CTG: The Gala | Center Theatre Group 2024/2025 Season Announced!

What an incredible evening at CTG: The Gala last night! It was such a treat to be in the room as Center Theatre Group honored Sir Matthew Bourne and his 27-year partnership with the organization, as well as watch the incomparable Lea Salonga perform live!

My friend Felicia and I wanted to bring some Asian representation to the red carpet so we wore our áo dài and qipao to celebrate our respective cultures!

It was also great to see my friend Melissa while we were there! We got lucky that our seats were right next to each other!

CTG’s Snehal Desai (Artistic Director) and Meghan Pressman (Managing Director/CEO) welcomed the audience to the Gala Program. I love the work that they are both are doing to support the arts while bringing the LA community together.

Lea Salonga then performed a medley of songs from Miss Saigon, Mulan, Aladdin, Les Mis, and more! The last time I got to watch her perform live was when she was in Once On This Island on Broadway back in 2018.

There were also a number of special guests who made appearances throughout the program, including Nia Vardalos and Melissa McCarthy!

Sir Matthew Bourne was honored for his incredible impact on contemporary theatre.

We also got to be the first ones to hear the announcement of the upcoming 2024/2025 season and I cannot wait for this amazing lineup of shows!

Center Theatre Group’s 2024/2025 Season Lineup:

  • Green Day’s “American Idiot” produced in collaboration with Deaf West Theatre (Mark Taper Forum, October 2 – November 10, 2024)

  • “Fake It Until You Make It” (Mark Taper Forum, January 29 – March 9, 2025)

  • “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends” North American premiere starring Bernadette Peters & Lea Salonga (Ahmanson Theatre, February 8 – March 9, 2025)

  • “Life of Pi” (Ahmanson Theatre, May 7 – June 1, 2025)

  • “Hamlet” (Mark Taper Forum, May 28 – July 6, 2025)

  • “Parade” (Ahmanson Theatre, June 17 – July 12, 2025)

  • Broadway Musical to Be Announced

And as part of their CTG:FWD program which provides greater opportunities for community gatherings and conversations while centering Los Angeles-based artists and the arts community:

  • “Duel Reality” (Ahmanson Theatre, September 11–22, 2024)

  • TheaterWorksUSA’s Production of “Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical” (Kirk Douglas Theatre, November 22, 2024 – January 5, 2025)

  • TheaterWorksUSA’s Production of “El Otro Oz” (Kirk Douglas Theatre, Dates TBD)

Then it was time to head to the after party at the Jerry Moss Plaza! I got to snap a quick photo with Melissa McCarthy before she left the event, and she was the sweetest!

I ended the evening meeting Merle Dandridge, who I loved seeing as Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music at the Pasadena Playhouse last year! We love seeing AAPI representation on stage!

Huge thank you to Center Theatre Group for inviting me to attend The Gala! I had an amazing time!

xo,
Keshia

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