20 minute read
Theater Review
A goose. Orange jumpsuits. Mirrors and whips. A shroud and cross. Images signify meaning, but context can often change how signs are read. Let me start with the goose.
Rapunzel Alone is a reworking of the Grimm Brothers’ tale. Opening at the 24th Street Theatre, the play moved to the Wallis for a brief run, and it is back at 24th Street. Written by British playwright Mike Kenny, the story, set in London during the Blitz, opens with firstrate documentary visuals of British children sent away to escape Nazi bombing.
On opening night, it was impossible not to think of terrified Ukrainian children forced to leave their home-
by Louis Fantasia
land. Of course, when the theater commissioned the play in 2019, no one could
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Ann Ronus
We are deeply saddened to announce that Ann Ronus, beloved wife of Robert Ronus, died suddenly on February 20, 2022. Ann was extremely devoted to her family and was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She was caring, thoughtful, and selfless, and she took great pride in creating a happy home. She was particularly close to her granddaughters Emma and Lucy, with whom she shared much innocent mischief and laughter. They greatly admired her and were just as proud to be her granddaughters as she was proud of them. Above all, Ann loved and admired her husband Robert. Married for more than 53 years, they truly complemented one another, and their respect and affection never waned. Ann left an indelible imprint on our lives and the world of classical music in Los Angeles, most notably as a board member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and of the Colburn School. She was also an enthusiastic supporter of the choir of St. James, in-the-City Episcopal Church. She served on the Vestry of the Church and also as a trustee of St. James’ Episcopal School. Her generosity was boundless — and very discreet — so only a few will ever know the true impact she has made. Ann was born in Adelaide, Australia, where her love of classical music developed at an early age. Her mother was a concert pianist, and many others in her family were professional musicians. Even though she never pursued it as a career, Ann became an accomplished pianist and possessed a remarkable ear. She was not only devoted to music, but she was also fiercely supportive of the musicians, artists, and staff who make it happen. Ann lived in England and in Switzerland before moving with her family to Los Angeles in 1983. In the last part of her life, she suffered from chronic medical problems which greatly impacted her quality of life. Nonetheless, she never complained and will always be remembered for her tremendous courage and resilience. Along with Robert, Ann is survived by her son Christopher, daughter Caroline, son-inlaw Andrew, and granddaughters Emma and Lucy, her half-siblings Felix and Wendy, and extended family in Australia and England. She is mourned by friends across the world who remember her elegance, kindness and wicked sense of humour. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested donations to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association. Adv. have foreseen this horror. The play, which focuses on a mixed-race girl sent to an isolated English farm, tells of the relationship between the girl (Tara Alise Cox) and the lonely farm owner (Marie-Françoise Theodore), also from the Caribbean. William Leon plays the village boy who turns out to be the play’s narrator. It’s a tender tale, tenderly told, but somehow I wanted more. Not the production’s fault, but the world’s. Context.
Oh, the goose? A life-size puppet (handled by Matt Curtin) who terrorizes the farm and steals the show, singlemindedly protecting her defenseless chicks, which the Londoners did then and which we all must do now. 24th Street Theatre, 1117 W. 24th Street; ends Sun., May 1.
• • •
The orange jumpsuits are from Detained, recently at the Fountain Theater. A quality ensemble tells the story of immigrants here illegally (though they have served in the army, earned degrees, held jobs, raised families, etc.), who are arrested and held by ICE. The performances can’t make up for the didacticism of France-Luce Benson’s script, which preaches to a sympathetic audience despite the fact that, since the start of the Biden Administration, ICE arrests and deportations have fallen to their lowest levels in the agency’s history (“Washington Post”, 3/11/22). Context, again.
The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave.; ends Sun., April 10. • • •
Then come the mirrors and whips, the icons of Jeremy O. Harris’ Slave Play at the Taper. The cast is heroic in its emotional, physical and psychological commitment to the play’s roller coaster ride of sexual and racial dynamics, but I was left underwhelmed.
