Month: June 2018

Respect – It’s More Than an Aretha Franklin Song

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today, while eating lunch, I was reading the news and came across Giuliani’s slam against Stormy Daniels, where he says:

I respect all human beings. I have to respect criminals. I’m sorry, I don’t respect a porn star the way I respect a career woman or a woman of substance or a woman who has great respect for herself as a woman and as a person and isn’t going to sell her body for sexual exploitation.

This is a subject I touched upon in my rant about Trump referring to some people as “animals”, and it is something I will keep emphasizing over and over: All people are worthy of respect. It is a characteristic of their being human; it is part of our shared humanity. That means we do not denigrate them based on the looks, their skin color, their religion, their orientation, their sexuality, their sexual behavior (or lack thereof). Anything that is a characteristic of the person — don’t make fun of it. And, yes, that includes those who you disagree with politically. Just as we progressives were upset when people made fun of Obama for looks, we shouldn’t be the ones fat-shaming Trump — or making fun of his skin color. We certainly shouldn’t be discounting the opinion of someone just because of their profession, or what society, circumstances, or economic position has driven them to do.

When they were a infant, were they worthy of respect? When a child? When a young adult? When an adult? Why should our ability to treat someone with respect change because of a career choice, or what they wear, or any other aspect like that?

Disagree with someone for what they say, but discuss the issue with them respectfully? Disagree with someone for how their positions influence their actions, but respect their humanity when doing so? If you dismiss them out of hand, they will ignore anything you have to say, and you move from a dialogue to a screaming match.

We have an administration that judges based on the superficial. Giuliani has made that clear, and so has Trump. But just because they do so does not make it acceptable behavior, and we need to point out just why that is unacceptable.

No one is less than because they have done sex work. No one is less than because they’ve been in a gang. For those of a religious bent, religion teaches that repentance is always possible. If they are worthy of respect after repentance, they are worthy before as well.

Treat people with respect. That is all.

Share

Dealing with Toxic Waste

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy, what with the election, highway page updates (still in progress), and theatre (always in progress). Through it all, I’ve been accumulating News Chum to discuss, and one collection seemed particularly apt to discuss, as we deal with throwing away our post-election materials: the articles related to the disposal of toxic waste:

  • Recycling Tech Gadgets. In the old days, disposing of things was easy: you just put them in the trash can. But now, every device has some level of technology in it — meaning PCB circuit boards with rare earth metals and potential toxins. How do you dispose of all this techno-junk. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans generated nearly 3.4 million tons of consumer electronics waste in 2014 and that only around 40 percent of that waste was recycled—the rest went to landfills or incinerators. The U.S. is also a top destination for e-waste from other countries—and in turn, we export much of our e-waste to places like China and India.  Here’s a useful start: 7 ways to recycle your techno-gadgets.
  • Solar Panels. If you are like me, you’ve either put solar panels on your house (or you’ve been thinking about it). But one question we don’t tend to ask: what do we do when the panels start to fail? When we need to replace them? It turns out this is a big question: although the energy is clean, solar panels decidedly are not. Solar panels often contain lead, cadmium, and other toxic chemicals that cannot be removed without breaking apart the entire panel.    “Approximately 90% of most PV modules are made up of glass,” notes San Jose State environmental studies professor Dustin Mulvaney. “However, this glass often cannot be recycled as float glass due to impurities. Common problematic impurities in glass include plastics, lead, cadmium and antimony.” Researchers with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) undertook a study for U.S. solar-owning utilities to plan for end-of-life and concluded that solar panel “disposal in “regular landfills [is] not recommended in case modules break and toxic materials leach into the soil” and so “disposal is potentially a major issue.” California is in the process of determining how to divert solar panels from landfills, which is where they currently go, at the end of their life. But it isn’t just end of life: Panels can be broken by natural events such as earthquakes or hail, and then these chemicals can leach out. The link in this post is well worth reading.
  • Rocket Emissions. We’re all used to thinking about the pollutants that come from our automobiles. But there are other airborne sources. Jet airplane exhaust is more deadly than plane crashes, and at least under the Obama administration, the EPA recognized that airplane pollution is dangerous to people. But then there are rockets.  Every time a rocket launches, it produces a plume of exhaust in its wake that leaves a mark on the environment. These plumes are filled with materials that can collect in the air over time, potentially altering the atmosphere in dangerous ways. The risk is less greenhouse gasses, and more tiny particles that are produced inside the trail. Small pieces of soot and a chemical called alumina are created in the wakes of rocket launches. They then get injected into the stratosphere, the layer of Earth’s atmosphere that begins six miles up and ends around 32 miles high. Research shows that this material may build up in the stratosphere over time and slowly lead to the depletion of a layer of oxygen known as the ozone. The ozone acts like a big shield, protecting Earth against the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. However, the magnitude of this ozone depletion isn’t totally known. Here’s an interesting article from The Verge that explores the issue of rocket exhaust pollution;  I’m pleased to say that the researcher mentioned is a co-worker (although in a completely different area).
  • Plastics. Plastics are a big concern to me. Stop and think about how much you depend on plastic everyday, from the cars you drive, the medicine you receive, the electronics you use. We can replace the oil we use for fuels in our cars with electricity, but we really don’t have a good alternative for our plastics. And yet, our disposable society throws away more and more each day; it is hard to recycle, and when you do, you don’t get the same plastics back. Boing-Boing just highlighted a recent National Geographic issue on Plastics. They noted that it shows how America became a plastic-addicted throwaway culture, and how the earth is now paying for humanity’s short-sighted sin. It really makes one think — and perhaps we should before we get that disposable take out container or plastic straw? Perhaps we should be bringing our own reusable silicon take out containers and reusable straws with us when we go out, just as we take our bags.
  • Dead Lakes. This last news chum piece isn’t something people dispose of, but it does relate to something man-made that is creating health problems as it is being disposed of — The Salton Sea. Here’s an in-depth exploration of the health issues that are arising because of the death of the Salton Sea. As the lake dries up, more and more toxic chemicals are exposed, for the lake served as the terminus of agricultural runoff. It dries, becomes airborne, and creates loads of health issues for those who live in the Imperial Valley (who often are economically depressed and can’t afford to move). Quite an interesting read.

