81.5 F
Los Angeles

NoHo Tours | Advertising | Contact Us | Business Concierge

Home Blog Page 174

How to Truly Save a Dog’s Life from a Shelter/Rescue.

We adopted this girl two years ago. ?? She’s about 3 years old now.

I went to a German Shepherd Rescue and they said she was highly reactive and she was. It didn’t seem like most reactivity I see…it seemed more pent up energy so I was able to work with her a few days and decide. They said she was 2-4 years old and looked like she had a litter of pups. Clearly, from her fur, she was an outside dog. She had been picked up as a stray and she was all skin and bone. 3 days in I called and wanted to adopt her…but I honestly knew after our first walk. She exploded jumping and lunging and barking and a very well timed leash pop snapped her out of it and she looked at me surprised. That was it. She is now an easy peasy dog, a cream puff! It’s not that she doesn’t make bad decisions, but they are easy to influence when they do rarely happen.

The most interesting thing about her is she is the dog (temperament-wise) I knew existed…I just never owned one.

What I mean by that is I can spoil her and it doesn’t really change her disposition. Of course, she’s more confident and relaxed with a more structured lifestyle, especially at her young age, but if I’m really loose with the rules and lots of cuddling, her great disposition doesn’t change. She doesn’t snowball to anxiety or reactivity again. She remains delightful and listens relatively well and doesn’t start making bad choices without heavy leadership. Doing what we do at RBR, it’s easy to forget dogs like that do exist. It’s a blessing to have found her really and it’s not a miracle…it’s good genes.

She was much younger than initially thought. More like a year old and likely had a phantom litter. Maybe because of that she was turned loose, deemed a bad dog for breeding, or simply an accident that she got free. We’ll never know.

She was an adolescent puppy out of control with tons of energy and no understanding of “no”.

When you go to adopt a dog knowing how to teach yes AND no, know the rules you want to teach in your house, don’t spoil them and mostly hold them the first few weeks, you will tap into so many incredible rescue dogs. But as a whole, we are not setting up those dogs for success. If Dakota had just run rampant through her adolescence, her reactivity would have gotten crazy, never off-leash reliable and may have been deemed a fun backyard dog because her excitement would have just been too much in the house…but she still would be a great dog, just not living her fullest life.  We come across that a lot.  People with the best intentions get rescue dogs and set them up to fail.  They seek out training after the “honeymoon period” of the dog settling into a house leads to bad behavior and they have no choice.  We are a last chance spot for many dogs with well-meaning owners that wanted to save a dog’s life and are faced with HUGE challenges that are affecting their life very negatively.  Many of these issues, like with Dakota, can quickly be stopped before they even get out of hand by teaching the right no and when to use yes.  It will save lives.

Many dogs in shelters have serious issues, caused by genetic and relationship issues, but there are so many Dakota’s out there too and I hope that everyone experiences that, but adopts a dog responsibly by being prepared.  Good intentions simply are not enough.  This girl grows on me every day and I’m so grateful for my easy cupcake dog…I may never have another.  To all the rescue dogs out there trying to find their way, I send my love.  To all of the potential owners, I hope to share this knowledge so I will see fewer dogs come through my doors (as a trainer) with these intense behavioral issues that mostly stem from a lack of understanding how to navigate the world around them.  ❤️

Which Treatment is Better for Filling Gaps?

Teeth are an integral part of our appearance.

However, there are a lot of issues that one might face regarding this body part. The problems can go on from crooked teeth to lack of alignment, to gaps between them and so on. If you have any of these or any other such issue with your teeth, it is best to consult with an orthodontist at your earliest. The reason behind it is that the more you delay it, the more difficult it can get to treat the issue. For e.g. with the issue of gaps, you need to treat it as soon as possible. For this, you have multiple options, but the two most common ones are braces and Invisalign. Which one is better though, depends on your situation and personal preferences, although some dental practices such as New York Total Dental recommend Invisalign over braces in general. To have a better understanding, let’s first look at what these two processes are very briefly:

Braces:

The traditional braces consist of metal brackets that are connected with wires and are attached to your teeth permanently for a time period of 1-2 years. The time span depends on your needs and will vary for everyone. But, there have been advancements in the making now and so you have a lot to choose from even within braces.

Invisalign:

Unlike braces, Invisalign is not permanent. In fact, you need to change them every 2 weeks (depends on your situation). They have customized almost invisible plastic aligners that are designed using computer software and are fairly recent in comparison to the braces. The process for this might take a little longer depending upon how religiously you are following the schedule.

After having a brief summary of both processes, it is now important to know that while the system and ways are different for both of them, they are both suitable options for the treatment of gaps. Dentists have been using these two techniques to fill the gaps permanently for their patients and they have been successful in both the ways. Hence, the only thing which can decide which process will work best for you are the factors included in the treatment of both. Whichever you feel will be a better option for you depending upon your priorities is the one you should go with. Here are some of the major contributing factors that you can keep in mind before choosing the right option for yourself:

Appearance:

As stated above, Invisalign is invisible, and so when you are wearing them, no one will be able to notice that you are getting a treatment done, unless your teeth need the enamels which are added on top of it. In some cases, you just need it for a tooth or two, but in others, you might need it for all of them. If the latter one is the case, the aesthetics would be compromised as people will be easily able to identify them, just like braces. On the other hand, the traditional braces do not look much attractive in appearance, but now you do have colorful ones so you can at least have a bit of looks with them.

Budget:

Since both the options work towards fixing the gaps, you need to see which one would fit in your budget. Dental problems always cause a lot of money but even within them, there are some which are comparatively less expensive. In this case, braces are cheaper than Invisalign. However, it also depends on how long the process might take and how much the gap is. For this, you need to check with your orthodontist beforehand for both of the treatments, get to know the procedure and see which one will cost less without affecting the results.

Lifestyle:

This is one of the most integral points that you need to keep in mind. Both the treatments will have a large effect on your lifestyle, but in different ways, and so you need to choose that which one are you willing to compromise on and what is something you can not live without.

For braces, you will have to give up on a number of food items completely for the next two years or so. Some of them include chewing gum, sticky food, candies, and other stuff like that. Apart from that, you might also find it difficult to brush your teeth, converse, or get used to it being right there in your mouth. With Invisalign, you need to keep in mind that you cannot eat or drink anything with them on, except for water, unless you want them to be stained, so be cautious about it!

Wedding 101: Preparing for the Best Day of Your Life

Chances are, you have probably been dreaming about it ever since you were a child!

But even if you haven’t, your wedding day is one of the most important and memorable days of your life, and it is an event that you will cherish forever. That is why planning it a while beforehand and preparing for it is an essential step in having a successful day.

Below are five steps you could follow that can make your wedding day as special and run as smooth as possible. 

Make a checklist 

When writing a checklist, write everything you have in mind, then prioritize. One of the common mistakes people make in weddings is that they do not prioritize. They will focus on little details rather than focus on the more important steps such as seating arrangements or booking a place months beforehand. Whether you are doing your wedding at a reception or a banquet hall, it is essential that you reserve the location earlier as some places are sometimes reserved for a full year. Banquet halls are usually larger than receptions, so make sure you go through your guest list before you book either. For booking can become very difficult, an adequate estimate will generally be good enough to know for sure which one will best suit your wedding day.

Be organized 

The second step in preparing for the best day of your life is to be organized. Took the DJs number, but didn’t save it anywhere? Took measurements for your bridesmaid’s dresses, but mixed them up? These are some things that might make you and those around you a bit frustrated, but they are also some things that can easily be avoided if you just stay organized. Have a notebook near you or your smartphone so you can write down the things you need to do for the day or other details such as the measurements. 

 

Create a budget 

It is easy to completely go out of proportions on such an important day. Ice sculptures and large center pieces are some things that can definitely make the hall look beautiful,  but may pass the limit of your budget. Go over your finances and set a budget in stone, try not to “estimate” as you may go overboard without even noticing.

Create a guest list 

It is important that for your wedding, you try and invite those who are nearest and dearest to you first, then distant family members and friends later. Again, it is all about prioritizing. If your budget only allows for 50 people, or you would just like 50 people in your wedding, then do what you and your future spouse think is right. 

Do your research 

Like any successful task, wedding planning needs research. You need to research the band or DJ you want to hire photographers, florists, and caterers. Make sure that you go through trustworthy reviews and try them out if possible. Ask your DJ or band to play your favorite song, as a photographer for a mini photo session, ask the florist to set up ideas they have in mind, and so on.  

 

The most important step of all, is to remember to have fun. Not all weddings or even events run as smoothly as we wish, so even if some things do go wrong, just remember to have fun and really cherish this event with all its ups and downs. 

Actor Workout Studio Presents “Park Passages”

The Writers Group at The Actors Workout Studio has put together a fun and entertaining night of one acts!

This small but quaint theatre in the heart of NoHo was the perfect backdrop to showcase six one-act plays all ranging from different subject matters. From secret love affairs to grandparents forced to make life-changing decisions, to two strangers testing their fate before the world ends. It was the ideal balance of comedy and drama. Hats off to the playwrights of each production. They were moving, shocking, funny and relatable. Each story opened on a bench in the charming courtyard of a park.

The show kicks off with two strangers who have a chance encounter at a cemetery. Both are visiting their late husbands and spark up a conversation, which leads to unexpected revelations. This dark comedy was brought to life by the playful and witty “southern belle” Carlene, played by Joey Jupiter-Levin, and was well balanced by her reserved and standoffish counterpart Monica, played by Ruth Brandt. Both coming to terms with their lost loves.

Following the first act, is a light-hearted comedy about two friends with opposing beliefs about whether the world is round or flat. Loren, played by Boyana Balta, stands determined to convince Raina, played by Gabrielle Gulledge, that the world is round. Her comedic efforts don’t go unnoticed as she becomes quite scientific in her pursuits.

The third, called “Picking Up the Pieces” was superbly acted by Dolores Aguanno and Gregory Niebel who are torn between choosing to raise their daughter’s baby or walking away and finally enjoying their retirement. The struggle and anguish on the part of both actors were extremely moving.

The next play called “Runyon” was about two brothers testing their faith in one another. One threatening to expose a secret that could destroy the life of the other. Both actors were excellent and did an impressive job of conveying the depth and inner turmoil of their circumstances.

The fifth one takes place in a park and involves a young homeless man who has a surprise encounter with a stranger who wants to feed all of the homeless except him. They’re back and forth banter was hilarious to watch.

The final play, “Bench at The End of the World,” was a humorous tale of a woman desperate to find love before it’s too late. With time running out, she meets an unsuspecting traveler who has to decide if he’s going to spend his last few moments on earth with this quirky stranger.  All of the actors did an impeccable job of giving these character’s depth, range and color. This was definitely an entertaining night at the theatre. Be sure not to miss the show!!

TICKETS>>

Showcasing the talents of Dolores Aguanno, George Ayvazian, Boyana Balta, Ruth Brandt, David D’Amico, Luke Frisbie, Stephanie Gans, Gabrielle Gulledge, Joey JupiterLevin, Monica Mauro, Gregory Niebel, Mark Stancato and Alec Zbornak.

Directed by Conrad Dunn, Wendy Goodman Thum, Daniel Lynch, Roxanne MacManus, Bradley Rhone and Daniel B. Weisman

Written by Wendy Goodman Thum, Roxanne MacManus, Stephen Olson, Bradley Rhone, Paul Surace and Daniel B. Weisman Review written by Elisa Hoyos

Running July 19 to August 3, Friday and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 7 PM (no show on August 4)

Executive producer by Fran Montano

Produced by Stacy Ann Raposa

A Question for Actors – How’s Your Mindset?

I went on an audition recently and saw a familiar face. 

It was an actor I’ve seen on and off at auditions over the years.  We are a similar type, close in age. We recognized each other from the familiarity of showing up at auditions. We didn’t know each other’s names, just our faces.   We exchanged smiles and he later came up to me, introduced himself and said, “Looks like you’re still living the dream.”  I looked back and said, “Yes, you too it seems.”   We chatted a bit and parted. He had a great energy about him.

That moment stayed with me for some time. Am I living the dream?  Did I really feel that way or was that a quick answer to avoid the thought?  I pondered on this for some time.  If I get this job, sure, I thought. If I don’t, I’m not so sure. It got me on a brain rant.  Am I in touch with living the dream?  What a great feeling if I was.  I contemplated on this for days, I kept asking myself, “Am I living the dream?”  On the outside for anyone observing me, yes, of course, the logistics of my life say yes. I go through the motions, do my work, but do I really feel it inside?  Do I really believe it? Am I positive, grateful, and in the flow of love and gratitude in my work?  Do I feel I make a difference and am I positive about making a difference?  As my brain went on and on I remembered a quote:

 “Is your reality based on your beliefs, or are your beliefs based on your reality?”

