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ON MEDITATION opens August 12 at the Fine Arts. Three screenings will feature guided meditation.

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On Meditation is a compilation of portraits that explore the practice of meditation in all its forms. Practiced for thousands of years, meditation is at once profound and simple: the focused attempt to move beyond conditioned thinking into a deeper state of awareness. Yet what does that path, one of the inner journey, which is above all a private, interior one, really look like? On Meditation conveys firsthand experiences of those who have developed meaningful practices and are willing to share their experiences.

We open the film August 12th at the Fine Arts and several screenings will feature guided meditation with the following people:

8/12, 5pm screening- Jana Roemer. Ms. Roemer is a teacher, wellness advocate, and contributing writer to lifestyle website Sonima. She has traveled the globe as a student of spirituality, prayer and meditation. She believes her experiences and way of Being best communicates her ideology. She is a yoga and meditation teacher, wellness advocate, and contributing writer to lifestyle website Sonima. http://www.janaroemer.com

8/14, noon screening- Scott Schwenk. Mr. Schwenk is a master coach and professional consultant who teaches leadership development through meditation. His expertise comes from his training with MIT’s Sloan School, Landmark Education, and several years of immersive study in a monastery. Scott has been an avid meditator for over 25 years and has studied under master instructor Sally Kempton. scottschwenk.com

8/14, 8pm screening- Jessie Barr. Ms. Barr is an actor and accomplished yoga teacher who shares her passion through instruction and her critically acclaimed web series OM City. After training as a dancer, she received her certifications in Yoga and Reiki — studying under renowned coaches Elena Brower and Brenda Villa. Jessie shares her passion through instruction and her critically acclaimed web series OM City, in which she co-created and stars. http://omcityseries.com and http://jessiebarryoga.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1_g5F_mp14

WESTERN WEEKEND: A Five Film Round-up ​of Celebrated Westerns August 12-14 at the Ahrya Fine Arts

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ac-western-weekend-posterLaemmle’s Anniversary Classics presents our tribute to the sagebrush genre with the Anniversary Classics Western Weekend, a five film round-up of some of the most celebrated westerns in movie history.

The star-studded lineup features John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Kevin Costner, Montgomery Clift, Natalie Wood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef and others.

The films include John Ford’s masterpiece THE SEARCHERS, popular Oscar winner DANCES WITH WOLVES, spaghetti western supreme THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, and rediscoveries of the irreverent THE PROFESSIONALS and the elegiac THE MISFITS.

So saddle-up for a three day celebration August 12-14; the stagecoach stops at the Ahrya Fine Arts in Beverly Hills. Each program will be introduced by Sheriff Stephen Farber, President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Schedule:

Date Title Tickets
08/12 at 7:30PM THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966) Available
08/13 at 2:15PM DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990) Available
08/13 at 7:15PM THE PROFESSIONALS (1966) Available
08/14 at 2:15PM THE SEARCHERS (1956) Available
08/14 at 5:15PM THE MISFITS (1961) Available

Tickets:

Tickets for individual shows are available NOW on Laemmle.com and at the Ahrya Fine Arts box office:

  • Single Ticket: $13
  • Premiere Card Holders (Single Ticket): $11

Anniversary Classics Western Weekend Ticket Specials (Available only at Box Office):

  • All FIVE films for $40
  • Saturday or Sunday Double Feature: TWO films for $20.
  • Premiere Card Holders Saturday or Sunday Double Feature: TWO films for $18.

Movies:

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY – 50th Anniversary

ac-good-bad-uglyWe open our sagebrush weekend with the “third and best of Sergio Leone’s ‘Dollars’ trilogy… the quintessential spaghetti Western,” according to Leonard Maltin. The trilogy became the most popular of the hundreds of European Westerns made in the 1960s and 70s. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, set during the Civil War in New Mexico, is actually a prequel to A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, all of which starred Clint Eastwood as Blondie, or the Man with No Name. Leone and his screenwriters considered the film a satire with its emphasis on violence and deconstruction of Old West romanticism.

