Inspiration comes from anywhere, and in Los Angeles, it’s everywhere. Soak up the best of the city this week while you’re preparing for your next role, workshop, or rehearsal. Add these five fun events to your calendar this week!
Soak in famous Hollywood scenery.
Sometimes a scene’s setting is just as important as its actors. Different locations become remembered for their unique roles in film and television. Lights, Camera, California: Starring Roles for Scenic Sites, presented by the California Art Club and on display at The Old Mill through May 14, celebrates cinematic locales around the state with an exhibition of paintings featuring sites from Griffith Park to the Golden Gate Bridge. (Free.)
Have a conversation with a stranger.
Portals, an art installation in Grand Park from April 10-23, aims to connect people around the world through video feeds. Step inside a golden shipping container and chat simultaneously with folks in Berlin, Mexico City, and more. It’s a great opportunity get a glimpse of everyday life in other places, which just may come in handy for an upcoming audition. (Free; reservations are requested, and walk-ups cannot be guaranteed.)
See a musical icon sing her legendary songbook.
Whether you’re obsessed with Rent or saw Wicked on Broadway hundreds of times, or are simply a lover of musical theatre in all its glory, you’ll want to catch Idina Menzel at the Greek Theatre on April 14. Sampling all of her many, many signature tunes over her illustrious career, this leading lady kicks off the Greek’s concert season in style. (Tickets start at $40.)
Forget everything you knew about a Shakespearean classic.
Even if you’ve read, seen, and even performed in one of William Shakespeare’s masterpieces, Macbeth Revisited at the New American Theatre April 8-May 13 challenges every norm. With its gender-blind casting, new choreography, and reinvention of a tale as old as time, this is a refresh for a modern era. (Tickets: $35; $20 for students.)
Do your part for the environment.
April is Earth Month, and even though Los Angeles can be a smog-ridden mess, it still deserves a little TLC. Join in the largest urban river cleanup in America with Friends of the LA River three weekends in a row starting April 15. Each Saturday features a different spot on the river, so no matter where you live, it’s a chance to tidy up for a good cause. (Free.)
And while you're at it, check out our Los Angeles audition listings!