LA Opera will present the company premiere of El último sueño de Frida y Diego, The Last Dream of Frida and Diego with six performances November 18 – December 9 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
The new opera by composer Gabriela Lena Frank and librettist Nilo Cruz draws an international cast in a tribute to two iconic Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. When a desperate wish on Day of the Dead reunites Diego Rivera with his wife Frida Kahlo, Diego jumps at the chance to seek forgiveness, but Frida refuses to return to the world that caused her so much pain, until another departed soul inspires her to look back at the art and the man she once loved.
This provides the impetus for Mexico’s renowned artists and infamously stormy lovers and their paintings to come alive as the artists’ emblematic paintings blend with a folklore-inspired score to provide a fresh perspective on the love-hate saga of the famous couple.
The opera is sung in Spanish with subtitles in both English and Spanish with a running time of approximately two hours and 15 minutes which includes one intermission. The production includes brief nudity, viewer discretion is advised.
Special events planned for the production include a Newcomer Night on Thursday Nov 30 that will include a pre-show talk introducing the story and music as well as a reception with wine and desserts during intermission. Celebración de las Artes hosted by Hispanics for LA Opera on Sunday, Dec 3 performance will provide music, food and fun on the plaza. For more information about the production and tickets, please visit LAOpera.org/Frida.
Celebrating its eighth year and relaunching post-pandemic, WestEdge Design Fair returns to Barker Hangar in Santa Monica November 16-18.
The Fair will bring over 175 established and up-and-coming brands from across the globe offering furniture, lighting, art, kitchen, and bath products to design professionals and enthusiasts. A series of educational programs will include over 45 speakers and over 20 culinary and mixology demonstrations.
Fair highlights include:
* MADE:MODERN, a curated section of the fair showcasing independent designers, makers and artists with one-of-a-kind furniture, lighting and accent offerings. Exhibitors include Art’s Tree House, Buzzell Studios, CarbonShack, Ever Atelier, Thomas Cooper Studio, whyrHymer and others.
* The PIRCH Culinary Pavilion will offer demonstrations and tastings Including a Thanksgiving wine pairings seminar, a kimbap rolling demonstration, and a Taste of Italian Cuisine.
*WestEdge XTERIORS, the outdoor section of the fair will showcase outdoor design, furnishings, kitchens and grills, saunas etc.
* WestEdge Theater presented by Banana Republic Home will offer panel talks, industry forums and conversations in partnership withConvo by Design in partnership with BR Home and Marbé Designs.
* The IIDA/WestEdge Design Fair Booth Awards features the International Interior Design Association partnering with WestEdge to launch two new design competitions for product awards and/or booth awards for exhibitors, with winners at an Awards Presentation.
* VIP Lounge hospitality hub is designed by Los Angeles-based interior designer Julia Wong.
*An Opening Night Party presented by PIRCH will kick off the fair November 16 from 6-10 pm where guests can mingle over food, cocktails, and entertainment along with early-access shopping. Ticket proceeds and a one-of-a-kind auction of designer items will benefit Hollywood Food Coalition.
The Recurring Revenue Conference will be held on November 9, 2023 at the Hilton Los Angeles Culver City. Subscription ecommerce or SaaS business thinkers, entrepreneurs, executives and investors will discuss the subscription economy and its latest innovations and customer engagement strategies to attract and retain customer loyalty. Over 700+ attendees, exhibitors and speakers are expected to attend.
The cloud services industry has become increasingly important, grown exponentially with SaaS revenue touching $143.7 billion; cloud security is growing by 30% annually; low-code SaaS platforms have come of age, with 75% of development shops adopting low-code platforms by this year; 75% of all cloud workloads and computing instances come from SaaS applications, and new software entrants and 80% of prior vendors offering subscription-based business models, with almost half of all software revenue generated from subscription.
Topics will cover how leaders of successful SaaS businesses are managing explosive growth; why investors are bullish and paying record-breaking multiples for recurring revenue businesses; why building and optimizing ongoing customer relationships is the lifeblood of subscription companies; the latest strategies on reducing Customer Acquisition Cost while still growing; creating additional revenue channels to augment SaaS revenue; key insights to reduce churn, increase adoption and upsell new solutions; and achieving data-driven marketing success.
Panel discussions include: Generative AI: Separating Hype from Reality, a deep dive into the growth and impact of Generative AI in the SaaS and subscription ecosystem. The Changing Role of the CFO will provide insights into the future of financial leaders from just number-crunchers to strategic partners shaping corporate strategies for long-term success. State of SaaS: Valuations and Key Metrics. Making a Key Pivot: Opportunities and Challenges will provide firsthand accounts from seasoned CEOs who have successfully executed major pivots in their businesses sharing strategies and lessons they have learned. Who is Writing Checks? Meet the Money will show what investors are currently looking for in potential ventures, how to get their attention and secure funding in the SaaS space.
