The Program: Mark your calendar for these June virtual, streaming and in-person SoCal performances that inspires innovative programs.
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If you’re new to our website or haven’t see previous editions, The Program is a regular blog series that offers a curated listing of the most influential Southern California arts partners and their forward-facing vision for the four O’s: online, outdoors, outreach—and everyone’s ultimate goal—onstage!
Note: Though hours and formats are updated regularly, they can change without notice; best to confirm at venue websites.
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Westside School of Ballet
Now Open at Full Capacity!
Advance your training this summer and fall with exceptional in-person classes for every level—children, pre-professional and adult ballet—at Westside School of Ballet. Dancers can sign up now for summer sessions (virtual available) and intensives. In addition to its several large indoor dance studios, Westside presents a new outdoor studio that offers ‘al fresco’ dancing with Santa Monica’s ocean breezes. There will be some classes also available on Zoom. 1709 Stewart St., Santa Monica, 310.828.2018. westsideballet.com
The Wallis
Tevye in New York!
June 23-July 25. The Wallis presents the world premiere of Tom Dugan’s newest play based on the beloved characters from Fiddler on the Roof. Follow Tevye as he fights for his piece of the American dream as he journeys across the Atlantic Ocean in the streets of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Starting price $60. 8 p.m. 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
The Wallis and Black Rebirth Collective
Unmasked
June 19-July 4. In celebration of Juneteenth, Unmasked features one-act plays by four of the country’s preeminent voices in American theater: Dominique Morisseau (Tony Award-nominated book writer, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations), Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), Ngozi Anyanwu (Good Grief) and Stacy Osei-Kuffour (“Watchmen”). Streaming. thewallis.org
North Coast Repertory Theatre
Becoming Dr. Ruth
June 9-July 4. Tony and Emmy nominee Tovah Feldshuh stars in the portrayal of the extraordinary sex educator that empowered millions across the globe to claim their own sexual pleasure and fulfillment. Before she was Dr. Ruth, she was Ruth K. Westheimer a woman whose journey takes her from an orphan of the Holocaust to a sniper for the Haganah to fame and celebrity. Streaming. $35 individual, $54 group. northcoastrep.org
Geffen Playhouse
Someone Else’s House
Through July 3. Obie Award-winning multimedia artist Jared Mezzocchi has a harrowing story to tell: his family’s frightening, true-life haunting inside a 200-year-old New England house. Flip the switch, light your candles and prepare yourself (as best you can) for this first-hand story of terror with the latest interactive production from the Geffen Stayhouse. In advance of the show, you’ll receive a “Haunting Kit” with items to help you set the scene for your performance, as well as important artifacts with which you’ll interact during the show. Shipping charges are included in the ticket price. $75. geffenplayhouse.org
Laguna Playhouse
Suppressed Desires
Through June 30. Celebrate Laguna Playhouse’s 100 years of theatre with a Zoom reading of the first full production the Laguna Playhouse ever produced. This one-act play has maintained popularity and acclaim over the years. In this comedic satire of psychoanalysis, a woman addicted to therapy learns that a little self-delusion may not be a bad thing. Streaming. lagunaplayhouse.com
Rogue Artists Ensemble
Love Note
Through June 30. Rogue Artists Ensemble presents a unique, interactive, in-real-life audio experience that guides audiences through a twisted collection of love stories, meditative romance and lost connections in West Hollywood’s Plummer Park. Using only your cell phone and headphones, you’ll discover and listen to stories The Collector has compiled about romance, compassion and connection, leading to a secret phone line where your own love story will become part of The Collector’s archive. Contains mature content. Free. Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. rogueartists.org
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
The Hot Sardines
June 30. Fueled by the belief that classic jazz feeds the heart and soul, The Hot Sardines are on a mission to make old sounds new again and prove that joyful music can bring people together in a disconnected world. Center audiences loved The Hot Sardines when they performed in Samueli Theater in 2016, don’t miss this chance to enjoy an evening with them under the stars on the Argyros Plaza. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. 7:30 p.m. Pods start at $70. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Broad Stage
The B**** Is Back: An All-Too Intimate Evening
June 23-30. Relive the hilarity in prize-winning author and NPR commentator Sandra Tsing Loh’s The B**** Is Back: An All-Too Intimate Evening, a 70-minute comic romp on the topic of menopause. This special on-demand video captures her 2015 solo comedy masterpiece, performed in The Edye and infused with Loh’s trademark honesty, candid voice and laugh-out-loud humor. 8 p.m. Starting $10 Pay-what-you-wish. thebroadstage.org
