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Los Angeles Times
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Carl St.Clair selects Verdi's ‘Requiem' for his Pacific Symphony finale
Carl has had cause for celebration, seemingly experiencing every emotion as his 35th and final season as music director of the Pacific Symphony comes to a close. Gratitude and loyalty came up several times in a conversation on Tuesday, when the Laguna Beach resident shared his thoughts on a long career with the Costa Mesa-based orchestra. Pacific Symphony will perform Giuseppe Verdi's 'Requiem' to cap the current season, with shows Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. A Sunday matinee performance is scheduled for 3 p.m. The celebrated conductor plans to continue leading some musical performances when he transitions to music director laureate, but he is handing over the reins of the music director position to Alexander Shelley. The proper moment to pass the baton had lived in subconscious for some time. Leading into rehearsal just two days before the concert, had a recollection of some of the pieces he considered for this finale — Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 9' and Gustav Mahler's 'Resurrection,' to name a couple. thought that Verdi could 'give people a chance to be thankful, to be humble, to be communally in the same space with hopefully very deep feelings.' Then he invoked 'libera me,' words that appear at the end of 'Requiem' that in Latin mean 'deliver me.' 'When I thought about that, I thought about it in a much more communal, collective way,' said. 'Not just 'deliver me,' although I'm praying this all the time. But also deliver Pacific Symphony into its next chapter, into the next journey that it takes with Alexander. 'I just really thought that's very poignant. … There's a C major chord. It's just hopeful. It says that after all this hard work is hope for a beautiful future as we move into the 50th anniversary and into the next chapter of the orchestra's life because my goal all along with this transition, which I announced already three years ago, is really so that there would not be one stutter step, one skipped beat in the growth, the progression and the development of Pacific Symphony.' It was important for to share this season with those who have been major contributors throughout the journey. He said this week's concerts would mark the 166th time that he has worked with Pacific Chorale. Raquel Gonzalez (soprano), Daryl Freedman (mezzo-soprano), Won Whi Choi (tenor) and Zaikuan Song (bass) will also lend their voices as soloists. 'The one thing that's really kept us moving forward is the loyalty,' said. 'The loyalty of our audience, the loyalty of our board, the loyalty of our musicians — their talents, but also their loyalty,' he reiterated. said he always believed the Pacific Symphony should be a 'locally-acclaimed' production. 'We need to be loved and respected and kept close to the vest and in the hearts of Orange County,' said. 'We are Orange County's orchestra, and I want to be the beacon of artistic achievement for Orange County.' A local resident since 1994, met his wife, Susan, the first week he moved to the Table Rock neighborhood in South Laguna. Their children, Cade and Siena, graduated from Laguna Beach High, although the family lived bi-continentally in Germany and the United States as the kids were growing up. 'If I didn't have to, I wouldn't leave the city limits,' said. 'I really wouldn't. It's just everything that I ever wanted. I met my wife there, our children were born there, brought up there, St. Catherine's of Siena, that's our parish, that's where we were baptized. … It just has everything that someone of my spirit needs in order to remain nurtured.' Laguna Beach's arts scene includes an array of musical programming. said he has had the opportunity to conduct the Laguna Beach Community Concert Band on a couple of occasions, adding he knows most of its members. 'It's such a live area when it comes to not only the visual arts, but all the arts,' said of his hometown. 'The theater is great. Pageant of the Masters, Art-A-Fair and Sawdust. For a town of a little bit less than 25,000 people, it's pretty amazing.' Outside of music, said the family has worked for many years at the Friendship Emergency Shelter on Laguna Canyon Road. 'We do this as part of a dedicated team of fellow parishioners from St. Catherine [of Siena Parish],' said. 'Every time we serve there, we are the ones being nourished.'
Los Angeles Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
South Coast Repertory loses $20k grant after NEA changes priorities
Richard Soto and Richard Doyle in South Coast Repertory's 2022 production of 'A Christmas Carol,' by Charles Dickens, adapted by Jerry Patch. South Coast Repertory announced Tuesday it lost a $20,000 federal grant for a play on the day the theater company was celebrating its opening night due to a change in the National Endowment for the Arts' grant-making priorities. The Costa Mesa-based theater company was notified Friday that its National Endowment for the Arts grant for 'The Staircase' by Noa Gardner was being withdrawn. The grant did not finance the entire production, South Coast Repertory Managing Director Suzanne Appel told City News Service. But the grant 'supports quite a lot of the work of the skilled technicians,' who work on the production, she said. The $20,000 'is not anywhere close to the full cost of the project or even a tenth of the full cost, but it is a meaningful amount of money,' Appel said. The company was told Nov. 7 it would receive the grant. 'We were told we did everything we needed to do and the grant was in process, and then we received this notification with no warning,' Appel said. South Coast Repertory has been given a chance to appeal the denial in a week, Appel said, adding the theater company intends to appeal the denial. In the notice of withdrawal of the grant, the theater company was told that the arts agency was 'updating its grant-making priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation's rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the president. Consequently, we are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities. 'The NEA will now prioritize projects that elevate the nation's (historically Black colleges and universities) and Hispanic Serving Institutions, celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, foster AI competency, empower houses of worship to service communities, assist with disaster recovery, foster skilled trade jobs, make America healthy again, support the military and veterans, support Tribal communities, make the District of Columbia safe and beautiful, and support the economic development of Asian American communities. Funding is being allocated in a new direction in furtherance of the administration's agenda.' Gardner's story focuses on a native Hawaiian family and was commissioned, developed and staged by South Coast Repertory. South Coast Repertory officials say it celebrates native Hawaiian culture and is a 'universal story of familial love and obligations...'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Long Beach Convention Center operator reaches deal with union after wage complaint
