Hollywood Bowl, Ford Theatre Announce Comebacks

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The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles will reopen, with restrictions, in May and hopes to expand as health guidelines evolve, according to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association that runs the venue. 

The beloved amphitheatre, as well its affiliated  Ford Theatre, will open to limited capacity audiences of 4,000 — it’s given capacity is 17,500

in May. 

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association announced it will host  four free concerts for healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers as a gesture of thanks for all they have done for Los Angeles throughout the pandemic. 

Beginning in July, the Hollywood Bowl will present 14 weeks of concerts, including the LA Philharmonic with Mysic & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel as well as crowd favorites such as the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular.  

The Ford Theater will open in late July and its season will run for 15 weeks. 

While the LA Philharmonic manages and presents the Hollywood Bowl’s summer season of concerts, Live Nation Silva Hewitt also produces concerts at the Bowl. Upcoming shows on the books include Hall and Oates (Oct. 1), Alanis Morrissette (Oct. 15) Andrea Bocelli (Oct. 24), Russ (May 5, 2022) and Steely Dan (May 27, 2022). The complete season of summer concerts presented by the L.A. Philharmonic will be announced May 11.

In a joint statement, CEO David C. Bohnett and Chief Executive Officer Chair Chad Smith said, ““After more than a year of tremendous hardship and incredible demonstrations of resilience and care across our community, we are looking forward to reuniting our audiences, with one another and with live music at the Hollywood Bowl and The Ford. We are wasting no time in hiring seasonal staff and implementing policies and procedures designed for the safety of our audiences, artists and staff. We are immensely grateful to Kaiser Permanente and all our supporters for making this coming season possible. This summer’s concerts will likely be some of the most memorable, uplifting and restorative of our lifetimes, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Los Angeles Philharmonic Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel said, “I cannot describe the joy and hope that I feel at the thought of returning to the stage with our musicians, in front of a live audience. We have found so many extraordinary and creative ways to share music together over the course of this pandemic, but truly nothing can take the place of performing in person. And nothing can compare to the magic of making music at the Hollywood Bowl, where the sound waves mingle with the soft breeze of a Southern California evening. My friends, we have missed you, and we cannot wait to share music in person again!”

Three of the first free concerts at the Hollywood Bowl are made possible through a partnership with Kaiser Permanente. They will include two performances by Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil (May 15 & 22) playing repertoire from Tchaikovsky to Montgomery, and Grammy-winning L.A.-based band La Santa Cecilia (June 26). The fourth free concert will be with L.A. artists Thundercat and Flying Lotus (June 12), their first performance since Thundercat won a Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album earlier this year.