After reading my own preview of this special fundraising event, I decided that I must attend. It sounded like fun, (which I was correct about,) but much more importantly, it benefitted a great cause.

The festive lobby decoration that greeted us. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one above.

Actually, any visit to North Hollywood’s El Portal theatre, whose walls are always adorned with interesting art pieces, is appreciated, but even moreso when it benefits a worthwhile organization, which, in this case, is the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation. As I mentioned in my preview of this event, its purpose is to raise “awareness for kidney disease and organ donation,” and advance “research, education, and awareness around those situations.”

The Fighting Quaker is the title of the play we saw that night, but there was so much fun on both sides of it, which is what made it an “event.” So I’m going in order of the evening. It began at 6PM, and there was already a big crowd in front of the El Portal in North Hollywood before the doors even opened. I was so happy to see sooo many people show up to contribute to the worthy cause.

The organizers were wise to do the reception first. The mingling, along with the food and drinks, put everyone in a great mood for the show. And the cocktail party was done just right. It made great use of all the parts of the very big lobby. There was an excellent assortment of Fat Sal’s sandwiches to fit every taste, including falafel for the vegans. I’ve been strictly an Ike’s Sandwiches girl for many years now, but I’ve also always wanted to try Fat Sal’s, so this was perfect for me. Each sandwich was just the right size to be able to try different varieties or be totally satiated with just one. And I so appreciated that they were clearly marked as to what exactly they are. There were also a trio of spot-on beverage stations—one with soft drinks, one with mixed drinks, and one with wine that my friend Roz said was delicious.

The cake and cookies for after the show. Photo by Karen Salkin.

After the appropriate amount of time, we went into the big theatre there, (there are three in that one edifice,) to see the show. The reason for The Fighting Quaker being presented at this time is because the 250th Anniversary of America is coming up on July Fourth, and this is a very patriotic story that I’m sure few people know. At over an hour, the play was a little too long, especially because it had been promoted as being just forty minutes, but it was very well done, and informative about a piece of this country’s history that I doubt anyone has ever considered before. It’s the story of Timothy Matlack, the man who hand-inscribed the official copy of the Declaration of Independence in his beautiful handwriting in 1776.

I was glad to learn the tale because I’m a big believer in good penmanship. As a former elementary school teacher, I’m always upset that cursive writing is not taught anymore. How will people growing up with that dearth of knowledge ever be able to sign their names? I hate that! So I’m glad this play is lauding that skill now.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Roz and I could not believe how much work was done on this production for just that one performance! That’s how much the producers wanted to get that story out! Roz was especially impressed with the digital screen which was the on-stage backdrop. It really added so much clarity to the narrative.

The end included something that was amusing by accident. The cast started singing a song that nobody knows; it was either an original one or some obscure historical ditty. And they indicated that we should all sing along! To a song none of us had ever even heard of! That brought back a fun memory for me because I had done something similar on the very first holiday episode of my former TV show, Karen’s Restaurant Revue. At the end of it, I said, “Let’s all sing Happy Christmas,” and proceeded to try to lead the audience. The only thing is…there is no such song! I believe that I was thinking of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, but even that one would have been hard to sing with a group. My audience looked confused for a second, and then we all just burst-out laughing!

That comparable little snafu of The Fighting Quaker left us chuckling as we exited, as well, which was the perfect way to move on to the post-show activities. We went back into the lobby for theme-decorated cake and cookies. And then the VIPs, (which it looked like the entire assemblage was, happily making more money for the charity,) moved over to one of the smaller theaters on-site to receive a few gifts. The main ones were a choice of pretty pashminas for the women and handsome neckties for the men. We also received a sparkly little bag of product samples.

Outside the theatre at the end of the evening. Photo by Karen Salkin.

And then, as we left the theatre, the actors were out front, speaking to any guests who were game for a convo, and providing fun photo ops. You know I love a multi-part event, and this was definitely that!

And to remind you, the entire evening benefitted the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation. You can find-out more about the organization right here: www.mnitf.org.

My previous Celeb Sightings column was published here at the end of January. And then, because I stayed in the house for the entire two and a half weeks of the Olympics, I saw nobody at all in February. No friends, no strangers, and definitely no celebrities!

Al Pacino, not sitting across from me at the play, but a week later, looking just a bit less disheveled, and still holding onto those earphones.

But I got back into full swing in March, and have kept it up until right now, so here we are, beginning with perhaps the biggest celebrity sighting ever!

3/7/26  Al Pacino!!! At a tiny theatre in Hollywood. And not even on Opening Night! He sat there seemingly by himself, but when he got up to leave, (before the rest of us, by the way,) an older blonde woman next to him seemed to be tagging along. He never once laughed during the play, (neither did I,) and he held on to his white corded earpiece for most of the two hours. He looked like just some dirty, homeless, old man. So I had erroneously thought he was some weird critic or the like. Oysh. (There’s a bit more about the Pacino experience right here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-dads-leg-at-the-hudson-theatre-with-a-major-celeb-sighting.)

Chris Noth. Photo by Karen Salkin.

3/13/26  Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky? My friend and I spied Chris Noth, (whom I had never seen anywhere before, even in the celeb havens of New York and LA,) at the Wow Oscars Gifting Suite in Universal City! (You can read everything about the Suite right here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/gifting-suite-wow-creations-2026-oscars-gifting-suite.)

3/14/26  Johnny Ray Gill, one of the regulars on the TV show Cross on Amazon Prime, at The Travel Lounge held on the roof of the L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. (Here’s the link to my article about that entire event: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/gifting-suite-the-2026-pre-oscars-travel-lounge.)

3/24/26  Multi-award-winning actress, Sandra Oh, at the Opening Night of Kim’s Convenience, in one of the first few rows of the orchestra in the Ahmanson. My guess is that she was there to support her fellow Canadian-Korean actors. (Here’s the link to my glowing review of that play: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-kims-convenience.)

Jon Voight signing autographs. Photo by Karen Salkin.

4/5/26 Old school Emmy Award-winning actress Leigh Taylor-Young at a cute little theatre in Venice. She was actually in the play, and, after not seeing each other in over a quarter of a century, (she and the head of my improv troupe were roommates in a luxurious house in the hills back then,) we were both happy to catch-up a bit after the show. Even as an octogenarian, she’s just about as beautiful as she was when she started-out as an ingenue! I mean it. I think she’s my idol now. (You can read my review of that play here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-the-best-boarding-house-in-delaware.)

