I have done a few staycations in Little Tokyo because of the plethora of dining options here and in…read morewalkable nearby neighbourhoods such as the north part of DTLA and the Arts District. This was my first time visiting the Aratani Theatre to see East West Players production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song. They have their own theatre in Little Tokyo, but the Aratani is larger. It's part of the JACCC (Japanese American Cultural and Community Center), which I'd like to become more familiar with. The Center and Theatre are off San Pedro St, but can be easily accessed from the pedestrian-only Japanese Village Plaza. There's a large outdoor sculpture and plaza designed by famed artist Isamu Noguchi. On the ground floor of the JACCC building is what appears to be a gift shop whose windows were full of Noguchi's iconic paper light sculptures (lamps); I MUST visit this space in the future! The theatre itself is fairly large and was pretty well-equipped to handle this theatre production. The lobby area is small, so the outdoor plaza was put to good use. The restrooms were fairly large, especially compared to those I've seen in Broadway theatres in New York, but of course lines form. My seat was towards the side and rear (close to the men's room), but visibility was good. And the production was fabulous. This was playwright David Henry Hwang's second adaptation of Flower Drum Song; his first was in 2001. I've now seen the musical 4 times. Both adaptations are very different from the original production and subsequent 1961 film. My grandma and other relatives were extras in that film. I don't think the Aratani has a stage entrance where cast members come out for photos and autographs like they have in New York. It's unfortunate that during the day, the plaza and surrounding areas have a large unhoused presence. I'll be back!

Love this theater. Plenty of parking lots available to choose from. Great location with so many…read moreoptions to dine in. Lots of fun shops to buy from as well as street vendors. Restroom lines are always the longest but the line moves quickly. TIP: Go before the performance and not during intermission. Every seat in the house is great and the outdoor courtyard is perfect for some fresh air during intermission. Ok, bye.

Arrived just under 2 hrs prior to the start of the Yoshiki concert. Plenty of parking so that…read morewasn't a problem at all. The staff was extremely helpful in guiding my son and I to the ADA seating from entering the venue, using the correct elevator, and to our actual seats. A+ for customer service. Very pleased with the acoustics here. Excellent sound tonight. The light show was splendid. The orchestra did a wonderful job supporting Yoshiki. I learned many things about his life as well. He has suffered more than his share of heartaches but he continues to get back up each time he gets knocked down. It was an enlightening and motivating evening. I wouldn't hesitate to return for a different musical artist.

Watched Anna Lapwood on my birthday & it was the most incredible show to witness at this venue…read more Especially since the Walt Disney Concert Hall houses the magnificent pipe organ! Fun fact there's 6,134 individual pipes, ranging from the size of a pencil to 32 feet tall. Incredible. To not only be at this incredible venue but listen to Anna Lapwood the famous organist play was an otherworldly experience. The venue's magnificence hits even before you step inside. The steel structure designed by Frank Gehry is known for the architectural beauty. Another fun fact is that it has over 11,000 individual structural steel pieces! Theres parking underground which makes it convenient post show. It's located right next to the Broad so I've personally enjoyed having an appreciate of arts day when I have a show. Starting off by perusing the art at the Broad then concluding with an inspiring and moving concert! The staff here are all lovely and quite friendly! The acoustics inside is unreal and there really is not a bad seat as it all offers a different sound experience. Beautiful & lovely venue can't wait to be back!

Sierra Madre Playhouse is an intimate theatre house in SM. It is one of SGV's cultural performing…read morearts. It may not be the Lincoln Center but it can hold its own. Folding seats were comfortable. Atmosphere was vibrant. I got a Nutcracker ticket show at an affordable price. Its perfect for kids and the entire family. It's my first time watching a puppet holiday show, so I was curious enough to see it as a bday gift. For a playhouse this size, it's enough to garner four stars. Playhouse staff were cordial and professional. The performance show is only an hour long. Parking was easy. Overall, it's a nice holiday kid show.

My wife and I attended a Cello recital at the Sierra Madre playhouse. The performing artist, Mia…read moreBarcio-Colombo, is the daughter of friends of my wife. The venue is an historic cinema building in downtown Sierra Madre and it has a really cool 50's vibe with the crushed red velvet seating and dated interior. Seating inside is very limited, which makes for a very personal experience. Recital was amazing and I highly recommend this venue!

Well, first and foremost I would like to thank the whole entire crew and staff members at this…read morebeautiful venue that has caused & delivered so many memorable, excellent, fantastic pleasures over the decades to so many people from around the world!! I have been to the LA Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall several times to see/hear different genres of music from ballet, to symphony, to jazz, and of course classical music, and during the holidays they give a great performance by their choir. Those of you who know me, know I love classical music and do have my favorite composers: Chopin, Vivaldi and Mozart. On Sunday, March 29th at 7:30pm my friend and I went to see Strauss, Bruch, & Moussa's elegant, classy performance that shook up the whole entire venue and the audience. It was just MAGNIFICENT! 10/10 The venue itself is STUNNING! Glamorous and easy to navigate all the aisles. Our seats were very comfortable and you can see the stage from any corner/angle since the theatre is not that big. Also has balcony seating. Tickets were $50 a piece not including tax. It has a beautiful gift shop, garden, different restaurants all around the building, and a small store where you can purchase some beverages and snacks. Overall, a GREAT performance and we both had a lovely time. Parking is $10 with few an entrances and few restrooms for both men & women. Thank you all for another AWESOME performance!! Will definitely return again next time I get a brochure or pamphlet in my mail.

