Arroyo jan2016

FINE FI NE LIVING IN THE GREA GREATER EATER TER R PASADENA PA PASA SADE SAD E NA AREA

January 2016

HIIT THE GROUND RUNNING BURN B URN MORE CALOR CALORIES RIES WITH THIS INTENSE WORKOUT

FLAWLESS BEAUTY Look like you woke up that way

UNUSUAL SPA TREATMENTS From China, Poland and a galaxy far, far away

FRANK FERRANTE Resurrects Groucho at the Playhouse

LEON BING’S Column Debuts

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arroyo

VOLUME 12 | NUMBER 1 | JANUARY 2016

16

11

42

BEAUTY PHOTOS: (Top) Courtesy of The Langham Huntington, Pasadena’s Chuan Spa ; (bottom left) Gabriel Goldberg

13 FLAWLESS New products and websites help women achieve the illusion of effortless beauty.

—By BETTIJANE LEVINE

17 HIIT THE GROUND RUNNING High-intensity interval training is helping exercisers boost strength and calorie burn in less time than traditional cardio.

—By REBECCA KUZINS

31 UNUSUAL SPA TREATMENTS These bliss-inducing spa offerings borrow therapies from China, Poland and a galaxy far, far away.

—By IRENE LACHER

35 A NIGHT AT THE PLAYHOUSE Frank Ferrante brings comedy icon Groucho Marx to life in his popular one-man show.

—By RICHARD CUNNINGHAM

DEPARTMENTS 10

FESTIVITIES Curtains rise for Peter Pan and Bridges of Madison County, Sotheby’s unveils important Robert Frank photo collection

11

LEON BING Portrait of the Columnist as a Young Woman

39

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Football has only one worthy rival for all the hype it generates — and it’s a lot tastier.

42

THE LIST Ceramics show at Scripps College, unearthing Mars at Caltech, camellias and tea at Descanso and more 01.16 ARROYO | 7

EDITOR’S NOTE I first met Leon Bing many moons ago, when I interviewed her for the Los Angeles Times. The occasion was her chilling first book, Do or Die,. In which Bing flung open the door to a violent world that had existed, for most people, only in headlines, if that — teenage gang culture. Bing, a middle-aged white woman, was the first journalist to really earn the trust of L.A.’s Crips and Bloods and portray their lives in a way that demanded our understanding, inspiring a new genre of national reportage in the process.

Bing schooled me in other ways as well. I was a relative newcomer to L.A., very happy to be here, but I hadn’t entirely shed my snooty New York ways. I was particularly entertained by a glib L.A. acronym making the rounds at the time: AMW (a.k.a. MAW) — actress, model, whatever. Bing wasn’t an actress, but she had been a model, a very successful muse of notorious ’60s designer Rudi Gernreich (he created the monokini or topless bathing suit, which oddly, never caught on). That association landed them on the cover of Time, along with the pre-Gothic Peggy Moffitt.

Not surprisingly, The New York Times once called her “one of fashion’s great second acts.” Bing went on to write more gritty books about troubled teenagers — Smoked: A True Story of the Kids Next Door about the tragic murder of three privileged South Pasadena High girls by boys they socialized with, and A Wrongful Death: One Child’s Fatal Encounter with Public Health and Private Greed, her investigation of a teen’s hanging suicide while an inpatient at a for-profit psychiatric facility.

This former model, who wrote about her glittering past in her most recent book, Swans and Pistols: Modeling, Motherhood and Making It in the Me Generation, is clearly more than just a pretty face. She’s one of the best reporters and writers I know — sharp, penetrating, passionate and insightful — and a longtime Pasadena resident, who knows the city’s heart almost as deeply as she knows her own. So it is with great pleasure that we kick off the year with Bing’s new column for Arroyo Monthly. This month, she recalls her youth as one of two Jewish girls at Sacred Heart Academy in La Cañada Flintridge, where a superb writer was born.— —Irene Lacher

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING V.P. OF FINANCE Michael Nagami V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL editor@arroyomonthly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149 MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105 ArroyoMonthly.com ©2016 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

CORRECTION:A story about Stella Abrera in the December issue incorrectly reported the length of her tenure with American Ballet Theatre and her participation in the company’s efforts to diversify its ranks. This month marks her 20th anniversary with ABT. 8 | ARROYO | 01.16

PHOTO: BORIS CHALIAPIN. (Time cover)

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Torres PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Rochelle Bassarear EDITOR-AT-LARGE Bettijane Levine COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Martin Booe, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Carole Dixon, Lisa Dupuy, Lynne Heffley, Kathleen Kelleher, Rebecca Kuzins, Brenda Rees, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller, Leon Bing ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Lisa Chase, Brenda Clarke, Leslie Lamm ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Bruce Haring ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Tim Oliver, Stephanie Torres HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker PAYROLL Linda Lam ACCOUNTING Kacie Cobian, Sharon Huie, Teni Keshishian OFFICE ASSISTANT Ann Weathersbee PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

01.16 | ARROYO | 9

Kris, Leo and Becky Lythgoe

Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Andrew Rannells

Kevin Quinn

The company

John O’Hurley

Sabrina Carpenter

Ruth and Jake Bloom 10 | ARROYO | 01.16

Musical theater is one of the unsung perks of the holiday season, and last month, Pasadena audiences were treated to the return of Lythgoe Family Productions’ panto performances with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell — A Pirates’ Christmas, which opened Dec. 9 at The Pasadena Playhouse. The next evening, downtown Los Angeles crowds attended Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre opening of the touring production of The Bridges of Madison County, whose producers were hoping to capitalize on the show’s 2014 Tony for best score by Jason Robert Brown after a disappointing run on Broadway... On Dec. 3, photography aficionados surveyed highlights of Hollywood superlawyer Jake and Ruth Bloom’s important collection of images from Robert Frank’s 1958 book, The Americans, at Sotheby’s Los Angeles gallery in Beverly Hills.

Jason Robert Brown, CTG Board President Kiki Ramos Gindler, David Gindler and CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie

PHOTOS: Maury L. Phillips. (Peter Pan and Tinker Bell— A Pirates’ Christmas ); Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging (The Bridges of Madison County); Sun Valley Photo, Josh Wells/Mark Oliver/ Image courtesy of Sotheby’s ( The Americans)

FESTIVITIES

LEON BING

PORTRAIT OF THE COLUMNIST AS A YOUNG WOMAN At Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, the future author danced to her own tune.

PHOTO: Gabriel Goldberg

I

was an eighth-grader at a conservative girls’ boarding school in Berkeley when my mother’s third husband (out of six) died. She was living in a large apartment in a landmark building in Hollywood and my grandfather decided that, as an only child, I should move in with her. A lapsed Catholic widowed by my beloved Jewish grandmother, he also decreed that I was ready to begin my education with the Dominican nuns at a school perched on the lip of a small mountain overlooking Pasadena. The school was Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and all the students (grades seven through senior) were female. It was a beautiful place; at one time it had been the Flintridge Biltmore Hotel, designed by Myron Hunt in the elegant Spanish Colonial Revival style popular in the 1920s: lofty beamed ceilings, mahogany wainscoting, a bougainvillea-trellised bridge that linked the main body of the school to a hillside clutch of small two-bedroom cottages shared by trusted upperclassmen. There were tennis courts, a swimming pool (affording an envy-inspiring view of the Pasadena suburbs) and an octagon-shaped structure with glassed-in, pie-shaped rooms, each one fitted with a parlor Steinway used for daily practice by students studying piano. I was one of those unfortunates and felt pretty gritted teeth about having to pound out Rachmaninoff while the other girls got to swim, play volleyball and have fun.

Uniforms were compulsory: dark blue with white collars and cuffs. We were allowed to wear our own clothes for dinner in the refectory — a room with sagging banners of a vaguely religious stripe fi lled with tables for 10 (years later I was reminded of that room when I watched some episode of Game of Thrones). Our personal wardrobes were restricted to modest, zipped-up-to-the larynx dresses, one equally modest, long-skirted

“formal” and pleated skirts and sweaters. The only acceptable sweaters were cardigans.

This rule inspired a laugh from my mother. “Do they imagine pullover sweaters will inflame the students with untrammeled lust?” Then she took me to Saks and bought me six cashmere pullovers for weekends and holidays at home.

At school, following our 5 o’clock dinner and evening study hall, we were allowed to gather in a large space called the Green Room. We could play bridge, hearts or Monopoly, or we could dance. There was a big record player and stacks of scratchy donated albums. My mother favored songs by Billie Holiday, Solomon Burke and Nat “King” Cole and she taught me to dance to their music. At school, it seemed strange to be dancing with another girl to some instrumental when I was panting to get out on the floor with a boy. But I danced, even to the slow pieces, which probably held far more incipient danger than pullover sweaters.

The only other Jewish student was Leilani Horowitz*, a ninth-grader who attended Mass even on non-compulsory days and whipped her rosary around as if readying herself to lasso a steer. When I told my mom about this girl with the unlikely name, she laughed and said, “Good Lord, why not Madame Butterfly Horowitz?” Nobody was surprised when Leilani converted to Catholicism, but we were shocked when Ann “Tyke” Nelson* left 10th grade to enter a Carmelite novitiate. Tyke was the most daring girl at school: It was Tyke who smuggled in a bottle of mouthwash laced with vodka after a weekend at home, and it was Tyke who hid outside a darkened study hall and smoked cigarettes — rule-flouting that would bring on instant expulsion. Th is was a school so rule-bound that one had to receive an engraved invitation to return the following year.

–continued on page 12 01.16 | ARROYO | 11

LEON BING Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 1946

The social event for juniors and seniors was the prom, held in a cavernous, seldomused room adjacent to the lobby. A band was hired and corsage-clutching, dress-suited boys from Loyola (another Catholic boarding school) were bused in for escort duty. The younger girls watched with big eyes as each upperclassman appeared, white-gloved and lip-glossed, in her long formal dress. The dance lasted from 7 to 9 and the beat of live music echoed throughout the main building.

