O Letting Go
By Richard Mineards   |   March 12, 2024

Former TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey is leaving the board of WeightWatchers and will donate her stake in the company “to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications,” according to the company, also known as WW International. Shares in WW International fell by 27% in extended trading following the […]

On Tour with Ivor
By Richard Mineards   |   March 12, 2024

How fitting that on the 60th anniversary of The Beatles “invasion” of America, an old friend, Ivor Davis – who toured with the Fab Four as an “embedded” correspondent for the London Daily Express, one of the world’s largest newspapers at the time with five million readers – should give a fascinating talk at the […]

 

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Meet the Neighbor
By Richard Mineards   |   March 12, 2024

Montecito animal rights activist Gretchen Lieff didn’t have to look far when she moved into a new estate. The property, built in 1964 and designed by architect Carl Hillmann, was right next door to her former Arcady home! To mark the occasion Gretchen, owner of the La Lieff vineyard and Funk Zone tasting room, hosted […]

Lotusland’s Lemony Scent
By Richard Mineards   |   March 5, 2024

Lotusland, Montecito’s 37-acre botanical paradise, is now even more fragrant than usual! In collaboration with Heretic Perfume, the estate has launched its second limited-edition organic scent inspired by Ganna Walska, the avant-garde Polish opera singer and designer, and her colorful creation. More than 90 years ago the opera singer created a line of perfumes in […]

Grimaud on Key
By Richard Schultz   |   March 5, 2024

French pianist Hélène Grimaud made her third CAMA Masterseries appearance at the Lobero and, true to form, was at the top of her game. In the penultimate show of her U.S. tour, Grimaud, 54, played the “B” list with works including Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major,” Brahms’ 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117 and […]

TMZ at Maison Mineards
By Richard Mineards   |   March 5, 2024

Yours truly was front and center on TMZ Investigates on Fox regarding Carpinteria actor Kevin Costner’s divorce war with his wife Christine Baumgartner. A crew of seven visited Maison Mineards Montecito two weeks back to shoot a half hour interview with TMZ founder Harvey Levin, who was on Zoom from Los Angeles. The hour-long show […]

Colorful Choral
By Richard Schultz   |   March 5, 2024

Santa Barbara Choral Society showed its true colors when it staged a Red, White, and Blues concert under veteran conductor JoAnne Wasserman at Trinity Episcopal Church. In a nod to America’s rich multi-cultured heritage of musical traditions featuring works by Leonard Bernstein, Randall Thompson, Shawn Kirchner, and Eric Whitacre, the entertaining show was a musical […]

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  • That’s a Lot of Litter
    By Richard Mineards   |   March 5, 2024

    It’s undoubtedly one of our Eden by the Beach’s most expensive properties. An 11-acre Hope Ranch oceanside estate, consisting of three parcels, is up for grabs for $88 million. It was formerly owned by an old friend, Betty Stephens, whose husband founded Jonny Cat litter, and has a 7,265 square foot main house built in […]

    A Romantic Serenade
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

    It was the musical version of pouring a gallon into a pint pot when Santa Barbara Symphony under maestro Nir Kabaretti performed “Serenade for Romance” at the 604-seat Lobero, having moved the show from the 1,553-seat Granada after a sprinkler mishap soaked the capacious stage. The decidedly cozy concert featured violinist Sirena Huang, artist-in-residence for […]

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    Lotusland Love
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

    Romance was definitely in the air when Lotusland, the 37-acre Montecito botanical paradise, hosted a Valentine’s Day event for 25 couples, one of whom was enjoying their 51st big day together. The tony twosomes quaffed flutes of champagne and enjoyed the self-guided tour of the exquisite gardens accompanied by flamenco-Latino music from Santa Barbara guitarist […]

    The Universal Language
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

    It wasn’t exactly Dr. Dolittle, but Montecito oceanographer resident Dove Joans, who writes under the pseudonym Dolphingirl, claims to be able to communicate with animals, particularly whales and dolphins. In 2019, she wrote We Are the Ocean: 50 Waves to Wonder! and has just published the second edition of Dolphin Talk, which she wrote in […]

    Harpsichord in the Hall
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 27, 2024

    Camerata Pacifica debuted its latest import-flutist Sébastian Jacot in a most impressive concert at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall, with a program including music by Bach, Haydn, and Jolivet. Geneva-born Jacot, who began studying music at the age of six, also holds the position as principal flute at the prestigious Berliner Philharmoniker. He plays a […]

    Super Bowl Party Pile Up
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 20, 2024

    Sports fans galore descended on the George Washington Smith Montecito estate of technology executive Howard Cannon, just a tiara’s toss from the home of singer Katy Perry and her British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom, for Cannon’s popular seventh annual Super Bowl party. With commercial time during the CBS broadcast of the matchup between the Kansas […]

    A Verdi Good Show
    By Richard Mineards   |   February 20, 2024

    Opera Santa Barbara’s newest production – Verdi’s historical melodrama Il Trovatore, a story of superstition, revenge, and ill-fated love in medieval Spain, including the famous “Anvil Chorus” – was an absolute delight. Featuring a powerhouse cast at the Lobero with tenor Harold Meers, soprano Karin Wolverton, baritone Timothy Mix, bass Andrew Potter, with mezzo soprano […]

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