Went here couple months ago back and it was quite excellent and an experience to remember for sure…read more The architecture outside was are all metal and inside are all wood. The surrounding is mini park that have many different theme sections to be discover prior or after the show. Excellent and ordinary group of musicians and with great leader conductor...make a great musics in a great warm and cozy setting. Seat are okey, not comfort but good enough to endure the whole show. Love the layout that literally using all spaces for guests to enjoys the music in the given space.

My honey and I went to see Steve Tyrell last night. First off, it's a beautiful building inside…read moreand out with very good acoustics. Steve Tyrell is just a joy to watch and listen to, here is a performer that truly enjoys what he does every night. The demographics have changed in Arcadia, I know that but was it necessary for the announcer to give emergency directions in Mandarin?

Came here to watch a high school performance if Miss Saigon. The performance was wonderful and the…read morehigh school kids were really very good. The set was well made and had good props and lighting. The only thing is since there is no assigned seating, the main area gets very crowded quickly whether its the middle or even the side aisles. That leaves the 2nd floor level. It would've been wonderful if all the seats had a good vibe of the stage. But if you were unlucky enough to sit in the seats closest to the stage, you lose sight of what's going on. My recommendation is to arrive early so you can sit in the main hall. Every seat there has a great view of the stage. If you have to sit upstairs, make sure to sit where you have a direct view of the stage. If you end up sitting on the ends, you have an impaired view of the stage and you miss seeing part of what's going on because it is blocked so everyone is leaning forward to try and see what they're missing. Good theater. Nice acoustics. Parking is pretty tight but there is extra available parking at the high school and on the street.

I've been wanting to try something new with the family, so I've been exploring fun spots around the…read moreLos Angeles area. I recently came across this beautiful place that's hosting Sunday Funday events all summer long, and it looks like such a special experience. Admission is $20 for a family of up to five, and the shows are designed for kids ages 0 to 8. They're fun, interactive, and super engaging, with the performers involving the children throughout the performance. It's such a lovely way to introduce the little ones to live Shakespeare theater in a playful, welcoming setting.

THINGS TO DO IN LA!…read more The Topanga Blues Festival was held at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, which is a beautiful outdoor venue. It's a legendary performing arts center & gardens on Topanga Canyon Blvd. The line up: Javier Matos (Acoustic Blues Master) Bernie Pearl & Friends (Legendary Blues Guitarist) and guest guitarist, Ray Bailey Nora Jean Bruso (famed Chicago Blues vocalist) Dennis Gruenling (world class harmonica virtuoso) Rod Piazza (Blues Harmonica Legend)

Oxy Arts is an arts and culture space run by Occidental College. A public center funded by private…read moremoney, progressive and community-oriented while wearing the full garb of a gentrification horseman, it occupies what is probably an uneasy position in Highland Park. I'm always a big fan of the arts, and to be perfectly honest, my interactions with Highland Park are limited to the corridors of York and Figueroa that cater to people from outside the neighborhood, but I like Oxy Arts. I've visited twice, both times as a guest of the college. It's a lovely venue, an attractive gallery with a lot of room to set up chairs for a seated event. The current exhibition, on view for a couple more weeks, features work by Occidental's 2022-2023 artist in residence, Kenturah Davis. I got a chance to admire her art when I went for an event called 30 Years On: Pan-Asian and Black Solidarity and Conflict Since the LA Uprising. This was part of Occidental's Community Book Program, which featured my book this past year. I've done a lot of book events, but this was a new one for me. I learned a lot from the other panelists, a group of academics and organizers with tons of insight into the history of L.A. My other visit to Oxy Arts was to run one of a series of writing workshops, which was free and open to the public. I'm not saying my particular instruction was a great gift to the community, but I do think this sort of free programming is a wonderful thing. If you have any interest in arts and culture, Oxy Arts is worth checking out.

Better as a science experiment than an art exhibit, FLOW was a major disappointment. There are…read morebarely 2 rooms, and the first one is a major fail. First, you have to make an appointment, which is a joke, since there are no visitors in the first place. Even when you make an appointment, you have to call a number listed on the door outside before they will let you in. They act like they're doing you a favor by admitting you even though they should be happy to have an audience. You are first ushered into a dark room with a screen on the inside displaying what is on the camera mounted on the front of the building inside, which is supposed to explain how the eye interprets images. The space is poorly designed because they forgot to add ambient light so you go from being in sunlight outside to total darkness inside. I tripped over the base of the screen, and almost toppled it in addition to stubbing my right toe and scraping the top of my foot (I was wearing sandals). For the theme of "Optics," the third and final installment of the exhibit, the irony of the poor layout was not lost on me. Whoever designed this show was probably on a heroin bender at the time, and should be forever banned from designing anything else in the future.

I guess this is a historical women's league building in Temple City that used to be rather private…read more Now, they spent a couple years remodeling during the pandemic, and new management has decided the community should get to be able to use it. We went because my kid was playing (and won first place in the Teen Division) at the Temple City's Got Talent (show). The place is spacious and nice, with good acoustics, some separate rooms. It would be fine for a small, affordable wedding or any kind of concert or school talent show type event. The staff I met over two days of rehearsal and the show were friendly and excited to see the space being used. I'm not sure about all the rules and what not. Not sure what they will rent or not rent for, but it's worth checking out. Hopefully Temple City itself will have many ideas for local events to be held here.

We recently rented the facility for a celebration of life. We were very happy with all the venue…read morehad to offer, such as round (or rectangle) tables for dining, chairs, linens, LCD projector, mics/sound system, podium, piano, great a/c, kitchen facilities...everything we needed! The staff was friendly and extremely accommodating through the rental process & setup. Our event went perfectly and we couldn't be happier with the experience using the hall, and the communication throughout. Kudos to the members of the Historical Society for keeping up the facility and offering it for rent for public/private events!