First Live Theater Awards Ceremony

Orange Curtain Review and LA Theatre Bites
announce first live theater awards ceremony

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (September 13, 2024) — Orange Curtain Review and LA Theatre Bites, sister outlets covering, respectively, the Orange County and Los Angeles theater scenes, have announced a live awards ceremony honoring excellence in both counties. The OCR/LA Theatre Bites Awards will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at the Newport Theatre Arts Center beginning at 7 p.m.

According to theater reviewer Patrick Chavis, who edits both sites, “The hope is to bring notice to smaller companies that may not have the funding or notoriety enjoyed by larger organizations, but are putting out solid work every year. Our sites are dedicated to supporting intimate theater, as well as community theater and local creatives. We are grateful to the Newport Theatre Arts Center, a 90-seat theater that has been active in Newport Beach since 1979, for sponsoring our first event.”

A list of Orange Curtain Review nominees can be found on the website at theorangecurtainrev.com, and a list of LA Theatre Bites nominees is available at latheatrebites.com.

The ceremony will be hosted by reviewer Matthew Robinson. Entertainment will be provided by the Manny Barajas Fusion Band and singer Sarah O’Brien. The festivities will be livestreamed on Instagram at @Latheatrebites1 and will be available for viewing afterwards at both websites.

Tickets are $50The Newport Theatre Arts Center is located at 2501 Cliff Dr., Newport BeachCA 92663. To request more information and to purchase tickets, email latheatrebites@yahoo.com.

Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at The New Vic

ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY 

Presents the First Production of its 46th Season,

THE HILARIOUS COMEDY WITH BITE, THE FANGTASTIC OFF-BROADWAY SMASH HIT…

DRACULA:

A COMEDY OF TERRORS

 Written by Gordon Greenberg & Steve Rosen

Directed by Jamie Torcellini

 

Performances begin Thursday, October 10 

at The New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara!

 

Previews: Thursday, October 10 at 7:30pm & Friday, October 11 at 8:00pm

Opens: Saturday, October 12 at 8:00pm (Press Opening)

Runs: Thursday, October 10 – Sunday, October 27, 2024

 

Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm.

 

Added performances on Tuesday, October 15 at 7:30pm, Saturday, October 19 at 3pm, Wednesday, October 23 at 2pm, and Saturday, October 26 at 3:00pm.

 

Ticket Prices range from $25 – $94

 

All Patrons 35 and under are always $35. Student tickets are $25. Prices subject to change.

 

Ensemble Theatre Company at The New Vic
33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara 

Na Leo Pilimehana at the Downey Theatre

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 Hawaiian Island Creations Lifestyle

Presenting the Best in Hawaiian Music with the
Aloha Everywhere Concert Series

Featuring
Na Leo Pilimehana

Legendary Hawaiian Music Group Celebrating 40 Years

With Special Guests
FAIVA 

Downey Theatre – Saturday, October 19, 2024; 7pm

The Aloha Everywhere Concert Series presented by Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC) Lifestyle returns to the Downey Theatre on Saturday, October 19 at 7pm, bringing the best in Hawaiian music to Los Angeles featuring Na Leo Pilimehana, the world’s top-selling female Hawaiian music group celebrating their 40th anniversary. Opening for Na Leo Pilimehana is FAIVA, the popular Polynesian/Hawaiian musical trio from SoCal.

 

Spend an evening enjoying the musical spirit of the Hawaiian Islands and its welcoming aloha culture.

It was 40 years ago that the world was introduced to the harmony of three high school friends, Nalani Jenkins, Lehua Kalima, and Angela Morales, singing on stage at the Brown Bags to Stardom talent contest at the Waikiki Shell. It was that performance that started it all for Na Leo Pilimehana and changed the direction of contemporary music in Hawai`i. With their original song “Local Boys,” Na Leo Pilimehana won the talent competition and put themselves on the map as musicians. To this day, “Local Boys” remains the #1 selling single in Hawai`i’s history. That was only the beginning. Today, the Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning Na Leo Pilimehana has over 23 CDs, and wrote, recorded, and performed more than 20 number one hits, with two of them hitting the top 25 on national charts, their music has marked life’s milestones for fans with their music becoming the playlist of their lives.

 

Organic good vibes and blissful harmonies light up the authentic uplifting sound of FAIVA across an ever-expanding repertoire. Made up of lifelong musicians Dr. Grant Muāgututiʻa, Vaea Aʻetonu, and Loa Greyson, FAIVA embodies the power of shared passion, vision, and devotion for the music of Polynesia. Though each member of FAIVA traces their ancestry to the islands of Sāmoa, they found their connection while living in Southern California. Nominated “2023 Best International Pacific Artist” by Pacific Music Awards, FAIVA embraces their heritage and infuses their music with the rich cultural traditions of Samoan music.

