“Marilyn Forever,” a new opera by Gavin Bryars, is onstage Sunday, March 29, at 2:30 p.m. in the Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. Sixth St., San Pedro. This is the second of just two performances. It’s being presented by Long Beach Opera, conducted by Bill Linwood, with stage and production design by Andreas Mitisek. Pre-opera talk one hour before the performance. Tickets, $29 to $160 ($15 for students with ID). Call (562) 432-5934 or go to longbeachopera.org/tickets.
“Marilyn Forever,” based on a libretto by Marilyn Bowering, recounts the last evening of the screen star’s life as she reflects on her career and the men in her life. It is a noirish, jazzy work, Vegas noir sort of, with a soft glow of agony. We’re moths circling a flame, the actress says. Dirgelike and atmospheric, with knock-’em-dead performances by Jamie Chamberlin and Danielle Marcelle Bond as the inner and outer Marilyns, and Lee Gregory as the Rehearsal Director and the Men in Monroe’s life.
Upcoming from the company: “Hydrogen Jukebox,” by Philip Glass, May 30, June 6 and 7, to be staged at Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro.
On Saturday evening, the Torrance Art Museum held receptions for the group show “Second Sight: New Representations in Photography” as well as for the solo show “John Hyatt: My Brush with Angels.” The work is on view from Tuesday, March 31 through Thursday, May 14. Hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information: torranceartmuseum.com.
Genie Nakano is many things – newspaper columnist, yoga instructor, dancer and tanka poet – and she’s reading from her new, second volume of tanka poetry, “Storyteller,” from 2 to 4 p.m. on
Sunday, March 29, in the Gardena Valley, Japanese Cultural Institute, 1964 W. 162nd St., Gardena. Free. (310) 324-6611 or go to jci-gardena.org.
Renowned author Joyce Carol Oates will speak about her work at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, in the Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. Ms. Oates has published over 100 works since her debut in 1963 (in other words, she’s written more books than most people will read in their lifetime, and these run the gamut from novels to poetry to critical essays). The event is being presented by Marymount California University, the Negri Foundation, and the Meid and McFarlane Foundation with the Peninsula Friends of the Library. Tickets, $15. Call (310) 544-0403 ext. 221 or go to palosverdesperformingarts.com.
Presented by the Los Angeles Jazz Institute, “An All Star Celebration of Art Pepper” took place on Friday evening in the Hermosa Beach Community Theatre, and featured three fine saxophonists – Richie Cole, Don Shelton, and Gaspare Pasini – plus trumpeter Carl Saunders. Art Pepper, who was born in the South Bay (Gardena, 1925) and died in 1982, played with some great musicians. The night featured members of his last rhythm section – George Cables on piano, David Williams on bass, and Carl Burnett on drums. Laurie Pepper, Art’s widow, read selections from his autobiography, as well as from her own new book.
From May 21 to 24, the Los Angeles Jazz Institute will present “Music for Lighthousekeeping: An All Star Tribute to Howard Rumsey.” Now 95, Rumsey will be the guest of honor. Most of the events take place at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles, but of course Rumsey is best known for putting the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach on the jazz map. (562) 200-5477 or go to lajazzinstitute.org.
