May 2017

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

May 2017

DESIGN

PASADENA

2017

THE GREAT

WALL MURAL

Make Your Home

Truly Unique With

Commissioned Wall Art

PASADENA

SHOWCASE HOUSE

OF DESIGN’S

BEACHY VIBE

PUTTING A

FRESH FACE

ON THE PAST

Castle Green and

Pasadena Playhouse

Get a Makeover

TIPS TO BEAT

POST-ELECTION STRESS

Therapist Tracey Cleantis

on self-care

4 | ARROYO | 05.17

05.17 | ARROYO | 5

6 | ARROYO | 05.17

arroyo

VOLUME 13 | NUMBER 5 | MAY 2017

35

PHOTO: (top) Laura Hull; (bottom left) Clark Dugger Photography; (bottom right) Courtesy of Virginia Fair Studios

13 43

DESIGN PASADENA 2017

13 SHOWCASE HOUSE’S BEACHY VIBE

This year’s palette of deep blues and earthy neutrals inspires airy

spaces that evoke the sun, sand and sea.

—By BETTIJANE LEVINE

35 PUTTING A FRESH FACE ON THE PAST

The Pasadena Playhouse and Castle Green have been partly renovated as

they head into their second century.

—By SCARLET CHENG

39 THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SELF-CARE

Stressed out by the election? Consider a Pasadena therapist’s tips for

nurturing yourself.

—By NOELA HUESO

43 THE GREAT WALL MURAL

Designers are adding zing to clients’ décor with unique wall paintings

commissioned from local artists.

—By NOELA HUESO

DEPARTMENTS

10 FESTIVITIES L.A. Children’s Chorus, AbilityFirst, L.A. Chamber Orchestra

21 ARROYO HOME SALES INDEX

47 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS Try a taste of beleaguered Yemen’s warm

hospitality.

50 THE LIST Marlene Dietrich at the Norton Simon, Evelyn Waugh at The

Huntington, Slash at the L.A. Zoo and more

ABOUT THE COVER: The 2017 Showcase House of Design’s upstairs gallery designed by

L’Esperance Design, photo by Peter Christiansen Valli.

05.17 ARROYO | 7

EDITOR’S NOTE

I’m not sure interior design gets the

props it deserves for contributing to

one’s happiness. What I do know is

that when I fi nally bought a bright

two-bedroom condo in 2011 and

renovated it pretty much top to

bottom, I discovered that I was a

happier person, a feeling that persists

to this day. One’s personal space can

be crucial to one’s outlook, for better

or worse. So our Design Pasadena 2017

issue offers possibilities for styling yours.

Interested in making your

surroundings unique? Then check

out Noela Hueso’s story about home

murals, which can be as unusual as

the client’s and artist’s imaginations.

One Pasadena party boy commissioned a mural of revelers in black-tie, so

he’ll never have an empty house. Another client ordered a family beach

scene. Besides depicting fantasy scenarios, home murals can be extremely

practical. Find out how on page 43.

Of course, the Pasadena Showcase House of Design has presented

professional designers’ domestic tableaux for 53 years, and their ideas

are yours for the borrowing. This year, Bettijane Levine focused on airy

spaces that evoke the seemingly faraway sea, sun and sand — a snap

with the 2017 palette of deep blues and earthy neutrals. You can visit

the redesigned mansion through May 21, and your entrance fee helps

organizers, the Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts, raise money for

music enrichment in Southern California.

Other historic venues enjoying a fresh face include the Pasadena

Playhouse, which has refurbished its lobby and stage, and Castle Green,

which is renovating its pedestrian bridge to nowhere. (The bridge used

to connect with the now-defunct Hotel Green across the street.) Scarlet

Cheng visits these cultural landmarks to see the fi ne work accompanying

them into their second centuries.

—Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher

ART DIRECTOR Carla Cortez

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Torres

PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Rochelle Bassarear,

Richard Garcia

EDITOR-AT-LARGE Bettijane Levine

COPY EDITOR John Seeley

CONTRIBUTORS Denise Abbott, Leslie Bilderback,

Léon Bing, Martin Booe, James Carbone, Michael

Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Richard Cunningham,

Carole Dixon, Kathleen Kelleher, Brenda Rees,

John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Lisa Chase,

Brenda Clarke, Leslie Lamm

ADVERTORIAL CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Bruce Haring

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

PAYROLL Linda Lam

CONTROLLER Kacie Cobian

ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Sharon Huie

OFFICE MANAGER Ann Turrietta

PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

arroyo

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING

V.P. OF OPERATIONS David Comden

PRESIDENT Bruce Bolkin

CONTACT US

ADVERTISING

dinas@pasadenaweekly.com

EDITORIAL

editor@arroyomonthly.com

PHONE

(626) 584-1500

FAX

(626) 795-0149

MAILING ADDRESS

50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200,

Pasadena, CA 91105

ArroyoMonthly.com

©2017 Southland Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved.

8 | ARROYO | 05.17

05.17 | ARROYO | 9

FESTIVITIES

Sandy and Pat Gage

Shawn, Jo and Lauren Libaw with Susan Graham

Scott Harrison, Rachel Fine, Ruth Eliel and Andrea Laguni

Lauren Libaw with LACC Choristers

Jeffrey Kahane and LACO Concertmaster Margaret Batjer

LACO Board President Dana Newman and husband Ned

10 | ARROYO | 05.17

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) honored Jeffrey

Kahane at the group’s annual gala, All in L.A., on March 25,

saluting the outgoing music director’s 20 years at the podium

and piano. Also honored was LACO Board Member Ruth Eliel.

Co-chairs Pat and Sandy Gage helmed the event for the fourth

time, raising a record-breaking $570,000 for LACO’s artistic and

educational activities. The dinner and concert were held at the

Millenium Biltmore Hotel in downtown L.A.…More than 2,400

supporters walked around the Universal Studios backlot April 2

as part of AbilityFirst’s 2017 Stroll & Roll, raising an impressive

$920,000 for the Pasadena-based nonprofit aiding people with

disabilities. Strollers were cheered on by actors Jaclyn Smith

(Charlie’s Angels), Lee Meriwether (Cat Woman) and Heather

Langenkamp (A Nightmare Before Elm Street). Fundraising

continues through May 31 at strollandroll.org…Los Angeles

Children’s Chorus (LACC) honored L.A. Opera icon Placido

Domingo and philanthropists Jo Bufalino Libaw and Shawn

D. Libaw on March 24 at the Pasadena-based choir’s annual

Gala Bel Canto fundraiser at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel. KUSC

host Duff Murphy emceed the dinner benefit, which included

performances by mezzo-soprano Susan Graham; the honorees’

daughter, soprano Lauren Libaw; and LACC’s 228 choristers.

The evening raised $240,000 for the group’s educational and

scholarship programs.

Christine Young with Jaclyn Smith Jaclyn Smith, Lauren Potter and Lee Meriwether JC Asprer

Gala Chair Andrea Willard, Duff Murphy, LACC Executive

Director Debra Danner and LACC Chair Cheryl Scheidemantle

LACC Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson and Placido Domingo

PHOTOS: Jamie Pham (LACO); Nancy Newman ( AbilityFirst); Jamie Pham (LACC)

05.17 | ARROYO | 11

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SHOWCASE

HOUSE’S

BEACHY VIBE

This year’s palette of deep

blues and earthy neutrals

inspires airy spaces that

evoke the sun, sand and sea.

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE

PHOTO: Peter Christiansen Valli

THIS YEAR’S PASADENA SHOWCASE HOUSE

OF DESIGN, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HINDS

HOUSE, WAS DESIGNED BY PROMINENT

ARCHITECTS MARSTON AND VAN PELT

IN 1916, WHEN PASADENA WAS AN

UNTRAMMELED SYLVAN PARADISE. SOME

OF THE COUNTRY’S WEALTHIEST TYCOONS

WERE JUST DISCOVERING THE CITY’S

UNTAMED BEAUTY AND OPTING TO BUILD

MANSIONS THERE FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

NEW YORKER SAMUEL SOUTHEY HINDS,

A HARVARD AND NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE, WAS ONE. AFTER

GRADUATION, HINDS, BORN IN 1875, MOVED

TO PASADENA, AND INTO THE 7,479-SQUARE-

FOOT TUDOR REVIVAL HOME ON TWO ACRES,

–continued on page 15

05.17 | ARROYO | 13

14 | ARROYO | 05.17

–continued from page 13

PHOTOS: (top) Peter Christiansen Valli; (bottom) Clark Dugger Photography

with eight bedrooms and four baths. He practiced law, supported the arts and

indulged his hobby of acting in local theater. A founder of the Pasadena Playhouse,

he was a successful attorney until the 1929 stock market crash, when he lost all his

assets. Undaunted, he gave up law and became a successful actor at age 54. Tall and

distinguished-looking, he appeared in more than 200 films, often playing kindly

authority figures. (Of note, he played Pa Bailey, Jimmy Stewart’s father, in the Frank

Capra 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life.)

Although the Pacific didn’t lie just outside the palatial doors of early Pasadenans, it

was a palpable presence in those years, reachable by motor car on rutted coastal roads

that led south toward San Diego through onion fields and citrus groves, or west to

other then-undeveloped sandy shores. It was a glorious adventure to reach the ocean,

and many designers who participated in this year’s Showcase House chose to honor the

beachy charms and Pacific blues that so enthralled those original Pasadena settlers.

In more recent years, the Hinds home has maintained its Hollywood connection. It

has been the setting for many films, including Beaches and La La Land, and TV series

such as Columbo and Mad Men. Here are a few highlights from the 2017 Showcase

House of Design:

THE LIVING ROOM

There were no family rooms in the early 1900s, even in sumptuous homes such as

this one, says Robert Frank, who designed the 416-square-foot living room. “The living

room is the main space in this home where the family was meant to gather informally

and also where guests were welcomed,” says Frank, owner of Robert Frank Interiors in

San Marino. His goal, he says, was to “transform the room into a bright and beautiful

space to entertain guests while also being a comfortable, functional and peaceful

retreat for the family.” He replaced the dark shutters with pale drapes framing elegant

windows that open onto beautiful views of surrounding gardens. Using a neutral palette

of flax, creams and white, along with touches of periwinkle and navy, he created two

conversation areas with the airy feel of a beach house. On one side of the room, two

blue chairs flank a white linen custom sofa; on the other side, a white linen sofa, wing

chair and off-white longue. All fabrics are by Robert Allen and Beacon Hill. Walls

are covered with a shimmery ivory grasscloth; Dunne Edwards’ White Picket Fence

paint shade brightens the ceiling and moldings. “We’re a coastal city, and this room was

inspired by the pale sands and the ocean,” he says.


