The Best Things To Do In Southern California This Week: June 1 - 3

Explore the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre through short plays and a panel discussion. Take the L.A. Rivers Challenge and ride, walk or run L.A.'s historic waterways. Kick off Pride month at Rainbowthon. Check out Yoshitomo Nara's solo exhibition at LACMA. Nosh on donuts, pie, Michoacan-style carnitas and vegan-friendly thali.

The Hammer Museum presents the program, "The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: A Historical Context."

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Courtesy of the Hammer Museum

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Tuesday, June 1; 5 p.m. PT

The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: A Historical Context
On the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, professor Brenda E. Stevenson moderates an online discussion with authors and historians Karlos K. Hill and Hannibal Johnson. The conversation will cover Black migration to Oklahoma, Jim Crow laws and the impact of the Greenwood Massacre. Presented by the Hammer Museum.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Tuesday, June 1

New Beverly Reopens
New Beverly Cinema
7165 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax
Quentin Tarantino’s theater returns to screen films in 35mm. The initial schedule includes titles Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pulp Fiction, Kung Fu’s Hero, The Young Dragon and Cinema Paradiso. Tickets are going fast.
COST: $12; MORE INFO

Tuesday, June 1; 1 p.m. PDT

Black Wall Street Festival
L.A.’s Robey Theatre Company teams with the New York-based companies Shades of Truth and Voza Rivers/New Heritage to present a virtual festival of three plays that commemorate the centennial of the Black Wall Street Massacre. During the two-day event, which ended on June 1, 1921, white mobs attacked the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was then the wealthiest Black community in the United States. The massacre killed 39 people, hospitalized another 800, destroyed 35 square blocks and left 10,000 Black residents homeless. The festival debuts June 1 on the Queens Public Library Webex Streaming Platform. The event includes a talkback with directors and performers.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition holds a virtual challenge along the LA River during the month of June.

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Umberto Brayj

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Flickr

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Tuesday, June 1

L.A. Rivers Challenge
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition holds a virtual challenge inviting you to ride, walk or run L.A.’s historic waterways any time in June. Last year was supposed to be the 20th anniversary of LACBC’s River Ride, so they’re making up for it by inviting people to 30 days of activities along the river. Set your own mileage goal and get moving. Proceeds from the challenge support LACBC.
COST: $40 registration; MORE INFO

Tuesday, June 1 - Tuesday, Aug. 31

Outdoor Programs for Kids and Teens
Various LA County Library Branches
The L.A. County Library hosts live performances and arts and crafts at select branches this summer, Mondays through Fridays. The preschool programs for ages 3 to 5 (and parents/caregivers) take place from 11 to 11:30 a.m., while the afternoons are reserved for youth ages 6 to 17. Check online to see which branches are participating. Due to capacity limits, advance registration is required for programs.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard honor veterans killed in the attacks on September 11 at the memorial at Ground Zero on Veterans Day on November 11, 2020 in New York City.

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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Getty Images North America

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Tuesday, June 1 and Thursday, June 3

Zócalo Public Square Events
The idea incubator presents two online events this week. On Tuesday at 9 a.m., Zócalo hosts a discussion with U.S. army veteran Steve Miska, author of Baghdad Underground Railroad, in the program "What Does America Owe To Veterans Of Its 21st-Century Wars?" On Thursday at 6 p.m., the program is centered around the question, "How Do Artists See the Next L.A.?," with panelists L.A. Commons CEO Karen Mack, artist and designer Rosten Woo and artist and founding director of Los Angeles Poverty Department John Malpede.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Musician Sinead O'Connor performs at the Highline Ballroom on February 23, 2012 in New York City.

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Jason Kempin/Getty Images

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Getty Images North America

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Wednesday, June 2; 1 p.m.

Rememberings: Sinéad O'Connor in conversation with Kurt Loder
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor discusses her new memoir, which covers her abusive childhood, her music and her activism. She chats with journalist and former MTV veejay Kurt Loder. This is a book-bundled event, so ticket purchase is required to attend. Any proceeds from sales will benefit the Los Angeles Public Library.
COST: $34 - $37; MORE INFO

Thursday, June 3; 6 p.m.

Frankie Grande's Rainbowthon
For the second year in a row, dancer, performer and influencer Frankie Grande hosts a two-hour concert to benefit programs at the Los Angeles LGBT Center that've been impacted by the pandemic. The night features performances and appearances by JoJo Siwa, Jewel, Alexandra Billings, MacDoesIt, Chaunté Wayans, Gizzle, Jasmine Davis, Shoshana Bean, Alyson Stoner, Laith Ashley, Rayvon Owen, R.K. Russell and Corey O’Brien, Kenton Chen and Shea Diamond. The concert will be streamed live via the LGBT Center’s social media platforms.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

John Battagliese and Gabriela Carrillo star in the virtual production of "The Last Five Years."

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Jessie Vacchiano

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Thursday, June 3 - Sunday, June 20

The Last Five Years
International City Theatre presents on-demand screenings of an intimate, powerful musical by Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown. Directed by Jamie Torcellini and starring John Battagliese and Gabriela Carrillo, the play deconstructs a five-year love affair. The show is available to watch Thursdays through Sundays.
COST: $35 per household; MORE INFO

Watch a rare teleplay from Rod Serling, screened by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

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UCLA Film and Television Archive.