This is a question I put to my students from time to time. When you’re not working do you still believe, or do you need a job to make you feel good? It’s about energy and consciousness. Some say you do what you are, and some say you are what you do.  What comes first? And more importantly, how do you view it?

Sometimes it takes getting work to feel like you’re living the dream.  When you’re not, it can bring you down. And if you’re down and don’t bring that positive energy to your auditions and life, it makes it harder to get work.  So I put this out to you today, Are you living your dream, more importantly, do you feel like you are? That is the magic, that is the work, the invisible energy that makes you shine and makes people want to be around you.

If you’re pursuing acting fervently, making the sacrifices that actors make to be in this business, you are doing something big, something that matters to you.  Keep reminding yourself, yes, you are living the dream, and follow your passion, your purpose. Embrace it, share it, walk with it, own it and let your light shine. Get yourself in touch with “it.”  Stand in it.  Keep reminding yourself of that.

I hope I book that job of course, but if I don’t, I hope Roy does. Thank you Roy, you made a difference by just being who you are. That’s what we must do as artists. Thanks for the reminder.

Realise your online potential

A comparison website is as straightforward as its name implies.

Consumers use it to compare the prices of various goods and services. It is a one-stop-shop to making sure that before you buy a specific commodity, you are aware of the prices offered by different companies. Although comparison sites cater to almost all kinds of services, consumers typically use them to find better deals on financial products and energy tariffs.

When comparing energy tariffs, for example, a comparison website like Utility Bidder provides the necessary platform to get quotes from multiple suppliers conveniently. Frequently, the comparison website also contains the tools for applying or switching to a new supplier. In many ways, using a comparison website simplifies the process and makes it more convenient for consumers.

Using a comparison website to look for the service you need

The interface of comparison websites may vary, but the information available is often the same. Consumers have the option to search and filter details about the product or service they wish to compare, while some sites ask for your personal information such as your postcode so that you get a more accurate result. The more details you are willing to supply, the better the search results you will get.

How to maximise the benefits of using a price comparison website

For a more effective way of using price comparison sites, consider the tips below:

  • Use different comparison sites to get the best quote. Not every company likes to feature their services on all comparison websites. This means that you need to compare multiple results from various sites to get a comprehensive list of quotes. Browsing through various sites may take more time, but it is the best way to get the best offer.
  • Always prioritise quality over cost. One of the main priorities of comparison websites is to look for the cheapest quotes for consumers. Nonetheless, you also need to compare other aspects, such as customer service before you settle on a quote. In finding a new energy provider, customer service is essential, especially if you are a commercial customer.

These two basic reminders will help you make the most out of your experience while using a comparison website. However, there are also a few pitfalls you need to avoid. First, there may be pre-ticked boxes with information that does not apply to you. Scan forms and search requests thoroughly so that the result is unique to your circumstances.

Second, review your preferences before you submit a quote. For example, you can search for quotes from a supplier that offers renewable energy, or you can narrow down your options to smaller suppliers only instead of the big six. Lastly, do not be enticed by the price alone. Always check if there are extra charges not included in the initial quote.

In conclusion, using a comparison website will indeed save you time. As long as you are following the basic guidelines on how to use a comparison site, you will likely have a pleasant experience in finding the most suitable energy quote for your needs.

 

ONE OF THE BEST REVIEWED AND RESPECTED FILM FESTIVALS IN AMERICA HAS A CONNECTION TO NORTH HOLLYWOOD & LOS ANGELES!

TWISTER ALLEY FILM FESTIVAL SELECTED 6 OUTSTANDING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FILMMAKERS & SCREENWRITERS TO REPRESENT LA LA LAND! (INCLUDING ME!)

AT ITS 2019 FEST! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALEIX MASSOT, CAMERON DINWIDDIE, GREGORY KASUNICH, JOSHUA BARNETT, SARAH SHAMMARI & KATE FROEHLICH FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK- IT PAID OFF!

NORTH HOLLYWOOD RESIDENT & AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY JASON WEARY WAS A GUEST SPEAKER! 

His name is Josh Hope. His film festival idea has turned Woodward, Oklahoma into one of the most important and prominent destinations for filmmakers and screenwriters to converge, mix, screen, deal, write, learn, and, of course, PARTY! His festival is listed as one of the TOP 100 Best Reviewed film festivals globally and by Filmfreeway.com, and one of the best for attracting filmmakers for its low-cost fees. That’s big-huge!

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Mr. Hope during the fest and talk in detail about Twister Alley Film Festival, how he’s handling its success & what the future holds.

Josh, tell us about how Twister Alley started. Where did the idea come from and how did you manage to pull it all together? What was the response of the community?

My lifelong buddy TJ Treece and I have both been rabid movie fans since as long as I can remember.  We grew up together in small-town Oklahoma watching all kinds of movies and garnered a true appreciation and love of film in general.  Bringing a film festival home to Northwest Oklahoma was something we had talked about for years. TJ was visiting me in Chicago, and we both were in a place where we thought we could actually make it happen!

Well, the entire town of Woodward, OK seems to be involved with the festival. Is this just luck, or, is the town a ‘cell’ of film enthusiasts?

It’s definitely not luck! When we first began pitching the idea of starting an indie film festival in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma, some people thought we were crazy and questioned how we’d ever get film people to come to town. The first couple of years were an experiment, but TJ and I were familiar with the indie film scene, we knew if we gave the filmmakers and awesome and rewarding experience it could work.  I think the city of Woodward now sees the benefit behind bringing several hundred tourists to town for the weekend, and we have some really great local people that put in a lot of time and effort to help us pull it off.

 I agree!! Give our readers a history lesson of the Woodward Arts Theater and how it plays a crucial role in Woodward’s arts & crafts local community.

The Historic Woodward Arts Theater first opened in the 1920s.  I believe it operated and ran first run movies until the early 1980s before becoming a live theatre venue.  The revitalization of the theatre is truly inspiring.  The town continues to fight to keep the old beauty alive.  We absolutely love that the city successfully restored their vintage marquee and lit it for the first time in 25 years at our opening night festivities this year.  We’re absolutely thrilled to bring movies back to the theatre, and honored to play a small part of the theatre’s history and in the revitalization of downtown Main Street in Woodward.

 I was there! It was truly an exciting and emotional experience. What’s next for the Twister Alley Film Festival & how can filmmakers and screenwriters submit to the fest?

We’re now on our 6th year and the festival just keeps getting bigger and better each year.  We’re honored to be named on Moviemaker Magazine’s ‘Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee’ & to be listed as a Top Reviewed Film Festival once again on FilmFreeway.  We accept and play all genres and lengths of film, and we have a screenplay contest with a live table read for our Finalists. We would love for filmmakers, writers and actors to submit, and if selected, come join the party at the festival. Submissions are now open on FilmFreeway. Next year’s fest takes place the first weekend of May 2020.

 Name your favorite films:

This is an impossibly hard question! But, to name a few: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Fargo, The Shining, Sideways, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

 Name your favorite produced screenplays?

A lot of the same from above: Eternal Sunshine, Lost in Translation.  I really love the screenplay for The Squid and The Whale.

*Thank you, Josh, for taking the time and introducing the world to Woodward, OK & Twister Alley Film Festival!

All filmmakers and screenwriters can be found on IMDB / IMDB Pro, or direct:

Aleix Massot- aleix.massot@gmail.com

Sarah Shammari- shammari93@gmail.com

Cameron Dinwiddie- camerondinwiddie@gmail.com

Gregory Kasunich- gregorykasunich@gmail.com

Joshua Barnett- barnettjoshua@yahoo.com

Kate Froehlich- kq.froehlich@gmail.com

Jason Weary- Facebook

To contact Josh Hope, the Creative Director of Twister Alley Film Festival:

Website: www.TwisterAlleyFilmFestival.com

Twitter: @TwisterAlleyFF

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TwisterAlleyFilmFestival

Email: info@twisteralleyfilmfestival.com

If you are a filmmaker or screenwriter, contact Filmfreeway.com to begin your submissions process. And, good luck!

The NoHo Arts District News, & myself, would like to CONGRATULATE all the Los Angeles & NoHo filmmakers who were Selected, Nominated & Won their categories. L.A. is proud of you!

The Whitefire Theatre Presents “Vixen DeVille Revealed”

The Whitefire Theatre Presents “Vixen DeVille Revealed.” Written and Performed by Cat LaCohie.

Running Sun., July 7, 7:30PM, Sat., August 3, 8PM, Sun., September 8 at 7:30PM

Burlesque is an ancient art and one growing in popularity as it navigates the brave new world of progressive entertainment. 

What Cat LaCohie has created with this new show, “Vixen DeVille Revealed,” is her vivid and riveting story of how Burlesque found her as she found herself.

file2

Cat is British and her fabulously sarcastic, razor-sharp sense of humor really drives the show. Self-depreciating and adorable, she playfully captivates the audience as she unfolds her fascinating history on stage.  She navigates quite brilliantly the many reasons that Burlesque and magic appealed to her, and as she does so she skillfully performs some wonderful magic in spectacular costumes with the help of volunteers from the audience.  She also plays with fire and spins and maneuvers beautifully in her steel ring suspended above the stage.  All this and some very engaging mixed media interviews and film footage projected on stage to keep us entertained while she changes costumes and resets the stage.

file4

The show is a showcase of her excellent technique, but it is also a documentary about her development as an entertainer and of her own very particular brand of magical burlesque.  She shares with us how this art form allowed her to find her confidence, to forgive what she believed were her physical flaws, finding fault as most of us do in what merely makes us gorgeously human, and she explains how she developed a life as an artist and entertainer traveling the world with her unique style of magical burlesque.

Cat has created quite a niche for herself, educating, inspiring and even coaching others using burlesque to help them find their fire as she has found hers.  It’s a truly wonderful show.  Cat and her alter ego “Vixen” really do reveal their world to us and the slipping of the veil does nothing to diminish the dazzle, the mystery and the magical nature of her Burlesque.

file5

“Vixen DeVille Revealed” is having a three month run at The Whitefire.  Only once a month though, so you will only have two more chances to catch this remarkable event.  Cat is a star.  She is mesmerizing as a performer, gifted as a writer and utterly fearless.  She has overcome injury, shyness, self-doubt and much more to create this warmly hilarious and physically gifted persona and to forge a career in a business full of competition and flashy gimmicks.

image (1)

My first burlesque show, I popped my cherry and Vixen DeVille was absolutely the best woman for the job!  Love, love, LOVED IT!!!

https://www.vixendeville.com/vixen-revealed/

Review of Ron Howard’s “Pavarotti”

“Pavarotti” is an affectionate, entertaining look at an influential, beloved musical figure, the man who brought opera to the masses.

Directed by Ron Howard and produced by the same team that brought forth the Beatles documentary “Eight Days a Week,” “Pavarotti” has been faulted in some circles by not going far enough into the man’s foibles. It’s true—if you’re looking for a Luciano Pavarotti expose, warts and all, you won’t find that here, though there is mention of the scandals that resulted when he left his first wife. And the structure itself is a little slack, though the movie flirts with connecting his life to the operas.

However, you will find several revealing interviews by family and friends (including his daughters and both of his wives), some interesting glimpses of the business angle, with Pavarotti’s assorted producers and managers, and some glimpses into Pavarotti’s insecurities as a performer and a man. You also see the easy charm that made so many willing to embrace Pavarotti, even if they were lukewarm about opera itself. Most importantly, there is the music, and the film is generous with opera footage that shows the performer at his peak, wowing audiences with his passion and range (oh that high C). There are clips from various operas and assorted co-stars (including Joan Sutherland), as well as some inspired moments among the Three Tenors (including Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras). And if one didn’t already know it, Pavarotti’s charitable works are also given a fair amount of footage, as well as his attempts to musically bond with performers from other genres (Bono chief among them). “Pavarotti” is a loving tribute to a great talent and a complicated man—it’s certainly worth seeing, just don’t look for any daggers.

NoHo News: Festivals. Summer. Music. Theatre. Fun.

Here’s your NoHo arts community update!

We look forward to sharing lots of fun and unique news, events, profiles and updates on what’s happening in the NoHo Arts District.