05.17 | ARROYO | 15


THE MASTER SUITE

Designer Goli Karimi of Home Front Build, Los Angeles, described her master

suite design as “a seaside escape” because “the palette of restful blues and neutrals replicate

the experience of the ocean, sky and sand,” she says. Rooms were smaller in 1916,

she notes, and this master bedroom measures around 300 square feet. She combined

pale sandy tones and shades of white against the softest teal for the bedding, curtains,

carpet, even walls. “The base color is off-white,” she says. “We had an artist brush over

it with pale shades of teal and beige to create a look that seems as if you’re looking at

the sea and sky coming together at the horizon.” The tan, off-white and teal rug is from

Norbert Rug Gallery in Pasadena; the Weitzner drapes are made of Donghia cotton

viscose and silk. The wing chair and ottoman by Baker are clad in Donghia chenille.

The subtly patterned coverlet is by Zoffany. A television drops down from the ceiling,

and very small ceiling speakers are concealed in the four corners of the room.

Karimi’s design for the blue master bath includes a tub by Crosswater with polished

stainless-steel exterior that reflects like a mirror and makes the space look larger,

she says. The tracery ceiling is done with applied molding by J.C. Weaver. Walker

Zanger made the azure dimensional tile on the walls and the azure hexagonal ceramic

floor tiles.


PHOTOS: Cristopher Nolasco

16 | ARROYO | 05.17

05.17 | ARROYO | 17


POOL LAWN

Here’s an imaginative table for outdoor dining with family and friends. The custom

fire-water table is made of more than 1,400 pounds of concrete and has a narrow river

meandering gracefully across its top, with river rocks on either side. Succulents peep up

through the rocks here and there and, at the flip of a switch, flames rise from beneath the

stones. The water cascades down the table’s edge into a little pool and recirculates for a

constant, soothing effect. Terry Morrill, owner of Pacific Outdoor Living in Sun Valley,

says he and colleague Dominic Boinich designed the table together. “Our firm has always

worked with water features and fire elements for outdoor living,” Morrill says. “Here we

simply incorporated both features to create a durable, comfortable and attractive table for

those with outdoor dining rooms.” ||||

IF YOU GO…

The 2017 Pasadena Showcase House of Design,

one of the country’s oldest home-and-garden tours,

runs through May 21. Parking and a free shuttle are

available in Lot 1 of the Rose Bowl, 360 N. Arroyo

Blvd., Pasadena. Tickets cost $35 to $45 and can be

ordered by mail, online at pasadenashowcase.org

or by calling (714) 442-3872. The event is organized

by the nonprofi t Pasadena Showcase House for the

Arts to raise funds for music enrichment programs in

Southern California.

PHOTO: Peter Christiansen Valli

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20 | ARROYO | 05.17

arroyo

~HOME SALES INDEX~

HOME SALES

-3.92%

AVG. PRICE/SQ. FT.

4.45%

mar.

2016

459HOMES

SOLD

mar.