5/12/26 Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jon Voight at the Opening Night Gala for the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival in Beverly Hills. Jon probably arrived inside the theatre a tad late because, as my friend and I were coming down the street around the corner from the entrance, we noticed him being swarmed by fans and photogs! (There’s more about how I know Jon in the third paragraph of this article: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/upcoming-event-los-angeles-jewish-film-festival-2026-preview.) [Note: That’s Arnold, speaking at the Gala, at the top of this page. Photo by Roz Wolf.]

Henry Haber and Karen Salkin. Photo by Karen Salkin.

5/17/26 Henry Haber, the new young guy on Matlock this past season, on the patio of the Pasadena Playhouse on Opening Night of Brigadoon. While not quite a celebrity yet, I predict he will be soon, with his handsome face and hilarious characterization! And he’s as darling in life as he is on screen, which was so fun to discover. (Here’s the link to my full review of the old school musical: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-brigadoon.)

5/23/26 Prolific TV actor, Russell Hornsby, at the Opening Night of Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center. He seemed to know a lot of people there, and I was glad to see that he finally removed his fedora for the second half! (You can read my full happy review of the musical here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-aint-misbehavin-2.)

Russell Horsby. Photo by Karen Salkin.

5/27/26 Priscilla Barnes of Three’s Company fame, washing our hands next to each other in the luxurious ladies room at the Mark Taper Forum on opening night of Primary Trust. I had been feeling bad for decades that, when I was doing my TV show Karen’s Restaurant Revue, Priscilla had come up to me at a giant party to tell me she was a fan, but I didn’t get to really thank her because Tony Danza was in the middle of telling me the very same thing! Always wanting to be polite, I never leave one convo for another, so she left before I was able to chat with her. And now I was happy to finally get to apologize to her here. But guess what? She didn’t remember the incident at all!!! Whew. I’ve felt awful for all those years for no reason. (BTW—You can read my review of the play right here, which will explain my recommendation of it!: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-primary-trust)

On the way to Opening Night of Primary Trust at the Mark Taper Forum, my friend asked me what genre of show this would be. I never check-out the promos before I see something, so I had no idea. But I replied hopefully that I believed it was a comedy, even though I was just guessing. So when it began with a lot of laughs, I was happy that I hadn’t fibbed. Most of it is very funny. But its raison d’être is extremely serious. And touching. (A line near the end states, “Even though we lose everything, in the end, it’s the finding that’s important.” What a lovely concept!)

So let’s delve further into this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which is an interesting combination of very funny, very sadly serious, and a bit too slow at times. Go figure.

(L-R) James Urbaniak , Petey McGee, and Ugo Chukwu. Photo by Knud Adams.

Actually, I really wasn’t sure what it’s about until almost the end. So I just went with the entertaining journey. It’s basically the story of how one man copes with the pain of loss and loneliness. Despite the inherent sadness along the way, (to me, anyway, because I always want people to have friends,) Primary Trust is filled with laughs. And excellent performances from all four of the actors.

Petey McGee does the heavy lifting admirably as Kenneth, who I believe is never off the stage, except to change an item of wardrobe! (The character often does not complete a thought, à la Charles Barkley discussing basketball, so I’m used to it. But I’ve never seen it in a play before!) Ugo Chukwu is his bestie, Bert, who any of us would be lucky to have, with his humor and charm, and most importantly, care of Kenneth. James Urbaniak plays a trio of comic roles, and is very funny in all of them. And the only female, Rebecca S’Manga Frank, basically steals the show, playing all the waiters and waitresses at a bar, which is Kenneth’s “favorite place on earth,” and all the customers at the bank that Kenneth eventually works at!

And let’s not forget Luke Wygodny, the lone musician who unobtrusively provides all the low-key background music, (which he composed!) He plays keyboard, cello, and guitar, and keeps ringing a possibly important bell throughout, although I still can’t find anybody who really understands its purpose. (I’m surmising that it either stands for passage of time, or that Kenneth needs to stop talking about something. Or that the production just wants to annoy us.)

Petey McGee and Rebecca S’Manga Frank. Photo by Jeff Lorch, as is the one at the top of this review.

I love a play that gets right to it! Primary Trust begins with the brilliant line, “This is what happened,” and just goes from there. (I’m actually a bit jealous about that smart start—I wish I had thought of that when I was doing my TV show, instead of the insipid sing-song, “Hi, welcome to my show.” I may have to do a new television endeavor now just to steal use that opening line!)

There are so many aspects one could discuss about this deep-yet-charming play: psychological effects of childhood trauma, what friends are and mean, what that bell signifies, the multiple meanings of the title, what small-town life was like before cell phones, and my fave—how important kindness is. But I’m leaving it up to each individual theatergoer to figure it all out for themselves.

Petey McGee as Kenneth and Ugo Chukwu as the best imaginary friend ever! Photo by Jeff Lorch.

I’m actually, and not jokingly, more interested in this aspect: You know I hate telling you anything about the action of a show, especially when part of it is a fun surprise. But this revelation happens pretty soon after the start, and it’s important to the story, (and to mine, as well,), so here it is: Kenneth’s bestie, Bert, is…imaginary! I love it. That’s the best kind of friend! Even though Kenneth is thirty-eight in this tale, he and my four-year-old self have that in common. But I had two of them—brother and sister duo Peter and Diane Kosher. Well, I actually had four—Big Peter and Diane and Little Peter and Diane. The “littles” and I had deep conversations on my red toy phone every night before I went to sleep. And the “bigs” and I had financial meetings in the bathroom, with my father’s checkbook! (Boy, those were the days.) So I totally understand this character, and I thank playwright Eboni Booth for those great memories. (Yet they’re not distant ones—somehow, the Koshers come up in convos with Mr. X every few months!)

Adoring miniatures and dollhouses, I loved Marsha Ginsberg’s set of smaller-than-in-real-life buildings. There was the Primary Trust Bank, of course, the bar Wally’s, a church, and the one I loved the most, (but didn’t understand the location of,) an ice cream shop on top of another building, (which I deduced because of the soft serve cone at the top.) I could live in that fictional town! And a big shout-out to the person responsible, (perhaps lighting designer Masha Tsimring,) for the snow effect near the end—it took my breath away. (Actually, don’t avert your eyes for even one second during the entire presentation or you’ll miss something.)

The set before the show begins. Notice the placement of the instruments in the bottom front. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I rarely write about, or even think about, the direction of a show, but during this one, I made a note that it’s “well-staged” by director Knud Adams. Even the placement of the musician—on stage, right in front of the first row of the audience, so that we can all still see him a bit, but not really notice him much—is spot-on.

