blogdowntown Weekly: December 2, 2010

NEWS NIGHTLIFEFOOD EVERYDAYParking is about to get smart

Where ‘Crazy Gideon’ and Eli Broad

A history of Angel Brewing Co’s new home

Downtown’s got a new home team

6 8 4

LIFE IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES / BLOGDOWNTOWN.COM / DECEMBER 2, 2010 1.18

DOWNTOWN’S NEW BREW

FREE

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Michael Bowe stands outside the front door of the historic Roebling & Sons building at Alameda and Traction and points at his Angel City Brewing logo on his shirt. Then he lifts his arm and points straight toward City Hall. The logo and his view are virtually identical. “It’s prophetic that I ended up here,” he says.

Bowe recently started renovating the 1913 building to turn

it into a new home for his beloved microbrewery, which has been based in Torrance since 1994. Slated to open in Febru-ary, the facility will include a tasting room that will be open to the public, a gift shop and event space. “I want people to get the whole experience of a microbrewery that isn’t behind glass,” he says.

The brewery may eventually house a restaurant, but that’s Continues on Page 5

By Jenni Simcoe

‘RIGOLETTO’ REVIEW

11UPCOMING SHOWS THE POSIES CLUB NOKIA L.A. LIVE FRI DEC 3 8PM

GREG PROOPS DOWNTOWN COMEDY CLUB FRI DEC 3 9PM

MESSIAH SING-ALONG DISNEY CONCERT HALL SAT DEC 5 7PM 8HOLIDAYCALENDAR

‘SCROOGE’ SCREENING

Photo by Eric richardson

Images Downtown’s Week in Pictures

1Dawn sun shines on the Pacific Electric Lofts just after 6am on a clear day. novEmbEr 27, 2010

3An Amtrak train is serviced in the pas-senger rail company’s maintenance yard next to the L.A. River.

novEmbEr 30, 2010

4This streetlight pole at Winston and Los Angeles has taken on a gold hue and an elephant.

novEmbEr 30, 2010

2Katy Perry performs outside at L.A. Live while taping a segment for Wednesday’s Gram-my nominations show.

novEmbEr 30, 2010

Photo by mikEy WallyPhoto by mikEy Wally

Photo by Justin sullivan Photo by stErling davis

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blogdowntownWeekly2 Online at blogdowntown.comDecember 2, 2010

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Most Popular Stories Most Commented StoriesDoubletree Plans for Kyoto Grand Move For-ward bdtwn.com/5895

Five Great Sandwiches bdtwn.com/5892

Downtown’s New Burger Joint: LA Market by Kerry Simon bdtwn.com/5115

Downtown Culture: The Week Ahead bdtwn.com/5894

Teamwork Praised in Dramatic River Rescue bdtwn.com/5891

Doubletree Plans for Kyoto Grand Move Forward — 17 this week – 17 total bdtwn.com/5895

City Looking to Target Animal Buyers 15 this week – 15 total bdtwn.com/5890

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By Eric RichardsonThe owner of Little Tokyo’s Kyoto Grand hotel appeared in a Civic Center bankruptcy court last week to move forward on a plan that would reflag the hotel as a Doubletree.

It would be the first American hotel flag for the structure, which opened in 1977 as the New Otani.

In a status update filed with the court, owner 3D Investments said that it has not formally had its franchise license agreement accepted by the Hilton-owned hotel brand, but that it has executed a letter of intent and has completed negotiations on a 15-page property improvement plan.

The franchise application could be approved in mid-December. The compa-ny has also asked for approval to pay the $75,000 franchise application fee.

Beverly Hills-based 3D Investments purchased the hotel and shopping center in 2007 for $54 million. It placed the structures into Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July.

As part of the plan to exit bankruptcy, the company will now be contributing $10 million in new capital to the project, $2 million more than it had proposed earlier in November.

Those funds will go toward needed repairs, settling a lawsuit over ADA access and imple-menting the improvement plan. According to the company, the hotel’s 170 employees would keep their jobs through the transition.

discussonlinE bdtwn.com/ 5895

Conversion of Kyoto Grand to Doubletree moving forward, could get early 2011 approval

blogdowntown Weekly Taking December VacationBy Eric RichardsonAfter 18 weeks of taking the online world back into print, blogdowntown Weekly will be taking a bit of a break in December.

We will be publishing one more issue this month, an end-of-the-year Christmas special issue on December 16. There will be no paper on December 9, 23 or 30.

Don’t think we’re really taking a vacation, though. We will be using the extra time to get up to speed for 2011, getting set to hit the ground running on January 6.

You can also find a full slate of updated stories on blogdowntown.com throughout the month of December.


Downtown’s Parking Spots About to Get SmartBy Eric Richardson

The streets of Downtown should get a whole lot smarter in 2011 as implementa-tion work gets underway on ExpressPark, an ambitious parking management system that designed to give the city’s Department of Transportation and the public a real-time view of 5,500 on-street and 7,500 off-street parking spaces.

The department will use that data to alter rates at ExpressPark zones through-out Downtown, raising or lowering them up to 50 percent in order to achieve a 70 to 90

percent occupancy rate. Changes would be made after a monthly

review of parking availability and usage.Proposals are due in two weeks from

companies interested in implementing the system for the city. A winning bid will be chosen in February, and installation is required to be completed by October.