When I was in the 10th grade, Sister Benigna, the school principal who always smelled deliciously of coffee in the morning, made an announcement after evening prayers. There was to be another dance which all the girls, freshmen through seniors, were expected to attend. We were to wear our formal gowns and there was to be an orchestra. We were swooning with excitement and I wondered which of the Loyola boys would request the first dance. I applied a slick of lip gloss, brushed my hair and pulled it into a ponytail. I stepped into my pale blue formal and matching flat-heeled shoes, placed a finger dot of lemon-scented cologne behind each ear and scurried toward the sound of the orchestra tuning up. I wondered if many boys would ask for a dance.

I imagined the cutest one asking if he could write to me. I moved quickly through the lobby, stepped into the ballroom and was surrounded by a sea of girls waiting for the orchestra to launch into its first number. I looked around; not a boy in sight. Then the music began and each girl gravitated toward her favorite dancing partner. Now, I enjoyed dancing in the Green Room each evening, but I would rather have died than be seen (by the guys in the orchestra) floating around the floor with another girl.

So I slithered around the perimeter of that vast space, stepped quickly behind the floor-to-ceiling wine-colored velvet curtains and remained hidden there for the rest of the evening. I missed out on the refreshments, but if any of the other girls noticed my 12 | ARROYO | 01.16

absence, nobody snitched.

Those Dominican nuns were extraordinary teachers. Sister Rosemary taught us the intricacies of algebra and geometry and referred to each girl as “Toots.” Sister Benigna introduced us to the mysteries of chemistry. But it was the Sisters Laetitia and Thomasina who gifted me with the love of the English language. They pounded verbs and declensions and structure into our unwilling heads, forcing us to parse long sentences. But one day, like unexpectedly seeing a whale breach the waves, I got it. I understood why I loved and reread certain books: the grit and poetry of John Steinbeck, the ebb and flow of Henry James’ lengthy sentences, the Gothic mystery of Daphne du Maurier. I’d been a reader since my great-aunt taught me to sound out words before I got to kindergarten, but now I was taken beneath the surface of both good and sometimes great writing. I was handed the raw material from which I might carve out my own sentences and paragraphs. That didn’t happen for many years and only after marriage, motherhood and an initial career as a fashion model in New York.

But through it all, I never stopped reading, and when I finally got up the nerve to begin to write, the lessons learned at Flintridge surged back and turned difficult, often egocrushing work into a second career.

Thanks, Sisters. ||| *Not her real name.

Leon Bing is the author of Do or Die; Swans and Pistols: Modeling, Motherhood and Making It in the Me Generation; Smoked: A True Story of the Kids Next Door; and A Wrongful Death: One Child’s Fatal Encounter with Public Health and Private Greed. She lives in

Pasadena.

PHOTO: J. Allen Hawkins, courtesy of Pasadena Museum of History (JAH1482-2 and JAH1485-2)

–continued from page 11

FLAWLESS New products and websites help women achieve the illusion of effortless beauty.

“CLEOPATRA WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AND BEYONCÉ ONE OF THE LATEST IN A LONG LINE OF UNWITTING ADVOCATES FOR N: WHAT MAY TRULY BE THE WORLD’S OTHER OLDEST PROFESSION: THE BEAUTY BUSINESS. CLEO, BORN 36 BC, HAD A HUGE

PHOTO: Instagrammer @beyonce

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

D ARSENAL OF COSMETICS MADE FROM ROCKS, MINERALS AND PLANTS. EYES WERE OUTLINED WITH BLACK KOHL, A MIXTURE OF POWDERED LEAD SULFIDE AND ANIMAL FAT; LIPS AND CHEEKS BLUSHED WITH RED OCHRE CLAY, ITS TINT FROM IRON OXIDE. LEAPING FORWARD A FEW THOUSAND YEARS, HERE COMES BEYONCÉ, THE POP SUPERSTAR WHOSE 2014 SONG “FLAWLESS” URGED WOMEN TO EMBRACE THEIR NATURAL BEAUTY AND RESIST “THE PRESSURE TO BE PERFECT.” THE SONG INCLUDED PART OF A FEMINIST TEDX TALK BY NIGERIAN WRITER CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE, WITH LYRICS THAT EMPHASIZED THE LINES “WE FLAWLESS LADIES, TELL ’EM. I WOKE UP LIKE THIS, I WOKE UP LIKE THIS.” The hit inspired essays in publications like The New York Times, Slate and The Atlantic Monthly and a voluminous response in social media from Lena Dunham, Jennifer Lopez and women around the globe taking selfies of how they they looked, sans makeup, just as they woke up. (Go to iwokeuplikethisflawless.tumblr.com for selfie samples of the just-awakened.)

“Flawless” also happens to tap into the newest trend in the beauty industry: the look of a lack of artifice, the kind of beauty bestowed by nature rather than Lauder, MAC or the surgeon’s knife. In the recent round of Paris fashion shows, many designers featured models wafting down the runways, looking as if they wore no

makeup nail color. As if they just woke up that way. It’s a kind of baby-face look ma ake keup or n reinforced by Pantone, the color trend–forecast fi rm that determines what colors will reign supreme in fashion and furniture for each new year. For 2016, Pantone decreed baby pink (Rose Quartz) and baby blue (Serenity).

But this anti-artifice movement in no way threatens the beauty industry. It can require a lot of beauty products to create the illusion of wearing none. More important, the modern industry has traditionally been resilient through shifting trends and economic downturns. The most recent recession was no different. As other sectors of the economy went into free fall, the beauty sector merely wobbled a bit, its rate of growth diminished by just a few percentage points. Anti-aging skin care products are the industry’s bestsellers, and their sales growth merely dipped globally from 9 to 7 percent during the recession. Sales of men’s grooming products jumped by 70 percent from 2007 to 2012.

But huge changes are here and more are coming, due to major advances in science and technology. Never before in human history has it been possible for men and women to correct their perceived flaws so easily and permanently, with non- or minimally invasive procedures that diminish lines, wrinkles, blotches, zits, sags, even sculptural defects that make people feel less attractive than they’d like to be. The facelift is becoming obsolete, as individuals use new procedures and injectables to correct specific problems as they appear, before the need for major surgery arises. Last April, for example, the FDA approved a new injectable called Kybella to eradicate double chins, a problem formerly treated only by liposuction or surgery.

Dr. Leif Rogers, a board-certified plastic surgeon who expanded his Beverly Hills practice to include an office in Pasadena, says he’s an ardent proponent of the newest advances in nonsurgical aesthetics. In a recent appearance on The Dr. Oz Show to discuss ways to “drop a decade from your face” without surgery, he explained the virtues of phytoceramides, a plant-based supplement taken orally to keep skin moist and healthy. “When we’re young, the body manufactures ceramide molecules, a major component of our skin’s surface which helps keep skin fi rm and youthful,” he said.

“As we age, ceramide production declines, decreasing skin’s ability to retain water and contributing to sags and wrinkles.” Rogers’ own formulation of phytoceramides is –continued on page 14 01.16 | ARROYO | 13

PHOTO: Courtesy of Dr. Leif Rogers

–continued from page 13

gluten-free and also contains vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Rogers has also adopted the use of bone paste, a long-proven product used by craniofacial surgeons to fi ll spaces where bone is missing due to congenital defects or facial trauma. In its new, minimally invasive aesthetic use, Rogers says he makes a small incision, injects bone paste in a malleable state, then kneads it into the desired shape to enhance chins, cheekbones, jawlines, temples and brows. “It hardens within 10 minutes, and within three months osteoblasts will form around it, using the bone paste as a scaffold for new bone, which eventually replaces the bone paste, leaving the patient with nothing but real, natural bone.” People with weak chins or sunken cheekbones who might never have opted for the more risky, invasive and costly silicone implants to improve their looks now have a faster, safer and more natural alternative, he says.

There are even faster ways to improve your looks — on the computer, at least, a plus for people hunting for jobs or dates. People who’d like to look great in photos, but don’t want to deal with makeup or medical procedures, can seek aid from PortraitPro V15 (portraitpro.com), the recently launched and enhanced “intelligent” face beautification software that corrects flaws and deficits in makeup, lighting, skin tone, even facial structure. It’s said to be “trained in human appearance” and claims to detect and correct everything from skin that’s too sallow or hair that’s too dull to an oversize schnozz or jutting chin.

And for women too busy (or too lazy) to leave home or office for a trip to the salon, there’s beGlammed (beglammed.com), an on-demand beauty service accessed through an app on your phone. It’s kind of like Uber, but for beauty. Use the app to bring a VIP salon experience right to your door, providing a full makeup, quick touch-up, hairstyling or a total package performed by experienced hair and makeup artists. Prices start at $65, and services are available in 16 locations, including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami and New York. |||| 14 | ARROYO | 01.16

01.16 | ARROYO | 15

HIIT THE GROUND RUNNING High-intensity interval training is helping exercisers boost strength and calorie burn in less time than traditional cardio.

BY REBECCA KUZINS

DURING A RECENT 60-MINUTE SESSION AT ORANGETHEORY

THE GROUPS LATER SWAPPED CIRCUITS, WITH SQUATTERS

FITNESS IN PASADENA, TWO GROUPS PERFORMED DIFFERENT

AND TREADMILLERS TRADING PLACES. THROUGHOUT THE

MINI-EXERCISE CIRCUITS: ONE WORKED OUT ON TREADMILLS

SESSION, TRAINER KAREN TORRELL WALKED AROUND THE

AND ROWING MACHINES, WHILE THE OTHER GROUP

GYM, MAKING SURE EXERCISERS WERE MAINTAINING

PERFORMED SQUATS, PUSH-UPS AND OTHER EXERCISES

PROPER FORM AND EXHORTING THEM TO “WORK HARDER

USING STRAPS AND WEIGHTS. MEMBERS MOVED QUICKLY

THAN YOU’VE EVER WORKED,” WHILE SHE MONITORED WALL

THROUGH THE HIGH-INTENSITY MOVEMENTS, TAKING

SCREENS DISPLAYING EACH MEMBER’S HEART RATE AND

JUST A FEW SECONDS TO REST BETWEEN EACH EXERCISE.

OTHER DATA. –continued on page 18 01.16 | ARROYO | 17

–continued from page 17

This session is light years away from traditional aerobics, such as step and dance classes, which strengthen exercisers’ heart and lungs by moving in unison, led by an instructor. Instead, the workouts at Orangetheory, and many other Pasadena-area fitness centers, are based on an exercise strategy called high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, a form of cardiovascular exercise that alternates short bursts of intensive exercise with brief recovery periods. “You do each interval for a period of time and then you go quickly to the next regular interval. It’s more of a constant barrage,” explains Michelle Dozois, owner of Breakthru Fitness in Pasadena.