The Southern California union representing hospitality workers has reached a deal to secure employment for about 100 workers at the Long Beach Convention Center. The agreement between United Here Local 11 and ASM Global, the company that operates the city-owned convention center, resolves a dispute that erupted last month after the union accused a subcontractor of underpaying workers and avoiding payroll taxes. After the union filed a complaint with the state about the subcontractor, Costa Mesa-based event management company 1Fifty1 Inc., ASM Global moved to end its ties with the business. The new agreement will cover about 100 dishwashers, cooks, servers, bartenders and cleaners, as well as about 100 workers formerly employed by 1Fifty1 who cleaned public areas such as bathrooms, broke down and set up event spaces and performed groundskeeper services. The deal secures a total wage boost of $12 per hour over the course of the three-year contract, free family health insurance, and a 400% increase in pension contributions, according to the union. The agreement also limits the company's use of temporary agency workers. Union members ratified the agreement in a vote held Friday and Saturday. 'Our members again showed extraordinary courage and unity — they refused to settle until the workers exploited by the temporary agency 1Fifty1 won justice," Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said in a statement. Read more: Long Beach Convention Center subcontractor accused of wage theft, tax evasion Stacey Escudero, a spokesperson for ASM Global, said that the company has reached out to all the former 1Fifty1 employees for whom it has contact information and that many already have been hired. 'We are proud to share that UNITE HERE and ASM Global have reached a new agreement reinforcing our shared commitment to good jobs, fair wages, and outstanding service at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center," Escudero said in an emailed statement. Unite Here Local 11 had filed a complaint with the California labor commissioner's office March 13, alleging that 1Fifty1 paid convention workers under the table with cash in envelopes, violating labor laws that require pay stubs showing hours worked and tax deductions. The complaint also alleged that 1Fifty1failed to pay some employees the minimum wage for Long Beach concessionaire workers, currently set at $17.97 an hour, as well as overtime wages for employees who worked seven- or eight-hour shifts seven days a week. The labor commissioner's office is investigating the claims. 1Fifty1 did not respond to a request for comment on the deal. The company previously said the union's allegations were untrue. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Convention Center operator reaches deal with union after wage complaint
The Southern California union representing hospitality workers has reached a deal to secure employment for about 100 workers at the Long Beach Convention Center. The agreement between United Here Local 11 and ASM Global, the company that operates the city-owned convention center, resolves a dispute that erupted last month after the union accused a subcontractor of underpaying workers and avoiding payroll taxes. After the union filed a complaint with the state about the subcontractor, Costa Mesa-based event management company 1Fifty1 Inc., ASM Global moved to end its ties with the business. The new agreement will cover about 100 dishwashers, cooks, servers, bartenders and cleaners, as well as about 100 workers formerly employed by 1Fifty1 who cleaned public areas such as bathrooms, broke down and set up event spaces and performed groundskeeper services. The deal secures a total wage boost of $12 per hour over the course of the three-year contract, free family health insurance, and a 400% increase in pension contributions, according to the union. The agreement also limits the company's use of temporary agency workers. Union members ratified the agreement in a vote held Friday and Saturday. 'Our members again showed extraordinary courage and unity — they refused to settle until the workers exploited by the temporary agency 1Fifty1 won justice,' Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said in a statement. Stacey Escudero, a spokesperson for ASM Global, said that the company has reached out to all the former 1Fifty1 employees for whom it has contact information and that many already have been hired. 'We are proud to share that UNITE HERE and ASM Global have reached a new agreement reinforcing our shared commitment to good jobs, fair wages, and outstanding service at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center,' Escudero said in an emailed statement. Unite Here Local 11 had filed a complaint with the California labor commissioner's office March 13, alleging that 1Fifty1 paid convention workers under the table with cash in envelopes, violating labor laws that require pay stubs showing hours worked and tax deductions. The complaint also alleged that 1Fifty1failed to pay some employees the minimum wage for Long Beach concessionaire workers, currently set at $17.97 an hour, as well as overtime wages for employees who worked seven- or eight-hour shifts seven days a week. The labor commissioner's office is investigating the claims. 1Fifty1 did not respond to a request for comment on the deal. The company previously said the union's allegations were untrue.
Los Angeles Times
21-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa Vaping Company Sells Product Line for $9.2 Million
Costa Mesa-based Charlie's Holdings Inc., a manufacturer of vaping products, sold its PACHA synthetic products and related assets to R. J. Reynolds Vapor Co. for $9.2 million. The deal includes a cash consideration of $5 million and a contingent payment of $4.2 million. The deal includes 12 of the company's assets that are covered by a premarket tobacco application that was submitted by the company in 2022. Charlie's Holdings Inc. was founded in 2019 and operates subsidiaries Charlie's Chalk Dust LLC and Don Polly LLC. Charlie's Chalk Dust produces vapor products that are currently distributed in more than 90 countries around the world. Jones Day acted as legal advisor for R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company. Information for this article was sourced from Charlie's Holdings Inc.
