Arts & Entertainment

CiTy nigHTliFE rETurns

Photo by raCheL rodriguez

Los Angeles Native Brandon Coleman wylin’ out on the keys with Jazz Eclectic during a Monday night performance at the Sofitel in Beverly Hills. Brandon is a keyboard maestro, composer, producer who has collaborated with artist such as Babyface, Alicia Keys and Anthony Hamilton.

Proof of Vaccination Not Required

by raCheL rodriguez

The L.A. music scene is alive and thriving despite COVID-19 variants still on the rise. While businesses continue to adjust to life amid a pandemic, Angelenos have been left in the dark regarding nightlife activities and where to find them.

The days of Netflix and chill are so 2020! It is time to dig through that closet to pull out the attire that has been waiting for this moment. Here is a list of some great spots to check out while venturing the town again.

Monday: Start the week off right with Ryan Cross’ Monday Jazz Eclectic at Sofitel. “It is a night as well as a band,” according to Ryan Cross. Performances are every Monday night at the Riviera 31, located inside the Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The live show features a mix of Grammy-Award-winning artists and some of the world’s top musicians and vocalists. This is where the unexpected can happen. Stevie Wonder, Brian Alexander Morgan, Craig Robins and Dan Reynolds are a few artists who have performed here. Doors open at 8 p.m. and no cover charge. Seating is available for those ordering bottle service. Riviera 31 Lounge Bar at Sofitel, 8501 Beverly Blvd., Beverly Hills.

Tuesday: Not everyone wants a taco on Tuesday. The Black Rabbit Rose in Hollywood is happy to accommodate those who want a Tuesday night drink. Formerly a Prohibition era speakeasy hideout frequented by famous celebrities of the time, the Black Rabbit Rose is now a place to sip spook-tacular cocktails that fizz and mist.

Black Rabbit Rose, 1719 N. Hudson Ave., Los Angeles.

Wednesday: Wine down Wednesdays with Avant Garde Trio at Pip’s on La Brea in mid-city. Half off wine is enough to make the ladies want to leave the house. This is the perfect place for an affordable date night or to enjoy with a group of friends. A jazz lounge that features a large patio turns into a cigar lounge on Thursdays. Live music is free from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. most evenings.

Pip’s on La Brea, 1356 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles.

Thursday: Rock out with Classless Act every Thursday during the month of September. Enjoy live music at the waterfront speakeasy Killer Yacht Club located inside Killer Shrimp restaurant and bar in Marina Del Rey. There is no cover charge and reservations are not required. Music starts at 9 p.m.

Killer Yacht Club at Killer Shrimp, 4211 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey.

Friday: Come one, come all to Tavern on Brand in downtown Glendale! This place opens early and closes late. Hours are MonThurs 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Fri-Sat open until 2 a.m.

It is a great place to watch sports while listening to live music and there is both indoor and outdoor seating available. No cover charge for music and no reservations necessary. Tavern on Brand is open seven days a week, which can help every day to feel like Friday.

Tavern on Brand, 201 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale.

The places mentioned in this guide are all COVID-19 compliant. Masks are still required upon entry, while inside the venue and when not eating or drinking. Tables are appropriately socially distanced. Proof of vaccination is not required.

LACC Theater Academy: A Chance to Break a Leg?

Live performances are still up in the air for the Theater Academy as the first major production during the pandemic begins auditions for cast and crew.

by tuPaC zaPata

Live theater returns as the Los Angeles City College Theater Academy prepares to host its first live plays in late October, 20 months after the performance of their last production, “Hot in Baltimore” in front of a live audience.

“Court-Martial at Fort Devens” is the latest production that scheduled to run for eight shows Oct. 28-Nov. 6 at the Camino Theater.

Auditions are set for Sept. 17 from 10 a.m.2:30 p.m., and call-backs will happen Sept. 18 at 10 a.m.

“Court-Martial at Fort Devens” was written by Jeffrey Sweet, and LACC Acting Program Director Louie Piday will direct. “Court-Martial at Fort Devens” is based on a true story from 1945, that focuses on female African American soldiers who are court-martialed for refusing to stand down in the face of bigotry.

Safety is a main concern in the middle of a pandemic. The theater production is currently moving forward on a day-to-day basis.

In terms of performing in front of a live or livestreamed audience, the produwction will follow the same COVID protocols as the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE), and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

Protocols set up by these organizations call for productions to place cast and crew in designated “zones” ranging from letters A-D, each with its own social distancing measures and testing requirements for COVID-19. The zones act as a guide that lets a performer or crew member know exactly where he or she needs to be in a busy set environment while minimizing risk.

According to Piday, actors will need to be vaccinated and show proof of a negative COVID test result. Only one actor can audition at a time without a mask while keeping a safe distance from the director.

“An actor’s instrument is their body and voice. And having to wear a mask during an audition does not help both the actor and director,” Piday said.

There is the possibility of having a masked, socially distant audience for the performance. That would be dependent upon the status of the Delta variant in Los Angeles.

comiNg sooN: Filmmaker Phillip Rodriguez presents “Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle,” in partnership with California Humanities’ its Democracy and the Informed Citizen Project for the LACC Visual and Media Arts Lecture Series. Ruben Salazar was a journalist at the L.A. Times and an advocate. He was killed during the National Chicano Moratorium March to end the Vietnam War in August 1970. He was struck by a tear gas cannister fired by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy. No charges were filed. The filmmaker will participate in a Q&A session following the screening of the film.