L.A. Phil's Gustavo Dudamel returns to the Bowl for a short concert run
Dudamel, the face of the classical music world in L.A. since his 2009 debut as music director, is in his penultimate season here before departing to lead the New York Philharmonic. Given recent federal travel bans on Venezuelans, he was forced to cancel local dates with his Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra in August, and he only had one week planned for conducting during the Bowl's summer season this year.
The season's opening night at the Bowl was 'a relatively somber occasion, which, despite the lovely atmosphere, fit the mood of the times,' as Times critic Mark Swed said.
So this one-week return with an exceptionally diverse bill will be a welcome occasion to see him in the twilight of his tenure in L.A.
On Aug. 5, Dudamel (with pianist Seong-Jin Cho) will lead a program pulled from jazz giant Duke Ellington and French composer Maurice Ravel, including Ellington's 'Harlem' and 'Black, Brown and Beige' and Ravel's Piano Concert for the Left Hand and Piano Concert in G. The pairing will show how American jazz and the Harlem renaissance influenced and expanded possibilities for Ravel and European music of the era.
He'll follow that up on Aug. 7 with Mahler's bombastic Symphony No. 1 'Titan,' with Vilde Frang playing Erich Korngold's violin concerto (a fitting spotlight on a golden-era Hollywood score legend). On Aug. 8-9, Dudamel will conduct John Williams' crowd-favorite 'Jurassic Park' score over a live screening of the summer blockbuster.
Dudamel recently debuted with the L.A. Phil at Coachella, a long-awaited crossover event where the orchestra collaborated with pop stars including Dave Grohl, Zedd, Laufey and LL Cool J. For Los Angeles music fans who want to see Dudamel in the Bowl before he departs after next year's season, these are some of the best chances to do so in 2025.
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Buzz Feed
33 minutes ago
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43 Items To Transform Your Home Into A Personal Haven
A wearable blanket with a hood and a front pocket so you can snuggle cozily as you read about the detective getting closer and closer to solving the murder that has plagued his entire career. Yeah, you're gonna need the extra comfort when that plot twist finally gets revealed. A plush shag duvet cover lined with soft velvet on the bottom, so you'll be cozier than you ever thought possible, no matter which side of the blanket you decide to snuggle under. Your bed will basically be a ~comfy haven~. A set of three flameless flickering candles so you can have the perfect ambiance without fretting about leaving an open flame near your favorite books. You can choose a steady glow or a flicker effect to really set the cozy ambiance for your night at home, curled up on the couch reading your favorite novel by the "flame." A sunrise alarm clock because it's so similar to the viral Hatch alarm clock, but will end up saving you hard-earned moolah. This little device simulates the sunrise (a big win for basement dwellers), and it functions as a night-light (with color-changing options), an alarm clock, and a white noise machine so that you can get a peaceful night's sleep. A sleek, whisper-quiet air purifier so you're not having to pick up a duster every single week (which totally messes with your relaxation time, dammit). This machine has a HEPA filter, so it'll help collect the rogue dust, pollen, and pet dander that your mom keeps finding clumps of in the corner of your room after you literally just cleaned. A mini projector with a 200-inch projection screen and built-in stereo speakers to turn your home into a personal movie theater. Now, you don't have to brave crowds or *shudders* other people just to comfortably watch your favorite Disney movie on the big screen. Oh yeah, your home just became the talk of the whole neighborhood. A cool bed tray so you never have to leave your bed to clock into your WFH job. It even has a convenient little side pocket so you can put your pens, phone, and notebook away when not in use. This is perfect for the times you wanna cocoon yourself into your sheets all day long. A hand-poured soy wax candle with an enticing brown sugar cinnamon scent — you'll feel like you're living in a cozy little French bakery. And a dreamy, dimmable candle-warmer lamp to enjoy the cozy vibe and aroma of your fave candle without fretting over the possibility of falling asleep with an open flame. It has a built-in timer, and it'll be a cute addition to your home decor! A Bluetooth-enabled record player perfect for any old-school music lover out there. This is truly the 🎶best of both worlds🎶 since you can dust off and play your long-since-used vinyls, but you can also connect it to your phone and play the latest hits from your playlist. Plus, it comes in such cute colors, so you're def gonna find a shade that matches your whole ~vibe~. A set of