March 26, 2009

L.A. City Beat hand picks calendar selections from among the myriad events that happen weekly in Los Angeles. In order to be considered, please submit all information at least two weeks in advance to calendar@lacitybeat.com or write Calendar / L.A. City Beat / 5209 Wilshire Blvd. / Los Angeles, CA / 90036. No faxes or phone calls, please.

CLUBS

Compiled by Ron Garmon
Avaland sends Audiojack, Bobina, Kazell and Matuss “Back to the USSR.” The Avalon, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood; avalonhollywood.com. Sat., 10 p.m.-7 a.m. $15 presale.

ChemiXtry overseen by DJs Defcon and Cleaver, gets your weekend amour on with a mix of house, hip-hop and downtempo every second and fourth Friday at “Santa Monica’s Hippest Wine Bar.” The Air Conditioned Lounge, 2819 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 829-3700; airconditionedbar.com. Fri., 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Free.

Detroit Rock City brings a brisk get-up-everybody-gonna-move-their-feet to every get-down-everybody’s-gonna-leave-their-seat with DJ Stephen’s curated selection of classic rock and punk. The Bigfoot Lodge, 3172 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, (323) 662-1611; bigfootlodge/lahome. Sat., 9 p.m.–2 a.m.

Deep has Jerry Flores plus Marques Wyatt to run the voodoo down this Sunday night. The Vanguard, 6021 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 463-3331; vanguardla.com. Sun., 10 p.m.-4 a.m. $15 presale.

Funky Sole is DJs Miles and Clifton working this long-running confunkshun, a weekend mainstay since the memory of Clubland runneth not to the contrary. The Echo, 8122 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 413-8200; attheecho.com. Sat., 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Free. 21+.

Hussy Saturdays, with DJ Myles Hendrick and the beautiful people. The Beauty Bar, 1638 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 464-7676; beautybar.com/la. Sat., 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Free.

Visionshock Fridays, the “Biggest Asian Friday Night Party in L.A.” Le Cercle Supper Club, 721 S. Western Ave, Los Angeles, (213) 384-3366; lecerclela.com. Fri., 10 p.m.-2 a.m.

We Love House: A Spring Green Party celebrates the regnant throb of the Boulevard of Busted Dreams. You can hear house music up and down the street, but why not at King King, 6555 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, (323) 960-5765; kingkinghollywood.com? Fri., 10 p.m.-4 a.m. $10 before 11.

MUSIC

Compiled by Sarah Tressler
Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks El Rey Theater, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 936-6400; theelrey.com. Thur., Mar. 26, 7 p.m. $28.

Sierra Swan, Carina Round Largo at the Coronet, 366 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 855-0350; largo-la.com. Thur., Mar. 26, 9 p.m. $15 per couple.

The Tallest Man on Earth, Emily Wells The Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 276-6168; troubadour.com. Thur., Mar. 26, 9 p.m. $12 in adv.

Cold War Kids Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, downtown Los Angeles, (877) 677-4386; laorpheum.com. Fri., 8 p.m. $22.

The AP Tour feat. 3OH!3 The Avalon, 1735 Vine St., Hollywood, (323) 462-8900; avalonhollywood.com. Fri., 6:30 p.m. See website for cost.

Pelican, Wolves in the Throne Room, Tombs The Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 276-6168; troubadour.com. Fri., 8:30 p.m. $13 in adv.; $15 at the door.

Emery The Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 276-6168; troubadour.com. Sat., 7 p.m. $13 in adv., $15 at the door.

Bleeding Through Key Club, 9039 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 786-1712; keyclub.com. Sat., 7:15 p.m. $14.99 in adv.; $17 the day of the show. 18+.

Japan Nite 2009 feat. detroit7 and Sparta Locals The Knitting Factory, 7021 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 463-0204; la.knittingfactory.com. Sun., 7 p.m. $12. 

Steel Panther The Key Club, 9039 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 786-1712; keyclub.com. Mon., 9 p.m. $18, under 21; $20, 21 and up. 18+.

