HomeColumnistsNeely Swanson (Page 4)

Neely Swanson

Italia! The name conjures romance, old-world glory, elaborate icing-topped monuments, and film and television references, which for me are impossible to escape.

“The Penguin Lessons” is based on the true-life adventure of Tom Michell, a disillusioned and cynical Englishman who opted for what he thought would be an easy road, a job at a prestigious English boarding school halfway around the world in Buenos Aires.

January, February and March have presented what seems like an endless stream of entertainment.

“One Hundred Years of Solitude,” a new Netflix miniseries based on the acclaimed novel by Gabriel García Márquez, premiered in December.

“Sondheim’s Old Friends,” now playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in its pre-Broadway run, will make you want to get up and sing and dance with the marvelous cast on stage.

“Noises Off,” a farce in three acts by Michael Frayn, is a play within a play within a play that pokes loving fun at regional productions in towns no one has ever heard of.

Continuing its excellent dance series, The Wallis presented an ambitious Los Angeles Ballet (LAB) program in two acts of choreographic vignettes following the 18 tracks of Max Richter’s “Memoryhouse.”

There were and still are some terrific films out there and more to come. Go to the theater. See a movie! 

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to the “bests” of any particular year, and this one is no different.

It’s tough to keep on top of all the new series premiering on television, what with the seemingly infinite number of streamers and the content that is, in a manner of speaking (or watching), thrown against the wall to see what will stick.