Friday, May 28, 2004

Field Trip

I'm attempting to avoid the clichéd opening, "Today I ..." or "Yesterday was ..." but alas, this entry will be only 73% cliché free. Cold turkey's not my bag, baby.

So there I was, yesterday, on a staff day out -- click for pictures -- on a bus about 8 AM, kicking back and eating donuts. Here is the day in a nutshell (a really big nutshell): first stop, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels; second stop, tour of Redcat (the Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theatre); third stop, dim sum at the Empress Pavilion in Chinatown (forget it Jake, it's Chinatown); fourth stop, tour of Disney Hall; fifth stop, Foster's Freeze.

Disney Hall was amazing, and the security was impressive, but I was most impressed with Redcat. It's everything a theatre should be. In the same space there's a gallery, a bar, and a cabinet full of books for sale. Books I recognized and wanted to read! It's hip, it's functional, it's beautiful. Redcat, I'm in love. Don't get me started on your gorgeous hydraulics and stadium seating and your spacious stage and your sound dampening and sound reflecting state-of-the-art panels and your two sound systems -- one for films, one for performing arts -- and your tidy catwalks and your ... excuse me, that's me weeping into my tea.

Two security guards later, we sneaked into the back of Disney Hall and watched about a half hour of a LA Philharmonic rehearsal. After a full meal of dim sum, it was difficult to stay fully alert in the Hall's comfortable seats. Forgive me if my mind wandered and my head dropped temporarily to my chest. I know not what I do. We all kept making Phil jokes, a play on Philharmonic, which makes me a philistine. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

All in all I had a great time. On the bus ride home, we drank wine and ate cheese and grapes and crackers. Four kinds of cheese! I was in heaven and I know this because the path to hell is paved with lactose intolerance.

Lastly, honorable mention must go to the tapestries in the Cathedral. I'm not convinced I've ever seen anything so beautiful and intricate. They were just really well done. And you can tell, because words are failing me. I might as well have a line of drool coming out my mouth slumped over in my chair for the level of articulation I'm attaining. The pictures don't do them justice, but click here to see tapestry information on the Cathedral's website.

And that's the end of that.

No comments: