By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Personal Enrichment Program and Theatre Palisades Teen will present a two-weekend run of “HADESTOWN: Teen Edition,” with performances to take place July 24 to August 2 at Paul Revere Charter Middle School.

“‘HADESTOWN: Teen Edition’ follows two intertwining love stories—that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone—as it invites audiences on a … journey to the underworld and back,” read a synopsis. “Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, this beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith and fear against love.”

The show is directed by Lara Ganz and co-directed by Sydney Diamond, who is also the show’s choreographer, along with Aaron Jung. Lexie Palmer and gaba are the music directors.

“With music and lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell, ‘HADESTOWN’ was the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Orchestrations,” according to TP Teen.

TP Teen is a branch of Theatre Palisades Youth, which Ganz previously said was launched to create a space for high school-age performers who want to continue the program. Past performances by TP Teen include “Ride the Cyclone High School Edition” in July and August 2024.

TPY operates with a mission to “provide a safe space within which community youth will: be inspired, develop talents in all aspects of theater arts, support each other as they grow their confidence, accept themselves for who they are and, by extension, others for who they are, and celebrate the essential power of live theater to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.”

PEP is a nonprofit organization at Paul Revere which offers a “variety of sports and enrichment classes” at the school, with three sessions per academic year.

Performances of “HADESTOWN: Teen Edition” will take place on Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m.; Friday, July 25, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 26, at 12 and 3 p.m.; Wednesday, July 30, at 7 p.m.; Thursday, July 31, at 7 p.m.; Friday, August 1, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, August 2, at 12 and 3 p.m.

Tickets are $17 for seniors and students, $22 for general admission, and range from $25 to $30 for VIP.

All performances will take place at Paul Revere in the auditorium, located at 1450 Allenford Avenue. Tickets are available online at theatrepalisades.org/youth.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Michele International has set up shop on Montana Avenue, following the destruction of its Sunset Boulevard salon in the Palisades fire.

“After 40 years of serving the Pacific Palisades community, Michele International Salon was lost in the devastating Palisades fire,” read a statement. “What had been a cherished family-run business—built on decades of trust, loyalty and community—was reduced to ashes.”

In addition to the loss of the salon, “several members of the extended salon family” lost their homes in the fire as well, including many clients and owner Marice McCrory-Irwin’s son and daughter.

“It was heartbreaking to watch it all burn on the news, knowing there was nothing we could do,” described the owners, McCrory-Irwin and sister Anne Egan. “The chairs, desks, books, important papers—everything we had built over the years—gone.”

Despite the losses, they said they knew they wanted to return to serve their clients.

“We knew we couldn’t give up,” they described. “After everything we’ve been through, we still had each other—and our incredible clients, many of whom became family over the years.”

One of these clients is former Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades Steve Guttenberg, who shared the news of the salon reopening with the Palisadian-Post.

“Marice and Anne … and everybody are just such a beautiful, beautiful family,” he said. “They are very involved in the community, not only having hundreds of clients that live in the neighborhood, they take care of it.”

Their brother, Martin McCrory, is also part of the salon.

Guttenberg described driving past the spot where the salon was located on Sunset Boulevard a couple of days after January 7, saying: “It devastated me.”

“I knew what it meant to this family to have a business,” Guttenberg said. “[It was] just destroyed, physically destroyed, and they handled it with such grace and elegance.”

Guttenberg described the salon’s history, which extends back to roots in Ireland, eventually landing on Swarthmore before moving to Sunset.

After the fire, McCrory-Irwin described going to where clients’ were living, then renting a space for a couple of hours per day. She said that many of their clients are located or have been displaced to nearby areas, but some have come from “far away just to support us,” including Newport Beach and Santa Barbara.

She expressed gratitude to her “loyal” clients: “They’re still coming back to us, no matter where they are. I just would love to say thank you. I really appreciate it.”

Michele International Salon is located at 1106 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Its opening was celebrated with a welcoming reception on June 29.

“I’m so proud of them because they are a symbol of Pacific Palisades,” Guttenberg said. “They’re a symbol of who we are and who we must be … we are realistic that this tragedy occurred, and we are optimistic and hopeful and spiritual and mindful that we must be positive, it’s the only way to go.”