Made in 1966 and released in the U.S. at the end of 1967, the movie was propelled to big box office when composer Ennio Morricone’s main theme became a hit instrumental recording for Hugo Montenegro in 1968. The film had mixed critical reaction in its day but has been reevaluated and embraced through the decades, and is now considered one of the great Westerns. Also starring Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach, with cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli.

Screens in a 4K digital restoration on Friday, August 12, at 7:30 PM.

DANCES WITH WOLVES – 25th Anniversary

ac-dancesThis film won seven Oscars in 1991, including Best Picture and Best Director Kevin Costner. (It was the first Western to be named Best Picture since Cimarron took the prize in 1931.) It remains one of the most popular Western films of all time, with one of the few positive and honest portrayals of Native American culture. And it is a genuine historical epic that deserves to be seen on the big screen, where its spectacular battle scenes and buffalo hunt can be fully appreciated.

Time magazine’s Richard Schickel praised the film by saying, “As a director, Costner is alive to the sweep of the country and the expansive spirit of the western-movie tradition.”

Special guest speakers at this showing will include actress Mary McDonnell, who was Oscar-nominated for her performance in the film and earned a second nomination for John Sayles’ Passion Fish two years later. Screens Saturday, August 13, at 2:15 PM.

THE PROFESSIONALS – 50th Anniversary

ac-profThe film was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1966, including Best Director and Best Screenplay for Hollywood veteran (and past Oscar winner) Richard Brooks. This irreverent Western boasts plenty of sardonic humor and turns many of the values of the genre upside down, but it does not skimp on production values or striking cinematography (by Oscar winner Conrad Hall). “Taut excitement throughout” was the verdict of Leonard Maltin.

The four “professionals” of the title are played by Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, and Woody Strode, with an outstanding supporting cast headed by Jack Palance, Claudia Cardinale, and Ralph Bellamy. And be sure to stay to savor the movie’s last line, drolly delivered by Lee Marvin, one of the great kickers in Western film history. Screens Saturday, August 13, at 7:15 PM.

THE SEARCHERS – 60th Anniversary

ac-searchOne of the finest collaborations of John Wayne and director John Ford is also one of the most influential and admired Westerns in history. At the time of its release, The New York Times’ Bosley Crowther called it “a ripsnorting Western,” but its reputation grew in later years.

In 2008 the American Film Institute named it the greatest of all Westerns. Its story of obsession and revenge influenced many later directors, including Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader, and one of the most haunting scenes in the film was imitated in George Lucas’s Star Wars. Wayne plays Ethan Edwards, a bitter Civil War veteran who is determined to track down the Comanches who murdered his brother’s family and abducted his two nieces.

The Monument Valley locations where the movie was filmed are now iconic, and Wayne’s portrayal of the relentless, bigoted Edwards is one of his richest performances. The supporting cast includes Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, and Natalie Wood. Special guest speaker will be Wood’s younger sister, Lana Wood, who plays little Debbie, the girl kidnapped by the Comanches in the film’s opening section. Wood’s other credits include many popular TV series and her role as a Bond girl in Diamonds Are Forever. Screens Sunday, August 14, at 2:15 PM.

THE MISFITS – 55th Anniversary

ac-misfitsWe close the weekend with a modern take on the oater genre. This 1961 film’s themes of outsiders and non-conformists misplaced in contemporary society, with no new undiscovered frontiers, provide a fitting elegy to the Western.

Directed by John Huston from an original screenplay by playwright Arthur Miller, with apt black-and-white cinematography by Russell Metty, this drama took on a heightened valedictory tone when it became the final film for both co-stars Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe (married to Miller at the time).

Monroe’s portrayal of a lonely divorcee is among her best roles, and Gable’s aging cowboy is considered the greatest performance of his career. He died 12 days after completing filming. A superb ensemble includes Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach, and Thelma Ritter.

Although a box office failure at the time, the British Film Institute notes that The Misfits “scores…in the remarkable intensity of the performances and the delineation of the characters’ complex relationships. It remains one of the finest works of all involved.” Screens Sunday, August 14, at 5:30 PM.