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Thursday, June 3; 4 p.m.

Rod Serling: “It’s Mental Work”
Best known for creating The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling won his sixth Emmy for adapting John O’ Hara’s short story “It's Mental Work.” The teleplay first aired in 1963 as an installment of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre in 1963. The drama features Lee J. Cobb, Gena Rowlands, Harry Guardino and former boxing champion Archie Moore. UCLA’s Film and TV Archive presents a one-time live screening followed by a discussion with Anne Serling, author of As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling, and television archivist Mark Quigley.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Thursday, June 3; 6:30 p.m.

FilmWeek & Chill: Airplane!
You surely don’t want to miss this online discussion about the 1980 comedy classic. KPCC host Larry Mantle is joined by FilmWeek critics Tim Cogshell and Christy Lemire and filmmakers Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker for a look back at the slapstick comedy that parodied the 1957 disaster flick Zero Hour!
COST: Pay-what-you-want, FREE - $20; MORE INFO

Thursdays through June 17

2021 Muck Jazz Festival
The Muckenthaler Cultural Center
1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton
This week, The Muck presents music by Grammy-winning jazz pianist Bill Cunliffe, featuring Kye Palmer, Brian Scanlon, Jeff Ellwood, Mark Ferber and Francisco Torres as they reimagine Oliver Nelson’s classic album Blues and the Abstract Truth, Take 2.
COST: $35 per person; MORE INFO

The Yoshitomo Nara exhibition at LACMA remains on view through the month of June.

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Photo by Keizo Kioku, courtesy of the artist

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Through Monday, July 5

Yoshitomo Nara
LACMA - BCAM, Level 2
5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
There’s about a month left to view LACMA’s exhibition of works by one of Japan’s most beloved artists — in person. Yoshitimo Nara's portraits of children and animals have been shown in nearly 40 solo exhibitions since 1984. The LACMA show spans the years between 1987 and 2020 through the lens of music. One of the main highlights is Miss Forest, a 26-foot outdoor painted bronze sculpture that can be found on Wilshire Boulevard. All visitors must purchase or reserve a timed-entry ticket in advance. Tickets cannot be purchased onsite.
COST: FREE - $20; MORE INFO

Echo Park Lake recently reopened to the public.

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Adoramassey

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licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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Ongoing

Echo Park Lake Reopens
The lake reopened to the public last week with a fence around the perimeter, new gates, security cameras and a private security firm patrolling the area. Echo Park Lake is officially open from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

TV/Streaming Pick

Desert in
The Boston Lyric Opera presents a new miniseries on its Opera Box TV service that tells the story of a married female couple running a mysterious motor lodge where guests pay to be reunited with lost loves. The longform music video and supernatural love story is propelled by new music from a number of composers including Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Reid, who co-created the series with playwright Christopher Oscar Peña and director James Darrah.
COST: $50 - $99 subscription; MORE INFO

During Pride Month, the Pie Hole teams with LA’s LGBT Center to offer "pie holes" that benefit the Center’s Culinary Arts program.

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Courtesy of the Pie Hole

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Dine and Drink Deals

• Verve Coffee Roasters celebrates Pride Month by partnering with the It Gets Better Project. Starting on June 1, every Verve cafe in California offers a Cascara Spritz with a portion of proceeds going to the nonprofit. The cafes will also have “Love is Love” bandanas and Pride stickers to give away to customers.
• During Pride Month, Liberation Coffee House (at L.A.’s LGBT Center) sells The Pie Hole’s signature “Pie Holes,” round bites of pie crust filled with sweet or savory flavors and adorned with Pride Flags. Proceeds benefit the center’s Culinary Arts program.
• For two nights only, chefs Stacy Bareng of Tagalog Takeover and Jordan Andino of Flip Sigi create a communal prix fixe meal melding their respective cooking styles. The first night of Filipino Kamayan Pop-Up, Summer Social Club at Employees Only L.A. is sold out but tickets for Thursday, June 3 are still available via Resy ($60 per person).

• During the month of June, Randy’s Donuts is making Pride Flag Donuts ($2.85-$2.95/ea) drizzled with rainbow frosting. You can also snag rainbow socks, t-shirts and baseball caps at all locations. Proceeds benefit local LGBTQ+ centers in each area.
• The takeout/delivery eatery Jungli, which runs its ghost kitchen out of Crafted Kitchen in DTLA, launches a vegan-friendly thali lunch plate on Tuesday, June 1. It's available Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Proceeds will support COVID-relief efforts throughout India and South Asia. Jungli plans to open its permanent space later this year.
• Carnitas el Artista, specializing in Michoacan-style carnitas and menudo, is scheduled to open on Tuesday, June 1 in Inglewood (510 N. La Brea).
• Snooze An A.M. Eatery’s new location in Laguna Niguel opens to the public on Wednesday, June 2. The growing chain specializes in breakfast.
• Jennifer Yee’s Bakers Bench will open at Far East Plaza in Chinatown on June 4, featuring vegan viennoiserie i.e. croissants made sans butter. (h/t Eater LA)