Ahmanson Theatre: Los Angeles Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles (213/628-2777) www.taperahmanson.com The Golden Anniversary season continues five decades of extraordinary theatre bursting with award wining new plays, musicals, beloved classics. Multi award winning Dear Evan Hansen, a personal and contemporary musical about life and the way we live. It is the winner of six 2017 Tony Awards including Best Musical with book by Steven Levenson and score by Grammy, Tony and Academy Award winners Benj Pasek & Justin Paul and direction by four time Tony award nominee Michael Greif. A digital lottery will begin accepting entries 48 hours prior to each performance and entries will be accepted until 9 a.m. local time the day before the performance. Oct. 17-Nov. 25.
Upcoming: Come From Away takes the audience into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them, on 9/11 when the world stopped, Nov. 28-Jan. 6, 2019.
A Noise Within: 3352 East Foothill Bl., Pasadena (626/356-3100) www.anoisewithin.org The acclaimed classical repertory theatre
Atwater Village Theatre: 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village (323/882-6912) www.openfirst.org . West coast premiere of Gloria, a razor-sharp, darkly comic drama about ambition, office warfare and pecking orders. In this explosive Pulitzer Prize finalist by MacArthur genius Braden Jacobs-Jenkins, the only thing that matters is style, status and selling out to the highest bidder. Sept. 12- Oct. 21. In All Night Long, the thin line between waking and dreaming, the conscious and subconscious, is exposed in this outrageously funny, surreal sit-com about 18 hours in the life of an all-American nuclear family, Sept. 8-Oct. 21. The Echo Theatre Company presents What Happened When, a haunting ghost story where dark truths are revealed in this brooding, compelling, funny and startling memory play Sept. 27-Oct 18. Independent Shakespeare Co. presents Letters From Home, Kalean Ung’s multimedia solo show weaves together her Cambodian family’s refugee story; her own story as a bi-racial, first generation American and Shakespeare’s iconic female characters into a unique theatrical experience, Oct. 26-Nov. 18. Bliss (or Emily Post is Dead!) takes place in an immaculate suburb in New Jersey with all the trappings of a prosperous, modern society. Their “blissful” lives are upended when an African American girl new to town and cursed with the gift of prophecy arrives with a mind to free them from their dark destinies, Nov. 3-Dec. 2. Chalk Repertory Theatre transforms a theatre into the mind of a playwright in Death and Cockroaches, a irreverent play about the power of family, grief and the walls that keep closing in, Nov. 8-Dec. 1.
Barnum Hall: Santa Monica High School, 600 Olympic Bl., Santa Monica www.smsymphony.org/concerts Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra free concerts:
Bob Baker Marionette Theater: 1345 W. 1st Street, Los Angeles (213/250-9995) www.bobbakermarionettes.com Marionettes from all over the globe entertain in an in-the-round performance of waltzing rag dolls and madcap musical instruments, also special holiday shows. Tuesdays thru Fridays 10:30 AM, Saturdays and Sundays 2:30 PM. Presenting Hooray L.A. along with a series of evening programs celebrating the hidden histories of Los Angeles.
Broad Stage: 1310 11th St., Santa Monica (310/434-3200) www.thebroadstage.com Pianist/composer/arranger John Beasley’s MONK’estra presents four-time GRAMMY nominated big-band Oct. 12; Pacifico Dance Company Mexico, de Tierra a Mar, a late morning family program, Oct. 20 Soprano Sonya Yoncheva with orchestra, Nov. 7. Upcoming: Link Link Circus with Isabella Rosselini, Manual Cinema’s Mementos Mori, All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914; Jazz & Blues and much more.
Cabrillo Music Theatre: Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Bl., Thousand Oaks (805/449-2787) www.cabrillomusictheatre.com
Celebration Theatre @Lex Theatre: 6760 Lexington Ave., Los Angeles (323/957-1884) www.celebrationtheatre.com
Chromolume Theatre at the Attic: 5429 W. Washington Bl., Los Angeles (323/205-1617) www.crtheatre.com Upcoming: Passion, a one act musical the plot concerns a young soldier and the changes in him brought about by his obsessive love of his Colonel’s ailing cousin, Nov. 2-25.
Chance Theatre: 5522 E La Palma Ave., Anaheim (888/455-4212) www.ChanceTheater.com The Other Place, Sept. 22-Oct. 2.
