do not have neighborhood did so? to graduation when so a few, if any, adults in yo ur Boyle Heights is only 11 miles from the Geffe n Playhouse, but it mi brought the first buslo ght as well be 11,000 mi ad of our students to a les away. In fact, when play at the Geffen a few different state. They cou we months back, some ask ldn’t believe how green ed if it was here. They had never been east of Down never been to such a bea we had travelled to a town Los Angeles. Fou utiful building. They had rteen-year-olds who had their neighborhoods. never been more than a few miles outside of I am the principal of the se students who attend Mendez High School — Angeles. My parents bro a public high school in ught me here to Boyle Boyle Heights, East Lo Heights when I was fi elementary school. Bu ve. Neither of my parent s t they knew the powe r of education to chang s had completed more a Master’s in education e lives. Several years ago than . I am back in Boyle He , I graduated from UC ights to give back, to hel LA with p more kids get on a gre We were shocked when ater path in life. the Geffen Playhouse answered our call for schools in economical help last year at this tim ly depressed neighbor e. As is the case for mo hoods across LA and acr each year who decide st high oss the US, we were los d to give up because the ing too many 14-year-o y didn’t think they could high school diploma. lds This is abysmal not on eve r ma ke it to 12th grade. Less than ly for them, but for all footsteps and in this do 50% obtain a of us, and for the genera wnward spiral if nothi tions who will follow ng is done. in their One of the top reasons 14-year-olds make the disastrous decision to of how far behind the drop out of high school y are academically and ? They are acutely aw are convinced they wo to graduate. One of the are n’t be able to catch up most painful reminders to meet the requirement of how far behind the tasks. Kids so far behind s y are? Daily struggles they don’t even know with even basic writin how to write one senten coherent essay. g ce in response to a tea cher’s question, let alo ne a Writing is a complex ski ll, as we all know. Even the most celebrated, pro writing. How can we help kids who are so fro lific writers of all time zen with fear about wr have shared their dread having to learn how to iting that they will dro for do it? p out of high school ins tea d of The Geffen answered our call for help. The org anization worked with and classroom work wi us to develop a year-lo th teaching artists and ng runway of experienc experts from UCLA to critical thinking and wr es gradually build studen iting — skills that will ts’ comfort and succes jet propel them for life. s with Leveraging the rich and no world-class teaching art vel experience of seeing each Geffen play thr oughout the year, and ists to decipher and int working with the Geffe erp express their thoughts n’s , these young people dev ret the plays in ways that comfortably forced them to organize and eloped muscle, clarity and confidence in writing, I can tell you that becaus in speaking, in life. e of the Geffen Playhou track to graduate. Our se program at our school school was just cited as thi s pas t yea r, 70% of the youth are one of the top in LA for now on improvements in the lite We have to share this mo racy scores of its studen del and get it out to mo ts. re schools across Los An understand the precious, geles. With your help, on we will. We know you Please include the Geffen e-of-a-kind value of live theater. Hopefully, thi s letter has underscored Playhouse in your yea r-end charitable giving its value even more. gratitude to you for rea this year. We have a lot ding this long letter, and more work to do. My dee for considering an invest pest ment in these children Sincerely, and in their futures.

Mauro Bautista

Principal, Mendez High

School

TO DONATE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL DEVELOPMENT 310.208.6500 EXT. 128 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P15

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DONATE

ENHANCE YOUR EXPERIENCE WHILE GIVING BACK Director

Sponsor

Education Advocate

Bring 150 students from a Title 1 school to a show at the Geffen Playhouse (includes pre and post-show workshops and free transportation) All Education Advocate benefits plus…

• Two (2) house seats to the five-play season in the Gil Cates Theater • A unique behind-the-scenes experience for one show in the season — possibilities include attending a rehearsal, design presentation, set tour or meeting with the casting director • A signed copy of a Geffen Playhouse script from the current season

Bring 60 students from a Title 1 school to a show at the Geffen Playhouse (includes pre and postshow workshops and free transportation) All Artistic Advocate benefits plus…

• Access to the Marcia Israel Curley Founders Room, featuring complimentary drinks, snacks and private restrooms • Access to our VIP theatrical concierge who can help book house seats at theaters nationwide • Recognition on a glass panel in our lobby • Personalized assistance with renewing your subscription from someone in our development office • Ability to exchange your subscription seats into house seats (Subject to availability) • An invitation to attend the Winter Cocktail Party (Date and Location TBD)

Gifts of $5,000 or more

Gifts of $3,000 or more

Artistic Advocate

Associate

Affiliate

Bring 30 students from a Title 1 school to a show at the Geffen Playhouse (includes pre and postshow workshops and free transportation) All Associate level benefits plus…

• VIP parking directly across the street from the Geffen Playhouse

Bring 15 students from a Title 1 school to a show at the Geffen Playhouse (includes pre and post-show workshops and free transportation) All Affiliate level benefits plus…

• Recognition in program • Season-long coffee card good for unlimited coffee and tea at the Geffen Playhouse bar • Two (2) complimentary glasses of wine at Tanino Ristorante

Bring 10 students from a Title 1 school to a show at the Geffen Playhouse (includes pre and postshow workshops and free transportation) • Two (2) complimentary drinks at our Geffen Playhouse bar • A voucher for a complimentary treat or snack at the Geffen Playhouse

Bring 300 students from a Title 1 school to a show at the Geffen Playhouse (includes pre and post-show workshops and free transportation) All Sponsor benefits plus…

• Two (2) tickets to a five-play season of Geffen Playhouse Opening Nights, which are by invitation only and include valet parking, a pre-show cocktail reception and a post-show cast party • Access to our VIP Concierge Service, which will assist you with everything from dinner reservations to parking assistance when you attend a show • Two (2) house seats to all shows in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater at the Geffen Playhouse • Ability to have the Geffen Playhouse donate a pair of tickets for one show in the Gil Cates Theater to the charity of your choice

Gifts of $500 or more

Gifts of $250 or more

Gifts of $1,000 or more

Gifts of $150 or more

TO DONATE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL DEVELOPMENT AT 310.208.6500 EXT. 128 OR VISIT GEFFENPLAYHOUSE.COM/DONATE P16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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JOIN THE GEFFEN FAMILY Join these and thousands of other artists, donors and subscribers supporting our work.

Carol Burnett

Dr. Judy Reichman, Debbie Allen & Norm Nixon

Dame Julie Andrews, DBE

Randall Arney, Neil Patrick Harris, Donald Margulies, Jane Anderson & Frank Mancuso

Cindy & Alan Horn

Chris Pine & Cynthia Stafford

Hank Azaria & Ben Affleck

Rita Wilson

Matthew Morrison, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Rita Wilson & Gil Cates

Roma Downey & her daughter

Howard & Jodi Tenenbaum

Barry & Wendy Meyer

Billy Crystal & Gil Cates, Jr.

