Barfly: ECC’s Rent deserves an audience
by Deb L
Last Chance: Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer prize winning musical, “Rent,” closes this weekend at El Camino College, so you have three chances left to see it: Friday, March 26, Saturday, March 27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 28 at 3 p.m. I highly recommend you do. $25 bucks per person is a steal. I have many times paid $150 per ticket over the past 14 years, during which I have seen it 19 times, including several times on Broadway with the original cast. ECC director Bill George’s uncut version compares favorably to the NY original. In fact, I believe the Neil Moutrey, who plays Mark Cohen is in the top five “Marks” I have seen. Keep in mind that I am partial to the original cast and I have also seen Doogie Howser, (Neil Patrick Harris) in the part, which is why I say top five. Really, he is probably my third fave. Rent became a cult phenomenon in NY Jonathan larson shopping his rock opera around for 12 years. He died suddenly and unexpectedly the night before it opened back on January 25, 1996.
Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre used to do a $20 lottery for tickets. You put your name on a list and after the opening act began, they’d call a certain number of names for the $20 tickets. Those of us who worked in the City would take turns running over there on our lunch hour to get our groups’ names down and then we’d meet for happy hour after work and then head over. That’s the reason we all saw it so many times. Don’t miss your chance to see it close by and at a bargain price. Call (310) 329-5345, (800) 832-2787, or check out centerforthearts.org for more info and remember to “measure your life in love” because there is “no day but today”…
Water for Life: This week is World Water Week. Darren’s Restaurant, Manhattan Ave, MB is participating in the UNICEF Tap Project, which promotes the cause of getting children around the world clean drinking water. This week, until Sunday, March 28, when you order drinks/food at Darren’s the normally complimentary tap water will be offered with a $1 donation for UNICEF. That dollar will provide a child with clean drinking water for 40 days. Last year, UNICEF raised almost $1 million in one week with this program, so if you think, “What’s my measly dollar going to do?” well, there it is. Call Darren’s at (310) 802-1793 or check out darrensrestaurant.com and tapproject.org.
Special Treat: The famous, or infamous, Joe’s Band jams at Upper Manhattan, Highland Ave, MB tomorrow, Friday, March 26, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Joe says, “Upper Manhattan becomes Husong’s Cantina with a night of great music, dancing, friends, libations, vibrations and sinsations.” Worldbeat, reggae, originals and dance club music by the eight piece, girl/guy band including congas and horns. They put on a great show and bring a positive vibe wherever they go. Call 310.545.2091 or go to uppermanhattanlounge.com for more info…
It was Wine Bargain: Or was it? BevMo had a special promotion during February and March. Buy one bottle of wine and another for five cents. Sounds like a steal right? Wrong. I was at World Market in the El Segundo Center on Rosecrans/Sepulveda buying new curtains and the guy who was helping me happened to be the resident wine expert. I showed him my list of the wines that were included in the BevMo, deal along with the prices from the BevMo ad. He gave me a sly grin and walked me over to his wine department. The Coppola Diamond Petite Sirah 2007 which was selling for $18.99 at BevMo was $9.97 at World Market. Doing the math, two bottles would have been cheaper at BevMo, but by only 90 cents. I started looking through the list and comparing it to regular prices at World Market, Vons and Trader Joe’s, and found that most of the bottles listed on the BevMo uber sale circular were roughly double the prices of my regular haunts. So I will stick with my tried and true. I found a great “everyday” bottle of a syrah/cab blend called Big Tattoo Red for $3.99 – with a big 13.7 percent alcohol, a nice screw top, which keeps better than cork and a pretty fleur de lis on the label at World Market, along with several other bottles under $6.99. If you thought of WM for home furnishings only you will be in for a nice surprise…
Questions? Comments? Contact Deb L at BarflyDebL@aol.com. ER