Amid the dense crowd flooding beneath the steps of city hall, through the cries of demonstrators calling for regime change in Iran following a slew of human rights abuses, a sign emerges from the crowd: “This is not a protest; this is a revolution.”
On Feb. 11, on the 44th anniversary of the Islamic Republic’s overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty, demonstrators filled Downtown Los Angeles’ Grand Park, denouncing the regime and singing chants like “Zan Zendegi Azadi,” meaning “women, life, freedom.” The crowd reportedly swelled to 160,000 people at its height.
“What a beautiful sight this is,” LA City Council President Paul Krekorian said above a sea of flags and banners. “I want everyone in Tehran to know that Los Angeles stands with you. … Every day we stand together fighting for democracy, for human rights, for civil rights, for the people of Iran. Los Angeles stands for women, for life, for freedom.”
“For the past five months, we have talked about the atrocious acts happening in Iran today,” Beverly Hills City Councilmember Sharona Nazarian added. “We have attended rally after rally, and it’s working. ... It’s not about culture, religion or politics; it’s about basic human rights. And to my non-Persian friends and allies, you may be asking yourselves, how does this affect me? Why should I care? The rise of the Islamic Republic didn’t just change Iran, it changed the makeup of the world. This revolution is about woman empowerment. It’s about a safer Middle East. It’s about putting an end to hate. And most importantly, it’s about stopping any nuclear deals with Iran, because these are pressing issues that will affect us all.”
Southern California is reportedly home to an estimated 700,000 people of Iranian ancestry, making it home to the largest Iranian population in the world out -
side of Iran.
The protest on Feb. 11 is not the first time that demonstrators in LA have rallied against the Islamic Republic and demanded that local, state and federal leadership take action against the regime. On Oct. 1, DTLA saw the “Freedom Rally for Iran” fill the streets following the death of 22-yearold Mahsa Amini, who eyewitnesses said was severely beaten after being taken into custody for incorrectly wearing her hijab. She later died in a Tehran hospital from a reported skull fracture.
Amini’s death ignited a retaliatory movement in Iran as young women and schoolgirls began burning their mandatory headscarves and taking to the streets to protest for women’s rights. The Islamic Republic and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded violently to the protests.
On Sept. 30, known as “Bloody Friday,” a crackdown in the city of Zahedan saw security forces kill at least 66 people, including schoolboy Mohammad Rakhshani, 12, Omid Sarani, 13, Sodeys Keshani, 14, Ali Barahooei, 14, and Samer Hashemzehi, 16.
In the first two weeks following Amini’s death, protests took place in over 45 cities in Iran. By Oct. 2, the 17th day of the movement, reports claimed that an estimated 400 people had been killed and over 20,000 were arrested.
During a protest in the city of Izeh on Nov. 16, security forces killed seven people, including 10-year-old Kian Pirfalak, who was shot in his parent’s vehicle. His death sparked renewed uprisings throughout the country.
“Beyond her grave, Mahsa Amini has lived on and become a symbol for Iranians standing up to the regime,” LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman said. “By brutalizing and killing so many innocent people, the regime has created fire under the ashes. It’s clear we must stand with all of you in calling for democracy in Iran across the world. … We cannot and will
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not stand for this brutality.”
“44 years ago, a great nation slipped into darkness,” Cameron Khansarinia, policy director for the National Union for Democracy, described. “A great nation has been suffocated and silenced, but it has never, ever died. … Each and every one of you, (for) Iranians in hundreds of cities across the world, with your historic presence are showing that you have their backs. … The key to our success, to Iran’s success, will be our unity.
“For Mahsa (Amini), for Nika (Shakarami), for Kian (Pirfalak), … for all the names that we may never know, the names that will be written in the pages of Iran’s history books because they will not only
change Iran, but they will change the world. And so will you.”
Around midday, the tens of thousands of demonstrators cried out in joyous unison at the announced presence of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran and eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.
For many in the crowd holding signs of praise, the prince is seen as a leader who is the “representative … for secularism, democracy and unity in Iran,” as many signs read.
“It wasn’t a revolution (in 1979), it was a coup,” a demonstrator named John said.
“I am opposed to this regime. … If the regime of Iran changes, believe me … the
whole world will change. The whole region, the Middle East, will change, and the peace will come.
