Vibrant Arts & Culture

SOAK IN PASADENA’S INCREDIBLE THEATERS, MUSEUMS, AND ENTERTAINMENT

ON STAGE: THEATER ARTS

Playhouse Village’s vibrant theater scene is anchored by the Pasadena Playhouse, a historic theater that has hosted many famous actors and productions since 1917. Catch their last show of the season, Stew, running from July 12 to August 6. The Pulitzer Prize finalist for drama is a story that follows three generations of Black women as they begin to feel their past. In July, its musical theater boot camp is a great opportunity for students to learn from the pros. pasadenaplayhouse.org

Nearby, at Boston Court Pasadena, see performances from the Grammynominated ensemble Hub New Music, National Theatre Live, jazz vocalist Sidney Jacobs, the Eclipse Quartet, the Nevenka Folk Ensemble, and classical pianist Mark Robson. Don’t miss the World Premiere of “Measure Still For Measure,” a new take on a Shakespearean #metoo story. The summer programming includes a teen playwriting class. bostoncourtpasadena.org

At A Noise Within, Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will, a love letter to William Shakespeare expressed in a comically outlandish true story of love, loss, and laughter, runs May 7 to June 11. anoisewithin.org

FROM A FAMILY BEST KNOWN FOR OWNING THE ICONIC LOS ANGELES LAKERS, JOHNNY BUSS IS READY FOR HIS NEXT ACT

BY RAMONA SAVISS

For as long as he can remember, Johnny Buss has loved comedy, a passion instilled by his parents, led by his late father Jerry Buss. “My dad, especially, loved to make me laugh,” he says. “[Since the ‘80s], my dad and I used to talk about owning a club.”

So when a friend approached Buss in 2019 about buying The Ice House, a comedy institution in Pasadena since 1960, he didn’t hesitate. To Buss, owning a comedy club was similar to owning a sports team. “The bottom line is, we’re sellers of tickets,” he says. “The Lakers are really just a show — we put on a show for 15,000 people a night. The Ice House is much smaller than that, but we are putting on a show for 140 people a night in two showrooms, so it really becomes the same thing.”

As owner, Buss decided to revamp the iconic club. “We have a lot of the artifacts from the original Ice House…so we’re putting up all of the photographs,” he says. Inside, the club will feature two showrooms with simultaneous shows. “I’m trying to make the club an experience not just for comedy but an overall nice place to hang out,” he says.

Buss also wants to give back to the Pasadena community. “We are very involved with the Playhouse