The upcoming Hollywood Bowl season promises to be one of its most exciting yet! As you undoubtedly know, the Hollywood Bowl boasts an unparalleled history including appearances by Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Judy Garland, Billie Holliday, Nat King Cole, Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Beverly Sills, Marilyn Horne, Isaac Stern … the list goes on and on.

The 2017 slate of entertainment includes a wide variety of classical, pop, and rock music along with the annual Broadway presentation (Mamma Mia! starring Corbin Bleu and Lea DeLaria), and more! Special events will include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert (three nights) and a one–night only presentation of Sondheim on Sondheim featuring a plethora of Broadway stars. Throughout the summer and fall, the LA Philharmonic will treat audiences to classical programs under the stars including Beethoven, Ravel, Stravinsky, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and many others. The Bowl will also host evenings with Tony Bennett, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Diana Krall, Chris Botti, Herbie Hancock, Pink Martini, Blondie… and of course the traditional July 4th fireworks spectacular (this year featuring three-time Grammy Award-winner Pentatonix).

Hungry before the show or at intermission? Along with two full service restaurants, street food and snacks abound. Tacos, hot dogs, pizza, barbeque, burgers, rotisserie chicken, ice cream, popcorn — you just can’t beat it for a fabulous summer night out!

For the complete line up, click here.

Are you ready to have some fun? Take a break from work and come out to PLAY! at the Autry Museum of the American West. Stepping back into the world of fun and make believe with this imaginative new exhibit is sure to bring a smile to your face.

Drawing on more than 200 objects from the Autry’s diverse collections, Play! highlights the universal aspects of play while emphasizing the changing concepts of childhood and the social meanings of toys from the nineteenth through the twenty-first centuries. Organized in four thematic sections, Go Outside! displays feature whimsically juxtaposed bicycles, skateboards, ball games, musical instruments, playfully evoking the outdoor spaces with clouds, kites, and a tree swing. A reading cave features picture books and huge stuffed animals. Learning to be a Grown Up, shows how children’s play often mimics adult responsibilities. Toys such as tea sets, play stoves, Red Ryder air rifles, and tin soldiers reflect attitudes about adult gender and social roles. This part of the exhibit also highlights the Autry’s doll collection. Make Believe with its raised stage and theater seats, allows visitors to act out a story with the background, costumes, and characters of their choice. Game Changer shows both how video games have evolved over time and how they share characteristic s with traditional games.

The exhibition launches a “Summer of Play!” which includes playground games, movies on the Autry Lawn, LEGO days, and drop-in family activities, don’t miss it!

For more details, click here.

What do composers Irvin Berlin, Chopin, Beethoven, Bernstein, Liszt, and George Gershwin have in common? Hershey Felder. And now, add Tchaikovsky to the list.

Mr. Felder has brought each of these musical greats to life on stage, not just by retracing their steps to musical greatness and embodying their personas, but by also playing their music. He is a true triple threat—writer, actor, and pianist—which makes him exceedingly well suited to embody these original rock stars. Our Great Tchaikovsky is his most recent play with music.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is best known for The Nutcracker ballet and the 1812 Overture, but the man was prolific beyond his ballets and bombastic orchestrations. His first composition, a waltz, was composed at 14 years old in honor of his mother’s passing from cholera. His final composition, his 6th Symphony, known (incorrectly) as the Pathétique, was published and performed nine days before his death. He was quoted as saying, “Let them guess what it means…” His death was reportedly caused by cholera, by it is suspected he took his life, possible by coercion. It remains a mystery to this day.

Tchaikovsky’s musical influence can be heard in the works of Stravinsky and Mahler, as well as the in the film scores of John Williams. San Diego’s Jewish World calls Felder “A master storyteller.” No word yet from San Diego’s Sea World. At the Wallis, through August 6th, Tchaikovsky is written and performed by Hershey Felder and directed by Trevor Hay.

For more details, click here.

Hailed as the “Best Free Outdoor Summer Concert Series” by L.A. Magazine, Grand Performances launches it’s 30th summer series. “Concerts to Color Your Summer” events inspire the community, celebrates diversity and aim to unite L.A. through free access to global performing arts.  Every show at the breath-taking California Plaza is free though some of the most popular are ticketed events as space is limited. If past years high quality music, dance and theater are any indication, this year’s line-up promises to showcase some amazing talent. After 27 years with w/ G.P., Michael Alexander passes the reigns to Mari Riddle as the new Executive Director overseeing Grand Performances.

2017’s lineup looks incredible and diverse showcasing performances such as Hip Hop: First peoples, New Voices. An indigenous perspective. July 6 begins the 1st of a 3-part informational beer series. Beer 101, History & more. July 28’s “La Linea” A story of life on the U.S. Mexico border utilizing multimedia & live music to paint a narrative.  July 30^th & Aug. 6th, two cultural comparative representations of the classic “Peter & The Wolf.” Aug. 10th, 9066::13769 (Executive Orders that exclude) an evening of films & live art addressing controversial executive orders, from the Japanese Americans during WWII to current threats aimed at Muslim Americans. The season wraps up with L.A. Chamber Orchestra & Art Garfunkel, an intimate conversation.

For complete listing of events, click here.