The Best Things To Do In LA And SoCal This Week: Jan. 10 - 13

Watch a virtually staged reading of a new play from The Blank Theatre. Catch a 1970s dystopian classic on the big screen. Laugh along as The Mads riff on vintage shorts. View new art by Glenn Hardy Jr.

With COVID-19 variants rising, many in-person events are being canceled or postponed. Please check ahead of time to confirm event status and vaccine/testing requirements for entry.

Monday, Jan. 10 - Tuesday, Jan. 11

Soylent Green
Alamo Drafthouse
700 W. 7th St., downtown L.A.
The 1973 film directed by Richard Fleischer is set in a dystopian future — the year 2022(!) — in which The Soylent Corporation controls more than half of the world’s food supply. Detective Frank Thorn (Charlton Heston) doesn't trust its new product, Soylent Green, and he sets out to investigate.
COST: $18; MORE INFO

Monday, Jan. 10; 8 p.m.

The Lucky Ones 
Virtual
The Blank Theatre’s Living Room Series presents a reading of a new play by Lia Romeo that examines the complexity of female friendship in a male-dominated society. Directed by Christopher James Raymond, the cast includes Robyn Cohen, Lizzie Peet and Adam J. Smith.
COST: FREE, but suggested donation $15; MORE INFO

Monday, Jan. 10; 7 p.m.

The Perfume Of The Lady In Black
Los Feliz Theatre
1822 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz 
The Cinematic Void cult movie screening series presents the 1974 occult-tinged film directed by Francesco Barilli. A woman suffers from hallucinations and repressed memories of her mother after visiting friends who tell her tales of witchcraft and human sacrifice. She eventually learns that the people in her life have ulterior motives.
COST: $8 - $13; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Jan. 11; 8 p.m.

Nathalie Joachim + Pamela Z
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
The L.A. Phil presents a program of female creative voices that highlight storytelling through music. Grammy-nominated Haitian American vocalist, flutist and composer Joachim teams with American composer, performer and media artist Pamela Z for the world premiere of music they’ve written for the other to perform.
COST: $20 - $63; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Jan. 11; 7:30 p.m.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed
Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum
6067 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
This 1926 German animated film by Lotte Reiniger is considered the oldest surviving animated feature. The hand-crafted work is an epic tale that adapts One Thousand and One Nights, focusing on a wicked sorcerer who tricks Prince Achmed into a fateful journey. There’s a post-screening discussion with Brenda Chapman, Elizabeth Beech, Carla Patullo and Mindy Johnson.
COST: $5 - $10; MORE INFO

The Mads from Mystery Science Theater 3000 return to riff on vintage shorts.

(Courtesy of The Mads)

Tuesday, Jan. 11; 5 p.m.

The Mads: A Night of Shorts 6 — Live Riffing Show
Virtual
Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff (“The Mads” From MST3K) riff on a new compilation of bizarre films, vintage shorts and cartoons in this livestreamed event. There’s a post-show Q&A with The Mads, who will be joined by a surprise guest.
COST: $10; MORE INFO

Thursday, Jan. 13; 7 p.m.

CAAM Cinema: Ailey
California African American Museum
600 State Dr., Exposition Park  
View the new documentary on legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey. The enigmatic dancer and choreographer’s work centered on the Black American experience, and his legacy endures through the works, company and studios bearing his name.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

The new Europop musical ‘Singing Revolution’ is based on true events in 1988, in which a series of concerts and singalongs turned into a large-scale popular political movement.

(Courtesy of estonianworld.com)

Thursday, Jan. 13 - Sunday, Feb. 20

Singing Revolution: The Musical 
Broadwater Theatre Main Stage
6320 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
The world premiere of a new Euro-pop musical focuses on star-crossed lovers during Estonia’s 1987 song-filled, peaceful uprising against the Soviet Union. The book and lyrics are by James Bearhart and Tony Spinosa, who also wrote the music and directed. Previews are Jan. 13 and 14.
COST: $30 - $40; MORE INFO

Charlie James Gallery in Chinatown presents a solo show from artist Glenn Hardy Jr.

