Fabulous summer silent film series @ the Academy screens “The Covered Wagon”
Jul
5
2011
“The Covered Wagon” (1923) will be the next film screened in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Summer of Silents” series on Monday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. I’m going. Having lived in California for 21 years, I’m fascinated by stories and images of the western expansion, ...
Hofesh Shechter talks … 1
Jul
5
2011
Lyndsey Winship interviews Israeli born, London-based choreographer Hofesh Shechter, an ex-rocker, in Time Out London published today: Shechter has difficulty acknowledging his own success. ‘I’m experiencing failure daily,’ he says. ‘It’s difficult for me to connect to the idea that I’m successful. I can see it in the fact that my work tours all around ...
Robert Brown’s “Harbor Theme,” historic mural from Beverly Hilton hotel, at New Puppy Gallery 1
Jul
5
2011
Robert W. Brown was a prolific Los Angeles visual artist with a vast range of talents: a print maker, studio glass artist, professor of art, ceramicist, figure artist; there are few art forms he didn’t delve into, and he was generally a master technician at each. Brown completed Harbor Theme sometime in 1954 or 1955. ...
Docu honors Gospel music, born in America, underpinning jazz and blues
Jul
3
2011
As a teen, I had my first exposure to gospel music listening to Sunday broadcasts on Pittsburgh’s black radio station, WAMO. So I wouldn’t miss the documentary film, Rejoice & Shout: Those beautifully named gospel singing groups — The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Soul Stirrers. Why don’t dance companies have ...
REVIEW: Rennie Harris’s “REIGN” rains on China
A woman stands at stage center, her knee-length black dress draping loosely over trousers. She’s trembling. Flashing lights — a disco? faux lightening? — cut the stage’s darkness. The sound of thunder, then rain, pours from the speakers. It’s loud, overpowering. The woman suffers, she’s convulsing; her corn-rowed hair flies in the syncopated rhythm. A ...
Ah, Ian. Ian Birnie’s swan song @ LACMA this month 1
Jul
1
2011
It’s a sad and bittersweet moment. We’re down to the last weekend film series curated by LACMA’s great film department head, Ian Birnie. The 41-year old program, a landmark of high cinephilic culture, is giving way to a new structure, delivered in tandem with Film Independent and headed by the film critic Elvis Mitchell. There ...
Seen at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Jun
30
2011
artsmeme thanks the joffrey ballet for the funny foto
What to feed a U.S. dance company overseas 1
Jun
29
2011
You’re on an international dance tour, and it’s a pretty small life. I know this because I just had the great good fortune to accompany Lula Washington Dance Theatre in China last month. Life boils down to: What time in the morning do you have to put your luggage in hotel lobby? Hey, what’s on ...
Merce Cunningham Dance Company journeys to Jerusalem and Moscow
Jun
29
2011
A special report from arts•meme foreign correspondent Anna Finke, traveling with Merce Cunningham Dance Company. By day, Anna works as MCDC’s wardrobe supervisor and photographer. She blogs at Finke-Ink. Anna writes first on visiting Israel: We were all excited to take in this new country and the Jerusalem Season of Culture was a wonderful host. ...
George Chakiris remembers West Side Story in advance of 50th anniversary screening @ Hollywood Bowl
Prior to next week’s “West Side Story” night at the Hollywood Bowl — a screening of the ten-Oscar-winning, Bernstein-Robbins-Sondheim-Laurent film celebrating its 50th year anniversary — it’s a great pleasure to post L.A. renaissance guy Tom Gregory‘s lovely interview with Bernardo, er… the wonderful George Chakiris. At the Bowl, the Los Angeles Philharmonic will play ...