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Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
The Ford, Wallis and Soraya reveal new seasons: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
'Tis the season of season announcements. I'm arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, and before we jump into this weekend's most compelling cultural events and our usual roundup of SoCal arts news, let's take a quick look at upcoming offerings from the Ford, the Wallis and the Soraya, as well as the Broadway in Thousand Oaks series at Bank of America Performing Arts Center. The lovely outdoor amphitheater across the street from the Hollywood Bowl is in its sixth season under management by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Performances scheduled from July 18 to Oct. 31 include dance, film, comedy, music, spoken word, theater and family programming. Highlights include Noche de Cumbia: Sonido Gallo Negro & É Arenas; an evening with Leyendas del Mariachi; Lula Washington Dance Theatre; Béla Fleck and the Flecktones; Australian pop star Betty Who with the Los Angeles Philharmonic; French-Moroccan pianist and rapper Sofiane Pamart; Mississippi blues player Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram; and a screening of George A. Romero's 1968 horror classic, 'Night of the Living Dead.' Full schedule and ticket details here. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills is leading its 2025-2026 season announcement with the Los Angeles premiere of Atlantic Theater Company and Roundabout Theatre Company's Broadway production of 'English' by Sanaz Toossi. The play won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for drama and earned five Tony Award nominations including best play and best direction by Knud Adams. The season features the world premiere of 'Hildegard,' based on the writings of composer Hildegard von Bingen and produced in collaboration with Los Angeles Opera and Beth Morrison Projects. Also of note: Trisha Brown Dance Company and Merce Cunningham Trust's presentation of Brown's 'Set and Reset,' with visual design by artist Robert Rauschenberg and an electronic score by Laurie Anderson, alongside Cunningham's rarely seen, comedic 'Travelogue,' with music by John Cage. Full schedule and ticket info here. 'The arts play a vital role in how we come together — as neighbors, as storytellers, as citizens,' Robert van Leer, the Wallis' executive director and chief executive, said by email. 'We see each season as a conversation with our community, shaped by artists who are not only interpreting today's world but helping us envision what's next.' The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at Cal State Northridge opens with a weekend concert production of 'Fiddler on the Roof' in Yiddish. A celebration of the Martha Graham Dance Company's centenary will include Graham's 1947 'Night Journey' and a world premiere pairing Graham and Leonard Bernstein, featuring the ensemble Wild Up performing founder Christopher Rountree's newly commissioned arrangement of Bernstein, as well as William Schuman's composition for 'Night Journey.' The season also includes a Quincy Jones tribute concert, performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and pianist Ray Chen, as well as a 30th anniversary live-to-film concert of the Disney animated feature 'Toy Story.' Full schedule and ticket info here. Last but not least, this series includes crowd pleasers 'Chicago,' 'Kinky Boots,' 'Blue Man Group' and 'Mrs. Doubtfire.' Ticket info here. Performer and writer Demetri Martin enters the realm of painting and drawing this weekend in what's billed as 'a comedy show with no words.' Forty-two line drawings and acrylic works on canvas — including some darkly amusing meditations on stupid humans moving through modern life — will be on view in Martin's first solo exhibition. Look for an interview with Martin by Times staff writer Karla Marie Sanford in the days to come. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment, Sunday-May 31. Laconic Gallery, 1001 Broxton Ave., L.A. Hrishikesh Hirway, creator and host of the Song Exploder podcast and a composer himself, will introduce Vidiots' 35mm screening of the late David Lynch's 'The Straight Story.' For those who do not recall the 1999 film — a G-rated project from the director of 'Blue Velvet' and 'Wild at Heart' — it stars Richard Farnsworth in an Oscar-nominated turn as a 73-year-old man who, unable to find a ride to visit his estranged, stroke-plagued older brother, makes a six-week journey on his lawn mower.4 p.m. Saturday. Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., L.A. Nassim Soleimanpour's 'cold read plays' are performed by actors who don't receive the script until showtime. For the Iranian playwright's 'White Rabbit Red Rabbit' at the Fountain Theatre, the additional wrinkle is that the production's star is changing every night. Sandra Tsing Loh served as the unrehearsed actor on opening night, following the script's instructions and ultimately presiding over an evening of charades dreamed up in advance by an oracle. 'The less I tell you about it, the better,' Times theater critic Charles McNulty said in his review, adding that 'mystery is built into the theatrical experience.' 'Sound of Metal' and 'Sing Sing' actor Paul Raci takes centerstage Friday, Sharon Lawrence stars May 26 and Joshua Malina is on June 7, in addition to the stalwarts of L.A. theater in the cast June 22. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., L.A. Times classical music critic Mark Swed caught a Sunday matinee of L.A. Opera's 'Ainadamar' at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, followed by the U.S. premiere of Rufus Wainwright's new 'Dream Requiem' performed by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, 'which proved an ideal companion to 'Ainadamar,'' Swed writes in his dual review. 'Ainadamar' is about the 1936 political execution during the Spanish Civil War of poet Federico Garcia Lorca, examined through the final minutes of actor Margarita Xirgu's life. Swed describes the opera as 'one of the century's most gratifying' and notes that it, as well as 'Dream Requiem' (featuring recitations of Lord Byron's 'Darkness'), have poets at their core. 'The Life of Pi,' now playing at the Ahmanson Theatre, completely won over Times theater critic Charles McNulty. In a glowing review, McNulty applauds the mechanics, performances and set design of the play, which plumbs the depths of spirituality through magical realism brought to bear onstage. An adaptation of Yann Martel's 2002 Booker Prize-winning novel about an Indian teen who survives a shipwreck in the company of a fierce and majestic Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, the show reveals that 'truth is not necessarily the same thing as wisdom,' McNulty writes. Craft Contemporary raised $100,000 at its 60th anniversary gala honoring founder Edith R. Wyle, who died in 1999, and artist Bari Ziperstein. In case you didn't know, Wyle's son is actor Noah Wyle, the 'ER' veteran who has legions of new fans for his starring turn in the Max medical drama 'The Pitt.' Noah attended the gala with his wife, actor Sara Wells, and other Wyle family members. The 1960s-themed dinner included a silent auction featuring work by Harrison McIntosh, Jerome Ackerman, Jane Bennison Howell, Ramekon O'Arwisters, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, and Kyungmi Shin. Ziperstein was presented with the Visionary Award. The Getty Center is allowing guests to luxuriate on its lovely grounds and enjoy its exhibits later this summer, with extended hours beginning June 17. The new hours will be 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and on Sundays. On Saturdays, the museum will remain open until 9 p.m., and parking after 6 p.m. will be free. Bar service will be expanded to include an evening cocktail program in an outdoor seating area near the arrival plaza. As always, admission is free but requires a timed-entry reservation. DTLA Alliance, in partnership with the city of Los Angeles, Street Art for Mankind and Council District 14, have commissioned three massive murals to be painted in downtown L.A. by local artists in advance of the FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Collectively, the art project — which will eventually include 12 works — is being dubbed 'Big Art. Bigger Dreams.' The first three murals are by David Flores (on the Los Angeles Athletic Club), Emily Ding (on the Figueroa Eight) and Shamsia Hassani (a triptych on the Bloc). — Jessica Gelt Langer's Deli by MacArthur Park may be having a tough time in its longtime home, but it still has the best pastrami dip sandwich in the city.