2017

441

HOMES

SOLD

HOMESALESABOVE

RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT

source: CalREsource

ADDRESS CLOSE DATE PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD

ALHAMBRA

1704 South Atlantic Boulevard #A 03/30/17 $1,300,000 3 1408 1980

133 Elm Street 03/23/17 $1,090,000 6 2708 1952 $635,000 02/07/2014

ALTADENA

1979 Mar Vista Avenue 03/10/17 $2,250,000 5 4017 1913 $159,500 04/26/1979

2120 Glenview Terrace 03/17/17 $1,675,000 5 2496 1924 $645,000 12/05/1989

2469 Holliston Avenue 03/23/17 $1,500,000 2 2264 1925 $825,000 12/07/2015

989 Alpine Villa Drive 03/31/17 $1,360,000 4 2192 1925 $885,000 08/11/2011

1351 Sonoma Drive 03/29/17 $1,350,000 4 2866 1917 $980,000 11/12/2009

3855 Lilac Canyon Lane 03/03/17 $1,337,000 6 5128 1999 $1,550,000 12/13/2006

3503 Giddings Ranch Road 03/29/17 $1,330,000 4 2844 1997 $401,000 02/20/1998

1511 East Altadena Drive 03/14/17 $1,325,000 4 2916 1953 $404,450 02/16/1994

1781 Skyview Drive 03/01/17 $1,243,500 3 1761 1952

1182 Sonoma Drive 03/31/17 $1,200,000 3 2135 1957 $838,000 12/12/2014

ARCADIA

1125 South 1st Avenue 03/17/17 $2,838,000 3 1361 1953 $980,000 10/10/2013

2536 South 4th Avenue 03/23/17 $2,800,000 3 1958 1952 $1,000,000 09/05/2013

141 Alice Street 03/15/17 $2,360,000 4 1946 1949

1735 Claridge Street 03/07/17 $1,775,000 4 2988 1948 $137,500 05/02/1978

2210 Highland Oaks Drive 03/03/17 $1,700,000 3 2891 1964 $625,000 07/01/1999

727 Nicholas Lane 03/23/17 $1,469,000 4 3427 1988

151 Sierra Madre Boulevard 03/02/17 $1,242,000 4 2425 1948 $1,088,000 10/22/2012

610 South 2nd Avenue #D 03/03/17 $1,230,000

588 South 2nd Avenue #A 03/17/17 $1,190,000 3 2090 2015

1101 South 9th Avenue 03/31/17 $1,149,000 3 2190 1959 $991,000 06/23/2015

157 Genoa Street 03/24/17 $1,120,000 4 1862 1955 $180,000 06/30/1994

521 East Norman Avenue 03/09/17 $1,090,000 3 1354 1949 $1,038,000 10/19/2015

401 East Las Flores Avenue 03/29/17 $1,050,000 3 1348 1950 $750,000 08/07/2009

612 South 2nd Avenue #B 03/14/17 $1,040,000

1101 Bungalow Place 03/08/17 $1,038,000 3 1430 1956 $667,000 10/26/2011

166 Laurel Avenue 03/31/17 $1,010,000 3 1716 1939 $235,000 04/26/1991

136 Loralyn Drive 03/07/17 $970,000 3 1778 1950 $975,000 01/23/2015

2110 South 7th Avenue 03/28/17 $941,000 3 1699 1950

21 South 2nd Avenue 03/15/17 $925,000 2 1808 1954

2907 Spruce Court 03/06/17 $910,000 5 2462 2002 $630,000 12/30/2010

EAGLE ROCK

5122 Hermosa Avenue 03/17/17 $1,595,000 4 2840 1924 $890,000 04/29/2016

5218 Monte Bonito Drive 03/23/17 $1,350,000 3 2776 1948 $1,211,500 06/12/2014

5256 Mt. Royal Drive 03/01/17 $1,335,000 4 3438 1906 $86,000 06/01/1984

5148 Vincent Avenue 03/29/17 $1,250,000 3 1648 1922 $809,000 07/07/2016

5318 Waldo Place 03/21/17 $1,048,500 4 2099 1983 $630,000 06/08/2016

1310 Eagle Vista Drive 03/10/17 $980,000 3 1622 1923 $650,000 08/03/2016

1617 Silverwood Drive 03/10/17 $970,000 3 1701 1963

G L E N DA L E

1644 Grandview Avenue 03/31/17 $3,325,000 5 5602 1935 $1,800,000 02/26/2007

1725 Hillside Drive 03/21/17 $1,905,000 4 3344 1930 $820,000 04/04/2000

706 Bohlig Road 03/16/17 $1,669,000 4 3685 2003 $1,375,000 03/19/2004

3340 Oakmont View Drive 03/31/17 $1,560,000 4 3965 1988 $500,000 09/09/1994

1117 Rossmoyne Avenue 03/16/17 $1,528,000 4 2687 1929

3006 Erin Way Court 03/15/17 $1,500,000 4 2859 1978 $447,000 03/09/1987

2143 Haven Drive 03/22/17 $1,500,000 4 4466 1991 $1,298,500 11/19/2008

1045 Calle Contento 03/30/17 $1,450,000 4 2777 1990 $1,272,000 08/21/2015

2060 Dublin Drive 03/31/17 $1,400,000 5 3149 1980 $327,500 09/08/1981

3008 Erin Way Court 03/15/17 $1,385,000 4 3302 1978 $357,000 04/19/1985

3512 Buena Vista Avenue 03/08/17 $1,370,000 3 2404 2010 $550,000 09/12/2005

3111 Country Club Drive 03/31/17 $1,300,000 3 2484 1950

2038 Buckingham Place 03/17/17 $1,250,000 4 2244 1963 $710,000 08/05/2011

1005 Calle Contento 03/31/17 $1,250,000 4 2777 1990 $650,000 03/22/2002

831 West Kenneth Road 03/30/17 $1,225,000 4 2889 1925 $925,000 02/14/2008

969 Calle Del Pacifi co 03/31/17 $1,225,000 3 2397 1989 $950,000 10/15/2014

340 View Crest Road 03/31/17 $1,200,000 3 2394 1960 $940,000 05/04/2005

1416 Greenbriar Road 03/22/17 $1,200,000 2 1996 1966

1353 Ruberta Avenue 03/17/17 $1,180,000 4 2041 1926

1520 Opechee Way 03/16/17 $1,175,000 3 2073 1926 $173,500 11/25/1985

735 South Chevy Chase Drive 03/31/17 $1,155,000 4 4408 1927 $530,000 05/14/2003

2353 Eastgate Place 03/14/17 $1,125,000 3 2017 1964 $895,000 08/20/2014

2115 Canada Boulevard 03/28/17 $1,120,000 3 2769 1937

3441 Emerald Isle Drive 03/31/17 $1,035,000 4 2373 1973 $685,000 05/23/2003

708 West Glenoaks Boulevard 03/14/17 $1,015,000 5 2768 1946

1120 Princeton Drive 03/09/17 $1,000,000 2 1507 1927 $405,000 04/07/2014

180 Wonderview Drive 03/01/17 $975,000 3 2348 1984 $545,000 04/26/2002

714 Cavanagh Road 03/30/17 $975,000 3 2297 1987 $825,000 04/07/2006

3930 Abella Street 03/24/17 $958,000 4 2082 1963 $655,000 07/27/2007

ALHAMBRA MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 28 42

Median Price $527,500 $547,500

Median Sq. Ft. 1404 1374

ALTADENA MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 28 33

Median Price $718,500 $767,500


ARCADIA MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 32 33

Median Price $852,500 $970,000


EAGLE ROCK MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 28 17

Median Price $752,500 $810,000


GLENDALE MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 127 113

Median Price $620,000 $755,000


LA CAÑADA MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 25 25

Median Price $1,675,000 $1,853,000


PASADENA MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 152 138

Median Price $727,500 $662,500


SAN MARINO MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 13 6

Median Price $2,140,000 $2,775,000


SIERRA MADRE MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 12 9

Median Price $876,000 $1,125,000


SOUTH PASADENA MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 14 25

Median Price $680,000 $1,288,000


TOTAL MAR. ’16 MAR. ’17

Homes Sold 459 441

Avg Price/Sq. Ft. $584 $610 –continued on page 22

The Arroyo Home Sales Index is calculated from residential home sales in Pasadena and the surrounding communities of South Pasadena, San Marino, La Canada Flintridge, Eagle Rock, Glendale (including Montrose), Altadena, Sierra Madre,

Arcadia and Alhambra. Individual home sales data provided by CalREsource. Arroyo Home Sales Index © Arroyo 2017. Complete home sales listings appear each week in Pasadena Weekly.

