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The Program: Mark your calendar for these February SoCal performances.
Note: Though hours and formats are updated regularly, they can change without notice; best to confirm at venue websites.
LA Phil
Mahler, Bartók & Ravel
Through Feb. 1. Former Dudamel Fellow Elim Chan returns for a sweet melodic program featuring Mahler’s Fourth Symphony as South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha voices Mahler’s joyful child, envisioning what lies beyond the pearly gates. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
The Notebook
Through 8. Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the iconic film, The Notebook tells the story of Allie and Noah, both from different worlds, who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. The Notebook, directed by Michael Greif, features music and lyrics by multi-platinum singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. scfta.org
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, A Musical Thriller
Through Feb. 22 This Tony Award-winning Sondheim musical is a tale of love, murder, and revenge that follows an unjustly exiled barber as he returns to London to seek vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. lamiradatheatre.com
SOUTH COAST REP
God of Carnage
Through March 21. A playground fight between 11-year-old boys brings parents together to resolve their sons’ conflict. At first, diplomacy rules. But as each parent reveals their demands, meeting spirals into a free-for-all of opposing parenting styles and marital tensions. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Stage, 655 Town Center Dr. scr.org
SOUTH COAST REP
Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Through March 21. Hilarious and harrowing, this portrait of a marriage ceaselessly astonishes audiences with its razor-sharp dialogue and thrilling performances. George and Martha invite a young couple to their home for a nightcap. As the clock ticks into the wee hours, Nick and Honey find themselves submerged in a cocktail of clever mind games, deep-seated resentments and broken promises. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Stage, 655 Town Center Dr. scr.org
BROADSTAGE
A Letter to Leonard Cohen: A Tribute to a Friend
Feb. 1. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla takes the stage with a program inspired by her recently released album of the same name—it is a unique perspective to her good friend—Leonard Cohen’s beloved music. 1310 11thSt., Santa Monica. broadstage.org
LA MASTER CHORALE
Common Ground: The Music of Górecki and Jeff Beal
Feb. 1. United by a spirit of compassion and resilience, Henryk Górecki’s Miserere—inspired by the Polish Solidarity movement—is paired with The Beatitudes, a world premiere commission by five-time Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. lamasterchorale.org
LA PHIL
Adams, Cheung & Lanao
Feb. 3. John Adams curates the third installment of the LA Phil Etudes, a project highlighting each of the orchestra’s principal musicians in solo pieces by today’s leading composers. Elim Chan leads the LA Phil New Music Group in a new work by up-and-coming Spanish composer Sílvia Lanao, and Gloria Cheng returns for a world premiere piece by Anthony Cheung. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
BROADSTAGE
Chasing Monarchs
Feb. 5. Fifty years after the startling discovery that monarch butterflies spend winters in the forests of Mexico, photographer and National Geographic Explorer Jaime Rojo reveals this winged wonder of the insect world in new ways with never-before-seen visuals. 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. broadstage.org
THE WALLIS
Cheyenne Jackson, Signs of Life
Feb. 5. Emmy and GRAMMY- nominated luminary Cheyenne Jackson brings his infectious charm and powerhouse vocals to the stage with Signs of Life, a musical meditation on art, love, fatherhood, and the cosmic twists that have shaped his remarkable path. 3930 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
PACIFIC SYMPHONY
St. Clair Conducts Beethoven & Don Quixote
Feb. 5-7. An evening of musical storytelling and virtuosity led by Maestro Carl St. Clair. Acclaimed violinist Paul Huang takes center stage in Beethoven’s exquisite Violin Concerto, a masterpiece renowned for its lyrical beauty and technical brilliance. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. pacificsymphony.org
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Steve Hackman’s Beethoven X Beyoncé
Feb. 6. Steve Hackman’s production seamlessly weaves 15 of Beyoncé’s popular songs with the familiar classical music of Beethoven. The production’s emotional peak features the soulful union of two of the most recognizable melodies from each composer: Beyoncé’s “Halo” and the hauntingly beautiful second movement from Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.The Jacobs Music Center, 250 B. St., San Diego. sandiegosymphony.org
LA PHIL
Thomas Adès and Yuja Wang featuring Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky
Feb. 6-8. Thomas Adès returns to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to conduct an evening of Russian masterworks with Yuja Wang at the piano, alongside a US premiere piece and one of his own works, Aquifer. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
THE WALLIS
Rickie Lee Jones