insulated blackout curtains to protect your room from the bane of your slumber existence: heat, light, and noise. Parents have even claimed that it's helped their toddlers sleep for longer! You're basically gonna feel like Sleeping Beauty with these. A string light curtain you can layer with some sheer curtains so your room can look like a cozy wonderland. These will really set the ambiance and make every night at home a ✨fancy✨ one — you won't ever want to leave the house. A tea sampler box with up to eight different flavors (48 bags total!!!) so you can have the proper warm cuppa when you're spending a night cozying up at home. These have both caffeinated *and* decaffeinated options, so you can have the perfect, flavorful brew no matter the time of day. And an electric gooseneck kettle that is both pretty, practical, and oh-so-similar to the fast-boiling Fellow Stagg kettle. This has five easy-to-use temperature presets to get the perfect amount of heat, perfect for making that pristine brew you're so reliant on, and a gooseneck design that allows you to control the flow of water more precisely. AND it even keeps water warm for up to an hour?!?! Tea connoisseurs, beware, you're bound to fall in love at the very sight of this kettle. Some silicone soup cubes so you can freeze up perfectly proportioned nightly dinners in bulk, and always have a cozy meal ready to go. Meal prep just got a whole lot easier — this tray can store soups, stews, sauces, and more. A silicone popcorn maker to elevate your home movie nights by delivering gourmet-level popcorn straight to your eager hands. Say bye-bye to the days of having to buy expensive pre-made, store-bought popcorn, and hello to kernel customization! *AND* you can't forget the ~cult-favorite~ popcorn salt because the taste of movie theatre popcorn is elite, and you want that same buttery-salty-goodness without having to actually exit your home. Netflix movie nights just got a whole lot better. A roll of LED strip lights so your simple Netflix movie nights turn into a cinematic experience Every. Single. Time. A "Cup Cozy Pillow" you can place on your couch to hold all of your most important movie night snacks and drinks. It has expandable cup holes to perfectly fit everything from your favorite mug to your remotes that are always getting lost, as well as an insulating foam that keeps your drinks cool or hot for longer periods. A Bluetooth galaxy light projector to create the perfect ambiance and transport you to a galaxy far, far away. This device combines an Aurora projector, night light, Bluetooth speaker, and white noise machine all into one. Why limit yourself to plain painted walls when your house can be transformed into the perfect oasis? Or a sunset lamp that can cast a warm glow around your room and make it feel like you're watching the rays of that precious sunset all day long. This is the true definition of a cozy ~aesthetic~. A splurge-worthy towel warmer because you deserve the spa feel of having a warm towel draped over your face while you relax, especially on those days when going to an actual spa is just not in the cards, and you really need some extra pampering. A swoon-worthy plush blanket that many reviewers say is just as good as the popular (and much pricier) Barefoot Dreams one. It's incredibly comfortable, supremely soft, and completely aesthetically pleasing (so it won't throw off your home decor at all). Or a bestselling cotton weighted blanket if you wanna cocoon yourself on your couch and never ever leave again. It contains cooling glass beads for enhanced temperature regulation, so you can have the comfort of the weight without getting too hot. Or a giant 10x10 blanket the whole family can snuggle under, so you're not playing tug-of-war for the fluffy comfort that only a supremely cozy blanket like this can provide. A set of electric logs so your home can be as cozy as Christmas morning — even on a random summer day. It produces *actual heat*, and even has a realistic crackle sound that is sure to transport you to the depths of a cozy haven. Or a more modern wall-mounted electric fireplace to bring warmth, comfort, and serious cottage vibes to your home without having to shell out thousands on actually building a chimney. It has various brightness and flame speed options, as well as 12 color options for the flames and flame bed, touch screen buttons, and a remote control — so you never need to leave the warm spot you've claimed on the couch to switch up the customization options. A 3-in-1 convertible "reading chair" you can curl into at the end of the day with your favorite book and cup of hot cocoa. It has an outlet so you can charge your Kindle before it dies in the middle of a great chapter, a side pocket you can use to stash all your fave snacks, hidden storage in the bottom to hold your coziest blanket, AND it pulls into a full sleeper bed so you can reach ultimate levels of relaxation! A pair of cooling pillowcases so you don't overheat in the middle of the night and wake up covered in buckets of sweat. You'll feel like you're living in a 5-star hotel because they are that comfortable. An Ember temperature-control smart mug for slow sippers who don't feel like getting up every 30 minutes to warm up their coffee for the millionth time. Sit back, relax, and don't fret about remembering to turn off the heat pad before going to sleep — it'll automatically turn off based on motion detection! An Amazon Echo Dot because it'll basically be your personal assistant. As you lounge like a royal on your couch, it'll answer almost any random questions you have, look up the weather, play music, turn on your podcast, set up reminders, and even adjust your schedule. An arc floor lamp to set the perfect mood lighting without you needing to turn on the harsh, super bright overhead light. This will create the ideal ambiance for you to sink into your rom-com book — you're just about to get to the best part... the fake dating might actually turn real! Some extra foamy bubble bath because, although you're an adult, you deserve some foamy bubbles too! It's been a long work week, so sink into a warm lavender chamomile bath to help nourish your skin and calm your mind. And if it has the extra perk of being able to play with some bubbles? Well, that's just a win-win! And a waterproof bamboo bathtub tray with ample space so you can place down your favorite novel, your glass of wine, or even some snacks as you enjoy your night of relaxation. *AND* a wineglass holder perfect for holding that cup of red so you can feel as luxurious as Frasier Crane, leaning back and enjoying his specially curated bubble bath. A beginner-friendly Click & Grow Indoor Herb Garden Kit — in other words, a smart garden so you can grow the plants you've always wanted, even if you live in a teensy tiny (and somewhat gloomy) apartment. You can select grow pods for cilantro, basil, lavender, wild strawberries, thyme, chili peppers, and more! A color-changing essential oil diffuser and humidifier perfect for surrounding yourself with your favorite calming scents like jasmine, lavender, or citrus. It has color-changing lights (perfect ambiance!), different mist modes, and an auto-shutoff feature. This can help with relieving stress, improving sleep, or even improving your skin by adding moisture to the air! A bestselling cooling full-body pillow to bring you the comfiest night of sleep, whether you're pregnant or not! This will help give you the support you need, so you don't spend all night tossing and turning, trying to contort your body into the perfect angle. A soundproofing strip so you can fully immerse yourself in your own lil' world, without having to hear your ridiculously loud neighbors every single time you try to get some shut-eye. A decorative rainbow window film to stick onto a window for a kaleidoscope of color and light bursting into your room. 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Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
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‘Jesus Christ Superstar' transcends in starry Hollywood Bowl celebration led by divine Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo, a noted theatrical divinity, redeemed the title of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend in a magnetic, heaven-sent performance that established God the Savior as a queer Black woman, as many of us suspected might be the case all along. Divine dispensation allowed me to catch the final performance of this revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's 1971 breakout musical. I returned from vacation just in time to join the pilgrimaging hordes carting cumbersome picnic baskets and enough wine for a few dozen Sicilian weddings. The vast number of attendees caused bottlenecks at entry points, prompting one wag to crack, 'What is this, the Second Coming?' The headliners, Erivo as Jesus and Adam Lambert as Judas, certainly have sizable fan bases. But so too does the subject of this Greatest Story Ever Told, a messiah whose following has few equals in the history of the world. Suffice it to say, it was a supercharged evening, comparable more to a rock concert than one of the Bowl's forays into the musical theater past. The hard-charging exuberance was appropriate for a production that went back to the concept album roots of a rock opera that, like other countercultural musicals of the period — such as 'Hair' and 'Godspell' — preached peace and love while rebelling against oppression and conformity. 