Monthly Archives: June 2022

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts 2022/2023 Season Announcement Event!

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts announced its 2022/2023 season at a special live event for invited guests in the Bram Goldsmith Theater, on May 31, 2022. We were pleased to be among the honored guests attending this special event!

(L-R) Sid Fish, Co-Publisher & Editor; Steve Zall, Publisher; Joel Hile, Director of Marketing & Communications; Chandra Jackson, Marketing & Communications Content Manager
PHOTO CREDIT: DVR Productions
The staff of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts joins some of the artists who will be appearing at The Wallis during its 2022/2023 season.
PHOTO CREDIT: DVR Productions

THE WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING FOR 2022/2023 SEASON


Distinctive Range of Performances, Programs, and Events Feature Groundbreaking Produced and Presented Works in Theater, Dance, Music, Film, Cabaret, Conversation, and Family Entertainment

Celebrated Artists Whose Work is Represented Include Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Bradley Bredeweg, Sheldon Epps, Xiang “Sean” Gao, Emma Rice, Kwame Alexander, Lisa Fischer, Thelma Houston, Osvaldo Golijov, Lillias White, Stephanie J. Block,Anthony McGill, Isaac Mizrahi, Ulysses Owens, Jr., J’nNai Bridges, Jeffrey Kahane, John Irving, Reza Aslan, and many others

Extraordinary Dance and Music Companies Featured Range from Mambo Kings, Ballet Hispánico, Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles, andBODYTRAFFIC to Pacifica Quartet, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and more

Sing for Hope, The Wallis’ 2022-2023 Season Company-in-Residence, its Founders, Sopranos Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus, Artists-in-Residence, and The Wallis Present U.S. Premiere of THE LAST SORCERER (LE DERNIER SORCIER), an 1867 Masterwork Salon Opera 150 Years Ahead of its Time

Programming also Features Continued Partnerships with Writers Bloc, ASCAP, and Film Independent; Return of the Signature Sorting Room Series; and Sunday Fundays with Free Family Entertainment


The Wallis’ Ninth Season Begins in late September 2022 and Continues into the Summer of 2023


(Beverly Hills, CA, June 1, 2022) – The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has announced a robust and distinctive range of performances, programs, and events for the 2022/2023 season, including two world premieres, one U.S. premiere, one West Coast Premiere, and one Los Angeles Premiere, featuring groundbreaking produced and presented works in theater, dance, music, film, cabaret, conversation, and family entertainment. Among the celebrated artists whose work is represented are Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Bradley Bredeweg, Sheldon Epps, Xiang “Sean” Gao, Emma Rice, Kwame Alexander, Lisa Fischer, Thelma Houston, Osvaldo Golijov, Lillias White, Stephanie J. Block, Anthony McGill, Isaac Mizrahi, Ulysses Owens, Jr., J’Nai Bridges, Jeffrey Kahane, John Irving, Reza Aslan, and many others. Extraordinary dance and music companies featured from around Southern California, the United States, and the world range from Mambo Kings, Ballet Hispánico, Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles, and BODYTRAFFIC to Pacifica Quartet, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and more. Sing for Hope, The Wallis’ 2022-2023 Season Company-in-Residence, and its founders, sopranos Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus, Artists-in-Residence, present, with The Wallis, the Sing for Hope Production of The Last Sorcerer (Le Dernier Sorcier), an 1867 masterwork salon opera 150 years ahead of its time. Programming also features continued partnerships with Writers Bloc, ASCAP, and Film Independent; the return of the signature Sorting Room series; and Sunday Fundays with free family entertainment. Under the leadership of Executive Director/CEO Rachel Fine, The Wallis’ ninth season begins in late September 2022 and runs into the summer of 2023.

“The Wallis launches its 2022/2023 stronger than ever,” says The Wallis’ Executive Director and CEO Rachel Fine. “With this full slate of bold, diverse, and ambitious programming, we’re prepared to wow, engage, and move our audiences during a time when we all need to be elevated and nurtured by the performing arts. We are pleased to be operating at full throttle, once again, thanks to the invaluable support of The Wallis’ Board of Directors, the City of Beverly Hills, the Annenberg Foundation, and our loyal community of supporters, artists, staff, and friends.”

“The Wallis’ 2022/23 season provides a place for our communities, our audiences, and our artists to be revived with inventive programming that inspires, entertains, challenges, reflects and uplifts,” says Associate Artistic Director Coy Middlebrook. “The breadth and depth of the work being presented during this season showcases the work of some of LA’s and America’s leading, and emerging, artistic thought-makers in dance, theater, music, film, and literature. Their contemporary perspectives paired with their tremendous creativity generates work that is as fresh and gripping for these times we find ourselves in as it is timelessly poetic and enthralling.”