Salastina
Happy Hour No. 63: Salastina <3 LA Chamber Orchestra
June 29. Salastina hosts Happy Hour, live musical performances, spirited conversations and interactions with musicians and fellow music lovers every Tuesday. 6 p.m. Free. salastina.org
Geffen Playhouse
The Door You Never Saw Before
Through June 27. Part musical, part adventure, this inventive new play is designed to take frustrated kids in quarantine on an outrageously fun journey. After entering a door they’ve never seen before, the kids are tasked with saving a faraway city from a villain known only as “The Stench.” Kids will receive a suitcase full of surprises to aid in their quest, and will get to choose where their Zoom story takes them. For households with multiple kids, additional suitcases may be purchased for $25 each. Filled with musical whimsy and quirky characters, this show is sure to delight kids (recommended for ages 6-9) and parents alike. All suitcases will be shipped together in one box. geffenplayhouse.org
The Old Globe
Hamlet: On the Radio
Through June 27. The cast of the heralded 2017 production of Hamlet, one of the greatest plays ever written, returns for an all-audio version of the famous revenge thriller. The show airs in two parts and then available for streaming on June 28. Tune into KPBS 89.5. Free. Part 1 on June 18 (7 p.m.); Part 2 on June 19 (7 p.m.) and June 27 (2 p.m.) shows consecutively. theoldglobe.org
San Diego Opera
2021 Midsummer Gala: “Musical Mosaics“
June 26. You are cordially invited to the 2021 Midsummer Gala: “Musical Mosaics” honoring Stacy Kellner Rosenberg. This event supports San Diego Opera’s productions, education programs and community engagement initiatives and features a live musical performance by soprano Michelle Bradley. Starting $60. The Gardens of the Estancia Hotel, La Jolla. sdopera.org
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Maria Bamford
June 26. Have a laugh with comedian Maria Bamford at Segerstrom Center’s Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. For those who don’t know Bamford, she is revered for her deeply personal and experimental comedy about mental illness and starred in the surreal, semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. 7:30 p.m. Pods start at $20. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Summer Sounds on the Plaza: Upstream Music
June 25. Upstream has been spreading their message of love and positivity through their exhilarating Caribbean Music, namely, Reggae, Calypso, Soca and Steel Drum Music. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. 7 p.m. Pods start at $20. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Salastina
Happy Hour No. 62: Sounds Promising World Premieres (Part 1)
June 22. Join Salastina for the world premieres of four works by Sounds Promising Young Composers: Juan-Salvador Carrasco, Prateek Rajagopal, Kian Ravaei and Sophie Kuba. Salastina hosts Happy Hour, live musical performances, spirited conversations and interactions with musicians and fellow music lovers every Tuesday. 6 p.m. Free. salastina.org
The Music Center
Paul Taylor Dance Company
June 16-20. The Music Center hosts Paul Taylor Dance Company for its’ summer series in the Jerry Moss Plaza, Dance at Dusk. A cultural icon and one of American history’s most celebrated artists, Paul Taylor is hailed as part of the pantheon that created American modern dance. His repertoire of 147 dances comments on life’s complexities and society’s thorniest issues. Paul Taylor Dance Company continues to perform the founder’s repertoire as well as masterworks of the past by renowned artists and works by the next generation of choreographers. Jerry Moss Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown. musiccenter.org
IAMA Theatre
The Latrell Show
Through June 20. Written and performed by Brandon Kyle Goodman, The Latrell Show is a dark comedy that explores the mental aerobics of being black and queer in America by way of a hilarious and opinionated talk show host, Latrell Jackson. As Latrell films a “very special” episode giving hot takes on his favorite hot topics, matters of the world begin to compromise his relatable persona. Streaming on demand. $15-$20. Tickets | iamatheatre.com
Chance Theater
Sweat
June 20-July 18. Next up in Chance Theater’s 23rd anniversary season is the Orange County premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Sweat. Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, this acclaimed play tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets and laughs while working together on the factory floor. But when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay true to themselves and each other. This show contains adult language and subject material. See website for showtimes and tickets. Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, 888.455.4212. chancetheater.com
Chalk Repertory Theatre
Chalk Lines
Starts June 19. Chalk Repertory Theatre continues to champion the diverse voices of Los Angeles with Chalk Lines, an immersive audio play featuring five short plays that bring to life unsung landmarks in Los Angeles: the Metro Expo Line, Leimert Park, Historic West Adams and Exposition Park. Chalk Lines features under-explored communities, BIPOC and LGBTQ perspectives as well as a diverse creative team. Streaming. Free. chalkrep.com
