Monthly Archives: March 2008

‘Carmen’ casts a spell at the Royal Opera House

By Ray Bennett A long overdue visit to London’s Royal Opera House Friday was a revelation. The vast gorgeous white complex, overhauled in the 1990s, is breathtaking even before you enter the beautiful auditorium. The prices are jaw-dropping but when … Continue reading

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Actor Richard Widmark dies at 93

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Richard Widmark, who has died aged 93, made an indelible impression as a psychopathic criminal in Henry Hathaway’s 1947 Victor Mature vehicle “Kiss of Death”. It won the Minnesota-born actor an Academy Award nomination as … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘God of Carnage’

By Ray Bennett A civilized meeting of two married couples to discuss the misbehavior of one of their children descends into an evening of virtual hand-to-hand combat in a star-laden production of Yasmina Reza’s new play “God of Carnage” at … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Jersey Boys’

By Ray Bennett LONDON –”Jersey Boys,” the pop musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons that has had a long Tony Award-winning Broadway run, finally made it to London’s West End with a British cast and it’s great finally to … Continue reading

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Paul Schofield dies

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The great actor Paul Scofield, 1966 Oscar-winner for “A Man For All Seasons,” has died. He was 86. Reuters says he died peacefully at a hospital near his home in southern England, quoting his agent … Continue reading

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‘English Patient’ director Anthony Minghella dies

By Ray Bennett Oscar-winning British film director Anthony Minghella, whose epic “The English Patient” won nine 1997 Academy Awards including best picture, has died. He was 54. Minghella’s agent said he died Tuesday morning of a brain hemorhage. “He was … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Noel Coward’s ‘The Vortex’

By Ray Bennett Noel Coward wrote “The Vortex” in 1924 as a cautionary tale about the price to be paid for overindulging in the roaring ’20s, but his characters appear frightfully shallow and their antics tiresomely petty in the 21st … Continue reading

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Olivier Awards performances rock the joint

By Ray Bennett LONDON – The joint was jumping at the Olivier Awards Sunday night with performances from the nominated musicals and a tribute to the works of lifetime achievement honouree Andrew Lloyd Webber. Most unforgettable was the reaction of … Continue reading

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OLIVIER AWARDS: Wins for Ejiofor, Scott Thomas, ‘Hairspray’

By Ray Bennett LONDON – Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kristin Scott Thomas (left) and the Broadway smash “Hairspray” won top honors Sunday at the Laurence Olivier Awards, Britain’s equivalent of the Tony Awards. Ejiofor was named best actor for his title … Continue reading

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THEATRE REVIEW: Miller’s ‘The Man Who Had All the Luck’

By Ray Bennett London’s Donmar Warehouse has taken a forgotten play by Arthur Miller, “The Man Who Had All the Luck,” which folded after four performances on Broadway in 1944, and reveals that it deserves an honored place among the … Continue reading

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