Full story available online.

morEonlinE bdtwn.com/ 5907

Photo by Eric richardsonThe city installed 10,000 leased smart parking meters this summer. The ExpressPark system could use the same meters or switch them out for a different model.

blogdowntownWeekly 3Online at blogdowntown.com December 2, 2010

Everydayyday

A New Home TeamL.A. Matadors take up residence at Nokia Theatre, part of a new effort to revive boxing by making the sweet science a team sportBy Eric RichardsonDowntown has a new home team, and it comes via an unlikely team sport. Part of the new World Series of Boxing (WSB), the Los Angeles Matadors opened home play on Sunday at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, defeating the Mexico City Guerreros 5-0.

The 12-team international league strad-dles two worlds, offering pro-style fights but allowing its athletes to keep their Olympic amateur eligibility. Teams are split between the Americas, Europe and Asia. Each carries a 10 to 20-man roster, facing off against division rivals throughout a 12-week regular season that runs into March.

The Matadors opened their season last week with a controversial road loss to the Miami Gallos, but now sit atop the Americas division after two weeks.

The team considers Nokia Theatre its

home court. “When people go down to L.A. Live, we not only want them to think of the Lakers and Kings, but also the Matadors,” team General Manager Jeff Benz said on Monday. Ticket prices range from $20 to $195, and the team has placed a focus on making sure the in-venue entertainment keeps the crowd engaged.

Sunday’s first outing was a success in Benz’s eyes. “The energy in the room was fantastic,” he said.

Instead of fighting just a couple times each year, WSB boxers can fight as often as every two weeks. Bouts consist of five rounds that are three minutes each, and team matches feature fights in five weight classes.

Benz believes the mix might be just the thing that boxing needs to regain its place in a crowded sports market. “There’s this latent boxing community out there that’s

not getting its needs met,” he said. The WSB offers “a very approachable format.”

The long season leads to consistent train-ing. “We have a training camp going for a season that is six months,” Benz said. “This will change the face of boxing in many ways.”

The league was formed by the Interna-tional Boxing Association, the governing body for the Olympic sport. Fighters are paid a salary that can range from $20,000 to $200,000 across the league, and the top individual competitors will receive qualifica-tion for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Here in the United States, the question of amateur versus professional is more cloudy. State-by-state rulings will determine whether the fights count as a professional

morE Photos bdtwn.com/ 5901

record and what parts of a state’s profes-sional boxing rules the matches must apply.

“This notion of amateur versus pro is one that exists these days really only in boxing,” said Benz. “The simple fact that you’re being paid shouldn’t change your status in the world of competition.”

In the end, it may not matter. The Olym-pics are amateur boxing’s top prize, and that status is already assured.

The Matadors return to action on Decem-ber 12, hosting the Memphis Force.

L.A. Matadors’ Rau’Shee Warren, a 2004 and 2008 Olympian, lands a punch during his bout with Mexico City Guerreros’ Elias Emigdio. Both cities are members of the newly formed WSB.

Members of the L.A. Matadors pose in the ring after their first home match at Nokia Theatre.

Photo by syE Williams

Photo by syE Williams


By David MarklandRight in the middle of a Downtown coffee shop, the mysteries of the universe are being uncovered.

Old Bank District resident and full-time astronomer Dr. Louise O.V. Edwards says that much of her work is done from Banquette Cafe, Syrup Desserts, and L.A. Cafe, where she can compile research, analyze data, and write reports on her find-ings. “All I need is an internet connection,” she says.

The 32-year-old says all the data she needs comes from her turns on “Really Big Tele-scopes,” such as the Hubble or 8m telescopes in Hawaii and Chile. Those come up once or twice each year.

One of her recent discoveries is an unusual formation between two galaxy clusters called a “sandbar” which she says is “among the biggest gravitationally-bound objects in the universe.”

Edwards, a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology since 2008, has for the last two years led a team of astronomers in analyzing the lobe-shaped anomalies that she originally spotted using thirty hours of rewarded research time at

New Mexico’s Very Large Array observa-tory. For follow-up observations, the team used NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and additional ground based observatories.

“My own analysis of the object, and read-ing through the scientific literature to put the results into context, all happened on the computer,” she says, adding that “a lot of it was on my rooftop.”

“I also look at the most massive galaxies of the universe,” Edward says of her specific astronomical expertise of “cD type” galax-ies. “They are giant ellipticals that are only ever found at the very center of clusters. Clusters are groups of 50-500 galaxies that are gravitationally bound. I found that their own star formation activity is linked to massive reservoirs of X-ray emitting gas that permeates the cluster.”

Downtown may not seem attractive to a stargazer, but Edwards says the central location provides easy access to Griffith Observatory and Mount Wilson Observa-tory, or the chance to “take some binoculars to the beach on a dark night.”

“In fact, my favorite thing to look at still is the moon through binoculars.” She says the roof of her Old Bank District apartment

By David MarklandFollowing ten years of working in human resources, Tamara Clark decided to escape office life and concentrate on her love of dogs.

