It's Friday night...time to blow off a little steam with these great events: The Squidling Brothers Circus Sideshow comes to North Hollywood; La Luz de Jesus opens its giant juried art show; Judy Garland sings Abba and more in WeHo; NerdMelt takes you in the wayback machine to re-examine Saturday Morning Cartoons; and there's free classical music at Oxy. Read on for all the details! more ›

Actress and comedian Olivia Munn recently took to the Huffington Post to decry the terrible treatment of animals at Ringling Bros. circus. She told the story of Sarah, a sick 54-year-old elephant who collapsed over the summer, but was forced to get back up and board a train rather than receiving medical care. more ›

Wednesday night's protest of Ringling Bros.' new show "Fully Charged" drew a crowd of approximately 100 animal rights activists, including members of PETA, to the Honda Center in Anaheim. The arena also endured a similar afternoon protest yesterday. more ›

On the heels of PETA's Ringling Bros. protest last Wednesday, animal rights activists have planned gatherings today at Anaheim's Honda Center to continue anti-circus rallies. more ›

Lucent Dossier Experience, known around the globe for otherworldly performances, promises a night unlike any brought to you before. This special show on Thursday, July 28, celebrates the 100th birthday and recent renovation of the oldest Orpheum theatre still standing in the country, the historic Downtown Palace Theatre. more ›

PETA's recent protest against Ringling Bros. on Saturday, July 20, led by "The Biggest Loser" trainer Jillian Michaels, drew hundreds of supporters and succeeded in convincing circus-goers of their argument. more ›

With the leadership of exercise guru Jillian Michaels, PETA will champion an organized protest this evening at 6pm. Other animal rights advocacy groups will join forces tonight, including Members of In Defense of Animals, Last Chance for Animals and Animal Defenders International. more ›

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) snoozed through Monday night's moonlight elephant walk in downtown Los Angeles. Fresh off the train, eight Asian elephants arrived in Vernon around midnight, all performers in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, as blogged by the LA Times. more ›

Once he was hosting "The Price is Right" out of CBS studios, and now he's rescuing big cats: the Daily News reports that Bob Barker paid for 29 lions to be airlifted from circuses in Bolivia to the U.S. The transfer came after the lions were seized by Animal Defenders International, headquartered in Los Angeles, in January in accordance with a law outlawing animal use in circuses in Bolivia. more ›

Famous for high production value and seductive charm, Cirque du Soleil's Quidam is currently playing at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. The show follows Zoe, a young, unhappy girl that runs away to an imaginary town of eccentrics where all of the residents, coincidentally, just so happen to have circus skills. more ›

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, for a night of striking artwork and bizarre attractions. Afraid of clowns? Do stay at home. They’ll be ever-present, hanging from the walls and possibly greeting you in person. Rothick Art Haus in Anaheim is hosting featured artist Michael White’s circus-themed group show, Behind the Striped Curtain tonight (Feb. 12), from 7-11 pm. Want to know what exists behind the curtain? Keep reading. more ›

Traces—playing now at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood—is being billed as a circus. It is and it isn’t. There are no clowns or goth fire eaters, but no matter what you call it, Traces is brilliant and fun in its simplicity. The French Canadian Company Les 7 doigts de la main (7 Fingers) brings a mix of theatrics, projections, parkour, acrobatics and sports to the stage in their first show in LA. more ›

The Daily Show's Olivia Munn joined around 100 protestors Wednesday night to bring attention to the treatment of elephants at the circus, specifically Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey, which is performing in downtown Los Angeles through Sunday. more ›

Former G4 geek vixen and current Daily Show correspondent Olivia Munn (LAist Interview) is no fan of Ringling Brothers, which is in town this week. She even got nude for a billboard earlier this year to bring attention to the circus' apparent abuse of animals. Now that they're at the Staples Center, she's organizing a protest. "BOYCOTT Ringling Bros tonight at 630pm with me at Staples Center. If u have the time, it would be great to have you with me," she tweeted this afternoon. She also linked to a website called Ringling Bros. Beats Animals: The Saddest Show on Earth. more ›

To protest the arrival of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus in Orange County PETA's Meggan Anderson stripped down and donned shackles to stage a protest, according to the OC Weekly. Said Anderson: "I'm here to expose what the circus is so desperate to hide from the public. These animals have been beaten and deprived of their precious freedom for a lifetime of cheap tricks." The circus begins at the end of the month at the Honda Center, and other protests are slated for July 28, 31, and August 1 there. A protest, dubbed "The Greatest Protest on Earth" is planned for L.A. this Wednesday, July 14th at 5 p.m., to mark the arrival of the circus to the Staples Center. more ›

