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Old Globe Theatre —Sammy—The late Sammy Davis Jr. broke ground as an entertainer and as an interreligious figure. His conversion to Judaism was a sensation, with Davis later explaining that after the car accident in which he had lost an eye, he had reflected with singer Eddie Cantor about the similarities between the Jewish and American experiences. Years later, he appeared on a television special with Nancy Sinatra, and the kiss they gave each other in greeting was believed to have been the first inter-racial kiss ever seen on television. Nancy's father, Frank Sinatra, was, along with Davis, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop were members of a high-flying group of popular entertainers known as the "Rat Pack." Sammy Davis, Jr., the man, his songs, and dancing are the subject of a world premiere to be performed at the Old Globe, September 19 through Nov 8, with the title role to be filled by Obba Babatunde, whose own career was influenced by Davis. Leslie Bricusse wrote the book, and most of the music and lyrics. Curtain times and other information available on line at www.theoldglobe.org.
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San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Rabbi Hillel Silverman--A life that included service with the Haganah, and dealing as a rabbi with Jack Ruby, who killed the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, all are part of Silverman's recollections in The Time of My Life: Sixty Fulfilling Years as a Congregational Rabbi. Silverman will lecture at an author's breakfast at 9:30 a.m. at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair--Peter Yarrow—The folksinger of Peter, Paul and Mary fame, will tell of his books Day Is Done and The Peter Yarrow Songbook: Let's Sing Together, as well as in his work in Operation Respect: Don't Laugh At Me," at 12 noon, at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair --Larry King--Larry King, the most stable figure in a medium not known for its constancy, will be the 12 noon Author Lecturer at the 15th Annual San Diego Jewish Book Fair on Sun., Nov. 8 at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla. King is the Emmy Award winning host of CNN’s highest rated program, Larry King Live, the first worldwide phone-in TV talk show. Dubbed “the most remarkable talk-show host on TV ever” by TV Guide and “master of the mike” by Time Magazine, and well-known for his trademark suspenders and unmistakably avuncular voice, King will present his recently-released memoir Larry King: My Remarkable Journey. A book signing will follow.At the age of 75 plus, King marvels at his staying power for half a century on radio and TV. Today he is a nightly fixture in the lives of millions of viewers around the world, but his beginnings were quite humble. Born in Depression-Era Brooklyn in 1933 to Jewish immigrant parents, King was profoundly influenced by the death of his 44-year-old father when he was nine years old, at which time his family was forced to go on relief. Larry remembers that his first pair of glasses was purchased by the government.The young Larry Zeiger was known as Zeek the Creek the Mouthpiece because he never stopped talking. Mesmerized by the medium of radio, rejected by the military for his bad eyes, and not interested in college, King left home and moved to Miami, where a combination of persistence and good luck helped him achieve his dream of working in radio. He got a break filling in for a deejay at a Miami station, took the name of King when he was told his name was too “ethnic,” and launched his five-decade career.His next job found him broadcasting live from Charlie Bookbinder’s Pumpernik’s Jewish deli for one hour each day. He interviewed anyone who was available, making even the restaurant staff sound interesting. One day, Bobby Darrin walked in, then Jimmy Hoffa, then Danny Thomas – and soon King was a celebrity in his own right, at least at the local level.In 1964, when he got his first local TV show in Miami, he was emcee at a reception to welcome Jackie Gleason to Miami Beach. That night, Gleason and King discovered that they had much in common – Brooklyn, ethnicity (Gleason's was Irish) , absent fathers, no telephone – and their friendship began. Gleason eventually decided to appear on King’s midnight television show. After spending five hours talking on air, Gleason asked King what was impossible in his profession. King responded, “Frank Sinatra doing my radio show for three hours on one night.”At the time, Frank Sinatra was the biggest star in the world and he never returned phone calls, let alone agreed to do interviews. But Sinatra owed Gleason a favor, and Gleason cashed in the favor for his friend Larry King. The following Monday, promptly at 9 pm, five minutes before King went live, Sinatra arrived at the station in his limo and spent three hours talking on air with King. King has done over 40,000 interviews on radio and TV: every US president since Richard Nixon (and their wives); world leaders from