HIIT is popular with exercisers who want a faster, more effective and less timeconsuming way to burn calories and reduce body fat. The higher intensity and varied energy output of a HIIT workout enable adherents to burn more calories in less time than conventional cardio, proponents say. And people using HIIT techniques may work out less often than other exercise devotees. A typical HIIT schedule involves two or three workouts a week, with each session lasting 20 to 60 minutes.

Fat-burning continues even after the workout — during the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) period, also known as “afterburn.” During EPOC the body restores itself to a resting state, which requires it to use additional energy to repair cells, balance hormones and more. The American College of Sports Medicine estimates that EPOC burns 6 to 15 percent additional calories, beyond those lost during the workout itself.

HIIT is typically performed at 80 to 95 percent of an exerciser’s maximum heart rate, which the Mayo Clinic defines as the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle during physical activity. Recovery periods, in which exercisers perform less intensive movements like walking or jogging, should be at 40 to 50 percent.

Gary Van Wagner, a certified personal trainer and owner of No Joke Fitness in Pasadena, says his HIIT workouts are “really focused on the heart rate — elevating it and keeping it elevated.” He tries to blend HIIT with metabolic resistance training, a similar exercise strategy that maximizes calorie burn during and after exercise. “This is the best of both worlds,” he says. “You can raise the heart rate and also maintain muscle.”

Some HIIT regimens seek to elevate heart rates by combining aerobic and anaerobic 18 | ARROYO | 01.16

exercise. Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate enough to deliver adequate oxygen to muscles for an extended period; anaerobic targets muscles other than your heart.

During the Orangetheory session, exercisers aim to spend 25 to 35 minutes in the aerobic training zone, where they achieve from 71 to 83 percent of their maximal heart rate, and 12 to 20 minutes in the anaerobic zone, with maximum heart rates of 84 percent or higher.

Although some forms of high-intensity training originated in the 1970s, HIIT was not widely used until the mid-1990s. In 1996, Izumi Tabata, a sports science professor in Japan, compared the performances of two groups of Olympic speed skaters, both exercising five days a week for six weeks. One group performed moderate-intensity endurance training at 70 percent of their energy capacity in 60-minute sessions.

The other group used a form of HIIT training, performing a four-minute workout consisting of super-intensive cycling for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest.

Participants in both groups improved their aerobic capacity, but the HIIT trainers also increased their anaerobic capacity. The study eventually led to the development of Tabata training, a specific HIIT regimen with shorter work and rest intervals that pushes the limit on one’s maximum heart rate. Later HIIT studies showed the technique boosted fat-burning and insulin sensitivity (the ability to stabilize blood sugar), which can help offset Type 2 diabetes.

Although the intensity of HIIT may scare away some people, the intervals can be tailored to accommodate an individual’s fitness level, health conditions and age. In fact, there is evidence that HIIT may be especially beneficial for seniors. The Wall Street Journal last November reported on several studies demonstrating the benefits of HIIT for people over 50, the age when the loss of muscle mass accelerates. In one study, researchers at Abertay University in Scotland concluded that a six-week HIIT workout schedule for people over 60 helped lower blood pressure by an average 9 percent. Study participants also felt more energetic and were better able to perform daily activities.

HIIT workouts can contain a wide variety of movements — with squats, pushups and burpees (quickly alternating between push-ups and jumps) among the most popular — and can be performed with a range of equipment, including barbells, weights, straps and cycles. “You can use anything,” says Ron Le, a Pasadena-based certified trainer. “You can hold a rock and squat.”

Le incorporates HIIT techniques in customized workouts for his clients. He often includes compound movements — movements that work two or more muscle groups, such as push-ups, which work the shoulders, chest and triceps, or squats for the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. “Compound movements are great for HIIT,” he says, “because every time you do a repetition your heart has to pump blood to multiple muscles. This really increases the heart rate and because of that you burn more body fat.” As clients progress and grow stronger, Le increases their repetitions of those exercises and introduces more difficult movements, like squatting while holding a 100-pound barbell behind the back.

Changing an individual’s exercise regimen to introduce new and more difficult movements and heavier weights is often used in HIIT. It is also part of the training philosophy of No Joke Fitness, whose website states, “Variety is critical. The body quickly adapts to doing the same thing and results diminish. Intensity is necessary.

Once something becomes ‘easy’ it’s largely ineffective.”

While there are many benefits to HIIT, there are also some concerns about the safety of the regimen. The American College of Sports Medicine warns that people living “rather sedentary lifestyles or periods of physical inactivity” may have an increased risk of heart disease after attempting high-intensity exercise. This risk will increase based on family history, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes (or prediabetes), abnormal cholesterol levels and obesity. The college advises individuals with these conditions to obtain medical clearance from a physician before beginning HIIT — or any other exercise training.

The college also encourages novices to establish a fitness foundation before embarking on HIIT. This base fitness level can be achieved by performing “consistent aerobic training (three to five times a week for 20 to 60 minutes per session at a somewhat high intensity) for several weeks,” which will improve oxygen transport to the muscles. HIIT newbies shouldn’t “try to jump in and do too much too quickly,” says No Joke’s Van Wagner. “There is an adaptation phase. You must be patient with yourself because it will be very challenging.”

Le advises people who begin HIIT training to “keep a log of your progress, so you can beat it.” Exercisers, he adds, should drink water during their workouts and “eat properly, with complex carbohydrates before [training] and a full meal after. This gives you more strength.”

Van Wagner also recommends that exercisers wear a monitor to keep track of their heart rate. “It’s a strange feeling when you get your heart rate to a certain point,” he says. “The body’s natural mechanism is to slow down and stop. HIIT is a process of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.” ||| 01.16 | ARROYO | 19

ARROYO

HOME & DESIGN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

HARD SURFACE FLOORING IS RISING UP PHOTO: Courtesy of Saxum Tile Design Studio

Changing residential styles are driving consumer demand for flooring

BY BRUCE HARING

THERE ARE MANY OPINIONS WHEN IT COMES TO WHICH HARD SURFACE FLOORING WORKS BEST IN A HOME. MATTERS OF COMFORT, STYLE, TASTE, CLEANING AND AFFORDABILITY ALL FACTOR INTO THE DECISION ON WHAT TO INSTALL. But what’s not up for debate is that hard surface flooring in residences is growing fast. The Freedonia Group, an industry market research firm, reported in April, 2015 that the demand for hard surface flooring in the United States is expected to grow more than six percent per year, hitting 11.3 billion square feet installed by 2019.

Changes in residential styles are driving the increase. Freedonia reports that hard surface flooring installation is growing fastest in living and dining areas, where once carpet was king. Installations of allergyfree and easy-care flooring is also driving growth.

CONSUMERS WANT QUALITY Flooring is a major purchase and it’s not changed very often, so careful

consideration must go into the decision on what will be installed.

Charis Mansur of Saxum Tile Design Studio in Pasadena says there are several factors to consider when choosing flooring. “There’s the style of the home, a homeowner’s lifestyle and design taste, and any special installation considerations, such as out-of-level subfloors,” he says.

Most customers want value for quality, but enjoy practicality and have maintenance considerations, Mansur says. Potential customers should also consider the size of the home and the potential traffic by children and pets, he cautions.

Pasadena-area customers are trending toward porcelain floors that have the look of natural wood, says Mansur. “They are very durable and easy to maintain.”

Because of the overwhelming number of options on the market, it helps to have a helpful sales person who will ask the right questions about a customer’s home and preferences, Mansur says. That way they can be directed to a product to meet their needs. Keep an open mind –continued on page 22

20 | ARROYO | 01.16

01.16 | ARROYO | 21

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 20

Because of the overwhelming number of options on the market, it helps to have a helpful sales person who will ask the right questions about a customer’s home and preferences, Mansur says. That way they can be directed to a product to meet their needs. Keep an open mind – you may not be aware of new choices that have recently arrived on the market.

PURCHASE CONSIDERATIONS Start with the basics by determining where your flooring will be installed, how much traffic will be passing over it, and whether direct sunlight is an issue. Cleaning is also an issue. Vinyl is usually the best choice in areas like the kitchen where spills frequently occur, but linoleum, solid wood and laminates can also work.

Keep in mind that engineered and some solid woods may look nice, but may not stand up well to the demands of a busy kitchen. It’s also true that wood floors can be refinished, but others can’t be restored.

Before deciding on a product, get two to three samples to examine in your home. You don’t want to rely on something that looks great in a catalog, but less than optimal in your home.

Once you’ve chosen, you can obtain the room’s square footage by measuring the length times width. An irregularly sized room can be divided into small rectangles. By adding up the rectangles, you’ll get your estimate. Always buy more than you need, as you may need something that matches for future repairs and installation mistakes.

Does your floor have a certification for volatile organic compounds? It’s best to check, since pets and small children will spend a lot of time near the materials. Green products in wood flooring should be certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or a similar group that certifies responsible forestry.

If you aren’t hiring a professional installer, let your wood or laminate sit for a few days so it adjusts to the home’s temperature and moisture levels.

It’s also wise not to crank the heat up just after wood flooring installation.

You have a sensitive product and it needs to adjust to its new home.

If you are hiring a pro, you can probably negotiate some money –continued on page 27 22 | ARROYO | 01.16

01.16 | ARROYO | 23

26 | ARROYO | 01.16

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 22

off your deal by doing some prep work in advance of the installation, including taking up the old flooring and removing baseboards.

NEW FLOOR IDEAS Wood, stone, tile and vinyl are wonderful and traditional choices. But there are some new ideas on the market that may be right for your home.

Bamboo flooring has been around in homes for a while, but it’s no longer available only in that off-white cane. New colors and styles have emerged, including the strand-woven bamboo, which uses the inner fibers of the plant to make it twice as hard as traditional bamboo flooring. It’s also available in wider plank styles than the traditional thin strips, with the new version resembling traditional hardwoods.

Reclaimed wood is also proving to be popular, particularly with younger people who like the traditional, rough-hewn look. Factory finished hardwood is far less expensive than authentic reclaimed wood and will stand up to traffic and moisture far better.