 

“We are excited to bring the Aloha Everywhere Music Series to Downey. Hawaiian music fans will enjoy our upcoming line-up as we bring culture, dance, and aloha everywhere,” noted Patrick Landeza, Executive Director of HIC Lifestyle.

 

The next Aloha Everywhere concert will be the sensational three-time Grammy Award-Winner Kalani Pe‘a performing a holiday show on December 14, 2024, celebrating the warmth and special ‘aloha’ of the season, sharing much-loved songs from both western and Hawaiian roots. Kalani Pe‘a is quite charismatic with a beautiful and powerful presence who will share the stage with special guests Kumu Hula Chase Keoki Wang and Hālau Nā Mamo O Pana’ewa.

 

The Aloha Everywhere Concert Series, presented by Hawaiian Island Creations (HIC) Lifestyle, started as a small surf shop on Oahu’s Windward shore. Through a commitment to quality, service and aloha spirit, the brand has built a reputation as an icon of Hawaiian surfing recognized throughout the world. The retail chain has grown to include seventeen stores across three islands, providing authentic Hawaiian surf gear to both locals and visitors alike and they subsequently branched out into the world of presenting Hawaiian music’s top artists, bringing excellent music, cultivating community, and nurturing culture by spreading aloha everywhere.

 

WHEN:  Saturday, October 19, 2024; 7 p.m.

 

WHERE:  Downey Theatre, 8435 Firestone Blvd., Downey, CA 90241

 

PARKING:  FREE on-site parking

 

TICKETS:  $40 – $65

 

HOW & MORE INFORMATION:
– 
https://www.downeytheatre.org/562-861-8211; boxoffice@downeytheatre.org
– https://www.facebook.com/DowneyCivicTheatrehttps://www.facebook.com/HICLifestyle;
 https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1932263/downey-theater/
 
Na Leo Pilimehana performing Not The I But The You In Mehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5OjO0OUdrY
 FAIVA official music video: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUrpmL6dQNE

‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ at LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 

& McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT 

are thrilled to announce Full Casting for its upcoming production of

Tony Award winner JASON ALEXANDER starring as “Tevye” in 

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Book by JOSEPH STEIN
Music by JERRY BOCK

Lyrics by SHELDON HARNICK

Original Broadway production directed and choreographed 

by JEROME ROBBINS

Originally produced on the New York stage by HAROLD PRINCE

Musical Direction by ALBY POTTS

Choreography by LEE MARTINO

Direction by LONNY PRICE

 

 

OPENS: Saturday, November 9 at 8 pm (Press Opening)

and runs through Sunday, November 13 at 6:30 pm

 

PREVIEWS: Friday, November 8 at 8 pm & Saturday, November 9 at 2 pm

 

PERFORMANCES: Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays at 8 pm; 

Saturdays at 2 pm & 8 pm; Sundays at 1:30 pm & 6:30 pm

 

There is no performance on Sunday, November 10 at 6:30 pm. The regular Thursday performance on November 28 (Thanksgiving) has been moved to Wednesday, November 27.

 

There will be an Open-Captioned performance on Saturday, November 23 

at 2:00 pm.  

 

Talkbacks with the cast and creative team will be on Thursday, November 14 at 7:30 pm and Wednesday, November 27 at 7:30 pm.    

 

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada, CA 90638.  

Arrive Early to Find Best Parking — It’s Free!

Tickets range from $34 – $109 (prices subject to change).

50% off student tickets are available in select sections. 

 

Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.

 

For tickets, please call (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310 or buy online at LaMiradaTheatre.com.  Group and military discounts are available.

‘Walking the Beat’ at UCLA Nimoy Theater

Teens and cops unite for Fountain Theatres Walking the Beat’ in new
partnership with Design for Sharing, CAP UCLA’s K-12 arts education program

The Fountain Theatre joins forces with Design for SharingCAP UCLA’s K-12 arts education program, to showcase the culminating performance of Walking the Beat, the Fountain’s transformative community-building program that sees cops and teens working together to create theater. One public performance of In the Crossfirea new multimedia work created by 15 teens and eight police officers, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at the UCLA Nimoy Theater. Admission is free, but reservations are required (subject to availability). A free student matinee will follow on Monday, Sept. 23, allowing 250 students from across Los Angeles County to experience the finished work and talk with the cast and creators.

