20 picks for weekend culture: The L.A. Phil back at the Bowl — kinda, sorta
The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s pandemic concert series, the musical “Fame” and comic Maria Bamford’s show are among the streaming concerts, online theater, virtual art offerings and other cultural experiences for your viewing consideration this weekend. Here’s our latest rundown, all times Pacific.
“Sound/Stage”
Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Phil launch this weekly series filmed at an otherwise empty Hollywood Bowl in August. First up: “Love in the Time of COVID” starring mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges. The program features Mahler’s Adagietto from Symphony No. 5, George Walker’s “Lyric for Strings” and “Amor mio, si muero y tú no mueras” from Peter Lieberson’s “Neruda Songs.” Premieres at 10 a.m. Friday; available for 30 days. Free. laphil.com
“Romantics Anonymous”
One-time-only live performance of Emma Rice’s musical adaptation of a 2011 French rom-com, streamed from England’s Bristol Old Vic Theatre. 1 p.m. Saturday. 20 pounds (about $28), with proceeds benefiting the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills and other arts institutions. thewallis.org
“Wake Up Call”
Skylight Theatre Company presents Wendy Kout and Jeff Reno’s new comedy-drama about a former couple reunited on a Zoom call. The cast includes Charles Shaughnessy (“The Nanny”) and Nancy Travis (“The Kominsky Method”). 3 p.m. Thursday; available through Sept. 30. Free. facebook.com and youtube.com
“Fame the Musical — 30th Anniversary Tour”
The online series “The Shows Must Go On” resumes with a 2018 performance of this stage show, which was adapted from director Alan Parker’s 1980 drama about students at a performing arts high school. 11 a.m. Friday; available for 48 hours. Free. youtube.com
“Maria Bamford: Help Me, Help You, Help Me”
The comic known for her voice work as well as frank discussions on her struggles with mental illness performs in this live stand-up show. 7 p.m. Saturday. $15. rushtix.com
“A Time to Sing: An Evening With Renée Fleming and Vanessa Williams”
The operatic soprano and the singer-actress share the stage in a live, distanced concert from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. 5 p.m. Saturday. $15. kennedy-center.org
Lula Washington Dance Theatre
The Ford Theatres’ “From the Ford” series continues a 2019 performance by the L.A. company. 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Free. facebook.com
Lula and Erwin Washington married in 1970 and founded Lula Washington Dance Theatre in 1980. They vow to keep on, ‘even if it’s just the two of us.’
“Solidarity for Sanctuary”
The Ford also presents this digital festival featuring musical performances, poetry readings and more by Latinx artists, plus a salute to the late Tejano pop star Selena. 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday. facebook.com
“The MisMatch Game Online”
The Los Angeles LGBT Center offers a virtual edition of creator and host Dennis Hensley’s campy sendup of the 1970s game show. It stars Julie Brown as Melania Trump and drag artist Jackie Beat as Bea Arthur. 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $15. Reservations at lalgbtcenter.org.
“Martha Matinees”
Martha Graham Dance Company presents the finale of “The Eve Project” celebrating the 19th Amendment and women’s suffrage. Program also includes a 1935 film of Graham performing her masterwork “Frontier.” 11:30 a.m. Saturday; available on demand for one month. Free. youtube.com
“Tosca”
The Metropolitan Opera streams its 2018 production of Puccini’s musical thriller starring soprano Sonya Yoncheva and tenor Vittorio Grigolo. Available 4:30 p.m. Friday to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Free. metopera.org
“The Drag”
The city of West Hollywood and Classical Theatre Lab livestream two costumed readings of this LGBTQ-themed comedy written by Mae West. 6 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Free; donations accepted. facebook.com, youtube.com
“Modern Feminism: RBG and Beyond”
This new edition of Red Hen Press Poetry Hour features “Fear of Flying” author Erica Jong, poet Amber Flame and drag artist Monique Jenkinson. It’s hosted by Sandra Tsing Loh and co-presented by the Broad Stage. 6 p.m. Thursday. Free. facebook.com, archived afterward at youtube.com and redhen.org.
“Deep Connections”
This online exhibition centers on photographer Ken Karagozian’s black-and-white images chronicling three decades of subway construction in L.A. Available any time. Free. unionstationla.com
“Home”
Latino Theater Company streams a 2019 performance of writer-performer Nancy Ma’s coming-of-age fable about a young Chinese American girl. Available any time through Sept 24. Free. thelatc.org
Skirball Stages
This concert series presented by the Skirball Cultural Center continues with an Indian program featuring L.A.-based Aditya Prakash Ensemble and violinist Rini and her band. 8 p.m. Saturday; available on demand afterward. Free. youtube.com
“Home and Community: Musical Traditions With the Quetzal Family Trio”
Martha Gonzalez and Quetzal Flores from the Chicano rock band Quetzal are joined by their teenage son in this program presented by LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. 7 p.m. Friday. Free. zoom.us or facebook.com. Available on demand afterward at lapca.org and youtube.com.
Quetzal singer Martha Gonzalez’s “Chican@ Artivistas: Music, Community, and Transborder Activism in East Los Angeles” is both a manifesto and a heartfelt memoir.
“Music Under the Stars!”
The Old Mill in San Marino presents pianist Vanessa Fadial and violinist Cheryl Norman-Brick performing pieces by Bach, Brahms, Mozart and others. 7 p.m. Saturday. Free. old-mill.org and facebook.com.
“Broadway Chance Style”
Musical theater veterans take part in an evening of songs and stories over the Zoom app in this interactive offering from Chance Theatre in Anaheim. 6 p.m. Friday. $25-$60. chancetheater.com
Dino Fest at Home
Paleontologists, puppeteers and others celebrate all things dinosaur as this virtual offering from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County continues over Zoom and on YouTube. 10 and 11:30 a.m. Thursday, 10 and 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday. Free. nhm.org and youtube.com.
Our recurring coronavirus-era viewing recommendations are indexed in the same place arts event listings (sigh) used to post.
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Updates
1:00 p.m. Sept. 26, 2020: The item for Skylight Theatre’s “Wake Up Call” has been updated with new links and a new end date.
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