Cyndi Lauper, Ph.D.

Music
i used to just wanna have fun … now it’s different. photo of cydni lauper by brent hallenbeck For a high-school dropout whose life was changed by an experience while attending Northern Vermont University – Johnson, it must have been a pretty wonderful day May 18, 2019, when Cyndi Lauper was granted an honorary doctorate. ...

Mehraban windows connect classic & contemporary design talent

Architecture & Design
A happy highlight of this year’s La Cienega Design Quarter (LCDQ) three-day design festival showed its face to the public on a busy, design-rich Los Angeles boulevard. Two chic and fascinating windows, designed by Gary Hutton and Chad Dorsey, lent special life at Mehraban, a three-generation purveyor of contemporary and artisinal rugs. Mehraban hosted the ...

Rudi Gernreich stunner: ‘The Swan’ for Lewitzky Dance in 1976

Dance · Fashion
We’re just starting to dig into the rich content of “Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich,” the exhibition now up and running at the Skirball Cultural Center, with its stimulating mix of design, gender, fine art, and social issues. All those elements came crashing together, in a sixties kind of way, in the work of the adventurous ...

Can Kahane? Yes he can!

Music
Pianist/conductor Jeffrey Kahane, soon at Pianospheresphoto by John Rabe for KPCC In a rare Southern California solo recital appearance, Jeffrey Kahane has designed a special program for the presenter Pianospheres in its 25th season. Kahane, of course, is an acclaimed pianist, conductor, music director laureate of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and educator. Gabriel Kahane,Works ...

The pursuit of ‘Love & Happiness’ with Al Green

Music · Reviews
photo credit: Al Green facebook page He struggled. Both with his voice and his body. Argh, that gorgeous, sexy young man got fat. The voice was often not there. He reached for signature falsetto trills, swooping octave-length slides, and growls, and came up with memories. Rather than whisper, he croaked. He relied on the audience ...

‘So L.A.’ in a good way: Jacob Jonas The Company reviewed

Dance · Reviews
by 
‘to the dollar,’ chor by jacob jonas, photography matthew brush It’s hard to avoid politics these days. We tweet about it, march about it, get outraged about it. It’s in your face in every medium. Including dance. Jacob Jonas The Company’s (JJTC) brilliantly danced mixed bill at The Wallis on Friday included two politically-charged works: ...

‘Wild Bill’ Wellman returns to Oakridge

Film
When men were men: William Wellman, director William Wellman, Jr. will introduce his award-winning documentary Wild Bill Hollywood Maverick (1995), a film about the life and career of his father, the legendary director William Wellman, at a cool event soon to happen at the Hollywood-historic home Oakridge. One can only guess that Wellman was among the ...

Rita Moreno, Ph.D.

Film · Theater
She’s won two Emmys, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony, the so-called “EGOT.” Now she’ll adding missing letters to her alphabet soup of honors, when Rita Moreno receives a Ph.D. from The Juilliard School. She’s great with accents and has a distinctive voice, but even Moreno may struggle with this one: EGOTPhD. Moreno was ...

Remembering Rita Guerrero

Film · Music
RITA, THE DOCUMENTARY, an intimate and music-fueled documentary by Arturo Díaz Santana that captures the energy and artistry of the brilliant lead singer of Santa Sabina, Rita Guerrero (1964-2011), will screen at the Hola Mexico Film Festival on Thursday, June 6 at The Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood. Santa Sabina, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, will perform following the ...

Los Angeles lore thru music & photography @ Central Library

Music · Visual arts
Josh Nelson: The Sky Remains, May 4, 2019, singer Kathleen Grace out frontCentral Library downtown Los Angelesphoto courtesy of Mark Christian Miller, Corniche Entertainment A wonderful Saturday afternoon: a chance to unplug, be with people, and simply simmer in a stew of creativity, while taking in a jazz concert in the cozy confines of the ...