Not-so-Vanilla Diva

TAIX FRENCH RESTAURANT, LOS ANGELES’ OLDEST & ONLY FRENCH COUNTRY RESTAURANT, CELEBRATES 90TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 90-CENT ROAST CHICKEN DINNER SPECIAL

Categories: Diva-liscious, Do As The Locals Do, Miscellaneous, Night Life Diva, Not-so-Vanilla Diva
TAIX FRENCH RESTAURANT, LOS ANGELES’ OLDEST & ONLY FRENCH COUNTRY RESTAURANT, CELEBRATES 90TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 90-CENT ROAST CHICKEN DINNER SPECIAL

Prohibition to Gentrification, French Restaurant Celebrates Decades of Serving L.A.’s French Quarter, Old Hollywood, Politicos and Next-Gen Hipsters   Sunday, October 8, 2017 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. Taix French Restaurant 1911 W. Sunset BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90026   Taix French Restaurant, Los Angeles oldest family owned and operated French country restaurant, is celebrating its 90th anniversary with its traditional “cent” roast chicken dinner. On Sunday, October 8, 2017 from 4 p.m .to 8 p.m., customers, old and new, can celebrate with a 90-cent “Taix” Roast Chicken dinner special.   The menu for the evening’s anniversary hours will be limited to soup de jour, salad and the “Taix” Roast Chicken with au jus—a classic French country chicken dinner introduced by Marius Taix Jr. in 1927. (Dishes will only be 90 cents each.) Full service bar available; reservations will not be accepted and diners will beseated on a first come, first serve basis.   The Taix Family is the third and fourth generation of sheepherders and bakers from the “Hautes-Alpes” in southeastern France that moved to Los Angeles around 1870. In 1912 Marius Taix Sr. built a hotel called the Champ d’Or in downtown Los Angeles’ French quarter, which was located on 321 Commercial Street, and included a hotel restaurant subleased to a ...

DOWNTON ABBEY FASHION EXHIBIT

Categories: Day Tripping, Diva-Colored Glasses, Diva-liscious, Do As The Locals Do, Featured, Miscellaneous, Music Diva, Not-so-Vanilla Diva
DOWNTON ABBEY FASHION EXHIBIT

Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center Anaheim, CA By Angela Rocco DeCarlo "Downton Abbey," one of the most successful television shows, is set in a fictional Edwardian English castle, awash with nobles, paid-servants and enormous upheavals due to war, jealousy and financial ruin. The Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, Anaheim, CA, is presenting an exhibition of the lovely wardrobe of the show. Seeing the clothing up close is delightful. In every detail the show's six seasons evoked the volcanic disruptions brought on by World War I and its political, societal and financial changes. The Roaring Twenties and the Jazz Age took woman from their corseted floor-length dresses to loose shifts exposing naked shoulders and legs - shocking. "In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, now God knows, anything goes." From Noel Coward's song, "Anything Goes." The Downton Abbey era is illuminated through the skillful Julian Fellows' scripts and an array of outstanding good-looking actors who enchanted television viewers. The gorgeous period clothing charmed all. "Dressing Downton - Changing Fashion for Changing Times" featuring nearly 40 of the original garments designed and fitted to the individual actors, can be seen at Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, Anaheim, California, until May 11. It then ...

AIDA – Giuseppe Verdi; librettist, Antonio Chislanzoni

Categories: Day Tripping, Diva-Colored Glasses, Do As The Locals Do, Featured, Miscellaneous, Music Diva, Night Life Diva, Not-so-Vanilla Diva
AIDA –  Giuseppe Verdi; librettist, Antonio Chislanzoni

By Angela Rocco DeCarlo Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall Segerstrom Center for the Arts Costa Mesa, CA February 23, 25, 28 – 8 p.m. Aida, the spectacular Giuseppe Verdi opera of 1871, alight with a dramatic love triangle, political and military intrigue, and the glorious aria “Celeste Aida” in Act 1, and the “Triumphal March” of Act II, comes to Orange County, California, February 23, 25 and 28. This is the opera everyone should experience at least once. Verdi was the most successful and widely performed composer in opera history. No opera season in the world is complete without including at least two of his major pieces. The Pacific Symphony, with Carl St. Clair conducting, at Renee and Henry Segerstom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa, CA, presents Verdi's dynamic masterpiece in a full-orchestra of  88 musicians, “semi-staged” concert presentation, featuring stellar performers, including local diva, Milena Kitic, who was the ferocious gypsy beauty of Bizet's Carmen, in thePacific Symphony production of a few years ago. She performs Amneris, the Egyptian princess in love with military hero, Radames. Making her North American debut, South African mezzo, Kelebogile Besong, sings the role of Aida, captured Nubian princess, slave to Amneris. Unknown to others, Aida and Radames share a deep love ...