Less Than Jake, The Expendables The Avalon, 1735 Vine St., Hollywood, (323) 462-8900; avalonhollywood.com. Tue., 6:30 p.m. See website for cost.

HDR, Stab City, Muck Sticky, Blacklist Union The Viper Room, 8852 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 358-1880, viperroom.com. Tue., 8:30 p.m. $10 in adv.; $12 the day of the show. 21+.

Gavin DeGraw El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 936-6400; theelrey.com. Wed., 8 p.m. $23.

Keith Anderson, Luke Bryan House of Blues, 8430 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 848-5100; hob.com. Wed., 7 p.m. $29.

Vans Warped Tour Kick-Off Party feat. The Adolescents and Sing it Loud The Key Club, 9039 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 786-1712; keyclub.com. Thur., Apr. 2, 7 p.m. 18+.

Lily Allen The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 388-1400; livenation.com. Thur., Apr. 2, 8 p.m. $70-$300.

Voxhaul Broadcast The Echo, 1822 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 413-8200; attheecho.com. Thur., Apr. 2, 8:30 p.m. See website for cost.

THEATER

Compiled by Don Shirley
Beggars in the House of Plenty John Patrick Shanley’s expulsion of his pain over growing up in an unloving Irish American family doesn’t go far beyond refracted therapy, thematically speaking. But Shanley’s style of splintered surrealism hooks our interest, and Larry Moss’ terrific cast seals the deal. Theatre/Theater-Pico, 5041 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, (800) 838-3006; brownpapertickets.com. Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. $18-$25. Closes Sun., March 29.

Everybody Say “Cheese!” Memories of his squabbling parents from the ’60s inspired Garry’s Marshall’s comedy, set in 1965. With her nest emptied, Harriet (DeeDee Rescher) is turning 50 and wants more out of life than her routines in a Bronx apartment can provide. But Leo (Joe Regalbuto, often channeling Marshall’s own distinctive inflections) would rather keep building shelves inside the apartment as a kind of buffer against the changing world. Marshall shovels improbable comic shtick into the situation – on the same day Harriet demands a divorce, she supposedly boosts her chances by hiring a sleazy attorney (Joel Johnstone) to bring a sinus-congested prostitute (Roberta Valderrama) into the home and stage fake adultery photos – and the otherwise resistant Leo cooperates. Marshall’s program note says he originally wrote the play as a break from sitcoms, so why punch it up with sitcom plot twists? Still, as directed by Steve Zuckerman, it gets some of the laughs that Marshall felt were necessary. Falcon Theatre, 4252 Riverside Dr., Burbank, (818) 955-8101; falcontheatre.com. Wed.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m.; Sat., April 11, 4 p.m. $32.50-$55. Closes Sat., April 11.

Frost/Nixon Is the celebrated saga about David Frost’s interviews of Nixon worth seeing when you could have seen the movie for as little as one-fortieth of the cost of a ticket to the play? In this recession, no. Too bad that screenwriter Peter Morgan wrote both scripts – another writer might have brought a sufficiently different voice to justify seeing both versions. The power of the close-up screen image is an important theme here, so director Michael Grandage uses a big screen monitor to replicate what we’re seeing during the interview segments, but why is it divided into 36 little squares? Alan Cox’s Frost is more lightweight than Michael Sheen’s in the movie. Nixon is currently played by Bob Ari, but I saw Stacy Keach in the role before he suffered a mild stroke. Keach is set to return on Friday. Ahmanson Theatre, Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 628-2772, centertheatregroup.org. Tue.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun., 1 & 6:30 p.m. Dark March 26. $20-$80. Closes Sun., March 29.

