Like the mind-altering combination of characters and the resulting allure of perverse normality should, Eric Bogosian’s new novel leaves you satisfied and wanting more. The playwright will read from his newest novel, “Wasted Beauty,” at the UCLA Hammer Museum as part of its Readings series on May 15 at 5 p.m. Read more...

Few things make you feel more out of place than being smack in the middle of a music scene you just don’t belong in. Such was the case last Friday, when I found myself in an auditorium of high schoolers moshing like possessed animals to heavy metal. Read more...

State budget cuts over the past two years have affected nearly every inch of the UCLA campus in some way or another. But these cuts have hit the university’s performing arts departments especially hard and, in turn, have forced department chairs to devise innovative ways to raise additional funds and support for their programs, especially for student and faculty concerts. Read more...

They flew out all the way from Florida. Ten hours, two layovers and one crappy on-flight bag of peanuts later, a conservatively dressed middle-aged housewife and her balding husband had arrived at their final destination: a live taping of “America Idol.” OK, I know I wrote about “American Idol” in my last column, but I can’t help it; I’m obsessed. Read more...

Pop quiz: name at least three Asian American actors who are regular characters (appearing in about eight out of 10 episodes) on a prime-time television show. Read more...

Although “Applause” is named for a performer’s moment of ovation, when the musical ended Tuesday night, the audience’s reaction was merely mild clapping. “What is it we’re living for? Read more...

Guacamole may be the ultimate traditional Mexican food. The name itself comes from the Aztec words “ahuacatl,” which means “avocado,” and “molli,” which means “sauce.” Avocado trees were brought to California from Mexico in the late 1800s. Read more...