This Pasadena Performance Is Worth Seeing

Good morning, Pasadena. This is News N’ Roses. During its golden era, the Pasadena Playhouse was nicknamed the “Star Factory” because Hollywood studios sent scouts to its productions looking for new talent. When movies made the jump from silent films to “talkies,” studios even sent their silent-film stars there to learn voice and diction.

In today’s News N’ Roses:

• A Noise Within’s ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Is Funny, Dark and Incredibly Good

• The Bench Above JPL Could Soon Become a Memorial

• Events this Monday & Tuesday

• Civic News

• Local Business Spotlight

  • Print X-press & Copy Center

• Weather

• Live Music Lowdown

Let’s get to it.

—Matthew Ramirez

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THE DIGEST

Pasadena’s A Noise Within Just Put on One of the Most Incredible Performances I’ve Seen Yet

I was invited to opening night of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at A Noise Within this past Saturday. And before I say anything else, I want to be clear: this isn’t sponsored. I love plays and musicals, and I genuinely thought this production was worth writing about. I left with a mix of emotions: stunned by the completely unexpected ending and amazed by the incredible acting I had just witnessed.

August Wilson’s play takes place in a Chicago recording studio in 1927, where blues singer Ma Rainey and her band have gathered to record. A Noise Within set the stage perfectly, from the ambient lighting to the detailed studio set and props. I felt completely immersed, like I was right there in the recording studio with them.

If you haven’t seen the 2020 film adaptation with Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, I’ll tell you that the show is very funny. There are long stretches where the musicians are sitting around talking, arguing, teasing each other and telling stories, and the chemistry between them is so natural that it almost feels like you’re listening in on a real conversation. The dialogue moves quickly, the timing is great, and there were plenty of moments that had the audience laughing.

But then the play starts changing. The jokes are still there, but underneath them you begin to see anger, resentment, ambition, racism, religion, exploitation and years of pain. By the second half, some of the same characters who had everyone laughing earlier are having conversations that are incredibly serious and, at times, pretty dark.

That shift is what made the production work so well for me. It never felt like the play suddenly decided to become serious. You realize the serious stuff had been sitting underneath everything the entire time. And although the story is mostly fictional, it is rooted in the very real history of racism, exploitation and injustice that Black Americans endured in this country. Ma Rainey, however, was a real blues singer, and you may even know her song “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which inspired the play. The story captures Ma Rainey’s fierce real-life reputation. Known as the “Mother of the Blues,” she was a sharp, uncompromising performer who fought to be paid fairly and maintain control over her music while working with white-owned record companies during an era when Black artists, especially Black women, were routinely exploited.

By the end, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a very different show from the one you think you’re watching during those first funny scenes. That is also why I liked it so much.

It is genuinely entertaining and very funny, but it is also uncomfortable, angry, and heartbreaking. The acting across the board is incredible, and the music adds another layer to the performance. The cast members weren’t just great actors, but skilled musicians too, which made the recording studio feel completely real.

A Noise Within has produced six other plays from August Wilson’s 10-play American Century Cycle, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is its seventh. This one alone made me understand why Wilson’s work continues to be performed so often. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom runs through Sept. 20 at A Noise Within in Pasadena.

The Bench Above JPL Could Soon Become a Memorial

You know that bench on top of the hill overlooking JPL and Hahamongna Watershed Park? The Recreation and Parks Commission will decide at Tuesday’s meeting whether to approve a request to replace the older bench overlooking Devil’s Gate Reservoir with a new one honoring physicist Michael R. Moldover, who died in 2025.

Moldover spent 47 years at what is now the National Institute of Standards and Technology and had ties to JPL, where he served on panels and consulted with fellow scientists. His family also has connections to JPL.

Laura Noell, the La Cañada Flintridge resident who requested the memorial, would pay for the new bench and donate it to the city, so there would be no cost to Pasadena. The proposed plaque would read, in part, “In Honor and Remembrance of Michael R. Moldover, 1940-2025.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Monday (8/31)

🎵 MUSE/IQUE On the Road: An informal hour of music and conversation drawing from MUSE/IQUE’s “Looking West” concert, exploring how art and music shaped views of the American Frontier. Pasadena Senior Center | Monday | August 31 | 1PM

📚 Family Storytime: Pajama Storytime: A 30-minute bedtime storytime with books, songs, puppets, and rhymes for ages 0–5. Hastings Branch Library | Monday | August 31 | 6PM

📚 Sam Quinones discusses & signs “Our Lady of the Angels”: Quinones presents his photo collection documenting Virgin of Guadalupe murals on storefronts, alleyways, and street corners across LA. Vroman’s Bookstore | Monday | August 31 | 7PM

🎭 The Rivals: Hoyt Hilsman’s modern adaptation of Sheridan’s 1775 comedy, directed by Elizabeth Swain with performers from Parson’s Nose and Antaeus Theater. Parson’s Nose Theater | Monday | August 31 | 7PM

🔭 Astronomy on Tap: “How We Observe the Universe”: Caltech postdoctoral fellows Kaitlyn Shin and Geoffrey Mo discuss how astronomers observe light invisible to the naked eye. Dog Haus Biergarten (Old Town) | Monday | August 30 | 7:30PM

Tuesday (9/1)

🌽 Pasadena Farmers’ Market at Villa Parke: Certified growers sell directly from their farms, with produce, fish, jams, and jellies on offer. Villa Parke | Tuesday | September 1 | 8:30–12:30PM

🧩 Monthly Word Search Challenge & Giveaway: Pick up a word search at the Welcome Desk, complete it by September 25, and return it for a raffle entry. Pasadena Senior Center | Tuesday | September 1