Ghosts All the modern realistic dramas about the exposure of family secrets owe a debt to Ibsen, and maybe especially to this well-known but seldom-staged gloom-fest from 1881. The widow Alving (Deborah Strang), about to dedicate an orphanage in her husband’s memory, can’t resist telling a few unsavory truths about the deceased after decades of repression. She speaks with the pastor (Joel Swetow) she once loved, with her ailing and free-loving artist son (J. Todd Adams) and with her maid who’s actually more than a maid (Rebecca Mozo through March 22, then Jaimi Paige). Meanwhile, a wily but unpleasant contractor (Mark Bramhall) schemes to get something out of everyone else. Director Michael Murray and the sterling cast weave the strands together smoothly without tumbling into soap operatic excess. The design team successfully evokes the bleak atmosphere of a dark, dark Norwegian town. A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, (818) 240-0910; anoisewithin.org. In repertory; phone or check web site for schedule. $40-$44. Closes Sat., May 9.

Goldfish John Kolvenbach’s play about a responsible son and college student (Tasso Feldman) who has to compensate for his wayward father (Conor O’Farrell) is mildly poignant but almost weirdly old-fashioned. Although set in “the present,” the boy and his new girlfriend (Kate Rylie) communicate only by landline phone when they’re separated. And I didn’t believe that these two would want to get married before they’re out of college. The girl’s mom (Joan McMurtrey) is problematic in her own way, but her opposition to hearing wedding bells makes sense. Loretta Greco extracts wonderful performances from one and all. South Coast Repertory, Argyros Stage, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, (714) 708-5555; scr.org. Tue.-Sun., 7:45 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 2 p.m. $28-$64. Closes Sun., April 5. 

The Graduate Terry Johnson adapted the play from Charles Webb’s novel as well as the screenplay of the famous movie, and the differences from the movie are obvious. Benjamin’s love object Elaine Robinson is much more substantial here and her final decision better justified, and Benjamin and Elaine are not quite the same avatars of youthful rebellion. The comedy of manners snaps crisply in Jules Aaron’s intimate staging for West Coast Ensemble, with Ben Campbell as a very callow Benjamin and Kelly Lloyd as an utterly commanding Mrs. Robinson. El Centro Theater, 800 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood, (323) 460-4443; tix.com. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. $18-$20. Closes Sun., April 5.

Grand Motel In Michael Sargent’s droll new comedy, the Tennessee Williams-like playwright Cornelius Coffin (Dennis Christopher) retreats to a clothing-optional gay motel in Palm Springs during the premiere of his latest Broadway fiasco. As in the Grand Hotel template, other guests and less welcome intruders pass through, under the fretful eye of the proprietor couple (Craig Johnson, Erik Hanson). Sargent’s playful but rueful script and his excellent cast are treated to a deluxe simulation of the tacky milieu by designer Chris Covics. Unknown Theater, 1110 Seward St., Hollywood, (323) 466-7781; unknowntheater.com. Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 6 p.m. $18-$24. Closes Sat., March 28. 

The Increased Difficulty of Concentration This seldom seen absurdist comedy by Vaclav Havel, the great Czech playwright/ex-president, is oh-so-1968. A social scientist (Scott Rognlien) balances a nagging wife, sexy mistress and tempting secretary with the intrusions of another scientist (Amy Stiller), who’s trying to use a temperamental computer to analyze personalities. Stale sexual politics aside, the second act includes some funny, dizzying images of modern theories gone mad. Lounge Theatre, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 960-7788; plays411.com/increaseddifficulty. Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m. $20. Closes Sat., March 28.

Laws of Sympathy. Oliver Mayer is on to something here, in his depiction of how a mother (Anita Dashiell) and newly grown daughter (Diarra Kilpatrick) who have survived civil war in Somalia encounter culture shock and possibly worse exploitation in their new life in Atlanta. Jon Lawrence Rivera’s staging for Playwrights’ Arena seems fairly sturdy, although the playwright had to play Enani’s role, script in hand, at the performance I saw, after Enani called in sick. Perhaps this had something to do with my feeling that the counselors were over-emphasized at the expense of the women themselves. Studio/stage, 520 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 627-4473; playwrightsarena.org. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. $20. Closes Sun., March 29.  