Theater offerings further broaden The Wallis’ commitment to new work, with two World Premieres, one West Coast Premiere, and one Los Angeles Premiere. From November 22 to December 17, 2022, The Wallis presents INVINCIBLE – THE MUSICAL (World Premiere) FEATURING THE MUSIC OF PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO, which reimagines the timeless story of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for the 21st century through an intricate weaving of the four-time GRAMMY® Award-winners and 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees’ legendary catalogue and inspired new songs. With a book by Bradley Bredeweg, music direction and arrangements by Jesse Vargas, and orchestrations and arrangements by Neil Giraldo, Invincible – The Musical is presented by Special Arrangement with Jamie Cesa, Cody Lassen & Bel Chiasso Entertainment.

The pioneering SHANGHAI SONATAS: A NEW MUSICAL IN CONCERT (World Premiere) is presented from March 16 to 18, 2023 by The Wallis in collaboration with the University of Delaware Master Players Concert Series. Concept, music and produced by Xiang “Sean” Gao, one of Musical America‘s Top 30 Professionals of the Year, Shanghai Sonatas brilliantly shows the power of music to build bridges across cultures. With book by Alan Goodson and lyrics by Joyce Hill Stoner, Shanghai Sonatas is directed by Chongren Fan.

Sheldon Epps (Blues in the Night) returns to direct The Wallis Production of MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT (West Coast Premiere) from May 23 to June 11, 2023, a new drama written by Deborah Brevoort based on the real-life friendship between legendary Black contralto Marian Anderson and physicist Albert Einstein, two icons of the 20th century, who dealt with the injustices of a highly divided era in American history.

From January 11 to 22, 2023, The Wallis Presents Wise Children’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS (Los Angeles Premiere) based on the novel by Emily Brontë and adapted and directed by Emma Rice (Brief Encounter, Tristan & Yseult). Rice returns to The Wallis to transform Brontë’s masterpiece into an intoxicating story of revenge, shot through with music, dance, passion, and hope.

DAHLAK BRATHWAITE: TRY/STEP/TRIP from February 2 to 5, 2023, written and composed by Dahlak Brathwaite, is a spoken word, multi-character musical performed through the language of step dance. Directed by Roberta Uno, it is choreographed by Toran X. Moore, with assistant choreography by Freddy Ramsey, Jr., and orchestrations and additional compositions by Teak Underdue.

The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences On Tour Production of ACOUSTIC ROOSTER’S BARNYARD BOOGIE: STARRING INDIGO BLUME from April 22 to 23, 2023, is a brand-new stage show recommended for ages five and up. Adapted from the books by New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander, it is written by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess with music by Randy Preston, and directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

Among the dynamic blend of dance companies presented during the season are two making their Wallis debuts: BALLET HISPÁNICO, October 7/8, 2022, in celebration of the incomparable company’s 50th Anniversary, and LUMINARIO BALLET OF LOS ANGELES, February 17/18, 2023, a thrilling repertory ballet, aerial, and modern dance company. Returning favorites are BODYTRAFFIC, October 21 to 23, 2022, which has conquered the contemporary dance world with its stunning performers, technical mastery, and a commitment to the most challenging repertoire; BLUE13 DANCE COMPANY, noted for its rhythmic and exuberant genre-bending artistry that blends hip-hop, ballet, modern, and traditional Indian dance, on May 12/13, 2023; and ALONZO KING LINES BALLET, June 9 to 11, 2023, performing a new work featuring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer set to a score by jazz pianist, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran.

Additionally, pop, opera, jazz, blues, classical, Broadway, and Latinx artists, many making their Wallis debuts, are among the sweeping and diverse array of music performers.

As part of Sing for Hope’s residency, The Wallis presents the U.S. PREMIERE of the Sing for Hope Production of THE LAST SORCERER (LE DERNIER SORCIER) on March 3, 2023, preceded on March 2 by a Center Stage panel. One hundred fifty years ahead of its time, Pauline Viardot’s 1867 masterwork salon opera was written on a libretto by her lover, the great Russian novelist Turgenev. A feminist eco-fable in operatic form, it premiered to great acclaim with Viardot at the piano in her Baden Baden villa and her students in the roles. After the original piano-voice manuscript was held in a private collection for over a century, it essentially vanished without a trace until acquired several years ago by Harvard Library, which gave Sing for Hope co-founder Monica Yunus permission to publish and produce the recording of the world premiere of the work. New English language narrations take the place of French dialogue that would have come in between each musical number, punctuating the concert story-book-style.

