{"id":86814,"date":"2025-08-28T07:40:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T14:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=86814"},"modified":"2025-08-28T08:18:49","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T15:18:49","slug":"theater-news-carpenter-center-season-kicks-off-new-season-with-soul-singer-bilal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/art\/theater-news-carpenter-center-season-kicks-off-new-season-with-soul-singer-bilal","title":{"rendered":"Theater News: Carpenter Center kicks off new season with soul singer Bilal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Theater News, a regular column by longtime reviewer Anita W. Harris. Look for it most Thursdays. Or sign up<\/a> for our Eat See Do newsletter to get it in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as schools reopen, the Carpenter Performing Arts Center \u2014 fittingly located on the Cal State Long Beach campus \u2014 is kicking off its new 2025-26 season in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The season includes an array of performance genres, including music, dance and a \u201cWit & Wisdom\u201d series that features Sandra Bernhard, Baratunde Thurston and Mandy Patinkin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrons can buy tickets for individual shows or subscribe to a series of shows like \u201cWit & Wisdom\u201d \u2014 but also cabaret, dance, or Sunday afternoon concerts \u2014 to save in bulk. Patrons can also build their own series of three or more shows and save from 15 to 25% compared to purchasing individually, according to the Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNew this season is the introduction of tiered pricing for most performances, making shows even more affordable and accessible,\u201d the Center says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Link<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also offering a new series this season called \u201cSpotlight Sessions,\u201d featuring a \u201cdiverse selection of genre-defying artists and rising voices,\u201d where audiences sit directly on stage with the performers \u2014 along with bar service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up in that series is Grammy-winning soul, jazz and R&B artist Bilal, performing on Sept. 12 and 13 to kick off the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comedian and actress Sandra Bernhard follows on Sept. 27 with her signature combination of verbal wit, music, song and storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And \u201cBritish Legends\u201d round out the month on Sept. 28, allowing audiences to \u201crelive pop history\u201d with legendary musicians like David Bowie, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart brought to life by cover artists performing classic hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur 2025-2026 season is one of our finest,\u201d said Executive Director Megan Kline Crockett, \u201cwith a diverse and uplifting selection of shows that capture the magic of live performance and continue to reflect and celebrate the great diversity of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In October, boundary-pushing flamenco dance troupe Noche Flamenca performs \u201cSearching for Goya,\u201d a new work that takes audiences through the Spanish artist\u2019s \u201cgraphic imagination and response to the political turmoil and injustices of his time,\u201d the Center says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November shows include the innovative Alonzo King LINES Ballet dancing to the music of Alice Coltrane, and troubadour-and-storyteller troupe Live from Laurel Canyon playing songs from the 18 months John Lennon called his \u201clost weekend\u201d collaborating with singer Harry Nilsson in Los Angeles after the Beatles broke up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, November will see Broadway singer Melissa Errico performing Barbara Streisand songs, cultural critic and comedian Baratunde Thurston, and the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra playing at the intersection of jazz and classical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Border band Jarabe Mexicano, scheduled to perform at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on Dec. 5. Photo courtesy of the Carpenter Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

December shows offer holiday spirit with border band Jarabe Mexicano\u2019s \u201cA Borde\u00f1o Soul Christmas,\u201d jazz pianist David Benoit\u2019s \u201cA Tribute to Charlie Brown Christmas\u201d and \u201cA Broadway Holiday with David Burnham.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And by the way, many of these shows include the option of a three-course dinner served along with the performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new year continues in the same eclectic spirit from January to May, including the Peking Acrobats, the Miles Electric Band, \u201ccuchi cuchi\u201d flamenco-guitarist Charo, Mandy Patinkin singing classic Broadway and American tunes, Eagles tribute band Hotel California, and Cirque Kalabant\u00e9 \u2014 which infuses African culture into \u201cdazzling, gravity-defying acrobatics\u201d along with live Afro-Jazz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, reading about all these shows makes me excited to see some and also grateful that Long Beach has such an impressive and vibrant performance venue right here in our own backyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a full schedule of shows and to purchase tickets or series packages, call the box office at 562-985-7000 or visit <\/i>CarpenterArts.org<\/i><\/a>. Paid parking is available in Lot G12, recently renovated and directly in front of the theater. The Carpenter Center is at 6200 E. Atherton St.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s this season’s lineup for one of Long Beach’s impressive and vibrant performance venues right here in our own backyard.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":86816,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[32310],"class_list":["post-86814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86814"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86820,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86814\/revisions\/86820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/86816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86814"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=86814"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=86814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}