10 best things to do in L.A. and OC, including Lula Washington Dance Theatre
Our cultural recommendations as January gives way to February include Lula Washington Dance Theatre at the Wallis, Matthew Aucoin’s “Eurydice†at Los Angeles Opera and the musical “She Loves Me†at South Coast Repertory. Midori tackles Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas, American Contemporary Ballet salutes Fred Astaire, theater artist Dael Orlandersmith revisits the shooting of Michael Brown, Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México and the Golden Dragon Acrobats perform, and 1960s icons MLK and John Lennon are remembered in separate shows.
Let’s take it to the stage
Lula Washington Dance Theatre, the L.A. company dedicated to celebrating African American history and culture, presents a 40th anniversary program that includes two world premieres and one West Coast premiere. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Bram Goldsmith Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. $29-$79. (310) 746-4000. TheWallis.org
To hell and back
L.A. Opera stages the world premiere of “Eurydice,†composer Matthew Aucoin and librettist Sarah Ruhl’s new adaptation of Ruhl’s play reimagining the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice from the woman’s perspective. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 7:30 p.m. Saturday; other dates through Feb. 23. $19 and up. (213) 972.8001. LAOpera.org
Ah, the smell of it!
Two bickering coworkers at a 1930s parfumerie are unaware that they are each other’s romantic pen pal in “She Loves Me.†South Coast Rep stages a revival of this 1960s Broadway musical based on the same Hungarian play that inspired the rom-coms “The Shop Around the Corner†and “You’ve Got Mail.†South Coast Repertory, Segerstrom Stage, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday; other dates through Feb. 22. $27 and up. (714) 708-5555. scr.org
Fiddle me this
For the three-part program “Beethoven: The Complete Violin Sonatas,†violinist Midori and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet perform all 10 of the composer’s violin sonatas, spread over the course of three separate concerts. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday. $23 and up. (949) 553-2422. PhilharmonicSociety.org
Shall we dance?
American Contemporary Ballet’s salute to Fred Astaire continues with “Astaire Dances III.†The L.A. company presents re-creations of the screen legend’s classic dance routines, plus a new work by artistic director Lincoln Jones. Metropolis Los Angeles, 877 S. Francisco St., upper level, downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Saturday, 5 p.m. Sunday; other dates through Feb. 16. $45-$105. acbdances.com
Ferguson, revisited
Writer-performer Dael Orlandersmith’s “Until the Flood†explores the aftermath of the 2014 fatal shooting of unarmed African American teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo. Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; other dates through Feb. 23. $30-$75. (213) 628-2772. CenterTheatreGroup.org
Ballet Folclórico
Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México de Silvia Lozano celebrates the traditional music and dance of different regions of Mexico in a pair of local performances. The company performs at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge; $36 and up; (818) 677-3000; TheSoraya.org. The second show is 8 p.m. Saturday at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. $50-$85. (562) 916-8500. cerritoscenter.com
He had a dream
Composer and jazz pianist Jason Moran joins New West Symphony to perform his score for “Selma,†director Ava DuVernay’s 2014 bio-drama about civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. It screens with live music at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. 8 p.m. Saturday. $36-$86. (818) 677-3000. TheSoraya.org
Enter the dragon
The touring Golden Dragon Acrobats perform acrobatics, juggling and traditional Chinese dance in a pair of SoCal shows. The first is 8 p.m. Friday at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos; $40-$70; (562) 916-8500; cerritoscenter.com. The second is 2 p.m. Saturday at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Fred Kavli Theatre, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.; $19-$41; (805) 449-2787; civicartsplaza.com
Working class hero
Tribute artist Tim Piper re-creates a concert by John Lennon, sharing songs and stories by and about the former Beatle in an encore of the musical bio-drama “Just Imagine.†Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; other dates through Feb. 16. $32, $35. (805) 583-7900. simi-arts.org
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