The Music Center's Walt Disney Concert Hall
Designed by architect Frank Gehry, The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall (Concert Hall) opened in 2003 as the newest of The Music Center’s four venues. The Concert Hall was conceived when Lillian B. Disney made an initial gift of $50 million to build an additional performance space on Los Angeles County land in honor of her late husband Walt Disney and his dedication to the arts. Home to LA Phil and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world and provides both visual and aural intimacy through its exterior and interior design.
More than 6,000 panels create the curving stainless steel skin of the Concert Hall’s exterior. Resembling silver sails, the Concert Hall’s design plays off the bowed cornice of The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, forging a link between the old and the new.
The use of natural materials and skylights creates a bright and airy interior in the Concert Hall. Gehry’s team visualized the lobby as a transparent and light-filled “living room for the city.” Massive columns within the lobby structure evoke an image of tree trunks. They are clad in vertical grain Douglas fir and serve the functional purpose of housing the lighting, heating and air conditioning systems.
The 2,265-seat auditorium is a concrete box that is structurally independent of the rest of the building. Gehry collaborated with renowned acoustician Dr. Yasuhisa Toyota to design the acoustics. The walls of the auditorium are vertical grain Douglas fir and the floor is red oak. The stage is Alaskan yellow cedar, the same wood often used on the backs of cellos and violas and can be configured to hold larger performing organizations by removing the first rows in Orchestra View. Natural light enhances daytime concerts with a large 36-foot-high rear window and skylights.
The terraced vineyard style seating is designed to bring the audience close to the orchestra and provide an intimate view of the musicians and conductor from any seat. A focal point for the auditorium is the 50-foot organ that houses 6,134 pipes ranging in size from a pencil to a telephone pole. Only two percent of the pipes are visible. The organ weighs more than 40 metric tons and was designed by Los Angeles organ designer Manuel Rosales along with Frank Gehry.
Gehry’s design includes details as specific as the carpet pattern used in the auditorium. Named “Lillian” in Mrs. Disney’s honor, the pattern was designed to bring Mrs. Disney’s garden into the Concert Hall and is featured in the seating upholstery as well. Foam padding, the material and the hollow underside of the seats mimic the human body in reflecting sound; in fact, the sound is the same no matter how full or how empty the auditorium. The only piece of art in the Concert Hall, “Blue”, was created by Los Angeles artist Peter Alexander. It is located above the Grand Avenue staircase between the Garden and Terrace levels.
The Concert Hall includes BP Hall, which is an additional space for performances and can accommodate up to 350 people. Clad in vertical grain Douglas fir as well, the curved room posed an acoustical challenge. To avoid focusing sound in one area of the space, perforations were added to the wood paneling with special material placed behind the panels to give the room proper acoustics.
Located on the second floor of the Concert Hall is the Library of Congress/Ira Gershwin Gallery. Designed by Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates, the gallery was made possible by a gift from the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trust for the Benefit of the Library of Congress and rotates its collection bi-annually.
The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT), named in honor of Walt Disney’s brother and partner Roy and Roy’s wife, Edna, is also housed within the Concert Hall. An interdisciplinary contemporary arts center, the theatre is programmed by CalArts, based in Valencia, California. REDCAT features a flexible 200- to 270-seat multi-use theatre and a 3,000 square-foot exhibition space. Its entrance includes a marquee of curvilinear stainless steel and leads directly into an expansive multi-use space that includes a lobby and lounge for meetings, receptions and post-performance events. The REDCAT stage can be transformed into several configurations, from thrust and end stage to completely in the round. The performance space is lined with hinged panels, each with finished wood on one side and sound-absorbent material on the other. To quiet outside noise and prevent transmission of vibrations from the Concert Hall, REDCAT is built as a steel box-within-a box, with the interior box floating on 72 special rubber pads.
Featured at Walt Disney Concert Hall
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Fri May 02 11:00 AM
Sun May 04 2:00 PM
LA Phil Beethoven & Dessner with Esa-Pekka Salonen
Walt Disney Concert Hall
For well over two hundred years, the “Eroica” Symphony has been celebrated as one Beethoven’s greatest works and one of the most revolutionary masterpieces in classical music. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the LA Phil in this powerful piece of defiance,...Show More
For well over two hundred years, the “Eroica” Symphony has been celebrated as one Beethoven’s greatest works and one of the most revolutionary masterpieces in classical music. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the LA Phil in this powerful piece of defiance, contrasting it with Debussy’s dreamy and fluid Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Pekka Kuusisto, a fellow Finn and one of Salonen’s favorite collaborators, joins the orchestra for Bryce Dessner’s Violin Concerto, which Kuusisto describes as “super energetic, and athletic, active—but it’s the big changes of scenery that really make it magic.”
