Page 20 Thursday, May 27, 1999 The Westfield Leader and THE TIMES of Scotch Plains – Fanwood A WATCHUNG COMMUNICATIONS, INC. PUBLICATION ArtsArts andand EntertainmentEntertainment POPCORN Tea With Mussolini SSTATE OF THE AART Includes A Tasty Serving of Ham By Michael S. Goldberger One Popcorn, Poor • Two Popcorns, Fair • Three Popcorns, Good • Four Popcorns, Excellent 3 popcorns be no pending of civilization for Lady Tea With Mussolini, like life itself, Hester. Besides, Benito would never Literature (973) 347-0900. The Crossroads will host the has no plot per se. Just a goal to allow any harm to come to a woman of Barnes & Noble in Clark will Funky Black Widows on Friday, survive and flourish. The delightful such high station, or so she egotisti- host its In the Dance Presentation sisterhood at the center of director cally believes. She has bought May 28; BBQ Bob & The Spare- Franco Zeffirelli’s semi-autobio- Mussolini’s propaganda, hook line on Sunday, June 2, at 1 p.m. ribs on Saturday, May 29, and with the Cindy Smith Dance graphical valentine to his formative and sinker. But just to be sure, after Juggling Suns on Thursday, youth is driven by those aims. one unsettling afternoon that sees Studio. June 3. Wonderfully elite and fabulously the notorious black shirts roam the Music The Summit Chorale will pretentious, the film’s three Brits and streets of Florence perpetrating ran- present its Mozart & More con- two Americans expatriated to Flo- dom acts of meanness, the doyenne rence some time ago, taking it upon New Jersey Performing Arts cert on Tuesday, June 1, at 8 asks for an audience with the dictator. Center themselves to preserve a way of life And just in case you were wonder- will present the follow- p.m. at Drew University’s that was probably dead years before ing, yes, she and the gang do get to ing: United Way Showcase today, Baldwin Gymnasium, Madison they were born. Dilettantes have tea with Mussolini. May 27, for children; a His- Avenue, Route 124. For more extraordinaire, they are patrons of One must wonder what it says about panic Youth Showcase for chil- information, please call (973) the arts, keepers of the culture. the top fascist’s intelligence sources dren on Friday, May 28, and a 762-8486. Rabidly defending their calling with that this get-together comes off. The musical/variety production of Art a biting wit born of dedicated urban- total implausibility makes it quite a Smokey Joe’s Café on Tuesday- ity, they have come to be known as the chuckle. And because he thinks his Thursday, June 1-4. For ticket The Watchung Arts Center Scorpioni. guest may have important connec- information, please call 1-888- will hold a Reception for Artists, Among the English contingent, tions in high places, Il Duce assures GO-NJPAC. there is Lady Hester (Maggie Smith), his aristocratic visitor that she enjoys Raph Garafolo and Downstairs autocratic widow of the late ambassa- his personal protection. The Watchung Arts Center Gallery, Patricia Rosenbald. will offer its Jazz Series with Rose Squared Productions, dor to Italy and the tacitly acknowl- It is at this point, when a self-satis- I edged leader of the clique; of course, fied Lady Hester takes charge and LLUSION ARTIST…Edward Saridaki, an eighth grader from Park Middle School the Boilermakers on Saturday, Inc. will present an Arts & Crafts her specialty is manners. decides to pour, that you begin specu- in Scotch Plains was recently recognized for his black and white Optical Illusion that June 5, at 8 p.m. Show at Nomahegan Park, Swooning Arabella (Judi Dench), lating what sort of acting award nomi- was one of the art pieces selected for the traveling Teen Arts exhibits touring Union Waterloo Village will hold a Springfield Avenue, Cranford whose whole life is one swirling palette nations Miss Smith will garner. County for a year. Pictured, left to right, are: Park Middle School Principal Rocco Collucci, Edward Saridaki and Art Teacher, Victor Morosco. Blues & Wine at Waterloo con- on Saturday and Sunday, June 5 of performance art, is forever climb- Impatient moviegoers should be cert with The Black Widow ing some precarious ladder to save a and 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. warned. Tea With Mussolini unravels Blues Band & The Pressure Rain or shine. fresco in dishabille. She is dedicated to quite leisurely, using almost its entire Cookers on Saturday and Sun- her ubiquitous dog, Billy Boy. first half for character exposition and Two-Month Photography,,, day, May 29 and 30, from noon Theatre And then there’s motherly Mary sowing little story details. Happily, (Joan Plowright), a romantic devotee there is historically romantic Florence to 5 p.m. There will also be a Westfield Community Play- of Shakespeare but a thorough prag- to dazzle our eyes and imaginations Memorial Day celebration on ers will continue