Celebrity Interviews
He Says: Classic Stage Company Reworks Two 19th Century Strindberg Plays
The winds blow in strong onto the trio of souls (+1) that share the oval tiled space in the center of Classic Stage Company‘s theatre. Surrounded on all four sides, two 19th Century Strindberg plays are getting a gusty tweak and cool twist from two very different writers; Conor McPherson and Yaël Farber. Each one is bringing forth a very different take on the tales of hate and love that was forged together by Strindberg many moons ago. These souls of his stage, in some ways, are waiting for death to resolve the issues at hand as both are condensed into one-act plays with unique and different results. It’s a tendency that works very well for one, while the other feels arbitrary and in some ways forced by some social template, pushing the tolerance of this formulation to a non-dramatic brink, when a break is almost etched into the makeup of this particular Dance. It’s surprising they didn’t take the cue from the text, as the resulting presentation might be met with a warmer reception to a cold and bitter comedy about attachment.
The Dance of Death is Stringberg’s decent into the dark corridors of the soul and the bleak manner of human attachments with a surprising and abstract sense of humor that is still firmly attached. The play was actually written as two, The Dance of Death I, and The Dance of Death II, written by Strindberg in 1900 but not intended to be performed together as there are numerous unexplained discrepancies that reside within. With this new version written by the wonderfully detailed Conor McPherson (The Seafarer, Girl from the North Country), the dark comedy of DoD 1 exists inside The Dance and is etched most elegantly in the deepest “blackest pessimism”[1] that it can find within this bitter marriage. In celebration of their 25 years together, the play begins, oddly enough, like a piece of musical theatre, literally waltzing in the eternal torment that exists within this couple’s connection. This constructed modern dance of dissension plays with your instincts, almost suggesting that the two will break out into a mournful song as the movement comes to an end. But no such luck. Or maybe that’s not true, as what exists is strong and compelling, but sadly lacks a strength and power to last to the bitter resolution.
This twinge of connection is not so surprising as this Dance of Death is directed with agility and commitment by the phenomenal musical stage star, Victoria Clark (NYMF’s Newton’s Cradle) making her directorial CSC debut. She wisely blows in the crisp coldness of the Swedish autumn night, bathing the scene in bitterness and discontent. The chill infiltrates the couple’s stark living room, designed by David L. Arsenault (as Associate, CSC’s Arturo Ui), that at moments feels more like a wrestling or boxing ring than the shared space of a marriage. Alice, powerfully played by the engaging Cassie Beck (Broadway’s The Humans) shares sharp insults and mean-spirited banter with her Edger, solidly portrayed by Richard Topol (Broadway’s Indecent). He’s a retired artillery captain who at times seem more like a tyrant crisscrossed and at odds with the persona of an adoring but jealous husband. Alice is a former actress, once glamorous now desperate, craving her lost sensuality and appeal, forever angry at what she has lost by marrying Edger, but still in need of his attention and gaze. They live unhappily, confined within a state of continued dominance and frustration, isolated on an island without any other interactions to satisfy their hungry souls. Next door to a party, but they live in a state knowing they are uninvited neighbors and disliked souls. Even within those four walls.
They play games and throw daggers, but a redirection in the bitter winds brings Kurt, played forcibly by Christopher Innvar (Broadway’s Victor/Victoria) entering the space with trepidation. His presence forces the two to find different tactics then they have used in all these long years dealing with their “miserable mistake“. Kurt is making a courtesy call, or so it seems, but he quickly discovers what he might have come looking for. He learns from Alice that in the past, possibly on purpose, Edger might have caused Kurt to lose custody of his own children in his equally bitter marriage and divorce. Kurt and Alice, wonderfully costumed in sometimes mourning black by Tricia Barsamian (KPOP), join forces to plot against Edgar, with revenge and hate reigniting a relationship that borders dangerously on domination and desire. Is there love, or just a power play to fulfill an empty heart? That’s a question to ponder as this complicated dance drives forward through the long gust of winds that cool their embrace.
