20 Years Ago

Meatball Mike’s on the corner of Gansett Avenue and Cranston St. had great Italian food and meatball grinders. Alas, they are long gone.

Trinity presented an unusual bare-bones “West Side Story,” directed by Amanda Dehnert. “Mean Girls” starring Lindsay Lohan was the big teen hit. Robert Redford starred in “The Natural.” Harrison Ford Starred in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”

Denzel Washington starred in “Man on Fire.” Paula Faber, Peggy Melozzi, Marilyn Murphy Meardon and Jim Sullivan starred in an hilarious “Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” at 2nd Story Theatre.

The RI Philharmonic renewed Larry Rachleff’s contract.

Stephen Horne and Julie Jesneck starred in the brilliant and clever “Ruby Sunrise,” directed by Oscar Eusttis, with sets by Eugene Lee at Trinity Rep.

Steve Kidd, Richard Donelly and Jim O’Brien starred in “Julius Caesar” at Gamm Theatre.

40 Years Ago

The Cinerama Theatre on Hope St. in Providence closed

Warwick’s Midland Mall Theatre followed a few weeks later.

Anthony Hopkins starred as Capt. Bligh in “Mutiny.”

Richard Harris came to PPAC to play King Arthur in “Camelot.”

Baked stuffed shrimp was $10.95 at Warwick’s Crow’s Nest. If you went to the Golden Lantern before 6:30, it was $6.95.

Trinity presented a disturbing but excellent “Jonestown Express” starring the late Richard Kneeland and Barbara Orson. It also starred Ricardo Pitts Wiley and Rose Weaver. Eugene Lee designed the set and Adrian Hall directed.