The Letters In 1931, a Soviet bureaucrat (Norman Snow) summons a nervous underling (Julia Fletcher) to his office with good news – a promotion over her fellow censors in the archives department. Then the other shoe drops, as it becomes apparent that one of her comrades has been very, very bad in Stalinist terms and that she is expected to provide key evidence against the man who has been her off-hours lover. John W. Lowell’s 80-minute, real-time dialogue twists and turns down sinuous and sinister alleys as the two assess each other’s defenses. I didn’t find the ending completely credible, but I won’t give it away, because Anne McNaughton’s direction for Andak Stage is too fascinatingly nuanced to spoil. NewPlace Studio,10950 Peach Grove St., North Hollywood, (866) 811-4111; Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. $20. Closes Sun., April 19.

Lie With Me A family stews in the aftermath of adult-onset incest, several years after the fact, but they have to face each other again when the mother (Emily Morrison) is hospitalized with brain cancer. The principals are the father (Christian Lebano) and older daughter (Taylor Coffman), whose sister (Amber Hamilton) spills the beans to the older daughter’s filmmaker boyfriend (Ian Cohn). Playwright Keith Bridges worked in collaboration with members of the new Mutineer Theatre. Nothing is especially surprising, and a scene from the period when the incest was ongoing might have added some raw power, but the performances feel lived-in and convincing in Joe Banno’s staging. Art/Works Theatre, 6569 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 960-7787; plays411/com/liewithme. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 7 p.m. $18. Closes Sun., April 5.

Mammals John Pleshette’s U.S. premiere of Amanda Bullmore’s play is a funny, dead-eyed glance at the bending and breaking of two couples. Half of the roles are double cast, but the group I saw was exactly right, including the women playing rambunctious kids. Lost Studio, 130 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (800) 595-4849; tix.com. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 4 p.m. $25. Closes Sun., April 5.

Photograph 51 Anna Ziegler tells the tale of the British scientist Rosalind Franklin (Aria Alpert), whose titular photograph played an instrumental role in the research that led to the discovery of DNA’s double helix structure by the more celebrated, all-male team of James Watson (Ian Gould), Francis Crick (Kerby Joe Grubb) and Franklin’s particular nemesis Maurice Wilkins (Daniel Billet). The no-nonsense Franklin is seen here not simply as a casualty of sexism but also, more dimensionally, as a woman whose loner obstinacy might even have irritated other women scientists – if any of them had been in the labs. Partially because of her premature death at age 37, from a cancer that Ziegler suggests might have been caused by her work in the lab, she assumes a tragic stature that elevates the play and Simon Levy’s staging into an absorbing and touching event, marred only by a rather pro forma and insufficiently introduced romantic interest (Ross Hellwig) and lightened by the droll presence of Franklin’s graduate assistant (Graham Norris). Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Hollywood, (323) 663-1525; fountaintheatre.com. Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. $18-$28. Closes Sun., May 3.

The Trial of the Catonsville Nine. Daniel Berrigan’s 1971 docudrama, about his and eight fellow Catholic activists’ trial for burning draft records during the Vietnam War, is famous in L.A. for Gordon Davidson’s premiere at the Taper, which was rumored to have been monitored by the FBI. Yet Jon Kellam’s revival is rather staid, especially in contrast to that other recently revived Vietnam protest docudrama The Chicago Conspiracy Trial. Actors’ Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, (310) 838-4264; theactorsgang.com. Thur.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. Closes Sat., March 28.

For more reviews, go to Currently Playing at lacitybeat.com.

DANCE/COMEDY/PERFORMANCE/SIGNINGS

Compiled by Guelda Voien
Steve Goldstein presents and signs L.A.’s Graveside Companion Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 659-3110; booksoup.com. Sat., 7 p.m. Free.

ISU World Figure Skating Championships Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (213) 742-7340; staplescenter.com. Thur., March 26, 12:30 p.m.; Fri., 8:45 a.m.; Sat. 4 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m. $20- $325.

