Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 11, 2016

B2 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTMountain Views-News Saturday, June 11, 2016 B2 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTMountain Views-News Saturday, June 11, 2016 
FREE EVENT! ARS GRATIA ARTIS AT SIERRA 
MADRE PLAYHOUSE ON JUNE 13 


For the fifth entry in its Off The Page monthlyThis reading is presented with the co-operation

series of free play readings, Sierra Madre Playhouseof the Association of Los Angeles Playwrights.

will present Arts Gratia Artis, written and directedFor Sierra Madre Playhouse- Off The Page

by Tom Lazarus.series curator: Debra J. Harner. Artistic director: 

On the MGM lot in 1929, glamour photographerChristian Lebano. Managing director: Estelle

George Hurrell fulfills his dream of shooting starsCampbell.

Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro, fights for hisAdmission is free. Reservations are not required.

artistic integrity with studio mogul L.B. Mayer,Monday, June 13, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. At Sierra

and falls in love, as the stock market crashes and Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra

the country slips into the Depression.Madre, CA 91024. This is just east of Pasadena.

Cast: Kevin Comartin, Douglas Dickerman,There is ample free parking behind the theatre.

Anna Nicholas, Heather Robinson, Stevie Stern, Website: www.sierramadreplayhouse.org . 

Tom Stringer, Jeanne Syquia, Ray Xifo. Phone: (626) 355-4318. 

DAVID WHEATLEY - A USEFUL LIFE IN C MAJOR 

Usually I’m recommending 


David spent some time 
that everyone stay right here 

in his Texas University days as 
in town, to shop, to dine, to 

organist for the Texas Rangers 
attend theater at our own 

and, apparently, never got 
Sierra Madre Playhouse, but 

his fill of Take Me Out To 
this event is too good not 

The Ballgame, inviting the 
to at least mention. David 

audience to sing along! His 
Wheatley and I have written 

three original improvisationalthree musicals together: 

pieces were, by turns, 
“Hands!” The Musical; Star 

somewhat Charles Ives-ish, a 
of Wonder – A Christmas 

sweet look back at memories 
Musical, and Gallery – The 

of the past and a slow jazz-
Musical. Plus a number of 

blues piece with amazing leftstand alone songs – some of 

hand chops. 
which are even available as sheet music (Joseph’s Adding a few original compositions, some 
Love Song – available at Sheet Music Plus). Our Bach, Beethoven and Debussy, David pretty much 
musicals have all been produced here, there and covers music from A to Z. Audience requests were 
everywhere, including the 2014 Hollywood Fringe solicited and his version of the Cheers theme got 
Festival. David is an exceptional music composer pretty close to classical beauty.
and an extremely talented performer. Ending with his Silent Movie Medley, 

You may or may not know that the annual augmented with appropriate facial expressions 
Hollywood Fringe Festival is getting underway and his TV Theme Medley of dear forgotten 
featuring exciting, eclectic and eccentric favorites...Hogan’s Heroes, Green Acres, The 
entertainment. Original plays, musicals, and Flintstones...will leave you laughing. Expect just 
standup comedians appearing in tiny theaters about everything: jazz – country – R & B, good ol’ 
off Santa Monica and various other locations rock ‘n roll and it will all be dynamite.
in and around Hollywood, but the show you David’s Fringe Festival shows will be Saturday, 
won’t want to miss is A Useful Life In C Major June 11 at 1:00 p.m.; Sunday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m.; 
featuring pianist and dry, wry standup guy, David Saturday, June 25 at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 26 
Wheatley. A classically trained concert organist, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are just $10 and he is part of 
David provides a whimsical, genre-defying the lineup at the Asylum @ McCadden Theatre – 
concert experience. Looking for jazz of the finest 1157 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles 90038. For 
kind? David’s versions of Lady Madonna and more information and tickets: hollywoodfringe.
Autumn Leaves will have you in jazz heaven as org/projects/3849he improvises and strays just far enough to keep Trust me, you’ll enjoy yourself and be glad you 
you guessing but his gentle touch never loses the ventured out to the West Side! Let me repeat that 
theme. part about Tickets are just $10! 

Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown 

A Self-Made Man: The Political 


one side or the other. In a sweeping

Life of Abraham Lincoln Vol. I,

narrative written with his trademark 

1809 - 1849 by Sidney Blumenthal 

erudition and wit, Horne provides aThe first of a multi-volume history

meticulously detailed analysis of theof Lincoln as a political genius—

ground maneuvers employed by thefrom his obscure beginnings to his

opposing armies in each battle. He alsopresidency, assassination, and the 

explores the strategic and psychologicaloverthrow of his post-Civil War dreams

mindset of the military leaders involved 
of Reconstruction. This first volume 

to demonstrate how devastatingtraces Lincoln from his painful youth,

combinations of human ambition and 
describing himself as “a slave,” to his

arrogance led to overreach. Makingemergence as the man we recognize as

clear the danger of hubris in warfare, hisAbraham Lincoln.From his youth as 

insights hold resonant lessons for civiliana “newsboy,” a voracious newspaper

and military leaders navigating today’sreader, Lincoln became a free thinker, 

complex global landscape.A dramatic,
reading Tom Paine, as well as 

colorful, stylishly-written history,
Shakespeare and the Bible, and studying

Hubris is a much-needed reflection 
Euclid to sharpen his arguments as a

on war from a master of his field. 
lawyer.Lincoln’s anti-slavery thinkingbegan in his childhood amidst the

The Summer Before the War: 

Primitive Baptist antislavery dissidents

A Novel by Helen Simonson 

in backwoods Kentucky and Indiana,

“A novel to cure your Downton Abbey 
the roots of his repudiation of Southern

withdrawal . . . a delightful story about 
Christianpro-slaverytheology.Intensely

nontraditional romantic relationships,
ambitious, he held political aspirations

class snobbery and the everybody-
from his earliest years. Obsessed with

knows-everybody complications of 
Stephen Douglas, his political rival,

living in a small community.”—The 
he battled him for decades. Successful 

Washington Post.The bestselling 
as a circuit lawyer, Lincoln built his

author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand 
team of loyalists. Blumenthal reveals 

returns with a breathtaking novel of 
how Douglas and Jefferson Davis 

love on the eve of World War I that 
acting together made possible Lincoln’s

reaches far beyond the small English 
rise.Blumenthal describes a socially

town in which it is set.East Sussex, 
awkward suitor who had a nervous 

1914. It is the end of England’s brief 
breakdown over his inability to deal

Edwardian summer, and everyone 
with the opposite sex. His marriage to

agrees that the weather has never been 
the upper class Mary Todd was crucial

so beautiful. Hugh Grange, down from 
to his social aspirations and his political

his medical studies, is visiting his Aunt 
career. Blumenthal portrays Mary as an

Agatha, who lives with her husband in 
asset to her husband, a rare woman of 

the small, idyllic coastal town of Rye. 
her day with strong political opinions.

Agatha’s husband works in the Foreign 
Blumenthal’s robust portrayal is based

Office, and she is certain he will ensure 
on prodigious research of Lincoln’s

that the recent saber rattling over the 
record and of the period and its main

Balkans won’t come to anything. And 
players. It reflects both Lincoln’s time

Agatha has more immediate concerns; 
and the struggle that consumes our own

she has just risked her carefully 
political debate.

built reputation by pushing for the 

Hubris: The Tragedy of War in the

appointment of a woman to replace 

TwentiethCentury by Alistair Horne 

the Latin master.When Beatrice Nash 
Sir Alistair Horne has been a close 

arrives with one trunk and several 
observer of war and history for more than fifty yearslarge crates of books, it is clear she is significantly 
and in this wise and masterly work, he revisits sixmore freethinking—and attractive—than anyone 
battles of the past century and examines the strategies,believes a Latin teacher should be. For her part, 
leadership, preparation, and geopolitical goals of mourning the death of her beloved father, who has 
aggressors and defenders to reveal the one trait that linksleft her penniless, Beatrice simply wants to be leftthem all: hubris.In Greek tragedy, hubris is excessivealone to pursue her teaching and writing.But just 
human pride that challenges the gods and ultimatelyas Beatrice comes alive to the beauty of the Sussex 
leads to total destruction of the offender. From the landscape and the colorful characters who populate 
1905 Battle of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War, toRye, the perfect summer is about to end. For despite 
Hitler’s 1941 bid to capture Moscow, to MacArthur’sAgatha’s reassurances, the unimaginable is coming. 
disastrous advance in Korea, to the French downfall Soon the limits of progress, and the old ways, will be 
at Dien Bien Phu, Horne shows how each of these tested as this small Sussex town and its inhabitants 
battles was won or lost due to excessive hubris on go to war. 

All Things Considered By Jeff Brown 

AFTER A LONG A LONG DAY OF 
PHOTOSYNTHESIZING, DO TREES FALL ASLEEP? 

It depends on how you define “sleep,” but trees do relaxcentimeters [4 inches] for trees with a height of about 5their branches at night, which might be a sign of snoozing,meters [16 feet].”
scientists said. It’s unclear if the sun “woke up” the trees or if they relied

In the only reported study to look at tree siestas,on their own internal circadian rhythm, the researchersresearchers set up lasers that measured the movements ofsaid. But “the fact that some branches started returningtwo silver birch trees (Betula pendula) at night. One treeto their daytime position already before sunrise wouldwas in Finland and the other in Austria, and both were suggest this internal circadian clock hypothesis is right,”
monitored from dusk until morning on dry, windlessthe researchers wrote in the study published online on Feb.
nights in September. This was close to the solar equinox,29, 2016, 
when daylight and nighttime are about equal.The famed botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) found thatThe laser scanners used infrared light to illuminateflowers confined to a dark cellar still opened and closed,
different parts of the tree, each for fractions of a second.and naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) noted that theThis provided enough detail to map each tree within nocturnal movement of leaves and stalks on plants lookedminutes, the researchers said. like sleep.

