SEPTEMBER 2025
September 4–27, 2025
Thursdays–Saturdays, 8 p.m.
Annual outdoor theater production at the Getty Villa Museum
A mash-up of Sophocles and the music of the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley!
Co-produced by Troubadour Theater Company
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FENDI
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P1 Program
Cast, performances, who’s who, director’s notes and donors
6 In the Wings
Complexions Contemporary Ballet at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion; Travel in the Middle Ages at the Getty; Muse-ique ode to jazz great Etta James.
12 Dimension and Discovery
New approaches to classic musicals such as West Side Story and Brigadoon give audiences fresh perspectives on the enduring shows.
17 New Tools of Taste
More than any room in a home, the kitchen is where high-end aesthetics and cutting-edge technologies coexist. Snyder Diamond is an invaluable resource.
22 The Ki of Life
New Korean-American destination Restaurant Ki in Little Tokyo has already won a Michelin star and Kim Ki the organization’s 2025 young chef award.
32 Parting Thought
Performances’ program platform for shows and concerts can be accessed from any digital device.
ON THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST
Discover a one-of-a-kind immersive retreat blending comfort and serenity with adventure and fun in a captivating coastal haven.
OCEAN VIEWS | SPA | GOLF | VILLAS | POOLS | RESTAURANTS
A culinary
for your theatre outing encore
A PERFECT DINING EXPERIENCE TO PAIR WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE
Indulge in a seasonal three-course prix fixe menu at Noé Restaurant & Bar, just a short walk from the theatre. Enjoy a stress-free meal with valet parking for $25 and receive 15% off your bill at Noé when you present your theatre program. Scan the QR code & reserve your table now for an unforgettable evening.
PUBLISHER
Jeff Levy
EDITOR
Benjamin Epstein
ART DIRECTOR
Carol Wakano
CONTIBUTING WRITERS
Roger Grody, Libby Slate, Jenn Tanaka, Caleb Wachs
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Glenda Mendez
PRODUCTION ARTIST
Diana Gonzalez
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Walter Lewis
ACCOUNT DIRECTORS
Kerry Baggett, Jean Greene, Liz Moore
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Christine Noriega-Roessler
BUSINESS MANAGER
Leanne Killian Riggar
MARKETING/ PRODUCTION MANAGER
Dawn Kiko Cheng
DIGITAL MANAGER
Lorenzo Dela Rama
Contact Us
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Performances Magazine is published by California Media Group to serve performing arts venues throughout the West. © 2025 California Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
PASSION POWER
EXPERIENCE THE EXHILARATING passion and physicality of Complexions Contemporary Ballet Oct. 24-26 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion; the program is part of the landmark series Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center. The troupe, founded by choreographer Dwight Rhoden and dancer-actor Desmond Richardson, is known for its classical precision, athletic energy and technical brilliance. On the program: Retro Suite, a high-energy ride through some of the company’s most unforgettable works; and For Crying Out Loud, featuring 16 dancers and set to the U2 album “Songs of Surrender.”
DANCE
Acknowledging the recent passing of the dance series’ namesake, Glorya Kaufman, Music Center president and CEO Rachel S. Moore described her as “an extraordinary champion of the performing arts and the dance field in particular.” Kaufman’s inaugural $20 million gift to the Music Center in 2009 would be the largest donation in Los Angeles’ dance history. 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.0711, musiccenter.org
“GOING PLACES” IS A TRIP!
THE GETTY MUSEUM explores images of voyages, journeys, and excursions of all kinds in medieval illuminated manuscripts at Going Places: Travel in the Middle Ages. On display through Nov. 30, the exhibition showcases the many ways artists depicted the reasons and modes for travel in the Middle Ages. Manuscripts from the permanent collection include the 13th-century Romance of Alexander and 15-century The Book of Marvels of the World. In medieval times, the average European rarely ventured beyond a 20-mile radius in a lifetime; travel was not for leisure but mainly for work or professional duties. Yet the concept of travel loomed large in the medieval imagination—artists documented its realities but also evoked fantastical experiences in faraway destinations. The show primarily highlights religious travel, but reasons for travel also included diplomacy, war, trade, and fighting in tournaments. 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A., 310.440.7300, getty.edu
Barlaam, Carrying a Shoulder Pack, Crosses a River, from Barlaam and Josephat, 1469. Top: Villagers on Their Way to Church, from Book of Hours, ca. 1550.
Crystal: We’re pretty much with each other 24/7 because we work together.We’vecommittedtocoming here every year for ourselves and each other.
See their story and others at
Paul: It’s this seasonal regrowth. Each time, I discover something new about myself and her that I don’t recognize when we’re at work or at home, and it draws us closer.
Crystal, age 50 & Paul, age 59 Masters of Sweets in business and life
The Iconic Retreat
Jazz great remembered
ETTA JAMES’ VOICE, iconic bleached-blond up-do and timeless records are legendary. Muse-ique celebrates her legacy with Have You Ever Heard of Etta James? The Guts and Triumph of an American Icon, Oct. 14 and 15 at the Huntington and Oct. 19 at Skirball Cultural Center. Much of James’ career required tenacity and transformation—she would reinvent herself time and time again. When mounting one of her many comebacks, she would call small clubs
MUSIC
pretending to be her own management and ask, “Have you ever heard of Etta James?” She won both the Grammys Hall of Fame Award and Lifetime Achievement Award. Songs that showcase her mastery include “This Little Light of Mine,” “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “At Last.” Museique music and artistic director Rachael Worby conducts. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, 626.405.2100, huntington. org; Skirball, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., L.A., 310.440.4500, skirball.org
Etta James in concert in Normandie, France, in 1990 and, top, Muse-ique music and artistic director Rachael Worby
DIMENSION AND DISCOVERY
NEW APPROACHES TO CLASSIC MUSICALS GIVE AUDIENCES FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON ENDURING SHOWS. by LIBBY SLATE
THE BROADWAY MUSICAL classic West Side Story presented by an opera company? The 1940s fairy tale Brigadoon taking place in the 21st century? And a production of Come From Away where all of the actors, not just the customary onstage band members, play musical instruments?
Why not? The very nature of the performing arts is
a call to creativity, and Southern California audiences will have the opportunity to experience new approaches to familiar—and one not so familiar—musicals this season.
Take beloved West Side Story, which launches L.A. Opera’s 2025-’26 season Sept. 20-Oct. 12 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion downtown.
West Side Story comes to L.A. Opera
The Romeo-and-Julietinspired love story—music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim—is set amid New York City gang warfare. The work, which premiered on Broadway in 1957, won two Tony Awards and inspired two film adaptations; the 1961 original won 10 Oscars, the 2021 remake, one. Surprise! Bernstein originally conceived the show as an opera but deemed the idea unrealistic; playwright Arthur Laurents and directorchoreographer Jerome
Robbins had always envisioned a musical.