Large-format tiles are also making a splash. Available in sizes up to 36 inches by 36 inches (in other words, three times the traditional 12x12 size), these heavy duty coverings offer easier cleaning than their tiny cousins, because there’s less grout area. It’s recommended to use a professional installer on this product, since the substrate must be perfectly level to make it work.

Cork flooring offers great insulation (ask any recording studio) and your knees and other joints will thank you, as it’s a shock absorber. The good news is it’s available in a variety of colors – the bad news is it’s cork, which means it will absorb moisture and be susceptible to fading.

For those with a taste for adventure, consider the new types of vinyl on the market. These can realistically mimic stone or hardwoods, but bring the durability of vinyl to the bathroom, kitchen or even the mud room. There’s also concrete flooring, which is no longer confined to the factory. It comes in a variety of colors beyond gray and works with almost any decoration scheme.

Of course, there are the old reliables, and you may be surprised at the carpet patterns that are now available to highlight your living areas. And oak, maple and pine floors will never go out of style in American homes, bringing a classic look with surprisingly affordable costs.

Whatever you choose in a hard surface flooring, keep time in mind. Trends come and go, and what’s hip today might become passé, as Tower of Power reminds us. Your flooring may outlast your stay in the home. Choosing something that’s trendy may be the flooring equivalent of a horse and buggy by the time you go to sell, adding an expense to your home updates. |||| 01.16 | ARROYO | 27

28 | ARROYO | 01.16

arroyo

™

~HOME SALES INDEX~

+16.59% ALHAMBRA ALHAMBRA (NEW) Homes Sold Homes Sold Median Price Median Price Median Ft. Median Sq. Sq. Ft. ALTADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. ARCADIA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. EAGLE ROCK Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. GLENDALE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. LA CAÑADA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SAN MARINO Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SIERRA MADRE Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. SOUTH PASADENA Homes Sold Median Price Median Sq. Ft. TOTAL Homes Sold Avg Price/Sq. Ft.

NOV. ‘14 ‘14 NOV. n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a NOV. ‘14 20 $597,500 1430 NOV. ‘14 14 $797,500 1613 NOV. ‘14 18 $674,500 1274 NOV.‘14 91 $553,000 1393 NOV. ‘14 16 $1,362,500 2072 NOV. ‘14 101 $681,000 1583 NOV. ‘14 7 $1,850,000 2556 NOV. ‘14 11 $580,000 1095 NOV. ‘14 15 $856,000 1816 NOV. ‘14 293 $464

NOV.‘15 NOV.‘15 21 38 $520,000 $498,750 1342 1320 NOV.‘15 35 $740,000 1656 NOV. ‘15 23 $1,070,000 2145 NOV. ‘15 13 $685,000 1649 NOV. ‘15 99 $620,000 1432 NOV. ‘15 20 $1,650,000 2579 NOV. ‘15 102 $651,000 1428 NOV. ‘15 12 $2,572,500 3060 NOV. ‘15 13 $700,000 1514 NOV. ‘15 22 $862,500 1755 NOV. ‘15 339 $541

HOMES SOLD

339

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

2015

HOMES SOLD

+15.70%

2014

nov.

293

HOME SALES

nov.

HOME SALES ABOVE RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT ADDRESS

ALTADENA 2909 Lake Avenue 2555 North Altadena Drive 1296 East Mendocino Street 176 Jaxine Drive 1225 Boston Street 2880 Reposa Lane 1232 Rubio Vista Road 2495 Highland Avenue 363 Marathon Road 2035 Skyview Drive 873 West Mariposa Street 469 East Calaveras Street 1676 East Mendocino Street ARCADIA 1311 Oak Meadow Road 1131 San Carlos Road 1707 Rodeo Road 2400 Louise Avenue 1734 North Santa Anita Avenue 2001 Wilson Avenue 726 Pamela Circle 336 Genoa Street 1434 Green Oaks Drive 333 East Longden Avenue 56 East Arthur Avenue 244 Hillgreen Place 1029 Oakdale Avenue 303 East Las Flores Avenue 156 Fano Street #A 56 Eldorado Street EAGLE ROCK 5132 El Rio Avenue 4866 Hartwick Street GLENDALE 1244 East Acacia Avenue 1480 Beaudry Blvd.

534 Hazel Street 1440 Beaudry Blvd.

1708 Briar Ridge Road 2445 Flintridge Drive 3254 Montrose Avenue 1535 North Pacific Avenue 650 Bohlig Road 431 Audraine Drive 1329 Campbell Street 408 Lincoln Avenue 613 Caruso Avenue 306 Parkwood Drive 1420 East Mountain Street 2018 El Vista Court 1129 North Verdugo Road 1936 Las Flores Drive 1449 Bruce Avenue 1624 Larco Way 1120 North Cedar Street 1802 East Glenoaks Blvd.

1314 Shirlyjean Street 3314 Park Vista Drive LA CAÑADA 4314 Cornishon Avenue 1201 Inverness Drive

CLOSE DATE

PRICE

BDRMS.

SQ. FT.

source: CalREsource YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

11/19/15 11/18/15 11/16/15 11/13/15 11/20/15 11/13/15 11/25/15 11/25/15 12/01/15 11/25/15 11/06/15 11/05/15 11/04/15

$1,510,000 $1,500,000 $1,350,000 $1,300,000 $1,260,000 $1,225,000 $1,198,000 $1,100,000 $1,080,000 $975,000 $910,000 $855,000 $840,000

6 3 3 3 8 5 3 3 3 3 5 4 3

4487 3297 2148 2592 3617 2932 2748 2044 2160 1731 2064 1773 1900

1920 1946 1927 1949 1919 1926 1988 1930 1910 1954 1962 1937 1948

11/23/15 11/25/15 11/30/15 11/18/15 11/20/15 11/24/15 11/30/15 11/25/15 11/09/15 11/25/15 11/19/15 11/10/15 11/06/15 11/10/15 11/06/15 11/19/15

$4,720,000 $4,630,000 $3,233,000 $1,960,000 $1,620,000 $1,430,000 $1,430,000 $1,390,000 $1,380,000 $1,150,000 $1,097,000 $1,070,000 $988,000 $968,500 $925,000 $840,000

3 0 4 5 4 3 3 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0

2414 0 2648 4279 2763 2811 3033 0 2972 2005 1902 2169 2232 1624 2120 0

1948

11/05/15 12/01/15

$1,130,000 $856,000

8 3

5335 2264

12/01/15 11/02/15 11/24/15 11/10/15 11/23/15 12/02/15 11/20/15 11/24/15 11/20/15 11/09/15 11/06/15 11/24/15 11/16/15 11/17/15 11/20/15 11/03/15 11/20/15 11/13/15 11/18/15 11/24/15 11/20/15 11/16/15 11/25/15 11/20/15

$1,465,000 $1,350,000 $1,190,000 $1,175,000 $1,167,000 $1,158,000 $1,150,000 $1,140,000 $1,100,000 $975,000 $960,500 $955,000 $945,000 $940,000 $923,000 $898,000 $888,000 $885,000 $870,000 $870,000 $859,000 $843,000 $840,000 $825,000

8 3 7 3 4 3 6 4 3 2 3 8 2 3 4 2 5 2 4 2 3 5 3 4

11/25/15 11/24/15

$3,050,000 $2,978,000

5 4

PREV. SOLD

$750,000 $1,150,000 $905,000

10/05/2001 09/13/2013 06/19/2014

$1,265,000 $142,500 $901,000 $680,000 $500,000 $585,000

07/30/2008 09/26/1980 03/21/2006 07/01/2005 12/23/2014 06/06/2014

$1,950,000 $1,850,000 $1,200,000 $1,000,000 $776,000 $700,000

03/31/2014 04/17/2013 09/17/2013 07/13/2010 04/15/2011 01/04/2005

$417,000

03/14/1997

$920,000

03/24/2006

$200,000 $610,000 $826,000

12/16/1986 07/01/2004 08/31/2012

1922 1952

$599,000 $232,000

04/30/2009 07/09/1998

4910 2402 3390 2339 3295 2992 3114 2134 2307 1876 2050 3548 1324 2208 1844 1803 2168 1661 1924 2172 1424 2487 1689 2280

1929 1952 1947 1955 1970 1979 1950 1923 1961 1958 1923 1950 2008 1954 1926 1952 1949 1942 1935 1953 1925 1925 1956 1977

$1,050,000 $495,000 $695,000 $979,000

06/02/2006 02/14/1990 08/29/2013 04/23/2007

$2,970,000 $975,000 $1,125,000 $330,000

01/22/2004 10/04/2006 05/01/2007 05/28/1997

$629,000 $280,000 $620,000 $686,000 $740,000 $875,000 $715,000

06/30/2003 10/28/1994 04/05/2011 08/19/2010 10/18/2011 04/10/2007 02/02/2006

$629,000 $185,000 $772,000 $843,000 $356,000

12/26/2003 02/11/1983 08/22/2014 11/06/2015 12/10/1999

4459 5165

2002 1954

$3,033,000 $740,000

08/16/2006 07/13/1999

1973 1991 1951 1960 1989 1968 1938 1963 1959 1966 1956 2004

–continued on page 30

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2016. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

01.16 ARROYO | 29

–continued from page 29 ADDRESS

CLOSE DATE

LA CAÑADA 4429 Woodleigh Lane 11/19/15 11/12/15 2000 Chimneysmoke Road 4920 Gould Avenue 11/02/15 568 Starlight Crest Drive 11/10/15 311 San Juan Way 11/05/15 817 Wiladonda Drive 12/01/15 4902 Vineta Avenue 11/06/15 4910 Palm Drive 11/24/15 1912 Ravista Lane 11/16/15 5635 Bramblewood Road 11/17/15 2206 Richey Drive 12/01/15 4624 Lasheart Drive 11/20/15 4916 Rupert Lane 11/23/15 4647 Alveo Road 11/17/15 628 Durwood Drive 11/13/15 4814 Grand Avenue 11/20/15 1892 Foothill Blvd.

11/04/15 4548 Indiana Avenue 12/02/15 PASADENA 1466 San Pasqual Street 11/16/15 1234 Hillcrest Avenue 11/04/15 1000 South Madison Avenue 11/18/15 355 South San Rafael Avenue 11/16/15 521 South Orange Grove Blvd. #30011/09/15 704 Norwood Drive 11/10/15 1120 La Loma Road 11/19/15 260 Patrician Way 12/01/15 510 Michigan Blvd.

