Coast2Coast

Pageant Play Auditions, A Gala Benefit & More

LOS ANGELES: The Latino Theater Company is looking for community cast members to be in its holiday pageant play, La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin, which will be performed on December 4^th and 5^th at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Los Angeles.

 

The company is looking for children, youth, adults and seniors to be part of this Los Angeles tradition.  Adults and children (ages 5 and up) who would like to have a spiritually uplifting experience are encouraged to join the production.  Participants will have to commit to attending several rehearsals (beginning Nov. 15), provide their own costume and learn the songs.  The children will have to learn the songs and one dance number.  Some children may be asked to be part of the play at The New LATC on December 11, 12, 13, and 14.

 

Those interested in being in the play should show up for the first rehearsal on Saturday, November 15 at 1 p.m. that will be held at The New LATC, 514 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

 

Now, in its 7th year, this beautiful play, performed in Spanish with music and dance, re-tells the story of the apparition of the Virgin Mary to the Indian peasant Juan Diego in the hills of Tepeyac. Because of its universal message of faith, love and perseverance, the pageant appeals to many people, regardless of race, language or religion.  

 

Renowned Mezzo Soprano Suzanna Guzman will sing the title role of La Virgen and LTC member Sal Lopez plays Juan Diego. Professional musicians, Aztec dancers and a large community ensemble of children, youth and seniors complete the cast.

LOS ANGELES: BIENESTAR Human Services, Inc. was the beneficiary of a star-studded event held recently in Los Angeles.  The event featuring a gala fashion show united music and film celebrities, politicians and Latino leaders to raise funds for BIENESTAR's programs benefiting Latinos living with HIV/AIDS in Southern California.

 

The 2008 edition of Latin Factory 5: Evening in Red showcased exclusive collections from some of the most talented up-and-coming Latino designers, as well as renowned names of the high fashion world. Among the participants were Andrew Christian, Octavio Carlin, Tony Iniguez, Alexis "Bong" Monsanto, Java Jean Bar, Husam Salman, Stop Staring and Timoteo.  

 

All fashion models, disc jockeys, hair and makeup artistry, set design, and video production were donated by a pool of industry professionals who believe in the work and mission of BIENESTAR.

 

BIENESTAR Human Services, Inc. is a community-based non-profit, service and advocacy organization providing social services, health prevention and education targeting Latino men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. Bienestar is committed to enhancing the health and well being of the Latino community and other underserved communities. See www.bienestar.org for more information.

 

WASHINGTON, DC: A new television series from Wildheart Entertainment, On Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, that is scheduled to air nationally on PBS in the fall of 2010, will be available in a multi-pronged project expected to include a companion CD box-set and branded CD series, 12-hour DVD/home video series, accompanying books, a multi-genre worldwide radio show and broadcasting through internet portals globally.

 The series’ educational outreach will provide teachers with a curriculum guide and source materials to help students discover or reconnect with their history and culture through the universal language of music.

 Legendary producer of the Beatles, Sir George Martin will host the eight-hour series narrated by two-time Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey.  What makes the series so inviting is that it features hundreds of artists from all genres of music as it traces the history of recorded music and its impact on popular culture.

 Sir George Martin, a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, has produced more than 50 number-one hit records, and his enthusiasm about hosting the series is reflected in his praise of many of the artists and their music, which he describes as “the only common thread and universal language that binds us together, regardless of race, nationality, age or income,” adding that “recorded music is how we experience it and what makes it accessible.”

 Spacey’s excitement of being part of this extraordinary project is that On Record illustrates how in a little more than a century recording technology has moved from wax cylinders to digital downloads.  These extraordinary changes have come to define not only music, but who we are as individuals and as a society.”

 The series will feature artists from all genres of music including pop, jazz, classical, R&B, folk, rock and country.  On Record will consist of new interviews with top music icons and legends, historic archival performances and never before seen footage exclusive to the series.

 Among artists featured are the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Benny Goodman, Quincy Jones, Elton John, B.B. King, Alison Krauss, Paul McCartney, Les Paul, Paul Simon, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, the Carter Family, Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti, John Denver, Buddy Holly, Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald and scores of others.

 On Record has been in development by Wildheart executives Maxim Langstaff and Michele Langstaff with Sir George Martin for more than five years.  Both have been working with Sir George for more than a decade in conjunction with the successful Making of Sergeant Peppermulti-media events and both will serve as creators and executive producers of On Record. 

 Also serving as executive producer for the series is Phil Quartararo, former president of EMI Music Marketing, founding president and CEO, Virgin Records and president of Warner Music.  Emmy Award-winning Alan Benson (BBC, Walt Disney) is the series director.

 

HIV/AIDS CRISIS & MORE

SACRAMENTO - Alarming new data from BIENESTAR, one of California’s largest Latino HIV/AIDS service organization, reveals a spiraling crystal meth crisis among Latino men and surprising numbers of day laborers are engaging in unsafe sex for money. This disturbing trend and disproportionate growth in new cases of HIV and AIDS among California’s Latinos, has prompted BIENESTAR and other AIDS advocates to press state lawmakers to re-focus state HIV prevention efforts.

