Steampunk Exhibit and Wicked

Yesterday we attended the Steampunk exhibit at Muzeo, a small museum in a re-purposed old (1908 through 1987) library in Anaheim, CA.

You know a place is cool when there is a labyrinth outside it. This one has an monument honoring soldiers at the center. Low waterfalls near the benches were not operating, but it is easy to imagine how serene it must be.

Inside, there was a room that was dedicated to the influences of Steampunk, including Jules Verne, Edgar Allen Poe, Nickola Tesla, and Mary Shelly. Each had their likeness displayed in a frame with a bit about their work. Here is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the code he used in his popular Sherlock Holmes story "The Case of the Dancing Men", though mainly it is his Professor Challenger tales that were Steampunk influences.

There were few costumes in the exhibit, and some headgear.

 






A very large hand-painted canvas poster took up almost one wall.

Disney movies were mentioned several times. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and Time After Time were two that I can recall.

 The re-imagined weaponrs were beautiful with their filigree bits.

There was a collection of canes made by various artists. We chatted with Pete Ramirez, the creator of the Gun Lighter Cane. He said creating art like this with found objects was just an extension of his jewelry designing, which he had been doing for 15 years.

Other canes included the Doc Holliday Nut Cracker cane, the Tesla Plasma cane, Samurai Grip Handle cane, Faucet cane, Cylinder cane, and the (Citizen) Cane Time Extractor.


There was also an exhibit of Victorian art in the adjacent building, all of it on loan from a couple who must be extremely wealthy. I didn't want to aim my camera at any of the many old and delicate oil paintings, but they were beautiful, as were their frames, and several were life-size.

The same couple also collected Victorian personal effects, such as these imaginative match cases in all manner of shapes: heads, moons, animals... They were often humorous, and at the time, were considered a conversation-starter.

 The same couple also loaned their collection of 75 Victorian walking canes, like this double-skull one (they were displayed sideways.)

 The cane in this case with the bulky part on the left is made of a real human femur bone.

We also went to see Wicked, the musical, playing at the gorgeous Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

The Pantages is my favorite theater. If you ever come out to visit Hollywood, I highly recommend including this theater as part of your experience. Look at that ceiling, will you? It takes my breath away every time.

photo: Don Solosan

This is my second time seeing Wicked. I swear they must tell the actresses playing Glinda to channel Kristen Chenowith, who did play this role once. They all sound exactly like her. But then, the actor playing the Wizard of OZ this time seemed to be channeling Jimmy Stewart, and the actress playing Elphelba, the lead character who happens to be green, had the voice of Sarah Jessica Parker- which wouldn't be poor casting, either.

The set for Wicked is rather Steampunk, by the way, with lots of clock gears almost always in view as a major part of the scenery. Here's Glinda and some clockwork.

And guess what else is nearby?

Ignore the cleavage!

We also recently saw Martin Scorsese's movie "Hugo", which also was full of old clockwork.

LOVED that movie. Right now, I am betting (and hoping) it sweeps the Academy Awards. Go, Hugo!

Labyrinth of Jareth

The  Labyrinth of Jareth  is an annual elaborate masquerade ball held in Los Angeles where just any costume won't do. It should be fantasy-based, as the idea of the ball derived from the goblin-mocking masquerade ball in the 1986 David Bowie/Jennifer Conolly movie "Labyrinth".

"Labyrinth" with David Bowie as Jareth and Jennifer Conolly as Sarah

 Now in its 14th year, the ball is held in an architectural wonder called the Park Plaza. It was built in 1925 as an Elks temple, then it became a luxury hotel, and now it is no longer a hotel but a venue for weddings and the like.

There, participants roam the impressively-sized staircase and the grand halls to discover chambers filled with over 150 performers, live musicians, dancers, acrobats.  Guards open up one area at a time, increasing the excitement.

the guards and the grand staircase

Some of the entertainments spills out into the outdoor courtyard, where large sculptures have been set up to compliment the theme.

An elvish dancer entertains in front of a sculpture

A dancer in one of several ballrooms

Last year there were tents to wander through outside, where members of the League of Steam displayed their Steampunk inventions.

Part of the courtyard as seen from an upper window

Steampunk inventions on display

inventor Crackitus Potts (Nick Baumann)

And then, of course, there are the most stunning costumes.

These detailed costumes, masks and props are entirely home-made

Behold the vinyl unicorn!

A beautiful butterfly wing dress

 There were some minimalist costumes

I bet you're looking at their wings, right?

And several people who painted themselves

And then there were those who came on stilts

This is a place where elf ears, horns, and wings are the norm. Colored wigs are also popular

Wait, is that a strawberry on her ass?

This golden girl's costume was pretty elaborate, with a wide wingspan and lights:

A camera is a necessity at an event such as this. You never know what you'll see.

"Labyrinth"-style goblin

Beauty and a beast

Here's a video I took walking through the crowd:

This year's Labyrinth of Jareth is July 1st and 2nd. Tickets are still available.