Rumble at “Last Remaining Seats” with “West Side Story”
We’re very thrilled to announce that arts·meme‘s Debra Levine will conduct a very special interview with the Academy Award-winning actor/dancer George Chakiris, a good friend of the blog, prior to the screening of West Side Story (1961) on Saturday June 14. The classic movie-musical is the jewel in the crown of this summer’s “Last Remaining ...
Dance Camera West’s “Restructure” festival to kick off with stylish sculptural dance 3
Wow, Dance Camera West! If this image does not capture the coolest vision of dance-of-the-future, then we must not be in the midst of the go-go dance explosion happening right now in Los Angeles. We sure are excited to see performances by BODYTRAFFIC on the crazy “structure” artist Gustavo Godoy has created on a commission ...
Revisiting movie “classics” that aren’t 4
It’s almost a dare. A film festival, in this case TCM Classic Film Festival 2014, which virtually took over Hollywood Boulevard for five days this past May, declares, in its title, its focus on movie “classics.” Nothing but “classics.” Really? Consider that perhaps a few of those “classics” are overrated. Then consider that some are ...
An influential woman still and always: Gena Rowlands
May
24
2014
Looking forward to attending a special screening, next Wednesday evening, of A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974), a landmark film directed by John Cassavetes and featuring a groundbreaking and courageous performance by actress Gena Rowlands. The film was one of the first preserved by the National Film Registry because of its cultural significance. Rowlands will ...
ENO ‘Cosi’ conjured at Coney Island
How do you solve a problem like Cosi — Mozart’s Job-like musical glory of messing with the minds of two women on a bet, just to prove that they’re “like that”? In the words of Peter Sellars, prior to his revisionist diner production more than twenty years ago: “Is this the most offensive anti-feminist opera ...
arts·meme turns six 1
May
20
2014
A sparkling ‘Shirley Temple’ for arts·meme, the Los Angeles arts blog that came into existence on May 24, 2008. The young lady, having formally entered café society, here hoists a cocktail in commemoration of her sixth birthday. Happy birthday, arts·meme! Kudos and hugs around to arts·meme technology guru, Beijing-based Mark Levine; Heap Big Technology Friend ...
How do you spell civilization? Catherine Turocy’s historic dance workshop in Santa Barbara
May
19
2014
Why not consider a break from the unremitting wonderfulness of the 21st century — just for a few days — and meet some nice people? And while you’re hanging around, learn to stretch, spin, dip, tiptoe, curtsey and pose? Sign on for the Santa Barbara Historical Dance Workshop… run by amazingly well-credentialed experts in 17th ...
Tracey Davis lovingly honors father, Sammy Davis Jr.
“It’s been a rough day … a little up and down,” admitted Tracey Davis, her eyes welling slightly with tears as she spoke to a gathered group last night at Larry Edmunds Bookshop about her new book “Sammy Davis, Jr.: A Personal Journey With My Father.” Her high emotion was somewhat atypical for an author ...
At CAP UCLA, the ‘B’s have it!
To be or not to be, that was the question Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA artistic director Kristy Edmunds pondered in fashioning her arts-forward performance series for the 2014-15 season. So much so that the curator tilted in one direction: toward artists with names starting with the letter ‘B.’ Yes, a barrage ...
Dance giants shmooze @ “Tappin’ Thru Life” opening night
May
12
2014
A glorious night, Friday, in Beverly Hills, as veteran hoofer Maurice Hines poured major show-biz nostalgia onto the stage of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (known to cognoscenti as “The Wallis”). After the show, a bevy of dance royalty hugged, kissed, and shared a whole lotta lobby love. Featured in the photos: ...