After a year of culinary experimentation and an award-winning design makeover, Beachwood Cafe Owner Patti Peck (Millie’s Cafe & Edendale Grill) and Chef Minh Phan (Echo Park Artisanal) will celebrate the milestone with a Grand Opening/One-Year Anniversary party on Friday, March 1, 2013.  The event will feature an open house from 6:00pm to 8:00pm with free passed appetizers, mocktails and cocktails, followed from 8:00pm to 10:00pm with a $30 tasting menu debuting the cafe’s new spring menu.  Beachwood Cafe serves fresh farm-to-table fare in the historic Beachwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles (internationally recognizable for the iconic Hollywood sign).  The whimsical redesign of the restaurant (formerly the Village Coffee Shop), by Architect Barbara Bestor, earned the cafe a 2012 AIA Restaurant Design Award.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served.  The Grand Opening party is open to the public. Read the rest of this entry »

Two of the world’s best guitar ensembles will share the stage when Theatre Raymond Kabbaz presents California Guitar Trio (CGT) and Montréal Guitare Trio (MG3) performing together on Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 7:30pm.  When these two ensembles join forces, audiences will be treated to a “six by six-string” set of eclectic music, including Baroque fugues, Spaghetti Western movie themes, arena rock, world and surf music, and intricate original compositions.  Featuring six virtuoso guitarists from four countries (Japan, Canada, Belgium, and the U.S.), CGT, on steel-stringed guitars, and MG3, on nylon-stringed guitars, fuse over 40 years of combined performing experience into one unique ‘phenomensemble.’  The event is the Los Angeles stop of a 20+ city tour in the U.S. and Canada and will be the first time the two trios will perform together in the City of Angels. The event is supported by the Quebec Government Office in Los Angeles.  Read the rest of this entry »

Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, in association with The Jazz Bakery, presents the powerful Ibrahim Maalouf Quintet on Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 7:30pm.  The event is the Los Angeles stop of the quintet’s international tour for its new album, Wind, released in November 2012.  French-Lebanese Ibrahim Maalouf, on trumpet, will be joined on-stage by Frank Woeste on piano, Ira Coleman on double bass, Walter Smith on saxophone, and Clarence Penn on drums.  Wind is an original score, composed by Maalouf, for the René Clair silent film The Prey of the Wind.  The event is supported by the French Embassy/Cultural Services.  Read the rest of this entry »

Dance label Halocyan Records will take over Medusa Lounge with relentlessly inventive UK producer Untold, with support by John Tejada (LA), Sumsun (FL), and WMX (LA) on Thursday, November 29, 2012 starting at 9:00pm.  The evening’s vibe will span from lush and melodic to dark, dubby and grimy.  Solid Gold Dancer will provide the visuals for the evening.  Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend. The entrance fee is $10.  Venue capacity is limited and early arrival is strongly suggested.  Medusa Lounge is located at 3211 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057.

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Tears of Joy Theatre will perform The Ugliest Duckling, a puppet theatre version of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, at Theatre Raymond Kabbaz at Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, on Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 7:30pm.  Set in Australia and starring a cast of colorful creatures in tabletop rod puppet form, The Ugliest Duckling adds a new twist to the beloved story.  Written by playwright Marc Dunworth, The Ugliest Duckling features a baby platypus that will never grow into a graceful swan. The story is one of self-acceptance and will be performed by Tears of Joy Theatre, known internationally for bringing amazing puppet theatre to audiences young and old.  Read the rest of this entry »

Angel City Chorale (ACC), whose annual holiday concert has been a favorite with Los Angeles audiences since 1993, kicks off the season this year with Making Spirits Bright on Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, 2012.  Both performances start at 7:00pm.  ACC is Making Spirits Bright at Wilshire United Methodist Church with the broadest selection of holiday music offered in the City of Angels.  From traditional carols to rousing gospel numbers, from humorous takes on familiar Christmas songs to music celebrating the joy of Chanukah, ACC offers something for everyone.  This season’s selections range from a beautiful new Christmas work published just this year to the now-classic work of an American master, with selections from Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.  However you celebrate, Angel City Chorale’s uplifting, jubilant concerts will brighten your spirits and lighten your hearts this holiday season.  Read the rest of this entry »

Maximillian Gallery, the award-winning street art gallery in West Hollywood, unveils its newest exhibit, Once Upon a Time in the West, with an artists’ reception on Saturday, November 10, 2012 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.  The exhibit features top street and urban art by a talented roster of artists: Andy Appleton, Mauro Caputo, John Carr, COL, COPE2, DD$, DeeKay, Dog Byte, Richard Duardo, Felix, Rene Gagnon, Gregos, Listak, Devin Liston, Septerhed, Smear, Steven Swimmer and Tazroc.  Once Upon a Time in the West runs through Thursday, December 20, 2012.  Also, Maximillian Gallery is pleased to now feature a selection of unique Rene Gagnon Abraham Obama lenticular prints reworked from Ron English originals.  Read the rest of this entry »

The performance space at Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, with the support of the Québec Government Office in Los Angeles, is pleased to present French-Canadian folk revival quartet Le Vent du Nord as part of its public performing arts series.  The highly-acclaimed band’s traditional Québécois music is heavily influenced by Celtic sounds.  The show will take place at the Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, 10361 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064 on Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 7:30pm.  Tickets cost $35 ($25 for students).

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Arts organization Create:Fixate (C:F) presents Magnetic on Saturday, November 17, 2012 at Lot 613 in Downtown Los Angeles.  Beyond C:F’s signature blend of vibrant artwork and music produced by local talent, this exhibit will feature a gallery filled with illuminated and interactive art installations from kinetic art, interactive video, and light sculptures, to video mapping.  The excitement begins at 4:00pm with a three-hour gallery preview.  The main event starts at 7:00pm and closes at 2:00am.  Read the rest of this entry »

Live Talks Los Angeles presents An Evening with Oliver Sacks In Conversation with David Milch on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.  Dr. Sacks, neurologist and best-selling author, will discuss his provocative new book, Hallucinations (to be released November 6, 2012), which takes the reader into the eerie, psychedelic, and ultimately very real world of hallucinations.  Milch is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer, best known for his work on Hill Street Blues, NYPD Blue and Deadwood. The talk is part of Live Talks Los Angeles’ art and culture evening series of talks with speakers from the worlds of art and entertainment.  The event is at 8:00pm, with a reception from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.  Read the rest of this entry »