Joffrey Ballet

Posted on March 4, 2019 by lesliedinaberg

Joffrey Ballet, “Mammatus, photo by Cheryl Mann.

The world-renowned Joffrey Ballet comes to the Granada Theatre for two nights of incredible dance performances of works by George Balanchine and other acclaimed choreographers, presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures on Tuesday, March 5 and Wednesday, March 6 at 8 p.m.

“The Joffrey dancers, costumed and lit and shockingly talented, are like a rock concert for the eyes,” reports Huffington Post.

Among the repertoire included in on the Santa Barbara stage is one of Balanchine’s earliest experimental works, two pieces by modern ballet master Nicolas Blanc, the unique cinematic vision of Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman, contemporary ballet darling Justin Peck with a work set to a score by Philip Glass and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa‘s stunning depiction of a turbulent cloud formation. These wide-ranging programs display the inestimable skill of the Joffrey Ballet’s dancers, classically trained to the highest standards, and the company’s unique, inclusive perspective on dance.

Tue, Mar 5 (Program A)

George Balanchine: The Four Temperaments
Nicolas Blanc: Beyond the Shore
Alexander Ekman: Joy

Wed, Mar 6 (Program B)

Justin Peck: In Creases
Nicolas Blanc: Encounter
Alexander Ekman: Joy
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa: Mammatus

The Joffrey is a world-class, Chicago-based ballet company and dance education organization committed to artistic excellence and innovation. Classically trained to the highest standards, the Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly reflecting the diversity of America with its company, audiences and repertoire, which includes major story ballets, reconstructions of masterpieces and contemporary works.

Founded by visionary teacher Robert Joffrey in 1956, guided by celebrated choreographer Gerald Arpino from 1988 until 2007, The Joffrey Ballet continues to thrive under internationally renowned Artistic Director Ashley Wheater and Executive Director Greg Cameron.

Joffrey Ballet, Beyond the Shore, photo by Cheryl Mann.

RELATED EVENT

Community Dance Class with The Joffrey Ballet

Mon., Mar. 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Gustafson Dance, 2285 Las Positas Rd., Santa Barbara

Reservations: 805/563-3262 ext. 1

Co-presented by Gustafson Dance

For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805/893-3535 or purchase online at ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu. Tickets are also available through The Granada Theatre at 805/899-2222 or granadasb.org.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on March 2, 2019.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Posted on January 25, 2019 by lesliedinaberg

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, photo by Zoran Jelen.

Dancing the very fine line between high art and high camp, the internationally-beloved Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo bring their brilliant pointe work and vibrant drag costumes to the Granada Theatre (1214 State St., Santa Barbara) on Sunday, January 27 at 7 p.m.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, photo by Zoran Jelen.

Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo was founded in 1974 in New York City on the heels of the Stonewall riots, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (also affectionately called “The Trocks”) is a company of professional male dancers performing the full range of the ballet and modern dance repertoire, including classical and original works in faithful renditions of the manners and conceits of those dance styles. The comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents and underlying incongruities of serious dance. The fact that men dance all the parts—heavy bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses, or angst-ridden Victorian ladies—enhances, rather than mocks, the spirit of dance as an art form, delighting and amusing the most knowledgeable, as well as novices, in the audiences.

“The funniest night you will ever have at the ballet,” writes The Sunday Times (U.K).

The Trocks’ numerous tours have been both popular and critical successes—the company’s annual schedules have included six tours to Australia and New Zealand, 25 to Japan (where annual visits have created a nation-wide cult following and a fan club), 10 to South America, three to South Africa and 55 tours of Europe. In the United States, the company has become a regular part of the college and university circuit, in addition to frequent presentations in all of the 50 states. The company has appeared in more than 35 countries and more than 500 cities worldwide since its founding.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, photo by Zoran Jelen.

For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805/893-3535 or purchase online at www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu. Tickets are also available through The Granada Theatre at 805/899-2222 or granadasb.org.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on January 24, 2019.

Cocktail Corner: Sipping for Good

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lesliedinaberg

BELMOND EL ENCANTO & SUNSTONE WINERY CRAFT CUSTOM BLENDS TO BENEFIT YOUTH INTERACTIVE

Belmond El Encanto has partnered with Sunstone Winery to craft two custom blends in support of the local youth organization Youth Interactive. Photo courtesy Belmond El Encanto.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg

I’m always excited to hear about partnerships between local wineries, local businesses and local nonprofits. After all, when good wine benefits a good cause … well, it’s all good!

