Summertime usually calls for concerts and festivals, not to mention some serious couch potato time. This coming week you can splurge on a night out complete with cocktails and dinner, take a family day to a local festival, be a history buff, or just take it easy and pop in a new movie starring a Slumdog Millionaire actress.
One Night, One Stage, One World
When: Saturday, July 9, 8 pm
Where: Grand Performances at California Plaza, 350 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
How: It’s $200 per person, but hey, it’s for a good cause! Purchase tickets here.
After a night of cocktails and a catered dinner, enjoy a musical journey around the world tonight. Check out Kinnara Taiko’s choreography when you make a pitstop in Japan, then head over Africa with MC Rai‘s potent North African musical cocktail.
It’s also a celebration of Grand Performances’ 25 years of offering free access to the performing arts.
It’s been a reasonably cool 80 degrees this past week, so I hope you were able to ditch the work emails and head out to some of our cool events. If not, then this is the week to do it! With the Fourth of July holiday on Monday, I’m sure the long weekend is much-needed to regroup. I have an outside Bollywood dance party and for the extreme anime lovers, there’s a HUGE convention going on (complete with costumes galore).
David B. Jang: New Works
When: Now through Wednesday, August 3, 8 am
Where: DAC Gallery, 828 S. Main St., Los Angeles, 90014
How: It’s free.
Artist David B. Jang turns ordinary objects into extraordinary pieces of art. Styrofoam cups, empty potato chip bags and scraps of paper towels come together to make pieces that, the artist says, viewers can relate to because of the familiarity they have with the materials.
I remember exactly what I was doing on March 11, 2010. I was sitting in a newsroom at UC Berkeley, furiously typing away on my MacBook trying to meet a deadline, and, of course, refreshing my Facebook news feed. And that’s how I found out about the deadly tsunami in Japan. After a frenzied search for the TV remote, I clicked through channel after channel of news coverage about the natural disaster.
Photo: Cnet.com
In only two years, two countries have lost thousands of people and suffered irreparable damage — a 7.0-magnitude quake in Haiti in early 2010 and the tsunami on the east coast of Japan that was brought on by a 8.9-magnitude quake.
But out of these tragedies came an outpouring of support and an onslaught of relief efforts. From businesses and individuals collecting monetary donations and canned goods, to artists auctioning off their famed works of art and one-of-a-kind creations.
Everyone was standing shoulder-to-shoulder on Friday night at L.A.-based Bluebook Productions’ website launch party at Chop Suey Café & Lounge. It was hard to navigate around people rocking out to the performances by Vudoo Soul and rapper Shin-B, and the women who were playfully showcasing their love for Sam Kang.
Check out the new trailer for 30 Minutes or Less, featuring Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation) and Dilshad Vadsaria (Greek). The film is scheduled to release on August 12.
Read about it in our Summer 2011 issue!
We can’t believe it’s almost the end of June! Here are some cool events to tide you over until it’s time for some Fourth of July fireworks. You can treat your eyes and ears to some cool performances featuring traditional Asian dances or snag a ticket for a charitable event.
3rd National Asian American Theater Festival
When: Thursday, June 23-26, 7:00 pm
Where: Locations vary by performance
How: Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased at caata.net, by phone at (213) 625-7000, or in person at the East West Players’ administrative office located at 120 N. Judge John Aiso, Los Angeles 90012.
Whether you’re in the mood for a hip-hop musical, aerial art, or comedic storytelling, head to the Asian American Theatre Festival, starting tonight. The performers and storytellers are coming in from all over the country and the list includes performance artist Denise Uyehara, writer and performer May Lee-Yang, and East West Players. Can’t make it tonight or tomorrow? No problem—they have repeat performances throughout the weekend!
This past weekend, Las Vegas was more than just a summer hot spot for bottle service and laying poolside in a cabana. The Miss USA pageant was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino on Sunday night.
Miss Hawaii Angela Byrd. Credit: Miss Universe L.P., LLLP/Patrick Prather.
Miss Hawaii Angela Byrd made it past the swimsuit competition and earned herself a spot in the top 10. Credit: James Otoa/EverettMaking it to the top 10 was Miss Hawaii, Angela Byrd. The 23-year-old English-Scottish Korean sauntered across the stage in a shimmery blue string bikini and nude strappy stilettos during the swimsuit competition. Then she donned an embellished off-white evening gown before she was thrown out of the competition when the judges selected the top four. Despite the loss, Byrd–who also works as a model–plans on continuing her education to become a physician assistant.
LA-based Bluebook Productions is launching its new website in style this Friday night at Chop Suey Café & Lounge.
Comprised of musicians, choreographers, scholars, event planners, and other innovative minds, this creative arts collective is focused on propelling more Asian Pacific Islanders into the music entertainment industry. A hefty lineup of performers include Sam Kang, Dawen, Shin-B, and Vudoo Soul, with beats by resident DJ Young Duzzin.
Where: Chop Suey Café & Lounge, 347 East 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA
Date: Friday, June 24
Time: 9:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. (doors open at 9 p.m.)
Cost: $10 cover, purchase at http://bluebookproductions.eventbrite.com/
Details: 21+ only