'Jesus Christ Superstar' reminds us that Lloyd Webber wasn't always a symbol of the bourgeois establishment. Yes, the composer behind 'Cats,' 'The Phantom of the Opera' and 'Sunset Boulevard' had an early revolutionary streak, challenging authority and testing social taboos. What made 'Jesus Christ Superstar' controversial wasn't simply the depiction of Jesus of Nazareth as a man with vulnerabilities and doubts. It was the blast of guitars and vocal shrieks that accompanied the telling of his last days and crucifixion in a manner more akin to the Who's 'Tommy' than the church organ interludes of a traditional Sunday service. Director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo leaned into the concert nature of 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' The metallic scaffolding staging, the mythic scale of projections and the rhythmic flow of cast members, moving from one musical number to the next, freed the production from literal illustration. The religious meaning of the story was communicated through the intensity of the performances. Erivo and Lambert are incapable of ever giving less than 100% when translating emotion into song. But the human drama was most evident in the handling of duets, the musical give and take that showcases the richness of all that lies between lyrics. The conflict between Erivo's all-seeing, all-feeling Jesus and Lambert's competitive yet remorseful Judas was thrillingly brought to life in their different yet wholly compatible musical styles. In 'Strange Thing Mystifying' and 'The Last Supper,' Lambert, a Freddie Mercury style-rocker, and Erivo, a musical theater phenomenon who can pierce the heavens with her mighty voice, revealed a Judas who can't account for all his actions and a Jesus who understands the larger destiny that is both sorrowfully and triumphantly unfolding. Phillipa Soo's Mary Magdalene brought a probing, tentative and profound intimacy in her adoration of Erivo's Jesus. In her exquisite rendition of 'I Don't Know How to Love Him,' the tenderness between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, at once earthy and ethereal, deepened the expressive range of the love between them. Soo, best known for her graceful lead performance in 'Hamilton,' provided sublime support in a cast that had considerable Broadway depth. Raúl Esparza, who I can still hear singing 'Being Alive' from the 2006 Broadway revival of 'Company,' played Pontius Pilate with lip-smacking villainy. Josh Gad, who missed Friday's performance because of illness but was in sharp comic form Sunday, turned King Herod into a Miami-style mobster, dressed in a gold lamé getup that would be just perfect for New Year's Day brunch at Mar-a-Lago. The acting company distinguished itself primarily through its galvanic singing. Music director and conductor Stephen Oremus maintained the production's high musical standards, bringing out the extensive palette of a rock score with quicksilver moods. One could feel Erivo, a generous performer who understands that listening can be as powerful as belting, building up trust in her less experienced musical theater cast mates. The way she registered Lambert's bravura moments bolstered not only his confidence in his non-singing moments but also the miracle of her own fully realized performance. Ultimately, Jesus' spiritual journey is a solitary one. In 'Gethsemane,' the path of suffering becomes clear, and Ervio's transcendence was all the more worshiped by the audience for being painfully achieved. Unmistakably modern yet incontestably timeless, abstract yet never disembodied and pure of heart yet alive to the natural shocks that flesh is heir to, this portrayal of Jesus with piercings, acrylic nails and tattoos met us in an ecumenical place, where all are welcome in their bodily realities and immortal longings. Lloyd Webber is undergoing a renaissance at the moment. Fearlessly inventive director Jamie Lloyd has given new impressions of 'Sunset Blvd.,' which won the Tony for best musical revival this year, and 'Evita,' which is currently the talk of London's West End. Trujillo's production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' deserves not just a longer life but more time for the actors to investigate their momentous relationships with one another. The drama that occurs when Erivo's Jesus and Soo's Mary Magdalene interact should provide the model for all the cast members to lay bare their messy human conflicts. 'Jesus Christ Superstar' depends as much upon its interpersonal drama as its rock god swagger — as Erivo, in a Bowl performance that won't soon be forgotten, proved once and for all.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Cynthia Erivo And Adam Lambert's Jesus Christ Superstar Needs To Tour
