Latest news with #CenterTheatreGroup
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Grammy Museum in L.A. Presents ‘& Juliet: The Music of Max Martin and Friends'
The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles presents '& Juliet: The Music of Max Martin and Friends,' a new pop-up exhibit celebrating songwriter and producer Max Martin. This exhibit explores how hits from his extensive catalog were reimagined for the hit musical & Juliet. Timed to coincide with the touring production's summer run at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (Aug. 13 – Sept. 7), the exhibit will open at the Grammy Museum on July 23 and remain on display through Oct. 27. More from Billboard Inside '& Juliet,' the Max Martin-Inspired Musical Bringing Britney, Backstreet & More to Broadway Iconic Los Angeles Venue the Mayan Theater Announces Closure Billy Strings Goes Death Metal With Cryptopsy Collaboration For more than 30 years, Martin and his collaborators have crafted dozens of hits for superstars including Ariana Grande, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry. Martin joined forces with a team of Broadway producers to re-envision his greatest hits for the stage. The result was & Juliet, a jukebox musical that flips the script on Romeo & Juliet and brings Martin's music to life as a fresh, theatrical performance. The show features such signature Martin hits as 'Since U Been Gone,' 'Roar,' 'I Want It That Way' and 'Confident.' & Juliet has played on four continents since its premiere on London's West End in 2019. The Original Broadway Cast Recording was released in October 2022 on Atlantic Records. The show opened on Broadway on Nov. 17, 2022 and is still running at the Stephen Sondheim Theater. It received nine Tony nominations in 2023 but went 0-9 on the big night. 'I'm so thrilled that the Grammy Museum is highlighting & Juliet,' Martin said in a statement. 'Working on & Juliet has truly been a highlight of my career, and I'm so glad LA residents will have a chance to check out the show that has brought so much joy to so many people, and at the same time visit the Grammy Museum to learn more about the songs and artifacts that inspired the score.' 'I hope our Grammy Museum visitors will walk away with a new appreciation for Martin's pop music legacy and a better understanding of all the hard work that goes into creating a Broadway production,' added Kelsey Goelz, curator at the Grammy Museum. Exhibit highlights include: A Britney Spears performance outfit from her 1999 Baby One More Time tour A Britney Spears performance outfit from her 2001-02 Dream Within a Dream tour Original props and costume pieces from & Juliet, including Romeo's jacket Sheet music from & Juliet signed by Max Martin Martin, 54, has won five Grammy Awards, including producer of the year, non-classical in 2015. He has received 25 Grammy nominations, including 19 in the three highest-profile categories: album, record and song of the year. For tickets and more information on the exhibit, visit the Grammy museum site. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘I have no fear': L.A. Opera lovers attend shows in downtown L.A. despite protests
Hours before downtown Los Angeles headed into its sixth night under curfew orders imposed by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, dozens of opera and theater fans funneled into the Music Center on Sunday afternoon to catch matinee performances of L.A. Opera's 'Rigoletto' and Center Theatre Group's 'Hamlet.' The shows took place just one day after thousands of 'No Kings' demonstrators flooded the streets to protest immigration raids across the city. Center Theatre Group had canceled its Wednesday night performance of director Robert O'Hara's world-premiere adaptation of 'Hamlet' before officials announced a curfew exemption on Thursday for ticket holders of indoor events and performing arts venues downtown such as the Music Center. Saturday's matinee and evening performances of 'Hamlet' were also canceled in anticipation of the protests. No performances of 'Rigoletto' were canceled and L.A. Opera's 'Renee Fleming and Friends' event took place on Saturday night. On Sunday afternoon, aside from a handful of police cars sprinkled throughout the area, there wasn't much of a law enforcement presence and no protests were happening, which made many attendees feel more relaxed about coming downtown. Ahead of the 'Rigoletto' show, we spoke to ticket holders about whether they hesitated about coming to the Music Center and downtown Los Angeles and how they feel about supporting the arts even in times of conflict. Their responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Why did you want to come to the show today? Pancake: I've never seen 'Rigoletto' live and I haven't been to the L.A. Opera even though I've been [in L.A.] since 1987. I've been to the Mark Taper and Ahmanson hundreds of times, but never to the opera. I'm here because my nephew turned 21 and even though he's a punk rock, heavy metal dude, he really likes the opera. I was going to bring him here for his birthday on Thursday, but he felt weird about coming down here. I have no fear. I'm old. I don't care anymore. I've lived through all the riots, strikes and protests. I'm gay. I've been marching since 1987 for a million different reasons, so I changed it to today because he was concerned about the curfew and then he still didn't come. So I brought Gabe, my good friend, who is also a theater guy. Acero: My father is a security guard at the Federal Building and I told him I was coming here, and he was like, 'Oh, that's closed.' And I'm going, 'No it's not. 1) That's only a nighttime thing. 