Written by Fountain Theatre arts education manager Nathan JamesIn the Crossfire was devised by students and police officers based on their own writings, conversations and improvisations about the effects of gun violence on them, personally, and within their communities.

Students this year represent five local high schools, including Hollywood High SchoolValley Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High SchoolRamón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Hawthorne High School.

Now in its fifth year at the Fountain, Walking the Beat provides a life-changing experience for underserved youth. Founded by the Elizabeth Youth Theater Ensemble and led by executive and artistic director Theo Perkins, participants in the hands-on program are guided by facilitator and director Angela Kariotis and teaching artists ReSheda Terry and Alex Ubokedom.

Walking the Beat supporters include The Araxia and Vladimir Buckhantz Foundation, Mary Jo and David VolkThe Audrey and Sydney Irmas Charitable Foundation, Maggi PhillipsJennifer SimchowitzAnne-Marie SpataruJason Zelin and Allison Stein and the L.A. County Department of Probation.

The UCLA Nimoy Theater is located 1262 Westwood Blvd.Los AngelesCA 90024. Parking is $3 (flat rate) after 5 p.m. in the structure located at 10866 Wilshire Blvd. For more information, call (323) 663-1525 or go to www.FountainTheatre.com.

An Intimate Evening With the Cast of ‘Abbott Elementary’

PEOPLE Magazine and IHG Hotels hosted a conversation with the cast of Abbott Elementary on 12 Sep, 2024 at the Kimpton Everly Hotel in Hollywood. The panel was moderated by Breanne L. Heldman, Executive Editor of TV and Events for PEOPLE. William Stanford Davis, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter and Chris Perfetti talked about their characters and what the audience can expect for season 4, scheduled to air on Oct 9, 2024.

The panel discussed how the show has started a national conversation about underfunded public schools and the lives of those who continue to fight to keep the system afloat. Even though Abbott Elementary is a fictional school in Philadelphia, the show captures the struggles and hopes of teachers and students who dream of better things in life despite the limitations and neglect of their underdeveloped communities, a reflection of the current state of our public educational system.

The actors teased about the expansion of their respective characters and their evolution. Anecdotes about working with little kids and the respect and admiration they have for the actors in real life is something that speaks volumes about the special bond that is brewing among the cast as the show continues its successful run.

But this bond is transpiring beyond the set. The audience is also heavily invested in the show. Both critics and viewers have fallen in love with the story and the characters. A solid viewership and positive reviews continue to make it one of the favorites shows currently on air. The writing, directing, acting, and the harsh realities pictured in the show have shown a high level of engagement. Everything is in place for the storytelling and the characters to continue to grow in season 4.

William Stanford Davis plays Mr. Johnson, a custodian. Sheryl Lee Ralph plays Barbara Howard, a kindergarten teacher. Lisa Ann Walter plays Melissa Schemmenti, a second-grade teacher. Chris Perfetti plays Jacob Hill, a sixth-grade history teacher.

For the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, Abbott Elementary has been nominated for the following categories, 7 major, 9 in total:

Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series

  • Wendy O’Brien, CSA, Casting by
  • Chris Gehrt, Casting by

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

  • “Party”
  • Randall Einhorn, Directed by

Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling

  • “Mother’s Day”
  • Moira Frazier, Department Head Hairstylist
  • Dustin Osborne, Key Hairstylist
  • Christina Joseph, Hairstylist

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

  • Quinta Brunson, as Janine Teagues

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series (two nominations)

  • Janelle James, as Ava Coleman
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph, as Barbara Howard

Outstanding Comedy Series

  • Quinta Brunson, Executive Producer
  • Justin Halpern, Executive Producer
  • Patrick Schumacker, Executive Producer
  • Randall Einhorn, Executive Producer
  • Brian Rubenstein, Executive Producer
  • Jordan Temple, Co-Executive Producer
  • Brittani Nichols, Supervising Producer
  • Josh Greene, Producer
  • Scott Sites, Produced by

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

  • “Career Day”
  • Quinta Brunson, Written by

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series

  • Tyler James Williams, as Gregory Eddie

Hollywood Independent Theatre Festival

Hollywood, CA. September 12, 2024.  Combined Artform’s Hollywood Independent Theater Festival (HITFEST) returns this October at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theater. HITFEST is an industry-driven festival concept from the company that brought Los Angeles the “Hollywood Encore Producers’ Award” and “Pick of the Fringe,” featuring the top shows from the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

HITFEST will present at least two shows each night, running on various Mondays through Thursdays. These evenings are optimal for showcasing work to the Hollywood entertainment industry, presenters, venues, and other organizations scouting for programming and talent. Additionally, audiences can enjoy top performances and save money by purchasing passes for multiple shows.

