LA is known for being a sprawling city. While most entertainment tours of the city may seem like hours of driving, you can experience some of the world’s best theater, hip hop, opera, symphonies, pop music and dance almost any night of the week without leaving downtown. Here’s what’s happening this fall.
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Center Theatre Group
135 North Grand Avenue
213-972-7211
Center Theatre Group
If you’ve visited the Music Center in the past year, you’ve likely noticed a smaller audience and the absence of a key element: the Mark Taper Forum.
After a year of hiatus due to Center Theatre Group’s financial problems, Taper is back in action, reteaming with renowned Deaf West Theatre to present Green Day’s “American Idiot.” The two companies enthralled audiences nearly 20 years ago with their own version of the musical “Big River.” This time, CTG’s new artistic director Snehal Desai will direct the post-9/11 tale set to Billie Joe Armstrong’s guitar-driven songs of anguish and defiance. Performances run from October 4 to November 10.
Dance performances are rare at the Taper, but the stage will come alive with New York-based Urban Bush Women’s 40th anniversary production, “SCAT!… The Complicated Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollah,” which will run from Nov. 22 to 24. Set in a fictional 1940s jazz club, “SCAT” tells the love story of two people during the Great Migration era.
While many Broadway stars aren’t necessarily well known outside of the theater world, Sutton Foster’s star shines on screen as well as on stage. Now, Foster is coming straight from Broadway to Los Angeles for a revival of the 1950s musical “Once Upon a Mattress.” The latest version features a new book by Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of “Gilmore Girls” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” who previously paired Foster with her on the short-lived TV show “Bunheads.” Based on the book “The Princess and the Pea,” Foster plays the lovable Princess Winifred. The show runs from December 10 to January 5.
The Ahmanson Theatre will also host special short-term productions: 7 Fingers Company, which combines acrobatics, theater, dance and storytelling, will perform “Duel Realities” from Sept. 11 through Sept. 22 downtown.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
135 North Grand Avenue
213-972-0711
La Opera
Thanks to LA Opera, the fall season will feature two tragedies, starting with Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Mario Gass has brought to life the story of Chocho-san (played by Kara Song), a young Japanese woman who falls in love with and is abandoned by an American officer, and the setting has been transformed from early 20th century Japan to a 1930s film set. The opera runs from September 21 to October 13.
And starting November 2, Venezuelan conductor Domingo Hindoyan will conduct Charles Gounod’s 19th century epic poem “Romeo and Juliet” on the Chandler stage, with Amina Edris and Duke Kim making their LA Opera debuts in the title roles. Performances run through November 23.
Also in keeping with the season, Kristin Chenoweth will perform holiday classics and Broadway tunes on December 14th.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 South Grand Avenue
213-972-7211
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Fall is full of classical and popular music, with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra in full swing in their season. On September 27 and 28, British singer-songwriter Anohni will perform with her band, The Johnsons, for the first time in 14 years. And country legend Wynonna Judd will take the Disney stage for the first time on October 4.
The music of film composer John Williams will fill the hall on October 26th and 27th as part of a program titled “From Mexico to Hollywood: Golden Age Film,” and will return to the hall November 21st-24th for “Star Wars Concert.”
The holiday season will culminate on Dec. 1 with the Deck the Halls Holiday Concert featuring singer Leslie Odom Jr., followed by Holiday Sing-Along on Dec. 14, 12-piece vocal group Chanticleer on Dec. 17, a “Home Alone” concert on Dec. 21 and 22, Arturo Sandoval’s Swinging Holidays on Dec. 23 and year-end Club Quarantine Live with D Nice and Friends on Dec. 31.
East West Players
120 Judge John Iso Street
213-625-7000
East West Players
Perhaps no other theater company in the country has a longer and more established relationship with Stephen Sondheim’s works than East West Players. This season, the company will perform Pacific Overtures for the third time in 45 years. This is the first production since 1979, and it is directed and stars artistic director Mako, who also worked on the original Broadway production. Set in Japan in 1853, the musical depicts the forced westernization of Japan by the Americans. The musical will run from November 7 to December 1.
24th Street Theatre
1117 West 24th Street
213-745-6516
24thstreet.org
The company has acquired the U.S. premiere of a work by Australian playwright Daniel Keene. “Pascal & Julien” tells the story of 12-year-old Julien, who searches for a replacement father figure for his far-away father, and wonders whether middle-aged Pascal is the right man. Debbie Devine, co-founder and artistic director of the theater, will helm the production, which runs from Sept. 7 to Oct. 27.
The Earl’s Hideout
1039 South Olive Street
818-669-5767
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The Count’s Den, a gothic-influenced immersive experience, will delve into the world of one of the most famous fantasy and horror authors of all time. Performances on September 27th and September 28th include “HP Lovecraft: The Outsider,” a one-man play by Mitchell Pratt based on the writings of Lovecraft and his wife, Sonia Davis.
