The Boychik's Los Angeles Events Next Weekend

Reflections Publishing 2nd Annual Writers Seminar (Free)
January 24, 2009 01:00PM
LAX Radisson Hotel, 6225 W. Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, The United States
http://www.reflectionspublishings.net
Gerald will appear on a panel to discuss "Making Early Decisions that Affect, Duh, Everything!" Intended particularly for memoirists, his examples will address point of view, voice, plot, emotional subplots, and structure, as well as editorial discipline to support those decisions. He will be joined by Robin Quinn of Quinn's Word for Word, a respected ghostwriting and editorial service.

Reading at Barnes & Noble at the Grove (LA)
January 25, 2009 02:00PM
Barnes & Noble at the Grove, 189 Grove Dr. Suite K30, Santa Monica, CA, The United States
http://www.iwosc.org
Gerald will read from the forthcoming third comic novel in the Rollo Hemphill series, "Farnsworth's Revenge: Rollo's End." His reading is part of IWOSC Reads Its Own, sponsored by the Independent Writers of Southern California.

G&G Review 'The Magic Flute' at LA Opera

Masonic ritual is fun and games! A flute and a few bells are potent weaponry against villainy! Enlightenment is a stroll through a translucent pyramid!

Life is paradox, and paradox is just damn funny.

Read all about it here.

The Freemasons were not exactly latter-day feminists, but at least in this production, the princess joins the prince as they both scramble to the top of the pyramid of wisdom.

(Photos by Robert Millar courtesy LA Opera)

G&G Savor Pink Martini

On New Year's Eve, Georja and I took in Pink Martini's performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. You can read our review for LASplash.com here.

Besides obvious musical virtues we mention in our review, I want to give Pink Martini credit for their business savvy. They've released three successful albums so far, all under their own label (Heinz Records, named for artistic director Thomas Lauderdale's late, beloved dog). So even though their CDs have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, this world-touring band is not answering to one of the big music labels. Like the best small-press book publishers, they are actively engaged in -- and apparently profiting from -- what I like to call "garage-band marketing."

A further thought in this New Year: In just a few years, Pink Martini has done a beautiful job of inventing itself as a "little orchestra," including building a well-deserved reputation for both musical virtuosity and originality. And they are perpetually reinventing old music genres like torch songs, Latin ballroom, and club tunes.

So I commend them to you not only as artistic but also as lifestyle role models.

Because it's going to be a year when we all need to think hard about reinventing just about everything in our lives just to cope!

Pianist-composer Thomas B. Lauderdale and lead vocalist-songwriter China Forbes of Pink Martini.
(Photo by Sherri Diteman courtesy Pink Martini)

G&G Review 'The Little Dog Laughed' at the Kirk Douglas

Who knew there were handsome leading men in Hollywood who pretend to be heterosexual for the sake of their box office draw? Perhaps the central question is, how do you feel about a Hollywood superagent's pushing that cause? Even fighting for it? She'll stop at nothing to promote her pretty-boy client and his boy-next-door image in this send-up farce by wickedly funny playwright Douglas Carter Beane.

Put another way, behind the scenes, the business of managing the box office takes exactly the opposite view on Prop 8 from what you'd expect from the public posturing of moguls and their favorite stars.

Read our review of opening night here. In a theater literally a stone's throw from the Sony lot in Culver City, it was all about an industry audience laughing at their own skewering onstage.

Holy hypocrites, Batman!

(Photo by Craig Schwartz courtesy Center Theatre Group)

G&G Opera Review: Carmen, You Shameless Hottie

We had lots to say about sexual politics, then (1875) and now in our review of the opening night of LA Opera's revival of Bizet's Carmen. Women will do anything to survive, and men will do anything to possess women. Click here to read our review on LA Splash.com.


(Photo by Robert Millar courtesy LA Opera)

Catch Episode 2 of 'Couch Cases'

Post-WGA strike, the showbiz world has reinvented itself once again. At the end of the previous strike, the "spec script" was suddenly the new way to break in. This time, with high-quality digital production tools so inexpensive, the spec-produced webisode is the new calling card.

My friend and colleague Patrick Ortman offers the second episode of Couch Cases tonight. May the powers that be, be watching!

Reading 'My Inflatable Friend' at the Grove

In this excerpt, Rollo is called to account by the vindictive hotel manager, Hugo Farnsworth.

Listen here (MP3, 6min):




Gerald reads at Barnes & Noble at the Grove, Los Angeles, Sunday, November 9, 2008 for the Publishers Association of Los Angeles.