Cinema News: Segerstrom Center for the Arts turns 40

April 3, 2026 | View in browser

By Jessica Gelt

Arts Editor

During a time of great anti-immigrant turmoil, with ICE in our airports and the Supreme Court hearing the Trump administration's argument against birthright citizenship, it gives me great joy to write that Segerstrom Center for the Arts is celebrating its 40th anniversary season with a new Hispanic initiative that aims to expand the organization's commitment to Latino arts and culture across all of its stages, as well as in its education and community programs.

The initiative is anchored by the appointment of Grammy Award-winning composer and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill as the center's inaugural artist in residence. There is also a new slate of programming called "¡VIVA! The Spenuzza Series" featuring O'Farrill in a variety of jazz performances, including with the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and concerts with enticing names like "Rumba para Monk Revisited" and "Copacabana Nights." Dance is also part of the series, with special performances by troupes such as Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández and Ballet Hispánico. There is also a new commission featuring the Lowrider Symphony with Pacific Symphony.

"As we celebrate our 40th anniversary and honor the extraordinary legacy built by Henry Segerstrom, we are equally focused on the future, embracing bold artistic voices and expanding the ways we engage the diverse communities that call Orange County home," wrote Segerstrom president and chief executive Casey Reitz in an email, adding that the ¡VIVA! series helps "bring a wide range of Hispanic and Latino artists and traditions to our stages and classrooms. Welcoming Arturo O'Farrill as our inaugural Artist in Residence is another exciting part of this work, and his artistry and leadership will help deepen the cultural dialogue at the heart of this growing initiative."

Additional 40th anniversary season programming includes the Takács Quartet performing its interpretations of Beethoven; an international dance series including performances by Houston Ballet with pianist George Li; American Ballet Theatre with "The Nutcracker" and later with "The Sleeping Beauty"; the Stuttgart Ballet performing Pushkin's "Onegin"; and a cabaret series featuring actor and singer Krista Rodriguez, Broadway star Joaquina Kalukango; Tituss Burgess and Conrad Ricamora.

"This season centers on a group of visionary artists who reflect both the depth of tradition and the urgency of the present moment," wrote Limor Tomer, vice president of programming and production, of her first season of shows, which she called "a conversation between past and future, across cultures, and between artists and audiences. I've sought out voices that are not only exceptional in their craft, but distinct in perspective, artists who honor legacy while actively expanding it."

I'm Arts editor Jessica Gelt giving a giant thumbs up to Segerstrom for moving into the next 40 years with a bold and expansive vision.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY
Ring of Fire: Music From Around the Pacific Rim
The Brightwork Ensemble musically traverses the vast region with a program of contemporary chamber works from Asia, South America and the U.S.
8 p.m. Friday. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. brightworknewmusic.com

Noir City: Hollywood 2026
The American Cinematheque has 20 films, special guests and live music lined up for the return of this fan favorite. Opening night features a double bill of "Black Angel" (1946) and "Blues in the Night" (1941), a performance by singer Laura Ellis and the Nick Rossi Trio and introductions by Eddie Muller, Alan K. Rode and Nick Rossi.
7 p.m. Friday; the festival continues through April 12. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com

SATURDAY

English
On the heels of Rogue Machine's production of "Fairview" by Jackie Sibblies Drury, local theatergoers are fortunate to get another L.A. premiere of a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama: Sanaz Toossi's play about a group of Iranians learning English in 2008 Karaj. This is the Atlantic Theater Company & Roundabout Theatre Company production directed by Knud Adams that was nominated for four Tony Awards last year, including best play.
Through April 26. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org

The Lizard & El Sol
Pasadena Playhouse brings this free production aimed at children 5 years of age and younger to neighborhood parks. A brave little lizard goes on a sol-searching mission in this story adapted from Alma Flor Ada's Mexican folktale, originally developed and produced by the Alliance Theatre. Directed by Rubén Gabriel Hernández, the play is presented primarily in Spanish, but is designed to be enjoyed and understood by both Spanish and non-Spanish speakers.
9:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday, Sunday and April 11-12. Playhouse Village Park, 701 Union St., Pasadena; 9:30 and 11 a.m. April 18, 19, 25 and 26. Loma Alta Park, 3330 N. Lincoln Ave., Altadena; 9:30 and 11 a.m. May 3-4. Victory Park, 2575 N. Paloma St., Pasadena. pasadenaplayhouse.org

Looking Back, Looking Forward
The Los Angeles Children's Chorus, including the Apprentice Choir, Intermediate Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Young Men's Ensemble and Chorale, perform a program celebrating the group's 40th anniversary. The afternoon features works by Bach, Verdi, Rachmaninoff, Allister MacGillivray, Handel and Schubert, and international folk tunes. Part of the L.A. Phil's Sounds About Town series.
2 p.m. Saturday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. lachildrenschorus.org

Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
The exhibition "Heavy Metal" takes a fresh approach to large-scale sculpture featuring 20 artists working various materials. Two solo exhibitions, "Ivan Bridges: Infinite Game" and "Rachel Bridges: I'm Not Your Filipina," focus on the independent practices of a pair of artists who happen to be married to each other.
All three exhibits run through June 20. Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd. lamag.org

Arun Ramamurthy with Nirmal Narayan and Vivek Chellappa
The three musicians perform a creative program of Hindustani music structured around classical ragas.
4 p.m. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. sierramadreplayhouse.org

SUNDAY
Several Eternities in a Day: Form in the Age of Living Materials
The exhibition features large-scale installations, paintings, works on paper, and mixed-media sculpture created from avocado, cacao, achiote, cochineal, stone, clay and natural dyes by 22 artists from across the Americas whose work is rooted in brown and Indigenous cultures.
Through Aug 23. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. hammer.ucla.edu

MONDAY
California African American Museum
"The Sound of Gordon Parks" examines the late photographer, filmmaker and writer's overlooked musical offerings. Parker composed both orchestral works, such as "Symphonic Set for Piano and Orchestra" (1953) and film scores, including for his directorial debut, "The Learning Tree" (1969). "Free and Queer: Black Californian Roots of Gay Liberation" depicts Black Californians contributions to the fights for LGBTQ equality, civil rights and recognition. "Gordon Parks," through Sept. 13. "Free and Queer," through Feb. 28, 2027. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. caamuseum.org

TUESDAY

"Master Harold" … and the Boys
Ben Beatty, Nyasha Hatendi and John Kani star in this revival of Athol Fugard's classic play set in 1950s apartheid South Africa. Directed by Emily Mann and Tarell Alvin McCraney.
Through May 10. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Westwood. geffenplayhouse.org

THURSDAY

Sylvia
American Ballet Theatre brings this classic piece to Orange County as part of the Ashton Worldwide 2024–2028 festival, a salute to the 20th century choreography master Frederick Ashton, whose 1952 revival of "Sylvia" set the standard for future productions. The ballet, about the romance between a regal huntress and a simple shepherd in ancient Greece, features Léo Delibes' memorable score.
7:30 p.m. Thursday and April 10; 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 11; 1 p.m. April 12 Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org/events

Arts everywhere

New releases of arts-related media.

Casa Kahlo: Frida Kahlo's Home and Sanctuary
An intimate look inside the house that the artist bought in 1930 and her family has occupied ever since. The book contains detailed descriptions of the interiors, a wealth of personal items, drawings and paintings, her jewelry and clothing, as well as key documents and keepsakes. Written by Mara Romeo Kahlo, Mara de Anda Romeo and Frida Hentschel Romeo, the great nieces of Kahlo. Rizzoli Electa (out Tuesday): 256 pages, $55.

Live at The Met: Lise Davidsen/James Baillieu
One of the youngest singers ever to give a solo recital at the Metropolitan Opera, the Norwegian soprano, accompanied by pianist James Baillieu, performs highlights from her Met roles, plus lighter pieces of operetta and musical theater. Decca: CD ($17).

