By Ted AYALA Southwest Chamber Music’s retrospective of the music of France came to an end on Sunday at the Huntington Library in Pasadena with a program that highlighted charm and the sense of frivole in French music. There was plenty of the latter in Darius Milhaud’s “Le boeuf sur le toit,” a breezy love […]
Immediate Past President John LoCascio Receives Award for Service The Armenian Consulate in Los Angeles, Seeley’s Building, and four historic districts received preservation awards from The Glendale Historical Society (TGHS) Saturday evening. In addition, TGHS Immediate Past President John LoCascio received the society’s prestigious Zelia Blanton Award for service. The awards were presented by […]
By Ted AYALA As August winds down, so too do the long, warm days of summer. This weekend may be among the last chances to enjoy some food and wine al fresco while listening to great music. Both Southwest Chamber Music and the California Philharmonic Orchestra are offering some appetizing options before Labor Day signals […]
By Ted AYALA Executives from the Pasadena Symphony and Pops announced Michael Feinstein as the successor to late Pops director Marvin Hamlisch during a press conference held at noon today. The conference, which was held in the rotunda of the Pasadena City Hall, gathered together executives from the Pasadena Symphony and Pops, the Los […]
By Susan JAMES A modest fable with a magical twist, Disney’s new release “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” is a charming story of the challenges of parenting. No explosions, no CGI, no chase scenes, but definitely some quirky secrets that thread through the plot. Jim and Cindy Green, played by Joel Edgerton and Jennifer […]
By Ted AYALA The California Philharmonic brought some cool musical relief from the persistent heat wave on Sunday afternoon. Those who packed Disney Hall in search of refuge from the wilting heat were met with the refreshing sound of the orchestra in its usual mash-up of friendlier classical fare and show tunes. A choice sampling […]
By Ted AYALA Oppressive heat, stifling humidity, and the mournful wail of the dàn-bu (a kind of cross between a theremin and a monochord) mingling gently with the chorus of crickets and the sound of the occasional mosquito. A scene that only needed the joyous noise of the night markets and the taste of a […]
By Susan JAMES Full disclosure: I’ve never seen Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1990 version of “Total Recall,” so I have nothing to compare with director Len Wiseman’s current version. But I doubt if the Schwarzenegger take on a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world and the role of memory in shaping perception would have lingered in the popular culture if […]
Marvin Hamlisch, renowned composer of stage and screen, director of the Pasadena Pops, dies at 68. By Ted AYALA Marvin Hamlisch, the revered Broadway and film composer who had recently become a fixture on the local cultural landscape through his leadership of the Pasadena Pops, died unexpectedly on Monday at age 68. Hamlisch, according to […]