A forbidden love affair between married movie stars became Hollywood gossip in 1941 for a San Diego audience when Jeanette MacDonald crashed a Nelson Eddy concert at the Orpheum Theatre. His joyous reaction at her unexpected appearance was telling; she joined him onstage for a duet and front-row fans heard the two making plans to get together afterwards. The story of their affair is retold by San Diego native Hallie Neill in her musical “A Scandalous Affair” starring Miss Neill and Theodore Lambrinos. The show is based on Sharon Rich’s best-selling MacDonald/Eddy biography, “Sweethearts.” Rich will also present a lecture, Q&A and book signing as part of the afternoon’s events.

Hollywood’s best-kept secret is revealed with the performance of “A Scandalous Affair“ on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 3:00 pm at the San Diego Woman’s Club. The show is based on the best-selling biography of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, “Sweethearts” by Sharon Rich. Immediately following the show, Rich will give a one-hour lecture, answer questions about her research and do a book signing.

Playing the famed couple is a pair of accomplished international opera singers. Hallie Neill appears as Jeanette, with Metropolitan Opera baritone Theodore Lambrinos as Nelson.San Diegonative Ronald Morebello portrays their real-life pianist and confidante, Collins Smith.

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy were the most successful crossover stars from opera toHollywood. They had one smash hit after the next, including “Naughty Marietta” (1935), “Rose Marie” (1936) and the top grossing film internationally of 1937, “Maytime”. However, in one ofHollywood’s greatest cover-ups of all time, the pair were lovers off-screen but because of MGM studio boss Louis B. Mayer, never married each other. In fact, they carried on a 30-year affair while supposedly happily married to other people.

Ultimately, MacDonald died in 1965 of a heart attack and Eddy, heartbroken by her passing, soon followed two years later. Their epic love story seemed lost forever until Sharon Rich told the story in “Sweethearts”. Rich, who grew up in theSan Fernando Valley, was close friends with MacDonald’s older sister Blossom Rock, a character actress best known for playing Grandmama Addams on the original television series “The Addams Family”. Rock asked Rich, then studying to be a film historian, to tell the truth about her sister’s life since older biographers were afraid to expose the story with so many of the principals still alive. With Rock’s blessing and help, Rich began what would take two decades of interviews of hundreds of friends, family, co-stars and lovers of MacDonald and/or Eddy. She had access to hundreds of private love letters, diary entries, eyewitness accounts, FBI files and the unpublished memoirs of both Nelson Eddy’s mother and Jeanette MacDonald, all of which were incorporated into “Sweethearts.”

“Reading“Sweethearts” inspired me to create the show,” saysSan Diegonative Hallie Neill, writer and co-star of “A Scandalous Affair”. “After reading the book I knew that I had to bring this story to the stage where MacDonald and Eddy’s passionate love could burn in real time.” Neill and Rich, bothCaliforniagirls, finally met inNew York Citywhere they currently live, to discuss the adaptation from book to musical.

Neill’s adaptation captures all the passion, anguish and shocking truths of this tragic story. The entire production is laced with infectious humor, scandalous revelations, juicyHollywoodhistory and a spectacular mix of music by Cole Porter, Sigmund Romberg, Victor Herbert, Verdi and Giordano. The story unfolds with tragic pregnancies, sexual betrayals, and blackmail – all wrapped around those glorious, inspiring melodies of a simpler time and ending on the “high note” of their great romance!

Since launching in 2006, “A Scandalous Affair” has played to audiences across the country and received rave reviews for its captivating story and talented cast. The CD release of “A Scandalous Affair” was featured on the 50th Annual Grammy® Awards first ballot in the category of Best Musical Show Album.

Author Sharon Rich is considered by many to be the leading authority on MacDonald and Eddy in the world. She has been interviewed on TV, radio and in print and has lectured internationally and on two cruises about the team. In 1994 she was a guest speaker at the American Film Institute (East Coast) and the “Sweethearts” launch party was hosted by the AFI. The hardcover edition was a featured book in the Entertainment Book Club. In 1995 Rich was awarded a Dame of Merit by the Knights of Malta for her contribution to History and Literature. So many people contacted Rich after the hardcover edition with additional information that in 2001 she did a major update and re-released the book in softcover.

Cost of the musical show plus lecture is: $45 and $40 for students Tickets are available by calling Diane at: (619) 464-3923.

