BroadStage gratefully acknowledges the 2023/24 Season Sponsor, Karen Hohman Almeida.
Photo by Ben Gibbs
“Our season has cultural exchanges between arguably some of the world’s best artists and between our regular and new audiences: it is intensively interactive for all.”
—Rob Bailis, Artistic and Executive Director
JAZZ
BroadStage is excited to announce that jazz legend Stanley Clarke – a four-time GRAMMY® Awardwinning recording artist, performer, composer, conductor, arranger, and producer, will be the organization’s Artist in Residence for the next three years. This multi-year partnership includes performances, curation, and mentorship for Santa Monica College Music Department and Santa Monica High School Jazz students. Co-designed by Clarke, BroadStage Activations staff and school faculty, the residency provides direct access and training by this iconic figure for students who are on the cusp of professional careers.
Don’t miss Clarke’s two performance engagements at BroadStage this season, as he shares an evening with celebrated pianist Hiromi, then plays with his latest touring band 4EVER. Plus, Clarke will join BroadStage for two Artist Talks on October 17 and March 19 to discuss his long musical career in jazz and film.
Jazz & Blues Sponsor: Richard and Lisa Kendall
“Stanley Clarke stands as one of the most facile, technically brilliant instrumentalists in modern jazz.”
Columbia Daily Tribune
Stanley Clarke & Hiromi
Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Main Stage
Tickets starting at $80
Stanley Clarke N•4EVER
Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Main Stage
Tickets starting at $40
Two GRAMMY® winning jazz greats are pairing up for a not-to-be-missed night of music. Stanley Clarke and bursting-with-energy jazz pianist Hiromi will join forces for a show that is sure to have you dancing in your seat. Clarke is one of the most celebrated and influential acoustic and electric bass players in the world. Hiromi is known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances, and blending of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, and fusion in her compositions. Clarke and Hiromi have recorded and performed in the past, and won a GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, The Stanley Clarke Band, featuring pianist Hiromi.
Stanley Clarke returns with his new band 4EVER, for a night of raucous jazz harmony, rock, funk, R&B, hip-hop, fusion, and more. Clarke is a fourtime GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz bassist, recording artist, and composer, and a familiar face at BroadStage. 4EVER’s band members bring dynamic youthful energy and freshness to the music. All consummate musicians, the 4EVER band includes Jeremiah Collier on drums, Beka Gochiashvili on piano and keyboards, Colin Cook on guitar, Emilio Modeste on saxophone, and, of course, Stanley on acoustic and electric bass. Since 2022, they have excelled in creating electrifying performances, always pushing the boundaries of their instruments.
Sunday, September 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Main Stage
CELEBRITY OPERA SERIES
Tickets starting at $90
Celebrity Opera Recitals at BroadStage are generously supported by the Lloyd E. Rigler — Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.
With a unique and powerful voice that has been described as “one-in-a-million,” soprano Lise Davidsen makes her much anticipated West Coast and BroadStage debuts as part of the Celebrity Opera Recital Series. Norwegian-born Davidsen has a stage presence and charisma that brings audiences to their feet. She burst onto the international stage in 2015 by winning multiple prizes at the Operalia in London and the Queen Sonja Competition in Oslo, and she has quickly risen to superstardom. Davidsen was awarded Female Singer of the Year by the International Opera Awards in 2021, and has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best in the business – she is “in a league of her own” (Peter Gelb, Metropolitan Opera).
Gramophone Magazine
“One of the greatest vocal talents to have emerged in recent years, if not decades.”
US Premiere
October 26–28, 2023
Main Stage
DANCE THEATRE
Tickets starting at $40
From one of the world’s most influential choreographers, Akram Khan’s Jungle Book reimagined is a new, multimedia dance theatre work based on the much-loved story by Rudyard Kipling, making its US Premiere at BroadStage. Looking through the eyes of a young Mowgli as a refugee caught in a world devastated by the impact of climate change, the bold movement, startling animation, and video and sound design bring a new sense of urgency to Akram Khan’s reinterpretation.
—The
“a wondrously conceived production, and a marvellous visual feast.”
Quinntessential Review
Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Main Stage
CELEBRITY OPERA SERIES
Tickets starting at $80
Celebrity Opera Recitals at BroadStage are generously supported by the Lloyd E. Rigler — Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.
