SOME QUICK ENTERTAINMENT PICKS


WONDER IN THE WORLD - Kelli O'Hara, Ghostlight Records

Kelli O'Hara, the acclaimed star of the hit revival of SOUTH PACIFIC, has a conveniently-timed new album out, her first, and it's a treasure. Arranged and orchestrated by Harry Connick, Jr. (her co-star in PAJAMA GAME), it is a surprisingly non-theatrical release: relaxed, intimate, thought-provoking and, at times, quite vulnerable. O'Hara is not a belter in the grand show biz tradition. Her honey-toned soprano is sweet but complexly shaded, making the listener feel like they're in a small room, sharing very personal thoughts. The material has only a few Broadway numbers: "Fable" from LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA, in a carefully re-thought swingy arrangement, and a bell-like "I Have Dreamed" from THE KING & I. James Taylor and Bill Joel are represented here, along with standards like "Make Someone Happy" and "All the Way." Other numbers are surprisingly personal and charming, including the title tune, a duet with Mr. Connick. A funky rendition of "Spooky" shows a comedic side, and even the Perry Como classic, "And I Love You So," gets a successful makeover. Throughout the album, there is truthfulness and personal commitment, and the execution is exquisite. If there is a successor to the Barbara Cook throne, it will be Ms. O'Hara, both for the quality of her instrument and her ability to live simply in a song and breathe it into life.


JULIANNE HOUGH - Julianne Hough, Universal Music

The 19-year old, two-time professional winner of DANCING WITH THE STARS is a country singer--who knew? Singing with assurance and confidence, she is a fiery youngster clearly having great fun--and talented enough to pull it off. Her dance work, of course, is supremely confident on TV, and her work here shows equal ebullience and imagination. Performing in the tradition of Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, Hough displays a lively, twangy lilt. Her energy and vitality sell the songs, which show both a quirky sense of humor and a sweetly-intended sense of empathy. If she is not quite as seasoned as one might wish, one does have to remember that she IS only 19--the colors and shadings may well come later on with life experience. In the meantime, songs like "My Hallelujah Song," "That Song in My Head," and "Hello" are entertaining and ingratiating. This is a promising debut album for a gifted young singer (with room to grow). But then again, those Hough kids are pretty amazing entertainers already--a talented family!

THE VISITOR

Tom McCarthy's THE STATION AGENT, was a charming, off-beat story of folks on the fringe. His latest, THE VISITOR, goes even further to explore those kept out of the mainstream, either by their personal demons or literally by the INS. Richard Jenkins, that sterling character actor best known perhaps as the ghost-dad on SIX FEET UNDER, plays a withdrawn Connecticut college professor merely visiting life until one day, through a series of unplanned circumstances, he arrives at his rarely used New York City apartment to find illegal aliens squatting there. The journey that begins--his opening up to life and to the plight of those forced to wander without a safe haven--is funny, stirring, and powerful. Haaz Sleiman is absolutely irresistible as the young Syrian percussionist Tarek, and Danai Gurira is terrific as his terrified mate. But when an unfortunate twist of fate befalls Tarek, the arrival of his mother brings the film to a whole other level, partly due to the amazing performance of the beautiful Hiam Abbass. This is an intimate journey into a world of the immigrant, filled with intense joy and sorrow that can only perhaps be understood by those trapped between two worlds. A must-see.

CURTAINS - Al Hirschfeld Theatre

If you've been waiting to see this swan-song musical of the estimable team of Kander and Ebb, don't wait any longer--it's closing June 29th after a run of more than a year. The good news is that David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, Karen Ziemba and most of the original cast have stayed the whole time, their teamwork is infectious, and the show is a total charmer. In an age when so-called period pieces are either arch or heavily satirized, here's a show that celebrates show biz and all it's various odd legends and styles, yet does so by inviting you in versus placing you (and the artists) above the fray. Finely-crafted, the book by the late Peter Stone and revised by Rupert Holmes is witty and clever but never heavy-handed, and David Hyde Pierce as the detective determined to find out who killed the leading lady in the Boston tryout of a Broadway-bound Western Musical (!) is the consummate ringmaster--warm, ingratiating and very very funny. It may be a crime to use the word, "amiable," but this is like spending a evening with very old, very good friends, and having an evening you'll have warm feelings about for years to come. Don't miss it!