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View Winners → Events Mar 16, 2023
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Despite the weather’s lack of cooperation, spring is vastly approaching. And with that comes finding time to get out and enjoy some of the fantastic events that are run by members of your community. Luckily for those of us surrounding Southern California, there are plenty of events that allow us to do exactly that week after week — ranging from enjoying local theater to partaking in events to create your own personal art. Read on for all the details so you don’t miss out on all the fun.
March 17
‘Yaacobi & Leidental’
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 | March 17-30 | odysseytheatre.com
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble presents the U.S. premiere of “Yaacobi & Leidental,” a funny, provocative romp with music written by Israeli playwright Hanoch Levin and featuring songs by Alex Kagan. Tel Aviv-based director Yonatan Esterkin helms a new translation by Naaman Tammuz that was recently commissioned by the Levin estate, and Nisha Sujatha Arunasalam is music director. Performances take place from March 18 through April 30. There will be two public previews, on Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 16, followed by one press preview (also open to the public) on Friday, March 17.
St Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl & Block Party
The Tavern Off Broadway | 221 W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014 | March 17 | eventbrite.com
Partake in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl in downtown Los Angeles with access and drink discounts at 10 + different venues. Your St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl kit includes drink coupons, free welcome shot vouchers and a map of all participating downtown LA bars.
March 18
LA County High School for the Arts’ Future Artists Gala
AVALON Hollywood | 1735 Vine St., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | March 18 | lachsa.net
The Future Artists Gala will feature world-class entertainment by some of the most talented student artists in LA County in music, theatre, cinematic arts, dance, and visual arts. LACHSA alum Corbin Bleu (“High School Musical” and the Tony-nominated “Kiss Me Kate” on Broadway) will be the host for the evening. Tony Barbieri from “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will serve as a live auction host. Tony, EMMY, and four-time GRAMMY-nominated LACHSA alum Josh Groban will be honored with the LACHSA Luminary Award and Warner Bros.
‘The Thin Place’
The Echo Theater Company | 3269 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039 | March 18-April 24 | echotheatercompany.com
The Echo Theater Company presents a spine-tingling new play that questions the things we don’t know and can’t understand. Abigail Deser directs the California premiere of “The Thin Place” by Obie Award-winning playwright Lucas Hnath (Broadway’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2”; “Hillary and Clinton”; “Dana H”), running March 18 through April 24 at Atwater Village Theatre. Three pay-what-you-previews are set for March 15, 16 and 17.
Best of Best of This Week This Week
Open Fist Theatre Company | 3269 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039 | March 18 | openfist.org
A little “Daily Show,” a little “SNL”… a lot of fun! Live on stage at Atwater Village Theatre, “This Week This Week” is Open Fist Theatre Company’s weekly comic newscast, featuring a revolving cast of actors and special guest stars at every performance.
March 19
5th Annual LATINAFest
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes | 501 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | March 19 | eventbrite.com
LATINAFest is a community-based organization whose mission is to celebrate and promote unity, diversity, and economic inclusion, and to amplify the Latina voice while championing Latina entrepreneurs, activists, and artists who are committed to uplifting and empowering the Latina community.
Wake & Bake Drag Bunch
The Studio Lounge at The Artist Tree | 8625 Santa Monica Blvd. 2nd Floor, West Hollywood, CA 90069 | March 19 | eventbrite.com
Join the Wake & Bake Brunch at The Studio Cannabis Lounge, where you can enjoy scrumptious brunch fare while watching West Hollywood’s top Cannabis Drag Queens!
March 20
Outer Edge | LA
Los Angeles Convention Center | 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | March 20-23 | outeredge.live
Join thousands of innovators, enthusiasts, experts and leaders from entertainment, technology and Web3 that are coming to Los Angeles to Co-Create the future of Web3. For four days on March 20-23, get connected, co-create and experience the Web3 and NFT Community with thousands of the world’s leaders, investors, brands, enthusiasts, and experts at Outer Edge | LA.
Guitar Nights
LOOK Dine-In Cinemas | 410 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | March 20 | eventbrite.com
Come hear the amazing Adam Del Monte on flamenco and classical guitar. Del Monte has stunned audiences with his burning licks, fiery precision and a trance-like state that will transport you to other lands! Joining Del Monte on the bill is Scott Johnson and his guitar students at CSARTS. The guitar program at the high school for the arts has been a magnet for young guitarists who have caught the music and guitar bug and want to pursue it in depth.
March 21
Sip, Smoke & Paint
Sunset Rooftop | 6099 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | March 21 | eventbrite.com
Immerse yourself in the Hollywood views while you enjoy a specially designed paint class to help you unwind and relax. Includes one complimentary glass of wine or cocktail or bottomless mimosas. Perfect for beginners and aficionados alike, these classes offer a fun, easy, stress-free chance to create a painting you can be proud of.