11/13/15 1185 East Woodbury Road 11/24/15 1301 Linda Vista Avenue 11/20/15 1175 La Loma Road 11/06/15 1671 Rose Villa Street 12/01/15 1155 North Hill Avenue 11/02/15 2780 Thorndike Road 11/04/15 1207 Banyan Street 11/06/15 535 South Orange Grove Blvd. #6 11/24/15 1260 El Mirador Drive 11/24/15 411 Woodcliffe Road 11/17/15 3760 Edgeview Drive 11/03/15 1860 Linda Vista Avenue 11/17/15 1759 Putney Road 11/06/15 3333 Barhite Street 11/18/15 3775 Edgeview Drive 11/17/15 58 North Arroyo Blvd. #11 11/17/15 257 South Hudson Avenue #107 11/06/15 967 North Chester Avenue 11/06/15 481 South Orange Grove Blvd. #1 11/12/15 3675 Ranch Top Road 11/02/15 1780 Old Grove Road 12/01/15 2803 Hermanos Street 11/20/15 300 South Orange Grove Blvd. #6 11/06/15 1669 North Fair Oaks Avenue 11/04/15 SAN MARINO 685 Chester Avenue 11/30/15 11/05/15 2660 South Oak Knoll Avenue 1490 Charlton Road 11/20/15 1370 Westhaven Road 11/10/15 1818 Twin Palms Drive 11/13/15 924 Winston Avenue 11/25/15 2705 Canterbury Road 11/20/15 1730 Banning Way 11/04/15 2360 Adair Street 11/02/15 1500 Bellwood Road 11/02/15 465 Buena Vista Street 11/20/15 616 La Mirada Avenue 12/01/15 SIERRA MADRE 695 Gatewood Lane 11/16/15 11/06/15 34 West Grandview Avenue 710 Sturtevant Drive 11/20/15 86 East Mira Monte Avenue 11/13/15 SOUTH PASADENA 1228 Milan Avenue 11/02/15 12/01/15 420 El Coronado Street 419 El Coronado Street 11/05/15 1241 Kolle Avenue 11/02/15 1701 Ramona Avenue 11/20/15 1121 Marengo Avenue 11/18/15 1610 Bushnell Avenue 11/17/15 1015 Avon Place 11/16/15 275 St. Albans Avenue 11/30/15 1955 Milan Avenue 11/04/15 251 St. Albans Avenue 11/18/15 1425 Fair Oaks Avenue 12/01/15 1712 Hill Drive 11/19/15 30 | ARROYO | 01.16

PRICE

BDRMS.

SQ. FT.

YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE

$2,800,000 $2,700,000 $2,425,000 $1,979,000 $1,965,000 $1,935,000 $1,850,000 $1,650,000 $1,650,000 $1,500,000 $1,465,000 $1,370,000 $1,355,000 $1,231,500 $1,080,000 $994,500 $906,000 $845,000

5 4 4 4 4 4 2 3 3 4 3 2 3 3 3 2 2 2

3346 3431 4232 2832 2619 2960 2731 2060 2068 2539 3072 1562 2017 1813 1599 1289 1686 1533

1941 1920 1948 1963 2003 1953 1951 1910 1951 1966 1955 1941 1950 1946 1955 1948 1967 1946

$6,400,000 $3,625,000 $3,600,000 $2,800,000 $2,375,000 $2,250,000 $2,120,000 $2,000,000 $1,850,000 $1,700,000 $1,520,000 $1,400,000 $1,395,000 $1,320,000 $1,300,000 $1,252,000 $1,250,000 $1,185,500 $1,180,000 $1,160,000 $1,150,000 $1,136,500 $1,000,000 $982,000 $980,000 $945,000 $900,000 $900,000 $900,000 $900,000 $855,500 $854,000 $850,000

5 6 4 6 3 4 3 3 3 5 4 2 3 5 4 4 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 2 4

6612 5196 3509 3465 3667 3289 2922 3112 2282 3386 2858 1800 2335 3266 2438 1752 2269 1887 3130 2234 2498 1716 1503 2248 2800 1300 1776 2084 2676 2736 1568 1960 2210

2010 1915 1911 1930 1988 1907 1956 1967 1960 1912 1948 1961 1920 1923 1961 1939 1965 1951 1988 1956 1921 1954 1947 1956 1986 2009 1914 1959 1965 1964 1947 1991 1923

$3,400,000 $3,310,000 $3,150,000 $3,000,000 $2,865,000 $2,650,000 $2,495,000 $1,888,000 $1,800,000 $1,708,000 $1,443,000 $1,306,000

4 5 3 3 4 6 3 4 3 3 3 2

3474 3811 3162 3989 3388 3464 2957 2438 2182 2215 1576 1505

$1,117,000 $1,044,500 $980,000 $850,000

5 2 2 3

$2,871,000 $1,820,000 $1,666,500 $1,405,000 $1,350,000 $1,325,000 $1,321,000 $1,158,000 $998,000 $980,000 $875,000 $850,000 $840,000

6 4 4 4 4 3 4 2 2 3 3 2 4

PREV. SOLD

$2,180,000

07/31/2012

$765,000 $600,000 $1,200,000 $585,000 $205,000 $97,000 $685,000 $1,130,000 $275,000 $930,000 $1,080,000 $800,000 $193,000 $468,000 $725,000 $450,000

01/30/1997 09/25/1997 03/16/2004 05/21/1999 08/15/1980 12/03/1976 07/01/1999 06/21/2011 04/07/1986 11/21/2014 05/01/2012 05/17/2007 07/02/1985 05/22/2002 10/30/2009 09/11/2001

$1,600,000

07/15/2004

$490,000 $600,000 $610,000 $1,500,000 $1,800,000 $1,200,000 $1,566,000 $1,385,000 $1,185,000 $1,313,000 $1,187,500 $498,000

11/06/1985 02/20/1997 07/31/1987 01/09/2015 03/08/2013 06/11/2015 08/04/2005 07/25/2013 02/15/2012 06/09/2006 12/12/2012 09/07/2001

$795,000 $610,000 $895,000 $328,000

04/03/2012 05/16/2001 01/22/2004 07/09/1996

$1,100,000 $870,000 $926,500 $362,500 $900,000 $449,000 $325,000 $535,000

11/14/2007 12/31/2013 07/11/2007 10/19/1994 05/24/2013 01/31/2003 05/15/1996 10/15/1998

$940,000 $390,000

06/26/2007 11/02/2012

1951 1928 1941 1936 1994 1964 1950 1954 1939 1942 1940 1924

$1,350,000 $2,275,000

01/15/2003 07/03/2007

$286,000 $1,760,000 $1,019,000 $1,100,000 $1,540,000

04/10/1980 05/30/2012 10/12/2000 09/23/2002 11/19/2012

$671,000 $886,000

05/14/2002 03/28/2008

2677 1796 3183 1651

1988 1951 1990 1948

$439,000 $920,000

06/16/1988 08/24/2007

3299 2757 3096 2450 2441 2266 1983 1542 2243 1938 1618 1556 1750

1917 1966 1969 1962 1923 1900 1923 1911 1963 1910 1962 1923 1926

$995,000

08/01/1989

$355,500 $1,010,000 $1,010,000 $590,000 $908,000

06/09/1994 01/03/2007 08/23/2005 08/28/1989 06/12/2006

$587,500 $749,000 $190,000

06/07/2002 05/20/2011 12/12/1997

UNUSUAL SPA TREATMENTS These bliss-inducing spa offerings borrow therapies from China, Poland and a galaxy far, far away.

BY IRENE LACHER

SPA TREATMENTS MAY BE THE MOST ENJOYABLE WAY TO TAKE

INCREASING, THANKS IN PART TO GLOBALIZATION, WHICH

CARE OF YOURSELF. CHANCES ARE EXCELLENT THAT YOU’RE

IS BRINGING THERAPIES FROM FOREIGN CULTURES TO A SPA

RELAXING — EITHER ON A TABLE OR AN ANTI-GRAVITY

NEAR YOU. ERGO, THESE UNUSUAL TREATMENTS, WHICH WERE

LOUNGE CHAIR — WHILE SOMEONE ELSE TENDS TO YOUR

CERTAINLY NOT ON YOUR MOTHER’S SPA MENU.

HEALTH AND BEAUTY. AND THE OPTIONS ARE CONSTANTLY

–continued on page 32

01.16 | ARROYO | 31

The Salt Studio’s adult suite has a floor covered in Himalayan salt from Pakistan.

The kids’ salt suite is outfitted with colorful murals and toys.

Relaxing on an anti-gravity lounge chair while inhaling microscopic salt particles 32 | ARROYO | 01.16

HALOTHERAPY Michael Leone, a licensed respiratory therapist, first heard of halotherapy from an Eastern European fan of the alternative therapy a few years ago. A veteran of traditional medicine — Leone works in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s center for teaching advanced skills to medical professionals — he was intrigued by the simple principles behind it.

Working as a respiratory therapist, “I would give [patients] a mist of very salty water — hypertonic saline — from a nebulizer, for asthma medication,” says Leone, who opened The Salt Studio in Pasadena with his certified-massage-therapist wife, Diana Leone, in 2013. “I understood the biophysics of that, so I looked into it, and it made sense.”

In halotherapy (derived from halos, the Greek word for “salt”) suites, the mist is dry, consisting of very fine particles of salts — roughly 5 microns in size (as small as a human red blood cell) — ground up and blown into the air by a halogenerator, while clients simply relax and breathe. Salt’s anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties are believed to benefit lungs and skin; proponents recommend breathing the salt mist for adults and children with such respiratory problems as asthma, cystic fibrosis and sinusitis or skin conditions like acne, eczema and dryness (the salt penetrates your pores and draws in moisture from the air).

Halotherapy is fairly new to the US — even now there are only a half-dozen salt rooms in Southern California — but forms of it have been practiced in Poland since at least the 12th century, when spa resorts with mineral baths were first recorded.

