JOE MALECKI’S MANY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES will gather for a memorial service Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Outsider, Inc., 230 E. Ohio St. The studio was graciously provided by director/editor Mike LaBallarte, a friend and former NuWorld partner of Mr. Malecki. (Tributes follow story in News.)
ACTORS JEFF DANIELS and Rachel York will arrive in Chicago shortly to start rehearsals for a new musical, “The Turn of the Century,” at the Goodman Theatre, opening Sept. 19.
The writers of Tony-winning “Jersey Boys” concocted it with Goodman artistic director Robert Falls, and multi-talented, multi-honored director Tommy Tune.
Daniels is a Michigander who lives with his family in Chelsea, Mich., near Lansing, where he runs the Purple Rose Theatre. York is best known as a Broadway actress (“City of Angels”).
“THE BEAST,” the only Hollywood game in town, is working out of Chicago Studio City, which has restored its company-owned equipment inventory. L.A.-based Cinelease had supplied rolling stock to the region out of CSC, but pulled all of it out in spring when production dried up, thanks to the delay in signing the incentives bill.
A NIGHT OF STARS is coming up Oct. 18 at the Black Perspectives Tribute: Common, the Grammy-winning hip hop artist, actor ( “American Gangster” co-star) will receive the Emerging Artist Award and, as you know from reading the Reel Thing, Oscar winner Sidney Poitier will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
This all takes place at the Chase Auditorium as part of the Chicago International Film Festival celebrating its 44th year.
FIRST FILM, FIRST FESTIVAL for Flashpoint Academy’s short film. It showcases this week at the prestigious 22nd Annual Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival in Napa, California.
“The Collector” was created as part of Flashpoint’s Production in Action course, a collaboration of professional filmmakers and Flashpoint students. It was shot in August, 2007 and completed last March and the school is waiting to hear on from other festivals.
BRING 300 OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS, joshes Tom Ungar of The Ungar Group, to hear his son, Jon Ungar and his group, the Hugo, three-piece, indie pop piano rock band, perform at Scuba’s Aug. 5 at 9 p.m.
“Jon Ungar is a full time professional starving artist,” according to the short bio provided by his father. “He plays the piano and sings, and dons a ‘fro of hair not unlike a certain Stranger out of 1977 from the Bronx.”
Hugo is touring to support the U.S. economy and ever surging gas prices, in addition to promoting their debut full length album, “Uncommon Courtesy.” See
