So Much to Do, so Little Time …
By Jean Prescott, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Miss.
Jul. 18–The calendar’s packed with things to do this weekend, lots of community theater, a high-interest movie opening, Joan Rivers and Jay Leno at casinos.
So much to do, so little time.
Let’s start with something that sounds like fun, and it also benefits a worthy cause. The 4th Annual Martini Shakedown — a whole lotta good food, live music and classy items to bid on — will be happening at the Beau Rivage for the sake of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. When? Today. What time? Seven to 11 p.m. Fifty dollars per person will get you through the door. For more information, call 888-750-7111.
Those casino shows Joan Rivers tonight at the Hard Rock, Jay Leno twice Saturday at the Beau — still have tickets available. See and hear Rivers at Hard Rock Live for just $29.99; call 374-ROCK (374-7625) for tickets and details. Leno will do shows at 7 and 9 p.m., and ticket prices range from $64.95 to $84.95.
The diva Rivers’ own Web site describes the performance scheduled for Biloxi as “live and uncensored,” with “no topics off limits.” This is the woman who designs jewelry, creates cosmetics, writes books, lectures — oh, yes, and does comedy.
Leno, of course, holds court on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” each week night, and it would seem his true love is his vast collection of motor cars. But he has enjoyed some popularity in films, notably in voice-over roles on “The Simpsons,”"South Park” and the animated movie “Robots.”
Both casino shows promise a good time.
Community theater comes on strong with two productions going into their second weekend, and two new ones debuting.
Newbies are “The Boogie Woogie Radio Show” (8 p.m. today, Center Stage) and “Once Upon a Mattress” (7 p.m. today, Jeff Davis Campus, MGCCC).
The former is a musical based on old ’40s radio shows, the latter is a classic — nearly 50 years old, having opened off-Broadway in 1959 — musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, “The Princess and the Pea.”
Center Stage is at 240 Eisenhower Drive in Biloxi, and tickets are priced $18 Friday and Saturday, $15 Sunday through Thursday. Performances repeat 8 p.m. Saturday and July 21-26 and 2 p.m. Sunday and July 27.
The Jeff Davis performances are by WINGS Performing Arts students of Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, and shows repeat at 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at J.D. Tickets, at the Discovery Center, are $12 adults; $6 students under 17 and seniors over 65.
Finally, the movie many, many people have been talking about since young Aussie actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs earlier this year.
“The Dark Knight” opened earlier in the day today at two of the Coast’s three movie theaters. Cinemark in Gulfport and The Grand in D’Iberville hosted “midnight” (actually 12:01 a.m.) showings; the Ritz in Gautier will crank up the projectors shortly after midday today.
Even with the pall of Ledger’s death around it, “The Dark Knight” promises to be worth the price of admission, with Christian Bale broadening and deepening his portrayal of the Caped Crusader, and Maggie Gyllenhaal taking over from Katie Holmes the love-interest role of Rachel Dawes. We’re betting all three theaters are showing multiple prints of this summer blockbuster, which gets three out of four stars from AP reviewer Christy Lemire.
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