Friend duo performs at Ojai Underground
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- Published: Friday, 31 May 2019 10:14

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Singers and songwriters Megan Burtt, left, and Natalie Gelman will perform at Ojai Underground Exchange.
Andra Belknap, Ojai Valley News contributor
“There’s a few musicians who I hear, and I’m like, ‘oh man, I’ve got to step up my game,’” said Ojai Valley singer-songwriter Natalie Gelman of her friend, fellow musician Megan Burtt. “She’s one of them.”
Featured Artist: Carlos Grasso
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:48

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“COSMOS” acrylic on canvas, 5 by 7 feet.
“I am a compulsive, visual and existential explorer in many mediums – figurative, abstract, mixed media and conceptual,” says Carlos Grasso. His new pieces of abstract art, including the 5-by-7-foot painting “Cosmos,” will be on display at his studio on June 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of the Ojai Studio Artists Second Saturday Tour. Four other East End artists will also participate in the tour. They are Gayel Childress, Valerie Freeman, Richard Franklin and Nancy Whitman. The tour is free and self-guided. Visit http://www.ojaistudioartists.org for a tour map and more information.
Music Festival launches
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:46
Launching the 73rd Ojai Music Festival on June 6 will be music director Barbara Hannigan's work from the podium in Stravinsky's neoclassic opera, “The Rake's Progress,” a Faustian fable for our time addressing the subjects of love and greed. Featured in this rarely performed opera will be the Ludwig orchestra in their American debut, Los Robles Master Chorale, and singers from Hannigan's Equilibrium Mentoring Initiative.
Fun coming with 'Mamma Mia!'
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:46

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Tracy Williams Sutton
Summer is for adventures, music, dancing and having a great fun time. What better way to spend a warm summer evening, than watching the rollicking, feel-good musical “Mamma Mia!” The Ojai Art Center Theater’s summer offering is the ABBA-inspired production that has swept audiences away, leaving them with tapping feet, and the music racing through their heads. The show is such a favorite that not one but two movies have been spun out from its storyline. The musical opens June 14 and runs for five weekends.
'James & the Giant Peach' will be switching up the cast
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:44

Photos by Tom Moore
Spiker and Sponge on a bench with a servant to the right.
“James and the Giant Peach, Jr., “ presented by the Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio, continues Friday, May 24, at 6 p.m.;Saturday, May 25, at 2 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, May 26, at 2 p.m. on the OYES Youth Center Stage at 907 El Centro St. in Ojai.
Roedelius Festival at the Beato Center
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:41

Photo by Roy Aster
Beato Christopher James Chaplin, left, with Hans-Joachim Roedelius.
Hans-Joachim Roedelius, a legendary figure in contemporary music who influenced artists, including Brian Eno and U2, will be performing at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts on Saturday, June 1, at 7 p.m. He will take part in a panel discussion, sharing his processes and techniques, at 2 p.m. the same day.
McBroom takes on Macbeth June 8 & 9
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:37

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Amanda McBroom
Golden Globe Award winner Amanda McBroom will be in concert at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura on Saturday, June 8, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 9, at 2 p.m., singing in the concert version of her Shakespeare show, “Lady Macbeth Sings the Blues,” contemporary songs for Shakespeare's heroines.
Muse of Fire ignites dreams
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:35
Ojai’s newest theater company A Muse of Fire gets its name from a Shakespeare quote, but its inception came about in the wake of the Thomas Fire. Following the fire, the company’s founder and visionary, award-winning actress, director, playwright, Susan Kelejian, who is also a family therapist, set up a workshop with River Sauvageau (longtime creative force behind the Ojai Day Mandala), which used theater and artistic exercises to help people emotionally heal from the fire.
‘Actual Reality’ – What is real or not
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:34
“Actual Reality,” a new exhibit created by local artists Carlos Grasso and Peter Fox, examines the present-day disconnect between virtual and actual reality. Opening June 1 at the Museum of Ventura County, the exhibit challenges the viewer to experience what is real and not real through a series of tangible, three-dimensional art that is intended to stimulate and provoke an appreciation for reality. The exhibit will open with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. June 1 in the Museum of Ventura County’s Huntsinger Gallery.
11 free concerts set for county fair
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- Published: Friday, 24 May 2019 10:33
The Ventura County Fair has announced the 2019 Grandstand Entertainment Series at which fair visitors can see their favorite musical acts and rodeos free with paid admission to the fair.
There will be 11 free concerts:
— Wednesday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m.: Styx
— Thursday, Aug. 1, at 7:30 p.m.: Martina McBride
— Friday, Aug. 2, at 7:30 p.m.: Melissa Etheridge
— Saturday, Aug. 3, at 7:30 p.m.: The Ohio Players with special guests The Emotions and Evelyn “Champagne” King
'Mamma Mia!' pre-party fundraiser
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- Published: Friday, 17 May 2019 10:09
Everyone is welcome to enjoy an evening of feel-good live music, wine, food and Greek-themed raffle prizes to support the Ojai Art Center Theater’s next production “Mamma Mia!” The party is free admission and will be held in the gardens at Topa Mountain Winery on May 31 from 6 to 9 p.m. Tasty Greek food treats will be available and the winery will donate a portion of its sales to the theater.