Los Angeles Downtown News 06-27-22

‘Oldest Los Angeles’ Writer pens guide to area’s earliest landmarks

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Benefit Show for Betty

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LA Plaza Cocina showcases city’s Mexican culinary traditions July 4, 2022 For more info. contact Michael Lamb 213-453-3548 mlamb@timespublications.com or Catherine Holloway 213 -308-2261 cholloway@timespublications.com

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LA SINCE 1972

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Covered California CONSIDER THIS will help

OPINION

Verbal verbotens

By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist MHO, Americans need all sorts of etiquette lessons these days. Let’s start with how we communicate.

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Lesson No. 1: Clarity — do not assume people know what your acronym means Use complete phrases instead of acronyms until you know that you and your listener or reader have a shared acronym vocabulary. For example, using IMHO, “In My Humble Opinion,” is a minor verbal misdemeanor. This kind of “shorthand” happens in business cultures or any culture that uses acronyms; however, unconsciously assuming everyone knows what you’re talking about is a good way to lose listeners. United Nations people are notorious for using esoteric combinations of abbreviations.

Lesson No. 2: Diseases — refrain from sharing your ideas about said illness For goodness’ sake, when someone tells you about their disease or condition, please don’t launch into how your Aunt Pauline died of that very same malady. Or how you’ve heard that colloidal silver cures it. Or your viewpoint of what caused it in the first place.

Didn’t your parents tell you that was rude? Or maybe they did it themselves.

My late friend Robin had a T-shirt created that read: “Kindly refrain from telling me about your relative’s cancer or any sentences that begin with ‘Have you tried (fill in the blank)?’ or ‘You should try (fill in the blank)!’” These manners extend to the loved ones of the afflicted person, who also don’t want to hear your opinions, suggestions or prescriptions.

Most people I know dealing with a serious illness have left no stone unturned regarding their treatment before landing on a treatment plan involving a professional or someone they entrust with their most intimate details. If they go the alternative medicine route, they really do not want your unsolicited ideas about what they “should” do instead. Unless the person specifically asks you a direct question like, “What do you think I should do about my disease?”, zip it.

Lesson No. 3: Food — refrain from giving me your food opinions, and I will refrain from giving you mine!

Is it just in California, or do people in other parts of the country feel compelled to lecture a meal companion about how bad (fill in the blank) is for you? I call a personal foul: off-limits!

For instance, don’t tell me about a lame-brained “study” you found on the web about Splenda. I have done my own research and have proof that the sugar industry planted fears about artificial sweeteners, primarily with bogus studies they paid for. Follow the money!

Who stands to profit from terrifying people about artificial sweeteners? Huge food conglomerates? Corn farmers? (Corn syrup is as bad as sugar — or worse) Big Sugar? Yes, I used the term Big Sugar because there’s a lot of evidence that the sugar industry is as corrupt as the Big Tobacco cabal was. (For more on that, read the eye-opening 1972 book “Pure, White and Deadly” by John Yudkin.) Did you like reading this screed? Probably not. Nor do I want to hear anyone scold me about what I put in my mouth. Just. Stop. It. Lesson No. 4: One-upping — don’t play ‘Top This,’ OK? We were at a New Year’s Eve party when a woman with cleavage so white and deep that I thought I was looking at a white plumber’s butt sat down to chat. A friend introduced me to Ms. Plunging Neckline; let’s call her “Liz.” My friend was effusively discussing me and my achievements. Liz responded by saying, “What a pleasure to meet such an accomplished person. But I’ll bet you can’t top this: I’ve ridden a bull. Have you?”

“No,” I said, “but I’ve castrated a few calves.” The men in the group laughed and covered their groins. The women checked their own tops for décolletage comparisons and laughed heartily at my comeback. I smiled. Hey, grow up on a ranch and you’ve probably done a few things that aren’t generally mentioned in mixed company.

Don’t play “Top This” with people you’ve just met, or it’s a good bet they will make a beeline for someone else. Liz should have stopped while she was ahead, before she challenged me with the bull. She had already “topped” all of us with her chest, which she knew stopped traffic.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco DEPUTY EDITOR: Luke Netzley

Los Angeles Downtown News PO Box 1349 South Pasadena, CA 91031 213-481-1448

Hey you! Speak up!

