Filthy films never looked so glorious as John Waters exhibit opens at Academy Museum
Here’s the thing, I’m susceptible to FOMO. When I realized how epic last week’s MTV VMAs were, I was determined to catch up on all the highlights I missed. Here’s a quick roundup for my fellow FOMO sufferers: Olivia Rodrigo’s performance (and intentional stage accidents), the 50th anniversary tribute to hip-hop, Shakira’s Video Vanguard Award medley (with some new moves that revived her iconic “She Wolf” music video choreography), Saweetie’s hosting skills, Taylor Swift having the time of her life and Doja Cat’s set (with insane choreo by Ebony Williams). I’m Steven Vargas, your L.A. Goes Out host, and here are the top events for the upcoming weekend recommended by the crew (sign up here for the newsletter):
Weekly countdown
1. ‘John Waters: Pope of Trash’
Put on your wigs, stilettos and grotesque grins, John Waters’ exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Mid-Wilshire is here. The exhibition’s title, “Pope of Trash,” borrows from the moniker William S. Burroughs famously gave Waters in 1986. The DIY filmmaker and self-appointed “filth elder” pushed the boundaries of taste and traditional film. With movies such as “Pink Flamingos” and “Female Trouble,” Waters found humor in disturbing imagery and downright filth. “For someone whose career was built on outlaws, outliers and outsiders, Waters is very much at home within the hallowed halls of the Academy Museum,” writes Manuel Betancourt for The Times about the monumental exhibition. “Pope of Trash” is accompanied by a retrospective screening series that includes the films “Multiple Maniacs” and “Desperate Living.” “Pope of Trash” runs until Aug. 4, 2024, and tickets to the museum range from free to $25. The Academy Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. For more information on the exhibit, visit the Academy Museum site.
For the record:
4:03 p.m. Sept. 20, 2023An earlier version of this story misreported the closing date of the Academy Museum’s John Waters exhibit as Oct. 28. That’s the final day of the screening series. The exhibition runs until Aug. 4, 2024.
2. Hauser & Wirth downtown L.A. openings
Hauser & Wirth in downtown L.A. just opened three new exhibitions that’ll leave you mesmerized. “Stefan Brüggemann: White Noise” is the Mexican German artist’s first L.A. solo exhibition, debuting works created over the last two years. His paintings and installations play on words to explore how misinformation alters our perception of the world. “Harmony Korine: AGGRESSIVE DR1FTER” presents acid-hued paintings drawn from the artist and filmmaker’s upcoming movie “Aggro Dr1ft.” Korine was inspired by video game aesthetics, which influenced the infrared style of his latest creations. “Nonmemory,” curated by Jay Ezra Nayssan in collaboration with the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, combines Kelley‘s work and that of seven contemporary artists. Each work explores the role of memory and how it alters perceptions of the world. Works explore dreams, fantasies, traumas and anxieties through video, hanging installations, sculptures and interactive pieces. The exhibitions are free to view and the gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. More information can be found on Hauser & Wirth’s website.
3. Prophet: The Order of the Lyricist
REDCAT in downtown L.A. presents a new work by the duo 7NMS, a.k.a. choreographer Marjani Forté-Saunders and composer Everett Saunders. “Prophet: The Order of the Lyricist” is a four-year archival, research and multi-genre project that shares the coming-of-age story of an emcee named Mental, played by Saunders. The performance uses text, sound, film and dance to explore Mental’s world and his determination for success, embodying the historical and ever-growing catalog of hip-hop and radical Black expression. Tickets range from $15 to $30 and performances are at 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. More information can be found on REDCAT’s website.
4. ‘Poetry Uncut: Part I’
UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance opens its season at the Nimoy, its newest venue, with “Poetry Uncut: Part I.” The night will be led by Grammy-winning poet, spoken word artist and songwriter J. Ivy. Singer Tarrey Torae will accompany Ivy in sharing his poetry as part of the center’s four-part poetry series. You might remember Ivy from HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” or his feature with Jay-Z on Kanye West’s “The College Dropout.” He was also instrumental in advocating for the inclusion of a Grammy Award category for poetry and spoken word, which became a reality last year. Tickets to his performance at 8 p.m. Saturday cost $32. More information on “Poetry Uncut: Part I” can be found on CAP UCLA’s website.