 

Share

Voting: The Who, The How, The Where, But Just Do It

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today is Primary Election Day in California: So first and foremost: Find your polling place, and make a commitment to vote today, before the polls close. If you need to see my detailed analysis of my sample ballot, here’s the link to the summary and recap.

That said, the model of voting is changing in California. At least here in Los Angeles, we’ve been voting at neighborhood precincts with pollworkers that have been there for years, and know the folks in the community. The tools we use for voting — Inkavote here in Los Angeles — have been in use for at least a decade. But come 2020, all is changing. The LA Times had a nice article on the changes today; evidently, they are being piloted in Sacramento County, as well as a few others.

Here’s how the LA Times describes it: Local precincts where you can only vote for one day are being replaced by a smaller number of voting centers that permit voting over a longer period. There is also a greater dependence on absentee (mail-in) ballots. The Times writes:

The law sets specific guidelines for the number of centers based on voter population. As election day approaches, additional locations are added to keep up with expected voter demand. A similar system is used statewide in Colorado but is untested in many other parts of the nation. The locations offer more than just in-person voting. Citizens also can check their registration status there or have a new ballot printed if they misplaced the one mailed to them. In some counties, they can visit a center to register to vote on election day.

Why are they doing this? The primary reason is cost: Voting equipment across California is rapidly aging and public dollars to replace it are scarce. Fewer centers mean less new equipment. In Sacramento County for this election, 550 neighborhood polling places have been replaced by 78 vote centers. Additionally, the staffing requirements for pollworkers are less (meaning less cost): About 600 people have been hired to run the vote centers, down from almost 2,500 poll workers in a traditional election.

Of course, publicly, the reason isn’t cost but participation. According to the Times, most voters already have migrated to voting by mail. Fifty-nine percent of ballots were cast somewhere other than a polling place in the 2016 primary. Two decades earlier, it was only 23%. This is also why you have propositions like 71 on the ballot: results are no longer known for sure on election day, as all those absentee ballots require counting, and can come in late.

Five counties — Sacramento, Napa, Nevada, Madera and San Mateo — piloted the new system for this election. Voters were sent multiple postcards alerting them to the change before receiving a ballot in the mail, which came with a map of the vote centers and numerous ballot drop-boxes sprinkled in locations such as libraries and community centers. Los Angeles County can join them in 2020. LA County currently has a project that is attempting to place the voting centers, and they want county residents to participate. They note that many factors must be considered in identifying locations, including geographic and demographic constraints that could present barriers to voting in particular locations or near sensitive populations. To ensure these considerations are accounted for, the following parameters have been established:

  • Same day registration at all vote centers.
  • 10 days before the election (minimum 8 hours/day) at least one vote center is provided for every 30,000 registered voters.
  • On election day and the three days prior (7 am – 8 pm), at least one vote center is provided for every 7,500 registered voters.
  • Every city with at least 1,000 registered voters would have at least one vote center.

So what are my thoughts on this process? I’m not sure that I like it. Being able to vote as soon as you receive your sample ballot, although they say that allows voters to be more informed, actually makes them less informed by compressing the time available to perform research, and to discuss the candidates. Having fewing voting centers makes it harder to vote in person, and makes it more likely that lines will be longer to use voting machinery, and the pollworkers will have a greater workload. It will also make it harder to find pollworkers due to increased time constraints. Increased mail in ballots makes it harder to know the final count as of election day, due to mail stragglers. Lastly, there is importance (I believe) in knowing your neighbors, and the local polling places provide that. I’ll have to see how it all works out.

 

Share

Time Traveling Sunday – Ingersoll and the Modest Hadron Collider | HFF18

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=fringeYesterday was our second day of Fringing*, and it brought us a day of time travelling, first with a visit with a famed intellectual, followed by a visit with a quantum clown. But first, I should explain the asterisk:

* For those unfamiliar with  Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), there are over 350 different shows occurring in the heart of Hollywood, with most along the stretch of Santa Monica Blvd from Western to W of LaBrea, and between Hollywood Blvd and Melrose. The shows run from 5 minutes to 2 hours, from one person shows to gigantic casts, from mimes to musicals. They have one — and only one — thing in common: they have to be able to load into a theatre in 15 minutes or less, and get out afterwards in the same time. You never know what you will see: it could be complete crap, it could be the start of a major new show. The shows and scheduling thereof are a nightmare to coordinate, but you could easily end up seeing four to five shows in a day. However, you can be guaranteed of a good time.

Luckily for us, both of our Sunday shows were excellent, and I strongly encourage you to see both of them. Here’s what we saw:

I’ve been a long-time admirer of Steve Allen and his intellectual work. From his comedy work to his work with Meeting of Minds, he was an intellectual and artist that we haven’t seen in a long time. But his most endearing work was his work with CFI: The Center for Free Inquiry, whose goal is to “foster a secular society based on reason, science, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values.” He was so influential there they even named a theatre after him in Hollywood, which (sadly) has been demolished.

