Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Announces 2019/2020 Season
Highlights include:
Dance @ The Wallis Spotlights Los Angeles-Based Dance Companies
BODYTRAFFIC Returns as 2019/2020 Season’s Dance Company-In-Residence, including a Wallis World Premiere Collaboration
with Director/Choreographer Jonathan Lunn
and Late Celebrated Film Director Anthony Minghella
Music @ The Wallis Ranges from
Superstars Herb Albert and Lani Hall,
Megan Hilty and Cheyenne Jackson,
Emerson String Quartet, the Return of National Sawdust
and Eclectic Mix of Other Stellar Artists
Theater @ The Wallis Productions and Presentations include
Wallis-Commissioned World Premiere in partnership with Four Larks,
U.S. Premiere of Kooman and Dimond’s Hit Musical Romantics Anonymous,
a New Play with Music by Hershey Felder, Ledisi celebrating Nina Simone and Family-Friendly productions from the UK, Australia and Los Angeles
Season also Features Entertainment for Families,
Cinema Programs in Partnership with Film Independent,
and The Wallis’ First-Ever Contemporary Circus
Programming Details:
DANCE:
2019-2020 Company-In-Residence BODYTRAFFIC,
Contra-Tiempo, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Blue13 Dance Company, Heidi Duckler Dance, DIAVOLO and The Minghella Project in Collaboration with BODYTRAFFIC
MUSIC:
Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Megan Hilty and Cheyenne Jackson,
Emerson String Quartet, National Sawdust/folds,
Vijay Gupta with Peter Myers, Suzana Bartal and Reena Esmail, Joshua Roman and Conor Hanick, Garrick Ohlsson, Brooklyn Rider and Magos Herrera, Johnny Gandelsman, David Orlowsky and Quartetto di Cremona, Sonia De Los Santos,
Violins of Hope concert with Delirium Musicum, Simone Dinnerstein and
Matt Haimovitz, Ory Shihor, and Angela Hewitt
THEATER:
The Wallis production of Sisters in Law in Association with
Don Franzen and Elizabeth Weber,
Ledisi in Nina & Me, the U.S. Premiere of Romantics Anonymous,
The Wallis and Four Larks production of Frankenstein,
Hershey Felder: Anna & Sergei, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,
The Wallis Studio Ensemble production of Watership Down,
Slingsby Theatre Company’s Emil and the Detectives and
New International Encounter Theatre’s Snow White
CINEMA:
Four Cinema Programs in Partnership with Film Independent
CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS:
Circa: Humans
THE SORTING ROOM
Summer Session
FAMILY FREE OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING:
Debbie Allen & Friends’ Dance Sundays, Story Pirates and Parker Bent
(Beverly Hills, CA, May 2, 2019) The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts announced today the 2019/2020 season, expanding its reach with twelve months of groundbreaking produced and presented works in dance, music, theater, cinema, and contemporary circus from renowned artists and companies around Southern California, the country, and the world. The season begins September 17, 2019, marking the fourth year of programming under the leadership of Artistic Director Paul Crewes and Executive Director/CEO Rachel Fine, and the seventh for the institution.
“With this new season we are continuing to celebrate the enormous pool of talented artists and companies here in L.A.,” says The Wallis’ Artistic Director Paul Crewes. “Our focus this year in particular is dance. Los Angeles is seeing a remarkable explosion of companies and performers who are being recognized nationally and internationally. We want to give some of those companies a home this year and show the great diversity of dance in our city. We will be working with BODYTRAFFIC as Company-In-Residence, producing a dance program with them for the first time, as well as presenting their wonderful repertoire. We are also producing some unique theater productions that will tell a range stories, from Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’ Connor and their time at the Supreme Court, to Frankenstein. We continue to present international productions, such as Romantics Anonymous, direct from London. We start our season with music and a great Los Angeles favorite, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, with many wonderful concerts throughout the year. Beethoven’s 250th anniversary is celebrated as well. I believe there is something for everyone this year at The Wallis.”