5. ‘Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre: A Ballet Spectacular’
Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre returns to the Alex Theatre with a compilation of famous pieces. “A Ballet Spectacular” gives audiences a taste of ballets from across the globe, sharing selections from “Don Quixote,” “Masquerade,” “Spartacus” and “Gayane.” From a Spanish epic novel brought to the stage to a traditional Armenian story brought to life with ballet and folk dance, the evening is sure to have something for everyone. “A Ballet Spectacular” is accompanied by pianist Mikhail Korzhev, who will play Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Spring Waters Pas de deux” alongside the dancers. Tickets to the one-night-only performance at 5 p.m. Sunday range from $55 to $100. More details can be found on Alex Theatre’s website.
Bonus round: ‘Selena’
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Ford in the Hollywood Hills presents a screening of “Selena.” The screening, produced in partnership with Street Food Cinema, will be accompanied by a Selena-inspired musical performance by Selenamos. The 1997 biopic starring Jennifer Lopez shares Selena Quintanilla Pérez’s rise to stardom as a leading Tejano singer and her tragic death at the age of 23. Tickets to the screening and performance at 8 p.m. Saturday cost $35. More information can be found on the Ford’s website.
On my mind
This week was all about performances.
My city adventures began Thursday at the L.A. Dance Project in downtown L.A. to see “The Missing Mountain” by Bobbi Jene Smith + Or Schraiber. The piece, made in collaboration with the company dancers, was an extension of the duo’s previous work, “Lost Mountain.” The performance took place on an expansive red carpet that set an unsettling yet warm tone. Dancers clashed with each other one at a time. This was most poignant at a table as one dancer lunged across before swerving to another dancer sitting in a chair. It was a constant search as they grasped for something new in each ensemble member. The movement itself was sharp and playful, switching between yearning reaches and quick taps on the body that drew chuckles from the audience.
The performance was broken up by weather reports recited by Shu Kinouchi. His character at first entered softly but soon grew into a commanding presence. He blended into the ensemble until fellow dancer Jeremy Coachman demanded that Lorrin Brubaker “be a mountain.” Kinouchi jumped up and said, “I want to be a mountain.” In his final moments, Kinouchi stepped away from the table and stretched half of his body back toward the ensemble sitting at the table and the other half toward the exit. By this point, the group found peace and the mountain, which was displayed on the side of the stage. He looked back at the mountain and the group realized it was time for him to leave. He exited the stage, but his haunting energy remained.
In 2020, Laufey made a bucket list of the goals she wanted to achieve in her lifetime. One of those wishes was to perform with the L.A. Philharmonic, which came true Saturday night at the Ford. The popular singer first turned heads on TikTok, with songs seeped in jazz and classical music. She began her performance solo and was later joined by the L.A. Phil. Her music, which I have been listening to on repeat recently, was elevated by the orchestra. The staccato strings in “Haunting” emphasized her lyrics “I love him,” highlighting the heartache, and the instrumental intro to “Bewitched” mesmerized the audience. With “Promise,” Laufey spilled her heart across the piano keys in a heart-wrenching performance, proving she is a musical tour de force.
On Sunday, I went to Atwater Village Theatre to see Echo Theater Company’s production of “How It’s Gon’ Be” by JuCoby Johnson. The play follows Jahann (Donté Ashon Green) after his father, Kenny (Sedale Threatt Jr.), returns home from his recent military stint. Kenny is often out of the picture for years at a time, leaving Jahann desperate for his love. The play, directed by Ahmed Best, is beautifully lighted with design by Justin Huen that creates vignettes out of perfectly timed blackouts resembling fireworks. In a striking moment, Terry (Durran Moreau) stood still as he watched someone he loved. For 30 seconds, he stood as all of his warmth, pain and struggles to accept the reality of his love life sunk in and spread across his face.
