An LGBTQ+ ‘Romeo & Juliet’ ballet promises an ‘authentic’ tale of star-crossed lovers
Beyoncé’s ”Renaissance” world tour begins Wednesday. I am still not mentally prepared for this experience so I’ll have to avoid all TikTok videos of the monumental tour until she makes it to L.A. Wish me luck. I’m Steven Vargas, your L.A. Goes Out host, and here are the top events for this coming weekend recommended by the crew (sign up here for the newsletter):
Weekly Countdown
1. L.A. Dance Project ‘Romeo & Juliet Suite’
This dance performance of “Romeo & Juliet” is not what you’d expect. L.A. Dance Project choreographer Benjamin Millepied brings new energy to Shakespeare’s masterpiece by introducing LGBTQ+ characters and filming the performance live.
“I’m using live cinema as a tool to bring more realism to the emotional narrative of the piece,” he told The Times.
In addition to performances onstage, a camera follows the dancers as they move into the wings and throughout the building. Everything is projected inside the theater for audiences and nothing is pre-recorded. Millepied said the live footage can make scenes “more realistic.”
The upcoming performance at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa marks the production’s Southern California premiere. The production debuted in Paris in September, and a shorter version was performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2018.
When the piece was first performed in Paris, Millepied said there was a lot of backlash to same-sex actors playing the main roles. He said portraying diverse relationships felt necessary for a new iteration of “Romeo & Juliet.”
“It’s time to represent true love in a way that feels authentic and modern,” he said.
Tickets range from $39 to $99 and performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with an additional 2 p.m. performance Saturday. More details can be found on the Segerstrom’s website.
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2. ‘Recetario para la memoria (Memory Recipe Book)’
Nothing is more comforting to me than eating mole on a weekend afternoon. Mexican dishes like this bring up fond memories for the community, and LA Plaza Cocina is memorializing these comforting recipes in its newest exhibition, “Recetario para la memoria (Memory Recipe Book).” The exhibition features 15 large-scale photographs by Spanish Argentinean photographer Zahara Gómez Lucini based on stories shared by families of the favorite meals of relatives who have been reported missing in Mexico. The exhibition, recommended by The Times’ Deborah Vankin, opens Saturday. There will be a free open house at the museum in downtown L.A. from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, but if you can’t make it, don’t worry. The exhibition runs until Nov. 19. The museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and more details can be found on LA Plaza Cocina’s website.
3. Blue13 Dance Company at the Wallis
The troupe has an evening-length performance coming to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, complete with new and returning work. Blue13, which is led by Achinta S. McDaniel and is known for blending South Asian dance forms with contemporary ones. The program includes the world premiere of “Restless autumn. restless spring.,” and a preview of the work-in-progress “Sounds Like Whoop. Looks Like Flash.” The company will also be performing “1947,” a poignant piece with first-hand accounts about India gaining independence from the British Empire. You won’t want to miss this tour de force. Tickets range from $29 to $79 and performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. More information can be found on the Wallis’ website.
4. ‘La Lucha’
If you’re looking for a day trip to San Diego, be sure to check out “La Lucha,” La Jolla Playhouse’s latest collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. The immersive performance is inspired by lucha libre and brings audience members to the thrilling wrestling ring, peeling back the masks of luchadores. The theatrical experience, created by David Israel Reynoso and Optika Moderna, guides you through mysterious portals where the story unfolds. Still need some convincing? Check out Times game critic Todd Martens’ article about the production. This event comes recommended by The Times’ Jessica Gelt, and tickets range from $39 to $69. “La Lucha” runs until June 4, and details can be found on La Jolla Playhouse’s website.
5. ‘Can i touch it?’
Rogue Machine Theatre presents the world premiere of Francisca Da Silveira’s play “can i touch it?,” which explores Black hair politics and the racial inequities of real estate. The story follows Shay Solomon, whose small business faces foreclosure. For Silveira, the play is a love letter to her ever-evolving hometown of Boston. “Can i touch it?” tackles themes of community, gentrification and personal agency. The show at the Matrix Theatre in Fairfax runs until June 11, and tickets range from $25 to $45. There will also be a “Black Out Night” performance on Monday for Black theater patrons to see the show among community members. For more information, check out Rogue Machine’s website.
