Center Stage

So you've just inherited a struggling communist nation from a dad who took synchronized gymnastics shows to a whole new level and you want to set a new party tone. For North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un, this is achieved with some help from Minnie Mouse and Tigger frolicking on stage. And because use of the characters wasn't authorized by the Walt Disney Co., the costumes aren't exact replicas of what you find at Disneyland, which means they look a little creepy. According to the Associated Press , Disney characters danced and pranced as footage from “Snow White,” “Dumbo,” “Beauty and the Beast” and other movies played on a massive backdrop.

Joyce Rudolph ARCADIA -- Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" and "The Mikado" are musical works planned for the Festival on the Green "Center Stage" concert by the California Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, Aug. 26. Maestro Victor Vener leads the orchestra. Soloists for the Gilbert and Sullivan works will be world-renowned Opera A La Carte, under the direction of Richard Sheldon. Also on the program are Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera;" Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story;" Gioachino Rossini's "Overture to William Tell;" Edward Grieg's "Suite No. 1 from Peer Gynt," and more.

Darleene Barrientos It's been dirty, it's been tattered and it's been burned, but Americans still see Old Glory as a symbol of patriotism and freedom. The flag will move from its usual position on the sidelines to center stage Friday during the 13th annual Flag Day luncheon, sponsored by the Citizenship and Patriotism Committee of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Glendale. "It's a day that was set aside to honor our flag, and we use it also to honor our military," said Judee Kendall, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, "and to recognize people who are true patriots, someone who honors the flag and supports the military and is a good citizen."

First position, plies, shuffle steps -- basic ballet and tap-dance moves students in an introductory ballet class at the Roger Barkley Community Center in La Canada Flintridge could learn during their instructional time. Offered to children 3 to 5, the target of the class is to focus on developing coordination, balance and muscle control with individual assistance by the instructor. The class is offered 10 months a year at the center, and is taught by Center Stage Dance Academy of Los Angeles.

Joyce Rudolph Top bidders went home dreaming of the marvelous trips they'll be taking after the Big Strike Auction Friday night benefitting the Verdugo Hills Council Boy Scouts of America. Organizers kept the live auction items to 20 and the action was led by actor Gordon Jump. Scott Phillips bid the highest on a one-week oceanfront condo vacation in Cabo San Lucas. Joe Yakemonis will go coast to coast via Amtrak, visiting Disney World and Universal in Orlando, Fla., and Kay Mount is bound for Cancun for a weeklong condo stay.

BURBANK -- John Muir Middle School in Burbank is presenting a classic fairy tale, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," onstage at 6:30 p.m. today and Thursday. Written by Jessie Braham White and based on the story by the Brothers Grimm, the play is the product of a unique effort by John Muir drama and costume design students. This production is special in that the students not only work in front of the lights, but behind the scenes as well. Donna Collier's Creative Costume Design Class designed and constructed all of the costumes for the show.

The following are updates on the area's Major League Baseball players. But it never came. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Aaron Rowand popped up and Sanchez never got his chance to shine, finishing 0 for one in the game, as he ended the contest in the on-deck circle. "You live for those moments," Sanchez told mlb.com. "Unfortunately, we came up short." Sanchez gets a prolonged All-Star break, as him and the rest of the Pirates travel to play the Atlanta Braves through the weekend, beginning on Friday.

This weekend only the Assistance League of Flintridge is proud to present its summer drama workshops. Director Koni McCurdy takes the fourth to sixth grade drama students to camp in the play entitled "Terribly Terrifying Twisted Tales." While at camp, the kids will perform their very own humorously silly versions of "Frankenstein" and "Dracula." And while they have the audience in stitches, they will present two more stories also based on fractured fairy tales entitled "Sleepy Hollow" and "The Raven."

BURBANK — With only two starters returning and a whopping nine sophomores on the squad, the Crescenta Valley High girls’ water polo team’s focus this summer is on learning and building. Granted the summer’s barely started, but so far it appears the Falcons rebuilding stage is well ahead of schedule. In their first match since winning a tournament at the L.A. Watts Summer Games nearly two weeks ago, the Falcons throttled Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 14-4, at Burbank High in the first week of play in the MVPolo Summer League.

Lisa Dupuy "Guys and Dolls" has been called the quintessential Broadway musical. And for good reason -- the plot is rich, the characters colorful and the songs sublime. Glendale Centre Theatre provides a remake that is entertaining and lively. Yet with all remakes, one can't help but notice the shortcomings. The plot revolves around Nathan Detroit, organizer of the oldest established permanent floating crap game in New York, who bets fellow gambler Sky Masterson that he can't make Miss Sarah Brown, a pure-at-heart Salvation Army-type reformer, fly off to Havana with him. Nathan has problems of his own with his fiancee of 14 years, Miss Adelaide.