🏛️ Altadena Chamber of Commerce & Civic Association Open Session Board Meeting: The chamber’s open board meeting, held virtually for public attendance. Online | Tuesday | September 1 | 10–11AM

📷 EXHIBIT: Reever Way – A Documentary Photography Project: A documentary photography exhibit on display at the Hastings Branch Library. Hastings Branch Library | Tuesday | September 1

🎨 The Monday Painters: Selected Works: Watercolor and oil landscapes by Pasadena artists Barbara Lester, Celeste DeCoudres, Toby Chaum, and Angela Hernandez. Linda Vista Branch Library | Tuesday | September 1

🔢 Math Momentum: A retired Caltech professor offers one-on-one math tutoring for students 12+, focused on current coursework and college-level prep. La Pintoresca Branch Library | Tuesday | September 1 | 3:30PM

🎸 Pasadena Senior Center Summer Concert Series: U.S. 99: U.S. 99 closes out the summer series with American roots music, rockabilly, and blues on Labor Day. Pasadena Senior Center | Tuesday | September 1 | 5–7PM

📚 Joseph Fink, in conversation with Mara Wilson, discusses & signs The Nudge: The Welcome to Night Vale creator reads from and signs his new horror novella, with illustrations by Night Vale artist Jessica Hayworth. Vroman’s Bookstore | Tuesday | September 1 | 7PM

💃 The Mixx: Salsa Mixx: Award-winning LA instructor Rogelio Moreno leads salsa and bachata lessons, followed by social dancing with DJ Salsa y Sabor. The Mixx Pasadena | Tuesday | September 1 | 8PM

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events posted regularly on our website. Check them out here.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. These are just the things you need to know. I’ll always let you know if something is sponsored!

CIVIC NEWS

City Council Meeting

The Pasadena City Council will meet Monday at 6PM in the City Hall Council Chamber (Room S249) to consider city business, hear public comment, and vote on matters affecting the community. Click here to view agenda.

Legislative Policy Committee Meeting

The Legislative Policy Committee will meet Tuesday, September 1, at 4:30PM in the City Hall Council Chamber (Room S249) to discuss legislative and policy matters affecting Pasadena. Click here to view agenda.

Historic Preservation Commission Meeting

The Historic Preservation Commission will meet Tuesday, September 1, at 6PM in the George Ellery Hale Building Hearing Room, 175 N. Garfield Ave., to discuss matters related to Pasadena’s historic buildings, landmarks and preservation efforts. Click here to view agenda.

Recreation and Parks Commission Meeting

The Recreation and Parks Commission will meet Tuesday, September 1, at 6PM at City Yards Public Works, 233 W. Mountain St., second floor, to discuss matters related to Pasadena’s parks, recreation programs and facilities. Click here to view agenda.

Human Relations Commission Meeting

The Human Relations Commission will meet Tuesday, September 1, at 6:30PM to discuss issues related to human rights, equality and relations among Pasadena’s diverse communities. Click here to view agenda.

LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Print X-press & Copy Center

I found Print X-press & Copy Center when I needed posters printed fast and Office Depot was having a complete IT meltdown. Nothing was working, so I looked nearby, saw this place down the street and gave it a shot.

It ended up being a much better option.

Print X-press & Copy Center is a local Pasadena print shop that handles posters, flyers, brochures, business cards, copies and other printing jobs. They can help with both small personal jobs and larger business or event printing, which is great when you need something done without dealing with a giant chain.

When I walked in, Jay helped me right away. He got the posters printed quickly, made sure everything looked good and was friendly the entire time. It was also way cheaper than I expected, especially compared with what I was planning to spend at Office Depot.

I went in because I was in a rush, but now I know exactly where I’m going the next time I need something printed.

WEATHER

Monday

86🌡️61 |☀️| 💨 S 9 mph

🌆 Air Quality Index: 61 (Moderate)

Tuesday

84🌡️60 |☀️| 💨 S 8 mph

Temperature readings taken from the Pasadena Doppler Radar.

LIVE MUSIC

🎷 The Riner Scivally Trio: Jazz standards, Brazilian tunes and original compositions from Riner Scivally on guitar, Mike Alvidrez on bass and Paul Kreibich on drums. Edwin Mills | Monday | August 31 | 6AM–10PM

🎶 Ross McReynolds, Alex Schwartz, Levi Gillis, Adam Nash: Ross McReynolds, Alex Schwartz, Levi Gillis and Adam Nash perform a live set at Club Tee Gee. Club Tee Gee (Glendale) | Monday | August 31 | 8PM–11:59PM

🎸 The David Eastlee Trio: Guitarist David Eastlee performs jazz standards, drawing on a career that includes work with John Pisano, Bruce Forman, Pete Christlieb, Earl Palmer and Doug Webb. Edwin Mills | Tuesday | September 1 | 6PM–10PM

☘️ Irish Music at Griffins of Kinsale: Enjoy an evening of live Irish music at Pasadena’s Griffins of Kinsale. Griffins of Kinsale | Wednesday | September 1 | 7PM

🎸 SHĀHERI: The Los Angeles-based project blends Persian musical heritage with psychedelic rock, cinematic groove and modern guitar-driven sound. Lodge Room Highland Park | Wednesday | September 2 | 7PM

🎤 Sid The Cat: Hana Bryanne, Wesley Preis: Singer-songwriter Hana Bryanne brings lyric-forward alt-country and indie folk, with Wesley Preis also on the bill. Healing Force of the Universe | Wednesday | September 2 | 8PM–11PM

THANKS!

Thanks for reading News N’ Roses today. If you found something useful, share it with someone who always brings a sweater to the movies even though it’s 100 degrees out.

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