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Freedom in Full Bloom: A Juneteenth Celebration
June 19. In partnership with Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation, Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents its first ever Juneteenth celebration on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. Enjoy an afternoon of interactive activities and artistic performances celebrating Black innovation and resilience in music, poetry, visual art, and gardening. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. 3 p.m. Pods start at $10. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Summer Sounds on the Plaza: J.Mike and Friends
June 18. In partnership with the Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation, Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents its first ever Juneteenth celebration on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza! Join us for this themed Summer Sounds concert celebrating Black innovation and musical creativity with J.Mike and Friends. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. 7 p.m. Pods start at $20. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Wild Up Plays Julius Eastman
June 17. For this debut performance at Segerstrom Center, the Grammy-nominated group performs music by the late composer, concert pianist, Grammy-nominated operatic baritone and polymath, Julius Eastman, part of the album launch for their new recording, Julius Eastman Vol. 1 Femenine. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. 7 p.m. Pods start at $50. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Salastina
Happy Hour No. 61: Sławomir Zubrzycki
June 15. In 2012, Polish pianist and piano maker Sławomir Zubrzycki built the first concert Viola Organista and brought it to concert halls and music festivals all over the Europe. Join Salastina for a fascinating look and listen at an ethereal instrument that is as new as it is old. 10 a.m. Free. salastina.org
The Fountain Theatre
An Octoroon
June 11-Sept 13. The Los Angeles premiere of An Octoroon, a radical, incendiary and subversively funny Obie award-winning play by MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, inaugurates the new outdoor stage at The Fountain Theatre. A spectacular collision of the antebellum South and 21st century cultural politics, An Octoroon is a gasp-inducing deconstruction of a moustache-twirling melodrama by 19th century playwright Dion Boucicault that twists a funhouse world of larger-than-life stereotypes into blistering social commentary. See website for schedule. $25-$45. 5060 Fountain Ave., L.A. fountaintheatre.com
Chance Theater
Hearts Like Planets
June 10-13. This new play will be presented as a LAB Workshop. Workshops are an essential part of the play development process. We are proud to offer this as part of our On The Radar (OTR) New Works Program that aims to support the creation of diverse new stories by emerging U.S. playwrights. A very bright, very fast object is careening towards the Earth and in this moment of imminent death, our heroes and villains make big life and love choices. Dr. X leads a prison break. He and orphan Drillnose are off to find the woman with the face like a plate. The New Crimefighters, Magpie, Hummingbird, and Butterfly fight to restore order and save the world. Harry Hardnose, ace reporter, will record it all. This show does contain some mild adult language. chancetheater.com
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Chris Mann
June 11-12. Top selling recording artist, singer, songwriter and actor Chris Mann returns to the Segerstrom Center for his first Plaza performances. Broadway fans will remember him as the Phantom in Segerstrom’s presentation of The Phantom of the Opera in 2015, and his stint on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2012. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. 7:30 p.m. Pods start at $70. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Salastina
Happy Hour No. 60: Time for Three
June 8. Join Salastina for a virtual evening with Time For Three, a trio that stands at the intersection of Americana, modern, pop and classical music. Charles Yang (violin, vocals), Nicolas Kendall (violin, vocals) and Ranaan Meyer (double bass, vocals) have found a unique voice of expression that is bonded by an uncommon blend of their instruments and their voices. Every Tuesday via Zoom, Salastina’s Happy Hour brings audiences live musical performance, spirited conversation and interaction with musicians and fellow music lovers. 6 p.m. Free. salastina.org
Chance Theater
The Story of My Life
Through June 6. Chance Theater kick’s off its 23rd season with the Drama Desk Award-nominated musical The Story of My Life—a tribute to the power of friendship and the people that change our lives forever. Music and lyrics by Neil Bertram, this musical is deeply moving, funny and profound. Mature themes and language. Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, 888.455.4212. chancetheater.com
Los Angeles Opera
Oedipus Rex