AN EVENING WITH MOTOWN – A Bristol Entertainment Production (October 1, 2022), a uniquely entertaining music experience, features Grammy Award-winning artist Thelma Houston and other remarkable talents.

As part of Sing for Hope’s residency, HAVANA NIGHTS (October 13, 2022) showcases the MAMBO KINGS and star soprano CAMILLE ZAMORA, hailed as a leading interpreter of classical Spanish song by NBC Latino, with a sultry, passionate, and exciting evening of Latin music from Spain and the island of Cuba. Canadian-Trinidadian pianist STEWART GOODYEAR performs in his Wallis debut (October 15, 2022) selections from his latest album, PHOENIX, including original works by Goodyear as well as Debussy, Jennifer Higdon, Anthony David and others that obtain new life by arising from the sound world, past traditions, and gestures of Franz Lizst. FALLING OUT OF TIME (October 27, 2022) is a gripping new song cycle from Grammy-winning composer OSVALDO GOLIJOV with an ensemble of musicians, led by acclaimed violinist Johnny Gandelsman, that finds its roots in David Grossman’s novel of the same name.

BROADWAY @ THE WALLIS & MARK CORTALE PRESENT, the internationally acclaimed concert series, returns with two star-studded evenings. LILLIAS WHITE WITH SETH RUDETSKY, HOST & PIANIST, on November 3, 2022, features Tony, Obie and Emmy Award-winner White (The Life, Fela!, Dreamgirls, Barnum, Once On This Island, Chicago, Disney’s Hercules, Pieces of April, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, “The Get Down,” “Russian Doll, “Search Party”) in conversation and performance with SiriusXM Radio star Rudetsky. STEPHANIE J. BLOCK WITH SETH RUDETSKY, HOST & PIANIST (May 4, 2023), is an evening with Tony Award-winner Block (The Cher Show, Falsettos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 9 to 5: The Musical, Boy From Oz, Wicked) revealing behind-the-scenes stories and music from Block’s stellar Broadway career.

The virtuosic LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA makes its Wallis debut with two appearances, the first of which is Baroque Concerti (January 28, 2023), an evening of chamber performances featuring soloists Yura Lee, principal viola, and David Washburn, principal trumpet, performing works by Johan Baptist Georg Neruda, Corelli, Geminiani, Telemann, and Handel. Masterworks for String Orchestra (May 6, 2023) immerses audiences in the majesty of the string orchestra through a program of rich and varied compositions by Bingen, Britten, Mendelssohn, Hindemith, and Greig, curated by LACO Concertmaster and Director of Chamber Music Margaret Batjer.

The Grammy Award-winning PACIFICA QUARTET, which has achieved international recognition as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today, is joined by the brilliantly multifaceted ANTHONY MCGILL, principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, on February 23, 2023. Actor, host, writer, acclaimed fashion designer, and producer ISAAC MIZRAHI, whose one-of-a-kind show on March 4, 2023, combines comedy, commentary, and an array of classic and soon-to-be classic songs from Stephen Sondheim to Blondie, from Comden & Green to Madonna. Cellist SETH PARKER WOODS  (March 9, 2023), recipient of the 2022 Chamber Music America Michael Jaffee Visionary Award and hailed by The Guardian as “a cellist of power and grace,” performs works by Rachmaninov, Liszt, Kagel, Chinary Ung, Respighi, Lembit Beecher, and Reinaldo Moya. ULYSSES OWENS, JR. & J’NAI BRIDGES in NOTES ON HOPE (April 27, 2023), bring together mezzo-soprano opera star J’Nai Bridges and Grammy-winning jazz trailblazer percussionist Ulysses Owens, Jr., in a program of works by Debussy, Ravel, Duparc, Satie, Poulenc, Ellington, and more. Pianist JEFFREY KAHANE,recognized around the world for his mastery of a diverse repertoire, performs his interpretation of BACH: GOLDBERG VARIATIONS (May 11, 2023), long regarded as the most serious and ambitious work for the keyboard. All of these artists are making their Wallis debuts.

On May 20, 2023, the award-winning MIRÓ QUARTET (Daniel Ching, violin; William Fedkenheuer, violin; John Largess, viola; Joshua Gindele, cello), one of America’s most celebrated string quartets, is reunited with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer KEVIN PUTS, who has been hailed as one of the most important composers of his generation. Critically acclaimed for a richly colored, harmonic, and freshly melodic musical voice that has also been described as “emotional, compelling, and relevant,” Puts has had works commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading orchestras, ensembles, and soloists throughout the world.

