Month: May 2016

CyberChum: Selected Technological Links of Interest

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=cyborgOver lunch, let’s continue the clearing of the accumulated links. This collection of links all relates to technology in some way:

  • Safe Exchanges. Have you ever purchased something over Craigslist, but then been worried about meeting the other person in a safe place to exchange the items. If so, did you know that many cities have established safe exchange zones, where the exchanges can take place under a security camera in a public place.  You can find the safe exchange location near you by clicking here.
  • Google Keyboard Updates. Google is updating its Android keyboard again. For example, one of the most useful changes is a fine cursor control: just tap and hold on the space bar and you can slide the cursor to where you want it to go. Suggestions are also smarter, as you can touch and drag away one that you don’t like to the trash. This can cut down on those typos that got saved into Google’s memory. There’s a one handed mode, and a 9-key layout for entering numbers.
  • Extending Gmail. Another Google related article: 5 Chrome extensions that enhance Gmail.
  • Cables: Keep or Toss. Here’s a good explanation of all those cables you find around the house. I disagree a bit with his recommendations on what to keep or toss. For example, I’ll keep 30-pin Apple connection cables, but that’s simply because we have 3 iPod Classics in this house. I also would tend to keep VGA, but that’s simply because the ACSAC projectors use VGA. We also still tend to use RCA/Composite cables, but that’s because we haven’t gone to digital TVs.
  • Hacking Airplanes. The aviation industry is waking up to the need for cybersecurity. About damn time.
  • Ransomware. Ransomware is now the biggest cybersecurity threat. It certainly is a large worry for me, especially when I see a lot of disk activity or a file goes missing. Here are some good tips to stop ransomware in its tracks. I particularly like the advice to backup to an external drive that does not remain connected to your system. That’s what I’ve been doing of late.

 

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Design Considerations

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=clutterContinuing to clear out the accumulated links… Here are three interesting articles all having to do with design. Tomorrow, you’ll get a chum post on computer stuff, followed by some tasty stew:

  • Making Cities Hostile. Cities are increasingly becoming more hostile to the homeless and downtrodden. You see it if you know where to look. As the linked article notes, historically, landowners and city planners have kept sections of the population at bay by incorporating defensive design features into the architecture: spiked fences; barbed wire; a castle moat. In the 21st century, however, overt deterrents like these have given way to subtler features aimed at exerting social control, and keeping unwanted groups out. Hostile architecture, also known as defensive architecture, exists on a spectrum. At one end are the overt design features that are obvious to anyone walking by—like spikes and fences. At the other end, says Petty, are the design elements in which “the hostile function is often embedded under a socially palatable function.” A prime example is street furniture, particularly public benches. Think of all those strips that establish seats: they also make it impossible for someone to sleep there. The article goes into more detail.
  • Bowling Alleys. We all remember the bowling alleys. Greasy coffee shops. Bright lights. Ugly shirts. Bowling leagues. That’s all changing. There is a movement afoot to transform bowling alleys into the-sexy. The renovations have preserved many elements of the classic midcentury designs of these sites, but ultimately left them with a more sleek and modern vibe. Flatscreens and projectors are everywhere, not only displaying goofy animations after a strike or gutterball, but broadcasting sports or TV shows. The lights are dimmed and the lanes are illuminated under a black light that makes the balls and pins glow. It makes for a clubby atmosphere meant to appeal to younger and more casual bowlers.
  • Oakland Tribune Tower. Here’s an interesting article on how the Oakland Tribune tower was repaired and rescued. There are some really vertigo inducing photos in the mix.

 

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What is Truth?

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=don-martinWhat is truth? How do we tell black from white? Here are a collection of stories where the truth may not be what you read:

 

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Who Is The Customer?

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=theatre_ticketsI like to joke that with all the theatre that I attend, I’m a professional audience member.  On April Fools day 2015, I took that a step further, and announced the formation of a union for audience members: the League of Audiences, Fans, and Others Organized for Los-Angeles-Theatre. After a recent discussion with Colin over on Bitter Lemons, building off my post on how the Fringe Festival might treat its audience better, perhaps I shouldn’t have been joking.

