Goldstar

Progressive radio station KPFK celebrates its 50th anniversary at the Ford Amphitheatre with a concert and ceremony honoring activists working for peace. Reggae artist Ziggy Marley and jazz artists Luciana Souza, Christian McBride and Poncho Sanchez are among the scheduled performers, and Jackson Browne, Roseanne Barr and Josh Brolin will be among the presenters. Learn more...

The Ford Amphiteatre hosts the LA Vida Music Festival, a showcase of Los Angeles-based Latin musicians. Ranging from Latin jazz to mariachi, the lineup includes legendary jazz flutist Hubert Laws, plus Pete Escovedo, Louie Cruz Beltran, and a host of special guests. Learn more...

Celtic Arts Center presents their sixth annual concert of traditional Celtic music at the Ford Amphitheatre, highlighted by Seattle group The McKassons with special guest Ken O'Malley. The evening also includes the Los Angeles Police Emerald Society Pipes and Drums Band, San Diego's Highland Way and Slugger O'Toole, plus an Irish step dancing performance. Learn more...

Barbara Morrison's Jazz & Blues Birthday Party celebrates all Los Angeles musicians turning 60. Featuring an all star line-up: James Moody, Bill Henderson, Gerald Wilson, Tierney Sutton, Houston Person, Ernie Andrews, Mel Carter, Freda Payne, Richard Simon and more. Learn more...

The Ford Amphitheatre hosts the 2009 Angel City Jazz Festival. This year's lineup, spanning two days, showcases the West Coast's most innovative jazz artists, plus revered veterans and up-and-coming groups from around the globe. (See below for schedule information.) Learn more...

Through dynamic and innovative original dance, spoken word and multimedia pieces, this urban dance performance provides audience members a playful look at the many different methods and styles of communication. Opening acts: Kaba Modern Legacy (members featured on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew Season 1 and Bravo's Step it Up & Dance) and the Beat Freaks (from MTV's America's Best Dance Crew Season 3). Learn more...

Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award winner Stephen Schwartz presents a sneak peak of his new opera Seance on a Wet Afternoon, and the Upright Cabaret All-Stars interpret some of his hits from productions such as Pippin and Wicked. Featuring acclaimed soprano Lauren Flanigan, three-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann, Tony nominee Valarie Pettiford, Grammy Award winner Nathan Lee Graham, Elizabeth Brackenbury, Matt Cusson and more. Learn more...

The visual and the verbal merge into an exhilarating multimedia tour of Mexico's history with Latin American art expert and former Director of the Museum of Latin American Art Gregorio Luke. During the presentation, the murals of Miguel Covarrubias will be projected life-size on the outdoor stage of the Ford Amphitheatre. Learn more...

The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony performs live at the Ford Amphitheatre. Their program, L'Chayim (To Life), celebrates the music and humor of the Yiddish tradition. Guests include entertainer Mike Burstyn, plus violinist Mark Kashper, clarinetist Zinovy Goro and piano soloist Yevgeniy Milyavskiy. Learn more...

Culture Clash's Herbert Siguenza emcees this lively festival of pan-Latino music and dance, featuring Colombian cumbia band Very Be Careful, Mexican-influenced Filipino dance from Kayamanan Ng Lahi and other guest artists. Learn more...

Top singer-songwriters and bands will join special guests to showcase their original music to industry executives and music lovers at the beautiful Ford Amphitheare. Alex Band of The Calling will make a special appearance, along with Rocco De Luca and the Burden, Ingram Hill, Chris Pierce, Beau Black, Sara Haze, Lelia Broussard, Lady Danville, Trevor Davis and others. Learn more...

The acclaimed star of Broadway, L.A. and San Francisco productions of Wicked returns to her hometown with her critically acclaimed solo show Eden Espinosa - ME. Espinosa will share a piece of herself in ME, singing songs that are close to her heart by the artists who have inspired her. With special guests Audra Mae and Paula Cole! Learn more...

Some of the festival's biggest films -- including the closing-night gala screening of the new feature Dare and a sing-along presentation of Funny Girl -- will be shown in the open-air Ford Amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills. An 11-day festival with nearly 200 films and events, Outfest 2009 showcases lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film images and artistry. Learn more...