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre,

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Morte

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: S

ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, St

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Ho

Michael Lamb

FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

©2022 Times Media Group. Los Angeles Dow

Downtown News wants to hear from people If you facebook: twitter: instagram:in the community. the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los L.A. Downtown DowntownNews @ladowntownnews like or dislikeNews a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feelDowntown is im- News has been adjudica Angeles portant to the community.

Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.

and do can be used. Hey, where do you think writers get their ideas? Is this a verbal manners violation? Not in my world!

The moral of these lessons might be remembering to ask yourself, “Is what this person has told me or what she’s doing any of my business?” If the honest answer is “no,” then nip it. Or, if you know someone who is a chronic unsolicited advice giver, clip this column and send it to them… you’re welcome!.

Ellen Snortland has written this column for decades and also teaches creative writing. She can be reached at ellen@beautybitesbeast.com. Her award-winning film “Beauty Bites Beast” is available for download or streaming at vimeo.com/ondemand/beautybitesbeast.

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski DEPUTY EDITOR: Luke Netzley STAFF WRITER: Summer Aguirre CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Bridgette M. Redman, Ellen Snortland CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Tommaso Boddi, Jessica Magaña-Sandoval ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-2261 Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548 FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

Los Angeles Downtown News PO Box 1349 South Pasadena, CA 91031 213-481-1448

L.A. Downtown News DowntownNews @ladowntownnews

Lesson No. 5: Circumspection — be careful about what comes out of your mouth We once saw a woman wearing a T-shirt that said, “Be careful what you say. You may end up in my novel.” I want one that warns, “You may end up in my column.” Anything you say

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JUNE 27, 2022

Covered LETTERSCalifornia will help

Bill could effect environment Editor: The subtle-yet-far-reaching effects a simple bee can have on our environment is highly misunderstood and taken far too lightly.

Sadly, pesticides, specifically neonicotinoid pesticides, are having a destructive effect on the environment. Already, 1 in 4 native bee species in California are at risk of going extinct, which would worsen that state of our environment because of their crucial role as the primary pollinators in California.

California has been at the forefront of environmental legislation at the national level in many areas and has an opportunity start a transition away from neonicotinoid pesticides.

The bill AB-2146 addresses the problems neonicotinoid pesticides pose to the environment by prohibiting their use in a nonagricultural service. Hence, the passage of the bill will have cascading effects on the bee population and then our environment.

Daniel Mora

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JUNE 27, 2022

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SPORTS

LAFC signs Juventus FC’s Giorgio Chiellini

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor n a bid to strengthen its defensive line and bring a revered leader into the dressing room, Los Angeles Football Club has signed Giorgio Chiellini from Italian giants Juventus FC on an 18-month contract.

Chiellini is considered one of the best defenders of his generation and an icon in Italian soccer. After signing with Juventus from his childhood club Livorno in 2004, he went on to make over 560 appearances and win nine consecutive Serie A titles, four Copa Italia titles and five Supercoppa Italiana titles in 18 years.

With the Italian National Team, the 37-year-old center back has won two FIFA World Cups, two FIFA Confederations Cups and four UEFA European Championships after captaining the Azzurri to victory in Euro 2020.

“Winning championships and having a successful career is not just having talent,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said.

“There’s a lot that goes along the way, a lot of work, a lot of mentality and professionalism. In these areas, I believe he can help us and many of our young players.”

LAFC sits atop the Western Conference after drawing league champions Seattle Sounders FC on June 18. With the signing of Chiellini, the club is looking to bring a wealth of experience to the Banc of California Stadium on and off the field.

“As a group and for me on a personal level, we’re all aware of what Giorgio means as a player and as a person,” LAFC defender Jesús Murillo said.

“We’re aware of his quality, and for us it’ll be important to learn. He will definitely come in and strengthen us in our own game as defenders. We’re excited to have him here, and we’ll look for him to contribute to us in a way that we can earn a trophy this season.”

Chiellini is rumored to make his first appearance for the club either on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, July 2, or at home in El Tráfico, the long-awaited rivalry match against LA Galaxy on Friday, July 8.

“I felt very strongly about this new chapter in my career, and I am grateful to LAFC for this opportunity,” Chiellini said. “I’m thankful for all my years with Juventus, and I’m looking forward to winning many more trophies in Los Angeles.”