Jackson Browne with Priscila Giraldo & her daughter Kara

Jason & Yvonne Lee

Topher Grace

Ron Meyer & Bruce Ramer

Annette Bening

Judy & Chancellor Charles Young

Donna McKenna & Flynn Chernos

Pamela Robinson & Robert Hollander

Taylor Hackford & Dame Helen Mirren, DBE

Tom Hanks

Clint Eastwood

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Beverly & Herb Gelfand

Martha Henderson & Patricia Applegate

Linda & Tony Rubin

Mel Keefer & Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer

Ken Novice, Regina Miller, Frank Mancuso, Gil Cates, Jr., Nazy Ataee & Randall Arney

Photos by Jordan Strauss

Adi Greenberg & Miriam Kabatchnik

*Not pictured: About 130,000 people who treasure and support the Geffen Playhouse PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P17

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT

THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE WOULD LIKE TO THANK

FOR BEING THE PRESENTING SPONSORS OF

Photo by Ellen von Unwerth

WE’RE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT IN MAKING THIS PRODUCTION POSSIBLE.

P18 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS

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2013 Geffen Playhouse Chairman’s Circle Dinner Thank you to those who joined the Geffen Playhouse Chairman’s Circle Dinner Sponsored by

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Photos by Jordan Strauss

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1. The dinner set up 2. Timothy Morzenti, Pamela Robinson Hollander, Robert Hollander, Madeline Ramer, Bruce Ramer, Patty Applegate 3. Adi and Jerry Greenberg 4. Rabbi Herscher, Myna Herscher and Frank Mancuso 5. Frank Mancuso with The Gil Cates Mensch Award recipient Howard Tenenbaum, and Gil Cates Jr. 6. Dick Van Dyke, Arlene Silver, Fay Mancuso, Anne Marie Marranca, Yves DeLaunay and Frank Mancuso 7. Chris Noth, Beth Behrs, Dick Van Dyke, Randall Arney 6

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FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JOINING THE CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE Call the Development Department at 310.208.6500 ext.112

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P19

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ANNUAL DONORS The Geffen Playhouse recognizes the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of our Annual Fund and Backstage at the Geffen. Donors are listed at the Associate level and higher for gifts made between August 15, 2012 and October 15, 2013.

In appreciation, donors enjoy a host of special benefits including house seats, complimentary drinks, receptions and much more.

For more information, please call Jamie Sherman at 310.208.6500 ext. 128.

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE $50,000+

Anonymous Patricia Kiernan Applegate Aria Resort & Spa Audi of America, Inc Ben/Joyce Eisenberg Foundation City National Bank Mary Ann Cloyd Susan & John Ebey Edgerton Foundation Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer & Melvin Keefer Fox Entertainment Group Herbert M. & Beverly J. Gelfand In Memory of Alice Ghostley & Felice Orlandi Jim & Ann Gianopulos Adi & Jerry Greenberg Guggenheim Partners Carole & Bill Haber Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust Martha Henderson J.P. Morgan Private Bank Marilyn & Jeffrey Katzenberg Glorya Kaufman Keyes Automotive Group Sandra Krause & William Fitzgerald Latham & Watkins LLP Mr. and Mrs. Jason & Yvonne Lee Ginny Mancini Fay & Frank Mancuso John McCrite & Juan Lopez Donna McKenna & Flynn Chernos Ron & Kelly Meyer Ann & Jerry Moss Moss Foundation OneWest Bank PricewaterhouseCoopers Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Madeline & Bruce Ramer Linda Bernstein Rubin & Tony Rubin Richard & Barbara Sherman Shubert Foundation Skirball Foundation Karen & Vic Smith Kate Capshaw Spielberg & Steven Spielberg DeeAnna Staats, Staats & Co. Cynthia P. Stafford & Lanre Idewu Judith & Bruce Stern Jodi & Howard Tenenbaum The UCLA Dream Fund Deborah & Michael E. Walsh The Walt Disney Company Westfield Group Judy & Chancellor Charles E. Young Dirk & Natasha Ziff

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

$25,000 - $49,999 Anonymous The Backyard Robert C. Baral Bulgari Corporation of America Stephanie & Jonathan Carson CBS Corporation Classic Party Rentals Dan Hartman Arts & Music Foundation The Douglas Foundation The Edward A. & Ai O Shay Family Foundation Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, Inc. Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association

Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation Loretta & Victor Kaufman The Lear Family Foundation Los Angeles County Arts Commission Los Angeles magazine Louis XIII de Remy Martin Susan & Peter Mallory Marcia Israel Foundation, Inc. Nancy & Sir Paul McCartney Susanna Midnight & Charlie Midnight Montage Hotels & Residences Leslie Moonves & Julie Chen Morgan Stanley Napa Valley Grille Northern Trust, NA The Richenthal Foundation Shel & Cynthia Stone Transamerica Insurance & Investment Group Universal Studios Variety W Hotel Westwood Warner Bros. Entertainment

PRODUCER

$10,000 - $24,999 Ariel Investments, LLC Charles A. Black, Jr. James L. Brooks Brotman Foundation of California Eileen & Harold Brown Gilbert Cates, Jr. & Elizabeth Lacey Brunello Cucinelli Mark Burnett & Roma Downey The Capella Resorts Capital Group Companies Valarie de la Garza & Michael Centeno City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Carole Bayer Sager & Robert A. Daly DreamWorks Studios Dr. & Mrs. Paul Eisenberg Susan & Mark Fleischer G.E. Foundation Patty Glaser & Sam Mudie Arthur Greenberg C. Curtis Grisham In Memory of Morrie Hazan HBO Eric & Samantha Heer Mellody Hobson Cindy & Alan Horn Joseph Drown Foundation Joan Kaloustian Kenneth T. & Eileen L. Norris Foundation Peter & Janine Lowy Carla Malden Mona Malden Malibu Family Wines Nancy & Michael McClelland Sandra E. Milken The Muse New York, a Kimpton Hotel & Nios Restaurant Anna K. Nupson Occidental Petroleum Corp Paramount Pictures Rollin Ransom & Chris Lacroix Readers Fine Jewelers Dr. Judith Reichman Pamela Robinson Hollander & Robert Hollander Loren Rothschild & Hon. Frances Rothschild Richard Ruskell Pastries Ronen Levy Events The Simms/Mann Family Foundation Sony Pictures Entertainment

Fred Specktor & Nancy Heller Tanino Ristorante Heather Thomas & Skip Brittenham Steve Tisch Union Bank U.S. Bank Wells Fargo Foundation William Morris Endeavor Entertainment Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks Ruth Ziegler Ziffren Brittenham LLP Ken & Ellen Ziffren

DIRECTOR

$5,000 - $9,999 Jehan F. Agrama & Dwora Fried Amgen Foundation Jack & Hilary Angelo Anschutz Film Group/Walden Media Annette Blum Mara & Jonathan Blum Bobcat Productions, Inc. Jerry Breslauer, Mickey Rutman & Tammy Anderson Linda & Jerry Bruckheimer Glenn & Lynn Cardoso Creative Artists Agency Creative Intelligence Incorporated Fielding Edlow & Larry Clarke Mica Ertegun Andrew Fickman Eric Flamholtz & Yvonne Randle Four Seasons Gary Sinise Foundation George Hoag Family Foundation Priscila Giraldo Gloria & Peter Gold Stanley & Ilene Gold Jay Gordon & Meyera Robbins Brian & Myra Greenspun Rabbi Uri D. Herscher & Dr. Myrna Herscher Lynne & Michael Heslov Stanley Iezman & Nancy Stark Hugh Jackman & Deborra-lee Furness Wendell & Bernice Jeffrey Mannon Kaplan Wendy Kurtzman La Valencia David & Susan Leveton Drs. Gerald & Barbara Levey LuxFit Spa Marlene & Sandy Louchheim LucasFilm LTD Des & Bryna McAnuff Tobias Meyer & Sotheby’s MOCA Foundation Kate Moran & Mikki Rosenberg Morris & Libby Singer Foundation My Vienna Gelato Neda Nobari Foundation Christine Marie Ofiesh Carol & Bill Ouchi Shana & Don Passman Lee & Lawrence* J. Ramer Kay & Bob Rehme Joyce Rey Mayor Richard Riordan Jane Rissman & Richard Sondheimer Jay D. Roth & Sherry E. Grant Thomas L. Safran Judi & Bruce Schindler Jody & Arthur Schmid Sidley Austin LLP Mr. & Mrs. Keong Sim

