Spotlight

Dreamscape Immersive

• By Debbie Emery

After a year-plus of very tedious reality, virtual reality mecca Dreamscape Immersive is back open in Century City to transport you to outer space, fantastic lands and underwater paradises. Located in the Westfield Mall, Dreamscape is the brainchild of film producer Walter Parkes, global live events producer Kevin Wall, co-founders of Artanim Caecilia Charbonnier and Sylvain Chagué, and entrepreneur and Ronald Menzel. Disney former head of Imagineering Bruce Vaughn is CEO, bringing the magic of the Mouse House to the latest VR technology. Guests are taken in small groups to a loading room where they’re fitted with VR head pieces and let loose in the virtual worlds of Alien Zoo, The Blu: Deep Rescue, Curse of the Lost Pearl and Dragons: Flight Academyenvironments. The subsequent full-roam adventure is the closest I’ve ever felt to reality while also being so far removed from it thanks to motion capture technology, full body mapping, virtual reality headsets, and real-life room-scale stage sets. After an extended break because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dreamscape is now ready to soar again after reopening last month. To ensure health and safety for everyone, guests can only take private adventures where they travel with their own trusted group — purchase two or more tickets per experience and the whole POD is all yours!

For more details and tickets, click here. 

Chalk Lines

• By Arlene Winnick

The Chalk Repertory Theatre’s newest production CHALK LINES is truly home-grown with playwrights and actors who grew up in the neighborhoods where their stories take places; with characters that speak to the diversity of our city; and with settings that highlight unsung landmarks that populate Los Angeles. CHALK LINES is actually five short plays using immersive audio storytelling: “Mutual Life” is set in the former Carl Bean AIDS Care Center in Historic West Adams where we meet a young Latinx orphan. “March of Times – Time Warp” takes the audience on a startling tour through 150 years of LA history from Union Station to Chinatown and more. “8 for 16” rides the Expo Metro line with a street vendor and a young college student. “From Your Homeworld to Mine” goes out of this world at the Vermont Expo Metro station with a man preaching the word of alien life. “From Leimert Park Drum Circle, Sunday Afternoon” offers listeners a journey of memory and self-discovery with the beat of a drum down to Leimert Park Plaza.

CHALK LINES continues Chalk Rep’s 13-year tradition of revealing the spaces and stories of Los Angeles combining classic theatrical storytelling with the unique sounds and ambiance of the city. Audiences may enjoy this free auditory experience in their homes or can visually augment Chalk Lines by visiting each outdoor location and listening on a mobile device.

For more, click here.

Sant’olina

• By Kymberly Chase

Patio dining season has arrived in Los Angeles as the weather begins to warm and coronavirus cases continue to fall across the state. And while LA has always had its share of fair-weather spots at which to feast, it’s only relatively recently that the city has taken to using its many rooftops for on-site dining. Sant’olina, a new Mediterranean-themed restaurant atop the Beverly Hilton Hotel is part of that property’s recent $35 million renovation. Sant’olina is the work of the H. Wood Group, the prominent restaurant and nightlife consortium known for spots like Nice Guy, Delilah, and Slab on West Third Street. The patio is set up like a country club cabana bathed in white, light blue, and tan, and the casual outdoor dining room is built for the current Covid-19 protocols, meaning breezy sides, an open mesh ceiling that twinkles at night, and well-spaced tables. Chef Michael Teich’s menu will spoil your taste buds with dishes of hummus, marinated feta, puff pastry borekas, Moroccan-spiced carrots, charred eggplant, beet muhammara, phyllo-baked halloumi, and farro grain bowls. There are also larger plates like roasted chicken with harissa potatoes, schnitzel, and even a merguez lamb burger. Fun, sexy and delicious … all in one place! I know where I’ll be — Sant’olina!

For more, click here.

WOOD & VINE

• By PAIGE PETRONE

Wood & Vine, the Hollywood staple, is open and thriving after a challenging year for all in the restaurant business. Boasting an impressive bar and swanky outdoor patio, it’s the perfect place for post-pandemic fun. Located in the heart of the city and in a prime position across from the legendary Pantages Theatre, W&V offers a tantalizing array of delicious pre-theatre dining options. Ambitiously creative bites, and appetizers, along with elegant entrées, fill the menu along with clever show-themed cocktails to tickle your fancy!

Wood & Vine is located at 6280 Hollywood Boulevard at Vine Street.