Tag Archives: Stelio Savante

110 Stories – A City Remembers

An all-star cast of theatre, TV and film stars took part in the 10 anniversary special staging of 110 Stories in New York on Thursday and Friday night.

After all the documentaries and exhibitions on show, this was a different way to experience the events of that day – especially for a non-New Yorker like myself. Each actor had a certain part to read, a first-hand account from September 11 2001, and in the days following. Thursday night’s performance featured Katie Holmes, Stephen Baldwin, Tony Shalhoub, Ralph Macchio, Jeremy Piven, Mario Cantone (oh how we miss SATC’s Anthony!), Cynthia Nixon, and SA’s own Stelio Savante, among others.

110 Stories

Jeremy Piven

Mario Cantone

Stelio Savante

Playwright Sarah Tuft with two of the real life people behind the actor's readings

Take a listen to Ralph, Jeremy and Stelio speak about their reasons for taking part in 110 Stories.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The play manages to skillfully blend bits and pieces of stories together into a tapestry of experience, so you get an understanding of what various people went through – from a First Responder to a volunteer to even a rescue dog. That is testimony to Sarah Tuft’s writing, and the audience is all the more enriched having the words brought to life by esteemed actors like the ones on this bill.

A Night of 110 Stories – Stars to Remember 9/11

9/11 Memorial

It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been nearly 10 years since 9/11 happened. The area around the World Trade Center is going through much construction and building to create the memorial where the lives of those that died that day will be forever remembered in architecture and space, at the site where one of the attacks occurred.

South African-born LA-based actor Stelio Savante lived in New York for 15 years, before moving to the West Coast, and was in the city when the events of that day unfolded. In the years following, Savante has been involved in producing a play called 110 Stories, which features readings of first-hand accounts of the tragedy. Continue reading

On the Oscar Menu

When you’ve been creating the menu for the Governors Ball (which takes place just after the ceremony) for the past 17 years, you aren’t really going to be messing with a winning formula. Especially if that formula includes these babies:

And these:

But Wolfgang Puck has included English sole on the menu, and he says he decided on it even before British actor Colin Firth was nominated for Best Actor, or The King’s Speech had been given the nod for Best Picture. The 1500 guests at the dinner will feast on sushi, shellfish, Wolfgang’s signature salads, as well as a 26-foot buffet of chocolate!

Making the mini Kobe Cheeseburgers

Imagine sitting here...sigh!

Yum!

And outside the kitchen, more construction on the red carpet…

The predictions for Oscar Night have been made.E! News’ resident movie critic Ben Lyons reckons the top five are all shoo-in’s: The King’s Speech for Best Picture, Natalie Portman for Best Actress, Colin Firth for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress to Melissa Leo and Best Supporting Actor to Christian Bale (although he does suggest not to discount Geoffrey Rush, which I also agree with).

I chatted to South African-born, LA-based actor Stelio Savante about his Oscar picks. He is friends with Best Supporting Actor nominee John Hawkes, whom he has worked with on different projects. Stelio says he wants John to win for his role in Winter’s Bone but that it won’t mean too much to John because “he’s all about the work”. Whether or not John wins, the nomination can only be a good thing for his career, and as Stelio says, we should start to see John’s profile increasing quite a bit as a result of it.

With Stelio Savante at La Conversation in Beverly Hills

There are lots more exciting projects on the go with Stelio so I will keep you posted on that.

Off to another Oscar party, darling!