The Hollywood Bowl. Those three words resonate in the hearts of most Angelenos and when they are said, bring to mind picnics with friends, good wine, warm summer nights under the stars, glorious music and fireworks. The Bowl is a summer ritual for so many of us.
Like many of us natives, I grew up with the Bowl. It wasn’t far from my grandparents place. Someone in the family inevitably went, lugging us kids along. I remember trudging up to it from street parking several blocks away. Ahead of me were uncles and aunts, carrying along picnic baskets and blankets. I remember sitting at the picnic tables near Camrose street and the food was always memorable. Later, we’d pack things up, someone would volunteer to schlep it all back to the car and we’d file into the Bowl. We always went on nights when there were fireworks and there was usually classical or jazz playing. Those yearly treks were magical and are ingrained into my memories.
As an adult, my love affair with the Bowl became more serious. The picnic basket had to be perfect and what was in it even more so. It varied year to year – sometimes bought at the little wine shop on Franklin, other times I prepared everything that went into it. I attended with friends, boyfriends and my children. Sometimes there were work events and we went en masse. I don’t ever remember having a bad time at the Bowl…always there was wonder, camaraderie and good food and drink.
Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the 2014 Season Kickoff party with Michelin-starred Chef Gianfranco Minuz and did something I’d never done in all my years at the Bowl – stand upon the stage. As all my previous evenings at the Bowl, it was something special. Even more so to be standing upon that magical stage where so much amazing music has played. I imagine the memory of all past concerts lingers in the rafters, but perhaps I am fanciful. Magical places do that to me.
There was an array of food from all the Bowl’s restaurants and it was all wonderful. The chef especially enjoyed the sushi as did I, though I went a little crazy over the macarons. There were cocktails and wine, black-clad servers and there was Gustavo Dudamel. Several announcements were made, but the one that stuck in my mind was the fact that he Dudamel has made first foray into composing for film with the major feature Libertador (the life of Simón Bolívar), for which he wrote the score and recorded it with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. The film is being released in the US in summer 2014, along with the soundtrack. Also of import, was that the multi-talented Herbie Hancock would serve as Creative Chair for the Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.
The new season looks to be an amazing one and I intend to make several of the performances. In particular, I am most interested in the The Beatles’ 50th, Americas and Americans (Ruben Blades!). I’m most definitely going to attend the Hair! performance and Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus. I am a child of the 70’s after all.
Like many of us natives, I grew up with the Bowl. It wasn’t far from my grandparents place. Someone in the family inevitably went, lugging us kids along. I remember trudging up to it from street parking several blocks away. Ahead of me were uncles and aunts, carrying along picnic baskets and blankets. I remember sitting at the picnic tables near Camrose street and the food was always memorable. Later, we’d pack things up, someone would volunteer to schlep it all back to the car and we’d file into the Bowl. We always went on nights when there were fireworks and there was usually classical or jazz playing. Those yearly treks were magical and are ingrained into my memories.
As an adult, my love affair with the Bowl became more serious. The picnic basket had to be perfect and what was in it even more so. It varied year to year – sometimes bought at the little wine shop on Franklin, other times I prepared everything that went into it. I attended with friends, boyfriends and my children. Sometimes there were work events and we went en masse. I don’t ever remember having a bad time at the Bowl…always there was wonder, camaraderie and good food and drink.
Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the 2014 Season Kickoff party with Michelin-starred Chef Gianfranco Minuz and did something I’d never done in all my years at the Bowl – stand upon the stage. As all my previous evenings at the Bowl, it was something special. Even more so to be standing upon that magical stage where so much amazing music has played. I imagine the memory of all past concerts lingers in the rafters, but perhaps I am fanciful. Magical places do that to me.
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There was an array of food from all the Bowl’s restaurants and it was all wonderful. The chef especially enjoyed the sushi as did I, though I went a little crazy over the macarons. There were cocktails and wine, black-clad servers and there was Gustavo Dudamel. Several announcements were made, but the one that stuck in my mind was the fact that he Dudamel has made first foray into composing for film with the major feature Libertador (the life of Simón Bolívar), for which he wrote the score and recorded it with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. The film is being released in the US in summer 2014, along with the soundtrack. Also of import, was that the multi-talented Herbie Hancock would serve as Creative Chair for the Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.
The new season looks to be an amazing one and I intend to make several of the performances. In particular, I am most interested in the The Beatles’ 50th, Americas and Americans (Ruben Blades!). I’m most definitely going to attend the Hair! performance and Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus. I am a child of the 70’s after all.
Who am I kidding? I want to go every night of the summer season. What better way to spend those hot Los Angeles nights than sitting under the stars, replete with good food, good wine enjoying amazing music and the company of those you care about?
*all photos were taken with the Nokia Icon on the Verizon Network. This is a non-compensated post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.