Every Thursday we send out our NoHo e-News. Do you get it? It takes 30 seconds. Make sure you sign up, it’s FREE. Sign up HERE>>

This issue of NoHo e-News is about what’s going on in North Hollywood and a selection of some theatre shows. But we have a ton of them. Did you know that the NoHo Arts District has the highest concentration of theatres outside of New York City? Just check out the NoHo Arts District Theatre Guide>>

Here’s a glimpse at what’s going on in North Hollywood. Click on the image and to see the online version of our NoHo News…ENJOY NOHO!

NoHo News:  Festivals. Summer. Music. Theatre. Fun. via www.nohoartsdistrict.com

Follow NoHo News with Bloglovin

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

Tapping the Equity in Your Home

Over time, the value of your home has grown and your mortgage balance has been reduced (or even eliminated).

The equity (the property’s value minus any liens against it) you now have in your home is a reservoir of funding potential. You may decide to tap into it for various purposes, such as remodeling your home, paying off high-interest loans or credit card debt, buying a car, or sending your child to college.

The pros and cons

Home equity financing (which may be set up as either a loan or a line of credit) is secured by the equity you’ve built up in your home. This type of financing has several advantages compared to other forms of personal loans:

  • Higher borrowing limits
  • Favorable interest rates
  • Tax-deductible interest–if you itemize your deductions on your federal income tax return, you may be able to deduct the interest on up to $100,000 ($50,000 if married filing separately) of home equity debt.

There can be drawbacks, however:

  • You may have to pay closing costs and other fees
  • If you sell your home, you’ll have to repay the outstanding balance
  • Since your home is collateral securing the debt, you run the risk of foreclosure if you can’t make your payments

Home equity loans

Often referred to as a second mortgage, a home equity loan generally allows you to borrow a fixed amount of money (typically up to 80 percent of your equity) at a fixed rate of interest. The total amount you borrow is advanced to you when you sign for the loan. You’ll repay the loan with equal monthly payments over a fixed term.

Home equity lines of credit

When you arrange a home equity line of credit, your lender establishes a revolving credit limit determined in part by the amount of your equity. You then borrow only what you need (up to the maximum allowed) only when you need it (subject to any time limit on the borrowing period). You can access the funds either by writing a check or using a credit card associated with the account.

The interest rate for a home equity line of credit is generally a variable rate tied to an index. Your monthly payments may vary, depending on your outstanding balance and the prevailing interest rate. You may have the option of making interest-only payments over the course of the repayment period (e.g., 10 years), or minimum payments that cover a portion of the principal plus accrued interest, coupled with a balloon payment of principal at the end of the loan’s term.

Choosing between the two

When deciding whether to apply for a home equity loan or a line of credit, it’s important to consider how much you’ll need and how soon you’ll need it.

If you want a fixed amount of money for a specific purpose (e.g., remodeling the kitchen), you may wish to take out a home equity loan that advances you the total amount up front. If instead you’ll need an indeterminate amount over a few years (e.g., funds for ongoing college expenses), you may benefit most from a home equity line of credit that you can draw on when needed.

Shop around for the best deal

Whatever choice you make, you’ll want to shop around to find the most favorable rates and terms. Here are a few things to consider:

  • In an effort to attract your business, a lender may be willing to absorb or waive some or all of the costs (e.g., application fees and points) of obtaining the financing
  • The frequency of variable interest rate adjustments and any caps on rate increases will affect the overall cost of a home equity line of credit
  • If you’re considering a home equity line of credit, find out if you have the option to convert the line to a fixed-rate, fixed-term loan in the future
  • When comparing a home equity line of credit to a home equity loan, don’t rely solely on the annual percentage rate (APR) as a measure of cost, because the APR for a home equity loan takes points and financing charges into consideration while the APR for a home equity line of credit does not

The information in this newsletter is not intended as tax, legal, investment, or retirement advice or recommendations, and it may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. You are encouraged to seek advice from an independent professional advisor. The content is derived from sources believed to be accurate. Neither the information presented nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. This material was written and prepared by Broadridge Advisor Solutions. © 2018 Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc.

A Walk Across Northern England on the Hadrian’s Wall Path

Some long-distance walking trails can be religious or spiritual in nature such as the Camino de Santiago in Spain or the Kumano Kodo in Japan.

They can also be a great way to get fit and lose weight or to simply decompress and re-center as part of an inward and outward journey. For history buffs, and/or lovers of all things Roman, there’s one that stands out from all the rest and it’s called The Hadrian’s Wall Path – an 84 mile coast-to-coast trail in northern England that follows an ancient Roman wall that was built in AD122 by the Roman emperor Hadrian to keep “the barbarians” from the north out (so sorry Scottish people). It was Rome’s furthest outpost and the largest structure Rome ever built (it took about 15,000 men 6 years to finish it). Fast forward to our modern times and “Game of Thrones” fans might be interested to learn that a visit to Hadrian’s Wall in the early 1980s provided the inspiration for George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novels.

There are several interesting and interactive museums along Hadrian’s Wall Path, usually where the roman wall forts and milecastles were located, that you can also visit and learn about life in Roman Britain, what it was like to be in the Roman army, and see artifacts that they’ve uncovered from excavations along wall country.

In order to get up to this part of northern England, the best airport to fly into for walking Hadrian’s Wall is Newcastle International. You can also take a train easily from London and/or most major European cities to get to Newcastle, which sits towards the end of the eastern part of the wall path. However, there are no original sections of the wall around the city. (FYI if you’re a beer lover, Newcastle beer was sold to Heineken out of the Netherlands in 2017, so, unfortunately, that brewery isn’t even in Newcastle anymore to tour/taste.)

We started our six-day Hadrian’s Wall walking vacation on the west end of the wall path heading east to have the typical easterly blowing winds at our backs. This starting point (or ending point if you’re walking east to west) for the wall trail is by the Irish Sea in an area called Bowness-on-Solway, which is Britain’s third largest estuary. There’s a guy as you get started walking there that has an interchangeable sign you can get your picture in front of where he’ll put the state that you are from pointing in that direction with the mileage and another a permanent pointer to Wallsend, where the Hadrian’s Wall Path ends (or begins if you’re walking east to west) near Newcastle, which is 83 miles away from there and located near the North Sea. He was very lively and friendly and basically does it for the tips. It makes a nice souvenir type photo to have indeed.

With our luggage being transferred for us daily to the next British Inn / B&B that we’d be staying at along the path, all we needed were day packs for our snacks, water, ponchos, etc. Just know that most of the hotels and inns along the wall path don’t have elevators, so you’ll be schlepping your backpacks and luggage up and down stairs every day if you’re not staying on the first floor. Being the only guy in our group, that honorable chore went to me at places that didn’t have a staff member to do it. (Now I realize what a tough job being a bellman at a hotel is, so make sure to tip them generously!)

For the most part, once you get out of the greater Newcastle area, the Hadrian’s Wall trail passes through private farms and through rolling countryside, next to rivers and streams, besides dramatic cliffs, over and along some paved roads (but not as much as the Camino de Santiago) and right through quaint little towns where you can take a load off and grab a bite and a brew at a local pub. We just loved the northern English countryside, everything was so green and lush (we walked in June), and the vistas in many sections were bold, sweeping and expansive. There are several notable castles and churches along the trail too. One such point of interest was walking by Carlisle Castle at the end of our first day. It’s where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned for 17 years before her beheading.

Some other interesting landmarks along the way were St. Oswald’s Church, dedicated to where Christianity was restored to the region in Medieval times, and Lanercost Priority – a 12th century monastery where Kind Edward I rested for five months shortly before his death on his last battle campaign (we stayed right next to the priory on summer solstice and the setting sun glowed beautifully on the old structure as late as around 10p). In the middle section of the wall path around Steel Rigg, there’s also Sycamore Gap – where a sycamore tree grows in a dramatic dip with Hadrian’s Wall rising up either side. The 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” starring Kevin Costner was filmed here. The tree has been known as The Robin Hood Tree ever since.

Besides encountering a lot of friendly locals and other path walkers from all around the world, you’ll be walking by (and sometimes through) hundreds of sheep along the trail. They help keep the vegetation down and are valuable in themselves, variously bred for dairy products, meat and wool. They are quite harmless although two ladies in our group thought that they were being charged by a couple of them, however, it turned out that the sheep were just running by them towards some other sheep family members. But our two ladies were ready to harness their inner Roman gladiator powers to fend them off!  (I couldn’t help but to recall the killer rabbit scene in Monty Python’s “Holy Grail” movie.)

There are various stamping stations along the trail in pubs and museums where you can stamp your official Hadrian’s Wall passport as a memento and to show you’ve completed the route. You can pre-order them here https://trailgiftshop.co.uk/ along with certificates of completion and other Hadrian’s Wall Path memorabilia. (They are also available for purchase at some of the museums along the wall path). A portion of the proceeds goes to the upkeep of the trail. (Unlike the Camino de Santiago and Kumano Kodo long-distance trails there is no official office to verify your passport and issue an official certification of completion. So, it’s all on the honor system and simply for your enjoyment and motivation).  Speaking of the upkeep of the trail, we thought it could be maintained a little better. Many of the signs were confusing and/or there were some diversions from the original trail path that were not updated or significant enough to alert walkers. So, have plenty of patience on your walking journey the first couple days since there is no original section of the wall that you can follow as a landmark when walking, you could get turned around in a couple of spots. A compass (which I failed to bring) would be ideal to have in addition to your guidebook and map.

All along the wall trail you will usually be within 2-3 walking hours of a small town, and we found we had a cell connection most of the time along the path. The Hadrian’s Wall path is always within a couple of miles of a main road or highway and you’ll have no problem getting a taxi or hopping on one of the buses that run along the Hadrian’s Wall Path. (The main bus that runs along the wall in its middle and best-preserved section, is the AD 122 – the year the wall was built.)

All in all, the Hadrian’s Wall Path is a magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest historical monument in Britain. And there was no better way for us to experience it than up close and personal by walking it. Since most of the museums along the trail are only open from 10a – 5p, I might even suggest adding a couple of days to the standard six-day walking programs in order to give yourself more time to explore the museums, if that’s your kind of thing. In fact, if you can spare even more time, slow down the pace and walk it over 10 days if you want to incorporate a rest day in the middle and/or enjoy some of the local life along the wall path. We hustled at the end of one day on the trail to get to the Roman Army Museum to watch the last showing of a very good 20-minute 3D movie called “The Edge of Empire.” It’s a dramatic and sweeping movie experience as you follow the life of a Roman soldier who’s stationed along one of Hadrian’s Wall’s forts. (He picks his nose in one scene, we found that direction rather hilarious.) You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTPUFsqlHcs

While it’s been thousands of years since the Romans ruled Britain, their might and strength and force are still very present today in northern England along the Hadrian’s Wall Path. Emperor Hadrian ruled for 21 years while travelling around his glorious Empire. He was married to Trajan’s niece, but the marriage was unhappy; they had no children. In fact, the love of his life was a young man called Antinous who mysteriously drowned in the Nile River in Egypt, possibly a suicide. Hadrian never got over this tragedy, and later he deified Antinous and founded and organized a cult devoted to his worship that spread throughout the Roman Empire.

If you’d like more information on self-guided or guided Hadrian’s Wall Walking Tours, feel free to contact me and I’ll be more than happy to help you with your walking vacation!

NoHo Summer Nights

North Hollywood Park

Concerts start at 7PM. Emerging artists will open for all headline performers.

11455 W. Magnolia Blvd
North Hollywood, CA  91601

Click here for schedule

Garry Marshall Theatre Presents “THE SPITFIRE GRILL”

Music and book by James Valcq. Lyrics and book by Fred Alley. Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff. Directed by Dimitri Toscas.

To say that the Garry Marshall Theatre production of “THE SPITFIRE GRILL” is magical is an understatement.

It has everything you want in a musical – amazing talent, great story of struggle, a stunning set, and music that makes you rise in your seat. 

spitfire grill review noho

A bus arrives in small town Gilead, Wisconsin with Percy (Rachel Sarah Mount), a young girl just released from prison for murdering her father.  Joe (Erich Schroeder), the Sheriff and parole officer in town brings Percy to “THE SPITFIRE GRILL,” run by Hannah (Sarah Saviano) who hires Percy to work in the Grill much to the dismay of Hannah’s difficult son Caleb (Joey Ruggiero).  Shy and quiet Shelby (Ashley Argota) is Caleb’s wife.  And when Hannah breaks her leg, Shelby is called upon to help Percy in the Grill.  Effy (Linda Kerns) is the town postal worker, and the ultimate busybody spreading gossip wherever she goes.  Hannah has several secrets that have plagued her for years, and playing a beautiful violin is the Visitor (Nicu Brouillette) who presents many of Hannah’s secrets to us.  Since Hannah has been trying to sell the Grill for years without success to rid herself of her secrets, we see Percy come up with a plan that could change the course of small town Gilead, Wisconsin.