05.17 ARROYO | 21

22 | ARROYO | 05.17


ADDRESS CLOSE DATE PRICE BDRMS. SQ. FT. YR. BUILT PREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD

GLENDALE

1312 Cedar Court Road 03/16/17 $955,000 4 2196 1963 $1,039,000 08/08/2005

3701 Cedarbend Drive 03/03/17 $950,000 3 1633 1960 $762,000 07/30/2015

3645 Los Amigos Street 03/17/17 $929,000 4 1876 1965 $849,000 06/26/2007

1344 Virginia Avenue 03/10/17 $925,000 3 2195 1960 $875,000 02/23/2006

927 Rosemount Road 03/09/17 $910,000 3 1768 1925 $365,000 10/15/1993

615 Whiting Woods Road 03/20/17 $905,000 3 2034 1963 $780,000 09/01/2005

LA CAÑADA

5063 Oakwood Avenue 03/31/17 $4,150,000 6 6037 2006 $3,950,000 12/18/2014

850 St. Katherine Drive 03/20/17 $4,050,000 4 5560 2001

1260 Descanso Drive 03/21/17 $3,775,000 5 4909 1953 $2,500,000 12/27/2010

1880 Palm Terrace Court 03/28/17 $3,390,000 4 5158 2002 $600,000 12/21/2000

525 Berkshire Avenue 03/20/17 $3,260,000 7 4413 1958 $2,875,000 04/19/2007

145 Inverness Drive 03/24/17 $3,200,000 4 5131 1988 $3,000,000 04/20/2015

4355 Oakwood Avenue 03/07/17 $3,140,000 4 3667 1926

920 Berkshire Avenue 03/30/17 $2,779,000 4 2957 1951 $2,400,000 04/01/2014

812 Greenridge Drive 03/01/17 $2,400,000 4 5032 1990 $1,125,000 06/16/1992

490 Paulette Place 03/21/17 $2,200,000 4 2088 1952 $1,150,000 05/18/2015

5775 Briartree Drive 03/28/17 $2,125,000 4 2402 1966 $1,050,000 04/06/2004

4730 Hayman Avenue 03/06/17 $1,900,000 4 3258 1954 $1,435,000 04/13/2005

1020 Lavender Lane 03/17/17 $1,853,000 4 2825 1956 $511,000 11/01/2002

4621 Crown Avenue 03/28/17 $1,650,000 3 2820 1929 $457,500 01/19/1996

4738 Orange Knoll Avenue 03/21/17 $1,470,000 3 2406 1945

1035 Fairview Drive 03/07/17 $1,450,000 3 2427 1930 $95,000 01/07/1977

495 Paulette Place 03/20/17 $1,427,000 3 1753 1953 $1,200,000 12/01/2016

1015 Flintridge Avenue 03/15/17 $1,425,000 3 2220 1965 $990,000 08/28/2014

4636 Crown Avenue 03/24/17 $1,364,000 3 1869 1926

4348 Bel Aire Drive 03/28/17 $1,302,500 4 1578 1922

210 Kirst Street 03/30/17 $1,090,000 3 1126 1950 $710,000 06/21/2010

4214 La Tour Way 03/22/17 $1,055,000 4 2060 1947 $920,000 09/29/2006

731 Starlight Heights Drive 03/22/17 $1,055,000 3 1932 1974

648 Hook Tree Road 03/28/17 $1,035,000 2 1382 1948 $450,000 06/07/2000

4449 La Granada Way 03/17/17 $955,000 3 1512 1988 $307,000 03/11/1998

PASADENA

488 South San Rafael Avenue 03/28/17 $7,300,000 6 8573 1925 $5,330,000 07/30/2012

715 South Marengo Avenue 03/17/17 $4,150,000 2 1304 1950 $1,600,000 11/29/2011

1372 Edgehill Place 03/14/17 $3,300,000 3 3349 2007 $2,900,000 03/28/2008

1475 Hillcrest Avenue 03/17/17 $2,695,000 3 3070 1950 $1,000,000 05/24/2000

971 Laguna Road 03/22/17 $2,185,000 3 2733 1941 $1,165,000 11/19/2003

512 Glen Court 03/16/17 $2,182,000 2 1697 1958 $1,100,000 12/18/2009

920 Granite Drive #508 03/10/17 $1,850,000 3 2780 2009 $1,750,000 12/16/2010

929 Old Mill Road 03/02/17 $1,840,000 3 3171 1949 $1,739,000 04/29/2014

815 Laguna Road 03/07/17 $1,775,000 3 2711 1956 $107,500 04/01/1977

150 Sierra View Road 03/02/17 $1,660,000 3 1996 1950 $920,000 04/17/2008

1134 North Holliston Avenue 03/10/17 $1,610,000 3 2222 1929 $1,375,000 03/30/2011

50 West Dayton Street #308 03/17/17 $1,600,000 2113 2002 $610,000 08/02/2002

921 South Madison Avenue 03/01/17 $1,600,000 3 2283 1950

1396 Inverness Drive 03/03/17 $1,590,000 2 2256 1959 $1,290,000 08/03/2015

1040 East Woodbury Road 03/08/17 $1,450,000 4 2557 1925 $875,000 12/30/2015

1030 North Michigan Avenue 03/10/17 $1,360,000 5 2011 1915 $1,020,000 03/18/2005

567 Woodward Boulevard 03/10/17 $1,288,500 6 2902 1917

2210 Brambling Lane 03/13/17 $1,238,000 3 2327 1994 $1,050,000 04/27/2007

2050 East Mountain Street 03/10/17 $1,180,000 4 2385 1929 $835,000 01/10/2012

3545 Shadow Grove Road 03/14/17 $1,165,000 3 2395 1949 $905,000 02/26/2013

735 South Mentor Avenue 03/17/17 $1,075,000 2 1206 1924 $422,000 07/27/2000

1105 South Orange Grove Blvd. 03/24/17 $1,070,000 2 1905 1964 $757,000 08/02/2013

1494 Casa Grande Street 03/29/17 $1,025,000 3 2019 1922

380 South Orange Grove Boulevard #303/06/17 $989,000 3 2025 1965 $785,000 10/31/2011

1261 Brookmere Road 03/17/17 $965,000 2 1763 1949 $240,000 11/04/1994

1428 Capinero Drive 03/20/17 $965,000 3 2000 1939 $345,000 09/24/1999

765 Magnolia Avenue 03/31/17 $964,000 3 1455 1907

970 Hastings Ranch Drive 03/17/17 $945,000 3 1676 1951 $753,000 06/28/2016

2032 Galbreth Road 03/10/17 $940,000 4 2084 1932 $577,000 05/16/2003

2806 East Orange Grove Boulevard 03/16/17 $940,000 2 1612 1947 $380,000 10/02/2002

3584 Grayburn Road 03/23/17 $920,000 2 2090 1937

SAN MARINO

1715 St. Albans Road 03/13/17 $3,375,000 2 2007 1951 $1,828,000 07/30/2014

1326 Cambridge Road 03/28/17 $3,140,000 4 3249 1946

744 Sierra Madre Boulevard 03/28/17 $2,900,000 3 3154 1941 $1,900,000 04/09/2013

2400 Monterey Road 03/08/17 $2,650,000 5 2811 1926 $2,000,000 02/12/2014

2230 Homet Road 03/03/17 $2,008,000 3 2450 1934 $980,000 04/13/2004

2015 Robin Road 03/15/17 $1,500,000 4 2347 1938 $210,000 11/24/1978

SIERRA MADRE

2084 Liliano Drive 03/24/17 $1,565,000 4 2770 1966 $1,185,000 08/29/2005

230 Jameson Court 03/01/17 $1,530,000 4 3178 1989 $1,225,000 07/22/2008

602 North Michillinda Avenue 03/23/17 $1,150,000 3 2049 1960 $900,000 01/23/2015

35 South Sunnyside Avenue 03/29/17 $1,145,000 3 2480 1992

593 Lotus Lane 03/21/17 $1,125,000 3 2088 1975

181 North Sunnyside Avenue 03/28/17 $1,089,000 4 2097 1948 $655,000 10/03/2003

SOUTH PASADENA

2061 Edgewood Drive 03/24/17 $3,095,000 4 3536 1908 $1,150,010 03/06/2002

1635 Oak Street 03/30/17 $1,968,000 5 2943 1953 $647,500 05/30/2003

1633 Bushnell Avenue 03/20/17 $1,884,500 3 2248 1912 $510,000 07/15/1994

1220 Kolle Avenue 03/10/17 $1,660,000 4 3090 1994 $1,000,000 11/23/2005

1812 Hanscom Drive 03/28/17 $1,650,000 3 3929 1991 $119,000 12/16/1998

820 Mission Street #302 03/22/17 $1,623,000

2040 Amherst Drive 03/24/17 $1,568,000 4 2670 1923 $142,500 05/18/1979

820 Mission Street #307 03/22/17 $1,480,500

820 Mission Street #309 03/28/17 $1,408,000

820 Mission Street #303 03/28/17 $1,393,000

820 Mission Street #310 03/17/17 $1,365,000

1641 Via Del Rey 03/24/17 $1,330,500 4 2206 1964

820 Mission Street #308 03/21/17 $1,288,000

820 Mission Street #110 03/13/17 $1,106,500

820 Mission Street #115 03/06/17 $1,100,000

516 Hawthorne Street 03/24/17 $1,058,000 4 1442 1923 $298,500 10/02/2000

820 Mission Street #107 03/09/17 $988,000

820 Mission Street #114 03/10/17 $950,000

820 Mission Street #109 03/21/17 $950,000

05.17 | ARROYO | 23

ARROYO

HOME & DESIGN

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

PHOTO: Courtesy of Cozy • Stylish • Chic

TOUR A HOUSE – SUPPORT THE ARTS

Annual Pasadena showcase is one of the

nation’s top home and garden tours.

BY BRUCE HARING

FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, THOUSANDS OF SOPHISTICATED PATRONS

OF HOME DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE

LOCAL PHILHARMONIC AND OTHER ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH

THE ALL-VOLUNTEER PASADENA SHOWCASE HOUSE FOR THE ARTS

(PSHA). THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION DONATES ITS TIME AND

TALENTS TO PRODUCE THE ANNUAL PASADENA SHOWCASE HOUSE OF

DESIGN, ONE OF THE OLDEST, LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL HOUSE

AND GARDEN TOURS IN THE COUNTRY.

The event works like this: each year, an estate of architectural

signifi cance is completely renovated by prominent local designers using

the latest color trends, concepts, products and technology. In addition,

the Shops at Showcase highlights a collection of unique boutiques,

with exclusive merchandise ranging from edgy to luxurious; while the

Restaurant at Showcase features delicious light fare and a full bar to enjoy.

It’s a full day that afi cionados of style will appreciate, and the good

causes it backs are a bonus. Proceeds from the event fund three annual

music programs, plus award gifts and grants to other music programs

providing music therapy, music education, scholarships and concerts.

Despite its name, the annual home showcase has been held outside

Pasadena many times, with the designated house located in San Marino,

La Canada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Arcadia and Altadena at various

points. The address of the selected home is never revealed to the public, a

tactic used to reduce the traffi c impact on the chosen neighborhood.

24 | ARROYO | 05.17

This year’s Showcase House is open to the public for tours from April 23

through May 21. The selected home, an English Tudor house, will spotlight

the talents of 19 interior design fi rms with one interior designer advisor, and

six exterior design fi rms with one exterior designer advisor. Some 30,000

visitors are expected during the showcase run.

A CHALLENGE FOR DESIGNERS

Alison Crowley is the branch manager for the Pasadena showroom of

Ferguson, a wholesale supplier of commercial and residential plumbing

supplies. The $13.8 billion company has more than 1,400 locations

nationwide and 23,000 employees.

Ferguson is supporting participating designers at the Design Home

for a second consecutive year. Two legacy showcase designers, Phil Vonk

of DChristjan Fine Cabinetry Design, and Maria Videla of the Art of Room

Design, have selected appliances, faucets, fi xtures and decorative lighting

from the Ferguson showroom on Lake Boulevard to complete their visions

for the showcase rooms.

“I think the creative talent transforming this year’s English Tudor home

were inspired by the architecture more than challenged,” said Crowley.

“Each freshened up and brought warmth to the traditional style in their

own way. In the kitchen, Phil Vonk really played up the classic elements of

the architecture with European country motifs, including a farm house sink

by DXV/American Standard, an antique copper pot fi ller, a unique faucet


05.17 | ARROYO | 25

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

PHOTO: Courtesy of Home Front Build of Los Angeles photo by Cristopher Nolasco


design by Waterstone inspired by a ship’s wheel, alabaster pendant

lighting from Visual Comfort, and an old world-style custom antique brass

hood by Modern-Aire.”

Maria Videla’s assignment was the “Glam Teen Bath.”

“The sophisticated mix of oil rubbed bronze, satin brass—which is

a new fi nish for 2017--and rose gold she selected from Ferguson for her

decorative lighting, faucets and fi xtures brings red-carpet wow-factor to

her design,” said Crowley. “The Jacuzzi “Fiore” freestanding soaking tub

with satin brass accents is a striking focal point, ideal for any small space,


26 | ARROYO | 05.17

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PHOTO: Courtesy of Ferguson Bath & Kitchen


and the perfect luxury for a young starlet. The white DXV Oak Hill vanity

console sink polishes the room with the ultimate in pampering.”

A QUIET ESCAPE

Goli Karimi, the interior designer and project manager at Home Front

Build of Los Angeles, a custom cabinetry and general contracting fi rm,

is working on the Design Home’s master suite, a location that includes a

bedroom, bathroom, sitting room and walk-in closet.

“When the house was built, the focus was on public areas such as

the entry, library, living and dining rooms,” says Karimi. “But now, with the

demands of contemporary life, the master suite has become a sanctuary


05.17 | ARROYO | 31

32 | ARROYO | 05.17



space. Although the size of this master bedroom, bathroom and sitting

room was on the small side, we were able to provide all the amenities that

is expected in today’s master suite. Also, to compensate for the very low

ceiling height (only 95-inches high), we were able to make the space feel

larger than it actually is by choosing the right color palette and furniture

arrangement.”

Karimi chose “seaside escape” for the theme, emphasizing

creating a “calm and tranquil space. The “Seaside Escape” is

experienced in all areas of the master suite: walking by the palm trees

depicted in the wallpaper of the entry vestibule sets the mood for

approaching the sandy beaches represented in the muted aqua and

tan colors of the rug. And atmospheric faux painting on the bedroom

walls represents the gentle ebb and fl ow of the water meeting the

sky. The blue of the water is represented in the bathroom tile and rich

deep-ocean blues are shown in the sitting room, the inner sanctum of

the whole suite.”

Karimi also used “hidden technology” to play up the sanctuary

concept. “The TV in the bedroom slides down from the ceiling and

disappears with a push of a button when not in use. In the sitting room,

we have “invisible” speakers, which are inside the wall and although

covered with drywall/wallpaper. They have an incredible sound.”

Karimi estimates that “we probably have put in 500-600 hours in

design and implementation for this project so far, and are still going at

it!”

A PERSONAL CONNECTION

Jeanne Chung, the interior designer of Cozy • Stylish • Chic of

Pasadena, has a personal reason for working on the home. A former

violinist in the Pasadena Youth Symphony and later the Pasadena

Young Musicians Orchestra in the early to mid-eighties, “I experienced

fi rst-hand the impact that the Pasadena Showcase House of Design

has on the community.” Chung also has a friend - a cellist - who won

the Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition in the mid-

‘90s and later went on to become the youngest member of the LA

Philharmonic. “So, I did see how the programs PSHA supports benefi t

the community, starting from a very young age.”

Chung designed the upstairs guest bedroom of the Tudor, which

involved stripping the grass cloth wallpaper that had been painted

over for years. “The room did not have much personality before

then, so I was tasked with restoring the walls (which had quite a bit

of patchwork done) and repairing the hairline cracks which ran all

throughout the ceiling,” Chung says. “A bigger job than I anticipated

and proof that everything actually looks easier than it really is. In order

to do it right, a lot of work was involved in prepping the surfaces. The

actual painting and applying wallpaper is the easiest part!”

The ceiling height also posed a challenge for Chung, “which at just

below 8 feet is a tad low. English Tudors are known to be a little dark

on the inside, so we went in the opposite direction and lightened the

mood. Luckily the guest bedroom is probably the brightest room in the

home, and the glare from the restaurant tents that are down below

also supply the room with additional light we wouldn’t otherwise have.”

Tickets for the Pasadena Showcase range from $35 to $60,

depending on date and method of purchase. More information is

available at www.pasadenashowcase.org

Visitors are advised to park at the Rose Bowl in Lot I and are

shuttled to and from the showcase. The available visiting hours are

from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, and Friday and

Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. ||||

05.17 | ARROYO | 33

34 | ARROYO | 05.17

Castle Green

Putting a Fresh

Face on the Past

Two Pasadena cultural landmarks have been partly

renovated as they head into their second century.

BY SCARLET CHENG

LIKE MANY GRANDE DAMES, TWO

CULTURAL LANDMARKS IN OLD PASADENA

— THE CASTLE GREEN BRIDGE AND THE

PASADENA PLAYHOUSE LOBBY AND STAGE

— HAVE RECENTLY UNDERGONE A BIT OF

A FACELIFT. YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE

REFRESHED THEATER THE NEXT TIME YOU

SEE A PLAY; YOU CAN SEE THE BRIDGE

FOR YOURSELF DURING CASTLE GREEN’S

MOTHER’S DAY OPEN HOUSE AND TOUR

— IF YOU’RE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO

KNOW A RESIDENT THERE.

05.17 | ARROYO | 35

Preservationists are attracted to Castle

Green’s historic interior, seen here.

Vintage postcard of Castle Green

from the heyday of now-demolished

Hotel Green.


Artist Mary Gandsey touches up a windowframe

on the Castle Green Bridge.

This historic bridge has been the

workplace for Tim Burton, Charles

Wilbert White and Kenton Nelson.

CASTLE GREEN BRIDGE

Around the turn of the 20th century, Pasadena was a popular destination for affluent

visitors wanting to escape winters in the East and Midwest, and in 1893 developer

George Gill Green built the luxurious Hotel Green on the east side of Raymond Avenue.

