Canoga Park , CA — On September 17, the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley received a $10,000 donation from Time Warner Cable to enhance their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs for the new school year. The Robo Tech program will provide local youth the opportunity to work with Lego Mindstorms, a selfcontained kit that provides an introduction to robotics. Club members (ages 6-13) will work in groups, use the kits, and follow tutorials to build a robot that interacts with its environment in numerous ways.
“More than 80 percent of the children we serve come from families living beneath the poverty level,” said Jan Sobel, president/CEO for the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley. “Time Warner Cable will provide the opportunity for 500 children to explore STEM with these programs and will help us reach our goals to inspire the Valley youth with their $10,000 donation,” added Sobel. Time Warner Cable presents the donation as part of Connect a Million Minds (CAMM), the company’s five-year, $100 million initiative to inspire the next generation of problem solvers by connecting young people to the wonders of STEM. “Time Warner Cable is a leader in giving back to the communities we serve.
By investing in our youth, we work toward building a better and brighter future for them, their families and our communities,” said Katie Beardsley, community relations director for Time Warner Cable. ‘The Book Of Mormon’ — On A Mission To Make You Laugh By Theda Kleinhans Reichman High spirits, high energy, a spirited, likeable cast plus a star studded audience were all hallmarks of the Wednesday, September 12 opening night of the West Coast Premiere of the Tony Award Winning musical “The Book of Mormon” at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.
The excitement level was high even before one entered the theatre since we had the chance to bump into such high level celebs as director Garry Marshall with his daughter Kathleen, Talk Radio host Doug McIntyre and his lovely wife Penny, Neil Patrick Harris of TV‘s “How I Met Your Mother’ and comic Kathy Griffin to name but a few. The cast for the West Coast Premier could not be more wonderful. Gavin Creel is a terrific singer, dancer and comedian in the role of Elder Price, a bright but overly full of himself Elder who’s Mormon dream is to perform his Mission in Orlando because there is so much to see and do there.
He is teamed with Elder Cunningham (Jared Gertner from the original Broadway cast) who is short, humble and given to flights of imagination when it cones to interpreting “the Book.” This unlikely duo is shipped off to Africa, where life is pretty scary and the prospects of even one conversion seem truly bleak. One of the most adorable members of the tribe they are sent to save is Nabulungi, played by Samantha Marie Ware who played Nala in Disney’s “Lion King” in Las Vegas. One of the musical highlights in “Mormon” is Creel’s beautiful rendition of the song “Believe.” And Gertner, as the endearing Mormon nebbish, is as cuddly as a baby lion cub. While “The Book of Mormon” takes an irreverent, but hilarious, look at the Mormon faith, the “Playbill” is proof that Mormons have a sense of humor too and can take a joke even when it’s on them.
Throughout the program are full page color spots saying “I’ve Read the Book,” “The Book Is Always Better” and “You’ve Seen the Play… Now Read the Book.” “Mormon” will keep a smile on your face throughout and like Monty Python, it spoofs everyone, so no one in particular should be offended. However, this hilarious musical is R rated, so it is not suitable for young children. Note, there will be a “day of show” lottery at the Pantages, making a limited number of tickets available every day at $25 apiece, cash only. Entries accepted at the Box Office 2.5 hours prior to show time. Two tickets maximum. For more information, visit BookofMormonThe Musical.com.