May 2, 2014
Romance, Pancakes & Booze, Cinco de Mayo

  

Festive Weekend Fun: Cinco de Mayo is on a Monday but that doesn't mean there isn't time to party all weekend long.

FRIDAY: True Romance Fest is a must-go for fans of the film. The Safari Inn motel in Burbank is featured in the Tarantino film 20 years ago and is the location for the anniversary two-day special for film fans. Come on down and relive the magic Fri & Sat.

SATURDAY: Cinco de Mayo is off to a head start but there are other fun events like the ever-popular Pancakes & Booze Art Show (Fri & Sat) as well as California Book Store Day. 

SUNDAY: Run for a good cause at Miles for Melanoma at Universal Studios Back-lot designed as Amityville from the classic film Jaws. If running isn't your thing then check out the tour at Santa Monica Airport (great for kids and families). 
 
MONDAY: Happy Cinco de Mayo! Day of the Dead is lively to say the least. Lots of festive things to do pre May 5th and on Monday. Here's our Deadly picks for this year:

 

 Beyond SightTICKET GIVEAWAY! Win a pair of tickets to see "Beyond Sight" at the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood on Saturday, May 10. Blind actor Robert Smith and former Marine Ginger Lawrence head the cast of a new musical about a soldier who returns to the U.S. after losing his sight during combat overseas. Jack Carter is a committed ROTC cadet driven to answer the call of duty in the wake of a catastrophic event. Blinded in Afghanistan, Jack returns home forever changed, forced to face the challenges of reintegrating into society without sight. Can he find the hope and courage to live a successful and fulfilling life? Drop us a line at eyespylareviews@gmail.com. 

 

 

  

MORE:

 

EVEN MORE: Some things are always fun to do... Check out our Places to Go Anytime and Things To Do pages for plenty of ideas that are available on a regular basis.

  • KIDS STUFF - Shows, activities, teas and more for families with toddlers, tykes and teens.
  • ART - Painting classes, gallery openings and new exhibits.
  • MUSEUMS - We have wonderful museums and they are always worth a visit - many have special events.

See what's going on all month on the MAY CALENDAR  

  HorzLine

 Find more? Check out our Editor's Picks selected at the start of every week.  

  

DiscountsDISCOUNTS - there are some really good ones right now. From whale watching to kids shows to festivals... entertain yourself at a discount. All at very reasonable prices. Even better, most of the discounts offered are direct from the event/activity producers and do not involve additional fees to receive the discount.

  

TIP OF THE ICEBERG: you'll find lots more events and other things to do near you - on our neighborhood and regional calendar links at the bottom of all Eye Spy LA web pages.


Have a GREAT Weekend!

 
Fabulous Ferris Wheel, Las Vegas, NV by Charles Phoenix

Ferris Wheel NV

Fabulous Las Vegas, as it's accurately and historically described, has done it again. They've gone and built another icon. This time it's the biggest Ferris wheel on earth! The whole thing is SO futuristic. The nearby monorails whizzing by add to the effect. For a moment or two I thought I was on another planet.

The gala grand opening of the HIGH ROLLER, as it's officially named, happened less than a month ago. Earlier this week, I had the privilege and pleasure of taking a midnight spin and what a thrill it was.
 
HorzLine

Calling All Playwrights! Skylight Theatre Offers a Home for New Voices to Shine by M.R. Hunter

http://eyespyla.blogspot.com/2014/04/calling-all-playwrights-skylight.html

Like any art, theater is in a constant state of evolution. It enjoyed preeminence before the talkies appeared a century ago. Everything changes. Newspapers struggle against the internet, critics who once wrote essays and books on the state of theater let alone verbose reviews are reduced to a mere doubling of Twitter-sized word counts and a diminishing of their importance. Actors are not so nearly eager to dive into a six-week run at the expense of a better paying gig. The trickledown effect has been enormous and palpable. One role has remained the same, the playwright. Without him/her, there is no show excepting improvisation. Yet, much in how theater has been indelibly altered by technology and dwindling, less-than-captive audiences, so too has the playwright suffered the slings and arrows of theater's hegemony by lack of accessibility.  
 
