The Music Center's Mark Taper Forum
Opened in 1967, the Mark Taper Forum (Taper) is The Music Center’s smallest and most intimate theatre and was designed for the production of dramas and experimental theater. It was named for S. Mark Taper, a prominent real estate developer, banker and philanthropist. The venue is the ideal stage for dramatic plays and productions by Center Theatre Group and has received virtually every theatrical award including a special Tony for theatrical excellence, which was awarded in 1977.
A circular building that measures 140 feet in diameter, the Forum rises from a reflecting pool. The upper 27 feet of the Forum cantilevers out from the base, which is covered in dark, split-face granite blocks. The dark granite mirrors that of The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion across Jerry Moss Plaza.
The Taper’s drum-like structure features a 378-foot-long cast concrete relief mural in an abstract pattern that encircles the theatre and suggests the movements of the performing arts. Designed by sculptor Jacques Overhoff, the relief is a repeating pattern that is seven panels in width with seven repeats, for a total of 49 panels; the artist chose seven panels as the width so the eye would never be able to see the repeating pattern given the circular shape of the building. Inside the Taper, the entrance features a 60-foot wall, created by designer Tony Duquette, called “Curved Wall”, which is composed of 50,800 abalone shell tiles.
Featuring a thrust stage that juts out into the audience, the theatre’s 736 seats are arranged in a semi-circle in classical amphitheater style, surrounding three sides of the stage. This design gives audiences the opportunity to view the performance from a variety of perspectives. As such, the theatre does not feature either a stage arch or curtain.
The Music Center oversaw a $30 million renovation of the Taper interior from 2007–2008 to upgrade its technical capabilities and audience amenities while maintaining the structural integrity of the original design. Award-winning architectural and design firm, Rios Clementi Hale Studios (now known as Rios), led the theatre’s architectural renovation.
As part of their work, the architects doubled the size of the lobby area, enhanced the abalone wall with recessed lighting and added a new main refreshment area. In addition, the lobby now includes mirrored columns a metal mesh wall covering called Cascade Coil Drapery, decorative terrazzo flooring and a raised ceiling and floor. By raising the lobby floor, the architects provided audiences with access to the theatre directly from Jerry Moss Plaza.
Featured at the Mark Taper Forum
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Tue Mar 26 8:00 PM
Sun Mar 31 2:00 PM
Center Theatre Group Alex Edelman's Just For Us
Mark Taper Forum
Alex Edelman's Just For Us returns to the Mark Taper Forum March 26-31!
Expertly crafted by one of comedy’s most distinctive voices, this singular theatrical experience is an exploration of identity and our collective capacity for ...Show More
Alex Edelman's Just For Us returns to the Mark Taper Forum March 26-31!
Expertly crafted by one of comedy’s most distinctive voices, this singular theatrical experience is an exploration of identity and our collective capacity for empathy—and it’s also “belly-laugh funny!” (The New York Times). In the wake of a string of anti-Semitic rhetoric pointed in his direction online, standup comic Edelman decides to go straight to the source; specifically, Queens, where he covertly attends a meeting of White Nationalists and comes face-to-face with the people behind the keyboards. What happens next forms the backbone of the shockingly relevant, utterly hilarious, and only moderately perspirant stories that comprise Just for Us.
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Fri Mar 22 11:00 AM
Sun Mar 24 2:00 PM
LA Phil John Adams’ City Noir
Walt Disney Concert Hall
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to ...Show More
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to Sigur Rós and Radiohead, Timo Andres is a favorite young composer of Adams’ who conducts the world premiere of his concerto written for pianist Aaron Diehl. Adams closes the program with his City Noir, inspired by Los Angeles and classic films that the composer said is reminiscent of “a very crowded boulevard peopled with strange characters… who only come out very late on a very hot night.”
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Tue Mar 05 12:00 PM
Sat May 04 12:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Music off the Wall
Jerry Moss Plaza & Plaza Gallery
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free ...Show More
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free AR exhibit in the heart of DTLA showcases local and global artists and their captivating creations.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Fri Mar 22 11:00 AM
Sun Mar 24 2:00 PM
LA Phil John Adams’ City Noir
Walt Disney Concert Hall
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to ...Show More
LA Phil Creative Chair John Adams leads the orchestra in Stravinsky’s colorful and Impressionistic Song of the Nightingale, which is set in the court of the Emperor of China. With influences ranging from Brahms and Mozart to Sigur Rós and Radiohead, Timo Andres is a favorite young composer of Adams’ who conducts the world premiere of his concerto written for pianist Aaron Diehl. Adams closes the program with his City Noir, inspired by Los Angeles and classic films that the composer said is reminiscent of “a very crowded boulevard peopled with strange characters… who only come out very late on a very hot night.”
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Sat Mar 09 11:00 AM
Sat Mar 23 11:00 AM
LA Phil Swan Lake: Reimagined
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmo...Show More
Experience how Tchaikovsky's timeless composition inspires a revamped story for a modern audience by featuring selected pieces from the classic suite and, of course, a dancing accompaniment.
These 45-minute interactive Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts introduce young audiences to symphonic music. Before each concert, families are invited to participate in hands-on arts workshops.
This concert is recommended for children ages 5 to 11.
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Tue Mar 05 12:00 PM
Sat May 04 12:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Music off the Wall
Jerry Moss Plaza & Plaza Gallery
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free ...Show More
For the first time in its 60-year history, The Music Center transforms Jerry Moss Plaza into an interactive augmented reality gallery featuring 16 digital artworks, with accompanying music, brought to life through visitors’ smartphones. This free AR exhibit in the heart of DTLA showcases local and global artists and their captivating creations.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Wed Mar 20 7:30 PM
Sun Mar 24 2:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
When Alvin Ailey and a small group of African American dancers took the stage on March 30, 1958, at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, the engagement was for one night only, but it turned out to be the start of a new era in the arts, launch...Show More
When Alvin Ailey and a small group of African American dancers took the stage on March 30, 1958, at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, the engagement was for one night only, but it turned out to be the start of a new era in the arts, launching a revolutionary company that transcends barriers and celebrates the African American cultural experience. For 65 years, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has showcased the work of diverse choreographers, amplifying a myriad of voices alongside Ailey’s own. Returning to The Music Center to launch a multi-year residency, America’s most popular modern dance company will expand on its choreographic tradition, adding new choreographers to the company’s repertory with world premieres and beloved classics that illustrate the breadth of Ailey’s rich catalog, including Alvin Ailey's signature work Revelations.
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Tour The Music Center Campus
Free tours are available of all The Music Center's theaters.