LA WeeklyFrom a tribute to Yoko Ono to Annie Leibovitz choosing California films, a vegan street fair to a celebration of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's 100th birthday, here are the 15 best things to do in Los Angeles this week!
Yoko Ono; Credit: ©Clay Perry
fri 3/22
MUSIC
More Than Mrs. Lennon
Yoko Ono was a respected artist long before she fell in love with a British pop star, but her playful and inventive work was sometimes overshadowed by the mania surrounding John Lennon. In recent years, though, critical and popular consensus have shifted to a long-overdue appreciation of the variety of creative expressions by the Japanese-American multimedia artist. A member of the original Fluxus movement, Ono is celebrated this evening at BREATHEWATCHLISTENTOUCH, part of L.A. Phil's yearlong Fluxus Festival. In a refreshing twist, Ono's art and music will be commemorated not only by such major musical figures as St. Vincent and Garbage's Shirley Manson but also by intriguing and provocative local performers Madame Gandhi, La Marisoul, Miya Folick, Sudan Archives, Shruti Kumar and Amber Coffman. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Fri., March 22, 8 p.m.; $20-$60. (323) 850-2000, laphil.com. —Falling James
Annie Leibovitz at Hauser & Wirth L.A.; Credit: Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles
FILM/PHOTOGRAPHY
California Dreams in Cinema
The current exhibition of works from 1970 to 1983 by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz at Hauser & Wirth is a vast realm of small-scale black-and-white wonders, with hundreds of vintage darkroom prints arranged in an archival compendium of roughly chronological but also thematic order. Across this survey it becomes possible to trace the roots and evolution of her life and style, with celebrity, intimacy and adventure. As a perfect corollary to this study, the gallery hosts three nights of free screenings, presenting classics of 1970s cinema, chosen by Leibovitz to express her abiding love for the early influence of the California ethos on the development of her sensibility. I Still Dream About California offers Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation, Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye and Roman Polanski's Chinatown. Hauser & Wirth, 901 E. Third St., downtown; Thu.-Sat., March 21-23, 8 p.m.; free with registration. hauserwirth.com/events/23913-still-dream-california-film-series-organized-annie-leibovitz. —Shana Nys Dambrot
Jeffrey Kahane; Credit: E F Marton Productions
sat 3/23
MUSIC
Kahane Returns to LACO to Lead Howard Premiere
For nearly 20 years, Jeffrey Kahane was music director of L.A. Chamber Orchestra, and he returns this evening as conductor laureate to lead the band again. He plays piano on W.A. Mozart's lovely and lilting Piano Concerto No. 14 in E-flat major, K. 449, and leads the way through the Austrian composer's Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425. LACO marimba stylist Wade Culbreath spins the circular, hypnotic patterns of modern composer Gabriella Smith's 2013 percussive fusion of sound and space, Riprap. But the centerpiece of the concert is the world premiere of James Newton Howard's Concerto for Cello & Orchestra, the local film composer's first cello concerto, which was written for LACO principal cellist Andrew Shulman. Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale; Sat., March 23, 8 p.m.; $28-$130. (818) 243-2539. Also at Royce Hall, UCLA, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood; Sun., March 24, 7 p.m.; $31-$143. (310) 825-4401, laco.org. —Falling James
Carolyn Lawrence, Black Children Keep Your Spirits Free (1972), from “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, 1963-1983”; Credit: Courtesy of the artist
ART
Knowledge Is Power
The Broad's spring blockbuster “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, 1963-1983” offers an array of masterworks by an influential yet too often underrepresented generation of black artists. While an impactful experience in itself, this art historical curation is also the occasion for a timely and foundational teach-in on the history of America. In a move that celebrates both the educative aspects of the exhibition and its deep local roots, today sees not only the L.A. debut of the show at the Broad but the all-day Art & Power: “Soul of a Nation” Symposium of panels and poetry at the Aratani Theatre. A truly regal assembly of professors, authors, curators and artists that includes Vida L. Brown (CAAM), Naima Keith (CAAM, LACMA), Kamau Daáood and Ava DuVernay will unpack the historical setting that gives the exhibition its contemporary cultural context. Aratani Theater, 244 San Pedro St., downtown; Sat., March 23, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; $20, $15 students (includes single-use, any-date entry to the exhibition). thebroad.org/events/art-politics-soul-nation-symposium. —Shana Nys Dambrot
Dee Dee Bridgewater comes to the Wallis.; Credit: Herman Rodriguez
MUSIC
Soulful Sounds
Dee Dee Bridgewater has been a pillar of modern jazz, blues, soul and R&B for decades, a vocalist with golden pipes and a soaring soulfulness that has garnered Grammy, Tony, NEA and United Nations accolades — not to mention the undying devotion of fans the world over. Despite all the international flair, Bridgewater never forgot where she got that bluesy soul from — her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Touring with the Memphis Soulphony in support of Memphis … Yes I'm Ready, her aptly titled new collection of tributes and makeovers of classics that have defined the Memphis sound, Bridgewater hits the Wallis tonight in an elegant but exuberant tribute to Tennessee hot sauce. “I'm really excited to come to the Wallis,” Bridgewater tells the Weekly. “For an artist, this has fast become one of L.A.'s most prestigious music venues. Add in a first-class locale like Beverly Hills and it's hard to imagine hitting a higher note.” The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills; Sat., March 23, 7:30 p.m.; $25-$55. (310) 746-4000, thewallis.org/bridgewater. —Shana Nys Dambrot