Anniversary Classics in June: William Friedkin with THE FRENCH CONNECTION and Russ Tamblyn and George Chakiris (Bernardo and Riff!) with WEST SIDE STORY

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I love New York in June. How about you? Well, this month we have two superb New York movies as part of our Anniversary Classics and some of the key talent behind them in person to talk about it.

William Friedkin
William Friedkin

This year marks the 45th anniversary of THE FRENCH CONNECTION, the gritty and gripping police thriller that won five Academy Awards in 1971, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Gene Hackman, Best Screenplay and Best Director for our special guest, William Friedkin. One of the key figures in the American cinematic renaissance of the 1970s, Mr. Friedkin has directed such films as The Birthday Party, The Boys in the Band, the enormously successful The Exorcist, Sorcerer, To Live and Die in L.A., Rules of Engagement, and the more recent Killer Joe.

We’ll screen THE FRENCH CONNECTION on June 18 at the Fine Arts Theatre. Beyond its adrenaline-fueled chase scenes, the movie boasts acute characterizations and potent social commentary about the moral compromises that may be endemic to police work. It also stands as one of the most vivid renditions of a decaying New York City ever committed to celluloid. Roy Scheider and Bunuel favorite Fernando Rey (as the suave European criminal kingpin) co-star. Reviews were ecstatic. Judith Crist called it “a movie-movie supreme.” Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that THE FRENCH CONNECTION was “a slam-bang, suspenseful, plain-spoken, sardonically funny, furiously paced melodrama.” Even highbrow Stanley Kauffmann, writing in The New Republic, hailed “the most exciting picture I’ve seen since Z.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwBbkSTfKa8

riffJune 29 won’t be just any night, because we’ll be celebrating the 55th anniversary of WEST SIDE STORY at the Fine Arts with Bernardo and Riff themselves, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn. NOTE: Unfortunately, George Chakiris had to cancel for health reasons. One of the most honored and commercially successful of all movie musicals, WEST SIDE STORY earned a near-record 10 Academy Awards in 1961. The film version of the groundbreaking stage musical that re-imagined Romeo and Juliet in contemporary New York City retained and deepened the play’s emotional impact by bringing together a show business all-star team. The show’s director and choreographer, Jerome Robbins, worked with veteran filmmaker Robert Wise to transform the theatrical experience into electrifying cinema. Robbins and Wise reworked the classic Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim score and came up with fresh casting ideas for this ever timely story of racial prejudice and conflict. The stars of the movie included Natalie Wood, Oscar nominee Mr. Tamblyn, Oscar winner Mr. Chakiris, and Oscar winner Rita Moreno.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFahVIspakE

Our screening will be followed by a Q&A with the charismatic leaders of the movie’s rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Mr. Chakiris (Bernardo) had been a dancer in several 1950s musicals, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and White Christmas. Following his Oscar-winning performance in WEST SIDE STORY, he appeared in such films as Diamond Head with Charlton Heston, Flight from Ashiya with Yul Brynner, and the Jacques Demy musical The Young Girls of Rochefort, co-starring Catherine Deneuve and Gene Kelly. He also has extensive credits in theater and television.  West-Side-Story-DI-3-1

George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn
George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn

Russ Tamblyn (Riff) played Elizabeth Taylor’s younger brother in Father of the Bride in 1950. He displayed his dance abilities in such musicals as Hit the Deck and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and earned an Oscar nomination for his dramatic turn in the 1957 film, Peyton Place. His later work includes The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, the horror classic, The Haunting (also directed by Robert Wise), David Lynch’s cult TV series, Twin Peaks, and a cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.

Both Q&A’s will be moderated by Los Angeles Film Critics Association president Stephen Farber.

If music be the food of love, play on! Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Yo-Yo Ma and Unlocking the Truth coming soon.

