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“Last Chance” with Gregg Hurwitz!

Lisa Bianconi
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Meet Gregg Hurwitz, author of “Last Chance” at NoHo’s Blastoff Comics on October 20.

Blastoff Comics is pleased to welcome the author of LAST CHANCE, Gregg Hurwitz, here to North Hollywood on Friday, October 20!

Copies of Gregg Hurwitz’s Last Chance, as well as The Rains with its scary new cover, will be available for purchase. Get yours signed and meet a great author! Copies of LAST CHANCE, as well as THE RAINS with its scary new cover, will be available for purchase. Can’t make it? You can still purchase signed copies at the Blastoff Comics online store. 

The Rain brothers fight for the survival of humanity in LAST CHANCE, the thrilling sequel to bestselling author Gregg Hurwitz’s YA debut, THE RAINS.

Last Chance Gregg Hurwitz at Blastoff Comics www.nohoartsdistrict.com    RAINS Gregg Hurwitz at Blastoff Comics www.nohoartsdistrict.com

The New York Times bestselling author of ORPHAN X, Gregg Hurwitz, returns to Creek’s Cause to follow the Rain brothers as they fight an alien threat that has transformed everyone over the age of 18 into ferocious, zombie-like beings, in this thrilling sequel to THE RAINS.

Battling an enemy not of this earth, Chance and Patrick become humanity’s only hope for salvation.

“The Rains is one of those all-too-creepy-and-believable stories that leaves you looking in your backyard for the next strange weed to poke through the ground. Chilling!”―Ridley Pearson, New York Times bestselling author

Gregg Hurwitz is the best-selling artist of 17 novels. His work has been published in over 30 languages. He’s written screenplays for every major studio and developed and produced work for every major TV network. You might have seen that spooky sci-fi revival of V a few years back? Yeah, that’s him. And he’s working on an HBO series adaption of Pulitzer Prize-winner Joby Warrick’s book about the formation of ISIS, with Bradley Cooper and Todd Phillips also on board. His original screenplay The Book of Henry, directed by Colin Treverrow (yes, Star Wars’ Colin Treverrow), recently wrapped shooting in New York with a cast that includes Naomi Watts, Sarah Silverman, Lee Pace and Dean Norris. And if that wasn’t enough for you, he’s the New York TimesBest-Selling author of some of the most badass Batman, Punisher and Wolverine comics you’ll ever get your hands on. His novel Orphan X came out last year, and was immediately grabbed up by Bradley Cooper; they’re currently developing it for a feature film franchise. Right now he’s on a worldwide tour promoting the follow-up Evan Smoak book The Nowhere Man. He was kind enough to carve out some time in the studio with us, somewhere between Arizona and New Zealand.

WHEN:

Friday, October 20 from 7- 9PM

WHERE:

Blastoff Comics
5118 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

INFO:

www.blastoffcomics.com
(818) 980-2665
blastoff@blastoffcomics.com

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

**** 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.

 

Musonia – Music School and Historic Museum

Caroline McElroy
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Musonia – Music School and Historic Museum

Musonia – Music School and Historic Museum.

When one crosses the threshold to Ozzy Osbourne’s rock-god guitarist Randy Rhoads’ former music school Musonia, it is like walking through a time warp where everything looks like it has since it opened in 1948.

Even Rhoads’ room where he taught music to his students is set up as if time has stood still and Rhoads will soon return to teach another class.

“What this place is and what people feel is a link to another era when music was held sacred to people. When you enter here you get a reprieve from all the modern day world that we have to live in. You get to experience a time that is completely predicated to leaning how to enjoy, appreciate and study the fine art of music,” explains Randy Rhoads’ brother Kelle Rhoads.

Indeed, as one enters this fabled school where Randy Rhoads learned his chops beginning at age six and taught it, there are worn grooves into the bricks that make up the stairs down to the large recital hall where the majority of Randy Rhoads’ memorabilia is loosely set up on display. There are rows of cabinets crammed with memories of Randy mostly in photos that tell one that this guy really enjoyed what he did…playing music. When you look at the photos, there is a recurring theme in that Randy always seems to have an expression of euphoria. There are awards as well as a collage assembled by a fan which took five years to complete. My favorite photo is the one of Ozzy Osbourne lifting up Randy while he’s playing the guitar.

According to Kelle, Randy had about 60 students when he left to play with Osbourne in the Fall of 1979. “They were walking on air because he made them feel so good…inspired. He would invite them to a show with a decent guitar and he would use their guitar for a back-up if he broke a string,” Kelle explained. Everyone you meet that worked with Randy or who had met him will tell you how nice Randy was and this story pretty much sums it up.

According to Kelle, Randy was a musician first and foremost and really didn’t like the moniker of “Rock Star.” “He was humble and very accessible and also very kind,” she said.

For those who are wondering what were Kelle’s top faves of Randy’s music they are: “Flying High Again,” “Mr. Crowley” and “Little Dolls.” “These things epitomized Randy’s deep, profound love of his instruments and give a small glimpse into his soul,” Kelle adds. I think it’s brilliant. Kelle has just come off of a Kickstarter fundraiser to fix up the aging music school which netted around $18,000 by 120 various donors. It is the Rhoads’ family desire to create an official Randy Rhoads Museum.

No, the Osbourne’s did not donate any money nor did any other musicians. Mostly fans of Randy’s donated money to the fundraiser. According to Kelle, he never expected any musicians to donate money. It is anticipated that it will take around a year for the renovation to finish and the project on the top of the list are the building’s dormers which are in desperate need of repair.

The recital hall where Kelle has loosely assembled a museum dedicated to Randy which includes some equipment from Quiet Riot but not Ozzy Osbourne guitars and amps as that equipment is in storage at an undisclosed place. The hall is also where Randy and Kelle would stage shows at Musonia when they were in their teens. At the back of the school is a room where Randy would rehearse. Down the hall from the big recital hall is a room set up where Randy would teach his students which is set up as it was and even contains sheet music on a stand donated by a former student. In this room is a box full of items left by those that have crossed the threshold to Randy’s and Kelle’s past. Kelle teases that a person that leaves a donation in the box will have good luck. I left my purple stone and Buddha bracelet.

Also off of this hall is a room which has a large piano that Kelle likes to practice and compose on. Kelle allows that he is currently pursuing classical music and is into composing his own music. There are a few smaller rehearsal rooms that are closed off for now, but might be renovated to use as rehearsal studios for local musicians that need a space to practice/compose their music in private. Behind the large recital hall is another large room filled with items that not only belong to Randy but also to their mother Deloris Rhoads who was also an accomplished musician in her own right and performed in professional orchestras.  Kelle has spent months sorting through mounds of papers and other assorted memorabilia that were stored there and has had to let go of some items as they just weren’t noteworthy enough to keep.

Sadly, none of Randy’s nine more well-known guitars are or will be on exhibit at Musonia. Of the nine guitars, it’s the custom Les Paul 1974 white Gibson guitar that was Randy’s favorite according to Kelle.

Kelle has devoted a large portion of his life to keeping Musonia running and maintaining Randy’s, aka “Randy Rhoazart” by fans, memory alive and thriving just as Osbourne had said he wanted to keep Randy’s memory alive as Jimi Hendrix’s has been.

Kelle composes classical piano pieces at Musonia and has recorded his work. Most notable works are: “Magnificent Obsession,” “Titanic Overture,” “Portraits of Oblivion,” “Pride” and “Profanity.” He has a newer work set for a 2019 release titled “Architects of Destruction” which is principally for the piano forte.

Kelly wasn’t always a classical composer and musician; his rock star was rising on the Strip around the time that Randy perished in a plane crash. His band at the time was “Rhoads” and they were set to tour Europe, but due to management difficulties and the demise of Kelle’s band the star faded out. There are videos on Youtube that show an appearance on a French television show as well as other live appearances. Kelle also does an occasional acoustic show at the NoHo Bar-B-Que Bar in NoHo Arts District at 10863 W. Magnolia Blvd.

As for the future of Randy Rhoads’ legacy, Kelle is looking to find someone to put together a “rockumentary” film about Randy’s career. There were plans at one time to put together a film, but due to an unfortunate union the film was terminated in mid-project and cost the Rhoads family money. The Rhoads family is still interested in seeing a proper documentary done. The entity that holds title to the film that was shot is willing to allow another filmmaker to use footage that includes “a fine testimony about Randy” by Deloris and is needed as she was such an integral part of Randy’s career that he wrote a song about her titled “Dee” which appears on “Blizzard of Ozz.” “It has to be done by someone that knows what they are doing on film,” Kelle adds. The idea of a film about Randy is so popular that there is even a Facebook page dedicated to it.

On December 2, 2018 Randy’s sister Kathy Rhoads- D’Argenzio and Kelle plan on staging a tribute concert to honor Randy at the D’ Argenzio Winery Burbank Tasting Room at 1204 W. Burbank Blvd. While you are there how about picking up the winery’s special “Randy Rhoads 2015 special Cabernet Sauvignon” priced at $50.00. For more info call 818-846-8466 or go to www.dargenziowine.com. Randy’s actual birthday is December 6. A portion of all proceeds is donated to the Randy Rhoads Charitable Trust.

Restoration will soon begin on Musonia and the legacy of Randy “Rhozart” will continue in style thanks to the adoring fans of Randy and Kelle’s unwavering devotion to the school and his famous brother.

There are many fans that would like to see Musonia made into an historical landmark that would be protected.

Musonia is open for tours and lessons, please telephone them at 818-761-0521. The school is located on 12111 Tiara Street in what is now Valley Village and is open Tuesday through Friday 3pm to 8pm. It is important to note that this is not a residence, only a school.

The Comic Tragedy of Macbeth

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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The Dean Productions Theatre Company presents – “The Comic Tragedy of Macbeth,”  by William Shakespeare plyaing at Brand Library through October 21

 

How to review a Shakespeare play…how indeed.

To attempt a play with as stoic a role in our collective theatrical repertoire as Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” is something akin to wildly ambitious.  But to do so with a minimal budget, young, fresh actors and no stage…literally…no stage and no building…could be considered slightly insane.  But it is perhaps this kinship to insanity that inspired the good people at Dean Productions to take this ‘crazy’ ride with this truly iconic tale and to set it all in an actual insane asylum to boot, and oh yes, to make it funny.

Macbeth1 copy
Noah Laufer

Stay with me…it gets even better.

The small, yet perfectly formed cast rotate the roles.  Falling into and out of cleverly contrived stupors, (when you see the play you will understand) they double and triple up the many parts of this play. This should be confusing, but somehow just isn’t.  In fact, I think it adds something to the characters and the language of the play somehow, keeping us on our toes so to speak.  The set itself, and the wide-open stage on the lawn of the Brand Library in Brand Park, Glendale, is simple and incredibly effective.  Under the trees and with minimal furnishings and lighting it’s as if the inmates of some otherworldly madhouse are performing for our pleasure, with their hospital gowns flowing and their childlike adaptation of whatever is to hand for swords and thrones and crowns and tombs.  It’s “Where The Wild Things Are” meets “Peter Pan” and the wild rumpus turns jealously to murder and guilt to madness and Shakespeare’s words to beautifully, truthfully wrought performances and bewitching, unexpectedly heartbreaking moments.

We all know the tragic tale and these brave young actors frolic and tumble and play with its somber, bloody, manic unravelling.  Their inventive and often hilarious take on this so familiar language is, at times, a revelation.  I was lucky enough to see their “39 Steps” last year in the same park, and it was equally excellent.  This production company is clearly very comfortable with theatre that challenges the audience as much as it beguiles it and for that, we should all be eternally grateful.

Macbeth2 copy
LaMont Hendrix (seated), Noah Laufe

Each actor plays their roles with total commitment and fabulously inventive style. 

I won’t single out anyone in particular, they are all just as marvelous as each other and all so unique in their approaches to this truly brilliant adaptation that it seems unnecessary to do so.  Suffice it to say, they are all individually impeccable and, as a company of actors, outstanding. 

How can Macbeth be funny you might understandably ask? Well I’m not quite sure I have an answer for you, but I can tell you that this Macbeth, this ‘Comic Tragedy’ is both poignant and human and creative and really, really funny.

I highly recommend “The Comic Tragedy of Macbeth.”  Bring a picnic, some cushions or a chair and watch Shakespeare the way it was meant to be seen…in the cool night air, with impassioned actors supported by an exceptional production and surrounded by a grateful, attentive and enraptured audience.