its production matist who, unlike her wealthy pals, while we’re waiting for the action to Oil Show Slated at CSH Monday, May 31, at 1 p.m. and of Run for Your Wife at 8 p.m. on must work as a secretary/translator in begin. So be sure to catch the sights, 3 p.m. at the Village. On Thurs- Friday, June 4, and Saturday, order to maintain her Florentine photographed by David Watkin (Out day, June 3, The New Jersey Sym- June 5, at 1000 North Avenue, lifestyle. Of Africa). Because once this ensemble MOUNTAINSIDE – Children’s at the Fashion Institute of Tech- phony Orchestra String Quartet West in Westfield. For more in- Rounding out the coterie of dreamy of grand dames swings into gear, they Specialized Hospital (CSH) will nology where she graduated ma- will perform at 7:30 p.m. For dabblers are the two Yanks. Lily Tomlin formation, please call (732) ravish the scenery. present the work of photographers gna cum laude. more information, please call 906-4575. is steadfast Georgie, who, as an ahead- With Maggie Smith setting the tone, James J. Stachecki of Parsippany Ms. Gandhi’s photographs and of-her time archeologist, makes no the Misses Plowright and Dench fol- bones about her lesbianism. and Purnima Gandhi of Jersey City articles have been published in low suit, realizing their characters with along with oil paintings by Sharon newspapers and periodicals in In- And Cher is Elsa Morganthal, a unmitigated indulgence. And Cher Music Students Awarded joyously ostentatious, former Ziegfeld engages in a bit of flamboyance of her Miller of Highland Park during dia. girl who has parlayed a show business own as goodhearted Elsa. June and July. A student of Indian Scriptures career into several wealth-building But when the gold digger steps out Mr. Stachecki, an amateur na- and Philosophy, Ms. Gandhi has In National Competition marriages and a penchant for Picassos. of character and fancies an Italian law- ture photographer who holds a attended spiritual study camps and Incidentally, she is Jewish. yer her own age, the results are ironic. doctoral degree in Physiology and made three trips through the Hi- The intrepid klatch adds a special Expectedly, the English ladies don’t works in a reproductive research malayan Mountains. Photographs project to its list of humanitarian fully approve of their American cous- SCOTCH PLAINS – The Music De- place, excellent rating. causes when they informally adopt ins, and the various relationships come lab at St. Barnabas Medical Cen- of these journeys will be featured partment Evaluation held in Bos- · Barbershop Quartet: First Luca (Charlie Lucas), the illegitimate into sharp focus after Italy declares war ter, hopes to increase public aware- in the exhibition. ton from April 23 to 25 awarded place, excellent rating. son of Mary’s self-centered, haber- on England and the proverbial wicket ness of endangered animals Ms. Miller’s exhibition, which music students from the Scotch · Indoor Color Guard: First dasher boss. Originally consigned to grows sticky. Classified as “resident through his photographs. is comprised of portraits and land- Plains-Fanwood school district for place, excellent rating. turn Luca into a “proper English aliens,” the Scorpioni are hustled away He has exhibited his photos and scapes in oil, will feature work in their accomplishments. It was a In addition, the Moonglowers gentleman,” Mary insists on the ex- to meager digs in the mountains. received numerous contest awards. both small and large format. national competition featuring received the Overall Jazz Award panded role, enlisting her friends But when good fortune seems to strike His work has been published in Since a recent return to full- when it becomes apparent that the and the detainees are relocated to a high schools from Ohio, New for highest score and the Best philandering clothier’s shamelessly hotel, Lady Hester still holds that old magazines including Nature Pho- time painting after a career as a York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Woodwind, Trumpet and Rhythm indifferent attitude is shortchanging friend Benito is most likely their bene- tography. He was also named the freelance commercial artist, ob- Connecticut and Delaware. Overall awards. the little boy (presumably director factor. The truth is more interesting. winner in the “plant life” category taining her New Jersey Teachers · Moonglowers: First place, The Wind Ensemble also re- Zeffirelli as a child). Hester and her hothouse flowers in World Wildlife Fund’s annual Certification and raising two young superior rating. ceived the William Revelli Award Like a chanting chorus of mass-pro- are allowed their shenanigans for the photo contest. children, Ms. Miller has exhibited · Concert Band: First place, for the Highest Concert Band duced Auntie Mames, the old gals be- same reason that we let Maggie Smith Mr.