Lucy Liu attended the 2016 American Theatre Wing Gala Honoring Cicely Tyson in New York City this week. Looking as beautifully ‘Lucy’ as ever, the actress accented her pink floral gown with a trend-defying Tyler Ellis’ Jamie Clutch in Silver. It’s not on the website yet and order by request only. But you can be sure you’ll need to save your pennies for this one. Nevertheless, we love it. Timeless and classic. This accessory will be in your style repertoire for years to come.
Lana Houston and Rebekah Walendzak star in the Celebration Theatre’s West Coast Premiere of “CHARM.”
In no way is Charm, currently playing at Celebration Theatre on Hollywood Row, unpredictable or a shocker or immediately enthralling. Notwithstanding a very ‘everything’ Mama Darleena (Lana Houston), exquisitely coiffed and perfectly winsome in every scene.
Let’s face it, if one has ever lived or shopped anywhere remotely by the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and La Brea Ave, in Los Angeles, it’s never been hard to notice the [colorful] array of working girls, pre-ops and other gender spectrum that regularly hang out.
On the surface, Charm doesn’t cut new cloth or break new ground in so much as how today’s transgender, gender-neutral community might react to it. The simplistic title and kickin’ club pop interludes, certainly add flavor, but they merely allude to the superficiality of the moment, not the richness of the material.
For in Charm, there is a solid, singular point that screams loudly, making this story in reality, one of the more important plays a young person of any gender should see and experience.
Identity.
Set in “The Center,” a shelter and safe space for LGBTQ, Charm explores the ever more complex issue of Gender Identity through Mama Darleena Andrews, an older, black transgender woman who arrives at the center to teach a class in charm to a youth group.
It’s ridiculous. Or so everyone thinks, including the center’s director of programming, ‘D’ (Rebekah Walendzak) who is happy to have Darleena there, but unnerved by her old-fashioned and potentially harmful methods of distinction.
And here’s where this world gets sticky. This particular group of young and not so young people are many things: on the street, poor, outcast, isolated, living with extraordinary, real fear, hiding in plain sight in gangs, incredibly conflicted about themselves or crossing back and forth from boy to girl at will like a Game of Life.
When Darleena steps in, the entire idea of ‘gender-neutral’ is completely challenged. She herself made a choice long ago about her own sex and in more than merely subtle ways, is instructing these young people to do the same. There are the makeup classes, the clothing choices, the tea party preparations and the dancing lessons which require a definitively unambiguous boy or girl partner.
None of this goes over well at first. But interestingly enough, against current transgender ideals of non-conformity, through etiquette and some old-school let’s get real, Darleena opens their respective eyes to the actual possibility of not just choosing the identity they want, or the labels of one. But living it. Ultimately they learn to accept themselves in their own unique ways.
Narratively and choreographically Charm is a bit of a tangle. But considering the chaos in which all these characters live, when the most truthful moments are given their deserved pauses, they land with considerable and definitive impact. And there is a substantial amount of hilarity and downright honest to goodness street smarts. The tough relationships are revealing.
CHARM
Written by Philip Dawkins
Direct by Michael Matthews
With (in alphabetical order): Chris Aguila, Esteban Andres Cruz, Armand Fields, Tre Hall, Alexander Hogy, Lana Houston, Ashley Romans, Shoniqua Shandai, Rebekah Walendzak
Celebration Theatre @ The Lex
6760 Lexington Ave.
Los Angeles, CA , 90038
For more information, tickets and the online show program check the listing page.
On October 2, 2016, Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Nike SB Super Crown World Championship will, for the second year in a row, include a women’s division bringing together the world’s best female street skateboarders to compete for the title of World Champion.
The eight selected skateboarders will not only compete in front of an anticipated sold-out crowd at the Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles for the ultimate title. They will be competing for the year’s highest first-place prize in women’s street skateboarding – a $30,000 purse and a Championship G-Shock Watch.
Curated in conjunction with the Women’s Skateboarding Alliance (WSA), the Women’s Championship line-up is highly competitive. Since the 2015 inaugural Women’s contest in SLS, the pool of elite female skaters has grown rapidly.