The talent in “THE SPITFIRE GRILL” is beyond AMAZING. 

spitfire grill review

Rachel Sarah Mount shines in numerous songs.  This star, along with the entire cast of STAR talent, demonstrates the splendidness of this show.  Each and every one of the performers brings to the stage the essence of what a musical should be, great music and great acting.  Now, these talented professionals don’t just bring singing chops, but most of the actors play musical instruments as well.  Wow!!! Remember the names of these actors because you will be sure to see them again and again. 

Direction by Dimitri Toscas is so much of what makes this show great, the set design by Tanya Orellana is imaginative and innovative, and musical director Anthony Zediker, et al, bring everything together.

There is so much to this wonderful show, but you MUST see “THE SPITFIRE GRILL.”  I’m not going to spoil the rest of the story for you. 

I hope I have piqued your interest.  And as I guess you have surmised from this review, I LOVED IT. 

Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!

Cast:  Ashley Argota, Nicu Brouillette, Linda Kerns, Rachel Sarah Mount, Joey Ruggiero, Sarah Saviano and Erich Schroeder; Jonathan Regier, Understudy

Director:  Dimitri Toscas

Musical Director:  Anthony Zediker

Scenic Design:  Tanya Orellana

Lighting Design:  JM Montecalvo

Sound Design:  Robert Arturo Ramirez

Properties Design:  John M. McElveney

Costume Design:  Michele Young

Production Stage Manager:  Derek R. Copenhaver

Casting Director:  Andrew Lynford, CSA

Piano/Conductor:  Anthony Zediker

Piano (Saturday performances): Lauralie Pow

Piano (Friday & Sunday performances): James Lent

Garry Marshall Theatre Artistic Director:  Joseph Leo Bwarie

Garry Marshall Theatre Artistic Director:  Dimitri Toscas

Garry Marshall Theatre Managing Director:  Kurt J. Swanson

Publicity:  Davidson & Choy Publicity:  David Barber and Tim Choy

Garry Marshall Theatre

4252 West Riverside Dr

Burbank, CA 91505

Dates: 

July 10 to August 11, 2019

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8pm;  Sundays at 3pm

No performance Wednesday, July 24 or Wednesday, July 31

 Additional performances Saturday, July 27 at 2pm and Sunday, August 4 at 7:30pm

Tickets:          

Prices $25 to $65

Visit:  www.garrymarshalltheatre.org  or Call:  818-955-8101

3 Hacks To Keep Your Chaotic Life In Balance

No matter what you do to make money, chances are it takes up most of your time.

Even if you’ve got your dream job, you spend hours every day doing hard work. That’s the only way you can consistently achieve your goals.

Since the arts is such an important part of our lives, we make time for it. Whether that’s theatre, gastronomy, exhibitions, or anything else, it’s how we occupy our leisure hours. All of which leads to a common problem. We’re left with no time to do the basic things that keep us balanced.

Who has time to make a nutritious dinner every night? Who has time to make sure their finances are perfectly in order?

The good news is that there are some simple hacks you can use to balance your chaotic life.

Meal delivery kits

Meal delivery kit services have changed the way millions of people approach food. Instead of eating takeout every night, families around the country and the world are using one of the best meal delivery service for families available today.

Meal kit services provide you with all the ingredients for a nutritious meal, according to how many people you’re feeding, your dietary requirements and preferences, and the amount of time you have. Everything comes ready chopped, diced, and marinated, and all you need to do is put it together and cook it according to the easy instructions.

This saves you money on takeout and helps you stick to healthy eating principles. It also ensures you don’t buy ingredients that go to waste. The US has a huge food wastage problem, after all.

Budgeting apps

In addition to eating healthy, you need to keep your finances healthy. Budgeting is one of the surest ways to save money. You get a clear picture of what you’re spending and how you could save, as well as what you’re unknowingly wasting.

However, no one has time for the painstaking process of poring through financial statements. Budgeting apps do this for you. You simply connect your bank accounts and the app categorizes your spending. It will ask you to correct anything it is unsure of, and remember that for future.

Mint is well-known as one of the best. It does an excellent job at accurately categorizing transactions, and will show you where any anomalies lie and where you could be saving money.

Workout apps

Exercise is another crucial part of a balanced life. The problem is that it takes up a lot of time. Plus, gym contracts are expensive. If, however, you use a workout app, you can save time and money.

Good workout apps provide exercises that require no gym equipment. Apps like Sworkit use HIIT principles to structure short routines that are targeted and effective. You can work out for twenty minutes a day at home and see tremendous gains in a short period of time.

Alternatively, use the Nike+ app when you go running. You get to keep track of exactly how fast you’re going, how far you’ve run, and your heartbeat, without needing a treadmill.

A balanced life might seem impossible with the time and money constraints we all have. However, with these hacks you can truly

Judith Taranto Presents “Nancy F***ing Reagan”

Judith Taranto Presents “Nancy F***ing Reagan.” Written by Daniel Hurewitz.  Directed by Larry Margo.

Running July 12 – August 4, 2019 – Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2 PM

David is trying to turn 50 graciously, and his best friend Maggie has even organized a Palm Springs weekend for a few friends.

But the death of former First Lady Nancy Regan that same week provokes David’s festering anger, reminding him how the unchecked AIDS epidemic diminished his life and left him single for many years. Gently cajoled by his friends to let go of the past, David struggles, sometimes comically, to embrace the future but not forget his history.

safiyaquinley debitinsley

The play revolves around David and his impending 50th birthday.  As he tries to celebrate, he can not shake the anger of so many of his friends who should be there.  Those he loved who died in the AIDS epidemic of the 80s and those who he never got the chance to know because of it.  The waste of so many possibilities hangs over him as his best friend Maggie does her best to remind him of all he has and all that could be.

With a solid premise and taut dialogue, “Nancy F**king Reagan” comes across entertaining with a poignant message.

The cast as a whole is so well cast that it felt like I was eavesdropping on a weekend with friends. A particular stand out is Kiff Schol (David) as he shows us the characters whole range of emotions, clearly, authentically and convincingly. But the anchor and heart of the play belongs to Deb Tinsley (Maggie). I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she embodied the heart and soul of the playwright’s intentions. The direction by Larry Mango was solid and engaging.  Its subject matter took me back to a time where thousands of people were dying from an insidious disease made worse by not being mentioned by the most powerful and influential couple.

gregivansmith colbertalembert

This is important.  It is important that we remember the pain of the tragedy and the impact it had on us all and still does to this day.  It is important that we honor those who died and find some solace perhaps in those that suffered and have been saved. 

I left the theatre informed, moved and thoroughly entertained.

marksande kiffscholl

Featuring: Colbert Alembert (Kenny), Amy Kirsten (Erica), Mark Sande (Richard), Greg Ivan Smith (Jason), Kiff Schol (David), Deb Tinsley (Maggie), Safiya Quinley (Allison).

Creative Team: Chris Winfield (Set Design), Cheryl Crosland (Costume and Prop Design), Doug Gabrielle (Lighting Design), Steve Shaw (Sound Design), Judith Taranto (Production Manager)

The Secret Rose Theatre, 11246 magnolia Blvd., N Hollywood, CA 91601

TICKETS>>

Brian Posen Gives Pointers for Producing a Successful Festival

Producing a successful festival is a task with many moving parts.

As actor, director and producer Brian Posen explains, “to have a successful festival, a producer needs a solid year of planning. After each one of my festivals, we immediately crunch all the numbers and the have an extensive debriefing in the few weeks that follows the festival. Then, we start up for the next year.”

 When producing a festival, it is necessary to understand the process of planning and executing related tasks. Brian Posen gives 10 tips to help inexperienced festival organizers make the most of their events and learn from his success.

  1. Make Sure Finances are Solid

If your festival does not have sufficient financial backing, it should not go forward. Everyone has heard the horror stories of what happens when financial backing is not secured. The organizers can lose their reputation and be charged with fraud. Corporate sponsorships, personal funding, and bank funding are all options to be considered. When festival organizers are sure that they can pay their bills, they will avoid serious problems.

  1. Choose a Site with Care

Make sure that your site is adequate for your needs. Brian notes that choosing a site is much more complex than it may first appear. “Don’t get me wrong, we are chill and playful and know how to do this with ease now. But the first 5 years, we would have weeks and weeks discussions and debates on figuring out so many little details. For example…Traffic patterns to get 500 patrons in and out of the theaters within 7 minutes. How to move talent in and out. Where to hold talent. Budgets. How many seats to hold for patrons with passes, industry, board members, and sponsors. And the list was endless.”

Make sure that it has enough stage space, backstage space, technical equipment, and audience space. It is also vital to make sure that there are services in place for your festivalgoers, including bathrooms, food concessions, and parking. If you have a small festival that is just getting established, you can probably get away with fewer of these accommodations, but you will need to make sure that you are doing the best you can.

  1. Choose Acts Wisely

When producing a festival, it is tempting to give spots only to your friends and colleagues. This will restrict your festival and cut down on creativity. Auditioning plays, musicians, and other types of entertainment will help you ensure that you are producing a balanced slate to keep your festival-goers happy.

As per Brian and how he has been successful, “I have a team of producers that actively help the PR team get the word out to talent. They divide and conquer. We hit up all the comedy institutions and theaters across the country and across the sea. Get the word out to Colleges and high schools. Cross promoting with other festivals. Doing our due diligence by researching what groups played at other festivals that would be a good match at our fest. Call our contacts in the comedy world. Reach out to celebrities in the field. Invite the best and inform the up and coming.”

  1. Avoid Price Gouging

As much as possible, avoid the practice of price gouging. Many festivals sell food and drinks that are vastly overpriced. This creates resentment among festival attendees. Try to make your money in a different way, such as through ticket sales. Festivalgoers would rather pay more to get in and less while they are enjoying the event. Six-dollar bottles of water are not a good idea.

  1. Make Sure that Your Acts Work Together

It is fun and rewarding to make sure that your various acts collaborate with each other. This provides a unique experience for the viewers and sets your festival apart from the competition. It is also important to make sure that everyone gets along backstage. Setting their backstage space apart from each other can be helpful, as it gives all of the acts space to recuperate without being in each other’s faces.

  1. Budget Carefully for Acts

You may have your heart set on a particular act, but they may be too expensive for your budget. Don’t sacrifice your budget in order to get that one dream act unless you have it covered in other areas. Having one act which is too expensive can eat up all of the profits from the festival. While you may have put on a superior experience, festival organizers need to make money somehow.

  1. Give Enough Lead Time

To run a successful festival, you need to plan at least a year in advance. A rushed planning process will mean that you will have to cut corners, and any weakness can ruin your festival. “Sponsorship usually takes a year for the bigger sponsors. We must also start off by researching any competing festivals that might run their festivals at the same time. If we run our fest concurrently with another festival, we then would have to fight for talent, sponsors, patrons, etc.”

You may want to sell tickets early and depend on their revenue to run your festival, but in the case the festival needs to be canceled or rescheduled, you may lose this money.

  1. Carry Plenty of Insurance

Insurance is one of the most crucial aspects of running a festival. You should be insured for property damage, personal injury, and cancellation, at a minimum. If you do not have enough insurance, you may find yourself paying astronomically high settlements later on.

  1. Make Sure You Have Permits

The permitting process is another crucial part of planning a festival. You will need to make sure that you have all of the required state and local permits. It may also help to look into noise ordinances at your local city hall.

  1. Safety and Security Issues

Hire private security for your event. Security personnel can deal with such varied issues as patrons who have had too much to drink and unruly crowds. Some of the other problems that may occur are bee stings, lost children, and slippery walkways. It is a good idea to have a first aid tent available on the premises.

Putting Your Festival Together

This list of 10 tips on how to make your festival run smoothly may be intimidating. If you are going to run a festival, you need to be prepared with all 10 of these items and possibly more. If you find that you can’t realistically run the festival, put it off for a year and spend all the time you need getting ready. Brian Posen encourages everyone who wants to run a festival to take these 10 tips to heart.

What Is Better for Your Health: Smoking Tobacco or CBD?

It’s no longer a secret that the CBD market is expanding while that of traditional tobacco cigarettes dwindles.

That means a perfect storm for a non-psychoactive smokeable might be the next big thing. Generally, not every tobacco smoker would care to enjoy the cannabis heady effects the same way they do with a traditional cigarette. However, non-psychoactive joints are gaining momentum as a viable alternative. 

