Community News

Stroll & Savor

The last Stroll and Savor of the summer will be held Aug. 21 and 21 in Belmont Shore, 5:30- 9 p.m. Stroll Second Street while you savor food from over 40 restaurants and listen to the sounds of local musicians.

You can purchase tickets at various stores throughout the shore starting Friday, Aug. 16 and in front of Chase Bank the night of event. The cost is $10 for a 12 tickets. Use tickets for both nights in same month only. Tickets will be sold at The Beach on 2nd, Blue Windows, La Strada, Polly’s Gourmet Coffee, Salon Soma, Shore Business Center & Sweet Jill’s

Local musicians up and down 2nd St. on Wednesday, Aug. 21, include Dad Company on Corona, Think of one Jazz on Argonne, Nth near Roycroft, Kor 4 near Santa Ana and Jim Fisk Band on Claremont

On Thursday, Aug. 21, hear Gregg Young and the 2nd Street Band on Corona, US99 on Argonne, Claudio duo on Claremont, Nth front of Rubio’s and The Flannels near Santa Ana.

Musical Comedy

Long Beach Unity Church is presenting Ralph Brunson’s totally original and ridiculously funny Musical Comedy, “Samson and the Burning Bush – A Farce to Be Reckoned With” at 935 E. Broadway, on Aug. 18 and 25, at 5 p.m. $10 at the door; all proceeds to benefit Unity Church. For further information, contact Ralph Brunson, (562) 298-6918 or email ragtimeralph@yahoo.com.

Questing Heirs

QHGS will meet at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, at the Masonic Lodge, 5918 E. Parkcrest St. Connie Moretti, author of two genealogy books and member of several genealogy societies will address “Destiny’s Documents” and “The Ins & Outs of Indexes.” All are welcome.

‘Titus Andronicus’ Show

The Long Beach Shakespeare Company presents “Titus Andronicus” Aug. 23 through Sept. 14 at the Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250½ Atlantic, in Bixby Knolls.

Revenge begets revenge in this gory play about the feud between Tamora, captured queen of the Goths and the Roman general, Titus Andronicus. Racism, rape, disfigurement and psychological warfare are all fair game for the villains in this play. See how LBSC handles the show that has left audiences weeping, cheering, and fainting.

Tickets ($22.50 to $12.50) are available at LBShakespeare.org or by calling (562) 997-1494.

Free Concert

Long Beach Towne Center invites the community to a summer concert featuring talented local country band “Hipshot” for its Country and Line Dancing Night. Held at the shopping center Promenade ow Saturday, Aug. 24, the concert is free and open to the public. It is part of Long Beach Towne Center’s weekly concert series taking place through Aug. 31. There will also be face painters and balloon twisters for added family fun, and concert attendees who participate in a trivia contest held during each performance will have a chance to win gift cards to Long Beach Towne Center stores and restaurants. For more information, visit http://www.lbtownecenter.com/.

Hottest Mariachi Band ‘

Hotel Maya presents 12 Months of Maya-achi,’ continues monthly Sunday brunch celebration on Sunday, Aug. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with Anaheim-based mariachis, Mariachi Los Potrillos OC. are Orange County’s hottest mariachi band. They bring their highly in demand sounds to Hotel Maya’s seaside restaurant, Fuego.

Coming from a renowned Mariachi family, Luis Garcia demonstrated musical talent at an early age. His showmanship has brought him great acclaim, working under many prestigious groups in the Los Angeles area such as Mariachi Sol de Mexico, Mariachi Imperial de Mexico, Mariachi Los Toros, and others.

For reservations, call (562) 481-3910 or visit http://www.facebook.com/fuegolongbeach.

‘Othello’ at the Playhouse

In 1603, William Shakespeare wrote Othello, a tragic play that told of love, jealousy, lies, manipulation and murder. In his tragic masterpiece Othello, a powerful Moorish general, elopes with the Venetian lady Desdemona. When Othello chooses Cassio as his chief lieutenant, Iago’s jealousy takes over. Seeking revenge he puts into motion a scheme to end the nuptial happiness of Othello and Desdemona. A dropped handkerchief commences the poison of false accusations, distrust and eventually murder. Iago’s meddling arouses Othello’s insecurities about himself. He begins to believe he is no longer attractive to his younger wife. Othello’s plea to be remembered as one who “loved not wisely but too well” brings his tragic mistake to an end.