Dance @ The Wallis showcases the outstanding work of dance companies based in Los Angeles with BODYTRAFFIC returning to The Wallis as its 2019/2020 Company-In-Residence. One of BODYTRAFFIC’s two programs, The Minghella Project, is produced by The Wallis as a world premiere collaboration with director/choreographer Jonathan Lunn and the late celebrated film director Anthony Minghella, featuring actors and artists who were close to both. Also representing L.A.’s dance landscape is Heidi Duckler Dance, whose The Chandelier leads audiences on an epic journey throughout The Wallis’ grounds. Contra-Tiempo takes Afro-Latin dance to new heights infusing elements of Salsa, Afro-Cuban, and urban dance styles; Lula Washington Dance Theatre explores African-American history, culture, and life; Blue13 Dance Company offers its modern dance style inspired by art forms of the Indian subcontinent; and DIAVOLO combines contemporary dance with martial arts, acrobatics, gymnastics, and hip-hop.
The legendary Herb Albert and Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lani Hall open Music @ The Wallis, which also features the return of National Sawdust with folds, and an evening with Broadway star Megan Hilty and Grammy nominated actor-singer-songwriter Cheyenne Jackson. Simone Dinnerstein, piano, and Matt Haimovitz, cello, pair Beethoven, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of his birth, with music of Philip Glass, one of contemporary music’s most influential composers. Among the season’s celebrated classical artists are Garrick Ohlsson, piano; Joshua Roman, cello, and Conor Hanick, piano; and the Emerson String Quartet. Vijay Gupta, violin, Peter Myers, cello, Suzana Bartal, piano with composer Reena Esmail; Brooklyn Rider and Magos Herrera; Johnny Gandelsman, violin; David Orlowsky, clarinet, and Quartetto di Cremona; Sonia De Los Santos; Violins of Hope concert with Delirium Musicum; Ory Shihor, piano, and Angela Hewitt round out the eclectic music offerings.
The Wallis will produce, in association with Don Franzen and Elizabeth Weber, Sisters in Law as its first Theater @ The Wallis production, a West Coast premiere portraying Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the U.S. Supreme Court’s first two female justices. Virtuoso Hershey Felder returns in Anna & Sergei, a new play featuring the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Other outstanding productions are Nina & Me starring twelve-time Grammy-nominated vocal powerhouse Ledisi singing music by the “High Priestess of Soul” Nina Simone and her own work; the U.S. Premiere of Romantics Anonymous, a new musical adapted by Emma Rice (Kneehigh’s Brief Encounter and The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk) from the French-Belgian film Les Émotifs Anonymes; and a Wallis-commissioned world premiere production of Frankenstein, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s novel, in partnership with Four Larks, the acclaimed immersive theatre company. Among entertainment for families is the one-man adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol performed by David Mynne, The Wallis Studio Ensemble’s production of Watership Down, Slingsby Theatre Company’s Emil and the Detectives, and New International Encounter Theatre’s Snow White.
Cutting edge Australian company Circa makes its debut as The Wallis’ first foray into contemporary circus with its acclaimed production of Humans. Cinema presentations include events in partnership with Film Independent, and The Sorting Room, the wildly successful series that transforms the Lovelace Studio Theater into an intimate nightclub returns in the summer of 2020. Among free, family-friendly presentations is the return of Debbie Allen & Friends with the highly popular Dance Sundays series beginning October 13 and Story Pirates along with newly added guitarist Parker Bent, all on The Wallis’ Promenade Terrace.
In addition to their public performances, the artists on The Wallis’ stages also engage with and support the performing arts center’s deep commitment to education through GRoW @ The Wallis. During the 2019/2020 Season, The Wallis again welcomes school groups from across Los Angeles County to experience many of these programs in special GRoW @ The Wallis student matinee performances. All dance companies performing in the season will also offer master classes for young dancers. Other continuing or on-going programs under the GRoW @ The Wallis banner include an original musical theater development workshop with special support from Stephen Schwartz; The Wallis Student Arts Reporters; The Miracle Project, a performing arts program for young people with autism and all abilities; and The Wallis Studio Ensemble led by Madeline Dahm.
