ARTS IN LOS ANGELES

CELEBRATING THE ARTS SINCE 2012

  • May 2025

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Theatre

  • A Doll’s House, Part 2 May 14-June 8, 2025 at Pasadena Playhouse (Jason. Butler Harner, Elizabeth Reaser, Kimberly Scott, and. Kahyun Kim / Photo Pasadena Playhouse)

    A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2

    • By SAMANTHA COLWELL

    You may not have heard of the 1879 Ibsen play A Doll’s House, but this is one sequel for which you don’t need to have seen the first one. A Doll’s House, Part 2 is Lucas Hnath’s Tony-nominated take on the complications of womanhood, from motherhood to society life and everything in between. It’s based on the Ibsen play some of us may have read in an English literature class, which follows Nora’s married life as she begins to realize her husband is abusive, controlling, and manipulative. Spoiler alert: it ultimately ends with her walking out and slamming the door on her husband and children, an unheard-of move for the time (and still in many cases a bold move for today).

    Part 2 picks up 15 years later with Nora’s return to the house and family she left behind, ready to confront the fallout. She has become a successful novelist and career-woman, and she’s not back forever – just long enough to get what she needs from her still-husband Torvald. She faces attacks from her servants, her children, and Torvald himself, and we watch her stand strong and cling to the assertion that life on her own terms was and is worth it. The play is a bold feminist endeavor and an inspiring look at the reality of being a woman.

    For tickets and show times, click here.

  • Life of Pi May 6-June 1, 2025 at Ahmanson theatre (From L to R: Anna Leigh Gortner, Shiloh Goodin, Toussaint Jeanlouis and Taha Mandviwala in the National Tour of LIFE OF PI. Photo by Evan Zimmerman)

    LIFE OF PI

    • By SELENE SANTIAGO

    This month, LIFE OF PI—the three-time Tony Award®-winning theatrical marvel—roars into the Ahmanson theatre for a limited engagement, May 6-June 1, 2025 (and then at Segerstrom June 3–15, 2025). Based on Yann Martel’s beloved novel, this spellbinding production blends breathtaking puppetry, dazzling visuals, and emotional storytelling to bring a young boy’s extraordinary survival story to life.

    After a cargo ship sinks in the Pacific, 16-year-old Pi finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with an orangutan, a zebra, a hyena—and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. What follows is a stunning exploration of imagination, faith, and the human spirit. With a score of critical acclaim across Broadway, London’s West End, and beyond, LIFE OF PI has been hailed as “a dazzling marvel of stagecraft” (Entertainment Weekly) and “the single greatest innovation in puppetry ever to hit the global stage” (NY Daily News).

    Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti and originally directed by Max Webster—with tour direction by Ashley Brooke Monroe—this visually stunning production is a sensory feast, featuring exquisite puppetry, breathtaking stage design, and a powerful lead performance by Taha Mandviwala as Pi.

    Don’t miss this theatrical phenomenon that has moved audiences around the world.

    For tickets at the Ahmanson, click here. For Segerstrom, go to scfta.org.

  • The Winter’s Tale April 24-June 14, 2025 at Skylight Theatre

    The Winter’s Tale

    • By Samantha Colwell

    The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s less well-known plays and one of his later ones, thought to have been written just 5 years before the playwright’s death. It tells the story of a king obsessed with power and driven mad by unfounded suspicions of infidelity to the point that he publicly humiliates his wife, woven through with touches of magical realism and possibly even divine intervention. As is always characteristic of Shakespeare, there is plenty of mistaken identity, long-lost relations returning home, and enough subplot that most productions see it shaved down or cut entirely. Skylight Theatre Company’s modern adaptation, crafted by Lisa Wolpe and director Tracy Young, seems to lean into the magical aspects of the story.

    The cast takes on a variety of roles, and no actor is safe from doubling up; the main characters of the main plot undergo transformations to play the side characters that offer comic relief, pointing out that in this world, no one is ever exactly what they seem. The play is set half in modern-day 2025 and half in futuristic 2041, accounting for the near 20-year time jump Shakespeare inscribed in his original tale. This production of The Winter’s Tale seems determined to bring Shakespeare into the modern era in adapting one of his most “problematic” and oft-overlooked plays.

    For more, click here.

  • Annie May 7-18, 2025 at Dolby Theatre (Hazel Vogel as “Annie” and the Orphans / Photo Broadway in Hollywood)

    ANNIE

    • By LUCIA SERRANO

    The sun will come out on Hollywood Boulevard this spring as Annie, the timeless tale of resilience and hope, lights up the stage at the Dolby Theatre from May 7 to 18, 2025. A new production of one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, this revival arrives just when we need it most—reminding audiences that even in the darkest times, optimism can be a powerful force for change.

    Directed by Jenn Thompson, this fresh yet faithful staging of Annie brings back everything generations of theatergoers have cherished about the original. From the fearless redhead with a heart full of hope to the unforgettable score featuring “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard-Knock Life,” the musical is a tribute to perseverance, chosen family, and the belief that better days are always within reach. With a book and score by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin, Annie remains a joyful celebration of the American spirit.

    Set during the Great Depression, Annie continues to resonate across time and with audiences of all ages. More than a feel-good show, it’s a heartfelt reminder that even a small voice can make a big difference. Whether you’ve seen it a dozen times or are discovering it for the first time, this production promises to bring laughter, tears, and plenty of heart to Los Angeles.

    For tickets and more information, visit Broadway in Hollywood.