But at an hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission, Primary Trust feels just a tad too long. Perhaps the ending monologue, though incredibly powerful, should be a bit quicker; such long pauses between sentences aren’t necessary. There are two other super-slow bits, but they are comedic ones, and the long time to get them done is what makes them hilarious—an old lady counting out one penny at a time to the bank teller, and a waiter bringing full drinks to the table without spilling them. Those both drew the biggest laughs of the night when I saw the show.

The beginning of the “snow scene.” Rebecca S’Manga Frank and Petey McGee. Photo by Knud Adams.

Outside of the length, there are only two minuscule auxiliary bits about Primary Trust that bothered me a smidge. At one point, Kenneth says, “Me and my friend…“ That is soooo wrong, and it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me to hear it. I’m sure it was a choice for the character, but I’m always happy to take the opportunity to share a little grammar lesson. The correct thing is to put yourself second, so the proper sentence structure is, “My friend and I…” did whatever. Or it happened to “my friend and me.” It used to be only really uneducated people who said it wrong, but, very sadly, nowadays that egregious error seems to be constantly made by somewhat intelligent people, too. How is that happening?!

The other slightly bothersome moment for me was that although I was seated way up at the top, (which is a wonderful sightline at the Taper, by the way,) I could smell and feel the smoke from the one on-stage cigarette! (It didn’t smell like an herbal one to me.) And the odor was so strong that at first I thought that someone in the row behind us had lit up! (However, one of them recorded the whole show! Shame on them.) But the smoke smell dissipated quickly enough to not cause an asthma attack, so I just got over it. I’m mentioning it simply because it was a curious situation for a theatre these days.

And now, here’s the best news of all. If you’re an Empath, as I am, you’ll be glad to know that Primary Trust has a happy ending, even though at times along the way it may not look like that will be the case. So you can just relax and enjoy it all. But bring a tissue. Or two.

Primary Trust running through June 28, 2026
Mark Taper Forum 135 N. Grand Ave.
213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org

I’ll get to my review of the actual play, (which, spoiler alert, is another winner for this venue,) in a minute. But I must discuss a few auxiliary things first.

There are several wonderful repeat aspects of this Theatre 40 offering, Crossing Delancey. The best is that once again, they’ve produced an excellent show, with an up-to-the-challenge cast. And, as always, Jeff G. Rack has designed a perfect multi-location set, perhaps even outdoing himself.

Jeff G. Rack’s set. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one above.

And then, on the negative side, it was freezing in there the day we went. It used to always be very cold in that theatre, (they don’t control the temperature—they’re at the mercy of Beverly Hills High School, which Theatre 40 is enchantingly underneath,) and then in March, the temp was perfect. And now in May, it’s back to freezing again. So I advise to dress in layers. (At intermission, my rarely-bothered friend had to go back to the car to get a coat!)

But the most egregious problem, for at least the third show in a row, is the awful stage lighting. As I’ve said before, the dark lighting makes the audience tired, and it hurts our eyes. The previous play there was an old Agatha Christie mystery, so I can understand a bit why they thought constant darkness was appropriate, even though it was torturous to those of us who were trying to see the presentation. But this one takes place in 1988 New York City, so there’s no need for the stage to be so poorly-lit. In Lighting Design 101, colleges teach us that the most important thing in that field is to design lighting that makes it easy and comfortable for the audience. I guess that Derrick McDaniel, who did the lighting here, was absent that day. If this continues, I may have to start bringing a flashlight to future shows there!

Now back to the happier stuff. Crossing Delancey is a play from 1985, which then became a 1988 movie starring Amy Irving. It features a Jewish girl and her grandmother in New York City at that time, and even though I’m Jewish from Brooklyn, I had never seen either rendition before. I can’t speak for the film, but this play is entertaining. It’s about the grandma fixing-up her granddaughter with a nice Jewish man, through a matchmaker no less. I honestly can’t imagine anything like that happening there in the ’80s, outside of perhaps the Orthodox community, (which I believe is the only way young singles meet each other in that branch of Judaism.) So the premise of the play was a tad odd to me. (Then again, I’ve spent only three months in my life, since I was fifteen, without a boyfriend, so I never had a need for fix-ups, from anybody!)

(L-R) Ari Hagler, Sharron Shayne, and Holly Sidell. Photo by Alyssa K. Liu.

As you can see, I have a few tiny issues with the story; however they have nothing to do with this production—those are all on the original playwright.

But the performances are all first-rate, and it’s a sweet and humorous tale. The whole presentation is fun. I do have to admit that, though I enjoyed it, I didn’t laugh that much, (honestly, perhaps because I was freezing,) but the rest of the audience did. There was a packed house last Sunday, which I believe included a big Jewish group, which is a great idea for a fun activity to do with a bunch of your pals. But I promise you that any ethnicity will appreciate the humor and love story. It translates across religions. My far-from-Jewish friend loved it! And at intermission, I overheard a woman tell her friend, “I adore this show!”

I’ve heard that the movie isn’t that funny, but this version is mined for optimum laughs, which is a good thing. The grandmother is basically a caricature of a Jewish grandmother. I’ve never seen one like that in my life, but Sharron Shayne’s portrayal is amusing, and the audience I saw the show with loved her. Also spot-on is Amy Tolsky as the matchmaker. She’s uber-believable as her hilarious character!

(L-R) Amy Tolsky, Ari Hagler, Sharron Shayne, (in the background,) and Holly Sidell. Photo by Alyssa K. Liu.

One of my favorite things about this production is that there’s real quality music in-between scenes. Several songs are by The Roches, including the old school tune, Come Softly to Me, which was originally done by The Fleetwoods in 1949!

There’s a lot of clever repartee in the Crossing Delancey script. In one scene, the girl is late to a date with the pickle man, (because she was on an earlier date with someone else,) and she asks the guy, “Don’t you want to know why I’m late?,” to which he replies, “Will it make me happy to know?” She answers, “No.” So he says, “Then why should I ask for unhappiness?” I love that. (But how is he Jewish—we all want reasons to complain!) (Wait a second—something similar once happened to me when I was teen! One of my suitors had stopped by my house when I wasn’t home, so I asked him later if it was for a good reason, and he answered no. So I told him that I didn’t want to hear it then. But it’s haunted me ever since, even though I already had a new boyfriend. What could he have possibly wanted?)

