Hope you all had a boo-tiful Halloween, and in case you’ve already run out of leftover candy, not to worry.  There are plenty of sweet things to enjoy in L.A. in November – including the candied yams you’ve likely added to your list of “things to make” for Thanksgiving.  Holy holidays, is it already Turkey Time???  Kick off the season with a little can-can at le Moulin Rouge, indulge your ultimate foodie fantasies, hit the sheets, and reach for the stars. Here’s your Guide to the Good Stuff.

Come What May — Come to le Moulin Rouge?

If you enjoyed the 2001 Baz Lurhrman film “Moulin Rouge”(with Nicole Kidman and Ewan MacGregor) but you haven’t yet seen the live Broadway version, now’s your chance.  This smoky, sexy production is luscious and loads of fun you won’t want to miss.  Set it Paris at the turn of the 20th century, loaded with glitz and glamour and brimming with passion and pop music, Moulin Rouge! high-kicks its way to the Pantages Theater in Hollywood from November 4 thru 16.

It’s a raucously good time, and a joy of a holiday treat — without the bloating. PS, if you want to feel like you’re going to see an actual Broadway show in NYC, you can take the train to the Pantages (yes, LA has a subway, too!).  Grab the Red Line to the Hollywood/Vine stop, and you’re about a 1-minute walk to the (mini) Great White Way…West.  GET THE DETAILS.

Wine and Food Festival

Attention foodies and oenophiles! The Los Angeles Wine & Food Festival is here, beckoning you to a 3-day bender of limitless tastings from dozens of top chefs, locally and internationally renowned. And of course, unlimited libations are on tap as well.  Over 30 different chefs each day will be on hand to tantalize your tastebuds, including Ludo Lefebvre of local fave Petit Trois and James Beard finalist Bryan Voltaggio, along with a host of vintners whose wines are ready for your savoring  The Festival runs through the weekend of November 7 – 9 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Single tickets are on sale, or if you’re a glutton for culinary rapture, your can get a pass for all 3 days. Either way, a votre santé, and eat up!  GET THE DETAILS.

Frette…For Less

Ultra-luxurious Italian linen at a discount? Si, mile grazie!

For 160 years, Frette has been, per their website, “featured everywhere from the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica to the dining car of the Orient Express, and more than 500 European royal families have slept beneath its sheets.”  Well, if they’re good enough for the Pope and various His/Her Highness(es), I’m in…or under. But the price is over…budget, for many.  Thankfully, through a little gem of a website called chicmi.com, I discovered a sample sale of fabulous Frette.

This event is hosted by a company called Eclipse, which operates sample sales in NYC and LA with a mission to make luxury fashion more accessible, helping consumers “experience the thrill of owning prestigious brands without the exorbitant cost.” My kind of people. The Eclipse sample sale, better known (by me) as the Frette-for-less fest, runs from November 9 – 16 in West Hollywood at 315 S Robertson Blvd. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and 10 am to 5 pm on both Sundays.  RSVP on the chicmi.com website for tickets.  FYI, chicmi.com lists a variety of these sample sales for several high-end designer brands.  You’re welcome. GET THE DETAILS.

Uncabaret

If you’ve watched, heard, or read the news any time this year, you’re most likely certain of one absolute truth: we could all use a good laugh.  Luckily, Los Angeles is never at a loss for comedy events, and this month is no exception.  Uncabaret, a show that basically birthed the “alt-comedy” scene in these parts, and has been around for eons…as have I.  The show is produced, curated, and hosted by the adorable Beth Lapides, who has always managed to attract the hippest and funniest current comics on the scene. Uncab, as its followers call it, used to be a weekly happening in WeHo, and while its venues and frequency have changed, the vibe has remained constant: a cool way to see cool comedy. This month you can catch the show – featuring one of my favorite comics, Patton Oswalt – at El Cid in Silverlake, on Friday, November 21st. Doors open at 6:00 pm, show starts at 7:00. GET THE DETAILS.

Let There Be Lights

“Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them,” said Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. (Thanks, Google.) Well this month you can follow Marcus’s advice, and do it to a soundtrack. Astra Lumina returns to SoCal, welcoming visitors to “a garden right here on earth that shares a special connection with the sky above. Come nightfall, the garden sets the stage for a phenomenal event: a visit from the stars.”

Set to dramatic music to heighten the star-studded experience, the experience — a leisurely 45-60 minute walk through a path of celestial wonderment.  The light/sound show runs all month, Thursday through Sunday evenings, at South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes Estates.  And if you want to feel extra-connected to the Universe, you can add a guided breath-work class before the journey if you book tickets on November 9,13 or 14.  Namaste…  GET THE DETAILS.

The Mommies Are Back

Remember a sitcom from the mid-90’s called “The Mommies”?  It starred two women you’d probably never seen before, along with a couple of actors you probably had. Those two women were (and still are) Marilyn Kentz and Caryl Kristensen, both of whom would’ve probably been your best friends, and certainly your most fun and funny friends, if they’d lived on your street. They lived on the same street and became besties in their small NorCal town. Then they created a little show about motherhood for fun…which turned into a bigger show…which turned into an NBC sitcom…which turned their lives around. They moved to Hollywood, husbands and kids in tow, and became TV stars — first on the sitcom, then with their own daytime talk show on ABC.

These gals were hot in the 90’s! Now 30 years later, they’re just hot from menopause.  But they’re still funny/charming/adorable, and they’re back with a new stage show featuring nostalgic clips, musical parodies, and crazy stories of their accidental road to fame — and how easy it was to go down the Hollywood ladder. And how fun it is to now be “Grand Mommies”…along with other fun things about aging (chin hairs, anyone?). The show will make you laugh, smile and feel good. The Mommies: Their Last Trimester happens on Saturday, November 8th at The Crow in Santa Monica.  It’s one matinee only, at 3:00pm.  Let it be your pre-Happy Hour happy hour. GET THE DETAILS.