Steve Allen would have loved our first show on Sunday, Ingersoll Speaks: Again at Studio C.  I’m sure the subject of the show, Robert Ingersoll (1833-1899), was a hero for him. He was a lecturer and orator, a lawyer and an Attorney General, a staunch Republican (in the days when that meant progressivism). He was also a king of the Orators. Quoting from his biography linked above:

Ingersoll was the friend of Presidents, literary giants like Mark Twain, captains of industry like Andrew Carnegie, and leading figures in the arts. He was also beloved of reformers like Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Other Americans considered themselves his enemies. He bitterly opposed the Religious Right of his day. He was an early popularizer of Charles Darwin and a tireless advocate of science and reason. More, he argued for the rights of women and African-Americans.

In short, Ingersoll was a progressive and free-thinking voice that is even more relevant today, in an era where many who profess to be “Christian” are more enamored of power and supression of thought than being the voice of compassion and reason.

This production was an extended version of the HFF17 production: esstentially, it consisted of Robert Ingersoll, portrayed by Ernest Kearney (FB), giving an hour-long speech. Kearney “wrote” and adapted the piece, all of which (except for 30 words) were drawn from the actual speeches of Ingersoll. many of which are online.

Consider the following:

Social relations depend upon almost an infinite number of influences and considerations. We have our likes and dislikes. We choose our companions. This is a natural right. You cannot force into my house persons whom I do not want. But there is a difference between a public house and a private house. The one is for the public. The private house is for the family and those they may invite. The landlord invites the entire public, and he must serve those who come if they are fit to be received. A railway is public, not private. It derives its powers and its rights from the State. It takes private land for public purposes. It is incorporated for the good of the public, and the public must be served. The railway, the hotel, and the theater, have a right to make a distinction between people of good and bad manners — between the clean and the unclean. There are white people who have no right to be in any place except a bath-tub, and there are colored people in the same condition. An unclean white man should not be allowed to force himself into a hotel, or into a railway car — neither should the unclean colored. What I claim is, that in public places, no distinction should be made on account of race or color. The bad black man should be treated like the bad white man, and the good black man like the good white man. Social equality is not contended for — neither between white and white, black and black, nor between white and black.
(Source: Civil Rights, 1883)

Adapt the same words to today’s battles on gender and orientation equality, and they apply equally well. Or consider the following:

When I got somewhat older, I found that nearly all people had been guilty of substantially the same crime — that is, that they had destroyed the progressive and the thoughtful; that religionists had in all ages been cruel; that the chief priests of all people had incited the mob, to the end that heretics — that is to say, philosophers — that is to say, men who knew that the chief priests were hypocrites — might be destroyed. I also found that Christians had committed more of these crimes than all other religionists put together.
(Source: “The Jews”)

Kearney brought Ingersoll to life, and spoke words that needed to be heard in this day and age. Even though they are from around 150 years ago, they still apply. Once can clearly see why the religionists in power feared this man, and even essentially banned him from speaking in a number of states. Consider the impact of his speaking today?

This is a show that everyone should see for the message that it brings back from the past, that remains relevant — especially so in the Era of Trump.

That Ernest Kearney (FB) is the fellow that brought this message to the stage is no surprise. I remember him from the days of Bitter Lemons, the site run by Colin Mitchell that morphed into the current Better Lemons** under a different publisher after Colin left in a boat on the sea of controversy. Kearney then, and is now, a strong writer with a sense of muckraking; his selection of Ingersoll for this piece fits into that. It disturbs the comfortable, and as a great Rabbi I knew once pointed out, sometimes the comfortable need to be disturbed. I’ll note that the production is dedicated to Colin.

Theatrically, Kearney embodied the man well, although at times there was this odd smile I might call Phlox-like. It was an engaging oratory, under the direction of Dennis Gersten. Production-wise, I only had one complaint — which, as I was at a preview performance, hopefully can be fixed: the lighting. Basically, the lighting was such that I was constantly aware of it, turning around at times to see why it was constantly changing. Lighting should be a subtle mood enhancment; it shouldn’t draw attention to itself. In this production, it did. The reality is that this was an oratory: the lighting didn’t need to change, it only needed to illuminate the speaker. I spoke to the person running the lighting, Pam Noles, and she indicated she was just following the director’s instruction. So I urge the director: Simplify the lighting! Ingersoll’s speeches are great, and Kearney delivers them well. We don’t need the lights to distract us.

The production was produced by Marlene Kearney and David Naire.

**: As an aside, as someone who is considered a reviewer by Better Lemons, I’m not 100% sure it is better. In the “Bitter” days, reviews were grabbed by the folks at the site for their Lemonmeter. Today, reviewers need to submit their reviews, and alas, most of the time I attempt to submit a review, the show I want to review hasn’t registered on the site, and thus I can’t review it. That was the case for yesterday’s  From Toilet to TInseltown— and one would expect a site that works closely with Fringe to have all Fringe shows registered. But that’s also the case for the other shows at the Hobgoblin, and was the case for the Ahmanson’s Soft Power. Although you don’t have to pay to register shows, the fact that you can only review registered shows — and thus the universe of Southern California theatre isn’t represented — leaves a — shall we say — bitter — taste in one’s mouth.

The Universe (101) (HFF18)Our second Fringe show, The Universe (101), involved time travel of a different nature, and was an absolute hoot. I’ll note that we met the performers for the show while we were in line for Ingersoll, as they were promoting their show by handing out postcards. Their transformation for the show was amazing.