The season’s music programs conclude on June 1, 2023, with an evening featuring the chamber trio of JORDAN BAK, viola, GENEVA LEWIS, violin, and EVREN OZEL, piano. With myriad colors and sounds spanning two centuries, this evening offers a unique blend of artistic collaboration and instrumental and interpretational distinctiveness between performers and composers, from works by Debussy, Schumann, and Mozart to Max Reger’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B minor, showcasing the young 18-year-old composer’s musical and technical maturity and brimming with bravura, sensitivity, and promise.

The Wallis continues its partnership with WRITERS BLOC for a series of CONVERSATIONS providing insight into the literary process featuring AN EVENING WITH ANTHONY DOERR (September 29, 2022), AN EVENING WITH JOHN IRVING (October 23, 2022), and AN EVENING WITH REZA ASLAN (November 1, 2022). For 26 years, Writers Bloc has fostered the significance and importance of literature as an art form, enhancing the public’s knowledge and awareness of contemporary writers and thinkers who have made a significant impact on the cultural and literary landscape.

The Wallis’ wildly successful SORTING ROOM series, which transforms the Lovelace Studio Theater into an intimate nightclub, returns during the holiday season to offer the best talent from a wide range of genres including the American songbook, spoken word, comedy, classic cabaret, storytelling, dance, contemporary music, and more.

Film presentations in partnership with FILM INDEPENDENT, featuring screening events and conversations with celebrated actors and filmmakers, will be announced.

The ASCAP Musical Theater Workshop and Festival also returns in partnership with the ASCAP Foundation. In addition there will be a special Evening with Stephen Schwartz concert in celebration of his 75th birthday. (Dates and tickets to be announced soon.)

Of particular note, The Wallis continues its beloved free monthly outdoor SUNDAY FUNDAY family series from October 2022 through June 2023 with a variety of engaging programming that includes Debbie Allen & Friends’ Dance Sundays and quality live performances by groups ranging from Parker Bent to Broadway Babies and Spring Groove, plus Holiday Hanukah with Mostly Kosher in December and a bilingual concert in June with Nathalia – all designed to spark young peoples’ imagination and fuel creativity. No reservations or tickets are required for Sunday Funday events.


Subscriptions to The Wallis’ 2022/2023 Season are on sale now. Single tickets will be available at a later date. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. To purchase subscriptions and for more information, please call 310-746-4000 (Monday – Friday, 10 am to 6 pm) or visit www.TheWallis.org.

The Wallis is closely monitoring the ever-changing local health and safety environment carefully and addressing known health factors at the moment. Should plans change and any performance be required to be postponed or cancelled or if venue capacity limitations are instituted, ticket holders will be notified immediately with options for their purchased tickets per The Wallis’ ticketing policies.

The health and safety of patrons, our staff, and artists inside and outside the venue are a top priority for The Wallis, which is requiring all patrons to provide, upon entry, proof of full vaccination or a negative PCR test result within 48 hours or a verifiable Antigen test within 24 hours from your performance date, along with a government issued photo ID. Facial masks, covering both the mouth and nose, are still required at all times while within the venue. The Wallis’ health and safety protocols are also subject to change at the venue’s sole discretion or in accordance with LA County and City of Beverly Hills regulations. Current Health & Safety Protocols and updates may also be accessed at www.TheWallis.org/Safety. Policies are subject to change.


About Sing for Hope

Founded by Camille Zamora and Monica Yunus, Sing for Hope harnesses the power of the arts to create a better world. Creative programs bring hope, healing, and connection to millions of people in hospitals, care facilities, schools, refugee camps, transit hubs, and community spaces worldwide. Sing for Hope partners with hundreds of community-based organizations, mobilizes thousands of artists in creative service, and produces artist-created Sing for Hope Pianos across the US and around the world. Sing for Hope traces its roots to 9/11, when Juilliard sopranos Zamora and Yunus organized fellow musicians to perform for the firehouse at Lincoln Center, which had lost twelve of firefighters that day. In the months that followed, realizing the power of the arts in times of crisis, they continued to reach out across the city to share soothing music and art with communities in need, growing their ranks from dozens of artists to thousands. In 2010, as a symbol and celebration of art for all, they launched New York City’s Sing for Hope Pianos, now one the country’s largest public arts projects. Sing for Hope Pianos is a global arts initiative that produces artist-designed pianos placed in public spaces for anyone and everyone to enjoy then transports and activates them year-round in permanent homes in schools, hospitals, transit hubs, refugee camps, and community-based organizations. Other key programs include Sing for Hope Healing Arts, research-based creative performances, workshops, and curated cultural experiences that promote wellness, connection, and respite in hospitals, vaccination centers, long-term care facilities, hospices, and treatment centers; Sing for Hope Education, dynamic arts workshops and standards-based curricula that inspire civic action and uplift youth, educators, and local communities; and Sing for Hope Global, creative advocacy, leadership, and program design that drive the integration of the arts in policy and at global convenings on social change. Sing for Hope is the official Cultural Partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. As a champion of art for all, Sing for Hope believes the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal.


