FILM
Once Upon a Time in China with Jet Li – 7:30 PM, May 8: Martial arts master and Hong Kong film icon Jet Li stars as Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-Hung in Tsui Hark’s wuxia (a genre focusing on martial artists in ancient China with fantastical elements) epic. In the late 19th century, as Western imperialists threaten Chinese sovereignty, Wong uses his kung fu… mastery to train a militia to protect a threatened land and national identity. Full of social and political commentary, punctuated by jaw-dropping action scenes, and featuring dazzling choreography and wirework showcasing Li’s remarkable acrobatics, the film launched Li as an international action superstar and was followed by five sequels, as well as a TV series.
Before the screening, Li will be signing copies of his new book, Beyond Life and Death: The Way of True Freedom, at the Academy Museum Store. The signing is a separately ticketed event. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles.
The Sound of Music Sing Along 3 PM, May 10: The hills are alive with the sound of Julie Andrews in this much-beloved musical from Rodgers and Hammerstein and versatile film director Robert Wise. In the years before the Second World War, a tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey is hired as a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home. The winner of 5 Academy Awards, this celebrated musical is ready to warm your heart all over again. So dress your family in matching lederhosen and get ready to get swept away in the magic, music, and warmth of The Sound of Music. Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.
Fried Green Tomatoes (35th Anniversary) – 7 PM, May 10 and 13; TOWANDA! Katyh Bates, Mary-Louise Parker, Mary Stuart Masterson, and legends Cicely Tyson and Jessica Tandy star in this 1991 classic that follows a housewife who is unhappy with her life that befriends an old lady in a nursing home and is enthralled by the tales she tells of people she used to know. Secret’s in the sauce! Gardena Cinema, 14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena.
BOOKS
Book Soup Presents: Anna Konkle Discussing & Signing The Sane One – 7 PM, May 5: Throughout Anna Konkle’s childhood, her father was her hero–a hyper-charismatic, larger-than-life human resource manager at 7-Eleven. But their closeness was constantly interrupted by the screaming matches and heavy silences between him and her mother, eventually culminating in a bitter divorce that literally split the family house down the middle, with one parent on each side.
College felt like freedom, and Anna filled her time searching for the husband she’d never divorce and the orgasm she’d never had, while waiting tables at fancy restaurants and getting lackluster acting gigs, the strangest of which had her working celebrity Halloween parties. But just as she begins to thrive, her father starts to struggle. Not long after she moves to LA to pursue acting and writing, her dad’s increasingly erratic behavior forces her to cut off contact with him, until, years later, he knocks at her door. Harmony Gold, located at 7655 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.
Books Not Bans: Read the Room Fundraiser – 5 PM, May 9: Join us for an evening of poetry, drag, and readings from some iconic local authors. This is a fundraiser to collect banned and challenged books for donation to Books Not Bans. When you arrive for the event, we will be selling copies of books from their registry, but if you would like to participate without coming to event, check out the list at the bottom of this webpage and purchase a book for donation! In the order comments be sure to add “for Books Not Bans donation”! Participating authors include: Ryka Aoki, Abdi Nazemian, Greg Mania, Rasheed Newson, Carol Queen, and Chiwan Choi Organizations in need of books can request them here. Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.
THEATRE
“Master Harold”…and the Boys – through May 10: Step into the charged atmosphere of a 1950s South African tea shop in Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold”…and the Boys, a gripping, deeply personal drama that unflinchingly confronts the realities of race, power, and betrayal. On a rainy afternoon, Hally, a white teenager, passes the time with Sam and Willie, two Black waiters who have helped raise him by filling the gaps of a broken home with warmth, wisdom, and laughter. But as the day unfolds, playful memories give way to painful truths, and a single moment threatens to shatter the fragile bond between them forever. Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave., Los Angeles.
GUAC – through May 17: GUAC is a fearless, funny, and deeply moving theatrical tour-de-force about a father turned activist seven years after his son Joaquín “Guac” Oliver was killed in the Parkland school shooting. GUAC became completely sold out during its run last fall, and this return engagement allows those who were not able to secure tickets to experience Oliver tell his own, true story, as he channels his love, loss, and rage into a powerful force for change. From pepperoni bacon pizza to air guitar solos, Oliver paints a vivid, unforgettable portrait of a vibrant life cut short—and a father’s relentless fight for a better future. Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd, Culver City.