I must say that at first, the story didn’t ring true that she could suddenly be attracted to this guy, even after they kiss. But then I remembered the true tale of a friend of mine, not as far back in the day as this play, but definitely many years ago. She was dating a guy named Mike; he was attractive enough, but she was not attracted to him—he was just one of her several suitors. Then one day, she was in her car, talking to Mike through her open window, when he asked, “Are you ever going to kiss me?!” And then, before she could answer, he leaned down, grabbed her face, and threw the mac on her! Telling me about it, she said, “Kah, I almost had a heart attack!” I asked, “That bad?,” to which she answered, “No! Now I’m in love with him!!!” And they’re married now! So I guess a kiss can do that for some people.

Holly Sidell and Matt Landig. Photo by Alyssa K. Liu.

In case you’re not aware of this, Theatre 40 is the most affordable experience, especially for the quality they give you. The shows are always excellent, (well, once they get a good lighting designer, they will be again,) it’s sooo comfortable in there, it’s incredibly easy to get to, and all the parking is free! And right outside the underground entrance! And very cleverly, because the wannabe paramour in this show is a pickle man, they serve complimentary pickle slices at intermission! All those reasons, coupled with yet another good production, are why you need to see Crossing Delancey.

Crossing Delancey running through June 21, 2026
Theatre 40  241 S. Moreno Drive,  Beverly Hills
310-364-0535 www.theatre40.org

Three years ago, I saw Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the same location as I did this past weekend—the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center—and produced by the same company—Ebony Rep. I loved it then and I loved it again now! It’s a very limited run, so do not miss it! Very sadly for us Angelenos, there are only eight more performances!

(L-R) Chester Gregory, Marty Austin Lamar, Connie Jackson, Natalie Wachen, and Ledisi. Photo by Craig Schwartz, as is the one at the top of this review.

Because the production was perfect last time, I was happy to discover that almost nothing about the presentation, (once again directed by Wren T. Brown and choreographed by Dominique Kelley,) had changed, save for two new performers and one new musician.

The extremely talented cast is made up of returning artists Marty Austin Lamar, Connie Jackson, and Natalie Wachen, along with new members of the quintet, Chester Gregory and Grammy-award winner Ledisi, who will be appearing on Broadway in the Fall in the new musical Wanted, which is based on a true story of Black twin sisters who became outlaws in 1893. (I have got to see this one—it sounds like a movie I did years ago, Brothers in Arms, about a gang of Black outlaws in that same period! Don’t ask. But, yes, my character does get killed.)

Chester Gregory and Marty Austin Lamar. Photo by Craig Schwartz.

All five performers are beyond excellent, but my personal fave was Chester Gregory. When I saw him in Dreamgirls at the Ahmanson sixteen years ago, (wow—for both of us!,) I wrote, “The person who stole the show for me, though, was Chester Gregory as James Thunder Early.” And, with his nutty dance moves, especially in The Viper’s Drag, (aka The Reefer Song,) he did the same here.

The show itself, which won the 1978 Tony award for Best Musical, is wonderful. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a “revue,” so there’s no story to it—it’s simply fabulous music and singing, with very clever movement and occasional special choreography, and gorgeous voices from the five-person cast!

It features the music of Fats Waller, along with songs by other composers and lyricists that were popularized by Fats. (He wrote the music for the classic title tune, of course.) On the way to the theatre on Saturday night, my friend Lisa told me that she’s not a fan of that genre of music, but wanted to go just to spend time with me. (Smart girl!) However, she wound-up loving the show! How’s that for an endorsement?!

The songs span 1922 to 1943. About half are well-known, with the rest being lesser-known tunes that are fun surprises. There’s a perfect mix of serious and comic songs, upbeat ones and ballads, and a few with creative dance moves.  (The performers themselves are also a great assortment of voices, physicalities, and personalities.)

The whole Ain’t Misbehavin’ cast during the fun curtain calls. Photo by Karen Salkin.

In addition to the title tune, there are classics such as The Joint Is Jumpin’, Honeysuckle Rose, and I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, an experience I’ve actually lived. (The next lyric after the title is, “And make believe it came from you.” I actually used to do that exact thing as Mr. X in our first few years together! I was in charge of sending all the Christmas presents to his co-stars, and he told me to send myself what I wanted, as well. But I always made the “greetings” to me things like, “My dearest darling, I love you with all my heart!” And signed his name to them! And then kept the cards that arrived, in case I ever needed proof! Which I always do.)

The Ain’t Misbehavin’ Opening Night audience went nuts for all the numbers, especially the couple that we participated in, (such as the hilarious Fat and Greasy,) but there were two obvious hits of the night. First was the hilarious Your Feet’s Too Big, sung by amazingly light-on-his-feet Marty Austin Lamar. I love that song, possibly because that is something no one can ever say about me. (A masseuse once started laughing when she got to my feet, and explained that her mirth was due to my “cute little cartoon toes!”)

The audience went absolutely berserk for the musical’s very serious penultimate number, Black and Blue. The lyrics about racism are so powerful, and this cast really sold their meaning, in five-part harmony, to boot.

The on-stage band. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Since the show is all music, I must also give props to the on-stage musicians: Musical Director William Foster McDaniel on piano, along with returnees Land Richards, Keith Fiddmont, and Fernando Pullum, and newbie Weldon Scott. After the prolonged standing ovation from the very appreciative Opening Night audience, the classy among us even stayed until the band finished playing so we could applaud them on their own.

And I was happy to see the same set as in 2023, which was the last one designed by the late John Iacovelli. The setting of Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a cocktail party in a brownstone in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, and that’s exactly what we saw on stage. I actually can attest to how perfect the set is because I was lucky enough to see one real such place in New York when a friend inherited it from very old relatives who had kept it exactly as is. I could feel all that history coming from the stage.

The late John Iacovelli’s final set. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Lastly, I must give two auxiliary shout-outs: Ebony Rep has come up with the most beautiful and impressive programs ever! They’re true keepsakes. And the theatre itself has the most perfect sightlines. Even a man rocking a big hat did not annoy me! (Much.)

To sum-up, this latest rendition of Ain’t Misbehavin’ is an uber-worthwhile evening (or afternoon) of theatre. So I highly recommend it to everyone. And remember, there are only eight more performances, so do not drag your feet, “too big” or otherwise, on this one!

Ain’t Misbehavin’ running through June 8, 2026
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center

4718 West Washington Boulevard Los Angeles
323-964-9766 www.ebonyrep.org   

Even though I don’t work regular 9-5 five-days-a-week hours, I actually work really hard just about every day. Therefore, I do enjoy three-day holiday weekends. They’ve just always felt special to me.

This says it all.

But, as I try to remind everybody each year, Memorial Day is special unto itself because it’s a holiday with the purpose of honoring the members of the armed forces who have lost their lives in service to our country. That deserves at least a modicum of seriousness on the actual day, which is this Monday, of course.