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Fri May 02 8:00 PM
LA Phil Patrice Rushen
Walt Disney Concert Hall
If there’s anything Patrice Rushen hasn’t done, it’s probably because she hasn’t had time. The singer, songwriter, composer, producer, music director—you get the idea—started scoring hits in the early 1980s and hasn’t stopped expanding since. A wo...Show More
If there’s anything Patrice Rushen hasn’t done, it’s probably because she hasn’t had time. The singer, songwriter, composer, producer, music director—you get the idea—started scoring hits in the early 1980s and hasn’t stopped expanding since. A world-class jazz pianist, she ventured into to R&B early in her career, and the songs she wrote then still shake dance floors today: songs like "Remind Me" and the smash "Forget Me Nots." She maintained her roots in jazz and established herself as an in-demand arranger and performer. She was the first-ever woman to serve as music director for the Grammys, has received orchestral commissions from orchestras all over the world, and has played with everyone from Prince to Dianne Reeves to Boyz II Men. When she takes her seat at the piano on the Walt Disney Concert Hall stage, you may not know what will happen next, but you know it’ll be astounding.
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Sun May 04 7:00 PM
LA Master Chorale Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents the highly anticipated U.S. premiere of Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem. Dream Requiem merges two long standing creative visions—Wainwright’s fascination wi...Show More
The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents the highly anticipated U.S. premiere of Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem. Dream Requiem merges two long standing creative visions—Wainwright’s fascination with Byron's poem Darkness, depicting global upheaval after the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption, and his lifelong admiration for the great Requiems of Verdi, Berlioz and Britten. This powerful and evocative modern-day requiem, with sublime harmonies and emotive storytelling, is an opulent composition that seamlessly weaves together Wainwright’s distinctive musical voice with the timeless liturgy of the Latin Requiem Mass.
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Thu May 08 8:00 PM
Sun May 11 2:00 PM
LA Phil Esa-Pekka Salonen Leads Debussy & Boulez
Walt Disney Concert Hall
As a teenage aspiring composer with a modernist ear, Esa-Pekka Salonen idolized composer and conductor Pierre Boulez and has become one of the biggest champions of his music. Salonen writes, “It can be complex without ever losing its clarity, it c...Show More
As a teenage aspiring composer with a modernist ear, Esa-Pekka Salonen idolized composer and conductor Pierre Boulez and has become one of the biggest champions of his music. Salonen writes, “It can be complex without ever losing its clarity, it can be aggressive or delicate, hypnotic or kaleidoscopically flickering, ritualistic or virtuosic. But most importantly, it is often hauntingly beautiful.”
Salonen contrasts Boulez’ serialist voice with fellow French composer Debussy’s impressionism—a pairing critic Mark Pullinger compared to “glaring sunburst [and] smudgy haze” or “Monet and Jackson Pollock.” Boulez’ solo piano Notations (each only 12 bars) flow into a version for orchestra that explodes the original musical idea with orchestral colors before being counterpointed by one of Debussy’s dreamy Images. Like Salonen, Boulez was a renowned conductor of Debussy’s music, and after intermission Salonen, leads two Debussy favorites: the Fantaisie with pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard and the composer’s conversation between wind and wave, La mer.
Concerts in the Thursday 2 subscription series are generously supported by the Otis Booth Foundation.
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Fri May 09 8:00 PM
LA Phil Max Richter
Walt Disney Concert Hall
One of the most influential composers of his generation, Max Richter stands as a pivotal figure on the contemporary music scene. His works cross boundaries and genres, encompassing solo artist albums, ballets, concert hall performances, cinema and...Show More
One of the most influential composers of his generation, Max Richter stands as a pivotal figure on the contemporary music scene. His works cross boundaries and genres, encompassing solo artist albums, ballets, concert hall performances, cinema and television scores, video art installations, and theater works. He celebrates his 2004 album The Blue Notebooks and performs new works with his ensemble.
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Tue May 13 8:00 PM
LA Phil All-Brass Chamber Music
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Experience big performances on a more intimate scale when musicians from the LA Phil perform chamber music in small ensembles. Come early and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine before the performance, starting at 6:30pm.
Experience big performances on a more intimate scale when musicians from the LA Phil perform chamber music in small ensembles. Come early and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine before the performance, starting at 6:30pm.
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Fri May 16 8:00 PM
Sun May 18 2:00 PM
LA Phil Ravel & Adolphe
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Renowned French conductor Ludovic Morlot leads music by Ravel and Granados that captures the spirit of Spanish dances. Seth Parker Woods, the cellist who is “quickly becoming a groundbreaking new-music star in both the avant-garde and pop worlds” ...Show More
Renowned French conductor Ludovic Morlot leads music by Ravel and Granados that captures the spirit of Spanish dances. Seth Parker Woods, the cellist who is “quickly becoming a groundbreaking new-music star in both the avant-garde and pop worlds” (Los Angeles Times), joins the LA Phil for the world premiere of Julia Adolphe’s new concerto.