“Through its work, The Wallis is committed to the dynamic, ever-changing communities of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles and Southern California,” says The Wallis’ Executive Director and CEO Rachel Fine. “The Wallis sees itself as a civic hub and gathering place for the open exchange of art, ideas and interests of our surrounding communities. As such, its artistic and arts-learning programs mirror the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and take full advantage of our city as the entertainment capital of the world. This season, The Wallis continues to build upon and forge new and collaborative artistic and community partnerships, as well as serve as a vital resource for emerging artists. Ultimately, The Wallis programs aim to strengthen the soul of the community and serve as a catalyst for positive social change.”
“Rachel Fine and Paul Crewes, our exceptional leadership team, have significantly increased The Wallis’ general profile and established The Wallis as one of Southern California’s most prominent arts venues,” says The Wallis’ Board Chairman Michael Nemeroff. “Through their work and the efforts of The Wallis’ dedicated staff, we continue on our trajectory as a premier cultural destination for our community and artists alike.”
DANCE @ THE WALLIS
Post-show talk backs offered after select dance performances. All of the 2019/2020 dance companies will perform for GRoW @ The Wallis Focus and Partner Schools. Dance @ The Wallis is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
BODYTRAFFIC
September 26 through 28, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
2019/2020 Company-In-Residence
L.A.’s own critically acclaimed BODYTRAFFIC returns to The Wallis as the 2019/2020 Company-In-Residence. BODYTRAFFIC is a world-class contemporary dance company, performing master works by international choreographic superstars, and representing the strength of the Los Angeles dance scene. BODYTRAFFIC’s emotionally charged and technically virtuosic dancers aim to touch, inspire, and entertain audiences throughout the world. BODYTRAFFIC’s fall concert spans the best of what is happening locally in dance, as well as abroad, featuring a world premiere work by L.A.-based Michaela Taylor.
Contra-Tiempo
joyUS justUS
January 17 and 18, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Contra-Tiempo takes Afro-Latin dance to new heights infusing elements of Salsa, Afro-Cuban, and urban dance styles. joyUS justUS reclaims the dominant deficit-based narrative of people of color in this country and flips it on its head by embodying stories of joy and justice.
Lula Washington Dance Theatre
January 30 through February 1, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
The Lula Washington Dance Theatre focuses on using dance to explore social and humanitarian issues, including aspects of African-American history, culture, and life. This in-demand ensemble, celebrating its 40th anniversary, has built an international reputation for the earthiness, vitality, energy, and humanism of its repertory, bringing charisma and interpretive power to every dance. The company returns to The Wallis following their debut performance which celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Blue13 Dance Company
Terpsichore in Ghungroos – World Premiere
and Contemporary Bollywood Works
February 21 and 22, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Blue13 Dance Company’s energetic and theatrical contemporary dance style draws inspiration from the classical and cultural art forms of the Indian subcontinent. Using dance as a vehicle for storytelling, Blue13’s moody, rhythmic, and charged work presents an intelligent American experience of performance that turns the cultural stereotype of Indian dance on its head.
Heidi Duckler Dance presents
The Chandelier
April 15 through 18, 2020 / Lovelace Studio Theater & Promenade Terrace
Directed and choreographed by Heidi Duckler, The Chandelier is based on novel of the same title by Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector. Duckler will collaborate with fabric artist Mimi Haddon to create a moving portrait of a family living amongst the ruins of a colonial society. Through layers of imagery, acts of repetition, and audience engagement, the work explores the contrasting ideas of impermanence and the irrevocable.
The Minghella Project
April 18 through 25, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
The Wallis’ first commissioned dance production will be The Minghella Project. The late Oscar-winning writer/director Anthony Minghella was commissioned by choreographer Jonathan Lunn to write a series of texts for dance. The four works they created, spanning twenty years, will be presented together for the first time as The Minghella Project in collaboration with The Wallis’ 2019/2020 Company-In-Residence, BODYTRAFFIC, along with actors and creative artists held close to Minghella and Lunn.