The silver birches’ branches and leaves sagged at night;The tree study didn’t address why the branches and leavesthey reached their lowest position a few hours beforedrooped at night, but it’s likely related to the turgidity, orsunrise, and then perked up again during the wee hours ofthe internal water pressure within the tree, the researchersthe morning, the researchers found.said. 

“Our results show that the whole tree droops during“Plant movement is always closely connected with thenight, which can be seen as position change in leaves andwater balance of individual cells, which is affected by thebranches,” study lead author Eetu Puttonen, a researcheravailability of light through photosynthesis,” said studyat the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute,said in aco-author András Zlinszky, a researcher at the Centre forstatement “The changes are not too large, only up to 10 Ecological Research at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. 


SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS 
Still Parade – “Concrete Vision” 

By Sean Kayden 

Niklas Kramer is a Berlin-based artist who performslayered drumbeats. Keeping in form with the previousunder the moniker, Still Parade. He is set to release his track, “Concrete Vision” displays dream guitars withten-song debut collection known as Concrete Vision.a warm melody. “Let Go” is a sonorous endeavor 
He first hit the scene a few years back with debut singlewith heavenly arrangements. More often than not,
“Actor” and the Fields EP. Both releases were recorded listeners will be reflecting upon their own situationsin well-equipped professional studios with seasonedand circumstances. Still Parade’s debut is cohesive and 
producers. Then, in 2014, his father bought him a tapeinventive. The word that comes to mind to describe it is 
machine and he began experimenting with particularpretty. The soundscapes explored on “7:41” range fromsounds and recording techniques in his Berlinshimmering synths to delicate melodies. The track isapartment. He soon discovered he favored what heanother perky, sugary-psych effort that is abundantlycould accomplish in his small bedroom. How does thischarming. There really isn’t a road Still Parade goestranslate for his debut? The results speak volumes asdown that isn’t worth exploring.
Kramer has crafted a dreamy, lax, and gleaming sound“Morning Light” is a lo-fi, dream-funk, psych-popwith all his beaming synths and drum beats that areexertion that resembles the likes of Unknown Mortal 
linked up to fine exquisite pop melodies. The stunningOrchestra. However, Still Parade is creative enoughrecord is chillwave heaven as it stirs up summer vibesto go beyond carbon copies of other contemporaryand nostalgia. There’s a burst of beauty at every cornerartists. The work here is serene, relaxed, and wistful. 
as you navigate through the record. Concrete VisionIt’s definitely one of the stronger tracks despite everywalks a fine line between being an essential poolsidetrack here being particularly great. “True Love” is aalbum as well as an ethereal bedroom-pop endeavor. lush, painfully gorgeous arranged effort. Clocking

it at over 5 minutes, it has the longest runningArtist: Still Parade time of the ten tunes. However, there is somethingAlbum: Concrete Vision undeniably enchanting here. Arguably so, “TrueLabel: Lefse Records Love” easily could be deemed as Still Parade’sRelease Date: June 10th, 2016 masterpiece. The closing song here is “Reason.”

It reminds me of the band Wild Nothing, which 
Still Parade starts things off with the spacey, two-of course is a great thing to be reminded of. It’sminute track “Seasons.” The lyrics tail off around oneteeming with dream-like beats, gleaming guitars,
minute as we are left a swirling, trance-like gem. Theand Kramer’s delicate lilt. In the end, Concrete 
single, “Walk in the Park,” explodes beautifully asVision is immaculate, breathtaking, and elegant. It’sthe follow-up song. With Kramer’s whispery vocalsconsistent and tight, but isn’t too constrained. Thereand lovely melodies, the atmosphere is a reverie. It’sare some songs that go slightly off the beaten patha wondrous, peaceful effort that has the ability toand others that stay on course, but this isn’t a repeatcarry you home from wherever you may be. Kramerof something else you’ve heard before. While somedelicately recites the lines, “Why don’t we take a walksounds are a familiar, nevertheless, the end is result 
in the park/ There’s nothing like a walk in the park.”has high marks. Concrete Vision is an etherealityIt’s directed to a love one in the attempts to find solacedebut record worth getting immersed into becauseamidst chaotic times because the concept of a simplewhat you get out of it just may surprise you. 
stroll through the park is rather divine. The title track,
“Concrete Vision,” is rich with vibrant synths and well-Grade: 8 out of 10 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com