The place is fabulous pretty much all the time, but the holidays are special.
Category Archives: Los Angeles
Review – “2:22 A Ghost Story”
A lot of what we see at the Ahmanson and Pantages here in LA are musicals and wildly popular plays. “Hamilton.” “Wicked.” “1776.” “Oklahoma!” “Evan Hanson.”
If you get a chance, I would recommend that you go see “2:22 A Ghost Story.”
It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot. It’s not a musical, it’s not a classic, it’s not perfect. It’s a ghost story. (It’s right there in the title.)
The run at the Ahmanson is the first US presentation after runs at several theaters in London, where it’s won awards and been very popular. The staging in interesting, as is the story.
And beyond that I’ll be quiet since, as the writer says in his notes in the program, all ghost stories are also mysteries.
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Music Center For The Holidays
It’s time to start the next season of plays at the Ahmamson Theatre in Los Angeles. The Music Center is all gussied up for the holidays.
That’s the side of the Mark Taper Forum on the left with the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion off in the distance on the other side of the Plaza where the Christmas tree is.
Tonight we’re seeing “2:22 A Ghost Story.” I don’t think there will be a lot of singing or dancing…
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Danny Elfman At The Bowl
You might recall that on Saturday I and most of the family were at the Hollywood Bowl for the Danny Elfman concert. I posted at the beginning, then enjoyed the show.
It might have been absolutely amazing!
Excellent graphics to go along with the music, usually very bizarre.
“Only A Lad” – there were several classic Oingo Boingo songs, along with a lot of his other pretty hardcore rock and punk tunes. For starters.
The wide angle view, with the two big screens on each side, and then two more out even further to the side and closer to us. There might have been another set up behind us, but we were in a good location so I didn’t worry about what was behind us.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” – mixed in with the Oingo Boingo and punk were selections from his dozens and dozens and dozens of movie scores and television theme songs.
This whole slection was done live with the primary singers, a full orchestra, and a choir. NOT a subtle or small production.
Amazing work to see done live, coordinated with the video from the movie on the big screen behind them.
The entire production was almost too much, just overwhelming. It’s so rare that he performs live these days, just one Coachella set a couple weeks ago and these two nights at the Bowl (plus an odd short show at the Bowl once or twice) since 1995. Twenty-seven years and you can count on one hand the number of his live concerts – and we were there!
Filed under Los Angeles, Music, Photography
More Excellent Noise Tonight
Yesterday I noted that my watch warned me on Thursday about the noise levels at the Kings game.
There will be slightly fewer folks here than at the Crypt on Thursday. Capacity here is 17,500 vs 20,000 at Crypto.com Arena – but our band tonight will be a LOT louder.
It’s night #2 at the Hollywood Bowl for Danny Elfman’s Halloween 🎃 concert.
The moon was setting as we climbed the hill.
The crowd is packed – this is a hot ticket. The use of legal recreational pot is widespread, “No Smoking” signs be damned, and those of us not partaking are in danger of a contact high.
The opening act was loud and okay, but I didn’t catch their names and I have no urgent need to track them down.
Now, the full orchestra is assembled and momentarily it will be a Dead Man’s Party – literally!
Filed under Los Angeles, Music, Photography, Uncategorized
More Where That Came From
Last night at the hockey game, my watch tried to warn me…
As they say, “No shit, Sherlock!”
There will be more of that tomorrow night. LOTS more. (That’s a good thing!)
Later, walking to the subway station (did you know that LA has a subway/light rail system, and actually a pretty good one that’s growing every year?) I could see that downtown LA at night can be spectacular and beautiful.
It’s also a very urban environment, with all that brings. Keep safe.
Filed under Los Angeles, Photography
Finishing The Ahmanson Season
The regular Ahmanson Theater season is six plays with a seventh “extra” which we added, plus the Taper production from last Saturday. The first play of this season (“A Christmas Carol”) was wiped out by COVID last December, so tonight will be our seventh of the year.
Not to worry that we’ll get bored, we’ve already gotten our subscription for next year, with the first play in December.
Tonight, LA City Hall is lit up in…pink? Purple? Lavender? Still no clue as to the whys for any given night’s color.
The big question of the night, of course, is if the Astros-Mariners game will be done while we’re at the play, or if we’ll come out at 23:00 to find it still 0-0 in the top of the 37th!
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Music Center Panorama
From Saturday.
(Click it – blow it up.)
The full moon and Jupiter on the far left, LA City Hall lit up in red, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion center left, the fountains in the Music Center Plaza, and the Mark Taper Forum.
The search for the “forever home” is on and unless there’s a lottery jackpot out there, Los Angeles is out.
But I will miss this and its like.
Filed under Los Angeles, Panorama, Photography
Something New At The Music Center
At least, new for me!
After close to a dozen plays over the last couple of years at the Ahmanson Theater, plus some concerts at the Disney Concert Hall next door, I’m going to my first play at the Mark Taper Forum.
“The Search For Intelligent Life In The Universe” is in a revival here, of course made famous originally by Lily Tomlin. She won the Tony Award for it in 1986. I’m looking forward to it.
Meanwhile, LA City Hall is lit up in bright red tonight while the full moon and Jupiter are rising in the west (to the left). Quite the sight!
A quick Google search doesn’t tell me why it’s lit that way tonight. I suspect it’s not in support of my beloved Kansas City Chiefs – but we’re going to go with that until someone comes up with a better (i.e., a real answer!
Filed under Astronomy, Entertainment, Los Angeles, Photography
Play #5 For This Season
And the Ahmanson already has banners up for next year’s season. “2:22,” which is some kind of supernatural thriller. “Ain’t Too Proud,” which will have great music. “1776,” which is currently on Broadway and one of my all-time favorites.
Tonight we have drizzle, and the legal vax & mask requirements have been relaxed (idiot politicians!) but we’ll be masked up anyway. It’s a policy that got us through two plane trips, Worldcon, lots of sightseeing and restaurants in Chicago, and still with negative COVID test results.
Are any of you getting out to do anything fun this weekend? Tell me in the comments!
Filed under Entertainment, Los Angeles
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 