Marilyn Monroe is Alive and Well in Brea, CA

If you live in Southern California, or if you plan to be in the area on the weekend of February 8-10, you won't want to miss the hilarious and touching production, "Diva Dish," at the Brea Civic and Cultural Center's own newly remodeled Curtis Theatre. The show is written and performed by Luke Yankee whose mother, Eileen Heckart, was a popular and busy actress for over forty years, appearing on Broadway and the big screen, including winning a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award® for "Butterflies are Free." She also made numerous television appearances, including a recurring character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Ellen.

Luke is the youngest son of Heckart and John Harrison Yankee, Jr., to whom she was married from 1944 until his death in 1997.
Luke himself is an accomplished director, producer and author, but his one man show is not about his accomplishments, it's about growing up in Hollywood with Marilyn Monroe as your babysitter and Ethel Merman teaching you to make martinis.
Yankee stages a multimedia presentation, using photos that have never before been seen by the general public. But, the real attraction is simply in his telling of the stories that made up his childhood. He has such great comic timing and mimics stars like Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Lucille Ball, Paul Newman, Martha Stewart Ed Asner, to name just a few to great comic effect. Even Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan get in the act.
But, this is no Hollywood tell-all and Luke is no spoiled Hollywood brat with a bone to pick. You get the feeling there was genuine love and joy in his household and all the stories are told with an undertone of affection.

So, what, you may ask, is a show of this caliber doing in the little community of Brea California, when it's played in major metropolitan cities all over the country? Well, if you're asking, then you don't know Brea! This community of only 40,000 people (tiny by California standards) has a serious commitment to the arts, which I'll cover more in my next post.
In the meantime, I'd suggest you hurry if you want tickets to Diva Dish. There will be only three performances on the weekend of February 8-10; Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $23 for children. You can call the box office, Wednesday - Friday, 12:00 - 5:00 p.m., or order online at www.curtistheatre.com. The Curtis Theatre is located at Number 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea.

For more information on this subject or for any buying or selling needs in the Southern California, Contact me at Brea Real Estate