Speaking at a special legislative briefing March 21 at the state capitol, Bienestar’s President and CEO, Oscar De La O called on legislative leaders “to increase and re-deploy resources to fight new infection trends.” De La O asked for their support of “proven new strategies like innovative mobile units with rapid HIV tests if we’re going to begin to break the chain of infection in our community.” The briefing was supported by the California State Latino Legislative Caucus, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, and Assemblywoman Cindy Montañez, who represents the San Fernando Valley and sits on the Assembly Health Committee.

“It’s not common knowledge that Latinos now make up most of Los Angeles County’s AIDS cases, or that a majority of Latinas with HIV have not engaged in risky behavior yet still end up being infected with HIV,” said Montañez.

The March 21 hearing focused in part on two dramatic new studies: One on high-risk sexual behaviors of day laborers, and the other on increased risk created by crystal methamphetamine abuse among young Latino men. Dr. Frank Galvan, a research investigator with Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science who spoke at the briefing, said, “Many day laborers are being approached for sex and a significant number are engaging in high risk behavior. We need to provide more HIV prevention education, especially to day laborers with lower education and those who are drug dependent.”

Day laborers had not previously been regarded as a group at high risk for HIV, but a 2005 study conducted by Charles Drew University and BIENESTAR of 450 Latino immigrant day laborers found 38% reported they had been approached for sex, of which almost 10% participated in sexual activities. “About three-fourths of those engaging in sex reported unsafe practices,” said Galvan, who noted that the study focused on six hiring sites in Los Angeles where websites indicated day laborers could be sought for sexual activity. “We went to those six day laborer sites, and asked if they had been approached for sex by another man in the context of their work as day laborers,” said Galvan. He also reported that day laborers, who were more likely to have sex tended to also experience drug dependency, have lower education levels, and had been day laborers for longer periods of time (five or more years).

The hearing also focused on surprisingly high levels of crystal methamphetamine use among newly diagnosed HIV-positive Latino men. Researcher Trista Bingham of Los Angeles County's HIV Epidemiology Program reported that "after adjusting for other traditional risk factors, newly diagnosed HIV-positive Latino men who have sex with men were almost 9 times more likely to report crystal use than men without HIV."

The study, which included over 1500 participants of all race and ethnic groups over twelve months, found that crystal use was highest among Latinos (20%), and that crystal was associated with higher prevalence of unprotected anal intercourse and with newly diagnosed HIV. "To prevent new HIV infections among Latinos, a reduction in the use of crystal must be a central focus," said Bingham.

Oscar De La O has been an advocate for Latinos affected by HIV and AIDS for over 20 years. His community involvement represents 29 years of service and advocacy for the Latino community.

Since its inception in 1989, BIENESTAR has evolved into a multi-service, multi-center agency that has set the standard of excellence for peer-driven services throughout the United States and Latin America. Based in Los Angeles, the center serves diverse communities at its 10 different sites in southern California. All services are free and conducted by bilingual staff members in English and Spanish. A list of group sessions and community resources are located on the organization’s Web site: www.Bienestar.org.

LOS ANGELES: No one in this world is immune to disasters, natural or manmade, yet how many of us are prepared for them when they strike? KTLA/WB News in Los Angeles may have the answer in its upcoming special, “When Disaster Strikes: A Survival Guide,” Saturday, April 8 (8 to 9:30 p.m.). The special commemorates the 100th anniversary of the great San Francisco earthquake, a disaster that left thousands dead, knocked down thousands of un-reinforced brick buildings and wooded homes, and left more than 250,000 (out of a population of 400,000) homeless.

The program, hosted by KTLA/WB news anchors Michaela Pereira and Frank Buckley, will detail the threats we face – earthquakes, floods, fire and terror, and assess our state of preparedness, and suggest what needs to be done on a governmental and individual level.

Community members will also have the opportunity to interface live in a Town Hall setting with geologists, elected state and city officials, law enforcement leaders, as well as organizations tasked with disaster relief such as the American Red Cross and FEMA.

KTLA/WB news reporters Willa Sandmeyer, Jim Nash, Bill Smith and Janet Choi will offer reports on the history of quake activity in California; advances in earthquake prediction science; the safety of major public buildings, schools and hospitals; the perilous state of the Sacramento Delta levees; the always present threat of wildfires; and Los Angeles’s vulnerability as a target for major terror attacks.

“When Disaster Strikes: A Survival Guide” (sponsored by Southern California Edison) will also offer viewers valuable tips on what to do when earthquakes strike, how to create a disaster plan, and information on what should be in every family’s emergency kit.

KTLA/WB is a Tribune Broadcasting station. Additional information is available at www.ktla.com.

NEXT POST: What is California’s former Secretary of Business, Transportation & Housing, Maria Contreras Sweet up to these days?