‘Tis the Season: Concerts, Opera, Musicals, and More!
LA is rich with cultural bounty all year round, but there’s something about November that takes things to another level. The cornucopia of concerts, theatre, and other live performances are an open invitation to gather with friends and family as we celebrate the season.
Some of these exciting shows have very limited runs, so catch them while you can!
LA Phil New Music Group
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S Grand Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Take a trip to the leading edge of music with LA Phil’s Green Umbrella series. For the Phil’s Centennial season, every single piece at every Green Umbrella concert is a world premiere commissioned by the LA Phil, with concerts curated by Andrew Norman, Susanna Mälkki, Herbie Hancock, and John Adams. Since the first concert in 1981, the LA Phil New Music Group has performed works by some of the most exciting composers of our time. They’ll be giving world premieres throughout the 2018/19 season! See all concerts here.
The next Green Umbrella concert is European Avant-Garde on Tuesday November 13, with Principal Guest Conductor Susanna Mälkki highlighting the pioneering sounds of modern Europe.
Various locations
Named after the 17th-century term for music played in a “chamber” (musica da camera), the Da Camera Society was founded at Mount Saint Mary’s University in 1973 to restore chamber music to the intimate environments for which it was originally intended. In 1980, the Society inaugurated CHAMBER MUSIC IN HISTORIC SITES® – a series of concerts matching world-class ensembles with historically and architecturally significant buildings. With 21 to 29 concerts each year staged in relatively intimate settings, the Society is both the largest and the smallest presenter of chamber music in the Southland. 2018-19 Season info, including the spectacular Christmas at the Bradbury in Downtown Los Angeles here.
LA Opera
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at The Music Center
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
The spooky adventures of Hansel and Gretel comes to the operatic stage with 12-foot-tall creatures, fantastical sets and elaborate special effects. Diva extraordinaire Susan Graham stars as the uproariously wicked witch, eager to lure her young victims into a delicious trap, but last-minute ingenuity saves the day and the plucky children emerge triumphant in the heartfelt conclusion. LA Opera Music Director James Conlon conducts Engelbert Humperdinck’s sumptuous music. The production is in English with projected English texts. Running time is approximately two hours, 15 minutes, including one intermission. Hansel and Gretel Opening Night sponsored by KCRW is November 17. LA Opera 2018-19 Season here.
Pantages
6233 Hollywood Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Broadway’s hit crowd-pleaser takes you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s, where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he’d love to be. The show is bursting with high-energy dance numbers and original doo-wop tunes from Alan Menken, the songwriter of Beauty and the Beast. Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro and Tony® winner Jerry Zaks direct this streetwise musical, based on Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri’s story. A night at the Pantages wouldn’t be complete without a drink at the Frolic Room. Established in 1934, the Frolic Room boasts art deco neon, old-school vested bartenders, and a storied mural of celebrity caricatures by artist Al Hirschfeld.
Go Metro! Take the Red Line toward North Hollywood and exit at Hollywood & Vine. Parking is also available.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S Grand Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hallelujah! The LA Master Chorale’s 38th annual Messiah Sing-Along returns on December 17. Under the spirited direction of Artistic Director Grant Gershon, the evening features a rolicking spin through all the major Messiah choruses, punctuated by gorgeous solos by Master Chorale luminaries. And did we mention that the audience will sing the Hallelujah Chorus at least four times during the evening! Bring your own Messiah score or purchase one in the lobby. Buy tickets here. A limited number of VIP onstage tickets are available, which include Backstage entrance, Warm-up with the Master Chorale singers before the performance, Complimentary musical score, Onstage performance of Handel’s Messiah alongside singers of the Chorale, and VIP backstage intermission reception with champagne and holiday treats.