2) That's changed. Ticketed events are still allowed because they want the arts to happen.' It's just funny that there's this dichotomy of like someone you'd think is in the thick of it and they don't even know what's going on in the area with rules and what's happening. Pancake: I was at the 'No Kings' rally all morning and afternoon yesterday and so I'm at the opera today. The L.A. Opera and the Music Center has done a really good job about sending emails and updating us about what was going on. How often do you come to downtown L.A.? Acero: I'm usually downtown at least every Friday. I go to Precinct all the time. Pancake: I'm down here often. I go to the theater. I'm an actor and I know a lot of actors. [Gabe] is a prosthetic makeup artist, so we are in the world of acting and theater. As an actor, nothing will stop me from doing theater and attending theater. Do you have any plans after the show? Pancake: I think we're going to go eat afterward. Why do you think it's important to support the arts, which are still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hollywood strike and the recent wildfires? Pancake: To show them, the performers and the artists, that we're here for them. Then the flip side, it's like I appreciate it when people show up for my stuff, so it's a give and take and I'm happy to be a part of it. Acero: That's theater. You go there for a relief from the real world. It's sort of an escape. Why did you want to come to the show today? Asch: I love the opera. In our community, there was a bus organized to bring us up here, so we did it. I went to the protest yesterday. It was so exciting and we were all cheering and saying, 'No kings.' Block: We felt like this would not be in the area where there are a lot of protesters and that it would be perfectly safe to come on down. Why do you think it's important to support the arts? Asch: I think they lift your spirits. I mean even though this is a depressing opera, the music is thrilling and I know I'm going to shed a tear at the end. Block: We get tired of talking about politics and worrying about it, and this is an opportunity to get away from it. Are you doing anything after the show? Block: No [laughs]. We're getting on the bus to take us back home. Why did you want to come to the show today? I finished preaching a sermon, changed my clothes and then came down here for the show. I'm a social justice pastor, so basically when you bring me into your church, I'm going to talk about current events. The title of my sermon was 'This is God's world, we're just living in it.' Remember in 1865, we were looking for freedom and in 2025, we're still looking for it. I'm an avid opera goer. I feel that more people of color should go to the opera. They think that we're not included, but we are included, it's just that we have to show up. Also, I'm a big Verdi fan so anything Verdi writes, I'm going to go see it. Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests? You're talking to a man of faith. I didn't feel threatened coming downtown because I understood the cause. I think the people who are feeling threatened coming downtown are people who don't maybe agree with the cause. They're looking at too much CNN, and CNN is only [showing] what they want you to see. But no, I don't feel nervous in doing that. These people have a right to be out there. I don't believe in the violence part, but violence is gonna happen no matter what kind of protest. The American Revolution had violence. I felt that our current administration was overdoing it and I just passed by [some] Marines but there's nobody in the streets. Why did you want to come to the show today? Kelley: My husband conducted a performance of 'Rigoletto' about 15 years ago with an opera company in Chinatown. Hougesen: I wasn't worried. The L.A. Opera sends regular emails and they told us that we may want to take the 110 Freeway and the Temple Street exit. They also said if you don't feel comfortable, they would be happy to refund your money. So I wasn't afraid. I watch the TV news regularly and the [Los Angeles Police Department] was very good with crowd control yesterday, so I didn't think it was going to be a problem. Kelley: I had full trust that it was going to be OK. The 'No Kings' protest was yesterday, so I just figured especially if you arrive early enough, I figured it wouldn't be a problem. I hadn't heard of any of the protesters being on the ground at the Music Center.' Why do you think it's important to support the arts? Hougesen: Well, I have season tickets. I have for many years. I go to the L.A. Philharmonic and the L.A. Opera. Kelley: I think the arts are what keep a lot of people going. They uplift everybody. My late husband started an orchestra in 1965, the Palisades Symphony. He died about a year and a half ago, but the orchestra continues. It's an all-volunteer orchestra and I am still involved with it and I'm an active cellist. Also, some of those people lost their homes so it gives them a sense of continuity and friendship. Just playing music together is very very important to so many people. Why did you want to come to the show today? We just like to do things in the city. If anything sounds interesting, we'll go check it out. Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests? Not really and the freeway was clear when we came down so we weren't really concerned. How often do you come downtown? About once a month to visit the Ahmanson and the Mark Taper. I try to see whatever is playing. Are you planning to do anything after the show in the area? Our plan was to come early and enjoy the pavilion before the show. It's a school night. Why do you think it's important to support the arts? It's important to take a step back and pause, and get in tune with your emotions or experience something new and creative before you go back into the world because it might shift your perspective. It might change your mindset. So I think it's important, no matter what's going on in L.A., to support the arts. If we want an art scene here, we have to patronize it. Why did you want to come to the show today? Lass: We live in the mountains and were bored. We've both grown up in Southern California, and L.A. is not scary. You could be in a bad place at the wrong time, but that can happen anywhere. Roblee: They did cancel our brunch reservation though. When we were driving through, we saw some boarded-up buildings. Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests? Lass: A little bit just from seeing what was on the news, but it was not like I've seen in the past. I lived in Hawthorne during the riots, so if all the buildings aren't burning, everything is good. ... People want to fight for what's right. How often do you come downtown? Roblee: A couple times of year, mostly for activities. Why do you think it's important to support the arts even during times of strife? Roblee: The artists need to make a living and the theater has never been a place to get rich. It's important. It's culturally important and we enjoy it, so you have to support it. Take it away and life is boring. Why did you want to come to the show today? Kareem: We came to the opera last year and that was our first time, and we thought let's go again in the summer. We're teachers. Were you nervous about coming to downtown L.A. today? Amy: I didn't feel nervous today. I figured it was during the day. I was kind of curious to see the [freeway] off-ramps and all that stuff, but I wasn't nervous. Kareem: I was a little bit nervous because I'm the driver. As we got closer and into the city, I felt a little bit more relaxed. I didn't get nervous because I saw cars were moving, but I saw police cars lined up above the freeway and they had closed some off-ramps. But then as I kind of pulled off and I didn't see any activity, I felt more relaxed. We sat down. We ordered a beer. I feel like it was a little quiet when we got here. For me, it was like I have the tickets. Even going back to things that have happened in the past, like 9/11, you just kind of don't want to be roaming around in fear. I'm going to live my life and if I have to turn around for some reason, then I just turn around, but I'm going to move on and get things back to normal. The faster we do things without fear, the faster things can kind of move on. How often do you come to downtown? Kareem: A few times a year. Are you doing anything after the show? Kareem: We're doing a Father's Day dinner near our home. Why do you think it's important to support the arts? Amy: Our daughter is a senior in college and she's in the arts. She does musicals and theater, so it's kind of been a part of our family. And we've gone to shows at the Pantages and on Broadway, and we've just always enjoyed them. I know they work really hard and they don't make a lot, whether they're on stage or they are the stage crew. Kareem: In my family, it's kind of been like a way to bond every since we've been together through dating and marriage. My godfather's son grew up in the theater and still works as a professional in the arts and he's always working hard, so we try to support them. We don't know any of these people, but we enjoy it.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The city doth protest too much? Hamlet gets LA curfew exemption
It's a story of revenge, corruption and a quest for power -- William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" was playing Friday inside the curfew zone set up to control protests in Los Angeles. Theater-goers with a valid ticket for the performance in Downtown LA were exempted from the overnight lockdown that has left much of the city center looking as ghostly as the banquet in Shakespeare's play about the prince of Denmark. "The Los Angeles Mayor's Office has updated guidance on the Downtown LA area curfew and has granted an exception to allow individuals with tickets to an indoor venue to attend that event as scheduled," said an announcement on the Center Theatre Group's website. "Center Theatre Group, The Music Center, and the surrounding streets have not been directly impacted by protest or law enforcement activity." Protests sprang up in Los Angeles last week over President Donald Trump's increased immigration raids as anger grew in the sprawling multicultural city. Violence flared, notably on Sunday when autonomous cars were set on fire and rocks were burled at police, but the demonstrations have been mostly peaceful. Trump, who has repeatedly exaggerated the scale of the protests, deployed 4,700 soldiers, including active duty Marines, in what he says is a necessary step to bring order. Opponents accuse him of a power grab and say troops have no place in policing civilian protest. A "No Kings" movement promises protests in more than 2,000 places across the country, including a large demonstration in Los Angeles, on Saturday. hg/st
France 24
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
The city doth protest too much? Hamlet gets LA curfew exemption