It’s a complex saga, and as the winds deliver the frigid night air, shifting the mood with a compelling lighting design by Stacey Derosier (Rattlestick’s Lewiston/Clarkston) and sound design by Quentin Chiappetta (Off-Broadway’s Irena’s Vow), the energy of conflict and hate makes us all uncomfortable guests, wondering where this all will end, and what will become of this tormented trio. Clark embraces the bleak humor of the piece almost musically, as we join with Kurt as complicit spectators to Alice playing the piano in order to get her husband to dance a bizarre and frenzied dance, with hopes that this activity might actually cause his heart problems to rise up and strike him down dead. The three embrace the darkness, the hate, and the humor, diving with glee into the dark crashing waters of that Swedish island, and even though the Dance sometimes feels forced, overly structured, and not entirely in sync with one another, the essence of the still walking and breathing corpses screaming into the cold air resonate. An obvious break in the dance about half way through feels like an intermission was built into the piece and could have easily been inserted but was chosen to be ignored. This Dance, one that lasts 110 minutes, is a bit of a slog, something right out of “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” when it didn’t have to be. It only made us all look at our watches and groan a bit under our breath, somewhat upset that we were only half way through, even though when “I came here, I had no anger“. When the dance, helped along by composer Jeff Blumenkrantz (Inner Voices’ Scaffolding), finally does come to an end, somewhat musically, repeating like a verse within a song, we are disturbed but gratified by the return to the attachment stalemate, watching these two frustrated codependent souls wait for death to bring peace from a pool of cruelty and absurdist humor. And within that dark ending, the bleakest of marital engagement ever examined, we find salvation, even if they only find isolation in their commitment.
Yaël Farber (Shakespeare Theatre/DC’s Salomé) in a more daring attempt, adapts another Strindberg classic written in 1888, Miss Julie for the CSC stage, resetting the erotic dance of power onto a whole other landscape then first intended, something that might have helped McPherson. On top of the imbalances of power and gender, Farber adds race and ancestral domain rights into the dynamic attachments on display in his Mies Julie. It’s a wise move, slapping down this battleground, not in Sweden, but in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, 2012, on the evening of the annual Freedom Day Celebrations. It’s a solid and thoughtful parallel universe that gives rise to the wild and pained alliance in conflict that is at the core, although the added complexities in their passionate power struggle, as directed by Shariffa Ali (Cell Theatre’s The Year of the Bicycle), shoots Mies Julieoff in a number of different directions, not always hitting their mark.
Patrice Johnson Chevannes (Broadway’s The Crucible w/Liam Neeson) is Christine, the aging housekeeper who scrubs the tiled floor of the oval, also designed and sparsely furnished by Arsenault, with similarly strong lighting and sound by the same team. It’s a house that she calls her home, working for the rich land owners that have taken control of her family’s ancestral soil, one that is watched over by her grandmother Ukhokho, hauntingly portrayed by Vinie Burrows (Foundry’s The Good Person of Szechuan) with costuming for this particular play by Ntokozo Fuzunina Kunene (Public’s Wild Goose Dreams) and Andrew Moerdyk (FIG’s Go Get the Axe). Christine and her son, John, handsomely and powerfully played by the impressive James Udom (PR’s The Revolving Cycles…) live somewhat favored lives within the rich man’s power structure, existing in a special place of affection with the white Afrikaans landowner who lays claim to the land underneath their feet. But it is in the eyes of the owner’s daughter Julie, played brazenly by Elise Kibler (Broadway’s This Is Our Youth) where a more complex dynamic exists, swallowed by all three every day with unfair bitterness and pride.