After starting out picking up gigs walking and training dogs in Pasadena, Clark finally decided to eliminate the commute and begin her own pet care business catering to people with dogs near her home in Downtown. In

October 2009, Bark and Clark was born.While Clark doesn’t have a dog of her

own, she spends enough of her time walk-ing dogs for a living that she put together a number of dog walk maps centered on different Downtown neighborhoods. Broken down into thirty minute to one hour walks, the maps highlight perfect places for potty breaks.

“I wanted to give a variety of walk options for people looking for routes,” she says. “All of them are my favorites either because of the grass space or the sites you see along the way.”

Downtown Stargazing

FOR THE LOVEOF DOGS

Old Bank District resident working to uncover celestial mysteries

Louise O.V. Edwards shows an image of a galactical sandbar she discovered in part through research done at Downtown coffee shops like Banquette.

Photo by david markland

building is an excellent vantage point. “You can see the mountains and more. It is very beautiful.”

Edwards will be teaching a cosmology course at USC in the Spring and hopes to be a professor in the next few years. Not that she doesn’t have time to kick back.

“My astronomer friends and I will go crazy

at Bar 107,” she says, pointing out that one feature of the bar is a mural with a landscape of Downtown Los Angeles against a giant moon and a floating astronaut.

She provides the maps free on her website, which also includes a blog about pet friend-ly events, holiday safety tips for dogs and general observations of Downtown.

Clark isn’t too concerned about Down-town’s lack of dog parks. “They encourage bad habits,” she says, adding that most dogs aren’t properly socialized, and that dog parks tend to be too small.

Instead of a dog park, she suggests owners use a long leash and take their dogs to the Cornfields or venture to another larger park on the outskirts of Downtown.

Continues on Page 11


Photo by david markland


FoodSpirits & Spice: Holiday Happen-ings in the Rendezvous Court

During the month of December Rendez-vous Court will serve complimentary hot apple cider, creamy eggnog sprinkled with cinnamon and homemade gingerbread cook-ies daily from 11am - 6pm. A special series of winter cocktails will also be available. A live band will play holiday favorites each Wednesday in December from 4pm-7pm.

Rendezvous Court at Millennium Biltmore Hotel / 506 S. Grand / 213.624.1011

Roy’s Keiki Gingerbread EventOn Saturday, December 4 at noon, Roy’s

provides lunch and supplies for kids to make a gingerbread house. $25 Children, $20 Adults, Get $5 off by donating an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. Reservations recom-mended.

Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion / 800 S. Figueroa / 213.488.4994

The Taste of MexicoThe Taste of Mexico Association’s celebra-

tion of 200 years of Mexican Food includes unlimited tasting of dishes from local Mexi-can restaurants including Frida Mexican Cuisine, Guelaguetza, La Casita Mexicana and La Monarca Bakery. The event features live mariachi and musical performances. Tickets $75 pre-sale, $100 at the door.

Sat Dec 4, 5-10pm / Vibiana / 214 S. Main St. / thetasteofmexico.org

Restaurant News:With MAS MALO’s opening just around

the corner, it looks like the Downtown outpost of the popular Silverlake restaurant is still in search of key staff. A Craigslist ad posted the day before Thanksgiving adver-tised: “The second location of a hip/casual Mexican restaurant is looking for a general manager at our new downtown Los Angeles location.”

KACHI DELI CAFE in City West is moving two blocks from its current loca-tion at Wilshire and Beaudry to take over the space that Tokyo Kitchen recently closed in the City of Hope Building at the corner of Wilshire and Bixel. Kachi plans to extend its menu and hours to include dinner and weekends.

MO-CHICA is moving from its USC neighborhood to Downtown in March. The modern Peruvian restauraunt will take over the space at 514 W. 7th where Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe recently closed. According to Downtown News, owner Ricardo Zarate signed the lease on November 24 and will close the other location.

Send food-related calendar events to [email protected].

Foodie Bites

By Jenni SimcoeIt may be a stretch of the imagination to see billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad and late-night commercial star “Crazy Gideon” Kotzer break-ing bread together. Whether they have or haven’t had dinner together, their faces are immortalized next to each other on the wall at The Palm restaurant in South Park.

Broad and Kotzer are not alone. Carica-tures of notable people overlook diners on both levels of the restaurant. Locals Tom Gilmore, Jan Perry and Tim Leiweke share the wall with stars like John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Kobe Bryant and Shaq.

“We have at least the same amount of caricatures as our New York locations but we have twice the space, so they are spread out a bit more,” said Aaron Kirkman, general manager of The Palm Downtown.

New York is where the tradition began. When the original location opened in 1926, the owners had run out of money to deco-rate. The nearby King Features Syndicate cartoonists frequented the establishment, so the owners started a trade with the cartoon-ists: Draw a caricature, get a free lunch. The tradition has since become The Palm’s signature wall décor at all of its locations, with each location being assigned an artist.

Before the Downtown location opened

What A Caricature!nine years ago, many local celebrities and politicians were placed on the wall. “A lot of the people on the walls are regular customers like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino,” said Kirkman.

“Many times if a celebrity gets his or her caricature on the wall at one location, we put it up at other locations as well,” said Kirkman.