Most recently, Belmond El Encanto collaborated with the beautiful, family-owned Santa Ynez Valley winery Sunstone Winery to craft two custom blends in partnership with GO Campaign to support Youth Interactive, one of my favorite local organizations that works to create youth-led businesses to help participants explore their creative and entrepreneurial talents.

Belmond El Encanto worked directly with winemaker Bion Rice and the Sunstone team to craft each wine.

The first custom blend, released in December, is Enchanted Riviera (pictured above). It is a 2017 cuvée consisting of 50% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. Each of the four lots used to compile this blend originated from the 28-year-old Sunstone Estate Vineyard.

The white blend, Charming Vista, will be available in early 2019. A select panel from Belmond El Encanto and Youth Interactive’s Board developed secret blends for a blind tasting at Sunstone Winery, and a Level 2 Sommelier from the winery chose the winning blend.

Youth Interactive Artist Jack Miles with his artwork that is featured on the “Enchanted Riviera” bottle. Courtesy photo.

The bottle label artwork was created by Youth Interactive participant, 18-year-old La Cuesta Continuation High School student, Jack Miles. A fan of abstract art, Miles was mentored by celebrated local artist James-Paul Brown on the design.

“Youth Interactive means a lot to me. It is a safe place where I know that I can always come to and feel free to be myself and express myself. I am able to meet important people in the community and expand on my skills to become a better person,” says Miles, who hopes to find a job that allows him to utilize his talents and give back to the community.

Founded in 2012, Youth Interactive Santa Barbara is a grassroots after school Entrepreneurial Arts Academy that bridges opportunity and social divisions by providing creative young adults from all walks of life with the keys to self-sufficiency. Sold exclusively at the hotel, Belmond El Encanto will donate five dollars from each bottle sold to the organization.

You can also check out some of Youth Interactive’s other products at their new gallery space, the State Gallery @ YI Shop, located at 1219 State St. across from the Granada Theatre in Downtown Santa Barbara.

Sunstone Winery, courtesy photo.

“Collaborating with both Sunstone Winery and Youth Interactive is the perfect match for Belmond El Encanto,” says Colleen Huther, General Manager of Belmond El Encanto. “Being a strong advocate for sustainability, we appreciate the environmental preservation and organic growing that is inherent with Sunstone Winery. A majority of our local community outreach efforts focus on youth, the future stewards of our planet. We can’t think of a better youth organization to support than Youth Interactive.”

Cheers to good wine and good causes! Click here for more Cocktail Corner columns.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie believes variety is the spice of life. Send your suggestions to Leslie@sbseasons.com.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on January 18, 2019.

Local Dish: Smithy Kitchen + Bar

Posted on March 30, 2018 by lesliedinaberg

The outdoor patio at Kitchen + Bar is a beautiful place to dine, day or night. Photo courtesy Smithy.

There’s nothing better than good food in a beautiful setting, and the new Smithy Kitchen + Bar (7 E. Anapamu St.) has both! I’ve dined on the lovely outdoor patio—under its gorgeous canopy of 100-year-old olive trees—twice in the last few weeks—once on a cold night and once on a warmish one—and the well-placed heaters make it a comfortable and cozy spot to be in almost any weather.

Designer Steve Hermann has redone the former Somerset space in an upscale yet approachable style, with a more “Santa Barbara” vibe and every day price point. Originally a blacksmith shop, hence the name “Smithy,” this prime downtown location (near the Granada Theatre, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Public Library and Sullivan Goss Gallery) is now a great spot for lunch, dinner with friends and family, nighttime drinks and bites or a leisurely Sunday brunch. There’s also a special Easter Brunch menu, if you’re eager to check it out this weekend.

Smithy’s “Baby I’m a Star” cocktail and roasted sunchokes with chanterelles, brown butter hazelnuts and butternut squash puree, photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Chef Lauren Herman’s new menu is delicious, and nothing is over $20. We loved the mussels and clams with shallot, garlic, crispy pork belly, and bok choy served with grilled toast. The sauce was so savory we asked for extra toast (homemade) to lap up every last bite. The pastas were also terrific. Try the Cavatelli combined with pork ragu, mustard greens and tomato confit for a hearty dish. The squid ink casarecce in lobster bisque with uni and nori breadcrumbs was also fabulous.