Los Angeles Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Paul McCartney's photographs and John Waters' birthday: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
This weekend is the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, when more than 650 authors and speakers gather across seven outdoor stages and 15 indoor venues across USC's University Park campus. Your Essential Arts scribes are on the lineup of the free, two-day event: My colleague Jessica Gelt is chatting with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, while I, Ashley Lee, am moderating a conversation with director and memoirist Jon M. Chu, as well as a Center Theatre Group panel with Lolita Chakrabarti, who penned the stunning stage adaptation of 'Life of Pi,' Larissa FastHorse, the playwright of the farce 'Fake It Until You Make It,' and Robert O'Hara, who is helming his film noir take on 'Hamlet.' For more headlines and happenings beyond book talk, here's your weekend newsletter. Feel free to scroll through it poolside like the Beatles' George Harrison, as photographed in 1964 by Paul McCartney. 'Rearview Mirror: Photographs, December 1963–February 1964'This Gagosian show highlights recently rediscovered photographs taken by McCartney between December 1963 and February 1964, during the emergence of Beatlemania. Shot all over Liverpool, London, Paris and the U.S., the mix of black-and-white and color prints includes self-portraits, intimate views of his bandmates and shots of the fandom that constantly surrounded them. Accompanying the photos is an installation of contemporaneous ephemera, as well as excerpts of cinema verité-style footage of the band recorded by filmmakers Albert and David Maysles, who were granted access to document the group during their first U.S. visit in February 1964. The exhibition, which opens tonight, is on view through June 21. Gagosian, 456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills. Arts Open San PedroThis weekend-long celebration of the waterfront Arts and Cultural District features more than 100 South Bay artists, open studios, interactive workshops and immersive art installations, with free trolley routes connecting arts lovers to various hotspots. Two main stages will host live music and dance performances, and smaller shows will take over venues throughout the city. Admission to the event — which runs Saturday from noon until 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon until 7 p.m. — is free with online RSVP. 'The Turnaway Play'Lesley Lisa Greene's play is inspired by the Turnaway Study, which followed 1,000 pregnant people over 10 years and reached the first definitive scientific conclusions on the impact on their lives from either having or being denied an abortion. This staged reading — starring Alysia Reiner, Mishal Prada, Jenny Yang and Sasheer Zamata — is followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Diana Greene Foster, lead researcher of the Turnaway Study, Francine Coeytaux, co-founder of Plan C, a public health campaign for abortion pill access by mail in every state, and Xochitl Lopez-Ayala, policy coordinator for Access RJ, which advocates for reproductive justice. The one-night-only fundraiser starts at 7 p.m. Sunday. Lodge Room, 104 N. Ave 56, 2nd Floor, L.A. 'John Waters' Birthday Celebration: The Naked Truth''Humor is always the way to win a war, to terrorize people, to make them laugh, to change their mind, to scare them and to be friendly,' the movie director and raconteur told Jessica Gelt of his birthday tour, which stops at the Wallis this weekend. The event's press release promises 'an endless bag of transgressive, and hetero-non-aggressive twisted tales that will warm the dark little hearts of non-binary brats all over the world.' Remember, Waters says he loves everything he teases 'and maybe that's why I really never am mean, and people embrace even the most crazy s— I say.' Saturday, 7:30 p.m. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. — Ashley Lee FRIDAYBen Folds The erstwhile layer of 'Brick' joins the Pacific Symphony for an evening of impromptu genre-spanning musical exploration.8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. Heidi Hahn 'Not Your Woman' is the third solo exhibition of the Brooklyn-based painter's June 6, Michael Kohn Gallery, 1227 N. Highland Ave. Legally Blonde The Musical The hit stage show based on the hit 2001 movie follows the unexpected trajectory of Elle Woods from sorority girl to Harvard May 18. La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. Mozart & Nielsen Ryan Bancroft conducts Nielsen's Fourth, and Yeol Eum Son performs Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24. 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Phish The eclectic jam band and its ravenous Phishhead fans invade the Bowl for three nights of genre-blending musical improvisation.7 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. SATURDAYAinadamar Ana María Martínez stars as Margarita Xirgu, the muse of poet Federico García Lorca, in LA Opera's production of Osvaldo Golijov's dramatic, flamenco-inspired score with a libretto by David Henry Hwang about the writer's life and his last days in the Spanish Civil War. Lina González-Granados conducts with Daniela Mack as May 18. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. All of the Above Monologues in the form of first-person narratives, poems, songs and stories anonymously written by women are performed by female-identifying actors.7 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. The Actors Company, 916 N. Formosa Ave. Centroamérica The artistic collective Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol reaches beyond preconceived ideas about the region in this play about a Nicaraguan woman fleeing Daniel Ortega's dictatorship. Presented in Spanish with English supertitles.8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 262 Westwood Blvd. Dark Library: Paris 1925 Visit Gertrude Stein's apartment and mingle with such notable expats as Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, via this intersection of multisensory mediums, including cocktails, dance and movement, and experiential design.7 and 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday. New Musicals Inc., 5628 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood. Junwen Liang The pianist peforms his 'Sonata Extravaganza' featuring Mozart's Sonata No. 10, Ravel's Sonatine and Prokofiev's Sonata No. 8.8 p.m. Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Los Angeles Times Festival of Books More than 650 authors and speakers, including 'Wicked' director Jon M. Chu, comedian Chelsea Handler, exoneree Amanda Knox, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen, politician Stacey Abrams and poet Amanda Gorman, gather across seven outdoor stages and 15 indoor day Saturday-Sunday. USC, University Park campus. Tasty Little Rabbit An 1890s love triangle between poet Sebastian Melmoth, photographer Wilhelm Von Gloeden and an 18-year-old Sicilian boy is the subject of this play written by Tom Jacobson and directed by George June 6, Moving Arts, 3191 Casitas Ave. 30th Anniversary Concert Richard Carpenter and Renee Elise Goldsberry, the Tony Award-winning star of 'Hamilton,' will open the show with 'Rainy Days and Mondays' to honor the Carpenter Center's three decades.8 p.m. Saturday. Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach. Verdi Chorus In the program 'Bella Bellini,' the vocal group performs selections from operas by Vincenzo Bellini and Giuseppe Verdi.7:30 p.m. Saturday; 4 p.m Sunday. First Presbyterian Church, 1220 2nd St., Santa Monica. SUNDAYAmy Adler: Nice Girl The exhibition features an installation of 20 new oil pastel works that critique the social media mirror selfie through portraits of anonymous young women.11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday-Saturday, through Sept. 7. Orange County Museum of Art, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. The Glass Menagerie Carolyn Ratteray directs Tennessee Williams' shattering classic about a fading Southern belle, her two children and the impending arrival of a gentleman June 2. Antaeus Theatre Company, Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Broadway, Glendale. The Millennium Tour Trey Songz, Omarion and Bow Wow headline this collection of hip-hop and R&B stars.7 p.m. Kia Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. The Staircase A mother and son spin Hawaiian folk tales while playing cards to avoid their own stories in a play by Noa Gardner, directed by Gaye Taylor May 18. South Coast Repertory, Emmes/Benson Theatre Center, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa. The stagecraft at the heart of the new Broadway show 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' is examined by Ashley Lee in a Q&A concluding that the most difficult illusion is creating the franchise's signature nosebleeds. Visual effects designers Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher, who also worked on 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,' reveal the behind-the-scenes strategies that any superfan of either franchise will be glad to know about. Speaking of 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow,' Times theater critic Charles McNulty was in New York to catch its Broadway debut — and warns viewers to enter the Marquis Theatre at their own risk. If Disney shows make the art form veer into theme park territory, McNulty notes, the signature Netflix sci-fi franchise sets it squarely in the violently frenetic world of Dungeons & Dragons. While the visual effects are lavish and stunning, the script feels lacking, McNulty writes. Read about why, here. Ashley also sat down with playwright a.k. payne between rehearsals of 'Furlough's Paradise,' which is at Geffen Playhouse through May 18. The show is about the relationship between two estranged cousins — with vastly divergent lives — as they reunite in their hometown for a