Connie Francis

Review: 'Hava Nagila' a lively portrait of the Jewish song

2013-03-14 17:15:00

The short and sweet documentary "Hava Nagila (The Movie)" is a lively portrait of what is arguably the most ubiquitous Jewish song or, as one observer wryly puts it, "the kudzu of Jewish music." Though perhaps best known to recent generations as that...

Theater review: 'Cinderella Christmas' at the El Portal

2011-12-23 16:32:58

Queen Elizabeth liner caters to formal cruisers

2011-01-24 00:00:00

Let the other ships have their rock climbing walls and their water slides, their come as-you-are and do-as-you-please ambience. On the new Queen Elizabeth, it's lawn bowling and croquet, formal nights and afternoon teas, assigned seating and fixed...

PASSINGS: Giorgio Baldi, Gene Shefrin, Ty Jurras

2011-04-16 00:00:00

GIORGIO BALDI Santa Monica trattoria owner Giorgio Baldi, 66, whose Santa Monica trattoria was a favorite among celebrities such as Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn and Rihanna, died Monday while on vacation in Mexico, his family said. The cause of death was...

At 'Cast Party,' the mike is open and the party is on

2010-03-28 00:00:00

By the time Liza Minnelli took the stage at Birdland, just after midnight, the party was in full swing: Michael Feinstein hugged the Broadway legend and a bubbly, upbeat crowd sang happy birthday to her. Parker Posey performed a wild, gyrating dance to...

Ventura, California

2008-03-27 13:19:16

Ventura, California Just 69 miles north of L.A., with beaches carved like moonscapes by wind and sea, a lovely harbor and an endearing Main Street that feels as if it's just coming to life after a long slumber, Ventura might just be one of Southern...

Pop music and jazz figures

2008-12-28 00:00:00

Pop music and jazz figures Bob Popescu, 77; co-owner of Catalina Bar & Grill, turned the Los Angeles club into one of the top jazz venues in the country (Jan. 5) Ken Nelson, 84; longtime Capitol Records talent scout had an ear for country music (Jan. 6)...

Humble history of a holiday gone wild

2008-03-10 00:00:00

The roots of spring break? Nesting birds, rutting beasts, rising sap, you know. But there's also a specifically American angle: In 1936, the swim coach of Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., brought his team to Fort Lauderdale to practice at the...

Ray Ellis dies at 85; arranger worked with Bobby Darin, Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, scores of others

2008-11-05 00:00:00

Ray Ellis, the versatile pop music arranger who wrote the charts for hits by the Four Lads, Bobby Darin, Connie Francis, Doris Day and Johnny Mathis, has died. He was 85. Ellis, a longtime resident of Ojai, died Oct. 27 of liver cancer at an assisted-...

From Key West to the beaches, Florida beckons spring breakers

2013-02-28 10:17:00

Like the college experience itself, spring break has evolved. It started with the innocent notions of Connie Francis in the 1960 film "Where the Boys Are," accelerated into the hedonistic MTV-fueled excesses of the early 1990s and down-shifted into...

Lauderdale County sounds good, but many stuck on Broward

2013-01-07 13:35:00

Should Broward County change its name to Lauderdale County? The debate is back, but I pitched the idea two years ago, when some county commissioners spoke about ramping up the Broward name in marketing efforts. Back then, there was talk of Broward...

Pop singer who topped charts for 25 years to play Sands Bethlehem Event Center

2012-10-29 04:25:00

Singer Connie Francis rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s with hits like 'Stupid Cupid' and 'Where the Boys Are.'

2010-03-24 00:00:00

Big Hits: "Blue," "Can't Fight the Moonlight," "One Way Ticket," "Nothin' 'Bout Love Makes Sense" Acting Ambitions: She played "Madison" on an episode of "Days of Our Lives," had a cameo in "Coyote Ugly" and played Connie Francis on an episode of " American Dreams ." In 2009, she co-starred with

2009-11-11 14:06:51