Left: David Mamet, right: Ricky Jay

Next Thursday, May 13, David Mamet will be appearing at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles. He will be reading from and signing his new book, Theatre, and chatting with magician/actor Ricky Jay. This will be Mamet’s only appearance of this kind in the U.S., and MetBlogs has your tickets. Read on to find out how to get them.

David Mamet is a brilliant author / playwright / screenwriter / director. While I enjoy Mamet’s books, my favorite works are his movies. A Mamet script is like a symphony of dialogue, with himself as conductor. I’ve heard that when Mamet rehearses scenes he uses a metronome to make certain that the actors get exactly the right cadence with the words; that the phrases overlap in perfect harmony.

Click past the jump to collect your tickets to see David Mamet at Largo…

For you, dear readers, we have a pair of tickets and a copy of Theatre to get signed by the author. For your chance to win, leave me a comment below telling me your favorite line from a Mamet movie. I’ll start with a couple of my favorites…

From Heist…
Sam Rockwell: “Is your man cool?”
Ricky Jay: “My motherfucker’s so cool, when he goes to sleep sheep count him.”

From Glengarry Glen Ross…
Alec Baldwin: “We’re adding a little something to this month’s sales contest. As you all know first prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Anyone wanna see second prize? Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you’re fired.”

Those are only two of many memorable lines. Tell me your favorite for your chance to win. Winner to be notified via email, so make sure yours is entered correctly. Don’t want to take any chances? Tickets can be purchased here.

Pantages Hollywood just made it easier for you to make good on your resolution to see more local theatre, with the release of their own iPhone app.  (Click here to open the Pantages app page on iTunes.)

You can buy tickets by phone, get presale offers, discounts, YouTube channel updates, and check out nearby restaurants. And it’s free. Like an app should be.

Go see a show, Freckles.

In 1995, following the 1992 Los Angeles riots, veteran actor Soon-Tek Oh created the Society of Heritage Performers (SHP), a Korean American theatre ensemble. SHP evolved into Lodestone Theatre Ensemble in 1999, organized by original founders: actors Alexandra Bokyun Chun, Tim Lounibos and Chil Kong, and writer Philip W. Chung. Their new focus was embracing a broader Asian Pacific American identity. Chung and Kong have remained to the end as co-artistic directors.

You can still catch the final weekend of their final production, Grace Kim & The Spiders from Mars, which is a play that was specifically written as a farewell to Lodestone. Inspired by classic screwball comedies, Grace Kim & The Spiders from Mars tells the story of Grace, a young Korean American woman, who has withdrawn from the world after the death of her mother ten years ago. But Grace’s life is thrown upside down when she meets her sister’s fiancé and falls in love with him. The play will be permanently retired after this run. (Meet Grace Kim in the video below…)

Tickets have been lowered to the same price as the first show in 1999: $12 for general admission and $10 each for reserved groups of 10 or more.

Only four more shows before GRACE KIM and Lodestone are gone forever! Performances are Thursday through Saturday (12/17) at 8 p.m. (2-for-1 Thursday tickets with password “Ziggy Stardust”) and closing on Sunday, 12/20 at 2 p.m. RSVP now: (323) 993-7245

GRACE KIM & THE SPIDERS FROM MARS
GTC BURBANK
1111-B W. Olive St.
Burbank, CA 91506
(inside George Izay Park, just west of S. Victory Blvd.)

FREE PARKING: Park near the jet plane in front of George Izay Park at 1111 W. Olive St. Walk into the park, past Olive Recreation Center. GTC Burbank is behind the Rec. Center, facing the softball fields.

Show info is here.

1) The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival: 2009

Visual Communications, the nation’s premier Asian Pacifc American media arts center, established the Los Angeles Asian Pacifc Film & Video Festival in 1983 as a vehicle to promote Asian and Asian Pacifc American cinema. The Festival has grown from its humble beginnings as a weekend-long series into a major annual showcase presenting the best of Asian Pacifc American and Asian international media in the United States. As of 2008, the Film Festival is known by its permanent iteration The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

2) Lodestone Theatre Ensemble: Ten to Life

A Census agent exposes a family’s perverse, hidden secret…A desperate loser turns to experimental surgery to seduce his high school crush…A happy homemaker struggles against an ancient evil that lurks in plain sight…A controlling psychologist must protect his life’s love from her memories. Lodestone kicks off its final season with four twisted one-acts touching on the bizarre and unnatural. It’s been ten years… Time to pay.

3) East West Players: Marry Me A Little & The Last Five Years, an evening of 2 one-act musicals!

MARRY ME A LITTLE: A compilation of songs, composed by Stephen Sondheim for many of his Broadway musicals but for various reasons didn’t make it into the final stage, are woven into a simple tale of two lonely people during one evening in their small, one-bedroom apartments. Featuring Mike Dalager & Jennifer Hubilla
THE LAST FIVE YEARS: There are two sides to every story…Jamie and Cathy’s 5-year old relationship is coming to an end, and through the funny , sweet and heart-breaking songs, you hear both versions of what happened–from beginning to end, and from the end to beginning. Featuring Michael K. Lee & Jennifer Paz

Over the years, I’ve attended events put on by each of these organizations and always come out feeling lucky that L.A. has such a vibrant Asian American arts scene. Why not take some time out in the month of May to do something for API Heritage Month, like attending one of the shows listed above? If you do, I’d love to hear what you think.