Theater-goers with a valid ticket for the performance in Downtown LA were exempted from the overnight lockdown that has left much of the city center looking as ghostly as the banquet in Shakespeare's play about the prince of Denmark. "The Los Angeles Mayor's Office has updated guidance on the Downtown LA area curfew and has granted an exception to allow individuals with tickets to an indoor venue to attend that event as scheduled," said an announcement on the Center Theatre Group's website. "Center Theatre Group, The Music Center, and the surrounding streets have not been directly impacted by protest or law enforcement activity." Protests sprang up in Los Angeles last week over President Donald Trump's increased immigration raids as anger grew in the sprawling multicultural city. Violence flared, notably on Sunday when autonomous cars were set on fire and rocks were burled at police, but the demonstrations have been mostly peaceful. Trump, who has repeatedly exaggerated the scale of the protests, deployed 4,700 soldiers, including active duty Marines, in what he says is a necessary step to bring order. Opponents accuse him of a power grab and say troops have no place in policing civilian protest. A "No Kings" movement promises protests in more than 2,000 places across the country, including a large demonstration in Los Angeles, on Saturday. © 2025 AFP
Los Angeles Times
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Downtown L.A.'s arts scene grapples with curfews and cancellations: L.A. arts and culture this weekend
Center Theatre Group temporarily canceled 'Hamlet' at Mark Taper Forum; the Los Angeles Philharmonic scuttled the final night of its Seoul Festival at Walt Disney Concert Hall; the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles' Geffen Contemporary and the Broad museum are both closed through the weekend; and the Japanese American National Museum fenced off its pavilion to prevent further vandalism — these are just some of the immediate effects felt by downtown Los Angeles' many arts organizations as ICE protests, an ongoing curfew and the arrival of thousands of federal troops upend daily life in the city's civic core. (On Thursday, Los Angeles city officials carved out a curfew exemption for ticket holders of indoor events and performing arts venues downtown including the Music Center, paving the way for evening performances of Center Theatre Group's 'Hamlet' and Los Angeles Opera's 'Rigoletto.') The Trump administration says it will deploy 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to L.A. to protect immigration agents and federal buildings at a reported cost of $134 million. On Tuesday, the state of California requested a temporary restraining order blocking the deployments, so it's anyone's guess as to how this will ultimately unfold. The uncertainty, including how long Mayor Karen Bass' 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew will remain in effect, has added to the pall over downtown L.A., where businesses and restaurants are also struggling with security issues and the many unknowns of the swiftly evolving crisis. On Wednesday, I reached out to many of downtown's arts leaders, and they all issued statements in support of Los Angeles and all of its inhabitants. 'As Los Angeles' largest theatre company, located in Downtown LA, we are heartbroken by the events unfolding around us and affecting so many in our beautiful and diverse city,' CTG said. 'Our mission is to be a home for everyone who calls themselves an Angeleno.' This is a sentiment that abounds throughout this proud city of immigrants, where many with friends or neighbors who are undocumented feel sorrow to see the violence and destruction. As losses mount for the arts in downtown L.A., it is worth noting that if you add the cost of President Trump's Saturday military parade in Washington, D.C. — estimated to be about $45 million — to the aforementioned price tag for sending troops to Southern California , the total is about $179 million. The National Endowment for the Arts, which Trump has proposed eliminating entirely, requested a $210.1 million budget for 2025, and millions in grants for arts groups have been clawed back this year under Elon Musk's DOGE. I'm arts and culture reporter Jessica Gelt, standing with my community in support of all its members. Here's this week's arts news. Academy screeningsThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents two very different films this weekend. On Friday, the North American premiere of a new 4K restoration of 1975 best picture winner, 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' starring Jack Nicholson, screens with supervising film editor Richard Chew and editor Lynzee Klingman joining screenwriter Larry Karaszewski to discuss the film. Then, the academy's Teen Movie Madness! series continues Saturday with a 25th anniversary screening of cheerleading cult fave 'Bring It On' in 35mm, preceded by a conversation with actor and artist Brandi Williams, who played Lafred in the film.'