People are purchasing CBD pre-rolls, oil, and other products and using them over lunch breaks. Individuals are turning to CBD for varied reasons including quitting traditional cigarettes or for anxiety. CBD joints are now offering similar outlet with cigarettes. They provide a chance to spend some time outside, calm down, and focus on how users breathe. The good thing about CBD is that it provides this chance without the negative health effects of tobacco. 

Tobacco Smoking and its Effects 

A major reason to switch from smoking tobacco to CBD oil vape is to avoid the negative effects of tobacco smoke on health. Tobacco smoking entails inhalation of smoke that contains thousands of harmful chemicals. Majority of these chemicals have been proven to cause cancer. These chemicals are referred to by the name carcinogens. But, nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarette smoke. It’s this chemical that makes a person want to smoke more cigarettes. In addition to cancer, these chemicals have a connection with other health conditions including lung disease and heart disease. 

Generally, tobacco smoking has been known to cause incredible safety and health concerns across the world. For that reason, many laws and regulations have been made and implement to prevent some of the risks associated with smoking. These risks include the effects of second-hand smoke on nonsmokers like young children and pregnant women. 

CBD and its Effects 

Most people consider a convenient and beneficial way to consume CBD is cannabis e-juice or CBD e-liquid (Vapingdaily provides additional hints). Good thing about CBD is that it delivers the calming and medicinal properties of cannabis without getting the user high. That’s because CBD is a non-psychoactive substance. 

What’s more, CBD is a fast absorbing compound. That’s why a person starts feeling its relaxing and calming effects all over the body minutes after vaping it. Its potential medicinal properties also help with depression, anxiety, stress, and degenerative illnesses like arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. 

But, this doesn’t mean that CBD is completely safe. CBD has its negative effects too. For instance, CBD oil inhalation can cause nausea and coughing among people with lung conditions or pre-existing health problems. Some brands of CBD oil can also have thinning agents that can affect your health negatively. CBD extract is thick and viscous for vaporizers. As such, thinning agents can be used to make the extract efficient to inhale. 

Polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol are the most common thinning agents used. These can be broken down into possible carcinogenic compounds at high temperatures. In some cases, propylene glycol induces respiratory complications like asthma and allergic reactions when vaped. 

CBD is More than a Mere Substitute for Nicotine 

CBD vape oil is not just a substitute for cigarettes smoke. It offers biological supports to people that want to quit smoking. Basically, CBD works with the human endocannabinoid system. This makes it a regulation tool for bringing homeostasis back. That’s why it helps with anxiety by bringing a person back to their calm state, which is the reason why most people start smoking cigarette. Many people smoke cigarettes looking for a way to relief stress. 

In some cases, mental health disorders and tobacco addiction go hand-in-hand. The prevalence rates for smoking among people with mental illness are around 40%. Tobacco-related illnesses kill almost half of the patients with depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. 

A recent study has established that cannabidiol has the potential to reverse attention bias to traditional cigarette cues associated with tobacco withdrawal. In simple terms, CBD has the potential to reduce the satisfaction and strength of smoking triggers. 

Another study found that CBD has the potential to reduce cigarette intake over one week. It further established that substances that alter the endocannabinoid system have the potential to treat nicotine addiction. This is partially since cannabis acts on the stem of the brain. Research has shown that this region is acutely affected by tobacco. 

So, what’s best for Your Health? 

It’s not possible to concretely say that even vaping the best CBD oil for pain is completely safe or better for your health when compared to smoking. That’s because vaping CBD oil is a relatively new phenomenon. However, findings of the studies conducted so far have suggested that vaping CBD might be better for human health than smoking tobacco. Essentially, the toxins released when a person vapes CBD oil are fewer when compared to those released when a person smokes tobacco. 

Generally, researchers have associated both vaping CBD and smoking tobacco with several health concerns. Therefore, if you’ve never smoked or vaped, it’s probably a good idea to never do any of the two. Nevertheless, if you smoke or you have been a smoker, switching to vaping can be a good idea because it might improve your overall health. Some people have switched from smoking tobacco to vaping CBD as a way to wean themselves off nicotine. That means you can also try to switch to vaping CBD as a way to cut out your nicotine consumption completely. 

The Bottom Line 

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) regulations prohibit the use of CBD as a food additive whether sourced from cannabis or industrial hemp. That means its effects on human health are yet to be ascertained fully. When vaping CBD is compared to smoking tobacco, there are many factors to consider. These include how CBD is produced and the devices used to consume it. But, it’s only time that will tell whether vaping CBD is better for your health when compared to smoking tobacco. That’s because vaping CBD is a relatively new trend whose long-term effects are yet to be known fully. Nevertheless, the studies conducted so far have shown that vaping CBD is better than smoking tobacco though neither vaping CBD nor smoking tobacco is completely safe. 

The MaD JaCKRaTS Turn Five!

In case you didn’t know, NoHo Arts District is a theatre district. We have 20 theatres in a square mile. So there is always something happening from a show to a class to a workshop. And there’s always something fun for everyone to enjoy.

Meet the The MaD JaCKRaTS. They’re turning five and are celebrating by giving us a gift, “The MaD FiFTH aNNiVeRSaRY Show,” on Sunday, July 21.

LPNSImprov, with The MaD JaCKRaTS, is an ongoing, live, monthly series. From show to show, you will meet some outrageous characters, both new and recurring. here are actually over 100 characters within this cast, cultivated at LPN Studios, and your suggestions can throw them into literally any situation imaginable.

“Our purpose for this show is to make people feel great through healing laughter. It truly is the best medicine and after every show the energy of the audience invigorates us to keep going. We feel blessed to have this creative family and thank everyone who has worked with us or supported us along the way.”  – LPNSImprov.

See what our reviewers have to say>>

What is the Makin’ A Movie format? The history?

The MAKIN’ A MOVIE format is long form improv like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Improv troupe The MaD JaCKRaTS use an audience suggestion to spontaneously tell a complete story portraying colorful characters, many of which they’ve previously developed and are now fan favorites. Each story takes the audience on a wild ride where anything can happen and all while the cast juggles split screens, flashbacks, props, costumes, and crazy plot twists. The history of Makin’ a Movie began when co-producer and director, Lauren Patrice Nadler, created and cultivated this format over nearly two decades as a warm up for her scene study class. The intention was to help actors create characters and pay attention to the details that are necessary to be great actors with scripted material. Producer Christina Orloff saw the potential to turn it into a theatrical production and approached Lauren to take it out of the studio. So in 2014 they started LPNSImprov and developed Makin’ a Movie starring The MaD JaCKRaTS. It’s been running for five solid years now, and as a result hundreds of unique characters have a emerged. Christina’s husband, Tom Darby, also co- produces the show and members of LPN Studios are on the awesome crew.  

What’s a typical show?

Each show has a theme and opens with a brief musical parody by The MaD JaCKRaTS which is based on the theme and can include singing, dancing, and sketch comedy. Then the troupe does three 15-20 minute improvised segments using audience suggestions that were written down by the audience before the show in the lobby. The core cast is often joined by a guest star and sometimes a newer troupe, made up of students from LPN Studios, opens the show for the MaD JaCKRaTS. The show closes with a quick raffle for free tickets for the next month. No two shows are the same and just the nature of improv lends itself to a night full of surprises.

LPNSImprovwith The MaD JaCKRaTS Micky Shiloah and Christina Orloff. Photo by Matt Acho via www.nohoartsdistrict.com
LPNSImprov with The MaD JaCKRaTS, Micky Shiloah and Christina Orloff. Photo by Matt Acho.

Why did you choose NoHo’s Theatre 68 as your home?

Prior to renting from Theatre 68, we were like gypsies for two and a half years. Renting from at least nine different theaters all over Hollywood, North Hollywood and Burbank because we didn’t have a home, was really hard. Makin’ a Movie is a full -blown theatrical experience and we need a sizable theater that can accommodate us bringing in our own set pieces, wardrobe, and props once a month. On top of that we are dedicated to having our show go up every third Sunday of the month. Since we don’t have a typical multi-week run it was hard to book what we wanted on a month to month basis. Lauren had directed several plays at Theatre 68 in their Hollywood location and is friends with the owner Ronnie Marmo. When Ronnie moved into Theatre 68’s glorious current space we jumped on it and it’s been a dream. The timing was right and we love the location. We no longer have to stress about parking in Hollywood! We’ve been at this gracious location for two and a half years, every third Sunday of the month, and we couldn’t be happier.

How can one join the MaD JaCKRaTS?

Becoming a MaD JaCKRaT is hard but not impossible. In five years we haven’t had many openings and we only fill those openings with an actor who knows the format inside and out. It requires at least a year, sometimes two, of training in this specific format that is only taught at Lauren Patrice Nadler Studios, to elevate to the level we require to perform for a paying audience. We require each cast member be accomplished as an actor with scripted material as well because of the complicated storytelling. As students get better at the Makin’ a Movie format, they develop comedic characters that can appear in any scenario devised by the audience. A student who is ready can guest star or become a re-occurring guest star. We’ve had cast members move on due to booking a series regular acting job on network tv, moving out of state or pursuing other dreams. When that happens we fill the slot only when it makes sense. This show relies so heavily on chemistry and team work that we take the utmost care in casting it.

What are some of your improv tips for actors?

Ground your character in a detailed reality and commit to the truth of the situation, no matter how absurd.

The MaD JaCKRaTS Turn Five! Photo by Matt Acho. Via www.nohoartsdistrict.com
LPNSImprov with The MaD JaCKRaTS. Photo by Matt Acho.

WHEN:

Sunday, July 21 at 7:30PM
90 minutes
Doors open at 7PM

WHERE:

Theatre 68
5112 Lankershim Blvd.
NoHo Arts District

How to #KeepNoHoArtsy ? Easy! See a show at one of NoHo’s 20 theatres.

 

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict. 

 

 

NoHo Needs Some SPF10

The Road Theatre Company and  Taylor Gilbert, Founder/Artistic Director together with Sam Anderson, Artistic Director, are thrilled to announce the 10th annual Summer Playwrights Festival (SPF10) Sunday, July 28 through Sunday, August 4, 2019. 

8 Days!
38+ Plays!
Food, Drinks and Live Music Nightly!

We do theatre in the NoHo Arts District. We have the highest concentration of theatres outside of NYC. So whether you are a theatre novice or an avid theatre goer, you will have your pick of shows, especially this summer. The Road Theatre Company is putting on their 10th annual Summer Playwrights Festival (SPF10), a festival of original new works – what this long-time, award-winning theatre company is known for. It also kicks off the Road Theatre’s 28th season! 

SPF mounts 30-40 staged readings of new plays in eight exciting days. The festival is now the largest staged reading festival in the nation with playwrights from around the country and around the world participating. Each reading is followed by a talk-back with the playwrights, directors and casts and a reception featuring food, drink and live music in their gallery space and cantina.

Readings are held in both the Historic Lankershim Arts Center Theater and Gallery and in their 77-seat theater in the NoHo Senior Arts Colony. Although they receive hundreds of submissions for their festival, new and established playwrights are encouraged to submit.

Summer Playwrights Festival (SPF10) at Road Theatre via www.nohoartsdistrict.com

The Road Theatre Company is dedicated to producing new plays. Founding Festival Director Scott Alan Smith, “The Road Theatre has produced 23 plays from the Summer Playwrights Festival on their main stages including their current season selections, The Rescued by Julie Marie Myatt (SPF8), Death House by Jason Karasev (SPF8) and last season’s Stupid Kid by Sharr White (SPF7) and Through the Eye of a Needle by Jami Brandli (SPF7). We are very proud to be bringing these new plays straight from the festival to our audiences.”