Macbeth3
Lauren Henning (foreground); rear, l. to r.: Marcos Ruiz, Madeline Goshorn, Noah Laufer

It’s a very short run, so get a move on and go and see this brilliant show!!!

It’s worth mentioning that the play is entirely free, but this lovely lot are actually working with youth affected by cancer. “Dean Productions is dedicated to enriching the lives of children affected by cancer through involvement in fresh, innovative, and exciting professional theatre experiences.”  You can support their theatre company and in turn support their innovative program enriching the lives of and improve the length and quality of life for children with cancer.

There is also a wonderful pre-show written by the children they are currently working with…and it’s hilarious!!

The Dean Productions Theatre Company presents – The Comic Tragedy of Macbeth, by William Shakespeare

Running from October 6th-21st, 2017

On lawn of the Brand Library, 1601 W Mountain Street, Glendale, CA 91201 

http://deanproductionstheatre.com/index.html

Cast

Macbeth – LaMont Hendrix

Lady Macbeth – Lauren Henning

Banquo/MacDuff – Noah Läufer

Witch 1 – Madeline Goshorn

Witch 2 – Caitlin Stoodley

Witch 3 – Marco Ruiz

Production Team

Director – Rebecca Lynne

Tech Director – Pomai Nakoa

Costume Designer – Dean Grosbard

Lighting Designer – Joshua Winkler

Stage Manager – Jeremy Leung

Assistant Stage Manager – Sam Pino

House Manager – Madison Strasser

Publicist – Philip Sokoloff

The Company

Artistic Director – Rebecca Lynne

Managing Director – Madison Strasser

Youth Program Director – Meredith Gibbs

Social Media Manager – Flannery Maney

Technical Director – Whitney Donald

Director of Development – Heidi Garcia

Urban Death Means Halloween 2017 is Here!

Lisa Bianconi
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Holy Smokes! Urban Death: Tour Of Terror Haunts Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater Group in North Hollywood for its Fifth Year of Nightmares October 6-31, 2017.

For those who may not have seen a Zombie Joe’s show yet, we asked “Why not?” This Halloween season the darkened doors of Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater Group will slowly slip open and summon guests inside to experience Urban Death: Tour of Terror. The show will run on Friday and Saturday nights, October 6  – October 28, plus Monday October 30 and Halloween night, Tuesday, October 31. 

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Tour of Terror takes ZJU’s signature show, Urban Death, a series of horror vignettes designed to shock, delight and titillate audiences, and transforms it into an immersive haunted experience. The show will steer theater-goers and thrill-seekers through a terrifying performance and maze of inexplicable horrors, unfathomable monstrosities, and the disturbing spirits that walk among us. The doors to the lobby opens five times an evening as guests are led through the maze in groups of two or three. Guests are provided with only a muted flashlight to guide them. Once through the maze and into the theater the flashlight is taken away and the show begins. After the show they are again given flashlights to walk back through the maze, where new performances and haunted surprises await them.

Urban Death Tour Of Terror 2017@ ZJU Screaming Reach Photo by Jana Wimer actor Ian Heath

The fifth year promises to be the biggest, scariest and best yet, as co-directors and creators Zombie Joe and Jana Wimer keep pushing the show to new heights. Drawing on twelve years of Urban Death performances, the duo knows exactly how to twist the knife. The maze and show has evolved each year, pushing into new and surprising territory and promising an unforgettable experience for newcomers and returning fans.

For the last four years the event has been heralded by fans and critics alike for the imaginative quality of the scares and the talent of the performers within the maze. Between Yelp (4.5 stars) and Facebook (4.8 stars) Urban Death: Tour of Terror has left reviewers shaken. A few examples:

“Best horror experience you’ll find. Stuff straight from a nightmare, unique; this theater focuses on amazing acting skills to bring us into a walking nightmare. Couldn’t recommend more.” – A Five Star Facebook Review

“Urban Death was exactly what I was hoping for, and more! It was creative, dark, and unique to anything I have ever seen. The actors were phenomenal, and you could tell they were passionate about their work.” – A Five Star Yelp Review

“Urban Death: Tour of Terror is the adult costume that Halloween wears when it goes trick-or-treating here in Los Angeles – and we love every last drop…become familiar with the world of Zombie Joe’s Underground Theater Group and get your tickets NOW for Urban Death Tour of Terror!” – Rick West Editor in Chief Theme Park Adventure and Co-Creator Midsummer Scream

“This year’s cast is epic,” explains co-director and producer Zombie Joe. “We’re so excited to bring this show back for its fifth year and bring the audience into our world. The show is a labor of love and you can see our blood, sweat and tears in every scream.”

“This show is intense,” says actor Abel Horwitz, who has performed in Urban Death 100+ times. “Hearing the screams and shrieks of the audience is such a rush. We know our show is as scary, if not scarier, than anything the big theme parks can throw at you.”

Urban Death Tour Of Terror 2017 @ ZJU Spidergirl Photo by Jana Wimer actors Brett Gustafson and Ian Heath

As the show’s popularity continues to grow in leaps and bounds – bringing more and more guests into the theater each year – we recommend two things: buying your tickets early, and visiting the show for the first two weekends it runs. The closer we get to Halloween, the more shows we sell out.

Urban Death: Tour of Terror is an experience that creeps deep inside the brain and refuses to let go. You’ve been warned.

(Urban Death: Tour of Terror Haunted Theater Attraction, ages 16 and up.)

When does this dastardly theatre experience run?

Friday and Saturday nights
October 6 – October 28
Monday, October 30 and Tuesday, October 31

8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:45 pm and 11:30 pm

Where is this night of horror?

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

Tickets

$15, can be purchased at the door
ZombieJoes.Tix.com
818-202-4120 (NOTE: Due to the popularity of the show, we highly recommend purchasing tickets early).

BACKSTORY: Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group aka Z.J.U. was born in August of 1992 in a small industrial garage in Northridge, California. The Underground continues to push the limits of live progressive theater as a vital experimental art form in honor of the famous Antonin Artaud, Bertolt Brecht, Anton Chekhov, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and George Lucas.

WEBSITES: www.ZombieJoes.com and www.UrbanDeath.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ZJUTheater/

TWITTER: twitter.com/urbandeath_zju

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/urbandeath_zju

**** 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.

Working 2017

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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“Working 2017” playing at The Whitefire Theatre 

The Actors’ Gym in association with Whitefire Theatre, presents the world premiere of “Working 2017.” 

Bobby Moresco, the Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer takes on the legendary Studs Terkel’s 1974 oped novel “Working.”  This iconic non-fiction novel explored what work meant to different people in different circumstances in the US in the 70s.  Poor, rich, white, brown, black, the maid, the valet, the executive.  The original novel asked existential questions and sought emotional truth.  With “Working 2017,” Mr Moresco brings us into the present day, adding new characters and, this time, focusing on the sadly relevant slide from middle to working class.

This could all go very wrong. It could be boring, it could be trite, it could feel like an excuse to pretend to play around with a subject so important that it’s on everybody’s mind. But it doesn’t. No, not at all. ”Working 2017” transcends all that is ‘theatrical’ and ‘conceived’ and it brings us all together, in a room, to listen to these epic and truthful and achingly real stories that are the sad and beautiful and always totally true mirrors to all our lives.  

There’s a truck driving woman whose struggle to prove her worth to herself and to her late father brings her to the sweet, but hard fought epiphany that she’s perfect and needs nothing to prove that to anyone.  A young waitress whose desperation to live by her own rules brings her perilously close to disaster. A rookie firefighter whose instinct to run leaves him alive but alone.  An aging hospital orderly whose pride in his life humbles those around him.  A man whose mental health has plagued him all his life finally finding solace and relief.  A neighborhood hairdresser, always wishing she could have a ‘bigger’ life realizing the profundity of her contribution to her world.   A mother whose autistic son teaches her that gifts might not always come neatly wrapped.  A writer whose first real job on the dodgy, pornographic edges of the entertainment industry prove to her that if she can write ‘that stuff’ well, she can write anything.  The incarcerated drug dealer whose fall from grace left a mother broken and alone, touches us deeply with his regret.  And finally a steel worker, so tired of the shafting of the American worker and the destruction of the unions, he calls for us all to rise up and stand together against the money machine. And, as an audience, we do.

Mr Moresco, with the assistance of the actors, writers and the directors of these wonderful and, at times, heartbreaking pieces, has given us momentary windows into the worlds of these fine characters.  He has allowed the actors to imbue such a clarity of spirit and a compellingly vivid life force into each and every line that the audience is left quite breathless.  

With the entire cast on stage throughout as they watch each other work, this marvelous play feels as intimate and moving to them as it is to us.  They have crafted this experience together, being guided and supported and the results are so incredibly good that to attend should be considered absolutely compulsory.

This level of excellence is bravely and exhaustingly wrought and must be applauded and encouraged. You’d be a fool to miss it in fact.

The actors are all familiar faces, many of them have been working actors for decades and some not so long, but they are all just so brilliant it’s hard to come up with another adjective…phenomenal maybe?

It’s not a long run and it’s only on Thursday nights. Think of it as extremely exclusive. So get a move on and buy your tickets.  I cannot recommend this play highly enough…really…I’m telling everyone I know to see this extraordinary play. Bravo!

The Actors’ Gym in association with Whitefire Theatre presents the world premiere of “Working 2017”

Conceived by Bobby Moresco, developed and directed by members of Bobby Moresco’s Actors’ Gym

Produced by Bryan Rasmussen, Bobby Moresco, Will Clevinger and Elliot Smith

 

Playwrights

Robbie Mangiardi, Amanda Moresco, Thomas Polanski, Ryan Surratt, Howie Skora, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Krissy Shook, Beverly Leech, Anne DeSalvo, Pauline Schantzer, Goya Robles

Directors

Bobby Moresco, Bryan Rasmussen, Javier Molina, Ryan Surratt, Jessica Moresco, Bob Costanzo, Emma Barrett, Anne DeSalvo, Julia Hoff, Robert Mangiardi, Larry A. McLean

Producers

Bobby Moresco, Bryan Rasmussen, William Clevinger, Elliot Smith

Lighting Design – Derrick McDaniel

Graphic Design – David Svengalis

Technical Director – David Svengalis

Publicist – Nora Feldman

Helping your kids get the most out of a concert

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Helping your kids get the most out of a concert

Going to a concert can seem like a pretty mundane thing to do as an adult that has witnessed tens if not hundreds of bands perform live in front of them. However, for a kid that’s barely getting into the habit of going to concerts, or maybe preparing for their first show ever, the experience can be a bit overwhelming. It’s vital that the parents help their kids understand what it is that they’re going to attend and what they should expect. It’s also the parents’ job to make sure the children aren’t going to see an artist that they have no business seeing at their age. Here are a few tips on how to manage children and their first concert experience.

Tell them what to expect

No matter what they expect from their first concert experience, it’s probably miles away from even the slightest hint of accuracy. They can’t possibly know what to expect realistically, but you do. Parents need to explain how the flow of the concert works and that there’s going to be a lot of loud noise to deal with. Also, it’s going to be a tiring experience, not to mention that connecting with so many different people through sound waves might be incredibly overwhelming. Making sure they’re prepared is the best way to ensure that they will enjoy themselves and won’t be disappointed or too baffled.

Ear protectors

It’s essential that they take ear protectors with them. There are several kinds, from large headsets to smaller earplugs. While you want your kid to be able to tell the difference in the music between a live concert and a pair of headphones, you also want them to return home with intact hearing. That being said, there is a solution somewhere in the middle. Quality ear protection will allow them to enjoy the music ideally, only deafening the sound enough so that it’s not dangerous.

Research the artist

Kids go to concerts that aren’t exactly for little kids all the time. That’s not appropriate, and nothing good ever comes out of it. Make sure to research the artist online and see what kind of music they are performing. Check out some recordings of their live shows so that you can get an idea of what your kids are walking into. If you think that their music is inappropriate for young kids, you can pull the plug.

Make sure they bring snacks along

You can get food from courts and vendors near the venue, but they can afford to sell them at really high prices since concert-goers have no other option. Packing a lunch will probably not bode well with your kid because it’s just not cool to have your parents make you a homemade snack for the concert. However, you can give them some extra money to buy some of their favorite snacks from where they usually buy them, before going to the venue. This will save them (and you) quite a bit of money.