Since “memorial” is actually its title, I also spare a thought for my own loved ones who have gone before, especially my little mother.

And I’m also using today to make my SoCal readers aware of a couple of worthwhile charity events that I think will be fun.

The first one is a special one-night-only, open to the public, event that is taking place on June 4th, after the holiday, as one of the local celebrations of this country’s 250th Anniversary. It looks to be super-fun and educational, and it’s affordable and at one of the easiest theatres in town, (NoHo’s El Portal.) On top of all that, we get to dress up a bit. But much more important than anything is the charity it will benefit—the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation, which raises awareness for kidney disease and organ donation, and advances research, education, and awareness around those situations.

It’s a fabulous fundraising event which goes like this: First up is a cocktail and food reception in the big lobby, which is always adorned with interesting art pieces. Then we go into the theatre to see a forty-minute show, The Fighting Quaker. It tells the story of Timothy Matlack, the man who hand-inscribed the final official copy of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, (when penmanship was important!) What an appropriate presentation to see exactly one month before this nation’s big birthday!

An example of a few of this company’s gifts. Photo courtesy of Susan von Seggern.

As if all that would not be enough, everyone leaves with a gift bag. And VIP tickets also include a gifting suite after the show!!! Now everyone can have the fun of participating in the type of gifting event that I’ve been writing about for years! (I actually attended one of this producer’s gifting suites way back in the day, when I was doing my TV show! So I’m really looking forward to being at another one of hers again during this very special evening.)

I hope to see you all there!

For more info and tickets to The Fighting Quaker, click here: www.mnitf.org/the-fighting-quaker-play.

The second one actually comes first on the calendar, on May 30th, and fits in with this weekend’s theme of “memorial” because it celebrates the late Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods singing group, whose big hit was Get Together, a song which has been much-played ever since. The event is the Get Together Now concert at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown LA.

The best part, of course, is that 100% of the proceeds will benefit charities that serve local Los Angeles communities, supporting vulnerable individuals and families in need. (I’m sorry that I don’t know exactly which charities they are.) For more info on this one, click here: www.rockcellarproductions.com/get-together-now.

Now getting back to this weekend, and especially Monday, I wish you all a happy, safe, and especially reflective Memorial Day.

The packed assemblage on Opening Night of the classic musical, Brigadoon, at the Pasadena Playhouse, was the absolutely most appreciative audience ever! It was wonderful to be a tiny part of it. And it was great to see that the crowd wasn’t made-up of only people who one might expect to enjoy a show from 1947—we were very diverse in terms of age and career. I personally knew guests who were over forty years apart in age, including actors, singers, lawyers, teachers, accountants, etc. It was the most fun pre-show mingling.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

It did surprise me a bit that there were sooooo many people who appeared to be fans of the old school Lerner and Lowe musical. I’ve referenced Brigadoon in at least a handful of previous columns, (as I sometimes do in life,) and I felt like I was the only person who had ever even heard of the show before! And, actually, even though I had seen just about every classic musical by the time I was eight, (mostly in summer productions, and thanks to my very cultured New York parents,) I had seen only the Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse film version of this one.

Karen Salkin and Nina Herzog enjoying the photo op on the Pasadena Playhouse patio. Photo by Julia Manis.

But I guess the Pasadena Playhouse crowd is a classy one because absolutely everyone was into it, as well they should be. I usually feel alone in my love of old musicals; it often seems to me that the Hamilton and Hell’s Kitchen crowds have sort-of shunned that era of Broadway shows. They are dated, but classics still. So everything about Opening Night made me happy, (including getting to finally try Pie ’N Burger food, courtesy of their truck, with lovely personnel, on-site at the afterparty!)

For those of you who know nothing about Brigadoon, (and prefer that I do all the research for you,) the title is the name of a mysterious village in Scotland. And the kicker is that…it appears for just one day every hundred years! (I know.) The logistics of that situation have hurt my brain my entire life, wondering how the inhabitants get food, meds, etc. But I’ve got to let it go because it’s a fictional tale. And, actually, the residents go to sleep after one long day, and when they wake-up, it’s just another day to them. They’re not allowed to interact with the outside world, (think of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village a bit,) so they have no concept of a century having passed. (They know that it did because of some deal that an elder had made back in the day—my friend Nina and I missed the explanation because the person behind us was heavily coughing on us through that entire monologue, and we didn’t have masks! So our minds were elsewhere right then.) And then two guys from New York happen upon Brigadoon on that one day, and one falls in love with a woman from this village. And most of the action plays out in just that one day!

Betsy Morgan and Max von Essen. Photo by Jeff Lorch, as is the one at the top of this review.

The fantasy scenario is secondary to the lovely music, though. Brigadoon features songs with which many people may be familiar, even without realizing from whence they came, especially Heather on the Hill and Almost Like Being in Love. I can’t believe how many lyrics I still know. So how many times did my parents play that album when I was growing up?

Caring more about dance than any other art, I have to first laud the two fabulous individual dances in the show. The director, Katie Spelman, also did all the excellent choreography. Broadway’s original choreographer, the late great Agnes DeMille, (who received a big credit in the program,) would be proud of her.

I was so happy to see Kylie Victoria Edwards’ very balletic “love” number in the first act, (in the middle of the song Come To Me, Bend To Me.) It’s beautiful. And then Jessica Lee Keller’s uber-powerful “grief dance” in Act II is a stunner. Nina was so taken with the latter that I’m sharing her feelings about it: “One of the most impactful moments was a dance performed by a character described as being so consumed by grief over the death of her family that she had stopped speaking.Through extraordinary, innovative contemporary ballet—while releasing the most guttural, heartbreaking wail—she expressed what words could not. Tears streamed down my face. Grief is so close to the surface, and to see it danced through music was truly spectacular.” Yeah, what she said. I think most of the audience felt the same way.

Kylie Victoria Edwards and Daniel Yearwood. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

As to the music, it was lovely to hear all these aforementioned songs, which I’ve been enjoying since I was a little kid, sung so beautifully. And major props to the wonderful musicians, whose full sound was a joy. At the curtain call, the orchestra was revealed to be on the back of the stage, and they received thunderous applause. It was also interesting that at times, musicians playing flute, violin, cello, and some form of drum, were front and center, worked into the happy scenes.

The twenty-two person multi-talented cast did justice to the group numbers. The voice of Max von Essen, the male lead, got to me the most. Since I don’t read my theatre programs before the performances, I had not realized that I saw Max in Falsettos seven years ago, so I honestly did not expect that gorgeous singing voice to come out of him.

