Julie Ellerton / TMT
Super-bloom and Shakespeare offer spring fun for everyone.
BARD AND BODICES AT PEPPERDINE
Malibu theatergoers are in for a treat at the Smothers Theater on Pepperdine’s campus. The local venue will present the Shakespearean favorite “The Taming of the Shrew.” The classic film version featured an all-star lineup with Elizabeth Taylor giving it her feisty all against Richard Burton in a fascinating flick directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
Now, the dramatic story comes to life on stage. The event runs April 3-5 at 7:30 p.m., plus a few afternoon shows to accommodate early birds.
The theme spotlights a new spin on the battle of the sexes, long before Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs made headlines on the subject.
The show is presented by Pepperdine’s Fine Arts Division and seems even more relevant in light of recent events of sex and power.
Scott Alan Smith directs Pepperdine students Lauren Drake, Sara Eakman, Marcela Ferraone, Dylan Forehand, Christine Galyean, Lauren Jennerjohn, Isabel Klein, Gabi Machem and more.
So, get ready for a new spin on an age-old tale.
FLOWER POWER
While tix for Pepperdine’s “Taming of the Shrew” are reasonably priced at about $15, the biggest show in California is absolutely free.
Even after El Niño, I have never seen the local hills so green. It is a super bloom of color and it’s everywhere you look, from Pacific Coast Highway, up Topanga to the south, inland and up north—from vibrant, lavender-colored lupines to the state flower, California poppies, to eye-popping mustard, which stretches as far as you can see.
If you want to make a day of it, there are plenty of nearby locations to visit. Anza Borrego Desert is a favorite. Nature lovers enjoy it, year after year. Its panoramic vistas are a big draw during an ordinary spring, but this year it’s A-B on steroids. As you glimpse and admire the pink sand verbena, desert dandelions and fields of California poppies, keep your eye out for flocks of butterflies, which are enjoying a super bloom of their own. Whether Malibu or the desert, it’s pure magic, which we may not see again for a very long time.
For ever and ever the hills are alive so appreciate the wonderful spectacle of nature while it lasts.