With a nostalgic, golden-age voice that routinely inspires comparisons to “legendary singers from earlier eras” (Associated Press), Maltese-born Joseph Calleja has become one of the most acclaimed tenors today, and he will make his BroadStage return as part of the 2023/24 Celebrity Opera Recital Series. Calleja’s extensive discography and appearances on the world’s leading opera, concert, and television stages have marked him as one of the most sought-after tenors of today. Calleja received a GRAMMY® nomination for his recording of La Traviata from the Royal Opera House, and in 2012, he was named Gramophone Magazine’s Artist of the Year. NPR describes Calleja as “arguably today’s finest lyric tenor,” and his warm and rich tone matched with his impeccable stage interpretations leave audiences enchanted.
“Calleja has a voice that hits you in a way that bypasses the brain and goes straight to the hairs on the back of your neck.”
—Neil Fisher, The Times
Joseph Calleja, tenorPhoto by Andrew Borg Carbott
Friday, November 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Main Stage
CLASSICAL
Tickets starting at $50
After a sold-out appearance in 2022, audience favorite Takács Quartet returns to BroadStage with an exquisite program of Haydn, Beethoven, and a newly-commissioned work from LA native and accomplished violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama as part of the California Festival, a new music festival that spans the globe while highlighting the collaborative and innovative spirit that thrives in California. BroadStage is a proud co-commissioner of this new work. Known for innovative programming and virtuosic musicianship, The Takács Quartet, formed in 1975, has been described as “one of the world’s greatest string quartets” by The New York Times. Don’t miss this special evening of music.
The New York Times
“One of the world’s greatest string quartets”
Friday, December 15, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Main Stage
CLASSICAL/VOCAL
Tickets starting at $55
The Tallis Scholars, the world’s foremost classical vocal ensemble, will be celebrating their 50th anniversary year with a special holiday concert “While Shepherds Watched,” featuring music by masters of the late Renaissance, from all over Europe. Described as “the rock stars of Renaissance vocal music” by The New York Times, The Tallis Scholars have done more than any other group to establish sacred vocal music of the Renaissance as one of the great repertoires of Western classical music. Experience The Tallis Scholars in a concert hall built specifically for this type of grand and exquisite sound.
Presenting Patron Sponsor: James R. Mulally
“A hymn to the art of perfection.”
—Maria Sánchez, Bachtrack
Salsa Navidad
Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 7:30 pm Main Stage
Tickets starting at $55
5:30-7:00 pm Pre-Show Salsa Lessons & Dancing | Music Hall
Spanish
Jazz & Blues Sponsor: Richard and Lisa Kendall
The world-famous Spanish Harlem Orchestra brings its energy, hard-hitting rhythms, and musical precision to BroadStage with Salsa Navidad, a special holiday concert of American Christmas classics done in a Latin/Salsa style. The ensemble will also share the non-holiday, original music for which they have become so well known. The three-time GRAMMY® winning band sets the gold standard for excellence in authentic, New York style, hard-core salsa and Latin jazz, and this is not a concert to be missed.
“One of the most important contemporary Latin music ensembles in existence today.”
—Latin Jazz NetworkLATIN JAZZ/SALSA
Diane Schuur
Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Main Stage
JAZZ
Tickets starting at $55
One of contemporary jazz’s leading vocalists, Diane Schuur, celebrates her 70th birthday with “An Evening of Songs and Stories.” This unforgettable evening includes songs spanning GRAMMY® Award-winning Schuur’s decadeslong career, accompanied by stories of some of the music titans she has shared the stage with, including B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, the Count Basie Orchestra, and others.
“She uses her twirling vibrato as rhythmic punctuation. After drawing out a note, she dispenses that vibrato like the cherry on a sundae.”
—Stephen Holden, The New York Times
“An Evening of Songs and Stories”Photo by Tim Courtney
March 15–16, 2024
Main Stage
Tickets starting at $35
March 15 performance will include ASL interpretation
March 16 performance will include Spanish supertitles
Theatre Sponsor: Laurie and Bill Benenson
Writer, performer, and founding member of Culture Clash Herbert Sigüenza takes on the role of Picasso for L.A. Theatre Works’
A Weekend with Pablo Picasso, a sensational one-man show based on writings from Picasso himself. The show invites the audience to experience a weekend in Picasso’s private studio as he prepares to deliver six new works to a buyer on Monday morning. A Weekend with Pablo Picasso includes large scale video projections of the art being created, as well as historic images and text, making it an immersive and artistic experience you don’t want to miss.