“Most major opera companies in the U.S. have done or are doing West Side Story,” notes L.A. Opera music director James Conlon, who will conduct. “It took a moment in time before the imagined barriers between musicals and opera were broken down, but they are now.”
This engagement is a co-production of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. Washington National
Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello directs the production, which stars operatic singers Gabriella Reyes and Duke Kim as Maria and Tony, respectively; the rest of the main cast is a mix of musical theater and dance performers.
Emmy-winning choreographer Joshua Bergasse reproduces Robbins’ choreography.
The L.A. Opera Orchestra, numbering about 50, adds a grand-opera feel, especially as compared to ever-shrinking musical theater ensembles.
“Most people overlook the fact that the American musical is directly descended from forms of opera that alternate spoken dialogues with music,” Conlon points out. He cites German Singspiel, a musical play; operetta; French opéra comique; and the British Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas.
Though Italian composers preferred sung recitative to dialogue, Bizet’s French opera Carmen and Mozart’s German-language works did include dialogue.
“There is no reason that
Brigadoon book writer Alexandra Silber. Opposite: West Side Story is set amid New York City gang warfare.
West Side Story, a work of undeniable genius, should not be produced on operatic stages,” Conlon says.
The conflict between the New York-born Jets gang and Puerto Rican immigrant Sharks remains all too relevant today.
The upcoming spring production of Brigadoon at Pasadena Playhouse is a world premiere. Its new book adaptation by actress-singer-author Alexandra Silber also emphasizes contemporary culture and sensibilities.
The basic story remains the same: Tommy and Jeff, best friends from New York traveling the Scottish Highlands, come upon the village of Brigadoon, which comes to life for one day every 100 years. Tommy falls in love with resident
Father. Business owner. Jazz fanatic.
Your unique life, planned.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Daphna Nazarian CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ronald D. Rosen VICE CHAIR, OPERATIONS & SECRETARY
Mark Louchheim TREASURER
Stephanie Vahn CHAIR, DEVELOPMENT
Jonathan A. Victor ASSISTANT TREASURER
Honorable Vicki Reynolds FOUNDER EMERITUS
Paul Selwyn* FOUNDING PRESIDENT
Richard Rosenzweig* PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Arnon Adar
Ahsan Aijaz
Debbie Allen
Wallis Annenberg*
Pamela Beck
John Bendheim
Thomas J. Blumenthal
Susanna Courier
MeraLee Goldman
Bruce Goldsmith
Carlo Brandon-Gordon
Laura Gordon
Halle Hammond
Cinny Kennard
Michael Nemeroff CHAIR, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Arnold S. Rosenstein EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR
Susan Strauss VICE CHAIR, PLANNING & ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Bram Goldsmith* FOUNDING CHAIRMAN
Jerry Magnin CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
Les Bider
Eunice David
Max Salter* Luanne Wells* LIFETIME TRUSTEES
Donald P. Kivowitz
Agnes Lew
Mika Liu
Sandra Barros Lowy
Linda May
Gretchen Pace
Arline Pepp
Ron Simms
Grant Withers
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten
Richard S. Ziman
*In Memoriam
DEAR ESTEEMED PATRONS, SUPPORTERS, AND FRIENDS,
As we open the 2025/2026 Season at The Wallis, it is with deep appreciation — and a profound sense of remembrance — that we welcome you into this next chapter of artistic discovery and connection.
The season begins with both celebration and reflection, as we honor the memory of our extraordinary namesake and cherished benefactor, Wallis Annenberg. Wallis believed wholeheartedly in the power of the arts to bring people together — to inspire empathy, to ignite change, and to create lasting community. Her generosity and vision transformed this former post office into a world-class performing arts center, and her enduring belief in our mission continues to shape every performance, every outreach effort, and every moment we share in this space.
We are honored to carry her legacy forward, through the excellence on our stages, and the inclusive, community-driven values she championed.
This fall, Wallis’s spirit lives vividly in the work we present. Our partners at Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra return with a trio of concerts that makes classical repertoire feel personal. We welcome musical legends Christian McBride & Brad Mehldau, as well as the brilliant collaboration of Seth Rudetsky & J. Harrison Ghee. L.A. Dance Project’s Gems brings the brilliance of dance to the forefront, LA Opera & Beth Morrison Project’s HILDEGARD centers bold and visceral female voices, and Scott Dunn Orchestra’s The Hollywood Modernists invites us into the glamour and complexity of cinema’s second golden age. We are especially proud to share these stages with artists who, like Wallis, believe in the transformative impact of storytelling and culture.
We’re also delighted to bring back the printed program in your hand — a small but meaningful tradition that allows us to connect more closely with the work on stage, and with one another.
We are deeply grateful to those who make these productions possible — our dedicated Board of Directors, our generous supporters, and each of you. Your continued engagement ensures that Wallis Annenberg’s vision — of a place where the arts can thrive, touch lives, and build community — remains not only alive, but more present than ever.
With gratitude,
ROBERT VAN LEER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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ROBERT VAN LEER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
PRESENT
MARTÍN + ALTSTAEDT + SCHUMANN
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA
Jaime Martín, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Nicolas Altstaedt, CELLO
September 14, 2025 | 4:00 PM
BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
PROGRAM
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN
Symphony No. 83 in G minor, “La poule”
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
UP-NEXT MUSIC @ THE WALLIS TICKETSONSALE@ THEWALLIS.ORG
DAKHABRAKHA
DEC 5, 2025
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA RICHARD GOODE PLAYS MOZART
DEC 14, 2025
WOMAN IS... EDEN ESPINOSA
DEC 19, 2025
TONALITY: JUST ME
JAN 10, 2026
SCOTT DUNN ORCHESTRA MONSTERS, MURDERS, SPIES, AND SPACE
JAN 17, 2026
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA BACH + RAMEAU + HANTAÏ
JAN 18, 2026
AROOJ AFTAB JAN 24, 2026
CHEYENNE JACKSON: SIGNS OF LIFE FEB 5, 2026
RICKIE LEE JONES FEB 6, 2026
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA MARTÍN + SAY + BEETHOVEN FEB 15, 2026
Eden Espinosa
ROBERT VAN LEER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
PRESENT
CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE & BRAD MEHLDAU
October 15, 2025 | 7:30 PM
BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
FOR MORE INFORMATION SCAN BELOW:
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
ROBERT VAN LEER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
L.A. DANCE PROJECT WITH THE SUPPORT OF DANCE REFLECTIONS BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
PRESENT
A TRIPTYCH BY BENJAMIN MILLEPIED
Benjamin Millepied CHOREOGRAPHY
October 23 - 25, 2025 BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
PROGRAM
Reflections
INTERMISSION
Hearts & Arrows
INTERMISSION
On the Other Side
DANCE @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY KONI AND GEOFF RICH
DANCERS
Lorrin Brubaker
Courtney Conovan
Daphne Fernberger
Tom Guibaud
Robert Hoffer
Shu Kinouchi
Clay Koonar
Audrey Sides
Hope Spears
Noah Wang
PRODUCTION
Venus Gulbranson
LIGHTING DIRECTOR
Yelena Babinskaya
STAGE MANAGER
Sebastien Marcovici
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Nathan Shreeve-Moon
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION
Alisa Wyman
PRODUCTION & TOUR MANAGER
REFLECTIONS CREDITS
Benjamin Millepied,
In collaboration with Julia Eichten, Charlie Hodges, Morgan Lugo, Nathan Makolandra and Amanda Wells
CHOREOGRAPHY
Barbara Kruger
VISUAL CONCEPT
David Lang, This was Written by Hand / Memory Pieces (selections)
MUSIC
Masha Tsimring
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Premiered May 23, 2013 at Theâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France. Commissioned by Van Cleef & Arpels
HEARTS & ARROWS CREDITS
Benjamin Millepied CHOREOGRAPHY
Liam Gillick
VISUAL CONCEPT
Janie Taylor COSTUMES
Philip Glass, String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima)
1. 1957 - Award Montage
2. November 25 - Ichigaya
3. 1934 - Grandmother And Kimitake
4. 1962 - Body Building
5. Blood Oath
6. Mishima/Closing © 1985, Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc. (ASCAP). Used by permission. Performed by Kronos Quartet - Nonesuch Records. Recorded in 1993. Produced by Judith Sherman, Kurt Munkacsi, and Philip Glass.