The destination was so popular that the hotel soon expanded, and a second complex

was built across the street, which became known as Castle Green. Today Castle

Green is the only phase of the development that remains intact after Hotel Green was

largely dismantled and replaced by Stats Floral, which still houses part of the lobby.

The Castle, an architectural mix of Moorish, Spanish and Victorian elements, was

converted into apartments in 1924, says architect and architectural historian Bill Ellinger,

who will be a bridge docent during the May tour. “They added kitchens, added

bathrooms to serve each apartment,” he says. “They’re so different, from small studios

to the tower units,” says Susan Futterman, chair of the Friends of Castle Green, which

is hosting the Mother’s Day event; visitors will be able to see the grand lobby with its

Moorish and Turkish sitting rooms, plus about a dozen apartments and the enclosed

bridge that used to connect Castle Green to the Hotel Green across Raymond Avenue.

Today the bridge juts out perpendicularly from the building toward Raymond but

stops at the sidewalk — the other half having been taken down some time ago — and it

has been undergoing much-needed repairs and updating. It is a wide corridor lined with

windows and a tower at the end, and has at various times been home to several artists,

as well as a private bookstore. In the 1960s the noted African-American artist Charles

Wilbert White used it as studio, as did director Tim Burton and Pasadena artist Kenton

Nelson, separately, later on.

The tower’s window frames were recently restored by Mary Gandsey, who stripped,

repaired and shellacked the wood. The wainscot panels propped on the floor against the

wall await remounting — they’re made of slate painted to look like marble, a feature

apparent throughout the building, Ellinger says. The old floor covering has been taken

up, revealing a set of small-gauge tracks running the length of the bridge. What were

they used for? There’s a clue in a charming news blurb from the inaugural issue of Sunset

magazine in May 1898, which begins, “The aristocratic residence town of Southern

California and rendezvous for the traveling upper ten has enjoyed a remarkably gay

season and the hotel accommodations have been sorely taxed.” It then mentions the

Hotel Green and its new addition — the bridge. “The Hotel Green has an annex under

construction which will be completed about July 1st and one hundred additional rooms

will be added to the La Pintoresca during the summer which will relieve the pressure

next season.

“The Hotel Green annex will be connected with the main building across the street

by a covered archway forming a charming promenade and furnished with a miniature

trolley car which will convey guests to and from the office.” That was certainly a muchappreciated

amenity after the long trip from back East.

The tour runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Advance tickets cost $30 and are available at brownpapertickets.com/event/2891231;

on tour day they’re $35 at the gate. The tour plus a Mother’s Day

tea at noon go for $85 and tickets must be purchased in advance on the website. Proceeds benefit

Castle Green preservation.

PHOTOS: (middle and bottom), Robert Ell

36 | ARROYO | 05.17

Banners with stills from past Playhouse

hits brighten new lobby.

PHOTOS: Laura Hull

PASADENA PLAYHOUSE

Meanwhile, a few blocks away on El Molino Avenue, the Pasadena Playhouse has been

undergoing its own renovations. That’s thanks to a special allocation from the State of

California, part of a measure authored by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena)

because of the playhouse’s special status as the State Theater of the California, an official

honor bestowed in 1937. The funds have been used for some much-needed repairs and

upgrades, such as new lobby lighting and a new stage floor, as well as an overall lobby

redesign.

“As our productions have grown larger and larger, the stage itself needed to be rebuilt

to accommodate that,” says Joe Witt, the theater’s general manager. Many layers of the old

flooring were torn out, says Brad Enlow, the theater’s technical director, as he pries away

a bit of paneling from the side of the stage to show what’s underneath. Workers installed

four new layers, starting with one made of marine-grade tongue-and-groove plywood,

topped with two layers of marine-grade plywood and finished with Masonite. “That adds

a tensile strength that will take the weight that we require,” he says. He mentions the

2016 production of Casa Valentina, which “had a two-story house that rotated 360 degrees

up and down the stage. That was 18,000 pounds, and we had to engineer around it.”

The interior designer hired to redo the lobby is Rozalynn Woods, who says, “The

building is Spanish Colonial Revival, built in 1925, and we wanted to do things in keeping

with that style.” She quickly saw that the wall-to-wall carpeting had worn down, and

the mustardy color of the paint seemed too dark. So she ordered wide-planked oak for the

flooring, typical of the 1920s, and had the walls repainted a creamy white. “Just by doing

those two things we were able to create a fresh, bright and welcoming space,” she says in

a telephone interview. To make the area even more welcoming, a sitting area was added

where the reception counter used to be. Two loveseats face each other across a low table,

and behind the table is a console — a 19th-century Spanish antique.

Various elements in the lobby remind visitors of the theater’s long and celebrated history.

On the landing of the two staircases leading up to the balcony are oil portraits of

Pasadena Playhouse founder Gilmore Brown. The wall facing visitors as they enter boasts

six vertical banners, adorned with a selection of past hit plays and historical photographs,

including one of Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett in the 2006 production of

August Wilson’s Fences and another of Mary Bridget Davies in A Night with Janis Joplin

from 2015.

A particularly significant oil painting hangs nearby, over the Spanish console. It shows

the jubilant crowd in front of the Pasadena Playhouse on opening day, and it was painted

by the architect Elmer Grey himself. After years hanging in the playhouse’s library, where

it was seldom seen by the general public, Grey’s work now has its proper pride of place. ||||

05.17 | ARROYO | 37

38 | ARROYO | 05.17

THE FUNDAMENTALS

OF SELF-CARE

Stressed out by the election? Consider

Tracey Cleantis’ tips for nurturing yourself.

Tracey Cleantis

BY NOELA HUESO

Self-care is, to a large extent, a framework for seeking happiness.

— Tracey Cleantis, An Invitation to Self-Care

Walking into Tracey Cleantis’ home offi ce in

Pasadena’s San Rafael district, one encounters

all the elements of a relaxing spa — soft

lighting; the aroma of a scented candle in the

air; plush, inviting couches and chairs. It’s an

appropriately welcoming, stress-free place. As a

licensed marriage and family therapist, Cleantis,

a gracious and elegant woman who greets a

visitor with a big smile and an easy laugh, makes

her living helping folks dealing with a variety of

difficult issues. In her new book, An Invitation to

Self-Care: Why Learning to Nurture Yourself Is the

Key to the Life You’ve Always Wanted, 7 Principles

for Abundant Living (Hazelden Publishing), she

aims to enlighten readers about the importance

of “treating yourself like the person you respect

and care about the most.”

The concept of self-care has been having its moment in the spotlight lately, with numerous

books and articles written on the subject. “As a Google search term,” Cleantis says,

“‘self-care’ hit its pinnacle the weekend after the presidential election.” Indeed, anxiety since

last Nov. 8 is so common, mental health professionals have given it an unofficial diagnosis:

post-election stress disorder. (On that subject, she offers coping advice: “Set limits for

yourself, when and how much you’re allowing yourself exposure to Twitter feeds and news

media. It’s still going to be there at the end of the day.”)

Why another book on self-care? Cleantis argues that most self-care advice is superficial.

Most people assume it is “what you do when you’re burned out, when you have nothing left,”

she says. “It’s what you do on Saturday and Sunday after you’ve ignored yourself all week —

going to the spa or getting your nails done or treating yourself in some way.” Cleantis adds

that true self-care is something that should be done every day, in every aspect of one’s life:

psychologically, emotionally, physically, spiritually — in relationships both personal and

professional, at work and play; in dealing with one’s finances; even in relation to physical

belongings. “It’s essentially about being in a relationship with you, listening to yourself, being

an adult,” she says.

In An Invitation to Self-Care, Cleantis points to psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierar-

05.17 | ARROYO | 39


chy of needs, represented as a pyramid with basic human necessities at the bottom and

self-actualization at the top, and how certain needs have to be fulfilled along the way

before you can reach the peak. She says Maslow was a self-care expert before the term

was coined. Inspired by his writings, Cleantis developed her own ideas, focusing on

seven principles she reinforces throughout the book: Self-care is a daily, lifelong practice;

it is self-love; it requires taking personal responsibility; it means noticing what matters

to us; it requires attention and responsiveness; it must be realistic to be effective; and it

precedes self-fulfillment.

To help understand these concepts, Cleantis categorizes self-care in different hues

of “magic” — white, gray and black — which, she is quick to point out, has nothing to

do with the occult, but rather is used as shorthand. “A wonderful, surprising and almost

miraculous method of change,” she says. “White magic” encompasses the ideals of

self-care that we all pursue (or should pursue) as a matter of course — things like going

to the dentist twice a year, getting an annual mammogram, participating in regular

exercise, sleeping eight hours a night. “Black magic” is the opposite: drinking too much,

sex addiction, compulsive shopping or overeating — in other words, activities that can

bring harm, bodily or otherwise.

“All of those things, in some ways, are an attempt at self-care,” Cleantis says of black

magic, “to change how you feel and to take some difficult stressor and make it tolerable,

but that’s never okay. What I’m particularly interested in is shining a light on the ‘gray

magic’ self-care — things like watching too much television or eating ice cream for dinner

or going to Sephora to buy another lipstick. Sometimes you need that and it’s okay

to give space for things like that; there’s value in it.” It’s when eating ice cream for dinner

happens regularly that it might suggest there’s a need for something more, something

deeper, in one’s life.

Filled with personal anecdotes, real-life stories, quizzes and self-assessments to

help readers along the way, An Invitation to Self-Care is aimed at both women and men,

dispelling the myth that self-care is just for mothers, health-care professionals and other

caregivers, Cleantis says. In reality, “all of us are in the self-care business, even if we

aren’t doing a very good job at it.” She says, in fact, that men tend to be better at self-care

than women. In interviewing men for the book, she found that they tended to have “an

absolute commitment to certain aspects of their self-care [anything from a standing date

with a golf club to ritually going to Starbucks]. I didn’t hear that as loudly from women.

Things were a little more negotiable for them,” she says. “I found myself admiring the

male attitude of ‘This thing is for me and I’ve got to do it.’”