S T I C K E T AT S TA R T ! $15

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Los Angeles Football Club lafc.com By the numbers • Bronze Medal winner with Italy in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

• Won a Serie B title with Juventus in the 2006-07 season.

• Won nine straight Serie A titles with Juventus from 2011-20.

• Serie A Defender of the Year three consecutive years (2008, 2009 and 2010).

• Named to Serie A Team of Year five straight years from 2012-18.

• As captain led Italy to 2020 UEFA European Championship.

• 117 Italian National Team appearances, registering eight goals and four assists across all competitions.

• 92 total combined games in Champions and Europa leagues.

• Earned a master’s degree in economics and economic sciences from the University of Turin.

JULY 2 Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger proudly presents the fourth annual summer community concert, LIVE AT THE ARBORETUM with Country star Sara Evans. Hear her #1 hits “Born To Fly,” “A Little Bit Stronger,” “No Place That Far” and many more, live for one night only under the stars.

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JUNE 27, 2022

Covered SPORTSCalifornia will help

Legendary players set for July Capital One event

By LA Downtown News Staff ajor League Baseball unveiled a lineup of former MLB players and softball superstars who will sign autographs, participate in clinics, lead demonstrations and pose for photos with fans at Capital One Play Ball Park from Saturday, July 16, to Tuesday, July 19, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Former Dodgers All-Stars including Steve Garvey and Fernando Valenzuela, as well as former Angels All-Star & Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., are among the 40 special guests making appearances at Play Ball Park.

Altogether, more than a dozen former Dodgers are scheduled to appear, also including Ron Cey, Shawn Green and Reggie Smith. Visit https://atmlb. com/3tVoKhH to watch a digitally rendered preview of Play Ball Park and MLB Live in DTLA. Fans can receive free autographs and participate in question-and-answer sessions and clinics led by former players inside the convention center, all included with the price of admission to Play Ball Park’s indoor section.

For a limited time, fans can purchase $20 tickets at allstargame.com with the code PLAY. Access to all activities outside the convention center in Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, on the Event Deck, Chick Hearn Court and Xbox Plaza are free.

In addition to the former Dodgers, Play Ball Park will feature appearances

by Hall of Famers such as Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Fergie Jenkins, Juan Marichal, Tim Raines and Dave Winfield, Olympic Gold medalists Lisa Fernandez, Jennie Finch and Natasha Watley and other legends of the game. Additional legends may still be added before All-Star Week.

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The hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 16, to Tuesday, July 19.

Games and attractions at Capital One Play Ball Park include: • Batting cages.

• Live panel discussions.

• Pitching tunnels.

• Home Run Derby VR. • MLB The Show 22 Gaming Stations.

• Diamond clinics with softball legends and coaches from USA Baseball and USA Softball.

• Curated exhibit from the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.

• Interactive display from the Negro Leagues Museum.

• Live cleat customization painting.

• Mascot Home Run Derbies.

• Home plate bounce and home run robber.

• Performance training high-energy drills.

Each day of Capital One Play Ball Park also features its own theme day and a free giveaway with the price of admission to Play Ball Park’s indoor section for young fans in attendance: • Saturday, July 16: Kids weekend, All-star headband.

• Sunday, July 17: Kids weekend, Reusable Tokidoki All-Star Bag. • Monday, July 18: Heritage Day, miniature Fernando Valenzuela Bobblehead.

• Tuesday, July 19: Legacy Day dedicated to Jackie and Rachel Robinson — commemorative 75th anniversary Jackie Robinson Pin. 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie breaking baseball’s color barrier.

• Tuesday, July 19: is also Rachel’s 100th birthday.

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JUNE 27, 2022

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Covered SPORTSCalifornia will help In addition to meeting the 40 legends attending Capital One Play Ball Park and taking in the 50-plus attractions sprawled across L.A. Live, fans can win exclusive prizes by using the All-Star Experience Pass every day they visit.

The Experience Pass is a digital component that allows fans to track their journey through the many Play Ball Park activities. By scanning a personalized QR code, fans can build interactive baseball cards that show their statistics from the games they participate in.

Each time they scan their code, fans are also entered to win special prizes including tickets to the All-Star Game presented by MasterCard, tickets to the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, tickets to All-Star Saturday, autographed memorabilia and merchandise discounts.

