Impressionist painter Gustave Caillebotte
Floor Scrapers, 1875 Gustave Caillebotte (French, 1848-1894) Oil on canvas 40 3/16 x 57 1/16 in (102 x 145 cm) Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Gift of the heirs of Caillebotte through his executor Auguste Renoir, 1894 Photo: Musée d’Orsay. dist Grand Palais RMN / Patrice Schmidt EX.2025.2.32 Hanging with the guys “Gustave Caillebotte: Painting Men” at […]
Alice Coltrane at the Hammer Museum
Music and Meditation “Alice Coltrane, Monument Eternal” at the Hammer by Bondo Wyszpolski Somewhat in the vein of the recent Joan Didion exhibition, the Hammer’s current offering, “Alice Coltrane, Monument,” is a sprawling look at the life and legacy of the jazz pianist and spiritual leader, better known as the wife of saxophonist John Coltrane, […]
The sound of Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim, a celebration “Sondheim’s ‘Old Friends’” at the Ahmanson Theatre by Bondo Wyszpolski Musical theater aficionados may never let us forget the contributions of the late Stephen Sondheim, especially as “Old Friends” is the third major revue devoted to his legacy, following “Putting it Together” and “Side by Side.” This particular revue was in […]
LA Art Show 2025: the Everest of art shows is coming soon
Visual splendor, and lots of it! No bounds to the imagination at the upcoming LA Art Show: Feb. 19-23 by Bondo Wyszpolski There are plenty of art galleries in and around Los Angeles, and on a typical evening one might be able to take in two or three. But when you visit the LA Art […]
Caspar David Friedrich: The shape of things to come
Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Then Did Caspar David Friedrich really see into the future? A speculative inquiry, by Bondo Wyszpolski On the heels of major exhibitions across Germany in honor of his 250th birthday, Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) is finally getting the retrospective in the United States that he deserves. Some 75 works by this preeminent […]
Jim Murray’s art, from Yosemite to the Southwest
The long journey continues Space and place in the art of Jim Murray by Bondo Wyszpolski Among the remarkable artists living locally, one who stands out and apart from most is Jim Murray. If he’s not always in the foreground then he’s certainly in the background, pursuing his projects with a sharp focus and concentration. […]
Sutton Foster soars in “Once Upon a Mattress”
Bedtime story “Once Upon a Mattress” snuggles into the Ahmanson by Bondo Wyszpolski Based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea,” the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” was a Broadway hit in 1959, starring Carol Burnett. It’s been revived a couple of times since, and mostly applauded each time. The current […]
Mariana, a Spanish queen in Pasadena
Her Royal Highness at the Norton Simon Museum “Queen Mariana of Austria,” painted by Diego Velázquez by Bondo Wyszpolski The idea of visiting a gallery or museum just to contemplate one picture may seem peculiar, but some years ago I remember how exciting it was to be among the first to see Vermeer’s “Woman Reading […]
Color my world: movie magnificence
“Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema” On view at the Academy of Motion Pictures by Bondo Wyszpolski The citywide Getty initiative, PST ART: Art and Science Collide, which has corralled dozens of Southern Californian galleries and museums, is kind of a mixed bag, with several of the institutions going overboard on trying to be […]
Planetary pleasures: “Star Wars” gets erotic
Galactic gals “The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody” (a review) by Bondo Wyszpolski Well, it seemed promising, and overall I guess it was, but the Force wasn’t entirely with me for “The Empire Strips Back,” a wry, lavish striptease with most of the “Star Wars” characters letting it all hang out: Luke Skywalker, Princess […]
The circus has come to Torrance
Under the Big Top with Circus Vargas “Jubilé! An Epic World Celebration!” by Bondo Wyszpolski Every couple of years Circus Vargas rolls back into town, which tends to mean Torrance, and I’m always impressed because it’s like a breath of fresh air. The family-run company doesn’t put on airs and it makes everyone feel welcome. […]
“A Piece of My Heart: – When nurses served in Vietnam…
Battle Zone “A Piece of My Heart” on stage in Manhattan Beach by Bondo Wyszpolski The Manhattan Beach Community Church Theater should be commended for presenting a work that doesn’t merely entertain but rather induces us to reflect upon a rather painful and contentious period in our nation’s history. Based on the 1986 book of […]
Out of breath at the Hammer
Hey, it’s the white man’s fault “Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice” by Bondo Wyszpolski This is an exhibition that “explores the intersection of art, nature, health, equity, justice, and collective action” because “This is the most consequential decade in modern history,” says Conservation International. In the catalog that accompanies “Breath(e),” which is on view […]
From ace reporter to noted artist: Will Shuck’s paintings on view at Easy Reader
Three local artists plus… …a former Easy Reader news editor who now wields a paintbrush by Bondo Wyszpolski In the late 1990s, Will Shuck covered the Manhattan Beach beat for Easy Reader, and his cubicle was next to mine. We became pals as well as colleagues and so, one day, when the Boss was otherwise […]
Taking flight with “Madame Butterfly”
Retooling the past “Madame Butterfly” – a review by Bondo Wyszpolski This is a heartbreaking melodrama during which the audience is likely to cry and shed tears, and you may do so as well without embarrassment. That’s because we lose ourselves in the sensuality of the story and not in its ingredients, the historical accuracy […]
Memnon: as the gods will it
Reluctant warriors “Memnon” at the Getty Villa, a review by Bondo Wyszpolski Every September, for nearly two decades, the Getty Villa has presented a new rendition of an ancient Greek or Roman play, some of them comedies, some of them tragedies, and the performances take place in the courtyard between the outdoor amphitheater and the […]