After watching PETA's online video showing "undercover footage of Ringling Bros. trainers as they beat elephants with sharp metal bullhooks," G4 Host and geektress-hearthrob Olivia Munn (LAist Interview) decided to get involved to bring attention to the issue, according to the LA Weekly. more ›

Ladies and gentleman, children of all ages! Introducing the March Fourth Marching Band, in town for a limited engagement. Tonight they will be performing their amazing feats at Molly Malones, and Tuesday night they will be bringing the extravaganza to the Edison. Both shows begin at 9pm. On a mini-tour from their home town of Portland, they won't be here long. This may be your only chance to see them unless you are braving Burning Man. more ›

Last month, local art-rockers Fol Chen dropped by KCRW in Santa Monica for an in-studio performance and interview on hosted by Jason Bentley. more ›

Before they set up in Santa Monica for a few months this Fall and then in Hollywood for 10 years, Cirque du Soleil performers from a handful of Vegas shows spent the afternoon on Sunday enduring the heat and The Grove's crowds. more ›

From the minute one steps foot inside the Los Angeles State Historic Park, the site of Cirque Berzerk, no minute is left unstimulated. A small crew outfitted in pirate-like burlesque circus costumes greets entering cars. As you walk toward the entrance, distracted by the LA skyline that unfolds ahead, a burst of intense heat startles you and you instantly jump back 5-feet. It's easy to miss the enormous torch towering above; that is until it lets out this fire-breathing roar. Just when it seems like a good time to ask yourself "What the hell is going on?" a giant pale faced 'clown' on stilts drunkenly stumbles your way, looks down at you for a second and keeps going. And at intermission, the 1930's brass band, Vaud and the Villains, put on a show with so much energy, it's not only worth the price of admission, but they leave you tempted to hop on the next flight to New Orleans. One might imagine this is how David Berrent, Cirque Berzerk's executive producer and managing partner, felt when he attended the wedding of Cirque Berzerk's founder's Suzanne Bernel and Kevin Bourque prompting him to "quit his day job" as a TV-producer, and put everything into developing the current show, Beneath. more ›

Staples Center is used to hosting a media circus, but sometimes they get the real thing. A few weeks after the Lakers parade came an elephant parade, which happened to be a few hours before Michael Jackson's memorial service. The pachyderms have been there ever since and will be entertaining Southland crowds until August 2 as part of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. more ›

He may have been the King of Pop, and his public memorial service at Staples Center an unprecedented spectacle featuring live tributes from Motown stars, pro athletes, and celebs, but a set of parading pachyderms aren't on the guest list. more ›

The circus is coming to Orange County soon, but not before a show of a whole other kind hits town, which is due to take place midday tomorrow in the heart of Anaheim. The show is actually a protest organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who will express their displeasure about what they believe is the unethical treatment of circus animals by "having one of its members, 32-year-old Melissa Sehgal, pushed through downtown Anaheim in a cage, nearly nude except for tiger-stripe body paint," according to the OC Register. more ›

The circus is in town!! Don't miss this sexy, beautiful, and mesmerizing circus in the heart of Los Angeles. more ›

Last night Cirque Berzerk opened their big top flaps to an enthusiastic crowd. Lucky for us, they invited LAist to check out what is happening behind the scenes when they are getting ready to perform in their huge new tent. Cirque Berzerk is running through July 5th downtown at Los Angeles State Historic Park. more ›

Cirque Berzerk's extended run at the Big Top in the park opened last night to ooh's and ahh's from the 1,750 circus-goers in attendance. more ›

If you've been by Los Angeles State Historic Park in the past week, you've likely noticed a gigantic red-and-white-striped big top tent. Perhaps you wondered why a tent would be necessary in LA, the stationary circus town in which you live. more ›

CIRCUS TO THE MAXIMUS*: FOCUSfish Flying Circus returns to the Ford Amphitheatre tonight and tomorrow for an evening of circus thrills, set to a story inspired by Hurricane Katrina. “GUSH-E.D: The Extra Dimension” features Cirque du Soleil veteran Eric Newton, Australian ballet and aerial tissu artist Rachel Bowman, breakout aerial duo Cohdi Harrell and Laura Stokes from New Mexico, the Colorado-based rock band Storytyme, the singular clown Mr. Robb from New York, the local Machina Candeo Fire Performance Company, and Two Men with Three Balls. Show starts at 8 pm. more ›

Cirque Berzerk, the LA-based, all-volunteer, DIY fire-dancing, contortionist, aerial daredevil, burlesque cabaret, clown troupe debuted its new show "Beneath" at Los Angeles State Historic Park last weekend. more ›