There are few things as exciting as going to your first concert, so it’s imperative that you make sure your kids get the best experience possible. While there will be other concerts, the “first concert” is a one-time deal, and you can’t go back.

Los Angeles Italian Festival Comes to North Hollywood

Lisa Bianconi
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The Los Angeles Italian Festival Comes to North Hollywood on Sunday, October 22.

Come to The Los Angeles Italian Festival Sunday, October 22 with Honorary Chairman of the Board Joe Mantegna from the hit television show “Criminal Minds”! Enjoy wonderful Italian food, music, comedy, beer, wine, games, bocce ball and entertainment all day long on two stages, hosted by the one and only celebrity Chef Eva and special guest Master of Ceremonies Mark DeCarlo! Visit the Kid’s Corner with face painting, balloon animals and lots of activities, Vendors Row for clothing, gifts, jewelry and collectibles, Crooners Lounge for the sounds of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin and get to the Main Stage for The Great Gravy/Sauce Cooking Competition, a head-to-head cook-off to decide (until next year) if that magical concoction that you pour over your pasta on Sunday is “gravy” or “sauce”! It’s going to be a day filled with family fun Italian style!!!

WHEN:

Sunday, October 22 from 12PM- 10PM

WHERE:

10901 Victory Blvd.
North Hollywood,  CA 91606

www.laitalianfestival.com

**** 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

The Victory Theatre Center

nohoarts
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The Victory Theatre Center

 SEATS: 93 seats Big Victory, 48 seats Little Victory

Address: 3326 & 3324 W. Victory Blvd Burbank CA 91505

Contact: Maria Gobetti 818.841.4404  thevictory@mindspring.com

Square footage of stage area

The Big Victory Fully equipped.  93 Seats. Stage = 24′ x 18′ x 10′ high

The Little Victory Fully equipped.  48 Seats. Stage = 19′ x 17′, 10′ high

Dressing rooms 4 areas

Staff Picks: Beverly Hills artSHOW October 2017

Lisa Bianconi
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Beverly Hills artSHOW Features Ghostly Art Outdoor Fair Showcases 250 Artists, Special Exhibits and Festivities for Art Lovers and the Whole Family on October 21 and 22.

The NoHo Arts District dot Com team goes every year, twice a year to the Beverly Hills artSHOW and many of our local artists exhibit their work!

The City of Beverly Hills will hold its fall BH artSHOW, in its 45th year, on Saturday and Sunday, October 21st and 22nd, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Beverly Gardens Park, along four blocks of Santa Monica Boulevard, from Rodeo Drive to Rexford Drive. The Beverly Hills artSHOW is a free event and brings art enthusiasts together from all over Southern California and beyond. Artists come from Los Angeles, the Southwest, and the rest of the United States to exhibit and sell their work at one of the most popular cities in the country, Beverly Hills, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the show.

A special show feature will highlight artists whose work evokes that which is Ghostly, including elusive, disappearing creatures and slippery scenes. Helen Allois paints vanishing people and ships enveloped by roiling oceans, Chinese sculptor Richard Lee will display detached, beaded skulls which move in the breeze, and French ceramicist Maxime Raffard devises deteriorating ceramic masks, claiming he can make a mask for each and every one of us.

In addition to great and ghostly art, guests can enjoy live entertainment, children and family art projects, popular food fare and food trucks, a wine and dine garden, and a beer and small bites garden at this free, fun event. As always, a few demonstrating artists will show the public how art gets done! Convenient, inexpensive parking is located directly across from the show grounds.

The 2017 artSHOW sponsors and media partners include: David Frank Design, Engel & Volkers, Longshot Espresso, Bolthouse 1910, the LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Art Association, Fabrik Magazine, LA Art Party, Yelp, and the Beverly Hills Conference and Visitor’s Bureau. Food and Beverage support come from Whole Foods Market, Premiere Events, Stella Artois, and Hint Water. The show’s charitable partner is Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and its sister organization, Healing Art with Kids.

For general information about the October 2017 Beverly Hills artSHOW, visit www.beverlyhills.org/artshow or call (310) 285-6830. 

**** 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.

Have You Reviewed Your Life Insurance Recently?

Lillian Appleby
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Have You Reviewed Your Life Insurance Recently?

Have You Reviewed Your Life Insurance Recently?

Many people follow the performance of their investment portfolios like a hawk, keeping track of even the slightest movement up or down. However, typically, the same cannot be said of their life insurance policies.

There are many different life experiences that may affect ongoing insurance needs and decisions. These may include:

  • Management of estate expenses
  • A change in marital status
  • Birth of a child, or an adult child moving out of the home.
  • Transfer of a business interest (“buy-sell” arrangements)

Unfortunately, many people don’t take the time to review or revisit their life insurance policies after buying them, assuming they can literally put their life insurance “on the shelf” and forget about it. But doing so can be costly both in terms of lost money and lost opportunity.

Conducting an annual review of your insurance needs can help determine whether your existing coverage is still adequate and can help identify the areas that may need further attention.

As part of your annual financial review for 2017, consider assessing three key aspects of your life insurance policies:

  • Intention — Why did you originally buy the policies, and have your circumstances changed since then in ways that might change your life insurance needs?
  • Ownership and beneficiary designations — In whose names are the policies titled, and who have you listed as the beneficiaries? Changes in family circumstances often necessitate policy updates in these areas.
  • A better deal? — A life insurance review may reveal opportunities where you could obtain the same amount of coverage for less money, or more coverage for the same premium you’re paying now.

Similarly, life insurance experts suggest that there are generally three categories of individuals who may benefit most from a life insurance review:

Young and just starting out: In the case of your untimely death, life insurance can help your family meet short-term needs such as paying funeral expenses, medical bills, legal fees, and any outstanding debts you may have left behind. Over the long term, insurance proceeds can be used for ongoing priorities, such as rent or mortgage payments, child care, routine household expenses, and education expenses. Generally speaking, life insurance is cheaper and more easily obtained at younger ages.

The middle years/empty-nesters: It’s a common misconception that only people with young children and no savings need life insurance. Even if your children are grown up and financially self-reliant, life insurance may still be an important part of your financial strategy. A widow, widower, other loved one could be reliant on financial support from you. Also, life insurance can help you accomplish a number of estate planning goals.

Business owners: The loss of a key employee, such as a chief executive, can be devastating to small businesses. For this reason, life insurance is commonly employed as the funding mechanism in “buy-sell” agreements — legal arrangements providing for an orderly transfer of ownership interests — and to compensate for the loss of critical personnel. Life insurance can also be used as a supplemental benefit to retain or attract key employees and executives.

Contact your financial advisor to conduct an annual insurance review or to learn more about the uses and benefits of life insurance at every stage of life.

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NoHo News: It’s so #818. Scary Theatre. Urban Death. FREE Improv Class. The Ford.

Lisa Bianconi
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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: It's so #818. Scary Theatre. Urban Death. FREE Improv Class. The Ford.

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.

Fall Decor for 2017

Christopher Porikos
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Fall Decor for 2017

Well, fall is finally upon us and with that comes a little décor updating.

We tend to want to warm things up a bit with darker colors and fabrics that are a bit more textural in looks and actual feeling. There are a multitude of ideas swirling around allowing us to take on just about every room in the house.

But let’s concentrate on just a few ideas just so it’s not so overwhelming.

Paint. Darker wall colors seem to be very on trend at the moment.  Greens, browns and even blues are hitting the mark these days.  Now I know dark walls may seem a little daunting for some, creating the feeling that the room is too small and closed in.  But to the contrary in most cases.  A darker room can accentuate the room’s purpose and assets.  Molding and trim along with baseboards can be showcased with a darker wall color.  Art pieces seem to stand out a bit more.  Warmth, coziness and a flair of sophistication can come with color.  If an entire room is just too much, then paint a feature wall, which will highlight and create prominence in a room.  If the master bedroom, for example, doesn’t already have a focal point such as a fireplace or French doors, then paint the wall behind the bed.  It will create more importance for the bed and make it the focal point in the room.

Accessories.  I’ve seen a lot of pieces that are woven and full of texture.  I was surprised to see things like wicker baskets make a comeback.  They are being used to hold plants, books, magazines and even extra throws for those cooler nights ahead.  Paired with something soft to set off the rough texture creates the right look.

Bedding.  Most of us design with white or light bedding for the summer months.  That feeling of light and airiness helps with relaxation and restfulness which is something we can all use.  But for fall, why not turn it up a little.  Adding a few key elements will change the room without breaking the bank.  Try adding a few accessory pillows or even a throw and the end of the bed or on a nearby chair.  That touch of rust, mustard yellow or even a hint of green will waken up a room.  Finding something full of texture is just the needed piece to keep one warm on a chilly fall evening.

Designing should be fun and not taken too seriously.  So enjoy yourself when creating and updating your home.

Enjoy!

Above The Curve Productions Presents “Dark Stories”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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Above The Curve Productions Presents “Dark Stories” at the Actors Workout Studio through October 15.

Running from September 29 through October 15

We are getting to that most hallowed and creepy time of year, the time when all the theatres in NoHo begin to get their “freaky” on and for this we will remain eternally grateful.  

I love a good scare, although I do tend to leave fingernail imprints in the arms rests, full disclosure. But only if it’s a good show. So the Actors Workout Studio should probably go ahead and replace the arms of the chair I was sitting in on Saturday night.  

The four one-act plays, “Wheelchair,” “Lurker,” “Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight,” and “Crime in a Madhouse,” all have the intention to terrify of course, but not in an obvious and a brash way.  These plays are more of your psychological frighteners, just the kind of thing to keep you up at night…and really jumpy in the day…believe me. 

Wheelchair
“Wheelchair”

They all mess with our expectations, all twist our perceptions of what we trust and what we hope we know to be true really, really well… 

Above The Curve is a company which, in their words is, “women-driven, actor-derived, not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering female artists and strengthening our community.”  The feminine power is certainly the focus of the night that’s for sure. However, these clever and twisted tales are rich fodder for the talented and the wise female actors, and the men are not merely hapless victims, when they are around.  No, they have purpose and presence and are fully integrated into these cunning and far from predictable stories of revenge, justice, entrapment and terrifyingly avoidable gore.  

Crime
“Crime in a Madhouse”

I cannot begin to tell you how great these actors are in these creepy, nightmare-inducing plays. Each and every one of them is diabolical and appallingly good. The more innocent they seem the darker the souls…just fantastic.  But by the time the last play began, my stomach was in knots, but I was still smiling. 

If you feel like a fright, but don’t fancy mopping red food dye off your loafers, then hurry up and get your tickets for “Dark Stories” at The Actors Workout Studio…get a move on, the run is frighteningly short and dangerously sweetly.  

Lurker
“Lurker”

Above The Curve Productions Presents “Dark Stories” at the Actors Workout Studio, 4735 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood

Running from September 29 through October 15, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 7 PM. 

http://www.abovethecurvetheatre.com/  

Written by Scott Mullen, Don Nigro, André De Lourde and Alfred Binet

Directed by Leland Zaitz, Joe Lorenzo, Adam Fauth and Mykee Del Mundo

Starring

Keegan Winfield, Dani O’Terry, Cameron Weir, Lara Repko, Tom McLaren, Alexis Grace, Drea Monzon, Brett Candace, Adriane Shown, Lucia Jacobson, Diana De Luna, Goreti da Silva, Ron Walsh, Vanessa Lorenzo.

 

Review THE FACE, Behind The Face, behind the face

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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Theatre West Presents “THE FACE, Behind The Face, behind the face”

Running October 1 through October 29, Sunday’s at 7pm

There are far too few musicals playing in LA, so it was with great excitement that I attended the opening night of Anthony Gruppuso’s musical romp through the sometimes tortuous life of a hard-working musical actor.

The plot is thus; in an attempt to cure his depression and at the insistence of his wife, Anthony bravely seeks solace with a psychiatrist. As a way to explain his somewhat unusual life, he takes the doctor and his mesmerized audience on a little trip down musical memory lane.

Anthony’s career has taken him from New York to Chicago and Los Angles in search of that one transformative role. He ruminates on call back after call back after reading for producers and as he tells his tale he sings…and oh can he sing.

We get a taste of “Oliver,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Pagliacci” and even a little bit of “Hairspray.”