Here’s the description of the show from the Fringe website:

Imagine what happens when you put a Quantum Clown and a Psychic Comedian in the same room! Join two great internationally acclaimed variety acts Norbut Yetso and Evanion the Great as they join together for a trip across the realities in ‘The Universe (101)’.

Norbut has constructed a Modest Hadron Collider which unexpectedly pulls the great Mind Reader and Psychic Evanion from 1865 to the present, creating a paradox that needs to be solved before we all wink out of existence! Expect mayhem, mirth, audience interaction and grand feats of mental mystery as our two erstwhile heroes battle to save the Universe as you know it!

The sillyness started from the moment we walked into the theatre. There were warning signs that the show might result in random gender reassignment — but we should stay in our seats. Audience members were recruited to help mount a box containing a possibly dead cat on a hoist to the rafters. They even recruited me to move a radioactive lemon from one side of the room to the other. There were sparks and explosions and all sorts of sillyness.

The two performers, Ian Harvey Stone (FB) as Evanion and Matthew Godfrey (FB) as Norbut Yetso bring an energy and sense of zanyness to their characters that makes the show irresistable. They play, they clown, and yet have an earnestness in what they are doing that makes it all work. There is magic (I’m still not sure how they did the twist at the end), and there is science, and it all comes together in a wonderful whole.

They only made one mistake: They attempted to bring me — a cybersecurity engineer who is a professional audience and can’t play characters — onto the stage to attempt to hypnotize me. It didn’t work, but luckily they had two other volunteers that were able to save the day.

Perhaps I should explain. The conceit of the show is that Yetso, a quantum clown, has made the Medium Hadron Collider. He activates it and tosses a lemon through, which ends up bringing into 2018 a spiritualist from the 1800s. They then have to figure out how they might be able to get him back, running into Schrodinger’s paradox and running into Schrodinger’s paradox and running into Schrodinger’s paradox  until they discover that they’ve brought on the destruction of the universe itself. Quantum physics can entangle you like that. But they then devise a way — with audience help — to solve the problem.

At least that’s what I think happened, but then again, I’m not sure I saw the show. I do remember running into a fellow handing out postcards.

In any case, the show was great.  Ian Harvey Stone (FB) and Matthew Godfrey (FB) not only performed in the show, it was their entire production: they created it, produced it, wrote it, directed it, and designed it. It was a really clever undertaking that I recommend to all.

***

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music 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 5 Star Theatricals (FB) [the company formerly known as Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB)], the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), the Chromolume Theatre (FB), a mini-subscription at the Soraya [nee the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB), and the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). 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:

It’s June — ah, June. That, my friends, means only one thing: the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), Here’s our June schedule:

July will get busier again. It starts with the 50th Anniversary of Gindling Hilltop Camp, followed by On Your Feet at the Hollywood Pantages (FB). The next weekend brings Jane Eyre The Musical at Chromolume Theatre (FB) at the Hudson [yeah! Chromolume found a new location]. The third weekend in July brings a Bat Mitzvah in Victorville, and Beauty and The Beast at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) that evening on Saturday, and a hold for the OperaWorks (FB) “Opera ReConstructed” at CSUN on Sunday. The last weekend may be a Muse/ique (FB) show. August starts with Waitress at the Hollywood Pantages (FB) on Saturday, and the Actors Co-Op Too! production of Always Andrews: A Musical Tribute to the Andrews Sisters on Sunday at Actors Co-op (FB). The next weekend brings the last Actors Co-Op Too! production, Twelfth Night, or What You Will at Actors Co-op (FB). There may also be a production of The Most Happy Fella at MTW — I’m not sure about it, but the hold date is on the calendar.

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Note: Lastly, want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget.

Share

Some People Just Don’t Think Things Through: Trump, Pardons, and Indictments

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=trumpThe Internet-verse has been filled today with commentary about Trump’s statement that he can pardon himself but he won’t, and how this is such a miscarriage of Presidential power and such. I call Bullshit. Most of these folks don’t understand what the Constitution actually says; they are pontificating based on what they think it says or what they want it to say. A few points of clarification, based on my admittedly limited knowledge in these areas:

  • The only thing the Constitution prohibits the President from doing is pardoning from impeachment. It also restricts the pardon to be for Federal crimes.
  • Whether the President can pardon himself has never actually been tested. Presidents before have followed normal behavior and haven’t run into this.*
  • Whether the President cannot be indicted while in office has never actually been tested. Presidents before have followed normal behavior and haven’t run into this.*
  • However, what is clear is that even if the President does pardon himself, he can still be impeached and removed from office. Impeachment and removal is a pretty bad stain on one’s reputation, even with a pardon.
  • If the President does pardon himself, that is an implicit admission that something was done for which a pardon was required, increasing the likelihood of removal from office.
  • If the President does pardon himself, he can no longer ‘”take the 5th”, as there is no longer any risk of self-incrimination. He must tell the truth about what happened and answer the questions. By the way, this is also true for anyone he pardons.
  • If there is enough material to indict and convict the President, there is likely enough evidence to get him impeached and removed from office.
  • Once removed from office, the President is no longer the chief law enforcement officer and can be indicted and convicted, unless pardoned for the specific crime.
  • Once removed from office, the President can be indicted and convicted for state crimes, and can still be subject to civil suits and damages, even if pardoned for Federal crimes.

So, folks, please think things through before pontificating on subjects. Not every statement is what it appears to be.

