Entertainment World Loses A Great Talent
The entertainment world has lost a great talent with the passing of Edward Albert who died September 22 of lung cancer at the age of 55. The only son of film and TV star Eddie Albert (Green Acres) and Mexican actress/dancer Margo (Lost Horizons), Albert followed in his father’s footsteps, dividing his time between acting and working to protect the environment. In recent years, he served on the California Coastal Commission and California Native American Heritage Commission. A trail was named in his honor earlier this year by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

From his parents, and especially his mother (who passed away in 1985 of brain cancer), he developed a deep appreciation for the diversity of cultures, especially the Hispanic culture and often joined her at Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles, where she volunteered her time tirelessly to bring the arts and education to the surrounding community. He often reminisced about the days before there were buildings and remembered his mother holding reading and art classes under the trees. A powerful force in establishing the culture center as a major arts and culture center in the middle of a park in East Los Angeles, Margo realized a dream that her dear friend and Plaza co-founder Frank Lopez and his wife Annie had had for years. Building a cultural center in Lincoln Park became a family affair that involved the entire family, from Eddie to Edward to his sister Maria. And proud of his multi-cultural heritage, he always made a point of highlighting it in his public appearances.

Making his acting debut at the age of 14 in The Fool Killer in 1965, Albert went on to star in a variety of films, including the 1972 film, Butterflies Are Free (opposite Goldie Hawn), which was his mother’s favorite and earned him a Golden Globe as Male Newcomer of the Year. He also made numerous guest appearances on such shows as Falcon Crest, L.A. Law, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, among others. A man of many talents, he was also a songwriter, drummer, singer, and photographer.

Albert was diagnosed with lung cancer in early 2005. He is survived by his wife, British actress Kate Woodville, their daughter Thais, and his sister, Maria Zucht.

LA LA/Olé Hollywood Awards Show Remains a Classic
Imagen Award winner Cris Franco (KCET Life & Times) and his cohorts, Latins Anonymous founders Armando Molina (artistic director of Silverlake’s Company of Angles), Luisa Leschin (writer/producer, executive story editor on the ABC series George Lopez), and Diane Rodriguez (Latino Theatre Initiative at Mark Taper Forum) haven’t lost their comedic touch as evidenced by the wonderful success of their recent collaboration in reviving their original LaLa Awards. Revived as the 2006 Olé Hollywood Awards Show, the new production celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Theatre Department of Franco's alma mater, California State University, Northridge.

The limited run of Olé Hollywood at the CSUN Little Theatre brilliantly co-directed by two time Golden Mike Award and L.A. Emmy award winner Franco and Molina, was an absolutely hilarious presentation that, although daring and ahead of its time 15 years ago, was a timely series of satirical comedy sketches just ripe for the 21st Century.

Kudos to the all-student, multi-ethnic ensemble cast (Anthony Aguilar, John-Pierre Atallah, Alexandria Ayala, Patricia Balleser, Kristina Bakrevski, Maricela Chamagua, Robert A. Cisneros, Natalie A. Cole, Anthony Espinoza, Stephen Neiswanger, Meagann Pallares, Amador Plascencia Jr., Justin Rabi, Marianna Riccio, Amy Urbina) who did an incredible job in their portrayal of 80 different characters, among them Edward James Almost, Gubernator Schwarzenegger, the Aztec Studs, Cristina Off-Keylera, Plastico Domingo, Courtney Lush, Mary Que, and Antonio Bunderas in all his glory.

The show’s 20 new sketches and song parodies explored undocumented workers, Spanglish, the Minute Men and their anti-immigrant movement, machismo, gangs, amnesty and same gender love (Wet Back Mountain).

Olé Hollywood is the result of a request by William Taylor, theatre manager at CSUN who asked Franco and Molina to come up with some material that would allow the university’s large Latino student body (26% of the enrollment) a chance to work within their own ethnic/artistic lives.

Franco and Molina also brought together a technical team of theatre professionals who bring what they call their MAD-TV meets Sabado Gigante vision. They include Valerie Dunlap (choreography), John Binkley (sets), Anthony Villarreal (costumes), Mark Svastics (lighting), Ryan Jordan (sound), and Joe Romano (orchestrations).

On December 14, Theatre CSUN celebrates the Golden Anniversary of its very first Opening Night and is extending an invitation to all its alumni and friends to join in the 50 Years of Opening Nights Alumni Party at 6:30 p.m. with wine, munchies and memories. Alumni, please RSVP to theatre@csun.edu.

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