By Judy Shields
Photos by The Hollywood Times (Sterling Silva) and KCET
KCET, producer of award-winning and diverse original content for public media, celebrated it’s upcoming new season of the four-time Emmy® Award-winning historical series, LOST LA, on Oct. 22 at The Edison in Downtown Los Angeles. LOST LA is co-produced with the generous support of University of Southern California (USC) Libraries.
Tuesday evening’s prohibition themed event drew inspiration from one of the season’s new episodes, “Bootlegger Tunnels: A Journey Through LA’s Prohibition Lore.” The episode explores the subterranean myths of Prohibition-era Los Angeles, crawls through bootlegger tunnels and visits some of the city’s oldest speakeasies.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d6HT6ijeP8[/embedyt]
The event was hosted at the historic Los Angeles landmark, The Edison, immersing 150 guests into a steampunk nightclub experience for the occasion. “The Edison is dedicated to a resurgence of old world style and sense of romance that once dominated LA nightlife.” – Edison Website
Here are several interior pictures to give you a sense of the Prohibition-era ambiance of the Edison.
KCET hosted yet another entertaining and memorable event. You walked through the entrance and was greeted by the communications team who immediately asked for the secret password. The password (aptly named ‘TUNNELS’) awarded you a wooden token that gave you a free vintage cocktail.
Our cocktail of choice was a 1927 period old fashioned cocktail named the Boulevardier and it was quite delicious – truly balanced, yet complex and smooth. The Boulevardier starts by tickling the palate with profound sweetness, followed by an orange flavored tartness that surely satisfies the taste buds.
Upon descending an impressive open staircase with an amazingly ornate period chandelier that spanned both floors on our way to the underground bar, a smiling hostess greeted us with a tray of refreshing anise and aromatic Absinthe cocktails. What a perfect start to the evening to get one in the spirit so to speak.
The screening was held in advance of the Tues., Oct. 29 broadcast of the new episode, “Bootlegger Tunnels” on KCET in Southern California at 8:30 p.m. PT. Episodes will also be available for streaming at kcet.org/lostla.
The night’s festivities were kicked off by mingling with a host of regional influencers, celebrity guests, featured talent from the series and behind the scenes, community partners & fans of LOST LA. These include:
Rosey Alvero (Host, KCET’s SOCAL WANDERER), Brianna Barnes (Host, KCET’s GLOBE TREKKER), Glenn Geller (Former President of CBS), Isela Gracian (East LA Community Corporation), story artist Michael Herrera (Wreck It Ralph), actress Sharon Lawrence (Shameless, NYPD Blue).
Actor Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time), artist Kim Schoenstadt, blogger Casey Schreiner (Modern Hiker) and Val Zavala (Former SOCAL CONNECTED Anchor, KCET’s Board of Directors).
Chief Operating Officer of KCET Jamie Annunzio Myers welcomed the crowd and acknowledged notable partners from the recent initiative, LOST LA’s Curriculum Project, that brings interactive history lessons into K-12 classrooms based on the unique topics of each episode of the show.
KCET’s Chief Creative Officer, Juan Devis, thanked and praised KCET’s partnering organizations like the invaluable USC Libraries and researchers, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and the California State Library as well as LOST LA producers, cast and crew. Associate Dean of USC Libraries, Hugh McHarg, spoke on behalf of Catherine Quinlan, Dean of USC Libraries, in commending the collaboration with KCET, the Libraries’ Advisory Committee and the researchers involved in making primary sources publicly accessible.
Public historian, writer and LOST LA Host, Nathan Masters of the USC Libraries, further stressed the importance of the show’s archival discoveries and shared a preview of the upcoming episode. During this memorable event, guests enjoyed a host of delectable treats generously provided by BLVD Kitchen including prohibition-themed cocktails, shots of absinthe, velvety mac-n-cheese and fixings, mile-high sliders and select desserts.
About KCET
On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California.
In addition to broadcasting the finest programs from around the world, KCET produces and distributes award-winning local programs that explore the people, places and topics that are relevant to our region.
Whether it is through our broadcast, via cable, over digital platforms and devices, or from our extensive community outreach and education programs, KCET consistently delivers inspiring global content that informs, educates and enlightens millions of individuals in Southern and Central California.