Romantic Comedies, Election Season Relief, and the Joy of All Kinds of Music

John Rubinstein in Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground | Photo: Courtesy

This edition of ON Culture was originally emailed to subscribers on August 13, 2024. To receive Leslie Dinaberg’s arts newsletter in your inbox on Fridays, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

ON the (Theater) Stage

In the woefully under-stocked political good news department, Ensemble Theatre Company’s twofer presentation of the election-themed Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground and What the Constitution Means to Me are a welcome respite from the national news. John Rubinstein’s portrayal of Eisenhower was nothing short of incredible. I saw his final performance on Sunday night, still exhausted after flying in late Saturday from a newspaper conference in Charleston, South Carolina. I was tempted to skip the play, and I’m so glad I rallied to see this one-man show, which truly was a tour de force for the 77-year-old actor whose stellar Broadway career began back in 1972 with the title role of Pippin, directed by Bob Fosse. That’s some rarified theatrical street cred right there, and the Tony Award winner (for Children of a Lesser God) still has some powerful acting chops in a show that reminds us what democracy used to look like.

Eisenhower ended its run, but we can still look forward to seeing What the Constitution Means to Me August 15-18. A Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award nominee, this show is based on author Heidi Schreck’s experiences and centers around a high school debate competition that dives into the impact of the U.S. Constitution on our lives. Offering a blend of personal introspection and historical context, local students, Nicola Bailey and Grace Wilson (from Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara High, respectively) join the cast as debaters along with Stacy Stoltz, who stars as Heidi, and Paul Fagen as Legionnaire. See etcsb.org for tickets and more info.

You may have missed: Maggie Yates reviewed The Play That Goes Wrong and Legally Blonde: The Musical (which I’m looking forward to seeing tonight).

ON the (Big) Screen

50 First Dates screens Friday as part of A&L’s free summer film series. | Photo: Courtesy

The romantic comedy 50 First Dates is tonight’s (July 19) free movie under the stars at the Courthouse Sunken Garden (part of the UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Sun, Surf and Cinema series). I’m a sucker for anything remotely romantic and funny, and this one — starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler — is a pleasantly Groundhog Day–adjacent tale.

Speaking of romantic comedies (they are my favorite genre, after all), The Daily Beast put together a ranking of modern studio rom-coms, using a completely subjective scale that includes originality, how funny it is, overall entertainment, and chemistry between the two leads, going back to 2010. I didn’t agree with all of their choices, but their number-one pick from that era — Crazy, Stupid, Love — is certainly up there on my list. You can check out the whole story here.

Shortcomings stars Justin H. Min and Sherry Cola. | Photo: Sony Pictures Classics

As for comedy romances (more comedy with some romance), on the plane last weekend I watched Shortcomings — a 2023 film directed by actor Randall Park, starring Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola (who was always so good in the TV show Good Trouble), Ally Maki, and Tavi Gevinson — that reminded me a lot of the ’90s independent film vibe. (It’s about an indie movie theater manager who wants to make films but doesn’t do anything about it and whose stuck-ness and self-centeredness wreaks havoc with his relationships.) I thought it was quite enjoyable, and it’s now streaming on Netflix. See the trailer here.

You may have missed: Josef Woodard interviewed Director Andy Davis, whose Santa Barbara–set film Steal Big Steal Little launches the Granada “Home Moves” series on Saturday. See story here.

ON the Page

The 2024 S.B. Reads book is Romantic Comedy. | Photo: Courtesy

I was so happy to hear that Curtis Sittenfeld’s excellent novel Romantic Comedy was selected as the S.B. Reads 2024 pick. It follows the story of a writer of a late-night Saturday Night Live–ish comedy show who gets involved with one of the big stars she meets at work in a way that defies stereotypes and explores the neurosis-inducing wonder of love, at the same time it undoes traditional, social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age. We actually have a review by David Starkey on our website here, with more library programming to come in the fall.

ON the (Music) Stage

People reportedly camped out for hours for the chance to see Jackson Browne perform on the intimate stage of the Lobero on August 4 (see my story here). Ticket sales were in-person only for this exciting Centennial Celebration Concert to mark the 100th anniversary of the Lobero Theatre’s grand reopening. Originally founded as Jose Lobero’s Opera House in 1873, the Lobero fell into a state of disrepair by 1922. The new building, designed by renowned architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Maria Riggs, was unveiled on August 4, 1924 — so this very special show takes place exactly 100 years later.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy | Photo: Eugenia Bu

Also in the pipeline as part of the Lobero building’s centennial celebration is a free community block party, featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Ozomatli, on Saturday, August 10, 3-7 p.m. Similar to last year’s Chubby Checker party, they will shut down the street in front of the Lobero and have a free show on the theater’s esplanade. Click here for more details.

Some other recent show announcements include UB40 at the Chumash Casino on August 2, A Love Letter to Marvin Gaye at the Granada on August 23, Kacey Musgraves at the Bowl on September 25, Lucinda Williams and her band and Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs at the Arlington on September 28, Andre 3000 at the Arlington on October 4, Clairo at the Bowl on October 7, and Take It to the Limit: An Eagles Tribute at the Lobero on February 11, 2025.

We’ve also got quite a few music stories you don’t want to miss:

I had a very fun interview with Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz from ALO (click here); they’ll perform at the Lobero on July 24 along with Donavon Frankenreiter.

In one of my favorite reviews of the week, Tiana Molony celebrated her birthday and saw the Rolling Stones with her entire family here.

Josef Woodard previewed the Tales from the Tavern series at the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez, which kicks off on July 24 with Paul Thorn (here).

Ahead of his July 21 show at the Bowl, Mark M. Alvarado spoke to Ziggy Marley about Gaza; the biopic about his dad, One Love; spirituality; and a whole lot more.

Josef Woodard reviewed Music Academy of the West’s production of Carmen and a special evening of Phillip Glass’s Piano Etudes here.

Caitlin Scialla has the scoop on CAMA’s upcoming season here.

Lauren Chiou writes about Santa Barbara Chamber Players next season here.

Nataschia Hadley caught Ha Vay on her North American tour here.

Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant gave us a great evening at the Bowl. You can read my review here.

ON the Walls

Josef Woodard reviewed the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Legacy of Giving exhibition, honoring the many gifts (primarily paintings) of the late Lord Paul and Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree to the museum (click here).

Callie Fausey took a walk with artist Thomas Van Stein and curator Emily Falke through the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s current plein air exhibit Coastal Moments.

ON the Calendar

Painting by Kenton Nelson | Photo: courtesy of Caldwell Snyder Gallery

Coast Village Week is back in Montecito August 3-10, with a host of fun activities beginning at noon on August 3 at the Miramar “Rosé Garden,” which sounds like a lovely spot to drink pink, indulge in other treats, and enjoy fun giveaways and surprises throughout the day. The week of festivities also includes exclusive boutique showcases, designer trunk shows, pop-up shops, salon specials, and a $4,500 raffle prize, where you could win an overnight stay at the Rosewood Miramar with dinner, plus additional gift cards and merch from Coast Village merchants. The event also includes a new Art Walk Extravaganza on Thursday, August 8, from 4-7 p.m. with what’s sure to be a lively showcase of art, artists, and designers. Click here for more details.

For a complete calendar of events this week and beyond, visit independent.com/events.