The Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre
Opened in 1967, The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre (Ahmanson) features a state-of-the-art configuration with variable seating capacity that can accommodate a diverse selection of performances. The theatre was underwritten by philanthropist Howard F. Ahmanson Sr., the founder of H.F. Ahmanson & Co., a Los Angeles-based insurance and savings and loan company, and named for his second wife, Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson. The Ahmanson is home to a wide-ranging selection of theatrical and dance performances and is the site for Center Theatre Group presentations, including Pre-Broadway runs as well as the best of Broadway and the West End.
Originally faced on all four sides with off-white stone, the façade was altered in 1995 by Ellerbe Becket, the successor firm to Welton Becket & Associates, which designed the original Music Center campus. The theatre is joined with The Music Center’s Mark Taper Forum (Taper) by a 47-foot high colonnade that surrounds both structures and creates a visual balance with The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (Pavilion) across Jerry Moss Plaza. The main façade has a glass skin that extends the full 73 feet of the five-level structure, giving patrons the opportunity to view the Taper’s massive mural.
The 2,109-seat theater was designed for musical comedy and theatrical productions, ranging from the intimate to the spectacular. To create a warm, welcoming feeling for patrons, the Ahmanson’s auditorium is wider than it is deep. There are three levels of seating: Orchestra (988 seats), Mezzanine (606 seats including the boxes) and Balcony (515 seats including the boxes). Like the Pavilion, the first 13 rows of the Ahmanson are arranged in continental style with no front-to-rear aisles. Audience members reach the Mezzanine and Balcony from large promenades that overlook Jerry Moss Plaza.
Renovations in the early 1990s enhanced the theatre’s acoustics, improved sightlines and allowed for more flexible seating arrangements. In fact, the Ahmanson can be quickly transformed from a 2,109-seat theatre to a 1,200-seat venue. Updates included changes to the circulation of the auditorium and the addition of six boxes on each of the side walls. At the same time, the architects lowered the ceiling and covered it with new acoustical paneling. They moved the Balcony and Mezzanine closer to the stage, expanded backstage areas and installed mobile dividers in the Balcony to decrease the number of seats for shows that require a more intimate setting. In addition, the Ahmanson now has a three-story lobby. Patrons can view the sculpture, “Acrobat Freeway,” created by local artist Peter Shire, as they enter the building.
The Ahmanson’s original décor featured rich reds and pewter gray tones. Purples and golds were later introduced as part of the Ellerbe Becket renovations. The proscenium was widened in 2010, and its appearance and functionality enhanced with metal mesh curtains and a removable/storable proscenium header.
Featured at the Ahmanson Theatre
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Wed Jun 05 8:00 PM
Sun Jun 30 1:00 PM
Center Theatre Group A Strange Loop
Ahmanson Theatre
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-percepti...Show More
The ground-breaking and critically acclaimed winner of every ‘Best Musical’ award on Broadway, and the Pulitzer Prize, bursts onto the stage for a limited engagement, direct from Broadway.
Hell-bent on breaking free of his own self-perception, Usher, a young, gay, Black writer who hates his day job, writes a musical about a young, gay, Black writer who’s writing a musical about a young, gay, Black writer...a strange loop. Usher grapples with desires, identity, and instincts he both loves and loathes, all brought to life on stage by a hilarious, straight-talking ensemble.
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards, Michael R. Jackson’s blisteringly funny, “audacious and uproarious” (The Guardian) show is a heartfelt and thought-provoking masterwork that uses humor and honesty to explore themes around race and sexuality.
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Tue Jul 30 8:00 PM
Sun Aug 25 1:00 PM
Center Theatre Group Clue
Ahmanson Theatre
Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult ...Show More
Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.
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Mon May 20 11:30 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and City of Lancaster Present The Alley Cats
44933 N Fern Ave, Lancaster, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Mon May 20 10:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and City of Lancaster Present Jazz It Up!