Colony Theatre: 555 N. Third St., Burbank (855/448-7469) www.Playhouseinfo.com It’s Showtime, a five show series featuring entertainment ranging from concerts to comedy and parody. The series is designed to provide something for arts lovers of all ages. Upcoming: Signing the Song, tells the true story of a boy who grew up in a deaf household with little exposure to TV, radio or movies. Because of his incredible 8th grade music teacher and the love and support of his parents, he came out of his silent world and discovered his voice through music, Nov. 1-4. Concluding the series is Chico’s Angeles, a live comedy production that parodies the 1976-1981 TV series Charlie’s Angeles with three of LAs favorite drag queens starring in the title roles, Nov. 15-18.
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Davidson/Valentini Theatre: LGBT Center, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood (323/860-7300). www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre. The 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival Breakout Hit, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, a dizzying, fast paced horrifying and hilarious extravaganza that leaves the audience questioning its own morality. The adaptation takes place on the dismal streets of London in the 1860s societal pressures silence a gentle doctor’s questions about the nature of morality. Halloween performances take place Oct. 29, 30 & 31.
Doheny Mansion: Pompeian Room, 10 Chester Place, Los Angeles (213/477-2929) www.DaCamera.org Check website for concerts in this splendid setting.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion: Los Angeles Music Center, 135 North Grand Ave., Los Angeles. The season opens with a revival of Verdi’s Don Carlo, conducted by James Conlon and starring Placido Domingo as Rodrigo, Sept. 22-Oct. 14. This is followed by the company premiere of Satyagraha by Philip Glass conducted by Grant Gershon, Oct. 20-Nov. 11. A revival of Hansel and Gretel, Nov. 17-Dec. 15. The company premiere of Mozart’s La Clemenza de Tito (The Clemency of Titus), March 2-24, 2019. A production of Penella’s El Gato Montes: The Wildcat, March 27-May 4. The final presentation is a revival of La Traviata June 1-22.
Eclectic Company Theatre: 5312 Laurel Canyon Bl., Valley Village (818/508-3003) www.eclecticcompanytheatre.org Shakespeare Salons held the last Tuesday of every month. Participants perform their favorite Shakespearean piece or alternatively, a piece inspired by Shakespeare. Shakespearean monologues, scenes, poems, songs, remembrances and personal interpretations of all kinds are welcome. To perform, fill out the form on the Eclectic Company Theatre website.
Edgemar Center for the Arts: 2437 Main St., Santa Monica,(310/392-7327) www.edgemarcenter,org
Ford Theatre: 2580 Cahuenga Bl. East, Hollywood (323/461-3673) www.fordtheatres.org The refurbished outdoor theatre offers comfortable seating, picnic areas, food and drink and an eclectic entertainment menu. Soldier’s Songs, a groundbreaking multimedia piece from award-winning composer David T. Little and filmmaker Bill Morrison. Combining elements of theatre, opera, rock infused concert music and film, the piece contrasts the perceptions and realities of war from the soldier’s perspective, Oct. 13. The Secret City, the Obie Award winning arts organization that presents community celebrations of everyday creative life on Oct. 14. Part ceremony, part salon, part show, each gathering has a different theme and an ever changing roster of artits and performers. The 2018 season features Dance, Film, Jazz & Soul Pop, Rock & Folk, Opera & Theatre, Ritmos Latinos, and Multidisciplinary offerings. Thru October.
Fountain Theatre: 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles (323/663-1525) www.fountaintheatre.com Arrival & Departure, a modern-day, re-imagined deaf stage adaptation of the classic 1945 British film Brief Encounter. A deaf man and hard of hearing woman, married to different people, meet accidentally in a train station. A friendship develops, escalating into a passionate love affair that neither permits to consummate. An unforgettable love story. July 14-Sept. 30. Two disabled characters and two caretakers make up the cast of Cost of Living, a gripping and surprisingly funny play, Oct. 20-Dec. 16.
Freud Playhouse: UCLA campus, Macgowan Hall, 245 Charles E. Young Dr., East, Westwood (866-811-4111) www.reprise2.org The Grand Hotel-The Musical takes place over a weekend in Berlin’s elegant Grand Hotel. Through revolving doors enters a varied cast of eccentric guests who fate has brought together. They find themselves interacting in surprising, musical and thoroughly entertaining ways. Oct. 24-Nov. 4.