The Ford Amphitheatre present a multimedia presentation by Gregorio Luke in which the murals of Mexican master Rufino Tamayo are projected life size on a big screen. The spirit and splendor of Mexican landscape and culture will captivate audiences as the palette of Tamayo, Mexico's true master of color, is brought to life on the Ford's stage. Learn more...

City Ballet of Los Angeles presents Peter and the Wolf Jump Cool, a jazz ballet with bite, at the Ford Amphitheatre. This sly, swinging '60s adaptation of Prokofiev's score, made famous by legendary jazz organist Jimmy Smith, features 12 dancers of City Ballet and live narration by actress Sloan Robinson. Learn more...

Bring your picnic basket filled with food and drinks and enjoy a day out with your favorite Hollywood comedians at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. The show will be hosted by A.J. Jamal (Def Comedy Jam, In Living Color). Learn more...

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission and Asiatic Empire present the first U.S. performance by South Korean pop legend Shin Hae Chul and his band N.EX.T. One of Korea's most famous celebrities, Shin Hae Chul is regarded as a genius of Korean music who, along with his younger cousin Seo Taiji, transformed the Korean music industry, paving the way for the contemporary Kpop genre. Learn more...

Viver Brasil Dance Company presents Feet on the Ground/Aiye. Their impressively physical, richly evocative spin on the roots of Brazilian dance is now entering its seventh year at the Ford Amphitheatre. This year's production includes live accompaniment by guest musician José Ricardo Sousa and singer Katia Moraes. Learn more...

Los Angeles Accordion Festival presents SqueezeFestLA, an evening of accordion music under the stars at the Ford Amphitheatre. Vagabond Opera, Los Angeles-based Conjunto Los Pochos and Louisiana's Feufollet take audiences on a musical journey from 1920's Paris to the streets of old Mexico and the bayous of Louisiana. Learn more...

The outdoor Ford Amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills is the setting for a night of songs from some of Broadway's biggest hits. Broadway Under the Stars includes music from classic shows like Chicago, West Side Story, South Pacific, Wicked, 9 to 5, Carousel, Guys & Dolls, and more. Learn more...

The Ford Amphitheatre hosts the 16th annual Brazilian Summer Festival. This colorful celebration of Brazilian culture features Latin Grammy-nominated singer Diogo Nogueira, plus samba, bossa nova, and capoeira dancers, as well as pianist Marcos Ariel. The grounds open early for picnicking, booth displays, and music from DJ Izael. Learn more...

Witness the evolution of a diva in this two part theatrical concert, as former Wicked star Shoshana Bean begins the night singing the hits of Barbra Streisand in Shoshana Sings Streisand and ends the night with My Name is Shoshana, featuring songs from Bean's debut album, Superhero. Learn more...

Art curator Gregorio Luke discusses the life and work of famed Mexican painter Diego Rivera and projects ten of his murals life size on the outdoor stage of the Ford Amphitheatre. Far from a mere lecture, Luke's high-tech presentation blends the visual and narrative into a seamless, intriguing production combining the scale of film with the excitement of storytelling. Learn more...

People Informing People presents their sixth annual Mother's Day Blues and Jazz Extravaganza at the Ford Amphitheatre. This long afternoon concert features a wide array of Los Angeles' best musicians, including singer Barbara Morrison, the Bu Crew, Joe Kincaid and the Soul Brothers, and more. Comedian A.J. Jamal (Comedy Central) hosts. Learn more...

Celebrate life with a soulful Sunday of jazz and soul music, spoken word and comedy. Bring a picnic basket and enjoy a relaxing afternoon with family and friends outdoors at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. The show will be hosted by comedian by A.J. Jamal and feature performances by The Clueless Band, L.A. Mambo Combo, Madam D and Jimmy Reid. Learn more...

Argentine guitar sensation Federico Aubele and trip-hop combo Pacha Massive return to L.A. for a special concert of funky Latin fusion beats. This bilingual, boogie-down mix of dub, cumbia, dancehall, drum and bass with the smooth sounds of Federico Aubele, exhales sensual vocals, sultry guitar strumming and hip-shaking drums. Learn more...