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Wed Jan 15 12:00 PM
Fri Sep 26 12:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program Gloria Molina Grand Park's Wellness Break
Gloria Molina Grand Park - Performance Lawn (btwn Grand Ave & Hill St)
Angelenos are invited to experience outdoor movement, restoration and reinvigoration—in under an hour. This free series is set to redefine midday breaks. Every Wednesday and Friday, amid the lush gree...Show More
Angelenos are invited to experience outdoor movement, restoration and reinvigoration—in under an hour. This free series is set to redefine midday breaks. Every Wednesday and Friday, amid the lush greenery of the park, participants can immerse themselves in their yoga flow. In addition to the regular weekly yoga classes, everyone is encouraged to mark their calendars for every third or fourth Saturday for the park’s “Wild Card” series, adding excitement and variety to the Wellness Breaks. These sessions are located on the scenic performance lawn between Grand Ave and Hill St.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Wed Mar 19 12:00 PM
Mon Jun 30 6:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Breakthru
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.Show More
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.
Guided by a series of two-minute breathing and movement sequences, shift your mood by choosing joyful, energized, centered and confident. This ever-evolving, crowd-curated experience gives us all permission to pause, reflect and recharge.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Wed Mar 19 12:00 PM
Mon Jun 30 6:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Breakthru
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.Show More
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.
Guided by a series of two-minute breathing and movement sequences, shift your mood by choosing joyful, energized, centered and confident. This ever-evolving, crowd-curated experience gives us all permission to pause, reflect and recharge.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Wed Apr 30 7:30 PM
LA Phil Music 101: The Concerto: Part 3
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Through the centuries, concertos have been the platform for virtuosos to thrill audiences. In the first two installments of this series, Alan Chapman traced the development and structure of the concerto from its beginnings through the late 19th ce...Show More
Through the centuries, concertos have been the platform for virtuosos to thrill audiences. In the first two installments of this series, Alan Chapman traced the development and structure of the concerto from its beginnings through the late 19th century. Now, he resumes this chronological journey with many musical examples and vibrant visuals. Whether you’re continuing the series or joining for the first time, all are welcome to come and learn!
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Fri May 02 7:30 PM
Sun May 04 2:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center Grupo Corpo
Ahmanson Theatre
Founded in 1975 by brothers Artistic Director Paulo Pederneiras and choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, the Brazilian dance company Grupo Corpo (meaning “Body Group” in Portuguese) is renowned for its unparalleled blend of popular Brazilian culture...Show More
Founded in 1975 by brothers Artistic Director Paulo Pederneiras and choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, the Brazilian dance company Grupo Corpo (meaning “Body Group” in Portuguese) is renowned for its unparalleled blend of popular Brazilian culture, African rhythms and classical technique. The program opens with Pederneiras' 1992 work 21, a ballet divided into three movements that weaves rhythmic and timbral combinations around the number 21. Audiences will be captivated by the musical score’s unique sounds, emanating from composer Marco Antonio Guimarães’ unusual instrumental creations. For Gira, Pederneiras immersed himself in the history and practices of Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian religions, particularly Umbanda, transforming the rituals into a universal expression of humanity and emphasizing the trance-like turning and movement that characterize these ceremonies. “It is the sheer physical virtuosity of the company that is so impressive—the sinuous, athletic bodies seemingly inexhaustible.” —The Guardian, London
Show LessAges 18 and up
Learn MoreAges 18 and up
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Sat May 03 11:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival: Family Day
Jerry Moss Plaza
Get ready for a day of fun, creativity and play at The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival Family Day! This free, one-day outdoor festival invites children of all abilities and their families to enjoy an exciting lineup of live perf...Show More
Get ready for a day of fun, creativity and play at The Music Center’s Very Special Arts Festival Family Day! This free, one-day outdoor festival invites children of all abilities and their families to enjoy an exciting lineup of live performances, interactive art-making activities and a student art gallery, all in a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere. Join us on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center for a memorable Saturday exploring the arts and celebrating the artist in all of us!
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Sun May 04 7:00 PM
LA Master Chorale Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents the highly anticipated U.S. premiere of Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem. Dream Requiem merges two long standing creative visions—Wainwright’s fascination wi...Show More
The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents the highly anticipated U.S. premiere of Rufus Wainwright's Dream Requiem. Dream Requiem merges two long standing creative visions—Wainwright’s fascination with Byron's poem Darkness, depicting global upheaval after the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption, and his lifelong admiration for the great Requiems of Verdi, Berlioz and Britten. This powerful and evocative modern-day requiem, with sublime harmonies and emotive storytelling, is an opulent composition that seamlessly weaves together Wainwright’s distinctive musical voice with the timeless liturgy of the Latin Requiem Mass.