Geffen Playhouse & Audrey Skirball Theatre: 10886 Le Conte Ave., Westwood, (310/208-5454) www.geffenplayhouse.org Upcoming: In The Untranslatable Secrets of Nikki Corona, A Better Orpheus Inc. provides an unusual service — one that allows the living to communicate with the dead. When Nikki loses her twin sister the company puts her in touch with Orlando, a man dying too young. The ensuing love story leads to a journey through a vivid, surprising afterlife. In the rich literary tradition of magical realism and inspired by Dante’s Inferno comes the this new play, Sept. 4-Oct. 7. In Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays brings new life to the greatest ghost story ever told. While the heart of A Christmas Carol is evergreen, May’s fresh perspective on the rest of the characters will create a wildly theatrical and original experience. Oct 30-Dec. 2.
James Bridges Theater: UCLA Campus, Melnitz Hall, 235 Charles E. Young Drive, Westwood (310/827-0889) www.LATW.org “The Play’s the Thing” radio theater series: Vanessa Kirby (The Crown) and Eric Kofi Abrefa (The Amen Corner) feature in new version of August Strinberg’s play Miss Julie, remains shocking and fierce relevant in its new setting of contemporary London, Sept. 30 & Oct. 7. The Little Foxes features Jamie Harris and Jared Harris and Mamie Gummer. Regina’s two brothers have inherited their father’s wealth while after years of neglect, her dying husband is determined to see she get nothing. It will take every ounce of her ruthless charm to outwit her relations and assure herself a gilded future, Oct. 19-21; Sisters Matsumoto, Nov. 16-18; The Good Negro, Jan. 25-27, 2019; A Room With A View, March 1-3; Oslo, April 12-14; Die Mommie Die, May 17-19; Hedda Gabler, June 28-30.
Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center: 110 East Broadway, Glendale (818/506-1983) www.Antaeus.org An epic drama about a Southern family in crisis. In a small Alabama town circa 1900, members of a decaying family battle society and one another for their continued place of prominence and authority amid changing times and the encroachment of outside forces in The Little Foxes, Oct. 25-Dec. 10.
Kirk Douglas Theatre: 9820 Washington Bl. Culver City (213/628-2772) www.centertheatregroup.com In Quack, millions of women across America rely of Dr. Baer and his daytime talk show to help them lose wright, manifest their destinies and take their health into their own hands. Then, a take down piece of journalism goes viral leaving his career hanging in the balance, his marriage on the rocks and his carefully maintained public persona in peril. If Baer is going to fall from grace, he is going to bring everyone else with him. This new comedy exposes the shaky foundations of the wellness industry, the fleeting nature of 21st century fame and the relationship between the powerful men who dole out advice and the women who are supposed to receive it with a smile. Oct. 21- Nov. 18.
Laguna Playhouse: 606606 Laguna Canyon Dr., Laguna Beach (949/497-27870) www.lagunaplayhouse.com The Seafarer, the perfect show for Halloween is set in a small coastal village north of Dublin and Sharky has returned to look after his irascible, aging brother who has recently gone blind. He attempts to stay off the bottle during the holidays while contending with his old drinking buddies. With the arrival of a stranger from the past, the stakes are raised and Sharky may be playing for his very soul. Oct. 17-Nov. 4.
La Jolla Playhouse: 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla (858/550-1010) www.LaJollaPlayhouse.org www.secondcity.com World premieres upcoming: Escape to Margaritaville, At the Old Place.
La Mirada Theatre: 14900 La Mirada Bl., La Mirada (562/944-9801) www.lamiradatheatre.com A Night With Janis Joplin, like a comet that burns far too brightly to last, she exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and almost over night became the queen of rock & roll. The unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made her a must see headliner. Sept. 14-Oct. 7. There will be an Open-Captioned performance on Sept. 29 at 2 pm and an ASL interpreted performance on Oct. 6 at 2 pm. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express…with a train full of suspects an an alibi or each one, it is the perfect mystery for the dapper detective Hercule Poirot. This first ever stage adaptation of Agatha Christiew’s suspenseful masterpiece comes to life in this stylish production. Oct. 19-Nov. 11.
Lankershim Arts Center: 5108 Lankershim Bl., North Hollywood (323/944-2165) www.coeurage.org/slaughtercity Coeurage Theatre Company, L.A’s Pay What You Want theatre company.
LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre: 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood (323/860-7300) www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre Tony Award winning playwright and performer Sarah Jones stars in Sell/Buy/Date, an exuberant show inspired by the real life experiences of pe0ole affected by the sex industry. The play presents an honest, moving and even humorous look at a complex and fascinating subject, all while preserving the full humanity of voices seldom heard in the theatre. Sept. 27-Nov. 18.