But as far as speaking voices go, you will find none better than that of Happy Anderson, the very funny male sidekick. I’ve never heard stage dialogue so clearly before!

Happy Anderson in the center. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

That brings me to something for which I must give kudos to just about the entire cast—they did convincing Scottish accents, with all but the barmaid being understandable. That’s quite the accomplishment for whoever the dialect coach is. (I couldn’t find a program credit for that helper.)

A nice surprise was six-time Emmy winner for Cagney and Lacey, Tyne Daly, as the grown-up who seems to be in charge of the village. (In the original show, the character is the male schoolmaster; I’m not sure exactly what her job is in this rendition.) The experience of seeing Tyne up there came full circle for me—the only other time I had seen her on stage was when I was a tiny child watching her in a summer stock production! (Yes, I do have one of those memories. It serves me well, but it can get lonely at times.)

The Pasadena Playhouse has the perfect size stage for this show, and Jason Sherwood did a superb job with the sets. And I appreciated the very subtle flicker of the over-the-proscenium lanterns from time to time.

Tyne Daly. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

Early on, before I even knew that this was a new adaptation of Brigadoon, I made a note that “the dialogue must have been heavily rewritten.” As entertaining as the new script is, I think I would have preferred to hear the original dialogue. Since the nutty story stayed intact in this production, I would have liked to know exactly what people considered to be amusing repartee back in the dark ages of the 1940s!

As much as I always roll my eyes at the hard-to-believe love story in Brigadoon, I actually know that it is possible because…I fell in love with Mr. X at first sight, without even meeting him! (That came the next night. And, much to his relief, I have never sung about my feelings.) I also fell in love with Los Angeles at that same time, and, even as a teenager, knew it would all seem like a dream when I went home in a couple of weeks. (I even told my mother back then that it would feel like Brigadoon!) So I did give up my entire New York life, (family, friends, boyfriend, college,) to stay here to stalk get to know Mr. X, with no knowledge of how to take care of my sheltered self. But, of course, it didn’t all happen in one day. (And, although being together for about a hundred years now, when asked how he fell in love with me, Mr. X claims he’ll “let [me] know when it happens.” Can you see why I love the guy?)

Photo by Jeff Lorch.

You know I appreciate when an entertainment makes me think of something heavier, such as this world-applicable observation that Brigadoon’s timeline reminded me of. So I’m sharing how I came to the conclusion that time is different for each person. The briefest description is this: My friend Alicia was always late. I do mean always. On a busy day, we stopped at her house between events to heat-up chicken fingers for her kids, and quickly change outfits. The whole thing felt like it was taking no more than a half hour. But, as we left the house again, I looked at my watch, and it was…four hours later!!! I could not fathom how that happened. Another time, my friend Mitch took me to dinner before a Clippers game. I had never been to that restaurant before, so I had to study the menu, ask questions, (have ya met me?,) decide together what we wanted, have my slow self eat it all, get the specially-spiced nuts at the end of the meal, (which I ate, and savored, one at a time.) Then he paid the bill and I went to the ladies room, the whole while feeling terrible that we were going to miss the National Anthem and the start of the game because that entire shebang felt like it was taking two or three fabulous hours. But, from walking in to exiting, it turned-out to have been only…forty-five minutes! No lie.

So there’s my proof of the time and space continuum, which is why that hundred-years Brigadoon story doesn’t bother me as much as most irrational tales do. It doesn’t matter to the villagers what year it is—it just seems like the next day to them. How do they even have a calendar? The older people there must have been born before time was even calculated! (All that math is sooo confusing, even to my perfect-math-score-on-the-SATs self!)

Now that I’ve made your heads spin as much as mine, just go see this beautiful musical while the Pasadena Playhouse is offering the incredible opportunity. Just like Brigadoon itself, the chance may not present itself for another hundred years!

Brigadoon running through June 14, 2026
Pasadena Playhouse 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena
626-356-7529 www.pasadenaplayhouse.org

There’s a new entry into the “Fun Event” category in Los Angeles, and my friend Marc and I were among the very first to experience it last week. The   Nobody Wants This tour of locations sites was like nothing either of us had ever done before, and trust me—between the two of us, we thought we had done everything in LA by now.

The bus tour guide. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one above, of a featured house on the show.

A company out of New York, On Location Tours, takes people on bus tours around major cities, showing them sites from popular movies and TV shows, such as Gossip Girl and Sex In the City in NYC.

And since the Netflix series, Nobody Wants This, (starring the adorbs Adam Brody as a rabbi and Kristen Bell as his non-Jewish love interest,) is perennially in that service’s Top 10, On Location Tours decided to begin their Los Angeles tours with that series’ featured locations. Good call.

Truth be told, (as always,) up until the day before the inaugural tour, I had never seen that series. I sort-of wanted to, (because Mr. X and I are big fans of Adam, and I heard that his equally adorable wife, Leighton Meester, is also on the show occasionally,) but between my covering other events just about every day/night, coupled with my insane sports-watching, there’s no time for much else. (Just ask the neglected Mr. X!)

But knowing I would be taking this tour, Mr. X and I made the supreme effort to stay up almost overnight to watch the first five, (of twenty,) episodes of the show the night before. And…we loved it!!! It has such clever writing and excellent performances. We hope to get back to it sometime this summer, if I can finally get a few free minutes.

The Audrey Irmas Pavilion. Photo by Karen Salkin.

So here’s how the press junket for the inaugural Nobody Wants This tour worked. We all met-up in Koreatown at a place I had never heard of, the Audrey Irmas Pavilion. I still don’t know the purpose of that building, but it features really unique architecture, which I always appreciate. We boarded a big charter bus with the most pleasant driver ever, which was a bonus. Our tour guide was my fellow Brooklynite named Rachel, who told us her boyfriend lives in France, so perhaps that’s why she has all that time to watch and study the entire series. (I can’t believe that I forgot to compare our hometown notes during a break!)

We drove by many locations that are featured in the TV series, such as homes, stores, and outside areas, like one where the couple first kissed. We stopped in front of most of them for a few minutes while Rachel explained the scene(s) to the assemblage. Since I’ve watched only five episodes, and Marc has seen only one, most of the places didn’t mean much to us on the level of the show, but we loved learning of new aspects of LA. And of the couple of houses that are on sale because everyone in LA wants to know more about those possibilities!

