If you have never been to an opera before, the Broadway revival of "Porgy and Bess," currently at the Ahmanson Theatre through June 1, is a perfect way to start. First of all it's in English, so no super-titles to read overhead as the dialogue and lyrics are translated from Italian, German or French into English. And this Tony Award winning revival is shorter than the original which opened on Broadway in 1935. Now much of the dialogue is spoken, not sung and this has shortened the production from three hours to two. The changes made by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre L.Murray in their current adaptation have upset some purists, including Stephen Sondheim, but even in a shorter version the music by George Gershwin, with book and lyrics by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin, still resonates with the audience. And even if your aren't an opera fan, you will be familiar with many of the magnificent songs in "Porgy and Bess" like "Summertime," "A Woman is a Sometime Thing," "I Got Plenty of Nothing," "I'm On My Way," and the rousing "It Ain't Necessarily So" sung by Sportin’ Life (Kingsley Leggs) which is a show stopper. Leggs is not only a fine singer, he can dance and strut while singing lyrics like "Jonah made his home in a whale's abdomen, but it ain't necessarily so" with appropriate sarcasm.
Another change, and it's a good one, is allowing Porgy, a cripple, to stand with a cane rather that push himself around on a cart with wheels. This makes him more attractive to Bess and the audience as well. Nathaniel Stampley (Porgy) and Alicia Hall Moran (Bess) are appealing when their voices blend with romantic passion or when they sing tenderly about one another. Alvin Crawford is lusty and hunky as Crown, who considers Bess his property. He's determined to reclaim Bess as his woman which leads to a tragic confrontation.
Even though the new version is shorter, the story still comes across loud and clear.
It is also interesting to note, Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" was the first opera to ever use an all black cast. This is one reason why the opera debuted on Broadway, not at the Met in 1935, since the Metropolitan Opera did not have black singers to sing all the roles.
"The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess," at the Ahmanson Theatre , 135 N. Grand Ave. in downtown Los Angeles at the Music Center, ends June 1. Tickets available at (213) 972-4400 or online at HYPERLINK "http://www.centertheatregroup.org/"www.CenterTheatreGroup.orgTicket prices: $20—$120.
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Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street," based on the book by Jordan Belfort, received 5 Academy Award nominations–Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, Best Supporting Actor, Jonah Hill and Adapted Screenplay by Terence Winter. While the film didn't take away a single golden statuette it still managed to make Hollywood history, setting a record for using the F-word more than any other motion picture to date. The actual count is 506, so if that would offend you, be forewarned.
The comedy, while raunchy and foul-mouthed, actually serves as a morality tale, revealing the downside of too much money, booze, drugs and sex. In a material world, Belfort's lifestyle appears dazzling, but in the end he looses what matters most in life– his wife, children and freedom.
When we first meet Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), he is a naive, sweet faced kid eager to succeed on Wall Street. He has a natural gift for selling. Soon he is encouraged and mentored by Matthew McConaughey takes him under his wing, introducing him to drugs and drink to fuel his selling ability. When the firm goes under after a crash in the market, Belfort heads out on his own. Later he teams up with Donny (Jonah Hill) a loose cannon, but a good salesman as well. Together, with other partners, they form Stratton Oakmont, a boiler room operation that becomes a financial success. Selling penny stocks, they make a huge profit at the expense of little investors who are the big losers. Eventually he and his associates are charged with securities fraud and money laundering. Sentenced to four years, Belfort is released in 22 months. While in prison he writes "The Wolf of Wall Street" and not only makes a cool million for the memoir, he receives another million for the film rights proving that crime, if interesting enough, does pay.
DiCaprio gives an Oscar worthy performance as the smooth-talking salesman who can charm the birds right out of the trees. He is also darkly comedic, particularly in a segment where he drives his expensive car home while high on drugs. To say more would be a spoiler.
No longer on Wall Street after swindling so many, Jordan Belfort has become a motivational speaker, teaching his listeners how to learn from their mistakes and become good at honest sales techniques. In fact, keep your eyes peeled at the end of the film when DiCaprio, as Jordan Belfort, is introduced to an Australian audience by a man who is the real Jordan Belfort. Also, animal lovers, here is a tidbit worth knowing. In the scene where Donny swallows a beautiful gold fish, he really doesn't–so PETA, know the fish lived. At least the fish onscreen made it out alive.
According to Belfort, in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, what he did in real life was even worse than in the film. Out of prison since 2006, he now makes a living as an author and motivational speaker and even though he bilked his unsuspecting clients out of countless millions, he has managed to pay back quite a few millions from his royalties and speaking engagements. In his talks he teaches others how to avoid the mistakes he made. A natural performer, he earns $30,000 per speech which he begins by showing the film trailer for "The Wolf of Wall Street." Yes, he's still a wolf at heart.
From Paramount, the film is rated R for sequences of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout and some violence.
Other Oscar nominated films available on DVD include: "Nebraska," "12 Years a Slave," "Philomena," "American Hustle," "Captain Phillips," "Gravity" and "Dallas Buyers Club."
