arts·meme goes to ‘The Circus’ 1
It’s the eternal cliche … .”fun for kids of all ages.” But hey, half the experience comes from watching a show with little ones. And they are a great audience. Legendary puppeteer Bob Baker‘s “The Circus,” a classic marionette revue now on at Bob Baker Marionette Theater, has been specially restaged for summer viewing — ...
Weird scenes inside the goldmine: L.A.’s 1967 rock venues 1
Jun
21
2017
by kirk silsbee
editor’s note: Harvey Kubernik’s new coffeetable tome, 1967: A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love (Sterling), is a both a scholarly examination and a sensuous immersion into the pivotal year in 1960s youth culture through a mosaic of voices. Kirk Silsbee’s sidebars from his essay in the book, excerpted and condensed here, ...
Hocus-pocus, here comes the circus!
Just to prove that Washington D.C. does not have the lock on staging circuses, we’ve got a really cool one coming our way in Los Angeles. It’s a revival, by The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, of The Circus, a Bob Baker original production that has not been seen in nearly 40 years. The Circus, originally ...
Andrea Martin, beautiful & funny, in support of Armenian women in need 2
We so enjoyed last night’s cabaret-style performance by actress Andrea Martin, accompanied by her versatile sidekick (every woman needs one) Seth Rudetsky. The evening-length fundraiser for the Armenian International Women’s Association took place at North Hollywood’s show-bizzy El Portal Theater. Paying respect to her Armenian family background, the multiple Emmy Award-winning and two-time Tony Award-winning ...
Looks fascinating: “Les Blancs” by Lorraine Hansberry @ Rogue Machine
May
24
2017
Lorraine Hansberry’s final work, completed just before her death in 1965, Les Blancs, depicts the waning days of colonialism. Set in a time frame crossing into the 20th century, it reveals the impossible moral choices faced by individuals who must reconcile personal happiness with idealism. It is rich with music and dance and set in ...
The return of Rodney King
Mar
12
2017
Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show, RODNEY KING, features history, poetry, catastrophe and culture — in a theatrical take on a citizen of unsought notoriety. It concerns our fellow Angeleno Rodney King. He who was caught in the national spotlight as the victim of police brutality that ignited the 1992 LA riots. He whose brutal beating ...
Audience nods off at performance
Feb
19
2017
In a brilliant illustration of a New York Times story, “Inside the Brutal World of Comedy Open Mikes,” photographer Christian Hansen captures a less-than-scintillated audience of three. The occasion was an ‘open mike’ session at a comedy club. Guys, we know the feeling!
Thank you, New York!
A big bravo to Manhattan, Mecca of the Arts, where I have been in residence since September — aka The Season! I joined the furious tour of the performing arts, hitting the ground running, while on a Fellowship from The Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU. Forays to Lincoln Center, the Joyce Theater, Brooklyn ...
Chita Rivera conquers Carnegie Hall
Holding court in her Carnegie Hall debut Monday evening, Broadway legend Chita Rivera gave gobs of pleasure and a pre-election-day boost to a very well-sold house. Prior to the show, a good many attendees swarmed the 57th Street sidewalk in anticipation of a special evening. In a solo showcase that got by with a little ...
Ed Wood’s ‘Plan 9’ joins forces with marionette ‘Spooktacular’
Director/auteur Ed Wood’s low-budget classic, Plan 9 From Outer Space, was loathed by critics upon release. It became a cult classic. The cast of the film included Maila Nurmi, credited as Vampira, and Bela Lugosi, who famously died during production and was replaced by Ed Wood’s chiropractor, Dr. Tom Mason. The making of Plan 9 From ...