Show Less -
Wed Mar 19 12:00 PM
Mon Jun 30 6:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Breakthru
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.Show More
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.
Guided by a series of two-minute breathing and movement sequences, shift your mood by choosing joyful, energized, centered and confident. This ever-evolving, crowd-curated experience gives us all permission to pause, reflect and recharge.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
-
Wed Mar 19 12:00 PM
Mon Jun 30 6:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Breakthru
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.Show More
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.
Guided by a series of two-minute breathing and movement sequences, shift your mood by choosing joyful, energized, centered and confident. This ever-evolving, crowd-curated experience gives us all permission to pause, reflect and recharge.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
-
Wed Mar 19 12:00 PM
Mon Jun 30 6:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Breakthru
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.Show More
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.
Guided by a series of two-minute breathing and movement sequences, shift your mood by choosing joyful, energized, centered and confident. This ever-evolving, crowd-curated experience gives us all permission to pause, reflect and recharge.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Fri May 02 11:00 AM
Sun May 04 2:00 PM
LA Phil Beethoven & Dessner with Esa-Pekka Salonen
Walt Disney Concert Hall
For well over two hundred years, the “Eroica” Symphony has been celebrated as one Beethoven’s greatest works and one of the most revolutionary masterpieces in classical music. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the LA Phil in this powerful piece of defiance,...Show More
For well over two hundred years, the “Eroica” Symphony has been celebrated as one Beethoven’s greatest works and one of the most revolutionary masterpieces in classical music. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the LA Phil in this powerful piece of defiance, contrasting it with Debussy’s dreamy and fluid Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Pekka Kuusisto, a fellow Finn and one of Salonen’s favorite collaborators, joins the orchestra for Bryce Dessner’s Violin Concerto, which Kuusisto describes as “super energetic, and athletic, active—but it’s the big changes of scenery that really make it magic.”
Show Less -
Wed Mar 19 12:00 PM
Mon Jun 30 6:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents Breakthru
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.Show More
Join us for Breakthru, a free daily movement and breathing-based microbreak on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Every day at NOON and 6:00 p.m., Angelenos come together to move, breathe and reset—right in the heart of Downtown L.A.
Guided by a series of two-minute breathing and movement sequences, shift your mood by choosing joyful, energized, centered and confident. This ever-evolving, crowd-curated experience gives us all permission to pause, reflect and recharge.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
-
Fri May 02 11:00 AM
Sun May 04 2:00 PM
LA Phil Beethoven & Dessner with Esa-Pekka Salonen
Walt Disney Concert Hall
For well over two hundred years, the “Eroica” Symphony has been celebrated as one Beethoven’s greatest works and one of the most revolutionary masterpieces in classical music. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the LA Phil in this powerful piece of defiance,...Show More
For well over two hundred years, the “Eroica” Symphony has been celebrated as one Beethoven’s greatest works and one of the most revolutionary masterpieces in classical music. Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the LA Phil in this powerful piece of defiance, contrasting it with Debussy’s dreamy and fluid Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Pekka Kuusisto, a fellow Finn and one of Salonen’s favorite collaborators, joins the orchestra for Bryce Dessner’s Violin Concerto, which Kuusisto describes as “super energetic, and athletic, active—but it’s the big changes of scenery that really make it magic.”
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Sat Apr 26 7:30 PM
Sun May 18 2:00 PM
LA Opera Ainadamar
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Margarita Xirgu has spent half her acting career in exile, mourning Federico García Lorca, the dear friend whom she couldn’t convince to flee Franco’s reign of terror. Lorca was once on the verge of writing his way into a new Golden Age in Spain. ...Show More
Margarita Xirgu has spent half her acting career in exile, mourning Federico García Lorca, the dear friend whom she couldn’t convince to flee Franco’s reign of terror. Lorca was once on the verge of writing his way into a new Golden Age in Spain. But dictators have no use for poets.
Resident Conductor Lina González-Granados leads this major company premiere. Grammy winner Osvaldo Golijov’s dramatic, flamenco-inspired score meets a poignant libretto by David Henry Hwang in what the LA Times calls “one of the most moving and meaningful operas of our time.” Ana María Martínez takes center stage as Lorca’s muse Margarita Xirgu, recounting the poet’s life and his last days in the Spanish Civil War. Daniela Mack steps into the role of Federico García Lorca, the man whose pen proved just as dangerous as any pistol.
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Tour The Music Center Campus
Free tours are available of all The Music Center's theaters.