In fact, there was a time when Cleantis wasn’t very good at her own self-care. “I hate

to admit it, but I’ve been lousy at it at times, coming as I do from a family that neither

modeled self-care nor taught me its value,” she writes. “I’ve always tended to neglect my

needs, even well into adulthood. Once, during a period of exceptionally bad self-care, a

friend suggested that if I were treating a child the way I was treating myself, I would lose

custody.”

She changed her approach after going through a particularly difficult period in

her 30s. At the time, Cleantis desperately wanted to have a baby and spent more than

$100,000 in her attempt to have a biological child, undergoing four rounds of in vitro

fertilization and 21 of artificial insemination. Even a later attempt at adoption didn’t

work out. “I became addicted to the dream,” she recalls. “I believed that the only way

I could be happy was to have a child of my own. There were tons of books telling me

I could do it, in all sorts of genres: if you believe it, you can see it; if you make a vision

board for it; if you see this right doctor or if you do this right thing — but there was

nothing saying how to deal with the death of a dream.”

From this pain emerged Cleantis’ first book, The Next Happy: Let Go of the Life

You Planned and Find a New Way Forward (Hazeldon Publishing; 2015). “I wanted to

normalize for people that sometimes no matter what you do and how hard you work,

dreams don’t work out. So it became a guidebook to surrender. I found out that a lot of

therapists were giving The Next Happy to their patients who weren’t dealing with infertility

but who needed to learn to do self-care.”

That knowledge was the inspiration for An Invitation to Self-Care. “In a way, by writing

this book, I’m getting to do what I wanted to do with having a child — I’m helping

people come to take better care of themselves. It has certainly helped me. I am kinder to

myself and have a more responsive, tending internal voice just by being with

those seven principles.”

Before she became a licensed

marriage and

family therapist

in 2008, Cleantis

worked as a

newspaper journalist

and later wrote the

“Freudian Sip” blog for

Psychology Today. She

says she has always been

fascinated by people’s

motivations and the why

of things. She doesn’t see

much difference between en

her two professions. “In

some ways, they’re not so

different. It’s all about, ‘Tell

me your story. What made

you do this? Why are you ing it? Where does this stem

from?’

do-

“In my work as a therapist, I

always feel like I’m just a couple

of feet ahead, shining a light on

the process and helping people

come to their own answers,” she

continues. “I don’t want to tell

you how to do self-care e and I don’t

believe there’s just one answer. What

I hope people walk away ay with is

the ability to ask themselves better

questions so that they can continue to

check in [with themselves] every day.” ”||||

40 | ARROYO | 05.17

05.17 | ARROYO | 41

42 | ARROYO | 05.17

Linda Sarkissian’s

black–and –white

mural of revelers

adorns a Linda

Vista home.

THE GREAT

WALL MURAL

Designers are adding zing to clients’ décor with unique wall

paintings commissioned from local artists.

BY NOELA HUESO

PHOTO: Courtesy of Linda Sarkissian

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, ARTIST LINDA

SARKISSIAN AND HER TEAM PAINTED A SCENE

FROM A GLAMOROUS BLACK-TIE CELEBRATION

ON THE WALL OF A CONTEMPORARY HOME

IN PASADENA’S EXCLUSIVE LINDA VISTA

NEIGHBORHOOD. DONE IN TONES OF GRAY,

BLACK AND SILVER, TUXEDOED GENTLEMEN

MINGLE WITH LADIES IN ELEGANT GOWNS AS

THEY TOAST CHAMPAGNE, A PERMANENT PARTY

THE LENGTH OF A FORMAL DINING ROOM WALL.

“You can see part of the mural as you enter the house,” says Sarkissian, an American

Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Pasadena board member and founder of Glendalebased

LS Decorative Art, which has specialized in murals, decorative fine art and frescos

since the mid-1980s. She notes that it’s such a surprising and dramatic image, the common

reaction to it is to gasp — in a good way, of course.

Murals that evoke visceral reactions are just one of the reasons homeowners choose to

use the walls (or ceilings or floors) of their homes as canvases for creativity. “The beauty of

murals and custom finishing is that they showcase the personality and individuality of the

homeowner,” Sarkissian adds, noting that her client is a very social guy who enjoys throwing

parties. “They’re also conversation pieces.”

Home murals are a centuries-old design element that can cost from $3,000 to $50,000,

depending on size, detail and scope of the project. Along with faux finishes and decorative

fine art, murals continue to be popular among homeowners and interior designers who

want to make a statement or strive for distinction — sometimes in surprising ways.

After art for children’s rooms, landscapes — popular on domestic walls in late-17thcentury

Europe — are the most requested type of commission, designers say. Such natural

scenery is often depicted in an abstract style. “A couple of years ago, I did a project at the

Showcase House of Design where the interior designer wanted a contemporary but organic

scene on the wall,” Sarkissian recalls. “We painted the walls white and created a pomegranate

tree using only tones of brown,” the designer’s palette of choice.

05.17 | ARROYO | 43

“Window” mural depicts

homeowner’s favorite

Tuscan retreat.

The Tuscan-style mural

forms a faux window in the

enclosed kitchen.

MURALS THAT EVOKE

VISCERAL REACTIONS

ARE JUST ONE

OF THE REASONS

HOMEOWNERS

CHOOSE TO USE THE

WALLS (OR CEILINGS

OR FLOORS) OF THEIR

HOMES AS CANVASES

FOR CREATIVITY.


Most commonly found in dining rooms, bathrooms, hallways and master bedrooms,

murals can also be uniquely personal. “We recently did a mural for a homeowner who

wanted to have a scene of her children at the beach, taking her back to a time when

they were small,” says Sierra Madre interior designer Debbie Talianko, who often

works with Sarkissian. “It looked like a [vintage] watercolor and made you feel as if you

had traveled back in time. It was really dramatic.”

Marlene Oliphant, a Montrose-based interior designer, recalls a scene she commissioned,

a large trompe l’oeil of a window overlooking a faraway place, inspired by

a client couple’s anniversary trip. “I designed a condo kitchen that had no window

over the sink,” she says, “and I had [L.A.] artist Lucy Jensen copy a photo of a Tuscan

retreat; she painted it on paper and applied it to the wall like wallpaper and framed it in

travertine tile molding.”

When it comes to what can be painted on one’s walls, “you’re only limited by your

imagination,” Sarkissian says. In contemporary homes, like the one adorned with a

party scene, metallic finishes in silver, pewter and gold are an ongoing trend. “The

look you can get with it is quite interesting and one metallic on top of another makes a

really interesting wall,” says Pasadena artist Virginia Fair, who, along with her business

partner, Jay Richards, has created murals, faux finishes and other decorative embellishments

in homes around the world.

Along with murals, interior designers commonly employ decorative fine art, including

antique washes, faux stone and other faux finishes to bring distinction to a room,

color match other design elements or hide imperfections. “They’re great for camouflaging

bad walls and for matching something that’s already there but cannot be replaced,”

Oliphant says. “If you have outlet covers running straight across the center of a kitchen

backsplash, for example, you can faux finish them to blend into the tile.

“I had a client who had a big mural on two kitchen walls and they were cracked,”

she continues. “I asked Jay [Richards] if he could camouflage them and he patched and

painted and made everything blend. You’d never know they were there.”

e.


PHOTOS: Harry Chamberlain Photography

44 | ARROYO | 05.17

05.17 | ARROYO | 45

A sampling of murals by Virginia Fair Studios: (top) a

Chinese-style mural wraps an elegant front room and

stairway; (bottom left) Fair painting a mural for a children’s

room; (bottom right) a leafy mural for another

children’s room.


“It’s a really good solution for challenging areas,” adds Talianko. If a client has a

wood mantle that they want to look like stone, for example, “there are different plaster

finishes that can be applied” to achieve that look.

While Venetian plaster is hardly a new idea, Fair has devised methods of applying

it to create unique looks (“It’s like heavy embossing on the walls,” she says). She and

Richards recently embellished an entire dining room in this manner, covering its walls

in leaves and vines that were individually hand-painted.

Similarly, Sarkissian uses stencils with plaster, “creating very interesting textured

designs,” she says. “We make it raised and paint them in silvers, grays, whites and

pearlescent colors. It’s an extreme compliment when people go to the wall and touch it

just to see if it’s wallpaper or a painting.”

Custom-made wallpaper murals, a traditional and evergreen addition in upscale

homes, are another option for homeowners seeking to add zing to a room. Deciding

whether to paint a mural or have it created in wallpaper form — an extremely expensive

option that takes months to prepare, Sarkissian says — often comes down to the

designer’s preference.

Oliphant, for one, isn’t a fan. “You have a whole other set of problems with wallpa-

per,” she says. “A lot of walls are just not perfect — they would have to be skim coated

to make them flat in order to mount wallpaper. When you do a faux finish, you don’t

have to worry about that. You can just create whatever you want. It’s totally customized

and you don’t have to worry about matching everything; the faux finisher has his kit

and he just creates the matching tone. It’s like waving a magic wand and it’s done.”

Sometimes, muralists are asked, rather than create something new, just to fi x a

faded or damaged mural already in place. Fair recalls a recent three-week project she

and Richards were called in on, restoring an 80-year-old mural painted on the ceiling

of a Glendale home, one-third of which had extensive water damage. They had to

study the original artist’s hand and technique and make sure they stayed true to that

in restoring the image, reminiscent of a scene one might find in an old hunting lodge,

complete with pheasants and trees.

“They didn’t have photos of the entire mural, so we took photos of the other undamaged

side, worked out the color and design and completely duplicated it,” Fair says.

“Our challenge was to make it look like the original — and we did it! The owners were

blown away. They couldn’t believe that anybody could actually put it back together like

that again.” ||||

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Virginia Fair Studios

46 | ARROYO | 05.17

KITCHEN

CONFESSIONS

Arabia Felix?

TRY A TASTE OF BELEAGUERED YEMEN’S WARM HOSPITALITY.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK

Ihave always believed that food is an important social and political tool. It has the power

to bring people together, and it promotes understanding between cultures. You may

think you don’t like the South, but you’ll put up with it because of barbecue, country

ham, cheesy grits and biscuits. You might think the French are a bunch of snoots, but you

cherish every single croissant. So, in this vein, I have decided to highlight the culinary

contributions of the (now) six countries targeted in the latest incarnation of a travel ban,

blocked by a federal judge in Hawaii and facing a likely appeal. It is my hope that, through

an understanding of their culinary traditions, you will be more compassionate toward their

peoples.