The vegetables really shine as well. We loved the fried delicata squash with cauliflower, bagna cauda, calabrian chili and anchovy aïoli, as well the roasted rainbow carrots with spiced cashew butter, coconut yogurt and carrot top pistou. I also enjoyed the sunchokes, roasted with chanterelles, brown butter hazelnuts and butternut squash puree. Overall, everything was tasty and ideal for sharing.

Smithy’s Polenta Dumplings and Mushroom Flatbread. Photo by Kay Cheon, courtesy Smithy.

Partners in life and in the kitchen, Lauren Herman’s wife, Christina Olufson, is a terrific pastry chef. The flourless chocolate cake with crushed honeycomb was amazing, as was the butterscotch pumpkin cake. Our friends at a nearby table also raved about the brioche doughnuts, so those are definitely on my list to try next time.

The cocktails are also worth noting, with creative names like “Ortega Undead II: The Resurrection” (tequila blanco, lime , thai chile, wild elderflower, falernum and chili-salt rim), “From Tokyo to Mars” (iwai japanese whiskey and bittered grapefruit cordial) and “Baby I’m a Star” (pear and fennel, vodka, fino sherry, absinthe, lemon and peychauds bitters) that are just as delicious as they are irresistible for wordsmiths.

One of several communal dining tables at Smithy Kitchen + Bar, courtesy photo.

While I loved the aesthetic of Somerset, Smithy is definitely a more welcoming space, not to mention significantly less expensive. The building’s original exposed brick walls with white weathered board and batten walls, rustic reclaimed table tops, and original school house chairs create a beautiful restaurant that is both airy and open, yet still feels intimate. As is becoming a trend, there are three separate communal tables and bar seating, as well as an additional 130 seats located inside and out, offering a myriad of dining possibilities. The nights I was there, there were large groups of people (both young and less young), lots of couples and smaller groups, as well as some solo diners.

Smithy’s Kale Salad. Photo by Kay Cheon, courtesy Smithy.

“We want Smithy to provide a dining oasis in the heart of Santa Barbara,” states owner and designer, Steve Hermann. “We hope to become that bar/restaurant that feels like home for all of our guests’ dining and drinking needs, whether small or large. Our food is delicious yet accessible, and our environment is welcoming and comfortable. We’d like to create a new history with Smithy that matches the history of our iconic Santa Barbara location.”

Smithy is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 7 East Anapamu St. Call 805/845-7112 or visit Open Table for reservations. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday for lunch from 11:30 – 2:30 p.m.; dinner from 5p.m. – close; and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Happy hour runs daily from 4 – 6 p.m.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on March 29, 2018.

Interior shot, courtesy Smithy Kitchen + Bar.

Bar interior shot, courtesy Smithy Kitchen + Bar.

Celebrate Kids Helping Kids’ 10th Anniversary

Posted on January 8, 2018 by lesliedinaberg

NeedtoBreathe (l) and Andy Grammer return to perform at the 10th Annual Kids Helping Kids benefit concert. Courtesy photos.

Kids Helping Kids celebrates its 10th Anniversary at the beautiful Granada Theatre (1214 State St.) January 12-13 with performances by NeedtoBreathe and Andy Grammer.

Andy Grammer performs a benefit show for Kids Helping Kids on Friday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. Courtesy photo.

Kids Helping Kids is an entirely student-run nonprofit organization lead by the students in the Advanced Placement Economics classes at San Marcos High School. The group works to help children in need both locally and globally and has raised an amazing $2.5 million to date.

NeedtoBreathe performs a benefit show for Kids Helping Kids on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. Courtesy photo.

The annual benefit concert looks back on the legacy built by the students of San Marcos and the support of our community, bringing back two of the past favorite performers, Andy Grammer (Friday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.) and NeedtoBreathe (Saturday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.).

Past artists who have performed at Kids Helping Kids benefit concerts include:

Toad the Wet Sprocket and Tyrone Wells (2009),
Five for Fighting (2010),
Mat Kearney and Tyrone Wells (2011),
Sara Bareilles and Tyrone Wells (2012),
Switchfoot and Brad Corrigan from Dispatch (2013),
Andy Grammer and Tim Lopez from Plain White T’s (2014),
Ingrid Michaelson and Jon McLaughlin (2015),
NeedtoBreathe and Johnnyswim (2016),
and Gavin DeGraw and Parachute (2017).