The honesty with which Antony shares his world is poignant and touching. His father’s doubt, his family’s concern and even his children’s love is all laid bare as he tries to find his way through his own tricky psychosis.

What all this amounts to is a wonderfully entertaining show, full of pathos and originality. Anthony, with the help of the brilliant Jon Dickson who accompanies him so skillfully on piano, manages to communicate perfectly the tremendous heartache of being a performer. With all that self-doubt, rejection and pain, it’s a wonder anyone survives with their mind intact. Thankfully, Anthony Grupusso has and to his credit, he seems to be far from giving up. Luckily for us!!

If you love musicals and heartfelt, biographical exposes about the toughest business in the world then get your tickets fast…. This terrific show won’t be long at the fantastic Theatre West and I highly recommend that you see Anthony’s “THE FACE, Behind The Face, behind the face”

Running October 1 through October 29, Sunday’s at 7 pm

Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Los Angeles

Written by and starring Anthony Gruppuso

Directed by Calvin Remsberg

Musical Direction by John Dickson

Produced by Dina Morrone and Benjamin Scuglia

http://theatrewest.org/ 

“Resolving Hedda”

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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“Resolving Hedda” at The Victory Theatre running from September 22 through November 12.

 

“Resolving Hedda” is a play about the character of Hedda Gabbler from the Ibsen play of the same name. 

The role of Hedda has long been seen as one of the most iconic female roles in the theatre.  Hedda is a young woman just married, who, over the length of the play, seems to be unravelling, falling from boredom through irony, despair and finally into a deeply pragmatic sense of her probable and, for her, far too depressing future. All leading her to rather abruptly and dramatically kill herself. It’s all very Norwegian.

“Resolving Hedda” begins with the character of Hedda on stage explaining to a slightly confused audience that she intends to do everything she can, with the help of the actress whose body she occupies, to change the course of the play and in so doing save herself from her untimely, and after close to 130 years of performances, unbearably tedious death. It’s a brilliant beginning to a quite astounding play.

Of course, to take this version of “Hedda Gabbler” quite literally off the rails demands the skill and intelligence and the sheer nerve of someone pretty remarkable.  Ibsen wrote Hedda with an outspoken energy and a reputation for a magical ability to manipulate and shock, which certainly comes in handy when, without warning to her fellow characters, she roadblocks the plot and twists the story as much as she can to prevent the inevitable.  Her fellow characters have absolutely no idea at her motives and simply find a way comically through her tricks and ruses, mostly by chance, and continue to follow their storylines and complete their tasks furthering the plot, all while Hedda furiously finds ways to ensure her survival.

It’s all totally fascinating and the anticipation of whether this Hedda pulls it off is immense.

Imagine knowing what will happen and watching someone do everything they can to change their pre-destined future only to be stopped at every turn by the plot, the other characters, and ultimately herself as she finds herself unable to control what she longs to.

Everyone is absolutely excellent, which is to be expected from the wonderful Victory Theatre.

The writing is terrific and the playwright Jon Klein, who has premiered quite a few of his plays at this theatre, has taken what is familiar and classic and iconic and turned it completely on its head…in the most creative, transfixing and delightful way.

The role of Hedda is played by Kimberly Alexander and her performance can only be described as phenomenal. 

Much of her performance is focused on the audience, letting us in on the ‘joke’ from the beginning and continuing to seek our support throughout they play as she loses control of her goal and maintaining a conspiratorial camaraderie that is vital to the success of the play.  Ms Alexander excels, she pulls us into her world and holds us there with her humor, her pathos and her brilliant comic timing. Genius!!!

hedda 89 1024x625 1

But without an equally brilliant supporting cast, this play would be a one-note wonder.  No one and I mean this, no one is anything less than perfect in their roles.  The set is magnificent, as usual at The Victory and the lovely director Maria Gobetti gives us a couple of hours in a universe full of laughter, dark Norwegian secrets and lies and the sweet sadness of the inevitability of our doomed souls fall, no matter how hard we struggle and resist.

I cannot recommend “Resolving Hedda” enough.  If you have a soul, you should see this play.

Running from September 22 through November 12, Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM. Sundays at 4PM at The Victory Theatre, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, 91505

http://www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org

Written by Jon Klein

Directed by Maria Gobetti

Produced by Maria Gobetti, Tom Ormeny, Katie Witkowski

Cast

Hedda – Kimberly Alexander

Stagehand – Sean Spencer

Aunt Julia – Alyce Heath

George – Ben Atkinson

Thea – Marisa Van Den Borre

Brack – Tom Ormeny

Eilert – Chad Coe

Artistic Staff

Evan A. Bartlett – Set Designer

Jeffrey Schoenberg – Costume Designer

Noah Andrade – Sound Designer/Composer

Independent film…no money…no problem

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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Independent film…no money…no problem

You don’t have to be a film ‘auteur’ to make movies.

Even with no money, you can make films that are beautiful, edgy, funny, meaningful and terrifying.

There are now so many ways for you to do it.  With SLRs, digital film cameras, film or your iPhone or even with your grannie’s super 8mm.  The point in the end, especially with no money, is to make something…

This time of year, after the busy summer of hopeful shooting, I generally begin to take stock, to sort through projects I have yet to get to.  Stories not written, scripts unfinished and ideas that are still rattling around in my brain.  The fall is the time for reflection too, although I try not to ask myself the ‘why’ one too often, lest it throws me off my game. It’s also the time I like to read, even an actual book and to also get out of the house and my head and take advantage of the town we live in.

I look around for inspiration and that can come in many different forms.

So here are a few things that might inspire you.  Books and films and exhibits and places that are new, or familiar or well worn…all that fill up my imagination and feed my creative soul.

A book

David Mamet is a genius.  Loved for both his on-stage work (for which he has won Pulitzer and Tony prizes) and also his films, having ratcheted up a couple of Oscar nominations.  Mamet has more than a few nuggets of wisdom to share throughout the pages of On Directing Film, making it a mandatory read for directors… or really, anyone working in film.  If you are going to look for inspiration in another’s work, then look for people with artistic integrity.  David Mamet has that in boatloads – he’s a poet, a filmmaker and a playwright…and he swears a lot…which I love.

https://www.biography.com/people/david-mamet-9396766?_escaped_fragment_=

An Exhibit

Happy Birthday Mr Hockney

David Hockney is absolutely my favorite artist.  I have many, many of his prints and even a signed litho…a treasure inherited from my darling mum.  He is one of those artists who touches upon so many different art forms.  Painting, photography, music, dance, opera –  he has created in posters for just about every kind of performance and designed theatre sets and opera and he has even created an entire exhibition of his work on iPads.  It’s his 80th year on this planet and he lives in LA. We are so lucky!  So this autumn, The Getty has put on an exhibit of his self portraits just to say “thank you, Mr Hockney,” which is wonderful.  So take the monorail up the hill, always a thrill to be on the Star Trek set anyway, and spend some valuable time with one of the greatest artists of our time in a place that is built to honor and to study art in all its many forms.  Also, the cafe is killer and when you walk down the path to the gardens, as you pass by the tall limestone wall, tap on the blocks with your knuckles…they make different notes…it’s a bit magical and very cinematic.

http://www.getty.edu/museum/

Some music

Chicano Batman

I’ve been listening to this amazing LA band for the last couple of years on KCRW and love them.  My daughter got us tickets to see them at The Fonda last week and they were totally brilliant.  Their music is this wonderful  mix of psychedelic soul, funk, indie, tropicalia, rock and oldies and they dance like they’re in a Tarantino movie.   If you are anything like me, you have your own soundtrack running pretty much constantly and are always pulling together music for your films.  LA is a town overflowing with live music and it’s criminal not to take advantage of that.  It’s also a wonderful way to really observe people at their comfortable, happy and most open moments, when the music is all they need and everything else falls away.  As a writer and a director I can really connect with stories and character and what is most important to real human beings.  It’s a great place for inspiration, from the music and the venue and the people who surround you.  Chicano Batman are, as my daughter puts it, “the bomb…”

http://www.chicanobatman.com

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Some film

Seeing a movie in LA is probably just like seeing a movie anywhere else, at least if you go to the regular multiplex. However, we do have a few special places that are well worth the trouble to find parking and the New Beverly Cinema on Beverly Blvd in Hollywood is definitely one of them.

Once an ‘adult’ movie theatre, in 1978 it was reopened as the New Beverly Cinema by the Torgan family who ran it for nearly 30 years.  When Sherman Torgan passed away in 2007, his son Michael took over, but needed a benefactor to keep the business going. Quentin Tarantino had been a regular for years and had already been helping out, so he bought it, partnered with Michael and shows only 35mm prints, mostly from his own incredible collection, which is eclectic to say the least.  I love this theatre.  It’s super cheap, $8 for a double feature and popcorn is excellent. They have Saturday morning cartoons for the kids and the kid-like as well as late-night shows of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill and all kinds of obscure and crazy pop culture films that you can’t even find online or in rentals anymore.  It feels like you are in a movie about seeing a movie when you are there, and the reels stick and the audience are unpretentious film lovers and it fills you with a kind of LA reverence and joy for the films that they show and the way they love each of them, even the awkward and the strange. It’s just very ‘real’ LA.  If you love film then you have to go. See a film, or two, then find a late night place to eat and talk about them…and what film of yours you are making next.

http://thenewbev.com

We are artists all…we need each other to create and we need to look beyond ourselves and our immediate to find our inspiration and our stories and our frame.

To Ray with Love

Lisa Bianconi
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Maceo Parker Pays Tribute to the Incomparable Ray Charles in “To Ray with Love” at Valley Performing Arts Center on October 19.

 

The 2017/18 Swinging Jazz series at VPAC (The Soraya) kicks off when American funk maestro Maceo Parker takes to the stage with the original Ray Charles Orchestra & The Raelettes for an unforgettable tribute to the great Ray Charles on Thursday, October 19 at 8pm.

In the fall of 1963, Parker was standing out the back of The Coliseum in Greensboro’, North Carolina, waiting to catch a glimpse of anyone from the band. After only seeing strangers, the band eventually spilled n out followed, finally, by the man himself, Ray Charles. The awestruck young saxophonist muttered to himself ‘One of these days you’re all gonna know me!’ Now, over half a century later, Parker brings it full circle as he performs with the original 21-piece Ray Charles Orchestra and The Raelettes, Ray’s female backing vocalists who sang with him all those years ago.

“Maceo Parker’s To Ray with Love is the perfect start to The Soraya’s Swinging Jazz series,” said Thor Steingraber, Executive Director of the VPAC. “Parker is the first of several American jazz, and indeed the first funk masters who will grace our stage this year.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org or call (818) 677-3000.

About To Ray with Love, starring Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker is one of the founding fathers of funk and Charles’ music has remained an undeniable influence throughout his career. Maceo has included a Ray Charles cover on each one of his albums and in 1993/94 the two icons toured with Parker serving as the opening act for one of his idols.

Ray Charles pioneered soul music by combining gospel’s fervor with the secular lyrics and narratives of blues and country along with the big band elements of jazz and the rhythms and improvisational opportunities that they all offered. His music was both sophisticated and spontaneous, and over the course of his 50-year career he penned dozens of hits including “Unchain My Heart,” “Hit the Road Jack” and “Georgia on My Mind.”

Parker said that “Ray really lived what he was singing, that soul thing. And that’s what I try to do with my playing – get close to that. But whoa, I never dreamed that I’d work with his band.” In an article with Billboard, Maceo calls performing with the Ray Charles Orchestra and the Raelettes, “a dream come true.” To Ray with Love is part of VPAC’s (The Soraya) jazz programming which includes Miles Electric band (March 1), The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra (April 5), Cécile McLorin Salvant (April 18 & 19), and Terence Blanchard Breathless featuring the E-Collective (May 1 & 2).

About Maceo Parker

Maceo Parker is perhaps best known for his work with James Brown, who he performed with for almost two decades. Parker’s signature style helped define James Brown’s brand of funk. “Maceo, I want you to blow!“goes the well-known cue for Parker to blast his unique sound into the show, a sound that has seen Maceo become the world’s most sampled musician.

In the mid ’70’s Maceo hooked up with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. From the breathtaking shows of James Brown to the landing of the Mothership, Maceo has been stamping his mark on some of the most exciting and memorable moments in musical history. Parker’s work with George Clinton led him to play on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ sophomore album, Freaky Styley, and he has since worked with other reputable artists including Ani DiFranco, James Taylor, De La Soul and Dave Matthews Band. From 1999 Maceo also toured extensively with Prince.