Carol Leifer, with special guest Garry Shandling, presents and signs When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win The Writer’s Guild Theatre, 135 S. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills, (323) 782-4525; writersblocpresents.com. Tue., 7:30 p.m. $20.

Walter Mosley discusses and signs The Long Fall Vroman’s, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 449-5320; vromansbookstore.com. Sun., 5 p.m. Free.

Parabox Son of Semele, 3301 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 351-3507; sonofsemele.org. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. $12.

Franz Wisner signs and presents How the World Makes Love 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 660-1175; skylightbooks.com/NASApp/store/. Thur., April 2, 7:30 p.m. Free.

ART

Compiled by Ron Garmon
Bombshell-ter! Feminine Oddities presents a post-apocalyptic mutant art party at The Hive Gallery and Studios, 729 S. Spring St., Los Angeles; www.feminineoddities.com. Fri., 8:30 p.m.-midnight. $8; $5 if dressed like a pin-up, mutant or military man.

Don Simon: Nature 2.0 Simon’s fussy and naturalistic color-pencil drawings of wildlife encountering our curious civilization will startle you. Yarger-Strauss Contemporary, 354 N. Bedford Dr., Beverly Hills, (310) 278-4400; yargerstrauss.com. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Drawing on a Printing Machine Superstar artist David Hockney thinks Photoshop superior to any other kind of painting, but printing an image far too slow for commercial appeal, thus making the practice fine art by default. L.A. Louver, 45 N. Venice Blvd.,Venice, (310) 822-4955; www.lalouver.com. Through Sat., March 28.

Edward Hagedorn: California Modernist The dynamic and truly weird vision of the late San Francisco eccentric. Couturier Gallery, 166 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (310) 829-2156; couturiergallery.com. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Through Sat., May 2.

Explosions in a Mental Sky features the startling abstract landscapes of David O’Brien and “Double Dip”, the lysergic inspirations of Tofer Chin. CERASOLI Gallery, 8530-B Washington Blvd., Culver City. (310) 945-5974; cerasoligallery.com. Tue.-Sat., 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. Free.

Institute: Under Hand Seeking to upset “the traditional activity of the artist who makes unique objects or manipulates and retouches found objects under the ‘authority of the hand,” this exhibit highlights the ways storytelling, a/v recordings and disintegrating ephemera can document how the hand of the artist may construct untruth as readily as truth. If art is supposed to a true representation of the world, what are we to make attempts at deception? The Institute of Cultural Inquiry, 1512 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 273-7181; culturalinquiry.org. Regular hours: Thur., noon-4 p.m.; every odd Sat., noon-5 p.m. Free. Through Sun., March 29.

Lines Doni Silver Simons explores the marking of time in this collection of abstracts. Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Studio 21, 3026 Airport Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 397-7493; frumkingallery.com. Wed.-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Meet My Moji A group show in which artists create their own Japanese pop-culture toy character (or “Moji”) in a charming stylistic exercise. Opening Mar. 28, 7 p.m.-10p.m. Pop Monster in Torrance, 24416 Crenshaw Blvd. #3, Torrance, (310) 325-8686; myspace.com/popmonster1. Sun.-Thur., noon-8 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., noon-9 p.m.

Short Stories bids you enter the tiny universes of sculptor Diem Chau and photographer Wendy Given. Fifth Floor, 502 Chung King Ct., Chinatown, (213) 687-8443; fifthfloorgallery.com. Thur.-Sun., noon-6.p.m.

Superschool A group show at the Copro Nason curated by Lola (whose “Natural Beauties” show is also running at the same Westside gallery) purporting to represent “a select cross-section from contemporary masters of the visual equation.” Copro Nason, Bergamont Station, 2525 Michigan Ave.Bergamot Station; C-2, D-5 Galleries, Santa Monica. (310) 829-2159. copronasoncom. Tue.-Sat. 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Free. Through Sat., March 28.