As surprising as it is, Michael Jackson didn't leave his hand and footprints outside the Grauman's Chinese Theater before he died. So yesterday, his children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, took his old shoes and a sequined glove an left prints in his honor, reports CNN. more ›

What's going on lately in the L.A food scene? Chew on this: A famous red-headed chef is doing a special lunch by the shore soon, there's a new head chef in the kitchen at Cliff's Edge, and all hope is not lost for those who didn't score seats at LudoBites 8.0, plus more food news. 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 ›

Fans of Michael Jackson, and French-Canadian acrobatics, rejoice! Cirque du Soleil and executors for the estate of the late King of Pop have inked a deal for two upcoming shows, according to TMZ. The first show will be a traveling show employing Jackson's songs and an emphasis on dancing, slated to debut in the fall of 2011, with a stop planned for LA's Staples Center, which also served as the venue for Jackson's massive memorial service last year. Las Vegas will be home to a "theme-park-like show" starting n 2012, which is described in its current conceptual stage as being "far more theatrical with emphasis on technology and 3D." Cirque du Soleil and the Jackson estate will equally split both costs and profits; it is expected they will generate a great deal of revenue. more ›

You know the feeling: It's when your stomach lands in your mouth at the apex of a rollercoaster. Watching the two guys work the “Wheel of Death” at Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza in Santa Monica on Thursday night elicited the same exact sensation. more ›

CIRQUE Cirque du Soleil’s latest show Kooza camps out under the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (big top) at the Santa Monica Pier through Nov. 29. Kooza tells the story of The Innocent, a sad loner searching of his place in the world. The show combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.Tickets are $60-$135 depending on time and day of performance. more ›

A Metro station. Councilman Garcetti's office. The gateway to Thai Town. New development. The Hollywood & Highland ownership, The CIM Group's involvement (they were just given a princely loan from The City for another project too.) The Hollywood Boulevard and Western Ave intersection had a lot of puzzle pieces in place for it to be called a neighborhood on the rise. Not only has the rise ceased, but it's in an obvious tailspin. More on The Battle for Hollywood & Western over at Curbed. 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 ›

A $30 million dollar loan to help bring Cirque Du Soleil to Hollywood passed out of a city committee this morning and will likely be approved by the City Council next week. Kodak Theatre owners, the CIM Group, need to make adjustments to the space to allow for the troupe to be able to work there (think technical improvements that let actors fly across the theatre, etc). Although Councilman Dennis Zine was initially opposed to spending the money because he'd rather see it spread throughout the city, he eventually said he would vote yes next week when the type of loan and transaction process was clarified. The money comes from a $357 million pot granted by the federal government so Los Angeles can strictly act as a broker for redevelopment projects. The money will be paid back by the developer directly to the feds and Los Angeles will earn $450,000 in profit from a 1.5% brokers fee of sorts. The proposal will be voted on next Tuesday by the full City Council. If it passes, expect to see Cirque at its newest permanent space in 2011. more ›

World-renown acrobatic entertainers Cirque du Soleil have been dangling a 2011 permanent stay here in Los Angeles for several months now. Talks to have the troupe set up their act at Hollywood & Highland's Kodak Theatre for a ten-year residency at the venue have been in the works for sometime, but now it falls to the City Council to decide if Los Angeles can afford to have them here, according to the Daily News. more ›

The French-Canadian troupe may not have a permanent show in Los Angeles yet (we're just a few years away from them taking over the Kodak theatre for a 10 year contract), but this Sunday Cirque Du Soleil performers from all six Las Vegas shows will be on stage at the Grove throughout Sunday afternoon. Expect to see portions from Mystere, O, Zumanity, Ka and Love. The free show goes on from noon to 5 p.m. in the main courtyard area near the movie theatres. A stage will be placed over the fountain. more ›

For the second time this summer, traveling troupe Cirque Berzerk has extended their run, this time through the end of August. This just confirms to us that Los Angeles is indeed ready for permanent high quality acts. Soon Cirque du Soleil will be arriving for a 10 year show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, but what else? Can this city support a Blue Man Group theatre? Would it go on the revived Broadway? Can we give Vegas a little run for their money? Let's hope so, L.A. more ›

While we await Cirque du Soleil's arrival to Hollywood & Highland, the group is heading to Santa Monica and Orange County beginning in October. First on the Santa Monica pier, where it's been 10 years since the group brought its Grand Chapiteau (big top), and then to the Orange County Great Park in Irvine in January. “Cirque du Soleil brings a global distinction to the Great Park," said City of Irvine Mayor and Great Park Director Sukhee Kang. "As we unveil each new component of this great metropolitan park, we feel that we are moving closer and closer to our vision as an unforgettable destination for visitors from all over the world. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Cirque.” Tickets go on sale via their website on June 15 for Cirque Club members and the general public the day after. more ›

It was with great hope that I began my search for an aerial arts class here in L.A. more ›

Today, Councilman Eric Garcetti delivered the annual State of Hollwood address at an event organized by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. He dedicated the address to Johnny Grant, who passed away earlier this month, and spoke about what makes a great neighborhood, at-risk youth tragedies and all that has been great and to be great for Hollywood. Here are excerpts from the address (please excuse the capitalization):

TO DATE, THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES HAS USED $700 MILLION IN PUBLIC MONEY TO ATTRACT $5.5 BILLION DOLLARS IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT. more ›

Phew! Today, be thankful this is not you. Apparently, Arnold Schwarzenegger said this at one point: "I love Thanksgiving turkey... it's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts." Parking in Beverly Hills is now a little better, just in time for Holiday shopping. Four parking structures will double their free parking from one to two hours. Residents, merchants and New York City retailers are rejoicing. 167 people in Riverside County... more ›

No one likes the stigma of saying they live in Van Nuys, so they chip away making their own new neighborhoods. To that, Councilman Tony Cardenas, who we admittedly give a hard time to on this site, said something that is right on target about this so called community pride: "If I had that many people show up to a community cleanup or an anti-prostitution night out it would do much more than changing... more ›

With reports of The King of Pop's financial troubles continuing to moonwalk all over the press, it's hard to feel sorry for the middle aged superstar, considering he hasn't really seemed to try to work out his issues - literally. You'd think a guy like Michael Jackson could do a few concerts and collect the $212,963 that's reportedly outstanding on his $23,212,963 mortgage on his sprawling ranch north of Santa Barbara. This summer Pollstar... more ›

From Mystere, which can be seen at Treasure Island in Las Vegas more ›

Trey Anastasio - Bar 17 (Red Ink) Beck - The Information (Geffen) Lindsey Buckingham - Under the Skin (Warner Bros.) Cirque Du Soleil - Corteo (Cirque Du Soleil) Dears - Gang of Losers (Arts & Crafts) Decemberists - The Crane Wife (Capitol) Plácido Domingo - Moments of Passion (Sony Classical) Don't Die Cindy - Most Imperfect Skies (Cake) Evanescence - The Open Door (Wind-Up) Goldenboy - Underneath the Radio (Eenie Meenie) Robyn Hitchcock &... more ›

Cirque de Soleil is holding court at Staples Center for a limited run, and LAist had a chance Thursday night to catch a sneak preview its latest music-dance-acrobatic-video show “Delirium.” According to the Cirque du Soleil website: DELIRIUM is the quest for balance in a world that is increasingly out of sync with reality. It pushes the limit of arena performance through technical magnitude, human introspection and creative prowess. Basically, the self-billed "live music... more ›