Friday, October 20, 2006

Trip to Los Angeles, October 10-14

We spent most of our time in downtown Los Angeles, where we stayed at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. We went to Massenet's Manon, performed by the Los Angles Opera, and conducted by Placido Domingo at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Wednesday. It was a gorgeous production -- quite Hollywood -- with colorful costumes, and beautiful young singers, including Anna Netrebko. On Thursday night we went to The Los Angeles Philharmonic in Frank Gehry's marvelous new Disney Concert Hall, where we heard Pictures at an Exhibition and other works. And on Friday we went to see Lynn Redgrave in Nightingale. We visited the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, explored some of the downtown area, including the new cathedral, and also got to the Armand Hammer Museum and the sculpture garden on the UCLA campus. We enjoyed some interesting meals, ranging from Asian food in paper containers at the bustling Central Market, to an elegant lunch at the Water Grill.

Here are two pictures: of Ed in front of the Concert Hall, and the "Peace on Earth" fountain with the Los Angeles City Hall in the background. I am having to edit my previous posts, cutting out some of the photos since I've exceeded my limits for photos.