“I am here supporting the Iranian people on the street, my friends, my brothers, my sisters, striking on the street. And the brutal government killed them without mercy. They killed a 10-year-old boy, Kian Pirfalak; they killed Mahsa Amini. I am here just to say to the White House, the EU, we are the voice of the people inside of Iran. We are chanting, we are fighting for our people in Iran because they cannot raise and send their voices to the White House and the EU because of the censorship. … We are here to just tell them we are part of the Iranian protes -
tors, but we have the freedom over here to raise our voice to change the regime.”
The demonstration, organized by LA Voice, included a long banner laid on the ground in the colors of the Iranian flag with pens so that people could write messages born from both grief and hope. There was also a floral arrangement that formed a colorful mosaic of Amini’s face in tribute to her life.
“This is the last breath (the Islamic Republic) are trying to breath,” John added. “They are already dead. When they killed the 10-year-old boy, when they killed 16-year-old girls in the street, it means they are so afraid of the people. … We will change the regime.”
Nestled in the heart of the Toy District sits an immaculately curated resale boutique. Upon first glance, the store appears sleek and organized with good-quality resale fashion items. But as you browse through the collection, displays of handmade soaps, bath salts and soy candles waft to the forefront, all stamped with the logo MADE by DWC.
The MADE by DWC Resale Boutique and MADE by DWC Cafe & Gift Boutique are two brick-and-mortar businesses supported by the Downtown Women’s Center. Behind the scenes of this social enterprise, formerly homeless women work with the collective goal of empowering each other professionally as they develop career-building skills.
The transitional jobs program is a 300hour paid job training where women who qualify can learn insightful workplace lessons and begin building work experience. Participants can choose from three placements — the resale boutique, where they learn front-of-house and customer service skills; the home goods placement, which teaches warehouse and manufacturing skills; or the cafe, where they learn barista skills.
“People move into those jobs related to what they are learning, but we understand that’s not the biggest placement we are seeing,” said Joe Altepeter, the chief social enterprise officer for the Downtown Women’s Center. “The essential job skills are really important — showing up on time, working well with your peers and your supervisor, and how to work through chal-
lenges.”
In 2022, MADE by DWC employed 39 women in transitional job-training roles. Collectively, the women completed 11,700 hours of training and earned more than $465,000 of income. Twenty-seven of them moved into local competitive jobs after completing the program. Occasionally, MADE by DWC asks one or two to stay on and become part-time or full-time employees, like Alexandria Pineda, MADE by DWC’s production associate.
When Pineda first came to LA, she was a bartender. But when COVID-19 hit, she lost her job and became homeless.
“I was new to LA,” Pineda said. “I moved here in December 2019, and the pandemic was at the end of January. I was only here, not even a month before … they shut down all of LA. I didn’t even know how to apply for food stamps.”
Pineda had no idea where to go until someone advised her to look for resources Downtown. She said she remembers thinking that was a crazy idea but came Downtown anyway. Once she got here, she was able to set herself up with transitional housing and was directed to DWC to interview for the MADE program.
“Once I came into the program, I just fell in love with the work,” Pineda said. “It was really similar to bartending — the mixing and pouring. I strove so hard during the program because I wanted to be able to get a job, not knowing that I was going to get to stay here. … Then they love me here. So they (offered to let me stay.) At first, it was part time, and eventually, the (opportunity) came for me to be full time. Now I
get to help women that were just like me.”
Pineda said she is very proud of the women who come through the program and that they continue to inspire her. Pineda spoke about one woman who came to MADE by DWC after being released from a 30-year prison sentence. She didn’t even know how to work a cellphone, Pineda said, but now she is thriving and goes above and beyond to advocate for others.
It’s helpful, Pineda said, when the women from behind the scenes come forward to tell their stories. When business goes to craft fairs to sell their products, there are always people who choose to buy because of the social impact MADE by DWC has on the community.
Altepeter agreed, emphasizing that in addition to the commitment of those in the program, it’s the community that helps make MADE by DWC successful.
“This is really a community initiative,” Altepeter said. “People donate clothing, and
people volunteer. People shop with us (and they) always come back to buy products. Everyone who engages with the social enterprise is actually having an impact.”
All of the proceeds from MADE by DWC Resale Boutique and MADE by DWC Cafe and Gift Boutique and profits from all their home and goods products get reinvested into the career training and mentorship program. To help fund the business, MADE by DWC receives funding through the city and county of Los Angeles’ “LA RISE” program.
