Category: Events

  • Visiting band students from Kobe, Japan at the Downey Theatre

    Visiting band students from Kobe, Japan at the Downey Theatre

    Warren High Band director David Niemeyer has organized an exciting event at the Downey Theatre next Wednesday March 23rd. You may have heard about the recent Japanese earthquake. I’ll let his words explain.

    “Over a year ago I was contaced by a company in Tokyo that helps groups have joint concert experiences/ trips. I’m guessing they are much like a student travel organization. They told me that there was a band interested in coming to the Los Angeles area having an exchage/ joint concert with an American High School band. The truth is that I don’t know how they found Warren HS. We have a website. www.warrenband.org that has over the years helped gain us attention, so I’m assuming that this was possibly the way they found us.

    “Of course I was interested was my reaction and so began the plans. All plans have been made via email for this experience. The band that is coming is the Takigawa Daini HS band from Kobe Japan. Kobe was not effected in the recent earthquakes/ tsunami in Japan, so they have chosen to continue with the trip as planned.

    Wednesday March 23rd – Joint Concert @ Downey Theatre 7pm

    Thursday March 24th – band festival @ Kennedy HS (warren band participating, japanese band attending to watch)

    Friday March 25th – Takigawa band visiting Warren HS classes. The Takigawa band will perform at Warren HS at 2:45pm and then have an exchange dinner with the Warren band.

    Saturday March 26th – Takigawa band visiting and performing at Disneyland

    Sunday – the following Wednesday – the Takigawa band will be doing sight seeing activities.

    “The band students and I are looking forward to this experience because we hope to broaden our global perspective. We hope to learn from our Japense friends and also show them what the American HS band experience is like. We are planning many small things with them so we can share with them our generosity.”

    Tickets are at the door or can be purchased for 5 dollars in advance from:

    David M. Niemeyer – Band Director
    Warren High School
    562-869-7306 x5616
    Room – Stadium 201

     

  • Inaugural Downey Arts Meeting – Feb 26

    Come join us at Xela Coffee House for the first “exploratory” meeting of the Downey Arts Coalition.  We don’t fully know what shape it will all take, but we can start the conversation.

    Saturday, February 26th at 11AM

    Xela Coffee House

    12012 Paramount Blvd.

    Downey, CA

    For more information you can email us on the contact page and I’ll get back to you.

  • Greek Trilogy Oresteia at the Downey Theatre

    Greek Trilogy Oresteia at the Downey Theatre

    Southern Californians have a unique opportunity this fall to experience a theatrical event that bears great significance on our time—and Downey is the proud host.  The Downey Civic Theatre will be the temporary home to The Leonidas Loizides Theatrical Group presentation of the Oresteia, and they’ve chosen our little diamond-in-the-rough theatre to present an abridged version of this timeless classic trilogy by Aeschylus.  While the production is in the Greek language with English subtitles, and sponsored by The American Hellenic Council, the evening will be meaningful to far more than those within the Greek community.  The vision of director and producer Leonidas Loizides is to “hand over the torch of ancient Greek culture” to the rest of us, a task that bears more significance today than ever before.

    Complete mythologies were represented in ancient Greece in trilogies, and the Oresteia is the only remaining trilogy we have today.  The story follows the end of the curse on the house of Atreus—which began with the brutal murder and cannibalist consumption of his nephews, and continued through to his son Agamemnon, who sacrificed his own daughter to launch his fleet to war, and who was later killed by his wife Clytemnestra in the first play of the trilogy, Agamemnon.  Their daughter and son, Electra and Orestes (for whom the play is named), are followed through the other two plays as they seek revenge on their mother for their father’s death.  The story ends with the establishment of justice in a court of law triumphing over personal revenge.

    Excepting the Oedipus plays, the Oresteia has been arguably the most popular and influential Greek tragedy in the western world.  Its influence began with Seneca in ancient Rome, continued through to Renaissance Europe, and from there echoed its themes across the ages and straight into our modern-day story-telling.  So this special evening will not be simply an event for the Greek community.  They are truly passing the rest of us a mighty torch with this production.

    During this time, when our nation is facing rapid social change, political polarization, wars, and political unrest around the globe, Loizides offers us these tragedies that “are full of messages about justice, love, peace, from 2,500 years ago.”  They remind us that there is nothing new under the sun, and the struggles of humanity in ancient Greece still make their way into our lives today.  Be sure not to miss this incredible opportunity, one night only, at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at the Downey Civic Theatre. For more information and to order tickets, call (323) 651-3507, or go to www.americanhellenic.org, or buy your tickets at the Downey Theatre box office the night of the performance.

    As for me, there is only one thing that would cause me to miss this event—the birth of my second child, due any day now.  So in case you don’t see me there, and you hear later that the Wahlquists are proud to welcome little baby Electra into the world… you’ll get it.

    ed. note: You can also read the excellent article about the show found in The Downey Patriot.

  • Porto’s Bakery Ready To Open

    Porto’s Bakery Ready To Open

    We took part in a pre-opening training event at Porto’s Bakery in Downey this weekend. There is an album of pictures up on our facebook page.

    Click here to view.
    Porto’s Bakery Pre-Opening Event

    The significance of Porto’s to the Downey arts scene is yet to be fully scene, but the potential is huge. This is a major, well-liked Southern California business that has taken a big step to make a home in what the city wants to recapture as a vibrant downtown scene. They worked extremely hard to design their building in Mid-Century style architecture, which is a hallmark of Downey’s roots and matches the style of many of our landmarks. The effect is stunning. Raul Porto will tell you that he was about to plug-and-play the same spanish style architecture of their building in Glendale, but then was convinced by the city to change his plans. He wasted about $150,000 going down the “easy” road, until he committed to mid-century and really worked at making his Downey location unique.

    Hopefully more businesses will take notice of the quality of the new Porto’s location and will see how instantly successful it no doubt will be. BJ’s discovered how strong the Downey market is, and a central hub for many people in the area. The opening of the BJ’s in Downey was the biggest opening ever in the history of the company. At the same time, I hope they take notice of the care that Porto’s put into their architecture and design. In addition to a huge spacious restaurant, there is a fairly large outdoor area on the side that I hope can become an evening hang out, perhaps with music and art.

    The Porto family has already become a mainstay here in the community. They’ve had a very busy booth at the Downey Farmer’s Market ever since their new Downey location was announced last year. You can see Betty Porto out there pretty much every week.

    Welcome, Porto family, to Downey.

    Porto’s Bakery Downey