The Practice of Architecture: Visiting Peter Zumthor
The Geffen Galleries, the long-awaited addition to LACMA, finally opens this month, so maybe it's time we got to know its architect a little better. In this 2012 documentary directed by Michael Blackwood, the Swiss-born Zumthor, winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2009, is visited in his studio by critic Kenneth Frampton. The two men discuss the importance of landscape, light and material, and the architectural theory behind Zumthor's distinctive style. Watch for free on Kanopy; or rent ($4) or buy ($34) on Prime Video.

– Kevin Crust

Culture news and the SoCal scene

You've got one more day to head to Pitzer College in Claremont to catch the end of the anti-nuclear "Atomic Dragons" art show featuring art by SWANS, which stands for Slow War Against the Nuclear State. Freelancer Chloe Shrager writes, "The group is made up of artists, activists and academics with ties to the nuclear industry, including children and spouses of nuclear industrial complex workers — putting a new spin on the 'nuclear family.' The show examines the environmental and human cost of the atomic era through an artistic lens, tracing present day nuclear risk back to its Cold War roots." Saturday features a closing-day symposium of nuclear experts.

Times theater critic Charles McNulty caught opening night of "Kim's Convenience" at the Ahmanson. The show, about a Korean family that owns, well, a convenience store, comes with baked-in familiarity after its success as a Netflix sitcom. "'Kim's Convenience' has an eager-to-please TV sensibility that can seem formulaic at times," writes McNulty. "But representation, particularly these days, can be a radical act, and there's something heartening at the sight of the Kim family enjoying their turn in the mainstream spotlight."

McNulty also weighed in on two very different local Arthur Miller plays: "a small, exquisitely acted" production of "The Price" at Pacific Resident Theatre; and "Death of a Salesman" at Pasadena's A Noise Within, by which McNulty was "dismally disappointed." Read on to find out why.

Times classical music critic Mark Swed caught a Los Angeles Philharmonic Green Umbrella Series U.S. premiere of opera composer Gerald Barry's "Salome" at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The show featured the L.A. Phil New Music Group and, "a cast of extraordinary singers," Swed wrote, adding that Barry is, "today's rare opera composer with a drought-dry wit." The "lavishly lovable" performance did not disappoint.

Malia Mendez got the scoop on Center Theatre Group's new season, which includes a new production of August Wilson's "Fences" along with Karen Zacarías' "Destiny of Desire," Cole Escola's "Oh, Mary!" as well as "Dog Man: The Musical," "John Proctor Is the Villain" and "Boop! The Musical."

Freelancer Scot Paltrow traveled to Texas to interview two Gen Z YouTubers named Jordan and Eden Lim who run the popular YouTube Channel "Ballet Reign," in which they break down the exciting minutiae of classic ballets. The channel has 67,000 international subscribers and counting, including fans of all ages.

I spent my weekend in Pioneertown for the High Desert Art Fair, where I moderated a panel on desert institutions featuring Desert Test Sites, Desert X and the Palm Springs Art Museum. I also caught a panel moderated by Harper Simon featuring Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh and street artist Shepard Fairey. I was caught off guard when Fairey declared that he was not afraid of AI art, but taken in context, his point makes sense. AI can be used for good and bad — you just need to bend the tool to your will, not allow it to happen the reverse direction.

Art heists appear to be happening with more frequency these days. In October thieves stole a variety of precious royal jewels from the Louvre in Paris in broad daylight; and earlier this week thieves stole three priceless paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse, valued at nearly $10 million, from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation near Parma, Italy. The overnight sneak attack reportedly took less than three minutes.

The Getty Museum made two recent acquisitions by artists not yet held in its collection: The first is "Glass Vase With Flowers and Fruit" by Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-about 1684), who is, according to a news release, "the preeminent master of floral still life painting in the 'golden age" of Dutch art. The other is "Still Life With Assorted Fruit" by Pieter Claesz (1597/98-1660). The De Heem is on view in the Getty Center's West Pavilion and the Claesz painting will go up at a later date.

— Jessica Gelt

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