Another summer has officially begun! The Hollywood Bowl kicks off their programming on June 20 with Opening Night at the Bowl: The Best of Broadway. 

This year’s opening night concert features Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid, The Color Purple), Darren Criss (Little Shop of Horrors, Maybe Happy Ending), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton, The Color Purple), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss Me Kate, Ragtime), and Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables), a group of Broadway stars sure to light up the night with their impeccable performances. This multitalented collection of performers will be accompanied by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Wilkins, and by members of the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. The entire event is music directed by Kevin Stites, a trusted Bowl collaborator whose past credits include 2019’s Into the Woods and 2023’s Sondheim celebration Everybody Rise!.

Broadway at the Bowl actually invited one lucky fan to be a part of the show! Amateur singers were asked to send in a tape singing one of five songs from the iconic musical Les Miserables. From this pool, eight finalists were chosen to do an in-person audition at the Bowl; one of those finalists will go on to share the stage with Broadway legends and stars, singing the song with which they auditioned in front of a massive audience.

Of course, no Hollywood Bowl opening night would be complete without a spectacular fireworks show. The event will end with a dazzling pyrotechnic display that the venue says will “rival Broadway’s biggest and best marquees!”

While the official opening isn’t until the 20th, there are several great events taking place at the Bowl in the month of June, both before and after the kickoff. The Blue Note Jazz Festival will take place just a week before, on June 13 and 14. This iconic event has been around for decades and has become one of the cornerstones of the jazz scene. With legends like Patti LaBelle sharing the stage with up-and-comers like Samara Joy, jazz diehards and newbies alike are sure to hear music that makes them want to dance.

The Bowl also hosts many outside concerts and partnered events like Rod Stewart, Chance the Rapper, Paul Simon, and Mariachi USA. If you’re looking for a fun way to fill your summer nights, make sure you check out the full list of programming at the Hollywood Bowl! There’s something for everyone under the stars.

For the Hollywood Bowl calendar, click here.