The following is a list of curated Long Beach events and paid placements published every Wednesday on the Hi-lo and Long Beach Post. Have an event to share? Email [email protected] with “Things to Do” in the subject line.
This weekend’s Long Beach roundup features theater performances and a districtwide celebration of the equinox.
Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Friday, March 21 – Sunday, March 23)
Landmark Theatre presents “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” a staged reading, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
In Paris in 1904, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso meet at The Lapin Agile, a beloved watering hole. The renowned scientist is about to transform physics with his theory of relativity, and the celebrated painter will soon set the art world afire with cubism. But on this night, with egos as large as their intellects, they will spar with the regulars and each other about art, science, inspiration, love, and the promise of the 20th Century.
Landmark Theatre is at 241 Cedar Ave. Tickets cost $25 to $35. For more information and tickets, visit lblandmark.org.
The Piano Lesson (Friday, March 21 – Saturday, March 22)
Long Beach Playhouse presents August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” at the Mainstage Theater Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
In this play, the past is a ghost that haunts a Black family’s dreams of a better life. It’s the Great Depression, and Boy Willie has come north to Pittsburgh to see his sister, Bernice, with an opportunity to buy some land down home in Mississippi. He wants her to sell the family’s antique piano. But it is more than just a musical instrument; it’s a testament to the family’s rise from slavery, carved with the images of their ancestors. As the siblings contend with each other, can they escape the lives of their forefathers and put to rest the ghosts that still haunt them?
Long Beach Playhouse is at 5021 E. Anaheim St. Tickets cost $20 to $25. For more information, call 562-494-1014 or visit lbplayhouse.org.
Via Zeferia (Saturday, March 22) – sponsored
Via Zaferia! is a Districtwide celebration featuring live music, arts and crafts, shopping, food and drink, and more! Join us Saturday, March 22 from 3 to 8 p.m. for this fun event featuring:
- The Artist CoOp at 1330 Gladys Ave: Artist market, open house, DJ, and more @artistcoop
- Community Yoga Club at 3700 E. Anaheim St.: Sound bath, henna art, plus hair tinsel by @gold_salon_lbc at @aylb.community
- Compound at 1395 Coronado Ave.: Nature station including a baby chick petting zoo provided by @groundeducation plus a collage craft @compoundlbc
- Port City Tavern at 4306 E. Anaheim St.: Kids’ music mixing lab by @studiosforschools, a bounce house, free ice cream, and an adult beverage garden all in the parking lot at @portcitytavernlb (all ages in the parking lot, 21+ inside)
- Pulp Fiction Comics at 3925 E. Anaheim St.: Mega book sale and more @pulpfictionlongbeach
- Supply & Demand at 2500 E. Anaheim St.: Live bands including Guilty Strangers, Stormhouse and more @supply_and_demand_lbc (21+)
- Buvons Wine Bar at 1147 Loma Ave.: Space Beach Cowboys live @buvonswinebar
Plus Big Red Bus rides to participating businesses so you can check out all the fun in the district. There is no one central location for this event — you can start at any of the participating businesses!
Park at LBS Financial at 4341 E. 10th St. and hop on the bus to get to all the fun spots. The best part? It’s free! Follow us on IG or visit our website for the full schedule of events and bus tracker. Sponsored by the Port of Long Beach.
Film Screening and Panel (Saturday, March 22)
Rancho Los Cerritos presents “Fire on the Hill: The Cowboys of South Central LA” film screening and panel discussion from 5 to 8 p.m.
The documentary feature film tells the story of the Black Cowboys of Compton and South Central LA, and their fight to preserve their culture by resurrecting an inner-city horse stable that was mysteriously burnt to the ground. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion with the film’s director, Brett Fallentine, plus film subject and Urban Saddles founder, Ghuan Featherstone.
Rancho Los Cerritos is located at 4600 N. Virginia Road. Admission is $15 per person and $25 per couple. For more information, click here.
The Magic of Jen Kramer (Saturday, March 22)
Carpenter Performing Arts Center presents the Magic of Jen Kramer at 8 p.m.
Straight from her own headlining show in Las Vegas, magician Jen Kramer thrills with mind-blowing magic and jaw-dropping fun for all ages. A member of the Society of American Magicians, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Academy of Magical Arts, and Hollywood’s world-famous Magic Castle, Jen Kramer has brought her world-class sleight of hand and creative magic to “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and was International Magicians Society’s Female Magician of the Year.
Carpenter Performing Arts Center is at 6200 E. Atherton St. Tickets cost $25.75 to $48.75. For more information and tickets, call 562-985-7000 or click carpenterarts.org.
Gardening Event (Monday, March 24)
South Coast Orchid Society of Long Beach welcomes Carol Beule who will present “Kyoto, Nara, and the Japan Fuukiran Society” at Whaley Park Community Center from 7 to 9 p.m. As part of the Society’s 75th anniversary, Beule will take the audience on a journey from Kyoto to Nara, visiting the temples and places of interest along the way, and then to the Japan Fuukiran Society meetings in Hamamatsu, Japan, featuring the fuukiran (“wind orchid,” Vanda falcata), a small but very tough little plant with an amazing fragrance and infinite variety in its flowers and foliage.
Whaley Park Community Center is at 5620 Atherton St. For more information, email [email protected].
The Longevity Imperative – Charting the New Map of Life (Wednesday, April 2) – sponsored
Presented by Dr. Laura Carstensen, Stanford Center on Longevity
Life expectancy nearly doubled in the 20th century, creating a demographic revolution that presents unprecedented opportunities to improve quality of life. Yet a fundamental mismatch persists between extended longevity and societal frameworks designed for much shorter lives. To address these challenges, health spans must be extended to match life spans, financial systems must be reimagined, and education must evolve from front-loaded learning to continuous lifelong development. By leveraging scientific advances while critically examining established cultural practices and institutions, additional years can significantly enhance human flourishing.
This talk provides a broad overview of longevity, explores cultural factors that contributed to increased life expectancy, and presents a blueprint for a new map of life that better supports century-long lives.
Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy cocktails, conversations, music, and crafts in our Art Gallery and experience our interactive Paint-a-Fish exhibit.
This is an adult-oriented program recommended for young professionals – seniors (not suitable for young children). This lecture will also be live-streamed for those unable to join in person. Click here for more info and tickets.
Playhouse Gallery art reception (Saturday, May 24) – sponsored
The Long Beach Playhouse Gallery invites you to attend the preview reception for The Newly Moderne: An Exhibit of Abstract Expressionism by Long Beach artists, Donald Tiscareno. Saturday, May 24 from noon to 4 p.m. 5021 Anaheim Street, Long Beach. Refreshments served. Parking in rear.