Downtown Women’s Center is one of the only homelessness organization in LA dedicated exclusively to women. In addition to MADE by DWC, they offer housing and other support services. They manage 119 units of permanent housing across LA and serve more than 5,700 women annually. They founded MADE by DWC in 2011 to break the cycle of chronic homelessness through employment.
MADE by DWC Resale Boutique
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday
WHERE: 325 S. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles COST: Product dependent INFO: madebydwc.org
MADE by DWC Cafe and Gift Boutique
WHEN: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday
WHERE: 438 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles COST: Product dependent
INFO: madebydwc.org
Businesses featured in the challenge include, clockwise from the top left, REDCAT Theater, Wonzimer Gallery, Lagree213 Fitness Studio and Qwench Juice Bar.
Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) is ringing in 2023 with an adventure — to discover 23 fan-favorite Downtown LA businesses and experiences featuring entertainment, nightlife, cultural happenings, diverse food and health and wellness.
The gist of the “23 Things to Try in 2023” list is to highlight beloved DTLA businesses and experiences for the coming year. To participate, interested players only need to download the free mobile passport.
With the mobile passport, participants can begin checking into businesses and experiences via GPS, racking up points which can then be redeemed for prizes. The challenge, which is currently ongoing, sunsets on Tuesday, Feb. 28
This year’s prizes include a pair of LA Philharmonic Tickets, a Grand Central Market discount card and a Central Library Store gift card.
Currently, the challenge has 250 participants who have checked into over 50 businesses and locations so far. There have already been two winners, one winning a gift card to the Central Library Store and the other receiving a pair of LA Philharmonic tickets.
This is the first year that DCBID has attempted the new year’s challenge, which it hopes to continue.
“It’s something that we’re hoping to build upon each year, so there’s something for downtowners to look forward to,” said Bree von Faith, vice president of marketing
for DCBID.
A few stops in the “23 Things to Try” list include the American Contemporary Ballet, Frais Spa, Gallery Bar and Cognac Room, Poké Bar DTLA, REDCAT Theater, Valeria’s Groceries and Biddy Mason Memorial Park, to name a few.
The 23 locations featured on the list were chosen based on new and old favorite DTLA haunts of DCBID staff and others who have shared some of their favorite businesses.
Next year, “24 Things to Try in 2024” will feature a whole new list, as Von Faith said “the goal is always to promote and showcase all Downtown has to offer.”
Through her involvement in the challenge, Von Faith relayed that she, too, has discovered new favorites like Bunker Hill Steps’ Te Isshoku Sushi, which sports a convenient lunchtime window where patrons can pick up preordered sushi and rolls.
“We’re really seeing the impact on businesses directly,” Von Faith reported. Indeed, recently Lagree 213 Fitness reported seeing a participant outside checking in for the challenge and were able to greet the player and give them a tour.
The spirit of the yearly list allows patrons and businesses to move into the new year with curiosity and a sense of adventure, providing the momentum to keep exploring throughout the year.
Von Faith explained that the goal was simple, “to help people who are visiting, working or living Downtown try new things in the area and to support and promote local businesses.”
Downtown Center Business Improvement District
600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 870, Los Angeles 213-624-2146, downtownla.com
Casey Winchell Napolitano, CEO and founder of NDA Real Estate, comes from a long line of LA Realtors.
“I grew up in real estate,” Napolitano said. “Both my parents work in real estate. My dad is known as the ‘auction king.’ During my whole childhood, he would do real estate auctions throughout LA County. I would assist him from the age of 13 years old and on at these real estate auctions.”
Her grandma and aunt both worked in luxury home sales in Los Angeles, and her mother is currently a luxury real estate agent at Rodeo Realty in Beverly Hills.
After graduating from Pepperdine University, Napolitano served as residential sales director at Kennedy Wilson in Beverly Hills for 12 years, where she built up an invaluable reserve of real estate knowledge. While at Kennedy Wilson, she oversaw global developer auctions, probate sales in LA, and luxury home sales across the LA area.
After COVID-19 hit, the market was at a
standstill. Napolitano took this as an opportunity to get her broker’s license and worked on starting her own brokerage firm, something she had always dreamed of doing. In 2021 she launched her company, NDA Real Estate; her clientele list ranges from celebrities and investors to first-time homebuyers.
“The best part about it was I was seven months pregnant with my third child Jack,” she recalled.
Eventually, Napolitano would like to expand her empire to cover the whole of LA from Calabasas to Venice Beach. As a real estate multi-hyphenate, Napolitano counts property investing as an additional venture, which she uses to relate to clients.