Website: http://sandiegowomansclub.org/events/a-scandalous-affair-musical/

San Diego Woman’s Club

2557 3rd Avenue

San Diego,CA92103-0510

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One of the fans who attended the 1941San Diegoconcert at the Orpheum Theatre wasLos Angelessinger and songwriter Frank Laric, who later sang with Nelson as one of his stouthearted soldiers in Eddy’s last movie, “Northwest Outpost” (1946). Laric provided the following account which has been transcribed from the video interview:

“I went down toSan Diegoto see Nelson’s concert. I had a girlfriend who lived inSan Diegoand she picked up the tickets for me, about three rows from the orchestra pit.

“It was just Nelson and his accompanist and it was a real thrill. Nelson came on, he looked so great – he looked terrific! I saw Nelson in two other concerts after that, one inLos Angelesand one inSan Francisco. It seemed like he followed a certain pattern. He used to sing songs like “The Blind Ploughman” and classical and semi-classical arias. On all three occasions I saw Nelson in concert, he would stop and take requests from his motion pictures with Jeanette.

“The first concert was extremely interesting because unknown to anyone and unexpected even to Nelson himself, Jeanette showed up at the concert. Nelson had just gotten through singing “Rose Marie,” I think it was, and started singing “Will You Remember”…and he got through the intro and got to “Sweetheart, sweetheart, sweetheart.” And lo and behold, Jeanette’s voice came into the theater singing, “Sweetheart,” and everyone stopped and looked around. And she started walking down the aisle. She’d been seated up at the back. Halfway down she started to sing. Nelson – the look on his face was unbelievable, he was so touched. But he was a trouper and he kept on singing. And you could see how pleased he was. And of course everybody was looking around at Jeanette and Nelson, everybody was excited, it was so dramatic.

“She walked right up and by the time they got to the last chorus they were both on the stage. They were practically touching, you know, looking into each other’s eyes and singing. And then they finished the song and everybody was standing up and cheering!

“I heard him – I was so close – I heard him say to her, “Where’d you come from?” She said, “I got in last night.” And he said, “Well, are you alone?” She said no, some girl was with her, I didn’t know who she was. “Where are you staying?” And she said, “I’m staying at this hotel here–” I don’t remember the name, the Aztec or something, the big hotel where the old 101 freeway used to hit right dead into, this side of Coronado Island.

“And he says, “Well, let’s have dinner tonight,” or something about dinner. There was so much going on I couldn’t hear it all. But they were like two little kids, they seemed so thrilled, so happy. She seemed so happy. Then they turned around and the audience cheered and they sang “Indian Love Call” together. Then she graciously left the stage and went back up the aisle to her seat. Nelson kept on and sang a few more songs and you could tell he was just really excited.

“After the performance, everybody turned around to see Jeanette but she’d already got up and left. She was gone out the back. She went around to the dressing room.”

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CONTACT INFO:

“A Scandalous Affair” website: www.JeanetteAndNelson.com

Hallie Neill: Cell: 646-641-0867

Sharon Rich website: www.sharonrich.com

Sharon Rich: Cell: 646-321-8504

ARTIST BIOS:

HALLIE NEILL (Soprano) San Diego native Hallie Neill is a “rapturous singing actress”, (The New York Times) with a “fiery soprano” (Opera News). A winner of the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation award, Miss Neill made her Carnegie Hall debut in Verdi’s Jersualem with celebrated tenor Enrico di Giuseppe. “A beautiful soprano with a voice of glory”, noted Placido Domingo, and a “terrific singer who can act!” according to Hal Prince, Miss Neill has created leading roles in two operatic world premieres: Anton Coppola’s Sacco and Vanzetti for Opera Tampa and Philip Glass’s La Belle et la Bete throughout Europe, and recorded for Nonesuch Records. Hallie has appeared in concert at Lincoln Center with the New York Grand Opera Orchestra and the Little Orchestra Society, and in leading operatic roles of Tosca, La Traviata, Carmen, Falstaff, Don Giovanni, La Boheme, Pagliacci, Die Fledermaus and The Merry Widow in the US and abroad including Cairo Opera, Netherlands Opera, Opera Tampa, New York Grand Opera in Central Park, Metro Lyric Opera, Opera 2001 European Tour and Teatro Lirico d’Europa in European and US tours. Hallie is appeared in over 25 countries in opera and concert including Hong Kong,Bangkok,Egypt,Dubai,Bahrain,Abu Dhabi,Jordan,Qatar,Indonesia andKorea.

