Names and faces

Debbie Allen has received a nice Christmas present - the Goldstar National Nutcracker Award. Ticket discounter Goldstar declared the award-winning director and choreographer’s school the winner of the seventh annual contest that crowns the best version of The Nutcracker in the land. The Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s show, The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, which was mounted earlier this month in Los Angeles, beat out nearly 60 other productions. It’s Allen’s second time winning the award. Her show begins when young Kara Johnson receives a nutcracker filled with hot chocolate, falls asleep and the nutcracker comes alive. Written and directed by the Fame star, the show features Allen and Carlo Imperato and had an original score by Mariah Carey, Arturo Sandoval, Chau-Giang Thi Nguyen, James Ingram and Thump. Voting for the Goldstar National Nutcracker Award is determined by Goldstar members who rate and review productions of The Nutcracker that they have recently attended. Allen’s academy, which was founded by Allen and Norman Nixon in 2001, also will win a cash prize.

Los Angeles police said Tuesday that talk-show host Arsenio Hall drove off a road in the San Fernando Valley but he was uninjured. Sgt. Russell Carr told the City News Service that Hall lost control of his Porsche and drove into a dirt shoulder Monday night in the West Hills neighborhood. Carr said it is unclear why Hall lost control of the car, but police have ruled out driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. “He was just off the side road there,” said Los Angeles police Sgt. Emalee Baptiste. There was no arrest and no collision report, she added. It was unclear how much damage was done to the vehicle, which had to be towed, police said. “A new car, so it was hard to say,” Baptiste said.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 12/25/2013

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