Praised by the San Diego Union-Tribune for their "sense of shared purpose and soaring physicality," Backhaus dancers ponder the new year (Sitting in January), reach out to each other (Shift) and gambol in nature in their brand new work, The Woeful Maladies of Ennui Manor. Learn more...

The rich cultural diversity of the Philippines is celebrated with resounding rhythms of drums, metal gongs and sublime stringed rondalla instruments as dancers offer a colorful feast for the eyes. Featuring Kayamanan Ng Lahi, this show includes hilltribe rituals with Institute of Native Arts, lowland Spanish-tinged festivities accompanied by Rondalla Club of Los Angeles' string ensemble, and southern islands' drum-gong music and dances with Pakaraguian Kulintang Ensemble. Learn more...

The Bluegrass Association of Southern California presents An Evening of Bluegrass Music at the Ford Amphitheatre. This mountain music mini-festival features seven-time Vocal Group of the Year winner Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and Cliff Wagner & the Old No. 7 melding traditional sounds with blues and honky tonk. Learn more...

The Ford Amphitheatre hosts Sans Detour, a pair of pieces by two innovative, entertaining dance companies. Catch Me Bird's husband-wife duo hilariously blurs on- and off-stage lives through the daring aerial choreography of Silk. Baker & Tarpaga Dance Project intertwines West African dance and post-modern dance theater with live music to relate a heroic journalist's true story in the ensemble piece Disorder Inside Order. Learn more...

The grand piano takes center stage as honoree Karen Hernandez, often compared to Ramsey Lewis, performs with a jazz string ensemble and roster of master instrumentalists, including bassist Nedra Wheeler, in the 9th annual Lady Jazz, Southern California's premier all-woman jazz showcase. Learn more...

This musical spectacular showcases music from the rich Sephardic-Latino cultures, performed by the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony as they accompany renowned flamenco guitarist Adam del Monte and harpist extraordinaire Marcia Dickstein. Enjoy a serenade by Argentinean Cantor Marcelo Gindlin with special guests, The Mariachi Divas. This concert promises to be a spirited night to remember as music from Spain illuminates the Latino and Jewish-Sephardic connections. Learn more...

Choreographer Achinta S. McDaniel and the blue13 dance company take audiences on a Bollywood adventure in Khel!, a whirling, dance-fueled romp through an Eastern bazaar of games, bedtime stories and fantastical characters that collide and come to life on the Ford stage. Learn more...

Del Mate Productions and the Ford Amphitheatre present the third annual Fiesta Argentina, Siempre Tango. This romantic celebration of song, dance, and Argentinean culture features famed tango dancers/choreographers Sandor & Parissa; Sandor has been a principal dancer in Broadway's Forever Tango, and the pair have choreographed routines for Olympic champion ice dancers. Also featured: singer Martin de Leon, the Los Angeles Tango Quintet, and Argentina's Mario Parmisano Quartet. Learn more...

Now in its second year, An Evening of Independence at the Ford Amphitheatre will showcase some of the most talented emerging singer-songwriters and special guests, including Matt Scannell (frontman of Vertical Horizon), Virgin recording artist A Fine Frenzy, CBS/Mark Burnett's "Rockstar Supernova" finalist Ryan Star, Universal recording artist Tyrone Wells and more. Learn more...

For the third year in a row, FOCUSfish Flying Circus will bring its evolutionary new circus under the stars to the John Ford Amphitheatre. This year's production, GUSH-E.D.: The Extra Dimension, tells a story of love for the planet, personal redemption and triumph over fear as artists juggle, contort, hoop, hang and fire-breathe their way along a magical journey. Learn more...

The Grammy-nominated quintet floats Afro-Latin sounds - Mongo Santamaria, Astor Piazzolla, Paquito d'Rivera and more - on the night breeze. The new textures the five bring to the flute-oboe-clarinet-horn-bassoon combo and their sparkling presence are a pure delight. Learn more...

