‘Being Piaf’
Odyssey Theatre | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles | Aug. 21 | odysseytheatre.com
Actress, singer and writer Eleanora Owen channels the “little sparrow,” sharing both her life story and repertoire with the audience. Multiple award winning director Tim Byron Owen helms this original solo play with music that highlights Piaf’s joie de vivre, resilience, and triumph over a life of abject poverty and despair. Tickets: $35.
Ritchie Forever: ‘La Bamba’ Screening & Panel Discussion on Ritchie Valens
Philosophical Research Society | 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles | Aug. 20 | grandperformances.org
Grand Performances celebrates the life of pioneering Mexican-American rock & roll icon Ritchie Valens and the upcoming premiere of “Ritchie Forever,” a new multidisciplinary tribute to his life, music, and enduring legacy. Commemorating what would have been Valens’ 85th birthday, the film screening will be followed by an in-depth panel discussion with special guests. Tickets: $17.85.
Downtown LA Architecture Tour
Downtown LA | Aug. 20 | priceless.com
Discover downtown LA’s architecture on a guided design tour with content creator and LA insider Drew Tillman. Beginning in the historic core, explore landmarks such as the Cal Edison Building, The Biltmore, and the Bradbury Building. Tickets:$95.
Tercera Raíz
The Ford | 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Los Angeles | Aug. 21 | theford.com
Produced in partnership with Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company, ballet dancers and mariachi musicians celebrate Afro-Mexican resilience, artistry, and cultural pride. Tickets start at $75.
Summer Street Fest
Smith Park | 6016 Rosemead Blvd., Pico Rivera | Aug. 21 | pico-rivera.org
Summer Street Fest returns with performances from Ballet Folklorico Guadalajara, Nueva Ola, Mariachi Premier, Ballet Folklorico Mixteco, Mariachi Los Camperos, and mixes from DJ Beatdrop. There will also be food and specialty vendors, a beer garden, community exhibitors, and a family-friendly Fun Zone. Admission is free.
Centennial Square Boxing Show
Pasadena City Hall | 100 N. Garfield Ave., Pasadena | Aug. 21 | cityofpasadena.net
Enjoy a free, lively evening of amateur boxing.
Arboretum Summer Nights Concert Series
LA County Arboretum and Botanic Garden | 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia | Aug. 21 | arboretum.org
Come and enjoy Americana music from June Clivas and The Ditty Boys, food trucks, vendors, crafts, and lawn games. Advance online reservations are recommended for non-members. Concert tickets include garden admission. Tickets: $18 for non-member adults, $14 for non-member seniors, and $8 for non-member children.
Corn Festival and Parade
El Centro-Lions Park | 320 E. Erna Ave., La Habra | Aug. 21-23 | lhcornfestival.org
Celebrate 77 years of mouth-watering corn and enjoy funnel cakes, rides, live entertainment, shopping and more. Admission: free.
KCRW Summer Nights
Wende Museum | 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City | Aug. 22 | downtownlongbeach.org
Taste of Downtown brings together local restaurants, live music and DJs, in a street-festival atmosphere in the heart of Downtown Long Beach. Guests of all ages are welcome at this free evening of music with sets from KCRW DJs Nassir Nassirzadeh and Raul Campos. Taste tickets: $1.
‘Ritchie Forever’
Grand Performances | 350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles | Aug. 22 | grandperformances.org
“Ritchie Forever” honors the 85th birthday of Ritchie Valens through a multidisciplinary fusion of live music, narration, and archival visuals that connect Ritchie’s 1950s legacy to the modern immigrant experience. This night culminates with a lineup of contemporary voices: Shannon Shaw (Shannon & the Clams), Joey Quiñones (Thee Sinseers), Bryan Ponce (The Altons), Denise Carlos & Hector Flores (Las Cafeteras), Angie Monroy (The McCharmlys), Irene Diaz, and Jose Varela (Cutty Flam). The event is free with RSVP on Eventbrite.
Nisei Week Plaza Festival
Japanese American Cultural & Community Center | 244 San Pedro St., Los Angeles | Aug. 22-23 | niseiweek.org
The family-friendly event features food, games, booths, and live entertainment at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center plaza.
Levitt Vibe Pasadena Music Series
Memorial Park | 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena | Aug. 22 | levittvibepasadenamusicseries.com
Root-folk singer-songwriter Chris Pierce takes the stage. Arrive early and listen to emerging artist Jade Hendrix on. Admission is free.