About the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national and international artists share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. The campus, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is committed to robust and distinctive presentations and education programs curated with both creativity and social impact in mind. Distinguished by its eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented more than 350 theater, dance, music, film, cabaret, conversation, and family entertainment programs since its doors opened in October 2013. Hailed as “au courant” (LaLa Magazine), The Wallis was lauded by Culture Vulture, which proclaims, “If you love expecting the unexpected in the performing arts, you have to love The Wallis.” Its programming has been nominated for 79 Ovation Awards and nine L.A. Drama Critic’s Circle Awards. The campus itself, a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, has garnered six architectural awards. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF:architects), the restored building features the original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places), which serves as the theater’s dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and includes the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace the city’s history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is led by Chairman of the Board Michael Nemeroff and Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Rachel Fine.

For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.

Like The Wallis on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @thewallisbh


2022/2023 SEASON PROGRAMMING CALENDAR:

THEATER

NOV 22 – DEC 17, 2022
The Wallis Production of INVINCIBLE – THE MUSICAL
FEATURING THE MUSIC OF PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO

JAN 11 – 22, 2023
Wise Children’s WUTHERING HEIGHTS

FEB 2 – 5, 2023
DAHLAK BRATHWAITE: TRY/STEP/TRIP

MAR 16 – 18, 2023
SHANGHAI SONATAS: A NEW MUSICAL IN CONCERT

APR 22 – 23, 2023
The Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences On Tour Production of
ACOUSTIC ROOSTER’S BARNYARD BOOGIE STARRING INDIGO BLUME

MAY 23 – JUN 11, 2023
MY LORD, WHAT A NIGHT

DANCE

OCT 7 – 8, 2022
BALLET HISPÁNICO 50th Anniversary Celebration – Noche de Oro

OCT 21 – 23, 2022
BODYTRAFFIC

FEB 17 – 18, 2023
LUMINARIO BALLET OF LOS ANGELES

MAY 12 – 13, 2023
BLUE13 DANCE COMPANY

JUN 9 – 11, 2023
ALONZO KING LINES BALLET

MUSIC

OCT 1, 2022
AN EVENING WITH MOTOWN
A Bristol Entertainment Production

OCT 13, 2022
MAMBO KINGS & CAMILLE ZAMORA
HAVANA NIGHTS

OCT 15, 2022
STEWART GOODYEAR
PHOENIX

OCT 27, 2022
OSVALDO GOLIJOV
FALLING OUT OF TIME

NOV 3, 2022
BROADWAY @ THE WALLIS & MARK CORTALE PRESENT
LILLIAS WHITE WITH SETH RUDETSKY, HOST & PIANIST

JAN 28, 2023
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS
Baroque Concerti

FEB 23, 2023
ANTHONY MCGILL & THE PACIFICA QUARTET

MAR 3, 2023
THE LAST SORCERER (LE DERNIER SORCIER)

MAR 4, 2023
AN EVENING WITH ISAAC MIZRAHI

MAR 9, 2023
SETH PARKER WOODS

APR 27, 2023
ULYSSES OWENS, JR. & J’NAI BRIDGES
NOTES ON HOPE

MAY 4, 2023
BROADWAY @ THE WALLIS & MARK CORTALE PRESENT
STEPHANIE J. BLOCK WITH SETH RUDETSKY, HOST & PIANIST

MAY 6, 2023
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS
Masterworks for String Orchestra

MAY 11, 2023
JEFFREY KAHANE, piano
BACH: GOLDBERG VARIATIONS

MAY 20, 2023
MIRÓ QUARTET & SPECIAL GUEST KEVIN PUTS

JUN 1, 2023
JORDAN BAK, GENEVA LEWIS & EVREN OZEL

CONVERSATIONS

SEP 29, 2022
The Wallis & Writers Bloc Present
AN EVENING WITH ANTHONY DOERR

OCT 23, 2022
AN EVENING WITH JOHN IRVING

NOV 1, 2022
AN EVENING WITH REZA ASLAN


TICKET PRICES AND INFORMATION:

Subscriptions to The Wallis’ 2022/2023 Season are on sale now. Single tickets will be available at a later date. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. To purchase subscriptions and tickets and for more information, please call 310-746-4000 (Monday – Friday, 10 am to 6 pm) or visit www.TheWallis.org.

(Due to current health and safety variables, performances are subject to change, postponement or cancellation.)