MUSIC
Masha Tsimring LIGHTING DESIGNER
Premiered December 1st, 2014 in Miami, Florida Commissioned by Van Cleef & Arpels
ON THE OTHER SIDE CREDITS
Benjamin Millepied CHOREOGRAPHY
Mark Bradford VISUAL CONCEPT
All compositions by Philip Glass, unless otherwise noted. Etude No. 1 — performed by Maki Namekawa. Etude No. 2 — performed by Philip Glass. Etude No. 6 — performed by Maki Namekawa. Etude No. 16 — performed by Maki Namekawa. Etude No. 17 — performed by Vanessa Wagner. Etude No. 18 — performed by Maki Namekawa. Dead Things (arranged by Nico Muhly) — performed by Vanessa Wagner From the album Les heures immobiles
Orphée Suite No. 2: Orphée’s Bedroom — performed by Paul Barnes. Orphée Suite No. 7: Orphée’s Bedroom, Reprise — performed by Paul Barnes. Music used with permission.
MUSIC
Masha Tsimring LIGHTING DESIGNER
Premiered June 24th, 2016 at Sadler's Wells in London, United Kingdom Commissioned by Van Cleef & Arpels
ROBERT VAN LEER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
PRESENT
MARTÍN + HAMELIN + BRAHMS
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA
Jaime Martín, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Marc-André Hamelin, PIANO
October 26, 2025 | 4:00 PM
BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
PROGRAM
LOUISE FARRENC
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 35
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
ROBERT VAN LEER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
LA OPERA
BETH MORRISON PROJECTS
PRESENT
WORLD PREMIERE
HILDEGARD
November 5 - 9, 2025
BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
Sarah Kirkland Snider MUSIC AND LIBRETTO
BASED ON THE WRITINGS OF Hildegard von Bingen
FOR MORE INFORMATION SCAN BELOW:
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
THIS PRODUCTION IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY ARNON ADAR
LA OPERA OFF GRAND PRODUCTIONS ARE SUPPORTED BY A CONSORTIUM OF GENEROUS DONORS TO LA OPERA’S CONTEMPORARY OPERA INITIATIVE, CHAIRED BY BARRY AND NANCY SANDERS.
Image by (Projection Designer) Deborah Johnson / CandyStations (@candystations) with design elements by Molly Irelan & Marsha Ginsberg.
CAST
Nola Richardson, soprano
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN
Mikaela Bennett, soprano
RICHARDIS VON STADE/ ANGEL 3
Raha Mirzadegan, soprano
GERTA/ ANGEL 1
Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano
MARGRAVINE VON STADE
Roy Hage, tenor
VOLMAR
Patrick Bessenbacher, tenor
MECHTHILD
David Adam Moore, baritone
ABBOT CUNO
Paul Chwe Minchul An, bass OTTO
CREATIVE TEAM
Elkhanah Pulitzer DIRECTOR
Gabriel Crouch
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Beth Morrison
CREATIVE PRODUCER
Marsha Ginsberg
SCENIC DESIGNER
Molly Irelan
COSTUME DESIGNER
Pablo Santiago
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Deborah Johnson
PROJECTION DESIGNER
Drew Sensue-Weinstein
SOUND DESIGNER
Annie Jin Wang DRAMATURG
Commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects. Commissioned in part by the Aspen Music Festival and School, OPERA America Grants for Female Composers award funded by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. The production of Hildegard received funding from OPERA America’s Opera Fund, New York State Council on the Arts, New Music USA, the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts, William Kennedy, Betsy Greenberg and Pamela Drexel. Developed and produced by Beth Morrison Projects.
Developed with Lyric Theater @ University of Illinois, Princeton University, and Mannes School of Music.
ROBERT VAN LEER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
PRESENT
SETH RUDETSKY & J. HARRISON GHEE
November 19, 2025 | 7:30 PM BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
FOR MORE INFORMATION SCAN BELOW:
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
ROBERT VAN LEER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
PRESENT
LONNIE HOLLEY & MOOR MOTHER
November 20, 2025 | 7:30 PM BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
ROBERT VAN LEER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
SCOTT DUNN ORCHESTRA
PRESENT
THE HOLLYWOOD MODERNISTS
THE SECOND GOLDEN AGE OF FILM SCORING
Scott Dunn, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CHIEF CONDUCTOR
November 22, 2025 | 7:30 PM
BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
B. Herrmann arr. Dunn 2024
Three Scenes for String Orchestra from PSYCHO PARAMOUNT PICTURES, DIRECTED ALFRED HITCHCOCK, 1963
A Copland arr. Copland (1940, rev. 1944)
OUR TOWN–Music from the Film Score UNITED ARTISTS, DIRECTED SAM WOOD, 1940
E. Bernstein arr. Dunn 2021 Suite from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD UNIVERSAL PICTURES, DIRECTED ROBERT MULLIGAN, 1962
L. Rosenman arr. Dunn 2021 REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE Suite
UNIVERSAL PICTURES, DIRECTED NICHOLAS RAY, 1955
i. Main Title
ii. Planetarium
iii. First Kiss
iv. Knife Fight
v. Love Music, Plato’s Death and Finale
INTERMISSION
B. Herrmann arr. Dunn 2024
Overture from NORTH BY NORTHWEST
METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER, DIRECTED ALFRED HITCHCOCK, 1959
A. North arr. Dunn 2024
Six Sequences for Orchestra from A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
WARNER BROS. PICTURES, DIRECTED ELIA KAZAN, 1951
i. Main Title/French Quarter
ii. Blanche
iii. Four Deuces (Stan and Stella)
iv. Belle Reve
v. Mania
vi. Soliloquy and Redemption
D. Raksin arr. 1962, adapted Dunn 2024
A Song After Sundown from TOO LATE BLUES
PARAMOUNT PICTURES, JOHN CASSAVETES, 1961
L. Rosenman arr. Dunn 2024
Cal’s Redemption and Finale from EAST OF EDEN
WARNER BROS. PICTURES, DIRECTED ELIA KAZAN, 1955
THE HOLLYWOOD MODERNISTS AND HOLLYWOOD’S SECOND GOLDEN AGE
BY SCOTT DUNN
This concert highlights a generation of young classically trained East Coast composers who after WWII introduced modernism and jazz into the language of film scoring. Nearly all were students of Aaron Copland and or Schoenberg. The quality of the film music they produced has never been surpassed and is the focus of today’s concert.