The inaugural year of HITFEST brought top shows and industry bookers together, resulting in sold-out crowds and new paid bookings for performing artists. It was a huge success, and we are thrilled to be returning. Plans are also underway to include a wider variety of shows, with new performances introduced throughout the year, offering an ever-changing selection for audiences and presenters alike.

Ticket prices will range from $25 to $35, with discounts available for senior citizens, students, and SAG-AFTRA and WGA members. Show passes offering discounts for multi-show packs will also be available. See below for a listing of participating venues and shows.

Industry professionals interested in attending or with specific questions about the productions, please contact Matthew Quinn at mquinn@combinedartform.com.

Hollywood Independent Theater Festival lineup for October 2024.

WHATThe Connie Converse Universe Starring Hope Levy

In this 55-minute acoustic-biographical cabaret, audiences are invited to explore the songs, life, and enduring mystery of Connie Converse, a pioneering female folk singer-songwriter. Hope Levy stars as the song messenger, bringing Connie’s music to life while sharing their unique connection. Perfect for all audiences who appreciate folk music and biographical storytelling.

The Funny Thing About Men

Mandy Williams invites you into her home to share humorous insights on domestic life and the inner thoughts of women. This musical comedy, featuring all-original songs, offers a light-hearted exploration of the dynamics between women and men, guaranteed to leave audiences laughing. Perfect for female audiences.

WHERE: Stephanie Feury Studio Theater – 5636 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles 90038

WHEN:  October 16, 2024

7:00 PM The Connie Converse Universe;

8:30 PM The Funny Thing About Men

TICKET PRICE: $25.00 per show.

Discount, $40 for both shows.

TICKET LINKHollywood Independent Theater Festival – HITFEST (stagey.net)

www.hitfesthollywood.com
@hitfesthollywood
#HITFEST

100 SECONDS TO MIDNIGHT at The Ford

Blue13 Dance Company

The Celebrated Contemporary Dance Ensemble Presents a
New Program Inspired by the Doomsday Clock

100 Seconds to Midnight

One Night Only – The Ford, September 28, 2024, 8 p.m.

WHAT:
Blue13 blends contemporary and traditional dance forms with everything from hip-hop to Bollywood and ballet, challenging perceptions of South Asian American dance. In 100 Seconds to Midnight, a new contemporary dance project choreographed by Achinta S. McDaniel, the company delves deep into the complexities of the human experience, drawing inspiration from the infamous Doomsday Clock. Made famous by J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, and other concerned scientists, the clock measures how close the planet is to global catastrophe, marked as midnight. McDaniel turns the metaphor inward to examine the notion of “doom” as it pertains to South Asian communities. Repeatedly erased but resilient, these communities often grapple with cyclical trauma and the unrelenting anxiety of impending loss. Through a triptych of movements, 100 Seconds to Midnight confronts misogyny, unpacks the generational effects of colonization, and scrutinizes the expectations placed upon women regarding duty, tradition, and assimilation.

WHO:
Blue13 Dance Company
 presents American dance through performance, outreach, and education. For over 20 years, Blue13 has connected audiences through the power of live, aesthetically and culturally daring dance, performing in the U.S. and abroad in its highly energetic and theatrical modern dance style that is inspired in part by the classical and cultural art forms of the Indian subcontinent.

A first-generation South Asian American, Blue13’s Artistic director, Achinta S. McDaniel pulls precision, humor, and deep emotion from her ensemble to create work as rebellious and unconventional as its architect. Storytelling through dance is central to the company, as is a continual exploration of technique with its cast of dancers of many backgrounds. The work is moody, rhythmic, and charged, presenting the audience with an intelligent experience of performance that turns the cultural stereotype of Indian dance on its head.

A pioneer of contemporary Indian dance in the United States, a prolific choreographer, performer, and instructor, McDaniel’s powerful and fresh style draws from diverse techniques including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop, Bhangra, Kathak, and Bollywood, to create spectacular and theatrical dance. She is known for her experimentation with international styles and for inventive staging of her signature contemporary Indian forms. Her choreography is highly dramatic and a real reflection of her upbringing: Eastern and Western, exotic, mysterious, wild, rebellious and unconventional. McDaniel’s work is fearless and inventive, ever exploring the boundaries of contemporary dance as a first-generation Indian woman. McDaniel is also a Professor at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California. Achinta has expanded Blue13 for over fifteen years, creating one of the country’s first professional contemporary Indian dance theatre ensembles and touring on stages around the world. McDaniel also lectures and teaches contemporary Indian, Bollywood, and Bhangra styles internationally, and works as a choreographer in the film and television industry when not touring with Blue13.