The Experience Pass also allows attendees to reserve their spot in autograph lines while enjoying other areas of the event.

The T-Mobile Home Run Derby headlines Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 18, from Dodger Stadium. ESPN will exclusively televise the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, which will also be available on ESPN Radio and the ESPN app. Spanish-language radio coverage will be available on Univision Radio and the Uforia Audio app.

The MLB All-Star Game presented by MasterCard returns to Dodger Stadium for the first time in four decades on Tuesday, July 19.

The 2022 Midsummer Classic will join the All-Star Games of 1949, 1959 and 1980 as those hosted by the franchise, with the latter two being played in the city of Los Angeles.

The 92nd Midsummer Classic will mark the 13th to be played in the state of California, the most among any state. In addition to the games played in Los Angeles, the cities of Anaheim (1967, 1989, 2010), Oakland (1987), San Diego (1978, 1992, 2016) and San Francisco (1961, 1984, 2007) have also hosted baseball’s annual summer showcase.

The All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by 70 partners in 16 languages across 210 countries and territories.

For information, visit allstargame.com.

New Outdoor Watering Restrictions Addresses End in

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JUNE 27, 2022

Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help ‘Abuelita’s Kitchen’ showcases city’s Mexican culinary traditions

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor ith one of the largest Latino populations in the country, Los Angles has long been a home for migrating and first-generation Mexican Americans, including the grandmothers, or abuelitas, who have kept historic family traditions alive by passing them on to the next generation.

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In recognition and celebration of LA’s abuelitas, LA Plaza de Cultura y Arts’ new Downtown culinary arm, LA Plaza Cocina, the nation’s first museum and teaching kitchen dedicated to Mexican food, will host a series of food-centric events as part of their “Abuelita’s Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories” exhibition throughout the summer and fall.

“It’s a great way to elevate and tell

Boyle Heights resident and activist Merced Sanchez was one of the standout voices in the LA Street Vendor Campaign.

Jessica Magaña-Sandoval/Submitted

these stories firsthand and to showcase the multi-generational experience that we embrace here at LA Plaza,” said Ximena Martin, director of programing and culinary arts. “We do not collect art. We collect stories. So, with the exhibition and with the photographs we’re able to showcase those stories.”

“Abuelita’s Kitchen,” led by professor Sarah Portnoy, who has taught classes in Latino food culture at USC for over a decade, is a multimedia exhibition that uses photography, text, kitchen artifacts, family recipes, audio stories and a documentary film to tell the stories of 10 Indigenous, mestiza, Mexican American and Afro-Mexican grandmothers throughout LA. The personal journeys of Rachel Aguilar, Yolanda Baza, Elsa Chan, Ana Guzman, María Elena Lorenzo-Linares, Margarita Nevarez, Consuelo Perez, Norma Luz Rodríguez and Merced Sanchez not only reveal a wealth of knowledge on culinary traditions but also the legacies of communities and cultures unique to Southern California.

“Ximena and I were brainstorming one afternoon on her porch over margaritas,” Portnoy said.

“I was brainstorming a next project and thinking, ‘I’d really love to do something on Mexican and Mexican American women’s food stories and how they’re affected by their migration to the United States, how their diets changed, how they adapted recipes and how they found ingredients back in the day when they were hard to find.’

“From there it took shape little by little. I applied for some funding from an organization called California Humanities, and that financed a lot of the exhibition and the filming.”

Throughout August and September, LA Plaza Cocina will host a variety of events to spark dialogue and bring awareness to the complexities and artistry of Mexican cuisine.

O n S at u rd ay, Au g. 6 , M a rg a r i ta Reyes, a Mexican American grandmother from El Sereno, will share her family’s Zacatecan recipe for tacos de calabaza y hongos from 10 a.m. to noon.

Guests can learn how to make and taste a special occasion Yucatecan dish called tacos en escabeche oriental from chef Elsa Chan from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25.

Portnoy will join filmmaker Ebony

Bailey to share a 28-minute documentary Bailey directed that sheds light on the histories and family recipes of women who are immigrants, undocumented and non-English speakers.

That’s at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1.

“There’s something for everybody,” Martin said.

“I think there’re a different entry points of learning for folks who come in. … The other component would be the cooking classes where they can actually taste. So, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone to come in and to experience what it is that the grandmothers express.”