Leo S. Bing Theater: Los Angeles Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Bl., Los Angeles. (213/485-6873). Free chamber music series. Sundays at 4 p.m.
Lex Theatre:(Celebration Theatre) 6760 Lexington Ave., Hollywood (323/957-1884) www.celebrationtheatre.com T
Long Beach Performing Arts Center – International City Theatre: 300 East Ocean Bl., Long Beach (562/436-4610) www.internationalcitytheatre.org T. A Splintered Soul, a gripping drama about Holocaust refugees haunted by the death of their loved ones and by memories of the things they had to do to survive. Oct. 19- Nov. 4.
Lounge Theatre: 6201 Santa Monica Bl., Hollywood (800/838-3006) www.iamatheatre.com
Magicopolis: Abracadabra Theatre, 1418 4th St., Santa Monica (310/451-2241). Fast paced, colorful, magic and illusion shows for the whole family in a theater setting. Ongoing.
L-R: Amy Pietz, Mary Mara and Portia in the Center Theatre Group production of Sweat. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
Mark Taper Forum: Los Angeles Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles (213/628-2772) www.taperahmanson.com Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, Sweat 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, promotions 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 afloat. August 29-Oct. 7.
Upcoming: The fight to maintain dignity, identity, family and faith are at the heart of this American story deeply rooted in the once-fertile farmland that is now known as the Silicon Valley. Valley of the Heart tells the story of the Yamaguchis and the Montanos, two immigrant families struggling to provide a future for their American-born children after the Great Depression on the farmland the two families share. The families oldest children secretly fall in love only to have the emotional stakes further heightened when the attack on Pearl Harbor thrown these Mexican and Japanese American families into uncertainty. Allegiances are tested, heroes are made and the two young lovers must find a way to stay loyal both to their families, their country and each other. Oct. 30- Dec. 9.
Center theatre group is offering free tickets for theatergoers 25 years old and younger. They are available for the First Review of all Center Theatre Group Productions at the Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre. Tickets will be free at the box office. There will be a $5 ticket handling fee required for phone or online reservations.
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Matrix Theatre: 7657 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles (323/960-4412) www.plays411.com/brooklyn
McCadden Place Theatre: 1157 N. McCadden place, Los Angeles (800/838-3006)
Microsolft Theatre: 777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles (213/763-6030) www.microsofttheater.com Check their website for information on upcoming events.
Maria Spassoff, Jill Remez and Shelly Kurtz in Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound. Photo: Michael Lamont
Miles Memorial Playhouse: 1130 Lincoln Bl., Santa Monica (323/821-2449) www.wcjt.com Neil Simon’s Broadway Bound opens in 1949, the war is over and America is beginning a new chapter. Two brothers are given a chance to audition as comedy writers for CBS in the emerging medium of TV. Personal problem get in the way…falling in love, father suspiciously working late, moving grandpa, etc. The play is loosely based on Simon’s real life experiences. Sept. 13-Oct 28.
Morgan Wixson Theatre: 2627 Pico Bl., Santa Monica (310/828-7519) www.morganwixson.org A captivating jewel box of a musical, She Loves Me follows two perfume shop clerks who don’t see eye to eye, constantly quarreling on the job. But once the work day is done, the feuding co-workers find comfort in their anonymous romantic pen pals, not knowing their respective correspondents are actually each other. Hilarious encounters finally bring the soulmates together. Sept. 22-Oct. 14.
Musco Center for the Arts: Chapman University, 415 North Glassell, Orange (844/626-8726) www.muscocenter.org The opera Don Carlo is a riveting tale of morality and mortality starring tenor Ramon Vargas in the title role and Maestro Placido Domingo as his heroic friend Rodrigo. Oct. 1. Journalist Sharyl Attkisson unravels the hidden world of political opposition research in her latest book, The Smear. In it and in the eye opening lecture reveals the dirty tricks those in power on all sides use to influence public opinion, Oct. 2. Violinist Lucia Micarelli, Oct. 4; The Chinese Warriors of Peking, Oct. 5. Upcoming: Violinist Sarah Chang, Nov. 18; Michael Feinstein Holiday Show, Dec. 14; A Southern California Christmas, Dec. 16.