Article by:
Steve Zall, Publisher & Sid Fish, Co-Publisher and Editor
All Beverly Hills Publishing

“Scene in LA” June 2022 by Steve Zall and Sid Fish

Most theaters have returned to fairly normal operations again. Covid protocols vary from venue to venue, so you may still have to show proof of vaccination, and/or wear a mask during the show, so please check with the theater before you attend an event to find out what their policy is. The information presented in this column is the latest available at the time of printing, however you should check with the theater to confirm it before making definite plans. Here are the shows that have announced opening dates for this month, or are already running at this time:

OPENING


“Uncle Vanya” This exhilarating revival pairs one of the greatest plays ever written with the world’s most celebrated translators of Russian literature. After years of caring for their family’s crumbling estate, Vanya and his niece receive an unexpected visit from his brother-in-law and his alluring wife. When hidden passions and tumultuous frustrations come to a boil in the heat of the Russian summer, their lives threaten to come undone. Comic, cutting, and true to life, this translation of Uncle Vanya provides an up-close, conversational-style encounter with a classic drama that every theater-lover must see. Written by Anton Chekhov, translated by Richard Nelson, Richard Pevear, and Larissa Volokhonsky, it runs June 1 through June 26 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-7529 or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

“The Desperate Hours” tells the story of a trio of escaped bank robbers who take a suburban family and hold them hostage by turning their tranquil, secluded home into a secret hideout from the law. Father, mother, daughter and son are captive and have their mettle tested as they try to prevail over a terrifying situation. Written by Joseph Hayes, and directed by Jules Aaron, it runs June 3 through July 10 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-763-5990 or visit www.thegrouprep.com.

“Harvey” Elwood P. Dowd insists on including his friend Harvey in all of his sister Veta’s social gatherings. The trouble is, Harvey is an imaginary six-and-a-half-foot-tall rabbit. To avoid future embarrassment for her family – and especially for her daughter Myrtle Mae – Vita decides to have Elwood committed to a sanitarium. At the sanitarium, a frantic Veta explains to the staff that her years living with Elwood’s hallucination have caused her to see Harvey also, so the doctors mistakenly commit her instead of her mild-mannered brother. The truth comes out, however; Veta is freed, and the search is on for Elwood, who eventually arrives at the sanitarium of his own volition looking for Harvey. But it seems that Elwood and his invisible companion have had influence on more than one of the doctors. Only at the end does Veta realize that maybe Harvey isn’t so bad after all. Written by Mary Chase, and directed by Marina Tidwell, it runs June 3 through July 10 at the Theatre Palisades Pierson Playhouse in Pacific Palisades. For tickets call 310-454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org.

“In the Heights” tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams, and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind. Written by Quiara Alegría Hudes, with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and directed by Benjamin Perez, it runs June 3 through June 26 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets call 562-944-9801 or visit www.lamiradatheatre.com.

“A Terminal Event” About an aspiring actress who works part-time as a medical receptionist and falls under the spell of a young advertising executive who insists on addressing his cancer diagnosis with alternative medicine. With regrets from their pasts and heavy defenses in place, they stumble into an unlikely chance at love. Written by Richard Willett, and directed by Maria Gobetti, it runs June 3 through July 10 at the Victory Theatre Center Big Victory Theatre in Burbank. For tickets call 818-841-5421 or visit www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org.

“André & Dorine” If you missed it before, here’s your chance: Spain’s celebrated Kulunka Teatro returns to the Los Angeles Theatre Center with André & Dorine, the company’s poignant depiction of love and aging disrupted by Alzheimer’s. This Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award-winning production tells the story of an elderly couple—André with his typewriter, Dorine with her cello—and how they relive and reinvent their love together as the disease becomes a permanent part of their relationship. Three actors portray more than 15 different characters, telling the story with masks, gesture and movement, with no spoken dialogue. Written by El José Dault, Garbiñe Insausti, Iñaki Rikarte, Edu Cárcamo, and Rolando San Martín, with music by Yayo Cáceres, and directed by Iñaki Rikarte, it runs June 8 through June 19 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in Los Angeles. For tickets call 213-489-0994 or visit www.latinotheaterco.org.

“The Legend of Georgia McBride” Casey is young and broke, with a baby on the way and the landlord knocking on his door. Now, the owner of the bar where Casey works as an Elvis impersonator has replaced his act with a B-level drag show, and Casey’s about to learn a lot about show business—and himself. Written by Matthew Lopez, and directed by Jamie Torcellini, it runs June 10 through June 28 at the International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. For tickets call 562-436-4610 or visit www.InternationalCityTheatre.org.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” reset in1950s small-town America during the nascent period of second-wave feminism and featuring a rockin’ score of ‘50s tunes. Things might seem picture perfect in “Small Town U.S.A”… but when opportunistic schemer and womanizer John Falstaff blows into town with his gang and tries to woo two wealthy ladies at once, the town’s women gleefully plot his comeuppance. Written by William Shakespeare, and directed by Ellen Geer, it runs June 11 through October 2 at the Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga. For tickets call 310-455-3723 or visit www.theatricum.com.