We begin this evening with Bernard Herrmann’s brilliant score for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 PSYCHO . We start with the Main Title and continue through the buildup and murder. The scoring and free tonality recall the influence of Bartok and Stravinsky as well as Herrmann’s American mentors, Copland and Ives.
The influence of Copland resonates throughout this program. In 1944 he created an orchestral suite from his score for OUR TOWN (1940). Copland’s music is at once tender and powerful, free of artifice and straightforward yet sophisticated; we present the first section of Copland’s suite which serves as an apt lead-in and model for the music that follows.
Rated by the AFI as one of the best film scores of all time, Elmer Bernstein’s TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) is clearly influenced by his mentor Copland’s tender and lyrical style. Bernstein attended Juilliard and also studied with Aaron Copland and Roger Sessions.
Born in Brooklyn, Leonard Rosenman studied with Arnold Schoenberg, Roger Sessions and Aaron Copland. His friend and piano student James Dean convinced Elia Kazan to hire Rosenman to score EAST OF EDEN in 1955: later that same year he brilliantly scored REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE which glows with jazz licks and ‘Schoenbergian’ free tonality.
Bernard Herrmann’s brilliant overture for Hitchcock’s NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) is a rollicking fandango which accompanies the opening credits. This film was their fifth collaboration.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE was adapted for film in 1951 by Elia Kazan who hired the young and untested, Alex North to create the score. North studied at the Moscow Conservatory and later with Aaron Copland and Ernest Toch. North’s love of jazz and the influence of Ellington is unmistakable in this landmark score. Notably some of North’s original cues were thought to be so salacious that they were censored and had to be re-scored by the composer.
David Raksin , like North a “jazzer”, studied with Schoenberg and Copland. Best known for LAURA (1944), his amazing career spans back to include work with Charlie Chaplin on MODERN TIMES (1936). In 1961 he was given only a couple weeks to write and pre-record a score for John Cassavetes’ new film about jazz musicians - TOO LATE BLUES. Given the time pressure, Raksin pulled out an older song that he adapted and re-titled for the new film - “Song After Sundown” . Our arrangement is adapted from a 1962 version that Raksin created for Stan Getz and the Boston Pops and has not been heard in concert for fifty years.
We conclude with Rosenman’s brilliant “Cal’s Redemption and Finale” from EAST OF EDEN (1955). An intense, highly emotive score, the finale is a heart-rending contrapuntal weaving of themes which culminates in the beloved tune from the Ferris Wheel scene with James Dean and Julie Harris.
PLACE YOUR FOREVER STAMP ON THE WALLIS
your legacy and ours with a planned gift to The Wallis
A planned gift to The Wallis is a meaningful way to sustain transformative performing arts while achieving your charitable and financial goals. By including The Wallis in your estate plans, you help ensure its vibrant future.
One simple option is a bequest in your will, allowing you to designate a specific gift while retaining control of your asset during your lifetime. Other options include charitable trusts, retirement plan designations, or life insurance policies –each offering flexibility to align with your personal and philanthropic objectives.
Your generosity will empower innovative performances, education programs, and community engagement, enriching lives for generations.
Our Development staff is pleased to explore with you the many creative, flexible giving options available to you and even help you include the necessary language to your will.
Contact us with questions by email at GiftPlanning@TheWallis.org or by phone at 424.284.4701.
ROBERT VAN LEER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
PRESENT
A BRAHMSIAN AFFAIR
LOS ANGELES CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA
Margaret Batjer, DIRECTOR OF CHAMBER MUSIC
November 23, 2025 | 4:00 PM BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER
PROGRAM
JOHANNES BRAHMS
String Sextet No. 2 in G major, Op. 36
JULIA MOSS WORLD PREMERE
JOHANNES BRAHMS
String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op.18
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS IS GENEROUSLY MADE POSSIBLE BY TERRI AND JERRY KOHL
CREATIVE PARTNERS @ THE WALLIS
GRoW @ THE WALLIS
GRoW @ The Wallis, an umbrella for the robust mix of education and outreach programs at The Wallis, is committed to sharing the arts with learners of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities and bringing their stories to life.
GRoW @ The Wallis is made possible through a generous gift from Gregory Annenberg Weingarten, Regina Weingarten, and the Annenberg Foundation.
2024/2025 RECAP
IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCIES
Professional teaching artists are paired with Pre-K - 12 schools to bring dynamic and engaging arts experiences to students.
1,249 students served
490 workshops 8 teaching artists
CREATIVE AGING
Courses for older adults designed to stimulate creativity, connect to others, and share personal stories. 844 students served
61 programs
6 instructors
FAMILY FEST
Free, outdoor events filled with music, movement, and hands-on fun for families and young audiences. The whole family can celebrate creativity, connection, and community at these special themed days.
STUDENT MATINEES
Students are transported into a world of imagination, cultivating a love for theater, dance, and music by attending one of our student matinees in our performing arts campus.
2,239 student tickets sold 15 matinees
40 schools served (44% Title I)
THE ARTIST CIRCLE
The Artist Circle is a group of visionary arts patrons who believe in The Wallis’ mission and wish to create a lasting legacy in the performing arts
AN ANNUAL GIFT OF $25,000 & ABOVE PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
First Look At Production Sponsorship Opportunities Travel Opportunities
Private Dinner with The Wallis Excecutive Director & CEO, Robert van Leer
Exclusive Invitations To Artist Circle Events
Access To Curiated Behind-The-Scenes Experiences Year-Round Admission to the David Bohnett Foundation Founders Room
VIP Ticketing and Pre-Sale Access Premium Seating
To set up a meeting with Director of Development Christine Bernardi Weil to discuss your membership in The Artist Circle, please email DonorRelations@TheWallis.org or call 424.284.4701
@ A GLANCE
THE
BAR @ JAMIE TISCH SCULPTURE GARDEN
Audiences are invited to enjoy craft cocktails, beer and wine before or after performances and during intermissions!
THE
BRAM GOLDSMITH THEATER is a 500-seat venue where no seat is more than 50 feet from the stage, creating an intimate environment for you to enjoy your favorite performer.
THE LOVELACE STUDIO THEATER is an intimate flexible space with traditional theater seating of eight rows of raked seats
QUIET ROOM
The Lynn and Les Bider Family Foundation Quiet Room is available during most performances for patrons who wish or need to step away for a moment. You can still see and hear the performance in progress but the audience can’t hear you.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Your health and safety are very important to us. Visit TheWallis.org/Safety to stay up-to-date on our policies.
ACCESSIBILITY
Accessible seating for patrons with mobility limitations are located in several locations on the main floor of the theater. Wheelchair accessible restrooms are also available on the main floor level.
A state-of-the-art telecoil induction system is installed in the Bram Goldsmith Theater. Assisted Listening Devices are also available at no cost to our patrons.
Please contact Ticket Services to notify us of any special needs, so we can help make your exceptional!experience
ANNUAL DONORS
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is privileged to list the following individual donors who have contributed $1,000 or more to the annual fund. Every donor is a valued partner in The Wallis’s efforts to bring dynamic performing arts and engaging education programs to our community. For any questions regarding your donations, or if you would like to make a gift to the annual fund, please call 424.284.4701.
The following list recognizes gifts to the annual fund received from May 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this listing. To report any omissions or inaccuracies, please call 424.284.4701.
PLATINUM ANGELS
$1,000,000 & ABOVE
Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation*
SILVER ANGELS
$250,000 – $499,999
Terri and Jerry Kohl
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Regina Weingarten GRoW @ Annenberg*
DIAMOND CIRCLE
$100,000 – $249,999
Cathy and Mark Louchheim*
Sandra Barros Lowy and Peter Lowy*
Arline and Buddy Pepp
Koni and Geoffrey Rich
The Simms/Mann Family Foundation
Jonathan A. Victor*
PLATINUM CIRCLE
$50,000 – $99,999
Arnon Adar
Pamela and Dennis Beck*
David C. Bohnett
Scott Dunn and Robert Moray
Sakurako and William Fisher Family
Katharyn A. Gerlich
Halle and Oliver Hammond
Stacey and Donald Kivowitz*
Daphna Nazarian*
Michael and Meeghan Nemeroff*
Honorable Vicki Reynolds and Murray Pepper
Arnold and Anita Rosenstein
Eva and Marc Stern
Susan Strauss*
Stephanie and Leon Vahn*
May and Richard Ziman*
GOLD CIRCLE
$25,000 – $49,999
Anonymous
Ahsan Aijaz
Thomas Blumenthal*
Susanna and Jim Courier
Bruce Goldsmith
Laura Gordon
Cinny Kennard
Agnes Lew
Daniel Lewis and Valerie Dillon
Linda May and Jack Suzar
Gretchen Pace
Brenda R. Potter
Ruby Family Foundation
Carole Sasiela
Joan Selwyn and Marc Selwyn, Laura and Geoffrey Wyatt, in memory of Paul Selwyn
Stephanie and Howard Sherwood*
SILVER CIRCLE
$10,000 – $24,999
Martha and Barry Berkett
Alfred E. Mann Charities
Snehal Desai and Robert van Leer
Louise and Brad Edgerton
Judy O. and Robert T. Flesh
Honorable MeraLee Goldman
Morris and Shîla Hazan
Charitable Fund
Thom and Vicki Melcher, in honor of Wallis Annenberg
Moshe and Helen Sassover
Jay and Deanie Stein
Seth Weingarten
DIRECTORS CIRCLE
$5,000 –$9,999
Miles Benickes and Kathleen Reiss
Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, in memory of Paul Selwyn
Heidi Burnett
Bonnie and Ronald Fein
Sonia and Robert Freedman
Tamara and David Lachoff
Anahita and Jim Lovelace
Laura Maslon
Gloria and Richard Pink
Karen Sulzberger and Eric Lax
Karen and Richard Wolfen
AMBASSADOR
$2,500 – $4,999
Minoo Behboody, in honor of Amir Behboody
Judy Briskin
Barbara Bruser
Judy Carroll
Jill and Allen Chozen
Chester Chuang and Sean Beougher
Dan Clivner
Marlyn Day
Mrs. Diane Deshong
Sandra Krause and William Fitzgerald
Kiki Ramos Gindler and David Gindler
Kathy Speer and Terry Grossman
Vera and Paul Guerin
Eva Aaronson, in memory of Bucky Hazan
Dr. Ariella D. Herman
Lynn and Bruce Heymont
Susan Howard
Cathy and Bill Kirkpatrick
Coco Klinkenberg
Barbara and Joel Marcus
Ann S. Petersen
Melissa Rosenberg and Lev L. Spiro
Allan and Paula Rudnick
ENTHUSIAST
$1,000 – $2,499
Bernadette Abbruzze
Robert Anderson
Daniel Banchik and Michael Collins
Michael Carmen
Rhea Coskey
Eunice David
Anne Dougherty and David Dobrikin
Adrienne Forst
Bertrand and Benita Ginsberg
Howard Gleicher and Damon Chen
Lessing and Sandy Gold
Carolyn and Bernard Hamilton
Patricia Keating and Bruce Hayes
Freya and Mark Ivener
Joanne Kozberg
Stewart and Grace Krakover
Judi Lawenda and Ronald D. Rosen
Anita Lorber
Jeanne and Leonard Marks
Cynthia McGranahan and Lyle Dawn
Cookie Miller
Patricia and John Nickoll
Paul Rosen, in honor of Ron Rosen
Brandi Roth and Bruce Clemens
Ronald S. Smith
Anne-Marie Spataru
Jan and Edward Woods
In Memorium
* Multi-year Commitment
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
Special thanks to our corporate, foundation, government, and in-kind supporters whose generosity helps sustain The Wallis’s operations.
$5,000,000 & ABOVE
Annenberg Foundation*
$1,000,000 – $4,999,999
GRoW @ Annenberg
Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Regina Weingarten*
$25,000+
Colburn Foundation
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
East West Bank
Farhang Foundation
Geary's
The Roy Cockrum Foundation
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation
The Leon Lowenstein Foundation Inc.