John, an Xhosa farm laborer, walks in to the oval they equally share in spirit with the Dance of Death, and greets his hard-working mother. He is by far the best thing in Meis Julie, and he does so with a sensual rawness that is hard to ignore, encompassing exhaustion, pride, and powerfulness on top of his beaten down angry soul. He’s a far step away from those bitter Swedes, although not entirely different in his brokenness, but the way his mother looks upon him is as shiny and saintly as a prayer. He’s “too proud“, she says, but “not proud enough“, she thinks. Julie, the landowner’s daughter, also can’t help herself in the way she looks at John, but in her eyes there is a struggle between a desire to control and an ache to be taken and used. And thus, their dance to the death, to a musical score by composer Andrew Orkin’s (“Dead Pigs“), begins with a too eager earnestness, as Kibler’s Julie lays herself down far too quickly to take in. Her Julie is beautiful, but lost in a fog, playing it too fast and furious in the way she jabs at him with unabashed cruelty. We are supposed to, I believe, like her even with her spoiled brattiness at full display. Without that attunement, the end results loses its way. Like the married couple in the other Strindberg play, the love and hate that is forged between them is as vicious at times as possible, hiding the opposite underneath, but with these two, there are the roots of lust and want, born many years prior, that will never go away. They are long and storied, but entangled and possibly rotten and destroyed by the graves of John’s ancestors buried underneath the house, that these gnarled roots have grown through and inhaled their mistrust and anger.
Strindberg described his two lead characters, Miss Julie and Jean at war in an evolutionary and stylistically natural battle for survival of the fittest. The character, Miss Julie, represents what remains of the old aristocratic breed about to fall away on the road to modernity, whereas Jean, the manservant to the Count, represents the modern man fighting his way up and out of the confines of the century’s old power dynamic. He’s seen as far more fit to survive because he is better equipped to adapt to the changing world order. The same can be said of these two Farber creations. The winds of change, much like the cold autumn gusts that unsettle the dust of the Dancing duo in Sweden, are sweeping across South Africa, awakening an anger and thirst for triumphant survival over their oppressors. John and Julie are forced to do battle for dominance in the same manner as Julie and Jean, but with added complexities. Farber has altered the dynamic of the ending, and I’m not all together sure why the shift is needed. Maybe the descent into destruction of the old power structure is self-inflicted, or something akin to the same defeat that both Edgar and Alice decide to embrace. I’d love to know the logic behind that restructuring, but the end result is as significant in its solidarity to the environment as it is to these two characters. Only John and the Swedish Kurt find their way out of Death’s waiting room, escaping the tediousness of union and erotic bondage. We also escape into the new world order, after two consecutive nights of adapted Strindbergs. Both are not without their flaws, although they each share a damaging wind shift that impacts the demanding attention that needs to be paid. Death awaits us all, but do we sit and wait for it to come a-callin’? Or do we act in desperation to save our unsatisfied souls? You tell me, but even though I enjoyed the descent, I’d personally rather rise up and face the gale force of nature and death.
1- Strindberg, August. Meyer, Michael, translator. Strindberg Plays: 2: Dream Play; Dance of Death; The Stronger. Introduction. A&C Black. 2014.
For more, go to frontmezzjunkies.com
G.H. Harding
SEXY REXY GONE — Famed movie journalist Red Reed passed Tuesday. Say what you will about him, but in his six-decade career in Hollywood, Reed took NO prisoners. I didn’t know him, but sat next to him at numerous movie-screenings. He always sort of kept to himself, but each and every review was priceless.
He became so famous that he was eventually cast in the movie Myra Breckenridge as a character transitioning from male to female; which ironically was portrayed by none other than Raquel Welch. Each and every obit is glorious to read, but Roger Friedman (SHOWBIZ 411) may have the best of all. Check it out here: Remembering the Great Rex Reed, Acerbic Film and Theater Critic, Performer, Raconteur, Who’s Left Us Too Soon at Age 87 – Showbiz411
The New York Times (by Clyde Haberman) too had a brilliant one: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/movies/rex-reed-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.h1A.iuIh.1axrs8NLE__Z&smid=url-share
And his home for the last years, The Observer, had a great one too from his editor: https://observer.com/2026/05/rex-reed-obituary-a-personal-remembrance-of-the-legendary-film-critic/
Yes, one of a kind. We’ll never see someone like sexy Rexy again. You can count on it.