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center: 4718 W Washington Bl, Los Angeles (323/964-9766) www.ebonyrep.org
New Vic: 33 W Victoria St., Santa Barbara (805/965-5400) www.etcsb.org The Ensemble Theatre Company presents School for Lies, a side splitting, freewheeling adaptation in rhyming verse of Moliere’s classic comedy The Misanthrope, from the author who write The Liar, Venus in Fur and All In The Timing. It’s 1666 and Frank, a caustic and crabby guy who despises social niceties falls for a beautiful young widow. Oct. 4-21. Upcoming: The Legend of Georgia McBride about an Elvis impersonator who in inadvertently becomes a drag star, Dec. 6-23; The American classic Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play, Death of a Salesman, Feb. 7-Feb. 24, 2019. In Everything is Illuminated, a young Jewish-American writer, travels to Ukraine to seek out the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis. He hires a randy young Ukrainian tour guide who takes him on a hilarious road trip in search of the woman’s village as they confront haunting memories along the way, April 11-28. A socially awkward young man asks his neighbor, a sidelined Broadway dancer, to teach him enough dance moves so he can survive an appearance at an awards dinner in Dancing Lessons, a touching romantic comedy, June 13-30.
Odyssey Theatre: 2055 S. Sepulveda Bl., West Los Angeles (310/477-2055) www.OdysseyTheatre.com Radiant Vermin — a vicious satire flecked with horror. How far are we willing to go to satisfy our materialistic desires. An outrageous comedy with a killer heart. Oct. 18-Nov. 18. Three aging clowns compete for a job in an absurdly comic look at man’s fear of uselessness in society in Old Clown Wanted. Inspired by a 1970 Federico Fellini film, theater and circus arts are intertwined in this tender, funny, cynical play, Sept. 22-Nov. 4.
Pantages Theatre: 6233 Hollywood Bl., Hollywood (800/982-2787) www.HollywoodPantages.com
Pasadena Playhouse: 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena (626/356-7529) www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org The Woman in Black tells the story of a man obsessed, believing his family has been cursed by a ghostly woman in black, tells his terrifying story to exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It all begins innocently enough but as he reaches further into his darkest memories, he quickly finds that there is no turning back, Oct. 17-Nov. 11 In the Carrie Hamilton Theatre: American Hero, a darkly comic celebration of the power of teamwork and unity to overcome adversity. Sept. 15-Oct. 21.
Pico Playhouse: 105008 W. Pico Bl., Los Angeles (323/821-2449) www.wcjt.org 18 Minutes of Fame: A Musical Journey with Barbara Minkus, opens Oct. 14.
Plummer Park: 7377 Santa Monica Bl., West Hollywood www.RogueArtists.org A site-specific interactive theatre experience celebrating the life of Eugene Plummer, the original resident of West Hollywood. Senor Plummer’s Final Fiesta stirs up a; merry band of ghosts and shadows who sweep you into ta past filled with wild west duels, pirates, land-grabs, violent mobs, shark-riding romances, epic court battles and fiestas told through a patchwork of tall takes, large scale puppets, masks and music. The playa takes place in the Great Hall and Long Hall and the connected rooms and courtyard at Plummer Park.. Audiences will experience e multitude of stories from Eugene Plummer’s past and the history of Los Angeles — and they will be able to pick and choose which paths and characters they follow. Oct. 19-Nov. 4…previews Oct 12-14.
Renberg Theatre: 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood(323/860-7300) www.lalgbtcenter.org/theatre Lily Tomlin, Laverne Cox and Rashida Jones host the gala opening night (Oct. 14) of Sell/Buy/Date, an exuberant show inspired by the real life experiences of people affected by the sex industry. Brimming with Jones’s dazzling medley of masterful multicultural characterizations, the play presents an honest, moving and even humorous look at a complex and fascinating subject, all while preserving the full humanity of voices seldom heard in the theatre. Meryl Streep is Honorary Co-Chair. The LA LGBT Center welcomes the return engagement to the Renberg. Oct. 14-Nov. 3.
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Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and Samueli Theater: 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa (714/740-2000 or 714/556-2787 or 714/755-5799) www.scfta.org or www.pacificsymphony.org Home of Pacific Symphony.
Free public tours of the center Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Telephone first.
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Road on Lankershim: 5108 Lankershim Bl., North Hollywood (818/761-8838) www.RoadTheatre.org
Road on Magnolia: 10747 Magnolia Bl., North Hollywood (818/761-8838) www.RoadTheatre.org What happens to a human after being abused, forgotten and living in a cage for years Follow six souls who spend the day singing, sleeping and wrestling their past with the present: how to trust, to love, and be loved and how to finally feel free in The Rescued. Sept. 18-Nov. 11.
