Photography artist looks for the beauty in little things

Glendale photographer O’Ross captures the beauty of small things on

film.

In her third photo exhibit, she is showing her framed photos of

people portraits, florals, little scenes of nature and objects of

interest and beauty at Patrick’s Cafe, 6320 San Fernando Road in

Glendale

After spending decades working as a secretary in the music and

film industries and writing songs and screenplays on the side, O’Ross

took up photography in 1994. She bought a bare-bones, 35mm, student

camera from a fellow employee. Under his guidance, she began shooting

flowers, bridges, fences and other things.

“It wasn’t perfect, but it was pure love,” she said. “Over time

and many errors, I learned to see the beauty in small things and how

to put it on film, trading up in camera equipment as I went along.”

Today, she shoots with twin Canons, a couple of lenses, a few

filters, a flash and better film -- Fuji’s Provia or Velvia. They are

slower slide films with rich color saturation for tapping the true

colors of tulips, irises, flowering trees and grasses in seed.

“In recent years, I have turned also to people of all ages. Never

mundane or boring, people have a spark, the essence of life I feel

lucky to capture,” she said.

At Patrick’s Cafe, the emphasis is art, and that includes the mix

of coffees, teas, smoothies, pastries, salads and sandwiches.

Upstairs in the cafe is a loft where artists hang photos and

paintings. For this exhibit, additional works have been displayed on

the ground floor. The exhibit will be up throughout the month.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BEST CHEVY 2003 SOUGHT BY ROAD’ERS

A special trophy will be awarded to the best Chevy 2003 when the

Road’ers Car Club honors Chevy Night at its monthly Cruise In from 6

to 9 tonight at Bob’s Big Boy, 1407 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale.

Several other trophies will also be awarded. There will be

raffles, prizes and D.J. Jim spinning his oldies but goodies. All

classic, antique and hot rods are welcome. For more information, call

Rick Fox at 240-9461.

SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORM ORIGINAL DANCES

The Glendale/Burbank Dance Invitational for middle and high school

students will be at 8 tonight at Glendale Community College in the

Sierra Nevada Gym Dance Theater.

Students from area schools will showcase original choreography, as

well as present a dance performance for the adjudicated event.

Tickets are $5 each at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Seating

is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. For more

information, call 240-1000, ext. 5646.

YOUNG ARTISTS DISPLAY WORKS AT CENTER

Top art students throughout Burbank are featured in the “Aloha

Art!” Youth Art Expo 2003 continuing through Friday at the Burbank

Creative Arts Center, 1100 W. Clark Ave., Burbank.

The event is co-sponsored by the Burbank Park, Recreation and

Community Services Department and the Burbank Fine Arts Federation.

The exhibit shows art from students ranging from kindergarten through

12th grade.

Best of Show winners are Ricardo Aguilar, an 11th-grader from John

Burroughs High School, and Curran Wedner, a 12th-grader from Burroughs.

WORLD PREMIERE UNVEILED AT CONCERT

The world premiere of Peter Schickele’s revised Symphony No. 2,

“The Sweet Season” will be presented by The Pasadena Symphony at 8

tonight at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Schickele is the

composer-in- residence for the symphony.

Music Director Jorge Mester of Montrose will conduct the concert,

which also includes Milhaud’s bi-tonal suite provencale, a work that

reflects the composer’s roots in the rustic French countryside.

Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben concludes the concert. “Insights,” a

pre-concert lecture, will be presented by Schickele at 7 p.m.

Local musicians performing are Terry Cravens, Betty Sirri and Lois

Johnson, all of La Canada Flintridge; Douglas Davis of La Crescenta;

and Barbara Don, Sharon Harman, Christian Kollgard and Philip Yao,

all of Glendale.

Tickets range from $14 to $66, $5 for children 5 to 17. The

Pasadena Civic Auditorium is at 300 E. Green St. in Pasadena. For

tickets, call (626) 584-8833.