Saville Row
SHORT TAKES — 3 Saville Row becomes a Beatle-museum? After The Beatles, Apple Records, and an Abercrombie & Kids, the famed location will shortly become a museum in London. Crazy … Our spy in Madrid Topo reports that all everyone is talking about over there is the hanta virus; crippling travel and immigration from there. I think we should take that as a serious warning. On the news today, I heard the possible outbreak compared to that of covid-19 … From Hollywood Talk on celeb-author Mark Bego: https://www.truehollywoodtalk.com/bestselling-author-mark-bego-is-back-thanks-to-michael-jackson/
Go Go’s
A memoir from Jane Wiedlin of the Go Go’s is forthcoming in November. Knew her for a bit in the 80’s and she was always fun. Read more here: https://bestclassicbands.com/jane-wiedlin-go-gos-tmi-memoir-4-27-26/
Jack Douglas
Producer Jack Douglas (Alice Cooper; Aerosmith; Patti Smith; Cheap Trick; John & Yoko) passed this week as well from lymphoma. A fierce producer who goes all the way back to Lennon’sImagine album, he’ll be missed for sure. I’ll always remember him saying in some interview that Lennon, while recording Double Fantasy, said some things which predicted his early end. Douglas never said what they were and led all to believe he destroyed the tapes. Here’s Variety’s wrap-up: https://variety.com/2026/music/news/jack-douglas-dead-producer-john-lennon-aerosmith-1236746555/?utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e231_tv2_tp1_a1dennhb675d2r&fbclid=IwY2xjawRxPSlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeOapHbjdkuZKtUYxCYuZzIfKWKi2CV5NDXbvnSgm1pQUQCkAJivI84qsIjZQ_aem_Lc1pkqa_5lfbS6tg6JkvNw …
Micky Dolenz was interviewed by Lauren Taylor of LEO Weekly for his show next week at Abbey Road On The River in Jefferson, Indiana … One of our faves here, Apple TV’s Invasion is waiting for a greenlight for Season 4. Season 3 picked up loads of new viewers and for as time was the #1 show on Apple TV Global. Stay tuned … (Via Deadline) Come 2027, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog show will have a new home at Netflix. The streamer has inked a deal to broadcast the iconic event, presented by Purina Pro Plan, for its 151st show. The Westminster Go Show is moving from its most recent home at Fox Sports, which has aired the main show events since 2017. Prior to that, it aired on USA Network for more than three decades, from 1984-2016. From the late 1960s into the 1980s, CBS Sports covered the event as a regular segment of the CBS Sports Spectacular anthology series … Happy Bday Jane Blunkell!
NAMES IN THE NEWS — William Schill; Melinda Newman; Joe Lynch; Mary Jo; Liz Smith; Rush & Molly; Neal Travis; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Jerry Seinfeld; Roy Trakin; David Adelson; Ali Hawthorne; Angela Tarantino; Cindy Adams; Lee Jeske; Roman Kozak; Melinda Newman; Vinny Rich; Anthony Pomes; WGBB; Dan Zelinski; Paul Nelson; Jann Wenner; Markos Papadatos; and BELLA!
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Celebrity Interviews
Marilyn, Mom, and Me – a new play by Luke Yankee – Palm Springs Art Museum Annenberg Theatre
Alisha Sopher, Morgan Fairchild and Luke Yankee – title characters in the play Marilyn, Mom and Me” Photo by Nicole Stranz
My friend John Guare wrote a successful Broadway play entitled Six Degrees Of Separation in 1990. The premise of the play suggests that any two.people on Earth can find a connection through a chain of six acquaintances. In the field of show business I have always believed that the number six could be cut at least in half.