Royce Hall: UCLA campus, Westwood (310/825-2101) ww.cap.ucla.edu Los Angeles Ballet’s 13th season features Modern Moves, three choreographic interpretations from master choreographers of the 20-21st centuries. Highlights Americana, folk music and the Old West, Oct. 13. Pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan gives solo concert to benefit Children of Armenia Fund, Oct. 14. Nov. and Dec. brings The Nutcracker and March 2019 brings Serenade and La Sylphide. Upcoming: Rebecca Solnit in Conversation with Jon Christensen, Oct 25; Joan Baez’s Fare Thee Well...Tour 2018, Nov. 10. David Sedaris, bestselling author and humorist, Nov. 16. Elizbeth Gilbert & Cheryl Strayed, Dec. 2; Viet Thanh Nguyen & Luis Alberto Urrea in Conversation, Jan. 17, 2019; Jesmyn Ward & Mitchell Jackson in Conversation, Feb. 7.
Rubicon Theatre: 1006 E. Main St., Ventura (805/667-2900) www.rubicontheatre.org
Saban Theatre: 8440 Wilshire Bl., Beverly Hills (866/448-7849) www.souldoctorontour.com
Santa Monica Playhouse: 1211 4th St., Santa Monica (310/394-9779 ext. 1) www.santamonicaplayhouse.org Three couples from different generations meet and find they have way too much in common in The Marriage Zone. The comedy explores the dynamics of the relationships between men and women, with lots of love and laughs, Sept. 15-Nov. 17. Magic Monday hosted by Albie Selzick (Smoke and Mirrors) brings a lineup of award winning magicians and variety acts every Monday through Oct. 1. BINGE FREE FESTIVAL, a full month of free performances, workshops, readings, music and poetry. Advance reservations required, Oct. 15-Nov. 12.
Skylight Theatre: 1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles (213/761-7061) www.skylighttheatrecompany.com
South Coast Repertory: 655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa (714/708-5555) www.scr.org Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike brings us three sisters and one boyfriend, a tongue in cheek homage to Chekhov, this Tony award winning comedy is deliciously madcap, Sept. 30-Oct. 21. Kings, fresh from New York, this incisive comedy takes an unflinching look at how things get done in Washington. Oct. 13-Nov. 10; Nate the Great...the world’s greatest kid detective, this clever musical teaches us to see the world in new ways, Nov. 2-18. A Christmas Carol...19th century London comes to life when your family joins the SCR family for the holidays. Recapture the spirit of an old fashioned Christmas with this timeless Dickens classic and all your favorite characters. Nov. 24-Dec. 24.
Staples Center: 1111 S. Figueroa, Los Angeles (213/ 742-7100) www.staplescenter.com/events Check website for all upcoming sports events, concerts and special events.
Stella Adler Theatre: 6773 Hollywood Bl., 2nd floor, Hollywood (805/496-2982) www.corbinkush.eventbrite.com
The 11:11: 1107 Kings Rd., West Hollywood (323/378-6969) www. FamousThePlay.com
The Actors Company at The Other Space: 916A N. Formosa Ave., West Hollywood (323/960-7712) www.hff18.org/5180
The Autry: Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way (323/667-2000) www.TheAutry.org Native Voices at the Autry is the only Equity theatre company devoted exclusively to developing and producing new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native and First Nations playwrights.
The Blue Door: 9617 Venice Bl., Culver City (310/425-8215) www.creoutreach.org The Boys Next Door, a comedy-drama centering on a caring social worker who supervises four disabled men living together in an apartment while learning to face their daily challenges together. We are reminded that the handicapped, like the rest of us, want only to love and laugh and find some meaning and purpose in the time they are allotted on this earth. The show explores friendship, love and loss in ways universal to all of us and provides CRE Outreach the opportunity to produce a published work and cast it from within three of its Theatre Arts as Therapy programs. Oct. 12-Nov. 10.