ON STAGE

‘GRETTY GOOD TIME’ AT THE FALCON

Pamela Gordon stars in John Belluso’s “Gretty Good Time,”

continuing at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank.

Joe Regalbuto directs this West Coast premiere of the play.

Frustrated by her life of dependency, a paralytic woman with a

death wish and an irascible sense of humor escapes the confines of

her 1950s nursing home into a surreal dream world. But even amid this

world of fantasy, she finds she still must reconcile the horrors of

her past with the painful reality of her future.

The play continues through May 4. Show times are 8 p.m. Wednesdays

through Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $25 to $37.50 with

group senior discounts available, except for Saturday shows. Falcon

Theatre is at 4252 Riverside Drive, Burbank. For reservations, call

955-8101.

DONNA MCKECHNIE GOES ‘INSIDE THE MUSIC’

The Los Angeles premiere of “Donna McKechnie: Inside The Music” is

being produced by the Colony Theatre Company in Burbank.

Written by Christopher Durang and directed by Thommie Walsh, it is

based on the true stories of McKechnie’s life. As a young dancer

raised in the Midwest, she literally runs away to New York to chase

her dreams of becoming a Broadway performer. Through poignant and

funny insights, the show traces the struggles of a young Broadway

dancer from her first big break in a Broadway musical to becoming a

Broadway star.

Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and

7 p.m. Sundays through May 11. Tickets are $26 to $32 and can be

reserved by calling 558-7000. The Colony Theatre is at 555 N. Third

St., Burbank.

TV AND FILM STAR JOINS IMPROV TROUPE

The Really Spontaneous Theatre Company welcomes actor Bodhi Elfman

to The Third Stage in Burbank.

Elfman has appeared in the films “Gone in 60 Seconds” and “The Mod

Squad.” On TV, he has been seen in “Malcolm in the Middle” and

“Providence.”

The improv troupe performs at 7 p.m. Sundays at The Third Stage,

2811 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Tickets are $15. For reservations,

call (323) 969-4991.

A NOISE WITHIN PRODUCING CLASSICS

A Noise Within’s “The King Stag” continues through May 18 at the

Glendale playhouse. It plays in repertory with “O Pioneers” and

“Measure For Measure.”

Carlo Gozzi’s classic is directed by Joe Graves. The story is

about Deramo, King of Serendippo, who longs for a queen who honestly

loves him. Having already seen all the lovely ladies in the land,

Deramo seeks the help of a magician to conjure up his true love. But

when the magic falls into the wrong hands, life changes in the

kingdom and a struggle ensues between good and evil.

Artistic co-directors and husband and wife, Geoff Elliott and

Julia Rodriguez Elliott, direct “O Pioneers,” a stage adaptation of

Willa Cather’s novel. Heroine Alexandra Bergson leads her family into

the 1880s Midwest to carve out a living from a forbidding land.

It runs in repertory through May 15 with Shakespeare’s “Measure

for Measure,” which continues through May 10.

As part of his plan to arrest the moral decay plaguing his beloved

city, the Duke of Vienna abdicates power to his trusted subordinate

Angelo in order to travel incognito throughout his realm. Angelo, a

man of unblemished reputation, sentences Claudio, an unwitting

citizen, to death for “sinful indiscretions” as an example to all who

would err.

Claudio’s tenacious and pure-hearted sister, Isabella, rushes to

her brother’s aid, unleashing a deadly passion in Angelo. Thus begins

the age-old confrontation between compassion and intolerance, public

morality and private lechery, in Shakespeare’s tale of the measure of

mercy.

The former Masonic temple building is at 234 S. Brand Blvd.,

Glendale. Tickets range from $18 to $38 and can be reserved by

calling 240-0910.

‘PETTICOAT FEVER’ AT CENTRE THEATRE

“Petticoat Fever,” a comedy by Mark Reed, runs through May 17 at

Glendale Centre Theatre.