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We’ve got four very cool music films coming up: On June 16 we’ll screen Iggy Pop: Live in Basel 2015 at five of our venues, the Fine Arts, Claremont 5, NoHo 7, Playhouse 7 and Monica Film Center. We’ll open The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble for week-long engagements on June 17th at the Playhouse and Town Center and a week later at Monica Film Center and Claremont. On July 1 we open the rock doc Breaking a Monster at the Monica Film Center. And finally we’ll feature Nick Cave and Bad Seeds’ One More Time with Feeling at the Fine Arts, Claremont, NoHo, Playhouse and Monica Film Center on September 8.

Iggy Pop: Live in Basel 2015 features this outstanding artist known for his outrageous and unpredictable stage antics as he performs at the Baloise Session in Basel, Switzerland, where he was honored with a 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award. This fantastic October 2015 show features all of Iggy’s classics, including “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “The Passenger,” “Lust for Life” and many more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECCVKouCQmM

The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble is by the director of the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom and the critically acclaimed Best of Enemies. It tells the extraordinary story of the renowned international musical collective created by legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, the diverse group of instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, arrangers, visual artists and storytellers as they explore the power of music to preserve tradition, shape cultural evolution and inspire hope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SShFP7QfSCg&nohtml5=False&nohtml5=False#t=150.03675

For something quite different but no less inspiring, Breaking a Monster begins as the three members of band Unlocking the Truth are all in 7th grade, spending their weekends playing a blend of heavy metal and speed punk in Times Square, often drawing substantial crowds. They take on a manager: a 70-year-old industry veteran. With his guidance they are soon on their way to a 1.8 million dollar record deal and a precarious initiation into the music industry.

BAM
A scene from BREAKING A MONSTER courtesy of Abramorama Entertainment.

A unique one night only cinema event directed by Andrew Dominik (Chopper, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Killing Them Softly), One More Time With Feeling will be the first ever opportunity anyone will have to hear Skeleton Tree, the sixteenth studio album from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. The film will screen in cinemas across the world on 8th September 2016, immediately prior to the release of Skeleton Tree the following day.

Originally a performance based concept, One More Time With Feeling evolved into something much more significant as Dominik delved into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the album. Interwoven throughout the Bad Seeds’ filmed performance of the new album are interviews and footage shot by Dominik, accompanied by Cave’s narration and improvised rumination.

Filmed in black-and-white and color, in both 3D and 2D, the result is fragile, raw and a true testament to an artist trying to find his way through the darkness.

Image courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment.
A scene from ONE MORE TIME WITH FEELING. Image courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment.

 

Join us this Thursday Night at the Playhouse for the Opening of the PASADENA ART SHOW 2016

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ArtHouse_Logo_08mhART IN THE ARTHOUSE invites you to experience The Pasadena Art Show 2016 featuring stunning and diverse works from 23 talented, local artists.

RSVP BELOW to the opening reception this Thursday, June 2, 6-9pm at Laemmle’s Playhouse 7 Theatre in Pasadena. The celebration includes the exhibit, curator talk, and artist presentation/slide show on the big screen!

Curator’s Statement:
We are honored to feature a spirited array of local artists in this, our second annual Pasadena community show. The cord that binds these diverse talents is more lyrical than stylistic. In a time when reason, logic, and subtlety fall prey to spectacle this group leads with clarity of vision and purpose, through stories that are often poetic in the telling. Shifting fields of Pasadena mise-en-scenes, ranging from the containment of the Metro to the expansiveness of the cosmos, usher us through our everyday journeys and refocus us to the present moment. We are delighted by a magnificent bloom, intrigued by a photo offering serenity in the face of divergent paths, moved by the elegance of a classic face, and charmed by visits to ‘the pastoral.’ Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse was created to build community through artistic dialogue. This skillful collective fulfills that objective with panache, talent, and grace.

– Joshua Elias

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About The Pasadena Art Show:
The Pasadena Art Show is produced by artist, author, and local impresario Lynn Chang. The multi-faceted Chang has enlisted Laemmle and specifically its “Art in the Arthouse” program to act as venue and host for the now annual exhibit.

