REVIEW: Simmering with Ate9 dance company at The Wallis
“Let it simmer.” With those words, the music savant Michael Jackson directed his band in This Is It, a documentary capturing his final, unrealized rock concert. MJ’s instrux came to my mind while watching the dance splendor choreographer Danielle Agami unveiled at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts this weekend. The Israeli-born Los ...
Weather report: It’s raining female artists in Los Angeles
Feb
15
2019
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova in live performance with PussyRiot at The Broad Stage, photo by Ben Gibbs We’ve had some crazy tumultuous storms lately in Los Angeles, a weather pattern augured to continue as women are seizing the stages of the city’s performing arts centers. For a mighty wind of female fabulousness — and fury — has ...
Forgive me, Annie Leibovitz 2
Feb
13
2019
annie leibovitz, hauser & wirth los angeles, feb 13 2019 Annie, hello. I’m a writer. I’m not a good photographer. I would be … but my hands shake slightly. It ruins the picture. Nonetheless, this morning when you led a press tour through your new show at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles, I simply had ...
Baritone Rod Gilfry, soon soloist in David Lang ‘the loser’
gilfry as ‘the narrator‘ in david lang’s ‘the loser’ soon at l.a. opera Ed. note: An interview with L.A. Opera guest singer Rod Gilfrey by Gary Murphy first published in the “Bravo” newsletter of the Opera League of Los Angeles.♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ After reprising his role as Mr. Potter in Jake Heggie’s opera adaptation ...
She imagined, she designed and she built: Julia Morgan 2
Feb
12
2019
Cali’s renowned female architect and her mansion by the sea for Marion Davies All she did was to conceptualize, design and build Hearst Castle in San Simeon, as the West Coast corollary of Versailles. It wasn’t much. It took no time at all — 28 years. There on a high cliff overlooking the Pacific, in ...
Laurie Sefton’s tasty dance offerings for Clairobscur
“Concert Walls” (2018) choreography by Laurie Sefton This evocative dance photo speaks to me, for, like many fellow Americans, I have walls on my mind. How I wish I didn’t. The image is of Concert Walls, a work from the attractive, diverse repertory of Clairobscur Dance Company, whose resident choreographer Laurie Sefton states with certitude, ...
Traffic-distraction: Cunningham dancers displayed on high
They move faster than L.A. traffic and they are infinitely more beautiful. From February 4 – 17 excerpts from Scenario and Views on Camera, filmed by Charlie Atlas, are spooling on a big distracting screen outside the Marriott Hotel across from LA Live. On Olympic, east of the 110, west of Figueroa, guys. The screen ...
Our pick for Black History month: Lena Horne tributes
Author James Gavin, who penned “Stormy Weather: The Life Of Lena Horne” will explore the life and career of a legendary superstar as part of Black History month February 13. The fun and informative event will take place at The Barn, with all the barn animals. Lena Horne was one of the great entertainers of ...
Gregory Hines forever
The United States Postal Service, a valued part of our Federal government, has honored a great American dancer by issuing its 42nd stamp in the Black Heritage series featuring an image of Gregory Hines (1946–2003). Hines was a monster-contributor to the dance field. Nominated for Tony Awards in the 1970s for three Broadway musicals — ...
‘Dolly’ll never go away again’ — for three weeks — at the Pantages
Jan
31
2019
HELLO, DOLLY! cast. photo: Julia Cervantes All of this ebullience is on tap at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre where the cast pictured above, darling, and certainly relieved after a smooth opening night, gathered for a photo. The “kids” surround their “Dolly,” the Tony Award-winning actress Betty Buckley, in the Los Angeles premiere engagement of the ...