Marilyn Monroe is without question one of the most famous women who ever lived. I never met Marilyn Monroe. I was still in primary school in North Dakota when Marilyn died in 1962. But my connection to Marilyn is just one degree of separation having had a close personal and professional connection with celebrated actress Joan Copeland. Joan was the younger sister of playwright Arthur Miller, and when Miller married Monroe in 1956 Joan became Marilyn’s sister-in-law. Joan adored Marilyn and remained close to her even after she divorced Arthur Miller in 1961.
In working with Joan to help create her off-Broadway biographical show, I talked with her about many things. Joan’s early life in the Miller household with two older brothers, her famous brother Arthur and his iconic plays, Joan’s own celebrated career on stage and in films and on television, and how Marilyn became part of the Miller family. Joan and her father, Isidore, and Mariyn, all shared the same June 1st birthday. Joan shared stories of family birthdays and special events, Broadway and off-Broadway openings and film premieres, and heart warming tales of a sweet and generous woman so different from the salacious sexpot images and stories put out by the Hollywood press. But when Joan spoke of Marilyn, there was a strange guarded quality. There seemed to be some kind of unresolved pain.
At one point. I read aloud to Joan a piece written by Truman Capote about Marilyn. The piece recalled a day that Truman and Marilyn spent together after attendeng a funeral in New York City. Capote ends the piece by telling Marilyn that he sees her as a “beautiful child.” Joan was in tears by the time I finished reading.” Yes,” Joan said, “a beautiful child. That is why it is so hard to speak of her. I almost feel like a parent who lost a beautiful child ”
Marilyn Monroe with Eileen Heckart holding Luke Yankee’s older brothers during the filming of Bus Stop.
When reading about Marilyn, Mom, and Me – the new play by Luke Yankee, I felt I had to see it. The play is a non-fiction account by the playwright of his mother, actress Eileen Heckart, making the film Bus Stop with Marilyn Monroe in 1956, several years before Luke was born. Like me, Luke never actually met Marilyn Monroe. But like me, Luke was fascinated by the stories and the pictures of Marilyn holding his older brothers and a mystery of why his mother seemed to carry some kind of unresolved pain for the rest of her life.
The play, which Luke is still fine tuning, had a wonderful cast. Morgan Fairchild, who Luke had directed years before when Morgan met Eileen Heckart briefly on that opening night, played Heckart as a tough no nonsense woman. Luke played himself in the reading. The scenes between the two run a fine line between comedy and tragedy. Is Eileen a protective mom who is trying to steer her son away from the tough life (that she knows so well ) of show business, or is there almost a sadistic glee that she gets giving Luke pages of notes when he acts in a school play? Is Eileen’s withholding her stories of Marilyn due to her own unresolved pain or deliberately keeping information that could give her youngest son a very commercial story. Add to this the fact that Eileen has been given a terminal health diagnosis and is giving Luke the assignments of carrying out her wishes when she is gone and you have a play filled with both very dark comedy and pathos.
The flashbacks of the filming of Bus Stop are wonderful to experience. Marilyn is not only the star but also the producer of the film . The director is Josh Logan, a wildly creative but incredibly bi-polar genius trying to hold the whole project and himself together.Don Murray, Marilyn’s co-star, is terrified in his first film and like Eileen Heckart thinks the film may bomb. Murray told me years later that when he actually saw the film for the first time he could hardly believe his eyes. Murray was nominated for the Academy Award but Marilyn was snubbed for a nomination for a truly remarkable performance. During the filming Marilyn herself is trying to navigate her romance with Arthur Miller and play her role with some real depth. Marilyn’s acting coach on set (Paula Strasberg) was driving everyone out of their minds. Yankee very effectively mines both the drama and the comedy in these scenes.
The woman playing Marilyn was luminous. Alisha Soper has played Marilyn before in a number of projects and clearly not only has studied Marilyn’s body of work but has searched for Marilyn’s soul. I asked Alisha what inspired her most about Marilyn and she told me that Marilyn’s drive to always better herself was her constant inspiration.