DIAVOLO
June 25 through 27, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Combining contemporary dance with martial arts, acrobatics, gymnastics, and hip-hop, DIAVOLO explores the relation and interaction between the human body and its architectural environment to understand overarching social, physical, and emotional impacts. Their international notoriety is highlighted by a Top 10 placing in the 12th season of “America’s Got Talent,” attracting over 90 million television viewers.
MUSIC @ THE WALLIS
The Wallis invites audiences to take a deeper dive into programs offerings with Preludes @ The Wallis. Join Classical KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen and other guest moderators for free pre-concert conversations with the artists, an hour before select classical music performance in the Bram Goldsmith Theater, along with a complimentary glass of wine.
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall
September 21, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Herb Alpert, iconic trumpeter, composer, and his wife, the Grammy award-winning vocalist Lani Hall, will perform an eclectic mix of Alpert’s greatest hits. The evening will feature everything from Cole Porter to the Beatles, and from classic Tijuana Brass to Brasil ’66, and improvisational jazz.
Joshua Roman, cello & Conor Hanick, piano
October 5, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Cellist Joshua Roman has earned an international reputation for his wide-ranging repertoire, and his commitment to communicating the essence of music in visionary ways. On this evening, Roman will be joined by the “effortlessly elegant” (New York Times) pianist Conor Hanick.
Brooklyn Rider & Magos Herrera
Dreamers
October 10, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Johnny Gandelsman, violin
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Nicholas Cords, viola
Michael Nicolas, cello
In society, poets and songwriters play the essential role of dreamers, opening up avenues of hope for others. Despite the oppressive regimes which prevailed throughout much of Latin America and Spain in the twentieth century, what persevered from the dreamers was an unending love for beauty and humanity. Mexican-born songstress Magos Herrera and the omnivorous string quartet Brooklyn Rider join forces for an unforgettable musical journey reinterpreting classics of the era from Mexico, Cuba, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Spain, celebrating such luminaries as Octavio Paz, Federico García Lorca, and Rubén Darío.
David Orlowsky & Quartetto di Cremona
October 12, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
David Orlowsky and Quartetto di Cremona takes their audience on a Klezmer journey, providing a deeper insight into a music form which hosts a great energy at its core, engraved with the darkest and happiest memories in history and, without doubt, has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Western classical music for centuries.
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
November 8, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Brahms 79, 116 & 35 and Chopin 9 & 58
Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, pianist Garrick Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess. He presents a remarkable evening of Brahms and Chopin.
Program:
BRAHMS Rhapsodies, Op. 79
BRAHMS Fantasien, Op. 116
BRAHMS Variations on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 35 (Book II)
CHOPIN Nocturne in B-flat minor, Op. 9, No. 1
CHOPIN Sonata in B minor, Op. 58
Sonia De Los Santos
Fiesta con Sonia de los Santos
November 10, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
A native of Monterey, Mexico, Sonia De Los Santos has been hailed by Billboard as “one of the Latin Children’s music artists you should know.” This debut concert reflects her experiences growing up in Mexico and moving to another country, learning about other cultures, and, in the process, feeling closer to her own heritage.
Simone Dinnerstein & Matt Haimovitz
Dinnerstein/Haimovitz Beethoven/Glass
January 9, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
As the world approaches the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth (2020), two extraordinary artists pair this giant with one of contemporary music’s most influential composers – Philip Glass. Pianist Simone Dinnerstein and cellist Matt Haimovitz collaborate on a dynamic program that includes a Beethoven Cello Sonata alongside a Glass Partita, and solo piano and cello repertoire by both composers.
Program:
BEETHOVEN Sonata Op. 102 No. 1
GLASS Partita 2 for Solo Cello
GLASS Mad Rush for Solo Piano
BEETHOVEN Op. 102 No. 2
Megan Hilty & Cheyenne Jackson
January 25, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Broadway and TV stars Megan Hilty (Wicked, “Smash”) and Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu, “American Horror Story”) join forces for a thrilling and personal evening highlighted by powerhouse Broadway showstoppers, American songbook classics, and rare musical gems.
