Are you ready to dance the night away to the music of Tina Turner, Pat Benatar, Heart, Carole King, Janis Joplin, Holly Knight, Aretha Franklin, and Minnie Riperton? Then make plans to attend the Long Beach Symphony Pops Concert Series with Women of Rock on February 22 at the Long Beach Arena honoring powerful female singers and songwriters who changed Pop and Rock & Roll forever.
Long Beach Symphony, now celebrating its 90th season, is thrilled to welcome back to the Pops stage guest conductor Susie Seiter, a renowned orchestrator and conductor for film, television, video games, and live concerts. Joining her are three powerhouse vocalists: Broadway and solo artist Shayna Steele, film and television soundtrack star Kelly Levesque, and Broadway sensation Katrina Rose. The Women of Rock concert promises a mix of high-energy dance hits, heartfelt ballads, and nostalgic classics brought to life by the Symphony’s dynamic brass, strings, and percussion. The amazing trio of singers will perform classic Rock and Pop songs including I Feel the Earth Move, What’s Love Got to Do With it, Proud Mary, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Freeway of Love, and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, and many more!
The Pops Series is a fun and friendly way to enjoy an entertaining night out, with two ways to experience the concert – either at a table of up to 10 people on the Long Beach Arena floor, or from the upstairs loge level in a theater-style seat. If you choose a table, tickets are assigned to individual tables where patrons can select their individual seats. For those who want to get up and dance to the music, dance floors will be set up on both sides of the main stage where patrons can move and groove to their heart’s desire!
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m., but the doors open at 6pm for picnicking and socializing. Guests are welcome to bring their own picnic dinner and favorite libations, and are encouraged to decorate their table with the Women of Rock colors, red and purple. Light concessions will be available at the Arena, including sandwiches, snacks, and beverages, along with full bar service. Or you can order catered meals in advance only at https://longbeachsymphony.org/dining/ that will be delivered to your table.
The Women of Rock concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 22 and will last approximately 1.5 to 2 hours at the Long Beach Arena, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach. Onsite parking is available for $20 per car. For more information and tickets, call the Long Beach Symphony box office at (562) 436-3203 ext. 1, Monday through Friday 10am-5pm, or on the day of concert from 9 a.m.-12 noon, or online at https://longbeachsymphony.org/calendar/
BFF productions and workshops touch on a diverse range of subjects from political to personal, love to loss, sensuality to spiritual, hierarchy to hope. And all bets are off since limits on boundaries and form are wide open with shows that range in style from classic comedy to poignant drama, from Shakespearian to solo shows, from slam poetry to stand-up comedy and improv, from parody to fairytale. So there will be something for everyone.
The BFF also includes an overflowing assortment of family-friendly events and productions to bring all generations together on and off the stage. Inclusive theatre arts workshops for youth and adults will be offered throughout the festival which celebrate the range and depth of the human condition and the idea that theatre arts experiences are vital, transformative, and must be available for all. On that note, all tickets and admissions to every single BFF event are FREE to the public.
Due to seating limits, reservations are REQUIRED for all in-person performances. For free tickets and a complete listing of BFF shows and workshops, including selections to be live-streamed, visit https://www.santamonicaplayhouse.com/the-bff-calendar-of-events.html and click on the graphic for show(s) you want to reserve. For more information, call (310) 394-9779 or send an email to theatre@santamonicaplayhouse.com
Audience members are asked to NOT reserve tickets for the in-person events if you are only planning to live-stream them. Free tickets for all in-person shows are limited to 4 per reservation, and tickets must be picked up 15 minutes before curtain or they will be released. There is absolutely no late seating, no exceptions. If you are not able to attend a show you’ve previously reserved, please be sure to let the Santa Monica Playhouse know as soon as possible so those tickets can be released to any on-site waiting list patrons.
Santa Monica Playhouse is located at 1211 4th Street, Santa Monica 90401. A public city parking lot is located across the street with metered street parking in the area. Please read all parking signs carefully. The BFF is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and Playhouse PALS.