Simon Strauss Foundation Sondheimer Foundation St. Regis Bora Bora Resort St. Regis Princeville Resort Ben Stiller & Christine Taylor Larry & Kiki Taylor Larry & Barbara Tenan Thomas Safran & Associates David Tillman, MD & Karen Zoller, MD Miranda & Brett Tollman The Travel Company Alice & Norman Tulchin UBS Private Wealth Management US Playing Card Company Jennifer Young & Katrina Nason Gail Zappa Robert & Leslie Zemeckis Ruth & Stan Zicklin

SPONSOR

$3,000 — $4,999 Anonymous Janis Adams & John Lyons Connie Kramer Alexander Chancellor Gene D. Block & Mrs. Carol Block Susan Booth & Christopher Wadden Marcy Carsey & Leo Yoshimura Terri ann Cooper Konheim Scott, Susan & Joshua Corwin Victoria Dummer Dora & Neil Kadisha Sally & Dr. Manny J. Karbelnig Julie & David Kavner Thea & Neal Koss Robin & Seth Kugler Phyllis & Ken Lemberger Pam, Amanda, Lianna & Eddie Renee & Meyer Luskin Michael & Cecil Pulitzer Paula & Allan Rudnick Anne C. Taubman & David Boyle William & Karen Timberlake Leslie White & Al Limon Karen & Rick Wolfen Uniworld River Cruises, Inc.

EDUCATION ADVOCATE $1,000 - $2,999

Anonymous (2) 23rd Street Jewelers Harry & Gay Abrams/Abrams Artists Agency Dr. Richard Ackerman & Miriam Shakter Miriam Aguiar Olga S. Alderson Richard Alonso Merryl & David A. Alpert Patti & Harlan Amstutz Arizona Biltmore Margaret & Howard Arvey D.C. & Carol Ann Bakeman Robert E. & Maria H. Barron Battista Family Richard Bautzer & David McDowell Richard & Shelley Bayer Susan & Eric M. Bender Peter & Barbara Benedek Patricia & Mark Benjamin Shelly & Libby Bergen Cathy & Bill Bindley Helen Bing The Bordy & Leibovic Families

P20 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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ANNUAL DONORS Mel & Faith Henkin Hernand Family Grant & Lysa Heslov Heys USA Jean Himmelstein & David Coleman Stephen Sass & Steven Hochstadt Dr. John D. Hofbauer & Dr. Laura E. Fox Gail & Stanley Hollander In Honor of Development Roger & Linda Howard Lisa Ingalls Vicki Iovine Lynn Hunt & Margaret Jacob Jerome & Linda Janger Jordan Strauss Photography Joseph B. Gould Foundation Linda & David Kagel Karney Guren Family Foundation Robert Katz Patricia Keating Lenny & David Kelton Barbara & Stuart Klabin Kent Klavens & Judy Vourlas Klingenberg Family Leslie & Norman Koplof Carol Krause Eric & Melissa Kurtzman Deborah Lacusta & Daniel Castellaneta Las Ventanas al Paraiso Helene & Arthur Laub Laura & Harvey Alpert Charitable Foundation John Liebes Steven & Nancy Lippman Dorothy Lipsky Judith Locke & Dennis Massie Karen & Frederick Lorig William E. Low & Hana Ptacnikova The Jennifer & Greg Malins Foundation Eric G.C. Mark Janis B. McEldowney Sue McHugh & Herb Seese Barbara & Fred Miller Andrew & Laura Mintzer Joanne & Joel Mogy Garry Morris & Kent Harrison Hayes Greg Morrison In Loving Memory of Harvey S. Morse Rio & Frank Morse Lon Morse & Toni Hollander Morse Albert & Barbara Nichols Ornest Family Foundation Guy Oseary London, Alex & Marty Padilla Paradigm Talent & Literary Agency Michael Parks & Judith Hayward Julie Piepenkotter Herbert & Marilyn Piken In Memory of Michael Piller Ruth Popkin Popland Studios Portico by Exclusive Resorts Jeanne McDonald-Powers & Travis Powers Richard Rasiej & Joan Herman Harvey & Joyce Reichard Donald B. & Susan F. Rice In Memory of Frances Richman Esther & Howard Richmond Beth Roberts & Warren Smith Rikki Rosen Brad & Nancy Rosenberg Sue Weiss Rosenwasser Lori & David Rousso Russ August & Kabat Laura & John Saade Sabrina Kay Charitable Foundation David A. & Karen Richards Sachs Richard & Amber Sakai Mark San Filippo Jonathan Schwartz Steve & Paula Schwartz In Memory of Diane Barnett-Shapiro Traci Shelton

Sherak Family Showtime Networks Inc. Holly & Larry Shulman Rita & Jose Sigal Ron Silverman & Soraya Ross Snyder Family Foundation Drs. Matthew & Marion Solomon Bruce & Patti Springsteen Sprinkles Cupcakes St. Regis Monarch Beach St. Regis Punta Mita Mitch & Sherry Stein Joannie Stern Eric Strom & Eileen Goodis Katy Sweet Fred Tatasciore Family John Teeples & Nicolas Martinez, Jr. Audri & Stan Tendler Daniel Tongbai The Lodge at Torrey Pines Laura Trice, M.D. Peter & Susan Van Haften Anthony Vasek Alan Van Vliet Peter & Denise Walsh Joanne & Ken Weinman Roberta Weintraub Gelena & Seth Weissman Alison Whalen & Steven Marenberg Geoffrey & Susan Wharton Young Family Ms. Patricia Youngman Barbara & Stanley Zax Marcie & Howard Zelikow Ellen & Arnold Zetcher In Loving Memory of Herman Ziegler David & Ellie Zuckerman

ARTISTIC ADVOCATE $500 - $999

Anonymous (2) Norman & Toshka Abrams Terry & Richard Abrams Katherine Amber Ross & Lindsey Avner Sheila & Raymond Bangs Lucia Barbaro Janet & Irwin Barnet Dawn & Marshall Bein James & Diane Berliner Diane & Richard Birnholz Ruth & Jake Bloom Frances & Thomas Booth Dr. R.W.G. Bugental David & Kathy Burke The Busch-Schifino Family Ms. Martha Chase JP Cherry Beverly & Dennis Chester Donald & Zoe Cosgrove Gail Cottingham Cameron Crowe Jeffrey S. Davidson The Milton L. & Betty J. Dranow Family Foundation Richard & Lauren Donner Patricia L. Eisenberg Roni & Ethan Eller The English Language Center Mimi Feldman Abby & Malcolm Field Marjorie & Arthur Fine Sydney M. Finegold, M.D. Michael & Lynne Flynn Myrna Forest Glenn & Jane Fowler Fran Fredella & Scott Rubin L.T. Friesen Lois & Gerald Gallop Benita & Bert Ginsberg

