Evening speakers: Martha Bolton. Loni Anderson,m Donelle Dadigan, Linda Hope, Jan Daley and Anson Williams; Photo by Nina Prommer/Milestone Photos, Courtesy of The Hollywood Museum
This past November 4th, the Hollywood Museum commemorated Veteran’s Day like never before! Memorializing the 76th anniversary of WWII with all the honor and distinction of the 75th, The Hollywood Museum, made up for missing it in 2020, and then some, with a book signing and lobby unveiling/ceremony like no other!
“And who better to kick off the series than the iconic and legendary actor, from Vaudeville to screen…both large and small, a man who hosted the Academy Awards a record breaking 19 times, and performed for 12 Presidents…and entertained 8! As he once said…he traveled over ten million miles. That’s the equivalent of 400 times around the world, during which he made 700 trips to entertain ten million GIs,” none other than Bob Hope! — according to Hollywood Museum President and Founder Donelle Dadigan.
High Tea and Highballs. Photo courtesy of Le Meridien Pasadena Arcadia.
Christmas is this Saturday. Whether you’re looking to dine at a restaurant, get a feast to go, check out a cocktail pop-up, or enjoy a highball with high tea, see below for a list of a few of our favorite holiday options. And remember – if you’re dining in, don’t forget your mask and vaccine card!
Step into an elegant, Dr. Seuss-ian milieu at the Winter Wonderland pop-up at The Green Room! The Green Room is the hidden lounge at Burbank’s gorgeously remodeled Castaway, the restaurant now as acclaimed for its food and drinks as its stunning views. This holiday pop-up takes place Thursdays through Saturdays from 6 to 11 p.m. through January 2, with seasonal offerings like Drink up Grinches (crafted with bourbon, Amaretto, Frangelico, Bailey’s, and holiday spices) and Whoville Holiday Cream Puffs with roasted apple, caramel, and spiced cream. More information
Bourbon Steak, Michael Mina’s acclaimed modern steakhouse at The Americana in Glendale, is open on Christmas Eve. From 4-9 p.m., enjoy sharable Bourbon Steak dishes like Lobster Pot Pie and tableside Prime Rib. While you’re there, try the week’s sparkling wine special (special sparklers change every week all December): Chemistry Pinot Noir Rosé Willamette Valley, Oregon (glass $14, or bottle, $62).
Santa Monica cocktail bar and taqueria Lanea is offering holiday tamales every weekend through the end of the year! Made by the Barbacoa Queen of Los Angeles — Petra Zavaleta of Barbakush — these gluten-free tamales feature Petra’s secret seasoning and are available at Lanea for just $3 each. Try grilled chicken, grilled pork, queso mozzarella, or a vegan version: the pineapple-filled Pina.
Photo of ABT’s “The Nutcracker” by Gene Schiavone.
For many of us, the spirit of the holiday season really kicks off with a live performance of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” American Ballet Theatre’s enchanting version of this timeless classic is currently playing at Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa.
More than 100 performers take the stage during this vibrant production. You’ll encounter a plethora of talents, though none are more staggering than those of American Ballet Theatre’s world-class dancers.
The magical milieu of “The Nutcracker” milieu is enhanced by sets and costumes by Tony Award-winning designer Richard Hudson (“The Lion King”), along with the Pacific Symphony’s rousing performance of one of Tchaikovsky’s most notable scores.
“The Nutcracker” is a show you can see again and again. It’s well worth the drive from LA to Costa Mesa to see this hypnotic production at Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Segerstrom Hall. Continue reading →
“Get Crazy” (1983, Kino Lorber) The stage crew of the Saturn Theater (played by the Wiltern in the midst of its 1980s renovation) works overtime to deliver a New Year’s Eve concert to a frenzied crowd while also contending with oversized rock star egos, LSD in the drinking fountain, and a bomb placed in the building by venomous rock promoter Colin Beverly (Ed Begley, Jr.). Frantic music comedy by “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” director Allan Arkush – who loosely based the film on his own experiences at the Fillmore East – shares that movie’s “Mad” Magazine/Looney Tunes/Marx Brothers anarchic energy, but also finds time to affectionately lampoon both the rock and roll lifestyle and the highs and lows of those in its orbit. The music is where movies about rock and roll fall flat, but “Get Crazy” pulls off the rare feat of delivering funny parodies that also sound great: Malcolm McDowell (backed by a very funny John Densmore of the Doors, along with Coati Mundi, Jonathan Melvoin, and Derf Scratch) throws himself headlong into a self-impressed stadium rocker, while Lori Eastside leads a platoon of crack female players through some high energy New Wave tunes before giving way to Lee Ving’s Iggy-esque roomwrecker. Continue reading →
Probyn Gregory with Mike Nesmith. Photo courtesy of Probyn Gregory.
Written by Probyn Gregory
What a year of loss. Julia woke me with the news that Michael “Papa Nez” Nesmith has left this Earth. Many of you know how huge the Monkees were (and are) to me. I was wildly fortunate enough to have spent some one-on-one time with each of them, but the one I was closest with was Nez, with his genteel demeanor, steel trap mind and questing inquisitive soul. My only consolation is that within the month, I had a long chat with him in his dressing room at their final show (where I was again lucky enough to be able to sit in– thanks Andrew Sandoval and Wayne Avers). That night he reiterated his interest in having me be a part of his First National Band redux, though I think we both knew that was never going to happen, partly because what he needed was someone who played violin and mandolin, instruments I do not excel at.
Being at the Greek Theater for that show was coming full Circle Sky for me because Sept. 7 1986 when Nez broke with then-recent tradition and joined the other three Monkees on stage, I had gotten wind this might happen and when the MC announced that there was “a very special guest this evening” and paused for effect, I stood up in the 9th row, turned and waved at the crowd, dressed as Mike, with green wool hat, double-row red shirt, pegleg jeans and Beatle boots. Probably the biggest applause I ever got. Earlier when I met the Monkees and got all their autographs (Billy Katz is now the owner of that fine document), Mike saw me from across the room and put his elbow over his face in (hopefully mock) agony, though we later had the first of our many chats, which ranged far and wide but almost always included Red Rhodes, the pedal steel player who was employed by Nez for many years.