In addition to the local chapter, the Kids Helping Kids model to is now in place at two other high schools in Sacramento and Dana Hills, California.

For more information click here, and to purchase tickets, visit the Granada website.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on January 6, 2018.

Lil Buck – A Jookin’ Jam Session

Posted on October 24, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

Lil Buck, photo by Kyle Cordova.

JOOKIN’ (jook·in): A street dance style that emerged from Memphis, Tenn. Identified by its extremely intricate footwork and propensity for improvisation, seen by many as a descendant of hip-hop and jazz, with elements of ballet and modern dance.

See what jookin’ looks like for yourself, when UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Lil Buck – A Jookin’ Jam Session—directed by Damian Woetzel, featuring Sandeep Das, Johnny Gandelsman, Ron “Prime Tyme” Myles, Cristina Pato and Wu Tong—on Tuesday, October 25, at 8 p.m. at The Granada Theatre (1214 State St.).

Named one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch, Lil Buck has performed on Madonna’s Rebel Heart tour, in a highly-praised program at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, in a mesmerizing performance with Yo-Yo Ma to Saint-Saëns “The Swan,” with New York City Ballet, in Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: One and in numerous other high-profile collaborations.

Lil Buck, photo by Kyle Cordova.

“I think he’s a genius, ” says Yo-Yo Ma. The New York Times says, “Lil Buck has already carved out a niche that almost no other dancer can fill, bouncing from music videos (that’s him, slo-mo spinning through Janelle Monae’s ‘Tightrope’) to a Super Bowl halftime show (2012, with Madonna) to Lincoln Center.”

A Memphis jookin’ phenomenon who also received early hip-hop training from and studied on scholarship at the New Ballet Ensemble, this genre-defying artist is taking the world by storm.

For more information or to purchase tickets call 805/893-3535, visit www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu or call 805/899-2222 or visit granadasb.org.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on October 21, 2016.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan

Posted on February 2, 2016 by lesliedinaberg

Rice dancer Chen Wei-an, photo by Liu Chen-Hsiang.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents leading contemporary dance company Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan performing Rice, a multimedia work of human drama and the story of a revered land, on Tue., Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. at The Granada Theatre.

Renowned choreographer Lin Hwai-min, “the most important choreographer in Asia” (Berliner Morgenpost), created the visually stunning Rice in reverence of the land that has nurtured “Asia’s leading contemporary dance theatre” (The Times, U.K.). A work of devastation and resurrection, Rice is set to a backdrop of the living, breathing rice paddies that make up Taiwan’s expansive panorama; immersed in this landscape, Cloud Gate’s formidable dancers—described by The Globe and Mail as “One of the finest dance companies in the world”—enact a human drama parallel to rice’s life cycle: flooding, sprouting, harvesting and burning rice fields. On-site recordings of rustling grain, soughing wind and pealing thunder meet folk songs in Hakka—the oldest among the existing Chinese dialects—and operatic arias from the West to make up the soundscape.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s Rice, photo by Gio To.

A cinematographer spent two years on location documenting the cultivation of rice, capturing images of clouds reflected in the water, rice swaying in the wind and ravaging fire to provide the production’s essential visual elements. With this awe-inspiring multimedia production, “Lin attains a sharply moving synthesis of man and nature, east and west, death and rebirth” (The Guardian, U.K.).

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan is presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures.

For tickets and more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805/893-3535 or purchase online at ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on February 1, 2016.

Reel Cool Movies at the Granada

Posted on June 8, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

The Muppet Movie Get ready for a fun series of family favorite movies at the Granada this summer. The 2015 Summer Film Series offers audiences an especially rare opportunity to see memorable favorites on the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art digital 4K rear-projection screen at the historic Granada Theatre.

These family friendly films screen on Wednesdays throughout the summer.