LeVar Burton

Reason #1 to see The Caterer: @levarburton is awesome. He called our fledgling little LAGenX radio show last weekend to chat about theatre, and to find out who we are. We’re not even sure who we are. But, we talked, and he tweeted about it. And we tweeted back. It was internet bromance. You can hear the interview here.

Reason #2 to see The Caterer: @levarburton is hosting an exclusive tweetup for audience members with tickets for Friday or Saturday night (Apr. 10, 11.) And you KNOW theatre tweeps like to party. From TheCatererPlay.com:

LeVar Burton will mingle and raffle off personal memorabilia.
Location to be encoded within program insert.
Must be 21 years of age to attend the after party.
Limited seating available.

See a show – Tweetup with the stars. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

As they enter into their tenth (and final) season, they are presenting “Lodestone After Dark: The Beginning of the End,” a cabaret-style show which will feature comedy sketches and musical numbers this weekend. This show will celebrate Lodestone’s ten years and launch the company’s final season of shows before it closes its doors at the end of 2009.

These performances actually kicked off last night, Dec 11, with GEDDE WATANABE (Sixteen Candles’ Long Duk Dong) & ERIN QUILL (Avenue Q) hosting. But you can still catch the performances with ALEC MAPA (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives) hosting tonight (Dec 12) through Sunday (Dec 14).

Lodestone also promises special celebrity guests who will be making appearances throughout the run of the show including:
*JOHN CHO (Harold and Kumar, Star Trek)
*JAMES KYSON LEE (Heroes)
*KELLY HU (X-Men 2)
*DAVID ONO (Anchor, KABC TV Eyewitness News)
*SANDRA OH (Grey’s Anatomy)
*GEORGE TAKEI (Star Trek)
*SUNG KANG (Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift)
*ROGER FAN (Better Luck Tomorrow)
*KABA MODERN’S YURI TAG & FYSH N’ CHICKS’ TAEKO COLLINS (America’s Top Dance Crew)
*Along with members of the Asian American comedy groups the 18 MIGHTY MOUNTAIN WARRIORS, OPM, COLD TOFU & many other surprises.

I’m planning to be there tonight; I can’t wait!

(More details after the jump)

LODESTONE AFTER DARK: THE BEGINNING OF THE END
Dates: December 11-14, 2008
Time: 8PM
General Admission: $15
Students/Seniors/Groups of 10+: $12
(Pay by cash or check only at the door)

GTC BURBANK
1111-B W. Olive St.
Burbank, CA 91506
(inside George Izay Park, just west of S. Victory Blvd.)

FREE PARKING: Park near the jet plane in front of George Izay Park at 1111 W. Olive St. Walk into the park, past Olive Recreation Center. GTC Burbank is behind the Rec. Center, facing the softball fields.

RSVPs strongly recommended: (323) 993-7245

THERE WILL BE NO LATE ADMISSION!

Directed by Henry Chan, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Nic Cha Kim, Chil Kong & Erin Quill
Produced by Junko Goda, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Nic Cha Kim, Rosa Kwon & Amelia Worfolk
Written by Prince Gomovilas, Michael Chih Ming Hornbuckle, Charles Kim, Nic Cha Kim, Annette Lee, James Kyson Lee, Tim Lounibos, Alec Mapa, Erin Quill, Judy Soo Hoo & Peter J. Wong
With: Peggy Ahn, Ronald M. Banks, Steve Brady, Ray Chang, Cesar Cipriano, Deborah S. Craig, John Fukuda, Junko Goda, Howard Ho, Chil Kong, Jully Lee, Erin Quill, Greg Watanabe, Shannon Wong, Ryun Yu & special appearance by Xanadu’s original muse, Marilyn Tokuda

More about Lodestone:
http://www.lodestonetheatre.org
www.myspace.com/lodestonetheatre

At the same time, Saturday Night Live is growing, by replacing one member and adding another. With Amy Poehler leaving the show, the Comic’s Comic reports that Lorne Michaels has added two cast members with ties to Los Angeles.

Abby Elliott is the daughter of comedian Chris Elliott. She performed with The Midnight Show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles.

Michaela Watkins, who has appeared as “Lucy” on The New Adventures of Old Christine, comes from the The Groundlings.

Congratulations to Abby and Michaela, who make their debuts this Saturday night with host Paul Rudd and musical guest Beyonce.

“All the single ladies, all the single ladies.”

Tyrone Power and Sonja Henie joined Hollywood’s biggest stars for the premiere of Shirley Temple’s Wee Willie Winkie at the Carthay Circle Theatre on San Vicente. The movie palace would later be demolished to make way for… an office building.

The year was 1937.

Photo from the Los Angeles Public Library