At the other end of the civilization spectrum from AFI Fest’s recent pepper-spray incident (ironic, isn’t it, that fisticuffs broke out at a screening of a new bio-pic about British painter William Turner), is the marvelous roll-out, now in its third month, of Laemmle Theatre’s “Culture Vulture Mondays.”
The series is just one way that the civically and community-minded theater exhibitors are actively working to maintain and upgrade the shared movie-viewing experience for their public. [A similar cultural enhancement is “Free Popcorn Thursdays.]
Laemmle picks the best from the worlds of ballet, opera, stage, and fine art to feature on the big screen Mondays at 7:30pm at every Laemmle location. (Discounted encore presentations run Tuesdays, 1pm.)
| Nov 24/25 | I due Foscari | Opera | Royal Opera House |
| Dec 01/02 | Manon | Ballet | Royal Ballet |
| Dec 08/09 | The Vatican Museum | Exhibition | The Vatican |
| Dec 15/16 | The Nutcracker | Ballet | Vienna State Opera House |
| Dec 22/23 | L’elisir d’Amore | Opera | Royal Opera House |
| Dec 05/06 | Il Trovatore | Opera | Berlin Staatsoper |
| Jan 12/13 | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Stage | Globe |
| Jan 19/20 | Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland | Ballet | Royal Ballet |
| Jan 26/27 | Hermitage Revealed | Exhibition | The Hermitage |
| Feb 02/03 | La Forza del Destino | Opera | National Theatre Munich |
The Laemmles continues to add dimension to the theater-going experience in other creative ways. We wish to recommend an in-lobby art exhibit, part of the theater chain’s “Art in the Art House” program overseen by Marc Horowitz and curated by arts·meme friend Joshua Elias. The mission of this alternative gallery concept “reclaims” wall space throughout theaters for the display of fine art, introducing notable and emerging L.A. based visual artists and their work. Through year-end, hanging on Laemmle Playhouse 7 walls is “Mappings,” the works of Chinese-born artist Xi Hou, who subtitles her show, A Dynamic Abstract Language Maps Our World.
Xi Hou, “Today No Rain” acrylic on canvas 16″x20″ 2014