For a playwright to find a foothold between his/her script and the stage door one has to crack the door, or in this case, a window to let opportunity and development shine its way through.  Artistic Director Gary Grossman of the Skylight Theatre Company (previously known as Katselas) is determined to offer a place for playwrights to experiment, hone, fail or succeed. Having produced over 300 plays and over 50 world premieres, Grossman is fearless in his conviction: emerging playwrights are the future of theater. Finding and developing raw talent is his goal. It is a lofty mission in the face of flagging audiences, competing revivals (where everyone knows at least the play is good) and word of mouth. In a city rife with writers like Los Angeles, the demand is great but the supply, up until the company's rebranded vision, has been poor with few options beyond the Fringe Festival or workshops. A playwright haven is an oasis.


HorzLine

Rance's Chicago Pizza in Costa Mesa by Valerie Mitchell
 
  Rance's Pizzeria
After visiting Illinois, Rance Ruiz dreamed of creating the perfect Chicago style pizza. He practiced and perfected his skills and his recipes for years before opening up his dream restaurant - Rance's Chicago Pizza. 
 
I tried out the restaurant for the first time and loved the food. Obviously, I am not the only one who enjoys it. There was a steady stream of people coming in to eat at the restaurant and to pick up to go orders... 
 
 
HorzLine 
 
Eyestrology: Happy Birthday Taurus! by Cici Psy-Chic
 
Day of the Dead Duo Happy birthday to these celebrity April Tauruses: George Takei (4/20), Queen Elizabeth II (4/21), Jack Nicholson (4/22), George Lopez (4/23), Kelly Clarkson (4/24), Al Pacino (4/25), Channing Tatum (4/26), Tess Daly (4/27), Jessica Alba (4/28), Jerry Seinfeld (4/29), Willie Nelson (4/30)
 
Celebrity May Tauruses: Tim McGraw (5/1), David Beckham (5/2), Frankie Valli (5/3), Randy Travis (5/4),Adele (5/5), George Clooney (5/6), Robin Strasser (5/7), Enrique Iglesias (5/8), Billy Joel (5/9), Bono (5/10), Prince Royce (5/11), Tony Hawk (5/12), Stevie Wonder (5/13), George Lucas (5/14), Emmitt Smith (5/15), Megan Fox (5/16), Bob Saget (5/17), Tina Fey (5/18), Eleanor Tomlinson (5/19), Cher (5/20), Mr. T (5/21)  
 
This will be a fortunate month for most signs. Reap the benefits by keeping a glass half full perspective and making the most of the small stuff. Late spring is an excellent time to socialize. Mix and mingle through most of May and be open to meeting new people in different venues. Energy should be riding high, so put that to good use by working out in time to hit the beach. Artists and creative types will find this extra burst of tenacity helpful for finalizing projects or maybe starting one that's been percolating. By staying positive, we can be open to surprises. 
 
HorzLine 

ABOUT EYE SPY LA
 

Eye Spy LA has been the online Local's Guide to L.A. since 2003. Content is written, edited and maintained by locals and focuses on local and nearby events and the local creative community.

 

Editorial policy: Eye Spy LA editorials are stories written about places, entertainment and events that we go to. The opinions are those of our editorial staff and the writer of the piece. Calendar listings are ads posted by the people producing events and activities in the local area. Each week we pick and recommend events and other things to do based on our experience or sometimes because they look particularly unusual, unique or in some other way interesting. We do not recommend them based on any fees they may or may not have paid us for advertising.

 

You'll always find the latest events & activities plus commentary about where we've been at eyespyLA.com - updated daily. 

 

Andrea Kirk, publisher (editor@eyespyLA.com)

 

Eye Spy L.A. EYE SPY LA CONTRIBUTORS:

 

M.R. Hunter - editorial and reviews

Mark Share - reviews

Kelly Hargraves - dance and reviews

Leena Deneroff - food adventures

Charles Phoenix - retro slide of the week