LOS ANGELES (November 12, 2024) – Oh, what fun The Music Center—L.A.’s premier performing arts center—will be this holiday season! From The Music Center’s programming division TMC Arts to its resident company campus partners (Center Theatre Group, LA Opera, the LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale) and Gloria Molina Grand Park, visitors all of ages to DTLA will find a winter wonderland destination bringing tidings of comfort and joy this December. Beginning with the L.A. County Tree Lighting Ceremony—L.A.’s official kickoff of the holiday season—and ringing in 2025 at Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA, plus sing-along events with the LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale and more in between, all will be merry and bright. Mark your holiday calendars today for the following free and paid ticketed events* before Grandma gets run over by a reindeer!
To view the complete list, visit musiccenter.org/hohoho.
- Sunday, December 1, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Leslie Odom, Jr.: The Christmas Tour presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
The deft, stylish and charismatic Leslie Odom, Jr., won a Tony® Award and a Grammy® Award for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in Hamilton, and his moving performance as Sam Cooke in the 2020 film One Night in Miami earned him an Oscar® nomination. Now, he returns to The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall for a night of holiday hits, including selections from his release The Christmas Album, which Broadway World says “…infuses love, joy, and merriment into the holiday season.”
- Monday, December 2, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.
L.A. County Tree Lighting Ceremony presented by The Music Center
Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Arrive early to this annual free public celebration to enjoy live music, art-making, snow flurries and complimentary hot chocolate. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors will offer holiday greetings before lighting the tree. Come after work and bring the whole family!
- Monday, December 2, 2024 – December 31, 2024
Holiday Lights presented by Gloria Molina Grand Park
Gloria Molina Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
See a new kind of glow at Gloria Molina Grand Park when its magnificent Pink Sphere Tree shines brilliantly in all its splendor. Sprinkle in a beautiful menorah and twinkling lights, and the park for everyone is guaranteed to get all Angelenos in the holiday spirit!
- Monday, December 2, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Dinner with Santa at The Music Center presented by Hope & Grand at The Music Center
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Angelenos of all ages are invited to celebrate the holiday season by spending a magical dinner with Santa! This special event on the fifth floor ballroom of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion will be held alongside the annual L.A. County Tree Lighting Ceremony—a perfect way to embrace the festive spirit with family and friends. Guests will enjoy a family-style dinner and dessert bar, a photo booth meet-and-greet with Santa, cookie decorating art activity, a cozy hot cocoa station with all the toppings and more. Reservations required.
- Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Intimate Schoenberg presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
When Arnold Schoenberg discovered Richard Dehmel’s philosophical love poems from Weib und Welt (Woman and World), he said, “They were what first made me try to find a new tone in the lyrical mood.” Reading about transformation, contradiction and the necessity for innovation, Schoenberg threw himself into what would become his first masterpiece: Transfigured Night. It is a rich, complex and highly chromatic sextet, with one foot firmly set in post-Romanticism. With his First String Quartet, Romanticism becomes more abstract as overlapping melodies move across new harmonies and chord progressions, making it an intense and highly absorbing adventure. Come early at 6:30 p.m. to enjoy a complimentary glass of wine before the performance.
- Friday, December 6, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Brahms with Zubin Mehta presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
The New York Times champions Leonidas Kavakos as a wonder on the violin, writing: “The music flowed out of him like a river—big, glistening, and unobstructed, but also tasteful in its frictionless subtleties.” The Greek violinist effortlessly captures Brahms’ desire for lyrical perfection in the composer’s Violin Concerto. Then, Zubin Mehta further explores Brahms’ masterful and Romantic voice with the Second Symphony, featuring one of the most affecting melodies the composer has written.
- Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Festival of Carols presented by the Los Angeles Master Chorale
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
The world’s most spectacular choral arrangements of carols sung by the incomparable voices of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, in the world-class acoustics of The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall. This is the concert that is guaranteed to put you and your family into the spirit of the season! Children aged six and older are welcome to attend.
- Tuesday, December 10, 2024 – Sunday, January 5, 2025
Tuesdays thru Fridays at 8:00 p.m.
Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
No Performances on December 25 or January 1
Once Upon a Mattress presented by Center Theatre Group
The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Musical theatre legend Sutton Foster (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Music Man) returns to The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre as Princess Winnifred in the beloved musical fairytale Once Upon a Mattress. Full of gloriously catchy melodies like Shy and In a Little While, this uproarious update of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea promises both classic charms and new delights. Directed by Tony®-nominated Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet (Into the Woods) and with a new adaptation by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Once Upon a Mattress sets an unapologetic free spirit loose in a repressed kingdom, reveling in Winnifred’s ability to charm and transform with willpower, honesty and a little bit of help from her friends.
- Friday, December 13, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Zubin Mehta Conducts Gurrelieder presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Gurrelieder’s lush Romantic atmosphere, hyper-emotional language, endless melody and sprawling scale bring to mind names like Wagner or Mahler. Arnold Schoenberg composed the cantata as a monument to late Romanticism before landing on his expressionist style that helped set off a musical revolution in the 20th century. Gurrelieder’s massive scale—calling for five soloists, multiple choirs, a narrator and gargantuan orchestra—has made it a rarely performed but beloved masterpiece. Equally rare are conductors who know how to navigate the piece, and LA Phil Conductor Emeritus Zubin Mehta is an expert in revealing the operatic emotion and architecture of Gurrelieder. He conducted the LA Phil premiere, recorded it multiple times and chose it for his final concert as the New York Philharmonic’s music director. Don’t miss this special opportunity to experience Mehta’s return to one of his signature pieces!
- Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 2:30 p.m.
Holiday Sing-Along presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Ring in the season at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall! Join in song with hundreds of fellow revelers—plus a jazz combo, a choir and the pipe organ—for this joyous annual tradition. It's a jolly good time for the whole family! Children ages 2 and up are permitted. There will be no intermission for this concert.
- Saturday. December 14, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Kristin Chenoweth Holiday Concert presented by LA Opera
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Tony® winner, Emmy® winner and all-around delight Kristin Chenoweth brings the spirit of the holiday season to The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Hear a selection of glittering holiday favorites from the beloved and truly Popular icon of stage and screen, supported by the great LA Opera Orchestra conducted by Mary-Mitchell Campbell.
- Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
Handel-Mozart Messiah presented by the Los Angeles Master Chorale
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
In celebration of its 60th Anniversary, the LA Master Chorale presents the rarely performed Mozart version of Handel’s Messiah. A tribute from one musical genius to another—Mozart’s “cover” of Handel’s Messiah is a revelation of symphonic grandeur and sensuous orchestral colors. In this extraordinary collaboration across centuries, Mozart’s nuanced arrangement elegantly enhances the grandeur of Handel’s sacred masterpiece. This is a rare opportunity to experience a beloved classic in a totally new way.
- Monday, December 16, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
Carols on the Plaza presented by the Los Angeles Master Chorale
Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Meet in front of the Holiday Tree on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center to gather and delight in singing the songs of the holidays—Deck the Halls, Frosty the Snowman, Joy to the World and more—alongside 20 singers from the Chorale! Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director Grant Gershon will lead everyone in an evening of merriment and perhaps a little mischief. Experience a special performance by singers from the Chorale’s new education program, Youth Chorus LA!
- Monday, December 16, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.
Messiah Sing-Along | L.A. Sings! Presented by the Los Angeles Master Chorale
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Come sing with us! Messiah Sing-Along will renew the spirit and infuse your Christmas season with joy. Revel in the magic, relish the tradition and create memories that will last a lifetime.
- Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Chanticleer presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
From the candlelit chant procession to the triumphant gospel finale, Chanticleer presents a cappella arrangements of some of the greatest and most moving Christmas music from throughout the centuries. It is a holiday tradition—and an unforgettable night—when the Grammy®-winning “orchestra of voices” comes to town.
- Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Jennifer Hudson: The Gift of Love presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
The holidays are here! The youngest female EGOT winner in history comes to The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall to perform selections off her new album The Gift of Love.
- Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 22, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 22, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Home Alone in Concert presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
A true holiday favorite, the beloved comedy classic Home Alone features renowned composer John Williams' charming and delightful score performed live to picture and conducted by David Newman. Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old boy who is accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family! Children ages 2 and up are permitted.
- Monday, December 23, 2024, at 8:00 p.m.
Arturo Sandoval Swinging Holiday presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Jazz up your holidays! The multiple Grammy®-winning Arturo Sandoval makes it a jumping, jiving, jingling night at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, performing a program of holiday favorites.
- Tuesday, December 24, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
The 65th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration presented by The Music Center
The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
An L.A. holiday tradition since 1959, the two-time Emmy® award-winning free holiday spectacular, the 65th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration will once again spread joy to thousands of Angelenos on Christmas Eve at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with performances by nearly 30 music ensembles, choirs, dance companies and, for the first time, circus acts and theatrical performances. The event represents L.A. County’s many diverse neighborhoods and cultures. This is a free but ticketed event. Please visit holidaycelebration.org for ticketing details. At-home audiences can watch the live broadcast on PBS SoCal or stream the show live on the pbssocal.org website.
- Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at 10:30 p.m.
New Year’s Eve with D-Nice & Friends presented by the LA Phil
The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Legendary artist and DJ D-Nice ushers in 2025! His spirit of positivity brought millions together for Club Quarantine, both online and in one of the highlights of the 2021 Hollywood Bowl season. Following appearances at the 94th Academy Awards and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, as well as concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater, DJ D-Nice sets it off for a party worthy of the biggest night of the year.
- Saturday, December 31, 2024 – January 1, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA
Gloria Molina Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
Join with thousands of Angelenos to ring in the new year with Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA, the biggest free New Year’s Eve music and dance party on the West Coast, starring some of the best local and global DJs and musicians who will perform on two stages! The alcohol-free celebration for the whole family crescendos with an epic countdown to 2025 depicted by the park’s signature 3-D video projection and laser show on City Hall.
- Tuesdays thru Fridays in December, at 11:00 a.m.
Saturdays and Sundays in December, at 10:15 a.m.
The Music Center Tours
Meet at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
A perfect way to entertain out-of-town guests, The Music Center offers free tours of its theatres during the holidays and throughout the year led by volunteer Music Center docents, the Symphonians. The 90-minute tours include The Music Center’s four theatres—Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall— with details of each theatre’s history and architecture, along with Jerry Moss Plaza, and also highlight the numerous pieces of artwork, sculptures, tapestries, paintings and antiques from across the globe that date back to the 17th century. The tour offers guests an insider perspective on the history of the campus and Downtown Los Angeles through shared stories collected through The Music Center’s 60 years as the heart of Los Angeles County’s cultural life. Tours begin in the Grand Lobby of Walt Disney Concert Hall. For more information, including a schedule of self-guided audio tours, visit musiccenter.org.
*Programs and artists subject to change.
ABOUT THE MUSIC CENTER
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. Celebrating its 60th year in 2024, the $80 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park, which comprise $3 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org and follow The Music Center on social media @MusicCenterLA.
ABOUT GLORIA MOLINA GRAND PARK
A vibrant outdoor gathering place, Gloria Molina Grand Park is a beautiful public park for the entire community in Los Angeles County. With expansive green space for gatherings large and small, Gloria Molina Grand Park celebrates the county’s cultural vitality and is host to community events, cultural experiences, holiday celebrations and many other activities that engage and attract visitors from all communities. The 12-acre Gloria Molina Grand Park, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022, stretches from The Music Center on the west to City Hall on the east and is easily accessible by Metro via the B/D (formerly Red/Purple) line to the Civic Center/Grand Park station. The park was named one of American Planning Association’s 10 “Great Public Spaces” in the U.S. for 2013. Working closely with the county, The Music Center is responsible for all operations and programming for the park. For more information, visit grandparkla.org. Follow Gloria Molina Grand Park on Instagram, X, Twitch, TikTok, Spotify and Mixcloud (@grandpark_la) as well as YouTube and Facebook (@grandparkLosAngeles).
ABOUT CENTER THEATRE GROUP
Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles’ leading not-for-profit theatre company, which, under the leadership of Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Center Theatre Group is one of the country’s leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstances to serve Los Angeles. Founded in 1967, Center Theatre Group has produced more than 700 productions across its three stages, including such iconic shows as Zoot Suit; Angels in America; The Kentucky Cycle; Biloxi Blues; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Children of a Lesser God; Curtains; The Drowsy Chaperone; 9 to 5: The Musical; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. CenterTheatreGroup.org
ABOUT LA OPERA
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies. In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.
ABOUT THE LA PHIL
Under the leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil offers live performances, media initiatives and learning programs that inspire and strengthen communities in Los Angeles and beyond. The Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra is the foundation of the LA Phil’s offerings, which also include a multi-genre, multidisciplinary presenting program and such youth development programs as YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles). Performances are offered on three historic stages—Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and The Ford—as well as through a variety of media platforms. In all its endeavors, the LA Phil seeks to enrich the lives of individuals and communities through musical, artistic and learning experiences that resonate in our world today.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
The Grammy™ Award-winning Los Angeles Master Chorale is the “the finest-by-far major chorus in America” (Los Angeles Times) and a vibrant cultural treasure. Hailed for its powerful performances, technical precision, and artistic daring, the Master Chorale is led by Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in the 2024/25 season, the Master Chorale reaches over 175,000 people a year through its concert series at Walt Disney Concert Hall, international touring of innovative works, commissions, recordings, and community education programs. The mission of the Master Chorale is to share the traditional and evolving spectrum of choral music with the widest possible audience.
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