With most events, concerts and festivals canceled or pivoting online, please consider contributing to your local arts organizations or to individual artists and performers.
L.A. County's new "safer at home" order went into effect on Nov. 30. Check the status of any drive-through events listed before heading out as the new safety measures only allow occupants in each car from the same household.
Catch a family-friendly magic show. Ring in the holidays with Cyndi Lauper and her fabulous friends. Enjoy the best (or worst) found footage videos. Celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Sing along with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles.
Manual Cinema's Christmas Carol
The Soraya presents the world premiere of an inventive adaptation of a Charles Dickens holiday favorite. It features paper puppets, miniatures, silhouettes and an original live score. Aunt Trudy, a holiday skeptic, has been tapped to entertain her family with a puppet show on Christmas Eve via Zoom (because, COVID). The puppets take on a life of their own. Each show will be performed live from Manual Cinema's Chicago studio in a socially distanced manner. The show is appropriate for all ages.
COST: $20; MORE INFO
Feed the Music: Young the Giant
Impastiamo, an online platform for virtual cooking classes, launches a new series to support the live music industry. Francois Comtois, drummer for Young The Giant, prepares a Brazilian fish moqueca, followed by a short live acoustic performance. The ingredients list will be shared ahead of time so fans can cook along. Donations (tickets) benefit Live Nation's Crew Nation, a global relief fund for the live music industry.
COST: $30 - $500; MORE INFO
Cyndi Lauper's Home for the Holidays
The singer's 10th annual virtual benefit concert premieres on Friday exclusively on her TikTok, with additional streams Sunday on Lauper's YouTube and Facebook channels. Proceeds benefit True Colors United, the organization she co-founded to prevent homelessness among LGBTQ youth. Expect performances and appearances by Adam Lambert, Amanda Shires & Jason Isbell, Bette Midler, Billie Eilish, Billy Porter, Billy Steinberg, Boy George, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Carson Kressley, Cher, Dolly Parton, Harvey Fierstein, Henry Rollins, Jackson Browne, Judy Gold, Justin Tranter, Kim Petras, King Princess, Kinky Boots, LL Cool J, Meg Myers, Phoebe Bridgers, Sharon Osbourne, Shea Diamond, Taylor Swift, Tom Kelly, Tracy Young, Whoopi Goldberg and Youth Pride Chorus.
COST: FREE but donations encouraged; MORE INFO
From the Electric Mouth
The Theatre of the Electric Mouth is an international community of more than 40 artists who came together during COVID to create absurd audio dramas. On Friday and again on Dec. 19, ThEM presents readings of AI-generated scripts with two dueling live streams. The teams tackle a classic sitcom script with different approaches, turning it into an absurdist masterpiece. Catch the broadcast live on YouTube and Facebook.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Virtual Kwanzaa Celebration
The Robey Theatre Company promises a joyful online celebration of Kwanzaa, featuring musical performances by artists Cydney Wayne Davis, Julio Hanson, Marva Smith, the Hearts On Fire Choir and the Amazing Grace Conservatory. Watch comedy from Jason Mimms, Vanja Renee and Stevie Mack. Register for the Zoom link.
COST: FREE with a suggested donation of $10; MORE INFO
Night Creatures: Christmas Found Footage Fest Live!
Alamo Drafthouse presents a night of videos excavated from garage sales, thrift stores and dumpsters. Found Footage Festival curators Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher share their latest VHS scores and provide commentary about their unearthed obscurities. This is a live event, and ticketholders must join in the Virtual Scener Theater (you have to add an extension to your Chrome browser).
COST: $14.99; MORE INFO
Merry Christmas Darling: Heidi Kettenring Sings Karen Carpenter
Laguna Playhouse presents a video-on-demand virtual concert. Kettenring (Wicked) and her band present Carpenter's life story and her music. Songs include "Close To You," "Merry Christmas Darling," "For All We Know" and "The Christmas Song." Ticket proceeds benefit the Playhouse.
COST: $35; MORE INFO
Breathe.
Philicia Saunders wrote and stars in this one-woman show, portraying 20 characters. The livestreamed show is based on Saunders' journey toward activism after a chance trip to a Civil Rights monument during a tour of Alabama, and mentorship by Watts community organizer Sweet Alice Harris.
COST: Tickets start at $5 (sliding scale); MORE INFO
Bold Faced Secret: Celebration
The Echo Theater Company's monthly night of curated personal stories returns with the theme of "celebration." They'll talk about the good times, bad times and everything in between. RSVP for Zoom link.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
A Night of Holiday Magic
The Sorting Room Sessions @ The Wallis presents a family-friendly performance featuring four local female magicians and Magic Castle members: Elizabeth Messick, Michaelann Awesome, Patricia Magicia and Simone Turkington. The show is recommended for adults and children ages 5+. Ticket holders can stream the performance for 24 hours starting at 8 p.m.
COST: $25 per household; MORE INFO
Picture This!
The livestreaming comedy and animation show returns with comedy by Chris Fairbanks, Samantha Ruddy, Maggie Maye and Lydia Popovich, as well as animation by Dan Pinto, Natasha Kline, Patrick Hosmer, Mike L. Mayfield and Chris Fairbanks. Hosted by Ian Fidance. Ages 21+.
