16 Excellent Things to Do This Weekend A tale of three artisanal markets, a classic rocker, comic books, and more on this packed December weekend It’s a tale of three artisanal markets, a classic rocker’s latest act, comic books galore, and more on this packed, pre-holiday weekend. If that’s not enough, Friday is Repeal Day and we know where you should drink. Plus, the Music Center celebrates its 50th birthday with two shindigs: a black-tie dinner and performance on Saturday night and the more relaxed Next 50 Party on Sunday afternoon. RIDE: CicLAvia: South L.A. Ditch the car and hop on a bicycle for a ride that begins in Leimert Park and heads along Central Avenue to Jazz Park. The streets are being closed off to cars to make your ride even smoother. Our own Chris Nichols has 15 fabulous suggestions on where to stop and what to see along the route. More information (December 7; South L.A.) SHOP: Unique LA Holiday Market Get your fill of artisanal housewares, clothes, tchotchkes, and other goods at what might be the largest such shopping extravaganza in L.A. More information (December 6-7; The Penthouse at California Market Center) MUSIC: Chrissie Hynde After three decades fronting the Pretenders, the rocker—who’s still killing it at 63—struck out on her own this summer with the solo album Stockholm. But you can expect to hear some oldies mixed in with new material during Hynde’s tour. More information (December 6; Pantages Theatre) COMEDY: Kinda Open Mic Anything can happen at an open mic session hosted by Vice writers and joke slingers Megan Koester and Alison Stevenson. Comedians and miscellaneous funny peeps assail audiences with yuks. More information (December 7; The Satellite) EAT: Chinese Islamic Cuisine: A Delectable Discussion Northwestern China is home to 200 million Muslims. At a discussion and dinner sponsored by the citywide L.A./Islam Initiative, dine on kabobs while learning about the Silk Road. More information (December 7; China Islamic Restaurant) SHOP: Grand Central Holiday Market Vendors offering holiday deals (think DTLA Cheese and Valerie) will be joined by retail pop-ups Hedley & Bennett (known for its fabulous aprons), Rachael Narins of Chicks With Knives (known for her pickles), and Grist & Toll (known for its flour and bread-making tools). More information (December 6-7; Grand Central Market) DANCE: Marat Daukayev Ballet Theatre / The Nutcracker This restaging of the 1934 St. Petersburg production features more than 130 dancers, ages 3 to 21, and more than 500 costumes. Director Marat Daukayev danced for 20 years with the Kirov Ballet, including the role of the Nutcracker Prince, before founding his Mid Wilshire ballet school in 2001. Gala performances with guest artist Maria Kochetkova, principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, take place on December 13 and 14. (A new documentary by Serene Meshel-Dillman, Getting to the Nutcracker, follows Daukayev’s students from the studio to the stage.) More information (December 5-14; Luckman Fine Arts Complex) THEATER: Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward The musical pastiche, adapted from Barry Day’s biography, blends Coward’s songs with dispatches he received from the likes of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. More information (December 5-21 29; The Wallis) MUSIC: Moving Units The L.A.-based trio of postpunk revivalists celebrate the tenth anniversary of their debut album, Dangerous Dreams. Dangerous or not? That’s for you to decide. More information (December 5; El Rey Theatre) SHOP: Artisanal LA Holiday Market This festive holiday market hosts more than 150 artisans and independent businesses throughout six alleyways in Old Pasadena. More information (December 6; Old Pasadena) COMICS: Comic Arts Los Angeles Celebrate your love for comic books and support more than 50 artists, many of them independent, at this free, day-long gathering featuring Malachi Ward, Cecil Castellucci, Jeremy Arambulo, Yumi Sakugawa, and many others. More information (December 6; Think Tank Gallery) CELEBRATE: 20th Annual Holiday Lamplight Celebration Travel back in time for a Victorian Christmas by taking a tour of vintage homes. More information (December 6-7; Heritage Square Museum) MUSIC: The Brad Mehldau Trio & the Bad Plus New York pianist Mehldau and Minnesota trio the Bad Plus bring an indie aesthetic to jazz, covering hits by Radiohead and Aphex Twin. The result is more contemporary, less Coltrane. More information (December 6; Valley Performing Arts Center) THEATER: Into the Woods Stephen Sondheim’s musical is a Brothers Grimm remix of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. Staged by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, this production opens and closes just in time for the release of Rob Marshall’s film adaptation (starring Johnny Depp as the Wolf and Meryl Streep as the Witch) on December 25. More information (December 5-21; The Wallis) ART: Crafting the Cocktail An exhibition of high-quality, handmade barware highlights unique designs inspired by the ways in which we enjoy booze. The exhibition is hosted by the Craft in America Center. More information (December 6-February 21; The Craft in America Center) MUSIC: The Living Sisters The Living Sisters—Eleni Mandell, Becky Stark, Inara George, and Alex Lilly—formed because these girls love to sing harmony. Tonight they share songs from their joyful new album, Harmony Is Real: Songs for a Happy Holiday, a set of classic and original seasonal songs. More information (December 6; Hollywood Forever Cemetery) - See more at: lamag/culturefiles/16-excellent-things-weekend/#sthash.4zhUePYc.dpuf
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 18:46:52 +0000
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