The Complex Hollywood: The Flight Theatre, 6476 Santa Monica Bl, Los Angeles www.thebigeventlive.com Three shows in rep, loosely connected and focus on major moments in U.S. political history: Sunny Afternoon, King Dick and meantime at Hojo’s, deal poignantly with the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination, a chance encounter between Elvis and President Nixon and the Watergate break-in respectively. The plays examine seminal moments in our not too distant past and their eerie similarities to today’s political landscape. The Big Event on Sundays will feature all three shows performed back to back to back. Oct. 19-Nov. 18
The Pico: 10508 W. Pico Bl., Los Angeles (800/838-3006) 18MinutesOfFame.brownpapertickets.com If you like show business stories with great musical number and insider anecdotes about the giants of the biz, this show is for you…. 18 Minutes of Fame: A Musical Journey with Barbara Minkus. This show is a revamp and reboot of I’m Not Famous before heading to its opening off-Broadway in New York at The Triad in November. Oct. 14 and 21.
The Road on Magnolia: 10747 Magnolia Bl., North Hollywood (818-761-8838) www.roadtheatre.org What happens to a human after being abused, forgotten, and living in a cage for years? Follow six souls who spend the day singing, sleeping and wrestling their past with the present. how to trust, how to love and be loved and how to finally feel free in The Rescued, Sept. 21- Nov. 11.
Skylight Theater: 1816 N. Vermont Ave., Hollywood Just in time for Halloween, in Bride of Blood King Solomon confronts Asmodeus, The Demon of Wrath, while investigating a mystic puzzle. Opens Oct 18.
The Soraya: 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge (818/677-3000) www.thesoraya@csun.edu Soweto Gospel Choir, Oct. 7; Moon River and the music of Henry Mancini, Oct. 13; Vicente Amigo, flamenco guitar, Oct. 17; Sergio Mendes, Oct. 27; The Phantom of the Opera comes to life onstage with Richard Kaufman conducting the New West Symphony paired with the 1925 horror classic The Phantom of the Opera on screen, Nov. 3; Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Nov. 16; Canadian Brass, Dec. 11.
The cast of 26 Pebbles at Theatre 40. Photo: Ed Krieger
Theatre 40: Reuben Cordova Theatre, Beverly Hills High school campus,241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills (310/364-0535) www.theatre40.org On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 innocent souls before taking his own life. These 26 innocent deaths, like pebbles thrown into a pond, created ripples and vibrations that were felt far beyond the initial rings. 26 Pebbles is the story of those vibrations. an exploration of gun violence and a small town shaken by a horrific event. Powerful and emotional and yet a much more uplifting night at the theatre than one might presume. The show encapsulates the strength and resilience of an American community in the time of its greatest adversity. It is ultimately a celebration of hope, Sept. 20-Oct. 14. Wing Nut is the coming of age story of a young actress in L.A. circa 1972 as she struggles with first love, bad casting and the joys and sorrows of summer stock…a free staged reading on Oct. 14 at 7:00 pm.-
Upcoming: William Inge’s classic comedy, Bus Stop, is filled with sentimental characters and a slow but pleasant slice of life story-line. About 25 miles west of Kansas City, a freak snowstorm has halted the progress of a bus and travelers have a late night, weather-enforced layover in a local diner where romantic or quasi-romantic relationships ensue, Nov. 15-Dec. 16. It Is Done, a haunting, moody, critically acclaimed thriller, Jan. 17-Feb. 17, 2019. The Sound of Murder includes an illicit affair and a plan for murder, March 14-April 14. A Bad Year for Tomatoes, an uproarious comedy about the best laid plans, May 16-June 16.
Theatre of Note: 1517 N. Cahuenga Bl., Hollywood. (323/856-8611) www.theatreofnote.com www.theatrewest.org The world premiere of Cleo, Theo & Wu. Lucy is a modern Angeleno gal trying to be her best self. Careening through time and place Cleo, Theo & Wu take her on a heroine’s journey with the remarkable women who were so much more than the power hungry, sex-obsessed obstacles that history books would have you believe. Oct. 26- Dec. 8.