Neiman Marcus
Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
South Coast Plaza
UP TO $24,999
Actors' Equity Foundation, Inc
Beverly Hills Rotary
Community Foundation
City of Beverly Hills
City National Bank
Friars Charitable Foundation
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg
Charitable Trust
Johnny Carson Foundation
Los Angeles County Dept. of Arts and Culture
The Sheri and Les Biller
Family Foundation
Total Wine & More
Walt Disney Company
Charitable Giving (Matching)
360 Group International, Inc
JOHNNY CARSON FOUNDATION
Legacy Gifts
The Wallis is grateful to the following supporters whose legacy gifts through their estate help ensure and enrich future programming and operations.
The following listing recognizes donors whose Legacy Gifts of $25,000 and above to The Wallis provide continuous longterm support.
The following list recognizes gifts received as of July 31, 2025. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this listing. However, we apologize for any inadvertent errors or omissions.
DIAMOND ANGELS
Luanne C. Wells
PLATINUM ANGELS
Burton E. Green Fund
Richard Rosenzweig and Judith Henning Trust
Janet and Maxwell Hillary Salter
GOLD ANGELS
Steven D. Cochran Memorial Fund
The Peggy and Walter Grauman Fellowship in Classical Music
Bram and Elaine Goldsmith Trust
DIAMOND CIRCLE
David Martin Finkelstein Trust
Paul Selwyn Memorial Fund
GOLD CIRCLE
Anonymous
In Memorium
CORPORATE PARTNERS
We are proud to recognize the following corporations, whose partnership helps The Wallis continue to impact the Greater Los Angeles community.
Every Gift Makes an Impact.
The Wallis is grateful for its supporters whose belief in our mission helps us continue to strengthen our local and global community as a presenter, producer, educator, and community resource for Greater Los Angeles.
Contact the Development staff at 424.284.4701 for more information. THEWALLIS.ORG/SUPPORT
WITH A GIFT OF $1,000 OR MORE,YOU CAN UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE DONOR BENEFITS.
Membership Categories include:
• FRIENDS $100-$2,499: Invitations to Donor Events, Name Recognition in the Program ($1,000+)
• AMBASSADORS $2,500-$24,999: Access to the Founders Room, VIP Ticketing Services
• ARTIST CIRCLE $25,000+: Invitations to Private VIP Events, Access to Annual Leadership Evening
Visit thewallis.org/givinglevelsbenefits to learn more.
WAYS TO GIVE
• Cash, check, or credit card
• Monthly Giving Club
• Gifts of appreciated stock
• Donor-advised funds
• Bequests
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan
• IRA-RMD
• Charitable gift annuity
• Charitable trusts Questions? Email donorrelations@thewallis.org to set up a conversation with one of our Development staff.
THE WALLIS STAFF
ROBERT VAN LEER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Christine Bernardi Weil DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Lynne Bolen CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Samantha Else DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION
Imani Hollingsworth DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
Erin Mahan DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Coy Middlebrook DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
Dawn Robinson-Patrick DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
David Truly DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS
Michelle Wiesel GENERAL MANAGER
ARTISTIC
Misha Riley
Benina Stern PROGRAMMING MANAGERS
Joyce Maddox COMPANY MANAGER
DEVELOPMENT
Jody Price
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Tim Stephenson
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF INDIVIDUAL GIVING
Loren Hayes
INSTITUTIONAL GIVING COORDINATOR
Molly Lasher
INDIVIDUAL GIVING ASSISTANT
Tess Rosenthal DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT
MARKETING
Hannah Burnett
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
AKA
MARKETING/ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS
Davidson & Choy PR PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT
EDUCATION / GRoW @ THE WALLIS
Debra Pasquerette DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS
Debra Piver DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL & YOUTH PARTNERSHIPS
Charleen Molina EDUCATION PROGRAMS REGISTRAR
Pat Taylor EDUCATION PROGRAMS COORDINATOR
Michelle Rearick THE WALTER AND PEGGY GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP IN CLASSICAL MUSIC ADVISOR
PRODUCTION
Art Riddle TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Corey McCarey PRODUCTION MANAGER
Kayli Kimerer ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER
Joshua Shelden ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
L auren Wemischner LIGHTING SUPERVISOR
Jose Miguel Cortes INTERIM AUDIO VIDEO SUPERVISOR
Joseph Skowronski LIGHTING COORDINATOR
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Matt Hatashita ACCOUNTING MANAGER
Cyndi Sor rell EXECUTIVE OFFICE LIAISON
FACILITIES
Roland Henriquez FACILITIES MANAGER
Peter Gapuzan FACILITIES MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
TICKET SERVICES
Tori L ong ASSISTANT TICKET SERVICES MANAGER
Chandler David TICKET OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Eric L atham
SR. TICKET SERVICES ASSOCIATE
Timm Carney
Joelle Joyner-Wong
Kenzie McCarrel TICKET SERVICES ASSOCIATES
FRONT OF HOUSE
Bryan Puckett AUDIENCE SERVICES MANAGER
Maile Raventos
Pia Shekerjian HOUSE SUPERVISERS
GRAND HALL GREETERS
Jordan Castillo
Ruby Layne
Laura Long
Nathan Neuwirth
USHERS
Alma Beaty
Abigail Carver
Jacqui Creekmore
Tina De La Cruz
Marcus Escobar
Teresa Estrada
Alex Friedmann
Nick Geracie
Amy Goldring
Zachary Goldsmith
Judith Halle
Nyla Jenae
Courtney King
Mary Leveridge
Zachary Lewis
Naomi Melville
Henry Metcalf
Charlie Olivares
James Poulin
Rob Stern
Kelly Syers
Adam Taubenslag
Madison Wilson
Willa Witkoski-Fields
HOST YOUR NEXT UNFORGETTABLE EVENT AT THE WALLIS
From red carpet premieres to private soirées, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts offers a stunning blend of classic elegance and modern sophistication—right in the heart of Beverly Hills. With versatile indoor and outdoor spaces, state-of-the-art amenities, and an expert events team, The Wallis is the perfect venue for galas, film shoots, corporate gatherings, and more.
Whether you're planning an intimate reception or a grand production, elevate your event with the timeless charm and cultural prestige of The Wallis.
NEW TOOLS OF TASTE
More than any room in the home, the kitchen is where high-end aesthetics and cutting-edge technologies coexist. by ROGER GRODY
THE KITCHEN HAS emerged as the trendiest room in the house, a dramatic transformation from its former status as a strictly utilitarian space hidden from guests. With floor plans opening up and appliance manufacturers suddenly taking aesthetics seriously, it has become a genuine showplace for design.
Snyder Diamond, a collection of high-end kitchen-and-bath showrooms in Southern California, features more than 60 brands of kitchen appliances. CEO Russ Diamond offers insights on consumer trends.
