GELFAND’S WORLD-This summer, you can attend an outdoor movie screening at a real movie set, or you can watch films near the tomb of Rudolph Valentino. It's all part of our local history. Or, you can travel from one outdoor Shakespeare production to another, or from one outdoor music concert to the next. And then there is tableau vivant, which is a thing unto itself.
The Paramount Ranch was the production site of many westerns, both film and television. During the summer, you can walk past the old buildings used as sets, and then revisit our Hollywood heritage by watching a silent film projected under the stars. Try being entertained the way our ancestors were. Bring your own picnic dinner.
Another outdoor movie setting that attracts big crowds is, curiously enough, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Unlike other local cemeteries, Hollywood Forever is friendly to members of the public who want to visit the graves of Rudolph Valentino, Cecil B. DeMille, and many others. During the summer months, you can go to Hollywood Forever and see movies.
And there is Eat See Hear. One big advantage for some of us is that it is dog friendly (bring a leash). Unlike the other outdoor movie organizations, this company moves around to different locations over the summer, so you have to check each listing for its particular location. Three Amigos is coming up, along with other attractions including Reservoir Dogs and the Princess Bride. You may remember the line my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.
For a more comprehensive calendar of outdoor films, you can check out Thrillist for its page Every summer outdoor movie screening in LA. You can also check out the list at Curbed LA. where you can find out how to watch a movie from a swimming pool or on the beach.
The term tableau vivant means living picture (photos above and left). In this art form, live actors form the image of a famous painting or sculpture, and hold themselves in place for the audience to view. The Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts has been producing a tableau vivant show since 1932. It's a bit of a trek for the Angeleno, but the Pageant of the Masters comes packaged with an art show where you can wander among the artists and their works. It's worth the trip.
The Los Angeles area also has a rich collection of outdoor theater. The grand old performance venue is the Will Gear Theatricum Botanicum, up Topanga Canyon. the Will Gear does a mix of Shakespeare and others. This summer features a remarkable collection of plays, including a couple of more recent ones such as Green Grow the Lilacs and August: Osage County.
Shakespeare Orange County features Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It, followed by Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance.
For a more comprehensive listing of outdoor drama, check out the page on Summer Theatre Festivals Around Los Angeles 2015.
This next list is so long that it defies comment, but for free outdoor concerts, check out the other Thrillist. These are everywhere from Pasadena to Lacma to MacArthur Park, and include a wide range of styles.
Finally, in the not-free music genre, there is the Hollywood Bowl. However, tickets in the higher reaches of the Bowl can be had for very little money, and in my experience, the sound quality isn't much different for seats up in the stratosphere vs. the seats that are half-way down. Thousands of people bring a picnic dinner, dine out under the stars, and then listen to Beethoven or Tchaikovsky. It's an event. The Bowl management also delights in doing light shows and fireworks for selected concerts.
All in all, there is lots to do, and most of it is available at a reasonable price, or even a most excellent price. That's the advantage of living in the big city in the summer, and particularly in a city that is starting to recognize its place in cinematic history.
(Bob Gelfand writes on culture and politics for CityWatch. He can be reached at [email protected])
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 57
Pub: Jul 14, 2015