The mirrored walls of the production (which has served as a barometer for race relations in America over the past two years) reflect the complicity of the audience in systemic racism, I suppose, and the whip-cracking acts to light up the thrill of domination, or being dominated, in some. Apart from the interracial makeup of the three couples on stage (and the two analysts conducting the antebellum role-play experiment), the hang-ups that spur the gay and straight pairs to therapy feel like clichés from old Jules Feiffer cartoons. The flaw in Mr. Harris’ script is that he takes for granted the very normalness of such interracial love today. Most of us reflected in the stage’s mirrors accept racially-mixed couples, gay or straight, without hesitation. But, within my lifetime, miscegenation and sodomy were crimes in America. Context.
That there are those who want to drag us back from the admittedly halting progress we have made is the issue, not that some couples, no matter their color or identity, have problems hearing and seeing each other. Ended March 13.
• • •
The shroud and cross are signs, of course, of Christ’s crucifixion. One of its greatest settings is Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, written in 1725, and presented by the Los Angeles Opera in a revival (whose last performance was March 27) of John Neumeier’s 1981 Hamburg Ballet version. Under James Conlon’s baton, the L.A. Opera mustered a world-class reading of the oratorio. Some of Bach’s antiphony was lost to the bowels of the Chandler stage, as the chorus was pushed back behind a scrim and the soloists stuck in the pit to give the dancers the stage. Some might argue (and I might be among them) that any ballet distracts from the power of Bach’s music, but Neumeier’s choreography, especially in the chorales, has a compelling power of its own. Context.
In 1981, the first cases of AIDS were reported, and U.S. inflation was at 8.9 percent. In 1725, a small band of Armenian freedom fighters drove the massive Ottoman army from its homeland. The Bach evening began with a rendition of the Ukrainian National Anthem that brought the Music Center audience to its feet.
No context was needed. We all understood.
. JFLA’s ‘Wonder Women’ is May 1
The Jewish Free Loan Association will honor three leading women at the Wonder Women Gala on Sun., May 1 at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, 11461 Sunset Blvd.
The event will honor Jacky Dilfer, Deborah Kallick and Jessica Kronstadt. Sen. Sydney Kamlager, 30th District, is a special guest. Gala cochairs are Sam Yebri and Adeena Bleich. Cocktails will be served at 5 p.m., and dinner follows at 6 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit jfla.org, write sara@jfla. org or call 323-761-8837.
Also, mark your calendar for the JFLA gala to support the Feit 4 Kidz Fertility Loan Fund to be held Thurs., June 2 at 6 p.m.
By Suzan Filipek Proving it’s never too late to begin again, 70-something songwriter, composer and librettist Jane McNealy is poised to release her new album April 1. McNealy recorded the jazz vocal album “Marsha Bartenetti sings McNealy and Kuhns” at Capitol Records on Vine Street while she did most of her writing due south — at her Rossmore Avenue home / studio — with her longtime collaborator Alice Kuhns. It is her most meaningful album to date, McNealy tells us. Her advancing years and a stage-four cancer diagnosis prompted her to collect her all-time favorites for the new album from her songbook of jazz, pop, soul and folk tunes and theater and fi lm scores. There were plenty of tunes to choose from. McNealy has recorded more than 300 songs since the 1960s. Legendary songstress Sarah Vaughan performed some of the songs — including the jazzy “Running Around” — in concert. Unfortunately Vaughan died
Youth Symphony concert and gala is April 30 at UCLA
Celebrate the close of the season of the American Youth Symphony at its 57th annual gala on April 30 at 5 p.m. at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Opening the concert is John Adams’ “Short Ride on a Fast Machine,” setting the tone for the festive night. The orchestra also will perform the world premiere of “Zephyr,” by AYS Creative Fellow and composer, Alexander Mansour. The concert will conclude with an audience favorite, Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Gala events in support of the youth orchestra founded by the late Mehli Mehta (who conducted until age 90) include a pre-concert reception with cocktails, hors d’oeuvre
