Anything L.A.

To celebrate the release of the new movie, “The Three Stooges,” Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California has named April 1st - April Stooge Day.  Park visitors are encouraged to dress like Larry, Moe or Curly, and let their inner Stooge loose!  The first 500 Stooges to arrive will gain early access and exclusive ride time on Magic Mountain thrill rides, Scream and the Stooge-ified Curly’s Colossus, a movie ticket to see “The Three Stooges” when it opens in theaters and the opportunity to get a front of the line pass if they’re one of the first 10 Stooges to arrive.  Plus, there will be special contests and prizing throughout the day.  Magic Mountain is always fun, but April Stooge Day on April 1st is going to be crazy, silly fun!  For April Stooge Day costume tips, to purchase tickets and further details, please visit:  http://www.sixflags.com/magicMountain/events/AprilStoogeDay.aspxApril Stooge Day attendees must purchase an admission ticket to the park. From directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly (“Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary”) comes a modern take on an a comedy classic: “The Three Stooges” in theaters on April 13th.  Left on the doorstep of an orphanage run by nuns, newborns Moe, Larry and Curly grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure.   To save their childhood home, only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot…while stumbling into starring roles in a phenomenally successful TV reality show.  Starring as the Stooges are Sean Hayes (“Will & Grace”), who portrays the balding, sour-faced, bushy-haired Larry; Will Sasso (“MADtv”) as the rotund funnyman Curly, whose trademark “nyuk-nyuk-nyuk” usually invites a physical outburst from older brother Moe; and Chris Diamantopoulos (“24”) as Moe, the dark-haired leader of the farcical trio known for his distinctive bowl-style haircut and intolerant ire.  Sofia Vergara, Jennifer Hudson, Jane Lynch, Kate Upton and Larry David round out the cast.   www.thethreestooges.com 

Redbird’s 2012

Children of Many Colors Intertribal Powwow

July 20-22, 2012

Moorpark College Athletic Field

7075 Campus Road

Moorpark, CA 93021

In Ventura County

Just off the 118 and 23 Freeways 

Native American Singing, Dancing, Arts, Crafts, Foods

Cultural Presenters

Intertribal and Exhibition Dancing

Special Contests Saturday and Sunday

Head Staff composed of some of the finest young dancers in California including Johnny Nieto of theTule River Yokut Nation

Anticipating the return of our favorite host and invited drums:

Wildhorse, Hale and Company

Blue Star, Crooked Hat

Friday

July 20

6PM - 10PM

Open Flute Circle and Potluck

All Flute Players Welcome 

 Everyone Welcome

(powwow begins Saturday)

Saturday 

July 21

11AM - 10PM

Gourd Dancing and Intertribal Powwow Everyone Welcome

2PM 

Prayer for the Children by Margaret Morin, Chumash Nation

All Children Welcome

Sunday 

July 22

11AM - 6PM

Gourd Dancing and Intertribal Powwow-Everyone Welcome

11AM 

Veterans Honoring

All Veterans Welcome

A Family Oriented Event

Everyone Welcome

Chairs and Shade Canopies Welcome

Handicapped Parking and Arena Access

ADA Facilities, Service Animals Welcome 

$2.00 suggested donation per vehicle to benefit Redbird,

a 501(c)(3) non profit Native American and Environmental Association

www.RedbirdsVision.org

(805) 217-0364

redbirds_vision@hotmail.com

P.O. Box 702, Simi Valley, CA 93062

Come support Sabor de Mexico as they present, “Amor y Traicion”(Love and Betrayal) as they demonstarte the differnt loves and betrayals we experience in life throught the art of Mexican Folklore.

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012 at 7:00PM    Redondo Union Auditorium                      200 N. PCH, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Tix-$10-$15

Irene(310)489.3463

gruposabordemexico@yahoo.com

We have performed in California, Hawaii, Mexico, Vegas, Spain, Italy & Brazil.

National & International Dance Champions

www.gruposabordemexico.org

Galerie Michael of Beverly Hills (224 Rodeo Drive) is proud to present: Rembrandt Van Rijn: Portraits & Self Portraits.  This exhibit highlights a collection of etchings, self-portraits and portraits by renowned artist Rembrandt Van Rijn.  Previews begin January 12 and extend through February 12.  A public viewing and lecture is scheduled for Saturday, January 14 at 12PM. The exhibition can also be viewed online at GalerieMichael.com.  RSVP: 310-273-3377.