This year’s festival features all new works to Los Angeles and has attracted playwrights internationally, including Lisa Loomer (who won the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award (The Waiting Room), the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award, a Back Stage West Garland Award for Playwriting (in 2003 for Living Out), the Imagen Award for positive portrayals of Latinos in all media, and American Theatre Critics Association Steinberg New Play Award (in 1995 for The Waiting Room and in 1999 for Expecting Isabel.) She was also the recipient of 2 grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and one from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize). Jami Brandli (Winner of John Gassner Memorial Playwriting Award, Holland New Voices Award, Ashland New Plays Festival and Aurora Theatre Company’s GAP Prize.Finalist for the 2016 PEN Literary Award for Drama, Playwrights’ Center Core Writer Fellowship, Princess Grace Award and the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. Nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Award.BLISS (or Emily Post is Dead!)was named in the 2014 Kilroys List.2019 Humanitas Prize PLAY LA playwright). Tegan McLeod (Never Such Rainrunner-up in Oxford’s New Writers Festival.2013 Michener Fellow in Playwriting and Screenwriting.Girls in Car Underwearselected for 2016 Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwrights Conference.Lunatic 19’s: A Deportational Road Tripwas runner-up for the Papatango Prize). Wendy Graf (Gold Medallion Winner by The Moss Hart & Kitty Carlisle Hart New Play Initiative. Stage Raw Recommended Top Ten, L.A. Times Pick of the Week, and multiple Critics Choice awards for Unemployed Elephants – A Love Story. Stage Raw Recommended Top Ten/2015 nom Playwriting and Solo performance, LA Times Pick of the Week, LA Weekly “GO!” StageSceneLA 2015 Outstanding Solo Performance Production, and Bitter Lemons 2015 Ten Best awards for All American Girl. Multiple NAACP wins and nominations forClosely Related Keys.2012 GLAAD Award Outstanding L.A. Theater and Helen Hayes Awards recommended for No Word In Guyanese For Me). JimHenry (The Seventh Monarch–winnerPlays for the 21st Century (The Playwrights Theater, Inc., of Dallas) 1stplace in the San Francisco Dramarama Play Festival (The Playwrights’ Center of San Francisco) The Albert Panowski Playwriting Award (Forest Roberts Theatre at Northern Michigan University.)The Angels of Lemnoshas wonChicago’s Jeff Award for Best Work 1999Los Angeles TimesCritic’s Choice Michael Devereaux “Robby” Award for Best New Play).Ron Largomarsino (Jerome was a Finalist at the Eugene O’Neil Playwrights Conference, Directed/Staged many world premiere plays including works by Christopher Durang, Jane Anderson, and Alfred Uhry, Currently adapting his screenplay “Haight & Stanyan” for television), Jim Geoghan(The Suite Life of Zack & Cody – 2 Emmy Nominations, The Suite Life on Deck, Plays: Of Men and Cars and Only Kidding), Craig Pospisil (Months On End, Somewhere In Between,  Life Is Short, and The Dunes, Award for Excellence by the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival), and Scooter Pietsch (Emmy-nominated Composer for severalTVshows such as Pretty Little Liars, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance?, and All Dogs Go To Heaven:The Series, play Windfall carried a sold out run, Produced for shows from ABC, FOX, Lifetime, VH1, and E!) S. Pearl Sharp (2006-2007 Poet Laureate of Los Angeles’ Watts Towers Art Center). Jennie Webb (Semi-Finalist, 2016 Trustus Playwrights Festival. Max K. Lerner Playwriting Fellowship, 2015. Semi-Finalist, 2015 PlayPenn Conference. Winner of a 2010 Women in Theatre Red Carpet Award. Semi-Finalist, 2007 and 2009, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center Playwrights Conference.Finalist, 2002 Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence. Winner in 2002 Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights New Plays). Augusto Federico Amador (2019 Humanitas Prize New Voices in TV writing.Finalist for Princess Grace Fellowship, Terrence McNally Award, and BBC International Radio Playwriting Competition.Runner-Up for the National Latino Playwriting Award from the Arizona Theater Company. Four-time semi-finalist for the Eugene O’Neill Conference. The Book of Leonidaswon best play at the Downtown Urban Arts Festival in NYC.Has fellowships with Public Theater in NYC, The Humanitas Prize in Los Angeles, Latino Theater Alliance/L.A. and Lincoln City Fellowship in NYC). Keli Goff (Recipient of the Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group fellowship 2014-2016. The Black Friendwas designated a semi-finalist for The Princess Grace Playwriting Fellowship and a finalist for the AracaWorks reading series. 2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing on a Dramatic Series. And many others playwrights).

Artistic Directors Taylor Gilbertand Sam Andersonon the importance of the festival to the theatre, “The Road’s Summer Playwrights Festival offers a wonderfully compressed period of new works and voices from established and emerging playwrights brought to life by the Road ensemble and guest artists who interact in lively discussions with our audiences, different live bands each evening, great food and drink and a tremendous sense of community between artists and theatregoers. An unforgettable event.” According to Founding Festival Director Scott Alan Smith, “This festival is our way of sharing the process of play development with our community and allows festival playwrights the chance to hear their plays in a supportive setting of talent and artistry.” Festival Director Matthew Singletary, “Eight days packed with theatre at its most exciting and raw…what’s not to love?!”

LIVE MUSIC!

One popular feature of the festival last summer was the live music that was featured during each reading reception in their gallery space. This year’s festival will feature the bands and musicians Mleo, Stage 11, Theo’s Dream Sequence and Irish band sensation, Whiskey Sunday. The reception will be held in their backyard patio – Cole’s Cantina – and will feature wines from Paso Robles Wineries and Lagunitas Brewery along with delicious appetizers and desserts.

Summer Playwrghts Festival (SPF10) at Road Theatre via www.nohoartsdistrict.com

WHEN:

Sunday July 28 – Sunday August 4, 2019
Performances are Monday-Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday at 10am, 2pm and 8pm.

SCHEDULE>>

TICKETS:

Ticket prices are suggested donation of $15.

For more details and to view complete schedule, play descriptions and cast lists visit roadtheatre.org

WHERE:

THE ROAD ON LANKERSHIM (in the historic Lankershim Arts Center)
5108 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

THE ROAD ON MAGNOLIA (in the NoHo Senior Arts Colony)
10747 Magnolia Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY

Located in the heart of the NoHo Arts district-the fastest growing arts district in Los Angeles County, the company has called the historic Lankershim Arts Center home for the past 23 seasons.

Fiercely committed to that most dangerous of theater missions-the dedication to new works-the Road Theatre Company led by founding artistic director Taylor Gilbert and artistic director Sam Anderson, is a multi-award winning theater that has been named one of the top ten intimate theater companies in Los Angeles (LA Weekly). It is home to over 150 theater artists devoted to the creation of the highest level of work.  The festival is also a fundraising event for the theater to help us launch their 28thseason. A suggested donation of $15 is requested of festival attendees and they are invited to give as little or as much as they want during each day’s performance.

Be entertained live while supporting theatre in NoHo! 
#KeepNoHoArtsy

“100 Planes” – from NoHo to Austin to L.A.

Photo by Steve Rogers

The Filigree Theatre presents the west coast premiere of “100 Planes” and we got a chance to chat with former NoHo resident Karen Harrison on her role in this project and theatre company.

Afterall, we are 20 theaters strong in the NoHo Arts District. But Los Angeles, surprising to most, is also a theater town. Support theater in L.A. How? See a show and be entertained live.

Karen Harrison headshot via www.nohoartsdistrict.com

How long did you live in the North Hollywood area?

I lived here for 7 1/4 years from July 2006 to October 2013.

What do you miss about not living in North Hollywood any longer?

I definitely find myself missing parts of living in California, and my time in NoHo was a big chunk of my time there. My apartment there was the longest I had ever lived in one place as an adult. I loved living in a community where creativity was so valued. NoHo also has such a great neighborhood feel. It was nice being close to the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, but a little more removed and tucked into a community.

Why did you move to Austin, TX?

I graduated from the University of Texas Theatre Department years ago and always loved Austin. It’s a really creative, dynamic city and since my partner is a musician, it has a lot to offer her as well. I have family who live there now, so in some ways it’s always felt like “home.”

What made you want to become involved with the Filigree Theatre play, “100 PLANES” and how did you prepare for your role?

I met Elizabeth V. Newman through a friend at an earlier Filigree Theater production and when we discussed the rest of the season, I knew I wanted to be involved in this production if possible. It’s always enticing to be the first person to bring a role to life, and exploring the world of women in the military felt topical and necessary. I already had a great deal of respect for people who serve our country, but it was fun to dig specifically into the world of pilots. I found a great documentary about pilots training to fly F14s that was amazingly thorough, and a couple of other movies where the crews were granted the right to film actual flights. I can’t even begin to imagine how it actually feels to be in one of those cockpits. The decision making and the laser focus in life or death moments are astounding to me. It is an awesome responsibility and I am grateful to get a bit of a glimpse into that world. And in addition to some really fun viewing, I did a lot of reading about the customs and culture of being an officer in the Air Force.

Description

The Filigree Theatre presents the west coast premiere of “100 Planes” by Lila Rose Kaplan at Broadwater Black Box Theater July 18- August 4 Thursday-Saturday at 8 PM and Sundays at 5.

“100 PLANES” is a bittersweet comic drama that follows three women as ambition, love, and passion collide on a US Air Force Base in Germany.

The year is 1997 and hotshot young pilot Lieutenant Kay McClure dreams of being the first to fly a new hybrid fighter jet. She begs the legendary Major Anne Clarkson to train her. Major Clarkson pushes Kay impossibly hard despite the concerns of Monique, Major Clarkson’s lover. 

Produced by Stephanie Moore
Directed by Elizabeth V. Newman
Starring Brittany Flurry, Karen Harrison, Alani Chock, Brennan Patrick

For more information on The Filigree Theatre, please visit us at www.filigreetheatre.com

TICKETS>>

 (l to r) Karen Harrison and Brittany Flurry in 100 PLANES   Photo by Steve Rogers
(l to r) Karen Harrison and Brittany Flurry in 100 PLANES Photo by Steve Rogers

Why do you love acting?

I fell in love with acting when I was a kid and then when I realized it was something I could keep doing, it wasn’t really much of decision. I always say acting chooses you.

Tell us about working for Miramax, Paramount Pictures and Oprah Winfrey Productions.

I started as a temp in Hollywood both as a way to pay the bills and to learn about the film world. My degree was in theatre and I wanted a hands on look at the business of film. I started in events at Miramax and after bouncing around as a temp, I wound up taking a full-time assistant job in production and development. I had the chance to work on “Frida” with Salma Hayek while I was there. The next stop was Lorne Michaels’ production company, Broadway Video, and “Mean Girls” was the primary project I was involved in. It was like being in film school. I got to be around from first draft to final product and saw everything from hiring the director, to casting, to editing, to scoring, all of it. It was a great education and a really fun project to be a part of. The next step in my career would have been a promotion, but my heart was always in performing and I didn’t want to be a studio executive. I was doing Shakespeare by the Sea playing the Nurse in “Romeo and Juliet” making very little money at night, and working at Paramount Pictures during the day. My heart was more on the stage, so I went back to temping and trying to focus more on acting. I did continue to use my development knowledge by reading scripts and doing coverage for a couple of producers. The Oprah Winfrey Network was part of my career in two ways. I temped for them for a period of time right at the beginning of the network, and separate from that I was fortunate enough to be hired to narrate two documentaries for them. I like being a well-rounded artist who knows what happens behind the scenes as well as on the stage or in front of the camera, so although I am no longer involved in production, that education and exposure was so valuable to me. And I do believe producing and writing are still in my future at some point. Currently, since my move to Austin, I am busy learning about the artistic community there, auditioning both for on-camera work, voice over work and obviously more theatre jobs, and I still have my VO agent in LA as well.

What advice can you give to young women who want to pursue careers in the arts?

I love being a part of the theatre community and there is so much joy to be found in the art of story telling. For young females who want to be a part of it, the best advice I have is to never be afraid to use your voice. There are so many new stories waiting to be told, so many old ones waiting to be rediscovered and reexamined, and so many reasons why women need to be equally involved in all aspects of bringing more live theatre to the world.

Any last thoughts?

I am so glad that the first project I found to be a part of in Austin has allowed me the chance to come back to California. I feel like LA/NoHo is home too, and I love getting to come back for such a great reason, to bring 100 Planes to another group of audience members in a place that is so much a part of me. 

How do you support live theater? EASY! See a show and be entertained live!

 

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

Movie Review of Spider-Man: Far from Home

Spider-Man: Far from Home, the first entry in the post-Avengers Marvel Universe, has many of the qualities that made the Avengers films work, as well as some of their faults.

It’s been eight months after the events in End Game, and what has become known as “the Blip, referring to the reappearance of those who were “gone” thanks to Thanos. This new outing for Peter Parker (Tom Holland), the insecure newly minted (again, as he’s the third Spiderman in seventeen years!) superhero, has him trying to get over the loss of mentor Tony Stark (aka Ironman, with Robert Downey Jr. seen briefly in flashbacks). Parker is also trying to summon up the nerve to make his feelings known to MJ (Zendaya), and what better time to do it than on a school trip to Rome. Complicating matters for Peter is an insistent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who wants Peter to commit to S.H.I.E.L.D., along with the emergence of an enigmatic would-be superhero and replacement mentor dubbed Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Oh…and his aunt (Marisa Tomei) and Tony Stark’s best bud “Happy” (Jon Favreau) might be in the early stages of a relationship. Things aren’t easy for poor Peter!

