Sorted by date Results 251 - 275 of 299
It was a heated four-game series battle between the Dodgers and Giants this past weekend at Dodger Stadium -- one of the best rivalries in sports history. The Giants put forth a “Giant” effort as they managed to win three out of four games, culminating in a 7-4 victory on Mother’s Day. Even Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez and his heroic two-run, game-tying homer off closer Sergio Romo with two outs in the bottom of the ninth wasn’t enough on Sunday. The Dodgers’ usually-solid closer Kenley Jans...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Anne Marie Ketchum, Music Director and Founding Artistic Director for The Verdi Chorus (now Frank and Merle Strauss Artistic Director), pulled out all the stops for their Spring performances this past Saturday and Sunday at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. To kick-off their 31st season of presenting glorious choruses, arias and ensembles from grand opera, Ms. Ketchum decided on an all Italian program entitled AMORE ITALIANO and chose...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter If there are “Twin Towers” in baseball, they would have to be Dodgers sluggers Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp as they both cranked out two homers in the final game of the three-game Opening Series at Dodger Stadium on Sunday against the rival Giants. Dodgers won, 6-2, and prevented the series sweep. Both of Kemp’s four-baggers came off of Giants ace starter Matt Cain. Ramirez and Kemp are both back in the starting lineup after being injury-plagued last seaso...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The NHL’s 2014 Coors Light Stadium Series made a stop at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night which featured the Southland rival Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks in the first-ever regular season outdoor hockey game in league history on the West Coast. Even though the Ducks shut out the Kings 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd of 54,099, it was the experience that mattered most. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman summed it up best after the historic game when he said...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Los Angeles Master Chorale, a cultural icon heralded around the globe for its exceptional artistry, pulled out the stops for their 50th anniversary weekend celebration. The program featured two performances of Bach’s B Minor Mass - the choral masterpiece that founding music director Roger Wagner inaugurated in 1965 at the just-opened Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Chorale’s home for 37 years. This time, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the residence of the Mas...
An injury-depleted Lakers team was dominated by the Clippers, their intra-Staples Center rivals, being blown-out, 123-87, on Friday. The 36-point victory margin was the Clippers' largest ever against the Lakers, besting a 125-94 victory in 1992 at the Sports Arena, then the Clippers' home. Some might say that an asterisk needs to be printed next to this game in the record book since both teams were playing without their injured superstar guards, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. The Lakers were also...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Arizona State Sun Devils will be playing in their first Pac-12 Championship, game as they defeated UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, 38-33. The Sun Devils got off to a quick start, running the ball six times for 67 yards on their first possession. QB Taylor Kelly scored the first touchdown in three minutes as he ran the ball in from the three-yard line to give his team a 7-0 advantage. On the Bruins first possession, they outdid the Sun Devils as QB Bre...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter I know that Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi is smiling with pleasure from the beyond as The Verdi Chorus presented its fall gala concerts this past weekend in honor of his 200th birthday at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. The program, titled Viva Verdi, was dedicated solely to his works and included scenes and arias from many of his masterpieces. The night kicked-off with President Thelma Sherman and chorus consultant and musicologist Dr....
The Los Angeles Kings have been bringing their “A-Game,” playing without the services of sharp-shooters Jarret Stoll and Jeff Carter. Since both players have been out of the lineup with injuries, the Kings still managed to pull out victories against the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks. Since the Sabres are in last place in the Eastern Conference, the win over the Canucks had more meaning since they are currently battling for the fourth spot in the Pacific Division in the Western Con...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The St. Louis Cardinals were looking for revenge after being swept, 4-0, by the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 World Series. After putting forth a good effort, the Cardinals fell short again, losing the battle to the bearded-wonders of Boston, 4-2, and watching the 2013 World Series also slip away. It seemed as if the Cardinals were heading in the right direction after they split the first two games in Boston and then won Game 3 at Busch Stadium on an obstructio...
By Steven Lieberman Observer reporter Gino Vannelli, who took the music world by storm in 1978 with his smash hit “I Just Wanna Stop” (#4 in the United States), will perform at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on November 8 for his first LA-area performance in 16 years. For the past three years, Vannelli has been touring with his eight-piece band and performing all of his hits and some newer songs. Before that, he was on hiatus from touring while in the studio exploring new music. He spe...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter It was “WWII” in St. Louis at Busch Stadium last weekend as the Dodgers were to face Cardinals hurlers Michael Wacha – the rookie-sensation - on Friday in Game 6 and then Adam Wainwright in Game 7 in the best-of-seven NL Championship Series. The series never made it to Game 7. With the series at 3-2 in favor of the Cardinals, the Dodgers went with their elite pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, arguably the best pitcher in MLB this season. Kershaw had an uncha...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter It’s been four long years, but the Dodgers have finally clinched another best-of-five National League Division Series to advance to the NL Championship Series. Juan Uribe’s two-run bomb in the bottom of the eighth inning that landed in the Dodgers left-field bullpen sealed the deal with a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. Dodger fans got so excited, all 54,438 started to chant the Braves “Indian” mantra with the tomahawk chop after Uribe’s blast. The pitch...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Viva Puig! On Sunday, since it was Cuban Heritage Day at Dodger Stadium, right-fielder Yasiel Puig decided not to disappoint his fellow Cuban fans. He delivered a game-winning, tiebreaking, solo home run – his 14th of the season - in the sixth inning to hand the Dodgers a 2-1 win and a three-game sweep of the Padres. To make it even more special, Puig delivered the homer on the first pitch, something he is known to do. Since his debut on June 3, he’s batting...
