Author: Steven Lieberman

LOS ANGELES-The past few seasons, the Clippers had bad luck in the playoffs due to injuries to superstars Blake Griffin and Chris Paul.  This season, the dynamic duo are both healthy and still the Clippers lost the first game of the first round of the playoffs to the Jazz 97-95, but bounced back to win the second game 99-91, both at Staples Center. The Jazz were fortunate to somewhat steal home-court advantage away from the Clippers by splitting the first two games. When Jazz starting center Rudy Gobert got injured on the first play of the first game, this gave…

LOS ANGELES-Any musical production that has the name Stephen Sondheim attached to it is usually a quality product, and that’s just what Tony-Award-winning Into the Woods was on opening night at the Ahmanson Theatre. With music and lyrics by Sondheim and book by James Lapine, the Fiasco Theater Company put an interesting stamp on this performance.  They reinterpreted it with imagination and joy and made the familiar new again. They’re characters everyone knows from fairy tales: Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Jack and the Beanstalk.  It’s a musical mash-up of these tales woven together in unexpected ways.  Complications…

LOS ANGELES-Dodgers pitching ace and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw took the mound on his seventh consecutive Opening Day start and allowed two runs on just two hits in seven innings while striking out eight and collected his first win of the 2017 season, beating the Padres 14-3 in front of a sellout crowd of 53,701 at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw has now gone 5-0 in his seven Opening Day starts. He also was productive at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs scored and one walk. Former Dodger pitcher and living legend Sandy Koufax, sitting in the first…

After Bradley Klahn disposed of former champion and sixth seed Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-2 in the first semifinal at the $25,000 USTA Men’s Pro Tennis Championships of Calabasas, it was first seed Mackenzie McDonald’s chance to play opponent and fourth seed Sebastian Fanselow to reach the finals. Lucky for Fanselow, McDonald had to default due to illness and Fanselow cruised into the final and beat Klahn, a wild card entry, 6-3, 6-2. Whether it was his serving, baseline attack or return game, Fanselow of Germany could do little wrong during Sunday’s championship match. The 25-year-old, a former standout at Pepperdine…

When Los Angeles Kings superstar goalie Jonathan Quick was injured in their 50th anniversary season opener against the Sharks in San Jose on last October, all hope seemed to be lost.  But the Kings, resilient as they usually are under head coach Darryl Sutter, have managed to keep the ship afloat.  Ranked No. 7 in the NHL Western Conference with a record of 17-3-3, the Kings never say die. Quick suffered a groin injury while stretching to make a save and, at the time, his status was described as week-to-week, but he is still on the shelf and not expected…

Singer, songwriter, composer, pianist and living legend, Neil Sedaka, will bring his famous catalogue of music to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on January 14 on his exclusive 12-city concert tour.  Sedaka, 77, will be singing all of his big hits, which include “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen,” “Calendar Girl,” “Laughter in the Rain,” “Solitaire,” “Love Will Keep Us Together (also a No. 1 hit for Captain & Tennille),” and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” among many others. When Sedaka was not recording his own songs, he and his writing partner, lyricist Howard Greenfield, were writing for other performers,…

Internationally-famous singer/songwriter Paul Anka will need no introduction when he takes the stage at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on December 10 and 11 to sing all of his hits and holiday favorites. In 1957, when Anka was a 16 year old teenager, his first number one hit, “Diana,” made him a star.  Soon after, he hopped on the “Cavalcade of Stars” bus with top names of the day in the era of segregation, performing at the Copa Cabana, the youngest entertainer ever to do so, and honing his craft surrounded by the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy…

ONTARIO, CA-There was an invasion of blue people at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California recently.  No, it wasn’t the Blue Man Group, but the talented performers of Cirque du Soleil and their production of Toruk: The First Flight, an idea taken from James Cameron’s film, Avatar. The show is set 3,000 years before the events in Avatar and begins with the Na’vi Storyteller (narrator) capably played by actor Raymond O’neill.  In his sterling bass voice that was one of the highlights of the production and heard throughout, he explained the legend which involves a volcanic disaster that threatens…

Internationally acclaimed Basiani, the state ensemble of Georgian folk singing, made an appearance as part of the Global Series at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica much to the delight of lovers of traditional Georgian polyphony choral music.  It was their Westside debut. It was a melodic evening of creative folk songs and traditional hymns led by artistic director George Donadze and director Zurab Tskrialashvili, also members of the 12-men chorus. This 16 year old ensemble was created under the blessing of his holiness and Beatutude llia II, Catholicos-Partriarch of all Georgia to perform and promote Georgian Traditional Polyphony at…

Former Doobie Brothers frontman, Michael McDonald, came out on stage at Downey Civic Theatre and the first thing he did was talk about peace, honoring our soldiers, and encouraging everybody in the audience to vote. Then he said that the first song of his performance would be one of his favorite, “Peace.”  “My soul renewed, and my spirit free, in you I’ll find peace.”  Obviously, he was in a very spiritual and patriotic mood.  He made a great connection with the audience and set the tone for an uplifting show. McDonald, on piano the entire concert, as usual, was also…

BEVERLY HILLS, CA-It was “Taxi Driver” meets “Goodfellas” meets “Casino” meets “The Wolf of Wall Street.” “For The Record: Scorsese, American Crime Requiem” premiered at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.  A combination cabaret, rock concert, drama, nightclub, Vegas showroom, and musical that showcased Martin Scorsese’s silver screen hits. It explored over 40 years of his storytelling and stars an eclectic mix of artists from the worlds of music, stage and screen performing an epic setlist. The performance marries classic scenes from each film with the songs from the soundtracks, some with a Broadway slant. …

LOS ANGELES-Jazz guitar virtuoso and living legend, Pat Metheny, was the chosen one to kick-off the 2016-17 season for the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA’s acoustically-sound Royce Hall on Thursday. He was welcomed with cheers, clapping, and ear-piercing whistles from all of his adoring fans. As an opener, Metheny strolled out on stage, sat down in a chair, and treated the audience to a sweet solo piece on his unique, multi-necked Pikasso guitar built by Canadian master luthier Linda Manzer. The name Pikasso derives from its likeness in appearance to the cubist works of Pablo Picasso.  The instrument…

LOS ANGELES-There was excitement brewing at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night.  No, it wasn’t Dodgers pitching ace Clayton Kershaw throwing a no-hitter. It was Beyonce and her “Formation World Tour” hitting a two-hour home-run on the concert stage set up in center field. The Queen B made a return visit to Los Angeles on the second leg of her tour.  She appeared at the Rose Bowl in May. She had her exotic female dancers in tow, along with a lively band, that kept the audience members on their feet throughout the entire show. Beyonce’s vocal chops were in solid form as she…

SANTA MONICA, CA-When Gordon Waller passed away seven years ago, his long-time partner Peter Asher decided to carry the torch for the British duo that were famously known as “Peter & Gordon.” On Saturday at McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, Asher teamed-up with fellow Brit and also famous guitarist and vocalist, Albert Lee, for a special acoustic performance and conversation. Also appearing was “Sweet Baby” James Taylor’s sister Kate, who played a set and most adequately warmed things up for Asher and Lee. When Asher was A & R director for the Beatles’ Apple Records, he became a legend as…