“There are just so many moving parts to real estate transactions, and if you haven’t been through that yourself, then you can’t possibly know how to help somebody with that,” she explained.
Since the announcement of Measure ULA, which will impose a transfer tax on properties sold for over $5 million starting April 1, Napolitano says that many of
her colleagues are pushing clients to sell their homes and properties before the measure goes into effect to forgo paying the 4% tax (properties over $10 million will be taxed at a 5.5% rate). In the dash to sell, some brokerages are offering bonuses to agents who sell high-priced listings before April.
Napolitano has clients selling lucrative luxury rental properties to avoid the transfer tax in the future and predicts that some sellers might increase their listing price to absorb the tax cost. The tax will only affect a marginal percentage of real estate transactions in LA; Napolitano estimates less than 5%.
The funds from the tax will be allocated toward projects designed to prevent homelessness and housing insecurity. The measure will not affect incorporated cities within LA, such as Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Pasadena, Burbank and Santa Monica.
2023 is the year Napolitano predicts a return to normalcy and a market correc -
tion in real estate from the past housing frenzy of the pandemic. Many people who moved away from their jobs are returning to work and relocating again.
“There’s going to be a housing correction, and people will have more of an opportunity to get their dream home that maybe they weren’t getting. It was just too competitive, and they were getting knocked out,” Napolitano said.
For example, the average days on the market for a Calabasas listing is 69 days and 109 days for Beverly Hills, whereas last year, the same houses would have received offers within the week. Despite current high-interest rates, Napolitano advises that those who can should buy.
“Every day, the real estate market is evolving, and I don’t think it’s ever fixed,” she said. “The one thing that I do think is fixed is LA real estate being one of the best long-term property investments anyone can have due to high price appreciation.”
Hauser & Wirth debuted two new exhibitions at their Downtown Los Angeles location. The exhibitions, one by Rita Ackermann and another by Zeng Fanzhi, feature colorful and gestural abstract works on canvas.
Rita Ackermann’s exhibition, titled “Vertical Varnish,” is named after her signature work produced especially for this exhibition. She created all 15 paintings and five monotype prints throughout 2022 and said that she sees the seasons reflected in the color and tone of each work. Ackermann explained her use of color develops in real time as she is painting, sometimes coming out entirely different from what she had intended.
Ackermann composes her large-scale mixed-media paintings using a combination of figural drawing and abstract shapes, covering the original composition until it is almost unrecognizable behind her colorful brush strokes. She works instinctively and impulsively as music reverberates throughout her studio.
“The kind of dynamism Ackermann’s paintings communicate at least partially derives from the sense of urgency that goes into making them,” wrote curator Jeffrey Grunthaner about Ackermann’s paintings. “Working on a particular picture may very well involve entering into the uncertain arena of various rescue operations: unforeseeable problems or intended accidents that the artist has to
work around or assimilate.
“As they move toward their final composition, Ackermann’s paintings reflect the perpetual motion of these various survival missions. In this, her layered surfaces are haloed with the aura of many residual, activating gestures.”
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Ackermann now lives in New York, working out of two studios, one upstate and one in the city. She uses a range of materials, including oil, acrylic, pastel, wax pencil and raw pigment. “Vertical Varnish” is her first West Coast exhibition.
Complementing Ackermann’s gestural technique comes Zeng Fanzhi’s intimate yet monumental abstracted landscapes. The solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth comprising 10 of Fanzhi’s works is also the first time the Chinese artist has displayed his work on the West Coast.
Fanzhi’s gestural landscapes, some of which are over 10 feet tall, are inspired by Chinese ink paintings from the Northern Wei to the Song and Yuan dynasties. According to Fanzhi, his works are highly spiritual, navigating the relationship between nature, wildlife and humanity.
“They are not real landscapes. They are about an experience of Miao Wu,” Fanzhi said. “Miao Wu is a kind of revelation. Instead of making something obvious, Miao Wu brought about an unmarked world, which underlies the deep strata of life, both novel and familiar. … Miao Wu constitutes a restless journey of discovery.”
The exhibition layout and design were
curated especially by Fanzhi. To prepare for the exhibition, he pinned up the layout of the gallery for an entire year in his studio. Even though the 10 works are separate paintings, he arranged them intentionally so the viewer might view them as a single artwork, Fanzhi said. Accompanying Fanzhi’s oil paintings are six graphite drawings on his own handmade paper.