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' 7:30 p.m. Friday; 'Bring It On,' 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Academy Museum, David Geffen Theater, 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. CinderellaLos Angeles Ballet closes out its 2024-25 season with this fairy tale classic featuring choreography by Edwaard Liang set to the music of Sergei Prokofiev. This reimagined version adds a modern sensibility, new twists, fantasy and humor to the story of a young woman, mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, who is transformed for a date with a prince by a fairy godmother.7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dolby Theatre, 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood. Renée Fleming & FriendsBroadway and opera come together as vocalists Tituss Burgess, Lindsay Mendez and Jessie Mueller join the legendary soprano for a one-night-only concert presented by L.A. Opera. When Fleming appeared in the musical 'Light in the Piazza' at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 2019, Times theater critic Charles McNulty wrote that the singer 'delivers the goods in the show's climax … Sound and sense are at last joined, making the distinction between Broadway and opera irrelevant.' (The performance is still planned as originally scheduled. Please check with L.A. Opera for updates.)7:30 p.m. Friday. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Black Cowboys: An American StoryBeyoncé earned accolades (including her first best album Grammy) for 'Cowboy Carter,' bringing the iconography of the Black West to the mainstream. For those whose appetites have been whetted for more, this exhibition at the Autry Museum of the American West, conceived and organized by the Witte Museum in San Antonio, delivers a deep dive into that underreported slice of history. Tales of how Black men and women deployed their equestrian skills to great effect as they tamed and trained horses, tended livestock and embarked on cattle drives across the country come to life through historical and contemporary objects, photographs and personal recollections. The Autry's presentation also highlights Hollywood's influence on the Black cowboy image with movie memorabilia, including vintage film posters and the costumes used in the 2021 Netflix film 'The Harder They Fall.'Saturday through Jan. 4. Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. 'Broadway finally got its groove back. The 2024-25 season was the highest-grossing season on record and the second-highest in terms of attendance,' Times theater critic Charles McNulty writes in a column about last Sunday's Tony Awards. That resurgence could be attributed to the many high-powered film and television stars on New York stages including George Clooney, Kieran Culkin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Denzel Washington, Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Snook — but the real reason audiences flocked to live theater this season, McNulty concludes, was 'unadulterated theatrical fearlessness.' The Smithsonian Institution's standoff with President Trump took a new turn Monday evening when the Smithsonian issued a statement that could be read as a rejection of Trump's late-May firing of National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet. The Smithsonian said the organization's secretary, Lonnie G. Bunch, 'has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian,' after a lengthy meeting by the board. This seems to imply that, for now, Sajet isn't going anywhere. On Wednesday, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., announced a major gift of modern and contemporary drawings from longtime museum supporters Lenore and Bernard Greenberg. The collection of more than 60 works of art includes pieces by Vija Celmins, Willem de Kooning, Alberto Giacometti, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Franz Kline, Brice Marden, Bruce Nauman, Susan Rothenberg, Ed Ruscha, Shahzia Sikander and Cy Twombly. 'Adrien Brody's art is horrendous. Why are some people pretending it isn't?' senior ARTnews editor Alex Greenberger argues in a pointed, sometimes hilarious takedown of the Oscar-winning star's paintings. 'Adrien Brody has received due attention for his acting abilities: his Oscar-winning performance in last year's film The Brutalist is the kind of work most actors would be lucky to pull off once in their lifetime. Last week, however, he started receiving undue attention for the hideous art he debuted in New York at Eden Gallery, which — based on its press coverage, anyway — is one of the most talked-about exhibitions of the summer,' the column begins. If you need a chuckle, it's worth reading in its entirety. Unlike his assessment of Broadway's season, Charles McNulty wasn't so positive about a recent L.A. theater offering. He did not enjoy director Robert O'Hara's world-premiere adaptation of 'Hamlet,' starring Patrick Ball from MAX's hit show 'The Pitt.' The new material places the story in a noir landscape in modern-day L.A. and features a second-act twist when a detective comes to investigate the play's bloodbath a la 'CSI.' 'O'Hara's audacious antics are stimulating at first, but there's not enough dramatic interest to sustain such a grueling journey,' McNulty writes. A massive Barbara Kruger mural titled 'Questions' on the side of MOCA's Geffen Contemporary began appearing in news broadcasts and social media posts across the country as ICE protests unfolded over the weekend. This proved prophetic, since the 1990 artwork is composed of a series of pointed questions that interrogate the very nature of power and control. Read all about it here. Pasadena Playhouse has announced its 2025-26 season, its first since buying back its historic 1925 building. Theater lovers can gear up for the shiny new Tony Award-winning best revival of a play, 'Eureka Day,' as well as Peter Shaffer's 'Amadeus,' a world-premiere adaptation of 'Brigadoon' and the novel two-person hip-hop musical, 'Mexodus.' — Jessica Gelt There is nothing more delectable — or truer to the diverse fabric of Los Angeles — than a good street taco. The Food team has pulled together a delicious list of 19 street vendors to support from the 101 Best Tacos guide.
