EVENTS
Ballet Preljocaj – Snow White
Mar. 23-25. Ballet Preljocaj—a French, cutting-edge company—performs the enchanted story of Snow White. Out-of-the-ordinary and familiar at once, Ballet Preljocaj captures the essence of the Grimm Brothers’ story with contemporary choreography. Costumes designed by fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier and the romantic score of Gustav Mahler heighten the drama of the unforgettable tale for a spellbinding performance. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 North Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.0711. musiccenter.org
SpaFinder Wellness Week
Through Mar. 25. Find spa specials for $50 or 50% off at a wide selection of spas, fitness classes and wellness services at hundreds of spas across Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, including at Tikkun Holistic Spa, Marc Edward Skincare Spa, Body Arts Pilates, Ki Nail Bar & Organic Spa and more. Search spas in your area at: wellnessweek2012.com
LA Film + Music Weekend
Mar. 23-25. See short films, music videos, features, and documentaries from around the world. Opening night film is “Take Me Home,” a movie about Tom who, operating as an illegal taxi driver in NYC, gets hired by Claire to drive her to California after her estranged father suffers from a heart attack. Q & A with maker and star Sam Jager follows the screening. Downtown Independent Theater, 251 South Main St., downtown. lafilmweekend.com
Mirror Mirror Day at The Grove
Mar. 24. The Snow White legend comes alive in the park at The Grove. Celebrate the release of Relativity Media’s new movie with a day of Mirror Mirror themed music, arts & crafts, giveaways, costumed dancers and more. Noon to 4 p.m. 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue, L.A., 323.900.8080. thegrovela.com
Duckbits Presents: Are We Not Human?
Mar. 23-24. Duckbits is the female clown duo of Ilana Gustafson Turner and Keirin Brown. Are We Not Human? incorporates moments of slapstick, dance, and pure tomfoolery against a backdrop of quiet, simmering absurdity that takes the audience on a journey through the stranger side of the human species. These two clowns speak to the childlike curiosity in us all, the people they would be if they never heard the word “no.” $12-$15 The Velaslavasay Panorama, 1122 West 24th St., downtown. duckbitsladies.com
Cirque du Soleil’s Ovo
Through Mar. 25. A blue-and-yellow “grand chapiteau” adjacent to Santa Monica Pier hosts Ovo. Meaning “egg” in Portuguese, Ovo delves into the insect ecosystem with 55 performers and a riot of colorful, evocative costumes. The main act, a trapeze stunt, features six “flyers,” and the finale features “20 artists running, jumping and leaping up against a 24-foot vertical wall.” Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica. cirquedusoleil.com/ovo
Swan Lake
Mar. 24. Thanks in no small part to the film Black Swan, Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet Swan Lake is cool again, and Los Angeles Ballet is one of the companies bringing it back to the stage. New principal dancer Allynne Noelle, formerly a soloist for the Miami City Ballet, is among the dancers featured in the L.A. Ballet premiere of Swan Lake, the tale of a swan queen, a prince, an evil spell and an eternal love. It features choreography from artistic directors Thordal Christensen and Colleen Neary. Performances take place March 24 at Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach; and March 31 at the Valley Performing Arts Center at California State University, Northridge. losangelesballet.org
MUSIC
Westside Connections with Jonathan Gold
Mar. 1. Explore the connections between chamber music and food during the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s Westside Connections. In the second session of the series, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold is joined by soprano Elissa Johnston. The artfully designed musical feast spotlights Bernstein’s La Bonne Cuisine, which includes recipes for Plum Pudding and Oxtail from Madame Saint-Ange’s famous 1927 cookbook, complete with the composer’s instruction in the fine art of preparing French delicacies, and Bolcom’s hilarious Surprise, with some rather unique ingredients. Timothy Andres’ Sorbet cleanses the palate before the main course: the virtuosic Sextet written by Dohnányi in the tradition of Brahms and showcasing the unusual instrumentation of piano, violin, viola, cello, clarinet and horn. The final installment of the series features Susan Feniger, chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, radio and TV personality on Apr. 5. 7:30 p.m. $45. Broad Stage, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica, 213 622 7001 x1. laco.org
Le Salon de Musiques
Mar. 25. Concert features Schumann’s Liederkreis OP.39 for Piano and Soprano with Soprano Elissa Johnston and Steven Vanhauwaert on piano; Schumann Piano Quintet in E Flat Major Opus 44 with Robert Cani & Rafael Rishik on Violins, Robert Brophy on Viola and Paul Cohen on Cello. This performance is accompanied by Champagne, food by Patina and informal conversation introduced by musicologist Julius Reder Carlson. $65/$45 students. 4-6 p.m. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 310.498.0257. lesalondemusiques.com
EAT | DRINK
Lunch with Monet at the Langham
Mar. 24. Chef David Féau creates a beautiful four-course menu inspired by, and dedicated to, the life, art and culinary masterpieces of the famed French impressionist painter, Claude Monet. During the lunch, local artist and lecturer Nori Green shares fascinating stories of Monet’s life at Giverny and anecdotes of the artist coming to life in the kitchen and his famous lunches with respected artists of the 20th Century, such as Renoir and Degas. Menu highlights include Green I On Green (pictured): legumes, flowers and green leaves in harmony; Dover Sole I Chanterelle: Dover sole fillet Normande with chanterelle spring onion; Chicken I Crayfish: roasted chicken with crayfish sauce and watercress salad and more. 11:45 a.m. $65/pp. The Langham Huntington Hotel, 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena, 626.585.6410. roycela.com
