‘La La Land,’ In Live Concert Form, Coming To Hollywood Bowl

Live from Los Angeles, it’s “La La Land” live! 

Lionsgate announced Monday that “La La Land In Concert: A Live-to-Film Celebration” will come to the Hollywood Bowl on May 26-27. The live shows will be conducted by composer Justin Hurwitz, who won two Academy Awards last month for his work on the movie’s music. 

The show will include a 100-piece symphony orchestra, choir and jazz ensemble, along with the film’s original vocal recordings from Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and John Legend. The movie will play along while the musicians perform.

Hurwitz said in an interview with The Associated Press that before working on “La La Land” with director and writer Damien Chazelle, he told his longtime friend that the film would be perfect for the live stage.

“The process is just beginning,” Hurwitz said of prepping for the live dates. “We’re figuring out how to handle visually and musically the various music elements in the movie, and it’s a lot of fun brainstorming ideas and solutions. What is exciting is … to be able to really feature the musicians and show exactly what they’re doing.” 

Dale Robinette/Lionsgate via AP, File – La La Land
This image released by Lionsgate shows Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in a scene from “La La Land.”

Tickets go on sale Friday. For the live shows, Hurwitz said they are using the same orchestra contractor from the movie.

Following the Memorial Day dates in Los Angeles, the live production will visit Atlanta; San Diego; San Antonio; Nashville, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; and other U.S. cities. It will also travel internationally to the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Turkey, Switzerland and Canada. Those dates, along with more cities, will be announced later.

“La La Land” won six Academy Awards, including best director for Chazelle and best actress for Stone. Hurwitz won best original score as well as best original song for “City of Stars,” shared with songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

“There have been a couple times where I was in my apartment and I saw two Oscars sitting there (and) it almost took me a second to register what they were. The thought of those gorgeous, iconic statuettes sitting right there in my apartment is a bit surreal,” he said.

He also said it has been dreamlike to hear “people singing my songs back at me” because of the film’s success.
When asked if he could see “La La Land” on the Broadway stage, Hurwitz said: “Those conversations haven’t even started to be honest. … I think those conversations will happen inevitably, but I don’t know if an actual adaptation will happen. It’ll just be something we talk about and try to figure out, ‘should it be done, can it be done?’”

Of the best picture flub during the Academy Awards – where “La La Land” was announced the winner before the Oscar was handed to the “Moonlight” creators, Hurwitz said: “I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it much. But ‘Moonlight’ is an extraordinary movie and I am very happy for them.”