Louis & Linda Goldsman Ellie & Barry Goldstein Abner & Roz Goldstine Ellie Goodman Lori & Robert Goodman Robert & Gabrielle Greenberg Lance Hagenbuch Mary & Alan Halkett Peter E. Hall Ronald Hansen Ms. Tess Harper Sheila Hasday Barbara & Bud Hellman Murray & Gail Heltzer Helene Hendrickson Andy Heyward Mrs. Dorothy Hoffman Rand Hoffman & Charlotte Robinson Kelley M. Hogan Judith Hohman Gerald Isenberg Robert & Gail Israel Jackie & Warren Jackson Bill & Tiiu Jacobson Edward & Aya Jakobovits Ruth & Marvin Kalin Trudy & Albert Kallis Drs. Elaine & Jeff Kamil Mr. & Mrs. Bernard Kamine Anita Karbelnig Laurence O. Karsh Roy Kaufman Rima & Saul Rima Kay Susan & Greg Kay Milly & Robert Kayyem Ann & Jonathan Kirsch Kouy T. Kolar Mary Koppel Ron & Joanne Kramar Jay & Billie Kubrin Carol & Richard Kurland Tam & David Lachoff Joan & Christopher Larkin Jeanne & Christopher Lavagnino Joyce Lederer Peter Levin & Audrey Davis Levin Marla E. Levine Barry Levinson Burton & Anita Levinson Dr. Isaac & Barbara Levy Charles & Lydia Levy Donald Lipschutz Loris & Kory Lunsford Neil L. & Ora D. Macfarlane Mr. & Mrs. Phillips H. Marshall Jim & Kathryn McCaffery Cindy Mediavilla Robert Mercer Philip & Joan Miller Pamela & Mark Mischel Allan M. Mohrman Jr. Bill & Gail Morino Sandra Moss John & Sandy Murdock Sherri & Arnold Nelson Adrienne & Arthur Omansky Mark Paluch & Bryan Ozamoto Cynthia Palm Dr. & Mrs. Emil & Dolores Pascarelli C. Alexander Payne Carol F. Phillips Lisa Pierozzi Jack & Jane Pollock Gary & Gail Racheletsky Linda & Manny Rider Carlene Ringer Richard Robertson Craig E. Rogers Dolores Rogers Ronda & Fred Rose Maxine & Gene Rosenfeld Lawrence Ross & Linda Nussbaum

I’LL EAT YOU LAST: A CHAT WITH SUE MENGERS

Brenda & Alan Borstein Dr. Wallace P. Brithinee Carolyn & Gerald Bronstein Robert Brook & Jacqueline Kosecoff Wendy & David Brotman Janet & Mark Brown Mr. & Mrs. Todd Brown & Family Marcia Burnam Timothy J. Carlson Chancellor Emeritus Albert Carnesale & Mrs. Robin Carnesale Dr. Fanya Carter, Ph.D. David Cates & Christine Vavak Jane Cates Jonathan & Elena Cates Melissa Cates & Roger Claman The Chatwal Sheldon Cherry & Carolyn Runowicz Rich-Chiocchi Family Roy & Dorothy Christopher Laurel & Aaron Clark Linda & John Coleman Lou Colen Ted Cordes James Costa Carolyn Crandall & Harley Kornblum Shelley Wike Cranley Janine Cristiano In Loving Memory of Ed Cypert Ruth Daugherty Lawrence G. David Shirley Lu & Norman Davidson Gavin de Becker Deluscious Cookies Bill & Kate in honor of Blanche Schimmel Daniel & Gayle Devin Carolyn Dirks & Brett Dougherty Dennis & Jeralyn Doty Dr. Laura’s Wholesome Junk Food Jan & Thea Drayer Dream Warrior Group Gerald & Sally Ducot William Duncan Colleen M. Ellis Terri & David Elston Kevin Watts & Christine Enlow Carl & Courtenay Enright Carol & J.B. Esterkin Fairmont Miramar Marc Feldman Donnovan Field Lawrence N. Field Gloria & Morton Field Michael Filerman Burt & Nanette Forester Joan & Charles Fox Steve Freedman Future Lighting G2 Graphic Service, Inc. Pat & Sandy Gage Sharlene & Sol Galper Kathleen Garfield Jeanne & Arnold Geffner Rose Gilbert Kiki & David Gindler Cherna & Dr. Gary Gitnick Charlotte Gold Dr. Irene Goldenberg Eric Goodman Adrienne Grant & Paul Jennings Ken Greenblatt & Peter Walsh Heidi Gregg Jill Grey Jack Grossbart & Marc Schwartz Allen & Deborah Grubman Michael Grunwald The Guerin Foundation Harlan D. Gulko Madeline Gussman Andrea & Marc Guth Monty & Marilyn Hall Alan & Michelle Heilpern

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P21

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ANNUAL DONORS Paul A. Rudnick, M.D. Nancy & Ted Sanborn Larry & Carole Scherzer Malcolm Schneer & Cathy Liu Elaine Carey & Vincent J. Schodolski David & Margaret Schwanke Bob & Susan Schwartz Dr. & Mrs. Jack Schwartz Susan Schwarz Michele & Peter Serchuk Robert Shadur Annette & Leonard Shapiro Peggy & Robert Shapiro Danelle Sherrod Pearl Shultz Melinda & Yossi Sidikaro Steven Siegel & Lily Carey Significance Foundation Carol & Arthur F. Silbergeld Robin & Robert Sills Steven Sills Don & Marie Sirney Dione & Joe Smith Karen Smits Trudy Sokol Sold Out Crowd Roberta Spero Susan & Alfred Stern Sally Stevens Edith L. Stoell & Linda Gach Ray Lance & Maureen Tan Mr. & Mrs. David Tann Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Brigitta Troy Deborah Valdez Daniel & Shauna Valenzuela Ira & Laurie Waldman Marcia & Dr. Charles Wasserman Jay Weinstein & Lori Woldar Deborah Wiss Elaine & Donald Wolf Kyra Woo Pat West Andrew & Kimberly Zakanych Arnold Zane

ASSOCIATE $250 - $499

Anonymous (6) Herbert Ehrmann & Constance Abell Elaine & Michael Agran Theo Alexander Charles & Annick Allen Sylvia Almstadt Jan Altemus Robert C. Anderson Elise Andrews Philip Angerhofer & Stephen A. Jones Nancy Antoniou Eloise Appel Audrey & Martin Appel Barbara & Ethan Aronoff Marc & Betsy Axelrod Lynne & Lee Babbitt Anne Barry Cecile Bartman Randall C. Bassett Lynne & Bessie Bassey Arnold & Susan Becker Carole A. & Charles Bennett Barbara Bereny Roger P. Berg Richard N. Berger Karen Berkowitz JoAnn Bernard Mr. & Mrs. William Birnkrant Adrienne & Michael Blackman Joe Blackstone & Jamie Mohn Mrs. Marilyn Blank Pamela & Bill Bohnert Toby Bornstein Mary Bosak