Roundtable discussions will cover a host of topics: Unlocking Product Value to Drive Growth through pricing; Extending Your Runway in an Challenging Environment; 5 Strategies for Monetizing SaaS Integrated Payments; Scale to Sale: Building Your Business to be Exit Ready; Get to Know Your Customer Agreement: Tips, Tricks & Mistakes to Avoid; Legal Challenges of Auto-Renew Subscriptions; Every Company is a Fintech Company: How to Win your Corner of the Internet; Selling with Design & UX; and Nailing your Go-to-Market.
Breakout Sessions include: The Future of Work: Harnessing AI’s Potential While Navigating Emerging Risks; Managing Cash & Extending Runway in a Capital Constrained World; 5 Checkpoints for Mastering your Recurring Revenue; Metrics that Matter: KPIs to Attract Capital & Accelerate Growth; and Term Sheets 101.
Keynote speaker CEO Chris Webb will share his journey in building and scaling ChowNow! In an industry dominated by well-funded competitors charging hefty delivery app fees to both restaurants and consumers, ChowNow saw the challenges local restaurants faced with high commission rates and disrupted the game by offering restaurants an affordable solution of a fixed monthly subscription without order percentage fees, empowering them to thrive in the digital age.
Pasadena magazine will present its 1st Annual Taste of Pasadena, a strolling culinary festival featuring unlimited tastings by some of the best restaurants from Pasadena, and around the San Gabriel Valley. The inaugural celebration will take place on Friday, October 6th at the Pasadena Convention Center 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.
A wide array of culinary offerings include Arth Bar + Kitchen, Cabrera’s Mexican Cuisine, Celestino Ristorante, Champion’s Curry, Engine Co. No. 28, Farina Pizza, Five 55, Fogo De Chao, Granville, Great Maple, Mama M Sushi, Lunasia Modern Dim Sum & Cuisine, Kaviar, Pez Cantina, The Luggage Room Pizzeria & La Grande Orange, Osawa Shabu Shabu & Sushi, The Raymond 1886, Santa Anita Park, Twohey’s, with more expected to be announced later.
Desserts will be provided by Beard Papa’s Pasadena, Bertha Mae’s Brownie Co., Esther & Olivia BouqCakes, I Like Pike Bakeshop, Marsatta Chocolate, Ms. Rhonda’s Crack-N-Pop, and Nothing Bundt Cakes.
Wines will be poured by Adobe Road Winery (Sonoma County), Bernardus Winery (Carmel Valley), Bouchaine Vineyards (Carneros Napa Valley), Defiance Vineyard (Paso Robles), The Mill Keeper by Gamble Family Vineyards (Napa Valley), Tercero Wines (Santa Barbara), Vino Los Angeles (Mexico), Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards (Temecula Valley), and more.
Spirits, Cocktails, Beer, Music, and Special Experiences courtesy of Acqua Panna, Cerveceria Del Pueblo, Balcones, Corbin Cash Distillery, Casa Azul Tequila, Dough Ball Whiskey, Frey Ranch Farmers + Distillers, Knox & Dobson, Mezcal 33, Old Hillside Bourbon, Rancho La Gloria Tequila, Shelter Distilling, and many more.
Partners and sponsors include AbilityFirst, Pasadena Convention Center, Visit Pasadena, Sodexo Live!, Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, Yelp, and Viva LA.
For more information and tickets, please visit Pasadenamag.com/taste.
California Spirit will return this year to Fox Studios Commissary Lawn, to bring L.A. foodies up close and personal with some the city’s top chefs for an evening of culinary arts, cocktails, and creativity celebrating the American Cancer Society’s progress in the fight against cancer.
Represented chefs include Nancy Silverton of Mozza, Suzanne Goin of A.O.C., Katianna Hong & John Hong of Yangban, Burt Bakman of Slab, Govind Armstrong of The Lobster, Jazz Singalong of Jitlada, Lien Ta & Jonathan Whitener of Here’s Looking At You, Jorge Alvarez of Tacos 1986, Mark Rosati of Shake Shack, Pawan, Nakul & Arjun Mahendro of Badmaash, Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw.
Pouring will be Peroni, Justin Wine, Eleven Eleven, Monkey Shoulder, Charles Krug, Ehlers Estate, Pasqua, J. Lohr, Ettole, Valdo, Milagro Tequila, Hendrick’s Gin, and Reyka vodka.
The event includes inspirational speakers, live and silent auctions, and will be hosted by Billy Harris. Flowers will be available for the event’s Garden of Hope ‘In Honor Of’ or ‘In Memory Of a loved one who has survived, is fighting or has lost the battle against cancer. The flowers with names of loved ones will be displayed in the Garden of Hope.
