The birth of a new parking structure that will serve the future redone Reseda Theater began yesterday near the intersection of Sherman Way and Reseda Blvd. "The 8,500-square-foot theater will be gutted and reconfigured into an 11,000- square-foot, state-of- the-art, live-performance and special-event venue," reports the Daily News. It will get a $7.7 million makeover and is being rehabilitated by the CIM Group, who runs Hollywood & Highland, among many other redevelopment properties in the......

George Furth, a Tony-award winning playwright and the man behind the books for "Company," the 1970 Broadway musical as well as "Merrily We Roll Along," died yesterday in Santa Monica for reasons yet to be announced. Furth worked with Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the music and lyrics for the two musicals, on the short lived murder mystery "Getting Away With Murder" in 1996. He also wrote the play "Twigs." As an actor, Furth worked on......

We just really liked this photo of Walt Disney Concert Hall./ Photo by el daverino via LAist's flickr pool. CIRCUS TO THE MAXIMUS*: FOCUSfish Flying Circus returns to the Ford Amphitheatre tonight and tomorrow for an evening of circus thrills, set to a story inspired by Hurricane Katrina. “GUSH-E.D: The Extra Dimension” features Cirque du Soleil veteran Eric Newton, Australian ballet and aerial tissu artist Rachel Bowman, breakout aerial duo Cohdi Harrell and Laura......

By Roger Park On Saturday night The Actors’ Gang performed a production of George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 at the Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT). Adapted for the stage by Michael Gene Sullivan and directed by actor-writer-director Tim Robbins, 1984 depicts a terrifying world where people fear their opinions cannot be expressed freely, where citizens are constantly monitored and lied to by their government and a perpetual war is waged against an unseen......

Actor Ashley Nugent was at the iO West Theater in a rehearsal yesterday when a car smashed into the front of the building. She explains what happened from her perspective: All of the sudden there was this incredibly long screech of tires. It was long enough for all of us to look at each other and wonder if this was going to end in a crash. Oh yeah, it did. It was this horrific breakage......

It's classic romantic comedy formula--Boy Meets Girl, Boy Falls for Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl--but it has its roots in the venerable tradition of BritLit icon Jane Austen, whose mere six novels continue to capture the modern imagination. But imagine coming up with a full Austen-esque plot line, characters, witty repartee, and resolution in about 90 minutes? It's no easy feat, but for ImproTheatre's Unscripted Repertory performers (some pictured at right), it's simply......

A Chorus Line | Photo by Paul Kolnik First brought to the boards of Broadway in 1975, Michael Bennett's stark, blunt, and brilliant musical about being in musicals became one of the longest-running musicals of all-time. Now in revival after over a decade's absence on the Great White Way, the national touring company of A Chorus Line has landed in LA's Ahmanson Theatre for a limited engagement. Considering that Line is wholly emblematic of......

Apparently one step closer to becoming a sovereign nation, the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council discovered that the Bureau of Street Services has officially recognized the intersection of Hollywood/Sunset/Hillhurst/Virgil as an East Hollywood Neighborhood Council border. The CBS/Decaux revenue-producing kiosk, complete with "East Hollywood" tag, can only mean that an official "neighborhood designation" is right around the corner.......

Photo by pink_fish13 via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr BARGAIN BOOZE For those of us who would prefer to have cheap drinks at a happier hour than early evening, The Mint has the answer: Midnight Happy Hour. Finlandia drinks are only a $1. ART OPENING The work of 30 artists is presented in this brand new mixed-media show at the Santa Monica Museum of Art that is focused on puppetry. Participating artists include:......

Photo by Maryam S. via Flickr ... on the sidewalk at the ever so iconic Westwood building, the Village Theatre Westwood (961 Broxton Ave). Have fun! Update, 3:56 p.m.: The Kooks are walking over to the UCLA campus to play. No word yet on where they are headed specifically. Update, 4:33 p.m.: About 150 showed up for the initial concert and now The Kooks are heading to a frat house to play, possibly indoors.......