funeral. In a wide-ranging conversation, payne discusses what inspired the show, what the characters represent and what their hopes are for the audience's experience. The photographer John Humble — known for his incisive images of L.A.'s vast urban landscape — has died. He was 81. After studying at the University of Maryland, Humble was drafted during the Vietnam War, spending more than a year overseas as a medic. He landed a job as a photojournalist at the Washington Post upon his return, but ultimately left to perfect his craft at the San Francisco Art Institute. In 1974, Humble moved to Los Angeles. He never meant to stay, but ended up putting down roots for the rest of his life — gaining a reputation as one of the city's most clear-eyed viewers and honest visual champions. The French luxury fashion house, Chanel, in collaboration with CalArts, announced the creation of the Chanel Center for Artists and Technology, made with support from Chanel's Culture Fund. The center will give students on campus unfettered access to crucial upcoming technology, including cutting-edge AI software and hardware; machine learning; and digital imaging tools. The resources will be made available in all disciplines, allowing for collaboration and innovation in dance, art, film, music, animation and theater. The center will also welcome visiting artists and fellows, many of whom have also received support from the brand's Culture Fund. Expected guests include Jacolby Satterwhite, Arthur Jafa, Cao Fei and William Kentridge. The 60th Annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design is now open, and welcomes guests for tours through May 18. As one of the country's longest running and most expansive home and garden tours, this year's Showcase House features the renovated Bauer Estate & Gardens. The 15,000-square-foot Monterey colonial estate was built in 1928 and features five acres of botanical gardens, which guests can walk through while taking in the latest in interior and landscape design trends. The program's opening night gala raised more than $200,000 for area music programs. — Jessica Gelt Cynthia Erivo's cover of Prince's 'Purple Rain' with the Los Angeles Philharmonic was my Coachella highlight.
Los Angeles Times
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Amalia Mesa-Bains and Chicana plays: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
It's Oscars weekend here in Los Angeles, and your Essential Arts scribes will be contributing to the paper's expansive coverage. I'll be watching the event on Sunday from home while my fellow Times staff writer Jessica Gelt will be attending in person. The Los Angeles Master Chorale will perform at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday. Hosted by Conan O'Brien at at the Dolby Theatre, the show will also feature performances by Doja Cat, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Lisa from Blackpink, Queen Latifah and Raye. The festivities will air live on ABC and be streamed on Hulu. Until then, your Friday edition of arts headlines and happenings: 'Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory'The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture is presenting a major retrospective on the pioneering Chicana artist, curator and theorist. Mesa-Bains 'has used her art to create a rich archive of Chicano life that goes far beyond what you'll ever find in mass media,' wrote former Times columnist Carolina A. Miranda. The exhibition brings together more than 40 works, including her renowned altar-installations and her lesser-studied handmade books and palimpsest prints characterized by a signature archaeological aesthetic of layering and excavation. It is on view from Saturday through Aug. 3; Mesa-Bains will be in conversation with Judy Baca on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, 3581 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside. 'Mujeres on the Verge'Boyle Heights theater CASA 0101 kicks off its 25th anniversary season with the premiere of four one-act plays by L.A.-based Chicana playwrights — Lindsey Haley, Mariana Herrera, Maria G. Martinez and Raquel Salinas. Performances begin tonight and run through March 23. The theater's lobby is also housing 'Abstract to Concrete: Barrio Expressions,' an art exhibit examining the relationship between abstract and concrete contemporary barrio art, and featuring works by Richard Valdes, Arturo Urista, Carlos Rojas, Fernando Barragan and Jimmy Centeno. CASA 0101, 2102 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights. 'PST ART Open House: A Day-to-Night Exploration of Art & Science'Presented by Getty, one of the final PST Art events includes the taping of a new game show pilot from Radiolab, a pop-up art book fair from Printed Matter, artists and scientists in conversation, hands-on workshops and live performances from AfroRithm Futures Group, Massima Bell and Julianna Barwick. The event, which begins at 1 p.m., is free to attend with online RSVP; LaSorted's Pizza, Kogi BBQ and Noun Coffee will be on site. The Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd. — Ashley Lee FRIDAY 44 The smart, satirical R&B musical spoofs the rise and presidency of Barack March 23. Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. I Love You Because Chromolume Theatre presents a musical riff on Jane Austen's 'Pride & Prejudice' with book and lyrics by Ryan Cunningham and music by Joshua March 16. Zephyr Theatre, 7456 Melrose Ave. Such Small Hands Bruce Goodrich and Juliet Fischer star in Chance Theater's world premiere of playwright Adam Szymkowicz's drama about memory, love and March 23. Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim. SATURDAYBat Boy: The Musical Pat Towne directs Open Fist Theatre Company's production of the rock horror musical with a book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming and music and lyrics by Laurence O' April 6. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave. Mary J. Blige The hip-hop and R&B superstar is joined by Ne-Yo and Mario on the For My Fans tour.7 p.m. Intuit Dome, 3930 W. Century Blvd., Inglewood. SUNDAYDaphne's Wardrobe — Metamorphosis into Nature An interdisciplinary exhibition of artworks by women who examine mythology and folklore to affirm humanity's primal connection to its environment.10 a.m.-4 p.m., through June 1. Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group The Texas troubadour and company take an unplugged swing through Southern California.7 p.m. Sunday. McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 7 p.m. Monday. Fred Kavli Theatre at Bank of America Performing Arts Center, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 8 p.m. Wednesday. The Sound, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar; 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. Mahlerthon Two programs devoted to all things Gustav: Part 1 features musicians from Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and Santa Monica High School; Part 2 includes UCLA Philharmonia, USC and Colburn 1, 12:30-3:30 p.m.; Part 2, 5-9:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' finally arrived at the Hollywood Pantages, and Times theater critic Charles McNulty was impressed. The production, he writes, creates, 'authentic stage magic of a timeless variety,' adding that the show isn't old-fashioned, 'but much of it would be right at home on the 19th century London stage.' Audience members new to the show will be treated to a condensed version of what was originally a two-part play (albeit still three hours long). The pace can be frenetic, McNulty notes, but the journey is well worth it. Kennedy Center watchers got a jolt late last week when word spread that longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon told a crowd at CPAC in Washington, D.C., that the J6 Prison Choir — composed of men jailed after the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — would perform at the country's national cultural institution. Not so fast, said a rep for the center, 'We do not have any information on this as a Kennedy Center confirmed event.' Artists who lost homes, work or studios to the L.A. fires last month received a bit of relief earlier this week when the Getty-led L.A. Arts Community Fire Relief Fund gave $14.3 million to more than 1,700 artists and arts workers affected by the disasters. The effort was organized in the week after fires decimated large swaths of Altadena and Pacific Palisades, and many local and international arts organizations, along with philanthropists and individual donors contributed to the fund, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens announced it has acquired the archive of Gusmano Cesaretti, an Italian-born photographer best known for his images of Southern California's Mexican American community, as well as for his compelling photos of the L.A. urban landscape, including pictures from the sets of Hollywood movies. Cesaretti's archive includes about 238 boxes of photographic prints, negatives, contact sheets, artist books, mixed-media works and personal ephemera. These will be added to the Huntington's existing collection of more than 800,000 historical and contemporary photographs. Concerts by Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra under Music Director Jaime Martín are scheduled for weekly broadcast on Classical California (KUSC). The shows will air on March 9, 16, 23, and 30 at 7 p.m. Hosted by Brisa Siegel, the broadcasts are part of Classical California's 'SoCal Sunday Night' program. They can also be heard online at Remember that giant 'Forever Marilyn' sculpture on Museum Way in Palm Springs? The one that was — depending on whom you talked to — either a 'grotesque' eyesore, or a fun-filled piece of public sculpture? It's being moved 100 feet from its current location to a new spot in Downtown Park. The move will reportedly cost the city $500,000. — Jessica Gelt Lots of applause for 'The Price Is Right,' which aired its landmark 10,000th episode.
