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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Sat Jun 15 8:00 PM
Center Theatre Group This Bright Wilderness
Mark Taper Forum
This Bright Wilderness: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Theatre at the Mark Taper Forum and Los Angeles is the second in a series of Taper Legacy Readings, which is part of the CTG:FWD initiative, directed by Andi Chapman (Associate Artis...Show More
This Bright Wilderness: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Theatre at the Mark Taper Forum and Los Angeles is the second in a series of Taper Legacy Readings, which is part of the CTG:FWD initiative, directed by Andi Chapman (Associate Artistic Director, The Ebony Repertory Theatre) and curated by CLASSIX, which was created by Awoye Timpo (last seen at CTG as the director of Amal’s Wish) to explode the classical canon through an exploration of Black performance history and dramatic works by Black writers.
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Wed Oct 02 8:00 PM
Sun Nov 10 6:30 PM
Center Theatre Group American Idiot
Mark Taper Forum
Slinging razor guitars, thundering drums, and an anti-hero named Johnny. Not the prelude of typical entries in the canon of musical theatre. But these elements herald a groundbreaking American musical all the same: with the burning passion of char...Show More
Slinging razor guitars, thundering drums, and an anti-hero named Johnny. Not the prelude of typical entries in the canon of musical theatre. But these elements herald a groundbreaking American musical all the same: with the burning passion of characters who yearn for something more, songs bursting with emotion, and a story that dares you to feel and celebrate and hope.
The music of Green Day and the lyrics of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong captured the zeitgeist of a generation with its Grammy Award®-winning multi-platinum album. American Idiot puts those raw emotions front and center in a highly theatrical and thoroughly satisfying rock opera that burns up the stage.
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Fri Nov 22 7:30 PM
Sun Nov 24 2:00 PM
A TMC Arts Program: Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center Urban Bush Women
Mark Taper Forum
Building upon a repertoire of bold, life-affirming dance works, Urban Bush Women celebrates its 40th anniversary with the world premiere of SCAT!... The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar, a new dance-d...Show More
Building upon a repertoire of bold, life-affirming dance works, Urban Bush Women celebrates its 40th anniversary with the world premiere of SCAT!... The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar, a new dance-driven jazz club spectacular that tells the story of two people on a journey from the Great Migration to Kansas City. Urban Bush Women founderJawole Willa Jo Zollar grew up performing in floor shows in Black neighborhoods in a segregated Kansas City in the mid-20th century post-World War II—an era when Black businesses were booming, and there was great hope of upward mobility. Performed with a live band on stage and set to an original jazz score by Craig Harris, SCAT! tells of the powerful journey of the Zollar family and what happens when dreams encounter the harsh realities of American life in the 1940s.
In Zollar’s words, “SCAT!... The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar is modeled after the structure and content of the great tradition of the Black floor show, which included comic MCs like Moms Mabley and Pigmeat Markham, flash acts such as the Nicholas Brothers or the Crackerjacks, eccentric dancers like Earl “Snakehips” Tucker, storytelling orators, kiddie acts, striptease/exotic dancers à la Josephine Baker or Sahji, and the Shim Sham Shimmy—a traditional tap dance finale.” Urban Bush Women promotes artistic legacies, projects the voices of the underheard and people of color and addresses issues of equity in the dance field and beyond, under the artistic direction of Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Speis.
Presented in association with Center Theatre Group
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Mon Jun 10 10:00 AM
Sun Aug 11 10:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents BLKNWS® in Residence
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS ...Show More
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS has continually evolved in form and scope.
This year, it takes its newest form in the highly anticipated feature film BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions, produced in collaboration with A24 and Participant Media.
Guests to The Music Center will be immersed in a free multi-dimensional experience inspired by the world and ideas of BLKNWS.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
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Mon Jun 10 7:00 PM
2024 Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The annual Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival is World Project's premiere summer event showcasing performances by musical ensembles from around the USA and abroad.
The annual Los Angeles Sounds of Summer Festival is World Project's premiere summer event showcasing performances by musical ensembles from around the USA and abroad.
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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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Sat Jun 15 8:00 PM
Center Theatre Group This Bright Wilderness
Mark Taper Forum
This Bright Wilderness: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Theatre at the Mark Taper Forum and Los Angeles is the second in a series of Taper Legacy Readings, which is part of the CTG:FWD initiative, directed by Andi Chapman (Associate Artis...Show More
This Bright Wilderness: Celebrating the Legacy of Black Theatre at the Mark Taper Forum and Los Angeles is the second in a series of Taper Legacy Readings, which is part of the CTG:FWD initiative, directed by Andi Chapman (Associate Artistic Director, The Ebony Repertory Theatre) and curated by CLASSIX, which was created by Awoye Timpo (last seen at CTG as the director of Amal’s Wish) to explode the classical canon through an exploration of Black performance history and dramatic works by Black writers.
Show Less -
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.
Show Less -
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.
Show Less -
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.
Show Less -
Sat Jun 15 7:30 PM
LA Opera Renée Fleming in Recital
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The iconic soprano closes out the season with an enchanting evening of arias and songs. This is your chance to savor the exquisite voice and peerless artistry of this longtime audience favorite, treasured for her unforgettable LA Opera appearances...Show More
The iconic soprano closes out the season with an enchanting evening of arias and songs. This is your chance to savor the exquisite voice and peerless artistry of this longtime audience favorite, treasured for her unforgettable LA Opera appearances in La Traviata, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Light in the Piazza, as well as numerous concerts and recitals.
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Mon Jun 10 10:00 AM
Sun Aug 11 10:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents BLKNWS® in Residence
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS ...Show More
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS has continually evolved in form and scope.
This year, it takes its newest form in the highly anticipated feature film BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions, produced in collaboration with A24 and Participant Media.
Guests to The Music Center will be immersed in a free multi-dimensional experience inspired by the world and ideas of BLKNWS.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
-
Mon Jun 10 10:00 AM
Sun Aug 11 10:00 AM
A TMC Arts Program: Digital Innovation Initiative The Music Center Presents BLKNWS® in Residence
Jerry Moss Plaza
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS ...Show More
Join us this summer for a very special residency featuring acclaimed artist and filmmaker Kahlil Joseph and his innovative project, BLKNWS®. Since its debut as a two-channel video installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale, BLKNWS has continually evolved in form and scope.
This year, it takes its newest form in the highly anticipated feature film BLKNWS: Terms and Conditions, produced in collaboration with A24 and Participant Media.
Guests to The Music Center will be immersed in a free multi-dimensional experience inspired by the world and ideas of BLKNWS.
Show LessFree
Learn MoreFree
Tour The Music Center Campus
Free tours are available of all The Music Center's theaters.