‘Laurel Canyon’ to be told, sung by MUSE/IQUE
MUSE/IQUE will perform a festival of Los Angeles music with the stories and songs of Laurel Canyon at concerts to be held at two venues this month. Led by Artistic Director Rachael Worby, “Laurel Canyon” is a musical journey into one of rock-n-roll’s most mythical neighborhoods. The performances take place Wed., April 6 and Thurs., April 7, at 7:30 p.m. at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, in San Marino. The festival returns on Sun., April 10 at 7:30 p.m. to the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Joining musicians in the performance will be singersongwriter Nikka Costa and tenor Ashley Faatoalia. Laurel Canyon, in the Hollywood Hills area, was home to The Byrds; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Carole King; Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, all of whom shaped a generation with their timeless music. For tickets and more information, visit muse-ique.com. and premium seating. In addition, pay-what-you-can tickets will be available for just the concert. For tickets and more information, visit info@AYSymphony.org. in 1990 before she could record them. It had been her next project, McNealy tells us. That song is among the seven recordings on the new album, released on McNealy’s record label Lo-Flo Records, which she debuted in 2020 during the pandemic. Another of her songs, which is not on the album, “Turn Away from Darkness,” is a gospel tribute McNealy wrote and composed with her mentor New Orleans’ Harold Battiste, Jr. in 1969. Joyce Dunn is the vocalist on the updated track, available on McNealy’s website, which is accompanied by a video featuring black-and-white photos taken by McNealy in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and photos by others from the more recent Black Lives Matter protests. For more information, visit lowfl owrecords.com
SONGSTRESS Marsha Bartenetti (left) with composer Jane McNealy of Rossmore Avenue. Photo by Craig Allyn
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MIGUEL POVEDA POVEDA POVEDA Kala Koa Entertainment presents WEDNESDAY | APRIL 13, 2022 | 8PM | WILSHIRE EBELL THEATRE TICKETS AND INFO: LAFLAMENCOFESTIVAL.COM Considered a musical genius in his native Spain, superstar Miguel Poveda’s nuanced and soulful voice is unrivaled in the world of amenco. Possessing a strong technique and a charismatic stage presence, his concerts are inspired musical events. For his long-awaited Los Angeles solo debut, he takes the audience on a tour of the traditional musical forms of amenco, from malagueñas and alegrías to seguirillas and soleás. with Jesús Guerrero (guitar), Miguel Soto Peña "El Londro” and Carlos Grilo (voice and palmas), Paquito González (percussion), Joan Albert Amargos (piano) Antonio Molina “El Choro” (dancer) APRIL 13, 2022 | 8PM | WILSHIRE EBELL THEATRE LAFLAMENCOFESTIVAL.COM superstar Miguel Poveda’s nuanced and soulful voice is unrivaled in the world of amenco. Possessing a strong technique and a charismatic stage presence, his concerts are inspired musical events. For his long-awaited Los Angeles solo debut, he takes the audience on a tour of the traditional musical forms of amenco, from malagueñas and alegrías to seguirillas (guitar), Miguel Soto Peña "El Londro” and (voice and palmas), Paquito González (percussion), Joan Albert Amargos (piano) Antonio Molina “El Choro” (dancer) This special event is co-produced with “A ecting, heartfelt artistry.” — The New York Times
By Billy Taylor The Hancock Park Homeowners Association (HPHOA) hosted last month a virtual City Council District 5 candidate forum as an opportunity for residents to learn more about three of the four candidates on the CD5 ballot and what their plans would be for the neighborhood.
More than 120 residents joined the March 21 Zoom webinar to hear from Jimmy Biblarz, Katy Yaroslavsky and Sam Yebri.
HPHOA President Cindy Chvatal-Keane opened the event and welcomed the three candidates, allowing each to make opening statements before a series of questions was posed. Each candidate was given one minute to respond.
