Arts & Entertainment

‘Veronica’s Room’ at the Long Beach Playhouse

From Ira Levin, author of Rosemary’s Baby and Deathtrap, comes “Veronica’s Room,” a chilling mystery thriller that explores the thin line between reality and fantasy at the Long Beach Playhouse through Sept. 27.

Students Susan and Larry find themselves enticed to a mysterious mansion by its dissolute caretakers. Struck by Susan’s strong resemblance to Veronica, the long-dead daughter of the family they work for, the older couple induce her to impersonate the dead woman to give solace to their employer, Veronica’s addled sister, who believes she’s still alive. The entire play is set in an attic room in a house in Walpole, Massachusetts.

Sean Gray, producing artistic director for the Playhouse, says, “Levin has shown himself to be the master of storylines that are headed for one place only to find they went another. Veronica’s Room is no exception.

“I knew the show needed a director who is also a master of plot twists, suspense and trickery to work with the actors for the maximum impact. Greg Cohen is that director. Audiences will be lulled in the first act and on the edge of their seats in the second.”

Madison Mooney, playhouse executive director said, “This show takes us from the end of summer into the beginning of autumn, which is perfect. Fall is a time when we welcome the chill in the air, and we begin to look for the eerie stories that are always best told in the dark.”

The four-person cast are all returning performers including Noah Wagner, Andrea Stradling, Cassandra Angerosa-Korrie and Charlie Rodriguez.

“Veronica’s Room is a visit to the shadows of memory and malevolence, where 1973 and 1935 co-exist,” said Madison. “It’s the perfect play for this time of year.”

Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling (562) 494-1014, option 1.

‘Predictor’ at Garage

Not so long ago, a woman needed her husband or father’s permission to get a pregnancy test, the test had to be taken at a doctor’s office, it took weeks to get the results, and a woman had to have a male family member present to hear the result. Today, women the world over can buy a two-pack of pregnancy tests at any market or pharmacy and get the results in 15-minutes. The person we have to thank for this extraordinary cultural shift is a woman named Margaret Crane.

On Sept. 12, The Garage Theatre proudly presents the Southern California premier of “Predictor” by Jennifer Blackmer, directed by Jessica Variz. This fast-paced comedy celebrates the remarkable true story of Margaret “Meg” Crane, a 26-year-old graphic designer who, while working at a pharmaceutical company in 1967, had the revolutionary idea to invent the world’s first home pregnancy test.

“Predictor” begins as a loud TV game show and takes us on a wild ride. Six actors serve as the chorus, swiftly switching between multiple characters, as Meg faces patriarchal, religious and political challenges trying to convince people that women should be allowed to take their future into their own hands, all while her male coworkers are shutting her out and taking credit for her invention.

“Even though the play is about an historical event, the themes within it are still reverberating today,” points out director Jessica Variz. “Given our current political climate, these issues are more urgent now than ever.”

Running Sept. 12 through Oct. 11, tickets may be purchased online at www.thegaragetheatre.org or at the theater box office, 251 E 7th Street, 30-minutes prior to each night’s performance.

Museum’s 75 Years

On Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20, the Long Beach Museum of Art and its fundraising affiliate, Phoenix, will celebrate its 75th Anniversary & Art Auction 2025, featuring both silent and live auctions. This key fundraising event raises vital funds to help the museum offer meaningful art experiences and exceptional exhibitions to everyone in the community. This year, the museum is honoring the late Dr. Ronald and Sylvia Hartman, who have been dedicated supporters of the Museum for over 50 years.

Join Co-Chairs Janice Paiement and Adrienne White, along with Museum Executive Director Ron Nelson, as the museum celebrates 75 years of collecting contemporary art, hosting exhibitions that enrich Southern California’s art history, and bringing communities together. “This two-day celebration at the Long Beach Museum of Art is a must-see,” says Paiement. “With incredible live entertainment and a diverse lineup of artists – from rising stars to legends – guests will experience some of the best visual arts all in one stunning oceanfront location. Don’t miss your chance to see this amazing collection and be part of something truly special.”

Art Auction 2025 features a curated selection of 175 works across various mediums by contemporary artists, many with ties to the museum’s history. This year emphasizes new talent, with 83 first-time artist participants. Promising newcomers to watch include Sigrid Burton, Tanner Goldbeck, Tom LaDuke and Kristy Moreno. The Art Auction will also showcase works by well-known Southern California artists such as Lori LaMont, Salomon Huerta, Dan McCleary, Nobuhito Nishigawara, and Ed Ruscha.

Visit https://tinyurl.com/Art-Auction-25 for instructions on mobile bidding, tickets, and art preview.

Symphony Announces 2025-26 Season

Long Beach Symphony has unveiled its 2025–26 season, presenting a thoughtfully curated blend of classical masterworks and popular music performances that underscore the organization’s ongoing commitment to musical excellence, community connection and cultural relevance. With a mission to make music accessible to all, concert tickets start at just $39 and 5-concert subscriptions at $109.

The season will feature five Classical Series concerts, each performed at the Terrace Theater and conducted by Music Director Eckart Preu. Audiences are encouraged to attend the pre-concert talk for enriching backstories, with the opportunity to “sip & enjoy” throughout the evening.

Five Pops concerts rock the Long Beach Arena, where patrons may bring their own food and beverages and are encouraged to “dance the night away.”

Through its range of offerings, the 2025–26 season reflects the symphony’s vision of making orchestral music accessible, engaging, and impactful across generations and musical tastes.

Complete schedule, ticket information and subscription details are available at LongBeachSymphony.org.

Catalina Film Festival

Catalina Film Festival (CFF) turns 15 this year, setting sail for a milestone Siren Screen Anniversary and 4-day celebration of cinema by the sea, Thursday Sept. 25 through Sunday Sept. 28, 2025 on Hollywood’s storied Catalina Island.

The 15th annual edition of CFF showcases over 130 official film selections in competition, screening across four festival venues on the island, all within walking distance or a short golf cart ride away, including the Avalon Theatre inside the historic Catalina Casino, ACC Theater, Lancer Auditorium and Avalon City Hall.

The celebration will also feature two private pre-red carpet VIP mansion parties on Friday and Saturday, in Hamilton Cove with sweeping views of the Catalina coast line, exclusively for filmmakers, sponsors and special guests. Select and extremely limited tickets are available online for the daytime party of choice and includes accreditation to walk the official red carpet at the Catalina Casino.

The Catalina Film Institute’s King of Comedy Award honors a performer who has mastered the craft of comedy and uses it to uplift, inspire and bring joy, celebrating comedic excellence and the power of laughter to connect us all. With a fearless voice, a wild sense of humor and a heart bigger than his filmography, Ken Jeong has made comedy his cure-all.

A licensed physician turned comedic genius, Ken Jeong first broke out with roles in Knocked Up, Pineapple Express and Role Models, but it was his unforgettable turns as Mr. Chow in The Hangover trilogy and Señor Chang in Community that cemented him as a comedy legend. Known for turning even blink-and-you-miss-it roles into gold, his brief Step Brothers cameo is forever tied to Catalina Island and the infamous line “It’s the (BLEEP) Catalina Wine Mixer!”

For more information: Catalinafilm.org.