The talented singing actress is also a noted playwright, having created the musical “A Scandalous Affair” about the love story of Hollywoodfilm icons Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.  The CD with Neill and Lambrinos was featured on the 50^th Annual Grammy Awards Entry List for “Best Musical Show Album” and has received standing ovations around the country, including the famed Players Club andLincolnCenter.

Hallie and Theodore also appear together in their new show “The Diva and the Baritone – Cole Porter to Puccini” and will soon be heard as the “Opera Singers” in the upcoming film “Doggie Boogie”, Audience Favorite Feature Award Winner in the Sonoma International Film Festival.

THEODORE LAMBRINOS Mr. Lambrinos’ has sung over 60 major baritone roles with the Metropolitan Opera and opera companies throughout the US including Chicago, Seattle, Cincinnati, Colorado, Des Moines, New Jersey, Arizona, Nevada and abroad including Cairo, Beijing, Greece, and Indonesia. His powerful voice and compelling stage presence make him one of the finest Verdi baritones appearing before the public today. His appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of Rigoletto was described by the New Jersey Star Ledger as a “The Metropolitan Opera’s A Team – a gripping performance that brought down the house”   Following ovations in Beijing, China, he was honored to perform Rigoletto in the historical first-ever performance of opera in Hanoi, Vietnam. He created the role of Carlo Tresca in the premiere of Anton Coppola’s Sacco and Vanzetti for Opera Tampa. Theodore has sung numerous roles with Metro Lyric Opera including Rigoletto, Tosca, Traviata, Cavalleria and Pagliacci.

He performed a marathon of leading roles for the New York Grand Opera Verdi Festival in Central Park, including Macbeth, Ernani, Simon Boccanegra and La Forza del Destino. He has sung nearly 200 performances of Rigoletto, Nabucco, Il Trovatore, Cav and Pag, Aida and Tosca with the European touring companies Opera 2001 and Teatro Lirico d’Europa throughout Europe and the US. His performances have taken him to nearly 20 countries from the Middle East to the Far East and he has performed with such luminaries as Domingo, Fleming, Zajick, Corelli, Scotto, Moffo and Hines. Born in Brooklyn, NY Theodore began his career as soloist with the famed Russian Don Cossack Chorus throughout the US and Canada. He went on to appear in musicals On and Off-Broadway and in Summer Stock. Mr. Lambrinos has an active voice studio in NY sharing his vast experience with the new performers on the horizon.  With his wife, soprano Hallie Neill he has appeared in opera/Broadway concerts, in  Neill’s original operetta “A Scandalous Affair” and operas including Falstaff, Tosca, La Boheme and Don Giovanni in New York and throughout Europe.

Join us for a fun filled afternoon of Bingo, Bingo Prizes, Lunch & Refreshments.

Sunday, April 15, 2012, 1- 4 pm Cost is $20

San Diego Woman’s Club 2557 3rd Avenue San Diego, CA 92103

RSVP with Diane Hazard at (619) 464-3923             Click to Download Spring Fling Bingo Flier

The Secret Love Story of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy

 May 12, 2012

3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Laced with humor and shocking Hollywood secrets the story

unfolds with the music of Victor Herbert, Sigmund Romberg,

Cole Porter and Verdi!

Opera singers with a gift for comedy….

Hallie Neill (International Soprano)

as Jeanette MacDonald

Theodore Lambrinos (Metropolitan Opera Baritone)

as Nelson Eddy

Ronald Morebello as Pianist Collins Smith

Featuring Special Guest Lecture and Q & A

Following the Performance

“Inside the Great Hollywood Cover-Up”

Sharon Rich, author and film historian

Cost is: $45  and $40 for students

RSVP with Diane at: (619) 464-3923

A Scandalous Affair, ©2006, created by Hallie Neill, inspired by the best-seller Sweethearts by Sharon Rich

Scandalous Affair Promo

Sincerely,

Diane Hazard, Section Chairman

Disney Princess Designer Snow White Doll

Released on September 19, 2011 and Sold Out

This tempting Disney Princess Designer Snow White Doll re-imagined by Disney artists will surely become the apple of your eye. Donning a flowing red cape and rhinestone-studded apple clutch, this limited edition Snow White doll is the fairest one of all. (#2941 of 6000)

Mondays at 11:00 am

Enjoy our Zumba Gold class for seniors and beginners of Zumba.

Wednesday at 5:30 pm
Enjoy our regular Zumba class.

First class is FREE!
Cost per class is $8.00
Club members pay $5.00

MEET LISBETH GARCES, OUR LICENSED ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!