Holiday Events Include Cirque du Soleil, 'La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin', Pacific Chorale Theater

Cirque du Soleil, Microsoft Theater Announce Five Year Partnership to Host its Blockbuster Touring Production Starting Spring of 2022

OVO – A buzzing spectacular, opens on March 16, 2022 for an extended series of performances

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group (“Cirque du Soleil”) and Microsoft Theater are proud to announce their new exciting partnership for presenting a Cirque du Soleil touring production within L.A. LIVE each spring for the next five years. OVO – a high-energy and high-acrobatic spectacular, will mark the launch of this new collaboration with a series of over 50 performances from March 16 to May 1, 2022 at the Microsoft Theater.

Since June, Cirque du Soleil has been delighting audiences again in Las Vegas with the reopening of its resident shows Mystère, “O”, The Beatles LOVE and Michael Jackson ONE. KÀ is scheduled to reopen on Nov. 24, 2021. The return of OVO marks the relaunch of global touring operations for the company, following Alegría in Houston (November 2021), LUZIA in London (January 2022) and KOOZA in Punta Cana (January 2022).

THE BUZZING WORLD OF OVO: An exciting Cirque du Soleil experience for the whole family, OVO is a colorful intrusion into a new day in the life of insects, a non-stop riot of energy and movement. Highlighting the unique personalities and abilities of selected insect species through show-stopping acrobatics, OVO explores the beauty of biodiversity in all its contrasts and vibrancy.

From mighty crickets bouncing off trampolines to a hypnotic spider contorting inside her web, OVO exudes extraordinary showmanship to tickle the imagination. Funny and chaotic, yet adorable and wonderful, OVO charms our inner child with its sweet exuberance.

Comprised of 52 performers from over 15 countries, the cast of OVO (“egg” in Portuguese) brings to the stage 10 high-level acrobatic acts redefining the limits of the human body. Since its opening in Montreal in 2009, OVO has thrilled more than 7 million people in 155 cities in 26 different countries.

TICKET INFORMATION - Tickets for select performances of OVO at Microsoft Theater are available online exclusively to Club Cirque members. For free and easy subscription, visit cirqueclub.com. General on-sale starts on December 3rd, 2021, at cirquedusoleil.com/ovo

Tickets are available to Club Cirque members NOW. General on-sale starts on December 3, 2021

‘La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin’

Latino Theater Company returns to in-person performance this December with La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin, the company’s signature holiday pageant that has been a Los Angeles holiday tradition since 2002. Join the tens of thousands who have become transfixed by the story of Juan Diego, a simple peasant to whom the Virgin Mary appeared on four occasions in the mountains of Tepeyac near Mexico City in 1531. Starring Esperanza America as the Virgin and Sal Lopez as Juan Diego, the cast features over 100 actors, singers and indigenous Aztec dancers as well as children and seniors from the community. The City’s largest theatrical holiday pageant, La Virgen has been covered by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles HOY, Univision and Fox News among many others.

• Adapted for the stage by Evelina Fernández from the mid-16th Century text The Nican Mopohua • Directed by José Luis Valenzuela

• Starring Esperanza America as the Virgin, Sal Lopez as Juan Diego, and featuring over 100 actors, singers and indigenous Aztec dancers, as well as children and seniors from the Los Angeles community

• Produced by The Latino Theater Company in association with the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels • Friday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. • Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. • General admission: FREE • Premium seating: $45 • Performed in Spanish with English subtitles. • Reservations required for general admission seating and can be made beginning November 20 at http://www.latinotheaterco.org.