March 22
Day of Design
Cozy Stylish Chic | 89 W. Dayton St., Pasadena, CA 91105 | March 22 | eventbrite.com
Thanks to the event’s sponsor Canvas, this event will present the latest textile and wallpaper collections shown at Deco Off in Paris and the newest kitchen and bath introductions from KBIS in Las Vegas. They will also have the creators and national sales managers behind the brands in the building for the afternoon to take you through all the latest collections.
Screening of ‘Big George Foreman’
Landmark Pasadena Playhouse | 673 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 | March 22 | landmarktheatres.com
Come for a free screening of Big George Foreman at the new Landmark movie theater on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. The miraculous story of the once and future heavyweight champion of the world is based on the remarkable true story of one of the greatest comebacks of all time and the transformational power of second chances.
March 23
Spring into Health
Pacific Clinics Via 66 | 66 Hurlbut St., Pasadena, CA 91105 | March 23 | eventbrite.com
Thanks to the event’s sponsor Canvas, this event will present the latest textile and wallpaper collections shown at Deco Off in Paris and the newest kitchen and bath introductions from KBIS in Las Vegas. They will also have the creators and national sales managers behind the brands in the building for the afternoon to take you through all the latest collections.
@Noon with DJ Kurs
Hampton Room Scripps College | 1030 N. Columbia Ave., Claremont, CA 91711 | March 23 | eventbrite.com
The Scripps Presents @Noon series incorporates a diverse range of artists, authors, activists, and scholars in an intimate setting that is both interactive and accessible for students, faculty, staff, and the greater community. Please feel free to bring your lunch as this is a noontime program; light refreshments will also be available.
Ongoing
‘Sunday In The Park With George’
Pasadena Playhouse | 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, CA 91101 | Through March 19 | pasadenaplayhouse.org
Stephen Sondheim’s music brings the world of French artist George Seurat to vivid life. On a Sunday afternoon on La Grande Jatte, Seurat is hoping to find the inspiration to create a masterpiece. As the piece comes together, the people come alive; his mother, his friends, his critics, the woman he loves. Stroke by stroke, dot by Dot, will George create something lasting, something new?
‘Mean Girls’
Segerstrom Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 | Through March 19 | scfta.org
This is going to be so fetch! Based on the hilariously smart hit film from Tina Fey, “Mean Girls” features music by three-time Emmy Award-winner Jeff Richmond and lyrics by two-time Tony Award-nominee Nell Benjamin. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of high school popularity.
Disney’s ‘The Lion King’
Pantages Theatre | 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through March 26 | broadwayinhollywood.com
Start working on your roar before you head to Pride Rock in this hugely successful musical about family, betrayal, duty and love.
‘The Secret Garden’
Ahmanson Theatre | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through March 26 | centertheatregroup.org
Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, “The Secret Garden” follows 10-year-old orphaned Mary Lennox as she’s sent from her home in India to live with her reclusive uncle on his haunted English country estate. Mary’s curiosity leads her on a quest to discover her family’s past and herself.
‘To The Bone’
Theatre 68 Arts Complex – The Rosalie | 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 | Through March 26 | theatre68artscomplex.com
Sometimes life throws us a curveball. It’s been 20 years since the Red Sox lost their chance at the pennant when a Yankees fan ran onto the field and voided the final out, but the Dugan sisters are still mad about it. Kelly and Maureen live on the south shore of Boston, where they were known as “hard girls” back in the glory days of high school. Now they’re readying the house for a meeting with the daughter Kelly gave up for adoption back when she was 17. But when Geneva shows up, things don’t go exactly as expected.
‘Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts’
The Huntington MaryLou and George Boone Gallery | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through March 27 | huntington.org
Organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Wallace Collection in London in association with The Huntington, the exhibition explores the early inspirations behind Disney Studios’ creations, examining Walt Disney’s fascination with European art and the use of French motifs in Disney films and theme parks.
‘Designing with Disaster: Stories From Seven Regenerative Cities’
Japan House LA | 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Through April 2 | japanhousela.com
Inspired by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, the exhibition introduces the concept of “Regenerative Urbanism” – anticipatory urban design that explores the optimistic possibility of symbioses between humans and the natural and constructed worlds, embracing inevitable disasters and creating disaster-resilient environments. The exhibition also features illuminated Regenerative City Wells with an immersive physical, video, and audio experience envisioning seven hypothetical regenerative cities. Admission to the exhibition is free.
‘Let Me In’
Theatre 68 Arts Complex | 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 | Through April 2 | theatre68artscomplex.com
This “dark-ish” comedy about love follows a bride’s best friend and her intended groom as the wedding turns into a funeral. “I lost my best friend in a car accident when I was in my twenties. I still grieve. I think she would be very happy to know I have written a play out of my grief,” shares writer and director Brynn Thayer.