In tandem with Fanzhi’s exhibition, Hauser & Wirth Publishers are producing a fully illustrated exhibition guide with essays from Stephen Little, Barbara Pollack
and Carter Ratcliff, which explore the relationship between Fanzhi’s work, Chinese painting, Chinese contemporary art and American abstraction. Hauser & Wirth slated the book for release in the fall of 2023.
Both Fanzhi’s and Ackermann’s solo exhibitions are open until April 30 at Hauser & Wirth’s Downtown LA location. Fanzhi’s exhibition can be found in the South Gallery, and Ackermann’s “Vertical Varnish” is on display in the North B Gallery.
WHEN: Exhibitions run until Sunday, April 30
WHERE: 901 E. Third Street, Los Angeles COST: Free
INFO: hauserwirth.com
Born among the lush forests and rolling hills of Nine Mile, Jamaica, and raised in Kingston’s Trench Town, Bob Marley carried the sounds and songs of his home with him across the oceans, becoming a musical and cultural figure adored around the world.
In honor of Marley’s life and career, the Marley Family and Terrapin Station Entertainment have brought the “One Love Experience” to Ovation Hollywood for the 12-week interactive exhibit’s U.S. debut.
“We are so thrilled to have the exhibit opening in Los Angeles just in time for Daddy’s birthday,” Bob Marley Group CEO Cedella Marley said. “After being in London and Toronto, it’s going to be amazing bringing the experience here to the U.S. for the first time and just steps from Daddy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
“The ‘Bob Marley One Love Experience’ has already created so many positive vibrations for fans in London and Toronto, and it’s an honor to continue to have the opportunity to curate and produce the exhibit right in the heart of Hollywood,” added Jonathan Shank, director and producer of the “One Love Experience.”
Filling a 15,000-square-foot space in Ovation Hollywood, the multi-room “One Love Experience,” which holds the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Bob Marley Archive, was built so visitors could amble through the different places and events that marked standout moments in Marley’s life.
The exhibition begins in the “Music Room,” which features a diverse collection of memorabilia including original tour passes, itineraries, lyric sheets and a Guild Madeira A-20, the songwriting guitar Marley kept at his house in Kingston. One of the largest vinyl records in the world stands in the center of the room as a tribute to “Legend,” the longest-charting album in Billboard’s Catalog Albums chart history and the bestselling reggae album in history.
The space then leads into a physical recreation of Nine Mile in the “One Love Forest” room, where neon lights and foliage installations set the mood. The forest symbolizes Marley’s connection to nature and notes his relationship with marijuana.
“Although in later life Bob Marley came to be considered synonymous with Kingston’s downtown ghetto of Trench Town, the singer was really a country boy, raised and reared in a backwoods part of Jamaica,” wrote music journalist and author Chris Salewicz. “There he would
watch the ebb and flow of nature, observing animals and plants grow, paying special attention to the timeless progress of trees; in his music there is often a sense of an association with the earth itself.
“Nine Mile also had prime climatic conditions for the growing of marijuana. … The ‘natural mystic’ that wafts on the breezes — blowing more than simply the scent of marijuana — through Nine Mile is like one of God’s greatest and most secret truths.”
Emerging from the forest, visitors can find the “Soul Shakedown Studio,” a silent disco-style display with headphones that tune into a curated playlist of Marley’s live performances. There is also a video display of a Marley concert projected onto a wall that lists every show he played throughout his career.
The exhibition then moves into the “Beautiful Life Zone” that depicts Marley’s love of “the beautiful game” of soc -
cer along with recreational activities like pingpong, foosball and dominoes. The room holds recently uncovered photographs of Marley playing soccer, a Prestige jukebox, foosball tables and a pair of Marley’s shoes from the 1970s with dirt still on the soles.
The next space, “Concrete Jungle Street Art Expo,” features a collection of original works from internationally renowned street artists like The Postman, Camoworks, Idiotbox and Thierry Guetta, known as Mr. Brainwash. Several of Guetta’s pieces that depict Marley performing were made using hundreds of broken vinyl records assembled into multi-panel mosaics.
“In Jamaica, Bob Marley’s home country, you are greeted seemingly on every corner by street art that depicts a triumvirate of cultural local icons: Haile Selassie I, emperor of Ethiopia and God to followers of Rastafari; Marcus Garvey, the first prophet of Black repatriation;
and Bob Marley himself, the international king of reggae and positivity,” Salewicz wrote. “The real living piece of street art was always Bob Marley himself. Striding out onto the stage at Milan’s San Siro stadium in 1980 to perform before an audience of 120,000, Chris Blackwell, to whose Island Records Bob was signed, noted the way Bob Marley carried himself on that backstage journey to the boards: a determined dynamic lethargy that simultaneously embraced an absolutely self-effacing yet utter self-confidence. Bob Marley was living art.”
The exhibition ends in the “Next Gen Zone” that celebrates the influence, philanthropy and legacy of the Marley family that remains today. The room is filled with tributes to Bob’s wife Rita, their children and grandchildren, including Cedella, Damian, Julian, Sharon, Skip, Stephen, Ziggy and many others.
After admiring the records, awards and photographs of the Marley family in both
professional and casual settings, visitors are encouraged to make a contribution to the One Love Tree in the room’s center by writing messages of reflection and hanging them from one of the tree’s branches.
On the final wall before the exit, the “Next Gen Zone” concludes with a list of the lasting organizations and philanthropic ventures of the Marley Family, such as the Football is Freedom Initiative, founded after Cedella became global ambassador for the Jamaica women’s soccer program to provide young girls with the opportunity to realize personal, professional and educational goals through the sport; the Ghetto Youths Foundation, built to generate social change and equity by providing services like subsidized meals and scholarships to those in need; U.R.G.E, created by Zig-
gy to work with communities worldwide to improve the lives of children; and the Rita Marley and Bob Marley Foundations, which were founded to alleviate poverty and hunger for people in developing countries through education, culture, health care and sustainable development.
“The greatest legacy Bob has left is on view in this room. It is a tribute to his wife Rita, his children and now his grandchildren, who continue to work to spread Bob’s message to the world,” Salewicz wrote. “‘One Love’ was perhaps Bob’s most evocative song, and it is only correct that is should provide the name for the far-reaching and always-growing movement of philanthropy that has spread Bob’s name across the planet over the years: The Bob Marley One Love Experience.”
WHERE: Ovation Hollywood, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood
WHEN: Exhibit runs until Sunday, April 23
COST: $30 for adults; $20 for children (ages 16 and under), students and military; $45 for premium admission; $70 for VIP admission; $18 for group bundle
INFO: bobmarleyexp.com
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For Alex Evans, it only took one visit. A fan of stop animation but knowing little about puppets, an online search took him under the First Street Bridge to the epicenter of Los Angeles puppetry.
Bob Baker’s Marionette Theater, founded in 1963 by the beloved puppet artist, which had enchanted thousands of children and families over the decades, cast a similar spell over Evans. Immediately, he had found a new home, and now he is executive director and head puppeteer.
Baker died in 2014 at 90, so Evans and others at the theater decided the following year to honor Baker with a small gathering around his birthday.
That informal get together has turned into a major event, which last year more than 20,000 people attended.
The ninth annual Bob Baker Day is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at Los Angeles State Historic Park and is free with an RSVP. The festival includes food, games, music and, of course, puppets.
“Not to get spiritual about it, but I think that someone lives on through the memories of other people,” Evans said. “And I think the ability to do a day like this, to honor everything Bob meant not only to myself, but to the community, to the people who inter-
acted with him, it’s a way of expanding and growing everything that he stood for.”
One way Baker’s legacy has grown is through moving from its location of 55 years to a 10,000-square-foot space in Highland Park, which had served as a theater and later a church. The larger venue gives more space for Evans, the crew — and more than 2,000 marionettes — to entertain.
Bob Baker Day is a chance to have fun and to introduce or reintroduce people to the theater.
“Bob would have absolutely loved it. He was a showman. We’ve done a giant pie fight, which we’re going to again this year,” Evans said. “People covered in pies, looking silly, is such a great time.”
One person who may end up with pie on his face is screenwriter Peter Sattler, who serves as the theater’s board secretary. Sattler, who wrote the upcoming reboot of the “Exorcist” movie, fell for the theater the first time he came with his child.
“It totally blew me away,” Sattler said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, how much better it was than any children’s theater experience ever needs to be. I couldn’t believe I had just discovered it.”
He returned for more performances. And when he learned the theater was in jeopardy of losing its original space, he called Evans and said he wanted to help.
“I wanted to make sure this wonderful, theatrical art experience was there for my children’s children and for adults of all ages,” he said. “And we worked together to transition to a 501(c)(3) arts nonprofit organization, to ensure it can be enshrined as a civic institution.”
