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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New Spokane film draws plenty of gold

North by Northwest’s new movie, “The Golden Door,” set to film this month in Spokane, may sport a few recognizable faces.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, it will star Rachael Leigh Cook (“She’s All That,” “Josie and the Pussycats”) and Sarah Roemer (“Disturbia”). Rapper Snoop Dogg and young heartthrob Joseph Cross (“Flags of Our Fathers,” “Running with Scissors”) are in “final negotiations.”

Rich Cowan of North by Northwest said Thursday that the cast is still being finalized.

“The Golden Door” is a romantic comedy written and directed by David M. Rosenthal about a male, blue-collar nursing student who has a romance with the pretty young resident of a swank Manhattan building.

Yes, that means Spokane will be impersonating Manhattan.

“It’ll be fine,” said Cowan. “We have some very good locations. There will be a lot of interiors and some exteriors. We have a lot of good buildings in downtown Spokane.”

Besides, they’ll be sending a second unit to Manhattan to shoot various establishing shots.

Fox ticket frenzy

The phrases “symphony orchestra” and “ticket frenzy” don’t necessarily go together, but they did last week at the Spokane Symphony box office.

People were lined up Monday on the first day of ticket purchases for a series of concerts in November that will mark the reopening of the Fox Theater.

Surprisingly, opera star Frederica von Stade’s concert with the Spokane Symphony on Nov. 17 is giving the Tony Bennett concert on Nov. 19 a run for its money.

“Tony and Frederica are neck-and-neck, which makes me feel really good,” said the symphony’s Annie Matlow.

The good news for nonsubscribers: There should still be some seats available for both concerts when tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Last week’s sales were limited to Fox donors, symphony subscribers and Best of Broadway subscribers.

Note the phrase “some tickets.” Some of the lower price ranges for Bennett are already gone.

But there should be at least a reasonable supply of tickets still available on Tuesday for both Bennett and von Stade, as well as for Too Slim and the Taildraggers with the Spokane Jazz Orchestra on Nov. 20, and Thomas Hampson on Dec. 29.

One event that is already sold out: the $200 ticket package for the von Stade concert, which includes dinner at the Davenport Hotel. All 420 of those tickets have vanished.

So don’t wait too long. Tickets will be available through the symphony box office (509-624-1200) or TicketsWest outlets (509-325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).

Fox street party

Speaking of the Fox Theater, here’s another event – a free one.

The Fox will host an outdoor street party on Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. outside the theater on First Avenue between Monroe and Madison streets.

The street will be blocked off to make room for two bands – Civilized Animal and Hockey – along with artists’ demonstrations, an instrument “petting zoo” and a variety of family activities.

This event will be held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk.

Into their shell

Meanwhile, if you attend the Spokane Symphony’s free Comstock Park concert on Monday at 6 p.m., you’ll see the orchestra in a brand new frame.

The symphony’s new concert shell will get its debut, after the old shell was destroyed in a warehouse fire last November.

This new shell should have the same acoustic properties as the old one, with the added advantage of being lighter and easier to set up.

By the way, you might want to arrive early to stroll through the annual Fall Arts Preview area, a grouping of booths manned by members of area arts organizations.

A great place to pick up season brochures and maybe even sign up for some season tickets, it will be open from 4 to 6 p.m. on the Comstock Park grounds.

‘Tour de Farce’

CenterStage Dinner Theatre’s upcoming show, “Tour de Farce,” a comedy about marriage by Philip LaZebnik and Kingsley Day, is a two-person play featuring a pair of Spokane’s most talented actors: Troy Nickerson and Kathie Doyle Lipe.

Nickerson plays the author of the self-help guide “Marriage is Forever” and Doyle Lipe plays his not-so-happy wife. Both play numerous other characters as well.

The show runs Sept. 13 through Oct. 12. Tickets are $43 for dinner and show or $22 show only. Call CenterStage at (509) 747-8243 for reservations.