While exploring the dishes that grandmothers make in their home kitchens, like mole, tamales and chiles en nogada, “Abuelita’s Kitchen” also delves into the grandmothers’ ancestry and migration stories. They are detailed in a colorful map of LA and Mexico as well as a photographic section that presents their identities as traditional cooks, mothers and grandmothers.

“A lot of times when I ask (the grandmothers) who taught you how to make mole and many of these complicated dishes, they would sometimes say that they learned it from their mother, but I would say 90% of it was from their own grandmothers because the mothers were working or busy raising children,” Portnoy said.

“Latino households often are multi-generational, so the grandmother lived with them or maybe next door or across the street. And so from the time that they were little, 5 or 6 years old, they were standing next to their abuelita and learning (their recipes).

“When they migrated, whether it was in the ’70s, the ’80s or 10 years ago, they brought those culinary traditions with them from their home states back in Mexico.”

To help share each grandmother’s relationship to Mexican cuisine, their birthplaces in Mexico and the city of Los Angeles where they live, the 17 students of Portnoy’s USC Annenberg class created “Recording the Voices of Latinx Women & Food in Los Angeles: A Multimedia Oral History Project.”

They started a website and uploaded audio stories and videos of the grandmothers to view online or on smart devices via QR codes.

“I really wanted to try to engage a younger audience of grandchildren,”

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ARTS & CULTURE

Consuelo Perez, 63, was born in Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco.

Jessica Magaña-Sandoval/Submitted

Portnoy said. “When you go to an exhibit and you just see a panel, there’s one level. And if you can scan with a QR code and actually hear the person’s voice while you’re looking at their picture, at the photograph of the person and the dish they made, it brings it more to life.”

By passing on family recipes and cooking techniques, the abuelitas of Los Angeles have preserved culinary and cultural traditions for future generations.

“Food is part of celebration,” Martin

said.

“With the celebrations, there are specific dishes. It’s the same way in American culture. Imagine Thanksgiving without the turkey.

“Through different holidays, they’re able to bring back those traditional recipes so they don’t die. They’re passing the torch on to the next generation, keeping those conversations and reliving those moments in Mexico or here in Los Angeles for the next generation of folks so that those things don’t get lost.”

LA Plaza Cocina WHERE: LA Plaza Village, 555 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles WHEN: Noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays COST: Free admission to the exhibition; see website for event prices INFO: laplazacocina.org

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JUNE 27, 2022

Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help

Record-breaking musical ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ returns

By Jeff Favre LA Downtown News Contributing Writer etween the hand-drawn fastidious flowers and carefully crafted weekly charts, Alaina Anderson fills her personal journals with dreams and aspirations.

A day not long ago she wrote, “I want this so badly, but it’s OK if I don’t get it.”

It’s easy to imagine her smile revisiting that entry — and several similar ones — the day she was promoted from understudy to lead in one of the most popular musicals of the last decade.

Anderson portrays Zoe in the national tour of “Dear Evan Hansen,” with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. It returns to Downtown’s Ahmanson Theatre after a box office record-breaking Los Angeles run in 2018. The Tony-winning show, which was adapted into a movie last year, opens Wednesday, June 29.

The musical centers on the titular character, who has social anxiety and who pre-

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tends to be good friends with Connor, a boy who dies by suicide. Zoe is Connor’s sister, a girl Evan secretly likes.

Starring in “Dear Evan Hansen,” or any musical for that matter, was not in Anderson’s career plans. She acted in high school, and theater was part of her extracurricular activities while studying cognitive science at Yale University. But she had never gone on a professional audition.

“When I got to my junior year of college, I had a lot of free time,” she said. “I said (to my agent), ‘You can send me out on a few auditions, I guess. I’ll see what happens.’ One of the first ones was for this, and I booked the show.”

That was early 2020, which meant COVID-19 closed the production a month after she joined. The “silver lining,” she said, was the break almost allowed Anderson to finish Yale before heading on the road.

A month of overlapping school and performances meant writing her thesis and

Alaina Anderson stars as Zoe in the national tour of “Dear Evan Hansen.” This is the first professional role for the recent Yale University graduate, who is chronicling the tour in journals and on her TikTok account @alainymous.

