Email Author ALBERT CHING

2011 Stories by ALBERT CHING

• Gavin Degraw and David Cook

  published October 20, 2011

  A Gavin DeGraw/David Cook tour makes a lot of sense. They’re both quite popular with middle-aged women, and they both got their big breaks... More >>

• Death Cab for Cutie

  published October 13, 2011

  Yes, there is some definite irony in the fact that in 2001, Death Cab for Cutie released bitter anti-LA polemic "Why You'd Want to Live Here"... More >>

• West Coast Hot Dog-Eating Championship

  published September 1, 2011

  The world loves a comeback story. And it seems that legendary competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi might be primed for one. After six consecutive... More >>

• 'Beach Blanket Bingo'

  published July 7, 2011

  What does it say about the way our society has progressed in the past 50 years that the titles of super-innocent ’60s beach-party... More >>

• Rihanna

  published June 23, 2011

  Rihanna and Cee Lo Green at the Honda Center is a curious double bill: pop stars with an R&B bent, but with very different public personas.... More >>

• 'Mamma Mia!'

  published June 16, 2011

  Roughly three years since Pierce Brosnan’s infamous “musical” performance in the Mamma Mia! film, perhaps it’s... More >>

• Arctic Monkeys

  published May 26, 2011

  When a band’s debut album is accompanied by as much prerelease hype as 2006’s Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m... More >>

• 'Swan Lake'

  published May 19, 2011

  There is one obvious reason why a production of Swan Lake might generate more interest now than it would have a year ago: Black... More >>

• Echo & the Bunnymen

  published May 19, 2011

  The ’80s will never die. . . . Well, maybe eventually, but not any time soon. If Duran Duran’s third-from-the-top spot on the mainstage... More >>

• 'Raised On the Ranch' Opening Reception

  published May 12, 2011

  Sure, we’ve all seen our fair share of art walks at this point, but when you call it an “art crawl,” it automatically seems a... More >>

• Matt & Ben

  published May 12, 2011

  There’s more to Mindy Kaling than playing The Office’s Kelly Kapoor, Dunder Mifflin’s shallow, frequently hilarious,... More >>

• 9 to 5: The Musical

  published May 12, 2011

  Movies becoming Broadway musicals—it’s not just for Disney films anymore! Turns out, it’s also for ’80s live-action comedies.... More >>

• Lil Wayne

  published April 21, 2011

  There’s no doubt at this point that Lil Wayne is by far the most successful of the “Lil” rappers who populated the early part of... More >>

• Shawn and Marlon Wayans

  published April 14, 2011

  Now that the second generation of Wayans progeny has started to infiltrate pop culture—Damon Wayans Jr. popped up as a supporting player in... More >>

• Aida

  published April 7, 2011

  Demographically, a community college in Mission Viejo may not seem to be the most natural choice to stage a musical about the forbidden romance... More >>

• Jim Norton

  published March 31, 2011

  Unless you manage to land a sitcom (rare), a successful movie career (rarer still), or manage to play a homicide detective for 20 years on TV... More >>

• Ice Cube

  published March 31, 2011

  The fact that Ice Cube—a former N.W.A member whose lyrical turns of phrase include “It feels like I’m bustin’ a nut when I... More >>

• Between Us Chickens

  published March 24, 2011

  Between Us Chickens is part of South Coast Repertory’s “Studio Series,” but unlike the other performances—which are... More >>

• Jon Huck

  published March 17, 2011

  Losing a testicle has a way of affecting a person, and standup comedian Jon Huck is no exception. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer while in... More >>

• Ed Kowalczyk

  published March 17, 2011

  If you’ve spent the past year and a half in mourning after Live announced their breakup, wondering if you’d ever hear ’90s... More >>

• Trading Places

  published March 10, 2011

  At first, Trading Places may seem like an odd pick for “classic film night,” but it’s actually an amazing educational tool... More >>

• Liz Phair

  published March 10, 2011

  First, Liz Phair was a ’90s indie-rock icon and the female personification of the 120 Minutes era, captivating listeners with her... More >>

• Cedric the Entertainer

  published March 3, 2011

  Following Bernie Mac’s untimely passing in 2008, there are now three surviving members of the Original Kings of Comedy. While Steve Harvey... More >>

• Wicked

  published March 3, 2011

  How is there not yet a Wicked movie, based on the subversive take on the Wizard of Oz’s wicked witches that’s still... More >>

• Twefth NIght

  published February 24, 2011

  Some 400 years after his plays were originally composed, messing with Shakespeare is not only acceptable for contemporary productions, but also... More >>