McCrory-Irwin and Egan said that moving from the Palisades “was not easy,” but walking into “this new space feels like a blessing.

“We prayed for a fresh start, and now we have a beautiful new salon to share with the people who’ve supported us for so long,” the owners said. “It will be wonderful to see our clients together again. So many of them first met at Michele International in the Palisades. This next chapter will be filled with the same love and care we’ve always believed in.”

The salon is currently open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday. To reach Michele International Salon, call 310-454-1885.

Santa Monica Mosaic will present “A Cultural Landscape: The Treasured Trees of Pacific Palisades” on Sunday, July 27, beginning at 5 p.m.

The event, which will explore “the rich horticulture heritage of the region and how the community’s arboreal roots provide strength for the Palisades’ recovery,” is presented by Santa Monica Conservancy and Santa Monica History Museum, with “special thanks” to Pacific Palisades Historical Society.

The panelists for the event will include David Card (landscape designer and president of Palisades Forestry Committee), Suzanne Goode (a retired California State Parks senior environmental scientist) and Randy Young (historian, author and activist who resides in Rustic Canyon).

Santa Monica Mosaic is a livestream series that celebrates “the preservation of our historic cultures.”

“Like a mosaic, many fascinating stories, diverse perspectives and multiple legacies create the shape of today’s Santa Monica,” read information about the programming.

To attend the in-person “intimate watch party,” email alissa@smconservancy.org. To RSVP for the livestream, visit smconservancy.org.

—SARAH SHMERLING

Theatre Palisades will host its annual Member Dinner & Awards Show on Sunday, August 17, at Windjammers Yacht Club at 13589 Mindanao Way.

“Our theme is ‘We Will Rise From The Ashes and The Show Will Go On,” according to Theatre Palisades. “It’s an opportunity for our Theatre Palisades family to come together under one space … to both mourn our recent loss and celebrate our exciting new future.”

Theatre Palisades is also preparing for its next show: “The Wisdom of Eve,” which will be performed September 5 through 21 at Blue Door Theatre.

“This story is about a naive Eve Harrington, who initially appears to be a devoted fan of the acclaimed actress Margo Crane,” read a synopsis. “Shortly after meeting Crane, she’s hired as her assistant. But as she then sets her sights even higher, her ambition to be a star herself threatens to leave ruined careers and relationships in her wake.”

For more information, visit theatrepalisades.org.

—SARAH SHMERLING

In lieu of its summer creative writing contest, Friends of the Palisades Library is sponsoring youth-centric writing workshops, including a Teen Nature Writing Workshop—for ages 12 and up—on Tuesday, July 29, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

“Inspired by nature’s images and sounds, teens will be guided by a peer teacher to create poetry, prose or flash fiction to share and experience in this immersive workshop,” read the flyer.

Limited spaces are available, and RSVPs are requested to prncho@lapl.org. The workshop will take place at Palms-Rancho Park Branch Library, which is located at 2920 Overland Avenue.

—SARAH SHMERLING

Palisades Recovery Coalition will host the second visioning charrette in a series of at least eight on Saturday, July 26, beginning at 10 a.m.

This visioning charrette will be focused on the Alphabet Streets: “Help shape a fire-resilient future for your neighborhood,” read the PRC website.

PRC operates with a mission “to create lasting solutions for fire recovery and rebuilding in Pacific Palisades and other affected communities.”

The event will take place at 15224 W Sunset Boulevard. Visit palirecovery.org for the most up-to-date information.

—SARAH SHMERLING

Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains and Surfrider Foundation Los Angeles are seeking volunteers to clean up Topanga Beach “after impacts from the fire” on Saturday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“We’re welcoming volunteers back to Topanga Beach with the hope of healing this scarred space,” RCDSMM wrote. “We’re excited to be a part of positive and impactful change at a space that’s been touched by recent wildfires, and we hope you’ll be a part of this change alongside us.”

Parking will be provided by LA County Department of Beaches & Harbors. Gloves, grabbers, reusable trash bags, sunscreen and a water refill station will be provided.

Space is limited so volunteers are requested to RSVP at volunteer.surfrider.org.

—SARAH SHMERLING