*: There may have been opinions issued. However, as no President has actually issued a pardon for himself, and no indictment has been brought against a President while in office, the opinion has never been tested.

References: What Trump Can Teach Us About Constitutional Law. Episode 14, Prosecuting a President. Episode 13, Criminal Justice and the POTUS. Episode 5: Presidential Immunity. Episode 3: Pardon Power. Episode 10: Impeachment.

Share

From Potter to Porter | HFF18 and VPAC

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy2 Comments

userpic=fringeOn top of all the highway page updates I’m doing, there’s one more element that makes June an incredibly busy month:  the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB). For those unfamiliar with the Fringe Festival, there are over 350 different shows occurring in the heart of Hollywood, with most along the stretch of Santa Monica Blvd from Western to W of LaBrea, and between Hollywood Blvd and Melrose. The shows run from 5 minutes to 2 hours, from one person shows to gigantic casts, from mimes to musicals. They have one — and only one — thing in common: they have to be able to load into a theatre in 15 minutes or less, and get out afterwards in the same time. You never know what you will see: it could be complete crap, it could be the start of a major new show. The shows and scheduling thereof are a nightmare to coordinate, but you could easily end up seeing four to five shows in a day. However, you can be guaranteed of a good time.

Nineteen Years Later (HFF18)Our first day of Fringing started with two Harry Potter-themed shows, although both were careful not to use that magical name so as not to run into the Voldemort of the entertainment world — the trademark aurors. Our first show, Nineteen Years Later: A (Surprisingly Dark) Satire of Witchcraft and Wizardry (HFF18) (FB) was what might be best characterized as a surprisingly good extended fanfiction in the “Boy Wizard”-universe.

The Fringe description characterized the show thusly:

We join Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger Weasley 19 years after we left them. They all have children headed to Hogwarts. But things are amiss, wizards are disappearing and turning up dead. All must overcome old rivalries and create new friendships if they are to figure out who is behind this and stop them.

The description on the show’s actual website gives a bit better of a description:

When Albus, middle child of famed Boy-Who-Lived, doesn’t quite measure up to expectations, his life becomes a series of seemingly never-ending blunders. Isolated, his sole friend the child of his father’s first enemy, Albus finds connecting with those around him nearly impossible. Enter Cecilia, an American exchange student, and a woman who will challenge everything Albus knows – or thought he knew.

This is a very short description for what turned out to be a 26 scene, two-act (with intermission) full-length play about the children of Harry and Ginny Potter, Ron and Hermoine Granger Weasley, and other well known characters going off to Hogwarts. But Harry’s middle son isn’t quite the success his father is: he is sorted into a house he doesn’t want, doesn’t acquire a lot of friends, and the ones he does acquire are either annoying or problematic. Yet, as in the original story: there is a mystery to be solved that ends up bringing the groups together and finding inner strengths. I don’t want to say too much more, as it might give away some of the twists. But suffice it to say there’s lots of magical fighting, a few love scenes, some unexpected relationships, and some different drawing of frendship lines.

Just like the show itself, the cast is exceedingly large: 18 performers! Here’s the list: Ian Cardoni (FB) [Harry Potter]; Kate Hart (FB) [Hermoine Granger-Weasley]; Daniel Adomian (FB) [Ron Weasley]; Ryan Miles (FB) [Albus Potter]; Conner Stevens (FB) [Scorpius Malfoy]; Kena Worthen (FB) [Rose Granger-Weasley]; Ian Coleman (FB) [Draco Malfoy]; Eric Barnard (FB) [Neville Longbottom]; Skip Pipo (FB) [Cerbeus McGuffin]; Emily Blokker-Dalquist (FB) [Ginny Potter, Sybil Trelawney, Professor McGonagall]; Tina Hartell (FB) [Cecilia Sinclaire]; Bobby Greeson (FB) [James Potter]; Jacqui Ross (FB) [Lily Potter]; Manuel Villarreal (FB) [Frank Longbottom]; Kourtnie Reyes (FB) [Kaylin Blackwell]; Alyssa Furtado (FB) [Stella Towie]; Bella Phillips (FB) [Ellen Merryride]; and Amanda Lenora Meade-Tatum (FB) [Kendall Betcher]. With this large of a cast, and no pictures in the program, it is hard to know who is whom. Suffice it to say that all gave great performances — I particularly likes Miles’ Albus, Worthen’s Rose, and Hart’s Hermoine. [ETA: Tina Hartell (FB) [Cecilia Sinclaire], who was left out of the program. I’ll also add that I quite enjoyed her portrayal of her character, so I’m glad she let me know who she was.]

The production was directed by Kate Hart (FB), who also handled marketing. It was written by Kena Worthen (FB), who also produced the show and did the costumes.

As we left, our conclusion was that this was a pretty good piece of fan fiction, well performed. If you are into, or at least familiar with, the HP-universe (and I don’t mean the printer), it is well worth seeing.

From Toilet to Tinseltown (HFF18)For our second Fringe show, we went from a large cast show with a program, to a one person show with a postcard.

From Toilet to Tinseltown: Moaning Myrtle’s One Woman Show was exactly that. Here’s the Fringe description:

Moaning Myrtle, everybody’s favorite ghost from the Harry Potter series, was forced to leave her toilet at Hogwarts years ago. After failing in the UK for a bit, she decided to come to LA for her shot at fame … or something like it. This is her dark and comedic one woman show, her chance to finally be seen (figuratively, of course).