Feb. 6-7. Two-time Grammy award winner, Rickie Lee Jones makes her Wallis debut with a program that continues to shape the cultural conversation as she teaches us to embrace contradiction: joy tangled with sorrow, glamour with grit, innocence with experience. 3930 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
THE OLD GLOBE
Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler
Feb. 7-March 15. Katie Holmes brings to life a landmark role in a new version of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler—a defining masterpiece about honeymooners whose marriage begins to crack and the world around them begins to unravel. Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. theoldglobe.org
A NOISE WITHIN
William Shakespeare’s Richard III
Feb. 8-March 8. Experience a gripping tale of ambition, manipulation, and ruthless power. A thrilling drama, Richard III is one of Shakespeare’s most iconic explorations of corruption, control, and the obsessive pursuit of power. A thrilling drama, Richard III is one of Shakespeare’s most iconic explorations of corruption, control, and the obsessive pursuit of power. 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena. anoiseiwthin.org
LA PHIL
Thomas Ospital, Organ Recital
Feb. 8. French organist Thomas Ospital makes his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut following Vierne’s booming symphony, Saint-Saëns’ spooky Danse macabre, and Ravel’s light-hearted memorial piece. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
LA OPERA
Juan Diego Flórez in Recital
Feb. 10. The charismatic Juan Diego Florez, known for his interpretation of Puccini, Donizetti, and Rossini, returns to the LA Opera for one night only. He will be joined by his longtime collaborator, pianist Vincenzo Scalera. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laopera.org
LA PHIL
Lunar New Year
Feb. 10. Celebrate the Year of the Horse with reimainged Chinese folk songs as performed by Yi-Wen Jiang’s string quartet and accompanied by members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine for the perfect early kickoff for Lunar New Year. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
LA JOLLA PLAYHOUSE
Recipe: A New Play About Julia Child
Feb. 10 –March 22. Before Julia Child became the TV personality that we all know, she careened from Pasadena to New York to Washington DC to Ceylon and finally to Paris’s famed Cordon Bleu cooking school. A funny and delicious new play about the early life of an endlessly fascinating character and her path from confusion to discovery, failure to success.2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla. lajollaplayhouse.org
LA PHIL
Yefim Bronfman
Feb. 11. Yefim Bronfman returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall for a recital showcasing his infinite range with a selection of Romantic and Impressionist solo works. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
PASADENA PLAYHOUSE
Amadeus
Feb. 11-March 15. A Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece that follows the riveting rivalry between two composers: the celebrated Antonio Salieri and the vulgar prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. pasadenaplayhouse.org
CENTER THEATRE GROUP
Here Lies Love
Feb. 11-March 22. A groundbreaking musical about former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos’ astonishing rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power Revolution. This story about greed and power features music by Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner David Byrne and Grammy Award winner Fatboy Slim. Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. centertheatregroup.org
LA PHIL
Dudamel Conducts Beethoven and Lorenz
Feb. 12-15. Gustavo Dudamel explores Enlightenment through Beethoven with narration by Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett. Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in between piano sensation Yunham Lim, who performs Robert Schumann’s enchanting Piano Concerto. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
PACIFIC SYMPHONY
Danny Elfman Music From the Films of Tim Burton
Feb. 13-14. This concert highlights Elfman’s most iconic scores—gothic lullabies and epic anthems from Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and Beetlejuice. Violinist Sandy Cameron adds a haunting edge to the performance led by conductor Sarah Hicks. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. pacificsymphony.org
SAN DIEGO OPERA
The Barber of Seville
Feb. 13-15. Count Almaviva is in love with the beautiful Rosina, but how can he get past her paranoid and greedy guardian, Dr. Bartolo? Enter the charismatic, quick-witted barber Figaro, who will stop at nothing to play matchmaker for his lovesick friend. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., San Diego. sdopera.org
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Songs for Lovers: The Music of Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, and Dinah Washington
Feb. 14. A Valentine’s Day program that features the music of Chet Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Clifford Brown, Charlie Parker, and Dinah Washington with a preshow performance from Young Lions Jazz Conservatory. The Jacobs Music Center, 250 B. St., San Diego. sandiegosymphony.org
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Michael Feinstein’s Valentine with the Carnegie Hall Ensemble
