Capri Brings the Amalfi Coast to Eataly LA

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Karin E. Baker

The balcony at Capri in Century City. Photo credit: Eataly.

It’s always a pleasure to savor what Eataly has to offer, whether that’s artisanal pasta and Neapolitan-style pizza at La Pizza and La Pasta, coffee and pastry at Caffe Vergnano, a creamy treat at Il Gelato, or one of the acclaimed Italian food hall’s other options for dining in or indulging at home. 

Eataly Los Angeles recently brought a new restaurant into the fold. Capri began as a popup in 2022, then became a permanent fixture at Eataly in June. 

A charming restaurant inspired by coastal Italy, all of Capri’s dishes are made with imported Italian ingredients and local California goods. Bridging the Golden State and Capri, the menu features premium, sustainable seafood from our coastal waters. 

What makes Capri special? An in-house limoncello program that includes a cocktail cart that can be wheeled to your table, a large selection of crudo and other seafood, traditional Italian pastas, a bounty of spritzes and Italian wines, and much more. 

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8th Annual P-22 Day Festival Returns to Griffith Park on Sunday

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Karin E. Baker

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“Deathtrap” at the International City Theater

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Bryan Moore

International City Theatre production of Deathtrap, October 2023

Ira Levin’s 1978 play “Deathtrap” has long been a staple of American theater. Winning countless awards and boasting one of the longest-running theatrical records, it’s never been short of ecstatic audiences and its share of controversy over the decades since it first graced the boards on Broadway, and ICT’s excellent production carries the torch flawlessly.

The always charming ICT Artistic Director caryn desai opened the show with a short curtain speech thanking all for their continued support as well as a sneak peek of next season’s roster of shows.

The audience was treated to an absolutely superb set design by Fred Kinney, who followed the playwright’s description to the letter. The symmetrical ceiling beams and set itself were complimented by an offset, oval platform that created a suggestion of an off-kilter playing space that was utilized fully with wonderful stage blocking by director Jamie Torcellini. The tag team of lighting designer Crystal Shomph and Sound Designer Dave Mickey was in perfect tandem to present a solid illusion in space and time of the author’s intent.

International City Theatre production of Deathtrap, October 2023

The terrific ensemble cast was led by Geoffrey Lower as Sidney Bruhl, making his debut on the ICT stage. Students of stage acting would be advised to attend this production to truly see how it’s done with Mr. Lower. Razor-sharp timing, hysterical physical comedy and silent pauses at just the right moments kept the spotlight on him at all times with nary a missed beat. His “searching for the desk key” bit accompanied by the harpsichord music is on par with anything that Charlie Chaplin ever did. Kudos to a magnificent performance!

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The Darkness Envelops The Wiltern For Its 20th Anniversary

Posted on October 21, 2023 by Bob Lee

Justin Hawkins rocking the Wiltern. Photo by Bob Lee for the LA Beat. 

It’s a strange thing, watching the Darkness play a full show in celebration of a twenty -year-old record with a fifty-year-old sound. Their appeal is easy to understand: high energy rock with riffs solid enough to compete with the bands they make fun of, and the over-the-top delivery of frontman Justin Hawkins. combined with some gentle larfs of the old-fashioned showbiz variety. Once considered a throwback, they have now stuck around long enough to become respectable, like all the other rock and roll whores in the Hall of Fame. And with the 20th anniversary of their legit classic Permission To Land, they decided to indulge themselves and their fans with a set of songs from that album, and the singles surrounding it, at the Wiltern.

For a band hitting it’s twentieth year – roughly where the Who were at the first time they split up – they are well preserved. Hawkins still looks all right without a shirt,  and those startling, emphatically delivered high notes are still part of the program, still piercing and unmistakable. Drummer Rufus Taylor looks fitter than he did then. They’re playing as well as they probably ever did, which makes this dip into the past worth taking. This album presented a fully-formed vision of a hard rock band that can hit every pleasure center, an ethos and style that they have only honed in the decades since. Continue reading →

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This is Halloween 2023: Family Friendly Events

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Elise Thompson

Disneyland Photo Opp Photo by Elise Thompson

Here are some fun and family-friendly Halloween happening. But they aren’t just for little ones! Lots of fun for big kids too!

