Community News

Musical Theatre West

In 1992, Congress designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

MTW begins Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with a free virtual concert of On This Side of The World, on May 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at musical.org or stellartickets.com.

Hosted by On This Side of the World’s creators, this virtual event features existing videos from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre New Works Festival, Prospect Theater Co.’s IGNITE concert series and NY Theatre Barn’s New Works Series interspersed with conversations about the creation of this new musical.

In On This Side of the World, actors give voice to Filipino immigrants navigating old lives and new beginnings, as a one-way ticket sends them on a journey 8,000 miles from home. Through a vibrant mix of styles and tones, from torch songs to bubblegum pop, romantic ballads to power anthems, Paulo K. Tiról’s sung-through musical becomes a love letter to the Filipino-American dream.

Icon of the Day – Each Day in May on the MTW website www.musical.org, and on social Facebook (@musicaltheatrewest), Twitter (@musicalthtrwest), and Instagram (@musicaltheatrewest) Asian American and Pacific Islander Theatre Artists like George Takei, Willa Kim, Jose Llana, Ashley Park and more will be celebrated for their contribution to theater.

MTW concludes the month streaming Keep the Lights on Benefit Concert of Allegiance May 27-June 6. Tickets available at musical.org.

Allegiance is a musical with music and lyrics by Jay Kuo and a book by Marc Acito, Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione. The story, set during the Japanese American internment of World War II, was inspired by the personal experiences of George Takei, who stars in the musical. It follows the Kimura family in the years following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Take Out Tuesday

May 4 is Take Out Tuesday at Naples Rib Company at 5800 E. 2nd  Street in Naples.  Call in orders at (562) 439-7427 between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. or call to make dine-in reservations from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Mention you support St. Bartholomew’s Church and Naples Rib Company will generously credit the church with a percentage of the proceeds.  All proceeds go to local charities thru the St. Bartholomew Women’s Council. 

Virtual Fashion Show

CAMEO Mentoring Program, a professional auxiliary of the Assistance League of Long Beach, has gone virtual this year for their annual fundraiser, including a professional fashion show and silent auction, on May 14-16.

As the primary fundraiser for CAMEO’s mentoring and enrichment program, the generous individuals who join in the three-day virtual celebration will help deliver services and scholarships to the Long Beach Unified School District high school and Long Beach City College students who participate in the program. Fashion show tickets are $50 and the silent auction is free for anyone to browse. Guests can go to www.ALLB.org/CAMEOCreatesChampions to purchase tickets or sign up for the auction.

Join in the fun by bidding online from your own home on hundreds of wonderful silent auction items. With packages ranging from $40 to $2,000, there is something for everyone.

CAMEO students benefit from gracious community donations and the involvement of volunteer mentors. To learn more about becoming a mentor or to donate, please visit us at www.ALLB.org/CAMEO or email CAMEO@ALLB.org.

Wizard of Oz

Act Out Theatre Company presents the classic tale The Wizard of Oz. It plays for onsite audiences on June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13 at the company’s North Long Beach theatre which features a beautiful outdoor space as well as livestream performances on June 4 and 11.

Onsite performances will be held on the campus of Light and Life Community Center, 3341 E. 59th St., Long Beach, CA 90805. Onsite tickets are $10 and livestream tickets are $15/household and are available online at www.actoutlb.com starting May 1. For more information on the show call (323) 920-5069.

With rehearsals and preparations well under way, Executive Director Travis Wade has been able to conduct safe and compliant outdoor, indoor and Zoom-based rehearsals since late January. “These artists (and audiences) have desperately been craving an outlet to perform for over a year now, and we are really excited that we’ve been able to make that happen in a way that is safe, fun and meaningful.” says Wade.

The Act Out Theatre Company is entering its ninth season since starting in 2012. They are the only tuition-free theatre and arts education organization in Southern California seeking to provide an opportunity for at-risk and traditionally under-served children and families to discover their creative potential with arts programming and educational training that enrich their lives and stimulate the entire community. In addition to theater, they offer curriculum to teach lighting, audio design, set design/construction, make-up, and costuming.

Dine & Donate

Take-out or dine-in at Polly’s Pies in Los Alamitos on May 14 and they’ll donate 20% of your bill to spcaLA. Present flyer to participate, available at spcaLA.com/events.

Education for Seniors

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Cal State Long Beach will be offering several free special events and classes this spring that are open to the public. All of these educational opportunities are conducted on Zoom, so attendees can enjoy them from home.

Topics for Seniors by Steve Carr, (Wednesdays 12–1 p.m.):

• Senior Scams and Frauds, May 5
• Handling Covid Stress & Are you Turning 65 for Medicare, May 12
• Medicare and SSI Questions – What is “Medicare for All”? May 19

Save on the Costs of Prescription Drugs, April 28 and May 26

OLLI Hour with Travel Author, Maria Jo Fisher, April 28 (4–5 p.m.) Presentation and discussion on travel and writing.

Virtual Tour of Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Arpilleras Exhibit, April 29 (11 a.m. – noon), Docent led tour about a fantastic collection of textile art from a dark time in Chilean history.

A History and Arts Tour of Cuba with Harold Cannon, docent and adventurer, April 30 (3-5 p.m.). Learn about the history of Cuba and how it is viewed today.

For more information and to obtain Zoom links visit www.csulb.edu/olli.

Free Movies, Performances

2ND & PCH, Long Beach’s open air coastal retail, dining and lifestyle center invites the community to stay, shop, dine and relax.

PCH Movies & Moonlight returns on Fridays. Movies are complimentary to the community; self-seating will be available on a first come first serve basis. Seating will be limited due to social distancing. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets. Limited seating will be provided by the center and propane heaters will be centralized within the street.  2ND & PCH offers an array of restaurants, retailers and specialty services within the center for the community to enjoy before, during or after the movie. Attendees should be advised that this movie is rated PG-13. Parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under the age of 13, please visit our website for additional information regarding the movie rating. 

Creative Communal’s Makers Market returns Sunday, April 25,  11 a.m. to 6 p.m. along Seaport Way. This uniquely curated open-air market has something for everyone featuring over twenty local makers, kids activities, a creative photo op and live music.

2ND & PCH remains committed to health and wellness and is taking extra precautions to ensure the community feels welcome and safe while visiting the center. For the latest information and details about 2ND & PCH health and safety protocols and a complete list of tenants visit 2ndandpch.com or interact with us via Instagram or Facebook.