Vijay Gupta, violin, Peter Myers, cello, Suzana Bartal, piano & Reena Esmail, composer
India & The West: Compositions & Conversations
Feb 15 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Join us for an evening of chamber music and cross-culture dialogue centered on the great musical traditions of India and the West. Featuring original works by Indian American composer, Reena Esmail, performed by violinist Vijay Gupta, cellist Peter Myers, and pianist Suzana Bartal.
Program:
ESMAIL: Saans
ESMAIL: Piano Trio
ESMAIL: Jhula Jhule
ESMAIL: Take What You Need
Angela Hewitt, piano
Bach Odyssey
February 23, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
An award-winning pianist, Hewitt is best known for her Bach interpretations. In September 2016, she began her Bach Odyssey, performing the complete keyboard works of Bach in a series of twelve recitals. Hewitt’s recitals and award-winning recordings have garnered praise from around the world. BBC Music Magazine stated “I know of no musician whose Bach playing on any instrument is of greater subtlety, beauty of tone, persuasiveness of judgement or instrumental command than Hewitt’s is here.”
Program:
Piano – Bach Odyssey
Recital XI
Four Duets, BWV 802-805
Eighteen Little Preludes, BWV 924-928, 930, 933-938, 939-943, 999
Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, BWV 944
Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971
French Overture in B minor, BWV 831
A Music @ The Wallis Event
Johnny Gandelsman, violin
Complete Bach Cello Suites
March 21, 2020 / Lovelace Studio Theater
Following up on his celebrated debut recording of JS Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas, Grammy award-winning violinist and producer Johnny Gandelsman (Brooklyn Rider, Silkroad Ensemble) brings his new project to the Wallis, presenting Bach’s complete cello suites on the violin.
Violins of Hope with Delirium Musicum
April 2, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Violins of Hope tells the remarkable stories of violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. Each violin has its own unique and inspiring story that educates both young and old about the Holocaust in a deeply personal and emotional way. Today these instruments serve not only as powerful reminders of an unimaginable experience, but also reinforce key lessons of tolerance, inclusion, and diversity that are essential for today and for future generations. The Violins of Hope have been featured in books, print, film, and television. They have been used in lectures and educational programs, and their stories and messages have impacted hundreds of thousands of individuals. They have been played in concert halls and exhibited in museums throughout the world, and they will be in Los Angeles March-April 2020. Through concerts, exhibition, and education, our community will have a variety of ways to experience Violins of Hope.
Violins of Hope will be one of the largest programs in Los Angeles County, reaching thousands of people in our community and bringing non-profit arts groups and other agencies together to collaborate on this project. The Wallis is honored to support this important program by offering a unique concert with members from the L.A.-based chamber ensemble, Delirium Musicum, performing on the Violins of Hope instruments.
Ory Shihor, piano
Beethoven’s Workshop: The Most Beloved Sonatas
with text written by Hershey Felder
April 4, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
In eternal piano sonatas such as the Pathetique, the Moonlight, the Waldstein and the Appassionata, Ludwig Van Beethoven experimented with form and musical storytelling in ways that changed music forever. Step into Beethoven’s Workshop with internationally renowned pianist Ory Shihor as he returns to The Wallis to perform these beloved sonatas and tell their stories.
Emerson String Quartet
May 8, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
The Emerson String Quartet has maintained its stature as one of the world’s premier chamber music ensembles for more than four decades. The quartet has made more than 30 acclaimed recordings and has been honored with nine Grammys.
Program:
BEETHOVEN Op. 59 Quartets No. 2 & 3.
National Sawdust @ The Wallis
folds
Miranda Cuckson, violin
Katharina Rosenberger, composer
John Burnett, media artist
folds presents a sensory journey from the present to the past, engaging with the voices of other artists and bringing the ephemeral nature of sound and thought into dialogue with the tangible world. An array of paper objects — sculptures, manuscripts, scraps woven between the strings of the violin — highlights the importance of capturing the art and thought of past centuries. These traces of our physical world further serve as an impulse to reflect on our current dependency on the digital and virtual realms.