As Moaning Myrtle, Maddie Patrick (FB) (who was also the author) was hilarious. Floating around the stage on her hoverboard, she was everything you would expect a 14-year old ghost who had started a stand-up career would be. She described how and why she was kicked out of the toilet at Hogwarts, and how she went around London. She eventually made her way to Hollywood, where she met the sort of people you would meet in Hollywood, where she fit in well (having no substance). After trying to get started in acting, she eventually made her way to Las Vegas, beginning a career in standup. During the show, she dished not only on her past life, but on people in Hollywood as well as Las Vegas. It was a thoroughly entertaining show.

Ms. Patrick captured the attitude of the ghost well — petulant at times, playful, childish, but with surprisingly astute observations. It was a strong characterization and performance.

Production values were simple: A single costume, a hoverboard, and a microphone.

The production was directed by Patrick Albanesius.

I should note that there is a ticketing discount available if you see both shows, although we didn’t know about it going through the Fringe website. So it goes.

Billy Porter: The Soul of Richard Rodgers (Saroya)Our last show of the evening was not a Fringe show. Back in March we were supposed to see Billy Porter: The Soul of Richard Rodgers at the Soraya [nee the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB). But due to other commitments, it was rescheduled to the first Saturday of Fringe, which then resulted in having to move our tickets to The Color Purple (Hollywood Pantages (FB)) to next Saturday, meaning two musicals that day. Time travel is a horrible thing, as we learned today at The Universe (101), but that’s the subject of another post.

If you’re not familiar with Billy Porter (FB), he’s the fellow who made famous the role of Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway. Broadway star… Richard Rodger … this is going to be a nice evenings of Rodgers ballads. Isn’t It? Isn’t It?

The key word in the title was not “Richard Rodgers”, but “soul”. This was a soul and R&B treatment of Rodgers, loud and with loads of bass. We were able to get some 25db foam earplugs from the ushers, but it was still too loud for my wife. I think it was also either too loud — or too political — for some in the audience, who left during the show. Their loss.

For those who stayed, we were treated to a wonderful soul/R&B show. The program was:

  1. We’ll Be Together
  2. Golden
  3. My Romance
  4. The Lady is a Tramp
  5. I Have Dreamed
  6. Funny Valentine
  7. Wash That Man (video)
  8. Carefully Taught
  9. World Gon’ Have To Wait
  10. Feel It to Heal It
  11. Time/Love Is On The Way
  12. All That Matters
  13. What’s Goin’ On
  14. Edelweiss
  15. Kinky Boots Medley

Needless to say, except for the Kinky Boots Medley, these weren’t your traditional treatment of Rodgers. The show was also strongly political — Wash That Man was a pointed video about Trump’s election and his reaction thereto, and the subsequent song, Carefully Taught, was even more relevant today. There was a strong emphasis on needing to restore what we had and to RESIST.

We liked the message. I think some didn’t. But we need to shock the comfortable.

Billy Porter was backed by a four piece band consisting of Jordan Peters on guitar, David Cutler (FB) on bass, Zach Mullings (FB) on drums, and Christian Almiron, on keyboards and as music director. Michael “Lofey” Sandlofer was the Executive Music Director. “Lady and the Trump” featured a special appearance by Zaire Park. There were backup singers, but they were uncredited and not introduced. Bad form in my book.

This was the last performance of the Soraya 2017-2018 season. We’re in the process of planning and scheduling our next season.

***

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music 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 5 Star Theatricals (FB) [the company formerly known as Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB)], the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), the Chromolume Theatre (FB), a mini-subscription at the Soraya [nee the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB), and the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). 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:

It’s June — ah, June. That, my friends, means only one thing: the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), Here’s our June schedule:

July will get busier again. It starts with the 50th Anniversary of Gindling Hilltop Camp, followed by On Your Feet at the Hollywood Pantages (FB). The next weekend brings Jane Eyre The Musical at Chromolume Theatre (FB) at the Hudson [yeah! Chromolume found a new location]. The third weekend in July brings a Bat Mitzvah in Victorville, and Beauty and The Beast at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) that evening on Saturday, and a hold for the OperaWorks (FB) “Opera ReConstructed” at CSUN on Sunday. The last weekend may be a Muse/ique (FB) show. August starts with Waitress at the Hollywood Pantages (FB) on Saturday, and the Actors Co-Op Too! production of Always Andrews: A Musical Tribute to the Andrews Sisters on Sunday at Actors Co-op (FB). The next weekend brings the last Actors Co-Op Too! production, Twelfth Night, or What You Will at Actors Co-op (FB). There may also be a production of The Most Happy Fella at MTW — I’m not sure about it, but the hold date is on the calendar.

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Note: Lastly, want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget.

Share

Bad Jews in the Valley | “Family Schmamily” @ Eclectic Company Theatre

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Family Schmamily (Eclectic Company Theatre)This seems to be a bad year for small theatres in Southern California. Last month,  Chromolume Theatre (FB) announced that their landlord had kicked them out of their space at the end of May; luckily, they were able to find space at the Hudson Theatre (FB) in Hollywood to finish out their season. Reading the news last weekend, my wife discovered that this was happening to another long-time company in North Hollywood: Eclectic Company Theatre (FB). They need to be out by early June; the building will be demolished, but the company has plans to continue… somehow. Their final production in the current location was to be Family Schmamily, a series of five one-act plays developed by the Valley Beth Shalom Writers Roundtable. Translation of all of this: Last night, I set aside the work on the highway pages for my other love, theatre, to see this final show at Eclectic in North Hollywood (don’t worry, roadgeeks, I’ve been doing some more edits this morning, but expect more interruptions due to the beast that is the  Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB)).

