Summer in the City

It’s summertime, and L.A. living is easy. When temperatures rise, Los Angeles’ nightlife heads outside. Outdoor film screenings are a SoCal summertime staple, especially when food trucks, DJs and more join the party.

Listening to live music under the stars is another must, whether your beat is indie rock, jazz or global. Even the Bard gets into the act, as Shakespearean comedies and tragedies unfold against verdant backdrops. So grab your picnic blanket and get ready to have some fun, because we’ve rounded up the best alfresco events L.A. has to offer this month.

The scene-iest of L.A.’s outdoor movie series is the Amazon Studios-sponsored Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where crowds converge with elaborate picnics to watch cult and popular films projected on a mausoleum wall. This month’s lineup kicks off with a screening of The Goonies on June 1 and makes a splash with classic summer blockbuster Jaws on June 22 (p. 65).

Roving film series Eat/See/Hear is a multisensory experience where you can hear indie bands; watch both classics films (Young Frankenstein) and contemporary flicks (The Greatest Showman); and order from food trucks at venues like the Autry Museum, Los Angeles State Historic Park and Centennial Square at Pasadena City Hall (p. 65). Likewise, Street Food Cinema offers movies, music and gourmet street food at locations including Exposition Park, where this month you can catch Straight Outta Compton on June 22 (p. 65).

Taste the good life at Mr. C Beverly Hills’ Poolside Cinema, taking place every Tuesday night by the hotel’s pool. While recent favorites like A Star Is Born (June 11) and Mary Poppins Returns (June 25) roll, relax on chic lounge furniture and enjoy a prix fixe menu of Cipriani classics with Peroni Nastro Azzurro, wine and cocktails (1224 Beverwil Drive, L.A., 310.226.6245, mrchotels.com).

And in Long Beach, Moonlight Movies on the Beach screens flicks (for free!) at dusk by the ocean. Set up a chair on the sand, grab some kettle corn and enjoy the cinema and surf (see website for locations, 562.314.8778, alfredosbeachclub.com).

Nearby, in Long Beach Harbor, the Queen Mary hosts a new monthly Movie Night Summer Series. Spread out a blanket on the grassy lawn next to the historic ocean liner, and enjoy free screenings; this month’s event is an Indiana Jones double feature on June 20 (p. 68).

Sky-high screenings, a fresh take on the outdoor-movie trend, are all the rage, offering cinema with summer breezes and city views. Head to the top of Hollywood’s members-only NeueHouse and downtown’s Level for London import Rooftop Cinema Club’s fifth season in Los Angeles. The popular series screens both classic and of-the-moment films and provides guests with seats, blankets and headphones. This month features a diverse slate of films as RCC celebrates both black cinema and LGBTQ Pride Month (p. 65).

And in West Hollywood, Melrose Rooftop Theatre combines a slate of classics (Grease, 16 Candles) and more recent blockbusters (The Hangover, Bridesmaids) with views of the Hollywood Hills, all-VIP seating and gourmet grub Sunday through Thursday nights at West Hollywood hot spot E.P. & L.P. Opt for the supplemental VIP seated experience + dinner package, which gets you a three-course modern Asian meal at E.P. by Aussie-Fijian executive chef Louis Tikaram, followed by reserved seating on the rooftop theater (p. 65).

When the sun goes down, L.A. turns the music up at outdoor venues throughout the county. Acclaimed alfresco amphitheaters the Hollywood Bowl and the Greek Theatre pull in the biggest-name acts, but they’re not the only places to enjoy top-notch programming. Also in Hollywood, at the Ford Theatres, the eclectic musical lineup for June includes free, interactive JAM Sessions, with Afro- Cuban dance on June 17 and Celtic dance on June 24. Reserve your spot and be dressed to move to the music (p. 66).

On the Miracle Mile, enjoy Jazz at LACMA on Friday nights at the Smidt Welcome Plaza. Ernie Watts Quartet on June 7 and Andrea Miller on June 28 bookend this month’s lineup (p. 70).

Jazz is also cued up at The Broad downtown, which is hosting summer jazz events in celebration of its new exhibition Soul of a Nation. On June 1, music legend Quincy Jones curates an evening of live musical performances inspired by the exhibition’s artists and artworks. Bonus: Tickets include entrance to the exhibition and third-floor galleries (p. 68).