A sale of hand-made craft items made by, and sold to benefit various low-income people and nonprofit organizations. This is the first time we’ve done this, and it should be great. So far, participating groups include; Art Division (fine art cards made by talented young adults in the MacArthur Park area); The Chiapas Project (clothes and accessories made by a women’s collective in Mexico); The Downtown Women’s Center (crafts made by homeless women); The Exceptional Children’s Foundation (outsider art made by disabled adults); HOLA (art made by high school in an afterschool program); L.A. Goal (more outsider art made by mentally disabled adults); Piece by Piece (mosaics made by people on Skid Row); The Spiral Foundation (crafts and accessories made by villagers in Southeast Asia and helping to provide medical care); and Waiting for Work (photos of day laborers). Each nonprofit will receive 100% of all sales. We’ll have great food to benefit good causes, too! We need volunteers and, especially, shoppers!

Return to Routine Date Night Ticket Giveaway for Poor Behavior Now that you’ve survived Back to School and the abrupt shift to homework-filled evenings, we think you should book a babysitter and take an evening off! We’ve got a ticket giveaway to a new play, an update on the marvelous, ongoing Pacific Standard Time exhibits (which are great for kids, too), and are excited about the fall movie line-up. Restored, you’ll be ready to plunge into the many wonderful family events that take place in October including The Big Draw, a chance to track Juno’s mission to Jupiter, and college football games around town. We’ll be back in a few weeks with a Halloween round up, but don’t wait too long to think about finding perfect costumes for the big day, which falls on a Monday night this year. 

Ticket Giveaway:This month’s ticket giveaway is for adults: the World Premiere of the new play Poor Behavior. A weekend in the country turns into a high stakes game of marital mixed doubles and asks “Is it adultery if they already think you’ve done it?” Written by Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius), and directed by Doug Hughes (Doubt), Poor Behavior runs through October 16th at Center Theatre Group. Enter to win 4 tickets for Friday, October 7th at 8:00 PM by writing to us at familysavvy@gmail.com — please remember to include a cell number. Contest entry deadline is 10am on Tuesday, October 4th.  Special offer for Kids Off the Couch subscribers: Discount tickets available for $35 (Reg. $45 - $55)! Call 213.628.2772 and mention the code WEEKEND or purchase online. 

This Weekend:The new LEED-certified West Hollywood Library opens this weekend. Come investigate during the12th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair on Sunday, October 2. Pacific Standard Time is in full effect, and the PST website is a fabulous resource that can help you figure out how to take advantage of a region-wide exhibition that explores the birth of the California art scene from 1945-1980. As part of the opening of its PST-related show, NOW DIG THIS!, the Hammer will be free to the public on Sunday, October 2; LACMA will be open for free on October 2, as well, so all your design-istas should check out their cool new show, California Design 1930-1965: “Living in a Modern Way”.

Elementary: All through October, arts institutions will celebrate Big Draw LA, with pop-up programming with artists at various institutions, including the Getty, the Fowler and the Huntington. Participate this weekend on the lawn of The Huntington this Saturday, October 1, and at the Fowler on two Sundays, October 2 and 16. It’s already that creepy crawly time of year at the Natural History Museum’s wonderfulSpider Pavilion. Click here for our Popcorn Adventure that combines this magical spot with Charlotte’s Web. And, did you know that it’s Hispanic Heritage Month? Tromp to Pasadena now that the days are cooler for a delightful afternoon filled with music and dance at The Norton Simon Museum for The Art of Dance! Baile Folklorico of Mexico,Sunday, October 9, 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM. 

Middle School:Keep track of the latest JPL mission to Mars by taking part in a Day of Discovery with the Pasadena Museum of California Art and Jet Propulsion Laboratoryon Sunday, October 16, 12:00 - 5:00 PM — a full day of programs featuring speakers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and art activities for families inspired by the exhibition Beneath the Surface: NASA’s Juno Mission to Jupiter. There’s nothing better than a football game with one of our excellent local teams - the USC Trojans — playing at the Coliseum on October 1 and 29, and the UCLA Bruins — playing at the Rose Bowl on October 8 and 29. And playing each other on November 26. Catch a glimpse of the future Annenberg Cultural Center in Beverly Hills at Il Teatro Alla Moda Theater in Fashion, a special four-week engagement starting next week.

Teens: Movie buffs can take a week-long crash course in the films of a master by showing up at Mad as Hell: Sidney Lumet’s Cinema of Fighting Back at the Aero Theater between October 5-12. Fans of Duff Goldman’s Ace of Cakes and Sugar Highwill be thrilled to know that the Food Network star is soon to open an LA bakery,Charm City Cakes West. While this is a very pricey ticket, if you have a rabid sports fan in the house, consider this rare opportunity to visit the LA Sports Museum with museum founder, Gary Cypres.The Sports Museum of Los Angeles, open by invitation only, is the largest and broadest known collection of iconic sports memorabilia and collectibles in the world. And, there are still tickets for the live orchestra screening ofLord of the Rings on October 15 in Anaheim’s Honda Center.