In every business, you will have a producer, who produces a product or service, that is sold to the customer. You can often gain insight into the business, and the problems and risks, by understanding exactly who that customer is. Often it isn’t clear. For example, take Facebook? Who is the customer. If you think it is you the user, you’re wrong. Customers pay for goods and services. You get Facebook for free. So who is the customer? That’s right: the advertisers. Now ask yourself: What is the product? The answer is: your user data.

In terms of the theatre, it is an interesting question to ask. Let’s look at the Fringe Festival. To hear the lead organizers talk, it is the producers and actors. That’s pretty clear when you see all the workshops, and all the resources made available to the participants. When you go to the Hollywood Fringe website, and click on the big “Schedule” button — it asks you to schedule a show. Ticketing is at the single person level. Again: All geared towards the producers and actors. Where is the audience — and I should clarify, the TICKET PAYING audience — in the equation? Does Fringe central open up with the very first production for the audience? Can pins be obtained in advance? Is there a mechanism for people buying tickets for couples? Have arrangements been made for parking, or even recommendations? What information is provided to audience members before they arrive in terms of where to eat, where to park, where to pass time between shows? I think you know the answer. The Fringe Festival does not consider the audience their customer, at least at the present time.

How can the Fringe solve this problem? That’s easy: devote dedicated staff time to improving the audience experience.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have services like Goldstar, which Colin railes against in a recent post over on Bitter Lemons. His complaint there is about Goldstar’s skew towards the audience, where they provide loads of services. I note quite a few of them in my comments on that post:

  • An easy way to find shows of interest, from a wide-variety of venues — often, much wider than is available from either Footlights or LA Stage Tix
  • The ability to see reviews and recommendations about the shows and venues
  • The convenience of an easy to use online and app interface.
  • Discounted seats. Everyone likes to save money
  • For red-velvet members, the easy ability to cancel a show, without penalty, if plans change. That’s often priceless, and often makes me use Goldstar over another service where — if reviews indicate a show is a stinker, I’m stuck.
  • The ability to “star” shows and venues, so I can easily learn when a company or theatre I like has a new show, or when new tickets are available.
  • They cover lots of cities. I’ll be in the San Francisco area next week, and I’m seeing two shows. One I have tickets to from a Kickstarter (otherwise, it’s on Goldstar) — the Boy from Oz from Landmark Musicals. The other — ACT San Francisco’s Last 5 Years — is from Goldstar. I didn’t have to hunt around to find how to get discount tickets — or tickets at all — in a different city.

The primary complaint against Goldstar is that they often strong arm theatre to give large blocks of tickets to the service, and there is a push to make many of the complementary, which brings no income to the producer. He also complains about Goldstar’s fees, but as I note above, they do provide a lot of service for their fee (certainly more than Ticketmaster).  Note that the Fringe is that the other end of the spectrum: low fee, but low additional benefits for those ticketing through the service.

So, to bring this all home, what can we learn from all of this?

The Fringe has a producer and artist focus — and makes it difficult for the customer. Goldstar has great customer service, but with a big cost to the producer (of aggressive discounting). What is needed is balance: a complete understanding of all the customers — producers, artists, and audience. The successful approach — one that brings customers in and keeps them coming back  — is one that understands the need of all of them and benefits them all. I’m not sure yet that intimate theatre has found the right balance.

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A West Coast Premier (Just Ignore that Show Behind the Curtain)

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=theatre_musicalsIf you’ve been following the media coverage of theatre in Southern California (for example, here), you know that last weekend marked the West Coast regional premiere of the musical The Boy From Oz at Celebration Theatre (FB). Reviewers and bloggers are gushing over how great the production is, and how it is nice to finally see the show on the West Coast. I haven’t seen the show yet, but knowing the caliber of Celebration’s work, I’m sure it is great. In fact, I had been planning to see it later in the run.

