July 2016
Aloe Blacc
Best known for his 2013 #1 single with Avicii "Wake Me Up," singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc brings his distinct soulful artistry to the Ford stage for the first time with an intimate, acoustic concert under the stars. Aloe will perform his own arrangements of songs by Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Joni Mitchell. Joining Aloe on the Ford's newly renovated stage will be LA-based guitarist Woody Aplanalp; local Brazilian guitarist Fabiano do Nascimento; East LA-based son jarocho band Cambalache; soul/rock fusion…
Find out more »Mythili & Aditya Prakash
Indian classical performers Mythili and Aditya Prakash are teaming up with Shakti Dance Company to bring you MARA - A Fantastical Journey to the Far Edges of the Mind this month at the Ford Theatre. Combining the Indian raga with funk, brass band jazz, and experimental multimedia projections, MARA is sure to be an unforgettable experience that engages the senses and boggles the mind. The performance centers on the demon Mara, notorious for trying to keep Buddha from reaching enlightenment. MARA's impressive synthesis of stylings from all over the globe offers…
Find out more »August 2016
Tiempo de Morir (Time to Die) Film Screening
Come experience a classic Mexican western written by Gabriel García Marquez and Carlos Fuentes! Tiempo de Morir is smart, dramatic, artistic, poignant, and, of course, action-packed. Presented by Libros Schmibros under the stars at the Ford Theatre, the film will be introduced by Marquez's son, acclaimed director Rodrigo García (Mother and Child, Nine Lives, Six Feet Under).
Find out more »Lila Downs with Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Co.
Known for her innovative approach to music inspired by ancient cultures, the Grammy® Award-winning Mexican-American singer/songwriter Lila Downs will share the stage with longtime Ford Theatres artist and one of the premier folklorico dance companies in Los Angeles, Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company, in a concert showcasing traditional Mexican celebrations from indigenous cultures and regions of Mexico. From Lila's Mixtec Indian heritage to her fusion of international sounds and musical genres, the concert will showcase her ability to meld reinterpretations of blues, jazz…
Find out more »Urban Bush Women and CONTRA-TIEMPO
Brooklyn, New York-based dance company Urban Bush Women(UBW) will perform the West Coast premiere of their newest work,Walking with 'Trane, a nonlinear story-based dance inspired by the musical life and spiritual journey of John Coltrane, a composer at the forefront of jazz innovation in racially-charged, 1960s America. In this work, UBW explore the dynamics of Coltrane's music through experimental movement and an original soundscape inspired by his musical legacy. The evening will begin with a performance by Los Angeles-based dance company CONTRA-TIEMPO of…
Find out more »September 2016
ARTISTA + ACTIVISTA = ARTIVISTA!
PRESENTED BY ARTIVIST ENTERTAINMENT Artivist Entertainment presents an unforgettable evening of music and art by exemplary women artivistas (artist/activists) whose work focuses on stories of resistance, empowerment, equality and social justice that have inspired positive social change in their communities and beyond. The evening's incredible line-up includes La Marisoul (of La Santa Cecilia), Alice Bag, Martha Gonzalez (of Quetzal), Medusa, Maya Jupiter, Oracle Jayne Doe, Ceci Bastida, Irka Mateo, Ofelia Esparza, Georgia Ann Muldrow, Marisa Ronstadt and Kara Mack.
Find out more »August 2017
August 2018
8th Annual Flypoet Summer Classic
L.A.s Biggest Baddest All-STAR Spoken Word, Music & Art Event featuring special musical guest 9X GRAMMY NOM Marsha Ambrosius Flypoet is a Highly curated, ALL-STAR Lineup of ONLY the HARDEST HITTING SPOKEN WORD ARTISTS IN THE WORLD! FEATURING International spoken word superstar Taalam Acey Spoken Word lyrical BEAST Anthony McPherson 2017 Women of the World Slam Champion EBONI STEWART Plus amazing real time interpretive performance painting by the legendary Norton Wisdom - Prepare to be SEVERELY Entertained! - Our 8th Annual SUMMER CLASSIC will…
Find out more »October 2018
The Secret City
IGNITE @ THE FORD! The Secret City is an Obie Award-winning arts organization that presents community celebrations of everyday creative life. Part ceremony, part salon, part show, each gathering has a different theme and an ever-changing roster of artists and performers. In addition to seats in the house, a limited number of seats are available on the Ford stage for this participatory and intimate event that will feature storytelling, a live band, performance, food, meditation, The Secret City Singers and joyful community interaction. The…
Find out more »April 2019
The Spring Quartet
The Ford Theatres opens its 2019 Season on April 27th with jazz super group The Spring Quartet. NEA jazz master Jack DeJohnette, among the most influential drummers in history, will be joined by GRAMMY®-winning saxophonist Joe Lovano, one of the era’s definitive improvisers; the formidable Argentine pianist Leo Genovese; and interdisciplinary creator Esperanza Spalding, stepping back into bass playing for this rare gathering. The Guardian says, “These stars played like gifted unknowns with nothing to lose in a set that eschewed standards in favor of some dazzling collective improv.”