THEATER @ THE WALLIS
West Coast Premiere
The Wallis production of
Sisters in Law
In Association with Don Franzen and Elizabeth Weber
Written by Jonathan Shapiro
Based on the book by Linda Hirshman
September 17 through October 6, 2019 / Lovelace Studio Theater
Featuring the relationship between two polar opposites and modern day legends, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor, Sisters in Law celebrates a friendship transcending party, religion, and culture. Explore the inexplicable bond between the U.S. Supreme Court’s first two female justices as they grapple with matters of national law and personal belief.
The Wallis Studio Ensemble production of
Watership Down
Based on the book by Richard Adams
Directed by Madeleine Dahm
November 6 through 10, 2019 / Lovelace Studio Theater
This stirring tale of courage, survival, and friendship has become one of the best-loved adventures of all time – and is as timely as ever. In this gripping adaptation produced by The Wallis’ own Studio Ensemble, the long and perilous journey of a small band of wild rabbits to find sanctuary and freedom on Watership Down is lovingly brought to the stage with stunning visuals, masks, movement, puppetry, and innovative ensemble storytelling.
Charles Dickens’
A Christmas Carol
Directed by Simon Harvey
Performed by David Mynne
Adapted by Andrew McPherson
Additional script by Simon Harvey and David Mynne
December 4 through 8, 2019 / Lovelace Studio Theater
Recommended for Adults and Brave Children ages 8+
Joy to all mankind? Bah! Humbug! Spend an evening in the company of a mean, tight-fisted, squeezing, grasping, clutching old miser. Watch horrified as Ebenezer Scrooge is haunted by four creepy ghosts – each one more terrifying than the last. In their inimitable style, the team that brought you Great Expectations will now take audiences on a journey through the dark streets of Victorian London, where ignorance and want cower together. Celebrate the holiday season with a mesmerizing one-man performance of Charles Dickens’ timeless, transformative story.
Ledisi in
Nina & Me
December 13 through 22, 2019 / Lovelace Studio Theater
Nina & Me is a beautifully orchestrated mixture of classical, jazz and rhythm & blues sounds with riveting storytelling of the musical bond between an artist from one era influenced by a Legend from the past. Ledisi returns to her roots in jazz while performing her classics reimagined with strings and big band horns while honoring one of her greatest inspirations, the great Nina Simone.
World Premiere
The Wallis and Four Larks production of
Frankenstein
After Mary Shelley
Feb 12-Mar 1 / Lovelace Studio Theater
Mary Shelley’s modern myth awakens new questions of scientific enquiry and moral responsibility for each generation. L.A.’s own Four Larks’ exuberant amalgamation of physical theatre, live music, and immersive design brings Shelley’s monster to life in their Wallis debut.
U.S. Premiere
Romantics Anonymous
Book by Emma Rice
Music & Lyrics by Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman
Directed by Emma Rice
March 17 through 29, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Adapted by Emma Rice (Kneehigh’s Brief Encounter and The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk) from the French-Belgian film Les Émotifs Anonymes, this new musical is a treat for all the senses. Angélique makes beautiful chocolates, carefully infused with all the emotion that seems to overwhelm her in daily life. Jean-René runs a chocolate factory that is running out of steam, rather like his own existence. Both seek help from the usual sources: Jean-René favors self-help tapes and Angélique joins a support group. Filled with all the joy and pain it takes to survive and love in the modern world, Romantics Anonymous is a tale that will lift any heart. Broadway World gives it five stars, saying, “You really will leave the theatre dancing on air and beaming from ear to ear.” According to The Stage, “It melts your heart and tickles your fancy, leaving you giddy with laughter, tearful and elated.”
Slingsby Theatre Company’s
Emil and the Detectives
By Erich Kastner
Adapted for the stage by Nicki Bloom
March 27 through 29, 2020 / Lovelace Studio Theater
Recommended for ages 8+
Never underestimate the determination of a child! Young Emil catches a train to visit family in the big city. Something valuable is stolen. But the thief soon discovers Emil was not such an easy target. A group of quick-thinking and resourceful children rallies around. Can a bunch of kids work together to uncover and outsmart the true criminal? In Slingsby’s signature intimate theatrical style, Emil and The Detectives is told by two skilled actors immersed in smoke and mirrors, miniature worlds, and a cinematic score. According to Australian Stage, “If more theatre were like this, the world would be a magical place indeed!”
