Dodd 161 is less like a UCLA classroom and more like a performance hall on Tuesday nights. But instead of being mesmerized by the voices of today’s top musicians, students are immersed in Dina LaPolt’s lectures about the music industry. She is a powerhouse and an inspiration, said her student Thomas Ertzeid Gulseth. After LaPolt’s […]
Author Archives: Samantha Suman
Q&A: Student CoryAnne Roberts launches career on ‘America’s Next Top Model’
CoryAnne Roberts landed a spot on VH1’s reinvention of “America’s Next Top Model” by posting pictures of herself on Instagram. While browsing through her Instagram, a casting director noticed Robert’s look and asked the second-year undeclared student if she was interested in auditioning for the new season. Roberts spent four months conversing online – exchanging […]
Concert review: Jamestown Revival at the El Rey Theatre
Members of Jamestown Revival exuded a cool western spirit, dressed in jeans, button-up shirts and leather boots. Pianist Zach Chance wore a brimmed hat and guitarist Jonathan Clay a tan vest, bringing a folk energy to the El Rey Theatre on Thursday. The country souls prompted the audience to sway up and down in unison […]
Concert review: Brad Paisley turns LA Tennis Center into ‘Country Nation’
Brad Paisley’s Friday night concert made Southern California just a little more southern — and for that, country fans rejoiced. The three-time Grammy Award-winning musician drew country music fans and newbies to the Los Angeles Tennis Center, bringing the UCLA community together with his personable songs and honest, humorous commentary. Although Southern California is not […]
Alum couple weaves set for dance, puppet show ‘Strings Attached’
Set and prop designers Lisa Lechuga and Evan Bartoletti spent the past three years pulling strings to bring their latest piece to life. Alumni Lechuga and Bartoletti founded Lechetti Art & Design, a scenic design company that specializes in creating sets for theater and live events. The two share a 12-year professional partnership, combining their […]
Q&A: Michael Emerson discusses acting as jealous composer in play ‘Amadeus’
The name Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is familiar to many. That of Antonio Salieri is not always as easily recognizable. But many people can identify the actor playing Salieri in L.A. Theatre Works’ production of “Amadeus,” if not the 18th century composer himself. Michael Emerson, known for playing Ben Linus in “Lost,” will portray Salieri at […]
Hothouse Residency provides LA dancers space to explore creative works
Los Angeles was not a dance-friendly town 21 years ago when Victoria Marks began teaching at UCLA. She said the entertainment industry’s enormous wealth hindered aspiring dance artists from affording rehearsal space in a city known for its involvement in movies. “The expectation is that people have money to pay for rehearsal studios, but for […]