Directed by Jon Watts from a script by Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers, Spider-Man: Far from Home benefits from a winning lead performance from Holland, and some good support from Zendaya (no terrified damsel, she), Favreau, Jackson, J.R. Smoove (as one of the chaperones), and Gyllenhaal. There are some good (if not entirely unexpected) plot developments, and plenty of engaging interplay among Parker and his classmates, his supportive aunt, the invaluable Happy, and some touching moments as Parker tries to fill an emotional void in his life by reaching out to MJ and Mysterio. When the heroes are not fighting almost insurmountable odds, the films have contained plenty of humor and warmth, and even the odd insight or two. However there are the action scenes to reckon with, and they repeat the same fault of the other Marvel films of being overly long and emotionally wearing, instead of rousing. Spider-Man: Far from Home is the first example of a saga that is far from over, but at least it packs a good deal of entertainment value. And do stay for the mid-credits scene.

The Most Stylish Travel Accessories of 2019

We live in an age when convenience is king, or queen if you prefer, but it’s not nearly so alliterative. 

The internet is full of lists of the latest gizmos designed to make your travel that much more convenient, but what if your priority is not convenience, but style. Travelling with style is partly about having stylish accessories but it’s also about arriving at your destination without looking like you’ve just endured a ghastly ordeal.  So, here are some suggestions to help you look and feel stylish when you’re travelling.

Linen Clothing

Contemporary travelling tends to be an overheated experience, even if you are travelling in the depths of winter.  Trains, planes and their termini all tend to be hot and the proximity of hundreds of sticky fellow human beings only serves to exacerbate the situation. 

Linen is a great material to wear when you are travelling, whether you’re a woman or a man.  It’s a natural, breathable material but it also has a certain stiffness about it, so that it tends to hang away from your body, allowing air to circulate.  It’s much cooler to wear than something thin and flimsy which will stick to your skin when you get hot. 

Anything you wear is going to get creased when you are travelling, but linen is naturally creased so you will still look just as stylish when you arrive as when you set out.  Linen is also a much more eco-friendly material than cotton, so you pick up extra style points for being environmentally aware.

A Panama Hat

Well yes, I am making the assumption that your travel destination is somewhere hot.  If you are setting off to walk to one of the poles you can probably skip this particular stylish item.  Panama hats are bang on trend for both women and men and with good reason. 

They are the most comfortable hat to wear in hot weather and of course, they are also the most stylish. They have been celebrated as one of the hundred best designs ever created.  A genuine Panama Hat, one made by one of the handfuls of expert craftsmen capable of the exquisitely fine weave for which the hats are famed, will cost you around $25,000. Fortunately, you can keep stylishly cool for a lot less than that.  Panama hats look great, they are essentially a Fedora made from palm leaves, and they are light and breathable. A good one will also take a lot of punishment.  Allegedly you can roll one up small enough to fit through a wedding ring.

Sunglasses

Just how stylish you look in your sunglasses will depend on whether you have taken the time to find a pair that really suit you.  They say that Wayfarers look good on everybody but not if they don’t fit.  Choose a frame style and colour that suits your face and hair and make sure that they are a good fit.  Perfect for people watching as you pretend to read the paper and sip an espresso at a street-side café, they also save you from squinting your way around the streets. 

UV rays are dangerous and the glare from the sea and sand can be painful, so you can enjoy wearing your stylish sunglasses in the knowledge that they are keeping your eyes safe.  If you wear optical glasses, then it makes sense to have your prescription lenses fitted to your sunglasses.

A Leather Travel Bag

Perhaps you use a samsonite wheelie bin and feel it serves you well but if you want to look stylish then it has to be a leather bag.  A quality leather bag will last a lifetime and its appearance will improve with age.  Mahi produce a range of beautiful leather bags, crafted from full-grain leather, which is the best quality leather that money can buy, and fitted with famously durable YKK zips and robust brass fittings.  This is a travel accessory you can depend on and one which will attract admiring looks wherever you take it.

Havaianas

If a beach or a pool is part of your travel itinerary, and please say it is, then you are going to need a pair of flip flops.  Sure, you can pick up a pair from a bin at the store which sells inflatable sharks, but wouldn’t you rather have something stylish?  Not only will Havaianas not fall apart in the first week, but they are also available in a range of brilliantly original designs.  You may think that flip flops and style are words that can’t be uttered in the same sentence, well think again.

A Stylish Watch

Travel and time are twinned.  We often measure our experience of travel in terms of time and being at certain places at certain times is one of the defining experiences of travel.  You will, of course, be carrying a phone and probably a tablet too but in terms of ease, neither can compare with a glance at your wrist.  A quality watch is also a beautiful, eye-catching accessory, whether you are at the airport terminal or dining beneath the stars at a restaurant.  The stylish traveller always wears a watch.

A Water Bottle

‘Why,’ I hear you say, ’there’s nothing stylish about a water bottle’.  Oh, but there is. It’s easy to get dehydrated when you are travelling, especially when you’re flying, so drinking plenty of water is very important.  And remember, the stylish traveller always arrives looking fresh. ‘But I always buy a bottle of water,’ you say.  Well, don’t. More than 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfill and incinerators every day.  Carrying a water bottle is stylish.  If you choose a collapsible one you can carry it through passport control in your pocket and refill it in departure before you board.

A Leather Card Holder(s)

You know that bulging wallet or purse which you carry every day and which contains receipts stretching back generations?  Leave it safe at home.  Fillet it for the cards you’ll need and take a stylish leather cardholder or two.  Get one with RFID blocking so your cards can’t be hacked.

 

Around the World For The Fearless Adventurer

If you find yourself bored at beaches and tired of lazing around with nothing to do whenever you are on vacation, maybe it’s time that you kick it up a notch and take yourself on an adventure.

Traveling doesn’t always have to be lazy and expensive. Exploring the great outdoors and going to places not well known to tourists can be inexpensive and give you an experience like no other vacation can give you. All you’ll need to embark on your adventure are a pair of reliable hiking shoes and a thrill-seeking heart. Here are 21 top destinations that active travelers go on vacation.

  1. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

See a myriad of endangered animals run wild in these islands as you dive, snorkel, surf, boat, and hike. From giant tortoises and sea lions to sleeping sharks and marine iguanas, you will have the time of your life coming up close and personal with these majestic beasts. 

  1. Etosha National Park and Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Besides sand boarding and sand sledding to your heart’s content at the coastal city of Swakopmund in Skeleton Coast, the Etosha National Park will also allow you to interact closely with wild animals like never before. This destination allows you to get in touch with nature and it’s creations as there are numerous black rhinos, cheetahs, lions, and elephants who run wild in the park.

  1. The Swiss Alps

Regardless of the season, the Swiss Alps is the ideal place for a vacation. Skiing in the winter and hiking or biking in the summer, you can even visit twice a year to experience it in different weather. Moreover, you will be spoilt with splendid views of the numerous highland lakes and meadows. 

  1. Sedona, Arizona

If you love a good adventure but also enjoy the arts, be sure to check out Sedona. With an international film festival and music festivals throughout the year, you can unwind after a day of hiking, camping or mountain biking. The town is known for its red sandstone formations which many believe have the power to harness energy good for the soul.

  1. Norway

A tranquil country with a small population, travelers can enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, biking, horseback riding and fishing without squeezing with tourists. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of city life and check a thing or two off your bucket list as you can view the northern lights at Tromso and head to Holmenkollen outside Oslo to try their hand at the infamous sport of ski-jumping, a destination known for hosting the Winter Olympics of 1952.

  1. Diamond Highlands, Brazil

Find out where diamonds come from in the Chapada Diamantina highlands which are where the famous diamond mines are located. They are known for their quintessential waterfalls and wondrous cavern pool, Poco Azul, which you can swim in.

Around the World For The Fearless Adventurer-02.jpg

  1. Southern Utah

Embark on a spiritual retreat as Southern Utah gives you easy access to five incredulous national parks, namely Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands and Arches National Park. Marvel at the natural rock formations that cannot be seen anywhere else and unwind with activities like meditation, yoga, pilates and tai chi.

  1. Olympic Peninsula, Washington State

The Olympic National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, making it extremely worthwhile to visit and hike in. The Peninsula has bald eagles, gray whales, and auklets. Walk through the many forests offered and relax in the various hot springs in the park after a day of wilderness exploration. 

  1. Iceland

Snorkel and scuba dive for the ultimate adventure if the cold doesn’t bother you and swim in the tranquil blue waters of Iceland. If you can’t stand the cold, head down to Blue Lagoon instead. It is a hot spring situated 25 miles from Reykjavic and will allow you to enjoy this cold paradise in the warmth. 

  1. Lakes Region, Chile

Discover all that Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas have to offer. These towns are suitable for walking and you can sit at any old-fashioned cafe or restaurant to take a break. Moreover, they have a national park, Vicente Perez Rosales where you can hike through volcanoes, rainforests, and flawless lakes and rivers. 

  1. Yukon, Canada

Probably the most fun you can get in Canada would be in Yukon where they have whitewater rafting or alpine climbing. You can even conquer your fear of heights or simply enjoy a bird’s eye view of the scenic views by “flightseeing”. “Flightseeing” includes booking a small plane and flying to the top of a glacier before alighting and hiking around the area. 

  1. Zhangjiajie, China

Hike through landscapes only seen in pristine Chinese paintings and see the gorgeous landforms and sandstones right in front of your eyes. These awe-inspiring views will take your breath away with places like the Xianren Qiao and Yupi Feng which will be a sight for sore eyes after hiking all day. You can even whitewater raft in the Mengdong River for as long as 100 kilometers!

  1. New Zealand

No matter which part of New Zealand you decide to visit, both the north and south islands are full of beauteous natural wonders that you can surf, snorkel, dive or hike through. Both offer great hiking trails in their forests that will lead to amazing views of mountains, magnificent coastlines, and even water coves. 

  1. Northern India

There is probably nowhere else better to see tigers than in Corbett National Park on the Ramganga River. It is home to the endangered Bengal tigers which you cannot find anywhere else. This place is ideal for rejuvenating yourself with many places in cities like Haridwar and Rishikesh that give visitors the chance to pick up yoga.

  1. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Hike through the dense, green forests of the Cambodian jungle and be rewarded with the alluring sight of ruins from the ancient Khmer kingdom. It is the world’s largest religious monument and is close to Angkor Thom, the old capital of Cambodia when it was under Khmer rule. It is popular among tourists and may be crowded but the journey there will be extremely worthwhile. You can choose to hike, cycle, or take an estimated six-hour boat ride there. 

Around the World For The Fearless Adventurer-03.jpg

  1. Morocco

Morocco is known for its rich history and culture but little do you know that it is a well-known destination for surfers. The coastal city of Agadir is every surfer’s wonderland and you can engage in other activities like hiking, trekking or yoga at the Atlas mountains which are just a stone’s throw away. 

With this list in hand, you are ready to spice up your next vacation and turn it into the adventure of a lifetime. Be sure not to over exhaust yourself; after all, you are on a holiday. These ideas and activities are suitable for solo traveling or if you are traveling with friends. They will give you the chance to see the world in a different way, making your adventure all the more fulfilling and worthwhile! If your backpack isn’t too heavy, why not bring along a pool float to level up the experience? This inflatable rainbow unicorn pool float will fit with your bright personality! 

Aura Blaze “The Sparkling Black” Album Release

While this is not the kind of music I would normally listen to, I do get the fascination of ‘psychedelic rock’ and the devotion of the many fans to this fascinating genre. 

This album has echos of classic 70s prog rock, but with much more melodic qualities.  The lyrics are satisfyingly surreal and avant grade and the production absolutely beautiful.

It’s quite a ride, this album.  The sounds are huge and ambitious, the nostalgic tracks as catchy as anything of the original era.  This music is shamelessly whimsical and gorgeously euphoric, channeling The Doors and Pink Floyd. It’s a joyous soundtrack to the 70s era, the height of Hollywood debauchery and musical malevolence.

But there’s also some sweetness and heartache.  It’s a sprinkle of Partridge Family and a good dollop of Manson Family.  Such a strange mix, when the world was losing the innocence of the 60s and falling headlong into the haze of the 70s.  Aura Blaze, who plays every instrument and also produces, is astonishingly good at this vintage sonic music. These songs are so brilliantly balanced, with chorals and dirty guitar and organ and wave after wave of walls of sound, there’s even the beginnings of disco! ”The Sparkling Black” is quite an achievement…and I strangely loved it!!

