JOAN OF ART: ‘A Christmas Carole King’, A Powerful ControversIal Film, Mesmerica -A Visual Music Journey, and Christmas On the Seas

It’s the most BEAUTIFUL time of the year and for their 18th annual holiday offering, the ridiculously talented TROUBIES, who I’ve seen more times than I can remember, is presenting A CHRISTMAS CAROLE KING.

The show adapted and directed by Matt Walker has combined the soulful sounds of songstress Carole King with one of the most enduring stories of our time, ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens and I promise, the result will be so far away from anything you’d expect.

To give you a hint of how it’s going to go, Will Ebenezer Scrooge wakes up ONE FINE DAY feeling like a NATURAL WOMAN and eventually we’ll find out if he breaks his CHAINS after he’s shown what’s truly BEAUTIFUL. You get the idea.

The Troubies are an amazing theatrical company and along with the rockin sounds of the Troubadorchestra you will definitely FEEL THE EARTH MOVE UNDER YOUR FEET.

The Troubadour Theater Company continues its 25th Silver anniversary season bringing the Los Angeles audiences a quarter century of mayhem. If you’ve never seen this incredibly funny, brilliant group now is your chance to be blown away by their creativity, originality, and their talent.

Their fast-paced laugh filled, loose adaptations of classic plays, literature and film, as well as their original productions and hilarious sketch material, make this company an exciting experience for theatre goers of any age.

The show opens Friday December 13th at 8pm and runs through Sunday December 22nd at 4pm at the El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood. Performances are Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4pm & 8pm and Sundays at 4pm with an added performance on Thursday, December 19th at 8pm.

For tickets and more information go to ElPortalTheatre.com or by calling the box office at 818-508-4200 or 866-811-4111. Don’t miss it!

‘There is a bomb in Centennial Park. You have thirty minutes.’. The world is first introduced to RICHARD JEWELL (brilliantly portrayed by Paul Walter Hauser) as the security guard who reports finding the device at the 1996 Atlanta Games. It was his quick thinking and swift actions saving countless lives that made him an instant hero. But within days, this law enforcement wannabe became the FBI’s number one suspect, vilified in the court of public opinion with his life ripped apart.

There’s no doubt that Clint Eastwood, who directed this film, is a brilliant filmmaker. Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm and rest of the cast are all excellent and the story is incredibly gripping and extremely heartbreaking watching Jewell’s life fall apart when he was only trying to do the right thing.

My one problem with the movie, and it’s not a small one, is Eastwood’s inaccurate portrayal of the now deceased, real life reporter Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) who broke the story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He shows her willing to do anything for a story including sleeping with the investigation’s lead agent (Jon Hamm).

The Atlanta Journal has said that there is absolutely no evidence she slept with anyone to get the story and they along with Scrugg’s family, have
demanded a prominent disclaimer but both Eastwood and Warner Bros, the distributor of the film, has refused their request.

Having said that and even though I completely disagree with Eastwood’s politics, I still recommend seeing this powerful, gripping film which opens in theaters Friday December 13th.

Now for something lighter…JAMES HOOD’S MESMERIC 360. This is a unique visual music journey designed to stimulate the mind and senses, bringing together the music of Grammy nominated composer and percussionist James Hood together with visually hypnotic, 3D animated art curated from artists around the world.

This is one of the most successful fulldome music shows ever. You will experience the magic of this 360 degree immersive show at The Vortex Dome in Downtown LA. This family friendly, mind blowing projection and live experience is designed to relieve stress and is suitable for all ages 6 years and above.

I’ve seen this show before and I know I’ll be back many times over. The Vortex Dome is located at Los Angeles Center Studios, 450 South Bixel Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017. It takes place Saturday, December 14th and show times are 5:00pm, 6:30pm and 8:00pm. For tickets and more information you can call 213-534-3720 or go to JamesHood.com/mesmerica360.

Finally what would the Christmas season be without a BOAT PARADE and on Saturday December 14th from 5:55pm to 8pm you can watch a trail of lighted boats cruise through the main channel of Marina del Rey. You should arrive early to grab a spot on the lawn at Chace Park or a good photo spot at Fisherman’s Village, two of the most popular viewing places.

Narration on a PA system is available at both locations. This year the parade’s theme is ‘Kids Make Holidays Bright.’ A Brief fireworks show starts at 5:55pm to announce the start of the parade. Admission is free. I’ve been going to this event for more years than I can remember and it has always been fantastic.

Chace Park is located at 13650 Mindanao Way in Marina del Rey, 90292.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, make it a fun one people.