The evening didn’t start well, because there was a large boisterous party of older Jewish ladies (I’m guessing friends of some in the cast) who were busy chatting with their friends, constantly switching seats, complaining about the view, complaining about… Let’s just say they established the stereotypes we would be seeing in the first two mini-plays.

As for the five plays themselves, they were hit and miss. I’ll go through them in order, but there were only two that we liked. The others all played up stereotypes to the points of being annoying. Reading the bios, these were coming from skilled writers — so I guess this is an issue of a “first outing”, and these one-acts needing a lot more polishing. In some ways, especially given the minimal staging, these shows might have fit much better at the Fringe Festival across the hill in Hollywood. I’m not sure the future lives of these — few of them seemed to fit well into a story that could be expanded beyond the 10-20 minute playlets.

The first play, Franny and Fidelia, was written by Beth Polsky (FB), and featured Leda Siskind as Franny and Marilyn Lazik as Fidelia. The story was about two older women — supposedly sisters according to the program, but unclear in the script — discussing how one of them is constipated and needs to go to the bathroom. It turns out the constipation was emotional, and all comes out — literally and figuratively — when one confesses an affair to the other. This, in turn, triggers a corresponding confession. I found that the story seemed to play on the stereotypical kvetching of sisterhood gals, combined with the “tittering” of the notion of old-ladies being sexual creatures and a bit of constipation humor. The performances were good, but the story did nothing for me.

The second play, Dinner With The Girls, written and directed by Andrea Rosenwein (FB), tells the story of three older friends: Phyllis (Elena-Beth Kaye (FB)), Denise (Patty Sherman (FB)), and Judy (Marjorie  “MJ” Scott) working on dividing up the bill after dinner at the Red Fire Deli somewhere in San Francisco (the waiter was played by Jeremiah Benjamin (FB)). The story, again, is the typical sterotypical kvetching older Jewish women — this time, single and perfectionist — attempting to divide a check and complain about their married friends. This is the level of pettiness of check dividing one might expect: no, the Matzah Balls were cold. I’m not paying for that — there weren’t enough pickles. I wanted crushed, not lumped ice. The audience was laughing hysterically at these arguments — but that’s because they were clearly coming from that era and milleau. For those of us that find such sisterhood ladies annoying (and I can say this as a past-president of a Mens Club), it wasn’t funny. We later discover that these women all became this way — were doomed to this life of pettiness — because they were afraid to take risk, and they were really in “the bad place” … with one chance to get out … if only they could take a risk. Naturally, they go back to arguing over the check. Again: Good performances, but stereotypical characters of the annoying variety made this very uncomfortable and uninteresting for us.

The third play, Abram and Sarai: My Sister, My Wife, written and directed by Mona Deutsch Miller (FB), was vaguely more interesting. It was a dinner table discussion between Abram (Steven Robert Wollenberg) and Sarai (Linda Rand (FB)) about Abram passing Sarai off as his sister, when she was her wife. This eventually touches on all sorts of biblical events, and we learn that somehow this is Abram and Sarai in Brooklyn sometimes in the 1950s or early 1960s, but still with references to the biblical.  I liked the conceit of this story and the references, but figuring out the actual time frame was a bit difficult and disconcerting. Still, I found this one enjoyable, and again, the performances were good.

The fourth play, Estate Sale, written by Michael Goldstein (FB) and directed by Cloe Kromwell (FB), was the best of the bunch. It told the story of David (Kevin Ragsdale (FB)) and his wife Lisa (Laura Bolcik (FB)) at an Estate Sale being run by a clerk (Hamilton Matthews (FB)). The central notion here is that the husband is a horder; the wife is a minimalist. Through the story, we learn why the husband is hoarding, and see the relationship between the husband and wife and how deep it is. This one wasn’t as stereotypical: it captured the characters well, it told an interesting story, was performed well, and was quite enjoyable.

The last play, Sudden Death, written by Robin Russin (FB) and directed by Thomas Prosser (FB), told the story of a young couple: Terry (Layal Badaro (FB)) and Jake (Jeremiah Benjamin (FB)), who have fallen madly in love after meeting at a bar two days ago and having numerous incidents of wild passonate sex. Jake proposes to Terry, and the fun begins as they start to learn about themselves. This seemed to start out OK, but once it came out that Terry was Catholic and Jake was Jewish, it started to fall into stereotypical tropes that landed a bit flat. It needed more depth than it had. The performances were good, although the actress’s hint of a middle-eastern accent was a bit disconcerting in a situation where you would think — aha, Israeli, but she’s Catholic, so WTF? (it turns out she’s Lebanese, so the Catholic does actually work, but it seemed odd at the time).

On the technical side: the set was … what set? Lighting and sound was by Cal Olivier.

There are two more performances of these shows: tonight and tomorrow night. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, discount tickets may be available through Goldstar. Two of the five are worth seeing, the others are more hit and miss. We’ll be at Fringe.