In their opening statements, Biblarz told residents that Hancock Park is one of his favorite neighborhoods, Yaroslavsky said that she is running because she is frustrated with the current state of the city and Yebri said that he feels like the city that he loves is broken.
Each candidate was then asked about pressing issues for the neighborhood such as constituent services, public safety, housing and transportation, among other things.
When pushed on the topic of public safety — perhaps one of the biggest issues for residents, according to Chvatal-Keane — the candidates each offered a different approach:
Biblarz said that he would “think broadly” about the various services deployed to address safety.
Yaroslavsky said that she supports a citywide “audit” to identify the needs of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Yebri was clear that he would “get more officers on the street.”
When asked directly, all three candidates said that they did not support the recall of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón.
Candidate controversy
The fourth candidate on the ballot, Scott Epstein, who served on the Mid City West Neighborhood Council from 2012 to 2021, and who was that council’s chair for most of those years, said he was not invited to the event. In a series of posts on his Twitter account (@scottforla), Epstein questioned the motives for not including him in the forum.
COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 CAN-
DIDATES (top to bottom): Jimmy Biblarz, Scott Epstein, Katy Yaroslavsky and Sam Yebri.
Jeanette Hagopian Dippell
Jeanette Hagopian Dippell passed away peacefully on January 31st. She was 93 years old. Jeanette graduated from Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Her combined interest in athletics and education led her to the University of Southern California, where she graduated with a B.A. in Physical Education and started a lifelong love affair with that storied institution.
In 1953 Jeanette married Cutler Dippell. Together they shared a deep love of travel and curiosity for other cultures, and raised their three children to appreciate both, as well.
Over the years, Jeanette volunteered for many organizations, including the Camp Fire Girls, The Assistance League of Southern California and The American Cancer Society. She parlayed a volunteer position at the ACS into a paying job as an event planner and development officer. When a position as staff event planner became available at USC, Jeanette jumped at the chance to serve her beloved alma mater. Within months, she was promoted to Director of University and Alumni Events, a position that was the culmination of all her skills as a manager and event planner extraordinaire. Her work was her joy and her passion. Not only did she enjoy the challenge of overseeing all the university’s major events, she also cherished her role as a mentor to her younger staff and the hundreds of students who worked in her office. She had an open-door policy and all who worked with her were welcomed to share her wisdom, her boundless energy, her good humor and warmth and her deep love for the University. Upon her retirement in 1995 at the age of 67, she and Cutler embarked on a new adventure when they moved to Carmel Valley on the Central Coast of California. Here Jeanette was able to share in the lives of her three grandchildren while exploring the area and all that it offered with her husband. After Cutler’s passing in 2012, Jeannette devoted much of her time to the study of genealogy, researching her father’s family and recording the journey they made from Armenia to the US. She continued gardening and sewing and making every holiday a special event for her friends and her family. A stroke in 2018 left her with some physical limitations, but she met them with characteristic
AUGUST 25, 1928 – JANUARY 31, 2022
humor, grace and more than a little dash of defiance. She may have been slowed down physically, but her spirit was intact and in good form to the end.
Jeanette is survived by her three loving children: Ginger Ward of Carmel Valley, CA; Paul Dippell of Plano, TX; and Rebecca Rinot of Prunedale, CA. She also leaves behind her three beloved grandchildren — Christopher Ward, Maggie Ward Kelly and Dana Ward — and her great-granddaughter, Poppy May Kelly.
Those of us whom she left behind find ourselves wishing her a peaceful entrance to the pearly gates of heaven and an easy passage beyond, but we know that it is more likely that, upon entering those gates, she will instead grab the nearest walkie talkie, contact whoever is running catering and audio/visual, and let them know that she is ready to help. Heaven’s special events will shine a little brighter with her star in ascendance.