Wanda Boulgarides Paula Brand Mona Brandler Laura Brawner Felix Brenner Dr. and Mrs. Neal & Ruth Bricker Mark & Penny Burley Howard Bushinsky Laura D. Campbell Marlene & David Capell Cindy Carlin & Jeff Rousso Barry Charles Beverly & Dennis Chester Carole & Leslie Cohen David Conney, M.D. Dino Conte Susan Georgine Craig Judith & Mel Croner Hedva & Dr. Dudley Danoff Jaye T. Darby Diana Davidow & Deborah Constance Debra Davis Jeffrey Davis Ruth B. Davis & Pearl Schultz Hal & Roberta Delevie Virginia DiBona Carol Jean Doehring Fred & Marilyn Dorer Steven & Beverly Dorfman Daryl & Paul F. Doucette Ms. Susan Downey Dr. & Mrs. William M Duxler Mr. Chris Easley David & Joyce Evans Alan & Barbara Faiola Carole Faxon Carolyn Fernandez Lila & Fred Fink Paul & Karen Finkel William & Elisabet Fleischman In Loving Memory of Frank & Eileen Flood Janet Fourticq Francine Freid Kenneth J. Friedman & Marilynn J. Friedman Family Foundation Ms. Laurelle Frome Yury & Yelena Furman Lee Gardenswartz Adleen & Richard Gibbs Karen Berko Gibson Diane Glazer Ann M. Goldberg Francine Golden & Marvin Schlossman Marilyn & Allen Golden Dr. Peter Goldman Mark Gordon Roger Gordon Susie & Bruce Goren Susan & Michael Gregory Gary Gross Marcy & Edgar Gross Eve Haberfield & David Johnson Mark & Monica Haloossim Carolyn & Bernard Hamilton Kay Harrington Salli Harris Nancy Harrison Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Haveson HBC Protocols Inc. Mr. & Mrs. William Hellman Jackson Henry Carla & Alan A. Herd Michael & Candice Herman Neal Hersh & Lynda Klein Ms. Kathryn Hibbs Cina Hodges Shirley Hoff Jackie & Dr. Irwin Hoffman Dr. Sharron Holman Mr. & Mrs. John Huber Josh Jacobstein Fred & Nancy Jacobus Mr. & Mrs. Vernon D. Jones Marlene Kane

Jo Ann Kaplan Dr. & Mrs. Mitchell Karlan Harris Katleman Owen Kato Claudia Kazachinsky & Richard A. Sherer Jordan & Nicola Kerner Family Irwin Kishner Phyllis Klein Dr. Phyllis Klein Donna & Jeffrey Klein Annette & Charles Kleeman Laurie & Milton Klorman Judy Knapp Charles Kolstad Dolph Kornblum & Florence Robins Donald Kottler Barbara & Stan Krasnoff Janice White & Eugene Krieger Charles Kristenson Dr. & Mrs. Eric Leibovitch Ann Leland Wayne Levine Dr. Isaac & Barbara Levy Richard & Vivian Levy Nan Lewis Mae & Hugh Lichtig Lee & Therese Linden Victor & Madeline Lindenheim Joanne Lindsay Irma & Allen Lipin Leslie & Adam Lobel Geri Loe Lori & Tom Low Ann & Bill Lucas Anne L. Lynch Teresa L. Maguire Carol & Doug Mancino Jeannette & Mervyn Mandelbaum Myrna & Irving Margol Sylvia Mason Phyllis & Bert Massing Stewart Mayeda David Israeli & Dr. Marie Mazzone Cheryl McCormick Kimberly Meye Teddie J. Milner Ankica Milosavljevic Pamela & Mark Mischel Thomas Mitchell Andrew Molasky Susanna Morgan Shelagh Moriarty John Moschitta Bill Mullins Bonnie Nash David Neilan Fran Neiman Mark & Diane Neubauer Sheila Newman Robert & Anita Nitta Napoleon & Afra Nobay Shelby Notkin Elad Offer Sandy & Alan Olick Judy Orlanski Allen Pack & Rikki Gordon Bill Palmer Bob Paris Edward Parker Dara & Greg Payne Kathy & Jeff Perkins Naidu & Jane Permaul William Pesetski Frank Piontek Zazi Pope David Posner Philip Pritchett

Joan & Martin Ransohoff Karen Reckamp Mildred Reid Vicki Reiss Linda & Steve Richman Lee Rodgers Elizabeth Roewe Barbara & David Rognlien Rose Brand Beverly & Melvin Rosenthal Joyce & Deane Ross Blanche & Bruce Joel Rubin Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Sackheim Janet Salter In Memory of Hon. Maxwell Hillary Salter Karen Sandler Susan & Kenneth Sarno Maxine Savitz Carole & Michael Scheinberg Carole Scherzer Gary & Karen Schneider Nancy & Steven Schneider Jane & Bill Schopf Susan & Peter Schwab Mr. Charles Schwartz & Mrs. Carol Schwartz John H. Scott Earlene & Herb Seymour Scott Shagrin Mary & Paul Shane Tom & Judy Sharp Madeline & Robert Sharples Shelly & Greg Sherwin Seymour & Dorothy Siegel Diane Good & Frank Smith Marcia L. & Mark J. Smith Joan Snyder Fanya & Sidney Soll Michael & Millie Sondermann Anne-Marie & Alex Spataru Ms. Rita Spiegel Ms. M.L. Stearns Mr. & Mrs. Tom Stempel Gloria Stroock Stern Holly Strom Mr. Kayser Sume & Dr. Renee Sabshin Katherine Sung I.H. Sutnick Dorothy Thornhill Jay Tobin Mr. & Mrs. Art Tompkins David Trainer Leon & Stephanie Vahn Scott VanGerpen Anthony Vasek Vital Research LLC Lois Von Morganroth Carole Wagner-Vallianos & Peter Vallianos Jane Wang Bunny & Jay Wasserman Elisa Wayne Annette & David Weil Julie & Peter Weil In Memory of Eunice Weiner Marsha & Steven Weiss John Weston Rae Jeane Williams Bruce & Marci Wiseman Deborah Wiss Rowie & Jeffrey Wolf George Wolfberg Albert Wolsky Karen & Frank Wurtzel Kevyn Wynn Lynn & Meir Ziv Dayle & Abram Zukor Sandy Zwirn

HAVE WE MADE AN ERROR? To report a misspelling or omission in these listings, please contact the Development Department at 310.208.6500 ext. 128

P22 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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COMING UP AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

AUDREY SKIRBALL KENIS THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

MONDAY

TUESDAY february

SUNDAY

9

10

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16

11 the

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birthday party

26

birthday party

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2:00/7:00pm

birthday party

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8:00pm

birthday party

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2:00pm

birthday party 8:00pm

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birthday party

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birthday party

birthday party

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8:00pm

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birthday party

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3:00/8:00pm the

birthday party

3:00/8:00pm

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birthday party 8:00pm

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8:00pm

slowgirl

8:00pm

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birthday party

3:00/8:00pm

birthday party

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12

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28

8:00pm

8:00pm

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2:00/7:00pm the

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8:00pm

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birthday party

8:00pm

birthday party

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19

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birthday party

FRIDAY

7

8:00pm

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8:00pm

birthday party

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18

2:00/7:00pm the

6

8:00pm

birthday party

23

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THURSDAY

8:00pm

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2:00/7:00pm the

WEDNESDAY

march

GIL CATES THEATER AT THE GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE

birthday party 8:00pm

slowgirl

3:00/8:00pm the

birthday party

3:00/8:00pm

slowgirl

16 2:00/7:00pm the

birthday party 2:00pm

slowgirl

TALK BACK TUESDAYS

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

LOUNGE FRIDAYS

WINE DOWN SUNDAYS

Please visit geffenplayhouse.com/signatureseries for more event details.