Public School 612 Night School
Mar. 26. Public School 612’s night school mixes things up by hosting an evening of beer cocktails. Attend to receive a four-course food and drink pairing that includes the Beericano (vermouth, campari and Green Flash West Coast IPA) and fried chicken and pickled watermelon rind skewer. Tuition is $40 per student and all presales receive a $10 promotional card to be used at a later date. Call to purchase tickets in advance. 612 S. Flower St., downtown, 213.623.1172. publicschool612.com
Anniversary Menu at Koi
Mar. 23-Apr. 10. La Cienega’s popular sushi spot Koi celebrates 10 years with a limited-edition Koi Crispy Rice Flight, which features 10 versions of the restaurant’s most popular dish. In addition, Koi offers three new menu selections that include shrimp tostadas with jalapeno cream, red rose roll (spicy tuna and cucumber wrapped with soy paper, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette), and pan-seared branzini served with a habanero cream sauce. 730 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., 310.659.9449. koirestaurant.com
National Paella Day at Cafe del Rey
Mar. 27. Executive Chef Daniel Roberts creates a menu inspired by the east coast of Spain that features three versions of paella—seafood, meat, and vegetable—within an interactive open kitchen, located in the main dining room. During the evening, you can taste complimentary samples of the classic dish and chat with the chef about his takes on this Spanish favorite. Local produce from nearby farmers’ markets provides each paella recipe with a Southern California twist, an element that also shines through in the housemade red and white sangria, featuring ginger, strawberries, and other seasonal fruits. Guests ordering the paella special will also receive a complimentary glass of sangria. 4451 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, 310.823.6395. cafedelreymarina.com
Pacific Standard Time: Art as an Appetizer
Through March 31. Dubbed the only event where you can literally eat Pacific Standard Time, Art as an Appetizer is a collaboration with chef John Sedlar, artist Ron Cooper, and mixologist Julian Cox who worked together to create a one-of-a-kind menu inspired by Pacific Standard Time works of art (the food is served on a plate showing the image of the art that inspired it). Ask for it at Playa and Rivera by showing Pacific Standard Time museum proof of admission or mentioning the “Pacific Standard Time Secret Menu”. Playa Restaurant, 7360 Beverly Blvd., L.A., playarivera.com; Rivera Restaurant, 1050 South Flower St., downtown, riverarestaurant.com
THEATER
Waiting for Godot
Through Apr. 22. Together for the first time, Alan Mandell and Barry McGovern — two of the most distinguished interpreters of Samuel Beckett’s work — delightfully debate the meaning of life and the absurdities of human behavior in this new production exclusively at the Mark Taper Forum. 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.7353. centertheatregroup.org
Mamma Mia!
Mar. 27-Apr. 8. Smash-hit musical that combines ABBA’s greatest hits, including “Dancing Queen,” “S.O.S.,” “Super Trouper,” “Take A Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All,” with an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship. Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323.468.1770. broadwayla.org
American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose
Through Apr. 1. Comedy from Chicano theater troupe Culture Clash: Mexican national Juan José wants to become a U.S. citizen, but first he must discover the true American identify by examining the underbelly of American history with teachers like Teddy Roosevelt, Sacagawea, Jackie Robinson and Bob Dylan. Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org
American Idiot
Through Apr. 22. Slinging razor guitars , thundering drums and an antihero named Johnny: not the prelude of typical entries in the canon of musical theater. But the musical based on Green Day’s 2004 rock album American Idiot was a hit on Broadway, and it travels to downtown’s Ahmanson Theatre on a 15-city national tour. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org
Antony and Cleopatra
Through May 13. Shakespeare’s seminal tragedy is based on larger-than-life figures caught up in an empire-shattering dance of lust, love, politics and war. “Its appeal is the fascinating relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, who love each other deeply but in a way that is not sustainable… Because of their flaws, we can identify with the lovers and see a part of ourselves in them,” muses director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott. A Noise Within, 3352 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, 626.356.3100 x1. ANoiseWithin.org
The Jacksonian
Through Mar. 25. This eerie offering by Pulitzer Prize winner Beth Henley and directed by Tony Award winner Robert Falls transports us to a seedy motel in Jackson, Mississippi circa 1964. You go to The Jacksonian Cottages to bury your secrets, making the motel an unsettling world where the subversive becomes commonplace and the passage of time becomes hauntingly unpredictable. Revolving around the night of a murder, The Jacksonian is a surreal trip that is rife with disturbingly dark humor. Cast features Ed Harris, Glenne Headly, Amy Madigan and Bill Pullman. Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., L.A., 310.208.5454. geffenplayhouse.com