Othello is at the Long Beach Playhouse from Aug. 31 through Sept. 28. Tickets ($24-$14) are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling (562) 494-1014, option 1.

Hula & Chant Competition

In 1993, a new Hawaiian nonprofit organization named Na Mamo, which means the Cherished Offspring, dreamed of an event that would bring the entire Hawaiian community together and the community at large to celebrate the dance (hula), language (olelo), music (mele), arts, crafts, and foods of the Hawaiian people.

Today, the organization has reached a milestone. They are celebrating 25 years of E Hula Mau on Labor Day weekend, Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 2019 at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, Terrace Theater in Long Beach.

Info: www.ehulamau.org.

Ping Pong Fit Festival

The 2019 International Ping Pong Fit Festival will run concurrently with the 9th Annual LA Open Table Tennis Tournament Championship at the Long Beach Convention Center on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Up to 400 top-ranked players from around the world, as well as Olympians, will arrive in Long Beach to compete in the LA Open for the highest cash prize awards in the US. Ping Pong Fit is committed to raising awareness of the health benefits of ping pong by providing access, training, and supervision for safe and fun participation in communities across the nation.

The International Ping Pong Festival is open to the public free of charge. For more information go to pingpongfit.com. Tickets for the LA Open Tournament can be purchased on site.

Esther Williams Exhibition

The Catalina Island Museum presents the National debut of Esther Williams: The Swimming Queen of the Silver Screen, an exhibition celebrating the dynamic life of the late Esther Williams opening Sept. 6. The exhibition, chronicling Williams’ dazzling life from athlete swimmer to movie stardom, includes a collection of more than 70 items compiled from private lenders and family members’ personal collections.

For over 100 years, Catalina Island has been a coveted filmmaking spot including Esther Williams’ aqua-musical films. One of the many things Catalina Island Museum prides itself on is exhibiting the stories of Hollywood on the island. More than half of the items from the collection will be on view to the public for the first time. Of particular interest is the glamorous gown worn by Williams in Jupiter’s Darling, on loan from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum (FIDM) of Los Angeles. In addition to costumes and personal video footage of Williams with her family, on display for the first time includes a personalized “Yes, I Still Swim” pillow gifted to Williams by journalist Barbara Walters. After Williams left the silver screen she was asked so often if she still swam it became a joke.
Esther Williams: The Swimming Queen of the Silver Screen will be on view in the Catalina Island Museum’s Artists’ Plaza Gallery through March 8 and is accessible with general admission museum tickets.

An Improvised Musical!

Held2gether kicks off Broken Legs: An Improvised Musical on Saturday, Sept. 14 and Saturday, Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Expo Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Ave. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Scott Saegesser, the musical director takes his fifth year the helm of the show. Scott is unique as he is legally deaf, yet has a 30-year background in musical theater. He has directed over 50 musicals and has been the Held2gether music director for seven years. 

“Each year gets stronger, more creative, and musically diverse”, says Saegesser. “I can’t wait to see what musical classics are born this year.” Darren Held adds, “It really touches a chord with the audience. There’s something special about feeling something so strong, you have to sing about it. And like all improv, knowing you’re hearing something completely original”.

Concert Season Announced

For the 2019-20 season, Music at the Point continues with another line-up of great music, including two new offerings: their first family concert and a gospel festival. These are the next two performances:

Mare Wakefield & Nomad, Friday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m. – Mare Wakefield & Nomad’s vocals, guitar, piano, accordion, and melodica take listeners through Arizona deserts, Oklahoma oil fields, and Amsterdam canals, heartbreaks, and barroom brawls. They are two-time finalists at the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition in Texas. They also draw on Turkish-born Nomad’s musical roots.

Kontrapunktus, Saturday, Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m. – Kontrapunktus is a conductorless orchestra of classical musicians who perform a unique repertoire of Baroque music intended to captivate and inspire people from all walks through their talent and sublime artistry. They aim to help others re-imagine the possibilities of classical music so that their newly discovered appreciation for classical music can then be passed on to future generations.

The Music at the Point concerts are all free-will donation concerts and are held in the sanctuary of Grace First Presbyterian Chuch, 3955 N. Studebaker Rd. More information is available on our website, www.gracefirst.org/concert-series. Come experience the most interesting, affordable and eclectic music series in Long Beach.