October 20, 2005
FROM THE PHONE BOOTH: The Smallest Space in Hollywood

Showcase in Malibu:
H.A.P.P.I. Soon To Become a H.I.T.
by
Steve Finefrock
The Hollywood Forum

Otto Felix brought together his students' talent and a Malibu audience Saturday night at the Malibu Stage Company Theatre, to give a jump-start to his twenty-seventh showcase to advance the careers of disabled actors. Blending his students' performance pieces with songs by longtime friends in the music world gave the audience an entertaining mix of dramatic pieces and music.

This variety show was preceded by cocktails, and wrapped by a casual buffet service, with most of the audience remaining to learn more about the Handicapped Artists, Performers & Partners, Inc. (HAPPI). Loretta Neal gave an operatic number to the packed audience, after two dramatic pieces by Tom Makowski paired with Lindsey Taylor ["Good Friends"] and Walter Crowder paired with Monica Cabral in "Companions". Both pieces combine an able-bodied actor with a disabled actor, the usual presentation to a HAPPI showcase audience.

Steel/Slide Guitarist Mickey Wells held the audience with classic western selections, after the pairing of Jordan Werner with Marci Lovett in "A Big Mistake" and Michael Richards with Ines Romero in "Sam and Sandy" as well as paired pieces by Bud Watson with Ruby Davis in "Soul Singer" and then came: "A Pirate and a Big Shot" with Mickey Barnett as the pirate-costumed waiter suffering an ego-drenched customer played by Barry Adler.

Sprinkled into the show were other music talents, notably the expressive, granite-faced Larry Dean, performing several of his classic pieces, making for an evening slanted toward Country-Western songs. Robert Smith belted out a cappella renderings of several choices, including his father's classic hit, "Little Green Apples" for the packed house; Smith was to be joined by the other Doo-Wop Singers, but circumstances required him to carry the load himself, which he achieved winningly.

Wrapping the dramatic scenes was "Empty Hearts" with the pairing of Flo Lawrence with Toby Forrest. All performances were sprinkled with periodic "Little Otto" awards to several HAPPI students and supporters.

HAPPI made this first appearance in a Malibu venue with this showcase, drawing patrons from the Calabassas and Malibu area, including some talent representation, leading to several signings of associates with Felix's Film Actors Shop. Also notable is the new formation of talent-agency HAPPI Independent Talent [HIT] with this breakout of visibility for the twenty-plus year effort by Felix, to bring Hollywood's attention to disabled actors' offerings.

The timing is near-perfect: SAG recently completed a study, reported in Variety last month, noting the deficiency of Hollywood in casting disabled actors in roles written either specifically for a disabled character, or potentially able to be cast to an actor with a disability. With the formation of HIT, and a coming November 20 fundraiser for HIT at the Universal Sheraton, the future is much brighter for disabled actors' careers than it was before this Malibu premiere for HAPPI.

Otto Felix conducts classes at his Westwood/Santa Monica Film Actors Shop every Tuesday and Thursday night, and is making plans for another HAPPI showcase to the Malibu audience for at least one of his semi-annual showcases. His instruction is open to all actors of all abilities, focusing on film's special requirements of actors seeking a career in either film or TV, or commercial work as well.