PMH Super Twofer

Two new exhibits at the Pasadena Museum of History are well worth your visit.

You're going to love the enthralling Pacific Electric Railway, Then and Now, an exhibit of memorabilia and "then and now" photos based on the book by Steve Crise and Michael Patris. Crise took the exquisite "now" pictures with more than expertise: he added care and wit. Not satisfied to simply position his camera to correspond exactly with the "then" photos, Crise went to the trouble to take his photographs at the same time of day so shadows would correspond. He added witty touches as well, even waiting for the time on a clock to be the same in one photo as it was back then.

Oh and note the detail of the train crossing gate above. A delicious touch.

Tasty in a whole different way (like a banana split with a whiskey chaser) is What a Long, Strange Trip it's Been: 35 Years of the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade. Just across the hall from the trains you'll find photos, costumes, signs, and uh, stuff, collected from past Doo Dah Parades. I wish my photo of the crowns of past Doo Dah queens had worked! That is some fab headgear.

Doo Dah is our own mini-Burning Man, Pasadena's hand-made, knee-jerk reaction to the Tournament of Roses. There may be other events like it, but they probably haven't had a lot of museum coverage. Bravo to the PMH for proclaiming Doo Dah as part of Pasadena's history, which of course it is. My only concern is the exhibit may legitimize Doo Dah, and I would hate for that to happen.

Seeing Theater in Sierra Madre

I had tickets to see Incident at Vichy at the Sierra Madre Playhouse the other night. John is in pre-production and can't tear himself away from the desk. I knew who I wanted to invite in his stead: Adele of Seeing Sierra Madre: One Photo at a Time.

Sierra Madre is a charming corner of the San Gabriel Valley. Adele is excellent company. My friend Karyn O'Bryant is a fine actor and so is everyone else in the cast of Incident at Vichy (that's one reason why it was a Critic's Choice in the Los Angeles Times). Add them together and it was a great evening.

Across the street from the Playhouse there's this cocktail joint called The Buccaneer. You can see the Playhouse marquee reflected in the window. Adele and I didn't go in because we were both tired, but the place has a reputation for fun. Snotty Scotty and the Hankies play there, so I don't know what more you could ask.

Sierra Madre is Adele's territory (not that any of us are territorial around here), so I'll let Adele give you the pic from the theater (doesn't Karyn look marvelous?). But we had such a good evening. Many, many thanks to Karyn and the cast and crew of Incident at Vichy and the Sierra Madre Playhouse.