So what’s the problem?

The Southern California reviewers have blinders on to the fact that there is another West Coast premiere of the same show, starting the same date and the same time, from Landmark Musical Theatre (FB) in San Francisco. The Celebration production has April 22-28 and opened April 29 with no stated closing date. The Landmark production opened April 23 and runs to May 15. The Landmark production has also gotten good reviews, and is TBA (Theatre Bay Area) recommended.

I discovered the Landmark production when I was looking for Bay Area theatre to see while in Berkeley to attend my daughter’s graduation the weekend of 5/13. I had wanted to see Boy from Oz, and Landmark’s production was the only thing of interest that weekend, so I supported their Kickstarter and got tickets to their production instead of Celebration’s (since then, I’ve learned New Conservatory Theatre is doing On a Clear Day…, starting 5/13, so I’ll see if I can somehow work that in). I’m very curious how theatre in other cities compares with the LA ecosystem, and I’ve seen some great work in the Bay Area (Tabard Theatre (FB), TheatreWorks (FB)).

From my vantage point here in Los Angeles before the trip, however, it is as if the northern half of the state doesn’t exist. From reading coverage in Northern California, it is as if Los Angeles doesn’t exist. Neither acknowledges the other. To me, that’s wrong. We should be celebrating the Joint West Coast Premiere of The Boy From Oz. If you’re visiting down south, go to Celebration. If you’re up north, go to Landmark. I’m debating whether to go to both (budget and time permitting). Landmark’s show is in a 300-seat old theatre in Chinatown; Celebration is in a small 99-seat theatre in Hollywood.  This is Landmark’s second musical, and (as evidenced by their Kickstarters) has limited budget. Celebration is a well established company with some good industry support and connections; I’d expect some “fabulous”-ness in their production. The contrast should be quite interesting, just as when I saw Last 5 Years both at the Pasadena Playhouse and at REP East.

Good theatre is good theatre, whereever it is. We shouldn’t be blind in SoCal about the great NoCal theatre; and NoCal should recognize the great theatre scene we have here. Here’s an idea: Wouldn’t it be great to have an intimate theatre tour, bringing the best shows in intimate theatre throughout the state?

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Cruz Control Disengaged: Advice for my Republican Friends

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=political-flakesInstead of hanging in there and potentially creating a contested Republican convention (which would have been really really bad news for the Republican party), Ted Cruz has suspended his campaign in light of Trump’s win in Indiana (which is  really really really bad news for the Republican party).

So, to my Republican friends, a bit of advice. First, it is your turn to suck it up and sing:

You say the last election didn’t turn out like you planned.
You’re feeling blue and clueless, you just don’t understand.
You’re sad, sulky, sullen, moping and morose.
You’re woefully weak and weary, semi-comatose.
You stare at your computer screen devoid of any joy and hope.
You’re so depressed, you can’t get dressed, your noose is up a rope.
Just remind yourself, when you can’t stand it any more:
That we’ve been through some crappy times before

Next, I advise you to read this article from a Bush staffer, wherein he points out that it is much better to elect Hillary than to elect Trump. In it, he says:

To begin with, Mr. Trump has autocratic tendencies, and openly admires tyrants such as Vladimir Putin. In fact, his narcissism and cult of personality leadership style seem better suited to countries like North Korea and Uzbekistan than America. Trump has repeatedly attacked core conservative principles such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and American leadership on the world stage. He has incited the use of violence against his detractors, called on America to commit war crimes, and suggested the possibility of civil unrest if he is denied the GOP nomination.

Mr. Trump proclaims that he’s going to make America great again, but can’t provide any realistic plans for doing so; instead, he frequently resorts to scapegoating outsiders, foreigners, and minorities. The few policies that Trump has articulated would make America less safe, trample upon our most fundamental rights, and appeal to the basest instincts of the American people.

While I disagree with many of Hillary Clinton’s policies, she is clearly qualified to be president. She possesses judgment and self-restraint. She does not have a track record of irrational, risky, and unsound business decisions and public comments. She has a long record of public service. She can be trusted with controlling our military and nuclear weapons. Mr. Trump cannot.

Any Republican who claims that it’s better to elect Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton either lacks proper judgment, or has become so blinded by partisan ideology that they have lost objectivity.

As he notes, with Bush 43, you might have disagreed with his policies, but you knew he was working in what he perceived to be in the best interest of the country. With Donald Trump, the only thing you can be sure of is that he is working in the best interests of Donald Trump.

Hillary may not be perfect, but I don’t believe any president that we have had has been. But, as noted on Fox, she has a record of public service and working in the interests of the country, and of trying to find the middle ground.

So: In the interests of the nation, even though you may disagree with her, you can’t pull the country-destruct lever and elect Trump. In fact, I’m going to go so far to suggest you vote for Hillary, and your favorite Republican candidates for the Senate and the House. We may have four years of gridlock, but we won’t have Trump.

Now, there are those Replublicans amongst you who just cannot stomach voting for Hillary in any way. I can appreciate that. Then either don’t vote for the office of President, or vote for the Libertarian or another third party candidate. Just do not vote for Trump. [Note: This does not apply to you Democrats. You need to vote for the Democratic nominee: either the likely Clinton or the less likely Sanders].

It is increasingly clear that this year is paralleling 1964, and Goldwater history will repeat itself. We are seeing a year of seminal change in the nature of the parties, just as in 1964. Johnson moved the Democrats to the side of Civil Rights, and realigned the party for decades. Sanders, even without winning the nomination (he doesn’t have a chance), is moving the Democratic party to the left. That will be seen in the post-2020 elections. Goldwater moved the Republicans to the right, and set the stage for Nixon, and eventually, Reagan. Trump is continuing the fracture of the Republican party between the radical Right and the moderates. The Republican realignment will also occur over the next four years, and we are likely to see a vastly different party emerge.  We may even see a three party system emerge — not the predicted growth of the Libertarians, but a split into Social Democrats, Moderates, and Radical Right. Why not in 2018? Simple. 2018 will be the year the new parties will be working to qualify themselves for the 2020 Presidential election.

The critical time is keeping this country safe and in good hands for the next four years. That means ensuring that Donald Trump is not elected. Hold your nose and vote for Hillary. Hold your nose and vote for a third party candidate. Hold your nose, and don’t vote for a Presidential candidate. Just do not vote for Trump.

As for the other races, vote with what your conscience and intellect tell you. We probably disagree, but I will respect your right to your opinion, recognizing that is working to find the common ground in our political diversity that makes this country great. We are doing what we believe is right for America.

Full Disclosure: Yes, I’m a Democrat, and yes, I’m currently supporting Hillary as the pragmatic choice. Here’s why. But I’m making the plea above for the sake of the Nation. There were many good Republicans that could have tried for the nomination. Some of them I might not have voted for, but might have made good leaders and worked in the interests of the country. Alas, for Republicans, that possibility has been hijacked for you by Mr. Trump and his supporters.

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Feeling Real Emotion 😲 “Lunatics & Actors” @ 4 Clowns

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Lunatics & Actors (4 Clowns)userpic=yorickHow do we know our perception of the world is what we believe it to be?

This deep question is ultimately at the heart of the new production from Four Clowns (FB) at The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (FB), Four Clowns Presents Lunatics and Actors, written by David Bridel and directed by Jeremy Aluma (FB). Lunatics & Actors explores the question of emotional authenticity, through a descent into the real-life obsessions of Dr. Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne du Loulogne. du Loulogne was a French neurologist who greatly advanced the science of electrophysiology. Duchenne’s monograph, Mécanisme de la physionomie humaine – also illustrated prominently by his photographs – was the first study on the physiology of emotion and was seminal to Darwin’s later work. Duchenne also wanted to determine how the muscles in the human face produce facial expressions that Duchenne believed to be directly linked to the soul of man. Duchenne is known, in particular, for the way he triggered muscular contractions with electrical probes, recording the resulting distorted and often grotesque expressions with the recently invented camera. The images that Four Clowns used in their poster for the program are literally of Duchenne performing facial electro-stimulation.