“there’s undeniable power in the presence of this creative genius, as embodied so convincingly by Sigüenza.”
—San Diego Union Tribune
Co-presented with LA Opera
April 10–14, 2024
Main Stage
Tickets are available for purchase through LAOpera.com
Inspired by Chinese mythology, Book of Mountains and Seas is a fantastical vocal theatre work of vivid storytelling and striking imagery with 12 singers, live percussion, and puppetry by acclaimed puppeteer Basil Twist. First performed in 2021, Huang Ruo’s compelling new adaptation of these tales comes to BroadStage as LA Opera’s 12th collaboration with the groundbreaking Beth Morrison Projects. Told through the lens of our modern-day relationship with the natural world, the ancient stories of creation and destruction conjure a sense of respect and awe for the environment and the water stories challenge us to be good stewards of the natural resources we have been given. Book of Mountains and Seas contains timeless codes about the universe, creation, planet, nature, life, human ambition and fate, the relationship and interaction between mankind, and the world we live in.
“… an exquisite masterpiece of suggestion, an immersive tapestry of sound and image…”
—Heidi Waleson, Wall Street JournalOPERA
Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Tickets starting at $45
Four-time GRAMMY® Award winner Antonio Sánchez, one of the most renowned drummers in the international jazz scene, takes the stage to celebrate the 10th anniversary celebration of Birdman, Alejandro Iñárritu’s Academy Award winning Best Picture starring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts. During a screening of the film, Sánchez will recreate his score, but as Sánchez improvised most of the original music for the film, each performance is unique – a showcase of his musical creativity. This performance immerses the audience in the riveting film while experiencing the power of storytelling through live music.
Friday, May 10, 2024 at 7:30 pm |
CELEBRITY OPERA SERIES
Tickets starting at $90
Celebrity Opera Recitals at BroadStage are generously supported by the Lloyd E. Rigler — Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.
BroadStage’s Celebrity Opera Recital Series welcomes the return of audience favorite, mezzosoprano Elīna Garanča, in a special concert featuring a full orchestra led by the highly-esteemed British conductor Karel Mark Chichon. Garanča’s beautiful voice, intelligent musicianship, and compelling stage portrayals have captured the attention of audiences around the world. Throughout her career, Garanča has received global recognition from critics and audiences alike, and has received numerous accolades for her performances and recordings, including two GRAMMY® nominations. Garanča will be joined by Karel Mark Chicon, who is described as “a conductor of genius,” (The New York Times) and is known for captivating international audiences with his exceptional temperament, unwavering passion, and overall musicianship. Together, Garanča and Chichon will create a spectacular night of music that is not to be missed.
“Elīna Garanča has already secured her place in opera history, and she may just be getting started.”
—Opera News
Elīna Garanča, mezzo-soprano with orchestra, Conducted by Karel Mark Chichon
Main StagePhoto by Sarah Katharina
Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Main Stage
CLASSICAL (CONTEMPORARY)
Tickets starting at $30
Described by The New Yorker as “adventurous and passionate,” Ukrainian-American pianist Inna Faliks makes her BroadStage solo debut with an eclectic program that include two premieres, and music of Beethoven, Billy Childs, Ravel and Clara Schuman: works that are pivotal to the adventurous, revelatory narrative of her recently published book: Weight in the Fingertips (Globe and Pequot, Oct 2023).
“Inna Faliks is a brilliant pianist whose instinctual approach to music, makes these new works relevant, and just as importantly, come to live.”
—Pianomania review
Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 7:30 pm
With landscapes spanning the towering Himalaya, arid plains, and dense jungles, India is home to an unmatched diversity of wild cats. While many of the big cats are well known and thoroughly documented, photographer and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur is on a mission to highlight the country’s lesser known felines in order to protect their future. Discover the tiny, grumpyfaced Pallas’s cat, the fishing cat that jumps into water to catch its prey, and the ancient, elusive clouded leopard. Through Kadur’s captivating images and video, you’ll get an up-close look at a world of wild cats you’ve never seen before.
Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 7:30 pm
In the Arctic North, sea ice is synonymous with the sand in the desert. The ice is vital for transportation, for food, for living. And while the temperatures seem inhumane, the Arctic is teeming with life. Indigenous tribes call this frosty land home, but they’re not alone. Polar bears, musk ox, whales, and caribou are some of the Arctic animals co-existing with more than 40 different ethnic groups in the north. Through beautiful images and awe-inspiring moments, National Geographic Live takes you on a journey with our first Indigenous speaker Kiliii Yüyan to understand the native peoples and their relationship to a frigid land and its animals.
Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 7:30 pm
How did T. rex become the iconic apex predator of North America 66 million years ago? Paleontologist Dr. Lindsay Zanno is uncovering the answer. Each year she spends several months on expedition, scouring the badlands of western North America in search of clues. Along the way, she has discovered many new species, including some of the earliest predecessors of T. rex. Join Lindsay for a fascinating look at how a global climate crisis during the Cretaceous changed the course of evolution for this prehistoric tyrant and its ancestors.
Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Sharks have roamed the planet’s waters since before the dinosaurs and have evolved into more than a thousand species. But only recently have we begun to understand their lives in the ocean—and how our actions can threaten their survival. Dr. Jess Cramp will take audiences on a journey through the National Geographic archives to discover the work of pioneering women in shark science and storytelling before she dives into her work on the frontier of shark research and conservation. We’ll journey through the vibrant waters of the South Pacific in search of elusive breeding grounds and find out what it truly means to save sharks while working with communities struggling to maintain their traditional ways of life.
The Plaza
Tickets starting at $20
Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 8:00 pm
Los Angeles-born tenor saxophonist Mando Dorame is best known as the co-founder of Royal Crown Revue. His big tenor sound evokes early Americana, with his roots in Rhythm & Blues and Jazz. Mando makes his BroadStage debut and is bringing along Carl Sonny Leyland and the Boogie Woogie Boys for a night you won’t forget.
Curated by The Reverend Shawn Amos, our signature series of blues rhythms returns to light up the night. Dance, drink, and dare to be a regular at our series outside on The Plaza.
Jeff McLaughlin, guitar
Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Making her BroadStage debut, the “brutal, original, explosive singer” (Vanity Fair) Queen Esther performs selections from her substantial body of alt-country, jazz, and Black Americana to fearlessly subvert all-too-common historical narratives, revealing the powerfully triumphant resolve of Black folk in the 19th century and now. On vocals, guitar, ukulele, she leans heavily on her latest release, “Rona,” a pandemic album that explores themes about love: those we hold close, near, and far, the ever-evolving landscape of a desolate city, and finding a place to call home in a changing and restless world. Queen Esther is joined on stage by guitarist Jeff McLaughlin whose “solos glowed and flashed... an aurora borealis of guitar” (Indianapolis Star).
Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Jazz & Blues Sponsor: Richard and Lisa Kendall
blackbox Sponsor: Ann Petersen and Leslie Pam
American songwriter, blues singer, author, and record producer The Reverend Shawn Amos returns to perform this season with his one-ofa-kind harmonica driven, blues roots revival. The Rev’s performances are always energetic, and no two shows are the same. Experience exactly why Glide Magazine refers to him as “…by turns furious, vulnerable, crazy, forlorn and tender; all buoyed by a family approach… infectious in a good way.”
Tickets starting at $60
Award-winning cellist and longtime BroadStage collaborator Antonio Lysy returns to curate a second season of this popular chamber music series, serving as musical alchemist to bring together distinguished artists and audiences from Los Angeles and beyond. Performances include postshow chats with artists over light refreshments to deepen and enrich musical friendships.
Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 11:00 am | Main Stage
In the realm of musical enchantment, Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale unfolds – a captivating dance between melodies and words, where the devil’s fiddle entwines with the soldier’s soul, weaving a haunting tale of destiny’s intricate threads. Through vibrant characters and timeless motifs, this masterpiece unravels the eternal struggle between temptation and redemption. Narrated by Hershey Felder, featuring LA Philharmonic musicians conducted by Santa Monica High graduate Elias Peter Brown (US conducting debut).
Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 11:00 am | The Edye
Join us for an enchanting chamber music event: Antonio Lysy and distinguished friends introduce Alchymia, a new clarinet quintet by renowned composer Thomas Adès. Inspired by Elizabethan themes, Alchymia has been praised by The Guardian as one of Adès’s finest works. The program also includes colorful compositions by Mozart, Saint Saens, and Ravel, performed by an ensemble of LA’s most talented musicians.
Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 11:00 am | Main Stage
Making their BroadStage debut, Delirium Musicum is a self-conducted chamber orchestra that brings together some of the most creative and refined musicians in Los Angeles. Led by violinist Etienne Gara, the orchestra defines itself artistically by taking a new stand on the daring and varied repertoire it tackles, and is dedicated to providing lively, impassioned, and engaging musical performances that deeply connect the audience to the musicians.
Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 11:00 am | The Plaza
Acclaimed as one of the world’s most celebrated trumpeters and honored as “International Brass Personality of the Year” (Brass Herald), Jens Lindemann presents a high-spirited concert featuring a remarkable group of virtuoso musicians. The ensemble includes renowned pianist Bryan Pezzone, violin sensation Etienne Gara, and esteemed cellist and curator of Sunday Morning Music / Santa Monica, Antonio Lysy.
Experience and Explore
Engage with the artists and each other beyond the stage. As part of our community, we invite you to experience our interactive workshops, open talks, festive gatherings, community field trips and more, to discover your own connection to the arts.
Everyone’s Here
Our In Community programs welcome participants that are intergenerational, encompass gender identities, include varied socioeconomic, racial, and cultural backgrounds, and strive to accommodate people of all abilities.
Learn more about the upcoming Artist Workshops & Residencies, Digital Student Matinees, and Community Field Trips by visiting broadstage.org/activations.
Activations at BroadStage are supported by
310.434.3200
Photo by Andrew BooneChoose-Your-Own
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Book of Mountains and Seas not included – tickets must be purchased directly through LA Opera.
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For a full listing of Membership benefits and to become a Member, visit broadstage.org/membership, email development@broadstage.org, or call 310.434.3590.
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BroadStage is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.
the los angeles Philanthropic Committee for the Arts
in memory of Audre Slater
2023/24 Season Sponsor
Celebrity Opera Recitals
Karen Hohman Almeida
Celebrity Opera Recitals at BroadStage are generously supported by the Lloyd E. Rigler — Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.
Theatre Theatre Sponsor: Laurie and Bill Benenson
Jazz & Blues
blackbox
Jazz & Blues Sponsor: Richard and Lisa Kendall
blackbox Sponsor: Ann Petersen and Leslie Pam
Sunday Morning Music / Santa Monica Presented with support from Los Angeles Philanthropic Committee for the Arts, in memory of Audre Slater
Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Salsa Navidad
Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Salsa Navidad is made possible by a generous gift from The Keston Family.
Tallis Scholars: While Shepherds Watched Presenting Patron Sponsor: James R. Mulally
September 2023
17 Lise Davidsen
23 Stanley Clarke & Hiromi
30 blackbox: Mando Dorame with Carl Sonny Leyland and the Boogie Woogie Boys
October 2023
15 Sunday Morning Music / Santa Monica: Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale
19 Nat Geo Live: Wild Cats Revealed
26-28 Akram Khan Company Jungle Book reimagined
November 2023
11 Joseph Calleja
17 Takács Quartet
December 2023
15 The Tallis Scholars: While Shepherds Watched
16 Spanish Harlem Orchestra: Salsa Navidad
17 Sunday Morning Music / Santa Monica: Alchymia: Antonio Lysy and Friends
January 2024
21 Sunday Morning Music / Santa Monica: Delirium Musicum: Strings Unbound
February 2024
1 Nat Geo Live: Life on Thin Ice
March 2024
7 Nat Geo Live: T. rex Rises
9 Diane Schuur: An Evening of Songs and Stories
15-16 A Weekend with Pablo Picasso
30 Stanley Clarke N•4EVER
April 2024
10-14 Book of Mountains and Seas
Co-presented with LA Opera
18 Nat Geo Live: The Untold Story of Sharks
20 Antonio Sánchez: Birdman Live
May 2024
10 Elīna Garanča with Orchestra, Conducted by Karel Mark Chichon
11 blackbox: Queen Esther
19 Inna Faliks
June 2024
8 blackbox: The Reverend Shawn Amos
9 Sunday Morning Music / Santa Monica: Jens Lindemann and Friends
BroadStage at the Santa Monica College
Mailing Address 1900 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405
Performing Arts Center
Theater Address 1310 11th Street Santa Monica, CA 90401
Tickets and subscriptions for the 2023/24 Season are on sale now!
BroadStage is located on the campus of Santa Monica College and a part of the SMC Performing Arts Center. As we actively work to create a more equitable path as a cultural institution, we respectfully recognize that the land on which BroadStage currently stands is the ancestral unceded territory of the Tongva, Gabrielino, Kizh peoples. We honor the Indigenous caretakers of these lands and their elders, those past, present and future.
