How cute is Gustavo Dudamel? At a press event for the Hollywood Bowl’s 2012 season, he trotted out on stage to explain what most excited him about the summer’s programming. (See him? Gazing upwards trying to decide where to begin with the summer’s exciting line-up?). With a twinkle in his eye, he talked about all his Latin friends who will join him onstage this summer (Placido Domingo, Panamanian Rubén Blades, Columbian Juanes and Dominican Juan Luis Guerra,) as well as his long-term plans for the LA Phil.
Seated on the Bowl stage, listening to Dudamel speak to us from his conducting position was a little sureal, particularly thinking about all the remarkable acts that have performed at the Hollywood Bowl over the last century. If only those empty seats could talk….
News for Bowl lovers – the bathrooms have been redone (spiffy!), a new speed ramp has been installed to help visitors get to their seats, and Herbie Hancock returns as the Creative Chair for Jazz.
Click here for this summer’s calendar – check out two farewell tours (Glen Campbell, the Neville Brothers), a musical (The Producers), and an opera (Rigoletto). Not to mention Liza Minelli, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, John Williams and Barry Manilow… with plenty of fireworks. Individual tickets are now on sale, so study the calendar and get your planning on! Here are the four shows most appropriate for families:
July 4th Fireworks Spectacular (July 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
Frozen Planet Live (July 6th and 7th)
Grease Sing Along (July 14th)
Pixar in Concert (August 3rd, 4th, 5th)
We’ll be giving away Family 4-packs to individual shows as the season progresses, but urge everyone to grab at least one concert to take the kids out for this summer. It’s a special, LA experience that never fails to make us feel lucky — lucky to have the LAPhil, lucky to have Dudamel and lucky to live in Southern California.