In July of 2012 Maceo was presented with Les Victoires du Jazz in Paris: a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to music. The same weekend he was presented with an Icon Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam. He received the North Carolina National Heritage Award from his home state in May 2016.

Date:

Thursday, October 19 at 8:00pm

Prices:

Starting at $33. Prices subject to change.

Venue:

Valley Performing Arts Center
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330

Tickets:

By Phone: (818) 677-3000
Online>>

About Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) — Launching its seventh season in September, the mission of the Valley Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) is to present a wide variety of performances that not only includes new and original work from the Los Angeles region but also work from around the world that appeal to all of LA’s rich and diverse communities. VPAC’s 2017-18 season signals a new era for the premier event venue. Under the leadership of Executive Director Thor Steingraber, the renamed Younes and Soraya Nazarian Performing Arts Center (The Soraya) expands its programming and outstanding multidisciplinary performances. Located on the campus of California State University, Northridge, The Soraya’s season offers a vibrant performance program of nearly 50 classical and popular music, dance, theater, family and international events that will serve to establish The Soraya as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley, and further establish itself as one of the top arts companies in Southern California. The award-winning, 1,700-seat theatre was designed by HGA Architects and Engineers and was recently cited by the Los Angeles Times as “a growing hub for live music, dance, drama and other cultural events.”

**** 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.

The Woman in Black, playing at Theater Unleashed

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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“The Woman in Black” playing at Theater Unleashed, September 29 to November 4

A surprisingly enjoyable play is now on stage at Theater Unleashed through November 4th, upstairs at The Belfry Stage.

It is a solid production of Susan Hill’s novel, “The Woman in Black.” This story is adapted by Stephen Mallatratt. It is a sultry tale of death and haunting with a provocative approach to the mysteries of each. Its theme of evil and a vengeful ghost terrorizing the living is not new, but the way this story is staged and presented is refreshing.

We open onto a small set with darkened walls and a stage filled with tables, a clothes rack, various non-identifiable items and a chair poised in the middle toward the audience. In the background we do not really see what is there, it is covered with a sheet, mysterious and unavailable for the audience to see. We will have to wait until the story reveals itself more in the second act. Enter Arthur Kipps (Adam Meredith), and his ‘actor’ friend played by Spencer Cantrell. Mr. Kipps takes center stage first standing and staring with an uneasy faraway gaze that makes you wonder what he actually sees. Bearded, glasses, period clothes and a bit disheveled, Meredith becomes Mr. Kipps. He is surprisingly at ease in the many roles he takes on in this show as it unfolds into a tale of mystery and fear. Each emerges with a different body movement and accent. He is really, really good. Not to take away from his partner in this scary mystery of the ages, Mr. Cantrell also morphs into various other roles with a skill that comes from an actor that is comfortable in his skin and the characters he portrays.

Set in the early 1900s a slight English gentleman, Mr. Kipps has written a manuscript recounting his experience encountering an evil, vengeful ghost. He was hoping to free himself of this female demon that haunts his soul by writing its tale and presenting it to a live audience. The actor friend is doubtful as to the truthfulness of the tale but is anxious to assist and they go through the manuscript together to work out any kinks. While practicing this theater exorcism, the story turns into reality for the audience and instead of simply hearing it, we see it acted out. Questions emerge instantly. Who is this mysterious woman in black and does she really appear in their world? Does she torture and haunt her victims without remorse? The end might be predictable, but no less jolting.

The staging works very well as the tale switches back and forth from the past to the present.

The actors weave seamlessly in and out of each character and each scene. Jacob Smith, the director, knows how to fill a small area with big characters and play to the audience. Smith is a longtime Theater Unleashed actor and director (Three Can Keep a Secret, Ligature Marks, Boy Gets Girl), and in this production he faces many challenges to keeping a classic ghost tale alive and captivating. The audience doesn’t care about the size of the stage; they are caught up in the dialogue, listening for each accented syllable and trying to decipher the mystery to this plot. Doubling as a huge abandoned mansion, office in the middle of London, or an unnamed actor’s studio, direction and staging are spot-on.

This is an enjoyable take on an old theme.

It is not a comedy but does have its comedic moments. Definitely, it is well worth attending and the acting is very, very good. As they say, cream always rises to the top. Perhaps getting to the heart of the story quicker in the first 20 minutes might make this more broadly appealing. However, that being said, it is still well worth experiencing. Besides the main cast, Jenn Scuderi Crafts as the artistic director did a fine job, as did the managing director Gregory Crafts.

LOCATION:
The Belfry Stage
Upstairs at the Crown
11031 Camarillo St.
North Hollywood, CA 91602

INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS:
For further information, please call: (818) 849-4039
Or check out www.theatreunleashed.org 

The 17th Annual Valley Film Festival is Back in NoHo!

Lisa Bianconi
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Get ready NoHo. The Valley Film Festival (VFF), the Valley’s first and longest, continually running film festival, announces its feature selections and complete line-up.

The 17th annual Valley Film Festival (VFF) announces its feature film selections, including 12 Los Angeles premieres.

VFF returns in full force with a five-day festival showcasing more than 80 of the best independent films, from the (818) and from around the world, October 25-29, 2017 at Laemmle NoHo7 in the NoHo Arts District. Tickets are $12 and available at ValleyFilmFest.com.

The Festival kicks off Wednesday, October 25, with the Los Angeles Premiere of THE FATHER AND THE BEAR, directed by John Putch, (American Housewife, Cougar Town, Route 30 Trilogy) and starring Will Love as Byron Temple, a retired character actor with diagnosed dementia, who longs to perform at his beloved summer theatre one last time. Featuring David DeLuise and Dendrie Taylor.

John Putch will also be honored with the launch of the Jack F. Murphy Achievement in Independent Filmmaking Award, both of whom have shaped The Valley Film Festival to what it is today.

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VFF17’s Centerpiece Screening is the Los Angeles premiere of THAT NEVER HAPPENED: CANADA’S FIRST NATIONAL INTERNMENT OPERATIONS. Directed by Ryan Boyko, this documentary reveals the story of Canada’s first national internment operations between 1914 – 1920, when over 88,000 people were forced to register and more than 8,500 were wrongfully imprisoned in concentration camps across Canada. In 1954 the public records were destroyed and in the 1980s a few brave men and women began working to reclaim this chapter in history and ensure future generations would know about it.

US films with Los Angeles premiers include URBAN MYTHS, directed by Kim Marie, and featuring Sophie Simmons, Lou Ferrigno Jr., Courtney Gains, Lucas Adams, Gregg Wayans, Joe Estevez, and more. In this thriller, a group of high school seniors embark on a spring break camping trip to investigate the myths they’ve been researching. Once they stumble on an old haunted Indian Burial ground members of the group start to vanish, HER SIDE OF THE BED, directed by Bryn Woznicki, is the touching story of best friends, Rachel and Nicole, who share an intimate night that changes their friendship. Featuring Chelsea Morgan, Bryn Woznicki, Mindy Sterling, Tim Russ, Steven Anthony Lawrence, Debra Wilson, Clayton Snyder, and TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS, Directed by Tom Konkle, A dark tale of love and betrayal, told in the classic style of film noir. Detective Roland Drake falls for two sisters from the Montemar family. One woman is dead and the other wants to kill him. Featuring Vernon Wells.

Foreign feature films making their Los Angeles debuts include:

YOU GO TO MY HEAD (Belgium/Morocco) Directed by Dimitri de Clerq
A thriller set in a desolate stretch of the Sahara, about a man, Jake, who finds his wife, Daphne, lost & alone after a car accident now suffering from post-traumatic amnesia. This is a love story with a twist and a twisted story with love.

SHE, THE SERGEANT MATACHO (Colombia) Directed by William Gonzalez
Based on true events, this action film begins in 1948 when the Columbian government slaughters those supporting the Liberal party, including Rosalba Velasquez’s husband. Rosalba joins the Guerrillas and becomes known for her courage and nom de guerre, Sargento Matacho, over the years.

WAKING DAVID (United Kingdom) Directed by Kevin Nash
In this drama, Scarlett, an American psychologist visits her half-sister to learn more about their father who died 10 years earlier. The family creates a wall of secrecy and lies surrounding his death and, as Scarlett delves deeper, shatters their stability. The film explores the dangers both of keeping secrets and digging them up.

LOVERS (Italy) Directed by Matteo Vicino
Four stories, five characters, connected in a spiral driven by love, comedy, doubt, suspicion and murder.

The Documentary selections, all Los Angeles premiers, highlight people acting locally here, and around the world, including an intimate portrait of Robert Shaw, the great symphonic conductor, who believed music could transcend human divisions whether political, prejudicial or simply entrenched. The New York Times went on to call ROBERT SHAW – MAN OF MANY VOICES “an obvious labor of love … admirably clear-eyed in its warts-and-all perspective”. MILWAUKEE 53206, Directed by Keith McQuirter, chronicles the lives of those affected by incarceration in America’s most incarcerated ZIP code. Through the intimate stories of three 53206 residents, we witness the high toll mass incarceration takes on individuals and families that make-up the community. THE SUNRISE STORYTELLER, follows the hero’s journey of teenage filmmaker & social justice advocate, Kasha Sequoia Slavner, as she sets out for six months on her 16th birthday across the world in search of stories of hope and resilience that shine a light on what it means to be a global citizen and how we can all make a difference. Includes an interview with Vietnam napalm bomb survivor Phan Thi Kim Phuc.

The Festival remains fully committed to supporting local independent production by showcasing thirty-one films made by Angelenos, Vals, and shot in or about the glamorous San Fernando Valley, while continuing to promote diverse films from around the world, with 27 films from Australia, Belgium, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, France, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, and United Kingdom.

Additionally, VFF has dedicated Friday, October 27, to films directed or produced by women.

WHEN:

October 25-29, 2017

FULL FESTIVAL SCHEDULE>>

WHERE:

Laemmle NoHo 7
5240 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

TICKETS:

$12

GET TICKETS>>

FOR REVIEW COPIES, INTERVIEWS, PHOTOS OR PRESS TICKETS, PLEASE CONTACT: INFO@VALLEYFILMFEST.COM

**** 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.

7th Annual World Choreography Awards

Lisa Bianconi
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“World Choreography Awards” an annual award show to celebrate creativity and innovation by recognizing excellence in the art of media choreography.

“So You Think You Can Dance,” “Dancing With The Stars,” “World of Dance,” “American Music Awards,” “Emmy Awards,” “Kids Choice Awards” and more!

The World Choreography Awards (WCA) is a global annual award show celebrating and honoring the best in media choreography. The WCA recognizes choreographic achievement in Motion Picture, Music Video, Commercials, Television Episodic, Television Award Show/Special, Digital Content, Digital Content Independent and Television Reality Show/Competition.

THIS YEARS CELEBRITY ATTENDEES: Brian Friedman, Mandy Moore, Disney’s Mousekeeters, Carrie Ann Inaba, Twitch, Allison Holker, Glorya Kaufman, Anita Mann, Daniel “Cloud” Campos, Joe Tremaine, Kathryn Burns and Christopher Scott are confirmed at this time.

PAST CELEBRITY ATTENDEES: Christina Applegate, Florence Henderson, Paula Abdul, R5, Kida, Travis Wall, Joe Tremaine, Anita Mann, Daniel Ezralow, Jeffery Hornaday, Travis Payne, Mandy Moore, Christopher Scott, George Chakiris, Adam Shankman and Michael Rooney…just to name a few.

THIS YEAR: This year the Joe Tremaine Legacy award, honoring dance-makers that changed the face of dance as we know it, will go to Anita Mann.

WHAT: World Choreography Awards 2017

WHO: Produced by Allen Walls, Cecilie Stuart, Jordi Caballero and Cheryl Baxter-Ratliff.

WHERE: The Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA, 90211

WHEN: Monday, October 23, 2017 Red Carpet at 6:30pm & Show 7:40pm

PERFOMANCE BY: Mandy Moore, will recreate her number she did for the Television Academy, “What Does a Choreographer Really Do,” Bradley Rapier’s Cantinas Arts, Kinjaz, Isaac Tee, and Elizabeth Petrin and Mandy Korpinen.