In Lunatics & Actors, Duchenne (Thaddeus Shafer (FB; FB (page))) is presenting the audience with a simple question: what is authentic emotion? Can a highly skilled trained actor produce authentic emotion? Can the skills of the actor surpass the real emotion induced through electrostimulation? In asking these questions, the production induces a different set of question in the audience. Namely, it raises the question of whether any of the emotions that we might see on stage or screen are real, or even realistic portrayal. Is the entire history of theatrical entertainment just an artifice, a facade of fake emotion? If it is, are we better off going out and experiencing real emotion?

The way that Duchenne does that is to create a challenge: knowing that he is in Los Angeles and the audience is filled with actors, he selects three actors from the audience to test against three lunatics from his asylum. The question: between the actor and the lunatic, who can portray the most authentic emotion. He begins by interviewing the actors to find the most skilled amongst them, based on training, technique, experience, and recognition. At our performance we had three actors, whose names I cannot currently remember. There were various levels of technique and experience, ranging from students to one who had won a few local awards and had toured with a Shakespeare troupe.  The doctor selected the most experienced candidate, and we were off.

Lunatics & Actors (Publicity)The doctor then introduced us to his three lunatics: Bon-Bon (Tyler Bremer/FB), Fifi (Alexis Jones (FB)), and Pepe (Andrew Eldredge (FB)). Not being an expert in neuropsychology, I can’t quite described their maladies. Externally, Bon-Bon seemed to be driven for treats, but otherwise pliant and withdrawn. Fifi seemed shell-shocked; she wanted treats but never got them. Pepe was energetic and strange, almost prone to violence. All were in straightjackets.

The doctor then proceeded to request the selected actor to portray a series of emotions, which in many cases seemed to confuse or befuddle him based on his experience. He then used electroshock on his selected lunatic, and induced the requested emotion. The audience was then asked which was the most authentic emotion. In most cases, it appeared to this audience member that the lunatics gave the better performance. It seemed that way to our selected actor as well, as he got more and more incensed.

Things, well, things degenerated from there.

To describe more of the story might give away some of the twists and turns, so I’ll defer doing so. But the experience, as noted above, explored electroshock therapy, and its ability to make its subjects do whatever the authority figure asks them to do, and to believe whatever the authority figure wants them to believe. One review I encountered writing this up referred to this as gaslighting on stage. Reviewing the definition of the term, I would say that is accurate. As such, I would note that this performance could potentially be triggery (i.e., TRIGGER WARNING)  to those troubled by gaslighting simulations or situations, or those who have undergone electroshock therapy. But I think the ultimate question the gaslighting results asked is a real one — and a significant one — are the emotions and beliefs we see something that we should believe, and who is really responsible for those emotions. Is the fear induced by electroshock (for example) the same as real fear for a situation? Is what is perceived as real by the lunatic or actor the same as a real-life experience? For actors, what is a realistic performance?

I don’t think these questions are easy one, but I think the discussion of them can be an interesting discussion. However, the path to get to the questions can be a dark and disturbing one; perhaps one that is not for everyone.

But this is a Four Clowns production, you say. Where are the clowns? Wikipedia says the following about clowns: “The comedy that clowns perform is usually in the role of a fool whose everyday actions and tasks become extraordinary—and for whom the ridiculous, for a short while, becomes ordinary.”  That is certainly true in this production. The style of questioning of the actors by Duchenne is clearly ridiculous, and the answers (and his reactions) to the questions becomes hilarious. The performances of the lunatics: they are certainly foolish and become extraordinary in the transformation of their madness. So while this is not your traditional clowning — and certainly not the style of clowning we saw in Four Clowns’ recent Hamlet — it is one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in a while.