Alaina Anderson/Submitted

studying for finals backstage or in a spare room near rehearsals. She understudied the parts for Zoe and Alana, once unexpectedly having to go onstage in the second act of a performance for an ailing actor.

She commemorated the moment on TikTok with the text, “Walking on during a midshow knowing damn well I look nothing like the actor I’m replacing.”

Despite going on several times in both roles, Anderson was surprised when she was moved to Zoe full time. She didn’t feel like an ideal fit for Zoe, in part because of the challenging music and because the show was more emotionally rigorous than other parts she’d played.

But she grew into the part and found ways to connect to it.

“I think particularly for Zoe, something that is so essential to her character is she wants so badly to love and to receive love from other people,” she said. “Circumstances in her life have made that really difficult where she has the impulse to be a very loving person but has been forced to protect yourself because of her family circumstances.”

Anderson feels that connection has been shared by huge audiences worldwide since the show’s Broadway premiere in 2016, when New York Times critic Charles Isherwood called it a “gorgeous heartbreaker of a musical” with a “haunting score.”

On its first trip to LA, “Dear Evan Hansen” became the first show at the Ahmanson to bring in more than $2 million in a single week and then break that record each of the next four consecutive weeks, topping out at more $2.5 million in the final week.

A major part of that popularity comes from an influx of younger audiences, ac-

cording to Deborah Warren, Center Theatre Group marketing director.

“It was so remarkable that young people absolutely came out for it,” Warren said.

“It really resonates with young people, not just the storytelling but the music. People that love theater, musical theater fans, are singing the songs and continue to sing the songs. And we saw so many people bringing teenagers, coming as a family.”

The topics of suicide, depression and anxiety are rarely shown in musicals, all of which have been rising among teens. The music, as well, has attracted younger fans in a way “Spring Awakening” did a decade earlier.

Ben Cohn, the show’s associate music supervisor, said the memorable songs help deliver the message in a powerful way.

“The score is designed as pop songs, and they are concise and compact,” he explained. “They have strong melodies and hooks, and they’re meant to come from younger characters.”

Cohn has been part of the Hansen creative process since an early reading, and he recognized its power from the first day.

“They were looking for a music director to get on board, and they sent me a demo of ‘Waving Through a Window’ and of ‘If I Could Tell Her,’ and I remember immediately thinking this is something that I want to do. Normally it takes me a while to connect to songs, and it sort of was an instantaneous thing.”

One of the songs that wasn’t there yet was the first act’s finale, the critically celebrated “You Will Be Found.” Composers Pasek and Paul opted to change the original song for the slot, and they shared it with the cast and creative team members while preparing for the off-Broadway run.

“I will never forget that moment,” Cohn said. “Like my whole body got goose bumps, and it felt in that moment like you were really experiencing something very special, because just to hear someone play something like that at the piano and to have that overwhelming reaction, it says a lot about the power of it.”

Zoe is part of this group number, which is a message of hope for those struggling, and she sings, “Even when the dark comes crashing through/ When you need someone to carry you/ When you’re broken on the ground/ You will be found.” For Anderson, the message resonates on a personal level.

“I am passionate about mental health work and mental health advocacy,” she said.

“I think this show is so good for starting conversations that can be really difficult to start, especially between young people and their parents.”

“Dear Evan Hansen” WHEN: Various times Wednesday, June 29, to Sunday, July 31 WHERE: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles COST: Tickets start at $40 INFO: 213-628-2772, centertheatregroup.org

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ARTS & CULTURE

moves into Arts District

By LA Downtown News Staff ooftop Cinema Club will open its newest Los Angeles location, Rooftop Cinema Club Arts District, on Wednesday, June 29.

With the opening of the Arts District location, Rooftop Cinema Club will have three venues in the area.

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Rooftop Cinema Club Arts District will have wireless headphones for movie sound.

Rooftop Cinema Club/Submitted

Arts District: Rooftop Cinema Club Arts District will be located on the fifth-floor rooftop of building one at ROW DTLA. The opening movie is “La La Land,” during which guests can expect an LED screen, wireless headphones for movie sound, and cinema-style seating by modern furniture brand Article. The space will be complete with classic movie snacks; a bar serving beer, wine and canned cocktails; lawn games; and four murals featuring artwork by local artist Caia Diepenbrock.