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE P23

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GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE STAFF Randall Arney Artistic Director

Ken Novice Managing Director

ARTISTIC

Behnaz Ataee General Manager

Regina Miller Chief Development Officer

MARKETING & SALES

Mary Garrett Amy Levinson Phyllis Schuringa Shannon Noel Kristina Leach Nick Johnson Maggie Rose

Artistic Manager Artistic Associate / Literary Director Artistic Associate / Casting Director Artistic Coordinator Literary Associate Literary Intern Literary Intern

DEVELOPMENT Ellen Catania Director of Major Gifts & Corporate/Foundation Partnerships Jessica Brusilow Rollins Director of Education Partnerships & Donor Relations Jamie Sherman Associate Director of Individual Giving Kristen Smith Grants Manager &

Major Gifts Executive Assistant Scott Kriloff Development Associate & Database Manager Ava Bogle Development Assistant Jessie Sherman Development Assistant

ADMINISTRATION Frankie Ocasio Executive Assistant to the Managing Director Maryam Meehan Accounting and Payroll Manager Accounts Payable Francisca Lopez Marguerite Harris Receptionist

EDUCATION Jennifer Zakkai Education Projects Leader Connor White Resident Teaching Artist & Education Associate

PRODUCTION Daniel Ionazzi Jill Barnes Matthew Carleton Thomas Watson Rich Gilles James Grabowski Darren Rezowalli Leah A. Lewis

Production Manager Associate Production Manager Technical Director Assistant Technical Director Properties Master Sound Master Master Electrician Wardrobe Supervisor

Joseph Yoshitomi Marketing Director Karen Gutierrez Director of Advertising & Sponsorships Mark San Filippo Ticket Services Director & Database Administrator Stephanie Strand Audience Services Manager Brian Dunning Graphics / Production Artist Jodi Feigenbaum Advertising & Promotions Assistant L.J. Stevens Group Sales Janice Bernal Associate Box Office Manager Bryan Martin Associate Box Office Manager Korie Benavidez, Audrey Cain, Clay Dzygun, Zack Hamra, Richard Martinez, Lilach Mendelovich, Alyssa Tyson, Martin Wurst Box Office Staff

PUBLIC RELATIONS Andy Perez

Public Relations Director

FRONT OF HOUSE Jeni Pearsons Director of Special Events David Gerhardt Supervising House Manager Michelle Cantrell, Amy Farkas, Tommy French, Matt Jones, Erik Odom, Julianne Tveten House Managers Abdoulaye N’Gom Head Usher Sevana Baghdasarian, Kevin Cernansky, Vianney Cossyleon, Josiah Davis, Erica Keller, Caroline Harrison Kohler, Brennan Kelleher, Rebecca Zoe Leigh, Nathaniel Meek, Roxana Meyers, Lindsay Nyman, Chase O’Donnell, Jonathan Schwartz, Chelsea Smachetti Ushers Rob Mersola Bar Manager Weekend Bar Manager Manuel Mayorga Adam Carr, Brenda Davidson, Jared White, Lyndsi LaRose Bartenders

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT Miguel del Castillo Mario Santillan-Perez Juan Carlos Umaña

Facility Manager Custodial Cleaning Custodial

This theater operates under agreement between the League of Resident Theaters and Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

The scenic, costume, lighting and sound designers in LORT theaters are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE. P24 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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EMMA THOMPSON

TOM HANKS

WHERE HER BOOK ENDED, THE REAL STORY BEGAN.

PAUL GIAMATTI JASON SCHWARTZMAN AND COLIN FARRELL

DECEMBER

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SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

The boutique feels like a friend’s living room; patrons often sit, nosh and chat.

INTERNATIONAL SEASON

PAGLIACCI

by Ruggero Leoncavallo January 25, 28, 31, February 2

THE ELIXIR OF LOVE

by Gaetano Donizetti February 15, 18, 21, 23

A MASKED BALL

by Giuseppe Verdi March 8, 11, 14, 16

DON QUIXOTE

by Jules Massenet April 5, 8, 11, 13

VERDI REQUIEM

March 20 - One Performance Only!

Single Tickets start at $45

www.sdopera.com (619) 533-7000

GOODNESS GRATUS GRATUS IN BEVERLY HILLS HERE’S A BOUTIQUE THAT’S everything a department store is not. It’s a bit hard to find, and it feels more like a friend’s living room than a cavernous retail space. The merchandise is everything you won’t expect to find at Saks or Nordstrom, because it’s by emerging or relatively undiscovered designers flying under the radar of those retail giants.

Although Gratus occupies a prime Canon Drive address, there’s no marble-clad storefront nor awning with the store’s name on it. It’s in the Courtyard, a brick-covered arcade with an antique

elevator and generous landscaping. Gratus is toward the rear of the complex, on the wrought-iron-railed mezzanine level.

The boutique’s two rooms have elegant fabric wallpaper above white wainscoting, and midcentury-modern chandeliers. Bowls of candy, a cookie jar, fresh flowers and shelves laden with interesting books add to its homeyness. Patrons often sit, nosh and gossip as if they were at a girlfriend’s home. Says founder Meredith Kaplan, “Gratus invites women to feel inspired and be styled, rather than just shop.”

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Quality Time togetheR

One favored label at Gratus is Malibu-based Calvin Rucker; its jeans ($250-$325) are very popular with customers, and a lacey black dress ($679) epitomizes the line’s casual, sexy approach. Trelise Cooper, a Kiwi designer whose uniforms give Air New Zealand flight crews their style, offers a reversible Ribbon Parade jacket ($479), black on one side, vibrant stripes on the other.

Handbags and leather jackets

by French label Christiansen use exotic materials or intricate With train service to over 500 destinations nationwide, our welcoming patterns of flat metal studs environment is just as important as our beautiful views. Whether you that lend them a Moroccan are enjoying meals in the Dining car, spending time in the Lounge look. A small caramel-colored or relaxing in spacious seats or in private sleeping accommodations, ostrich tote ($2,760) lets the embrace the moment. supple raw material shine; Coast Starlight Los Angeles – San Francisco – Portland – Seattle a black leather jacket with Southwest Chief Los Angeles – Albuquerque – Kansas City – Chicago remarkable metalwork feels Sunset Limited Los Angeles – Tucson – Houston – New Orleans like it’s worth every penny of Book your trip today at its $3,220 price.

Amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL. Highly ornamented ballet Welcome Aboard. flats ($686) by Newbark, a line launched by sister stylists Maryam and Marjan Fares, routes, schedules and services are to change without Malakpour, are handcrafted in TAIX_1-6h.pdf 1 subject 7/22/11 11:50notice.

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Los Angeles. Sunglasses from Illestveva, a New York accessoQuality Time_Performance_Dec (4.625x7.375).indd 1 Country French Restaurant 11/5/13 1:01 PM ries brand favored by singers Family Owned & Operated Since 1927 Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, are Lunch • Dinner • Lounge • Banquets colorful, hip and competitively 7 days priced from $165 to $220.

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Gratus 427 N. Canon Drive, Suite 209, Beverly Hills, 310.276.8200, gratus.com

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Sizes 12 & up

The only upscale boutique in greater Los Angeles for women size 12 and up.

From comfortable to casual or dressy— classic to funky or fun: Abundance has it all!

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EN GARDE! GARDE ON BEVERLY BOULEVARD ON A STRETCH OF BEVERLY Boulevard equally notable for home furnishings and fashion is Garde, a year-old boutique that appeals to both diversions, offering floor coverings and table linens as well as handcrafted jewelry.

A venture of Scotti Sitz and husband John Davidson, Garde occupies a minimalist storefront with a prominent skylight and potted poplars.

Among its whitewashed walls is a band of slate gray that has shelves with pottery and tableware on one side, macramé by artist Michele Quan on the other. The chic aesthetic,

Sitz says, was influenced by the work of Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen.

The usually present Sitz, whose sensibilities were shaped by her years with Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani, introduces visitors to her carefully curated merchandise. Her customers tend to be sophisticated, well-traveled professionals, often in the entertainment or interior-design industries. “He or she is open and hungry for new creations and has a level of taste and knowledge that comes with a little bit of time and maturity,” Sitz says.

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Pottery and tableware at Garde

Faceture vases ($375-$450)

by New Zealand artist Phil Cuttance are like miniature origami skyscrapers, replete with creases and crinkles. Each is produced individually by casting a water-based resin into a handmade mold, manually manipulated to create one-of-akind, faceted forms. Most of the distinctive tableware is affordable and fun; Belgian designer Michaël Verheyden’s stone trays in white or dark gray marble are perfect hostess gifts.

Striking wood and ceramic earthenware pieces—such as a royal-blue vessel with sandblasted white oak lid ($175), elegant and playful—are created by Sitz’s justifiably admired Van Duysen. Cutting boards from the Wooden Palate, handmade in L.A., look too gorgeous to ever put a knife to.

The Flux line of china, from England’s Staffordshire University, combines cuttingedge design and traditional design themes and colors. An 8-inch gilded-edge plate ($80) features a geometric striped pattern—almost as if a zebra were viewed through a kaleidoscope—and its blue-and-white pattern is laid out like a leafy branch. A tall espresso cup and saucer, also in blue and white with gold edging, features

LA TRAVIATA Feb. 20, 22 & 25, 2014

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall Carl St.Clair, conductor A. Scott Parry, stage director

PA C I F I C S Y M P H O N Y P R E S E N T S

(714) 755-5799 PacificSymphony.org 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa FOR ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE INFORMATION: SCFTA.org

PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 47

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Los Angeles, CA · www.singlestone.com | t 213.892.0772 San Marino, CA · www.singlestonemissionstreet.com | t 626.799.3109

Celebrating the Golden Age Belmont Village residents enjoy exceptional hospitality, luxurious amenities and premier programs for health and wellness. Senior Living has never looked better!

belmontvillage.com Burbank (818) 972-2405 Encino (818) 788-8870 Hollywood Hills (323) 874-7711 Rancho Palos Verdes (310) 377-9977 Thousand Oaks (805) 496-9301 Westwood (310) 475-7501

Happy Holidays from Belmont Village!

Winner of the George Mason University Healthcare Award for the Circle of Friends© memory program for Mild Cognitive Impairment.

RCFE Lic 197608468, 197608466, 197608467, 198601646, 197608291, 565801746 © 2013 Belmont Village, L.P.

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mirror-image peacocks.

There are vintage Moroccan rugs as well as textiles of bygone Americana. Coral & Tusk creates masterpieces of embroidered silk, such as a set of linen cocktail napkins ($85) stitched with colorful feathers.

Most people associate quilts with great-aunts or church groups, but the craft has contemporary enthusiasts. The L.A.-based Hopewell workshop combines traditional themes with sophisticated influences; one limited-edition quilt ($375) incorporates inspirations from Bauhaus artist Josef Albers.

You can even find a skateboard at Garde. No ordinary skateboard, the L’Americano

by ArteMare ($380) is handcrafted from solid basswood inlaid with mahogany, walnut and purple heart woods and has clear wheels and stainless-steel trucks attached to double-stacked leather risers.

Brooklyn-based Fredericks & Mae, known for its incredible dominoes, kites and boccie balls, gives shoppers an opportunity to delve even further back in their childhood memory banks with elegant, hand-painted clay marbles ($200), packaged in a cotton bag. —Roger Grody Garde 7418 Beverly Blvd., L.A., 323.424.4667, gardeshop.com

10/24/13 11:10 AM

11/13/13 1:51 PM

Goya

Francisco de y Lucientes’s Don Pedro, Duque de Osuna, c. 1795–1800 on loan from The Frick Collection, New York

Norton Simon Museum December 6, 2013–March 3, 2014 www.nortonsimon.org

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Spanish, 1746–1828, Don Pedro, Duque de Osuna, c. 1795–1800, Oil on canvas, The Frick Collection, photo: Michael Bodycomb

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CHEF GINO ANGELINI’S RIVABELLA SINCE THE DAY THEY OPENED their first Sushi Roku, the partners at Innovative Dining Group have shown an uncanny ability to anticipate, and influence, what Angelenos want from a night of dining.

Following successful concepts such as Katana, Boa Steakhouse and Soleto, they now transform a former hamburger landmark into RivaBella, their most ambitious project to date.

IDG split the old Hamburger Hamlet, occupying prime Sunset Boulevard real estate, into RivaBella and Chi-Lin, an upscale Chinese restaurant.

The design of RivaBella morphs

elements of an old Tuscan villa into a format appreciated by 21st-century Angelenos.

The restaurant is dominated by a spacious, semi-covered patio with tiles reminiscent of cobblestone underfoot. Large lanterns hang from a trellised ceiling and miniature ones from olive trees; candles line the mantels of a double-sided, freestanding fireplace. It’s a beautiful, relaxing space that feels far from the chaos of the Sunset Strip, just steps away.

An intimate interior dining room is illuminated by a pair of impressive crystal chandeliers.

Another room, usually used for

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special events, is more rustic, with rough-hewn wooden tables beneath a barreled brick ceiling. Service throughout is gracious and warm, with nary a hint of attitude.

RivaBella is a departure for IDG, whose previous restaurants were never chef-driven concepts. For this project, they reeled in L.A.’s biggest name in Italian cooking. Gino Angelini has been towering over his peers since he arrived at downtown’s opulent Rex Il Ristorante nearly 20 years ago, and his tightly quartered Angelini Osteria has been the go-to place for Italian cooking since its doors opened in 2001.