About The Ford

The Ford is one of the oldest performing arts venues in Los Angeles, with an outdoor 1,200-seat amphitheater and a rich history dating back to 1920. Situated in a 32-acre park and under the stewardship of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and Los Angeles County Department of Parks & Recreation, The Ford presents an eclectic summer season of music, dance, film, and family events that are reflective of the communities that comprise Los Angeles.

WHEN:  Saturday, September 28, 2024 @8 p.m.

WHERE:  The Ford
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA  90068
(just off the 101, between Hollywood and Universal Studios in the Cahuenga Pass)

TICKETS:
Reserved seating: $10 – $65
To learn about discounts for groups of 10 or more call 323-850-2050 or visit theford.com.

PARKING:

FREE shuttle to The Ford picks up at Hollywood & Highland from Orange Court, 1736 N Orange Dr, Los Angeles 90028 and Universal City/Studio City Metro Station from the “kiss and ride” area, 3913 Lankershim Blvd, Studio City 91604. Parking fees may apply. Shuttle service starts two hours before show time and runs approximately every 20 minutes, ending once the show begins. The shuttle does not run throughout the show. When the show is over, catch the shuttle at the front gates; follow signs and staff directions.

HOW:
• https://www.theford.com or (323) 850-2000
• https://www.Blue13Dance.com
• info@Blue13Dance.com
• facebook.com/Blue13Dance
• Video Trailer from 100 Seconds to Midnight Movement II – 1947: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjI2dQcJ7d4&t=38s
• https://www.YouTube.com/@Blue13DanceCompany

OTHER:
Dress warmly for outdoor seating

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Scherr Forum Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center

5-STAR THEATRICALS

presents

A DEADLY THREAT TO THE HUMAN RACE’S VERY EXISTENCE!

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Music by Alan Menken

Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman

Musical Direction by Ryan O’Connell

Choreography by Dana Solimando

Directed by Brian Kite

 

“Everybody Better Beware” Beginning Friday, October 4 in the intimate

Scherr Forum Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center!

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Music by Alan Menken

Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman

Musical Direction by Ryan O’Connell

Choreography by Dana Solimando

Directed by Brian Kite

 

OPENS: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 at 7:30pm (press opening) and runs through 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 at 1:00pm

 

Performances are Thursdays & Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 1:00pm and 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm

 

BANK OF AMERICA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER – 

SCHERR FORUM THEATRE

2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd, in Thousand Oaks

Tickets range from $37 – $67

For tickets, please call (805) 449-2787. 

 

For theatre information, call (805) 449-ARTS (2787) or buy online at www.5startheatricals.com

 

Student, Senior and Group discounts are available.

SALT OF THE EARTH at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum

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Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum presents 70th
anniversary screening of ‘Salt of the Earth

Children of artists who created blacklisted,
pro-union movie reunite for event
 

WHAT:
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum presents a 70th anniversary screening of Salt of the Earth, the controversial 1954 film written by Michael Wilson, directed by Herbert J. Biberman, and produced by Paul Jarrico. A story of resilience, solidarity and the courageous fight for dignity in the face of adversity, Salt of the Earth was attacked and censored because the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, which had been expelled from the CIO in 1950 over the alleged domination of its leadership by communists, sponsored it — and because many blacklisted Hollywood professionals helped make it.

The showing of this historic indie movie will be introduced by a panel discussion moderated by film historian Ed Rampell and featuring the children of the artists who created the film: Becca Wilson, daughter of screenwriter Michael Wilson; Bill Jarrico, son of producer Paul Jarrico; Ellen Geer, who appeared as an extra in the movie alongside her father, Will Geer, as the sheriff; and Heather Wood, granddaughter of real-life labor organizers Clint and Virginia Jencks, who appeared in the film as supporters of the miners’ strike. A Q&A will follow the screening.

WHEN:
Sunday, Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m.
• 5:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion and re-enactment of HUAC Testimony
• 6:10 p.m.: Intermission
• 6:30 p.m.: Film Screening
• 8 p.m.: Q&A

WHERE:
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga CA 90290
(midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway)

TICKETS
• Lower Tier (reserved seating): $50
• Upper Tier (general admission): $35
(student and senior discounts available)

OTHER:
The outdoor amphitheater at Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is terraced into the hillside of the rustic canyon. Audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating.

HOW:
theatricum.com
(310) 455-3723