Find out more »June 2019
Last Whispers – Oratorio for Vanishing Voices
At an unprecedented speed, humanity's linguistic diversity – the very means by which we know ourselves – is eroding. Dedicated to the extinction of languages, this immersive oratorio is simultaneously a spatially-designed sound composition and film. Created by Lena Herzog with sound design by Mark Mangini and Marco Capalbo. Presented with LACMA and the Natural History Museum.
Find out more »Element Band with Miqayel Voskanyan
Element Band’s large-bodied vocals and contemporary sounds both preserve and refresh traditional Armenian songs. Direct from Armenia, Miqayel Voskanyan and band will open with a set of folk and jazz-fusion combinations.
Find out more »GAME CHANGERS: BOYZ N THE HOOD
Boyz N the Hood (1991) Directed by John Singleton Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Angela Bassett, Nia Long, Regina King, Lloyd Avery II, Tyra Ferrell The tale of three teens growing up in an L.A. neighborhood: one lives for sports; another for crime; and the last learns about strength of character and being responsible. RESERVED SEATING Tickets (per evening): Preferred $30, General $20 6:00PM – Gates open 8:00PM – Moderated conversation with special guests 8:30PM…
Find out more »Game Changers: Toy Story
Toy Story (1995) Directed by John Lasseter Starring Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, Laurie Metcalf, Andrew Stanton, Jeff Pidgeon, R. Lee Ermey, John Morris, Jim Varney, Erik von Detten Set in a world where toys come to life when people aren’t around, two rival toys—Woody, a pull-string cowboy sheriff, and Buzz Lightyear, an ace space ranger—must put aside their differences when they get separated from their owner, Andy, and find themselves on an…
Find out more »Game Changers: Stranger Things 3
Stranger Things 3 (2019) presented by Netflix The screening will include the final episode of season 2 and the premiere episode of season 3 ahead of its streaming premiere Thursday, July 4 on Netflix. Created by the Duffer Brothers Starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Cara Buono, Maya Hawke It’s 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana, and summer's heating up. School’s out,…
Find out more »Game Changers: Thelma & Louise
Thelma & Louise (1991) Directed by Ridley Scott Starring Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Brad Pitt, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, Harvey Keitel, Stephen Tobolowsky Somebody said get a life...so they did. In Ridley Scott's adventurous road picture, two friends--unhappy housewife Thelma (Geena Davis) and strong-willed waitress Louise (Susan Sarandon)--leave responsibilities behind to take a weekend fishing trip in the mountains in their 1966 T-bird convertible. But...at a roadside honky-tonk, where they stop to "blow off steam," a man tries to rape…
Find out more »July 2019
Meshell Ndegeocello
This visionary vocalist and bassist will perform music from her new album Ventriloquism, which is lush and investigative, subversive and sublime. This collection of cover songs comments on the sound and structure of black music, while offering a musical refuge during these uncertain times.
Find out more »Rennie Harris Funkedified
The Ford Theatres’ Benefit Concert is a celebration of funk music and 1970s street dance that is pure joy on stage, courtesy of choreographer Rennie Harris, called the “Basquiat of US contemporary dance scene” by The London Times and “the most brilliant hip-hop choreographer in America” by The New Yorker. Dancers from Rennie Harris Puremovement, The Hood Lockers and Versa-Style Dance Company will perform to a live band playing funk favorites by James Brown, George Clinton and more.
Find out more »Kinky with M.I.S.
Curated by radio/TV host and journalist Nic Harcourt, electronic/funk/rock band Kinky will perform music off of their album, Nada Vale Más Que Tú, with opening set by Mexico City-based DJ Mexican Institute of Sound.
Find out more »August 2019
Urban Bush Women: Hair & Other Stories
Choreographed by Urban Bush Women Associate Artistic Directors Chanon Judson and Samantha Speis, in collaboration with the company, Hair & Other Stories is a multidisciplinary experience that blends dance-theatre with conversations that challenge existing American values and celebrate our choices around “who we be” and “how we do.” Crafted from personal narratives, the piece explores disquieting perceptions of beauty, identity and race, and what constitutes the freedom to rise beyond our ordinary selves in extraordinary times. Featuring new music compositions by The Illustrious Blacks (Manchildblack and Monstah Black) with stage…
Find out more »September 2019
Olga Pericet Company – La Espina
The Thorn that Dreamed of Being a Flower or the Flower that Dreamed of Being a Dancer Presented with the Fountain Theatre Blending a respect for tradition with a contemporary vision, award-winning flamenco dancer Olga Pericet embarks on a personal journey, creating a world in which feminine and masculine, humor and drama appear in equal parts. "Olga Pericet in a powerhouse performance..." - The New York Times
Find out more »October 2019
Hassan Hajjaj: My Rockstars
Artist Hassan Hajjaj’s world-renowned My Rockstars series comes alive in this musical art installation. Clad in clothing designed by Hajjaj, these “Rock Stars” bridge the culture gap between now and then, us and them, reflecting a fusion of Moroccan craftsmanship and contemporary performance. Presented with UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.
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