BOB BAKER’S HALLOWE’EN COSTUME BALL

Saturday, October 28th, 8pm – Midnight / Los Angeles / $125 and up

The Bob Baker Marionette Theater is holding its First Annual Costume Ball on Saturday, October 28th. This is your only chance to see the Hallowe’en Spooktacular, because the immensely popular show is already completely sold out. After the special performance of Hallowe’en Spooktacular, there will be a costume contest hosted by Pickle, Drag Queen Laureate of West Hollywood and a dance party hosted by DJ SuperBee with tarot readings with Ingrid M. Calderón-Collins. All attendees receive two complimentary drinks, as well as bar service throughout the night courtesy Cobblestone Wine.

Tickets begin at $125. Proceeds directly benefit Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

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This is Halloween 2023: Haunted Attractions

Posted on October 17, 2023 by Elise Thompson

Haunted Hayride. Photo by Mike Guerena.

Here are some exciting Halloween attractions  happening throughout October to thrill, chill, enchant, or scare the living crap out of you!

ONGOING HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS

HAUNTED HAYRIDE

7 p.m. – 10:30 & 12 midnite / Griffith Park  $29.99 – $109.99

One of LA’s most iconic Halloween attractions, Griffith Park’s famous Haunted Hayride is back, with fan-favorite attractions, a variety of mazes, trick or treating, and more! 2023’s Haunted Hayride runs this week Thursday through Sunday, then every night until Halloween. The attraction features all new hay wagons with seating this year.

Visit Midnight Falls, an eerie town where it’s Halloween all year-round. Monte Revolta, the self-appointed Mayor of Midnight Falls, returns to the town square with nightly performances. Meanwhile, the Witch of the Woods has summoned the spirits of the underworld to cross over, assimilate, and exact revenge on the townspeople who cast her away. Ghouls will try to scare you as you trick or treat at the homes of Midnight Falls. open house at the Midnight Mortuary, and a cannibalistic family who inhabit the woods in the new Hellbilly Halloween maze.

Goosebumps will be taking over Trick or Treat 10/13-10/15! “Goosebumps” follows a group of five high schoolers as they embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle ― while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents’ past.

Prices starting at $29.99, and up to $109.99 for a VIP experience with front-of-the-line privileges. The Haunted Hayride is located at 4730 Crystal Springs Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027. I recommend scaredy-cats sit in the middle of the hayride vehicle, as the characters do jump at you. No kids under 13 years old, no smoking, and no refunds if you chicken out. Do not touch the wild animals or the actors. No costumes except on Halloween. They rate it as a “high scare.”

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Why the Hotel Figueroa is a Dining & Drinking Destination

Posted on October 13, 2023 by Karin E. Baker

Chicken Paillard at Sparrow Italia. Photo credit: Noble 33.

Though currently celebrating its 97th birthday, the Hotel Figueroa is as newsworthy as ever. Earlier this year, Food & Wine bestowed high praise on this DTLA boutique hotel when it appeared on two of their Global Tastemakers lists: The 10 Best Hotel Bars in the U.S. and The 15 Best Hotels for Food in the U.S. 

Opened in 1926 as a sanctuary for female travelers, who were then prohibited from checking into most hotels unless accompanied by a male chaperon, the Hotel Figueroa has long been a place where feminine creativity and activism thrived. 

The Hotel Figueroa reopened in 2018 after a two-year remodel that returned the historic Spanish Colonial Revival building to its former glory. Since the revamp, this urban oasis is more prominent than ever, with a unique vibe, residencies with female artists, and an ever-evolving food and beverage program. See below for a few reasons you should stop by the Hotel Fig for a drink, a meal, or both sometime soon.