Joel Vig with Amber Liekhus at the post show party for Marilyn, Mom, and Me at the Palm Springs Art Museum Annenberg Theatre
Noah Wagner as Josh Logan and a number of other character cameos did a fine job. Amber Liekhus as Rosetta LeNoire and Ella Fitzgerald acted and sang beautifully. Even Barbara Niles, reading stage directions and playing various voices, added subtle touches which worked well to tell the story.
Director Don Hill kept the reading moving and compelling. Choosing to do a straight through performance with a meet and greet the cast reception after was a wise choice.
Marilyn, Mom, and Me has been given a Stanley Award and in earlier readings has been praised by critics including Peter Filichia and Rex Reed. I look forward to hearing news in the near future that a full production will be mounted. I believe the producing organization can have a winning production they will be proud of.
Look for a live interview on Live From The Hotel Edison Times Square Chronicles Presents with Luke Yankee to learn more.
Celebrity Interviews
My View: Comedy Writer Icon Alan Zweibel Keeps Them Laughing in Palm Beach at Cocktail & Culture Evening
Remember when broadcasters like Larry King conducted those hour long thought provoking interviews with consequential guests. That kind of television is gone but the Culture and Cocktails for Palm Beach hosted an event that gave it’s audience a wonderful comparable live experience as four-time Emmy Award-winning TV talk show host Bill Boggs interviewed one of the original Saturday Night Live comedy writers, Alan Zweibel who has won five Emmy Awards for his work in television. As noted by the the Culture and Cocktails audience members it was one of the most informative and humorous evenings ever presented by the organization. Of course there were cocktails and hors d’oeuvres along with the fascinating conversation (uninterrupted by commercials) by these two significant representatives of the Golden Age of Television.
David Lawrence, President & CEO of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County hosted the launch of the series which was held in Blue Heron Ballroom of The Ben, which overlooks the waterfront in West Palm Beach.
Bill Boggs and Alan Zweibel were Friars and fellow Friar Jeff Lebowitz suggested the event.
The next event in the Culture & Cocktails Series is February 24…Dishing with Andrew Kato of Maltz Jupiter Theatre with Florida stage stars Elizabeth Simon, Angie Radosh, and Karen Stephens
About Alan Zweibel:
An original Saturday Night Live writer, Alan Zweibel has won five Emmy Awards for his work in television, which also includes It’s Garry Shandling’s Show (which he co-created and produced), The Late Show with David Letterman and Curb Your Enthusiasm. A frequent guest on all the late-night talk shows, his theatrical contributions include his collaboration with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award winning play 700 Sundays, Martin Short’s Broadway hit Fame Becomes Me, and six off-Broadway plays including Bunny Bunny – Gilda Radner: A Sort of Romantic Comedy, which he adapted from his best-selling book. Zweibel has written 11 books including his cultural memoir titled Laugh Lines – My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier; the 2006 Thurber Prize winning novel The Other Shulman; the popular children’s book Our Tree Named Steve, a parody of the Haggadah — For This We Left Egypt? which he wrote with Dave Barry and Adam Mansbach, and Lunatics co-written with Dave Barry. In addition, he has appeared in episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Law & Order and can be seen in the documentary The Last Laugh about humor and the Holocaust; Judd Apatow’s Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (HBO), Gilbert about the life of Gilbert Gottfried, and the Emmy nominated CNN documentary he executive produced titled Love, Gilda.
About Bill Boggs:
Bill Boggs, a four-time Emmy Award-winning TV talk show host and producer, a professional speaker, and author of four acclaimed books. His shows ran on NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, ESPN, The Food Network, The Travel Channel, and Showtime, and hundreds of his interviews can be found at BillBoggsTV on YouTube.