COST: $10; MORE INFO
Holiday To Go-Go
Blinking Owl Distillery
802 E. Washington Ave., Santa Ana
The Blinking Owl is hosting a holiday pop-up market on its patio featuring handcrafted treats and goods from local SoCal artisans and makers, including Uprising OC, Dough & Arrow, Daughter's Granola, 61 Hundred Bread, Small Batch Doughnuts, Heirloom Potager, Tan's Dumplings, Taylor J Designs and Little Big Chains. Other vendors are being added. Since this is shopping season in the COVID era, no food or beverages may be consumed on the premises. This is a to-go food event. Masks must be worn at all times and only two shoppers are allowed per group. Crowd levels will be controlled.
COST: FREE entry; MORE INFO
Secret Los Angeles: Exploring Catalina Island
Take a Zoom tour of Catalina Island with Danny Jensen, author of the new book Secret Los Angeles: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, and Gail Fornasiere of the Catalina Island Museum. They'll chat about the island's free-roaming bison and Hollywood history while showing archival photos. A portion of the proceeds will help support the Catalina Island Museum as its galleries have been closed for nine months due to the pandemic. Ticket price for the virtual tour does not include a copy of the book.
COST: $10; MORE INFO
DTLA Holiday Beer Hop
Various Locations in downtown L.A.
Several breweries in DTLA are banding together for holiday cheer and beer. Stop and shop at participating breweries -- Angel City, Arts District, Boomtown, Dry River Brewing, Flying Embers, HiDef, Highland Park Brewery, Indie Brewing Company and Mumford -- as they're offering great specials and deals from their pickup windows. Please wear masks and keep a safe distance.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO
@Home for the Holidays
The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles holds its first virtual holiday concert this weekend. The one-hour show features brand-new performances created just for this event, as well as clips from past holiday shows. RSVP for a confirmation email with a viewing link.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Cinemauto Drive-In Movie Experience
713 N. Hill St., downtown L.A.
The drive-in series screens Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire plus a short film program curated by Film Fatales. It includes Graceland by Bonnie Kathleen Ryan, A First by Melissa Dowler, Little Sicily by Nina Juliano and In Full Bloom by Maegan Houang. Proceeds benefit Junior High + Homeboy Industries. You can upgrade your ticket to include a meal from Little Jewel of New Orleans.
COST: Tickets start at $35 - $60; MORE INFO
Taylor Mac's Holiday Sauce...Pandemic!
The acclaimed performer blends music, film and burlesque for a virtual vaudeville show that celebrates the dysfunction of the holidays. The night features a full band led by Matt Ray, plus special guests Thornetta Davis, Stephanie Christi'an, Tigger! Ferguson and lots of cameo appearances. Whenever the show is performed, someone who has made an impact on their community is honored. This time, it's David Gere, AIDS activist and founding director of the UCLA Art & Global Health Center.
COST: $25; MORE INFO
Rose River Memorial
Building Bridges Art Exchange hosts a virtual opening for an installation by artists Marcos Lutyens and Tilly Hinton that acknowledges each life taken by COVID-19 on the Westside. The installation, which is part of a national handcrafted memorial, will contain as many as 500 volunteer-created roses, remembering each death from Malibu to El Segundo. This builds on an inaugural installation at Self Help Graphics. The reception includes a Tongva blessing by Tina Calderon, reflections by Carolyn Freyer-Jones and a musical performance by Yuval.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Cook the Menu: Asian in America
Studio ATAO, a nonprofit think tank, launches a new virtual cooking and discussion series. Guests have the chance to recreate dishes and cocktails from the exhibition Asian in America. Each session will be led by chef Jenny Dorsey, who also facilitates a discussion about the dishes. The series kicks off with Fancy Because It's French and the creation of a faux red bean mooncake made with red bean mousse, salted duck egg creme anglaise encased in cocoa butter and an oolong cookie.
COST: FREE, but tickets are required and donations highly encouraged; MORE INFO
Save it Saturdays
2915 Knox Ave., Frogtown
SUAY LA, an East L.A.-based sewing and production shop, focuses on recycling/upcycling clothes because the fashion industry and textile waste is one of the biggest sources of pollution worldwide. The shop is now offering repairs on Saturdays. Drop the items off from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the team will have them ready the following Saturday. For a nominal fee, they'll fix holes and zippers, remove stains, and try to save good clothes from the landfills. You can donate unwanted, unwearable and unusable textiles and SUAY will reuse and remake them.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO
Skirball Hanukkah Celebration
Celebrate the Festival of Lights online with a streaming event that features almost everything fans have come to expect from the Skirball's holiday extravaganza. Join a community candle lighting and sing-along. Groove to the klezmer beat of Mostly Kosher and the psychedelic funk of Gili Yalo. Gather the fam around the screen for a retelling of the Hanukkah story. At the start of the program, you can participate in a virtual game for prizes. The festivities will be screened on the Skirball's YouTube channel.
COST: FREE, but RSVPs recommended; MORE INFO
Drive-In & Night Market
844 S. Hill St., downtown L.A.
The Odd Market presents a drive-in screening of Scrooged. It comes with food trucks and a night market of local makers and artisans. You need a working FM radio or a portable FM receiver to hear the movie. If you leave your car for the restroom, buy food or shop at the market, a face covering is mandatory.
COST: $20 per car, plus $12 per person; MORE INFO
Brandi Carlile: Still Home for the Holidays
The Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician and producer holds a livestream concert via the streaming site Veeps. Buy either a general admission viewing ticket or a special bundle that also includes a pre-order of Carlile's forthcoming memoir, Broken Horses (due out April 6).
COST: $15 - $38; MORE INFO
Who doesn't miss going out to eat or stopping by a bar for a drink? Here are a few options from restaurants and bars as we work our way back toward normal.