Sattler said he believes Bob Baker Day is an outreach of that nonprofit structure.
“We don’t charge any money for it. It exists only as a way to give back to the community and as a creative artistic experience for everyone,” he said. “For a lot of kids, theater is inaccessible. So, it’s important for us to keep costs low and to keep things accessible and to have sponsored field trips.
Mary Thompson was one child who came to the theater on a field trip many years ago. Now, she’s returned as the company’s fulltime communications director. She said the magic she experienced then is as strong now — and that Bob Baker Day encapsulates that feeling.
“It’s a chance to invite the whole city,” Thompson said. “We have puppetry always going, and then we have a vendor market with artisans and craftspeople from our community who are showcasing what they do, plus we have a ton of activities like face painting, arts and crafts, and then we also have a food market and interactive events. And you just might meet a puppet.”
Ali Ewoldt was about 10, a budding dancer and a beginning singer when she entered the magical world of the seven-time Tony-nominated “Secret Garden.”
A friend gave her the cassette tape, which featured Rebecca Luker’s lauded soaring soprano vocals. Soon after, she saw the lavish New York production.
Some quarter-century later, Ewoldt, who had since become a Broadway star, singing soprano as Christine in “Phantom of the Opera,” entered the magical garden again. A workshop, which included the musical’s composer Lucy Simon and lyricist/book writer Marsha Norman, looked like a path for a triumphant, long-awaited return.
But, as COVID-19 did to so many things, the path stopped short … until now.
The first major revival of “The Secret Garden,” with revisions to the look and music, will begin its new life in Los Angeles. Directed by Warren Carlyle, with music supervision by Rob Berman, and featuring Ewoldt, the production begins previews Sunday, Feb. 19, and opens Sunday, Feb. 26.
Based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, it’s the story of Mary (Emily Jewel Hoder), whose mother Rose (Ewoldt) and father Albert have died, leaving her to live in England with her uncle Archibald (Derrick Davis), who is in constant grief over the loss of his wife Lily (Sierra Boggess). A dormant enchanted garden hold possibilities for renewed joy for those who most need it.
“It’s time that today’s audiences get to see a full-fledged production,” said Ewoldt, whose Broadway work also includes appearing as Cosette in “Les Miserables.” “To me, Lucy Simon’s music is just the most glorious storytelling music that we don’t always get to hear anymore. It carries so much emotion. I think the themes of a young girl finding her place, dealing with grief and loss and trying to figure out who she wants to be affects the lives of everyone around her.”
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Ewoldt, who earned a degree in psychology from Yale University, said watching Davis perform the song “A Bit of Earth,” “brought everyone in the cast to tears, because it speaks to what we’ve been through with this pandemic. What’s amazing is that it continues to be relevant to all who see it or are part of it.”
Keeping it fresh for a new generation was the goal of the workshop, which director Carlyle led, with a creative team that included Berman, a music supervising veteran. He said that Simon, who died last year, was agreeable to a stripped down and revised version of her score.
“It was really special to be able to learn from Lucy what was important to her, what her ideas were about the music, so I feel confident going forward that we can honor her legacy with this piece,” Berman said.
“I’ve always been very attracted to this score because of the musicality and the vocal requirements. It’s expressive, so emotional. I think what we’re trying to do is breathe some fresh air into it.
He explained the score will be performed by 11 musicians, about half of the original size, and that the music is more streamlined and simplified.
“It’s going to sound like the ‘Secret Garden’ that people know and love, but for our production we are doing things that think are subtle but gives it a fresh coat of paint.”
Another longtime fan of the show, who saw the workshop and recognized the potential was Center Theatre Group Producing Director Doug Baker. A fan since the Broadway run, Baker suggested CTG might be the ideal company to produce a full run.
“It really is a story of reawakening spirits, not spirits as in ghosts but spirits as in the human spirit,” Baker said. “And it’s about rejuvenating. The children are determined to bring that garden back to life, and that’s obviously a symbol for their own lives and the lives of the adults around them who are all suffering as well. And coming out of this pandemic, this seems like a wonderful time to tell a story about rejuvenation.”
WHEN: Various times; previews through Saturday, Feb. 25. Opens Sunday, Feb. 26, and runs through Sunday, March 26
WHERE: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles COST: Tickets start at $40
INFO: 213-628-2772, centertheatregroup.org
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