MOVIE PREVIEWS
THE PERFORMANCE
Rated: R
Release Date: 01/24/2025
Production Company: Dan Finkelman Films Sparks Go

Cast:
Jeremy Piven, Robert Carlyle, Steven Berkoff, Maimie McCoy, Adam Garcia,
Suzanne Shepherd, Lara Wolf, Jared Grimes, Malky Goldman, Lukas Frlajs,
Daniel Finkelman, Patrick McCartney,
Annette Lober, Isaac Gryn, and Kurt Csolak.

Crew:
Director: Shira Piven. Producers: Chaya Amor, Alin Bijan, Andrei Boncea, Bill Dawes, Daniel Finkelman, Malky Goldman, Sety Guchi, Tony Herbert, Utsava Kasera, Rasto Kuril, Christopher Milburn, Jim Pesoli, Jeremy Piven, Gabriel Popescu, Jenny Shakeshaft, Adam G. Simon, Seth Sklar, John Van Wyckhouse, Alex Verba, Dauren Zhaksybek. Executive Producers: Charles Auty, Alin Bijan, Adam Blumenkranz, Andrei Boncea, Lynne Bringmann, Roger Bringman, Mark Holder, Utsava Kasera, Brian McGarry, Christopher Milburn, Jim Pesoli, Gabe Plotkin, Yeara Plotkin, Kenneth Shakeshaft, Seth Sklar, Missy Valdez, John Van Wyckhouse, and Dauren Zhaksybek. Screenwriters: Shira Piven and Joshua Salzberg. Music: Lucas Lechowski. Cinematography: Lael Utnik.
Plot:
By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

Golden Globe and three-time Emmy Award-winning actor Jeremy Piven ("Vindicta" and TV's Entourage) captivates with his impressive singing and tap-dancing in the striking period drama "The Performance," directed by his sister, Shira Piven (TV's Room 104).

Based on Arthur Miller's poignant 2002 short story, first published in "The New Yorker," "The Performance" is more than just a musical showcase. Set against the backdrop of 1930s Berlin, the film explores themes of identity, resilience, and the transformative power of art.

Harold May (Piven) is a gifted American/Jewish tap dancer from New York, desperate for fame and fortune--and willing to do whatever it takes to get it. Once the star of prestigious venues like “The Palace” alongside his quirky troupe--wisecracking womanizer Benny Worth (Adam Garcia, My Eyes), shy young dancer Paul Garner (Isaac Gryn, TV's The Tattooist of Auschwitz), sassy singer Sira (Lara Wolf, TV's Those About to Die), and the enchanting Carol Conway (Maimie McCoy, TV's Midsomer Murders)--Harold has seen his star dim.

Now, exhausted by his financial struggles and an unquenchable desire to dance, Harold's feet are itching for a return to the stage--and he's determined this time to take Europe by storm. When he's recruited by Damian Fugler (Robert Carlyle, TV's "Cobra") to perform a one-night set in Europe for a handsome amount of money upfront and after the show, Harold can't say no. The troupe is all on board too and can't believe their good luck especially when they arrive at their swanky hotel. Harold has the best digs of all, a palatial suite fit for a king.

Oh, but there is a catch--one Harold never saw coming, and when it hits, it changes everything. After a performance, the audience is ushered out of the club, and Harold is asked to perform for a special guest: Hitler and his entourage.

Talk about a moral dilemma. With his blond hair and blue eyes, Harold--who has been passing most of his life as a gentile--is faced with a difficult choice: continue the charade and perform for the dictator, or risk exposing his true identity by escaping. This decision weighs heavily on him and his dancers, especially Benny, who insists on leaving immediately and tells Harold that "People like us are trying to get out of Germany, not get in."

In the end, they agree to do one show for Hitler and his guests. The performance is a hit, and they quickly become the toast of the town--only to find themselves trapped and unable to leave.

Tensions rise as Damien begins investigating Harold and his crew, and the pressure mounts with each passing hour. As time ticks away, the group scrambles to figure out how to escape their increasingly perilous situation. But not everyone makes it out unscathed.

Things take a tragic turn, and the consequences are especially devastating for Harold.

Piven, an accomplished tap dancer in his own right, encountered some obstacles in bringing "The Performance" to the big screen. A passion project that has quietly flown under the radar, it now gives audiences the opportunity to uncover a completely new side of the actor--one they likely never imagined. And that makes his performance worthy of applause.

Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays now at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.

Watch This Trailer For "THE PERFORMANCE"

Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.

OLD SCHOOL VIDEO PICK OF THE MONTH

<b>MAHOGANY</b> Title: MAHOGANY
Year Released: 1975
Running Time: 109
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
Director: Berry Gordy, Tony Richardson and Jack Wormser
Director of Photography: David Watkin
Screenwriter: John Byrum and Toni Amber
Author: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

REVIEW: DIANA ROSS AND BILLY DEE WILLIAMS DAZZLE IN "MAHOGANY"

Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to?
Do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for? When you look behind you, there's no open doors. What are you hoping for? Do you know? "Theme from Mahogany...
  MOVIE TRIVIA
 
The "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" was sung by Diana Ross in the 1975 movie "Mahogany." But, who initially recorded the song in 1973?
"Roberta Flack"
"Natalie Cole"
"Deniece Williams"
"Thelma Houston"