The next addition to The Palm Downtown will most likely be another celebrity. “Will Ferrell was in for dinner a few weeks ago,” said Kirkman. The process, according to Kirkman, is for the celebrity’s publicist to supply the photo that the celebrity would like to have turned into a caricature to the restaurant. An artist is commissioned to paint the likeness on canvas that is then affixed to the wall.

The wall isn’t limited to celebrities and politicians. Via the restaurant’s rewards program, the 837 Club, diners can earn one point per dollar spent at The Palm. Reach-ing 15,000 points allows anyone to have their likeness painted on the wall, famous or not, and includes a party celebrating the milestone and a $1,500 gift certificate.

W

Thanks to The Palms caricatures, your dining partners may include Crazy Gideon over Eli Broad (above right), Councilwoman Jan Perry (above left), Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with Shaquille O’Neal and Jim Hahn (middle

right), or AEG CEO Tim Leiweke (left). Other locals are

DCBID’s Hal Bastian and the late Buddy (right), and Tom Gilmore (below).



Nightlifegin the future. “It’s not going to be all dolled up when it opens. It’s a work in progress.”

Long before he purchased the company, Bowe worked in the film business as a gaffer, then as a general contractor. One of his hobbies was brewing his own beer at home, winning awards along the way including ‘California Home Brewer of the Year’ for two years in a row.

In 1994 Bowe had the chance to buy the Southern California Brewing Company, located in Alpine Village in Torrance. He had been doing business with the brewery, and found out from the owner that he has put it up for sale to the highest bidder on Ebay.

“The first bid was $25,000,” says Bowe. “The auction was going to end at 5:30pm and I knew that on Ebay everything happens in the last 30 seconds.” The only bidder was another microbrewery owner who stopped bidding at noon when he hit the reserve, $150,000. Thirty seconds before 5:30, Bowe put in the winning bid: $150,100.

“It was a beautiful brewery, designed to make lager beer,” says Bowe. He started Angel City Brewing Company under the parent company, Southern California Brew-ing Company, and has been producing beer at the Torrance location since 1994, along the way picking up awards including gold medals at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition for the Che Pale Lager, Angel City Ale, Angel City Vitzen, and the

Rashaan Roland Kirk Stritch Stout. As an accomplished saxophone player, Bowe is a jazz lover, naming many of his beers after jazz legends including the Lester Young Porkpie Hat Dark Lager and the Charlie Parker Pale Ale.

In May of this year, Bowe decided to close the doors of the brewery in Torrance to make a huge move to the Roebling & Sons building, which sits on the edge of Little Tokyo and the Arts District. He shut down production to get to work on needed renovations in the new space, hoping to reopen the lines in September.

That date came and went several months ago.

“It’s all been challenging. Everything takes longer than you want,” he says. The first roadblock was that he didn’t get to take possession of the building as soon as planned. Then he hit a few snags in bringing the building up to manufacturing standards.

“I need 480/277 three-phase,” says Bowe of the electrical needs for his equip-ment. The building was only equipped with single phase. “[L.A. Department of Water & Power] told me it would take 120 days and $40,000,” he says. He was encouraged by the DWP representative to write a letter to the head of the DWP and explain his needs. “I told them my vision and what I needed. I said, ‘I have this brewery and I need your help.’”

They sent another electrical worker out to place the needed electrical pole. “When the guy came over he said, ‘Of course we can do

this. No one told me it was for a brewery!’”

The cost of connecting the building’s new sewer line was a surprise. “One bid was for $19,000 and one was for $30,000,” says Bowe. To save money elsewhere, he’s decided to dig the trench to the street on his own with a backhoe, though he’ll still have to pay a bonded professional to connect the sewer to the city’s sewer system.

There have been some unan-ticipated extra costs, but also some breaks. The building’s location in a State Enterprise Zone means Bowe can receive a 35 percent discount on his utilities for up to five years, along with tax credits for hiring employees and other discounts.

“Dennis Metz from the mayor’s business team has been very helpful,” Bowe adds. He’s since applied for a small business loan from the city to help with funding. “In hindsight, I would plan a year in advance to make such a tremendous move,” says Bowe.

When production closed in May, Angel City Brewing’s capacity was 2,000 barrels a year. Within the first year at the new loca-tion, Bowe hopes to double that. Long-term,

he believes the new building is large enough to support production of up to 100,000 barrels per year, a number that he would like to reach in the next ten years.

“Running out of draft beer for my long-time customers has been hard,” he says. Not only does Angel City Brewing provide beer to Downtown restaurants like The Gorbals and Spring Street Smokehouse, but also to stores like Whole Foods.

Bowe is excited about starting produc-tion back up in his new space. “I’ve always envisioned being Downtown! We may not have a pro football team but at least we have a local microbrewery,” he says.

His first beer that he’ll produce will be in honor of Whitey Carlson, the recent-ly deceased owner of the Brewery Arts Complex, who had early on invested in Angel City Brewing. “The beer will be a Belgian witbier (white beer) and will be called the Angel City Whitey,” says Bowe.

New BrewContinued from Page 1

Slinky.German-born engineer John

A. Roebling built a career on the design and construction of suspension bridges. His most famous structure, the Brooklyn Bridge, would be his death. In 1869, several of Roebling’s toes were crushed in an accident during surveying, and he died of tetanus just a few weeks later. The bridge would not open until 1883.