June 10, 6 p.m.: The Muppet Movie (1979), G

June 24, 6 p.m.: Ghostbusters (1984), PG

July 8, 6 p.m.: E.T. (1982), PG

July 22, 6 p.m.: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (2005), PG

August 12, 6 p.m.: Surf’s Up (2007), PG

August 26, 6 p.m.: Despicable Me (2010), PG

General Admission tickets are $10 with discounts for multiple series purchases. Click here to purchase tickets for each movie performance, or by calling The Granada Theatre’s Box Office at 805/899-2222. The theater is located at 1214 State St. For more information please visit www.granadasb.org.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on June 6, 2015.

The Granada Theatre Film Series Presents: ANTWONE FISHER and “MOVIES THAT MATTER” with Hal Conklin

Posted on February 2, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Antwone Fisher movie Movies are all over Santa Barbara this week!

The Granada Theatre Film Series presents “MOVIES THAT MATTER” with Hal Conklin, a film programming series of iconic movies that touch the soul and draw out the best in humanity.

On Monday, February 2 at 7 p.m, the second film in the series, ANTWONE FISHER, will screen on state-of-the-art 4K digital cinema, and will include special guest from the Martin Luther King Committee of Santa Barbara for a discussion and Q&A following the film.

Antwone Fisher is the story of a young navy man who is forced to see a psychiatrist after a violent outburst against a fellow crewman. During the course of treatment, a painful past is revealed and a new hope begins.

Click here to purchase tickets, or call The Granada Theatre’s Box Office at 805/899-2222. In support of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, The Granada Theatre will honor all level passes for this screening.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on January 31, 2015.

The Granada Theatre’s new “Monday At The Movies” Series

Posted on September 5, 2014 by lesliedinaberg

“Bugsy malone movie poster”. Via Wikipedia –

Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts (SBCPA) recently announced the launch of MONDAY AT THE MOVIES!, a special series of films to be screened throughout the year in the Granada Theatre. The first in the film series will be Bugsy Malone on on Monday, September 8 at 7 p.m.

Bugsy Malone is a 1976 British musical gangster film, directed by Alan Parker. Set in Chicago, the film is loosely based on Chicago events from the early 1920s to 1931 in the Prohibition era, specifically the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran, as dramatized in cinema.

This season’s filmed entertainment programming features the Elmer Bernstein Memorial Film Series, established by the SBCPA to honor the life and work of noted film composer and Santa Barbara resident Elmer Bernstein. The series presents an annual selection of films noteworthy for the importance of their musical scores to the telling of each film’s unique story.

Dates and film titles for the inaugural Elmer Bernstein Memorial Film Series are:

9/8/14 Bugsy Malone

11/24/14 To Kill a Mockingbird

1/26/15 Magnificent Seven

3/30/15 The Great Escape

“Elmer’s greatest passion was creating music for the arts, and it is truly an honor to have his legacy in film be memorialized in Santa Barbara, a city he called home,” says Elmer Bernstein’s widow, Eve Bernstein.

The inaugural series features selections by guest curator Paul Williams, an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning lyricist and composer.

“I’m thrilled at the opportunity to be the first guest curator for this extraordinary cinematic series,” says Williams. “The first film BUGSY MALONE holds a special place in my heart as I wrote many of the lyrics in the original film. This program will be a fantastic collaboration of impressive musical scores with the most advanced level of technology in the 21^st Century.”

Screenings will be preceded by a conversation with Williams and other special guests about each film and its musical score.

Tickets range in price from $9 – $20, and are available through The Granada Theatre’s Box Office—please click here to purchase or call the Box Office at 805/899-2222. The Granada Theatre is located at 1214 State St. For more information, visit www.granadasb.org.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on September 4, 2014.

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Leslie Dinaberg Editor & Writer

Tag Archives: Granada Theatre

Joffrey Ballet

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Cocktail Corner: Sipping for Good

BELMOND EL ENCANTO & SUNSTONE WINERY CRAFT CUSTOM BLENDS TO BENEFIT YOUTH INTERACTIVE

Local Dish: Smithy Kitchen + Bar

Celebrate Kids Helping Kids’ 10th Anniversary

Lil Buck – A Jookin’ Jam Session

Reel Cool Movies at the Granada

The Granada Theatre Film Series Presents: ANTWONE FISHER and “MOVIES THAT MATTER” with Hal Conklin

The Granada Theatre’s new “Monday At The Movies” Series

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BELMOND EL ENCANTO & SUNSTONE WINERY CRAFT CUSTOM BLENDS TO BENEFIT YOUTH INTERACTIVE

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