Bonus round: ‘Delfin Finley: Coalescence’
David Kordansky Gallery’s latest exhibition showcases the hyperrealistic work of Delfin Finley. Finley explores representation through his paintings, often showcasing family, friends and himself as the central figure of the works. “Coalescence” is a series of portraits that shows subjects carrying heavy red, white and blue ropes in various positions. The exhibition reflects on the burdens of Black and Brown people in the United States by portraying the physical strength it takes to hold the ropes. The exhibition opens Saturday and is free to view. The gallery in Mid-Wilshire is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; further details on the exhibition can be found on David Kordansky Gallery’s website.
Your L.A. weekend, all mapped out
For a more comprehensive roundup of exhibitions, concerts, screenings, festivals and other events, check out Matt Cooper’s Culture Guide. The mapped list is a go-to for those who make plans based on the commute, and it also can be filtered by event type and price.
On My Mind
On Friday, I checked out the newest exhibition at Kohn Gallery in Hollywood. “Un Nuevo Manglar” by Puerto Rican artist Ricardo Cabret reimagines his digital art into physical paintings. Grids are layered on pastel landscapes to introduce a mathematical perspective. Cabret’s work is informed by his background in engineering — he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s in computer science.
His interest in technology and art collides in the central work of the exhibition, “Guión Criptográfico 3.0.” The work is projected on the wall of the gallery and shows an ever-evolving grid of colors. Gradient spheres pop up on the screen in succession before being erased by a single color. A firework effect follows. The colors and patterns are determined by a code that is encrypted over and over again to create new images. Cabret calls it “the best metaphor for abstraction.”
Cabret told The Times that the work was inspired by Charles Gaines’ “Gridwork.” He initially re-created Gaines’ pieces through code. Two and a half years later, the work has transformed into this new iteration. “Un Nuevo Manglar” is free and available to view until June 17. Kohn Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
On Saturday, I saw performances of two world-premiere works by Ballet BC at the Soraya in Northridge. The program began with “Passing,” choreographed by Johan Inger. The work chronicled the circle of life, depicting birth, love and death onstage, often in comedic ways. The piece opened with a man and woman dressed like farmers. But over time, those traditional ideologies broke as a man danced flamboyantly, two women found support in each other and the dancers slowly stripped the clothes off their bodies. In the midst of the life cycle, there was a rejection of social norms. As these gender roles were abandoned, clothes were thrown off the stage and the dancers came together. The choreography referenced previous movements in the piece as dancers started rolling on the ground. The bodies blended into each other and slowly left the stage.
The second piece, “20 People,” choreographed by Roy Assaf, was not so inviting. In fact, the purpose was to cause discomfort. Most of the piece was performed to the soundscape of the dancers humming and singing one prolonged note at a time. The movement felt random, and the world created onstage was never grounded in a central theme. I was constantly searching for a through-line that never came. I was left questioning what the purpose was of saying everything and nothing at the same time.
Insights: Arts events to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Los Angeles arts venues have just the events to help commemorate the occasion. Here are a few happenings dedicated to highlighting the culture and history of AAPI artists:
- “On This Side of the World”: East West Players will perform its new musical Saturday on Filipino Community Night at the David Henry Hwang Theater in downtown L.A. The story follows a woman who flies from the Philippines to America on a one-way ticket. As she travels, she reflects on the experiences that brought her there. The performance from 8 to 10 p.m. is in collaboration with FilAm Arts, and tickets range from $17 to $35. More details can be found on East West Players’ website.
- “InFocus: Asian Cinema Program”: NewFilmmakers Los Angeles is hosting its monthly film festival, which celebrates AAPI filmmakers in this iteration. Short films being screened include “Lunchbox,” “Confluence: A Meditation in Documentary Form” and “Grandpa Cherry Blossom.” The festival concludes with the feature film “Brutal Season.” The festival runs from 3 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown L.A., and tickets range from $10 to $30. More details can be found on New Filmmakers’ website.
- Fil-Am Fest Songwriter Showcase: Fil-Am will be having a special musical showcase with Filipino American Twitch music streamers at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. Tickets are $30 at the door and $11 to livestream the show, which runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. More details can be found on the Hotel Cafe’s website.