Theatricum Botanicum: 1419 Topanga Canyon Bl., (310/455-3723) www.theatricum.com
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Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Kavli Theatre: 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks (800/745-3000) www.5startheatricals.com
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis): 9390 N. Santa Monica Bl., Beverly Hills (310/746-4000) www.thewallis.org Upcoming: Los Angeles Master Chorale performs Orlando di Lasso’s Lagrime diSan Pietro, Oct. 20-21; Chris Walden Big Band pays tribute to Rat Pack Era, Oct. 27; Jacob Jonas The Company, mixes contemporary ballet, breakdance and acrobatic movement, an intimate studio show comprised entirely of world premiere works, Oct. 24-27, May 10-11, 2019; Alonzo King Lines Ballet, creates works drawing on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, Nov. 1-3; Jane Kaczmarek and Kate Burton star in a staged reading of the riveting drama Kindertransport by Diane Samuels. This is one of the most moving stories of the Holocaust which explores the life of a child saved during the Kindertransport, the British humanitarian effort that rescued nearly 10,000 Jewish children prior to World War II, Nov. 11. Third Coast Hubbard Street Dance Chicago & Third Percussion, Jan. 10-12, 2019; Love, Actually, an expanded, multi-media theatrical celebration of the soundtrack to Love Actually, the beloved holiday rom-com performed by an eclectic mix of artists, Dec. 4-31; An Inspector Calls, award winning mystery from the National Theatre of Great Britain’s Landmark production, Jan. 22-Feb. 10; Witness Uganda, a documentary musical, Feb. 5-24; Ate9 Dance Company, Feb. 15-16, 2019; The Old Man and the Old Moon, a new musical folktale, March 2-17. Iyamoto is Black Enough, a contemporary band performs a riveting piece of the mixed race winner of Miss Universe Japan 2015; March 14-15; Malpaso Dance Company, Cuba’s hottest contemporary dance company, March 28-30. Hershey Felder returns with A Paris Love Story, featuring the music of Claude Debussy, May 24-June 9.
Music at the Wallis includes Los Angeles Master Chorale’s a capella staging of Tears of St. Peter, Oct. 20-21; Chris Walden Big Band delivers a jazz tribute to the “Rat Pack” Oct. 27; Alisa Weilerstein performs all six of Bach’s solo Cello Suites, Nov. 9; Judy Collins delivers A Love Letter to Stephen Sondheim, March 22, 2019.
Walt Disney Concert Hall – Photo: Grant Mudford
Walt Disney Concert Hall: 151 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles (213/972-7288) www.wdch.com The Frank Gehry designed home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic embodies the unique energy and creative spirit of both the City of Angels and its world-class orchestra under the direction of maestro Gustavo Dudamel and features the works of the world’s musical greats featuring Classical, World Music, Jazz, Songbook and the Master Chorale. The Philharmonic is also committed to the presentation of music of our time as well as offering its exhilarating Green Umbrella concerts which presents the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group devoted exclusively to compositions on the cutting edge of the repertoire and attract leading composers and performers of contemporary music. Chamber music is another integral part of this world-class orchestra’s repertoire.
Guided and self-guided tours of the concert hall are available to the public (213/972-4399).
Wells Fargo Theatre: Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles (323/667-2000) www.NativeVoicesattheAutry.org Native Voices at the Autry continues its vital role as the country’s only equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to developing the work of Native American playwrights.
Wende Museum of the Cold War:10808 Culver Bl., Culver City info@wendemuseum.org A new music series in which esteemed Southern California musical organizations present free concerts with musical programs inspired by the Wende collection.Odyssey, Oct. 5. Songs of Stones, Nov. 2; Humor Through Turmoil, Dec. 7. Free but RSVP at their website.
Whitfire Theatre: 13500 Ventura Bl., Sherman Oaks (800/838-3006) www.brownpapertickets.com Infidel, a suspense thriller that explores religious superstition and terrorism in the name of Islam versus unscrupulous Western imperialism and war mongering. When an American anthropologist is kidnapped in Baghdad by seemingly ruthless fundamentalists, an exchange of ideas with his captors evolves into a spiritual quest for the meaning of faith. Sept. 1-Oct. 7. (above…the goddess Inanna referred to in Infidel.) World premiere of Martians — An Evening with Ray Bradbury, based on the short stories of Ray Bradbury. Sept. 7-Nov. 2. Villainy, or H. H. Holmes’ Own Story, the story of America’s first serial killer just in time for the Halloween season. Oct. 3-Nov. 7.
Zepher Theatre: 7456 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles www.blackonemanshow.brownpapertickets.com Los Angeles premiere of Black!, a dynamic, funny and deeply truthful performance by Michael Washington Brown shatters stereotypes playing out the life stories of four men from around the world, each of whom is black but who each has a very different perspective on what that means…shocking, funny and enraging. Sept. 9-Oct. 14. In UK Underdog, a young Jewish boy in London transforms himself, through sheer force of will — and plenty of chutzpah — from bullied underdog to martial artist, boxer, community leader and animal rights activist. Based on true events. Sept. 20- Oct 28.