Bali Hai May Call You

On Saturday, Amy and I attended a production of SOUTH PACIFIC at the Ahmanson Theater. This is the revival that won a passel of Tonys on Broadway.

I was in a production of SOUTH PACIFIC 27 years ago, so I know the songs and a lot of the script by heart. I certainly know the ending. Doesn't matter. I was thoroughly entertained. There's a special connection between the performers and the audience in live musical theater that you can't find anywhere else. And when the performers are as accomplished as these, being in the same theater with them as they perform is a unique pleasure.

I was struck by the simple staging: A backdrop with some rear projection, and some moveable set pieces (moved by the cast, mainly). It was quite a change from the elaborate staging you'll see in modern Webber and Disney musicals. SOUTH PACIFIC doesn't have that, because it doesn't need it.

Linda Lea's New Lease on Life

When I drive to the Second District Court of Appeal (located in the Ronald Reagan State Office Building -- yes, the Ronald Reagan SOB -- on Spring Street) to argue a case, I usually park in a pay lot just north of Third Street. The lot abuts what used to be the Linda Lea Japanese Movie Theater; and I could just see the back of the theater and the sign from the lot. According to this article in today's LA Times, the theater closed in the early '80's, and has just been demolished (a good thing, too; apparently the facade crumbled when removed).

The property's owners have plans to build a new "Imaginasian Center" in the theater's stead, showing Japanese, Chinese, Hong Kong and Indian movies. They believe that the current interest in Asian pop culture is strong enough to support the venture.

I wish them luck. Although the home movie market has made a dent in art house and foreign-movie theater attendance, nothing replaces watching a terrific movie -- especially a Hong Kong martial-arts extravaganza, a samurai flick, or an anime film -- on a big screen.