Puig, Greinke Spark Dodgers Viva Puig! On Sunday, since it was Cuban Heritage Day at Dodger Stadium, right-fielder Yasiel Puig decided not to disappoint his fellow Cuban fans. He delivered a game-winning, tiebreaking, solo home run – his 14th of the season - in the sixth inning to hand the Dodgers a 2-1 win and a three-game sweep of the Padres. To make it even more special, Puig delivered the homer on the first pitch, something he is known to do. Since his debut on June 3, he’s batting .350 wit...
Puig Sparks Dodgers’ Sudden Burst Of Success Dodger Stadium resounded with chants of fans calling out “MVPuig” as the final game of the seven-game homestand came to a close on Sunday against the Phillies with another Dodger victory. The Dodgers won eight out of nine games through Sunday to pull within four of the first-place Diamondbacks in the mediocre NL West. Cuban rookie-sensation-right-fielder Yasiel Puig fell short of hitting for the cycle that day. His last at-bat in the eighth innin...
Kings Hopes Come To An End The Los Angeles Kings’ run at a second consecutive Stanley Cup Championship fell short by being eliminated from the playoffs, losing the series 4-1 in a double-overtime 4-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks advanced to face the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final, and the Kings will go fishing. The Kings fell behind early, allowing two goals in the first six minutes of the fifth and deciding game. Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith, snuck one through J...
The Cardinals came to town early this season with a three-game series against the Dodgers over Memorial Day weekend. The Cardinals are always a tough match-up for the Dodgers and proved that by winning the series, 2-1. It was bad timing for the Dodgers, struggling to get wins, and having to face a Cardinals team that now boasts the best record in the league at 35-17 as of Wednesday. Recently, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly attempted to light a fire under his struggling team with some comments he...
There were “Kings” and “Queens” and “Celebrations” and awards at the Verdi Chorus’ 30th anniversary Spring concerts this past weekend at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. During the concert, founding director Anne Marie Ketchum was presented with two certificates for all her accomplishments and devotion to the chorus and bringing beautiful music to the city for 30 years. One was from LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and was presented to Ms. Ketchum by president emeritus and...
The Canyon Club based in Agoura is now offering shows at another venue called Beverly Hills Canyon at The Saban Theatre. People might remember it as Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills. It served as one of the premiere movie palaces when it was built in 1930 and then converted to a stage theatre in 1981. Coming to The Saban on May 4 will be the famous girl band, Wilson Phillips, with their three Billboard 100 chart-topping hits “Hold On,” “Release Me,” and “You’re In Love.” On April 3, the group rel...
On Monday it was tax day, but more importantly it was also Jackie Robinson Day at Dodger Stadium. Many special guests were in attendance to help celebrate the life of the first black baseball player to play in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Thanks to General Manager Branch Rickey who signed Robinson, the Dodgers were the first major league team to play a black player since the 1880’s. This ended racial segregation that had relegated black players to the N...
The world-famous Zuckerman ChamberPlayers, led by violin legend Pinchas Zukerman, made their Los Angeles debut at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica for a two-night engagement last weekend. Zukerman, an Israeli native who’s been one of the world’s leading violin soloists and a respected international conductor for almost half a century, has gathered together four of the world’s most promising young performers to serve as his protégés and perform alongside him. They are violinist Jessica Linneba...
On Opening Day at Dodger Stadium it was also April Fools’ Day, so the Dodgers decided to play a joke on the sellout crowd. After owner Magic Johnson took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch, manager Don Mattingly approached the mound and pointed to the dugout (as if he were pointing to the bullpen). To everyone’s surprise, Sandy Koufax emerged from the dugout and replaced Magic on the mound to become the first “relief” pitcher of the season. “I was working on my acting skills today, pr...
When Serge Ibaka received only a fine and not a suspension or ejection for hitting Blake Griffin in the groin area during the Clippers’ loss to the Thunder on March 3 I realized a key variable is missing from the Clippers’ roster. That missing variable is a player who can be the team enforcer to protect Clippers players, especially Griffin, from opponents’ overly-aggressive behavior. Someone like a Rick Fox, a Dennis Rodman or a Bill Laimbeer from the Bad Boys of Detroit. Griffin, an aggre...
Academy Award-winning actor-director-writer Tim Robbins was invited by Live Talks Los Angeles last week to participate in a Q &A about his career and speak about the Actors’ Gang theatre troupe he founded in 1981 at The Ivy Substation in Culver City. The session was held at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica and was moderated by comedy writer and performer Marc Maron in front of a packed house. The interview began with Maron asking Robbins about his up-bringing and influences, and then how he p...