Art in the Arthouse arose in early 2014 out of a desire by Laemmle president Greg Laemmle to engage the fine arts community and bring quality works to the movie-going public. Since then, Laemmle has created unique gallery spaces within its venues by reclaiming wall space vacated by printed movie posters (since replaced by rotating digital displays). With visionary input from curator Joshua Elias, Art in the Arthouse has bridged the worlds of fine art and fine cinema through over 20 exhibits, featuring mostly local and emerging talent. Proceeds from the sale of art benefit the activities of the Laemmle Charitable Foundation.

RSVP

RSVPs are now closed for this event.  Catch you at the next one!

Laemmle’s Art in the Arthouse Presents “Archiving Hesse” at the Monica Film Center

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Recently, there’s been a lot of commotion surrounding the seminal artist EVA HESSE, including a recent exhibit at the Whitney, a current show in DTLA at Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, and of course, the opening of the film EVA HESSE at four of our venues. Directed by Marcie Begleiter and produced by Karen Shapiro, the documentary is the first feature-length examination of Hesse’s life and work.

Barbara Brown_edit_lr
Barbara Brown, photographer

In addition to all this, our fine arts program, Art in the Arthouse, has jumped into the fray with ARCHIVING HESSE an exhibit at the Monica that includes photography featured in the film.  It showcases the work of photographer and raconteur, BARBARA BROWN, who, from 1962-1965, chronicled Hesse and the other luminaries that made up the Canal St. scene of New York’s Lower Eastside.

Unfortunately, most of Brown’s negatives were destroyed in a bizarre train fire and eternally lost. But we are pleased to present some surviving photos that capture the artist in particularly revealing moments. Interwoven are two images from Hesse’s 1968 solo exhibition at the Fishbach Gallery taken by NORMAN GOLDMAN.

The Archiving Hesse photo exhibit opens this Thurs. night at the Monica Film Center (where the documentary will be showing) and can be enjoyed through June.

About Hesse:

In 1938, at three years old, EVA HESSE was put on the kindertransport to escape Nazi Germany. She arrived in New York to reunite with her family, but seven years later lost her mother to suicide.

Hesse went on to study art and design at Yale University.  As an artist, she had a unique ability to alchemize her personal tragedies into searing and poetic works. Based mainly in New York, Hesse and her husband Tom Doyle briefly relocated their studio to Kettwig Germany where she transitioned from painter to sculptor.

“Stop [thinking] and just do!”  This strong note circa 1965 from her mentor Sol LeWitt opened Hesse up to an artistic stream of sculptures, paintings, drawings, and happenings. She incorporated industrial materials such as cord, wire, yarn, and latex to create magnificent walls sculptures that commanded attention. Hesse soon became a major figure in the post AbEx landscape movement.

Tragically, Hesse died of brain cancer at age 34. She lives on in her works, which are displayed in museums worldwide,

The Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival Honors Laemmle Theatres at the May 18 Opening Night Gala

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On Thursday, May 19 Laemmle family matriarch Alyse Laemmle will turn 100 years old! Coincidentally, the night before is the opening night gala of the L.A. Jewish Film Festival at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, where Bob and Greg Laemmle will accept an honor on behalf of the company founded in 1938 by Max — Bob’s father, Greg’s grandfather — and Max’s brother Kurt. The ceremony comes after the red carpet and reception and before a screening from the thrilling Israeli spy series False Flag. Join us! You can buy tickets here.

The statement from the LAJFF Executive Director Hilary Helstein:

“The Laemmle Theaters has been a valued partner of the L.A. Jewish Film Festival since our inaugural year in 2006. You have helped us grow in size and scope and we are grateful for your continued support over these early years. Our mission has always been to use film as a way to educate and build community; to build a sustainable cultural arts program of “Jewish” cinema to engage the Jewish community, but more importantly reach the greater LA community and engage in a multicultural dialogue. The Laemmle Theaters has continually helped us to achieve our goals each year.

“As a four-generation family business, Laemmle has established an empire of successful theaters and built something unique in the greater Los Angeles region. The L.A. community has come to rely on Laemmle’s innovative programming and reputation for showing quality cinema, in addition to your ability to showcase films and filmmakers promoting themes of interfaith and interethnic understanding.

