BEVERLY HILLS
Frances Allen Desert Roundup
“You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone,” is the musical sentiment that comes to mind upon the announcement that after more than two decades of high-energy, vaudeville-style entertainment, The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies will be closing its doors forever after the upcoming 2013-2014 season, opening Nov. 1. By the time co-founder, producer and master of ceremonies Riff Markowitz – who has never missed a single Follies performance since its premiere in 1992–takes his final bow, more than 3 million patrons will have attended at least one presentation of the Follies celebrating the music and dance of Mid-Century America with a cast ranging in age from 55 to 83. Known for its incomparable, lavish Broadway-caliber production numbers, the Follies not only employs a staff of more than 100 on-stage and back-of-the-house talent, but has on more than one occasion been credited with saving and revitalizing downtown Palm Springs by creating an attraction that literally has theatergoers arriving by the car and bus loads to line up outside the historic Plaza Theatre before every performance. It was even the subject of an Academy Award-nominated short-subject documentary. The Follies have never done things by halves and Markowitz has stated that the 23rd season will feature a “greatest hits” version of the show highlighting the best dance production numbers and variety acts of past years along with three iconic headliner (to be announced) packed into one last spectacular season. Knowing Markowitz, it will be a fitting and exciting last hurrah. Then there is the question of what to do with the historic Plaza Theatre. Opened in 1936 for the world premiere of the motion picture Camille, with Greta Garbo reportedly in the audience, the Plaza has also featured performances by such stars as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Talks are now underway between Palm Springs International Film Festival Chairman Harold Matzner and Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet concerning a retrofitting and ways to insure that the Plaza Theatre continues to be an attraction in its own right. Every evening and matinee performance of the Follies’ The Last Hurrah! Is sure to be a sellout. The performances will run from Nov. 1 to next May 18. Online ticket sales begin on July 15; the box office (760-327-0225) reopens Sept. 30.
Italy’s Revolutionary Tisanoreica Weight Loss Diet Launched By John L. Seitz The Italian Cultural Center was “the place” to be recently as celebrities from film and TV were on hand for a preview look at the Tisanoreica Diet, Italy’s most popular weight-loss program in Italy. Tisanorecia CEO Gianluca Mech stated: “What distinguishes this from other weightloss plans are what we call in Italy ‘Decotoppia’–the herbal liquid extracts my family developed during the Renaissance to promote and maintain good health. They're the original preventive medicine.” He explained how Tisanoreica products are based upon 500-year-old herbal formulas, passed down generation by generation. As the heir apparent of the family's legacy, he embarked on an ambitious 10year research program, in conjunction with the University of Padua to create a weight-loss program based on the timehonored herbal extracts. The diet was introduced locally in the spa at Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani's Mr. C Hotel, Pico and Beverwil, adjacent to Beverly Hills. Italian Consul Gen. Giuseppe Perrone welcomed a
Beverly Hills Tennis Preps Inaugural Charity Event For The Maple Counseling Center Sunday By Matt Lopez What's better than getting great exercise by hitting the tennis ball around the court for a couple of hours? Playing tennis for charity. On Sunday, Beverly Hills Tennis will give residents that opportunity, hosting the first ever Beverly Hills Tennis Charity Tournament to benefit The Maple Counseling Center. The all-day event is set to be held at the La Cienega Tennis Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will include a doubles round robin tennis tournament, a celebrity/pro exhibition, breakfast and lunch and trophies, gifts and prizes to be awarded to the winners. Beverly Hills Tennis was established as The Tennis Place Inc. in 1976 and has since become a benchmark in the Southern California tennis community. During the past 15 years, it has been the sole tennis management provider for La Cienega Tennis Center, Roxbury Park and Beverly Hills High School. It currently offers more than 120 hours per week of group and private instruction to adults and juniors of all ages. Tournaments, leagues and camps are also available and there is also a newly remodeled pro shop and outdoor patio lounge to enjoy. The Maple Counseling Center began in 1972 and offers low-fee and no-fee counseling services to people of all ages regardless of ability to pay. No visitors are turned away for lack of funds and each clients fee is determined by a sliding scale. In
