LA International Neon Jubilee - Renew & Rejoice!

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL
~ NEON JUBILEE ~

August 25th, 2016

 

Dearest Lapsed Member of the Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiast Society,

We write to you today in the hopes that you might rekindle your flame of affection for our work, which we noticed has expired. You see, for the last six months we gave all our hearts, sweat, and money to the relighting and restoration of the Union Theatre's 1920s neon marquee. Yes, while signs everywhere are being massacred or replaced with LEDs and scrolling digital screens, we chose to think of progress as preservation.  Neon expert Paul Greenstein is working diligently to replace, wire by wire, the luminous system so that it may live on for another 50 years and meanwhile, Oscar Rospide (renown sign painter who did the original facade lettering at our Hollywood location) is back again to revive the colors of the marquee.

Your annual donation to the Velaslavasay Panorama Enthusiast Society is vital at this time to help us help the marquee. If you are willing and able, perhaps now is the time to advance up the ladder of the VPES, or consider an extra donation in any amount for the restoration work underway. And to celebrate your giving and the work of many, we hope you will join us at the Neon Jubilee - Saturday, September 10th, from 12 P.M. - 6 P.M.

Thursday, September 1st, 2016 - 7:30 P.M.
Illusion Travels by Streetcar - La Ilusión Viaja en Tranvía
Tickets $10

Set in Mexico City, Illusion Travels by Streetcar tells the tale of two tram repairmen whose favorite car is about to be retired and dismantled. After protesting in vain to the management, the men decide to take the car on a drunken spree around the city for one last run. The film will be preceded with a brief pictorial overview of the erstwhile Los Angeles trolley system, including the Los Angeles Inter-Urban Railway line which once rolled past the Union Theatre on 24th Street, home of the Velaslavasay Panorama. All proceeds from this screening go towards the neon restoration.

Directed by Luis Buñuel. With Lilia Prado, Carlos Navarro, Fernando Soto
Mexico 1954, 35mm, b/w, 90 min. Spanish with English subtitles. Digital Projection.
Courtesy of the Luis Buñuel Film Institute

Sunday, September 4th, 2016 - 7:30 P.M.
I Am Big Bird - The Caroll Spinney Story
Tickets $10

DJ Lance Rock (Yo Gabba Gabba!) presents a special screening I Am Big Bird, a documentary about the life and work of Caroll Spinney, who has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969. Archival footage captures the collaboration between Jim Henson and Spinney and traces Caroll's journey in giving life some of the most beloved characters on TV. The film will be preceded with an introduction by DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) who will give an overview of his work in children’s television and share some of his favorite sketches and clips from well-known animators and character actors. All proceeds from this screening go towards the neon restoration.

Saturday, September 10, 2016 - 12:00 P.M. to 6 P.M.
Los Angeles International Neon Jubilee
Advanced RSVP Strongly Recommended

The Neon Jubilee will kick off at 12-noon with a dedication featuring city officials and neighborhood representatives. From 12-noon ‘til 3pm the Echo Park Film Center will be on hand to offer animation activities and workshops for children and adults alike with their EPFC Filmmobile. The days' live performances, held on the street in front of the Velaslavasay Panorama, feature The LA Rollers (5pm), a troupe of roller skate dancers featured in the documentary L.A. ROLL; a set by DJ Lance Rock (Yo Gabba Gabba!) and several sets of accordion music throughout the day. Food trucks, cartoonists and vendors will be available as well, including the neighborhood Nature’s Brew Coffee Cart and handicrafts from the Chiapas Project.

Inside the theatre, enjoy scheduled activities such as a puppet shows by the Bob Baker Marionette Theater at 12:15, cartoon screenings throughout the day and an illustrated lecture on the history of neon in Los Angeles by J. Eric Lynxwiler (MONA) at 4pm along with footage from the forthcoming LA Roll documentary film.Events in the theatre are free and will be ticketed on a first-come-first-serve basis.

AND IN THE EVENING...

A Ticketed Evening Jubilee
Tickets:$20.16 (VPES Members - $18.98 - 1898 - the year NEON was discovered!)
Advance Reservations Strongly Recommended: http://neonevening.bpt.me/

At 8PM join us for the evening program segment of the Neon Jubilee featuring the musical stylings of DJ Lance Rock (Yo Gabba Gabba!), puppetry by the Bob Baker Marionettes, musician Frank Fairfield and the long-awaited unveiling of our brand new neon marquee to end this one-of-a-kind day of celebration. Taco dinners will available!