Adults:Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt, is in theaters now and next week brings Ryan Gosling and George Clooney in Ides of March. For those of you who will find it hard to resist the remake of Footloose, that opens on October 14. Now is the perfect time to grab a great meal at a great price: Dine LA returns for two weeks this month: October 2-7 and October 9-14.

Planning Ahead: Your #1 job right now is to scramble to find an age-appropriate (as in not too sexy) costume for each kid — before they’re sold out! Then, take a second to think about planning your winter holidays: book flights, figure out where grandparents are going to sleep, and get tickets for The Joffrey Ballet’s acclaimed production of “The Nutcracker,” December 1-4 for six performances only at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

One More Thing: Check out this mini-documentary, narrated by Tom Hanks, about ferry boat captains, Coast Guardsmen and civilian boaters who rescued citizens from lower Manhattan on 9/11. 

School Daze

Ticket Giveaway: IRIS for Tuesday, September 13th at 8:00 PM

So… the endless summer comes to an end. Labor Day caught us off guard this year, so much so that we had to scramble to get a lunchbox packed this morning. Never mind, though. The stone fruit at the farmers’ market is still incredible, our summer tan hasn’t faded and we know those teachers won’t pile on the homework … just yet! We’re firing up the BBQ tonight and plan to play cards in the fading September light. Spit, anyone? 

Ticket Giveaway:Cirque du Soleil has a new show, IRIS, A Journey Through the World of Cinema. This large-scale production - created exclusively for its permanent home at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles - offers a new take on the art of cinema as only Cirque du Soleil could imagine it. IRIS is an inventive spectacle that combines acrobatics, dance, projections and live music. The show takes the audience on a fantastic voyage directed by acclaimed choreographer Philippe Decouflé with music by Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman. Kids Off the Couch subscribers can enter to win a Family 4-Pack to the 8:00 PM show on Tuesday, September 13 by writing to us at familysavvy@gmail.com. Winner to be notified by this Friday morning, so please remember to leave us your cell number. 

Hollywood Bowl:It is still summer at the Bowl, so line up another relaxing evening under the stars; click here for the Bowl’s September calendar, which includes performances from Dudamel, Alex Trabek with the American Film Institute’s Movie Quiz, and Moulin Rouge.

Elementary: Noted Chinese artist Ai WeiWei’s sculptures of animal heads, Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, have recently been installed at LACMA and is gathering happy crowds of all ages. The twelve massive animal heads are impressive to behold (not to mention, run around!). Click here for a great review of the work from the Los Angeles Times. All Join In: A Fairy Tale Sing-A-Long Afternoon is the most popular Santa Monica Playhouse production ever, so bring your budding music lovers on Saturdays and Sundays, 12:30 and 3:00pm, September 10 through October 16. The excellent companion exhibit to this summer’s blockbuster Houdini show features an excellent family program each Sunday afternoon until January. If it’s time for your kids to start learning proper manners, consider signing them up for Cotillion this fall at Beverly Hills Manners. Finally, get back to the beach one more time on the Coastal Clean Up Day with Heal the Bay on September 17. 

Middle School:If it’s still brutally hot by the weekend, you’ll want to head to Malibu and watch the 2011 MSA Classic from September 9-11, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Malibu Surfing Association (FREE, and open to all). Or get into a cool movie theater and watch the screwball comedy Bringing up Baby at Free Family Flicks at the Hammer. KCRW’s third annual Good Food Pie Contest takes place on Sunday, September 18 at LACMA, with plenty of family programming (whether you bake or not!). And, if pie’s not your thing, have you tried fonuts yet?

Teens: A visit to the Annenberg’s blockbuster show, Beauty Culture, is a true conversation starter, especially with a teen-age girl. Combine that with Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s provocative documentary at the Hammer this month, which pairs interviews with teens and iconic female figures in culture, and is called Miss Representation. 

Adults:Southern Californians take note! We’ve got your date night covered for the next six months. After much planning, and an unprecedented collaboration among over sixty museums in the region, Pacific Standard Time is here: for six months these institutions, at the initiative of the Getty, will tell the story of the birth of the L.A. art scene. The first ones to check out: a retrospective of the work of acclaimed (and beloved) potter, Beatrice Wood: Career Woman-Drawings, Paintings, Vessels, and Objects opens on September 10 at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Click here for more on the Mama of Dada, who was 105 when she died in 1993. And, the Pomona College Museum of Art has opened It Happened at Pomona; Part 1: Hal Glicksman,which was reviewed in today’s Los Angeles Times.