DTLA: Starting Tuesday, July 5, Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA will feature a slate of films that are still in theaters, made possible by the installation of a new DCP projector. Movie programs will be announced every Wednesday for the following week (Monday to Sunday) on Rooftop Cinema Club’s website and in its email newsletter.

El Segundo: Programming includes family-friendly films before 4:30 p.m., like “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” and “The Sandlot” as well as others that celebrate the heat of summer, the start of the Leo season and the month of Harry Potter’s birthday.

Rooftop Cinema Club Arts District will be located on the fifth-floor rooftop of building one at ROW DTLA.

Rooftop Cinema Club rooftopcinemaclub.com

Rooftop Cinema Club/Submitted

Rooftop Cinema Club will have three locations in the LA area after it opens in the Arts District.

Rooftop Cinema Club/Submitted

Rooftop Cinema Club opens in the Arts District on Wednesday, June 29.

Rooftop Cinema Club/Submitted

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Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help

Writer pens guide to LA’s earliest landmarks

By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer ravel writers learn to notice landmarks of interest — even in their hometown.

Journalist and author Mimi Slawoff is a former Los Angeles Daily News reporter who writes for the likes of AAA, Travel + Leisure and L.A. Parent magazine.

She recently released a book called “Oldest Los Angeles” with Reedy Press.

The book acts as a tour guide for tourists and residents who want to learn more about their hometown. With the author’s photographs, the book leads its readers on a journey through the city, showing them the oldest buildings, businesses, neighborhoods and landmarks.

When the pandemic temporarily halted Slawoff’s travels, she got a call from a publisher who said he was looking for a native Angeleno to write a book about the area.

They discussed several titles, eventually landing on one that would focus the book on the city’s oldest places, a focus that was more than just history and would take a creative angle.

Slawoff visited each site and carefully researched the stories told about it, sorting out legend from fact and filling her book with interesting tidbits in each vignette.

She peppers the book with surprising information such as how the first California gold was discovered in Los Angeles County, not in Northern California as many believe.

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Slawoff said Los Angeles was founded by 44 immigrants. Even though she grew up here, she still learned a lot in the process of researching this book.

“Because I’m a first-generation Bulgarian American, I’ve always been drawn to other immigrant stories,” Slawoff said.

“I know that LA has a lot of old and first family businesses. So, I started with downtown LA and worked my way out.”

She knew initially what she wanted to write about, but still reached out to public relations reps, local historians and museums and historic sites she found on the internet.

While some sites were closed during the pandemic, she visited all the spots she included.

The project landed in her lap at a perfect time because the pandemic kept Slawoff from traveling.

“It got me out of the house,” Slawoff said.

“A lot of these places make great daytrips.”

The book encourages day trips around the city, with landmarks grouped by region.

She started with Downtown Los Angeles, then greater Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and then the San Gabriel Valley.

In DTLA in 1932, Mexican artist David Securus was commissioned to paint what would become the first large-scale mural in the United States on a public, exterior wall.

He was asked to paint an idealized tropical scene. Instead, he created an 80-by18 highly politicized picture of Mayan ruins, armed revolutionary soldiers, and a Mexican Indian crucified on a double cross capped by an American eagle.

The English translation of Securus’ title is “Tropical America: Oppressed and Destroyed by Imperialism.”

It was immediately whitewashed — literally.

Thirty years later, the paint started peeling and the Getty Institute partnered with the city to save it.

Another landmark is the country’s oldest operating bar — Golden Gopher, which opened in 1905.

“It’s a dive bar,” Slawoff said. “It’s the only bar in LA County that has a dual liquor license because of how old it is. People can go have a drink or buy liquor to go.”

She said President Teddy Roosevelt rode up to it on his horse to have a drink — and bought the bar. It was originally named the Golden Sun Saloon.

Slawoff also tells stories about the Bradbury Building, built in 1893. It is the oldest commercial building remaining in DTLA. She covers Fugetsu-Do, the oldest confectionary in the city built in 1903. It specializes in mochi (rice cakes) and manju (flour cakes stuffed with bean paste).

A 192-page softcover book that retails at $20.95, “Oldest Los Angeles” has 84 vignettes that run around 250 to 300 words, and then each vignette has a sidebar listing more landmarks. Slawoff hopes the book will give people new perspectives on the city and the richness of its history.

“Some people love LA, and some don’t,” Slawoff said. “I feel like people generally think of LA as Hollywood and beaches.