“Interstate” an Asian-American pop-rock poetry musical that follows Dash, a transgender spoken word performer who becomes internet-famous along with his best friend Adrian, a lesbian singer-songwriter. Their fiercely political and deeply personal music touches Henry, a transgender teenage boy living in small-town America. As Dash and Adrian hit the road for their first national tour, Henry sets out on a quest to meet his heroes in person, hoping to find answers to his own struggles. Written by Melissa Li & Kit Yan, and directed by Jesca Prudencio, it runs June 12 through June 26 at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.eastwestplayers.org.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” An annual season staple going back decades, Theatricum’s wooded stage morphs into the enchanted woods of Athens, where mortal lovers chase and are chased, players prepare, and fairies make magical mischief in Shakespeare’s most entertaining and beguiling comedy. Written by William Shakespeare, and directed by Melora Marshall, it runs June 12 through October 1 at the Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga. For tickets call 310-455-3723 or visit www.theatricum.com.

“Pretty Woman: The Musical” centers around a free spirited Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward, who is hired by Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman, to be his escort for several business and social functions, and their developing relationship over the course of her week-long stay with him. Written by Garry Marshall and J. F. Lawton, with music by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and directed by Jerry Mitchell, it runs June 15 through July 3 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 800-982-2782 or visit www.BroadwayInHollywood.com.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Open Fist Theatre Company presents a provocative new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream set in the Antebellum South. Intrigued by the Mechanicals’ line “That would hang us every mother’s son,” director James Fowler has moved the action from Athens, Greece to Athens, Georgia circa 1855. There, with Shakespeare’s text unchanged, we enter a world where the magic of an enslaved people plays out in the lives of those to whom they remain invisible. Written by William Shakespeare, and directed by James Fowler, it runs June 25 through August 13 at the Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater Village. For tickets call 323-882-6912 or visit www.openfist.org.

“The West Side Waltz” In the world premiere of Thompson’s newly revised, music and heart-filled comedy set during the tumultuous ’80s, Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer; her sister, Melora Marshall; and daughter Willow Geer take on the roles of an aging concert pianist, her violin-playing spinster neighbor, and a would-be actress on New York’s Upper West Side. Written by Ernest Thompson, and directed by Mary Jo DuPrey, it runs June 25 through October 1 at the Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga. For tickets call 310-455-3723 or visit www.theatricum.com.

“A Wicked Soul in Cherry Hill” On a November night in 1994, a murder was committed in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. In this poignant true-crime story told completely through song, a tight-knit Jewish community gathers to recount, remember, and reckon with the details of what happened in—and to—their town. This wholly original production asks what it does to our souls when our leaders fall from grace. Written by Matt Schatz, with music by Matt Schatz, and directed by Mike Donahu, it runs June 30 through July 24 at the Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. For tickets call 310-208-2028 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.


CONTINUING


“Slice” is a deep, probing, emotional conversation between father and son; man to man, bare knuckled, leaving no topic off the table. Written by David Watson, and directed by Joe Mellis, it runs through June 5 at the Atwater Playhouse in Atwater Village. For tickets visit www.brownpapertickets.com.

“Try Not to Think About It, Alice Childress” A series of miscommunications turns into a night of survival when a natural disaster strikes the Hollywood Hills. This witty, challenging drama will leave you wondering what just happened and what will happen next, while the people hunkered down in a mansion just try to keep up with what they’re becoming amidst the Hollywood dream. Contains mature language, violence, sexual situations, and brief strobe light effects. Written and directed by Chris Haas, it runs through June 5 at the Loft Ensemble in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-452-3153 or visit www.loftensemble.org.

“A Chorus Line” is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American Musical Theatre: the chorus dancers – those valiant, over dedicated, underpaid, highly trained performers who back up the star or stars and often make them look even more talented than they are. It’s also about competition, and competition might easily be the common denominator that grabs the audience and holds it by the collective heartstring until the final, ultimate choices are made. The show features one powerhouse number after another, “What I Did for Love,” “One,” “I Can Do That,” “At the Ballet,” “The Music and the Mirror,” and “I Hope I Get It.” Written by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and directed by Luis Villabon, it runs through June 12 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets call 949-497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.