DANCE
Exploring the Abbess
Mid-Lent, mid–Women's History Month, and amid ongoing debilitating accusations of priests abusing children and nuns, Heidi Duckler Dance Theater considers a formidable female who was doing good, way ahead of her time, in the Catholic church. Site-specific HDDT sets up in a cathedral to consider Hildegard von Bingen, a German Benedictine abbess, writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, visionary, polymath and considered to be the founder of scientific natural history. At a time when women rarely had a voice, her work spanned the theological, artistic and scientific fields. How and why she was able to avoid the muzzling of women is considered in Hour of Hildegard. Duckler promises this as an introduction to an extended exploration of the abbess's work and times. St. John's Episcopal Cathedral, 514 W. Adams Blvd., University Park; Sat., March 23, 5-7 p.m., $10-$50. eventbrite.com/e/hour-of-hildegard-tickets-55998036635?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete. —Ann Haskins
FASHION/FILM
Clothes Make the Movie
In the mega-movie hit Crazy Rich Asians, costume designer Mary Vogt and her team clearly had a lot of fun conveying the opulent lifestyle of the film's characters and providing lots of eye candy onscreen that incorporated designer chic but also nodded to the beauty of Asian aesthetics using color, texture and plenty of shine and sparkle. Vogt will be on hand along with production designer Nelson Coates, and film editor Myron Kerstein at Crazy Rich Asians: Style on Screen at the FIDM Museum to share how they sought to make the film's fashions look so good as they convey the characters in Kevin Kwan's blockbuster novel. With behind-the-scenes stories, this should be a fascinating exploration for anyone interested in styling, designing and film, and an informative complement to the museum's current exhibit featuring costume design from this year's Academy Award–nominated films. Refreshments will be served. 919 S. Grand Ave., downtown; Sat., March 23, 3 p.m.; $10. campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101542598501&ca=814cc959-f338-41fd-be3d-508438839429. —Lina Lecaro
FOOD & DRINK
You Don't Need Meat to Eat
Veganism is about lots of things. Kindness. Awareness. Vociferousness. It's also about choice — and at this weekend's fifth annual Vegan Street Fair, you'll be utterly spoiled for choice as you sample the 100 percent vegan wares of dozens of vendors and restaurants gathered for one of the most in-depth and eye-opening events this year. What sets this fair apart is that you don't have to be a glutton — simply sample a bite here, a nibble there, and soon you'll have expanded the scope of your palate as well as your understanding of the vegan way of life. 11223 Chandler Blvd. (between Tujunga & Vineland), North Hollywood; Sat.-Sun., March 23-24, 11 a.m.; free. (347) 508-3343, veganstreetfair.com. —David Cotner
Evelyn McDonnell, Women Who Rock; Credit: Tim Maxeiner
sun 3/24
MUSIC
Punk Panel
Evelyn McDonnell is an associate professor at Loyola Marymount University and former music editor of The Village Voice. Her latest book, Women Who Rock: Bessie to Beyoncé, Girl Groups to Riot Grrrl, traces the history of more than 100 crucial female musicians from a feminist perspective as the San Pedro writer draws a connection from influential roots-music stylists to today's modern pop and rock performers. McDonnell is accompanied at what's likely to be a lively and engaging panel discussion by longtime L.A. punk-rock firebrand-activist-writer Alice Bag and slyly subversive riot-grrrl iconoclast Allison Wolfe (Bratmobile, Ex-Stains). Hotel Figueroa, 939 S. Figueroa St., downtown; Sun., March 24, 5 p.m.; free. (213) 627-8971, facebook.com/events/312468002954151. —Falling James
POETRY
A Century of Ferlinghetti
Even though poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti has been the Bard of the Bay Area for the better part of six decades, his impact on the world of Los Angeles poetry cannot be understated. As he turns 100 today, local poets gather in Celebrating Lawrence Ferlinghetti's 100th Birthday, with Bob Branaman's film Golden Mouth and Philomene Long's cinematic opus The Beats: An Existential Comedy; a panel discussion featuring staunch champions of Ferlinghetti's bookstore City Light;, and Ross Altman, S.A. Griffin, Richard Modiano, Lorraine Perrotta, Fred Whitlock and more, all reading poems and writing spanning the breadth of Ferlinghetti's near-deific body of work. Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice; Sun., March 24, 1 p.m.; free. (310) 822-3006, beyondbaroque.org. —David Cotner
mon 3/25
WALKING TOURS
Meet the Ghosts of Boyle Heights
Boyle Heights has long been a crossroads of cultures in East Los Angeles, from its early days as a neighborhood welcoming a mix of Jewish, Chicano and immigrant families from both Eastern Europe and Central America to its current status as a largely Latino enclave that's also the proud, symbolic center of local anti-gentrification efforts aimed at preserving residents' longtime way of life. Hosted by local historian Shmuel Gonzales, aka Barrio Boychik, and Casa 0101 Theater artistic director Josefina Lopez, the Boyle Heights Walking Ghost Tour is a two-hour mobile odyssey through the history and haunting of the neighborhood that includes stops at Bagues Mortuary, Salon de la Plaza, Boyle Heights Hotel and other locations. Casa Fina Restaurant & Cantina, 1842 E. First St., Boyle Heights; Mon., March 25, 6 p.m.; $25. (323) 604-9592, facebook.com/events/390191308450161. —Falling James
Samira Ahmed; Credit: Erielle Bakkum
tue 3/26
BOOKS
Is This Our Future?