THE CATEGORIES: Motion Picture, Television Episodic, Commercials, Television Reality Show/Competition, Music Videos, Television Award Show/Special, Digital Content and Digital Content Independent.

SPONSORS: Joe Tremaine Conventions & Competitions, Anita Mann Productions, Go 2 Talent Agency, BLOC Talent Agency, The Movement Talent Agency, Clear Talent Group, McDonald/Selznick Associates, Edge Performing Arts Center, NoHo Arts District, The Hollywood Summer Tour and SoHo Dance LA.

We’ll have amazing breathtaking performances by the world’s top choreographers and dancers. The film world has “The Oscar,” the Television world has “The Emmy,” the Stage world has “The Tony,” and now the Dance world has, ”The Choreo.” The WCA brings the best and brightest stars of dance together for one glorious night…as we salute the future, celebrate the present and honor the past.

More Information Contact Allen Walls, Allen@WorldChoreographyAwards.com
Or visit: www.WorldChoreographyAwards.com

WORLD CHOREOGRAPHY AWARDS 2017 NOMINEES

COMMERCIALS:
RYAN HEFFINGTON – Kenzo World
RENEE KESTER and JOLEE LEE – Lenovo
TRICIA MIRANDA – H&M Back to School
DANIEL CLOUD CAMPOS and TAMARA LEVINSON – Cillit Bang
JULIANNE Juju WATERS – MSM Epic Squads

TELEVISION REALITY SHOW / COMPETITION:
TRAVIS WALL – SYTYCD, The Mirror
LUTHER BROWN – SYTYCD, Dangerous
DEREK HOUGH – DWTS, Pro Performance #2
MANDY MOORE – DWTS, “Ain’t No Sunshine”
ELIZABETH PETRIN and MANDY KORPINEN – SYTYCD, All-Star Routine

TELEVISION AWARD SHOW / SPECIAL:
ZACH WOODLEE – Grease Live
NICK FLORES and RJ DURELL – Disneyland 60th, Step in Time
MARGUERITE DERRICKS – TV Land Awards
CHRIS GRANT, JAQUEL KNIGHT, ANTHONY BURRELL, DANA FOGLIA – Beyoncé, Super Bowl
NICK FLORES and RJ DURELL, Aerial Choreographer DREYA WEBER – Pink, Billboard Awards

MOTION PICTURE:
CHARLENE ROSE – Sense 8
DAVE SCOTT – High Strung
MANDY MOORE – La La Land
JODY SPERLING – The Dancer
KENNY ORTEGA and TONY TESTA – The Rocky Horror Picture Show

MUSIC VIDEO:
RYAN HEFFINGTON – Sia, The Greatest
JEREMY STRONG – Jason Derulo, Kiss the Sky
TESSANDRA CHAVEZ – Van Ness Wu, One Last Smile
LINDSEY BLAUFARB, CRAIG HOLLAMAN and NOEL BAJANDAS – Superfruit, Sweet Life
GIL DULDULAO, LUTHER BROWN, DENZEL CHISOLM – Janet Jackson, Dammn Baby

DIGITAL CONTENT INDEPENDENT:
KEONE and MARI MADRID – A Simple Go
JAWN HA – El Chapo
TESSANDRA CHAVEZ – Incomplete
KEONE and MARI MADRID – Are You There?
LINDSEY BLAUFARB and CRAIG HOLLAMAN – Carpool Choreography

DIGITAL CONTENT:
KINJAZ – VIB3-R8TR
KEONE and MARI MADRID – Sound & Color
ANTHONY LEE and MIKE SONG – How I feel
CHRISTOPHER SCOTT, Associate Choreographer JESSICA LEE KELLER – How to Catch a Ghost
AARON SILLIS, Co-Choreographers, GIANNA G, M.I.A., YANIS MARSHALL – H&M World Recycle Week

TELEVISION EPISODIC:
FRED TALLAKSEN – The Real O’Neals
KATHRYN BURNS – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
MARGUERITE DERRICKS – Gilmore Girls
RYAN HEFFINGTON, Associate Choreographer WES VELDINK – The OA
RICH + TONE TALAUEGA, Associate Choreographers SAMMY “Samo” SOTO, JEFF “New Style Hustle” SELBY, JESSICA CASTRO, JOSHUA “Floor Phantom” LOZADO, JOSE
“Extravaganza” GUTIERREZ – The Get Down

Master Class @ The Garry Marshall Theatre

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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“Master Class” at The Garry Marshall Theatre running from September 22 – October 22 

The Garry Marshall Theatre presents

Master Class

Written by Terrence McNally

Directed by Dimitri Toscas  

How perfect to open the Garry Marshall Theatre’s inaugural season with a play that meant so much to its founder.  Terrance McNally was a close friend of Mr Marshall and the Tony award-winning “Master Class” was one of his favorite plays.  

Master Class Photo9 credit Chelsea Sutton

McNally was inspired by the renown opera singer Maria Callas’ legendary Julliard master class series and the play invites us into the magical world of the opera and, in particular, the presence of the interminable La Divina, who holds court on her stage as she coaches the aspiring singers of today.  

Carolyn Hennesy, the Emmy award-winning actress, takes on this fascinating role and brings to it a witty, wryness and a tragic irony that stops the heart.  On stage with her is a quite stunning array of talent without whose authenticity this passionate and timeless play simply would not work. 

I can’t remember when I have held my breath quite so many times during a performance. Each singer as sublime as the last, I felt as if I was truly sitting in a theatre, watching a master class, hoping no one would realize I wasn’t supposed to be there.

Master Class Photo1 credit Chelsea Sutton

At times hilarious (many, many times), at other times the saddest moments you’ll ever see on stage, “Master Class” is a rhapsody of emotions. 

La Divina shares herself completely and the reality of aging out of a profession most could never attain becomes her sorrow, even as she discovers the rarest of talents in these shy, star-struck, young operatic marvels.

Everyone is incredible…truly.  This is a play about a master class, so the voices and the performances have to be exceptional and they are.  These wonderful talents create such a precious performance, I feel so lucky to have witnessed it.  A play that feels like a window into the most magnificent of moments in history, when an icon came out of retirement to give herself to her audience one last time.

The Garry Marshall Theatre has been beautifully updated and this production is produced and directed so brilliantly it felt like the perfect play for this space, with the perfect cast.

Honestly, if you see one play this year, please, please do yourself the honor of seeing “Master Class.”

Starring

Carolyn Hennesy as Maria Callas, with Roy Abramsohn, Jeff Campanella, Maegan McConnell, Landon Shaw II, and Aubrey Trujillo-Scarr.

The Garry Marshall Theatre 

“Master Class”

Running from September 22 – October 22

Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm, Sundays at 3pm

4252 W Riverside Drive, Burbank, 91505

https://www.garrymarshalltheatre.org/master-class 

MIKAEL SHARAFYAN is one of the most decorated and awarded costume designers in Hollywood.

Waide Aaron Riddle
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MIKAEL SHARAFYAN is one of the most decorated and awarded costume designers in Hollywood.

MIKAEL SHARAFYAN is one of the most decorated and awarded costume designers in Hollywood.

He has charted an amazing career path, that in a short time, has put him in white-hot demand!

I met Mikael several years ago when he was first starting out. Young, passionate and hungry. Today, he is still ever so youthful, passionate about his work, and hungry as ever to showcase his designs to the world. He resides in Glendale, which he believes is the “center of all-things in L.A.!”

Mikael graduated from the prestigious FIDM Los Angeles Academy with two degrees. One in Fashion Design and the other in Theatre Costume Design. His debut show was in 2008. In 2011 he was the recipient of the coveted Best Costume Designer in Hollywood by the Cinema Festival of Hollywood. In 2016, he was voted TOP 8 Costume Designers of the World by the website TOP Teny.

Mikael began as a painter and sculptor in his teenage years. As a teen, he was awarded a gold medal from the country of Egypt for one of his paintings, which was followed by a Congressional Arts Award.

We sat down together at the very high profile and exclusive Palihouse in West Hollywood (www.palihousewesthollywood.com). Palihouse is located on Holloway between Santa Monica Blvd. and La Cienega Blvd.

Waide Riddle– What sparked your interest to come to Hollywood?

Mikael Sharafyan– Waide, that’s a very good question… in a way… it all started in my childhood… because I’ve always been passionate about movies. Theatre. Because of my background, my parents… my father’s an actor… my mother is a ballet pianist accompanist. So, my childhood was spent in the back stages of opera and ballet and live theatre and the dramatic theatre where my dad used to act. So, the first things I remember as a child were the rehearsals. So, it was normal to me. Never not normal. The plays, the performances, the ballets were so inspiring to me that I was sketching and creating those characters. And the reason why I moved to Los Angeles-Hollywood, it’s very funny, it’s very simple. We won a green card. We won it through a lottery. It happens every year… The government… Trump wants to stop the lottery system. He claims that only married people are allowed to come to this country through green card-lottery. We were married, but the things he’s asking is you have to bring lots of money. And, we’re just Artists, you now. Artists do not have that kind of money. So, it’s a really important thing to mention… so, my parents chose Los Angeles because they’d been here previously with their theatrical troops touring, but they were not planning to stay permanently because legally they couldn’t. I was back home in Armenia, they weren’t planning on leaving me… again, a year later, my dad applied for the lottery and he won again. We moved here…  and not only because of the movie industry here, but for the Armenian community.

But, to me, I only have one connection to Los Angeles and that’s Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe is my weakness. When I found out we were going to Los Angeles, it was a dream come true for me. I didn’t want to go anywhere else in the world, but Los Angeles. Birthplace of Marilyn Monroe. And, I discovered when we moved to Los Angeles, all I wanted to do was see the places that connected to Marilyn Monroe. With that, I discovered the city Los Angeles and I know it very well. Inside out, with all its history. Landmarks… that’s how I discovered Los Angeles through Marilyn’s eyes. Marilyn Monroe in many ways has been “my teacher.”  It’s fascinating how she became a life-changing person in my life. She inspired me to become a Costume Designer. Because of the iconic dresses she wore. Through her I discovered George Gershwin. I discovered Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald… the classics… the legends… the whole United States because of Marilyn. I’ve traveled the world and my favorite city in the world is Los Angeles. Even Europe… but, here in Los Angeles, I call it the most undiscovered city in the world.  And now, currently, L.A. is having a renaissance… it’s the rebirth of Los Angeles… This is a life-changing time here… Waide, seriously… this has not happened since the 1940s… it’s been rather a dead period for Los Angeles. We live in a very beautiful time here. You can wear anything here and no one will judge you. Anything. You don’t even have to follow a fashion, because you’re the fashion. You’re the trend setter. We live in the most unique time period ever in history. For thousands of years we’ve never experienced something like this. So, this is really a great time period. It’s going to be very difficult to define this time period in the future. How are you going to explain it? For instance, the nineteen twenties through seventies were very distinctive.

Los Angeles is developing. We’re going to compete very soon with New York, Chicago… San Francisco is already behind us. Let’s not forget who lived in Los Angeles, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, George Gershwin… Charlie Chaplin lived here for most of his life… Placido Domingo could have chosen any city, but he chose Los Angeles to be the Executive Director of Los Angeles Opera.

Waide, we are the true Dreamers here, and the Dream Makers!

Waide– … What are you currently work on? Developing?

Mikael– In developing, I’m working on a World War Two film called “Dirty Bomb.” Directed by Valerie McCaffrey. At the same time, I’m collaborating with Buzzfeed on some of my shorts. It’s always fun. There’s something always happening with my career. Back-to-back projects. I’m very active with Costume Designers Guild. I just started with the film series, CDG Movie Nights. The inaugural night we screened “An American In Paris.” We were lucky enough to have Patricia Ward Kelly, the widow of Gene Kelly, as our guest to present the film. And this is held at the Guild and currently open to the members. The next screening will be “All That Jazz,” honoring Albert Wolsey.

Waide– What would you like people to know about your career?