“How It’s Gon’ Be” investigated how toxic masculinity has affected a Black household. The play’s impact was in its depiction of male softness. When Jahann kissed Terry on the basketball court, it wasn’t romantic. It was a tender platonic action that meant “I love you” without saying anything at all. On the other end of the spectrum, his father showed love with a handshake packed with emotion. “How It’s Gon’ Be” runs until Oct. 23 and tickets cost $34. More details can be found on Echo Theater Company’s website.
Go out speed round
Go out before it closes: Luke Chueh’s “Peering Through the Darkness” exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery in Boyle Heights is coming to a close Sept. 30. Chueh uses anthropomorphic characters — such as cats and bears — to explore complex themes of loneliness, depression and human existence. The exhibition is free to view and the gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. More information can be found on Corey Helford Gallery’s website.
Go out for free: The L.A. Opera is hosting a free outdoor simulcast of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at La Mirada Community Regional Park and Santa Monica Pier live from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage. Bring the crew, a picnic, blanket and chairs for drama under the stars as the opera streams live on a big screen. Get there early for games, crafts and more. The simulcast begins at 6 p.m. Saturday and you can RSVP on L.A. Opera’s website.
Go out and learn: Karma in West Hollywood presents a workshop on breathwork and meditation accompanying the exhibition “Maja Ruznic: Geometry of Exile.” Morgan F. Smith will guide participants through exercises alongside artwork. The exhibition shares Ruznic’s experiences of motherhood and displacement through bright abstract works created from “muscle memory.” The free breathwork session is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday. If you can’t make the workshop but still want to meditate on your own time, the exhibition is available to view until Nov. 4 and the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. More information can be found on Karma’s website.
Go out with the kids: Pacific Opera Project’s free “POP-up” performance of “Hansel & Gretel” is perfect for the whole family. The outdoor performance, presented in partnership with the City of West Hollywood, is at Kings Road Park. The remaining performances are at 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and more details can be found on Pacific Opera Project’s website.
Go out on a date: I get it, deciding on where to eat can be a task. This time, take the stress out of date night at “Taste of Runway.” Runway, the shopping mall in Playa Vista, is offering a tasting event filled with culinary specialties from its eateries, bars and cafes in time for happy hour. The event is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday and tickets are $45. More information can be found on Runway’s website.
Go out all day: Spend the day out with friends and family at a free festival of dance. San Pedro Festival of the Arts at Peck Park is from 1 to 4:15 p.m. Saturday and features performances from companies such as Re:borN Dance Interactive, Jose Costas Contempo Ballet and Kairos Dance Company. The lineup highlights styles such as modern, ballet, contemporary, Bharatanatyam, jazz, Flamenco, Bollywood fusion and more. Further details are available on the festival’s website.
Go out all weekend: IAMA Theatre Company presents its fifth New Works Festival at Atwater Village Theatre. The festival shares the work of new voices in theater with staged readings of six new plays, beginning this weekend with “Cinderellas of America” by Kemiyondo Coutinho, “Amputations” by Jan Rosenberg and “The Wronged Party” by June Carryl. Tickets to each screening cost $20 and more details on all of the performances, running until Oct. 1, can be found on the company’s website.
Go out and wander: The Other Art Fair is taking over the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica this weekend. The fair goes against the grain and seeks to make art accessible to all, showcasing more than 140 independent artists. It provides a space with affordable art, immersive installations, performances and drinks (of course). Tickets to the fair, running from Thursday to Sunday, range from $20 to $55 and more details can be found on its website.
Go out and party: Let loose and party at the next This Goes! Disco! The event includes a DJ set by the musical duo Pleasure Party and a stage show with drag queens, live music and specialty acts. If you have two left feet and still want to party, don’t worry. The event at Plaza Nightclub and Dance Hall in Fairfax is just the space to learn to disco dance. Tickets to the event at 8 p.m. Thursday are $11 and more info can be found on Eventbrite.
Go out to a new gallery: Marian Goodman Gallery’s Los Angeles flagship opens Saturday in Hollywood. The gallery, which already has locations in New York and Paris, will inaugurate its new space with a solo exhibition by artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen. The show will include McQueen’s recent works alongside the U.S. premiere of an immersive video installation titled “Sunshine State.” There will be a free opening reception from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and the exhibition runs until Nov. 4. More details can be found on Marian Goodman Gallery’s website.
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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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