(Courtesy of Glenn Hardy Jr., and Charlie James Gallery )

Through Saturday, Feb. 12

Glenn Hardy Jr.: I Remember When ____
Charlie James Gallery
969 Chung King Rd., Chinatown
The gallery presents a solo show from the self-taught, Maryland-based artist. In his new body of work, which references artist Kerry James Marshall, Hardy creates Rockwellian scenes of black figures at play, at work and in portraiture.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

KP Projects presents the collaborative art exhibition, Adia Millett and Alex Asher Daniel: Emergence.

(Courtesy of Adia Millett and Alex Asher Daniel and KP Projects)

Ongoing

Adia Millett & Alex Asher Daniel: Emergence
KP Projects
633 N. La Brea Ave., Suite 104, Fairfax 
Artists Millett and Daniel have created a series of paintings that present the human figure within a celestial abstract space, honoring the connection between the human body and a cosmic realm. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

TV/Streaming Pick

Naomi
The CW’s latest superhero is Naomi, a Black comic book-loving teenager with an affinity for Superman. The show doubles as a coming-of-age story when Naomi discovers her powers and her connection to the Man of Steel. Showrunner Jill Blankenship (Arrow) executive produces alongside Ava DuVernay. Naomi premieres on the CW on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 9 p.m.

Dine and Drink Deals

Check out the 411 on restaurant, bar and food happenings in SoCal this weekend:

• Rori’s Artisanal Creamery offers a black sesame seed ice cream exclusively at its location at the Blossom Market Hall in San Gabriel. The seeds are roasted in honey and made into a smooth paste that’s blended into a sweet cream base. Available through the end of January.
• On Monday, Katianna and John Hong open their Korean American deli and minimart Yangban Society in the heart of the Arts District (712 S. Santa Fe Ave.). The menu is inspired by Korean flavors and California ingredients. Deli offerings include soy and garlic-brined rotisserie chicken, doenjang-roasted mushrooms and bracken fern, avocado with Asian pear and furikake, kimchee and pork belly posole, and black bean jajang bolo rice. There's also an expansive beverage selection.
• The family-owned and operated Charm Thai Kitchen recently opened in Santa Clarita  (26238 Bouquet Canyon Rd.) offering dishes such as Charm Thai Fried Rice (with homemade crispy pork), a Holy Crab BBQ Pork Noodle⁣ and lunch meals that start at $11.95. 
• Pa-Do recently opened in Manhattan Beach (1017 Manhattan Ave.), focusing on traditional dumplings, ramen and bao buns, but also offering eclectic options such as cheesesteak dumplings and a Shishito Paloma cocktail. (h/t Eater LA)
• Detroit-style and Sicilian-style pan pizzas as well as wine and desserts are now available from Quarter Sheets Pizza in Echo Park, Fridays through Sundays. Preorder pizzas beginning at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays or walk up for a slice, some cake or a glass of wine. Dine-in isn't happening yet but there are a few standing tables on the sidewalk.
• If you’re new to plant-based dining or have a friend who is, Veggie Grill has a VG Rookie Day on Tuesday. Each guest who eats at any Veggie Grill with a vegan first timer (a “rookie”) receives a BOGO meal for their friend (in-store only).
• El Pollo Loco introduces several new Dos Locos Salads so you can add a few greens to its LA-Mex comfort foods. Offerings include Cheesy Quesadilla Salad, Chicken Taquito Salad and an Unwrapped Chicken Burrito Salad.
• For Dry January, Seedlip, a nonalcoholic spirit maker, recently released a Seedlip Map for several cities including L.A., allowing you to find places that serve and sell their N/A spirits.
• With COVID cases on the rise, rooftop bars might offer a more comfortable environment for those who need to get out of the house. Caroline Pardilla offers her take on the best rooftop bars i.e. spots where the drinks are as good as the views.