Since billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad has funded Los Angeles institutions such as LACMA's BCAM and UCLA's Stem Cell Institute, Curbed LA asked its readers what he should spend his money on next if it were to be a civic project. The "Subway to the Sea" won with overwhelming results....

In 1991, "resocialized" murderer and Austrian writer Jack Unterweger visited Los Angeles to pen a story about the difference between attitudes toward prostitution between Europe and the United States. Unterweger's initial long term imprisonment was for killing a prostitute by strangling her with her own bra, but was released after 14 years. While in the the LA area, he killed three prostitutes and fled California, eventually being caught by the FBI in Miami. Once back in Austria, he was convicted of eleven homicides and committed suicide....

The cast of Klub | Photo by Jean Louis Darville If you are in the mood for a wild evening in the theatre, head over to the Actors' Gang to experience the existential world of Klub. Bloody, desperate starlets: Check. Wacky, colorful wigs: Check. Hilarious songs about "Annie": You are in the right place. LAist talked to playwright Mitch Watson to get the inside scoop on The Actors' Gang and Klub. With shows on......

Photo Megan Geckler's art by susan catherine via LAist Featured Photos This is a purposefully backdated post for a National Arts Marketing Project (NAMP) workshop called "The New Frontier Part Two: Blogging, Social Networking and YouTube!" organized by the LA Stage Alliance with guest speakers D. Jean Hester and LAist Editor, Zach Behrens. The following are notes and reference links for workshop participants. BLOGS - Video: Blogs in Plain English - General Blogs: boingboing,......

Fans of the indie cult favorite Shortbus who want to catch Tobias the Mayor, known in theatre circles as the legendary actor Alan Mandell, in what the Los Angeles Times dubbed last year as “one of the five best performances you’ll see in this lifetime,” should circle Monday, April 7 on their calendar. That’s when tickets go on sale to the public for Mandell’s short two-week return engagement as Francis Biddle in Trying from......

Photo by retro traveler via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr ART OPENING & TALK Stephanie Rosenthal, exhibition curator and chief curator at the Hayward Gallery, London, discusses Allan Kaprow—Art as Life, a new show at the MOCA. The exhibit is opening today and runs until the end of June. 3-4 p.m. //The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA : Little Tokyo, Near the Japanese American National Museum // 152 North Central Avenue // FREE with......

OL' BLUE EYES Join the LA Philharmonic as they present an evening of big band and jazzy standards written for "The Chairman of the Board" in a show called Dear Mr Sinatra. Vocals are provided by contemporary vocalist and guitarist John Pizzarelli in a guest performance. 7:30 p.m. // Walt Disney Concert Hall // 111 S. Grande Avenue // (323) 850-2000 // $35-$95 THEATRE Secrets of the Trade at the Black Dahlia is described as......

The company of "Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" | Photo by DavidAllenStudio.com Written by Stephen Sondheim, the original "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is a classic. The most recent Tim Burton screen adaptation of Edward Sissorhands the musical was "meh." And last night's Los Angeles premiere under John Doyle's direction was, simply put, purely amazing. It begins as the lights go down in the house and up on......

First Nova Express Cafe? Now Largo? The good news, however, is that Largo's alleged closing is about opening a new space on La Cienaga according to bulletin board threads on www.fairfax-avenue.com and the Ditty Bops' website. A February 21st post on Fairfax Avenue repeated what Sara Watkins (of the Watkins Family Hour) wrote on a MySpace bulletin: "Largo will be closed and moving to a great new location during May (to open in June) so......

Yeah, this is how I feel. / Photo "Supervisor Zirves" by db via LAist's flickr pool. This morning was a rough start for everyone and we still got a little sleepies in us, but we'll definitely be awake for these events tonight. After another latte. CLASSICAL* The LA premiere of "The Axe Manual" happens tonight at Zipper Concert Hall as part of the Monday Evening Concert series. The program includes important recent works by......

