Three Men, No Baby

HOLLYWOOD BOWL:  June means we are well and truly into summer and for me, that means entertainment under the stars. My #1 favorite is the Hollywood Bowl, a monstrous venue that seats around 18,000 people and has been in existence for nearly 110 years.  Admittedly it takes a bit of effort to visit the Bowl. Most of the parking is remote, but the shuttles before and after concerts are surprisingly efficient. The front third of the seating is individual boxes for two or four guests. Dinner is encouraged and the staff installs tables and guests can dine facing each other. You can order dinner there, or bring your own, including wine. 

When it’s showtime, the tables are removed, and all seats are faced toward the stage.  These boxes are priced at a premium, but worth aiming for. The remainder of the seats are wooden benches with backs. Cushions can be rented, or you can bring your own. Large video screens give you close-ups of the performance. 

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is the resident orchestra, and they often accompany pop acts such as Gwen Stefani on the official opening night, June 3. I’m looking forward to Backstreet Boys, Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Loggins and Messina, and Ricky Martin. The Bowl also produces a Broadway musical each summer with concert staging – ie, the orchestra is on the stage and the musical, featuring name stars,  is done in front of them using small set pieces and full costumes. This year’s offering is Kinky Boots, Cyndi Lauper’s salute to hard-working drag queens. It plays July 8 – 10. 

Look at the calendar at www.hollywoodbowl.com . There are a number of light classical evenings, shows where the orchestra accompanies popular movies such as Back to the Future, an annual mariachi festival, jazz festival, etc.  Try to schedule a performance which includes fireworks. Their pyrotechnic displays are accompanied by a symphony orchestra playing patriotic melodies and I have rarely seen anything as magnificent.

As always, when booking tickets make doubly sure that you are booking directly with the bowl. The re-sellers work hard to look like they are the official box office.

James Udom as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, 2022. Photo by Jim Cox.

THE OLD GLOBE THEATRE:  Another long-time favorite is San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre. Each year they stage two Shakespeare plays in their outdoor Festival Theatre. Before you turn up your nose at the mention of the Bard, these productions are delightful, easily understood, and trimmed down to around two hours – very approachable. The actors are still speaking Elizabethan English, but they are so comfortable with it that it seems the most natural thing in the world.

Their first Shakespeare production will be The Taming of the Shrew, his comedy about the battle of the sexes, playing June 5 through July 10. That will be followed by A Midsummer Night’s Dream which features magic, humor, music, spectacle, and merriment. 

The Old Globe is in San Diego’s Balboa Park. Parking is tricky so arrive early and be prepared to walk a bit from the car park. Again, the park is so beautiful that you might consider picking up some takeout food and enjoying it in the park before your show. There are also numerous museums and gardens near the theatre.

The Old Globe operate three separate theatres next to each other. In addition to the outdoor Festival Theatre, they have medium and small indoor theatres which present outstanding fare. Take a look at their schedule or buy tickets at www.theoldglobe.org. 

 AFTERGLOW: An exciting production opens this month at The Hudson Theatre at 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Afterglow, an international hit sensation, is a raw, one-act play exploring the emotional, intellectual, and physical connections between three men and the broader implications within their relationships.  When Josh and Alex, a married couple in an open relationship, invite Darius to share their bed one night, a new intimate connection begins to form and all three men must come to terms with their individual definitions of love, loyalty, and trust as futures are questioned, relationships are shaken, and commitments are challenged. The producers, Midnight Theatricals, haven’t announced a closing date, but I would suggest booking a ticket right now. The material is relevant, the theatre intimate and, well, the men are hunky. For tickets and more information, please visit www.afterglowla.com.