South Pas Crawl
South Pasadena | Aug. 22-23 | eventbrite.com
Explore South Pas restaurants and retailers while enjoying free live music and activities. Purchase a $15 VIP wristband unlocks perks at participating businesses across town
Maldita Vecindad, Kinky, Tijuana No! & More
Pershing Square | 532 S. Olive St., Los Angeles | Aug. 23 | eventbrite.com
Maldita Vecindad, Kinky, Tijuana No!, Negros De La Raza, and more will perform live. There will also be bars, food trucks, and art vendors. This is a free concert but there are VIP experiences available for sale. The event operates on a first-come, first-served basis.
‘New Music Game Night!’
Sierra Madre Playhouse | 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre | Aug. 22 | sierramadreplayhouse.org
Brightwork newmusic, hailed for boundary-breaking chamber music that blurs the line between pop and the avant-garde, returns with a fun-filled evening of music ranging from Cristina Lord’s choose-your-own-adventure piece based on Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” to Isaac Schankler’s polyrhythm game, “The Six-Body Problem.” Tickets: $12-$35.
Cinespia: ‘Coming to America’
Hollywood Forever Cemetery | 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles | Aug. 22 | cinespia.org
Picnic at Hollywood Forever Cemetery as DJ sets bring the block party to life, and enjoy classic movie treats. There will also be a free photo booth. Tickets start at $31.02.
Off the 405
Getty Center | 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles | Aug. 22 | getty.edu
The Getty Center’s annual Off the 405 concert series returns with outdoor performances from some of today’s most exciting artists. Enjoy live music in the museum’s scenic courtyard, where striking architecture and sunset views create a memorable summer concert setting. Admission is free.
‘Enemy of the People’
Odyssey Theatre | 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles | Aug. 22-Sept. 27 | odysseytheatre.com
Director Bart DeLorenzo brings Henrik Ibsen’s “Enemy of the People” squarely into the 21st century with a new adaptation that thrusts the play’s central conflicts—between public health and economic survival, individual conscience and collective will—into sharp contemporary focus.When Dr. Tom Stockmann discovers that the waters of the local hot springs are contaminated, the solution seems obvious: shut them down before more people are harmed. But protecting public health comes with a devastating price. As financial interests, political expediency and public opinion collide, Stockmann finds himself branded not a hero, but an “enemy of the people.” Tickets to performances are $35, except opening weekend (Aug. 22 and Aug. 23) for which tickets are $40 and include a post-performance reception. Discounted tickets are available for seniors ($27) and students ($15). A $3 fee will be added to each ticket purchased with a credit card.
4th Annual Los Angeles Kids Book Festival
West Hollywood Park | 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood | Aug. 23 | lakidsbookfestival.com
This free-to-the-public event celebrates early childhood education, bilingualism and multiculturalism for young children and their families. This year’s festival will feature more than 100 exhibitors including children’s authors and illustrators, author and industry panels, foam party, live performances, food trucks, face painting and more.
Guelaguetza
Edward Vincent Jr. Park | 700 Warren Ln, Inglewood | Aug. 23 | instagram.com/p/DbkCBakxVvB/
Celebrate Oaxacan culture through music, dance, food and traditions. Admission: free.
‘LOOKING WEST: How the Myth of the Western Frontier Got its Start’
The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino | Aug. 25-26 | muse-ique.com
Skirball Cultural Center | 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles | Aug. 30 |
The cowboy is a symbol of freedom and of self-invention — and it spread, in part, through the uniquely mythologizing power of music. The “cowboy songbook” is composed of both traditional songs born on the range, as well as Broadway showtunes, popular songs and film scores that responded to and created the idea of this Western hero. “LOOKING WEST” is a musical map of that expansive frontier featuring the vocals of Damon Daunno, Tony Award-nominee for his performance as “Curly” in the Broadway remounting of “Oklahoma!” and Raye Zaragoza, whose album “Hold That Spirit” embodies her proud claim that the great Western songbook has roots in Mexican and Indigenous cultures.
ONGOING
‘Two Gentlebots of Verona’
Media Park Downtown Culver City | 9091 Culver Blvd., Culver City | Through Aug. 23 | theactorsgang.com
Buena Vista Branch Library | 300 N. Buena Vista St., Burbank | Aug. 29-30 |
The Actors’ Gang’s annual tradition of Free Shakespeare in the Park for Families returns with a new production -”Two Gentlebots of Verona” – a one-hour adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play “Two Gentlemen of Verona.” When two best friends, Val and Proteus, travel to Culver City, their bond is put to the test. They both fall for the same robot, Silvia Dot Matrix, prompting betrayal, disguises, and a journey down a road towards forgiveness that leads them back to their friendship. This is a free event, and early registration is recommended.
‘Phantom of the Opera’
Segerstrom Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa | Through Aug. 30 | scfta.org
The Phantom of the Opera returns with its iconic score that includes “The Music of the Night,” “All I Ask of You,” “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” “Masquerade” and its unforgettable title song. Tickets start at $74.