General Admission is at 4:00 p.m., with an early VIP Hour 3:00 p.m, and guests are encouraged to ‘Pink Out’ by wearing pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
All proceeds from California Spirit benefit the American Cancer Society’s mission to save and celebrate lives, and fight for a world without cancer. Co-Founded by Wolfgang Puck and Sherry Lansing in 1984, California Spirit has raised more than $18 million for the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society is the largest private funder of cancer research in the United States, with more than $5 billion invested in life-saving research for cancer prevention, detection and treatment.
Quietly opened in November 2022, one of Westwood’s newest cocktail and dining destination beckons with its New American, global Angeleno cuisine. Helmed by Chef Fidel Guzman, its menu focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients.
The To Start features dishes like Brown Butter Labneh, Hummus with chili crisps, Burrata with grilled and flambé peaches, Esquites, Mushroom Arancini, Shrimp Toast, Steak Tartare, Shawarma, and Bone Marrow & Black Garlic.
Handmade Pastas include Rigatoni Diavola, Cacio e Pepe, and Bolognese.
The Entrées boast selections such as Pan Roasted Pork Chop with a togarashi-whiskey glaze, Steak Frites, Wolfsglen Burger with candied bacon, spicy aioli, and arugula, Beyond Burger, Roast Chicken with aji verde and pea tendrils, Seared Salmon served with a pineapple ginger glaze and miso potato purée, Seared Striped Bass, and Cauliflower Steak with curry and raisin chutney.
Desserts include Homemade Peach Pie, Mango Sweet Rice, Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake, and Ricotta Donuts with blueberry compote and lemon curd.
Signature bar offerings include the Razz-Mez-Tazz with mezcal, mango, spicy bitter, agave and Tajin, Purple Rain with gin, blueberry purée, lemon, and butterfly pea flower, Geisha’s Kiss with Masumi sparkling sake, elderflower liqueur, and lychee purée, and Black Gold with Neft vodka, simply syrup, cucumbers, and activated charcoal. Wine, Red Wine, Rosé, Sparking, Beer and cider are also available.
Inspired by the legacy of John Wolfskill, a former state senator and pioneer rancher who played a pivotal role in the development of Westwood Village, the restaurant is located in a historic 1930s two-story building with beautiful high ceilings, modern design, a patio for al fresco dining, and private event spaces.
The restaurant’s rich history, elegant ambiance, and menu blends history, culture, and cuisine into a unique dining experience with friends, intimate gatherings, and special events. Of note is a Howlin’ Hour Tuesday through Friday from 2:00 pm-6:00 pm and Late-Night Howlin’ Hour Friday and Saturday from 11:00 pm-12:30 am.
For more information and reservations,please visit www.Wolfsglen.com.
Los Angeles Times’ Food Bowl, the annual celebration of Southern California’s food scene returns in September, along with its centerpiece Night Market at Paramount Pictures Studios Backlot. The three-day outdoor food and drink festival Sept. 22, 23 & 24 features unlimited tastings from more than 120 restaurants per session, live cooking demonstrations from world-renowned chefs and culinary personalities and DJs.
Three themed events include:
Fiesta Friday,” Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. The all-inclusive celebration of L.A.’s Latin American flavors will feature restaurants, cocktails and more from Mexico, the Caribbean and beyond, with cooking demonstrations from Bricia Lopez (Guelaguetza) and Danny Trejo (Trejo’s Tacos). VIP tickets are available for purchase and include early event entry, plus drive-on parking and access to an exclusive lounge. Participating restaurants include: A’s BBQ, Alfalfa, Anajak Thai, Awan, Bake Some Noise, Belles Beach House, Blue Plate Oysterette, Bridgetown Roti, Broad Street Oyster Co., By-You Dogg, Caviar Kaspia, Chichén Itzá, Coucou, Dino’s Famous Chicken, Dulanville Food Truck, East Side Cheesecakes, El Barrio Cantina, El Ruso, Evil Cooks, Farmhouse Kitchen, Fishing with Dynamite, Ggiata, Guelaguetza, Heavy Handed, Holbox, I Love Micheladas, Ilé Bistro, Kogi BBQ, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, LA Cha Cha Chá, La Sorted’s Pizza, Love Hour, Love.Life, Luv2eat Thai Bistro, Maple Block Chicken, Mini Kabob, Mírate, Moto Ramen, Nossa Caipirinha Bar, Paradise Dynasty, Park’s BBQ, Puesto, Ronan, Soulmate, Tacos 1986, Tallula’s, Villa’s Tacos and Wanderlust Creamery.
