Legendary Spanish Tenor Plácido Domingo’s 50-Year L.A. Run
Fifty years ago this week, Plácido Domingo made his Los Angeles debut. The buzz around the young opera powerhouse was just building. Soon, he’d be in demand at opera houses across the globe. But he’d return to Southern California again and again, not only as a performer but as an impresario who helped opera in Los Angeles flourish. The California Report’s L.A. bureau chief Steven Cuevas has more.
Which 'Book' Would You Check Out of This Human Library?
People go to libraries to learn something new, to escape into a different world. But what if a trip to the library let you spend time with someone you would never otherwise hang out with? That’s what happened at a community college in the Central Valley. KVPR’s Kerry Klein takes us to a human library.
A Winery Faces Life After Fire
Our series "Family Biz" explores the stories behind small, family-owned California businesses. This one's about a family trying to map out their future after the recent wildfires in Mendocino County. Four generations of the Frey family live and work at their winery. It was the first organic and biodynamic winery to open in the U.S. The October wildfires destroyed almost all the houses and buildings. Reporter April Dembosky takes us to the vineyard where the family is trying to figure out what it will take to save their business.
'California Typewriter,' an Ode to Analogue
California Typewriter is new documentary film that’s an ode to analog, a visual poem dedicated to the typewriter. It’s named for a Berkeley repair shop struggling to stay afloat in the digital age. The film features some big fans of the machine, including Tom Hanks, John Mayer and Sam Shepard. Doug Nichol is the Bay-Area based director of the film, and he sat down with Sasha Khokha to talk type.
Ghosts of Gold Rush Linger in Tiny (Lava-Free) Volcano
And now it's time for our series "A Place Called What?" about California towns with bizarre and surprising names. This week, we're headed to Volcano, in Amador County. It used to be a booming town during the Gold Rush, but now it's home to a little more than 100 people, including John Hemstreet. He lived in Sacramento for 60 years, before moving to Volcano.