Other reviewers I’ve read have been seemingly insulted by the premise of the show. The aforementioned “gaslighting” review said ” In essence it is an experiment in acting versus physical forced mind control, the gas lighting of an artist to a mere puppet or shadow of the real.” and it went on to state “What the play is lacking is the realization that the physical manifestation of an expression could be separate from the actual feeling. If anything this play can be the center piece of a lively discourse for actors of the conflicting acting schools of thought…”. Now, I’m not an actor. I’ve never claimed to be an actor, and I’m envious of those that can inhabit other characters. I’m a cybersecurity specialist — an engineer — who loves watching theatre. To me, it raised the interesting question of the artifice of what we see, and whether our senses can really tell us anything authentic about the world. It emphasized the importance of experience over detached observation. As such, the play remains a centerpiece for lively discussion, but perhaps not the discussion that an actor might have (who would feel their craft had been insulted by the question).

I should note that the play does not appear to be an accurate representation of the works of Dr. Duchenne. Then again, it doesn’t claim to do so: it is a fictional play, not an autobiography.

It somehow seems inauthentic to say this (at this point), but what makes this play works so well is the performance of the actors, and the qualities and emotions that the director draws out of them. Whether they were real or not, they were transmitted to the audience and they felt real. All of the actors were excellent, but I’ll particularly call out Thaddeus Shafer (FB; FB (page))’s Duchenne. He was hilarious in his questioning of the actors and his responses to their responses. How much of this was scripted vs. improvised is unknown to me. It was funny to watch. He also handled the dark side and the descent of Duchenne quite well.

The portrayal of the three lunatics, Bon-Bon (Tyler Bremer/FB), Fifi (Alexis Jones (FB)), and Pepe (Andrew Eldredge (FB)), was also quite strong. The transition between lunatic and sane emotion was quite startling, and seemingly believable. As such, it was a remarkable performance.

Lastly, there was the actor that was selected at our show. For an unprepared actor drawn from the audience, he was great. In particular, he was remarkable as the show descended into madness and gaslighting. He’s lucky he remembered his lines from his past shows.

Turning now to the production aspects: One of the remarkable things about Four Clowns productions is their set design. Fred Kinney (FB), who designed the set here, did a great job of creating the industrial madhouse feel. There was sheetrock hung by galvanized steel plumbers tape. There was open 2×4 woodwork. There were industrial power boxes, seemingly wired to control the industrial style lighting. A remarkably creepy feel, augmented by the lighting from Azra King-Abadi (FB) and the well-timed sound effects from Kate Fechtig/FB, who did the sound design. The combination was…. realistic and creepy. Kinney also did the properties (under the control of Nicole Mercs, propmistress). The electroshock apparatus had a wonderful steampunk-ish feel to them with loads of exposed brass, cords, and old-style incandescent lighting. That, combined with the chairs and other props, increased the uneasiness feeling substantially. I was also intrigued by Duchenne’s glasses. Elena Flores (FB) provided the costume design, which was equivalently creepy with blood-splattered straight-jackets and Victorian dresses and suit-pants. Rounding out the production credits were: Matt MacCready (FB) [Technical Director]; Amaka Izuchi (FB) [Assistant Director]; Ashley Jo Navarro (FB) [Stage Manager], and David Anis (FB) [Producer].

The publicity material for the show notes that this is the last collaboration between David Bridel and Jeremy Aluma (FB) for a while. Bridel continues in his academic positions as USC, where he directs the MFA in Acting and is Interim Dean of the School of Dramatic Arts. Aluma is off to Chi-town for grad school for an MFA in Directing. Having met Jeremy a few times through Four Clowns, I know he will be great and I wish him well in his new city. Hopefully, he’ll direct some theatre there that he can move to Los Angeles. Hint to Jeremy: if you do get to direct a show in Chicago, hire Moonie (Philip Earl Johnson). He is a clown of the first order, who you can see as part of the Moonie and Broon show at the RenFaire. He’s also a great actor.