Odysseo, In The Big Tent, Irvine

Categories: Day Tripping, Do As The Locals Do, Featured, Music Diva, Night Life Diva, Not-so-Vanilla Diva
Odysseo, In The Big Tent, Irvine

About the only thing missing from Odysseo, the mesmerizing equine show from Cavalia, the Cirque du Soleil-style horse show, is Pegasus, the winged horse. Stabled in the huge white tent - looks like a marvel of engineering, at the 405 and 133 in Irvine, CA, we, together with our younger grandchildren were entranced by the grace and charm of humans and their mighty steeds in this exciting show. We had seen Cavalia when it was in the same location in 2007  with our older grandchildren. I wanted to see it again and it was well worth a second look. There is a certain magic in watching a 2,000 pound animal dance gracefully. The brilliance of Odysseo's designers in having a beautifully formed horse shown on a hill in the distance, illuminated in black silhouette, was stunning. Everyone has seen horses execute nimble movements, but this depiction of control, training and charm was unique due to the staging. The audience was so enchanted it's doubtful few noticed stage front becoming a shallow pond. A wonderful effect as riders then took their mounts to gently splash in the little stream. The show begins slowly enough, to give the audience a chance to review the numerous animals in a pastoral scene, before set exercises begin. I found the white horse close drill fascinating as they ...

THE ILLUSIONISTS – LIVE FROM BROADWAY

Categories: Day Tripping, Do As The Locals Do, Featured, Not-so-Vanilla Diva
THE ILLUSIONISTS – LIVE FROM BROADWAY

  Nearly everyone enjoys magic. When done well. As a journalist I’ve covered many such shows, for decades, including those at Los Angeles’ Magic Castle and the late, great, Harry Blackstone, Jr.’s stage shows, to name a few. The best word to encapsulate those experiences is: delightful. Magic shows have the power to lift one’s spirits in powerful ways to relax and allow the wonder of the unknown to transport the audience to another realm. Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Centerfor the Arts, Costa Mesa, California, is featuring a magic show, The Illusionists –Live From Broadway. I couldn’t wait to see it. It spotlights seven key performers and a bevy of female and male attendants. There are plenty of stunning effects, but some of the performers reek of the dark side, which is apparently their schtick, but is a long way from tuxedo-clad practitioners of yore. From the onset there seemed to be a current that was uncomfortable to me. Too much grittiness, hint of violence and some things downright creepy. The show runs from Feb. 3, to 7th. Then moves on to the Pantages Theater, Los Angeles. In case anyone wonders – what is the difference between an illusion and a trick I’ll offer this: usually an illusion conjures a back-story, is complicated, with some surprise woven into it…Such as Andrew ...

Tesla Roadtrip! @TESLAROADTRIP “Tesla Meets Tesla” First Annual Event at Wardenclyffe, October 25, 2014

Categories: Day Tripping, Do As The Locals Do, Featured, Miscellaneous, Not-so-Vanilla Diva, Where Few Divas Dare To Tread
Tesla Roadtrip! @TESLAROADTRIP “Tesla Meets Tesla” First Annual Event at Wardenclyffe, October 25, 2014

We have an exciting event coming up. A small group of Tesla car owners is organizing a road trip for 30 members to drive their Tesla Roadsters and Model S’s to Wardenclyffe, on Saturday, October 25, 2014. In the morning, they will join other volunteers in this second cleanup season. In the afternoon, we will open the grounds around Nikola Tesla’s former Wardenclyffe lab for the public. Our guests, the owners and enthusiasts of Tesla cars, will join TSC to raise awareness of Nikola Tesla the scientist, and to share their enthusiasm for and knowledge of the technology behind the all-electric Tesla car. For more information please read the announcement at the Tesla Motors Club website. We will share more details as our plans develop. Date: Saturday, October 25, 2014 Rain date: Sunday, October 26, 2014 Cleanup work: 9 AM to 12 noon (not open to the public, see below) Public access: 1 to 4 PM Location: 1–5 Randall Road, Shoreham, NY; north of NY Rt. 25A (GPS: 40.948358,-72.901001) The morning work session is limited to our guest cleanup volunteers (30 Tesla owners) and a small group of experienced local volunteers. We welcome all other volunteers to join us as visitors in the afternoon (1 to 4 PM). Thank you all volunteers! Your hard work, dedication, ...

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