“Most of the town is at the book burning, so I should be safe,” Samira Ahmed's narrator, Layla Amin, discloses at the outset of the writer's new novel, Internment. Ahmed's chilling parable is set in the near future, in a time when Muslim-American citizens have been rounded up and placed in camps. If that scenario sounds improbable, one has only to recall the internment of Japanese-American families in this country during World War II, when the hysteria and xenophobia of the era relatively quickly led to the unthinkable — the mass incarceration of peaceful American citizens — or of the current humanitarian catastrophe of immigrant families being separated at the border. The novel unfolds in startling detail via Ahmed's stark, clear, bold prose style. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz; Tue., March 26, 7:30 p.m.; free. (323) 660-1175, skylightbooks.com. —Falling James
Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph of Design, Bitches; Credit: Courtesy Design, Bitches
wed 3/27
ART
Take Notes, Bitches
Catherine Johnson and Rebecca Rudolph are SCI-Arc alums and native Californians, though their laureate-laden career path with academic, festival and practical projects spans the globe. Since 2010, they've been the principals at the firm they founded in L.A. Design, Bitches is an architecture firm and a great deal more besides. Committed to making good design part and parcel of everyday experience, their work includes buildings, interiors, graphic arts and public spaces. They even designed a park based on an Adidas shoe. Tonight's lecture expounds on their influences from history and pop culture, and what it means to literally create environments with a sense of both personal and community meaning. SCI-Arc, W.M. Keck Lecture Hall, 960 E. Third St., downtown; Wed., March 27, 7 p.m.; free. (213) 613-2200, sciarc.edu/events/lectures/design-bitches-lecture. —Shana Nys Dambrot
TALKS
Her Too
Co-presented by the African American Policy Forum, the Hammer Museum's “Her Dream Deferred” is a three-part series that looks at the “status of black women,” including a talk on diversity within the #MeToo movement and a documentary screening on Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old Texas activist who was arrested in 2015 and died while in police custody. Tonight's Harriet's Political Will: Black Women's Electoral Strength in an Era of Fractured Politics honors abolitionist Harriet Tubman and how she changed the course of American history. Born in Maryland in 1822, Tubman freed herself from slavery and became one of the leaders of the Underground Railroad by helping hundreds of other slaves gain freedom in the north and Canada. She continued to fight slavery while serving as a spy, cook and nurse during the Civil War. The event includes a panel discussion moderated by AAPF executive director and UCLA law professor Kimberle Crenshaw, with Alicia Garzia, Nia-Malika Henderson and Barbara Arnwine, as well as a music-and-dance performance by Harriet’s Daughters. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood; Wed., March 27, 7:30 p.m.; free. (310) 443-7000, hammer.ucla.edu. —Siran Babayan
Mister Cartoon at the Other Art Fair; Credit: The Other Art Fair
thu 3/28
ART
But Wait, There's More!
Yes, we know, we've been to a lot of art fairs together already these past several weeks. But if you've got one more in you, the Other Art Fair is something a bit special. Last year at the Barker Hangar and this year at the REEF downtown, it's a special project spinning off the Saatchi Art internet collecting platform. The site is known for a lightly curated and proactively helpful array of independent artists, facilitating direct sales to clients around the world. The fair version is basically the same thing but IRL, with about 150 artists and works from the exceptionally affordable to the slightly more grand. Of course, there are also programs, panels, and parties that are undeniably better in person. Special guest artist Mister Cartoon will create featured work for the site, offer his original art and merch, and conduct a design workshop for young people. Magic Box at the REEF, 1933 S. Broadway; Thu., March 28, 6-10 p.m.; Fri., March 29, 3-10 p.m.; Sat., March 30, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., March 31, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; $15-$60. la.theotherartfair.com. —Shana Nys Dambrot
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