I begin with Yemen, a country with so many problems that a ban on travel to the United

States seems unlikely to even be on their radar.

Yemen lies east of North Africa and south of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq. Civilization

has thrived in the region since the 8th century B.C., and its location on the western Arabian

Peninsula, bordering both the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, made it an important

crossroads in the lucrative spice, textile and incense trades between India and Europe.

Everyone wanted to control Yemen to compete with the East India Trading Company. The

Ottoman Turks tried to steal it twice. The British tried once. It was the epitome of a hot

property.

In addition, the early-15th-century Sufi monasteries were cultivating the coffee beans

they found in Ethiopia, and by 1500 coffee was leaving the Yemeni port of Mocha to supply

the Ottoman Empire. This early success transformed Yemen into one of the most advanced

Arabian societies. Everybody loved it! The Romans even dubbed it Arabia Felix, or “Happy

Arabia.”

The influence of trade on this culture is reflected deliciously in its cuisine. Though

the food is similar to that found across the Arabian Peninsula, it is uniquely influenced

by Indonesia, eastern Africa and India. Fenugreek, ginger, cilantro, cumin, turmeric and

cardamom are ubiquitous. Hawaij, the traditional spice mixture found in many recipes,

contains a very Indian mixture of anise seed, fennel seed, ginger and cardamom.

Flat breads are not unusual in the region, but the Yemeni menu includes an Indian

roti and a spongy pancake similar to Ethiopian injera. They are baked daily in a taboon – a

clay oven shaped like a truncated cone, with its opening on the bottom or at the top like

a tandoor. Similar to the Indian and Asian tables, many dishes are enlivened with highly

spiced condiments, including the frothy hulba, made from whipped fenugreek, herbs and hot

chiles.

But more than their multicultural pantry, it is the Yemenis’ hospitality that makes them

unique. Guests are treated like royalty, and a refusal of food is considered an insult. In remote

areas it is said that a Yemeni will shoot over the heads of travelers who do not stop to sample

their hospitality. (I have no such tradition. Feel free to keep moving.) Meals are communal,

and Yemen has not bothered to incorporate such western frivolity as tables, chairs or utensils.

Dishes are scooped up with pieces of bread or simply the right hand (which is ceremonially

washed beforehand).

If you are a guest you will probably be served meat dishes (mutton, chicken, goat or

fish along the coast), which are generally reserved for special occasions or an ill family

member who needs the extra nourishment. Porridges from local grains (sorghum,

millet, corn) or legume flour are popular and highly nutritious. There is also a giant

flour dumpling called aseeda, which is garnished with either sweet or savory condiments.

Aseeda has a long history as a Bedouin staple and resembles similar African fare. The

national dish of Yemen is saltah, a stew made from lamb or lentils, with many regional

variations.

There is no alcohol served in the Muslim home, although Yemeni Jews enjoy raisin

wine and arak, anise-flavored spirits. Tea is the preferred beverage, after the meal, served

highly sweetened with cardamom or mint. Coffee is too expensive for most families, but

qishr is a popular drink made from ground coffee husks and ginger. Dessert is rare, but,

if you are very lucky, you might be served the brioche-like bint-al-sahn, to be dipped in

butter and honey. Yemeni honey is considered a delicacy and a status symbol, but you

likely will only find it in the cities, along with more exotic fruits.

Rather, you would have found it, when there were cities in Yemen.

Struggle for control of this strategic site has seemingly never ended. The current civil

war is two years old, but it’s rarely covered in the news, because the situation in Syria is so

much bigger.

In 2015 the Houthi, a Shia minority group, took over the capital, Sanaa, and kicked

out the U.S.-backed government. Worried that the Houthis were being supported by

Shia forces from Iran, a Saudi-led, mostly Sunni, multinational coalition with support

from the U.S., U.K. and France began a targeted air campaign. As in Syria, the bombings

took out civilian targets, including schools and hospitals. And as in Syria, these actions

created the perfect breeding ground for Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Also as in Syria, rebel-held

regions have been cut off from international aid. So Yemenis are dying not only from

violent military attacks, but from starvation. The UN currently estimates Yemen has

nearly 2 million malnourished children. Not a lot of saltah being enjoyed of late.

But unlike Syria, the people are very, very poor. Conflict throughout the modern era

has created a failed economic state, so most Yemenis cannot afford to flee. Plus, Yemen

is much farther away from Europe. Consequently, there are no boatloads of refugees

(another reason Yemen is not making the 6 o’clock news). Nevertheless, 3 million

Yemenis are internally displaced.

So — since you aren’t getting much Yemeni news, I’m offering you a chance to get

to know Yemeni culture, a spoonful at a time. Make this meal. Invite a friend to your

table (or floor). Don't take “no” for an answer. Learn a little more about this rich history.

It’s important to understand and empathize with these places. Because high population

growth, drought, female inequality, widespread poverty, escalating food prices and the

collapse of the state will make young men in any country pick up arms.

Any country. ||||

Leslie Bilderback is a certified master baker, chef and cookbook author. She lives in South

Pasadena and teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

05.17 | ARROYO | 47

KITCHEN

CONFESSIONS


SALTAH: THE NATIONAL DISH OF YEMEN

Make this great variation on beef stew and, while it’s cooking, make the accompanying flat

bread and condiments. Then brew some tea and throw some pillows on the floor.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup olive oil

1 pound ground lamb or beef

2 yellow onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic

2 green chiles

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4 large red or white potatoes,

peeled and cubed

5 cups beef broth

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablepsoons hulbah*

2 tablepsoons zhoug**

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the meat and onions and cook until

onions are translucent. Then add garlic and chiles, cook for another minute, then add tomatoes and

potatoes. Cover with broth, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, or

until potatoes are tender.

2. Use a potato masher to smash all the potatoes, until the stew thickens. Add beaten egg and stir for

another minute, until it cooks. Finally, add the hulbah to the center of the pot, and as it heats, spread it

across the surface. Remove from heat and serve with extra zhoug, plain yogurt and flatbread.

INGREDIENTS

*Hulbah: a Yemeni condiment

2 tablespoons ground fenugreek seeds

1 tomato

1 clove garlic

1 green chile

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons zhoug*

METHOD

1. Place fenugreek seeds in a bowl and cover with cold water. Set it aside to soak for 1 hour.

2. Drain off all but a little water from the seeds, and whisk them with an electric mixer (or by hand)

until they thicken to a paste.

3. Transfer fenugreek paste to a blender or food processor, add remaining ingredients and blend until

the mixture is smooth and frothy.

** Zhoug: another Yemeni condiment

INGREDIENTS

4 green chiles

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

2 bunches fresh cilantro, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ to ½ cup olive oil

METHOD

Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender or food processor. Process to begin breaking everything

down, then slowly add the oil until a paste forms. The consistency is just like Italian pesto.

INGREDIENTS

4½ cups all-purpose fl our

2 teaspoons sea salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

Khobz: a Yemeni flat bread

1½ cups water

2 tablespoons olive oil

METHOD

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and whisk together. Make a well in the center and add

the water. Stir until a dough forms, then transfer to a work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until

soft, smooth and not at all sticky. (Add more flour as needed.) Divide the dough into golf ball--size

pieces, roll each into a ball, brush lightly with oil, then cover and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

2. Heat a griddle or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Roll each dough ball out as thinly as you can. Use

your hands to stretch and pull it out even more. (Get it as close to see-through as you can.) Place on

the hot griddle and fry until golden and puffed, about 30 to 60 seconds a side. Serve immediately, or

store airtight to keep fresh.

48 | ARROYO | 05.17

05.17 | ARROYO | 49

THE LIST

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

Capitol Comedy,

Columbus Considered

Both events take place in Caltech’s

Beckman Auditorium.

May 6 — The Capitol Steps political satire

group returns to Caltech at 8 p.m. The

troupe of former congressional staffers

performs songs parodying politicians and

other newsmakers in a show drawn from

the news. Tickets cost $10 to $45.

May 10 — Caltech history Professor Nico

Wey-Gomez discusses “What Columbus

Discovered” in geographical surveys

of the Bahamas and the Caribbean

Basin at 8 p.m. He will highlight how

the discoveries revolutionized old ideas

about the globe, and how science, faith

and politics shaped the initial encounters

between Europe and the Americas.

Admission is free; no tickets required.

Beckman Auditorium is located on Michigan

Avenue south of Del Mar Boulevard,

on the Caltech campus, Pasadena. Call

(626) 395-4652 or visit events.caltech.edu.

Riding for Ronnie

May 7 — The third annual Ride for

Ronnie motorcycle rally and concert

benefi ts the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up

and Shout Cancer Fund. The heavymetal

singer, who fronted acts including

Rainbow, Elf and Black Sabbath, died

of gastric cancer in 2010. The event

includes a ride from Harley-Davison of

Glendale to Los Encinos State Historic

Park in Encino. At the park, guests will

be entertained by live music, raffl es, live

auctions and food trucks. Riders register

at 9 a.m. at Harley-Davidson, where

a continental breakfast is served. The

ride starts at 11 a.m. Gates open at Los

Encinos park at 11:30 a.m., and bands,

including Eddie Money, Lynch Mob,

Rough Cutt, Dio Disciples, The Loveless,

Sonia Harley and No Small Children, start

at 11:45 a.m. Prices and preregistration

are available on the website.

Harley-Davidson of Glendale is located

at 3717 San Fernando Rd., Glendale. Los

Encinos State Historic Park is located at

16756 Moorpark St., Encino. Visit diocancerfund.org.

Wine and Food Fest

Helps Homeless

May 7 — Union Station Homeless Services

hosts its second annual Masters of Taste

charity culinary event from 4 to 7 p.m.