Happy Hour at Bar Magnolia
Hotel Figueroa offers a destination-worthy happy hour that’s available from 3 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Bar Magnolia and Lobby Lounge. Beverage Director Carla Lorenzo is passionate about her craft, and told me that she created the cocktail menu “as an ode to women and to pioneers in the industry.” Her creative and beautifully balanced cocktails feature ingredients like mezcal infused with strawberry and pineapple, snap pea & cucumber juice, chamomile-infused amontillado, and Wild Turkey infused with goji berries. Carla’s libations manage to be both adventurous and accessible.

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Movies Till Dawn: Seymour’s Monster Rally

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Paul Gaita

*indicates that the film is also available to rent, buy, or stream on various platforms. Note: streaming presentations may differ from these home video releases.

“Cobweb“* (2023, Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Young Woody Norman’s suspicions about his strict but jittery parents (Lizzie Caplan and Antony Starr) seem to be confirmed by a disembodied entity (voiced by Debra Wilson) who taps on his bedroom wall at night and insists that she is a long-lost sister locked away by his parents, who intend to do the same to him. First-time director Samuel Bodin has a creepy premise fueled by childhood anxiety and injects a good deal of atmosphere into the material, which helps when the script embraces too many lapses in logic (writer Chris Thomas Devlin also ran afoul of such problems with his script for Netflix’s atrocious “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”). Caplan and Starr do what they can to keep the material on an even keel, but the heavy lifting is done by cinematography Philip Lozano’s Gothic constructions. Lionsgate’s Blu-ray/digital combo includes several making-of featurettes.

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Dia de Los Muertos: Catrina Costume Exhibit This Weekend

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Karin E. Baker

Get an early start on Dia de Los Muertos season this weekend when an exhibition of 25 Catrina costumes comes to El Pueblo de Los Angeles for just three days. 

Starting today, October 6, and running through Sunday, October 8, “Siempre en mi Corazón” (“always in my heart”) was created by Lily Martinez. A native Angeleno who embraces her Mexican culture and finds great inspiration in Catrina, Martinez was a longtime Creative Director for Barbie. 

Over the years, Lily painstakingly created more than two dozen striking Catrina costumes, including one intricate costume inspired by Tequila Cazadores, creators of tequila for more than 90 years and a sponsor of the event. 

Pay homage to the spirit of Dia de Los Muertos at this event, FREE to the public, at the Gateway to Nature Center & Museum (130 Paseo de la Plaza, L.A. CA 90012). From there,  it’s a short walk to historic LA attractions including Union Station, Olvera Street, Chinatown, and Philippe’s. 

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Academy Museum Presents John Waters: Pope of Trash

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Elise Thompson

Costumes from Polyester. John Waters: Pope of Trash at the Academy Museum. Photo by Elise Thompson.

On September 17, The Academy Museum opened a first-of-its-kind exhibition honoring the films of underground filmmaker, author, art collector and iconoclast, John Waters. “Pope of Trash” runs through August 4, 2024. The ultimate outsider probably never expected to be honored by the Academy, which is about as insider as it gets, and right before he received the unrelated but well-deserved honor of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Waters wanted a shocking beginning, so in keeping with the theme, “The Pope of Trash,” (a sobriquet conferred by William S. Burroughs), you enter the exhibit through a church, with stained glass windows depicting his greatest stars, including David Lochery, Mink Stole, and naturally, Divine, while some of the most quotable clips from his films play on a screen that substitutes for an altar. As an ode to one of his favorite filmmakers, William Castle, two of the benches are equipped with “The Tinger,” and give you mild to more surprising “shocks” if you sit there long enough.

Associate curator Dara Jaf explained to Indie Wire, “Something that unlocked something really major for us was when we first showed John the space where the exhibition would be,” Jaffe said. “At that time, it was our Miyazaki exhibition. And when we first walked into the entrance of that show, John said, ‘When this is my exhibition, they’ve got to walk into a huge shock here. They’ve got to open that door and be greeted with such a shock.’ And he said, ‘We can’t really electrically shock them, can we?’ And the answer is, no, we cannot.”

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