Django’s jangling cinematic reflections
Jan
16
2013
We massively enjoyed Quentin Tarantino’s frontal attack on a hateful chapter of American history, “Django Unchained,” an ambitious and hilarious cinematic tour de force. The strength of the film is its use of the director’s best gift — his deep knowledge of his own metier — in a conversation not just with history, but with ...
Eötvös’s noir quartet, “Korrespondenz” (1993), by Calder Quartet @ Jacaranda
What a strange and intricate moment when composer Peter Eötvös’s Korrespondenz, Scenes for String Quartet opened Jacaranda’s “Fierce Beauty” program Saturday night in Santa Monica. The Calder Quartet played the 1993 work with Eötvös in the room, making the occasion extra special. The global music luminary is visiting Los Angeles from Hungary for a week of ...
Enjoy a Pall-Mall courtesy of commercial artist Mary Blair
Were we to select a brand of cigarettes, these concept sketches and the final advertisement (circa 1959) by the famed commercial and fine artist Mary Blair would surely influence our decision. Mary Blair Pall-Mall advertisement images, courtesy of the magic of mary blair
Mary Blair, the woman artist who inspired Disney’s “Nine Old Men” 1
At last night’s panel discussion of Walt Disney’s animated classic, “Peter Pan” (1953) (the new blu-ray version is now playing at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre), we learned about the film’s core group of animators. Walt Disney jokingly referred to this crew not as “Pan-imators,” but rather as his “Nine Old Men.” The expression puns on ...
“I’m flying!” Pundits to prattle on Peter Pan panel
Jan
10
2013
“I taught you to fight and to fly. What more could there be?” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan and Wendy A special celebration takes place Friday night at the marvelous El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. It’s a “Peter Pan” panel discussion, moderated by Leonard Maltin, at 7pm, with Walt Disney’s animated classic from 1953, “Peter ...
The challenge of “‘Tis Pity” … a chat w/ CAP UCLA’s Kristy Edmunds
Jan
8
2013
Reading up on the 17th century play, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, I broke into a sweat. The work is about incest, tough stuff. Cheek by Jowl Theater, the celebrated troupe of British actors, brings playwright John Ford’s tragic drama about carnal knowledge between a brother and sister to UCLA’s Freud Playhouse for a five-performance ...
Hungarian maestro Peter Eötvös to conduct @ Jacaranda
Jan
7
2013
We’re super fascinated to learn that the acclaimed Hungarian composer-conductor Peter Eötvös (pronounced urt-vursh) will soon take part in a mini-residency in Los Angeles. It all kicks off with Eötvös’s personal participation in FIERCE BEAUTY, the January 12 edition of contemporary music series Jacaranda, Music at the Edge. He’ll conduct the U.S. premiere of his ...
Little drummer boys at Lula Washington Dance Theatre 1
Interspersed amongst the thundering herd of kickin’ African drummers that propelled Kwanzaa madness at Lula Washington’s Crenshaw Boulevard dance studio over the holidays was a passel of tiny tots … young gentlemen. They banged the drum, and not slowly. I asked our friend Erwin Washington, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Lula Washington Dance Theatre, for ...
Kwanzaa madness at Lula Washington Dance Theatre
Jan
3
2013
Point me to a better show. I’m open minded! But now in my third year of attendance, I find the year-end Kwanzaa Celebration at Lula Washington Dance Theatre not just exhilarating fun, not only pulling you to the edge of your chair with non-stop great dancing, but, an added pleasure, it blasts off to a ...
Hello Harlow! 2
Jan
2
2013
In a nice movie-starrish start to the new year, we’re attending the opening of an exhibition dedicated to actress Loretta Young at the Hollywood Museum on Highland Avenue on January 8. Then the next night, we’re looking forward to attending a super fun “Evening at the Barn” presentation by the Hollywood Heritage group — a ...