Mikael– Sculpting in a different medium. I call myself a sculptor. A painter. Costume Design is not about clothes, it’s about characters. There’s a huge misconception about this profession. Costume Design-Designers. We’re not Fashion Designers… We’re Costume Designers. We help directors bring those characters to life. We help them envision. At the same time we are collaborating with the actors. We envision with them. It’s character development. Detailed oriented. You are a psychiatrist at the same time you’re a Costume Designer. You work with actors discovering new things about life through this profession. It’s such a beautiful profession. For instance, actors come for a fitting for the first time, and they come in their t-shirt, jeans, sweats… and then, I’ll put an 18th century costume on them, and all of a sudden, the way they walk and talk. They become the stage. They love themselves. They observe themselves in the mirror and become the character. It’s fascinating to see how the actors work with the costume. The costume helps the actor get into character. It’s a very intimate and personal job. I think the closest profession next to Costume Design is Couture. As a Couturier, you create the dress, the elegant gown. She’s going to the opera, what kind of dress is she going to wear?  You work with your client to achieve that. Make a statement… red-carpet… Oscar… Not all characters are red-carpet. I have to do homeless. Drug addicts. Young teenagers. Intensive research. I think research is one of the most exciting things about my profession. Read books. Find little details about why they were wearing what they were in the time period. I look at the authenticity of the character. How real and not staged. And, one of my latest feature films that will be released is “And Then There Was Eve”… I’m really excited about this project. It’s a very stylized and psychological film. I did my best and I’m very happy with all the pieces on my actors. I slap did “Diverted Eden.” An action-thriller… contemporary. I’m only 31 and I’ve done close to forty movies. I’ve done just about every genre.

Waide– Now, we get to the fun questions!! What are your favorite films that have impacted you?

Mikael– Ohhh… there are tons of films… films about films about filmmaking… they’re always exciting… “Cinema Paradiso,” “Some Like It Hot” it’s a masterpiece… of course, Marilyn Monroe is connected to it. I love “8 1/2” Federico Fellini. Anything Fellini I love. Fellini is the most inspiring. I love New Wave Cinema… Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, Jacques Demy, Billy Wilder, William Wyler… and, I have to mention Stanley Kubrick.

Waide– What’s your favorite book?

Mikael– Ohhh… I’m obsessed with books… where to begin? “The Fairy Tales of Grimm’s Brothers,” “Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales” … Charles Perrault… “Cinderella,” “Sleeping Beauty.”  Every time I visit those books, I see things with a different eye. With each year, you revisit, you get a different meaning with these fairy tales. How dark and realistic and unrealistic they are. Three of my all-time favorite writers that I’m obsessed with are William Shakespeare, Lord Byron and Alexander Pushkin. I’m not just in love with these writers, I’m obsessed with them. Their literature and lives. I’m obsessed with the composer Giuseppe Verdi…

Waide– When you’re in the car and by yourself, what is your Happy Place song?

Mikael– Wow… that’s a really good fun question actually…  there’s one particular composition that takes me away… it’s by Pietro Mascagni … the “Cavalleria Rusticana”… It takes me away… You’re in Heaven… I feel safe… I feel happy…

Waide– … that’s what I wanted to know… Thank you, Mikael. You have been wonderful to chat with and you’ve given me much food for thought.

———

To contact Mikael Sharafyan, find him on Facebook and Costume Design by Mikael Sharafyan.

Email him at: sharafyan@gmail.com.

“Stupid Kid” at The Road Theatre Company

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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“Stupid Kid” at The Road Theatre Company extends through December 3!

I recently attended the world premiere of “Stupid Kid”  at The Road Theatre on Magnolia. The play was written by Sharr White and directed by Cameron Watson.

I love this theatre. It shares a space with the NoHo Senior Arts Colony and the atmosphere of the theatre is warm, professional and inviting. I have seen several plays at this venue and have always left more than satisfied, and the new play “Stupid Kid” is no exception.

The play begins completely in the dark with a raunchy guitar riff, suddenly the lights come up on a living room belonging to a “flat broke” Eastern Colorado family. From this point forward the dialogue and emotions are flying at the audience with an intensity and speed that made me feel I was right on stage with them.  Chick, expertly played by Ben Theobald, is released a day early from prison after spending 14 years for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. His mother, Gigi, played by the always brilliant, Taylor Gilbert, is not quite as happy to see him as you would think a mother should be. Chick’s father, Eddie, played by Joe Hart, who reminded me of the great Art Carney, seems confused and thrown slightly out of time by the appearance of his son, which is a fascinating and very real interpretation of a painful situation.

I have to stop here and praise the scenic designer, Jeff McLaughlin and the equally talented Jared A. Sayeg for his lighting design for placing us so perfectly in the home and the backyard of the Ford residence.       

The writing is top notch and even though there was a lot of information to process, the actors, with the help of the deftly written dialogue, kept it all clear and believable. There were moments where I was afraid to laugh because the subject matter was so dark, but that’s what happens when plays are written and directed this well… you have permission to laugh and be horrified.  Special mentions go out to the Rob Nagle who played Unclemike with delicious villainy, and Michelle Gillette who played the neighbor next door nobody wants, Frannie Hawker.

As well as  Allison Blaize who played Hazel with such touching vulnerability that you could feel her pain.

Every play I have seen at The Road, at either location, has been wonderful, so it’s no surprise that “Stupid Kid” is so brilliant and I strongly recommend that you make sure to book your tickets soon.       

“Stupid Kid” runs from September 22-November 12 at The Road on Magnolia and promises a great evening out and perhaps more of an appreciation of your own family and their particular peculiarities, especially compared to Chick’s family’s distinctly disturbing ‘normal’.

“Stupid Kid” at The Road Theatre Company

10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, 91601

From September 22 – December 3, Friday and Saturday at 8PM, Sunday at 2PM

TICKETS>>ICKETS>>

NoHo News: Urban Death. FREE Improv Class. The Ford. The BIG Theatre Issue.

Lisa Bianconi
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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: Urban Death. FREE Improv Class. The Ford. The BIG Theatre Issue.

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.

Beautiful October Evenings at The Ford

Lisa Bianconi
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We truly have some amazing places to be entertained along the Hollywood (s) arts corridor. Have you had the chance to check out the beautifully redone Ford Theatres?

Well, our advice is GO! Summer may be over but the Ford Theatres’ 2017 season continues through October. There is such a rich selection of shows that you will go back often. You’ll get world-class performances in an intimate setting and an all-new picnic terrace and café with epic views. For an unforgettable night under the stars, the place to be is the Ford.

Angel City Jazz Fest

Sunday, October 1, 6PM

THE FORD 2017 Angel City Jazz Fest www.nohoartsdistrict.com

PRESENTED BY ANGEL CITY ARTS

For its 10-year anniversary, the Angel City Jazz Festival presents a special tribute to innovative jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk in celebration of his centennial. Monk’s impact on today’s jazz cannot be overstated – virtually every living jazz musician has been deeply influenced by his radically original music. The celebration kicks off with “Thelonious Monk’s Afro-Cuban Dream,” adding the clave to Carmen McRae’s “Carmen sings Monk,” featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals, Brian Lynch on trumpet, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Manuel Valera on piano, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Richie Flores on conga and Robby Ameen on drums. The final part of the program reimagines Monk DJ style, with performances by DJ Logic, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Deantoni Parks and Steve Lehman slicing and sampling Monk through John Beasley’s own MONK’estra records.

Artistic Director: John Beasley

MORE>>

La Sorgente: Arias Inspired by the Poetry of Pope John Paul II

Sunday, October 8, 7:30PM

THEvFORD 2017 La Sorgente: Arias Inspired by the Poetry of Pope John Paul II www.nohoartsdistrict.com

COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED BY VICTOR VANACORE
PRESENTED BY BACK EAST ENTERTAINMENT

Grammy winner, composer, arranger and conductor Victor Vanacore will lead a world-class orchestra and well-known tenor soloists in the world premiere of La Sorgente, a concert of 10 neo-classical arias composed to the poems of Pope John Paul II.

MORE>>  

The Hubble Cantata

Wednesday, October 11, 8PM

THE FORD 2017 The Hubble Cantata www.nohoartsdistrict.com

The Ford Theatres, in association with LA Opera, present the West Coast premiere of The Hubble Cantata, an unprecedented live experience that pushes the boundaries of art and science. An astrophysicist searches for his wife in the stars. As the cosmos unfolds before him, the birth, life and death of a star echo the couples’ loss of their child. With stunning images from the Hubble Space Telescope, the space-inspired cantata culminates in a five-minute virtual reality film that launches the audience into an immersive voyage through the Universe. Starring Nathan Gunn and Jessica Rivera, this hour-long, cantata features music by composer Paola Prestini, libretto by Royce Vavrek and Eliza McNitt’s virtual reality film, Fistful of Stars. Through his narration, New York Times best-selling author and eminent astrophysicist Dr. Mario Livio places the characters’ story within the grand scheme of the cosmos.

Music directed by Julian Wachner. Gunn and Rivera are joined in performance by members of the LA Opera Orchestra, LA Opera Chorus and Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.

For the virtual reality portion of the performance, cardboard headsets will be provided, expertly created by The Endless Collective, a leading VR FX firm, with a 360-degree soundscape developed by Arup, the global leaders in acoustics and sound design. This mesmerizing live experience, co-produced by Beth Morrison Projects and National Sawdust in association with Arup, reflects Livio’s poignant themes and the powerful realization that humans discovered, explored and continue to expand the understanding of the Universe, and man’s place in it.

Join us before the show! At 7:30 p.m. in the amphitheatre, Dr. Livio and Griffith Observatory Curator Dr. Laura Danly hold a preshow discussion.

The Hubble Cantata received its World Premiere at the 2016 BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. Eliza McNitt’s Fistful of Stars premiered at SXSW, was an official selection at Hot Docs and was featured at the Next VR Library at the Cannes Film Festival.

Part of the IGNITE @ the FORD! series, made possible through the generous support of LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. Proceeds benefit the Ford Theatre Foundation.

MORE>>  

Bang on a Can All-Stars: Road Trip

Saturday, October 14, 8PM

THE FORD 2017 Bang on a Can All-Stars: Road Trip www.nohoartsdistrict.com

MUSIC BY MICHAEL GORDON, DAVID LANG & JULIA WOLFE

Celebrating 30 years of Bang on a Can, founders Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe return to the collaborative spirit of the group’s origins with an all-new collection of tunes to inspire inventiveness, free expression and possibility. This world premiere production is performed by New York’s electric Bang on a Can All-Stars and directed by Michael Counts, with stunning scenic design by projection artist CandyStations. Road Trip is a tribute to journeys – physical, emotional and spiritual – and the people who make them. “There is a road, no simple highway.”

Part of the IGNITE @ the FORD! series, made possible through the generous support of LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. Proceeds benefit the Ford Theatre Foundation.

MORE>> 

JAM Session: Drum Circle

Monday, October 16, 7PM

THE FORD 2017 JAM Session: Drum Circle www.nohoartsdistrict.com

FREE – Reservations recommended; space is limited.

Take a rhythmic journey with Christopher Ramirez in this evening of interactive group drumming. Using a variety of percussion instruments, you’ll discover the joy of collectively creating beats and sounds with friends old and new. As an added bonus – Yankuititl Aztec Dance Group will make the stage come alive as they dance to the beats created. Drums provided by Remo Drums.

Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. JAM Sessions are participatory while also centered on movement and music. All JAMs are FREE. All ages and skill levels are welcome.

MORE>>

See you at The Ford!

**** 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.

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Madness, Mayhem and Other Stimulants… When Women Write!

Samantha Simmonds-Ronceros
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“Madness, Mayhem and Other Stimulants…  When Women Write!” at the Brickhouse Theatre in the NoHo Arts District playing thourgh October 1.

Series C  “A Colorful Conscience – A Collection of Short Plays” by Rochelle Perry

BrickHouse Theatre, 10950 Peach Grove St., North Hollywood, 91601 

September 23rd through October 1st –   Fridays & Saturdays 8PM and Sundays 2PM

Click here for tickets

I had a great time yesterday at the third installment in this series of Write Act Repertory’s annual Women’s Playwright Festival. 

Series C, featuring the short dynamic plays of super talented playwright Rochelle Perry, made its successful premiere this past weekend at the cozy Brickhouse Theatre in North Hollywood. Ms. Perry’s comedies are very good and fans of moody dark and emotional material will especially love her work.  For me it was like an early, enjoyable Halloween treat with lots of chills and thrills.  I attended the first two parts of this great series, but Series C took it to a whole other level.  Rochelle Perry is really a great writer with an incredible imagination!  After the show was over I met her and discovered she is also a very nice young lady! 