That’s not all of LA. There’s so much history here. There are so many oldest landmarks with great stories.”

“Oldest Los Angeles” by Mimi Slawoff reedypress.com

The Bradbury building is the oldest commercial building still open in DTLA. Mimi Slawoff/Submitted

Los Angeles’ oldest confectionary, Fugetsu-Do, serves goodies such as mochi cakes and manju.

Mimi Slawoff/Submitted

The Golden Gopher opened in 1905. It is the only LA establishment to still have a dual liquor license.

Mimi Slawoff/Submitted

JUNE 27, 2022

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Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help

Rockers unite to support guitarist’s cancer fight

By Summer Aguirre LA Downtown News Staff Writer hile Go Betty Go guitarist Betty Cisneros puts her all into her battle with cancer, the rock community is rallying behind her with a special benefit concert.

Cisneros’ bandmates and musicians from across the country are leading an all-ages Benefit Show for Betty at 3 p.m.

Sunday, July 3, at The Paramount in Los Angeles.

The guitarist was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

“It’s bittersweet,” Go Betty Go drummer Aixa Vilar said.

“Obviously, we would have liked to do a regular show. But we are, including Betty herself, extremely appreciative of everybody coming together and just basically donating their time and the venue.”

Besides the show, a GoFundMe has been set up. Of its $50,000 goal, the site has collected $42,830. Visit bit.ly/GoFundMeBetty.

The selfless community behind Cisneros has lifted her spirits during her healing process. Vilar said the guitarist would be completely healed if “true love and support” could cure cancer.

The concert will feature former Go Betty Go singer Emily Valentine as a special

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guest, in addition to Two Tens guitarist Adam Bones filling in for Cisneros on guitar. Other special guests in the lineup include the Dollyrots, Johnny Madcap and the Distractions, Linh Le and Jennie Cotterill from Bad Cop / Bad Cop, and MC/hosts HazyChaos.

The punk rock quartet’s live set will feature the group’s most popular songs and some covers — specifically a Ramones tune, per Cisneros’ request. Le and Cotterill will perform an acoustic set.

“To say Betty’s part of our band family would be a huge understatement; we came up in the same scene in LA beginning almost 20 years ago,” the Dollyrots said in a statement.

“She’s ‘Tia Betty’ to our kids and also one of the most badass guitarists and songwriters out there. We’re here to support her in any way we can, knowing she’s one of the strongest women we know and will show cancer who’s boss.”

Go Betty Go is Cisneros; Vilar; bassist Michelle Rangel; and Vilar’s sister, vocalist Nicolette.

The musicians went to grade school together in Glendale; however, Vilar said it wasn’t until the end of high school that they were introduced by a mutual friend.

They were jamming together shortly

A benefit show at The Paramount in Los Angeles will support Go Betty Go guitarist Betty Cisneros, who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

Tommaso Boddi/Submitted

thereafter and made their debut in 2000.

With two Warped tours, regular cross-country tours, and an appearance at South by Southwest, the punk rock band swiftly went from playing local shows to performing for a national audience. Upon their rise, they were signed by indie label SideOneDummy, under which they released their debut album, “Worst Enemy,” in 2004.

Since then, Go Betty Go has been doing what they do best: rocking out for their fans across the globe.

When Cisneros received her cancer diagnosis, the group was in the recording studio working on new music. Vilar said their plans were subsequently “yanked from underneath,” but they didn’t think twice about putting their music on pause while

the guitarist focused on her health.

Cisneros has had several rounds of chemotherapy and is expecting surgery. Despite these challenges, the band has faith that she will emerge victorious.

“We’re just doing what we got to do to help Betty heal and get her on that right set of mind,” Vilar said.

“All of us have an extremely optimistic outlook and just hope for the best and just do what we can do to make sure that she’s in a place where she can fight this and recover.

“It sucks that she has to go through this.

But at least she knows that she has a full team of friends, family and fans that have just been there for her through this really difficult, challenging time. So the show is going to be great.”

Benefit Show for Betty WHEN: 3 p.m. Sunday, July 3 WHERE: The Paramount, 2708 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles COST: Tickets start at $20 INFO: eventbrite.com; the concert will be available via livestream on the group’s Instagram and Facebook

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JUNE 27, 2022