Flashback to 1996

I went to see the musical Rent with my friend Amy. It was at the Pantages, which is a beautiful old theatre in Hollywood. The crowd was particularly partisan and clearly knew each scene and song that was coming up next (they could've probably done a 'Rocky Horror' type participatory thing with this crowd). What struck me was how things have changed since the show came out. In New York now, it would probably be impossible to have a group of artists living in an abandoned warehouse in Manhattan (where are all the poor artists in New York living now?) and AIDS is a disease that while is still not curable, many people are able to live with it for years. It's definitely not the death sentence that is depicted in the musical. Still, the idea of a bohemian artist community fighting to stay true to their art and dying young has been around for hundreds of years (I suspect it did not start with the opera La Boheme on which this was based) and the emotional impact is still strong.

dineLA

The last two weeks were dineLA week in Los Angeles. I believe this program started in NYC and San Francisco. They've timed it brilliantly to coincide with my birthday! :) Lots of restaurants in the area featured special prix fixe menus at various price points. I went to four places with various friends, all in the West Hollywood area. All of these places were ones I had not yet visited but that were highly recommended. I loved them all. This is a great way to support local restaurants and chefs and explore some of the interesting dining that is in LA. The special deals are being extended at some of the restaurants through the end of February. With the economy in the toilet it seems people are taking advantage of the special deals and the restaurants are appreciating the extra business. The places I went are:
Taste on Melrose (Melrose & La Cienega)
Asia de Cuba (in the Mondrian Hotel)
Comme Ca (Melrose & La Cienega)
BLT Steak (Sunset Plaza)

Seattle and PNB

My friend Kelly and I went to Seattle last weekend to see Pacific Northwest Ballet perform "Jewels". I've never been to Seattle so it was also an opportunity to see the city a little. On Saturday morning, I took an open ballet class taught by a member of the corps. The class was very challenging and a lot of fun! In the afternoon, Kelly and I went to explore Pike Place Market and get some lunch before heading to the theatre to catch a wonderful performance. This is definitely a company worth visiting. On Sunday we went up to the top of the Space Needle for a view of the area. It was overcast but we could see Mount Rainier in the distance. The Seattle Art Museum is a little gem with some wonderful pieces and the Public Library is a gorgeous and relaxing place to spend an afternoon. I definitely want to come back and see more ballet and explore more of the area. This is a city that is small enough to get around without a car and if you're lucky enough to have dry weather, the surrounding mountains and bay are beautiful.