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Many new entertainment venues have entered the desert arts scene in recent years, but there’s only one that’s stood across from Palm Springs High School since the ’60s, and that’s the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
This local hub for all kinds of entertainment, from film series and live music performances to theater and tasty bites, has a stacked lineup throughout the upcoming winter and spring months.
Here’s what’s coming up at the historic venue.
Michael Childers presents My Husband Makes Movies II
Back for its second season, the My Husband Makes Movies II series honors the life and work of acclaimed director John Schlesinger. The filmmaker won the Academy Award for best director for “Midnight Cowboy” in 1970, with the film taking home the best picture Oscar as well.
Hosted by Schlesinger’s husband, desert local Michael Childers, the film series explores the filmmaker’s legacy through his work with a number of special guests who have been inspired by him. The lineup this season includes:
- “Far from the Madding Crowd”: Monday, Jan. 26 with TCM host Dave Karger (author of “50 Oscar Nights“)
- “Madame Sousatzka”: Monday, Feb. 2 with lyricist and director David Zippel (work includes songs for “Hercules” and “Mulan”)
- “Honky Tonk Freeway”: Monday, Feb. 9 with director/producer/writer Del Shores (work includes “Daddy’s Dyin’ (Who’s Got the Will?)”)
- “A Kind of Loving”: Monday, Feb. 23 with filmmaker, journalist and cultural historian Matt Tyrnauer
- “Pacific Heights”: Monday, March 16
- “The Believers”: Monday, March 23 with biographer and cultural historian James Gavin (author of “George Michael: A Life,” “Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne”)
- “A Question of Attribution”: Monday, March 30 with producer/screenwriter Ron Nyswaner (works include “Philadelphia” and “Fellow Travelers”)
Each evening begins with a conversation featuring guests, collaborators and others, followed by the main feature presentation beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $15.
Luke Yankee presents Mom At The Movies: The Films Of Eileen Heckart
Luke Yankee has launched Mom At The Movies, a series centered around the films of his mother, Eileen Heckart, and the way her work shaped his understanding of cinema, character and womanhood. Heckart received two Academy Award nominations during her career, winning the best supporting actress Oscar for her role in “Butterflies are Free.”
The film lineup includes:
- “No Way To Treat A Lady”: Friday, Jan. 23 with special guest Kate Lee Minelian (daughter of Lee Remick)
- “Heller in Pink Tights”: Friday, Jan. 30
- “My Six Loves”: Friday, Feb. 13
- “Bus Stop”: Friday, Feb. 20
- “Somebody Up There Likes Me”: Friday, March 13
- “Miracle in the Rain”: Friday, March 20
- “The First Wives Club”: Friday, April 3
Each screening includes a 6 p.m. preshow of rare television appearance and commercials, followed by the main feature presentation beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $12.
Palm Springs Cultural Center hosts Weekly Foodie Fridays, farmers market
Looking for some tasty bites and fresh, local produce? The Cultural Center has you covered.
Foodie Fridays, a pop-up event held 5-8 p.m. every Friday, continues with bites from local food trucks and live music outside the Cultural Center. The night market launched last year in hopes to give locals and visitors something new to do on Friday nights, especially if they don’t want to go out to bars or make dinner reservations.
Foodie Fridays is free to attend, with vendor prices around $9 to $15.
Additionally, the Palm Springs Certified Farmers Market takes place 8 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday in the center’s parking lot. Market admission is free and open to the public, and features a variety of vendor booths selling fruits and vegetables, produce, home goods and other items.
PSCC VIP Lounge hosts weekly live musical performances
The Cultural Center’s weekly music series at the VIP Lounge is in full swing this season with a robust lineup of performers through May.
The VIP Lounge hosts an eclectic mix of signature series including Mon Petit Salon, a French jazz soirée; Melba Miller’s Jazz Oasis, which blends straight jazz and timeless standards; Cocktails and Cabaret, a fizzy blitz of yacht rock, Rat Pack classics and silly stories featuring the original Fizzblitzer cocktail; Americana Guest House, which spotlights singer-songwriter folk artists; Razzle Dazzle: A Broadway Revue, where local talent brings beloved and new show tunes to life; and Dusty Strings, which showcases rising stars in folk and Americana.
The full schedule of performances can be found at psculturalcenter.org/pscc/weekly-musicvip-lounge.
Locals can also catch drag performances and season 3 of Broadway’s Best…in the West concert series through March. Visit psculturalcenter.org/cabaretconcertslive-music for the full schedule.
Palm Springs theater companies Desert Ensemble Theatre, The Bent offer live shows
Additionally, this season marks the final curtain for Desert Ensemble Theatre, closing out more than a decade of award-winning productions. Theater lovers can catch these final shows:
- “Dispersion of Light”: Friday, Jan. 23-Sunday, Feb. 1
- “Meteor Shower”: Friday, March 6-Sunday, March 15
- “Knife to the Heart”: Friday, April 10-Sunday, April 19
The Bent, the center’s resident LGBTQ+ theatre company, also has a number of productions coming up. Those include:
- “In the Wake”: Thursday, Feb. 12-Saturday, Feb. 28
- “The Green Room” reading: Wednesday, March 18-Thursday, March 19
- “Mo Collins is Wigging Out!”: Saturday, March 21
- “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” reading: Wednesday, April 22-Thursday, April 23
- “A Man of No Importance”: Friday, May 8-Sunday, May 24
- “Cashino”: Thursday, May 28-Friday, May 29
Visit psculturalcenter.org/theatre-comedy-drama for the full schedule and to purchase tickets.
Expand your circle at these Palm Springs Cultural Center monthly community events
Looking to meet some new friends in the desert? The Cultural Center has you covered.
One option is a monthly author series hosted by poet D. Marie Fitzgerald, where guests can hear from the writers themselves and get copies of their books. Upcoming events include the following dates:
- Noon on Thursday, Feb. 26
- Noon on Thursday, March 19
- Noon on Thursday, April 23
- Noon on Thursday, May 28
The Palm Springs Single Guys Mixer also meets each month. Upcoming event dates are:
- 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12
- 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 19
- 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 16
- 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14
- 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 11
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ema_sasic.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.desertsun.com ’