BILL BOGGS & ALAN ZWEIBEL
ALAN ZWEIBEL
BILL BOGGS
BILL BOGGS & ALAN ZWEIBEL
BILL BOGGS, ALAN ZWEIBEL, DAVE LAWRENCE, PRESIDENT CEO CULTURAL COUNCIL FOR PALM BEACH
BILL BOGGS & ALAN ZWEIBEL
BILL BOGGS
DAVE LAWRENCE
ROBIN ZWEIBEL & ALAN ZWEIBEL
BOB MERILL, LESLIE LAREDO, EDA SOROKOFF, ROB RUSSELL,ALAN ZWEIBEL, STEPHEN SOROKOFF JEFF LEIBOWITZ, SHARON PHAIR FORTENBAUGH
BOOK SIGNING
LESLIE LAREDO
BILL BOGGS
Celebrity Interviews
Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Happy Birthday To My Favorite Mayor and Bestie Paul Leon
Mayor Paul Leon: A Life Dedicated to Ontario California
Happy birthday to my amazing friend the Super Mayor Paul Leon of Ontario California! He and his family are some of my favorite people in the USA since a decade.
Paul Leon has been a pillar of the Ontario community for over two decades. His journey began in 1998 when he was appointed to the Ontario City Council, a role he embraced with passion and dedication. He quickly earned the trust of his constituents, leading to his election in 1999 and re-election in 2000 and 2004. His leadership qualities were evident early on, as he served as Mayor pro Tem from 2002 to 2005.
In 2005, Paul was elected Mayor in a special election, a testament to his commitment to public service. He has since been re-elected to four-year terms in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018, demonstrating the unwavering support he receives from the community. His 15-year tenure as Mayor is a remarkable feat, highlighting his dedication to the betterment of Ontario.
Beyond his mayoral duties, Paul is also a spiritual leader, serving as Senior Pastor of Hope Chapel Church. This role underscores his compassionate nature and his desire to serve the community on multiple levels.
Paul’s commitment to regional collaboration is evident through his involvement with organizations such as the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), and Omnitrans. He has also served as the City Council liaison to the Los Angeles World Airports Board of Airport Commissioners, showcasing his dedication to regional cooperation and development.
A native of Southern California, Paul’s roots run deep in the region. He is a graduate of Nordhoff High School in Ojai and has pursued further education at the U.S. Army Security Agency Training Center & School at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts, Cleveland Institute of Electronics, and Next Dimensions Bible College, where he received a Doctorate of Divinity.
Paul’s professional life is as diverse as his community involvement. He served in the U.S. Army for three and a half years, spent fifteen years in the trucking industry, dedicated five years to Bilingual Family Counseling Service, Inc., and another five years as the Outreach Director for Focus West.
Paul’s dedication to youth is particularly noteworthy. He has volunteered countless hours to organizations such as the Ontario Salvation Army, San Bernardino Communities Against Drugs, and various youth-focused initiatives. He has also coordinated successful events like the Christian Okoye/Focus West Youth Football Camps and the Annual Focus West Positive Alternatives Youth Formal.
Paul’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. He has received numerous awards, including the Montclair/Inland Valley Soroptimist President’s Award, the Positive Choices for Youth “Exemplar” Award, and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Latino Business Council’s Community Leader of the Year.
In addition to his role as Mayor, Paul also holds the following positions:
- Chairman, Ontario Housing Authority
- Board Member, Ontario Industrial Development Authority
- Board Member, Ontario Redevelopment Financing Authority
- Representative, Gangs and Drugs Task Force
- Representative, County of San Bernardino Solid Waste Advisory Task Force
- Representative, County of San Bernardino Homeless Partnership
- Board Member, Metro Gold Line Phase II Joint Powers Authority
- Board Member, Water Facilities Authority
- Trustee, West Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District
- Liaison, Sister Cities
- Liaison, Library Board of Trustees
Paul Leon’s story is an inspiring one, filled with dedication, service, and leadership. He is a true asset to the Ontario community and a role model for aspiring leaders everywhere.