Harold Henry Park. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The interesting thing for me was, even though some people refer to me as “Miss LA,” because I love this city soooo much, and they think that I know absolutely everything about it, (which I definitely do not,) and it’s always suggested that I do a “Karen tour” of the town, I got to learn a lot of new things about that Koreatown-Hollywood area. There was even a little park in a section called Windsor Village! Who knew?! (Well, I have a feeling my Korean pals do.)

Actually, the revelation of the tour for me was that tiny Harold Henry Park right in the middle of Koreatown! I’ve lived in LA since I was a teenager, and had never even heard of it before!

Another thing that especially interested me is the very famous art installation outside of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA.) Since it’s right near my Screen Actors Guild headquarters, I’ve, of course, passed by it at least a hundred times in my life. But I never knew that it has a title—Urban Light—nor that it’s made up of two hundred and two formerly-working street lamps! And that they operate on solar power, and that in 2018, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation paid to have them switched to LED, (like I don’t already love that boy enough!) I don’t know how those tidbits relate to Nobody Wants This, but I love gaining knowledge like that, especially about my beloved adopted city.

That was the first of three stops the tour made where the participants could get off the bus, so we got to see the lamps up-close and personal, which was a lovely perk. I, of course again, have no time to visit museums, so I loved being an LA tourist at that location for a bit.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Speaking of being a tourist, I think visitors to LA will really enjoy this activity. Even jaded Angelenos who are Nobody Wants This fans, (which must be a big number since it’s one of the top rated shows,) should be on board for this tour. If even I learned something new about LA on this one, I’m sure that everyone will!

Marc made a big suggestion for you potential tour guests, with which I totally concur. We strongly recommend that you bring a snack so you don’t make the one rude mistake that we did. (And you know how much I detest rudeness; I’ve been up at night this week, making myself sick that I was not good to those few people, even by accident.) Since I’d tell on others, I have to also tattle on our behavior: When the rest of the guests went into a resale store to shop, (which is a scheduled stop,) Marc and I went a few edifices down to get sandwiches instead—he was starving and I desperately needed water. Even though we ordered right away, and there were no other customers there, the kind girls making the sammies took longer than we expected, which, in turn, caused us to hold up the bus for about five extra minutes, which you know I hated doing. So I say that everyone should bring a snack. And a big bottle of water! You’ll be glad you did. (And so will the rest of the guests!)

For all the pertinent info on this tour, click here: onlocationtours.com/locations/nobody-wants-this-series-filming-sites-tour.

I’ve never been big on cooking. Perhaps that’s why I became a restaurant critic early on in my career.

But the pandemic changed all that, and I started spending hours a day making meals for Mr. X and me. And they were all delish, if I do say so myself.

But the simplest dish, which anyone in the world can make—pasta and any basic sauce, even from a jar or can—always posed a problem for us because…we both hate filling the pot, heating the water, putting in the right amount of salt, stirring the pasta, and draining it. I’m not kidding. Just the thought of doing it makes us panic.

The label pic of Cheeseburger Macaroni, which is incorrect because their own recipe calls for the macaroni to be put into the sauce to cook, not to put the cooked sauce on top of the pasta!!!

So when I came upon this easy-looking recipe, which features elbow macaroni that you cook right in the already-in-use frying pan, I tried it right away. And it’s been our favorite ever since! It’s soooo uncomplicated!

I discovered the original version of this recipe in a strange place for my cookbook-and-online-recipe-loving self—it was on the label of an inexpensive sauce can in a discount store! I modified it to be more healthful, of course, but you can change it around to your taste with the suggestions I offer. However, I can’t imagine it being any better than it is this way. Yu-um!!!

And trust me, even the gathering of all the ingredients outside of the meat, which is basically all done in just a single measuring cup, is the easiest ever!!!

I’m listing the ingredients I use, followed by less healthful ones, in case you like those better. But I heavily suggest you use the ones that I do. (FYI: We make two at a time because we’re still craving it the next day. If you have a couple of full-size frying pans, we suggest you do it that way, as well, especially if you’re serving three or four people with the one meal.)

CHEESEBURGER MACARONI RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

These are the amounts for one frying pan full, which is enough for two people; no other food, not even bread nor a salad, is necessary with it.

Some of the ingredients. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one of the finished dish at the top of the page.

1 lb. ground turkey (I use 93% lean. You can use ground beef, if you prefer.)

1 cup chopped onions (Color doesn’t matter—they all taste the same in this dish. I use whichever is the least costly that week!)

Salt and pepper to taste (I use pink Himalayan salt, but any old salt is good in this one)

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce (Not pasta sauce—just plain tomato sauce.)

1 cup water (I use filtered, just to be safe. I never risk tap.)

1 cup dry whole wheat elbow macaroni (You can use non-whole wheat, but it’s not as healthful. Also, you can use any type of small pasta, except for orzo, which is too small. I’ve used mini rotini and penne in the past, but elbow mac works the best, by far. You have to adjust cooking time if you use anything else because the rest take longer to cook.)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (If you like a more mild or interesting shredded cheese, go for it.)

METHOD

Chop one cup of onions. (Chopping tips: Put a wet napkin or paper towel on or near your chopping board to help stop burning eyes. If they do start to sting, stick your face into the freezer for about 30 seconds. I mean it! It really helps. Trust me on this one.)

What the meat and onions should look like before the sauce is added. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Heat a big frying pan over medium-high heat for a few seconds. No oil, please; just plain heat.

Put the turkey and onions into the pan pretty quickly, and brown it while breaking the turkey into small pieces. (I find a wooden spoon works well for the task—no pan scratching.)

Once there’s no pink left in the meat, shut the burner, (for safety,) and drain it. (If you’re the type who cleans up as you go along, don’t wash the strainer yet.) (Draining tip: Save the plastic flat container that the meat comes in, and drain the liquid fat into it. When it semi-dries, or turns gelatinous, just throw it in the trash.)

Put the pan back on the burner, and add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. (I can’t tell you exact amounts because you have to use however much you like. But don’t overdo it or you might ruin the whole dish. You can always add seasoning to your individual servings.)

Turn the burner back on to medium-high heat, and add the can of tomato sauce and the cup of water, stir, and bring the mixture to a boil.

The boiling meat sauce before the macaroni is added. The finished Cheeseburger Macaroni is at the top of this page. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Add the dry macaroni, stir, and bring it back to a boil.

Cover the pan, (with the strainer, if you don’t have a lid for the pan,) turn the fire down to medium, and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring several times throughout.

Test the macaroni at 8 minutes. We don’t like al dente pasta, but 8 should be enough. You do you, though.

Turn off the fire and mix the cup of shredded cheese into it.

And enjoy!

