#1
Posted: 6/19/14 at 4:13pm
Hello all! I'll be moving to Long Beach, CA in August and was just curious as to what the theatre scene is like in the Long Beach/Los Angeles area? Anything like NYC?
Theatre scene in Los Angeles County.
#2
Posted: 6/19/14 at 5:19pm
LA has a vibrant theater scene. You just have to drive farther to get to them. They are spread out and not concentrated in one area like NYC.
#3
Posted: 6/19/14 at 8:12pm
There are lots of fine small and medium sized theatre companies in the greater LA area -- even some that aren't solely full of actors looking for their next tv gig. Someone more well versed in that area can comment.
The biggest company is Center Theatre Group which produces/presents productions at the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum in downtown LA's Music Center (LA's answer to Lincoln Center) and at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. CTG has a great program called Hot Tix that does not have age restrictions. Several weeks before a production starts, they put $20 "hot tix" on sale for all of their productions, which can offer you a tremendous savings over the regularly priced tickets which can reach well into $100+ range. They both produce original productions, present national tours, and co-produce/co-present limited transfers of NY productions - like the Follies revival from a couple of seasons ago. Generally, you'll get the highest production values, the biggest stars and the biggest marquee theatre events of the season at CTG. They're also across the Music Center plaza from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (where LA Opera and touring dance companies perform) and across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall (where the LA Phl plays).
Others worth checking out:
*Geffen Playhouse (they're VERY LA and sometimes let celebrity casting trump quality, but they do produce some very strong work)
*A Noise Within - classic theatre company with rich history of vibrant productions
*Rogue Machine Theatre
*South Coast Repertory - further south in Orange County
*Elephant Theatre Company
*EastWest Players - Asian rep
*REDCAT - Is the CalArts theatre in downtown LA. They produce/present a lot of avante garde work there.
*Fountain Theatre
*Celebration Theatre - LA's preeminent LGBT theatre company
*Independent Shakespeare Company - free Shakespeare in Griffith Park
Also, if you're looking for a weekend escape, San Diego is wonderful for a weekend trip. Not only for all the beautiful outdoor pleasures: beaches, mountains, La Jolla, Balboa Park etc but for some of the best regional theatre in the country including:
*The Old Globe
*La Jolla Playhouse
*San Diego Rep
*Cygnet Theatre
The biggest company is Center Theatre Group which produces/presents productions at the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum in downtown LA's Music Center (LA's answer to Lincoln Center) and at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. CTG has a great program called Hot Tix that does not have age restrictions. Several weeks before a production starts, they put $20 "hot tix" on sale for all of their productions, which can offer you a tremendous savings over the regularly priced tickets which can reach well into $100+ range. They both produce original productions, present national tours, and co-produce/co-present limited transfers of NY productions - like the Follies revival from a couple of seasons ago. Generally, you'll get the highest production values, the biggest stars and the biggest marquee theatre events of the season at CTG. They're also across the Music Center plaza from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (where LA Opera and touring dance companies perform) and across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall (where the LA Phl plays).
Others worth checking out:
*Geffen Playhouse (they're VERY LA and sometimes let celebrity casting trump quality, but they do produce some very strong work)
*A Noise Within - classic theatre company with rich history of vibrant productions
*Rogue Machine Theatre
*South Coast Repertory - further south in Orange County
*Elephant Theatre Company
*EastWest Players - Asian rep
*REDCAT - Is the CalArts theatre in downtown LA. They produce/present a lot of avante garde work there.
*Fountain Theatre
*Celebration Theatre - LA's preeminent LGBT theatre company
*Independent Shakespeare Company - free Shakespeare in Griffith Park
Also, if you're looking for a weekend escape, San Diego is wonderful for a weekend trip. Not only for all the beautiful outdoor pleasures: beaches, mountains, La Jolla, Balboa Park etc but for some of the best regional theatre in the country including:
*The Old Globe
*La Jolla Playhouse
*San Diego Rep
*Cygnet Theatre
#4
Posted: 6/20/14 at 9:03pm
Musical Theatre West in Long Beach and 3D Theatricals in Fullerton/Redondo Beach put on very high-quality, award-winning musicals. There's lots of theatre in Orange County! Also, of course, the Pantages in Hollywood gets national tours.
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop
Tickets From $89
Tickets From $123
Tickets From $72
Tickets From $65