Photo by tom.julio via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr TALK Throw on a hoodie and some comfy pants and head out now to make the 2 p.m. start of the Radical Women's International Women’s Day Celebration talk called "Art, Media & Revolution – Three Feminist Visionaries Speak Out." Panelists include artist Susana De Leon, poet Ashley Love, and journalist Amanda Rossi. If getting in touch with your inner grrrrrl makes you hungry,......

...or you could hit up Swingers for a late-night bite (LAist did!) | Photo by Stephanie Asher via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr DOCUMENTARY & DISCUSSION Non-profit mentoring group WriteGirl is putting on a screening of Girls Rock! which is a documentary about a rock n' roll girls' camp, and hosting a panel discussion after the film. Scheduled panelists include WriteGirl's founder and executive director, singer-songwriter Keren Taylor; Grammy-award winning songwriter and......

Bikes and graffiti are on tap for today. / Photo by Lush.i.ous via LAist's flickr pool. GRAFFITI ART Ghettogloss presents the graffiti art of Jersey Joe in Silverlake. The exhibit runs until March 20, but the opening reception is tonight from 7-midnight. 7 pm // Ghettogloss // 2380 Glendale Blvd #C, Los Angeles // Free. RIDE & TALK * RIDE-Arc monthly ride -- themed "Trolly" -- happens tonight. The group rides along for awhile......

A puppet show without Kermit: Concrete Folk Variations at The Manual Archives / Photo by Susan Simpson MEET THE PO-PO The public’s invited to meet the police and talk about safety issues at a neighborhood meeting between the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council, the Glassell Park Safety Committee and LAPD. Senior Lead Officer for Atwater Village Gina Chovan, gang detectives and City Attorney Donna Wong will be in attendance. 4 pm // Glassell Park Community......

Van Hunt plays the Temple Bar tonight, the third and last in a series of LA shows | Photo via his MySpace page The Guide to March Rock Music Residencies has been updated with a few more listings -- it seems as if residencies are catching on, which is a good thing. Meanwhile, Howlin Rain plays their last LA concert before a tour promoting their new album, Magnificent Fiend, that was released yesterday. Nicole......

Can you re-imagine the LA Riverfront? Then checkout tonight's lecture at SCI-Arc. / Photo by Lush.i.ous via LAist's flickr pool. FILM* A classic Japanese double feature plays at the New Beverly tonight and tomorrow. While these films were made more than 50 years ago, the themes are timeless: Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (1952) focuses on a housewife who’s sick and tired of her boring life with her business-minded husband as her niece......

Barbarella plays at the Arclight tonight. / Photo by atomicshakespeares via LAist's flickr pool. SPOKEN WORD The NYC-based nonprofit organization The Moth brings its StorySLAM to LA every first Tuesday of the month. If you’re good a spinning yarns, then StorySLAM is for you. They provide the theme and the mic – you put your name in the hat and if you’re picked, you have 5-minutes to tell your story – no papers allowed.......

Lots of old school films happening around town tonight. / Photo by get directly down via flickr. THEATRE You have a hand at commenting on the Theatre of NOTE’s play selection this week and next. NOTEwood is their comprehensive series of public readings featuring new, original works. The 2009 season will be chosen from the 30 scripts selected to be read aloud at the year’s NOTEwood reading – but there’s a talk back session......

HISTORY It's happening right now until 4 p.m. today, so check out some of the over 200 Los Angeles area focused historical organizations over at Heritage Sqaure (right off the Gold Line). More info at an earlier LAist post. 12-4:00 p.m. // Heritage Square // 3800 Homer Street, LA, California 90031 // $10 FILM Walk Cheerfully screens tonight in the Cinefamily Asian Sunday series. Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, the 1930 film blends multiple genres and......

"hang" | Photo by xxjetlab via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr THEATRE Members of the Towne Street Theatre are on stage tonight in a double bill. First is The 10 Minute Play Festival, which features plays ranging from comedy to satire to drama brought to you by 23 actors and 9 director. Second is PassingSOLO, a one-woman show based on their play version of Nella Larsen's 1927 novella Passing. There will be......