The therapy’s benefits were reportedly first recognized by a Polish physician, Felix Bochkovsky, who, upon discovering that salt-mine workers rarely had colds or other lung ailments, published his findings in 1843. Relaxing in salt caves is still popular in Eastern Europe — Poland’s salt mine in Wieliczka is one of the largest, with an underground church built in the 13th century — and the Russian Ministry of Public Health sanctioned halotherapy in 1990.

No clinical studies have been performed on halotherapy in the U.S., but that’s not unusual for therapies that don’t offer the potential for big drug company profits.

Pulmonary disease specialists contacted by Arroyo said they were unfamiliar with the therapy and couldn’t comment on it.

But there are indications that it can help. In 2006, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that determined that cystic fibrosis sufferers had better lung function after breathing in hypertonic saline mist. Also that year, the European Respiratory Journal reported on a study finding that inhaling aerosolized salt temporarily helped cigarette smokers’ coughing and mucus symptoms. And in 2014, the Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine published a Danish study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients whose lung function improved with both dry halotherapy and saline inhalation, although the former was better tolerated.

I don’t experience the lung and skin conditions halotherapy treats — okay, the occasional pimple is not a stranger to me — so I was unable to gauge its impact during a recent 45-minute session (and multiple visits are generally required for significant improvement). But it did live up to its promise of de-stressing me.

When I arrived for my session, Diana asked me to remove my shoes and handed me a warm neck pad and booties to protect my feet from the floor of the salt room, which is thickly covered in Himalayan salt from Pakistan. The 200-square-foot room was dimly lit, mimicking the salt cave experience with minerals climbing up the walls and “dripping” down from the ceiling. But the real work is done by the halogenerator hidden behind the wall, intermittently blowing in salted air much like a wet sauna produces water vapor. I relaxed on an anti-gravity lounge chair and, well, breathed, while soft music played in the background. I couldn’t detect the salt, but I emerged relaxed and ready to take on the day. Negative ions, baby.

Salt Studio also has a larger children’s room with fun murals and toys for kids to play with on a floor topped by untreated sea salt, more comfortable for little behinds than the Himalayan variety. Individual sessions cost $45 for adults, $25 for children, but packages are available that discount multiple visits. Of course, always consult your physician before trying a new therapy.

The Salt Studio is located in a mini-mall at 1380 E. Walnut St., Pasadena. Call (626) 765-6180 or visit saltstudiopasadena.com.

–continued on page 34

PHOTOS: Courtesy of The Salt Studio

–continued from page 31

01.16 | ARROYO | 33

The Chuan Spa reception desk, where Chuan Yu facial clients receive a five-element questionnaire.

–continued from page 32

CHUAN YU FACIAL There’s nothing new about Asian elements that accent Western spa treatments. But I thought that the Chuan Spa at the Langham Huntington, Pasadena would have a special take on theirs, since the venerable London-based hotel chain was bought by Chinese billionaire Victor Lo in 1993. Now all Langham roads lead to Hong Kong, so any of its Asian-themed spa treatments have to play back home. That struck me as auspicious, and I was not disappointed. The Chuan Yu facial ($230) was unlike anything I’ve experienced.

Before my session, I was handed a questionnaire designed to determine which of the five elements — metal, wood, fire, water and earth — I was particularly in tune with that day. Mine came up as water (not too much of a stretch since my sun sign is Aquarius), which correlates with the emotion of fear and the color black (making it the element of choice for native New Yorkers like me). It also corresponded to an aromatherapy scent to be used in the session.

Indeed, traditional Chinese medical techniques were used throughout my 85-minute treatment with Isabel. She started by spritzing my face with water laced with my aromatherapy scent, then placed a smooth flat jade stone in my left hand, directing me to hold it to my forehead while resting my right hand on my stomach.

As Langham Huntington Spa Director Nichole Hester explained, jade is believed to store qi (life energy) and balance yin and yang, helping boost circulation and anti-aging benefits while eliminating the body’s toxins.

After cleansing my skin with Kerstin Florian gel and exfoliating with crushed shrimp shells (chitosan), followed by pineapple enzymes, Isabel applied facial oil and began using the ancient gua sha technique — lightly scraping acupuncture points with three “blades” (nourishing jade, a detoxifying Chinese Herb Blade and calming Energy Stone Blade) to increase blood flow and revitalize skin. A moisturizing mask and lotion came next and then the finale: Isabel applied five sticky squares, each with a tiny magnet, to acupuncture points on my right ear. Called “auricular therapy,” the magnet treatment is supposed to activate the brain’s neurotransmitters to lower stress and eliminate the desire to overeat. I can’t speak for the success of the latter, but my skin felt smooth and nourished and my qi was in pretty good shape too.

The Chuan Spa at the Langham Huntington, Pasadena is located at 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., San Marino. Call (626) 585-6414 or visit chuanspa.com.

34 | ARROYO | 01.16

THE SKYWALKER RETREAT This Larchmont Sanctuary Spa treatment package ($167), billed as “a head-to-toe transformation from the ways that lead to the Dark Side,” consists of a 60-minute Dock and Repair Massage and a 20-minute Dagobah Healing Waters Bath, accompanied by Kashyyykian Beer (from Wookiee Planet C, of course). According to the website, “This massage therapy was designed for the Jedi who is just plain overworked, worn out and longing for home...Saving the universe can create tension in the head, neck, feet and internal organs, so this therapy includes a warm oil scalp massage and foot reflexology.”

Spa owner and self-described Star Wars nerd Tina Figueroa began offering a raft of celestially themed treatment packages with the December release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. “I like doing something fun and original, and I think most spas are boring,” says Figueroa, whose personal Star Wars collection includes a light saber (natch), a Darth Vader helmet and Yoda toys and figurines. “Why not make it fun and interesting and connect with people in a way that brings them into that nostalgia with you?”

Okay, so the most unusual thing about this package is probably the marketing, but who wouldn’t welcome help steering clear of the Dark Side?

For my bath named for the Star Wars planet Dagobah, I was led to a small, candlelit room with a large copper tub with an ergonomically correct curved bottom. Next to the tub was a small table holding a beer bottle; since beer is one of the few fattening things I don’t like, it was quickly replaced by a mini-bottle of California Champagne. As a survivor of public baths from Hawaii to Guatemala, I was heartened to learn that copper is intrinsically anti-bacterial, and spa staff spend three hours cleaning and polishing the tub every Tuesday.

Then I was taken to a treatment room with a large beach umbrella attached to the ceiling, softening the light from the bulbs behind it. The obliging Victor was my masseur, and he was careful to ask what massage style I preferred — modified deep tissue that smoothes out my knotted muscles without making me bite a hole through my lip — and sticking to it. He seemed to be intuiting clues from my body as he alternated between conventional, shiatsu and warm jade stone massages.

“Massage is about customizing it to how you are feeling today, what part of your body hurts or is in pain,” Figueroa says. “I want the therapist to get to know your body and give you the right stroke and pressure to alleviate some of the tension you’re holding in your body.”

The Larchmont Sanctuary Spa is located at 331 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles.

Call (323) 466-1028 or visit larchmontsanctuary.com. |||

PHOTOS: Courtesy of The Langham Huntington, Pasadena’s Chuan Spa and Larchmont Sanctuary Spa

Chuan Spa’s private VIP suite accommodates couples and brides.

Owner and “Star Wars nerd” Tina Figueroa feels the force outside her boutiquey Larchmont Sanctuary Spa.

A Ferrante Trifecta: Frank Ferrante, flanked by son Dashiell and daughter Lucy, at Santa Anita Park, where the Marx Brothers ’ A Day at the Races was filmed.

A NIGHT AT THE PLAYHOUSE Frank Ferrante brings comedy icon Groucho Marx to life in his popular one-man show.

PHOTO: Richard Cunningham

BY RICHARD CUNNINGHAM

WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU’RE A 9-YEAR-OLD KID WITH SCARY

PAID TO BE THAT HERO TO THE DELIGHT OF AUDIENCES

NUNS FOR TEACHERS AND YOU DISCOVER A SUPERHERO

AROUND THE WORLD. ON JAN. 9 AND 10, FRANK FERRANTE

WHO COULD MOP THE FLOOR WITH THEM, WIELDING

WILL ONCE AGAIN FIND HIMSELF CHANNELING A TRUE

NOTHING BUT WORDS AND A CIGAR THAT ISN’T EVEN LIT? IN

SUPERHERO OF COMEDY AT THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE

THE CASE OF FRANK FERRANTE, YOU START DRESSING UP AS

FOR THREE PERFORMANCES OF AN EVENING WITH

YOUR NEW HERO AND PRETENDING YOU’RE HIM, WAYLAYING

GROUCHO. YES, PASADENA, GROUCHO’S COMING AND,

THOSE CRUEL AUTHORITY FIGURES WITH HUMOR (AND YOUR

TO QUOTE CRITICS’ ACCOLADES FROM L.A. TO LONDON,

IMAGINATION). AND YOU KEEP PRETENDING, YEAR AFTER

THE EXPERIENCE WILL BE “UNCANNY,” “ASTONISHING” AND

YEAR, AND GET SO GOOD AT IT THAT YOU EVENTUALLY GET

“EERILY GOOD.” –continued on page 36 01.16 | ARROYO | 35

“It’s an odd thing, trying to not just impersonate Groucho. Th is show wouldn’t work if it was [simply] imitation,” Ferrante said recently at his home in Arcadia, not far from where he grew up in Sierra Madre. Frank fi rst took playing Groucho to another level one 1995 evening in Phoenix, Arizona, performing the one-man Groucho show he had developed as a USC drama student. He was feeling bored and suddenly thought, “I have to do something! I have to jump off the stage!” He took that leap, both literally and artistically, experimenting as Groucho with audience interaction, which has since become a signature element of the show.

The new spontaneous Groucho was, Ferrante explains, “a weird hybrid of his fi lm and stage persona, which was aggressive, and his laid-back talk-show persona when he was older, which was more conversational, more of a dialogue happening.” Frank began learning how to improvise as Groucho, sometimes out of necessity. “A cough, a sneeze — you have to acknowledge it. And that’s what [Groucho] did, he was so observant and so fast. I slowly learned how to do that, and then I realized, ‘Th is is exhilarating!’ I like perpetuating a master, and then trying to become masterful in the process.”

While improvisation is an integral element of An Evening With Groucho, the show is at its heart a whirlwind journey through Groucho’s long career on stage, the silver screen and TV, as well as his personal life.