***

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music 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 5 Star Theatricals (FB) [the company formerly known as Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB)], the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), the Chromolume Theatre (FB), a mini-subscription at the Soraya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB), and the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). 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:

It’s June — ah, June. That, my friends, means only one thing: the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), Here’s our June schedule:

July will get busier again. It starts with the 50th Anniversary of Gindling Hilltop Camp, followed by On Your Feet at the Hollywood Pantages (FB). The next weekend brings Jane Eyre The Musical at Chromolume Theatre (FB) at the Hudson [yeah! Chromolume found a new location]. The third weekend in July brings a Bat Mitzvah in Victorville, and Beauty and The Beast at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) that evening on Saturday, and a hold for the OperaWorks (FB) “Opera ReConstructed” at CSUN on Sunday. The last weekend may be a Muse/ique (FB) show. August starts with Waitress at the Hollywood Pantages (FB) on Saturday, and the Actors Co-Op Too! production of Always Andrews: A Musical Tribute to the Andrews Sisters on Sunday at Actors Co-op (FB). The next weekend brings the last Actors Co-Op Too! production, Twelfth Night, or What You Will at Actors Co-op (FB). There may also be a production of The Most Happy Fella at MTW — I’m not sure about it, but the hold date is on the calendar.

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Note: Lastly, want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget.

Share

I-710 and #MeToo

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy5 Comments

Last night, I went to the opening of “710”, an exhibition described as:

An exhibition considering the timeline, the geography, and the politics of the 710 interstate freeway and its incomplete five-mile northern extension — an invisible line that marks the longest running development dispute in American history. Covering 23 miles and over 60 years of local, state, and federal planning, the exhibition looks at our ever-changing relationship to the freeways and the matrix of transportation, industry, environment, and neighborhood power that it has come to represent.

For many residents of the San Gabriel Valley, the 710 is the freeway that will never be built. The five mile gap between Valley Boulevard in the south and West California Boulevard in the north marks the battle lines of an intergenerational conflict over the very meaning of “development”. For the California Department of Transportation, the 710 is the freeway that is always about to be completed. One more feasibility study, one more environmental impact report, one more funding cycle or election away… always just on the horizon of final connection, of “closing the gap”. In 2018, with the overland freeway proposal dead and the tunnel alternative currently de-funded, we look back on a struggle that has spanned the entire freeway era in America, from modernist ideal to paleotechnic dinosaur.

I was at the exhibit because some of my source materials for California Highways were on loan to it. It was held in one of the houses near the 710 northern stub (near the “fork in the road“). On the way home, it got me thinking. First, that I need to add some material on the highway pages covering the pre-2000 period of the gap completion fight (this will be done in the June updates to the site). Second — and the reason for this post — it got me thinking about the arguments both for and against the highway. The argument against the gap completion is clear: the impact on the local communities, the destruction of beautiful and historic homes, the impact on air quality and traffic in the communities, the visual blight. But (and this wasn’t heavy in the exhibition), what is the argument for? Primarily, one would think it is thru truck traffic (and even that might be limited — some of the alternatives wouldn’t allow thru trucks on the gap segment). It is completion of a line on a map. But it doesn’t benefit the local community except for a few minutes of time. In this day and age — and much as fellow roadgeeks might dislike me for saying it — there’s no strong reason to complete the route, other than traffic flow. How does one balance larger congestion relief with devastating impacts on the communities traversed — especially in an era on increased sensitivity.

This, in turn, got me thinking of how Caltrans built freeways in the 1950s, and how attitudes have changed. In many many ways, it is like the #metoo movement as a reflection of how societal attitudes have changed, and how what was once acceptable is not anymore.

Consider: In the heyday of freeway building, the need for “traffic privilege” overrode everything. We built where there was no road. We widened and “expresswayed” and “freeway-tized” existing roads. We cut through the hearts of communities, poor or rich, we didn’t care. The rights of the roadbuilder were supreme. In a paternalistic and colonial sense, the freeways were built “because they were good for you”. Close your eyes and think of the empire.

But we’ve learned quite a bit — and become more sensitive. We are still building new freeways, but often they are in areas where there is nothing now, and only the environment to complain (think about the High Desert Corridor as an example). When freeways are built through communities, often the past of least resistance — meaning the path of redevelopment — is taken. Translation: Build through the lower income communities that can’t afford to protest and fight back. Again, examples of this are clear in the distant and recent past: Building I-5 through Boyle Heights. Building the Century Freeway through Inglewood and South LA. The proposal to widen I-710 through the working class communities south of I-10 (although that is being fought). There is the increasing sense, however, that this is wrong. We’re widening the freeway, but for what end. Are there other solutions possible?

Then there are the wealthier communities: the ones that can afford to protest. Beverly Hills. Hollywood. Pasadena. South Pasadena. They make us realize that quite a bit will be lost in our quest to save a few minutes. They make us realize that what was once acceptable may not have been the right answer.

In the case of the 710, of course, this was a problem of Caltrans’ making. Caltrans policy in the 1950s and 1960s was to build the hardest parts first, and then connect them: meaning they built the interchanges and then the roads to connect them. In the case of the 710, the location of 134/210/710 interchange and the terminus N of I-10 at Valley Blvd created the problem, for it had to connect one unchangeable point with another unchangeable point. That created the Meridian Alignment and almost guaranteed the battle. If Caltrans had chosen to not build the stub portions of the interchange, they would have had the flexibility to pick any point along the 210 as the end of the 710, and to pick other points along the 10, and could likely have limited the construction to business districts, and widening of an existing road vs. creation of a new route. Caltrans, essentially, boxed themselves into a corner.

As a PS: For the argument about the freight traffic from the port, which was the principal reason that Long Beach built what became the 710 in the first place, and is the primary freight traffic on the 710: there is an easy answer. Rail. Find a distribution point out of the city, and build a dedicated rail line from the Port to that distribution center. Rail takes much less right of way, does not require interchanges, and can have much higher density of containers than trucks ever can. It can also use non-polluting engines. Use rail to bring things to the out-of-city distribution point, and then run trucks from there to other points.

Share