Here’s a quick rundown of these excellent short plays:

The first play is ‘”The Color Yellow” directed by Donna Wheeler and featuring Jasmine Williams, Anna Dawahare, Johnson Cooley and Jeffrey Han. A very funny piece about fate and the pursuit of love and lust.

IMG 7622 TheColorYellow JasmineWilliams JohnsonCooley AnnaDawahare

“A Good Mother” directed by Louise Kroot-Haukka, featuring Suzie Heaton, Isaac Jay and Cameron Kauffman is a moving, emotional piece about teen angst – with a twist.

IMG 7627 AGoodMother IsaacJay SuzieHeaton

“Save Our Marriage” directed by Stephen Loftin, featuring Lara Fisher,  AJ Sass and Johnson Coley as the world’s largest baby, lol – it’s hilarious!

IMG 7647 SaveOurMarriage LaraFisher JohnsonCooley

“Failure to the Family ll: The Glass Ceiling” directed by Anne T. Mesa, featuring Jeffrey Han and Jacob Osborne is a gripping, poignant, emotional roller coaster and very moving.

“Ella Earns Her Stars” is another comedy with offbeat elements set in a bakery, directed by Stephen Loftin and featuring Sophia Castillo, EP McKnight and AJ Sass in three very different roles.

“Purple Dinosaurs” directed by Donna Wheeler, featuring Stephen Loftin, Lara Fisher and Isaac Jay is also very entertaining and well written.

IMG 7714 PurpleDinosaurs IsaacJay StephenLoftin

“Candy Cane Killer” is a scary, riveting who-done-it thriller with an eerie, supernatural tone,  directed by Angela Relucio, featuring Cameron Kauffman, Jacob Osborne, Sophia Castillo, Julian Fletcher and Angela Relucio. 

IMG 7723 CandyCaneKiller CameronKauffman JacobOsborne SophiaCastillo

Kudos to this very talented group of people… well done…. well done.  Thanks to Sandra Kuker PR for the invitation to the series –  it’s been great!  Visit www.writeactrep.org or www.facebook.com/writeactrepertory for tickets and more information.

Cast

Becca –  Jasmine Williams

Annette –  Anna Dawahare

Charlie –  Johnson Cooley

Waiter –  Jeffrey Han

 Mother –   Suzie Heaton

Tony –  Isaac Jay

Connie – Cameron Kauffman

 Sandra –  Lara Fisher

Ted –  AJ Sass

Baby – Johnson Cooley

 Shan –  Jeffrey Han

Kenny –  Jacob Osborne

 Ella –  Sophia Castillo

Lola  –  EP McKnight

 Butler –  Stephen Loftin

Krissie –  Lara Fisher

Timothy –  Isaac Jay

 Cherry –  Cameron Kauffman

Jamie – Jacob Osborne

Helen – Sophia Castillo

News Reporter – Julian Fletcher

TV Woman – Interviewed Angela Relucio

Production Crew

Directors – Donna Wheeler, Louise Kroot-Haukka, Stephen Loftin,  Anne T. Mesa,  Angela Relucio  

Producers – John Lant, Rochelle Perry, Anne Mesa, Susan Eiden, Linda Rand, Michael Eiden 

Ken Cosby –  Lighting & Sound Design

Jonathan Harrison – Stage Manager & Associate Producer

Rochelle Perry – Graphic Design

Sandra Kuker  – Publicity

Madness, Mayhem and Other Stimulants…  When Women Write! 

Series C  “A Colorful Conscience – A Collection of Short Plays by Rochelle Perry

September 23rd through October 1st

BrickHouse Theatre, 10950 Peach Grove St., North Hollywood, 91601

Fridays & Saturdays 8PM and Sundays 2PM

Click here for tickets

Hurricane Relief Concert

Lisa Bianconi
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Locally Grown Comedy and Vitello’s Restaurant Present: “Deep in the Heart” – A Concert for Hurricane Relief Concert, Thursday, September 28.

“Deep in the Heart” is a special comedy and music concert, hosted by Fritz Coleman and Wendy Liebman, to benefit the SAG-AFTRA Foundation – Hurricane Relief Fund.

Comedians: Orny Adams, Carol Leifer, Brian Kiley, Chris Fonseca, John Mendoza, ComedySportz, Jared Sandler, and Karen Rontowski!

Musicians: Chely Wright, Micky Dolenz (Monkees), Vicki Peterson (Bangles), Denny Seiwell (WINGS), Jeff Alan Ross (Badfinger), Marcy Levy, The Nasty Housewives, Bobby Cochran (Rockabilly Hall of Fame), Rebecca Holden, Alex Sherman and Chris Olsen, with Musical Director Laurenc e Juber (WINGS).

With special appearances by: Jim O’Heir, Mo Collins, Alex Skuby, Rider Strong, and Dear Abby.

All proceeds will go to those affected by the hurricanes.

WHEN:

1 Night Only
Thursday, September 28
7PM

WHERE:

El Portal Theatre
5269 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

TICKETS:

VIP Package Tickets – $100
Center Section Tickets – $50
Side Section Tickets – $25

www.elportaltheatre.com
Box Office Phone 818-508-4200 | 866-811-4111

**** 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.

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Review of Mother and IT

Mike Peros
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Review of Mother and IT

Mother!; It 

Writer/director Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! works very hard at keeping the audience as off-balance as Jennifer Lawrence’s consistently bewildered and put-upon character.

Lawrence is the wife of Javier Bardem’s frustrated writer (no words have been coming…for a while) and spends her time alternately supporting her husband, suppressing her desire for a child, and renovating the sizable and secluded fixer-upper they call home. Who else should appear in this little paradise but a mysterious, possibly dying orthopedist with a wracking cough (Ed Harris), his very curious wife (Michelle Pfeiffer—who is warned not to go into the artist’s creative nerve center)—and later their two squabbling adult sons (Domnhall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson) whose antagonism toward each other can only end in violence…

There are two distinct sections to this film. By far the most entertaining is this first one, as Lawrence struggles to cope with not only the unwanted visitors (who by and large take over their home), but Bardem’s indifference to her own pain. It is only when something happens to his “muse” that anything resembling outrage occurs to Bardem, but even this is overcome by subsequent events. While I’m choosing not to release the big “reveal,” I will suggest that your enjoyment of the film depends on how much you relish being swept into the realms of horror, fantasy, cataclysmic violence, and some pretty bald (not necessarily bold) allegory. This writer can only say he was more comfortable enjoying the film when it was dealing with the uncomfortable interactions among Pfeiffer, Harris, Lawrence and Bardem; Aronofsky has a field day employing  Lawrence in a state of perpetual insecure motion; exploring the house, encountering unsettling images, uneasily confronting Pfeiffer (their scenes are the highlights), grappling with her increasingly remote husband. While it’s clear to see what Aronofsky has intended with Mother! (it becomes very clear in the second half—if not before), that still leaves one with an exhausting and not particularly satisfying cinematic experience.

Review – IT

It, directed by Andy Muschetti, is the latest Stephen King adaptation to hit the screens, and is, for the most part, an engrossing and occasionally frightening tale of some youthful misfits confronting evil in a small town in Maine. People have been disappearing in the small town of Derry, and it’s apparent early on that the main evildoer is this killer clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), who is especially effective with those who are afraid of him (Horror and the Underworld have their own rules). While the boys (and one girl) have their own individual brushes with death, they realize they can only defeat “It” by joining forces—which becomes a little difficult due to parental interference, perceived betrayals, and sheer fright.

The screenplay by Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Duberman is a skillful condensation of the first section of the book (there will be more to come…) and It benefits from a gleeful and chilling Skarsgard, as well as the sympathetic performances from its young leads, especially Jaeden Lieberher as Bill, the de-facto “leader,’ Jeremy Ray Taylor as Ben, the newest “loser,’ and Sophia Lillis as Bev, who has to deal with an unearned reputation as well as the unwanted advances of her creepy father. The scares are pretty effective (though they do get a tad repetitive), the suspense well-paced, and the relationships well-developed (even though they do remind one of the earlier Stand By Me). If you have the time, It is worth the trip to the multiplex—and will leave you anticipating the sequel.

Say Goodbye to Your Belly Fat

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Say Goodbye to Your Belly Fat

One of the hardest parts of the morning for most people is that moment when they realize they can’t button their shirts anymore because of the excess fat on their bellies. This is depressing for some people because for men it means they have to say goodbye to those times when they could walk proudly without their shirts on the beach, and women can forget that glorious moment of being able to wear their two-piece. With little time to go to the gym, and lots of time sitting around your desk in the office, this can be a really big problem for some. This is where the use of supplements comes in handy. Supplements of every kind are available everywhere, the question is just what to buy. Keep these facts in mind as you buy the perfect weight loss supplement for your body.

Your body can take care of itself, and you only need to boost it to do its function of keeping you healthy. One effective way of boosting your body is through the use of stimulants. The Clenbuterol 20MCG Sopharma is one of those brands that manufacture supplements that utilize Clenbuterol, a non-steroidal supplement that is labeled as Beta 2 Sympathomimetic and central nervous system stimulant. Most athletes and bodybuilders use this kind of supplement because of its anti-catabolic and thermogenic effects. The thermogenic effect works by slightly increasing the normal body temperature to enable more burning of calories. One of the body’s natural processes is to synthesize muscle tissues to get amino acids in muscle proteins. The anti-catabolic feature works to minimize or even prevent the body from breaking down hard-earned muscles.

However, taking Clenbuterol can be damaging if not used properly. One possible side effect of taking Clenbuterol is through over-dosage and taking other supplements along with it.  Clinical tests have found out that it is not safe to take Clenbuterol alongside ephedrine/ephedra (or ma huang) or the ECA stack (ephedrine-caffeine-aspirin). Some side effects include palpitations, Hypertension, nausea, insomnia, nervousness, muscle cramps, muscle tremors, headaches, and worst of all, possible cardiac hypertrophy, as this supplement tends to target smooth muscle fibers found in the heart. The use of Clenbuterol is not advisable among those who have hypertension and other heart issues. It is advisable to use this supplement with caution and great care.

With this said, you can now use your own judgment in selecting and using the best weight-loss supplement for your body. You must also keep in mind that supplements are just supplements, meaning they are just a part of a greater solution and do not do everything in one single take. Taking supplements must be combined with proper diet and effective exercise to really take effect in your body. You must also remember that the effect will not come easily and early. You have to wait patiently for the results.

 

The Latest NoHo Neighborhood Council News

NoHo - North Hollywood
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Photo Credit: Adria Brodie

NoHo Neighborhood Council Board Meetings Have a New Location

Stop by the East Valley High School in North Hollywood every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 6pm, and enjoy board meetings with more leg room, seating areas, and plenty of parking.

Take the opportunity to meet your District Representatives face to face and bring your comments, questions, and concerns about the NoHo community. The NoHo Neighborhood Council meeting is a great way to find out what kind of projects are coming to NoHo and weigh in on a board vote. Let’s work together to make our community better. See you soon.

NoHo Neighborhood Council Has Two Open Board Seats!

The NoHo Neighborhood Council is looking for a dedicated volunteer to fill the District 3 Business Representative Seat. Additionally, the Neighborhood Council is seeking a motivated youth to fill the Youth Empowerment Seat. If you or anyone you know care about the NoHo community and want to get involved with the NoHo Neighborhood Council, contact Adria Brodie at adriabrodie@nohonc.org.

District 3 Business Representative

  • Business representative may include, but is not limited to, stakeholder operating or working for businesses, including owner of a rental property within District 3 and who is 18 years or older. Please submit a short statement on why you should be elected to the Board.
  • District 3 Boundaries: Begins at Fair Avenue and Vanowen Street, heading east along Vanowen Street to Clybourn Avenue, south along The Los Angeles City Limit to Hatteras Street, west along Hatteras Street to Vineland Avenue, north on Vineland Avenue to Victory Blvd., west on Victory Blvd. to Fair Avenue, north along Fair Avenue to Vanowen Street.

Youth Empowerment Seat

  • The Youth Empowerment Seat is an advisory representative serving in conjunction with the twenty-three (23) elected board members of the NoHo NC who is authorized to attend meetings, and speak on matters coming before the Board.
  • This position is open to a qualified candidate who (1) is at least 16 years of age but less than 18 of age as of the then-current election and (2) submits a 500-word essay on why he/she would like to serve on the board.

 

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