The Storyteller of East LA – through May 17: Evelina Fernandez’s The Storyteller of East LA explores memory loss, caregiving, family conflict, and the sustaining power of love. Developed in our Circle of Imaginistas playwriting group. This is East L.A. storytelling at its most intimate and urgent. The Storyteller of East LA underscores the sustaining power of love, compassion and storytelling, and the resilience of family, despite its conflicts and complexities. The Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles.
Fremont Ave. – through May 23: In 1968, George buys a suburban Southern California home—a stop on his way to something bigger—and hires Audrey as a housekeeper. In 1991, Robert is still living there, itching to start his own life. Thirty years later, Joseph returns home, still struggling with a secret that holds him back. With humor and heart, this multigenerational drama revolves around three Black men, their journeys to choose love and the woman who holds them all together. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa.
MUSEUMS AND ART
A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West – through September 13: One of the world’s most famous Black poets, Langston Hughes (1902–1967) is often associated with the writers and artists of the Harlem Renaissance in New York. But starting in the 1930s, though the upheavals of the Great Depression, World War II, and McCarthyism in America, Hughes spent significant time in the West where he maintained deep connections and produced important work, including lectures, film scripts, plays, and his first book of short stories. Through recorded interviews, lyrical texts, archival photographs, and historic posters and prints, A New Song: Langston Hughes in the West reveals little-known aspects of Hughes’s work as a champion for justice and the special relationships he cultivated during his many sojourns in California, Nevada, and Mexico. California African American Museum, 600 State Dr, Los Angeles.
Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985 – through June 14: Amid the turbulent decades of the mid-20th century, African American and Afro-Atlantic diaspora artists sought to celebrate Black culture and advance the struggle for civil rights. Photographic images contributed in myriad ways to the lively exchange of pan-African ideas that propelled the Black Arts Movement. See how an incredible range of artists and activists—from studio and street photographers to graphic designers and community organizers—used photography as a tool for social change. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles.
COMMUNITY
Cinco de Mayo Community Celebration at Mariachi Plaza – 5 PM, May 5: Experience the heart and soul of Mexican culture with live mariachi performances, artisanal vendors, and a variety of community resources, local organizations, and services available to everyone. Bring your friends and family and immerse yourself in a joyful celebration of culture, community, and tradition. Mariachi Plaza, 1831 1st Street, Los Angeles.
CHULAS: Mother’s Day at Mi Centro – 12 PM, May 9: Come celebrate Mother’s Day at Mi Centro! Join the L.A. LGBT Center for a joyful, family-friendly afternoon honoring mothers and mother figures in all forms. We’ll recognize those in our community who provide the love and support that has allowed their LGBTQ+ family members to thrive. The event will include refreshments, a mobile library unit from the Los Angeles Public Library, and a special edition of Drag Story Time featuring Pickle. Plus, Lotería hosted by the fabulous ChiChi Charlas. Mi Centro, 553 S Clarence St., Los Angeles.
May the Balls be with You: Drag Queen Bingo 7 PM, Tuesdays and Wednesdays: Legendary Bingo is LA’s most popular Drag Queen Bingo & charity event! Come play at Hamburger Mary’s every Tuesday and Wednesday! Hamburger Mary’s, 8288 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood.
COMEDY
Netflix Is A Joke Fest May 4-10
- Four After Five, 7 PM, May 5: Upright Citizens Brigade, 5919 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles.
- Doug Loves Movies, 7 PM, May 7: Upright Citizens Brigade, 5919 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles.
- Nicole Byer – 8:30 PM, May 7. Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles. - A Dewayne Perkins Comedic Experience – 9:30PM, May 7. Dynasty Typewriter, 2511 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles.
Virtuoso – 9:30 PM, 1st and 3rd Fridays: Twelve fearless improvisors. A whirlwind of games, scenes, and unscripted fun. But here’s the twist — YOU call the shots. After each round of fast-paced, laugh-out-loud competition, the audience votes on what they thought of the scene 1 – 5. One by one, the players fall… until only one is left standing – THE VIRTUOSO. OutsideIn Theatre, 5317 York Blvd, Los Angeles.
