L.A. director Yuval Sharon extends Detroit Opera contract
DETROIT — Yuval Sharon, founder and co-artistic director of the acclaimed L.A. opera company the Industry, has extended his contract as artistic director of the Detroit…
‘Clue,’ Chaka Khan, the Mexican mystic art of Judithe Hernández
Judithe Hernández, “Santa Desconocida,” 2016, pastel on paper (Riverside Art Museum) Hello and welcome to another edition of Essential Arts. Yes, things are a bit…
Mozart, ‘Twisters,’ ‘Queer Rhapsody’ and the best L.A. culture this week
Porfirio Gutierrez rubs cochineal on his hand. (Liz Fish) Welcome to another edition of Essential Arts, bringing you L.A.‘s finest culture, must-watch film openings, stunning…
‘Fly Me to the Moon’, Jason Isbell and the best L.A. culture this week
Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum in “Fly Me to the Moon,” in theaters July 12. (Dan McFadden / Apple TV+) Hello and welcome to another…
Fireworks, holiday museum openings, Rolling Stones and the best of L.A.’s art and culture this week.
Geoff McFetridge’s “I’d Love to See You,” 2024, acrylic on paper, 30.75 by 39.75 inches. (Geoff McFetridge / Rusha & Co.) Welcome to an explosively…
Kara Walker at SFMOMA, Solid Gold soul with the Gay Men’s Chorus
Kara Walker’s study for her SFMOMA installation “Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine),” 2023-2024. (Kara Walker) Hey there! Welcome to another edition of Essential Arts…
‘The Comet / Poppea’ review: Yuval Sharon opera is exceptional
Now we know not to call “The Comet / Poppea” a mashup. That was the obvious expectation before Friday night’s premiere of Yuval Sharon’s latest…
Column: L.A. is transforming opera. OperaFest LA is half the story
Los Angeles is not, historically, an opera city. Only in 1986 did it finally found a resident company, Music Center Opera, now Los Angeles Opera.…
How opera singer Janelle Colquhoun became national champion archer after losing her sight
In short: Janelle Colquhoun became a champion para archer after being robbed of her sight in her late 20s. The Brisbane woman lost her career as…
‘A Strange Loop,’ Johnny Cash and things to do in L.A.
“A Strange Loop” at the Ahmanson. (Alessandra Mello) It’s a big week for SoCal stages, and Essential Arts has you covered with staff picks for…
Things to do: ‘Jelly’s Last Jam,’ expert guide to the Getty
“Up My Sleeve” by Paula Wilson, 2021. Woodcut, relief, silkscreen, collagraph, monotype and digital print; oil-based ink, oil, acrylic, muslin and canvas; 35 inches by…
Opera singers Allegra Giagu and Charlotte Goode bring their passion for music to regional towns
The country Victorian town of Tongala found itself in the national spotlight last year when 18-year-old local footy legend Harley Reid was drafted by the…
‘So staged!’ rage Britain’s Got Talent fans as they slam opera act’s shock twist
BRITAIN’S Got Talent viewers were left furious by an opera act which turned out to have a surprising twist. Singer Natalie Choquette, from Montreal in…
Things to do: ‘Lion King’ at Hollywood bowl, Hockney’s ‘Turandot’
Detail from pascALEjandro’s “Nada, Nada, Nada,” 2019. Ink, watercolor, colored pencil, polymer clay, gold leaf, and glass on paper, 44.25 inches by 30.25 inches by…
David Hockney’s magnificent ‘Turandot’ is reborn at L.A. Opera
When the curtain rises Saturday evening on Los Angeles Opera’s “Turandot,” composer Giacomo Puccini’s last work will feature the L.A. debut of the production’s biggest…
Venice Family Clinic Art Walk, a fight to save L.A. youth orchestras and your guide to L.A. culture this week
Civic Youth Orchestra (Courtesy of Civic Youth Orchestra / Photo by Bill Kraus) Hello and welcome to another week of Essential Arts, where we highlight…
Stars Wars Day, Alice Wang’s extraterrestrial art and more LA culture
Hello and May the 4th be with you! From a cultural galaxy near, near by, the Essential Arts newsletter is back again, corralling the best…
Roasting LACMA’s big bet in Vegas
John Valadez’s 2024 acrylic painting “Chaos,” 84 inches by 144 inches, at Luis de Jesus gallery in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of John Valadez and Luis…
Soap opera actor and screenwriter Meg Bennett has died
Award-winning screenwriter and actor Meg Bennett, who achieved fame on “The Young and the Restless,” has died, her family announced Sunday. She was 75. Bennett…
Festival of Books at USC, Andrew Scott and your ultimate culture guide to the weekend and beyond
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times) Apparently some lady named Taylor has a new album — or two. We’re still trying to make sense of “Tortured Poets…