The Anarchist.... My Child - Mothers of War.... Generation Sex

It was a whirlwind weekend of shows & activities starting off Friday nite with the super hot, super sexually charged world premiere of the feisty live comedy show Generation Sex at LATC downtown on Spring Street.  This entertaining frank & graphic show was so explicit that it would make Madonna blush... I think.  Generation Sex is presented by Teatro Luna America's All-Latina Theater Company & directed by the talented Alexandra Meda.  The cast is great & fierce & features Khanisha Foster, Elizabeth Nungaray, Pili Valdes, Abigail Vega, Denyse Walls & Kelley Williams singing, dancing, writhing & doing skits & provocative monologues.  Playing til May 17th.  For more information visit www.thelatc.com  For Adults Only & Not For Prudes...

It was exciting to see the always terrific Felicity Huffman & equally great Rebecca Pidgeon go head to head in the excellent two hander drama The Anarchist written by acclaimed author David Mamet & well directed by Marja-Lewis Ryan.  The riveting play is about an aging Jewish murderess  turned devout Christian & her attempts to sway her prison administrator into letting her be released from prison in her senior years.  Absolutely great acting & a very interesting & absorbing storyline.  I've heard Felicity say before that if it isn't on the page it isn't on the stage...  Well this my friends is definitely on the page & definitely worth seeing on the stage!  Visit www.plays411.com/anarchist for more information.  The Anarchist runs to May 23 & I suggest you run to get your tickets soon!

I finished the weekend seeing the terrific play My Child - Mothers of War written, created & directed by the multi talented Angeliki Giannakapoulos at the Hudson Backstage Theatre.  The play is based on the author's award winning documentary of the same name which aired nationally on PBS.  The show & the cast are extraordinary starring Frances Fisher, Mimi Rogers, Melina Kanakaredes, Monique Edwards & Laura Ceron.   The poignant, shocking & deeply moving play is based on stories of mothers whose lives were radically changed when their brave sons & daughters were sent to fight the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.  These fine actresses get emotionally bare in this powerful true piece.  Jean Smart was scheduled to appear but is out of the country filming & her role was played by understudy Anna Giannotis who hit it out of the ball park.  Great work! The excellent marines/marine officers are played by Rydell Danzie, Nick Marini, Juan De La Cruz, Anthony Ray Perez, Brendan Connor, Randy Mulkey, Michael Knowles, Ozzy Ramirez & Jah Shams & the talented secondary cast/mothers understudies include Amy Garis, Maria Nicolacakis, Laura Lee Botsacos & Tanayi Seabrook.  I highly recommend My Child - Mothers of War which plays Sundays for a 6 week run.  Visit  www.plays411.com/mychild for more information.  Opening nite was a benefit for The Fisher House Program which is a network of housing where military & veteran's families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment.  A great cause...   Visit www.losangeles.va.gov/fisherhouse to learn more & donate. 

Photos Soon...  HH

Coming Soon... Bette Davis/Paul Henreid Tribute... Generation Sex... The Anarchist... My Child-Mothers of War

I had the pleasure of seeing several great productions recently...  Generation Sex @ LATC would make Madonna blush...  Felicity Huffman & Rebecca Pidgeon are extraordinary in David Mamet's The Anarchist @ The Asylum...  Ed Asner shows us who's the king of comedy in a staged reading of Gone Asunder @ Theater 40...  Monika Henreid shares stories about her matinee idol father Paul Henreid & close friend Bette Davis @ The Areo...  I went with my friend Kathleen Hughes who was a Paul Henreid discovery & had a blast.... & the excellent  cast of My Child-Mothers of War starring Frances Fisher, Mimi Rogers, Melina Kanakaredes, Laura Ceron, Monique Edwards & Anna Giannotis get emotionally bare in this powerful true piece...  Details & Much More SooN with photos by Billy Bennight...  HH

Tonite: The Glass Menagerie... Renegade Theatre... 1514 N. Gardner.... Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World Presents Bhopar: A Prayer For Rain Starring Martin Sheen Mischa Barton & Kal Penn

Photos by Theodora Greece...  For information please visit www.renegadegm.eventbrite.com  HH

Enjoy the pics below from the premiere of Bhopar: A Prayer For Rain #7 in Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World Series... Photos by Billy Bennight

Paris By Night 114... A Beautiful Feast For The Senses... Pechanga Resort & Casino... Temecula, CA