ALTADENA HOME TOUR

May 7 — The Altadena Guild hosts its 66th annual home and garden tour,

dubbed A Stroll in the Altadena Highlands, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event

includes four locations with live music, snacks and beer from the Altadini

Bar, brewed for the tour. Guests can also peruse a vendor’s market and open

studios, and a handmade Scottish quilt will be raffled off. Tickets cost $35 in

advance on the website, $40 the day of the event. Ticket entrances are located

at Altadena Drive and Highland Avenue and Mendocino Street and Highland

Avenue. Proceeds benefit Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Huntington

Hospital Constance G. Zahorik Appearance Center and a special nursing

scholarship at Huntington Hospital.

Visit altadenaguild.org.

at the Rose Bowl Stadium. The food and

beverage festival features vittles from top

L.A. restaurants and chefs, handcrafted

cocktails from master mixologists, wine

from eclectic California wineries, beers

from craft breweries and live entertainment.

All proceeds benefi t Union Station’s

programs aiding homeless families

and adults. Tickets cost $105 general

admission; VIP tickets for 3 p.m. admission

cost $185.

Rose Bowl Stadium is located at 1001

Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Visit unionstationhs.org.

Spring Sing by L. A. Children’s

Chorus Includes Premiere

May 7 and 14 — The Pasadena-based

L.A. Children’s Chorus performs at

7 p.m. May 7 and May 14 at Pasadena

Presbyterian Church. The program

includes a world premiere of a work by

L.A.-based composer Dale Trumbore,

plus music by Bartók and Kodály. Anne

Tomlinson conducts the Concert Choir

and Chamber Singers, Mandy Brigham

leads the Intermediate Choir, Diana

Landis conducts the Apprentice Choir

and Steven Kronauer leads the Young

Men’s Ensemble. Tickets cost $26 to $44,

half-price for those 17 and younger.

Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located

at 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call

(626) 793-4231 or visit lachildrenschorus.org.

Norton Simon's Klee and Dietrich

Shows Bring Back ’20s, ’30s

May 5 — The 1930 fi lm Morocco, starring

Gary Cooper as a French legionnaire

who falls in love with a café entertainer

(Marlene Dietrich) with a checkered

past, starts at 6 p.m.

May 12 — The Blue Angel (1930), the

story of elderly professor Immanuel Rath

(Emil Jannings), whose ordered life spins

out of control when he falls for singer/

dancer Lola Lola (Marlene Dietrich),

starts at 6 p.m.

May 12 — Focusing on Paul Klee’s

Aquarium Green-Red, Family Art Night

invites guests to design their own

“aquarium” with cellophane, string, collage

paper and paper plates from 6:30

to 7:30 p.m.

May 13 — Independent curator Victoria

Dailey explores the work of Galka

Scheyer, the subject of the Maven of

Modernism exhibition, at 4 p.m. In a

lecture titled “Dear Little Tornado,” Dailey

discusses the organizer of L.A.’s fi rst Blue

Four exhibition in 1926, a time when

modernism was disparaged by most of

the city’s art world.

May 19 — The 1931 fi lm Dishonored stars

Marlene Dietrich as a Viennese prostitute-turned-spy

who falls in love with a

Russian spy. The movie starts at 6 p.m.

May 26 — Shanghai Express (1932) stars

Dietrich as a prostitute who tries to save

a former lover (Clive Brook) held hostage

on a train from Peking to Shanghai. It

starts at 6 p.m..

All events are free with regular Norton

Simon general admission of $12 and $9

for seniors; members, students and visitors

18 and younger are admitted free.

The Norton Simon Museum is located at

411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call

(626) 449-6840 or visit nortonsimon.org.

Camerata Pacifi ca Plays

Haydn at Huntington

May 9 — The Camerata Pacifi ca

chamber music ensemble performs at

The Huntington at 7:30 p.m. The program

includes Haydn’s Trio in G Major, Mozart’s


50 | ARROYO | 05.17

05.17 | ARROYO | 51

52 | ARROYO | 05.17

THE LIST


String Quartet in G Minor and Dohnanyl’s

Piano Quartet in C Minor. Featured performers

are Adrian Spence, Paul Huang,

Richard O’Neill, Ani Aznavoorian and Warren

Jones. Tickets cost $56.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections

and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151

Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (805) 884-8410

or visit cameratapacifica.org.

Huntington Highlights Fiction,

Fiber Arts, New Opera

May 5 and 6 — A symposium on “Evelyn

Waugh: Reader, Writer, Collector” explores

the biographical, practical and disciplinary

significance of The Huntington’s Evelyn

Waugh archives donated by Loren and

Francis Rothschild from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

both days. The cost is $25. Register at huntington.org/evelynwaugh.

May 12 and 13 — An interdisciplinary

conference on “Fictive Histories/Historical

Fictions” explores the relationship between

history and fiction from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

both days. The featured speaker is Hilary

Mantel, Booker Prize–winning author of

Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, in

conversation with Mary Robertson, curator

emerita of The Huntington’s British historical

manuscripts. The cost is $25. Register at

huntington.org/fictivehistories.

May 20 — Fiber Arts Day showcases the

ancient arts of spinning, weaving and dyeing

with natural plant dyes. Experts demonstrate

the craft’s tools and techniques

from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free with

regular admission of $25, $21 for seniors

and students and $10 for youth ages 4 to

11; members and children under 4 are

admitted free.

May 25 — The Huntington’s 2017 Cheng

Family Visiting Artist, composer Huang Ruo,

presents excerpts from his new opera,

Paradise Interrupted, with a new instrumental

arrangement for The Huntington,

starting at 7:30 p.m. He is accompanied by

Kun opera singer Qian Yi, along with other

musicians and vocalists. The cost is $15.

Register at huntington.org/calendar.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections

and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151

Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100

or visit huntington.org.

Birds, Bottles, Beasts at Zoo Benefits

May 11 — The Los Angeles Zoo’s 50th

anniversary Zoo-LAbration includes a

sustainable wine and dinner event, Birds of

a Feather, from 6 to 9 p.m., with libations

from Temecula’s Palumbo Family Vineyards

and Winery, which is committed to

sustainability. The dinner features presentations

by the winery and the zoo’s curator

of birds, Mike Maxcy, about sustainable

farming practices. Tickets cost $150 each

($130 for Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association

members).

Call (866) 949-6007 or visit lazoo.org/sustainablewinedinners.

May 20 — GLAZA’s annual Beastly Ball,

benefiting the L.A. Zoo’s programs, starts at

6 p.m. The event features a performance

by Guns N’ Roses guitarist and GLAZA

Trustee Slash. Guests are invited to dress in

safari-style clothing as they stroll through

the zoo, observing the animals, watching

feedings, chatting with keepers and dining

on food from top area restaurants. Tickets

cost $1,500.

Call (323) 644-4753 or visit lazoo.org/beastlyball.

The L.A. Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo

Dr., Griffith Park. Visit lazoo.org.

Standing Up for Science

May 18 — The Center for Inquiry presents

“An Evening with Richard Dawkins” at

Glendale’s Alex Theatre at 7 p.m. The

world-renowned scientist and author of

The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion will

be joined by a special guest for unscripted

conversation on a wide variety of topics,

including science, culture and current

affairs. Dawkins is on tour to combat the

rise of “alternative facts” and assaults on

science from those in political power. A VIP

reception starts at 5 p.m., and the lecture

starts at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $29, $250 for VIP

tickets.

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand

Blvd., Glendale. Visit centerforinquiry.net/

dawkinstour.

Concert Caps Kahane

Chamber Career

May 20 — Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

(LACO) Music Director Jeffrey Kahane

concludes his 20-year tenure with the orchestra

in an 8 p.m. concert at Glendale’s

Alex Theatre. The program includes the

world premiere of a LACO-commissioned

work by 2014 Pulitzer Prize fi nalist Christopher

Cerrone. Kahane is also the

keyboard soloist and conductor for a

performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto

No. 27. The evening also includes


05.17 | ARROYO | 53

THE LIST

PHOTO: Courtesy of MEMORY 5D+

IMMERSIVE ODYSSEY

THROUGH CHINESE HERITAGE

May 26 and 27 — Memory 5D+ — An Immersive Musical Odyssey to a Distant

Past, featuring ancient Chinese music paired with contemporary stagecraft in an

innovative large-scale entertainment spectacular, has its world-premiere run at

8 p.m. at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium both nights. The cast includes dozens

of singers, dancers, acrobats and musicians performing on rare, traditional

instruments, against a backdrop of real, virtual and projected images and action

evoking China’s cultural heritage. It tells a story based on Taoist philosophy, by

Beijing-based creator Ulan Xuerong. The $4 million production also showcases

Tuvan throat singing, shadow play, storytelling and ballad singing in the Suzhou

dialect, Tibetan folk songs and other Chinese art forms. Tickets cost $38 to $128.

The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (800)

982-2787 or visit memory5d.com.


Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major.

The concert repeats at 7 p.m. May 21

at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Tickets prices start

at $27.

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N.

Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (213) 622

7001 or visit laco.org.

Saluting Museums of the Arroyo

May 21 — Museums of the Arroyo

(MOTA) Day celebrates six museums in

Pasadena and northeastern L.A. with

free admission and activities for all ages

from noon to 5 p.m. Pasadena locations

are the Gamble House and the Pasadena

Museum of History; nearby venues

include the Lummis Home, Heritage

Square Museum, the Autry’s Southwest

Museum and the L.A. Police Museum.

Free activities include blacksmithing

demonstrations, chalk art activities, a

visit to an LAPD helicopter and entertainment.

Free shuttles run between the

venues.

Visit museumsofthearroyo.com.

Cautionary History Tale at

Pasadena Playhouse

May 30 to June 25 — Hold These Truths,

a play by Jeanne Sakata, opens at the

Pasadena Playhouse at 8 p.m. The second

of two spring productions focusing

on democracy, constitutional law and

what it means to be an American, it’s a

cautionary tale of injustices perpetrated

when nationalism, fear and hysteria

collide. The production is based on the

true story of civil rights hero Gordon

Hirabayashi, who stood up against the

infamous Executive Order 9066, which

called for American citizens of Japanese

descent to be detained and sent to

internment camps once the U.S. entered

World War II. Hold These Truths continues

through June 25. Tickets cost $25 to $115.

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39

S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-

7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org. ||||

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May 2017

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