The CAP UCLA 2016-2017 Season Just Announced
Yesterday evening I found myself heading to UCLA. I wasn’t there for any academic reason but instead found myself at Royce Hall for the announcement of 2016-2017 CAP UCLA Season.
I’m a big fan of the performing arts and Royce Hall is one of LA’s premier venues. Not only is it a beautiful structure but it also has wonderful acoustics. This past January I attended a piano recital by Denis Matsuev and it was a performance I won’t soon forget. As such, I was eager to hear what’s in store for the upcoming season.
In the upcoming year there will be wide variety of performances of dance, theatre, music and spoken word with artists ranging from the legendary Burt Bacharach to the indie titan Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields. Within this diverse field are a few performances that are my must sees.
On October 7 Kronos Quartet will be presenting Beyond Zero 1914-1918. This performance commemorates the 100 year anniversary of World War I and archival footage of the war will accompany the quartet. World War I was such a significant event in world history and as time goes on it becomes more and more forgotten. A performance like this is an important reminder of an event that reshaped humankind.
On November 19 Robert Wilson and Mikhail Baryshnikov will present Letter to a Man – a theatrical performance based on the diaries of famed dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. I was lucky enough to catch Baryshnikov on stage at The Broad Stage a couple of years ago and he is a dynamic performer. This performance is sure to be a fascinating glimpse into the tortured mind of the famous dancer.
From December 6 – December 11 Forced Entertainment will present all 36 works of Shakespeare in 6 days. This innovative British theatre company will perform Table Top Shakespeare – condensed versions of each work from the famed playwright. It’s sure to be an unforgettable experience.
On Friday February 10 choreographer Jonah Bokaer will present Rules of the Game. With scenography by Daniel Arsham and an original score by Pharell Williams it’s a performance inspired by the Italian play Il gioco dell parti. This is Pharell’s first theater piece and I can only imagine how innovative it will be.
These are but a few of the many CAP UCLA performances in store for the 2016-2017 season. I, for one, am looking forward to many future visits to Royce Hall.