June 21, 2013 | Page 21 the Tisanoreica maintenance diet. At 43-years old, the trim and fit Mech gives an appearance of a man at least 10 years younger and hardly needing a weigh-loss program. He shared that obesity ran in his family and was an issue and that despite his best efforts, he was becoming overweight until he became the first to devise the Tisanoreica Diet DIET GURU–Gianluca Mech (left) is conbased on the Decotgratulated by actress Nastassja Kinski at the topia herbal extracts.. U.S. launch of his Tisanoreica Diet. Following Mech's packed audience to Mech's presentation, guests were treatpresentation at Sala Rosellini ed to a gourmet Italian feast usTheater in Westwood. Among ing the Tisanoreica products, the celebrities attending the created for the evening by chef dinner presentation were Nas- Giuseppe Gentile of Fico, a tassja Kinski, Maria Conchita popular Italian bistro in Los AnAlonso, ballroom dancing geles. Among the dishes were champion Mary Murphy (So cheese pizza appetizers, polpeYou Think You Can Dance), tini (mini meatballs) and mushMichael Marisi Ornstein (Sons room sauce, pasta with a tradiOf Anarchy), Eye On LA pro- tional Bolognese sauce, braised ducer and writer of The Leg- beef ribs with vegetables, a ends Of Laurel Canyon Tina casserole of zucchini, rice and Malave. Parmesan cheese and for The Tisanoreica company dessert, vanilla profiteroles and holds an international patent chocolate-blackberry tarts. on the tonics, which combine “No one on the Tisanoreica 10 or more individual herbs to Diet will ever starve,” laughed create agents with unique syn- Mech, during the dinner. “We ergistic properties that stimu- now know from research that late the body's metabolism. The depriving the body of calories Tisanoreica Diet includes both in an effort to lose weight only the herbal tonics as well as line creates a yo-yo effect where ulof herbal infused food prod- timately, more weight is ucts. Scientific, evidence-based gained. The key to losing research has shown that the av- weight is stimulating the meerage adult can expect to lose tabolism through natural herbs 20 pounds in 40 days. until the ideal weight is During the presentation, achieved and then maintaining Mech said that he, too, is on it.”
Top Dentist Applies Airplane Construction Principles To Complicated Dental Procedures He is a passionate glider pilot having soared as far as southern Oregon in one memorable cross-country flight. He is also regarded among the top dentists on the Westside because of his meticulous attention to detail regarding the denCHARITY TOURNEY–Beverly Hills Tennis owners Lee Ziff (left) and tal needs of his admiring paSteve Walfish (right) flank Hally Cohen, general manager, as they make final preparations for Sunday’s charity tournament to benefit The tients. Dr. John Gonzalez graduMaple Counseling Center. ated from Santa Monica High In 2012, The center coun- of ways: either by becoming a School, U.C. Santa Barbara, seled a total of 1,932 individu- sponsor, donating products or als and couples, the youngest services, participating as a play- and then four years later rebeing 2-years-old and the old- er, supporting as a spectator or ceived his D.D.S. degree from making a financial contribution the U.C.L.A. School of Denest being 103. Beverly Hills Tennis is directly to the Maple Counsel- tistry. Since then, he has pracinviting those interested in par- ing Center. Visit www.beverly- ticed in Malibu, Century City and Brentwood, where he perticipating to do so in a number hillstennis.com. forms general and corrective World War Z Entertaining Brad Pitt Film dentistry when called upon to Okay. I avoid zombie movies like the plague. I went to see World War Z for two reasons. One being Brad Pitt, the other, Mireille Enos who stars in TV’s excellent AMC series, The Killing. Honestly, I did not expect to enjoy the movie but figured, what the heck, I’ve got to see at least one zombie flick and, besides, my wife promised she would hold my hand. Not only did she hold my hand, but punched it, squeezed it to the bone and, with her nails, permanently scarred it. To say the action sequences of thousands of zombies coming to life and climbing over and on top of each other as directed by Marc Foster are intense is like saying driving the 405 is a breeze. Brad Pitt has his hands full as a former UN operative who must travel throughout the world to stop the onslaught of the dead brought back to life from taking over the universe. Based on the novel by highly imaginative, Max Brooks, the film moves at breakneck speed with zombies scourging the earth and its inhabitants. The absurdity, notwithstanding, it is highly entertaining and never lets up. Unfortunately, as all good things, the excitement cools off near the end and leaves you with a feeling that Pitt and his production staff didn’t exactly know how to bring WWZ to a satisfying conclusion. Regardless, World War Z is the best zombie movie I have ever seen and recommend it to those who are not sissies like me, to go and appreciate the special effects and Foster’s sure handed direction. And guys, if you take your significant other, a warning, pad your arms. 2 Bagels out of 4
Jerry Cutler
on Film
John Gonzalez, DDS
restore a patient's mouth both functionally and aesthetically after the latter having received sub-standard dental treatment in another office. “The fascination and passion of dentistry for me lies in combining what I have learned in the sciences with my personal artistic talents and hobbies. Each case I work on is a unique creation in itself,” he said. In his spare time over a 7year period, he has built a 4seater power plane in which he has flown his family to Denver, Mammoth Lakes, and other spots. Dr. Gonzalez uses much of the same principles of aircraft construction in his dental practice because he claims the engineering of a plane is quite similar to the problems of constructing or reconstructing a mouth with full sets of teeth. For more information, visit his website: dentistrydoneonce.com