Summertime in the SGV
So now living in the San Gabriel Valley (the OTHER Los Angeles area valley), one wonders where culture resides. Surely they it can be found in the megaplexes that dot the landscape playing summer blockbusters. Surely they it can also be found in the chain bookstores and coffee shops that provide many with a home away from home.
But here I actually mean culture…as in something unique and local. Here are three:
Southwest Chamber Music www.swmusic.org
This group plays throughout the year but in the summer they do concerts at the Huntington Library. Situated in San Marino, the Huntington Library is really a respite from the modern world. They have a great collection of paintings. They have a pricey afternoon tea. They have an amazing library (duh) that I think includes a Gutenberg Bible. They have lots of gardens featuring tons of plants from around the world including a recently unveiled Chinese garden (which continues their themed Asian gardens after their Japanese one).
To complement the Chinese garden, the upcoming Southwest Chamber concert on July 25-26 will feature a piece by Joan Huang about Suzhou, the area of China that inspired the garden. The following concert also features another Asian composer, Vietnamese composer Phuc Linh. Of course, they also include Mozart and Beethoven and other traditional classical composers on the bill as well.
If you need more convincing, check out this video of a guy explaining the idea behind the concert.
Stillspeaking Theatre stillspeakingtheatre.org
Alright, so what the heck am I doing promoting a Christian theatre company when I’m not really Christian nor do I plan to spend my entertainment hours being lectured about Christianity?
The answer is that the work is quality and not preachy. In fact, I walked away from their latest show, Facing East, questioning why a Christian ensemble would mount this show. It deals point blank with homosexuality in the Mormon faith and seems to condemn simply asking gay people to be celibate or excommunicated. On top of that, the writing of this show is quite good, featuring lots of imagined flashbacks that take us deep both in a Mormon family and the heartbreak of losing a son to suicide and having to deal with his gay lover, who is not Christian.
Incidentally, this is also located in San Marino not too far from the Huntington Library. It runs until August 3rd.
Summer Jubilee 2008
http://www.cityofalhambra.org/government/parks_recreation/Jubilee08.html
So going west of San Marino, what does the town of Alhambra have to offer…besides really good Chinese food?
Apparently they were able to get some known performers to come out and give free performances. Now, we’re not talking Jay-Z or Madonna here…let’s be reasonable. But The Beach Boys (July 26), Foreigner (August 2), and Kenny Loggins (August 9) isn’t the worst you could name. In fact, Beach Boys alone are pretty great…wonder if Brian Wilson himself is showing up.
In fact, downtown Alhambra has undergone a kind of upgrade with clubs, restaurants, and a megaplex. Other notable institutions include a great salsa club with live band and classes (Granada Club), a concept store with cool art and knick-knacks (Gallery Nucleus), and a microbrewery.
And for your troubles, here’s a short sweet summer-esque mp3:
