Album review: Chance the Rapper’s ‘The Big Day’ explores love, merges genres through collaborations

Chance the Rapper dubbed Friday to be his big day, although his recent nuptials were certainly a contender. Four months after the ceremony, Chance has released his first for-sale album, “The Big Day,” which boasts 22 tracks and various artist features. Although the acid rapper is well-established – earning three Grammys, including Best Rap Album, […]

Second Take: Black lead in ‘Little Mermaid’ remake brings welcome tide of representation

Looks like dreads are the new red. “Grown-ish” actress Halle Bailey and her signature locks have been cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of the 1989 classic, “The Little Mermaid.” The news of Bailey’s casting ran like wildfire across the internet after director Rob Marshall announced that Bailey, one half of the R&B sister […]

From panels to cosplay to art, thousands of fans find community at Anime Expo

Winged sorcerers and kunai-wielding shinobis flew down Figueroa Street on Bird scooters to mark the return of America’s largest anime convention. The Los Angeles Convention Center hosted Anime Expo from Thursday to Sunday, featuring a plethora of exhibition booths, panels and premieres. From a Shonen Jump panel discussing upcoming titles that will appear in the […]

Q&A: Playwright Paula Vogel discusses her play ‘Indecent’ and influential writers

The words of playwrights past continue to influence Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel. The 2018-2019 playwright-in-residence for the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television received the award for her 1997 drama, “How I Learned to Drive.” Her latest work, “Indecent,” is based on the scandal that followed the Broadway debut of the Yiddish play […]

Drawing on childhood memories, student’s fashion line spans time and melds cultures

After some tweaking, styles from Gap Kids can also suit adults. Suchita Kumar, a second-year physiological science student, said she designed a fashion line fusing children’s wear with late 20th-century trends. The six-look collection will be featured Thursday as part of the annual Fashion and Student Trends runway show. Kumar’s line, titled “Shaila,” is inspired […]

Student orchestra to share music of Studio Ghibli in performance at UCLA

As a little boy, David Dong’s musical passions were “spirited away” by Studio Ghibli. Dong said the soundtracks of films from the well-known Japanese animation studio, such as those found in “Spirited Away” and “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” inspired him to study music at the University of California, San Diego. Last year, […]