Margaret Thatcher to Nelson Mandela; controversial figures including Monica Lewinsky and O.J. Simpson; and sports figures, entertainers, and eyewitnesses to history’s greatest moments. Bill Maher says, “King is the master at getting people to open up and tell their own story, and finally he has done it himself.” Bill Clinton says that King’s autobiography “tackles perhaps his most interesting subject yet: his own story.” King is unabashedly candid about the less savory elements of his life: his lost jobs, his smoking habit, his various health problems, his tendency to womanize, his eight marriages, the children he fathered but didn’t raise (one of whom he met only once – the “child” was 33 years old), having been down to his last $2 when he won $8,000 at the racetrack, the financial indiscretions that resulted in his 1971 arrest for grand larceny, and even getting thrown out of his son’s Little League game for arguing over an umpire’s call. King is also honest about the fortuity of his success – being in the right place at the right time, having help from the right people, and coming to maturity when television was in its infancy. But there is no discounting King’s determination and dedication. Kirkus Reviews says that King had “the archetypal American life… a regular neighborhood guy who rises to the top through sheer gumption and force of personality.” At 75, he has the same enthusiasm each day as he had as a boy announcing cars driving on Brooklyn streets.In addition to his broadcast credits, King founded the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars and provided life-saving cardiac procedures for needy children and adults. King also established a $1 million journalism scholarship at George Washington University’s School of Media and Affairs for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.King is married to singer/actress Shawn Southwick-King and is the father of Andy, Larry Jr., Chaia, Chance and Cannon and stepfather to Danny Southwick.
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Rob Kurtz—This author of fiction for juveniles will share his book, Seamus McManus: The Goat Who Would be King, at 1:15 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—David Ginsburg— Children will hear Ginsburg tell a story about his experiences diving in the ocean, a story that was captured in Menorah Under the Sea, at 1:30 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—David Sacks—The children's book author will tell of his latest, Vigfus the Viking, at 1:45 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Noah Alper— He made a fortune creating and then selling Noah's Bagels to the Einstein Brothers, and he tells the story in Business Mensch: Timeless Wisdom for Today' Entrepreneur at 2 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Kids production—Based on The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse, a special guest producer will write, cast and direct this play this year featuring some favorite kid actors from the community, at 2 p.m. and again at 3 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—David Weiss—The writer will share his book, Carl the Frog, with children at 2:20 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Jacqueline Dembar Greene—The author of the multibook The American Girl Rebecca series, Greene will host an 'American Girl's Tea Party and storytime, with a silent auction of a doll and the six-book set, at 2:30 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Dava Savel—The author of The Town of Zack tells children all about that mythical place, at 2:45 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Susan Rice Goldman—The prolific writer of children's books, especially on the subject of famous artists, will lecture at 3:20 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Ernest H. Adams --From Ghetto to Ghetto: An African American Journey to Judaism will be the subject of the author's lecture at 3:30 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—April Halprin—In a Reader's Theatre production, the children's book author will choose kids from the audience to help act out the book, New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story, at 3:45 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Matthue Roth--Hasidic in his life style and secular in his writing interests, Roth will discuss two recent books, Losers, about a Russian immigrant who makes it into the social heirarchy; and Candy, a part time model whose carefree college trip to Europe is interrupted by a stalker, at 5 p.m., at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
San Diego Jewish Book Fair—Rabbi Joseph Telushkin—The author of fifteen books, Rabbi Telushkin talks about his latest, A Code of Jewish Ethics: Love Your Neighbor As Yourself, at 7:30 p.m. in the 24th Annual Robert Siegel Memorial Lecture, at the Lawrence Family JCC, 4126 Executive Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037. Information and book fair tickets at (858)362-1348, or via www.lfjcc.org/sdjbf
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