Musicians:

Rhode Rachel: all vocals, instruments, and production

Björn Strid (lead vocals on “Manipulation”)

Artist Links

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Bandcamp

Soundcloud

Youtube Channel

NoHo News: NoHo Comics! Summer. Music. Theatre. Fun.

Here’s your NoHo arts community update!

We look forward to sharing lots of fun and unique news, events, profiles and updates on what’s happening in the NoHo Arts District.

Every Thursday we send out our NoHo e-News. Do you get it? It takes 30 seconds. Make sure you sign up, it’s FREE. Sign up HERE>>

This issue of NoHo e-News is about what’s going on in North Hollywood and a selection of some theatre shows. But we have a ton of them. Did you know that the NoHo Arts District has the highest concentration of theatres outside of New York City? Just check out the NoHo Arts District Theatre Guide>>

Here’s a glimpse at what’s going on in North Hollywood. Click on the image and to see the online version of our NoHo News…ENJOY NOHO!

NoHo News:  NoHo Comics! Summer. Music. Theatre. Fun. via www.nohoartsdistrict.com

Follow NoHo News with Bloglovin

**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo. On Instagram @NoHoArtsDistrict and Facebook @NoHoArtsDistrict.

Lucinda Belle “Think Big, Like Me” Album Release

Lucinda Belle is an Oscar-nominated and highly regarded singer-songwriter. This is her second album and I can’t stop playing it.

Beautiful, jazz-inspired vocals, gorgeous instrumentation and production, stylish breathtaking songs full of longing and yearning and magical arrangements.

Lucinda Belle is a master at this.  The songs on this album are an ever so slight modern twist on a classic songbook, all originals, all instantly timeless.  And her voice…just glorious.  Silky smooth, slightly husky,  she has a huge range and is breathlessly effortless in her delivery.  You can feel the emotions, you can hear her heart breaking with every word she sings.

She’s a classically trained harpist and her music is centered around her phenomenal playing.  This adds such an unusual dimension to her fabulous songs, in a deeply magical way.  She toured the world with some amazing artists, Annie Lennox, Nathalie Cole, The Pet Shop Boys, before launching her solo career. She has had such a varied and eclectic career so far with appearances with The Spice Girls, being cast as the sultry singer, Dixie Darling in the world-renowned immersive theatre experience “The Drowned Man” by Punch Drunk in London, and working with St Mary’s University in a series of experimental performances on music and mood.

She recently began looping on the harp, something never done before, allowing her to create the effect of an orchestra live, which she debuted on stage during her keynote talk at TEDxManchester in February, 2018.  Lucinda Belle is a rule breaker, a pioneer of the unapologetic torch song for a new age, a new world.  She’s a treasure in fact.  A “unique.’  A testament to artistry and the proof that whatever you have, whatever you evolve into artistically you must trust it, you must believe in it.  You must be it.  Because if you do then so will your audience.  This is a gorgeous album, a soundtrack to heartache and hopefulness and love.

Miss this at your peril…love, love, bloody loved it!!!!!

{youtube}wjaKFxhEPCU{/youtube}

Artist Links

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Soundcloud

Youtube Channel

Musicians:

Piano/Organ – Esben Tjalve

Acoustic Guitar- Sheldon Conrich

Electric Guitar – Rich Hornby

Double Bass- Jay Darwish

Drums – Phil Groysboeck

Featured Artists: Joe Cang, Aynzli Jones

Brass Arranger: Aaron Liddard

Brass section: Aaron Liddard, Simon Harris, Quentin Collins, Frank Walden.

String arranger: Ben Davies

String section: Rick Coster, Gill Morley, Miranda Davies and Ben Davies

Backing Vocals: Tim Bran, Derane Obika, Lucinda Belle, Joe Cang, Rick Hornby, Joanne Marshall, Esther Dee

Extra musicians – Tom Benzon guitar

What to Wear to a Club: A Guide for Ladies’ Night

Going out for a night on the town with your girlfriends is fun, but it can be intimidating if you haven’t been in a while. Learn what to wear to a club here.

Being home to cities like Las Vegas and Miami, the American party and nightlife scene is usually quite wild. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the nightlife industry generates over $700 billion to the U.S. economy annually.

Being the land of almost all celebrities and fashion houses, looking stylish on a night out is of the essence. Learn what to wear to a club here so you can look the part and be more confident in your skin.

What to Wear to a Club

With so many trends shaping the fashion realm, deciding what to wear while heading out with your girls is no piece of cake. Fortunately, we got you. Here’re great suggestions on outfits to wear to the club.

A Little Black Dress

Also known as the LBD, the little black dress is among the outfits that’ll always be in style. It’s a wardrobe staple for every woman and comes in different designs. One great thing about it is that it’s simple yet classy and easy to pair up with anything.

For instance, you can pair it up with Gucci’s latest “GG” print denim jacket and a pair of awesome heels for a classy and expensive look. You can also choose to go simple by wearing the same denim jacket, but this time ditch the heels and go for a nice pair of white sneakers.

To sum it up, you can never go wrong with the little black dress. This is because it never goes out of style and it’s easy to pair up with different accessories thanks to its black color.

A Jumpsuit

Like the little black dress, jumpsuits have always been in style and are among great outfits to wear to the club. The good bit about them is that they come in an array of designs. They’re especially great if you have a formal activity to do during the day and planning to hit the club with your girls during the night.

This is because they can serve both roles. During your formal task, throw on a nice blazer and heels. When you link up with your girls, ditch the blazer and you’ll look the part.

A Pair of Jeans

Jeans also make great outfits to go clubbing. If you’re a laid back kind of girl who loves a wild night out but hates attention, then jeans are for you. Like all the items on our list, the great bit about jeans is that you can pair them up with almost anything you want.

If you love low waist jeans, opt for a dark colored pair of jeans and pair them up with a bold colored blazer, denim or jacket and a matching pair of sneakers. If you’re more into the high waist jeans club, your options are unlimited.

You can pair them with a nice off shoulder top, a tank top, or a mesh long sleeved top. For a chic look, put on your best heels, but for a comfy look, you can pair them with any flats of your choice.

Wondering What to Wear a Club? Explore More Options

Your options are endless when it comes to clubbing outfits. From leather miniskirts, a beautiful colored bandage skirt, and knee-high boots, to shirt dresses.

There’s just so much to experiment with when you’re looking for what to wear to a club. Check us out to explore more outfit ideas and entertainment content.

Kevin West “Story of My Life” EP Release

Kevin West is serious about his music.

Over the last 20 years or so he has released five albums, this is his latest EP with six tracks of unpretentious, melodic, thoughtful and beautifully produced music.

It’s kind of mix of genres, some rock, a little funk, lot of jazz influence, fantastic musicianship and some pretty nifty arrangements.  Clearly his focus was on the excellence of the musicians and he did a great job.  The songs are great too, poetic lyrics, meaningful themes, familiar and relatable, but with a very distinct focus on craft.

The whole EP is wonderful. The more you listen, the more you hear and I love the live feel.  He’s a working musician playing with other real working musicians and, at a certain point, you can just see them all, jamming in the rehearsal space, loving what they have spent a lifetime doing.

The opening track says it all I think, “Best of Mine.”  It feels like a celebration of one man’s musical journey, one man’s purpose.  With the help of some truly brilliant musicians, Kevin West makes this EP, this “Story of My Life” motor along…loved it!!!

Artist Links

https://baxtermusic.org/bio/

http://facebook.com/kevinwestmusic 

http://instagram.com/kevinwestmusic

http://twitter.com/kevinwestmusic

https://soundcloud.com/kevin-west-6

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kDXVJ1gaSNy2rq8E1rHGz?si=I40WVILuTz6idOpDUDEWhw

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCElrqTK84WVtX35iAmIvjtg?view_as=subscriber

Musicians:

Kevin West: Vocals, Electric and Acoustic Guitars

Markus Helander: Drums

Brett Belanger: Electric and Acoustic Bass

Whitt Algar: Piano and Keyboard

Jeff Caldwell: Electric Guitar

Whitney Hanna: Vocals

Steven Sandifer: Percussion

Quentin E. Baxter: Drums

Kevin Hamilton: Bass

Lee Barbour: Electric Guitar

Charlton Singleton: Trumpet

Mark Sterbank: Saxophone

Jonathan Lovett: Keyboard

The Skylight Theatre Company Presents “Bronco Billy – The Musical”

The Skylight Theatre Company presents “Bronco Billy – The Musical.”

Book by Dennis Hackin

Music and Lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom, John Torres

Additional Lyrics by Michele Brourman

Directed by Hunter Bird

Running July May 18 through July 21st.

The Skylight Theatre, 1816 1/2 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

This is a brand new musical from the brilliant mind of novelist, screenwriter, playwright and producer Dennis Hackin. 

He wrote the original film, a love letter to his parents who always wanted to be cowboys and moved their family from Chicago to Arizona to live out their dreams.

62322665 2712691378745565 566570533542428672 o

Bringing this story to us as a musical is another kind of dream altogether.  It has a gorgeous retro feel, set in the 70s and it follows the adventures of a vaudeville troupe of actors gathered together around the star of the show, Bronco Billy, an orphan from Brooklyn who was inspired by the TV heroes of his scattered childhood and who dreams of taking them all to Hollywood to win a contest and have their very own TV show.

61743048 2711162698898433 268977983383928832 o

They are a glorious group of misfits and ex-cons looking for a second chance and some true love.  They stumble across an heiress on the run from her murderous stepmother and the story is set and off we go on this wonderful, hilarious and magical adventure.

The songs are many and absolutely brilliant.  The story is madcap, fun and hilarious, and all these disparate characters are so beautifully portrayed by this group of astoundingly talented actors that we are invested in them all at the first.  There are some truly spectacular villains and boy do they have fun with their extremely dastardly intentions!

BB A0446 serape branded 768x380

So the story is excellent, the characters wonderful and the songs stupendous. Did I leave anything out? I just can’t tell you how much fun I had at this show! The set is magical too, everything adapting seamlessly from one scene to the next, boxes becoming cars, wardrobes becoming doorways, becoming tables, becoming fire pits, all of it masterful and truly another character in the show.  The wardrobe too is excellent, every attention to detail, in fact, was perfection.

64353381 2726817233999646 4496487900262694912 o

This was my first time at The Skylight Theatre in Los Feliz. It’s a beautiful space, full of life and energy and it just felt like the perfect place for a show like this.  The music is played by a live band, and what a band indeed! They were fantastic, all gorgeous guitars and saxophones and beautiful basses and keys and flutes and on and on…amazing musicians!! The music makes the show of course, the actors voices were Broadway perfect…really. If you have a soul you will get to this show as quickly as you can, I have told everyone I know they have to go…it’s just that good!!!

I can’t single any one performance out because they are all so brilliant.  Don’t find an excuse not to see this amazing show!  Don’t dawdle either, the show is only on until July 21st.  After that I can only presume they will be Broadway bound!

Love, love, loved it!!!

http://skylighttheatre.org/event/bronco-billy-the-musical/

Based on the Warner Bros. Motion Picture written by Dennis E. Hackin
By special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures

Musical Director: Anthony Lucca

Choreographer: Janet Roston

Produced by Gary Grossman, Tony Abatemarco

Directed by Hunter Bird

Cast:

Eric B. Anthony, Michele Azar, Benai Boyd, Marc Cardiff, Randy Charleville, Fatima El-Bashir, Kyle Frattini, Bella Hicks, Amanda Leigh Jerry, Chris M Kauffmann, Anthony Marciona, Jamie Mills, Pat Towne, Michael Uribes,

DESIGNERS

Scenic Design: John Iacovelli

Costume Design: Ann Closs-Farley
Lighting Design: Brian Gale

Sound Design: Cricket S. Meyers, Daniel Tator

Projection Design: David Murakami

Properties Design: Kevin Williams

PRODUCTION STAFF

Arrangements/Orchestrations: David O
Casting: Michael Donovan

Fight Choregraphy: Matt Franta
Associate Fight Coordination: Brandon Pugmire

Public Relations: Judith Borne

Marketing: Patty Onagan

Company Manager: Ashley Felkner

Production Stage Manager: Christopher Hoffman

Stage Managers: Ben Altman
Assistant Stage Manager/Technical Direction: Garrett Crouch, Matt Gardner
Associate Producer: Danny Hackin
Logo Art: Meat and Potatoes
Graphic Design: Guillermo Perez