Cynthia Erivo (Jesus) and Adam Lambert (Judas), Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl gave a sold-out crowd the son of God for an era accustomed to Gaga theatrics. Farah Sosa This won't be pleasant to hear but if you missed Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl this past weekend, you really lost out on seeing one of the great and memorable stage extravaganzas that Los Angeles has witnessed in recent years. For three nights on a Bowl set as dramatic and luminous as a tabernacle vision, the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice found life in a new form that at times felt like a full-blown conversion. With the Mercurial (and by that, I mean Freddie) Adam Lambert as Judas, an otherworldly Cynthia Erivo as Jesus (bold casting that outperformed even scriptural expectations) and a supporting cast that included no less than Phillipa Soo from the original Hamilton cast as Mary Magdalene and Josh Gad ( Book of Mormon , Frozen ) as Herod, the 55-year-old Broadway classic suddenly felt as if the heavens themselves had a hand in the production. Okay, let me walk that back a little. It was a fantastic show. But it wasn't so much an update of the original 1970s rock opera as a one-of-a-kind arena-style blowout that let us see what these charismatic powerhouse belters could do with this vintage material. It's the son of God for an era accustomed to Gaga theatrics. You want the Passion of Christ? We'll give you Passion like you've never seen. If you missed the Hollywood Bowl production of Superstar this weekend, you missed a revelation on stage. Farah Sosa Of course, spectacle was part of the JCS program from the beginning. The show originated in 1970 when up-and-coming composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice teamed up to record a concept album that retold the last week of Jesus's life through rock music, an audacious conceit that pushed the LP to the top of the Billboard charts. The following year, Jesus Christ Superstar premiered on Broadway and in London's West End to mixed reactions. ' Superstar seemed to me less than super,' The New York Times critic Clive Barnes wrote in reviewing the original. In 1973 Norman Jewison's film brought the story to cinemas, complete with Carpenters'–style production values and standout performances by singer Yvonne Elliman and others. Through the '80s and '90s it enjoyed frequent revivals—most notably a 1996 West End run and a 2000 U.S. tour—before a critically acclaimed 2012 Broadway revival reintroduced it to a new generation. Since then it's been mounted everywhere from regional stages to international tours, spawned a live TV concert in 2018 and continues to resonate since the themes of fame, betrayal, and political theater haven't exactly gone out of fashion. Under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl, the gospel-tinged guitars and driving riffs were familiar from the album (you could see people of a certain age mouthing along to every single word). But director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo made sure this version never felt like a throwback. From the first strains of 'Heaven on Their Minds,' Judas's betrayal unfolded against a shifting backdrop of LED panels and pulsing lights, while the orchestra—directed by Stephen Oremus—loosed the score behind a digital curtain, from delicate flute solos in 'Damned for All Time' to full-throated electric roars in the title number. Erivo's Gethsemane: A standing ovation that offsets the controversy There's been some online hand-waving around the 'controversy' of casting a queer Black woman to play the Messiah, but please—Erivo as J.C. wowed audiences as dramatically here as in The Color Purple on Broadway or even on screen with Wicked . Her stirring, affecting wails and torch-ery on 'What's the Buzz,' 'Everything's Alright' and 'The Temple' had a capacity crowd of 17,500 riveted, and that was before the three-minute, mid-act standing ovation Erivo got in the second half for 'Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say).' People everywhere had tears streaming right along with Erivo's. Lambert, meanwhile, reveled in Judas's arc from swagger to ruin, balancing streetwise regret with near-mythic torment. Could any other contemporary singer — aside from perhaps Gaga herself — bring the same combination of goth-rock swagger, heartbreak and glittery stoke to lines like: 'You have set them all on fire / They think they've found the new Messiah / And they'll hurt you when they find they're wrong!' I think not. Josh Gad recovered from COVID in time to make the last two performances as King Herod. John Stamos filled in on Friday night, to mixed reviews Elisabeth Asher Why Jesus Christ Superstar deserves an even bigger stage It's not to say the show was perfect. People are still sniveling about poor John Stamos stepping in at the last minute on Friday night as Herod to 'speak sing' the part for Gad, who was out that night with COVID (Gad appeared to be making up for lost time on Sunday with Vegas-style over-the-top kitsch as the ruler of Galilee). And the choreography wasn't exactly on the same epic level as the vocals. But here's my real gripe: Jesus Christ Superstar only got three nights. This thing could storm Broadway, crisscross the country or pitch an actual revival-tent tour and still pack the house for years. Don't lose Erivo or Lambert, that's for sure. But cut it loose from the Bowl and you'd have a transfiguring phenomenon on your hands—one that would keep the faithful and the curious coming back from now 'til kingdom come.