By the way—Italian Mr. X always tops his pasta dishes with Parmesan or Romano cheese, but not this one—he says it’s perfect as is! How’s that for an endorsement?!

As much as I love variety in venues, I wish that every show in Los Angeles would be at The Wallis! I adore that theatre so much. My friend Gigi and I went there last week for this iconic dance performance, and we both admired how perfect the seats are. Gigi hadn’t been to the Wallis since it first opened, and she was uber-impressed that it was sold-out…for dance! Not every venue can claim that accomplishment.

At just seventy-five minutes, Dancing With Bob, (referring to the late artist Robert Rauschenberg, to whose centennial this was all a tribute,) is very short. It consists of two old school pieces by the Trisha Brown Dance Company. Gigi and I didn’t understand one minute of either of the numbers; however, I always appreciate these opportunities to see shows like this one that I feel are an important part of a complete dance education. And any entertainment that inspires me to go home and do deep research is fine with me.

Travelogue. Photo by Ben
McKeown, courtesy of the
American Dance Festival, as is the one at the top of this review.

The choreography for both consisted of the old-fashioned Martha Graham type of Modern Dance, as opposed to the Contemporary style to which we’ve all become accustomed. The entire presentation was very different from the kind of dance that we see most often these days. It was like a time warp! And we Angelenos were very lucky to travel back in time to see how things were done back then. (On an interesting side note, Martha was actually the person who discovered young Merce Cunningham, whose choreography and legacy are a main component of Dancing With Bob.)

I have to admit that as girls who have both trained in, and love, ballet and hip-hop, along with Afro-jazz for me, and Bollywood for Gigi, Dancing With Bob turned-out to be not exactly our cups of tea. However, a wise young friend, (really young—Lula was only nine-years-old at the time,) once told me that it’s not a matter of whether we like something we’re seeing or doing; it’s more about if it’s our style. Keeping that declaration in mind, it’s not that Gigi and I didn’t like this show; it’s just that it was not our style.

But I so very much appreciate that we got to witness dance history in person like that! The late Merce Cunningham was the recipient of every honor in the book, so who are any of the rest of us to judge any of his many accomplishments? It’s one of the few times I can actually say that I’m not worthy.

The first routine of Dancing With Bob was the late Trisha Brown’s Set and Reset, from 1983, with music composed specifically for it by avant-garde electronic artist Laurie Anderson. (It featured non-stop ringing bells, so think if I liked it. I’ll leave it at that, even though I really want to say that my ears were ringing as much as the music! But I won’t.)

Set and Reset. Photo by Ben McKeown, courtesy of the American Dance Festival.

I usually hate dark stage lighting, but in this case, it was fine because, somehow, it made the shapes the dancers were creating a bit easier to see. Their constant movements were very fluid and beautiful.

The number featured black-and-white overhead projections, but I never looked at them; I just wanted to concentrate on the dancing. So I don’t have a clue what was going on in them. Because of the screen’s positioning—at the top front center of the stage—I was thinking that perhaps it was acting as a third eye because who knows what people were thinking of back then. I wish I had glanced at the screen a bit now.

Even though also featuring long-ago choreography, (by Merce Cunningham this time,) the second half number, 1977’s Travelogue, was actually very different from the first. It featured costumes and a set, (or semblance thereof,) by that night’s tributee, prolific artist Robert Rauschenberg, whom I later discovered also occasionally choreographed. It’s not fair for someone to have two major talents like that! (Hey buddy—leave some for the rest of us!)

The costumes, which were leotards and matching tights, were each one beautiful bold color. They reminded me of a giant crayon box, so that made me very happy. (I have a room in my house called the Crayon Room. No lie.) Those colors in the promos are the reason I wanted to see Dancing with Bob in the first place!

The opening tableau, which moved slowly onto the stage, was striking. But the seated positions of the dancers in it made me think that they were about to do Fosse-esque movements, which they did not, (because that would be another show entirely,) so I was a little disappointed there.

I read later that Travelogue was meant to be amusing, but GiGi and I didn’t get that at all. When it was over, she kept asking what it all meant, declaring, “It made no sense!” But I’m guessing making sense was not a concern of choreographers back then. Making art was. (And still is.)  However, some members of the audience we saw it with did chuckle from time to time, so at least a few other people found a bit of mirth to it.

But it reminded me of a dance (or acting or improv) class before it begins, when everyone is just doing movements they think will warm them up or maybe secretly impress the other students. Visions of leg warmers were dancing in my head. Perhaps the number was parodying all that.

Travelogue. Photo by Ben
McKeown, courtesy of the
American Dance Festival, as is the one at the top of this review.

One major aspect of that presentation really confused us. Before Travelogue began, I noticed three people dressed in black seated below and in front of the stage, sort-of in an elevated pit area, facing the audience. I thought that perhaps they were the musicians, but I felt they were not, maybe because of their facial expressions. As the number went along, they played and broadcast messages on their cell phones; it was weird, both because those really didn’t seem to go along with the dance moves, but mostly because…there were no cell phones, nor many recorded messages from businesses, in 1977!!! Perhaps when it was danced back then, they used brief recordings from radio and television shows. I admit I’m not an expert on that period of time—the ‘70s feel like the Dark Ages now. But I do know there were no, or very few, cell phones. So, since what we saw was the original choreography, I feel the words of whatever the piece was trying to convey should be the original, as well. (Or maybe they could have just gotten rude audience members who are on their phones to amplify their “very important” mid-performance phone convos. The only problem with that concept is that the Wallis always has the most well-behaved audiences—except for the woman two rows in front of me who had her hair sticking straight up a high messy updo—which means that no one would be on their phones there!) 

The trio who played the phone messages throughout Travelogue. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Lastly, you know that I love when something inspires me to hark back to a happy pivotal moment in my own life, and this show did just that for me. So I’ll end the review with this tale. When I was a teenage dancer, both my college dance professor and the teachers in the Manhattan studio where I was also studying, recommended me to the Merce Cunningham Company, and I was offered an audition for a scholarship for their summer work-study program. I was grateful to receive that amazing opportunity, and actually considered it, but since I really did not love doing modern dance, I turned it down, and instead drove cross-country with a friend to check-out California as my summer adventure. And I wound-up adoring Los Angeles, of course, and chose to stay here. And the rest is history!

So whenever I hear or read Merce’s name, it reminds me that I made a perfect decision at a time in my life when I was never good at choices. I hope that a tiny part of any presentation at the Wallis can do the same for you.

For the rest of The Wallis’ upcoming schedule, including the last-ever LA performance of BodyTraffic in June, click here: thewallis.org.