(Continued from page 1) called POLA, operating at 129 N. Larchmont Blvd., in the space between Le Petit Greek and Village Pizzeria. That is, “People of Los Angeles,” and it offers vintage clothing that exemplifies the city’s fashion style and the people that live here. The store’s owner, Regan Robbins, a recent Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising graduate, opened the store to complement her online sales efforts. You can find her as @polosangeles on Instagram.
Bert Lane
(Continued from page 12) other sport activities were held at nearby parks. Later, property was found on Oxford Avenue just north of Third, but the facility there was underfunded and lacked a pool. Not having a pool “was the biggest regret of that property,” Jim recalled. “Dawne, Joe and my dad looked for a way to create money on an annual basis, and they created the Booster Dinner” (originally a stag dinner). Bert served as logistics coordinator and also stepped in between executive director terms. As the money rolled in, a fully-equipped Y was built with the much-desired pool. (Today, it is called the Anderson Munger Family YMCA.) When Bert did offi cially retire in 2010, besides spending time with his family (including his granddaughters), he and Ann traveled the globe, visiting more than 60 countries. He built a family retreat in the mountains, and he planted a fl ourishing garden in Montecito, as well as fi shed, played more tennis, raced thoroughbred horses and loved desserts — preferably with vanilla or lemon. “He had a long life. He was lucky,” Ann said. Besides his wife Ann and son Jim (Jill Ruesch-Lane), he is survived by sons Rob and Don (Mary Howe), fi ve grandchildren and one great grandchild. In honor of Bert, his family asks readers to “Please have yourself a cookie!” and also consider a donation to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Celebrate Hollywood Bowl’s 100th with music, fireworks on June 3
In celebration of the Hollywood Bowl’s 100th year, Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic will team up with Gwen Stefani at the Fri., June 3 season opening, which will begin at 8 p.m. The evening includes a world premiere by composer John Williams, written to commemorate the centennial. Jazz musician Branford Marsalis, dancers and others including the UCLA Bruin and USC Trojan marching bands plus fireworks will mark the occasion. For tickets and more information on the summer lineup, visit hollywoodbowl.com.
Holy Week Services
St. Brendan Church
310 S. Van Ness Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020 323-936-4656 www.stbrendanla.org Thursday, April 14, 2022
Holy Thursday– Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:00 pm Friday, April 15, 2022-Good Friday
12:00pm– Stations of the Cross 1:30 pm– 7 Last Words 3:00 pm– Good Friday Service 7:00 pm - Good Friday Service Saturday, April 16, 2022– Easter Vigil
7:00 pm Sunday, April 17, 2022– Easter Sunday
8:00 am, 9:45 am (also livestreamed), 11:30 am (Continued from page 1) unique Internet Provider (IP) addresses. The other 141 responses came from duplicate IPs. About 60 percent of the responses identified themselves as living within the ZIP code 90004, and about 15 percent self-indentified as being in the 90020 ZIP code. Larchmont 2021 The Larchmont 2021 group was commissioned at the March 2021 board meeting of the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA), which represents the merchants on Larchmont Boulevard from First Street to Melrose Avenue. LBA president John Winther asked LBA board member Patty Lombard to chair the committee. Pandemic-related changes to Larchmont, such as outdoor table installations replacing former metered parking spaces, were in full use at the time, and the LBA concluded that it would be a good moment to generate discussion about possible improvements to the Boulevard. The group conducted three Zoom conversations in an effort to understand the challenges facing Larchmont Boulevard, and a committee-drafted survey was released online.
Community conversation Lombard and the other three organizers (John Kaliski, Gary Gilbert and Heather Boylston) have reviewed the survey and have produced five key “takeaways” that will be presented to the community on Thurs., April 14. They include: dining in the street (called by some “parklettes”), sit-down restaurants, alcoholic mixed drinks, trees and trash. Readers may visit larchmont2021.com for more information and to register for the Zoom presentation.
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It’s your time. The new beginnings you have been looking forward to are here! Spend it your way at Kingsley Manor, a thriving four-acre oasis in the heart of Hollywood.
