Best of Broadway singles up for grabs
Monday’s the day when you can start buying tickets for individual shows in WestCoast Entertainment’s Best of Broadway season.
Previously, you had to fork over for an entire season subscription. But Monday at 10 a.m., you can snag tickets to any of the four shows in the subscription season or any of the four add-on shows.
The lineup looks like this, all at the INB Performing Arts Center (formerly the Opera House):
• “Movin’ Out,” Sept. 25-30 – The Tony-winning Twyla Tharp musical featuring the music of Billy Joel.
• The Chad Mitchell Trio, Oct. 6 – The reunion of Spokane’s homegrown folk music group.
• “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” Oct. 30-Nov. 4 – The musical version of the movie comedy about con men on the Riviera.
• “The Wedding Singer,” Nov. 27-Dec. 2 – The musical version of the movie about matrimonial hijinks.
• “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Dec. 18-19 – Ted Neeley stars in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical about the life of Christ.
• “Riverdance,” Jan. 18-20 – The popular show celebrating Irish step-dancing and all things Celtic.
• “Gypsy,” Feb. 21-24 – The classic musical about stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.
• “Mamma Mia,” March 25-30 – The ABBA musical, back for another Spokane run.
Tickets will be available through TicketsWest outlets (509-325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).
Local ‘Hearts’ on DVD
“Lonely Hearts,” the John Travolta-Salma Hayek film partly filmed in Spokane, is now out on DVD.
The movie, about the notorious Lonely Hearts Killers of the 1940s, had a disappointing theatrical run last spring, yet it’s worth renting for more than just its brief Spokane scenes.
It features a chilling performance by Hayek as one of the killers and a brooding performance by Travolta as the detective who stalks them. It also stars James Gandolfini (“The Sopranos”) and Jared Leto (“Panic Room”).
The local scenes were shot in the Davenport Hotel. Watch for a ballroom dancing scene and another scene in which Leto, the other half of the murderous pair, sweet-talks a series of lonely widows. Also, watch for Ellen Travolta, Coeur d’Alene resident, who plays Ida.
A local ‘Bourne’ actor
Yes, that’s Trevor St. John, who appeared on Spokane stages in the 1990s, in the new movie “The Bourne Ultimatum.”
St. John plays the role of “tactical team leader,” and he has the distinction of chasing Matt Damon down the streets of Manhattan.
St. John is a 1989 West Valley High School graduate and a 1993 Whitworth College grad. He has been in a number of movies, including “Dogtown,” “Crimson Tide” and “Bio-Dome,” yet he is probably best known for his long-running role of Todd Manning on the soap opera “One Life to Live.”
A TV news expansion
KHQ-6 announced last week that it is adding two new local news shows:
• A one-hour newscast on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., anchored by Tom Durian and Jennifer Kim, debuting on Sept. 16.
• “The Best Local Sports Show,” a half-hour sports show slated to air after NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” beginning Sept. 9. Anchors will be John Fritz and Derek Deis.
Also, KHQ’s weekday morning news show will begin a half-hour earlier, at 4:30 a.m., beginning on Sept. 10.
This expansion will give KHQ 33 hours of local programming every week.
Arts awards deadline
The Spokane Arts Commission is taking nominations until Aug. 15 for its annual Arts Awards.
Categories include arts organization, individual artist, arts benefactor and arts education program. For nomination forms, call (509) 625-6050 or go to www.spokanearts.org.