Maureen Lenker

Hannah Hart talks about her mother's schizophrenia among other delicate topics in her new book.; Credit: Robyn Von Swank

YouTube Sensation Hannah Hart Gets Personal in Her New Memoir

Maureen Lenker
In her new memoir Buffering: Unshared Tales of a Life Fully Loaded (Dey Street Books, $23.99), Hannah Hart writes: “I may not always have wanted to be famous, but I have always wanted to brighten someone’s day.” Hart rose to fame as the creator of the viral YouTube series My Drunk Kitchen — her funny,......
Credit: Karianne Flaathen

Best Theater to Make Old New Again

Maureen Lenker
As it prepares to move from a black box on Lankershim to a new, custom home in Glendale, the Antaeus Theatre Company is producing some of the most insightful, powerful theater in Los Angeles. In a community where the focus often falls on new work and innovation, Antaeus consistently proves......
Credit: David Albright Media

Best Romance Novel Shop

Maureen Lenker
If Jane Austen's heroines ever became entrepreneurial and opened a bookshop, the Ripped Bodice would be it. Owned by sisters Bea and Leah Koch, the store has become a haven for romance lovers and bookish women with its pink and white confection of an interior. The Ripped Bodice offers friendly,......
Jessica Coulter sings at a recent Hamiltunes at the Clubhouse.; Credit: Valentina Vee

Love Hamilton? Prove It at This L.A. Sing-Along

Maureen Lenker
How does a bastard, orphan son of a whore become the central figure in a unique live event that merges karaoke, sing-along traditions, and a record-shattering Broadway musical? Hamilton, brainchild of Lin-Manuel Miranda, has been smashing expectations since its Broadway debut in August 2015. Other musicals, like Les Miserables and......
Credit: Courtesy Maureen Lenker

Seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Was a Religious Experience

Maureen Lenker
I am a member of the Harry Potter generation. From Harry Potter birthday parties and Halloween costumes to midnight release parties, I grew up alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione. I have a Harry Potter tattoo and pursued a Master’s degree at Oxford University because it was the closest I was ever going......
One of Temple's most iconic costumes

Santa Monica's Shirley Temple Exhibit Goes Beyond her Child-Star Years

Maureen Lenker
Entering the Santa Monica History Museum for its exhibit "Shirley Temple: Santa Monica’s Biggest Little Star," visitors are greeted by a gift shop laden with lollipops and animal crackers and the buoyant optimism of a simpler time. People with only a cursory knowledge of Temple's work will appreciate artifacts — dresses, shoes, black-and-white......
Hosts Jenny Chalikian

Comedians Take Over a New Bookstore That Sells Only Romance Novels

Maureen Lenker
“We’re not just here to celebrate comedy, but also carnal lust … between two consenting adults.” So began the first monthly Romantic Comedy stand-up night as introduced by co-host Jenny Chalikian. The evening, which showcases six comics (a mix of men and women) over the course of two hours, as......