Roebling’s sons continued in the family business, building a giant factory in Trenton, NJ, and opening warehouses and sales offices for their steel wire across the country. In Los Angeles, the firm received a

contract from Edison in 1906 for 288 miles of transmission wire that would be used to supply electricity from the Kern River to the city. The new 20,000 kilowatts of power more than doubled the company’s electric output in Los Angeles.

In 1913, John A. Roebling’s Sons contracted architecture firm Hudson & Munsell to design its new Los Angeles facil-ity. The 69,000-square-foot warehouse cost approximately $120,000 to build. Its entryway at Alameda and Traction still features tiles depicting the company’s work and a curved stairway railing made of its braided steel wire. In what will be the brewery room stands a massive spiral slide once used to move the wire spools between floors.

The three-story warehouse that is now home to Angel City Brewing was originally built for John A. Roebling’s Sons Co., a firm that at one point supplied steel wire for everything from bridges to the original

A Warehouse With History

Photo by Eric richardsonMichael Bowe uses a backhoe to dig a trench for a sewer connection needed by the brewery.



Calendar

THURSDAYDECEMBER 2

C O M M U N I T YChinatown Tree LightingThu Dec 2 6pmCentral Plaza943 N. Broadwaychinatownla.comFestivities around the Chinatown community’s First Annual Christ-mas Tree Lighting will include carols by youth performers from Pasadena Music Center and Con-servatory. Holiday beverages and snacks will be served.

S P O R T S KingsThu Dec 2 7:30pmStaples Center1111 S. Figueroakings.nhl.comL.A. Kings vs. Florida Panthers.

M U S I CLos Van VanThu Dec 2 8pmConga Room800 W. Olympiccongaroom.comSalsa group Los Van Van kick off their U.S. tour.

M U S I CTora! Tora! Tora!Thu Dec 2 8pmThe Redwood Bar & Grill316 W. 2ndtheredwoodbar.comTora! Tora! Tora!; plus Vice 5 and

Del Rottens.

FRIDAYDECEMBER 3

S P O R T S LakersFri Dec 3 7:30pmStaples Center1111 S. Figueroakings.nhl.comL.A. Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings.

M U S I CThe PosiesFri Dec 3 8pmClub Nokia L.A. Live800 W. Olympicclubnokia.comThe Posies; plus Brendan Benson (of The Raconteurs) with Aque-duct Date.

M U S I CBella Donna Fri Dec 3 8pmPershing Square532 South Olivelaparks.org/pershingsquare

Michelle Tyle leads Bella Donna, a Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac tribute band.

M U S I CPetunia & The Vipers Fri Dec 3 9pmRedwood Bar and Grill316 W. 2ndtheredwoodbar.comPetunia & The Vipers and Dave Stuckey’s Gutbucket Five.

M U S I CDenève conducts Beethoven Fri Dec 3 8pm (Opening)Walt Disney Concert Hall111 S. Grandlaphil.orgConductor Stéphane Denève leads the Los Angeles Philhar-monic and Nicholas Angelich (piano) with Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5. Other selections include Debussy’s Ibéria and the West Coast premiere of Connes-son’s Une lueur dans l’âge som-bre. Other performances will be December 4 (2pm), and Decem-ber 5 (2pm).

M U S I CHelen Sung BandFri Dec 3 8pmCafé Metropolcafemetropol.comJazz pianist Helen Sung.

C O M E D YGreg ProopsFri Dec 3 9pm114 W. 5thDowntown Comedy Clubdowntownclub.comProops, of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” brings his stand-up act Downtown. Also December 4, 9pm.

M U S I CGestapo Khazi Fri Dec 3 9pmThe Smell247 S. Mainthesmell.orgGestapo Khazi, The Hindu Pirates.

M U S I CThe Get Down Boys Fri Dec 3 10pmCasey’s Irish Pub613 S. Grandcaseysirishpub.comBluegrass band The Get Down Boys bring their “Downtown Get Down” to Casey’s.

SATURDAYDECEMBER 4

E V E N TClimb for Life:Stair Climbing ChallengeSat Dec 4 8:30am

601 S. FigueroaFigueroa at Wilshire Skyscraperlosangeles.cff.orgThis semi-competitive climb up the 49-story tower at Figueroa at Wilshire Skyscraper raises funds for cystic fibrosis research.

C O M M U N I T YL.A. LIVE Holiday Tree LightingSat Dec 4 5:30pmNokia Plaza L.A. Live800 W. Olympiclalive.com/holidayiceBilly Bush hosts a one-hour event that will feature performances by Seal, Willow Smith, Jessica Lowndes and Greyson Chance. Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Ly-sacek will skate on the complex’s ice rink.

M U S I C‘Spirit of the Season’Sat Dec 4 7:30pmAratani/Japan America Theatre244 S. San Pedrojaccc.orgHiroshima’s presentation of the 9th Annual “Spirit of the Sea-son” Concert also celebrates the jazz ensemble’s 30th year in the recording industry. Special guest artists include former Hiroshima lead singer/composer Terry Steele, and harmonica virtuoso Tetsuya Nakamura, a former member of WAR.

S P O R T S L.A. KingsSat Dec 4 7:30pmStaples Center1111 S. Figueroakings.nhl.comL.A. Kings vs. Detroit Red Wings.