“The biggest trend, which began with just a few premium brands,
is color,” Diamond says. “BlueStar has always offered colors, custom colors that can match anything— even your wallpaper. Now, everybody’s offering color.”
Handcrafted La Cornue range and hood and, below, L’Atelier Paris in designer color.
Technology-forward Miele refrigeration and, below, Sub-Zero.
Ultra-luxury brand La Cornue also presents custom colors, some inspired by celebrity designers.
“Now mainstream brands offer colors, not necessarily custom personalization, but reds, blues and
greens,” says Diamond, whose father co-founded the company in 1949.
Miele, a popular luxury brand carried by Snyder Diamond, is developing refrigeration products with built-in cameras, allowing owners to monitor contents remotely.
In the coming months, Miele’s AI Diagnostics feature is expanding to some kitchen appliances through the company’s app, providing analyses of potential issues based on individual usage data and suggesting step-by-step solutions.
Diamond says that his family’s Sub-Zero refrigerator can text him when the door is left open, which can be “most advantageous from a diagnostic and service standpoint.”
According to Miele representatives, ovens will soon use AI to optimize performance through integrated cameras that capture images of the food. Recipes are identified based on that photography and ovens automatically execute the next cooking stages.
“We’re about to introduce an oven from Unox Casa that uses AI to cook multiple dishes at once,” Diamond reports. “It senses the food and cooks accordingly. It even self-cleans. It’s the most advanced oven on the market.”
Samsung, parent company of the Southern California-founded luxury brand Dacor, has introduced a suite of personalized AI-enhanced solu-
tions for various kitchen appliances. Diamond says that customers are not typically requesting AI features today—technologies often take several years for widespread adoption.
La Cornue is a line of high-end ranges from Middleby, which also
produces the Viking and AGA brands. It combines Michelin star-worthy performance with a nostalgic Parisian charm.
The price of a large Château series La Cornue range with lots of bells and whistles can rival that of a sportscar. “It’s really a piece of furniture in the kitchen,” says Diamond of the exquisitely designed, handcrafted machines.
L’Atelier Paris Haute Design, French-inspired but domestically manufactured, offers similar craftsmanship and styling.
Although the trend is national, Southern California is ideally suited for outdoor cooking and outdoor kitchens are increasingly in demand.
THE KI OF LIFE
SEOUL’S DINING SCENE HAS evolved this past decade. South Korean chefs, inspired by molecular gastronomy’s transformation of Catalan cuisine, have pushed the boundaries of modern Korean cuisine, unbound by region, technique and ingredients or, like K-pop, by genre.
Chef Ki Kim cooked in those modern Korean kitchens. He draws on those experiences and others at his Restaurant Ki in Little Tokyo, a very high-end,
one-seating-per-night tasting menu served in an unassuming office building.
Open less than a year, Restaurant Ki has already earned a coveted Michelin star and Kim the organization’s 2025 young chef award.
Finding Ki is an adventure. Guests enter through a hallway shared by two other restaurants, Bar Sawa and Michelin-starred sushi counter Kaneyoshi. The sliding door that leads to the chef’s counter has an employeesonly sign to throw off unwanted guests.
At Ki, Kim explores his culinary life’s journey, which
New Restaurant Ki in Little Tokyo has already earned a Michelin star. by JENN TANAKA
Ice cream sandwich and, below, ramen at Restaurant Ki
includes working at chef’s tables at Blanca in New York and Hayato in downtown Los Angeles. Also on his local resume: chef de cuisine at Jordan Khan’s Meteora and his own critically lauded, now shuttered Kinn in Koreatown.
Kim’s more tangential life experiences include his childhood in Korea; his adolescence in Aurora, Colorado, known for its diverse community and cultures; and his time spent in other New York fine-dining kitchens.
Though its 12-course Korean American menu changes often, Ki is best known for Kim’s octopus.
It’s simultaneously tender and delicately crisp. Plated with an umami-rich, orange-hued sauce derived from octopus heads, it’s an homage to Kim’s time at Jungsik, a three-Michelinstarred New Korean restaurant with locations in New York and Seoul.
A ramen course is likewise extraordinary. Lumps of crab meat are inter-
spersed in the noodles and nestled in a creamy yet translucent sauce. Kim uses small-batch noodles by Keizo Shimamoto, once
upon a time the creator of the viral ramen burger.
Maine lobster served with morels and farmersmarket carrots evokes
Chef’s table and, below, chef Ki Kim’s octopus at Restaurant Ki
white-tablecloth French fine dining.
A quenelle of verdant perilla sorbet invigorates a dish presented in an oversized-leaf bowl with summery cherry tomatoes; it suggests Cal-Korean. The chef presents a platter of barbecueroasted squabs before he slices and plates the birds; it recalls scenes both of roasted poultry hanging in Chinatown windows and of the ceremonial presentation of a Thanksgiving turkey.
LACO’S ENCHANTING 2025/26 SEASON!
CURRENT: REFLECTIONS IN SONG
Oct 4 | 7:30
CICADA RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE
John Holiday Vocalist
Lara Downes Piano
Come dressed and ready for a 1920s
big-band inspired night, featuring works by Ellington to Korngold.
ROMANTIC RESONANCE MARTÍN + HAMELIN + BRAHMS
Oct 25 | 7:30 | ZIPPER HALL
Oct 26 | 4 | THE WALLIS
Jaime Martín Music Director
Marc-André Hamelin Piano
L. Farrenc, Symphony No. 2 in D major
J. Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor
A BRAHMSIAN AFFAIR
Nov 22 | 7:30 | ZIPPER HALL
Nov 23 | 4 | THE WALLIS
Margaret Batjer Director of Chamber Music
J. Brahms, Sextet No. 2 in G major
J. Brahms, Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major
TICKETS
Each plate is then adorned with three tender slices of breast meat and a single leg, the talon still connected; it’s a touch of whimsy and cleverly reminds diners where their food came from.
A wafer-thin, mushroom-shaped ice cream sandwich is also a showstopper. A layer of hazelnut chocolate adds another playful dimension to the dessert.
The dish combines the nostalgia of childhood—you have to eat it with your fingers—with the refined technique of a seasoned chef. The paperthin wafer reminds you
that life is delicate and, as the ice cream softens, you can’t help but feel that time is fleeting.
So enjoy, before it’s gone.
The Restaurant Ki experience runs several hundred dollars per person, with wine- and Korean-spirits pairings additional. It begins at
6:30 p.m. and is limited to ten diners per night.