June 6. Music Director James Conlon conducts a stellar cast led by tenor Russell Thomas, LA Opera’s Artist in Residence in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex. The performance will feature incredibly imaginative projected animations created by Manual Cinema, an Emmy Award-winning performance collective, design studio and film/video production company. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown. laopera.org
The Music Center
American Ballet Theatre’s Dance at Dusk
June 2-6. The Music Center hosts the American Ballet Theatre for its’ summer series in the new Jerry Moss Plaza, Dance at Dusk. Presenting a combination of classical and contemporary selections, the company will feature the Romeo and Juliet pas de deux, performed by Devon Teuscher and Cory Stearns, as well as the Don Quixote pas de deux performed by Christine Shevchenko and Joo Won Ahn. Soloists Katherine Williams and Blaine Hoven will perform the pas de deux from A Time There Was, a work featuring choreography by Gemma Bond and music by Benjamin Britten. Jerry Moss Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown. musiccenter.org
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Summer Sounds on the Plaza: Trish Toledo
June 4. Watch singer and songwriter Trish Toldeo perform at Segerstrom’s Summer Sounds on the Plaza. Her style can be described as soul meets 1960s and early 70s era music. Masks must be worn by all guests upon check-in and until they arrive to their assigned viewing area (or “pod”). Each viewing pod will be separated by at least 6 feet of space from neighboring viewing areas. Contactless check-in will include a touchless thermometer temperature check, and hand sanitizer stations will be accessible throughout the Plaza. 7 p.m. Pods start at $20. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
La Jolla Playhouse
A Thousand Ways, Part Two: An Encounter
Begins June 3. A Thousand Ways is an encounter between strangers. Guided by instructions, questions, prompts and directives, people who have never met build a performance for one another. This innovative and immersive experience explores the line between strangeness and kinship, distance and proximity. Recommended for ages 16+. $25. Virtual. lajollaplayhouse.org
Salastina
Happy Hour No. 59: A Night at the Museum 2
June 1. Back by popular demand is the Salastina’s second virtual private, docent-led tour of a few musically-themed paintings. Music has been chosen as it relates to artwork and enjoyed together for a special feast for both your ears and eyes. 6 p.m. Free. salastina.org
Ongoing
CAP UCLA
Ellen Reid Soundwalk
Ongoing. Soundwalk is an “ear-oriented art event” with an emphasis on listening to the environment of Griffith Park conceived by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid has worked on opera, film scores, orchestral works and sound installations. This GPS-enabled work of art, uses music to illuminate the surrounding environment with the help of an app. ellenreidsoundwalk.com | cap.ucla.edu
La Jolla Playhouse
Pick Me Last
Ongoing. La Jolla Playhouse presents a new play to stream for young audiences—a humorous and touching story about standing up for your friends and learning to let them stand up for themselves. This schoolyard story by Idris Goodwin delights with its music and poetry. Streaming. Free. lajollaplayhouse.com
Moving Arts Theatre Company
Isolation Inn
Ongoing. Six L.A.-based writers created a 9-episode Zoom series that incorporates the medium as if it is one of the characters in the story. The result of their collaboration is a smart and wickedly funny story about nine essential workers who decided to isolate together during the lockdown of 2020. Stay for the live Zoom chat with cast and crew after the show. Streaming live on Sundays. 2 p.m. Pay what you can. RSVP | movingarts.org
Pasadena Playhouse
In Development: Iceboy!
Ongoing. Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”), Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”), Adam Devine (Pitch Perfect) and Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde: The Musical) star in this new comedic musical about a 10,000-year-old once-frozen Neanderthal that comes to life once thawed and becomes an acting sensation. Free. pasadenaplayhouse.org
Pasadena Playhouse
Still.
Ongoing. Javon Johnson, one of the nation’s most prominent spoken-word artists, shares his personal experience at a pivotal time in our history. Still. blends powerful imagery, witty prose and beautiful lyricism in a timely, unforgettable theatrical event. Free. pasadenaplayhouse.org
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
LACO Close Quarters
Ongoing. LACO Close Quarters features 16 digital programs produced exclusively for streaming with visual design by director James Darrah. Darrah—noted for visually and emotionally work at the intersection of theater, music and film—is establishing a first-of-its-kind LACO digital studio, a creative hub that will create works in a variety of mediums. Each LACO concert will be filmed at The Colburn School’s Olive Rehearsal Hall socially distanced with no audience and produced for streaming. Free. Watch | YouTube | Facebook
Photo credits: “In Development- Iceboy!” by Jeff Lorch. All other photos are courtesy of the venues.