The play had a successful run in London and on Broadway in 1935,

as well as on tour around the United States. In 1937, MGM released

the motion picture starring Robert Montgomery and Myrna Loy.

The story is about a young man stuck in a remote radio outpost in

Northern Canada. When the girl of his dreams (and her fiance)

literally drop into his world, it’s a recipe for fast-paced hilarity.

This production is directed by Burbank resident George Strattan.

Tickets range from $14 to $17. For reservations, call 244-8481.

Glendale Centre Theatre is at 324 N. Orange St., Glendale.

The children’s musical “Cinderella” plays at 11 a.m. Saturdays through June 18.

‘2ND WIND THE MUSICAL’ IS BACK ON STAGE

The revival performance of the rock opera, “2nd Wind the Musical

2002,” has returned with two new songs. Show time is 8 tonight at the

Gene Bua Acting For Life Theatre in Burbank.

The story is about an acting coach, Teacher, who rallies together

three celebrity volunteers to help him with a new program at

Strawberry Fields Residential Treatment Center. They attempt to teach

three street kids how to turn their rage, fear and shame into

positive energy through acting.

Tickets are $25 with discounts available for seniors, groups and

teens. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Here’s To Life Foundation,

reaching at-risk youth through art and entertainment. For

reservations, call (310) 680-9109. The play continues through May 3.

The playhouse is at 3435 W. Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank.

‘LEND ME A TENOR’ AT GROVE THEATER CENTER

Grove Theater Center Burbank is producing Ken Ludwig’s zany comedy

“Lend Me a Tenor.”

Trouble begins for the Cleveland Grand Opera when tenor Tito

Merelli overdoses on sleeping pills right before his debut with the

company. The fun begins when the company’s office assistant (and

aspiring opera singer) Max offers to impersonate him.

The company might have pulled it off, except for the three women

who throw themselves at Tito. Then his jealous Italian wife appears.

Hilarity abounds when a mad lunatic dressed as Otello tries to break

into the theater.

For more information and to buy tickets, call 238-9998 or go to

www.gtc.org.

Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays

through April 26. Tickets are $17.50 for Thursdays and Sundays,

$19.50 for Saturdays. There is a $5 discount for Burbank residents.

GTC Burbank is at 1111-b W. Olive Ave. in Burbank. It is in the

back of the George Izay Park, behind the Olive Recreation Center. For

tickets, call 238-9998 open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through

Saturday and prior to all performances.

ART EXHIBITS

‘LOVE BUG’ WINS SPRING EXHIBIT’S BEST OF SHOW

Ruben Jadao received the Best of Show honor for his painting “Love

Bug” in the Glendale Art Assn.’s Spring Juried Exhibit continuing

through May 2 at Casa Verdugo Library, 1151 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale.

First-place winners are Izabella T. Wardas, landscape; Annie

Stephanian, portrait; Dorothy Shepherd, animal; and Ruben Yadao,

floral/still life.

Juror was watercolor artist Tom Fong of Alhambra. His work has

been included in national juried exhibitions and he was the featured

artist in the Watercolor Page of the American Artist June 2001 issue.

For information, call 548-2047.

PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER EXHIBITS

“African Exposure,” the first photo exhibit by two-time Pulitzer

Prize-winner Jean-Marc Bouju of Glendale, continues through Friday at

the Perfect Exposure Gallery, 3513 W. Sixth St., Los Angeles.

The exhibit features images taken during the genocide and civil

war in Rwanda in 1994. Bouju is with The Associated Press in Los

Angeles. He joined The AP in 1993 in Central America.

The French native transferred to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 1994 and

immediately went to Rwanda. Bouju’s photos ran on front pages around

the world, revealing the slaughter that raged while politicians

prevented U.N. soldiers from intervening. Those photos and images of

the ensuing refugee crisis earned Bouju and colleagues the 1995

Pulitzer for feature photography.