* His Highness Dr. PRINCE MARIO-MAX SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE is a working Royal, award winning TV- and Event-Host, Bertelsmann Randomhouse author, Public Speaker and Philanthropist ♔ Prince Mario-Max is the son of Royal Dignitaries H.H. Dr.h.c. Prince Waldemar and H.H. Dr. Princess Antonia of Schaumburg-Lippe. His Grandmother is H.R.H. Princess Feodora of Denmark. Therefore they are the Royal Danish Nachod Line of The Princes of Schaumburg-Lippe, the Founding Family of Hamburg, Lübeck and Kiel. ♔ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/princemariomax/ Website http://www.schaumburglippe.org Facebook https://www.facebook.com/zuschaumburglippe X-Twitter https://twitter.com/schaumburglippe Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/prince-mario-max-schaumburg-lippe-1879978a
Celebrity
Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Cooking The Pope’s Ancient Ravioli Recipe At Castello D’Oliveto in Italy.
When I visited the historic Castle of Oliveto, Castello di Olivetto, I experienced an amazing time in the kitchen. Pope’s loved to stay and sleep in this pretty castle and enjoyed century old recipes, unique wonderful delicious al dente Ravioli.
My family having close ties to several Pope’s I thought it would be amazing to cook the traditional recipes, as a Royal in the kitchen, Chef Prince Mario-Max, and the outcome was yummy!
H.H. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe in the Castle Palace Castello
The humble ravioli, a seemingly simple parcel of pasta encasing a delicious filling, holds within its delicate folds a rich history and a world of flavour. Its story is a journey through time, traversing continents and cultures, shaped by ingenuity and a love for good food.
The origins of ravioli remain shrouded in a delicious mist of culinary history. Some food historians trace its ancestry to famed explorer Marco Polo in the 13th century. Others point to medieval cookbooks with recipes for “torte”, meat pies with edible crusts that bear a striking resemblance to large ravioli.
One of the earliest written mentions of ravioli appears in the personal letters of Francesco Datini, a 14th-century merchant from Prato, Italy. He describes a dish remarkably similar to modern ravioli, filled with cheese and herbs. By the mid-14th century, the “Libro per cuoco” (Book for Cooks) offered a recipe for ravioli filled with blanched green herbs, beaten egg, and fresh cheese, simmered in broth and seasoned with spices.
Ravioli quickly gained popularity throughout Italy, adapting to regional ingredients and traditions. In Emilia-Romagna, pumpkin ravioli became a festive favourite, while in Rome, they were filled with ricotta and spinach. Coastal regions embraced seafood fillings, while inland areas favoured meats and cheeses.
The beauty of ravioli lies in its versatility. The pasta dough, typically made with flour and eggs, can be crafted into various shapes and sizes, from delicate squares to plump crescents. The fillings are equally diverse, ranging from classic combinations like ricotta and spinach to more adventurous creations like lobster and saffron or wild mushroom and truffle.
The taste of ravioli is a symphony of textures and flavours. The tender pasta yields to a burst of savoury filling, enhanced by a complementary sauce. A simple tomato sauce allows the filling to shine, while a rich butter and sage sauce adds a touch of decadence. Broth, cream, and pesto also offer delicious possibilities, each enhancing the ravioli in its unique way.
Beyond Italy, ravioli has travelled the world, adapting to local palates and ingredients. In Argentina, “sorrentinos” are large ravioli typically filled with meat and cheese. In the Middle East, “shishbarak” features small meat-filled ravioli cooked in yogurt broth. Each variation tells a story of cultural exchange and culinary creativity.
Today, ravioli continues to be a beloved dish, enjoyed in homes and restaurants alike. Whether handcrafted with love by a nonna or expertly prepared by a chef, each bite of ravioli is a testament to its enduring appeal. It is a dish that speaks of tradition, innovation, and the simple pleasure of good food shared with loved ones.
Here are the Castle’s secret recipe’s i learned to cook while on a VIP US-delegation named the extravaganza to Italy.
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