M U S I CPetunia & The VipersSat Dec 4 9pmRedwood Bar and Grill316 W. 2ndtheredwoodbar.comPetunia & The Vipers, Big Sandy.

M U S I CKathleen Grace BandSat Dec 4 8pmThe Smell247 S. Mainthesmell.orgIndie-jazz rock from Kathleen Grace Band.

SUNDAYDECEMBER 5

T A L KSunday Studio Sun Dec 5 1pmMOCA Grand Ave250 S. Grandmoca.org“The Artist’s Museum” has a

F I L M2010 Holiday Matinee: ScroogeSun Dec 6 2pmMillion Dollar Theater 307 S. Broadway laconservancy.orgThis year Downtowners will be visited by three ghosts at the Million Dollar Theater. The L.A. Conservancy brings in the Christmas Season with its fifth annual holiday film matinee. This year’s offering is “Scrooge” (1970), the more music, all color version of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol starring Albert Finney as our favorite holiday crumud-geon. It was released after years of Alistair Sims’s Scrooge seem-ily trapped in black and white on small TV sets.

Hoping you make it the start of a full afternoon, the Conservancy has arranged for your movie ticket to be good for a ten per-cent discount at Clifton’s Caf-eteria (648 S. Broadway). While it is not suggested you nab a roasted turkey leg off the Clif-

ton’s service line so you can wave it in the air for your rendition of Ghost of Christmas Present’s song “I Like Life,” we certainly can understand if you find yourself in that kind of holiday spirit.

Kenneth More as Ghost of Christmas Present in the “Scrooge.” The 1970 musical will be this year’s Holiday Matinee from the L.A. Convervancy.

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christinE taylorThe Posies.


closer look at political street artist Robbie Conal’s art-making pro-cesses and inspirations. The talk and tour is followed by a hands-on project led by the artist (1pm). Afterward, John Divola discusses his work on exhibition at MOCA (3pm).

M U S I CWhiskey Man BandSun Dec 5 2pmPershing Square532 South Olivelaparks.org/pershingsquareBlues with some classic ‘60s rock from Whiskey Man Band.

M U S I CMessiah Sing-Along Sun Dec 5 7pmWalt Disney Concert Hall 111 S. Grandlaphil.orgWith orchestra and soloists on stage, and an expected packed Walt Disney Hall, Music Director Grant Gershon will conduct the annual Messiah sing-along, now in its 30th year. The concert also features selections from the Sa-cred Harp Anthology.

M U S I CKIIS FM’s Jingle Ball

Sun Dec 5 5pmNokia Theatre L.A. Live777 Chick Hearn Ctnokiatheatrelalive.comThe 11th annual Jingle Ball concert lineup will include performances from Katy Perry, Enrique Inglesias, Nelly, B.o.B. Travis McCoy, Taio Cruz, and Bruno Mars.

M U S I CWu-Tang ClanSun Dec 5 8pmClub Nokia L.A. Liveclubnokia.comEast Coast rap with Wu-Tang Clan, currently on “The Rebirth Tour.”

M U S I CRoger WatersSun Dec 5 8pmStaples Center1111 S. Figueroastaplescenter.com rogerwaters.comRoger Waters ends the Down-town Los Angeles leg of his tour commemorating the 30th anni-versary of “The Wall.”

Violinist André Rieu doesn’t consider his live concerts theat-rical, but that is what happens when you are a charismatic conductor who brings waltzes to an international audience with flair, style, and his Johann Strauss Orchestra (with six soloists). As people dance in the aisles during his live per-formance, with him enourag-ing the audience to take to the floor, you begin to understand how classical music was the pop sound of its day.

When Andre Rieu & the Johann Strauss Orchestra’s “Moonlight Serenade” was released this past November, it entered the UK chart at Number 4. That same week, Pink’s “Greatest Hits - So Far” came in at No. 5 and Bruce Springsteen’s “The Promise” charted at No. 7.

Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu

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M U S I CAndré RieuFri Dec 3 7:30pmNokia Theatre777 Chick Hearn Ct.nokiatheatrelalive.com

It is a popularity that happens despite some classical music stations’ tendancy to be aloof to his populist style, as if Rieu’s 2009 release “Forever Vienna” was more authentic to being Venetian by way of Vegas.

Nonetheless, Rieu sells tickets, including this week when his “Celebration of Music” 2010, with Holiday music added to the playlist, reaches Downtown L.A.Continues on Page 10


M U S I CPetunia & The VipersSun Dec 5 9pmThe Redwood Bar & Grill316 W. 2ndtheredwoodbar.comPetunia & The Vipers bring their their jazzy western swing to the pirate bar.

MONDAYDECEMBER 6

T A L KAre Doctors Ready for the Medical Future?Mon Dec 6 7:30pm MOCA Grand Ave 135 N. Grand Ave zocalopublicsquare.orgPanelists discuss how innovation and advancement may change the way healthcare is managed, received and conceptualized. The event will be moderated by Sarah Varney, Health Reporter, KQED’s The California Report.

S P O R T SClippersMon Dec 6 7:30pmStaples Center1111 S. Figueroanba.com/clippersClippers vs. Sacramento Kings.