As Groucho, Ferrante takes us through great moments of Marx Brothers fi lms, recounting iconic lines with such veracity that even die-hard fans will forget it’s not really Groucho leaping around the stage, delivering the laughs.

Along the way, with piano accompaniment, the audience is also treated to signature Groucho songs including “Hurray For Captain Spaulding,” “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady” and “Tit-willow” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. “Lately, I’m focusing more on what mattered to Groucho, his love of Gilbert and Sullivan, for example,” Ferrante said. “That was his passion, he played their songs nightly on guitar.”

The show also touches on lesser-known aspects of Groucho’s personal life. “I address the fact that he never made it past the sixth grade, yet he was a very literate person, and had correspondences with the likes of T.S. Eliot. He was a voracious reader and intellectually curious. He used to keep a dictionary in his car! There’s plenty of wackiness, plenty of improv, but it’s nice to have those moments when you get a sense of what made him tick.”

As a wildly unlikely result of his dedication to bringing Groucho to life onstage, Ferrante ended up learning what made Groucho tick as intimately as anyone could hope to know. Earning the respect of Groucho’s older children, Arthur and Miriam, Frank became close friends with both over the years. The relationship started in 1985 when Arthur Marx, who died in 2011, accepted Ferrante’s “wild card” invitation — much to the fledgling actor’s surprise — to attend his USC senior thesis production, the seminal version of An Evening With Groucho. Soon after graduating, Ferrante was cast by Arthur to portray his father in the stage show Groucho: A Life in Revue, which the younger Marx had co-written. The show played for hundreds of performances in New York and London, earning Ferrante a New York Theater World Award.

Meanwhile, Ferrante’s friendship with Groucho’s family continued to grow, lending the performer much fi rsthand insight into his friends’ famous father — including their own complex relationships with his hero. “The truth of the matter is, I’ve learned probably more than maybe you should learn about someone,” Ferrante said. “You can’t stay the innocent 9-year-old fan. Th is is life — how do I process that this guy was very human, and life is very complicated? And I know a lot about him because I’ve been so close to his children, and they would tell me things, when you saw the results of his personality on them, for better and worse.”

Ferrante, himself a father of two (Dashiell, 11, and Lucy, 13), learned that Arthur had “a very complicated relationship” with his father, “with many ups and downs that are well documented. I used to see him kind of agonize over it… at the end, he just was forgiving, he wanted to have peace. One time, I was sitting in Arthur’s backyard, I was smoking a cigar, which I don’t really do, and all of a sudden, I was looking at him, and all the Groucho stuff kind of washed away, and all I saw was a guy who had –continued on page 38 36 | ARROYO | 01.16

PHOTO: Michael Doucett

–continued from page 35

01.16 | ARROYO | 37

hurts and was dealing with life and his dad. And I had this cigar, we were going in the house, and I said, ‘I shouldn’t bring this in the house,’ and Arthur said, ‘No, no, bring it. It reminds me of my father.’”

Such a fantastic scenario could never have been foreseen when young Frank heeded a friend’s urging long ago to watch a movie on TV called A Day at the Races, starring the Marx Brothers. Besides the appeal of the local Santa Anita Park racetrack serving as the movie’s backdrop, Groucho seized the imagination of the young Ferrante, setting him off on the unlikely journey of intertwining his life with that of the funny man in the movie. “The whole thing doesn’t make honestly any sense, it should never have happened,” he said. “I don’t understand how — why me? I’m really grateful. I wanted to be part of that world, and that’s what happened.”

Decades after Groucho’s death in 1977, Ferrante continues to attract audiences eager to see an icon of comedy history in action. A major factor, he believes, is surprisingly simple — we all want to be Groucho. “There’s something about this guy, there’s so much in play that is really energetic. He just tears apart convention and breaks rules, and takes down authority. It’s everything we want to do on a daily basis.

We all have to put up with some kind of authority figure, whether it’s our parents or our bosses, and this guy took care of them! Even the way he enters a room, the fact that he takes over, and you’re going, ‘What’s going to happen?’ There’s an excitement to this guy that’s exhilarating, I think. We never knew what he was going to do.”

Of course, that latent desire is news to some in Ferrante’s audiences before seeing An Evening With Groucho. “I’m convinced 90 percent of the audience does not know Groucho intimately. They have maybe a vague awareness, maybe they saw part of a movie or You Bet Your Life [the TV game show Groucho hosted from 1947 to 1961]. So it takes a lot of will, I realize, on my part to go out there thinking, ‘You’re going to love 38 | ARROYO | 01.16

this, I love this, there’s something very special about this type of humor and this man.’”

And yet, the audience is always receptive, he says. “I’ve had moments where I got off the stage, and it was one of those killer evenings, and I thought, ‘Wow, this material is 70, 80 years old, this audience has probably not seen most of it, if at all — there’s no reason they should really be getting this guy.’ And I think that’s how defined Groucho’s persona is, that an actor with some skills can come along and sell it.”

Ferrante’s audiences span all age groups and many parts of the country, making each show unique. “I’ve played thousands of shows, and I’ve had to adjust my show slightly from region to region, town to town, to make it work. If it was a tough matinee crowd in Florida, I would learn, because I would want to make them laugh.

It’s very difficult sometimes for an older audience to respond, but I’d figure out a way to do it.”

At the other end of the age spectrum, Ferrante’s show is helping to grow Groucho’s future fan base. “I would also have to figure out how to play to a hip crowd. How do you keep this edgy for a crowd that I’m seeing now, if I’m in San Francisco or Seattle? For the fi rst time last year, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re getting a lot of 20-somethings at this show. I’m not sure why… I mean, it’s a smart town, he’s subversive, maybe the Internet has introduced him to a lot of younger people.’ It was great to see hipsters at the show, digging it. That was affi rming, and I realized, okay, this is going to go on long after I can’t jump over a couch.” ||| Frank Ferrante in An Evening With Groucho takes the stage of the Pasadena Playhouse at 4 and 8 p.m. Jan. 9 and 2 p.m. Jan. 10. Ticket prices range from $25 to $60. The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org

PHOTO: Courtesy of Frank Ferrante Productions

–continued from page 36

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Foodball Football has only one worthy rival for all the hype it generates — and it's a lot tastier.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

I

t occurs to me, as I sit here pretending to watch football with my husband, that nothing else in our culture is as revered as this sport. Nothing. No other sport.

Not religion. Not celebrity. Certainly not government. Football definitely gets more attention than anything else.

I’ve watched plenty of football over the years, but not because I enjoy the sport.

I’ve watched it because I had to. I was brought to games by my family, or I was in the marching band (yes, I was a band nerd) or I wanted a guy to like me so I pretended to care. (Th is always worked, by the way. Never listen to people when they tell you to be yourself. Pretending is way more fruitful.)

The income-generating potential of football is not lost on me. I just don’t understand the appeal. I object to the bro culture surrounding this sport. I find the level of injury to players alarming. I resent the amount of money poured into the

sport — at all levels. About the only thing I enjoy are the clever advertisements — at least the ones that don’t emphasize boobs. The more I examine it, the more football culture seems quite insane.

What else is on TV 20 times a week? What else fi lls stadiums all across the country with people screaming as if they are being stabbed? What else will bring people out into subzero temperatures to eat in their cars? What else allows scantily clad women dancing like strippers to be socially acceptable? Where else is marching music considered good? What else causes people to decorate their homes, their cars and themselves in god-awful color schemes?

Only football.

Th is is the obvious place for me to draw a comparison between the Romans and us. (If this modern gladiatorial event began with a mock sea battle, I might actually –continued on page 41

01.16 | ARROYO | 39

40 | ARROYO | 01.15

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Consignment Consignment nsignment Home Home Furnishin Furnishings Furnishings

–continued from page 39

watch.) As with so many aspects of our culture lately, it’s too bad people don’t see history as a warning of imminent doom.

The only thing that comes anywhere close to receiving a football level of hype, money, airtime and reverence is food. It’s America’s second favorite obsession. It starts in the junior leagues with things that elicit an audible “oooooh!” — images of melting cheese on a pizza, crispy fried chicken and juicy burgers piled high with bacon, onion rings and barbecue sauce being shoved into the mouth of some poor actress who had dreams of playing Shakespeare. Varsity levels include cooking shows — most of which are now clamoring for ratings with a crazy premise: screaming chefs, sabotage and child “prodigies.” The NFL (National Food League) is the battle for a stellar rating from Yelp, Zagat and the Super Bowl of food, Michelin.

Not that I’m proposing we start treating good food like football. I think that level of hype should be reserved for military homecomings and Mars landings. But it is interesting to imagine a world in which culinary arts receive such adoration. To up the ante of food culture, however, would take a lot more than drill team routines featuring spatula twirling. It would mean salaries that accurately assessed the contributions of the various players. A dishwasher’s salary would be equal to any top linebacker’s. After all, they are the fi rst line of defense against myriad foes of the kitchen. The chef, a culinary quarterback, would need ample team-building and motivational skills, which are sadly lacking in too many of the more than 25,000 restaurants in Los Angeles. Servers would need to champion their own teams — a feat made possible only by offering a dependable salary unreliant upon the whims of their customer base. And, of course, a team doctor should be on the sidelines at all times, ready to stitch and soothe the alarming number of injuries that occur while making your dinner.

Yep. I have several ideas on better ways to use the obscene amount of time, money and resources invested in football, but I doubt anyone will hear me over the drum line. I will have to be content in my own resistance to the hornswoggling, and in my ability to create a culinary frenzy. After all, my half-time snacks routinely result in spontaneous cheering. ||||

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French Onion Skillet Dip This dip is designed to trick your football fans into appreciating more refined flavors. They may say they want guac and chips, but what they need is this sophisticated play on classic French flavors.

INGREDIENTS 5 strips bacon, diced 2 large yellow onions, chopped ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence 1 tablespoon white wine Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch black pepper 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream 1 large baguette, sliced

METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium-size cast-iron skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the meat to a paper towel, and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add onions, salt and herbs, and cook slowly over medium-low heat, stirring, until the onions are caramelized, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add wine, cayenne and black pepper, and cook another minute or two, stirring and scraping up all the delicious bits at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.

