MALIBU GETS IN TUNE
Now that the holidays are over, it’s time to look ahead and celebrate all the New Year has to offer. If you are up for a little singing, dancing and showmanship, head over to Smothers Theatre at Pepperdine where Tommy Tune will take the stage.
Tommy has captivated audiences for 50 years and is backed up by the Manhattan Rhythm Kings in “Taps, Tunes and Tall Tales.”
The entertainer has been honored with nine Tony Awards for outstanding performer, choreographer and director.
But that’s just the beginning. He was the recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
What’s more — how many song and dance men do you know who have been declared monuments? In 2009, the New York Conservancy bestowed him with the title of a Living Landmark.
On top of it all, it’s a banner year, as he celebrates five decades in show business. So get to Pepperdine on Jan 17. It’s a great way to tune into 2015.
Also at Pepperdine is “Chuck Close: Face Forward” at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art. The exhibit features the inventive portraits from the Jordan D. Schnitzer Family Foundation.
Museum director Michael Zakian couldn’t be happier about the installation, saying, “The artist’s obsession with the human face touches upon our very humanity and captures a key element of Los Angeles culture.”
This exhibition features works depicting close friends like the contemporary composer Phillip Glass. It runs through April 5 and promises to be a head turner.
AWARD SEASON IS ON
The road to the ultimate red carpet is well underway and one can easily get dazed with all the nominees and honorees. The 2015 award season kicked off last weekend with the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Familiar local faces Robert Downey Jr. and Kate Hudson joined a galaxy of Oscar nominees in the starry crowd. On Jan. 7, it was the People’s Choice Awards, which is produced by Malibu’s Mark Burnett. The forum is strictly fan favorites in the categories of movies, music and television.
This was not to be confused with the People Magazine Awards, which took place late last month. Grammy Award winners Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams performed along with the fives – red-hot boy band 5 Seconds of Summer and Maroon 5. Nick Cannon took on the hosting duties. Malibu’s Jennifer Aniston took the cake and picked up a best actress award for her role in “Cake.” Michael Keaton won for his acclaimed performance in “Birdman.”
Jen also made the short list at the Golden Globes, which takes place Jan. 11, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which is slated for Jan. 25. The buzz all leads up to Oscar Sunday on Feb. 22. So get out your ballots, make your best guess and stay tuned.