Whether he’s offering a sophisticated new creation or replicating a family recipe, he cooks with rare finesse.

One might begin with veal carpaccio in tuna sauce, an Angelini specialty, or a remarkable eggplant parmigiana, in which paper-thin slices of eggplant are individually deep-fried in very light batter, stacked like a lasagne and baked; they arrive in a pool of creamy Parmesan sauce and topped with crispy, fried strips of eggplant skin. Pizzas, with extremely thin crusts and blistered, carbonized edges, are well worth investigating.

Angelini offers a relatively safe menu at RivaBella, a disappointment /CONTINUED ON PAGE 58

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WINE

THE PERFECT WINTER WINE IT WAS A CHILLY AUTUMN night as I sat before a crackling fire, savoring the aromas of braised veal shanks, aka osso buco, wafting from the kitchen, when the call came from the dining room to fetch a “winter” wine for dinner.

Descending into the wine cellar. I was transported to northern Italy, home of osso bucco, and into vivid memories of the dish enjoyed in cozy trattorias from Milan to Venice.

A hearty meat dish generally calls for a hearty red wine.

A Barolo or Barbaresco could work, and perhaps a Barbera.

My hand settled on a bottle of Masi Costasera Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOCG. Amarone is the most important wine of the Veneto region of northern Italy. Nothing else comes close. It’s a powerful, dry red wine made from corvina, rondinella and, until recently, molinara grapes from the rolling countryside near Verona.

Amarone owes its unique richness and intense flavor to a controversial winemaking technique that requires the grapes to be partially dried prior to fermentation. In this northern climate, near the

123RF STOCK PHOTO/ALBERTO MASNOVO

AMARONE, FROM THE VENETO REGION OF ITALY

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Vineyards in Veneto I NTE RNATIONAL

foothills of the Alps, red wines tend to be lighter in color, body and flavor. Drying the grapes on straw mats or in temperature-controlled drying sheds shrivels the grapes and concentrates sugars and flavors.

The result is a wonderfully smooth, rich red wine with slightly elevated levels of alcohol, usually 14.5 percent to 15.0 percent, levels once considered high but now quite the norm for red table wines. Although it can overpower some cuisine, it is the perfect partner for braised meat dishes and stews.

I’ve also developed a fondness for Amarone with cheese following dinner, a habit I acquired at the legendary Bottega del Vino in Verona.

While attending the Vinitaly wine fair, I’d stop there nightly for a glass of Masi or Bertani Amarone and a serving of Parmigiano-Reggiano, over which the proprietor cheerfully drizzled his 40-year-old balsamic vinegar. The rich Amarone proved the ideal complement.

And so it was that I clasped the Masi Costasera Amarone and climbed the stairs from the cellar, placing the bottle squarely in the middle of the table, mission accomplished. Winter wine? No-brainer: It’s Amarone.

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PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 55

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President Shelli Dodell

Winter 2013

Vice Presidents Pamela Brown Suzanne Buckholtz Susan Isaacs Cipra Nemeth Leanore Saltz Nancy Scher Amy Straus Ruth Zeitzew

Dear Friend,

Secretary Anita Aratow Treasurer Marla Smith Board of Directors Donna Benjamin Deborah Berger Sylvia Brown Betty Jane Bruck Gail Cohen Helen Davidov Lorraine Joffe C. Jean Pearlstein Peggy Schwartz Merle Siegel Lotte Sohn Marilyn Szatmary RenĂŠe Tener-Hertzberg Executive Director Hillary Selvin

Los Angeles Section 543 North Fairfax Avenure Los Angeles, CA 90036 Tel: 323-651-2930 Fax: 323-651-5348 Thrift Donations: 800-400-6259 Counseling Talkline: 877-655-3807 Email: ncjwla@ncjwla.org www.ncjwla.org

This time of year provides many ways to reflect on who we are and what we have accomplished during the past year. It is a time in which we celebrate the New Year and wish each other health and happiness. We spend these months celebrating our faith, our families and our friends. It is also a time to think of others and about giving to organizations that we know do great work in our community. The list of charitable organizations seems to get longer each year.

Our challenge, as we each think about giving, is to help as many people in our community as we can and for National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles to make those donations go as far as possible.

As you make your choices on where to give, please consider giving to the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates that strive for social justice through the direct services we provide. We are a determined group of women and men who continue to serve our community as long as there is need.

NCJW/LA serves over 19,000 individuals each year along with providing thousands of pieces of free clothing for those in-need and at-risk. We continue to fill in gaps of service for Los Angeles through our Women Helping Women Community Counseling & Support Services and Women Helping Children Art & Literacy Programs for Youth. You can give through our website www.ncjwla.org or through donations of goods to our Council Thrift Shops.

Very few people like to ask for donations, but if we do not ask we will not receive the donations needed to support the many programs and services NCJW/LA provides in our community. It takes just a little bit from everyone to help a lot of people. If each of you reading this gives a few dollars or donates goods to Council Thrift Shops, you will know that you are helping your neighbor, a friend or someone in your community. What better way to celebrate the holidays this year.

Your support of our Los Angeles community through your generosity in donating to Council Thrift Shops and support of the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles has an enormous and positive effect on the lives of so many individuals.

Wishing you and your families a healthy and peaceful holiday season.

Shelli Dodell

President, Board of Directors

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Hillary Selvin

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Witt is always present, working with the designers and keeping the process on time and on budget. He and the designers sit in the darkened theater and observe from individual tech tables that he describes as a mobile office: “You’re surrounded by laptops, extension cords, headsets and empty coffee cups.” At the Playhouse, tech comes just before the dress rehearsal and opening night.

At Los Angeles Opera, the corresponding process begins with two days of piano tech rehearsals, then costumes, wigs and makeup for piano dress rehearsals and a tech orchestra rehearsal without costumes.

That all adds up to about five days, sometimes longer, depending on the opera.

“We don’t have much time in opera—we have to do everything at the same time,” notes L.A. Opera technical director Jeff Kleeman. “We have everything going at once, everyone stumbling through the technical rehearsals together.”

The first piano tech rehearsal marks the first time the performers are onstage, acclimating to the environment, navigating the space, working with props. Later come issues of costume fit.

Meanwhile, the designers scrutinize set and lighting color and equipment flexibility and

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function. Even on the day of the dress rehearsal, “we’re still lighting the show and painting sets,” Kleeman says.

There’s no process called tech at Cirque du Soleil, which brings its touring show Totem to the Santa Monica Pier Jan. 17-Feb. 9. Like all aspects of the two years it takes to bring a new show to opening, the period is called “creation,” according to Totem company manager Jeff Lund.

By whatever name, the process takes about six weeks and covers many of the same elements as other productions, plus the acrobatics, whose rigging and other equipment differ for almost every act. “It’s complicated. We’re changing the acrobatic equipment, not just setting it,” Lund says.

“There’s the wow factor, the heightened level of what the artists do. We can’t just say, ‘OK, you’re done.’”

Other considerations include transitions (getting one act offstage and another on); lighting (costumes look different under black light); and the costumes themselves (a roller skater might need a detachable skirt for the freedom to perform her more daring moves).

But tech isn’t entirely tedious, Witt says, citing the magic of the creative process: “We complain and we complain, and deep down, we love it.”

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