A five-star weekend by Bill Kay

For the second time in three weekends, Lynne and I had a real kulturfest that shows what varied entertainment there is in and around LA, and how similar the audiences are - even though we were probably the only two people who went to all five, yes five, events.
It started last Wednesday, Jan 19, at the Huntington Library with a lecture on the social side of scientific discovery in the eighteenth century - no, it doesn't sound promising, but it was a real gem.
Thursday we were two of only a dozen or so who went to see the 1967 film of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood at the Egyptian.
Friday we had $20 tickets for Minsky's, a new musical at the Ahmanson.
Saturday we went to hear Ian Whitcomb and the Bungalow Boys at the Fret House in Covina, preceded by dinner at One World vegetarian restaurant in West Covina.
Sunday was a trip to the Pasadena Playhouse for Stormy Weather, a bio muscial of the life of Lena Horne - with a quick dinner beforehand at Gale's.
We made our usual visit to Conrads on Monday, so by the Tuesday we were gagging to stay in and watch TV - American Idol was about all we could manage, and a chance to catch up with the by-then highly neglected newspapers.
The Huntington lecture was given by Jan Victor Golinski, despite his name a Brit living in New Hampshire who has specialised in the history of science since he left Cambridge. it was all about how scientists used to meet in London coffee houses in the 18th century and how they thereby restrained (and stimulated) one another - as opposed to Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's creation, who worked on his own in an attic. It was very lively, with lots of questions afterwards - including one by me on whether this social scene crossed over with the stock and insurance markets, which also grew out of coffee houses. Apparently it did.
We always enjoy going to the Egyptian, something warm and comforting about it, and we discovered a new restaurant, Mediterranean Fresh, on the other side of Hollywood Boulevard.
In Cold Blood is a grim tale, grimly told. No overt blood - it is in any case in black and white - but lots of suspense. Lots of smoking too: this was a 1960s film. But no mobile phones. It showed how easily the two murderers could have got away with it, if they had only stayed in Mexico or just laid low. Remote farmhouses will never seem the same again.
Minsky's couldn't have been more different, a standard hoofers show, not an original note in it, but professionally presented and a really light evening out - and we had good seats, at the end of Row E in the stalls.
On Saturday we were among only 26 at the Fret House, which couldn't have made money for someone, either the venue or the band. Ian took the first opportunity to plug his forthcoming book, a collection of Letters from Lotusland, about Rollo being groomed for stardom. I took care of the real Rollo, who was a bit fractious.
Back to more sombre fare on Sunday, with a show that I thought didn't really work. We went with our friend Diana Cole, who had alerted us to the Minsky's tickets. Stormy Weather was too lopsided, because everything happened in the first half, being discovered, going to New York then Hollywood, breaking up her family, facing racial prejudice then the communist witchhunt. It slowed to a crawl after the interval, until we got the 'Stormy Weather' finale with Leslie Uggams in a gold lame evening gown.
it says something for American education and culture that any of the audiences for these five events could have been transposed to any of the others and felt entirely at home. There is an acceptance of entertainment that is completely different from the restlessness you can find in London theatres and cinemas, where everything seems very stratified.
Of course there were differences, because the Huntington lecture was in effect for members although anyone could attend for free. But in front of me at Stormy Weather was an irritating little man in a beard and check shirt who could easily have been at the Fret House or In Cold Blood.