Everything to know about the Hollywood Bowl reopening after first closure in 98 years
Tears welled up in eyes, audience members hugged. Emotion flowed as Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic played their first notes for a live Hollywood Bowl audience this week — part of a rehearsal attended by orchestra friends and family leading up to the Bowl’s first public concert of the COVID-19 era Saturday.
The journey to reach the weekend’s free concert for frontline workers in the pandemic has been tough, from the first L.A. Phil show cancellation March 12, 2020, to the triumphant announcement this week of a Bowl lineup of 45-plus shows. So many people — music fans, orchestra players, Bowl employees back on the job for the first time in 18 months, nurses and delivery drivers celebrating the light at the end of a very long tunnel — have waited for this moment. Here’s a rundown of how we got here.
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The Hollywood Bowl buzzed back to life Saturday with joy, optimism and a tinge of nervousness at a reopening concert celebrating frontline workers.
May 16, 2021
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A landmark in hibernation, a surprise from the governor, tears and hugs: Behind the scenes of the whirlwind push to bring music back to the Bowl.
May 14, 2021
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Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Phil will perform at the Hollywood Bowl for the first time in 18 months. Here are backstage photos from rehearsal.
May 14, 2021
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The Hollywood Bowl has announced its 2021 season lineup after an unprecedented 18 months dark due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s what’s on tap for summer fun seekers.
May 11, 2021
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Vaccinated people will get 85% of the tickets for the Bowl’s 2021 season, which includes Christina Aguilera, Yo-Yo Ma and “Black Panther” live.
May 11, 2021
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After a canceled season in 2020 — the first in 98 years — the Bowl will reopen with free shows for healthcare, grocery and other essential workers.
April 9, 2021
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Long-shuttered theater companies, music groups and others were shocked Tuesday by plans for full reopening by mid-June. How realistic is the timeline?
April 6, 2021
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Theaters and other arts groups big and small scramble to make COVID-safe plans, but in many cases the rules are still murky.
March 24, 2021
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Jonathan and Cathy Karoly started a chamber music series on their Pasadena porch after the pandemic shuttered Disney Hall. They’re among 11 classical musicians from both coasts who share stories of struggle, survival and hope.
March 11, 2021
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Gail Samuel, president of the Hollywood Bowl and chief operating officer of the L.A. Phil, will be the first female leader of the 140-year-old BSO.
Feb. 18, 2021
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With little presence the past six months, the L.A. Phil has stepped up its game with recordings and Dudamel virtual Hollywood Bowl concerts.
Oct. 25, 2020
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Summer concerts at the Bowl were canceled by COVID-19, but the LA Phil has used the venue to make new concert films, some centered on social justice.
Aug. 21, 2020
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Gustavo Dudamel and CEO Chad Smith cancel Disney Hall concerts through December and lay out an ambitious plan to cope with the coronavirus.
July 16, 2020
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The cancellation of the 2020 Hollywood Bowl season comes with more painful news: layoffs of seasonal workers and furloughs for more L.A. Phil staff.
May 13, 2020
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The Hollywood Bowl played through world wars and the Great Depression, but it couldn’t beat COVID-19. How L.A. is losing its beloved symbol of summer.
May 13, 2020
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L.A. Phil players Jonathan and Cathy Karoly find a new way to share music. “It’s a privilege to get to play for people who want to listen,” Cathy says.
May 7, 2020
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Deborah Borda, now head of the New York Philharmonic, talks leadership in the coronavirus crisis. Her strategy: Invest in a future that people want.
April 29, 2020
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Coronavirus forces the Los Angeles Philharmonic to cancel the rest of 2019-20. Dudamel will forgo salary; musicians and staff face pay cuts and layoffs.
April 8, 2020
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Less than a day after announcing they’re still open for business, some major Los Angeles arts companies are closing because of the coronavirus.
March 12, 2020