Elizabeth Cook and Sara Watkins Get Early Set Times at 2012 Stagecoach

With the release of the  2012 Stagecoach set times, those lucky ones with tickets can begin to plan their time for the 3 day Country festival that sold out for the first time in its six year history. As those who have caught my ExperienceLA Stagecoach blog posts in prior years, you will know that I am a big fan of women alt-country stars.  Thus, high on my list of musicians to see are Elizabeth Cook and Sara Watkins.  Last December I saw Elizabeth Cook at the Mint and I have seen Sara Watkins perform both as a solo artist and with Nickel Creek who played at Stagecoach back in 2007.  Both artists get the early 1 pm  time slots, so to see either of them means one has got to get to Stagecoach when the gates are opened. This is my picture of Elizabeth Cook that AI took at the Mint, and I look forward to getting some pictures of her and her band at Stagecoach 2012.

Win Tickets to see The Addams Family in Los Angeles

Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

Broadway/L.A. - Pantages Theatre, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and ExperienceLA.com team up to offer Los Angelinos several opportunities to win prizes for the upcoming run of "The Addams Family" at the Pantages Theatre, including an evening of macabrely fun with a family 4-pack of tickets to see “The Addams Family,” and dinner at Bucca di Beppo located at Universal City Walk. "The Addams Family" begins June 5 and runs through June 17 at the Pantages Theatre. Enter our photo contest for your chance to win!

Review: "Billy Elliot the Musical" is Wonderful

Ty Forhan (Billy), Leah Hocking (Mrs. Wilkinson)
and Annelise Ritacca (Ballet Girl)
in “Billy Elliot the Musical.”
Photo credit: Photo by Kyle Froman

I arrived at Billy Elliot the Musical not sure what to expect.  As a long-time fan of the film, I could easily understand how dance might be incorporated into a musical production, but my brain didn't quite know what do about everything else.  The story of Billy Elliot is a complex one.  It is not only about an 11-year-old boy who discovers a love and passion for ballet.  He is also the son of a widowed miner in a small town during a miners' strike; his father has no real understanding of the workings of the ballet.  How then would this story unfold on stage?  How would it all fit?  The answer is that these elements all come together perfectly and Billy Elliot the Musical is wonderful.

Sublime Schubert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall

The other evening I attended the first of the "Sublime Schubert" concert series (April 16th-22nd) at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  The series features artists Matthias Goerne (Baritone) and Christoph Eschenbach; it will also include performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. 

Attend the premiere and after party of "The Raven," starring John Cusack

When this request came through to us, it was practically a no-brainer. It celebrates the things we love: a historic theatre in downtown LA, film and literature! So, without further adieu, here are the rules to enter our contest for a pair of passes to attend the premiere of Relativity Media's thriller "The Raven," based on some of Edgar Allen Poe's famous tales and starring John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve, Brendan Gleeson, and Oliver Jackson-Cohen, on Monday, April 23 at 8PM at the Los Angeles Theatre.

"Breaking Ground" at the Chinese American Museum

I am a life-long Angeleno and proud of my Asian-American heritage.  While I identify primarily as Vietnamese-American, my family's Chinese ancestral roots are not very far off from what I know of my family tree.  Yet, despite recognizing this and countless trips to Chinatown as a kid, a teenager, and a young adult, I never ventured to the Chinese American Museum (located next to Chinatown in El Pueblo) until recently.  It was the current Breaking Ground: Chinese American Architects in Los Angeles (1945-1980) that brought me there and I think it was a perfect introduction.

"The Walking Dead" Danai Gurira brings The Convert to Center Theatre Group

What does AMC's hit series "The Walking Dead" have in common with the upcoming Kirk Douglas drama THE CONVERT? Obie Award-winner Danai Gurira. The actress and playwright, whom zombie fans got a brief glimpse of as a hooded mystery in the season finale of "The Walking Dead", is bringing her talents to the stage at the Kirk Douglas Theatre April 17-May 19.

Wi Spa offers family friendly environment and cultural experience

Jim Jil Bang at Wi Spa

How do you review a spa for a blog that focuses on Los Angeles cultural experiences? If you're at all familiar with Korean spas, you'll know they're nothing like a traditional western spa. The Korean spa concept is based on a cultural component that was a part of life for many Korean and Asian immigrants: a bath house. This is what attracted me to a recent request to review Wi Spa on Wilshire Blvd. in Koreatown. That, and the fact that Wi Spa bills itself as the only 24 hour service spa in Los Angeles that also happens to be family-friendly.

Los Angeles Heritage Day is April 29

On April 29th, the Los Angeles Heritage Alliance will host a special day-long event to celebrate the Southland's colorful and diverse history. With over 500 years of stories to tell, the 4th annual Los Angeles Heritage Day will be an event not to miss especially for the history geeks! The event features such items as menus from long-ago restaurants, L.A.'s first fire "truck," a Civil War tent, and a wooden nickel among others. Kids will also find history to be fun with a special scavenger hunt planned.