Saturday Night Flavor, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Spotlighting global cuisine that reflects quintessential L.A., Saturday will feature cooking demonstrations from Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn (Le Du, Bangkok), Justin Pichetrungsi (Anajak Thai), Ahmad Alzahabi (The Golden Balance), Nick DiGiovanni (YouTube, “MasterChef”) and Food Network’s Aarti Sequeira (“Unwind: A Devotional Cookbook for the Harried and Hungry). Participating restaurants include: 626 Hospitality Group, Amiga Amore, Awan, Bake Some Noise, Blue Plate Oysterette, Botanica, Broad Street Oyster Co., By-You Dogg, Cabra, Camphor, Caviar Kaspia, Chao Krung Thai & Tuk Tuk Thai, Chimmelier, Dino’s Famous Chicken, Dulanville Food Truck, East Side Cheesecakes, El Ruso, Evil Cooks, Farmhouse Kitchen, Genghis Cohen, Girl & the Goat, Hamasaku, Holbox, Holy Basil, Ilé Bistro, Intercrew LA, Kato, Kinn, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Le Coupé, Loreto, Love.Life, Lunetta, Luv2eat Thai Bistro, n/soto, Open Market, Osteria Mamma, Paradise Dynasty, Poncho’s Tlayudas, Salt & Straw, Sichuan Impression, Stella, Stellar Pizza, STK Steakhouse, Sunday Gravy, Tacos 1986, The Brothers Sushi, Villa’s Tacos and Xuntos.
Backlot Brunch Sept. 24 at 12 pm Sunday’s brunch event will turn the backlot into an afternoon block party for all ages, featuring barbecue, burgers and cooking demonstrations from Tiffani Thiessen (“Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers”), Timothy Hollingsworth (Otium) and Marcus Samuelsson (Red Rooster, Hav & Mar). Participating restaurants include: Alfalfa, Awan, Bake Some Noise, Bridgetown Roti, Brique French Toastery, Broad Street Oyster Co., By-You Dogg, Caviar Kaspia, De La Nonna, Di Di, Ditroit Taqueria, Dulanville Food Truck, El Ruso, Farmhouse Kitchen, Goodboybob Coffee Roasters, Guzzu Bento-ya, Happy Ice, Heritage Barbecue, Holey Grail Donuts, Ilé Bistro, Jitlada, L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, La Sorted’s Pizza, Le Shrimp Noodle Bar, Love.Life, Mírate, Mo’s House of Axe, Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Mozza Restaurant Group, Ospi, Jame, Jemma, Jemma di Mare, Paderia Bakehouse, Paloma Venice, Pasjoli, Pop’s Bagels, Prime Pizza, Ray’s BBQ, Rocco’s Deli Italiano, Saltie Girl, Slab, Stellar Pizza, Tacos 1986, The Brothers Sushi, Tulsi Indian Eatery, Turok’s Cheesecake and West & Co.
The 7th Annual Festival Chapin will return to Lafayette Park in Los Angeles on Saturday August 26 & Sunday August 27. The free festival celebrates Guatemalan culture and its vibrant community via the country’s historic folklore, music, arts & crafts and gastronomy.
Chapín is a word that many Guatemalans use to describe their ethnicity with pride, and the history of the word dates back to the 15th century, when Chapines were a type of popular platform in Spain. The footwear f eventually disappeared but the name persists as an adjective for a person from Guatemala.
Metro Los Angeles is also home to several notable Guatemalans, including the prominent street artist Mauricio “Cache” Reyes, as well as a plethora of Guatemalan restaurants serving up delicious traditional dishes. Many of them will be represented at the Festival. Food available for purchase will including the rich, traditional foods of Guatemala like garnachas (similar to a Mexican ‘sope’), shucos (Guatemalan-style hot dogs), chicken pepian, enchiladas, and hilachas (stewed meat).
Footwear, pottery, jewelry, clothes, tablecloths, and traditional purses. A health fair will provide health information from L.A. Care, Dignity Health, Molina Healthcare, Party Time Pediatric Dentist, Smile California Medi-cal Dental insurance, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs among others.
The Central American country of the Republic of Guatemala historically formed the core of the Maya civilization, one of the most highly developed societies in the history of the Americas and the world. After being subjugated by Spanish rule, Guatemala became an independent republic in 1821. A decades-long civil war that began in the 1950s provided the impetus for generations of Guatemalans to seek a better life abroad, often in states like Florida, Texas, and California.
Metro Los Angeles is home to one of the largest Guatemalan populations outside of Guatemala.
Communities with substantial numbers of Guatemalans include the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hawthorne, Palmdale, Inglewood, Paramount and the unincorporated communities of Lennox and Val Verde.
Chapin Summer Festival Inc. is a non-profit organization based in California that’s committed to promoting the art and culture of Guatemala abroad. Its mission is to offer resources to educational institutions in Guatemala that help to promote the education, health and well-being for children from less-advantaged homes in the country.