Feb. 14. Michael Feinstein returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts for an unforgettable evening of romance in celebration of Valentine’s Day. He will be joined by the renowned Carnegie Hall Ensemble and a lineup of special guest artists. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. scfta.org
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
New York Voices Farewell Tour
Feb. 14. For decades, this vocal ensemble has set the standard for jazz harmony, blending impeccable musicianship with a captivating stage presence. This historic evening celebrates the legacy of a group that has shaped the landscape of vocal jazz. A final farewell tour that is a masterclass in vocal artistry. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Samueli Theater, 615 Town Center Dr. scfta.org
PACIFIC SYMPHONY
America 250
Feb. 15. An afternoon of chamber music by American composers John Adams, Paul Schoenfield, and Kenji Bunch, as well as a performance of Antonín Dvořák’s “American” quartet. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Samueli Theater, 615 Town Center Dr. pacificsymphony.org
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Yefim Bronfman in Recital
Feb. 15. Internationally recognized as one of today’s most acclaimed and admired pianists, Yefim Bronfman stands among a handful of artists regularly sought by festivals, orchestras, conductors, and recital series. Bronfman performs an evening of piano favorites in this intimate recital. The Jacobs Music Center, 250 B. St., San Diego. sandiegosymphony.org
THE WALLIS
Martín + Say + Beethoven
Feb. 15. Spend Valentine’s weekend at The Wallis as the LA Chamber Orchestra offers a tale of passion and intrigue, told through Fauré’s hauntingly beautiful score from Pelléas et Mélisande. 3930 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
LA PHIL
Seth MacFarlane
Feb. 17. Backed by a world-class orchestra, Seth MacFarlane makes his Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in a night dedicated to the music of Frank Sinatra. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Monty Python’s Spamalot
Feb. 17-22. The musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail has everything that makes a great knight at the theatre, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters, dancing girls, rubbery shrubbery, and of course, the Lady of the Lake. Spamalot features well-known song titles such as “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “The Song That Goes Like This,” “Find Your Grail” and more that have become beloved classics in the musical theatre canon. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Segerstrom Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. scfta.org
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Patti LuPone Matters of the Heart
Feb. 18. There are Broadway stars, and then there is three-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone: A fireball of talent, a musical force to be reckoned with, and a true once-in-a-generation artist and entertainer who makes news every time she takes the stage! Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. scfta.org
THE WALLIS
Compagnie Hervé Koubi: Sol Invictus
Feb. 19-21. Compagnie Hervé Koubi— known for the fusion of classical dance, capoeira, hip-hop, and martial arts— delivers a breathtaking baroque dreamscape. Dancers move through light and shadow, echoing the chiaroscuro of Caravaggio and the raw physicality of street dance. 3930 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org
BROADSTAGE
New Orleans Groove Masters
Feb. 20. The New Orleans Groove Masters make their BroadStage debut just in time for Mardi Gras, with an electrifying evening that is steeped iin both the traditional drumming and contemporary styles of New Orleans. 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. broadstage.org
LA PHIL
Gustavo Conducts Beethoven: Missa Solemnis
Feb. 20-22. Gustavo Dudamel navigates the shifting landscape of Beethoven’s transcendent and revelatory masterwork, Missa solemnis (“Solemn Mass”) with a stellar cast of soloists and 120 voices from Barcelona’s Orfeó Català. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
THE OLD GLOBE
Fiasco Theater’s Bartleby
Feb. 20-March 15. Fiasco Theater Company and The Old Globe take on Herman Melville’s darkly comic classic—a hilarious and haunting reflection on work, will, and what happens when one mild-mannered employee refuses to go along with the program. This Globe-commissioned world premiere promises a wildly theatrical rediscovery of one of American literature’s most indelible stories. Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. theoldglobe.org
BROADSTAGE
Dominique: Oh My! Mama There Goes That Woman
Feb. 21. Former postal worker turned comedian, Dominique makes her BroadStage debut with a night of raw, unfiltered standup comedy. 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. broadstage.org
LA OPERA
Patti LuPone in Concert: Matters of the Heart
Feb. 21. Broadway diva and three-time Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone returns to LA Opera for one night only for her iconic cabaret show Matters of the Heart. The evening’s performance will feature Broadway classics as well as the music of John Lennon, Paul McCartney to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laopera.org
PACIFIC SYMPHONY
Lunar New Year
