The first months of the year are generally a cold, desolate time at the theaters, a period of audience fodder several steps below the Oscar-campaigning pieces of November and December. Read more...
Arts, Film & TV, Music, Theater & Fine Arts
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January 6, 5:55 pm
Growth in film adaptations of musicals brings Hollywood, Broadway together
The line between Broadway and Hollywood is thinner than ever, with three movie adaptations of the musicals “Jersey Boys,” “Annie” and “Into the Woods” released just this past year and a number four times that since 2000. Read more...
Photo: “Into the Woods” (right) is a film adaptation of the 1987 Broadway Musical of the same name (left). The musical is one of the seven musicals adapted into films since 2000. (Martha Swope, Walt Disney Pictures)
Arts, Arts Columns, Music
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January 6, 12:42 am
Sounds of LA: In The Valley Below
Every year, new artists emerge ready to be Los Angeles’ next great musical discovery, making their rounds through small club tours across the city. Inspired by the hippie enclaves of Topanga, the backyard punk scene of East L.A. Read more...
Photo: “Sounds of L.A.” highlights up-and-coming artists in Los Angeles who are making significant waves with their music. For the first week, columnist Kristy Pirone discusses the duo In The Valley Below, whose signature sounds are characteristic of Silver Lake and Echo Park’s indie music scenes. The band will perform for free this Wednesday at The Satellite. (Courtesy of Laurent Michel Moreau)
Arts, Music
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January 6, 12:26 am
Winter Music Preview
The year 2014 saw remarkable music, from Mac DeMarco’s “Salad Days” to Sam Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour.” This year, music fans are eagerly waiting for the releases of music from artists such as Frank Ocean, Adele, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, who all have not dropped an album in years. Read more...
Arts, Film & TV
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January 6, 12:03 am
Movie Review: ‘Into the Woods’
In contrast to previous movie adaptations of musicals that favored big names over actual singing ability – see Russell Crowe’s performance as Javert in 2012’s “Les Misérables” – Disney’s “Into the Woods” provides a worthy adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical and a strong ensemble cast that can carry the weight of Sondheim’s winning score. Read more...
Photo: (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Arts, Music
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January 5, 3:59 pm
Second Take: Kanye West and Paul McCartney come together for new track
Kanye West sure knows how to end the year on a high note. On Dec. 31, the Chicago-based rapper quietly released the first song since his 2013 platinum-selling album “Yeezus.” A duo with Beatles-legend Paul McCartney, “Only One” features West singing – not rapping – while McCartney dances along the keyboard, harmonizing with the auto-tuned vocals. Read more...
Photo: Kanye West’s newest song, “Only One,” featuring Paul McCartney, is sung from the point-of-view of West’s mother, Donda West, as she helps West come to grips with his fame, family and the uncertainties he felt after her passing. (Roc-A-Fella Records)
Arts, Lifestyle, Theater & Fine Arts
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January 5, 5:45 am
A&E Winter Lifestyle | Theater Preview
Paralleling the temperatures falling below Los Angeles’ typical 70 degrees, winter quarter often marks a slump in mood, grades and activities for many UCLA students. Although leaving hibernation – also known as a bed and Netflix account – seems daunting, the winter season does bring reasons to brave the outdoors. Read more...