Four Clowns Presents Lunatics and Actors, written by David Bridel and directed by Jeremy Aluma (FB), continues at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles through May 28, 2016. Tickets range from $12 to $15 and can be purchased through Four Clowns online. Discount tickets may be available through Goldstar. Although the production may be somewhat disturbing, it is also quite funny. If you can handle portrayal of electroshock therapy to induce emotion, you’ll find it enjoyable.

* 🎭 🎭 🎭 *

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre critic; I am, however, a regular theatre audience member. I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted. I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB) and the  Hollywood Pantages (FB); my subscription at  The Colony Theatre (FB) has gone dormant, and REP East (FB) has seemingly gone dark for 2016. Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals).  I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups.

Upcoming Shows: May starts with Endgame at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (FB), followed by Carney Magic at The Colony Theatre (FB). We then run off to the Bay Area for our daughter’s graduation from Berkeley. While there, we are seeing the Landmark Musical Theatre (FB)’s West Coast Regional Premiere of The Boy from Oz (but pay no attention to that production behind the curtain at the Celebration Theatre (FB) — if they start the same day, they are simultaneous premieres and both have equal bragging rights). We will also be seeing The Last 5 Years at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.) (FB).  May 21 brings Los Angeles: Now and Then (FB), a new musical at LA City College (FB) from Bruce Kimmel. The last weekend of May has HOLDs for the MoTAS Outing to the Jethawks, and for I Only Have Eyes for You at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre (FB).

That brings us to June. June is the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), and I’ve already written about the shows I plan to see, as well as suggestions to the Fringe regarding viewing the audience as a customer. Our Fringe schedule is as follows:

Whew. July brings us back to conventional theatre, with Beautiful at the  Hollywood Pantages (FB) and the Western Corps Connection (FB) the first weekend, a HOLD for Grey Gardens at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB); the second weekend, The Little Mermaid at  Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB); the third weekend, Weird Al Yankovic at the Hollywood Bowl (FB) and Operaworks (FB) Opera Re-Constructed at CSUN; the fourth weekend, a mid-week Hollywood Bowl (FB) concert of Wynton Marsalis and Aaron Copeland, and a HOLD for Armadillo Necktie at The Group Rep (FB) the last weekend.  As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Bitter-Lemons, and Musicals in LA, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves.

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California Highway Headlines for April 2016

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=roadgeekingHere are the collected headlines and other identified articles of interest from April 2016 related to California Highways:

  • Roadshow: Is new Valley Fair interchange dangerous? This man’s son died there. Q I was riveted by your column about the traffic problems at Interstate 280 and I-880 near Valley Fair, and the drivers who related near-accidents. My second son, Michael Boys, was thrown from his motorcycle and killed at that interchange on Dec. 4 soon after the construction was finished. My other sons and I have visited the scene, and it appears to us as well that there are really serious problems that make this a dangerous intersection. He was exiting 280 for 880 north, and that seems the focus of the other people who wrote in.
  • After decade of planning, Hwy 80 interchange reconstruction project gets underway in San Pablo. Following a decade of planning, a $118.8 million project to improve a major Interstate Highway 80 bottleneck in San Pablo is getting underway. Elected officials and local transportation leaders gathered Friday to celebrate the beginning of reconstruction work on Highway 80’s more than 50-year-old San Pablo Dam Road interchange.
  • Lakehead’s New Antlers Bridge Gets Artsy. How about this fish story? Twenty-five-foot largemouth bass spotted at Shasta Lake. It’s not a stretch—it’s art. A design featuring two colorful concrete bass leaping at minnows is repeated four times on the new Antlers Bridge under construction on Interstate 5 about 25 miles north of Redding. If you want to catch it, look fast. There’s an eye-level view of the lunkers—one measuring 25 feet and the other stretching 16 feet—from the current Antlers Bridge spanning the lake’s Sacramento Arm at Lakehead. When traffic switches to the new bridge, which is expected to happen in late summer or fall, the I-5 blur-by will no longer be a viewing option.

Read More …

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