HOTTER IN HOLLYWOOD

SPIRITUALITY CAMP Hot Wholeness by Nina Weinman

Canyon Ranch Spa and Health Resort in Tucson is the life.  If only every day we could have three fantastic, healthy meals prepared for us, our beds made and tightly tucked, unlimited new and innovative fitness activities, informative lectures and then, top it off with a glorious 9pm massage from an adorable guy named Damien.  Like I said... the life!  **

For the past 9 years, I've spent every Memorial Day at the Ranch and I can assure you, after an 8 day, 7 night vacation, you just want more. More pampering, more classes, more hikes, more education.  But the biggest benefit always seems to be the self-realization.  For instance, I learned in one lecture that I am not psychic at all.  Not even a little bit and if I close my eyes really tight.  I also learned in the Fit Strip dance class that the dance training of my youth could've made me quite the stripper in my adulthood.  Please place dollar bills in my leotard...
But most of all, Canyon Ranch is bathed in peace and serenity.  When you reach the top of the mountain on a hike and look out at the painted desert, you can't help but feel great into the depths of the soul.  It is the ultimate gift to yourself and don't let the rates on the website scare you away.  Group rates, first-timer rates and other specials are always available.  You work hard all year.  Don't you owe it to yourself??  www.canyonranch.com

** this is Canyon Ranch, not Thailand... their massage therapists are consummate professionals.  Get your mind out of the gutter!

The Farnsworth Invention Hot Tips by Nina Weinman

What would we do without television? Where would we be if there were no Carrie Bradshaw? No Sam Malone? No "Law & Order" fifty-two times a week? Thanks to the brilliance of Idaho farm boy Philo T. Farnsworth and the wherewithal of broadcasting Czar, David Sarnoff, we'll never have to know (though that could change if the writer's strike continues much longer).

Aaron Sorkin's latest Broadway play, "The Farnsworth Invention" poses the question, "Who is the real father of television?" Was it Farnsworth, (played brilliantly by Jimmi Simpson), or was it the man credited over the years with bringing TV to the masses, Sarnoff (the always engaging, Hank Azaria)? Sarnoff had the means; Farnsworth had the brains and the two engaged in a vicious and sometimes cutthroat race to transmit a moving image onto a television screen. Money vs Smarts. One can only guess who wins that battle.

Relying on a fictionalized narration by Farnsworth and Sarnoff respectively, Sorkin's play is steady but the entertainment factor lays in its performances. Chock full of Sorkin's snappy and slick dialogue, the two leads shine but the play rises and falls on their shoulders alone. While the scientific ins-and-outs of television are presented in laymans terms, the play veers toward the expository. However, come Tony time, watch for both Simpson's and Azaria's names to be called in the Lead Actor category. Prolific theater director, Des McAnuff does a solid job and the extensive supporting cast is strong if unmemorable.

"The Farnsworth Invention" plays through February 17, 2008 at The Music Box Theater on Broadway.

CRY BABY Hits The Stage Hot Tips by Nina Weinman

Photos by Kevin Berne

John Waters, the new go-to guy for Broadway musical source material, has been targeted again in the form of "Cry-Baby," which has been confirmed for a Broadway engagement, Spring 2008. Like its predecessor, "Hairspray," it's another two-hour joy ride that keeps a smile on your face while your toes tap to the beat. The show stars relative newcomer James Snyder as Wade "Cry Baby" Walker, a ne'er-do-well, bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who prides himself on the fact that he never cries (hence the ironic nickname) - not even when his parents were unjustly executed many years prior. He soon falls for Allison, (Elizabeth Stanley) a naive "good girl" with an inner rebel just dying to break free. Conflict ensues when Allison's betrothed, the "square" Baldwin, (a delightful Christopher J. Hanke), intervenes to keep these star-crossed lovers apart. Will true love win out in the end? Well, if you've seen the John Waters/Johnny Depp movie, you already know the answer; however, "Cry Baby" is still a journey worth taking. "Cry Baby" features a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Songs by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger. Directed by Mark Brokaw.

Plays through December 16, 2007. Mandell-Weiss Theater at The La Jolla Playhouse.

Jennifer Morrison Sparkles!by Nina Weinman

“House” star Jennifer Morrison was looking “Hot in Hollywood” this past Saturday when she presented at the second annual charity event benefiting AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Allegria. Jennifer herself was the winning bid on an original Andy Warhol lithograph for $7000!!!

Photos courtesy of Lifetime Television

On August 25th, Morrison tackles her first starring role in the Lifetime Original Movie, “The Murder of Princess Diana” , a fictional take on the events surrounding the death of Diana and her companion Dodi Al Fayed. Morrison plays Rachel Visco, a reporter covering Diana’s trip to Paris who incidentally is a witness to the crime scene. She soon learns that there are people who will stop at nothing to keep her from getting to the truth. Here's what Jennifer Morrison says about the rumors around the death of Diana. “I always try to keep my personal opinions separate from wherever I go with a character, but the fascinating thing about this is that you can take certain facts and look at them one way as just horrible coincidences — but from another perspective, you can think maybe something weird happened. That's the approach the film takes as well. As a whole, the story makes you think twice.”

Accident or Murder?? You decide. “The Murder of Princess Diana” airs on Saturday, August 25, 2007 at 9:00PM PST/EST on Lifetime.