• Proof of vaccination and valid I.D required. • Masks required throughout the performance. • Visit http://www.latinotheaterco.org to read Latino Theater Company’s most up-to-date requirements regarding Covid-19 safety. Reservations required: (866) 811-4111 or go to http://www.latinotheaterco.org

Harry Nilsson’s ‘The Point’ performed by son, Kiefo, and 14-piece band, narrated by John C. Reilly, headlines. Theatricum Botanicum ‘Holiday Family Faire’ on Dec. 11. Photos ops with Santa and Mrs. Claus; Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah stories; artisan market; and more

The round-headed Oblio has to wear a pointed hat to conceal his “pointless” condition from his pointy-headed peers on Harry Nilsson’s charming 1970 album, The Point. A live rendition starring Kiefo Nilsson (Harry’s son) and a 14-piece band, and narrated by celebrated actor/musician John C. Reilly, will be the centerpiece of a Holiday Family Faire, presented by Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum at its spectacular outdoor venue in Topanga on Saturday, Dec. 11. (Rain date: Dec. 18.)

Additional performances will include aerialist acts by cirque performer Lexi Pearl, curator of Theatricum’s annual Momentum Place. Carolers and singing madrigals will roam the grounds, and Theatricum company members will tell winter holiday stories from a variety of traditions including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for family photo ops. An artisan marketplace will offer holiday gifts and crafts, and festive food and drink will be available for purchase.

All proceeds go to support Theatricum Botanicum’s extensive artistic and educational programming. Proof of vaccination for ages 12 and up required for admission; masks required for all ages throughout the event.

Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021 from 12 p.m.–6 p.m. (Rain date: Dec. 18), Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. Topanga CA 90290, (midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway)

General Admission (16 and up): $20. Children (ages 5 to 15): $10. Children 4 years of age and under: free. Family 4-Pack (2 adult and 2 kids): $50

Tickets and information at theatricum.com/holidayfamilyfaire

PACIFIC CHORALE, LED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROBERT ISTAD, HERALDS THE HOLIDAYS WITH “CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT,”FEATURING SEASONAL CHORAL GEMS FROM RENAISSANCE AND BEYOND

Saturday, December 4, and Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 8:00 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach. Ticketholders Required to Show Proof of Vaccination and Wear Masks Inside Venues

Pacific Chorale, considered one of the nation’s leading choirs, rings in the holidays with two performances of “Carols by Candlelight,” a lush compilation of timeless seasonal choral music from the Renaissance and beyond, on Saturday, December 4, and Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 8:00 p.m., at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach. Artistic Director Robert Istad conducts this audience favorite, imbued with the wonder, reverence, and awe of the season. Among the offerings are arrangements of such beloved classics as I Wonder as I Wander, Ding! Dong! Merrily on High, Silent Night, and God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen, by Leonard Enns, John Rutter, David Willcocks and others, as well as works by noted 20th century English composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Herbert Howells, and contemporary composers Sarah Quartel, Bob Chilcott, Patrick Hawes, Cecilia McDowall, and Will Todd.

“Nothing is more meaningful for me than celebrating the holidays with Pacific Chorale in Orange County,” says Istad. “Our musicians create palpable joy in every concert, providing an experience we all need now more than ever before!”

“Carols by Candlelight,” the first of two holiday offerings Pacific Chorale is presenting in December, is followed by “Tis the Season!”, a family-friendly program replete with festive carols, holiday favorites and even a visit from Santa Claus on December 19 and 20, at the Reneé and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.

Pacific Chorale’s 2021-22 Season is made possible by generous support from Platinum Season Sponsor Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons, and Silver Season Sponsor Charles and Ling Zhang. The “Carols by Candlelight” concerts are generously sponsored by Trish O’Donnell.

Single tickets for “Carols by Candlelight” range from $25 to $70. Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 2100 Mar Vista Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Audience members must show proof of vaccination and wear masks inside the venue (COVID protocols detailed below). For tickets and information, visit http://www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345.

Chanin Victor is a family travel specialist focusing on experiential, immersive, multigenerational travel. She is a versatile freelance writer, skilled journalist, and avid photographer. Based in Los Angeles with her family, Chanin seizes every opportunity to embark on new adventures. Discover her travels and insights at chaninvictor.com - PLUS - if you're interested in Chanin's family-friendly travel stories, inspiration and travel tips, look HERE: https://chaninvictor.com/travel-trends/ at the Santa Monica Observer!