Ford Theatres Sets 2016 Summer Season

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission today announced the return of culturally diverse outdoor entertainment at the Ford Theatres, following nearly two years of renovations of the historic John Anson Ford Amphitheatre and its public amenities and landscape. The 2016 Summer Season, performed under the stars in the Hollywood Hills, opens on July 8 and runs through October 15. A full schedule is attached. Tickets can be purchased at FordTheatres.org or by calling (323) 461-3673.

The celebratory 2016 Summer Season will bring back perennial audience favorites such asTAIKOPROJECT (featuring taiko drumming in collaboration with Chicano rock band Quetzal),Fountain Theatre (in an explosion of flamenco music and dance), PAE Live (with "Concert King of the Philippines" Martin Nievera), a series of Outfest film screenings, the 14th Annual Fiesta Mexicana, the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony (this year featuring a tribute to video game composer Garry Schyman) and the genre-defying Angel City Jazz Festival.

Also returning will be the Ford Signature Series, which pairs internationally renowned performers with Los Angeles County artists. This season features singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc in his first appearance at the Ford Theatres, Grammy winner Lila Downs with Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company and the inimitable Urban Bush Women with CONTRA-TIEMPO.

In keeping with the spirit of renewal, the season will also highlight a dozen new participants in the Ford Theatres Partnership Program. Making their Ford Theatres debuts will be Cary Sullivan and Afro Funke'; the paintings, sculptures, altars and musical performances of the women artists and activists of ARTIVISTA; Libros Schmibros with a special screening of Tiempo de Morir written by Gabriel García Márquez; Mark de Clive-Lowe and Jungle Fire paying tribute to living legends of islands music and dance, presented by Mama Earth; a marriage of North Indian and South Indian musical traditions by Music Circle; Musicians at Play present Michael Giacchino conducting his music from the iconic TV series Lost; a contemporary opera, The ICELAND Concert, presented by Overtone Industries and its director O-Lan Jones; a Star Trekreimagining of Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio by Pacific Opera Project; an evening of Afro Latino music and spoken-art performances by 52BLEND; Invertigo Dance Theatre in a new contemporary dance work dramatizing the aftermath of a natural disaster; a completely unscripted full-length play, in the noir spirit of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain, made up on the spot by the actors of Impro Theatre; and the legendary Chester Whitmore presiding over an evening of '40s and '50s big-band swing.

Owned by the County of Los Angeles and operated jointly by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Ford Theatre Foundation, the Ford Theatres have a rich history dating back to the 1920s. The first Summer Season was held in 1993.

A $65.8 million renovation project, designed by Levin & Associates Architects with Mia Lehrer + Associates landscape architects, was initiated in 2012 and required a 21-month closure of the amphitheatre, during which time the programming took place at venues off-site. Audiences attending the 2016 Summer Season will enjoy improved lighting and sound, an array of new on-stage production capabilities, a new visitor entrance and other amenities. Construction of a new picnic terrace and concession stand will be completed in August, when the County and the Ford Theatre Foundation will conduct a civic dedication ceremony.

Laura Zucker, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, said, "We're thrilled to welcome the public back to the beloved Ford Theatres, which is both as intimate and historic as everyone remembers and better than you've ever seen it. We are grateful to all of the supporters, public and private, who have made this renovation, along with an extraordinary re-opening season possible."

Adam Davis, Managing Director of the Ford Theatres, said, "We always take tremendous pride at the Ford Theatres in presenting performances that are as diverse, exciting and vital as our region itself and this summer with the much-anticipated return to our stage, we have assembled a roster of artists that is unrivaled."

The 2016 Summer Season at the Ford Theatres is presented with the support of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Additional supporters include Supervisor Sheila Kuehl along with The Boeing Employees Community Fund; Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; Discover Hollywood; The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation; The James Irvine Foundation; KCRW; LA 18; L.A. Parent; LA Weekly; Macy's; National Endowment for the Arts; NBC Universal; The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; SONY Pictures Entertainment; Southern California Edison; Wells Fargo; and Yelp.com.