New International Encounter Theatre’s
Snow White
May 8 through 17, 2020 / Lovelace Studio Theater
Recommended for ages 5+
In a wild and windswept land … far, far away… snow falls on a lonely castle in the forest. A woman sits at her spinning wheel and dreams of the child she always wanted, the child she never had: a little girl who will make her dreams come true, who will be the most beautiful in the whole land. She makes a wish… and pricks her finger… New International Encounter Theatre presents an original take on the classic Brothers Grimm fairytale. Filled with live music, magic, and festive fun it’s a tale of adventure, danger and a very shiny red apple. The Stage rated Snow White four stars and called it a “warm, family-friendly fairytale with a smart twist.”
Los Angeles Premiere
Hershey Felder in
Anna & Sergei
A new play featuring the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff
July 16 through August 2, 2020 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
In this Los Angeles Premiere by Hershey Felder (George Gershwin Alone, Irving Berlin, Maestro Bernstein, Our Great Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Monsieur Chopin), Felder takes on a little known story about the great Russian pianist and composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. Set at the Garden City Hotel in Long Island, New York, this is the story of the great composer crossing paths with someone he believed to be a descendent of Czar Nicholas II. Living in America and longing for his familiar Russian roots and home, Sergei Rachmaninoff allowed himself to be taken on a journey that few would ever believe. In this new play with music, Hershey Felder will play musical characters but in a way he has never done before. This trip back in time to 1928 New York is shockingly different and new, as it explores the worlds of Anna and Sergei.
CONTEMPORARY CIRCUS
Circa
Humans
November 1 and 2, 2019 / Bram Goldsmith Theater
Internationally acclaimed contemporary circus company Circa comes all the way from Australia to make its debut as The Wallis’ first foray into contemporary circus with Humans. In a thrilling and heart-stopping performance, Circa pushes the boundaries of circus to take us on a stirring journey of what it means to be human and of how our bodies, our connections, and our aspirations all form part of who we are.
TICKET INFORMATION:
2019/2020 Season tickets are currently only available for purchase through subscription. Single tickets will go on sale in August, 2019. For updates, more information or to purchase a subscription, visit TheWallis.org/Subscribe, call 310.746.4000, or stop by in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Services located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Ticket prices subject to change.
The Wallis is offering two different options to subscribe to the 2019/2020 season: the Premium Subscription Series and the Design-Your-Own option. Learn more at TheWallis.org/Subscribe.
GRoW @ THE WALLIS:
A Space for Arts Education
Arts learning is integral to all that takes place at The Wallis: connecting audiences with the very best in the performing arts; investing in young artists; using the power of the arts to address important social issues; and responding to critical needs in the greater community through arts leadership, collaboration and partnership. These efforts are informed and inspired by the artists and art forms presented on The Wallis’ stages. GRoW @ The Wallis education and outreach programs are generously supported by A gift of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family and the Annenberg Foundation.
About the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts:
Since opening its doors in October 2013, The Wallis has produced or presented more than 275 dance, theatre, opera, classical music, cinema, and family programs to an ever-expanding audience. Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, The Wallis brings audiences world-class theater, dance, and music, performed by many of the world’s most talented and sought-after artists. Featuring eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its notability as the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis offers original and revered works from across the U.S. and around the globe. The mission of The Wallis is to create, present, and celebrate unique performing arts events and educational programs that reflect the rich cultural diversity of our community. The Wallis’ programming has been nominated for 48 Ovation Awards, seven L.A. Drama Critic’s Circle Awards, and the venue is the recipient of six architectural awards since opening in 2013. The Wallis is a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot venue that celebrates the classic and the modern and was designed by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, of Studio Pali Fekete architects. The building features the restored, original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) that serves as the theater’s dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and houses the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, GRoW at The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education (a gift of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family and the Annenberg Foundation), and the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the art Bram Goldsmith Theater. Together, these structures embrace the city’s history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike.
For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.
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