culturalcocktailhour

Badabing Badaboom: Stolen Van Gogh paintings found in Mafia den

Badabing Badaboom Two Stolen Van Gogh paintings found in home of Naples Mafia boss by Leticia Marie Sanchez Two Vincent Van Gogh paintings that were stolen from a museum in Amsterdam fourteen years ago have been recovered in the house of a mafia lord at Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples. The two paintings, Seafront at Scheveningen and Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen, were stolen from the Van Gogh museum in 2002 by thieves who climbed to the roof of the museum using a ladder and then absconded by means of a rope. One of the agile art thieves earned the alias “The Monkey,” and the FBI Art Crime Team listed the brazen heist as one of the Top 10 Art Crimes. What is murky is how the stolen Van Gogh paintings made their way from the hands of the original Dutch

Music for the Soul..

Spectacular performance tonight at the Ambassador Auditorium by the Colburn Orchestra: the jazzy notes of Ravel, the stirring strings of Wagner & the passion of Shostakovich A very soulful Cultural Cocktail indeed!

This week’s Top Pick: A peek into the Orchestra Pit

This week’s Cultural Cocktail recipe double includes: a double shot of Mozart, a chaser of Chausson, and a dose of Dohnanyi. PITTANCE CHAMBER MUSIC First concert of their 2016/17 inaugural season Sunday, October 9th 3 p.m. Featuring: Members of the L.A. Opera Orchestra: Roberto Cani, Violin; Jessica Guideri, Violin Ana Landauer, Violin; Yi Zhou, Viola; John Walz, Cello; Rowena Hammill, Cello; Stuart Clark, Clarinet; Steven Becknell, French Horn; Domingo Colburn Stein Young Artist Summer Hassan, Soprano; Paul Floyd, Piano MOZART: Clarinet Quintet; MOZART: aria “L’amero saro costante;” CHAUSSON: Chanson Perpetuellel DOHNANYI: Sextet Op. 37 Eva and Marc Stern Grand Hall. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. 135 North Grand Avenue, LA, CA 90012 For more information on tickets, please visit: http://pittancechambermusic.org Photo Credit: Brenden-John Photography From the Pittance Chamber Music Website: “A Pittance/ Denizens of underworld/A cavern for a stage/Invisible to all but those Who peer into the

Howard’s End or Venice Beach?

No doubt, the re-release of Howard’s End has inspired readers to pick up E.M. Forster’s brilliant novel only to discover amusing gems that never made the film. In one such scene, protagonist Margaret Schlegel tells her soon-to-be fiancé Henry Wilcox about a place she recently visited where “it’s all proteins and body-building, and people come up to you and beg your pardon, but you have such a beautiful aura.” Margaret then adds teasingly: “Never heard of an aura? I scrub at mine for hours!” This dialogue seems more befitting to the juice fanatics and Kombucha-swillers of modern-day Santa Monica or Venice Beach rather than the tea-sipping denizens of Edwardian England. Ah…Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose!

Review: Bacchanalia at the Getty Villa: A Haunted House Party

Bacchanalia at the Getty Villa by Leticia Marie Sanchez Roman party god Bacchus would look down fondly at the revelry taking place this fall at the Getty Villa Theater. Wine, women, and song abound. Director Matt Walker and his engaging Troubador Theater Company have adapted the work of Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus, refreshing lines from 200 B.C. with contemporary, hilarious zingers. The age-old story involves a prodigal son, Philolaches, partying like a rock star while his unsuspecting father, Theopropiedes, travels abroad. Aptly entitled “The Haunted House Party,” the ambiance of the adaptation feels like a ninety-minute zany house party with characters rapping, breaking into dance routines, and even calling out late audience members. As Matt Walker declared to the audience, “there is no fourth wall.” The strength of this production lies in the talented cast, spontaneous ad libs, audience

Must see- Restoration of “Howard’s End”

Playing at selected Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles until Thursday September 8th- The beautifully restored 1992 Merchant Ivory film, “Howard’s End” embodies the recipe for the perfect end-of-summer Cultural Cocktail film: Non plus ultra cast (Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter at their peak) Sublime Cinematography (The dreamy rainy umbrella scene evoked a Caillebotte painting) Stirring Music (Beethoven’s 5th!) Glorious glorious nature (ahh those bluebells) Here’s a dose: “Ankle deep, he waded through the bluebells. His spirit rose and exalted as he breathed in the sun-drenched air. The glorious day was in its last decline. Long shadows lay on the sward and from above the leaves dripped their shimmering drops of gold-green light.”

Flying Horses and Mythical Beasts: The Magical World of Carousel Animals.

By Leticia Marie Sanchez An Ounce of Carousel animals, a Splash of Crafts, and a Dash of Croquet= a Magical Summer Cultural Cocktail! Art is not simply a work hanging on a gallery wall. It can be a conversation, a recreation, or even a party. CCH had the pleasure of attending the last day of Flying Horses and Mythical Beasts: The Magical World of Carousel Animals. This exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of History was curated by local conservator and collector Lourinda Bray. On Carousel Family Day on August 28th, the museum treated guests to dazzling creatures, ice cream sundaes, and a craft room where children and their parents created colorful bejeweled carousel animals, inspired by the creatures in the exhibit. To top it off, guests played croquet in the summer sun. Now that’s a Cultural Cocktail (kid-tested, mother approved) worth imbibing!

Invisible Chess Players

This week’s Top Pick: Pageant of the Masters, Laguna Beach

Sneak Peak: Haunted House Party, A Roman Comedy at the Getty Villa

by Leticia Marie Sanchez This week’s Cultural Cocktail preview: 1 shot of Antiquity, a Highball of Hijinks, and A Splash of Stilts. Stepping onto the sumptuous grounds of the Getty Villa feels like being transported via time machine to antiquity. After all, the architectural design was inspired by the Villa dei Papiri, the treasure trove of Julius Caesar’s father-in law. Even Caesar (when he wasn’t being stabbed in the back) enjoyed a chuckle or two. And chuckles are on the menu at the Getty Villa in a few weeks. This fall, director Matt Walker and the Troubadour Theater Company will provide a colorful facelift to material from 2oo B.C, ”A Haunted House Party,” based on Mostellaria by Roman playwright Plautus. CCH spoke with Costume designer, Sharon McGunigle on her designs. Madcap troubadours will be singing, dancing, and possibly walking on stilts. The costumes

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Badabing Badaboom: Stolen Van Gogh paintings found in Mafia den

Music for the Soul..

This week’s Top Pick: A peek into the Orchestra Pit

Howard’s End or Venice Beach?

Review: Bacchanalia at the Getty Villa: A Haunted House Party

Must see- Restoration of “Howard’s End”

Flying Horses and Mythical Beasts: The Magical World of Carousel Animals.

Invisible Chess Players

This week’s Top Pick: Pageant of the Masters, Laguna Beach

Sneak Peak: Haunted House Party, A Roman Comedy at the Getty Villa

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