We’ve made it to month two of 2019, and so far, so good. From a weekend of free entry to museums to a mush fest at the Aero, get stoked for a month full of fun stuff to do.
Museums Free-for-All
February 2-3
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtSDQNshhtF/If seeing more art was part of your New Year’s resolution, first of all, we get it. Second, good news: For two days, more than 40 museums—including the Broad, California Science Center, LACMA, and MOCA—invite you to take a gander, gratis. Use the Metro Trip Planner at socalmuseums.org to make your gallery hopping as efficient as can be.
Jérôme Bel: Gala
February 2
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtB9RntnpRE/French choreographer Bel bucks convention with a show that puts pros and amateurs on the same stage. The point? To embrace performers of mixed abilities, genders, and generations. The result? A totally unique celebration of individuality. See for yourself at downtown’s Theatre at Ace Hotel.
Chinese New Year
February 5
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfZpmiLhQqO/2019 is the Year of the Pig—an animal that symbolizes wealth in Chinese culture. Usher in a new year of riches at events all over town, from Disney Hall’s East-meets-West concert with violinist Ray Chen (February 6-7) to the 120th annual Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown (February 9).
Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella
February 5-March 10
https://www.instagram.com/p/Brn1NR2l2dd/Bourne—no relation to Jason, if you were wondering—brings his impeccably choreographed ballet to the Ahmanson. But don’t expect the fairy tale you grew up on. This interpretation, danced to Sergei Prokofiev’s composition and set in London during World War II, is as dark as it is dazzling, with the story unfolding amid bomb-ravaged buildings and the sound of exploding shells.
Red Bull Music Festival
February 7-28
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgiD2tnOJJ/The multi-venue concert series won’t give you wings, but you will get some face time with the likes of singer-songwriter San Cha, hip-hop photog Gunner Stahl, and Swedish pop icon Robyn, who is launching her North American tour with two nights at the Palladium (February 22-23).
Edwardian Ball
February 9
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtScHuGAwKE/Head to the Fonda Theatre for another year of this bizarro party feting the late Edward Gorey. This year’s festivities, inspired by the author-illustrator ’s burlesque The Epiplectic Bicycle, include drinking, dancing, and playing parlor games till the thought of a steam-powered tea garden sounds normal. Outlandish costumes encouraged.
Barracoon: A Tribute to Zora Neale Hurston
February 10
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfgxAYmnTEH/Hurston’s newest book is actually quite old: The late author of Their Eyes Were Watching God tried to publish Barracoon in the ’30s only to have the manuscript rejected. The Skirball Cultural Center marks Black History Month with a staged reading of the astounding work, which is based on interviews with the last living survivor of the Atlantic slave trade.
Love on the Big Screen
February 14-17
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtUu2m6htkj/Swap your Netflix and chill V-Day plans with ones we’re calling “Aero and chill.” The Aero theater’s annual mush fest returns for another year of screenings that have in the past included classics like Casablanca and Edward Scissorhands. Cap off your date night with goodies from nearby Forma or Sweet Lady Jane.
Charles White
February 16-September 14; February 17-June 9
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtRRCC9Ay69/LACMA pays homage to the late Charles White with two complementary exhibitions. The first is a retrospective at Charles White Elementary School (fka the Otis Art Institute, where the artist served as the first black faculty member) and spotlights his impact as a teacher; the second is on view at the Mid-Wilshire museum and features roughly 100 drawings, prints, and oil paintings.
Snarky Puppy
February 23
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtFPPpWnNzT/The Grammy-winning Brooklyn-based collective makes its debut with the L.A. Phil at Disney Hall. Newbies can expect a fusion of jazz, funk, and R&B; diehards will be pleasantly pumped to hear their favorite jams get some fresh orchestral arrangements.
How Letterforms & Typefaces Change the World
February 27
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrjNARGF6mb/Some say presentation is everything. Make tracks for the Getty Center to hear speakers from the typography gurus at Type Camps, Microsoft’s Advanced Reading Technologies team, and Tiro Typeworks, who’ll explain how that applies to the written (erm, typed?) word. The event’s free, but you need to reserve a ticket in advance.
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