He moved to Nairobi, Kenya, in 1996, and covered combat in

Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Eritrea. He followed rebels on an

eight-month trek across then-Zaire as they overthrew Mobutu Sese

Seko. Bouju headed the team whose coverage of the U.S. embassy

bombings in Kenya and Tanzania by Osama bin Laden’s followers won the

Pulitzer for news photography in 1999. He won the Associated Press

Managing Editors award for spot news photography in 1995, 1996 and

1997.Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

NATURE IS TOPIC FOR THREE ARTISTS AT DESCANSO

Dory Grade of Eagle Rock returns for her 29th yearly display of

nature-inspired watercolors, acrylics and drawings at the Boddy House

Art Gallery in Descanso Gardens.

This exhibit will include watercolors, acrylics and drawings, all

of which reflect her distinctive style and relationship with stunning

sights of the natural world. Grade’s work, the result of detailed

sketching and what she refers to as “a reaction to nature,” offers a

depth that seems to draw the viewer into the vista.

Ceramic artists Nina Kellogg and Lorraine Haubold will be

displaying their artistically diverse, as well as functional, ceramic

art pieces. The unique glazes and rich colors these potters have

developed also have been nature inspired.

The show continues through May 8. The Boddy House is open from 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Admission is free with gardens admission. The

gardens are open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Parking is free.

Admission is $6, $4 for seniors and students, $1.50 for children 5 to

12, and free for members and children 5 and younger. Descanso Gardens

is at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cana- da Flintridge. For information,

call 949-4200 or visit www.DescansoGardens.org.

FAMOUS BATTLE SCENES EXHIBITED AT LOCAL MUSEUM

Paintings of battle scenes by Toluca Lake resident John Pomeroy,

ranging from 9 by 12 feet to wall size, are on exhibit at the Forest

Lawn Museum in Glendale.

A supervising animator with Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pomeroy

has captured in oil such famous scenes as Alexander the Great at the

Battle of Granicus in this exhibit “Windows of War: Historical

Paintings by John Pomeroy.”

The exhibit continues through April 26. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5

p.m. daily. The museum is at Forest Lawn, Glendale, 1712 S. Glendale Ave., Glendale. Admission and parking are free. For more information,

call 204-3131, ext. 4545.

MUSEUMS

BURBANK HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFERS EXHIBITS

The Burbank Historical Society’s Gordon R. Howard Museum Complex

features exhibits of early Burbank. There are extensive collections

of vintage vehicles, costumes, dolls, cameras and special sections on

the history of Lockheed, Disney and Warner Bros. studios.

Hours are from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted. The complex is at

1015 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. Parking is available at George Izay Park

lot off Clark Avenue.

For more information, call 841-6333.

BURBANK MUSEUM DEDICATED TO AVIATION

Burbank Aviation Museum is dedicated to the memory of the men and

women who made aviation history in the San Fernando Valley.

Visitors can enter on Valhalla Boulevard behind Fry’s Electronics,

off Hollywood Way or use the main entrance at 10621 Victory Blvd.

The Portal building is accessible from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for

viewing the cenotaphs and burial stones.

The aviation displays can be viewed from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted. For more information,

call 845-3300.

BOLTON HALL FEATURES EARLY SUNLAND, TUJUNGA

Bolton Hall Museum in Tujunga, run by the Little Landers

Historical Society, features historical displays relating to the

Sunland and Tujunga areas. It is open to the public at 1 p.m.

Tuesdays and Sundays. Admission is free. The museum is at 10110

Commerce Ave., Tujunga.

For information, call 352-3420.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LANTERMAN HOUSE

The Lanterman House, owned by the city of La Canada Flintridge, is

operated by the Lanterman Historical Museum Foundation and is open to

the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and the first and

third Sundays of the month.

The house was built in 1914 by the founding family of La Canada

Flintridge.

For information, call 790-1421.

* If you have press releases for the 48 Hours column, please call

JOYCE RUDOLPH at 637-3241 or e-mail joyce.rudolph@latimes.com or fax

them to 241-1975.