2. In a separate bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream and Gruyère. Add the reserved bacon and the onion mixture from the skillet. Mix well, then return the entire mixture to the skillet. Bake in your preheated oven for 10 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Serve warm with baguette slices as dippers. Prepare for high-fives.

Leslie Bilderback is a certified master baker, chef and the author of Mug Meals: More Than 100 No-Fuss Ways to Make a Delicious Microwave Meal in Minutes. She lives in South Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

01.16 | ARROYO | 41

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

THE LIST

Smell the Roses

Beckman Auditorium is located on Michi-

Jan. 1 — The 127th

gan Avenue, south of Del Mar Boulevard,

Rose Parade kicks

Pasadena, on the Caltech campus. Call

off the new year at

(626) 395-4652 or visit events.caltech.edu.

8 a.m. at the corner

levard for 5½ miles, turning north on Sierra

Camerata Pacifica Launches New Year

Madre Boulevard before ending at Villa

Jan. 12 — The

of Orange Grove Boulevard and Green Street, then travels down Colorado Bou-

Street. This year’s theme is “Find Your Ad-

Camerata Pacifica

venture,” reflecting a new collaboration

chamber ensemble welcomes the new

between the Pasadena Tournament of

year with a concert featuring Bruce’s

Roses and the National Park Service, and

“Steampunk,” Hartke’s “The Horse with the

celebrating the centennial of our nation-

Lavender Eye,” Friar’s “Velvet Hammer,”

al parks. The grand marshal is Emmy and

Grainger/Fauré’s “Après un Rêve” and

Grammy Award–winning documentary

Stanford’s Serenade (Nonet) in F Major,

filmmaker Ken Burns (The National Parks:

Op. 95. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at

America’s Best Idea, The Civil War). The

the Huntington. Tickets cost $56.

Jan. 1, 2 and 3 — Rose Parade floats will

WILDNESS LOST, CAMELLIAS CELEBRATED AT DESCANSO

be on display for public viewing at the

Jan. 12 — Farewell, Eden: Nature in a Post-Wild World opens today and continues

A Deathtrap in Sierra Madre

corner of Sierra Madre and Washington

through April 3 in the Sturt Haaga Gallery, displaying works of contemporary

Jan. 15 through

boulevards. Visitors will be admitted from

artists exploring the changing nature of nature in a human-dominated world.

Feb. 20 — The Sierra

1 to 4 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.

Saturday and Sunday. Seniors and

Jan. 19 — “Arts for Tots: Dance” is an interactive performance for all ages, part of

presents Ira Levin’s mystery Deathtrap,

disabled guests can avoid the weekend

Descanso’s Third Tuesday programming, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

centering on Broadway playwright Sidney

crowds by attending between 7 and

Jan. 30 and 31 — For the Camellia and Tea Festival, Chado Tea of Pasadena

Bruhl, who’s in a creative slump following

9 a.m. Tickets cost $10, available at the

hosts tea tastings from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both days also include camellia crafts for

early successes. One of his students has

viewing location until 3 p.m. each day,

children from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., guided walks of the camellia collection at

written a mystery script titled Deathtrap,

with children 5 and younger admitted

10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and Invertigo Dance Theatre’s spirited performance to live

which is so terrific that people would kill

free. Tickets can also be purchased in

music, followed by an interactive workshop, starting at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The

to get their hands on it. The curtain rises

advance at sharpseating.com.

Camellia Lounge offers a mini tea-and-sandwich plate for purchase from 11 a.m.

at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30

Visit tournamentofroses.com.

to 3 p.m. both days. All activities are free with Descanso admission.

p.m. Sundays. An additional matinee

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Admis-

is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Feb. 4. Ticket

sion costs $9, $6 for seniors and students and $4 for children 5 to12; children 4 and

prices range from $17 to $30.

younger are admitted free. Call (818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

The Sierra Madre Playhouse is located

2016 Rose Queen is Erika Karen Winter, a senior at Flintridge Preparatory School.

Visit tournamentofroses.com.

Post-Parade Float Viewing

Pasadena Symphony Ushers in New Year

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (805) 8848410 or visit cameratapacifica.org.

Madre Playhouse

at 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre.

Admission costs $10.

Call (626) 355-4318 or visit sierramadreplayhouse.org.

at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium.

Mars, Mime, Mirth and Music at Caltech

Jan. 15 — “Toying with Science” at 7 p.m.

Nicolas McGegan conducts the

All events take

involvement to explore scientific prin-

Cookie Cutter Dance at Lineage

orchestra in a performance of Prokofiev’s

place at Caltech’s

ciples, such as gravity, leverage, fulcrums

Jan. 22 and 23 —

Jan. 9 — The Pasadena Symphony welcomes the new year with a concert

stars Garry Krinsky, who combines circus skills, mime, original music and audience

“Classical” Symphony, Schubert’s

Beckman Auditorium:

and simple machines in a fast-paced,

Lineage Performing

“Unfinished” Symphony No. 8 and

Jan. 10 — The high-definition

humorous show. Admission costs $25, $10

Arts Center presents

Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto

documentary Road Trips on Mars: Rovers

for youth high school age and younger.

Cookie Cutter, choreographed by

No. 5. Sean Chen (above) is featured

Explore the Red Planet screens at 2 p.m.,

Jan. 17 — The Calder Quartet performs

Tanya Chianese and performed by her

piano soloist. Concerts start at 2 and

highlighting Red Rover’s investigation of

works by Ades, Britten and Schubert at

ka-nei-see collective. The dance perfor-

8 p.m., with preconcert talks beginning

Mars’ evolution over billions of years in

3:30 p.m. Tickets range from $20 to $49.

mance investigates what it means to be

one hour before. Ticket prices start at $35.

an attempt to determine if it was ever

Jan. 30 — “Yamato: The Drummers of

predictable, recycled and not unique,

Ambassador Auditorium is located at

habitable. Kirsten Sierbach, a Caltech

Japan” features a 12-person troupe

literally referencing cookie cutters and

131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Call (626)

graduate student in geological and

perfoming on traditional Wadaiko taiko

the delicacies they create, in an evening

793-7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-

planetary sciences, introduces the film

drums, starting at 8 p.m. Admission costs

of space dichotomies, manufactured

pops.org.

and leads a post-screening discussion.

$10 to $45.

42 | ARROYO | 01.16

–continued on page 44

01.16 | ARROYO | 43

THE LIST

PHOTO: courtesy of Andrew Casto

Andrew Casto, Assemblage 90, 2015, 20.5 x 9 x 20 in., ceramic, luster.

SCRIPPS CERAMIC SHOW EXPLORES TOUCH Jan. 23–April 3 — The 72nd Scripps College Ceramic Annual, the country’s longest continuous exhibition of contemporary ceramics, opens on Jan. 12 with a special lecture from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Scripps College Humanities Auditorium, followed by a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery. The exhibition, guest curated by Susan Beiner, associate professor of art at Arizona State University, compares the processes of “sight” for 2D drawings and “touch” for 3D ceramic forms. The opening is free and open to the public.

Scripps College is located at 1030 Columbia Ave., Claremont. For information, call (909) 607-4690 or visit rcwg.scrippscollege.edu.

–continued from page 42

moments, childhood laughs and freedom

Orchestra presents a one-night explora-

within boundaries. The show debuted in

tion of Bach’s Cantata No. 140, part of the

San Francisco in early 2015 to sold-out

orchestra’s "Discover" program. The 8 p.m.

audiences and positive reviews. Perfor-

performance at Pasadena’s Ambassador

mances start at 8 p.m. both evenings.

Auditorium features soprano Teresa Wakim

Tickets range from $15 to $25.

(above), tenor Colin Ainsworth, bass

Lineage Performing Arts Center is located

Andrew Craig Brown, the USC Thornton

at 89 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Visit

Chamber Singers and the Los Angeles

cookiecutter.eventbrite.com for tickets

Children’s Chorus. The event is designed

and kaneiseedance.org for information.

to deepen understanding of the historical and cultural significance of this and other

Chamber Orchestra Rediscovers Bach Cantata Jan. 23 — The Los Angeles Chamber 44 | ARROYO | 01.16

Bach works. Music Director Jeffrey Kahane conducts. Ticket prices start at $30.

–continued on page 46

01.16 | ARROYO | 45

THE LIST

LA MASTER CHORALE CELEBRATES VERDI Jan. 30 and 31 — The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents two concerts featuring Verdi’s Requiem at Walt Disney Concert Hall, conducted by Artistic Director Grant Gershon.The concerts, featuring guest soloists Amber Wagner (above), soprano; Michelle DeYoung, mezzo soprano; Joshua Guerrero, tenor; and Morris Robinson, bass, start at 2 p.m. Wednesday and 7 p.m.Thursday.Ticket prices range from $29 to $129.

Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 S. Grand Ave., LA. Call (213) 972-7282 or visit lamc.org.

–continued from page 44

7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m.

Ambassador Auditorium is located at

Sunday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. Call (213)

Ticket prices start at $34.

622-7001 or visit laco.org.

The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is located at 135 N. Grand Ave.,

Renowned Asian Company Dances to Cosmic Rhythms

LA. Call (213) 972-0711 or visit musiccenter.org/cloudgate.

Jan. 29, 30 and 31 — Glorya Kaufman

46 | ARROYO | 01.16

Presents Dance at the Music Center

A Museum Free-for-All

presents Asia’s renowned Cloud Gate

Jan. 30 — SoCal Museums presents the

Dance Theatre of Taiwan in Rice, choreo-

11th annual Museums Free-for-All day,

graphed by Cloud Gate’s artistic director,

when more than 20 institutions focused

Lin Hwai-min. Dancers trained in medita-

on the arts, cultural heritage, natural

tion, qigong, internal martial arts, modern

history and science open their doors

dance and ballet transform ancient aes-

for free. Participants include the Annen-

thetics into a modern celebration of mo-

berg Space for Photography, The Broad,

tion. Rice, a human drama in dance form,

Laguna Art Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits

calls attention to the need to protect the

and Museum and Arroyoland’s Descanso

Earth by portraying the life cycle of rice

Gardens, Pasadena Museum of California

cultivation, from death to rebirth, devasta-

Art, USC Pacific Asia Museum and more.

tion to resurrection. Performances start at

Visit socalmuseums.org. ||||

01.16 | ARROYO | 47