August 8, 2014

Cruise the Urban Ocean, Parade to Ecuador or Make Your Own Jam

August is free movie month at a park near you. Head to Grand Park in downtown L.A. for free sci-fi double features each Saturday this month. This Saturday they'll be screening the latest Star Trek and the oldest. Warner Center Park in the West San Fernando Valley will be showing The Wizard of Oz on Saturday. Chances are there is a park near you showing movies too. You'll find these and more cool places for hot nights on Eye Spy LA's Annual Outdoor Summer Entertainment Guide.

MORE HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEKEND:

FAIR: Both the Ventura County Fair and the Orange County Fair run through August 10th. Go to the Equadorian Festival and Parade on Sunday.

JAZZY: Jazz on the Lawn at Stewart Park in Santa Monica. Free each Sunday in August.

DIY: Dance Downtown - Samba on Friday, Drum Downtown - Middle Eastern beats on Saturday. Try your hand at jam at the Fallen Fruit Public Fruit Jam on Sunday.

WILD: Have a Brew at the Zoo on Friday or board a yacht and go on an Urban Ocean Cruise with Aquarium of the Pacific on Saturday. Roll around the Doll Factory and watch the Baby Dolls Brawl.

TICKET GIVEAWAY! Win one of four pairs of tickets to see "In A Dark Dark House" at the Matrix Theatre in West Hollywood on Thursday, August 14 at 8 p.m. Larry Moss directs the Los Angeles premiere of Neil LaBute's "most personal play" which pits two estranged brothers against one another in a search for the truth about their shared past. In LaBute's thought-provoking and challenging tragicomedy that explores the darker facets of human relationships and the covert, unwritten bonds that tie families together. The playwright has called this powerful piece his most personal. In A Dark Dark House is recommended for mature audiences. Email us at eyespylareviews@gmail.com. Easy peasy!

...and this is just the tip of the very cool ice berg - get more at www.eyespyla.com

PLAN AHEAD: August

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

DISCOUNTS - 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 Happy Weekend!

Not Joss Whedon's "Much Ado About Nothing"

by Mark Share

Theatricum Botanicum's summer 2014 series revives Shakespeare's battle-of-the-sexes comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, which is receiving renewed attention following Joss Whedon's black-and-white movie version last year, starring his usual actors and filmed in a setting that looks like it could be a casual reading at his own house. Apparently, Whedon and friends enjoy an evening of reading a Shakespeare play together, something easier to do probably if one's friends are actors--I've tried this with a group of lawyers with mixed results--and this is a good, undemanding choice of play, for Theatricum too, which company is mostly about the camaraderie of a long-running troupe and the pleasant setting under the oaks...

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Randy's Donuts, Los Angeles, 2014 by Charles Phoenix

Its always time to drive thru Randy's Donuts, especially when you're taking a ride in a sparkly 1959 Caddy Coupe de Ville. Speaking of Randy's, we might as well just get it out in the open. At the end of the day, and 150 years from now, when people who haven't even been born yet, are talking about architecture in Los Angeles, the most important structure in town is Randy's Donuts. This crazy carb castle is a mid-century, mod masterpiece of the highest order. AAAND there's a GIIIANT donut on the roof. Drive-thru or walk up to Randy's, conveniently located in Inglewood, near LAX, since 1953. YESSS giant donuts matter to us in SoCal !!! ...

Cheers to Randy's Donuts and YOU !!! ...

Charles Phoenix

Los Angeles, CA

www.CharlesPhoenix.com

"Visionary Man" is a Soulful Tribute at the Hudson

by M.R. Hunter

The name J.B. Murray probably doesn't ring any bells of recognition. Born in 1908, Murray was a tenant farmer raising eleven children in a small town in Georgia and like most people of color in the area, could not read or write. At age 70, however, he experienced a vision from God which instructed him to paint, and create what was called "spirit-script," a wild scribbling he deciphered through a glass of well water, in effect making it holy. This otherwise simple man with no formal training, connections or money would become a respected American folk hero with his art work shown across the country. He died in 1988 having become a significant artist.

It's an impressive biography for a man who preferred to live without electricity in a shack. The world premiere musical at the Hudson adds color and life to J.B. Murray with a soulful libretto supported by a somewhat uneven but passionate cast. The story itself is worth seeing and themes of faith, persistence, hope and serendipity unfold quite lovingly and believably...

READ THE FULL REVIEW

Eyestrology: Happy Birthday Leo by Cici Psy-Chic

For the month of 7/22/14-8/22/14

Happy birthday to these celebrity August Leos: Coolio (8/1), Mary-Louise Parker (8/2), Martha Stewart (8/3), President Barack Obama (8/4), Maureen McCormick (8/5), Soleil Moon Frye (8/6), Charlize Theron (8/7), Dustin Hoffman (8/8), Sam Elliott (8/9), Antonio Banderas (8/10), Chris Hemsworth (8/11), George Hamilton (8/12), Danny Bonaduce (8/13), Mila Kunis (8/14), Jennifer Lawrence (8/15), Steve Carell (8/16), Robert De Niro (8/17), Edward Norton (8/18), John Stamos (8/19), Demi Lovato (8/20), Kenny Rogers (8/21), Tori Amos (8/22)

Most signs will be meeting new people and starting off romantic relationships through the rest of summer. Just when we least expect it, someone interesting will cross our paths if we pursue it. This is a good time to reconnect with old friends or take family vacations. Don't be surprised if someone from the past contacts out of the blue. We would do well to be open-minded and as flexible as possible. Be willing to hear another point of view even if it challenges our beliefs. For those who cannot travel to far, try to leave room enough for fun and play and lots of surprises.

Read The Full Forecast

Summer Outdoor Entertainment 2014

Summer in L.A. is all about the experience and not so much about the money. Grab your friends and a cooler, a blanket, and a picnic. You'll find plenty of summer events and low cost al fresco entertainment all over town.

FREE CONCERTS: Some of the best things in summer are free. Look around you're own neighborhood. You'll find free concerts, film screenings and theatre in parks, shopping centers, museums, and other nooks and crannies that have a patch of grass or some asphalt to setup a stage and some seating in...

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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 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