44933 N Fern Ave, Lancaster, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Tue May 21 8:00 PM
Thu May 30 8:00 PM
LA Phil Kraftwerk
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Over nine nights at Walt Disney Concert Hall, legendary German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their album Autobahn, which was composed, produced, and recorded by Kraftwerk founders Ra...Show More
Over nine nights at Walt Disney Concert Hall, legendary German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their album Autobahn, which was composed, produced, and recorded by Kraftwerk founders Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1974.
The concert series will present eight Kraftwerk albums: Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (1975), Trans Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991), and Tour de France (2003). Each night will feature one complete album plus additional compositions from their catalog. Concert number nine will be a finale with groundbreaking works spanning five decades of the Kraftwerk repertoire.
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Tue May 21 8:00 PM
Thu May 30 8:00 PM
LA Phil Kraftwerk
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Over nine nights at Walt Disney Concert Hall, legendary German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their album Autobahn, which was composed, produced, and recorded by Kraftwerk founders Ra...Show More
Over nine nights at Walt Disney Concert Hall, legendary German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their album Autobahn, which was composed, produced, and recorded by Kraftwerk founders Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1974.
The concert series will present eight Kraftwerk albums: Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (1975), Trans Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991), and Tour de France (2003). Each night will feature one complete album plus additional compositions from their catalog. Concert number nine will be a finale with groundbreaking works spanning five decades of the Kraftwerk repertoire.
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Sat May 18 7:30 PM
Sat Jun 08 7:30 PM
LA Opera Turandot
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Captivated by a beauty who scorns love, a renegade prince enters an all but impossible contest, where the price of failure is death. But beyond the legendary riddles, he’ll find another challenge in melting Turandot’s stubborn heart.
Captivated by a beauty who scorns love, a renegade prince enters an all but impossible contest, where the price of failure is death. But beyond the legendary riddles, he’ll find another challenge in melting Turandot’s stubborn heart.
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Sun May 26 1:30 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Arts Grown L.A. The Music Center and Marina Culture Jam Present Melody of China
Burton Chace Park, Marina Del Rey, Ca
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
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Sun May 26 11:30 AM
A TMC Arts Program The Music Center and Marina Culture Jam Present TAIKOPROJECT
Burton Chace Park, Marina Del Rey, CA
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Utilizing authentic instruments hand-crafted in Japan, TAIKOPROJECT weaves tr...Show More
Experience the arts in your local community! Our Arts Grown L.A. program brings Music Center Performing Artists to communities and libraries all over L.A. County.
Utilizing authentic instruments hand-crafted in Japan, TAIKOPROJECT weaves traditional and modern forms of taiko together and share elements of their Japanese and Japanese-American culture.
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Sat May 11 10:00 AM
Sat May 25 10:00 AM
Creative Ways | Mental Health Wellness Fair
Gloria Molina Grand Park
Join us for Gloria Molina Grand Park and Center Theatre Group’s Creative Ways | Mental Health Wellness Fair, a place embracing mental wellness through the arts. “Take Action for Yourself, Take Action for Others, and Take Action f...Show More
Join us for Gloria Molina Grand Park and Center Theatre Group’s Creative Ways | Mental Health Wellness Fair, a place embracing mental wellness through the arts. “Take Action for Yourself, Take Action for Others, and Take Action for your Community” at this inclusive gathering for all ages. Dive into two days engaging activities promoting well-being and health awareness. From cultural presentations to workshops, booth activities, and inspiring stage programs, there is something for everyone. This unique collaboration brings imaginative and exploratory experiences that use the arts to strengthen our communities.
As part of the CTG:FWD initiative, Center Theatre Group will host workshops at the intersection of arts and wellness, as well as activities celebrating the upcoming Ahmanson Theatre production of A Strange Loop, Michael R. Jackson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical exploring race, queer identity, and mental health challenges with humor and honesty.
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Tour The Music Center Campus
Free tours are available of all The Music Center's theaters.