The L.A. Jewish Film Festival and Jewish Journal are honored to recognize you and your team publicly for your continued support of our program and mission and for all that you have succeeded in creating for the greater L.A. community in bringing the best in international cinema to Los Angeles.”

Thank you, Hilary! The honor is ours.

Wonder of Wonders – It’s Fiddler Sing-a-Long Time Again!

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*** FIDDLER UPDATES  (skip to main article)
We’re pleased to announce an all-star line-up of Fiddler Hosts for 2015!
Also, as in year’s past, we’ll have food trucks out at select locations. Here’s the per-location rundown of what’s shaking in the shtetl:

Ahrya Fine Arts
Dr. Ron Wolfson – author, professor – BUY TIX
BONUS! – Dr. Wolfson will be signing a copies of his new book, The Best Boy in the United States of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses.

Claremont 5
Cantor Paul Buch – BUY TIX

NoHo 7
Craig Taubman – entertainer, community organizer – BUY TIX
FOOD TRUCK – The Deli Doctor (truck food welcome inside the theater)

Playhouse
Gary Wexler – blogger, public speaker – BUY TIX
FOOD TRUCK – Hungry Nomad (truck food welcome inside the theater)

Royal
Naomi Ackerman – actress, social activist – BUY TIX
BONUS! – Naomi will be joined by BARBARA ISENBERG who will be signing copies of her book TRADITION!: The Highly Improbable, Ultimately Triumphant Broadway-to-Hollywood Story of Fiddler on the Roof, the World’s Most Beloved Musical.
FOOD TRUCK – The Hurricane Kitchen (truck food welcome inside the theater)

Town Center 5
Cantors Herschel Fox & Phil Baron – BUY TIX

See below to find out more about our hosts.

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Wonder_of_Wonders_edit_2Will the matchmaker make you “the perfect match?” There’s only one way to find out … join us this year for our 8th annual FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Christmas Eve SING-A-LONG!

(Scroll down to watch the event trailer.  For tickets, visit Laemmle.com/Fiddler).

This year, the popular Fiddler program has been extended to more venues to accommodate demand including, for the first time, the recently reopened AHRYA FINE ARTS in Beverly Hills.

In addition to exuberant movie and song, the evening will feature TRIVIA with PRIZES being awarded to Fiddler buffs with the quickest recall.  Dressing in COSTUME is not required, but highly encouraged!  Will the best costume will garner a prize?  That will be up to the emcee.

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CRAIG TAUBMAN will be hosting at the NoHo 7
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RON WOLFSON will be hosting at the Fine Arts

Speaking of which, we’re very excited to announce two new, dynamic hosts for this year.  Acclaimed Jewish singer-songwriter and founder of the Pico Union Project CRAIG TAUBMAN will be bringing his signature blend of charisma and high-powered energy to the NOHO 7.  Over in the city side, professor, author, and community mensch Dr. RON WOLFSON will be headlining at the stunning AHYRA FINE ARTS in Beverly Hills. Wolfson is most recently the author of The Best Boy in the United States of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses offered by Jewish Light Publishing. You can’t go wrong with either of these incredible gentlemen!

Our own Greg Laemmle is enthusiastic as ever about the Fiddler experience, declaring that “Christmas Eve isn’t just Chinese food anymore!”  Furthermore, “we welcome all those in the community who are looking for an alternative Christmas Eve experience.”

He continues, “This is your once-a-year chance to be the star of the shtetl. Join voices with friends and neighbors and sing your heart out alongside Fiddler’s screen legends. And it’s okay if you haven’t memorized all the songs. We provide the lyrics.”

Song highlights include the iconic “TRADITION”, “IF I WERE A RICH MAN”,  “TO LIFE”, “SUNRISE SUNSET”, “DO YOU LOVE ME?” and “ANATEVKA”, among many, many more.

Don’t miss the buggy! Those who wish to attend the program are advised to purchase tickets in advance as the program has traditionally sold to capacity.