A classic novel gets a hip-hop spin: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and real-life experiences inspire this story of four people who dare to create in a time when artistic expression has been outlawed. Set to a backdrop of infectious grooves and head-bobbing beats, the show includes performances by RhetOracle Dance Company, Culture Shock San Diego, and members of KABA Modern and the Jabbawockeez (recent winners of MTV's "Randy Jackson presents America's Best Dance Crew"). Learn more...

Cross the outrageous sensibility of Trey Parker and Matt Stone with the Broadway stylings of Marc Shaiman, and you get a hilarious, R-rated South Park movie musical! Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny find themselves at odds with parents who pressure them to wage war against Canada. Don't miss this uniquely entertaining (and potty-mouthed) Outfest Sing-Along! Learn more...

If you like "Project Runway," you'll be riveted by Eleven Minutes, a fascinating peek behind the curtain at season-one winner Jay McCarroll's preparation for his debut fashion show. Witness a hilarious and heartbreaking year of McCarroll's life as he creates a 660-second spectacle for the runways of New York's Bryant Park. Learn more...

The Ford Amphitheatre hosts TAIKOPROJECT's Rhythmic Relations 2008. Infusing traditional Japanese taiko drumming with modern Western influences, the group has earned acclaim for their high-energy live shows. This production, featuring a cast of a hundred, pays tribute to Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka, who brought taiko drumming to America forty years ago. Tanaka's group, the pioneering San Francisco Taiko Dojo, makes a guest appearance. Learn more...

Reprise presents Free Style at the Ford Amphitheatre. This special event features collaborations between 15 young lyricists from LA and top composers from the pop music world and Broadway, including Desmond Child ("Livin' La Vida Loca") and Stephen Bray (Madonna's "Into the Groove", the score to The Color Purple). Special guests include The Cosby Show's Malcolm-Jamal Warner and members of acclaimed dance troupe The Groovaloos. Learn more...

Bring your picnic basket filled with food and drinks and enjoy a day out with your favorite Hollywood comedians and celebrities at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. The show will be hosted by Rodney Perry (BET's Comic View, Showtime's Laffapalooza and Who's Got Jokes). Learn more...

Viver Brasil Dance Company presents a sizzling display of Afro-Bahian rhythms, drums, rolling hips and exuberant colors and costumes in The Gift on the Water/Omi Odára. This rapturous, high-energy world premiere evokes the clearing and healing power of Afro-Brazilian water spirits while bridging the gap between ancient myths and rituals and contemporary choreography. Learn more...

The Line features dazzling musical numbers from the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning show A Chorus Line as well as other musicals. The incredible roster of talent includes cast members from the Chorus Line Broadway revival, touring and regional companies. Learn more...

A classical-pop crossover concert of cool and intrepid arrangements of rock songs for string quartet and vocals, Notes from the Edge features music from Radiohead, Bjork, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, The Killers and more. The concert is a collaboration among acclaimed film composer/songwriter Mark Governor, vocalist Kathy Fisher and cellist Peggy Baldwin, leading the All-Star string quartet. Learn more...

LearnAboutWine will showcase a number of top wines at this wine-tasting event, followed by a fun classical-pop crossover concert. Attendees will discover many top brands at top values, including some LearnAboutWine favorites and the perfect complements to a picnic. There will be more than twenty wines to try and enjoy. Stay after the tasting for the Notes From the Edge concert (concert tickets included with purchase). Learn more...

The Ford Amphitheatre presents the world premiere of Norman's Ark, an epic new musical retelling of the Noah's Ark story set in the context of a post-Hurricane Katrina world. This new musical features a score containing emotional ballads and smokin' rockabilly tunes, and a cast of over 200, including a giant gospel choir and a hundred children playing the animals on the Ark. Starring Philip Casnoff and Dawnn Lewis. Learn more...

Top off your Mother's Day celebration with an event that will inspire, rejuvenate and renew the entire family. Celebrate "Mom" and life with some of LA's top Gospel, Blues, Jazz & Soul. Bring your picnic basket filled with food and drinks and enjoy a day out at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre where no seat is farther than 96 feet from the stage. Learn more...