TUESDAYDECEMBER 7

M U S I CJazz for the HolidaysTue Dec 7 Noon7+FIG @ Ernst & Young Plaza725 S. Figueroawww.artsbrookfield.comLeRoy Downs, The Jazz Cat of KJAZZ 88.1 FM, hosts Helen Sung & Gary Fukushima Trio for a free jazz concert that also benefits the Weingart Center.

S P O R T SLakersTue Dec 7 7:30pmStaples Center1111 S. Figueroanba.com/lakersLakers vs. Washington Wizards.

U P C O M I N GRadio City Christmas Spectacular Starring THE ROCKETTESOpens Thur Dec 9Nokia Theatre777 Chick Hearn Ct.nokiatheatrelalive.comradiocitychristmas.com/nationaltourThe world famous Radio City Rock-ettes have been promoting the Ra-dio City Spectacular since August. It is time for their 36 legs to kick it at Nokia Theater.. Thursday, December 9 (4pm, 7pm), Friday, December 10 (4pm, 7:30pm), Saturday, Decem-ber 11 ( 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 7pm),

M U S I CBlack Beverly HeelsTue Dec 7 9pmThe Redwood Bar & Grill316 W. 2ndtheredwoodbar.comBlack Beverly Heels: Plus The Hi-Z’s and Inazuma.

H O L I D A YSalvation Army Angel Tree UnveilingTue Dec 7 NoonMillennium Biltmore Hotel506 S. Grandmillenniumhotels.com/millenniumlo-sangelesA live performance by the Salva-tion Army Brass Quartet intro-duces an “Angel Tree.” It will hold gift tag ornaments that attendees may pick up, each with the name of a child in need and a requested item. Guests can bring their cho-sen tag and donated gift to the Front Desk.

M U S I CNeil SedakaTue Dec 7 8pmWalt Disney Concert Hall111 S. Grandlaphil.comIconic American singer/song-writer Neil Sedaka showcases his legacy of hits from a 50-plus year career. This concert was originally scheduled for October 27, but was postponed due to illness.

WEDNESDAYDECEMBER 8

M U S I CSmokey Hormel and FriendsWed Dec 8 9pmThe Redwood Bar & Grill316 W. 2ndtheredwoodbar.comSmokey Hormel and friends, The Dime Bags.

S P O R T SClippers / LakersWed Dec 8 7:30pmStaples Center1111 S. Figueroanba.com/clippersClippers host the Lakers for the first match-up of the Staples Cen-ter Hallway series.

O P E R A LohengrinSat Dec 4 6:30pmDorothy Chandler Pavilion135 N. Grandmusiccenter.org“Lohengrin” with Ben Heppner in the title role and Company debuts of Kristinn Sigmundsson (King Heinrich) and Soile Iso-koski (Elsa). With Dolora Zajick as Ortrud and James Johnson as the Telramund. Also December 4th (6:30pm), December 9 (6:30pm), December 12 (2pm).

O P E R ARigolettoThu Dec 2 7:30pmDorothy Chandler Pavilion135 N. Grandmusiccenter.orgVerdi’s Rigoletto conducted by James Conlon. Also Decem-ber 5 (2pm), December 8, 11, 15, (7:30pm), December 18 (2pm).

T H E A T E RThe Wooster Group: Vieux CarreThrough Dec 12REDCAT631 W. 2nd Stredcat.orgThe daring group brings the U.S. premiere for their version of Ten-nessee Williams’ “Vieux Carre.”

T H E A T E R‘Next to Normal’Through January 2Ahmanson Theatre135 N. Grandcentertheatregroup.orgRock-style musical about a sub-urban housewife and mother with bipolar disorder. Alice Ripley reprises her Tony-winning perfor-mance role as Diana.

T H E A T E R‘Harps and Angels’Through Dec 22Mark Taper Forum135 N. Grandcentertheatregroup.orgA six-actor revue based on Randy Newman’s musical catalog with avant-garde satire and non-senti-mental sweetness.

T H E A T E R‘Crimes of the Heart’Through Dec 5 8pmEast West Players120 Judge John Aisoeastwestplayers.orgLeslie Ishii directs Beth Henley’s modern classic play about three Southern sisters reuniting during a family crisis.

T H E A T E R‘Calligraphy’Through Dec 12Los Angeles Theatre Center514 S. Spring Stthelatc.comA look at troubled family obligations between two cousins—one from Los Angeles and the other from Tokyo— who together cope with their fueding and aging mothers.

T H E A T E R‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’ Through Dec 12Company of Angels, Alexandria Hotel501 S. Springurbantheatremovement.comUrban Theatre Movement pres-ents a courtroom drama set in purgatory.

Continued from Page 9

ONGOING PERFORMANCE

The Rockettes dressed in their Christmas best at FIDM this past August.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot: The Musi-calThu Dec 2 7pmMOCA Grand Avenue250 S. Grandmoca.org/party/heffingtonHEFFINGTON MOVES MOCA’s final project for its Engagement Party series is the head-banging

dance event “Heavy Metal Park-ing Lot: The Musical,” a happen-ing inspired by the influence of MTV on small-town America (Its muse is the 1986 documentary chronicling the tailgating antics of heavy-metal fans). The work will feature music by We Are The World and Zig Zags; fashion by Moon Spoon Saloon; sculpture by Zwilling Haas and Mindy LeB-rock; lighting by Ryan Granich; and styling by Diana Contreras. Hair by Yuya Takahashi. MOCA encourages you to dress for your favorite ‘80s rock show but to consider practical footwear. The actual location will be revealed at MOCA. The event is FREE.