This year’s skaters competing for the title of SLS Nike SB Super Crown World Champion are:
Lacey Baker
Pamela Rosa
Mariah Duran
Alexis Sablone
Vanessa Torres
Alana Smith
Monica Torres
and reigning Super Crown World Champion, Leticia Bufoni
Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical, Miss Saigon is coming to select cinemas nationwide for a special one-night event on Thursday, September 22, in honor of its 25th anniversary.
Captured live in front of a sold-out audience at London’s Prince Edward Theatre, this epic love story tells the tragic tale of young bar girl Kim, orphaned by war, who falls in love with American GI Chris – but their lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon.
Eva Noblezada as Kim in Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical, Miss Saigon. Fathom Events, Universal Pictures and Picturehouse Entertainment.
This special event features a finale of epic proportions with appearances from the original cast, including Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman.
Beastie Boys, LICENSED TO ILL Special 30th Anniversary Edition Vinyl Reissue Available October 14, 2016 (PRNewsFoto/UMe)
The 30th Anniversary LP edition of Beastie Boys’ debut album Licensed To Ill will be released on October 14, 2016. This special reissue was cut from the original production masters and is presented on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl.
Produced by Rick Rubin and Beastie Boys, Licensed To Ill was originally released November 15, 1986–making the B Boys the fifth artist to release a full length album on the original Def Jam label after LL Cool J, Slayer, Tashan and Oran “Juice” Jones. It was the first hip hop album ever to top the Billboard 200 and has been certified RIAA Diamond in the U.S. in 2015 for more than 10 million album sales.
On the all-time greatest albums lists of Rolling Stone, Q, Pitchfork, and NME, virtually every track on the album was a hit single or fan favorite, including “Hold It Now, Hit It,” “The New Style,” “Paul Revere,” “Brass Monkey,” “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” and more.
TRACKLISTING
Rhymin & Stealin’
The New Style
She’s Crafty
Posse in Effect
Slow Ride
Girls
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)
No Sleep till Brooklyn
Paul Revere
Hold It Now, Hit It
Brass Monkey
Slow and Low
Time to Get Ill
This Saturday, September 17, 2016, the We Are LA Family Music Festival, a daylong celebration will take place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. The festival will feature educational family activities representing major cities and cultures in SoCal and all net proceeds from the festival will benefit 7 Los Angeles children’s charities.
Here’s who you’ll be supporting:
826LA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
Ameri-I-Can is focused on enabling individuals to meet their academic potential, to conform their behavior to acceptable society standards, and to improve the quality of their lives by equipping them with the critical life management skills to confidently and successfully contribute to society.
CASA of Los Angeles dedicates resources to mobilize community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children.
Happy Trails for Kids provides enriching outdoor adventures, invaluable mentorships, and opportunities to develop leadership skills and prepare children for life after foster.
Junior Achievement of Southern California seeks to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives.
Richstone Family Center is dedicated to preventing and treating child abuse and trauma, strengthening and educating families and decreasing violence in families, schools, and communities.
LA Galaxy Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to helping children through educational, health and soccer based initiatives and programs.
Musicians and other artists included in Saturday’s line up are:
William Gray was a founding member of The Smokestacks, who, despite national tours, BBC live sessions, radio airplay, two single releases and major label interest, disbanded in 2008 having never officially released an album.
May 2009 saw Gray’s first solo outing None of the Above. Reaction was extremely positive with reviewers drawing favorable comparisons with respected and renowned songwriters like Elliott Smith, Bon Iver, Badly Drawn Boy and Damon Albarn.
In 2015 Gray joined the roster of artists at Medic Independent Records, with the Hangzhou (China) label.
2016 has seen the release of new album Flounce back in March and EP Seine scheduled for an October 1st release.
Seine is underpinned by acoustic guitar and a more traditional approach to writing with overall sound somewhat lo-fi, with tinges of electronica and psychedelia.
Gia On The Move
