NOT BORN YESTERDAY. December 2020. A Christmas Carol 1951, Charlie Brown Christmas, Barbara Morrison, Covid Fan Tutte

 

  A CHRISTMAS CAROL – 1951 – You Tube

Having seen many incarnations over the years, I must admit this b/w version of Charles Dickens masterpiece is simply the best ever on stage or film. Alastair Sim is marvelous as the miserly businessman who views Christmas as a waste of time. He is the bitterest, meanest Scrooge you’ll ever see, as he grudgingly allows his timid clerk to spend only one day with his family, even though his little boy, Tiny Tim, is lame and dying from TB. When alone, Scrooge is visited by ghosts and given a glimpse into his sad past, cruel present and tragic future, with a final revelation that brings a joyous conclusion.

The roster of fabulous British performers include Mervyn Johns as clerk Bob Cratchit and Hermione Baddeley (who I toured with in 1961) as Mrs. Cratchit; Michael Hordern as Scrooge’s dead partner; Kathleen Harrison as his charwoman, and George Cole as the young Scrooge when Spirit of Christmas Past (Michael Dolan) takes him back in time. Screenplay by Noel Langley uses dialogue from the original book. Produced and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst.

 

  A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS – PBS

Christmas will look vastly different for millions this year due to the coronavirus, but PBS has announced that one tradition will remain intact. The Charlie Brown holiday special “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will air on PBS and PBS Kids on December 13. This annual holiday tradition was thrown into question in October when Apple TV+ made a deal with Peanuts Worldwide and Mendelson Film Productions to be the sole home of all Peanuts’ holiday specials. When people learned that the Peanuts characters would only be on Apple TV+ thousands signed a petition to bring back Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, and the rest. Also on Apple TV+.

BARBARA MORRISON - Beverly Hills

This nightclub series at The Wallis Annenberg Center has gone virtual with all programs presented digitally on Saturday evenings at 8 pm. “Standing on Their Shoulders” on Dec. 5, brings jazz and blues singer Barbara Morrison with her musical tribute to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and other greats. “A Night of Holiday Magic” on Dec. 12, is a magical holiday surprise when four local magicians delight and amaze the entire family with awe-inspiring holiday-themed illusions. “Songs of Joy and Peace” on Dec. 19 is for those who love to sing along. Singer Audra Mae, great grandniece of Judy Garland, performs from classic holiday films, along with keyboardist Dylan Meek. All shows run approximately 45 minutes.

Info: (310) 746-4000 or Tickets@TheWallis.org

COVID FAN TUTTE – You Tube

For opera lovers here is a wildly imaginative comedic adaptation of Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte”, created and produced by the Finnish National Opera. It depicts life in the spring of 2020 as disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea came when they had to cancel the planned production of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen conceived the idea. Journalist-novelist Minna Lindgren created the libretto, selecting music from Mozart’s original and an aria each from his “Don Giovanni “and “The Magic Flute.” My opera-loving friend, playwright Anibal Aprile, advises “Do not miss this!” You can view the entire show, with English subtitles, on You Tube through March 30. Soprano Karita Mattila plays a parody of herself as a renowned opera diva trapped in Finland because of the pandemic. Ironically, both she and conductor Salonen reside in the U.S., but found themselves unable to leave Finland when the international borders were closed.