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By Donna PerlmutterTry to imagine a 19th-century ducal court,

an elegantly stylized affair that oozes chic debauchery, and chances are, you won’t be surprised when the curtain rises on Los Ange-les Opera’s production of “Rigoletto,” now onstage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

In fact, everything about the opening scene and Verdi’s famously urgent music has a rip-snorting feel to it. The courtiers sport masks with long nasty noses, their feminine counterparts bare nipple pasties pushed up above tight corsets, and all prance around

in clever, characterful choreography that underlines a lascivious atmosphere tinged with cynicism.

It’s an uproarious show, and one in keeping with the politically-craven society portrayed. It even washes away images of Bruce Beresford’s ridiculous 2000 mounting for the company.

Verdi’s little pot-boiler, based on Victor Hugo’s play “Le roi s’amuse,” is stage-worthy to the rafters, of course. What with a deformed pimp of a court jester as the title character, his lovely virginal daughter

L.A. Opera’s ‘Rigoletto’George Gagnidze as Rigoletto

Gilda whom he keeps hidden and unknown until disaster strikes, and a womanizing duke as his abusive master, ironic tragedy is inevitable.

And if we’re lucky, genuine pathos might also surface – melting away the heartless, heedless indulgences and hypocrisies that make up the human condition.

Not so much of that pathos here, it turns out. George Gagnidze played a physically robust, middle-ground Rigoletto – he was neither the most vile or contemptuous of hunchbacks, nor the most fearful or heart-sick over his daughter’s looming vulnerabil-ity. The baritone really sang the role, though, with ample range, power and beauty of tone. But he somehow didn’t show us his horror at her abduction or make us weep as he lost the only thing he loved in life.

And then there was Gianluca Terranova as the Mantuan Duke, forthright rather than swaggering, with a bright, somewhat metal-lic tenor that he produced purposefully. For his one big chance to reveal tenderness, the aria “Parmi veder,” he simply bellowed. No caressing of the line or of words, no trace of subtlety. Yet this was the moment he felt cherished, and thus yielding – because Gilda did not know his identity; she thought he was a poor student and was able to disarm him with her genuine love.

But never mind, he carried off the hit tunes “Questa o quella“ and “La donna è mobile” with testosteronic vigor and high spirits.

So did Sarah Coburn (yes, she’s the daughter of Republican Sen. Tom Coburn) sing Gilda with coloratura refinement, but, happily, minus the chirpy canary effects. Her soprano blooms and gains dimension on command. What’s more, she’s lovely to look at and that always does wonders for a

heroine who’s supposed to be a romantic magnet.

The two partners in crime, Sparafucile and Maddalena, were left in the able hands of Andrea Silvestrelli and Kendall Gladen respectively. He, with a skulking presence and black basso, and she, with a come-hither casualness and sultry mezzo, made a convincing assassins duo.

Pulling it all together was James Conlon, who mined dark energy and crisp drama from the score, exhorting the orchestra to play with palpable fervor. And was he also

an influence on those exercises in crescendo-decrescendo we heard from the singers? Then kudos to him. Ditto to the director/designer team of Mark Lamos-Michael Yeargan-Constance Hoffman, whose enor-mously effective staging – archways of clean, chiaroscuro perspectives on a unit set -- had its 1997 premiere in San Francisco.“Rigoletto” / Dorothy Chandler Pavilion / 135 N. Grand / 7:30pm performances on December 2, 8, 11 and 15; 2pm perfor-mances on December 5 and 18

It’s an uproarious show, and one in keeping with the politically-craven society portrayed.Photo by robErt millard


Regardless, she wouldn’t steer anyone from adopting a dog or moving to Down-town if they have one already. She points to the number of dogs in New York City, which has crowded sidewalks and is much less accessible than the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.

“I think Downtown is becoming a dog-friendly city,” she says. For people with dogs looking to move Downtown, Clark advises looking for “potty spots close to your building and find out how many other dogs live in the building. It is also very important to find out if there are any aggressive dogs that live on your floor or even in the building, but that goes for any dog owner, not just those that live Downtown.”

As for living conditions in a loft or apart-ment, Clark says, “Make sure your dog has their own space. No matter how small your

space is, you can give your dog a little piece of it. It can be as simple as a bed or a crate, but your dog needs somewhere to call their own.”

On December 8th, Clark will lead a Holi-day Pooch Parade, where dog owners will learn dog obedience tips while strolling along a path filled with holiday lights.

“There are tons of tips on how to best handle your pooch in different city-specific situations,” Clark says about some of what guests will learn. “The whole session is a fantastic Q&A. Honestly, the guests could fill the whole walk themselves with all of their questions.”

The walk ends with snacks and social-izing. Reservations are required, and cost is $40 per dog. For more information, visit barkandclark.com.

Dog WalksContinued from Page 5




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blogdowntown Weekly: December 2, 2010