‘Love And Information’
Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center | 110 E. Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205 | Through April 3 | antaeus.org
What does it mean to be human? The digital age has given humanity access to radical equality, effortless connection and unprecedented intimacy. It has also served as a driver of detachment, alienation and unbridled anger. “Love and Information” examines these ideas and more through a kaleidoscope of scenes that reflect on the way we communicate in the 21st century.
‘Mulyana: Modular Utopia’
USC Fisher Museum | 823 W. Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90089 | Through April 8 | fisher.usc.edu
The exhibition is an introduction to Indonesian artist Mulyana’s large kinetic environments composed of intricately constructed, knit modules of marine life sculptures that vividly portray an unadulterated underwater world. Through his artworks, Mulyana hopes to instill a new consciousness of shared responsibility to protect the environment.
‘Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971’
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through April 9 | regenerationblackcinema.org
The exhibition explores the achievements and challenges of Black filmmakers in the US in both independent production and the studio system—in front of the camera and behind it—from cinema’s infancy in the 1890s to the early 1970s. The Regeneration Summit, Feb. 3–5, 2023, will be a two-day celebration of Black cinema featuring artists, scholars, and filmmakers participating in conversations, workshops, and activations throughout the museum.
‘Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’
Mark Taper Forum | 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Through April 9 | centertheatregroup.org
Revisit a pivotal moment in LA’s recent history. “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” draws on over 350 interviews with politicians, activists, police, jurors, shopkeepers and countless other Los Angelenos to explore the uprising sparked by the acquittal of the men charged in the Rodney King police brutality case.
‘Mutant Olive 2.0’
Hudson Guild Theatre | 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038 | Through April 11 | onstage411.com/mutant
Writer/performer Mitch Hara returns with a newer and even more outrageous version of his hilarious, heart-wrenching, multiple award-winning signature play, “Mutant Olive 2.0.” Father and son forgiveness is at the core of Hara’s manic, brave, tour-de-force performance as Adam Astra, an actor whose past seems to constantly seep into his present. Set during what turns out to be a truly cringe-worthy audition, Astra relays tales of his soul-sucking childhood, monstrous substance abuse, rampant sex, crashed cars, an out of body experience and a black cape — even as he tries out for his dream role in “Hamilton: Unplugged.”
‘Connections: Asia’
Getty Center Museum | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049 | Through May 7 | getty.edu
The exhibit features five works of Asian art made between the 14th and 18th centuries in China, India, Korea and Japan on loan from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and displayed alongside European paintings and sculpture in the Getty’s collection made around the same time. “This juxtaposition creates visual and thematic dialogues that highlight the form and function of devotional images, woodcarving techniques, traditions of painting landscapes and portraits of prominent individuals, and the trade of luxury goods,” according to the Getty.
Desert X 2023
Coachella Valley | Through May 7 | desertx.org
Site-specific art installations throughout the Coachella Valley examine how humans shape and impact their environment, and the environment of others, in both beneficial and detrimental ways. “The desert is full of mythologies, ones that equip people with a strong will to survive in conditions some might think to be impossible, and this combination of tenacity through storytelling contributes to the important role of ‘the desert’ in many cultures around the world,” says co-curator Diana Campbell. “One of the many challenges of this project is not to over-romanticize this ‘tenacity’ and to work with art, artists, and storytelling to address real problems (that are not just stories) facing humans and non-humans who live in the Coachella Valley today.”
‘The Hilton Als Series: Njideka Akunyili Crosby’
The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through June 12 | huntington.org
The exhibit features a selection of works by Nigerian-born, Los Angeles–based artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby in the final exhibition curated by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author and New Yorker magazine critic Hilton Als, in collaboration with the Yale Center for British Art (YCBA) and Akynyili Crosby. The two selected five collage-based paintings from “The Beautyful Ones,” Crosby’s ongoing series of intimate portraits of Nigerian children, including members of her own family.
Butterfly Pavilion
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County | 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Through Aug. 13 | nhm.org
The Natural History Museum’s seasonal Butterfly Pavilion featuring hundreds of butterflies of various species, native plants and natural light is finally opening.
Shakira, Shakira: The Grammy Museum Experience
The Grammy Museum | 800 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015 | Through Winter 2024 | grammymuseum.org
If you’ve had “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan” stuck in your head the last few weeks then you’ll want to stop by this exhibit honoring the multi-Grammy Award-winning and Latin Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, philanthropist and international icon. The exhibit explores the artist’s musical evolution, from her origins as a Latin rock-loving singer-songwriter in Barranquilla, Colombia, to a global superstar whose catalog spans multiple genres, from bhangra and bachata to rock and reggaetón. The exhibit features interactives, artifacts from Shakira’s personal archive, three original films, handwritten lyrics, costumes, guitars and more.
