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Aaron Standish will be celebrating his birthday by hosting a bunch of funny friends at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, in a stand-up com- edy showcase at Duffy's Tavern in Chico. Stand-Up Standish com- edy showcase will be featur- ing Liz Merry, Roland Allen, John Bertoli, Mark Joseph Leathers, Steve Swim, Jerm Leather, Becky Lynn Dan- iel, Jason Murray and Ste- vie Cook. For more information, find Standish on Facebook or visit http://www.mer- rystandish.com/home.html. Tickets are $5 at the door. COMEDY Duffy'sin Chico to feature local comics This month the Orland Art Gallery is full of the natural talent of Steele Rob- erts Ross and his skills in depicting the natural hab- itat of waterfowl. Growing up in the snow and farm country of Illi- nois gave Ross the foun- dation in understanding the birds from all over the world whose images he now captures on canvas. An artist's reception is scheduled for 3-7 p.m. Fri- day at the gallery, Fourth and Colusa streets in Or- land. Refreshments will be provided by members of Or- land Arts Commission and music will be from Martin Trang at the piano. If you can't make it this Friday, the gallery is open 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays during the show's duration. ORLAND ART GALLERY Featured artist focuses on waterfowl By Paul Schemm TheAssociatedPress RABAT, MOROCCO Ridley Scott's biblical epic "Exo- dus" has been banned in Morocco, provoking an an- gry response by politicians and filmmakers in this North African country. Morocco's film commis- sion sent a letter to all cin- emas Saturday, saying the film, which tells the story of Moses, has been banned for possibly portraying God in one scene. Morocco is a mostly Muslim country and Islam forbids displaying im- ages of God. The movie has already been banned in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. However, a party in Mo- rocco's governing coali- tion has criticized the ban as "incomprehensible," es- pecially to a film industry that is important to the country. Morocco is a ma- jor destination for foreign movies. "There should have been a more intelligent handling of this affair in a way that didn't damage the image of the kingdom and preserves the freedom of creation and art," the Progressive Social- ist Party said in a statement that appeared in the press on Wednesday. Morocco's governing co- alition is led by an Islamist party, though most power resides with the king. The country's organiza- tion of filmmakers also crit- icized the ban, calling it "ri- diculous and irrational." "This decision risks dis- couraging film investment in our country and send- ing foreign productions to other destinations," Abder- rahman Tazi, the group's chief, said in a statement issued Tuesday. The Moroccan Cinema Commission's decision to ban "Exodus" involved a scene in which a child, which could be interpreted as representing God, speaks to Moses. The commission had originally authorized the film, but its leader, Sarim Fassi-Fihri, said a repre- sentative of the Communi- cations Ministry had objec- tions. BIBLICAL EPIC Morocco's banning of 'Exodus' film causes controversy By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press NEW YORK Theater-goers were generous to Broadway producers this holiday sea- son, with 19 of the current 36 shows breaking the $1 million mark for the week and almost 30,000 more people in the seats than last Christmastime. The Broadway League said Monday that shows on the Great White Way pulled in $40,843,987 for the week ending Sunday, better than the same week last year when 30 shows attracted $38,783,854. Attendance also went from 290,386 in 2013 to 317,826 this year, with crowds taking advantage of mild New York weather and Christ- mas falling on a Thurs- day. "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" broke the Walter Kerr Theatre's house record for highest single-week gross, taking in $1,062,740 over eight shows, and "The Illusion- ists: Witness the Impossi- ble" broke the house record at the Marquis Theatre by grossing $1,811,228 over 10 shows. "It's Only a Play," with Nathan Lane, broke the Gerald Schoenfeld The- atre's eight-show record with $1,432,273. But despite having Hugh Jackman in "The River," Bradley Cooper in "The Elephant Man" and Sting in "The Last Ship" all onstage toward the end of the year — and "The Book of Mormon" hardly slowing down at all this year — an old fa- vorite was once again the king of Broadway in 2014. Disney's "The Lion King" — which set a weekly record at the Min- skoff Theatre with a nine- performance haul of $2,885,321 — will remain Broadway's highest gross- ing show of the year for the second time in a row, de- spite six other shows hav- ing higher average ticket prices. Disney had even more reason to be pleased since its other show, "Aladdin," will end 2014 as the fifth highest gross- ing show of the year and the only new one among the top five. "Aladdin" also broke the weekly house record at the New Amsterdam Theatre with a nine-performance take of $1,986,322. In recent weeks, bulg- ing box office grosses have led to several shows that opened this fall already recouping, including "The Elephant Man," "The Illu- sionists," "The River" and "It's Only a Play." Numbers for the first week of January — tradi- tionally the slowest time on Broadway — will look far different when a flood of shows close, including "Once," "Pippin," "The Real Thing," "Cinderella," "Side Show" and "This Is Our Youth." THEATER Broadway box offices bulging with holiday profits THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Theater-goers were very generous to Broadway producers this holiday season, with 19of 36shows breaking the $1million mark. By Frazier Moore The Associated Press NEW YORK From the ex- traordinary Maggie Gyl- lenhaal-starring mini- series "The Honorable Woman" on SundanceTV to Syfy's goofy "Sharknado 2: The Second One," TV de- livered in 2014 — stream- ing, on cable and over the air. Showtime's "Home- land" roared back from last year's muddle with a season of white-knuckle suspense. CBS' "The Good Wife" killed off a main character to give the show its latest burst of life. FX's "Sons of Anarchy" ended its seven-season run with explosive closure. HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" wrapped its saga with a fascinating season that juggled three phases in the life of Atlantic City poten- tate Nucky Thompson. AMC's "Mad Men" teed up satisfyingly for its final round in 2015. Showtime's "The Affair" gave fair warning against cheating on your spouse, while mak- ing such a misdeed seem irresistible. And ABC's "Scandal" was wackier than ever. Consider them winning programs, one and all. But here are 10 that get a spe- cial nod: • "black-ish" (ABC). The diversity of life is cele- brated within the seem- ing confines of an up- scale African-American family whose patriarch is determined to uphold a sense of cultural identity for his four kids. Starring Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross as his far-less-fretful wife, it's a smart comedy that ad- dresses race, culture and class with a colorblind brand of relatability — plus plenty of laughs. • "Fargo" (FX). This de- liciously deranged series channeled the 1996 crime classic while setting off in fresh new tracks across the Minnesota tundra. Its brand-new crop of odd- ball characters was led by Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo, a sotto-voce psycho on a byzantine trail of deadly mischief. • "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce" (Bravo). Truth may be stranger than fic- tion, but sometimes fiction is more true-to-life than truth. Exhibit A: This fine new comedy-drama, the first scripted series on a network identified with re- ality fare such as the "Real Housewives" franchise and "Millionaire Matchmaker." Lisa Edelstein is a how-to author dispensing radi- ant advice for a successful family life while her own marriage is coming apart. You might call it an adult variation of "Sex and the City," full of mature emo- tions and challenges (di- vorce isn't for sissies), but also spiced with grown-up fun. • "Gotham" (Fox). The comic book crowd can embrace it as an "origin" series about the lad who would grow up to become Batman. Fans of noir thrill- ers can savor the sleek sto- rytelling and brooding stylishness. "Gotham" has everything: larger-than- life characters completely at home in the free-float- ing world of this crime- ridden city. A terrific cast (led by Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue) that plays the twisted narrative com- pletely straight. And gor- geous production values. Were it on premium cable, this broadcast-network series would be worth the price. • "Jane the Virgin (CW). Jane Villanueva, a young Miami woman whose eyes are trained on profes- sional success and whose knees have stayed virtu- ously clamped together, finds her plans upended after she's mistakenly im- pregnated with a speci- men meant for someone else. After that, the show is as unpredictable as Jane's life, and as big-hearted as she is. Based on a Vene- zuelan telenovela, it stars the effervescent Gina Ro- driguez in a multicultural world that feels genuine yet buoyed with wonder. • "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO). A balm for the imminent pain of losing Comedy Cen- tral's "The Colbert Report," this weekly half-hour swiftly proved itself with its in-depth looks-plus- laughs at serious subjects that "serious" TV news routinely overlooks. Em- ploying a style that's been called "investigative com- edy," Oliver has applied his British brand of wry be- musement to gender-pay inequality, anti-gay laws in Uganda, exaggerated claims for Miss America scholarships and net neu- trality. In these seminars- cum-sermonettes, he's hi- larious and illuminating. • "Nixon's the One" (On- line: http://harryshearer. com). At first glance, it might seem like a cheap shot tossed off as a bunch of comic sketches. But, no: Harry Shearer has drama- tized the real-life President Richard Nixon with an eye toward authenticity, not parody. Shearer mimics the man known to detrac- tors as Tricky Dick in bi- zarre but actual interludes lifted word-for-word from the White House record- ings Nixon secretly made — the very tapes whose revelations wrecked his presidency. In the series' six half-hours, Shearer has reanimated scenes from Nixon's Oval Office ar- chive with tender, loving care while exposing them with full comic effect. • "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" (NBC). What mattered when Jimmy Fallon took over from Jay Leno (and "The Tonight Show" re- turned to Manhattan af- ter four decades) was this: Fallon just kept doing what he'd done so successfully as host of NBC's "Late Night" — just bigger and better on this grander stage. He re- mained funny, gracious, bubbly and much-assured. Instantly "The Tonight Show" became, in effect, "The Jimmy Fallon Show." • "Transparent" (Am- azon Instant Video). Any family, no matter how seemingly stable, is just one revelation away from upheaval. The Pfeffermans are no different, especially when its patriarch, Mort, shocks his ex-wife and grown children by com- ing out as a would-be ma- triarch re-christened as Maura. With Jeffrey Tam- bor starring as a man on the search for woman- hood, this transgender comedy is funny, poignant and perceptive. TELEVISION The year gave viewers great shows on-air and online Established1956 LASSENMEDICALGROUP 2450SisterMaryColumbaDr,RedBluff 20833 Long Branch Dr, Cottonwood 530-527-0414 www.lassenmedical.com OurthankstotheCommunity for your ongoing support Family Practice, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine & Dermatology Walk-in clinic open 7 days a week Providing comprehensive, compassionate, quality healthcare for our community, guiding people of all ages toward wellness. 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