Sawdust Art Festival
935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach | Through Sept. 6 | sawdustartfestival.org
Discover handmade artwork from more than 180 local artists, enjoy live music, art demonstrations, take a glassblowing or mosaic class (among many offered), and soak in Laguna Beach’s beautiful scenery. Single day ticket: $12.50 for adults, $10.50 for seniors, $5.50 for children.
‘The Comedy of Errors’
Old Zoo in Griffith Park | Through Sept. 6 | indieshakes.org
Two small-town pals find themselves lost and fumbling through a Mediterranean port city. Surrounded by a medley of languages, cultures, and unfamiliar rules, the duo stumbles through mishaps, mayhem, and mistaken identities, only to run into the last people they expect. Admission: free.
‘Romeo and Juliet’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Sept. 26 | theatricum.com
Co-directors Ellen Geer and Willow Geer have set their “Romeo and Juliet” in New York City during the tumultuous Gilded Age, a period marked by stark social inequality and rampant industrialization. Through this lens, the famous love story becomes not just a tragedy, but a powerful warning about the costs of division, hatred and fear. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63. Children 4 and under are free.
‘Waiting in the Wings’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 3 | theatricum.com
Set in “The Wings,” a charity home for retired actresses, Noël Coward’s 50th play is a witty portrait of nine opinionated, funny, difficult and full of life women, each of whom once basked in public admiration — but who must now learn to face old age together, long after the curtain has fallen. A tribute to the theater that evokes the lives of aging stars, their lingering jealousies and the enduring power of friendship, Waiting in the Wings is a meditation on community and forgiveness. Old grievances linger here like half-remembered roles, but Coward suggests that bitterness is heavy to carry, and that reconciliation, no matter when, can be liberating. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63.
‘The People of Pompeii’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 4 | theatricum.com
Weeks after the Palisades Fire narrowly spares their Topanga home, Carlos and Vera invite friends over for a celebratory dinner party meant to restore a sense of normalcy. But as the night descends into EDM-fueled chaos, chocolate mushrooms and brutally honest confrontations, the myth of communal harmony begins to crack wide open. At once hilarious and deeply uncomfortable, The People of Pompeii dissects performative progressivism, gentrification, race, class and the uneasy social dynamics between longtime canyon residents and wealthy newcomers searching for authenticity as Topanga becomes increasingly trendier and more elite. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63. The performance on Monday, Aug. 31 is Pay-What-You-Will (available online the week of the performance or pay cash at the door) and features a 30-minute pre-show discussion, beginning one hour before curtain, at 6:30 p.m.
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 10 | theatricum.com
Set against the natural backdrop of Topanga’s woods, this production requires no elaborate set design to conjure Shakespeare’s enchanted forest brimming with magic, mischief and romance. Audiences of all ages will be enchanted by the whimsical entanglements of four lovers, a troupe of bumbling actors, and the mischievous fairies who meddle with them. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63. Children 4 and under are free.
‘WASHOKU | Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine’
Japan House LA | 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles | Through Oct. 18 | japanhousela.com
This landmark exhibition explores the core elements, evolution, and cultural significance of washoku, a UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage.
‘Treasure Island’
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga | Through Oct. 3 | theatricum.com
In this re-imagining of the novel by Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer, a young man’s romantic dream of pirates on the high seas becomes a harrowing reality. Tested at every turn, young Jim Hawkins faces each challenge with courage, trusting in a moral compass strong enough to triumph — and to discover the true treasure: a life lived with integrity and purpose. Tickets to performances range from $15 to $63.
‘Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon’
Academy Museum | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles | Through Feb. 28 | academymuseum.org
“Marilyn Monroe: Hollywood Icon” will celebrate Marilyn Monroe as a visionary actor and image-maker, examining the many facets of how she created and shaped her public image in the context of the classical Hollywood studio system. The pink satin gown will be on view in the exhibition, located on Level 3 in the Rolex Gallery. General admission tickets for the museum’s exhibitions are $25 for adults, $19 for seniors (age 62+), and $15 for students.
‘Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo’
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles | Through March 21 | academymuseum.org
The Academy Museum presents Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo, celebrating the artistry of Studio Ghibli and the hand-drawn animation behind the 2008 film. The exhibition features over 100 original materials from Studio Ghibli, including art boards, posters, an animation desk, and hand drawings by Hayao Miyazaki, many on display in North America for the first time. Curated by Jessica Niebel with assistant curator Emily Rauber Rodriguez. The museum is open six days a week, closed on Tuesdays. Tickets $15–$25; film screenings $5–$10.