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE - Whether it's regarding her gracing the cover of "ESPN The Magazine Body Issue," hosting an episode of TMZ, choice words for Kim Kardashian and Michael Phelps or myriad other topics, instances, interviews and appearances, "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey has been no stranger to the spotlight since winning the Strikeforce women's bantamweight title. Now, just under two weeks from her first title defense against challenger Sarah Kaufman, Rousey's still got plenty of questions to answer and appearances to make, but she's clearly focused on the task that lies ahead when she faces Kaufman on Aug. 18 at the Valley View Casino in San Diego in the main event of Strikeforce's "Rousey vs. Kaufman" card live on Showtime.

After her husband died in 1999, Sandy Norris began fixing up his 1951 Ford Convertible. She fixed the engine and painted the exterior Georgia peach. “I didn't have any choice,” she said Saturday afternoon at Glendale's 19th annual Cruise Night. Her husband had upholstered the seats a similar color before he died of esophageal cancer, and she wanted the inside and outside to match. Ever since the La Crescenta resident upgraded the car, she's been displaying it at shows, her husband's wish.

So you've just inherited a struggling communist nation from a dad who took synchronized gymnastics shows to a whole new level and you want to set a new party tone. For North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un, this is achieved with some help from Minnie Mouse and Tigger frolicking on stage. And because use of the characters wasn't authorized by the Walt Disney Co., the costumes aren't exact replicas of what you find at Disneyland, which means they look a little creepy. According to the Associated Press , Disney characters danced and pranced as footage from “Snow White,” “Dumbo,” “Beauty and the Beast” and other movies played on a massive backdrop.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — When the boys' basketball teams from St. Francis and Glendale high met in the fifth-place game of the Glendale Community College Tournament on Sunday, they combined to produce somewhat of a summer rarity — a game that was hard-fought, truly competitive and exciting right to the conclusion of the Golden Knights' 59-51 victory. Emerson's Castaneda's late three-point shot and a quirky three-point play converted by teammate Zack Gardea with under two minutes to play were two of the deciding factors for St. Francis in what remained a one-possession game throughout most of a second half that featured numerous lead changes.

GLENDALE — The last half of 2009 brought many surprising results and stories. The area saw Crescenta Valley High graduate and former phenom Trevor Bell make his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and former Glendale Community College standout Freddy Sanchez appear in his third All-Star Game in four seasons before being dealt by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the San Francisco Giants in July. The Crescenta Valley High boys’ water polo team saw its bid to win a second consecutive CIF championship fall short during a memorable and historical boys’ water polo season that saw Glendale also advance to the semifinals and Hoover make it to the quarterfinals during a season in which Hakop Kaplanyan set a CIF Southern Section record for most goals scored in a season.

Last Friday was a wonderful night for romance at Two Strike Park. Hosted by the Crescenta Valley Arts Council, La Crescenta?s second annual Shakespeare in the Park event, in association with Southern California Lyric Theater (SCLT), brought to life the Bard?s romantic comedy, ?Much Ado About Nothing.? Under the artistic direction of Alison Eliel Kalmus, founder of SCLT, this adaptation was set in 1936 rural Italy, complete with zoot suits and backless evening gowns which put the play in a timeframe more familiar to the audience.

BURBANK — With only two starters returning and a whopping nine sophomores on the squad, the Crescenta Valley High girls’ water polo team’s focus this summer is on learning and building. Granted the summer’s barely started, but so far it appears the Falcons rebuilding stage is well ahead of schedule. In their first match since winning a tournament at the L.A. Watts Summer Games nearly two weeks ago, the Falcons throttled Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 14-4, at Burbank High in the first week of play in the MVPolo Summer League.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — Municipal campaign reform took center stage at Fire Station 21 Wednesday evening, with regional elections officials fielding questions during a forum as the City Council readies to tackle the issue. At issue is the ability of incumbents to raise more money and outspend their first-time counterparts in elections that have become increasingly expensive in a city that has no contribution limits. The regulatory void has in recent years produced campaigns that have spent more than $200,000 in a bid for a seat on the five-member City Council.

When I first heard that Mama Mia was opening in Burbank, I had visions of the critically acclaimed Broadway musical in my mind. Well, maybe ABBA did not inspire this version, but it definitely deserves the spotlight. Mama Mia in Burbank is the latest entry in the Italian pizza and pasta take-out trend. I admit, they have some serious competition in this city alone, but if given a chance, they just might take center stage. Take note, when you first walk into Mama Mia, the stark white floor and walls may blind you for a moment.