The Getty Center’s popular Off the 405 series features DJ sets and indie acts in the courtyard on select Saturday nights; on June 22, Brooklyn-based vocalist and multi-instrumentalist L’Rain makes her L.A. debut (p. 68).

Meanwhile, in La Cañada Flintridge, Descanso Gardens celebrates summer with World Rhythms, which showcases global music and dance performances Tuesday nights beginning June 18; Music on the Main jazz nights on Thursdays beginning June 6; and, beginning June 19, Summer Songs: all-vinyl DJ sets in the Rose Garden Wednesday nights (advance tickets required). Come early to explore the gardens and stake out a spot (p. 66).

Downtown, in the El Pueblo historic district, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes—LA Plaza— presents festive and educational public events year-round. June’s lineup includes a highenergy musical performance by Grupo Invasión Latina on June 14 (501 N. Main St., downtown, 213.542.6259, lapca.org).

Also in DTLA, shopping center Figat7th hosts the free FigFest series in its outdoor plaza, with concerts by leading artists every Friday night this month. L.A.-based rockers Cherry Glazerr kick things off on June 7 (735 S. Figueroa St., downtown, 213.955.7170, figat7th.com).

Just west of downtown, at MacArthur Park, Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles presents 50 free concerts beginning with a June 1 performance by Mexican rockers Tijuana No! con Ceci Bastida. Jazz, R&B, ska and hip-hop acts are also among the June lineup. Free and open to all ages, the event includes food trucks, vendors and a nightly Kidzone that offers art activities, games and more (2230 W. 6th St., L.A., 213.201.6111, levittlosangeles.org).

In the Valley, The Garland hotel’s outdoor event venue, Beverly Park, invites guests 21+ to monthly concerts featuring live music, light bites and drinks. This month’s event is on June 27; the $5 entry fee benefits a local charity (4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, 818.980.8000, thegarland.com).

Also for grown-ups, Barnsdall Friday Night Wine Tastings at Barnsdall Art Park feature food trucks, boutique artisanal wines, DJ sets and 360-degree sunset views on the west lawn of historic Hollyhock House beginning June 7 (note: Alcohol is never allowed outside the permitted ticketed area; p. 66).

And last but not least, the 10th anniversary of public radio station KCRW’s Summer Nights series will bring dozens of free, all-ages DJ sets and performances by emerging bands to locations throughout the city, all summer long. Among the venues are Chinatown’s Central Plaza in downtown L.A. (where you can hear Novena Carmel and DJ Travis Holcombe on June 8), One Colorado in Old Pasadena (Harriet Brown and DJ Garth Trinidad on June 1 and Girlpool and Chris Douridas on June 15), the Hammer Museum in Westwood and the California African American Museum in Exposition Park (DJs Aaron Byrd and Garth Trinidad on June 28). Turn up and get your groove on (events.kcrw.com).

All of L.A.’s a stage … and, during the summer, theater—much of it penned by the Bard himself—is performed en plein air in parks, city streets and on the beach.

Under the California oaks in idyllic Topanga Canyon, you’ll find Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, which started as a theater for blacklisted actors and folk singers and has been going strong for 46 years. Today, you can still take in plays—including A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Orson Welles’ adaptation of Moby Dick—in its amphitheater all summer long (1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, 310.455.2322, theatricum.com).

On June 8, Pasadena Playhouse Block Party takes over El Molino Avenue for a free celebration of art and culture. The secondannual family-friendly event boasts over 20 performances by groups including Bob Baker Marionette Theater, Ballet Folklorico Quetzal and School of Rock Pasadena, as well as backstage tours of the theater (626.356.7529, playhouseblockparty.org).

On the coast, Shakespeare by the Sea presents The Comedy of Errors and Henry V at Point Fermin Park, starting June 13 (807 W. Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, 310.217.7596, shakespearebythesea.org).

On June 29, the Independent Shakespeare Co. kicks off its Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, which takes place at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. This year, the troupe is performing Twelfth Night and Pericles (4801 Griffith Park Drive, L.A., 818.710.6306, iscla.org).

by Gillian Glover and Suzanne Ennis