Arts Briefs: Crime writer to sign new book in Burbank
‘Evil’ on Magnolia
This month’s acclaimed Fox mini-series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” has brought one famous murder of local notoriety back into our living rooms. But Southern California has been the scene for a long parade of notorious crimes and violence, and is documented in a new book, “In the Company of Evil — Thirty Years of California Crime, 1950-1980,” by Michael Thomas Barry.
Barry is the author of seven nonfiction books and writes for CrimeMagazine.com, where his column “This Week in Crime History” appears. He will be signing copies of the book at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 17, at Dark Delicacies in Burbank. The book covers three decades of crime and real-life horror in the Golden State, including by the Manson Family, but also looks at events that may be less remembered today but are no less alarming. He also covers Satanists and the kidnapping of Patty Hearst and related shootouts and arrests in the case.
The book and event is $25. Dark Delicacies is at 3512 W. Magnolia Blvd., in Burbank. More information at (818) 556-6660 and darkdel.com.
NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with what’s going on in the 818 >>
‘Armenia’ schedule released
The events schedule has been released for the upcoming exhibition “Armenia: An Open Wound,” which begins with an April 16 opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Brand Library. The large-scale exhibition and associated events are a collaboration between the city of Glendale and the Armenian American Museum, promising a probing look at Armenian culture and history.
On April 21 is “Global Realities, Local Perspectives,” where a panel of refugee rights professionals will discuss international humanitarian assistance. On April 30 is “Commemoration as Public Art”; May 5 offers “Latino Americans: Empire of Dreams (1880-1942)”; May 13 is “Journey to the Homeland,” a screening of director Nora Hovsepian’s film about her pilgrimage back to the land her grandparents fled in 1915. More events continue through June.
Admission is free. The Brand Library & Art Center is at 1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale. More information on “Armenia: An Open Wound” at ArmenianAmericanMuseum.org or (844) 586-4626.
Blues in Pasadena
Roy Gaines came out of Houston, Texas, as a jazzy, swinging player of the blues, and remains an active player at clubs. He returns Saturday night at Big Mama’s Rib Shack in Pasadena.
Early in his career, he was nicknamed “T-Bone Jr.,” after winning the attention of blues great T-Bone Walker as a teenager. He was soon playing as a sideman to such rising artists as Bobby Bland, Junior Parker and Big Mama Thornton. Later, he was recruited into Ray Charles’ backing band and played sessions with the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Supremes and Bobby Darin, but his first solo album, “Gainelining,” didn’t come until 1982.
The Gaines show is part of an ongoing series of blues nights at the venue hosted by Cadillac Zack. Seating begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 to 50. Big Mama’s Rib Shack is at 1453 N. Lake Ave. in Pasadena. More information at pasadenablues.com and (323) 377-5291.
Song and dance camp
Kids ready for a week of song, dance and improvisation can sign up for “Panto Camp at the Playhouse,” a summer camp hosted by the Pasadena Playhouse and Lythgoe Family Productions.
The program offers an interactive week for kids ages 8 to 13, who get to explore modernized versions of Grimm fairy tales and other stories. The Panto Camp offers two separate sessions on July 18 through 23 and July 25 through 30.
The cost is $425 per child, with an “early bird” rate at $390 (through May 2). More information at (626) 737-2867 and PantoCamp@pasadenaplayhouse.org.
--
ALSO:
Arts Briefs: Pasadena Symphony closes classics series with ‘An American in Paris’
Theater Review: ‘Casa Valentina’ director finds himself differentiating the present from the past