Planning Ahead: An extraordinary screening of Lord of the Rings, accompanied by a live orchestra, takes place on October 15 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Grab your seats now for the holiday must-see, The Joffrey Ballet - Nutcracker, for six performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in early December.

And of course… the 10th anniversary of 9/11: We think that how you commemorate 9/11 with your family is an extremely personal matter but we did hear about Big Sunday Remembers 9/11, a food drive and breakfast in conjunction with letter writing to our servicemen with Operation Gratitude. Click here for other service opportunities to remember 9/11 through LAWorks. For tips on talking with your kids about 9/11, click here.

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up! info@kidsoffthecouch.com www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Galerie Michael of Beverly Hills proudly invites you to the inaugural American exhibition of Artists and Alumni of the Florence Academy of Art, presenting paintings and sculptures by alumni of the distinguished Florentine art school.  Both artists and faculty will be in attendance for a special presentation by Daniel Graves, Founder and Director of the Academy, which will be held on Saturday, September 17 at 12:00 pm at the gallery (224 North Rodeo Drive).   For more information, visit GalerieMichael.com.  R.S.V.P. required 310.273.3377

Galerie Michael (224 North Rodeo Dr.) is honored to announce its presentation of Espana - The Spanish Masters: An Impassioned View.  This extraordinary collection is simultaneously on exhibition & available for acquisition at Galerie Michael beginning July 14 and extends through August 30.   The exhibition premiers with a gallery reception on Thursday evening, July 14 at 6:30 pm - a rare opportunity to view the artwork and meet with scholars, who will make scheduled special appearances in the gallery. RSVP’s Requested @ 310.273.3377.

One of the most important phrases that can be uttered by those seeking change or innovation is “What If?” But where the real movement takes hold is in the tangible, the accessible and the integrated. 

In other words; “What Is.”

And from June 24 to June 26, thousands of forward-thinking Southlander’s, as well as the curious, will be treated to an outdoor display of “What Is” that is sure to leave them whistling a happy ‘green’ tune.

The New World F.E.S.T. (www.theneworldfest.com) is an outdoor eco-festival unlike any other. Held just steps from the sand in Santa Monica, a city known throughout the nation for its commitment to the environment and sustainability, The F.E.S.T. kicks off summer with a celebration of eco-friendliness and forward-thinking science and technology that is heavy on the ‘wow’ factor while showing just how easy it is get your green on.

“The real focus of this show is ‘a smart future,’” said longtime event producer Howard Mauskopf. “And to be effective we need to delve into the science, technology, and even practical considerations underlying key issues. Our goal is to truly expand the market for green which means we cannot just cater to the converted. The goal is for everyone to see just how easy it is to make a few simple changes in their lives that benefit us all.”

Held on nearly 100,000 square feet of space on the Santa Monica Beach Parking Lot 5-South, and offering 150 exhibitor booths and six performance stages, the F.E.S.T. is about high-energy, family-friendly entertainment and exposing the products, companies and individuals who are really “walking the walk.” And there’s even a little education tossed in.

As part of the F.E.S.T. panel discussions and Q&A’s are being offered with some of the most prominent eco-leaders working today. Attendees can take in presentations from such eco-superstars as Ed Begley Jr. renowned eco-architect David Hertz, Raw Food Celeb Chef Bryan Au, respected Green Living journalist Jennifer Grayson, the nation’s premier hiking expert John McKinney and so much more.

“Part of motivating change is education,” says Mauskopf. “And we’re sure that by providing access to so many individuals who are on the front lines of an unstoppable movement is going to be well-received. It’s like if Kobe Bryant showed up to offer some pointers at a weekly pick-up basketball game. Our speakers are the best of the best.”

F.E.S.T guests will be treated to a variety of other opportunities such as taking in a Q&A and screening of important eco-films that include Oscar winner The Cove, Dirt! The Movie and Vanishing of the Bees, enjoying an eye-opening sustainable art exhibit, indulging in awesome eats by local natural food restaurants, jamming to live music, taking a break in the “spiritual oasis” that offers yoga, massage and mind-body healing techniques, and checking out the latest in great green products. And with all of this taking place under the Santa Monica Beach sky instead of a florescent lit convention center, the F.E.S.T. is the type of weekend event that offers a little something for everybody.

“There are so many people on the very cusp of embracing the tenets of living more sustainably,” says Mauskopf. “And this is why we’ve designed the F.E.S.T. to be lively, interactive and full of illustration. The hope is that our guests are given a renewed push to become more proactive and walk away knowing that tomorrow really has come to today.”  

For more information visit The New World F.E.S.T. at www.thenewworldfest.com or call (855) 500-FEST (3378).