See you in the shtetl…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnuyNaOEBt4&feature=youtu.be

Fiddler Hosts – 2015

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Dr. Ron Wolfson at the Ahrya Fine Arts (Beverly Hills)
Renowned educator and author DR. RON WOLFSON will be our host at the Fine Arts in Beverly Hills. Wolfson is a Fingerhut Professor of Education at the American Jewish University and, most recently, author of The Best Boy in the United States of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses offered by Jewish Lights Publishing. A pioneer in the field of Jewish family education, Dr. Wolfson is a frequent scholar-in-residence for synagogues and communities and a co-founder of Synagogue 3000. He is also the author of the well-known Art of Jewish Living book series.

Craig_pix_01_edit_lr_crop_4_pCraig Taubman at the NoHo 7 (North Hollywood)
Beloved Jewish singer/songwriter and community builder CRAIG TAUBMAN will be our host at the NoHo 7 venue in North Hollywood. Taubman is renowned for original compositions and live performances that speak to the Jewish American experience. He is the originator of events such as Friday Night Live, The Big Jewish Tent, and A Sacred Noise, among others. Most recently, he founded the Pico Union Project, an interfaith community center near L.A.’s downtown that celebrates diversity and unity within the framework of art, music, and worship.

Herschel Fox_prCantor Herschel Fox
at the Town Center 5 (Encino)
For over three decades, HERSCHEL FOX (top) has shared his knowledge, talent, and Yiddishkeit with Temple Valley Beth Shalom (Encino) and the greater L.A Jewish community. Born in Europe and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, among Holocaust survivors, he became a cantor at the age of 13.  In his early career, he performed in Yiddish theater, opening for Molly Picon, Fiddler’s “Yente the Matchmaker” for many years. Fox teaches classes in Yiddish language, culture and song, prayer and the art of the cantor.

Phil Baron_prCantor Phil Baron
at the Town Center 5 (Encino)
Also of VBS (Valley Beth Shalom), cantor PHIL BARON (left) is the son of a violinist and the grandson of a Vilna rabbi. Before becoming a cantor, he took a successful detour into children’s entertainment, where he had over 300 original songs recorded – nearly 200 of these by the Walt Disney Co. He co-created two television series for Jewish children, Bubbe’s Boarding House, and the multiple award-winning series Alef…Bet…Blast-off! As a vocalist he has been featured with the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra and the New Orleans Philharmonic.

Gary Wexler_prGary Wexler at the Playhouse 7 (Pasadena)
GARY WEXLER is a USC Adjunct Professor in the Masters program at the Annenberg School of Communication, teaching both Nonprofit Marketing, as well as Advertising and Copywriting. Wexler’s first career was as a Clio-winning copywriter for ad agencies such as Chiat-Day, DDB-Needham and others with clients ranging from Apple to Coca Cola. He since made the switch to the non-profit world, working with over 1000 nonprofits, including the foundations of Steven Spielberg, the Ford Foundation, United Ways and Jewish Federations. Today, he is an active blogger, consultant, seminar leader, and public speaker.

Naomi Ackerman_prNaomi Ackerman at the Royal (West L.A.)
An actress, social activist, and special education teacher, NAOMI ACKERMAN’s credits include theater, musicals, films, television as well as being an accomplished street performer and professional clown. She was a founding member of View Points an Arab Jewish dialogue theater produced by the Shimon Peres Center for Peace. In addition, she wrote, directed and performed the acclaimed one woman show Flowers Aren’t Enough. In 2011 she founded The Advot Project, transforming the lives of incarcerated girls in the L.A. probations system through drama instruction. This garnered her KCET’s Local Hero Award in 2014.

Paul Buch_prCantor Paul Buch at the Claremont 5 (Claremont)
Cantor PAUL BUCH has served Temple Beth Israel in Claremont since 2003. He came to the cantorate after a 25 year career in TV and film production in Los Angeles, New York, and Portland. In addition to his cantorial duties, Buch is President of the Claremont Interfaith Council and serves on the Faith-Based Roundtable of the Pomona Unified School District. He is also Chair of the City of Claremont’s Human Relations Committee and serves on an advisory committee at the Claremont School of Theology. This will be his third consecutive year as our Fiddler host in Claremont!