Our local theme parks are operating at full capacity. Most require advance reservations online, as well as advance ticket, and possibly food, purchases. You will need an app in some to be able to take full advantage of all attractions and restaurants. Please check their websites for details, restrictions, and availability before planning a visit:
Disneyland Resort
Disney’s California Adventure
www.disneyland.disney.go.com
Knott’s Berry Farm www.knotts.com
Legoland California www.legoland.com/california
SeaWorld San Diego www.seaworld.com/san-diego
Six Flags Magic Mountain www.sixflags.com/magicmountain
Universal Studios Hollywood www.universalstudioshollywood.com

Some theaters still provide online offerings in addition to or in lieu of live performances, with many events you can experience on a virtual basis. A few of these online events are only available on a one-time basis, while others are ongoing and can be viewed on-demand anytime. Visit each of the web sites below to see what they are currently offering. You will find free content as well as pay-per-view to choose from. Here are the links to web sites with online offerings:
3-D Theatricals www.3dtheatricals.org
www.thereceiptswithd.com
“A Death-Defying Escape” www.deathdefyingescape.com
A Noise Within www.anoisewithin.org
Antaeus Theatre www.antaeus.org
“Blood/Sugar” www.dianawyenn.com
Boston Court Pasadena www.bostoncourtpasadena.org
CaltechLive! www.events.caltech.edu
www.youtube.com
Chalk Repertory Theatre www.chalkrep.com
Coeurage Ensemble www.coeurage.org
East West Players www.eastwestplayers.org
Echo Theater Company www.echotheatercompany.com
El Portal Theatre www.elportaltheatre.com
Films.Dance www.films.dance
For the Record Live www.ForTheRecordLive.com
Fountain Theatre www.fountaintheatre.com
Garry Marshall Theatre www.youtube.com
Hero Theatre www.herotheatre.org
IAMA Theatre Company www.iamatheatre.com
www.woollymammoth.net
www.queenstheatre.org
International City Theatre www.InternationalCityTheatre.org
“John Cullum: An Accidental Star” www.vineyardtheatre.org/an-accidental-star
Kentwood Players www.kentwoodplayers.org
www.youtube.com/kentwoodplayers
Laguna Playhouse www.lagunaplayhouse.com
L.A. Chamber Orchestra www.laco.org/laco-at-home
L.A. Theatre Works (fee & free) www.latw.org/black-voices
www.latw.org/broadcasts
www.latw.org/hd-screenings
www.latw.org/setting-stage-learning
Loft Ensemble www.loftensemble.org
Long Beach Opera www.longbeachopera.org
“Lovers and Other Strangers” www.showtix4u.com/event-details/52157
Morgan-Wixson Theatre www.morgan-wixson.org
www.youtube.com
Moving Arts www.movingarts.org
Odyssey Theatre www.OdysseyTheatre.com
Pepperdine University www.arts.pepperdine.edu
Robey Theatre Company www.therobeytheatrecompany.org
Rogue Artists Ensemble www.rogueartists.org/rogue-lab
Rubicon Theatre www.rubicontheatre.org
Sacred Fools www.sacredfools.org
Santa Monica Playhouse www.santamonicaplayhouse.com
Segerstrom Center for the Arts www.scfta.org
Shakespeare Center LA www.shakespearecenter.org
Sierra Madre Playhouse www.sierramadreplayhouse.org
South Coast Repertory www.scr.org
The Actors Gang “We Live On” www.theactorsgang.com
The Blank Theatre (fee)
The Blank Theatre (free)
www.patreon.com/TheBlankTheatre
www.youtube.com/TheBlankTheatreCo
The Broad Stage www.thebroadstage.org
The Geffen Playhouse (fee) www.geffenplayhouse.org
The Latino Theatre Company www.latinotheaterco.org
The Road Theatre Company www.roadtheatre.org
www.youtube.com
The Soraya www.thesoraya.org
The Victory Theatre Center www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org
The Wallis Center for the Performing Arts
The Wallis Studio Ensemble
www.thewallis.org
www.thewallis.org/streaming
Theatre 40 www.theatre40.org
Theatre 68 www.youtube.com/68centcrewtheatre
Theatre West www.theatrewest.org
“Trouble: A Calamity Adventure” www.opendoorplayhouse.org
Our best wishes go out to all of our readers as always, and we want to wish everyone a Happy Father’s Day this month! We also want to send heartfelt thanks to our Public Relations representatives who supply us with this great information, and to our editors and publishers who continue to publish these columns. We hope this year will be a safe and healthy one for theatergoers, reviewers, and everyone everywhere.
Sincerely,
Steve Zall, Publisher
Sid Fish, Co-Publisher and Editor