Spoiler alert! Being one of millions who are devoted fans of "Downton Abbey," I was upset (to use a polite word) when a friend told me that Dan Stevens, who plays Matthew Crawley on the British show carried by PBS, is not renewing his contract and would likely be killed off. I had made a point of avoiding "Downton" spoilers.
Matthew was a major character in the show that wound up its third season Sunday. Matthew died when he crashed his roadster trying to avoid colliding with a truck on a narrow road. He had just visited his wife Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) in the hospital after she gave birth to their first child.
Jessica Brown Findlay, who portrayed proud Mary’s sister, Lady Sybil, announced earlier that she would be leaving the show and that brought about her death sentence. (She died soon after her first child was born.) That leaves Mary and Sybil’s husband, Tom Branson (Allen Leech), two good-looking, young single parents, available. Hmmm.
But wait, before those two possibly get together, CNN has reported that a casting call was sent out for a young handsome man. And a spirited lass from Scotland, Lady Rose MacClare (Lily James), is joining the Downton household and the program’s fine ensemble cast, headed by the fabulous Maggie Smith, 78, and Hugh Bonneville. Smith portrays Violet Crawley, dowager countess of Grantham, and Bonneville plays her son, Robert Crawley, the earl of Grantham. We have to await season 4 to see how those high-class, titled Brits and their plucky servants carry on …
I found it interesting that Smith said on "60 Minutes" Sunday that she has never seen an episode of "Downton" because she would be frustrated over not doing a scene differently. How’s that for a surprise? …
TALKING STORY: A post-show panel discussion featuring Japanese internment historians has been added to the 3 p.m. Sunday performance of the off-Broadway play "Hold These Truths," Jeanne Sakata‘s one-man show starring Joel de la Fuente and inspired by the true story of second-generation Japanese-American Gordon Hirabayashi. Filmmaker Ryan Kawamoto ("The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawaii"), writer/producer Tom Coffman ("Nation Within"), Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i President Carole Hayashino and Honouliuli internment camp researcher Jane Kurahara are the panelists.
"Hawaii Five-0" actor Daniel Dae Kim teamed with Honolulu Theatre for Youth to present and produce the show. It opened Thursday night and runs through March 2 at Tenney Theatre. It will not be extended. Go to www.htyweb.org or call 839-9885 for tickets …
DANCING ON: Ballet Hawaii’s Angel Program is the beneficiary of a preview of Chai Chaowasaree‘s new Chef Chai restaurant Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The eatery is on the ground floor of the 46-story Pacifica Honolulu residential tower at 1009 Kapiolani Blvd. Tickets are $115 and include dinner, wine, songs by Cathy Foy-Mahi and Guy Merola, tax, tip and valet parking. That’s a good mouthful.
The Angel Program makes it possible for youngsters from low-income families at underserved and Title 1 schools to see a ballet production. It also invites military families who have a member deployed or about to be deployed to attend the ballet together free. Right on! Call Judy Muncaster at 521-8600, ext. 3, for tickets …
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Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