Feb. 21. Pacific Symphony celebrates the Year of the Horse with a colorful presentation of Eastern and Western music and dance. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. pacificsymphony.org
PASADENA SYMPHONY
Tchaikovsky Pathétique
Feb. 21. Brett Mitchell leads Grammy award-winning pianist Michelle Cann for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathéque”. The program takes you on Tchaikovsky’s gripping journey exploring love, despair, and fate with composer Jeffrey Nytch. Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. pasadenasymphony-pops.org
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Storms and Fireworks: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”
Feb. 21-22. Three of the best-loved pieces in the symphonic repertoire come together in this concert featuring conductor Nicholas Carter and Benjamin Grosvenor on piano. The evening ends with one of the best known of all symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s Sixth, nicknamed by his brother “Pathétique”, in response to the music’s terrifying mixture of drama and heartfelt melodies. The Jacobs Music Center, 250 B. St., San Diego. sandiegosymphony.org
BROADSTAGE
Avi Avital & Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Feb. 22. The world’s greatest mandoinist, Avi Avital, takes the stage with the renowned Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra to present a repertoire ranging from the early Baroque to late Romantic, along with new contemporary works and major operatic productions. 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. broadstage.org
LA PHIL
Beethoven and Ortiz with Dudamel
Feb. 26-March 1. Beethoven’s celebratory Seventh Symphony meets Gabriela Ortiz’s powerful Revolución diamantina (“Glitter Revolution”), a bold response to the 2019 feminist uprising around Mexico’s epidemic of violence against women. Her Grammy-nominated work is, for the first time, set in motion with Grupo Corpo, the internationally renowned dance company known for its blend of popular Brazilian culture, African rhythms, and classical technique. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laphil.com
PACIFIC SYMPHONY
From Mozart to Mahler
Feb. 26-28. Conductor Eduardo Strausser leads pianist Yoav Levanon and the Pacific Symphony in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1—two masterpieces of beauty and power. Mozart’s concerto enchants with soaring melodies and graceful harmonies, while Mahler’s symphony takes you on an emotional journey from introspection to triumph. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. pacificsymphony.org
SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Norbert Leo Butz
Feb. 26-28. Two-time Tony award winner Norbert Leo Butz sings highlights from his three decades on the boards of Broadway. In addition to excerpts from his signature roles, this versatile hyphenate will share a few original compositions from his 4 solo records and some surprising covers from Tom Waits, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. scfta.org
BROADSTAGE
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Feb. 27. Ladysmith Black Mambazo presents an evening of African traditional vocal music in celebration of a 65-year history that changed the face of a capella. 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. broadstage.org
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Brahms Festival: A German Requiem
Feb. 27, March 1. Brahms is not only one of the most famous and cherished composers in all of 19th-century music, but also an artist of rich and wonderful contradictions. A German Requiem (Ein deutsches Requiem), Op. 45 is performed as part of a music festival series which will also feature Brahms’ four symphonies and violin concerto. The Jacobs Music Center, 250 B. St., San Diego. sandiegosymphony.org
BROADSTAGE
Broadway and Beyond: Mandy Gonzalez in Concert
Feb. 28. Mandy Gonzalez, one of the most powerful and versatile contemporary voices of our time is best known for her originating the role of Nina Rosario in the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. Mandy Gonzalez takes the stage to perform Broadway favorites and beyond. 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. broadstage.org
LA OPERA
Akhnaten
Feb. 28-March 22. When a newly-crowned king sets out to change the world, dangerous enemies are quick to follow. Witness the rise and fall in this portrait of ancient Egypt’s heretic pharaoh, complete with a luminous score by Philip Glass. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. laopera.org
PACIFIC SYMPHONY
Peter and the Wolf
Feb. 28. Sergei Prokofiev’s beloved symphonic story, Peter and the Wolf, is an enchanting introduction to the orchestra, where each instrument represents a character— from the spirited strings as Peter to the mischievous clarinet as the Cat. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 655 Town Center Dr. pacificsymphony.org
SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY
Brahms Festival: Symphonies 1 & 2
Feb 28. Brahms is not only one of the most famous and cherished composers in all of 19th-century music, but an artist of rich and wonderful contradictions. Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Symphony No. 4 are performed as part of a music festival series. The Jacobs Music Center, 250 B. St., San Diego. sandiegosymphony.org
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