Paris By Night... A Beautiful Feast For The Senses... 
Photos above by Billy Bennight
Photos below courtesy of Paris By Night


Bravo to the immensely popular and highly acclaimed  Paris By Night 114 which I attended Easter Day with my photographer pal Billy Bennight at the beautiful Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula.  The exquisitely produced live show featured a cast of over 100 talented performers including Anh Minh, Diem Suong, Ha Vy, Hoang Nhung, Huong Thuy, Ky Phuong Uyen, Lam Anh, Mai-Thien Van, Minh Tuyet,  Nhu Quynh, Ngoc Ha, Ngoc Anh, Quynh Vi, Tam Doan, Thanh Ha, Thu Phuong, Bang Kieu, Bao Khanh, Don Ho, Dinh Bao, Justin Nguyen, Luong Tung Quang, Mai Tien Dung, Ngoc Ngu, Quang Le, Tran Thai Hoa, Thien Ton, Trinh Lam and Tuan Ngoc.  The show also included a great comedy routine featuring Hong  Dao and Quang Minh along with Bang Kieu.

 The 4 hour live concert was smoothly MC'd by longtime hosts Nguyen Ngoc Ngan and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen.  Paris By Night 114: 1975 - 2015 - Toi La Nguol Viet Nam (I Am Vietnamese)  is a global phenomenon which commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon with popular Vietnamese language music and dance.  It was a great seamlessly produced visual extravaganza produced by a hard working team that includes Emmy Award winning director Ron De Moraes and choreography by Emmy Award winner Shanda Sawyer who has been with the show for 20 years!  The first Paris By Night event was produced in Paris, France in 1983.  Paris By Night concerts feature top singers and dancers from the Vietnamese culture and cost $1.5 million to produce each year at sold out venues around the world.  The accompanying photos illustrate the lavish production values the Thuy Nga Production is famous for.  Thuy Nga Productions was started in 1972 in Saigon and is the largest and most popular Vietnamese entertainment company in the world.  Visit www.thuyngashop.com to see their products and merchandise. 


On April 30th 1975 history was made when  Communist Vietnamese forces captured the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon marking the end of the Vietnam War and the start of reunification, transitioning Vietnam into a socialist republic.  Four decades later Paris By Night 114 commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.  The event featured nearly two dozen acclaimed guests in person or by previously recorded video greetings including Retired US Navy Rear Admiral Bill Mathis, gold medalist chef Khai Duong, Texas State Representative Hubert Vo, US Naval Training Commander Hung Cao, California State Senator Janet Nguyen, fashion designer Nha Khanh, Westminster Mayor Ta Duc Tri, news anchor Thuy Vu, NASA Hall of Fame Engineer Trinh Tien Trinh and others.

Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World Presents "Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain"

Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain artwork & photo courtesy Revolver Entertainment

I'm really looking forward to attending the premiere of Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain starring
Martin Sheen, Mischa Barton & Kal Penn at the 7th installment of Kat Kramer's Films That Change The World Series this Thursday nite in Hollywood at Sunset Gower Studios.  The film is directed by Ravi Kumar & word of mouth has been strong.  The host committee for the evening includes Martin Sheen, Tim Edwards, Mischa Barton, Kal Penn, Marsha Hunt, Mariana Tosca, Ed Asner, Ed Begley, Jr., Lainie Kazan, Billy Bob Thornton, Sharon Stone & William H. Macy.  The invite only event is a benefit to raise awareness for Bhopal Medical Appeal. Tim Edwards is the keynote speaker & is flying in from London where he is Executive Trustee for Bhopal Medical Appeal.  The evening will also include the special inaugural presentation of the first Marsha Hunt For Humanity Award to actress Marsha Hunt & will be presented annually to a celebrity activist who is making a change in the world through film.  Marsha Hunt is a great lady & at age 97 has more get up & go than many people one third of her age!  She is very deserving of this award which will be presented by Ken Howard & Kat Kramer, producer of the much lauded film series.   As many know Ms. Hunt was wrongfully blacklisted in Hollywood decades ago during the communist witch hunts.  She is the subject of a new documentary being filmed about her life directed by Roger C. Memos.  Congratulations Kat on all your hard work & on your eye opening series...  More details soon... HH

Lois Aldrin & her friend Marsha Hunt... Photo by Harrison Held

Film series producer/actress Kat Kramer is joined by her pals Harrison Held & Larry King... Photo by Bob Delgadillo