Restaurant Ki 111 S. San Pedro St., downtown, restaurantki.com
Chef Ki Kim
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene’s
Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
A Soraya Concert Production With English Supertitles
Mariachi Herencia de México
With Special Guest Leonardo Aguilar Graham100
The Martha Graham Dance Company’s 100th Season Featuring Wild Up
Disney and Pixar’s
Toy Story 30th Anniversary Live-to-Film Concert
Fly Me to the Moon
A Tribute to Quincy Jones Featuring Pacific Jazz Orchestra With Special Guests
Ms. Lisa Fischer and José James
Chris Walden, conductor
Lila Downs
Día de Muertos
Colburn Orchestra
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor Zi Yang Low, violin
Ray Chen, violin
Julio Elizalde, piano Onstage Classical
Mariza
Ballet BC BOLERO X MOMIX Alice
FEATURE
/ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
Fiona and must decide whether to stay or leave.
The original musical— book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Loewe—opened on Broadway in 1947 and was last revived in 1980.
The show’s one Tony Award, for choreography, was won by Agnes de Mille—who, prior to her Broadway career, directed at Pasadena Playhouse.
Playhouse producing artistic director Danny Feldman wanted to stage Brigadoon not just because it’s a personal favorite, but because, he says, “it’s a cornerstone American musical, one of the defining musicals when you think of the art form.
“It squarely fits in with the mission of our American Musical project, which is to produce these classic musicals at grand scale,” Feldman says. “It’s not only so that audiences get to see them again, but more importantly, so that another group of people who have never seen them can experience them.”
Feldman saw “new colors” to the show with this new adaptation; it’s not just an adult fairy tale.
Silber’s book emphasizes grief and loss, fueled by her own father’s death when she was 18, and is steeped in Scottish culture. The Los Angeles
native trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and for Brigadoon researched Scottish lore and history.
Silber also wanted to contemporize the show.
“I thought, if there are things I could do to flesh out some of these stories, increase the stakes, stand inside each character, give them human richness and update them from their beautiful original prototypes—but also give them our 21st-century sensibility of what we crave from character—then this story would sing again in 2025 and next year,” she says.
The New York portions take place in the present day rather than the 1940s.
As a nod to the Scottish societal matriarchy of the village’s era, one key character has been changed from a man to a woman.
Tommy and Fiona are nearing 40, with midlife questions and concerns. Jeff’s defining cynicism and excessive drinking now arise from his grief and anger at his wife’s recent death.
The village remains set in a distant time, and the Lerner-Loewe score is largely intact.
In these current turbulent times, Silber hopes audiences will leave the theater realizing “the power of love in all its forms,” and will have “the deep desire to call, write,
text, connect with someone they’ve lost.”
Grief and loss could certainly propel Come
From Away, the real-life story of the days following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001; 38 planes were diverted to isolated Gander, Newfoundland, and the residents suddenly had to cope with thousands of stranded passengers.
Book authorscomposers-lyricists Irene Sankoff and David Hein instead focused on a more uplifting perspective, the sense of community that is created when strangers draw together.
The original opened on Broadway in 2017
Come From Away comes to La Mirada Theatre
and won a Tony Award for Christopher Ashley’s directing. A completely re-staged version of the show runs at the La Mirada Theatre in La Mirada Sept. 19-Oct. 12.
One major change in the new version is that, in addition to the eightpiece band of professional musicians, all 12 cast members play at least one musical instrument.
La Mirada directorchoreographer Richard J. Hinds has been with the original production as associate choreographer from its 2015 beginnings at the La Jolla Playhouse, co-produced with the Seattle Repertory Theatre. The La Mirada production
THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA
SEPT 11 - OCT 19
by Tennessee Williams
directed by Jessica Kubzansky
Redemption’s messy. Experience The Night of the Iguana at Boston Court Pasadena with code PERF10 for 10% off!
YOU’RE HERE.
Congrats, You’ve Picked a Great Performance! Check out the interactive version of this theater program magazine and enjoy even more insight into the performers, creative talent and theater activities that are behind it all.
LINKS TO PERFORMERS’ SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
MULTI - MEDIA PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE. THEATER SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES
UNDERSTUDY UPDATES
UPCOMING SHOWS AND CONCERTS AROUND TOWN
INSIDER SCOOPS FROM THEATER AND MUSIC PROFESSIONALS
It’s the new way to read the program, it’s
first played the Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine this summer.
When Hinds helped to re-open the Sydney, Australia production after the Covid lockdown, the company performed the opening number at an event joined by a full orchestra.
“Hearing it played with that large orchestra, it really took on a sound that was almost cinematic,” Hinds recalls. “I thought, there could be moments that the show could swell and have a slightly richer sound. That was exciting to me.
“Music is such a part of the culture there, it seemed to go hand in hand that our actors could play instruments—not as their characters, but as an extension of an emotion in the show.”
New choreography accommodates the actors’ movements while they
Come From Away
hold their instruments.
The production design, by Nate Bertone, features large newspaper reproductions and smaller detailed images placed to envelope the actors in the world of 2001 Gander. A set-unit design based on Hinds’ idea of a children’s pop-up book moves scenes along and reveals surprise after surprise for the audience.
The show’s themes remain pertinent even for those born after 9/11, Hinds believes.
“There always seems to be some event that happens, where that message of compassion and love and community, people coming together to support strangers during a time of crisis, becomes relevant,” he says. “My goal is that people will be filled with hope, and go out in the community and do good deeds for others.
“It’s the simplest thing.”
REPROGRAMMED!
Performances Magazine unveils a digital program platform for shows and concerts
DROP DOWN MENU Table of app contents.
REGISTER
Stay arts-engaged, access past programs.
THE ESSENTIALS
Acts, scenes, synopses, repertory and notes.
CONTRIBUTORS
Donors and sponsors who make it all possible—you!
NO RUSTLING PAGES, no killing trees . . . the digital Performances program platform has proved to be one of the more enduring recent theater innovations.
The touchless platform provides the programs for 20 Southern California performing-arts organizations, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Ahmanson Theatre to San Diego Opera, where the app made its debut.
Among a variety of features, it provides cast and player bios, donor and season updates, and numerous
other arts-centric features.
Audiences receive a link and a code word that instantly activate the app; QR codes are posted, too.
Screens go dark when curtains go up and return when house lights come back on.
Updates—such as repertory changes, understudy substitutions and significant new donations —can be made right up to showtime, no inserts necessary.
Other plusses include video and audio streams, translations and expanded biographies.
SEARCH
Find whatever it is you want to know—easily.
SIGN IN
Link to your performing-arts companies and venues.
THE PLAYERS
Bios and background for cast, crew and creators.
WHAT’S ON
What’s coming at a glance and ticket information.
For those who consider printed programs to be keepsakes, a limited number, as well as commemorative issues for special events, continue to be produced. Collectibles!
Meanwhile, there is less deforestation, consumption of petroleum inks and programs headed for landfills.
For the ecologically minded, the platform gets a standing ovation.
The digital Performances is but one more reason for audience excitement. Activate your link and enjoy the shows. CALEB
WACHS
