Dorothy Chandler News

On February 5, 2019, The Tucson Desert Song Festival and the University of Arizona (UA) presented a recital of Spanish language art songs by soprano Ana Maria Martinez and pianist Craig Terry in Crowder Hall. The songs, from Spain, Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico were appropriate to the Puerto Rican soprano and to the Tucson public, which comes from various Spanish-speaking areas.

LA Opera Off Grand presents the West Coast premiere of 'the loser,' a new work by composer David Lang.

Playwrights' Arena, the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, is presenting its annual Lee Melville Award to Actor/Director Dan Guerrero and to Choreographer/Director Cate Caplin.

Placido Domingo has announced the company's 2019/20 season. The season will include six mainstage operas, one musical, one recital and one concert presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, with additional performances presented in other venues through the company's Off Grand initiative.

Co-Producers Tom Vitorino and Alice L. Walker (Thursday Night Theater Club), have signed acclaimed director/actor, Robyn Cohen for The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance at The El Portal Theatre MainStage.  Both Vitorino and Walker are thrilled to have Robyn Cohen at the helm directing their cast of twelve. This will be her second time to direct with Thursday Night Theater Club.

Television and Broadway Musical Theatre performer TONOCCUS MCCLAIN debuts his first ever cabaret concert LIVING A WHY NOT LIFE with Musical Director Rob Woyshner on Sunday, January 20th at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood, CA. McClain has hosted television such TV shows as FOX Family's California Summer Countdown, reporting and anchoring Channel One News; and performed in Beauty and the Beast live at the Hollywood Bowl, Game of Thrones live at the LA Forum, numerous shows at the Disneyland Resort, and multiple performances at the Academy Awards. He also traveled North America touring in over 400 performances of The Lion King (Banzai u/s) for six years. He's crossed the globe singing in countries like South Korea, Spain, Germany, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Argentina, Canada, Australia, and across the Caribbean and back.

Definition of Man, which had its world premiere at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2017 and recently finished an international tour returns to the LA stage this January. The one-act play had an oversold run during Hollywood Fringe and was nominated for multiple awards including Best World Premiere and won Best of Fringe in Dance & Physical Theatre, the "Ripest Show" sponsored Award from Cherry Poppins, and an Encore Producers Award. At Edinburgh, they enjoyed a successful twenty-one show run that critics called a five-star "unmissable" production (everything- theatre.co.uk) where the "quality of writing, thought and performance going into the show...is a pleasure to see" (thescotsman.com).

Los Angeles Opera and Pacific Opera Projects have a number of interesting offerings for late winter and spring of 2019. LA Opera presents performances of the classic film, THE LOSER, on February 22 and 23, 2019, at The Theatre in the Ace Hotel. It will feature the West Coast premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang's compelling new score.

Miami City Ballet has continuously performed The Nutcracker for 28 years. This time around, they have new, exquisite costumes and elaborate sets and graphics, to go along with Tchaikovsky's diverse and timeless Nutcracker Suite score. This particular Nutcracker Ballet, using George Balanchine's choreography, is based upon E.T.A. Hoffman's "The Nutcracker and The Mouse King." Though the story and characters are similar to other versions seen, there are some differences in the plot and characters.

Inkwell's World Premiere 'Sisters Three' opens December 14th at 8pm

Internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzman and actor Brian White (upcoming 2019 series Ambitions, Bronx SIU, Ray Donovan) have been set to co-host the 59th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, the largest multicultural holiday celebration in the county.

Los Angeles Opera presented the premiere performance of HANSEL AND GRETEL. The opera's original libretto is steeped in nineteenth century culture but Richard Sparks' translation, originally for the 2006 LA presentation of the opera, brought the text up to date and made it most appealing to contemporary children.

Due to overwhelming demand, Angel City Chorale, golden buzzer winner on "America's Got Talent," will present an encore performance of some of their most beloved holiday songs from the last 25 years, on December 12th, at The Novo Theater at the L.A. Live complex.  Don't miss traditional holiday favorites, including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Do You Hear What I Hear and more, wrapped in stunning arrangements with festive orchestral accompaniment

LA Opera Off Grand presents the world premiere of a new work by composer Ellen Reid and librettist Roxie Perkins: 'p r i s m.' 

Some 39 members of Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC), one of the world's leading children's choirs, are featured in LA Opera's production of Humperdinck's enchanting Hansel and Gretel conducted by James Conlon and starring mezzo-soprano Susan Graham (The Witch), mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke (Hansel) and soprano Liv Redpath (Gretel). The production runs for six performances from November 17 to December 15, 2018, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. LACC's new Artistic Director, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, prepared the young choristers for their roles as the gingerbread children, noted for the purity of their sound and intricate four-part harmony. A perennial favorite, Hansel and Gretel, based on the beloved Brothers Grimm tale and sung in English, features a magical score and plot and is considered to be the composer's best-known work. 

Honoring one of the world's most revered artists, The Music Center celebrated Joni Mitchell on November 6 and 7, 2018, with two all-star concerts - JONI 75: A Birthday Celebration Live at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - and an exclusive gala, co-hosted with Vanity Fair and its editor Radhika Jones, which feted her 75th birthday and raised funds for The Music Center's artistic programming, specifically free and low cost programming for underserved communities. The concerts featured performances by Brandi Carlile; Glen Hansard; Emmylou Harris; Norah Jones; Chaka Khan; Diana Krall; Kris Kristofferson; Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores; Graham Nash; Seal; James Taylor; and Rufus Wainwright. The artists lit up the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion stage performing Mitchell's songs, which spanned all stages of her career. Co-musical directors Brain Blade and Jon Cowherd provided the evenings' musical arrangements.  

LA STAGE Alliance will be hosting an Open House on Saturday, November 10, from 5:00- 8:00 pm, to welcome its members to its new facilities in DTLA. The event will feature food, drinks, and music.

Grand Ave Arts: All Access, the fourth annual, one-day, free community event, returns today, November 3, 2018, from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. with a diverse program of family-friendly activities, interactive workshops and tours that highlight and offer access to the world-class arts and cultural organizations on Grand Avenue between Temple and 6th Streets.

Placido Domingo, LA Opera's Eli and Edythe Broad General Director, has announced final details about the company's upcoming revival of Hansel and Gretel, composer Engelbert Humperdinck's uniquely charming classic for all ages.

In collaboration with Goldstar, Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center (Dance at The Music Center), will offer a sweet deal for the holidays with a much-reduced one-price-fits-all opportunity to see for a special performance of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker by Miami City Ballet on Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. at The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion