‘I have no fear': L.A. Opera lovers attend shows in downtown L.A. despite protests
Hours before downtown Los Angeles headed into its sixth night under curfew orders imposed by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, dozens of opera and theater fans funneled into the Music Center on Sunday afternoon to catch matinee performances of L.A. Opera's 'Rigoletto' and Center Theatre Group's 'Hamlet.'
The shows took place just one day after thousands of 'No Kings' demonstrators flooded the streets to protest immigration raids across the city. Center Theatre Group had canceled its Wednesday night performance of director Robert O'Hara's world-premiere adaptation of 'Hamlet' before officials announced a curfew exemption on Thursday for ticket holders of indoor events and performing arts venues downtown such as the Music Center. Saturday's matinee and evening performances of 'Hamlet' were also canceled in anticipation of the protests. No performances of 'Rigoletto' were canceled and L.A. Opera's 'Renee Fleming and Friends' event took place on Saturday night.
On Sunday afternoon, aside from a handful of police cars sprinkled throughout the area, there wasn't much of a law enforcement presence and no protests were happening, which made many attendees feel more relaxed about coming downtown.
Ahead of the 'Rigoletto' show, we spoke to ticket holders about whether they hesitated about coming to the Music Center and downtown Los Angeles and how they feel about supporting the arts even in times of conflict. Their responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Why did you want to come to the show today?
Pancake: I've never seen 'Rigoletto' live and I haven't been to the L.A. Opera even though I've been [in L.A.] since 1987. I've been to the Mark Taper and Ahmanson hundreds of times, but never to the opera. I'm here because my nephew turned 21 and even though he's a punk rock, heavy metal dude, he really likes the opera. I was going to bring him here for his birthday on Thursday, but he felt weird about coming down here.
I have no fear. I'm old. I don't care anymore. I've lived through all the riots, strikes and protests. I'm gay. I've been marching since 1987 for a million different reasons, so I changed it to today because he was concerned about the curfew and then he still didn't come. So I brought Gabe, my good friend, who is also a theater guy.
Acero: My father is a security guard at the Federal Building and I told him I was coming here, and he was like, 'Oh, that's closed.' And I'm going, 'No it's not. 1) That's only a nighttime thing. 2) That's changed. Ticketed events are still allowed because they want the arts to happen.'
It's just funny that there's this dichotomy of like someone you'd think is in the thick of it and they don't even know what's going on in the area with rules and what's happening.
Pancake: I was at the 'No Kings' rally all morning and afternoon yesterday and so I'm at the opera today. The L.A. Opera and the Music Center has done a really good job about sending emails and updating us about what was going on.
How often do you come to downtown L.A.?
Acero: I'm usually downtown at least every Friday. I go to Precinct all the time.
Pancake: I'm down here often. I go to the theater. I'm an actor and I know a lot of actors. [Gabe] is a prosthetic makeup artist, so we are in the world of acting and theater. As an actor, nothing will stop me from doing theater and attending theater.
Do you have any plans after the show?
Pancake: I think we're going to go eat afterward.
Why do you think it's important to support the arts, which are still trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hollywood strike and the recent wildfires?
Pancake: To show them, the performers and the artists, that we're here for them. Then the flip side, it's like I appreciate it when people show up for my stuff, so it's a give and take and I'm happy to be a part of it.
Acero: That's theater. You go there for a relief from the real world. It's sort of an escape.
Why did you want to come to the show today?
Asch: I love the opera. In our community, there was a bus organized to bring us up here, so we did it. I went to the protest yesterday. It was so exciting and we were all cheering and saying, 'No kings.'
Block: We felt like this would not be in the area where there are a lot of protesters and that it would be perfectly safe to come on down.
Why do you think it's important to support the arts?
Asch: I think they lift your spirits. I mean even though this is a depressing opera, the music is thrilling and I know I'm going to shed a tear at the end.
Block: We get tired of talking about politics and worrying about it, and this is an opportunity to get away from it.
Are you doing anything after the show?
Block: No [laughs]. We're getting on the bus to take us back home.
Why did you want to come to the show today?
I finished preaching a sermon, changed my clothes and then came down here for the show. I'm a social justice pastor, so basically when you bring me into your church, I'm going to talk about current events. The title of my sermon was 'This is God's world, we're just living in it.' Remember in 1865, we were looking for freedom and in 2025, we're still looking for it.
I'm an avid opera goer. I feel that more people of color should go to the opera. They think that we're not included, but we are included, it's just that we have to show up. Also, I'm a big Verdi fan so anything Verdi writes, I'm going to go see it.
Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests?
You're talking to a man of faith. I didn't feel threatened coming downtown because I understood the cause. I think the people who are feeling threatened coming downtown are people who don't maybe agree with the cause. They're looking at too much CNN, and CNN is only [showing] what they want you to see. But no, I don't feel nervous in doing that. These people have a right to be out there. I don't believe in the violence part, but violence is gonna happen no matter what kind of protest. The American Revolution had violence. I felt that our current administration was overdoing it and I just passed by [some] Marines but there's nobody in the streets.
Why did you want to come to the show today?
Kelley: My husband conducted a performance of 'Rigoletto' about 15 years ago with an opera company in Chinatown.
Hougesen: I wasn't worried. The L.A. Opera sends regular emails and they told us that we may want to take the 110 Freeway and the Temple Street exit. They also said if you don't feel comfortable, they would be happy to refund your money. So I wasn't afraid. I watch the TV news regularly and the [Los Angeles Police Department] was very good with crowd control yesterday, so I didn't think it was going to be a problem.
Kelley: I had full trust that it was going to be OK. The 'No Kings' protest was yesterday, so I just figured especially if you arrive early enough, I figured it wouldn't be a problem. I hadn't heard of any of the protesters being on the ground at the Music Center.'
Why do you think it's important to support the arts?
Hougesen: Well, I have season tickets. I have for many years. I go to the L.A. Philharmonic and the L.A. Opera.
Kelley: I think the arts are what keep a lot of people going. They uplift everybody. My late husband started an orchestra in 1965, the Palisades Symphony. He died about a year and a half ago, but the orchestra continues. It's an all-volunteer orchestra and I am still involved with it and I'm an active cellist. Also, some of those people lost their homes so it gives them a sense of continuity and friendship. Just playing music together is very very important to so many people.
Why did you want to come to the show today?
We just like to do things in the city. If anything sounds interesting, we'll go check it out.
Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests?
Not really and the freeway was clear when we came down so we weren't really concerned.
How often do you come downtown?
About once a month to visit the Ahmanson and the Mark Taper. I try to see whatever is playing.
Are you planning to do anything after the show in the area?
Our plan was to come early and enjoy the pavilion before the show. It's a school night.
Why do you think it's important to support the arts?
It's important to take a step back and pause, and get in tune with your emotions or experience something new and creative before you go back into the world because it might shift your perspective. It might change your mindset. So I think it's important, no matter what's going on in L.A., to support the arts. If we want an art scene here, we have to patronize it.
Why did you want to come to the show today?
Lass: We live in the mountains and were bored. We've both grown up in Southern California, and L.A. is not scary. You could be in a bad place at the wrong time, but that can happen anywhere.
Roblee: They did cancel our brunch reservation though. When we were driving through, we saw some boarded-up buildings.
Were you nervous about being in downtown L.A. amid the protests?
Lass: A little bit just from seeing what was on the news, but it was not like I've seen in the past. I lived in Hawthorne during the riots, so if all the buildings aren't burning, everything is good. ... People want to fight for what's right.
How often do you come downtown?
Roblee: A couple times of year, mostly for activities.
Why do you think it's important to support the arts even during times of strife?
Roblee: The artists need to make a living and the theater has never been a place to get rich. It's important. It's culturally important and we enjoy it, so you have to support it. Take it away and life is boring.
Why did you want to come to the show today?
Kareem: We came to the opera last year and that was our first time, and we thought let's go again in the summer. We're teachers.
Were you nervous about coming to downtown L.A. today?
Amy: I didn't feel nervous today. I figured it was during the day. I was kind of curious to see the [freeway] off-ramps and all that stuff, but I wasn't nervous.
Kareem: I was a little bit nervous because I'm the driver. As we got closer and into the city, I felt a little bit more relaxed. I didn't get nervous because I saw cars were moving, but I saw police cars lined up above the freeway and they had closed some off-ramps. But then as I kind of pulled off and I didn't see any activity, I felt more relaxed. We sat down. We ordered a beer. I feel like it was a little quiet when we got here.
For me, it was like I have the tickets. Even going back to things that have happened in the past, like 9/11, you just kind of don't want to be roaming around in fear. I'm going to live my life and if I have to turn around for some reason, then I just turn around, but I'm going to move on and get things back to normal. The faster we do things without fear, the faster things can kind of move on.
How often do you come to downtown?
Kareem: A few times a year.
Are you doing anything after the show?
Kareem: We're doing a Father's Day dinner near our home.
Why do you think it's important to support the arts?
Amy: Our daughter is a senior in college and she's in the arts. She does musicals and theater, so it's kind of been a part of our family. And we've gone to shows at the Pantages and on Broadway, and we've just always enjoyed them. I know they work really hard and they don't make a lot, whether they're on stage or they are the stage crew.
Kareem: In my family, it's kind of been like a way to bond every since we've been together through dating and marriage. My godfather's son grew up in the theater and still works as a professional in the arts and he's always working hard, so we try to support them. We don't know any of these people, but we enjoy it.
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