Music, Other
LA Live
800 West Olympic Boulevard
213-763-5483
Live
Downtown entertainment hub LA Live has a packed theater lineup of concerts throughout the fall.
Big headliners at Crypto.com Arena include Jelly Roll, who’s performing on his Beautifully Broken tour on Sept. 6, and Nicki Minaj, who’ll perform on Sept. 21. The Olympics are over, but Simone Biles and other top gymnasts are touring the country and will perform at Crypto.com Arena on Sept. 20. On Nov. 15, Sabrina Carpenter’s tour comes to the city, and comedian Martin Lawrence will bring the laughs on Dec. 6. And if the announcement is true, Sept. 18 and 19 will be Childish Gambino’s final appearances in Los Angeles.
Other artists performing at Crypto this fall are $uicideboy$ on September 3rd, Chayanne on September 12th, Gloria Trevi on September 14th, Hans Zimmer Live on October 1st and October 11th, Maverick City Music on October 17th, Don Toliver on October 19th and the TobyMac/MercyMe/Zach Williams tour on November 22nd.
Novo from LA Live:
September 6: Dom Kennedy
September 7: DJ Quik’s House Party
September 12: Feel Trip featuring Chase Shakur
September 14: Mitchell Tenpenny
September 19th: Daniel, me, and Estas Matando
September 21: Fright Night hosted by Kota the Friend featuring Ab-Soul
September 22: JT
September 24: Lamp Night
September 26: Sepultura performs at Obituary
September 27: Tinlicker Live with Felix Raphael
September 28: Dabur Live Band
October 3: Los Autenticos Decandentes
October 4: Raheem DeVaughn & Eric Roberson
October 5: Santigold and Ogi
October 9: Blonde Redhead and the Nation of Language
October 12: Theo Gonzalez
October 15: Killer Mike
October 17: Juvenile with Mannie Fresh
October 18: Silvestre Dangond
October 20: The Black Dahlia Murder and the Dying Fetus
October 24: Maria Becerra
October 25th: Snow Stripper performs with POiSON GiRL FRiEND
October 26: BRESH
October 30th and October 31st: Kveen Harvey
November 1st: J Boog
November 2nd: Dayseeker: Dark Sun Protocol, Alpha Wolf and
November 3rd: BLP Kosher & Babytron
November 7: Okean Elsie
November 8: Becky Hill
November 16: Hayden James
November 21: Machine Girl
November 22: TR/ST
November 23: NERO
November 24: Lupe Fiasco
November 29: Berlioz (live)
December 1st: Devil’s Amigo
December 20: Digable Planet, The Far Side, Arrested Development
December 21: Brian McKnight: Season’s Greetings
LA Live’s Peacock Theatre:
September 20: Disney Junior Live on Tour
September 21: Gabito Ballesteros: GB Tour
September 28: Moein
October 5: Intocable
October 6: XG
October 12: Monica Naranjo
October 18th: Dan and Phil Live
October 19: Viva la Quebradita
October 20: Silvaan Khosravi & Eham
October 25: Jay Wheeler
October 26: Los Alegres del Barranco
November 3: Blessd & Ryan Castro
November 8: Azealia Banks
November 9: Shrimp
November 16th: Luis Ángel “El Faruco” and Luis Antonio Lopez “El Mimoso”
November 17: Aram Assatrian
November 21: Jaiko
November 23: Kenya Osu
November 24: Hayat Project
November 20: Kings of the West
December 1st: KING + COUNTRY
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Bellwethera
August 30th: With Osees, Zig Zags and Warblob
September 6: Sophie Ellis Baxter, Holiday Sidewinder
September 7-8: LA Folk Festival
September 12: Oteil & Friends
September 13: Soul Coughing: Playing Soul Coughing songs
September 14: Scar
September 17: John Early, Lemon Squares
September 20: Beriko
September 26th: Built to Spill by Quasi and Hasco Enjoyments
September 27: Lucinda Williams and her band, Mike Campbell and the Dirty Knobs
September 28: Guided by Voices by Tony Molina
October 1st: Allah-Ras (with Sam Blasucci and Maston)
October 2: Allen Stone
October 4: Jewels
October 5: Novo Amor
October 9: Warning with Wilt
October 10: The Fray
October 12: Bright Eyes w/Blondshell
October 14th and 15th: Royale Otis and Frico
October 16: Mr. Wives starring Joan and Juliana Madrid
October 17: Laura Young
October 19: The Dip w/Meernaa
October 20: Babe Rainbow and the Very Nice Person
October 24: Melt with Malice
October 25th – October 28th: Julien Baker
October 31: Fiddler and the Sugar Pit
November 1st: Bakermat
November 2nd and 3rd: Die Antwoord
November 6th – November 8th: Modest Mouse
November 9: Richard Thompson Trio
November 13th: Washed Out
November 15: 3TEETH w/Gost, Black Magnet, Purest Form
November 20th and November 22nd: Present Joy
November 23: Frank Moody
November 30: Emo Night Tour
December 15: Tourists