- There’s also ongoing programming at the Academy Museum in Mid-Wilshire and the Japanese American National Museum in downtown L.A.
As always, there’s plenty more out there, but this will help get those plans started.
Go out speed round
Go out before it closes: Mey, a new art gallery in West Hollywood, is about to wrap its second exhibition highlighting the work of 10 Iranian artists. The title of the show, “Reoriented,” is a nod to the rejection of Orientalism, which has been used to stereotype and exoticize Iranian art. The exhibition closes Tuesday and is free to view. Mey is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday by appointment. Details can be found on the gallery’s website.
Go out for free: The Music Center has a free one-day festival Saturday dedicated to music lovers and vinyl collectors alike. “On the Record: Vinyl Fair” at Jerry Moss Plaza in downtown L.A. includes DJ workshops, live DJ sets, a dance performance and art activities for the kids. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and more information can be found on the Music Center’s website.
Go out and craft: Pick up the paintbrush and explore watercolor painting at the Laguna Art Museum. The museum will be hosting a workshop with the Laguna College of Art and Design, led by LCAD MFA graduate Chapman Hamborg. Tickets range from free to $35, and the event starts at 10 a.m. So if you’re looking to make an artsy day trip to Laguna Beach, check out the workshop details on the museum’s website.
Go out with the kids: Give your children the opportunity to get a closer look at musical instruments. The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and GRoW at the Wallis present “Meet the Music Family Day: World Music,” a free event filled with musical performances and activities for the kids. Each performance is followed by a percussion petting zoo and various musical games. Shows are at 1 and 2 p.m. at the Beverly Hills theater, and you can RSVP online.
Go out on a date: Jam in the Van — more like laugh in the van. OK, my jokes may be terrible, but Jam in the Van has better ones that are perfect for a date night full of comedy. New Yorker cartoonist and stand-up comic Nat Griffen is hosting the group’s latest show in Palms with sets by Morgan Jay, Reggie Watts, Sydney Adams, Rochee Jeffrey and Britt Wolf. Tickets are $25, and the show is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. More details can be found on Jam in the Van’s website.
Go out all day: BADWest, the Black Assn. of Documentary Filmmakers, is having a “Day of Black Docs” at the American Film Institute in the Hollywood Hills from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday to showcase new work from Black documentarians. The event is filled with screenings and Q&As with the filmmakers, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the work onscreen. Tickets are $15 for one-time block and $25 for two. More information can be found on BADWest’s website.
Go out all night: I first heard of Lolo Zouaï when she released her debut album, “High Highs to Low Lows,” in 2019, and I was immediately hooked. Her music balances R&B beats with airy pop vocals. She is currently promoting her new LP, “Playgirl,” and her next tour stop is El Rey Theatre in Mid-Wilshire. The show is at 8 p.m. Saturday and makes for an energetic night out to a concert. Tickets are $25 for general admission and can be found on AXS.
Go out and wander: The Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica is hosting its annual Spring Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The jam-packed event is free (including parking) and brings together more than 20 galleries and cultural venues for a festival of art. The event will include artist talks, comedy shows, food trucks, art openings and a live performance by the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra. For the full lineup and RSVP information, visit the center’s website.
Go out for Mother’s Day: The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is having its annual Mother’s Day extravaganza, “MOMentum Place.” The show at 2 p.m. Sunday is filled with modern dance, aerial acts, juggling and various other performancess. Tickets range from $15 to $40, and details can be found on the Topanga theater’s website.
More from the crew here
Have you ever seen a cool-looking building and wondered what’s inside? Here are 10 of them in L.A. that you can actually tour.
Still struggling with Mother’s Day plans? The Times’ Matt Cooper suggests events to make the holiday memorable.
There are quite a few live musical performances on the horizon. Check out the 55 best places to see live music in Southern California for your next concert.
Craving sushi? Me too. Grab a quick, affordable sushi roll at one of these 11 best hand roll bars in L.A. the next time the cravings come.
I’m all ears!
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Follow our feed of recommendations and itineraries on Instagram and Twitter, and if you have recs of your own, send them to steven.vargas@latimes.com.
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