August 03, 2007

Films and Live Improv Highlight Lucy's Birthday Celebration

In addition to hosting Friday night’s “Lucy at the Movies: A Tribute to Lucille Ball’s Film Career” during Lucy’s Birthday Celebration, author Cindy De La Hoz will also introduce Sunday morning’s Panama Lady. Both events will be in the Reg Lenna Civic Center, the former Palace Theatre where a young Lucy watched vaudeville and movies and was inspired to go into show business.

Ms. De La Hoz will be in Jamestown, New York, for the debut of Lucy at the Movies, a 368-page hardcover volume featuring hundreds of pictures from The Queen of Comedy’s more than 80 feature films. Since her book will not be officially released until fall, she will be signing the limited number that the publisher has made available for the weekend festival.

The Garden of Eden is sponsoring “Lucy at the Movies,” and Sunday’s 10:30 am event will begin with refreshments provided by The Donut Connection. Ms. De La Hoz will introduce the 1939 RKO-Radio Picture Panama Lady, which finds heroine Lucille Ball broke and stranded in Panama after being fired from her job as a chorus girl. If old-fashioned fun is your cup of tea, this film, featuring a rare and intriguing performance by Lucille Ball, is for you!

Other screening opportunities during the August 3-5 celebration in Lucille Ball’s hometown include The Lucy Show film fests on Friday and Saturday afternoons (3 pm and 4 pm respectively) in the Reg Lenna. Weather permitting, “Lucy Under the Stars” will offer free outdoor movies on the corner of Third and Pine Streets at 9:45 on Friday and Saturday nights. Popcorn and soda will be available.

For live comedy entertainment, you can’t beat The Unexpected Guests, Jamestown’s own comedy improv troupe. The Guests will give a “Lucy” flavor to their improvisational sketches at their 11 pm performance on Friday, August 3. Members of the troupe include Len Barry, Jane Fischer, Ian Thorsell, Kipp Reynolds, and Gary Peters, Jr. You can see them in the Tropicana Room of the Rapaport Center above the Desilu Playhouse at 2 W. 3rd Street in downtown Jamestown.

For additional information on these and the many other events during Lucy’s Birthday Celebration, call or visit the Lucy-Desi Museum Gift Shop, 300 North Main Street, Jamestown, NY 14701, (716) 484-0800 (toll-free: 1-877-LUCY-FAN) or online at www.lucy-desi.com. Hours for the Lucy-Desi Museum, Desilu Playhouse, and Lucy-Desi Center Gift Shop are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays.

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